The hot compression behavior of as-extruded AZ31 magnesium alloy was investigated to study the effect of compression temperature and strain on microstructure evolution, grain orientation, and texture evolution. The thermal compression tests of AZ31 Mg alloy were carried out on the Gleeble-3800 simulation device: With constant strain, the temperatures were 250, 300, 400, and 500 °C, respectively; at constant temperature, the strains were 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8, respectively. After observation and analysis of compressed samples, it is found that with 0.65 strain and 0.05 s−1 strain rate, grains were equiaxed, well refined, and distributed uniformly at 400 °C. At this temperature, new orientation between {0001} and $\left{\rm\char123} {12\bar{1}0} {\rm\char125} \right$ or $\left{\rm\char123} {01\bar{1}0} {\rm\char125} \right$ appeared in grains; new texture components close to $\left{\rm\char123} {\bar{1}\bar{1}22} {\rm\char125} \right$ and $\left{\rm\char123} {1\bar{2}12} {\rm\char125} \right$ pyramidal textures were formed, but whole texture strength was weakened and anisotropy of the sample was reduced. With the increase of strain, grains became smaller and volume fraction of DRX grain became higher; the original basal texture was replaced by prismatic textures; after 0.4 strain, the increase of strain did not change the texture component, but only the pole density.

FM-to-AM (frequency modulation-to-amplitude modulation) conversion caused by nonuniform spectral transmission of broadband beam is harmful to high-power laser facility. Smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) beam is a special broadband beam for its monochromatic feature at the given time and space on the near field. The traditional method which uses the optical spectral transfer function as filters cannot accurately describe its AM characteristics. This paper presents the theoretical analysis of the etalon effect for SSD beam. With a low-order approximation, the analytic model of the temporal shape of SSD beam is obtained for the first time, which gives the detailed AM characteristics at local and integral aspects, such as the variation of ripples width and amplitude in general situation. We also analyze the FM-to-AM conversion on the focal plane; in the focusing process, the lens simply acts as an integrator to smooth the AM of SSD beam. Because AM control is necessary for the near field to avoid optics damage and for the far field to ensure an optimal interaction of laser–target, our investigations could provide some important phenomena and rules for pulse shape control.

M3:2 high-speed steel (HSS) billets with or without Nb addition were prepared by spray deposition. The effects of Nb and post-thermal-mechanical processing (decomposition treatment and hot forging), as well as heat treatment, on the microstructure and properties of M3:2 HSS were investigated. The microstructure of the as-deposited M3:2 HSS consisted of equiaxed grains with a mean size of approximately 25 μm and discontinuous plate-like M2C and irregular MC carbides distributed along grain boundaries. 0.5% Nb addition can refine the M2C plates and spheroidize MC carbides. With 2% Nb addition, the refined grains with a mean size of approximately 12 μm and continuous net of M6C and a uniform distribution of NbC carbides were obtained. The decomposition of metastable M2C carbides can be accelerated with 0.5% Nb addition due to the refined size and lower thermodynamic stability of M2C plates. With the increased degree of decomposition of M2C carbide, the M6C and MC carbides became refined and more uniformly distributed after optimal thermal-mechanical processing and heat treatment, which leads to a significant increase in bend strength and toughness.

In indirect drive, reducing peak intensity of a single beam and controlling overlap of multi-beams are two opposite requirements for laser focal spot design. In this paper, an improved laser spot design technique for indirect drive built upon the geometric structures of laser propagation into hohlraum has been introduced. The proposed technique is able to generate appropriate continuous phase plate (CPP) producing a special shaped spot that can balance the opposite requirements. The corresponding CPP does not bring difficulties to the design and fabrication. Phase aberrations are more sensitive to the special shaped spot; however, it can be tolerable for the current beam control level.

The Weihe River in central China is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and contains a well-developed strath terrace system. A new chronology for the past 1.11 Ma for a spectacular flight of strath terraces along the upper Weihe River near Longxi is defined based on field investigations of loess—paleosol sequences and magnetostratigraphy. All the strath terraces are strikingly similar, having several meters of paleosols that have developed directly on top of fluvial deposits located on the terrace treads. This suggests that the abandonment of each strath terrace by river incision occurred during the transition from glacial to interglacial climates. The average fluvial incision rates during 1.11—0.71 Ma and since 0.13 Ma are 0.35 and 0.32 m/ka, respectively. These incision rates are considerably higher than the average incision rate of 0.16 m/km for the intervening period between 0.71 and 0.13 Ma. Over all our results suggest that cyclic Quaternary climate change has been the main driving factor for strath terrace formation with enhanced episodic uplift.

Toxoplasma gondii is a major cause of congenital brain disease; however, the underlying mechanism of neuropathogenesis in brain toxoplasmosis remains elusive. To explore the role of T. gondii in the development of neural stem cells (NSCs), NSCs were isolated from GD14 embryos of ICR mice and were co-cultured with tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain. We found that apoptosis levels of the NSCs co-cultured with 1×106 RH tachyzoites for 24 and 48 h significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with the control. Western blotting analysis displayed that the protein level of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) was up-regulated, and caspase-12 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were activated in the NSCs co-cultured with the parasites. Pretreatment with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) inhibitor (TUDCA) and caspase-12 inhibitor (Z-ATAD-FMK) inhibited the expression or activation of the key molecules involved in the ERS-mediated apoptotic pathway, and subsequently decreased the apoptosis levels of the NSCs induced by the T. gondii. The findings here highlight that T. gondii induced apoptosis of the NSCs through the ERS signal pathway via activation of CHOP, caspase-12 and JNK, which may constitute a potential molecular mechanism responsible for the cognitive disturbance in neurological disorders of T. gondii.

An energy measurement system in a Large-aperture high power laser experiment platform is introduced. The entire measurement system includes five calorimeters, which carry out the energy measurement of the fundamental frequency before the frequency conversion unit, remaining fundamental frequency, remain second-harmonics, third harmonics, as well as the energy balance measurement after the frequency conversion unit. Combinational indirect calibration and direct calibration are employed to calibrate the sampling coefficients of the calorimeters. The analysis of the data showed that, regarding the energy balance coefficients, combinational calibration approach gives a higher precision, and leads to an energy balance with 1%; and regarding the energy sampling coefficients for the various wavelengths after the frequency conversion, the results from direct and combinational calibration are consistent. The uncertainties for all energy sampling coefficients are within 3%, which guarantees the reliability of the energy measurement for the laser facility.

A fully higher-order compact (HOC) finite difference scheme on the 9-point two-dimensional (2D) stencil is formulated for solving the steady-state laminar mixed convection flow in a lid-driven inclined square enclosure filled with water-Al2O3 nanofluid. Two cases are considered depending on the direction of temperature gradient imposed (Case I, top and bottom; Case II, left and right). The developed equations are given in terms of the stream function-vorticity formulation and are non-dimensionalized and then solved numerically by a fourth-order accurate compact finite difference method. Unlike other compact solution procedure in literature for this physical configuration, the present method is fully compact and fully higher-order accurate. The fluid flow, heat transfer and heat transport characteristics were illustrated by streamlines, isotherms and averaged Nusselt number. Comparisons with previously published work are performed and found to be in excellent agreement. A parametric study is conducted and a set of graphical results is presented and discussed to elucidate that significant heat transfer enhancement can be obtained due to the presence of nanoparticles and that this is accentuated by inclination of the enclosure at moderate and large Richardson numbers.

The split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was used to study the compressibility of shear thickening fluid (STF) at high deformation rate. In this study, a steel bulk was introduced into the SHPB system to confine and load the STF. A series of STFs with different particle types (SiO2 and PSt-EA) and volume fractions (63 vol.% and 65 vol.%) were tested and the results were compared. The reliability of the results was proved by repeating the tests and the force balance in suspension. The bulk modulus was used to evaluate the compressibility of STF, which indicated that the SiO2-based STF exhibited a larger compressibility than the PSt-EA-based STF. It was found that the bulk modulus increases with increasing of the strain rate and the volume fraction shows little effect on the bulk modulus. The structure-dependent mechanical property was analyzed and the loading effect of bulk modulus was considered to be originated from the interparticle clustering.

Fast linear transformer driver (FLTD) has some advantages in repetitive operation compared with traditional pulsed power generators. However, different types of gas switches applied in the field of pulsed power technology in recent years cannot reach the requirements of repetitive operation of FLTD. Therefore, the capability of repetitive operation of a multigap gas switch has been investigated in a circuit similar to the basic discharge loop named as brick in this paper. The switch has been triggered more than 2000 times and the distribution of delay time and switch jitter are analyzed and reported. Also, the self-breakdown voltages of the switch during different segments of the triggered breakdown experiment have been tested. The experimental results indicate that the delay time obeys the Gauss distribution and the jitter of 2000 times of discharge is about 2.3 ns.

Wurtzite structure monodisperse ZnS quantum dots (QDs) of 1 to 5 nm diameter, synthesized by colloidal chemical method, were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and electron diffraction (ED) patterns. Enhanced blue shifted band edge emission from Zn(OH)2 capped ZnS QDs with decreasing size has been observed, which indicates the role of inorganic surface passivation and hence supports the quantum size effect. Detectable far-red shifted emission from bare ZnS QDs has been observed when QDs precursors and stabilizer dispersed in solvents with different polarities. This emission is attributed to the surface trap states of different energies.

We have prepared bulk metallic glasses of composition (HfxZr1-x)52.5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10Ti5 (with x=0-1) by an arc melting/suction casting method. The density of these alloys increases by nearly 67% with increasing Hf content, which is advantageous for their potential use as kinetic energy armor-piercing projectile materials. The glass transition temperature and the melting temperature increase linearly with increasing Hf content. The reduced glass transition temperature (Tg/Tm) decreases from 0.64 (x=0) to 0.62 (x=1), indicating reduced glass-forming ability for the Hf- based alloy. The fracture strength in uniaxial compression at quasi-static strain rates also increases with increasing Hf content, reaching ∼ 2.2 GPa for Hf52.5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10Ti5.

We have examined the structure of plastic deformation zones ahead of the tips of microcracks in Zr-based bulk metallic glass Zr57Ti5Cu20Ni8Al10. We have used an axially aligned dark field transmission electron microscopy technique, with the objective aperture placed to form images using electrons from several different areas of the diffraction patterns. We also compared Fourier transforms of the high resolution transmission electron microscopy images of deformed and undeformed regions to extract additional structural information. The plastic zones produce enhanced low-angle scattering of electrons and an apparent broadening of the amorphous halo, suggesting increased disorder and the presence of voids in the deformed zones. These results are consistent with an increased degree of atomic-scale disorder and enhanced free volume in highly deformed regions, which may provide a partial explanation of the manner in which plastic deformation occurs in metallic glasses.

The ciliate Euplotes encysticus Yonezawa, 1985 was insufficiently described so far regarding its living morphology, infraciliature and silverline system. Recently, a China population was isolated from brackish water (salinity 6‰) near a coastal sandy beach (114°32′E 22°43′N) of the Daya Bay, South China Sea and subsequent investigations were performed on it in detail. Based on data available, the morphology of this species was summarized and a new diagnosis is given which is characterized by: medium-sized body with consistently 9 frontoventral, 2 caudal and 2 left marginal cirri; 30–40 adoral membranelles; 7 dorsal kineties; dorsal silverline system consisting of complex type with irregular network; capable of encystment. Both the morphology and SSr RNA gene sequence show, with high support, a close relationship of E. encysticus and Euplotes muscorum.