This study explores the shape-morphing behavior of 4D-printed structures made from Polylactic Acid (PLA), a prominent bio-sourced shape-memory polymer. Focusing on the response of these structures to thermal stimuli, this research investigates how various printing parameters influence their morphing capabilities. The experimental approach integrates design and slicing, printing using fused deposition modeling (FDM), and a post-printing activation phase in a controlled laboratory environment. This process aims to replicate the external stimuli that induce shape morphing, highlighting the dynamic potential of 4D printing. Utilizing Taguchi’s Design of Experiments (DoE), this study examines the effects of printing speed, layer height, layer width, nozzle temperature, bed temperature, and activation temperature on the morphing behavior. The analysis includes precise measurements of deformation parameters, providing a comprehensive understanding of the morphing process. Regression models demonstrate strong correlations with observed data, suggesting their effectiveness in predicting responses based on control parameters. Additionally, finite element analysis (FEA) modeling successfully predicts the performance of these structures, validating its application as a design tool in 4D printing. This research contributes to the understanding of 4D printing dynamics and offers insights for optimizing printing processes to harness the full potential of shape-morphing materials. It sets a foundation for future research, particularly in exploring the relationship between printing parameters and the functional capabilities of 4D-printed structures.
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This study aims to provide an in-depth characterization of the intelligent behaviour exhibited by structures fabricated using fused deposition modelling (FDM) printing technology. The primary objective is to understand the variability in the shape-morphing behaviour of additively manufactured PLA structures. A comprehensive analysis is conducted to shed light on the impact of various factors on shape transformation, encompassing both working and printing parameters. To establish the relationship between the printing and working parameters with the shape morphing characteristics, the experimental procedure employs Taguchi's method design of experiments. Notably, the study quantitatively reveals the extent of these parameters' impact on the characteristics.
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Discussions about the importance of the built environment for healthcare delivery extend at least as far back as Hippocrates 1 (400 BC). The iconic Florence Nightingale (1859) also strongly believed in the influence the indoor environment has on the progress of disease and recovery. Today, the role of the built environment in the healing process is of growing interest to healthcare providers, environmental psychologists, consultants, and architects. Although there is a mounting evidence 1 linking healthcare environments to health outcomes, because of the varying quality of that evidence, there has also been a lack of clarity around what can and cannot be achieved through design. Given the ageing of society and the ever increasing numbers of persons with dementia in the Western World, the need for detailed knowledge about aged care environments has also become increasingly important. The mental and physical health state of these persons is extremely fragile and their needs demand careful consideration. Although environmental interventions constitute only a fraction of what is needed for people with dementia to remain as independent as possible, there is now sufficient evidence (2, 3) to argue they can be used as a first-line treatment, rather than beginning with farmalogical interventions.
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In recent years, a step change has been seen in the rate of adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies by manufacturers and industrial organizations alike. This article discusses the current state of the art in the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies within the construction industry. Increasing complexity in onsite construction projects coupled with the need for higher productivity is leading to increased interest in the potential use of Industry 4.0 technologies. This article discusses the relevance of the following key Industry 4.0 technologies to construction: data analytics and artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, building information management, sensors and wearables, digital twin, and industrial connectivity. Industrial connectivity is a key aspect as it ensures that all Industry 4.0 technologies are interconnected allowing the full benefits to be realized. This article also presents a research agenda for the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies within the construction sector, a three-phase use of intelligent assets from the point of manufacture up to after build, and a four-staged R&D process for the implementation of smart wearables in a digital enhanced construction site.
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Uit het rapport: "De afgelopen jaren is onderzoek gedaan naar nieuwe concepten voor bouwlogistiek en bij negen proeftuinen in binnenstedelijk gebied is aangetoond dat hier forse winst is te behalen in termen van besparingen op logistieke kosten en bouwtijd, betere doorstroming, minder schadelijke uitstoot en minder hinder voor de omgeving. Zo bleek het mogelijk om het aantal binnenstedelijke ritten van en naar de bouwplaats met zo’n vijftig tot tachtig procent terug te brengen. Voor goede bouwlogistiek is afstemming en medewerking binnen de keten cruciaal. Alle spelers dienen tijdig betrokken te zijn. Bouwlogistiek bestaat uit allerlei maatregelen die effect hebben op het transport en op het bouwproces. Door te meten en te monitoren zijn de effecten van verschillende maatregelen in het onderzoek aangetoond en nieuwe inzichten en lessons learned opgedaan die worden meegenomen in volgende bouwprojecten. In totaal zijn negen proeftuinen begeleid, waarvan er bij drie uitgebreide gegevens zijn verzameld en ook besparingen aangetoond. Bij de andere proeftuinen zijn vooral kwalitatief lessons learned opgedaan. Bij het Voorzetgebouw/Paviljoen van VolkerWessels Bouwmaterieel is 50% ritten in de afbouwfase bespaard, bij het Noordgebouw van Dura Vermeer 65% in ritten in de afbouwfase en bij het Mariskwartier van Van Wijnen is 80% in ritten in de ruwbouwfase bespaard. Andere proeftuinen hebben laten zien dat het meten en monitoren van bouwlogistiek niet altijd eenvoudig is en het invoeren van bouwlogistiek zelf al lastig genoeg is. Vragen die opdoemen zijn: wie bepaalt of en zo ja welke maatregelen op de bouwplaats worden toegepast, de directie of de hoofduitvoerder en wie bepaalt hoe producten worden ingekocht, is dat op laagste prijs of wordt logistiek ook meegenomen. Allemaal vragen die van groot belang zijn voor een efficiënte logistiek van, op en naar de bouwplaats. Daarnaast leeft de vraag welke rol de gemeente gaat spelen; of zij bepaalde logistieke werkwijzen gaan verplichten bijvoorbeeld via aanbestedingen? Een andere belangrijke vraag is wie er opdraait voor de eventuele kosten van de bouwlogistieke maatregelen. Dit rapport geeft hier antwoord op. Verder komen de ontwikkelingen rond ketenregie, BIM en ICT aan bod. Ketenregie over alle vervoersstromen gekoppeld aan het bouwproces, en over alle partijen van producent tot op de bouwplaats, staat of valt met de juiste ondersteunende ICT-middelen. Daarin speelt de beoogde 4C Control Tower een cruciale rol in planning en besturing op strategisch, tactisch en operationeel niveau. Er blijkt nog een flinke ontwikkelingsslag nodig om BIM geschikt te maken voor bouwlogistieke planning en besturing. Daarnaast is gekeken naar betrouwbare dataregistratie in het bouwlogistieke proces door een pilot waarin nieuwe technologieën gebaseerd op Internet of Things (IoT) een oplossing bieden. Eigenlijk is er geen enkele reden om niet nu al met bouwlogistiek te beginnen, al is het maar in het klein met eenvoudige maatregelen. Zorg dat tijdig in het proces alle partijen erbij betrokken worden, van architect tot vakkracht op de bouwplaats, zorg voor draagvlak in het hele team. Dan zijn de drie proeftuinen met de mooie besparingen straks geen uitzondering meer maar regel."
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from the article: "Abstract The way in which construction logistics is organised has considerable impact on production flow, transportation efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions and congestion, particularly in urban areas such as city centres. In cities such as London and Amsterdam municipalities have issued new legislation and stricter conditions for vehicles to be able to access cities and city centres in particular. Considerate clients, public as well private, have started developing tender policies to encourage contractors to reduce the environmental impact of construction projects. This paper reports on an ongoing research project applying and assessing developments in the field of construction logistics in the Netherlands. The cases include contractors and third party logistics providers applying consolidation centres and dedicated software solutions to increase transportation efficiency. The case show various results of JIT logistics management applied to urban construction projects leading to higher transportation efficiencies, and reduced environmental impact and increased production efficiency on site. The data collections included to-site en on-site observations, measurement and interviews. The research has shown considerable reductions of vehicles to deliver goods and to transport workers to site. In addition the research has shown increased production flow and less waste such as inventory, waiting and unnecessary motion on site."
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Currently, many novel innovative materials and manufacturing methods are developed in order to help businesses for improving their performance, developing new products, and also implement more sustainability into their current processes. For this purpose, additive manufacturing (AM) technology has been very successful in the fabrication of complex shape products, that cannot be manufactured by conventional approaches, and also using novel high-performance materials with more sustainable aspects. The application of bioplastics and biopolymers is growing fast in the 3D printing industry. Since they are good alternatives to petrochemical products that have negative impacts on environments, therefore, many research studies have been exploring and developing new biopolymers and 3D printing techniques for the fabrication of fully biobased products. In particular, 3D printing of smart biopolymers has attracted much attention due to the specific functionalities of the fabricated products. They have a unique ability to recover their original shape from a significant plastic deformation when a particular stimulus, like temperature, is applied. Therefore, the application of smart biopolymers in the 3D printing process gives an additional dimension (time) to this technology, called four-dimensional (4D) printing, and it highlights the promise for further development of 4D printing in the design and fabrication of smart structures and products. This performance in combination with specific complex designs, such as sandwich structures, allows the production of for example impact-resistant, stress-absorber panels, lightweight products for sporting goods, automotive, or many other applications. In this study, an experimental approach will be applied to fabricate a suitable biopolymer with a shape memory behavior and also investigate the impact of design and operational parameters on the functionality of 4D printed sandwich structures, especially, stress absorption rate and shape recovery behavior.
The aim of this exploratory study was to assess whether practicing social workers currently enrolled in Master Social Work (MSW) programs (hereafter referred to as MSW students) were more oriented to the evidence-based practice (EBP) process and more engaged in it than practicing social workers who are not currently enrolled in MSW programs (hereafter referred to as social workers) in the Netherlands. Data were collected from MSW students (n = 32) and from social workers (n = 341) using the EBP Process Assessment Scale. MSW students reported a stronger orientation toward the EBP process, more positive attitudes toward EBP, more familiarity with EBP and more intentions to engage in EBP than social workers did, however, they were less positive about the feasibility of implementing EBP in practice. These preliminary results suggest that there are grounds for optimism about MSW students’ acceptance of and engagement in the EBP process. Implications for social work education are discussed.
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The obser-view is a method to generate data and create a learning space for both researcher and participants in qualitative research. It includes reflection between the two after the researcher has observed the participant. This article aims to reveal the benefits and challenges encountered when using the obser-view in two different research projects. In a Dutch project whose aim was to empower residents with dementia, in nursing homes the obser-view was used to generate data and create space for reflection which included residents and the family members. It showed that the obser-view cannot be finished when reflection does not happen. A Danish project with the aim to map the practice for inmates’ opportunities for education and job guidance highlighted that it made participants—educational prison leaders and teachers—aware they were doing their jobs by rote and showed the difficulties the researcher had trying to reflect with some participants. In both projects the obser-view created a learning space for participants. A benefit of the obser-view is that it can be used in dissimilar settings with different research purposes and with vulnerable and stigmatized people often excluded from the research. A challenge is for the researcher to reflect with participants, which is more likely to be successful if they have had time to develop a trusting relationship. Although the obser-view is a novel method in qualitative research, it has proved useful in different settings. It is a valuable method and we recommend developing it further in additional different settings with different populations.
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From PLoS website: In general, dietary antigens are tolerated by the gut associated immune system. Impairment of this so-called oral tolerance is a serious health risk. We have previously shown that activation of the ligand-dependent transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by the environmental pollutant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) affects both oral tolerance and food allergy. In this study, we determine whether a common plant-derived, dietary AhR-ligand modulates oral tolerance as well. We therefore fed mice with indole-3-carbinole (I3C), an AhR ligand that is abundant in cruciferous plants. We show that several I3C metabolites were detectable in the serum after feeding, including the high-affinity ligand 3,3´-diindolylmethane (DIM). I3C feeding robustly induced the AhR-target gene CYP4501A1 in the intestine; I3C feeding also induced the aldh1 gene, whose product catalyzes the formation of retinoic acid (RA), an inducer of regulatory T cells. We then measured parameters indicating oral tolerance and severity of peanut-induced food allergy. In contrast to the tolerance-breaking effect of TCDD, feeding mice with chow containing 2 g/kg I3C lowered the serum anti-ovalbumin IgG1 response in an experimental oral tolerance protocol. Moreover, I3C feeding attenuated symptoms of peanut allergy. In conclusion, the dietary compound I3C can positively influence a vital immune function of the gut.
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