bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complex Trauma and Mentalizing Ability in College Students With or Without Borderline Personality Disorder: A Mixed Method Approach
Authors: Lamba Ishita , Rai Shweta , Praharaj Samir Kumar , Rege Sumita
Published: May 2024

Background:

Exposure to complex trauma in early childhood can undermine the development of mentalization capacity. Complex trauma has also been causally linked to borderline personality disorder (BPD). The inclusion of complex post-traumatic stress disorder in ICD-11 has made it imperative to have an in-depth understanding of complex trauma.

Methods:

This study used an explanatory sequential mixed method approach to assess the complex trauma and mentalizing ability in college students with BPD ( N = 62) in comparison to non-BPD students ( N = 60) and to explore the subjective experiences of complex trauma in students with BPD ( n = 10). Participants in both groups were assessed on the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test to assess complex trauma and mentalizing ability, respectively. Qualitative data were collected through focused interviews using a phenomenological approach.

Results:

Those with BPD had significantly higher rates of six types of complex trauma as compared to those without BPD; additionally, participants who had experienced sexual abuse performed better on mentalizing tasks than those who had not. The focused interviews revealed several themes, including “perpetrator,” “impact,” “symptoms,” and “strengths,” which indicated intergenerational trauma and hope for post-traumatic growth.

Conclusion:

Although participants with BPD experienced higher complex trauma, they also had better mentalizing capacities.
Lived Experience of Caregivers of Suicide Attempt Survivors: A Qualitative Study with Indian Adults
Authors: Vivekanandhan Shankavi , Ramasamy Dhanasekarapandian , Cherian Anish V , Hugh-Jones Siobhan
Published: May 2024

Background:

Suicide attempt is a significant predictor of suicide and occurs more frequently than suicide. Each suicide attempt leaves a significant impact on the family as they take the primary role in providing care and bear the responsibility for supporting them. The prospect of future suicide attempts puts the family in distress and makes them prone to adverse psychosocial circumstances.

Methods:

The objective of this study is to understand the life experiences of caregivers of suicide attempt survivors after the suicide attempt of their relative. Using the purposive sampling method, we interviewed the primary caregivers ( n = 6) from a tertiary care setting. The in-depth interviews explored their experiences, concerns, and needs. This study used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis.

Results:

Four major themes emerged: the reactive affect, changes post the suicide attempt (mental pain, physiological changes, attitude toward the suicide attempt survivor, and social aspects), moving on with the attempt (assuming responsibilities and spiritual beliefs), and the caregivers’ needs.

Conclusion:

The impact of suicide attempts on families is primarily ignored and under-researched in the country. There is a growing need to recognize the roles and struggles of family members and support them.
How composition strategies influence melodic idea generation
Authors: Southam Ashleigh , Macaulay Alistair , Costley Jamie
Published: May 2024

Previous research has shown that classroom activities in music composition, involve the use of composition strategies during the creative process. This implies that teaching composition strategies may be beneficial to improve compositions in regards to their craftsmanship and their originality. Practical guides on composing for experienced musicians suggest using composition strategies as a way to create variety and novelty. This study aimed to investigate how the use of composition strategies might influence melodic idea generation from the perspective of experienced musicians. Five participants were given two short composition activities. In the first activity, participants composed freely with or without using composition strategies. In the second activity, participants were to include a choice of five composition strategies that were provided. They were subsequently interviewed about their composition process, their experience of the activities and how they viewed the strategies in relation to generating ideas. Results showed that all the participants perceived the as being an external phenomena that sometimes encroached on their more subconscious approach to idea generation and selection. This result has implications for how to assist idea generation during creative musical activities. Instructional sequencing could benefit from including idea generation as a precursor to learning new information.
Evolving Client–Vendor Relationship: As Manifested Through an Artificial Intelligence Research Unit of an Indian IT Organization
Authors: Venumuddala Vinay Reddy , Kamath Rajalaxmi
Published: May 2024

The Indian information technology (IT) sector is traditionally known for delivering IT and business process management (BPM) services to clients across the globe. To ensure the longevity of this client and service provider relationship, Indian IT organizations have made significant client-specific investments and actively engaged them in offshore development activities. One of the outcomes from such investments can be seen in terms of the very high maturity standards that Indian IT organizations currently exhibit in the context of IT–BPM service delivery. In recent times, these organizations are also undertaking offshore projects around emerging technologies. Such projects, especially those related to artificial intelligence (AI), are largely centred around the automation of client-focused BPM services. Given their relative nascency, such projects are primarily led by the AI research units that are rapidly diffusing across Indian IT organizations. In this study, we rely on a four-month-long ethnography to explore a client and vendor (or service-provider) relationship as manifested through one such AI research unit of an Indian IT organization situated in Bengaluru, India. Our objective from this study is to understand how these new offshore AI projects affect the longevity of the relationship between clients and the Indian IT service providers. Given the nature of emerging technology workflows, our findings indicate a tilt more towards meeting client-side expectations than that of vendors in these projects. We portend that this can potentially disrupt the longevity of the client–vendor relationship in the Indian IT services sector, and, therefore, both the clients and vendors must attend to the peculiarities of offshore emerging technology projects to mitigate such disruptions.
Challenges and strategies for open access in South Africa: A knowledge management approach
Authors: Kodua-Ntim Kwame , Fombad Madelein
Published: May 2024

This paper explores the challenges of open access in South Africa and draws from knowledge management concepts and principles to suggest strategies to enhance open access. A comprehensive analysis of the existing literature was undertaken to address these challenges. A systematic review was undertaken to address the obstacles associated with open access using a well-defined search protocol. Some of the challenges were limited funding, inequality in access to technology, limited awareness, resistance from publishers, copyright issues, and lack of infrastructure. The article suggests that knowledge management initiatives such as knowledge awareness of open access, knowledge sharing, leadership, rewards and incentives, and a positive culture will enhance open access.
An integrated optimal control model for the drying and preheating process in iron ore pellet manufacturing
Authors: Huang Xiaoxian , Fan Xiaohui , Li Zongping , Chen Xuling , Peng Zitang , Gan Min , Ji Zhiyun , Sun Zengqing
Published: May 2024

The drying and preheating process plays a crucial role in the induration of iron ore pellets. It is conducted on a closed, moving bed in both the straight grate and grate-kiln processes. The internal state of the pellet bed cannot be measured and the manipulated parameters are set according to the experience. An integrated optimal control model based on the numerical simulation and intelligent algorithm is proposed. In this model, the moisture content and temperature of pellets in each stage are predicted via the mathematical simulation, and the inlet gas temperature is optimally set and real-time controlled through the multi-objective optimisation and Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy control methods. The proposed model has been successfully applied to a large-scale pelletising plant. The closed-loop running results illustrate that the thermal state of the pellet bed becomes stable, and the pellet production is improved while the mixed gas consumption is reduced.
Influence of oxygen enrichment method on the state of blast furnace raceway
Authors: Wang Kai , Huang Yining , Zhang Jianliang , Wu Shengli , Zhang Cuiliu , Chen Jian , Ye Lian , Teng Zhaojie , Xu Runsheng
Published: May 2024

The numerical simulation is applied to compare the effect of the oxygen enrichment rates under different injection methods on the flow and combustion features. The alteration in the gas velocity follows a congruous pattern for constant air and oxygen enrichment (CAOE) method and the reduced air and oxygen enrichment (RAOE) method. The oxygen enrichment rate increases by 1% and the velocity at the tuyere increases by 2.92 and 0.78 m s−1. The CAOE method has a more significant influence on the temperature and burnout of coal particles than that of the RAOE method. Furthermore, the burnout of coal particles at the exit of the raceway is 79.45% and 78.95%, at an oxygen enrichment rate of 12% under the conditions of the CAOE method and RAOE method. To improve the penetration capacity of the hearth and achieve higher burnout of pulverised coal, the CAOE method is recommended to enrich oxygen.
Effect of MgO on viscosity and melt structure of mold flux for continuous casting
Authors: Yan Xiong , Wang Wanlin , Zhou Lejun , Yang Yang , Lin Hongliang , Liu Xiaokang
Published: May 2024

The viscosity and structure of mold flux with different MgO content were investigated in this study. Results show that the viscosity at 1583 K reduces from 0.39 to 0.35 Pa·s, and the apparent activation energy decreases from 135.13 ± 3.78 to 69.53 ± 2.88 kJ/mol with the addition of MgO from 2 to 8 wt-%. Melt structure analyses suggest that the amount of more complex structural units, such as Q3(Si), Q4(Si), Si–O–Si and Al–O–Si decrease, meanwhile the simpler Q0(Si), Q1(Si) and Q2(Si) increase with increasing MgO content in the melt. However, [AlO4]5− symmetric tetrahedral increases, while [AlO4]5− asymmetric tetrahedral decreases with the addition of MgO due to the charge compensation effect. Finally, from the synthetic analyses of viscosity and melt structure, it can be concluded that the network breaker effect of O2− from MgO is much larger than the charge compensation effect of Mg2+ from MgO, which results in the reduction of viscosity and apparent activation energy of the mold flux melt.
Development of a tool for predicting oxides scales and tensile properties of Stelmor-cooled wire rod
Authors: Rivolta Barbara , Gerosa Riccardo , Panzeri Davide , Angelini Lorenzo , Sala Carlo , Galluzzi Carlo , Cavenaghi Davide , Passoni Roberto , Parimbelli Andrea
Published: May 2024

In industrial practice, it is known that the wire rod coils need to be descaled before drawing. Acid pickling by hydrochloric or sulphuric acidic solutions is the most common method. However, mechanical descaling could be preferred. According to this choice, the oxides type and morphology shall be different. The oxides nature can be controlled by the Stelmor parameters, that is, the temperature at the laying head and the cooling rate on the Stelmor conveyor. International standards and customer specifications prescribe precise requirements not only for the scale features, but also for the material mechanical resistance and deformability. So, a complicated plant set-up is needed to satisfy all the requirements. This research work is aimed at developing processing maps for the correct selection of the Stelmor parameters able to guarantee the required mechanical strength and surface scale suitable for acid pickling or mechanical descaling.
Hydraulic and numerical simulation of flow field characteristics in induction heating continuous casting tundish
Authors: Zhang Yazhu , Wang Yi , Huang Jun , Wang Shuhao , Zhou Shikai , Yi Bing , Wang Baofeng
Published: May 2024

The flow state of the melt inside the continuous casting tundish plays a decisive role in the realisation of metallurgical function. With the application of tundish induction heating, much attention has been paid to the influence of the internal non-isothermal state caused by supplementary heating on the flow field. In this study, hydraulic and numerical simulations combined with particle image velocimetry are used to quantitatively study the internal flow field under channel-type tundish with induction heating. Simultaneously, the effect of induction heating on the flow state of the flow field is investigated. The results show that the internal heating of the tundish channel not only enhances the range and intensity of turbulence distribution, but also significantly improves the flow state of the flow field. By comparing the velocity distribution of the tundish liquid surface measured by hydraulic simulation, it is found that the average velocity under non-isothermal conditions is 0.066 m/s, which is 47% higher than that under isothermal conditions. Finally, the standard deviation of peak time and actual residence time for the residence time distribution curve of tundish changes from 278 and 217 s to 202 and 148 s, respectively, before and after supplementing channel heating, which shows that it can indeed improve the consistency of each flow.
Simulation study on the effect of increasing pellet proportion on burden distribution in the blast furnace
Authors: Zhao Zhijian , Saxén Henrik , Wang Shuhua , She Xuefeng , Xue Qingguo , Li Hongbing , Cao Weiqiang
Published: May 2024

As an effective method to strengthen blast furnace (BF) smelting and to realize reduced fuel operation, high-proportion pellet charging has become an inevitable trend in the BF ironmaking. However, due to the high rolling characteristics of pellets and the low repose angle of stockline, the high-proportion pellet charge structure also brings some difficulties to the control of gas distribution and the BF operation. In order to find out the burden distribution characteristics in the BF under high pellet ratio and provide theoretical guidance for improving the operation of high pellet ratio of the BF, a mathematical model of the upper part of the bell less BF is established, and the influence of pellet ratios on the burden distribution is analyzed by a discrete element method (DEM). The results show that as the proportion of pellet increases from 10% to 50%, the width of the stockline platform decreases from 1.081 m to 0.895 m, and the stockline angle decreases from 34.00° to 31.63°. With the increase in the proportion of pellets, the porosity of the stockline decreases, and the porosity along the radial direction from the furnace wall to the center also decreases gradually.
Mechanism of cerium-based inclusion formation and influence on impact toughness in industrial Al-killed steel
Authors: Zhang Xiaofeng , Zhi Jianguo , Song Xiwen , Li Zhao , An Shengli
Published: May 2024

Mechanism of cerium-based inclusion formation and influence on impact toughness were researched in industrial Al-killed steel. In the final product, actual inclusions were complex, consisting of Al-O-Ce (Ce-poor), Al-O-Ce (Ce-rich), Al-O-Ce-S(Al-poor) and S-Ca (Mn-rich) from inside to outside. Results of thermodynamic balance calculation were completely inconsistent with the actual inclusions. Considering decomposing or disappearing of formed inclusions in steel difficult, new computing results showed that inclusions were formed by firstly Al2O3 (exist in molten steel before adding Ce), AlCeO3, Ce2O2S, CaS, Ca (Mn)S and MnS in turn, in better agreement with the actual inclusions. Outside of the actual inclusions, Ce2O2S and CaS had a smaller disregistry with ferrite, which could offer effective nucleation sites. And small inclusion was surrounded in a grain and bigger inclusion was surrounded in two grains at least. Microstructures were observed that grains with Ce were finer than grains without Ce. Moreover, V-notch impact toughness of samples was tested at 0 and −60°C, respectively. Compared with samples without Ce, the values of impact toughness were increased by 161% at 0°C and 225% at −60°C, respectively. And fracture surface with Ce had more and finer dimples and finer cleavages than that without Ce.
Research on cascade intelligent sinter quality prediction system based on big data technology
Authors: Li Xin , Liu Xiaojie , Liu Ran , Li Hongyang , Liu Song , Chen Shujun , Lyu Qing
Published: May 2024

The sintering technology of iron and steel enterprises in China has reached a certain level. However, due to serious resource and environmental issues, how to achieve the greening of the sintering process, the intelligence of the equipment, the high quality of the products and the acceleration of the digital transformation based on intelligent decision-making and control are still key issues to be solved by the iron and steel industry. Based on the historical data of massive sintering production, this study establishes a big data platform for the whole sintering process to realise the reasonable storage and effective organisation of massive data. A sinter quality cascade prediction system, including the sinter bed permeability prediction model, burning through point (BTP) prediction model and sinter quality prediction model and a detailed software structure design are given for the application of the system. The development and application of the system are beneficial for realising the important development goals of low pollution, high yield and high quality in sinter production.
Evolution of oxide inclusions and cleanliness control in Al-killed GCr15SiMn bearing steel during secondary refining process
Authors: Zhang Guolei , Cheng Guoguang , Zhang Tao , Miao Hongsheng , Zhang Xu
Published: May 2024

The evolution of oxide inclusions and cleanliness control in Al-killed GCr15SiMn bearing steel was investigated using a combination of industrial tests and thermodynamic calculations during the secondary refining process. Three different refining conditions were employed in the LF process. With varying ranges of slag basicity (about 5.6–5.7, 4.8–4.9 and 3.9–4.3) and Al content (0.028–0.035 mass%, 0.023–0.025 mass% and 0.014–0.02 mass%), the total oxygen content in the steel after VD refining was measured as 0.0019 mass%, 0.0017 mass% and 0.0008 mass%, respectively. Throughout the refining process, the inclusions underwent a transformation from MgO-Al2O3 (or Al2O3) into CaO-Al2O3(-MgO), and eventually to CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 inclusions. Furthermore, it was observed that under high Al content and slag basicity refining conditions, a significant number of inclusions in VD treatment were formed and transformed into CaO·Al2O3·SiO2 inclusions enriched with 60 mass% CaO. This indicated that when the proportion of CaO in calcium aluminates exceeded 45 mass%, there was an increased risk of larger-sized inclusions. Conversely, refining conditions with a slag basicity of 3.9–4.3 and an Al content of 0.014–0.02 mass% demonstrated effective inclusion control, resulting in lower number density, smaller sizes within 10 μm and an average composition located in the liquid region. This study carries important practical significance for the smelting of high cleanliness GCr15SiMn bearing steel.
Erosion mechanism of harmful elements K and Zn on carbon brick in a 4000 m3 industrial blast furnace hearth
Authors: Cao Jian , Wang Cui , Zhang Jianliang , Ji Chenkun , Wang Zhongyi , Zhang Chuanfang
Published: May 2024

The carbon bricks eroded by harmful elements after dissection investigation in a Chinese 4000m3 blast furnace hearth is studied in detail. The occurrence state of harmful elements is characterized by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results show that the content of K and Zn in the carbon brick at the tuyere of blast furnace is the highest. ZnO is the main reason for the formation of macro cracks and brittle layer of carbon brick., and K2O and KCl generated by liquid K and blast furnace gas may be the inducements for the formation of brittle layers. The nucleation and growth of ZnO in carbon bricks will undergo three processes: the heterogeneous nucleation of ZnO cell on the surface of C, the heterogeneous nucleation of ZnO cell on the surface of ZnO, and the continuous collision and growth of ZnO cell.
Study on the deformation mechanism of inclusions containing sodium in cord steel
Authors: Wang Yan-ping , Wang De-yong , Hou Dong , Zhou Xing-zhi , Qu Tian-peng , Wang Hui-hua , Hu Shao-yan , Fan Lei
Published: May 2024

Large-sized hard inclusions led to the problem of wire breaking during the cold drawing process. So it is very important to plasticise inclusions in cord steel. In this article, the plastic modification mechanism of Na2CO3 on inclusions in cord steel was studied by adding different contents (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%) Na2CO3 in a MoSi2 resistance furnace. The ingots were forged to investigate the deformability of inclusions. The size of inclusions during the cold drawing was the same as that after forging because the cold drawing was carried out at room temperature. Therefore, the size and deformability of inclusions after forging can be used to measure the wire breaking rate of cord steel wire during the cold drawing process. Through the analysis of ingot samples and forging samples by SEM-EDS, it was found that the deformability of inclusions was improved and the inclusions were in the form of long strips or broken after forging. In addition, not only the low melting point phase diagrams of SiO2–Al2O3–MnO–(15%/10%)CaO–(0%–9%)Na2O but also the activities of SiO2, Al2O3 and MnO were calculated by FactSage8.2. It was found that Na increased the low melting point region. When the contents of [Si], [Mn] and [Al] in molten steel were determined, the values of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] remained constant according to metal-inclusion thermodynamic equilibriums 3SiO2(inc) + 4[Al] = 2Al2O3(inc) + 3[Si] and [Si] + 2MnO(inc) = 2[Mn] + SiO2(inc). Under the condition of constant [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the activity coefficients of SiO2, Al2O3 and MnO were changed by adding Na2O, which led to the change of inclusions component. Therefore, it was obtained the effect of Na2O content on inclusion composition and melting point using FactSage8.2 thermodynamic calculation and low melting point region calculation of phase diagrams. The result was that the inclusion deformability was well improved during thermal deformation under the condition of about 0.4% Na2CO3. Thus the wire breaking rate was reduced. It is expected that this work can provide theoretical guidance for the industrial production of feeding alkali wire in the later stage of refining.
Modulation of δ-ferrite formation and austenite stability in Al-added medium-Mn steels and its role in the structure–property relationships
Authors: Kumar Deepak , Yadav Mukesh Kumar , Kumar Navanit , Sen Indrani , Bandyopadhyay Tapas Kumar
Published: May 2024

The present work investigates the influence of Al content on δ-ferrite formation and its volume fraction, resulting in different austenite stability, microstructure evolution, corresponding mechanical behaviour and underlying deformation mechanisms for three Fe-8Mn-XAl-1Si-0.2C steels with Al contents of 1.23 wt.% (1.25Al steel), 3.5 wt.% (3.5Al steel) and 5.1 wt.% (5Al steel), respectively. Steel ingots are casted and processed through hot deformation, entailing hot forging, hot rolling and subsequent intercritical annealing at various temperatures. It is observed that Al addition promotes the formation of δ-ferrite that enhances the mechanical stability of austenite. Diffusion simulation using TC-DICTRA supports that preferential partitioning of Mn and C from δ-ferrite to austenite leads to enhanced mechanical stability of austenite. Both maximum ( k ∼ 0.49) and minimum ( k ∼ 7.30) austenite stability, where obtained in 5Al and 1.25Al steels, respectively, followed by inferior mechanical properties. This occurs due to the presence of a higher δ-ferrite (∼ 65%) and no δ-ferrite fraction in 5Al and 1.25Al steels, respectively. However, achieving an intermediate δ-ferrite content of approximately 34% results in optimal stability of austenite ( k ∼ 2.50) in 3.5Al steel that results in an optimal microstructure comprising both intercritical α-ferrite and δ-ferrite, as well as excellent tensile properties as represented by an ultimate tensile strength of 825 MPa with ∼18% elongation.
Study on microsegregation model and MnS precipitation behavior of continuous casting ultra-low sulfur steel slab
Authors: Liu Yang , Li Xin , Hao Ning , Wang Songtao , Ma Changwen , Lv Yanchun
Published: May 2024

The central segregation of elements in continuous casting slab is an important factor affecting the properties of steel materials. S segregation exists in the form of MnS. It is found in production practice that despite the ultra-low sulfur content of [ S ] ≤ 10 ppm in steel, MnS will still precipitate if the central segregation of slab is not well controlled, and MnS is an important factor causing the unqualified flaw detection of high-grade thick plate products. There are few studies on the microsegregation of ultra-low sulfur steel continuous casting slab. In this paper, the microsegregation model of continuous casting slab is established, and the effect of phase transformation on element segregation is fully considered. The precipitation behavior of MnS and the microsegregation of S, P, C, and Mn elements during slab solidification are discussed. Taking X pipeline steel as the research object, the simulation calculation shows that the segregation degree of P, S, and C is higher than that of Mn. When the solid fraction fs is greater than 0.9, the inflection point of S segregation decreases and MnS is formed. The segregation ratios of P, S, and C (CL / C0) after complete solidification were 4.5, 4.1, and 5.5, respectively. The carbon content affects the degree of element segregation by affecting the local solidification time. With the increase of carbon content, the degree of element segregation at the end of liquid steel solidification decreases.
A novel soft sensing modelling approach for sulphur content estimation in hot metal pretreatment process
Authors: Shi Zhifang , Lv Wu , Mei Guohui
Published: May 2024

In the hot metal pretreatment desulphurisation process, the sulphur content needs to be controlled precisely. A novel soft sensing modelling method is proposed to address the problem that sulphur content cannot be directly measured online. Firstly, the main desulphurisation behaviour is represented with the proposed simplified mechanism model for boosting computational efficiency. Moreover, the complex influence of the changing operation condition on the parameters of the simplified mechanism model is described with neural networks to compose a hybrid structured hz. Then, for training this hybrid model, a conjoint learning scheme is designed to ensure stability and reliablity. The experimental results show that the proposed hybrid model obtains higher prediction accuracy and better robustness compared with the pure mechanism modelling technique and the existing benchmark data-driven modelling methods. In addition, the proposed method is able to provide real-time prediction ability, which is substantial to the optimisation control of the hot metal pretreatment process.
Precipitate behaviour of large-sized Nb(C, N) in micro-alloyed steel
Authors: Li Yutang , Liu Nianfu , Zhang Lu , Wang Zifei , Liu Bin , Fu Jianxun
Published: May 2024

The large-sized Nb-rich particles become a crack source easily because it is very brittle and will resist deformation under stress. HT-CLSM experiments and thermodynamic calculations were performed to investigate the precipitate behaviour of large-sized Nb(C, N) in micro-alloyed steel. The precipitate composition in the casting specimen was detected to be MnS and Nb-rich particles distributed along the crack. The results suggest the large-sized Nb-rich particles precipitate at the solidification process, instead of liquid. The precipitates for the HT-CLSM specimen is Nb(C, N), and Nb(C, N) is mainly distributed in a chain-like, clustered way in which the growth of Nb(C, N) is limited by the last to solidify region. The size of most Nb(C, N) is between 10 and 30 μm in the length direction, and the size of Nb(C, N) in the width direction tends to decrease with the increase of cooling rate attributed to larger super-cooling degree and weaker diffusion ability of solute atom. Because of solute segregation, a hypo-eutectic reaction occurs, L→Nb(C, N)+ γ-Fe. Nb(C, N) and γ-Fe are interactively precipitated to form a clustered Nb(C, N). When the holding temperature is high, and the cooling rate is rapid, a little liquid exists in the dendrite that is close to the eutectic composition. Because γ-Fe preferentially attaches to the previous dendrite, a divorce eutectic reaction occurs, forming a single Nb(C, N). MnS can act as the nucleation site of Nb(C, N) with the orientation relationship of MnS(100)//NbC(100).
Intelligent prediction for the temperature of molten steel after RH treatment
Authors: Baotang Chai , Hong Lei , Denghui Li , Meng Xu , Jia Fan , Zhijie Wu
Published: May 2024

The cost of steelmaking can be saved by $0.1 per ton steel if the temperature of molten steel after RH (Ruhstahl Heraeus) treatment drops by 1 degree, so it is necessary to control the temperature of molten steel after RH treatment accurately in order to satisfy the superheat of molten steel in tundish. Such a temperature control depends on the hit rate greater 90% if the error range is [Formula: see text]. It is more than 10 years since intelligent models were introduced to predict the temperature of molten steel in RH, but such an issue is still far from being solved. Thus, it is necessary to find some methods to solve this problem from the viewpoints of data preprocess, feature selection and data modelling. Numerical results show that there are nine key factors to affect the temperature of molten steel after RH treatment: the temperature, the oxygen mass fraction and the carbon mass fraction of molten steel before RH treatment, the vacuum time, and the oxygen consumption, the oxygen mass fraction after decarburisation, the aluminium consumption, the thickness of the slag layer, the headroom. And these nine key factors can be reduced to six principal components by the principal component analysis method. Especially, data preprocess can deduce the prediction error and improve the hit rate effectively. If the error range is [Formula: see text], the hit rate is up 45% for back-propagation neural network and back-propagation neural network optimised by particle swarm optimisation when the data set jumps from 711 samples to 471 samples, and the hit rate reach 92.2% in the case of back-propagation neural network optimised by particle swarm optimisation after data preprocess and feature selection.
Phase transformation and microstructural evolution of coating layer of Al–Si coated 22MnB5 steel during thermal diffusion
Authors: Chen Bin , Hao Yiqiang , Chen Xia , Li Xian , Deng Zhuo
Published: May 2024

Thermal diffusion experiments were conducted at 900 °C on Al–Si coated 22MnB5 steel to investigate phase composition and transformation. Results revealed that several compound phases, including Fe2Al7Si, FeAl3, (Al, Si)5Fe3 and Fe2Al5, observed beneath the eutectic structure in the Al–Si coating. At 900 °C, the eutectic structure is almost completely diffused over time. During thermal diffusion experiments, Fe element diffused into the coating, while Al and Si elements diffused within the coating and into the steel matrix. Electron backscatter diffraction analysis identified the phases of the Al–Si coating at different diffusion times at 900 °C, revealing a three-stage phase transition process, including diffusion of the Al–Si eutectic structure, formation of the Fe–Al (Si) phase, formation of the FeAl2 phase.
Application of the Fuller–Thompson equation in sinter blend design to increase sinter productivity
Authors: Purnell Alex , Sapsford Devin , Evans Sam L. , Kooij Chris , Wauters Phillippe
Published: May 2024

Sintering is an important phase of the iron-making chain, as it allows the usage of finer iron ore particles in the blast furnace whilst still maintaining furnace performance. An on-going challenge for sinter plants is to obtain higher productivity from their sinter blends, or maintain sinter productivity whilst using more financially attractive iron ores. One of the most effective means to reduced blend cost is to use a higher proportion of concentrated iron ores in the blend. The key characteristic of concentrated ores is that they have a finer particle size distribution (PSD) than traditional sinter feeds and are widely known to negatively impact sinter bed permeability and sinter productivity. In this study, various iron ore blends were used to demonstrate the effect that the PSD of the sinter blend has on granulation and subsequent sintering process parameters during laboratory-scale sintering. Particular focus was applied to the impact of the PSD of the layering material in blend (−0.5 mm). Cold bed superficial gas velocity (SGV) was correlated to the spread of the PSD within the layers around granule nuclei. Widening the PSD spread within the layer increased cold SGV due to a narrowing in the spread of the granule size distribution (GSD) and increase in mean granule diameter. The Fuller–Thompson (FT) blend exhibited increased SGV during sintering (hot SGV) which led to shorter sintering times. This was a result of an enhanced ‘hot SGV efficiency’ (a measure for the ratio of hot SGV to cold SGV) over what was anticipated based on the trend with mean granule diameter. Complete industrial blends were compared with blends designed to the FT equation at varying proportions of layering particles in the blends (−0.5 mm). At equal proportions of layering particles in the blends, the FT blends exhibited increased cold and hot SGV by up to 20% and 25%, respectively, and led to a maximum 10% decrease in sintering time. Further, blends designed to the FT equation enabled the incorporation of 4 wt-% more layering particles and still exhibited similar cold SGV, hot SGV and sintering times to the industrial blends.
Analysis of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Bottom-blowing O2-CO2-CaO Process in Basic Oxygen Furnace Steelmaking
Authors: Ren Xin , Dong Kai , Feng Chao , Wei Guangsheng , Wang Chunyang , Zhu Rong
Published: May 2024

The O2-CO2-CaO process, which blows the lime powder from the bottom, offers significant advantages in terms of reducing the consumption of raw and auxiliary materials while improving steel quality. This study examines the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with four different converter smelting processes, using industrial test production data from nearly 1000 furnaces in a steel plant. This is the first comprehensive analysis of CO2 emissions for these processes and quantifies the CO2 emissions reduction potential of the bottom-blowing O2-CO2-CaO process. The study shows a significant difference in CO2 emissions between the duplex and conventional smelting processes, with the former exhibiting significantly higher emissions. The application of bottom-blowing O2-CO2-CaO process led to a decrease of 24.6 kgCO2/t in the duplex converter smelting process and 30.1 kgCO2/t in the conventional smelting process.
Study of lime flow rate on calcium looping carbon capture for steel plant
Authors: Sungsook Chayut , Srinophakun Thongchai Rohitatisha
Published: May 2024

Calcium looping carbon capture was simulated for a steel plant and three fuel cases were studied: coal, coke, and half coal/coke. The steelmaking production was about 1.2 t of liquid steel per hour at >99.85% purity by weight. This study evaluated the effect of carbon capture efficiency and raw material cost on the lime flow rate in the calcium looping section. Increasing the lime feeding flow rate achieved higher efficiency but at a higher cost. The overall captured efficiency was higher than the flue gas captured efficiency at a low lime feeding flow rate but lower at a high lime feeding flow rate. Then, the overall captured efficiency tended to decrease at high lime feeding flow rate because raw materials were used too much for carbon capture and caused overall carbon dioxide emission more than the content of captured carbon dioxide in the product stream. Coal as fuel plays an important role in carbon emission reduction as one of the raw materials, along with the utility cost and the raw material cost in calcium looping section.
Mechanism of surface rust defects on tinplate strip steel during storage and transportation
Authors: Zhang Wenjun , Bai Zhenhua , Ran Jiaxu , Xu Shihao , Ji Haodong , Guo Wenlong , Elmi Sahal Ahmed
Published: May 2024

This study elucidates the rusting mechanism on tinplate during storage and transportation. It was found that the absence of a Sn layer on the sheared edges, combined with a thinner Sn layer in the centre compared to the edges, leads to increased ATC values and porosity at the centre. Consequently, this results in diminished rust resistance at both the sheared edges and central regions. Simulations of storage and transportation conditions, along with electroplating experiments, demonstrated that waviness in the tinplated substrate contributes to higher porosity and reduced thickness of the Sn–Fe alloy layers in both electroplating and reflowing processes. Moreover, the choice of electroplating processes significantly influences the rust resistance of tin-plated plates. The adherence of rust factors during the tinplating process, particularly when subjected to condensation during storage and transportation, exacerbates the rust of tinplate.
The influence of dynamic pitching on the aerodynamic performance of large horizontal axis wind turbines
Authors: Yang Congxin , Dai Yi , Li Shoutu , He Kunyun
Published: May 2024

To delve into the aerodynamic changes of wind turbines during pitching, this study employs the user-defined function (UDF) and dynamic mesh technique. The dynamic aerodynamic performance of a 3.3 MW turbine blade during variable pitch is investigated via numerical simulation. The results show that the optimal pitch angle increases with increasing incoming wind speed. At the initial and final stages of pitch change, the wind turbine experiences the influence of impact loads, leading to minor fluctuations in torque and thrust coefficients. Within the dynamic pitch change process, the pitch angle notably affects the aerodynamic performance of airfoils at blade x/ c = 0~0.6 c cross sections. The primary stress area of the airfoil contracts, with the blade root experiencing comparatively less impact. In the constant-wind-speed pitching scenario, the low-speed region in the immediate wake of the wind turbine diminishes, resulting in a 10.7% enhancement in the average wind speed at 2.5D wake.
Research on Optimization of International Multimodal Transportation Routes Based on Uncertainty Theory
Authors: Wang Xiaoyang , Zhang Peng , Du Zhigang , Tian Ai-Qing , Lv Hongxia
Published: May 2024

Delays in international multimodal marine transport can result in subsequent connection delays, leading to prolonged transportation time and increased uncertainty. To identify more reliable and cost-effective robust transportation routes, this study establishes a constrained planning model for multimodal transportation routes. Employing uncertainty theory, the model is transformed into a deterministic equivalent class model and ultimately incorporates an adaptive differential evolution (ADE) algorithm. Results of a case study indicate that: (i) the proposed model, compared with deterministic models, exhibits greater robustness and better aligns with practical transportation scenarios, resulting in substantial reductions in actual transportation time and cost; (ii) the solution efficiency of the ADE algorithm surpasses that of the genetic algorithm and Dijkstra algorithm; (iii) the start time of transportation and the confidence level of uncertainty also play crucial roles in influencing route selection. Therefore, decision-makers should consider a multifaceted approach when formulating transportation routes.
Book review: Tahir Hussain Ansari, Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar
Authors: Choudhary Manisha
Published: May 2024

Tahir Hussain Ansari, Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar. New Delhi: Manohar, 2019, 299 pp., ₹1,595, ISBN: 9789388540209.
Fragmented Readmissions From a Nursing Facility in Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Turbow Sara D. , Perkins Molly M. , Vaughan Camille P. , Klemensen Terry , Culler Steven D. , Rask Kimberly J. , Clevenger Carolyn K. , Ali Mohammed K.
Published: May 2024

Over one-third of Medicare beneficiaries discharged to nursing facilities require readmission. When those readmissions are to a different hospital than the original admission, or “fragmented readmissions,” they carry increased risks of mortality and subsequent readmissions. This study examines whether Medicare beneficiaries readmitted from a nursing facility are more likely to have a fragmented readmission than beneficiaries readmitted from home among a 2018 cohort of Medicare beneficiaries, and examined whether this association was affected by a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). In fully adjusted models, readmissions from a nursing facility were 19% more likely to be fragmented (AOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.16, 1.22); this association was not affected by a diagnosis of AD. These results suggest that readmission from nursing facilities may contribute to care fragmentation for older adults, underscoring it as a potentially modifiable pre-hospital risk factor for fragmented readmissions.
A Prospective Association Between Sensory Impairment and Cognitive Performance Among Older Community-Dwelling Adults: The Role of Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Khalaila Rabia , Grebe Lauren , Allen Isabel Elaine
Published: May 2024

We examined whether vision impairment (VI) and hearing impairment (HI) and dual sensory impairment (DSI) affect cognitive performance and whether depression mediates that effect. We examined 55,340 participants from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe, which assessed 32,325 participants in 2011 (baseline, Time 1), 2015 (follow-up, Time 2), sociodemographic data and health factors, self-reported VI, HI, and DSI at baseline, depression, and cognitive performance after four years. A multiple mediator model was tested using bootstrapping and resampling. At baseline, 22.9% had VI, 10.2% HI, and 10.4% had DSI. We found a significant negative association between VI (b = −0.023, p = .001) and DSI (b = −0.083, p = .001) and cognitive performance; both were also associated with depression, which was linked with poor cognition. VI or DSI among older adults are associated with poor cognitive function directly and indirectly by increasing depression symptoms.
Effects of governmental supportive policies on waste management for two substitutable products made of virgin and waste materials: A game-theoretic approach
Authors: Jafari Hamed , Safarzadeh Soroush
Published: May 2024

In recent years, the concept of sustainability has attracted a great amount of attention, due to increasing energy resources scarceness. Waste recycling is known as an efficient approach to improve sustainability and save energy. In this view, a sustainable supply chain is established in the current study to investigate the effects of waste recycling on sustainable development. The considered supply chain consists of the government, two manufacturers, a supplier, a waste depot, and a recycler. Under this structure, two substitutable products are made of the virgin and recyclable waste materials. The supplier provides the virgin materials for the first product. The waste depot collects the non-recycled waste, whereas the recycler recycles it and supplies the recycled waste for the second product. Also, the government supports the second product to provide an incentive for its members to collect and recycle more waste. Then, the game theory is applied to make decisions under the considered structure. Finally, the results are revealed and some managerial insights are provided. It is derived that the governmental supportive policies play a significant role in resources conservation and energy storage. Moreover, increasing the quality of the product made of the recyclable waste improves the government’s utility.
Investigating the distribution of microplastics in soils from e-waste dismantling sites and their adsorption of heavy metals
Authors: Wu Xuewen , Gu Weihua , Peng Shengjuan , Bai Jianfeng
Published: May 2024

Microplastics are characterized by strong hydrophobicity, large specific surface area. In addition to the pollutant they contain, the heavy metals adsorbed on the surface of microplastics can migrate or be transformed with them into the environmental medium, which is potentially harmful to humans. The distribution characteristics of microplastics in contaminated soil at the e-waste dismantling site were studied. The study investigated the adsorption characteristics of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) on copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb). It analysed the influence of various factors on the adsorption process of heavy metals, the adsorption law of microplastics on some of the heavy metals in the environment, and the risk of heavy metal release from microplastics to soil. The results showed that ABS and PP were the main microplastics in the contaminated soil. Among them, black, white and transparent microplastics accounted for 89.91%. The shape of microplastics is mainly granular, and microplastics with a particle size of 1–2 mm accounted for the largest proportion. Further studies showed that plastic particles made of ABS, PP and PVC also have the adsorption capacity for different types of heavy metals in soil, and the trends of adsorption capacity are: PP>PVC>ABS. When PP does not reach adsorption equilibrium in the adsorption process, the smaller the particle size and the more added amount, the greater the adsorption capacity. This is because the smaller the particle size of the microplastic is, the more adsorption points it can provide, increasing its ability to adsorb heavy metal ions.
When Adding One Questionnaire Item Makes a Difference: Representing the Theme of Feeling Cared About in the Expanded General Mattering Scale (The GMS-6)
Authors: Flett Gordon L. , Nepon Taryn
Published: May 2024

Converging lines of evidence suggest that a feeling of being cared for and cared about is a key element of the feeling of mattering to other people. In the current article, we summarized theoretical observations and the findings of research investigations that indicate that the feeling of being cared about is central to the mattering construct. We then evaluated the role of feeling cared for in an extended six-item General Mattering Scale (GMS-6). A sample of 276 university students completed the GMS-6 and self-report measures of depression and loneliness. Psychometric tests established that a six-item version has one factor and enhanced internal consistency. Correlational analyses confirmed that mattering is associated negatively with depression and loneliness. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the additional focus on feeling cared about predicts unique variance in depression and loneliness beyond the considerable amount of variance predicted by the original GMS. The lack of feeling cared as measured by the GMS-6 was established as especially relevant to loneliness. Our discussion focuses on key directions for future research and for the need for a greater emphasis on caring as part of mattering from a construct validity perspective.