Improved Stable Indocyanine Green (ICG)‐Mediated Cancer Optotheranostics with Naturalized Hepatitis B Core Particles

In recent years, hepatitis B core protein virus‐like particle (HBc VLP) is an impressive biomaterial, which has attracted considerable attention due to favorable properties such as structural stability, high uptake efficiency, and biocompatibility in biomedical applications. Heretofore, only a few attempts have been made to apply it in physical, chemical, and biological therapy for cancer. In this study, a tumor‐targeting RGD‐HBc VLP is first fabricated through genetic engineering. For image‐guided cancer phototherapy, indocyanine green (ICG) is loaded into RGD‐HBc VLP via a disassembly/reassembly pathway and electrostatic attraction with high efficiency. The self‐assembled stable RGD‐HBc VLP significantly improves body retention (fourfold longer), aqueous stability, and target specificity of ICG. Remarkably, these positive reformations promote more accurate and sensitive imaging of U87MG tumor, as well as prolonged tumor destruction in comparison with free ICG. Moreover, the photothermal and photodynamic effect on tumors are quantitatively differentiated by multiple linear regression analysis. Overall, less‐potent medicinal ICG can be perfectly rescued by bioengineered HBc VLP to realize enhanced cancer optotheranostics.     

电爆喷涂粒子的约束调控机制及对沉积行为的影响

采用对喷涂粒子进行槽内约束的电爆喷涂方法,研究了喷涂粒子在垂直槽中的约束调控机制及其沉积行为。结果表明:约束深度达20mm时,即喷涂距离为丝径的100倍时,仍可获得连续、均匀的涂层。约束宽度从6mm减小至2 mm,涂层表面呈现出由粗糙的"丘壑状"形貌向均匀的"薄饼状"形貌逐渐过渡的演变趋势,且涂层厚度显著提高;能量密度从57 J/mm~3提高至152 J/mm~3,同样可提高涂层厚度并改善涂层均匀性。对喷涂粒子进行收集,发现减小约束宽度和提高能量密度均可有效细化喷涂粒子并使喷涂粒子粒径分布更加均匀。分析认为,由焦耳加热导致的"热膨胀效应"和击穿电弧伴生的"压力效应"共同决定电爆冲击波和喷涂粒子的形成,并随能量密度和约束参数的变化,对喷涂粒子表现出不同的约束调控作用,使其沉积行为产生显著差异。     

复合细化变质多元铝硅合金强化机制的研究

为改善力学性能,采用新型Al-5Ti-1B-1RE中间合金细化剂和Al-10Sr中间合金变质剂对铸态多元铝硅A356铝合金及在铸态A356铝合金中按一定比例添加Cu、Mn、Ti等元素组成的新型铝合金进行复合细化变质处理。采用光学显微镜(OM)、扫描电镜(SEM)及能谱、透射电镜(TEM)和电子式万能试验机(CSS-44100)等技术对多元铝硅合金中的第二相粒子的形态分布特征及强化机制进行分析。结果表明：经复合细化变质处理的A356铝合金中的第二相粒子共晶硅相由粗大的片层状转变为典型的纤维状,在软韧相α-Al基体晶界处较均匀的析出,α-Al相晶粒尺寸显著变小,其强化机制主要是第二相粒子共晶硅Hall-Petch晶界细晶强化；在新型铝合金中除第二相粒子共晶硅外,还存在其它较弥散分布在晶界或晶内的第二相强化粒子,多种强化机制共同起作用,当分布在晶界上时,主要是Hall-Petch强化机制；当分布在晶内时,主要是Orowan强化机制,成为阻碍位错运动的有效障碍,起到强化作用。     

Fluidization of spherical versus elongated particles: Experimental investigation using magnetic particle tracking

In biomass processing fluidized beds are used to process granular materials where particles typically possess elongated shapes. However, for simplicity, in computer simulations particles are often considered spherical, even though elongated particles experience more complex particle– particle interactions as well as different hydrodynamic forces. The exact effect of these more complex interactions in dense fluidized suspensions is still not well understood. In this study we use the magnetic particle tracking technique to compare the fluidization behavior of spherical particles to that of elongated particles. We found a considerable difference between fluidization behavior of spherical versus elongated particles in the time-averaged particle velocity field as well as in the time-averaged particle rotational velocity profile. Moreover, we studied the effect of fluid velocity and the particle's aspect ratio on the particle's preferred orientation in different parts of the bed, which provides new insight in the fluidization behavior of elongated particles.     

Comparison of solid particle erosion predictions using the dense discrete phase and discrete element models

A numerical procedure involving the dense discrete phase model (DDPM) is used to calculate solid particle erosion. DDPM works in two mechanisms. First, the discrete particles are treated as a pseudofluid, and the interaction among particles is evaluated by solving the governing equations of the pseudofluid. Second, the equivalent pressure of the pseudofluid is applied to a single particle to reflect the blocking effect of high-concentration particles. The numerical procedure is well verified by comparison with the experimental data picked from a direct impact test. In addition, the DDPM predictions are compared with the discrete element model (DEM) predictions in detail. Both methods show that the predicted mass loss caused by sand per unit mass decreases with an increase in sand concentration. DDPM indirectly considers the influence of particle interactions on solid particle erosion, and the predicted erosion contours are more uniform and smoother than the DEM-predicted contours.     

Forced convective heat transfer between assemblages of spherical particles and power‐law non‐Newtonian liquids with velocity slip at the interface

Heat transfer from spheres can be influenced by a varying degree of slip at the fluid‐particle interface along with the rheology of the surrounding continuous liquid and adjacent spheres. Thus in this study, the effects of dimensionless velocity slip parameter (λ) along with power‐law fluid rheology and other pertinent kinematic flow and heat transfer parameters on isotherm contours, local and average Nusselt numbers of assemblages of spherical slip particles are presented. This is done by adopting a segregated approach where dimensionless momentum and energy equations are solved by SMAC algorithm formulated in spherical coordinates within the finite difference formulation. Before obtaining new results, grid independence studies for either extreme values of power‐law consistency index of non‐Newtonian fluids are carried out. Finally, the major contribution of this study is the development of a correlative equation for the average Nusselt number of assemblages of spherical slip particles in power‐law fluids based on the present results (5880 data points) as a function of pertinent dimensionless parameters.     

Preparation and investigation of pulse co-deposited duplex nanoparticles reinforced Ni-Mo coatings under different electrodeposition parameters

In this work, Ni–Mo–SiC–TiN nanocomposite coatings were deposited on aluminium alloy by pulse electrodeposition with various electrodeposition parameters. The influences of the pulse frequency and duty cycle on the phase structure, morphology, mechanical and corrosion performance of the coatings were systematically investigated. The results showed that with increasing pulse frequency and decreasing duty cycle, the content of embedded duplex nanoparticles increased, and the grains refined gradually. The nanocomposite coating that was prepared at 20% duty cycle and 1000 Hz pulse frequency exhibited compact, uniform, and fine microstructures with the maximum incorporation of nanoparticles (6.81 wt% TiN and 1.72 wt% SiC). The wear rate and average friction coefficient then declined to 4.812 × 10^?4 mm³/N·m and 0.13, respectively, with a maximum microhardness of 519 HV. Simultaneously, the corrosion current density was reduced to 3.11 μA/cm², and a maximum impedance of 34888 Ω cm² was exhibited. The uniformly distributed duplex nanoparticles acted as a hindrance, which consequently supported the enhancement of corrosion and wear resistance. By investigating the variation of the pulse diffusion layer with electrical parameters, it was discovered that when the crystallite size is equivalent to or smaller than the diffusion layer thickness, it would be easier to cross the diffusion layer to incorporate in the coating. Additionally, the effects of various duty cycles and pulse frequencies on the nucleation process of the grains were discussed.     

Gas‐phase removal of indoor volatile organic compounds and airborne microorganisms over mono‐ and bimetal‐modified (Pt,Cu, Ag) titanium(IV) oxide nanocomposites

The photocatalytic deactivation of volatile organic compounds and mold fungi using TiO₂ modified with mono‐ and bimetallic (Pt, Cu, Ag) particles is reported in this study. The mono‐ and bimetal‐modified (Pt, Cu, Ag) titanium(IV) oxide photocatalysts were prepared by chemical reduction method and characterized using XRD, XPS, DR/UV‐Vis, BET, and TEM analysis. The effect of incident light, type and content of mono‐ and bimetallic nanoparticles deposited on titanium(IV) oxide was studied. Photocatalytic activity of as‐prepared nanocomposites was examined in the gas phase using LEDs array. High photocatalytic activity of Ag/Pt‐TiO₂ and Cu/Pt‐TiO₂ in the reaction of toluene degradation resulted from improved efficiency of interfacial charge transfer process, which was consistent with the fluorescence quenching effect revealed by photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra. The photocatalytic deactivation of Penicillium chrysogenum, a pathogenic fungi present in the indoor environment, especially in a damp or water‐damaged building using mono‐ and bimetal‐modified (Pt, Cu, Ag) titanium(IV) oxide was evaluated for the first time. TiO₂ modified with mono‐ and bimetallic NPs of Ag/Pt, Cu, and Ag deposited on TiO₂ exhibited improved fungicidal activity under LEDs illumination than pure TiO₂.     

Influence of addition of nanosize barium cerate on the microstructure and properties of top-seeded melt growth YBCO bulk superconductors

Barium cerate (BaCeO₃) is one of the possible additions to bulk YBa₂Cu₃O₇ single-grain superconductors to suppress the growth of Y₂BaCuO₅ (Y211) particles. This paper investigates the synthesis of barium cerate powder and its use in YBa₂Cu₃O₇ bulk superconductors. Crystalline barium cerate was synthesized by solid-state reaction, by co-precipitation of oxalates and by sol-gel method. Final calcination was held in air or in vacuum. It is shown that the most efficient in refining Y211 is nanocrystalline barium cerate prepared by sol-gel method calcined in vacuum. The effective refinement of Y211 particles occurred over the entire interval of nanocrystalline BaCeO₃ addition from 0.38 to 1.90 wt%. The optimal concentration of nanosize barium cerate was determined, microstructure and superconducting properties were characterized. The effect of Y211 content on trapped field in YBCO bulks with addition of nanocrystalline barium cerate is shown.     

Novel preparation approach with a 2-step process for spherical particles with high drug loading and controlled size distribution using melt granulation: MALCORE®

A novel approach for preparing drug-containing particles (DCPs) with controlled size distribution and high drug loading was developed using melt granulation. This approach comprises two steps. First, melting component adsorbed particles (MAs) were prepared by mixing and heating the melting components with a porous carrier using a high shear granulator. Second, DCPs were prepared by layering the drug on MAs using a fluidized bed rotor granulator. The time taken for both steps was within 30 min. Adding the polymer in the second step remarkably increased the viscosity of the mixture of melting components and the polymer. Therefore, DCPs could be successfully loaded with a high amount of drug (70% w/w). The particle size distribution of the DCPs was narrow, and it depended on that of the MAs. The flowability of the DCPs was excellent, and the sphericity was close to 1. A unique particle formulation mechanism was suggested based on the observation of DCPs using scanning electron microscopy. The manufacturing time and DCP characteristics were not affected by the manufacturing scale. In conclusion, we have successfully developed a highly efficient novel approach for preparing optimal DCPs through melt granulation, named “Melt Adsorption and Layering with Porosity Core” (MALCORE®).