Dynamics of laser-induced cavitation bubble during expansion over sharp-edge geometry submerged in liquid – an inside view by diffuse illumination

Laser ablation in liquids is growing in popularity for various applications including nanoparticle production, breakdown spectroscopy, and surface functionalization. When laser pulse ablates the solid target submerged in liquid, a cavitation bubble develops. In case of “finite” geometries of ablated solids, liquid dynamical phenomena can occur inside the bubble when the bubble overflows the surface edge. To observe this dynamics, we use diffuse illumination of a flashlamp in combination with a high-speed videography by exposure times down to 250 ns. The developed theoretical modelling and its comparison with the experimental observations clearly prove that this approach widens the observable area inside the bubble. We thereby use it to study the dynamics of laser-induced cavitation bubble during its expansion over a sharp-edge (“cliff-like” 90°) geometry submerged in water, ethanol, and polyethylene glycol 300. The samples are 17 mm wide stainless steel plates with thickness in the range of 0.025–2 mm. Bubbles are induced on the samples by 1064-nm laser pulses with pulse durations of 7–60 ns and pulse energies of 10–55 mJ. We observe formation of a fixed-type secondary cavity behind the edge where low-pressure area develops due to bubble-driven flow of the liquid. This occurs when the velocity of liquid overflow exceeds ~20 m s⁻¹. A re-entrant liquid injection with up to ~40 m s⁻¹ velocity may occur inside the bubble when the bubble overflows the edge of the sample. Formation and characteristics of the jet evidently depend on the relation between the breakdown-edge offset and the bubble energy, as well as the properties of the surrounding liquid. Higher viscosity of the liquid prevents the generation of the jet.     

Relationship of nanostructure and thermo-chemical response/thermal ablation of carbon aerogels

In this work, the interfacial mass balance relations combined with the non-parametric kinetic (NPK) analysis results were used for evaluating the thermo-chemical ablation process and oxidation mechanism of carbon aerogels with various porous structure. It was found that the two-parameter model of Nomen–Sempereis was able to describe the kinetics of the oxidation reaction and to reveal the structure-dependent contribution of two main processes with chemical and physical nature. The porosity of the carbon aerogel, rather than the other microstructural features, was realized more effective on the rate of ablation.     

激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定纯铝及铝丝中铁、硅、铜、锰、镁、钛、锌、铬和镍

采用激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定纯铝及铝丝中铁、硅、铜、锰、镁、钛、锌、铬和镍的含量。采用低功率等离子体,以27Al为内标。样品直径为0.5~3 mm时,直径粗细与元素的信号不相关。所有元素的分馏因子在0.94~1.13之间时,可以认为没有分馏效应;纯铝和铝合金的基体效应不明显,铸铝会影响基体效应。测定了块状和丝状标准物质,测定值与认定值基本吻合,纯铝板的测定值与直读光谱法测定结果相一致。受背景干扰的影响,测定值的相对标准偏差(n=5)在2.9%~32%之间。     

The enormity of the zinc deficiency problem and available solutions; an overview

The societal cost of micronutrient deficiency (MND) or the “hidden hunger” is in millions of dollars/year, reducing the GDP of some countries by as much as 11%. Zn is an important micronutrient for both plants and animals. An estimated 17% of the world population, or around 1.1 billion people, are at the risk of zinc (Zn) deficiency. The deficiency has been related to adverse pregnancy outcomes, stunted growth, premature deaths, immune system dysfunctions, neuro-behavioral disorders, and recently with the failure to recover from COVID-19. These health risks associated with Zn deficiency have compelled FAO and WHO to recommend Zn fortification of diet. Correcting Zn deficiency is a challenge due to several reasons. Close to half of the agricultural soils are Zn deficient, and chemical Zn fertilizers are costly and ineffective. Developing Zn-rich crops through plant breeding and genetic engineering is challenging. Zn-dense diet is costly and cannot be implemented in the low-income region most affected by Zn deficiency. Lack of consensus among regulatory bodies on defining and diagnosing Zn deficiency in plants and Humans. Awareness and other sociocultural issues. Among the most important available solutions are zinc biofortification of the cereal crops, use of zinc biofertilizers, development of Zn-efficient crops with reduced phytate content. The use of Zn supplements, dietary modification, and diversification, especially with fish, are proposed as the most accessible and affordable solutions. Awareness programs in areas suffering the most from Zn deficiency are required. Despite the suggestions from FAO and WHO, global efforts to combat Zn deficiency matching those for combating diseases like HIV are not in place. Coordinated efforts of the international community, especially policy-makers, agricultural scientists, dieticians, physicians, and others, are required to address the issue of hidden hunger.     

微波消解-电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法测定板栗中的矿物元素及稀土元素

为了准确测定板栗中矿物元素和稀土元素的含量水平,采用冷冻干燥方式预处理样品,选用硝酸和过氧化氢体系微波消解样品,结合电感耦合等离子体质谱技术,建立了板栗中钠(Na)、钾(K)、镁(Mg)、锰(Mn)、铁(Fe)、钒(V)、钴(Co)等19种矿物元素及镧(La)、铈(Ce)、镨(Pr)、钕(Nd)、钐(Sm)、铕(Eu)、钆(Gd)、铽(Tb)、镝(Dy)、钬(Ho)、铒(Er)、铥(Tm)、镱(Yb)、镥(Lu)、钇(Y)等15种稀土元素的同时分析测定方法。方法检出限为0.0027~0.78μg/L,相对标准偏差为1.4%~6.3%。通过国家标准物质GBW10019苹果的准确度实验验证,测定结果均在标准证书值范围内。实验结果表明,方法适用于板栗中矿物元素及稀土元素的同时测定。     

高残炭硼酚醛树脂的制备

酚醛树脂(PF)因其具有良好的耐热性能和机械性能而被广泛应用。但其耐热性能已经满足不了现代航空航天技术的需求,研究发现,采用硼酸对酚醛树脂进行改性,可以制得具有优良耐高温性能的硼酚醛树脂(BPF)。采用硼酸酯法合成硼酚醛树脂,n(苯酚)∶n(甲醛)=1∶1.5时耐热性最佳。热分析结果表明,合成的BPF在1000℃条件下的残炭率为78%,其耐热性能明显优于传统的酚醛树脂。同时讨论了不同硼酸含量对BPF耐热性能的影响,当n(硼酸)∶n(苯酚)0.33∶1时,残炭率趋于稳定。此外,利用差示扫描量热仪(DSC)方法确定BPF预固化温度为160℃,后固化温度为220℃。     

Calibration for Elemental Dental Tissue Analysis by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Teeth retain different elements at particular stages of life. Hence, the exposure over a selected time span may be characterized by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). A Nd:YAG laser with emission at 266?nm was coupled to a quadrupole ICP-MS for the quantitative study of historical human teeth for Sr and Ba, elements of anthropological significance. A calibration approach incorporating the experimentally derived k coefficient is reported. The coefficients were established based on the mean concentrations of the analytes determined by pneumatic nebulization ICP-MS using acid-digested calcium phosphate standards and the intensities recorded during laser ablation of corresponding standards as pellets. The k values were 0.54?±?0.05 (µg?g^?1)^?1 and 4.49?±?1.09 (µg?g^?1)^?1 for Sr and Ba, respectively. This calibration approach provided local quantitative data and demonstrated statistically significant differences in Sr concentrations in enamel and dentine.     

Visible Laser‐Induced In Situ Cell Detachment from Gold Nanoparticle‐Embedded Collagen Gel

Cell sorting is important for cell biology and regenerative medicine. A visible light‐responsive cell scaffold is produced using gold nanoparticles and collagen gel. Various kinds of cells are cultured on the visible light‐responsive cell scaffold, and the target cells are selectively detached by photoirradiation without any cytotoxicity. This is a new image‐guided cell sorting system.

     

Combined OX40 Agonist and PD-1 Inhibitor Immunotherapy Improves the Efficacy of Vascular Targeted Photodynamic Therapy in a Urothelial Tumor Model

Purpose: Vascular targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) is a nonsurgical tumor ablation approach used to treat early-stage prostate cancer and may also be effective for upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) based on preclinical data. Toward increasing response rates to VTP, we evaluated its efficacy in combination with concurrent PD-1 inhibitor/OX40 agonist immunotherapy in a urothelial tumor-bearing model. Experimental design: In mice allografted with MB-49 UTUC cells, we compared the effects of combined VTP with PD-1 inhibitor/OX40 agonist with those of the component treatments on tumor growth, survival, lung metastasis, and antitumor immune responses. Results: The combination of VTP with both PD-1 inhibitor and OX40 agonist inhibited tumor growth and prolonged survival to a greater degree than VTP with either immunotherapeutic individually. These effects result from increased tumor infiltration and intratumoral proliferation of cytotoxic and helper T cells, depletion of Treg cells, and suppression of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that VTP synergizes with PD-1 blockade and OX40 agonist to promote strong antitumor immune responses, yielding therapeutic efficacy in an animal model of urothelial cancer.     

Efficient Synthesis of Submicrometer-Sized Active Pharmaceuticals by Laser Fragmentation in a Liquid-Jet Passage Reactor with Minimum Degradation

One challenge in the development of new drug formulations is overcoming their low solubility in relevant aqueous media. Reducing the particle size of drug powders to a few hundred nanometers is a well-known method that leads to an increase in solubility due to an elevated total surface area. However, state-of-the-art comminution techniques like cryo-milling suffer from degradation and contamination of the drugs, particularly when sub-micrometer diameters are aspired that require long processing times. In this work, picosecond-pulsed laser fragmentation in liquids (LFL) of dispersed drug particles in a liquid-jet passage reactor is used as a wear-free comminution technique using the hydrophobic oral model drugs naproxen, prednisolone, ketoconazole, and megestrol acetate. Particle size and morphology of the drug particles are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and changes in particle size distributions upon irradiation are quantified using an analytical centrifuge. The findings highlight the superior fragmentation efficiency of the liquid-jet passage reactor setup, with a 100 times higher fraction of submicrometer particles (SMP) of the drugs compared to the batch control, which enhances solubility and goes along with minimal chemical degradation (<1%), determined by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the underlying predominantly photo-mechanically induced laser fragmentation mechanisms of organic microparticles (MP) are discussed.