A human-sensitive frequency band vibration isolator for heavy-duty truck seats

In this study,a human-sensitive frequency band vibration isolator(HFBVI)with quasi-zero stiffness(QZS)characteristics for heavy-duty truck seats is designed to improve the comfort of heavy-duty truck drivers on uneven roads.First,the analytical expressions for the force and displacement of the HFBVI are derived with the Lagrange equation and d'Alembert's principle,and are validated through the prototype restoring force testing.Second,the harmonic balance method(HBM)is used to obtain the dynamic responses under harmonic excitation,and further the influence of pre-stretching on the dynamic characteristics and transmissibility is discussed.Finally,the experimental prototype of the HFBVI is fabricated,and vibration experiments are conducted under harmonic excitation to verify the vibration isolation performance(VIP)of the proposed vibration isolator.The experimental results indicate that the HFBVI can effectively suppress the frequency band(4-8 Hz)to which the human body is sensitive to vertical vibration.In addition,under real random road spectrum excitation,the HFBVI can achieve low-frequency vibration isolation close to 2 Hz,providing new prospects for ensuring the health of heavy-duty truck drivers.

A Study on Karyotypes and Ag-NORs of Odontobutis potamophila

In order to obtain cytogenetic data of Odontobutis potamophila,head-kidney cells were collected as experimental materials to prepare chromosome specimen. The karyotypes of O. potamophila and the distribution and amount of transcriptionally active nucleolar organizer regions on chromosomes were analyzed by Giemsa staining and Ag-NORs. The results showed that the number of diploid chromosomes of O. potamophila was 44; the genome of O. potamophila was composed of 44 telocentric chromosomes; the karyotype formula was 2 n = 44 t,NF = 44; Ag-NORs were found in the paracentromeric region of chromosome. The results may lay the foundation for revealing the genetic pattern and chromosomal evolution of O. potamophila and contribute to further genetic breeding of O. potamophila.

Controllable fabrication of nitrogen-doped porous nanocarbons for high-performance supercapacitors via supramolecular modulation strategy

In the present work,we developed a micellar system of milk protein-surfactant(SDS)-graphene to prepare the graphene-based aerogels via hydrothermal and freeze-drying method,in which the novel surface-property of aerogels can be tuned with the decreasing of micellar size in the colloid systems resulting the improved specific surface area.The milk protein also severed as green and sustainable sources to introduce nitrogen heteroatoms into the aerogels.Subsequently,the aerogels were further graphitized and activated to fabricate N-doped porous nanocarbon at 600℃.The initial surface composition and structure of the aerogel,which was proved,has obvious impact on the final structure of the synthesized nanocarbon materials,and thus influence their electrochemical activity.The optimized nanocarbon materials(MGPC-5),with enhanced specific surface area,degree of graphitization,and nitrogen doping,exhibited excellent capacitance performance and stability in both three-electrode system(518.8 F/g at a current density of 0.1 A/g)and symmetrical electrode system(120.8 F/g at current density of 0.1 A/g and with^95%capacitance retention after 5000 cycles of charging and discharging at 3 A/g)in KOH.The assembled supercapacitor also shows ideal capacitive properties in series and parallel configurations.Tested with a stable 1.6 V windows in Li2SO4 electrolyte,the symmetric supercapacitor cell exhibits a high energy density up to 36.7 W h/kg.The present work provides a feasible fabrication method for high-performance supercapacitor based on graphene and biomass derived carbon,the proposed surfaceproperty regulation and supercapacitor performance improvement strategy may also shed light on other energy related materials or system.

Effects of Silica Sol on Structure and Properties of Core-Shell Silicon-Acrylic Materials

Silica sol prepared by sol-gel method was introduced into poly (butyl acrylate) (PBA)/poly (butyl acrylate-styrene-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane) (PSBM) core-shell emulsions to prepare a series of paper surface sizing agents. The rheological measurement indicated that PSBM emulsions exhibited shear-thinning behavior, and the phenomena became more pronounced with increasing silica sol concentration. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) demonstrated that the stronger interfacial interaction between silica sol and polymer matrix, but microphase separation took place with excess silica sol. Thereby the tensile strength and thermal stability of emulsion films were increased with desirable silica sol concentration, and when silica sol concentration was greater than 6 wt%, the tensile strength leveled off and the decomposition temperature decreased from 351.19℃ to 331.63℃. The degree of crystallinity increased from 5.12% to 10.98% with 4% silica sol addition, resulting in enhanced rigidity of films. Furthermore, the interaction between polymer and fiber was improved with certain amount of silica sol, resulting in improved sizing degree, ring crush strength, surface strength and folding strength. However, excessive crosslinking will be harmful for the properties of sized paper.

Development of Ecological Fishery in Poyang Lake Area

Through in-depth analysis on history and current situations of fishery development in Poyang Lake area,this paper presents location,resource and environment advantages in development of ecological fishery.According to orientation of leading functions,Poyang Lake can be divided into breeding development,capture operation,enhancement protection and ecological rehabilitation functional zones.In accordance with industrial foundation and ecological advantages of cities and counties in Poyang Lake,it determines the reasonable distribution of 8 leading industries:river crabs,shrimps(Procambarus clarkia),eels,Pengze crucian carp,Siniperca chuatsi,Channa argus,Ietalurus Punetaus,and pearl.On the basis of systematically summing up exploration experience,it comes up with the development path"ecology oriented fishery and industrialization oriented ecological fishery"for ecological fishery in Poyang Lake area.It proposes a series of key technological measures,including reducing fertilizer and drugs,increasing output and benefits,low consumption and emission,high quality and safety,and standardization,to realize a benign cycle of"cost saving,benefit increasing,quality improving and low carbon"and the multi-win objective of coordination between ecology,economy and society.

Microstructure-Property Relationship in Self-Crosslinked Non-Derivative Acetic Acid Lignin-Containing Polyurethane Membranes

With the assistance of different solvents, self-crosslinked acetic acid lignin-containing polyurethane (LPU) membranes were synthesized. Compared with tetrahydrofuran and dioxane, N, N-dimethylacetamide with stronger polarity together with higher boiling point was demonstrated to be beneficial for preparing LPU particles of smaller size and enhanced binding force. It was also found that lignin domain can interpenetrate into polyurethane domain well with 43.3% lignin addition, resulting in enhanced phase mixing and better performance. In addition, relative homogeneous and smooth LPU membrane can be obtained with 2% TMP addition, while stress crack took place when TMP content was greater than 3%.

Photo-induced tunable luminescence from an aggregated amphiphilic ethylene-pyrene derivative in aqueous media

An amphiphilic derivative with a large Stokes shift by introducing flexible hydrophilic long chains into a rigid ethylene-pyrene compound have been successfully synthesized.The alkylated compound exhibited a notable change in charge distribution,facilitating cation-π interactions.Through the process of amphiphilic self-assembly,the formation of highly ordered aggregates enabled effective photo-dimerization under 449 nm LED irradiation.Notably,this photo-responsive technology not only exhibited advanced multi-color emission effects,including white light emission but also exhibited environmentally friendly behavior in the aqueous phase.

Temperature-induced lattice distortion in CuGeO_(3) nanocrystals

Lattice distortion represents the fundamental factor of crystalline materials and contributes significantly to structural-related properties.Herein,we discover an unexpected temperature-induced lattice distortion in CuGeO_(3) nanocrystals,resulting in color changes of CuGeO_(3).The structural distortions in CuGeO_(3) nanocrystals are characterized by Rietveld analysis in detail,where its cell parameter b and cell volume reveal first decrease and then increase characteristics and correspond well with the XRD patterns and Raman spectra.Besides,both the experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations confirm that the optical and band structural changes mainly arise from the twisted octahedral field of[CuO_(6)],where the lattice distortions regulate the crystal field splitting energy of[CuO_(6)]and account for its changed d-d transition.Furthermore,tetracycline photodegradation is employed as an example to evaluate the effect of lattice distortion on photocatalytic performance,which also highlights the importance of modulating lattice distortion in photocatalysis.This work provides an approach to simply regulate the lattice distortion for nanorods by manipulating calcination temperatures.

Enteromorpha polysaccharide-zinc replacing prophylactic antibiotics contributes to improving gut health of weaned piglets

This research aimed to study whether Enteromorpha polysaccharide-zinc(EP-Zn)can act as an alternative to antibiotics in weaned piglet feeds.Two hundred and twenty-four weaned piglets from 14 pens were randomly assigned into 1 of 2 groups according to their body weight and litter size(7 pens/group).The piglets in the antibiotics group were fed with olaquindox at 400 mg/kg and enduracidin at 800 mg/kg basal diet,and piglets in the EP-Zn group were fed with EP-Zn at 800 mg/kg basal diet.One piglet per pen was selected to collect samples after 14 d of feeding.Results showed that EP-Zn supplementation significantly increased the plasma anti-oxidants level compared with the antibiotics group.However,a nonsignificant difference was observed in growth performance between treatment groups.Additionally,the intestinal tight junction(TJ)protein expression and the histopathologic evaluation data showed that EP-Zn contributed to improving intestinal development.Further,piglets in the EP-Zn group had a lower level of intestinal inflammation-related cytokines including IL-6(P<0.001),IL-8(P<0.05),IL-12(P<0.05)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)(P<0.001),and showed an inhibition of the phosphor-ylation nuclear transcription factor-kappa B(p-NF-kB)(P<0.05)and total NF-kB(P<0.001)level in the jejunal mucosa.Taken together,it is supposed that EP-Zn,to some extent,would be a potent alternative to prophylactic antibiotics in improving the health status of weaned piglets.

Design with nature and eco-city design

Designing with Nature is an approach linking design and ecology,which focuses on living with nature,caring for nature,and aiming for a sustainable society.China has made eco-city development,eco-restoration,and eco-civilization its legislative priority and its national strategy,investing a US$618 billion in a 5-year period from 2011–2015 that could reach as high as US$1,124 billion dollars in the period of 2016–2020.“Designing with nature”also means that we must,as we are dealing with resources,consider and understand all the impacting factors and ecosystem capacities.China’s biggest challenge has been to restore water quality,aquatic ecosystems,and landscape patterns.Alongside its natural resources and eco-city development,China possesses a solar energy capacity higher than that of any other country in the world,reaching 174 gigawatts by 2018.Solar power is now cheaper than fossil fuels in hundreds of Chinese cities.In this review,we affirm that the nature-driven design put forth by McHarg’s Design with Nature has withstood the test of time,and we aim to renew interest in McHarg’s ideas by arguing for a design of Chinese cities that is,in keeping with Design with Nature,future-oriented,nature-oriented,and sustainability-oriented.

A Novel Ion-exchange Method for the Synthesis of Nano-SnO/micro-C Hybrid Structure as High Capacity Anode Material in Lithium Ion Batteries

A novel and simple ion-exchange method was developed for the synthesis of nano-SnO/micro-C hybrid structure. The structure of the as prepared nano-SnO/micro-C was directly revealed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. SnO particles with the size about 25 nm were well confined in amorphous carbon microparticles. Carbon matrix in micrometer scale not only acts as a protective buffer for the SnO nanoparticles during the battery cycling processes, but also avoids the shortcomings of nanostructures, such as low tap density and potential safety threats. Electrochemical behaviors of the nano-SnO/micro-C were tested as anode material in lithium ion batteries. The initial reversible capacity is 508 mA h g^-1, and the reversible capacity after 60 cycles is 511 mA h g^-1, indicating good capacity retention ability.

Sustainable energy management of solar greenhouses using open weather data on MACQU platform

Precision energy management is very important for sustainability development of solar greenhouses,since huge energy demand for agricultural production both in quantity and quality.A proactive energy management,according to the optimal energy utilization in a look-ahead period with weather prediction,is presented and tested in this research.A multi-input-multi-output linear model of the energy balance of solar greenhouses based on on-line identification system can simulate greenhouse behavior and allow for predictive control.The good time allocation of available solar energy can be achieved by intelligent use of controls,such as store/retrieve fans and ventilation windows,i.e.solar energy to warm up the air or to be stored in the storage elements(wall,soil,etc.)or to be exhausted to outside.The proactive energy management can select an optimal trajectory of air temperature for the forecasted weather period to minimize plants’thermal‘cost’defined by an‘expert’in terms of set-points for the specific crop.The selection of temperature trajectory is formulated as a generalized traveling salesman problem(GTSP)with precedence constraints and is solved by a genetic algorithm(GA)in this research.The simulation study showed good potential for energy saving and timely allocation to prevent excessive crop stress.The active control elements in addition to predefining and applying,within energy constraints,optimal climate in the greenhouse,it also reduces the energy deficit,i.e.the working hours of the‘heater’in the sustained freezing weather,as well as the ventilation hours,that is,more energy harvest in the warm days.This intelligent solar greenhouse management system is being migrated to the web for serving a‘customer base’in the Internet Plus era.The capacity,of the concrete ground CAUA system(CAUA is an abbreviations from both China Agricultural University and Agricultural University of Athens),to implement web‘updates’of criteria,open weather data and models,on which control actions are based,is what makes use of Cloud Data for closing the loop of an effective Internet of Things(IoT)system,based on MACQU(MAnagement and Control for QUality)technological platform.

Materials and Society:Functional Chemicals and Materials in Banknote and Security Paper

1.INTRODUCTION Banknote and security paper have a vital role in market,transaction,and commodity economies,as well as many other areas of our society.Despite the shift to electronic currency and documents,banknote,and security paper will continue to hold an important role in the future.1,2 These specialty papers must,however,maintain their competitiveness through continuous technology development in order to meet the ever-increasing demands on their properties such as the paper strength,water resistance,washing resistance,durability,printability,ink fastness,and anticounterfeiting performance.Further,security printing companies are increasingly developing new generations of banknote and security paper toward diverse,intelligent,multifunctional,and high-performance products.To address the aforementioned challenges,researchers must seek solutions in an integrated,multidisciplinary way.This viewpoint will provide a broad and systematic overview of the functional chemicals and materials used during the manufacturing of banknote and security paper.Our goal is to provide researchers with the resources and perspective that may inspire chemists and materials scientists to develop new technologies and approaches in the technological development of security paper.

Syntheses and catalytic applications of the high-N-content,the cup-stacking and the macroscopic nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes

The high-N-content, the cup-stacking and the macroscopic nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes（NCNT）were synthesized via an easily manufactured catalytic chemical vapor deposition（CCVD） method. Nitrogen physisorption, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, thermogravimetric analysis（TGA）, X-ray diffraction（XRD） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS） were used to characterize the as-obtained NCNTs. High reaction temperatures were found to be the key point to the formation of inner-cup-stacking NCNTs. However, the synthesis of the outer-cup-stacking NCNT needs special demands not only to the reaction temperature but also to the catalyst and the carrier gas. The possibility of CO oxidation by NCNT was proved to be very small, and the outer-cup-stacking NCNT showed obvious advantage in the oxidative dehydrogenation（ODH） of butene to butadiene compared to a bamboo-like NCNT with an even higher N content.