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The probability analysis of ground deformation is becoming a trend to estimate and control the risk brought by shield tunnelling. The gap parameter is regarded as an effective tool to estimate the ground loss of tunnelling in soft soil. More specifically, ω, which is a gap parameter component defined as the over (or insufficient) excavation due to the change in the posture of the shield machine, may contribute more to the uncertainty of the ground loss. However, the existing uncertainty characterization methods for ω have several limitations and cannot explain the uncertain correlations between the relevant parameters. Along these lines, to better characterize the uncertainty of ω, the multivariate probability distribution was developed in this work and a dynamic prediction was proposed for it. To attain this goal, 1 523 rings of the field data coming from the shield tunnel between Longqing Road and Baiyun Road in Kunming Metro Line 5 were utilized and 44 parameters including the construction, stratigraphic, and posture parameters were collected to form the database. According to the variance filter method, the mutual information method, and the value of the correlation coefficients, the original 44 parameters were reduced to 10 main parameters, which were unit weight, the stoke of the jacks (A, B, C, and D groups), the pressure of the pushing jacks (A, C groups), the chamber pressure, the rotation speed, and the total force. The multivariate probability distribution was constructed based on the Johnson system of distributions. Moreover, the distribution was satisfactorily verified in explaining the pairwise correlation between ω and other parameters through 2 million simulation cases. At last, the distribution was used as a prior distribution to update the marginal distribution of ω with any group of the relevant parameters known. The performance of the dynamic prediction was further validated by the field data of 3 shield tunnel cases.

Natural fractures are widely developed and distributed in tight sandstone reservoirs in the western Sichuan Basin, China, influenced by complex tectonic movements and diagenetic processes. These natural fractures serve as the main flow channels and important storage spaces in such reservoirs. Understanding their development characteristics and controlling factors determines the positioning and production efficiency of tight gas wells. This paper first explores the types and characteristics of natural fractures in the second member of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation (T3x2) in the western Sichuan Basin through outcrop investigations, core observations, image log interpretations, and thin section analyses. We study the main influencing factors controlling the development and distribution of tectonic shear fractures by combining the characterization of fracture attributes. The results show that the tight sandstone reservoirs in the T3x2 mainly contain tectonic fractures, diagenetic fractures, and overpressure fractures, among which shear fractures in tectonic fractures are the main types. There are four sets of tectonic shear fractures in the study area, oriented in the E-W, N-S, NE-SW, and NW-SE directions. The dip angles of fractures range from 20° to 80°, with an average dip angle of 53°, predominantly consisting of high-angle fractures. The lengths of fractures are mainly within 100 cm, with a mean value of 47.53 cm, and 76.2% of fractures have lengths less than 50 cm. Fracture apertures range from 2.51 to 163.19 μm, with an average of 30.54 μm. The proportion of effective fractures in tectonic shear fractures reaches 85.7%. The development of tectonic shear fractures is primarily influenced by lithology, rock mechanics stratigraphy, diagenetic processes and facies, and faults. Lithology stands as the fundamental factor influencing the degree of fracture development in tight reservoirs. In rocks with the same composition, as the grain size decreases, the degree of fracture development increases. Simultaneously, with the rise in muddy content, fracture development diminishes in siltstone, argillaceous siltstone, silty mudstone, and mudstone. The formation and distribution of fractures are governed by rock mechanics stratigraphy, primarily manifested as a decrease in fracture density with an increase in rock mechanics layer thickness within a certain range. Diagenetic processes affect the abundance of tectonic shear fractures by influencing the mechanical properties of rocks. The stronger the compaction and cementation, the poorer the physical properties, and the higher the brittleness of the rocks, resulting in a greater abundance of tectonic shear fractures. Rocks with strong compaction and robust cementation facies exhibit high brittleness, rendering them more susceptible to fracturing under identical stress conditions. Fractures are highly prevalent in both the hanging wall and footwall of faults. As the distance from the fault increases, the linear density of fractures significantly decreases, owing to the uneven distribution of stress perturbation caused by fault activity.

The Linxing area within the Ordos Basin exhibits pronounced reservoir heterogeneity and intricate micro-pore structures, rendering it susceptible to water-blocking damage during imbibition extraction. This study delved into the traits of tight sandstone reservoirs in the 8th member of the Shihezi Formation (also referred to as the He 8 Member) in the study area, as well as their effects on fracturing fluid imbibition. Utilizing experimental techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-pressure mercury intrusion (HPMI), and gas adsorption, this study elucidated the reservoir characteristics and examined the factors affecting the imbibition through imbibition experiments. The findings reveal that: ① The reservoir, with average porosity of 8.40% and average permeability of 0.642 × 10−3 μm2, consists principally of quartz, feldspar, and lithic fragments, with feldspathic litharenite serving as the primary rock type and illite as the chief clay mineral; ② Nano-scale micro-pores and throats dominate the reservoir, with dissolution pores and intercrystalline pores serving as predominant pore types, exhibiting relatively high pore connectivity; ③ Imbibition efficiency is influenced by petrophysical properties, clay mineral content, and microscopic pore structure. Due to the heterogeneity of the tight sandstone reservoir, microscopic factors have a more significant impact on the imbibition efficiency of fracturing fluids; ④ A comparative analysis shows that average pore size correlates most strongly with imbibition efficiency, followed by petrophysical properties and clay mineral content. In contrast, the pore type has minimal impact. Micropores are vital in the imbibition process, while meso-pores and macro-pores offer primary spaces for imbibition. This study offers theoretical insights and guidance for enhancing the post-fracturing production of tight sandstone reservoirs by examining the effects of these factors on the imbibition efficiency of fracturing fluids in tight sandstones.

Background Labeled antibodies are excellent imaging agents in oncology to non-invasively visualize cancer-related antigens expression levels. However, tumor tracer uptake (TTU) of specific antibodies in-vivo may be inferior to non-specific IgG in some cases. Objectives To explore factors affecting labeled antibody visualization by PD-L1 specific and non-specific imaging of nude mouse tumors. Methods TTU was observed in RKO model on Cerenkov luminescence (CL) and near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging of radionuclide 131 I or NIRF dyes labeled Atezolizumab and IgG. A mixture of NIRF dyes labeled Atezolizumab and 131 I-labeled IgG was injected, and TTU was observed in the RKO and HCT8 model by NIRF/CL dual-modality in-situ imaging. TTU were observed by 131 I-labeled Atezolizumab and IgG in-vitro distribution. Results Labeled IgG concentrated more in tumors than Atezolizumab. NIRF/CL imaging in 24 to 168 h showed that TTU gradually decreased over time, which decreased more slowly on CL imaging compared to NIRF imaging. The distribution data in-vitro showed that TTU of 131 I-labeled IgG was higher than that of 131 I-labeled Atezolizumab at any time point. Conclusion Non-specific IgG may not be suitable as a control for Atezolizumab in comparing tumor PD-L1 expression in nude mice via labeled antibody optical imaging under certain circumstances.

The disposal and reutilization of the enormous amounts of slurry-like mud (MS) dredged from navigation channel construction, ecological dredging, and other construction activities have been receiving increasing attention. In this paper, a flocculation–solidification–high-pressure filtration combined method (FSHCM) is used to treat MS, and the consolidation characteristics of The SHCM-treated MS are studied by conducting a series of one-dimensional consolidation compression tests. Various parameters, including the dosage of the curing agent, initial water content, and dry weight of the MS, are systematically analyzed to evaluate their influence on the consolidation behavior. The experimental results demonstrate that higher curing agent and initial water contents enhance the structural yield stress and compressive resistance, while increased dry weight decreases the structural yield stress but increases the compressive strain and void ratio. As the curing age increases, the ability of the FSHCM-treated MS to resist compressive deformation is further enhanced. In addition, the compressibility of the mud cake samples changes significantly at the yield point. This study has practical guiding significance for the optimal design and long-term application of FSHCM-treated MS.

Abiotic stress caused by soil salinization remains a major global challenge that threatens and severely impacts crop growth, causing yield reduction worldwide. In this study, we aim to investigate the damage of salt stress on the leaf physiology of two varieties of rice (Huanghuazhan, HHZ, and Xiangliangyou900, XLY900) and the regulatory mechanism of Hemin to maintain seedling growth under the imposed stress. Rice leaves were sprayed with 5.0 μmol·L−1 Hemin or 25.0 μmol·L−1 ZnPP (Zinc protoporphyrin IX) at the three leaf and one heart stage, followed by an imposed salt stress treatment regime (50.0 mmol·L−1 sodium chloride (NaCl)). The findings revealed that NaCl stress increased antioxidant enzymes activities and decreased the content of nonenzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH). Furthermore, the content of osmoregulatory substances like soluble proteins and proline was raised. Moreover, salt stress increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in the leaves of the two varieties. However, spraying with Hemin increased the activities of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) and accelerated AsA-GSH cycling to remove excess ROS. In summary, Hemin reduced the effect of salt stress on the physiological characteristics of rice leaves due to improved antioxidant defense mechanisms that impeded lipid peroxidation. Thus, Hemin was demonstrated to lessen the damage caused by salt stress.

Abstract Birefringence is at the heart of photonic applications. Layered van der Waals materials inherently support considerable out-of-plane birefringence. However, funnelling light into their small nanoscale area parallel to its out-of-plane optical axis remains challenging. Thus far, the lack of large in-plane birefringence has been a major roadblock hindering their applications. Here, we introduce the presence of broadband, low-loss, giant birefringence in a biaxial van der Waals materials Ta2NiS5, spanning an ultrawide-band from visible to mid-infrared wavelengths of 0.3–16 μm. The in-plane birefringence Δn ≈ 2 and 0.5 in the visible and mid-infrared ranges is one of the highest among van der Waals materials known to date. Meanwhile, the real-space propagating waveguide modes in Ta2NiS5 show strong in-plane anisotropy with a long propagation length (>20 μm) in the mid-infrared range. Our work may promote next-generation broadband and ultracompact integrated photonics based on van der Waals materials.

Prohexadione calcium (EA) and gibberellin (GA) are two different types of plant growth regulators that have different effects on the regulation of plant development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of EA and GA on rice plant growth, development and morph-physiological traits in two rice varieties: ‘Huang Huazhan’ and ‘Guang Hong 3’. At the three-leaf seedling stage, the plants were treated with 50 mM NaCl 24 h after foliar application of EA (100 mg·L−1) and GA (1 mg·L−1). Data on morphological indexes, osmotic regulators and antioxidant activities were compared with the treatment of EA and GA on the 4th, 7th, 10th and 13th days after NaCl stress. Our data analysis showed that NaCl stress inhibited the leaf area growth of rice seedlings, altered the microstructure and disrupted the antioxidant system, ion uptake and transport balance. The significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide anion production rate (O2·¯) indicated that NaCl stress caused a severe oxidative stress response to rice seedlings. Treatment with EA and GA activated the antioxidant system under NaCl stress, significantly elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities and suppressed the increase in MDA content and the O2·¯ production rate. Under NaCl stress, EA and GA treatments improved the osmoregulatory balance, significantly increased soluble protein and proline contents and maintained lower Na+/K+ levels. EA and GA treatments significantly increased the K+ and Ca2+ contents, thereby maintaining ionic balance, which was favorable for maintaining the growth of rice seedlings. In this study, moth plant growth regulators maintained the growth and development of rice seedlings under NaCl stress by inducing an increase in osmoregulation and antioxidant levels, reducing the degree of membrane damage and regulating the selective uptake of ions by rice seedlings. Current findings also clarified that foliar application of EA was more effective than GA in three-leaf seedlings by enhancing the morph-physiological and antioxidant parameters under NaCl stress.

BackgroundPreclinical studies demonstrated that immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with antiangiogenic drugs have a synergistic anti-tumor effect. This present phase II trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with camrelizumab in patients with recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC).MethodsPatients with RM-NPC were administered with apatinib at 250 mg orally once every day and with camrelizumab at 200 mg via intravenous infusion every 2 weeks until the disease progressed or toxicity became unacceptable. The objective response rate (ORR) was the primary endpoint, assessed using RECIST version 1.1. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR) and safety were the key secondary endpoints. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04350190.ResultsThis study enrolled 26 patients with RM-NPC between January 14, 2021 and September 15, 2021. At data cutoff (March 31, 2023), the median duration of follow-up was 16 months (ranging from 1 to 26 months). The ORR was 38.5% (10/26), the disease control rate (DCR) was 61.5% (16/26), and the median PFS was 6 months (IQR 3.0-20.0). The median OS was 14 months (IQR 6.0-21.25). Treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in seven (26.9%) patients, and comprised anemia (7.7%), stomatitis (3.8%), headache (3.8%), pneumonia (7.7%), and myocarditis (3.8%). There were no serious treatment-related adverse events or treatment-related deaths.ConclusionIn patients with RM-NPC, apatinib plus camrelizumab showed promising antitumor activity and manageable toxicities.

Editorial The industrial revolutions of steam power, electric power and digital power have been three key steps in the development of science and technology. Now, the fourth industrial revolution has quietly begun, a revolution which will combine the powers of modern technologies such as the Internet, industrial digitalization and virtual reality to trigger a major change of science and technology, and sensor technology is of vital importance to this process. A famous physicist specialized in infrared and semiconductors, our featured guest not only discovered the intrinsic absorption spectra of the optical transition between narrow gap semiconductor mercury cadmium telluride bands, but also developed the theory of the band structure of mercury cadmium telluride and the theory of optical transition, put forward a series of expressions such as the gap width of mercury cadmium telluride bands, making outstanding contributions. Born into a scholarly family, he inherited a love for knowledge, especially physics and enjoyed all the challenges it presented. In research, he believes that technological development should be guided by the laws of physics. As a teacher, he asks his students to focus on the depth and breadth of learning. In life, he is famed for being easygoing, modest, well-mannered and meticulous. He is Academician Junhao Chu of the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics (SITP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Please follow Light People and discover what challenges Prof. Chu had to overcome in the study of mercury cadmium telluride.

Abstract It is widely known that salt stress restricts rice growth and productivity severely. However, little information is available regarding the stage of rice seedlings subjected to the Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) inducer, Hemin. This study aimed to investigate the effects of salt stress on two rice varieties (Huanghuazhan and Xiangliangyou 900) and the effect of Hemin in promoting photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and key enzymes under salt-stress conditions. At the stage of three leaves and one heart, Huanghuazhan (HHZ) and Xiangliangyou 900 (XLY900) were sprayed with 5 μmol·L−1 Hemin and then subjected to 50 mM NaCl stress. The results showed that NaCl stress decreased the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids. Furthermore, the net photosynthetic rate (P n) decreased remarkably and the starch content was also lowered. However, NaCl treatment enhanced the concentration of sucrose and soluble sugar, simultaneously enhancing the sucrose metabolism. Nevertheless, the foliar spraying of exogenous Hemin mediated the increase in fructose and starch content, along with the activities of key enzymes’ soluble acid invertase (SAInv), basic/neutral invertase (A/N-Inv), and sucrose synthase (SS) in rice leaves under NaCl stress. The sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) in leaves decreased significantly, and the fructose accumulation in leaves increased. Hemin also mediated the increase of starch content and the α-amylase, total amylase, and starch phosphorylase (SP) activities under NaCl stress. Under stress conditions, the application of the Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) inhibitor, ZnPP failed to alleviate the damage to rice seedlings by NaCl stress. The ZnPP treatment showed similar tendency to the NaCl treatment on pigment content, gas exchange parameters and carbon metabolism related products and enzymes. However, ZnPP decreased carotenoids, fructose, starch content and enzyme activities related to starch metabolism. The regulation effect of Hemin on HuangHuaZhan was better than XiangLiangYou 900. These results indicate that Hemin improved the effects of salt stress on the photosynthesis and physiological characteristics of rice leaves as a result of enhanced carbohydrate metabolism. Thus, Hemin could alleviate the damage caused by salt stress to a certain extent.

In order to improve the effect of injection–production coupling development to improve crude oil recovery in complex fault-block reservoirs, we carried out a physical simulation experiment based on a sandpack model of transforming water-driven development into injection–production coupling development and quantitatively evaluated the influence of rounds of injection pressure coupling on the crude oil mobilization in reservoirs with different permeability levels and on oil recovery. Meanwhile, the characteristics of residual oil were studied via a numerical simulation method. The mechanism of increased oil production via injection–production coupling development was revealed by analyzing the water and oil contents, formation pressure, and streamline fields through the establishment of mechanism models. The results of the physical experiment show that injection–production coupling can improve the recovery effect of medium- and low-permeability reservoirs by 55.66%. With an increase in the injection pressure, the oil recovery percentage of the low-permeability sandpack model at 20 MPa is 100%, and this study finds that injection–production coupling is the main way to develop the recoverable oil in a low-permeability reservoir. The numerical simulation results show that among the four remaining oil distribution types (interwell-enriched, low-permeability zone-enriched, well network imperfection, and mismatch between injection and production), the interwell-enriched type of the remaining oil reserves accounts for the highest proportion (48.52%). The simulation results of the mechanism model show that water-driven development easily leads to streamline solidification, resulting in ineffective circulation of the injected water. Compared with conventional water-driven development, the pressure propagation range is significantly increased in injection–production coupling development. The reservoir streamline distribution is more continuous and uniform, and the flooding wave is wider in volume and range. This research provides a theoretical basis for the injection–production coupling technology policy in complex fault-block reservoirs.

Abstract Background Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1(PD-L1) is overexpressed in many tumors. The radionuclide-labeled anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody can be used for imaging and therapy of PD-L1 overexpressing cancer. Here, we described 131I-labeled Atezolizumab (131I-Atezolizumab, targeting PD-L1) as a therapeutic agent for colorectal cancer with PD-L1 overexpression. Methods 131I-Atezolizumab was prepared by the Iodogen method. The expression levels of PD-L1 in different human colorectal cells were determined by flow cytometry, western blot and cell binding assay. The immunoreactivity of 131I-Atezolizumab to PD-L1 high-expressing cells was determined by immunoreactive fraction. The killing abilities of different concentrations of 131I-Atezolizumab on cells with high and low expression of PD-L1 were detected by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Cerenkov luminescence imaging (CLI) and radioimmunotherapy (RIT) of 131I-Atezolizumab were performed on two human colorectal cancer models. The distribution and tumor targeting of 131I-Atezolizumab were evaluated by imaging. Tumor volume and survival time were used as indicators to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of 131I-Atezolizumab. Results The expression level of PD-L1 in vitro determined by the cell binding assay was related to the data of flow cytometry and western blot. 131I-Atezolizumab can specifically bind to PD-L1 high-expressing cells in vitro to reflect the expression level of PD-L1. Immunoreactive fraction of PD-L1 high-expressing RKO cells with 131I-Atezolizumab was 52.2%. The killing ability of 131I-Atezolizumab on PD-L1 high-expressing cells was higher than that of low-expressing cells. CLI proved that the specific uptake level of tumors depends on the expression level of PD-L1. Effect of 131I-Atezolizumab RIT showed an activity-dependent tumor suppressor effect on RKO tumor-bearing mice with high PD-L1 expression. 131I-Atezolizumab (37 MBq) can improve the median survival time of mice (34 days), compared to untreated mice (27 days) (P = 0.027). Although a single activity(37 MBq) of 131I-Atezolizumab also inhibited the tumors of HCT8 tumor-bearing mice with low PD-L1 expression (P

The parameters such as pore size distribution, specific surface area and pore volume of shale rock samples are analyzed by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption experiment, and then the conversion coefficient between relaxation time (T2) and pore size is calibrated. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments of CO2 huff and puff in shale samples are carried out to study the effects of gas injection pressure, soaking time and fractures on the oil production characteristics of shale pores from the micro scale. The recovery degrees of small pores (less than or equal to 50 nm) and large pores (greater than 50 nm) are quantitatively evaluated. The experimental results show that the recovery degree of crude oil in large pores increases rapidly with the increase of injection pressure under immiscible conditions, and the effect of injection pressure rise on recovery degree of large pores decreases under miscible conditions; whether miscible or not, the recovery degree of crude oil in small pores basically maintains a linear increase with the increase of injection pressure, and the lower size limit of pores in which oil can be recovered by CO2 decreases with the increase of gas injection pressure; with the increase of soaking time, the recovery degree of crude oil in large pores increases slowly gradually, while the recovery degree of crude oil in small pores increases faster and then decelerates, and the best soaking time in the experiments is about 10 h; the existence of fractures can enhance the recovery degrees of crude oil in small pores and large pores noticeably.

Abstract Background Overweight and obesity are major public health crises among children and adolescents and contribute to a significant economic burden. We aimed to investigate the relationship between breastfeeding duration and overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Qingdao, China in 2017. Methods This study conducted a survey with 10,753 students (5370 boys and 5383 girls) aged 6 to 16 years from the Shibei District of Qingdao, China in 2017. Anthropometric measurements were taken by well-trained personnel and self-completed questionnaires were used to collect data from students. A variety of statistical methods were used in this study, including univariate and multivariate analyses, as well as linear and nonlinear regression models. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15.45% and 19.76%, respectively. There was a significant negative correlation between breastfeeding duration and BMI in children and adolescents (β = -0.025, 95% CI: -0.033, -0.005, P

The high volume and unfavorable properties of high-water-content slurries make their treatment difficult and costly. Improving the slurries through prefabricated drains combined with surcharge or vacuum preloading represents an environmental and economic means of reusing these slurries as subsoil. As conventional methods are inefficient in dealing with low-permeability slurries, flocculation is often applied. In this study, the influence of the flocculant dosage on the drainage behavior is observed, and the secondary consolidation of the slurries is examined through laboratory tests. Flocculation is found to accelerate the consolidation process, although the flocculant dosage has an optimal value when combined with the surcharge preloading method. The coefficient of secondary consolidation is more significant in slurries improved by the flocculation-enhanced surcharge (vacuum) preloading method than in the case without flocculation. The use of flocculation must be carefully controlled.

For the massive quantities and negative impacts of dredged mud slurry, its disposal and utilization have become one of the most noticeable issues in the world. In this paper, the flocculation-solidification-high pressure filtration combined method is proposed to effectively dispose of marine mud slurries. The advantages of this method are demonstrated herein in the following three aspects: dewatering performance, material savings, and the shear strength of the treated marine mud slurry. Then, the effects of the anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) dose, composite solidification agent dose, initial water content of marine mud slurries, and initial thickness of geo-bags on the mechanical properties of the marine mud slurry treated by the flocculation-solidification-high pressure filtration combined method are studied. Experimental results show that with increasing doses of APAM, the structures of mud slurries become more stable, and the optimal dose of APAM is determined as 0.16%. Moreover, the increase in the composite solidification agent dose and initial water content of the marine mud slurry, and the decrease in the initial thickness of geo-bags both contribute to the increase in the shear strength of the marine mud slurry treated by the flocculation-solidification-high pressure filtration combined method.

A pressure filtration–flocculation–solidification combined treatment possesses great potential for the reutilization of the waste mud slurry generated from diverse construction projects as filling material due to its versatility and high efficiency. However, very limited existing studies have focused on the factors affecting pressure filtration’s efficiency. In this paper, a calculation model for compression filtration is established based on laboratory pressure filtration model tests and one-dimensional large-strain consolidation theory. The influence of various parameters on pressure filtration’s efficiency is analyzed, and favorable values for these parameters are recommended. The results show that an increased initial mud cake thickness significantly increases the dewatering time and reduces the treatment’s efficiency. A lower dewatering time and higher efficiency can be achieved by increasing the filtration pressure, but the efficiency improvements become limited after reaching the critical pressure threshold. For the mud slurry used in this study, the optimal values for the initial mud slurry bag thickness, filtration pressure, and dewatering time are 240 mm, 1.0 MPa, and 30 min, respectively, yielding a final mud cake water content of 58.7% after filtration.

Salt stress affects crop quality and reduces crop yields, and growth regulators enhance salt tolerance of crop plants. In this report, we examined the effects of prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca) on improving rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and tillering under salt stress. We found that NaCl stress inhibited the growth of two rice varieties and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, electrolyte leakage, and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes. Foliar application of Pro-Ca reduced seedling height and increased stem base width and lodging resistance of rice. Further analyses showed that Pro-Ca application reduced MDA content, electrolyte leakage, and membrane damage in rice leaves under NaCl stress. Pro-Ca enhanced the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) of rice seedlings, while increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX) at the tillering stage under salt stress. Overall, Pro-Ca improves salt tolerance of rice seedlings at the tillering stage by enhancing lodging resistance, reducing membrane damages, and enhancing photosynthesis and antioxidant capacities of rice seedlings.

Salt stress, as a principal abiotic stress, harms the growth and metabolism of rice, thus affecting its yield and quality. The tillering stage is the key growth period that controls rice yield. Prohexadione-calcium (Pro-Ca) can increase the lodging resistance of plants by reducing plant height, but its effects on rice leaves and roots at the tillering stage under salt stress are still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of foliar spraying of Pro-Ca to regulate growth quality at the rice tillering stage under salt stress. The results showed that salt stress reduced the tillering ability of the rice and the antioxidant enzyme activity in the roots. Salt stress also reduced the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) of the rice leaves and increased the contents of osmotic regulatory substances in the leaves and roots. The application of exogenous Pro-Ca onto the leaves increased the tiller number of the rice under salt stress and significantly increased the photosynthetic capacity of the leaves. Additionally, it increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the AsA content. The contents of an osmotic regulation substance, malondialdehyde (MDA), and H2O2 in the leaves and roots also decreased. These results suggested that Pro-Ca can increase the tillering ability, photosynthetic capacity, osmotic adjustment substance content levels and antioxidant enzyme activity levels in rice and reduce membrane lipid peroxidation, thus improving the salt tolerance of rice at the tillering stage.

Prohexadione calcium (Pro-Ca), as a growth retardant, can effectively alleviate the damage of salt stress to plants. In order to explore the effects of NaCl stress on the physiological characteristics and panicle traits of rice plants as well as the alleviating effect of Pro-Ca at the booting stage, we performed pot experiments on two rice cultivars: conventional rice ‘Huanghuazhan’ and hybrid rice ‘Xiangliangyou900’. Rice plants were treated with 0.3% NaCl 48 hours after Pro-Ca (100 mg L−1) treatment to study the effects of Pro-Ca on the physiological characteristics of the leaves and panicles, as well as the panicle and yield traits of rice under salt stress. Our analysis indicated that NaCl treatment inhibited the morphological growth parameters and photosynthetic efficiency, destroyed the antioxidant defense systems of leaves and panicles, increased soluble protein and proline in both rice cultivars. Foliar application of Pro-Ca significantly increased the leaf area, uppermost internode length, panicle length, panicle weight, number of primary branches, number of grains per panicle, seed setting rate and yield under salt stress. Pro-Ca application significantly affected chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), and apparent mesophyll conductance (AMC) in NaCl-treated rice cultivars compared with NaCl treatment alone. Moreover, Pro-Ca also increased ascorbic acid (AsA) content, enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, and further increased the accumulation of soluble protein and proline in leaves and panicles. These results illustrated that foliar application of Pro-Ca at the booting stage could alleviate the damage caused by NaCl stress by regulating the physiological and metabolic processes of rice plants, thereby enhancing the stress resistance of the plants, increasing total rice yield in salt stress conditions.

Abstract The interactions between electrons and phonons play the key role in determining the carrier transport properties in semiconductors. In this work, comprehensive investigations on full electron–phonon (el–ph) couplings and their influences on carrier mobility and thermoelectric (TE) performances of 2D group IV and V elemental monolayers are performed, and we also analyze the selection rules on el–ph couplings using group theory. For shallow n/p-dopings in Si, Ge, and Sn, ZA/TA/LO phonon modes dominate the intervalley scatterings. Similarly strong intervalley scatterings via ZA/TO phonon modes can be identified for CBM electrons in P, As, and Sb, and for VBM holes, ZA/TA phonon modes dominate intervalley scatterings in P while LA phonons dominate intravalley scatterings in As and Sb. By considering full el–ph couplings, the TE performance for these two series of monolayers are predicted, which seriously downgrades the thermoelectric figures of merits compared with those predicted by the constant relaxation time approximation.

Abstract Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become the second most diagnosed malignant tumors worldwide. As our long-term interests in seeking nanomaterials to develop strategies of cancer therapies, we herein constructed novel CoFe2O4-quantum dots (QDs) with outstanding synergistic photothermal/photodynamic property which suppressed NSCLC efficiently without apparent toxicity. We showed that the combination of CoFe2O4-QDs + NIR treatment induces apoptosis of NSCLC cells. In addition, the CoFe2O4-QDs + NIR treatment also promotes reactive oxygen species generation to trigger cell death through regulating PI3K/AKT pathway. Moreover, the CoFe2O4-QDs + NIR treatment successfully eliminates tumor xenografts in vivo without apparent toxic effects. Taken together, we reported that the novel nanomaterials CoFe2O4-QDs could exhibit enhanced synergistic photothermal therapy and photodynamic therapy effect on killing NSCLC without toxicity, which could be a promising photosensitizer for NSCLC therapy.

The H2S and CO2 through absorption methods absorbed at low temperature and high pressure, while desorption was operated at high temperature and low pressure, presenting repeated lifting temperatures, that is, the cold fever. The captured CO2 required the further drying and compression to meet the requirements for transport and storage, existing repeated work. The cryogenic distillation used the difference of boiling point of IGCC syngas components to achieve H2S and CO2 removal through a range of multicompression, condensation and separation steps. The cryogenic distillation process was simulated by Aspen Plus, which removed water by flash, then H2S by desulfurization tower, and CO2 by decarburization tower. The tower parameters, such as reflux ratio, stage number and feed stage, were optimized to study their effect on H2S and CO2 removal rate. Under the optimal conditions, the simulated results of cryogenic distillation were compared with absorption methods (Rectisol, Selexol, Purisol and MDEA), it removed 85% of CO2 from the syngas, 98.2% of H2S and 100% of NH3 and could achieve the integration of carbon capture and storage without repeated work. The CO2 purity by cryogenic distillation process was as high as 99.94% to completely meet the requirements for transport and storage. It required no absorbent, hence avoiding solvent regeneration and loss. Its process was simple with two towers to achieve gas separation and reduce the operation cost. It is a potential to achieve H2S and CO2 removal from IGCC syngas with simple operation process and without repeated work and solvent consumption to reduce energy and cost.

The risk-informed decision-making of metro tunnel project is often faced with the problem of inadequate utilization of available information. In order to address the epistemic uncertainty problem caused by insufficient utilization of information in decision-making, this paper proposes a risk decision support approach for metro tunnel construction based on Continuous Time Bayesian Network (CTBN) technique. CTBN can factor the state space of variables in tunnel projects and perform evidence-based reasoning, which enables the diverse information of expert opinions, project-specific parameters, historical data and engineering anomalies to be the evidence to support decision-making. A concise CTBN model development method based on Dynamic Fault Trees is presented to replace the cumbersome model learning process. The proposed approach can utilize multi-source information as evidence to provide multi-form decision support both in the pre-construction stage and construction stage of the tunnel construction project, and the results can support the decisions on judging the acceptability of the risk, developing response strategies for risk factors and diagnosing the causes of the hazardous event. A case study on the water leakage risk of tunnel construction in China is presented to illustrate the feasibility of the approach. The case study shows that the approach can assist in making informed decisions, so as to improve the engineering safety.

With the progressive promotion of BIM technology in collaborative design and engineering data management, there are large amounts of project information available for intelligent construction, engineering computation and design optimization. In the construction of subway station, BIM technology is still not mature and the engineering design is generally separate from the engineering safety evaluation. Thus, this paper proposed a technology that integrates BIM and numerical simulation (BIM-FEM/FDM integrated technology) to solve the problem of separation between engineering design and computation. A three-dimensional parametric modeling of subway station excavation was first carried out using the Revit® modeling software. Afterward, a FEM/FDM-process oriented data conversion interface was developed to extract and process the critical information from the parametric BIM model for numerical simulation. Then, under the impetus of an auto-simulation interface, the safety evaluation of subway station excavation was realized automatically and visualized graphically. The research of the BIM-FEM/FDM integrated technology presented in this paper has established a supporting platform to achieve the integration of BIM-based design and safety evaluation for subway station excavation.

It is generally believed that conventional hydrocarbon accumulates in sandstone traps after migrating at a certain distance. Unconventional hydrocarbon only migrates at a short distance before accumulation or being imbibed in the tiny pores of shale and tight sandstone reservoir, and there is no obvious trap boundary. There are also different views on the time interval between hydrocarbon accumulation and migration. In this paper, microscale simulation experiments are used to study the process of oil accumulation during migration. In the single pore-throat model, oil can 100% saturate the pore in the process of migration with continuous oil supply. In the plane sandstone model, when oil migrates through the entire model, the oil-bearing area can reach more than 50% of the model area. In the sandstone reservoir model, when the front edge of oil migrates through the entire sandstone layer, the oil saturation near the injection point can reach more than 90%, while the oil saturation of the front part of the model is only about 50%. It shows that, in sandstone reservoir, when there are sufficient oil source and continuous charging pressure, the oil saturation near the charging point continues to increase during oil migration, and the range of high oil-bearing area continues to expand. Therefore, there can be a certain number of hydrocarbon accumulations along the migration path in sandstone reservoir under sufficient oil supply and continuous charging pressure, rather than just in traps.

Abstract Background Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that immunotherapy has effectively delayed tumor progression, and the clinical outcomes of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy were related to PD-L1 expression level in the tumors. A 131I-labeled anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody tracer, 131I-PD-L1-Mab, was developed to study the target ability of noninvasive Cerenkov luminescence imaging in colorectal cancer xenograft mice. Method Anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody labeled with 131I (131I-PD-L1-Mab), and in vitro binding assays were used to evaluate the affinity of 131I-PD-L1-Mab to PD-L1 and their binding level to different colorectal cancer cells, and compared with flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence staining. The clinical application value of 131I-PD-L1-Mab was evaluated through biodistribution and Cerenkov luminescence imaging, and different tumor-bearing models expressing PD-L1 were evaluated. Results 131I-PD-L1-Mab showed high affinity to PD-L1, and the equilibrium dissociation constant was 1.069 × 10-9 M. The competitive inhibition assay further confirmed the specific binding ability of 131I-PD-L1-Mab. In four different tumor-bearing models with different PD-L1 expression, the biodistribution and Cerenkov luminescence imaging showed that the RKO tumors demonstrated the highest uptake of the tracer 131I-PD-L1-Mab, with a maximum uptake of 1.613 ± 0.738% IA/g at 48 h. Conclusions There is a great potential for 131I-PD-L1-Mab noninvasive Cerenkov luminescence imaging to assess the status of tumor PD-L1 expression and select patients for anti-PD-L1 targeted therapy.

Abstract Background Clozapine has remarkable efficacy on both negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia due to its slight activation of NMDA receptor. In fact, much evidence to the contrary. NMDAR is a complex containing specific binding sites, which are regulated to improve negative symptoms and cognitive deficits associated with individuals affected by schizophrenia. PQQ is a powerful neuroprotectant that specifically binds with NMDA receptors in the brain to produce beneficial physiological and cognitive outcomes. The aim of this study was to enhance NMDAR function and improve cognitive ability in schizophrenia by PQQ combined with clozapine. Methods Rats were divided into four groups (n = 5) including control (saline), model (MK-801, 0.5 mg·kg− 1·d− 1), atypical antipsychotic (MK-801 (0.5 mg·kg− 1·d− 1) + Clozapine (1.0 mg·kg− 1·d− 1), and co-agonist NMDA receptor (MK-801 (0.5 mg·kg− 1·d− 1) + Clozapine (0.5 mg·kg− 1·d− 1) + PQQ (1.0 μg·kg− 1·d− 1) group. Each group of rats was injected subcutaneously every day for 6 weeks. Behavior test, including stereotyped behavior, locomotor hyperactivity, learning and memory, was performed. The Western blot assay was performed to analyze the expression of GSK-3β, Akt, NMDAR1, and MGLUR in rat hippocampus. Results Results indicated that clozapine and PQQ combination therapy can improve MK801-induced schizophrenia behavior including stereotyped behavior, locomotor hyperactivity and cognitive impairment. Furthermore, we found that modulating NMDA receptors could ameliorate the memory impairments in Mk-801 induced schizophrenia rats by reducing the expression of NMDAR1 and MGLUR3, decreasing hippocampal tau hyperphosphorylation and inhibiting apoptosis through Akt /GSK-3β signaling pathway. Conclusions These findings suggest that combination therapy for enhancing NMDA receptors may be able to rescue cognition deficit in schizophrenia. More studies are needed to better elucidate these mechanisms.

Abstract Background This study directs to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) alone versus IMRT plus chemotherapy in intermediate-risk NPC (stage II and T3N0M0). Methods A total of 124 patients with stage II and T3N0M0 NPC were pair-matched (1:1 ratio) to form two groups: an IMRT-alone group and an IMRT/chemotherapy group. Survival outcomes (overall survival [OS], disease–free survival [DFS], locoregional relapse–free survival [LRRFS], distant metastasis–free survival [DMFS]) and treatment-related grade 3–4 acute toxicity events were compared between the groups. Results Survival outcomes for patients with stage II and T3N0M0 NPC were quiet comparable between patients treated with IMRT alone versus patients treated with IMRT/chemotherapy: 5-year OS was 91.9% vs. 90.3%, respectively (P = 0.727); DFS was 87.1% vs. 88.7%, respectively (P = 0.821); LRFFS was 96.8% vs. 95.2%, respectively (P = 0.646), and DMFS was 91.9% vs. 91.5%, respectively (P = 0.955). Grade 3 acute toxicities were significantly higher with IMRT/chemotherapy than with IMRT alone: mucositis, 15% vs. 5% (P = 0.004); leukopenia/neutropenia, 8% vs. 1% (P

Spontaneous imbibition is an effective method of tight sandstone reservoirs development. However, their underlying mechanisms are still unclear due to the representative issue caused by strong heterogeneity and complex oil-brine properties. In this research, physical properties and thin-section images were systematically analyzed, and the spontaneous imbibition efficiency was examined from core tests. The results show that quartz and feldspar predominantly contribute to mineralogy. Low brine salinity, high oil viscosity, and high interfacial tension corresponded to strong spontaneous imbibition ability and fast process. High interfacial tension is the dominant controlling factor in this field. Furthermore, the parameter simulation model established by the dimension reduction method could catalyze the prediction of spontaneous imbibition efficiency, which is confirmed by higher reliability.

Chemotherapy is the most common clinical treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but low efficiency and high toxicity of current chemotherapy drugs limit their clinical application. Therefore, it is urgent to develop hypotoxic and efficient chemotherapy drugs. Theophylline, a natural compound, is safe and easy to get, and it can be used as a modified scaffold structure and hold huge potential for developing safe and efficient antitumor drugs. Herein, we linked theophylline with different azide compounds to synthesize a new type of 1,2,3-triazole ring-containing theophylline derivatives. We found that some theophylline1,2,3-triazole compounds showed a good tumor-suppressive efficacy. Especially, derivative d17 showed strong antiproliferative activity against a variety of cancer cells in vitro, including H460, A549, A2780, LOVO, MB-231, MCF-7, OVCAR3, SW480, and PC-9. It is worth noting that the two NSCLC cell lines H460 H and A549 are sensitive to compound d17 particularly, with IC50 of 5.929 ± 0.97 μM and 6.76 ± 0.25 μM, respectively. Compound d17 can significantly induce cell apoptosis by increasing the ratio of apoptotic protein Bax/Bcl-2 by downregulating the expression of phosphorylated Akt protein, and it has little toxicity to normal hepatocyte cells LO2 at therapeutic concentrations. These data indicate that these theophylline acetic acid-1,2,3-triazole derivatives may be potential drug candidates for anti-NSCLC and are worthy of further study.

The otter board, which is designed to maintain the horizontal opening of trawl nets, is a vital component of a trawl system. It requires a high lift-to-drag ratio, which is directly related to the trawling efficiency and economic effectiveness of the single trawler. To improve the hydrodynamic efficiency of a symmetrical elliptic otter board, four model otter boards, i.e., aspect ratio (AR) = 0.507, 0.640, 0.766, and 0.895, were designed in the present work and the effects of aspect ratios on the hydrodynamic performance of the otter board were investigated by flume tank experiments. Further, the k-ε EARSM turbulence model was adopted to analyze the hydrodynamic coefficients and the flow distribution around the otter board using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The optimal aspect ratio was obtained based on the analysis of experimental data, wherein the lift coefficient, the drag coefficient, and the lift-to-drag ratio at different angles of attack (AOA) were measured. The results show that the symmetrical elliptic otter board model is within the critical Reynolds number region when the Reynolds number is larger than 1.682 × 105, and its hydrodynamic coefficient is consistent with the real otter board. When the AR was 0.766, the elliptic otter board had the best hydrodynamic performance, of which the lift coefficient and the lift-to-drag ratio were 1.05 and 1.14 fold that of the initial otter board (AR = 0.640), and the volume of the wing-tip vortex reaches a maximum. The results show the hydrodynamic performance of the symmetrical elliptic otter board, and parameter optimization of the otter board has also been provided for reference.

The Chang 7 interval of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin represents a typical deep lacustrine depositional sequence. On the basis of field outcrops, cores, well logs, light/heavy mineral provenance analysis, and petrological studies, we evaluated the characteristics of deep-water gravity flow deposition of the Chang 7 interval and constructed a depositional model. The sediments mainly came from the northeast of the study area, and multiple sublacustrine fans were deposited in the center of the basin. Different from the deep-marine fan, the sublacustrine fan in the study area develops under the background of gentle slope without any erosional canyon between the fan and delta front. Gravity flow deposits in the study area can categorised into three groups: sand debris flow deposits, turbidity current deposits, and deep-water mudstone deposits. The main channel and branch channel are mainly developed with thick massive sandy debris sandstone, while the channel lateral margin and branch channel lateral margin are mainly developed with middle massive sandy debris sandstones and turbidite sandstones, which from bottom to top, the thickness of sand layer becomes thinner and the grain size becomes smaller. Thin mudstone is developed between channels; the lobe fringe includes sheet-like turbidite sandstones and deep lake mudstones. The widely distribute, good quality source rocks (TOC=2%–6%) developed in deep lacustrine have attained the peak stage of oil generation (Ro=0.9%–1.2%). The superimposition of the sublacustrine fan sand bodies and the wide distribution of good quality source rocks favor the formation of large lithologic reservoirs characterized by source–reservoir integration, self-generation and self-storage, and near-source accumulation.

Given the insufficient understanding of the characteristics and controlling factors of the low-permeability sandstone reservoir in the Heshui area, the Ordos Basin, the present study examined the microscale mineral and pore structure of Chang 2 reservoir. It analyzed its major controlling factors using a series of methods, including imaging and indirect methods. The results show that the rocks of Chang 2 reservoir in the study area are dominated by lithic arkose and feldspathic detritus quartz sandstone. The reservoir space develops intragranular pores, feldspar dissolved pores, lithic dissolved pores, and intercrystallite pores. Microcracks can occasionally be found. The average porosity is 10.5%, and the average permeability is 2.2 mD, featuring a low-porosity-ultralow-permeability reservoir. During the reservoir development, traps formed by small-scale nose-shaped uplifts resulting from the tectonic effects provide opportunities for good reservoir space. Sedimentation and diagenetic processes control the degree of development and direction of the evolution of reservoir porosity to a certain degree. Multisegment capillary pressure curve and long missing zone were corresponding to relatively good pore-throat structures. Illite was the predominant diagenetic clay minerals that determine the reservoir quality. These three effects all contribute to the overall development of the reservoir.

It remains a challenge to develop an effective therapeutic agent with low cost and good biocompatibility for cancer therapy. Based on its dark color, we hypothesized that, the extraction from black rice grains, denoted BRE, could serve as a photothermal conversion agent. The results showed that BRE confers a high photothermal conversion efficiency up to 54.13%. The combination of BRE and near infrared (NIR) treatment enables effective photothermal tumor ablation, and suppress tumor metastasis via inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway. In addition, BRE exhibits no obvious toxicity in vivo. Therefore, BRE could serve as a promising photothermal therapy agent with a low toxicity to treat cancer.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including a series of pathological disorders, severely affect millions of people all over the world. To address this issue, several potential therapies have been developed for treating CVDs, including injectable hydrogels as a minimally invasive method. However, the utilization of injectable hydrogel is a bit restricted recently owing to some limitations, such as transporting the therapeutic agent more accurately to the target site and prolonging their retention locally. This review focuses on the advances in injectable hydrogels for CVD, detailing the types of injectable hydrogels (natural or synthetic), especially that complexed with stem cells, cytokines, nano-chemical particles, exosomes, genetic material including DNA or RNA, etc. Moreover, we summarized the mainly prominent mechanism, based on which injectable hydrogel present excellent treating effect of cardiovascular repair. All in all, it is hopefully that injectable hydrogel-based nanocomposites would be a potential candidate through cardiac repair in CVDs treatment.

Bioremediation of contaminated solutions has attracted extensive attention in recent years due to its wide range of applicability to various types of contaminants and environmental friendliness. Previous studies adequately confirmed the potential of Sporosarcina pasteurii (i.e., S. pasteurii)-based bioremediation for heavy metal contaminated solutions, but they focused mainly on the bioremediation ability of single-heavy-metal contaminated solutions. This study focuses on S. pasteurii-based bioremediation under more complex pollution conditions. A series of laboratory experiments were performed to explore the efficiency and mechanism of S. pasteurii-based bioremediation to heavy metal contaminated solutions under various conditions, including single-heavy-metal pollution condition, heavy metal pollution under high mineral salinity context and multi-heavy-metal pollution scenarios. The results show that S. pasteurii can effectively remove heavy metals such as Cd, Cr(III), and Zn through biomineralization; for the typical range of mineral salinity (including NaCl and KCl) possibly encountered in practice in some contaminated solutions, such as leachate of landfills, the detrimental influence of high mineral salinity on efficiency of S. pasteurii-based bioremediation can be neglected; more importantly, S. pasteurii-based bioremediation can be considered as a potential option for remedying multi-heavy-metal contaminated solutions, though the addition of some heavy metals tends to produce a substantially detrimental influence on the bioremediation ability of S. pasteurii to other heavy metals.

Sludge management is one of the major challenges in mining activities. The direct disposal of contaminated mining sludge can bring severe damages to the environment and community. Solidification/stabilization (S/S) is a very efficient technology for the treatment of contaminated mining sludge because it improves the stability of sludge dumping sites and reduces the leachability of contaminants. Very few studies investigate the S/S of mining sludge, especially with high water content. This paper investigated the effectiveness of S/S for the treatment of mining sludge at high water content by using quick lime (CaO) activated ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) in comparison to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). To evaluate the mechanical, leaching, and microstructural behavior of CMS at high water content stabilized by lime-activated GGBS and OPC, a series of laboratory experimental tests were performed. Experimental results indicated that increasing the dosage of binder led to increased strength and decreased leachability of the heavy metal. In contrast, an increase in the water content of the mixture resulted in a decrease in compressive strength and an increase in the leachability of heavy metals. On the other hand, lime-activated GGBS mixes had substantially better performance than OPC mixes in the aspect of strength development of treated mining sludge and showed comparable capability of heavy metal stabilization compared to OPC. The microstructural tests revealed the formation of different hydration products such as calcium silicate hydrate, calcium aluminum silicate hydrate, ettringite, hydrotalcite, and heavy metal complexes in CG and OPC mixes.

We proposed a method to study the effects of azimuth and the incident angle on the accuracy and stability of rotating polarizer analyzer ellipsometer (RPAE) with bulk Au. The dielectric function was obtained at various incident angles in a range of 55°–80° and analyzed with the spectrum of the principal angle. The initial orientations of rotating polarizing elements were deviated by a series of angles to act as the azimuthal errors in various modes. The spectroscopic measurements were performed in a wavelength range of 300–800 nm with an interval of 10 nm. The repeatedly-measured ellipsometric parameters and determined dielectric constants were recorded monochromatically at wavelengths of 350, 550, and 750 nm. The mean absolute relative error was employed to evaluate quantitatively the performance of instrument. Apart from the RPAE, the experimental error analysis implemented in this work is also applicable to other rotating element ellipsometers.

In this work, a new buffer layer material, a bismuth-indium (Bi-In) alloy, was utilized to improve the quality of large-area, laser-induced periodic ripple structures on silicon. Better-defined ripple structures and larger modification areas were obtained at different scanning speeds by pre-depositing a Bi-In film. The single-spot investigations indicated that ripple structures were much easier to form on silicon coated with the Bi-In film under laser fluences of 2.04 and 2.55 J/cm2 at a fixed pulse number of 200 in comparison with on bare silicon. A physical model in terms of the excellent thermal conductivity contributed by the free electrons in the Bi-In film homogenizing the thermal distribution caused by the laser irradiation in the early stage of the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures was proposed to explain the above phenomena. The results show that the Bi-In film enabled a wider range of laser fluences to generate periodic structures and helped to form regular ripple structures on the silicon. In addition, the modulation effects of the laser fluence and pulse number on surface structures were studied experimentally and are discussed in detail.

Yttrium fluoride (YF3) columnar thin films (CTFs) were fabricated by electron beam evaporation with the glancing angle deposition method. The microstructures and optical properties of YF3 CTFs were studied systematically. The YF3 films grown at different deposition angles are all amorphous. As the deposition angle increases, the columns in YF3 CTFs become increasingly separated and inclined, and the volume fraction of YF3 decreases, resulting in lower refractive indices. This phenomenon is attributed to the self-shadowing effect and limited adatom diffusion. The YF3 CTFs are optically biaxial anisotropic with the long axis (c-axis) parallel to the columns, the short axis (b-axis) perpendicular to the columns, and the other axis (a-axis) parallel to the film interface. The principal refractive index along the b-axis for the 82°-deposited sample is approximately 1.233 at 550 nm. For the 78°-deposited sample, the differences of principal refractive indices between the c-axis and the b-axis and between the a-axis and the b-axis reach the maximum 0.056 and 0.029, respectively. The differences of principal refractive indices were affected by both the deposition angle and the volume fraction of YF3.