This work opens a new pathway to fabricate high dimensional stability Invar36 aerospace devices with Binder Jetting technology, for applications where temperature fluctuations directly interfere in the correct performance of high sensibility systems. Since full density part fabrication is one of the main ongoing challenges for Binder Jetting, the leading objective of this work is to study and optimise the main process parameters to increase the final density of Invar36 printed parts. Microstructural analysis and obtained density and CTE values, confirmed the feasibility to fabricate Invar36 parts.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease consistently associated with repetitive traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which makes multiple professions, such as contact sports athletes, especially susceptible to its onset. There are currently no approved biomarkers to diagnose CTE, thus it can only be confirmed through a post-mortem brain autopsy. Several imaging and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers have shown promise in the diagnosis. However, blood-based biomarkers can be more easily obtained and quantified, increasing their clinical feasibility and potential for prophylactic use. This article aimed to comprehensively review the studies into potential blood-based biomarkers of CTE, discussing common themes and limitations as well as suggesting future research directions. While the interest in blood-based biomarkers of CTE has recently increased, the research is still in its early stages. The main issue for many proposed biomarkers is their lack of selectivity for CTE. However, several molecules, such as tau phosphorylated on different epitopes, were able to discern CTE from different neurodegenerative diseases. Further, results from studies of exosomal biomarkers suggest that exosomes are a promising source of biomarkers reflective of the internal environment of the brain. Nonetheless, more longitudinal studies combining imaging, neurobehavioral and biochemical approaches are warranted to establish robust biomarkers of CTE.

Light-colored and transparent polyimide (PI) films with good high-temperature dimensional stability are highly desired for advanced optoelectronic applications. However, in practice, the simultaneous achievement of good optical and thermal properties in one PI film is usually difficult due to the inter-conflicting molecular design for the polymers. In the present work, a series of PI-SiO2 nanocomposite films (ABTFCPI) were developed based on the PI matrix derived from hydrogenated pyromellitic anhydride (HPMDA) and an aromatic diamine containing benzanilide and trifluoromethyl substituents in the structure, 2,2'-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,4'-bis[4-(4-aminobenzamide)]biphenyl (ABTFMB). The inorganic SiO2 fillers were incorporated into the nanocomposite films with the form of colloidal nanoparticles dispersed in the good solvent of N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) for the PI matrix. The derived ABTFCPI nanocomposite films showed good film-forming ability, flexible and tough nature, good optical transparency, and good thermal properties with the loading amounts of SiO2 up to 30 wt% in the system. The ABTFCPI-30 film with the SiO2 content of 30 wt% in the film showed the optical transmittance of 79.6% at the wavelength of 400 nm (T400) with a thickness of 25 μm, the yellow index (b*) of 2.15, and the 5% weight loss temperatures (T5%) of 491 oC, which are all comparable to those the pristine ABTFCPI-0 matrix without filler (T400=81.8%; b*=1.77; T5%=492 oC). Meanwhile, the ABTFCPI-30 film exhibited obviously enhanced high-temperature dimensional stability with the linear coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of 25.4×10-6/K in the temperature range of 50 to 250 oC, which is much lower than that of the AMTFCPI-0 film (CTE=32.7×10-6/K).

As drone technology is rapidly becoming accessible to school children in terms of both low cost and ease-of-use, primary and secondary school teachers are beginning to consider where modern drones can play an important role in schooling. To date, there is very little empirical education research printed in the education research literature guiding innovative curriculum developers in the incipient domain of drone education. As a result, teachers interested in including emerging technologies in their classrooms are often at a loss of where to begin. Through clinical interviews with schoolteachers in the United States, our study identified five readily accessible “departure points” to include drones in contemporary STEM & vocational technology (CTE) school classrooms that help teachers address common curricular goals. Taken together, these interviews reveal that teachers using drones follow one of several distinct pathways as a first step toward achieving a widespread goal of teaching students to use modern technologies to construct, pursue, and communicate findings of fruitful research inquiries—the prevalence of which is not reflected in a comprehensive literature review. The five pathways for starting a successful drone education emerging from the interview data as dominant were: timed-racing trials; precision-flight obstacle courses; computer coding; videography; and domain-specific knowledge of drone operations laws and ethics.

With the ever-growing emphasis on global decarbonization and rapid increases in the power density of electronics equipment in recent years, new methods and lightweight materials have been developed to manage heat load as well as interfacial stresses associated with Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) mismatch between components. The Al-Si system provides an attractive combination of CTE performance and high thermal conductivity whilst being a very lightweight option. Such materials are of interest to industries where thermal management is a key design criterion, such as aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, defense, EV and space. This paper will describe the development and manufacture of a family of high-performance hypereutectic Al-Si alloys (AyontEX™) by a powder metallurgy method. These alloys are of particular interest for structural heat sink applications that require high reliability under thermal cycling (CTE of 17μm/(m·°C)) as well as reflective optics and instrument assemblies that require good thermal and mechanical stability (CTE of 13μm/(m·°C)). Critical performance relationships are presented, coupled with the microstructure, physical and mechanical properties of these Al-Si alloys.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a unique neurodegenerative disease that is associated with repetitive head impacts (RHI) in both civilian and military settings. In 2014, the research criteria for the clinical manifestation of CTE, traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) were proposed to improve the clinical identification and understanding of the complex neuropathological phenomena underlying CTE. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the neuropathological and clinical features of CTE, proposed biomarkers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in both research and clinical settings, and a range of treatments based on previous preclinical and clinical research studies. Due to the heterogeneity of TBI, there is no universally agreed-upon serum, CSF, or neuroimaging marker for its diagnosis. However, as our understanding of this complex disease continues to evolve, it is likely that there will be more robust, early diagnostic methods and effective clinical treatments. This is especially important given the increasing evidence of a correlation between TBI and neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and CTE¹. As public awareness of these conditions grows, it is imperative to prioritize both basic and clinical research, as well as the implementation of necessary safe and preventative measures.