Molecular dynamics simulations of the interaction between OH radicals in plasma with poly-β-1–6-N-acetylglucosamine

Cold atmospheric plasma shows a satisfactory ability to inactivate bacterial biofilms that are difficult to remove using conventional methods in some cases. However, the researches on the inactivation mechanism are not quite sufficient. Poly-β-1–6-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), which is one of the important components in some biofilms, was used as the research subject, and the related mechanism of action triggered by different concentrations of the OH in plasma was studied using reactive molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that OH radicals could not only trigger the hydrogen abstraction reaction leading to cleavage of the PNAG molecular structure, but undergo an OH addition reaction with PNAG molecules. New reaction pathways appeared in the simulations as the OH concentration increased, but the reaction efficiency first increased and then decreased. The simulation study in this paper could, to some extent, help elucidate the microscopic mechanism of the interaction between OH radicals in plasma and bacterial biofilms at the atomic level.     

Soft landing of runaway currents by ohmic field in J-TEXT tokamak

Recently, experimental studies on the soft landing of RE current by ohmic (OH) field have been performed in J-TEXT tokamak, as a possible auxiliary method to dissipate the RE current. With optimized horizontal displacement control of the RE beam, the toroidal electric field has been scanned from 1.6 to - 0.3 V m ^-1 during the RE plateau phase. The growth rate of RE currents and the evolution of hard x-ray (HXR) emissions have been studied. It is found that when the toroidal electric field is less than 7–12 times the theoretical critical electric field, the decay of REs could be achieved. The dissipation rate by the ohmic field can reach a maximum value of 3 MA s^-1.Furthermore, the results of HXR spectra analysis indicate the different behaviors of HXR emissions under the condition of different toroidal electric fields. The analysis of the ionized argon emissions and magnetic fluctuations shows that under the condition of different toroidal electric fields, the physical process of RE generation may be different.     

An image-based approach to the reconstruction of ancient architectures by extracting and arranging 3D spatial components

The objective of this research is the rapid reconstruction of ancient buildings of historical importance using a single image. The key idea of our approach is to reduce the infinite solutions that might otherwise arise when recovering a 3D geometry from 2D photographs. The main outcome of our research shows that the proposed methodology can be used to reconstruct ancient monuments for use as proxies for digital effects in applications such as tourism, games, and entertainment, which do not require very accurate modeling. In this article, we consider the reconstruction of ancient Mughal architecture including the Taj Mahal. We propose a modeling pipeline that makes an easy reconstruction possible using a single photograph taken from a single view, without the need to create complex point clouds from multiple images or the use of laser scanners. First, an initial model is automatically reconstructed using locally fitted planar primitives along with their boundary polygons and the adjacency relation among parts of the polygons. This approach is faster and more accurate than creating a model from scratch because the initial reconstruction phase provides a set of structural information together with the adjacency relation, which makes it possible to estimate the approximate depth of the entire structural monument. Next, we use manual extrapolation and editing techniques with modeling software to assemble and adjust different 3D components of the model. Thus, this research opens up the opportunity for the present generation to experience remote sites of architectural and cultural importance through virtual worlds and real-time mobile applications. Variations of a recreated 3D monument to represent an amalgam of various cultures are targeted for future work.     

Separation of hematite from banded hematite jasper (BHJ) by magnetic coating

The separation of iron oxide from banded hematite jasper(BHJ) assaying 47.8% Fe, 25.6% Si O2 and 2.30%Al2O3 using selective magnetic coating was studied. Characterization studies of the low grade ore indicate that besides hematite and goethite,jasper, a microcrystalline form of quartzite, is the major impurity associated with this ore. Beneficiation by conventional magnetic separation technique could yield a magnetic concentrate containing 60.8% Fe with 51% Fe recovery. In order to enhance the recovery of the iron oxide minerals, fine magnetite, colloidal magnetite and oleate colloidal magnetite were used as the coating material. When subjected to magnetic separation, the coated ore produces an iron concentrate containing 60.2% Fe with an enhanced recovery of56%. The AFM studies indicate that the coagulation of hematite particles with the oleate colloidal magnetite facilitates the higher recovery of iron particles from the low grade BHJ iron ore under appropriate conditions.     

Influence of pH of spray solution on optoelectronic properties of cadmium oxide thin films

Highly conducting transparent cadmium oxide thin films were prepared by the conventional spray pyrolysis technique. The pH of the spray solution is varied by adding ammonia/hydrochloric acid. The effect of pH on the morphology, crystallinity and optoelectronic properties of these films is studied. The structural analysis showed all the films in the cubic phase. For the films with pH < 7(acidic condition), the preferred orientation is along the(111) direction and for those with pH >7(alkaline condition), the preferred orientation is along the(200) direction.A lowest resistivity of 9.9104 cm(with carrier concentration D5.11020cm3, mobility D12.4 cm2/(V s))is observed for pH12. The resistivity is tuned almost by three orders of magnitude by controlling the bath pH with optical transmittance more than 70%. Thus, the electrical conductivity of CdO films could be easily tuned by simply varying the pH of the spray solution without compromising the optical transparency.     

Strain rate dependency and fragmentation pattern of expanding warheads

For the characterization of the behaviors of a metal material in events like expanding warheads, it is necessary to know its strength and ductility at high strain rates, around 104e105/s. The flyer plate impact testing produces the uniform stress and strain rates but the testing is expensive. The Taylor test is relatively inexpensive but produces non-uniform stress and strain fields, and the results are not so easily inferred for material modeling. In the split-Hopkinson bar(SHB), which may be used in compression, tension and torsion testing, the strain rates never exceeds 103/s. In the present work, we use the expanding ring test where the strain rate is 104e105/s. A streak camera is used to examine the expanding ring velocity, and a water tank is used to collect the fragments. The experimental results are compared with the numerical simulations using the hydrocodes AUTODYN, IMPETUS Afea and a regularized smooth particle(RSPH) software. The number of fragments increases with the increase in the expansion velocity of the rings. The number of fragments is similar to the experimental results. The RSPH software shows much the same results as the AUTODYN where the Lagrangian solver is used for the ring. The IMPETUS Afea solver shows a somewhat different fragmentation characteristic due to the node splitting algorithm that induces pronounced tensile splitting.     

Effect of the addition of rare earths on the activity of alumina supported copper cobaltite in CO oxidation,CH4 oxidationand NO decomposition

The effect of the addition of small amounts of rare earths(Ln=La, Ce, Nd and Gd) to alumina supported copper-cobalt spinel oxide on the catalysts efficiency in CO and CH4 oxidation and in NO decomposition was investigated. Samples of Ln/Cu Co/Al catalyst were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), atomic absorption spectroscopy(AAS), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy(SEM-EDS), H2-temperature-programmed reduction(H2-TPR), electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR) spectroscopy and low temperature nitrogen adsorption. The results showed that the addition of rare earths changed the surface state of the alumina supported copper-cobalt spinel catalyst. As a result, partial reduction of copper species was observed as well as migration of these species between the surface and the bulk. The Ln/Cu Co/Al catalysts behaved differently in oxidation and reduction processes. In oxidation processes where oxide structure was important, Ce/Cu Co/Al and Nd/Cu Co/Al were the most active catalysts. The catalyst Ce/Cu Co/Al was the most active in the oxidation reactions because of the availability and favorable surface distribution of the redox couples Cu+/Cu2+ and Ce3+/Ce4+. In NO decompostion, Ln-modified catalysts significantly improved the selectivity of the process to N2.     

Performance of insulated FRP-strengthened concrete flexural members under fire conditions

This paper presents the results of fire resistance tests on carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) strengthened concrete flexural members, i.e., T-beams and slabs. The strengthened members were protected with fire insulation and tested under the combined effects of thermal and structural loading. The variables considered in the tests include the applied load level, extent of strengthening, and thickness of the fire insulation applied to the beams and slabs. Furthermore, a previously developed numerical model was validated against the data generated from the fire tests; subsequently, it was utilized to undertake a case study. Results from fire tests and numerical studies indicate that owing to the protection provided by the fire insulation, the insulated CFRP-strengthened beams and slabs can withstand four and three hours of standard fire exposure, respectively, under service load conditions. The insulation layer impedes the temperature rise in the member; therefore, the CFRP–concrete composite action remains active for a longer duration and the steel reinforcement temperature remains below 400°C, which in turn enhances the capacity of the beams and slabs.     

香港大馆

<正>位于香港商业中心的"大馆",其前身是中央警署、中央裁判法院及域多利监狱,一座由各种历史建筑组成并被围墙围起的古建筑群,而如今是香港现存最重要的历史遗址之一。在2006年停止使用并清空后,这里只留下一块空地以及一系列独特的建筑,其中院落由阅兵场及监狱两大部分组成。设计团队的目标是保持二者的开放性及独立性的同时赋予它们新的活     

Amination of biochar surface from watermelon peel for toxic chromium removal enhancement

Watermelon peel residues were used to produce a new biochar by dehydration method. The new biochar has undergone two methods of chemical modification and the effect of this chemical modification on its ability to adsorb Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solution has been investigated. Three biochars, Melon-B, Melon-BO-NH_2 and Melon-BO-TETA, were made from watermelon peel via dehydration with 50% sulfuric acid to give Melon-B followed by oxidation with ozone and amination using ammonium hydroxide to give Melon-BO-NH_2 or Triethylenetetramine(TETA) to give Melon-BO-TETA. The prepared biochars were characterized by BET, BJH,SEM, FT-IR, TGA, DSC and EDAX analyses. The highest removal percentage of Cr(VI) ions was 69% for Melon-B,98% for Melon-BO-NH_2 and 99% for Melon-BO-TETA biochars of 100 mg·L~(-1) Cr(VI) ions initial concentration and 1.0 g·L~(-1) adsorbents dose. The unmodified biochar(Melon-B) and modified biochars(Melon-BO-NH_2 and Melon-BO-TETA) had maximum adsorption capacities(Qm) of 72.46, 123.46, and 333.33 mg·g~(-1), respectively.The amination of biochar reduced the pore size of modified biochar, whereas the surface area was enhanced.The obtained data of isotherm models were tested using different error function equations. The Freundlich,Tempkin and Langmuir isotherm models were best fitted to the experimental data of Melon-B, Melon-BO-NH_2 and Melon-BO-TETA, respectively. The adsorption rate was primarily controlled by pseudo-second–order rate model. Conclusively, the functional groups interactions are important for adsorption mechanisms and expected to control the adsorption process. The adsorption for the Melon-B, Melon-BO-NH_2 and Melon-BO-TETA could be explained for acid–base interaction and hydrogen bonding interaction.