A comparison of methods for measuring the effect of level of application on the relative effectiveness of two fertilizers

The effectiveness of a slowly soluble source of phosphate relative to a soluble source may decrease with increasing levels of application. This may cause yields to approach a lower asymptote. Four methods for measuring this effect are compared using field experiments in which a calcined rock phosphate (Calciphos) was compared with superphosphate for growth of subterranean clover. The methods were: subjective estimates using a hand drawn calibration curve; objective estimates using a fitted calibration curve; objective estimates using the fit of separate response curves; and objective estimates from the fit of a common response surface in which relative effectiveness was related to level of application. The role of these four methods differs. The first method, though often informative, is suitable only for an initial inspection of the data. The other three methods may all be useful for analysis but the fourth method was the most general. It gave the most sensitive statistical test and had the further advantage that it was a direct test of the hypothesis. All four methods showed that the relative effectiveness of Calciphos decreased with increasing levels of application.     

Optimising P2O5 availability for fertilizer use,by direct treatment of apatite with hydrochloric or nitric acids

Hydrochloric and nitric acid treated apatite is not directly used as a fertilizer because of the hygroscopic character of the products. Another problem arises from the volatility of these acids and that acidulated product undergo reversions during drying with loss of the acid. We have found that apatite beneficiated with hydrochloric and nitric acids dried at an optimum temperature ~120°C has high available phosphorous. The products can be stored in the solid form in sealed polythene bags.Sumanasekara Chair in Natural Science     

Recent Advances in Calcium-Based Anticancer Nanomaterials Exploiting Calcium Overload to Trigger Cell Apoptosis

Calcium ion is vital for the regulation of many cellular functions and serves as a second messenger in the signal transduction pathways. Once the intracellular Ca²⁺ level exceeds the tolerance of cells (called Ca²⁺ overload), oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and cell/mitochondria apoptosis happen. Therefore, Ca²⁺ overload has started to be deeply exploited as a new strategy for cancer therapy due to its high efficiency and satisfactory safety. This review aims to highlight the recent development of Ca²⁺-based nanomaterials (such as Ca₃(PO₄)₂, CaCO₃, CaO₂, CaH₂, CaS, and others) able to trigger intracellular Ca²⁺ overload and apoptosis in cancer therapy. The intracellular mechanisms of varied Ca²⁺-based nanomaterials and the different types of strategies to enhance Ca²⁺ overload are discussed in detail. Moreover, the design of more efficient Ca²⁺ overload-mediated cancer therapies is prospected mainly based on 1) the enhanced cellular uptake by surface modification and morphology optimization of nanomaterials, 2) the accelerated Ca²⁺ release from nanomaterials by increasing the intracellular H⁺ level and by photothermal effect, and 3) the overload maintenance by Ca²⁺ efflux inhibition, Ca²⁺ influx promotion, or promoting Ca²⁺ release from the endoplasmic reticulum.     

磷酸盐玻璃中Er~(3+)离子的光跃迁和激光作用

给出了Li-Al磷酸盐玻璃中Er~(3+)离子发射特性(Ar、σ_ρ、β、τ_γ)的计算结果。报道了Cr~(3+)→Yb~(3+)→Er~(3+)的一种有效能量转移,并获得了室温下3J1.54μm波长的激光输出。     

Stabilization of Amorphous Calcium Carbonate with Nanofibrillar Biopolymers

Calcium carbonate is the most abundant biomineral that is biogenically formed with a vast array of nano and microscale features. Among the less stable polymorphs present in mineralized organisms, the most soluble, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), formed in chitin exoskeletons of some crustacea, is of particular interest since aqueous stability of isolated ACC is limited to a few hours in the absence of polyanions or magnesium. Here the influence of a selection of biopolymer gels on the mineralization of calcium carbonate is investigated. Mineralization is achieved in all biopolymers tested, but is particularly abundant in collagen hydrogels, in which a significant proportion of the calcium carbonate (≈18%) is found to be amorphous. In dense collagen gels, this amorphous fraction does not crystallize for up to six weeks in deionized water at room temperature. The reason why collagen in particular should stabilize this phase remains obscure, although the results suggest that the fiber diameter, fiber spacing, and the amphoteric nature of collagen fibers are important. Upon immersion in phosphate containing solutions, the calcium carbonate present within the collagen hydrogels is readily converted to carbonated hydroxyapatite, enabling the formation of a stiff bone‐like composite containing 78 wt% mineral, essentially equivalent to cortical bone.     

PBGA焊接开裂失效原因分析及改善

由于PBGA组件点位于四件与PCB之间,焊点的检查和检修成本很高,控制PCB组件焊接失效显得尤为重要。文章通过对焊接失效的焊盘镍层、金层结构进行了SEM、X-RAY分析导致焊接失效产生的主要原因,并针对此现象进行控制与改善。     

锂离子蓄电池正极材料LiFePO_4研究进展

锂离子电池正极材料正在向着高比能量、长寿命、低成本、环境友好的方向发展,LiFePO4正极材料以其结构稳定、成本低、无污染等优点成为21世纪研究重点。综述了LiFePO4的研究进展。系统地阐述了其晶体结构特征及性能,以及合成方法、掺杂导电材料和控制晶体生长制备纳米粉体等对材料性能的影响。提出了下一步可能的研究方向。     

ZASP玻璃荧光体的激发波长依赖性及Dy3＋掺杂的荧光色彩调谐

采用熔融法制备了锌铝锑磷酸盐(ZASP)玻璃荧光 体,研究了其荧光色彩对激发波长的依赖性和Dy³⁺掺杂的色彩调谐作用。短波紫外(U VC)和中波紫外(UVB)激发下,ZASP基质玻璃 呈现Sb³⁺的宽谱带发射,色彩位于蓝白光和蓝光区域。差异性光谱行为表明,玻璃中 存在异质 性的Sb³⁺发光中心,导致玻璃荧光对激发波长产生依赖行为。Dy³⁺引入ZASP玻 璃后,产生归属 于Dy³⁺的约484nm波长窄带发 射,其在UVC和UVB激发下的发光有效性相当程度上归因于Sb ³⁺到Dy³⁺的能量传递。Dy³⁺的暖色成分使ZASP玻璃荧光总体上从蓝白区 向白光区移动,同时 也对荧光的激发波长依赖趋势产生显著影响,丰富了荧光发射色彩的多样性,为高质量荧光 器件的研发提供了可能。     

钕磷酸盐激光玻璃中金属铂颗粒的产生与迁移

给出了钕磷酸盐激光玻璃中可能存在的铂磷酸盐、偏磷酸盐化合物的热力学参数.利用这些参数,研究了激光玻璃熔制过程中可能发生的液-固、气-固、气-液等化学反应的方向和限度,分析了玻璃中金属铂颗粒的可能来源、存在方式及迁移过程.结合实验讨论了铂的产生及迁移、最佳除铂工艺途径和钕磷酸盐激光玻璃的除铂机理.     

Insights into the In Vitro Formation of Apatite from Mg-Stabilized Amorphous Calcium Carbonate

A protein-free formation of bone-like apatite from amorphous precursors through ball-milling is reported. Mg²⁺ ions are crucial to achieve full amorphization of CaCO₃. Mg²⁺ incorporation generates defects which strongly retard a recrystallization of ball-milled Mg-doped amorphous calcium carbonate (BM-aMCC), which promotes the growth of osteoblastic and endothelial cells in simulated body fluid and has no effect on endothelial cell gene expression. Ex situ snapshots of the processes revealed the reaction mechanisms. For low Mg contents (<30%) a two phase system consisting of Mg-doped amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and calcite “impurities” was formed. For high (>40%) Mg²⁺ contents, BM-aMCC follows a different crystallization path via magnesian calcite and monohydrocalcite to aragonite. While pure ACC crystallizes rapidly to calcite in aqueous media, Mg-doped ACC forms in the presence of phosphate ions bone-like hydroxycarbonate apatite (dahllite), a carbonate apatite with carbonate substitution in both type A (OH⁻) and type B (PO₄³⁻) sites, which grows on calcite “impurities” via heterogeneous nucleation. This process produces an endotoxin-free material and makes BM-aMCC an excellent “ion storage buffer” that promotes cell growth by stimulating cell viability and metabolism with promising applications in the treatment of bone defects and bone degenerative diseases.