Lateral earth pressure of granular backfills on retaining walls with expanded polystyrene geofoam inclusions under limited surcharge loading

Existing studies have focused on the behavior of the retaining wall equipped with expanded polystyrene(EPS)geofoam inclusions under semi-infinite surcharge loading rather than limited surcharge loading.In this paper,the failure mode and the earth pressure acting on the rigid retaining wall with EPS geofoam inclusions and granular backfills(henceforth referred to as EPS-wall),under limited surcharge loading are investigated through two-and three-dimensional model tests.The testing results show that different from the sliding of almost all the backfill in the EPS-wall under semi-infinite surcharge loading,only an approximately triangular backfill slides in the wall under limited surcharge loading.The distribution of the lateral earth pressure on the EPS-wall under limited surcharge loading is non-linear,and the distribution changes from the increase of the wall depth to the decrease with the increase of the limited surcharge loading.An approach based on the force equilibrium of a differential element is developed to predict the lateral earth pressure behind the EPS-wall subjected to limited surcharge loading,and its performance was fully validated by the three-dimensional model tests.

Compression properties of cost-efficient porous expanded clay reinforced AA7075 syntactic foams fabricated by industrial-oriented die casting technology

In today’s manufacturing industries,hard competition between rival firms makes it compulsory for researchers to design lighter and cheaper machine components due to the megatrends of cost-effectiveness and anti-pollution.At this point,aluminum syntactic foams(ASFs)are new-generation engineering composites and come into the upfront as a problem-solver.Owing to their features like low density,sufficient elongation,and perfect energy absorption ability,these advanced foams have been considerably seductive for many industrial sectors nowadays.In this study,an industrial-oriented automatic die casting technology was used for the first time to manufacture the combination of AA7075/porous expanded clay(PEC).Micro evaluations(optical and FESEM)reveal that there is a homogenous particle distribution in the foam samples,and inspections are compatible with the other ASF studies.Additionally,T6 aging heat treatment was operated on one half of the produced foams to explore the probable impact of aging on the compressive responses.Attained results show that PEC particles can be an alternative to expensive hollow spheres used in the previous works.Besides,a favorable relationship is ascertained between the aging treatment and mechanical properties such as compression strength and plateau strength.

Experimental study on thermal and mechanical properties of tailings-based cemented paste backfill with CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O/expanded vermiculite shape stabilized phase change materials

CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O/expanded vermiculite shape stabilized phase change materials(CEV)was prepared by atmospheric impregnation method.Using gold mine tailings as aggregate of cemented paste backfill(CPB)material,the CPB with CEV added was prepared,and the specific heat capacity,thermal conductivity,and uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of CPB with different cement-tailing ratios and CEV addition ratios were tested,the influence of the above variables on the thermal and mechanical properties of CPB was analyzed.The results show that the maximum encapsulation capacity of expanded vermiculite for CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O is about 60%,and the melting and solidification enthalpies of CEV can reach 98.87 J/g and 97.56 J/g,respectively.For the CPB without CEV,the specific heat capacity,thermal conductivity,and UCS decrease with the decrease of cement-tailing ratio.For the CPB with CEV added,with the increase of CEV addition ratio,the specific heat capacity increases significantly,and the sensible heat storage capacity and latent heat storage capacity can be increased by at least 10.74%and 218.97%respectively after adding 12%CEV.However,the addition of CEV leads to the increase of pores,and the thermal conductivity and UCS both decrease with the increase of CEV addition.When cement-tailing ratio is 1:8 and 6%,9%,and 12%of CEV are added,the 28-days UCS of CPB is less than 1 MPa.Considering the heat storage capacity and cost price of backfill,the recommended proportion scheme of CPB material presents cement-tailing ratio of 1:6 and 12%CEV,and the most recommended heat storage/release temperature cycle range of CPB with added CEV is from 20 to 40℃.This work can provide theoretical basis for the utilization of heat storage backfill in green mines.

Study on Sustained-Release Pesticides Blended with Fosthiazate-Stearic Acid/Expanded Perlite

The low utilization rate of pesticides makes the migration of pesticides in water and soil,which brings great harm to the ecosystem.The development of pesticide carriers with good drug loading capacity and release control abil-ity is an effective method to realize effective utilization of pesticides and reduce pesticide losses.In this work,fosthiazate-stearic acid/expanded perlite sustained-release particles were successfully prepared by vacuum impregnation using expanded perlite(EP)as carrier,fosthiazate(FOS)as model pesticide and stearic acid(SA)as hydrophobic matrix.The structure and morphology of the samples were studied by BET,FT-IR,TGA,XRD,DSC and SEM.The effects of different mass ratios of FOS to SA on loading capacity and release rate at 24 h were investigated.The sustained release behavior of FOS-SA/EP at different temperatures and pH values was investigated by static dialysis bag method.The results showed that FOS and SA were adsorbed in EP pores by physical interaction.With the mass ratios of FOS to SA decreasing from 7:3 to 3:7,the 24 h release rate of FOS-SA/EP decreased from 18.77%to 8.05%,and the drug loading decreased from 461.32 to 130.99 mg/g.FOS-SA/EP showed obvious temperature response at 25℃,30℃ and 35℃,the cumulative release rate(CRR)of 200 h were 33.38%,41.50%and 51.17%,respectively.When pH=5,the CRR of FOS was higher than that of pH=7,and the CRR of FOS for 200 h were 49.01%and 30.12%,respectively.At different temperatures and pH=5,the release mechanism of FOS-SA/EP belongs to the Fickian diffusion mechanism;When pH=7,the diffusion mechanism is dominant,and the dissolution mechanism is complementary.

Experimental study on lightweight expanded clay at particle level:Breakage of isolated grains

In this study,more than 1500 particles of lightweight expanded clay aggregate(LECA)are individually loaded up to breakage,following different patterns of contact(from 2 to 7)using a purpose-built apparatus.Consequently,a statistical model for predicting the number of fragments into which a grain breaks as a function of the number of contacts and their diameter is proposed.The number of fragments is found to follow a statistical binomial-type distribution function that depends on the number of contacts.In addition,a model based on Bayesian networks,capable of assessing the number of fragments and their size(measured as normalized weight)as a function of the number of contacts,is implemented.The proposed method is applicable when performing discrete element method(DEM)simulations on granular media in which grain breakage plays a relevant role.

ZnO-Embedded Expanded Graphite Composite Anodes with Controlled Charge Storage Mechanism Enabling Operation of Lithium-Ion Batteries at Ultra-Low Temperatures

As lithium(Li)-ion batteries expand their applications,operating over a wide temperature range becomes increasingly important.However,the lowtemperature performance of conventional graphite anodes is severely hampered by the poor diffusion kinetics of Li ions(Li^(+)).Here,zinc oxide(ZnO) nanoparticles are incorporated into the expanded graphite to improve Li^(+)diffusion kinetics,resulting in a significant improvement in lowtemperature performance.The ZnO-embedded expanded graphite anodes are investigated with different amounts of ZnO to establish the structurecharge storage mechanism-performance relationship with a focus on lowtemperature applications.Electrochemical analysis reveals that the ZnOembedded expanded graphite anode with nano-sized ZnO maintains a large portion of the diffusion-controlled charge storage mechanism at an ultra-low temperature of-50℃ Due to this significantly enhanced Li^(+)diffusion rate,a full cell with the ZnO-embedded expanded graphite anode and a LiNi_(0.88)Co_(0.09)Al_(0.03)O_(2)cathode delivers high capacities of 176 mAh g^(-1)at20℃ and 86 mAh g^(-1)at-50℃ at a high rate of 1 C.The outstanding low-temperature performance of the composite anode by improving the Li^(+)diffusion kinetics provides important scientific insights into the fundamental design principles of anodes for low-temperature Li-ion battery operation.

Nursing Care and Causative Analysis of Grade IV Capsular Contracture Following Breast Cancer Expander Implantation

Objective: By observing the treatment and nursing care of a patient with Grade IV capsular contracture following breast cancer expander implantation and subsequent Stage II reconstruction, we aim to analyze the reasons for the formation of capsular contracture after Stage I expander implantation and prevent its recurrence following Stage II reconstruction. Methods: In May 2020, the patient noticed an increase in the size of a breast mass. In August, she underwent AC-THP neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by a “right breast-conserving nipple-areolar subglandular excision + right axillary lymph node dissection + expander implantation” surgery in November 2020. Radiation therapy began in January 2021. During radiation therapy, the patient experienced severe breast hardening, distortion, tenderness, and was diagnosed with Grade IV capsular contracture. To relieve the capsular contracture, the patient underwent a “contracted capsule incision and release procedure + removal of the right breast expander + right breast implantation” surgery in July 2021. Postoperatively, measures were taken to prevent incision infection, emphasizing aseptic techniques, ensuring smooth negative pressure drainage, reducing skin flap tension, monitoring skin flap blood supply, actively preventing subcutaneous effusion and hematoma, and applying appropriate compression dressings. Results: The patient was discharged after the removal of the drainage tube. During the postoperative follow-up at 3 and 6 months, there was no recurrence of capsular contracture, and the breast appeared full, upright, and relatively soft. There were no complications such as hematoma, infection, breast implant rupture, breast sagging, or displacement. The patient had a good outcome without additional financial or surgical burdens. Conclusion: The occurrence of Grade IV capsular contracture in the patient is generally related to infection after Stage I expander implantation, improper compression dressing, excessive saline injection causing content infiltration, and radiation therapy. Therefore, it is recommended to enhance the intraoperative and postoperative prophylactic use of antibiotics after Stage I expander implantation. Intermittent saline injection after surgery, with the amount of saline gradually increasing rather than filling all at once, is advisable. This helps the breast tissue gradually adapt to expansion, reducing the risk of capsular contracture. Postoperatively, patients should be instructed to wear pressure garments and breast elastic bandages while intensifying breast monitoring during radiation therapy and increasing postoperative follow-up.

Expandable endoprostheses in skeletally immature patients:Where we are

Approximately 45 percent of malignant bone tumors are seen under the age of 16 and one of the important results of growth plate sacrification in patients with immature skeletons is limb inequality.Until the early 1990s,the treatment options for these patients were rotationplasty or amputation.Multimodal approaches that combine imaging,chemotherapy,and surgical techniques have enabled the development of limb-preserving methods with satisfactory results.In order to overcome inequality problems,expandable prostheses have been developed in the 1980s.Extendable endoprosthesis replacements have been improved over the years and are now an established and safe alternative.Noninvasive prostheses appear to be advantageous compared to minimally invasive expandable prostheses that require multiple surgical procedures,but the complication rate remains high.Therefore,although expandable prostheses are not the definitive answer to the treatment of bone sarcomas in skeletally immature children,they are still a suitable interim choice until full adulthood is achieved.Due to reported high complication rates,the procedures require significant experience and are recommended for use only in specialized cancer centers.

Safety and efficacy of Kaffes intraductal self-expanding metal stents in the management of post-liver transplant anastomotic strictures

BACKGROUND Endoscopic management is the first-line therapy for post-liver-transplant anas-tomotic strictures.Although the optimal duration of treatment with plastic stents has been reported to be 8-12 months,data on safety and duration for metal stents in this setting is scarce.Due to limited access to endoscopic retrograde cholan-giopancreatography(ERCP)during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in our centre,there was a change in practice towards increased usage and length-of-stay of the Kaffes biliary intraductal self-expanding stent in patients with suitable anatomy.This was mainly due to the theoretical benefit of Kaffes stents allowing for longer indwelling periods compared to the traditional plastic stents.METHODS Adult liver transplant recipients aged 18 years and above who underwent ERCP were retrospectively identified during a 10-year period through a database query.Unplanned admissions post-Kaffes stent insertion were identified manually through electronic and scanned medical records.The main outcome was the incidence of complications when stents were left indwelling for 3 months vs 6 months.Stent efficacy was calculated via rates of stricture recurrence between patients that had stenting courses for≤120 d or>120 d.RESULTS During the study period,a total of 66 ERCPs with Kaffes insertion were performed in 54 patients throughout their stenting course.In 33 ERCPs,the stent was removed or exchanged on a 3-month interval.No pancreatitis,perfor-ations or deaths occurred.Minor post-ERCP complications were similar between the 3-month(abdominal pain and intraductal migration)and 6-month(abdominal pain,septic shower and embedded stent)groups-6.1%vs 9.1%respectively,P=0.40.All strictures resolved at the end of the stenting course,but the stenting course was variable from 3 to 22 months.The recurrence rate for stenting courses lasting for up to 120 d was 71.4%and 21.4%for stenting courses of 121 d or over(P=0.03).There were 28 patients that were treated with a single ERCP with Kaffes,21 with removal after 120 d and 7 within 120 d.There was a significant improvement in stricture recurrence when the Kaffes was removed after 120 d when a single ERCP was used for the entire stenting course(71.0%vs 10.0%,P=0.01).CONCLUSION Utilising a single Kaffes intraductal fully-covered metal stent for at least 4 months is safe and efficacious for the management of post-transplant anastomotic strictures.

The expanding amyloid family:Structure,stability,function,and pathogenesis

The hidden world of amyloid biology has suddenly snapped into atomic-level focus,revealing over 80 amyloid protein fibrils,both pathogenic and functional.Unlike globular proteins,amyloid proteins flatten and stack into unbranched fibrils.Stranger still,a single protein sequence can adopt wildly different two-dimensional conformations,yielding distinct fibril polymorphs.

基于SCI-EXPANDED的世界大豆研究动态分析

基于Web of Science平台的SCI—EXPANDED数据库，采用文献计量学方法，以世界和中国发表于1995—2013年的大豆相关研究论文为检索对象，分析了不同国家、机构、作者和期刊的论文数目及引用频次、学科分布和论文语种等情况。借助CiteSpaceⅢ信息可视化软件绘制大豆研究的科学知识图谱，直观地展示和分析了大豆研究的知识基础和前沿领域。结果表明：1995—2013年SCI—EXPANDED数据库共收录17576篇大豆相关研究论文，发文的36190位作者来自122个国家的5879个机构。论文数目呈波动增长态势，美国、巴西、中国、日本和韩国大豆相关研究论文数目居前5位；美国农业部所属机构、艾奥瓦州立大学和伊利诺伊大学等机构的论文质量较高。发表大豆相关论文数目位居世界前5位的作者为美国科学家Hartman G L、Shoemaker R C、Boerma H R、Nelson R L和加拿大科学家Cober E R。载文量排名前5位的期刊分别是Crop Science、Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry、Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society、Agronomy Journal和Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira。论文主要集中在植物学、农艺学、食品科学和技术、农业一跨学科、应用化学、生物化学和和分子生物学等学科。大豆分子生物学、植物保护、遗传育种、加工和品质、转基因技术、豆粕饲料和生物柴油研究是世界大豆研究的前沿领域。中国大豆研究的整体规模和水平均已位于世界前列，但在国际高影响力刊物上发表的论文数量还不多，国际影响力有待进一步提升。

基于SCI-EXPANDED的植物蛋白质组学文献计量分析

[目的]从文献计量角度分析1999～2012年植物蛋白质组学研究状况。[方法]以SCI-EXPANDED数据库为检索对象,根据不同国家、机构和作者的发文量,文献被引频次和载文期刊的分布情况等方面分析1999～2012年国际和国内的植物蛋白质组学研究热点。[结果]近5年关于植物蛋白质组学的文献发表量激增,美国在该领域具有绝对的领先优势,我国近年来的研究产出增长迅速。亚细胞蛋白质组学、植物响应胁迫蛋白质组学、翻译后修饰蛋白质组学和蛋白质相互作用等多个方面的基础研究是国际上近几年的研究热点;植物响应胁迫蛋白质组学、亚细胞蛋白质组学以及翻译后修饰蛋白质组学则是我国近几年的热点研究方向。[结论]近年来我国在植物蛋白质组学研究领域发展较快,但与国际领先水平相比,还有一定差距。

Preparation of Expanded Graphite-based Composites by One Step Impregnation

A new method for preparing expanded graphite-based composites （EGCs） was developed.The obtained samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）,transmission electron microscope （TEM） and nitrogen adsorption.The experimental results indicated that the EGCs was not simply mechanical mixture of EG and activated carbon,instead the activated carbon was coated on the surface of interior and external pores of the EG in the form of thin carbon layer.The thickness of the activated carbon layer was nearly one hundred nanometers by calculation.It was shown that the higher the impregnation ratio and the activation temperature were,the easier the porosity development would be.And the BET surface area and the total pore volume were as high as 1978 m2/g and 0.9917 cm3/g respectively at 350℃ with an impregnation ratio of 0.9.

Formation of NiFe_2O_4/Expanded Graphite Nanocomposites with Superior Lithium Storage Properties

A Ni Fe_2O_4/expanded graphite(Ni Fe_2O_4/EG)nanocomposite was prepared via a simple and inexpensive synthesis method. Its lithium storage properties were studied with the goal of applying it as an anode in a lithium-ion battery. The obtained nanocomposite exhibited a good cycle performance, with a capacity of 601 m Ah g^(-1)at a current of 1 A g^(-1)after 800 cycles. This good performance may beattributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity and layered structure of the EG. Its high mechanical strength could postpone the disintegration of the nanocomposite structure,efficiently accommodate volume changes in the Ni Fe_2O_4-based anodes, and alleviate aggregation of Ni Fe_2O_4 nanoparticles.

Stability of expanded granular sludge bed process for terylene artificial silk printing and dyeing wastewater treatment

Terylene artificial silk printing and dyeing wastewater(TPD wastewater), containing averaged 710 mg/L terephthalic acid(TA) as the main carbon source and the character pollutant, was subjected to expanded granular sludge bed(EGSB) process. The stability of the EGSB process was firstly conducted by laboratory experiment. TA ionization was the predominated factor influencing the acid-base balance of the system. High concentration of TA in wastewater resulted in sufficient buffering capacity to neutralize the volatile fatty acids(VFA) generated from substrate degradation and provided strong base for anaerobic system to resist the pH decrease below 6.5. VFA and UFA caused almost no inhibition on the anaerobic process and biogas production except that pH was below 6.35 and VFA was at its maximum value. Along with the granulating of the activated sludge, the efficiency of organic removal and production rate of biogas increased gradually and became more stable. After start-up, the efficiency of COD removal increased to 57%—64%, pH stabilized in a range of 7.99—8.04, and production rate of biogas was relatively high and stable. Sludge granulating, suitable influent of pH and loading were responsible for the EGSB stability. The variation of VFA concentration only resulted in neglectable rebound of pH, and the inhibition from VFA could be ignored in EGSB. The EGSB reactor was stable for TPD wastewater treatment.

Native Expanding <i>Merremia boisiana</i>Is Not More Allelopathic than Its Non-Expanding Congener <i>M. vitifolia</i>in the Expanded Range in Hainan

Exotic invaders may possess novel biochemical weapons that native plants do not have, and these novel biochemical weapons may be more allelopathic than those from native plants to other native competitors. During range expansion, native species also encounter many new plant competitors. Thus, allelochemicals from native expanding species may also be more novel and allelopathic than those from non-expanding species to other plant competitors in the expanded range. We test this hypothesis using the native expanding Merremia boisiana and its non-expanding congener M. vitifolia in year 2012 inthe expanded range inHainan. In petridish bioassays, we found that aqueous extracts of M. boisiana leaves were often less inhibitory or more stimulatory to seed germination and seedling growth of five vegetable species than those of M. vitifolia leaves. In pot culture, we also found that aqueous leaf extracts of the two congeners could both inhibit the growth of a naturally co-occurring plant Paederia scanden, but their effects did not differ from each other. These results indicate that while allelopathy may contribute to the competitive ability of M. boisiana, it may not act as a novel weapon explaining its success in the expanded range in Hainan.

Effect of internal pressure on strength of hydraulically expanded joints

To analyze the effect of internal pressure on the connection strength of hydraulically expanded joints,a hydraulic expanding and push-out process of a joint of tube to sleeve was simulated by using FEM and validated by experiments at various internal pressure values.The stress and residual stress in the joined pair during the joining process illustrates that the contact pressure on the interface is not uniform along the longitudinal direction.The research reveals that if the sleeve does not experience any plastic deformation,the connection strength increases with the internal pressure linearly.For sleeve material with yield point elongation,if the sleeve experiences some degree of plastic deformation,there is an internal pressure interval in which the connection strength decreases slightly as internal pressure increases.Therefore,the internal pressure should be controlled depending on the deformation of the sleeve,but not as high as possible.The simulated results are in good agreement with those from experiments.

An H^1-Galerkin Expanded Mixed Element Method for Semi-linear Hyperbolic Wave Equation

An H1-Galerkin expanded mixed finite element method is discussed for a class of second order semi-linear hyperbolic wave equations. By using the mixed formulation, we can get the optimal approximation for three variables: the scalar unknown, its gradient and its flux(coefficient times the gradient), simultaneously. We also prove the existence and uniqueness of semi-discrete solution. Finally, we obtain some numerical results to illustrate the efficiency of the method.

SOLID MATRICES FOR EXPANDED BED ADSORPTION OF PROTEINS

Expanded bed adsorption (EBA) has been introduced as a primary recovery step for protein purification from a whole fermentation broth or unclarified cell homogenates. It can also be integrated with a fermentation or cell disruption process. Solid matrix is the principal pillar supporting the successful application of the EBA technology. This article summarizes the solid matrices employed in and developed for the EBA process to date. Further development of solid matrices for the expanded bed technique in the recovery of various biological substances from different sources has been addressed.

Hydration Heat Effect of Cement Pastes Modified with Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose Ether and Expanded Perlite

Hydration heat effect of cement pastes and mechanism of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether （HPMC） and expanded perlite in cement pastes were studied by means of hydration exothermic rate, hydration heat amount, FTIR and TG-DTG. The results show that HPMC can significantly delay the hydration induction period and acceleration period of cement pastes. As mixing amount increased, hydration induction period of cement pastes enlarged and accelerated period gradually went back. At the same time, the amount of hydration heat gradually decreased. Expanded perlite had worse delay effects and less change of hydration heat amount of cement pastes than HPMC. HPMC changed the structure of C-S-H during cement hydration. The more amount of HPMC, the more obvious effect. However, EXP had little influence on the structure of C-S-H. At the same age, the content of Ca （OH）2 in cement pastes gradually decreased as the mixing amount increase of HPMC and expanded perlite, and had better delay effect than that single-doped with HPMC or expanded perlite when HPMC and expanded nerlite were both dooed in cement pastes.