Search

With the rapid development of the information age, big data technology has been widely penetrated into various industries, and has brought profound impact on its structure and operation mode. In the field of music education, big data provides advanced tools and platforms for teaching, and provides a new perspective for the formulation of music teaching strategies and the sharing of educational resources. The purpose of this study is to deeply study the music teaching strategies based on big data and make a comparative analysis with traditional strategies. Based on an extensive literature review, this study summarizes the basic concepts, core features and applications of big data in music teaching. In order to have a more comprehensive understanding of the actual effects of big data in music teaching, we designed a series of experiments to compare the performance of music teaching strategies based on big data and traditional strategies in terms of student learning outcomes, learning engagement, student satisfaction, teaching progress and efficiency. The results show that the music teaching strategy based on big data can better meet the personalized learning needs of students, improve the learning engagement, and significantly improve the teaching effect and the quality of resource sharing. This study provides scientific ideas and methods for music teaching, and hopefully provides beneficial enlightenment for the application of big data technology in the field of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety problems caused by organophosphorus pesticide (OP) residues are constantly occurring, so the development of new methods for the degradation and detection of OPs is of great scientific significance. In the present study, β-sheet peptides and β-hairpin peptides for catalyzing the hydrolysis of OPs were designed and synthesized. The peptide sequences with the highest hydrolytic activity (EHSGGVTVDPPLTVEHSAG) were screened by investigating the effect of the location of the active sites of the peptide and the peptide's structure on the degradation of OPs. In addition, the relationship between the peptides' conformation and hydrolytic activity was further analyzed based on density functional theory calculations. The noncovalent interactions of the peptides with the OPs and the electrostatic potential on the molecular surface and molecular docking properties were also investigated. It was found that peptides with approximate active amino acids consisting of the catalytic triad and with the hairpin structure had enhanced hydrolytic activity toward the hydrolysis of OPs. To develop an electrochemical sensor technique to detect OPs, the conductive MXene (Ti3C2) material was first immobilized with a caffeic acid monolayer via enediol–metal complex chemistry and then bound with the β-hairpin peptide (EHSGGVTVDPPLTVEHSAG) via carboxy–amine condensation chemistry between the –COOH of caffeic acid and the –NH2 of the peptide to prepare a MXene–peptide composite. Then, the prepared composite was modified on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode to construct an electrochemical sensor for the detection of OPs. The developed technique could be used to monitor OPs within 15 min with a two orders of linear working range and with a detection limit of 0.15 μM. Meanwhile, the sensor showed good reliability for the detection of OPs in real vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as an indispensable analytical tool in biomolecular research, providing unmatched sensitivity critical for the elucidation of biomolecular structures. This review presents a thorough examination of SERS, outlining its fundamental principles, cataloging its varied applications within the biomolecular sphere, and contemplating its future developmental trajectories. We begin with a detailed analysis of SERS's mechanistic principles, emphasizing both the phenomena of surface enhancement and the complexities inherent in Raman scattering spectroscopy. Subsequently, we delve into the pivotal role of SERS in the structural analysis of diverse biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and biochromes. The remarkable capabilities of SERS extend beyond mere detection, offering profound insights into biomolecular configurations and interactions, thereby enriching our comprehension of intricate biological processes. This review also sheds light on the application of SERS in real-time monitoring of various bio-relevant compounds, from enzymes and coenzymes to metal ion-chelate complexes and cellular organelles, thereby providing a holistic view and empowering researchers to unravel the complexities of biological systems. We also address the current challenges faced by SERS, such as enhancing sensitivity and resolution, developing stable and reproducible substrates, and conducting thorough analyses in complex biological matrices. Nonetheless, the continual advancements in nanotechnology and spectroscopy solidify the standing of SERS as a formidable force in biomolecular research. In conclusion, the versatility and robustness of SERS not only deepen our understanding of biomolecular intricacies but also pave the way for significant developments in medical research, therapeutic innovation, and diagnostic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and novel method was established for the synthesis of triazolinone scaffolds through [3 + 2] cycloaddition of C,N-cycloazomethylimines with dioxazolones in the presence of CH3ONa. In these transformations, isocyanates were formed in situ by the decarboxylation and Curtius rearrangement of dioxazolones. Importantly, the isocyanate formed from dioxazolone is employed for the first time for the cyclization instead of the widely used N-acyl nitrenes. The newly developed [3 + 2] cycloaddition is applicable to a broad range of substrates with high functional group tolerance, providing various triazolinones in good to excellent yields (up to 94%). Additionally, this method is easy to operate, green, environmentally friendly, and avoids highly toxic reagents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, short-term composting techniques have been widely applied in oyster mushroom cultivation, but there is still a lack of systematic research on their impact on the nutritional and functional properties of fruiting bodies. In this study, the microbial inoculant Streptomyces thermoviolaceus BUA-FM01 (ST) was applied in the short-term composting process for oyster mushroom cultivation. The agronomic traits, nutritional composition, flavor compounds, and antioxidant activity of fruiting bodies from the first three flushes were evaluated. The results show that microbial inoculation significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the total carbon content and C/N ratio of the composted substrates and, furthermore, increased the total yield of the fruiting bodies. Moreover, microbial inoculation significantly (p < 0.05) increased the crude protein, crude polysaccharide, total amino acid, and essential amino acid contents of the fruiting bodies. The fruiting bodies of the first flush of ST treatment possessed the highest umami amino acid content and equivalent umami concentration value. Furthermore, microbial inoculation significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced the scavenging ability of crude polysaccharides toward free radicals. The results indicate that microbial inoculation has many benefits for the composting cultivating process of oyster mushrooms and good application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese dioxide is one of the key materials in battery, adsorption media, and catalytic materials in the environmental field because of its excellent properties. In this investigation, new synthetical technology—the microwave discharge plasma in liquid method was used directly to make manganese dioxide with potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solution. The synthesis was realized in one step by the microwave discharging plasma in potassium permanganate aqueous solution without using any dispersants or stabilizers. The reduction time was very short, it only takes 3 min to complete the reduction of the 0.2 mmol l−1 potassium permanganate solution for the formation of MnO2. The structure characteristics and adsorption-desorption curves were studied by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XRD, etc. it was found that the synthesized manganese dioxide nano-sheet had a layered structure and a large specific surface area (248.89 m2 g−1). The methylene blue was used to validate the effectiveness of the prepared manganese dioxide. The results showed that the synthesized manganese dioxide had good adsorption and photocatalytic properties. In conclusion, the microwave liquid-phase discharge plasma is a very effective reduction method with potential development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participants feature Spanish-English bilinguals in the U.S. and Spain, French-English bilinguals in French immersion schools in Canada, and Chinese-English bilinguals in Hong Kong and mainland China. It is imperative in the education system to be able to distinguish second language acquisition from reading and writing difficulties among bilingual learners from early childhood to adolescent periods (Olsen, [21]; Parrish et al., [22]). In another study with bilingual Spanish-English speaking students in a U.S. high school, Guzman-Orth et al. ([9]) found that the students struggled with writing in both languages, but their difficulties were more pronounced in English. Cheah and colleagues examined the cognitive correlates of Chinese and English spelling skills in second and third-grade Chinese- English Hong Kong bilingual children. [Extracted from the article]

With the continuous advancement of Internet technology and the continuous development of big data model applications, the data model is a method of data organization and storage, which emphasizes the reasonable storage of data from the perspective of business, data access, and use. The rapid development of information technology on the Internet and the increasing consumption level of people have created conditions for the booming development of consumer finance. Compared with traditional lending methods, more and more consumers are more inclined to choose consumption channels such as the Internet and e-commerce. Consumer finance lending is more convenient and fast. The prediction of consumer financial loan default is very important, because the inaccuracy of the prediction not only leads to the loss of profits but also infringes the rights and interests of consumers. Therefore, it is very important to propose a default prediction method in the consumer finance field with good performance based on the big data model. Simulation experiment conclusions are shown as follows: (1) the pseudo R -squared value of the model is 0.3660, indicating that the control variable can better explain the change of y. (2) The chi-square test statistic is equal to 51632.31, the degree of freedom is 68, and the corresponding P < 0.0001 , which also shows that the entire model can significantly predict the change of y. (3) The regression coefficient of the number of loan performances is -0.207553, indicating that the number of consumer loans is negatively correlated with loan defaults. (4) The regression coefficient of the monthly loan frequency is 0.0500152, indicating that the customer applies the frequency of personal credit consumer loans which is positively correlated with loan defaults. (5) The accurate prediction ratio of the model is 86.11%, which further shows that the prediction model has a better effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of ship autonomous navigation, the complex changes of the external environment lead to unknown statistical characteristics of star sensor measurement noise, which brings the estimation results of standard Kalman filtering divergence, and gyroscope on-line calibration cannot be effectively carried out. In view of the above problems, this paper proposed a gyroscope on-line calibration method assisted by star sensor based on forgetting factor selection of a Sage-Husa filter. According to the angular velocity, the output of gyroscope, and quaternion obtained from star sensor, the system error model with unknown noise statistical characteristics is established. Based on the judgment method of fuzzy logic, the error quaternion is used as the input, and the fuzzy rule is used to select the parameters of the adaptive filtering. Therefore, the measurement noise parameters of the filter are constantly estimated and corrected. Finally, the algorithm is verified by simulation test. The simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively estimate the gyroscope drift, scale factor under the case of changes in the external environment, and improve the accuracy and applicability of the navigation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metformin (MET), the most common medicine for type 2 diabetes (T2DM), improves insulin sensitivity by targeting the liver, intestine and other organs. Its impact on expression of the solute carrier (Slc) transporter genes have not been reported in the mechanism of insulin sensitization. In this study, we examined Slc gene expression in the liver and colon of diet-induced obese (DIO) mice treated with MET by transcriptomic analysis. There were 939 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the liver of DIO mice vs lean mice, which included 34 Slc genes. MET altered 489 DEGs in the liver of DIO mice, in which 23 were Slc genes. Expression of 20 MET-responsive Slc DEGs was confirmed by qRT-PCR, in which 15 Slc genes were altered in DIO mice and their expressions were restored by MET, including Slc2a10 , Slc2a13 , Slc5a9, Slc6a14 , Slc7a9 , Slc9a2 , Slc9a3 , Slc13a2 , Slc15a2 , Slc26a3 , Slc34a2 , Slc37a1 , Slc44a4 , Slc51b and Slc52a3. While, there were only 97 DEGs in the colon of DIO mice with 5 Slc genes, whose expression was not restored by MET. The data suggest that more genes were altered in the liver over the colon by the high fat diet (HFD). There were 20 Slc genes with alteration confirmed in the liver of DIO mice and 15 of them were restored by MET, which was associated with improvement of insulin sensitivity and obesity. The restoration may improve the uptake of glucose, amino acids, mannose, fructose, 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol and bumetanide in hepatocytes of the liver of DIO mice. The study provides new insight into the mechanism of metformin action in insulin sensitization and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has consistently found that poor family functioning is a risk factor for adolescents' internalizing problems. However, studies of the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation are insufficient. In this study, we explore the association between family functioning and adolescents' internalizing problems by testing the mediating roles of positive youth development (PYD) attributes and the moderating role of migrant status. A large cross-sectional sample of 11,865 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.45 years, standard deviation = 1.55 years) were used to measure internalizing problems, family functioning, PYD, migrant status, and other demographic information. After controlling for covariates (age, gender, grade, and socioeconomic status), the results revealed that PYD mediated the relation between family functioning and internalizing problems. Moreover, migrant status moderated the relationship between family functioning and internalizing problems. Specifically, the effects of family functioning on internalizing problems were stronger among local-born adolescents than among migrant adolescents. The findings indicate that improving family functioning and PYD attributes may be promising approaches to prevent/reduce adolescent internalizing problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics cost control is an important means to increase commercial logistics profits and control corporate capital risks. This paper uses BP neural network to build a prediction model to study the analysis of inventory demand and explores the complex relationship between inventory demand and each influencing factor by training the data of inventory demand influencing factors to obtain effective measures for inventory management and control. Moreover, this article chooses the way that BA optimizes the BP neural network to build a predictive model and uses the actual data to conduct a model test to verify the validity of the model. In addition, this article performs performance analysis of the prediction model of this study by setting up experiments. Through comparative experimental research, we can see that the method proposed in this paper has certain effects, can be applied to the actual forecast of logistics inventory, and can provide theoretical references for subsequent related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high-performance cathodic catalysts and exploiting new techniques to investigate the nanoscale process of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are of significant importance for the wide application of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Here, novel Fe-based clusters embedded in nitrogen doped activated carbon (Fe-clusters/NAC) catalysts were developed via a simple ball milling method. Abiotic electrochemical tests demonstrated that these Fe-clusters/NAC catalysts exhibited an enhanced ORR performance due to the formation of Fe-based clusters, and the exposure of abundant active sites including quaternary N, Fe–N and Fe-based clusters. More importantly, the Fe-clusters/NAC catalysts exhibited an even better ORR performance than Pt due to the existence of more active sites than Pt, which was confirmed by using a scanning electrochemical microscope. Acid etching treatment and density functional theory calculations further verified the superior ORR activity of Fe-based clusters. The power density of the Fe-clusters/NAC catalyst-based MFCs reached 2387 mW m−2, which is the highest value among the reported Fe–N–C catalysts under the same/similar experimental conditions over the last five years, at least 65% higher than that of AC and 50% higher than that of commercial Pt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of rosemary extract, grape seed extract (GSE) and green tea polyphenol (GTP) on the physicochemical properties and N‐nitrosamines content of western‐style smoked sausage were investigated. Among the additives, GTP had the highest total phenol content (109.82 mg GAE/g DW) and the best scavenging capacity on ABTS (IC50 = 0.16 g/ml). Rosemary extract and GTP reduced the hardness of sausage (p <.05). Rosemary extract, GSE and GTP reduced the gumminess and chewiness of sausage (p <.05), but had little effects on the cohesiveness and springiness (p >.05). Rosemary extract increased the a* and b* values of sausage significantly (p <.05), GSE and GTP had little effects on color (p >.05). The additives all decreased the pH values, TBARs values of sausage (p <.05) and increased the moisture content in sausage (p <.05). The additives can significantly reduce the residual nitrite and N‐nitrosamines content of western‐style smoked sausage. GTP showed the best effect on TBARs (48.29%), residual nitrite (68.87%) and N‐nitrosamines (61.29%). Above all, the additives had good antioxidant ability and could inhibit the formation of N‐nitrosamines. Compared with other additives, GTP had the best effect. Practical applications: Rosemary extract, GSE and GTP have attracted much attention due to their great antibacterial and antioxidant properties. This paper studies the effects of rosemary extract, GSE and GTP on the quality and N‐nitrosamines concent of western‐style smoked sausage. It has shown that rosemary extract and GTP can increase the moisture content of the products and improve their hardness. Rosemary extract and GSE can improve the color of the product to some extent. Because the three additives have good antioxidant properties, they can be used to extend the shelf life of products. Moreover, the three additives can reduce residual nitrite and inhibit N‐nitrosamine formation, which can provide certain theoretical basis for the development of low nitrate products and cancer prevention. However, the inhibition mechanism of the three additives on N‐nitrosamine formation needs further study. In addition, the three additives all have specific flavor, which can affect the flavor of the products. This problem also needs to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high activity, low-cost and long durability catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction is of great significance for the practical application of microbial fuel cells. The full exposure of active sites in catalysts can enhance catalytic activity dramatically. Here, novel Fe-N-doped graphene is successfully synthesized via a one-step in situ ball milling method. Pristine graphite, ball milling graphene, N-doped graphene and Fe-N-doped graphene are applied in air cathodes, and enhanced performance is observed in microbial fuel cells with graphene-based catalysts. Particularly, Fe-N-doped graphene achieves the highest oxygen reduction reaction activity, with a maximum power density of 1380±20 mW/m2 in microbial fuel cells and a current density of 23.8 A/m2 at −0.16 V in electrochemical tests, which are comparable to commercial Pt and 390% and 640% of those of pristine graphite. An investigation of the material characteristics reveals that the superior performance of Fe-N-doped graphene results from the full exposure of Fe2O3 nanoparticles, pyrrolic N, pyridinic N and excellent Fe-N-G active sites on the graphene matrix. This work not only suggests the strategy of maximally exposing active sites to optimize the potential of catalysts but also provides promising catalysts for the use of microbial fuel cells in sustainable energy generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cognitive radio networks (CNRs), spectrum sensing data falsification (SSDF) attacks can severely deteriorate the performance of the collaborative spectrum sensing (CSS), which may be worse compared with the performance of the independent spectrum sensing (IndSS) under massive SSDF attacks. In this letter, a novel algorithm for defending against massive SSDF attacks is investigated from the perspective of honest secondary users (HSUs). In the proposed algorithm, each HSU evaluates the reliability of the CSS results. The CSS results with high reliability value are employed by secondary users (SUs) as final sensing results. However, its own sensing results are used if reliability value of CSS results is lower than the certain threshold. Theoretical derivation for the threshold of the reliability value is explained. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme and indicate that our proposed algorithm can be considered as the extension of existing anti SSDF attacks algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved hydrogen production efficiency by microwave liquid-phase discharge plasma reforming of methanol solution without catalyst is investigated in this study. The ethanol solution was added to the methanol solution as accelerator for plasma reforming hydrogen production. The features of radicals and gas-phase products generated by discharge in different mixed solutions were studied by the optical emission spectrum (OES) and gas chromatography (GC). The study found that adding a small amount of ethanol to methanol solution could promote the production of hydrogen by microwave liquid-phase discharge plasma reforming of alcohols. The maximum flow rate of total gas was 30.8 NL/min when discharge in a mixed solution of S e t h / m e t h 1 : 4 , which was 11.6% higher than discharge in S m e t h 1 : 1 . • Ethanol was used as a promoter for hydrogen production by plasma reforming methanol. • Flow rate of total gas production increased by 11.6%. • The highest energy yield of hydrogen production was 0.78 Nm3/kWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two dissimilar Al alloys, 5083-H111 and 6005A-T6, were joined by hybrid laser-MIG welding method. Mechanical properties of the welded joint were investigated and compared. The results show that the tensile strength of the dissimilar joint is 219.8 MPa, 11.7% higher than that of 6005A-T5 joint. After statistical analysis of the fatigue data, the -- curves of the dissimilar joint were obtained. The mean fatigue strength at of the dissimilar joint is 112.5 MPa. The fatigue strength at of the dissimilar joint for a given 10% probability of failure, at a confidence level of 95%, is 101.4 MPa. The fatigue strength at of the dissimilar joint is almost same as that of the 6005A-T6 joint. In welded structure designing, different -- curves should be chosen according to the different service conditions and reliability requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The national policy in deaf education in Mainland China primarily focuses on oral/aural instruction and hearing rehabilitation. The curriculum in primary grades is specifically structured on speech and hearing skills for language development. But there is little evidence that documents what early literacy instruction looks like or how teachers conduct the teaching of reading and writing in classrooms with Chinese deaf children. By analyzing videotapes from the first and second grade classrooms, we describe how reading and writing are taught to deaf children in China. The key findings are that the primary grade literacy instruction (1) shares features of Gradual Release of Responsibility model with a focus on speech and hearing skills; (2) uses multimodal strategies and pedagogical tools such as lip-reading, Pinyin phonetic symbols, Pinyin Finger Spelling, Chinese Sign Language (CSL), and Signed Chinese (SC). Moreover, the curriculum reflects low expectations for deaf students as it lacks the academic content provided to their hearing peers. We conclude with implications for literacy instruction in deaf education, and suggest a future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A7N01P-T4 aluminum alloy is widely used in some important welded components of high-speed trains. The hybrid laser-metal inert gas (MIG) welding process was studied to solve problems associated with the MIG welding process, such as low welding efficiency, high residual stress and deformation, and serious loss of strength. A high-speed camera, a voltage and current collection system, and NI DAQ were used to acquire arc profiles, welding voltage, and welding current simultaneously. Thermal cycle tests were carried out. Residual stresses induced by the welding process and fatigue strength of the joint were investigated. Large-size fatigue specimens were used in fatigue tests. The results show that the energy of the hybrid welding process is focused, and the power density of hybrid welding process is intense. The heat input per unit of the hybrid welding process is only half of that of the MIG welding process. Compared with the MIG welded joint, the overall residual stress level of the hybrid-welded joint is lower. The peak longitudinal stress of the hybrid-welded joint is reduced by 20 pct. The fatigue strength of hybrid joints is 14 pct higher than that of MIG-welded joints. Narrow weld and HAZ, weak softening behavior, and low residual stress level are the causes of the improvement of fatigue strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the complex mixing matrix estimation in under-determined blind source separation problems. The proposed estimation algorithm is based on single source points contributed by only one source. First, the problem of complex matrix estimation is transformed to that of real matrix estimation to lay the foundation for detecting single source points. Secondly, a detection algorithm is adopted to detect single source points. Then, a potential function clustering method is proposed to process single source points in order to get better performance. Finally, we can get the complex mixing matrix after derivation and calculation. The algorithm can estimate the complex mixing matrix when the number of sources is more than that of sensors, which proves it can solve the problem of under-determined blind source separation. The experimental results validate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can generate electricity from the oxidation of organic substrates using anodic exoelectrogenic bacteria and have great potential for harvesting electric energy from wastewater. Improving oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance at a neutral pH is needed for efficient energy production. Here we show a nitrogen doped (≈4 wt%) ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) with a high surface area, large pore volume, and hierarchical porosity, with good electrocatalytic properties for ORR in MFCs. The MFCs using NDC air cathodes achieved a high maximum power density of 2300 mW m−2, which was 1.7 times higher than the most commonly used Pt/C air cathodes and also higher than most state-of-the-art ORR catalyst air cathodes. Rotating disk electrode measurements verified the superior electrocatalytic activity of NDC with an efficient four-electron transfer pathway ( n=3.9). These findings highlight NDC as a better-performing and cost-efficient catalyst compared with Pt/C, making it highly viable for MFC applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A6N01S-T5 aluminum alloy is used widely on components of high-speed train body, such as the sidewall and underframe. Welded joints are often the positions where fracture and failure occur. In this paper, fiber laser-metal inert gas (MIG) welding was used as a new welding method to weld A6N01S-T5 alloy and compared with the traditional MIG welding joints. Optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, hardness tester, and electronic universal testing were used for the microstructure observation and mechanical property examination. Softening effect in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and weld fusion zone is observed. The precipitations and dissolution of β′ phases are proved to be the reason of softening. The tensile strength of the fiber laser-MIG welded joint was approximately 83 % of base metal, which is 33 MPa higher than that of the MIG welded joint. The fracture position of the joints is in accordance with the lowest hardness position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air-cathodes are a critical component for microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and need to have high catalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). As an important two-dimensional material, graphene has been explored in various applications including ORR catalysts for MFCs. However, the reported graphene for MFC cathodes was usually small flakes/powders, which cannot be directly coated onto metal meshes without binders. Here, we report a binder-free nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) sheet in situ grown on nickel mesh as an efficient catalyst layer for MFC air-cathodes. By optimizing the growth parameters of NG, the maximum power density of MFCs based on NG can be boosted up to 1470 ± 80 mW m−2, which is 32% higher than that of the conventional Pt/C air-cathode. The optimized NG air-cathode has a low internal resistance (21 ± 3 Ω), only 20% of that of the Pt/C air-cathode. These results provide a proof-of-concept for the binder-free NG air-cathode as an alternative to the costly Pt cathode for MFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a novel estimation method for fast initial coarse alignment of a shipborne strapdown inertial navigation system. Unlike several current techniques, the alignment accuracy of the presented estimation method is not reduced by the shipborne disturbances causing by wave action (when moored) and the inertial measurement unit output constant error. The coarse alignment method is based on the acceleration sensed by accelerometers and the attitude matrix respect to the inertial frame sensed by star sensor. The specific force along the inertial frame is derived from the acceleration sensed by accelerometers, and the information characteristics of the specific force along the inertial frame are discussed. The analysed results show that the constant and periodical information is included in the transformation specific force along the inertial frame. Therefore Butterworth low‐pass filter is used to extract the constant information to calculate the attitude of the vehicle. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrates by simulation and experimental study. The results showed this coarse alignment method can estimate attitude information, and the attitude errors of the alignment result are small angles. Therefore the alignment accuracy meets the demands of fine alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occurrence of five estrogens, including estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and bisphenol A (BPA) in water, sediment and biota in Northern Taihu Lake, were investigated and their ecological risk was evaluated. Most of the target estrogens were widely distributed in the eight studied sampling sites, and their levels showed a regional trend of Gong Bay > Meiliang Bay > Zhushan Bay. The average concentrations of E1, E2, E3, EE2 and BPA ranged from 3.86 to 64.4 ng l, 44.3 to 64.1 μg kg dry weight and 58.6 to 115 μg kg dry weight in water, sediments and biota, respectively. In most cases, the average concentrations of BPA and E2 were higher than those of other estrogens. E1, E3 and EE2 were found to be accumulated in river snails with bioaccumulation factor values as high as 14,204, 35,327 and 20,127 l kg, respectively. E3 was also considered to be accumulated in clams. The evaluation of environmental risk showed that the occurrence of E2 and EE2 in lakes might pose a high risk to aquatic organisms. These findings provide important information for estrogen control and management in the studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to optimize the heat treatment schedule and the welding procedure of the SMA490BW weathering steel, a precise determination of the continuous cooling transformation and simulated heat affected zone continuous cooling transforming diagrams were carried out. Meanwhile, the hardnesses of the specimens with different cooling rates were measured and the microstructures were observed. The microstructures are composed of pearlite, polygonal ferrite, granular structure, acicular ferrite, and lath bainite depending on the cooling rates and transformation temperature. The experiment results provide a useful guide for the heat treatment and welding of this steel. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between morphological awareness and Chinese children's literacy development. Of the 169 children from elementary schools in Beijing, China, who participated in the study, about half received enhanced instruction on the morphology of characters and words in the first and second grade. At the beginning of second grade and at the beginning of third grade, children were tested on morphological awareness, reading, and writing. The results showed that morphological instruction substantially improved children's performance on the morphological awareness and literacy measures. The best-fitting structural equation models suggested a unidirectional causal relation in early second grade and a reciprocal relation in early third grade between morphological awareness and children's literacy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Iron-based clusters embedded in nitrogen doped activated carbon catalysts with superior cathodic activity in microbial fuel cells' by Xiaoyuan Zhang et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, DOI: 10.1039/C9TA10797E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexes Co(BBP)Cl, Co(BBP)SO·HO, Co(BBP)(NO)·HO, Co(BBP)(ClO) and Co(BBP−H)· 2HO, where BBP is 2,6- bis(benzimidazol-2′-yl) pyridine, were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, electrical conductance, i.r. and electronic spectra. The electrochemical behaviour of the complexes was recorded and the X-ray crystal structure of Co(BBP)Cl(MeOH) was determined. The geometry about cobalt is a distorted octahedron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyzed microbial community composition and the functional capacities of degraded sites and restored/natural sites in two typical wetlands of Northeast China—the Phragmites marsh and the Carex marsh, respectively. The degradation of these wetlands, caused by grazing or land drainage for irrigation, alters microbial community components and functional structures, in addition to changing the aboveground vegetation and soil geochemical properties. Bacterial and fungal diversity at the degraded sites were significantly lower than those at restored/natural sites, indicating that soil microbial groups were sensitive to disturbances in wetland ecosystems. Further, a combined analysis using high-throughput sequencing and GeoChip arrays showed that the abundance of carbon fixation and degradation, and ~95% genes involved in nitrogen cycling were increased in abundance at grazed Phragmites sites, likely due to the stimulating impact of urine and dung deposition. In contrast, the abundance of genes involved in methane cycling was significantly increased in restored wetlands. Particularly, we found that microbial composition and activity gradually shifts according to the hierarchical marsh sites. Altogether, this study demonstrated that microbial communities as a whole could respond to wetland changes and revealed the functional potential of microbes in regulating biogeochemical cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors wish to make some corrections as below: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foot-mounted inertial pedestrian positioning (FIPP) plays an important role for facilitating pedestrian activities. It is suitable for indoor environment applications where global navigation satellite systems are unavailable such as during firefighting and military actions. However, the positioning error of FIPP can increase rapidly due to the measurement noise of the sensors. Zero Velocity Update (ZUPT) is an error correction method proposed to solve this accumulative error. However, the heading misalignment angle, which results in a continuous increase in the positioning error, cannot be estimated by ZUPT. In order to solve this problem, the improved ZUPT based on the Improved Attitude Algorithm (IAA) according to accelerometer measurements is proposed in this paper. When a pedestrian is in the stance phase, the horizontal attitude is estimated by using accelerometer measurements. According to the relationship between the heading misalignment angle and horizontal attitude, the heading misalignment angle is obtained by a series of mathematical derivations. By taking the velocity error and the attitude misalignment angle as observations, the heading misalignment angle and positioning error can be estimated and compensated for through the Kalman filter. Finally, we use MTI-G710 sensor manufactured by XSENS for the actual test and the experiment results show that the proposed method is effectively correct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foot-mounted Inertial Pedestrian-Positioning Systems (FIPPSs) based on Micro Inertial Measurement Units (MIMUs), have recently attracted widespread attention with the rapid development of MIMUs. The can be used in challenging environments such as firefighting and the military, even without augmenting with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Zero Velocity Update (ZUPT) provides a solution for the accumulated positioning errors produced by the low precision and high noise of the MIMU, however, there are some problems using ZUPT for FIPPS, include fast-initial alignment and unobserved heading misalignment angle, which are addressed in this paper. Our first contribution is proposing a fast-initial alignment algorithm for foot-mounted inertial/magnetometer pedestrian positioning based on the Adaptive Gradient Descent Algorithm (AGDA). Considering the characteristics of gravity and Earth's magnetic field, measured by accelerometers and magnetometers, respectively, when the pedestrian is standing at one place, the AGDA is introduced as the fast-initial alignment. The AGDA is able to estimate the initial attitude and enhance the ability of magnetic disturbance suppression. Our second contribution in this paper is proposing an inertial/magnetometer positioning algorithm based on an adaptive Kalman filter to solve the problem of the unobserved heading misalignment angle. The algorithm utilizes heading misalignment angle as an observation for the Kalman filter and can improve the accuracy of pedestrian position by compensating for magnetic disturbances. In addition, introducing an adaptive parameter in the Kalman filter is able to compensate the varying magnetic disturbance for each ZUPT instant during the walking phase of the pedestrian. The performance of the proposed method is examined by conducting pedestrian test trajectory using MTi-G710 manufacture by XSENS. The experimental results verify the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian-positioning technology based on the foot-mounted micro inertial measurement unit (MIMU) plays an important role in the field of indoor navigation and has received extensive attention in recent years. However, the positioning accuracy of the inertial-based pedestrian-positioning method is rapidly reduced because of the relatively low measurement accuracy of the measurement sensor. The zero-velocity update (ZUPT) is an error correction method which was proposed to solve the cumulative error because, on a regular basis, the foot is stationary during the ordinary gait; this is intended to reduce the position error growth of the system. However, the traditional ZUPT has poor performance because the time of foot touchdown is short when the pedestrians move faster, which decreases the positioning accuracy. Considering these problems, a forward and reverse calculation method based on the adaptive zero-velocity interval adjustment for the foot-mounted MIMU location method is proposed in this paper. To solve the inaccuracy of the zero-velocity interval detector during fast pedestrian movement where the contact time of the foot on the ground is short, an adaptive zero-velocity interval detection algorithm based on fuzzy logic reasoning is presented in this paper. In addition, to improve the effectiveness of the ZUPT algorithm, forward and reverse multiple solutions are presented. Finally, with the basic principles and derivation process of this method, the MTi-G710 produced by the XSENS company is used to complete the test. The experimental results verify the correctness and applicability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, we employed high-resolution proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H and 13C NMR) for quantitative analysis of glycerol in drug injections without any complex pre-treatment or derivatization on samples. The established methods were validated with good specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, stability, and repeatability. Our results revealed that the contents of glycerol were convenient to calculate directly via the integration ratios of peak areas with an internal standard in 1H NMR spectra, while the integration of peak heights were proper for 13C NMR in combination with an external calibration of glycerol. The developed methods were both successfully applied in drug injections. Quantitative NMR methods showed an extensive prospect for glycerol determination in various liquid samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cover picture shows a concept of using a carbon aerogel as catalyst in air cathodes for microbial fuel cells. This nitrogen‐doped ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) has a high surface area, large pore volume, and hierarchical porosity. The NDC shows excellent electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction at neutral pH. Microbial fuel cells using NDC air cathodes achieve a high maximum power density, higher than most of the state‐of‐the‐art catalysts used as air cathodes, and allow simultaneous wastewater treatment. More details can be found in the Full Paper by Zhang et al. on page 2788 in Issue 19, 2016 (DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201600590). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invited for this month's Cover are the groups at Tsinghua University, Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, and Penn State University, and their collaborators at Harbin Institute of Technology and Stanford University. They present a new nitrogen-doped ionothermal carbon aerogel (NDC) air cathode for use in microbial fuel cells, allowing high power generation and simultaneous wastewater treatment. The Full Paper itself is available at . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorption behavior of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in northern Taihu Lake sediment was analyzed by using batch equilibrium experiment. Freundlich isotherm could describe the adsorption thermodynamic behavior of EE2 in sediment. Sediment organic matter (SOM) contents had important impacts on the adsorption capacity for EE2. The pH values also influenced the adsorption capacity for EE2. Increase of pH value could decrease the EE2 adsorption, which might be due to the electrostatic repulsion between the anionic form of EE2 and sediments with negative charge under high pH values. Competitive effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on EE2 adsorption were further analyzed. The results showed that low concentration BPA did not have significant influences on EE2 adsorption. However, high concentration BPA could reduce EE2 adsorption, which might be due to the similar molecular diameter of BPA with adsorption sites and one more benzene ring with a hydroxyl group in BPA. These results provide primary information of EE2 adsorption in sediment-water system in Taihu Lake, which is useful for the environmental risk assessment and management of EE2 in studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]