Search

The indium recovery via electrowinning from sulfate baths has recently gained significant attention as it does not present toxic emissions, hermetically sealed system requirements, human health, and environmental hazards. Following previous works related to the optimization process for AISI 316L and Ni cathode, it was observed significant importance of the metal supports on the input and output parameters of the indium electrowinning process from sulfate solutions. Thus, comparing input and output parameters in both cases seems very interesting. Particularly, regarding the input parameters, the attention has been focused on the electrolyte composition, current density, and temperature, while productivity, morphology, and structure have been considered regarding the output parameters. Considering the productivity as the optimal output, the findings for Ni cathode were better than that for AISI 316L in most of the selected conditions studied. In the case of morphology, indium grains appear rounded and dendritic on the AISI 316L, while those on the Ni cathode show stratified lamellar grains. Anyway, the indium deposit obtained on Ni cathode shows bigger grains independently from the used operative conditions with respect to that on AISI 316L. Regarding the structure, it is clearly tetragonal, but preferential orientation, crystallinity, and deformation of the structure strongly depend on the metal support.

Abstract: The recycling of lead acid batteries (LABs) comprises relevant concerns on the suitable methodologies to recover lead. In this investigation, two electrorefining processes, by using acidic and alkaline electrolytes, have been compared to determine the most significant results of both methodologies. Acidic electrolytes used 200 g/L HBF4, 1.2 g/L H3PO4, 10 g/L H3BO3, and 100 g/L PbO, while the alkaline ones employed 120 g/L NaOH, 75 g/L PbO, 50–92 g/L glycerol, and 2 g/L gelatin. All the solutions were studied by varying temperature and current density (CD) to determine remarkable changes on current efficiency (CE), cell voltage (CV), specific energy consumption (SEC), and on the deposit quality. The results highlighted that by using the acidic electrolyte containing dextrin it is possible to obtain a compact deposit even using high CDs. Acidic solution without dextrin addition allows to obtain good quality deposits by working at 40 °C and 100 A/m2CD. After testing the behavior of different alkaline electrolytes, it is possible to observe that the solution containing the highest glycerol concentration allows to obtain, for intermediate valued of CD, CE higher than 97% with a SEC of about 0.37 kWh/kg. By comparing the results it is evident that the acidic electrolyte is the one that allows to reach higher productivity with lower SEC. In the selected conditions, lead deposits appear pure and compact. Graphical Abstract:

The Middle Pleistocene Transition represents an important reorganization of climate that switched from a 41‐kyr periodicity to a quasiperiodic 100‐kyr cycle. Here, we have investigated this time interval using calcareous nannofossils from a midlatitude well‐preserved sedimentary record from the Ocean Drilling Program Site 1209 in the North West Pacific Ocean. We studied samples from 1.45 to 0.45 Ma, looking for significant changes in the nannofossil assemblages. Micropaleontological data were processed using an information theoretic model comparison that deconvolutes variations in nannofossil assemblages using different predictors. The major findings are that calcareous nannofossils permit the detection of discrete events during the Middle Pleistocene Transition. They display three different associations belonging, respectively, to the 41‐kyr world, the transition, and the 100‐kyr world. The statistical approach demonstrated that nannofossils responded abruptly at the boundaries of the transition developing in two rapid steps superimposed on a more gradual process. Moreover, a strong decrease in the genus Reticulofenestraand the beginning of the Gephyrocapsa caribbeanicaacme permitted us to pinpoint climate events within the Middle Pleistocene Transition. Finally, through the nannofossil paleoecology, we documented an anomalous long‐term warming trend that could be related to an intensification of the Walker circulation and the stabilization of long‐term conditions like La Niña at the midlatitudes of the NW Pacific during the Middle Pleistocene Transition. Three different intervals across MPT are defined by nannofossils, and the acme of Gephyrocapsa caribbeanicamarks the end of the MPTStatistical framework indicates that at the MPT boundaries the nannofossil response was abrupt and superimposed on a gradual trendThe Walker circulation and the ENSO played a fundamental role at Pacific midlatitudes, during the MPT

Continental breakup represents the successful process of rifting and thinning of the continental lithosphere, leading to plate rupture and initiation of oceanic crust formation. Magmatism during breakup seems to follow a path of either excessive, transient magmatism (magma-rich margins) or of igneous starvation (magma-poor margins). The latter type is characterized by extreme continental lithospheric extension and mantle exhumation prior to igneous oceanic crust formation. Discovery of magma-poor margins has raised fundamental questions about the onset of ocean-floor type magmatism, and has guided interpretation of seismic data across many rifted margins, including the highly extended northern South China Sea margin. Here we report International Ocean Discovery Program drilling data from the northern South China Sea margin, testing the magma-poor margin model outside the North Atlantic. Contrary to expectations, results show initiation of Mid-Ocean Ridge basalt type magmatism during breakup, with a narrow and rapid transition into igneous oceanic crust. Coring and seismic data suggest that fast lithospheric extension without mantle exhumation generated a margin structure between the two endmembers. Asthenospheric upwelling yielding Mid-Ocean Ridge basalt-type magmatism from normal-temperature mantle during final breakup is interpreted to reflect rapid rifting within thin pre-rift lithosphere.

•The recovery of In(III) by using SX with four different extractants is investigated.•IONQUEST 801 and D2EHPA allow to obtain the highest In(III) extraction yields.•The extraction behavior of some commonly associated metal ions is also investigated.•Both D2EHPA and IONQUEST 801 do not allow Fe–In separation in the extraction stage.•Fe–In separation can be achieved in the stripping stage.

In this paper, a powerful method for measuring non-uniform strain is reviewed and extended to the measurement of temperature gradients inside an epoxy part. The sensor is an embedded fibre Bragg grating and the method is based on the measurements of the grating phase obtained by combining optical low coherence interferometry and an inverse scattering algorithm. This method has a great potential and for the first time experimental results obtained for both strain distribution and temperature gradient are presented. By applying a tensile test, strain distribution measurements are first compared with finite element simulations to validate previous published results. Second, original temperature gradient measurements in a solid body are shown. The results are in good accordance with reference measurements achieved with thermocouples incorporated into the body.

Abstract: Microprojectile-mediated transient and integrative transformation frequencies in rice (Oryza sativa cv. Taipei 309) embryogenic suspension cells were studied as a function of various parameters. Mannitol at concentrations of 0.5 and 0.6 m was best for osmotic preconditioning of the cells for transient, but not for integrative transformation, for which sucrose yielded the best and most reliable results. Denaturation of the transforming plasmid DNA prior to bombardment improved transient and integrative transformation frequencies two to three fold. Delivery of double-stranded plasmids in linear form had no effect on transient transformation when compared to supercoiled plasmid DNA, but led to an overall two fold increase in integrative transformation frequency. This shows that optimized protocols for generating transgenic plants should not be based exclusively on transient gene expression assays.

Not Available

It is now well established that the CD30 glycoprotein is a surface antigen expressed by activated T cells producing T-helper (Th)-2-type lymphokines. Mounting laboratory evidence, however, suggests that CD30 expression is not confined to a functionally restricted subset of T cells, but also identifies activated cells with a Th-1 and Th-0 pattern of cytokine secretion. CD30-bearing T lymphocytes release a soluble form of the molecule (sCD30), which can be detected both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, very high levels of sCD30 were found in colostrum from 20 puerperal women, but not in autologous and heterologous (nonpregnant women) blood samples. These data strongly support an involvement of CD30+ T cells in the immune processes which take place at the level of the mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation. Passively transferred immune components such as immunoglobulins, cytokines, macrophages, natural killer cells, granulocytes and memory/activated T cells, all of which may help the baby to fight off infections, have been revealed in human breast milk. However, how Th-2-type cytokine-secreting T cells or other T-cell types help to endow the congenitally immunocompromised newborn infant with extrinsic immunological support remains an open question.

A study is reported on carbides electrolytically extracted from two different types of high speed tool steels as quenched and after tempering. According to X-ray diffraction analysis and EDS microanalysis, Mössbauer spectra show the presence of MC and M6C in every analysed sample. Only a few substitutional Fe atoms should be present in MC and they give a minor contribution to the Mössbauer spectrum. A model for evaluating the Mössbauer spectrum of M6C is proposed which is based on the symmetry of lattice sites occupied by Fe atoms and partially substituted by other metallic atoms. The proposed model also allows to get information on the amount of this substitution.

Summary Callus induction, adventitious shoot and root formation, and somatic embryogenesis were investigated in root, cotyledon and mesocotyl cultures ofBellevalia romana (L.) Rchb. grown on a synthetic nutrient medium containing different plant hormones. The combination of naphtaleneacetic acid plus benzylaminopurine was very effective in causing callus growth and plant regeneration from mesocotyl explants. On the contrary 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid caused suppression of shoot bud development in the same type of callus. Both cotyledon and root derived calli showed a low growth rate and did not regenerate shoots but only roots. Differentiation of somatic embryos which eventually developed into plantlets was promoted by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in suspension cultures. The results are discussed in relation to studies on nuclear behaviour during different morphogenetic pathways.

•Indium electrowinning using sulfate solution on different metal cathode.•Using Ni, SS, Ti, Cu and Al as cathodes.•Effectiveness of the metal cathode on indium electrowinning.•Relevance order of the cathodes has been determinated•Higher performances are presented by Ni and SS cathodes for indium electrowinning.