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OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of body composition changes (BCC) measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) for evaluating the survival of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), nomograms combined BCC with clinical prognostic factors (CPF) were constructed to predict overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). METHODS: Eighty-eight patients with LACC were retrospectively selected. All patients underwent QCT scans before and after CCRT, bone mineral density (BMD), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), visceral fat area (VFA), total fat area (TFA), paravertebral muscle area (PMA) were measured from two sets of computed tomography (CT) images, and change rates of these were calculated. RESULTS: Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed ΔBMD, ΔSFA, SCC-Ag, LNM were independent factors for OS (HR = 3.560, 5.870, 2.702, 2.499, respectively, all P < 0.05); ΔPMA, SCC-Ag, LNM were independent factors for PFS (HR = 2.915, 4.291, 2.902, respectively, all P < 0.05). Prognostic models of BCC combined with CPF had the highest predictive performance, and the area under the curve (AUC) for OS and PFS were 0.837, 0.846, respectively. The concordance index (C-index) of nomograms for OS and PFS were 0.834, 0.799, respectively. Calibration curves showed good agreement between the nomograms' predictive and actual OS and PFS, decision curve analysis (DCA) showed good clinical benefit of nomograms. CONCLUSION: CT-based body composition changes and CPF (SCC-Ag, LNM) were associated with survival in patients with LACC. The prognostic nomograms combined BCC with CPF were able to predict the OS and PFS in patients with LACC reliably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of infrared photodetectors, the performances of infrared materials determine the photoresponse performance of devices. Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3), as a topological insulator, is considered a strong competitor in the field of infrared photodetectors. In this study, polycrystalline Bi2Te3 thin films were prepared using pulsed laser deposition at different growth temperatures. The crystallization of Bi2Te3 films commenced at 150 °C, and with an increase in the preparation temperature, the crystal quality improved, reaching its peaks at 250 °C. Infrared performance of polycrystalline Bi2Te3 thin films were measured at low temperature, featuring a high responsivity of 56.98 mA/W and outstanding detectivity of 1.82 × 109 Jones, surpassing that of other two-dimensional materials. In a low-temperature environment, amorphous Bi2Te3 films are more prone to reaching photocurrent saturation compared to their crystalline counterparts. The generation of saturable photocurrent can be attributed to the effect of defect and disorder. Simultaneously, the presence of lattice defects enhances the photoresponse of the films. Essentially, these founding will pave the way to investigate of Bi2Te3 thin films for applications in infrared photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al content is of great importance for the evolution of the microstructure and compressive performance of the high‐Mn and high‐Al porous steels. Herein, Fe–Mn–Al porous steels with different Al contents are prepared via powder sintering at different temperatures. The results show that the main phases of the sintered samples at 640 °C are α‐Fe, α‐Mn, and Al, while a small amount of Fe2Al5 and Al8Mn5 exists in the samples with 15 and 20 wt% Al. At 1200 °C, the sintered sample with 5 wt% Al is composed of γ‐Fe, while those with 15 and 20 wt% Al are mainly α‐Fe. The length of Mn depletion region and porosity of the samples increase with the increase of Al content. The largest total and open porosity are observed in the 1200 °C‐sintered sample with 20 wt% Al, which are 63.1 and 60.7 vol%, respectively. The compressive strength decreases sharply from 770 MPa for the sample with 5 wt% Al to 7.5 MPa with 15 wt% Al, after sintering at 1200 °C. Ductile fracture occurs in the sample with 5 wt% Al, while brittle fracture is the main fracture mode in those with 15 and 20 wt% Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlN ceramics were prepared by plasma activation sintering (PAS) with compound additives yttrium acetylacetonate (Y(acac)3) and melamine (C3H6N6). The effects of compound additives on the microstructure, density, and thermal properties of AlN ceramic were studied. Y(acac)3 and C3H6N6 can form Y2O3, residual organic carbon and reducing gas during the heating process, which improves the AlN sintering performance at a temperature of 1 700 °C and the bulk thermal conductivity. When the content of Y(acac)3 is 10 wt% and C3H6N6 is 3 wt%, the thermal conductivity of AlN ceramics is 105.6 W/(m·K), which is much higher than that of AlN ceramics with Y2O3 under the same sintering conditions. This work provides theoretical reference for the preparation of high-performance AlN ceramic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) powders were rapidly synthesized by microwave assisted sol–gel-hydrothermal method (MSGH) at low temperature. The effects of synthesis temperature on the structure and sintering properties of the obtained BCZT powders were investigated. The results showed that the appropriate synthesis temperature synthesized by MSGH can be reduced to 180 °C. At this synthesis temperature, BCZT powder exhibits a pure phase structure, good microscopic morphology, and accurate elemental proportions, with an average particle size of about 85 nm. The sintered BCZT ceramics exhibited excellent electrical properties (εmax = 9586, 2Pr = 26.36 µC/cm2, d33 = 526 pC/N), suggesting favorable sintering characteristics of BCZT powders synthesized by MSGH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) ferroelectric epitaxial films deposited at different oxygen partial pressure were successfully obtained by pulsed laser deposition. The effects of oxygen partial pressure on the phase structure, microstructure, electrical properties and leakage mechanism were studied. The results showed that the BCZT epitaxial films have a smooth surface, uniform thickness, well integrated with substrate and no elemental segregation. BCZT epitaxial film with oxygen partial pressure of 15 Pa exhibited the optimal electrical properties (2Pr–22.48 µC/cm2, Jleak ∼ 1.42 × 10−3 A/cm2). The results of conduction mechanism fitting indicated that BCZT film conductivity mechanism followed the Ohmic mechanism at low electric fields, while it followed the Fowler–Nordheim tunneling mechanism at high electric fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a porous Fe–Al intermetallic material with ultrahigh open porosity is prepared via the multistep sintering process using a Fe–Al–Mn powder mixture as the raw material. The microstructure, phase composition, Mn sublimation, and open porosity of the sintered Fe–Al–Mn compacts are investigated. The compacts sintered at temperatures ≤700 °C are composed of the newly formed Fe/Mn‐based solid solutions, intermetallic phases, and the original elemental particles without the sublimation of Mn. The open porosities of the 650‐ and 700 °C‐sintered compacts are ≈39.83 and ≈47.19 vol%, respectively. After sintering at 1250 °C, Mn is rarely left in the porous body, and a single Fe–Al intermetallic phase with an even chemical composition is generated. The open porosity of the 1250 °C‐sintered compacts is ≈66.67 vol%, superior to other reported porous Fe–Al materials, and its strength is ≈22.5 MPa, which is competitive as well. This work may open a new strategy to design and optimize the high‐quality porous Fe–Al alloy in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By doping different concentrations of Mg2+ at Ni site, the (00l)‐oriented La2MgxNi1‐xMnO6 (abbreviated as LMxNMO, x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) double‐perovskite thin films were epitaxially grown by pulsed laser deposition. The substitutional effect of Mg2+ on the structural and magnetic properties of the films is comprehensively investigated. It is found that with the increase of Mg‐doping concentration, the in‐plane and out‐of‐plane lattice constants as well as the cell volume of the LMxNMO thin films increase, which could be ascribed to the radius difference between Mg2+ and Ni2+/Ni3+ ions, resulting in the in‐plane compressive stress in LMxNMO films. When the Mg‐doping concentration is small (x ≤ 0.1), the doped Mg2+ tends to substitute Ni3+, which restrains the intensity of antiferromagnetic interaction between Ni3+‐O‐Mn3+, resulting in the reduced the exchange bias field as well as the increased the saturation magnetization. However, when the Mg‐doping concentration increases to x ≥ 0.2, Mg2+ becomes to mainly replace Ni2+ position, which could inhibit the super‐exchange ferromagnetic interaction between Ni2+‐O‐Mn4+ magnetic paths and thus reduce the saturation magnetization. The enhanced magnetic properties can be obtained in the LM0.1NMO double‐perovskite thin film, with a large saturation magnetization of 492.12 emu/cm3 and a high Curie temperature of 262.7 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, Fe-Mn-Al-C powder mixtures were manufactured by elemental powders with different ball milling time, and the porous high-Mn and high-Al steel was fabricated by powder sintering. The results indicated that the powder size significantly decreased, and the morphology of the Fe powder tended to be increasingly flat as the milling time increased. However, the prolonged milling duration had limited impact on the phase transition of the powder mixture. The main phases of all the samples sintered at 640°C were α-Fe, α-Mn and Al, and a small amount of Fe2Al5 and Al8Mn5. When the sintering temperature increased to 1200°C, the phase composition was mainly comprised of γ-Fe and α-Fe. The weight loss fraction of the sintered sample decreased with milling time, i.e., 8.3wt% after 20 h milling compared to 15.3wt% for 10 h. The Mn depletion region (MDR) for the 10, 15, and 20 h milled samples was about 780, 600, and 370 µm, respectively. The total porosity of samples sintered at 640°C decreased from ∼46.6vol% for the 10 h milled powder to ∼44.2vol% for 20 h milled powder. After sintering at 1200°C, the total porosity of sintered samples prepared by 10 and 20 h milled powder was ∼58.3vol% and ∼51.3vol%, respectively. The compressive strength and ductility of the 1200°C sintered porous steel increased as the milling time increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

W-Si-C composites with high relative densities and good mechanical and wear properties were successfully prepared by spark plasma sintering. The influence of SiC content on the relative density, microstructure, mechanical properties and wear characteristics was investigated. The results indicated that the reaction between SiC and W at their interface produced W2C and W5Si3. SiC also reacted with oxygen impurities at the W grain boundary to form SiO2. The purification of the grain boundaries of W was carried out by SiO2 synthesis. Reactive sintering reduces the free energy of the system and facilitates the densification process of W-Si-C composites. This results in a significant increase in the relative density of W-Si-C composites, which reaches a maximum of 98.12%, higher than the 94.32% of pure tungsten. The hardness significantly increases from 4.33 GPa to 8.40 GPa when the SiC content is 2 wt% compared to pure tungsten due to the generation of the hard ceramic phase and the increase in relative density. The wear resistance of the W-Si-C composites was significantly improved with little SiC addition. The wear rate significantly decreased from 313.27 × 10−3 mm3/N·m of pure tungsten to 5.71 × 10−3 mm3/N·m of W-0.5 wt% SiC. SEM analyses revealed that the dominant wear mechanism of pure tungsten was attributed to fatigue wear, while that of W-Si-C composites was due to abrasive wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The piezoelectric strain of K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based lead-free ceramic at different temperatures was studied. The Rayleigh analysis shows that the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions are increased at temperature from 173 to 298 K. In addition, a monoclinic phase structure was observed at 83 K. The results of phase field simulation show that the temperature dependent microstructure evolution is a function of the local structure size. This work contributes to understanding the structure and properties relationship of the multi-cations doped KNN-based piezoelectric ceramics as a function of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cr coatings were deposited on the surface of PCrNi1MoA steel by DC magnetron sputtering. The effects of power (100~250 W) on the structure and mechanical properties of the coating were systematically studied. The results show that all Cr coatings have strong (110) preferred orientation and anisotropic surface morphology, and the cross sections are columnar structures. With the increase in power, the deposition rate increases linearly, the surface roughness and grain size increase gradually, and the nanomechanical properties decrease first and then increase slightly. At 100 W, the columnar grain of the coating is compact and continuous, and the wear resistance and plastic deformation resistance are the best, with the highest binding force of 27.04 N. At 200 W, due to grain growth and tensile stress, internal defects increase, and mechanical properties are poor. The combination of coating and substrates is not tight enough, and it is easy to fall off and fail under the action of external force. When the power reaches 250 W, the higher bombardment rate helps the coating release stress, and reduce porosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a trilayer Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3/La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT/LCMO/BCZT) laminated composite fabricated using plasma-activated sintering. The interfacial structure and the electrical, ferromagnetic, and magnetoelectric properties of the laminated composite are characterized in detail. The laminated composite is found to be highly dense with high-quality interfacial bonding, and its dielectric properties are superior to those of BCZT. The characteristics of the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties demonstrate the multiferroic nature of the laminated composite, which exhibits a maximum magnetoelectric coefficient of 1.07 mV/cm Oe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ta hard coatings were prepared on PCrNi1MoA steel substrates by direct current magnetron sputtering, and their growth and phase evolution could be controlled by adjusting the substrate temperature (Tsub) and sputtering power (Pspu) at various conditions (Tsub = 200–400 °C, Pspu = 100–175 W). The combined effect of Tsub and Pspu on the crystalline phase, surface morphology, and mechanical properties of the coatings was investigated. It was found that higher Pspu was required in order to obtain α-Ta coatings when the coatings are deposited at lower Tsub, and vice versa, because the deposition energy (controlled by Tsub and Pspu simultaneously) within a certain range was necessary. At the optimum Tsub with the corresponding Pspu of 200 °C-175 W, 300 °C-150 W, and 400 °C-100 W, respectively, the single-phased and homogeneous α-Ta coatings were obtained. Moreover, the α-Ta coating deposited at Tsub-Pspu of 400 °C-100 W showed a denser surface and a finer grain, and as a result exhibited higher hardness (9 GPa), better toughness, and larger adhesion (18.46 N). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization has resulted in the discharge of a certain amount of lead (Pb) from industrial sources causing damage risk to water quality and human health. Adsorption is an effective technique to remove Pb, and biochar has been widely studied owing to its advantages of low cost and high adsorption capacity. This review summarizes the influence of raw materials and modification methods on the adsorption capability of biochar. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics of biochar were summarized, and the main Pb removal mechanisms were studied systematically. In addition, the challenges and future perspectives were discussed comprehensively. It is expected that the review could provide insightful fundamentals for the experimental research and practical applications of biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Micron-sized aluminum (Al) powders are extensively added to energy-containing materials to enhance the overall reactivity of the materials. However, low oxidation efficiency and energy release limit the practical application of Al powders. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), the most common fluoropolymer, can easily react with Al to form aluminum fluoride (AlF3), thus promoting the oxidation of Al powders. In this paper, core-shell structured Al@PVDF powders were synthesized by solvent/non-solvent method. Thermal analysis results show that the weight and exothermic enthalpy of Al@PVDF powders are 166.10% and 11,976 J/g, which are superior to pure Al powders (140.06%, 6560 J/g). A detailed description of the oxidation mechanisms involved is provided. Furthermore, constant volume pressure results indicate that Al@PVDF powders have outstanding pressure output ability in the environment of 3 MPa oxygen. The study provides a valuable reference for the application of Al powders in energetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, NiFe2O4 films were deposited on the Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.9Ti0.1O3 (BCZT)-buffered SrTiO3 substrate by pulsed laser deposition, and the effect of the thickness of the layer on the rearrangement of cations and magnetic property of the NiFe2O4 films was explored. All NiFe2O4 films were grown epitaxially along the c-axis orientation and exhibited a smooth surface. When the buffer layer was 30 nm thick, the proportion of Ni2+ cations at the Td site in NiFe2O4 reached the maximum. Accordingly, the obtained film exhibited the highest saturation magnetization of 113 emu/cm3. This work demonstrates that introducing the BCZT buffer layer between the NiFe2O4 thin film and the SrTiO3 substrate is an effective approach to tailor the magnetic properties of NiFe2O4 thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the value of 3.0T MRI Intravoxel Incoherent motion diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (IVIM-DWI) combined with texture analysis (TA) for evaluating extramural vascular invasion (EMVI) of rectal adenocarcinoma. Methods: Ninety-six patients with pathologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma after surgical resections were collected. Patients were divided into the EMVI positive group (n=39) and the EMVI negative group (n=57). We measured the IVIM-DWI parameters and TA parameters of rectal adenocarcinoma. We compare the differences of the above parameters between the two groups and establish a prediction model through multivariate logistic regression analysis. the ROC curve was performed for parameters with each individual and in combination. Results: ADC, D, D* value between the two groups were statistically significant (P = 0.015,0.031,0). Six groups of texture parameters were statistically significant between the two groups (P =0.007,0.037,0.011,0.005,0.007,0.002). Logistic regression prediction model shows that GLCM entropy_ALL DIRECTION_offset7_SD and D* are important independent predictors, and the AUC of the regression prediction model was 0.821, the sensitivity was 92.98%, the specificity was 61.54%, and the Yoden index was 0.5452. The AUC was significantly higher than that of other single parameters. Conclusion: 3.0T MRI IVIM-DWI parameters combined with texture analysis can provide valuable information for EMVI evaluation of rectal adenocarcinoma before the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With their excellent mechanical properties, Cu/Ta metallic nanolayered composites (MNCs) are extensively applied in aerospace and nuclear industry facilities. However, shear localization severely disrupts the ability of these materials to deform uniformly, attracting many researchers. The necessary time and length conditions of experiments limit the investigation of shear localization; thus, relevant studies are insufficient. The molecular dynamics simulation perfectly corresponds to the short duration and high strain rate of the deformation process. Therefore, in this study, we used molecular dynamics simulations to explore the effect of layer thickness on the shear localization of Cu/Ta MNCs with Kurdjumov–Sachs (KS) orientation–related interfaces. Our research demonstrates that shear localization occurs in samples with layer thicknesses below 2.5 nm, resulting in an inverse size effect on the flow strength. The quantitative analysis indicates that the asymmetry of dislocations in the slip transmission across the interface causes interface rotation. This activates dislocations parallel to the interface to glide beyond the distance of individual layer thicknesses, eventually forming shear bands. Both interface rotation and sliding dominate the plastic deformation in the shear band region. In addition, the dislocation density and amorphous phase increase with decreasing layer thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value combined with texture analysis (TA) in preoperatively predicting the expression levels of Ki-67 and p53 in endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients. Methods: Clinical, pathological and MRI findings of 110 EC patients were analyzed retrospectively. The expression levels of Ki-67 and p53 in EC tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. ADC value was calculated, and three-dimensional (3D) texture features were measured on T2-weighted images (T2WI), diffusion-weighted images (DWI), and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (CE-T1WI). The univariate and multivariate logistic regression and cross-validations were used for the selection of texture features. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to estimate the diagnostic efficiency of prediction model by the area under the curve (AUC) in the training and validation cohorts. Results: Significant differences of the ADC values were found in predicting Ki-67 and p53 (P =0.039, P =0.007). The AUC of the ADC value in predicting the expression levels of Ki-67 and p53 were 0.698, 0.853 and 0.626, 0.702 in the training and validation cohorts. The AUC of the TA model based on T2WI, DWI, CE-T1WI, and ADC value combined with T2WI + DWI + CE-T1WI in the training and validation cohorts for predicting the expression of Ki-67 were 0.741, 0.765, 0.733, 0.922 and 0.688, 0.691, 0.651, 0.938, respectively, and for predicting the expression of p53 were 0.763, 0.805, 0.781, 0.901 and 0.796, 0.713, 0.657, 0.922, respectively. Conclusion: ADC values combined with TA are beneficial for predicting the expression levels of Ki-67 and p53 in EC patients before surgery, and they provide higher auxiliary diagnostic values for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (BCZT/LSMO) bilayer multiferroic heterostructures with different BCZT layer thickness are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition technique. Structural characterization of XRD and TEM reveals the epitaxial growth of the bilayer heterostructures, whose residual strain reduces with increasing thickness. The room temperature multiferroic characteristics of the bilayer heterostructures are demonstrated by the simultaneously observed ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties as well as the magnetoelectric effect. Due to the varying residual strain, the multiferroic properties of the bilayer heterostructures show strong dependence on the BCZT layer thickness, which significantly improves with increasing thickness. The largest magnetoelectric coefficient with αE31 value of 355.2 mV/cm·Oe is achieved in BCZT/LSMO bilayer heterostructures with BCZT layer thickness of 150 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium films were deposited on Si(100) substrates at room temperature by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. The microstructure and surface morphology were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The oxidation resistance of films in air was studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the amorphous vanadium film with a flatter surface had higher oxidation resistance than the crystalline film when exposed to atmosphere. The rapid formation of the thin oxide layer of amorphous vanadium film could protect the film from sustained oxidation, and the relative reasons were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) has been an emerging porcine virus spread around the world. The conserved DNA sequence of PCV3 enabled good performance in molecular biological assays. Result: In this study, we developed a real-time fluorescence PCR assay for the detection of PCV3. The conserved region within Capsid genome of PCV3 was selected for the design of primer pairs and probes. After optimizing, a primer pair and probe was screened, providing high sensitivity (10 copies/μL) and specificity (no cross reaction with other porcine viruses or common bacterium). In addition, this method was applied in the detection of 110 clinical samples, and the performance was compared with other previously reported PCR and real-time PCR methods. This method provided higher detection rate. Conclusion: A real-time fluorescence PCR assay has been developed for the detection of PCV3, with high sensitivity and specificity, exhibiting good performance in detecting clinical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BaTi5O11 nanocrystals were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The influence of Ba/Ti molar ratio in the Ba–Ti precursors on the morphology and dielectric properties of BaTi5O11 nanocrystals was investigated. In the precursors, the Ba2+ ion concentration was decreased from 0.02 to 0.01 mol/L, and the Ti4+ ion concentration was increased from 0.08 to 0.09 mol/L. The rice-like BaTi5O11 nanocrystals were synthesized at Ba/Ti molar ratios of 20:80 and 18:82, while the flower-like BaTi5O11 nanocrystals were formed at Ba/Ti molar ratios of 15:85, 12:88 and 10:90. The pure BaTi5O11 phase was synthesized at Ba/Ti molar ratio of 18:82 in the precursor, and the material had the permittivity of 38.9 at 8 GHz, which was close to that of the bulk BaTi5O11 ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) powders were successfully synthesized by sol–gel-hydrothermal method. The effect of NaOH concentration on microstructure and phase composition of BCZT powders was studied. The results of XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, and EDS showed that the synthesis temperature of BCZT powders could be decreased to a low temperature of 180 °C, which was about 1150 °C lower when compared with solid-state reaction and 800 °C lower when compared with sol–gel methods respectively. The NaOH concentration exerted a great effect on the structure of BCZT powders, as well as the average particle size. When the NaOH concentration was 8 M, BCZT powders had a cubic phase perovskite structure with a homogeneous composition, and the average particle size was about 60 nm. The BCZT ceramics followed by sintering had dense structure and excellent electrical properties (2Pr = 24.62 μC/cm2, 2Ec = 3.24 kV/cm, d33 = 488 pC/N). The significant properties could be attributed to the high activity of powders synthesized by sol–gel-hydrothermal method. The present study may provide a new method for low-temperature synthesis of lead-free piezoelectric powders with fine phase, microscopic morphology, and high activity. Highlights: Well-crystallized BCZT powders were successfully synthesized by sol–gel-hydrothermal method. The synthesis temperature was decreased to a low temperature of 180 °C. Effects of alkaline solution concentration on structure of sol–gel-hydrothermal derived BCZT powders were analyzed and the formation mechanism was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a significant method of identifying ovarian tumors, when combined with certain functional imaging techniques that have been considered to be more accurate. Purpose: Our study aims to determine the value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) combined with MRI in the diagnosis of thecomas and adult ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCTs). Material and Methods: In total, this study included 10 patients with thecomas and nine with adult GCTs. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, conventional MRI, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of two groups. The methods of statistical analysis were univariate analysis and the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: According to T2-weighted imaging of the solid region of the mass, 80% (8/10) of thecomas showed slightly hypointense or mixed signals, but all adult GCTs showed slightly hyperintense signals. The two groups exhibited statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in morphology; presence of bleeding; the longest diameter of the cystic region; the ADC value; and the enhancement degrees of the venous and delayed periods. The mean ADC value for the thecoma group (1.30 ± 0.25 × 10−3mm2/s) was greater than that for adult GCT group (0.87 ± 0.28 × 10−3mm2/s) (P < 0.05), and the cut-off value was 1.055 × 10−3mm2/s (AUC = 0.900, 95% CI = 0.675–0.989). Conclusion: The combination of DWI and conventional MRI is of great value in the diagnosis of thecomas and their differential diagnosis with adult GCTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic biomass-derived bio-oil is considered as a promising renewable biofuel. In this paper, incipient wetness impregnation method, ammonia grafting method and direct synthesis method were employed as nickel loading methods for the preparation of Ni/Al-SBA-15 catalysts. The effects of these nickel loading approaches on the structure and hydrodeoxygenation performance of Ni/Al-SBA-15 were studied. The structure of Ni/Al-SBA-15 was significantly influenced by the nickel loading methods, including the specific surface area, the pore volume, the wall thickness and so on. Nickel loading methods also affected the actual nickel content of nickel-based catalysts. Unsuccessful loading of nickel species was observed during the preparation of Ni/Al-SBA-15 using direct synthesis method. The conversion of eugenol and selectivity of products after hydrodeoxygenation in n-dodecane over Ni/Al-SBA-15 catalysts were investigated. Results showed that the conversion of eugenol nearly reached 100% for all the reaction, but the composition of product was significantly different when using different Ni/Al-SBA-15 as hydrodeoxygenation catalyst. The reaction pathway of eugenol hydrodeoxygenation in n-dodecane was also speculated in this paper. Effects of nickel loading approaches on the structure and hydrodeoxygenation performance of Ni/Al-SBA-15 were investigated. For the liquid phase hydrodeoxygenation of eugenol to hydrocarbon, catalysts prepared by ammonia grafting method exhibited the highest catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) has been reported in Chinese swine herds since 2017. We performed a nationwide investigation on the prevalence of PCV3 in pig breeding farms and slaughterhouses in China. A total of 4,040 tonsil samples were collected from 89 farms in 25 provinces, and 1,419 lymph node samples were collected from 50 slaughterhouses in 27 provinces. The PCR results showed that in pig breeding farms, the positive rate was 41.6% (37/89) at the farm level and 5.0% (201/4040) at the individual level. In the slaughterhouses, the positive rate was 62.0% (31/50) at the farm level and 8.0% (114/1419) at the individual level. The PCR‐positive samples were further sequenced, and 19 new PCV3 isolates were identified. The complete genomes of the 19 virus isolates showed 97.4%–99.7% nucleotide identity with other PCV3 isolates. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the 19 isolates were divided into PCV3a and PCV3b genotype clusters based on the PCV3 complete genome sequences. This study indicated that PCV3 has spread extensively in both pig breeding farms and slaughterhouses. The positive rate of PCV3 was higher in eastern China compared to other regions in China. Furthermore, this study will help us understand the prevalence and genetic variation of PCV3 in Chinese swine herds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method, sol–gel-hydrothermal process, was employed to prepare Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) powders at a rather lower temperature of 180 °C. The effects of synthesis time on the structure, morphology and size distribution of the powders were studied by the means of XRD, SEM and FTIR. BCZT powders could be obtained at a suitable synthesis time of 12 h, which were well-crystallized and compositional uniform with an average particle size of 93 nm. BCZT ceramics sintered from the synthesized powders had a dense microstructure with a density of 5.59 g/cm3 (> 95%) and excellent properties (2Pr = 25.12 μC/cm2, 2Ec = 4.31 kV/cm, d33 = 492pC/N, εr = 9173), indicating the high activity of the BCZT powders by sol–gel-hydrothermal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brucella spp. are intracellular pathogens that infect a wide variety of mammals including humans, posing threats to the livestock industry and human health in developing countries. A number of genes associated with the intracellular trafficking and multiplication have so far been identified in Brucella spp. However, the sophisticated post-transcriptional regulation and coordination of gene expression that enable Brucella spp. to adapt to changes in environment and to evade host cell defenses are not fully understood. Bacteria small RNAs (sRNAs) play a significant role in post-transcriptional regulation, which has already been confirmed in a number of bacteria but the role of sRNAs in Brucella remains elusive. In this study, we identified several different sRNAs in Brucella spp., and found that over-expression of a sRNA, tentatively termed BASI74, led to alternation in virulence of Brucella in macrophage infection model. The expression level of BASI74 increased while Brucella abortus 2308 was grown in acidic media. In addition, BASI74 affected the growth ratio of the Brucella cells in minimal media and iron limiting medium. Using a two-plasmid reporter system, we identified four genes as the target of BASI74. One target gene, BABI1154, was predicted to encode a cytosine-N4-specific DNA methyltransferase, which protects cellular DNA from the restriction endonuclease in Brucella. These results show that BASI74 plays an important role in Brucella survival in macrophage infection model, speculatively by its connection with stress response or impact on restriction-modification system. Our study promotes the understanding of Brucella sRNAs, as well as the mechanism by which sRNAs use to influence Brucella physiology and pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudorabies (PR) has been prevalent in Chinese swine breeding farms since the outbreak at the end of 2011. For investigating current prevalence of PR, a nationwide surveillance has been performed in this study. The swine serum samples were collected from 93, 100, 92, and 91 swine farms in China during 2013-2016, respectively. Since the extensive use of gE-deleted pseudorabies virus (PRV) vaccine, we could apply the PRV-gE antibody for determining wild-type virus infection and the PRV-gB antibody for evaluating vaccine immunization. The results were concluded as follows: (1) Nationally, the positive rate of PRV-gB was maintained at a high level (> 90%), while the positive rate of PRV-gE continued to decrease (from 22.17 to 13.14%). (2) The positive rates of PRV-gE were greatly varied in different geographical regions and swine farms (0~100%), while the positive rate of PRV-gB was generally high (> 90%). (3) The number of imported PRV attenuated vaccines were about twice that of domestic PRV attenuated vaccines, while the positive rate of PRV-gB was not significantly different (P > 0.05). (4) The performance of PR eradication developing or developed farms was better than the performance of common farms, with higher positive rate of PRV-gB (> 90%) and much lower positive rate of PRV-gE (nearly 0%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-free Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) powders were synthesized by sol-gel process followed by pressureless sintering. The structures of BCZT powders and ceramics, as well as the electrical properties, were studied. Through sol-gel process, BCZT powders could be obtained at a relatively low temperature of 800 °C. The obtained BCZT powders were cubic phase structure and well crystallized with an average grain size of 104.53 nm. The powders were further densified at 1400 °C, and BCZT ceramics with homogenous and dense (relative density > 95%) structure were obtained. The BCZT ceramics exhibited excellent electrical properties (εm = 8808, 2Pr = 24.48µC/cm2 and d33 = 485pC/N), which was comparable to those of lead-based piezoelectric ceramics, due to the high activity of the BCZT powders prepared by sol-gel process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nucleation process of graphene films prepared by pulsed laser deposition has been investigated in detail. It is found that graphene nucleates at the steps on the substrate surface firstly, from aggregation of nuclei into particles. High pulsed laser energy offers large incident energy for carbon particles deposited on the surface of the substrate, which is beneficial to the nucleation of graphene. A lot of steps are formed on the copper substrate due to the high temperature, so that the high incident energetic carbon species are able to form a stable nucleus at the steps. As the incident particles increases, the graphene nuclei are combined to grow together. Further, it is found that graphene tends to form few layer graphene particles instead of large graphene sheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline Bi4Ti3O12 thin films with various fractions of a-axis, c-axis and random orientations have been grown on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by laser-ablation under different kinetic growth conditions. The relationship between the structure and ferroelectric property of the films was investigated, so as to explore the possibility of enhancing ferroelectric polarization by controlling the preferred orientation. The structural characterization indicated that the large growth rate and high oxygen background pressure were both favorable for the growth of non-c-axis oriented grains in the Bi4Ti3O12 thin films. The films with high fractions of a-axis and random orientations, i e, f (a-sxis) = 28.3% and f (random) = 69.6%, could be obtained at the deposition temperature of 973 K, oxygen partial pressure of 15 Pa and laser fluence of 4.6 J/cm2, respectively. It was also noted that the variation of ferroelectric polarization was in accordance with the evolution non-c-axis orientation. A large value of remanent polarization (2Pr = 35.5 μC/cm2) was obtained for the Bi4Ti3O12 thin films with significant non-c-axis orientation, even higher than that of rare-earth-doped Bi4Ti3O12 films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to overcome the purification difficulty of aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics, the sintering of AlN ceramics with ammonium fluoride (NHF) as an additive had been studied. The results demonstrate that the addition of NHF evidently affects the phase compositions, the microstructure of grains and the contents of oxygen and nitrogen in the AlN sintered samples. NHF not only removes oxygen out of AlN grains but also reduces the total oxygen content in AlN ceramics. It is found that relatively high purity of AlN can be acquired when the molar ratio of NHF/O (oxygen element in raw AlN powder) increases to 0.8. With adequate amount of NHF, the Al-O-N phases are removed. SEM and TEM results show the hexagonal structures of AlN grains with clean triple-grain junctions. The oxygen content decreases to 0.55 wt% and nitrogen content increases to 33.7 wt%. Thermodynamic analysis illustrates the oxygen removing effects of NHF by the reaction of NH and AlO, which inhibits the formation of Al-O-N. NHF should be at least 2/3 of the oxygen content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were grown on c-sapphire substrates by laser ablation under different oxygen partial pressures ( P). The effect of PO2 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. 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) // AlO (000 1). With increasing P, 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 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TNF receptor associated factor 3 (TRAF3), a member of the TRAF family of intracellular signaling proteins, can directly influence the phosphorylation status and activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, participating in CD40-induced apoptosis in carcinoma. However, its expression profile and function are still unclear in spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we performed an acute spinal cord contusion injury model in adult rats and detected the dynamic change patterns of TRAF3 expression in spinal cord. Western blot and immunohistochemistry revealed a striking upregulation of TRAF3 after SCI. Double immunofluorescence staining prompted that TRAF3 immunoreactivity was found in neurons rather than astrocytes. Moreover, co-localization of TRAF3/active caspase-3 was detected in neuronal nuclei. To further investigate the function of TRAF3, a neuronal cell line PC12 was employed to establish an apoptosis model in vitro. We analyzed the association of TRAF3 with active caspase-3 on PC12 cells by western blot and immunofluorescent labeling, which was parallel with the data in vivo. Additionally, knocking TRAF3 down with siRNA demonstrated the probable pro-apoptotic role of TRAF3 in the process of neuronal apoptosis. To summarize, we firstly uncover the temporal and spatial expression changes of TRAF3 in SCI. Our data suggest that TRAF3 might be implicated in central nervous system pathophysiology after SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron carbide thin films have been synthesized via pulsed laser deposition process using Spark Plasma Sintered ( SPSed) and dual-targets, respectively. Two kinds of structural evolutions have been found by investigation of bonding environments in as-deposited thin films via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study. With decreasing of B/C ratio, films deposited from SPSed-target show the transformation of B11 C- CBB → B11 C- CBC. In contrast, the films deposited from dual-target present the B11 C- CBB → B10 C2- CBB structural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using high aluminum refractory material as substrate at 1 400 °C, we studied the connections between several oxides such as Fe 2O 3, MnO 2, CuO, and the formation of defects such as coating crack, exfoliation, blistering, erosion, and fading away appeared in the application of high temperature infrared radiation coating. Analyses showed that thermal stress formed during the heating process due to the thermal expansion coefficient differential between the coating and the substrate, and volume effect caused by the crystal transferred when the temperature changed, which resulted in the coating crack and exfoliation. The gas produced by the reactions between components and binder or the components themselves during the heating process caused the coating blistering. The EMPA and XRD analyses show that oxides with low melting point in the penetrating area of the substrate may form eutectic with low melting point and produced thermal defects, which leads to the erosion by penetrating to the substrate. The valent changes of Fe 2O 3 and MnO 2 during the heating process cause the volatilization of the oxides or the pulverization of the coatings, resulting in the coating fades away easily at high temperature for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial (0001)-oriented ZnCoO (= 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1) thin films were grown on c-sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The XRD analysis, optical transmittance and XPS measurements revealed that the Co substituted Zn ions were incorporated into the lattice of ZnO in ZnCoO thin films. The electrical properties measurements revealed that the Co concentration had a nonmonotonic influence on the electrical properties of the ZnCoO thin films due to the defects resulted from imperfections induced by Co substitution. The resistivity remarkably increased and the carrier concentration remarkably decreased in ZnCoO thin films after oxygen annealing at 600 ° under 15 Pa O pressure for 60 mins. Room-temperature ferromagnetic was observed and the ferromagnetic Co amount was smaller than the nominal Co concentration for ZnCoO samples before oxygen annealing. After oxygen annealing, the ZnCoO thin films exhibited paramagnetic behavior. It is suggested that the room-temperature ferromagnetic of ZnCoO thin films may attribute to defects or carriers induced mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BaTiO films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO/Si substrates by a laser chemical vapor deposition method. The effect of laser power ( P) on the electrical conductivity of the BaTiO films was investigated. The electrical resistivity of the grains was much higher than that of the grain boundaries, which indicated that the electrical conductivity along the grain boundary was dominant. For the BaTiO films, the conduction was mainly attributed to oxygen vacancies, and the electrical conductivity was strongly affected by their microstructures and the concentration of the charge carriers. With increasing the P, the grain size increased and the grain-boundary density decreased, which resulted in the decrease of the electrical conductivity. At the same time, the increase of T led to higher concentration of charge carriers, which resulted in the increase of electrical conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A TiO film was prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO/Si substrate by a laser chemical vapor deposition method. The rutile TiO film with pyramidal grains and columnar cross-section was obtained at a high deposition rate ( R = 11.4 μm h). At 300 K and 1 MHz, the dielectric constant ( ε) and loss (tan δ) of the TiO film were about 73.0 and 0.0069, respectively. The electrical properties of TiO film were investigated by ac impedance spectroscopy over ranges of temperature (300-873 K) and frequency (10-10 Hz). The Cole-Cole plots between real and imaginary parts of the impedance ( Z′ and Z′′) in the above frequency and temperature range suggested the presence of two relaxation regimes that were attributed to grain and grain boundary responses. The ionic conduction in the rutile TiO film was dominated by the oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]