Effect of Specific Acoustic Resistance of the Matching Layer on the Duration of the Pulse Radiated by a Transducer

Based on numerical calculations, changes in the duration of a radiated acoustic pulse due to small deviations in the specific acoustic resistance of the quarter-wave matching layer from the optimum value (from the viewpoint of producing the smallest pulse duration) are studied. We have determined the acceptable range of specific acoustic resistances of the matching layer, in which the duration of a radiated pulse of the particle velocity at the output of a transducer in the form of a piezoelectric plate with a quarter-wave matching layer and different degrees of damping does not increase considerably. These data can be used for rejecting blanks at the early stages of manufacturing transducers.     

Amphiphilic four-helix bundle peptides designed for light-induced electron transfer across a soft interface

A family of four-helix bundle peptides were designed to be amphiphilic, possessing distinct hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains along the length of the bundle's exterior. This facilitates their vectorial insertion across a soft interface between polar and nonpolar media. Their design also now provides for selective incorporation of electron donor and acceptor cofactors within each domain. This allows translation of the designed intramolecular electron transfer along the bundle axis into a macroscopic charge separation across the interface.     

Fire-proof silicate coatings with magnesium-containing fire retardant

A formula for an environmentally friendly and safe fire-proof paint was developed based on a potassium silicate aqueous solution with addition of a magnesium-containing fire retardant. The predominant use in paint of magnesium-containing fire retardant such as hydromagnesite compared to brucite and magnesite was demonstrated. It was established that a paint containing 5.5 wt% of hydromagnesite provides the first group of fire resistance for a wooden surface. The high fire resistance of the paint with this formula is proven by the high intumescence ratio (150%) and low weight losses (8.4%) after tests in a ceramic tube. When the paint is heated, a gradual loss of weight is detected, which is related to the characteristics of the hydromagnesite structure and helps to obtain an effectively foamed protective layer that prevents the diffusion of combustible gases and flame.     

Formation of Silicides and their Influence on the Structure and Properties of Cast Alloys of the Ti–18Nb–xSi System for Biomedical Purposes

Materials Science - We study new biomedical alloys of the Ti–18Nb– x Si system with 0.6–1.2 wt.% Si both in the as-cast state and quenched in water after holding at temperatures...     

Hierarchical Multicomponent Inorganic Metamaterials: Intrinsically Driven Self‐Assembly at the Nanoscale

Increasingly intricate in their composition and structural organization, hierarchical multicomponent metamaterials with nonlinear spatially reconfigurable functionalities challenge the intrinsic constraints of natural materials, revealing tremendous potential for the advancement of biochemistry, nanophotonics, and medicine. Recent breakthroughs in high‐resolution nanofabrication utilizing ultranarrow, precisely controlled ion or laser beams have enabled assembly of architectures of unprecedented structural and functional complexity, yet costly, time‐ and energy‐consuming high‐resolution sequential techniques do not operate effectively at industry‐required scale. Inspired by the fictional Baron Munchausen's fruitless attempt to pull himself up, it is demonstrated that metamaterials can undergo intrinsically driven self‐assembly, metaphorically pulling themselves up into existence. These internal drivers hold a key to unlocking the potential of metamaterials and mapping a new direction for the large‐area, cost‐efficient self‐organized fabrication of practical devices. A systematic exploration of these efforts is presently missing, and the driving forces governing the intrinsically driven self‐assembly are yet to be fully understood. Here, recent progress in the self‐organized formation and self‐propelled growth of complex hierarchical multicomponent metamaterials is reviewed, with emphasis on key principles, salient features, and potential limitations of this family of approaches. Special stress is placed on self‐assembly driven by plasma, current in liquid, ultrasonic, and similar highly energetic effects, which enable self‐directed formation of metamaterials with unique properties and structures.     

Silica nanoparticles inhibit the cation channel TRPV4 in airway epithelial cells

Background

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have numerous beneficial properties and are extensively used in cosmetics and food industries as anti-caking, densifying and hydrophobic agents. However, the increasing exposure levels experienced by the general population and the ability of SiNPs to penetrate cells and tissues have raised concerns about possible toxic effects of this material. Although SiNPs are known to affect the function of the airway epithelium, the molecular targets of these particles remain largely unknown. Given that SiNPs interact with the plasma membrane of epithelial cells we hypothesized that they may affect the function of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), a cation-permeable channel that regulates epithelial barrier function. The main aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of SiNPs on the activation of TRPV4 and to determine whether these alter the positive modulatory action of this channel on the ciliary beat frequency in airway epithelial cells.

Results

Using fluorometric measurements of intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) we found that SiNPs inhibit activation of TRPV4 by the synthetic agonist GSK1016790A in cultured human airway epithelial cells 16HBE and in primary cultured mouse tracheobronchial epithelial cells. Inhibition of TRPV4 by SiNPs was confirmed in intracellular Ca²⁺ imaging and whole-cell patch-clamp experiments performed in HEK293T cells over-expressing this channel. In addition to these effects, SiNPs were found to induce a significant increase in basal [Ca²⁺]_i, but in a TRPV4-independent manner. SiNPs enhanced the activation of the capsaicin receptor TRPV1, demonstrating that these particles have a specific inhibitory action on TRPV4 activation. Finally, we found that SiNPs abrogate the increase in ciliary beat frequency induced by TRPV4 activation in mouse airway epithelial cells.

Conclusions

Our results show that SiNPs inhibit TRPV4 activation, and that this effect may impair the positive modulatory action of the stimulation of this channel on the ciliary function in airway epithelial cells. These findings unveil the cation channel TRPV4 as a primary molecular target of SiNPs.

     

Iterative algorithms for off-axis double-phase computer-generated holograms implemented with phase-only spatial light modulators

Two iterative methods for the calculation of double-phase holograms (DPHs) are described. The calculation of DPHs by any of these methods allows one to qualitatively reconstruct the amplitude and phase of a wavefront on a format up to 50% of the spatial size of a reconstruction order (in the previous methods, this format was 相似文献   

Structure and refinement performance of Al-5Ti-0.2C master alloy produced <Emphasis Type="Italic">via</Emphasis> an improved self propagating synthesis approach

When Al-Ti-C master alloys are produced via the conventional Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis (SHS), the reduction of production temperature below 1523 K leads to the drastic deterioration of the refiner efficacy. In the present work, a simple yet effective way to improve the combustion process for low TiC-containing refiners is proposed. The SHS reaction was performed to obtain Al-10TiC slurry first, which subsequently was mixed with Al-Ti melt to obtain Al-5Ti-0.2C master alloy. By means of the proposed method, the process temperature was lowered to 1323 K. According to the results, in the case of improved SHS approach, the Al temperature after the onset of reaction increases by 90-100 K more than in the case of conventional preparation route, providing better kinetic conditions for TiC formation. As a result, at 1323 K production temperature, the average carbide size increases by 100% as compared to the conventionally produced refiner, which is claimed to be a reason for the improved refining performance of master alloy.