To identify microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) with potential roles in lung fibrogenesis, we performed genome-wide profiling of miRNA expression in lung tissues from a silica-induced mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis using microarrays. Seventeen miRNAs were selected for validation via qRT-PCR based on the fold changes between the silica and the control group. The dysregulation of five miRNAs, including m...

Thirteen different cement-clinker crystalline phases present in the lime-silica-alumina system have been systematically modeled using a simple and general force field. This constitutes a new type of approach towards the study of lime-silica-alumina systems, where the simpler and more transferable Lennard-Jones potential was used instead of the more traditional Buckingham potential. The results ...

An exo-templating synthesis process using polymeric fibers and inorganic sol particles deposited onto structured one-dimensional objects is presented. In particular, CeO2/ZrO2@SiO2 composite tubes were synthesized in a two-step procedure by using electrospun polystyrene fibers as fiber template. First, a sol-gel approach based on an exo-templating technique was employed to obtain polystyrene(PS...

Different lanthanide chelates have been simultaneously embedded in a silica matrix yielding bright dual-mode lanthanide doped nanospheres which are uniform in size distribution, tunable, photostable, and leakage free. Depending on the chelate combination, two color emission with a single light source or tunable emission with multiple sources is obtained.

Amplitude squeezed pulsed light has been produced using a microstructured silica fibre. By spectrally filtering after the nonlinear propagation in the fibre a squeezing value of -1.7dB has been measured. A quantum key distribution scheme based on squeezed light from such microstructured fibres is proposed.

Cage-like ordered mesoporous silica, FDU-1, with about twice the pore volume and a narrower pore size distribution compared with those for previously reported samples was synthesized in a much shorter time by doubling the amount of block copolymer, adding sodium chloride and lowering the acid concentration.

We fabricate slightly deformed fused-silica microspheres in which whispering gallery modes possess remarkably directional escape emission from the microsphere boundary. With efficient free-space excitation and collection, the lateral spatial distribution of whispering gallery modes with different azimuthal mode numbers, m, is directly observed through modal coupling and directional emission. Ex...

The pseudomorphic transformation of spherical silica gel (LiChrospher® Si 60) into MCM-41 was achieved by treatment at 383 K for 24 h with an aqueous solution of cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (CTAOH) instead of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) and NaOH. The degree of transformation was varied via the ratio of CTAOH solution to initial silica gel rather than synthesis duration. The ...

We investigate the reflectivity and optical scattering characteristics at 1064 nm of an antireflection coated fused silica window of the type being used in the Advanced LIGO gravitational-wave detectors. Reflectivity is measured in the ultra-low range of 5-10 ppm (by vendor) and 14-30 ppm (by us). Using an angle-resolved scatterometer we measure the sample's bidirectional scattering distributio...

Fabrication of monodisperse pure silica and core-shell nanospheres (Fe2O3@SiO2 and Fe2O3/QD@SiO2) was done in straight forward one-pot method combining sol-gel chemistry and supercritical fluids. For the core-shell materials, preformed nanoparticles stabilized in hexane were dispersed in a sol containing a silicon alkoxide, water and acetone as the solvent. The precursor solution was introduced...