Study of solid-state reactions in Sm(Co,Fe, Cu,Zr)z 2:17-type alloys by means of in situ electrical resistivity measurements

In the present work, solid-state reactions in Sm₂(Co, Fe, Cu, Zr)₁₇-type alloys have been investigated by means of in situ electrical resistivity measurements. Changes in the electrical resistivity of a Sm(Co_0.74Fe_0.1Cu_0.12Zr_0.04)_8.5 alloy after solid solution treatment at 1190 °C, quenching to room temperature, and during isothermal ageing at temperatures between 400 and 900 °C, have indicated microstructural/phase changes occurring at temperatures below those commonly used for the development of high coercivity in Sm(Co, Fe, Cu, Zr)_z-type materials. Subsequent crystallographic and magnetic transition measurements have shown a high degree of correlation with respect to the changes observed in the electrical resistivity during isothermal ageing.     

Dijkgraaf–Witten invariants of surfaces and projective representations of groups

We compute the Dijkgraaf–Witten invariants of surfaces in terms of projective representations of groups. As an application we prove that the complex Dijkgraaf–Witten invariants of surfaces of positive genus are positive integers.     

Compact mid-infrared trace gas sensor based on difference-frequency generation of two diode lasers in periodically poled LiNbO3

3 (PPLN) crystal pumped by two single-frequency diode lasers. A maximum DFG power of 1.6 μW at 3.6 μm was generated with a pump power of 61.4 mW at 832 nm and a signal power of 41.5 mW at 1083 nm incident on a 19-mm-long PPLN crystal, which corresponds to a conversion efficiency of 335 μW W^-2 cm^-1. Received: 16 June 1998     

HBx介导的促肝癌作用

乙型肝炎病毒（Hepatitis B virus,HBV）感染是诱发原发性肝癌的主要原因之一.HBV存在4个相互重叠的开放读码框：S,C,P和X区.其中X基因表达的蛋白HBx被认为是诱导肝癌发生的一种多功能致癌蛋白,它可以作用于众多信号通路及细胞因子从而诱发肝癌.本文根据最新的研究,选择其中p53和NF-κB两条信号通路及HBx与表观遗传修饰的相关性进行了探讨,目的在于部分揭示HBV感染诱发肝癌的发病机理.     

Physical characterization of a new composition of oxidized zirconium-2.5 wt% niobium produced using a two step process for biomedical applications

Zirconium and particularly Zr-2.5 wt%Nb (Zr2.5Nb) alloy are useful for engineering bearing applications because they can be oxidized in air to form a hard surface ceramic. Oxidized zirconium (OxZr) due to its abrasion resistant ceramic surface and biocompatible substrate alloy has been used as a bearing surface in total joint arthroplasty for several years. OxZr is characterized by hard zirconium oxide (oxide) formed on Zr2.5Nb using one step thermal oxidation carried out in air. Because the oxide is only at the surface, the bulk material behaves like a metal, with high toughness. The oxide, furthermore, exhibits high adhesion to the substrate because of an oxygen-rich diffusion hardened zone (DHZ) interposing between the oxide and the substrate.In this study, we demonstrate a two step process that forms a thicker DHZ and thus increased depth of hardening than that can be obtained using a one step oxidation process. The first step is thermal oxidation in air and the second step is a heat treatment in vacuum. The second step drives oxygen from the oxide formed in the first step deeper into the substrate to form a thicker DHZ. During the process only a portion of the oxide is dissolved. This new composition (DHOxZr) has approximately 4-6 μm oxide similar to that of OxZr. The nano-hardness of the oxide is similar but the DHZ is approximately 10 times thicker. The stoichiometry of the oxide is similar and a secondary phase rich in oxygen is present through the entire thickness. Due to the increased depth of hardening, the critical load required for the onset of oxide cracking is approximately 1.6 times more than that of the oxide of OxZr. This new composition has a potential to be used as a bearing surface in applications where greater depth of hardening is required.     

Photoluminescence of patterned arrays of vertically stacked InAs/GaAs quantum dots

We report on photoluminescence measurements of vertically stacked InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy on focused ion beam patterned hole arrays with varying array spacing. Quantum dot emission at 1.24 eV was observed only on patterned regions, demonstrating preferential nucleation of optically active dots at desired locations and below the critical thickness for dot formation at these growth conditions. Photoluminescence measurements as a function of varying focused ion beam irradiated hole spacing showed that the quantum dot emission intensity increased with decreasing array periodicity, consistent with increasing dot density.     

Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of CdSe nanocrystals with controllable phase and morphology

Zinc blende (ZB) CdSe hollow nanospheres were solvothermally synthesized from the reaction of Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O with a homogeneously secondary Se source, which was first prepared by dissolving Se powder in the mixture of ethanol and oleic acid at 205 °C. As Se power directly reacted with Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O in the above mixed solvents, wurtzite (W) CdSe solid nanoparticles were produced. Time-dependent experiments suggested that the formation of CdSe hollow nanospheres was attributed to an inside-out Ostwald ripening process. The influences of reaction time, temperature and ethanol/oleic acid volume ratio on the morphology, phase and size of the hollow nanospheres were also studied. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy investigations revealed that oleic acid with long alkene chains behaved as a reducing agent to reduce Se powder to Se²⁻ in the synthesis. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed that the ZB CdSe hollow nanospheres presented an obvious blue-shifted emission by 42 nm, and the W CdSe solid nanoparticles exhibited a band gap emission of bulk counterpart.     

Intermediate-temperature polymorphic phase transition in KH2PO4: A synchrotron X-ray diffraction study

We have used synchrotron X-ray diffraction to investigate the structural and chemical changes undergone by polycrystalline KH₂PO₄ (KDP) upon heating within the 30-250 °C temperature interval. Our data show evidence of a polymorphic transition at T∼190 °C from the room-temperature tetragonal KDP phase to a new intermediate-temperature monoclinic KDP modification (spacegroup P2₁/m and lattice parameters a=7.590, b=6.209, c=4.530 Å, and β=107.36°). The monoclinic RDP polymorph remains stable upon further heating to 235 °C, and is isomorphic to its RbH₂PO₄ and CsH₂PO₄ counterparts.     

Isotopic heterogeneity in synthetic and natural silicon carbide

The distribution of both carbon and silicon isotopes in synthetic sublimation growth SiC wafers and in natural SiC grains was studied using secondary ion mass-spectrometry (SIMS). Significant variations in both isotopic ratios were observed which were broadly correlated with the crystalline perfection as documented by Raman microspectroscopy. Domains consisting of 15R (or with its admixture) are, on average, enriched in ¹²C isotope relative to 6H domains, and they also show larger scatter in their observed silicon isotope ratios. We ascribe such heterogeneity to fluctuations of Si/C ratio in the growth medium and it is possible to model the spatial extent of such fluctuations. For the natural SiC grains the isotopic data suggest that they grew under relatively stable conditions, although some of them show significant isotopic zoning.     

Low temperature synthesis of ITO nanoparticles using polyol process

A low temperature synthesis technique to prepare indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles by the polyol process is proposed. On examining the phase formation of ITO nanoparticles in polyols and alcohols such as ethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, and 1-heptanol, it was found that ITO nanoparticles could be synthesized directly without any post--annealing treatments at 175 °C in 1-heptanol. The morphology of the particles is influenced by the type of polyol. The composition of Sn in the ITO system could be easily controlled by simply varying the In/Sn precursor ratio in 1-heptanol. The low temperature synthesis method has enabled the formation of highly crystalline ITO nanoparticles with diameters less than 25 nm even at annealing temperatures as high as 700 °C.