Search

Heavy metals and antibiotics wastewater are toxic, harmful, and have become a serious threat to human health. Here, we designed and synthesized novel biomimetic bone composites PMCH and FS@PMCH for the removal of heavy metals and antibiotics from wastewater. The pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models fitted well with the kinetic and isothermal adsorption data, respectively. Under the optimal experimental conditions (the pH of 5 and the temperature of 298.15 K), the theoretical saturated adsorption capacities for Pb (II) and TC were 377.01 mg g−1 and 99.54 mg g−1. The XPS results confirmed that the adsorption mechanism of PMCH and FS@PMCH on Pb (II) and TC was mainly electrostatic interaction and H-bond, followed by ion exchange, complexation, and pore filling. Therefore, the FS@PMCH is a potential adsorbent and purifier for Pb (II)- and TC-contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irregular sheet sorting is one of the most widely used mechanical production procedures, particularly in shipbuilding. This process typically involves handling thousands of sheets, each with its unique shape and orientation, and is often carried out manually. Though manual grasping is a common but inefficient and hazardous approach, the challenge of automatic irregular sheet sorting is the difficulty in grasping parameter determination. To address this challenge, we propose the determination method combing semantic segmentation with a graphic algorithm for ship sheet sorting. This method has implemented an automated sorting system capable of determining four-dimension grasping parameters. The semantic segmentation network is used to segment ship sheets in complex and cluttered scenes enabling the system to determine sheet position. The graphic algorithm determines the state of the grippers. The ship sheet automated sorting system comprises a robot device, a camera, and a matrix electromagnet tool for maximum suitability for all irregular sheets. Experiments and analyses were carried out, and results showed that the procedure is effective, and the determination method aids in the automation of shipbuilding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-resolution image obtained by ultrawideband synthetic aperture radar (UWB SAR) includes rich features such as shape and scattering features, which can be utilized for landmine discrimination and detection. Due to the high performance and automatic feature learning ability, deep network-based detection methods have been widely employed in SAR target detection. However, existing deep networks do not consider the target characteristics in SAR images, and their structures are too complicated. Therefore, lightweight deep networks with efficient and interpretable blocks are essential. This work investigates how to utilize the SAR characteristics to design a lightweight deep network. The widely employed constant false alarm rates (CFAR) detector is used as a prototype and transformed into trainable multiple-feature network filters. Based on CFAR filters, we propose a new class of networks called CFARNets which can serve as an alternative to convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Furthermore, a two-stage detection method based on CFARNets is proposed. Compared to prevailing CNNs, the complexity and number of parameters of CFARNets are significantly reduced. The features extracted by CFARNets are interpretable as CFAR filters have definite physical significance. Experimental results show that the proposed CFARNets have comparable detection performance compared to other real-time state-of-the-art detectors but with faster inference speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors investigated the dynamic process of a high-level paleolandslide blocking river event-Gangda landslide blocking river event in the deep valley area. An integrated fluid–solid coupling method based on the FDEM-SPH was proposed to study it. In the numerical model, the dynamic process of the landslide is described by FDEM, while SPH describes the behavior of the river water. Based on the back-analysis of the three-dimension modeling, the landslide blocking river simulation results of the FDEM-SPH agree well with the field investigation and PFC3D simulation results. Simulation results of the FDEM-SPH show that the primary process of the Gangda paleolandslide blocking river lasted for 60 s. The maximum overall feature speed of the sliding mass was 33 m/s, while the speed of the sliding mass tip reached a maximum value of 40 m/s. Dynamic fragmentation of the landslide was violent, and both the open mode and sliding mode damage play essential roles in dynamic fragmentation. The variation of kinetic energy, accumulated friction dissipation, and fracture energy of the sliding mass are also shown. The landslide induced an impulse wave after merging into the river, and the wave behavior was further affected by the sliding mass movement. The maximum overall feature speed of the wave was 17 m/s, and the speed of the wave tip reached a maximum value of 33 m/s with a maximum run-up height of 120 m. Finally, a comparison of the FDEM-SPH model and PFC model in the application of landslide blocking river is discussed, and the advantages and limitations of the FDEM-SPH model are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous enhancement of reaction temperature and velocity of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis is still a challenge. Here, we propose a general method based on the Joule-heat induced multi-channel heat flow to simultaneously increase the reaction temperature and velocity of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis. A designed surface structure induces multi-channel Joule-heat accumulation at the surface of reaction components and subsequently multi-channel heat flow during the self-propagating processes. Multi-channel heat flow leads to the formation of two combustion stages: the self-propagating process and the Joule-heat induced grain growth, leading to an enhancement of the maximum reaction temperature up to 67%. Meanwhile, multi-channel heat flow will reduce the propagation distance of the reaction wave and the heat conduction between heat flow channels will increase the temperature of the reaction components, in turn, resulting in an increase in the reaction velocity that is five times higher. We expect that our findings will pave the way for the future application of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis in industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hard turning is extensively used in the machining of bearings. The turning process has a significant influence on the properties of machined surface. In this paper, multi-pass turning experiments were machined on AISI 52100 bearing steel, and corresponding simulation model was established. The effects of multiple pass turning on microhardness and residual stress were investigated. The results demonstrate that the machined surface hardness of single, double, and triple pass turning is 30.0%, 25.2%, and 24.5% higher than the initial surface, respectively, at a turning depth of 0.1mm and a speed of 100m/min. Double pass turning significantly reduces the residual stress of machined surface. With the change of turning speed, the residual stress after double pass turning is 88 MPa lower than single pass on average, while the difference of residual stress is relatively minor after double pass and triple pass turning. At a cutting depth of 0.05 mm, the residual stresses after double pass turning and triple pass turning are 152 MPa lower than those after one-pass turning. As the turning depth increases, the influence of the previous pass turning gradually decreases in terms of residual stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The therapeutic efficacy of nanoscale drug delivery systems is related to particle size, zeta potential, morphology, and other physicochemical properties. The structure and composition of nanocarriers may affect their physicochemical properties. To systematically evaluate these characteristics, three analogues, namely polyethylene glycol (PEG), PEG-conjugated octadecylamine (PEG-C18), and tri(ethylene glycol) (TEG), were explored as nanocarriers to entrap celastrol (CSL) via the injection-combined dialysis method. CSL nanoparticles were successfully prepared as orange milky solutions, which revealed a similar particle size of approximately 120 nm, with narrow distribution and a negative zeta potential of −20 mV. All these CSL nanoparticles exhibited good storage stability and media stability but presented different drug-loading capacities (DLCs), release profiles, cytotoxicity, and hemolytic activity. For DLCs, PEG-C18/CSL exhibited better CSL entrapment capacity. Regarding the release profiles, TEG/CSL showed the lowest release rate, PEG-C18/CSL presented a moderate release rate, and PEG/CSL exhibited a relatively fast release rate. Based on the different release rates, PEG-C18/CSL and TEG/CSL showed higher degrees of cytotoxicity than PEG/CSL. Furthermore, TEG/CSL showed the lowest membrane toxicity, and its hemolytic rate was below 20%. These results suggest that the structural effects of nanocarriers can affect the interactions between nanocarriers and drugs, resulting in different release profiles and antitumor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Afforestation is increasingly recognized as an effective measure to mitigate elevated atmospheric carbon (C) dioxide and combat climate change. While afforestation can increase C sequestration by biomass production with tree growth, little is known about whether and how tree growth affects soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and stability. Here, we aimed to explore mechanisms underlying changes in SOC stocks and fractions with stand development from the perspective of tree-microbe-mineral interactions. Methods: We measured aboveground plant input, soil pH and exchangeable base cations, microbial biomass, hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes, and SOC stocks and fractions along an age-sequence of Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) plantations with six age classes ranging from 15- to 61-year-old and adjacent grasslands in the Keerqin Sandy Lands, Northeast China. Results: We found that afforestation of grasslands did not significantly affect 0–100 cm SOC stocks. Ecosystem C stocks linearly increased with stand development, and this C accretion was mainly attributed to tree biomass C sequestration. Topsoil (0–10 cm soil layer) mineral-associated C (MAOC) stocks and absolute phenol oxidase activities increased, and particulate organic C (POC) stocks and absolute β-glucosidase activities decreased with increasing stand age, but these changes disappeared in the 61-year-old stand. Structural equation model revealed that topsoil MAOC stocks were directly related to bacterial biomass and absolute β-glucosidase and phenol oxidase activities, and topsoil POC stocks were directly related to absolute β-glucosidase activities. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that soil microbes play a central role in mediating the dynamics of SOC stocks and stability along stand development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry, the treatment of TCM wastewater has become an important environmental issue. Among them, TCM processing cleaning wastewater is suitable for recovering high-quality water resources from it due to its low chemical oxygen demand (COD). Compared with pressure driven membrane process, Membrane distillation (MD) can yield highly purified distillate under mild operating conditions. Therefore, this work aims to evaluate the effects of feed temperature, feed flow, osmotic side vacuum degree and membrane material on the treatment of cleaning wastewater from TCM processing. Besides, the fouling of membrane in MD process and the efficiency of chemical cleaning on fouling removal were also investigated. The results show that it is feasible to recover high-quality water from traditional Chinese medicine processing cleaning wastewater by VMD. Compared with feed, COD in permeate decreased by 99%. During the 10 h experiment, the flux of both membranes decreased slightly due to the accumulation of fouling layer on the membrane surface. Chemical cleaning, especially alkali as cleaning agent can effectively remove the fouling layer. [Display omitted] • VMD can recover high quality water from the cleaning wastewater of traditional Chinese medicine processing. • The flux and thermal efficiency were significantly affected by temperature and vacuum. • The flux decrease occurred due to the formation of fouling layer. • Contact angle and rejection recovery of contaminated membranes can be achieved by NaOH cleaning. • PTFE membranes are more suitable than PVDF ones for long-term operation due to higher flux and anti wetting ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dust suppression materials are prepared by modifying soy protein isolate. • Dust suppressant effectively controls dust pollution in open cut coal mines. • Optimization of preparation of dust suppressant by response surface methodology. To relieve dust pollution in open cut coal mines and reduce the hazards of coal dust pollution to the environment and workers we optimized the synthesis of a dust suppressant by graft copolymerization of environmentally friendly soy protein isolate with methyl methacrylate. This dust suppressant could effectively control dust pollution in open cut coal mines. The optimized conditions for graft copolymerization in this case were determined by a response surface experiment designed with Design-Expert 10 software. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy showed a significant morphology change of the dust suppressant and the generation of a rigid and dense layer on its surface after interacting with coal dust. The layer exhibited good bonding and dust suppression performance. The analysis with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the appearance of new absorption peaks near 1300, 1072, and 1631 cm−1, demonstrating effective graft copolymerization. The proposed dust suppressant exhibited excellent wind erosion resistance, with a resistance that exceeded 90% at a wind speed of 6.5 m/sec. The successful graft copolymerization and effective bonding and curing of the dust suppressant on coal dust were experimentally verified. This is of great significance to the control of coal dust pollution. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the shortcomings of the current rock-breaking technology, a new type of high-energy expansion agent for energetic materials based on combustion-to-detonation was developed. By characterizing the basic physical and chemical properties of the high-energy expansion agent (HEEA) such as morphology, particle size distribution, and pyrolysis characteristics, the work performance of different types of high-energy expansion agents was analyzed in combination with the energy characteristics. The results showed that the relationship between the expansion work done by the gas to the outside world was WHEEA-I > WHEEA-II > WHEEA-III under the same quality of HEEA combustion. The damage effect of high-temperature and high-pressure gas cracking specimens generated by deflagration of HEEA was obvious, having the rule that the disturbance damage of rock caused by low heat and high gas specific volume was smaller, and the damage degree of rock caused by high heat and low gas specific volume was larger. The mechanism of HEEA combustion and detonation in confined space is revealed, which provides a theoretical basis for the application of HEEA-cracked rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a prevalent disease with various negative consequences. The lived experience of coping and recovery of a patient with Chronic hepatitis B was explored in this study. A semistructured interview was conducted with one participant who had been recovered from Chronic hepatitis B for 10 years. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five superordinate themes emerged, including lingering in the shadow of death anxiety, diminished functioning of the self, adopting a highly disciplined lifestyle, receiving social support, and the return of the self with scars. The findings revealed that the disease is deeply associated with moral standing, which means the diagnosis of Chronic hepatitis B might imply a loss of moral face for Chinese people living with the condition. Our findings point to the need for increasing knowledge about chronic hepatitis B, decoupling the disease from a moral standpoint, and providing a supportive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, system failures, such as crash failures, Byzantine failures, and so on, are considered as common reasons for the inconsistencies of distributed consensus and have been extensively studied. In fact, strategic manipulations by rational agents are not ignored for reaching consensus in a distributed system. In this paper, we extend the game-theoretic analysis of consensus and design an algorithm of rational uniform consensus with general omission failures under the assumption that processes are controlled by rational agents and prefer consensus. Different from crashing one, agent with omission failures may crash or omit to send or receive messages when it should, which leads to difficulty of detecting faulty agents. By combining the possible failures of agents at the both ends of a link, we convert omission failure model into link state model to make faulty detection possible. Through analyzing message passing mechanism in the distributed system with n agents, among which t agents may commit omission failures, we provide the upper bound on message passing time for reaching consensus on a state among nonfaulty agents and message chain mechanism for validating messages. Then, we prove that our rational uniform consensus is a Nash equilibrium when n > 2 t + 1 , and failure patterns and initial preferences are blind (an assumption of randomness). Thus, agents have no motivation to deviate the consensus, which could provide interpretable stability for the algorithm in multiagent systems such as distributed energy systems. Our research strengthens the reliability of consensus with omission failures from the perspective of game theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes active control of welding clamping force through periodic additional force (PAF) to assist in fabricating ultrasonic spot-welded copper-aluminum joints. The microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the copper-aluminum ultrasonic spot welded with periodic additional force joints were systematically investigated. Periodic additional force was applied to the welding interface, facilitating plastic deformation and flow. This can transform the relatively smooth weld interface into a wave- and swirl-like surface with a maximum peak height of 12 μm. Simultaneously, the mutual diffusion length of copper and aluminum at the weld interface increased from 2 μm to 8 μm. Additionally, the weld interface of ultrasonic spot welded with periodic additional force exhibited typical {111}〈112〉 or {111}〈110〉 shear textures, confirming a strong interface bonding. The effect of the periodic additional force on the thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ) was also examined. It was discovered that lower periodic additional forces enhanced dislocation density and decreased anisotropy, leading to improved mechanical characteristics. The utilization of periodic additional force in assisting ultrasonic spot welded can significantly enhance the lap shear failure force by up to 59.98%. The paper innovatively proposes a control method of reverse periodic additional force, offering a strategy for the preparation of reliable aluminum-copper joints. [Display omitted] • This paper proposed a novel bottom-up active force control ultrasonic spot welded method based on additional forces. • The active additional force was set periodic, providing control over the joint with minimal alteration of input energy. • The introduction of periodic additional force increased the plastic deformation at the Cu/Al interface. • {110}〈112〉 Brass and {110}〈111〉 P(B ND) textures were generated at low periodic additional forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large paleolandslide occurred opposite the Gangda village in the upper Jinsha River, SE Tibetan Plateau. Field geological investigations and remote sensing indicated that the Gangda paleolandslide once blocked the Jinsha River. Evidence of river blocking, including landslide dam relics, upstream lacustrine sediments, and downstream outburst sediments, has been well preserved. To understand the river-blocking event including landslide, dam breach, and associated outburst flooding, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and numerical simulations were performed in this study. OSL dating results showed that the paleolandslide dam was formed at 5.4 ± 0.5 ka BP and breached at 3.4 ± 0.3 ka BP, indicating that the dam lasted approximately 2000 years. The discrete element method was used to simulate the dynamics of the Gangda rock landslide based on the restored topography, while a fluid–solid coupling model was performed to simulate the landslide dam breaching and flooding. The fluid–solid coupling model can simultaneously reflect the process of landslide-dam collapse and the propagation of outburst flood. The simulated results indicate that the whole landslide process lasted about 60 s with a peak velocity of 38 m/s. It is significant that the simulated morphology of the residual landslide dam and downstream outburst sediments is consistent with the field observations. The combined numerical investigation in this paper provided new insights into the research of landscape evolution and helped to understand the chain disaster of landslide, dam breach, and flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous study indicated that Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (EGb) could protect against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury in rabbits. The present study aimed to determine the effects and potential molecular mechanisms of EGb on chronic renal interstitial fibrosis induced by cisplatin using in vivo and in vitro models. Methods: Rats received a single dose of cisplatin on Day 1, and a subset of rats was intraperitoneally injected with EGb daily between Days 22–40. In vitro, HK-2 cells were treated with cisplatin, and a subset of cells was cultivated with EGb or SIS3 (Smad3 inhibitor) for 48 h. Renal function of rats was assessed by detecting the levels of serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG). Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining were used to evaluate the damage and fibrosis of renal tissue. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to detect the protein levels of fibrosis-associated proteins and signaling pathway-related proteins. RT–qPCR analysis was used to examine the mRNA levels of related indicators. Results: EGb significantly decreased the increased levels of Scr, BUN and urinary NAG and attenuated renal damage and the relative area of renal interstitial fibrosis induced by cisplatin. Additionally, EGb decreased the protein levels of α-SMA, Col I, TGF-β1, smad2/3, phosphorylated (p)-smad2/3, p38 MAPK, and p-p38 MAPK; the ratio of p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK; and the mRNA level of p38 MAPK in renal tissues induced by cisplatin. In agreement with in vivo studies, EGb significantly reduced the increased protein levels of these indicators. Additionally, EGb significantly reduced the increased protein levels of vimentin, TIMP-1, and CTGF, as well as the mRNA levels of α-SMA, vimentin, and TGF-β1, while it significantly increased the reduced E-cadherin protein level and the MMP-1/TIMP-1 ratio in HK-2 cells induced by cisplatin. It's worth noting that the effects of SIS3 in changing the above indicators were similar to those of EGb. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that EGb improved cisplatin-induced chronic renal interstitial fibrosis, and its mechanisms were associated with inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of renal tubular epithelial cells via the Smad3/TGF-β1 and Smad3/p38 MAPK pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new environmental protection gelling scheme was proposed and tested. • PVA, SA, TE and HB constitute a double crosslinked gel to improve stability. • Gel time is controllable, with high water retention and super-absorbency. • The addition of shell powder to the gel increases the flame-retardant effect. • Both low-temperature and high-temperature have good inhibition effect. In order to solve the problem of spontaneous combustion of coal in mined-out areas, a new type of P/S/T/H environmentally friendly hydrogel was designed by using polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate and di(triethanolamine) titanate diisopropyl to form a gel system and adding the environmentally friendly material hybrid shell bio-filler. The formulation of P/S/T/H gel was studied by orthogonal experiment, and the forming time was precisely controlled. The synthesis mechanism and flame-retardant properties of the gels were investigated by various experimental methods. The results show that: There are folds and three-dimensional pore structures inside the P/S/T/H gels, and the two cross-linked networks strengthen the stability of the gels. Compared with WG gel and single cross-linked network gel, P/S/T/H gel has the best water retention, water absorption/salt resistance and flame-retardant effect. The water retention rate of P/S/T/H gel is still as high as 20% after 12 h, the water-absorbing multiplicity is more than 400 after 90 min, and the salt-resistant multiplicity is 54 after 90 min. When P/S/T/H gel is added to the coal samples, the combustion end temperature lags 8.4 °C, the heat release is reduced by 19.9%, the average CO inhibition rate is 45.9%, the maximum heat release rate is reduced by 20.1 KW/m2, the total heat release rate is reduced by 36.6%, and the maximum flue gas inhibition rate is 87.1%. Therefore, the highly efficient and environmentally friendly P/S/T/H gel is expected to play an important role in the work of fire prevention in mined-out areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mechanism of gas phase reaction inhibition of coal dust combustion was revealed. • The changes of free radicals and intermediate substances were quantitatively analyzed. • NaHCO 3 and MPP show different patterns of inhibition and dominance. • HPO 3 ⇔ PO 2 is the central radical reaction that interrupts the combustion chain. In this paper, the flame propagation behavior and free radical reaction mechanism of two powder explosive suppressants, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3) and polyphosphate melamine (MPP), at different additions were investigated using Hartmann experimental system and CHEMKIN-PRO numerical simulation. The results showed that NaHCO 3 and MPP showed different inhibitory advantages. MPP mainly suppressed the propagation of flame during the development and rapid rise stages, while NaHCO 3 had a better suppression effect at the preliminary stage of explosion. The gas phase kinetic analysis also proved that the NaHCO 3 reaction was rapid, and it could decompose and endothermy at the beginning of the explosion, and generate gaseous H 2 O and CO 2 to dilute the concentration of volatile components. Meanwhile, NaOH, NaO, and NaO 2 produced by decomposition consumed free radicals and reduced the initial reaction rate of the explosion. In the process of gas phase reaction, MPP continuously reduced the amount of flame free radicals through a inhibition cycle of HPO 3 ⇔ PO 2 , and generated a large number of inert products for inerting fixed carbon, exhibiting better long-term effectiveness. This study can provide a reference for the selection and design of explosion suppressants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop a highly efficient, simple-preparation and renewable explosion suppressant of composite powders, the superfine NaHCO 3 -shell powder (S-S) composite explosion suppressant was prepared by one-step method with airflow crusher to fulfill the mechanical dry coating of shell powder by NaHCO 3, which solved the contradiction between dispersion and suspension force of explosion suppressant particles. The composition optimization and performance test of S-S composite explosion suppressant were carried out with the use of 20 L explosion tank and large tubular coal dust characteristics identification instrument. The results show that when the shell powder particles are coated with NaHCO 3 , the overall water absorption performance of the powder is reduced, the particle agglomeration phenomenon is weakened, and the dispersion is obviously improved. With the increase of NaHCO 3 ratio, the ignition sensitivity of coal dust decreases, and the time to reach the first explosion P max is gradually delayed, and both P max and (d P /d t) max decrease. With the following explanations: NaHCO 3 has a significant effect on reducing (d P /d t) max due to its chemical reaction, while shell powder is beneficial to reducing the P max due to its physical barrier effect. The suppression effect of S-S composite explosion suppressant on coal dust explosion is far better than that of pure NaHCO 3 or shell powder. [Display omitted] • Superfine S-S composite explosion suppressant is prepared by one-step dry method. • NaHCO 3 improves the dispersion of shell powder. • Shell powder is beneficial to the secondary explosion suppression of coal. • NaHCO 3 has a significant effect on reducing the maximum pressure rise rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive models used in debris flow runout simulations are two-dimensional with many limitations. Considering these limitations, a new three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code based on the finite difference method (FDM) was introduced to simulate debris flow runouts. The unique fractional area-volume obstacle representation (FAVOR), true-volume of fluid (Tru-VOF), and the renormalized group (RNG) model in the 3D CFD code were used to tackle mesh processing, free surface tracking, and turbulence, respectively. The RNG model has great performance in describing low-intensity flows and flows with strong shear regions. In addition, the 3D CFD modeling considers the vertical mobility of debris flow, which offers higher simulation accuracy compared to 2D approaches. Through simulating a case and a mesh size study, the accuracy of the model was validated and the optimal mesh size of Xiaojia Gully debris flow model was obtained, respectively. The affected areas, runout distances, deposition depths, and velocities of potential debris flows in Xiaojia Gully were acquired by adopting the present model. The simulation results show that debris flows with return periods of 50 years, 100 years, and 200 years will threaten the lives and safety of residents and their property in Xiaojia Gully. A sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the influences of rheological parameters on this model, further verifying the rationality of the selected parameters. In general, the present model can scientifically and accurately simulate debris flows on irregular terrain and can be employed for similar risk management and engineering designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Green materials zinc borate (ZB) and zinc silicate (ZS) were adopted as suppressants. Hartmann tube was used to study the flame inhibition effect of oil shale explosion. It showed that the flame front length became shorter and the propagation velocity and acceleration gradually decreased by increasing suppressants. When 30 wt% ZB was added, the complete inhibition of oil shale explosion flame could be achieved, while the flame inhibition effect of ZS was relatively weak. Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Starink methods were used to study the activation energy of oil shale, which showed that the activation energy increased significantly after adding the suppressant. By characterization tests, the microstructure changes of oil shale before and after the explosion were analyzed, and the mechanism of the explosion inhibition difference between two suppressants was revealed. ZS played a physical inhibiting role by absorbing heat, reducing temperature and diluting the concentration of combustible gases. While ZB not only had the physical inhibition role of absorbing heat and diluting the concentration of gases, but also had a covering physical inhibition role. Simultaneously, ZB also had the chemical effect. It played a highly effective physical and chemical synergistic inhibition role in the deflagration of oil shale. • Zinc borate and zinc silicate were firstly applied in oil shale flame suppression. • Zinc borate has the better inhibition effect than zinc silicate. • The pyrolysis behavior of oil shale was studied thermodynamically. • The physical and chemical synergistic suppression mechanism of ZB was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three environmental parameters, i.e. dust concentrations, dust dispersion, and free silica content, were introduced into the traditional indices of the neural network model in order to construct a new prediction index and explore a new method for preventing the incidence of pneumoconiosis with intelligent accuracy and universality. Data of the pneumoconiosis patients from Huabei Mining Group (HBMG) of China from 1980 to 2017 were collected. SPSS22.0 was used to develop the combined models based on Back Propagation (BP) neural network model, Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network model, and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model. The paired sample t-test was performed between the real and predicted values. According to this model, it was predicted that 382 coal workers in HBMG were likely to suffer from pneumoconiosis in 2022 and the incidence rate was 4.48%. It is necessary to take prevention measures and transfer these workers from their current positions. In four combined models, the BP-MLR combined model achieved the optimal error parameters and the most accurate prediction. This study provided a scientific basis for effective control and prevention of the incidence of the pneumoconiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fusion zone microstructure was characterized in scanning and building directions. • Change of grain orientation was observed in the building direction of fusion zone. • Grain refinement was found in the scanning direction of fusion zone. • Spot welds generated by scanning direction show better mechanical properties. The introduction of additive manufactured steels on automotive industry unavoidably involves the resistance spot welding between materials. Due to rapid heating and cooling rates of welding process, the fusion zone shows anisotropic properties in scanning and building directions. This paper aims to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of different orientations in the fusion zone of resistance spot welded 316L stainless steels using SEM, EBSD and hardness tests. Microstructure in the building direction exhibited more austenite-to-ferrite transformation, leading to the change of grain orientation of austenite structure from 〈1 0 1〉 to 〈1 1 1〉. All of these result in inferior hardness in comparison with scanning direction. The scanning direction show better mechanical properties than building direction in the spot welds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil shale is a kind of high-combustion heat mineral; in the process of exploitation, storage, and utilization, oil shale dust has the risk of explosion. The explosion characteristics and flame propagation behavior of oil shale dust are worth studying. The difference between the multiple explosion behaviors of oil shale dust was investigated with the use of a 20 L explosive spherical tank and a dust MIE experimental device. The explosion characteristics and microstructure changes of the explosive products in multiple explosions were examined. The experimental results show that the maximum explosion pressure (Pmax) dropped, and simultaneously, the minimum ignition energy (MIE), the explosion time (t), and the maximum rate of pressure rise (dp/dtmax) increased as the explosions continued. Furthermore, the oil shale continued exploding until the third explosion. Some original oil shale dust (OOSD) and explosive residues were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. The SEM images of the explosive residues indicate a high fragmentation degree and well-developed pore structure during the entire multiexplosion process. Oxygen-containing functional groups, the aliphatic C-H bond, and the aromatic C-H bond in oil shale dust all participated in the oil shale dust explosion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have developed the uncertain linguistic hybrid weighted distance (ULHWD) measure. We have proved both the uncertain linguistic weighted distance (ULWD) measure and the uncertain linguistic ordered weighted distance (ULOWD) measure are the special case of the ULHWD measure. The ULHWD measure first weights the given arguments, and then reorders the weighted arguments in descending order and weights these ordered arguments by the ULHWD weights, and finally aggregates all the weighted arguments into a collective one. Obviously, the ULHWD measure generalizes both the ULWD measure and ULOWD measure, and reflects the importance degrees of both the given argument and the ordered position of the argument. Furthermore, the ULHWD measure can relieve the influence of unfair arguments on the decision results by using the ULHWD weights to assign low weights to those "false" or "biased" ones. Finally, based on the ULHWD measure, we have proposed a practical method for evaluating the commercial value evaluation of commercial photography with uncertain linguistic information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OLAP models can be categorized with two types: MOLAP (multidimensional OLAP) and ROLAP (relational OLAP). In particular, MOLAP is efficient in multidimensional computing at the cost of cube maintenance, while ROLAP reduces the data storage size at the cost of expensive multidimensional join operations. In this paper, we propose a novel Fusion OLAP model to fuse the multidimensional computing model and relational storage model together to make the best aspects of both MOLAP and ROLAP worlds. This is achieved by mapping the relation tables into virtual multidimensional model and binding the multidimensional operations into a set of vector indexes to enable multidimensional computing on relation tables. The Fusion OLAP model can be integrated into the state-of-the-art in-memory databases with additional surrogate key indexes and vector indexes. We compared the Fusion OLAP implementations with three leading analytical in-memory databases. Our comprehensive experimental results show that Fusion OLAP implementation can achieve up to 35, 365, and 169 percent performance improvements based on the Hyper, Vectorwise, and MonetDB databases, respectively, for the Star Schema Benchmark (SSB) with scale factor 100. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant roots employ diverse strategies to acquire soil nutrients, including direct nutrient uptake through absorptive fine roots and root hairs, scavenging nutrients by forming symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi, and mining nutrients by releasing root exudates. However, whether these three strategies are differently coordinated among phylogenetically closely related tree species and how this coordination shifts with stand development remains largely unclear.To fill these knowledge gaps, we measured 13 root morphological, architectural, physiological and mycorrhizal traits tightly related to nutrient‐acquisition of three Pinus species (P. sylvestris var. mongolica, P. densiflora and P. tabuliformis) at young (20‐year‐old) and mature (50‐year‐old) stages planted in nutrient‐impoverished sandy soils, in Northeast China.We found that young trees had thinner absorptive fine roots and a higher specific root length than mature trees across three Pinus species, indicating that roots become morphologically less efficient in 'do it yourself' scavenging nutrients during stand development. Moreover, young stands had greater root length density and root area index, and mature stands had faster root‐exudation rates, suggesting that young stands rely more on expanding soil volumes to scavenge nutrients and mature stands depend more on root exudation to 'mine' nutrients. The three Pinus species exhibited different nutrient‐acquisition strategies at the mature stage; P. densiflora had higher root length density and root area index, and the other two Pinus species had greater ectomycorrhizal colonization rates.Synthesis. Our findings highlight that phylogenetically closely related tree species may exhibit different nutrient‐acquisition strategies and suggest a shift from an extensive nutrient‐acquisition mode depending more on absorptive fine roots to an intensive nutrient‐acquisition mode relying more on root exudation during stand development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive hydrogels have attracted widespread attention because of their integrated characteristics of being stretchable, deformable, adhesive, self-healable, and conductive. Herein, we report a highly conductive and tough double-network hydrogel based on a double cross-linked polyacrylamide (PAAM) and sodium alginate (SA) network with conducting polypyrrole nanospheres (PPy NSs) uniformly distributed in the network (PAAM-SA-PPy NSs). SA was employed as a soft template for synthesis of PPy NSs and distribution of PPy NSs uniformly in the hydrogel matrix to construct SA-PPy conductive network. The PAAM-SA-PPy NS hydrogel exhibited both high electrical conductivity (6.44 S/m) and excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength of 560 kPa at 870 %), as along as high toughness, high biocompatibility, good self-healing and adhesion properties. The assembled strain sensors showed high sensitivity and a wide sensing range (a gauge factor of 1.89 for 0–400 % strain and 4.53 for 400–800 % strain, respectively), as well as fast responsiveness and reliable stability. When used as a wearable strain sensor, it was able to monitor a series of physical signals from human large-scale joint motions and subtle muscle movements. This work provides a new strategy for the development of electronic skins and flexible strain sensors. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TIG welded joint had higher strength than laser welded joint, while magnetic properties of the TIG welded laminations degraded much more seriously. Residual stress distribution was measured to reveal the relationship between stress and magnetization properties. And eddy current simulation was conducted to analyze the effect of welding process on the eddy current losses of the welded laminations. This manuscript could act as a guide for choosing the proper welding methods to join the laminated electrical steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan and hydroxyapatite are commonly used materials for adsorption. In this work, chitosan was modified by polyethylene glycol and maleic anhydride. Subsequently, a hydroxyapatite-chitosan composite was synthesised by precipitation. The composite was characterised and analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Adsorption experiments were used to investigate the effects of external factors such as different pH values, adsorbent dosage, adsorption time and initial nickel ion concentration on the adsorption capacity of Ni2+ and to discuss the mechanism of Ni2+ removal by composites. The results show that the hydroxyapatite-chitosan composite has significant adsorption of Ni2+. The adsorption capacity of the hydroxyapatite-chitosan composite for Ni2+ reaches 63.8 mg g−1. The adsorption process is consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isothermal model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of ultrasonic energy can reduce the static stress necessary for plastic deformation of metallic materials to reduce forming load and energy, namely acoustic softening effect (ASE). Ultrasonic welding (USW) is a rapid joining process utilizing ultrasonic energy to form a solid state joint between two or more pieces of metals. Quantitative characterization of ASE and its influence on specimen deformation and heat generation is essential to clarify the thermal-mechanical process of ultrasonic welding. In the present work, experiments were set up to found out mechanical behavior of copper and aluminum under combined effect of compression force and ultrasonic energy. Constitutive model was proposed and numerical implemented in finite element model of ultrasonic welding. Thermal-mechanical analysis was put forward to explore the effect of ultrasonic energy on the welding process quantitatively. Conclusions can be drawn that ASE increases structural deformation significantly, which is beneficial for joint formation. Meanwhile, heat generation from both frictional work and plastic deformation is slightly influenced by ASE. Based on the proposed model, relationship between ultrasonic energy and thermal-mechanical behavior of structure during ultrasonic welding was constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study aimed to summarize the clinical characteristics of Rosai-Dorfman disease primarily involving the central nervous system and to explore diagnosis and treatment. Methods We analyzed the clinical, imaging, and pathologic characteristics; treatment; and prognosis in 3 cases of Rosai-Dorfman disease primarily involving the central nervous system. We also performed a literature review. Results The largest of multiple intracranial lesions was totally resected, and steroid administration and radiotherapy were performed in phases for the remaining lesions. During the 1-year follow-up period, the excised lesion did not recur, and no obvious variations were observed in the other lesions. Subtotal resection was performed of the largest of another group of multiple intracranial lesions, and the residual did not show any obvious variations during the 1-year follow-up period. The isolated lesion was totally resected and did not recur during a 2-year follow-up period. Conclusions Rosai-Dorfman disease with multiple lesions primarily involving the central nervous system is rare. Imaging characteristics are similar to meningiomas, and the pathological features include lymphocytes and plasma cells reaching tissue cells with large volume and abundant cytoplasm. Surgery is the preferred treatment, as the effects of steroid administration and radiotherapy are not apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring the high-quality construction of the ST Railway is a top priority for construction organizers and managers. In this paper, a stepwise approach combining bounding box (BB) technology and the Gilbert–Johnson–Keerthi (GJK) algorithm was proposed to determine the intersections between fractures. With the use of a stepwise approach, most of the nonintersecting fracture pairs were excluded, the computed speed and effectiveness were greatly improved compared with those in previous studies, and the length and direction vectors of the fracture intersections were obtained. A 3D discrete fracture network (DFN) model was generated and validated according to fracture data acquired from the right bank slope of the Nujiang Grand Bridge (NGB) of the ST Railway by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry technique. Based on the DFN model, the stepwise approach was implemented for intersection analysis and connectivity analysis. Connectivity parameters, including the number of intersections per unit volume and the intersection length per unit volume, were calculated as 1.279 m-3 and 2.296 m-2, respectively. The intersection analysis suggested that the mean length of the intersections was 1.796 m, and fracture sets 2 and 3 constituted the main flow pathways and played a predominantly combined cutting role for the rock masses in the study area. In addition, the investigation of the direction vector of the intersections indicated that the combined cutting action of fracture sets 2 and 3 easily formed wedge-shaped failure surfaces, and the lateral expansion produced by bedrock fracture groundwater was also unfavourable to the stability of the slope. • A stepwise approach combining BB technology and the GJK algorithm was proposed. • A 3D DFN model was generated based on fracture data obtained by UAV photogrammetry. • The hydraulics and stability of the rock mass in the rock slope were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The in-situ synthesis was adopted in the preparation of novel ATH/SBA-15 firstly. • The ATH nanoparticles in ATH/SBA-15 suppressant are well dispersed. • The apparent activation energy increased significantly after adding ATH/SBA-15. • The ATH/SBA-15 shows efficient inhibition effect by physicochemical synergy. Recently, polyethylene (PE) dust explosions have become a serious threat to the petrochemical industry. In order to prevent the occurrence of PE dust explosion, a novel aluminum hydroxide (ATH)/Santa Barbara Amorphous type 15 (SBA-15) powder explosion suppressant with the uniform dispersion of ATH was prepared by in-situ synthesis method. For ATH/SBA-15 inhibitor, SBA-15 molecular sieve and ATH was used as the carrier and active component of explosion inhibition, respectively. The inhibition effect on PE dust deflagration was studied by flame propagation experiment. The results showed that when the addition amount of ATH/SBA-15 exceeded 40 wt%, PE dust deflagration flame was almost completely inhibited. Furthermore, the Coats-Redfern method was used to study the thermal decomposition kinetics model. It was found that the thermal decomposition kinetics model of PE before and after the addition of explosion suppressants followed the random nucleation and growth reaction mechanism (A3 model). Further fitting analysis showed the apparent activation energy of PE increased significantly after adding ATH/SBA-15 inhibitor, confirming that ATH/SBA-15 had a significant inhibitory effect on PE deflagration in thermodynamics. Finally, combining with a series of characterization results, it was founded that the ATH/SBA-15 suppressant played the efficient synergy of physics and chemistry, which was efficient in inhibiting PE deflagration. The physical inhibition mainly includes: the free radicals adsorption by SBA-15 molecular sieve, the coating effect of ATH, the endothermic effect and the reduction in O 2 concentration by H 2 O decomposed from ATH. Meanwhile, the chemical inhibition mainly lies in the elimination of the free radicals O· and H· in the explosion process by ATH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The properties of a green waste molecular sieve-based powder suppressor in inhibiting the flame propagation of coal dust were studied. Waste molecular sieve (S) was pretreated and selected as the carrier, potassium oxalate (K) and ferric citrate (T) as the active components. The reverse dissolution crystallization method was adopted and S@K/T, S@T/K, S@ T -K suppressors with different core–shell structure were prepared by different loading sequences. Their particle size, morphology and thermal pyrolysis behavior were compared. The results showed that the particle distribution of three powders is uniform and the dispersity of them is good. The active components of explosion suppression are evenly loaded on the waste molecular sieve carrier and they have different coating structure. The thermal desorption heat of them is 44.64 J/ g, 66.95 J/g and 92.9 J/g, respectively. Furthermore, the flame propagation characteristics of coal dust were tested by the Hartmann flame propagation device. The results showed that all powders had the effect of inhibiting the flame propagation of coal dust and the inhibition effect is S@ T -K, S@T/K and S@K/T from strong to weak. Combined with characterization results, the influence mechanism of the difference in the flame propagation inhibition effect of three suppressants was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The dielectric relaxation phenomenon and detailed analysis of electrical characteristics of Nb-doped NBT-ST ceramics. • The important role of oxygen-vacancy defects formed by ion volatilization in ferroelectric relaxation. • The analysis of the impedance spectroscopy and fitting results analysis of the equivalent circuit model of impedance. 0.75(Na 0.5 Bi 0.5)TiO 3 –0.25SrTiO 3 – x Nb 2 O 5 (labeled as NBT–ST– x Nb, x =0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03) ceramics were prepared by a solid-state reaction method. The crystal structure and grain morphology were characterized. Dielectric constant (ε r) and dielectric loss tangent (tanδ) could be observed in the dielectric spectroscopy and the modified Curie-Weiss law was used to analyze the relaxation behavior. According to the impedance spectroscopy, we used the equivalent circuit model to fit the impedance results. To better understand the relaxor behavior, the electric modulus was analyzed and indicated that there was a conduction process of charge carriers from long-range mobility to short-range mobility. The relaxation activation energy (E a) and conductance activation energy (E c) confirmed the oxygen vacancies (OVs) also played a significant role in the conduction process. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weldability of the high-grade electrical steel B27ahv1500 has been researched. Weld bead characteristics, torsion strength and magnetic properties of the welded laminations were measured and analyzed. Torsion strength of the welded laminations was linearly related to the weld bead area. Iron loss of the laminations welded at the speed of 10 mm/s had a percentage of increase of 24 compared to that of the laminations without welding when the magnetic flux density was 1.0 T. Lower boundary of the welding speed can be determined by the magnetic properties requirement and upper boundary of the welding speed can be determined by the torsion strength requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denormalization is a common tactic for enhancing performance of data warehouses, though its side-effect is quite obvious. Besides being confronted with update abnormality, denormalization has to consume additional storage space. As a result, this tactic is rarely used in main memory databases, which regards storage space, i.e., RAM, as scarce resource. Nevertheless, our research reveals that main memory database can benefit enormously from denormalization, as it is able to remarkably simplify the query processing plans and reduce the computation cost. In this paper, we present A-Store, a main memory OLAP engine customized for star/snowflake schemas. Instead of generating fully materialized denormalization, A-Store resorts to virtual denormalization by treating array indexes as primary keys. This design allows us to harvest the benefit of denormalization without sacrificing additional RAM space. A-Store uses a generic query processing model for all SPJGA queries. It applies a number of state-of-the-art optimization methods, such as vectorized scan and aggregation, to achieve superior performance. Our experiments show that A-Store outperforms the most prestigious MMDB systems significantly in star/snowflake schema based query processing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Laser welding is one of the most potential methods for joining of electrical steel laminations, which is commonly used in motor, transformer and compressor. Because of the existence of multiple interfaces in the welding path, the heat transfer in laser welding of the electrical steel laminations is significantly different from that in the normal welding. In this study, a finite element model (FEM) considering the effects of interfaces has been developed in ANSYS to analyze the heat transfer in laser welding of electrical steel laminations. The contact elements with birth and death options were used to describe both the existed and the vanished statuses of the interfaces during welding. The simulation results showed that the temperature distribution in the zone beside the interfaces was discontinuous at first and then changed to be continuous after the interface vanished. The highest temperature fluctuated periodically during the welding process because of the effects of multiple interfaces. The joint area decreased with the increase of sheet thickness but was robust with respect to the normal pressure applied on the sheets and the contact statuses of the interfaces to some extent. The estimated joint areas at various welding velocities were validated by experimental results. This work provides a better understanding of the heat transfer in laser welding of the electrical steel laminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Torsion strength of the laser-welded stator was modeled in this study to reduce the number of destructive experiments. A semi-empirical mathematical model was developed to estimate the feature dimensions of the weld bead at various welding speeds and an approximate equation to calculate the weld bead area was then derived. A torsion strength estimation model was built to describe the quantitative relationship between the torsion strength and the weld bead area. The feature dimensions, area of the weld bead and the torsion strength of the laser-welded stator were measured in experiments to validate the models. Modeling results fit well with the experimental results. The required weld bead area for the stator with various specifications could be derived from this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The wetting mechanism of low-rank coals was studied at the molecular level. • The method of combining molecular dynamics simulation and experiment is adopted. • Analyzed the molecular electrostatic potential. • Simulate the wetting of three kinds of surfactants on low-rank coals. The surfactants sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, dodecyl dimethyl betaine, and dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide were used to study the effect of an ionic surfactant on coal wettability. A lignite-surfactant-water system was constructed using the Wender coal chemical structure model and Materials Studio molecular simulation software, and the static potential of a single molecule was determined by quantum chemical calculations. The initial and equilibrium configurations of the system, relative concentration distribution, and mean-square displacement (MSD) of water molecules were analyzed thoroughly. Additionally, the surface tension and contact angle of aqueous surfactant solutions with different mass concentrations were measured to analyze the relationship between concentration and the rate of reduction of surface tension and of contact angle. The analysis showed that when the surface static potential of the lignite molecule was larger than that of water molecules, the water molecules were easily attracted and exhibited a wetting phenomenon. The water-surfactant-coal system gradually tended from an initial unstable state to a stable state with low energy. Specifically, the hydrophilic groups in the surfactant were tilted toward the water phase and the hydrophobic chains were adsorbed on the surface of coal, which helped enhance the wettability of the coal. The relative concentration distribution range of the SDBS was 26–52 Å, which was wider than the other two surfactants. Additionally, the MSD curve showed that the diffusion coefficient of the water molecules in the water-SDBS-coal system reached a maximum value of 4.23 × 10−2, resulting in accelerated wetting of the coal body. When the SDBS mass concentration was 3%, the surface tension decreased to the minimum value (21.86 mN/m) and the minimum contact angle was 16.12°. Based on the simulation results and experimental test data, the wettability of the three surfactants to lignite was SDBS > BS-12 > DTAB. The findings of this study help to better understand the wetting mechanism of surfactants on lignite, which is conducive to the rapid screening of surfactants with strong wetting ability on lignite, expanding the use of surfactants, and is of great significance to the control and prevention of coal dust pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Oxidation performance of stearic acid coated aluminum dust. • Influence of stearic acid coating on MEC of aluminum dust. • Effect of stearic acid coating on explosion characteristics of aluminum dust. • Analysis of explosion products of stearic acid coated aluminum dust. • Physical model of stearic acid coated aluminum dust explosion. To explore the effect of stearic acid coating on the explosion characteristics of aluminum dust, the flame propagation characteristics, minimum explosion concentration and explosion overpressure characteristics of aluminum (Al) and stearic acid coated aluminum dust (SA-Al) were studied by using the synchronous thermal analyzer, the improved Hartmann tube explosion test device, and 20 L explosion test device. Then micro morphology and composition of the explosion products were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and a physical model of stearic acid coated aluminum dust explosion was established. The results showed that the combustion intensity and flame propagation velocity of SA-Al dust cloud in the semi-closed pipe were lower than that of Al dust cloud, and the flame propagation was weak in the initial stage of explosion. The minimum explosion concentration (MEC), the optimal explosion concentration, the maximum explosion pressure (P max) and the maximum explosion pressure rise rate ((d P /d t) max) of SA-Al dust cloud were greater than that of Al dust cloud, and its products contained the incomplete combustion products AlO 2 , indicating that the stearic acid coating could abate the explosion sensitivity of Al dust cloud, and weaken the degree of oxidation of Al dust. In case of explosion, stearic acid coating could significantly enhance the explosion hazard of Al dust, resulting in a higher explosion risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health concern with no approved drugs. High-protein dietary intervention is currently the most effective treatment. However, its underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, using Drosophila oenocytes, the specialized hepatocyte-like cells, we find that dietary essential amino acids ameliorate hepatic steatosis by inducing polyubiquitination of Plin2, a lipid droplet-stabilizing protein. Leucine and isoleucine, two branched-chain essential amino acids, strongly bind to and activate the E3 ubiquitin ligase Ubr1, targeting Plin2 for degradation. We further show that the amino acid-induced Ubr1 activity is necessary to prevent steatosis in mouse livers and cultured human hepatocytes, providing molecular insight into the anti-NAFLD effects of dietary protein/amino acids. Importantly, split-intein-mediated trans-splicing expression of constitutively active UBR2 , an Ubr1 family member, significantly ameliorates obesity-induced and high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis in mice. Together, our results highlight activation of Ubr1 family proteins as a promising strategy in NAFLD treatment. [Display omitted] • Dietary amino acid deficiency induces hepatic steatosis by stabilizing Plin2 • The E3 ligase Ubr1 mediates Plin2 ubiquitination and subsequent degradation • Leucine and isoleucine directly bind to and activate Ubr1 E3 ligase • Activation of Ubr1 family proteins ameliorates hepatic steatosis High-protein dietary intervention is an effective treatment for NAFLD. Zhang et al. uncover the underlying mechanism by which dietary essential amino acids, especially leucine and isoleucine, activate the E3 ligase Ubr1 to degrade Plin2, thus ameliorating hepatic steatosis. The activation of Ubr1 family proteins provides a promising strategy for NAFLD therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The overpressure and flame propagation of oil shale dust. • Studying in a 20-L square closed vessel and Hartmann experimental device. • When 70% NaHCO 3 is added, the speed drops by 81%, and the Pmax drops by 50.1%. • The flame propagation velocity of oil shale/NaHCO 3 dust hybrid has three stages. • The explosion mechanism of oil shale are established. The overpressure and flame propagation of oil shale dust explosions suppression by sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3) are studied in a 20-L square closed vessel and Hartmann experimental device. oil shale dust was mixed with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3) with concentrations of 0%–70%. The results show that by increasing the mass percentage of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3), the flame propagation height, flame propagation speed and explosion pressure can be effectively reduced. The inhibition mechanism of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is proposed: on the one hand, the efficient decomposition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3) in the flame can absorb the heat released during the combustion process, thereby cooling the flame, and the generated sodium carbonate can be adsorbed on the surface of the oil shale. Prevent the reaction from continuing; on the other hand, in a gas-phase explosion, free radicals such as sodium and gas-phase intermediate products such as sodium oxide (Na 2 O) react uniformly with free radicals and reactant oxygen (O 2). Sodium-containing species act as oxygen species scavengers, and the chain reaction of oil shale explosion is interrupted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is highly transmissible and lethal. • We describe a combined CRISPR-Cas13a nucleic acid detection and RAA diagnostic test. • This first iteration demonstrated a minimum detection limit of 10° copies/μL. • This test may aid in outbreak control by providing rapid onsite diagnosis. Fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTS) is a tick-borne infection now known to spread among humans as an aerosol, which has resulted in several outbreaks across Asia over the past decade. As mortality is substantial, it is vital to establish a rapid, on-site nucleic acid detection method for diagnosis. Here we describe such a method for SFTSV (Dabie bandavirus) based on CRISPR-Cas13a. Specific recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) primers and CRISPR (cr)RNA nucleic acid detection targets were designed and synthesized for the conserved sequence of the SFTSV genome, and fluorescent CRISPR detection was used to screen for high-sensitivity crRNAs. Colloidal immunochromatography test paper was used to read CRISPR detection results. Sensitivity and specificity were evaluated by running tests on gradient dilutions of SFTSV nucleic acid and the nucleic acids of other pathogens with similar transmission routes or clinical manifestations. One crRNA with high detection sensitivity was screened out of 5 crRNAs with conserved sequences from the SFTSV genome. This CRISPR nucleic acid-based detection method was able to detect a single crRNA copy per microliter but not the nucleic acids of similar pathogens. This CRISPR test strip detection method permits rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnosis of SFTS without the need for advanced nucleic acid detection equipment, thus allowing for on-site application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyethylene (PE) industry is in a stage of rapid development. However, PE dust floating in the air is frequently associated with unexpected explosions. To find a proper way of preventing and mitigating the potential of PE dust explosion, a study was carried out in which (NH 4) 2 CO 3 and SiC were used for the first time to suppress PE deflagration flames. In a Hartmann tube apparatus, PE deflagration flame propagation in the presence of (NH 4) 2 CO 3 and SiC powders as the suppressant was observed. The suppression effects of these two powders at different mass fractions were compared. The results showed that flame propagation velocity and acceleration decrease with increasing mass fraction of (NH 4) 2 CO 3 and SiC. Through XRD, FIRT, TG-DSC, GC–MS and sensitivity test, explosion products and combustion reactions were characterized and the PE explosion suppression mechanisms of (NH 4) 2 CO 3 and SiC for PE were compared and investigated. PE explosion is suppressed by SiC physically by reducing temperature and pressure of explosion combustion, while the explosion combustion of PE was suppressed by physical and chemical effect of (NH 4) 2 CO 3. As a result, (NH 4) 2 CO 3 is better able to suppress explosion flames. The study provides a theoretical and practical basis for the prevention and control of explosion fire accidents in the polyethylene industry. [Display omitted] • (NH 4) 2 CO 3 and SiC were used for the first time to suppress PE deflagration flames • The advantages of synergistic inhibition were illustrated by comparative study • The inhibition mechanism of PE deflagration for two novel inhibitors was revealed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Gastric cancer (GC) accounts for a considerable amount of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study developed and experimentally validated a prognostic risk gene signature (PRGS). This is a stable and robust signature for assessing the prognosis of gastric cancer. We performed multiple analyses through consensus clustering and binary classification to assess the robustness of the PRGS in other independent datasets. Additionally, this PRGS exhibited a superior accuracy compared to most traditional clinical markers, including molecular features, and other published signatures. Besides, we also detected the tumor purity, immune cell infiltration, and oncogenic mutation status of high- and low-PRGS groups. Background: Gastric cancer is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the accurate recognition of prognostic molecular markers is the key to improving treatment efficacy and prognosis. Methods: In this study, we developed a stable and robust signature through a series of processes using machine-learning approaches. This PRGS was further experimentally validated in clinical samples and a gastric cancer cell line. Results: The PRGS is an independent risk factor for overall survival that performs reliably and has a robust utility. Notably, PRGS proteins promote cancer cell proliferation by regulating the cell cycle. Besides, the high-risk group displayed a lower tumor purity, higher immune cell infiltration, and lower oncogenic mutation than the low-PRGS group. Conclusions: This PRGS could be a powerful and robust tool to improve clinical outcomes for individual gastric cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Shell powder is more effective in suppressing coarse coal dust. • NaHCO 3 exhibits better than shell powder in inhibiting fine pulverized coal. • "global-small scale" and "local-large scale" suppression mechanisms are proposed. In order to improve the pertinence of coal dust explosion suppression technology, a 20 L spherical explosion characteristic test system and a dust minimum ignition energy test device were used to study the suppression differences of different particle sizes of coal dust with inert and active explosion suppressants. The results showed that the inert explosion suppressant was more effective in suppressing coarse coal dust, while the active explosion suppressant was more advantageous in suppressing fine coal dust explosion. The maximum pressure (P max) and maximum pressure rise rate ((d P /dt) max)) of 30 wt% NaHCO 3 in the suppression of fine coal explosion decreased by 26.8% and 54.2%, respectively, compared with that of raw coal, while the suppression data of NaHCO 3 to coarse coal was 25% and 30.8%. Kinetic analysis showed that NaHCO 3 was better than shell powder (SP) in inhibiting fine coal and the activation energy reached 82.76 kJ/mol which increased by 94.5%. However, the activation energy of coarse coal increased more significantly under SP suppression. The global -small scale and local-large scale explosion suppression mechanisms of coal dust with different particle sizes were put forward. This study can provide scientific theoretical guidance for targeted coal dust explosion suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Al/Ni reactive multilayer nanofoils are used as a local heat source in the joining of copper foils. • Grain coarsening and grain refining are both occurred in the reactants of Al/Ni reactive multilayer nanofoils. • The joints strength of copper foils has been improved with the assistance of Al/Ni reactive multilayer nanofoils. Interconnected individual battery cells of lithium batteries are unavoidably involved in joining in parallel to improve the battery capacity. Due to the advantage of the small joint area and short process time, micro resistance welding is one of common applied joining techniques of copper foils. However, strength improvement of micro resistance welded copper foils was restricted by the insufficient Joule heat accumulation at the faying interface. Here we used the exothermic reaction of Al/Ni reactive multilayer nanofoils as a local heat source at the faying interface of micro resistance welding of copper foils, designing to increase the heat accumulation and improve the joints strength. Two faying interfaces were formed at the joints of copper foils, one was at the thickness direction of AlNi reactants caused by the diffusion of Cu element based on the high temperature and fracture of coating layer, and another was formed at the surface of AlNi reactants and copper foils. Due to grain boundary relaxation, grain refining of AlNi alloy compound of final product with the average grain size of 27.9 nm at the faying interface attributed to the hardness increase and improvement of joints strength. The joints strength of two-layer copper foils increased to 100 N and the value was 500 N for the joints of multilayer copper foils with the assistance of Al/Ni reactive multilayer nanofoils. These results pave the way for the application of micro resistance welding technique in the battery cells joining of lithium batteries manufacture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]