More tree growth reduction due to consecutive drought and its legacy effect for a semiarid larch plantation in Northwest China

Extreme climate has increasingly led to negative impacts on forest ecosystems globally,especially in semiarid areas where forest ecosystems are more vulnerable.However,it is poorly understood how tree growth is affected by different drought events.In 2006–2009,the larch plantations in the semiarid areas of Northwest China were negatively affected by four consecutive dry years,which was a very rare phenomenon that may occur frequently under future climate warming.In this study,we analyzed the effect of these consecutive dry years on tree growth based on the data of the tree rings in the dominant layer of the forest canopy on a larch plantation.We found that the tree-ring width index(RWI)in dry years was lower than that in normal years,and it experienced a rapidly decreasing trend from 2006 to 2009(slope=-0.139 year^(-1),r=-0.94)due to water supply deficits in those dry years.Drought induced legacy effects of tree growth reduction,and consecutive dry years corresponded with greater growth reductions and legacy effects.Growth reductions and legacy effects were significantly stronger in the third and fourth consecutive dry years than that of single dry year(p<0.05),which might have been due to the cumulative stress caused by consecutive dry years.Our results showed that larch trees experienced greater tree growth reduction due to consecutive dry years and their legacy effect,and the trees had lower recovery rates after consecutive dry years.Our results highlight that consecutive dry years pose a new threat to plantations under climate warming,and thus,the effect of climate extremes on tree growth should be considered in growth models in semiarid areas.

Pressure generation under deformation in a large-volume press

Deformation can change the transition pathway of materials under high pressure,thus significantly affects physical and chemical properties of matters.However,accurate pressure calibration under deformation is challenging and thereby causes relatively large pressure uncertainties in deformation experiments,resulting in the synthesis of complex multiphase materials.Here,pressure generations of three types of deformation assemblies were well calibrated in a Walker-type largevolume press(LVP)by electrical resistance measurements combined with finite element simulations(FESs).Hard Al_(2)O_(3) or diamond pistons in shear and uniaxial deformation assemblies significantly increase the efficiency of pressure generation compared with the conventional quasi-hydrostatic assembly.The uniaxial deformation assembly using flat diamond pistons possesses the highest efficiency in these deformation assemblies.This finding is further confirmed by stress distribution analysis based on FESs.With this deformation assembly,we found shear can effectively promote the transformation of C60 into diamond under high pressure and realized the synthesis of phase-pure diamond at relatively moderate pressure and temperature conditions.The present developed techniques will help improve pressure efficiencies in LVP and explore the new physical and chemical properties of materials under deformation in both science and technology.

Deep eutectic solvents for separation and purification applications in critical metal metallurgy:Recent advances and perspectives

Solvent extraction,a separation and purification technology,is crucial in critical metal metallurgy.Organic solvents commonly used in solvent extraction exhibit disadvantages,such as high volatility,high toxicity,and flammability,causing a spectrum of hazards to human health and environmental safety.Neoteric solvents have been recognized as potential alternatives to these harmful organic solvents.In the past two decades,several neoteric solvents have been proposed,including ionic liquids(ILs)and deep eutectic solvents(DESs).DESs have gradually become the focus of green solvents owing to several advantages,namely,low toxicity,degradability,and low cost.In this critical review,their classification,formation mechanisms,preparation methods,characterization technologies,and special physicochemical properties based on the most recent advancements in research have been systematically described.Subsequently,the major separation and purification applications of DESs in critical metal metallurgy were comprehensively summarized.Finally,future opportunities and challenges of DESs were explored in the current research area.In conclusion,this review provides valuable insights for improving our overall understanding of DESs,and it holds important potential for expanding separation and purification applications in critical metal metallurgy.

A virtual thermometer for ultrahigh-temperature-pressure experiments in a large-volume press

Ultrahigh-temperature-pressure experiments are crucial for understanding the physical and chemical properties of matter.The recent development of boron-doped diamond(BDD)heaters has made such melting experiments possible in large-volume presses.However,estimates of temperatures above 2600 K and of the temperature distributions inside BDD heaters are not well constrained,owing to the lack of a suitable thermometer.Here,we establish a three-dimensional finite element model as a virtual thermometer to estimate the temperature and temperature field above 2600 K.The advantage of this virtual thermometer over those proposed in previous studies is that it considers both alternating and direct current heating modes,the actual sizes of cell assemblies after compression,the effects of the electrode,thermocouple and anvil,and the heat dissipation by the pressure-transmitting medium.The virtual thermometer reproduces the power-temperature relationships of ultrahigh-temperature-pressure experiments below 2600 K at press loads of 2.8-7.9 MN(~19 to 28 GPa)within experimental uncertainties.The temperatures above 2600 K predicted by our virtual thermometer are within the uncertainty of those extrapolated from power-temperature relationships below 2600 K.Furthermore,our model shows that the temperature distribution inside a BDD heater(19-26 K/mm along the radial direction and<83 K/mm along the longitudinal direction)is more homogeneous than those inside conventional heaters such as graphite or LaCrO_(3) heaters(100-200 K/mm).Our study thus provides a reliable virtual thermometer for ultrahigh-temperature experiments using BDD heaters in Earth and material sciences.

Cerium-promoted conversion of dinitrogen into high-energy-density material CeN_(6) under moderate pressure

Synthesis pressure and structural stability are two crucial factors for highly energetic materials,and recent investigations have indicated that cerium is an efficient catalyst for N2 reduction reactions.Here,we systematically explore Ce–N compounds through first-principles calculations,demonstrating that the cerium atom can weaken the strength of the N≡N bond and that a rich variety of cerium polynitrides can be formed under moderate pressure.Significantly,P1-CeN_(6) possesses the lowest synthesis pressure of 32 GPa among layered metal polynitrides owing to the strong ligand effect of cerium.The layered structure of P1-CeN_(6) proposed here consists of novel N_(14) ring.To clarify the formation mechanism of P1-CeN_(6),the reaction path Ce+3N2→trans-CeN_(6)→P1-CeN_(6) is proposed.In addition,P1-CeN_(6) possesses high hardness(20.73 GPa)and can be quenched to ambient conditions.Charge transfer between cerium atoms and N_(14) rings plays a crucial role in structural stability.Furthermore,the volumetric energy density(11.20 kJ/cm^(3))of P1-CeN_(6) is much larger than that of TNT(7.05 kJ/cm^(3)),and its detonation pressure(128.95 GPa)and detonation velocity(13.60 km/s)are respectively about seven times and twice those of TNT,and it is therefore a promising high-energy-density material.

Structural and electrical properties of Ga–Te systems under high pressure

First-principles evolutionary calculation was performed to search for all probable stable Ga–Te compounds at extreme pressure. In addition to the well-known structures of P6_3/mmc and Fm-3 m Ga Te and I4/m Ga_2 Te_5, several new structures were uncovered at high pressure, namely, orthorhombic I4/mmm GaTe_2 and monoclinic C2/m Ga Te_3, and all the Ga–Te structures stabilize up to a maximum pressure of 80 GPa. The calculation of the electronic energy band indicated that the high-pressure phases of the Ga–Te system are metallic, whereas the low-pressure phases are semiconductors. The electronic localization functions(ELFs) of the Ga–Te system were also calculated to explore the bond characteristics. The results showed that a covalent bond is formed at low pressure, however, this bond disappears at high pressure, and an ionic bond is formed at extreme pressure.

How to Develop Chinese Rural Tourism in the Context of New Urbanization?

With economic development,the type and form of tourism products are constantly innovated,and rural tourism has become one of the main travel choices of contemporary Chinese people. In 2014,China formulated National New Urbanization Plan,providing a new opportunity for development of rural tourism. In this paper,we first summarize the development situation and connotation of new urbanization and rural tourism,then discuss the mutually reinforcing interaction between the two,analyze the main problems in Chinese rural tourism under new urbanization,and finally put forth the recommendations,in order to better meet the needs of new urbanization,and strive to create a new model of tourism urbanization.

Structural Evolution of D5h(1)-C90 under High Pressure:A Mediate Allotrope of Nanocarbon from Zero-Dimensional Fullerene to One-Dimensional Nanotube

The hybridization of fullerene and nanotube structures in newly isolated C;with the D;symmetric group(D;(1)-C;)provides an ideal model as a mediating allotrope of nanocarbon from zero-dimensional(OD)fullerene to one-dimensional nanotube.Raman and infrared spectroscopy combined with classical molecular dynamics simulation were used to investigate the structural evolution of D;(1)-C;at ambient and high pressure up to35.1 GPa.Interestingly,the high-pressure transformations of D;(1)-C;exhibit the features of both fullerene and nanotube.At around 2.5 GPa,the D;(1)-C;molecule in the crystal undergoes an orientational transition to a restricted rotation.At 6.6 GPa,the tubular hexagonal part occurs and transforms into a dumbbell-like structure at higher pressure.The material starts to amorphize above 13.9 GPa,and the transition is reversible until the pressure exceeds 25 GPa.The amorphization is probably correlated with both the intermolecular bonding and the morphology change.Our results enrich our understanding of structural changes in nano carbon from 0 D to1 D.

Structural model of substitutional sulfur in diamond

Based on ab initio calculations,it is found that the donor center of substitutional sulfur(S)in diamond with C2v symmetry is more stable than that with C3vsymmetry,which is different from previous reports in literature.The energy difference of C2vand C3vstructures is qualitatively affected by the supercell size,and the 216-atom supercell could be proposed as the minimum to obtain stable configuration of substitutional S in diamond.Using supercells of up to 512 atoms,the donor level of substitutional S with C2vsymmetry is deep.

Structural transitions in NaNH2 via recrystallization under high pressure

Multiple phase transitions are detected in sodium amide(NaNH2), an important hydrogen storage material, upon compression in diamond anvil cells(DAC) by using Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction(XRD) measurements.Additional Bragg reflections appear on lower and higher angle sides of the original ones at ~1.07 GPa and 1.84 GPa,accompanied by obvious changes in Raman spectroscopy, respectively.It reveals that NaNH2 undergoes the high-pressure phase sequence(α-β-γ) up to 20 GPa at room temperature.Spectral analysis indicates an orthorhombic structure with PBAN space group for the γ phase.We also experimentally observe high pressure induced recrystallization in alkaline amide compounds for the first time.

Structural stability and vibrational characteristics of CaB6 under high pressure

In situ Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction measurements are used to explore the structural stability of CaB6 at high pressures and room temperature. The results show no evidence of structural phase transitions up to at least 40 GPa.The obtained equation of state with smooth pressure dependencies yields a zero-pressure isothermal bulk modulus B0=170(5) GPa, which agrees well with the previous measurements. The frequency shifts for A1g, Eg, and T2g vibrational modes of polycrystalline CaB6 are obtained with pressure uploading. As the pressure increases, all the vibration modes have smooth monotonic pressure dependence. The Gr¨uneisen parameter of Eg modes is the largest, indicating its largest dependence on the volume of a crystal lattice.

Aluminum solubility in bridgmanite up to 3000 K at the top lower mantle

The temperature dependence of the Al2O3 solubility in bridgmanite has been determined in the system MgSiO3–Al_(2)O_(3)at temperatures of 2750–3000 K under a constant pressure of 27 GPa using a multi-anvil apparatus.Bridgmanite becomes more aluminous with increasing temperatures.A LiNbO3-type phase with a pyrope composition(Mg_(3)Al_(2)Si_(3)O_(12))forms at 2850 K,which is regarded as to be transformed from bridgmanite upon decompression.This phase contains 30 mol%Al_(2)O_(3)at 3000 K.The MgSiO3 solubility in corundum also increases with temperatures,reaching 52 mol%at 3000 K.Molar volumes of the hypothetical Al_(2)O_(3)bridgmanite and MgSiO_(3)corundum are constrained to be 25.950.05 and 26.24±0.06 cm^(3)/mol,respectively,and interaction parameters of non-ideality for these two phases are 5.6±0.5 and 2.2±0.5 KJ/mol,respectively.The increases in Al^(2)O^(3)and MgSiO^(3)contents,respectively,in bridgmanite and corundum are caused by a larger entropy of Al_(2)O_(3)bridgmanite plus MgSiO_(3)corundum than that of MgSiO_(3)bridgmanite plus Al_(2)O_(3)corundum with temperature,in addition to the configuration entropy.Our study may help explain dynamics of the top lower mantle and constrain pressure and temperature conditions of shocked meteorites.

Versatile GaInO_3-sheet with strain-tunable electronic structure,excellent mechanical flexibility,and an ideal gap for photovoltaics

Due to many remarkable physical and chemical properties, two-dimensional(2D) nanomaterials have become a hot spot in the field of condensed matter physics. In this paper, we have studied the structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of the 2D GaInO_3 system by first-principles method. We find that 2D Ga InO_3 can exist stably at ambient condition. Molecular dynamic simulations show that GaInO_3-sheet has excellent thermal stability and is stable up to1100 K. Electronic structural calculations show that GaInO_3-sheet has a band gap of 1.56 eV, which is close to the ideal band gap of solar cell materials, demonstrating great potential in future photovoltaic application. In addition, strain effect studies show that the GaInO_3-sheet structure always exhibits a direct band gap under biaxial compressive strain, and as the biaxial compressive strain increases, the band gap gradually decreases until it is converted into metal. While biaxial tensile strain can cause the 2D material to transform from a direct band gap semiconductor into an indirect band gap semiconductor,and even to metal. Our research expands the application of the Ga InO_3 system, which may have potential application value in electronic devices and solar energy.

Morphological characteristics of the striatal neural pathway by biotinylated dextran amine tracing in rats

Using neural pathway tracing and immunohistochemical technique, the striato-direct pathway （BDA3 kDa injected into the rat lateral globus pallidus） and striato-indirect pathway （BDA3 kDa injected into the substantia nigra pars reticulata） neurons were specifically labeled, and then subjected to double-labeled immunohistochemistry for mu-OPIOID Receptor （specifically-labeled striatal patch compartment）, D1, and D2, respectively. The experimental findings showed that there are no statistically significant differences in the soma diameter and the number of primary dendrites between the striato-direct （substantia nigra pars reticularis） and indirect （globus pallidum externum） neurons labeled retrograde by BDA3 kDa. In addition, these two kinds of projection neurons revealed no obvious coexistence. This evidence indicates that as a highly sensitive neural pathway tracer, BDA could yield reliably and exquisitely detailed labeling of target neurons and synaptic structures. The variance of the morphologic structures and the localization of neurons were not statistically significant between the striato-substantia nigra pars reticularis and the globus pallidum externum projection neurons. Mesencephalic and thalamic neurons correlated with striatal neurons in morphology. Especially the latter which make typical excitatory synaptic contacts with striato-direct and -indirect neurons. Thus, this evidence suggests that thalamic neurons may extensively excite striatal neurons.

Crystal structures and decomposing of B–P compounds under pressure

We have systematically studied the structures, electronic properties, and lattice dynamics of B–P compounds at high pressures. BP and B_6 P are found to be thermodynamically stable below 100 GPa, and other stoichiometries are decomposable under pressure. The predicted structures of F-43 m BP and R-3 m B_6 P are in good agreement with the experimental results by comparing the powder diffraction file(PDF) standard cards with our simulated x-ray diffractions. The bonding properties of BP and B_6 P have also been analyzed by electronic localization functions, charge density difference, and Bader charge analysis. Our results show that BP and B_6 P decompose into B and P under high pressure, which is proven to be dominated by the volumes of them. Furthermore, the infrared and Raman spectra of F-43 m and R-3 m are investigated at selected pressures and will provide useful information for future experimental studies about B–P compounds.

Carrier-free programmed spherical nucleic acid for effective ischemic stroke therapy via self-delivery antisense oligonucleotide

Antisense oligonucleotide(ASO)for anti-apoptosis is emerging as a highly promising therapeutic agents for ischemic stroke with complex pathological environment.However,its therapeutic efficacy is seriously limited by a number of challenges including inefficient internalization,low blood-brain barrier(BBB)penetration,poor stability,and potential toxicity of the carrier.Herein,a carrier-free programmed spherical nucleic acid nanostructure is developed for effective ischemic stroke therapy via integrating multifunctional modules into one DNA structure.By co-encoding caspase-3-ASO and transferrin receptor(TfR)aptamer into circle template,the spherical nucleic acid nanostructure(TD)was obtained via self-assembly.The experimental results demonstrated that the developed TD displayed efficient BBB penetration capability(6.4 times)and satisfactory caspase-3 silence effect(2.3 times)due to the dense DNA packaging in TD.Taken together,our study demonstrated that the carrier-free programmed spherical nucleic acid nanostructure could significantly improve the therapeutic efficacy of ischemic stroke and was a promising therapeutic tool for various brain damage-related diseases.

Highly efficient and selective removal of vanadium from tungstate solutions by microbubble floating-extraction

Selective separation of dissolved tungsten and vanadium is of great significance for the utilization of the secondary resources of these elements.In this work,selective removal of vanadium from tungstate solutions via microbubble floating-extraction was systematically investigated.The results indicated that vanadium can be more easily mineralized over tungsten from tungstate solutions using methyl trioctyl ammonium chloride as mineralization reagent under weak alkaline conditions.Owing to the higher bubble and interface mass transfer rates,high-efficiency enrichment and deep separation of vanadium could be achieved easily.Additionally,the deep recovery of tungsten and vanadium from the floated organic phase could be easily realized using a mixed solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium chloride as stripping agents.The separation mechanism mainly included the formation of hydrophobic complexes,their attachment on the surface of rising bubbles,and their mass transfer at the oil–water interface.Under the optimal conditions,the removal efficiency of vanadium reached 98.5%with tungsten loss below 8%after two-stage microbubble floating-extraction.Therefore,the microbubble floating-extraction could be an efficient approach for separating selectively vanadium from tungstate solutions,exhibiting outstanding advantages of high separation efficiency and low consumption of organic solvents.

Hydrogel-mediated drug delivery for treating stroke

Stroke is a common disease and is the major cause of death and disability.It occurs and generates devastating neurological deficits when cerebral blood vessel is blocked(ischemic stroke,IS)or ruptured(hemorrhagic stroke,HS).Hydrogel,being biodegradable and biocompatible,have shown attractive advantages in stroke therapy as a new biomaterial with desirable mechanical properties and tunability of structure,owing to special ability to load different cargoes for multiple treatment strategies,such as pharmacotherapy based on drug-delivery systems and cell therapy including mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)and neural progenitor cells(NPCs)for improving functional outcomes.However,a comprehensive review of the functional hydrogel for treatment of stroke is still lacking.Therefore,in this work,the main pathological mechanisms of stroke including IS and HS are comprehensively described.The benefits of hydrogel for stroke treatment are also summarized regarding the natural advantages and the delivery advantages.Simultaneously,the application development of hydrogel for treatment of stroke is highlighted.Finally,the unique considerations and challenges in the design and application of hydrogel is discussed for treatment of stroke and clinical application in the future.

Native and engineered exosomes for inflammatory disease

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles which carry specific molecular information from donor cells and act as an intercellular communication vehicle,which have emerged as a novel cell-free strategy for the treatment of many diseases including inflammatory disease.Recently,rising studies have developed exosome-based strategies for novel inflammation therapy due to their biocompatibility and bioactivity.Researchers not only use native exosomes as therapeutic agents for inflammation,but also strive to make up for the natural defects of exosomes through engineering methods to improve and update the property of exosomes for enhanced therapeutic effects.The engineered exosomes can improve cargo-loading efficiency,targeting ability,stability,etc.,to achieve combined and diverse treatment strategies in inflammation diseases.Herein,a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in application studies of native and engineered exosomes as well as the engineered methods is provided.Meanwhile,potential application prospects,possible challenges,the development of clinical researches of exosome treatment strategy are concluded from plentiful examples,which may be able to provide guidance and suggestions for the future research and application of exosomes.

Adaptive Sliding-Mode Disturbance Observer-Based Nonlinear Control for Unmanned Dual-Arm Aerial Manipulator Subject to State Constraints

The unmanned dual-arm aerial manipulator system is composed of a multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)and two manipulators.Compared to a single manipulator,dual-arm always provides greater°exibility and versatility in both goods delivery and complex task execution.However,the practical application of the system is limited due to nonlinearities and complex dynamic coupling behavior between the multirotor and the manipulator,as well as the one between the inner and outer loop of the multirotor.In this paper,a holistic model of the dual-arm aerial manipulator system is¯rst derived with complete model information.Subsequently,an adaptive sliding-mode disturbance observer(ASMDO)is proposed to handle external disturbances and unmeasurable disturbances caught by unmeasurable angular velocity and acceleration of the manipulators.Moreover,for safety concerns and transient performance requirements,the state constraints should be guaranteed.To this end,an auxiliary term composed of constrained variable signals is introduced.Then,the performance of the designed method is proven by rigorous analysis.Finally,the proposed method is validated through two sets of simulation tests.