Applications of analytical electron microscopy to guide the design of boron carbide

Compositional analysis of boron carbide on nanometer length scales to examine or interpret atomic mechanisms, for example, solid-state amorphization or grain-boundary segregation, is challenging. This work reviews advancements in high-resolution microanalysis to characterize multiple generations of boron carbide. First, ζ-factor microanalysis will be introduced as a powerful (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM) analytical framework to accurately characterize boron carbide. Three case studies involving the application of ζ-factor microanalysis will then be presented: (1) accurate stoichiometry determination of B-doped boron carbide using ζ-factor microanalysis and electron energy loss spectroscopy, (2) normalized quantification of silicon grain-boundary segregation in Si-doped boron carbide, and (3) calibration of a scanning electron microscope X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) system to measure compositional homogeneity differences of B/Si-doped arc-melted boron carbides in the as-melted and annealed conditions. Overall, the improvement and application of advanced analytical tools have helped better understand processing–microstructure–property relationships and successfully manufacture high-performance ceramics.     

Analysis of Rain-Induced Attenuation at Ku-V Band Using Gamma Drop Size Distribution Model Over a Tropical Region

Wireless Personal Communications - In this paper, modeling of rain drop size distribution (DSD) and analysis of rain-induced attenuation are analyzed based on Gamma DSD model in a tropical...     

Fresh beef tumbling at different post-mortem times to improve tenderness and proteolytic features of M. longissimus lumborum

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of tumbling at different post-mortem times on the proteolytic features and quality attributes of beef loins (M. longissimus lumborum). Loins (n = 12) were cut into 4 sections and assigned to tumbling at 1, 6 or 11 days post-mortem or non-tumbled control. Upon tumbling, additional ageing was applied to a common post-mortem time of 16 days. In general, tumbling had no considerable impacts on water-holding ability of samples. Tumbling resulted in an immediate decrease in shear force values (WBSF) of beef samples. Tumbling at 1 day post-mortem with no ageing had similar WBSF compared to the non-tumbled controls at 16 days (P > 0.05). With ageing, tumbling increased amounts of protein degradation, myofibrillar fragmentation and calpain-1 autolysis of samples. These results suggest that early post-mortem tumbling coupled with ageing can synergistically impact the tenderness development of beef loins and shorten the necessary ageing period.     

Omega-6支撑身体，Omega-3支撑大脑：均衡摄入对儿童大脑发育的影响（网络首发、推荐阅读）

人体大脑和身体的发育，需要从食物中摄取均衡的营养物质。人类大脑是区分人类和其他动物的特征。食物中的必需脂肪酸是机体组织结构和功能的必要组成部分。Omega-6（O6）亚油酸（LA6）是皮肤组织的组成成分，且是炎症、血栓形成、免疫和其他信号分子的前体；Omega-3（O3）α-亚麻酸（ALA3），特别是其长链代谢产物——二十二碳六烯酸（DHA3），是大脑、视网膜和部分神经组织中的关键组分。从富含LA6脂肪酸（缺乏O3脂肪酸）的植物籽中提取出的廉价而优质油脂，是20世纪的西方国家食品工业生产的主要脂肪来源。在代谢通路中，高浓度的LA6脂肪酸可拮抗O3脂肪酸代谢，造成O3脂肪酸不足，因此，在给怀孕动物的饲料中，只提供富含LA6但缺乏O3脂肪酸的油脂作为唯一的脂肪来源，会导致幼崽大脑发育不良。过去20~30年的研究表明，低含量LA6且含DHA3的油脂可改善大脑的功能。近年来的研究较多集中在营养因素对大脑发育的影响，最新研究数据表明，脂肪酸平衡对营养不良儿童的大脑发育尤为重要。世界卫生组织（WHO）越来越重视大脑的营养健康，通过其下属的食品法典委员会，建议用于治疗严重急性营养不良儿童的即食治疗食品中，使用含有均衡脂肪酸组成/构成的脂肪。同样，脂肪酸均衡对老年人可能也很重要。目前，业界已经有了调整油脂成分的方法，以确保脂肪酸均衡，从而维持人体整个生命周期的大脑健康。     

Extremum Strategies of Approach of Controlled Objects in Dynamic Game Problems with Terminal Payoff Function

Cybernetics and Systems Analysis - The authors propose a method for solving the problem of approach of controlled objects in dynamic game problems with a terminal payoff function. The method is...     

Structural,optical, cytotoxicity,and antimicrobial properties of MgO,ZnO and MgO/ZnO nanocomposite for biomedical applications

In this study, MgO nanoparticles were successfully fabricated and incubated inside ZnO NPs to form MgO/ZnO nanocomposite for biomedical applications. The x-ray diffraction analysis of MgO, ZnO, and MgO/ZnO has shown the single-phase x-ray diffraction patterns through X'pert High score. The crystallite sizes were calculated as 18 nm, 42 nm, and 53 nm, respectively. The average particle size of MgO, ZnO, and MgO/ZnO nanopowders depicted from secondary electron images of field emission electron microscopy were 56 nm, 400 nm, and 450 nm, respectively. The presence of MgO NPs inside ZnO NPs was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The elemental dispersive spectroscopy of MgO, given the peaks of oxygen and magnesium, also showed only zinc and oxygen peaks in ZnO, which confirms no other impurities in MgO and ZnO powders. The elemental analysis of MgO/ZnO nanocomposite showed the peaks of Zinc and Oxygen, along with a tiny peak of Mg. The photoluminescence and UV–vis spectroscopy revealed the absorbance fluorescence limit of the nanomaterials. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the several groups present in the nanocomposite. The biocompatibility of MgO, ZnO, and MgO/ZnO was observed with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The cytotoxicity studies were also performed against human cancer (liver and breast) cell lines. The MgO, ZnO, and MgO/ZnO exhibited the antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.     

ROS-Mediated Anti-Tumor Effect of Coptidis Rhizoma against Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hep3B Cells and Xenografts

Coptidis Rhizoma is the dried rhizome from the Coptis chinensis Franch. that has been shown to have a number of beneficial pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, the anti-cancer effects of Coptidis Rhizoma on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer properties of Coptidis Rhizoma ethanol extract (CR) in HCC Hep3B cells and in a xenograft mouse model. Our results showed that the CR significantly inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in Hep3B cells through increased expression of Bcl-2 associated x-protein (Bax) and cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), reduced expression of Bcl-2, and activated caspases. CR also increased the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which caused a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) and activation of the mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Moreover, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS inhibitor, markedly blocked the effects of CR on apoptotic pathways. CR also induced the expression of light chain 3 (LC3)-I/II, a key autophagy regulator, whereas CR-mediated autophagy was significantly suppressed by NAC. In addition, pre-treatment with NAC perfectly attenuated the inhibition of cell invasion and migration of CR-stimulated Hep3B cells. Furthermore, oral administration of CR suppressed Hep3B tumor growth in xenograft mice without toxicity, alterations to body weight, or changes in hematological and biochemical profiles. Taken together, our findings suggest that CR has anti-tumor effects that result from ROS generation, and may be a potential pharmacological intervention for HCC.     

Comparative Study of Electrodeposited Zn and Zn–Ni Alloy Coatings for Improved Corrosion Protection in Chloride Medium

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - The anti-corrosive Zn and Zn–Ni alloy coatings were electrodeposited on different copper substrates using an optimized sulphate...