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Ecological protection of grassland is an important part of the construction of ecological civilization in China. Grassland ecological compensation and reward policy is an important policy for grassland ecological protection in China. As the main participants in the grassland ecological compensation and reward policy, herders' behavioral response largely affects the effect of policy implementation. In this study, 550 herders in two regions with different compensation standards were selected as samples, and the comparative analysis of herdsmen's response to policy behavior and influence factors was carried out. The results showed that the grassland area owned by herders, ethnic group and perception of policies were important factors to affect the response of herdsmen's behavior in the two regions, but larger differences existed in the two regions. The grassland area and family size owned by herders are important factors that affect the response of herdsmen's behavior in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; However, the ethnic group, the understanding of policy and family income are the important factors in the western desert area.

This paper presents an analytical approach to predict the behaviours of geosynthetic-encased stone column (GESC)-supported embankments. The soil arching in the embankment and the nonlinear behaviours of stone columns are considered. Based on nonlinear elastic and elastoplastic constitutive models of stone columns, the nonlinear behaviours of GESCs, including settlement and radial deformation, are analysed. The deformations of GESCs, the surrounding soil, and the overlying embankment fill are compatible by applying stress continuity and volume deformation continuity at the bottom of the embankment fill. This method is verified via comparison with literature data and numerical analysis. The influences of parameters of the GESC, including encasement stiffness and column friction, on the performance of the embankment are investigated. Without considering the nonlinear behaviours of the column, the column-soil stress ratio is overestimated. It is more appropriate that the nonlinear characters of the column be considered in the analysis of GESC-supported embankments.

Using silicon nitride as a foaming agent and sodium tetraborate as a modifier of foaming, foamed ceramics (FCs) with porous internal structure and dense surface were prepared by a high temperature foaming method based on the foaming mechanism which is simultaneous occurrence of oxygen diffusion from the air into the molten matrix balanced with the generation of the oxidation–derived nitrogen from silicon nitride at a specific molten matrix viscosity. The foaming performance of the FCs was improved significantly by establishing the conditions for the best synergy between the generation rate of the oxidation–derived nitrogen and the viscosity of the molten matrix during sintering. By synergistically changing the proportion of raw materials and the sintering time at 1150–1250 °C, the FCs demonstrated excellent overall properties with a high closed porosity of 89 %, a low bulk density of 0.32 g/cm3 and a relatively high compressive strength of 6.2 MPa.

Sediment transport (ST) in unsteady flows is a complex phenomenon that the existing formulae are often invalid to predict. Almost all existing ST formulae assume that sediment transport can be fully determined by parameters in streamwise direction without parameters in vertical direction. Different from this assumption, this paper highlights the importance of vertical motion and the vertical velocity is suggested to represent the vertical motion. A connection between unsteadiness and vertical velocity is established. New formulae in unsteady flows have been developed from inception of sediment motion, sediment discharge to suspension’s Rouse number. It is found that upward vertical velocity plays an important role for sediment transport, its temporal and spatial alternations are responsible for the phase lag phenomenon and bedform formation. Reasonable agreement between the measured and the proposed conceptual model was achieved.

In this paper, being based on the idea of dispersion-relation-preserving optimization, a class of high-order high-resolution upwind compact schemes with a free parameter and their consistent boundary scheme are proposed for the solution of the governing equations of the 2D double-diffusive convection. The first derivative and the second derivative, in the vorticity equation, the temperature equation and the concentration equation, are discretized by using the optimal upwind compact scheme on a uniform mesh and the fourth-order symmetrical Pade compact scheme, respectively. The pressure Poisson equation is approximated using a fourth-order compact difference scheme constructed currently on the nine-point two dimensional stencil. The fourth-order Runge-Kutta method is utilized for the temporal discretization. To assess numerical capability of the proposed algorithm, particularly its spatial behavior, the problems about the convection diffusion equation, the nonlinear Burgers equation and the nature convection flows in the square cavity with adiabatic horizontal walls and differentially heated vertical walls are computed by using the newly proposed algorithm. The numerical results are in excellent agreement with the benchmark solutions and some of the accurate results available in the literature, and show that effectiveness, accuracy and the advantage of better resolution of the present method. After that, steady and unsteady solutions for the double-diffusive convection in a rectangular cavity are also used to assess the efficiency of the present algorithm. The period of oscillation and flow field profiles are in great agreement with the data in the literature for buoyancy ratio, λ = 1 . The typical separation and secondary vortices at the bottom corner of the cavity as well as the top corner can be captured well for various buoyancy ratio. These indicate that the present method is suitable for simulating effectively the unsteady double-diffusive convection.

Aza-ortho-quinone methides are important reactive intermediates that have found broad applications in synthetic chemistry. Recently, 1,4-elimination of ortho-chloromethyl aniline derivatives has emerged as a novel, powerful and convenient method for aza-ortho-quinone methide generation. This review will highlight the recent applications of aza-ortho-quinone methide precursors in annulation reactions to access various biologically important nitrogen-containing heterocycles. The general mechanisms are briefly discussed as well.1 Introduction2 [4+n] Annulation Reactions Using ortho-Chloromethyl Anilines as Aza-ortho-Quinone Methide Precursors2.1 [4+2] Annulation Reactions2.2 [4+1] Annulation Reactions2.3 [4+3] Annulation Reactions3 Conclusion and Perspective

Since the 1960s, the global land surface wind speed (SWS) has significantly weakened, a phenomenon known as global terrestrial stilling. The latest research found that the stilling reversed around 2010, and since then the global SWS has been strengthening. However, there is still a lack of systematic quantitative analysis in China. We analyzed the transition and regional differences in the long-term trends of the SWS in China based on observational SWS data from 1971 to 2019. The results showed that annual mean SWS in China underwent a reversal from a continuously weakening trend to a significantly strengthening trend around 2014 and implying that stilling may have ended in 2014. The reversal had obvious regional and seasonal variations. In Northeast China, Western Xinjiang as well as on the Tibetan Plateau, the years with both annual and seasonal mean SWS changing from weakening to strengthening were around 2013/2014, 1993/1994, and 2000. However, in the west of North China, SWS showed an obviously strengthening trend only in autumn and winter after 2007; while only autumn mean SWS showed a strengthening trend after 2012 in South China. It should be noted that stilling is ongoing in the eastern and southern coastal areas, North China and Eastern Xinjiang.

Hospital wastewater contains a variety of human antibiotics and pathogens, which makes the treatment of hospital wastewater essential. However, there is a lack of research on these pollutants at hospital wastewater treatment plants. In this study, the characteristics and removal of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the independent treatment processes of hospitals of different scales (primary hospital, H1; secondary hospital, H2; and tertiary hospital, H3) were investigated. The occurrence of antibiotics and ARGs in wastewater from three hospitals varied greatly. The first-generation cephalosporin cefradine was detected at a concentration of 2.38 μg/L in untreated wastewater from H1, while the fourth-generation cephalosporin cefepime had the highest concentration, 540.39 μg/L, at H3. Ofloxacin was detected at a frequency of 100% and had removal efficiencies of 44.2%, 51.5%, and 81.6% at H1, H2, and H3, respectively. The highest relative abundances of the β-lactam resistance gene blaGES-1 (1.77×10−3 copies/16S rRNA), the quinolone resistance gene qnrA (8.81×10−6 copies/16S rRNA), and the integron intI1 (1.86×10−4 copies/16S rRNA) were detected in the treated wastewater. The concentrations of several ARGs were increased in the treated wastewater (e.g. blaOXA-1, blaOXA-10, and blaTEM-1). Several pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria (e.g. Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, Aeromonas, and Pseudomonas) were observed at high relative abundances in the treated wastewater. These results suggested the co-occurrence of antibiotics, ARGs, and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in hospital wastewater, and these factors may spread into the receiving aquatic environment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-021-14735-3.

Nematode chitinases play vital roles in various physiological processes, including egg hatching, larva moulting, and reproduction. Small-molecule inhibitors of nematode chitinases have potential applications for controlling nematode pests. On the basis of the crystal structure of CeCht1, a representative chitinase indispensable to the eggshell chitin degradation of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we have discovered a series of novel inhibitors bearing a (R)-3,4-diphenyl-4,5-dihydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazol-6(2H)-one scaffold by hierarchical virtual screening. The crystal structures of CeCht1 complexed with two of these inhibitors clearly elucidated their interactions with the enzyme active site. Based on the inhibitory mechanism, several analogues with improved inhibitory activities were identified, among which the compound PP28 exhibited the most potent activity with a Ki value of 0.18 μM. This work provides the structural basis for the development of novel nematode chitinase inhibitors.

The mechanism of the flow resistance in open channels and pipelines is of vital importance for various critical issues related to the water flow. The Nikurade’s method of calculating the friction factor is not applicable in some cases. It is necessary to consider the influence of the vortex volume surrounding the vegetation and to study the hydrodynamic characteristics of the vegetated channels. This paper analyzes the variation of the vortices created by the surface roughness of different types and different sizes and proposes new definitions of the hydraulic radius and the equivalent roughness height. With consideration of the skin friction and the form drag, on the basis of the force balance equation, a novel calculation method is used for the friction factor, and this method is verified by experimental data. The hydrodynamic mechanism of the flow resistance revealed in this study may serve as a theoretical basis for hydraulic engineers to calculate the friction factor.

Based on the scenario hypothesis method, this paper applied a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to analyze the sensitivity of runoff to climate and land-use changes in the Longtan basin, China. Results indicated that (1) for every 1 °C increase in temperature, the average annual runoff decreased by 9.9 mm, and the average annual evaporation increased by 9.3 mm. However, for every 10% increase in rainfall, the average annual runoff and evapotranspiration increased by 96.3 mm and 11.53 mm, respectively. Obviously, runoff was more sensitive to the change in rainfall than temperature in the Longtan basin. Meanwhile, (2) forestland could conserve water resources, but its water consumption was larger. Although grassland played a relatively small role in water conservation, it consumed less water. At the same time, increasing the area of forestland and grassland could weaken peak floods, and the water retention function of vegetation could prevent runoff from increasing and decreasing steeply. Therefore, it is worth improving vegetation coverage. HIGHLIGHTS Constructing 25 climate change scenarios based on CMIP5 simulation results and local temporal and spatial variation characteristics.; Constructing 4 land-use scenarios based on its variation characteristics and local development plan.; Simulating and quantifying runoff response to different climate and land-use change scenarios.; Identifying the major impact factors for runoff variability.; Experiment in the karstic basin, where there is a lack of related research.

Two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnets with out-of-plane (OOP) magnetic anisotropy are potential candidates for realizing the next-generation memory devices with ultra-low power consumption and high storage density. However, a scalable approach to synthesize 2D magnets with OOP anisotropy directly on the complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible substrates has not yet been mainly explored, which hinders the practical application of 2D magnets. This work demonstrates a cascaded space confined chemical vapor deposition (CS-CVD) technique to synthesize 2D FexGeTe2 ferromagnets. The weight fraction of iron (Fe) in the precursor controls the phase purity of the as-grown FexGeTe2. As a result, high-quality Fe3GeTe2 and Fe5GeTe2 flakes have been grown selectively using the CS-CVD technique. Curie temperature (TC) of the as-grown FexGeTe2 can be up to ∼ 280 K, nearly room temperature. The thickness and temperature-dependent magnetic studies on the Fe5GeTe2 reveal a 2D Ising to 3D XY behavior. Also, Terahertz spectroscopy experiments on Fe5GeTe2 display the highest conductivity among other FexGeTe2 2D magnets. The results of this work indicate a scalable pathway for the direct growth and integration of 2D ternary magnets on CMOS-based substrates to develop spintronic memory devices.

Oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) in Porites coral skeletons at the micrometer scale has been proposed to be uninfluenced by temperature in previous studies. Considering that temperature is the main controlling factor of coral δ18O at the macro scale, the effect of temperature on the δ18O variations at the micrometer scale should be evaluated carefully. To better understand the climatic and biological significance of high-resolution δ18O in coral skeletons, in situ δ18O values were analyzed in three modern Porites corals from the South China Sea and the Great Barrier Reef by a Cameca IMS 1280-HR secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). A twice vacuum impregnation procedure for sample mount preparation and a subsection calibration method based on multiple controlling points for coral matrix effect correction were used for SIMS analysis. The derived SIMS coral δ18O time series exhibit consistent long-term variations with the monthly δ18O (measured by conventional gas isotope ratios mass spectrometry), monthly Sr/Ca, and daily sea surface temperature, first highlighting the dominant temperature control on micrometer-scale coral δ18O. The 1.5‰ fluctuation amplitude of SIMS coral δ18O at the scales of 400–800 μm can be explained by the combined SST effects of ~10-day variation and day–night fluctuation, whereas the effects of seawater δ18O and growth rate on SIMS coral δ18O seem not dominant. Some abnormally negative δ18O values possibly resulted from the primary ion bombardment on indistinguishable centers of calcification.

Low-temperature plasma surface modification technology can help optimize the physical and chemical properties of materials. In this study, TiO 2 films with thicknesses of approximately 100, 200, and 300 nm are prepared on an electrode surface using the magnetron sputtering method to explore the effect of film thickness on the breakdown characteristics of the liquid dielectric. The breakdown voltage of the liquid dielectric under a non-uniform electric field is determined using the Weibull distribution method. Based on the Kerr electro-optical effect, the changes in the spatial electric field along the symmetrical line of the blade-plate electrode gap are measured. The results show that compared to the undeposited state, the positive breakdown voltage of the liquid dielectric increases by 8.0%, 13.4%, and 15.9% corresponding to film thicknesses of 100, 200, and 300 nm, respectively, whereas the negative breakdown voltage increases by only 2.3%, 4.4%, and 5.7%. The TiO 2 film on the electrode surface has a greater impact on the increase in the breakdown voltage of the positive polarity, resulting in a decrease in the difference between the breakdown voltage of the positive and negative polarity. Therefore, it has great potential in improving the insulation performance of liquid dielectrics under uneven electric fields.

Broadband optoelectronic devices intrigue enormous interests on account of their promising potential in optical communications, sensors and environmental monitoring. PbSe nanocrystals are promising candidates for the construction of next-generation photodetectors due to their fascinating intrinsic properties and solution-processed compatibility with varied substrates. Here, we report the fabrication of a broadband photodetector on the basis of high-quality solution-processed PbSe nanorods in rock-salt phase grown along unconventionally anisotropic growth direction of zone axis. The rock-salt PbSe nanorods are synthesized in solution phase over the catalysis of Ag2Se with relatively high-temperature body-centered cubic phase via a solution-solid-solid growth regime using oleylamine and oleic acid as solvents and stabilizer surfactants, from which the PbSe nanorods with the unconventionally anisotropic growth direction are controllably grown in size and shape in the synthetic procedure typically with about 17 nm in diameter and 58 nm in length on average. Meanwhile, the PbSe nanorods-based photodetector exhibits a broadband response from 405 to 1,064 nm with a high responsivity of 0.78 A·W−1 and a fast response time of 17.5 µs. The response time is much faster in comparison with most of the PbSe-based photodetectors with response time in millisecond level.

Calcineurin B-like (CBL)-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) play a central role in Ca2+ signalling and promote drought tolerance in plants. The CIPK gene family in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.), a major food crop affected by drought, has not previously been characterised. Here, we identified 28 CIPK genes in the pigeon pea genome. Five CcCIPK genes were strongly upregulated in roots upon drought treatment and were selected for further characterisation. Overexpression of CcCIPK13 and CcCIPK14 increased survival rates by two- to three-fold relative to controls after 14 days of drought. Furthermore, the three major flavonoids, genistin, genistein and apigenin, were significantly upregulated in the same transgenic plants. Using CcCIPK14 as bait, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen and identified six interactors, including CcCBL1. CcCIPK14 exhibited autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of CcCBL1 in vitro. CcCBL1-overexpressed plants displayed higher survival rates upon drought stress as well as higher expression of flavonoid biosynthetic genes and flavonoid content. CcCIPK14-overexpressed plants in which CcCBL1 transcript levels were reduced by RNA interference had lower survival rates, which indicated CcCBL1 in the same pathway as CcCIPK14. Together, our results demonstrate a role for the CcCIPK14-CcCBL1 complex in drought stress tolerance through the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in pigeon pea.

To assess the deformation of a coal bunker and propose effective preventative measures for such, a real-time monitoring system was designed. Moreover, methods were proposed for monitoring the coal-bunker inclination, settlement, groundwater level, temperature, and material level. By using a vector autoregression model and time-series data for the coal-bunker deformation, a long-term equilibrium relationship was derived between the coal-bunker inclination and settlement and their influencing factors. The dynamic effects of each factor on the coal-bunker inclination and settlement and how the contribution of each factor changes were revealed by using an impulse response function and variance decomposition. The results show that the coal-bunker inclination and settlement vary hysteretically. Groundwater level has constant and small negative effects on the coal-bunker inclination and settlement, and temperature has continuous and significant negative effects; however, material level has constant positive effects on the coal-bunker settlement and slightly influences the eastward inclination while significantly influencing the northward inclination of the coal bunker. Also, unbalanced loading has little influence on the coal-bunker settlement and eastward inclination but significant influence on its northward inclination. Therefore, monitoring of the coal-bunker deformation should be strengthened in summer, and sudden changes in material level and unbalanced loading should be avoided during production. Moreover, the coal-bunker inclination can be adjusted by unbalanced loading in the reverse direction.

A novel electrolyte system with an excellent low-temperature performance for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been developed and studied. It was discovered for the first time, in this work, that when isoxazole (IZ) was used as the main solvent, the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte for LIBs is more than doubled in a temperature range between -20 and 20 °C compared to the baseline electrolyte using ethylene carbonate-ethyl methyl carbonate as solvents. To solve the problem of solvent co-intercalation into the graphite anode and/or electrolyte decomposition, the lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) salt and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive were used to form a stable solid electrolyte interphase on the surface of the graphite anode. Benefitting from the high ionic conductivity at low temperature, cells using a new electrolyte with 1 M LiDFOB in FEC/IZ (1:10, vol %) solvents demonstrated a very high reversible capacity of 187.5 mAh g-1 at -20 °C, while the baseline electrolyte only delivered a reversible capacity of 23.1 mAh g-1.

The influences of ultrasonic treatment on interfacial reactions and morphology of SnCr/CuFeNiCoCr solder joints were investigated. The as-reflowed solder joints were aged up to 360 h at different temperatures. The diffusion activation energy and growth kinetics of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were analyzed during the isothermal aging. The results of the present study indicate that a single layer of (CuFeNiCr)Sn2 IMC appeared at the SnCr/CuFeNiCoCr solder joints interface. Compared with the solder joint without ultrasonic treatment, the liquid solder would spread further along the ultrasonic orientation and the contact angle between substrate and liquid solder was reduced. In addition, the morphology of interfacial IMC layer could be changed from the rod shape to granular shape under the ultrasonic treatment. A thicker interfacial IMC layer was discovered in the joints after ultrasonic treatment. With the application of ultrasonic vibration, the grain size was refined. The diffusion activation energy of the interface (CuFeNiCr)Sn2 IMC layer was obtained by fitting the relationship between diffusion constant (D) and reciprocal of temperature (1/T), which were 79.74 kJ·mol−1 and 54.05 kJ·mol−1 for ultrasonic treatment time of 0 s and 5 s, respectively.

An electrochemically regioselective C-H phosphorothiolation of (hetero)arenes with thiocyanate as the S source under ultrasonic irradiation has been developed. The synergistic cooperation of electrooxidation and ultrasonication markedly accelerated the C-H phosphorothiolation reaction. This mechanistically different method is distinguished by its wide substrate scope and transition-metal-free and external-oxidant-free conditions, thus complementing the existing metal-catalyzed or peroxide-mediated protocols for the green synthesis of S-(hetero)aryl phosphorothioates.

Metallic zinc is an ideal anode due to its high theoretical capacity (820 mAh g−1), low redox potential (−0.762 V versus the standard hydrogen electrode), high abundance and low toxicity. When used in aqueous electrolyte, it also brings intrinsic safety, but suffers from severe irreversibility. This is best exemplified by low coulombic efficiency, dendrite growth and water consumption. This is thought to be due to severe hydrogen evolution during zinc plating and stripping, hitherto making the in-situ formation of a solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) impossible. Here, we report an aqueous zinc battery in which a dilute and acidic aqueous electrolyte with an alkylammonium salt additive assists the formation of a robust, Zn2+-conducting and waterproof SEI. The presence of this SEI enables excellent performance: dendrite-free zinc plating/stripping at 99.9% coulombic efficiency in a Ti||Zn asymmetric cell for 1,000 cycles; steady charge–discharge in a Zn||Zn symmetric cell for 6,000 cycles (6,000 h); and high energy densities (136 Wh kg−1 in a Zn||VOPO4 full battery with 88.7% retention for >6,000 cycles, 325 Wh kg−1 in a Zn||O2 full battery for >300 cycles and 218 Wh kg−1 in a Zn||MnO2 full battery with 88.5% retention for 1,000 cycles) using limited zinc. The SEI-forming electrolyte also allows the reversible operation of an anode-free pouch cell of Ti||ZnxVOPO4 at 100% depth of discharge for 100 cycles, thus establishing aqueous zinc batteries as viable cell systems for practical applications. A solid–electrolyte interphase that is permeable to Zn(ii) ions but waterproof is formed using an aqueous electrolyte composition. Cycling performances in an anode-free aqueous pouch cell show promise for intrinsically safe energy storage applications.

Profiling of lipid-water partition coefficients (KL/W ) of drugs is an essential issue during the early stage of drug development. In this study, two liposomes, including 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC) + cholesterol (Chol) (DSPC/Chol liposomes) and soybean lecithin (SPC) + Chol (SPC/Chol liposomes), were prepared for the liposome electrokinetic chromatography (LEKC) analysis, and the logarithm of lipid-water partition coefficients (log KL/W ) of neutral and ionic drugs were determined based on an iterative method. The log KL/W values determined by the SPC/Chol or DSPC/Chol liposomes LEKC were linearly fitted, which showed a good fitting coefficient (R2 = 0.89). Furthermore, the linear relationship between the data obtained from LEKC system and octanol-water system, immobilized artificial membrane, Caco-2 cell model, and software prediction was analyzed, respectively. Results illustrated that DSPC/Chol liposomes or SPC/Chol liposomes had a good linear relationship with Caco-2 cell model, and R2 was 0.81 and 0.72, respectively. Moreover, the linear free energy relationship analysis suggested that the solute volume, hydrogen bond basicity, and J- were the main descriptors that drove the partition process of solutes in the SPC/Chol or DSPC/Chol LEKC system. In addition, the normalized properties of the SPC/Chol and DSPC/Chol LEKC systems through linear free energy relationship analysis were very close. In short, DSPC/Chol liposomes are more suitable for simulating cell membranes than SPC/Chol liposomes, and the developed LEKC is an effective partitioning model for measuring the log KL/W of drugs.

Along with urban development globally, the NIMBY (Not-In-My-Backyard) crisis has been a complex social problem, which requires urgent remedial action. The inevitable management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has been one of the toughest risk management tasks in the worldwide modernization process. At present, certain fuzzy and unstructured results and methods have been formed for MSW-NIMBY crisis response, mainly focusing on the sociology and politics which scatter in complex and sensitive reports and news. Aiming at enhancing the effectiveness of data mining from specific sparse text of MSW-NIMBY crisis, an improved knowledge extraction method is developed. Through rule-based text mining and complex network analysis, the Entity Relationship (ER) network of MSW-NIMBY crisis is reconstructed. Meanwhile, a novel transitivity for relationship between entities in semantic analysis is proposed to improve the feasibility and accuracy of information extraction. Characteristics and regularity of MSW-NIMBY crisis evolution and experience of crisis governance could be identified effectively. Results show that knowledge integration and ER transitivity can enhance knowledge recognition and major other factors, which could help formulate the governance strategies of NIMBY crisis from academic texts.

An efficient method for catalyzing the ammoxidation of aromatic alcohols to aromatic nitriles was developed, in which a new heterogeneous catalyst based on transition metal elements was employed, the new catalyst was named Co-[Bmim]Br/C-700 and then characterized by X-ray photo-electronic spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The reaction was carried out by two consecutive dehydrogenations under the catalysis of Co-[Bmim]Br/C-700, which catalytically oxidized the alcohol to the aldehyde, and then the aldehyde was subjected to ammoxidation to the nitrile. The catalyst system was suitable for a wide range of substrates and nitriles obtained in high yields, especially, the conversion rate of benzyl alcohol, 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol, 4-chlorobenzyl alcohol and 4-nitrobenzyl alcohol reached 100%. The substitution of ammonia and oxygen for toxic cyanide to participate in the reaction accords with the theory of green chemistry.

Kisspeptin-10 (Kp-10) is a peptide hormone that regulates normal physiological processes. The mechanism of Kp-10 in milk synthesis is still unclear. Therefore, bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) were used to study the mechanism by which Kp-10 affects milk synthesis in BMECs. The GPR54 inhibitor and SIRT6 overexpression plasmid and siRNA were used to study the mechanism of regulating milk protein and milk fat synthesis by Kp-10. The results showed that 100 nM Kp-10 increased milk synthesis in BMECs. SIRT6 overexpression could significantly reduce the milk protein and milk fat synthesis in BMECs. Moreover, overexpression of SIRT6 reversed the activation of the Kp-10-induced mTOR signaling pathway. Further analysis suggested that SIRT6 might regulate the signal transduction of mTOR at the transcriptional level. These results strongly suggested that Kp-10/GPR54 activated the mTOR signaling pathway by inhibiting SIRT6 expression and then increased the milk synthesis in BMECs.

In this work, 100, 200, and 400 nm SiO 2 films are deposited on the electrode surface by magnetron sputtering, and the effect of film thickness on the insulation performance of propylene carbonate is studied. We use the Weibull distribution to calculate the breakdown voltage of propylene carbonate under different conditions. Space charge distribution of the liquid is measured based on the Kerr effect. Test results show that the breakdown voltage of propylene carbonate increases from 8.4 to 18.7% with increasing film thickness compared with the case where the SiO 2 film is not deposited. Bipolar injection mode of space charge is not affected by the increase of SiO 2 film thickness, but the amount of space charge injection is significantly reduced. The thicker the SiO 2 film deposited on the electrode surface, the higher the ratio of increasing the breakdown voltage of propylene carbonate, but the smaller the magnitude of the increase.

Numerical simulation of a two-phase compressible displacement problem is considered in this paper, modelled by a nonlinear system of PDEs. Considering the characters of mathematical model, we prese...

Nematode chitinases play crucial roles in various processes of the nematode lifecycle, including hatching, molting, and reproduction. Small-molecule inhibitors of nematode chitinases have shown promise for controlling nematode pests. However, the lack of structural information makes it a challenge to develop nematicides targeting nematode chitinases. Here, we report the first crystal structure of a representative nematode chitinase, that of CeCht1 from the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, to a 1.7 A resolution. CeCht1 is a highly conserved chitinase among nematodes, and structural comparison with other chitinases revealed that CeCht1 has a classical TIM-barrel fold with some subtle structural differences in the substrate-binding cleft. Benefiting from the obtained crystal structure, we identified a series of novel inhibitors by hierarchical virtual screening. Analysis of the structure-activity relationships of these compounds provided insight into their interactions with the enzyme active site, which may inform future work in improving the potencies of their inhibitory activities. This work gives an insight into the structural features of nematode chitinases and provides a solid basis for the development of inhibitors.

The industrial sector is the backbone of China's national economy. The industrial carbon emission efficiency (ICEE) of China is directly related to the achievement of carbon emission reduction targets. This paper reports on the use of the minimum distance (min-SBM) method to determine the ICEE of 30 provinces in China during 1998-2015, as well as the use of a spatial econometric method to investigate the convergence and influencing factors of the regional ICEE. The results indicate significant regional differences in the ICEE. The provinces with higher average values of ICEE are located in the eastern coastal areas, whereas the provinces with lower average values of ICEE are located in the central and western inland regions. The results of the spatial autocorrelation index reveal that China's inter-provincial ICEE exhibits significant spatial autocorrelation characteristics, and its spatial distribution demonstrates a certain regularity. The local indicators of spatial association diagram further illustrate that most provinces in China have high and low agglomeration values. With the introduction of the spatial effect, the absolute and conditional convergence rates increase. In addition to the non-significant industrial structure effect, the level of economic development, foreign direct investment, technological progress, and government intervention demonstrate a positive impact on the ICEE convergence, whereas the energy consumption structure has a negative impact. This work investigates the cause for the regional gap in China's current ICEE. Suggestions for improving the efficiency of China's industrial carbon emissions and narrowing the regional gap are provided, which serve as a reference value for China to achieve the peak of carbon dioxide emissions before 2030.

The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda, which originated in the Americas, is advancing across China and threatening the nation's maize crops. Currently, one widely used tool for its control is genetically modified (GM) Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize. Sufficient content of Bt protein in appropriate plant parts is crucial for enhancing resistance against insect pests. In this study, we conducted a systematic investigation of Cry1Ab levels in Chinese domestic GM maize DBN9936, which has recently obtained a biosafety certificate, and evaluated its efficacy against FAW. Quantification of expression levels of Cry1Ab, via ELISA, indicated a spatio-temporal dynamic, with significant variation of mean Cry1Ab, ranging from 0.76 to 8.48 μg g−1 FW with the Cry1Ab protein level ranked as: V6–V8 leaf>R1 leaf>R4 leaf>R1 silk>VT tassel>R4 kernel. Among the nine locations, the Cry1Ab levels in DBN9936 of the Xinxiang, Langfang, and Harbin fields were significantly lower than those from Wuhan and Shenyang, and were slightly, but not significantly lower than those from the other four fields. Furthermore, the artificial diet–Cry1Ab mixture and plant tissue feeding bioassays revealed that DBN9936 has high efficacy against FAW. The insecticidal efficacy of different tissues against FAW larvae reached 34–100% with a descending order of lethality as follows: VT leaf>R4 leaf>R1 husk>R1 silk>VT tassel>R4 kernel. Taken together, our results showed that Bt-Cry1Ab maize DBN9936 has potential as a promising strategy to manage FAW.

Manganese-rich layered oxide materials hold great potential as low-cost and high-capacity cathodes for Na-ion batteries. However, they usually form a P2 phase and suffer from fast capacity fade. In this work, an O3 phase sodium cathode has been developed out of a Li and Mn-rich layered material by leveraging the creation of transition metal (TM) and oxygen vacancies and the electrochemical exchange of Na and Li. The Mn-rich layered cathode material remains primarily O3 phase during sodiation/desodiation and can have a full sodiation capacity of ca. 220 mAh g-1 . It delivers ca. 160 mAh g-1 specific capacity between 2-3.8 V with >86 % retention over 250 cycles. The TM and oxygen vacancies pre-formed in the sodiated material enables a reversible migration of TMs from the TM layer to the tetrahedral sites in the Na layer upon de-sodiation and sodiation. The migration creates metastable states, leading to increased kinetic barrier that prohibits a complete O3-P3 phase transition.

ZnO sheets grown on an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) template are prepared by a hydrothermal reaction method. The morphology of ZnO is tailored by varying the hydrothermal reaction time and its photocatalytic properties are studied. Based on XRD, SEM and TEM results, the growth process of ZnO on the AAO template is analysed, which includes the dissolution of fibre and porous AAO, the generation of ZnO sheets and the growth of sheet ZnO layer. Therefore, this work is helpful for subsequent research on the morphology tailoring and growth control of ZnO on AAO templates.

Simultaneously integrating mesocrystalline stacking superstructures, porous nanosheets and defective oxygen vacancies (OVs) into BiOCl crystals is an available strategy to enhance the visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity. Herein, we report a facile etching agent-assisted hydrothermal approach to achieve one-pot fabrication of mesocrystalline BiOCl porous nanosheet stacking superstructures with defective OVs, which show high catalytic activities towards to the visible-light-driven degradation of organic dyes. The formation of stacking superstructure in a mesocrystalline BiOCl is responsibility for increasing the transport of charge carriers. Experimental results and theoretical calculations suggest that the presence of OVs is beneficial to tuning the energy band structure for the improvement of visible light harvesting, prolonging the lifetime and enhancing the oxidation activity of photogenerated charge carriers. Additionally, the porous morphology and thin nanosheet building block could supply abundant active sites for photocatalysis. This research might arouse in-depth investigations on the development of novel precursor-modified strategy for the synthesis of high-active BiOX (X = Cl, Br and I)-based photocatalysts.

Summary Oxygen activity in highly delithiated LiCoO2 is critical to fully utilizing the energy density of this high-tap-density cathode but still lacks a clear understanding. In this work, we combined the results of several experimental techniques, especially resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) and neutron pair distribution function (NPDF) analysis, together with theoretical calculations to study this topic. Our results conclude that oxygen redox takes place globally in the lattice, rather than forming localized dimerization as previously thought. RIXS results directly reveal the reversible oxygen redox, and NPDF results show that the O–O pair distance is considerably shortened in the highly delithiated LiCoO2. Theoretical calculations indicate that no O–O bonding is formed in LiCoO2, in sharp contrast to the lithium-rich system in which O–O bonding does form. These results provide the rationale for achieving a reversible deep delithiation and high energy density for LiCoO2-based electrodes.

As an important technology of the quantum detection, the quantum synchronization detection is always used in the detection or measurement of some quantum systems. A probing model is established to describe the probing of a qubit system in the cavity field and to reveal the effect of the environment (cavity) on the quantum synchronization occurrence, as well as the interactions among environment, a qubit system, and probing equipment. By adjusting the frequency of the probe, the in-phase, anti-phase, and out-of-phase synchronization can be achieved. Simultaneously, the effect of γ 3 ${\gamma }_{3}$ which describes the interaction strength between the probe and environments for quantum synchronization is discussed under different Ohmic dissipation index s . Finally, the machine learning method is applied to present an optimization for classification and regression of synchronization transition dependent on s and γ 3 ${\gamma }_{3}$ .

Metal anodes represent as a prime choice for the coming generation rechargeable batteries with high energy density. However, daunting challenges including electrode volume variation and inevitable side reactions preclude them from becoming a viable technology. Here, a facile replacement reaction was employed to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) interdigitated metal/solid electrolyte composite electrode, which not only provides a stable host structure for buffering the volume change within the composite but also prevents side reactions by avoiding the direct contact between active metal and liquid electrolyte. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a 3D interdigitated zinc (Zn) metal/solid electrolyte architecture was fabricated via a galvanic replacement reaction between Zn metal foil and indium (In) chloride solution followed by electrochemical activation, featuring the interdigitation between metallic Zn and amorphous indium hydroxide sulfate (IHS) with high Zn2+ conductivity (56.9 ± 1.8 mS cm-1), large Zn2+ transference number (0.55), and high electronic resistivity [(2.08 ± 0.01) × 103 Ω cm]. The as-designed Zn/IHS electrode sustained stable electrochemical Zn plating/stripping over 700 cycles with a record-low overpotential of 8 mV at 1 mA cm-2 and 0.5 mAh cm-2. More impressively, it displayed cycle-stable performance with low overpotential of 10 mV under ultrahigh current density and areal capacity (20 mA cm-2, 20 mAh cm-2), which outperformed all the reported Zn metal electrodes in mild aqueous electrolyte. The fabrication of interdigitated metal/solid electrolyte was generalized to other metal pairs, including Zn/Sn and Zn/Co, which provide inspiration for next-generation Zn metal batteries with high energy density and reversibility.

Verticillium wilt is a vascular disease caused by Verticillium dahliae, which has a serious impact on the yield and quality of eggplant. MiRNAs regulates plant growth, development, environmental adaptation and other life activities by controlling the expression of target genes. Although miRNAs have been systematically studied by high-throughput sequencing in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), their target genes are not identified systematically, which would provide the basis for exploring the mechanism of miRNA mediated gene regulation in response to Verticillium wilt of eggplant. In this study, degradome sequencing was performed using two libraries separately prepared from mock-inoculated and V. dahliae-inoculated seedlings of eggplants. A total of 122 target genes for 49 miRNAs families were identified. Of them, 62 target genes were significantly induced by V. dahliae, including 34 targets were found only in the inoculated seedlings library and 28 targets were shown to be differentially expressed between both two libraries. Further analysis showed that a conserved miRNA could target various genes ranging from one up to 15 or a target gene could be cleaved by 1–5 different miRNAs. QRT-PCR analysis on five miRNAs and their target genes confirmed the reliability of the degradome sequencing data. GO analysis revealed that target genes owned diverse biological functions and transcription regulation was the largest functional category. Analysis on KEGG showed that target genes were mainly involved in plant-pathogen interaction pathway and plant hormone signal transduction pathway to resist disease. This result will provide basic information for further studying the regulatory mechanism of eggplant miRNAs in response to Verticillium wilt infection.

This research focuses on the uncertainty quantification of electrical percolation behavior in wavy carbon nanotube (CNT)-filled polymer nanocomposites with a three-dimensional representative volume element accounting for both tunneling resistance (quantum carrier tunneling) and stochasticity in CNT waviness. The developed percolation model is validated with existing experimental data, and model parameters for electrical conductance converge to the optimal value with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) based on Bayesian inference. The predicted 95% confidence interval of electrical conductance indicates a different trend between two-and three-parameters of the electrical conductance model. The main trend of correlation between the percolation threshold (φc) and a parameter of the phase transition (critical exponent, t) indicates a statistically linear relationship via evaluation of the Pearson correlation coefficient. Moreover, the correlation between intrinsic conductance of CNTs (σo) and t also strongly affect the magnitude and slope of electrical conductance in uncertainty quantification. This work can contribute to a robust and reliable design of the PNC considering the physical uncertainty satisfying the target electrical performance through controlling φc, σo, and t.

Formic acid (FA) is one kind of important bulk chemicals, which is recognized as a sustainable and eco-friendly energy carrier to transport H2 via dehydrogenation or CO via decarbonylation. Expectantly, FA upon decomposition into H2 and CO could be used as the syngas alternative for hydroformylation. In this paper, the behaviors of FA to release H2 as well as CO following the distinct pathways were carefully investigated for the first time, and then established a new hydroformylation protocol free of syngas. It was found that the atmospheric hydroformylation of olefins with formic acid (FA) as syngas alternative was smoothly fulfilled over Xantphos (L1) modified Rh-catalyst under mild conditions (80 °C, Rh concentration 1 mol %, 14 h), resulting in >90% conversion of the olefins along with the high selectivity to the target aldehydes (>93%). By using FA as syngas source, the side-reaction of olefin-hydrogenation was greatly depressed. The in situ FT-IR and the high-pressure 1H NMR spectroscopic analyses were applied to reveal how FA behaves dually as CO surrogate and hydrogen source over L1-Rh(acac)(CO)2 catalytic system, based on which the deeply insight into the catalytic mechanism of hydroformylation of olefins with FA as syngas alternative was offered.

Monodispersed palladium phosphide (Pd3P) (5.2 ± 0.5 nm) was firstly applied to photocatalytic Suzuki coupling reaction under visible light irradiation with CdS nanoflake as a photosensitizer. This heterogeneous system exhibited high yields to corresponding products and excellent stability in alcohol solvent at room temperature.

A comprehensive understanding of the solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) composition is crucial to developing high-energy batteries based on lithium metal anodes. A particularly contentious issue concerns the presence of LiH in the SEI. Here we report on the use of synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function analysis to identify and differentiate two elusive components, LiH and LiF, in the SEI of lithium metal anodes. LiH is identified as a component of the SEI in high abundance, and the possibility of its misidentification as LiF in the literature is discussed. LiF in the SEI is found to have different structural features from LiF in the bulk phase, including a larger lattice parameter and a smaller grain size (

In this paper, a new portable, low-cost magnet with a good homogeneity is presented. The single-layer central magnet structure based on Halbach-type array has been designed, simulated which can generate a magnetic field of 1 T under the weight of 2 kg. Magnetic strips placed at the ends of the central magnet are presented to improve the central homogeneity. In order to counteract the inhomogeneity resulting from manufacturing tolerances, a new compact shimming structure designed for miniature Halbach magnet is applied. With this structure a reduction of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) from 21 kHz to less than only 0.7 kHz, which is adequate for achieving a good NMR relaxation signal. This novel miniature magnet structure has achieved an excellent balance between cost and homogeneity for portable time domain NMR.

A five-step, practical, and concise total synthesis of mubritinib is described. The synthesis utilized Friedel–Crafts acylation, click reaction, reduction, and demethylation for the construction of the triazole ring system as key steps. Another important feature of this synthesis is the Bredereck oxazole synthesis. The main advantages of this process are the improved yield and decreased number of reaction steps, which paves the way for the industrial-scale synthesis of mubritinib.

For evaluation of the seismic stability of submarine slopes, traditional deterministic methods may not reflect the actual situation due to the uncertainties in input values such as seismic acceleration, soil properties, and hydraulic conditions. In this study, probabilistic analyses were conducted based on the use of an enhanced Newmark method to evaluate the seismic stability of submarine slopes. In the probabilistic workflow, the infinite slope model was used, whereby the spatially varied strengths of marine sediments were simulated by non-stationary random fields discretized by the Karhunen-Loeve expansion. The positions of the potential slip surfaces were searched automatically, rather than being predefined as in the traditional limit equilibrium method. Artificial earthquake accelerations, exhibiting the same spectral characteristics, were simulated as the input ground motions in the probabilistic analysis. The pore water pressure generation and dissipation models were incorporated into the enhanced Newmark method when calculating the permanent displacements of the submarine slopes. Monte Carlo simulations were conducted for statistical characterization of the slope displacements and their failure probabilities. The results of the analysis indicate the superiority of the probabilistic framework and demonstrate the significant effects of pore water pressure and the spatial variability of the soil strength on the displacements and failure probabilities of submarine slopes.

In this study, we developed two new SIMS (secondary ion mass spectrometry) analytical protocols to simultaneously measure oxygen–hydrogen (O–H) isotopic compositions and water content for hydrous geological samples. These two protocols involve the measurement of two sets of secondary ion contents: (1) 1H, 2H, 16O, 18O; and (2) 16O, 16O1H, 18O, 17O1H, 16O2H. Both measurements utilize a hybrid dynamic multi-collector system of CAMECA IMS 1280-HR, which benefits from both the static multi-collector mode and peak-hopping mono-collector mode. These new methods can simultaneously measure (with high-precision) the 18O/16O ratio in static multi-collector mode without trading off its analytical precision, and 1H/16O (or 16O1H/16O) and 2H/1H (or 16O2H/16O1H) ratios in conventional peak-hopping mono-collector mode. Three glass samples (LBS7H, LBS5H and LBS6H-) with known water contents and two apatite samples (Kovdor, Durango) with known oxygen–hydrogen isotopes and water content were measured to verify the protocols' reliability. The olivine crystal San Carlos with ∼1 ppmw water content was used for background monitoring. For the apatite samples, the external precision (spot-to-spot reproducibility) for δ18O and δD is better than 0.56‰ (2SD) and 54‰ (2SD), respectively. After eliminating the outlier (beyond 3SD error), the external precision of 16O1H/16O or 1H/16O ratio improves to 10.27% (2SD). For the glass samples, the water content calibration curves, which were constructed by comparison of the known water content with the SIMS measured 16O1H/16O or 1H/16O ratios, yielded good correlations. It is noteworthy that the apatite and glass samples can have a uniform water content calibration curve for protocol 1, but not for protocol 2, indicating different matrix effects for the two protocols.

Processed herbs have been widely used in eastern and western medicine; however, the mechanism of their medicinal effects has not yet been revealed. It is commonly believed that a central role is played by chemically active molecules produced by the herbs' metabolism. In this work, processed rhizoma polygonati (RP) and other herbal foods are shown to exhibit intrinsic phosphatase-like (PL) activity bounded with the formation of nano-size flower-shaped assembly. Via quantum mechanical calculations, an enzymatic mechanism is proposed. The enzymatic activity may be induced by the interaction between the sugar molecules distributed on the surface of the nanoassemblies and the phosphatase substrate via either a hydroxyl group or the deprotonated hydroxyl group. Meanwhile, the investigation was further extended by processing some fresh herbs and herbal food through a similar protocol, wherein other enzymatic activities (such as protease, and amylase) were observed. The PL activity exhibited by the processed natural herbs was found to be able to effectively inhibit cancer cell growth via phosphatase signaling, possibly by crosstalk with kinase signaling or DNA damage by either directly binding or unwinding of DNA, as evidenced by high-resolution atomic-force microscopy (HR-AFM). In this work, the neologism herbzyme (herb + enzyme) is proposed. This study represents the first case of scientific literature introducing this new term. Besides the well-known pharmacological properties of the natural molecules contained in herbs and herbal food, there exists an enzymatic/co-enzymatic activity attributed to the nanosized assemblies.

In this paper, we study the problem of comparing the similarity and dissimilarity between two distinct vehicular trajectories by proposing an adjacency-based metric. This approach has a broad application in building truthfulness by comparing the similarity between two vehicles and evaluating the dissimilarity between two distinct paths in hazardous materials transportation. Given two sequences $A$ and $B$ of Point of Interests (POIs) visited by two vehicles in a road/transportation network, the problem is to delete some nodes from $A$ and $B$ to obtain $A'$ and $B'$ such that the number of adjacencies in $A'$ and $B'$ is maximized. In the sequences $A'$ and $B'$ duplicated nodes are allowed, e.g., to represent road edges. We prove that this problem is NP-hard when noisy POIs are deleted and all the remaining POIs must be involved in some adjacency. On the other hand, when the adjacency involvement constraint is dropped, a variation of the problem is as hard as Exact Set Cover hence cannot be approximated within a constant factor unless P=NP. At last, we design a practical approach based on local search and show that the algorithm is very effective on simulation data.

Oxygen isotopic analysis of aragonite by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is of significance to reveal the high spatial resolution information correlated with microstructure which could not be achieved by conventional methods. Appropriate reference materials to calibrate instrumental mass fractionation of SIMS are vital to acquire accurate values. However, the scarcity of standards (as far as we know, there were just two in-house laboratory-based potential reference materials reported) limits the development of this field. Herein, an inorganically precipitated aragonite vein sample (VS001/1-A) being evaluated through several hundred SIMS oxygen isotopic analyses was ascertained to have homogeneous oxygen isotopic composition with an external reproducibility of 0.3‰ (1σ) and to be a potential SIMS reference material. The instrumental bias evident in the series of aragonites, decreased by ∼3.4‰ with decreasing aragonite Ca content. Corals, as biogenic carbonates, were used as examples for evaluating the application of the in situ SIMS analysis method, and processes involved in “vital effects” are described. The development of in situ oxygen isotopic microanalysis of aragonite is significant for the application of revealing possible biocarbonate mineralization mechanisms.

Increasing electroluminescene quantum efficiency (EQEEL) of the photoactive layer to reduce non-radiative recombination energy loss (Eloss) has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to improve open-circuit voltage (Voc) of organic solar cells (OSCs). Meanwhile, incorporating a third component into the active-layer film can improve power conversion efficiency (PCE) of resultant ternary OSCs, mostly contributed from increments in short-circuit current density and fill factor but less in the Voc. Herein, we report a highly fluorescent molecule (IT-MCA) as a third component to reduce the Eloss and enhance the Voc for ternary OSCs. Applying the IT-MCA to three binary hosts, a significant increase of Voc (41 mV) is acquired and a best PCE of 16.7% is obtained with outstanding device stability. This work provides a new guideline to design the third-component molecule by enhancing its fluorescence for efficient and stable ternary OSCs with improved Voc.

A Jauman type microwave absorbing ceramic was prepared by adding carbon felt film in a ceramic matrix from the mixture of quartz, calcium sulphate, talc and sodium tetraborate. The sintering temperature and the addition of carbon felt film have a great impact on the properties of the ceramics. The ceramics prepared by sintering at 780 °C show the highest flexural strength due to the suitable fibre/matrix bonding strength. The ceramics with two layers of carbon felt film have much better microwave absorbing performance than those with one layer of carbon felt film, and the microwave absorbing performance of the ceramics could be better improved by using a conductive semi−transparent thin film as the loss layer. The ceramic containing two layers of carbon felt film with mass per unit area of 10 g/m2 is a good structural absorbing material possessing high flexural strength, uniform microstructure, good temperature resistance and excellent microwave absorbing performance with the whole reflectivity–versus–frequency curve below −10 dB and mean reflectivity of −11.3 dB in the frequency ranging from 8.0 to 18.0 GHz.