Hydroxyapatite/tricalcium silicate composites cement derived from novel two-step sol-gel process with good biocompatibility and applications as bone cement and potential coating materials

Tricalcium silicate (C₃S) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) composites were fabricated through the sol-gel process. The aim of this research is to improve the biocompatibility of C₃S through HAp addition and study the potential of using this as coating materials. The composites (HAp/C₃S) were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, thermal gravity-differential thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction. The working and setting times of cement pastes were tested using Gillmore needle. Mechanical properties were examined by nanoindentation and material testing system. In vitro biocompatibility of the materials were studied by cell attachment and viability of L929 and MG-63 cells. HAp/C₃S as a coating material on gelatin film were measured with the surface roughness and imaged by scanning electron microscope. With the addition of HAp, no undesirable free CaO was detected with the synthesis by the sol-gel preparation. The pH values of HAp added groups were between 7.54 and 8.76, which were much lower than pure C₃S group (pH?=?11.75). For in vitro studies, the presence of HAp could effectively enhance the cell attachment and viability of both L929 and MG-63 cells grown in the extract or directly on the composites. However, the mechanical properties of the composites were impaired as compared to pure C₃S. Lastly, HAp/C₃S cement could be evenly coated on gelatin film. HAp is successfully demonstrated to improve C₃S biocompatibility with this new composites HAp/C₃S. C-75 (75% C₃S and 25% HAp), in particular, has good biocompatibility, relatively high compressive strength and can be uniformly coated onto gelatin film. Thus, C-75 is a promising material for further investigation as a coating on other biopolymers.     

Measurement of solubility and diffusion coefficients of ethylene in solid and molten low-density polyethylene with different melt indices

The diffusion behavior of ethylene in polyethylene is of great importance for the polymerization and degassing of polyethylene (PE) industry. Based on the gravimetric sorption and desorption measurement approach, an intelligent gravimetric analyzer is applied to obtain the solubility and diffusion coefficients of ethylene in solid low-density PE (LDPE) with different melt indices at 30°C to 70°C, 0 to 4 atm and in molten LDPE at 160°C to 230°C, 0 to 4 atm, respectively. Results indicate that both the solubility and diffusion coefficients of ethylene in solid LDPE are smaller than those in molten LDPE, while the dissolution enthalpy and diffusion activation energy of ethylene in solid LDPE are higher. In addition, one- and two-dimensional diffusion models are built and the effects of particle size, polymer properties, and operation conditions are systematically investigated on the diffusion behaviors of ethylene in solid and molten LDPE.     

A new perspective of co-doping and Nd segregation effect on proton stability and transportation in Y and Nd co-doped BaCeO3

Bulk and surface properties of proton stability and transportation in Y and Nd co-doped BaCeO₃ (BCYN), especially the effect of Nd segregation, were investigated by first-principles calculations. Since the structure of doped BaCeO₃ at the operating temperature of proton-conducting has been unclear for a long time, we have summarized the latest experimental results and calculated the structure of the asymmetric BCYN for the first time. The results show that compared with Y, Nd doping promotes oxygen vacancy formation, however reduces proton stability. Our calculation can also provide a possible explanation for the formation of space charge layer at the grain boundary of doped BaCeO₃ in experiment. Unlike the stable Y in BCYN, Nd is calculated to be easily segregated, which can facilitate both proton hydration and proton transportation near the surface. Moreover, Nd segregation at the grain boundary is predicted to be beneficial for proton transportation between grains.     

Microstructural and electrical changes in Ca0.9R0.1CeNbMoO8 (R = Y,Sm, Nd,La) ceramics induced by rare-earth ion doping

Rare-earth ions doped Ca_0.9R_0.1CeNbMoO₈ (R = Y, Sm, Nd, La) ceramics have been successfully prepared by solid-state method, and their modifications to the microstructure and electrical properties are also investigated. The rare-earth ions doped ceramics exhibit the scheelite structure. With the increase in the radius of rare-earth ions, the lattice distortion and bond interaction will be enhanced, and the consistency of grain size will be reduced. The ceramics exhibit negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor characteristics in the temperature range of 473 K-1273 K, and the activation energy decreases with the increase of the radius of rare-earth ions. Rare-earth ions doping can increase the content of Ce³⁺ ions and promote the conductivity of ceramics. Except for Sm³⁺-doped ceramics, the high-temperature aging rate of other ceramics is less than 2%. The existence of some metastable Sm²⁺ ions in Sm³⁺-doped ceramics not only increases the activation energy, but also reduces the high-temperature stability of the ceramics.     

Prediction of methane adsorption content in continental coal-bearing shale reservoir using SLD model

Shale gas, as an important unconventional resource, has drawn global attention. It is mainly composed of adsorption gas and free gas. Adsorption gas content could play an important guiding role on both the selection of favorable perspective area and the exploration and exploitation of shale gas resources. In order to accurately measure adsorption gas content, a new approach was established to predict the adsorption isotherm of methane on shale. Based on the simplified local-density (SLD) method, both the adsorption isotherms of illite, illite/smectite mixed-layer, cholorite and type III kerogen and the total shale rock could be well fitted. The fitting results show good coincidences with the true experimental test data, which proves the method is reasonable and dependable and the prediction results are effective and credible. In addition, the good simulation results show that the SLD parameters can reflect the pore structure characteristics and corresponding adsorption characteristics of the shale samples, which can be used for the quantitative characterization of shale pore system.     

A lightweight autonomous MAV for indoor search and rescue

Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) have great potentials to be applied for indoor search and rescue missions. In this paper, we propose a modular lightweight design of an autonomous MAV with integrated hardware and software. The MAV is equipped with the 2D laser scanner, camera, mission computer and flight controller, running all the computation onboard in real time. The onboard perception system includes a laser‐based SLAM module and a custom‐designed visual detection module. A dual Kalman filter design provides robust state estimation by multiple sensor fusion. Specifically, the fusion module provides robust altitude measurement in the circumstance of surface changing. In addition, indoor‐outdoor transition is explicitly handled by the fusion module. In order to efficiently navigate through obstacles and adapt to multiple tasks, a task tree‐based mission planning method is seamlessly integrated with path planning and control modules. The MAV is capable of searching and rescuing victims from unknown indoor environments effectively. It was validated by our award‐winning performance at the 2017 International Micro Air Vehicle Competition (IMAV 2017), held in Toulouse, France. The performance video is available on https://youtu.be/8H19ppS_VXM .     

The effect of charge on the dihydrogen storage capacity of Sc2–C6H6

The effect of charge on the dihydrogen storage capacity of Sc₂–C₆H₆ has been investigated at B3LYP-D3/6-311G(d,p) level. The neutral system Sc₂–C₆H₆ can store 8H₂ with gravimetric density of 8.76 wt %, and one H₂ dissociates and bonds atomically on the scandium atom. The adsorption of 8H₂ on Sc₂–C₆H₆ is energetically favorable below 155 K. The atom-centered density matrix propagation (ADMP) molecular dynamics simulations show that Sc₂–C₆H₆ can adsorb 3H₂ within 1000 fs at 300K. Compared with Sc₂–C₆H₆, the charged systems can adsorb more hydrogen molecules with higher gravimetric density, and all the H₂ are adsorbed in the molecular form. The gravimetric densities of Sc₂–C₆H₆⁺ and Sc₂–C₆H₆²⁺ are 9.75 and 10.71 wt%. Moreover, the maximum adsorption of charged systems are favorable in wider temperature range. Most importantly, the ADMP-MD simulations indicate that Sc₂–C₆H₆²⁺ can adsorb 6 hydrogen molecules within 1000 fs at 300K. It can be found that the gravimetric density (6.72 wt%) of Sc₂–C₆H₆²⁺ still exceeds the target of US Department of Energy (DOE) under ambient conditions.     

Indoor solid fuel use for heating and cooking with blood pressure and hypertension: A cross-sectional study among middle-aged and older adults in China

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the impact of solid fuel use for heating and cooking on blood pressure (BP) and hypertension, using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The primary fuels used for indoor heating and cooking were collected by questionnaires, respectively. Hypertension was defined based on self-report of physician's diagnosis, and/or measured BP, and/or anti-hypertensive medication use. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to assess the associations. Among 10 450 eligible participants, 68.2% and 57.2% used indoor solid fuel for heating and cooking, respectively. Compared with none/clean fuel users, solid fuel for heating was associated with elevated BP (adjusted β: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.04–3.01 for systolic BP; adjusted β: 1.36, 95% CI: 0.78–1.94 for diastolic BP) and increased risk of hypertension (adjusted odds ratio: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.03–1.29). The impact of indoor solid fuel for heating on BP was more evident in rural and north residents, and hypertensive patients. We did not detect any significant associations between solid fuel use for cooking and BP/hypertension. Indoor solid fuel use is prevalent in China, especially in the rural areas. Its negative impact on BP suggested that modernization of household fuel use may help to reduce the burden of hypertension in China.