State Of Dynamic Equilibrium Research Articles

Structure of a Therapeutic Full-Length Anti-NPRA IgG4 Antibody: Dissecting Conformational Diversity

We report the x-ray crystal structure of intact, full-length human immunoglobulin (IgG4) at 1.8 Å resolution. The data for IgG4 (S228P), an antibody targeting the natriuretic peptide receptor A, show a previously unrecognized type of Fab-Fc orientation with a distorted λ-shape in which one Fab-arm is oriented toward the Fc portion. Detailed structural analysis by x-ray crystallography and molecular simulations suggest that this is one of several conformations coexisting in a dynamic equilibrium state. These results were confirmed by small angle x-ray scattering in solution. Furthermore, electron microscopy supported these findings by preserving molecule classes of different conformations. This study fosters our understanding of IgG4 in particular and our appreciation of antibody flexibility in general. Moreover, we give insights into potential biological implications, specifically for the interaction of human anti-natriuretic peptide receptor A IgG4 with the neonatal Fc receptor, Fcγ receptors, and complement-activating C1q by considering conformational flexibility.

Failure Mechanisms of Toppling Rock Slopes Using a Three-Dimensional Discontinuous Deformation Analysis Method

Toppling is a representative failure mode of discontinuity-controlled rock slopes. As a discrete numerical method, discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) is well-suited for simulating the movement process, contact transformation, and large displacement and deformation of rock block systems, which are formed in jointed rock masses. In the present study, a three-dimensional (3D) DDA method was conducted to study the toppling failure mechanisms of rock slopes by introducing the global contact theory. Considering dynamic equilibrium conditions, the analyses of toppling slopes were performed and the corresponding formulations were derived. The algebraic and mechanical computation of the global contact theory was illustrated and implemented into the 3D DDA method. An experimental apparatus for studying the toppling process of blocks was developed and a series of laboratory experiments were carried out for different block distributions under different conditions. By comparing with the results of the analytical methods and laboratory experiments, the accuracy of the 3D DDA method was verified. Numerical examples, including a classical toppling slope, an ideal mountain slope, and a real toppling case were analyzed to further research the toppling failure mechanisms. The results revealed that the 3D DDA method can effectively predict slope instability and simulate the failure process of toppling slopes. The results of the dynamics-based formulations, experiments and 3D DDA enrich the instability conditions of slope-toppling. Moreover, the general phenomena and laws of the toppling failure were presented.

Chemical and bioactive characterization of papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) under different drying technologies: evaluation of antioxidant and antidiabetic potential

Chilean papaya slices were dried using different technologies to evaluate the effect of the different technologies on drying kinetics, bioactive compounds and biological activities. Five techniques were used: freeze drying (FD), vacuum drying (VD), solar drying (SD), convective drying (CD) and infrared drying (IRD). Fresh and dried samples were evaluated in terms of proximate composition, phenolic profiles, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, β-carotene, vitamin C, and antioxidant and α-glucosidase activities. CD-papaya showed lower processing time, requiring 270 min to reach the dynamic equilibrium condition, while SD-papaya required 870 min. The five drying technologies were found to have variable effects on proximate composition. VD-samples showed the lowest loss of individual phenolic compounds, total phenolic content and vitamin C while IRD- and CD-samples showed lower total flavonoids (42%) and β-carotene (32%) loss after processing, respectively. With respect to biological activities, all samples possessed enzymatic activity in a dose-dependent manner (0–2.0 mg ml−1), being IRD-sample the most effective in inhibiting α-glucosidase (IC50 = 13 mg ml−1). Also, the highest antioxidant capacity measured by DPPH and ORAC was obtained for the papaya samples dried using a vacuum drier.

Directional and Rotational Motions of Nanoparticles on Plasma Membranes as Local Probes of Surface Tension Propagation.

Mechanical heterogeneity is ubiquitous in plasma membranes and of essential importance to cellular functioning. As a feedback of mechanical stimuli, local surface tension can be readily changed and immediately propagated through the membrane, influencing structures and dynamics of both inclusions and membrane-associated proteins. Using the nonequilibrium coarse-grained membrane simulation, here we investigate the inter-related processes of tension propagation, lipid diffusion, and transport of nanoparticles (NPs) adhering on the membrane of constant tension gradient, mimicking that of migrating cells or cells under prolonged stimulation. Our results demonstrate that the lipid bilayer membrane can by itself propagate surface tension in defined rates and pathways to reach a dynamic equilibrium state where surface tension is linearly distributed along the gradient maintained by the directional flow-like motion of lipids. Such lipid flow exerts shearing forces to transport adhesive NPs toward the region of a larger surface tension. Under certain conditions, the shearing force can generate nonzero torques driving the rotational motion of NPs, with the direction of the NP rotation determined by the NP-membrane interaction state as functions of both NP property and local membrane surface tension. Such features endow NPs with promising applications ranging from biosensing to targeted drug delivery.

Velocity derivative skewness and its budget in non-equilibrium time-reversed turbulence

The velocity derivative skewness and its budget equation are analysed in non-equilibrium time-reversed turbulence. We show that the positive skewness is related to the behaviors of backward energy transfer and enstrophy divergence during the non-equilibrium procedure. A dynamic equilibrium state of the turbulence corresponds to a balanced budget of the skewness, whereas the balance is destroyed when the turbulence is perturbed and with a non-equilibrium phenomenon. Production and pressure terms are dominant to the evolution of the skewness compared to the viscosity term. Furthermore, based on this budget equation, a theoretical value of the skewness is derived for sufficiently high-Reynolds turbulent flows. The budget presented here might inspire future investigations for the modeling of non-equilibrium turbulence.

Sediment dynamic equilibrium, a key for assessing a coastal anthropogenic disturbance using geochemical tracers: Application to the eastern part of the Bay of Seine

Geochemical studies are becoming more and more frequent in the context of the increasing pressure of human activities on marine coastal ecosystems and represent an appropriate tool to assess anthropogenic disturbances. Moreover, it is difficult to find discriminant markers. The eastern part of the Bay of Seine (English Channel) is highly impacted by the presence of harbour activities, fishing and sediment extraction. Dredged sediment from the Grand Port Maritime du Havre (GPMH) are deposited at the subtidal Octeville site, in the north-eastern part of the mouth of the Seine estuary (mixed sediment area). To understand natural and anthropogenic sedimentary mechanisms in this area, a geochemical and sedimentological study was conducted at the beginning of 2016. A dense sampling campaign including 179 stations was carried out between Cap de La Hève and Cap d’Antifer. For comparison, sampling was carried out in the harbour (13 samples in basins strongly or very weakly dredged), in the dredged grab itself and in the Seine estuary sediment (one station in the brackish zone and two stations in the river freshwater zone). Elemental compositions were determined by X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry and infrared spectrometry. Using PCA (Principal Component Analysis), seven constituents were selected (Si, As, S, Pb, Rb, organic Br and TOC) to determine the area influenced by dumped spoil and the sediment transport directions. Sediment areas in dynamic equilibrium display a TOC gradient perpendicular to the coastline, linked to granulometric variations due to a combination of the swell and tidal currents. In the study area, dredged sediment are finer grained and have undergone changes due to the influence of diagenetic processes characteristic of the harbour environment. As a result, these sediment are enriched in sulphides, Pb, TOC and Rb, which allows us to highlight the in-situ deposited sediment spoil. Dumped sediment and the area subject to their influence are clearly identified since they locally disrupt the natural dynamic equilibrium state.

Refining of high-phosphorus manganese alloys, which are formed during electrometallurgical Dephosphoration of manganese ore

Goal. Creation of the most rational way of dephosphorization of manganese alloys. Method. Thermodynamic calculations to establish the preference of the reactions during dephosphorization. Computer modeling of the influence of the charge composition on the process of reducing the phosphorus content. Experimental studies in the laboratory during a two-stage processing of high phosphorus metal. Results. The results of computer modeling and experimental study of the refining process of manganese alloy with high content of silicon and phosphorus indicate the feasibility of using the experimental slag-forming mixture based on Na4SiO4. Comparisons of the calculated data with the results of experimental melting show that there are differences in their values. These differences are due to the fact that in real conditions the thermo-dynamic forecast does not always coincide with the kinetics of the real process. The obtained experimental data indicate that the analyzed system achieves a state of dynamic equilibrium in contrast to the data of thermodynamic calculations by the program, which does not take into account the kinetics of the real process and the assumptions made in the simulation. Scientific novelty. The results of experimental studies have shown that the adopted physico-chemical features of the one-stage method of refining the alloy from silicon and phosphorus at a temperature of ~ 1350oC, provide protection of manganese from oxidation with the use of Na4SiO4. Practical significance. Therefore, it is advisable to implement the developed scheme of dephosphorization of the accompanying manganese alloy, which is formed during the production of low phosphorus slag, in industrial conditions. Given that the limiting link in the refining process is the oxidation reaction of the phosphorus alloy due to the interaction with Fe2O3, it is advisable to use forced mixing of the metal and the alloy by purging with neutral gas. Key words: phosphorus, manganese ore, concomitant manganese alloy, low phosphorus slag, dephosphorization,

Investigation of transient freshwater storage in island aquifers

Fresh groundwater in an island aquifer is an extremely important resource that is highly vulnerable to variations in natural weather cycles and climate change effects. On small islands, precipitation creates subsurface freshwater lenses that float on top of coalesced saltwater that has intruded from the surrounding seawater. The volume and shape of these highly vulnerable freshwater lenses depend on the size and shape of the island, underlying geology, and the rate and duration of groundwater recharge. This study focuses on the transient changes in freshwater storage volume within these lenses. We completed a sand tank experiment to visualize an evolving freshwater lens that undergoes a dry- and -wet recharge cycle resulting in forming a shrinking and an expanding lens. The physical experiments provided a dataset to develop a robust numerical model that can rigorously simulate different types of evolving transient freshwater lenses. Our laboratory data along with past literature information have indicated that the shrinking of a freshwater lens occurred at a slower rate relative to an expanding freshwater lens. This aspect of a rather rapid freshwater volume recovery was investigated further using the numerical model by imposing cyclic recharge patterns to study the impacts of shortened recharge periods on freshwater storage in island aquifers. The results show that a sustainable dynamic equilibrium condition can be achieved within a few cycles of periodic recharge. Unsustainable conditions were only encountered at extremely short recharge periods. The model was then extended to simulate a freshwater lens in Dauphin Island, Alabama, to assess changes in freshwater storage under realistic wet and dry recharge cycles. The experimental data together with the modeling results presented in this study provide a better understanding of transient changes in freshwater storage patterns in small islands.

A Long-Term Analysis of Demographic Processes, Socioeconomic ‘Modernization’ and Forest Expansion in a European Country

This article investigates long-term forest decline and expansion vis-à-vis demographic processes in Italy, evidencing changes in the underlying socioeconomic context considering the ‘modernization theory’. An exploratory data analysis of 58 indicators assessing five basic research dimensions (territory, demography, education, trade and agriculture) and evolving rapidly over the study period (1862–2009), was run to ascertain similarity patterns among indicators and to identify time intervals characterized by homogeneous conditions in different analysis’ domains. Complementing indicators of forest expansion, changes in population structure and dynamics allow an empirical investigation of temporal coherence among demographic and forest transitions in Italy. The time window encompassing the two World Wars, approximately between 1931 and 1951, was identified as a turning point in the forest-socioeconomic system, being characterized by two groups of indicators that follow diverging (linear vs. nonlinear) time trends. A secondary turning point was identified at the beginning of the 1970s. Distinct temporal trends in the studied indicators were also identified using multivariate statistics (before the 1930s, between the 1930s and the 1950s, between the 1950s and the 1970s, from the 1970s onwards) and represent conditions of dynamic equilibrium between socio-ecological contexts, highlighting latent transitions in both population and environment conditions. Our work definitely contributes to an empirical understanding of economic, political and social forces associated with forest transition and demographic transition in advanced economies.

Demographic Transitions and Socioeconomic Development in Italy, 1862–2009: A Brief Overview

The present study investigates long-term population dynamics in Italy, 1862–2009, in light of Demographic Transitions (DTs). Under the assumption that DTs are multidimensional processes of change involving several aspects, including population structure and dynamics, an exploratory analysis was carried out in this study to verify temporal coherency of 15 indicators in Italy, identifying homogeneous time periods with distinct demographic characteristics. Indicators’ trends were identified using a multivariate statistical approach. The results of this study allow empirical testing of the assumption of temporal coherence between different aspects of a long-term DT, distinguishing distinctive population dynamics and the differential impact on population structure over two centuries. After a relatively long period of demographic stability, the time window encompassing the two World Wars—approximately between 1921 and 1951—was identified as a primary turning point of population dynamics in Italy; a second turning point was estimated at the beginning of the 1970s. These time intervals may represent conditions of dynamic equilibrium between demographic and socioeconomic contexts, highlighting latent system transitions. The study concludes by outlining the importance of a more effective integration of demographic transition theories into a broader sustainability framework, and implementing a diachronic analysis of political, economic, and social forces associated with population dynamics in both advanced economies and emerging countries.

The Effect of Diffusion on the Sedimentation Rate of Soil Microparticles

The submitted paper presents the results of the experiment aimed at quantifying the effect of diffusion on the sedimentation rate of soil microparticles of different fractions. The goal of the experiment was to specify the determination of the texture composition of soils. The textural composition of the soil gives basic information about its hydrophysical properties. Standard methods for determination of granulometric soil composition are based on sedimentation methods. Measuring errors occur in the measurement of the soil microparticle rate, which are usually made of clay particles. Their source is the effect of diffusion. In the settling process with the gradual formation of the colloidal dispersion system, the deposition rate decreases. The rate of sedimentation of the dispersion particles approaches the rate of the mean diffusion feed in the opposite direction. Gradually, the state of dynamic sedimentation equilibrium occurs. The dispersion ratio was in dispersed system formed by clay soil particles from the Senne site. The dispersed medium was distilled water. Grain analyzes were performed by a laser diffraction method on a Mastersizer 2000 from MALVERN Instruments. The soil microparticles’ rates were measured on the basis of the time and the path of particles with diameter d (90). The output of the experiment is the diffusion coefficient, diffusion average feed and sedimentation rate for soil particles of different sizes. The results of the work show that with size of sedimented soil particles, the effect of diffusion increased. On this basis, it is possible to verify the lower limit of the results of grain size analyzes based on the sedimentation method. The results of the work show that the reduction of the size of the settled soil particles increases the effect of diffusion. On this basis, it is possible to quantify the lower limit of the results of grain size analyzes based on the sedimentation method and the particle size at which dynamic sedimentation equilibrium occurs.

Effect of XLPE/EPDM Interface on Space Charge Behavior in Cable Accessory

Space charges accumulate easily at insulation interface of cable accessories, which cause different electric field distribution and aging characteristics compared to single-layered cable. To explore the space charge behavior in double-layered insulation of cable accessories, a one-dimensional (1D) axisymmetric model for bipolar charge transport is built in this work, in which the effects of temperature gradient and electric field gradient in the radial direction are considered. Then the influences of electric field/temperature gradient and interface position on transport behavior of space charges are investigated. The simulation results suggest that the charges accumulate easily at the interface, which severely reduce the electric field in the inner layer of insulation and further inhibit the injection and migration processes of charges. The charge density at the interface increases with temperature and voltage, which accelerates the decay of the charge injection, furthers the interface charges to reach the dynamic equilibrium state quickly. The charge density at the interface and the electric field distribution are closely related to the interface position, and the electric field is more uniform when XLPE occupies the 1/3 to 1/2 inner part of the whole insulation.

Beyond Wastescapes: Towards Circular Landscapes. Addressing the Spatial Dimension of Circularity through the Regeneration of Wastescapes

Wastescapes are the result of unsustainable linear growth processes and their spatial consequences within the context of urban metabolic flows and related infrastructure. They represent the operational infrastructure for waste management and include Drosscapes, generating complex relations with the servicing and surrounding territory. In particular, the peri-urban areas are spatially affected by these processes. This often leads to ineffective use and/or abandonment because they are currently impossible to use, demanding impactful (and often expensive) regeneration and revalorization to make them usable again. Being part of the urban metabolic process, wastescapes are in a continuous state of dynamic equilibrium. They can be considered crucial areas from a metropolitan perspective because they have the potential to become innovative spatial contexts or resources in a Circular Economy (CE), which aims to overcome the crises of both resource scarcity and spatial fragmentation. However, common and shared definitions of wastescapes are still missing at the European policy level, as only classical categories of material waste are generally mentioned. Wastescapes can be considered as ‘potentiality contexts’ where developing, testing, and implementing Eco-Innovative Solutions (EIS) can be done. By doing so, wastescapes can help start transitions towards a CE. This can be achieved by using Peri-urban Living Labs (PULL), which have the potential to be the virtual and physical environments in which experimenting the collaborative co-creation process for developing EIS can be done. Doing so will allow for the improvement of waste management and for the revalorization of wastescapes in collaboration with all potential stakeholders.

Scour from the interstitial spaces in cobble-bed rivers

The periodic removal of sand from the interstitial spaces between cobbles is extremely important for ecosystem functioning in cobble-bed rivers. In order to flush fine sediments from the interstitial spaces between cobbles in river reaches downstream of dams, specific dam releases known as flushing flows or sediment maintenance flows are utilised. This paper describes the development and calibration of a mathematical model to predict the equilibrium depth of scour of fine sands from between cobbles in terms of applied stream power principles. The model was developed with the aid of physical model experiments and is founded on a stream power model which defines the condition of dynamic equilibrium in a deformed sand-bed river. Calibration was done in the laboratory under clear water conditions and with uniform cobble sizes. The scouring of fine sands in cobble-bed rivers is associated with an increase in absolute bed roughness and an associated decrease in the unit stream power applied along the bed as the cobbles become exposed. When scour ceases, the sand particles on the bed are at the movement threshold and critical conditions exist. In order to establish the relationship between equilibrium scour depth and bed particle characteristics, the power which is required to suspend sand particles under laminar boundary conditions is equated with the turbulent power being applied along the bed.

Determination of mode I dynamic fracture toughness of IM7-8552 composites by digital image correlation and machine learning

An optical experimental procedure for evaluating the J-Integral from full-field displacement fields under dynamic loading is proposed in this work. The methodology is applied to measure the J-integral in the dynamic compressive loading of fiber-reinforced composites and to calculate the dynamic fracture toughness associated with the propagation of a kink-band. A modified J-Integral that considers inertia effects is calculated over the full-field measurements obtained by digital image correlation, for double edge-notched specimen of IM7-8552 laminates dynamically loaded in a split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). A sensibility study is conducted to address the influence of the speckle parameters. The results show good agreement with experimental observations obtained by using a different data reduction method, suggesting the existence of a rising R-curve for the studied material under dynamic loading. Furthermore, it was noticed that the inertia effect can be negligible, indicating a state of dynamic equilibrium in which quasi-static approaches may comfortably be used.

Predicting the geometry of regime rivers using M5 model tree, multivariate adaptive regression splines and least square support vector regression methods

ABSTRACTThe complex dynamic equilibrium state of rivers, in which the amount of deposition and erosion are in balance, has been a fundamental research topic in river engineering. In this research, three advanced machine learning approaches, including M5 Model Tree (M5Tree), Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) and Least Square Support Vector Regression (LSSVR), are employed to gain new insights and develop more accurate methods for assessment of the longitudinal slope (S), water-surface width (W) and mean water depth (D) of rivers in regime state. Geometric and hydraulic characteristic of 85 cross-sections of Gamasiab River (located in western of Iran), Kaaj River (located in southwestern of Iran) and Behesht-Abad River (located in southwestern of Iran) are used to train and evaluate the employed methods (M5Tree, MARS, and LSSVR). Seven different models comprising various combinations of effective parameters influencing regime river geometry (the flow discharge (Q), median bed grain size (d50) and Shields parameter (τ )), are developed to evaluate the effect of each of these variables on the prediction of the geometry of regime rivers (S, W and D). The M5Tree method outperformed the other approaches with respect to correlation coefficient (R) values of 0.872, 0.951, and 0.770 and Mean Absolute Relative Error (MARE) values of 0.484, 0.102, and 0.126 for slope, width, and depth prediction, respectively. Furthermore, the flow discharge Q was the key variable governing regime channel width and depth while the regime channel slope was found to be mainly controlled by the Shields parameter.

A transport model and constitutive equation for oppositely charged polyelectrolyte mixtures with application to layer-by-layer assembly.

We develop a general framework for transport of polyions, solvent and salt, with intended application to Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly of polyelectrolyte monolayers (PEMs). The formulation for the first time includes electrostatics, chemical potential gradients, and mechanical stress gradients as driving forces for mass transport. The general model allows all species to be mobile throughout the process and avoids the assumptions of stepwise instantaneous equilibrium and/or immobilized structures typical of previous approaches, while reducing to these models in appropriate limits. A simple constitutive equation is derived for a mixture of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes that accounts for network strand dilution and cross-chain ion pairing by appending reactive terms to the Smoluchowski probability diffusion equation for network strand end-to-end vectors. The resulting general framework encompasses the Poisson equation describing the electrostatic potential distribution, an osmotic pressure balance, a stress constitutive equation, and a generalized flux law of polymer transport. The computational domain is split into a PEM phase and an external solution phase with an appropriate boundary condition derived for the interface between the two. The mobile species (water and small salt ions) are taken to be in a state of dynamic equilibrium with their distributions enslaved to the perturbations in the two polyion compositions. The proposed model captures the swelling response of PEM films to external solutions. For the first time, we studied the effects of the temporal evolution of electrostatic and stress distribution on the rate of chain loss and absorption during rinsing and dipping of an idealized and arbitrarily selected and rigid brush layer into external solutions. The temporal evolution provides a kinetic basis for the ability of LbL films to grow under conditions that thermodynamics alone suggests would cause them to be washed away and to account for partial desorption during washing. The proposed transport framework constitutes a solid basis for eventual quantitative modeling of LbL assembly and transport in polyion networks more generally.

S. Boychenko, L. Horoshkova, L. Zharova, V. Кaramushka, I. Khlobystov, Management of sustainable development of natural-economic systems.

It is proved in the paper that Incorporated Territorial Communities can be considered a complex natural and economic nonlinear, dynamic system capable of self-organization. Its main properties are: infinity of knowledge; interaction with the environment; integrity (emergence); hierarchy; structuring; available items; has a certain state and behavior; continuity of functioning; developmental capacity; dynamism; complexity; homeostaticity; purposefulness; controllability; adaptability; inertia; stability (constancy); equilibrium state. It is shown that optimum for Territorial Communities is the state of dynamic equilibrium and instability, as the prerequisites for dynamic development.It is proved that the quantitative measurement of equilibrium is economic efficiency - Pareto-efficiency, which requires an optimal distribution among market participants resources for production, provided their rarity and limited goods with unlimited consumption.It was established that the management of the interconnection of internal opportunities and external influence creates conditions for the sustainable development of the Incorporated Territorial Communities. The main infrastructural components of the sustainable development of the Incorporated Territorial Communities are economic, environmental and social. It is shown that the economic component of sustainable development is provided at the expense of the current mechanism of formation of financial resources of the Incorporated Territorial Communities, which ensures the stability and self-sufficiency of territorial communities. From the standpoint of the ecological component, sustainable development must ensure the integrity of biological and physical natural systems, their viability, which depends on the global stability of the entire biosphere. The social component is focused on human development, on maintaining the stability of social and cultural systems, on reducing the number of conflicts. It is proved that an important factor of the environment, which significantly influences the parameters of the functioning of the natural-economic system of the Incorporated Territorial Communities, is modern climate change. A general analysis of the vulnerability of Ukraine's natural and economic systems to climate change has been conducted. It is proved that climate change affects different branches of management, but this impact is not unequivocal in various areas. The expediency of finding new innovative management and business technologies is substantiated. It is shown that the implementation of startups within the limits and interests of the Incorporated Territorial Communities has a number of positive features in the social, economic and ecological areas. Among the main ones are the following: the possibility of effective and quick search for solutions to local problems (implementation of one of the fundamental principles of sustainable development - think globally - actions locally), investment attraction, development of innovative ecological environment: organization of cooperation of all interested parties and infrastructure development, distribution of positive information on the success of the Territorial Communities, in the future, can contribute to economic development, in particular through increased investment attractiveness of the community, increased awareness of the community as to problems (including environmental), and opportunities for their solution in a profitable and effective way, active participation of the community in the realization of the goals of sustainable development and torment to the activities of international organizations.

Atmospheric mercury emissions from two pre-calciner cement plants in Southwest China

China produces the most cement product worldwide, and cement plants (CPs) have been regarded as the largest anthropogenic sources of atmospheric mercury (Hg) emissions in China since 2009. Onsite studies of this source are scarce compare to the huge numbers of CPs in China. Hence, quantifying Hg emissions from more CPs is needed in reducing the large uncertainties existed in the current Hg emission inventories and for assessing subsequent impacts of Hg on human and ecosystem health. In this study, two pre-calciner CPs in Guizhou province of Southwest China were selected for quantifying the emission factor and mass balance of Hg. Results showed that Hg emission levels in the two CPs were obviously different due to the differences in Hg input and circulation in the production system. In cement plant #1 (CP #1), the input and output of Hg reached a dynamic equilibrium condition, the emission factor was 76.1 mg Hg·t−1 clinker, and Hg concentration in the stack flue gas was in the range of 14.46–16.64 μg m−3. In cement plant #2 (CP #2), Hg was in an enriching status because it was a new plant with operation of several months and most input Hg was retained inside the production system, hence with a much lower emission factor of 1.8 mg Hg·t−1 clinker and Hg concentration of 0.15–0.49 μg m−3 in the stack gas. Kiln tail stack was the main output pathway of Hg in the clinker production process. With removal efficiency of 73.06% and 99.95% at kiln tail by ESP in CP #1 and humidifier + ESP-FF in CP #2, respectively, Hg emitted into the atmosphere was mainly in the forms of gaseous oxidized mercury (Hg2+) and gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0). Besides, the operation mode (on or off) of raw mill had great impact on the concentration and speciation of Hg in flue gas and flue gas temperature at kiln tail. In the clinker production system, limestone is the main source of Hg input (41.4–56.4%), followed by the fueled coal (15.3–32.5%). While, in the clinker to cement production process, the additives (mainly gypsum from coal-fired power plants, 83.2–94.4%) was the main source of Hg in the cement because Hg concentration in the clinker was very low.

Change of electrical conductivity of MoS2 under exposure to protons

A significant drop (by a factor of 10,000) in the electrical resistance of the thin-film semiconductor MoS2 with continuous injection of protons into it under conditions of established dynamic equilibrium was found. With the cessation of proton injection, the effect disappears. These films MoS2 were obtained on polished glass supports by means of mechanical infriction of powder into a rough surface. In order to create a permanent proton flow directed to the sample plasma ion source with cold cathode was used.