内蒙古呼伦贝尔早中生代花岗岩的年代学和岩石地球化学研究：对岩石成因和地球动力学机制的制约

微细粒钛铁矿的回收制约着我国攀西地区钛资源的高效开发利用。四川某矿业公司的斜板溢流原矿属辉石、橄榄石混合型钛铁矿，且粒度极细，-19 μm产率为79.22％，其中TiO2分布率为87.54％。研究结果表明，预先采用强磁选可有效消除部分超微细粒钛辉石、橄榄石等易浮杂质对浮选分离的不利影响，磁选精矿通过一次粗选五次精选一次精扫选流程，可获得钛精矿产率为21.85％，TiO2品位为47.44％，回收率为62.89％的良好指标，为矿山高效利用钛资源提供了合理的技术方案。     

Control Model for Large‐Sized Gantry Type Linear Motor Slider

At present, many industrial carrier devices utilize linear motor sliders. However, a heavier load requires a linear motor (which is an example of a direct drive device) to get higher power, compared with a rotary motor with a ball screw slider (which is an example of an indirect drive device). In order to obtain higher power at a lower cost, a linear slider with multiple motors can be utilized, for example, a gantry type linear motor slider. Moving the gantry type slider requires two linear motors that are set up in parallel to enable synchronization control. Some conventional synchronization control methods have been proposed for the parallel twin linear slider; however, a large‐scaled gantry type linear motor slider has two unique problems: mechanical distortion caused by the limitations of installation environment and coupling caused by joints with low stiffness. This paper proposes a control model to solve these problems, and an identification method of each parameter. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the control model is verified by comparison with simulation results and experimental results.     

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles prepared by microwave hydrothermal synthesis and adsorption efficiency for organic dyes: Isotherms,thermodynamics and kinetic studies

Magnetic nanoferrites (MFe₂O₄, M = Co, Ni) were successfully synthesised through microwave-hydrothermal route, characterised and used for adsorption of Eriochrome Black T (EBT) and Bromophenol Blue (BRB) dyes from their aqueous solution. The powder XRD patterns confirmed the formation of cubic spinel structure for both the ferrites. Under identical conditions, the adsorption efficiency of CoFe₂O₄ was found relatively higher than the corresponding NiFe₂O_4. Further characterisations revealed that CoFe₂O₄ sample was nearly spherical in size (8–9 nm) with narrow size distribution. The sample showed superparamagnetic behaviour with saturation magnetization (M_s) value (66.4 emu/g). BET surface area calculated for the synthesized cobalt ferrite as 70.9 m²/g. Batch adsorption experiments as a function of initial dye concentration, pH, contact time and adsorbent dose showed the adsorption of dyes depends on pH. Equilibrium adsorption data were well explained by both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacities (Q_o) were found to be 82.6 and 25.6 mg/g for EBT and BRB dyes, respectively. Kinetics of the adsorption was best described by pseudo-second-order model. Various thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG, ΔH and ΔS derived from adsorption data over the temperature range 20–50 °C, accounted for a favourable, spontaneous, endothermic physisorption process. The materials showed potential for repeated use without significant decrease in adsorption capacity after proper regeneration.     

β-环糊精修饰Ni/SFCC强化C9石油树脂催化加氢性能

以废弃的流化催化裂化催化剂（简称SFCC）为载体、β-环糊精为金属络合剂、硝酸镍为镍源，采用湿法浸渍法制备β-环糊精修饰的Ni/SFCC催化剂（简称Ni/SFCC-CD催化剂），考察其对C9石油树脂的催化加氢性能。通过BET比表面积测试、H2程序升温还原、X射线光电子能谱等手段对催化剂的物相结构进行表征，研究β-环糊精的作用机理及其对催化剂加氢性能的影响。研究结果表明：在反应温度为260 ℃、反应压力为7 MPa、反应时间为2.0 h的最优条件下，采用Ni/SFCC-CD催化C9石油树脂加氢，可制得溴值为1.45 gBr/（100 g）、色号（加纳德）小于1的水白色氢化C9石油树脂，催化剂循环使用4次后仍保持良好活性；β-环糊精的作用机理是：β-环糊精与硝酸镍产生络合作用，抑制硝酸镍的分解、控制NiO的结晶过程和增强活性组分Ni与载体之间的相互作用力，从而提高了Ni/SFCC-CD的催化活性和稳定性。     

耦合效应下压力型锚索锚固机理的近似理论分析

为了更加精确地研究压力型锚索的锚固机理,基于锚索预应力与岩土体蠕变的耦合效应推导了锚索预应力方程。在此基础上根据Mindlin问题解,推导了耦合效应作用下锚索砂浆体的压应力和剪应力近似解,并考虑锚索预应力与岩土体蠕变之间的耦合效应进行了案例分析。研究结果表明:锚索预应力和砂浆体受到的应力峰值均按反幂函数随时间逐渐衰减并稳定;承压板的长宽比与压应力峰值之间存在正相关关系,与剪应力峰值之间存在负相关关系;岩土体的泊松比与应力峰值之间存在正相关关系。该成果丰富了压力型锚索锚固机理的理论研究,可为边坡锚固设计提供一定的理论依据。     

Sequence-Dependent Nanofiber Structures of Phenylalanine and Isoleucine Tripeptides

The molecular design of short peptides to achieve a tailor-made functional architecture has attracted attention during the past decade but remains challenging as a result of insufficient understanding of the relationship between peptide sequence and assembled supramolecular structures. We report a hybrid-resolution model to computationally explore the sequence–structure relationship of self-assembly for tripeptides containing only phenylalanine and isoleucine. We found that all these tripeptides have a tendency to assemble into nanofibers composed of laterally associated filaments. Molecular arrangements within the assemblies are diverse and vary depending on the sequences. This structural diversity originates from (1) distinct conformations of peptide building blocks that lead to different surface geometries of the filaments and (2) unique sidechain arrangements at the filament interfaces for each sequence. Many conformations are available for tripeptides in solution, but only an extended β-strand and another resembling a right-handed turn are observed in assemblies. It was found that the sequence dependence of these conformations and the packing of resulting filaments are determined by multiple competing noncovalent forces, with hydrophobic interactions involving Phe being particularly important. The sequence pattern for each type of assembly conformation and packing has been identified. These results highlight the importance of the interplay between conformation, molecular packing, and sequences for determining detailed nanostructures of peptides and provide a detailed insight to support a more precise design of peptide-based nanomaterials.     

Targets (Metabolic Mediators) of Therapeutic Importance in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), an extremely aggressive invasive cancer, is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States. The higher mortality in PDAC is often attributed to the inability to detect it until it has reached advanced stages. The major challenge in tackling PDAC is due to its elusive pathology, minimal effectiveness, and resistance to existing therapeutics. The aggressiveness of PDAC is due to the capacity of tumor cells to alter their metabolism, utilize the diverse available fuel sources to adapt and grow in a hypoxic and harsh environment. Therapeutic resistance is due to the presence of thick stroma with poor angiogenesis, thus making drug delivery to tumor cells difficult. Investigating the metabolic mediators and enzymes involved in metabolic reprogramming may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets. The metabolic mediators of glucose, glutamine, lipids, nucleotides, amino acids and mitochondrial metabolism have emerged as novel therapeutic targets. Additionally, the role of autophagy, macropinocytosis, lysosomal transport, recycling, amino acid transport, lipid transport, and the role of reactive oxygen species has also been discussed. The role of various pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune cells in the pathogenesis of PDAC and the metabolites involved in the signaling pathways as therapeutic targets have been previously discussed. This review focuses on the therapeutic potential of metabolic mediators in PDAC along with stemness due to metabolic alterations and their therapeutic importance.     

Effects of Synthesis Conditions on the Formation of Si-Substituted Alpha Tricalcium Phosphates

Powders of α-TCP containing various amounts of silicon were synthesized by two different methods: Wet chemical precipitation and solid-state synthesis. The obtained powders were then physico–chemically studied using different methods: Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), infrared and Raman spectroscopies (FT-IR and R), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR). The study showed that the method of synthesis affects the morphology of the obtained particles, the homogeneity of crystalline phase and the efficiency of Si substitution. Solid-state synthesis leads to particles with a low tendency to agglomerate compared to the precipitation method. However, the powders obtained by the solid-state method are less homogeneous and contain a significant amount of other crystalline phase, silicocarnotite (up to 7.33%). Moreover, the microcrystals from this method are more disordered. This might be caused by more efficient substitution of silicate ions: The silicon content of the samples obtained by the solid-state method is almost equal to the nominal values.     

Extensive evaluation and classification of low-cost dust sensors in laboratory using a newly developed test method

An extensive evaluation of low-cost dust sensors was performed using an exponentially decaying particle concentration. A total of 264 sensors including 27 sensors with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and 237 sensors with laser lighting sources were tested. Those tested sensors were classified into 4 groups based on the deviation from the reference data obtained by a reference instrument. The response linearities of all the tested samples for PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ were in excellent agreement with the reference instrument, except a few samples. For the measurements of PM₁ and PM_2.5, the lighting source, that is, LED or laser, did not show any significant difference in overall sensor performance. However, LED-based sensors did not perform well for PM₁₀ measurements. The 32, 24, and 16% of all the tested sensors for PM₁, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀ measurement, respectively, are in the category of Class 1 (reference instrument reading ± 20%) requirement. The performance of the low-cost dust sensors for PM₁₀ measurement was relatively less satisfactory.     

The effect of traffic data source on deterioration rates of heavy-duty flexible pavements

The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of traffic data source (estimated vs. actual) on predicted progression rates of roughness and rutting for heavy-duty flexible pavements of rural freeways. Progression rates are predicted using calibrated HDM-4 models. The assessment is performed in terms of variations in maintenance intervention timing associated with the variations in progression rates. Time series pavement condition data (covering 3–5 years) have been collected for 7 sections of rural freeways for use in calibrating HDM-4 deterioration models. They range in length from 10 to 60.8 km and cover different traffic volumes, climate zones and subgrade soil types. For these sections, estimated annual average daily traffic (AADT), growth factors and assumed loading have been extracted from relevant database. Only six segments of these sections have Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) sites so relevant actual AADT, growth factors and axle load distributions have been extracted from WIM reports. The results of running the calibrated HDM-4 deterioration models using different traffic data show that actual traffic data from WIM sites result in higher rates of deterioration to that of estimated data for four sites, resulting in earlier intervention timing and higher present value agency cost. The other two sites have lower rates with actual data due to lower traffic loading than estimated.