苔藓对大气沉降重金属元素富集作用的研究

利用超热电子活化法（ENAA）、原子吸收法（AAS）和原子荧光法（HG－AFS）测定了采自远郊和浙江西天目山自然保护区4个不同地点12种苔藓中19个重金属元素含量。结果表明，北京地区大气重金属沉降污染程度远高于浙江西天目山地区。与欧洲苔藓中重金属浓度比较，该12种苔藓偏高。经种间校正后的各种苔藓可互相替代作为生物监测器。     

Laser Engineered Net Shape (LENS) Technology for the Repair of Ni-Base Superalloy Turbine Components

The capability of the laser engineered net shape (LENS) process was evaluated for the repair of casting defects and improperly machined holes in gas turbine engine components. Various repair geometries, including indentations, grooves, and through-holes, were used to simulate the actual repair of casting defects and holes in two materials: Alloy 718 and Waspaloy. The influence of LENS parameters, including laser energy density, laser scanning speed, and deposition pattern, on the repair of these defects and holes was studied. Laser surface remelting of the substrate prior to repair was used to remove machining defects and prevent heat-affected zone (HAZ) liquation cracking. Ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation techniques were used as a possible approach for detecting lack-of-fusion in repairs. Overall, Alloy 718 exhibited excellent repair weldability, with essentially no defects except for some minor porosity in repairs representative of deep through-holes and simulated large area casting defects. In contrast, cracking was initially observed during simulated repair of Waspaloy. Both solidification cracking and HAZ liquation cracking were observed in the repairs, especially under conditions of high heat input (high laser power and/or low scanning speed). For Waspaloy, the degree of cracking was significantly reduced and, in most cases, completely eliminated by the combination of low laser energy density and relatively high laser scanning speeds. It was found that through-hole repairs of Waspaloy made using a fine powder size exhibited excellent repair weldability and were crack-free relative to repairs using coarser powder. Simulated deep (7.4 mm) blind-hole repairs, representative of an actual Waspaloy combustor case, were successfully produced by the combination use of fine powder and relatively high laser scanning speeds.     

Lipid nanoparticles based on omega-3 fatty acids as effective carriers for lutein delivery. Preparation and in vitro characterization studies

This study aimed at exploring the behavior of fish oil enriched with ω-3 fatty acids in order to obtain stable lipid nanocarriers (NLCs) with improved characteristics as effective delivery systems for lutein. The particle size of optimized lutein-NLCs was below 200 nm. The less ordered arrangement of lipid core revealed by scanning calorimetry and the high entrapment efficiency of 88.5% clearly indicated the appropriate role of fish oil in obtaining effective lipid nanocarriers. The evaluation of in vitro antioxidant activity has demonstrated a significant blocking effect of NLCs, scavenging up to 98% oxygen free radicals. The in vitro release profile has shown that NLCs are able to ensure a better, in vitro sustained release of lutein as compared to conventional nanoemulsions.     

Interaction of silicon-based quantum dots with gibel carp liver: oxidative and structural modifications

Quantum dots (QDs) interaction with living organisms is of central interest due to their various biological and medical applications. One of the most important mechanisms proposed for various silicon nanoparticle-mediated toxicity is oxidative stress. We investigated the basic processes of cellular damage by oxidative stress and tissue injury following QD accumulation in the gibel carp liver after intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of 2 mg/kg body weight Si/SiO₂ QDs after 1, 3, and 7 days from their administration.QDs gradual accumulation was highlighted by fluorescence microscopy, and subsequent histological changes in the hepatic tissue were noted. After 1 and 3 days, QD-treated fish showed an increased number of macrophage clusters and fibrosis, while hepatocyte basophilia and isolated hepatolytic microlesions were observed only after substantial QDs accumulation in the liver parenchyma, at 7 days after IP injection.Induction of oxidative stress in fish liver was revealed by the formation of malondialdehyde and advanced oxidation protein products, as well as a decrease in protein thiol groups and reduced glutathione levels. The liver enzymatic antioxidant defense was modulated to maintain the redox status in response to the changes initiated by Si/SiO₂ QDs. So, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were upregulated starting from the first day after injection, while the activity of superoxide dismutase increased only after 7 days. The oxidative damage that still occurred may impair the activity of more sensitive enzymes. A significant inhibition in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione-S-transferase activity was noted, while glutathione reductase remained unaltered.Taking into account that the reduced glutathione level had a deep decline and the level of lipid peroxidation products remained highly increased in the time interval we studied, it appears that the liver antioxidant defense of Carassius gibelio does not counteract the oxidative stress induced 7 days after silicon-based QDs exposure in an efficient manner.     

Improved structured light 3D scanner with application to anthropometric parameter estimation

Obtaining accurate anthropometric body segment parameters in a fast and reliable manner is an essential step in biomechanical analysis of human motion. With advance of computer vision, and reduction in cost of electronic components, building a customized computer-vision based measurement device becomes possible. In the paper a novel structured light pattern for 3D structured light scanner is proposed. During development, accuracy and robustness of the proposed system were tested on artificial objects with known surface configurations, after which measurements were performed on human subjects. Simultaneous measurements with standard structured light pattern were achieved and obtained results compared. Volumetric parameters of both artificial object and human body segment obtained by 3D scanning were compared to the immersion method and were found to be in a good agreement and were used for segment mass estimation. Obtained results are presented and analyzed, and conclusions about system performance with possible improvements are discussed.     

Gallium-Suboxide Attack of Stainless Steel and Nickel Alloys at 800–1200°C

Failure of furnace parts composed of stainless steel or nickel-base alloys has been observed following treatment of gallium-containing compounds at 800 to 1200°C. This work examines the effect of gallium suboxide (Ga₂O) and gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) on the chemical and mechanical properties of 304 SS, 316 SS, and Hastelloy C-276 in an effort to elucidate a failure mechanism. Results indicate that all three materials are subject to attack by gallium compounds. Elemental segregation, oxidation, and Ga uptake all occur following exposure. Ga₂O gas appears to play the dominant role in alloy attack under reducing conditions. Increasing temperature is shown to increase the magnitude of attack, as measured by oxide thickness and gallium-metal uptake. Calculations of the system thermodynamics suggest that Cr, Mn, Si, and V alloying components are responsible for metal oxidation and concurrent gallium absorption. A homogeneous, large (>30 wt.%) gallium uptake resulted in brittle failure of 304 SS. Therefore, exposure to gallium compounds can result in premature failure of iron- and nickel-base structural alloys.     

附生苔藓对大气中重金属元素的生物富集中子活化方法研究

苔藓生物监测器对重金属的特征富集能够反映出大气沉降中的重金属污染程度 ,利用中子活化法的多元素同时分析技术测定苔藓植物体内的元素含量时 ,样品的均一性十分关键。利用新型陶瓷纤维马弗炉的快速灰化方法 ,可以高效地解决这一问题。同时 ,灰化样品大大减少了样品的体积 ,节省了照射孔道空间 ,避免了其它元素的污染。通过协作实验室的方法对比 ,同种苔藓的两组测定结果表明灰化样品没有造成元素的损失。     

Effects of Substrate Relaxation on Adsorption in Pores

Fluids in porous media are commonly studied with analytical or simulation methods, usually assuming that the host medium is rigid. By evaluating the substrate’s response (relaxation) to the presence of the fluid we assess the error inherent in that assumption. One application is a determination of the ground state of ³He in slit and cylindrical pores. With the relaxation, there results a much stronger cohesion than would be found for a rigid host. Similar increased binding effects of relaxation are found for classical fluids confined within slit pores or nanotube bundles.     

Depth Discontinuities by Pixel-to-Pixel Stereo

An algorithm to detect depth discontinuities from a stereo pair of images is presented. The algorithm matches individual pixels in corresponding scanline pairs, while allowing occluded pixels to remain unmatched, then propagates the information between scanlines by means of a fast postprocessor. The algorithm handles large untextured regions, uses a measure of pixel dissimilarity that is insensitive to image sampling, and prunes bad search nodes to increase the speed of dynamic programming. The computation is relatively fast, taking about 600 nanoseconds per pixel per disparity on a personal computer. Approximate disparity maps and precise depth discontinuities (along both horizontal and vertical boundaries) are shown for several stereo image pairs containing textured, untextured, fronto-parallel, and slanted objects in indoor and outdoor scenes.     

Assessing the Efficiency of Triangular Gold Nanoparticles as NIR Photothermal Agents In Vitro and Melanoma Tumor Model

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is gaining a lot of interest as a cancer treatment option with minimal side effects due to the efficient photothermal agents employed. They are based on nanomaterials that, upon laser irradiation, absorb photon energy and convert it into heat to induce hyperthermia, which destroys the cancer cells. Here, the unique light-to-heat conversion features of three different gold nanotriangular nanoparticles (AuNTs) are evaluated with respect to their absorption properties to select the most efficient nanoheater with the highest potential to operate as an efficient photothermal agent. AuNTs with LSPR response in- and out- of resonance with the 785 nm near-infrared (NIR) excitation wavelength are investigated. Upon 15 min laser exposure, the AuNTs that exhibit a plasmonic response in resonance with the 785 nm laser line show the highest photothermal conversion efficacy of 80%, which correlates with a temperature increase of 22 °C. These photothermal properties are well-preserved in agarose-based skin biological phantoms that mimic the melanoma tumoral tissue and surrounding healthy tissue. Finally, in vitro studies on B16.F10 melanoma cells prove by fluorescence staining and MTT assay that the highest phototoxic effect after NIR laser exposure is induced by AuNTs with LSPR response in resonance with the employed laser line, thus demonstrating their potential implementation as efficient photothermal agents in PTT.