Measurement of the conductance of single conjugated molecules

Electrical conduction through molecules depends critically on the delocalization of the molecular electronic orbitals and their connection to the metallic contacts. Thiolated (- SH) conjugated organic molecules are therefore considered good candidates for molecular conductors: in such molecules, the orbitals are delocalized throughout the molecular backbone, with substantial weight on the sulphur-metal bonds. However, their relatively small size, typically approximately 1 nm, calls for innovative approaches to realize a functioning single-molecule device. Here we report an approach for contacting a single molecule, and use it to study the effect of localizing groups within a conjugated molecule on the electrical conduction. Our method is based on synthesizing a dimer structure, consisting of two colloidal gold particles connected by a dithiolated short organic molecule, and electrostatically trapping it between two metal electrodes. We study the electrical conduction through three short organic molecules: 4,4'-biphenyldithiol (BPD), a fully conjugated molecule; bis-(4-mercaptophenyl)-ether (BPE), in which the conjugation is broken at the centre by an oxygen atom; and 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol (BDMT), in which the conjugation is broken near the contacts by a methylene group. We find that the oxygen in BPE and the methylene groups in BDMT both suppress the electrical conduction relative to that in BPD.     

Dynamic recrystallization and precipitation in high manganese austenitic stainless steel during hot compression

Dynamic recrystallization and precipitation in a high manganese austenitic stainless steel were investigated by hot compression tests over temperatures of 950–1150℃ at strain rates of 0.001 s?1-1 s?1. All the flow curves within the studied deformation regimes were typical of dynamic recrystallization. A window was constructed to determine the value of apparent activation energy as a function of strain rate and deformation temperature. The kinetics of dynamic recrystallization was analyzed using the Avrami kinetics equation. A range of apparent activation energy for hot deformation from 303 kJ/mol to 477 kJ/mol is obtained at different deformation regimes. Microscopic characterization confirms that under a certain deformation condition (medium Zener-Hollomon parameter (Z) values), dynamic recrystallization appears at first, but large particles can not inhibit the recrystallization. At low or high Z values, dynamic recrystallization may occur before dynamic precipitation and proceeds faster. In both cases, secondary phase precipitation is observed along prior austenite grain boundaries. Stress relaxation tests at the same deformation temperatures also confirm the possibility of dynamic precipitation. Unexpectedly, the Avrami’s exponent value increases with the increase of Z value. It is associated with the priority of dynamic recrystallization to dynamic precipitation at higher Z values.     

基于多模型自适应方法的智能汽车路径跟踪控制

路径跟踪控制是智能汽车的一项核心技术,跟踪效果的精确性和在各种路面附着条件下的鲁棒性是该技术的两大关键要素。但汽车动力学模型的不确定性,尤其是轮胎侧偏刚度的摄动使这两者难以同时得到满足。针对这一问题,将多模型自适应理论引入到智能汽车运动控制中处理不确定性系统的控制。首先,推导了多模型自适应控制律,提出了凸包构架下各个顶点的子模型对真实模型的自适应逼近律,并通过李雅普诺夫函数证明了所提出自适应律的收敛能力。在此基础上建立了汽车动力学模型和车辆-路径联合模型,并由多个顶点子模型构建可覆盖汽车轮胎侧偏刚度摄动范围的凸多面体,利用汽车动力学模型求解自适应率,通过车辆-路径联合模型,基于线性二次型方法(linear quadratic regulator, LQR)求解各个顶点的子模型处的反馈控制律,并通过所得出的自适应权重进行加权。基于Carsim/Simulink的联合仿真结果表明,所提出的多模型自适应路径跟踪控制器在保证鲁棒性的同时克服了传统鲁棒控制方法的保守性问题,与基于名义模型的LQR控制器和鲁棒保性能控制器相比,在高附着路面和低附着路面上都可以取得更好的控制效果,很好地解决了路径跟踪...     

A Mal functional variant is associated with protection against invasive pneumococcal disease, bacteremia, malaria and tuberculosis

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and members of their signaling pathway are important in the initiation of the innate immune response to a wide variety of pathogens. The adaptor protein Mal (also known as TIRAP), encoded by TIRAP (MIM 606252), mediates downstream signaling of TLR2 and TLR4 (refs. 4-6). We report a case-control study of 6,106 individuals from the UK, Vietnam and several African countries with invasive pneumococcal disease, bacteremia, malaria and tuberculosis. We genotyped 33 SNPs, including rs8177374, which encodes a leucine substitution at Ser180 of Mal. We found that heterozygous carriage of this variant associated independently with all four infectious diseases in the different study populations. Combining the study groups, we found substantial support for a protective effect of S180L heterozygosity against these infectious diseases (N = 6,106; overall P = 9.6 x 10(-8)). We found that the Mal S180L variant attenuated TLR2 signal transduction.     

Synthesis of WC powder through microwave heating of WO3-C mixture

A simple, easy, and low-cost process for the fabrication of tungsten carbide (WC) powder through microwave heating of WO₃-C mixtures was developed. Thermodynamic calculations and experimental investigations were carried out for WO₃-C and W-C systems, and a formation mechanism was proposed. In the results, for the synthesis of WC, the use of over stoichiometric amount of C together with a specially assembled experimental setup (which effectively retains heat in the system) is necessary. The WC powder is successfully obtained by heating WO₃:5C mixture for 900s in a domestic microwave oven.     

Microstructural evolution and intermetallic formation in Al-8wt% Si-0.8wt% Fe alloy due to grain refiner and modifier additions

An alloy of Al-8wt% Si-0.8wt% Fe was cast in a metallic die, and its microstructural changes due to Ti-B refiner and Sr modifier additions were studied. Apart from usual refinement and modification of the microstructure, some mutual influences of the additives took place, and no mutual poisoning effects by these additives, in combined form, were observed. It was noticed that the dimensions of the iron-rich intermetallics were influenced by the additives causing them to become larger. The needle-shaped intermetallics that were obtained from refiner addition became thicker and longer when adding the modifier. It was also found that α-Al and eutectic silicon phases preferentially nucleate on different types of intermetallic compounds. The more iron content of the intermetallic compounds and the more changes in their dimensions occurred. Formation of the shrinkage porosities was also observed.     

Hereditary parkinsonism with dementia is caused by mutations in ATP13A2, encoding a lysosomal type 5 P-type ATPase

Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson and Alzheimer disease cause motor and cognitive dysfunction and belong to a heterogeneous group of common and disabling disorders. Although the complex molecular pathophysiology of neurodegeneration is largely unknown, major advances have been achieved by elucidating the genetic defects underlying mendelian forms of these diseases. This has led to the discovery of common pathophysiological pathways such as enhanced oxidative stress, protein misfolding and aggregation and dysfunction of the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Here, we describe loss-of-function mutations in a previously uncharacterized, predominantly neuronal P-type ATPase gene, ATP13A2, underlying an autosomal recessive form of early-onset parkinsonism with pyramidal degeneration and dementia (PARK9, Kufor-Rakeb syndrome). Whereas the wild-type protein was located in the lysosome of transiently transfected cells, the unstable truncated mutants were retained in the endoplasmic reticulum and degraded by the proteasome. Our findings link a class of proteins with unknown function and substrate specificity to the protein networks implicated in neurodegeneration and parkinsonism.     

挤压工艺对可生物降解 Mg–5Zn–1.5Y 镁合金显微组织及力学性能和腐蚀性能的影响

本研究分析了挤压温度和挤压比对 Mg–5Zn–1.5Y 合金的显微组织、硬度、压缩和腐蚀行为的影响。显微组织观察表明，铸造合金由α-Mg晶粒和Mg₃Zn₆Y和Mg₃Zn₃Y₂金属间化合物组成，主要位于α-Mg晶界上。较高温度下的挤压合金显示出较粗的晶粒微观结构，而以较高比率挤压的合金含有较细的微观结构，尽管在两种条件下都测量到具有较低金属间化合物的更多动态再结晶晶粒。较低温度 (340°C) 和较高比率 (1:11.5) 的组合条件提供了较高的抗压强度。然而，没有实现显着的硬度改善。挤压工艺可以降低铸造合金在模拟体液中的腐蚀率超过 80%，这主要是由于细化了微观结构。与挤压比相比，挤压温度对耐腐蚀性能的影响更为显着，挤压温度越高，耐腐蚀性能越高。