Comparison of two-dimensional integration methods for shape reconstruction from gradient data

As a requisite and key step in some gradient-based measurement techniques, the reconstruction of the shape, more generally the scalar potential, from the measured gradient data has been studied for many years. In this work, three types of two-dimensional integration methods are compared under various conditions. The merits and drawbacks of each integration method are consequently revealed to provide suggestions in selection of a proper integration method for a particular application.     

Magnesium boride sintered as high-energy fuel

Boron was chosen as fuel owing to its excellent thermodynamic values for combustion. The difficulty of the boron in combustion is the formation of a surface oxide layer, which postpones the combustion process, reducing the performance of the rocket engine. In this paper, magnesium boride was sintered as high-energy fuel as a substitute for boron. The combustion heat and efficiency of magnesium boride and boron were determined using oxygen bomb calorimeter. The combustion characteristics of magnesium boride were investigated by thermal analysis, chemical analysis, XRD, and EDS. Results show that the combustion performance of magnesium boride are better than that of amorphous boron in oxygenated environments. The evaporation of magnesium in magnesium boride combustion process prevent the formation of a closed oxide layer, leading to higher combustion efficiency.     

Contact Angle Determined by Spontaneous Imbibition in Porous Media: Experiment and Theory

In this paper, a theoretical model was established to determine the contact angle by introducing a new defined effective capillary radius into the Lucas–Washburn equation. Based on the theoretical model, capillary rise experiments of water imbibed by different glass beads were carried out to measure the contact angle; the results were similar to the available data published in the literature. In addition, the model was modified to take account of the dynamic contact angle, according to the experimental data. The influence of the dynamic contact angle on the movement of the spontaneous imbibition was studied.     

A stable chemiluminophore,adamantylideneadamantane 1,2-dioxetane: from fundamental properties to utilities in mechanochemistry and soft crystal science

Chemiluminescence (CL) is a luminescence phenomenon originated by a “chemical reaction.” CL provides a basis for real-time imaging technology in materials science. In fact, a CL reaction is easily triggered in general and makes it possible to track its progress in a target material by highly sensitive photon detection. Recently, real-time CL imagings became breakthrough techniques for analyzing the molecular mechanisms of failures of polymeric materials and of reactions and phase transitions in soft crystals. In the CL imaging techniques, adamantylideneadamantane 1,2-dioxetane (Adox) has been adopted as a stable core structure of chemiluminophores. That is, Adox is an essential seed compound to design a chemiluminophore with a desired molecular function. To support developments of real-time CL imaging techniques, we review the chemistry of Adox as a representative stable chemiluminophore including scientific history and utilities of Adox and its derivatives.     

An infrared small target detection algorithm based on high-speed local contrast method

Small-target detection in infrared imagery with a complex background is always an important task in remote sensing fields. It is important to improve the detection capabilities such as detection rate, false alarm rate, and speed. However, current algorithms usually improve one or two of the detection capabilities while sacrificing the other. In this letter, an Infrared (IR) small target detection algorithm with two layers inspired by Human Visual System (HVS) is proposed to balance those detection capabilities. The first layer uses high speed simplified local contrast method to select significant information. And the second layer uses machine learning classifier to separate targets from background clutters. Experimental results show the proposed algorithm pursue good performance in detection rate, false alarm rate and speed simultaneously.     

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy study on reversion of Al2CuMg precipitates in Al–Cu–Mg alloys under irradiation

Image deconvolution analyses showed that reversion of S-Al₂CuMg precipitates occurred in an Al–Cu–Mg alloy during high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations. A fraction of Mg and Cu atoms in the precipitates diffused into Al matrix due to electron beam irradiation at 300 kV, resulting in structural/chemical reversion of the precipitates. The structural reversion of the S-Al₂CuMg precipitates is closely related with irradiation-induced displacement of atoms. The strong attraction between Cu and Mg atoms might assist the sub-threshold displacement of Cu atoms. One transitional structure is determined to be S′′-Al₁₀Cu₃Mg₃, a precursor of S-Al₂CuMg. Two other transitional structures, Al₃CuMg and Al₁₈Cu₅Mg₅ which have the same lattice parameters of a = c = 0.405 nm as that of S′′-Al₁₀Cu₃Mg₃, but different b values, are suggested.     

α-Actinin involvement in Z-disk assembly during skeletal muscle C2C12 cells in vitro differentiation

α-Actinin is involved in the assembly and maintenance of muscle fibers. α-Actinin is required to cross-link actin filaments and to connect the actin cytoskeleton to the cell membrane and it is necessary for the attachment of actin filaments to Z-disks in skeletal muscle fibers and to dense bodies in smooth muscle ones. In addition to its mechanical role, sarcomeric α-actinin interacts with proteins involved in a variety of signaling and metabolic pathways.The aim of this work is to monitor Z-disk formation, in order to clear up the role of sarcomeric α-actinin in undifferentiated stage, after 4 days of differentiation (intermediate differentiation stage) and after 7 days of differentiation (fully differentiated stage). For this purpose, C2C12 murine skeletal muscle cells, grown in vitro, were analyzed at three time points of differentiation.Confocal laser scanner microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have been utilized for α-actinin immunolocalization.Both techniques reveal that in undifferentiated cells labeling appears uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm with punctate α-actinin Z-bodies. Moreover, we found that when differentiation is induced, α-actinin links at first membrane-associated proteins, then it aligns longitudinally across the cytoplasm and finally binds actin, giving rise to Z-disks. These findings evidence α-actinin involvement in sarcomeric development, suggesting for this protein an important role in stabilizing the muscle contractile apparatus.     

Direct sunlight responsive Ag–ZnO heterostructure photocatalyst: Enhanced degradation of rhodamine B

The catalytic activity of Ag–ZnO heterostructure on the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B was investigated. It demonstrated that Ag–ZnO heterostructure exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure ZnO nanoparticles under direct sunlight. The possible factors to the photocatalytic acitivity of the sample were explored, including Ag content, dispersity and calcination temperature. It was shown that the sample dispersed by PVP, with 5% mol ratio Ag content, calcined at 400 °C showed the highest photocatalytic acitivity and this catalyst was reusable.     

Preparation and characterization of “green” hybrid clay-dye nanopigments

We obtained a low cost and abundant nanopigment material composed of Rhodamine B (Rh-B) organic dye compound and Unye bentonite (UB) clay from Turkey. The characterization of the nanopigment was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size distribution, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transformed infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermal analysis techniques. According to the result of texture analyses, we showed that the particle size distribution (d: 0.5-mean distribution) of Rh-B/UB nanopigment material was around 100 nm diameter. It was also demonstrated that the samples had a particle size around nm diameter in SEM images. As seen in the PXRD and thermal analysis, there is a difference in basal spacing by 1.46° (2θ) and a higher mass loss by 7.80% in the temperature range 200–500 °C compared to the raw bentonite.