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A composite of high-density polyethylene/ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (HDPE/UHMWPE) was synthesized via a high-temperature melting process. We specifically examined the effects of annealing on the morphological and rheological properties of the composite. Using scanning electron microscopy and advanced rotational rheometry, we determined that annealing notably alters the composite’s microstructure, with a reduction in pronounced features post-treatment. Rheologically, UHMWPE content significantly enhanced mechanical properties, particularly in storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), and complex viscosity (|η*|), which aligned with scaling law principles. Our findings highlight a distinct improvement in mechanical properties post-annealing, underscoring the potential of UHMWPE in enhancing polymer composite performance. The scaling laws relating G′, G″, and |η*| with UHMWPE were identified as follows: (1) pre-c e: G′ ∼ c 0.2, g″ ∼ c 0.07, |η*| ～ c0.07 and (2) post-c e: G′ ∼ c 1.20, g″ ∼ c 0.6, |η*| ∼ c 0.64, with a forward shift in c e noted after annealing. The addition of UHMWPE significantly enhanced the system’s properties, particularly after annealing. This study offers crucial insights into optimizing HDPE plastic films for enhanced durability and sustainability, ideally suiting them for eco-friendly agricultural uses.

In this study, magnetic metal organic framework composites as capture probe and immunofunctionalized gold nanoparticles as signal probe were used to develop a rapid colorimetric method for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes. Under optimal conditions, the visual detection limit for L. monocytogenes was 1.2 × 103 CFU/mL. The results of ultraviolet spectroscopy showed a good linear relationship in the range of 1.2 × 101‒1.2 × 108 CFU/mL (Y = 0.519 ‒ 0.043X, R2 = 0.978), the detection limit was as low as 0.45 CFU/mL, and the intra-batch coefficient of variation of all concentration gradients was between 0.31% and 1.30%. The recoveries for spiked chicken breast were 91.1%‒108.7% with coefficient of variation less than 7.4%, and the result was consistent with that of the plate counting method. In conclusion, the proposed assay is rapid, accurate sensitive, and highly applicable to the detection of foodborne pathogens.

Affected by various factors such as COVID-19 epidemic and war, the world economic situation changes more frequently, which leads to increased instability in the international and domestic financial derivatives market. For the substantial changes in the international and domestic financial derivatives market, how to deal with sudden changes and analyze the failure cases in the change of financial derivatives is of far-reaching significance to the rapidly developing domestic financial derivatives market. By taking the Bank of China “crude oil treasure’ margin call liquidation case and Tsingshan LME Nickel Futures Squeeze Case as the core of the study, this paper uses case analysis method to deeply study the possible problems and failures in the futures market under the condition of financial derivatives market instability and puts forward suggestions on how to deal with these problems. This paper analyzes the attributes and characteristics of China’s ‘crude oil treasure’ products and nickel futures products, restores the event process, describes the impact of the event on investors, trading institutions and banks, and puts forward suggestions for improvement. The suggestions in this paper are as follows: First, the company and the regulatory department should strengthen risk supervision and management; Second, companies and investors should improve their professional capabilities.

Popularly, the application of biodegradable polymer film can resolve polyethylene (PE) film residual “white pollution” but it is unclear when the degradable film begins to degrade in different regions. To solve these issues, a total of 32 papers on the subject of the relative film coverage durability (RFCD) on positive covering effect from papers published before July 2019 were selected and analyzed by meta-analysis. The results showed that the tobacco relative yield (RY), relative profit (RP), and relative fine and medium (RFM) ratio improved by 11.2%, 12.9%, and 12%, respectively, under fully covered compared with the uncovered tobacco in the whole growth period. The RY0.33

This study delves into the interplay between learning motivation, organizational performance, and the innovative climate within Chinese firms. It is a subject of frequent discussion in literature but there is little concrete evidence supporting this viewpoint within the context of small and medium size enterprises in China. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of existing literature and empirical data gathered, this research aims to uncover the connections between employee learning motivation and its impact on the organizational dynamics in the context of Chinese firms. A cross sectional survey is used to collect the data of 115 Chinese firms and structural equation modelling (SEM) is used for empirical analysis. The results show that success of firms in terms of innovation is significantly influenced by organizational learning motivation. Moreover, innovative environment of the firms increases the overall performance of the organizations. It is also found that factors affecting the innovations have a significant impact on organizational performance. The findings of the study suggest that firms should develop organizational learning motivation to boost their innovation capability and overall performance. This study offers insights and recommendations for organizations and policymakers seeking to harness the potential of learning motivation to drive sustainable growth, competitiveness, and innovation in Chinese firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using biodegradable films as a substitute for conventional polyolefin films has emerged as a crucial technology to combat agricultural white pollution. To address the shortcomings in the tensile strength, water vapor barrier properties, and degradation period of PBAT-based biodegradable films, this investigation aimed to create a composite film that could improve the diverse properties of PBAT films. To achieve this, a PBAT/PLA-PPC-PTLA ternary blend system was introduced in the study. The system effectively fused PBAT with PLA and PPC, as evidenced by electron microscopy tests showing no apparent defects on the surface and cross-section of the blended film. The developed ternary blend system resulted in a 58.62% improvement in tensile strength, a 70.33% enhancement in water vapor barrier properties, and a 30-day extension of the functional period compared to pure PBAT biodegradable films. Field experiments on corn crops demonstrated that the modified biodegradable film is more suitable for agricultural production, as it improved thermal insulation and moisture retention, leading to a 5.45% increase in corn yield, approaching the yield of traditional polyolefin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bemisia tabaci is distributed globally and incurs considerable economic and ecological costs as an agricultural pest and viral vector. The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae has been known for its insecticidal activity, but its impacts on whiteflies are understudied. We investigated how infection with the semi-persistently transmitted Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) affects whitefly susceptibility to M. anisopliae exposure. We discovered that viruliferous whiteflies exhibited increased mortality when fungus infection was present compared to non-viruliferous insects. High throughput 16S rRNA sequencing also revealed significant alterations of the whitefly bacterial microbiome diversity and structure due to both CCYV and fungal presence. Specifically, the obligate symbiont Portiera decreased in relative abundance in viruliferous whiteflies exposed to M. anisopliae. Facultative Hamiltonella and Rickettsia symbionts exhibited variability across groups but dominated in fungus-treated non-viruliferous whiteflies. Our results illuminate triangular interplay between pest insects, their pathogens, and symbionts—dynamics which can inform integrated management strategies leveraging biopesticides This work underscores the promise of M. anisopliae for sustainable whitefly control while laying the groundwork for elucidating mechanisms behind microbe-mediated shifts in vector competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment friendly Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) has become one of the most promising photovoltaic technologies due to its earth-abundant component and excellent photoelectric properties. However, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is far behind other high-efficiency chalcogenide sensitizer systems and the main obstacle can be attributed to the inappropriate conduction band position relative to the TiO2 films. Herein, we developed a partial substitution approach to transform CZTSe QDs to Cu2Zn(SnxGe1−x)Se4 (CZTGSe) QDs to resolve the CBM mismatch problem in QDSSCs. The CZTGSe QDs with narrow size distribution were synthesized via one-step method and Ge/(Ge+Sn) ratios were prepared. It is found that the introduction of Ge upshifts the CBM and broadens the band gap of CZTGSe QDs. Benefiting from the enhanced driving force of photoelectron injection and depressed charge recombination at TiO2/QDs/electrolyte interface, the short-circuit current (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc) of Ge-substituted QDSSCs are synchronously improved and the PCE of the 30% Ge content device finally is increased from 3.83 to 4.42%. This Ge-assisted band engineering approach solves the main obstacle for the further development of panchromatic CZTGSe QDSSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]