Simulations of hot electron transport in radiation-ablated plasma

The transport of hot electrons in inertial confinement fusion(ICF)is integrated issue due to the coupling of hydrodynamic evolution and many physical processes.A hot electron transport code is developed and coupled with the radiation hydrodynamic code MULTI1D in this study.Using the code,the slowing-down process and ablation process of the hot electron beam are simulated.The ablation pressure scaling law of hot electron beam is confirmed in our simulations.The hot electron transport is simulated in the radiation-ablated plasmas relevant to indirect-drive ICF,where the spatial profile of hot electron energy deposition is presented around the shock compressed region.It is shown that the hot electron can prominently increase the total ablation pressure in the early phase of radiation-ablated plasma.So,our study suggests that a potential-driven symmetric mechanism may occur under the irradiation of asymmetric hot electron beam.The possible degradation from the hot electron transport and preheating is also discussed.

Pressure ranges of velocity splitting of ablated particles produced by pulsed laser deposition in different inert gases

The transport of ablated particles produced by single pulsed-laser ablation is simulated via Monte Carlo method. The pressure ranges of velocity splitting of ablated particles in different inert gases are investigated. The result shows that the range of velocity splitting decreases with the atomic mass of the ambient gas increasing. The ambient gas whose atomic mass is more than that of Kr cannot induce the velocity splitting of ablated particles. The results are explained by the underdamping model and the inertia flow model.

Monte Carlo Simulation of Laser-Ablated Particle Splitting Dynamic in a Low Pressure Inert Gas

A Monte Carlo simulation method with an instantaneous density dependent meanfree-path of the ablated particles and the Ar gas is developed for investigating the transport dynamics of the laser-ablated particles in a low pressure inert gas.The ablated-particle density and velocity distributions are analyzed.The force distributions acting on the ablated particles are investigated.The influence of the substrate on the ablated-particle velocity distribution and the force distribution acting on the ablated particles are discussed.The Monte Carlo simulation results approximately agree with the experimental data at the pressure of 8 Pa to 17 Pa.This is helpful to investigate the gas phase nucleation and growth mechanism of nanoparticles.

Enhancement of antitumor vaccine in ablated hepatocellular carcinoma by high-intensity focused ultrasound

AIM:To investigate whether tumor debris created by high-intensity focused ultrasound(HIFU)could trigger antitumor immunity in a mouse hepatocellular carcinoma model. METHODS:Twenty C57BL/6J mice bearing H22 hepatocellular carcinoma were used to generate antitumor vaccines.Ten mice underwent HIFU ablation,and the remaining 10 mice received a sham-HIFU procedure with no ultrasound irradiation.Sixty normal mice were randomly divided into HIFU vaccine,tumor vaccine and control groups.These mice were immunized with HIFU-generated vaccine,tumor-generated vaccine,and saline,respectively.In addition,20 mice bearing H22 tumors were successfully treated with HIFU ablation. The protective immunity of the vaccinated mice was investigated before and after a subsequent H22 tumor challenge.Using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay,the cytotoxicity of splenic lymphocytes co-cultured with H22 cells wasdetermined in vitro before the tumor challenge,and tumor volume and survival were measured in vivo after the challenge in each group.The mechanism was also explored by loading the vaccines with bone marrowderived dendritic cells(DCs). RESULTS:Compared to the control,HIFU therapy, tumor-generated and HIFU-generated vaccines significantly increased cytolytic activity against H22 cells in the splenocytes of the vaccinated mice(P<0.001). The tumor volume was significantly smaller in the HIFU vaccine group than in the tumor vaccine group(P <0.05)and control group(P<0.01).However,there was no tumor growth after H22 rechallenge in the HIFU therapy group.Forty-eight-day survival rate was 100%in mice in the HIFU therapy group,30%in both the HIFU vaccine and tumor vaccine groups,and 20% in the control group,indicating that the HIFU-treated mice displayed significantly longer survival than the vaccinated mice in the remaining three groups(P< 0.001).After bone marrow-derived DCs were incubated with HIFU-generated and tumor-generated vaccines, the number of mature DCs expressing MHC-Ⅱ + ,CD80 + and CD86 + molecules was significantly increased,and interleukin-12 and interferon-γlevels were significantly higher in the supernatants when compared with immature DCs incubated with mouse serum(P<0.001). However,no differences of the number of mature DCs and cytokine levels were observed between the HIFU- generated and tumor-generated vaccines(P>0.05). CONCLUSION:Tumor debris remaining after HIFU can improve tumor immunogenicity.This debris releases tumor antigens as an effective vaccine to develop host antitumor immune response after HIFU ablation.

Formation Mechanism and Emission Spectrum of AlO Radicals in Reaction of Laser-ablated Al Atom and Oxygen

The emission spectrum of AlO radicals was analyzed in 440-540 nm in the reaction of laser ablated Al beam and O 2. The carrier of spectrum was assigned to Δ ν =0, ±1, ±2 vibrational sequences of B 2Σ +-X 2Σ + transition of AlO radicals, the observed maximum vibrational quantum number was ν ′=6. The rotational and vibrational temperatures of B state were estimated at 3000 and 7500 K by spectrally simulating the rovibronic population distribution. There is a strong evidence that the production of excited Al( 2 S ) atoms is essential to the formation of excited AlO radicals.

Characterization of ion irradiated silicon surfaces ablated by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Low energy metallic ions, generated by a Q-switched Nd：YAG laser （1064-nm wavelength, 10-mJ energy, 9-nm 12-ns-pulse width, 1011 W/cm2 intensity） irradiated on a silicon substrate to modify various properties, such as electrical, morphological, and structural modifications. Thomson parabola technique is used to calculate the energy of these metallic ions whereas the electrical conductivity is calculated with the help of Four-point probe. Interestingly circular tracks forming chain like damage trails are produced via these energetic ions which are carefully examined by optical microscopy. It is observed that excitation, ionization, and cascade collisions are responsible for surface modifications of irradiated samples. Four-point probe analysis revealed that the electrical conductivity of substrate has reduced with increasing trend of atomic number of irradiated metallic ions （A1, Ti, Cu, and Au）. The x-ray diffraction analysis elucidated the crystallographic changes leading to reduction of grain size of N-type silicon substrate, which is also associated with the metallic ions used. The decreasing trend of conductivity and grain size is due to thermal stresses, scattering effect, structural imperfections, and non-uniform conduction of energy absorbed by substrate atoms after the ion irradiation.

Laser Ablated Superconducting and Related Thin Films:A Microscopical Investigation

Laser ablated high temperature superconducting and related thin films are investigated with a microscopical point of view.The microstructure and microchemistry of three thin films(Y-Ba-Cu-O, Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Sr-Ca-Cu-O)are demonstrated as examples of laser ablation products.

Thermal characteristics of double-layer thin film target ablated by femtosecond laser pulses

Thermal characteristics of tightly-contacted copper-gold double-layer thin film target under ablation of femtosec- ond laser pulses are investigated by using a two-temperature theoretical model. Numerical simulation shows that electron heat flux varies significantly on the boundary of copper-gold film with different maximal electron temperature of 1.15 x 103 K at 5 ps after ablating laser pulse in gold and copper films, which can reach a balance around 12.6 ps and 8.2 ps for a single and double pulse ablation, respectively, and in the meantime, the lattice temperature difference crossing the gold-copper interface is only about 0.04×103 K at the same time scale. It is also found that electron-lattice heat relaxation time increases linearly with laser fluence in both single and double pulse ablation, and a sudden change of the relaxation time appears after the laser energy density exceeds the ablation threshold.

Effect of Oxygen Partial Pressure on Epitaxial Growth and Properties of Laser-Ablated AZO Thin Films

Al-doped ZnO（AZO） thin films were grown on c-sapphire substrates by laser ablation under different oxygen partial pressures（P_（O2））.The effect of P_（O2） on the crystal structure,preferred orientation as well as the electrical and optical properties of the films was investigated.The structure characterizations indicated that the as-grown films were single-phased with a wurtzite ZnO structure,showing a significant c-axis orientation.The films were well crystallized and exhibited better crystallinity and denser texture when deposited at higher P_（O2）.At the optimum oxygen partial pressures of 10- 15 Pa,the AZO thin films were epitaxially grown on c-sapphire substrates with the（0001） plane parallel to the substrate surface,i e,the epitaxial relationship was AZO（000 1） // A1_2O_3（000 1）.With increasing P_（O2）,the value of Hall carrier mobility was increased remarkably while that of carrier concentration was decreased slightly,which led to an enhancement in electrical conductivity of the AZO thin films.All the films were highly transparent with an optical transmittance higher than 85%.

Laser-ablated violet phosphorus/graphene heterojunction as ultrasensitive ppb-level room-temperature NO sensor

Two dimensional(2D)materials are promising gas sensing materials,but the most of them need to be heated to show promising sensing performance.Sensing structures with high sensing performance at room-temperature are urgent.Here,another 2D material,violet phosphorus(VP)nanoflake is investigated as gas sensing material.The VP nanoflakes have been effectively ablated to have layers of 1–5 layers by laser ablation in glycol.The VP nanoflakes are combined with graphene to form VP/G heterostructuresbased NO sensor.An ultra-high gauge factor of 3×10^(7)for ppb-level sensing and high resistance response of 59.21%with ultra-short recovery time of 6s for ppm-level sensing have been obtained.The sensing mechanism is also analysed by density functional theory(DFT)calculations.The adsorption energy of VP/G is calculated to be-0.788 e V,resulting in electrons migration from P to N to form a P-N bond in the gap between VP and graphene sheet.This work provides a facile approach to ablate VP for mass production.The as-produced structures have also provided potential gas sensors with ultrasensitive performance as ppb-level room-temperature sensors.

A laser ablated graphene-based flexible self-powered pressure sensor for human gestures and finger pulse monitoring

Flexible triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs)-based pressure sensors are very essential for the wide-range applications, comprising wearable healthcare systems, intuitive human-device interfaces, electronic-skin (e-skin), and artificial intelligence. Most of conventional fabrication methods used to produce high-performance TENGs involve plasma treatment, photolithography, printing, and electro-deposition. However, these fabrication techniques are expensive, multi-step, time-consuming and not suitable for mass production, which are the main barriers for efficient and cost-effective commercialization of TENGs. Here, we established a highly reliable scheme for the fabrication of a novel eco-friendly, low cost, and TENG-based pressure sensor (TEPS) designed for usage in self-powered-human gesture detection (SP-HGD) likewise wearable healthcare applications. The sensors with microstructured electrodes performed well with high sensitivity (7.697 kPa^-1), a lower limit of detection (~ 1 Pa), faster response time (< 9.9 ms), and highly stable over > 4,000 compression-releasing cycles. The proposed method is suitable for the adaptable fabrication of TEPS at an extremely low cost with possible applications in self-powered systems, especially e-skin and healthcare applications.

Recent developments in selective laser processes for wearable devices

Recently,the increasing interest in wearable technology for personal healthcare and smart virtual/augmented reality applications has led to the development of facile fabrication methods.Lasers have long been used to develop original solutions to such challenging technological problems due to their remote,sterile,rapid,and site-selective processing of materials.In this review,recent developments in relevant laser processes are summarized under two separate categories.First,transformative approaches,such as for laser-induced graphene,are introduced.In addition to design optimization and the alteration of a native substrate,the latest advances under a transformative approach now enable more complex material compositions and multilayer device configurations through the simultaneous transformation of heterogeneous precursors,or the sequential addition of functional layers coupled with other electronic elements.In addition,the more conventional laser techniques,such as ablation,sintering,and synthesis,can still be used to enhance the functionality of an entire system through the expansion of applicable materials and the adoption of new mechanisms.Later,various wearable device components developed through the corresponding laser processes are discussed,with an emphasis on chemical/physical sensors and energy devices.In addition,special attention is given to applications that use multiple laser sources or processes,which lay the foundation for the all-laser fabrication of wearable devices.

Efficacy and safety of percutaneous transhepatic biliary radiofrequency ablation in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice

BACKGROUND Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage(PTCD)and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography/endoscopic nasobiliary drainage are the most common clinical procedures for jaundice control in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice,yet the safety and effect of endobiliary radiofrequency ablation(EB-RFA)combined PTCD is rarely reported,in this article,we report our experience of EB-RFA combined PTCD in such patients.AIM To retrospectively study the efficacy and safety of EB-RFA combined PTCD in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice.METHODS Patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice treated with EB-RFA under PTCD were selected,the bile ducts of the right posterior lobe was selected as the target bile ducts in all cases.The general conditions of all patients,preoperative tumour markers,total bilirubin(TBIL),direct bilirubin(DBIL),albumin(ALB),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),and glutamyl transferase(GGT)before and on the 7th day after the procedure,as well as perioperative complications,stent patency time and patient survival were recorded.RESULTS All patients successfully completed the operation,TBIL and DBIL decreased significantly in all patients at the 7th postoperative day(P=0.009 and 0.006,respectively);the values of ALB,ALP and GGT also decreased compared with the preoperative period,but the difference was not statistically significant.Perioperative biliary bleeding occurred in 2 patients,which was improved after transfusion of blood and other conservative treatments,pancreatitis appeared in 1 patient after the operation,no serious complication and death happened after operation.Except for 3 patients with loss of visits,the stent patency rate of the remaining 14 patients was 100%71%and 29%at the 1^(st),3^(rd),and 6^(th)postoperative months respectively,with a median survival of 4 months.CONCLUSION EB-RFA under PTCD in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice has a satisfactory therapeutic effect and high safety,which is worthy of further clinical practice.

Sustainable Furfural Biomass Feedstocks Electrooxidation toward Value-Added Furoic Acid with Energy-Saving H_(2) Fuel Production Using Pt-Decorated Co_(3)O_(4) Nanospheres

Here,furfural oxidation was performed to replace the kinetically sluggish O_(2)evolution reaction(OER).Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)nanospheres were developed via pulsed laser ablation in liquid(PLAL)in a single step for the paired electrocatalysis of an H_(2)evolution reaction(HER)and furfural oxidation reaction(FOR).The FOR afforded a high furfural conversion(44.2%)with a major product of 2-furoic acid after a 2-h electrolysis at 1.55 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in a 1.0-M KOH/50-mM furfural electrolyte.The Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)electrode exhibited a small overpotential of 290 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2).As an anode and cathode in an electrolyzer system,the Pt-Co_(3)O_(4)electrocatalyst required only a small applied cell voltage of~1.83 V to deliver 10 mA cm^(-2),compared with that of the pure water electrolyzer(OER||HER,~1.99 V).This study simultaneously realized the integrated production of energy-saving H_(2)fuel at the cathode and 2-furoic acid at the anode.

Nomogram predicting the prognosis of primary liver cancer after radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

BACKGROUND The incidence and mortality rates of primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)are high,and the conventional treatment is radiofrequency ablation(RFA)with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE);however,the 3-year survival rate is still low.Further,there are no visual methods to effectively predict their prognosis.AIM To explore the factors influencing the prognosis of HCC after RFA and TACE and develop a nomogram prediction model.METHODS Clinical and follow-up information of 150 patients with HCC treated using RFA and TACE in the Hangzhou Linping Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2020 to December 2022 was retrospectively collected and recorded.We examined their prognostic factors using multivariate logistic regression and created a nomogram prognosis prediction model using the R software(version 4.1.2).Internal verification was performed using the bootstrapping technique.The prognostic efficacy of the nomogram prediction model was evaluated using the concordance index(CI),calibration curve,and receiver operating characteristic RESULTS Of the 150 patients treated with RFA and TACE,92(61.33%)developed recurrence and metastasis.Logistic regression analysis identified six variables,and a predictive model was created.The internal validation results of the model showed a CI of 0.882.The correction curve trend of the prognosis prediction model was always near the diagonal,and the mean absolute error before and after internal validation was 0.021.The area under the curve of the prediction model after internal verification was 0.882[95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.820-0.945],with a specificity of 0.828 and sensitivity of 0.656.According to the Hosmer-Lemeshow test,χ^(2)=3.552 and P=0.895.The predictive model demonstrated a satisfactory calibration,and the decision curve analysis demonstrated its clinical applicability.CONCLUSION The prognosis of patients with HCC after RFA and TACE is affected by several factors.The developed prediction model based on the influencing parameters shows a good prognosis predictive efficacy.

Radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for recurrent liver cancer

BACKGROUND The recurrence rate of liver cancer after surgery is high.Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)is an effective treatment for liver cancer;however,its efficacy in recurrent liver cancer remains unclear.AIM To investigate the clinical effect of TACE combined with RFA in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer.METHODS Ninety patients with recurrent liver cancer were divided into 2 groups according to treatment plan:Control(RFA alone);and experimental[TACE combined with RFA(TACE+RFA)].The incidence of increased alanine aminotransferase levels,complications,and other indices were compared between the two groups before and after the procedures.RESULTS One month after the procedures,the short-term efficacy rate and Karnofsky Performance Status scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).Alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)and total bilirubin levels were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05);The overall response rate was 82.22%and 66.67%in the experimental and control groups,respectively;The disease control rate was 93.33%and 82.22%in the experimental and control groups,respectively,the differences are statistically significant(P<0.05).And there were no statistical differences in complications between the two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION TACE+RFA was effective for the treatment of recurrent liver cancer and significantly reduced AFP levels and improved various indices of liver function.

Analysis Tissue Expression of IFN-γin IL-12 and/or IL-18 Gene Ablated Na(?)ve Mice

Interleukin 12(IL-12)and/or interleukin 18(IL-18)gene ablated mice were applied for the investigation of the tissue expression of interferon γ(IFN-γ).For IL-12^(-/-),IL-18^(-/-),IL-12^(-/-)/18^(-/-) and wt mice,reproductive performance were recorded and IFN-γ concentrations in heart,lung,liver,spleen,kidney and serum were quantified by ELISA. There were no significant differences of IFN-γ in heart,lung and kidney between 4 strains although control group was higher.It was observed that for IL-12^(-/-) mice,compared with other 3 groups,IFN-γ in liver and spleen were decreased(p<0.05)and reproductive performance appeared to be impaired.Serum IFN-γ level of IL-12^(-/-)/18^(-/-) mice was significantly higher(p<0.05).It was showed that IFN-γ productions under the normal condition were independent upon IL-12 and IL-18,its expressions in various tissues were different,and optimal IFN-γ is necessary for the normal growth and development of mammals.This study is helpful for clinical cytokines therapy.Cellular & Molecular Immunology.2005;2(1):68-72.

低温等离子射频消融联合下鼻甲骨折外移术治疗阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征的疗效观察

目的探讨阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征(OSAHS)患者接受低温等离子射频消融联合下鼻甲骨折外移术后睡眠及经鼻持续气道正压通气(nasal continuous positive airway pressure,nCPAP)治疗耐受性的改善情况。方法选择40例OSAHS合并双侧下鼻甲肥大的患者作为研究对象,均在局麻下接受下鼻甲低温等离子射频消融联合骨折外移术。术前及术后2周分别采用多导睡眠监测(PSG)、鼻阻力仪、autoCPAP呼吸机及视觉模拟量表(VAS)测定睡眠呼吸暂停低通气指数(AHI)、最低血氧饱和度(lowest oxygen saturation,LSaO_(2))、鼻气道阻力及nCPAP治疗耐受性。结果与术前比较,术后2周时患者AHI降低至(35.17±9.72)次/h,LSaO_(2)提高至(83.21±6.58)%,鼻气道阻力降低至(0.55±0.09)kPa·s/cm^(3),VAS评分升高至8.32±1.17,差异比较均有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。结论低温等离子射频消融联合下鼻甲骨折外移术能有效降低OSAHS患者的鼻阻力,提高nCPAP治疗的耐受性,改善OSAHS患者的睡眠情况。

Nano-silica modified lightweight and high-toughness carbon fiber/phenolic ablator with excellent thermal insulation and ablation performance

Lightweight and high-toughness carbon fiber/phenolic ablator(CFPA)is required as the Thermal Protection System(TPS)material of aerospace vehicles for next-generation space missions.To improve the ablative properties,silica sol with good particle size distribution prepared using tetramethoxysilane(TMOS)was blended with natural rubber latex and deposited onto carbon fiber felt,which was then integrated with phenolic aerogel matrix,introducing nano-silica into the framework of CFPA.The modified CFPA with a low density of 0.28—0.31 g/cm3exhibits strain-in-fracture as high as 31.2%and thermal conductivity as low as 0.054 W/(m·K).Furthermore,a trace amount of nano-silica could effectively protect CFPA from erosion of oxidizing atmosphere in different high-temperature environments.The oxyacetylene ablation test of 3000°C for 20 s shows a mass ablation rate of 0.0225 g/s,a linear ablation rate of 0.209 mm/s for the modified CFPA,which are 9.64%and 24.82%lower than the unmodified one.Besides,the long-time butane ablation test of 1200°C for 200 s shows an insignificant recession with mass and linear ablation rate of 0.079 g/s and 0.039 mm/s,16.84%and 13.33%lower than the unmodified one.Meanwhile,the fixed thermocouple in the test also demonstrates a good thermal insulation performance with a low peak back-face temperature of 207.7°C,12.25%lower than the unmodified one.Therefore,the nano-silica modified CFPA with excellent overall performance presents promising prospects in high-temperature aerospace applications.

Microstructure and ablation behavior of Zr-based ultra-high-temperature gradient composites

To obtain high-performance Zr-based ultra-high-temperature composites,Zr-based ultra-high-temperature gradient composites were prepared by changing the laying method of the infiltrant via reactive melt infiltration.The effects of different infiltrant laying methods on the microstructure and ablative properties of Zr-based ultrahigh-temperature gradient composites were investigated.The results showed that the gradient structure of the Zr-based ultrahigh-temperature gradient composites differed when the composition ratio of the infiltrant was changed.When the thicknesses of the Zr/Mo/Si layers were 6/4/12 mm and 8/2/12 mm,the SiMoZrC solid solution content in the samples increased and decreased along the infiltration direction,respectively.The gradient samples were ablated in an oxyacetylene flame at 3000°C for 40 s.The ablation resistance of the sample was the highest when the infiltrant was a powder and the thickness of the Zr/Mo/Si layer was 6/4/12 mm.