Surface properites of coal and their effects on the selective oil agglomeration process

The heat of immersion of coal in water and various organic liquids provides a useful means for characterizing the surface of the material, while the oil-water-coal, three-phase contact angle provides a characterization of the coal surface as well as the interactions among oil, water, and coal. Such characterizations may provide an indication of how well the coal will respond to cleaning by the froth flotation and oil agglomeration methods which are controlled by the surface properties of the material;The heat of immersion of two types of coal in water and in several different organic liquids was determined with a microcalorimeter. The effects of particle size and moisture content were also investigated. The heat of immersion was found to depend on the total wetted surface area of the coal including both the external particle surface and a portion of the internal pore surface. For a given coal and a given liquid, the heat of immersion correlated well with particle size;The suction potential method for measuring the three-phase contact angle was modified and used to determine the oil-water-solid contact angle for particles of graphite and coal. The modification greatly reduced the measurement time and made the method more controllable. The three-phase contact angle was found to vary with coal rank and particle size;The heat of immersion of coal in water and the three-phase contact angle were used along with the hydrophilicity index calculated from the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) absorption spectrum to characterize the surface properties of raw and oxidized coals. Two coals, highly hydrophobic No.2 Gas Seam coal, and moderately hydrophobic Colchester Seam coal, were oxidized at 150°C in air for a series of time intervals. When the oxidation time was varied for a given coal, the measured three-phase contact angle for oxidized coal correlated well with the heat of immersion and the hydrophilicity index. The oil agglomeration response of these coals was determined by measuring the agglomeration recovery and relative turbidity change of the coal particle suspension. The agglomeration response correlated well with either the three-phase contact angle, the heat of immersion, or the hydrophilicity index;The measured contact angle of oil-water-coal systems indicates that agglomerates are held together by oil bridges between coal particles. The more oleophilic the coal surface, the larger the binding force. The presence of air bubbles on a hydrophobic coal surface was found to favor the attachment of oil droplets on the coal surface and promote a higher initial agglomeration rate than that observed in the absence of air bubbles

A stability condition for turbulence model: From EMMS model to EMMS-based turbulence model

The closure problem of turbulence is still a challenging issue in turbulence modeling. In this work, a stability condition is used to close turbulence. Specifically, we regard single-phase flow as a mixture of turbulent and non-turbulent fluids, separating the structure of turbulence. Subsequently, according to the picture of the turbulent eddy cascade, the energy contained in turbulent flow is decomposed into different parts and then quantified. A turbulence stability condition, similar to the principle of the energy-minimization multi-scale (EMMS) model for gas-solid systems, is formulated to close the dynamic constraint equations of turbulence, allowing the heterogeneous structural parameters of turbulence to be optimized. We call this model the `EMMS-based turbulence model', and use it to construct the corresponding turbulent viscosity coefficient. To validate the EMMS-based turbulence model, it is used to simulate two classical benchmark problems, lid-driven cavity flow and turbulent flow with forced convection in an empty room. The numerical results show that the EMMS-based turbulence model improves the accuracy of turbulence modeling due to it considers the principle of compromise in competition between viscosity and inertia.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figures, 2 table

Variations in decay resistance of cryptomeria fortunei

Cryptomeria fortunei has been widely planted in many cities in southern China. Eventually some of this material may be utilized for timber, but there are relatively few studies of durability of this resource.   There is also some question as to whether Cryptomeria fortunei is a synonym for Cryptomeria japonica or Japanese cedar (Sugi). Evaluating the durability of the Chinese resource will help ensure that the decay resistance of this urban plantation resource is properly categorized. The decay resistance of Cryptomeria fortunei wood was assessed in soil block and agar block tests against Trametes versicolor, Gloeophyllum trabeum and Rhodonia placenta. Hot water and ethanol extractive contents of the heartwood were determined on sections from various distances above ground and then FTIR spectroscopy was used to characterize the wood before and after fungal exposure. Weight losses in sapwood were consistent with the minimal decay resistance of this portion of the wood. Inner and outer heartwood weight losses were more variable suggesting that the heartwood of this species would be considered to be only moderately durable.  Extractives were weakly correlated with decay resistance. FTIR results were more variable, although they suggested heavier attack of lignin components by the brown rot fungi. The results suggest that Cryptomeria fortunei would need to be protected from the weather unless supplemental preservative treatments were applied

Small RNA Sequencing Reveals Regulatory Roles of MicroRNAs in the Development of Meloidogyne incognita

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an extensive class of small regulatory RNAs. Knowing the specific expression and functions of miRNAs during root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne incognita) development could provide fundamental information about RKN development as well as a means to design new strategies to control RKN infection, a major problem of many important crops. Employing high throughput deep sequencing, we identified a total of 45 conserved and novel miRNAs from two developmental stages of RKN, eggs and J2 juveniles, during their infection of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Twenty-one of the miRNAs were differentially expressed between the two stages. Compared with their expression in eggs, two miRNAs were upregulated (miR252 and miRN19), whereas 19 miRNAs were downregulated in J2 juveniles. Nine miRNAs were expressed at high levels, with >1000 reads per mapped million (RPM) sequenced reads in both eggs and J2 juveniles (miR1, miR124, miR2-3p, miR252, miR279, miR57-5p, miR7904, miR87, and miR92). Three miRNAs were only expressed in eggs (miR4738, miRN3, and miRN5). These differentially expressed miRNAs may control RKN development by regulating specific protein-coding genes in pathways associated with RKN growth and development

Knock-Down of a Tonoplast Localized Low-Affinity Nitrate Transporter OsNPF7.2 Affects Rice Growth under High Nitrate Supply

The large nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family (NPF) has been shown to transport diverse substrates, including nitrate, amino acids, peptides, phytohormones, and glucosinolates. However, the rice (Oryza sativa) root-specific expressed member OsNPF7.2 has not been characterized. Here, our data show that OsNPF7.2 is a tonoplast localized low-affinity nitrate transporter, and affects rice growth under high nitrate supply. The expression analysis showed that OsNPF7.2 was mainly expressed in the elongation and maturation zones of roots, especially in the root sclerenchyma, cortex and stele. It was also induced by high concentrations of nitrate. Subcellular localization analysis showed that OsNPF7.2 was localized on the tonoplast of large and small vacuoles. Heterogenous expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes suggested that OsNPF7.2 was a low-affinity nitrate transporter. Knock-down of OsNPF7.2 retarded rice growth under high concentrations of nitrate. Therefore, we deduce that OsNPF7.2 plays a role in intracellular allocation of nitrate in roots, and thus influences rice growth under high nitrate supply

Comparison of Analysis and Spectral Nudging Techniques for Dynamical Downscaling with the WRF Model over China

To overcome the problem that the horizontal resolution of global climate models may be too low to resolve features which are important at the regional or local scales, dynamical downscaling has been extensively used. However, dynamical downscaling results generally drift away from large-scale driving fields. The nudging technique can be used to balance the performance of dynamical downscaling at large and small scales, but the performances of the two nudging techniques (analysis nudging and spectral nudging) are debated. Moreover, dynamical downscaling is now performed at the convection-permitting scale to reduce the parameterization uncertainty and obtain the finer resolution. To compare the performances of the two nudging techniques in this study, three sensitivity experiments (with no nudging, analysis nudging, and spectral nudging) covering a period of two months with a grid spacing of 6 km over continental China are conducted to downscale the 1-degree National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) dataset with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Compared with observations, the results show that both of the nudging experiments decrease the bias of conventional meteorological elements near the surface and at different heights during the process of dynamical downscaling. However, spectral nudging outperforms analysis nudging for predicting precipitation, and analysis nudging outperforms spectral nudging for the simulation of air humidity and wind speed

MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in cartilage homeostasis and osteoarthritis

During the last decade, osteoarthritis (OA) has become one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal diseases worldwide. OA is characterized by progressive loss of articular cartilage, abnormal remodeling of subchondral bone, hyperplasia of synovial cells, and growth of osteophytes, which lead to chronic pain and disability. The pathological mechanisms underlying OA initiation and progression are still poorly understood. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute a large portion of the transcriptome that do not encode proteins but function in numerous biological processes. Cumulating evidence has revealed a strong association between the changes in expression levels of ncRNA and the disease progression of OA. Moreover, loss- and gain-of-function studies utilizing transgenic animal models have demonstrated that ncRNAs exert vital functions in regulating cartilage homeostasis, degeneration, and regeneration, and changes in ncRNA expression can promote or decelerate the progression of OA through distinct molecular mechanisms. Recent studies highlighted the potential of ncRNAs to serve as diagnostic biomarkers, prognostic indicators, and therapeutic targets for OA. MiRNAs and lncRNAs are two major classes of ncRNAs that have been the most widely studied in cartilage tissues. In this review, we focused on miRNAs and lncRNAs and provided a comprehensive understanding of their functional roles as well as molecular mechanisms in cartilage homeostasis and OA pathogenesis

Disorder-induced excitation continuum in a spin-1/2 cobaltate on a triangular lattice

A spin-1/2 triangular-lattice antiferromagnet is a prototypical frustrated quantum magnet, which exhibits remarkable quantum many-body effects that arise from the synergy between geometric spin frustration and quantum fluctuations. It can host quantum frustrated magnetic topological phenomena like quantum spin liquid (QSL) states, highlighted by the presence of fractionalized quasiparticles within a continuum of magnetic excitations. In this work, we use neutron scattering to study CoZnMo$_3$O$_8$, which has a triangular lattice of Jeff = 1/2 Co2+ ions with octahedral coordination. We found a wave-vector-dependent excitation continuum at low energy that disappears with increasing temperature. Although these excitations are reminiscent of a spin excitation continuum in a QSL state, their presence in CoZnMo$_3$O$_8$ originates from magnetic intersite disorder-induced dynamic spin states with peculiar excitations. Our results, therefore, give direct experimental evidence for the presence of a disorder-induced spin excitation continuum

Stable isotope variations in particulate organic matter and a planktivorous fish in the Yangtze River

Temporal and spatial changes in delta(13) C and delta 15 N of particulate organic matter (POM) and Hemiculter leucisculus were studied in the Yangtze River of China. Isotopic signatures of POM showed seasonal variations, which was assumed to be associated with allochthonous organic input and autochthonous phytoplankton growth. delta C-13 of H. leucisculus was 1.1 % higher than that of POM, which suggested that the food source of H. leucisculus was mostly from the POM. A mass balance model indicated the trophic position of H. leucisculus in the food web of Yangtze River was estimated to be 2.0 - 2.1, indicating that this fish mainly feeds on planktonic organic matter, which agreed with previous gut content analysis.Temporal and spatial changes in delta(13) C and delta 15 N of particulate organic matter (POM) and Hemiculter leucisculus were studied in the Yangtze River of China. Isotopic signatures of POM showed seasonal variations, which was assumed to be associated with allochthonous organic input and autochthonous phytoplankton growth. delta C-13 of H. leucisculus was 1.1 % higher than that of POM, which suggested that the food source of H. leucisculus was mostly from the POM. A mass balance model indicated the trophic position of H. leucisculus in the food web of Yangtze River was estimated to be 2.0 - 2.1, indicating that this fish mainly feeds on planktonic organic matter, which agreed with previous gut content analysis