Steam radish sprout (Raphanus sativus L.): active substances,antioxidant activities and non-targeted metabolomics analysis

Various active substances, antioxidant activities and primary differential metabolite profiles were investigated to assess the nutritional quality of radish sprouts steamed for 0–300 s. The levels of flavonoids, total phenolic content and isothiocyanate in radish sprouts decreased with increased steaming time, and DPPH radical scavenging activity levels and superoxide dismutase levels also exhibited a downward trend (P < 0.05). By contrast, total phenolic acid, ferric-reducing antioxidant power and reducing power levels exhibited significant increases in the early short-term steaming process (P < 0.05). Steaming for 30 s promoted the accumulation of vitamin B₂, whereas, steaming for 300 s promoted the accumulation of phospholipids and myristic acid to a greater extent than steaming for 30 s. Overall, there was a partial non-decreased nutritional indicator in short-term steaming of radish sprouts, and a longer steaming time positively affected the differential metabolites.     

Comprehensive branching analysis of polyethylene by combined fractionation and thermal analysis

Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) differ significantly in their branching types and branching distributions. For a comprehensive analysis, preparative temperature rising elution fractionation and/or preparative molar mass fractionation are used to fractionate typical LLDPE and LDPE bulk resins into narrowly distributed fractions. The chain structures of the bulk resins and their fractions are further analysed using SEC, crystallization analysis fractionation, DSC and high‐temperature HPLC to provide detailed information on short chain branching in LLDPE and long chain branching in LDPE. For LDPE it is shown that the multiple fractionation approach is a powerful source of sample libraries that may have similar molar masses and different branching structures or alternatively similar branching but different molar masses. The analysis of these library samples by thermal analysis provides a much deeper insight into the molecular heterogeneity of the samples compared to bulk sample analysis. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Modified transform-based gamma correction for MRI tumor image denoising and segmentation by optimized histon-based elephant herding algorithm

Medical image processing is typically performed to diagnose a patient's brain tumor prior to surgery. In this study, a technique in denoising and segmentation was developed to improve medical image processing. The proposed approach employs multiple modules. In the first module, the noisy brain tumor image is transformed into multiple low- and high-pass tetrolet coefficients. In the second module, multiple low-pass tetrolet coefficients are applied through a modified transform-based gamma correction method. Generalized cross-validation is used on multiple high-pass tetrolet coefficients to obtain the best threshold value. In the third module, all enhanced coefficients are applied to the partial differential equation method. In the final module, the denoised image is applied to Atanassov's intuitionistic fuzzy set histon-based fuzzy clustering method with centroid optimization using an elephant herding method. Accordingly, the tumor part is segmented from the nontumor part in the magnetic resonance imaging brain images. The method was assessed in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio, mean square error, specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy. The experimental results showed that the suggested method is superior to traditional methods.     

回转式空气预热器流场仿真分析

为分析某电厂1000 MW锅炉机组的双密封回转式空气预热器漏风问题,建立局部流体仿真模型。通过理论计算和仿真模拟相结合的方法分析了密封间隙对回转式空气预热器内部流场压力分布、密封压差及漏风率的影响,并针对“三密封”特殊时刻下的流场压力及漏风率变化做了研究。结果表明,密封间隙从2 mm到8 mm的变化过程中,密封片受到的最大压差小于7000 Pa;为使空预器漏风率小于5%,其漏风间隙需要控制在3 mm以内;“三密封”时刻下的漏风率达到了最小值,为3.98%。经过分析总结,为密封片的载荷计算及密封片的改进提供一定的参考。     

带耐火衬里高温反应器密封锥结构的设计

耐火衬里及支撑结构设计的可靠性是保证高温反应器壳体温度小于设计温度的关键因素。针对耐火衬里结构失效导致反应器壳体温度超过设计温度的问题,提出了一种双金属焊接的密封锥结构。该结构具有支撑金属衬里的作用以及将耐火材料与金属衬里之间的膨胀空间分割成多个密闭空间以阻止高温气体的流动,进而提高隔热可靠性。采用ANSYS软件中APDL语言建立了密封锥连接结构的有限元模型,通过研究密封锥不同角度以及厚度对计算结果的影响,得出了密封锥的最佳结构参数,并满足ASME标准的应力强度评定要求。模拟结果可为此类高温反应器耐火衬里结构的设计提供参考依据。     

Porous ceramics with tailored pore size and morphology as substrates for coral larval settlement

The growing demand for stony corals as ornamental aquarium animals requires defined aquacultural breeding strategies. For the sexual propagation of corals, material substrates are needed, that attract larvae and support their settlement and development. In this study, five types of highly porous ceramic materials were developed following the example of coral skeleton. The applicability of these settlement substrates was tested using larvae of the stony coral Pocillopora damicornis. Partial sintering of pressed clay pellets, freeze casting of clay and alumina-mullite based slurries and direct foaming of high alkane phase emulsified suspensions (HAPES) using alumina were employed. By the addition of mm-sized spherical polystyrene beads as sacrificial templates during freeze casting (alumina-mullite), superficial pores in the size of the larvae were created. The inorganic substrates featured open porosities between 35% (pressed clay) and 83% (foamed alumina), pore sizes ranging from nm to mm-scale and pore morphologies dominated by interparticle porosity (pressed), lamellar pores (freeze casting) and cellular pore types (direct foaming). The ceramic substrates were incubated in artificial sea water for 3 months to induce necessary biofilm formation and algae growth. Afterwards, individual substrates were exposed to 5 coral larvae, and their settlement behavior was monitored over 14 days. At the end of this period, all ceramic materials were successfully accepted as settlement substrates, with a mean settlement rate of 46.2%, and no significant differences between the substrate types. On samples with large surface superficial pores, a significantly reduced survival of settled larvae (79%) compared to the other porous materials (93–98%) was determined, suggesting a non-ideal surface topography. While alumina foam samples (HAPES) exhibit the most promising results in terms of settlement and survival of larvae, clay-based substrates provide a more economic solution for the sexual propagation of corals in aquaculture.     

Strain gradient differential quadrature finite element for moderately thick micro-plates

In this study, we integrate the advantages of differential quadrature method (DQM) and finite element method (FEM) to construct a C¹-type four-node quadrilateral element with 48 degrees of freedom (DOF) for strain gradient Mindlin micro-plates. This element is free of shape functions and shear locking. The C¹-continuity requirements of deflection and rotation functions are accomplished by a fourth-order differential quadrature (DQ)-based geometric mapping scheme, which facilitates the conversion of the displacement parameters at Gauss-Lobatto quadrature (GLQ) points into those at element nodes. The appropriate application of DQ rule to non-rectangular domains is proceeded by the natural-to-Cartesian geometric mapping technique. Using GLQ and DQ rules, we discretize the total potential energy functional of a generic micro-plate element into a function of nodal displacement parameters. Then, we adopt the principle of minimum potential energy to determine element stiffness matrix, mass matrix, and load vector. The efficacy of the present element is validated through several examples associated with the static bending and free vibration problems of rectangular, annular sectorial, and elliptical micro-plates. Finally, the developed element is applied to study the behavior of freely vibrating moderately thick micro-plates with irregular shapes. It is shown that our element has better convergence and adaptability than that of Bogner-Fox-Schmit (BFS) one, and strain gradient effects can cause a significant increase in vibration frequencies and a certain change in vibration mode shapes.     

Synthesis and two-step sintering behavior of solution derived corundum abrasives with plate-like grains

Corundum abrasives with plate-like grains were fabricated by a two-step sintering technique using the solution-based process with the addition of the ternary compound additive Na₃AlF₆-CaO-SiO₂. The two-step sintering method showed obvious advantages over conventional sintering methods in promoting sample densification, suppressing grain growth, and homogenizing the microstructure of the corundum abrasives. The sample doped with 2.5?wt% Na₃AlF₆ and 4?wt% CaO + SiO₂ in the molar ratio of 1:1 possessed a relative density of 99.3%, average grain size of 0.54?µm, and single-particle compressive strength of 49?N. The introduction of seeds reduced the temperature of θ- to α-Al₂O₃ phase transformation. The relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the abrasives was also discussed.     

Gender difference in color preference across cultures: An archetypal pattern modulated by a female cultural stereotype

A gender difference in color preference among British participants has been repeatedly reported, in which both males and females show a preference for blue‐green colors, while females express an additional preference for pink‐purple colors. To investigate the robustness of gender difference in color preference in a different culture, we tested 81 young adult Indians from a school of design and compared them to 80 young British students in Psychology. The 35‐item International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) and Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) questionnaires were also administered to explore possible links between personality traits, gender schemata, and color preferences. Results confirmed a gender difference in both cultures; participants collectively expressed a preference for cool over warm colors, while in addition females showed a preference for pink colors, with a warm bias for Indian females and a cool bias for British females. While these results extend gender difference to Indian culture and support the universality of an underlying pattern they also reveal a culture‐specific contribution essentially observed in females. In British participants, color preference was correlated exclusively with BSRI scores in females and overwhelmingly with IPIP scores in males; this gender‐specific pattern of correlation was not replicated in the Indian sample. Results point to an archetypal pattern of gender difference in color preference with a remarkable cross‐cultural similarity in men and a subtle but significant cultural difference in women whose origin is yet to be explained.