A TEM study on the microstructure of spark plasma sintered ZrB_2-based composite with nano-sized SiC dopant

Sintering behavior of ZrB_2 ceramic with nano-sized SiC dopant was studied. ZrB_2-25 vol% nano-sized SiC was selected as the starting mixture to fabricate the composite. The manufacturing process was accomplished at 1800℃ for 5 min under 25 MPa via spark plasma sintering(SPS). The as-sintered sample reached a relative density of 99%. Besides the initial phases, namely ZrB_2 and SiC, the high-resolution X-ray diffraction(HRXRD) was used to study the formation of an in-situ ZrC phase. The possible chemical interactions during the ZrC phase formation were scrutinized. The microstructure of the composite was studied by the field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). Elemental analysis through FESEM evaluations revealed the formation of amorphous phases, rich in Zr, C, Si, B, and O elements, which was in harmony with the thermodynamical assessments. TEM studies endorsed the formation of such phases, containing a glassy bed of Si–B–O with ZrC and C islands dispersed therein.     

Genetic variants in novel pathways influence blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk

Blood pressure is a heritable trait influenced by several biological pathways and responsive to environmental stimuli. Over one billion people worldwide have hypertension (≥140?mm?Hg systolic blood pressure or ≥90?mm?Hg diastolic blood pressure). Even small increments in blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. This genome-wide association study of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which used a multi-stage design in 200,000 individuals of European descent, identified sixteen novel loci: six of these loci contain genes previously known or suspected to regulate blood pressure (GUCY1A3-GUCY1B3, NPR3-C5orf23, ADM, FURIN-FES, GOSR2, GNAS-EDN3); the other ten provide new clues to blood pressure physiology. A genetic risk score based on 29 genome-wide significant variants was associated with hypertension, left ventricular wall thickness, stroke and coronary artery disease, but not kidney disease or kidney function. We also observed associations with blood pressure in East Asian, South Asian and African ancestry individuals. Our findings provide new insights into the genetics and biology of blood pressure, and suggest potential novel therapeutic pathways for cardiovascular disease prevention.     

Application of Viable System Model in Diagnosis of Organizational Structure

Systemic Practice and Action Research - A well-designed organizational structure is a cornerstone of achieving an organization’s goals while suiting the environmental challenges. Structural...     

Effects of cold rolling on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-Ni-Mn-Mo-Ti-Cr maraging steels

Effects of cold rolling on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-Ni-Mn-Mo-Ti-Cr maraging steels were studied. To investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, tensile test, and hardness test were used. The results show that the solution-annealing treatment in the cold-rolled steel redounds to the formation of submicrocrystalline Fe₂(Mo, Ti) Laves phase particles, which are stable at high temperatures. These secondary Laves phase particles prevent from recrystallization at high temperatures and correspond to semi-brittle fracture in the subsequent aging treatment.     

随机收益下企业群体协同的存在性

该文针对企业群体协同建模及存在性问题,从概率意义出发,假设成员企业以最大化自身收益达到满意的概率为目标给出了企业群体最优协同解的形式化定义,并应用等价激励值理论证明了最优协同解的存在性。在实际应用时,该文进一步分析了等价激励值的选取问题,认为优先选择取值较小者作为成员企业的个体满意目标,有利于企业群体最优协同的实现。     

Zr-pillared montmoril lonite supported cobalt nanoparticles for Fischer – Tropsch synthesis

In this article Fischer–Tropsch(FT) synthesis was studied over cobalt nanoparticles supported on modifed Montmorillonite(Zr-PILC).Co-loaded/Zr-PILC catalysts were synthesized by hydrothermal methods and were characterized by XRD,XRF,BET,H2-TPR,TGA and SEM techniques.FT reactions were carried out in fxed bed microreactor(T 225 1C,260 1C and 275 1C,P 1,5 and 10 bars).The FT-products obtained over Co-loaded/Zr-PILC catalysts showed increased selectivity of C2–C12hydrocarbons and decreased selectivity towards CH4and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons(C21) at a TOS of 2–30 h as compared to the Co-loaded/NaMMT catalysts.With increase in reaction temperature from225 1C to 275 1C,CO-conversion and CH4selectivity increases while that of C5+hydrocarbons decreases.Decrease in CH4selectivity while increase in C5+hydrocarbons and CO-conversion were observed on increasing the pressure of reaction.     

Response to self antigen imprints regulatory memory in tissues

Immune homeostasis in tissues is achieved through a delicate balance between pathogenic T-cell responses directed at tissue-specific antigens and the ability of the tissue to inhibit these responses. The mechanisms by which tissues and the immune system communicate to establish and maintain immune homeostasis are currently unknown. Clinical evidence suggests that chronic or repeated exposure to self antigen within tissues leads to an attenuation of pathological autoimmune responses, possibly as a means to mitigate inflammatory damage and preserve function. Many human organ-specific autoimmune diseases are characterized by the initial presentation of the disease being the most severe, with subsequent flares being of lesser severity and duration. In fact, these diseases often spontaneously resolve, despite persistent tissue autoantigen expression. In the practice of antigen-specific immunotherapy, allergens or self antigens are repeatedly injected in the skin, with a diminution of the inflammatory response occurring after each successive exposure. Although these findings indicate that tissues acquire the ability to attenuate autoimmune reactions upon repeated responses to antigens, the mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. Here we show that upon expression of self antigen in a peripheral tissue, thymus-derived regulatory T cells (T(reg) cells) become activated, proliferate and differentiate into more potent suppressors, which mediate resolution of organ-specific autoimmunity in mice. After resolution of the inflammatory response, activated T(reg) cells are maintained in the target tissue and are primed to attenuate subsequent autoimmune reactions when antigen is re-expressed. Thus, T(reg) cells function to confer 'regulatory memory' to the target tissue. These findings provide a framework for understanding how T(reg) cells respond when exposed to self antigen in peripheral tissues and offer mechanistic insight into how tissues regulate autoimmunity.