Temperature history and hardening depth are experimentally characterized in the rotational laser hardening process for an AISI 1045 medium carbon steel specimen. A three-dimensional finite element model is proposed to predict the temperature field distribution and hardening zone area. The laser temperature field is set up for an average distribution and scanned along a circular path. Linear motion also takes place alongside rotation. The prediction of hardening area can be increased by increasing the rotational radius, which in turn raises the processing efficiency. A good agreement is found between the experimental characterized hardness value and metallographic composition. The uniformity of the hardening area decreases with increasing laser scanning speed. The increased laser power input could help to expand the hardening depth.

Spinal fusion surgery leads to the restriction of mobility in the vertebral segments postoperatively, thereby causing stress to rise at the adjacent levels, resulting in early degeneration and a high risk of adjacent vertebral fractures. Thus, to address this issue, non-fusion surgery applies some pedicle screw-based dynamic stabilisation systems to provide stability and micromotion, thereby reducing stress in the fusion segments. Among these systems, the hybrid performance stabilisation system (HPSS) combines a rigid rod, transfer screw, and coupler design to offer a semi-rigid fixation method that preserves some mobility near the fusion site and reduces the adjacent segment compensatory effects. However, further research and confirmation are needed regarding the biomechanical effects of the dynamic coupler stiffness of the HPSS on the intrinsic degenerated adjacent segment. Therefore, this study utilised the finite element method to investigate the impact of the coupler stiffness of the HPSS on the mobility of the lumbar vertebral segments and the stress distribution in the intervertebral discs under flexion, extension, and lateral bending, as well as the clinical applicability of the HPSS on the discs with intrinsic moderate and severe degeneration at the adjacent level. The analytical results indicated that, regardless of the degree of disc degeneration, the use of a dynamic coupler stiffness of 57 N/mm in the HPSS may reduce the stress concentrations at the adjacent levels. However, for severely degenerated discs, the postoperative stress on the adjacent segments with the HPSS was still higher compared with that of the discs with moderate degeneration. We conclude that, when the discs had moderate degeneration, increasing the coupler stiffness led to a decrease in disc mobility. In the case of severe disc degeneration, the effect on disc mobility by coupler stiffness was less pronounced. Increasing the coupler stiffness ked to higher stress on intervertebral discs with moderate degeneration, while its effect on stress was less pronounced for discs with severe degeneration. It is recommended that patients with severe degeneration who undergo spinal dynamic stabilisation should remain mindful of the risk of accelerated adjacent segment degeneration.

This study explored the application of nitrogen-doped graphene (NDG) ink to the coating of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps for the thermal management. Unlike the general solutions of graphene, the NDG ink used in this study was tuned with high electrical resistance and quietly suitable for the application of the LED lamp coating, which prevented the short circuit problem; besides, the NDG ink also provided a high heat dissipation effect to improve the performance of the LED lamp. The investigation of adhesion and resistance for the NDG ink were conducted by the cross-cut test and the four-point probe resistance measurement, respectively. Three types of LED lamps including the original lamp, fin-removed lamp, and NDG-ink coated (NGC) lamp were tested for the actual operating temperature distribution by K-type thermal couples and for the lumens by the integrating sphere. The results showed that the heat dissipation of the NGC lamp was better than that of the original lamp. In addition, the inspections for the properties of NDG powder were also performed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy. According to the inspectional results, the NDG powder had a percentage of nitrogen of about 3.8% by XPS, a surface roughness R_q of 0.9 nm by AFM, and over ten layers by Raman analysis. It showed that the NDG powder in this study belonged to the type of multi-layer graphene.