Kinetic study on the direct nitridation of silicon powders diluted with α-Si_3N_4 at normal pressure

Silicon nitride （Si3N4） powders were prepared by the direct nitridation of silicon powders diluted with a- Si3N4 at normal pressure. Silicon powders of 2.2 μm in average diameter were used as the raw materials. The nitriding temperature was from 1623 to 1823 K, and the reaction time ranged from 0 to 20 min. The phase compositions and morphologies of the products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The effects of nitriding temperature and reaction time on the conversion rate of silicon were determined. Based on the shrinking core model as well as the relationship between the conversion rate of silicon and the reaction time at different temperatures, a simple model was derived to describe the reaction between silicon and nitrogen. The model revealed an asymptotic exponential trend of the silicon conversion rate with time. Three kinetic parameters of silicon nitridation at atmospheric pressure were calculated, including the pre-exponential factor （2.27 cm.s^-1） in the Arrhenius equation, activation energy （114 kJ·mol^-1）, and effective diffusion coefficient （6.2×10-s cm2.s^-1）. A formula was also derived to calculate the reaction rate constant.

Multiple scattering and modeling of laser in fog

When a laser is transmitted in fog, and the water droplets will scatter and absorb the laser, which affects the intensity of the laser transmission and the accuracy of radar detection. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the laser transmission in the fog. At present, the main method of calculating the scattering and attenuation characteristics of fog is based on the radiation transmission theory, which is realized by a large number of numerical calculations or physical simulation methods, which takes time and cannot meet the requirements for obtaining the fast and accurate results. Therefore, in this paper established are a new laser forward attenuation model and backward attenuation model in low visibility fog. It is found that in low visibility environments, the results calculated by the Monte Carlo method are more accurate than those from most of the existing forward attenuation models. For the cases of 0.86-μm, 1.06-μm, 1.315-μm, 10.6-μm typical lasers incident on different fogs with different visibilities, a backscatter model is established, the error between the fitting result and the calculation result is analyzed, the backward attenuation fitting parameters of the new model are tested, and a more accurate fitting result is obtained.

Correlation between the glass-forming ability and activation energy of crystallization for Zr_(75-x)Ni_(25)Al_x metallic glasses

The thermal stability and the kinetics of glass transition and crystallization for Zr75-xNi25Alx （x = 8-15） metallic glasses were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） under continuous heating conditions. The apparent activation energy of glass transition rises monotonously with the A1 content increasing; the activation energy of crystallization increases with A1 changing from 8at% to 15at%, and then decreases with A1 further up to 24at%, which exhibits a good correlation to the thermal stability and the glass-forming ability （GFA）. The Zr60Ni25A115 metallic glass with the largest supercooled liquid region and GFA possesses the highest activation energy of crystallization. The relation between the thermal stability, GFA and activation energy of crystallization was discussed in terms of the primary precipitated phases.

Single-molecule mechanical folding and unfolding kinetics of armless mitochondrial tRNA^(Arg) from Romanomermis culicivorax

The mechanical stability of tRNAs contributes to their biological activities.The mitochondrial tRNAArg from Romanomermis culicivorax is the shortest tRNA ever known.This tRNA lacks D-and T-arms,represents a stem-bulge-stem architecture but still folds into a stable tertiary structure.Although its structure had been reported,studies on its mechanical folding and unfolding kinetic characteristics are lacking.Here,we directly measured the single-molecule mechanical folding and unfolding kinetics of the armless mt tRNAArg by using optical tweezers in different solution conditions.We revealed a two-step reversible unfolding pathway:the first and large transition corresponds to the unfolding of acceptor stem and bulge below 11 pN,and the second and small transition corresponds to the unfolding of anticodon arm at 12 pN-14 pN.Moreover,the free energy landscapes of the unfolding pathways were reconstructed.We also demonstrated that amino acid-chelated Mg^(2+)(aaCM),which mimics the intracellular solution condition,stabilizes the bulge of mitochondrial tRNAArg possibly by reducing the topological constraints or stabilizing the possible local non-canonical base pairings within the bulge region.Our study revealed the solution-dependent mechanical stability of an armless mt tRNA,which may shed light on future mt tRNA studies.

Positron emission tomography imaging for the assessment of mild traumatic brain injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy:recent advances in radiotracers

A chronic phase following repetitive mild traumatic brain injury can present as chronic traumatic encephalopathy in some cases,which requires a neuropathological examination to make a definitive diagnosis.Positron emission tomography(PET)is a molecular imaging modality that has high sensitivity for detecting even very small molecular changes,and can be used to quantitatively measure a range of molecular biological processes in the brain using different radioactive tracers.Functional changes have also been reported in patients with different forms of traumatic brain injury,especially mild traumatic brain injury and subsequent chronic traumatic encephalopathy.Thus,PET provides a novel approach for the further evaluation of mild traumatic brain injury at molecular levels.In this review,we discuss the recent advances in PET imaging with different radiotracers,including radioligands for PET imaging of glucose metabolism,tau,amyloid-beta,γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors,and neuroinflammation,in the identification of altered neurological function.These novel radiolabeled ligands are likely to have widespread clinical application,and may be helpful for the treatment of mild traumatic brain injury.Moreover,PET functional imaging with different ligands can be used in the future to perform largescale and sequential studies exploring the time-dependent changes that occur in mild traumatic brain injury.

Effect of 4-week Whole Body Vibration onDistal Radius Density

Objective To assess the effects of high-frequency loading using whole body vibration on distal radius density in adults. Methods The volunteers diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia in the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2011 to December 2014 were recruited. All the subjects performed foot-based, whole body vibrations on the vibration platform(35 Hz, 0.25 g) once a day, for 15 minutes per session over a period of 4 weeks. The bone mineral density of distal radius(rB MD) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at before, 2-week, and 4-week after the vibration treatment. Blood pressures were measured at the end of the vibration treatment. Results A total of 114 volunteers were enrolled. The average rB MD before the treatment was 0.331±0.014 g/cm^2. It was reached 0.337±0.019 g/cm2 at the end of the fourth week, increased by 1.79%(P<0.05). Whole body vibration increased rB MD of men and women respectively(1.77% and 1.80%, P<0.05). Blood pressures did not change in any of the groups. Conclusion A 4-week whole body vibration was feasible and contributed to increase of rBMD.

Enhancement of glass-forming ability and thermal stability of a soft magnetic Co_(75)B_(25)metallic glass by micro-alloying Y and Nb

Soft magnetic Co-based Co-Y-Nb-B bulk metallic glasses(BMGs)without Fe have been developed by micro-alloying Y and Nb into a C075B25 alloy.First,addition of 3^at.%Y promotes the occurrence of glass transition and increases the supercooled liquid stability and magnetic softness.C0_(71.5)Y_(35)B_(25) metallic glass possesses a large supercooled liquid region(△T_(x))of 33 K and low coercivity(H_(c))of l.5 A/m.Subsequent alloying 2-4 at.% Nb into C0_(71.5)Y_(35)B_(25) alloy further enlarges △T_(x) to 50 K,lowers H_(c) to 0.9 A/m,and enables the formation of BMGs with a critical sample diameter up to 2.0 mm.The alloying Nb causes the formation of complex(Co,Nb,Y)_(23)B_(6) competing phase during crystallization and widens the melt undercooling during solidification,which improves the supercooled liquid stability and glass-forming ability,respectively.Co-Y-Nb-B BMGs also exhibit good soft magnetic and mechanical properties,i.e.,lowH_(c)of 0.9-1.2 A/m,relatively high saturation magnetic flux density of 0.36-0.57 T,high yielding strength of 3877-3930 MPa with plastic strain of 0.2%-0.3%,and high Vickers hardness of 1156-1201.The developed soft magnetic Co-based BMGs are promising for applications as structural and functional materials.

Effects of Sm content on crystallized structure and magnetic properties of Co80-xSmxb20 amorphous alloys

The formation,thermal stability,crystallized structure,and magnetic properties of melt-spun Co80-xSmxB20(x=0–20)amorphous alloys have been investigated.A single amorphous phase is formed for the alloys with x=0–15.The first crystallization temperature gradually increases from 670 to 955 K as x increases from 0 to 10,and decreases to 836K when x=15.After optimum annealing,the nanocomposite structure consisting of SmCo12B6+fcc-Co+Sm2Co17 phases is formed for the alloys with x=5 and 7.5,and SmCo12B6+Sm2Co17+SmCo3,SmCo12B6+Sm2Co17+SmCo4B,and SmCo12B6+SmCo4B phases are formed for the alloys with x=10,12.5,and 15,respectively.The coercivity of the annealed alloys increases remarkably from 103.5 to 1249.4 kA m^-1 as x increases from 5 to 15,while the magnetization at the applied field of 2.0T decreases from 0.51 to 0.16T.The improved magnetic hardness with rising Sm content is attributed to the formation of the hard magnetic phases with higher magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the increase in their volume fraction.

Microstructure and magnetic properties of Fe81.3Si4B13Cu1.7 nanocrystalline alloys with minor Nb addition

The amorphous matrix contAlning dispersive high number density （Na） α-Fe nuclei with average grAln sizes （D） of 4.3-6.2 nm was formed in the melt-spun Fe81.3-xSi4B13Cu1.7Nbx （x = 0-2） alloys, and the Nd and D values reduce with increase in the Nb content. The fine nanocrystalline structure with α-Fe grAlns of 14.0-21.6 nm in size was obtAlned for the annealed alloys, which showed high saturation magnetic flux density of 1.60-1.77 T and low coercivity （He） of 7.1-17.0 A/m. Addition of minor Nb significantly expands the optimum annealing temperature range for obtAlning good soft magnetic properties, while coarsens the α-Fe grAlns, leading to a slight increase in the Hc. The mechanism of the effect of Cu and Nb elements on the structure and magnetic properties was discussed in terms of the formation and growth of the α-Fe nuclei of the alloys.

Effects of Ribbon Thickness on Structure and Soft Magnetic Properties of a High-Cu-Content FeBCuNb Nanocrystalline Alloy

The effects of ribbon thickness(t)on the structure and magnetic properties of a Fe_(82.3)B_(13)Cu_(1.7)Nb_(3) alloy in melt-spun and annealed states have been investigated.Increasing the t from 15 to 23μm changes the structure of the melt-spun ribbons from a single amorphous phase to a composite with denseα-Fe nanograins embedded in the amorphous matrix.The grain size(D_(α-Fe))of theα-Fe near the free surface of the ribbon is about 6.7 nm,and it gradually decreases along the cross section toward the wheel-contacted surface.Further increasing the t to 32μm coarsens the D_(α-Fe) near the free surface to 15.2 nm and aggravates the D_(α-Fe) ramp along the cross section.After annealing,the ribbon with t=15μm has relatively largeα-Fe grains with D_(α-Fe)>30 nm,while the thicker ribbons possessing the pre-existing nanograins form a finer nanostructure with D_(α-Fe)<16 nm.The structural uniformity of the ribbon with t=23μm is better than that of the ribbon with t=32μm.The annealed ribbons with t=23 and 32μm possess superior soft magnetic properties to the ribbon with t=15μm.The ribbon with t=23μm exhibits a high saturation magnetic flux density of 1.68 T,low coercivity of 9.6 A/m,and high effective permeability at 1 kHz of 15,000.The ribbon with t=32μm has a slightly larger coercivity due to the lower structural uniformity.The formation mechanism of the fine nanostructure for the ribbons with suitable t has been discussed in terms of the competitive growth effect among the pre-existingα-Fe nanograins.

盾构机主驱动密封用聚氨酯脲弹性体密封材料的研究

以聚四氢呋喃二醇(PTMEG)、甲苯2,4-二异氰酸酯(TDI)和3,3'-二氯-4,4'-二氨基二苯基甲烷(MOCA)为原料,通过使用不同含量的有机硅树脂(PDMS)对其改性,制备了4种浇注型聚氨酯脲弹性体(PUU-s).系统地研究了PDMS的含量对聚氨酯脲弹性体力学性能、耐热性能、耐疲劳性能、可回复性能、耐介质性能以及摩擦学性能的影响.结果表明,PDMS改性的PUU-s弹性体,不仅具有较高的机械性能,且具有优异的耐磨性和耐介质性以及较高的可回复性,可作为苛刻工况下的密封材料.其有望作为盾构机主驱动密封用材料,提高了密封部件的长寿命服役,解决了磨损失效等问题.

Cavitation performance of high-speed centrifugal pump with annular jet and inducer at different temperatures and void fractions

The cavitation is very common in a centrifugal pump,especially when the speed is very high,and it seriously influences the centrifugal pump performance.In this investigation,the RNG k-ε turbulence model and the cavitation model with consideration of the mass transferring are first used to simulate the cavitation performance of the high-speed centrifugal pump without taking any measure for improving the pump cavitation performance.The calculation results reveal that a number of bubbles appear in the centrifugal pump flow channel,and the head as well as the flow rate of the high-speed centrifugal pump are far from its design condition.The cavitation performance can be improved effectively by arranging a variable pitch inducer and adopting an annular nozzle scheme.The flow field analysis of the pump is conducted to obtain the suitable working temperature distribution at different void fractions.On one hand,with the same void fraction,the head of the centrifugal pump drops slowly with the increase of temperature.However,when the temperature exceeds 90°C,the head of the pump drops rapidly.On the other hand,at the constant temperature,the higher the void fraction,the worse the cavitation performance.This research conducted under different temperatures and void fractions provides some guidance for designing an effective high-speed centrifugal pump.

Polylysine-modified Polyethylenimines as siRNA Carriers for Effective Tumor Treatment

Polyethylenimine-poly（L-lysine） （PEI-PLL） copolymer was synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of L-lysine N-carboxyanhydride （Lys（Z）-NCA） initiated by PEI. The complexation of PEI-PLL with siRNA was studied by particle size and zeta potential measurements. The flow cytometric analysis and confocal imaging showed its excellent intracellular trafficking ability. PEI-PLL displayed higher gene silencing efficiency and lower cytotoxicity than commercial PEI-25k in vitro. In the antitumor study, PEI-PLL was further combined with siVEGF and showed obviously tumor inhibition effect for the treatment of CT26 tumor model. Therefore, PEI-PLL is a promising siRNA carrier candidate for further antitumor treatment in vivo.

PLG-g-mPEG Mediated Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Photoacoustic Imaging Guided Combined Chemo/Photothermal Antitumor Therapy

Under laser irradiation,photothermal therapy(PTT)effectively ablates tumors above 50℃.However,hyperthermia can cause additional damage due to the inevitable heat spread to surrounding healthy tissue.Herein,nanoparticles named as GI@P NPs were designed for enhanced PTT with heat shock protein 90(HSP90)inhibition at temperatures below 50℃to achieve optimal cancer therapy and avoid surrounding damage.GI@P NPs were done by co-loading Garcinia cambogia acid(GA)and photosensitizer IR783 in polymer PLG-g-mPEG to form a nanomedicine,where IR783 with excellent photoacoustic(PA)signal acted as an excellent photothermal therapeutic agent that converted the laser energy into heat to kill tumor cells,GA was used as antitumor drug for chemotherapy and an inhibitor of HSP90 to overcome the heat resistance of tumors for efficient cryo-photothermal therapy,and PLG-g-mPEG can encapsulate IR783 and GA to increase biocompatibility and accumulate effectively in the tumor.After GI@P NPs were injected into the mice,we could observe that the PA signals gradually increased in the tumor region and showed the strongest PA signals at 12 h.Under laser irradiation,the tumor temperature of the mice could raise to about 43.5℃,and the tumor was significantly inhibited after long-term monitoring by PA imaging.As a result,gentle PTT produced by GI@P NPs exhibited good antitumor effects at relatively low temperature and minimized nonspecific thermal damage to normal tissues.The GI@P NPs as nanomedicine enriched our understanding of various applications of polymeric carriers,especially in the biomedical field.

Seizures as the first manifestation of chromosome 2q24.2-q24.3 in a two and a half years old girl: A case report

Background:Mutations and/or duplications in the chromosome 2q24.3 region are known to be responsible for various epilepsy phenotypes.However,microdeletion in childhood epilepsy is rarely reported.Case presentation:A two-and-a-half-year-old girl with no history of hypocalcemia or seizures developed new symptoms of generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy.The clinical manifestations were growth retardation,prominent forehead,closed anterior fontanelle,and poor muscle tension.Peripheral blood,echocardiography,abdominal ultrasound,and electroencephalogram(EEG)examinations were all normal.No karyotype abnormality was found in the patient,but a single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)array test detected that a 3.5 Mb single-copy microdeletion had occurred in the q24.2-q24.3 region on chromosome 2.Fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)tests revealed that the 2q24 fragment was inserted into the q11.2 region of the patient's chromosome 15,as well as that of her sister.In both cases,the patient's mother is the source carrier of the chromosome 15 insertion.Conclusions:The deletion of the sodium channel gene cluster(SCN1A,SCN2A,and SCN3A),but not SCN1A haploinsufficiency alone,may contribute to complex infant epilepsy syndromes.However,the pathogenic mechanism still needs to be studied further.