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Childhood trauma has been shown to contribute to low self-concept, potentially affecting trauma survivors' perception of social evaluations from others. However, there is little evidence for the association between traumatic experience in childhood and adult processing of evaluative verbal cues related to self. Therefore, the present study aimed to address whether and how cognitive and affective responses to self-referential praise and criticism would vary with different forms of childhood trauma. We engaged undergraduates and postgraduates in completing the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and an evaluation task in which participants rated self-related praising and criticizing sentences for pleasantness and truthfulness. These ratings and CTQ scores were subjected to correlation and regression analyses. Positive correlations were found between the pleasantness ratings for criticism and the scores of the CTQ full scale (

BackgroundTo determine whether depressive symptoms in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients were associated with altered resting-state functional connectivity (rs-fc) or voxel-based morphology in brain regions involved in emotional regulation and associated with depression.MethodsIn the present study, we examined 79 patients (57 males; age range = 17–70 years, M ± s.d. = 38 ± 16.13; BDI-II, M ± s.d. = 9.84 ± 8.67) with TBI. We used structural MRI and resting-state fMRI to examine whether there was a relationship between depression, as measured with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the voxel-based morphology or functional connectivity in regions previously identified as involved in emotional regulation in patients following TBI. Patients were at least 4 months post-TBI (M ± s.d. = 15.13 ± 11.67 months) and the severity of the injury included mild to severe cases [Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), M ± s.d. = 6.87 ± 3.31].ResultsOur results showed that BDI-II scores were unrelated to voxel-based morphology in the examined regions. We found a positive association between depression scores and rs-fc between limbic regions and cognitive control regions. Conversely, there was a negative association between depression scores and rs-fc between limbic and frontal regions involved in emotion regulation.ConclusionThese findings lead to a better understanding of the exact mechanisms that contribute to depression following TBI and better inform treatment decisions.

Conduct disorder (CD) is a common psychiatric disorder defined by a repetitive and persistent pattern of aggressive and antisocial behaviors. Although numerous task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) studies have emphasized the disrupted functional connectivity in CD, the CD-related alterations in functional interactions between the bilateral cerebral hemispheres are rarely investigated directly. In this study, a voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) method based on rsfMRI was employed for the first time to examine the abnormalities of interhemispheric functional connectivity in patients with CD. The VMHC was compared between eighteen pure CD patients and eighteen typically developing (TD) healthy controls. In CD patients, reduced homotopic connectivity was observed relative to TDs in the middle occipital gyrus (MOG), pre- and postcentral gyrus, rolandic operculum and paracentral lobe (PCL) which were the components of visual and motor networks. Furthermore, the VMHC of the MOG and PCL was found to be negatively correlated with clinical scores in the CD group. Moreover, the regions with altered VMHC exhibited a relative good and robust ability to discriminate CD patients from TDs. This study provided a novel angle to identify the important role of interhemispheric coordination in the pathophysiology underlying CD and further indicated that the aberrant homotopic connectivity could be a potential clinical neural marker for CD diagnosis.

Childhood maltreatment is significantly associated with greater occurrence of mental disorders in adulthood such as depression and anxiety. As a key node of the limbic system, the amygdala is engaged in emotional processing and regulation and is dysfunctional in many psychiatric disorders. The present study aimed at exploring the association between childhood maltreatment and amygdala-based functional networks and their potential contributions to depression and anxiety.Totally 90 Chinese healthy volunteers participated in a resting-state fMRI experiment. Levels of childhood maltreatment experience were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) as well as levels of depression and anxiety. Associations between CTQ-SF scores and bilateral amygdala gray matter volume and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the amygdala and selected regions of interest were analyzed using multiple regression analyses with sex and age as covariates. A subsequent moderation analysis was performed to identify whether associations were predictive of depression and anxiety levels.Childhood maltreatment was significantly negatively associated with RSFC between left amygdala and anterior insula. Further sub-region analyses revealed that this negative association only occurred for the left centromedial amygdala subregion, which subsequently moderated the relationship between levels of childhood emotional abuse and depression / anxiety.No psychiatric patients were involved and specific neural associations with different childhood maltreatment subtypes need to be examined in future studies.The present findings provide evidence for altered RSFC of centromedial amygdala and the anterior insula associated with childhood maltreatment and which moderate levels of depression and anxiety in adulthood.

Jealousy is a complex social emotion combining the different primary emotions of anger, fear and sadness. Previous evidence has suggested the involvement of fronto-striatal dopaminergic circuitry in pathological jealousy, although little is known about overlaps with the neural representation of primary emotions involved in non-morbid jealousy and the utility of a dimensional neuroimaging approach. In the current study, 85 healthy subjects underwent fMRI during an emotional face recognition paradigm and resting state. A total of 150 faces (happy, angry, fearful, sad, neutral) were presented and subjects required to identify the expression and rate its intensity. Trait jealousy was assessed using the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale. Behavioral results showed that only intensity ratings of angry faces were positively associated with subjects' jealousy scores. During processing of angry versus neutral expression faces, subjects with elevated jealousy exhibited increased activation in the right thalamus, insula, fusiform gyrus and hippocampus, left dorsal striatum, superior parietal lobule and bilateral cerebellum and inferior frontal gyrus after controlling for trait aggression and sex. Functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and dorsal striatum was also increased. No associations with resting-state functional connectivity were found. Overall, the present study demonstrates an association between exaggerated jealousy and increased intensity ratings of angry faces as well as activity and functional connectivity of the dorsal striatal-inferior frontal circuitry. Thus, increased emotional responsivity to social threat and enhanced activity in limbic regions and dopaminergic fronto-striatal circuitry may be features of both non-morbid and pathological jealousy confirming the utility of a dimensional approach.

Understanding emotional resonances to social evaluations delivered in different languages may contribute to favourable social communication in today's increasingly internationalised world. The present study thus investigated the language-induced emotionality differences by presenting Chinese-English bilinguals with self-referential praising and criticising statements in both their native Chinese and foreign English languages and asking them to make their affective and cognitive judgments on the comments, namely, to rate how pleased they were by the comments and how truly the comments described their attributes. Results revealed that while criticism was rated more unpleasant than praise in both languages, the unpleasantness was reduced by the use of English as compared to Chinese. Intriguingly, no cross-language differences were found in the cognitive assessment. Our findings may shed light on facilitating affective social communication using different languages.

U3Si2 attracted much attention as candidate nuclear fuel for some favorable properties such as higher uranium density and thermal conductivity than that of UO2. Until now, the oxidation and hydrolysis mechanism of U3Si2 have not been fully explained. In this paper, we fabricated U3Si2 by arc-melting method and characterized surface morphology and structure by SEM and XRD, respectively. The initial oxidation process of U3Si2 was studied by in-situ XPS analysis. The results showed that the oxidized product of U3Si2 were firstly uranium oxides and then uranium silicate. By XPS peak fitting process, the percentage of oxides were obtained and showed that the oxides percentage increased roughly obeyed the exponential law.

Highlights • fMRI affective GO/NOGO tasks differentiates depression (MDD) from anxiety (GAD). • MDD but not GAD showed impaired inhibitory control on the behavioral level. • MDD exhibited decreased engagement of posterior frontal/mid-cingulate regions. • The neural alterations were specific for MDD and inhibition in negative contexts. • GAD showed intact inhibition and enhanced dlPFC activity relative to MDD., Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are highly debilitating and often co-morbid disorders. The disorders exhibit partly overlapping dysregulations on the behavioral and neurofunctional level. The determination of disorder-specific behavioral and neurofunctional dysregulations may therefore promote neuro-mechanistic and diagnostic specificity. In order to determine disorder-specific alterations in the domain of emotion-cognition interactions the present study examined emotional context-specific inhibitory control in treatment-naïve MDD (n = 37) and GAD (n = 35) patients and healthy controls (n = 35). On the behavioral level MDD but not GAD exhibited impaired inhibitory control irrespective of emotional context. On the neural level, MDD-specific attenuated recruitment of inferior/medial parietal, posterior frontal, and mid-cingulate regions during inhibitory control were found during the negative context. GAD exhibited a stronger engagement of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex relative to MDD. Overall the findings from the present study suggest disorder- and emotional context-specific behavioral and neurofunctional inhibitory control dysregulations in major depression and may point to a depression-specific neuropathological and diagnostic marker.

Background: While romantic jealousy may help to maintain relationships, following partner infidelity and an irretrievable loss of trust it can also promote break-ups. The neuropeptide oxytocin can enhance the maintenance of social bonds and reduce couple conflict, although its influence on jealousy evoked by imagined or real infidelity is unclear. Aims: This study aimed to investigate the effects of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) on romantic jealousy in both males and females in imagined and real contexts. Methods: Seventy heterosexual couples participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject design study. Jealousy was firstly quantified in the context of subjects imagining partner infidelity and secondly in a Cyberball game where their partner interacted preferentially with an opposite-sexed rival stranger to simulate partner exclusion, or rejected a neutral stranger but not the partner. Results: Oxytocin primarily decreased jealousy and arousal ratings towards imagined emotional and sexual infidelity by a partner in both sexes. During the Cyberball game, while male and female subjects in both groups subsequently threw the ball least often to the rival stranger, under oxytocin they showed reduced romantic jealousy and arousal ratings for stranger players, particularly the rival one, and reported reduced negative and increased positive feelings while playing the game. Conclusions: Together, our results suggest that oxytocin can reduce the negative emotional impact of jealousy in established romantic partners evoked by imagined or real infidelity or exclusive social interactions with others. This provides further support for oxytocin promoting maintenance of relationships.

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jop-10.1177_0269881121991576 for Intranasal oxytocin may help maintain romantic bonds by decreasing jealousy evoked by either imagined or real partner infidelity by Xiaoxiao Zheng, Xiaolei Xu, Lei Xu, Juan Kou, Lizhu Luo, Xiaole Ma and Keith M Kendrick in Journal of Psychopharmacology

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are highly prevalent and debilitating disorders. The high overlap on the symptomatic and neurobiological level led to ongoing debates about their diagnostic and neurobiological uniqueness. The present study aims to identify common and disorder-specific neuropathological mechanisms and treatment targets in MDD and GAD. The present study combined categorial and dimensional disorder models with a fully data-driven intrinsic network level analysis (Intrinsic Connectivity Contrast, ICC) to resting state fMRI data acquired in 108 partn = 35 and n = 38 unmedicated patients with first-episode GAD, MDD respectively and n=35 healthy controls). Convergent evidence from categorical and dimensional analyses revealed MDD-specific decreased whole-brain connectivity profiles of the medial prefrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex while GAD was specifically characterized by decreased whole-brain connectivity profiles of the putamen and decreased communication of this region with the amygdala. Together, findings from the present data-driven analysis suggest that intrinsic communication of frontal regions engaged in executive functions and emotion regulation represent depression-specific neurofunctional markers and treatment targets whereas dysregulated intrinsic communication of the striato-amygdala system engaged in reinforcement-based and emotional learning processes represent GAD-specific markers and a promising treatment target.

The physical mechanism driving the γ–α phase transition of face-centre-cubic (fcc) cerium (Ce) remains controversial until now. In this work, high-quality single crystalline fcc–Ce thin films were grown on Graphene/6H-SiC(0001) substrate, and explored by XRD and ARPES measurement. XRD spectra showed a clear γ–α phase transition at Tγ−α ≈ 50 K, which is retarded by strain effect from substrate comparing with Tγ−α (about 140 K) of the bulk Ce metal. However, APRES spectra did not show any signature of α-phase emerging in the surface-layer from 300 to 17 K, which implied that α-phase might form at the bulk-layer of our Ce thin films. Besides, an evident Kondo dip near Fermi energy was observed in the APRES spectrum at 80 K, indicting the formation of Kondo singlet states in γ–Ce. Furthermore, the DFT + DMFT calculations were performed to simulate the electronic structures and the theoretical spectral functions agreed well with the experimental ARPES spectra. In γ–Ce, the behavior of the self-energy’s imaginary part at low frequency not only confirmed that the Kondo singlet states emerged at TKS ≥ 80 K, but also implied that they became coherent states at a lower characteristic temperature (Tcoh ~40 K) due to the indirect RKKY interaction among f–f electrons. Besides, Tcoh from the theoretical simulation was close to Tγ−α from the XRD spectra. These issues suggested that the Kondo scenario might play an important role in the γ–α phase transition of cerium thin films.

The cooper pairs in the heavy-fermion superconductor CeCu2Si2 are formed of heavy fermions. Therefore, the heavy fermions are fundamental to the emergence of unconventional superconductivity and associated non-Fermi-liquid behavior in the normal state. The interplay between localization and itinerancy manifested on the electronic structure is key for understanding the heavy-fermion behavior. Here, via the first-principle density functional theory (DFT) combined with single-site dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT), we investigate the temperature ( T ) evolution of the electronic structure of CeCu2Si2 in the normal state, focusing on the role of the 4 f states in the low energy regime. Two characteristic temperature scales of this evolution, which accompanied the heavy-fermion formation, are established. The coherence onset temperature is around 130 K, whereas the heavy-fermion band formation temperature is between 40 and 80 K; both characteristic temperature scales are higher than the transport coherence temperature. Furthermore, the heavy-fermion formation is confirmed by calculating its effective mass variation with the temperature. Based on the calculated T- dependent evolution of the 4 f orbital occupancy and electronic structure, an explanation on the behavior of the temperature evolution of the correlation strength of CeCu2Si2 is provided. Our results offer a comprehensive microscopic picture of the heavy-fermion formation in CeCu2Si2, which is essential for further understanding the emergent superconducting pairing mechanism.

Background: Major Depressive (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are highly debilitating and often co-morbid disorders. The disorders exhibit partly overlapping dysregulations on the behavioral and neurofunctional level, and the determination of disorder-specific alterations may promote neuro-mechanistic and diagnostic specificity. Methods: In order to determine disorder-specific alterations in the domain of emotion-cognition interactions the present study examined emotional context-specific inhibitory control in treatment-naive, first-episode MDD (n = 37) and GAD (n = 35) patients and healthy controls (n = 35) by employing a validated affective go/no-go fMRI paradigm. Findings: On the behavioral level MDD but not GAD patients exhibited impaired inhibitory control irrespective of emotional context. On the neural level, no alterations were observed during the positive context, yet specifically MDD patients demonstrated attenuated recruitment of a broad bilateral network encompassing inferior/medial parietal, posterior frontal, and mid-cingulate regions during inhibitory control in the negative context. GAD patients exhibited a stronger engagement of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex relative to MDD patients and within the GAD group better inhibitory control in negative contexts was associated with higher recruitment of this region. Interpretation: Findings from the present study suggest disorder- and emotional context-specific behavioral and neurofunctional deficits in inhibitory control in MDD in negative emotional contexts and may point to a depression-specific neuropathological and diagnostic marker. In contrast, GAD patients may maintain intact inhibitory performance via compensatory recruitment of prefrontal regulatory regions. Funding Statement: This study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFA0701400) and Science & Technology Department of Sichuan Province, China (2017JY0031, JD). Declaration of Interests: There are no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the local ethics committee at the UESTC and adhered to the latest revision of the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent and agreement to experimental procedures was obtained from all participants before enrollment.

The anodic behavior of cerium (Ce) in AlCl3-1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride (AlCl3-EMIC) ionic liquid has been investigated. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), Raman spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were carried out to state the process and mechanism during anodic reaction. The results show that Ce can be electrochemically oxidized and dissolved in the ionic liquid. The oxide film of Ce markedly affects its anodic behavior by blocking the dissolution of the underlying metal. Moreover, the dissolution of metal surface brings about the stripping of the oxide film on Ce, thus leading to an oxide free surface. This work demonstrates a theoretical foundation for electrolytic etching of Ce in ionic liquids.

Al diffusion in V play an important part in the formation of aluminide coatings on the surfaces of V alloy, which could be affected by alloying elements, such as Ti and Cr. In order to elucidate the effects of Ti and Cr on Al diffusion in V, firstly the interactions and diffusion of Al/Ti/Cr in V were investigated by means of DFT calculations coupled with LST/QST method. Then, the structures with Al-Vac-Ti/Cr complexes in bcc V were constructed and the most stable configurations were determined. Finally, the migration barriers for Al in V in presence of Ti or Cr atoms were calculated. It is shown that Ti and Al atoms attract the vacancy and Ti-vacancy binding is more energetically favorable. On the other hand, Cr slightly repels from vacancy. Due to the strong attraction between Ti and vacancy, the migration barriers of Al increase when Ti atoms are in the vicinity, which means the diffusion of Al in V is significantly hampered by Ti atoms, and no obvious impact of Cr atoms on Al diffusion in V is found.

Uranium nitride (UN1.66) and oxynitride (UN1·42O0.23) films have been prepared on the substrate of Si by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The films have been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Then, vacuum heat treatment of uranium nitride and oxynitride films were in situ investigated in an ultra-high vacuum chamber of AES. The experimental results show that the UN1.66 and UN1·42O0.23 films fabricated by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method are dense and uniform. The surface of the UN1.66 films changes into UNxOy at the beginning of the heat treatment. Then the surface changes into UO2 with the increasing temperature. When the temperature exceeds 573 K, UO2 phase gradually changes back into UNxOy phase due to the out diffusion of decomposed N atom in UN1.66 subsurface with increased N content of the surface. UN1.42O0.23 film exhibits good stability until 573 K. UNxOy and UO2 mixed phases form on the surface of the UN1·42O0.23 after initial oxidation. Owing to the decomposed nitrogen from the UN1·42O0.23 subsurface, the UO2 phase turns back into UNxOy again when the temperature exceeds 573 K.

Uranium as an important energy material plays a significant role within the field of material sciences and nuclear industrial applications. However, metallic uranium is chemically active in ambient environment and is easily oxidized and corroded, leading to not only deterioration of its properties and failure of performance as working components but also nuclear pollution of the environment. Therefore, the development of corrosion protection systems for metallic uranium is an issue of prime importance. In view of the nitridation technology in Ti and Fe-based alloys, the successful application to improve the surface wear hardness and corrosion resistance, several nitridation methods have been developed for the surface modification of metallic uranium. Many studies have shown that the surface nitridation of metallic uranium can efficiently improve its corrosion resistance. The surface oxidation layer thickness is as thin as several nanometers even if placed 4 years in the atmosphere. At the present, nitridation of uranium surface is considered as the most promising surface modification way to protect uranium from corrosion. To design and fabricate nitride layers on uranium surface with reliable long-term protective effects, however, one needs deep understanding on the relationships among the physical and chemical properties of the nitride layers, the composition and structure of the layers, and the dependence on the techniques and the processing parameters. One also needs deep understanding on the corrosion behavior of the prepared nitride layers in the environment, and the related corrosion mechanism. In this review, we bring to the readers the achievements and recent advances on the uranium nitridation in the world, including the processing techniques and the related studies on the formation mechanism of the nitride layers, and the understanding on the property-processing-corrosion performance relationship of the layers, aiming at the development of high-performance resistance layers for metallic uranium by the surface nitridation technique. In the review (1) the surface nitridation techniques developed recently, the relationship between the preparation parameters and the composition as well as the structure of the surface layer are summarized; (2) the fundamental physical properties of the uranium nitrides are summarized, depicted and discussed; (3) the influence of the nitrides structure and composition and of the environment on resistance to corrosion as well as the formation mechanism of corroded products in oxidizing environments are depicted and discussed; (4) the potential application of uranium nitrides in other application field such as the application of thermal-electrical conversion is also discussed. Finally, the prospective on the investigations of nitride layers is suggested.

Background Cognitive vulnerability to depression (CVD) is a high risk for depressive disorder. Recent studies focus on individuals with CVD to determine the neural basis of major depressive disorder (MDD) neuropathology. However, whether CVD showed specific or similar brain functional activity and connectivity patterns, compared to MDD, remain largely unknown. Methods Here, using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in subjects with CVD, healthy controls (HC) and MDD, regional homogeneity (ReHo) and resting-state functional connectivity (R-FC) analyses were conducted to assess local synchronization and changes in functional connectivity patterns. Results Significant ReHo differences were found in right posterior lobe of cerebellum (PLC), left lingual gyrus (LG) and precuneus. Compared to HC, CVD subjects showed increased ReHo in the PLC, which was similar to the difference found between MDD and HC. Compared to MDD patients, CVD subjects showed decreased ReHo in PLC, LG, and precuneus. R-FC analyses found increased functional connections between LG and left inferior parietal lobule, posterior cingulate cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in CVD compared to both HC and MDD. Moreover, Regional mean ReHo values were positively correlated with Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores. Conclusion These analyses revealed that PLC and functional connections between LG and left inferior parietal lobule, posterior cingulate cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may be a potential marker for CVD.

The solid reaction of lithium hydride and lithium hydroxide in lithium hydride pellet is first directly observed at normal ambient condition after 4 years storage. Layer-by-layer XPS results show that LiOH hydrolysis layer quickly forms on the LiH surface, LiOH reacts with bulk LiH to form Li2O and H2. Due to the great H2 outgassing after long time conservation, bubbling problem actually exists during the practical long-time preserving period. Using CO2 as pre-treatment gas during the LiH sample preparation process is a feasible way to prevent LiH sample from bubbling after long storage period. Moreover, Li2CO3 shows possible delay effect on the solid reaction of LiOH with LiH in this work, thus preserving LiH sample in CO2 containing atmosphere might also be an prospective way to protect the sample from further corrosion.

Aluminum (Al) coatings, which are found to be dendrites, have been deposited on uranium (U) substrate in ionic liquid via galvanic displacement. Interestingly, a dense Al nano-layer has formed between the Al dendrites and the U substrate. In this work, the growth mechanism of the Al coating has been investigated by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical measurements: the galvanic reaction sees the oxidation of U from the substrate while Al2Cl7− are reduced on its surface, driven by the electrochemical potential difference between Al and U. Furthermore, we have found that the Al nano-layer passivates the uranium surface, which is proved to be the rate limiting step in the galvanic deposition process; the observation of the interface morphology evolution process indicates that this Al nano-layer grows in a three-dimensional mode. This work demonstrates a convenient approach to deposit dense Al nano-layer on U, without any external power source.

The surface oxidation behaviors of UN0.68 and UN1.66 thin films are investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the traditional U4f/N1s, O1s, valence band spectra as well as the unconventional U4d and U5d spectra are collected for the understanding of their oxidation behavior in-depth. Similar asymmetrical peak shape of the U4f spectra to uranium is observed for both uranium nitrides, despite of a slight shift to higher energy side for UN1.66 clean surface. However, significant difference among the corresponding spectra of UN0.68 and UN1.66 during oxidation reveals the distinctive properties of each own. The coexistence of UO2-x, UO2 and UO2-x.Ny on UN0.68 surface results in the peculiar features of U4f spectra as well as the others within the XPS energy scale, where peaks of the oxidized species firstly shift to higher energy side compared to the clean surface, and then return closely towards those of stoichiometric UO2. For UN1.66, the generation of U-N-O ternary compounds on the surface is identified with the symmetrical U4f peaks at 379.9eV and 390.8 eV, which locate intermediate between UO2 and UN1.66, and gradually expanding to higher energy side during the progressive oxidation. Furthermore, the formation of N-O species on UN1.66 surface is also detected as an oxidation product. The metallic character of UN1.66 is identified by the intense signal at Fermi level, which is greatly suppressed by the increasing oxygen exposure and implies the weakening metallic properties of the as-generated U-N-O compounds. Higher uranium oxides, such as UO3 and U4O9, are deduced to be the final oxidation products, and a multistage mechanism for UN1.66 following the exposure to oxygen is discussed.

The oxidation state of metals unambiguously affects its anodic behavior in ionic liquid. We systematically investigated the anodic behavior of uranium with different surface oxidation states by electrochemical measurements, spectroscopic methods and surface analysis techniques. In the anodic process, metal uranium can be oxidized to U3+. The corresponding products accumulated on the metal/ILs interface will form a viscous layer. The anodic behavior of uranium is also strongly dependent upon the surface oxide states including thickness and homogeneity of the oxide film. With an increase in the thickness of oxide film, it will be breached at potentials in excess of a critical value. A uniform oxide on uranium surface can be breached evenly, and then the underlying metal starts to dissolve forming a viscous layer which can facilitate uniformly stripping of oxide, thus giving an oxide-free surface. Otherwise, a nonuniform oxide can result in a severe pitted surface with residue oxygen.

Major depression disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorder are both prevalent and debilitating. High rates of comorbidity between MDD and social anxiety disorder (SAD) suggest common pathological pathways, including aberrant neural processing of interpersonal signals. In patient populations, the determination of common and distinct neurofunctional markers of MDD and SAD is often hampered by confounding factors, such as generally elevated anxiety levels and disorder-specific brain structural alterations. This study employed a dimensional disorder approach to map neurofunctional markers associated with levels of depression and social anxiety symptoms in a cohort of 91 healthy subjects using an emotional face processing paradigm. Examining linear associations between levels of depression and social anxiety, while controlling for trait anxiety revealed that both were associated with exaggerated dorsal striatal reactivity to fearful and sad expression faces respectively. Exploratory analysis revealed that depression scores were positively correlated with dorsal striatal functional connectivity during processing of fearful faces, whereas those of social anxiety showed a negative association during processing of sad faces. No linear relationships between levels of depression and social anxiety were observed during a facial-identity matching task or with brain structure. Together, the present findings indicate that dorsal striatal neurofunctional alterations might underlie aberrant interpersonal processing associated with both increased levels of depression and social anxiety.

The influence of superficial defects (induced by surface sputtering) on uranium oxidation and hydriding behaviors has been studied. Depleted uranium surface was etched by Ar + sputtering, the etched surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscope. The initial oxidation kinetics of sputtered uranium surface and mechanical polished uranium surface in ambient atmosphere were characterized using spectroscopic ellipsometry. As-polished and sputtered samples, as well as sequence sputtered samples ambient oxidized for different time, were compared in hydriding kinetics to investigate the co-influence of surface oxidation and superficial defects induced by Ar + ion bombardment. The morphologic characteristics of hydride sites in a few grains were also revealed and enhanced by sputtering, showing a network of fractures for fast hydride transportation.

The evolution of the compositions in two typical regions on U-0.79wt%Ti alloy surface exposed in a salt fog environment was investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) during vacuum annealing. The results show that pitting corrosion tends to occur around titanium inclusions on the alloy surface in the environment containing chloride ions. The compositions in the two regions were transformed with experimental temperature increasing. The complex oxide compound, α-U3O8, was detected by both XPS and Raman spectrum in the blackened region, while UO2+x/UO2 were the main oxide compounds in the other region where pitting corrosion did not occur. The different compositions in the two typical regions were slightly changed as temperature ramps up from room condition to 200°C. The α-U3O8 in the blackened region started to be reduced to UO2 while UO2+x in the other region to be converted into UO2 at 300°C. An oxycarbide (UOxCy) compound was observed due to the reaction between UO2 and carbon at 400°C. Betwe...

TiVCr alloys are treated as candidate materials for hydrogen isotope separation because of their prominent inverse isotope effects and hydrogen storage properties. In this work, the relationship between the separation factor ( α H–D ) that characterizes the isotope effects and the ratio of equilibrium pressures (RP) of the isotopes was investigated. It was found that α H–D in the plateau region was independent on RP of the α-phase if the phase transitions during hydrogenating are merely dependent on the hydrogen content and not on the type of hydrogen isotopes. In order to deal with the gradient plateau region that originates from the inhomogeneous compositions of TiVCr alloys, a model relating α H–D in the single γ-phase to RP in the gradient plateau region was formulated. Furthermore, the values of α H–D were also determined by experiments for Ti0.3V0.4Cr0.3–hydrogen systems, and compared with the prediction results, providing validations to the formulated model.

This work studied the electrodeposition of aluminum (Al) coating on uranium (U) substrate from aluminum chloride (AlCl3)-1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIC) ionic liquid at room temperature. The coating was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The adhesion between the coating and U substrate was estimated by thermal shock test. The corrosion resistance of the coating was evaluated by open circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization testing in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. Results indicated that anodic etching of U in AlCl3-EMIC ionic liquid favored the adhesion of Al coating to U substrate by complete removal of the oxide on U surface. The inter-diffusion between Al and U at the interface was also observed. A uniform, compact and smooth coating was obtained at the current density of 20 mA/cm2. The Al coating significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of U by reducing the corrosion current density by one order of magnitude.

The baby schema effect induced by particular features of baby faces acts as an innate releasing mechanism that evokes positive emotions and instinctual behavioral responses. Our prior research in adults has revealed that this effect initially found in infancy extends into child faces. Adolescence is an important period involving development in various aspects of cognition, including face perception. Here, we investigated whether the extended baby schema effect we previously found in adult observers develops earlier—in adolescence—and how different it appears in adolescents as compared with in adults. In the current study, 76 adolescents and 77 adults were asked to judge the likeability of 148 neutral faces of infants and children (0.08–6.5 years of age) on 7-point scales. Results showed that both adolescents and adults perceived the faces of both infants and children younger than 4.6 years as more likeable relative to those of older children, indicating that the baby schema effect previously found in adulthood also occurs in adolescence. However, adolescents rated lower than adults toward the infant and child faces across all face ages, suggesting that this effect might be under development in adolescence. Overall, our findings provide new evidence for the development of face perception in adolescence and demonstrate age-related changes in innate releasing mechanisms in our protective and caretaking responses toward infants and children.

Romantic jealousy is a complex social emotion combining the different primary emotions of anger, fear and sadness. Previous evidence has suggested the involvement of fronto-striatal dopaminergic circuitry in clinical pathological jealousy, although little is known about overlaps with the neural representation of primary emotions involved in non-morbid jealousy. In the current study, 85 healthy subjects underwent fMRI during resting state and an emotional face recognition paradigm. A total of 150 faces (happy, angry, fearful, sad, neutral) were presented and subjects were required to identify the expression and rate its intensity. Trait romantic jealousy was assessed using the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale. Behavioral results showed that only intensity ratings of angry faces were positively associated with subjects’ jealousy scores. During processing of angry versus neutral expression faces, subjects with higher jealousy scores exhibited greater activation in the right thalamus, insula, fusiform gyrus and hippocampus, left dorsal striatum and superior parietal lobule and bilateral cerebellum and inferior frontal gyrus after controlling for trait aggression and sex. Functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and caudate was also increased. No associations with resting state functional connectivity were found. Overall, the present study demonstrates an association between romantic jealousy and increased intensity ratings of angry faces as well as in activity and functional connectivity of dorsal striatal-inferior frontal circuitry. Thus, increased emotional responsivity to social threat and enhanced activity in limbic regions and dopaminergic fronto-striatal circuitry may be features of both non-morbid and pathological jealousy.

The initial oxidation behaviors of uranium nitride films with different N/U ratios have been focused in the present work. Uranium nitride films with different nitrogen content, UNx (x = 0, 0.23, 0.68, 1.66), have been prepared on the Si substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. The experimental results showed that the UNx (x = 0, 0.23, 0.68, 1.66) films were fine and dense. The initial oxidation processes of uranium nitride films were investigated in an ultra-high vacuum chamber of Auger electron spectroscopy. After 105 L oxygen exposure, the oxide layer of UO2 were formed on the surface of U, and UN0.23, UN0.68 films formed UO2 with little UNxOy, while the UN1.66 film generated UNxOy oxide layer. UN1.66 film exhibited the thinnest oxide layer and provided the best considerable protection against oxygen attack. Also, the AES transition lines of UNxOy were identified for the first time.

CaF2-type UNxOy layers prepared by the nitriding of depleted uranium metal exhibit good oxidation resistance; however, the mechanism is still lacking. This study examined the effect of O on extrinsic point defects in UN2 using density functional calculations. The calculations reveal that N vacancy easily forms in CaF2-type UN2, and O atom lowers the formation energy of N vacancy. By gradually replacing N atoms with O atoms, a series of U–N–O ternary compounds with various N:O ratios, which are not only energetically stable but also mechanically stable within both GGA and GGA+U frameworks, have been found. Additionally, full U–N bonding states contributes more to stabilize the crystal system than the partial U–O bonding states. Collectively, these calculations predict the existence of U–N–O ternary compounds, some of which cannot be distinguished from UN2 by regular X-ray diffraction. Present calculations show that the oxidation resistance of UNxOy layers may be related to U–N–O ternary compounds with various N:O ratios, and suggest further comparative exploration of the adsorption and diffusion of O atoms on the surface of typical ternary compounds, UN2 and UN.

Silicon carbide films were synthesized at varied temperatures by radio frequency magnetron sputtering to improve the tritium permeation resistance of 316L stainless steel. The microstructure, morphology and composition were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electric microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adhesion strength was investigated by scratching method. Deuterium permeation behavior was investigated using a quadruple mass spectrometer. The results showed that SiC films were uniform and amorphous. The SiC film deposited at 473 K showed best adhesion property. The 0.2-μm SiC film on 316L stainless steel reduces permeability by a factor up to about 200, and higher permeation reduced factor (PRF) can be obtained by optimizing the coating process.

Facilitation of social attraction and bonding by the evolutionarily conserved neuropeptide oxytocin is well-established in female mammals. However, accumulating behavioral evidence suggests that oxytocin may have evolved sex-specific functional roles in the domain of human social cognition. A critical question is how oxytocin differentially modulates neural processing of social information in men and women, leading to divergent behavioral responses. Here we show that intranasal oxytocin treatment produces sex- and valence-dependent increases in amygdala activation when women view individuals identified as praising others but in men those who criticize them. Women subsequently show increased liking for the faces of these individuals, whereas in men it is reduced. Thus, oxytocin may act differentially via the amygdala to enhance the salience of positive social attributes in women but negative ones in men. We hypothesize that oxytocin may have evolved different but complementary roles to help ensure successful reproduction by encouraging mothers to promote a prosocial rearing environment for offspring and fathers to protect against antisocial influences.

Preparation of aluminide coatings, Al x V y , is a key step for the formation of V-Al/Al 2 O 3 as tritium permeation barrier (TPB) on V alloys. We firstly attempted to process aluminide coatings on V–5Cr–5Ti by a two-step process of electrochemical Al deposition (ECA) and heat treatment. Al deposition from AlCl 3 -1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride (AlCl 3 -EMIC) ionic liquid was performed at room temperature, with current density varying from 8 to 32 mA/cm 2 . Homogeneous and well adherent Al coatings on V–5Cr–5Ti were obtained by galvanostatic electrodeposition at 20 mA/cm 2 , with the deposition rates up to 21 μm/h. And then Al-coated specimens were heated in flowing Argon gas, forming aluminide coatings. The aluminide coatings exhibited a double-layer or almost a single-layer structure, and their thickness increased with temperature, time and Al-coating thickness, respectively. Main phase of coatings was Al 3 (V, Cr, Ti) at initial diffusion stage, and then gradually transformed into Al 8 (V, Cr, Ti) 5 , and next to V(Al, Cr, Ti) solid solution, with double-layer structure transforming into single-layer structure. The homogenous layer of Al 8 (V, Cr, Ti) 5 is the appropriate aluminide for further selective oxidation. The optimum aluminized conditions and growth kinetics of Al 8 (V, Cr, Ti) 5 were obtained.

Single crystals of UFe0.6Sb2 grown by Sb flux method have been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity and specific heat. UFe0.6Sb2 crystallizes in the tetragonal HfCuSi2-type structure (space group P4/nmm). UFe0.6Sb2 undergoes a ferromagnetic transition at TC = 28 K with an easy axis along the c-axis. The resistivity resembles heavy fermion semiconducting-like behavior and implies three pseudogaps are formed in both directions. One pseudogap formed in the range of 9–30 K originates from states of impurity due to the partial occupancies of the Fe sites, and it can be closed by applying high magnetic field. The magnetic field, however, has little effects on the other two pseudogaps. A large electronic specific heat coefficient γ = 233 mJ/mol·K2 reveals this compound is a strong electron correlation material.