Search

To develop and validate a radiomics nomogram for differentiating between malignant pulmonary nodules and benign nodules.56 benign and 51 malignant nodules from 96 patients were analyzed using manual segmentation of the T2-fBLADE-TSE, while the nodules signal intensity (SIlesion), lesion muscle ratio (LMR) and nodule size were all measured and recorded. The maximum relevance and minimum redundancy (mRMR) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to select nonzero coefficients and develop the model in pulmonary nodules diagnosis. The radiomics nomogram was also developed. The clinical prediction value was determined by the decision curve analysis (DCA).The nodule size, SIlesion and LMR of the benign group were 1.78 ± 0.57 cm, 227.50 ± 81.39 and 2.40 ± 1.27 respectively, in contrast to the 2.00 ± 0.64 cm, 232.87 ± 82.21 and 2.17 ± 0.91, respectively, in the malignant group (P = 0.09, 0.60 and 0.579). A total of 13 radiomics features were retained. The Rad-score of the benign nodules group was lower than that of the malignant nodules group (P0.0010.049, trainingtest set). The AUC of radiomics signature for nodules diagnosis was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.73-0.91) in the training set and 0.71 (95% CI, 0.51-0.90) in the test set. A nomogram, consisting of 13 radiomics features and nodule size, produced good prediction in the training set (AUC, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.73-0.91), which was significantly better than that of T2-based quantitative parameters (AUC, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.50-0.75, P = 0.003). In the test set, the performance of radiomics nomogram (AUC, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.90) was also better than that of T2-based quantitative parameters (AUC, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.25-0.67) (P = 0.145). The DCA showed that radiomics nomogram and T2-based quantitative parameter had overall net benefits, while the performance of nomogram was better.We constructed and validated a T2-fBLADE-TSE-based radiomics nomogram that can help to differentiate between malignant pulmonary nodules and benign nodules.

Objectives: To evaluate image quality and detection rate of four 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences and MRI performances in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) when compared to computed tomography (CT). Methods: Forty patients with pulmonary tuberculosis separately underwent CT and 3T-MRI with T1-weighted free-breathing star-volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (Star-VIBE) and standard VIBE, T2-weighted two-dimensional fast BLADE turbo spin-echo (2D-fBLADE TSE) and three-dimensional isotropic turbo spin-echo (3D-SPACE). Four MRI sequences were compared in terms of detection rate and image quality, which consisted of signal to noise ratio (SNR), contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and 5-point scoring scale. The total sensitivity was also compared between CT and MRI. Inter-observer agreement on 5-point scoring scale was calculated by Cohen’s kappa (k). SNR, CNR and 5-point scoring scale were compared using two-tailed pared t-test. Using CT as a reference, the MRI detection rate of pulmonary abnormality was evaluated by Pearson’s Chi-square test. Furthermore, the sizes of the nodules (≥5 mm) were compared using intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: In this study, Free-breathing Star-VIBE had significantly better SNR and identical CNR compared with standard VIBE. 2D-fBLADE TSE had statistically higher SNR but uniform or inferior CNR compared with 3D-SPACE. Inter-observers showed excellent agreement on 5-point scoring scale. The average score of Star-VIBE and VIBE had no difference. The average score of 2D-fBLADE TSE was higher than 3D-SPACE. There were no statistical differences in the detection rates of non-calcified parenchymal lesions between Star-VIBE and standard VIBE, 2D-fBALDE TSE and 3D-SPACE. MRI is comparable to CT in detecting consolidation, cavity, non-calcified nodules of ≥5 mm and tree-in-bud signs compared to CT. MRI detected non-calcified nodules of ＜5 mm, 5–10 mm, ≥10 mm and calcified nodules with sensitivity of 69.6%, 90.6%, 100% and 89.5% respectively. In addition, the sizes of the nodules (≥5 mm) had statistical consistency. MRI is more sensitive in detecting caseous necrosis, liquefaction, active cavity, abnormalities of lymph nodes and pleura. Conclusions: T1-weighted free-breathing Star-VIBE and T2-weighted 2D-fBLADE TSE, both with satisfactory image quality, are suitable for patients with pulmonary TB who need long-term follow-ups in clinical routine, especially for children, young women and pregnant women. Keywords: Pulmonary tuberculosis, 3T MRI, Image quality, Detection

Zirconium dioxide loaded montmorillonite (ZrO 2 -MMT) composites have been prepared using an ion-exchange process at room temperature followed by a thermal treatment. The as-prepared composites are used to adsorb Cr 3+ ions in the tanning wastewater with a lower initial Cr 3+ concentration, reducing residual Cr 3+ concentration to less than 1 mg L −1 . XRD, TEM, SEM-EDS and XPS analyses are made to explore the structure and morphology of the composites. ZrO 2 is found to load on the interlayer and surface of MMT. The adsorption process is appropriately described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir equation. The ZrO 2 -MMT composites exhibit a better adsorption capacity than adsorption materials reported in the literature, and the maximum adsorption capacity for the initial Cr 3+ concentration of 10, 20, 30 mg L −1 is as large as 142.86, 158.73 and 172.41 mg g −1 , respectively. The removal efficiency of ZrO 2 -MMT for Cr 3+ remains above 92% after six cycles.

Objective To investigate the effect of general anesthesia (GA) on functional outcomes and complications rates in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) compared to the use of local anesthesia (LA) at the puncture site. Methods This observational study was based on a prospectively registry study. AIS patients underwent MT with GA or LA from January 2013 to October 2017 were included. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days post-intervention. Furthermore, we assessed the long-term outcome of these patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to adjust for confounders. Results We enrolled 187 AIS patients in this study, patients in GA group had a similar mRS score compared to LA group at 90 days (2 [IQR, 1–4] vs 2.5 [IQR, 1–4], P = .917). No differences were found in the rates of functional independence (mRS 0–2), no or minimal disability (mRS 0–1), and mortality (mRS 6) between the 2 groups at 90 days post-intervention as well as long-term follow-up. The procedure-related complications and serious adverse events were similar between the LA group and GA group (P > .05 each). In multivariable analysis, GA use was not associated with functional outcomes. Conclusion AIS patients who received GA during MT had similar functional outcomes and complications rates compared to patients received LA.

In this study, based on the differences in the coordination configurations of various alkaline earth metal ions (Ca(Ⅱ) and Sr(Ⅱ)) and sodium alginate (SA), the aerogel is functionalized with controllable slit-shaped pores structure, contributing by nanosheet stacking impact of graphene oxide (GO) and montmorillonite (MMT), which is able to selectively remove plane hydrate copper ions in complex wastewater systems. Sr-G/M is endowed with denser slit-shaped pores and could achieve more efficient selective removal of Cu(Ⅱ), together with a best removal efficiency of 97.1%, proving by systematic adsorption tests. The selectivity tests show that Sr-G/M exhibits preferential adsorption for Cu(Ⅱ) with a distribution coefficient of 41.85 L g−1. Furthermore, Sr-G/M has excellent regeneration performance to be 86.4% after 8 recycles. Considering its cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, easy preparation and efficient selective removal performance, Sr-G/M holds great promise in selective removal of Cu(Ⅱ) from complex wastewater systems.

Background: The assessment of the severity of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by clinical presentations cannot met the urgently clinical need so far. We aimed to establish a model of deep learning (DL)-based quantitative computed tomography (CT) and initial clinical features in prediction of the severity of COVID-19. Methods: One hundred and ninety-six hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were enrolled from Jan 20 to Feb 10, 2020 in our center, and were divided into the severe and non-severe group. The clinico-radiological data at admission were compared between the two groups. A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression model for predicting the severity of COVID-19 was established, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) values of the model, quantitative CT parameters significantly different in univariate analysis, and pneumonia severity index (PSI) were compared. Findings: In comparison with non-severe group (151 cases), severe patients (45 cases) had higher PSI (p

Titanium dioxide/graphene (TiO2/G) was synthesized by a simple method through adding cationic surfactant to assist the stabilization of rutile TiO2 in aqueous solutions and facilitate the electrostatic assembly of binding with surface of graphene. TiO2/G materials were used for investigation of its conductivity and dispersibility. The TiO2/G was showed significantly to enhance in conductivity and dispersibility after adding cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The good performance may be attributed to increasing TiO2 to uniformly distribute on the surface of graphene in the presence of CTAB. The TiO2/G composite was characterized by Zeta potential, Fourier transformed infrared spectra (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. The CTAB does not affect the crystalline structure of TiO2 and graphene. When CTAB is 30%wt of TiO2 and graphene is 7%wt of TiO2 that the resistivity of TiO2/G is measured as 2.4 Ω cm. The dispersion of TiO2/G can be kept for 24 h without precipitation. EIS showed that the TiO2/G with 30%wt of CTAB had the lowest electrical resistance, which tended to be consistent with the results of the measured resistivity. The results showed that the best conductivity and dispersibility of the TiO2/G composite with CTAB in this experiment.

Development of offshore floating wind turbines is the future trend of wind power technology. However, due to the complex service environment, they are still in the exploratory stage without large-scale commercial application. Especially, the understanding of its load and motion characteristics is still lack. For this reason, firstly, a structure model of offshore wind turbines is proposed, and then multiple coordinate systems are established to describe the multiple loads and motion characteristics. Then, multiple load models including wind load, wave load, gravity load, centrifugal force and inertia load are established. To solve the complex motion process, it is divided into translational motion and rotational motion, and the idea of progressive iteration is used to solve the problem. Finally, in the Simulink environment, the input wind model, blade (wind turbine rotor) model, shaft model, generator model, converter model, grid model, controller model, pitch model, floating platform model and other models are integrated and the numerical simulation investigation is carried out. The simulation results can be used to analyze the running load and motion characteristics of the floating wind turbines, which is helpful to understand the operation mechanism and provide a reference for the design and control.

Based on cross-linking and freeze-drying methods, a three-dimensional network graphene oxide/sodium alginate aerogel beads (GSC) is prepared to selectively adsorb Cu(Ⅱ) in aqueous solution, with a slit-shaped structure. According to the results of characterizations, it suggests that the slit-shaped structure is formed via the stacking of GO sheets, and GO participates in the cross-linking reaction between Ca and SA connecting by Ca-carboxyl and Ca-hydroxy, as well as intermolecular hydrogen bonds between GO and SA. Furthermore, batch adsorption experiments and Design of Experiment (DOE) show that GSC has excellent adsorption capacity and reusability, and pH is the main factor that affects the adsorption performance of GSC. Importantly, the slit-shaped structure of GSC can still selectively adsorb plane quadrilateral [Cu(H2O)4]2+ in the presence of interfering ions (Zn(II), Mn(II) and Cr(Ⅲ)). The fitting results of adsorption kinetics and isotherm model prove that the adsorption process is mainly multi-layer adsorption and chemical adsorption. Additionally, the mechanism is explored using the method of Density functional theory (DFT), revealing that -COOH, -O-, -OH on GO play important roles in adsorbing Cu(Ⅱ), and the order of is: -COOH>-O->-OH.

Graphene oxide-titanium dioxide/sodium alginate (GO-TiO2/SA) composite beads are successfully prepared based on blending and cross-linking process, performing as adsorbent to remove Cu(II) in aqueous solution. Meanwhile, the cross-linking mechanism are explored and the morphology of the GO-TiO2/SA composite beads are characterized via FTIR, SEM, EDS, Raman and XPS. These results reveal that the porous network is created, corresponding to form hydrogen bonds, C O Ti among TiO2, GO and SA, as well as the cross-linking between carboxyl and Ca2+. In comparison with GO/SA composite beads, GO-TiO2/SA composite beads are endowed with a more integral porous structure and a larger specific surface area, observing from the characterizations of BET and SEM, confirming that better adsorption performance is achieved. Furthermore, the adsorption experiments of Cu(II) are carried out in terms of varying the dosage of the composite beads, temperature, pH and adsorption time. And the adsorption behavior can be better described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir model. Importantly, GO-TiO2/SA composite beads maintain the undamaged structure and larger pore sizes when undergoing adsorption-desorption for two cycles. Finally, the adsorption mechanism on Cu(II) with GO-TiO2/SA composite beads is also explored via FTIR, EDS and XPS.

Recovering Cr(III) from chromium-containing waste (CCW) is considered to be a friendly way to protect environment. In this paper, the recovery of Cr(III) from CCW is achieved, via alkali incineration (NaOH and Na2CO3), followed with leaching process using HCl. Firstly, it is demonstrated that there is a large amount of organic matters (oxygen-containing functional groups contained in collagen) in CCW, charactering with Infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) simulation method is carried out to study the inhibitory behavior of organic matters on recovery of Cr(III). Through geometric optimization, binding energy calculation and a series of electronic structure analysis, the influence of organic matters are analyzed in detail. According to the calculation results, it is clarified that the inhibition mechanism of organic matters on Cr(III) is mainly contributing by forming covalent bond and -OH exhibits greater inhibiting effect than -COOH. In this examine, the related factors are also investigated to reduce the amount of organic matters that is destroyed, including extractant species, alkali dosage, acid dosage and acid concentrations. Finally, the recovering efficiency of Cr(III) is greatly enhanced (95.83%), associated with optimized factors in the process.

In this study, GO-TiO2 composite material, with abundant oxygen-containing functional groups is prepared in way of loading TiO2 on the surface of GO, binding with C–O–Ti chemical bonds. Especially the resulted anatase-type TiO2 is originated from hydrolyzing butyl titanate in condition of mild water bath (80 ​°C), so that the oxygen-containing functional groups onto GO-TiO2 could be greatly retained to improve its performance for adsorbing Cr3+ (10–30 ​mg/L) in wastewater. A variety of characterizations, including SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, Zeta and Raman are employed to demonstrate that TiO2 is uniformly dispersed on the surface of GO and the oxygen-containing functional groups onto GO have been greatly retained. Moreover, the adsorptive process of Cr3+ on GO-TiO2 corresponds to the quasi-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir equation (maximum potential of adsorption could reach up to 149.24 ​mg/g). Furthermore, the thermodynamics studies imply that the adsorption process toward Cr3+ is spontaneous and endothermic. Importantly, density functional theory (DFT) calculations have also been performed to illustrate the order of oxygen-containing functional groups which bind with Cr3+: E0(-OH) ​> ​E0(-O-) ​> ​E0(-COOH). After five cycles, the removal efficiency is still over 85%, suggesting that the resulted adsorbent performs great potential in removing Cr3+ from wastewater.

Chromium (Cr) has become one of the main pollutants in tannery wastewater, which causes great harm to human health and environment, especially after being oxidized. Herein, the magnetic graphene oxide composite (GO/Fe3O4) is synthesized via coprecipitation method with NH3·H2O. In this way, the self-functional group of graphene oxide (GO) are greatly reserved when Fe3O4 nanoparticles grown on GO sheets, confirming by characterizations, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman. Up to 90% Cr3+ could be adsorbed by resulted GO/Fe3O4 within 140 min, and the maximum adsorption capacity is 279.62 mg g-1. Furthermore, Cr3+ is mainly absorbed by chemical adsorption, according with quasi-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm. Most importantly, the external magnetic field can effectively recycle the adsorbents from the aqueous solution, facilitating its application in large-scale treatment of tannery wastewater.

In this work, we introduced TiH 2 into the 17MgH 2 -12Al composite by ball milling for improving the dehydrogenation performance of the reactive system. According to the measurements of non-isothermal dehydrogenation, the onset temperature of hydrogen release from 17MgH 2 -12Al-TiH 2 was reduced by 50 °C from that of 17MgH 2 -12Al. The investigations by Kissinger's method showed that the activation energy of hydrogen desorption of 17MgH 2 -12Al-TiH 2 (107 kJ mol −1 ) is much lower than 17MgH 2 -12Al (168 kJ mol −1 ), leading to enhanced dehydrogenation kinetics due to the TiH 2 additive. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis suggests that TiH 2 catalyzed the reaction between MgH 2 with Al of the system during the dehydrogenation below 280 °C. At temperatures between 280 °C to 400 °C, however, TiH 2 will thoroughly react with produced Mg 17 Al 12 and liberate hydrogen. The overall reaction of the system may be represented by 17 MgH 2 + 12 Al + TiH 2 → 3/4 Mg 17 Al 12 + Al 3 Ti + 17/4 Mg + 18 H 2 . Its theoretical dehydrogenation capacity (4.38 wt% H 2 ) agrees well with that achieved by temperature programmed dehydrogenation (TPD) measurements, demonstrating the occurrence of such reaction(s). The dehydrogenation enthalpy of 17MgH 2 -12Al-TiH 2 (71.7 kJ mol −1 H 2 ) proceeding at lower hydrogen desorption plateau was significantly lowered from that of 17MgH 2 -12Al (81.9 kJ mol −1 H 2 ) according to the measurements of pressure-composition isotherms (PCI) and van't Hoff plots. It means that TiH 2 was involved in the end reaction proceeding in the 17MgH 2 -12Al system. We believe that TiH 2 improves the dehydrogenation kinetics of 17MgH 2 -12Al initially and tailors its thermodynamics finally.

TiH2 was introduced into the 4MgH2-NaAlH4 composite by ball milling to improve the dehydrogenation and re-dehydrogenation performance of the composite. The non-isothermal dehydrogenation curve shows that the onset temperature of hydrogen release from 4MgH2-NaAlH4-TiH2 is at around 100 °C, which is lower by 50 °C than that of 4MgH2-NaAlH4. The investigation by Kissinger's method indicates that 4MgH2-NaAlH4-TiH2 possesses much lower activation energy (68 kJ mol−1) than 4MgH2-NaAlH4 (159 kJ mol−1), indicating an enhanced dehydrogenation kinetics due to the additional TiH2. TiH2 catalyzes the decomposition of MgH2 and NaAlH4, respectively, and also the reaction between their products during the dehydrogenation process below 375 °C. At temperatures above 375 °C, TiH2 will react with Mg17Al12 to form Al3Ti and liberate contained hydrogen. TiH2 also improved the isothermal hydrogenation kinetics of 4MgH2-NaAlH4 desorbed system. The activation energy of re-hydrogenation for 4MgH2-NaAlH4-TiH2 system was greatly reduced from 161.62 kJ mol−1 H2 to 125.80 kJ mol−1 H2 of 4MgH2-NaAlH4. The kinetics enhancement of hydrogen absorption is probably due to the intermediate phase Al3Ti, which is beneficial to the recombination of MgH2.

Reading in a second language (L2) consists of lower-level linguistic processing and higher-level meaning integration. The lower-level processing has posed great challenges for beginning readers whose L1 (alphabetic language) is drastically different from their L2 (morphosyllabary Chinese). Diagnostic assessment is designed to identify readers’ weaknesses in lower-level processing and allows language teachers to detect learners’ reading problems and to conduct targeted remediation. However, few appropriate diagnostic tools are available for L2 reading and research on these tools’ diagnostic effectiveness is scarce. The present study investigated the applicability of word reading, word segmentation, and text reading as diagnostic instruments for alphabetic-language-speaking, low-level Chinese L2 learners (n = 70). Results showed that all three instruments effectively identified weak readers, diagnosed reading problems, and pinpointed individual’s difficulties. These findings offered empirical support for the three instruments as effective diagnostic tools in Chinese low-level L2 reading instruction and suggested the importance of developing lower-level processing skills.

In this work, titanium dioxide surface modified montmorillonite (TMC) were prepared by sol–gel method, so as to improve its selective adsorptivity for trivalent chromium ions (Cr3+). When it was applied to remove low concentration of Cr3+(10 mg/L) from wastewater, the remaining concentration of Cr3+ was less than 1.5 mg/L, meeting the emission standard required by the Chinese Environmental protection agency (GB4287-92). The phase, structure and morphology of TMC were determined by means of XRD, CEC, IR, Raman, XPS, SEM, TEM and BET. It was found that titanium dioxide (TiO2) was uniformly dispersed on the surface of montmorillonite (MMT), and the spacing of MMT layer was almost unchanged via filling with Na+, so that the selective adsorptivity of MMT for Cr3+ was achieved. At the same time, theoretical calculations based on first principles and density functional theory confirmed the adsorption selectivity of MMT for Cr3+. In addition, the structural advantages of TMC addressed the shortcomings of MMT surface negative potential that it could not perform adsorption selectivity. Moreover, the adsorptive process of Cr3+ with TMC followed the pesudo-second-order kinetic equation, and Langmuir equation could better describe the adsorption mechanism (the maximum adsorption capacity was 194.1 mg/g). After five cycles, the removing efficiency was still over 89%. Therefore, TMC accompanied with high selective adsorptivity, simple synthesis process, as well as high regenerative performance, had great potential for removing low concentration of Cr3+ from wastewater.

Montmorillonite (MMT), with many excellent features, such as nano-layered structure, ion exchange ability and high hydrophilicity, could be considered as a kind of modified materials, so it is widely applied in many fields. In this study, novel photocatalyst material-TMC, is synthesized via the method of filling cations, accomplishing with prepared by loading TiO2 on the surface of MMT, which is proposed to remove Rhodamine B (Rh-B) via photocatalytic degradation. In the preparing process, the negative potential of MMT plays an important role in uniformly distributing TiO2 as well as limiting the size of distributed particles. Meanwhile, obtaining more oxygen vacancies could be attributed to optimal by screen calcination temperature. In addition, the specific surface area of TMC is measured to be three times larger than that of single TiO2. Furthermore, coupled with UV-DRS, FT-IR, XPS and PL, it is confirmed that Ti-O-Si bonds have been formed, and the narrowest bandgap (2.79 eV) is formed with the sample that calcinated at 450 °C. Meanwhile, the positions of conduction band and valence band with TMC contribute that it reaches higher Fermi level as compared with single TiO2. In addition, the negative potential (on the surface of MMT) acts as effectively extending the recombination time between electrons (e-) and holes (h+), so that the transferred photoelectrons can directly form O2− to degrade Rh-B that adsorbed on the surface of MMT. Finally, the main free radical scavenging experiment is conducted to indicate that O2− and OH are the dominant free radicals that involve in photocatalytic process, and the degradation pathways for Rh-B are speculated with characterization of HPLC-MS.

Constructing bioactive guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes that possess biological multifunctionality is becoming increasingly attractive and promising to meet higher requirements for bone healing. Given the biological responses following implantation, GBR process originates from an early inflammation-driven reaction adjacent to implanted membranes surface. However, to date there is relatively little attention paid to the critical immunoregulatory functions in traditionally designed GBR membranes. Herein, for the first time, we manipulate immunomodulatory properties of the widely-used native small intestinal submucosa (SIS) membrane by incorporating strontium-substituted nanohydroxyapatite coatings and/or IFN-γ to its surface. In vitro results reveal the obtained novel membrane SIS/SrHA/IFN-γ not only promote functions of endothelial cells and osteoblasts directly, but also energetically mediate a sequential M1-M2 macrophages transition to concurrently facilitate angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Moreover, in vivo outcomes of subcutaneous implantation and cranial defects repair further confirm its superior capacity to promote vascularization and in situ bone regeneration than pristine SIS through immunomodulation. These results demonstrate a sequential immunomodulatory strategy renders modified SIS membranes acting as a robust immunomodulator rather than a traditional barrier to significantly ameliorate in vivo GBR outcomes and hence provide important implications that may facilitate concerns on immunomodulatory properties for future GBR developments.

The reaction mechanism of the organic reagent removing VOCl3 from crude TiCl4 has been explored, which is key to optimize industrial application. In this study, a comprehensive reaction mechanism is conducted via various characterization techniques and computational studies, such as XRD, XPS, Raman, SEM, density functional theory calculations and thermodynamic calculation etc. The results show that the main substance in the residue, which derives from the reaction of organic reagent and crude TiCl4 is amorphous carbon. It is created from organic reagent catalyzied by TiCl4, undergoing reactions including the aromatization, polycondensation and carbonization. Then, the amorphous carbon adsorbs VOCl3 and converts it into insoluble VOCl2 and VCl3. Finally, the insoluble particles are removed via adsorbing by amorphous carbon.

A porous three-dimensional (3D) graphene oxide-montmorillonite/sodium alginate (GO-MMT/SA) aerogel beads have been prepared by a simple method of cross-linking and freeze-drying, which is used to selectively adsorb methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. In addition, the properties of GO-MMT/SA aerogel beads are characterized by FTIR, Raman, TG, BET, SEM and XPS. Characterization results show that GO-MMT/SA aerogel beads obtain an integral porous structure and a larger specific surface area. The three-dimensional network of as-prepared aerogel beads is formed by the strong interaction between the –COO– in SA and Ca2+ ions. Interestingly, it is found there are chemical crosslinking and hydrogen bonds among MMT, GO and SA under our experiment condition. In different conditions, a series of adsorption experiments on the GO-MMT/SA aerogel beads for the removal of MB are carried out. GO-MMT/SA aerogel beads show better adsorption capacities toward MB, and poor adsorption capacities for rhodamineB and methyl orange. The pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and Freundlich equation can appropriately describe the adsorption process. Furthermore, the possible adsorption mechanism of GO-MMT/SA aerogel beads for MB is also proposed based on the experimental results.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is widely used as coating in polymer materials due to its high visible light transmittance, long-term chemical stability and low cost. However, these materials are easily to generate electrostatic discharge and fire because of friction or collision. In order to prevent the damage, TiO2 is required to improve electrical conductivity. Herein, TiO2/G/Ca2+ (TGC) conductive composites are synthesized by self-assembly method on the basis of TiO2/G (TG) composites. The conductivity of TGC nanocomposites is significantly enhanced in comparison with TG, and the lowest resistivity is 0.58 Ω cm. The increased electrical conductivity of TGC composites can be attributed to the three-dimensional conductive network achieved by Ca2+ bridging graphene (G) sheets to create new electron energy levels and conduction channels. This strategy can provide a novel approach to enhance the conductivity of TiO2-based conductive materials and facilitate its application in coating field.

Traditional impact pile drivers are designed in a serial space style and are unsuitable for narrow and small construction sites, owing to their inflexible adjacent structure. In this work, we develop a new structure with a parallel arrangement between the pull rods and precast pile, which is lighter and more efficient compared with traditional pile structures. The simulated integrated system is based on a finite element model and includes a novel impact pile driver, the pile itself, and the surrounding soil. We also use an artificial neural network to obtain a model of the stress wave pattern and allow a genetic algorithm program to be modelled as a target function for optimisation, in order to achieve the lightest total mass. Our proposed integrated framework for this compact impact pile driver demonstrates the feasibility of building flexible equipment for the future civil engineering industry.

Epoxy resin was conjugated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to prepare antibacterial zinc oxide-epoxy resin (ZnO-ER) composite. The property of ZnO-ER was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and SEM-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) assays. Results showed the presence of ZnO NPs on the surface and cross-sections of ZnO-ER composite. The average thickness of ZnO-ER was 392.38 μm. The strong antibacterial effect of ZnO-ER on the test bacterial mixture derived from spoiled silvery pomfret (Pampus argenteus) was observed using SEM assay. After addition of ZnO-ER for 6 h in the bacterial mixture, cellular membrane integrities of most bacteria were destroyed. High-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing revealed the decreases of both community richness and diversity in the ZnO-ER treated bacterial mixture. As for relative abundances, significant decreases were detected in the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicute, while dramatic increase of the phylum Proteobacteria was observed after ZnO-ER treatment. The family of Enterobacteriaceae was predominant in the ZnO-ER treatment. The genera of Providencia and Yersinia showed dramatically high relative abundances. However, the abundances of some specific genera such as Aeromonas and Shewanell, which are related to human infections or food spoilage, were decreased to 0.00% after addition of ZnO-ER for 6 h. When the incubation time of ZnO-ER with the bacterial mixture was prolonged to 24 h, bacteria colony was hardly detected to a negligible level. The results suggest the potential application of ZnO-ER in food packaging to inhibit spoilage bacteria derived from aquatic organisms.