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To investigate the origin of quartz and its effect on shale reservoirs in the Dalong Formation, we conducted a thorough analysis of shale samples using various techniques including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), low-temperature N2adsorption, and geochemical analysis. Our findings reveal the presence of different types of quartz in the Dalong Formation shale, namely, detrital quartz, siliceous biogenic quartz, and quartz resulting from the transformation of clay minerals (S–I quartz). The geochemical data show that the contents of TiO2and Al2O3in shale are low, with SiO2showing a negative correlation with those of TiO2and Al2O3. The average value of Al/(Al + Fe + Mn) was determined to be 0.66, while the average value of δ30Si was 0.68‰. The results indicate that the silica in the Dalong Formation shale was mainly derived from biogenic sources and was not influenced by a hot liquid. The contribution of terrestrial silica is minimal. The content of silica from different sources was quantified, with an average of 71.37% biogenic quartz, 20.22% terrigenous detrital quartz, and 8.40% S–I quartz. By investigating the pore loss mechanism and analyzing N2adsorption data, we discovered that biogenic quartz and S–I quartz have a significant impact on pore development in shale. Biogenic quartz acts as a rigid particle, resisting shale compaction and facilitating pore preservation. On the other hand, S–I quartz, which forms through the transformation of clay minerals, promotes further rock compaction and acts as cement, inhibiting pore development. The presence of terrestrial detrital quartz hinders the formation of mesopores in the shale.

ABSTRACT A series of innovative connections with the different combinations of steel plates and screws was developed for timber-concrete composite (TCC) system in this paper. Several groups have introduced vulcanized [...]

ABSTRACT Insufficient grouting of sleeve connection in precast concrete (PC) structure will significantly decrease the bearing capacity of connection joints and increase the risk of premature failure of PC structures. [...]

ABSTRACT The presence of cracks in concrete will accelerate the corrosion of steel reinforcement causing the performance degradation of reinforced concrete (RC) structure. Based on the electrochemical principle, a numerical [...]

ABSTRACT This paper presents an experimental campaign conducted on the glue laminated timber (glulam) joints with epoxy bonded-in GFRP rod aiming to investigate the bond-slip mechanism between glulam and GFRP [...]

ABSTRACT Foam core polymeric sandwich structures have been widely used in structural engineering due to their advantages such as lightweight, high strength, and so on. However, the mechanical properties of [...]

ABSTRACT The abundant fast-growing Chinese fir was confined to nonstructural use for its poor mechanical and fire performance, and classified as low-quality building materials. Herein, Chinese fir was impregnated with [...]

In this work, we fabricated a novel photoanode based on CdSe/CdS at SnO2 core/shell nanoparticles to achieve highly efficient quantum dots (QDs) and dye-sensitized tandem solar cells. For the CdSe/CdS at SnO2 at N719 device, a SnO2 nanolayer first avoids CdSe/CdS QDs corrosion in the electrolyte (EL) and second collects the electrons from its surrounding N719 and CdSe/CdS core and transfers them to the front FTO electrode. Photovoltaic performance test shows that this design can effectively enhance the stability of the cell. During up to 32 days of testing, short-circuit current ${J}_{\text {sc}}$ is not attenuated, and open-circuit voltage ${V}_{\text {oc}}$ gradually increases, resulting in the observable improvement of photoelectric conversion efficiency of devices. An optimal power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.43% is achieved for tandem solar cells.

ABSTRACT The formation and transformation characteristics of ettringite play an extremely important effect on the accelerated hardening and expansion of concrete as well as its long term durability. In alkaline [...]

Copper sulfide is a classical counter electrode (CE) catalytic material for the high catalytic activity of polysulfide in quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). Actually, copper sulfide is a complicated compound. Different preparation methods will lead to the difference in the morphology and structure of copper sulfide, which has a profound impact on its catalytic activity. However, the formation mechanism and electrochemical properties of copper sulfide are rarely reported in the field of QDSSCs. Herein, we report an approach to obtain a high-stability counter electrode material by the electrochemical synthesis in sodium sulfide solution. The in situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) method was also employed to reveal the detailed transformation mechanism of copper vulcanized into copper sulfide during cyclic voltammetry in sodium sulfide solution. According to the calculation results of mpe theory, the formation of copper sulfide is accompanied by side reactions such as the conversion of polysulfide ions and water oxidation. Copper sulfide was proven to be a copper-rich phase by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and other characterization methods. The photoconversion and stability of QDSSCs were studied using CdSe QD as the sensitizing material. The results show that the performance of copper sulfide prepared by this working method is better than the CE prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD), and the replicability of photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) is better than CBD-CE. This work has theoretical significance to reveal the complex formation mechanism, electrochemical process mechanism, and working mechanism of copper sulfide in QDSSCs.

ABSTRACT This paper describes an experimental test program and theoretical analysis which examines the reinforcing in flexure of glued laminated timber (glulam) beams using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) and steel [...]

ABSTRACT Near Surface Mounted (NSM) reinforcement is an effective strengthening technique for timber engineering. This study investigated the flexural behaviour of glulam beams reinforced by NSM-CFRP laminates. A total of [...]

In this article, oleic acid (OA), oleylamine and tri-n-octylphosphine (OAm-TOP), and OA-TOP were used as ligands in the synthesis of CdSe quantum dots (QDs), respectively. Effect of three different ligands on the photovoltaic performance of CdSe QD-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) is systematically investigated. Based on the results of UV-vis absorption spectra, it is confirmed that the absorption range is widen for CdSe QDs coated with OAm-TOP or OA-TOP compared with OA. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study indicates that CdSe QDs synthesized using OAm-TOP or OA-TOP can better passivate the surface defects of QDs resulting in the improvement of photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of devices. The optimized PCE of 3.6% was achieved for CdSe QDSCs modified with OAm-TOP.

This paper presents an experimental program for testing glued-in rebar timber joints. Twenty five glulam specimens, each with a single glued-in rebar parallel to the grain were tested to evaluate [...]

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the flexural behaviors of novel composite sandwich beams that feature Paulownia or Southern pine wood core and glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) face-skins reinforced with latticewebs. [...]

Cu-Cr-Zr alloys are widely used as medium-strength and high-conductivity copper alloys in aerospace, transportation and electronic information fields. The application of additive manufacturing technology is expected to realize the preparation of Cu-Cr-Zr alloy parts with complex structure and superior property. However, the commonly used laser additive manufacturing technology is not applicable to the preparation of copper alloys due to its intrinsic high reflection to laser. In this study, we adopted two technologies, i.e., electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) and laser-metal inert gas hybrid welding (laser-MIG), for the preparation of Cu-Cr-Zr alloys. Finite element simulation was employed to simulate the temperature field and residual stress field of the material during solidification. The microstructure, relative density, microhardness, tensile properties and electrical conductivity of the as-fabricated samples were characterized. The results showed that samples with better moldability were obtained by both methods at a line energy density of 600 J/mm. In the top area, both methods exhibit medium-sized equiaxed grains with more precipitated phases, showing the best comprehensive properties. The EBAM method demonstrates superior formability, better relative density and electrical conductivity due to more stable temperature field changes. On the other hand, the laser-MIG method obtains finer grains and higher mechanical properties because of a faster cooling rate, but leads to a decrease in relative density and electrical conductivity. This study presents new experimental data for Cu-Cr-Zr alloys prepared by EBAM and laser-MIG methods, contributing to extend the application of additive manufacturing in the preparation of Cu alloys.

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), a secreted member of the transforming growth factor‐β superfamily, has recently been suggested as an anti‐aging factor that declines with age in the bloodstream, and restoration of the youthful level by administration of its recombinant protein could reverse age‐related dysfunctions. However, its effects on titanium implant osseointegration and mandibular bone during aging remain unknown. Two‐month‐old and 18‐month‐old C57BL male mice were given daily intraperitoneal injections of recombinant GDF11 (rGDF11) or vehicle for 6 weeks. Experimental titanium implants were inserted into femurs on the fourth week. Inhibition of GDF11 function was achieved by GDF11 antibody. Implant‐bearing femurs were subjected to histomorphometric analysis and biomechanical evaluation. Mandibles were scanned with micro‐CT and decalcified for histological measurements. In both young adult and aged mice, supraphysiologic GDF11 leads to a significantly decreased bone‐to‐implant contact ratio (BIC) and peri‐implant bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) at the histologic level and reduced resistance at the biomechanical level, indicating weakened implant fixation. Moreover, rGDF11 administration resulted in less trabecular bone volume and thinner cortical thickness in the mandible, which was further compromised in the old animals. In contrast, inhibition of GDF11 improved peri‐implant bone healing in old mice. Rather than functioning as a rejuvenating factor, exogenous GDF11 negatively affects not only titanium implant healing but also mandibular bone in both young and old mice. In contrast, neutralization of endogenous GDF11 has positive effects on implant fixation in aged mice.

Highlights • A kind of mixed explosive synchronization is firstly observed in the ring of coupled phase oscillators with a special frequency distribution where the coupled oscillators transit from partial synchronization to explosive synchronization with the increasing coupling strength. • We further report on the effects of coupling weight on controlling the extent of the hysteretic region of coexistence of the unsynchronized and synchronized states. • Theoretical analysis are presented to reveal the transition processes from mixed explosive synchronization, explosive synchronization and then to the continue transition with the effects of coupling weight. Abstract Explosive synchronization(ES), as one kind of abrupt dynamical transition in nonlinearly coupled systems, is currently a subject of great interests. Given a special frequency distribution, a mixed ES is observed in a ring of coupled phase oscillators which transits from partial synchronization to ES with the increment of coupling strength. The coupling weight is found to control the size of the hysteresis region where asynchronous and synchronized states coexist with each other. Theoretical analyses reveal that the transition varies from the mixed ES, to the ES and then to a continuous one with the increment of coupling weight. Our results are helpful to extend the understanding of the ES in homogenous networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite sandwich materials with glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) skins and a foam core have been widely used in civil engineering. However, the interfacial delamination is the main failure mode in practice, especially at elevated temperatures. Temperature-induced interfacial shear stress can be generated because of the different coefficients of thermal expansion of GFRP skin and foam core, which can weaken the interfacial bond strength of sandwich materials. In this study, to investigate the distribution of temperature-induced interfacial strain, an analytical model was developed by using the infinitesimal method. In the meantime, a series of foam-core composite sandwich materials were tested via a kind of non-direct test method at different temperatures to validate the accuracy of the proposed analytical model. Finally, the comparison between experimental and analytical results demonstrates that the proposed analytical model can predict the interfacial strain distribution of sandwich structures at elevated temperatures.

Genome-wide association studies suggest that rs1064395 in the neurocan gene (NCAN) is a potential risk factor for bipolar disorder (BPD), and further replication analyses in larger independent samples are needed. We herein analyzed rs1064395 in a Han Chinese sample of 1,146 BPD cases and 2,031 controls, followed by a meta-analysis of BPD samples from worldwide populations including a total of 15,318 cases and 91,990 controls. The meta-analysis found that rs1064395 showed a genome-wide significant association with BPD (p= 4.92 × 10–9, OR = 1.126 for the A allele), although it did not reach the significance level in the Han Chinese sample (p= 0.415, OR = 1.070 for the A allele). We also examined the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms and major depressive disorder (MDD) given the presumed genetic overlap between BPD and MDD, and rs1064395 was also associated with MDD (p= 0.0068, OR = 1.067 for the A allele) in a meta-analysis of 14,543 cases and 14,856 controls. Our data provide further evidence for the involvement of NCANin the genetic susceptibility to BPD and also implicate its broader role in major mood disorders.

An innovative load-bearing sandwich wall panel with glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) skins and a foam-GFRP web core (GSFW wall panels, where “GS” denotes GFRP skin and “FW” denotes foam-GFRP web core), which was manufactured using a vacuum-assisted resin infusion process, was developed in this paper. An experimental study involving nine specimens was conducted to validate the effectiveness of this panel for increasing the axial strength under edgewise compression loading. The effects of web thickness, web spacing, web height, and skin thickness on axial stiffness, displacement ductility, and energy dissipation were also investigated. The test results demonstrated that axial strength, axial stiffness, displacement ductility, and energy dissipation could be improved by increasing the web thickness, web height, and skin thickness. An analytical model that considers the confinement effect of foam and the local buckling of GFRP skin was proposed to predict the ultimate axial strength of GSFW panels. A comparison of the analytical and experimental results showed that the analytical model accurately predicted the ultimate axial strength of GSFW wall panels under edgewise compression loading. To simulate the low velocity impact by blindings that are rolled by the wind, an impact test was conducted and the residual axial strength of the wall panels after impact was also investigated.

Fire safety is significantly required for glass-fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) sandwich composite structures since the GFRP skin and the core are normally sensitive to high temperatures. This study presents an investigation on the thermal responses, insulation performance, and charring behavior of the pultruded wood-cored GFRP sandwich (PWGS) components subjected to the ISO-834 fire. The PWGS specimens protected with calcium silica (CS) boards were exposed to one- or three-sides fire with the fire duration being 30 or 60 min. It was found that the GFRP skins without CS board protection were fully charred after the 30-min fire exposure. Nevertheless, the PWGS section exhibits good insulation. The average temperature rise of the unexposed surface of the PWGS sections without protection did not exceed 140 °C, satisfying the insulation requirement in specifications such as EN 1995-1-2, ASTM E119 and GB/T 9978.1. Further, the PWGS specimen with a 25 mm-thick CS board can survive without clear damage during the 60 min thee-sides fire exposure. In addition, the charring rate of the GFRP skin and the Douglas-fir core were summarized and discussed.

This communication is based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to detect the impedance response of sandwich solar cell components under external pressure. It reveals a new mechanism by which external pressures and internal electrochemical processes interact. The results show that the series resistance of the device increases with pressures and cannot be recovered by pressure withdrawal. The impedance properties of the Pt-electrode/electrolyte interface are insensitive to external pressures. The impedance of the Dye-TiO2/electrolyte is relatively complex and is related to the pressure-induced microstructure of the thin film and the ion distribution of the electrolyte.

After injection of electrolyte, the internal three-dimensional solid–liquid penetration system of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) can take a period of time to reach “mature” state. This paper studies the changes of microscopic processes of DSCs including TiO2energy-level movement, localized state distribution, charge accumulation, electron transport, and recombination dynamics, from the beginning of electrolyte injection to the time of reached mature state. The results show that the microscopic dynamics process of DSCs exhibited a time-dependent behavior and achieved maturity ∼12 h after injecting the electrolyte into DSCs. Within 0–12 h, several results were observed: (1) the conduction band edge of TiO2moved slightly toward negative potential direction; (2) the localized states in the band gap of TiO2was reduced according to the same distribution law; (3) the transport resistance in TiO2film increased, and electron transport time was prolonged as the time of maturity went on, which indicated that the electron transport process is impeded gradually; (4) the recombination resistance at the TiO2/electrolyte (EL) interface increases, and electron lifetime gradually extends, therefore, the recombination process is continuously suppressed. Furthermore, results suggest that the parameters of EL/Pt-transparent conductive oxide (TCO) interface including the interfacial capacitance, electron-transfer resistance, and transfer time constant would change with time of maturity, indicating that the EL/Pt-TCO interface is a potential factor affecting the mature process of DSCs.

Background:Chronic kidney disease has been a worldwide public health challenge and also a risk factor for oral health. The objectives of this study are to investigate the periodontal status in Chinese patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and assess periodontal bone loss (BL) using cone‐beam computerized tomography (CBCT). Methods:The patients in the HD and control groups received periodontal and CBCT examinations in the same period. Age, sex, and HD details were obtained from a hospital database. Periodontal status was evaluated using the community periodontal index (CPI) and clinical attachment loss (AL). Periodontal BL was measured by the distance from the cemento‐enamel junction to the alveolar crest using CBCT. The distance between the furcation upper and lower boundaries was considered the furcation defect. Results:One hundred two patients undergoing HD and 204 control patients were enrolled. As for the demographic data and number of remaining teeth for each patient, there was no significant difference between HD and control groups. The CPI and AL showed statistical differences (P<0.001). The results of periodontal BL indicated that the patients undergoing HD had significantly more BL at their mandibular first premolars and first molars than did patients in the control group (P<0.01) at every site except the disto‐buccal one (P<0.05). As for the furcation defects, the distance for the patients undergoing HD was nearly double that of the patients in the control group (P<0.001). Conclusion:Compared with the generally healthy population, periodontitis and periodontal BL were significantly more severe in the Chinese patients undergoing HD.

Highlights: [•] The spatial frequencies distribution may deform the domain of oscillation death. [•] The oscillation death may be ragged into two or three sections for proper parameter mismatches. [•] A theoretical analysis are presented to show the ragged OD based on the coupled nonidentical periodical oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of triphenylamine-based dyes (TPACR1, TPACR2, and TPACR3) with multiple corhodanine derivatives as acceptors were prepared and examined as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. The overall conversion efficiencies of DSSCs based on these dyes were in the range of 2.63 to 5.31%, in which TPACR2-based DSSC showed the best photovoltaic performance: a short-circuit current (Jsc) of 15.03 mA·cm–2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 552 mV, and a fill factor (FF) of 0.64, corresponding to an overall efficiency of 5.31% under simulated AM 1.5 solar irradiation (100 mW·cm–2). Compared with monoanchoring TPACR1dye and trianchoring TPACR3dye, dianchoring TPACR2dye had a relatively slower charge recombination rate between injected electrons and triphenylamine dye cations, which was indicated by transient absorption kinetics Furthermore, the suppression of the charge recombination between injected electron and the I3–in the electrolyte lead to the longer electron lifetime observed with the DSSC based on the TPACR2dye. In comparison with the TPACR1and TPACR3dye, the TPACR2dye showed the higher overall conversion efficiency with simultaneous enhancement of photocurrent and photovoltage.

Highlights: [•] We find that spatial arrangements of coupling strength have great impacts on the synchronizability. [•] The coupling mismatch between two neighor nodes exponentially decreases the synchronizability. [•] When the coupling strength are spatially rearranged,the synchronizability obey a log-normal distribution. [•] The spatial arrangement of period 1 achieves the best synchronizability while that of period 2 has the worst one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupled vibration characteristics of multiple elastic annular baffles of the same inner radius in a partially liquid-filled rigid cylindrical container were studied. The liquid domain was divided into several simple sub-domains so that the liquid velocity potential in each liquid sub-domain was of class C1 with continuous boundary conditions. Based on the superposition principle, the general solution of the liquid velocity potential corresponding to each liquid sub-domain was obtained by means of the method of separation of variables. The coupled modes of the multiple elastic annular baffles were expressed in terms of dry-modal functions. The free surface condition, the interface conditions and coupled vibration conditions were expressed in terms of Fourier series along the liquid height and Bessel series in the radial direction, respectively. Stable and fast numerical computations were investigated by the convergence study. Excellent agreements have been achieved in the comparison of results obtained by the proposed approach with those given by the finite element software ADINA. The natural frequencies and mode shapes versus the position, the inner radius and the number of the annular baffles were thoroughly discussed.The coupled vibration characteristics of multiple elastic annular baffles of the same inner radius in a partially liquid-filled rigid cylindrical container were studied. The liquid domain was divided into several simple sub-domains so that the liquid velocity potential in each liquid sub-domain was of class C1 with continuous boundary conditions. Based on the superposition principle, the general solution of the liquid velocity potential corresponding to each liquid sub-domain was obtained by means of the method of separation of variables. The coupled modes of the multiple elastic annular baffles were expressed in terms of dry-modal functions. The free surface condition, the interface conditions and coupled vibration conditions were expressed in terms of Fourier series along the liquid height and Bessel series in the radial direction, respectively. Stable and fast numerical computations were investigated by the convergence study. Excellent agreements have been achieved in the comparison of results obtained by the proposed approach with those given by the finite element software ADINA. The natural frequencies and mode shapes versus the position, the inner radius and the number of the annular baffles were thoroughly discussed.

In this study, we investigated whether the siblings of patients with schizophrenia have deficits in cognition and psychosocial functioning and whether the psychosocial functioning and cognitive deficits correlate with the methylation status of the membrane-bound catechol-O-methyltransferase (MB-COMT) gene in peripheral leukocytes. Cognitive abilities were evaluated using the attentionvigilance Continuous Performance Test, delayedimmediate recall scores, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Semantic Verbal Fluency Test. Psychosocial functioning was evaluated using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, the Global Assessment of Functioning scale, and the Social Adjustment Scale. A bisulfate-based sequencing was adopted to analyze the methylation status of the MB-COMTpromoter in peripheral leukocytes. Significant impairments in attentionvigilance and verbal memory and significant decreases in immediate and delayed recall scores were observed in the siblings of patients with schizophrenia compared with the healthy subjects. In addition, significant deficits in global social functioning and in social interaction were found in the siblings. The tested region of the MB-COMTpromoter was generally unmethylated in peripheral leukocytes, without significant correlation with behavioral deficits in the siblings.

In the electrolyte containing Li+and TBA+(tert-n-butylammonium), the band edge movement, trap state distribution, electron recombination and electron transport in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) before and after TiO2film surface coating with Yb2O3is studied in this paper. It is found that whether surface coating could improve the performance of DSSCs depends on the compositions of the electrolytes. After surface coating, the band edge shifts negatively in the Li+electrolyte, but no significant negative shift was observed in the TBA+electrolyte. The changes of the trap state distribution also depend on the combined effects of the electrolytes and surface coating. In both types of electrolytes, the Yb2O3-coated TiO2film suppresses the recombination and slows down the electron transport. These findings are important for improving the performance of the DSSC using the surface coating, which could explain the reasons why the photoelectric efficiency could not improve by coating, doping, and core−shell TiO2in DSSCs.

In this paper, the photovoltaic performance and charge recombination of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) based on nitrogen-doped TiO2electrodes were investigated in detail. A negative shift of the flatband potential (Vfb) of nitrogen-doped TiO2film was attributed to the formation of an O−Ti−N bond, and it was indicated that the position of the edge of the Vfbis shifted to negative, resulting in the improvement of the open circuit voltage for DSC with nitrogen doping. The UV−vis spectrum of the nitrogen-doped film exhibited a visible absorption in the wavelength range from 400 to 500 nm. The back electron transfer of the nitrogen-doped DSC was studied by measuring the electrochemistry impedance spectra (EIS), and the EIS for DSCs showed that the enhanced electron lifetime for nitrogen-doped TiO2solar cells could be attributed to the formation of O−Ti−N in the TiO2electrode to retard the recombination reaction at the TiO2photoelectrode/electrolyte interface as compared to the undoped TiO2solar cells. The photovoltaic performance of the DSC under high temperature conditions and one soaking in sun light for more than 1000 h indicated that the nitrogen-doped TiO2solar cells exhibited better stability. It indicated that the formation of O−Ti−N in the TiO2electrode influences the performance of the DSC. Especially, the introduction of nitrogen into the DSC can stabilize the DSC system due to the replacement of oxygen-deficient titania by nitrogen-doped TiO2.

Background and Purpose—Experimental models of stroke provide consistent evidence of smaller stroke volumes in animals ingesting tea components or tea extracts. To assess whether a similar association of black or green tea consumption with reduced risk is evident in human populations, we sought to identify and summarize all human clinical and observational data on tea and stroke.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate is widely used as a transparent electrode in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the intrinsic defects, especially on the ITO surface, are one of the most key factors to restrict the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs. Herein, a facile method to passivate the defects of the ITO/SnO2interface using an ultrathin aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer through atomic layer deposition, of which the film thickness is exactly regulated, is first demonstrated. With the optimized film thickness, carrier recombination at the ITO/SnO2interface is effectively suppressed within the three‐cycle Al2O3layer, which results in an improved charge carrier collection efficiency from the SnO2electron transporting layer to the ITO electrode. Furthermore, a thinner Al2O3film (one cycle) does not passivate the interface defect effectively, and a thicker Al2O3film (five cycles) retards the charge carrier extraction at the ITO/SnO2interface. The average PCE of the three‐cycle Al2O3‐based PSC is 19.43%, among which the champion PCE is 20.24%, showing a significant improvement compared with the counterpart with an average PCE of 18.50%. The atomic layer deposited (ALD)‐Al2O3film is adopted to passivate ITO surface defects for reducing the photocurrent recombination and increasing the charge extraction efficiency. Therefore, the Al2O3‐passivated ITO electrode is an easy and efficient approach of high‐electron collection efficiency for high photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

N719 dye (cis-[Ru(4-carboxy-4′-carboxylate-2,2′-bipyridine)2(NCS)2]) contains two carboxylic acid/carboxylate groups and two isothiocyanato (NCS) ligands and exhibit different spatial adsorption orientations during adsorption on different substrate surfaces. However, the effect of spatially adsorption orientations on the adsorption process has been rarely reported. This paper presents a detailed study of the adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics of N719 molecules based on a quartz crystal microbalance under variable temperature conditions using TiO2or Au substrate surfaces to induce changes in the geometrical orientation molecules. This work also reveals the adsorption properties of carboxylate groups and NCS ligands acting as anchoring groups. Research results have shown that the surface N719 molecular density of the TiO2substrate is higher than that of the Au substrate. Adsorption kinetics have shown that the adsorption rate of N719 molecules on the Au substrate surface with NCS ligands as anchor groups is slightly higher than that of carboxylate as the anchor groups on the TiO2substrate surface, and in the case of the former adsorption mode, the desorption is more pronounced. Under two different spatial orientation adsorption modes, both exhibit physical adsorption. The thermodynamics of molecular adsorption with different spatial orientations show that all adsorption processes are spontaneous and endothermic. This work is beneficial for understanding the mechanism of adsorption of dye molecules, dye molecule synthesis method, ligand selection, and improvement of device efficiency.

A series of shaking table tests were performed to investigate the seismic behavior of the pre-fabricated steel frame structure infilled with autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) external wall panels. The reliability of a new type of joint connections adopted in the structure between the steel frame and the wall panels was particularly validated during the test. Dynamic tests were carried out on a two-story full-scaled steel frame, considering seismic loading of three earthquake waves with different imposed peak accelerations in the range of 70cm/s2to 400cm/s2. The experimental analyses encompassed cracking patterns, failure mechanisms, dynamic property and seismic response of the structure. The results show that the structural components, including the joint connections between the steel frame and the walls, behaved well even under the rare earthquake at 8∘. The structural stiffness of the steel frame infilled with wall panels was increased by 56%, compared with the steel frame infilled without wall panels. The damping ratio of the undamaged steel frame installed with wall panels was 7.25%.

A new type of T section beam is proposed in this paper, which is mainly composed of Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) shell and light wood core. The wood core composite T section beams has the following advantages:the integration of the vacuum infusion technology, can avoid the problem of interface slip of steel-concrete beams in the actual process, and between with the traditional composite beam interface with shear stud connections, few construction procedures, relatively simple, but also further improving the interface properties of T section beams. Through four point bending test, the mechanical properties, failure mode, flexural capacity, stiffness and ductility of T section beam with wood core composite were obtained. The test results show that the T-400-60 specimens compared to the specimens of T-400-40 and T-400-20 specimens, the bearing capacity is increased by 34% and 46%, while the stiffness is increased by 40% and 49% respectively, indicating the flange height type of The wood core composite T section beams on the bearing capacity and stiffness of the great influence.

Research on the mechanics performance of Song-style Dou-gong joints is absent currently, especially considering Xiaang and Angshuan in this type of joints. Two different types of Dou-gong joints were experimentally studied by making models in this paper. The Dou-gong joints can maintain good integrity and rotate around the bottom member in the longitudinal plane under horizontal loads, which shows poor seismic performance. The displacement of layers is less, Xiaang and Angshuan can limit slippage between components to some extent, but they had little effect on the seismic performance of the Dou-gong joints.

Paulownia-wood composite sandwich beams were fabricated, in which FBG sensors were embedded in the grooves arranged on the top and bottom of paulownia wood core material. Four-point bending test, low-speed impact test and residual bending capacity test were carried out on the sandwich beams. In the bending test, comparative analysis of the built-in FBG sensor and externally attached resistance strain gauges showed that, with the characteristics of high sensitivity and accuracy, FBG sensor could reflect the total deformation behavior of the sandwich beams. In the low-velocity impact tests, FBG can effectively monitor the internal strain of the sandwich beam. However, due to the low acquisition frequency of instrument equipment, the details of the impact could not be reflected clearly. After impact, some available FBG sensors left in the beams could be used to evaluate the residual bearing capacity of the sandwich beam.

This study focused on the bending performance of sandwich beams composed of GFRP skins, PU foam core, and longitudinal GFRP webs. The longitudinal webs were distributed along the length direction of the beam. Six beams were tested to validate the effectiveness of longitudinal webs for increasing the ultimate bending strength. Compared to the control specimen, a maximum of an approximately 316% and 59% increase in the ultimate bending strength and bending stiffness can be achieved, respectively. The influences of longitudinal web thickness, fiber paly angle and web spacing on failure mode and bending stiffness were also investigated. Test results demonstrated that the ultimate bending strength and initial bending stiffness can be enhanced by increaseing the web thickness and reduce web space. Meanwhile, various failure modes were summarized, including core shear failure, skin compressive failures, and webs buckling failure, due to the presence of the longitudinal webs.