Effects of spherical quasi-crystal on microstructure and mechanical properties of ZA155 high zinc magnesium alloy

Effects of spherical quasi-crystal contained in Mg-Zn-Y-Mn master alloy on the microstructure and as-cast mechanical properties of ZA155 high zinc magnesium alloy have been investigated by means of optical microscopy, XRD, SEM, EDS, tensile test, impact test and hardness test. Experimental results show that the addition of spherical quasi-crystal contained in the Mg-Zn-Y-Mn master alloy into the ZA155 high zinc magnesium alloy resulted in grain refinement of the matrix, changing the morphologies of φ-Al2Mg5Zn2 phase and τ-Mg32(Al, Zn)49 phase from continuous net-like structures to discontinuous strip-like structure and blocky one, respectively. In the present research, the best comprehensive mechanical properties of reinforced ZA155 high zinc magnesium alloy has been obtained when 5.0wt% spherical quasi-crystal was introduced from the Mg-Zn-Y-Mn master alloy into the target alloy system. In such case, the room-temperature tensile strength reached 207 MPa, about 23% higher than that of the base alloy; the impact toughness peaked at 5.5 J/cm2, about 40% higher than that of the base alloy; and the elevated-temperature tensile strength reached 203 MPa, indicating improved heat resistance

SYNTHESIS OF PROPYLENE CARBONATE FROM UREA AND 1,2-PROPYLENE GLYCOL OVER METAL CARBONATES

A series of single-metal carbonates and Pb-Zn mixed-metal carbonates were prepared as catalysts for alcoholysis of urea with 1,2-propylene glycol (PG) for the synthesis of propylene carbonate (PC). The mixed carbonates all show much better catalytic activities than the single carbonates, arising from a strong synergistic effect between the two crystalline phases, hydrozincite and lead carbonate. The mixed carbonate with Pb/Zn = 1:2 gives the highest yield of PC, followed by the mixed carbonate with Pb/Zn = 1:3. Furthermore, Taguchi method was used to optimize the synthetic process for improving the yield of PC. It is shown that the reaction temperature is the most significant factor affecting the yield of PC, followed by the reaction time, and that the optimal reaction conditions are the reaction time 5 h, the reaction temperature 180 °C and the catalyst amount 1.8 mass%, resulting in the highest PC yield of 96.3%

Transcriptome Analysis and Ultrastructure Observation Reveal that Hawthorn Fruit Softening Is due to Cellulose/Hemicellulose Degradation

Softening, a common phenomenon in many fruits, is a well coordinated and genetically determined process. However, the process of flesh softening during ripening has rarely been described in hawthorn. In this study, we found that ‘Ruanrou Shanlihong 3 Hao’ fruits became softer during ripening, whereas ‘Qiu JinXing’ fruits remained hard. At late developmental stages, the firmness of ‘Ruanrou Shanlihong 3 Hao’ fruits rapidly declined, and that of ‘Qiu JinXing’ fruits remained essentially unchanged. According to transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the middle lamella of ‘Qiu JinXing’ and ‘Ruanrou Shanlihong 3 Hao’ fruit flesh was largely degraded as the fruits matured. Microfilaments in ‘Qiu JinXing’ flesh were arranged close together and were deep in color, whereas those in ‘Ruanrou Shanlihong 3 Hao’ fruit flesh were arranged loosely, partially degraded and light in color. RNA-Seq analysis yielded approximately 46.72 Gb of clean data and 72,837 unigenes. Galactose metabolism and pentose and glucuronate interconversions are involved in cell wall metabolism, play an important role in hawthorn texture. We identified 85 unigenes related to the cell wall between hard- and soft-fleshed hawthorn fruits. Based on data analysis and real-time PCR, we suggest that β-GAL and PE4 have important functions in early fruit softening. The genes Ffase, Gns, α-GAL, PE63, XTH and CWP, which are involved in cell wall degradation, are responsible for the different textures of hawthorn fruits. Thus, we hypothesize that the different textures of ‘Qiu JinXing’ and ‘Ruanrou Shanlihong 3 Hao’ fruits at maturity mainly result from cellulose/hemicelluloses degradation rather than from lamella degradation. Overall, we propose that different types of hydrolytic enzymes in cells interact to degrade the cell wall, resulting in ultramicroscopic Structure changes in the cell wall and, consequently, fruit softening. These results provide fundamental insight regarding the mechanisms by which hawthorn fruits acquire different textures and also lay a solid foundation for further research

miR-181a increases FoxO1 acetylation and promotes granulosa cell apoptosis via SIRT1 downregulation.

Oxidative stress impairs follicular development by inducing granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis, which involves enhancement of the transcriptional activity of the pro-apoptotic factor Forkhead box O1 (FoxO1). However, the mechanism by which oxidative stress promotes FoxO1 activity is still unclear. Here, we found that miR-181a was upregulated in hydrogen peroxide (

Virtual Collaboration with Mobile Social Media in Multiple-Organization Projects

This study investigates the use of mobile social media as emerging collaboration tools by virtual teams. Based on the construal level theory, it develops a research model hypothesizes that collaboration tool effectiveness influence contextual performance and task performance through the mediation of procedure agreeability. In addition, geographic dispersion, team size and project duration serve as moderators as they reflect virtual collaboration complexity. Empirical findings support most hypothesized relationships. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed