An experimental approach towards increasing mechanical durability of extruded fish feed in the drying process

Mechanical durability of extruded fish feed must be optimized to lower economic losses as well as emission of organic matter to aquatic environments. The glass transition hypothesis for viscoelastic biopolymers is demonstrated and confirmed experimentally to be valid for extruded fish feed pellets. It is proposed and demonstrated that it is important to avoid early glass transition onset, to optimize the obtained mechanical durability. From the proposed glass transition hypothesis, immediate process relevance to the pre-drying transport mechanism is demonstrated. Furthermore, measured mechanical durability is found to range from 1.5 to 5.0% loss, for different combinations of drying parameters.     

How Cells Communicate with Each Other in the Tumor Microenvironment: Suggestions to Design Novel Therapeutic Strategies in Cancer Disease

Connexin- and pannexin (Panx)-formed hemichannels (HCs) and gap junctions (GJs) operate an interaction with the extracellular matrix and GJ intercellular communication (GJIC), and on account of this they are involved in cancer onset and progression towards invasiveness and metastatization. When we deal with cancer, it is not correct to omit the immune system, as well as neglecting its role in resisting or succumbing to formation and progression of incipient neoplasia until the formation of micrometastasis, nevertheless what really occurs in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which are the main players and which are the tumor or body allies, is still unclear. The goal of this article is to discuss how the pivotal players act, which can enhance or contrast cancer progression during two important process: “Activating Invasion and Metastasis” and the “Avoiding Immune Destruction”, with a particular emphasis on the interplay among GJIC, Panx-HCs, and the purinergic system in the TME without disregarding the inflammasome and cytokines thereof derived. In particular, the complex and contrasting roles of Panx1/P2X7R signalosome in tumor facilitation and/or inhibition is discussed in regard to the early/late phases of the carcinogenesis. Finally, considering this complex interplay in the TME between cancer cells, stromal cells, immune cells, and focusing on their means of communication, we should be capable of revealing harmful messages that help the cancer growth and transform them in body allies, thus designing novel therapeutic strategies to fight cancer in a personalized manner.     

Phase structure analysis and pyroelectric energy harvesting performance of Ba(HfxTi1-x)O3 ceramics

Ba(Ti_1-xHf_x)O₃ ceramics were synthesized by a solid-state reaction process. The evolution of the phase structure was identified by XRD spectrum, dielectric spectroscopy, and temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy for the Ba(Ti_1-xHf_x)O₃ ceramics. In addition, pyroelectric energy harvesting properties based on the Olsen cycle were investigated for the first time. A maximum pyroelectric energy harvesting density value of N_D = 491.30 kJ/m³ (ΔT = 120°C, E_H = 50 kV/cm) was achieved in the Ba(Hf_0.05Ti_0.95)O₃ ceramic. Compared with those of BT, the values of N_D more than doubled in the temperature range from ΔT = 60°C to ΔT = 100°C in the Ba(Hf_0.05Ti_0.95)O₃ ceramic and even increased 3.2 times at ΔT = 80°C near the Curie temperature (T_C) of the Ba(Hf_0.05Ti_0.95)O₃ sample. In addition, a larger pyroelectric energy harvesting density value of N_D = 367.10 kJ/m³ (ΔT = 120°C, E_H = 50 kV/cm) was acquired in the Ba(Hf_0.12Ti_0.88)O₃ ceramic. Values of N_D-BHT5/N_D-BT and N_D-BHT12/N_D-BT were analyzed in the Ba(Ti_1-xHf_x)O₃ ceramics. The optimal pyroelectric properties can be obtained in the vicinity of the ferroelectric to paraelectric phase-transition region.     

Hydrolysis-resistant polyurethane elastomers synthesized from hydrophobic bio-based polyfarnesene diol

Hydrolytic stability is an essential requirement for polyurethanes (PUs) that are used in highly humid and aqueous environments. In this study, hydrolysis-resistant PU elastomers (PUEs) are synthesized based on hydrophobic bio-based polyfarnesene diol (PFD), which contains unique “bottle brushes” structure (with long branched hydrocarbon side chains). The effect of hard segment (HS) content, ranging from 30 to 50%, on the morphology and properties of PUEs is investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, tensile, water absorption, and contact angle measurements. The results show that there are prominent phase separations in the synthesized PUEs. The PUEs show a three-stage degradation process and two T_g, one is at about −66 °C and the other 61 °C, which are related to the soft segment and HS, respectively. Water contact angles of PUEs increase from 98.6 to 105.2° with the increasing of PFD structural unit fraction. After being immersed in deionized water for 30 days, PUEs show no significant degradation of both tensile strength and elongation at break, and mass changes of all samples are less than 0.5%. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47673.     

5×5棒束通道内流动转捩特性研究

棒束通道的特殊结构导致其内部流动转捩情况较为复杂，探究其内部流动转捩规律具有重要意义。本文针对棒束通道内的流动转捩特性开展实验与CFD模拟研究，通过实验获得了棒束通道内沿程阻力系数的变化规律；采用不同湍流模型进行了数值模拟。结果表明，SST k-ω模型能较好地反映实验结果。进一步对比了不同雷诺数工况下通道内不同位置的沿程阻力系数与湍流强度，发现对于不同子通道，中心子通道湍流强度与沿程阻力系数高于边角子通道；对于同一子通道，子通道中心处湍流强度与壁面切应力高于子通道边缘处。这一结果说明，受壁面影响，棒束内湍流强度、壁面切应力、阻力特性具有不均匀性，这些空间上的不均匀性相互作用会引起总体上棒束转捩点不明显。     

Liquid−liquid structure transition in metallic melt and its impact on solidification: A review

Understanding the nature of liquid structures and properties has always been a hot field in condensed matter physics and metallic materials science. The liquid is not homogeneous and the local structures inside change discontinuously with temperature, pressure, etc. The liquid will experience liquid−liquid structure transition under a certain condition. Liquid−liquid structure transition widely exists in many metals and alloys and plays an important role in the final microstructure and the properties of the solid alloys. This work provides a comprehensive review on this unique structure transition in the metallic liquid together with the recent progress of its impact on the following microstructure and properties after solidification. These effects are discussed by integrating them into different experimental results and theoretical considerations. The application of liquid−liquid structure transition as a strategy to tailor the properties of metals and alloys is proven to be practical and efficient.     

Large piezoelectric coefficient with enhanced thermal stability in Nb5+-doped Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 ceramics

Chemical doping is an indispensable tool to tailor the properties of the commercial piezoelectric materials. However, a high piezoelectric coefficient with enhanced thermal stability is rarely achieved by one dopant in some high-performance ferroelectrics, e.g., the recently discovered eco-friendly (Ba_0.85Ca_0.15)(Zr_0.1Ti_0.9)O₃ (BCZT) ceramics. In order to optimize the piezoelectric property in BCZT system by a simple way, we investigated the doping effect of Fe³⁺, Nb⁵⁺ and Bi³⁺ cations in BCZT ceramics respectively. The results indicate that only Nb⁵⁺-doped BCZT ceramics display a combination of large piezoelectric coefficient and enhanced thermal stability, compared with others. Moreover, the established phase diagrams and in-situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations reveal that such optimized piezoelectric properties after Nb⁵⁺ doping originates from (i) the low polarization anisotropy near the ambient tetragonal (T)-orthorhombic (O) phase transition and (ii) the easy domain wall motion of persistent miniaturized ferroelectric domains upon heating.     

几种多态含能材料构型转变的DFT研究

为了从分子层面上对含能材料不同分子构型间的转变情况有一个直观认识,借助Gaussian 09软件,运用密度泛函理论(DFT),采用TS算法搜寻β-RDX→α-RDX、γ-HMX→β-HMX、ε-CL-20→β-CL-20及β-FOX-7→α-FOX-7在分子构型转变过程中的过渡态结构,确定了它们的构型转变过程;并通过计算吉布斯自由能随构型转变路径的变化,比较多态含能材料分子构型转变的难易程度。结果表明,由亚稳晶型到稳定晶型的转变首先会越过过渡态,克服自由能能垒转变为亚稳态结构,实现β-RDX→α-RDX、γ-HMX→β-HMX、ε-CL-20→β-CL-20及β-FOX-7→α-FOX-7分子构型转变分别需要克服的自由能能垒分别为5.25、22.21、9.69和10.24kJ/mol。因此,常温常压下β-RDX→α-RDX、γ-HMX→β-HMX、ε-CL-20→β-CL-20及β-FOX-7→α-FOX-7构型转变的难度大小排序为:HMX>>FOX-7>CL-20>RDX。