Flotation separation of scheelite from calcite using luteolin as a novel depressant

This paper proposes luteolin(LUT)as a novel depressant for the flotation-based separation of scheelite and calcite in a sodium oleate(NaOL)system.The suitability of LUT as a calcite depressant is confirmed through micro-flotation testing.At pH=9,with LUT concentration of 50 mg·L^(-1) and NaOL concentration of 50 mg·L^(-1),scheelite recovery reaches 80.3%.Calcite,on the other hand,exhibits a recovery rate of 17.6%,indicating a significant difference in floatability between the two minerals.Subsequently,the surface modifica-tions of scheelite and calcite following LUT treatment are characterized using adsorption capacity testing,Zeta potential analysis,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),and atomic force microscopy(AFM).The study in-vestigates the selective depressant mechanism of LUT on calcite.Adsorption capacity testing and Zeta potential analysis demonstrate sub-stantial absorption of LUT on the surface of calcite,impeding the further adsorption of sodium oleate,while its impact on scheelite is min-imal.FT-IR and XPS analyses reveal the selective adsorption of LUT onto the surface of calcite,forming strong chemisorption bonds between the hydroxyl group and calcium ions present.AFM directly illustrates the distinct adsorption densities of LUT on the two miner-al types.Consequently,LUT can effectively serve as a depressant for calcite,enabling the successful separation of scheelite and calcite.

Doping sites modulation of T-Nb_(2)O_(5) to achieve ultrafast lithium storage

Heteroatoms doping has been regarded as a promising route to modulate the physiochemical properties of electrode materials,in which the doping sites greatly influence the electrochemical performances.However,very few reports focus on enhancing the lithium storage performances of Nb_(2)O_(5) via heteroatoms doping,yet the effect of different doping sites remains unclear.Herein,nitrogen doping has been proposed to improve the fast-charging capability of orthorhombic Nb_(2)O_(5)(T-Nb_(2)O_(5))via a urea-assisted annealing process.Experimental data and theoretical calculation demonstrate that the N doping sites in T-Nb_(2)O_(5) can be tuned by the heating rate,in which substitutional N can increase the spacing of the Li^(+)transport layer as well as reduce the band gap,while interstitial N can provide an electron-rich environment for Li^(+)transport layer and then reduce the Li^(+)diffusion barrier.Arising from the synergistic effect of N doping at different sites,the N-doped T-Nb_(2)O_(5) without carbon coating delivers impressive rate performance(104.6 mA h g^(-1) at 25 C)as well as enhanced cycle stability with a retention of 70.5%over1000 cycles at 5 C.In addition,the assembled lithium ion capacitor exhibits a high energy density of46.6 Wh kg^(-1) even at high power density of 8.4 kW kg^(-1).

A dynamic soil freezing characteristic curve model for frozen soil

The soil freezing characteristic curve(SFCC)plays a fundamental role in comprehending thermohydraulic behavior and numerical simulation of frozen soil.This study proposes a dynamic model to uniformly express SFCCs amidst varying total water contents throughout the freezing-thawing process.Firstly,a general model is proposed,wherein the unfrozen water content at arbitrary temperature is determined as the lesser of the current total water content and the reference value derived from saturated SFCC.The dynamic performance of this model is verified through test data.Subsequently,in accordance with electric double layer(EDL)theory,the theoretical residual and minimum temperatures in SFCC are calculated to be-14.5℃to-20℃for clay particles and-260℃,respectively.To ensure that the SFCC curve ends at minimum temperature,a correction function is introduced into the general model.Furthermore,a simplified dynamic model is proposed and investigated,necessitating only three parameters inherited from the general model.Additionally,both general and simplified models are evaluated based on a test database and proven to fit the test data exactly across the entire temperature range.Typical recommended parameter values for various types of soils are summarized.Overall,this study provides not only a theoretical basis for most empirical equations but also proposes a new and more general equation to describe the SFCC.

Research on a deconvolution algorithm for laser-induced fluorescence diagnosis based on the maximum entropy principle

Laser-induced fluorescence(LIF)spectroscopy is employed for plasma diagnosis,necessitating the utilization of deconvolution algorithms to isolate the Doppler effect from the raw spectral signal.However,direct deconvolution becomes invalid in the presence of noise as it leads to infinite amplification of high-frequency noise components.To address this issue,we propose a deconvolution algorithm based on the maximum entropy principle.We validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm by utilizing simulated LIF spectra at various noise levels(signal-to-noise ratio,SNR=20–80 d B)and measured LIF spectra with Xe as the working fluid.In the typical measured spectrum(SNR=26.23 d B)experiment,compared with the Gaussian filter and the Richardson–Lucy(R-L)algorithm,the proposed algorithm demonstrates an increase in SNR of 1.39 d B and 4.66 d B,respectively,along with a reduction in the root-meansquare error(RMSE)of 35%and 64%,respectively.Additionally,there is a decrease in the spectral angle(SA)of 0.05 and 0.11,respectively.In the high-quality spectrum(SNR=43.96 d B)experiment,the results show that the running time of the proposed algorithm is reduced by about98%compared with the R-L iterative algorithm.Moreover,the maximum entropy algorithm avoids parameter optimization settings and is more suitable for automatic implementation.In conclusion,the proposed algorithm can accurately resolve Doppler spectrum details while effectively suppressing noise,thus highlighting its advantage in LIF spectral deconvolution applications.

Genome-wide identification, phylogenetic and expression analysis of SMAX1-Like genes in rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)

SMAX1-LIKE(SMXL) family members have played important roles in regulating plant growth and development in Arabidopsis and rice, but few have been studied in Brassica napus(rapeseed). In this study, 31 SMXL genes(BnaSMXL) were identified in rapeseed by whole genome bioinformatics. Detailed information were characterized, including genomic distribution, phylogenetic relationship, evolutionary selection pattern, structural and motif features. Phylogenetic analysis classified BnaSMXL genes into 4 distinct sub-clades representing clear orthologous relationships to their family members in Arabidopsis and rice. Conserved motif analysis indicated that the motif 16 mediating strigolactones(SLs) or karrikins(KARs) signaling was absent in SMXL3-5 genes. Orthologous gene pairs between Arabidopsis and 3 Brassica species were extracted, and 8 SMXL genes in Arabidopsis genome had 16, 16 and 31 corresponding genes in B. oleracea, B. rapa and rapeseed genomes respectively. Evolutionary selection pattern showed that most of SMXL genes had undergone stronger negative selection. BnaSMXLs expression showed diverse patterns in 10 tissues of both vegetative and reproductive organs. Subcellular localization analysis showed that BnaSMXL proteins were exclusively localized in nucleus.

Dominant-negative inhibition of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide impairs function of β cells in transgenic pigs

Dear Editor： Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide （GIP） and proglucagon product glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP- 1） and their corresponding receptors promote secretion of glucose-dependent insulin and may be responsible for up to 70% of postprandial insulin secretions.

Characteristics of temporal evolution of particle density and electron temperature in helicon discharge

On the basis of considering electrochemical reactions and collision relations in detail, a direct numerical simulation model of a helicon plasma discharge with three-dimensional two-fluid equations was employed to study the characteristics of the temporal evolution of particle density and electron temperature. With the assumption of weak ionization, the Maxwell equations coupled with the plasma parameters were directly solved in the whole computational domain. All of the partial differential equations were solved by the finite element solver in COMSOL Multiphysics^（TM） with a fully coupled method. In this work, the numerical cases were calculated with an Ar working medium and a Shoji-type antenna. The numerical results indicate that there exist two distinct modes of temporal evolution of the electron and ground atom density, which can be explained by the ion pumping effect. The evolution of the electron temperature is controlled by two schemes： electromagnetic wave heating and particle collision cooling. The high RF power results in a high peak electron temperature while the high gas pressure leads to a low steady temperature. In addition, an OES experiment using nine Ar I lines was conducted using a modified CR model to verify the validity of the results by simulation, showing that the trends of temporal evolution of electron density and temperature are well consistent with the numerically simulated ones.

Conformationally regulated“nanozyme-like”cerium oxide with multiple free radical scavenging activities for osteoimmunology modulation and vascularized osseointegration

Given post-operative aseptic loosening in orthopedic disease treatment,osteointegration occurs at the bone-implant interface as a holistic process,including immunoregulation(e.g.,macrophage polarization),angiogenesis and osteogenesis in sequence.In order to achieve early rapid and satisfactory osseointegration,different nano-shaped(nanocone,nanopolyhedron and nanoflower abbr.NC,NP&NF)cerium oxide(CeO_(2-x))coatings,endowed with“nanozyme-like”activities for multiple free radical elimination and osteoimmunology regulation,were hydrothermally synthesized on titanium alloy(TC4).In vitro cell experiments showed that nano-CeO_(2-x) coated TC4 not only induced polarization of RAW264.7 cells toward M2 phenotype,but also promoted angiogenesis and vascularization of endothelial cells along with differentiation and mineralization of osteogenic precursor cells.Improvements in M2-polarized macrophage,angiogenesis,and bone regeneration were further confirmed in a rat femoral condyle model.Among the above three nano-morphologies,NF exhibited the best osseoinetegration.RNA sequencing and mechanism exploration suggested that the inhibition of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was essential for immunomodulatory capacity of NF.In conclusion,it provided promising insights into the immunomodulatory exploitation of orthopedic implants.

Experimental study on mechanical and frost heave behaviors of silty clay improved by polyvinyl alcohol and polypropylene fiber

Silty clay is widely used as subgrade filler in cold regions,which suffer from frost heave in winter and mud pumping in spring.In this study,polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)and polypropylene(PP)fiber were used to improve the mechanical and frost heave behavior of silty clay in cold regions,and the direct shear test and one-dimensional frost heave test were employed in studying improvement effects.Moreover,improvement mechanisms of PVA and PP fiber were analyzed based on test results.The main findings are as follows.(1)Both PP and PVA can heighten the strength of silty clay and suppress frost heave,but the PVA solution has a more decisive influence on improving mechanical properties than PP fiber.(2)The improvement mechanism of the PVA solution is cementing.The improvement effect of 2%PVA solution is the best,which can increase the shear strength by approximately 40%–60%at different stress levels and decrease the frost heave ratio from 0.89%to 0.16%at optimal water content.(3)For 2%PVA improved samples,0.25%PP fiber can further increase soil cohesion by approximately 20–30 kPa at different stress levels and further decrease the frost heave ratio from 0.16%to 0.07%at optimal water content.The improvement effect is neglectable when the PP fiber content exceeds 0.25%.Overall,2%PVA with 0.25%PP fiber is the optimum combination to improve silty clay in cold regions.

Purity-dependent Lorenz number,electron hydrodynamics and electron-phonon coupling in WTe_(2)

We present a study of electrical and thermal transport in Weyl semimetal WTe_(2)down to 0.3 K.The Wiedemann-Franz law holds below 2 K and a downward deviation starts above.The deviation is more pronounced in cleaner samples,as expected in the hydrodynamic picture of electronic transport,where a fraction of electron-electron collisions conserve momentum.Phonons are the dominant heat carriers and their mean-free-path does not display a Knudsen minimum.This is presumably a consequence of weak anharmonicity,as indicated by the temperature dependence of the specific heat.Frequent momentum exchange between phonons and electrons leads to quantum oscillations of the phononic thermal conductivity.Bloch-Grüneisen picture of electron-phonon scattering breaks down at low temperature when Umklapp ph-ph collisions cease to be a sink for electronic flow of momentum.Comparison with semi-metallic Sb shows that normal ph-ph collisions are amplified by anharmonicity.In both semimetals,at cryogenic temperature,e-ph collisions degrade the phononic flow of energy but not the electronic flow of momentum.

Superconductivity and Fermi Surface Anisotropy in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide NbTe_2

Transition metal dichalcogenides, featuring layered structures, have aroused enormous interest as a platform for novel physical phenomena and a wide range of potential applications. Among them, special interest has been placed upon WTe_2 and MoTe_2, which exhibit non-trivial topology both in single layer and bulk as well as pressure induced or enhanced superconductivity. We study another distorted IT material NbTe_2 through systematic electrical transport measurements. Intrinsic superconductivity with onset transition temperature(T_c^(onset)) up to 0.72 K is detected where the upper critical field(H_c) shows unconventional quasi-linear behavior,indicating spin-orbit coupling induced p-wave paring. Furthermore, a general model is proposed to fit the angledependent magnetoresistance, which reveals the Fermi surface anisotropy of NbTe_2. Finally, non-saturating linear magnetoresistance up to 50 T is observed and attributed to the quantum limit transport.

多模态超声检查对腹壁下动脉穿支皮瓣自体移植乳房再造术前血管评估研究

目的:探讨多模态超声对腹壁下动脉穿支(deep inferior epigastric perforator,DIEP)皮瓣血管检查有效性,并分析穿支血管的影响因素。方法:纳入2013年2月至2018年10月43例于天津医科大学肿瘤医院使用DIEP皮瓣进行乳房再造术的女性乳腺癌患者,对穿支血管行术前常规及彩色多普勒超声检查,并在超声造影增强状态下行三维重建,直观显示穿支血管的走行分布情况,同时体表标注投影位置。结果:43例患者腹壁下动脉穿支主要分布在脐周5 cm范围内,每侧2~5支,其中28例呈不对称分布。DIEP穿支血管管径与患者腹壁脂肪层厚度呈正相关(r=0.436,P<0.05);血管收缩期峰值血流速度与穿支血管管径呈正相关(r=0.448,P<0.05)。43例患者行超声造影检查后彩色血流信号均能显著增强,其中39例经三维重建后能清晰显示穿支血管与腹壁下动脉主干的关系,4例穿支血管显示欠连续。结论:多模态超声检查在乳腺癌患者DIEP乳房再造术前评估穿支血管具有重要的应用价值,腹壁脂肪层厚度对优势血管的选择有一定影响。

Refractive index characteristics of edible oils based on spectrometry and effects of oil dispersion on OCT

It is necessary to investigate the wavelength-dependent variation rules of the refractive index of edible oils so as to explore the specificity of the dispersion in light propagation,imaging,and interference processes among different types of edible oil products.In this study,by deriving the refractive index equations of the double glass sheet holding device and oil,the reflectance spectra of three different types of oil samples,namely,peanut oil,colza oil,and kitchen waste oil,were measured via a spectrometer.Furthermore,the refractive index model of these different types of oil samples was investigated.Additionally,based on the oil dispersion characteristics,the dis-persion of oil in optical coherence tomography(OCT)was compensated via deconvolution.In the wavelength range of λ∈(380,1500)nm,the analytical expressions of the double glass sheet holding device and oils are featured by practical reliability.The refractive indexes of three different types of oils n∈(1.38,1.52)show normal dispersion characteristics.The Cauchy co-efficient matrix of the oil refractive index can be used for oil identification;in particular,the healthy oil and waste oil differ significantly in terms of the Cauchy coefficient matrix in the infrared band.Oil dispersion has almost no influence on the phase spectra of oils but can enhance their amplitude spectra.The dispersion mismatch can be eliminated by calculating the convo-lution kernel.The envelope broadening factors of OCT interference signals of oil products are 0.84,0.64,and 0.91,respectively.According to the present research results,the refractive index model of oil can effectively remove the influence of the holding device.The refractive indexes of three different types of oil samples show similar wavelength-dependent variation characteristics,which confirms the existence of many correlated components in these oil samples.The established refractive index model of oil in a wide spectral range,from the ultraviolet to the infrared band,can be adequately employed for identifying different types of oils.The numerical dispersion compensation based on the established refractive index model can enhance the axial resolution in OCT imaging.

Structural repurposing of SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin for strengthening anti-heart failure activity with lower glycosuria

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2(SGLT2)inhibitors have been reapproved for heart failure(HF)therapy in patients with and without diabetes.However,the initial glucose-lowering indication of SGLT2i has impeded their uses in cardiovascular clinical practice.A challenge of SGLT2i then becomes how to separate their anti-HF activity from glucose-lowering side-effect.To address this issue,we conducted structural repurposing of EMPA,a representative SGLT2 inhibitor,to strengthen anti-HF activity and reduce the SGLT2-inhibitory activity according to structural basis of inhibition of SGLT2.Compared to EMPA,the optimal derivative JX01,which was produced by methylation of C2—OH of the glucose ring,exhibited weaker SGLT2-inhibitory activity(IC_(50)>100 nmol/L),and lower glycosuria and glucose-lowering side-effect,better NHE1-inhibitory activity and cardioprotective effect in HF mice.Furthermore,JX01 showed good safety profiles in respect of single-dose/repeat-dose toxicity and hERG activity,and good pharmacokinetic properties in both mouse and rat species.Collectively,the present study provided a paradigm of drug repurposing to discover novel anti-HF drugs,and indirectly demonstrated that SGLT2-independent molecular mechanisms play an important role in cardioprotective effects of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Measurement of transient neutral gas puff pressure in the NUDT＿IPPTx by a fast ionization gauge

A gas injector was designed for the 400 J/pulse prototype of the planar inductive pulsed plasma thruster（IPPT） developed by the National University of Defense Technology（NUDT_IPPTx）.As the gas puff distribution over the coil surface is critical to the NUDT_IPPTx functioning efficiently, a fast ionization gauge was developed to investigate the neutral gas pressure profiles to seek the critical time when the thruster is ignited. The gauge was calibrated for argon by using a capacitance manometer. Time-resolved pressure profiles have been acquired in the condition of the gas puff mass matching with the discharge energy and the drive coil parameters of the NUDT_IPPTx. It is demonstrated that the gas injector can supply a gas puff with a sufficiently steep（dp/dt？≈？770 kPa s-1） leading and trailing edge, and the gas puff can be compressed against the drive coil as expected. The critical ignition moment is considered to appear at some instant between 525 μs and 650 μs after the valve trigger.

The far-field plasma characterization in a 600W Hall thruster plume by laser-induced fluorescence

Non-intrusive characterization of the singly ionized xenon velocity in Hall thruster plume using laser induced fluorescence(LIF)is critical for constructing a complete picture of plume plasma,deeply understanding the ion dynamics in the plume,and providing validation data for numerical simulation.This work presents LIF measurements of singly ionized xenon axial velocity on a grid ranging from 100 to 300 mm in axial direction and from 0 to 50 mm in radial direction for a600 W Hall thruster operating at the nominal condition of discharge voltage 300 V and discharge current 2 A,the influence of discharge voltage is investigated as well.The ion velocity distribution function(IVDF)results in the far-field plume demonstrate a profile of bimodal IVDFs,especially prominent at radial distances greater than channel inner radius of 22 mm at axial position of 100 mm,which is quite different from that of the near-field plume where bimodal IVDFs occur in the central core region for the same power Hall thruster when compared to previous LIF measurements of BHT-600 by Hargus(2010 J.Propulsion Power 26135).Beyond 100 mm,only single-peak IVDFs are measured.The two-dimensional ion velocity vector field indicates the bimodal axial IVDF is merely a geometry effect for the annular discharge channel in the far-field plume.Results about the IVDF,the most probable velocity and the accelerating potential profile along the centerline all indicate that ions are still accelerating at axial distances greater than 100 mm,and the maximum most probable velocity measured at300 mm downstream of the exit plane is about 19 km s-1.In addition,the most probable velocity of ions along radial direction changes a little except the lower velocity ion populations in the bimodal IVDF cases.The ion temperature at axial distances of 10 and 300 mm oscillates along the radial direction,while the ion temperature first increases,and then decreases for the 200 mm case.Finally,the axial position for the ion peak axial velocity on the thruster centerline is shifted upstream for higher discharge voltages,and the velocity curve is becoming steeper with the discharge voltage before reaching the maximum.This observation can be used as a criterion to optimize the thruster performance.

Cotyledons:a useful biological material for transient gene expression analysis in rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated DNA transformation for transient gene expression in protoplasts and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation in lower epidermis of leaves are readily available in several plant species. In the study, these two versatile tools were used in rapeseed. A simple and efficient method was established for isolating protoplasts from rapeseed cotyledons and leaves, and found that cotyledons might be better than true leaves. Transient expression analysis showed that yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and luciferase (LUC) could be expressed in rapeseed protoplasts. Moreover,GUS histochemical assays indicated that Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transient expression was achievable only in lower epidermis of rapeseed cotyledons and expression signal was the highest on the 5th day after injection with the bacterial suspension (OD600=0.8).These methods might provide valuable tools for rapid functional gene analysis in rapeseed.

Biofunctional magnesium coated Ti6Al4V scaffold enhances osteogenesis and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo for orthopedic application

The insufficient osteogenesis and osseointegration of porous titanium based scaffold limit its further application.Early angiogenesis is important for scaffold survival.It is necessary to develop a multifunctional surface on titanium scaffold with both osteogenic and angiogenic properties.In this study,a biofunctional magnesium coating is deposited on porous Ti6Al4V scaffold.For osseointegration and osteogenesis analysis,in vitro studies reveal that magnesium-coated Ti6Al4V co-culture with MC3T3-E1 cells can improve cell proliferation,adhesion,extracellular matrix(ECM)mineralization and ALP activity compared with bare Ti6Al4V cocultivation.Additionally,MC3T3-E1 cells cultured with magnesium-coated Ti6Al4V show significantly higher osteogenesisrelated genes expression.In vivo studies including fluorochrome labeling,micro-computerized tomography and histological examination of magnesium-coated Ti6Al4V scaffold reveal that new bone regeneration is significantly increased in rabbits after implantation.For angiogenesis studies,magnesium-coated Ti6Al4V improve HUVECs proliferation,adhesion,tube formation,wound-healing and Transwell abilities.HUVECs cultured with magnesium-coated Ti6Al4V display significantly higher angiogenesis-related genes(HIF-1αand VEGF)expression.Microangiography analysis reveal that magnesium-coated Ti6Al4V scaffold can significantly enhance the blood vessel formation.This study enlarges the application scope of magnesium and provides an optional choice to the conventional porous Ti6Al4V scaffold with enhanced osteogenesis and angiogenesis for further orthopedic applications.

Fabrication of open-cellular(porous) titanium alloy implants: osseointegration, vascularization and preliminary human trials

In this study we describe the fabrication of a variety of open-cellular titanium alloy（Ti-6 Al-4 V） implants,both reticular mesh and foam structures, using electron beam melting（EBM）. These structures allow for the elimination of stress shielding by adjusting the porosity（or density） to produce an elastic modulus（or stiffness） to match that of both soft（trabecular） and hard（cortical） bone, as well as allowing for bone cell ingrowth, increased cell density, and all-matrix interactions; the latter involving the interplay between bone morphogenetic protein（BMP-2） and osteoblast functions. The early formation and characterization of elementary vascular structures in an aqueous hydrogel matrix are illustrated.Preliminary results for both animal（sheep） and human trials for a number of EBM-fabricated, and often patient-specific Tialloy implants are also presented and summarized. The results, while preliminary, support the concept and development of successful, porous, engineered ＂living＂ implants.