Comparison of the interface reaction behaviors of CaO–V_(2)O_(5) and MnO_(2)–V_(2)O_(5) solid-state systems based on the diffusion couple method

The formation mechanism of calcium vanadate and manganese vanadate and the difference between calcium and manganese in the reaction with vanadium are basic issues in the calcification roasting and manganese roasting process with vanadium slag.In this work,CaO–V_(2)O_(5) and MnO_(2)–V_(2)O_(5) diffusion couples were prepared and roasted for different time periods to illustrate and compare the diffusion reaction mechanisms.Then,the changes in the diffusion product and diffusion coefficient were investigated and calculated based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis.Results show that with the extension of the roasting time,the diffusion reaction gradually proceeds among the CaO–V_(2)O_(5) and MnO_(2)–V_(2)O_(5) diffusion couples.The regional boundaries of calcium and vanadium are easily identifiable for the CaO–V_(2)O_(5) diffusion couple.Meanwhile,for the MnO_(2)–V_(2)O_(5) diffusion couple,MnO_(2) gradually decomposes to form Mn_(2)O_(3),and vanadium diffuses into the interior of Mn_(2)O_(3).Only a part of vanadium combines with manganese to form the diffusion production layer.CaV_(2)O_(6) and MnV_(2)O_(6) are the interfacial reaction products of the CaO–V_(2)O_(5) and MnO_(2)–V_(2)O_(5) diffusion couples,respectively,whose thicknesses are 39.85 and 32.13μm when roasted for 16 h.After 16 h,both diffusion couples reach the reaction equilibrium due to the limitation of diffusion.The diffusion coefficient of the CaO–V_(2)O_(5) diffusion couple is higher than that of the MnO_(2)–V_(2)O_(5) diffusion couple for the same roasting time,and the diffusion reaction between vanadium and calcium is easier than that between vanadium and manganese.

Methods for in vitro evaluating antimicrobial activity： A review

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in researching and developing new antimicrobial agents from various sources to combat microbial resistance. Therefore, a greater attention has been paid to antimicrobial activity screening and evaluating methods. Several bioassays such as disk-diffusion, well diffusion and broth or agar dilution are well known and commonly used, but others such as flow cy- tofluorometric and bioluminescent methods are not widely used because they require specified equip- ment and further evaluation for reproducibility and standardization, even if they can provide rapid re- sults of the antimicrobial agent＇s effects and a better understanding of their impact on the viability and cell damage inflicted to the tested microorganism. In this review article, an exhaustive list of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods and detailed information on their advantages and limita- tions are reported.

A Priori and A Posteriori Error Estimates of Streamline Diffusion Finite Element Method for Optimal Control Problem Governed by Convection Dominated Diffusion Equation

In this paper,we investigate a streamline diffusion finite element approxi- mation scheme for the constrained optimal control problem governed by linear con- vection dominated diffusion equations.We prove the existence and uniqueness of the discretized scheme.Then a priori and a posteriori error estimates are derived for the state,the co-state and the control.Three numerical examples are presented to illustrate our theoretical results.

A streamline diffusion nonconforming finite element method for the time-dependent linearized Navier-Stokes equations

A nonconforming finite element method of finite difference streamline diffusion type is proposed to solve the time-dependent linearized Navier-Stokes equations. The backward Euler scheme is used for time discretization. Crouzeix-Raviart nonconforming finite element approximation, namely, nonconforming （P1）2 - P0 element, is used for the velocity and pressure fields with the streamline diffusion technique to cope with usual instabilities caused by the convection and time terms. Stability and error estimates are derived with suitable norms.

Finite difference streamline diffusion method using nonconforming space for incompressible time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations

This paper proposes a new nonconforming finite difference streamline diffusion method to solve incompressible time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations with a high Reynolds number. The backwards difference in time and the Crouzeix-Raviart （CR） element combined with the P0 element in space are used. The result shows that this scheme has good stabilities and error estimates independent of the viscosity coefficient.

A new streamline diffusion finite element method for the generalized Oseen problem

This paper aims to present a new streamline diffusion method with low order rectangular Bernardi-Raugel elements to solve the generalized Oseen equations. With the help of the Bramble-Hilbert lemma, the optimal errors of the velocity and pressure are estimated, which are independent of the considered parameter e. With an interpolation postprocessing approach, the superconvergent error of the pressure is obtained. Finally, a numerical experiment is carried out to confirm the theoretical results.

A POSTERIORI ERROR ESTIMATE OF THE DSD METHOD FOR FIRST-ORDER HYPERBOLIC EQUATIONS

A posteriori error estimate of the discontinuous-streamline diffusion method for first-order hyperbolic equations was presented, which can be used to adjust space mesh reasonably. A numerical example is given to illustrate the accuracy and feasibility of this method.

Analysis of Linear Triangular Elements for Convection-diffusion Problems by Streamline Diffusion Finite Element Methods

This paper is devoted to studying the superconvergence of streamline diffusion finite element methods for convection-diffusion problems. In [8], under the condition that ε ≤ h^2 the optimal finite element error estimate was obtained in L^2-norm. In the present paper, however, the same error estimate result is gained under the weaker condition that ε≤h.

Preparation of PLA and PLGA nanoparticles by binary organic solvent diffusion method

The nanoparticles of polylactide (PLA) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) were prepared by the bi-nary organic solvent diffusion method. The yield, particle size and size distribution of these nanoparticles wereevaluated. The yield of nanoparticles prepared by this method is over 90%, and the average size of the nanoparticlesis between 130-180 nm. In order to clarify the effect of the organic solvent used in the system on nanoparticle yieldand size, the cloud points of PLA and PLGA were examined by cloud point titration. The results indicate that theyields of nanoparticles increase with the increase of ethanol in the acetone solution and attain the maximum at thecloud point of ethanol, while the size of nanoparticles decreases with the increase of ethanol in the acetone solutionand attains the minimum at the cloud point of ethanol. The optimal composition ratio of binary organic solvents coin-cides to that near the cloud point and the optimal condition of binary organic solvents can be predicted.

Adaptive Finite Element Method for Steady Convection-Diffusion Equation

This paper examines the numerical solution of the convection-diffusion equation in 2-D. The solution of this equation possesses singularities in the form of boundary or interior layers due to non-smooth boundary conditions. To overcome such singularities arising from these critical regions, the adaptive finite element method is employed. This scheme is based on the streamline diffusion method combined with Neumann-type posteriori estimator. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated by different examples with several numerical experiments.

THE STABILITY AND CONVERGENCE OF THE FINITE ANALYTIC METHOD FOR THE NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF CONVECTIVE DIFFUSION EQUATION

In this paper we make a close study of the finite analytic method by means of the maximum principles in differential equations and give the proof of the stability and convergence of the finite analytic method.

Theoretical Investigation on Triplet Excitation Energy Transfer in Fluorene Dimer

Triplet-triplet energy transfer in fluorene dimer with electronic structure calculations. The two is investigated by combining rate theories key parameters for the control of energy transfer, electronic coupling and reorganization energy, are calculated based on the diabatic states constructed by the constrained density functional theory. The fluctuation of the electronic coupling is further revealed by molecular dynamics simulation. Succeedingly, the diagonal and off-diagonal fluctuations of the Hamiltonian are mapped from the correlation functions of those parameters, and the rate is then estimated both from the perturbation theory and wavepacket diffusion method. The results manifest that both the static and dynamic fluctuations enhance the rate significantly, but the rate from the dynamic fluctuation is smaller than that from the static fluctuation.

Preparation and in vitro Studies of Stealth PEGylated PLGA Nanoparticles as Carriers for Arsenic Trioxide

The aim of this study was to prepare arsenic trioxide （ATO）-loaded stealth PEGylated PLGA nanoparticles （PEG-PLGA-NPs） and to assess the merits of PEG-PLGA-NPs as drug carriers for ATO delivery. PEG-PLGA copolymer was synthesized with methoxypolyethyleneglycol （Mw=5000）, D, L-lactide, and glycolide by the ring-opening polymerization method. Amorphous ATO was transformed into cubic crystal form to increase its solu-bility in the organic solvent. ATO-loaded PEG-PLGA-NPs were prepared by the modified spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion （SESD） method, and the main experimental factors influencing the characteristics of nanopar- ticles were investigated, to optimize the preparation. To confirm the escape of PEG-PLGA-NPs from phagocytosis by phagocytes, PEG-PLGA-NPs labeled rhodamine B uptake by murine peritoneal macrophages （MPM） were analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that the physicochemical characteristics of PEG-PLGA-NPs were affected by the type and concentration of the emulsifiers, polymer concentration, and drug concentration. ATO-loaded PEG-PLGA-NPs, with particle size of 120.8nm, zeta potential of-10.73mV, encapsulation efficiency of 73.6%, and drug loading of 1.36%, were prepared under optimal conditions. The images of transmission electron micros-copy （TEM） indicated that the optimized nanoparticles were near spherical and without aggregation or adhesion. The release experiments in vitro showed the ATO release from PEG-PLGA-NPs exhibited consequently sustained release for more than 26d, which was in accordance with Higuchi equation. The uptake of PEG-PLGA-NPs by MPM was found to decrease markedly compared to PLGA-NPs. The experimental results showed that PEG-PLGA-NPs were potential nano drug delivery carriers for ATO.

Diffusion Monte Carlo Study of Bond Dissociation Energies for BH2, B（OH）2, BCl2, and BCI

On basis of bond dissociation energies （BDEs） for BH2, B（OH）2, BCl2, and BCl, the diffusion Monte Carlo （DMC） method is applied to explore the BDEs of HB-H, HOB-OH, ClB-Cl, and B-Cl. The effect of the choice of orbitals, as well as the backflow transformation, is studied. The Slater-Jastrow DMC algorithm gives BDEs of 359.1±0.12 kJ/mol for HB-H, 410.5±0.50 kJ/mol for HOB-OH, 357.8±1.46 kJ/mol for ClB-Cl, and 504.5±0.96 kJ/mol for B-Cl using B3PW91 orbitals and similar BDEs when B3LYP orbitals are used. DMC with backflow corrections （BF-DMC） gives a HB-H BDE of 369.9±0.12 kJ/mol which is close to one of the available experimental value （375.8 kJ/mol）. In the case of HOB-OH BDE, the BF-DMC calculation is 446.04-1.84 k J/mol that is closer to the experimental BDE. The BF-DMC BDE for ClB-Cl is 343.2±2.34 kJ/mol and the BF-DMC B-Cl BDE is 523.3±0.33 kJ/mol, which are close to the experimental BDEs, 341.9 and 530.0 kJ/mol, respectively.

Characteristics of the stem sap flux of Populus euphratica in the lower reaches of the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

Populus euphratica trees are the sole natural perennial riparian woodlands native to the river oases in the lower reaches of Heihe River Basin in northwestern China.This study investigated characteristics of the stem sap flux of Populus euphratica and its rela-tionship to environmental factors using the thermal dissipation probe(TDP) method.The results showed that(1) daily variation of sap flow of P.euphratica on clear days exhibited an obvious unimodal curve;sap flow rates in June,July,August,and September were 13.39,12.07,12.69,and 5.10 L/d,respectively;(2) the average transpiration of the Populus euphratica from June through September amounted to 1,309.84 L;(3) stem sap flow can be affected by a number of environmental factors that,in terms of the influential degree,can be arranged in the descending order of air temperature,soil moisture,relative humidity,total solar radiation,soil temperature,and wind velocity.

Real-time flood forecasting of Huai River with flood diversion and retarding areas

A combination of the rainfall-runoff module of the Xin’anjiang model, the Muskingum routing method, the water stage simulating hydrologic method, the diffusion wave nonlinear water stage method, and the real-time error correction method is applied to the real-time flood forecasting and regulation of the Huai River with flood diversion and retarding areas. The Xin’anjiang model is used to forecast the flood discharge hydrograph of the upstream and tributary. The flood routing of the main channel and flood diversion areas is based on the Muskingum method. The water stage of the downstream boundary condition is calculated with the water stage simulating hydrologic method and the water stages of each cross section are calculated from downstream to upstream with the diffusion wave nonlinear water stage method. The input flood discharge hydrograph from the main channel to the flood diversion area is estimated with the fixed split ratio of the main channel discharge. The flood flow inside the flood retarding area is calculated as a reservoir with the water balance method. The faded-memory forgetting factor least square of error series is used as the real-time error correction method for forecasting discharge and water stage. As an example, the combined models were applied to flood forecasting and regulation of the upper reaches of the Huai River above Lutaizi during the 2007 flood season. The forecast achieves a high accuracy and the results show that the combined models provide a scientific way of flood forecasting and regulation for a complex watershed with flood diversion and retarding areas.

Antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential of seeds and flowers crude extracts of sunflower

Oil-producing crops,including Helianthus annuus L.(H.annuus,Sunflower),have been used for the treatment of different human diseases since ancient times.This study aims to determine the antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential of different polarities of seeds and flower extracts of locally grown H.annuus by well-established bioassays.To achieve the objects,the plant extracts were prepared from both flowers and seeds powder samples individually with methanol solvent by using a Soxhlet extraction method.The antimicrobial and cytotoxic potential of the flowers and seed extracts were determined by the in vitro diffusion and brine shrimp method(BSL).The results of the antimicrobial potential of both prepared flower and seed extracts of various polarities at different concentrations showed promising potential against the gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains,within the range of inhibition zone 0–20 mm.Among the flower extracts,the highest potential was obtained in water extract and the lowest potential was in butanol extract followed by water>ethyl acetate>hexane>methanol>chloroform>butanol extracts.However,from the seed extracts,the highest potential was obtained in water extract and the lowest potential was in the methanol extract followed by water>hexane>butanol>ethyl acetate>chloroform>methanol extract.On the other hand,the results of cytotoxicity among the flowers extracts against the brine shrimp method where the highest LC50 against brine shrimp nauplii were found to be 31.25μg/mL in water extract and the lowest LC50 was 1345.86μg/mL in chloroform extract followed by water>ethyl acetate>hexane>butanol>methanol>chloroform extract.Similarly,different polarities of seed extracts,the highest LC50 against brine shrimp nauplii was shown to be 109.56μg/mL in butanol extract and the lowest LC50 was 1513.56μg/mL in ethyl acetate extract followed by butanol>hexane>water>methanol>chloroform>ethyl acetate extract.In conclusion,the results showed that both flowers and seeds extracts at various concentrations have promising potential against the positive and negative bacterial strains and the highest potential water extract could be used as natural broad-spectrum antibiotics as herbal medicine to treat different human infectious diseases.

A Hybrid Fluid-Solid Interaction Scheme Combining the Multi-Component Diffuse Interface Method and the Material Point Method

We propose a hybrid scheme combing the diffuse interface method and the material point method to simulate the complex interactions between the multiphase compressible flow and elastoplastic solid.The multiphase flow is modelled by the multi-component model and solved using a generalized Godunov method in the Eulerian grids,while the elastoplastic solid is solved by the classical material point method in a combination of Lagrangian particles and Eulerian background grids.In order to facilitate the simulation of fluid-solid interactions,the solid variables are further interpolated to the cell center and coexist with the fluid in the same cell.An instantaneous relaxation procedure of velocity and pressure is adopted to simulate the momentum and energy transfers between various materials,and to keep the system within a tightly coupled interaction.Several numerical examples,including shock tube problem,gasbubble problem,air blast,underwater explosion and high speed impact applications are presented to validate the numerical scheme.

Development of Topical Antimicrobial Gel Containing Beehive Extract

This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of beehive extract and developed topical antimicrobial gel. The beehives were extracted with three different solvents： distilled water, 50% ethanol and 95% ethanol, then each filtrate was evaporated by vacuum rotary evaporator to obtain crude extracts： water extract （W）, water-ethanol extract （WE） and ethanol extract （E）. These extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against five bacterial strains： Escherichia coli （ATCC 25922）, Psuedomonas aeuruginosa （ATCC 27853）, Staphylococcus aureus （ATCC 25923）, Methicillin Resistance Staphylococcus aureus （MRSA） and β-hemolytic Streptococcus group A （GAS）, then they were evaluated for their MIC and MBC values. The results revealed that the yield of the W, WE and E extracts amounted to 16.25%, 14.42% and 6.67%, respectively. Whereas, all of the samples were found to be effective against P. aeuruginosa, S. aureus, MRSA and GAS, but they were ineffective against E. coli. The W extract exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity with MIC values of 31.25-62.50 mg/mL and MBC values of 62.50 mg/mL. Then the gel bases using different gelling agents such as carbopol, hydroxyethylcellulose （HEC） and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose （HPMC） were formulated and evaluated for their physical properties： appearance, texture, pH, spread ability and stability. The formula which contained HEC was selected to incorporate with the W extract due to its smooth texture, good spreadability on the skin and good stability. The W gel exhibited a promising antimicrobial activity in both before and after stability test and also expressed no skin irritation.

Foreground removal of 21cm fluctuation with multifrequency fitting

The 21 centimeter （21 cm） line emission from neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium （IGM） at high redshifts is strongly contaminated by foreground sources such as the diffuse Galactic synchrotron emission and free-free emission from the Galaxy, as well as emission from extragalactic radio sources, thus making its observation very complicated. However, the 21 cm signal can be recovered through its structure in frequency space, as the power spectrum of the foreground contamination is expected to be smooth over a wide band in frequency space while the 21 cm fluctuations vary significantly. We use a simple polynomial fitting to reconstruct the 21 cm signal around four frequencies 50, 100, 150 and 200 MHz with an especially small channel width of 20 kHz. Our calculations show that this multifrequency fitting approach can effectively recover the 21 cm signal in the frequency range 100 - 200 MHz. However, this method doesn＇t work well around 50 MHz because of the low intensity of the 21 cm signal at this frequency. We also show that the fluctuation of detector noise can be suppressed to a very low level by taking long integration times, which means that we can reach a sensitivity of ≈ 10 mK at 150 MHz with 40 antennas in 120 hours of observations.