Synthesis of hydrous SnO2 and SnO2-coated TiO2 powders by the homogeneous precipitation method and their characterization

Hydrous SnO₂ and SnO₂-coated TiO₂ powders were synthesized by the homogeneous precipitation method using urea and the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy and energy- dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Electrical conductivities were measured with an impedance analyser. Hydrous SnO₂ powder prepared under conditions without SO ₄ ^2– ions was a bulky product containing 75 wt% of water. The addition of SO ₄ ^2– ions to the solution changed bulky hydrous SnO₂ to a dense product; approximately spherical particles were obtained with an average particle size of 0.14 ± 0.03 m. with 13.5 wt % of absorbed water. Antimony-doped hydrous SnO₂ prepared under conditions with SO ₄ ^2– ions consisted of approximately spherical particles with an average particle size of 0.17 ± 0.04 m with 15.0 wt % of absorbed water. Hydrous SnO₂-coated TiO₂ powders with a good dispersion state and with various Sn/Ti ratios were prepared under conditions with SO ₄ ^2– ions. All the as-prepared coated powders were white, but the products doped with Sb³⁺ ions were turned to pale blue by heat treatment at 600° C for 1 h and their electrical conductivities increased by orders of about 3.0 in comparison with those of the other two.     

Out-of-Field Hippocampus from Partial-Body Irradiated Mice Displays Changes in Multi-Omics Profile and Defects in Neurogenesis

The brain undergoes ionizing radiation exposure in many clinical situations, particularly during radiotherapy for brain tumors. The critical role of the hippocampus in the pathogenesis of radiation-induced neurocognitive dysfunction is well recognized. The goal of this study is to test the potential contribution of non-targeted effects in the detrimental response of the hippocampus to irradiation and to elucidate the mechanisms involved. C57Bl/6 mice were whole body (WBI) or partial body (PBI) irradiated with 0.1 or 2.0 Gy of X-rays or sham irradiated. PBI consisted of the exposure of the lower third of the mouse body, whilst the upper two thirds were shielded. Hippocampi were collected 15 days or 6 months post-irradiation and a multi-omics approach was adopted to assess the molecular changes in non-coding RNAs, proteins and metabolic levels, as well as histological changes in the rate of hippocampal neurogenesis. Notably, at 2.0 Gy the pattern of early molecular and histopathological changes induced in the hippocampus at 15 days following PBI were similar in quality and quantity to the effects induced by WBI, thus providing a proof of principle of the existence of out-of-target radiation response in the hippocampus of conventional mice. We detected major alterations in DAG/IP3 and TGF-β signaling pathways as well as in the expression of proteins involved in the regulation of long-term neuronal synaptic plasticity and synapse organization, coupled with defects in neural stem cells self-renewal in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. However, compared to the persistence of the WBI effects, most of the PBI effects were only transient and tended to decrease at 6 months post-irradiation, indicating important mechanistic difference. On the contrary, at low dose we identified a progressive accumulation of molecular defects that tended to manifest at later post-irradiation times. These data, indicating that both targeted and non-targeted radiation effects might contribute to the pathogenesis of hippocampal radiation-damage, have general implications for human health.     

Development of AAS resin by the emulsion–suspension polymerization method

In order to improve the weatherability of acryonitrile—styrene—butadiene rubber graft polymer (ABS resin), an attempt was made to develop a resin (AAS resin) in which acrylic rubber of good weatherability was used instead of butadiene rubber. First, by copolymerizing dicyclopentenyl-methacrylate (DCP-MA,3%) with butyl acrylate, crosslinked acrylic rubber was obtained. This also introduced grafting sites into the rubber. Next, methods of graft copolymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile with this rubber were examined. An emulsion–suspension polymerization method was developed in which the initial stage of the polymerization, emulsion polymerization, changed into suspension polymerization during the process. By this method of polymerization, rubber particles were combined and enlarged, bringing about a graft-type resin with high impact resistance. This polymerization method is industrially useful because particle-shaped resins are obtained without the need of a salting-out process. The AAS resin, obtained in this way, has much improved weatherability over ABS resin and shows strength equal to that of ABS resin. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preparation of Self-Standing, Submillimeter-Thick Porous Titania Films with Anatase Nanocrystallites Using Evaporation-Induced Self-Assembly

Self-standing transparent submillimeter-thick (∼0.34 mm) mesoporous titania films were prepared using the evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) of a triblock copolymer template and titanium tetraethoxide. Performing EISA at low temperature and low humidity improved the transparency and continuity of the films. As synthesized films had a well-defined hexagonal mesostructure and the existence of both amorphous titania and anatase nanocrystallites (2 nm) was confirmed. The films that were calcined at 400°C were composed of anatase nanocrystallites (14–16 nm) and had a BET surface area of 90 m² g⁻¹ with 13-nm pores. The films were characterized using XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, and N² adsorption–desorption measurements. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Evaluating card-based protocols in terms of execution time

International Journal of Information Security - Card-based cryptography is an attractive and unconventional computation model; it provides secure computing methods using a deck of physical cards....     

Evaluation of environmentally friendly lubricants for cold forging

The authors proposed double-layer-type environmentally friendly lubricants, which were composed of an undercoat, superior in adhering to a material, and an overcoat, superior in reducing the friction between the material and the die. The performance of these lubricants for cold forging was evaluated by the ring compression test, the combined forward rod-backward can extrusion-type friction test and the combined forward conical can-backward straight can extrusion-type friction test. The double-layer-type lubricants showed comparable friction characteristics and anti-pick-up properties to a conversion coating lubricant, when the film thickness and surface treatment before coating were improved. In a practical application by cold multistage forging, the double-layer-type lubricants showed a similar performance to a conversion coating lubricant.     

Transistor Paint: Environmentally Stable N‐alkyldithienopyrrole and Bithiazole‐Based Copolymer Thin‐Film Transistors Show Reproducible High Mobilities without Annealing

New solution processable 4‐(2‐hexyldecan)‐4H‐bisthieno[2,3‐d:3′,2′‐b]pyrrole and 4,4′‐dialkyl‐2,2′‐bithiazole‐based copolymers (PBTzDTPs) are synthesized with excellent FET performance. These novel copolymers have considerable potential in printable electronics as they have high charge carrier mobilities, excellent air stability, good solution processibility, and no requirement for post‐deposition thermal annealing, all requirements for this field of application. The thin film transistors fabricated from PBTzDTPs achieve field effect mobilities as high as 0.14 cm² V^?1 s^?1 with current on/off ratios up to 10⁶ without thermal annealing. In addition, the devices exhibit stable performance in air, showing no significant degradation over 60 days. Moreover, the polymers described here provide an excellent example of the systems in which higher mobility performance does not require higher crystalline, long‐range ordered structures. Such a system appears to be particularly promising for rapid fabrication techniques, where kinetic conditions usually prevent the development of long‐range order.     

Large eddy simulation of two-phase reacting turbulent flow in a pilot-scale pulverized coal combustion furnace with flamelet model

Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology - A three-dimensional numerical simulation was performed to investigate the physics and combustion characteristics of a two-phase reacting turbulent...     

Effects of solid lubricants in backward extrusion

In the present paper, some solid lubricants were tested in backward extrusion friction tests with flat-headed punches using aluminium at room temperature. The results showed that anti-seizure ability was improved when wax was added to the solid lubricant samples. In addition, a water-based graphite lubricant and an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) lubricant were tested using aluminium workpieces heated to 500°C. The lubricity of the UHMW-PE lubricant was found to be superior to that of the graphite lubricant.