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RAB10, a member of the small GTPase family, has complex biological functions, but its role in breast cancer (BC) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between RAB10's role in BC, its biological functions, and BC prognosis. An online database was used to analyze the correlation between differential expression of RAB10 in BC and prognosis. The results of immunohistochemical assays in clinical cohorts were combined with the database analysis. The chi-square test and COX regression were employed to analyze the correlation between RAB10 and pathological features of BC. MTT, Transwell, and wound healing assays were conducted to detect BC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastatic ability. Bioinformatics techniques were employed to explore the correlation between RAB10 and BC tumor immune cell infiltration, and to speculate the biological function of RAB10 in BC and related signaling pathways. Our findings suggest that RAB10 expression is elevated in BC and is associated with HER2 status, indicating a poor prognosis for BC patients. RAB10 can promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of BC cells in vitro. RAB10 is also associated with BC immune cell infiltration and interacts with multiple signaling pathways. RAB10 is a potential biomarker or molecular target for BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RAB10, a member of the small GTPase family, has complex biological functions, but its role in breast cancer (BC) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between RAB10's role in BC, its biological functions, and BC prognosis. An online database was used to analyze the correlation between differential expression of RAB10 in BC and prognosis. The results of immunohistochemical assays in clinical cohorts were combined with the database analysis. The chi-square test and COX regression were employed to analyze the correlation between RAB10 and pathological features of BC. MTT, Transwell, and wound healing assays were conducted to detect BC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastatic ability. Bioinformatics techniques were employed to explore the correlation between RAB10 and BC tumor immune cell infiltration, and to speculate the biological function of RAB10 in BC and related signaling pathways. Our findings suggest that RAB10 expression is elevated in BC and is associated with HER2 status, indicating a poor prognosis for BC patients. RAB10 can promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of BC cells in vitro. RAB10 is also associated with BC immune cell infiltration and interacts with multiple signaling pathways. RAB10 is a potential biomarker or molecular target for BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal structure of ultra‐high performance concrete (UHPC) is very dense and prone to flaking in high‐temperature environments, thereby limiting its application in high‐temperature environments. In this study, polypropylene (PP) fibers were used in partially replacing steel fibers to prepare radiation‐protected UHPC‐containing hybrid fibers. The working performance, spalling behavior, mass loss, mechanical properties, γ‐ray shielding performance, and microstructure after exposure to different target temperatures (25°C, 200°C, 400°C, 600°C, and 800°C) of the radiation‐protected UHPC containing hybrid fibers were investigated. Results showed that the increase of PP fiber admixture did not have a significant negative effect on the flowability of UHPC mixes. The combination of steel fiber and PP fiber can effectively inhibit the spalling of UHPC at a high temperature. With the increase of temperature, the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of UHPC showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, and the γ‐ray shielding performance gradually decreased. Compared with the normal temperature, the linear attenuation coefficient (μ) of UHPC at 800°C decreased by 12.6%, HVL and TVL decreased by 14.4%. Microstructural analysis showed that the porosity of UHPC increased with the increase of temperature, and the proportion of harmless pores showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing. Moreover, the high temperature led to the deterioration in the microscopic morphology of UHPC and the weakening of the bond between the steel fiber and the matrix. These findings revealed the reason for the decrease in mechanical properties of UHPC at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the glass manufacturing industry, electric melting would greatly improve the energy efficiency and reduce the pollution emission, which agrees with the target of peak carbon and carbon neutrality. In this work, electric boosting system is introduced into float glass furnace, and the influence of varied electrodes positions on glass melting process is investigated. The glass temperature and velocity fields of glass melting tank are obtained using numerical modeling. According to the temperature and velocity fields, the glass trajectories at glass melting tank are tracked, and the residence time distribution and quality indexes of glass melt are statistic as well. Ultimately, the evaluation method is proposed to predict the glass quality and melting efficiency of glass furnace, which is based on the quality indexes of critical particles and longest residence time of glass melt. The accelerated batch melting process and stable convection flow are obtained as the electrodes are installed under batch blanket. Furthermore, the improved glass quality and melting efficiency of glass furnace is obtained. The study is expected to promote the application and optimization of electric boosting system in large‐scale float furnace, which would accelerate the use of clean energy in glass manufacturing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The occurrence of cisplatin (DDP) resistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a major challenge for OSCC treatment. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been associated with the development of cancer resistance, but the role of circ_0109291 in DDP resistance of OSCC is unclear. Methods: The expression of circ_0109291 and microRNA-188-3p (miR-188-3p) was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry were performed to measure the DDP resistance, proliferation, and apoptosis of cells. The levels of apoptosis-related proteins and ATP-binding cassette sub-family B member 1 (ABCB1) protein were assessed via Western blot (WB) analysis. In addition, dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RNA pull-down assay were used to illuminate the mechanism of circ_0109291. Animal experiments were employed to confirm the effect of circ_0109291 on OSCC tumor growth in vivo. Results: Circ_0109291 was higher expressed in DDP-resistant OSCC tissues and cells, and its knockdown suppressed proliferation and resistance and enhanced the apoptosis of OSCC cells. MiR-188-3p could be sponged by circ_0109291, and its overexpression had an inhibition effect on the DDP resistance of OSCC cells. ABCB1 was a target of miR-188-3p. Further experiments confirmed that both miR-188-3p inhibitor and ABCB1 overexpression also could invert the suppression effect of circ_0109291 silencing on the DDP resistance of OSCC cells. In vivo experiments revealed that silenced circ_0109291 could improve the sensitivity of the tumor to DDP. Conclusion: Circ_0109291 could promote the DDP resistance of OSCC, suggesting that silenced circ_0109291 might be a key step to inhibit OSCC resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the furnace with production of 600 t/d, two methods of increasing fuel supply and introducing electric boosting are investigated to increase glass production. The heat flux from combustion chamber to glass tank, temperature distribution of glass furnace, and the glass convection flow are presented, which influences the performance of glass furnace. The glass quality is evaluated with the melting index and mixing index, while the efficiencies of batch melting process and fining process are evaluated with the sand dissolution index and fining index, respectively. The results show that the method of increasing fuel supply is appropriate and efficient to increase the production less than 650 t/d. To further increase production about 700 t/d, the method of introducing electric power is preferred on the condition that the glass quality and lifetime of glass furnace are ensured. Optimization of furnace design and electric boosting parameters are required for the production more than 700 t/d. This investigation is expected to guide the optimized design of glass furnace to increase glass production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential of oxide glass‐ceramics containing defect‐fluorite nanocrystals as host matrix for rare‐earth ions for efficient spectral conversion is investigated. The oxide glass‐ceramics embedded with defect fluorite pyrochlore (Eu,Yb)2TiO5 nanocrystals are prepared through melt‐quenching and subsequent heat‐treatment. It turns out that part of Eu3+ and Yb3+ ions are incorporated into the oxide nanocrystals, and Eu3+ ions remained in the glassy phase are reduced into Eu2+ ions. Blue emission from Eu2+ ions, red emission from Eu3+ ions, and near‐infrared emission from Yb3+ ions are generated and modulated by excitation wavelength. These features make oxide glass‐ceramics containing defect‐fluorite (Eu,Yb)2TiO5 nanocrystals promising as host for rare‐earth ions for efficient spectral conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the ultrahigh refractive index, La2O3‐TiO2 glass is regarded as a promising candidate material in the field of lens, gemstones, and many other optics. However, due to its extremely low glass‐forming ability, it can only be obtained by rapid solidification processes such as melt quench or containerless solidification methods, leading to the limited size of as‐solidified products (for example, 1‐10 mm for containerless solidified sample), that are severely deferring the application of this novel high refractive glass. In this work, we aimed at preparing the larger sized bulk glasses over 10 mm, La2O3‐TiO2 glasses were successfully prepared by hot‐press sintering within the glass kinetic window. A small amount addition of SiO2 was found to effectively increase the glass‐forming ability while keeping high refractive index. When the content of SiO2 was 15 mol%, its transmittance could reach 54% at 800 nm and 72% in the infrared region (1 mm thick). Meanwhile, its refractive index could keep ultrahigh value above 2.14. And the sintering mechanism was studied according to the sintering shrinkage curve. It indicates that the plastic flow was the main mass transfer way in the densification process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glasses in the SiO 2 -BaO-TiO 2 system are known to exhibit high refractive indices and exceptional infrared transmission. However, their strong tendency towards crystallization limits their production and commercial applications. In this study, we substituted ZnO for SiO 2 , BaO and TiO 2 , respectively, in a baseline 20SiO 2 -30BaO-50TiO 2 glass. These glasses were synthesized by a traditional melt-quench method. The crystalline nature of both quenched between two metallic plates and heat-treated samples were assessed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to estimate △T (T x -T g ), K gl , activation energy (E a ), and the Avrami parameter (n). The structure of the SiO 2 -BaO-TiO 2 -ZnO glass system was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, while SEM was performed for microstructural characterization of glassy and crystalline phases. The results indicate that these glasses can incorporate between 10 and 20 mol% of ZnO before crystallization occurs, where the maximum ZnO concentration is highly dependent upon the oxide substitution method. The apparent activation energy (E a ) of 20SiO 2 -30BaO-50TiO 2 and Zn-Ba-2.5 are 796 kJ/mol and 511 kJ/mol while Avrami parameters (n) are 2.02 and 3.04, respectively. SEM analysis demonstrates that both glasses undergo volume crystallization. Comparing with 20SiO 2 -30BaO-50TiO 2 glass, ZnO promotes the formation of [TiO 4 ] and “supertetrahedra” structures which can increase △T and K gl to 110 °C and 0.30 respectively. ZnO additions to the SiO 2 -BaO-TiO 2 glass system improves glass stability against crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The grid structure formed by interconnected steel fibers is the key to induce corrosion damage in UHPSFRC. • Corrosion of the steel fibers caused the concrete cover of UHPSFRC to crack or spall from the outside to the inside. • Areas with higher initial density of steel fibers are more prone to corrosion damage. • The denseness of the UHPSFRC cement matrix decreases as the steel fiber content increases. To investigate the corrosion damage mechanism of ultra-high-performance steel fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPSFRC), the electrically accelerated corrosion process of specimens with different steel fiber contents was evaluated using micron-level X-ray computed tomography. The results showed that the grid structure formed by the interconnecting steel fibers was a key factor in inducing corrosion damage in the UHPSFRC. The 1% steel fiber content specimens were strongly corrosion-resistant. Steel fiber corrosion triggered the concrete cover of the UHPSFRC to crack or spall from the outside to the inside, and areas with a higher initial density of steel fibers showed a higher degree of damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Obesity and diabetes are well-known risk factors for the development of endometrial cancer. A high rate of aerobic glycolysis represents a key mechanism by which endometrial cancer cells consume glucose as its primary energy source. The up-regulated glycolytic pathway is a common therapeutic target whose inhibition has implications for anti-tumor activity in cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate the effect of various concentrations of glucose on cell proliferation in endometrial cancer. Methods ECC-1 and Ishikawa cells were treated with low glucose (1 mM), normal glucose (5 mM) and high glucose (25 mM), and cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell cycle, adhesion/invasion, and changes of AMPK/mTOR/S6 and MAPK pathways were evaluated. Results Our results revealed that high glucose increased cell growth and clonogenicity in two endometrial cancer cell lines in a dose dependent manner. Low glucose induced the activity of cleaved caspase 3 and caused cell cycle G1 arrest. High glucose increased the ability of adhesion and invasion by decreasing E-cadherin and increasing Snail expression. In addition, high glucose increased glucose uptake and glycolytic activity through modulating the AMPK/mTOR/S6 and MAPK pathways. Conclusions Our findings suggest that glucose stimulated cell proliferation through multiple complex signaling pathways. Targeting glucose metabolism may be a promising therapeutic strategy in the treatment of endometrial cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer, and it is the second most common cancer-related mortality globally. The prognostic value of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to conduct a meta-analysis and literature review to evaluate the association of HMGB1 expression with the prognosis of patients with HCC. Methods: A detailed literature search was made in Medline, Google Scholar and others for related research publications. The data were extracted and assessed by two reviewers independently. Analysis of pooled data were performed, Hazard Ratio (HR) and mean difference with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and summarized respectively. Results: 10 relevant articles were included for this meta-analysis study. HMGB1 mRNA levels in HCC were significantly higher than those in normal (p<0.00001) and para-tumor tissues (p = 0.002) respectively. The protein levels of HMGB1 in HCC were significantly higher than those in para-tumor tissues (p = 0.005). Two studies reported the serum HMGB1 levels in patients with HCC of TNM stages, and indicating significantly different between stage I and II, stage II and III, as well as stage III and IV (two studies showed p<0.01 and p<0.001 respectively). The overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter in HCC patients with high HMGB1 expression compared those with low HMGB1 expression and the pooled HR was 1.31 with 95% CI 1.20–1.44, Z = 5.82, p<0.0001. Two additional studies showed that there were higher serum HMGB1 levels in patients with chronic hepatitis than those in healthy people (p<0.05). Conclusions: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that HMGB1 mRNA and protein tissue levels in the patients with HCC are significantly higher than those in para-tumor and normal liver tissues respectively. Tissue HMGB1 overexpression is a potential biomarker for HCC diagnosis, and it is significantly associated with the prognosis of patients with HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear technology benefits humans, but it also produces nuclear radiation that harms human health and the environment. Based on the modified Andreasen and Andersen particle packing model for achieving a densely compacted cementitious matrix, a new magnetite ultra-high-performance concrete (MUHPC) was designed using magnetite fine aggregate as a substitute for river sands with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% replacement ratios. The comprehensive properties of the developed MUHPC were tested and evaluated. These properties were fluidity, static and dynamic compressive strengths, high-temperature performance, antiradiation behaviors, hydration products, and micropore structures. Experimental results indicate that the developed MUHPC has high work performance and static and dynamic mechanical properties. The gamma ray shielding performance of MUHPC substantially improves with increased magnetite fine aggregate. Corresponding with 100% magnetite fine aggregate substitution, the linear attenuation coefficient of MUHPC is enhanced by 56.8% compared with that of ordinary concrete. Magnetite addition does not change the type of cement hydration products but improves the micropore structures of MUHPC and effectively reduces its total porosity and average pore diameter, thereby contributing to its mechanical and radiation shielding properties. The compressive strength and linear attenuation coefficient of the MUHPC can reach 150 MPa and 0.2 cm−1, respectively. In addition, the MUHPC also exhibits superior mechanical and radiation shielding performance at elevated temperatures (<400 °C). Finally, high strength and antiradiation performance support the use of MUHPC in radiation protection materials in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel rubber composite of acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) filled with gadolinium salt (GS) particles was prepared for the first time and vulcanized via coordination reactions. The resulting materials exhibit good mechanical properties. Structural analyses indicate that the composite is a kind of elastomers based on coordination cross-linking interactions between the nitrile groups (-CN) of NBR and gadolinium ions. The mechanical properties of vulcanized GS/NBR rubber are altered when the cross-link density is changed in the composites. These materials show good irradiation resistance because of the introduction of GS. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1013-1019, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shape memory biodegradable polyurethane composite is prepared and shape recovery and simultaneous release of embedded copper sulfate are realized by high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). The composite shows an excellent HIFU-controlled shape recovery performance, wherein temporal and spatial control can be realized by switching the HIFU on/off or selecting the place where the ultrasound is focused. The composite shows an excellent HIFU switchable drug release function. The release process of a model payload can be tuned by adjusting the HIFU intensity and time. The shape memory polyurethane shows a rapid enzymatic biodegradation rate. This polyurethane composite has potential applications in minimally invasive interventional therapy devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel rubber composite of acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) filled with cerium salt particles was vulcanized via in situ coordination for the first time. The resulting materials exhibit good mechanical properties. Curing characteristics analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, tensile testing, and an equilibrium swelling method were used for the characterization of the composite. The results in this paper indicate that the composite is a kind of elastomer based on the in situ coordination crosslinking interactions between the nitrile groups (–CN) of NBR and cerium ions. The mechanical properties of vulcanized cerium salt/ NBR rubber are altered when changing the sorts of cerium salt. Moreover, these materials show good irradiation resistance because of the introduction of the cerium salt. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

CsPbBr3−xIx quantum dots were precipitated in boro‐germanate glasses with various Br/I ratios by the melt‐quenching method. When the heat treatment temperature (TH) increased from 480 to 550°C, more I− entered the perovskite crystal lattice, resulting in lattice expansion, the X‐ray diffraction peaks of CsPbBr1.5I1.5 glasses shifted to small angles. The high concentration of I− entered into the perovskite crystal lattice, decreasing the bandgap. The photoluminescence (PL) peaks of CsPbBr1.5I1.5 glasses redshifted from 577 to 620 nm, the PL peaks of CsPbBrI2 glasses shifted from 614 to 636 nm, and the PL peaks of CsPbBr0.5I2.5 glasses shifted from 650 to 672 nm. As the ratio of Br/I reduced from 2.5/0.5 to 0.5/2.5, the PL lifetime of CsPbBr3−xIx glass increased from 2.08 to 74.5 ns. With the delay time from 1 to 1500 ps, the carriers gradually accumulated in the band‐edge state, and the bleaching signal intensity increased. Then more and more carriers returned to the ground state through radiative or nonradiative recombination, the bleaching signal intensity decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Copper indium disulfide (CuInS2) nano-particles have been synthesized by solvothermal method for absorption layer of solar cells. The CuInS2 nano-particles can be adsorbed in pores of TiO2 porous films. The effects of heat-treatment on crystalline structures and sizes of the CuInS2 nano-particles were investigated. Crystalline structures and sizes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations. Surface morphologies and optical properties were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and UV–vis spectra when CuInS2 were absorbed on TiO2 films. The results show that the CuInS2 quantum dots (size is smaller than 10nm) can be synthesized by solvothermal method at 150°C. CuInS2 particles sizes increase with the rise of reaction temperature and time. The CuInS2 quantum dots can be adsorbed on TiO2 films well and high-absorptive anodic electrode of solar cells can be prepared. Blue shift of absorption edge was observed as the sizes of CuInS2 quantum dots decreased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nanosized ZnO powder was synthesized by using a chemical precipitation method, and loaded with different dopants through impregnation. The as-prepared ZnO powder was characterized by XRD and TEM. The characterization results show that the as-prepared sample is wurtzite polycrystalline ZnO, the mean grain size is 30–40nm, and there are three types of adsorbed oxygen (O2 −, O2 2−, and O2−) on the surface of the sample. The as-prepared ZnO powder shows excellent gas responses to alcohol and acetaldehyde, but no response to ethene. The sensing mechanism of ZnO was further studied with the help of gas chromatography (GC) associated with a fixed-bed reactor. The studies show that acetaldehyde, carbon dioxide and water are the only oxidation products of C2H5OH over ZnO. The gas response to C2H5OH is strongly dependent on the conversion ratio of C2H5OH to acetaldehyde. In addition, among all the dopants tested, Ru is the optimal dopant which can increase the response to C2H5OH, but cannot increase the conversion ratio of C2H5OH to acetaldehyde. Thus we suggest that the gas sensing mechanism of ZnO to C2H5OH is the mode controlled by chemisorption of negatively charged oxygen, and the sensitizing role of Ru in the ZnO sensor belongs to the electronic sensitization mechanism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Much work on special elements that simplify geometrical modelling of structures containing holes, cracks and/ or inclusions has been reported extensively in the literature. This paper presents a hybrid-Trefftz element containing elliptic hole formulated using Hellinger–Reissner principle by employing trial functions based on the mapping technique and the Cauchy integral method. The element presented in this paper could be regarded as an improved formulation over Piltner [Special finite elements with holes and internal cracks, Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng. 21 (1985) 1471–1485] element because the chosen trail functions in this paper have provided relatively more stable solutions. The use of the element with other ordinary displacement-based finite elements has also yielded very accurate solutions even when very coarse meshes relative to the size of the elliptic hole have been used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article derives the Green's function for a thermomechanical mixed boundary value problem of an infinite plane with an elliptic hole under a pair of heat source and sink. To derive the Green's function in closed form, the Cauchy integral method and a basic Green's function for an external force boundary value problem with a pair of heat source and sink are employed. Illustrative numerical results for temperature, heat flux, and stress along the hole edge and stress intensity factors when the hole collapses into a crack are presented graphically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with a thermal stress problem for thermal conduction around an arbitrarily shaped hole with a crack under uniform heat flux. Two cases for the hole edge and the crack faces are assumed: adiabatic and isothermal conditions or vice versa (isothermal and adiabatic). A closed-form solution is obtained using conformal mapping, dislocation functions, and the complex variable method. Results of temperature, heat flux, stress, and stress intensity factor are illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is a major challenge affecting women's survival. Circular RNAs have been demonstrated to be vital regulators in the pathogenesis of human cancers. The authors' objective was to determine the functional role and mechanism of circKLHL24 in breast cancer development. Materials and Methods: The expression of circKLHL24, miR-1204, and aristaless-like 4 (ALX4) mRNA was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The effects on cell viability, proliferation, migration/invasion, and glycolysis were identified using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, Transwell assay, and glycolysis stress test, respectively. For glycolysis progression analysis, glucose consumption and lactate production were assessed using corresponding kits, and the expression of glycolysis-related proteins was detected by Western blot. The putative interactions between miR-1204 and circKLHL24 or ALX4 were validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay or RNA pull-down assay. The expression of ALX4 at the protein level was detected by Western blot. Animal study was performed to clarify the role of circKLHL24 in vivo. Results: circKLHL24 and ALX4 were downregulated, while miR-1204 was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and cells. circKLHL24 overexpression blocked cell viability, colony formation, migration/invasion, and glycolysis progression. circKLHL24 competitively targeted miR-1204, and miR-1204 reintroduction reversed the effects of circKLHL24 restoration. miR-1204 bound to ALX4, and circKLHL24 sponged miR-1204 to upregulate ALX4. Cell viability, colony formation, migration/invasion, and glycolysis progression suppressed by miR-1204 deficiency were recovered by ALX4 knockdown. Besides, circKLHL24 blocked tumor growth in vivo by regulating miR-1204 and ALX4. Conclusions: circKLHL24 blocked the progression of breast cancer by activating ALX4 through targeting miR-1204, which might be a novel perspective to understand the pathogenesis of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent ZnO–MgO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 (ZMAS) glass-ceramics comprising ZrO 2 and SnO 2 as nucleating agents were prepared via melting and two-step heat treatment. The effects of varying the SnO 2 concentration (1–3 mol%) on the crystallization behavior, microstructures, and mechanical properties of the glass-ceramics were investigated. Increasing the SnO 2 content promoted the precipitation of spinel and gahnite because SnO 2 improved the formation of ZrO 2 nanocrystals, which provided nucleation sites for subsequent crystallization. When the SnO 2 content was varied between 2 and 3 mol%, the crystallization behavior of the ZMAS glass-ceramics showed little difference, and SnO 2 crystals precipitated from the glass at a relatively low crystallization temperature. In addition, glass-ceramics containing 2 and 3 mol% SnO 2 exhibited average grain sizes of ∼26 and ∼29 nm, respectively, but their transmittance decreased to ∼52% and ∼50%, respectively, owing to grain aggregation. The best overall performance was achieved when the SnO 2 content of the glass-ceramic was 3 mol% and heat treatment was conducted at 780 °C for 3 h and 960 °C for 2 h, with the resulting glass-ceramic exhibiting a bending strength of ∼187 MPa and a Vickers hardness of ∼845 kgf/mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The turbulence observed in the stirred tank is a result of the superposition of flows at different scales, each exerting various influences on the operational processes. To understand the flow characteristics associated with stirring, this paper undertakes particle image velocimetry (PIV) experimental research on an unbaffled tank stirred by an open turbine featuring four distinct blade deflection angles. The flow field in the unbaffled tank manifests as a double‐circulation flow pattern; however, it is worth noting that the blade deflection angle exerts a significant impact on the stirring process. Specifically, when the blade deflection angle reached 90°, the flow discharge aligned closely with the radial direction, accompanied by pronounced fluctuations in the high‐velocity region. The Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) formed were subsequently extracted and subjected to finite‐time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) analysis. Notably, a more regular wake pattern emerged in proximity to the blade tip, while a larger scale flow structure persisted along the flow direction. To systematically analyze the flow field stirred by the open turbine, modal analysis was employed. By reconstructing the flow field based on the principle of 50% energy content, the decomposition of flows at different scales was achieved. The turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) generated by the various scale flows was subsequently calculated, revealing that the high TKE values primarily originate from the large‐scale flow structure. Conversely, the TKE generated by the small‐scale flow exhibits a uniform distribution across different regions. Notably, in regions characterized by higher velocities, the peak TKE associated with the small‐scale flow also manifests; however, it is significantly smaller in magnitude compared to that generated by the original flow or the large‐scale flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkali-aluminosilicate glass and glass-ceramics can be effectively strengthened by ion-exchange if compression is introduced into the surface, which have been widely used in many electronic devices, especially for mobile phones. In this work, the transparent lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramics with eucryptite crystalline phase were ion-exchanged in the mixed x NaNO 3 + (100－ x) KNO 3 (wt %, x = 60, 70, 80, 90, 100) molten salts at 420 °C for 4 h. With the increase of NaNO 3 concentration in the molten salts from 60 to 100 wt %, the depth of stress layer increase from 98 to 104 μm, and the surface compressive stress increase to the maximum ∼500 MPa at x = 80 and then decrease. In addition, there is also a K+-rich layer observed with the depth of ∼25 μm. The ion-exchange takes place in both crystalline and residual glassy phases, and thus leads to the microstructural modifications, including the amorphization of eucryptite and the presence of lithium phosphate. Upon ion-exchange, the Vickers hardness of glass-ceramics increase from 7.03 GPa to the maximum ∼7.62 GPa (x = 80), and the bending strength from 198 MPa to the maximum ∼510 MPa (x = 90). The improvement in mechanical properties is mainly related to the generation of surface compressive stress layer. Meanwhile, the amorphization and transformation of crystalline phase during the ion-exchange process are probably conductive for the reduction of surface cracks and defects, leading to the enhancement of mechanical properties, especially for the bending strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a breast cancer (BC) subtype that is characterized by its strong invasion and a high risk of metastasis. However, the specific mechanisms underlying these phenotypes are unclear. TUFT1 plays an important role in BC and impacts the proliferation and survival of BC cells. Recent studies have shown that TUFT1 mediates intracellular lysosome localization and vesicle transport by regulating Rab GTPase, but the relevance of this activity in TNBC is unknown. Therefore, our aim was to systematically study the role of TUFT1 in the metastasis and chemoresistance of TNBC. Methods: We measured TUFT1, Rab5-GTP, and Rac1-GTP expression levels in samples of human TNBC by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and conducted univariate and multivariate analyses. shRNA-mediated knockdown and overexpression, combined with transwell assays, co-immunoprecipitation, a nude mouse xenograft tumor model, and GTP activity assays were used for further mechanistic studies. Results: TUFT1 expression was positively correlated with Rab5-GTP and Rac1-GTP in the TNBC samples, and co-expression of TUFT1 and Rab5-GTP predicted poor prognosis in TNBC patients who were treated with chemotherapy. Mechanism studies showed that TUFT1 could activate Rab5 by binding to p85α, leading to activation of Rac1 through recruitment of Tiam1, and concurrent down-regulation of the NF-κB pathway and proapoptotic factors, ultimately promoting metastasis and chemoresistance in TNBC cells. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the TUFT1/Rab5/Rac1 pathway may be a potential target for the effective treatment of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Replacement of MgO by B 2 O 3 and CaO leads to the change of coordination number of Al and B. • Chemical stability was improved with the substitution of MgO by B 2 O 3 and CaO. • The prepared glasses possess suitable CTE values for applications in the field of TFT-LCDs. Aluminoborosilicate glass is an ideal substrate material in the field of flat panel display technology. The properties of aluminoborosilicate glass can be adjusted by the introduction of alkaline earth metal oxides. In this work, effects of composition on the structures and properties of aluminoborosilicate glasses are investigated, by replacing MgO with B 2 O 3 and CaO. B and Al are mainly in the form of [BO 3 ] and [AlO 4 ] units in all specimens. With the replacement of MgO by B 2 O 3 , the glass network is strengthened and IVAl is transformed into VAl. Structural changes lead to the decrease in glass transition temperatures and strain points. Vickers hardness and chemical durability reach the maximum values when 2mol.% MgO is replaced by B 2 O 3. With the replacement of MgO by CaO, VAl transforms into IVAl and IIIB transforms into IVB, leading to further increase in chemical durability, and subsequent decrease in strain point and Vickers hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared (IR) transparent materials with longer optical window and higher mechanical properties are highly demanded in optical communication, IR imaging, sensing and laser optics. Although transparent ceramics have higher mechanical strength, their production is still difficult using conventional sintering techniques. Herein, new IR transparent CaO–Ta 2 O 5 –Al 2 O 3 glass-ceramics (TGCs) containing cubic ɑ-CaTa 2 O 6 nanocrystals are reported. They exhibit a broadband transmitting window (0.5–5.5 μm) with high IR transmittance (∼80 %) and high refractive indices (n d = 1.96, n 1530 = 1.93). The effects of heat treatment holding time on the structure and properties of TGCs are investigated. A slightly increased proportion of crystalline phase is determined by Rietveld refinement. 27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy reveals that partial Al[4] and almost all Al[5] in the precursor glass are converted to Al[6] in the residual glass after crystallization. CaTa 2 O 6 nanocrystals with amorphous shells are present within the nanodroplet domains, and a significant Ta enrichment is clearly observed. A confined crystallization process is proposed to understand the heat treatment time dependent structural characteristics and mechanical properties of the obtained TGCs. Vickers hardness (H V) of 12.01 GPa and Young's modulus (E) of 248.8 GPa are achieved in TGCs, making them promising candidates as high-performance IR materials for optical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous construction of urban traffic roads, more and more new roads are cut off by existing roads to form "dead end roads". There is an urgent need for a trenchless method suitable for urban ultra-shallow overburden to build the undercrossing tunnel. To solve this problem, this paper proposed the micro pipe jacking and joint assembly structure (MPJ & JAS) method, which has the characteristics of shallow burial depth, low cost, short construction time, flexible cross-section setting and high space utilization. The MPJ & JAS method construct a large cross-section tunnel through assembling small cross-section elements, quite different from traditional methods. Therefore, this paper designed a CT-shaped integrated joint, the mechanical performance of which was verified and clarified by tensile test. The bending test and finite element (FE) analysis proved the reliability of MPJ & JAS tunnel structure, and confirmed the structure performances such as the failure models, crack behaviors, load–deflection response and stress–strain distribution. Moreover, the influences of the steel plate thickness, concrete strength and shear connector spacing were determined by the FE analysis. On the basis of test results and reasonable assumptions, a theoretical design method considering the influence of the CT-shaped integrated joint was proposed, which can effectively predict the bending strength of the MPJ & JAS tunnel structure with an error of less than 10%. Finally, in view of the characteristics of the MPJ & JAS method, the suitable micro pipe jacking machine, soil reinforcement measure, hydraulic traction construction technology, high-precision guidance system and concrete construction quality detection method based on the phased array ultrasonic imaging technology were developed, supporting the accurate and efficient construction of the MPJ & JAS tunnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of Li 2 O substitution on the sintering behavior, lattice structure, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of ZnO–B 2 O 3 –Bi 2 O 3 glass-ceramics was studied by various amounts of Li 2 O to substitute ZnO. The substitution of Li 2 O decreases the glass network connectivity and thus decreases the sintering temperature of the glass. In the sintered glass-ceramics, the substitution of 0.2 mol % Li 2 O leads to the most significant lattice activation resulting in the glass-ceramic exhibiting the smallest cell volume of Zn 3 B 2 O 6 crystal and the microstructure with fine and uniform grains. The P–V-L theory is innovatively applied to glass-ceramic materials to characterize the variation in bond characteristics caused by lattice activation and it indicates that the 0.2 mol % Li 2 O substitution decreases the Zn–O bond ionicity and increases the lattice energy of the B–O bond, in the Zn 3 B 2 O 6 crystalline phase. The refinement of microstructure and the optimization of bond characteristics improve the microwave dielectric properties of glass-ceramics. The glass-ceramic with 0.2 mol % Li 2 O substitution sintered at 620 °C for 5 h exhibits excellent microwave dielectric properties of ε r ∼5.05, Q×f ∼15,383 GHz, τ f ∼ −6 ppm/°C and good chemical compatibility with Ag or Al electrodes, which is a favorable candidate for application in ULTCC substrate materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 50 Li 2 O - x Al 2 O 3 - (50 - x) B 2 O 3 (x = 3–7 mol%) glass-ceramics were prepared by solid-state reaction method. Homogeneous glasses were obtained by water quenching, and the glass-ceramics with the LiBO 2 and Li 3 AlB 2 O 6 as main crystalline phases were prepared after the subsequent sintering process. The appropriate content of Al 2 O 3 can significantly improve the densification and crystallization of Li 2 O - Al 2 O 3 – B 2 O 3 (LAB) glasses. The fully densified glass-ceramics with 4 mol% Al 2 O 3 exhibit uniform and fine microstructure and large volume density. This glass-ceramic sintered at 650 °C for 7 h displays excellent microwave dielectric properties with ε r = 5.47, Q × f = 21814 GHz (at 13.6 GHz), and τ f = - 61.3 ppm/°C. Additionally, the LAB glass-ceramics are chemically compatible with aluminum (Al) and silver (Ag) electrodes at their sintering temperatures, which shows significant potential in ultralow temperature co-fired ceramic (ULTCC) for packaging substrate applications based on their good microwave dielectric performance and good chemical compatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead selenide quantum dots (QDs) were precipitated in lithium-aluminum-silicate glass-ceramics. Their optical properties and the crystallization behavior of both glass host and PbSe QDs were investigated. When the glasses heat-treated at 480–520 °C for 10 h, the absorption bands from PbSe QDs were tuned from 1051 to 2016 nm, and the PL bands from 1165 to 2095 nm. Upon the dwelling time 10 h, the crystallization of glass host required relatively higher heating temperature (∼490 °C) than the formation of PbSe QDs (∼480 °C). With the heat treatment at 490 °C for10 h, the PLQY from PbSe QDs in glass-ceramics reached ∼38.7 %. Phase separation induced the glass crystallization and had a significant effect on the distribution of PbSe QDs. To study the growth kinetics of PbSe QDs, the glasses were heat treated at 480 °C and 500 °C for various durations. The average diameters of PbSe QDs (D) showed exponential relationship to the growth time (t), described by the equation D(t)∼ t x. In rapid growth stage, the growth exponents x is ∼ 0.56 at 480 °C and ∼ 0.47 at 500 °C, and then decrease to ∼ 0.13 and ∼ 0.10, respectively. The formation of a large number of LiAlO 2 crystals in glass hindered the diffusion of semiconductor ions, which is the main reason for the decreasing in the growth rate of PbSe QDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-broadband near-infrared emission mainly consisting of three bands around 940 nm, 1180 nm and 1500 nm was investigated under excitation at 460 nm in RO-Al 2 O 3 –B 2 O 3 -GeO 2 (R = Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba) glasses with 0.005 mol% Bi 2 O 3 doping. With the radius increasing of alkaline earth ion, the first and the third bands became stronger while the second one became weaker gradually, but their photoluminescence thermal stability and quantum yield declined gradually. The luminescence origination should be multi-type bismuth active centers (BACs). Furthermore, energy levels of the BAC assigning to the band around 1500 nm (BAC-1500) were analyzed through a contour plot of near-infrared emission intensity, excitation spectra and temperature dependent PL spectra. At last, the glass structure was studied by Raman and FT-IR spectra, molar volume and Vickers hardness. BAC-1500 should prefer the glass matrix with a looser framework, which indicates there was a competitive formation of different BACs in the glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violent interaction detection is a hot topic in computer vision. However, the recent research works on violent interaction detection mainly focus on the traditional hand-craft features, and does not make full use of the research results of deep learning in computer vision. In this paper, we propose a new robust violent interaction detection framework based on multi-stream deep learning in surveillance scene. The proposed approach enhances the recognition performance of violent action in video by fusing three different streams: attention-based spatial RGB stream, temporal stream, and local spatial stream. The attention-based spatial RGB stream learns the spatial attention regions of persons that have high probability to be action region through soft-attention mechanism. The temporal stream employs optical flow as input to extract temporal features. The local spatial stream learns spatial local features using block images as input. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed method on three violent interactive datasets: hockey fights, movies, violent interaction. We also verify the proposed method on our own elevator surveillance video dataset and the performance of the proposed method is satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A W-type fluorotellurite glass fiber was firstly fabricated by rotational casting method. • The OH absorption coefficient of the fluorotellurite glass is 0.004 cm−1, and the OH-induced attenuation of the fiber is 8.5 dB/m at 3.1 μm. • Coherent supercontinuum was generated from the W-type fiber pumped by a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser. A W-type fluorotellurite glass fiber was fabricated by rotational casting method. The OH absorption coefficient of the fluorotellurite glass is 0.004 cm−1, and the OH-induced attenuation of the fiber is 8.5 dB/m at 3.1 μm. The fiber has a small core of 5 μm in diameter with the lowest loss of 0.9 dB/m at 2.7 μm. 1–2.4 µm supercontinuum (SC) has been generated from a 30 cm-long dehydrated fluorotellurite glass fiber pumped by a 1560 nm femtosecond fiber laser. The numerical simulation is in good agreement with experiment result based on the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The experiment and numerical simulation show that the dehydrated fluorotellurite fiber is a promising candidate for SC in 1–4 µm region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent Na 2 O–MgO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 glass-ceramics containing spinel crystals were prepared by melting and heat treatment method, and the effects of substitution of 2–8 mol% MgO for Na 2 O on the crystallization behavior, microstructure, and properties were investigated. As Na 2 O is replaced by MgO, there is higher concentration of 5-coordinated Al units in the glass structure, which played an important role in the crystallization behavior of the glass. The increasing substitution of MgO for Na 2 O promotes the formation of spinel but inhibits the nepheline and carnegieite. When containing 2 mol% MgO, the large-sized nepheline and carnegieite are the main crystalline phases, making the glass ceramics opaque. When containing 6 mol% MgO, there is no NaAlSiO 4 crystal formed, but only spinel crystals with small size and uniform distribution are detected in glass-ceramics. The glass-ceramics with spinel as the main crystalline phase show high transparency above 82% in the visible wavelength range. The Vicker's hardness of transparent glass-ceramics can be further improved by ion-exchanged with KNO 3 molten salt, which shows significant potential in the applications for the protective covers of mobile displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

x ZnO- (100- x) B 2 O 3 (x = 45–64 mol%) glass-ceramics for ULTCC applications were prepared via the solid-state reaction method, and their crystallization behavior, sintering mechanism, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties were investigated. In this work, the zinc boron binary glasses can be formed in the range of 45–73 mol% ZnO content, and the glass with 55 mol% ZnO content has the highest glass-forming ability. The Zn 4 B 6 O 13 crystal is formed in binary ZnO-B 2 O 3 glass at 640 °C, which is much lower than that in ceramics. The glass-ceramics exhibit large grains with 5 ∼ 10 µm consisting of fine and uniform secondary structures. The precipitation of Zn 4 B 6 O 13 crystal and the refinement secondary structure improves the microwave dielectric properties. The 55 ZnO - 45 B 2 O 3 glass-ceramic sintered at 640 °C for 5 h exhibits the optimum microwave dielectric properties of ε r = 6.09, Q×f = 20,389 GHz, τ f = 14 ppm/°C, and also high Vickers hardness of 625 kgf/mm2 and good chemical compatibility with Ag or Al electrode, which is a good candidate for ULTCC substrate materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glass with the composition of 50SiO 2 -25Na 2 O-10ZnO-10BaO-5Al 2 O 3 (in mol%) was used as the matrix for the growth of PbSe QDs. The viscosity-temperature relations of the glass were obtained through Vogel-Tammann-Fulcher equation. PbSe QDs were precipitated in this silicate glasses with the heat-treatment temperatures ( T H ) ranging from 490 to 540 °C for fixed duration of 10 h, corresponding to the glass-viscosity 10 11.2 –10 8.9 Pa·s. Meanwhile, the absorption peaks from PbSe QDs shifted from 872 nm to 2134 nm, and the PL peaks shifted from 1104 nm to 2185 nm. To study the PbSe QDs growth kinetics, the glasses were heat treated at 500, 520 and 540 °C for 1–20 h. Changes in diameter of PbSe QDs exhibited strong time dependencies (i.e. D ~ t 0.17 , T H = 520 °C), while the time dependencies were much smaller than that predicted by the classical Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner (LSW) theory (D ~ t 1/3 ) and the higher T H leads to the smaller growth exponent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most widely employed procedures for flat glass manufacture is float process proposed by Pilkington. Nowadays, there is great demand for thinner float glass of high optical quality. The most important stage of float process is the glass forming in tin bath. In this study, the ANSYS Fluent 14.0 software is adopted to develop a multiphase numerical model and simulate the flow phenomena of molten glass when it is spouted over a lip onto the tin bath under protective atmosphere. The influence of spout lip set-height on flow behavior of molten glass and tin at tin bath entrance is investigated. The results of 2D simulation indicate that the velocity at the vertex of spout lip, the depth where glass dips into tin bath as well as wetback flow increase with the set-height. From results of 3D simulation, the expansion of glass ribbon and velocity gradient along lateral direction of tin bath occurs as molten glass floats on molten tin. The velocity components of V y and V x of wetback flow are significant at the edge while are extremely low near symmetry plane. The larger velocity components of V y and V x of wetback flow are achieved with increase of spout lip set-height, which would facilitate more glass containing impurities to flow towards the edge of glass ribbon and improve the glass forming quality. The simulation results are supposed to guide the optimization design of spout lip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent glass-ceramic in the SiO 2 -Li 2 O-Na 2 O-Al 2 O 3 -BaO-P 2 O 5 -ZrO 2 system were prepared by the three-stage heat treatment process. The effects of Al 2 O 3 content on the crystallization behavior, microstructure, and physical properties of the glass-ceramics were investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM). As the Al 2 O 3 increases from 4 to 7 mol%, all the Al3+ ions are present in the [AlO 4 ] tetrahedra and participate in the glass network, resulting in the more compact structure of glass. The increasing in the glass network connectivity leads to the higher crystallization activation energy, hindering the formation of lithium disilicate and promoting the precipitation of Al-containing crystalline phases. The main crystalline phase of glass-ceramics transform from lithium disilicate and petalite to Li x Al x Si 1-x O 2 , and the transmittance of glass-ceramics decrease. Upon the three-steps heat treatments of 540°C/4h + 610°C/2h + 730°C/4h, the glass-ceramic with 4 mol% Al 2 O 3 containing petalite and lithium disilicate crystals shows high transparency of ∼85% in the visible light range, high hardness 8.07 GPa, and fracture toughness of 1.37 MPa·m1/2, which shows great potential in the applications of protective material for mobile devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent glass-ceramics containing eucryptite and nepheline crystalline phases were prepared from alkali (Li, Na) aluminosilicate glasses with various mole substitutions of Al 2 O 3 for SiO 2. The relationships between glass network structure and crystallization behavior of Li 2 O–Na 2 O–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 (LNAS) glasses were investigated. It was found that the crystallization of the eucryptite and nepheline in LNAS glasses significantly depended on the concentration of Al 2 O 3. LNAS glasses with the addition of Al 2 O 3 from 16 to 18 mol% exhibited increasing Q4 (mAl) structural units confirmed by NMR and Raman spectroscopy, which promoted the formation of eucryptite and nepheline crystalline phases. With the Al 2 O 3 content increasing to 19–20 mol%, the formation of highly disordered (Li, Na) 3 PO 4 phase which can serve as nucleation sites was inhibited and the crystallization mechanism of glass became surface crystallization. Glass-ceramics containing 18 mol% Al 2 O 3 showed high transparency ∼84% at 550 nm. Moreover, the microhardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness are 8.56 GPa, 95.7 GPa and 0.78 MPa m1/2 respectively. The transparent glass-ceramics with good mechanical properties show high potential in the applications of protective cover of displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdS/Cd 1−x Zn x S sandwich-structured quantum dots (QDs) were precipitated in silicate glasses with high quantum efficiency up to 53%. The QDs were composed by a CdS core with a Cd 1−x Zn x S shell of about 1–3 nm in thickness through heat-treatment at 550 °C for 10 h. With the increased heat-treatment temperature, the intensity ratio between the intrinsic emission and the defects emission increased and the Stokes shift decreased from 84 to 4 meV, which was caused by both the increased size and passivated surface defects of the QDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li2O–Al2O3–SiO2‐based glass–ceramics containing nanocrystals have attracted much attention due to their low expansion coefficient, good mechanical properties, for different applications, such as fire‐safe glass, dental materials, and electronic devices protectors. In current research, ultrahigh hardness Li2O–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 glass–ceramics were prepared by conventional melt‐quenching and subsequent heat‐treatment method. MgO was introduced via Li2O substitution to change glass crystallization and mechanical properties. The differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated the glass transition and crystallization temperatures increased with MgO/Li2O ratio increase, for better glass network connectivity from Raman spectra analysis. In addition, the main crystal phase changed from Li2SiO5 and LiAlSi4O10, to the combination of LiAlSi2O6 and MgAl2Si4O12, and finally to MgAl2Si4O12. The Vickers hardness of glass–ceramics was highly dependent on MgO/Li2O ratios in glass components and heat‐treatment temperatures, corresponding with the crystal phases in glass–ceramics. The highest hardness could reach 9.34 GPa, which was much higher than traditional silicate glass–ceramics. The scanning electron microscope images confirmed the crystal diameters that varied from 30 to 100 nm and were determined by MgO content. Transmission electron microscope images and energy‐dispersive spectroscopy mapping also confirmed the precipitation of multiphase nanocrystals in glass matrix. The changes of glass structure, and corresponding crystal combinations in glass–ceramics resulting from MgO introduction, were responsible for the ultrahigh hardness glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High performance ultra-low temperature co-fired ceramic (ULTCC) materials were prepared from CuO- MgO- ZnO- Al 2 O 3 - B 2 O 3 - Li 2 O glass-ceramics. The sintering behaviors, crystalline phase evolution, microstructure and dielectric properties, as well as their compatibility with Ag and Al electrodes, were investigated. With the suitable substitution of MgO for ZnO, the dielectric properties of glass-ceramics were improved. It is mainly associated with the fine microstructure, highly crystallinity, and decrease in tetrahedral distortion in the crystal lattice. All the glasses completed the densification at 575–600 °C, and ZnB 4 O 7 is the only crystalline phase precipitated from the glasses. Moreover, the glass-ceramic with 1 wt% MgO sintered at 575 °C for 5 h, exhibited low relative permittivity ~ 7.1 and low dielectric loss ~ 6.40 × 10−4. And the glass-ceramic with 4 wt% MgO sintered at 600 °C for 5 h, also displayed low relative permittivity ~ 7.1 and low dielectric loss ~ 5.77 × 10−4. Both two glasses have good sintering compatibility with silver and aluminum electrodes, which provided high potential for ULTCC application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkali-free aluminosilicate glasses with different SrO/(MgO+SrO) molar ratios were prepared by the melt-quenching method, and their structural evolution was characterized by Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS NMR). The glass properties, including high-temperature viscosity, thermal expansion coefficient, density, Vicker hardness, elastic modulus, and chemical stability, were tested and analyzed. With the increasing of SrO/(MgO+SrO) molar ratios from 0 to1, the fraction of Q4 units in [SiO 4 ] tetrahedral increased from 30.88 % to 39.06 %, and the Al3+ ions are dominated in [AlO 4 ] groups, but small amount in [AlO 5 ] units. In terms of comprehensive properties, the glass density and strain point temperature increased approximately linearly with the SrO/(MgO+SrO) ratios, while, the elastic modulus decreased with the SrO/(MgO+SrO) ratios. However, the high-temperature viscosity, Vickers hardness, chemical stability, and characteristic temperatures (melting temperature, working point temperature, Littleton softening temperature) deviated from linearity and exhibited the opposite mixed alkaline earth effect compared to previously reported aluminosilicate glasses. when the SrO/(MgO+SrO) molar ratio is approximately 0.25, the glass demonstrates optimal comprehensive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We firstly reported the Paleoproterozoic pegmatites in the Tibetan Plateau. • The hydrothermal processes play a vital role for the mineralization of Ta. • The formation of the pegmatite responds to the Columbia supercontinent assembly. • There are potential for prospecting Paleoproterozoic pegmatite deposits in China. A large number of Archean and Paleoproterozoic pegmatite rare-metal deposits exist worldwide, but few Precambrian pegmatite deposits have been reported in China, especially in the Tibetan Plateau. The Precambrian pegmatite deposits are still poorly studied. The Shaliuquan pegmatite, located in Quanji Massif, is a rare pegmatite-type Nb-Ta deposit in the northern Tibetan Plateau. Columbite-tantalite group minerals (CGMs) from three pegmatite samples give the U-Pb ages of 1844.2 ± 8.1 Ma, 1831.2 ± 12.2 Ma and 1848.0 ± 18.7 Ma, respectively. The U-Pb ages of CGMs show that the Shaliuquan pegmatite is a rare Paleoproterozoic pegmatite rare-metal deposit in the Tibetan Plateau. This is supported by the Precambrian 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of muscovites from two pegmatite samples (1094–1518 Ma), representing the metamorphic events after formation. As for the formation of Shaliuquan pegmatites, we argue that the hydrothermal processes in the late stage of the pegmatite evolution play a vital role for the enrichment and mineralization of Ta, which is evidenced by texture and compositions of CGMs and zircons. The formation of the Shaliuquan pegmatites is a response to the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent. The discovery of the Precambrian Shaliuquan pegmatite deposit implies that the Quanji Massif in the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, which has an ancient mature metasediments basement and thick continental crust, has great potential for prospecting the Paleoproterozoic pegmatite rare-metal deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performances of noble metal nanostructure-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probes are highly determined by the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of the nanostructures. In general, the enhancement factors are calculated from the experimental comparison of detected analyte molecule Raman spectra with and without SERS active nanostructures. In this research, the effect of centrosymmetric silver nanostructure geometries, dimeric (2-Ag) gap distances, and dimeric modes on extinction and absorption spectra, furtherly on the SERS enhancement factors (SERSEF, shows GSERS and lg(GSERS) for visualization), was investigated through electromagnetic field simulations by finite element method (FEM) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The GSERS was calculated by the outer normal mean electric field method. The reliability and validity of the calculation are confirmed from closed extinction spectra calculation results from both FEM and FDTD methods. The redshift and broadening extinction spectra originated from the electric dipole (ED)-induced scattering, for single (1-Ag) isolated nanosphere and nanocube, with growing radius or edge length. The relationship between optical properties of different nanosphere dimers distance and GSERS values discovers the well-matched extinction peak positions and wavelength positions of maximum GSERS. Higher GSERS data are obtained from both nanosphere and nanocube dimers under 532 nm beam excitation, than those under 633 nm and 785 nm beam excitation. The GSERS data exponentially decrease with growing dimer distances due to a weakening electric field. The edge to edge dimer shows higher GSERS than corner to corner dimer due to a larger hot spot area. The inhomogeneous electric field distributions from the YX-plane of face to face nanocube dimer result in the fluctuation of GSERS with edge lengths. In addition, the radius ratio of nanosphere dimer and the edge length ratios of nanocube dimer show maximum GSERS, from a sphere-like structure due to the large size difference. The GSERS also can be determined by the curvature of nanocube, from cubic to spherical structure evolution. This research provides a potential reference for rapid GSERS evaluation and nanostructure design for SERS detection performance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a comprehensive geochronological and geochemical analysis of garnets from the Kendekeke Fe-polymetallic deposit. Extensive lithological investigations have confirmed the presence of four distinct garnet generations, exhibiting a compositional variation from grossularite to andradite and ultimately to Grossular-Andradite. The trace element characteristics of the first three generations clearly indicate an inheritance pattern, while the fourth-generation garnets display a unique reversed inheritance pattern. Through a detailed analysis of the partitioning patterns of rare earth elements, it has been conclusively established that the infiltration of aluminum-rich fluids influenced the fourth generation's garnets. This fluid infiltration has had a profound positive effect on the further enrichment and mobilization of ore-forming materials, thereby playing a crucial role in the mineralization process. The mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of garnet indicate an evolution of hydrothermal fluid pH from near-neutral to acidic and a variation in fO 2 with an initial increase followed by a decrease. [Display omitted] • The mineralization age of the Kendekeke Fe-polymetallic deposit in the Qimantagh ore cluster was determined to be 225 ± 2.9 Ma. • In a closed environment, skarn mineralization system may be dynamic, with potential fluid replenishment from the same source. • Multi-stage influx of fluids in the skarn mineralization system can enrich ore-forming materials and impact on the scale of mineralization. The skarn deposit formation process entails intricate fluid evolution processes, wherein the mineralization process is significantly influenced by the periodic pulsation and replenishment of hydrothermal fluids. However, there is a dearth of evident evidence supporting the periodic fluid replenishment viewpoint. One common mineral in skarn deposits is garnet. The objective of this study is to provide insights and evidence on fluid replenishment and to clarify the fluid evolution process by analyzing the crystal structures of the oscillatory zoning and epitaxial hyperplasia edges of garnet. The Kendekeke deposit is a skarn-iron polymetallic deposit located in the Qimantage metallogenic belt of the East Kunlun orogenic belt. The thick magnetite ore body developed in the deposit is located in the skarn belt, and garnet skarn is well developed throughout. Based on the major elements and trace elements of garnet, this paper clarifies the metallogenic age and evolution of ore-forming fluid in skarn iron polymetallic deposits. Through analysis of mineral zoning and cross-cutting relationships, four generations of garnets have been identified in the Kendekeke deposit. We conducted LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronological analysis on the nearest Grt-II to the ore body and obtained the ore-forming age. The major elements of garnet in four stages show the obvious changing trend. The first three stages change from Al-rich to Fe-rich, and the fourth stage shows the characteristics of grossularite-andradite. Through the correlation analysis of rare earth elements (REE) and Y elements, we determined that the whole evolution process did not have significant external fluid influence, and the REE patterns in the first three stages showed obvious inheritance characteristics, among which Grt-II showed some euhedral oscillatory zoned characteristics. The REE patterns from the core to the edge of the zone showed obvious fluid evolution process from Grt-I to Grt-III, while the Grt-IV REE patterns exhibit the characteristics of anti-inheritance, which is different from the first three stages. Among them, we observed that Grt-IV and Grt-II (epitaxy hyperplasia edge of Grt-I) have similar major element characteristics, but compared to Grt-II (epitaxy hyperplasia edge of Grt-I), Grt-IV has similar LREE and lower HREE patterns that we believe is the result of early fluid replenishment. At the same time, combining with trace elements such as U and Eu, we determined that the pH of the hydrothermal solution evolved from near-neutral to acidic, and the fO 2 increased first and then decreased. In addition, through the analysis of the replacement elements (Sc, V, Co, and Ti) Grt-IV, the replenishment of fluid at this stage reduced fO 2 again, promoted the further enrichment of ore-forming materials, prolonged the mineralization process, and thus formed a thick and iron-rich ore body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]