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LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 is a relatively promising high-voltage cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. In order to reduce the preparation cost and energy consumption of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, an innovative roasting process — non-constant temperature calcination — was proposed in this paper, and it is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser particle size distribution test, cyclic voltammetry test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), first charge–discharge test, cyclic performance test, and comparative experiment. The research shows that this process avoids the high-temperature and constant-temperature stage, so as to effectively inhibit the growth and agglomeration of material particles, improve the electrochemical performance of the material, and reduce the production energy consumption and cost. It was found through experiments that the optimal heating rate is 2.0 °C/min. At this heating rate, the initial charge–discharge capacity reaches the maximum of 129.6 mAh/g, and the capacity decreases from 126 to 123.5 mAh/g (the capacity retention rate is 98%) after 100 cycles at 1 C.

Olivine-structured LiMnPO4 is one of the cathode materials with great application prospects for lithium-ion batteries in that it possesses the characteristics of abundant raw materials, low price, stable structure, high energy density, and good cycling stability. In this paper, the electronic structure of LiMn1-x-yFexNiyPO4 (x = 0, y = 0; x = 1/4, y = 1/4) system is calculated by using MS (Material Studio) software. The calculated results show that the band gap width of LiMn1/2Fe1/4Ni1/4PO4/C system is 0.105 eV, which has a great change compared with LiMnPO4. Thus, it is speculated that the Fe–Ni co-doped LiMnPO4 material has better electrochemical performance. The LiMn1-x-yFexNiyPO4 (x = 0, y = 0; x = 1/4, y = 1/4) composite materials were synthesized by co-precipitation method, and the optimum synthesis conditions also was explored. The electrochemical test indicates that the LiMn1/2Fe1/4Ni1/4PO4/C cathode material has excellent electrochemical properties, and its initial charge–discharge capacity is 143.8 mAh/g, which is significantly higher than that of LiMnPO4 material. The discharge capacity of this sample remains at about 152 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 0.05 C rate, showing good cyclic stability. The results of theoretical calculation and experimental test confirm each other, so as to prepare the LiMn1/2Fe1/4Ni1/4PO4/C materials with excellent electrochemical performance.

The influence of the process parameters on the mechanical properties of compact wood powder generated via hot-pressing was analyzed through a single-factor experiment. The mechanical properties exhibited a nonlinear trend relative to the process conditions of hot-pressed compact wood powder. The relationship models between the process parameters and the mechanical properties for the compact wood powder were established by applying a multiple regression analysis and neural network methods combined with data from an orthogonal array design. A comparison between experimental and predicted results was made to investigate the accuracy of the established models by applying several data groups among the single-factor experiments. The results showed that the accuracy of the neural network model in terms of predicting the mechanical properties was greater compared with the multiple regression model. This demonstrates that the established neural network model had a better prediction performance, and it can accurately map the relationship between the process conditions and the mechanical properties of the compact wood powder.

Improving the utilization rate of fly ash (FA) and realizing its resource utilization has always been a popular research topic in the application field of solid waste recycling. This paper aims to improve the basic brightness of fly ash (FA) before calcium carbonate coating, and realize the filling application of fly ash in medium and high-end paper. Taking advantage of the high brightness of molecular sieves (MS) (brightness ≥ 90 %ISO), the alkali melting hydrothermal synthesis (AM-HS) method was used to generate high brightness MS on the surface of fly ash. The results showed that the optimum conditions of alkali melting hydrothermal synthesis (AM-HS) modification were as follows: the mass ratio of sodium hydroxide to fly ash was 1:1, the time of hydrothermal modification was 6 h, the temperature of hydrothermal modification was 80 °C, and the brightness reached to 64.54 %ISO; The results of SEM, particle size analysis and ultrasonic vibration showed that the surface of fly ash is covered by MS and has strong binding effect.

Functional fullerene derivatives exhibit fantastic inhibitory capabilities against cancer survival and metastasis, but the absence of clarified biological molecular targets and ambiguous regulation mechanisms set barriers for their clinical transformation. Cancer metastasis is the primary cause of mortality and initiated with increased cell migration, making cell motility regulation a high-value therapeutic target in precision medicine. Herein, a critical molecular target of the aminated fullerene derivative (C70-EDA), myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), was initially identified by a pull-down assay and MS screening. MYH9 is a cytoplasm-located protein and is responsible for cell motility and epithelial-mesenchymal transition regulation. Omics data from large-scale clinical samples reveals that MYH9 gets overexpressed in various cancers and correlates with unfavorable prognosis, indicating that it is a potential antineoplastic target. It is unveiled that C70-EDA binds to the C-terminal of MYH9, triggering the transport of MYH9 from the cytoplasm to the cell edge, blocking the MYH9-involved cell mobility, and inhibiting the metastasis-associated EMT process. This work provides a precise biological target and new strategies for fullerene applications in cancer therapy.

Highly selective catalytic hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes is a highly important reaction owing to its industrial and commercial application. Specifically, semihydrogenation of terminal alkynes has been more challenging than internal alkenes even using Lindlar catalysts. Also, the high reduction degree state metal-supported catalysts like Pd

Structural design, doping, and construction of heterojunctions are effective strategies for producing highly efficient photocatalytic materials. Herein, N-doped TiO2 was formed on hexagonal C3N4 tube through in-situ hydrolysis of a Ti source on a supramolecular precursor, followed by thermal treatment. As a result, a double-shell microtube, C3N4@TiO2 heterostructure was fabricated. It was worth noting that the supramolecular precursor was prepared from melamine and cyanuric acid, which not only served as a template for the double-shell tubular structure, but also provided nitrogen for the doping of TiO2. The photocatalytic efficiency of C3N4@TiO2 was investigated by conducting hydrogen production experiments. The hydrogen production rate of C3N4@TiO2 was measured to be 10.1 mmol h−1 g−1, which is 4 times and 15 times that of C3N4 and TiO2, respectively. The improved photocatalytic activity of C3N4@TiO2 can be ascribed to (1) the tubular structure that provides a large number of reaction sites and enhances mass transport, (2) the heterojunction that is beneficial to charge separation, and (3) doping of TiO2 with nitrogen which extends its optical absorption range to visible light. This work demonstrates a facile method for synthesizing a highly efficient photocatalyst towards hydrogen evolution by modifying its structure and chemical composition as well as forming a heterojunction.

Lithium aluminate (LiAlO2) has been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction based on using the anodic alumina (AAO) as the template and explored as the compound materials in LiMnPO4/C lithium battery. LiAlO2 nanoplate porous structure is inherited from anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) structure and serves as substrates to grow LiMnPO4 nanocrystals, which provide a high surface area with a porous structure. The morphology, structure, and electrochemical properties of the samples were analyzed. The instruments used in this process are X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and charge-discharge test system. The crystallization transition process of the precursor after hydrothermal reaction was researched by thermal gravity analysis. The specific surface area and pore volume of LiAlO2 are 118.6 m2/g and 0.89 cm3/g, which were confirmed by the method of nitrogen adsorption. Moreover, the 10% content LiAlO2-LiMnPO4/C has the excellent electrochemical performance, and its first discharge capacity is 144 mAh/g at 0.1 C, compared with the LiMnPO4/C electrode (121 mAh/g at 0.1 C). The LiAlO2 can obstruct the direct contact of electrode and electrolyte, thus reducing their direct contact areas of cathode at charged state, owing to the fact that LiAlO2 around the active surfaces of LiMnPO4 grains acts as an ionic conductive wiring.

The Li4Ti5O12/LiMn23/24Mg1/24PO4 full cell, assembled from the Li4Ti5O12 anode via the PVP-assisted combustion method and from the high-voltage olivine LiMn23/24Mg1/24PO4/C cathode via the co-hydrothermal method, is promising for commercial applications. Its surface morphology, structure and performance were characterised through X-ray diffraction and standard electrochemical techniques. The operating voltage of the Li4Ti5O12/LiMn23/24Mg1/24PO4 full cell is 2.5 V, and it exhibits a high reversible capacity of 134.8 mAh g−1 at 0.05 C. Further, it retains 91.3%, 92.9%, 92.3%, 94.6% and 96.3% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 C discharge rates, respectively, thus revealing excellent cycling stability. Consequently, the Li4Ti5O12/LiMn23/24Mg1/24PO4 full cell is promising for use as a power lithium-ion battery.

The robust photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) from water needs an effective photogenerated charge spatial separation and enough contact between reactant and catalyst, but the synthesis of catalysts with the characteristics remains a challenge. Herein, we report the design of core-shell heterostructure consisted of thin TiO2 layer uniformly coated on porous ZrO2 polyhedron for effective PHE. In this system, UiO-66-NH2, one of popular MOF with Zr as metal node, has been chosen as the precursor template due to its plentiful pores, uniform morphology, as well as the rich NH2 groups. Our results show that Ti precursor can uniformly coat on UiO-66-NH2, by means of interaction of tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) with -NH3 in UiO-66-NH2. Followed by the calcination, the Ti precursor and UiO-66-NH2 can be converted into ZrO2 and TiO2, respectively, thus leading to the formation of ZrO2@TiO2 core-shell heterostructure. The ZrO2@TiO2-500 has the high specific surface area of 52.4 m2 g−1. Besides, the intimate contact of TiO2 shell with ZrO2 core facilitates the separation and migration of photoinduced carriers, exposing more active sites for the surface photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction. The spectrum and electrochemical characterization further exhibit the extended life of photon-generated carrier and easy mass transfer. The optimized ZrO2@TiO2-500 shows enhanced photocatalytic rate of 39.7 mmol h−1 g−1, much higher than those of ZrO2 (0.8 mmol h−1 g−1) and TiO2 (7.6 mmol h−1 g−1).

Old books suffer from aging and deterioration spurred by acidification, oxidation, and other factors. To preserve these important historical documents, it is important to implement deacidification and reinforcement methods to extend their durability. In this study, microdroplets of 75 g/L sodium hydroxide solution were atomized before being utilized to neutralize acidity in the paper. As well, styrene acrylic latex was diluted to 10 times for atomization to function as a reinforcing agent. In addition to studying these methods individually, the effects of simultaneous deacidification and reinforcement were also studied.

Chromogenic sources such as carbon particles and magnetic particles are the key factors restricting the brightness of fly ash. This study explored the feasibility of calcination-carbonation two-step method to improve the brightness of fly ash and apply it to paper filling. The results show that Under the condition of high temperature, the unburned carbon particles in fly ash are removed, and the brightness of fly ash is increased from 30 %ISO to 49 %ISO with the increase of burning loss. The dense calcium carbonate coating can be formed on the surface of fly ash particles modified by the carbonation reaction process after high temperature calcination, and the brightness of fly ash can be further raised to about 66 %ISO. The composite filler prepared by two-step method can be used to paper filling, the brightness of the paper can reach 76 % ISO, and it has good opacity at 20 % filling. Therefore, it is feasible to prepare fly ash-based composite filler by calcining-carbonization method.

The photocatalytic efficiency of polymeric carbon nitride is hampered by high carrier recombination rate and low charge transfer. Herein, these issues are addressed by constructing 1D strip-like carbon nitride with a large π-electron conjugated system from carbon-doping, realizing the synchronization control of its electronic structure and morphology. Nicotinic acid, a monomer with the carboxyl group and pyridine ring, and melamine are selected for assembling the strip-like supramolecular via hydrogen bond under hydrothermal process. Both peripheral pyridine unit and hydrogen bond have significant effect on self-assembly process of nicotinic acid and melamine along one dimension to form a strip-like precursor. Subsequently, 1D thin porous strip-like carbon nitride is obtained by calcination treatment of precursor. The as-prepared 1D strip-like carbon nitride with effective π delocalization from carbon-doping and porous structure can accelerate charges and mass transfer and provide extra active sites. Both theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that carbon doping (pyridine heterocycle) narrows the bandgap via manipulating the band position and increases the π electron density. Thus, the 1D porous thin strip-like carbon nitride realizes compelling hydrogen evolution rate (126.2 µmol h-1 ), far beyond (≈18 fold) the value of polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) (7.2 µmol h-1 ) under visible light irradiation.

For the problems such as the large power inner squirrel-cage magnetic coupler cannot be applied because of the poor heat dissipation capacity, an outer squirrel-cage magnetic coupler (OSMC) has been designed. The squirrel-cage rotor which generates the larger heat is used as the outer rotor, while the permanent magnet rotor which generates the smaller heat is used as the inner rotor; outer rotor and inner rotor are equipped with the cooling fins, and the permanent magnet rotor is installed with the axial fans, which can conduct the heat generated by the permanent magnet rotor to the outer squirrel-cage rotor. The electromagnetic torque model of OSMC is established, and its starting torque, maximum torque, synchronous torque, and rated torque are analyzed and calculated; the finite element simulation model of OSMC is established by the ANSYS, and its operating characteristics and temperature field have been respectively analyzed and calculated. The relationship between the output speed, torque, loss and the coupling length of OSMC and the temperature cloud image of the permanent magnet are obtained; it has been proved that the OSMC has good operating characteristics and heat dissipation capability, which can ensure its long-term safe and stable operation.

It is still a challenge to evolve visible light photocatalysts that possess both efficient oxidation and reduction capabilities. In this paper, phosphorus-doped tubular carbon nitride@UiO-66-NH2 (p-TCN@U6-X) composites were prepared by in-situ load of UiO-66-NH2 on the surface of p-TCN based on solvothermal method, which exhibit excellent photocatalytic oxidation and reduction ability. As a result, under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm), the photocatalytic H2 production performance of p-TCN@U6-3 reached 2628 μmol g−1h−l, which was 8.19 and 5.36 times higher than that of p-TCN and UiO-66-NH2, respectively. Meanwhile, p-TCN@U6-3 also exhibited well selectivity rate (99%) and conversion rate (98%) for oxidative coupling of amine compounds. The high photocatalytic activities can be assigned to the improved visible light adsorption resulted from the tubular structure of p-TCN and enhanced electrical conductivity because of the phosphorus doping in p-TCN. Furthermore, UiO-66-NH2 plays the role of co-catalyst and active centers in the photocatalytic system to synergistically catalyze the reactions. Transient photocurrent spectra, steady-state photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) further prove the more effective charge separation and transfer happened in the p-TCN@U6-X system compared with sole p-TCN and UiO-66-NH2, respectively. This work provides an effective method for creating novel carbon nitride-based photocatalytic systems with efficient capability for photocatalytic oxidation and reduction.

This article presents a study evaluating the adhesion properties between asphalt and calcined bauxite. Limestone and granite were also compared with calcined bauxite. For this purpose, asph...

Cu2O is widely used in the visible-light photocatalytic field, but its photocatalytic activity and stability still need to be further enhanced. Thus, searching for an efficient method to inhibit photocorrosion of Cu2O and boost its photogenerated charge carriers’ separation is very important and challenging. Herein, Cu2O@CuS core-shell hexapetalous flowers were synthesized by hydrothermal and in-situ chemical vapor deposition (CVD) strategy. The Cu2O hexapetalous flowers were firstly obtained through hydrothermal procedure, and then CuS in-situ grew on Cu2O to form core-shell structure by CVD, which effectively inhibited the photocorrosion of Cu2O. Meanwhile, Cu2O@CuS core-shell structure could extend their light absorption ranges from 200 to 1500 nm; promote the separation of electrons and holes in photocatalytic system. Thus, under the wide-spectral region, Cu2O@CuS exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of tetracycline at 91% with good cycling ability, resulting from the effective separation of photogenerated charges, more free radicals such as OH and O2−, increases of utilization rate of visible-light. These results indicate that in-situ CVD strategy is a feasible method to improve visible-light photocatalytic activity and stability of Cu2O.

Although metallic nanomaterials with high X-ray attenuation coefficients have been widely used as X-ray computed tomography (CT) contrast agents, their intrinsically poor biodegradability requires them to be cleared from the body to avoid any potential toxicity. On the other hand, extremely small-sized nanomaterials with outstanding renal clearance properties are not much effective for tumor targeting because of their too rapid clearance in vivo. To overcome this dilemma, here we report on the hollow bismuth subcarbonate nanotubes (BNTs) assembled from renal-clearable ultrasmall bismuth subcarbonate nanoclusters for tumor-targeted imaging and chemoradiotherapy. The BNTs could be targeted to tumors with high efficiency and exhibit a high CT contrast effect. Moreover, simultaneous radio- and chemotherapy using drug-loaded BNTs could significantly suppress tumor volumes, highlighting their potential application in CT imaging-guided therapy. Importantly, the elongated nanotubes could be disassembled into isolated small nanoclusters in the acidic tumor microenvironment, accelerating the payload release and kidney excretion. Such body clearable CT contrast agent with high imaging performance and multiple therapeutic functions shall have a substantial potential for biomedical applications.

The ferromagnetic glass ceramics in the system SiO2-B2O3-Fe2O3-SrO were prepared via four different fabrication methods, i.e., fiber-drawing, melt-quenching, natural-cooling, and annealing, without performing any nucleation and crystallization heat treatments. The influences of chemical composition and fabrication method on the spontaneous crystallization of magnetite were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The X-ray diffraction patterns show the presence of nanometric magnetite crystals in the glass matrix, and the increasing boron oxide can promote the spontaneous crystallization of magnetite. The estimated size of crystallized magnetite varies between 12 and 50 nm. The magnetic properties of the glass ceramics derived from the four fabrication methods were analyzed using a Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Agilent HP8722ES vector network analyzer and Mossbauer spectra. We find that both the saturation magnetization (MS) and coercivity (Hjc) depend on the chemical composition and fabrication method. The calorimetric measurements were carried out using Orton Standard Dilatometers.

Bitumen material is inevitably affected by environmental factors in the process of use, which leads to bitumen aging or oxidation, thus accelerating the performance deterioration of asphalt pavement. However, the traditional aging method has carried out under a specific constant temperature, which cannot simulate the aging behavior of bitumen under dynamic thermal change. Therefore, three dynamic thermal aging processes at different temperatures were selected to simulate the aging process of bitumen under thermal dynamic change in this work. Thin-layer chromatography with flame ionization detection (TLC-FID), Dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) were utilized to test the components, rheological properties, prominent functional groups and microstructure of bitumen under different aging conditions. The results show that with the increase of aging cycles, the content of saturates and aromatics components in bitumen decreases, and the content of asphaltenes increases obviously under the higher temperature range for aging cycles. Secondly, the aged bitumen gradually hardens and becomes brittle, especially under the dynamic thermal of the peak temperature of 200 °C, the deterioration of bitumen performance after 20 cycles exceeds the impact of TFOT for 15 h. In addition, for bitumen, dynamic thermal aging is also a thermal oxygen aging behavior, and the roughness and altitude of the bee structure decrease. Overall, this work provides some new ideas for the aging behavior of bitumen under dynamic thermal changes.

Hot poured steel slag (HPSS) was adopted as microwave absorber to replace partial limestone aggregate to prepare asphalt mixtures in this work. Thermal transfer characteristics of asphalt mixtures through microwave heating (MH) were discussed. Firstly, the MH capacity of HPSS with different particle sizes were studied. Then, the morphology and element percentage of HPSS were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Subsequently, surface temperature, heating uniformity and thermal transfer characteristics were analyzed. The results show that HPSS has good microwave absorption capacity and the increment of HPSS in asphalt mixtures can increase the surface temperature. The surface temperature of asphalt mixtures with HPSS can be evidently influenced by microwave power due to the correlation between microwave energy and microwave power. Besides, the heating uniformity of asphalt mixtures decreases with the increase of HPSS content, which is mainly related to the spatial distribution and heat generating rate of HPSS. Finally, the thermal transfer characteristics of asphalt mixtures with HPSS are divided into three types according to thermal source intensity and thermal transfer efficiency. Overall, it can be used as functional asphalt mixtures to improve the sustainability of pavement because of the good microwave absorption performance of asphalt mixtures containing HPSS.

We prepared ferromagnetic glass-ceramics in the system SiO2-Al2O3-SrO-B2O3-Fe2O3 via four different methods, i.e., fiber-drawing, melt-quenching, natural-cooling, and annealing, without performing any nucleation and crystallization heat treatment. The influences of chemical compositions and fabrication methods on the spontaneous crystallization of magnetite in the as-prepared glass ceramics were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the nanometric magnetite crystals exist in a glass matrix. The spontaneous crystallization of magnetite can be enhanced with increasing alumina content. The size of crystallized magnetite is dependent on the chemical composition. The magnetic hysteresis circles of the glass-ceramic samples were analyzed using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) in a 450 KA/m magnetic field. We find that both the saturation magnetization (MS) and coercivity (Hjc) are changed with the variation of chemical compositions and fabrication methods. Calorimetric measurements were carried out using Orton Standard Dilatometers and we found that the softening point (TS) and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the annealed samples show non-monotonic dependence on the chemical composition.

Ferromagnetic glass-ceramics and glass fibers were obtained by the melt-method from the glass system SiO2-CaO-Al2O3-B2O3-Fe2O3 without performing any nucleation and crystallization heat treatments. Glass-ceramics and glass fibers were characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, magnetic measurements, and thermal expansion instrument. The influence of alumina content on the spontaneous crystallization of magnetite, magnetism properties and thermal expansion performances in glass were investigated. We examined the crystallization behavior of the glasses and found that the spontaneous crystallization capacity of magnetite and magnetism properties in base glass increases with increasing the content of alumina. The ferromagnetic glass fibers containing magnetite nano-crystals are also obtained.

A series of Ce-, Dy-, and Eu doped oxyfluoride aluminoborosilicate glasses prepared by melt-quenching method are studied for light emitting diodes applications. These glasses are investigated via optical absorption, photoluminescence, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, Commission International de I’Eclairage (CIE) color coordinates, and correlated color temperatures (CCTs). We find that the emission bands of Ce 3+ ions move to the longer wavelengths with increasing excitation wavelengths and the molar ratio of B 2 O 3 /SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 /SiO 2 , and B 2 O 3 /Al 2 O 3 in the glass compositions. The precipitation of CaF 2 crystals in glass can also lead to the red shift of the emission of Ce 3+ . The energy transfer processes among Ce 3+ , Dy 3+ , Eu 3+ , and Eu 2+ ions are also investigated. The influence of the variation of glass network structure on the luminescence of Ce/Dy/Eu codoped glasses is studied. The CIE color coordinates and CCTs could be effectively tuned by adjusting the glass matrix compositions and excitation wavelengths. Furthermore, the near-ideal white light emission (color coordinate x=0.32, y=0.31) from the Ce/Dy/Eu codoped glass under near ultraviolet (UV) light excitation is realized.

The Eu-/Dy-single and co-doped calcium aluminoborosilicate glasses for potential applications in light-emitting diodes are studied. We prepared these glasses using melt quenching method in ambient atmosphere and investigated their structural and optical properties by Fourier transform infrared spectra, absorption spectra, photoluminescence spectra, color coordinates, and correlated color temperatures (CCTs). The spontaneous conversion from Eu 3+ to Eu 2+ occurs in the as-prepared glasses. With increasing the content of B 2 O 3 in Eu/Dy co-doped glasses, more Eu 3+ ions are converted to Eu 2+ ions and the emission color can be adjusted accordingly. Besides, the dependence of the spontaneous reduction of Eu 3+ to Eu 2+ on the Eu concentration is examined. We also find that the introduction of Dy 3+ ions can affect the reduction extent from Eu 3+ to Eu 2+ . Furthermore, the emission colors and CCTs of the Eu/Dy co-doped glasses can be modulated effectively by changing the glass compositions and the excitation wavelengths.

This article presents a study to evaluate the performance of the ecofriendly calcium sulfate whisker fiber- (CSWF-) reinforced asphalt mixture as a sustainable pavement material. Asphalt mixtures containing 0.2 wt.%, 0.4 wt.%, 0.6 wt.%, and 0.8 wt.% of the CSWF were designed by the Marshall method. Asphalt mixtures without fiber were also prepared as control samples. The Marshall test, wheel-tracking test, low-temperature bending test, water sensitivity test, and fatigue test were conducted to evaluate the performance of the CSWF asphalt mixture. And the mechanism of fiber reinforcement was discussed. The results showed that the CSWF could improve the high-temperature stability and low-temperature crack resistance of the asphalt mixture. Water stability of asphalt mixtures in the presence of the CSWF was also improved. When the CSWF content was 0.4 wt.% of the total mixture, the performance of the asphalt mixture is the best. Compared with the conventional asphalt mixture, the CSWF asphalt mixture not only utilized power plant waste effectively to preserve ecosystems but also improved the performance of the pavement, which is suggested to be used in sustainable pavement construction and rehabilitation.

As a distinct feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the presence of excess metal ions in the brain is most probably one of the main causative factors for the aggregation of β-Amyloid (Aβ) proteins. The design of nanoprobes for detection and control of ion concentrations will be of great importance in predicting the progression of AD and simultaneously providing effective treatments. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a novel yet smart nanoprobe that can sensitively detect the Cu 2+ concentration and concurrently capture Cu 2+ both in vitro and in vivo . The designed nanoprobe (UCHQ) combines two main components: upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) used for the detection and upconversion luminescence (UCL) imaging of Cu 2+ upon 980 nm exposure and the chelator 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid (HQC) used for chelating Cu 2+ and AD therapy. The results show that the emission intensity of UCHQ is highly dependent on the Cu 2+ concentrations due to the luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) from UCNPs to HQC-bonded Cu 2+ . Fascinatingly, the as-constructed UCHQs could be used for UCL imaging of Aβ both in cells and AD mice. Most importantly, UCHQs could not only inhibit the Aβ aggregation-induced apoptosis via capturing overmuch Cu 2+ but also accelerate the nontoxic structural transformation of Aβ.

Magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC) exhibits better mechanical properties with a faster hydration rate than ordinary Portland cement (OPC). However, the rapid setting property of MOC limits its application in engineering applications. In this work, polycarboxylate superplasticiser (PCE) was used to improve the workability of MOC and its effect on the early hydration properties of MOC paste was investigated. The hydration process for MOC with five different PCE dosages of 0%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1% by weight of MgO was analysed using electrodeless resistivity. Optical microscopy was used to obtain the flocculation of fresh MOC paste and its rheological properties were tested to investigate its workability. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyse the effects of PCE on the phases and microstructures of the MOC paste. The results reveal that PCE significantly improves the rheological properties of MOC. The setting time of the MOC paste was retarded due to the PCE adsorbed on the cement particle surface, which prevented MgO particles from reacting with water. Meanwhile, MOC in the presence of certain PCE contents showed excellent mechanical properties due to a mass of formed gel-like 5MgO-MgCl2-8H2O crystals.

Upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP)-mediated photodynamic therapy has shown great effectiveness in increasing the tissue-penetration depth of light to combat deep-seated tumors. However, the inevitable phototoxicity to normal tissues resulting from the lack of tumor selectivity remains as a major challenge. Here, the development of tumor-pH-sensitive photodynamic nanoagents (PPNs) comprised of self-assembled photosensitizers grafted pH-responsive polymeric ligands and UCNPs is reported. Under neutral pH conditions, photosensitizers aggregated in the PPNs are self-quenched; however, upon entry into a tumor microenvironment with lower pH, the PPNs not only exhibit enhanced tumor-cell internalization due to charge reversal but also are further disassembled into well-dispersed nanoparticles in the endo/lysosomes of tumor cells, enabling the efficient activation of photosensitizers. The results demonstrate the attractive properties of both UCNP-mediated deep-tissue penetration of light and high therapeutic selectivity in vitro and in vivo.

Different agents were used to control the crystalline morphology of calcium carbonate on the surface of fly ash, which was then used as a papermaking filler in an attempt to improve the utilization rate of fly ash and reduce the dust pollution problem. A mixed solution of calcium hydroxide and fly ash was used as the raw materials, and then three crystal form control agents were tested: (NaPO3)6, ZnCl2, and Na2B4O7·10H2O. A certain amount of carbon dioxide was bubbled into the mixture to form a precipitated calcium carbonate deposit on the surface of fly ash. The calcium carbonate on the fly ash surface was altered by changing the amount of crystal form control agent to determine the best coating effect. The results showed that at the 0.35% ZnCl2 dosage (relative to the theoretical quantity of the calcium carbonate), the surface of the fly ash was uniformly coated with a layer of spherical calcium carbonate crystals and there was a good coating effect. The highest fly ash brightness obtained was 65.3% ISO, and when this fly ash was used as a paper filler, the paper brightness was 75.6% ISO. More importantly, this study demonstrated the potential of fly ash in papermaking.

Roll top formers are widely used for Fourdrinier paper machines, typically with a speed of less than 1200 m/min. In a roll top former, wet fiber web is dewatered by the extrusion force of two wires and the centrifugal force of the roll. The present work focuses on the dewatering and forming mechanisms of roll top formers and the governing factors relevant to the structural characteristics of the formers. This study would provide usefull information for the design and applications of roll top formers in paper mills.

Ground calcium carbonate (GCC) was modified with starch, sodium stearate, and sodium hexametaphosphate prior to the papermaking process. This paper is focused on the effect of shear on the modified GCC and considers the impact of adding modified GCC into paper. The coating efficiency of starch on GCC was investigated in terms of the shear-tolerance of the agglomerated filler. Experimental results showed that the precipitation temperature and the amount of crosslinking agent, sodium hexametaphosphate, both were important relative to shear tolerance. Lower precipitation temperature was beneficial for the starch coating. Within a certain range, more sodium hexametaphosphate led to a stronger complex. The results showed that 1.5% (based on MGCC) of sodium hexametaphosphate and a precipitation temperature of 60 °C were the optimum conditions for shear tolerance.

Tumor resistance to ionizing irradiation and cancer cell's metastasis stimulated by radiation often lead to anti-cancer failure, and can be negatively caused by a key role--cellular hypoxia. In this regard, the exploitation of hypoxia-specific cytotoxic agents which assist to potentiate the anti-tumor effect of radiotherapy (RT) as well as efficiently counteract radiation-/hypoxia-induced cancer cell metastasis, becomes especially important, but has been widely overlooked. Herein, a core/shell-structured multifunctional nanoradiosensitizer with upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) as an inside core, mesoporous silica as the shell and a cavity in between, has been constructed, in which UCNP core serves as radiation dose amplifiers and bio-reductive pro-drug--tirapazamine (TPZ) loaded in cavity is an hypoxia-selective cytotoxin and the silica shell provides the protection and diffusion path for TPZ. Such nanoradiosensitizer has been employed to inhibit the hypoxia-reoxygenation and the subsequent replication of cancer cells that often occurs after a single unaccompanied RT at low doses, and to silence the expression of transcription factors that support the progression of malignancy in cancer. This study confirms the radiotherapeutic benefits of utilizing nanoradiosensitizer as adjuvant to low-dose RT, and the results demonstrate the highly efficient hypoxia-specific killing in oxygen-dependent anti-tumor therapies.

a b s t r a c t Foam is used as part of an effective dust suppression method in underground coal mines, but conventional foaming devices severely restrict its popularization and application due to the high cost of foam preparation, poor applicability and high pressure loss. Therefore, a new spiral mesh foam generator is designed, and its performance is investigated and evaluated experimentally. The results show that the pressure gradient of the spiral mesh foam generator increases with the increase of foam concentration in water. There is a large pressure gradient gap between the top and bottom at both ends of the foam generator. However, the gap disappears and uniform foam is generated in the middle section of the foam generator. When the pressure gradient is higher than minimum pressure gradient, the foam production quantity will increase sharply. Based on the length of spiral mesh and operating conditions determined, the new foam generator is applied to produce foam for dust suppression in the heading face of coal mines. A good foaming effect, less pressure loss and high dust suppression efficiency suggest that the new foam generator will greatly promote the large-scale application of foam technology used to suppress dust in underground coal mines.

Gadolinium zirconate (Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 ) nanocrystals were prepared via two different combustion methods: citric acid combustion (CAC) and stearic acid combustion (SAC). The effects of the different preparation methods on the phase composition, microtopography, and sintering densification of the resulting Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 nanopowders were investigated by thermal-gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The results indicated that both methods could produce Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 nanopowders with an excellent defective fluorite structure. The reaction time was reduced by the SAC method, compared with the CAC method. The nanopowders synthesized by the two methods were different in grain size distribution. The resulting nanoparticle diameter was about 50 nm for CAC and 10 nm for SAC. After vacuum sintering, the sintered bodies also had a different relative density of about 93% and 98%, respectively. Thus the preparation of Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 nanopowders by SAC was the first choice to achieve the desired sintering densification.

Lanthanum doping effect in barium strontium titanate (Ba,Sr)TiO 3 (BST) glass ceramics has been investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. Studies were performed on specimens with lanthanum oxide (La 2 O 3 ) concentrations between 0 and 1.0 mol% for BaO–SrO–TiO 2 –SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 glass system. The analysis of the dependence of DSC measurements on La 2 O 3 concentration has shown that the increase of La 2 O 3 concentration promotes the formation of the barium strontium titanate crystalline phase. The X-ray diffractometry results have demonstrated that the amount of barium strontium titanate crystalline phase increases and then decreases with the increase of the La 2 O 3 concentration. The Raman spectrum results, which coincide with the X-ray diffractometry patterns, confirmed that lanthanum ions diffused into the lattice structure and modified the tetragonality of the barium strontium titanate phase. However, the additive of 1.0 mol% La 2 O 3 may go beyond the solid solubility limit of lanthanum in the BST lattice.

Photorelated nanomedicine is of particular interest as an emerging paradigm toward precise cancer therapy, as demonstrated by recent developments of photothermal therapy (PTT), an emerging technique employing light-converting agents to burn cancerous cells by overdosed optical energy-converted heat. However, most of the laser irradiations needed for effective PTT significantly exceed the maximal permissible power density in human skin, which is likely to damage surrounding normal tissues. Herein, we report a strategy of intranuclear PTT of cancer enabled by nuclear-targeted delivery of gold nanorods of ∼10.5 × 40.5 nm in size via conjugation with nuclear location signal peptides (GNRs-NLS) under an extremely low near-infrared irradiation of 0.2 W/cm2, much below the maximal permissible exposure of skin. Interestingly, we found that a mild but nuclear-focused temperature increase generated by GNRs-NLS is sufficient to cause damage to intranuclear DNA and the inhibition of DNA repair process, which, interes...

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized with peptides are developed for sequential drug delivery. The RGD peptide is used for vasculature/cell membrane targeting and the TAT peptide for nuclear targeting. Using this delivery strategy, a tumor in a murine xenograft model is successfully regressed.

Ground calcium carbonate (GCC) was modified with a starch/sodium stearate complex and used to prepare different coating weights by controlling the starch dosages. Modified GCC was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and particle size analysis. The effects of starch dosage (based on the dry weight of GCC) on the size of modified GCC, the coating weight of modified GCC, and the utilization rate of starch were evaluated. Four kinds of modified GCC with different coating weights obtained by controlling the starch dosage were studied in the last part of this paper. The starch dosage was found to play an important role in the coating weight of starch/sodium stearate complex used in preparing the modified GCC and the utilization rate of starch, but did not have as much of an effect on the size of modified GCC. The higher coating weight was beneficial for retention of the filler retention and for enhancing paper strength properties at the same ash content. The higher coating weight, however, caused a decrease in the paper ash content at the same initial added filler.

Insufficient or excess drug doses, due to unknown actual drug concentrations at the focus, are one of the main causes of chemotherapy failure for cancers. In this regard, the real-time monitoring of the release of anticancer drugs from nanoparticle drug delivery systems is of crucial importance, but it remains a critical and unsolved challenge. Herein, we report the proposal and development of a novel concept of real-time monitoring of NIR-triggered drug release in vitro and in vivo by using simultaneous upconverted luminescence (UCL) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Such a monitoring strategy features the high sensitivity of UCL and the high-resolution, noninvasiveness, and tissue-depth-independence of MR imaging. The dual-mode real-time and quantitative monitoring of drug release can be applied to determine online the drug concentrations in vivo in the tissue regions of interest and, therefore, to avoid insufficient or excess drug dosings.

Sharp cube texture is difficult to obtain in high W content Ni–W alloy substrates used for coated conductors. In this paper, a new method called electropulsing intermediate annealing (EIA) is adopted to optimize the rolling and recrystallization texture of Ni–9.3 at.%W substrate. It is found that, compared with conventional intermediate annealing (CIA) at the same temperature, EIA trends to increase the Copper, S and Brass components, suppress the Goss component in rolling texture. Higher cube recrystallization texture is obtained at relatively low temperature by EIA in a shorter time. The effect of EIA on texture is attributed to the enhancement of recovery process resulting from the athermal effects.

The effects of electropulsing treatment (EPT) on the recrystallization and texture of Ni9W alloy were investigated using micro-hardness and electron backscattered diffraction patterns. It is found that compared with conventional annealing, EPT tremendously accelerates the recrystallization process of Ni9W alloy. Moreover, the full recrystallization temperature of EPT is decreased by ∼180 °C. The rapid recrystallization process is attributed to the substantial increase in the atomic flux resulting from the athermal effect. EPT also significantly reduces the intensity of cube texture after full recrystallization. The evolution of recrystallization microstructure and texture reveals that EPT greatly increases the proportion of noncube oriented nuclei but has little effect on the size advantage of cube grains. It is suggested that the change of recrystallization texture results from the different effects of EPT on cube band nucleation and shear band nucleation.

The effects of intermediate annealing (IA) on the microstructure and texture of Ni-9.3at%W substrates have been investigated by using electron backscattering diffraction and X-ray diffraction. Results suggest that IA can optimize the homogeneity of deformation microstructure. Higher IA temperatures (without undergoing recrystallization during IA) will increase the copper-type components of deformation texture and improve the content of cube texture after recrystallization. Sharp cube texture (97.2%) can be obtained at the optimum IA temperature of 650°C. The mechanism underlying the transition of deformation texture can be interpreted as that IA increases the dislocation slipping ability and suppresses the twinning deformation of Copper orientation in the subsequent rolling process. The observed strengthening of cube texture as a result of IA treatment is presumably attributed to the reduction of noncube nucleation and the optimization of preferential growth surrounding the cube nuclei.

The application of top-grade calcined bauxite to improve the skid resistance of pavement surface coatings increases construction costs and causes excessive tire wear. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the polishing behavior of different grades of calcined bauxite aggregate. The polished stone value of calcined bauxite was measured after the standard polishing time and the extended polishing time. The Los Angeles (L.A.) abrasion and the crushing value, profile roughness, hardness, X-ray diffraction, and micromorphology were also tested. The results showed that the calcined bauxite above 75# (the ratio of corundum to mullite by weight, C/M &gt, 1) satisfied the requirement of the ultra-thin friction course. Compared with basalt, the calcined bauxite above 80# (C/M &gt, 3) has better long-term skid resistance, even though the pavement surface is subject to heavier traffic. Due to the higher cohesion of lower porosity, more hard minerals to keep the surface roughness, and less soft minerals to smooth the surface roughness, calcined bauxite with a higher corundum content has the better skid resistance. There is a power law relationship between C/M and Polished Stone Value (PSV). Considering the diminishing returns of higher-grade calcined bauxite, it is necessary to accurately select the appropriate C/M of calcined bauxite before use in pavement surface coatings.

The Eu and Dy doped borophosphosilicate glass-ceramics prepared using melt quenching technique are investigated for light-emitting diode applications. The X-ray diffraction results show that the precipitation of AlPO4 crystals in glass matrix occurred during the melt quenching process, leading to the formation of glass-ceramics. The content of AlPO4 crystals depends on the B2O3/P2O5 relative content in glass matrix composition. The spontaneous conversion of Eu3+ to Eu2+ takes place in the as-obtained glass-ceramics without using reducing atmosphere during the preparation process. The conversion extent of Eu3+ to Eu2+, optical properties and structure of the as-obtained materials are related to the B2O3/P2O5 relative content. The Eu/Dy co-doped borophosphosilicate glass-ceramics display the emission bands in the blue, yellow, and red light regions and their combinations generate near white light-emission. In addition, the tunable light emission can be realized by changing the concentration of Eu and B2O3/P2O5 relative content. The as-developed Eu and Dy doped borophosphosilicate glass-ceramics show promising prospects in light-emitting diode applications.