bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compact Integration of Hydrogen–Resistant a–InGaZnO and Poly–Si Thin–Film Transistors
Authors: Wang Yunping , Zhou Yuheng , Xia Zhihe , Zhou Wei , Zhang Meng , Yeung Fion Sze Yan , Wong Man , Kwok Hoi Sing , Zhang Shengdong , Lu Lei
Published: May 2022

The low–temperature poly–Si oxide (LTPO) backplane is realized by monolithically integrating low–temperature poly–Si (LTPS) and amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin–film transistors (TFTs) in the same display backplane. The LTPO–enabled dynamic refreshing rate can significantly reduce the display’s power consumption. However, the essential hydrogenation of LTPS would seriously deteriorate AOS TFTs by increasing the population of channel defects and carriers. Hydrogen (H) diffusion barriers were comparatively investigated to reduce the H content in amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide (a–IGZO). Moreover, the intrinsic H–resistance of a–IGZO was impressively enhanced by plasma treatments, such as fluorine and nitrous oxide. Enabled by the suppressed H conflict, a novel AOS/LTPS integration structure was tested by directly stacking the H–resistant a–IGZO on poly–Si TFT, dubbed metal–oxide–on–Si (MOOS). The noticeably shrunken layout footprint could support much higher resolution and pixel density for next–generation displays, especially AR and VR displays. Compared to the conventional LTPO circuits, the more compact MOOS circuits exhibited similar characteristics.
A TCAD Study on High-Voltage Superjunction LDMOS with Variable-K Dielectric Trench
Authors: Cao Zhen , Sun Qi , Zhang Hongwei , Wang Qian , Ma Chuanfeng , Jiao Licheng
Published: May 2022

In this paper, a novel high voltage superjunction lateral double diffused MOSFETs (SJ-LDMOS) using a variable high permittivity (VHK) dielectric trench is presented. A relatively high HK dielectric is in the upper trench, which is connected with the drain electrode to suppress the high electric field (E-field) peak under the drain by the dielectric reduced surface field (RESURF) effect. In addition, a relatively low HK dielectric is at the bottom of the trench. On the one hand, the substrate is effectively depleted by a suitable HK dielectric layer, and the vertical depletion region of the substrate is greatly expanded. On the other hand, the overall vertical bulk E-field distribution is modulated by the E-field peaks generated at the position of varying K dielectric. A more uniform bulk E-field distribution is obtained for VHK SJ-LDMOS, leading to a high breakdown voltage (BV). Compared to the conventional SJ-LDMOS, the blocking voltage per micron of the drift region of VHK SJ-LDMOS has increased by 41.2%. Besides, compared with the SJ-LDMOS with a uniform-K, the BV of VHK SJ-LDMOS is improved by about 9.5%. The condition of the optimal range of the variable high permittivity is also presented. Meanwhile, the proposed VHK SJ-LDMOS has good conduction characteristics and heat dissipation
Memristive Cluster Based Compact High-Density Nonvolatile Memory Design and Application for Image Storage
Authors: Sun Jingru , Jiang Meiqi , Zhou Qi , Wang Chunhua , Sun Yichuang
Published: May 2022

As a new type of nonvolatile device, the memristor has become one of the most promising technologies for designing a new generation of high-density memory. In this paper, a 4-bit high-density nonvolatile memory based on a memristor is designed and applied to image storage. Firstly, a memristor cluster structure consisting of a transistor and four memristors is designed. Furthermore, the memristor cluster is used as a memory cell in the crossbar array structure to realize the memory design. In addition, when the designed non-volatile memory is applied to gray scale image storage, only two memory cells are needed for the storage of one pixel. Through the Pspice circuit simulation, the results show that compared with the state-of-the-art technology, the memory designed in this paper has better storage density and read–write speed. When it is applied to image storage, it achieves the effect of no distortion and fast storage.
High-Property Refractive Index and Bio-Sensing Dual-Purpose Sensor Based on SPPs
Authors: Yan Shubin , Liu Pengwei , Chen Zhanbo , Liu Jilai , Shen Lifang , Zhang Xiaoyu , Cui Jiaming , Li Tingsong , Cui Yang , Ren Yifeng
Published: May 2022

A high-property plasma resonance-sensor structure consisting of two metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguides coupled with a transverse ladder-shaped nano-cavity (TLSNC) is designed based on surface plasmon polaritons. Its transmission characteristics are analyzed using multimode interference coupling mode theory (MICMT), and are simulated using finite element analysis (FEA). Meanwhile, the influence of different structural arguments on the performance of the structure is investigated. This study shows that the system presents four high-quality formants in the transmission spectrum. The highest sensitivity is 3000 nm/RIU with a high FOM* of 9.7 × 105. In addition, the proposed structure could act as a biosensor to detect the concentrations of sodium ions (Na+), potassium ions (K+), and the glucose solution with maximum sensitivities of 0.45, 0.625 and 5.5 nm/mgdL−1, respectively. Compared with other structures, the designed system has the advantages of a simple construction, a wide working band range, high reliability and easy nano-scale integration, providing a high-performance cavity choice for refractive index sensing and biosensing devices based on surface plasmons.
A Linear-Arc Composite Beam Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Modeling and Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Zhang Xuhui , Guo Yan , Zhu Fulin , Chen Xiaoyu , Tian Hao , Xu Hengtao
Published: May 2022

To improve the output performance of the piezoelectric energy harvester, this paper proposed the design of a linear-arc composite beam piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH-C). First the nonlinear restoring force model of a composite beam was obtained by the numerical simulation method. Afterwards, the corresponding coupled governing equations were derived by using the generalized Hamilton principle, laying the foundation for subsequent in-depth research. After this, a finite element simulation was performed in the COMSOL software to simulate the output voltage, stress distribution, and resonance frequency of the PEH-C under different curvatures. In this way, the effect of curvature change on the PEH-C was analyzed. Finally, the PEH-C with a curvature of 40 m−1  was prepared, and an experimental platform was built to verify the correctness of the relevant analysis. The results showed that the resonant frequency of the PEH-C can be changed by changing the curvature, and that the stress on the composite beam will increase after the arc segment is introduced. When the curvature of the PEH-C was 40 m−1, the open-circuit output voltage was 44.3% higher than that of the straight beam.
Study of the Explosive Bridge Film Using Laser Shaping Technology
Authors: Li Dangjuan , Li Siyu , Wang Kexuan , Cheng Junxia , Wang Jia , Wu Shenjiang , Su Junhong
Published: May 2022

Laser shaping technology and its applications have gained widespread attention in different fields. Using laser repair technology prolongs the service life of micro-explosive products and reduces the production cost, as well as enables the recycling of resources. Although most research mainly focuses on aspheric surface shaping and testing technology, only a few studies on repair technology for micro-explosive products using laser shaping have been reported. To promote the better application of laser shaping technology in the production and repair process of micro-explosive components, this work mainly studied the effect of laser shaping on the repair of an explosive bridge film to enhance the ignition performance and prevent damage. Different processes were used to repair the metal film using laser shaping and non-shaping, respectively. Furthermore, we investigated the similarities and differences of a laser-damaged film surface before and after shaping, and the influence of laser energy parameters on the microstructure and ignition properties of the repaired region. Additionally, we obtained a reasonable repair scheme by analyzing the temperature field variation from the simulation. The results show that the damage caused by the non-shaping and shaping lasers can be repaired using the heat flow and vaporization methods, respectively. By controlling the process parameters, the quality of repair can be improved and the production cost of the bridge film can be reduced.
Atomic Layer Assembly Based on Sacrificial Templates for 3D Nanofabrication
Authors: Geng Guangzhou , Zhang Zhongshan , Li Chensheng , Pan Ruhao , Li Yunlong , Yang Haifang , Li Junjie
Published: May 2022

Three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures have attracted widespread attention in physics, chemistry, engineering sciences, and biology devices due to excellent functionalities which planar nanostructures cannot achieve. However, the fabrication of 3D nanostructures is still challenging at present. Reliable fabrication, improved controllability, and multifunction integration are desired for further applications in commercial devices. In this review, a powerful fabrication method to realize 3D nanostructures is introduced and reviewed thoroughly, which is based on atomic layer deposition assisted 3D assembly through various sacrificial templates. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of 3D nanofabrication based on atomic layer assembly (ALA) in multifarious sacrificial templates for 3D nanostructures and to present recent advancements, with the ultimate aim to further unlock more potential of this method for nanodevice applications.
Micromachines 2022 Best Paper Awards
Authors:   Micromachines Editorial Office
Published: May 2022

Micromachines is instituting the Best Paper Awards to recognize outstanding papers published in the journal [...]
Robust Adaptive Beamforming Algorithm for Sparse Subarray Antenna Array Based on Hierarchical Weighting
Authors: Yang Jian , Liu Xinxin , Tu Yuwei , Li Weixing
Published: May 2022

Sparse antenna arrays based on subarrays have more and more broad application prospects for the limitation of array space, real-time algorithm and hardware costs. Aiming at the beamforming technology of sparse antenna arrays based on subarrays, this paper proposes a robust adaptive beamforming algorithm based on hierarchical weighting. The algorithm performs conventional beamforming to calculate the weights of each element in the subarray, then the synthetic signals output by each subarray are used as sparse array metadata. The Interference-plus-Noise Covariance Matrix (INCM) is reconstructed by integration in two-dimensional space, and a convex optimization model of a multi-constraint array containing the signal pointing error was established to estimate the real guide vector. Finally, using the reconstructed INCM and the estimation of the guide vector, we obtain a weighted vector between the subarrays and output signal for the whole array. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has better Signal-to-Interference-and-Noise Ratio (SINR) and robustness compared with other algorithms for sparse subarray antenna array beamforming.
Investigation on SMT Product Defect Recognition Based on Multi-Source and Multi-Dimensional Data Reconstruction
Authors: Chang Jiantao , Qiao Zixuan , Wang Qibin , Kong Xianguang , Yuan Yunsong
Published: May 2022

The recognition of defects in the solder paste printing process significantly influences the surface-mounted technology (SMT) production quality. However, defect recognition via inspection by a machine has poor accuracy, resulting in a need for the manual rechecking of many defects and a high production cost. In this study, we investigated SMT product defect recognition based on multi-source and multi-dimensional data reconstruction for the SMT production quality control process in order to address this issue. Firstly, the correlation between features and defects was enhanced by feature interaction, selection, and conversion. Then, a defect recognition model for the solder paste printing process was constructed based on feature reconstruction. Finally, the proposed model was validated on a SMT production dataset and compared with other methods. The results show that the accuracy of the proposed defect recognition model is 96.97%. Compared with four other methods, the proposed defect recognition model has higher accuracy and provides a new approach to improving the defect recognition rate in the SMT production quality control process.
Differential Viral Genome Diversity of Healthy and RSS-Affected Broiler Flocks
Authors: Kubacki Jakub , Qi Weihong , Fraefel Cornel
Published: May 2022

The intestinal virus community contributes to health and disease. Runting and stunting syndrome (RSS) is associated with enteric viruses and leads to economic losses in the poultry industry. However, many viruses that potentially cause this syndrome have also been identified in healthy animals. To determine the difference in the virome of healthy and diseased broilers, samples from 11 healthy and 17 affected broiler flocks were collected at two time points and analyzed by Next-Generation Sequencing. Virus genomes of Parvoviridae, Astroviridae, Picornaviridae, Caliciviridae, Reoviridae, Adenoviridae, Coronaviridae, and Smacoviridae were identified at various days of poultry production. De novo sequence analysis revealed 288 full or partial avian virus genomes, of which 97 belonged to the novel genus Chaphamaparvovirus. This study expands the knowledge of the diversity of enteric viruses in healthy and RSS-affected broiler flocks and questions the association of some viruses with the diseases.
Enterocin 7420 and Sage in Rabbit Diet and Their Effect on Meat Mineral Content and Physico-Chemical Properties
Authors: Pogány Simonová Monika , Chrastinová Ľubica , Lauková Andrea
Published: May 2022

Rabbit meat has outstanding nutritional characteristics—it is a lean meat with low fat, cholesterol and sodium content, with high-biological-value proteins, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, iron and vitamin B12 level. The dietary inclusion of natural bioactive compounds can improve the quality of rabbit meat. The present study evaluated the effect of enterocin 7420 (Ent 7420) and sage (Salvia officinalis) extract on the quality and mineral content of rabbit meat. A total of 96 Hyla rabbits (aged 35 days) were divided into E (Ent 7420; 50 µL/animal/d), S (sage extract; 10 µL/animal/d), E + S (Ent 7420 and sage in combination) and control (C) groups. Additives were administrated in drinking water for 21 days. A significant increase in meat iron (p < 0.01) content was noted; phosphorus and zinc levels were also elevated in experimental groups, compared with control data. Ent 7420 and sage treatment reduced the calcium and manganese (p < 0.01) contents. The physico-chemical traits of rabbit meat were not negatively influenced by treatment. Based on these results, diet supplementation, mostly with Ent 7420 but also in combination with sage, could enhance the quality of rabbit meat mineral, with a focus on its iron, phosphorus and zinc contents.
Novel Mobile Integrons and Strain-Specific Integrase Genes within Shewanella spp. Unveil Multiple Lateral Genetic Transfer Events within The Genus
Authors: Ayala Nuñez Teolincacihuatl , Cerbino Gabriela N. , Rapisardi María Florencia , Quiroga Cecilia , Centrón Daniela
Published: May 2022

Shewanella spp. are Gram-negative bacteria that thrive in aquatic niches and also can cause infectious diseases as opportunistic pathogens. Chromosomal (CI) and mobile integrons (MI) were previously described in some Shewanella isolates. Here, we evaluated the occurrence of integrase genes, the integron systems and their genetic surroundings in the genus. We identified 22 integrase gene types, 17 of which were newly described, showing traits of multiple events of lateral genetic transfer (LGT). Phylogenetic analysis showed that most of them were strain-specific, except for Shewanella algae, where SonIntIA-like may have co-evolved within the host as typical CIs. It is noteworthy that co-existence of up to five different integrase genes within a strain, as well as their wide dissemination to Alteromonadales, Vibrionales, Chromatiales, Oceanospirillales and Enterobacterales was observed. In addition, identification of two novel MIs suggests that continuous LGT events may have occurred resembling the behavior of class 1 integrons. The constant emergence of determinants associated to antimicrobial resistance worldwide, concomitantly with novel MIs in strains capable to harbor several types of integrons, may be an alarming threat for the recruitment of novel antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes in the genus Shewanella, with its consequent contribution towards multidrug resistance in clinical isolates.
Dietary Cysteamine Supplementation Remarkably Increased Feed Efficiency and Shifted Rumen Fermentation toward Glucogenic Propionate Production via Enrichment of Prevotella in Feedlot Lambs
Authors: Wu Qi-Chao , Wang Wei-Kang , Zhang Fan , Li Wen-Juan , Wang Yan-Lu , Lv Liang-Kang , Yang Hong-Jian
Published: May 2022

Cysteamine (CS) is an essential nutritional regulator that improves the productive performance of animals by regulating somatotropic hormone secretion. To investigate the fattening potential and effects of CS on rumen microbial fermentation, 48 feedlot lambs were randomly assigned to four groups and fed diets supplemented with different CS concentrations (0, 20, 40, and 60 mg/kg BW). An increase in dietary CS concentrations linearly increased the average daily gain (ADG) and dry matter intake (p < 0.05) but decreased the feed-to-gain ratio (p < 0.01). For the serum hormone, increasing the dietary CS concentration linearly decreased somatostatin and leptin concentration (p < 0.01) but linearly increased the concentration of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (p < 0.01). Regarding rumen fermentation, ruminal pH, ammonia-N, and butyrate content did not differ among the four treatments, although dietary CS supplementation linearly increased microbial protein and propionate and decreased the amount of acetate (p < 0.05). Furthermore, an increase in dietary CS concentrations quadratically decreased the estimated methane production and methane production per kg ADG (p < 0.05). High-throughput sequencing revealed that increased dietary CS concentrations quadratically increased Prevotella (p < 0.05), and Prevotella and norank_f__norank_o__Clostridia_UCG-014 were positively correlated with growth performance and rumen fermentation in a Spearman correlation analysis (r > 0.55, p < 0.05). Overall, a CS concentration higher than 20 mg/kg BW produced growth-promoting effects by inhibiting somatostatin concentrations and shifting the rumen toward glucogenic propionate fermentation by enriching Prevotella. In addition, Prevotella and norank_f__norank_o__Clostridia_UCG-014 were positively correlated with growth performance in lambs.
Paromomycin Reduces Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae Infection in Honey Bees but Perturbs Microbiome Levels and Midgut Cell Function
Authors: Cho Rachel M. , Kogan Helen V. , Elikan Annabelle B. , Snow Jonathan W.
Published: May 2022

Paromomycin is a naturally occurring aminoglycoside antibiotic that has effects on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. However, previous reports have indicated that it has little effect on microsporidia, including Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae, in cell culture models. V. ceranae is one of a number of microsporidia species that cause disease in honey bees and substantial efforts to find new treatment strategies for bees that are infected with these pathogens are ongoing. When testing compounds for potential activity against V. ceranae in whole organisms, we found that paromomycin reduces the infection intensity of this parasite. Critically, the necessary doses of paromomycin have high activity against the bacteria of the honey bee microbiome and cause evident stress in bees. Microsporidia have been shown to lack an essential binding site on the ribosome that is known to allow for maximal inhibition by paromomycin. Thus, it is possible that paromomycin impacts parasite levels through non-cell autonomous effects on microsporidia infection levels via effects on the microbiome or midgut cellular function. As paromomycin treatment could cause widespread honey bee health issues in agricultural settings, it does not represent an appropriate anti-microsporidia agent for use in the field.
Bacillus subtilis Cell Differentiation, Biofilm Formation and Environmental Prevalence
Authors: Qin Yuxuan , Angelini Leticia Lima , Chai Yunrong
Published: May 2022

Bacillus subtilis is a soil-dwelling, spore-forming Gram-positive bacterium capable of cell differentiation. For decades, B. subtilis has been used as a model organism to study development of specialized cell types. In this minireview, we discuss cell differentiation in B. subtilis, covering both past research and recent progresses, and the role of cell differentiation in biofilm formation and prevalence of this bacterium in the environment. We review B. subtilis as a classic model for studies of endospore formation, and highlight more recent investigations on cell fate determination and generation of multiple cell types during biofilm formation. We present mechanistic details of how cell fate determination and mutually exclusive cell differentiation are regulated during biofilm formation.
Exploring Mitogenomes Diversity of Fusarium musae from Banana Fruits and Human Patients
Authors: Degradi Luca , Tava Valeria , Prigitano Anna , Esposto Maria Carmela , Tortorano Anna Maria , Saracchi Marco , Kunova Andrea , Cortesi Paolo , Pasquali Matias
Published: May 2022

Fusarium musae has recently been described as a cross-kingdom pathogen causing post-harvest disease in bananas and systemic and superficial infection in humans. The taxonomic identity of fungal cross-kingdom pathogens is essential for confirming the identification of the species on distant infected hosts. Understanding the level of variability within the species is essential to decipher the population homogeneity infecting human and plant hosts. In order to verify that F. musae strains isolated from fruits and patients are part of a common population and to estimate their overall diversity, we assembled, annotated and explored the diversity of the mitogenomes of 18 F. musae strains obtained from banana fruits and human patients. The mitogenomes showed a high level of similarity among strains with different hosts’ origins, with sizes ranging from 56,493 to 59,256 bp. All contained 27 tRNA genes and 14 protein-coding genes, rps3 protein, and small and large ribosomal subunits (rns and rnl). Variations in the number of endonucleases were detected. A comparison of mitochondrial endonucleases distribution with a diverse set of Fusarium mitogenomes allowed us to specifically discriminate F. musae from its sister species F. verticillioides and the other Fusarium species. Despite the diversity in F. musae mitochondria, strains from bananas and strains from human patients group together, indirectly confirming F. musae as a cross-kingdom pathogen.
Impact of IsaA Gene Disruption: Decreasing Staphylococcal Biofilm and Alteration of Transcriptomic and Proteomic Profiles
Authors: Ma Pei Yee , Chong Chun Wie , Than Leslie Thian Lung , Sulong Anita Binti , Ho Ket Li , Neela Vasantha Kumari , Sekawi Zamberi , Liew Yun Khoon
Published: May 2022

Staphylococcus aureus expresses diverse proteins at different stages of growth. The immunodominant staphylococcal antigen A (IsaA) is one of the proteins that is constitutively produced by S. aureus during colonisation and infection. SACOL2584 (or isaA) is the gene that encodes this protein. It has been suggested that IsaA can hydrolyse cell walls, and there is still need to study isaA gene disruption to analyse its impact on staphylococcal phenotypes and on alteration to its transcription and protein profiles. In the present study, the growth curve in RPMI medium (which mimics human plasma), autolytic activity, cell wall morphology, fibronectin and fibrinogen adhesion and biofilm formation of S. aureus SH1000 (wildtype) was compared to that of S. aureus MS001 (isaA mutant). RNA sequencing and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry were carried out on samples of both S. aureus strains taken during the exponential growth phase, followed by bioinformatics analysis. Disruption of isaA had no obvious effect on the growth curve and autolysis ability or thickness of cell walls, but this study revealed significant strength of fibronectin adherence in S. aureus MS001. In particular, the isaA mutant formed less biofilm than S. aureus SH1000. In addition, proteomics and transcriptomics showed that the adhesin/biofilm-related genes and hemolysin genes, such as sasF, sarX and hlgC, were consistently downregulated with isaA gene disruption. The majority of the upregulated genes or proteins in S. aureus MS001 were pur genes. Taken together, this study provides insight into how isaA disruption changes the expression of other genes and has implications regarding biofilm formation and biological processes.
Nocardia Infections in the Immunocompromised Host: A Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Palomba Emanuele , Liparoti Arianna , Tonizzo Anna , Castelli Valeria , Alagna Laura , Bozzi Giorgio , Ungaro Riccardo , Muscatello Antonio , Gori Andrea , Bandera Alessandra
Published: May 2022

Nocardia is primarily considered an opportunistic pathogen and affects patients with impaired immune systems, solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTRs), and patients with haematologic malignancies. We present the cases of six patients diagnosed with nocardiosis at our center in the last two years, describing the various predisposing conditions alongside the clinical manifestation, the diagnostic workup, and the treatment course. Moreover, we propose a brief literature review on Nocardia infections in the immunocompromised host, focusing on SOTRs and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients and highlighting risk factors, clinical presentations, the diagnostic tools available, and current treatment and prophylaxis guidelines.
Gut Microbiome: A Brief Review on Its Role in Schizophrenia and First Episode of Psychosis
Authors: Tsamakis Konstantinos , Galinaki Sofia , Alevyzakis Evangelos , Hortis Ioannis , Tsiptsios Dimitrios , Kollintza Evangelia , Kympouropoulos Stylianos , Triantafyllou Konstantinos , Smyrnis Nikolaos , Rizos Emmanouil
Published: May 2022

There is a growing body of evidence highlighting the role of gut microbiota as a biological basis of psychiatric disorders. The existing literature suggest that cognitive and emotional activities can be influenced by microbes through the microbiota–gut–brain axis and implies an association between alterations in the gut microbiome and several psychiatric conditions, such as autism, depression, bipolar disorder and psychosis. The aim of this review is to summarise recent findings and provide concise updates on the latest progress of the role of gut microbiota in the development and maintenance of psychiatric symptoms in schizophrenia and the first episode of psychosis. Despite the lack of consistent findings in regard to specific microbiome changes related to psychosis, the emerging literature reports significant differences in the gut microbiome of schizophrenic subjects compared to healthy controls and increasingly outlines the significance of an altered microbiome composition in the pathogenesis, development, symptom severity and prognosis of psychosis. Further human studies are, however, required, which should focus on identifying the drivers of microbiota changes in psychosis and establish the direction of causality between psychosis and microbiome alterations.
Sampling Broken Ore Residues in Underground Gold Workings: Implications for Reconciliation and Lost Revenue
Authors: Dominy Simon C. , Glass Hylke J. , Minnitt Richard C.A.
Published: May 2022

The underground mining process typically results in some of the metal inventory remaining as a broken residue within mine workings. Up to 0.5 m of broken ore may be left on the floors of development drives and in stopes. It is possible that this broken ore contains 5% or more of the original metal in the ore reserve, which will have a material effect on reconciliation and project economics. Broken ore remaining in the mine may have been subject to enhanced milling during the mucking process, yielding enhanced liberation of the economic minerals of interest. Given that the material in question is already broken, the sampling strategy will be based on digging trenches or pits into the mine floor to extract a pre-determined mass of material for assay. The sampling of stope floors will most likely be based on grab sampling. Application of the theory of sampling is a key aspect of ensuring that evaluation is effective. Gy’s equation for the fundamental sampling error can be used to determine an optimum sample mass, and to inform subsequent steps in preparation for assaying at given confidence limits and precision. This paper presents a discussion and case study.
Green and Efficient Utilization of Ferruginous Gibbsite Ore and Ferruginous Manganese Ore by Synergetic Carbothermic Co-Reduction–Magnetic Separation Process
Authors: Chen Haipeng , Gao Lihua , Zhan Wenlong , He Zhijun
Published: May 2022

The synergetic utilization of ferruginous gibbsite ores (Al-Fe ores) and ferruginous manganese ores (Mn-Fe ores) by the carbothermic co-reduction roasting–magnetic separation process was proposed as an innovative and green process for the separation and recovery of the valuable metal elements of Mn, Fe and Al from these ores. In this paper, a ferromanganese crude alloy with 72.47% Fe and 10.19% Mn and a high recovery of 85.89% Fe was prepared, which produces an acceptable feed to produce manganese steels with an electric arc furnace. The synergistic co-reduction of the two kinds of complex and refractory minerals was favored to separate Fe, Mn and Al from these ores. The influence of the operating variables on the recovery and separation of valuable metals from Mn-Fe ores and Al-Fe ores is initially studied. Then, the stepwise reduction behaviors of a composite oxide Mn1-xFexO (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) and hercynite (Mn1−yFeyAl2O4, 0 ≤ y ≤ 1) were investigated to clarify that Mn-Fe ores have a positive impact on the reduction of fayalite and hercynite in Al-Fe ores. This study reported a simple green route, the carbothermic co-reduction–magnetic separation process, to economically and effectively treat Al-Fe ores and Mn-Fe ores.
Zircon Dating, Geochemistry, and Metallogenic Significance of Early Paleozoic Mafic Rocks in Northern Guangxi Province, China
Authors: Xie Zhuolin , Li Shehong , Dai Yu , Pang Chongjin , Li Saisai , Hu Xuhan , Wu Jinming
Published: May 2022

Magmatic rocks, deformed structures, and tin–polymetallic deposits are widely distributed in the western Jiangnan Orogenic Belt (JOB) of northern Guangxi Province, China. Magmatism and mineralization are believed to have occurred in the Neoproterozoic stage. Herein, we report the zircon U–Pb dating results of investigations on the Ping’an Pb–Zn–Cu polymetallic veins hosted in gabbro near Ping’an Village. Zircon U–Pb dating of the host gabbro yielded ages of 853.0 ± 7.8, 837.7 ± 7.2, and 450.4 ± 6.7 Ma. The younger age represents the emplacement of gabbros, whereas the older Neoproterozoic age reflects inherited zircons from the wall rocks or source regions. The formation of gabbros (Caledonian) is related to the subduction and collisions of microplates in the western JOB, which are controlled by movements of the Yangtze and Cathaysian plates. We consider that the late Caledonian regional shearing in the western JOB resulted in the fracturing and faulting of rocks (Neoproterozoic and early Caledonian), which provided conduits for the flow of hydrothermal fluids and accommodation for the associated mineralization. Geochemistry investigations show that the Caledonian basic magmatic activity provided a certain material source for the final mineralization. We propose that the tin–polymetallic deposits in the northern Guangx Province, and Neoproterozoic cassiterite crystallization, were subjected to Caledonian shear crushing and hydrothermal transformation with copper, lead, zinc, and other metal elements based on our comprehensive analysis, providing a new ideology for understanding the geology and mineralization in this area.
Mechanical Behavior and Fracture Characteristics of Rock with Prefabricated Crack under Different Triaxial Stress Conditions
Authors: Li Zhaolin , Wang Lianguo , Li Wenshuai
Published: May 2022

In this study, the compression failure test of rock with prefabricated fractures under different true triaxial conditions is carried out by using the true triaxial electro-hydraulic servo test system. The traditional large number of fracture laws with prefabricated fissures are merged and attributed to the induction of intermediate principal stress. The test results show that the direction of σ2 has a significant effect on the deformation characteristics of the prefabricated fractured rock. The internal crack expansion direction is more random and the crack distribution is more extensive and complex under uniaxial and conventional triaxial conditions. Under biaxial and true triaxial conditions, the crack propagation direction is clearly along the σ2 direction. This shows that the development process of internal cracks in rocks tend to the direction of σ2. Further, the failure mechanism of rock with prefabricated cracks is analyzed based on theory. It is found that the intermediate principal stress direction plays a very important role in inducing the direction of rock crack propagation. According to the unified idea, the fracture analysis of fractured rock is summed up as true triaxial theory, and the results are consistent with the experimental results. This provides a new perspective for the study of rock fracture mechanics, and provides an important basis for the analysis of surrounding rock fracture mechanism of underground engineering.
Recovering Iron Concentrate from Low-Grade Siderite Tailings Based on the Process Mineralogy Characteristics
Authors: Wan He , Yi Peng , Luukkanen Saija , Qu Juanping , Zhang Chonghui , Yang Shenghong , Bu Xianzhong
Published: May 2022

Refractory iron ore is often discarded as tailings. This causes a great waste of iron resources. In this paper, the flash roasting-magnetic separation process was designed by combining the magnetic separation process of magnetite and the process mineralogy of iron tailings. The flash suspension roasting effects with 3–4 s roasting time were evaluated by magnetic separation. The MLA results show that the tailings are ground to a fineness of P90 −75 μm, where the distribution of siderite and M/H in the −75 μm particle size is 85.37% and 92.75%, respectively. Moreover, M/H and siderite are mainly associated with muscovite and quartz. This indicates that regrinding for contiguous bodies of M/H and siderite is beneficial for improving the grade and recovery of iron concentrates. The results of the flash roasting-magnetic separation process show that a mixed iron concentrate containing 60.10% Fe with an iron recovery of 81.13% would be achieved after selective grinding and staged magnetic separation of the roasted ore. The result indicates that the flash suspension roasting effects with 3–4 s roasting time are achievable. The study provides an efficient approach for recovering refractory iron from tailings.
Evaluation of Rheology Measurements Techniques for Pressure Loss in Mine Paste Backfill Transportation
Authors: Ahmed Haitham M. , Bharathan Bhargav , Kermani Mehrdad , Hassani Ferri , Hefni Mohammed A. , Ahmed Hussin A. M. , Hassan Gamal S. A. , Moustafa Essam B. , Saleem Hussein A. , Sasmito Agus P.
Published: May 2022

Understanding the rheology behavior of non-Newtonian mine paste backfill is critical to ensure its flowability in the pipeline distribution system. Several rheology measurements methods for paste backfill have been proposed in the literature to quantify the rheology properties. However, there is no definite conclusion on the best measurement method to correctly predict pressure loss in the paste backfill pipeline system with a high solid concentration. This study addresses the issue by comparing several rheology measurements techniques, i.e., coaxial rheometer with various configurations, vane viscometer, and slump and pipe loop tests, with regard to Bingham yield stress, Bingham plastic viscosity, and pressure loss using statistical analysis. The paste backfill samples are prepared from two different mine tailings: finer and coarser particles. The pressure loss from the pipe loop test along with Buckingham-Reiner transformation using the Darcy-Weisbach equation are used as reference properties. The results suggest that a simple slump test can accurately predict the Bingham yield stress for coarser tailing. At the same time, a coaxial rheometer with MVDIN cup is found to predict the Bingham paste properties accurately for finer tailing.
Natural Source Electromagnetic Component Exploration of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs
Authors: Wang Nan , Qin Qiming
Published: May 2022

As an environmentally friendly and high-calorific natural gas, coalbed methane (CBM) has become one of the world’s most crucial unconventional energy sources. Undoubtedly, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on reservoir exploration methods to ensure high and stable CBM production in the development stage. However, current methods have disadvantages such as high cost, complex devices, and poor terrain adaptability, and therefore they are unsuitable for reasonable monitoring of CBM reservoirs. In contrast, electromagnetic prospecting methods are increasingly widely employed in the rapid delineation of conductive distributions, contributing a lot to in-situ reservoir interpretation. Furthermore, a natural source Super-Low Frequency electromagnetic component method (i.e., the SLF method for short) has been proposed and applied with high potential in a CBM enrichment area, Qinshui Basin, China. In this paper, this method is thoroughly discussed. The magnetic component responses of the SLF method can be used as the characteristic responses of subsurface layers, and the forward modeling algorithms using the finite element method have been successfully developed and verified. On this basis, the direct depth transformation and one-dimensional nonlinear regularization inversion algorithms of the magnetic component responses are proposed for geo-object interpretation. With the help of the empirical mode decomposition (EMD), an SLF data processing workflow is demonstrated theoretically and practically, which is integrated into a portable instrument. The instrument’s ability to identify the low-resistivity reservoirs and their surrounding rocks has been proved by field survey. The extraction of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) anomalies also helps to refine the reservoir interpretation with higher accuracy. A joint comparative inversion test between the SLF method and the audio-magnetotelluric method (AMT) is also addressed, demonstrating that the SLF method is reliably applicable in the field survey of CBM reservoirs. A preliminary statistical analysis shows that the depth resolution of CBM reservoirs can reach the order of tens of meters. Therefore, the SLF method is expected to become one of the most potential options for in-situ CBM exploration with a cost-effective interpretation capability.
Denoising Marine Controlled Source Electromagnetic Data Based on Dictionary Learning
Authors: Zhang Pengfei , Pan Xinpeng , Liu Jiawei
Published: May 2022

Marine controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) is an efficient method to explore ocean resources. The amplitudes of marine CSEM signals decay rapidly with the measuring offsets. The signal is easily contaminated by various kinds of noise when the offset is large. These noise include instrument internal noise, dipole vibration noise, seawater motion noise and environmental noise Suppressing noise is the key to improve data quality and interpretation accuracy. Sparse representation based denoising method has been used for denoising for a long time. provides a new way to remove noise. Under the framework of sparse representation, the denoising effect is closely related to the chosen transform matrix. This matrix is called dictionary and its column named atom. In general, the stronger the correlation between signal and dictionary is, the sparser representation will be, and further the better the denoising effect will be. In this article, a new method based on dictionary learning is proposed for marine CSEM denoising. Firstly, the signal segments suffering little from noise are captured to compose the training set. Then the learned dictionary is trained from the training set via K-singular value decomposition (K-SVD) algorithm. Finally, the learned dictionary is used to sparsely represent the contaminated signal and reconstruct the filtered one. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified by a synthetic data denoising experiment, in which windowed-Fourier-transform (WFT) and wavelet-transform (WT) denoising methods and three dictionaries (discrete-sine-transform (DST) dictionary, DST-wavelet merged dictionary and the learned dictionary) under a sparse representation framework are tested. The results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed dictionary-learning-based denoising method. Finally, the proposed approach is applied to field data denoising process, coupled with DST and DST-wavelet dictionaries based denoising methods. The outcomes further proves that the propsoed approach is effective and superior for marine CSEM data denoising.
Effect of Blunging/Dispersion Parameters on Separation of Halloysite Nanotubes from Gangue Minerals
Authors: Durgut Emrah , Cinar Mustafa , Terzi Mert , Unver Ilgin Kursun , Yildirim Yildiz , Boylu Feridun , Ozdemir Orhan
Published: May 2022

Clay minerals need to be dispersed with blungers before their utilization in the related industries due to their plastic properties, and size reduction is carried out in a wet medium. Clay minerals also contain impurities such as nonplastic materials in their structure. Mechanical dispersion parameters are important in the separation of clay group minerals (halloysite and kaolinite) from their typical non-clayey gangue minerals (quartz and goethite). In this study, the removal of impurities from halloysite ore obtained from Kızıldam, Turkey, was examined in terms of mechanical dispersion parameters, namely, feed size, blunging time and speed, pulp concentration, pulp temperature, and the aging process. The effect of these parameters on halloysite dispersion was determined by particle size, chemical, and mineralogical analysis, and optical and scanning electron microscope images. The results obtained from the studies of the mechanical dispersing and particle size distribution of the products indicated that the optimum dispersion parameters were determined as −10 mm feed size, 8 h, and 1000 rpm blunging time, and speed, 35% pulp concentration at 25 °C pulp temperature. Under these optimum conditions, a 72.3% amount of −38 μm clay product containing 35.6% of halloysite, 46.5% of kaolinite, 12.0% quartz, 1.9% goethite, 0.9% gibbsite, and 3.2% other minerals were obtained from the halloysite ore, having 30.5% of halloysite, 43.4% of kaolinite, 19.1% quartz, 2.9% goethite, 1.4% gibbsite, and 2.7% other minerals. In this study, it was understood that feed size, pulp concentration, blunging time, and speed were important parameters, while pulp temperature and the aging process had no significant effect on the mechanical dispersion of Kızıldam halloysite. In addition, impurities such as quartz and iron-bearing minerals were separated from the ore by blunging and sieving.
Improving Inversion Quality of IP-Affected TEM Data Using Dual Source
Authors: Zhi Qingquan , Wu Junjie , Li Xiu , Wang Xingchun , Deng Xiaohong
Published: May 2022

The induced polarization (IP) effects in transient electromagnetic (TEM) responses pose difficulties to the TEM data interpretation and inversion. The IP effects break the monotony in TEM decay curves and can even cause sign reversals and lead to the singularity and non-monotony of inversion. The singularity problem is still urgent to be solved. In this paper, the forward modeling method of IP-affected TEM responses is developed using the Cole–Cole model and a frequency-time domain transformation. A TEM data acquisition scheme using a dual-source method without a significant increase in field work is proposed to weaken the singularity and improve the inversion quality finally. Based on the modeling and analysis, the dual-source scheme is designed to guarantee all stations be measured twice with different loops. The joint inversion of dual-source datasets is realized by using an objective combing function and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The synthetic data test proved the validity of the algorithm and illustrated that the joint dual-source method greatly weakened the singularity and stabilized the inversion. The field example of the Baiyun golden deposit showed well consistency with resistivity logging and TEM logging results and predicted the gold mineralization below 2000 m.
Composition and Geochemical Characteristics of Pyrite and Quartz: Constraints on the Origin of the Xinjiazui Gold Deposit, Northwestern Margin of the Yangtze Block, China
Authors: Liu Ji , Bao Xinshang , Gao Yongbao , Yang Ke , Kou Shaolei , Yang Wei , Wang Zhanbin , He Jinglong , Zhang Yixiang , Chen Hao
Published: May 2022

The Xinjiazui gold deposit, a newly discovered deposit, is situated in the northwestern margin of the Yangtze Block, China. The source and genesis of gold mineralization are poorly understood. It is urgent to use the H–O isotopic composition of quartz and geochemistry of pyrite to evaluate the origins of the Au and ore-forming fluids of this deposit. Three types of pyrite were identified, including synsedimentary framboidal pyrites (Py0), the directional arrangement of pyrites in pre-mineralization stage (Py1), and euhedral coarse-grain pyrites in the quartz–sulfide veins of the mineralization stage (Py2). The As content in Py2 is relatively higher than Py0 and Py1, indicating that the ore-forming fluids are strongly enriched in As. The δ34S values of Py2 (+5.50–+13.34‰) overlap with the S1–2M phyllite (+7.25‰–+8.70‰). This result is consistent with the Pb isotopic composition of Py2, showing that the source of ore-forming materials was derived from the S1–2M phyllite. Meanwhile, the variations in quartz’s H and O isotopic composition suggest that the ore-forming fluids were derived originally from metamorphic fluid. Additionally, the Au mineralization is strictly controlled by the shear zone. Above all, we would like to classify the Xinjiazui deposit as an orogenic gold deposit.