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.     

Size-manipulat ion, compacti on and electrical properties of barium manganite nanorods synthesized via theCHM method

A composite-hydroxide mediated method was employed to synthesize barium manganite nanorods.Diameter,surface smoothness and uniformity of these nanorods were optimized by varying reaction temperature and reaction time.The rods with an average diameter of 200 nm and length of1–1.5 μm were obtained at optimum conditions of 200 1C/48 h.The dielectric study of these rods reveals that they have higher value of dielectric constant at lower frequencies which was attributed to the interfacial and rotational type polarizations.Similarly,the increase in dielectric constant with temperature was attributed to the thermal activation of such polarizations.Furthermore,the analysis of ln(J) vs.E1/2characteristics in the temperature range of 300–400 K shows that possible operative conduction mechanism was of Poole–Frenkel type.The value of βexp was found to be 4.85 times greater than the expected theoretical value of feld lowering coeffcient with an internal feld enhancement factor ofα2 23.5.This high value of βexp may be due to some localized electric felds existing inside the sample.     

Zr-pillared montmoril lonite supported cobalt nanoparticles for Fischer – Tropsch synthesis

In this article Fischer–Tropsch(FT) synthesis was studied over cobalt nanoparticles supported on modifed Montmorillonite(Zr-PILC).Co-loaded/Zr-PILC catalysts were synthesized by hydrothermal methods and were characterized by XRD,XRF,BET,H2-TPR,TGA and SEM techniques.FT reactions were carried out in fxed bed microreactor(T 225 1C,260 1C and 275 1C,P 1,5 and 10 bars).The FT-products obtained over Co-loaded/Zr-PILC catalysts showed increased selectivity of C2–C12hydrocarbons and decreased selectivity towards CH4and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons(C21) at a TOS of 2–30 h as compared to the Co-loaded/NaMMT catalysts.With increase in reaction temperature from225 1C to 275 1C,CO-conversion and CH4selectivity increases while that of C5+hydrocarbons decreases.Decrease in CH4selectivity while increase in C5+hydrocarbons and CO-conversion were observed on increasing the pressure of reaction.     

Melanopsin cells are the principal conduits for rod-cone input to non-image-forming vision

Rod and cone photoreceptors detect light and relay this information through a multisynaptic pathway to the brain by means of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). These retinal outputs support not only pattern vision but also non-image-forming (NIF) functions, which include circadian photoentrainment and pupillary light reflex (PLR). In mammals, NIF functions are mediated by rods, cones and the melanopsin-containing intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Rod-cone photoreceptors and ipRGCs are complementary in signalling light intensity for NIF functions. The ipRGCs, in addition to being directly photosensitive, also receive synaptic input from rod-cone networks. To determine how the ipRGCs relay rod-cone light information for both image-forming and non-image-forming functions, we genetically ablated ipRGCs in mice. Here we show that animals lacking ipRGCs retain pattern vision but have deficits in both PLR and circadian photoentrainment that are more extensive than those observed in melanopsin knockouts. The defects in PLR and photoentrainment resemble those observed in animals that lack phototransduction in all three photoreceptor classes. These results indicate that light signals for irradiance detection are dissociated from pattern vision at the retinal ganglion cell level, and animals that cannot detect light for NIF functions are still capable of image formation.     

Structural and optical properties of Zn1−xNixTe thin films prepared by electron beam evaporation technique

Zn1-xNixTe thin films with different composition(x=0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20) were deposited on glass substrate by electron beam evaporation technique followed by its characterization using advanced structural and optical analysis techniques. Structural properties of the prepared thin films were studied by X-ray diffraction(XRD). The XRD patterns revealed that the binary compounds transformed into a ternary compound with cubic structure having preferred orientation along the c-direction with(111) planes. Composition analysis of the films was determined by energy dispersive analysis of X-rays(EDAX) and found to be in agreement with the precursor composition. Optical properties such as extinction coefficient(k) and band gap energy of these films were examined by using a spectroscopic ellipsometer. It was found that the extinction coefficient(k) increased with the addition of Ni content in the alloy. In comparison, the band gap energy was also determined by using transmission spectra and found to be agreed with that of the ellipsometric results. These analyses confirm that the band gap energy decreases with the increase of Ni content in the alloy.     

The clonal and mutational evolution spectrum of primary triple-negative breast cancers

Primary triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), a tumour type defined by lack of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and ERBB2 gene amplification, represent approximately 16% of all breast cancers. Here we show in 104 TNBC cases that at the time of diagnosis these cancers exhibit a wide and continuous spectrum of genomic evolution, with some having only a handful of coding somatic aberrations in a few pathways, whereas others contain hundreds of coding somatic mutations. High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed that only approximately 36% of mutations are expressed. Using deep re-sequencing measurements of allelic abundance for 2,414 somatic mutations, we determine for the first time-to our knowledge-in an epithelial tumour subtype, the relative abundance of clonal frequencies among cases representative of the population. We show that TNBCs vary widely in their clonal frequencies at the time of diagnosis, with the basal subtype of TNBC showing more variation than non-basal TNBC. Although p53 (also known as TP53), PIK3CA and PTEN somatic mutations seem to be clonally dominant compared to other genes, in some tumours their clonal frequencies are incompatible with founder status. Mutations in cytoskeletal, cell shape and motility proteins occurred at lower clonal frequencies, suggesting that they occurred later during tumour progression. Taken together, our results show that understanding the biology and therapeutic responses of patients with TNBC will require the determination of individual tumour clonal genotypes.     

Evaluation and modification of inclusion characteristics in HK40 heatresistant cast steel

Specifications of inclusions such as the type, morphology, number, composition, size, and place of inclusions in HK40 heat-resistant casting steel were studied by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive spectroscopy system. The effects of calcium silicide (CaSi) addition on these characteristics were evaluated at two pouring temperatures of 1420℃ and 1470℃. It was found that most of the appeared inclusions were in the type of chromium oxide. CaSi addition had a significant effect on the morphological modification, size and distribution of inclusions as well as changing the composition to oxide-sulfide compounds.     

新疆8个地域维吾尔族群线粒体DNA V区9 bp缺失频率与Y染色体DYS287位点多态性研究

 为研究新疆8个地域维吾尔族群体的线粒体DNA 9 bp序列缺失频率与Y染色体DYS287位点多态性,分别采用PCR扩增直接测序法和PCR结合琼脂糖凝胶电泳检测法对群线粒体DNA 9 bp缺失频率与Y 染色体DYS287位点多态性进行分析。结果表明在新疆的喀什、和田、库车、且木、哈密、吐鲁番、伊梨和尉梨县的240个无关现代维吾尔族群体中,线粒体DNA 9 bp缺失频率为3.3%,3.3%,6.6%,3.3%,6.6%,3.3%,3.3%,10%。在180个无关现代维吾尔族群男性个体中Y染色体DYS287位点全部显示为YAP-,没有显示为YAP＋。结果提示新疆不同地域现代维吾尔族群体的线粒体DNA 9 bp缺失频率相当低,9 bp缺失不是现代维吾尔族的母系遗传传结构特征,而且不同地域维吾尔族群体线粒体DNA 9 bp缺失频率没有显著性的差异。父系遗传结构单一, YAP+不是现代维吾尔族群体的父系遗传特征。研究获得了新疆不同地域维吾尔族群体的线粒体DNA 9 bp序列缺失频率与Y染色体DYS287位点多态性数据,为不同地域维吾尔族群体遗传关系的分析,法医鉴定及不同地域维吾尔族群体之间的起源关系差异提供了一定的遗传背景资料。     

Stationarity tests in time series model building

Optimum non-parametric tests for stationarity of a stochastic process against location and scale shift alternatives are explored. Usefulnesss of these tests in detecting a suitable differencing transformation that reduces a non-stationary time series to a stationary one is illustrated with a number of previously analysed real life data.