Changes in underflow solid fraction and yield stress in paste thickeners by circulation

The trouble-free and efficient operation of paste thickeners requires an optimal design and the cooperation of each component.When underflow discharging is suspended,alleviating the vast torque that the remaining solids within the thickeners may place on rakes mainly lies in the circulation unit.The mechanism of this unit was analyzed,and a mathematical model was developed to describe the changes in underflow solid content and yield stress.The key parameters of the circulation unit,namely,the height and flow rate,were varied to test its performance in the experiments with a self-designed laboratorial thickening system.Results show that the circulation unit is valid in reducing underflow solid fraction and yield stress to a reasonable extent,and the model could be used to describe its efficiency at different heights and flow rates.A suitable design and application of the circulation unit contributes to a cost-effective operation of paste thickeners.

The Effect of Food Thickeners on the Bitterness and Dissolution of Amlodipine Besilate Powder When Co-Administered with Thickeners to Patients with Dysphagia

Purpose: The present research was performed to evaluate the effect of food thickeners on the bitterness and dissolution of bitter drugs when co-administered to patients with dysphagia. Methods: Amlodipine besilate (AMPB) powder was used as a model drug. Starch- and xanthan gum-based food thickeners were examined, with swallowing-aid jelly as a reference. The line-spread test (LST), texture prolife analysis (TPA) were done firstly. In related to AMPB powder mixed with food thickeners solution, a conventional dissolution test simulating the oral cavity was performed, the amlodipine (AMP) concentration and taste sensor output for dissolved medium versus time profiles were developed. The dissolution test at pH 1.2 and 4.5, representing typical gastric conditions for younger or elderly people, was performed in two kinds of thickener solution and swallowing-aid jelly those were mixed with AMPB powder. Results: LST demonstrated that xanthan gum-based food thickeners fulfilled the requirements for patients with dysphagia but that starch-based food thickeners did not. In TPA, hardness and adhesiveness decreased proportionally as the concentration increased for both kinds of food thickener. Conventional dissolution test simulating oral cavity demonstrated the following bitterness ranking: xanthan gum-based food thickener Conclusion: Although xanthan gum-based food thickeners were successful in masking the bitterness of AMP, they may reduce its bioavailability in humans. The 7.1 and 4.7 (w/v) % starch-based thickener show bitterness inhibition under simulated oral cavity conditions and complete dissolution of AMP under simulated gastric conditions.

Influence of Thickeners on Cement Paste Structure and Performance of Engineered Cementitious Composites

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose （HPMC） and amphoteric polyacrylamide （ACPAM） were respectively used to prepare engineered cementitious composite （ECC） which exhibits strain-hardening behavior under uniaxial tension. The connections between cement paste structure and the performance of the composite in fresh and hardened state were investigated, aiming at achieving the desirable workability at a given solids concentration. The experimental results of viscosity and miCrostructure of cement pastes show that the intimate connections between flocculation groups lead to the growing increase in viscosity. The results of deformability and fiber dispersion demonstrate that fiber dispersion coefficient is a comprehensive index which can reflect the performance of deformability as well as uniformity. And the desirable fresh mixture can be achieved by optimizing the viscosity of cement paste. At last, the ductile strain-hardening performance of the ECC prepared with HPMC or ACPAM was investigated through uniaxial tensile test.

The Effect of Food Thickeners on the Bitterness and Dissolution of Amlodipine Besilate Loaded Oral Disintegration Tablets: Assessment of Potential Suitability for Patients with Dysphagia

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of starch- and xanthan gum-based food thickeners on the bitterness and dissolution of amlodipine besilate (AMPB) loaded orally disintegrating tablets (ODT) for potential use with patients with dysphagia. A conventional dissolution test simulating the oral cavity was performed and the taste sensor output of the dissolved sample was evaluated over a 60-seconds period. When four types of AMPB loaded ODTs were tested alone, at 60 seconds, branded product (A) was the least bitter, followed by generic product (B)/generic product (C) which were equal, and finally generic product (D) which was the most bitter. Inhibition of bitterness of AMPB loaded ODTs mixed thickeners, 1.0 (w/v) % xanthan gum-based food thickener solution was significantly strong. The 7.1 (w/v) % and 4.7 (w/v) % starch-based food thickeners solution also effective in bitterness inhibition compared to the 2.4 (w/v) % starch-based food thickener solution. The dissolution test under pH 1.2 in related to 7.1 (w/v) % and 4.7 (w/v) % starch-based thickener contained each of AMPB loaded ODTs were associated with an almost complete amlodipine (AMP) dissolution (almost 90% at 10 minutes), whereas the 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 (w/v) % xanthan gum-based food thickener solution containing AMPB loaded ODTs did not show complete AMP dissolution and there were large variations in the initial dissolution stage. This suggests that a mixture of xanthan gum-based thickener and AMPB loaded ODT poses a risk of reduction of bioavailability. In conclusion, a mixture of 4.7 (w/v) % or 7.1 (w/v) % starch-based thickener with ODTs provides complete release of AMP and superior bitterness inhibition, so is the best choice for administration to patients with dysphagia.

Strigolactones modulate cotton fiber elongation and secondary cell wall thickening

Cotton is one of the most important economic crops in the world,and it is a major source of fiber in the textile industry.Strigolactones(SLs)are a class of carotenoid-derived plant hormones involved in many processes of plant growth and development,although the functions of SL in fiber development remain largely unknown.Here,we found that the endogenous SLs were significantly higher in fibers at 20 days post-anthesis(DPA).Exogenous SLs significantly increased fiber length and cell wall thickness.Furthermore,we cloned three key SL biosynthetic genes,namely GhD27,GhMAX3,and GhMAX4,which were highly expressed in fibers,and subcellular localization analyses revealed that GhD27,GhMAX3,and GhMAX4 were localized in the chloroplast.The exogenous expression of GhD27,GhMAX3,and GhMAX4 complemented the physiological phenotypes of d27,max3,and max4 mutations in Arabidopsis,respectively.Knockdown of GhD27,GhMAX3,and GhMAX4 in cotton resulted in increased numbers of axillary buds and leaves,reduced fiber length,and significantly reduced fiber thickness.These findings revealed that SLs participate in plant growth,fiber elongation,and secondary cell wall formation in cotton.These results provide new and effective genetic resources for improving cotton fiber yield and plant architecture.

Rheological properties and concentration evolution of thickened tailings under the coupling effect of compression and shear

Cemented paste backfill(CPB)is a key technology for green mining in metal mines,in which tailings thickening comprises the primary link of CPB technology.However,difficult flocculation and substandard concentrations of thickened tailings often occur.The rheological properties and concentration evolution in the thickened tailings remain unclear.Moreover,traditional indoor thickening experiments have yet to quantitatively characterize their rheological properties.An experiment of flocculation condition optimization based on the Box-Behnken design(BBD)was performed in the study,and the two response values were investigated:concentration and the mean weighted chord length(MWCL)of flocs.Thus,optimal flocculation conditions were obtained.In addition,the rheological properties and concentration evolution of different flocculant dosages and ultrafine tailing contents under shear,compression,and compression-shear coupling experimental conditions were tested and compared.The results show that the shear yield stress under compression and compression-shear coupling increases with the growth of compressive yield stress,while the shear yield stress increases slightly under shear.The order of shear yield stress from low to high under different thickening conditions is shear,compression,and compression-shear coupling.Under compression and compression-shear coupling,the concentration first rapidly increases with the growth of compressive yield stress and then slowly increases,while concentration increases slightly under shear.The order of concentration from low to high under different thickening conditions is shear,compression,and compression-shear coupling.Finally,the evolution mechanism of the flocs and drainage channels during the thickening of the thickened tailings under different experimental conditions was revealed.

Predictive value of diaphragm ultrasound for mechanical ventilation outcome in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)is often combined with respiratory failure,which increases the patient's morbidity and mortality.Diaphragm ultrasound(DUS)has developed rapidly in the field of critical care in recent years.Studies with DUS monitoring diaphragm-related rapid shallow breathing index have demonstrated important results in guiding intensive care unit patients out of the ventilator.Early prediction of the indications for withdrawal of non-invasive ventilator and early evaluation of patients to avoid or reduce disease progression are very important.AIM To explore the predictive value of DUS indexes for non-invasive ventilation outcome in patients with AECOPD.METHODS Ninety-four patients with AECOPD who received mechanical ventilation in our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,and they were divided into a successful ventilation group(68 cases)and a failed ventilation group(26 cases)according to the outcome of ventilation.The clinical data of patients with successful and failed noninvasive ventilation were compared,and the independent predictors of noninvasive ventilation outcomes in AECOPD patients were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis.RESULTS There were no significant differences in gender,age,body mass index,complications,systolic pressure,heart rate,mean arterial pressure,respiratory rate,oxygen saturation,partial pressure of oxygen,oxygenation index,or time of inspiration between patients with successful and failed mechanical ventilation(P>0.05).The patients with successful noninvasive ventilation had shorter hospital stays and lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO_(2))than those with failed treatment,while potential of hydrogen(pH),diaphragm thickening fraction(DTF),diaphragm activity,and diaphragm movement time were significantly higher than those with failed treatment(P<0.05).pH[odds ratio(OR)=0.005,P<0.05],PaCO_(2)(OR=0.430,P<0.05),and DTF(OR=0.570,P<0.05)were identified to be independent factors influencing the outcome of mechanical ventilation in AECOPD patients.CONCLUSION The DUS index DTF can better predict the outcome of non-invasive ventilation in AECOPD patients.

Thickening progression mechanism of silica fume-oil well cement composite system at high temperatures

This work studied the thickening progression mechanism of the silica fume-oil well cement composite system at high temperatures(110-180.C)in order to provide a theoretical guidance for the rational application of silica fume in the cementing engineering.Results showed that silica fume seldom affected the thickening progression of oil well cement slurry at 110-120.C,but when temperature reached above130.C,it would aggravate the bulging degree of thickening curves and significantly extend the thickening time,meanwhile causing the abnormal“temperature-based thickening time reversal”and“dosage-based thickening time reversal”phenomena in the range of 130-160.C and 170-180.C respectively.At 130-160.C,the thickening time of oil well cement slurry was mainly associated with the generation rate of calcium hydroxide(CH)crystal.The introduced silica fume would be attracted to the cement minerals'surface that were hydrating to produce CH and agglomerate together to form an“adsorptive barrier”to hinder further hydration of the inner cement minerals.This“adsorptive barrier”effect strengthened with the rising temperature which extended the thickening time and caused the occurrence of the“temperature-based thickening time reversal”phenomenon.At 170-180.C,the pozzolanic activity of silica fume significantly enhanced and considerable amount of C-S-H was generated,thus the“temperature-based thickening time reversal”vanished and the“dosage-based thickening time reversal”was presented.

Experimental study on workability and permeability of sandy soils conditioned with thickened foam

Water spewing and muck plugging often occur during earth pressure balance(EPB)shield machines tunnelling in water-rich sandy strata,even though the conventional foam has been employed to condition sandy soils.In this study,a novel thickened foaming agent suitable for EPB shield tunnelling in water-rich sandy strata is developed.In contrast to conventional foam-conditioned sands,the thickened foam-conditioned sand has a low permeability due to the consistent filling of soil pores with the thickened foam,and the initial permeability coefficient decreases by approximately two orders of magnitude.It also exhibits a suitable workability,which is attributed to the enhanced capability of the thickened foam to condition sandy soils.In addition,the effect of concentration on the stability of the foam is explained by the Gibbs-Marangoni effect,and conditioning mechanisms for the thickened foam on sands are discussed from the evolution of foam bubbles.

Experimental study of solid-liquid origami composite structures with improved impact resistance

In this paper,a liquid-solid origami composite design is proposed for the improvement of impact resistance.Employing this design strategy,Kresling origami composite structures with different fillings were designed and fabricated,namely air,water,and shear thickening fluid(STF).Quasi-static compression and drop-weight impact experiments were carried out to compare and reveal the static and dynamic mechanical behavior of these structures.The results from drop-weight impact experiments demonstrated that the solid-liquid Kresling origami composite structures exhibited superior yield strength and reduced peak force when compared to their empty counterparts.Notably,the Kresling origami structures filled with STF exhibited significantly heightened yield strength and reduced peak force.For example,at an impact velocity of 3 m/s,the yield strength of single-layer STF-filled Kresling origami structures increased by 772.7%and the peak force decreased by 68.6%.This liquid-solid origami composite design holds the potential to advance the application of origami structures in critical areas such as aerospace,intelligent protection and other important fields.The demonstrated improvements in impact resistance underscore the practical viability of this approach in enhancing structural performance for a range of applications.

Analysis of thermal management and anti-mechanical abuse of multi-functional battery modules based on magneto-sensitive shear thickening fluid

Electric vehicles(EVs)have garnered significant attention as a vital driver of economic growth and environmental sustainability.Nevertheless,ensuring the safety of high-energy batteries is now a top priority that cannot be overlooked during large-scale applications.This paper proposes an innovative active protection and cooling integrated battery module using smart materials,magneto-sensitive shear thickening fluid(MSTF),which is specifically designed to address safety threats posed by lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)exposed to harsh mechanical and environmental conditions.The theoretical framework introduces a novel approach for harnessing the smoothed-particle hydrodynamics(SPH)methodology that incorporates the intricate interplay of non-Newtonian fluid behavior,capturing the fluid-structure coupling inherent to the MSTF.This approach is further advanced by adopting an enhanced Herschel-Bulkley(H-B)model to encapsulate the intricate rheology of the MSTF under the influence of the magnetorheological effect(MRE)and shear thickening(ST)behavior.Numerical simulation results show that in the case of cooling,the MSTF is an effective cooling medium for rapidly reducing the temperature.In terms of mechanical abuse,the MSTF solidifies through actively applying the magnetic field during mechanical compression and impact within the battery module,resulting in 66%and 61.7%reductions in the maximum stress within the battery jellyroll,and 31.1%and 23%reductions in the reaction force,respectively.This mechanism effectively lowers the risk of short-circuit failure.The groundbreaking concepts unveiled in this paper for active protection battery modules are anticipated to be a valuable technological breakthrough in the areas of EV safety and lightweight/integrated design.

Interest of thoracic ultrasound after cardiac surgery or interventional cardiology

Thoracic ultrasound has attracted much interest in detecting pleural effusion or pulmonary consolidation after cardiac surgery.In 2016,Trovato reported,in the World Journal of Cardiology,the interest of using,in addition to echocardiography,thoracic ultrasound.In this editorial,we highlight the value of assessing diaphragm function after cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology pro-cedures.Various factors are able to impair diaphragm function after such interventions.Diaphragm motion may be decreased by chest pain secondary to sternotomy,pleural effusion or impaired muscle function.Hemidiaphragmatic paralysis may be secondary to phrenic nerve damage complicating cardiac surgery or atrial fibrillation ablation.Diagnosis may be delayed.Indeed,respi-ratory troubles induced by diaphragm dysfunction are frequently attributed to pre-existing heart disease or pulmonary complications secondary to surgery.In addition,elevated hemidiaphragm secondary to diaphragm dysfunction is sometimes not observed on chest X-ray performed in supine position in the intensive care unit.Analysis of diaphragm function by ultrasound during the recovery period appears essential.Both hemidiaphragms can be studied by two complementary ultrasound methods.The mobility of each hemidiaphragms is measured by M-mode ultrasonography.In addition,recording the percentage of inspiratory thickening provides important information about the quality of muscle function.These two approaches make it possible to detect hemidiaphragm paralysis or dysfunction.Such a diagnosis is important because persistent diaphragm dysfunction after cardiac surgery has been shown to be associated with adverse respiratory outcome.Early respiratory physio-therapy is able to improve respiratory function through strengthening of the inspiratory muscles i.e.diaphragm and accessory inspiratory muscles.

Shear Thickening Fluids Based on Additives with Different Concentrations and Molecular Chain Lengths

Shear thickening fluids （STFs） based on additives with different concentrations and molecular chain lengths were investigated. STF samples were prepared with silica and additive dispersed in polyethylene glycol （PEG） 400, where three types of additives with different molecular chain lengths of PEG4000, PEG6000, and PEG10000 were used. For PEG10000, different concentrations, including 0, 1%, 3%, and 5%, were selected to study the influences of additive concentrations. Rheological properties of the samples were measured with a rheometer. The results show that the shear thickening effect was significantly enhanced with the increase of the concentration and the molecular chain length of additives. The mechanism of enhancement was quantitatively explained with the formation of large particles clusters.

Modeling the effects of ore properties on water recovery in the thickening process

A better understanding of solid-liquid separation would assist in improving the thickening performance and perhaps water recovery as well. The present work aimed to develop an empirical model to study the effects of ore properties on the thickening process based on pilot tests using a column. A hydro-cyclone was used to prepare the required samples for the experiments. The model significantly predicted the experimental underflow solid content using a regression equation at a given solid flux and bed level for different samples, indicating that ore properties are the effective parameters in the thickening process. This work confirned that the water recovery would be increased about 5% by separating the feed into two parts, overflow and underflow, and introducing two different thickeners into them separately. This is duo to the fact that thickeners are limited by permeability and compressibility in operating conditions.

Settling characteristics of ultrafine iron ore slimes

The slurry settling characteristics are the most important to design a thickener in process industries. In this work, the iron ore slurry from the screw classifier overflow was used for the settling study. It was observed that the original slurry exhibited a low settling velocity and a turbid supernatant during the settling process. Commercial flocculating agents with anionic, cationic, and nonionic characters were used to improve the settling behavior of suspensions, which were added into the slurry at different ranges of slurry pH values, respectively. The settling results show that the use of flocculants increase the settling rate by several times. Compared with the cationic and non-ionic flocculants, the anionic flocculant is more effective in enhancing the slurry settling rate. The small dose of the anionic flocculant is found to be more effective, but the other flocculants are less effective even at higher dosages. The simulation of an industrial thickener was carried out based on the laboratory settling data, and the appropriate design and selection parameters of the industrial thickener were estimated.

Jurassic Tectonic Revolution in China and New Interpretation of the “Yanshan Movement”

With acquisition and accumulation of new data of structural geological investigations and high-resolution isotopic dating data, we have greatly improved our understanding of the tectonic events occurring in eastern China during the period from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous and may give a new interpretation of the nature, timing and geodynamic settings of the “Yanshan Movement”. During the Mid-Late Jurassic （165±5 Ma）, great readjustment of plate amalgamation kinematics took place in East Asia and the tectonic regime underwent great transformation, thus initiating a new tectonic regime in which the North China Block was the center and different plates converged toward it from the north, east and southwest and forming the “East Asia convergent” tectonic system characterized by intracontinental subduction and orogeny. As a consequence, the crustal lithosphere of the East Asian continent thickened considerably during the Late Jurassic, followed immediately by Early Cretaceous substantial lithospheric thinning and craton destruction featured by drastic lithospheric extension and widespread volcano-magmatic activities, resulting in a major biotic turnover from the Yanliao biota to Jehol Biota. Such a tremendous tectonic event that took place in the continent of China and East Asia is the basic connotation of the “Yanshan Movement”. In the paper, according to the deformation patterns, geodynamic settings and deep processes, the “Yanshan Movement” is redefined as the Late Jurassic East Asian multi-directional plate convergent tectonic regime and its associated extensive intracontinental orogeny and great tectonic change that started at -165±5 Ma. The substantial lithospheric attenuation in East China is considered the post-effect of the Yanshanian intracontinental orogeny and deformation.

LA-ICPMS Zircon U-Pb Dating for Three Indosinian Granitic Plutons from Central Hunan and Western Guangdong Provinces and Its Petrogenetic Implications

The LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb geochronology of three typically Indosinian granitic plutons yielded weighted mean ^206pb/^238U ages of 214.1±5.9 Ma and 210.3±4.7 Ma for the biotite monzonitic granites from the Xiema and Xiangzikou plutons in Hunan Province, and 205.3±1.6 Ma for biotite granite from the Napeng pluton, western Guandong Province, respectively, showing a similar late Indosinian age of crystallization. In combination with other geochronological data from Indosinian granites within the South China Block （SCB）, it is proposed that those late Indosinian granites with an age of -210 Ma and the early Indosinian granites （230-245 Ma） have the similar petrogenesis in identical tectonic setting. The Indosinian granites within the SCB might be the products of anatexis of the thickening crust in a compressive regime. These data provide a further understanding for the temporal and spatial distribution of the Indosinian granites and the dynamic evolution of the SCB.

Numerical study of flocculation settling and thickening of whole-tailings in deep cone thickener using CFD approach

Deep cone thickener (DCT) is the key equipment in cemented paste backfill (CPB), so it is essential to study the flocculation settling and thickening characteristics of the whole-tailings in DCT. Coupled with population balance model (PBM), computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to study the characteristics, namely particle size distribution (PSD) and underflow concentration in DCT. Based on actual production, the effects of rake rotational speed, feed rate and tailings slurry concentration were simulated and analyzed in a certain range. The PSD varied with rake rational speed, feed rate and tailings slurry concentration almost in the same trend, but the influence of feed rate was less than that of rake rational speed and tailings slurry concentration. The underflow concentration increased at first and then declined with rake rational speed and feed rate, but it rose and fell with the tailings slurry concentration. Finally, the optimal key parameters on the flocculation settling and thickening of the whole-tailings in DCT were obtained: rake rotational speed of 17 r/min, feed rate of 3.25 m^3/h and tailings slurry concentration of 20%, giving the reference values to the industrial production in Baishitamu Copper Mine.

Modeling industrial thickener using computational fluid dynamics(CFD),a case study:Tailing thickener in the Sarcheshmeh copper mine

Separation of particles from liquid in the large gravitational tanks is widely used in mining and industrial wastewater treatment process.Thickener is key unit in the operational processes of hydrometallurgy and is used to separate solid from liquid.In this study,population balance models were combined with computational fluid dynamics(CFD)for modeling the tailing thickener.Parameters such as feed flow rate,flocculant dosage,inlet solid percent and feedwell were investigated.CFD was used to simulate the industrial tailing thickener with settled bed of 120 m diameter which is located in the Sarcheshmeh copper mine.Important factor of drag force that defines the rake torque of rotating paddles on the bed was also determined.Two phases turbulence model of Eulerian/Eulerian in accordance with turbulence model ofκ-ε.was used in the steady-state.Also population balance model consists of 15 groups of particle sizes with Luo and Lehr kernel was used for aggregation/breakage kernel.The simulation results showed good agreement with the operational data.

Fatty liver,carotid disease and gallstones:A study of age-related associations

AIM: To evaluate carotid intima-media thickening (IMT) and plaques, gallstone disease (GD) and fatty liver (FL) as a function of age. METHODS: In 449 subjects, FL and carotid disease were assessed ultrasonographically. In a subgroup of 65/449 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), carotid disease, GD and associated factors were determined. RESULTS: FL of unspecified etiology was more common in younger and GD in older individuals. FL subjects had an increased prevalence of IMT and a decreased prevalence of plaques and manifested carotid disease earlier. Plaques were more common in subjects with GD. Age was an independent predictor of carotid disease outcome and FL was a protective factor for plaques. In NAFLD, there was an inverse correlation between body weight and age and the latter independently predicted carotid findings. CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular risk in patients with FL and NAFLD needs to be assessed as a function of age and body weight.