Ti leaching from activated ilmenite-Fe mixture at different milling energy levels

Mechanical activation processes on ilmenite concentrate were performed in three different energy levels. Iron powder as a reducing agent was added to ilmenite in the milling stage and the mechanically activated mixture was subjected to acid leaching. The leaching experiments were designed using the Taguchi method, and the optimum ranges were obtained. Furthermore, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the critical parameters in the leaching system to achieve the highest titanium (Ti) leachability. Based on the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) results, maximum leaching recovery of Ti (80%) was obtained using activated Ti concentrates at a medium activation energy level, which is calculated to be 25.38 kJ/g, using 15vol% hydrochloric acid (HCl), a temperature of 70℃, leaching time of 3 h, and a solid-to-liquid ratio of 0.05 g·mL-1. Intensifying the milling energy from a low to high level led to a decrease in the mean crystallite size and also structure homogenization at the high energy level. According to the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, the mean grain size of the ilmenite/Fe nanocomposite was about 30 nm at the medium energy level sample. Finally, solvent extraction by tributyl phosphate (TBP) was performed on the leach liquor to separate dissolved Fe (the major impurity) from Ti, which led to 83% extraction recovery of Ti.     

High-altitude salt lake elevation changes and glacial ablation in Central Tibet, 2000-2010

This research quantifies lake level variations in the Siling Co, Co’e and Bangor Co salt lakes in Central Tibet from 1976 to 2010, and most notably for the 2000-2010 periods. In particular, the effects of different water replenishment modes on the lakes have been analyzed. Here we have provided new evidences for climate warming and accelerated glacial ablation on the Central Tibetan Plateau from 2000 to 2010. Based on fieldwork involving Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) surveying and Remote Sensing (RS) interpretations of the lake area, we have drawn the following conclusions. (1) From 1976 to 2010, the process of lake level variation in Siling Co can be divided into two stages. From 1976 to 2000, the lake level rose 4.3 m in a steady fashion (from 4530 to 4534.3 m); the rise rate was 0.18 m/a. From 2000 to 2010, the lake level rapidly rose 8.2 m (from 4534.3 to 4542.5 m), with a dramatically higher rise rate of 0.82 m/a. Compared with the rapidly increasing lake level of Siling Co from 2000 to 2010, the fluctuations observed at Co’e and Bangor Co were smooth and inconspicuous. (2) From 1976 to 2009, the lake area of Siling Co experienced a steady-rapid-steady expansion pattern. The lake area of Siling Co increased 656.64 km2 in the 34 years to 2010, a proportional growth of 39.4%. This was particularly significant in the 2000-2010 period, when the lake area of Siling Co increased by 549.77 km2, a proportional growth of 30.6%. (3) According to correlation analysis, the rise in regional temperatures, which has led to the ablation of glaciers, is the main reason for the rapid rise in Siling Co lake levels in the 10 years to 2010. During this period, Siling Co rose approximately 8 m as the direct result of glacial melting. An increase in precipitation in the Siling Co catchment area is the secondary factor. This contrasts with Bangor Co, where the dominant factor in lake level change is the long-term increase in precipitation; here, the increasing temperature is the secondary factor.     

A Combinatorial Auction-Based Collaborative Cloud Services Platform

In this paper, we present a novel, dynamic collaboration cloud platform in which a Combinatorial Auction(CA)-based market model enables the platform to run effectively. The platform can facilitate expense reduction and improve the scalability of the cloud, which is divided into three layers: The user-layer receives requests from end-users, the auction-layer matches the requests with the cloud services provided by the Cloud Service Provider(CSP), and the CSP-layer forms a coalition to improve serving ability to satisfy complex requirements of users.In fact, the aim of the coalition formation is to find suitable partners for a particular CSP. However, identifying a suitable combination of partners to form the coalition is an NP-hard problem. Hence, we propose approximation algorithms for the coalition formation. The Breadth Traversal Algorithm(BTA) and Revised Ant Colony Algorithm(RACA) are proposed to form a coalition when bidding for a single cloud service in the auction. The experimental results show that RACA outperforms the BTA in bid price. Other experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of the communication cost on coalition formation and to assess the impact of iteration times for the optimal bidding price. In addition, the performance of the market model was compared to the existing CA-based model in terms of economic efficiency.     

Phosphatidylglycerol effect on oxygen-evolving activity in Ca2+-depleted photosystem Ⅱ

The effect of anionic phosphatidylglycerol (PG) on oxygen evolution in a photosystem Ⅱ (PSⅡ) particle depleted of Ca2+ (designated dCaPSⅡ) has been investigated. The major finding is the observation of a new role of PG in the PSⅡ function. That is, PG restores nearly the lost oxygen evolution in dCaPSⅡ particle owing to Ca2+ depletion to the levels in intact PSⅡ. Furthermore, there is a stimulation of oxygen-evolving activity in the dCaPSⅡ complexed with PG in the presence of exogenous CaCl2, which PG enhances increasingly oxygen evolution with increasing CaCl2 concentration. It is suggested that PG-induced oxygen evolution recovery of dCa PSⅡ particle results from resumption of normal structure in protein by PG effect, whereas the enhancement of oxygen evolution in complex subject to CaCl2 is ascribed to the optimization of such a structure due to coordination complex formation of Ca2+ ions with PG.     

Can the occurrence of rare insertion／deletion polymor—phisms in human mtDNA be verfied from phylogeny？

Due to its specific characteristics,such as ma-ternal inheritance and absence of recombination,each mtDNA belongs to certain monophyletic clade in the rooted mtDNA tree(haplogroup) according to the mutations it har-bors,Rare mutation(excluding parallel mutation) occurring at multiple times in different haplogroups could thus be a potential reading error according to the mtDNA phylogent.This experience has been widely used im double-checking the credibility of the rare mutations in human mtDNA sequences.However,no test has been performed so far for the feasibility of applying this strategy to the rare insertion/deletion(indel) events in mtDNA sequences.In this study,we attempted to relate the rare indels in mtDNAs to their haplogroup status in a total of 2352 individuals from 50 populations in China.Our results show that the insertion of A at position 16259 is restricted to a subclade of haplogroup Cand can be verified.The other indel polymorphisms,Which occur in the repeat of the deleted or inserted nucleotide(s),may not be distin-guished from phantom mutations from a phylogenetic point of view.Independently and multiply sequencing the frag-ment with the indel is the best and the most reliable way for confirmation.     

Polaronic effect on a bound polaron

Feynman variational path-integral theory was used to obtain the groud-state energy of a polaron in a quantum well in the presence of a Coulomb potential for arbitray values of the electron-phonon couplng constant α.Numerical and analytical results showed that the energy shift was more sensitive to α than to the Coulomb binding parameter(β) and increased with the decrease of effective quantum well width lZ.it was intersting that due to the electronic confinement in the quasi-2D(quantum well)structures,the lower bound of the strong coupling regime was shifted to smaller values of α.Comparison of the polaron in the quantum well with that in the quantum wire or dot showed that the polaronic effect strengthened with decrease of the confinement dimension.     

Fabrication of copper nanorods by low-temperature metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Copper nanorods have been synthe-sized in mesoporous SBA-15 by a low-temperature metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) employing copper (II) acetylacetonate, Cu(acac)2, and hydrogen as a precursor and reactant gas, re- spectively. The hydrogen plays an important role in chemical reduction of oganometallic precursor which enhances mass transfer in the interior of the SBA-15 porous substrate. Such copper nanostructures are of great potentials in the semiconductor due to their unusual optical, magnetic and electronic properties. In addition, it has been found that chemically modi- fying the substrate surface by carbon deposition is crucial to such synthesis of copper nanostructures in the interior of the SBA-15, which is able to change the surface properties of SBA-15 from hydrophilic to hydrophobic to promote the adsorption of organic cupric precursor. It has also been found that the copper nanoparticles deposited on the external sur- face are almost eliminated and the copper nanorods are more distinct while the product was treated with ammonia. This approach could be achieved under a mild condition: a low temperature (400℃) and vac-uum (2 kPa) which is extremely milder than the con- ventional method. It actually sounds as a foundation which is the first time to synthesize a copper nanorod at a mild condition of a low reaction temperature and pressure.     

Conformational change of glutathione-S-transferase by its co-expression with prion domain of yeast Ure2p

Ure2 protein from Saccharomyces cerevisisae has a changeable structure similar to that ofrnammalian prion protein. Its N-terminal is the prion domain (PrD) consisting of 65 amino acids which plays a critical role in yeast prion development. In this study, PrD gene was recombinated with glutathione-S-transferase(GST) gene, and a soluble GST-PrD(sGST-PrD) fusion protein was expressed in E. coli. sGST-PrD could spontaneously polymerize into amyloid fibrils in vitro, displaying typical β-sheet-type structure; it had increased resistance to proteinase K and exhibited amvloid-like optical properties. Moreover, the aggregated GST-PrD(aGST-PrD) could induce sGST-PrD to aggregate into fibrils. These results indicate that PrD could change the conformation of GST moiety in a recombinant protein with PrD to form a prion-like chimeric protein, which proves that PrD has the ability to mediate a prion-like conversion of other proteins fused with it.     

Programmed cell death during terminal bud senescence in a sympodial branching tree, Eucommia ulmoides

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. is a typical sympodial branching tree. The apical bud of the branch ages and dies every year, replaced by the nearby axillary bud in the second year. Structural assays and a series of biochemical analyses were performed to analyze the senescence mechanism in the apical bud. It was revealed that most cells of the apical bud underwent the programmed cell death (PCD) during the senescence: the chromosomes were congregated and the nuclear contents were condensed, as shown by 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) fluorescence. DNA fragmentation was detected during senescence using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end in situ labeling (TUNEL) method, coincident with the appearance of a DNA ladder. Moreover, a 20 kD DNase related to fragmentation was found. PCD was initiated first in the young leaves, leaf primordia and peripheral zone cells, then in the central mother cells and initial layer cells in the apical meristem. The terminal buds remain in vegetative growth during senescence, in contrast to buds of many annual plants.     

利用氧化基粉煤灰粉和医疗废弃物颗粒开发无电镀镍基复合涂层 (Ni–P/粉煤灰和Ni-P/Ni–P/SiO2–Al2O3)

Recycling and reusing materials from waste have become a nexus in the development of sustainable materials, leading to more balanced technologies. In this study, we developed a composite coating by co-depositing recycled ceramic particles, pulverised fly ash (PFA) and medical ceramics (MC), into a nickel–phosphorus matrix using a typical electroless plating process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicated well-dispersed particles in the Ni–P matrix. However, compared with the MC particles, the PFA particles were distributed scantily with a lower content in the matrix, which could be due to the less impingement effect during the co-deposition. A modified microstructure with refined grains was obtained for the PFA-incorporated composite coating, as seen in the SEM micrograph. The X-ray diffraction result of the MC-incorporated composite coating showed the formation of Ni_xSi_y phases in addition to the typical Ni₃P phases for the heat-treated electroless Ni–P coatings. Upon heat treatment, the PFA-reinforced composite coating, due to a modified microstructure, exhibited a higher microhardness up to HK_0.05 818, which is comparable to that of the traditional SiC particle-embedded composite coating (HK_0.05 825). The findings can potentially open up a new strategy to further advance the green approach for industrial surface engineering.     

An Intelligent Agent Approach to Adaptive Project Management

This paper presents the initial steps to integrating a distributed discrete event simulation system with a framework for intelligent software agents. The resulting system has a simulation component that is based on the high-level architecture (HLA) and an agent component that implements the belief-desire-intention (BDI) approach to agent modelling. The architecture is connected to a real-time information source. The framework was successfully applied to a real-life monitoring system for a tunnel-boring machine excavation project that helped with forecasting and managing the project timelines in response to the changes in the uncertain excavation environment. This project is presented as a test case and demonstrates encouraging results for integrative modelling of large-scale problems with elements of uncertainty.     

Supply Chain Coordination by Single-Period and Long-Term Contracts with Fuzzy Market Demand

Due to the uncertainty of the market demand in the supply chain,this paper characterized market demand as a fuzzy variable and proposed single-period and long-term contracts to coordinate the two members(supplier and buyer)in the supply chain.Comparison of the effectiveness of the two contracts indicates that a long-term contract is more effective than a single-period contract in improving the profit potential of both the total supply chain and each member in the supply chain.This conclusion is useful to...     

Multiple Parameters Side Channel Signal Analysis Using in Hardware Trojan Detection

As the process of economic globalization deepens,a large variety of integrated circuit designers tends to move the chip's manufacturing to the developing country.But during the globalization of semiconductor design and fabrication process,integrated circuits are suffering from increasing malicious alterations from the untrusted foundries,which pose a serious threat to the military,finance,transportation and other critical systems.An noninvasive approach was presented to measure the physical "sidechannel"parameter of a chip such as current or delay,which is effectively capable of detecting the malicious hardware alternations.The intrinsic relationship of a circuit's side-channel parameters was exploited to distinguish the effect of a Trojan in the presence of large random noise and process noise,such as the Dynamic current(IDDT)versus the maximum operating frequency(Fmax)correlation.The Monte Carlo analysis in Hspice using ± 20% Gauss variations in transistor threshold voltage(Vth)was carried out to simulate the circuit state in the real world.Simulation Results show that this approach is effective to detect the ultra-small Trojans.     

Experimental observation of deep crust fluid-NaCl aqueous solution at elevated temperatures and pressures and its significance

In order to reveal the nature of deep crust fluids, the phase relations of NaCI-saturat-ed solution at high temperatures and pressures in a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC) are investigated. Salinity of the solutions observed is about 35%-50% . The temperatures for the observation range from 25 to 850℃ and the pressures from 1 atm to about 1 GPa. A supercritical single phase, liquid phase (L), vapor phase (V), solid phase (H), L+H, H + V+L and the near-critical phases L + V can be observed. A two-phase (L + V) immiscibility field for the NaCI solution has been discovered to lie in a wide range of temperatures and pressures: from 250( ±3) to 721℃. Within this field there are two parts, where the upper high temperature part of the two-phase regions is very unstable in character. It is possible to observe a "critical phenomenon". In some of our experiments an "explosion" almost constantly occurred at the interface between the liquid and vapor phases, making the interface obscure, and a continuous transition between the two phases could be found. By a visual microscope it was found that in the two-phase immiscible field near to the critical state the vapor phase and liquid phase compose a crystal structure geometry. It is a special solution structure that was found under a microscope. This discovery is important for us to understand the reason of increasing electronic conductivity of NaCI aqueous solution with respect to temperatures and pressures. And also, it will be easy to interpret the variation of electronic conductivity in the earth crust.     

A Benefit Measurement Framework for an Online Contract Change Management System

The contract change management (CCM) system is an online collaboration tool, which supports the contract change management process of new engineering contract (NEC) contract. It is currently used in practice on a wide range of civil, power, and building projects in the UK. The aim of this study is first to identify the tangible and intangible benefits of the system through a user survey; then to develop a framework to measure these benefits. A questionnaire survey is conducted, which reveals that CCM can help project teams improve process effectiveness, reduce risk of process failures, and increase the compliance with NEC requirements. Subsequently, a spreadsheet tool is developed to allow CCM users to calculate the tangible cost savings as a result of using the system. For intangible benefits, a change management maturity model (CM3) is developed, which provides a measurement framework for assessing the improvement of a project team’s capability in dealing with contract changes.     

Design and Efficient Hardware Implementation Schemes for Non-Quasi-Cyclic LDPC Codes

The design of a high-speed decoder using traditional partly parallel architecture for Non-Quasi-Cyclic(NQC) Low-Density Parity-Check(LDPC) codes is a challenging problem due to its high memory-block cost and low hardware utilization efficiency. In this paper, we present efficient hardware implementation schemes for NQCLDPC codes. First, we propose an implementation-oriented construction scheme for NQC-LDPC codes to avoid memory-access conflict in the partly parallel decoder. Then, we propose a Modified Overlapped Message-Passing(MOMP) algorithm for the hardware implementation of NQC-LDPC codes. This algorithm doubles the hardware utilization efficiency and supports a higher degree of parallelism than that used in the Overlapped Message Passing(OMP) technique proposed in previous works. We also present single-core and multi-core decoder architectures in the proposed MOMP algorithm to reduce memory cost and improve circuit efficiency. Moreover, we introduce a technique called the cycle bus to further reduce the number of block RAMs in multi-core decoders. Using numerical examples, we show that, for a rate-2/3, length-15360 NQC-LDPC code with 8.43-d B coding gain for Binary PhaseShift Keying(BPSK) in an Additive White Gaussian Noise(AWGN) channel, the decoder with the proposed scheme achieves a 23.8%–52.6% reduction in logic utilization per Mbps and a 29.0%–90.0% reduction in message-memory bits per Mbps.     

PRODUCT MODELLING TO SUPPORT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IN A VIRTUAL ENTERPRISE

The concept of Virtual Enterprise (VE) is closely related to the Global Manufacturing (GM) paradigm. How to develop a computer system which supports the product development in VE is an issue to be discussed in this paper. The emphasis is placed on the product modelling in the VE context. In the paper, a new concept of information modelling called 'heterogeneous data' situation is clarified, which is further related to the 'Instance As Type' (TAT) phenomenon. Modelling for IAT is discussed. Modelling for the partner company behaviour is presented as well.     

Determination of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in soil and moss from Fildes Peninsula,Antarctica

Dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) are a class of toxic and persistent chemicals that are often found in the environment.The determination of dioxin-like PCBs in Fildes Peninsula,Antarctica,is reported in this paper.Dioxin-like PCBs were widely distributed in Antarctic soil and moss with concentration of 2.23-27.2 pg/g in soil and 10.4-812 pg/g in moss.The highest concentrations were found in the Ardley Island area and the lowest concentrations on the west coast.The contribution of PCB-118 to the ∑12PCBs ranged from 36.0% to 69.6% in soil,and 17.2% to 43.4% in moss.The congener specific patterns in soil and moss were similar.Long-range atmospheric transport is thought to be the main source of PCBs detected on King George Island.The ∑12PCBs toxic equivalent(TEQ) in soil was 0.400×10?3 to 516×10?3 pg(TEQ)/g with a mean value of 147×10?3 pg(TEQ)/g.PCB-126 had the largest contribution(81.1%) to the ∑12PCBs TEQ in soil.The ∑12PCBs TEQ in moss ranged from 2.90×10?3 to 1.19 pg/g with a mean value of 0.482 pg/g.PCB-126 was also the largest contributor(91.4%) to the ∑12PCBs TEQ in moss.The mean TEQ in moss was about 40 times that in soil.     

TRANSFORMATION OF STRUCTURE IN POLYACRYLONITRILE FIBRES DURING STABILIZATION

The Lonversion of polyacrylonitrile(PAN)fibre to carbon fibre consists of an oxidative stabili-zation process in which the PAN fibre is heated between 200-300℃ in air to give a thermally co-herent structure.The structural changes of PAN fibres during stabilization have been investigatedusing Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy(FTIR)and Differential Scanning Calorimetry(DSC).An attempt has also been made to follow the conversion of the structure using Ramanspectroscopy as a complementary technique.The FTIR spectra of the fibres subjected to variousdegree of heat treatment show a continuous decrease in nitrile absorption and a simultaneous in-crease in intensity of the C=N and/or C=C bands as the stabilization proceeds.A conversion ra-tio(CR)is defined as the intensity of the C=N and/or C=C bands relative to that of the nitrilegroups.The exotherm present in the DSC experiments was observed to weaken progressively dur-ing the stabilization process.It is confirmed that the original PAN structure is dissipating and thenew ladder polymer is being formed.     

Depositional environments of Bathonian sediments from the Jaisalmer Basin, Rajasthan, western India

The pericratonic sedimentary Jaisalmer Basin, west of the Aravalli Ranges, on the westerly dipping eastern flank of the Indus Shelf, is a principal structural element of Rajasthan. Jurassic sediments in the SE comprise non-marine sandstones and conglomerates to nearshore, brackish to marine sands, silts, clays and carbonates, grouped lithostratigraphically into the Lathi, Jaisalmer, Baisakhi, and Bhadasar formations. The Late Bajocian to Oxfordian Jaisalmer Formation is divided, in ascending order, into the Hamira, Joyan, Fort, Badabag, Kuldhar, and Jajiya members. Fossil records providing a Bajocian to Bathonian age for the lower and middle parts of the formation include: a Late Bajocian coral Isastraea bernardiana (d’Orbigny) in the uppermost Joyan Member; Bathonian ammonite Clydoniceras in the basal part of the Badabag Member; Bathonian foraminiferal/bivalve assemblages in the Fort Member. The topmost bed of the Joyan Member represents the peak of first marine transgression of the Jaisalmer Basin, probably contemporaneous with the Late Bajocian one in the neighbouring Kachchh Basin. Based on faunal studies Bajocian to Bathonian sediments of the Jaisalmer Basin can be broadly correlated with those of the Kachchh Basin. The Fort and Badabag members represent the following depositional environments, in chronological order: (a) brackish to shallow fully marine; (b) fully marine with rapidly fluctuating water energy and sedimentation rates; (c) near-shore to lower shoreface with fluctuating energy conditions, salinity and sedimentation rates; (d) near-shore to shoreface channels and storm-dominated marine above fair-weather wave-base; (e) lagoon with fluctuating low to moderate energy, salinity and sedimentation rates; (f) stormdominated shelf to lower shoreface.