Effect of Ceramic Properties and Depth-of-penetration Test Parameters on the Ballistic Performance of Armour Ceramics

Through an analysis on the relationship among ceramic properties, the depth of penetration (DOP) test parameters and the ballistic performance of armour ceramics based on literatures, the effects of ceramic type, tile thickness and projectile velocity on the ballistic performance of different kinds of ceramics were investigated systematically. The results show that the ballistic performance of different armour ceramics mainly depends on its density, and by using thin ceramic tiles or under high velocity impact, the ceramic composite armour could not provide effective ballistic protection. Furthermore, the differences in the ballistic performance of armour ceramic are found due to the different ballistic performance criteria and DOP test conditions. Additionally, the slope of the depth of penetration (not include tile thickness) (Pa) versus tile thickness has negative correlation with flexural strength of ceramics, indicating the flexural strength can be one of the criteria to evaluate the performance of armour ceramics

Adult Age Differences in Parafoveal Preview Effects during Reading: Evidence from Chinese

We investigated parafoveal processing by 44 young (18-30 years) and 44 older (65+ years) Chinese readers using eye movement measures. Participants read sentences which included an invisible boundary after a two-character word (N) and before two one-character words (N+1, N+2). Before a reader’s gaze crossed the boundary, N+1 and N+2 were shown normally or masked (i.e., as valid/invalid previews), after which they reverted to normal. Young adults obtained preview benefits (a processing advantage for valid over invalid previews) for both words. However, older adults obtained N+2 preview benefits only when N+1 was valid, suggesting their parafoveal processing is more limited

Chip-scale solar thermal electrical power generation

There is an urgent need for alternative compact technologies that can derive and store energy from the sun, especially the large amount of solar heat that is not effectively used for power generation. Here, we report a combination of solution- and neat-film-based molecular solar thermal (MOST) systems, where solar energy can be stored as chemical energy and released as heat, with microfabricated thermoelectric generators to produce electricity when solar radiation is not available. The photophysical properties of two MOST couples are characterized both in liquid with a catalytical cycling setup and in a phase-interconvertible neat film. Their suitable photophysical properties let us combine them individually with a microelectromechanical ultrathin thermoelectric chip to use the stored solar energy for electrical power generation. The generator can produce, as a proof of concept, a power output of up to 0.1 nW (power output per unit volume up to 1.3 W m−3). Our results demonstrate that such a molecular thermal power generation system has a high potential to store and transfer solar power into electricity and is thus potentially independent of geographical restrictions.This work was supported by the K. & A. Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Swedish Research Council Formas, the Swedish Energy Agency, the European Research Council (ERC) under grant agreement CoG, PHOTHERM - 101002131, the Catalan Institute of Advanced Studies (ICREA), and the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme under grant agreement no. 951801. The MEMS-TEG chip manufacture and experimentation were supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant 51776126). The authors would like to thank the Center for Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices (AEMD) and Instrumental Analysis Center of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the startup fund of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. We thank Dr. Sarah Lerch and Prof. Ben Greatrex for reading and commenting on the manuscript. We acknowledge Neuroncollective.com and Daniel Spacek for the graphical abstract.With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000917-S).Peer reviewe

Indium Tin Oxide@Carbon Core–Shell Nanowire and Jagged Indium Tin Oxide Nanowire

This paper reports two new indium tin oxide (ITO)-based nanostructures, namely ITO@carbon core–shell nanowire and jagged ITO nanowire. The ITO@carbon core–shell nanowires (~50 nm in diameter, 1–5 μm in length,) were prepared by a chemical vapor deposition process from commercial ITO nanoparticles. A carbon overlayer (~5–10 in thickness) was observed around ITO nanowire core, which was in situ formed by the catalytic decomposition of acetylene gas. This carbon overlayer could be easily removed after calcination in air at an elevated temperature of 700°C, thus forming jagged ITO nanowires (~40–45 nm in diameter). The growth mechanisms of ITO@carbon core–shell nanowire and jagged ITO nanowire were also suggested

Four-layer tin-carbon nanotube yolk-shell materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

All high‐capacity anodes for lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) batteries, such as those based on tin (Sn) and silicon (Si), suffer from large volume changes during cycling with lithium ions, and their high capacities can be only achieved in the first few cycles. We design and synthesize a unique four‐layer yolk–shell tin–carbon (Sn–C) nanotube array to address this problem. The shape and size of the exterior Sn nanotube@carbon core–shell layer, the encapsulated interior Sn nanowire@carbon nanotube core–shell layer, and the filling level of each layer can be all controlled by adjusting the experimental conditions. Such a nanostructure has not been reported for any metal or metal oxide‐based material. Owing to the special design of the electrode structure, the four‐layer hierarchical structure demonstrates excellent Li‐ion storage properties in terms of high capacity, long cycle life, and high rate performance

Association of Physical Activity with Phenotypic Age among Populations with Different Breakfast Habits

Background: The global aging situation has reached a serious stage, and healthy lifestyles, like regular physical activity and eating breakfast, could slow the process. Phenotypic age (PhenoAge) is regarded as a novel measure of aging. Therefore, our study aimed to quantify the impact of physical activity and eating breakfast on aging via PhenoAge and phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel). Methods: A total of 3719 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were involved in this study. Physical activity was divided into an active group and an inactive group. According to the number of reported breakfast recalls, eating breakfast was divided into the no recalls group, one recall group, and both recalls group. Sensitivity analysis was performed by stratified analysis. Results: Active physical activity was a protective factor for PhenoAge and PhenoAgeAccel. Compared to the inactive group, the β values of the active group were −8.36 (−10.09, −6.62) for PhenoAge and −1.67 (−2.21, −1.14) for PhenoAgeAccel. The stratified analysis results showed that in the groups reporting breakfast in both recalls, one recall, and no recalls, the β values of the active group were −8.84 (−10.70, −6.98), −8.17 (−12.34, −4.00), and −3.46 (−7.74, 0.82), respectively, compared to the inactive group. Conclusions: Active physical activity was strongly correlated with lower values of PhenoAge and PhenoAgeAccel, but the association was no longer statistically significant when combined with not regularly eating breakfast

Molecular Solar Thermal Power Generation

Harvesting solar energy into electrical power can be an attractive way for the development of cleaner energy. However, traditional solar photovoltaic technologies operate strongly dependent on solar intermittency. Molecular solar thermal energy storage (MOST) is a new technology based on photoswitchable materials, which allow sunlight to be stored and released as chemical energy on-demand. We here characterized the photophysical properties of two MOST couples both in liquid and phase interconvertible neat film. Their suitable MOST properties let us combine them individually with a microelectromechanical ultrathin thermoelectric chip to use the stored solar energy for electrical power generation. The generator can produce a surface output power up to 1.2 mW·m-2 for the liquid form and 0.6 mW·m-2 for the neat film form. Our results demonstrated that such a molecular thermal power generation system has a high potential to store and transfer solar power into electricity, and is thus independent of geographical restrictions

Additional file 1 of Ideal cardiovascular health metrics have better identification of arthritis

Supplementary Material