There are multiple routes to prepare semi-solid slurries with a globular microstructure for semi-solid forming. The variations in the microstructure of semi-solid slurries prepared using different ...routes may lead to significant differences in the flow behavior and mechanical properties of rheo-diecasting parts. Therefore, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the microstructure evolution associated with different slurry preparation routes and their resulting effects. In this study, the gas-induced semi-solid process (GISS) and the swirl enthalpy equilibrium device (SEED) routes were employed to prepare semi-solid Al-Si-Mg slurries for their simplicity and productivity in potential industrial applications. The prepared slurries were then injected into the shoot sleeves of a high-pressure die casting (HPDC) machine to produce tensile test bars. Subsequently, the bars underwent T6 treatment to enhance their mechanical properties. The microstructure, segregation, and mechanical properties of the samples were investigated and compared with those of conventional HPDC. The results indicated that the GISS and SEED can produce semi-solid slurries containing a spherical α-Al primary phase, as opposed to the dendritic structure commonly found in conventional castings. The liquid fraction had a significant effect on the flow behavior, resulting in variations in liquid segregation and mechanical properties. It was observed that a higher solid fraction (>75%) had a suppressing effect on surface liquid segregation. In addition, the tendency for liquid segregation gradually increased along the filling direction due to the special flow behavior of the semi-solid slurry with a low solid fraction. Furthermore, under the same die-casting process parameters, the conventional HPDC samples exhibit higher yield stress (139 ± 3 MPa) compared to SEED-HPDC and GISS-HPDC samples, which may be attributed to the small grain size and the distribution of eutectic phases. After undergoing the T6 treatment, both SEED-HPDC and GISS-HPDC samples showed a significant improvement in yield and tensile strength. These improvements are a result of solution and precipitation strengthening effects as well as the spheroidization of the eutectic Si phase. Moreover, the heat-treated SEED-HPDC samples demonstrate higher ultimate strength (336 ± 5 MPa) and elongation (13.7 ± 0.3%) in comparison to the GISS-HPDC samples (307 ± 4 MPa, 8.8 ± 0.2%) after heat treatment, mainly due to their low porosity density. These findings suggest that both GISS-HPDC and SEED-HPDC processes can be utilized to produce parts with favorable mechanical properties by implementing appropriate heat treatments. However, further investigation is required to control the porosities of GISS-HPDC samples during heat treatment.
Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is common cancer worldwide with a high prevalence in Taiwan, especially in the upper urinary tract, including the renal pelvis and ureter, also classifying as upper urinary ...tract urothelial carcinoma. Here, we aim to find a representative prognostic marker that strongly correlates to this type of carcinoma. Transforming growth factor beta‐1‐induced transcript 1 (TGFB1I1) is a cofactor of cellular TGF‐β1 and interacts with various nuclear receptors. The previous study showed that TGFB1I1 promotes focal adhesion formation, contributing to the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) with actin cytoskeleton and vimentin through TGFB1I1 regulation. We aim to reveal the role of TGFB1I1 in the tumorigenesis of UC. In silico and clinicopathological data of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC) were accessed and analyzed for IHC staining regarding tumor characteristics, including survival outcome. Finally, an in vitro study was performed to demonstrate the biological changes of UC cells. In UTUC, overexpression of TGFB1I1 was significantly correlated with advanced tumor stage, papillary configuration, and frequent mitosis. Meanwhile, overexpression of TGFB1I1 was significantly correlated with advanced tumor stage and histological grade in UBUC. Moreover, the in vitro study shows that TGFB1I1 affects cell proliferation, viability, migration and wound healing. The EMT markers also decreased upon TGFB1I1 knockdown. In this study, we identified that TGFB1I1 regulates UC cell proliferation and viability and induces the EMT to facilitate cell migration in vitro, leading to its essential role in promoting tumor aggressiveness in both UTUC and UBUC.
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With the increasing popularity of new energy electric vehicles, the demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been growing rapidly, which will produce a large number of spent LIBs. ...Therefore, recycling of spent LIBs has become an urgent task to be solved, otherwise it will inevitably lead to serious environmental pollution. Herein, a unique recycling strategy is proposed to achieve the concurrent reuse of cathode and anode in the spent graphite/LiFePO4 batteries. Along with such recycling process, a unique cathode composed of recycled LFP/graphite (RLFPG) with cation/anion-co-storage ability is designed for new-type dual-ion battery (DIB). As a result, the recycle-derived DIB of Li/RLFPG is established with good electrochemical performance, such as an initial discharge capacity of 117.4 mA h g−1 at 25 mA g−1 and 78% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 100 mA g−1. The working mechanism of Li/RLFPG DIB is also revealed via in situ X-ray diffraction and electrode kinetics studies. This work not only presents a far-reaching significance for large-scale recycling of spent LIBs in the future, but also proposed a sustainable and economical method to design new-type secondary batteries as recycling of spent LIBs.
Intellectual disability (ID) has emerged as the commonest manifestation of underlying genomic abnormalities. Given that molecular genetic tests for diagnosis of ID usually require high costs and ...yield relatively low diagnostic rates, identification of additional phenotypes or comorbidities may increase the genetic diagnostic yield and are valuable clues for pediatricians in general practice. Here, we enrolled consecutively 61 children with unexplained moderate or severe ID and performed chromosomal microarray (CMA) and sequential whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis on them. We identified 13 copy number variants in 12 probands and 24 variants in 25 probands, and the total diagnostic rate was 60.7%. The genetic abnormalities were commonly found in ID patients with movement disorder (100%) or with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) (93.3%). Univariate analysis showed that ASD was the significant risk factor of genetic abnormality (P = 0.003; OR 14, 95% CI 1.7-115.4). At least 14 ID-ASD associated genes were identified, and the majority of ID-ASD associated genes (85.7%) were found to be expressed in the cerebellum based on database analysis. In conclusion, genetic testing on ID children, particularly in those with ASD is highly recommended. ID and ASD may share common cerebellar pathophysiology.
Urothelial cancer is a malignant tumor with metastatic ability and high mortality. Malignant tumors of the urinary system include upper tract urothelial cancer and bladder cancer. In addition to ...typical genetic alterations and epigenetic modifications, metabolism-related events also occur in urothelial cancer. This metabolic reprogramming includes aberrant expression levels of genes, metabolites, and associated networks and pathways. In this review, we summarize the dysfunctions of glycolytic enzymes in urothelial cancer and discuss the relevant phenotype and signal transduction. Moreover, we describe potential prognostic factors and risks to the survival of clinical cancer patients. More importantly, based on several available databases, we explore relationships between glycolytic enzymes and genetic changes or drug responses in urothelial cancer cells. Current advances in glycolysis-based inhibitors and their combinations are also discussed. Combining all of the evidence, we indicate their potential value for further research in basic science and clinical applications.
Abstract Background Propofol is effective and used as a kind of routine anesthetics in procedure sedative anesthesia (PSA) for ureteroscopy. However, respiratory depression and unconscious physical ...activity always occur during propofol-based PSA, especially in elderly patients. Esketamine has sedative and analgesic effects but without risk of cardiorespiratory depression. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether esketamine can reduce the propofol median effective dose (ED 50 ) for successful ureteroscope insertion in elderly male patients. Materials and methods 49 elderly male patients undergoing elective rigid ureteroscopy were randomly divided into two groups: SK Group (0.25 mg/kg esketamine+propofol) and SF Group (0.1 µg/kg sufentanil+propofol). Patients in both two groups received propofol with initial bolus dose of 1.5 mg/kg after sufentanil or esketamine was administered intravenously. The effective dose of propofol was assessed by a modified Dixon’s up-and-down method and then was adjusted with 0.1 mg/kg according to the previous patient response. Patients’ response to ureteroscope insertion was classified as “movement” or “no movement”. The primary outcome was the ED 50 of propofol for successful ureteroscope insertion with esketamine or sufentanil. The secondary outcomes were the induction time, adverse events such as hemodynamic changes, hypoxemia and body movement were also measured. Result 49 patients were enrolled and completed this study. The ED 50 of propofol for successful ureteroscope insertion in SK Group was 1.356 ± 0.11 mg/kg, which was decreased compared with that in SF Group, 1.442 ± 0.08 mg/kg ( P = 0.003). The induction time in SK Group was significantly shorter than in SF Group ( P = 0.001). In SK Group, more stable hemodynamic variables were observed than in SF Group. The incidence of AEs between the two groups was not significantly different. Conclusion The ED 50 of propofol with esketamine administration for ureteroscope insertion in elderly male patients is 1.356 ± 0.11 mg/kg, significantly decreased in comparsion with sufentanil. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, No: ChiCTR2300077170. Registered on 1 November 2023. Prospective registration. http://www.chictr.org.cn .
Abstract
The heavy fermion physics is dictated by subtle competing exchange interactions, posing a challenge to their understanding. One-dimensional (1D) Kondo lattice model has attracted special ...attention in theory, because of its exact solvability and expected unusual quantum criticality. However, such experimental material systems are extremely rare. Here, we demonstrate the realization of quasi-1D Kondo lattice behavior in a monolayer van der Waals crystal NbSe
2
, that is driven into a stripe phase via Se-deficient line defects. Spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy measurements and first-principles calculations indicate that the stripe-phase NbSe
2
undergoes a novel charge-density wave transition, creating a matrix of local magnetic moments. The Kondo lattice behavior is manifested as a Fano resonance at the Fermi energy that prevails the entire film with a high Kondo temperature. Importantly, coherent Kondo screening occurs only in the direction of the stripes. Upon approaching defects, the Fano resonance exhibits prominent spatial 1D oscillations along the stripe direction, reminiscent of Kondo holes in a quasi-1D Kondo lattice. Our findings provide a platform for exploring anisotropic Kondo lattice behavior in the monolayer limit.
Four new donor–acceptor triads (D–A–D) based on discotic and arylene mesogens have been synthesized by using Sonogashira coupling and cyclization reactions. This family of triads consists of two ...side‐on pending triphenylene mesogens, acting as the electron‐donating groups (D), laterally connected through short lipophilic spacers to a central perylenediimide (PI), benzoghiperylenediimide (BI), or coronenediimide (CI) molecular unit, respectively, playing the role of the electron acceptor (A). All D–A–D triads self‐organize to form a lamello‐columnar oblique mesophase, with a highly segregated donor–acceptor (D–A) heterojunction organization, consequent to efficient molecular self‐sorting. The structure consists in the regular alternation of two disrupted rows of triphenylene columns and a continuous row of diimine species. High‐resolution STM images demonstrate that PI‐TP2 forms stable 2D self‐assembly nanostructures with some various degrees of regularity, whereas the other triads do not self‐organize into ordered architectures. The electron‐transport mobility of CI‐TP2, measured by time‐of‐flight at 200 °C in the mesophase, is one order of magnitude higher than the hole mobility. By means of this specific molecular designing idea, we realized and demonstrated for the first time the so‐called p–n heterojunction at the molecular level in which the electron‐rich triphenylene columns act as the hole transient pathways, and the coronenediimide stacks form the electron‐transport channels.
D–A discotic‐based triads: A new family of donor–acceptor (D–A) discotic‐based triads, forming mesomorphic semiconductors with long‐range ordered supramolecular architectures and high electronic charge mobility, have been designed and synthesized for their potential use in optoelectronic devices (see figure).
•The ribbon-like CNC was successfully prepared by the enzymolysis of cotton pulp.•The length and width of CNC were influenced by the enzymolysis time and Ccellulase.•When Ccellulase increased to 100 ...μ/ml, the granular CNC appeared in the product.•When Ccellulase rose up to 300 μ/ml, the formed CNCs all were granular.
The enzymolytic preparation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) has the unique advantages due to its green chemistry process. In this work, the cotton pulp fibers were enzymolyzed with the cellulase to prepare the ribbon-like CNC, and the samples were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD and DLS. The results indicated the CNC with the length 250–900 nm and width 30–45 nm could be produced from cotton pulp fibers at the lower cellulase concentration, the time 5–11 h and temperature 50 ºC. When the cellulase concentration rose up to 100 /ml, the granular CNC appeared, and at 300 μ/ml all of the formed CNC were granular. FTIR and XRD analyses proved that the ribbon-like CNC had the same crystal style and chemical structure with original cotton pulp fibers, but its crystallinity was weakened slightly. Despite the fact that there are the weakened crystallinity and aggregates, the as-prepared samples were still called as CNCs for simplicity. In addition, the article has discussed the mechanism for the forming ribbon-like CNC from the enzymolysis of cotton pulp fibers.
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