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Stitched images can offer a broader field of view, but their boundaries can be irregular and unpleasant. To address this issue, current methods for rectangling images start by distorting local grids multiple times to obtain rectangular images with regular boundaries. However, these methods can result in content distortion and missing boundary information. We have developed an image rectangling solution using the reparameterized transformer structure, focusing on single distortion. Additionally, we have designed an assisted learning network to aid in the process of the image rectangling network. To improve the network's parallel efficiency, we have introduced a local thin-plate spline Transform strategy to achieve efficient local deformation. Ultimately, the proposed method achieves state-of-the-art performance in stitched image rectangling with a low number of parameters while maintaining high content fidelity. The code is available at https://github.com/MelodYanglc/TransRectangling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a very promising and sustainable hydrogen production technology. Currently, there is a growing interest in achieving ordered structures within membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for PEMWE. However, both ordered electron conductor and ordered proton conductor structures are single component structure, which still have many shortcomings. In this work, a hybrid ordered membrane electrodes assembly based on cone‐shaped is constructed Nafion array with rough surface by introducing TiO2 nanoparticles to Nafion emulsion. As a result, this hybrid ordered MEA achieves a high surface roughness of 3.39 nm that is 2.64 times higher than that of ordered MEA without TiO2 nanoparticles doped and current density up to 2.48 A cm−2 at 2 V with 14.4 µg cm−2 (Ir) catalyst loading. This work provides a new hybrid ordered structure for MEA and exhibits the great potential of enhancing the interfacial contact between the catalyst layer and Nafion membrane to improve PEMWE performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to prepare YAlO3 fibers doped with 2 mol% Er3+ using electrospinning and a carbon‐free sol system as the precursor. X‐ray diffraction, thermal gravimetry and differential thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared were employed to characterize the thermal behavior and crystallization process of the precursor fibers. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed that the Er3+:YAlO3 fibers had a uniform diameter of 1 μm, a dense and crack‐free surface, and a non‐porous cross‐section. Upon excitation at 450 and 488 nm, upconverted luminescence spectra were obtained from the Er3+:YAlO3 fibers. This observation indicates their potential as upconversion luminescent agents capable of converting visible light into ultraviolet light. These properties make the Er3+:YAlO3 fibers promising candidates for various upconversion luminescence applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystallographic phase is one of the most important parameters in determining the physicochemical properties of an electrocatalyst. However, existing understanding of phase‐performance relationship is still very limited, especially for unconventional phases. Herein, the experimental discovery of the hexagonal close‐packed (hcp) phase of Co9S8 is presented. This is the first demonstration of the hexagonal phase of Co9S8, and through correlated experimental and computational data, the first to elucidate the origin of enhanced catalytic performance from this new phase. The synthesized Fe doped Co9S8‐hcp (Fe@Co9S8‐hcp) catalyst, compared to its face‐centered cubic (fcc) phase, exhibits small overpotentials of 44.1 and 298 mV at 10 mA and 500 mA cm−2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), respectively. Mass activity is enhanced by 64.9 folds compared to the conventional Co9S8‐fcc at 300 mV, which is the best among all Co9S8‐based catalysts ever reported. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the enhanced HER of Fe@Co9S8‐hcp mainly occurs at the Co sites, which synergizes with the doped Fe playing the role of coordination to strengthen H2O adsorption and dissociation. This study opens a new avenue for designing high‐performance electrocatalysts with unconventional phases for energy and environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-focus image fusion is a process of fusing multiple images of different focus areas into a total focus image, which has important application value. In view of the defects of the current fusion method in the detail information retention effect of the original image, a fusion architecture based on two stages is designed. In the training phase, combined with the polarized self-attention module and the DenseNet network structure, an encoder-decoder structure network is designed for image reconstruction tasks to enhance the original information retention ability of the model. In the fusion stage, combined with the encoded feature map, a fusion strategy based on edge feature map is designed for image fusion tasks to enhance the attention ability of detail information in the fusion process. Compared with 9 classical fusion algorithms, the proposed algorithm has achieved advanced fusion performance in both subjective and objective evaluations, and the fused image has better information retention effect on the original image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many factors affect the prognosis of hip fractures in the elderly. Some studies have suggested a direct or indirect association among serum lipid levels, osteoporosis, and hip fracture risk. LDL levels were found to have a statistically significant nonlinear U-shaped relationship with hip fracture risk. However, the relationship between serum LDL levels and the prognosis of patients with hip fractures remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the influence of serum LDL levels on patient mortality over a long-term follow-up period. Methods: Elderly patients with hip fractures were screened between January 2015 and September 2019, and their demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Linear and nonlinear multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify the association between LDL levels and mortality. Analyses were performed using Empower Stats and R software. Results: Overall, 339 patients with a mean follow-up period of 34.17 months were included in this study. Ninety-nine patients (29.20%) died due to all-cause mortality. Linear multivariate Cox regression models showed that LDL levels were associated with mortality (HR = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.53, 0.91, p = 0.0085) after adjusting for confounding factors. However, the linear association was unstable, and nonlinearity was identified. An LDL concentration of 2.31 mmol/L was defined as the inflection point for prediction. A LDL level < 2.31 mmol/L was associated with mortality (HR = 0.42, 95%CI: 0.25, 0.69, p = 0.0006), whereas LDL > 2.31 mmol/L was not a risk factor for mortality (HR = 1.06, 95%CI: 0.70, 1.63, p = 0.7722). Conclusions: The preoperative LDL level was nonlinearly associated with mortality in elderly patients with hip fractures, and the LDL level was a risk indicator of mortality. Furthermore, 2.31 mmol/L could be considered a predictor cut-off for risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional LiDAR odometry (LO) systems mainly leverage geometric information obtained from the traversed surroundings to register lazer scans and estimate LiDAR ego-motion, while they may be unreliable in dynamic or degraded environments. This paper proposes InTEn-LOAM, a low-drift and robust LiDAR odometry and mapping method that fully exploits implicit information of lazer sweeps (i.e., geometric, intensity and temporal characteristics). The specific content of this work includes method innovation and experimental verification. With respect to method innovation, we propose the cylindrical-image-based feature extraction scheme, which makes use of the characteristic of uniform spatial distribution of lazer points to boost the adaptive extraction of various types of features, i.e., ground, beam, facade and reflector. We propose a novel intensity-based point registration algorithm and incorporate it into the LiDAR odometry, enabling the LO system to jointly estimate the LiDAR ego-motion using both geometric and intensity feature points. To eliminate the interference of dynamic objects, we propose a temporal-based dynamic object removal approach to filter them out in the resulting points map. Moreover, the local map is organized and downsampled using a temporal-related voxel grid filter to maintain the similarity between the current scan and the static local map. With respect to experimental verification, extensive tests are conducted on both simulated and real-world datasets. The results show that the proposed method achieves similar or better accuracy with respect to the state-of-the-art in normal driving scenarios and outperforms geometric-based LO in unstructured environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous and accurate acquisitions of surface water distribution are important for water resources evaluation, especially high-precision flood monitoring. During surface water extraction, optical imagery is strongly affected by clouds, while synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is easily influenced by numerous physical factors; thus, the water extraction method based on single-sensor imagery cannot obtain high-precision water range under multiple scenarios. Here, we integrated the radar backscattering coefficient of ground objects into the Normalized Difference Water Index to construct a novel SAR and Optical Imagery Water Index (SOWI), and the water ranges of five study areas were extracted. We compared two previous automatic extraction methods based on single-sensor imagery and evaluated the accuracy of the extraction results. Compared with using optical and SAR imagery alone, the accuracy of all five regions was improved by up to 1–18%. The fusion-derived products resulted in user accuracies ranging 95–99% and Kappa coefficients varying by 85–97%. SOWI was then applied to monitor the 2021 heavy rainfall-induced Henan Province flood disaster, obtaining a time-series change diagram of flood inundation range. Our results verify SOWI's continuous high-precision monitoring capability to accurately identify waterbodies beneath clouds and algal blooms. By reducing random noise, the defects of SAR are improved and the roughness of water boundaries is overcome. SOWI is suitable for high-precision water extraction in myriad scenarios, and has great potential for use in flood disaster monitoring and water resources statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs) and steel bar corrosion (SBC) are the most common service conditions of hydraulic concrete and have significant impacts on its durability. Using pullout and microscopic tests of different FTC and SBC rates, we selected the mass loss rate, ultrasonic velocity, bond strength and bond slip in order to describe the changes in the macro-properties, and also selected the porosity and pore size distribution as micro-parameters in order to explore the influence of FTCs and SBC on the mechanical properties of hydraulic concrete. The results showed that the bond strength decreased as the FTCs increased due to the microstructure damage caused by FTC and SBC, which affects the mechanical properties. A corrosion rate of ≤3% offset the damage caused by 50 FTCs. FTCs and SBC resulted in superimposed damage effects on the concrete. In addition, we established a bond strength damage model based on the joint FTCs and SBC and quantitatively described the degradation law of the macro-mechanical properties. The analysis shows that the influence of FTCs on the bond strength was greater than that of the SBC. These research results can provide a reference and experimental support for the frost-resistant design and durability prediction of hydraulic concrete structures in cold environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water and air flow in soil pores in response to rainfall infiltration is an important factor affecting the stability of rainfall-induced landslides. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of water-air flow on the deformation and stability of rainfall-induced landslides based on a coupled infiltration and hydromechanical model. The model is formulated by the water and air flow equation, the mechanical equilibrium, and porosity equations. The rainfall infiltration is introduced as a flux boundary, which is determined according to the comparison of the infiltration capacity and rainfall intensity. The numerical model and solution approach are validated by simulating the Liakopoulos drainage test and a rainfall infiltration experiment with satisfactory results. Taking the Tanjiawan landslide as a case study, the water and air flow in response to rainfall infiltration and its effect on deformation and stability are examined. The results show that the pore air is gradually trapped and compressed due to rainwater infiltration. The entrapped air has a slowing effect on the rainfall infiltration and a pushing-out effect on the front sliding body, which is an important driving force for the evolution of the slope deformation and stability due to rainfall infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of liquid crystal elastomer-based printed electronic devices has been innovatively crafted through modifying screen-printing patterns. [Display omitted] • A printed liquid crystal elastomer soft actuator with multi-stimuli responsiveness and self-sensing capabilities is achieved. • A printed liquid crystal elastomer near-infrared light array sensor is fabricated. • A series of printed functional devices are fabricated through simple modifications of the printing patterns. Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are valuable in soft actuators, sensors and other emerging fields. However, it is still a huge challenge to build high-performance LCE-based functional devices in a simple and fast way to achieve the orderly and patterned integration of multiple functional layers and LCE. Herein, screen-printing technology is used to realize the multi-layer pattern deposition of silver fractal dendrites conductive ink (with excellent Joule heating effect and strain-sensing function) and carbon black conductive ink (with photothermal conversion ability) on the surface of LCE. A series of LCE-based electronic devices are prepared through customized printing patterns. The as-obtained actuator possesses excellent electric actuating performance (bending angle of 102° at 200 mA) and self-sensing function (maximum relative resistance changes of −55.0%), and also exhibits NIR light-driven self-sensing bending actuation behavior (bending angle of 81° at 1.43 W/cm2), which can be used to control the robotic arm. The as-printed NIR light sensing array system can accurately sense the intensity, spot size and position of NIR light, showing good application potential in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle flight safety. This work provides a new strategy for the efficient preparation of LCEs-based flexible electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection and prediction of sea clutter power is the basis of inversing atmospheric duct. At present, the technology of atmospheric duct within radar detection range is relatively perfect, but the long-distance inversion of atmospheric duct is limited by radar detection range, and the prediction of the echo power of the measured sea clutter is the basis of long-distance inversion of atmospheric duct. Based on the theory of weighted Markov model and grey Markov model, a weighted grey Markov model is constructed, and the sliding method is introduced to establish the sliding weighted grey Markov model. The relative error between the measured sea clutter power and predicted values of the above four models is calculated and analyzed using the experimental data collected. The results show that the sliding weighted grey Markov model has better accuracy not only in short-range prediction but also in long-distance prediction, which could provide data support for inversing atmospheric duct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duck plague virus (DPV) is extremely infectious and lethal, so antiviral drugs are urgently needed. Our previous study shows that DPV infection with duck embryo fibroblast (DEF) induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) changes and promotes apoptosis. In this study, we tested the antiviral effect of the carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP), a common mitochondrial autophagy inducer. Our results demonstrated a dose-dependent anti-DPV effect of CCCP, CCCP-treatment blocked the intercellular transmission of DPV after infection, and we also proved that CCCP could have an antiviral effect up to 48 hpi. The addition of CCCP reversed the DPV-induced ROS changes, CCCP can inhibit virus-induced apoptosis; meanwhile, CCCP can affect mitochondrial fusion and activate mitophagy to inhibit DPV. In conclusion, CCCP can be an effective antiviral candidate against DPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a laser diode (LD) pumped passive mode-locking (ML) Tm, Ho:Ca(Gd, Lu)AlO 4 laser based on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) is reported. With the introduced group delay dispersion (GDD) of −4000 fs2, a stable pulse train with the fundamental repetition rate of 105 MHz is achieved. By increasing the pump power, a stable harmonic mode-locking (HML) pulse with the repetition rate of 211.0 MHz and a 4th-order HML pulse train with the repetition rate of 420 MHz are obtained. By adjusting the introduced GDD to −2600 fs2, a stable 2nd-order HML pulse with repetition rate of 190.8 MHz at 2078.5 nm is also obtained. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the HML Tm, Ho:Ca(Gd, Lu)AlO 4 lasers and also the first report on LD pumped mode-locking Tm, Ho:Ca(Gd, Lu)AlO 4 laser. • A laser diode (LD) pumped passive mode-locking Tm, Ho:Ca(Gd, Lu)AlO 4 laser based on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror is reported. • With the introduced group delay dispersion of −4000 fs2, a stable pulse train with the fundamental repetition rate of 105 MHz is achieved. • By increasing the pump power, a stable harmonic mode-locking (HML) pulse with the repetition rate of 211.0 MHz and a 4th-order HML pulse train with the repetition rate of 420 MHz are obtained. • By adjusting the introduced group delay dispersion to −2600 fs2, a stable 2nd-order HML pulse with repetition rate of 190.8 MHz at 2078.5 nm is also obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The development of CRISPR‐based editors recognizing distinct protospacer‐adjacent motifs (PAMs), or having different spacer length/structure requirements broadens the range of possible genomic applications. We evaluated the natural and engineered variants of Cas12a (FnCas12a and LbCas12a) and Cas9 for their ability to induce mutations in endogenous genes controlling important agronomic traits in wheat. Unlike FnCas12a, LbCas12a‐induced mutations in the wheat genome, even though with a lower rate than that reported for SpCas9. The eight‐fold improvement in the gene editing efficiency was achieved for LbCas12a by using the guides flanked by ribozymes and driven by the RNA polymerase II promoter from switchgrass. The efficiency of multiplexed genome editing (MGE) using LbCas12a was mostly similar to that obtained using the simplex RNA guides and showed substantial increase after subjecting transgenic plants to high‐temperature treatment. We successfully applied LbCas12a‐MGE for generating heritable mutations in a gene controlling grain size and weight in wheat. We showed that the range of editable loci in the wheat genome could be further expanded by using the engineered variants of Cas12a (LbCas12a‐RVR) and Cas9 (Cas9‐NG and xCas9) that recognize the TATV and NG PAMs, respectively, with the Cas9‐NG showing higher editing efficiency on the targets with atypical PAMs compared to xCas9. In conclusion, our study reports a set of validated natural and engineered variants of Cas12a and Cas9 editors for targeting loci in the wheat genome not amenable to modification using the original SpCas9 nuclease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two biomass wastes were subjected to comprehensive thermogravimetric analysis. • Both rice husk (RH) and poplar bark (PB) showed three consecutive pyrolysis stages. • CH 4 and arenes were abundant in the hydrocarbon gaseous products. • Average E a were 209.1 kJ/mol and 203.90 kJ/mol for RH and PB, respectively. • At low conversions, both RH and PB obeyed first-order reaction (F1) mechanism. Rice husk (RH) and poplar bark (PB) as the staple biomass wastes represent herbaceous and woody plants, respectively. Thermo-chemical conversion of these wastes is a practical approach for value-added reclamation of bioenergy in large-quantity and pyrolysis plays core role in this process. In this work, RH and PB were subjected to comprehensive investigations on pyrolysis behavior, kinetics and gaseous product evolution in a thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy at different heating rates. The results demonstrated that both RH and PB underwent three consecutive pyrolysis stages, the TG/DTG curves shifted to higher temperature and the peak temperature intervals also enhanced as heating rate increased. It was observed CO 2 was the most dominated species among oxygenated products, followed by C O bond containing species, while CH 4 and arenes were abundant in hydrocarbon gases. In comparison, pyrolysis of RH could generate larger amounts of oxygenated products, and more hydrocarbons like CH 4 , arenes, and C2+ aliphatics were observed in the pyrolytic products of PB. Model-free kinetic methods showed that the average E a were 209.1 kJ/mol and 203.9 kJ/mol for RH and PB, respectively. Criado model-fitting method indicated that pyrolysis of RH and PB both obeyed F1 reaction mechanism first and turned into one-dimensional diffusion and reaction mechanism, respectively at higher conversion of 0.25−0.60. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing a library of stable phosphors with unconventional fluorescence (FL) and room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) color combination is an effective approach to enhance anti‐counterfeiting strength, but remains a challenge. Herein, a one‐step strategy is proposed to fabricate ultra‐stable CsPbX3/carbon dots (CDs) @NH4AlP2O7 (X = Cl, Br, and I) nanocomposites (PCPNs) with full‐spectrum FL emission and constant short‐wavelength blue RTP emission, breaking the conventional luminescent properties that RTP generally exhibit obvious wavelength red‐shifts compared with FL. The enhanced full‐color (457–612 nm) FL emissions are implemented by adjusting halogen compositions, which is attributed to CsPbX3 as the dominant FL center. Owing to the RTP emission of CDs, constant long‐lived blue RTP emission lasting 12 s is observed from PCPNs. Additionally, the PCPNs exhibit remarkable tolerance to prolonged ultraviolet irradiation and erosion by solutions with various pH and solvents, supported by NH4AlP2O7 inert shell stabilizing the perovskite structure and triplet state. When the anti‐counterfeiting ink based on PCPNs is printed on various substrates, fine anti‐counterfeiting labels with unconventional emission combinations of FL and RTP are formed and show excellent solvent resistance and mechanical stability. This study provides fresh perspectives on the development of anti‐counterfeiting labels with enhanced security strength and long‐term effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, diarrhea cases occurred on cattle farms in Qionglai and Guang'an, Sichuan Province. Two out of 20 (10%) serum and nasal swab samples were positive when tested using a bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) antigen-capture ELISA kit. Two non-cytopathic strains of BVDV were isolated and named QL1903 and GA190608, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of the genomes of the two isolates were 89.52% identical. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 5'-UTR sequence revealed that the BVDV isolate QL1903 belonged to BVDV subtype 1b, whereas isolate GA190608 clustered with strains HN1814, EN-19, and BJ09_26 in a separate branch, which has tentatively been classified as a new genetic subtype, "1v". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) is a weak region of recycled concrete. To further study the influence of the ITZ on the damage performance of recycled concrete, a formula for calculating the ITZ thickness is derived, and the ITZ thickness is calculated for various recycled concrete mixtures with a recycled aggregate content of 30%. The concrete model test method and finite element analysis software were used to numerically simulate common concrete and recycled concrete with ITZ thicknesses of 0.05 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm. The results show that the thickness of the ITZ has an obvious influence on the cracking strength of recycled concrete and that the cracking strength of recycled concrete decreases with increasing ITZ thickness. The cracks in recycled concrete initiate from the ITZ, and the damage degree increases with increasing ITZ thickness. Compared with that of common concrete, the cracking strength of recycled concrete with an ITZ thickness of no more than 2 mm (i.e., the replacement rate of the recycled aggregates is no more than 30%) is not significantly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic properties of biphase microwires which consists of CoFeSiB soft magnetic core, Pyrex glass coating and Co90Ni10 hard magnetic shell is introduced here. From the resistance spectra of GCM/CoNi (CC), two peaks are found on the resistance spectra in which one of the peaks can be considered to be caused by LC resonance depend on two main capacitors: one is the capacitor due to the interaction between the outer shell and soft core, another capacitor dues to the under action of the connector and outer shell. Obviously, the other peak is from the action of the FMR of soft magnetic core. After the welding type changed, the core and the shell were welded to the connector (CS) separately, from the differences of the resistance spectra of this welding type with the resistance spectra of GCM/CoNi (CC), the peak caused by LC resonance disappeared for the capacitance of these capacitors changed. At the same time, the capacitance of the capacitors is mainly depended on the thickness of pyrex and is independent of the outer shell thickness. These statically magneto coupled biphase systems have great potential as main sensing elements in the development of sensor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain-sensing e-textiles with high stretchability and high sensitivity are fabricated by low-cost and high-efficiency screen printing methods via designing the composite conductive ink from the perspective of optimizing polymer binder. [Display omitted] • The binder in conductive ink significantly affects the performance of e-textiles. • High-performance strain-sensing e-textiles are achieved by low-cost screen printing. • Strain-sensing e-textiles show wide workable strain range and high sensitivity. • Strain-sensing e-textiles show excellent dynamic stability. • Human posture and motion can be monitor and identify. Developing strain-sensing electronic textiles (e-textiles) that combine the functionality of stretchable strain sensors with the wearing comfort of textiles is an important development direction for wearable electronics. However, achieving low-cost and high-volume fabrication of strain-sensing e-textiles with both a wide strain working range and high sensitivity remains a huge challenge. Herein, we report high-performance printed strain-sensing e-textiles by designing the composite conductive ink from the perspective of optimizing polymer binders. The composite conductive inks based on different polymer binders present different rheological properties, volume shrinkage, and mechanical properties, which further affect the sensing performance of printed strain-sensing e-textiles. Compared with other four composite conductive inks, the carbon blacks/high elastic transparent glue-based printed strain-sensing e-textile with microcrack structure exhibits higher sensitivity (120.6 at a strain range of 0–100%) over a wide strain working range (150%), while also exhibiting low detection limits (0.1%) and outstanding dynamic stability (10000 cycles). On this basis, the demonstration of smart clothing integrated with 9 printed strain-sensing elements in human body posture recognition and monitoring proves its application prospects in human–machine interaction and virtual reality. This work opens a new research idea for constructing high-performance strain-sensing e-textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xu, F.; Tian, B., and Xu, G., 2020. The shear resistance of making concrete beams under the circumstance of marine environmental damage. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 367-370. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Reinforced concrete structure has been widely developed and applied because of its combination of the advantages of reinforcement and concrete. It gives full play to the good performance of reinforcement and concrete. However, under the influence of many external factors, the corrosion of steel bars has become an important factor in its application. There are many factors that cause the damage of reinforced concrete materials, and the Chloride Erosion in the marine environment is one of the main reasons. In this paper, the calculation formula of shear capacity of existing reinforced concrete beams in the marine environment is studied, and the shear capacity attenuation model of reinforced concrete beams is proposed. Secondly, the paper analyzes the corrosive effect of marine environment on concrete, and studies the calculation of bearing capacity of reinforced concrete beams damaged by marine environment. Finally, the anti-corrosion control measures of reinforced concrete materials in marine environment are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Printed flexible heaters (FHs) with excellent heating performance and thermal stability are quite desirable for the development of portable thermotherapy platform. Herein, the facile screen‐printing technology is used to fabricate the highly oxidation‐resistant Cu @ Ni rose‐stem nanowires (RSNWs) ‐ based low‐cost scalable FHs. The Cu @ Ni RSNWs possess low sheet resistance of 1.9 Ω sq−1 after low temperature sintering (90 °C). The FHs not only exhibit great oxidation resistance (almost no change at 180 °C for 30 min), but also maintain the great conductivity (ΔR/R0 < 0.3) even after being exposed to ambient atmosphere for 60 days. Furthermore, the FHs exhibit great heating performance with the saturation temperature of 172.8 °C under 6 V, and can keep stable heating cycles for 5500 s under both parameters of the stepwise‐rising voltage from 2 to 6 V and consistent load‐on voltage of 6 V. In addition, the heaters array can greatly shorten the time of raising the temperature of the blood bag from 5 to 20 °C. The outstanding heating performance of the FHs provides great chances for portable variable‐area flexible heating platform in the field of multiduty thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well‐known vicariance and dispersal models dominate in understanding the allopatric pattern for related species and presume the simultaneous occurrence of speciation and biogeographic events. However, the formation of allopatry could postdate the species divergence. We examined this hypothesis using DNA sequence data from three chloroplast fragments and five nuclear loci of Dipelta floribunda Maxim. and D. yunnanensis Franch, two shrub species with the circum Sichuan Basin distribution, combining the climatic niche modeling approach. The best‐fit model supported by the approximate Bayesian computation analysis indicated that D. floribunda and D. yunnanensis diverged during the mid‐Pleistocene period, consistent with the largest glacial period in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The historically interspecific gene flow was identified, but seemed to have ceased after the last interglacial period, when the range of D. floribunda moved northward from the south of the Sichuan Basin. Furthermore, populations of D. floribunda had expanded obviously in the north of the Sichuan Basin after the last glacial maximum (LGM). Relatively, the range of D. yunnanensis expanded before the LGM, and reduced during the post‐LGM especially in the north of the Sichuan Basin, reflecting the asynchronous responses of related species to contemporary climate changes. Our results suggested that complex topography should be considered in understanding distributional patterns, even for closely related species and their demographic responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, a simple active materials synthesis method is presented that boosts electrode performance and utilizes a facile screen‐printing technique to prepare scalable patterned flexible supercapacitors based on manganese hexacyanoferrate‐manganese oxide and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide electrode materials (MnHCF‐MnOx/ErGO). A very simple in situ self‐reaction method is developed to introduce MnOx pseudocapacitor material into the MnHCF system by using NH4F. This MnHCF‐MnOx electrode materials can deliver excellent capacitance of 467 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, which is a 2.4 times capacitance increase compared to MnHCF. In addition a printed, patterned, flexible MnHCF‐MnOx/ErGO supercapacitor is fabricated, showing a remarkable areal capacitance of 16.8 mF cm−2 and considerable energy and power density of 0.5 mWh cm−2 and 0.0023 mW cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the printed patterned flexible supercapacitors also exhibit exceptional flexibility, and the capacitance remains stable, even while bending to various angles (60°, 90°, and 180°) and for 100 cycles. The flexible supercapacitor arrays integrated by multiple prepared single supercapacitors can power various LEDs even in the bent states. This approach offers promising opportunities for the development of printable energy storage materials and devices with high energy density, large scalability, and excellent flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Soybean expressing small interfering RNA of SCN improved plant resistance to SCN consistently, and small RNA-seq analysis revealed a threshold of siRNA expression required for resistance ability. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is one of the most destructive pests limiting soybean production worldwide, with estimated losses of $1 billion dollars annually in the USA alone. RNA interference (RNAi) has become a powerful tool for silencing gene expression. We report here that the expression of hairpin RNAi constructs, derived from two SCN genes related to reproduction and fitness, HgY25 and HgPrp17, enhances resistance to SCN in stably transformed soybean plants. The analyses of T3 to T5 generations of stable transgenic soybeans by molecular strategies and next-generation sequencing confirmed the presence of specific short interfering RNAs complementary to the target SCN genes. Bioassays performed on transgenic soybean lines targeting SCN HgY25 and HgPrp17 fitness genes showed significant reductions (up to 73%) for eggs/g root in the T3 and T4 homozygous transgenic lines. Targeted mRNAs of SCN eggs collected from the transgenic soybean lines were efficiently down-regulated, as confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. Based on the small RNA-seq data and bioassays, it is our hypothesis that a threshold of small interfering RNA molecules is required to significantly reduce SCN populations feeding on the host plants. Our results demonstrated that host-derived gene silencing of essential SCN fitness genes could be an effective strategy for enhancing resistance in crop plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supersaturating drug delivery system (SDDS) is a promising approach to enhance the solubility of hydrophobic functional components. However, SDDS is thermodynamically unstable and crystallization tends to occur. In this work, curcumin was used as a model compound, and the crystallization inhibitory effect of konjac glucomannan (KGM), sodium alginate (SA) and xanthan gum (XTG) on curcumin in supersaturated solution was investigated. Amorphous solubility of curcumin was determined using ultraviolet extinction, fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering methods. Nucleation induction time (NIT) and crystal growth rate of curcumin were evaluated using ultraviolet probe in the absence and presence of various natural polysaccharides (NPs). Results showed that amorphous solubility of curcumin was approximately 30 μg/mL in pH 6.8 phosphate buffer. NPs used in this work restrained nucleation or crystal growth of curcumin effectively. The NITs of curcumin in the absence of NPs and in the presence of XTG, KGM and SA (1 μg/mL) were 3.7, 60.7, 20.0 and 8.0 min, respectively. The crystal growth rate of curcumin in the absence of NPs and in the presence of XTG, SA and KGM (1 μg/mL) were 0.0103, 0.00752, 0.00286 and 0.000306 min−1, respectively. The nucleation inhibitory effect of NPs on curcumin was ranked as XTG > KGM > SA. The order of crystal growth inhibition capacity of NPs was KGM > SA > XTG. In conclusion, NPs could be incorporated into SDDS to maintain supersaturation of hydrophobic components for enhanced bioavailability. [Display omitted] • Natural polysaccharides inhibit crystallization of curcumin from supersaturated solution effectively • Natural polysaccharides inhibit crystallization of curcumin by delaying nucleation and/or hindering crystal growth • Interaction between natural polysaccharides and curcumin molecules in solution is critical to nucleation inhibition • Adsorption of natural polysaccharides on surface of curcumin crystals plays a critical role in crystal growth inhibition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In Taiwan island, recent land‐bridge and oversea dispersal after the appearance of proto‐Taiwan (<6.5 Ma) is responsible for its biodiversity assembly. Radiations have also been widely reported in mountain systems. The tempo‐spatial route to the floral hotspot was determined through a meta‐analysis of the evolution of endemic plants. Location: Taiwan island and its adjacent regions. Taxon: Seed plants. Methods: Published dated phylogenies were compiled to infer the origin times represented by the stem ages. To determine the speciation mode, either in situ origin or dispersal origin, the ancestral range shift pattern and/or current distribution range of the sister taxa were used with 10 different biogeographical regions classified. Histograms quantifying the numbers of different origin modes within bins of 0.5 Ma were constructed. Probabilities of long‐distance dispersal (LDD) were evaluated. Results: The 125 sampled species originate between the late Eocene and late Pleistocene, of which 14 (11.2%) and 111 (88.8%) were derived before and after the emergence of proto‐Taiwan, respectively. Spatially, in situ speciation would have a bigger contribution to the formation of endemism than dispersal events (56.8% vs. 43.2%). The species with in situ origin (mean = 1.83 Ma) were significantly younger than those with dispersal origin (mean = 6.34 Ma). The main regions where dispersal occurred were South‐Central China (n = 29) and Southeast China (n = 28), followed by Japan (n = 14). High probabilities (60.8%) of LDD were found. Main Conclusions: Spatially, recent land‐bridge and oversea dispersal from the adjacent Asian flora is supported and the southern part of China was found to be the most important source. In situ speciation that may have correlated with mountain uplift, monsoon intensification and Pleistocene climatic fluctuations exerted greater contributions to the biodiversity there. Temporally, floral endemism predominantly occurred after the emergence of proto‐Taiwan. Additional investigations with more sophisticated sampling and genetic data are needed in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract The in-situ synthesized Sn4+ center over SnO photocatalyst can catalytically decompose hydrogen peroxide, and as a result, the poisoning of oxygen species on hydrogen evolution is inhibited. Sn4+/SnO photocatalyst exhibited higher activity for over-all water splitting and better stability. The rate of H 2 evolution reached 18.3 μmol·g−1·h−1, and the corresponding AQE at 420nm achieved 0.18% over Sn4+/SnO catalyst under visible light irradiation without noble metal loading. Highlights • The negative effect of hydrogen peroxide on hydrogen generation can be prohibited by introduction of Sn4+ center. • In-situ constructed Sn4+ center over SnO photocatalyst can catalytically decompose H 2 O 2 more efficiently than SOD. • By taking advantage of Sn4+, the activity and stability of SnO catalyst have been significantly improved. Abstract Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via water splitting is considered as one of ideal ways to solar energy conversion and storage, however, the low energy conversion efficiency and weak catalyst stability are still two main obstacles to overcome. In our present study, we found hydrogen peroxide formed during water splitting affect deleteriously the hydrogen evolution activity of catalyst due to the occupation of active sites on catalyst. Such a negative effect of hydrogen peroxide on hydrogen generation can be prohibited by introduction of superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is able to decompose the adsorbed hydrogen peroxide. The in-situ synthesized Sn4+ center over SnO photocatalyst can catalytically decompose hydrogen peroxide more efficiently than SOD, and as a result, Sn4+/SnO photocatalyst exhibited higher activity for over-all water splitting and better stability. By taking advantage of Sn4+ catalytic properties for hydrogen peroxide, the rate of H 2 evolution reached 18.3 μmol·g−1·h−1 and the corresponding AQE of 0.18% at 420nm over Sn4+/SnO catalyst under visible light irradiation without noble metal loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unstable rock slope called the Guobu landslide, observed in granite with a maximum cumulative displacement of 45 m, located on the upper stream of the dam of the Laxiwa Hydropower Station, China, and directly threatening the safety of the dam and the people living downstream, was investigated. Detailed field surveys, geological structure investigations, remote sensing image analysis, and GPS displacement monitoring were carried out to investigate the deformation characteristics of the slope after reservoir impoundment, historical deformation, ancient landslide reactivation, the influence factors of the large deformation of the slope, and the mechanism. Based on the results of the above analyses, it was seen that there is a clear geological structural dependence of the failure mechanisms in the study area, and that the complex failure mechanisms include toppling, subsiding wedge failure, rockfalls, and tension cracking in deep-seated rock masses. Moreover, analysis of the remote sensing images indicated that the ancient landslide had been reactivated between 2005 and 2008. Detailed field displacement monitoring data showed that the whole slope was deforming significantly and continuously with the increase of the water level in the reservoir. The displacement rate had a positive correlation with the variation of the reservoir water level, increasing and decreasing as the the latter rose and fell, respectively. The vulnerable geological conditions, water infiltration, and the reservoir impoundment were the main factors causing the large deformation of the Guobu landslide. Water infiltration was the driving force resulting in the reactivation of the ancient landslide, and the reservoir impoundment accelerated the slope deformation. The mechanism of the large deformation of the rock slope was a combination of the upper pushing deformation induced by wedging and toppling, due to the ancient landslide reactivation, and the lower traction deformation due to the reservoir impoundment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ideal electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction of water splitting requires substantial active sites with high catalytic activity, fast electron and mass transfer, low gas adsorption energy, and high stability. However, a single component catalyst usually has only one of the many properties of an ideal electrocatalyst. Herein, for the first time, we synthesize Co x Se/MoSe 2 micro-prisms on foam via a hydrothermal and selenization strategy. After selenization, a crystallized CoMoO 4 smooth prismatic structure can be converted into a Co x Se/MoSe 2 prismatic structure with lamellar morphology. Such synergistic effects lead to Co x Se/MoSe 2 superior electrochemical catalytic activity with a 109 mV over-potential at 10 mA cm−2 and 204 mV over-potential at 100 mA cm−2, an appropriate Tafel slope of 90 mV dec−1, and remarkable long-term stability during 20 h of testing for the hydrogen evolution reaction in an alkaline medium. Density-functional calculations reveal the absorption energy of water and Gibbs free-energy of intermediate adsorb hydrogen of Co x Se/MoSe 2 is more favorable for hydrogen evolution reaction than single component catalyst. Both experimental and theoretical calculation results reveal that synergistic effect can efficiently reduce energy barrier of both the initial water adsorption step and subsequent H 2 generation on binary catalysts, and improve catalytic activity. Image 1 Synergistic effect of CoSe/MoSe 2 improves the electrocatalytic activity for alkaline HER by increasing the standard Gibbs free energy of water molecule adsorption and by decreasing the hydrogen desorption free energy. • A Co x Se/MoSe 2 electrocatalyst has been synthesized. • Synergistic effect of multi-component modified the catalyst surface electroactive site. • MoSe 2 changed the adsorption energy of H+ and H 2 O of Co x Se. • The theoretical calculations and experimental results confirm each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 10 years, the prevalence, significance, and regulatory mechanisms of vascular calcification (VC) have gained increasing recognition. The aim of this study is to explore the action of WNT8b in the development of phosphate‐induced VC through its effect on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in vitro by inactivating the Wnt–β‐catenin signaling pathway. To explore the effect of WNT8b on the Wnt–β‐catenin signaling pathway and VC in vitro, β‐glycerophosphate (GP)‐induced T/G HA‐VSMCs were treated with small interfering RNA against WNT8b (Si‐WNT8b), Wnt‐β‐catenin signaling pathway activator (LiCl) and both, respectively. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to determine the messenger RNA and protein levels of WNT8b, α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), calcification‐associated molecules, and molecules related to the Wnt signaling pathway. The TOP/FOP‐Flash reporter assay was performed to detect the transcription activity mediated by β‐catenin. Si‐WNT8b reduced calcium deposition and the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), increased the α‐SMA level, and decreased bone morphogenetic protein 2, Pit1, MSX2, and Runt‐related transcription factor 2 levels, whereas stimulation of LiCl worsened β‐GP‐induced calcium deposition, increased the activity of ALP, and reduced the α‐SMA expression level. Si‐WNT8b reduced the levels of WNT8b, frizzled‐4, β‐catenin, phospho‐GSK‐3β (p‐GSK‐3β), and cyclin‐D, whereas it increased the levels of p‐β‐catenin and GSK‐3β, indicating that si‐WNT8b could alter the Wnt–β‐catenin signaling pathway and thus hamper the VC in T/G HA‐VSMC, which was further demonstrated by the TOP/FOP‐Flash assay and detection of the β‐catenin expression level in the nucleus. Altogether, we conclude that WNT8b knockdown terminates phosphate‐induced VC in VSMCs by inhibiting the Wnt–β‐catenin signaling pathway. WNT8b knockdown terminates phosphate‐induced vascular calcification in vascular smooth muscle cells by inhibiting the Wnt–β‐catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Amplifier for measuring. • Smart-phone microscope for reading. • Repeatable manufacturing. Abstract Strain sensors are widely applied in the industry requiring specific signal amplifiers and signal readers. However, the devices are unable to read data quickly and intuitively. The present study introduces a highly accurate, repeatable, mold-free strain sensor comprising of an amplification mechanism and a smart-phone microscope. Generation of the amplification mechanism using rapid prototyping especially 3D printing is summarized and evaluated. The sensitivity of the proposed amplifier is (39.47 ± 1.34) for nylon and (37.74 ± 2.41) for ABS. A visual polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) lens with a focal length of 7.23 mm is attached to the iphone6 camera, performing as a microscope for image acquisition, which provides an equivalent focal length of 6.7 mm and a resolution of 0.691 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose an enhanced fireworks algorithm for locating the critical slip surface giving the minimum safety factor in slope stability analysis, and we employ a concise algorithm of the Morgenstern and Price method to calculate the safety factor. To demonstrate its applicability and to illustrate the reliability and effectiveness of the proposed method, we present three benchmark examples with varying complex slopes. By comparing the minimum safety factor and the total number of iterations, the proposed method is proved to be highly competitive in terms of efficiency and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The level of phenolic substances per berry increased in grape skin during ripening. • Tannins per gram of berry decreased due to dilution effect caused by berry growth. • PR proteins increased in both grape skin and pulp during ripening. • Grape pulp showed much higher level of PR proteins than grape skin. Abstract Grape proteins, particularly pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, are responsible for white wine haze formation which is of great concern to winemakers. Phenolic substances in grapes have also been reported with involvement in protein haze formation by interaction with proteins. The protein and phenolic substances in grapes are important in determining their concentrations in juice and resultant wine, and thus consequent wine protein stability. This study investigated the changes in these haze formation related components in 'Sauvignon Blanc' grape skin and pulp during ripening. The phenolic content on per berry basis generally increased in grape skin and pulp, but the phenolic concentration on per gram of berry basis showed a decreasing trend in grape skin, suggesting the accumulation effect of phenolics in skin is less than the dilution effect caused by berry growth. Tannin was only detected in grape skin but not in the pulp and the changes in tannin were similar to total phenolics. PR proteins were synthesized and accumulated along with the increase of total soluble solids (TSS) in both skin and pulp from véraison until harvest during ripening. The increase of PR proteins in grapes during ripening was also reflected in corresponding juice. The results suggested most of PR proteins in juice is likely extracted from grape pulp, and the riper the grapes the more PR proteins may be extracted into juice. The higher level of phenolics in riper grapes could increase the extraction of phenolics into juice and thus decrease the final concentration of PR proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile compositions of coals during fast pyrolysis are principally governed by their bond structures and establishing the relationships between them is vital for deep understanding the pyrolysis mechanism. The structural features and bond information of Jining bituminous coal (JBC) were evaluated first by the combined advanced analytical tools. Subsequently, thermogravimetry coupled with pyrolysis-gas chromatography/time of flight mass spectrometry analysis were used to capture pyrolysis behavior and volatile species of JBC. The results showed that C O bond containing species were rich in JBC and mainly in the form of aryl ethers. Therefore, phenolic compounds were the most abundant species in volatiles during fast pyrolysis and C 6 C 9 phenols were the major constituent of this group. Average number of aromatic rings per cluster, number of substituents on each aromatic ring, and length of methylene chain in JBC were 3, 3–4, and 1.36, respectively. However, the three parameters calculated from the aryl-containing species in volatiles were all smaller than those of JBC. Cleavages of C al O, C al C al , C ar C al , and C ar O greatly contributed to volatile release and 67% of the mass loss during pyrolysis of JBC was caused by breakage of aliphatic C C and C H. Furthermore, pyrrolic nitrogen was found to be the most abundant form of organically bound nitrogen, but the pyrolysis volatiles contained more pyridine-N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duck plague virus (DPV) is a typical DNA virus of waterfowl, it causes huge economic losses to the duck industry due to the higher mortality and lower egg production. The disease is one of the frequent epidemics and outbreaks on duck farms because present vaccines could not provide complete immunity and there are no specific antiviral drugs available. Therefore, the development of antiviral drugs is urgently needed. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral activity of BX795, a specific kinase inhibitor of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1), protein kinase B (AKT) and Tank binding kinase 1 (TBK1), against DPV in different duck cells. Our study demonstrated that BX795 reveals prominent antiviral activity in a dose-dependent manner in different types of duck cells. Time-addition and antiviral duration analysis uncovered that BX795 inhibits viral infection therapeutically and its antiviral activity lasts longer than 96 h. Further studies have shown that BX795 prevents cell-to-cell spread of the DPV rather than affects other stage of viral life cycle. Mechanistically, BX795 can inhibit DPV US3 kinase activity, reduce the phosphorylation of US3 substrates, and prevent the interaction between US3 and UL47. Taking together, our study demonstrated BX795, which disrupts the viral kinase activity, is a candidate antiviral agent for DPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Most eukaryotic genes produce alternative polyadenylation (APA) isoforms. APA is dynamically regulated under different growth and differentiation conditions. Here, we present a bioinformatics package, named APAlyzer, for examining 3′UTR APA, intronic APA and gene expression changes using RNA-seq data and annotated polyadenylation sites in the PolyA_DB database. Using APAlyzer and data from the GTEx database, we present APA profiles across human tissues. Availability and implementation APAlyzer is freely available at https://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/APAlyzer.html as an R/Bioconductor package. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crack propagation simulation is constantly of great significance. This study presents the particle equilibrium method (PEM) to achieve this goal. PEM is based on the idealization of the problem domain as an assemblage of distinct particles, which release interaction forces to their surrounding particles. Once the distance between two particles exceeds the extreme distance, a permanent crack will emerge between them. The function of interaction force describes the mechanical response of elastic and plastic materials. The calculated structure attains its final state to the external load when all the particles reach the equilibrium condition of force. A calculation program is developed based on the proposed method’s theory and is applied to three numerical examples with reliable calculation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a temperate cereal with an optimum temperature range of 15-22°C during the grain filling stage. Heat stress is one of the major environmental constraints for wheat production worldwide. Temperatures above 25°C during the grain filling stage significantly reduced wheat yield and quality. This reduction was reported due to the inactivation of the soluble starch synthase, a key heat-labile enzyme in starch transformation of wheat endosperm. To improve wheat productivity under heat stress, the rice soluble starch synthase I, under the control of either a constitutive promoter or an endosperm-specific promoter, was expressed in wheat and the transgenic lines were monitored for expression and the effects on yield-related traits. The results showed that the transgenic wheat events expressed rice soluble starch synthase I at a high level after four generations, and transgenic plants produced grains of greater weight during heat stress. Under heat stress conditions, the thousand kernel weight increased 21-34% in T2 and T3 transgenic plants compared to the non-transgenic control plants. In addition, the photosynthetic duration of transgenic wheat was longer than in non-transgenic controls. This study demonstrated that the engineering of a heat tolerant soluble starch synthase gene can be a potential strategy to improve wheat yield under heat stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological restoration of steep rocky slopes generated by road cutting is usually difficult especially, in the cold and high-altitude environment, which is unfavorable for the growth of vegetation. With the focus on slope vegetation, an ecological soil substrate, synthesized with polyacrylamide (PAM), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and Fly ash (FA) as the main components, was developed for spray seeding on the rocky slopes in cold and high-altitude regions, to provide a favorable environment for vegetation growth. The compositional effect of individual compound addition on the growth of vegetation and substrate properties was investigated using an orthogonal array experimental design. Based on ANOVA and orthogonal analysis, an ecological soil substrate (PCF) with 400 g/m 3 PAM, 600 g/m 3 CMC, 1500 g/m 3 FA, and 50 L/m 3 of water was decided as the optimum PCF substrate. The optimum PCF substrate was then sprayed on a steep rocky slope in a cold and high-altitude region in Sichuan, China, for two years. The vegetation, as well as the physico-chemical properties, nutrient content, and mechanical properties of the field soil substrate, were examined over this duration. The field verification shows that the proposed PCF substrate is able to provide desirable nutrient contents and excellent physical and mechanical properties for vegetating the steep rocky slopes in cold and high-altitude areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the Möbius strip-like reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was fabricated via I 3 − and I 5 − clusters, which offered a route for electron tunneling over RGO. This flip-flop electron tunneling took place via strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling between polyiodides and C atoms of RGO by the active electrons of polyiodides living in the p orbitals and it could bridge the easier charge transfer route between far-located carbon atoms at the edges of RGO through the polyiodides. This tunneling also restrained effectively the anisotropy of the electron transfer over RGO surface, achieving the rapid and efficient electron transfer over the surface of the RGO, resulting in remarkable increase of RGO conductivity and enhancing the lifetime of photogenerated charges. With the help of these properties, the obtained I-RGO/Ag photocatalyst presented a high H 2 generation activity under visible light irradiation. 318.8 μmol H 2 was evolved over I-RGO/Ag photocatalyst in 3 h, about 3.3 time higher than that of un-iodine RGO/Ag. In addition, no remarkable decay of H 2 evolution activity was observed in 1080 min reaction. The highest apparent quantum efficiencie (AQE) value of 28.8% was achieved at 430 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge transfer between the two surfaces of graphene is limited due to the anisotropy of graphene structure. To overcome this anisotropy of graphene in charge transfer, construction of an equivalent Möbius strip by iodination can provide a feasible approach to altering the charge transfer route by fabricating a coplanar structure. In this work, the conductivity, carrier concentration, mobility, and charge transfer efficiency of a Möbius-strip-like iodination graphene (MSIG) are significantly improved owing to the coplanar character of the topology, which is stitched by chainlike connected polyiodides (I 3 − and I 5 − ) over the edge of graphene. Such a Möbius-strip-like route offered easier electron tunneling between two graphene surfaces by strong Rashba spin–orbit coupling and flip–flop electron tunneling, and this flip–flop electron tunneling bridged the easier transfer route between far-located carbon atoms at the edges of graphene through the p orbitals in polyiodides. As a result, the electron transfer between the two graphene surfaces was enhanced. Activity results indicated that the photocatalyst MSIG/Pt based on such Möbius strip graphene exhibited better hydrogen evolution activity than un-iodide-doped graphene. The highest quantum efficiency, 35.6%, was achieved at 430 nm when Eosin Y was used as a photosensitizer. This enhancement could be attributed to lower energy consumption during electron transfer in MSIG from excited Eosin Y to the Pt co-catalyst because of reduced recombination of photogenerated carriers and prolonged lifetimes of photogenerated electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new reinforcement structure called soil nets firstly, which is capable of strengthening foundations, slopes, and other structures with better effect than that of soilbags. This proposed geotextile structure typically contains several layers of soil net, which are placed in a unique way. One layer of soil net can be described as a collection of spherical soilbags that are connected together in two directions, one in which they are connected by ropes and another in which they are connected by the PP woven bags that contain the soil. A mechanical property analysis of the soil nets shows that the yield stress of the soil within the soil nets is improved, the tensile capacity of the soil nets is greater than that of the soil with which it is filled, and the equivalent coefficient of interlayer friction between the connected soil nets is larger than that for soilbags. Applications of this new reinforcement structure in the reinforcement of a foundation and a slope are considered, and the corresponding reinforcement effects are calculated. The calculation results demonstrate that the soil nets concept yields efficient reinforcement structures with many advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural photosynthetic systems use enzymes to split water, such as [Fe Fe]-hydrogenases with an active center consisting of a butterfly Fe 2 S 2 cluster. Developing of artificial catalyst with similar active center structure and functions is still one of main objectives in photocatalyst study for energy storage and conversion. In the present study, we prepared Fe 2 S 2 nanocluster with doped Ni which possess similar active center to the center in [FeFe]-hydrogenases (the similar Fe Fe bond length (2.60 Å), Fe S Fe bond angle and mössbauer effect) for water splitting. Electrochemical measurements showed that the catalyst exhibited low onset potential about 30 mV and overpotential of ∼0.12 V at 10 mA/cm 2 for hydrogen generation. Besides, by fabricated an artificial gill, Ni-doped Fe 2 S 2 composite (AG-NFG) photocatalytic system performed significant enhanced activity for H 2 generation from pure water under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm) without the use of sacrificial reagents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymeric carbon nitrides (CN) as star semiconductive materials have attracted increasing attention owing to its numerous superior features, such as facile synthesis, non-toxicity, earth-abundant, high physicochemical stability, and all of these endow its great potentials from photocatalysis to environmental remediation, sensing, biomedicine, and other emerging fields. The facile synthesis and polymeric characteristic of CN allow easy tailoring of their framework from elements, the structure of monomers, and tectonic units to control their properties and then to obtain superior performance in various applications. Although there have been reviews summarizing design and modification strategies of CN-based materials, most of them have focused only on surface engineering and nanostructure construction, lacking analysis from the point of view of the framework structure. This review systematically summarized the inspiring breakthroughs on rational design and fabrication of the CN framework from elements to monomers, and then to tectonic units via various strategies including elemental doping, defects engineering, tuning the crystalline degree, coordination engineering and molecular doping. Importantly, we summarized general rules between CN framework structure and their performance in various applications to better understand the current state-of-the-art status and plans for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Longan shell and seed showed differences in several aspects. • Longan seed was easy to decompose and showed a lower E a of 160 kJ/mol. • Longan shell could produce more H 2 , CH 4 , HCHO, phenols, and aldehydes. • Longan seed char contained more Ca and Mg and had larger surface area. • Longan waste is a very favourable feedstock compared with other biomass waste. Longan waste (shell and seed) is a by-product of longan processing industry and accounts for near 90 % of the total fruit weight, which is a most promising renewable energy and can be converted into value-added chemicals and carbon materials by pyrolysis. However, detailed pyrolysis characteristics, kinetics, product formation mechanism, and char properties of longan waste were never studied. This work provided the first comprehensive investigations on the thermal decomposition of longan waste based on the combined pyrolysis method. The results showed that longan shell and seed were different in chemical compositions, pyrolysis characteristics, and product distributions. Longan seed was easy to decompose at a low temperature and showed a smaller E a of about 160 kJ/mol. However, longan shell could produce more H 2 , CH 4 , HCHO, phenols, and aldehydes compared with longan seed. The formation mechanisms of 6 gases and 33 condensable compounds were deeply discussed. In addition, longan shell char was rich in Ca/Mg-containing minerals, whereas longan seed char had a higher graphitization degree and a larger surface area of 236.4 m2/g. On the whole, the longan waste is a very potential feedstock for the productions of energy, value-added chemicals, and carbon materials in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneously harvesting electricity through a water evaporation process is renewable and environmentally friendly, and provides a promising way for self‐powered electronics. However, most of evaporation‐driven generators are suffering from a limited power supply for practical use. Herein, a high‐performance textile‐based evaporation‐driven electricity generator based on continuous gradient chemical reduced graphene oxide (CG‐rGO@TEEG) is obtained by a continuous gradient chemical reduction strategy. The continuous gradient structure not only greatly enhances the ion concentration difference between the positive and negative electrodes but also significantly optimizes the electrical conductivity of the generator. As a result, the as‐prepared CG‐rGO@TEEG can generate a voltage of 0.44 V and a considerable current of 590.1 µA with an optimized power density of 0.55 mW cm−3 when 50 µL of NaCl solution is applied. Such scale‐up CG‐rGO@TEEGs can supply sufficient power to directly drive a commercial clock for more than 2 h in ambient conditions. This work offers a novel approach for efficient clean energy harvesting based on water evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In the free state, Rayleigh waves are assumed to travel in the form of planar wavefronts. Under such an assumption, the propagation behaviour of the modes of Rayleigh waves in layered half-spaces is only frequency dependent. The frequency behaviour, which is often termed as dispersion, is determined by the shear wave velocity profile of layered soils within the depth related to wavelength (or frequency). According to this characteristic, the shear wave velocity profile can be back-analysed from the dispersion. The technique is widely used in the surface wave testing. However, the wavefronts of Rayleigh waves activated by the surface sources are non-planar. The geometric discrepancy could result in Rayleigh waves manifesting distance-dependent behaviour, which is referred to as spatial behaviour in this paper. Conventional analysis ignoring this spatial behaviour could introduce unexpected errors. In order to take the effects of sources on the propagation behaviour into account, a new mathematical model is established for Rayleigh waves in layered elastic media under vertical disc-like surface sources using the thin-layer method. The spatial behaviour of the activated modes and the apparent phase velocity, which is the propagation velocity of Rayleigh waves superposed by the multiple modes, are then analysed. Aspects of the spatial behaviour investigated in this paper include the equilibrium path, the particle orbit, and the geometric attenuation of the activated Rayleigh waves. The results presented in this paper can provide some guidelines for developing new inverse mathematical models and algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic hydrogen production from water splitting is an attractive scientific and technological route to address the increasing global demand for clean energy and to reduce the climate change impact of CO 2 emission. Although tremendous efforts have been made, hydrogen generation from pure water by an efficient semiconductor catalyst driven by visible light still remains a significant challenge. Herein we present an effective photocatalyst based on Ce-doped WO 3 and CdS powders embedded into platinum (Pt) layer. With the help of artificial blood component perfluorodecalin (PFDL), our system achieved 186.2 μmol·g −1 catalyst H 2 in 4 h without sacrifice reagent under visible light irradiation and maintained excellent stability in 24 h without obvious decay. The hydrogen evolution activity and excellent stability are assigned to the enhancement of the electrons and holes relay and transfer by Pt layer, and the removal of nascent oxygen from catalyst via CeO 2 and artificial blood PFDL path, and the suppression of undesirable hydrogen and oxygen recombination reverse reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]