Activity coefficients of NiO and CoO in CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 slag and their application to the recycling of Ni-Co-Fe-based end-of-life superalloys via remelting

To design optimal pyrometallurgical processes for nickel and cobalt recycling, and more particularly for the end-of-life process of Ni–Co–Fe-based end-of-life (EoL) superalloys, knowledge of their activity coefficients in slags is essential. In this study, the activity coeffi-cients of NiO and CoO in CaO–Al2O3–SiO2 slag, a candidate slag used for the EoL superalloy remelting process, were measured using gas/slag/metal equilibrium experiments. These activity coefficients were then used to consider the recycling efficiency of nickel and cobalt by remelting EoL superalloys using CaO–Al2O3–SiO2 slag. The activity coefficients of NiO and CoO in CaO–Al2O3–SiO2 slag both show a positive deviation from Raoult’s law, with values that vary from 1 to 5 depending on the change in basicity. The activity coefficients of NiO and CoO peak in the slag with a composition near B = (%CaO)/(%SiO2) = 1, whereB is the basicity. We observed that controlling the slag composition at approximatelyB = 1 effectively reduces the cobalt and nickel oxidation losses and promotes the oxidation removal of iron during the remelting process of EoL superalloys.     

Circadian fluctuation of susceptibility to haloperidol under constant conditions

Summary An endogenous circadian rhythm of the sedative and antiapomorphine effects of haloperidol was observed under constant conditions for 7 days as well as under an entrained light-dark cycle.     

Was the universal common ancestry proved?

The question of whether or not all life on Earth shares a single common ancestor has been a central problem of evolutionary biology since Darwin. Although the theory of universal common ancestry (UCA) has gathered a compelling list of circumstantial evidence, as given in ref. 2, there has been no attempt to test statistically the UCA hypothesis among the three domains of life (eubacteria, archaebacteria and eukaryotes) by using molecular sequences. Theobald recently challenged this problem with a formal statistical test, and concluded that the UCA hypothesis holds. Although his attempt is the first step towards establishing the UCA theory with a solid statistical basis, we think that the test of Theobald is not sufficient enough to reject the alternative hypothesis of the separate origins of life, despite the Akaike information criterion (AIC) of model selection giving a clear distinction between the competing hypotheses.     

Plasmodium cynomolgi genome sequences provide insight into Plasmodium vivax and the monkey malaria clade

P. cynomolgi, a malaria-causing parasite of Asian Old World monkeys, is the sister taxon of P. vivax, the most prevalent malaria-causing species in humans outside of Africa. Because P. cynomolgi shares many phenotypic, biological and genetic characteristics with P. vivax, we generated draft genome sequences for three P. cynomolgi strains and performed genomic analysis comparing them with the P. vivax genome, as well as with the genome of a third previously sequenced simian parasite, Plasmodium knowlesi. Here, we show that genomes of the monkey malaria clade can be characterized by copy-number variants (CNVs) in multigene families involved in evasion of the human immune system and invasion of host erythrocytes. We identify genome-wide SNPs, microsatellites and CNVs in the P. cynomolgi genome, providing a map of genetic variation that can be used to map parasite traits and study parasite populations. The sequencing of the P. cynomolgi genome is a critical step in developing a model system for P. vivax research and in counteracting the neglect of P. vivax.     

过渡流态下槽道流动间歇性结构PIV实验研究

为了研究槽道湍流与层流过渡流态下流场中的大尺度流动结构,采用粒子图像测速仪对过渡雷诺数下平板槽道内的流场进行了定量测量,捕捉到了高速区域与低速区域相间的瞬时流场,并基于Taylor假设对所测流场进行了重构,从多个瞬时流场中提取出大尺度条纹状结构。结果表明:这种条纹结构与流动方向之间存在一定的夹角,大约为25°～30°;倾斜因子和平坦因子的绝对值随雷诺数的减小而减小,即湍流猝发事件减少,间歇性减弱,流动趋于有序,逐渐向层流转化。从流场及统计量的变化还可以看出:当1 300≤Rem≤1 600时,流场的变化最显著。