Yttria dispersion-strengthened tungsten with both enhanced strength and ductility was synthesized through sol–gel method followed by sintering and high-temperature swaging. The sol–gel synthesis ...process involving a molecular-level doping leads to a unique nanostructure that Y2O3 nano-particles were homogeneously dispersed in tungsten grains interior. The nanosized Y2O3 particles in sol–gel synthesized W-1%Y2O3 are stable in size even under a high sintering temperature of 2300 °C. The swaged sol–gel W-1%Y2O3 show ductility at a relative low temperature of 250 °C, which is about 100 °C and 250 °C lower than that of spark-plasma-sintered sol–gel W-1%Y2O3 and ball-milling synthesized W-1%Y2O3, respectively. The sol–gel method provides a promising access to high-performance nanostructured tungsten materials with both high strength and ductility, and can be easily scaled for industrial production.
•Yttria dispersion-strengthened W was synthesized by sol–gel method plus swaging.•Y2O3 nano-particles were homogeneously dispersed in tungsten grains interior.•The nanosized Y2O3 particles in W-1%Y2O3 are stable in size even at 2300 °C.•The swaged sol–gel W-1%Y2O3 show ductility at a relative low temperature of 250 °C.•The sol–gel method is promising for preparation of nanostructured tungsten materials.
Excess wastewater sludge collected from the recycling stream of an activated sludge process is biomass that contains large quantities of polysaccharides and proteins. However, relevant literature ...indicates that the bio-conversion of wastewater sludge to hydrogen is limited and therefore not economically feasible. This work examined the anaerobic digestion of wastewater sludge using a clostridium strain isolated from the sludge as inoculum. A much higher hydrogen yield than presented in the literature was obtained. Also, the effects of five pre-treatments—ultrasonication, acidification, sterilization, freezing/thawing and adding methanogenic inhibitor—on the production of hydrogen were examined. Freezing and thawing and sterilization increased the specific hydrogen yield by 1.5–2.5 times to that of untreated sludge, while adding an inhibitor and ultrasonication reduced the hydrogen yield.
Recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after liver transplantation (LT) is universal. However, the efficacy, tolerability and safety of combination interferon and ribavirin (IFN–RIB) or ...peginterferon and ribavirin (PEG–RIB) anti‐viral therapies post‐LT are uncertain. We performed a comprehensive search of major medical databases (1980–2005) and conference proceedings (1996–2005). The main outcome measure was sustained virological response (SVR, undetectable HCV RNA) at 6 months. Summary estimates were calculated using random‐effects models. Twenty‐seven IFN–RIB and 21 PEG–RIB studies were included. IFN–RIB was associated with a pooled SVR rate of 24% (95% CI, 20–27%), while PEG–RIB was associated with an SVR rate of 27% (23–31%). Pooled discontinuation rates were 24% (21–27%) with IFN–RIB and 26% (20–32%) with PEG–RIB. The pooled rate of acute graft rejection was 2% (1–3%) with IFN–RIB and 5% (3–7%) with PEG–RIB. IFN–RIB and PEG–RIB therapies in HCV infection post‐LT were associated with similar but overall low SVR and were poorly tolerated. The rate of acute rejection was small. The therapeutic advantage of PEG–RIB therapy observed in non‐transplant chronic HCV infection appears to be attenuated post‐LT. Clinical trials are needed to evaluate reasons for this post‐transplant therapeutic disadvantage and to find strategies to ameliorate them.
This systematic review of databases and studies of combination interferon‐ribavirin therapy showed that the therapeutic advantage of pegylated interferon‐ribavirin therapy observed in non‐transplant chronic HCV infection was markedly attenuated in studies post‐transplant such that non‐pegylated and pegylated interferon gave similar results post‐transplant.
A pilot study for the thickness measurement of HfO2 films was performed by the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM). The aim of this ...pilot study was to ensure the equivalency in the measurement capability of national metrology institutes for the thickness measurement of HfO2 films. In this pilot study, the thicknesses of six HfO2 films with nominal thickness from 1 nm to 4 nm were measured by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Reflectometry(XRR), X-ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRF), Transmission Electron Spectroscopy (TEM), Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). The reference thicknesses were determined by mutual calibration of a zero-offset method (Medium Energy Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (MEIS) of KRISS) and a method traceable to the length unit (the average thicknesses of three XRR data except the thinnest film). These reference thicknesses are traceable to the length unit because they are based on the traceability of XRR. For the thickness measurement by XPS, the effective attenuation length of Hf 4f electrons was determined. In the cases of XRR and TEM, the offset values were determined from a linear fitting between the reference thicknesses and the individual data by XRR and TEM. The amount of substance of HfO2, expressed as thickness of HfO2 films (in both linear and areal density units), was found to be a good subject for a CCQM key comparison.To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM.
The advent of costimulation blockade provides the prospect for targeted therapy with improved graft survival in transplant patients. Perhaps the most effective costimulation blockade in experimental ...models is the use of reagents to block the CD40/CD154 pathway. Unfortunately, successful clinical translation of anti‐CD154 therapy has not been achieved. In an attempt to develop an agent that is as effective as previous CD154 blocking antibodies but lacks the risk of thromboembolism, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of a novel anti‐human CD154 domain antibody (dAb, BMS‐986004). The anti‐CD154 dAb effectively blocked CD40‐CD154 interactions but lacked crystallizable fragment (Fc) binding activity and resultant platelet activation. In a nonhuman primate kidney transplant model, anti‐CD154 dAb was safe and efficacious, significantly prolonging allograft survival without evidence of thromboembolism (Median survival time 103 days). The combination of anti‐CD154 dAb and conventional immunosuppression synergized to effectively control allograft rejection (Median survival time 397 days). Furthermore, anti‐CD154 dAb treatment increased the frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. This study demonstrates that the use of a novel anti‐CD154 dAb that lacks Fc binding activity is safe without evidence of thromboembolism and is equally as potent as previous anti‐CD154 agents at prolonging renal allograft survival in a nonhuman primate preclinical model.
An Fc‐silent anti‐CD154 domain antibody safely and effectively promotes long‐term kidney transplant survival in nonhuman primates without the risk of thromboembolism when combined with a clinically relevant conventional immunosuppression regimen. See the editorial from Thomson and Ezzelarab on page 1156.
This paper reports an in-situ study of the plastic deformation behavior of surface grains in a polycrystalline aluminum alloy, in particular the active slip systems and lattice rotation, by means of ...the electron backscattered diffraction method. The experimental analysis is conducted at a spatial resolution of 1μm, thus allowing detailed analysis at subgrain levels, enabling elucidation of fine details of the deformation process that are not commonly seen in the literature. It is found that the grains rotate gradually with increasing strain during tensile deformation. The lattice rotation, in terms of both rotation path and rotation rate, is highly inhomogeneous both among the grains and within individual grains, leading to the formation of subgrains. The rotation behavior can be adequately described by the activation of slip systems with the maximum and second maximum Schmid factors. The number of independent slip systems in surface grains is much fewer than that in interior grains, as predicted by crystal plasticity theories. The lattice rotation rate is also heterogeneous among grains and subregions and for different deformation stages. The differences in rotation rate provide another mechanism for the accommodation of plastic strains and for the creation of subgrains. These findings are of importance for the mechanical processing of thin sheet materials or the deformation behavior of miniature components, where the majority of grains are on the surfaces.
α‐MoO3 nanobelts are successfully lithiated by a secondary reaction. The capacity retention rate of lithiated MoO3 nanobelts is 92 % after 15 cycles, whereas the non‐lithiated nanobelts retain only ...60 % (see figure). The conductivity is increased by close to two orders of magnitudes after lithiation suggesting that Li+ ions have been introduced into the MoO3 layers during lithiation.
•A space–time-speed network is used to model train rescheduling in a major disruption.•The trade-off between energy consumption and train-arrival delay is investigated.•We decompose the train ...rescheduling model by ADMM algorithm.
Disruptions are inevitable in daily train operations, and can cause high-speed trains to deviate from their official schedules. Therefore, the efficient rescheduling of disrupted trains is critical for ensuring smooth daily operations. We sought to determine the appropriate arrival and departure times and orders of trains at each station during a disruption, and the speed profile of each train, to reduce the delay costs and energy consumption. To embed the train speed profile corresponding to energy saving into the train rescheduling problem, a space–time–speed network is applied for problem formulation. Thus, the energy-efficient train speed profile is embedded in the speed dimension in the space–time–speed hypernetwork. The detailed train speed profile between two stations is formulated as a multiple-phase optimal control model, which is solved using a pseudospectral method. Then, an integer linear programming model based on multicommodity flow is built to solve the train rescheduling problem. We decompose it via the alternating direction method of multipliers into a series of easy-to-solve shortest path subproblems. Each subproblem is then efficiently solved using a dynamic programming algorithm. Finally, the Xi’an–Chengdu high-speed railway line is used to test our model and algorithms, thereby demonstrating the trade-off between passenger-service quality and energy efficiency.
Topological Dirac semimetals (TDSs) represent a new state of quantum matter recently discovered that offers a platform for realizing many exotic physical phenomena. A TDS is characterized by the ...linear touching of bulk (conduction and valance) bands at discrete points in the momentum space i.e., three-dimensional (3D) Dirac points, such as in Na3Bi and Cd3As2. More recently, new types of Dirac semimetals with robust Dirac line nodes (with nontrivial topology or near the critical point between topological phase transitions) have been proposed that extend the bulk linear touching from discrete points to one-dimensional (1D) lines. In this paper, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we explored the electronic structure of the nonsymmorphic crystals MSiS (M=Hf, Zr). Remarkably, by mapping out the band structure in the full 3D Brillouin zone (BZ), we observed two sets of Dirac line-nodes in parallel with the kz axis and their dispersions. Interestingly, along directions other than the line nodes in the 3D BZ, the bulk degeneracy is lifted by spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in both compounds with larger magnitude in HfSiS. Our paper not only experimentally confirms a new Dirac line-node semimetal family protected by nonsymmorphic symmetry but also helps understanding and further exploring the exotic properties, as well as practical applications of the MSiS family of compounds.
A platinum( ii ) complex containing an aminophosphonate ligand preferentially accumulates in the endoplamic reticulum (ER) in association with potent ER stress and reactive oxygen species generation, ...followed by the activation of damage-associated molecular pattern signals and immune responses. Importantly, the Pt complex exhibits potent anti-tumour activities in two independent mouse models via an immunogenic cell death pathway.
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