The objective of this paper is to model the size-dependent thermo-mechanical behaviors of a shape memory polymer (SMP) microbeam.Size-dependent constitutive equations,which can capture the size effect of the SMP,are p...The objective of this paper is to model the size-dependent thermo-mechanical behaviors of a shape memory polymer (SMP) microbeam.Size-dependent constitutive equations,which can capture the size effect of the SMP,are proposed based on the modified couple stress theory (MCST).The deformation energy expression of the SMP microbeam is obtained by employing the proposed size-dependent constitutive equation and Bernoulli-Euler beam theory.An SMP microbeam model,which includes the formulations of deflection,strain,curvature,stress and couple stress,is developed by using the principle of minimum potential energy and the separation of variables together.The sizedependent thermo-mechanical and shape memory behaviors of the SMP microbeam and the influence of the Poisson ratio are numerically investigated according to the developed SMP microbeam model.Results show that the size effects of the SMP microbeam are significant when the dimensionless height is small enough.However,they are too slight to be necessarily considered when the dimensionless height is large enough.The bending flexibility and stress level of the SMP microbeam rise with the increasing dimensionless height,while the couple stress level declines with the increasing dimensionless height.The larger the dimensionless height is,the more obvious the viscous property and shape memory effect of the SMP microbeam are.The Poisson ratio has obvious influence on the size-dependent behaviors of the SMP microbeam.The paper provides a theoretical basis and a quantitatively analyzing tool for the design and analysis of SMP micro-structures in the field of biological medicine,microelectronic devices and micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) self-assembling.展开更多
Choosing site area, cultural layer thickness, significant relics and significant re- mains as the variables, we applied cluster analysis to the ancient settlements of four cultural periods, respectively, which were Pe...Choosing site area, cultural layer thickness, significant relics and significant re- mains as the variables, we applied cluster analysis to the ancient settlements of four cultural periods, respectively, which were Peiligang, Yangshao, Longshan and Xiashang, in 9000-3000 a BP, around Songshan Mountain. Through application of the SOFM （self-organizing feature map） networks, every type of ancient settlements was classified into different size-grades. By this means, the Peiligang settlements were divided into two grades, Yangshao and Longshan settlements were divided into three grades, respectively, and Xi- ashang settlements were divided into four grades. The results suggested that the size-grade diversity of ancient settlements was not significant during the Peiligang period in this area. Around the middle-late Yangshao period （5000 a BP）, the size-grade diversity of ancient settlements began to appear, a process that continued during the Longshan period and finally matured in the Xiashang period. Moreover, the results reflected the regional differences in cultural characteristics in a particular period, which were mainly represented in that there were three Peitigang cultural systems distributed in different areas. Such differences also existed in the spatial distributive characteristics between the Xia and Shang cultures. Based on the size-grade study of ancient settlements in the Circum-Songshan area, it was found that the SOFM networks method was very suitable for size-grade classification of ancient settle- ments, since, using this method, adjacent cells would compete and learn from each other, a benefit that reduced the effect on classification by the inaccuracy of site acreages.展开更多
Although hermaphroditism is common in flowering plants, unisexual flowers occur in many plant taxa,forming various sexual systems. However, the sexual system of some plants is difficult to determine morphologically, g...Although hermaphroditism is common in flowering plants, unisexual flowers occur in many plant taxa,forming various sexual systems. However, the sexual system of some plants is difficult to determine morphologically, given that their sex expression may be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Specifically, androdioecy(the coexistence of both male and hermaphroditic individuals in the same population) has often been confused with the gender diphasy, a gender strategy in which plants change their sex expression between seasons. We studied the reproductive function of male and hermaphroditic flowers of Lloydia oxycarpa(Liliaceae), in order to investigate its sexual system and determine whether it is a gender-diphasic species. We found that although male flowers occur in a considerable number of plants, relative to hermaphrodites, they did not exhibit any significant reproductive advantage in terms of flower size, pollen quantity, attractiveness to visitors or siring success. In addition, this plant has spontaneous self-pollination and showed no inbreeding depression. These results render the maintenance of male individuals almost impossible. Furthermore, a considerable number of individuals changed their sex in successive years. The sex expression was found to be related to bulb size and dry weight, with larger individuals producing hermaphroditic flowers and smaller individuals producing male flowers. These results suggest that L. oxycarpa is not an androdioecious plant but represents a rare case of size-dependent gender diphasy.展开更多
Summary： The contribution of particles to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity has been enlightened by epidemiologic and experimental studies. However, adverse biological effects of the particles with different siz...Summary： The contribution of particles to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity has been enlightened by epidemiologic and experimental studies. However, adverse biological effects of the particles with different sizes on cardiovascular cells have not been well recognized. In this study, sub-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVECs） were exposed to increasing concentrations of pure quartz particles （DQ） of three sizes （DQPM1, 〈1 μm; DQPM3-5, 3-5 μm; DQPM5, 5 μm） and carbon black particles of two sizes （CB0.1, 〈0.1 μm; CB 1, 〈 1 μm） for 24 h. Cytotoxicity was estimated by measuring the activity of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） and cell viability. Nitric oxide （NO） generation and cyto- kines （TNF-α and IL-1β） releases were analyzed by using NO assay and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay （ELISA）, respectively. It was found that both particles induced adverse biological effects on HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. The size of particle directly influenced the biological activity. For quartz, the smaller particles induced stronger cytotoxicity and higher levels of cytokine responses than those particles of big size. For carbon black particles, CB0.1 was more capable of inducing adverse responses on HUVECs than CB 1 only at lower particle concentrations, in contrast to those at higher concentrations. Meanwhile, our data also revealed that quartz particles performed stronger cell damage and produced higher levels of TNF-α than carbon black particles, even if particles size was similar. In conclusion, particle size as well as particle composition should be both considered in assessing vascular endothelial cells injury and inflammation responses induced by particles.展开更多
A MOUDI-120 sampler was used in Beijing to collect multi-stage samples in the summer and winter of 2013 to 2015. Thirty-three sample sets were collected during the daytime,nighttime, and different pollution levels. Th...A MOUDI-120 sampler was used in Beijing to collect multi-stage samples in the summer and winter of 2013 to 2015. Thirty-three sample sets were collected during the daytime,nighttime, and different pollution levels. The actual relative humidity in the impactors was calculated for the first time. The carbonaceous components（organic and elemental carbon,OC and EC, respectively） and water-soluble inorganic ions（Na~＋, NH4~＋, K~＋, Mg^（2＋）, Ca^（2＋）, Cl^-, NO3^-,and SO4^（2-）） were analyzed in each sample. The characteristics of the mass concentration distribution and charge balance were discussed. On the basis of relative humidity in the impactors, aerosols less than 1.0 μm were sampled under relatively dry conditions in most cases. The concentration levels for the chemical species were higher in the winter than in the summer. Three modes（condensation mode, droplet mode, and coarse mode） could be identified from the distributions of NH4~＋, NO3^-, SO4^（2-）, Cl^-, K~＋, OC and EC. The distribution characteristics for the pollution dissipation process were different from the pollution accumulation process. NO3^-and NO2^-contributed most of the negative electric charges in the stage below 0.1 μm. In the condensation mode, the cations were dominated by NH4~＋, which was sufficient to balance the anions. In the droplet mode of the heavily polluted samples,the ammonium was not sufficient to balance the anions. In the coarse mode, the positive electric charges were primarily composed of metal cations. The analyzed anions were not sufficient to neutralize the measured cations.展开更多
The characteristics of water-soluble ions in size-resolved particulate matter were investigated usingion chromatography at Shangdianzi, a regional background station of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. Seasonal total conc...The characteristics of water-soluble ions in size-resolved particulate matter were investigated usingion chromatography at Shangdianzi, a regional background station of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. Seasonal total concentrations of ions （Na＋, Mg2＋, IC, Ca2＋, NH＋4, Cl-, SO2-4 and NO-3） were 75.5 ± 52.9 μg/m3 in spring, 26.5 ± 12.3 Bg/m3 in summer, 22.7 ± 20.4 μg/m3 in autumn, and 31.1 ± 23.9 μg/m3 in winter, respectively. The secondary ions （NO3, SO2-4 and NH＋4）, mainly associated with fine particles, accounted for 84.2% in spring, 82.1% in summer, 81.5% in autumn and 76.3% in winter of all ions. Strong correlations were found between NH＋4 and SO2-4 （r = 0.95, p 〈 0.01） as well as NH＋4 and NO-3 （r = 0.90, p 〈 0.01） in fine particles; while in coarse particles, correlations between Mg2＋ and NO-3 （r = 0.80, p 〈 0.01）, and Ca2＋ and NO2＋ （r = 0.85, p 〈 0.01） were found. The concentrations of Na＋, IC, Mg2＋, Ca2＋, NH＋4, Cl-, NO3, and SC2-4 were 2.02, 0.81, 0.36, 1.65, 9.58, 4.01, 18.9, and 18.4 μg/m3 in particulate matter from southeast-derived air masses, which were typically 1.58-3.37 times higher than in northwest trajectories. Thus, concentrations of water-soluble ions at this background station were heavily influenced by regional transport of serious pollution derived from biomass burning, coal combustion, industrial and vehicle exhaust emissions from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.展开更多
The distributions of chlorophyll a concentration, primary production and new productionwere observed in the Laizhou Bay of the Bohai Sea in both spring and neap tides during July 1997. The results showed that there we...The distributions of chlorophyll a concentration, primary production and new productionwere observed in the Laizhou Bay of the Bohai Sea in both spring and neap tides during July 1997. The results showed that there were marked features of spatial zonation in the surveyed area, due to the differences between the geographic environment and the hydrological conditions. Chlorophyll a, primary production and new production were all higher in spring tides than that in neap tides in the Laizhou Bay. The highest values of these parameters were encountered in the central regions of the bay. At most stations, chlorophyll a concentrations at the bottom were higher than that at the surface. The results of size-fractionated chlorophyll a and primary production showed that contributions of nanocombining pi-coplankton ( <20 μm) to total chlorophyll a and primary production were dominant in phytoplankton community biomass and production of the Laizhou Bay. The environmental factors, primary production and new production in the Laizhou Bay are compared with other sea areas.展开更多
Multispecies ecological models have been used for predicting the effects of fishing activity and evaluating the performance of management strategies. Size-spectrum models are one type of physiologically-structured eco...Multispecies ecological models have been used for predicting the effects of fishing activity and evaluating the performance of management strategies. Size-spectrum models are one type of physiologically-structured ecological model that provide a feasible approach to describing fish communities in terms of individual dietary variation and ontogenetic niche shift. Despite the potential of ecological models in improving our understanding of ecosystems, their application is usually limited for data-poor fisheries. As a first step in implementing ecosystem-based fisheries management（EBFM）, this study built a size-spectrum model for the fish community in the Haizhou Bay, China. We describe data collection procedures and model parameterization to facilitate the implementation of such size-spectrum models for future studies of data-poor ecosystems. The effects of fishing on the ecosystem were exemplified with a range of fishing effort and were monitored with a set of ecological indicators. Total community biomass, biodiversity index, W-statistic, LFI（Large fish index）, Mean W（mean body weight） and Slope（slope of community size spectra） showed a strong non-linear pattern in response to fishing pressure, and largest fishing effort did not generate the most drastic responses in certain scenarios. We emphasize the value and feasibility of developing size-spectrum models to capture ecological dynamics and suggest limitations as well as potential for model improvement. This study aims to promote a wide use of this type of model in support of EBFM.展开更多
Consider a multidimensional renewal risk model, in which the claim sizes {Xk, k ≥1} form a sequence of independent and identically distributed random vectors with nonnegative components that are allowed to be depende...Consider a multidimensional renewal risk model, in which the claim sizes {Xk, k ≥1} form a sequence of independent and identically distributed random vectors with nonnegative components that are allowed to be dependent on each other. The univariate marginal distributions of these vectors have consistently varying tails and finite means. Suppose that the claim sizes and inter-arrival times correspondingly form a sequence of independent and identically distributed random pairs, with each pair obeying a dependence structure. A precise large deviation for the multidimensional renewal risk model is obtained.展开更多
In this article, the population-size-dependent bisexual Galton-Watson processes are considered. Under some suitable conditions on the mating functions and the offspring distribution, existence of the limit of mean gro...In this article, the population-size-dependent bisexual Galton-Watson processes are considered. Under some suitable conditions on the mating functions and the offspring distribution, existence of the limit of mean growth rate per mating unit is proved. And based on the limit, a criterion to identify whether the process admits ultimate extinct with probability one is obtained.展开更多
During June 1997 cruise by R/V Science No.l, observations on temporal and spatialvariations of the size-fractionated phytoplankton standing stock and primary production were carried out in the Bohai Sea. The size-frac...During June 1997 cruise by R/V Science No.l, observations on temporal and spatialvariations of the size-fractionated phytoplankton standing stock and primary production were carried out in the Bohai Sea. The size-fractionated chlorophyll a (Chl a) and primary production, photosynthet-ically available radiation (PAR), as well as the related physico-oceanographic and zooplanktonic parameters were measured at five time-series observation stations representing sub-areas of the sea. Results obtained show that there were the marked features of spatial zonation of Chl a and primary production in the Bohai Sea. The values in the Laizhou Bay, the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf were high and showed close relation with tidal fluctuations, i.e. high Chi a concentration occurred during high tide in the Laizhou Bay, and during low tide in the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf. In the strait and the central region of the Bohai Sea, the values were relatively low and no relationship with tidal fluctuation could be found. Chlorophyll a concentration vertically decreased from surface to bottom in the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf, while it increased in the Laizhou Bay, the strait and the central region of the Bohai Sea, and the highest value was encountered at the bottom. Size-fractionation results showed that nano - combining pico -plankton ( < 20 μm) predominated in phytoplankton communities of the Bohai Sea during late spring. The average contribution to total Chl a in each station ranged 76% -95 % (mean is 87 %). The contribution of net (> 20 μm), nano - (2- 20 fan) and picoplankton (< 2 μm) was 13% , 63% and 24% to total production, and 9% , 53% and 38% to total Chl a, respectively. It proved the importance of nano - and pico -plankton in phytoplankton communities in the Bohai Sea e-cosystems. In this paper the factors, such as light intensity and zooplankton grazing pressure, governing standing stock and production of phytoplankton in the Bohai Sea were also discussed.展开更多
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are subjected to various transformation processes (chemical,physical and biological processes) in the environment,potentially affecting their bioavailability and toxic propert...Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are subjected to various transformation processes (chemical,physical and biological processes) in the environment,potentially affecting their bioavailability and toxic properties.However,the size variation of TiO2 NPs during aging process and subsequent effects in mammalian cells are largely unknown.The aim of this study was to illustrate the adverse effects of TiO2 NPs in different sizes (5,15 and <100 nm) during aging process on human-hamster hybrid (AL) cells.There was an aging-time dependent enhancement of average hydrodynamic size in TiO2 NPs stock suspensions.The cytotoxicity of fresh TiO2 NPs increased in a size-dependent manner;in contrast,their genotoxicity decreased with the increasing sizes of NPs.No significant toxicity difference was observed in cells exposed to either fresh or 60 day-aged TiO2 NPs.Both Fresh and aged TiO2 NPs efficiently induced mitochondrial dysfunction and activated Caspase-3/7 in a size-dependent manner.Using mitochondrial-DNA deficient (ρ°) AL cells,we further discovered that mitochondrial dysfunction made significant contribution to the size-dependent toxicity induced by TiO2 NPs during the aging process.Taken together,our data indicated that TiO2 NPs could significantly induced the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in an aging time-independent and size-dependent manner,which were triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction.Our study suggested the necessity to include size as an additional parameter for the cautious monitoring of TiO2 NPs disposal before entering the environment.展开更多
The authors investigated size-dependent amplified spontaneous emission（ASE） from organic crystals. Specifically, N-（4-{4-[4-（diphenylamino）styryl]styryl}phenyl）-N-phenylbenzene amine（Ph-TPA2） organic crystals ...The authors investigated size-dependent amplified spontaneous emission（ASE） from organic crystals. Specifically, N-（4-{4-[4-（diphenylamino）styryl]styryl}phenyl）-N-phenylbenzene amine（Ph-TPA2） organic crystals were used in the experiment. The ASE threshold was decreased with the decrease of the width of the crystal at the same gain length, which reflects that total internal reflection plays an important role on the ASE properties in these slab organic crystals. The ASE properties pumped by one- and two-photon were also comparatively studied. We found that the thresholds of ASE in two-photon pumping condition are less size-dependent than those in singlephoton condition because of the nonlinear light generation processes in two-photon absorption processes.展开更多
Fluid-structure interaction （FSI） problems in microchannels play a prominent role in many engineering applications. The present study is an effort toward the simulation of flow in microchannel considering FSI. The b...Fluid-structure interaction （FSI） problems in microchannels play a prominent role in many engineering applications. The present study is an effort toward the simulation of flow in microchannel considering FSI. The bottom boundary of the microchannel is simulated by size-dependent beam elements for the finite element method （FEM） based on a modified cou- ple stress theory. The lattice Boltzmann method （LBM） using the D2Q13 LB model is coupled to the FEM in order to solve the fluid part of the FSI problem. Because of the fact that the LBM generally needs only nearest neighbor information, the algorithm is an ideal candidate for parallel computing. The simulations are carried out on graphics processing units （GPUs） using computed unified device architecture （CUDA）. In the present study, the governing equations are non-dimensionalized and the set of dimensionless groups is exhibited to show their effects on micro-beam displacement. The numerical results show that the displacements of the micro-beam predicted by the size-dependent beam element are smaller than those by the classical beam element.展开更多
The investigation of size-fractionated chlorophyll a and primary productivity were carried out in three longitudinal sections (63°-69°12'S, 70°30'E, 73°E and 75(30'E) at December 18-26,...The investigation of size-fractionated chlorophyll a and primary productivity were carried out in three longitudinal sections (63°-69°12'S, 70°30'E, 73°E and 75(30'E) at December 18-26, 1998 and January 12-18, 1999 in Prydz Bay and its north sea area, Antarctica. The results showed that surface chlorophyll a concentration were 0. 16 -3. 99 μg dm-3. The high values of chlorophyll a concentration (more than 3.5 μg dm -3) were in Prydz Bay and in the west Ladies Bank. The average chlorophyll a concentration at sub-surface layer was higher than that at surface layer; its concentration at the deeper layers of 50 m decreased with increasing depth and that at 200 m depth was only 0. 01 -0. 95μg dm -3. The results of size-fractionated chlorophyll a showed that the contribution of the netplanktion to total chlorophyll a was 56% , those of the nanoplankton and the picoplankton were 24% and 20% respectively in the surveyed area. The potential primary productivity at the euphotic zone in the surveyed area was 0. 11 - 11. 67 mgC m-3h-1 and average value was 2.00 ±2.80 mgC m h . The in-situ productivity in the bay and the continental shelf was higher and that in the deep-sea area was lower. The assimilation number of photosynthesis was 1.53±1. 11 mgC/(mg Chi a · h). The results of size-fractionated primary productivity show that the contribution of the netplanktion to total productivity was 58% , those of the nanoplankton and the picoplankton were 26% and 16% respectively. The cell abundance of phytoplankton was 1. 6 × 103 - 164. 8 × 103 cell dm-3 in the surface water.展开更多
<div style="text-align:justify;"> Size-segregated of particulate matter (PM) including PM<sub>0.1</sub> at two different sites, i.e., educational (EA) and residential (RA) areas in Padang c...<div style="text-align:justify;"> Size-segregated of particulate matter (PM) including PM<sub>0.1</sub> at two different sites, i.e., educational (EA) and residential (RA) areas in Padang city, Indonesia were sampled by using a cascade type air sampler for 24 hours with the average flowrate 40 l/m throughout three weeks (March, 08<sup>th</sup>-25<sup>th</sup> 2018). Carbonaceous components were analyses by a carbon analyzer following the IMPROVE_TOR protocol. Average PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> concentrations in RA were higher than those in EA while being below the NAAQS of Indonesia. However, it was much higher compared to the WHO limit for 24 hours in RA. OC was the dominant fraction in TC. OC/EC ratio ranging from 2.4 to 33.0 was similar at both sites, suggesting the OC was emitted from various sources. Char-EC and soot-EC ratio were founded to be minimized for PM<sub>0.1</sub> (0.40 ± 0.27 and 0.39 ± 0.39, respectively at each site), indicating a more influence of burning of fossil fuel as vehicles exhaust and coal combustion. The transboundary influence of open biomass burning was not so significant although it cannot be ignored. </div>展开更多
Size-resolved aerosols were continuously collected by a Nano Sampler for 13 days at an urban site in Beijing during winter 2012 to measure the chemical composition of ambient aerosol particles. Data collected by the N...Size-resolved aerosols were continuously collected by a Nano Sampler for 13 days at an urban site in Beijing during winter 2012 to measure the chemical composition of ambient aerosol particles. Data collected by the Nano Sampler and an ACSM（Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor） were compared. Between the data sets,similar trends and strong correlations were observed,demonstrating the validity of the Nano Sampler. PM10 and PM2.5concentrations during the measurement were 150.5 ± 96.0 μg/m3（mean ± standard variation）and 106.9 ± 71.6 μg/m3,respectively. The PM2.5/PM10 ratio was 0.70 ± 0.10,indicating that PM2.5dominated PM10. The aerosol size distributions showed that three size bins of 0.5–1,1–2.5 and 2.5–10 μm contributed 21.8%,23.3% and 26.0% to the total mass concentration（TMC）,respectively. OM（organic matter） and SIA（secondary ionic aerosol,mainly SO42-,NO3-and NH4＋） were major components of PM2.5. Secondary compounds（SIA and secondary organic carbon） accounted for half of TMC（about 49.8%） in PM2.5,and suggested that secondary aerosols significantly contributed to the serious particulate matter pollution observed in winter. Coal burning,biomass combustion,vehicle emissions and SIA were found to be the main sources of PM2.5. Mass concentrations of water-soluble ions and undetected materials,as well as their fractions in TMC,strikingly increased with deteriorating particle pollution conditions,while OM and EC（elemental carbon） exhibited different variations,with mass concentrations slightly increasing but fractions in TMC decreasing.展开更多
The recent research progress of structure- and size-controlled micro/nano-energetic materials is reviewed, which properties are fundamentally different from those of their corresponding bulk materials. The development...The recent research progress of structure- and size-controlled micro/nano-energetic materials is reviewed, which properties are fundamentally different from those of their corresponding bulk materials. The development of the construction strategies for achieving zero-dimensional (0D), one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) micro/nanostructures from energetic molecules is introduced. Also, an overview of the unique properties induced by micro/nanostructures and size effects is provided. Special emphasis is focused on the size-dependent properties that are different from those of the conventional micro-sized energetic materials, such as thermal decomposition, sensitivity, combustion and detonation, and compaction behaviors. A conclusion and our view of the future development of micro/nano-energetic materials and devices are given.展开更多
Al-Mg-Si-Sc alloys with different Mg/Si ratio(<1.73 in wt.% vs>1.73 in wt.%) and different grain size(coarse grains vs ultrafine grains) were prepared, which allowed to investigate the grain size-dependent Mg/Si...Al-Mg-Si-Sc alloys with different Mg/Si ratio(<1.73 in wt.% vs>1.73 in wt.%) and different grain size(coarse grains vs ultrafine grains) were prepared, which allowed to investigate the grain size-dependent Mg/Si ratio effect on the microstructural evolution and concomitantly on the hardness and electrical conductivity when subjected to aging at 200℃. In the coarse-grained Al-Mg-Sc-Sc alloys, the β" precipitation within the grain interior and also the precipitation hardening were highly dependent on the Mg/Si ratio,while the electrical conductivity was slightly affected by the Mg/Si ratio. A promoted β" precipitation was found in the case of Si excess(Mg/Si ratio <1.73), much greater than in the case of Mg excess(Mg/Si ratio>1.73). While in the ultrafine-grained Al-Mg-Si-Sc alloys, the electrical conductivity rather than the hardness was more sensitive to the Mg/Si ratio. The alloy with Si excess displayed electrical conductivity much higher than its counterpart with Mg excess. This is rationalized by the grain boundary precipitation promoted by Si, which reduced the solute atoms and precipitates within the grain interior. Age softening was found in the ultrafine-grained alloy with Si excess, but the ultrafine-grained alloy with Mg excess held the hardness almost unchanged during the aging. The hardness-conductivity correlation is comprehensively discussed by considering the coupling effect of Mg/Si ratio and grain size. A strategy to simultaneously increase the hardness/strength and electrical conductivity is proposed for the Al-Mg-SiSc alloys, based on present understanding of the predominant factors on strengthening and conductivity,respectively.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2017YFC0307604)the Talent Foundation of China University of Petroleum(No.Y1215042)the Graduate Innovation Program of China University of Petroleum(East China)(No.YCX2019084)
文摘The objective of this paper is to model the size-dependent thermo-mechanical behaviors of a shape memory polymer (SMP) microbeam.Size-dependent constitutive equations,which can capture the size effect of the SMP,are proposed based on the modified couple stress theory (MCST).The deformation energy expression of the SMP microbeam is obtained by employing the proposed size-dependent constitutive equation and Bernoulli-Euler beam theory.An SMP microbeam model,which includes the formulations of deflection,strain,curvature,stress and couple stress,is developed by using the principle of minimum potential energy and the separation of variables together.The sizedependent thermo-mechanical and shape memory behaviors of the SMP microbeam and the influence of the Poisson ratio are numerically investigated according to the developed SMP microbeam model.Results show that the size effects of the SMP microbeam are significant when the dimensionless height is small enough.However,they are too slight to be necessarily considered when the dimensionless height is large enough.The bending flexibility and stress level of the SMP microbeam rise with the increasing dimensionless height,while the couple stress level declines with the increasing dimensionless height.The larger the dimensionless height is,the more obvious the viscous property and shape memory effect of the SMP microbeam are.The Poisson ratio has obvious influence on the size-dependent behaviors of the SMP microbeam.The paper provides a theoretical basis and a quantitatively analyzing tool for the design and analysis of SMP micro-structures in the field of biological medicine,microelectronic devices and micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) self-assembling.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41001124 National Key Technology R＆D Program, No.2010BAK67B02 The Major Plan of National Social Science Foundation of China, No. 11 ＆ZD 183
文摘Choosing site area, cultural layer thickness, significant relics and significant re- mains as the variables, we applied cluster analysis to the ancient settlements of four cultural periods, respectively, which were Peiligang, Yangshao, Longshan and Xiashang, in 9000-3000 a BP, around Songshan Mountain. Through application of the SOFM （self-organizing feature map） networks, every type of ancient settlements was classified into different size-grades. By this means, the Peiligang settlements were divided into two grades, Yangshao and Longshan settlements were divided into three grades, respectively, and Xi- ashang settlements were divided into four grades. The results suggested that the size-grade diversity of ancient settlements was not significant during the Peiligang period in this area. Around the middle-late Yangshao period （5000 a BP）, the size-grade diversity of ancient settlements began to appear, a process that continued during the Longshan period and finally matured in the Xiashang period. Moreover, the results reflected the regional differences in cultural characteristics in a particular period, which were mainly represented in that there were three Peitigang cultural systems distributed in different areas. Such differences also existed in the spatial distributive characteristics between the Xia and Shang cultures. Based on the size-grade study of ancient settlements in the Circum-Songshan area, it was found that the SOFM networks method was very suitable for size-grade classification of ancient settle- ments, since, using this method, adjacent cells would compete and learn from each other, a benefit that reduced the effect on classification by the inaccuracy of site acreages.
基金supported by The National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant no. 2017YFC0505200)NSFC (grant 30360049 to Z.-M. L. and 31200183 to Y.N.),major Program of NSFC (grant 31590823 to H.S.)
文摘Although hermaphroditism is common in flowering plants, unisexual flowers occur in many plant taxa,forming various sexual systems. However, the sexual system of some plants is difficult to determine morphologically, given that their sex expression may be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Specifically, androdioecy(the coexistence of both male and hermaphroditic individuals in the same population) has often been confused with the gender diphasy, a gender strategy in which plants change their sex expression between seasons. We studied the reproductive function of male and hermaphroditic flowers of Lloydia oxycarpa(Liliaceae), in order to investigate its sexual system and determine whether it is a gender-diphasic species. We found that although male flowers occur in a considerable number of plants, relative to hermaphrodites, they did not exhibit any significant reproductive advantage in terms of flower size, pollen quantity, attractiveness to visitors or siring success. In addition, this plant has spontaneous self-pollination and showed no inbreeding depression. These results render the maintenance of male individuals almost impossible. Furthermore, a considerable number of individuals changed their sex in successive years. The sex expression was found to be related to bulb size and dry weight, with larger individuals producing hermaphroditic flowers and smaller individuals producing male flowers. These results suggest that L. oxycarpa is not an androdioecious plant but represents a rare case of size-dependent gender diphasy.
基金supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China(No.2011CB503804)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81372967)
文摘Summary： The contribution of particles to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity has been enlightened by epidemiologic and experimental studies. However, adverse biological effects of the particles with different sizes on cardiovascular cells have not been well recognized. In this study, sub-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVECs） were exposed to increasing concentrations of pure quartz particles （DQ） of three sizes （DQPM1, 〈1 μm; DQPM3-5, 3-5 μm; DQPM5, 5 μm） and carbon black particles of two sizes （CB0.1, 〈0.1 μm; CB 1, 〈 1 μm） for 24 h. Cytotoxicity was estimated by measuring the activity of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） and cell viability. Nitric oxide （NO） generation and cyto- kines （TNF-α and IL-1β） releases were analyzed by using NO assay and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay （ELISA）, respectively. It was found that both particles induced adverse biological effects on HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. The size of particle directly influenced the biological activity. For quartz, the smaller particles induced stronger cytotoxicity and higher levels of cytokine responses than those particles of big size. For carbon black particles, CB0.1 was more capable of inducing adverse responses on HUVECs than CB 1 only at lower particle concentrations, in contrast to those at higher concentrations. Meanwhile, our data also revealed that quartz particles performed stronger cell damage and produced higher levels of TNF-α than carbon black particles, even if particles size was similar. In conclusion, particle size as well as particle composition should be both considered in assessing vascular endothelial cells injury and inflammation responses induced by particles.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41675131,and 41205121)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(No.8131003)+1 种基金Beijing Talents Fund(No.2014000021223ZK49)Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Plan Project(No.Z131100006113013)
文摘A MOUDI-120 sampler was used in Beijing to collect multi-stage samples in the summer and winter of 2013 to 2015. Thirty-three sample sets were collected during the daytime,nighttime, and different pollution levels. The actual relative humidity in the impactors was calculated for the first time. The carbonaceous components（organic and elemental carbon,OC and EC, respectively） and water-soluble inorganic ions（Na~＋, NH4~＋, K~＋, Mg^（2＋）, Ca^（2＋）, Cl^-, NO3^-,and SO4^（2-）） were analyzed in each sample. The characteristics of the mass concentration distribution and charge balance were discussed. On the basis of relative humidity in the impactors, aerosols less than 1.0 μm were sampled under relatively dry conditions in most cases. The concentration levels for the chemical species were higher in the winter than in the summer. Three modes（condensation mode, droplet mode, and coarse mode） could be identified from the distributions of NH4~＋, NO3^-, SO4^（2-）, Cl^-, K~＋, OC and EC. The distribution characteristics for the pollution dissipation process were different from the pollution accumulation process. NO3^-and NO2^-contributed most of the negative electric charges in the stage below 0.1 μm. In the condensation mode, the cations were dominated by NH4~＋, which was sufficient to balance the anions. In the droplet mode of the heavily polluted samples,the ammonium was not sufficient to balance the anions. In the coarse mode, the positive electric charges were primarily composed of metal cations. The analyzed anions were not sufficient to neutralize the measured cations.
基金supported by the National Environmental Protection Commonweal Research Project(No.201509062 and No.201409073)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41105089)+1 种基金Research Project of Environmental Development Cenre(No.DY-2016-5)State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment,Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences(No.SKLECRA201637)
文摘The characteristics of water-soluble ions in size-resolved particulate matter were investigated usingion chromatography at Shangdianzi, a regional background station of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. Seasonal total concentrations of ions （Na＋, Mg2＋, IC, Ca2＋, NH＋4, Cl-, SO2-4 and NO-3） were 75.5 ± 52.9 μg/m3 in spring, 26.5 ± 12.3 Bg/m3 in summer, 22.7 ± 20.4 μg/m3 in autumn, and 31.1 ± 23.9 μg/m3 in winter, respectively. The secondary ions （NO3, SO2-4 and NH＋4）, mainly associated with fine particles, accounted for 84.2% in spring, 82.1% in summer, 81.5% in autumn and 76.3% in winter of all ions. Strong correlations were found between NH＋4 and SO2-4 （r = 0.95, p 〈 0.01） as well as NH＋4 and NO-3 （r = 0.90, p 〈 0.01） in fine particles; while in coarse particles, correlations between Mg2＋ and NO-3 （r = 0.80, p 〈 0.01）, and Ca2＋ and NO2＋ （r = 0.85, p 〈 0.01） were found. The concentrations of Na＋, IC, Mg2＋, Ca2＋, NH＋4, Cl-, NO3, and SC2-4 were 2.02, 0.81, 0.36, 1.65, 9.58, 4.01, 18.9, and 18.4 μg/m3 in particulate matter from southeast-derived air masses, which were typically 1.58-3.37 times higher than in northwest trajectories. Thus, concentrations of water-soluble ions at this background station were heavily influenced by regional transport of serious pollution derived from biomass burning, coal combustion, industrial and vehicle exhaust emissions from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 497900102.
文摘The distributions of chlorophyll a concentration, primary production and new productionwere observed in the Laizhou Bay of the Bohai Sea in both spring and neap tides during July 1997. The results showed that there were marked features of spatial zonation in the surveyed area, due to the differences between the geographic environment and the hydrological conditions. Chlorophyll a, primary production and new production were all higher in spring tides than that in neap tides in the Laizhou Bay. The highest values of these parameters were encountered in the central regions of the bay. At most stations, chlorophyll a concentrations at the bottom were higher than that at the surface. The results of size-fractionated chlorophyll a and primary production showed that contributions of nanocombining pi-coplankton ( <20 μm) to total chlorophyll a and primary production were dominant in phytoplankton community biomass and production of the Laizhou Bay. The environmental factors, primary production and new production in the Laizhou Bay are compared with other sea areas.
基金The Special Fund for Agriscientific Research in the Public Interest under contract No.201303050the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under contract Nos 201022001 and 201262004
文摘Multispecies ecological models have been used for predicting the effects of fishing activity and evaluating the performance of management strategies. Size-spectrum models are one type of physiologically-structured ecological model that provide a feasible approach to describing fish communities in terms of individual dietary variation and ontogenetic niche shift. Despite the potential of ecological models in improving our understanding of ecosystems, their application is usually limited for data-poor fisheries. As a first step in implementing ecosystem-based fisheries management（EBFM）, this study built a size-spectrum model for the fish community in the Haizhou Bay, China. We describe data collection procedures and model parameterization to facilitate the implementation of such size-spectrum models for future studies of data-poor ecosystems. The effects of fishing on the ecosystem were exemplified with a range of fishing effort and were monitored with a set of ecological indicators. Total community biomass, biodiversity index, W-statistic, LFI（Large fish index）, Mean W（mean body weight） and Slope（slope of community size spectra） showed a strong non-linear pattern in response to fishing pressure, and largest fishing effort did not generate the most drastic responses in certain scenarios. We emphasize the value and feasibility of developing size-spectrum models to capture ecological dynamics and suggest limitations as well as potential for model improvement. This study aims to promote a wide use of this type of model in support of EBFM.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11571058&11301481)Humanities and Social Science Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China(No.17YJC910007)+1 种基金Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(No.LY17A010004)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.DUT17LK31)
文摘Consider a multidimensional renewal risk model, in which the claim sizes {Xk, k ≥1} form a sequence of independent and identically distributed random vectors with nonnegative components that are allowed to be dependent on each other. The univariate marginal distributions of these vectors have consistently varying tails and finite means. Suppose that the claim sizes and inter-arrival times correspondingly form a sequence of independent and identically distributed random pairs, with each pair obeying a dependence structure. A precise large deviation for the multidimensional renewal risk model is obtained.
文摘In this article, the population-size-dependent bisexual Galton-Watson processes are considered. Under some suitable conditions on the mating functions and the offspring distribution, existence of the limit of mean growth rate per mating unit is proved. And based on the limit, a criterion to identify whether the process admits ultimate extinct with probability one is obtained.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under contract No. 49790010.
文摘During June 1997 cruise by R/V Science No.l, observations on temporal and spatialvariations of the size-fractionated phytoplankton standing stock and primary production were carried out in the Bohai Sea. The size-fractionated chlorophyll a (Chl a) and primary production, photosynthet-ically available radiation (PAR), as well as the related physico-oceanographic and zooplanktonic parameters were measured at five time-series observation stations representing sub-areas of the sea. Results obtained show that there were the marked features of spatial zonation of Chl a and primary production in the Bohai Sea. The values in the Laizhou Bay, the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf were high and showed close relation with tidal fluctuations, i.e. high Chi a concentration occurred during high tide in the Laizhou Bay, and during low tide in the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf. In the strait and the central region of the Bohai Sea, the values were relatively low and no relationship with tidal fluctuation could be found. Chlorophyll a concentration vertically decreased from surface to bottom in the Liaodong Gulf and the Bohai Gulf, while it increased in the Laizhou Bay, the strait and the central region of the Bohai Sea, and the highest value was encountered at the bottom. Size-fractionation results showed that nano - combining pico -plankton ( < 20 μm) predominated in phytoplankton communities of the Bohai Sea during late spring. The average contribution to total Chl a in each station ranged 76% -95 % (mean is 87 %). The contribution of net (> 20 μm), nano - (2- 20 fan) and picoplankton (< 2 μm) was 13% , 63% and 24% to total production, and 9% , 53% and 38% to total Chl a, respectively. It proved the importance of nano - and pico -plankton in phytoplankton communities in the Bohai Sea e-cosystems. In this paper the factors, such as light intensity and zooplankton grazing pressure, governing standing stock and production of phytoplankton in the Bohai Sea were also discussed.
基金supported by the Strategic Leading Science&Technology Program(B)(No.XDB14030502)the National Natural Science Foundation of China grants(Nos.21677147,91743106,21507002,21507136 and 21607157)+3 种基金the Major/Innovative Program of Development Foundation of Hefei Center for Physical Science and Technology(No.2017FXZY005)the CASHIPS Director’s Fund(No.YZJJ201704)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2016M600477)the Anhui Province Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2017B161)
文摘Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are subjected to various transformation processes (chemical,physical and biological processes) in the environment,potentially affecting their bioavailability and toxic properties.However,the size variation of TiO2 NPs during aging process and subsequent effects in mammalian cells are largely unknown.The aim of this study was to illustrate the adverse effects of TiO2 NPs in different sizes (5,15 and <100 nm) during aging process on human-hamster hybrid (AL) cells.There was an aging-time dependent enhancement of average hydrodynamic size in TiO2 NPs stock suspensions.The cytotoxicity of fresh TiO2 NPs increased in a size-dependent manner;in contrast,their genotoxicity decreased with the increasing sizes of NPs.No significant toxicity difference was observed in cells exposed to either fresh or 60 day-aged TiO2 NPs.Both Fresh and aged TiO2 NPs efficiently induced mitochondrial dysfunction and activated Caspase-3/7 in a size-dependent manner.Using mitochondrial-DNA deficient (ρ°) AL cells,we further discovered that mitochondrial dysfunction made significant contribution to the size-dependent toxicity induced by TiO2 NPs during the aging process.Taken together,our data indicated that TiO2 NPs could significantly induced the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in an aging time-independent and size-dependent manner,which were triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction.Our study suggested the necessity to include size as an additional parameter for the cautious monitoring of TiO2 NPs disposal before entering the environment.
基金Supported by the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China(No.2009AA03Z401)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.61077002, 60807030)the Project of National Lab for Tsinghua Information Tech-nologies, China
文摘The authors investigated size-dependent amplified spontaneous emission（ASE） from organic crystals. Specifically, N-（4-{4-[4-（diphenylamino）styryl]styryl}phenyl）-N-phenylbenzene amine（Ph-TPA2） organic crystals were used in the experiment. The ASE threshold was decreased with the decrease of the width of the crystal at the same gain length, which reflects that total internal reflection plays an important role on the ASE properties in these slab organic crystals. The ASE properties pumped by one- and two-photon were also comparatively studied. We found that the thresholds of ASE in two-photon pumping condition are less size-dependent than those in singlephoton condition because of the nonlinear light generation processes in two-photon absorption processes.
文摘Fluid-structure interaction （FSI） problems in microchannels play a prominent role in many engineering applications. The present study is an effort toward the simulation of flow in microchannel considering FSI. The bottom boundary of the microchannel is simulated by size-dependent beam elements for the finite element method （FEM） based on a modified cou- ple stress theory. The lattice Boltzmann method （LBM） using the D2Q13 LB model is coupled to the FEM in order to solve the fluid part of the FSI problem. Because of the fact that the LBM generally needs only nearest neighbor information, the algorithm is an ideal candidate for parallel computing. The simulations are carried out on graphics processing units （GPUs） using computed unified device architecture （CUDA）. In the present study, the governing equations are non-dimensionalized and the set of dimensionless groups is exhibited to show their effects on micro-beam displacement. The numerical results show that the displacements of the micro-beam predicted by the size-dependent beam element are smaller than those by the classical beam element.
基金a part of“Studies on Response and Feedback Action of Antarctica to the Global Change”,the State tackling key problems project(98-927-01-02)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.49876032).
文摘The investigation of size-fractionated chlorophyll a and primary productivity were carried out in three longitudinal sections (63°-69°12'S, 70°30'E, 73°E and 75(30'E) at December 18-26, 1998 and January 12-18, 1999 in Prydz Bay and its north sea area, Antarctica. The results showed that surface chlorophyll a concentration were 0. 16 -3. 99 μg dm-3. The high values of chlorophyll a concentration (more than 3.5 μg dm -3) were in Prydz Bay and in the west Ladies Bank. The average chlorophyll a concentration at sub-surface layer was higher than that at surface layer; its concentration at the deeper layers of 50 m decreased with increasing depth and that at 200 m depth was only 0. 01 -0. 95μg dm -3. The results of size-fractionated chlorophyll a showed that the contribution of the netplanktion to total chlorophyll a was 56% , those of the nanoplankton and the picoplankton were 24% and 20% respectively in the surveyed area. The potential primary productivity at the euphotic zone in the surveyed area was 0. 11 - 11. 67 mgC m-3h-1 and average value was 2.00 ±2.80 mgC m h . The in-situ productivity in the bay and the continental shelf was higher and that in the deep-sea area was lower. The assimilation number of photosynthesis was 1.53±1. 11 mgC/(mg Chi a · h). The results of size-fractionated primary productivity show that the contribution of the netplanktion to total productivity was 58% , those of the nanoplankton and the picoplankton were 26% and 16% respectively. The cell abundance of phytoplankton was 1. 6 × 103 - 164. 8 × 103 cell dm-3 in the surface water.
文摘<div style="text-align:justify;"> Size-segregated of particulate matter (PM) including PM<sub>0.1</sub> at two different sites, i.e., educational (EA) and residential (RA) areas in Padang city, Indonesia were sampled by using a cascade type air sampler for 24 hours with the average flowrate 40 l/m throughout three weeks (March, 08<sup>th</sup>-25<sup>th</sup> 2018). Carbonaceous components were analyses by a carbon analyzer following the IMPROVE_TOR protocol. Average PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> concentrations in RA were higher than those in EA while being below the NAAQS of Indonesia. However, it was much higher compared to the WHO limit for 24 hours in RA. OC was the dominant fraction in TC. OC/EC ratio ranging from 2.4 to 33.0 was similar at both sites, suggesting the OC was emitted from various sources. Char-EC and soot-EC ratio were founded to be minimized for PM<sub>0.1</sub> (0.40 ± 0.27 and 0.39 ± 0.39, respectively at each site), indicating a more influence of burning of fossil fuel as vehicles exhaust and coal combustion. The transboundary influence of open biomass burning was not so significant although it cannot be ignored. </div>
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.41175018)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No.2013CB955804)the special fund of State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (Nos.13Z02ESPCP and 13K04ESPCP)
文摘Size-resolved aerosols were continuously collected by a Nano Sampler for 13 days at an urban site in Beijing during winter 2012 to measure the chemical composition of ambient aerosol particles. Data collected by the Nano Sampler and an ACSM（Aerodyne Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor） were compared. Between the data sets,similar trends and strong correlations were observed,demonstrating the validity of the Nano Sampler. PM10 and PM2.5concentrations during the measurement were 150.5 ± 96.0 μg/m3（mean ± standard variation）and 106.9 ± 71.6 μg/m3,respectively. The PM2.5/PM10 ratio was 0.70 ± 0.10,indicating that PM2.5dominated PM10. The aerosol size distributions showed that three size bins of 0.5–1,1–2.5 and 2.5–10 μm contributed 21.8%,23.3% and 26.0% to the total mass concentration（TMC）,respectively. OM（organic matter） and SIA（secondary ionic aerosol,mainly SO42-,NO3-and NH4＋） were major components of PM2.5. Secondary compounds（SIA and secondary organic carbon） accounted for half of TMC（about 49.8%） in PM2.5,and suggested that secondary aerosols significantly contributed to the serious particulate matter pollution observed in winter. Coal burning,biomass combustion,vehicle emissions and SIA were found to be the main sources of PM2.5. Mass concentrations of water-soluble ions and undetected materials,as well as their fractions in TMC,strikingly increased with deteriorating particle pollution conditions,while OM and EC（elemental carbon） exhibited different variations,with mass concentrations slightly increasing but fractions in TMC decreasing.
基金Sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China (21231002,21276026,21271023,21173021,91022006,11202193,11172276,and 11072225)the 111 Project ( B07012)+1 种基金the Program of Cooperation of the Beijing Education Commission ( 20091739006)Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education ( 20101101110031)
文摘The recent research progress of structure- and size-controlled micro/nano-energetic materials is reviewed, which properties are fundamentally different from those of their corresponding bulk materials. The development of the construction strategies for achieving zero-dimensional (0D), one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D) micro/nanostructures from energetic molecules is introduced. Also, an overview of the unique properties induced by micro/nanostructures and size effects is provided. Special emphasis is focused on the size-dependent properties that are different from those of the conventional micro-sized energetic materials, such as thermal decomposition, sensitivity, combustion and detonation, and compaction behaviors. A conclusion and our view of the future development of micro/nano-energetic materials and devices are given.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51771147)
文摘Al-Mg-Si-Sc alloys with different Mg/Si ratio(<1.73 in wt.% vs>1.73 in wt.%) and different grain size(coarse grains vs ultrafine grains) were prepared, which allowed to investigate the grain size-dependent Mg/Si ratio effect on the microstructural evolution and concomitantly on the hardness and electrical conductivity when subjected to aging at 200℃. In the coarse-grained Al-Mg-Sc-Sc alloys, the β" precipitation within the grain interior and also the precipitation hardening were highly dependent on the Mg/Si ratio,while the electrical conductivity was slightly affected by the Mg/Si ratio. A promoted β" precipitation was found in the case of Si excess(Mg/Si ratio <1.73), much greater than in the case of Mg excess(Mg/Si ratio>1.73). While in the ultrafine-grained Al-Mg-Si-Sc alloys, the electrical conductivity rather than the hardness was more sensitive to the Mg/Si ratio. The alloy with Si excess displayed electrical conductivity much higher than its counterpart with Mg excess. This is rationalized by the grain boundary precipitation promoted by Si, which reduced the solute atoms and precipitates within the grain interior. Age softening was found in the ultrafine-grained alloy with Si excess, but the ultrafine-grained alloy with Mg excess held the hardness almost unchanged during the aging. The hardness-conductivity correlation is comprehensively discussed by considering the coupling effect of Mg/Si ratio and grain size. A strategy to simultaneously increase the hardness/strength and electrical conductivity is proposed for the Al-Mg-SiSc alloys, based on present understanding of the predominant factors on strengthening and conductivity,respectively.
