Porous agarose/Gd-hydroxyapatite composite bone fillers with promoted osteogenesis and antibacterial activity

Artificial bone fillers are essentially required for repairing bone defects, and developing the fillers with synergistic biocompatibility and anti-bacterial activity persists as one of the critical challenges. In this work, a new agarose/gadolinium-doped hydroxyapatite filler with three-dimensional porous structures was fabricated. For the composite filler, agarose provides three-dimensional skeleton and endows porosity, workability, and high specific surface area, hydroxyapatite (HA) offers the biocompatibility, and the rare earth element gadolinium (Gd) acts as the antibacterial agent. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy detection showed the doping of Gd in HA lattice with the formation of Gd-HA interstitial solid solution. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy imaging suggested chemical interactions between agarose and Gd-HA, and the physical structure of agarose was tuned by the Gd-doped HA. Cytotoxicity testing and alizarin red staining experiments using mouse pro-osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) revealed remarkable bioactivity and osteogenic properties of the composite fillers, and proliferation and growth rates of the cells increased in proportion to Gd content in the composites. Antibacterial testing using the gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and the gram-negative bacteria E. coli indicated promising antibacterial properties of the fillers. Meanwhile, the antibacterial properties of composite filles were enhanced with the increase of Gd content. The antibacterial fillers with porous structure and excellent physicomechanical properties show inspiring potential for bone defect repair.     

基于多通道的ICU脑血管疾病死亡风险预测模型

死亡风险预测指根据病人临床体征监测数据来预测未来一段时间的死亡风险。对于ICU病患，通过死亡风险预测可以有针对性地对病人做出临床诊断，以及合理安排有限的医疗资源。基于临床使用的MEWS和Glasgow昏迷评分量表，针对ICU病人临床监测的17项生理参数，提出一种基于多通道的ICU脑血管疾病死亡风险预测模型。引入多通道概念应用于BiLSTM模型，用于突出每个生理参数对死亡风险预测的作用。采用Attention机制用于提高模型预测精度。实验数据来自MIMIC [Ⅲ]数据库，从中提取3?080位脑血管疾病患者的16?260条记录用于此次研究，除了六组超参数实验之外，将所提模型与LSTM、Multichannel-BiLSTM、逻辑回归（logistic regression）和支持向量机（support vector machine, SVM）四种模型进行了对比分析，准确率Accuracy、灵敏度Sensitive、特异性Specificity、AUC-ROC和AUC-PRC作为评价指标，实验结果表明，所提模型性能优于其他模型，AUC值达到94.3%。     

Synthesis and characterization of G/TiO1.80 bulk composite thermoelectric material under high temperature and high pressure

The primary purpose of this work is to introduce the second phase of graphene (G) into non-stoichiometric TiO_1.80 successfully and optimize the thermoelectric properties of this composite material through high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) technology. The purpose of doping Ti powder under high pressure is to create a closed reducing atmosphere to change the ratio of titanium to oxygen in the titanium oxide base. The addition of graphene can considerably improve the electrical properties of the material and reduce its resistivity. An X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope were used to analyze and characterize the phase structure, chemical bond, micro morphology and crystal morphology of the samples. An abundance of grain boundaries and lattice dislocation defects can inhibit the lattice thermal conductivity. We also tested and analyzed the thermoelectric performance of the high-temperature and high-pressure synthetic samples through a variable temperature system. The variation of the absorption intensity of the ultraviolet UV spectrum with wavelength shows that high pressure can reduce the band gap, which is beneficial to the carrier transition and improves the conductivity of semiconductors. HPHT optimizes both the electrical and the thermal parameters of the sample. At a final sintering pressure of 5.0 GPa, the dimensionless figure of merit (zT) of the bulk composite material G/TiO_1.80 was found to be 0.23 at 700 °C.     

Controllable preparation of porous ZrB2–SiC ceramics via using KCl space holders

In this work, a novel and facile technique based on using KCl as space holders, along with partial sintering (at 1900 °C for 30 min), was explored to prepare porous ZrB₂–SiC ceramics with controllable pore structure, tunable compressive strength and thermal conductivity. The as-prepared porous ZrB₂–SiC samples possess high porosity of 45–67%, low average pore size of 3–7 μm, high compressive strength of 32–106 MPa, and low room temperature thermal conductivity of 13–34 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹. The porosity, pore structure, compressive strength and thermal conductivity of porous ZrB₂–SiC ceramics can be tuned simply by changing KCl content and its particle size. The effect of porosity and pore structure on the thermal conductivity of as-prepared porous ZrB₂–SiC ceramics was examined and found to be consistent with the classical model for porous materials. The poring mechanism of porous ZrB₂–SiC samples via adding pore-forming agent combined with partial sintering was also preliminary illustrated.     

Effects of Z-value on physicochemical and biological properties of β-SiAlONs ceramics

This study evaluated the effects of different Z-values on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of β-SiAlON ceramics. Increasing the Z-value of the β-Si₃N₄ solid solution's main phase resulted in the replacement of Si–N bonds with Al–O bonds. The number of columnar crystals decreased, bulk density increased, and porosity decreased, thus transforming the fine-particle microstructure of β-Si₃N₄ into the columnar structure of β-SiAlON. The compressive strength increased, which facilitated sintering at 1500 °C without sintering auxiliaries. H⁺ and OH⁻ ions in deionized water broke the covalent bonds on the β-SiAlON surface, thereby forming new Si–OH, Al–OH, and N–H bonds on the β-SiAlON surface and producing SiO₄⁴⁻, AlO₂⁻, and NH₄⁺ groups in the solution. Increasing the soaking time changed the compositions of ionized H⁺ and OH⁻ ions, thus increasing the pH. MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on the β-SiAlON surface, and it was observed that the increase in the Z-value of β-SiAlON had no influence on cell adhesion and spreading, but it may slightly suppress cell proliferation at high Z-values. At low Z-values, the low AlO₂⁻ concentration helps promote osteogenic differentiation and mineralized nodule formation. Thus, β-SiAlON ceramics possess excellent physical, chemical, and biological properties and are considered excellent bone-repairing materials.     

线性富磷化阻燃剂在聚氨酯泡沫中的应用研究

通过界面聚合法合成了一种线性富磷化阻燃剂（LPRFR），将LPRFR与可膨胀石墨（EG）复配制备了阻燃聚氨酯泡沫（RPUF），使用红外光谱分析仪、核磁共振分析仪对阻燃剂LPRFR的化学结构进行了表征，并通过极限氧指数仪、锥形量热仪、扫描电子显微镜和红外光谱分析仪对RPUF的燃烧性能、微观形貌和化学结构进行了分析。结果表明，仅10 %（质量分数，下同）的LPRFR 与8 %EG复配后，RPUF的极限氧指数（LOI）便达到26.1 %；LPRFR和EG能大幅降低RPUF的热释放速率，并提高基体的成炭能力； LPRFR参与了燃烧过程中的成炭反应，形成了含P—O—C及P=O结构的高质量炭层，有效隔绝了氧气和热量；LPRFR是一种对于聚氨酯泡沫阻燃性能优异的新型阻燃剂。     

Facile one pot sonochemical synthesis of CoFe2O4/MWCNTs hybrids with well-dispersed MWCNTs for asymmetric hybrid supercapacitor applications

In this study, a facile sonochemical strategy is used for the fabrication of CoFe₂O₄/MWCNTs hybrids as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications. FE-SEM image demonstrates the uniformly well-distributed MWCNTs as well as porous structures in the prepared CoFe₂O₄/MWCNTs hybrids, suggesting 3D network formation of conductive pathway, which can enhance the charge and mass transport properties between the electrodes and electrolytes during the faradic redox reactions. The as-fabricated CoFe₂O₄/MWCNTs hybrids with the MWCNTs concentration of 15 mg (CFC15) delivers maximum specific capacitance of 390 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 1 mA cm⁻², excellent rate capability (275 F g⁻¹ at 10 mA cm⁻²), and outstanding cycling stability (86.9% capacitance retention after 2000 cycles at 3 mA cm⁻²). Furthermore, the electrochemical performance of the CFC15 is superior to those of pure CoFe₂O₄ and other CoFe₂O₄/MWCNTs hybrids (CFC5, CFC10 and CFC20), indicating well-dispersion MWCNTs and uniform porous structures. Also, as-fabricated asymmetric supercapacitor device using the CoFe₂O₄/MWCNTs hybrids as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode materials shows the outstanding supercapacitive performance (high specific capacitance, superior cycling stability and good rate capability) for energy storage devices. It delivers a capacitance value of 81 F g⁻¹ at 3 mA cm⁻², ca. 92% retention of its initial capacitance value after 2000 charge-discharge cycles and excellent energy density (26.67 W h kg⁻¹) at high power density (~319 W kg⁻¹).     

转向齿扇多向精密成形工艺

为了降低转向齿扇成形载荷、提高成形模具寿命,通过对转向齿扇的结构特点和工艺性分析,结合多向成形金属流动特点,提出了转向齿扇多向精密成形工艺方案。采用有限元模拟软件DEFORM-3D,对转向齿扇多向精密成形过程进行了数值模拟,对其成形过程中的金属流动规律进行了分析并预测成形载荷。结果表明,成形过程中齿扇充填均匀,角隅充填饱满,多向精密成形工艺最大成形载荷比单向闭塞挤压成形载荷降低了29%,成形时间缩短了53%,有利于提高模具的使用寿命。对多向精密成形工艺进行了成形试验,试验成形出的转向齿扇充填饱满,成形载荷与预测载荷基本一致。试验结果表明了该工艺的可行性和实用性。     

Transient liquid phase diffusion process for porous mullite ceramics with excellent mechanical properties

Porous mullite ceramics were fabricated by the transient liquid phase diffusion process, using quartz and fly-ash floating bead (FABA) particles and corundum fines as starting materials. The effects of sintering temperatures on the evolution of phase composition and microstructure, linear shrinkage, porosity and compressive strength of ceramics were investigated. It is found that a large amount of quartz and FABA particles can be transformed into SiO₂-rich liquid phase during the sintering process, and the liquid phase is transient in the Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system, which can accelerate the mullitization rate and promote the growth of mullite grains. A large number of closed pores in the mullite ceramics are formed due to the transient liquid phase diffusion at elevated temperatures. The porous mullite ceramics with high closed porosity (about 30%) and excellent compressive strength (maximum 105?MPa) have been obtained after fried at 1700?°C.