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In the past 20 years, the global per capita protein demand has been increasing year by year, and thus the search for sustainable and healthier alternative proteins is the focus of current food research. Yeast proteins are of microbial origin with environmentally friendly advantages. They are high-quality proteins with high bioavailability and are expected to be used as novel alternative proteins for food applications. Although reports on yeast extracts continue to increase, studies on the composition, production methods, and functional properties of yeast proteins lack systematic reviews. In addition, the application of yeast proteins in the food industry has not been summarized previously. This paper reviews the composition of yeast proteins and the approaches for their isolation and extraction, and systematically introduces the functional properties and the wide applications in food fields. Future perspectives for yeast proteins to sustainably and healthily meet the world's growing protein demand are also elucidated. Yeast proteins have great application potential as alternative proteins with a reasonable proportion of amino acid composition. Yeast proteins can be hydrolyzed to produce yeast peptides and can also be used as protein supplements, fining agents, meat extenders, etc. Overcoming the limitations of high nucleic acid content and high cost, and improving the functional properties and sensory acceptability of yeast proteins will greatly promote their market applications. This review will provide ideas and guidance for the research and development of yeast proteins in food applications. Yeast proteins have high nutritional value with an ideal amino acid composition and a wealth of functions and properties. The excellent characteristics allow yeast proteins to be used as sustainable alternative proteins in food applications. [Display omitted] • The compositions and extraction approaches of yeast proteins are overviewed. • The functional properties of yeast proteins are summarized. • The applications of yeast proteins as alternative proteins in food are reviewed. • The strategies to improve the utilization of yeast proteins are emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The mesocosm experiment was used to track bacterial community dynamics. • Organic amendments increase the bacterial diversity during drought stress. • Organic amendments increase the compositional resilience during rewetting. • Pathogen inhibition ability in NOF was enhanced after rewetting. • NOF possesses a strategy-balancing community during whole drought event. The soil bacterial microbiome plays a crucial role in ecosystem functioning. The composition and functioning of the microbiome are tightly controlled by the physicochemical surrounding. Therefore, the microbiome is responsive to management, such as fertilization, and to climate change, such as extreme drought. It remains a challenge to retain microbiome functioning under drought. This work aims to reveal if fertilization with organic fertilizer, can enhance resistance and resilience of bacterial communities and their function in extreme drought and subsequent rewetting compared with conventional fertilizers. In soil mesocosms, we induced a long-term drought for 80 days with subsequent rewetting for 170 days to follow bacterial community dynamics in organic (NOF) and chemical (NCF) fertilization regimes. Our results showed that bacterial diversity was higher with NOF than with NCF during drought. In particular, the ecological resilience and recovery of bacterial communities under NOF were higher than in NCF. We found these bacterial community features to enhance pathogen-inhibiting functions in NOF compared to NCF during late recovery. The other soil ecology functional analyses revealed that bacterial biomass recovered in the early stage after rewetting, while soil respiration increased continuously following prolonged time after rewetting. Together, our study indicates that organic fertilization can enhance the stability of the soil microbiome and ensures that specific bacterial-driven ecosystem functions recover after rewetting. This may provide the basis for more sustainable agricultural practices to counterbalance negative climate change-induced effects on soil functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Using Sentinel-2 imagery and deep learning, rapeseed fields' spatial distribution can be detected during initial flowering. • PSPNet accurately identified rapeseed fields with high effectiveness (F1 = 88.17 %). • The detection of initial flowering provides valuable data for the management of pollinators. • The PSPNet rapeseed field detection model in the initial flowering period has been validated. In high-intensity farming, swiftly and accurately adjusting the proportion of artificially reared pollinators according to the flowering phenology of crops is vital. This adjustment is essential for sustaining crop yields without disrupting the ecological niche of native pollinators. Although advancements in remote sensing provide practical means to gather data on crop coverage and extent, identifying insect-pollinated crops during their initial flowering to guide the deployment of managed pollinators is an underexamined research area. Here, we tested the capability of utilizing Sentinel-2 satellite images combined with a deep learning model to map crop fields during the initial flowering stage of insect-pollinated crops in Zhaosu County, Xinjiang, China. Specifically, we examined rapeseed fields by employing 12 neural network designs to identify images of the initial flowering stage. Different network combinations of three convolutional neural network (CNN) models (U-Net, PSPNet, and DeepLab V3) and four different backbone networks (ResNet-18, ResNet-34, ResNet-50, and ResNet-101) were explored to determine the most effective model for detecting rapeseed fields at the initial flowering stage. A comparison was conducted with Sentinel-2 images obtained at the peak stage of rapeseed flowering. Our results suggest that the use of a deep learning model in combination with Sentinel-2 image data can successfully identify rapeseed fields at the initial flowering stage, thereby offering preliminary insights for the strategic introduction of managed pollinators. The PSPNet model emerged as the superior choice for the identification of rapeseed fields, exhibiting high accuracy in both detection and boundary recognition, with F1 scores of 88.17 % and an intersection over union (IoU) of 53.11 % during initial flowering and F1 scores of 93.33 % with an IoU of 53.49 % during peak flowering. The planting area of rapeseed fields detected by the model in Zhaosu County was 122.16 km2, distributed within an area of 1068 km2. These findings can provide foundational data for informed decisions regarding artificial pollinator supplementation, helping to sustain the health and stability of agricultural ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging massive noisy and incomplete data is transforming the conventional graph to the uncertain graph. In this paper, we study rough maximal cliques enumeration (RMCE) in incomplete graphs, which we define as the novel problem of enumerating all maximal cliques where some of edges are unknown to users. The hardness of RMCE is proved to NP-complete. To tackle this problem, an efficient framework for obtaining the rough maximal cliques based on P artially- K nown C oncept L earning (PKCL). With this framework, a given incomplete graph is initially represented as an incomplete formal context. Then, the partially-known SE-ISI concept lattice is generated through the constructed incomplete formal context. Based on the constructed SE-ISI concept lattice, an equivalence theorem between SE-ISI equiconcepts and rough maximal cliques is presented. The detailed topological structural analysis from the point of views of roughness and SE-ISI concept stability of rough maximal cliques are separately discussed. The evaluation results demonstrate that our proposed PKCL algorithm can better identify the rough maximal cliques under different probability distribution models of links compared to the existing baseline algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ternary ZnO/Ag/g-C 3 N 4 heterojunction was synthesized by a polymer-network gel method. • ZnO/Ag/g-C 3 N 4 possesses high surface area, strong sunlight absorption and enhanced charge separation. • ZnO/Ag/g-C 3 N 4 exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity to Rhodamine B. • ZnO/Ag/g-C 3 N 4 shows superior photoactivated gas-sensing performance for NO 2 detection. It is important to seek effective strategies to fabricate nanomaterials with multi-functionalities in noxious gas detection and poisonous waste treatment. Herein, Ag nanoparticles and g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets co-modified ZnO heterostructure was synthesized via a one-step polymer-network gel method, which is used as both photocatalyst and sensing material. Being a visible-light-driven photocatalyst, the ternary ZnO/Ag/g-C 3 N 4 composite produced 100 % Rhodamine B degradation within 30 min with good cycling stability. Besides, the gas sensor based on ZnO/Ag/g-C 3 N 4 exhibited superb room-temperature sensing performance under neutral light excitation, with a response value of 15.3–5 ppm NO 2 and a lower detection limitation. The excellent performance was mainly attributed to the significantly enhanced visible-light absorption as well as effectively suppressed charge recombination because of the synergism between the individual components. Moreover, the formation of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets during thermal oxidation etching plays a critical role in improving the surface area and enriching the surface oxygen vacancies. Thus, this work provides novel insights for the synthesis and multi-applications of ZnO/Ag/g-C 3 N 4 heterostructure with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the industrial fuel ethanol process, the initial feed conditions, which are static variables, and each control operation, which is dynamic variable and is changing during the producing process, have an impact on the concentration of ethanol out of the tank. Developing the accurate concentration model of ethanol out of the tank with the static variables and as early as possible dynamic variables is a challenging work and is useful in analyzing and optimizing the production process. Given that the ethanol fermentation process is multiphase and dynamic, a block concentration model of ethanol out of the tank based on multilayer perceptron (MLP) and long short-term memory (LSTM) is proposed to deal with the coexistence state of the static variables and the dynamic variables. A Channel-Squeeze-and-Excitation (CSE) module is constructed to solve the problem of high-dimensional input and low-dimensional output caused by the block model. The proposed model is applied for the industrial ethanol fermentation process. The results show that CSE-MLSTM is significantly different from other prediction models and improves the prediction accuracy. Temperature control experiments and ablation experiments effectively verify the reliability and effectiveness of CSE-MLSTM. • Use MLP and LSTM for static and dynamic data in the model respectively. • Accurate and universal model for predicting ethanol concentration out of the tank. • The channel-squeeze-and-excitation (CSE) to address the high-dimensional input. • CSE-MLSTM greatly improves the prediction accuracy and generalization performance. • Temperature control experiments to verify the validity of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercial exploitation of the deep-sea massive deep-sea polymetallic nodules depends on the excellent tractive performance of the deep-sea tracked miner. The walking safety and trafficability of the deep-sea tracked miner are greatly influenced by the traction of the crawler with multi track shoes. The total tractions generated from the two cases of failure surface under the uniformed pressure are deduced and analyzed based on the principle of virtual power. By substituting specified parameters, the traction weakening effect of multi track shoes is discovered, and then corresponding expression is put forward and verified by comparing the tested and theoretical traction relationships based on the traction test of multi track shoes. The research results show that the height and the distance should be considered into the design in a comprehensive way because of the existence of the weakening effect. The mechanism revealing of the source of the multi track shoe tractions could help to achieve the appropriate size of the track shoe and more traction according to the different track shoe distance. • Based on the principle of virtual power, the total tractions of multi track shoes of tracked deep-sea miner are deduced by analyzing the two cases of failure surface. • The traction weakening effect of multi track shoes is discovered, and then the corresponding inequity expression is put forward to predict the loss of traction. • The traction weakening effect is verified by comparing the tested and theoretical traction relationships based on the traction test of multi track shoes. • The mechanism of the multi track shoe tractions could help to achieve the appropriate track shoe size and more traction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous monoculture, conventional flood fertigation and low soil fertility increase the risk of soil-borne diseases in greenhouse vegetable production systems. Drip fertigation with straw incorporation (DIF+S) significantly improves resource use efficiency and reduces environmental risks compared to conventional fertigation. However, it remains unclear whether DIF+S positively affects soil microbial diversity and community structure and reduces the occurrence of soil-borne diseases. Therefore, a two-factor field trial was conducted in a greenhouse tomato production system with drip vs. flood fertigation, with and without straw incorporation across the seven growing seasons. The experimental treatments were as follows: (i) conventional flood irrigation with overfertilization (CIF); (ii) CIF + straw incorporation; (iii) drip fertigation with reduced irrigation and fertilization (DIF); and (iv) DIF + straw incorporation. Across the seven growing seasons, the average water and nitrogen use efficiency (WUE and NUE) was two- and threefold higher for DIF than for CIF, respectively, whereas tomato yields remained high. DIF significantly increased soil bacterial diversity and network complexity compared to CIF but had no effect on the soil fungal community. DIF significantly reduced the relative abundance of Fusarium -induced tomato wilt. Moreover, straw application significantly decreased fungal diversity while increasing fungal network complexity, although no effect on the bacterial community was found. The relative abundance of plant pathogens, such as Cladosporium , Fusarium and Alternaria , which are related to soil-borne diseases of tomato plants, was significantly reduced when straw was incorporated. Our results highlight that drip fertigation combined with straw incorporation significantly positively affects soil microbial diversity and stability. Thus, DIF+S is a sustainable and effective technology for maintaining soil health and reducing pesticide use in greenhouse vegetable production systems. [Display omitted] • Water and N use efficiency were 2–3 folds in drip (DIF) as in conventional (CIF) fertigation. • Soil bacterial diversity and complexity were higher for DIF than for CIF. • Straw incorporation decreased fungal diversity and increased network complexity. • DIF plus straw reduce plant pathogens related to soil-borne diseases of tomato plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If not properly managed, free-range livestock grazing could be a great threat to forest ecosystems by causing heterogeneous and unpredictable changes in forest structure, functions, and biodiversity. Understanding these changes is important for informing land management decisions compatible with long-term biodiversity conservation. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of biodiversity may provide integrative indices for assessing grazing effects. However, little is known about the responses of soundscape characteristics to forest grazing, especially in temperate forests. Here, we use bioacoustics to assess the impact of continuous livestock grazing on acoustic indices at the landscape scale in Northeast China. We compared the acoustic complex index (ACI), acoustic diversity index (ADI), acoustic evenness index (AEI), bioacoustic index (BIO), total acoustic entropy (H), and normalized difference soundscape index (NDSI) between 16 cattle-grazed forest plots and 36 ungrazed forest plots for different time scales (24 h diel cycles, dawn, day, dusk and night). We collected and analysed over 7000 h of recordings from 52 sites. Our results showed that the six acoustic indices exhibited distinct diel patterns in both forest habitats. Moreover, several indices, except for the ADI and AEI, significantly responded to grazing over 24 h diel cycles, but with contrasting patterns; compared to grazed forests, ungrazed forests had much more bioacoustics activity measured by significantly higher ACI and NDSI values and significantly lower BIO and H values. Livestock grazing was a key driver of diel acoustic patterns, resulting in the loss of nocturnal and dawn soundscapes. Our results indicate that intensive/excessive livestock grazing has a significant negative impact on soundscape quality in human-dominated temperate forest areas, which is likely triggered by shifts in faunal assemblages. Livestock, for example, may reduce the occupancy of sika deer (Cervus nippon), resulting in fewer sika deer vocalizations in grazed forests. Cattle lowing and the intensive sounds of cattle bells may also mask biological vocalizations. We argue that multiple acoustic indices are required to adequately account for the complex responses of soundscapes to large-scale livestock grazing. For forest management, we propose employing PAM to quantify the acoustic communities of the landscape from a new perspective, thereby fostering evidence-based forest management at the local scale to reconcile the livestock sector with ecosystem conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Wind tunnel tests were carried out to reveal the aerodynamics and vortex-induced vibrations for various wavy cylinders. • A wavy cylinder with a / D = 0.03 and λ/ D = 6.00 was found to exhibit better aerodynamic performance than a circular cylinder. • Mechanisms of stronger 3D properties and less aerodynamic forces and vibrations of wavy cylinders could be different. • The vortex-induced vibrations were weaker for wavy cylinders than for a circular cylinder. Wavy cylinders have been reported to exhibit satisfactory aerodynamic performance at low Reynolds numbers. However, aerodynamic characteristics are still ambiguous at higher Reynolds numbers. A series of wind tunnel tests were conducted for different wavy cylinders with Reynolds numbers (Re) from 0.75 × 104 to 2.00 × 105, including measurements of the overall aerodynamic forces, local surface static pressure, and vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs). The experiments yielded the following results. First, the mean drag and fluctuating lift coefficients of wavy cylinders were generally lower than those of a circular cylinder in the tested Re range. The maximum drag reduction was up to 18%. Second, a very slight waviness of a / D = 0.03 could improve aerodynamic performance, which could be taken as a reference for practical application. Third, the aerodynamic characteristics of wavy cylinders exhibited obvious three-dimensional (3D) features. This is reflected by various parameters varying along the spanwise direction. Fourth, the mechanisms of stronger 3D properties and less forces might be different. The former is dependent on the degree of obliqueness, while the latter is more related to the spanwise wavelength. Fifth, compared to a circular cylinder, the VIV amplitude was reduced and the lock-in range was shifted to higher wind velocities for wavy cylinders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strength and deformation behaviour of granular soil is strongly dependent on its stress state and loading history. Due to the change of soil state, the plastic flow direction and loading direction are usually non-coaxial and a plastic potential different from the plastic loading function is generally mandatory for capturing correctly volumetric deformation. For that, some state variables have been involved phenomenologically in plastic equations, bringing about some complexity in model formulations and physically meaninglessness of certain parameters. This paper presents a new approach to describing the state-dependent stress-dilatancy behaviour of granular soil using fractional order derivations. Unlike integer-order derivative in the classical plasticity theory, the fractional order derivative is defined in an integral form. Originally, we relate the description of soil state to the definition of the integral lower and upper limits respectively as the current and critical stress states. By performing a fractional order derivative of the plastic yield function, a state-dependent stress-dilatancy equation is set up without additional state variables. As the integration range increases, the flow direction deviates gradually from the loading direction. However, they coincide with each other when critical state is reached where the lower and upper limits merge. For validation, an elastoplastic constitutive model is developed by incorporating the fractional equation into the modified Cam-clay model. A series of drained and undrained triaxial test results for different granular soils are simulated, and the issue of plastic energy dissipation in each simulation is also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine ruthenium CNC pincer complexes (1 – 9) were tested for anticancer activity in cell culture under both dark and light conditions. These complexes included varied CNC pincer ligands including OH, OMe, or Me substituents on the pyridyl ring and wingtip N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) groups which varied as methyl (Me), phenyl (Ph), mesityl (Mes), and 2,6-diisopropylphenyl (Dipp). The supporting ligands included acetonitrile, Cl, and 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) donors. The synthesis of complexes 8 and 9 is described herein and are fully characterized by spectroscopic (1H NMR, IR, UV–Vis, MS) and analytical techniques. Single crystal X-ray diffraction results are reported herein for 8 and 9. The other complexes (1 – 7) are reported elsewhere. The four most lipophilic ruthenium complexes (6 , 7 , 8 , and 9) showed the best activity vs. MCF7 cancer cells with complexes 6 and 9 showing cytotoxicity and complex 7 and 8 showing light activated photocytotoxicity. The distribution of these compounds between octanol and water is reported as log(D o/w) values, and increasing log(D o/w) values correlate roughly with improved activity vs. cancer cells. Overall, lipophilic wingtip groups (e.g. Ph, Mes, Dipp) on the NHC ring and a lower cationic charge (1+ vs. 2+) appears to be beneficial for improved anticancer activity. [Display omitted] • One Ru complex shows light activated toxicity vs. MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. • The most active compound has a phototoxicity index of 21 and micromolar potency. • Structure-function relationships show that lipophilicity correlates with toxicity. • Synthetic procedures for making lipophilic CNC pincer complexes are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a fractional order plasticity model by using the concept of fractional order plastic flow. The flow direction is obtained by performing fractional order derivative of the plastic potential function with respect to loading stress. Unlike the classical model, the obtained flow direction changes with the changing fractional order, which makes the model capable for modelling various kinds of plastic flow patterns of different granular soils without changing the details of the potential function. The flexible ability of the proposed model is further validated by simulating multiple series of experimental results of different granular soils subjected to drained and undrained triaxial compressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most constitutive models can only simulate cumulative deformation after a limited number of cycles. However, railroad ballast usually experiences a large number of train passages that cause history-dependent long-term deformation. Fractional calculus is an efficient tool for modelling this phenomenon and therefore is incorporated into a constitutive model for predicting the cumulative deformation. The proposed model is further validated by comparing the model predictions with a series of corresponding experimental results. It is observed that the proposed model can realistically simulate the cumulative deformation of ballast from the onset of loading up to a large number of load cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that in the subcritical regime, wavy circular cylinders exhibit less wind-induced drag than standard circular cylinders. However, the aerodynamic performance of wavy cylinders at higher Reynolds numbers is still unknown. Hence, a series of wind tunnel tests including measurement of the surface pressure, vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and dry galloping were conducted for a wavy cylinder and a corresponding standard cylinder at Re = 1.00 × 105-3.86 × 105. The results indicate that the aerodynamic characteristics, including the mean and fluctuating pressure distributions, mean and fluctuating aerodynamic force coefficients, Strouhal number, flow regime classification, and non-Gaussian characteristics, are significantly modified when shifting from the standard cylinder to the wavy cylinder. Furthermore, these modifications highly depend on the Reynolds number. Regarding the wavy cylinder, related parameters obviously vary along the spanwise direction, indicating three-dimensional aerodynamic characteristics. Moreover, the maximum VIV amplitude of the wavy cylinder is 40% lower than that of the standard cylinder. The velocity corresponding to the maximum amplitude is increased by 11% for the wavy cylinder. Additionally, the maximum dry galloping amplitude is reduced by 11%. • Wind tunnel tests were carried out to reveal the aerodynamics and vibrations of a specific sinusoidal wavy cylinder. • Aerodynamic coefficients, pressure distributions, and Strouhal numbers were obtained at subcritical and critical regimes. • Aerodynamics along the spanwise direction were determined to possess significant three-dimensional characteristics. • The vortex-induced vibration and dry galloping are weaker for the wavy cylinder than for the standard cylinder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the synergism between transition metals (TMs) and activated carbon (AC) as a catalyst support used in the catalytic decomposition of PCBs. A series of AC-supported TM catalysts was prepared according to two distinct methods: impregnation and ion exchange which were defined as LaTM-C and IRTM-C, respectively. The catalytic reactions between 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-153) and AC-supported Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn catalysts were conducted under N 2 atmosphere. Changes in the nature of the catalysts as well as the decomposition mechanism of PCB-153 are discussed. Important findings include: (i) a higher metal concentration and a better metal distribution on AC is realized using ion-exchange, despite a lower AC specific surface area, (ii) IRTM-C had better effects on the decomposition of PCB-153 than LaTM-C, (iii) the role of Ni, Cu, and Fe as electron donors in PCB dechlorination was evaluated vs. the stability of Zn, and (iv) both temperature and chemical composition of TM catalysts influenced the decomposition efficiency of PCBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the synergism between activated carbon (AC) as a catalyst support and transition metals (TMs) is used to destroy low concentrations of PCBs. AC-supported TM catalysts were prepared according to two different methods: impregnation and ion exchange. Thermal reactions between 2,2′,4,4′,5,5’-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-153) and catalysts generated using AC-supported Ni or Cu ion exchange were conducted under a N 2 atmosphere and resulted in a decomposition efficiency > 99.0%. Decomposition efficiency of PCB-153, the residual PCB-153 distribution, and the fingerprint characteristics of the decomposition products are investigated. Important findings include: (i) establishing a ranking of TM reactivities with respect to PCB decomposition of: Ni > Cu > Zn > Fe, (ii) PCB degradation reactions proceed via adsorption, reaction, and desorption, (iii) for ion-exchange-type catalysts, the activation energy order was IRNi-C < IRCu-C < IRZn-C < IRFe-C, which matches the order of the catalytic effects of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis of pine sawdust, a typical industrial biomass waste, was studied. The effects of operating temperature, biomass particle size, and space velocity on the products of biomass pyrolysis were investigated. A three-layer artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed and trained to simulate and predict the selectivity and yield of gas products. Good agreement was achieved between the experimental and simulated results. The major gas products of biomass pyrolysis are CO, CO 2 , H 2 , and CH 4 . The ANN model showed that the major gas products depended mainly on the temperature, and the total selectivity of CO, CO 2 , H 2 , and CH 4 increased from 2.91% at 300 °C to 34.31% at 900 °C. The selectivity of main gas products increased with increasing space velocity. When the space velocity increased from 45 min −1 to 85 min −1 , the selectivity of major gas products increased from 29.12% to 34.03%. Within the sample particle size range from 0.1 to 1.7 mm, there was no significant difference in the selectivity of major gas products. The pyrolysis temperature also influenced the composition of the tar in the biomass pyrolysis product. In the temperature range investigated, the benzene composition was favored at lower temperatures, such as 400 °C, however, the light-weight PAHs were preferably generated at higher temperatures above 600 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of temperature, carbon content and copper additive on formation of chlorobenzenes (CBzs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in iron ore sintering were investigated. By heating simulated fly ash (SFA) at a temperature range of 250–500 °C, the yield of both CBzs and PCBs presented two peaks of 637 ng/g-fly ash at 350 °C and 1.5 × 10 5 ng/g-fly ash at 450 °C for CBzs, and 74 ng/g-fly ash at 300 °C and 53 ng/g-fly ash at 500 °C. Additionally, in the thermal treatment of real fly ash (RFA), yield of PCBs displayed two peak values at 350 °C and 500 °C, however, yield of CBzs showed only one peak at 400 °C. In the thermal treatment of SFA with a carbon content range of 0–20 wt% at 300 °C, both CBzs and PCBs obtained the maximum productions of 883 ng/g-fly ash for CBzs and 127 ng/g-fly ash for PCBs at a 5 wt% carbon content. Copper additives also affected chlorinated aromatic formation. The catalytic activity of different copper additives followed the orders: CuCl 2 ∙2H 2 O >> Cu 2 O > Cu > CuSO 4 > CuO for CBzs, and CuCl 2 ∙2H 2 O >> Cu 2 O > CuO > Cu > CuSO 4 for PCBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decomposition efficiency of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was determined using elemental iron (Fe) and three iron (hydr)oxides, i.e., α-Fe 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 , and α-FeOOH, as catalysts. The experiments were performed using four distinct PCB congeners (PCB-209, PCB-153, and the coplanar PCB-167 and PCB-77) at temperatures ranging from 180 °C to 380 °C and under an inert, oxidizing or reducing atmosphere composed of N 2 , N 2 + O 2 , or N 2 + H 2 . From these three options N 2 showed to provide the best reaction atmosphere. Among the iron compounds tested, Fe 3 O 4 showed the highest activity for decomposing PCBs. The decomposition efficiencies of PCB-209, PCB-167, PCB-153, and PCB-77 by Fe 3 O 4 in an N 2 atmosphere at 230 °C were 88.5%, 82.5%, 69.9%, and 66.4%, respectively. Other inorganic chlorine (Cl) products which were measured by the amount of inorganic Cl ions represented 82.5% and 76.1% of the reaction products, showing that ring cleavage of PCBs was the main elimination process. Moreover, the dechlorination did not require a particular hydrogen donor. We used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to analyze the elemental distribution at the catalyst’s surface. The O/Fe ratio influenced upon the decomposition efficiency of PCBs: the lower this ratio, the higher the decomposition efficiency. X-ray absorption near edge structure spectra showed that α-Fe 2 O 3 effectively worked as a catalyst, while Fe 3 O 4 and α-FeOOH were consumed as reactants, as their final state is different from their initial state. Finally, a decomposition pathway was postulated in which the Cl atoms in ortho -positions were more difficult to eliminate than those in the para - or meta -positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption of acetaldehyde over carbide-derived carbon (CDC) modified with nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, or air was investigated. The physicochemical properties of the original and modified CDCs were characterized by N 2 adsorption, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, temperature programmed desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was observed that the oxidation modification, especially the nitric acid treatment, could significantly enhance the adsorption performance of CDC for acetaldehyde. The increase of acidic oxygen-containing groups like carboxylic acids and anhydrides in the modified CDCs results in the increase of adsorption performance. The density functional theory calculations and in situ Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy show that these acidic oxygen-containing groups display strong hydrogen bonding interactions with acetaldehyde molecule, leading to the enhanced adsorption performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the curse of dimensionality in the numerical solution of the stationary Fokker–Planck equation for systems with state-independent excitation. A tensor decomposition approach is combined with Chebyshev spectral differentiation to drastically reduce the number of degrees of freedom required to maintain accuracy as dimensionality increases. Following the enforcement of the normality condition via a penalty method, the discretized system is solved using alternating least squares algorithm. Numerical results for a variety of systems, including separable/non-separable systems, linear/nonlinear systems and systems with/without closed-form stationary solutions up to ten dimensional state-space are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Lipid in municipal biomass would not inhibited the anaerobic digestion process. [•] A lipid concentration of 65% of total VS was the inhibition concentration. [•] The amount of Brevibacterium decreased with the increasing of the lipid contents. [•] Long chain fatty acids stacked on the methanogenic bacteria and blocked the mass transfer process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The behavior of NTP for CS2 conversion in air was investigated. [•] CS2 conversion increase with the increase of specific input energy. [•] Short-living species are more important in CS2 conversion than long-living species. [•] The main gaseous products of CS2 conversion are CO, CO2, OCS, SO2, SO3 and H2SO4. [•] and Y CO increase, remains constant, and and Y OCS follow bell curves as SIE increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic matter degradation process during anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass waste (MBW) and waste-activated sludge (WAS) under different organic loading rates (OLRs) was investigated in bench-scale and pilot-scale semi-continuous stirred tank reactors. To better understand the degradation process of MBW and WAS co-digestion and provide theoretical guidance for engineering application, anaerobic digestion model No.1 was revised for the co-digestion of MBW and WAS. The results showed that the degradation of organic matter could be characterized into three different fractions, including readily hydrolyzable organics, easily degradable particulate organics, and recalcitrant particle organics. Hydrolysis was the rate-limiting step under lower OLRs, and methanogenesisis was the rate-limiting step for an OLR of 8.0 kg volatile solid (VS)/(m 3 ·day). The hydrolytic parameters of carbohydrate, protein, and lipids were 0.104, 0.083, and 0.084 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/(kg COD·hr), respectively, and the reaction rate parameters of lipid fermentation were 1 and 1.25 kg COD/(kg COD·hr) for OLRs of 4.0 and 6.0 kg VS/(m 3 ·day). A revised model was used to simulate methane yield, and the results fit well with the experimental data. Material balance data were acquired based on the revised model, which showed that 58.50% of total COD was converted to methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Civil aviation in China has developed rapidly in recent years, and the effects of civil aviation emissions on the atmospheric environment should not be neglected. The establishment of emission inventories of atmospheric pollutants from civil aviation contributes to related policy formation and pollution control. According to the 2010’s China flight schedules, aircraft/engine combination information and revised emission indices from the International Civil Aviation Organization emission data bank based on meteorological data, the fuel consumption and HC, CO, NO x , CO2, SO2 emissions from domestic flights of civil aviation in China (excluding Taiwan Province) in 2010 are estimated in this paper. The results show that fuel consumption in 2010 on domestic flights in China is 12.12 million tons (metric tons), HC, CO, NO x , CO2 and SO2 emissions are 4600 tons, 39,700 tons, 154,100 tons, 38.21 million tons and 9700 tons, respectively. The fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of China Southern Airline are responsible for the largest national proportion of each, accounting for 27% and 25–28%, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An activated carbon (AC) containing a high concentration (374mgg−1) of Fe was prepared by carbonization of an ion-exchange resin. To examine its chemical reactivity as a catalyst to decompose 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-153), the decomposition parameters of temperature and time were varied under air or N2. Decomposition at 350°C was achieved within 15min under air and 30min under N2, and the efficiency of PCB-153 decomposition was 99.7% and 98.0%, respectively. An analysis of inorganic chloride ions revealed that PCB-153 was mineralized effectively during the decomposition. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume of the AC were measured to assess the adsorption capacity before and after the decomposition. The differences between decomposition under air and N2 reflected the differences in the BET surface and pore volume measurements. A decomposition pathway was postulated, and the reactive characteristics of chlorine atoms loaded on the benzene rings followed the order of para > meta > ortho, which agrees with the calculated results from a density functional theory study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A link tooth wheel-cylinder non-thermal plasma reactor was set up to investigate the degradation of phenol in the mists. In addition, the decomposition efficiency of phenol, TOC removal, and byproduct formation were investigated. The stable discharge was achieved in both air and the mist condition. The decomposition efficiency and TOC removal increased with increasing the input power. For the input power of 3.6W, the phenol decomposition and TOC removal reached 90% and 47%, respectively. Phenol degradation byproducts were identified as small molecular organic acids, including formic acid, acetic acid, and oxalic acid. Their masses in the trapped solutions first increased and then decreased slightly with increasing the input power. Therefore, the biodegradation capacity of the phenol degradation byproducts can be improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Polysulfide was produced and tested for use as an inexpensive chemical agent for the solidification/stabilization of lead in fly ash, generating little hydrogen sulfide gas. According to the equations and , this agent was expected to achieve long-term stability of disposed Pb. The leachate concentration of Pb in fly ash after sulfide treatment showed a decrease–increase–decrease trend. We also compared Pb leaching behavior from an aging/weathering experiment to thermodynamic modeling using the database from the Geochemist’s Workbench software. Thermodynamic modeling indicated the tendency that when the precipitate was formed in the order of PbO, PbCO3·PbO, and PbCO3, the total concentration of soluble Pb will be lowered. The leaching curve of Pb in fly ash without a lime slurry injection system was close to PbO, whose activity was initially near 1, but when leaching time increased, it shifted to that of PbCO3·PbO, before finally ending at that of PbCO3. However, Ca(OH)2 sprayed on fly ash interfered with the carbonation process of Pb. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Schematic diagram showing the effect of CH 3 CN addition on the interface structure and property of [BMIM]BF 4 /Au(1 0 0). Acetonitrile addition makes the orientation of imidazole ring gradually change from horizontal to incline, and the number of BF 4 - decreases gradually. [Display omitted] • The effect of acetonitrile on the interface structure of [Bmim]BF 4 /Au(1 0 0) determined by a MD simulation. • Acetonitrile addition changes the orientation of imidazole ring on Au(1 0 0) from parallel to inclined. • Acetonitrile weakens the interaction between anions and cations, resulting in lower viscosity and higher conductivity. • [Bmim]BF 4 IL exhibit micelle structure on Au (1 0 0) surface. The effect of acetonitrile on the interface structure of Au (1 0 0)/1-butyl-3-methyl tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid was determined by a molecular dynamics simulation. The effects of acetonitrile on the bulk properties of [Bmim]BF 4 , the molecular orientation of [Bmim]BF 4 at the interface, the number density, the mass density, and the charge density were determined. It was found that as the concentration of acetonitrile increases, the viscosity of the ionic liquid decreases and the conductivity increases. With the addition of acetonitrile, due to the strong interaction between [Bmim]+ cations and the plate, acetonitrile was found to enter the inner layer, causing the orientation angle of the imidazole ring to incline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• True multiaxial anisotropic fractional plasticity is developed. • State-dependant non-associated flow is realised through stress-fractional derivative. • Shear-induced anisotropy is modelled by rotational hardening and stress transformation. • Elastoplastic behaviour of anisotropically overconsolidated clay is captured. Clays in the field can experience various consolidation histories, e.g., isotropic or anisotropic overconsolidation, before subjected to three-dimensional loads exerted by the neighbouring geotechnical infrastructures. Correct representation of the multiaxial strength and deformation behaivour of anisotropically overconsolidated clay is a prerequisite for engineering design. Accordingly, a multiaxial constitutive model is developed in this study, by employing the anisotropic stress-fractional plasticity two surfaces. The consolidation history is represented by using an inclined bounding surface, while the loading behaviour in multiaxial stress space is captured through the stress transformation of an inclined loading surface. The incorporation of such stress transformation method overcomes the difficulty in obtaining the fractional derivative of the Lode's angle. To capture the dilatancy behaviour of anisotropically overconsolidated clay, a multiaxial state-dependant nonassociated plastic flow rule is developed by only using the stress-fractional gradient of the loading surface, which significantly differs from the prior attempts using traditional plasticity. In addition, a multiaxial rotational hardening law for the bounding/loading surface is suggested to characterise the shearing-induced fabric destruction of anisotropically overconsolidated clay. Finally, test results of two different clays under various consolidation histories and stress paths are adopted to validate the developed model. It is found that the predicted strength and deformation behaviour of clay depends the Lode's angle and anisotropic consolidation path, which agrees with the corresponding test results. Specifically speaking, the hardening and softening behaviour of clay induced at seven different overconsolidation ratios ranging from 1 to 10 can be quantified, and the multiaxial strength behaviour of clay loaded from a wide range of Lode's angles ranging from 0° to 60° can be also quantified. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The process of destroying polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) generates exhaust gases that contain low quantities of PCBs, which cannot be disposed of easily. Activated carbon (AC) can be used to adsorb residual PCBs after disposal of high-level PCBs. We examined the chemical reactivity of AC-supported iron as a catalyst to decompose PCB-153, and varied three decomposition parameters (temperature, time and iron concentration) under an atmosphere of either air or N2. We measured the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume of AC to assess the adsorption capacity of AC before and after decomposition. At low temperatures the adsorption process was more important than the decomposition process. The decomposition process was completed within 30 and 60min under air and N2, respectively. The efficiency of PCB-153 decomposition at 350°C for 120min was ∼100.0% and 97.1% under air and N2, respectively. Analysis of inorganic chloride ions revealed that PCB-153 was effectively destroyed during decomposition. The differences between decomposition under air and N2 reflected differences in BET surface and pore volume. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorobenzenes (CBzs) are two classes of dioxin precursors formed in municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) producing negative health effects similar to those of dioxins. Reducing the analytical time required for determining the concentrations of these compounds in MSWIs is important for quickly evaluating their importance and associated health risks. In the present study, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) is compared with traditional Soxhlet extraction (SE) to determine the extraction efficiencies attained for PCB and CBz analysis. The efficiencies of MAE are compared with those of SE under various experimental conditions, using fly ash spiked with standards. Water is used as a safe and environmentally friendly solvent in MAE for PCB and CBz analyses and MAE has high extraction efficiency for spiked fly ash compared with that of SE. Furthermore, the extraction time and organic solvent consumption are reduced with MAE compared with SE. The optimum conditions for MAE established in this study are using a 30-ml volume of toluene/acetone (1/1) or a 15-ml volume of toluene, samples with less than 60% water content (WC), and an irradiation time of 15min. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examines patterns of foreign patents and their determinants in China from 1985 to 1999. It reveals that China’s patent system is not significantly different from those in most countries, though it is more oriented towards promoting technology diffusion rather than protecting inventors’ rights. Since China patent law came into force in 1985, foreign patents, as well as China’s domestic patents have been growing rapidly. The study confirms the substantial differences between foreign patents in China and China’s domestic patents revealed by previous studies. First, foreign patents primarily fall within the category of inventions, whereas the majority of Chinese domestic patents consist of utility models and industrial designs. Second, foreign patents in China are largely awarded to organizations, while individuals comprise the majority of Chinese domestic patentees. Third, foreign patents in China concentrate in a small number of advanced and newly industrialized economies (NIEs). In addition, this study finds that foreign patents in China are primarily driven by demand factors such as imports from the origin countries, while innovative capabilities of the origin countries or their distances from China are not very significant yet. Finally, this study reveals that innovative capabilities of foreign countries are starting to show significant impacts on their patents in China, particularly on inventions, indicating increasing competition in the Chinese market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rain-wind-induced vibration (RWIV) of stay cables has become a concern in bridge engineering over the past decades. Attaching helical fillets on the surface of stay cables is often used to suppress RWIV. In the critical Reynolds number range, stay cables also experience large amplitude vibration without rainfall, which is known as dry galloping. To investigate the optimal helical fillet parameters that can suppress RWIV and dry galloping, a series of wind tunnel tests were carried out. The results showed that a helical fillet can weaken the Reynolds number effect of the cable in the critical region, and the maximum C L and the decline value of C D are decreased. This effect gradually decreases with the decrease of helical fillet pitch, resulting in the decrease of the maximum C L in the critical region and the increase of C D in the supercritical region. The helical fillet has a good suppression effect on the dry galloping equilibrium position, and the suppression effect of the helical fillet on the dry galloping amplitude depends on the helical fillet parameters. A proper helical fillet setting can effectively suppress both RWIV and dry galloping. Compared with the helical fillet diameter, the suppression effect is more effective when changing its pitch. Finally, the drag coefficients in various Reynolds number regions are summarized to provide a reference for engineering design. • Wind tunnel tests were carried out to reveal the aerodynamics and vibrations for stay cables with helical fillets. • Aerodynamic force coefficients and Strouhal numbers of stay cables with helical fillets were obtained and compared. • The effects of wind speed, rain intensity, inclination, and yaw on the RWIV were studied. • The effects of the helical fillet diameter and distance on RWIV and dry galloping were analyzed. • The drag coefficients of cables at different Reynolds numbers were fitted to facilitate engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the statistical results of field investigations of stay cable shapes, the deformed cross-sections tend to be micro-elliptical. These deformations may significantly influence the aerodynamic forces and vibration characteristics of stay cables. Accordingly, the aerodynamic forces and wind-induced vibrations of stay cables with circular and various micro-elliptical sections are measured in wind tunnel tests. Furthermore, the influences of the Reynolds number, attack angle and major-minor axis ratio on wind-induced vibration are investigated. The aerodynamic damping is calculated based on the quasi-steady assumption to predict the observed vibrations. The results indicate that, compared with circular cables, cables with micro-elliptical sections generate larger-amplitude vibrations at certain Reynolds numbers and attack angles. Furthermore, large-amplitude vibrations occur mainly in the critical regime corresponding to Reynolds numbers of 2.5 ​× ​105–4.0 ​× ​105 and attack angles of α ​= ​10°–30° and α ​= ​60°–80°. However, the method based on the quasi-steady assumption is invalid for predicting wind-induced vibrations in the critical regime. • Wind tunnels tests were carried out to reveal the aerodynamics and vibrations for three micro-elliptical section cylinders. • Vibrations were observed of the micro-elliptical section cylinders in cribitcal and supercritical Reynolds number range. • Drag and lift coefficients were obtained from subcritical to super Reynolds number range. • The vibrations in critical and supercritical range are confirmed to be non-steady phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisotropic clays are very common in practical engineering, where their constitutive relations were usually developed based on classical plasticity theory with associated flow rule. However, the softening responses of clays under compression following anisotropic consolidation can be non-associated and state-dependent. Fractional derivative is defined based on an integral form that can consider the material state and nonassociativity from the initial mathematical definition. In this study, a new anisotropic constitutive method for clay is developed by enriching the fractional plasticity with combined isotropic and rotational hardening. The developed model can consider the effect of evolving material anisotropy on the state-dependent non-associated behaviour of clay. To validate the approach, undrained and drained test results of different clays, are simulated and discussed, where a good agreement between the model simulations and test results is observed. It is also found that the material anisotropy keeps evolving with shearing, until reaching the final value at critical state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fractional plasticity was modified for soil-structure interface. • Fractional dilatancy equation was developed for normal-dilatancy of interface. • State-dependent non-associativity was captured without using plastic potential. Correct representation of the non-associated state-dependent behavior of the soil-structure interface is important for geotechnical applications. The original fractional plasticity is reformulated in this study, by exploring the stress-displacement relation of the soil-structure interface under plain strain condition. Without using additional plastic potentials, a state-dependent non-associated plastic flow vector is developed for the interface, where plastic flow direction is governed by the fractional gradient of yielding function. The developed interface model has eight constants, which can be all determined from laboratory tests. Further validation against a series of test results of different soil-structure interfaces shows that the developed model can well capture the constitutive behavior of the interface subjected to different boundary conditions. The typical normal-dilatancy and strain hardening/softening responses of the interface can be reasonably reproduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a large amount of stress-dilatancy data of Karlsruhe fine sand were examined at first, where it was found that the stress-dilatancy behaviour of Karlsruhe fine sand depended on its void ratio and pressure. To capture such state-dependent stress-dilatancy behaviour, the fractional-order dilatancy equation and Li and Dafalias [1]'s dilatancy equation, were adopted and compared. In addition, a kinematic loading surface characterising the loading/unloading directions was proposed, where the current loading surface moved kinematically within the maximum loading surface. Three hardening moduli were defined for virgin loading, unloading and reloading, respectively. Further validation against a series of monotonic and cyclic test results of Karlsruhe fine sand revealed that: models based on these two dilatancy equations can simulate the drained and undrained behaviour of Karlsruhe fine sand under monotonic and cyclic loads. The unloading-induced contractive response and reloading-induced dilative response during drained loading, as well as the butterfly-shaped liquefaction response under undrained loading can be reasonably reproduced. Li and Dafalias [1]'s dilatancy equation had a relatively better match of the stress-dilatancy data. • State-dependent stress-dilatancy and peak strength of Karlsruhe fine sand was revealed. • Two different stress-dilatancy equations were adopted and compared. • Dependence of the fractional-derivative order on material state was revealed. • Constitutive model for Karlsruhe fine sand under monotonic and cyclic loads was developed and validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study investigates the shear capacity of PC hollow slabs of existing bridges. • The effect of adding a 15-cm-thick concrete layer on shear capacity is explored. • Slabs of various span lengths were tested under incremental loading until failure. • The load-displacement curves and failure mechanisms are reported. • Modified formulae for calculating the shear capacities of the slabs are proposed. Prestressed concrete (PC) hollow slab is widely used in the construction of short and medium span highway bridges in China. With the increase in the highway load, the shear capacity of hollow slab bridges constructed before the 1990s can no longer meet the requirements of new safety regulations. Further research on the shear capacity of PC hollow slabs is necessary to ensure their safety, as these bridges continue to be operational. In this study, twelve hollow slabs with spans of 20 m, 16 m, and 10 m were tested to determine the shear performance of existing PC hollow slabs. Some hollow slabs were reinforced with a 15-cm thick concrete layer on the top surface to determine its effect on the shear capacity. The load-displacement curve, web strain, cracking and ultimate loads, and cracking and failure mode of the hollow slab were experimentally determined. The finite element method was used to simulate the shear process. The results show that the 10-m hollow slabs exhibited bending-shear failure, the 16-m hollow slabs exhibited shear compression failure, and the 20-m hollow slabs exhibited diagonal compression failure. Abdominal shear oblique cracks occurred on the webs of the hollow slabs with spans of 16 m and 20 m, whereas bending shear oblique cracks were formed in the 10-m hollow slabs. With post-casting of the 15-cm thick concrete layer, the cracking loads of the hollow slabs with spans of 10 m, 16 m, and 20 m increased by 47%, 32%, and 8%, whereas the ultimate loads increased by 41%, 22%, and 18%, respectively. A comparison of the results calculated based on design specifications and the test results shows that the design provisions for specifications related to the shear capacity are highly conservative. Finally, the conventional formula for the shear capacity was modified, and new formulas were proposed based on the test results and numerical simulation results to predict the shear capacities of the 10-m and 16-m/20-m PC hollow slabs. For these hollow slabs, the mean ratios of the calculated value to the experimental/simulated value obtained using the proposed formulas are 0.993 and 0.956, and the variances are 0.005 and 0.013, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the distinct integral definitions of the fractional derivatives for compression and extension, a generalised state-dependent fractional plasticity model suitable for both loading cases is derived analytically to simulate the drained and undrained behaviour of granular soils. A series of triaxial tests on different granular soils are then used to validate the model. It is found that material responses, such as hardening and softening, contraction and dilation, liquefaction and steady state flow, etc., under compressive and extensive loads is well described by the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve cost competitiveness and the further application of metal-supported cells, it is important to explore cathodes suitable for low-temperature sintering. However, decreasing cathode sintering temperature while maintaining robust interface of cathode/electrolyte and decent electrochemical performances is challenging for solid oxide fuel cells. Herein, by combining the Pechini method with one-pot method, La 0.6 Sr 0.4 CoO 3-δ @ Gd 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2-δ (LSC@GDC) composite cathodes are prepared and investigated, compared with mechanically mixed LSC-GDC cathodes. At the cathode sintering temperature of 800 °C, the LSC@GDC cathode single cells perform better performances, with deceased resistances, improved power density outputs and better feasibility to wide oxygen partial pressures from 0.21 atm down to 0.03 atm. The optimum composition of 70:30 wt% for LSC@GDC is proposed. The anode supported single cell with LSC@GDC30 cathode exhibits a maximum power density of 0.789 W/cm2 and 0.545 W/cm2 at 750 °C, under cathode oxygen partial pressure of 0.21 atm and 0.03 atm, respectively. Moreover, the low temperature sintered LSC@GDC50 cathode performs decent durability during repeatedly controlled thermal cycling over 10 times. • LSC@GDC cathode is successfully prepared by novel two-step one-pot method. • The cathode sintering activity improves as well as interface contact. • The cell performance in harsh condition is dramatically enhanced. • The cell exhibit decent long-term durability and thermal cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen-rich gas production from reforming of naphthalene as a typical tar model compound was investigated under catalytic, plasma and plasma-catalytic systems. The effect of Gd promoter and solvent on naphthalene decomposition and gaseous products within the reforming reaction was studied. The catalysts were prepared by the thermal fusion method and characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, BET, TEM, TG and H 2 -TPR. Compared to catalytic systems and plasma systems, the plasma-catalytic system shows the highest naphthalene conversion, as well as highest yield of hydrogen-rich gas on account of the synergetic effect of plasma and catalyst. Ni–Gd/SiO 2 @Al 2 O 3 catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity than that on Ni/SiO 2 @Al 2 O 3 , due to higher dispersity of nickel species and reducibility of catalysts, as well as more Ni0 species and more surface oxygen species. No sintering and no coke formed on the fusion used catalyst owing to low content and high dispersion of nickel species. Maximum both naphthalene conversion and H 2 yield were observed on Ni-10Gd catalyst, about 89 % and 0.17 mol/mol-naphthalene, respectively. Furthermore, the presence of OH· radicals originating from methanol and the subsequent methanol reforming reaction play a pivotal role in augmenting naphthalene conversion and facilitating the formation of H 2 , CO, and CH 4. [Display omitted] • Ni-10Gd catalyst showed the highest conversion in plasma reforming of naphthalene owing to synergetic effect. • Gd enhances the dispersity and reducibility of catalyst, Ni0 species and surface oxygen species, as well as the naphthalene disintegrates. • Fusion catalysts exhibited high resistance to carbon deposition and sintering. • More OH· radicals in methanol contribute to the activity in plasma-catalytic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumnitzera littorea (Jack) Voigt is one of the most endangered mangrove species in China. Previous studies have showed the impact of chilling stress on L. littorea and the repsonses at physiological and biochemical levels, but few attentions have been paid at molecular level. In this study, we conducted genome-wide investigation of transcriptional and post-transcriptional dynamics in L. littorea in response to chilling stress (8 °C day/5 °C night). In the seedlings of L. littorea , chilling sensing and signal transducing, photosystem II regeneration and peroxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging were substantially enhanced to combat the adverse impact induced by chilling exposure. We further revealed that alternative polyadenylation (APA) events participated in chilling stress-responsive processes, including energy metabolism and steroid biosynthesis. Furthermore, APA-mediated miRNA regulations downregulated the expression of the genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and elongation, and protein phosphorylation, reflecting the important role of post-transcriptional regulation in modulating chilling tolerance in L. littorea. Our findings present a molecular view to the adaptive characteristics of L. littorea and shed light on the conservation genomic approaches of endangered mangrove species. • Chilling stress caused damage to cell membrane and photosynthesis of L. littorea. • L. littorea coped with cold stress at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. • Photosystem II regeneration and ROS scavenging were enhanced against oxidative damage. • APA acts a fine-tuning role in regulating stress-responsive gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) is an efficient green hydrogen production technology, which is a reverse of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). In this paper, an anode-supported SOEC produced via multi-layer organic co-tape casting with co-sintering process is investigated for high temperature steam electrolysis, carbon dioxide electrolysis, and co-electrolysis. SOEC cathode must maintain its electrocatalytic activity in a high temperature and humidity condition. La 0.75 Sr 0.25 Cr 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 3-δ (LSCM) is one of the most promising cathode materials because of its superior electrocatalytic ability and redox stability. The anode-supported structure of electrolysis cell reduces ohmic resistance obviously and LSCM cathode exhibits good catalytic performance. To evaluate the performance of co-electrolysis, a continuous voltage of 1 V is applied for 256 h with 60% H 2 O and 40% CO 2 at 750 °C. The anode-supported SOEC with LSM((La 0.8 Sr 0.2) 0.95 Mn 0.5 O 3-δ)/LSM-YSZ(Zr 0.92 Y 0.08 O 2-δ)/YSZ/LSCM structure has good electrochemical performance and durability under co-electrolysis conditions combined with the distribution relaxation of time analysis of impedance spectra. • An anode-supported SOEC was fabricated by multi-layer organic co-tape casting. • The cell's structure was LSM/LSM-YSZ/YSZ/LSCM. • The anode-supported SOEC with LSCM cathode was used for co-electrolysis. • LSCM cathode showed good catalytic performance and stability of the structure. • The current density is about 2 A cm−2 after constant electrolysis 200 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of globalization and informatisation, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) imposes a huge impact on everyone's life [1], as what the COVID-19 has demonstrated at the moment. The COVID-19 epidemic could approach the zero growth in the number of newly confirmed cases during the period of February 19 to 29 in the whole of China except Hubei. [Extracted from the article]

Salts reduction/substitution have gained a lot interest from food industry since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a draft guidance for salt reduction. However how changes of salts in food formulation could influence lipid oxidation is still not fully understood. Using oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by a natural emulsifier – lecithin at pH 7.0 as a model system, this study evaluated how salts affect the physical parameters of the emulsion, the chelating activity of lecithin and thus the lipid oxidation of these emulsions. Results showed that salts increased the particle size, the negative charge of the oil droplets, and the amount of iron chelated by lecithin. Lipid oxidation lag phases were shortened by addition of salts, by 1 day and 2 days for lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances measurements respectively. These results provide some new insights on the mechanisms of how salts could affect the lipid oxidation of food emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Depressurization followed CO 2 -N 2 injection for CH 4 recovery and CO 2 sequestration. • Effect of MH dissociation ratio on subsequently mixed hydrate formation. • CH 4 hydrate re-formation and dissociation occurred depending on CH 4 hydrate left. • CO 2 hydrate formation depended on the CH 4 left in both gas phase and hydrate phase. • Increasing CH 4 production decreased the CO 2 sequestration and hydrate restoration. Natural gas hydrates (NGHs) buried below the seafloor are globally abundant, energy-dense, and essential to the world's future energy mix. The combination of depressurization and CO 2 -N 2 injection processes for NGHs recovery has been identified as an environmental method to harvest energy, CO 2 sequestration, and to maintain the mechanical stability of sediment. In this regime, partial CH 4 was produced by depressurization followed by CO 2 -N 2 injection to form CH 4 -CO 2 -N 2 mixed hydrate (Mix-H). In this study, a series experiments were designed to examine the key factors in the depressurization process (i.e. bottom hole pressure BHP and CH 4 production ratio) on the subsequent processes of Mix-H formation, CO 2 sequestration and hydrate restoration. It was observed that Mix-H formation occurred in all cases, but the final amount of Mix-H were all lower than the initial amount of MH before depressurization. Particularly, the formation of CO 2 /N 2 hydrate in Mix-H is positively correlated with the amount of remaining CH 4 in the combined phases of gas and hydrate after depressurization. The formation of CH 4 hydrate in Mix-H during the reformation process occurred in five cases when MH dissociation ratio (D MH) reaches above 45.1 % during depressurization. MH was only observed to dissociate continuously after CO 2 /N 2 injection when D MH is low at 30.8 %, which indicates possible "CH 4 -CO 2 replacement reaction". Overall, increasing CH 4 production at the same BHP decreases the CO 2 sequestration and hydrate restoration. We first verified the feasibility of the combination method for synergistic CH 4 recovery and CO 2 sequestration in marine conditions. The experimental results provide possible guidance on the optimal design of the coupled processes and shed light on the relationship between CH 4 recovery and CO 2 sequestration that need to be wholistically balanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]