Research on the Estimation Model of Soil Moisture Content Based on the Characteristics of Thermal Infrared Data

With the portable Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), the reflectance spectra of soil samples with different moisture content are measured in laboratory for expounding the characteristic of radiation in the thermal infrared part of the spectrum with different soil moisture content. A model of estimating the moisture content in soil is attempted to make based on Moisture Diagnostic Index (MDI). In general,the spectral characteristic of soil emissivity in laboratory includes the following aspects.Firstly,in the region of 8.0-9.5 μm,along with the increase of soil moisture content,the emissivity of soil increases to varying degrees. The spectral curves are parallel relatively and have a tendency to become horizontal and the absorbed characteristic of reststrahlen is also weakened relatively with the increase of soil moisture in this region.Secondly,in the region of 11.0-14.0 μm,the emissivity of soil has a tendency of increasing.There is an absorption value near about 12.7 μm. As the soil moisture content increases,the depth of absorption also increases. This phenomenon may be caused by soil moisture absorption. Methods as derivative, difference and standardized ratio transformation may weaken the background noise effectively to the spectrum data. Especially using the ratio of the emissivity to the average of 8-14 μm may obviously enhance the correlation between soil moisture and soil emissivity. According to the result of correlation analysis, the 8.237 μm is regarded as the best detecting band for soil moisture content. Moreover,based on the Moisture Diagnostic Index ( MDI) in the 8.194-8.279 μm, the logarithmic model of estimating soil moisture is made.

Electrical properties of dry polycrystalline olivine mixed with various chromite contents: Implications for the high conductivity anomalies in subduction zones

Chromite,a crucial high-conductivity mineral phase of peridotite in ophiolite suites,has a significant effect on the electrical structure of subduction zones.The electrical conductivities of sintered polycrystalline olivine containing various volume percents of chromite(0,4,7,10,13,16,18,21,23,100 vol.%)were measured using a complex impedance spectroscopic technique in the frequency range of 10^(−1)-10^(6) Hz under the conditions of 1.0-3.0 GPa and 873-1223 K.The relationship between the conductivities of the chromite-bearing olivine aggregates and temperatures conformed to the Arrhenius equation.The positive effect of pressure on the conductivities of the olivine-chromite systems was much weaker than that of temperature.The chromite content had an important effect on the conductivities of the olivine-chromite systems,and the bulk conductivities increased with increasing volume fraction of chromite to a certain extent.The inclusion of 16 vol.%chromites dramatically enhanced the bulk conductivity,implying that the percolation threshold of interconnectivity of chromite in the olivine-chromite systems is-16 vol.%.The fitted activation enthalpies for pure polycrystalline olivine,polycrystalline olivine with isolated chromite,polycrystalline olivine with interconnected chromites,and pure polycrystalline chromite were 1.25,0.78-0.87,0.48-0.54,and 0.47 eV,respectively.Based on the chemical compositions and activation enthalpies,small polaron conduction was proposed to be the dominant conduction mechanism for polycrystalline olivine with various chromite contents.Furthermore,the conductivities of polycrystalline olivine with interconnected chromite(10-1.5-100.5 S/m)provides a reasonable explanation for the high conductivity anomalies in subduction-related tectonic environments.

Effect of grain boundary diffusion of terbium on mode of mechanical fracture of sintered NdFeB magnets

Grain boundary diffusion process(GBDP)is a widely used method of increasing the coercivity of sintered NdFeB magnets.In this study,the effects of the GBDP on the bending strength and microhardness of sintered NdFeB magnets and the fracture mode were investigated.Results show that the bending strength of magnets is reduced by pickling and heat treatment and greatly recove rs after heavy rare earth element(Tb)grain boundary diffusion.The pickling and the heat treatment cause a slight decrease in microhardness.Compared with the recovery of the bending strength,the hardness decreases after the GBDP.The fracture mode of bended magnets changes from intergranular to transgranular.This study helps in further improving the mechanical and magnetic properties of sintered NdFeB magnets.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the BRI1 Receptor and its Regulation by Membrane Microdomains in Living Arabidopsis Cells

The major brassinosteroid （BR） receptor of Arabidopsis BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 （BRI1） plays fundamental roles in BR signaling, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of BR on BRI1 internalization and assembly state remain unclear. Here, we applied variable angle total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy to analyze the dynamics of GFP-tagged BRII. We found that, in response to BR, the degree of co-localization of BRI1-GFP with AtFIotl-mCherry increased, and especially BR stimulated the membrane microdomain-associated pathway of BRI1 internalization. We also verified these observations in endocytosis-defective chc2-1 mutants and the AtFIotl amiRNA 15-5 lines. Furthermore, examination of the phosphorylation status of bril-EMS-suppressor 1 and measurement of BR-responsive gene expression revealed that membrane microdomains affect BR signaling. These results suggest that BR promotes the partitioning of BRI1 into functional membrane microdomains to activate BR signaling.

Stable interphase chemistry of textured Zn anode for rechargeable aqueous batteries

Despite the advances of aqueous zinc(Zn)batteries as sustainable energy storage systems,their practical application remains challenging due to the issues of spontaneous corrosion and dendritic deposits at the Zn metal anode.In this work,conformal growth of zinc hydroxide sulfate(ZHS)with dominating(001)facet was realized on(002)plane-dominated Zn metal foil fabricated through a facile thermal annealing process.The ZHS possessed high Zn^(2+)conductivity(16.9 mS cm^(-1))and low electronic conductivity(1.28×10^(4)Ωcm),and acted as a heterogeneous and robust solid electrolyte interface(SEI)layer on metallic Zn electrode,which regulated the electrochemical Zn plating behavior and suppressed side reactions simultaneously.Moreover,low self-diffusion barrier along the(002)plane promoted the 2D diffusion and horizontal electrochemical plating of metallic Zn for(002)-textured Zn electrode.Consequently,the as-achieved Zn electrode exhibited remarkable cycling stability over 7000 cycles at 2 mA cm^(-2)and 0.5 mAh cm^(-2)with a low overpotential of 25 mV in symmetric cells.Pairing with a MnO_(2)cathode,the as-achieved Zn electrode achieved stable cell cycling with 92.7%capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 10 C with a remarkable average Coulombic efficiency of 99.9%.

BKI1 Regulates Plant Architecture through Coordinated Inhibition of the Brassinosteroid and ERECTA Signaling Pathways in Arabidopsis

Hundreds of leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases （LRR-RLKs） play indispensable roles in a wide range of plant developmental and physiological processes. The mechanisms controlling LRR-RLKs at a basal and inactive status are essential but rarely studied. BKI1 is the only reported inhibitor of receptor kinases in Arabidopsis, which negatively regulates BRI1 in the brassinosteroid pathway. In this study, we found that BKI1 can also interact with another important LRR-RLK, ERECTA （ER）. Phenotypic analysis showed that BKI1 and ER together regulate plant architecture, including pedicel orientation, which is a newly reported phenotype in the BR- and ER-mediated developmental processes. Gene expression analysis revealed that BKI1 regulates a subset of ER-responsive genes. Kinase assays demonstrated that BKI1 inhibits ER kinase activity. In addition, the release of BKI1 inhibition on ER signaling relies largely on BRI1 activation. Our data provide significant insights into the regulation and activation of RLKs and suggest that BKI1 functions as a common suppressor of the BRI1 and ER signaling pathways.

In situ formation of ionically conductive nanointerphase on Si particles for stable battery anode

Silicon(Si)is a promising anode candidate for next-generation lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to its high theoretical capacity.Solar Si photovoltaic waste possesses good purity and high output.Using it as the raw material for battery anodes can synchronously solve the problem of solid waste pollution and enable high energy density LIBs.A critical issue impeding the practical application of Si is the undesirable side reactions at the electrolyte-particle interface and the resulting increase in impedance during cycling.Herein,a Si-P core shell structure with chemical bonding at the Si-P interface is fabricated through a simple mechanical alloying reaction between red P and solar Si photovoltaic waste.The P nanoshell with thickness within 15 nm converts to Li3P during the initial lithiation process and maintains its phase on cycling.The as-formed Li3P nanolayer functions as a stable,ionically conductive protective layer that reduces the direct contact between Si and electrolytes,and thus suppresses undesired side reactions.The Si-P nanocomposite exhibits stable electrochemical cycling with a high reversible capacity of 1,178 mAh g^(−1)after 500 cycles at 1,200 mA g^(−1),as well as excellent rate capability(912 mAh g^(−1)at 2 C).With 15 wt%addition to graphite,a graphite/Si-P hybrid electrode shows a high overall reversible specific capacity of 447 mAh g^(−1)and 88.3%capacity retention after 100 cycles at high areal capacity of 2.64 mAh cm^(−2) at 100 mA g^(−1),indicating its promise as a drop-in anode in practical LIBs.

Confinement synthesis of bimetallic MOF-derived defect-rich nanofiber electrocatalysts for rechargeable Zn-air battery

Zn-air batteries with high energy density and safety have acquired enormous attention,while the practical application is hindered by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).In this work,a threedimensional(3D)defect-rich bifunctional electrocatalyst(CoFe/N CNFs)comprising irregular hollow CoFe nanospheres in Ndoped carbon nanofibers is presented,which is fabricated from CoFe ZIFs-derived(ZIF:zeolitic-imidazolate framework)polymer nanofibers precursor.The CoFe ZIFs with tunable particle size and composition are constructed using a confined synthesis strategy.Moreover,the Kirkendall diffusion process is available for forming the irregular hollow CoFe nanospheres,and the decomposition of polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)results in forming the defective carbon nanofibers,which provide more efficient active sites and enhance the electrocatalytic properties toward both OER and ORR.The optimized CoFe/N CNFs exhibit superior bifunctional activities,outperforming that of the benchmark Pt/C+RuO_(2) catalyst.As a result,the CoFe/N CNFs as an air-cathode endow the rechargeable Zn-air battery with an excellent power density of 149 mW·cm^(−2),energy density of 875 Wh·kg^(−1),and cycling stability.This work provides a new strategy to develop bifunctional electrocatalysts with desired nanostructure and regulated performance toward energy applications.

The Intrinsically Disordered Protein BKI1 Is Essential for Inhibiting BRI1 Signaling in Plants

Dear Editor,Brassinosteroids （BRs） are a class of essential polyhydroxylated steroid hormones regulating plant growth and development, and their responses to environmental cues （Clouse, 2011 ; Yang et al., 2011）. BRs are perceived at the plasma membrane by a receptor complex, which consists of two leucine-rich receptor-like kinases （LRR-RLKs）, BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 （BRI1） and BRI1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1 （BAK1）.

Brassinosteroids promote thermotolerance through releasing BIN2-mediated phosphorylation and suppression of HsfA1 transcription factors in Arabidopsis

High temperature adversely affects plant growth and development.The steroid phytohormones brassinosteroids(BRs)are recognized to play important roles in plant heat stress responses and thermotolerance,but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure.Here,we demonstrate that the glycogen synthase kinase 3(GSK3)-like kinase BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE2(BIN2),a negative component in the BR signaling pathway,interacts with the master heat-responsive transcription factors CLASS A1 HEAT SHOCK TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS(HsfA1s).Furthermore,BIN2 phosphorylates HsfA1d on T263 and S56 to suppress its nuclear localization and inhibit its DNA-binding ability,respectively.BR signaling promotes plant thermotolerance by releasing the BIN2 suppression of HsfA1d to facilitate its nuclear localization and DNA binding.Our study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms by which BRs promote plant thermotolerance by strongly regulating HsfA1d through BIN2 and suggests potential ways to improve crop yield under extreme high temperatures.