Process mineralogy characteristics of acid leaching residue produced in low-temperature roasting-acid leaching pretreatment process of refractory gold concentrates

To provide a theoretical basis for a suitable process to extract gold from refractory gold concentrates, process mineralogy on the acid leaching residue of gold calcine was studied by chemical composition, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy-energy spectrum, and mineral dissociation analysis. The results showed that the acid leaching residue contained Au 68.22 g/t, Ag 92.71 g/t, Fe 0.44%, As 0.10%, and S 0.55%. Gold and silver minerals existed as native gold, argentite, and proustite. Quartz, the main gangue mineral, accounted for 78.33wt/%. The dissociation degree analysis showed that the proportions of monomer and exposed gold in acid leaching residue were 96.66wt%. The cyanidation results showed that the cyanide gold leaching rate of acid leaching residues was close to 100wt%. However, the maximum cyanide gold leaching rate of gold calcine was only 85.31wt%. This suggests that acid leaching can increase the gold dissolution rate in the cyanide process.     

Effect of minor Sc on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy

The as-cast and heat-treated microstructures and mechanical properties of the AZ91 magnesium alloys with and without minor Sc addition were investigated and compared in this paper. The results indicated that adding0.15–0.45 wt% Sc to the as-cast AZ91 alloy not only could modify and refine the Mg_(17)Al_(12) phase but also suppress the formation of the Mg_(17)Al_(12) phase. At the same time, the grains of the Sc-containing as-cast AZ91 alloys were also effectively refined. As a result, the mechanical properties at room temperature(RT) for the Sccontaining as-cast AZ91 alloys were effectively improved. In addition, adding 0.15–0.45 wt%Sc to the AZ91 alloy promoted the formation of the continuous precipitates(CP) during the aging treatment in spite of that the formation of the discontinuous precipitates(DP) was simultaneously suppressed. Accordingly, the Sc-containing as-aged AZ91 alloys obtained the relatively higher mechanical properties at RT than the as-aged AZ91 alloy.     

Effect of Graphene Nanoplatelets addition on mechanical properties of pure aluminum using a semi-powder method

In recent years, graphene has attracted considerable research interest in all fields of science due to its unique properties. Its excellent mechanical properties lead it to be used in nano-composites for strength enhancement. This paper reports an Aluminum–Graphene Nanoplatelets(Al/GNPs)composite using a semi-powder method followed by hot extrusion. The effect of GNP nano-particle integration on tensile, compressive and hardness response of Al is investigated in this paper. It is demonstrated that 0.3 wt% Graphene Nanoplatelets distributed homogeneously in the matrix aluminum act as an effective reinforcing filler to prevent deformation. Compared to monolithic aluminum(in tension), Al–0.3 wt% GNPs composite exhibited higher 0.2% yield strength(+14.7%), ultimate tensile strength(+11.1%) and lower failure strain( -40.6%). Surprisingly, compared to monolithic Al(in compression), Al–0.3 wt% GNPs composite exhibited same 0.2% compressive yield strength and lower ultimate compression strength(- 7.8%),and lower failure strain(- 20.2%). The Al–0.3 wt% GNPs composite exhibited higher Vickers hardness compared to monolithic aluminum(+11.8%).Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy(EDS) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) were used to investigate the surface morphology, elemental percentage composition, and phase analysis, respectively.     

Enhanced mechanical properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets by continuous bending process after V-bending

The effects of V-bending process, continuous bending process and combination process on the microstructure and mechanical properties and formability of an AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet were investigated. The experimental results showed that no twins were found in the microstructure of all samples after processes due to the fine grain. The V-bending and continuous bending processes were proved to be an effective approach to modify the mechanical properties and formability. While the samples after the combination process exhibited better mechanical properties and formability than the single processed sample. The yield strength significantly decreased with the value of 100 MPa and the fracture elongation enhanced to 18.3% at room temperature. The Erichsen value was 5.0 mm which was significantly increased by 117% compared with as-received sample. The superior formability of combination processed samples was mainly attributed to the smaller r-value and n-value.     

A second generation human haplotype map of over 3.1 million SNPs

We describe the Phase II HapMap, which characterizes over 3.1 million human single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped in 270 individuals from four geographically diverse populations and includes 25-35% of common SNP variation in the populations surveyed. The map is estimated to capture untyped common variation with an average maximum r2 of between 0.9 and 0.96 depending on population. We demonstrate that the current generation of commercial genome-wide genotyping products captures common Phase II SNPs with an average maximum r2 of up to 0.8 in African and up to 0.95 in non-African populations, and that potential gains in power in association studies can be obtained through imputation. These data also reveal novel aspects of the structure of linkage disequilibrium. We show that 10-30% of pairs of individuals within a population share at least one region of extended genetic identity arising from recent ancestry and that up to 1% of all common variants are untaggable, primarily because they lie within recombination hotspots. We show that recombination rates vary systematically around genes and between genes of different function. Finally, we demonstrate increased differentiation at non-synonymous, compared to synonymous, SNPs, resulting from systematic differences in the strength or efficacy of natural selection between populations.     

Genome-wide detection and characterization of positive selection in human populations

With the advent of dense maps of human genetic variation, it is now possible to detect positive natural selection across the human genome. Here we report an analysis of over 3 million polymorphisms from the International HapMap Project Phase 2 (HapMap2). We used 'long-range haplotype' methods, which were developed to identify alleles segregating in a population that have undergone recent selection, and we also developed new methods that are based on cross-population comparisons to discover alleles that have swept to near-fixation within a population. The analysis reveals more than 300 strong candidate regions. Focusing on the strongest 22 regions, we develop a heuristic for scrutinizing these regions to identify candidate targets of selection. In a complementary analysis, we identify 26 non-synonymous, coding, single nucleotide polymorphisms showing regional evidence of positive selection. Examination of these candidates highlights three cases in which two genes in a common biological process have apparently undergone positive selection in the same population:LARGE and DMD, both related to infection by the Lassa virus, in West Africa;SLC24A5 and SLC45A2, both involved in skin pigmentation, in Europe; and EDAR and EDA2R, both involved in development of hair follicles, in Asia.     

Growth, photosynthesis and podophyllotoxin accumulation of Dysosma versipellis in response to a light gradient and conservation implications

Dysosma versipellis (Hance) M. Cheng ex Ying (Berberidaceae) is a rare and vulnerable, perennial herb endemic to China with pharmaceutical significance. Increasing habitat loss and over-exploitation of the plant has severely affected the plant’s in situ conservation, necessitating ex situ conservation and commercial cultivation. The light regime is a critical environmental factor contributing to successful ex situ conservation via efficient production of biomass and secondary metabolites. We investigated th...     

Genome sequence and analysis of the tuber crop potato

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the world's most important non-grain food crop and is central to global food security. It is clonally propagated, highly heterozygous, autotetraploid, and suffers acute inbreeding depression. Here we use a homozygous doubled-monoploid potato clone to sequence and assemble 86% of the 844-megabase genome. We predict 39,031 protein-coding genes and present evidence for at least two genome duplication events indicative of a palaeopolyploid origin. As the first genome sequence of an asterid, the potato genome reveals 2,642 genes specific to this large angiosperm clade. We also sequenced a heterozygous diploid clone and show that gene presence/absence variants and other potentially deleterious mutations occur frequently and are a likely cause of inbreeding depression. Gene family expansion, tissue-specific expression and recruitment of genes to new pathways contributed to the evolution of tuber development. The potato genome sequence provides a platform for genetic improvement of this vital crop.     

A genome-wide association study in Han Chinese identifies new susceptibility loci for ankylosing spondylitis

To identify susceptibility loci for ankylosing spondylitis, we performed a two-stage genome-wide association study in Han Chinese. In the discovery stage, we analyzed 1,356,350 autosomal SNPs in 1,837 individuals with ankylosing spondylitis and 4,231 controls; in the validation stage, we analyzed 30 suggestive SNPs in an additional 2,100 affected individuals and 3,496 controls. We identified two new susceptibility loci between EDIL3 and HAPLN1 at 5q14.3 (rs4552569; P = 8.77 × 10(-10)) and within ANO6 at 12q12 (rs17095830; P = 1.63 × 10(-8)). We also confirmed previously reported associations in Europeans within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region (top SNP, rs13202464; P < 5 × 10(-324)) and at 2p15 (rs10865331; P = 1.98 × 10(-8)). We show that rs13202464 within the MHC region mainly represents the risk effect of HLA-B*27 variants (including HLA-B*2704, HLA-B*2705 and HLA-B*2715) in Chinese. The two newly discovered loci implicate genes related to bone formation and cartilage development, suggesting their potential involvement in the etiology of ankylosing spondylitis.     

Cdk5 targets active Src for ubiquitin-dependent degradation by phosphorylating Src(S75)

The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Src is a critical regulator of cytoskeletal contraction, cell adhesion, and migration. In normal cells, Src activity is stringently controlled by Csk-dependent phosphorylation of Src(Y530), and by Cullin-5-dependent ubiquitinylation, which affects active Src(pY419) exclusively, leading to its degradation by the proteosome. Previous work has shown that Src activity is also limited by Cdk5, a proline-directed kinase, which has been shown to phosphorylate Src(S75). Here we show that this phosphorylation promotes the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of Src, thus restricting the availability of active Src. We demonstrate that Src(S75) phosphorylation occurs in vivo in epithelial cells, and like ubiquitinylation, is associated only with active Src. Preventing Cdk5-dependent phosphorylation of Src(S75), by site-specific mutation of S75 or by Cdk5 inhibition or suppression, increases Src(Y419) phosphorylation and kinase activity, resulting in Src-dependent cytoskeletal changes. In transfected cells, ubiquitinylation of Src(S75A) is about 35% that of wild-type Src-V5, and its half-life is approximately 2.5-fold greater. Cdk5 suppression leads to a comparable decrease in the ubiquitinylation of endogenous Src and a similar increase in Src stability. Together, these findings demonstrate that Cdk5-dependent phosphorylation of Src(S75) is a physiologically significant mechanism of regulating intracellular Src activity.