Microstructural characterization and oxidation resistance of multicomponent equiatomic CoCrCuFeNi-TiO high-entropy alloy

CoCrCuFeNi-TiO was prepared by arc melting of the pure elements and Ti₂CO powder under an Ar atmosphere. Both CoCrCuFeNi and CoCrCuFeNi-TiO alloys are composed of a face-centered cubic (fcc) solid solution, whereas the alloys of CoCrCuFeNi-TiO are basically composed of an fcc solid solution and TiO crystals. The microstructures of CoCrCuFeNi-TiO are identified as dendrite and interdendrite structures such as CoCrCuFeNi. The morphology of TiO is identified as an equiaxed crystal with a small amount of added Ti₂CO. By increasing the amount of Ti₂CO added, the TiO content was dramatically increased and part of the equiaxed crystals changed to a dendrite structure. A test of the oxidation resistance demonstrates that the oxidation resistance of CoCrCuFeNi-TiO is better than that of CoCrCuFeNi. However, as the TiO content increases further, a corresponding decrease is observed in the oxidation resistance.     

Improved hemimorphite flotation using xanthate as a collector with S(Ⅱ) and Pb(Ⅱ) activation

The flotation of hemimorphite using the S(Ⅱ)–Pb(Ⅱ)–xanthate process, which includes sulfidization with sodium sulfide, activation by lead cations, and subsequent flotation with xanthate, was investigated. The flotation results indicated that hemimorphite floats when the S(Ⅱ)–Pb(Ⅱ)–xanthate process is used; a maximum recovery of approximately 90% was obtained. Zeta-potential, contact-angle, scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM–EDS), and diffuse-reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) measurements were used to characterize the activation products on the hemimorphite surface and their subsequent interaction with sodium butyl xanthate (SBX). The results showed that a ZnS coating formed on the hemimorphite surface after the sample was conditioned in an Na₂S solution. However, the formation of a ZnS coating on the hemimorphite surface did not improve hemimorphite flotation. With the subsequent addition of lead cations, PbS species formed on the mineral surface. The formation of the PbS species on the surface of hemimorphite significantly increased the adsorption capacity of SBX, forming lead xanthate (referred to as chemical adsorption) and leading to a substantial improvement in hemimorphite flotation. Our results indicate that the addition of lead cations is a critical step in the successful flotation of hemimorphite using the sulfidization–lead ion activation–xanthate process.     

Effect of melting temperature on microstructural evolutions,behavior and corrosion morphology of Hadfield austenitic manganese steel in the casting process

In this study, the effect of melting temperature on the microstructural evolutions, behavior, and corrosion morphology of Hadfield steel in the casting process is investigated. The mold was prepared by the sodium silicate/CO₂ method, using a blind riser, and then the desired molten steel was obtained using a coreless induction furnace. The casting was performed at melting temperatures of 1350, 1400, 1450, and 1500℃, and the cast blocks were immediately quenched in water. Optical microscopy was used to analyze the microstructure, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractrometry (XRD) were used to analyze the corrosion morphology and phase formation in the microstructure, respectively. The corrosion behavior of the samples was analyzed using a potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5wt% NaCl. The optical microscopy observations and XRD patterns show that the increase in melting temperature led to a decrease of carbides and an increase in the austenite grain size in the Hadfield steel microstructure. The corrosion tests results show that with increasing melting temperature in the casting process, Hadfield steel shows a higher corrosion resistance. The SEM images of the corrosion morphologies show that the reduction of melting temperature in the Hadfield steel casting process induced micro-galvanic corrosion conditions.     

Mineral-phase evolution and sintering behavior of MO-SiO2-Al2O3-B2O3 (M=Ca,Ba) glass-ceramics by low-temperature liquid-phase sintering

In this work, network former SiO₂ and network intermediate Al₂O₃ were introduced into typical low-melting binary compositions CaO·B₂O₃, CaO·2B₂O₃, and BaO·B₂O₃ via an aqueous solid-state suspension milling route. Accordingly, multiple-phase aluminosilicate glass-ceramics were directly obtained via liquid-phase sintering at temperatures below 950℃. On the basis of liquid-phase sintering theory, mineral-phase evolutions and glass-phase formations were systematically investigated in a wide MO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃-B₂O₃ (M=Ca, Ba) composition range. The results indicate that major mineral phases of the aluminosilicate glass-ceramics are Al₂₀B₄O₃₆, CaAl₂Si₂O₈, and BaAl₂Si₂O₈ and that the glass-ceramic materials are characterized by dense microstructures and excellent dielectric properties.     

A Proof of the Duality of the DINA Model and the DINO Model

The Deterministic Input Noisy Output “AND” gate (DINA) model and the Deterministic Input Noisy Output “OR” gate (DINO) model are two popular cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs) for educational assessment. They represent different views on how the mastery of cognitive skills and the probability of a correct item response are related. Recently, however, Liu, Xu, and Ying demonstrated that the DINO model and the DINA model share a “dual” relation. This means that one model can be expressed in terms of the other, and which of the two models is fitted to a given data set is essentially irrelevant because the results are identical. In this article, a proof of the duality of the DINA model and the DINO model is presented that is tailored to the form and parameterization of general CDMs that have become the new theoretical standard in cognitively diagnostic modeling.     

Generalized Multivariate Gumbel Distributions——Dependence,Aging Properties and Applications

This paper introduces a generalized multivariate Gumbel (GMG) distribution using a survival copula. Various dependence properties of the GMG distribution and some analytical properties of the generators of the GMG distribution are studied. Furthermore, the authors also investigate the dependence behavior of the residual lifetime vector of the GMG distribution. As an illustration, the GMG distribution is applied to fit a real data set.     

A two-dimensional improvement for Farr-Gao algorithm

Farr-Gao algorithm is a state-of-the-art algorithm for reduced Gröbner bases of vanishing ideals of finite points, which has been implemented in Maple as a build-in command. This paper presents a two-dimensional improvement for it that employs a preprocessing strategy for computing reduced Gröbner bases associated with tower subsets of given point sets. Experimental results show that the preprocessed Farr-Gao algorithm is more efficient than the classical one.     

The complexity and on-line algorithm for automated storage and retrieval system with stacker cranes on one rail

This paper considers an on-line scheduling and routing problem concerning the automated storage and retrieval system from tobacco industry. In this problem, stacker cranes run on one common rail between two racks. Multiple input/output-points are located at the bottom of the racks. The stacker cranes transport bins between the input/output-points and cells on the racks to complete requests generated over time. Each request should be accomplished within its response time. The objective is to minimize the time by which all the generated requests are completed. Under a given physical layout, the authors study the complexity of the problem and design on-line algorithms for both one-stacker-crane model and two-stacker-crane model. The algorithms are validated by instances and numerical simulations.     

Developing anti-neoplastic biotherapeutics against eIF4F

Biotherapeutics have revolutionized modern medicine by providing medicines that would not have been possible with small molecules. With respect to cancer therapies, this represents the current sector of the pharmaceutical industry having the largest therapeutic impact, as exemplified by the development of recombinant antibodies and cell-based therapies. In cancer, one of the most common regulatory alterations is the perturbation of translational control. Among these, changes in eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF4F) are associated with tumor initiation, progression, and drug resistance in a number of settings. This, coupled with the fact that systemic suppression of eIF4F appears well tolerated, indicates that therapeutic agents targeting eIF4F hold much therapeutic potential. Here, we discuss opportunities offered by biologicals for this purpose.     

Disruption of calcitonin gene-related peptide signaling accelerates muscle denervation and dampens cytotoxic neuroinflammation in SOD1 mutant mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease. Neuronal vacuolization and glial activation are pathologic hallmarks in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mouse model of ALS. Previously, we found the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) associated with vacuolization and astrogliosis in the spinal cord of these mice. We now show that CGRP abundance positively correlated with the severity of astrogliosis, but not vacuolization, in several motor and non-motor areas throughout the brain. SOD1 mice harboring a genetic depletion of the βCGRP isoform showed reduced CGRP immunoreactivity associated with vacuolization, while motor functions, body weight, survival, and astrogliosis were not altered. When CGRP signaling was completely disrupted through genetic depletion of the CGRP receptor component, receptor activity-modifying protein 1 (RAMP1), hind limb muscle denervation, and loss of muscle performance were accelerated, while body weight and survival were not affected. Dampened neuroinflammation, i.e., reduced levels of astrogliosis in the brain stem already in the pre-symptomatic disease stage, and reduced microgliosis and lymphocyte infiltrations during the late disease phase were additional neuropathology features in these mice. On the molecular level, mRNA expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and those of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) were elevated, while those of several pro-inflammatory cytokines found reduced in the brain stem of RAMP1-deficient SOD1 mice at disease end stage. Our results thus identify an important, possibly dual role of CGRP in ALS pathogenesis.