The partial insulation winding was examined to ameliorate the slow charge–discharge shown by coils wound without insulation. Single pancake coils of GdBCO coated conductor were wound without insulation, with kapton tape every five turns, and with the full use of kapton tape. They were characterized by charge–discharge, sudden discharge, and over-current testing. The improved charging and discharging and high thermal and electrical stabilities of the partially insulated coil demonstrate its potential for use in HTS power applications.

Intracellular Ca(2+) signal is a key regulator of axonal growth during brain development. As transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are permeable to Ca(2+) and mediate numerous brain functions, it is conceivable that many TRP channels would regulate neuronal differentiation. We therefore screened TRP channels that are involved in the regulation of neurite growth. Among the TRP channels, the Trpm2 level was inversely associated with neurite growth. TRPM2 was highly expressed in embryonic brain. Pharmacological perturbation or knockdown of TRPM2 markedly increased the axonal growth, whereas its overexpression inhibited the axonal growth. Addition of ADP ribose, an endogenous activator of TRPM2, to PC12 cells significantly repressed the axonal growth. TRPM2 was actively involved in the neuronal retraction induced by cerebrospinal fluid-rich lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). More importantly, neurons isolated from the brain of Trpm2-deficient mice have significantly longer neurites with a greater number of spines than those obtained from the brain of wild-type mice. Therefore, we conclude that TRPM2 mediates the LPA-induced suppression of axonal growth, which provides a long-sought mechanism underlying the effect of LPA on neuronal development.

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A passivation technique consisting of a (NH4)2S dip followed by GaS deposition has been applied to a GaAs microwave-power metal–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET). The breakdown characteristic of the MESFET is greatly improved upon the (NH4)2S treatment, and a stable passivation effect can be achieved by GaS film deposition. It is found that the FET current–voltage characteristics are closely related to variations in the pinning position of the GaAs surface Fermi level. With the surface passivated, a depletion layer can be properly formed and protected, which is of benefit to the control of the device parameters.

According to operation characteristics of the main engine 9K98ME-C7, a combined turbines-exhaust gas waste heat recovery system is proposed to recover waste heat and increase system energy efficiency.

In this study, empirical and numerical analyses on the screening current-induced field (SCIF) characteristics of a non-insulated (NI) GdBCO-coated conductor single-pancake coil were conducted. Charge and discharge tests were carried out to induce an SCIF in the NI test coil. The SCIF in the NI coil was identified by comparison between the measured and calculated magnetic fields. The experimental results exhibit an increase of the SCIF with increasing an operating current, as well as a logarithmic decay of the SCIF as a function of time. Moreover, the SCIF was not affected by the slow discharge of the NI coil. The estimation of the SCIF based on the critical-state model in a thin film using the finite element method was in fairly good agreement with the experimental results.

At the most fundamental level, saccharification occurs when cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs) diffuse, bind to and react on readily accessible cellulose fibrils. Thus, the study of the diffusive behavior of solutes into and out of cellulosic substrates is important for understanding how biomass pore size distribution affects enzyme transport, binding, and catalysis. In this study, fluorescently labeled dextrans with molecular weights of 20, 70, and 150 kDa were used as probes to assess their diffusion into the porous structure of filter paper. Fluorescence microscopy with high numerical aperture objectives was used to generate high temporal and spatial resolution datasets of probe concentrations versus time. In addition, two diffusion models, including a simple transient diffusion and a pore grouping diffusion models, were developed. These models and the experimental datasets were used to investigate solute diffusion in macro- and micro-pores. Nonlinear least squares fitting of the datasets to the simple transient model yielded diffusion coefficient estimates that were inadequate for describing the initial fast diffusion and the later slow diffusion rates observed; on the other hand, nonlinear least squares fitting of the datasets to the pore grouping diffusion model yielded estimations of the micro-pore diffusion coefficient that described the inherently porous structure of plant-derived cellulose. In addition, modeling results show that on average 75% of the accessible pore volume is available for fast diffusion without any significant pore hindrance. The method developed can be applied to study the porous structure of plant-derived biomass and help assess the diffusion process for enzymes with known sizes.

The effect of oxygen vacancies (V O ) and the atmosphere influence on persistent luminescence (PersL) in Y 3 Al 2 Ga 3 O 12 (YAGG):Ce 3+ ,Yb 3+ are investigated by heating it in CO 2 , air, and 10% H 2 /90% Ar atmospheres. The V O -rich YAGG phosphors with outstanding PersL are successfully obtained by the common contribution of the reducing atmosphere and the incorporated Yb 3+ ions, and the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the phosphors is characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. Compared to the best sample prepared in neutral CO 2 , the reduced sample shows an increase of 30% in initial intensity and 100% in duration time, while the oxidized sample decreases drastically and shows a faint and undetectable PersL. The enhancement is mainly caused by the abundant formation of V O , which is achieved by the pairing of V O with Yb 2+ ions. The newly created V O by the reducing calcination is inferred to be adjacent to the Yb site and forms a compensation-type defect cluster due to the charge compensation effect. These findings reveal that understanding the effect and formation of V O is of great significance to design a high-performance phosphor.