Effect of Carbon Graphite on the Crystallization of Andalusite: Application to the Synthesis of Mullite and the Improvement of Refractory Quality

Different mixtures of Moroccan silica-alumina geomaterials were used for the preparation of refractory ceramics. A formula of composition (M2) has allowed obtaining a good quality of refractory. Addition of a small quantity of carbon (1%) to the M2 formula has substantially improved the quality of the refractory. The morphological, textural and mineralogical evolution, through SEM and XRD shows that the addition of carbon, which plays a catalytic role, favors the crystallization of andalusite. Then, from 1200°C, the andalusite starts to transform to primary mullite needles. At 1400°C, the mullite becomes the major mineral phase beside cristobalite and vitreous phase.

Composite Design of Low Thermal Conductivity Mullite Brick for Application to Cement Kiln

In order to restrain cement kiln shell＇ s thermal loss and potential safety hazards,composite design was employed of working layer,thermal preservation layer and thermal insulation layer.Thermal preservation layer＇ s boundary and strain were analyzed and the overall thermal conductivity was calculated.The result shows that the sinusoidal curve boundary combination is adopted between the working layer and thermal preservation layer,and the slope-shape with angle of 135 degrees between the thermal preservation layer and thermal insulation layer could relieve the strain concentration.Comprehensive thermal conductivity of the composite mullite brick decreases from the working layer 2.74 W·m^（-1）·K^（-1） to1.54 W·m^（-1）·K^（-1）.When applying the composite bricks in cement kilns,the kiln shell temperature is from50 ℃ to 70 ℃ lower than using normal bricks.

Preparation and Application of Bauxite-based Sintered Mullite Homogenized Grog in Ladle Castable

Preparation of bauxite-based sintered mullite homogenized grog was introduced and its application in ladle castable was studied.Two kinds of bauxite-based sintered mullite homogenized grogs were used,named as GA and GB,respectively.The results show that bauxitebased sintered homogenized grog with uniform components,stable microstructure and mullite as main crystal phase can be prepared using joint process of three-step homogenization,automatic component batching,wet cogrinding,high-temperature calcinations.It also indicates that carbon steel ladle castables with GA or composite aggregate of GA and GB as main materials have the same excellent general performance indicators,great erosion resistance,anti-strip performance and longer service life in field applications,and compared with castables with single aggregate of GA,the castables with aggregate of GA and GB as main materials had higher cost performance because of lower bulk density of GB.

Application of Mullite Composite Lining Plates in Rotary Coke Tanks for Coke Dry Quenching Equipment

To reduce the burning loss and the spalling and to improve energy efficiency,the mullite composite lining plates were used to replace cast steel or alloy lining in rotary coke tanks for coke dry quenching equipment.The results show that:the dense mullite composite lining plate in the cone part has the density of 2.20 g·cm^(-3) and the wear test,s volume loss of 4.08 cm^(3),and the light weight mullite composite lining plate in the straight cylinder part has the density of 1.95 g·cm^(-3) and the wear test,s volume loss of 17.6 cm^(3).After using,there is no shrinkage gap,no burn loss or holes in the plates,indicating good sealing of the mullite composite lining plates.The lining plate for the cone part has low burning loss,without spalling for more than half a year.The outer surface temperature of coke tanks adopting the cast steel or the alloy lining is 480 to 570℃,while that of the ones adopting mullite composite lining plates is 120 to 170℃,showing a largely improved insulating property.Adopting mullite composite lining plates on the basis of the current coke tank cage,the lining plates can be timely treated and wholly replaced,improving the service life and reducing the maintenance workload.

Potential industrial applications of photo/electrocatalysis: Recent progress and future challenges

Nowadays,the rapid development of the social economy inevitably leads to global energy and environmental crisis.For this reason,more and more scholars focus on the development of photocatalysis and/or electrocatalysis technology for the advantage in the sustainable production of high-value-added products,and the high efficiency in pollutants remediation.Although there is plenty of outstanding research has been put forward continuously,most of them focuses on catalysis performance and reaction mechanisms in laboratory conditions.Realizing industrial application of photo/electrocatalytic processes is still a challenge that needs to be overcome by social demand.In this regard,this review comprehensively summarized several explorations in thefield of photo/electrocatalytic reduction towards potential industrial applications in recent years.Special attention is paid to the successful attempts and the current status of photo/electrocatalytic water splitting,carbon dioxide conversion,resource utilization from waste,etc.,by using advanced reactors.The key problems and challenges of photo/electrocatalysis in future industrial practice are also discussed,and the possible development directions are also pointed out from the industry view.

Drilling-based measuring method for the c-φ parameter of rock and its field application

The technology of drilling tests makes it possible to obtain the strength parameter of rock accurately in situ. In this paper, a new rock cutting analysis model that considers the influence of the rock crushing zone(RCZ) is built. The formula for an ultimate cutting force is established based on the limit equilibrium principle. The relationship between digital drilling parameters(DDP) and the c-φ parameter(DDP-cφ formula, where c refers to the cohesion and φ refers to the internal friction angle) is derived, and the response of drilling parameters and cutting ratio to the strength parameters is analyzed. The drillingbased measuring method for the c-φ parameter of rock is constructed. The laboratory verification test is then completed, and the difference in results between the drilling test and the compression test is less than 6%. On this basis, in-situ rock drilling tests in a traffic tunnel and a coal mine roadway are carried out, and the strength parameters of the surrounding rock are effectively tested. The average difference ratio of the results is less than 11%, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method for obtaining the strength parameters based on digital drilling. This study provides methodological support for field testing of rock strength parameters.

A Review of Contact Electrification at Diversified Interfaces and Related Applications on Triboelectric Nanogenerator

The triboelectric nanogenerator(TENG)can effectively collect energy based on contact electrification(CE)at diverse interfaces,including solid–solid,liquid–solid,liquid–liquid,gas–solid,and gas–liquid.This enables energy harvesting from sources such as water,wind,and sound.In this review,we provide an overview of the coexistence of electron and ion transfer in the CE process.We elucidate the diverse dominant mechanisms observed at different interfaces and emphasize the interconnectedness and complementary nature of interface studies.The review also offers a comprehensive summary of the factors influencing charge transfer and the advancements in interfacial modification techniques.Additionally,we highlight the wide range of applications stemming from the distinctive characteristics of charge transfer at various interfaces.Finally,this review elucidates the future opportunities and challenges that interface CE may encounter.We anticipate that this review can offer valuable insights for future research on interface CE and facilitate the continued development and industrialization of TENG.

Hybrid Security Assessment Methodology for Web Applications

This study presents a methodology to evaluate and prevent security vulnerabilities issues for web applications.The analysis process is based on the use of techniques and tools that allow to perform security assessments of white box and black box,to carry out the security validation of a web application in an agile and precise way.The objective of the methodology is to take advantage of the synergies of semi-automatic static and dynamic security analysis tools and manual checks.Each one of the phases contemplated in the methodology is supported by security analysis tools of different degrees of coverage,so that the results generated in one phase are used as feed for the following phases in order to get an optimized global security analysis result.The methodology can be used as part of other more general methodologies that do not cover how to use static and dynamic analysis tools in the implementation and testing phases of a Secure Software Development Life Cycle(SSDLC).A practical application of the methodology to analyze the security of a real web application demonstrates its effectiveness by obtaining a better optimized vulnerability detection result against the true and false positive metrics.Dynamic analysis with manual checking is used to audit the results,24.6 per cent of security vulnerabilities reported by the static analysis has been checked and it allows to study which vulnerabilities can be directly exploited externally.This phase is very important because it permits that each reported vulnerability can be checked by a dynamic second tool to confirm whether a vulnerability is true or false positive and it allows to study which vulnerabilities can be directly exploited externally.Dynamic analysis finds six(6)additional critical vulnerabilities.Access control analysis finds other five(5)important vulnerabilities such as Insufficient Protected Passwords or Weak Password Policy and Excessive Authentication Attacks,two vulnerabilities that permit brute force attacks.

Effect of CaO Impurity on Mullite Formation from SiO_(2) Gel and Al_(2)O_(3) Powders

To broaden the application of SiO_(2) sol-bonded castables,using micro-or nano-Al_(2)O_(3) powder and SiO_(2) gel powder as the main raw materials,the effects of CaO impurity on the formation of mullite by the reaction of Al_(2)O_(3) and SiO_(2) at different temperatures(1350,1400,1500,and 1600℃)in different atmospheres(oxidation atmosphere and reduction atmosphere)were studied.The results show that in the oxidizing atmosphere,the introduction of CaO can promote the formation of mullite.When the temperature increases from 1350℃to 1600℃,the amount of mullite formed gradually increases.In the reducing atmosphere,the introduction of CaO is not conducive to the formation of mullite,and the amount of mullite decreases with the increasing temperature.The smaller the particle size of Al_(2)O_(3),the more easily it reacts with SiO_(2) gel powder to form mullite.

Magnesium fertilizer application increases peanut growth and pod yield under reduced nitrogen application in southern China

This study investigated the effect of magnesium application on peanut growth and yield under two nitrogen(N)application rates in acidic soil in southern China.The chlorophyll content,net photosynthetic rate and dry matter accumulation of the N-sensitive cultivar decreased under reduced N treatments,whereas no effect was observed on the relevant indicators in the N-insensitive variety GH1026.Mg application increased the net photosynthetic rate by increasing the expression of genes involved in chlorophyll synthesis and Rubisco activity in the leaves during the pegging stage under 50%N treatment,while no effect on the net photosynthetic rate was observed under the 100%N treatment.The rate of dry matter accumulation at the early growth stage,total dry matter accumulation and pod yield at harvest increased after Mg application under 50%N treatment by increasing the transportation of assimilates from stems and leaves to pods in both peanut varieties,whereas no effect was found under 100%N treatment.Moreover,Mg application increased the NUE under 50%N treatment.No improvement of NUE in either peanut variety was found under 100%N treatment,while Mg application under the 50%N treatment can obtain a higher economic benefit than the 100%N treatment.In acidic soil,application of 307.5 kg ha^(-1)of Mg sulfate fertilizer under 50%reduced nitrogen application is a suitable fertilizer management measure for improving carbon assimilation,NUE and achieve high peanut yields in southern China.

Renewable Polymers in Biomedical Applications:From the Bench to the Market

Polymers from renewable resources have been used for a long time in biomedical applications and found an irreplaceable role in some of them.Their uses have been increasing because of their attractive properties,contributing to the improvement of life quality,mainly in drug release systems and in regenerative medicine.Formulations using natural polymer,nano and microscale particles preparation,composites,blends and chemical modification strategies have been used to improve their properties for clinical application.Although many studies have been carried out with these natural polymers,the way to reach the market is long and only very few of them become commercially available.Vegetable cellulose,bacterial cellulose,chitosan,poly(lactic acid)and starch can be found among the most studied polymers for biological applications,some with several derivatives already established in the market,and others with potential for such.In this scenario this work aims to describe the properties and potential of these renewable polymers for biomedical applications,the routes from the bench to the market,and the perspectives for future developments.

Advances in Biomedical Applications of Hydrogels from Seaweed-Derived Sulfated Polysaccharides:Carrageenan,Fucoidan,and Ulvan

Sulfated polysaccharides extracted from seaweeds,including Carrageenan,Fucoidan and Ulvan,are crucial bioactive compounds known for their diverse beneficial properties,such as anti-inflammatory,antitumor,immunomodulatory,antiviral,and anticoagulant effects.These polysaccharides form hydrogels hold immense promise in biomedicine,particularly in tissue engineering,drug delivery systems and wound healing.This review comprehensively explores the sources and structural characteristics of the three important sulfated polysaccharides extracted from different algae species.It elucidates the gelation mechanisms of these polysaccharides into hydrogels.Furthermore,the biomedical applications of these three sulfated polysaccharide hydrogels in wound healing,drug delivery,and tissue engineering are discussed,highlighting their potential in the biomedicine.

Spatiotemporal variations of sand hydraulic conductivity by microbial application methods

The spatiotemporal distributions of microbes in soil by different methods could affect the efficacy of the microbes to reduce the soil hydraulic conductivity.In this study,the specimens of bio-mediated sands were prepared using three different methods,i.e.injecting,mixing,and pouring a given microbial so-lution onto compacted sand specimens.The hydraulic conductivity was measured by constant-head tests,while any soil microstructural changes due to addition of the microbes were observed by scan-ning electron microscope(SEM)and mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)tests.The amount of dextran concentration produced by microbes in each type of specimen was quantified by a refractometer.Results show that dextran production increased exponentially after 5-7 d of microbial settling with the supply of culture medium.The injection and mixing methods resulted in a similar amount and uniform dis-tribution of dextran in the specimens.The pouring method,however,produced a nonuniform distri-bution,with a higher concentration near the specimen surface.As the supply of culture medium discontinued,the dextran content near the surface produced by the pouring method decreased dramatically due to high competition for nutrients with foreign colonies.Average dextran concentration was negatively and correlated with hydraulic conductivity of bio-mediated soils exponentially,due to the clogging of large soil pores by dextran.The hydraulic conductivity of the injection and mixing cases did not change significantly when the supply of culture medium was absent.

Effects of water tables and nitrogen application on soil bacterial community diversity, network structure, and function in an alpine wetland, China

Nitrogen deposition and water tables are important factors to control soil microbial community structure.However,the specific effects and mechanisms of nitrogen deposition and water tables coupling on bacterial diversity,abundance,and community structure in arid alpine wetlands remain unclear.The nitrogen deposition(0,10,and 20 kg N/(hm^(2)•a))experiments were conducted in the Bayinbulak alpine wetland with different water tables(perennial flooding,seasonal waterlogging,and perennial drying).The 16S rRNA(ribosomal ribonucleic acid)gene sequencing technology was employed to analyze the changes in bacterial community diversity,network structure,and function in the soil.Results indicated that bacterial diversity was the highest under seasonal waterlogging condition.However,nitrogen deposition only affected the bacterial Chao1 and beta diversity indices under seasonal waterlogging condition.The abundance of bacterial communities under different water tables showed significant differences at the phylum and genus levels.The dominant phylum,Proteobacteria,was sensitive to soil moisture and its abundance decreased with decreasing water tables.Although nitrogen deposition led to changes in bacterial abundance,such changes were small compared with the effects of water tables.Nitrogen deposition with 10 kg N/(hm^(2)•a)decreased bacterial edge number,average path length,and robustness.However,perennial flooding and drying conditions could simply resist environmental changes caused by 20 kg N/(hm^(2)•a)nitrogen deposition and their network structure remain unchanged.The sulfur cycle function was dominant under perennial flooding condition,and carbon and nitrogen cycle functions were dominant under seasonal waterlogging and perennial drying conditions.Nitrogen application increased the potential function of part of nitrogen cycle and decreased the potential function of sulfur cycle in bacterial community.In summary,composition of bacterial community in the arid alpine wetland was determined by water tables,and diversity of bacterial community was inhibited by a lower water table.Effect of nitrogen deposition on bacterial community structure and function depended on water tables.

Selection and application of four QTLs for grain protein content in modern wheat cultivars

The grain protein content(GPC)is the key parameter for wheat grain nutritional quality.This study conducted a resampling GWAS analysis using 406 wheat accessions across eight environments,and identified four previously reported GPC QTLs.An analysis of 87 landraces and 259 modern cultivars revealed the loss of superior GPC haplotypes,especially in Chinese cultivars.These haplotypes were preferentially adopted in different agroecological zones and had broad effects on wheat yield and agronomic traits.Most GPC QTLs did not significantly reduce yield,suggesting that high GPC can be achieved without a yield penalty.The results of this study provide a reference for future GPC breeding in wheat using the four identified QTLs.

Time Parameter Based Low-Energy Data Encryption Method for Mobile Applications

Various mobile devices and applications are now used in daily life.These devices require high-speed data processing,low energy consumption,low communication latency,and secure data transmission,especially in 5G and 6G mobile networks.High-security cryptography guarantees that essential data can be transmitted securely;however,it increases energy consumption and reduces data processing speed.Therefore,this study proposes a low-energy data encryption(LEDE)algorithm based on the Advanced Encryption Standard(AES)for improving data transmission security and reducing the energy consumption of encryption in Internet-of-Things(IoT)devices.In the proposed LEDE algorithm,the system time parameter is employed to create a dynamic S-Box to replace the static S-Box of AES.Tests indicated that six-round LEDE encryption achieves the same security level as 10-round conventional AES encryption.This reduction in encryption time results in the LEDE algorithm having a 67.4%lower energy consumption and 43.9%shorter encryption time than conventional AES;thus,the proposed LEDE algorithm can improve the performance and the energy consumption of IoT edge devices.

Real-Time Object Detection and Face Recognition Application for the Visually Impaired

The advancement of navigation systems for the visually impaired has significantly enhanced their mobility by mitigating the risk of encountering obstacles and guiding them along safe,navigable routes.Traditional approaches primarily focus on broad applications such as wayfinding,obstacle detection,and fall prevention.However,there is a notable discrepancy in applying these technologies to more specific scenarios,like identifying distinct food crop types or recognizing faces.This study proposes a real-time application designed for visually impaired individuals,aiming to bridge this research-application gap.It introduces a system capable of detecting 20 different food crop types and recognizing faces with impressive accuracies of 83.27%and 95.64%,respectively.These results represent a significant contribution to the field of assistive technologies,providing visually impaired users with detailed and relevant information about their surroundings,thereby enhancing their mobility and ensuring their safety.Additionally,it addresses the vital aspects of social engagements,acknowledging the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals in recognizing acquaintances without auditory or tactile signals,and highlights recent developments in prototype systems aimed at assisting with face recognition tasks.This comprehensive approach not only promises enhanced navigational aids but also aims to enrich the social well-being and safety of visually impaired communities.

Atomically Substitutional Engineering of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Layers for Enhancing Tailored Properties and Superior Applications

Transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs)are a promising class of layered materials in the post-graphene era,with extensive research attention due to their diverse alternative elements and fascinating semiconductor behavior.Binary MX2 layers with different metal and/or chalcogen elements have similar structural parameters but varied optoelectronic properties,providing opportunities for atomically substitutional engineering via partial alteration of metal or/and chalcogenide atoms to produce ternary or quaternary TMDs.The resulting multinary TMD layers still maintain structural integrity and homogeneity while achieving tunable(opto)electronic properties across a full range of composition with arbitrary ratios of introduced metal or chalcogen to original counterparts(0–100%).Atomic substitution in TMD layers offers new adjustable degrees of freedom for tailoring crystal phase,band alignment/structure,carrier density,and surface reactive activity,enabling novel and promising applications.This review comprehensively elaborates on atomically substitutional engineering in TMD layers,including theoretical foundations,synthetic strategies,tailored properties,and superior applications.The emerging type of ternary TMDs,Janus TMDs,is presented specifically to highlight their typical compounds,fabrication methods,and potential applications.Finally,opportunities and challenges for further development of multinary TMDs are envisioned to expedite the evolution of this pivotal field.

Lithium Sulfur Batteries:Insights from Solvation Chemistry to Feasibility Designing Strategies for Practical Applications

Rechargeable lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries,featuring high energy density,low cost,and environmental friendliness,have been dubbed as one of the most promising candidates to replace current commercial rechargeable Li-ion batteries.However,their practical deployment has long been plagued by the infamous“shuttle effect”of soluble Li polysulfides(LiPSs)and the rampant growth of Li dendrites.Therefore,it is important to specifically elucidate the solvation structure in the Li-S system and systematically summarize the feasibility strategies that can simultaneously suppress the shuttle effect and the growth of Li dendrites for practical applications.This review attempts to achieve this goal.In this review,we first introduce the importance of developing Li-S batteries and highlight the key challenges.Then,we revisit the working principles of Li-S batteries and underscore the fundamental understanding of LiPSs.Next,we summarize some representative characterization techniques and theoretical calculations applied to characterize the solvation structure of LiPSs.Afterward,we overview feasible designing strategies that can simultaneously suppress the shuttle effect of soluble LiPSs and the growth of Li dendrites.Finally,we conclude and propose personal insights and perspectives on the future development of Li-S batteries.We envisage that this timely review can provide some inspiration to build better Li-S batteries for promoting practical applications.

Image Application in Single Isocenter Multiple Target SRS

Single isocenter multiple target stereotactic radiosurgery (SIMT-SRS) has potentially emerged as a new pillar in radio-immune combination therapy for the management of brain metastasis. Accuracy and efficiency are pushed to a higher level in the era of the linear accelerator-based SIMT-SRS. This short review focuses on patient selection, image preparation, patient simulation, electronic portal imaging device (EPID) QA, and the patient treatment process in the SIMT-SRS treatment only. Image-relevant recommendations and guidelines are presented and contrast application, acquisition efficiency, and alignment accuracy of CT and MRI images are explored. With guidance, the SIMT-SRS can be implemented with high precision and efficiency. 1 mm or 0.5 mm and non-uniform PTV margin expansion for all targets would become possible. It will enhance cancer killing effect in radio-immune combination therapy. General routine daily, monthly, and annual linear accelerator image quality assurances are excluded.