Soil bacterial and fungal communities resilience to long-term nitrogen addition in subtropical forests in China

Atmospheric nitrogen(N)deposition is predicted to increase,especially in the subtropics.However,the responses of soil microorganisms to long-term N addition at the molecular level in N-rich subtropical forests have not been clarified.A long-term nutrient addition experiment was conducted in a subtropical evergreen old-growth forest in China.The four treatments were:control,low N(50 kg N ha^(-1)a^(-1)),high N(100 kg N ha^(-1)a^(-1)),and combined N and phosphorus(P)(100 kg N ha^(-1)a^(-1)+50 kg P ha^(-1)a^(-1)).Metagenomic sequencing characterized diversity and composition of soil microbial communities and used to construct bacterial/fungal co-occurrence networks.Nutrient-treated soils were more acidic and had higher levels of dissolved organic carbon than controls.There were no significant differences in microbial diversity and community composition across treatments.The addition of nutrients increased the abundance of copiotrophic bacteria and potentially beneficial microorganisms(e.g.,Gemmatimonadetes,Chaetomium,and Aureobasidium).Low N addition increased microbiome network connectivity.Three rare fungi were identified as module hubs under nutrient addition,indicating that low abundance fungi were more sensitive to increased nutrients.The results indicate that the overall composition of microbial communities was stable but not static to long-term N addition.Our findings provide new insights that can aid predictions of the response of soil microbial communities to long-term N addition.

Promoting dynamic recrystallization and improving strength and ductility of Mg-7Bi alloy through Al addition

This study investigated the influence of the addition of Al to a Mg-7Bi(B7,wt%)alloy,particularly its recrystallization behavior during extrusion and its resulting mechanical properties.The addition of 2 wt%Al to the B7 alloy resulted in a lower grain size,a reduction in the number density of fine Mg3Bi2 particles,and a higher area fraction of relatively coarse Mg3Bi2 particles in the extrusion billet.These microstructural changes increased the nucleation sites for recrystallization,reduced the Zener pinning effect,and enhanced particle-stimulated nucleation,all of which promoted dynamic recrystallization behavior during extrusion.As a result,the area fraction of recrystallized grains in the extruded alloy increased from 77%to 94%.The extruded B7 alloy exhibited a strong<10-10>fiber texture,whereas the extruded Mg-7Bi-2Al(BA72)alloy had a weak<10-10>-<2-1-10>texture,which was attributed to the minimal presence of unrecrystallized grains and the dispersed orientation of the recrystallized grains.The tensile yield strength(TYS)of the extruded BA72 alloy was higher than that of the extruded B7 alloy(170 and 124 MPa,respectively),which resulted from the enhanced grain-boundary and solid-solution strengthening effects.The tensile elongation(EL)of the BA72 alloy also exceeded that of the B7 alloy(20.3%and 6.1%,respectively),the result of the uniform formation of fine twins under tension in the former and the formation of a few coarse twins among the unrecrystallized grains in the latter.Consequently,the addition of a small amount of Al to the B7 alloy significantly improved both the strength and ductility of the extruded alloy,resulting in a remarkable increase in the product of the TYS and EL from 756 to 3451 MPa%and expanding its potential range of applications as a lightweight extruded structural component.

Effect of addition temperature on dispersion behavior and grain refinement efficiency of MgO introduced into Mg alloy

The effect of addition temperature of MgO particles(MgOp)on their dispersion behavior and the efficiency of grain refinement in AZ31 Mg alloy was investigated.In addition,the grain refinement mechanism was systematically studied by microstructure characterization,thermodynamic calculation,and analysis of solidification curves.The results show that the grain size of AZ31 Mg alloy initially decreases and then increases as the MgOp addition temperature is increased from 720 to 810℃,exhibiting a minimum value of 136μm at 780℃.The improved grain refinement efficiency with increasing MgOp addition temperature can be attributed to the reduced Mg melt viscosity and enhanced wettability between MgOp and Mg melt.Furthermore,a corresponding physical model describing the solidification behavior and grain refinement mechanism was proposed.

Stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty with corneal crosslinking for corneal ectasia secondary to FS-LASIK:a case series

●AIM:To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty(SLAK)with corneal crosslinking(CXL)on patients with corneal ectasia secondary to femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK).●METHODS:A series of 5 patients undertaking SLAK with CXL for the treatment of corneal ectasia secondary to FS-LASIK were followed for 4-9mo.The lenticules were collected from patients undertaking small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)for the correction of myopia.Adding a stromal lenticule was aimed at improving the corneal thickness for the safe application of crosslinking and compensating for the thin cornea to improve its mechanical strength.●RESULTS:All surgeries were conducted successfully with no significant complications.Their best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)ranged from 0.05 to 0.8-2 before surgery.The pre-operational total corneal thickness ranged from 345-404μm and maximum keratometry(Kmax)ranged from 50.8 to 86.3.After the combination surgery,both the corneal keratometry(range 55.9 to 92.8)and total corneal thickness(range 413-482μm)significantly increased.Four out of 5 patients had improvement of corneal biomechanical parameters(reflected by stiffness parameter A1 in Corvis ST).However,3 patients showed decreased BCVA after surgery due to the development of irregular astigmatism and transient haze.Despite the onset of corneal edema right after SLAK,the corneal topography and thickness generally stabilized after 3mo.●CONCLUSION:SLAK with CXL is a potentially beneficial and safe therapy for advanced corneal ectasia.Future work needs to address the poor predictability of corneal refractometry and compare the outcomes of different surgical modes.

Effect of Fe Addition on Dehydrogenation Performance of Methylcyclohexance over Pt/Al_(2)O_(3)

Catalysts with varying Fe contents were prepared using a sequential impregnation method to investigate the effects of Fe addition on the physicochemical properties of Pt/Al_(2)O_(3) and their performance in methylcyclohexane(MCH)dehydrogenation.The results demonstrated that the addition of Fe to Pt/Al_(2)O_(3) enhanced the electron density of Pt and improved catalytic activity,while exhibiting negligible influence on the catalytic selectivity for toluene.When the Fe content was 0.057%,the catalyst exhibited the highest MCH consumption rate,which was approximately two times higher than that of the catalyst without Fe.Additionally,the incorporation of Fe inhibited the formation of coke and reduced the quantity of coke deposits on the catalyst,thereby improving its catalytic durability.Overall,Fe shows promise as a prospective secondary element for Pt/Al_(2)O_(3) to enhance the MCH dehydrogenation performance.

Belowground Bud Bank Is Insensitive to Short-Term Nutrient Addition in the Meadow Steppe of Inner Mongolia

Human activities and industrialization have significantly increased soil nutrients,such as nitrogen(N)and phos-phorus(P),profoundly impacting the composition and structure of plant community,as well as the ecosystem functions,especially in nutrient-limited ecosystems.However,as the key propagule pool of perennial grasslands,how belowground bud bank and its relationship with aboveground vegetation respond to short-term changes in soil nutrients was still unclear.In this study,we conducted a short-term(2021–2022)soil fertilization experiment with N addition(10 g N m^(-2) yr^(-1))and P addition(5 g N m^(-2) yr^(-1))in the meadow steppe of Inner Mongolia,China,to explore the responses of belowground bud bank,aboveground shoot population and their relationships(represented by the ratio of bud to shoot density-meristem limitation index(MLI))for the whole community and three plant functional groups(perennial rhizomatous grasses-PR,perennial bunchgrasses-PB,and perennial forbs-PF)to nutrient addition.The short-term nutrient addition had no significant influences on belowground bud density,aboveground shoot density,and MLI of the whole plant community.Plant functional groups showed different responses to soil fertilization.Specifically,N addition significantly increased the bud density and shoot density of PR,especially in combination with P addition.N addition reduced the shoot density of PF but had no influence on its bud density and MLI.Nutrient addition had significant effects on the three indicators of PB.Our study indicates that the belowground bud bank and its relationship with aboveground vegetation in temperate meadow steppe are insensitive to short-term soil fertilization,but plant functional groups exhibit specific responses in terms of population regeneration,which implies that plant community composition and ecosystem functions will be changed under the ongoing global change.

Effect of defatted flaxseed gum powder addition on the quality of sesame paste

The study explored the influence of defatted flaxseed gum powder(DFGP) on the stability and quality of sesame paste by measuring and analyzing its composition, color, texture, particle size, centrifugal oil separation rate,rheological properties, and microstructure. The results showed that the moisture and polysaccharide content of sesame paste was increased as the DFGP increased. Additionally, the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of the sesame paste was improved, while the presence of particles with small particle size(1–100 μm) was decreased.The rate of oil precipitation was reduced by 28.99% when the amount of DFGP was 6%. The sesame paste samples exhibited pseudoplastic behavior, demonstrating shear thinning. As the shear rate increased, the apparent viscosity of sesame paste gradually decreased. Both the storage modulus(G’) and the loss modulus(G’’) increased as the shear frequency increased. The microstructure observation revealed that protein and oil were evenly distributed in the sesame paste system, and the addition of DFGP enhanced the bonding between oil and protein.This study can provide valuable references for high-quality sesame paste products in the food industry.

How Prime Numbers Are Interconnected and Built with Two Equations: Addition and Subtraction Rules the Function (6µ)

Are all prime numbers linked by four simple functions? Can we predict when a prime will appear in a sequence of primes? If we classify primes into two groups, Group 1 for all primes that appear before ζ (such that , for instance 5, ), an even number divisible by 3 and 2, and Group 2 for all primes that are after ζ (such that , for instance 7), then we find a simple function: for each prime in each group, , where n is any natural number. If we start a sequence of primes with 5 for Group 1 and 7 for Group 2, we can attribute a μ value for each prime. The μ value can be attributed to every prime greater than 7. Thus for Group 1, and . Using this formula, all the primes appear for , where μ is any natural number.

A Data and Knowledge Collaboration Strategy for Decision-Making on the Amount of Aluminum Fluoride Addition Based on Augmented Fuzzy Cognitive Maps

In the aluminum reduction process, aluminum uoride (AlF3) is added to lower the liquidus temperature of the electrolyte and increase the electrolytic ef ciency. Making the decision on the amount of AlF3 addi- tion (referred to in this work as MDAAA) is a complex and knowledge-based task that must take into con- sideration a variety of interrelated functions;in practice, this decision-making step is performed manually. Due to technician subjectivity and the complexity of the aluminum reduction cell, it is dif cult to guarantee the accuracy of MDAAA based on knowledge-driven or data-driven methods alone. Existing strategies for MDAAA have dif culty covering these complex causalities. In this work, a data and knowl- edge collaboration strategy for MDAAA based on augmented fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) is proposed. In the proposed strategy, the fuzzy rules are extracted by extended fuzzy k-means (EFKM) and fuzzy deci- sion trees, which are used to amend the initial structure provided by experts. The state transition algo- rithm (STA) is introduced to detect weight matrices that lead the FCMs to desired steady states. This study then experimentally compares the proposed strategy with some existing research. The results of the comparison show that the speed of FCMs convergence into a stable region based on the STA using the proposed strategy is faster than when using the differential Hebbian learning (DHL), particle swarm optimization (PSO), or genetic algorithm (GA) strategies. In addition, the accuracy of MDAAA based on the proposed method is better than those based on other methods. Accordingly, this paper provides a feasible and effective strategy for MDAAA.

Trace Amounts of Triple-Functional Additives Enable Reversible Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries from a Comprehensive Perspective

Although their cost-effectiveness and intrinsic safety,aqueous zinc-ion batteries suffer from notorious side reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction,Zn corrosion and passivation,and Zn dendrite formation on the anode.Despite numerous strategies to alleviate these side reactions have been demonstrated,they can only provide limited performance improvement from a single aspect.Herein,a triple-functional additive with trace amounts,ammonium hydroxide,was demonstrated to comprehensively protect zinc anodes.The results show that the shift of electrolyte pH from 4.1 to 5.2 lowers the HER potential and encourages the in situ formation of a uniform ZHS-based solid electrolyte interphase on Zn anodes.Moreover,cationic NH^(4+)can preferentially adsorb on the Zn anode surface to shield the“tip effect”and homogenize the electric field.Benefitting from this comprehensive protection,dendrite-free Zn deposition and highly reversible Zn plating/stripping behaviors were realized.Besides,improved electrochemical performances can also be achieved in Zn//MnO_(2)full cells by taking the advantages of this triple-functional additive.This work provides a new strategy for stabilizing Zn anodes from a comprehensive perspective.

Ameliorating the re/dehydrogenation behaviour of MgH2 by zinc titanate addition

Magnesium hydride(MgH_(2))is the most feasible and effective solid-state hydrogen storage material,which has excellent reversibility but initiates decomposing at high temperatures and has slow kinetics performance.Here,zinc titanate(Zn_(2)TiO_(4))synthesised by the solid-state method was used as an additive to lower the initial temperature for dehydrogenation and enhance the re/dehydrogenation behaviour of MgH_(2).With the presence of Zn_(2)TiO_(4),the starting temperature for the dehydrogenation of MgH_(2)was remarkably lowered to around 290℃–305℃.In addition,within 300 s,the MgH_(2)–Zn_(2)TiO_(4)sample absorbed 5.0 wt.%of H_(2)and 2.2–3.6 wt.%H_(2)was liberated from the composite sample in 30 min,which is faster by 22–36 times than as-milled MgH_(2).The activation energy of the MgH_(2)for the dehydrogenation process was also downshifted to 105.5 k J/mol with the addition of Zn_(2)TiO_(4)indicating a decrease of 22%than as-milled MgH_(2).The superior behaviour of MgH_(2)was due to the formation of Mg Zn_(2),MgO and MgTiO_(3),which are responsible for ameliorating the re/dehydrogenation behaviour of MgH_(2).These findings provide a new understanding of the hydrogen storage behaviour of the catalysed-MgH_(2)system.

Underlying mechanisms of variation in yield asymmetry and strain hardening behavior of extruded pure Mg with Gd addition

Effects of Gd addition on the strain hardening behavior and yield asymmetry of pure Mg are investigated by subjecting extruded pure Mg,Mg–5Gd,and Mg–15Gd(all in wt%)to tension and compression tests along the extrusion direction(ED).As the amount of Gd added to pure Mg increases,the basal texture tilts toward the ED and the distribution of c-axes of grains becomes randomized.Under tension,the strain hardening rates of all the materials decrease until fracture.However,under compression,the strain hardening rate increases in the early stage of deformation in pure Mg and Mg–5Gd,whereas it continuously decreases in Mg–15Gd.Pure Mg exhibits considerably high tension-compression yield asymmetry,with a compressive yield strength(CYS)to tensile yield strength(TYS)ratio of 0.4.In contrast,Mg–5Gd exhibits excellent yield symmetry with CYS/TYS of 0.9 and Mg–15Gd exhibits reversed yield asymmetry with CYS/TYS of 1.2.Underlying mechanisms of these drastically different Gd-addition-induced deformation behaviors of the materials are discussed in terms of the crystallographic distribution of grains and the relative activation stresses of basal slip,prismatic slip,pyramidal slip,and{10–12}twinning under tension and compression.

Effect of Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring Plus Additional Support on Blood Pressure Control:A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective Current clinical evidence on the effects of home blood pressure telemonitoring(HBPT)on improving blood pressure control comes entirely from developed countries.Thus,we performed this randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether HBPT plus support(patient education and clinician remote hypertension management)improves blood pressure control more than usual care(UC)in the Chinese population.Methods This single-center,randomized controlled study was conducted in Beijing,China.Patients aged 30-75 years were eligible for enrolment if they had blood pressure[systolic(SBP)≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic(DBP)≥90 mmHg;or SBP≥130 mmHg and/or DBP≥80 mmHg with diabetes].We recruited 190 patients randomized to either the HBPT or the UC groups for 12 weeks.The primary endpoints were blood pressure reduction and the proportion of patients achieving the target blood pressure.Results Totally,172 patients completed the study,the HBPT plus support group(n=84),and the UC group(n=88).Patients in the plus support group showed a greater reduction in mean ambulatory blood pressure than those in the UC group.The plus support group had a significantly higher proportion of patients who achieved the target blood pressure and maintained a dipper blood pressure pattern at the12th week of follow-up.Additionally,the patients in the plus support group showed lower blood pressure variability and higher drug adherence than those in the UC group.Conclusion HBPT plus additional support results in greater blood pressure reduction,better blood pressure control,a higher proportion of dipper blood pressure patterns,lower blood pressure variability,and higher drug adherence than UC.The development of telemedicine may be the cornerstone of hypertension management in primary care.

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on soil microbial community structure and ecological processes in the farmland of Chinese Loess Plateau

Microorganisms regulate the responses of terrestrial ecosystems to anthropogenic nutrient inputs.The escalation of anthropogenic activities has resulted in a rise in the primary terrestrial constraining elements,namely nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P).Nevertheless,the specific mechanisms governing the influence of soil microbial community structure and ecological processes in ecologically vulnerable and delicate semi-arid loess agroecosystems remain inadequately understood.Therefore,we explored the effects of different N and P additions on soil microbial community structure and its associated ecological processes in the farmland of Chinese Loess Plateau based on a 36-a long-term experiment.Nine fertilization treatments with complete interactions of high,medium,and low N and P gradients were set up.Soil physical and chemical properties,along with the microbial community structure were measured in this study.Additionally,relevant ecological processes such as microbial biomass,respiration,N mineralization,and enzyme activity were quantified.To elucidate the relationships between these variables,we examined correlation-mediated processes using statistical techniques,including redundancy analysis(RDA)and structural equation modeling(SEM).The results showed that the addition of N alone had a detrimental effect on soil microbial biomass,mineralized N accumulation,andβ-1,4-glucosidase activity.Conversely,the addition of P exhibited an opposing effect,leading to positive influences on these soil parameters.The interactive addition of N and P significantly changed the microbial community structure,increasing microbial activity(microbial biomass and soil respiration),but decreasing the accumulation of mineralized N.Among them,N24P12 treatment showed the greatest increase in the soil nutrient content and respiration.N12P12 treatment increased the overall enzyme activity and total phospholipid fatty acid(PLFA)content by 70.93%.N and P nutrient contents of the soil dominate the microbial community structure and the corresponding changes in hydrolytic enzymes.Soil microbial biomass,respiration,and overall enzyme activity are driven by mineralized N.Our study provides a theoretical basis for exploring energy conversion processes of soil microbial community and environmental sustainability under long-term N and P additions in semi-arid loess areas.

Effects of Cu and Co additions on the crystallization and magnetic properties of FeNbB alloy

The nanocrystalline-forming element Cu and magnetic element Co are commonly used as additive elements to tune the structure and improve the properties of alloys.In this study,four kinds of amorphous alloys,Fe_(72)Nb_(12)B_(16),Fe_(72)Nb_(12)B_(15)Cu_(1),Fe_(36)Co_(36)Nb_(12)B_(16),and Fe_(36)Co_(36)Nb_(12)B_(15)Cu_(1),were prepared by melt-spinning and annealed at various temperatures to investigate the effects of Cu and Co additions,individually and in combination,on the crystallization and magnetic properties of Fe_(72)Nb_(12)B_(16)alloy.The four kinds of alloys exhibited different crystallization behaviors with different primary crystallization phases observed.For the Fe_(72)Nb_(12)B_(16)alloy,only theα-Mn-type metastable phase formed after annealing.The addition of 1 at.%Cu and 36 at.%Co led to the observation of theα-Mn-type andβ-Mn-type metastable phases,respectively,and a reduction in the crystallization volume fraction in the metastable phase.The Fe_(36)Co_(36)Nb_(12)B_(15)Cu_(1)alloy only exhibitedα-Fe(Co)phase as a primary phase,and the addition of both Cu and Co completely inhibited the precipitation of the metastable phase.Cu clusters were found in energy dispersive spectroscopy elemental maps.Compared with other alloys,Fe_(36)Co_(36)Nb_(12)B_(15)Cu_(1)alloy with both Cu and Co exhibited a lower coercivity(Hc)below 973 K.

Nitrogen addition promotes foliar litterfall and element return in a subtropical forest,southwestern China

Nitrogen deposition has a considerable impact on biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.However,how litter production and element return respond to N addition remains poorly understood in nitrogen-rich subtropical regions.In this study,a 4-year nitrogen addition experiment explored its eff ects on foliar litter production and carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus in a subtropical Michelia wilsonii forest.A clear seasonal pattern in foliar litterfall was observed,regardless of nitrogen treatments,with a peak in spring and a smaller one in autumn.Foliar litter increased with increasing nitrogen but did not aff ect litter carbon concentrations and often decreased nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations.The eff ect of nitrogen addition was dependent on time(month/year).Carbon,nitrogen and phosphorous return showed similar bimodal seasonal patterns.Nitrogen addition increased carbon and nitrogen return but did not aff ect phosphorous.Our results suggest that the addition of nitrogen stimulates carbon and nutrient return via litterfall.

Enhanced oxidation and overheating resistance of the extruded Mg–Zn–Al–Mn magnesium alloy by Calcium addition

The effects of Ca addition on the microstructure and oxidation properties of a new Mg alloy were studied.The oxidation behavior of the alloys was analyzed by thermal analysis and material characterization of the alloys exposed in flame environment;and both electrical and induction furnaces.Moreover,the surface layers were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy,and X-ray diffraction technique.It was found that increasing the Ca addition reduces the grain size and increases the fraction of the secondary phases,and enhances the mechanical properties.Moreover,increasing the Ca contents resulted in the formation of a dense CaO/MgO layer on the surface prohibited the oxygen diffusion and assisted in protection of the substrate against further oxidation.Therefore,ignition temperature was increased from 680℃ to 890℃ after addition of the Ca element.The mechanical properties and ignition behavior of the current materials was compared with the literature which it showed an excellent combination of the properties in the developed alloys.

Achieving high-strain-rate and low-temperature superplasticity in an ECAP-processed Mg-Y-Er-Zn alloy via Ag addition

The effect of adding a small amount of Ag on the microstructure evolution and superplastic properties of Mg-Y-Er-Zn(WEZ612) alloys was systematically studied.The basal texture of the refined WEZ612 alloy produced by equal channel angular pressing was altered to a non-basal structure upon the addition of Ag.Ag addition also refined the grain size and promoted the formation of a large number of nano-14H-long period stacking ordered phases.Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy,many nano-precipitated phases were detected on the basal plane of the Mg-Y-Er-Zn-1Ag(WEZ612-1Ag) alloy,The nano-precipitated phases on the basal plane improved the thermal stability of the alloy,lowered the deformation activation energy(Q),and improved the stress sensitivity index(m).At 523 K with a strain rate of 10^(-2) s^(-1),the Q value of WEZ612 was higher than that of WEZ612-1Ag(299.14 and 128.5 kJ mol^(-1),respectively).In contrast,the m value of the WEZ612 alloy(0.16) was lower than that of the WEZ612-1Ag alloy(0.46).At 623 K with a tensile rate of 10^(-2) s^(-1),the WEZ612 and WEZ612-1Ag alloys were elongated by 182% and 495%,respectively,with the latter exhibiting high-strain-rate and low-temperature superplasticity.The improved superplasticity of the WEZ612-1Ag alloy is attributed to the nano-precipitated phases,which effectively limit the cavity extension during superplastic deformation.

Garlic extract addition for soil improvement at various temperatures using enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) method

Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is an emerging technique to improve the soil and most studies are carried out at room temperature. However, considering some foundations are in high-temperature environments (>40 ℃), the higher urease activity at high temperature results in the solidification inhomogeneity, limiting the application of EICP. The higher urease activity at high temperature hampers the application of EICP because of solidification inhomogeneity. The garlic extract has been used as a type of urease inhibitor in medical science and food engineering. Here, we propose to use it to control urease activity for sand solidification at high temperature. The effects of garlic extract addition on urease activity and precipitation rates for calcium carbonate (CaCO_(3)) were studied. Extra tests were conducted to study the effect of garlic extract addition on the solidification homogeneity. The results showed that the garlic extract addition significantly decreased urease activity. To reduce the rate of CaCO3 precipitation at different temperatures, a suitable concentration of garlic extract was necessary to obtain a suitable urease activity. In the sand solidification test, garlic extract addition resulted in a smaller difference in sonic time values or CaCO_(3) contents at different parts of samples. The improved solidification homogeneity can achieve higher strength. The correlation between sonic time values and CaCO_(3) content was higher than that between CaCO3 content and strength. Appropriate concentrations of garlic extract were obtained at 35 ℃, 40℃, 45 ℃, 50 ℃, and 55 ℃. The proposed garlic extract addition method was significant to improve the homogeneity of solidified soil in practical engineering applications.

Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum Alloys with Metal Oxides (CuO2) Additions as Reinforcement

In this investigation, the addition of several amounts of metal oxide particles (CuO2) in Al matrix is carried out due to the need to improve the mechanical properties such as the ductility of aluminum for applications in the electrical sector. Samples were obtained by means of a stirring casting process. From the results of the microstructural characterization, it was observed that the metallic oxides induce the modification of the dendritic structure and grain refinement. X-ray diffraction characterization mainly shows the formation of Al2CuO4, Al2O3 and CuO compounds. Mechanical properties showed that the different thermal treatments resulted in an improved hardness, from 30 kg/mm2 for the un-reinforced sample to 90 kg/mm2 for reinforced samples. The addition of metallic oxides in the Al matrix produces an improved electrical conductivity specifically in sample with 0.50 g of CuO2 additions.