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The effect of Cl− concentration on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of high manganese steel was investigated by slow strain rate tensile (SSRT) test, electrochemical test, and immersion test in different NaCl concentration solutions. The results show that the SCC susceptibility of the test steel first increases and then decreases with the increase in Cl− concentration. When the NaCl concentration was 10.5%, the SCC susceptibility was the highest, and the fracture showed river-like transgranular quasi-cleavage morphology, obvious tearing ridge, and strong brittle fracture characteristics. The corrosion current density of the sample first increases and then decreases with the increase in Cl− concentration in the corrosive medium. The corrosion electrochemical reaction and corrosion product layer play a synergistic role in SCC in low concentration Cl− medium. The enrichment of alloying element compounds in the corrosion layer leads to the local acidification below the corrosion layer, which promotes the anodic dissolution (AD) and forms pitting corrosion on the substrate surface. When the Cl− concentration is high, the local AD and hydrogen embrittlement (HE) caused by the dissolved oxygen will be weakened, and SCC susceptibility is reduced.

The clathrate lattice plays a crucial role in determining the properties of materials, specifically concerning the high superconductivity in high-pressure superhydrides. This study focuses on elucidating the influence of the boron clathrate lattice on superconductivity within the ternary Mg–La–B system. Using the structure prediction method and first-principles calculations, we have successfully identified a series of low-energy metallic Mg–La–B compounds at pressures of 0 and 50 GPa. Employing a rapid screening technique involving frozen-phonon calculations for electron–phonon coupling (EPC), we have singled out MgLaB10 as a promising superconductor due to its largest EPC constant at the Brillouin zone center among all low-energy compounds. Subsequent EPC calculations covering the full Brillouin zone affirm the potential of MgLaB10 as a superconductor with an estimated Tc of ∼20 K under ambient pressure. Interestingly, MgLaB10 comprises B18 and B24 cages that encapsulate Mg and La atoms, respectively. Analysis shows that the coupling between σ-bonding electrons at the Fermi level and boron-associated phonon modes induced potential superconductivity. This work reveals the important influence of the boron clathrate lattice on superconductivity within the Mg–La–B system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphocytes, which are highly sensitive to radiation, play a crucial role in the body's defense against tumors. Radiation-induced lymphopenia has been associated with poorer outcomes in different cancer types. Despite being the largest secondary lymphoid organ, the spleen has not been officially designated as an organ at risk. This study hypothesizes a connection between spleen irradiation and lymphopenia and seeks to establish evidence-based dosage limits for the spleen. We retrospectively analyzed data from 96 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who received postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) between May 2010 and May 2017. Complete blood counts were collected before, during and after CRT. We established a model for predicting the minimum absolute lymphocyte count (Min ALC) and to investigate potential associations between spleen dosimetric variables and Min ALC. The median follow-up was 60 months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 65.2% and 56.8%, respectively. The median values of pre-treatment ALC, Min ALC and post-treatment ALC were 1.40 × 109, 0.23 × 109 and 0.28 × 109/L, respectively. Regression analysis confirmed that the primary tumor location, number of fractions and spleen V5 were significant predictors of Min ALC during radiation therapy. Changes in ALC (ΔALC) were identified as an independent predictor of both OS and DFS. Spleen V5 is an independent predictor for Min ALC, and the maximum dose of the spleen is associated with an increased risk of severe lymphopenia. Therefore, these doses should be restricted in clinical practice. Additionally, ΔALC can serve as a prognostic indicator for adjuvant radiotherapy in gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of coal gangue (CG) on the ash initial deformation temperature (IDT) and CO2 gasification characteristic of biomass (chestnut shell [CS] and soybean straw [SS]) were investigated by ash fusion tester and thermogravimetric analyzer, respectively. The IDTs of CS and SS ashes were low because of the presence of abundant low melting point (MP) airchildite (K2Ca(CO3)2) and arcanite (K2SO4), and they were efficiently improved by the CG additions of 2%–10% mass ratios. The increases in the IDTs of CS and SS ashes were resulted from the conversions of fairchildite and arcanite into high MP K‐Al silicates (kalsilite [KAlSiO4], leucite [KAlSi2O6], etc.). The gasification reactivities of CS/CG mixtures stayed below that of CS, and they decreased with increasing CG mass ratios (4%–10%) and increased with increasing temperatures (900–1000°C). At 900°C, CG addition caused a decrease in the gasification reactivity of SS. When the temperature reached 950°C, the CG addition of 4% mass ratio increased the gasification reactivity of SS instead. The synergistic effect between biomass and CG during cogasification was more significant at low CG mass ratio and high temperature, and the synergistic effect between SS and CG was more intense than that between CS and CG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]