Characterizing stress-dependent complex and relaxation moduli of dense graded asphalt mixtures

The objective of this paper is to investigate the stress-dependence of the complex and relaxation moduli of dense graded asphalt mixtures. Complex modulus tests at four different confining pressures were conducted. Then, the stress dependence of the long-term equilibrium modulus of asphalt mixture based on Prony series model was modeled by Uzan model. The Maxwell components of the relaxation modulus were determined by a two-step method. Finally, the stress dependence of the relaxation modulus was quantified by relaxation spectrum of the material. The results show that for the selected dense-graded asphalt mixtures, the dynamic modulus increases, and phase angle decreases with the increasing confining pressures at relatively low reduced loading frequency. However, the stress dependence is insignificant in a relatively high-reduced loading frequency. The Uzan model coefficient of the long-term equilibrium modulus of the relaxation modulus can be determined effectively by the proposed deviatoric stress master curves. To obtain reliable and accurate Maxwell component coefficients, it is recommended that: (a) the measured loss moduli rather than the storage moduli should be used to calculate Maxwell component coefficients if collocation method is utilized, and (b) a log-scaled least squared regression minimization objective should be used as the regression objective for the coefficient determination. The relaxation spectrum of asphalt mixture can be modeled by Gaussian function, where the size of the relaxation spectrum increases but the shape and position of the relaxation spectrum remain unchanged when the confining pressure increases

Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition and Symposium

This video features two presentations from the Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition and Symposium delivered at Columbia on October 18, 2014. In his presentation, Both Tool and Art: Chinese Calligraphy, Wang Mansheng presents some of his calligraphic art and describes what he has learned over decades of study and practice of Chinese calligraphy. In the second presentation, Aesthetics of Chinese Calligraphy, Zheng Xiaohua compares the histories of Chinese and Western art to reveal the aesthetic principles that influence calligraphy artists

Protocol for identifying and comparing molecular prognosis subtypes of IgAN using R

Summary: By providing a comprehensive view of protein dynamics, quantitative proteomics has emerged as a powerful tool for a better understanding of disease mechanisms. Here, we present a general workflow for identifying and comparing molecular subtypes of disease using proteomics data using R software. We describe steps for data preprocessing, feature selection, determination of subtypes, and functional interpretation of subtypes. These analyses can help us understand the nature of heterogeneous diseases, which is crucial for accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Chen et al.1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics

Preparing Ferro-Nickel Alloy from Low-Grade Laterite Nickel Ore Based on Metallized Reduction–Magnetic Separation

Nickel, a valued metal, mainly exists as nickel oxide in laterite nickel ore. Furthermore, a large part of the laterite nickel ore is low-grade saprolitic ore. In this paper, a research on preparing ferro-nickel alloy from low-grade saprolitic laterite nickel ore using metallized reduction-magnetic separation was studied. In the research, the carbothermic reductions of iron oxide and nickel oxide were analyzed in terms of thermodynamics. The influences of reduction temperature, reduction time, carbon ratio, and CaO addition on the recoveries and grades of iron and nickel were experimentally investigated. To analyze and clarify the related mechanism, the microstructure of ferro-nickel alloy was observed by optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope/energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDS). Accordingly, the results showed that, increasing reduction temperature can improve the grades and recoveries of nickel and iron; appropriate reduction time, carbon ratio and CaO addition can favor aggregation and growing up of the ferro-nickel particles, improving the grades and recoveries of nickel and iron. The optimal process parameters obtained were a reduction temperature of 1350 °C, reduction time of 2 h, carbon ratio of 1.2, and CaO addition of 10%. In this case, the ferro-nickel alloy with nickel grade 7.90% and iron grade 77.32% was prepared successfully from the low-grade saprolitic ore with nickel content 1.82%. The nickel and iron recoveries were 89.36% and 95.87% respectively, which achieved the highly efficient recovery and utilization of iron and nickel of low-grade laterite nickel ore

Revealing the Softening-Melting Behaviors and Slag Characteristics of Vanadium-Titanium Magnetite Burden with Various MgO Addition

MgO addition plays an essential role in the blast furnace smelting process, including softening-melting characteristics and metallurgical properties of slag. In the present study, the effect of MgO distribution on the softening-melting characteristics and slag system of vanadium-titanium magnetite burden were explored by simulating BF conditions. The results show that the MgO flux addition significantly affects the crystallization temperature of slag-phase, the precipitated phase components, and slag viscosity. This indicates that appropriate MgO addition can improve the metallurgical properties of blast furnace slag effectively, thereby improving the softening-melting-dripping performance of the mixed burden. The V-Ti pellets with a MgO content higher than 2.40 wt% exhibit optimum metallurgical properties. With a constant MgO content in mixed burden, the softening-melting properties of composite burden could be improved effectively as the MgO partitioning scheme includes 1.90 wt% MgO in sinter and 3.02 wt% MgO in pellet

Titanium distribution between blast furnace slag and iron for blast furnace linings protection

Titanium-bearing materials are commonly adopted for the protection of blast furnace hearth in the actual practices. In this study, the effects of smelting temperature, amount of TiO addition, slag basicity and MgO content on the titanium distribution behaviours were experimentally studied using high-temperature smelting, equilibrium and quenching with EPMA techniques. The experiments results show that the increases in smelting temperature and TiO content in the slag contributes to the transformation of titanium from the slag into the iron. While the increasing slag binary basicity suppresses the reduction of titanium oxides. The change of MgO content has a slight influence on the titanium distribution. The plant data from the operating blast furnace were also extracted for comparisons and the trends well agree with the present measurements

Genome-Wide Association Study of Six Forage Traits in Ramie (Boehmeria nivea L. Gaud)

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) of six forage traits using whole-genome sequencing data generated from 301 ramie accessions found that traits were continuously distributed; the maximum variant coefficient was fresh weight per clump (FWPC) (2019) and individual plant height (IPH) (2019) minimum. Correlation analysis demonstrated that 2019 and 2020 results were similar; all traits were correlated. GWAS analysis demonstrated that six traits exhibited consistent and precise association signals. Of the latter, 104 were significant and detected in 43 genomic regions. By screening forage trait-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms and combining Manhattan map with genome annotation, signals were categorized according to functional annotations. One loci associated with fresh weight per plant (FWP) (chromosome 5; Bnt05G007759), two associated with FWPC (chromosome 13; Bnt13G018582, and Bnt13G018583), and two associated with leaf dry weight per plant (LDWP) and dry weight per plant (DWP) (chromosome 4; Bnt04G005779 and Bnt04G005780), were identified. We describe forage trait candidate genes that are highly correlated with FWP and FWPC; Bnt05G007759 may be involved in nitrogen metabolism, while Bnt13G018582 and Bnt13G018583 may encode TEOSINTE branch 1/CYCLOIDEA/proliferating cytokine 1 (TCP) domains. Bnt04G005779 and Bnt04G005780, which may regulate growth and development, are highly related to LDWP and DWP. These genomic resources will provide a basis for breeding varieties

Diarrhea induced by insufficient fat absorption in weaned piglets: Causes and nutrition regulation

Fat is one of the three macronutrients and a significant energy source for piglets. It plays a positive role in maintaining intestinal health and improving production performance. During the weaning period, physiological, stress and diet-related factors influence the absorption of fat in piglets, leading to damage to the intestinal barrier, diarrhea and even death. Signaling pathways, such as fatty acid translocase (CD36), pregnane X receptor (PXR), and AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK), are responsible for regulating intestinal fat uptake and maintaining intestinal barrier function. Therefore, this review mainly elaborates on the reasons for diarrhea induced by insufficient fat absorption and related signaling pathways in weaned-piglets, with an emphasis on the intestinal fat absorption disorder. Moreover, we focus on introducing nutritional strategies that can promote intestinal fat absorption in piglets with insufficient fat absorption-related diarrhea, such as lipase, amino acids, and probiotics