Chemically dealloyed Fe-based metallic glass with void channels-like architecture for highly enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation in catalysis

Metallic glasses (MGs) with their intrinsic disordered atomic structure and widely controllable atomic components have recently emerged as fascinating functional materials in wastewater treatment. Compared to crystalline alloys, the less-noble atomic components in monolithic metallic glass are more efficient to be selectively dissolved during dealloying process. This work reported a facile chemical dealloying approach to fabricate a void channels-like structured MG with the elemental components of Fe73.5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 for methylene blue (MB) degradation. Results indicated that the dealloyed Fe73.5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 MGs with the void channels-like morphology presented a significant improvement of catalytic efficiency and reusability. The dye degradation reaction rate (kobs) of the dealloyed Fe73.5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 MGs presented 3 times higher than their as-spun MGs. More importantly, the dealloyed Fe73.5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 MGs can be reused up to 25 times without significantly loosing catalytic efficiency. It was also found that the dealloyed Fe73.5Si13.5B9Cu1Nb3 MGs exhibited a greater corrosion resistance in the simulated dye solution compared to the as-spun ribbons, demonstrating a robust self-healing ability in catalytic activity. This work provides a novel view for designing MG catalysts with high efficiency and stability in worldwide energy and environmental concerns

Experimental investigation of the 12C+12C fusion at very low energies by direct and indirect methods

The 12C+12C fusion reaction plays a crucial role during stellar evolution. The astrophysically important energy range spans from 1 MeV to 3 MeV. However, its cross section has not been determined with enough precision, despite numerous studies, due to the extremely low reaction cross sections and the large experimental background. To allow measurements of the 12C+12C fusion at astrophysical energies, we developed an efficient thick-target method using large-area silicon strip detectors. Further measurements at even lower energies will be performed using coincidences between a silicon-detector and a Ge-detector array, at the high-current accelerator under construction at the University of Notre Dame. Since the coincidence method does not allow obtaining information about the channels without gamma-ray emission, a solenoid spectrometer has been constructed for complementary measurements. Meanwhile, we are also investigating the 24Mg(α, α') reaction using the Grand Raiden Spectrometer at RCNP to search for potential resonances in the 12C+12C fusion reaction. Preliminary results from these measurements will be presented

Elitist matching and skewness in income distributions

A simple competitive matching model is constructed, in which agents of two types freely form 'firms' to produce a single good. We find that labor complementarity guarantees the existence of an elitist, efficient equilibrium and imparts a positive skewness to the income distributions. © 1991

Matching and a technology-induced skewness in income distributions

This paper examines a source of skewness in income distribution which is technology-based. A simple competitive matching model is constructed in which agents of two types freely from 'firms' to produce a single good. We derive explicit expressions relating the skewness in the income distributions to characteristics in the production function. It is found that labor input complementarity guarantees the existence of an elistist, efficient equilibrium and imparts a positive skewness to the income distributions, while concavity tends to skew the distributions the opposite way. An application to the problem of allocating scarce educational resources according to talent is studied. © 1992

Boron-lipiodol: A potential new drug for the treatment of liver tumors

Background: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a form of radiation therapy and has been proposed for the treatment of some malignancies with encouraging results. However, none of them has ever been applied to liver malignancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of boron-lipiodol (B-lipiodol) for the treatment of VX2 liver tumor via BNCT Materials and Methods: Twelve New Zealand rabbits were randomly separated into two groups: lipiodol and boron-lipiodol groups. The rabbits were anesthetized, a midline incision was made and the left lobe of the liver was injected with 0.1 ml of VX2 tumor cells. After the tumor reached 2-3 cm in diameter, the rabbits were anesthetized and 0.5 ml of boron-lipiodol was injected into the hepatic artery via an angiocatheter. Liver function tests and renal function tests were performed before, at 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 7 days after injection of drugs in both groups. The concentration of boron in various tissues was determined on the 7th day after injection. Results: Liver function was abnormal at 12 hours after injection, and then gradually returned to normal at 7 days, indicative of acute temporary hepatic damage. As for the renal function, no significant change was noted in either group. The boron level was 49.7 ppm in tumor and 631 ppm in the healthy liver 7 days after injection of B-lipiodol. The ratio of boron concentrations between the tumor and the normal liver tissue was 7.87 As for blood and other organs including spleen, heart and kidney, the concentration of boron was low. In the lipiodol group, the boron concentrations in tumor and various organs were low. Conclusion: The high concentration of boron after intra-arterial injection of B-lipiodol can be used for neutron capture therapy. B-lipiodol has potential for the treatment of liver malignancy