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SiCN ceramic is a candidate material for high-temperature sensors because of its stability and semiconductor characteristics at high temperatures. The free carbon content within the SiCN ceramics is a main factor that affects its conductivity. This study adjusted the free carbon content inside amorphous SiCN by adding divinylbenzene into the precursor. The electrical properties of SiCN ceramics with different free carbon contents were explored using ultraviolet fluorescence spectrum and temperature-resistant experiments. The results showed that with the increase of divinylbenzene from 0 to 20%, the conductivity of SiCN ceramics at room temperature increases from 2.77 × 10−9 to 3.66 × 10−4 S/cm, and the forbidden bandwidth decreases from 3.81 to 2.25 eV. At the same time, the increase of divinylbenzene content would promote the hybridization extent of free carbon from sp3 to sp2 and improve the degree of order. This work could pave the way for applying amorphous SiCN serving as temperature sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose-regulated protein 75 (GRP75), a member of the heat-shock protein 70 family, is known to protect cells from stress-induced injury. However, information regarding its distribution and possible function in the retina is limited. In this study, we performed an optic nerve crush (ONC) model in adult rats and found that GRP75 was significantly upregulated in the retina after ONC. Double immunofluorescent staining revealed that GRP75 was localized in the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). We also examined the expression profile of active caspase3, whose change was correlated with the expression profile of GRP75. In addition, we utilized co-staining of GRP75 and active caspase3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) to study their correlation in the retina following ONC. Furthermore, the expressions of Bax, cytochrome c (Cytc), p-extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1/2, and p-AKT were enhanced in the retina after ONC, and they were parallel with the expression profile of GRP75. Based on our data, we speculated that GRP75 might play an important role in RGCs apoptosis following ONC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash boiling sprays of liquid injection under superheated conditions provide the novel solutions of fast vaporization and better air-fuel mixture formation for internal combustion engines. However, the physical mechanisms of flash boiling spray vaporization are more complicated than the droplet surface vaporization due to the unique bubble generation and boiling process inside a superheated bulk liquid, which are not well understood. In this study, the vaporization of flash boiling sprays was investigated experimentally through the quantitative measurements of vapor concentration and liquid temperature. Specifically, the laser-induced exciplex fluorescence technique was applied to distinguish the liquid and vapor distributions. Quantitative vapor concentration was obtained by correlating the intensity of vapor-phase fluorescence with vapor concentration through systematic corrections and calibrations. The intensities of two wavelengths were captured simultaneously from the liquid-phase fluorescence spectra, and their intensity ratios were correlated with liquid temperature. The results show that both liquid and vapor phase of multi-hole sprays collapse toward the centerline of the spray with different mass distributions under the flash boiling conditions. Large amount of vapor aggregates along the centerline of the spray to form a 'gas jet' structure, whereas the liquid distributes more uniformly with large vortexes formed in the vicinity of the spray tip. The vaporization process under the flash boiling condition is greatly enhanced due to the intense bubble generation and burst. The liquid temperature measurements show strong temperature variations inside the flash boiling sprays with hot zones present in the 'gas jet' structure and vortex region. In addition, high vapor concentration and closed vortex motion seem to have inhibited the heat and mass transfer in these regions. In summary, the vapor concentration and liquid temperature provide detailed information concerning the heat and mass transfer inside flash boiling sprays, which is important for the understanding of its unique vaporization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of liquid phase temperature distributions in liquid-vapor co-existing conditions (such as in evaporating sprays) are important to understand the physics of droplet evaporation. The techniques based on laser-induced fluorescence are not suitable for evaporating case since both liquid and vapor phases emit fluorescence with the same wavelength. In this study, the fluorescence from liquid and vapor phases was separated by use of laser-induced exciplex fluorescence (LIEF) technique. Two fluorescence bands from the liquid phase fluorescence spectra were detected simultaneously, and their intensity ratio was correlated to the liquid phase temperature. For the LIEF imaging system, FB-DEMA- n-hexane was selected as it was a typical LIEF system for the vapor concentration diagnostic, and thus easily to be extended to a simultaneous diagnostic on the vapor concentration and the droplet temperature. The fluorescence spectra were obtained in the temperature range from 303 to 423 K. The effects of liquid temperature, liquid pressure, dopant concentration and laser energy on the temperature measurement were investigated. The results show a good linear relationship between the fluorescence ratio and the temperature function. Increasing the dopant concentration can raise the signal-to-noise ratio but deteriorate temperature sensitivity. The optimal range of the dopant concentration was found between 0.1 % and 0.5 %. After calibration, the technique was applied to a monosized droplet stream, and the measurement results demonstrated excellent measurement accuracy with error below 1 % in the range of 303-423 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]