Effects of thinning on stand structure and tree stability in an afforested oriental beech(Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stand in northeast Turkey

We studied relationships between stand structure and stand stability according to thinning intensity in an afforested oriental beech stand. Various thinning intensities were applied in sample stands. We sampled eight plots in stands that were lightly thinned, eight plots in heavily thinned stands and eight plots in unthinned stands as a control. Height and diameter distributions of the stands were measured to assess stand structure. We quantified individual tree stability and collective stability. Heavy thinning during the first thinning operation damaged the storied structure of the stand in thicket stage and affected collective structuring ability. While most control plots had multi-storied stands, after light and heavy thinning two-storied structure became more common.Large gaps occurred in the canopy after heavy thinning. On average, nine tree collectives were formed per sampling plot in the untreated stand, seven collectives after thinning in 2008 and four collectives after thinning in 2009. Stable trees accounted for 17 % of trees in control plots, 24 % in lightly thinned plots, and 15 % in heavily thinned plots. Collective stability values were 83 % in control plots, 82 % in lightly thinned plots and 36 % in heavily thinned plots. We conclude that it is necessary to retain collective structuring capacity during thinning operations for sustaining stand stability.

Construction of Oriented Structure in Inner Surface of Small-Diameter Artificial Blood Vessels:A Review

There is an urgent need for small-diameter artificial blood vessels in clinic.Physical,chemical and biological factors should be integrated to avoid thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia after implantation and to promote successful fabrication of small-diameter artificial blood vessels.From a physical perspective,the internal oriented structures of natural blood vessels plays an important role in guiding the directional growth of cells,improving the blood flow environment,and promoting the regeneration of vascular tissue.In this review,the effects of the oriented structures on cells,including endothelial cells(ECs),smooth muscle cells(SMCs)and stem cells,as well as the effect of the oriented structures on hemodynamics and vascular tissue remodeling and regeneration are introduced.Various forms of oriented structures(fibers,grooves,channels,etc.)and their construction methods are also reviewed.Conclusions and future perspectives are given.It is expected to give some references to relevant researches.

Tertiary orientation structures enhance the piezoelectricity of MXene/PVDF nanocomposite

With the increasing demand for flexible piezoelectric sensor components,research on polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)based piezoelectric polymers is mounting up.However,the low dipole polarization and disordered polarization direction presented in PVDF hinder further improvement of piezoelectric properties.Here,we constructed an oriented tertiary structure,consisting of molecular chains,crystalline region,and MXene sheets,in MXene/PVDF nanocomposite via a temperature-pressure dual-field regulation method.The highly oriented PVDF molecular chains form approximately 90%of theβphase.In addition,the crystalline region structure with long-range orientation achieves out of plane polarization orientation.The parallel orientation arrangement of MXene effectively enhances the piezoelectric performances of the nanocomposite,and the current output of the device increases by nearly 23 times.This high output device is used to monitor exercise action,exploring the potential applications in wearable electronics.

Molecular reconstruction model based on structure oriented lumping and group contribution methods

Molecular management is a promising technology to face challenges in the refining industry, such as more stringent requirements for product oil and heavier crude oil, and to maximize the value of every molecule in petroleum fractions. To achieve molecular management in refining processes, a novel model that is based on structure oriented lumping(SOL) and group contribution(GC) methods was proposed in this study. SOL method was applied to describe a petroleum fraction with structural increments, and GC method aimed to estimate molecular properties. The latter was achieved by associating rules between SOL structural increments and GC structures. A three-step reconstruction algorithm was developed to build a representative set of molecules from partial analytical data. First, structural distribution parameters were optimized with several properties. Then, a molecular library was created by using the optimized parameters. In the final step, maximum information entropy(MIE) method was applied to obtain a molecular fraction. Two industrial samples were used to validate the method, and the simulation results of the feedstock properties agreed well with the experimental data.

Continuous preparation of strong and tough PVA nanocomposite fibers by mechanical stretching-assisted salting-out treatment

Polymer composite fibers with superior properties such as excellent combined strength and toughness and biocompatibility can be used in high-tech applications of braided protective devices and smart wearable,however the research of high-performance polymer composite fiber remains in the infant stage.Here we present a strategy to produce strong and tough anisotropic polymer nanocomposite fibers with orientedly aligned salt rods using mechanical stretching-assisted salting-out treatment.The prepared nanocomposite fibers have a tensile strength of up to 786±2.7 MPa and an elongation at break of 81%,and the anisotropic fibers exhibit good transmission of mechanical vibration in the longitudinal direction with high resolution.During the fabrication process,the salt builds up into oriented rods during the directional salting process,and the polymer is confined to the 150 nm domain between the rods after the solvent is completely evaporated,giving the nanocomposite fibers superior mechanical properties.The presented strategy can be applied to the continuous mass production of nanocomposite fibers and is also generalizable to other polymer nanocomposites,which could extend the applicability of nanocomposite fibers to conditions involving more demanding mechanical loading and mechanical vibration transmission.

Highly oriented MXene/polyvinyl alcohol films prepared by scalable layer-by-layer blade coating for efficient electromagnetic interference shielding and infrared stealth

Controlling the orientation of two-dimensional MXene within layered films is essential to optimize or tune their mechanical properties and electromagnetic interference shielding(EMI)performance,but achieving the high orientation MXene layers on an industrial scale remains a challenging goal.In this paper,a scalable layer-by-layer blade coating(LbLBC)method was employed to fabricate highly oriented MXene/polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)films.During the LbLBC process,MXene/PVA colloid suffered a strong shearing effect,which induced the ordered alignment of MXene nanosheets along the direction of the blade movement.The orientation of MXene can be effectively adjusted by changing the scraping gap of LbLBC,achieving a maximum Herman orientation factor f of 0.81.As a result,the mechanical properties and EMI performance of the as-prepared MXene/PVA films are in direct proportion to their orientation,with the optimal values of tensile strength of 145.5 MPa,fracture strain of 19.6%,toughness of 17.7 MJ·m^(−3),and EMI shielding effectiveness of 36.7 dB.Furthermore,the inherently low mid-infrared(mid-IR)emissivity of MXene,combined with the densely oriented structure affords the composite films with IR stealth,resulting in a substantial decrease from 150 to 66.1℃in the radiative temperature of a surface.Conclusively,these scalable MXene/PVA films exhibit remarkable potential for integration into the next generation of multifunctional protective camouflage materials.

Anisotropic Mechanical Response of Nacre to Heat Treatment Under Indentation:Effect of Structural Orientation

It is generally considered that heat treatments have a negative impact on the mechanical properties of nacre due to thermal decomposition of the organic matrix.However,the present work investigated the microindentation behavior on fresh and heat-treated nacres from two orthogonal directions,and the results demonstrate that both hardness value and damage tolerance can remain almost unchanged on the cross-section with the organic matrix degeneration,despite a significant deterioration on the platelet surface.Theoretical analyses suggest that the anisotropic response of indentation behavior to heat treatment in nacre is primarily caused by its structural orientation.Specifically,compared with a single layer of irregular interplatelet interfaces in cross-sectional specimens,the multiple layers of parallel interlamellar interfaces in in-plane specimens exhibit a much greater ability to impede indenter-triggered destruction,and heat treatments would reduce the in-plane hardness but nearly have no effect on the cross-sectional hardness.Moreover,the deeper embedding of platelets in cross-sectional specimens enhances their resistance to interface cracking caused by organic matrix degradation at high temperatures,leading to a reduced sensitivity to damage.Therefore,the indentation behavior of nacre shows different tendencies in response to variations in the organic matrix state along normal and parallel directions.

Simultaneously Improving the Tensile and Impact Properties of Isotactic Polypropylene with the Cooperation of co-PP and β-nucleating Agent through Pressure Vibration Injection Molding

In this article, crystalline morphology and molecular orientation of isotactic polypropylene （iPP）, random copolymerized polypropylene （co-PP） and ,β-nucleating agent （β-NA） composites prepared by pressure vibration injection molding （PVIM） have been investigated via polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Results demonstrated that the interaction between co-PP and iPP molecular chains was beneficial for the mechanical improvement and the introduction of β-NA further improved the toughness of iPP. In addition, after applying the pressure vibration injection molding （PVIM） technology, the shear layer thickness increased remarkably and the tensile strength improved consequently. Thus, the strength and toughness of iPP/co-PP/β-NA composites prepared by PVIM were simultaneously improved compared to those of the pure iPP prepared by conventional injection molding （CIM）： the impact toughness was increased by five times and tensile strength was increased by 9 MPa. This work provided a new method to further enhance the properties of iPP/co-PP composites through dynamic processing strategy.

Magnetic-electric composite coating with oriented segregated structure for enhanced electromagnetic shielding

Manipulation of the internal architecture is essential for electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding performance of metal-based coatings,which can address the electromagnetic pollution in large-size,complex geometries,and harsh environments.In this work,oriented segregated structure with conductive networks embedded in magnetic matrix was achieved in Fe-based amorphous coatings via Ni-Cu-P functionalization of(Fe_(0.76)Si_(0.09)B_(0.1)P_(0.05))_(99)Nb_(1)amorphous powder precursors and then thermal spraying them onto aluminum(Al)substrate.Benefiting from the unique magnetic-electric structure,the coating@Al composite delivered prominent EMI shielding performance.The EMI shielding effectiveness(SE)of modified coating@Al composite is~41 dB at 8-12 GHz,doubling the value of Al substrate and is 15 dB greater than that of Ni-Cu-P-free coating@Al composite.Microstructure analysis showed that the introduced Ni−Cu−P insertions forcefully suppress the serious oxidation of the magnetic precursors during thermal spraying and form a dense conductive network in the magnetic matrix.Electron holography observation and electromagnetism simulation clarified that the modified coating can effectively trap and attenuate the incident radiations because of the electric loss from Ni−Cu−P conductive network,magnetic loss from Fe-based amorphous coating,and the electromagnetic interactions in the oriented segregated architectures.Moreover,the optimized thermal isolation and mechanical properties brought by structural improvement enable the coating to shield complex parts in thermal shock and mechanical loading environments.Our work gives an insight on the design strategies for metal-based EMI shielding materials and enriches the fundamental understanding of EMI shielding mechanisms.

M5B3 Boride at the Grain Boundary of a Nickel-based Superalloy

The grain boundary microstructures of a heat-treated Ni-based cast superalloy IN792 were investigated. The results show that M5B3 boride precipitates at the grain boundary. A special orientation relationship between M5B3 phase and the matrix at one side of the grain boundary is found. At the same time, two M5B3 borides with different orientations could co-exist in a single M5B3 particle as an intergrowth besides existing alone, thus forming orientation relationship between the two M5B3 phases and matrix. This phenomenon could be attributed to the special orientation relationship between M5B3 phase and the matrix.

1Chinese human geography and its contributions

The aim of this paper is to sift through examples of outstanding contributions made by Chinese human geography in terms of social applications and explain the basic concepts and theoretical methods explored by human geography that are behind the applications of results with major social influence, so as to be able to summarize the main school that represents developments in contemporary Chinese human geography. Chinese human geography upholds the subject＇s designation as being integrated and interdisciplinary. Research focuses on interactions between the natural and human spheres of the Earth＇s surface, and it is guided by the understanding and effects of the processes of regional sustainable development at different spatial scales. Chinese human geography has innovatively established the following development paradigm： ＂To be guided by application requirements, refine key issues of the discipline in the course of solving major issues of human geography in national and regional development, and by solving those key issues, to enhance its ability to provide scientific and technological support to serve national and local needs while promoting its own development.＂ Results from early Chinese human geography studies on land use and agricultural zoning, recent research results on point-axis system models and T-shaped national spatial development patterns, and current research results on territorial function theory and major function oriented zones have all continued and strengthened the mainstream school of Chinese human geography and have avoided the global tendency for human geography to become rapidly human-oriented, while results have been applied at the highest level of decision-making management. Chinese human geography can provide lessons for developing countries and may play a leading role in the future development of global human geography.

FERROFERRIC OXIDE/CHITOSAN SCAFFOLDS WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL ORIENTED STRUCTURE

A facile approach to construct ferroferric oxide/chitosan composite scaffolds with three-dimensional oriented structure has been explored in this research. Chitosan and ferroferric oxide are co-precipitated by using an in situ precipitation method, and then lyophilized to get the composite scaffolds. XRD indicated that Fe304 was generated during the gel formation process, and increasing the content of magnetic particles could destruct the crystal structure of chitosan. When the content of magnetic particles is lower than 10%, the layer-by-layer structure and wheel spoke structure are coexisting in the scaffolds. Increasing the content of magnetic particles, just layer-by-layer structure could be observed in the scaffolds. Ferroferric oxide particles were uniformly distributed in the matrix, the size of which was about 0.48 gm in diameter, 2 gm in length. Porosity of magnetic chitosan composite scaffolds is about 90%. When the ratio of ferroferric oxide to chitosan is 5/100, the compressive strength of the material is 0.4367 MPa, which is much higher than that of pure chitosan scaffolds, indicating that the layer-by-layer and wheel spokes complex structure is beneficial for the improvement of the mechanical properties of chitosan scaffolds. However, increasing the content of ferroferric oxide, the compressive strength of scaffolds decreased, because of the decreasing of chitosan crystallization and aggregation of magnetic particles as stress centralized body. Another reason is that the layer-by-layer and wheel spokes complex structure makes bigger contributions for the compressive strength than the layer-by-layer structure does. Three-dimensional ferroferric oxide/chitosan scaffolds could be used as hyperthermia generator system, improving the local circulation of blood, promoting the aggradation of calcium salt and stimulating bone tissue regeneration.

New method for estimating strike and dip based on structural expansion orientation for 3D geological modeling

Strike and dip are essential to the description of geological features and therefore play important roles in 3D geological modeling.Unevenly and sparsely measured orientations from geological field mapping pose problems for the geological modeling,especially for covered and deep areas.This study developed a new method for estimating strike and dip based on structural expansion orientation,which can be automatically extracted from both geological and geophysical maps or profiles.Specifically,strike and dip can be estimated by minimizing an objective function composed of the included angle between the strike and dip and the leave-one-out cross-validation strike and dip.We used angle parameterization to reduce dimensionality and proposed a quasi-gradient descent(QGD)method to rapidly obtain a near-optimal solution,improving the time-efficiency and accuracy of objective function optimization with the particle swarm method.A synthetic basin fold model was subsequently used to test the proposed method,and the results showed that the strike and dip estimates were close to the true values.Finally,the proposed method was applied to a real fold structure largely covered by Cainozoic sediments in Australia.The strikes and dips estimated by the proposed method conformed to the actual geological structures more than those of the vector interpolation method did.As expected,the results of 3D geological implicit interface modeling and the strike and dip vector field were much improved by the addition of estimated strikes and dips.