Solid state interfacial reactions in electrodeposited Ni/Sn couples

Ni/Sn couples, prepared by sequentially electroplating Ni layers and Sn layers on metallized Si wafers, were employed to study the microstructures and growth kinetics of Ni-Sn intermediate phases, when the Ni/Sn couples were aged at room temperature or annealed at temperatures from 150 to 225℃ for various times. The results show that the NiSn phase and Ni₃Sn₄ phase are formed, respectively, in the aged couples and annealed couples. The Ni₃Sn₄ layer is continuously distributed between the Ni and Sn sides in the annealed Ni/Sn couples. The Ni₃Sn₄ growth follows parabolic growth kinetics with an apparent activation energy of 39.0 kJ/mol.     

Microstructure analysis of AISI 304 stainless steel produced by twin-roll thin strip casting process

The microstructure of AISI 304 austenlte stainless steel fabricated by the thin strip casting process were investigated using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructures of the casting strips show a duplex structure consisting of delta ferrite and austenite. The volume fraction of the delta ferrite is about 9.74vo1% at the center and 6.77vo1% at the surface of the casting thin strip, in vermicular and hand shapes. On account of rapid cooling and solidification in the continuous casting process, many kinds of inclusions and precipitates have been found. Most of the inclusions and precipitates are spherical complex compounds consisting of oxides, such as, SiO₂, MnO, Al₂O₃, Cr₂O₃, and FeO or their multiplicity oxides of MnO·Al₂O₃, 2FeO·SiO₂, and 2MnO·SiO₂. Many defects including dislocations and stacking faults have also formed during the rapid cooling and solidification process, which is helpful to improve the mechanical properties of the casting strips.     

Static and dynamic finite element analysis of 304 stainless steel rod and wire hot continuous rolling process

Three-dimensional finite element models were developed to analyze 304 stainless steel rod and wire hot continuous rolling process with the help of MSC.Marc software. The entire 30-pass deformation process and the actual parameters of production line were taken into account. Static and dynamic procedures were used to study the continuous rolling process with the aid of the thermo-mechanical coupled FEM of elastic-plasticity. The properties of billets, such as deformation, temperature field and rolling force, were mainly discussed. The simulation results of temperature agree well with the measured values. Comparisons of the analysis results obtained using static implicit method and dynamic implicit method were presented. It is shown that static implicit procedure is more accurate than dynamic implicit procedure and is able to simulate the rolling process with a lower speed, such as a roughing mill. Whereas, dynamic analysis shows a higher efficiency than static analysis and is fit for simulating the rolling process with a higher speed, such as a finishing mill.     

A three-dimensional optical photonic crystal with designed point defects

Photonic crystals offer unprecedented opportunities for miniaturization and integration of optical devices. They also exhibit a variety of new physical phenomena, including suppression or enhancement of spontaneous emission, low-threshold lasing, and quantum information processing. Various techniques for the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals--such as silicon micromachining, wafer fusion bonding, holographic lithography, self-assembly, angled-etching, micromanipulation, glancing-angle deposition and auto-cloning--have been proposed and demonstrated with different levels of success. However, a critical step towards the fabrication of functional 3D devices, that is, the incorporation of microcavities or waveguides in a controllable way, has not been achieved at optical wavelengths. Here we present the fabrication of 3D photonic crystals that are particularly suited for optical device integration using a lithographic layer-by-layer approach. Point-defect microcavities are introduced during the fabrication process and optical measurements show they have resonant signatures around telecommunications wavelengths (1.3-1.5 microm). Measurements of reflectance and transmittance at near-infrared are in good agreement with numerical simulations.     

Lactacystin-induced apoptosis of cultured mouse cortical neurons is associated with accumulation of PTEN in the detergent-resistant membrane fraction

The tumor suppressor function of PTEN is attributed to its phospholipid phosphatase activity that dephosphorylates the plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-triphosphate [PtdIns(3,4,5)P₃]. Implicit in this notion is that PTEN needs to be targeted to the plasma membrane to dephosphorylate PtdIns(3,4,5)P₃. However, the recruitment of PTEN to the plasma membrane is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate PTEN accumulation in the detergent-insoluble fraction of neuronal cells in response to treatment by the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin. First, lactacystin induces apoptosis and the activation of caspase-3 in cultured cortical neurons. Second, PTEN undergoes proteolysis to form a truncated 50-kDa form that lacks parts of its C-terminal tail. Third, the truncated PTEN is stably associated with the detergent-insoluble fraction in which the plasma membrane marker protein flotillin-1 resides. Taken together, our results suggest that truncation and accumulation of PTEN to the detergent-insoluble membrane fraction are two events associated with the apoptotic signals of the proteasome inhibitor in cortical neurons.Received 24 March 2004; received after revision 26 May 2004; accepted 5 June 2004     

Detection of large-scale variation in the human genome

We identified 255 loci across the human genome that contain genomic imbalances among unrelated individuals. Twenty-four variants are present in > 10% of the individuals that we examined. Half of these regions overlap with genes, and many coincide with segmental duplications or gaps in the human genome assembly. This previously unappreciated heterogeneity may underlie certain human phenotypic variation and susceptibility to disease and argues for a more dynamic human genome structure.     

The Alternative Property and Vector Optimization Problem in Ordered Locally Convex Topological Vector Spaces

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SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating of the Gangou granitoids, Central Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China and tectonic significances

Two types of granitoids, highly deformed eugen grenitoids end undeformed fine-grained grenitoids, ere widely distributed in Gangou area, Central Tianshen Mountains, Northwest China. The augen grenitoids are high-K calc-alkaline characterized by high K20, Rb, Y and Th, and low Sr and Sr/Y. They also have high contents of large ion lithophile elements （LILE）, such as Be, Rb, K and Th, and relatively low contents of high field strength elements （HFSE）, such as Zr, Y and Nb. The fine-grained granitoids are calc-alkaline cherecterlzed by high Sr, low Y and HREE, similar to adakitic rocks, and with Na20/K20〈2 （1.76-1.91）, high/sr （0.70689--0.70981）, and negative εNd（t） （-2.4-5.3）. High-precision SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating results indicate that the Gangou augen greniUods were formed at 428 ± 10 Me, and the fine-grained granitoids were emplaced at 361 -368 Me. These geochemical and U-Pb zircon data have significant implications for the timing of closure of the Mishigou-Gangou Ocean and the evolution of the Central Tianshan orogenic belt.     

Prediction and systematic study of protein-protein interaction networks of Leptospira interrogans

Leptospirosis, a serious and contagious zoonotic bacterial disease that havocs livers and kidneys in hu-mans and some animals, occurs in both urban and rural environments worldwide. It is caused by the genus lep- tospira, a corkscrew-shaped bacterium[1]. Though the genomes of Leptospira interrogans serovars Lai strain lai[2] and Leptospira interrogans serovars Copenhageni strain L1-130[3] were recently sequenced and many molecular and cellular studies on leptospires have been conducted, the …     

Development of Fe(III)-containing ether-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids for aryl Grignard cross-coupling of alkyl halides

A series of Fe(Ⅲ)-containing imidazolium-based ionic liquids containing ether substituents,including[C3OMim][FeCl4](1,[C3OMim]=1-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium),[C3OiPim][FeCl4](2,[C3OiPim]=1-isopropyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)imidazolium),[C3OBim][FeCl4](3,[C3OBim]=1-butyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)imidazolium),[(C3O)2im][FeCl4](4,[(C3O)2im]=1,3-bis(2-methoxyethyl)imidazolium),[C3OMim][FeBr4](5)and[(C3O)2im][FeBr4](6),were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis,Raman spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.The catalytic performances of 1–6 and related Fe(III)-based catalysts in the cross-coupling of aryl Grignard reagents with alkyl halides bearing-hydrogens were studied,revealing that mono(ether)functionality improves the catalytic activity and that bis(ether)functionality improves the reusability.After simply decanting the product contained in the ethereal layer,complex 4,which containing bis(ether)-functionalized imidazolium cation,could be successfully recycled seven times.