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Solid-state lithium batteries exhibit high-energy density and exceptional safety performance, thereby enabling an extended driving range for electric vehicles in the future. Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are the key materials in solid-state batteries that guarantee the safety performance of the battery. This review assesses the research progress on solid-state electrolytes, including polymers, inorganic compounds (oxides, sulfides, halides), and organic–inorganic composites, the challenges related to solid-state batteries in terms of their interfaces, and the status of industrialization research on solid-state electrolytes. For each kind of solid-state electrolytes, details on the preparation, properties, composition, ionic conductivity, ionic migration mechanism, and structure–activity relationship, are collected. For the challenges faced by solid-state batteries, the high interfacial resistance, the side reactions between solid-state electrolytes and electrodes, and interface instability, are mainly discussed. The current industrialization research status of various solid electrolytes is analyzed in regard to relevant enterprises from different countries. Finally, the potential development directions and prospects of high-energy density solid-state batteries are discussed. This review provides a comprehensive reference for SSE researchers and paves the way for innovative advancements in regard to solid-state lithium batteries.

Visible light communication (VLC) has been viewed as one promising candidate to mitigate the challenging spectrum crisis and radio frequency interference in future 6G mobile communications and networking. Due to the relatively limited baseband modulation bandwidth of VLC light sources—typically, light-emitting diodes—non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) techniques have been proposed and explored to enhance the spectral efficiency (SE) of VLC systems. However, almost all reported NOMA VLC schemes focus on well-discussed applications employing a Lambertian light beam configuration and ignore the potential applications with distinct non-Lambertian optical beam configurations. To address this issue, in this work, the performance of non-Lambertian optical beam configuration-based NOMA VLC is comparatively investigated for future 6G mobile networks. The numerical results demonstrate that, for a fundamental two-user application scenario with the far user located at the corner position, a maximum sum rate gain of about 15.6 Mbps could be provided by the investigated distinct non-Lambertian beam-based NOMA VLC, compared with the maximum sum rate of about 93.3 Mbps for the conventional Lambertian configuration with the same power splitting factor.

Visible light communication (VLC) has emerged as one promising candidate technique to improve the throughput performance in future sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication networks. Due to the limited battery capacity of VLC systems, light energy harvesting has been proposed and incorporated for achieving the simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) function and for improving the overall energy efficiency. Nevertheless, almost all reported works are limited to SLIPT scenarios adopting a basic and well-discussed Lambertian optical transmitter, which definitely cannot characterize the potential and essential scenarios employing distinctive non-Lambertian optical transmitters with various spatial beam characteristics. For addressing this issue, in this work, SLIPT based on a distinct non-Lambertian optical beam configuration is investigated, and for further enhancing the harvested energy and the achievable data rate, the relevant flexible optical beam configuration method is presented as well. The numerical results show that, for a typical receiver position, compared with about 1.14 mJ harvested energy and a 31.2 Mbps achievable data rate of the baseline Lambertian configuration, a harvested energy gain of up to 1.55 mJ and an achievable data rate gain of 21.1 Mbps can be achieved by the non-Lambertian SLIPT scheme explored here.

In the envisioned 6G internet of things (IoT), visible light communication (VLC) has emerged as one promising candidate to mitigate the frequency spectrum crisis. However, when working as the access point, VLC has to be connected with the backbone network via other wire communication solutions. Typically, power line communication (PLC) is viewed as an excellent match to VLC, which is capable of providing both a power supply and backbone network connection. Generally, the integration of PLC and VLC is taken into consideration for the above hybrid system for channel characteristics analysis. However, almost all current works focus on hybrid PLC and VLC, based on a conventional Lambertian optical beam configuration, and fail to address the applications of hybrid PLC and VLC based on distinct optical beam configurations. To address this issue, in this paper, the channel characteristics of hybrid PLC and VLC, based on distinct optical beam configurations, are explored and illustrated. Numerical results show that, for a central position of the receiver, compared with an achievable rate of about 194 Mbps for hybrid PLC and VLC with a baseline Lambertian optical beam configuration, the counterparts of a hybrid channel based on Rebel and NSPW optical beams are about 173.4 Mbps and 222.4 Mbps. Moreover, the effect of azimuth rotation is constructed and estimated for hybrid PLC and VLC, adopting a typical rotating asymmetric beam configuration.

White organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) hold vast prospects in the fields of next-generation displays and solid-state lighting. Ultrathin emitting layers (UEMLs) have become a research hotspot because of their unique advantage. On the basis of simplifying the device structure and preparation process, they can achieve electroluminescent performance comparable to that of doped devices. In this review, we first discuss the working principles and advantages of WOLEDs based on UEML architecture, which can achieve low cost and more flexibility by simplifying the device structure and preparation process. Subsequently, the successful applications of doping and non-doping technologies in fluorescent, phosphorescent, and hybrid WOLEDs combined with UEMLs are discussed, and the operation mechanisms of these WOLEDs are emphasized briefly. We firmly believe that this article will bring new hope for the development of UEML-based WOLEDs in the future.

In medium- and short-range underwater application scenarios, thanks to the superior performance in transmission bandwidth, link latency, and security, underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) is growing to be a promising complement to the mature underwater acoustic communication technique. In order to extend the future 6G Internet of Things (IOT) to various challenging and valuable underwater scenarios, the underwater spatial coverage and transmission performance has been actively discussed in typical seawater environments. However, almost all current works focus on underwater scenarios including light-emitting diode (LED) transmitters with well-known Lambertian optical beams and fail to characterize the scenarios adopting LED transmitters with distinctive non-Lambertian beam patterns. For addressing this limitation, in this article, the coverage performance of non-Lambertian UWOC for 6G is analyzed and illustrated. Furthermore, the switchable optical beam configuration scheme is proposed and estimated for UWOC. Numerical results illustrate that, compared with about 15.42 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) fluctuation amplitude for UWOC with baseline Lambertian optical beam configuration, the corresponding SNR fluctuation amplitudes of UWOC based with two typical non-Lambertian optical beams are 8.71 dB and 24.60 dB. Furthermore, once the receiver depth is increased to 6.0 m, the SNR fluctuation amplitude for the above three UWOC coverage with distinct beam configuration could be reduced to 5.61 dB, 1.58 dB, and 10.33 dB, respectively.

The purpose of this paper is to review the research progress in the realization of the organic–inorganic hybrid thin-film packaging of flexible organic electroluminescent devices using the PEALD (plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition) and MLD (molecular layer deposition) techniques. Firstly, the importance and application prospect of organic electroluminescent devices in the field of flexible electronics are introduced. Subsequently, the principles, characteristics and applications of PEALD and MLD technologies in device packaging are described in detail. Then, the methods and process optimization strategies for the preparation of organic–inorganic hybrid thin-film encapsulation layers using PEALD and MLD technologies are reviewed. Further, the research results on the encapsulation effect, stability and reliability of organic–inorganic hybrid thin-film encapsulation layers in flexible organic electroluminescent devices are discussed. Finally, the current research progress is summarized, and the future research directions and development trends are prospected.

Nanoporous Cu foam is widely applied in many fields such as the packaging of electronic power devices. In this study, a sandwich-structured Cu-Zn eutectic alloy precursor composed of Cu0.53Zn0.47/Cu5Zn8/Cu0.53Zn0.47 is prepared through electroplating. The surface layer of the precursor, Cu0.53Zn0.47, has a flat surface with numerous grain boundaries, which effectively promotes its dealloying behavior. By contrast, Cu5Zn8 has a porous structure, which promotes the dealloying behavior at the center of the precursor. The dealloying of Cu0.53Zn0.47 is dominated by the coherent surface diffusion of Cu atoms, and the crystal lattice and orientation show no changes before and after dealloying. By contrast, the dealloying behavior of Cu5Zn8 requires the renucleation of Cu crystals; in this process, Cu atoms are transported to the surface of the layer by capillary forces to form clusters, which nucleate and grow.

Selecting the optimal spatiotemporal scale in fishing ground prediction models can maximize prediction accuracy. Current research on spatiotemporal scales shows that they are symmetrically distributed, which may not capture specific oceanographic features conducive to fishing ground formation. Recent studies have shown that deep learning is a promising research direction for addressing spatiotemporal scale issues. In the era of big data, deep learning outperforms traditional methods by more accurately and efficiently mining high-value, nonlinear information. In this study, taking Ommastrephes bartramii in the Northwest Pacific as an example, we used the U-Net model with sea surface temperature (SST) as the input factor and center fishing ground as the output factor. We constructed 80 different combinations of temporal scales and asymmetric spatial scales using data in 1998–2020. By comparing the results, we found that the optimal temporal scale for the deep learning fishing ground prediction model is 15 days, and the spatial scale is 0.25° × 0.25°. Larger time scales lead to higher model accuracy, and latitude has a greater impact on the model than longitude. It further enriches and refines the criteria for selecting spatiotemporal scales. This result deepens our understanding of the oceanographic characteristics of the Northwest Pacific environmental field and lays the foundation for future artificial intelligence-based fishery research. This study provides a scientific basis for the sustainable development of efficient fishery production.

In the electric vehicle wireless power transmission system, the high-frequency alternating magnetic field between the transmitter and receiver can have a certain impact on the health of living organisms and may even lead to lesions. In addition, metal foreign objects in an alternating magnetic field can cause their own heating or even cause fires due to the eddy current effect, so foreign object detection is an essential function in the wireless power transmission system of electric vehicles. In order to prevent metals and living organisms from entering the charging area and causing harm to the charging system and living organisms, this paper proposes a method for detecting living organisms and metal foreign objects. Firstly, the equivalent circuits for the detection systems of the living organism foreign objects and metal foreign objects are established, respectively, and the working theory of the detection system is analyzed by deriving equations. Secondly, the comb capacitor simulation model was constructed, and the comb capacitor electrode spacing, wire thickness, and capacitor spacing were designed based on the scale factor γ to explore the effects of the height and bottom area of the living organism’s foreign object on the comb capacitor. We constructed a simulation model of the detection coil and designed the inner diameter D, the number of turns N, and the wire spacing S of the detection coil according to the scale factor β. An arrayed detection coil and comb capacitor combination mode is proposed to realize the function of the simultaneous detection of metal and living organism foreign objects, and a compensation capacitor is introduced to keep the detection system in a resonant state. Lastly, a platform for foreign object detection experiments was set up to detect metal screws and beef chunks compared to the detection area without foreign objects. Metal screws entering the detection area cause a 20% voltage drop in the detection circuit resistor, and beef chunks entering the detection area cause a 30% voltage drop in the detection circuit resistor, so the detection method is effective in detecting both metals and living organisms. The feasibility of the combined mode of arrayed detection coils and comb capacitors was verified.

Monitoring and understanding the behavior of fishing vessels are important in facilitating effective management, preventing illegal fishing, informing fishing grounds and evaluating effects of harvests on fishery resources. In recent decades, a large quantity of real-time data of fishing vessels have become available with the development of vessel-tracking systems, making it possible to study the behavior of fishing vessels in high spatial and temporal resolutions. To effectively and efficiently deal with the large amount of data, algorithms from artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly applied in the study of fishing vessel behavior. In this paper, we first introduce the various data sources for studying fishing vessel behavior and compare their pros and cons. Secondly, we review the AI methods that have been used to monitor and extract the behavior of fishing vessels from big data. Then, studies on the physical, ecological and social mechanisms affecting the behavior of fishing vessels were synthesized. Lastly, we review the applications of fishing vessel behavior in fishery science and management.

TWIK1 (K2P1.1/KCNK1) belongs to the potassium channels of the two-pore domain. Its current is very small and difficult to measure. In this work, we used a 100 mM NH4+ extracellular solution to increase TWIK1 current in its stable cell line expressed in HEK293. Then, the inhibition of magnolol on TWIK1 was observed via a whole-cell patch clamp experiment, and it was found that magnolol had a significant inhibitory effect on TWIK1 (IC50 = 6.21 ± 0.13 μM). By molecular docking and alanine scanning mutagenesis, the IC50 of TWIK1 mutants G229A, T225A, I140A, L223A, and S224A was 20.77 ± 3.20, 21.81 ± 7.93, 10.22 ± 1.07, 9.55 ± 1.62, and 7.43 ± 3.20 μM, respectively. Thus, we conclude that the inhibition of the TWIK1 channel by magnolol is related to G229 and T225 on the P2- pore helix.

This study considers a wireless network where multiple nodes transmit status updates to a base station (BS) through a shared bandwidth-limited channel. Considering the random arrival of status updates, we measure the data freshness with the age of synchronization (AoS) metric; specifically, we use the time elapsed since the latest synchronization as a metric. The objective of this study is to minimize the weighted sum of the average AoS of the entire network while meeting the minimum throughput requirement of each node. We consider both the central scheduling scenario and the distributed scheduling scenario. In the central scheduling scenario, we propose the optimal stationary randomized policy when the transmission feedback is unavailable and the max-weight policy when it is available. In the distributed scenario, we propose a distributed policy. The complexity of the three scheduling policies is significantly low. Numerical simulations show that the policies can satisfy the throughput constraint in the central controlling scenario and the AoS performance of the max-weight policy is close to the lower bound.

This review investigates the measurement methods employed to assess the geometry and electrical properties of through-silicon vias (TSVs) and examines the reliability issues associated with TSVs in 3D integrated circuits (ICs). Presently, measurements of TSVs primarily focus on their geometry, filling defects, and the integrity of the insulating dielectric liner. Non-destructive measurement techniques for TSV contours and copper fillings have emerged as a significant area of research. This review discusses the non-destructive measurement of contours using high-frequency signal analysis methods, which aid in determining the stress distribution and reliability risks of TSVs. Additionally, a non-destructive thermal detection method is presented for identifying copper fillings in TSVs. This method exploits the distinct external characteristics exhibited by intact and defective TSVs under thermoelectric coupling excitation. The reliability risks associated with TSVs in service primarily arise from copper contamination, thermal fields in 3D-ICs, stress fields, noise coupling between TSVs, and the interactions among multiple physical fields. These reliability risks impose stringent requirements on the design of 3D-ICs featuring TSVs. It is necessary to electrically characterize the influence of copper contamination resulting from the TSV filling process on the reliability of 3D-ICs over time. Furthermore, the assessment of stress distribution in TSVs necessitates a combination of micro-Raman spectroscopy and finite element simulations. To mitigate cross-coupling effects between TSVs, the insertion of a shield between them is proposed. For efficient optimization of shield placement at the chip level, the geometric model of TSV cross-coupling requires continuous refinement for finite element calculations. Numerical simulations based on finite element methods, artificial intelligence, and machine learning have been applied in this field. Nonetheless, comprehensive design tools and methods in this domain are still lacking. Moreover, the increasing integration of 3D-ICs poses challenges to the manufacturing process of TSVs.

Erythromycin is one of the few compounds that remarkably increase ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) inhibition from room temperature (RT) to physiological temperature (PT). Understanding how erythromycin inhibits the hERG could help us to decide which compounds are needed for further studies. The whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to investigate the effects of erythromycin on hERG channels at different temperatures. While erythromycin caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of cardiac hERG channels, it also shifted the steady-state activation and steady-state inactivation of the channel to the left and significantly accelerated the onset of inactivation at both temperatures, although temperature itself caused a profound change in the dynamics of hERG channels. Our data also suggest that the binding pattern to S6 of the channels changes at PT. In contrast, cisapride, a well-known hERG blocker whose inhibition is not affected by temperature, does not change its critical binding sites after the temperature is raised to PT. Our data suggest that erythromycin is unique and that the shift in hERG inhibition may not apply to other compounds.

A number of alkali organometallic complexes with suitable thermodynamic properties and high capacity for hydrogen storage have been synthesized; however, few transition metal–organic complexes have been reported for hydrogen storage. Moreover, the synthetic processes of these transition metal–organic complexes via metathesis were not well characterized previously, leading to a lack of understanding of the metathesis reaction. In the present study, yttrium phenoxide and lanthanum phenoxide were synthesized via metathesis of sodium phenoxide with YCl3 and LaCl3, respectively. Quasi in situ NMR, UV-vis, and theoretical calculations were employed to characterize the synthetic processes and the final products. It is revealed that the electron densities of phenoxides in rare-earth phenoxides are lower than in sodium phenoxide due to the stronger Lewis acidity of Y3+ and La3+. The synthetic process may follow a pathway of stepwise formation of dichloride, monochloride, and chloride-free species. Significant decreases in K-band and R-band absorption were observed in UV-vis, which may be due to the weakened conjugation effect between O and the aromatic ring after rare-earth metal substitution. Two molecular structures, i.e., planar and nonplanar, are identified by theoretical calculations for each rare-earth phenoxide. Since these two structures have very close single-point energies, they may coexist in the materials.

The marine steam power system includes a large amount of thermal equipment; meanwhile, the marine environment is harsh and the working conditions change frequently. Operation management involves many disciplines, such as heat, machinery, control, electricity, etc. It is a complex multi-discipline physical system with typical nonlinear, multi-parameter, strong coupling characteristics. In order to realize the health management of a marine steam power system, based on digital twin technology combined with the Modelica language, modular modeling, etc., this paper conducts in-depth research on the multi-domain modeling of the marine steam power system, characteristic analysis of variable working conditions, fault simulation, etc. The analysis results show that the dynamic response trend of the model is consistent with the actual operation, the error of the main steam flow at 1800 s is the largest and is −4.9%, and the error of the main steam flow, steam turbine output power, cooling water outlet temperature and other key parameters is within ±5%. Virtual reality mapping between the digital model and the physical equipment is realized, which lays a foundation for mastering the dynamic characteristics of the marine steam power system.

Transparent electrodes (TEs) are important components in organic optoelectronic devices. ITO is the mostly applied TE material, which is costly and inferior in mechanical performance, and could not satisfy the versatile need for the next generation of transparent optoelectronic devices. Recently, many new TE materials emerged to try to overcome the deficiency of ITO, including graphene, ultrathin metal, and oxide-metal-oxide structure. By finely control of the fabrication techniques, the main properties of conductivity, transmittance, and mechanical stability, have been studied in the literatures, and their applicability in the potential optoelectronic devices has been reported. Herein, in this work, we summarized the recent progress of the TE materials applied in optoelectronic devices by focusing on the fabrication, properties, such as Graphene, ultra-thin metal film, and metal oxide and performance. The advantages and insufficiencies of these materials as TEs have been summarized and the future development aspects have been pointed out to guide the design and fabrication TE materials in the next generation of transparent optoelectronic devices.

At present, composite solder pastes are getting a lot of attention, especially composite Sn based solders reinforced by nanoparticles. Indeed, CoSn3 is a strong nucleating agent of Sn crystal, which has potential application value in the field of electronic packaging. However, there is no reliable synthetic path for CoSn3 nanoparticles at present. In this article, a chemical synthesis method for CoSn3 nanoparticles is developed. Here, CoCl2 and SnCl2 are reduced by NaHB4 in triethylene glycol (TEG), dispersed by ultrasonics, and heated to 350 °C in a tube furnace for growth. The CoSn3 nanoparticles with a diameter of about 150 nm are obtained by heating at 350 °C for 10 min. The CoSn3 nanoparticles undergo a step reaction in the process of synthesis and go through different stages of merging and annexation during their growth. The crystal growth behavior and the process of orientation change during the nucleation and growth of CoSn3 nanoparticles are studied, especially the two growth mechanisms, namely OU (orientation unified) and OA (orientation attached). By mixing CoSn3 nanoparticles with SAC305, we obtain a kind of strengthened composite soldering paste. There are obvious six-fold cyclic twins in the joints made by this soldering paste.

In dairy farming, milking-related operations are time-consuming and expensive, but are also directly linked to the farm’s economic profit. Therefore, reducing the duration of milking operations without harming the cows is paramount. This study aimed to test the variation in different parameters of milking operations on non-automatic milking machines to evaluate their effect on a herd and finally reduce the milking time. Two trials were set up on a dairy farm in Northern Italy to explore the influence of the pulsation ratio (60:40 vs. 65:35 pulsation ratio) and that of the detachment flow rate (600 g/min vs. 800 g/min) on milking performance, somatic cell counts, clinical mastitis, and teats score. Moreover, the innovative aspect of this study relates to the development of an optimized least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM) classification model based on the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to predict the proper pulsation ratio and detachment flow rate for individual cows within the first two minutes of milking. The accuracy and precision of this model were 92% and 97% for shortening milking time at different pulsation ratios, and 78% and 79% for different detachment rates. The implementation of this algorithm in non-automatic milking machines could make milking operations cow-specific.

In current optical wireless communications (OWC) oriented research works, the various multiple input multiple output (MIMO) techniques are introduced and utilized to enhance the coverage performance. Objectively, this Lambertian light beam based MIMO research paradigm neglects the light beam diversity and the potential performance gains. In this work, the distinct non-Lambertian light beams of commercially available light emitting diodes (LEDs) were adopted to configure MIMO OWC links. Specifically, the homogenous and heterogeneous non-Lambertian MIMO configurations were constituted in typical indoor scenarios. Moreover, applying the repetition coding (RC) MIMO algorithm with low complexity, a spatial coverage performance comparison was made between the several above mentioned non-Lambertian configurations and the well-discussed Lambertian MIMO configuration. Numerical results illustrate that the homogeneous NSPW light beam configuration could provide a more than 30 dB average signal to noise ratio (SNR), while the achievable average SNR of the heterogeneous light beam configuration was up to 28.77 dB. On the other side, the counterpart of the Lambertian configuration achieved just about 27.00 dB. Objectively, this work paves the fundamental and essential way for the further design and optimization of MIMO OWC in this novel light beam dimension.

Transgenic crops producing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are widely planted for insect control, but their efficacy may decrease as insects evolve resistance. Understanding the genetic basis of insect resistance is essential for developing an integrated strategy of resistance management. To understand the genetic basis of resistance in pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) to Bt cotton in the Yangtze River Valley of China, we conducted an F2 screening for alleles associated with resistance to the Bt (Cry1Ac) protein for the first time. A total of 145 valid single-paired lines were screened, among which seven lines were found to carry resistance alleles. All field parents in those seven lines carried recessive resistance alleles at the cadherin locus, including three known alleles, r1, r13 and r15, and two novel alleles, r19 and r20. The overall frequency of resistance alleles in 145 lines was 0.0241 (95% CI: 0.0106–0.0512). These results demonstrated that resistance was rare and that recessive mutation in the cadherin gene was the primary mechanism of pink bollworm resistance to Bt cotton in the Yangtze River Valley of China, which will provide a scientific basis for implementing targeted resistance management statics of pink bollworm in this region.

Under 5G envision, for pushing visible light communication (VLC) channel model evolution to various non-Lambertian beams, this paper introduces the typical commercial non-Lambertian beams, such as Luxeon rebel and side emitter, into the conventional analytical VLC channel model. The numerical results illustrate that the non-Lambertian beams can significantly affect the VLC channel frequency response characteristics. Compared with the traditional Lambertian beam, Side Emitter optical beam could naturally bring up to about 56.8% VLC multi input multi output channel capacity deviation, which objectively opens a new discussion dimension for enhancing VLC transmission performance.

In this paper, we consider a scenario where the base station (BS) collects time-sensitive data from multiple sensors through time-varying and error-prone channels. We characterize the data freshness at the terminal end through a class of monotone increasing functions related to Age of information (AoI). Our goal is to design an optimal policy to minimize the average age penalty of all sensors in infinite horizon under bandwidth and power constraint. By formulating the scheduling problem into a constrained Markov decision process (CMDP), we reveal the threshold structure for the optimal policy and approximate the optimal decision by solving a truncated linear programming (LP). Finally, a bandwidth-truncated policy is proposed to satisfy both power and bandwidth constraint. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, we prove the proposed policy is asymptotic optimal in the large sensor regime.

To study the effect of weld and defects on the corrosion behavior of nickel aluminum bronze (UNS C95810) in 3.5% NaCl solution, the weight loss, X-ray diffraction, optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and electrochemical test of the specimen with weld and defects were investigated. The results show that the presence of weld and defects increases the corrosion rate of bronze. Weld does not change the structure of the corrosion product film, but defects induce a lack of the protective outermost corrosion product in bronze. Weld makes the corrosion product film in the early stage more porous. Defects always produce an increase in the dissolution rate of the bronze.

To detect the stress of steel structures and members using the existing magnetism, a magnetic stress sensing system integrating a magnetic flux induction coil, a magnetic flux measurement device, a loaded device, and data acquisition software was developed. The magnetic coupling test research was carried out for different grades of structural building and bridge steel specimens to establish the magnetic stress flux mathematical model, and the fitting equation of the magnetic flux changes with the positions of different sections of specimens was analyzed. Furthermore, a practical formula for stress detection was obtained through the experiments. Meanwhile, on these bases, the typical steel truss structure model of a Bailey beam was designed and manufactured under different working conditions, nondestructive online stress testing was carried out, and the stress of the model structure and its members was measured by strain and magnetic flux tests to obtain the curves of the test results for the stress–strain and magnetic stress flux, respectively. The results of these two methods are in good agreement with each other. The stress of the steel truss model structure was analyzed and calculated using the finite element method. The results agreed well with the experimental results from the magnetic stress sensing system—the maximum error was about 5%, which meets the requirements of engineering applications.

A two-sex life table is a useful tool for studying the fitness of predators. Previous studies of Orius strigicollis Poppius (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) fitness have not been done on Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using a two-sex life table tool. This study reports the fitness of the minute predatory flower bug, O. strigicollis when feeding on the cotton pest P. gossypiella using a two-sex life table tool. Different densities (5, 10, and 15 eggs) of P. gossypiella eggs were used to calculate the feeding capacity and fitness of O. strigicollis in the laboratory at 28 °C ± 1, 75 ± 5% RH and 16:8 (L:D). The results concluded that O. strigicollis is an efficient predator of P. gossypiella. The maximum growth capacity of the predatory bug O. strigicollis was attained when it was fed on 10 and 15 P. gossypiella eggs. Furthermore, shorter generation and development time were also observed in the case of 15 eggs of P. gossypiella. These results suggest that O. strigicollis has considerable predatory potential and prefers feeding on P. gossypiella eggs than on the first instar larvae at the fourth instar or the female stage. Although the field potential of O. strigicollis is still unknown, this study will support future investigations in terms of field applications.

In this paper, a method of using the second phase to control the grain growth in Fe−Al−Cr alloys was proposed, in order to obtain better mechanical properties. In Fe−Al−Cr alloys, austenitic transformation occurs by adding austenitizing elements, leading to the formation of the second phase and segregation at the grain boundaries, which hinders grain growth. FeCr(σ) phase was obtained in the Fe−Al−Cr alloys, which had grains of several microns and was coherent and coplanar with the matrix (Fe2AlCr). The nucleation of σ phase in Fe−Al−Cr alloy was controlled by the ratio of nickel to chromium. When the Ni/Cr (eq) ratio of alloys was more than 0.19, σ phase could nucleate in Fe−Al−Cr alloy. The relationship between austenitizing and nucleation of FeCr(σ) phase was given by thermodynamic calculation.

Insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely used to control insect pests, but their efficacy is reduced when pests evolve resistance. We report on a novel allele (r16) of the cadherin gene (PgCad1) in pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) associated with resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac, which is produced by transgenic cotton. The r16 allele isolated from a field population in China has 1545 base pairs of a degenerate transposon inserted in exon 20 of PgCad1, which generates a mis-spliced transcript containing a premature stop codon. A strain homozygous for r16 had 300-fold resistance to Cry1Ac, 2.6-fold cross-resistance to Cry2Ab, and completed its life cycle on transgenic Bt cotton producing Cry1Ac. Inheritance of Cry1Ac resistance was recessive and tightly linked with r16. Compared with transfected insect cells expressing wild-type PgCad1, cells expressing r16 were less susceptible to Cry1Ac. Recombinant cadherin protein was transported to the cell membrane in cells transfected with the wild-type PgCad1 allele, but not in cells transfected with r16. Cadherin occurred on brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) in the midgut of susceptible larvae, but not resistant larvae. These results imply that the r16 allele mediates Cry1Ac resistance in pink bollworm by interfering with the localization of cadherin.

Time synchronization is one of the key technologies in Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks (IWSNs), and clustering is widely used in WSNs for data fusion and information collection to reduce redundant data and communication overhead. Considering IWSNs’ demand for low energy consumption, fast convergence, and robustness, this paper presents a novel Cluster-based Maximum consensus Time Synchronization (CMTS) method. It consists of two parts: intra-cluster time synchronization and inter-cluster time synchronization. Based on the theory of distributed consensus, the proposed method utilizes the maximum consensus approach to realize the intra-cluster time synchronization, and adjacent clusters exchange the time messages via overlapping nodes to synchronize with each other. A Revised-CMTS is further proposed to counteract the impact of bounded communication delays between two connected nodes, because the traditional stochastic models of the communication delays would distort in a dynamic environment. The simulation results show that our method reduces the communication overhead and improves the convergence rate in comparison to existing works, as well as adapting to the uncertain bounded communication delays.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been widely used in industrial systems. Their real-time performance and reliability are fundamental to industrial production. Many works have studied the two aspects, but only focus on single criticality WSNs. Mixed criticality requirements exist in many advanced applications in which different data flows have different levels of importance (or criticality). In this paper, first, we propose a scheduling algorithm, which guarantees the real-time performance and reliability requirements of data flows with different levels of criticality. The algorithm supports centralized optimization and adaptive adjustment. It is able to improve both the scheduling performance and flexibility. Then, we provide the schedulability test through rigorous theoretical analysis. We conduct extensive simulations, and the results demonstrate that the proposed scheduling algorithm and analysis significantly outperform existing ones.