Yields,growth and water use under chemical topping in relations to row configuration and plant density in drip-irrigated cotton

Background Water deficit is an important problem in agricultural production in arid regions.With the advent of wholly mechanized technology for cotton planting in Xinjiang,it is important to determine which planting mode could achieve high yield,fiber quality and water use efficiency(WUE).This study aimed to explore if chemical topping affected cotton yield,quality and water use in relation to row configuration and plant densities.Results Experiments were carried out in Xinjiang China,in 2020 and 2021 with two topping method,manual topping and chemical topping,two plant densities,low and high,and two row configurations,i.e.,76 cm equal rows and 10+66 cm narrow-wide rows,which were commonly applied in matching harvest machine.Chemical topping increased seed cotton yield,but did not affect cotton fiber quality comparing to traditional manual topping.Under equal row spacing,the WUE in higher density was 62.4%higher than in the lower one.However,under narrow-wide row spacing,the WUE in lower density was 53.3%higher than in higher one(farmers’practice).For machine-harvest cotton in Xinjiang,the optimal row configuration and plant density for chemical topping was narrow-wide rows with 15 plants m-2 or equal rows with 18 plants m-2.Conclusion The plant density recommended in narrow-wide rows was less than farmers’practice and the density in equal rows was moderate with local practice.Our results provide new knowledge on optimizing agronomic managements of machine-harvested cotton for both high yield and water efficient.

Effect of bipolar-plates design on corrosion,mass and heat transfer in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells and water electrolyzers:A review

Attaining a decarbonized and sustainable energy system,which is the core solution to global energy issues,is accessible through the development of hydrogen energy.Proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers(PEMWEs)are promising devices for hydrogen production,given their high efficiency,rapid responsiveness,and compactness.Bipolar plates account for a relatively high percentage of the total cost and weight compared with other components of PEMWEs.Thus,optimization of their design may accelerate the promotion of PEMWEs.This paper reviews the advances in materials and flow-field design for bipolar plates.First,the working conditions of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)and PEMWEs are compared,including reaction direction,operating temperature,pressure,input/output,and potential.Then,the current research status of bipolar-plate substrates and surface coatings is summarized,and some typical channel-rib flow fields and porous flow fields are presented.Furthermore,the effects of materials on mass and heat transfer and the possibility of reducing corrosion by improving the flow field structure are explored.Finally,this review discusses the potential directions of the development of bipolar-plate design,including material fabrication,flow-field geometry optimization using threedimensional printing,and surface-coating composition optimization based on computational materials science.

The Effects of the Geometry of a Current Collector with an Equal Open Ratio on Output Power of a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

The open ratio of a current collector has a great impact on direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC)performance.Although a number of studies have investigated the influence of the open ratio of DMFC current collectors,far too little attention has been given to how geometry(including the shape and feature size of the flow field)affects a current collector with an equal open ratio.In this paper,perforated and parallel current collectors with an equal open ratio of 50%and different feature sizes are designed,and the corresponding experimental results are shown to explain the geometry effects on the output power of the DMFC.The results indicate that the optimal feature sizes are between 2 and 2.5 mm for both perforated and parallel flow field in the current collectors with an equal open ratio of 50%.This means that for passive methanol fuel cells,to achieve the highest output power,the optimal feature size of the flow field in both anode and cathode current collectors is between 2 and 2.5 mm under the operating mode of this experiment.The effects of rib and channel position are also investigated,and the results indicate that the optimum pattern depends on the feature sizes of the flow field.

Simulation Study of Diesel Spray Tilt Angle and Ammonia Energy Ratio Effect on Ammonia-Diesel Dual-Fuel Engine Performance

Ammonia-diesel dual fuel(ADDF)engines for transportation applications are an important way to reduce carbon emissions.In order to achieve better combustion of ammonia in diesel engines.A small-bore single-cylinder engine was converted into an ADDF engine with the help of mature computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulation software to investigate the performance of an engine with a high ammonia energy ratio(AER),and to study the effect of spray tilt angle on ADDF engine.The results showed that the increase in AER reduced nitric oxide(NO)and nitrogen dioxide(NO2)emissions but increased nitrous oxide(N2O)and unburned ammonia emissions.AER in the range of 50%-70%achieved lower greenhouse gases(GHG)emissions than the pure diesel mode.Relative to the pure diesel mode,when the AER was 60%,the indicated thermal efficiency(ITE)was increased by 0.2%and the GHG emissions were decreased by 22.3%,but carbon monoxide(CO)and Hydrocarbon(HC)emissions were increased.Increasing the in-cylinder combustion temperature or high-temperature region range of the ADDF engine could reduce GHG emissions.At an AER of 60%,an increase in the spray tilt angle helped the ammonia combustion in the residual gap to reduce the unburned ammonia emissions.Compared to the pure diesel mode with a spray tilt angle of 75°,an AER of 60%with a spray tilt angle of 77.5°improved the ITE by 1.5%,and reduced theGHGemissions by 25.7%.Adjusting the spray tilt angle of theADDFengine also reducedCOandHCemissions.This is an effective way to improve ADDF engine performance by adjusting the spray tilt angle.

Generation of Electricity by Electrogenic Bacteria in a Microbial Fuel Cell Powered by Waste Water

The present study aimed at isolation characterization and evaluation of electrogenic bacteria for electricity generation using waste water. In this context, waste water samples were collected from University of Nizwa waste water treatment plant. A total of eight distinct bacterial isolates were isolated from these samples by serial dilution and plating on LB Agar medium. The bacterial isolates were than grown at different temperatures and pH. DNA from bacterial samples was isolated and 16S rRNA gene amplification was carried out. The 16S rRNA gene PCR products were directly sequenced and the resulting sequence was blasted using BLASTn. Based on BLAST results, the bacterial strains were identified. The bacteria were used in different combinations to generate electricity from waste water in microbial fuel cells constructed using plastic bottles. The microbial isolates were found to produce varying levels of currents and their electrogenic potential in waste water was observed to increase with the passage of time.

In situ Detection of Amide A Bands of Proteins in Water by Raman Ratio Spectrum

The amide A band of protein is sensitive to the hydrogen bands of amide groups of proteins. However, it is hard to distinguish the amide A band of aqueous protein in situ directly, since it overlaps with O-H stretching vibration of water. In this work, we presented a new analytical method of Raman ratio spectrum, which can extract the amide A band of proteins in water. To obtain the Raman ratio spectrum, the Raman spectrum of aqueous protein was divided by that of pure water. A mathematical simulation was employed to examine whether Raman ratio spectrum is effective. Two kinds of protein, lysozyme and （^-chymotrypsin were employed. The amide A bands of them in water were extracted from Raman ratio spectra. Additionally, the process of thermal denaturation of lysozyme was detected from Raman ratio spectrum. These results demonstrated the Raman ratio spectra could be employed to study the amide A modes of proteins in water.

Neutronic analysis of silicon carbide cladding accident-tolerant fuel assemblies in pressurized water reactors

In resonance with the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident lesson, a novel fuel design to enhance safety regarding severe accident scenarios has become increasingly appreciated in the nuclear power industry. This research focuses on analysis of the neutronic properties of a silicon carbide(SiC) cladding fuel assembly, which provides a greater safety margin as a type of accident-tolerant fuel for pressurized water reactors. The general physical performance of SiC cladding is explored to ascertain its neutronic performance. The neutron spectrum, accumulation of ^(239)Pu, physical characteristics,temperature reactivity coefficient, and power distribution are analyzed. Furthermore, the influences of a burnable poison rod and enrichment are explored. SiC cladding assemblies show a softer neutron spectrum and flatter power distribution than conventional Zr alloy cladding fuel assemblies. Lower enrichment fuel is required when SiC cladding is adopted. However, the positive reactivity coefficient associated with the SiC material remains to be offset. The results reveal that SiC cladding assemblies show broad agreement with the neutronic performance of conventional Zr alloy cladding fuel. In the meantime, its unique physical characteristics can lead to improved safety and economy.

Effects of elevated CO_2 concentration on growth and water usage of tomato seedlings under different ammonium/nitrate ratios

Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration is generally expected to enhance photosynthesis and growth of agricultural C3 vegetable crops, and therefore results in an increase in crop yield. However, little is known about the combined effect of elevated CO2 and N species on plant growth and development. Two growth-chamber experiments were conducted to determine the effects of NH4^＋/NO3^- ratio and elevated CO2 concentration on the physiological development and water use of tomato seedlings. Tomato was grown for 45 d in containers with nutrient solutions varying in NH4^＋/NO3^- ratios and CO2 concentrations in growth chambers. Results showed that plant height, stem thickness, total dry weight, dry weight of the leaves, stems and roots, G value （total plant dry weight/seedling days）, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, leaf-level and whole plant-level water use efficiency and cumulative water consumption of tomato seedlings were increased with increasing proportion of NO3- in nutrient solutions in the elevated CO2 treatment. Plant biomass, plant height, stem thickness and photosynthetic rate were 67%, 22%, 24% and 55% higher at elevated CO2 concentration than at ambient CO2 concentration, depending on the values of NH4^＋/NO3^- ratio. These results indicated that elevating CO2 concentration did not mitigate the adverse effects of 100% NH4^＋-N （in nutrient solution） on the tomato seedlings. At both CO2 levels, NH4^＋/NO3^- ratios of nutrient solutions strongly influenced almost every measure of plant performance, and nitrate-fed plants attained a greater biomass production, as compared to ammonium-fed plants. These phenomena seem to be related to the coordinated regulation of photosynthetic rate and cumulative water consumption of tomato seedlings.

A numerical study on water diversion ratio of the Changjiang(Yangtze)estuary in dry season

We studied the flood, ebb and tidal averaged along (net) water diversion ratio (WDR) during dry season in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary, China, along with the effects of northerly wind, river discharge, tide and their interactions on WDR using the improved version of three-dimensional numerical model ECOM. Using data for annual mean wind speed and river discharge during January, we determined that the flood, ebb, net WDR values in the North Branch of the estuary were 3.48%, 1.68%,-4.06% during spring tide, and 4.82%, 2.34%,-2.79% during neap tide, respectively. Negative net WDR values denote the transport of water from the North Branch into the South Branch. Using the same data, the corresponding ratios were 50.09%, 50.92%, 54.97%, and 52.33%, 50.15%, 43.86% in the North Channel and 38.56%, 44.78%, 103.96%, and 36.92%, 43.17%, 60.97% in the North Passage, respectively. When northerly wind speed increased, landward Ekman transport was enhanced in the North Branch, increasing the flood WDR, while the ebb WDR declined and the net WDR exhibited a significant decrease. Similarly, in the North Channel, the flood WDR is increased, the ebb WDR reduced, and the net WDR showed a marked decrease. In the North Passage, the flood WDR also increased while the ebb and net WDR declined. As the river discharge increased, the flood and ebb WDR of the North Branch increased slightly and the net WDR increased markedly. In the North Channel the flood and ebb WDR changed very slightly, while the net WDR declined during spring tides and increased during neap tides. The WDR in the North Passage changed slightly during flood and ebb tides while the net WDR showed a marked increase. The WDR values of different bifurcations and the responses to northerly wind, river discharge, and tide are discussed in comparison with variations in river topography, horizontal wind-induced circulation, and tidal-induced residual current.

Effect of carbon and nitrogen ratio control on Artemia growth, water quality, biofloc microbial diversity under high salinity and zero-water exchange culture condition

Biofloc technology has been applied successfully in the intensive aquaculture of several fish and shrimp species. The growth of heterotrophic microorganisms can be stimulated through adding extra carbon, which reduces the nitrogen level in the water and provides microbial protein to the animals. However, most of the studies and practical applications have been conducted in freshwater and marine environment. This paper focused on brine shrimp Artemia that lives in high salinity environment together with other halophilic or halotolerant microorganisms. The effect of carbon supplementation on Artemia growth, water quality, and microbial diversity of biofl ocs was studied in the closed culture condition without any water exchange. The salinity of the culture medium was 100. A 24-d culture trial was conducted through supplementing sucrose at carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 5, 15, and 30 (Su5, Su15, and Su30), respectively. The culture without adding sucrose was used as a control. Artemia was fed formulated feed at a feeding ration of 60% recommended feeding level. The results showed that sucrose supplementation at higher C/N ratio (15 and 30) signifi cantly improved the Artemia survival, growth and water quality ( P <0.05). Addition of sucrose at C/N ratio of 15 and 30 significantly increased biofloc volume (BFV)( P <0.05). The Illumina MiSeq sequencing analysis showed that supplementing carbon at C/N ratio of 15 had a better total bacterial diversity and richness, and shaped the microbial composition at genera level. This study should provide information for studying the mechanism of biofloc technology and its application in high salinity culture conditions.

Effect of Hydration Aging and Water Binder Ratio on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Sprayed Concrete

In order to study the durability of sprayed concrete （shotcrete）, effects of different hydration aging and water-binder ratio （w/b） on the microstructure of cement paste and basic mechanical properties of test specimens were investigated. The phase composition, mass percentage of ettringite and portland in hydration production and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, thermo gravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry （TG-DSC） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, respectively. The experimental results showed that changes in phase composition was more significant than those of water-binder ratio. With hydration aging and water-binder ratio increased, the mass percentage of ettringite and portland was decreased from 4.42%, 1.49% to 3.31%, 1.35%, respectively and the microstructure of paste was significantly compacted. Likewise, the mechanical properties including cubic compressive strength and splitting tensile strength were rised obviously.

Water Deficit Stress Effects on Corn (<i>Zea mays</i>, L.) Root:Shoot Ratio

A study was conducted at Akron, CO, USA, on a Weld silt loam in 2004 to quantify the effects of water deficit stress on corn (Zea mays, L.) root and shoot biomass. Corn plants were grown under a range of soil bulk density and water conditions caused by previous tillage, crop rotation, and irrigation management. Water deficit stress (Dstress) was quantified by the number of days when the water content in the surface 0.3 m deviated from the water content range determined by the Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR). Root and shoot samples were collected at the V6, V12, and R1 growth stages. There was no significant correlation between Dstress and shoot or root biomass at the V6 growth stage. At the V12 and R1 growth stages, there were negative, linear correlations among Dstress and both root biomass and shoot biomass. The proportional decrease of shoot biomass was greater than the proportional decrease in root biomass, leading to an increase in the root:shoot ratio as water deficit stress increased at all growth stages. Determining restrictive soil conditions using the LLWR may be useful for evaluating improvement or degradation of the soil physical environment caused by soil management.

Water Distribution and Removal along the Flow Channel in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Distribution expressions of total gas pressure and partial water vapor pressure along the channel direction were established based on lumped model by analyzing pressure loss in the channel and gas diffusion in the layer. The mechanism of droplet formation in the flow channel was also analyzed. Effects of the relative humidity, working temperature and stoichiometry on liquid water formation were discussed in detail. Moreover, the force equilibrium equation of the droplet in the flow channel was deduced, and the critical flow velocity for the water droplet removal was also addressed. The experimental results show that the threshold position of the liquid droplet is far from the inlet with the increase of temperature, and it decreases with the increase of the inlet total pressure. The critical flow velocity decreases with the increase of the radius and the working pressure.

Effects of Volume Ratios of Water Phase to Oily Phase on Morphology and Releasing Performance of Emulsion Electrospun Fibers

Emulsion electrospinning as a novel process in spinning core-sheath fibers shows a promising potential in drug release control. The volume ratio of water phase to oily phase is one of the critical parameters in forming core-sheath fibers. In this study, water phase was presented by hydrophilic tetracycline hydrochloride and oily phase by hydrophobic poly （E-caprolactone） （PCL）. The effects of volume ratios of water phase to oily phase on fiber morphology and in vitro drug release were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy （ SEM ）, transmission electron microscopy （ TEM）, and eonfoeal laser scanning microscopy（CLSM） were used to observe the morphology, core.sheath structure of the fibers and drug loading in the fibers, respectively. Samples of three different volume ratios of water phase to oily phase, 1： 25, 1：15, and 1：10, were prepared with the same concentration of drug solution. Experiment results showed that, with an increase in the volume ratios of water phase to oily phase, the fiber diameter increased and diameter distribution scattered. The drug entrapment efficiency of the fibers reduces with the increase in volume ratios, L e. , from 73.48 % in the ratio of 1 ： 25, 62.23 % in 1 ： 15, down to 45.63 % in 1：10. In vitro release tests showed that a higher volume ratio of water phase to oily phase would lead to a lower release rate resulted from thicker fiber sheath.

Effects of Water/Binder Ratio on the Properties of Engineered Cementitious Composites

The effects of water/binder ratio （w/b） on the toughness behavior, compressive strength and flexural strength of engineered cementitious composites （ECC） were investigated. The w/b ratios of 0.25, 0.31, 0.33 and 0.37 were selected and the specimens were tested at the ages of 7 d and 28 d. The experimental results showed that there was a corresponding increase in first cracking strength, modulus of rupture, compressive strength and flexural strength with the decrease of w/b. Within the w/b range of 0.25-0.37, higher w/b was found to have improved effects on deflection, strain hardening index and toughness index of ECC. In the permission of meeting the requirement of compressive strength grade, selecting higher w/b in mix design will help to obtain robust ECC.

Catalyst Engineering for Electrochemical Energy Conversion from Water to Water:Water Electrolysis and the Hydrogen Fuel Cell

In the context of the current serious problems related to energy demand and climate change,substantial progress has been made in developing a sustainable energy system.Electrochemical hydrogen-water conversion is an ideal energy system that can produce fuels via sustainable,fossil-free pathways.However,the energy conversion efficiency of two functioning technologies in this energy system—namely,water electrolysis and the fuel cell—still has great scope for improvement.This review analyzes the energy dissipation of water electrolysis and the fuel cell in the hydrogen-water energy system and discusses the key barriers in the hydrogen-and oxygen-involving reactions that occur on the catalyst surface.By means of the scaling relations between reactive intermediates and their apparent catalytic performance,this article summarizes the frameworks of the catalytic activity trends,providing insights into the design of highly active electrocatalysts for the involved reactions.A series of structural engineering methodologies(including nano architecture,facet engineering,polymorph engineering,amorphization,defect engineering,element doping,interface engineering,and alloying)and their applications based on catalytic performance are then introduced,w让h an emphasis on the rational guidance from previous theoretical and experimental studies.The key scientific problems in the electrochemical hydrogen-water conversion system are outlined,and future directions are proposed for developing advanced catalysts for technologies with high energy-conversion efficiency.

Determination of water equivalent ratio for some dosimetric materials in proton therapy using MNCPX simulation tool

The water equivalent ratio(WER) was calculated for polypropylene(PP), paraffin, polyethylene(PE), polystyrene(PS), polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA), and polycarbonate materials with potential applications in dosimetry and medical physics. This was performed using the Monte Carlo simulation code, MCNPX, at different proton energies. The calculated WER values were compared with National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) data, available experimental and analytical results,as well as the FLUKA, SRIM, and SEICS codes. PP and PMMA were associated with the minimum and maximum WER values, respectively. Good agreement was observed between the MCNPX and NIST data. The biggest difference was 0.71% for PS at 150 MeV proton energy. In addition, a relatively large positive correlation between the WER values and the electron density of the dosimetric materials was observed. Finally, it was noted that PE presented the most analogous Depth Dose Characteristics to liquid water.

Effect of water absorption ratio on tensile strength of red sandstone and morphological analysis of fracture surfaces

Brazilian disc tests were undertaken on a number of red sandstone samples with different water absorption ratios.The tensile strength of the red sandstone decreases as the water absorption ratio increases.The fracture surfaces of failed red sandstone discs were scanned by Talysurf CLI 2000.With the aid of Talymap Gold software,based on ISO25178,a set of statistical parameters was obtained for the fracture surfaces.The maximum peak height(S_p),maximum pit height(S_v) and maximum height(S_z) of the fracture surfaces exhibited the same decreasing trend with increasing water absorption.Sa and Sku values for the fracture surfaces showed a downward trend as the water absorption ratio increased.The fractal dimensions of fracture surfaces were calculated and found to decrease as the water absorption ratio increased.Through analysis of PSD curves,the smallest dominant wavelength was observed to reflect the roughness of the fracture surfaces.Additionally,the results suggest that the roughness of fracture surfaces becomes small as the water absorption ratio increases.

Relation between soil matrix potential changes and water conversion ratios during methane hydrate formation processes in loess

With a new apparatus designed and assembled by ourselves, the matrix potential of non-saturated loess was firstly measured and studied during methane hydrate formation processes. The experimental results showed that during two formation processes, the matrix potential changes of the loess all presented a good linear relationship with water conversion ratios. In addition, although it was well known that the secondary gas hydrate formation was easier than the initial, our experimental results showed that the initial hydrate formation efficiency in non-saturated loess was higher than that of the secondary.

1,4-Hydroquinone is a Hydrogen Reservoir for Fuel Cells and Recyclable via Photocatalytic Water Splitting

Photocatalytic splitting of water was carried out in a two-phase system. Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide was used as photocatalyst and potassium hexacyanoferrate(III)/(II) as electron transporter. Generated hydrogen was chemically stored by use of a 1,4-benzoquinone/1,4-hydroquinone system, which was used as a recyclable fuel in a commercialised direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The electrical output of the cell was about half compared to methanol. The conversion process for water splitting and recombination in a fuel cell was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy and compared to a simulated spectrum. Products of side reactions, which lead to a decrease of the overall efficiency, were identified based on UV-Vis investigations. A proof of principle for the use of quinoide systems as a recyclable hydrogen storage system in a photocatalytic water splitting and fuel cell cyclic process was given.