Effect of Modified Biochar with Organic Fertiliser on the Growth and Development of Chinese Rose

In order to reduce the waste of resources and environmental pollution caused by excessive application of chemical fertilizers, improve the utilization rate of fertilizers, and promote the large-scale and high-quality development of the Chinese rose industry. In this experiment, corn stover biochar, phosphoric acid modified biochar and organic fertilizer were used as test materials, and the effects of mixed application of modified biochar and organic fertilizer on the growth and development of Chinese rose as well as soil physicochemical properties were investigated by using the method of pot planting test. The results showed that modified biochar with organic fertilizer had the most significant effect on the enhancement of soil pH, organic matter content and soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. After 120 d of planting, modified biochar with organic fertilizer had the most significant effect on the enhancement of plant height and crown width of Chinese rose;both organic fertilizer and modified biochar with organic fertilizer significantly increased the chlorophyll content of Chinese rose. The number of flowers and the number of branches were the highest in the modified biochar with organic fertilizer treatment. In conclusion, the application of modified biochar with organic fertilizer can better improve the soil pH, and increase the soil organic matter content and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to change the biological traits of Chinese rose. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the reduction of chemical fertilizers and the resource utilization of agricultural wastes and guarantee the sustainable development of the cut flower industry.

Numerical optimisation of a classical stochastic system for targeted energy transfer

The paper studies stochastic dynamics of a two-degree-of-freedom system,where a primary linear system is connected to a nonlinear energy sink with cubic stiffness nonlinearity and viscous damping.While the primary mass is subjected to a zero-mean Gaussian white noise excitation,the main objective of this study is to maximise the efficiency of the targeted energy transfer in the system.A surrogate optimisation algorithm is proposed for this purpose and adopted for the stochastic framework.The optimisations are conducted separately for the nonlinear stiffness coefficient alone as well as for both the nonlinear stiffness and damping coefficients together.Three different optimisation cost functions,based on either energy of the system’s components or the dissipated energy,are considered.The results demonstrate some clear trends in values of the nonlinear energy sink coefficients and show the effect of different cost functions on the optimal values of the nonlinear system’s coefficients.

Modeling Motorization Development in China

Entering the 21st century, China’s economic development has reached new heights and the country has ascended to the world’s second largest economy. The 20 year unrelenting development in China also stimulates income growth. The increased disposable income enables an ordinary Chinese family vehicle ownership which was unthinkable two decades ago. The most populous country has started a love affair with automobile just like in the United States. Annual automobile sales in China rose from 2.1 million in 2000 to 18.1 million in 2010 with a yearly growth rate of 24.3%, which spurs the vehicle ownership increase from 18.1 million in 2000 to 78.8 million in 2010, a growth rate of 15.9% The unprecedented motorization development in China is making a huge impact on all aspects of society, including negative consequences that cannot be ignored. Traffic congestion, air pollution, and dependency on imported oil are huge emerging problems threatening Chinese sustainable development. Although these problems occurred and still exist in many other developed and developing countries, they are more acute in China today. By collecting and analyzing the massive data from various sources, this paper explores the relationship between economic development and level of mobility by studying the historical developments from several developed counties and discusses the key issues in Chinese motorization development. The objective of the study is to predict the future level of motorization and its potential impacts.

The Research about Prescribed Workspace for Optimal Design of 6R Robot

Based on the D-H notation, kinematics model and inverse kinematics model of 6R industrial robots are established. Using graphical method, the boundary curve equations of the 6R industrial robot workspace are obtained. Based on the prescribed workspace, the D-H parameter optimization method of 6R industrial robots is proposed. Using the genetic algorithm to determine the structural dimensions of a 6R robot, we make sure that its workspace can exactly contain the prescribed workspace. This method can be used to reduce the overall size of the robot, save materials and reduce the power consumption of the robot during its work time.

Soft multifunctional neurological electronic skin through intrinsically stretchable synaptic transistor

Neurological electronic skin(E-skin)can process and transmit information in a distributed manner that achieves effective stimuli perception,holding great promise in neuroprosthetics and soft robotics.Neurological E-skin with multifunctional perception abilities can enable robots to precisely interact with the complex surrounding environment.However,current neurological E-skins that possess tactile,thermal,and visual perception abilities are usually prepared with rigid materials,bringing difficulties in realizing biologically synapse-like softness.Here,we report a soft multifunctional neurological E-skin(SMNE)comprised of a poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT)nanofiber polymer semiconductor-based stretchable synaptic transistor and multiple soft artificial sensory receptors,which is capable of effectively perceiving force,thermal,and light stimuli.The stretchable synaptic transistor can convert electrical signals into transient channel currents analogous to the biological excitatory postsynaptic currents.And it also possesses both short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity that mimics the human memory system.By integrating a stretchable triboelectric nanogenerator,a soft thermoelectric device,and an elastic photodetector as artificial receptors,we further developed an SMNE that enables the robot to make precise actions in response to various surrounding stimuli.Compared with traditional neurological E-skin,our SMNE can maintain the softness and adaptability of biological synapses while perceiving multiple stimuli including force,temperature,and light.This SMNE could promote the advancement of E-skins for intelligent robot applications.

Erratum to:Soft multifunctional neurological electronic skin through intrinsically stretchable synaptic transistor

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太阳盐/钢渣定型复合相变储热材料的制备与性能研究

全球范围内的能源短缺和环境污染问题迫使人们积极开发可再生新能源。储热技术是解决新能源不稳定性问题的关键技术。相变材料是重要的储热介质之一。熔盐相变材料因其储热密度高,可操作温度范围广的优势,成为储热材料领域研究的热点。为解决熔盐液相易泄漏、低导热和高成本的问题,选择钢渣为基体材料,制备了太阳盐/钢渣定型复合相变储热材料,并通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM),热重–差示扫描量热法(TG–DSC),闪射法导热仪(LFA)和X射线衍射仪(XRD)对复合材料的微观结构、热性能和化学相容性进行了测试与表征。结果表明,钢渣与熔盐质量比5:5的复合材料定型效果最优。复合材料结构紧密;钢渣与熔盐化学相容性良好;复合材料潜热为64.0 kJ/kg,100~500℃内储热密度为945 kJ/kg,热导率高达2.23 W/(m·K)。太阳盐/钢渣复合相变储热材料不仅有利于储热技术的大规模应用,而且为钢铁工业废弃物回收利用提供了良好的参考,对节约资源、保护环境以及提高经济效益具有重要的意义。

Design,modeling and experiments of broadband tristable galloping piezoelectric energy harvester

Galloping based piezoelectric energy harvester is a kind of micro-environmental energy harvesting device based on flowinduced vibrations.A novel tristable galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester is constructed by introducing a nonlinear magnetic force on the traditional galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester.Based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and Kirchhoff’s law,the corresponding aero-electromechanical model is proposed and validated by a series of wind tunnel experiments.The parametric study is performed to analyse the response of the tristable galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester.Numerical results show that comparing with the galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester,the mechanism of the tristable galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester is more complex.With the increase of a wind speed,the vibration of the bluff body passes through three branches:intra-well oscillations,chaotic oscillations,and inter-well oscillations.The threshold wind speed of the presented harvester for efficiently harvesting energy is 1.0 m/s,which is decreased by 33% compared with the galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester.The maximum output power of the presented harvester is 0.73 mW at 7.0 m/s wind speed,which is increased by 35.3%.Compared with the traditional galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester,the presented tristable galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvester has a better energy harvesting performance from flow-induced vibrations.

Bile acids evoke placental inflammation by activating Gpbar1/NF-κB pathway in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy(ICP)is a cholestatic disorder with potentially deleterious consequences for fetuses.Although a clear correlation between the elevated levels of maternal serum bile acids and deficient fetal outcome has been established in clinical practice,the underlying mechanisms remain elusive.Herein,we report that bile acids induce NF-κB pathway activation via G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1(Gpbar1),with consequent upregulation of inflammatory genes in trophoblasts,leading to aberrant leukocyte infiltration and inflammation in placenta.Ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA),a drug used clinically to treat ICP,competes with other bile acids for binding with Gpbar1 and thus inhibits bile acid-induced inflammatory response in trophoblasts and improves fetal survival in pregnant rats with obstructive cholestasis.Notably,inhibition of NF-κB by andrographolide is more effective than UDCA in benefiting placentas and fetuses.Thus,anti-inflammation therapy targeting Gpbar1/NF-κB pathway could be effective in suppressing bile acid-induced inflammation and alleviating ICP-associated fetal disorders.

Corrosion formation and phase transformation of nickel-iron hydroxide nanosheets array for efficient water oxidation

Designing earth-abundant electrocatalysts with high performance towards water oxidation is highly decisive for the sustainable energy technologies. This study develops a facile natural corrosion approach to fabricate nickel-iron hydroxides for water oxidation. The resulted electrode demonstrates an outstanding activity and stability with an overpotential of 275 mV to deliver 10 mA·cm^(−2). Experimental and theoretical results suggest the corrosion-induced formation of hydroxides and their transformation to oxyhydroxides would account for this excellent performance. This work not only provides an interesting corrosion approach for the fabrication of excellent water oxidation electrode, but also bridges traditional corrosion engineering and novel materials fabrication, which would offer some insights in the innovative principles for nanomaterials and energy technologies.

Inhibition effects of benzalkonium chloride on Chlorella vulgaris induced corrosion of carbon steel

In this work,a surfactant,benzalkonium chloride(BAC),was used to study its effects on both the growth of Chlorella vulgaris and the corrosion caused by its biofilm.Experimental results indicated that BAC at a low concentration of 3 mg/L suppressed C.vulgaris growth and achieved 81%corrosion inhibition based on weight loss reduction.The inhibition effects increased when the BAC dosage was increased.At 30 mg/L,the corrosion inhibition increased to 95%.Electrochemical results supported surface pitting analysis,weight loss results data and confirmed the corrosion inhibition.

A quantitative study of the scale and distribution of tight gas reservoirs in the Sulige gas field, Ordos Basin, northwest China

Gas and water distribution is discontinuous in tight gas reservoirs,and a quantitative understanding of the factors controlling the scale and distribution of effective reservoirs is important for natural gas exploration.We used geological and geophysical explanation results,dynamic and static well test data,interference well test and static pressure test to calculate the distribution and characteristics of tight gas reservoirs in the H_(8) Member of the Shihezi Formation,Sulige gas field,Ordos Basin,northwest China.Our evaluation system examines the scale,physical properties,gas-bearing properties,and other reservoir features,and results in classification of effective reservoirs into types Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ that differ greatly in size,porosity,permeability,and saturation.The average thickness,length,and width of type Ⅰ effective reservoirs are 2.89,808,and 598 m,respectively,and the porosity is>10.0%,permeability is>1010^(–3)µm^(2),and average gas saturation is>60%.Compared with conventional gas reservoirs,tight gas effective reservoirs are small-scale and have low gas saturation.Our results show that the scale of the sedimentary system controls the size of the dominant microfacies in which tight gas effective reservoirs form.The presence of different types of interbeds hinders the connectivity of effective sand body reservoirs.The gas source conditions and pore characteristics of the reservoirs control sand body gas filling and reservoir formation.The physical properties and structural nature of the reservoirs control gas–water separation and the gas contents of effective reservoirs.The results are beneficial for the understanding of gas reservoir distribution in the whole Ordos Basin and other similar basins worldwide.

Mitigation of sulfate reducing Desulfovibrio ferrophilus microbiologically influenced corrosion of X80 using THPS biocide enhanced by Peptide A

Tetrakis hydroxymethyl phosphonium sulfate(THPS) was enhanced by a 14-mer Peptide A, with its core12-mer sequence mimicking part of Equinatoxin II protein, in the mitigation of sulfate reducing Desulfovibrio ferrophilus MIC(microbiologically influenced corrosion) of X80 carbon steel. Results proved that50 ppm(w/w) THPS was sufficient to mitigate the D. ferrophilus biofilm, and its very agressive MIC(19.7mg/cm^(2) in 7 days or 1.31 mm/a), but not 20 ppm THPS. To achieve effective mitigation at a low dosage of THPS, biofilm-dispersing Peptide A was added to 20 ppm THPS in the culture medium. Sessile cell counts were reduced by 2-log and 4-log after enhancement by 10 ppb and 100 ppb Peptide A, respectively. Enhancement efficiency(further reduction in corrosion rate) reached 69% for 10 ppb Peptide A and 83% for100 ppb Peptide A compared with 20 ppm THPS alone treatment, indicating that Peptide A was a good biocide enhancer for THPS.

Distinct chemokines selectively induce HIV-1 gp120-integrinα4β7 binding via triggering conformer-specific activation ofα4β7

Dear Editor,Gut associated lymphoid tissue(GALT)is the principal site where human immunodeficiency virus 1(HIV-1)replicates.CD4^(+) T cells residing in GALT are predominant targets of HIV-1 during the acute phase of infection.CD4^(+) T cells expressing a high level of gut-homing receptor integrin α4β7 are more susceptible to productive infection by HIV-1.