Effects of site preparation methods on soil physical properties and outplanting success of coniferous seedlings in boreal forests

This study assessed the effect of patch scarification and mounding on the physical properties of the root layer and the success of tree planting in various types of forests.This study was conducted on 12 forest sites in taiga forests of the European part of Russia.A total of 54 plots were set up to assess seedling survival;root collar diameter,height,and heigh increment were measured for 240 seedlings to assess growth.In the rooting layer,240 soil samples were taken to determine physical properties.The study showed that soil treatment methods had no effect on bulk density and total porosity in Cladina sites.However,reduced soil moisture was noted,particularly in mounds,resulting in increased aeration.In Myrtillus sites,there were increased bulk density,reduced soil moisture,and total porosity in the mounds.Mounding treatment in Polytrichum sites resulted in reduced soil moisture and increased aeration porosity.In the Myrtillus and Polytrichum sites,patch scarification had no effects on physical properties.In Polytrichum sites,survival rates,heights,and heigh increments of bareroot Norway spruce seedlings in mounds were higher than in patches;however,the same did not apply to diameter.In Cladina and Myrtillus sites,there was no difference in growth for bareroot and containerised seedlings with different soil treatments.Growing conditions and soil types should be considered when applying different soil treatment methods to ensure high survival rates and successful seedling growth.

Holistic and localized preparation methods for triboelectric sensors:principles,applications and perspectives

With the arrival of intelligent terminals,triboelectric nanogenerators,as a new kind of energy converter,are considered one of the most important technologies for the next generation of intelligent electronics.As a self-powered sensor,it can greatly reduce the power consumption of the entire sensing system by transforming external mechanical energy to electricity.However,the fabrication method of triboelectric sensors largely determines their functionality and performance.This review provides an overview of various methods used to fabricate triboelectric sensors,with a focus on the processes of micro-electro-mechanical systems technology,three-dimensional printing,textile methods,template-assisted methods,and material synthesis methods for manufacturing.The working mechanisms and suitable application scenarios of various methods are outlined.Subsequently,the advantages and disadvantages of various methods are summarized,and reference schemes for the subsequent application of these methods are included.Finally,the opportunities and challenges faced by different methods are discussed,as well as their potential for application in various intelligent systems in the Internet of Things.

Preparation methods,biological activities,and potential applications of marine algae oligosaccharides:a review

Marine algae are valuable sources of health-promoting molecules that have been consumed by Asians for decades.Among aquatic flora,marine algae stand out in terms of high content of marine algae polysaccharides(MAP)such as carrageenan,alginate,fucoidan,laminaran,agarose,rhamnan,and ulvan.When hydrolyzed,MAP generate marine algae oligosaccharides(MAO),which have attracted interest in recent years due to their superior solubility compared with MAP.Besides,MAO have been demonstrated numerous biological activities including antioxidant,antidiabetic,anti-inflammatory,antimicrobial,and prebiotic activities.Thus,this review summarizes the main chemical classes of MAO,their sources,and the main processes used for their production(i.e.,physical,chemical,and biological methods),coupled with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.Highlights of the biological activities of MAO and their potential applications in food,nutraceutical,and pharmaceuticals would also be discussed and summarized.

Novel wood-plastic composite fabricated via modified steel slag:Preparation,mechanical and flammability properties

A novel method was developed to enhance the utilization rate of steel slag(SS).Through treatment of SS with phosphoric acid and aminopropyl triethoxysilane(KH550),we obtained modified SS(MSS),which was used to prepare MSS/wood-plastic composites(MSS/WPCs)by replacing talcum powder(TP).The composites were fabricated through melting blending and hot pressing.Their mechanical and combustion properties,which comprise heat release,smoke release,and thermal stability,were systematically investigated.MSS can improve the mechanical strength of the composites through grafting reactions between wood powder and thermoplastics.Notably,MSS/WPC#50(16wt%MSS)with an MSS-to-TP mass ratio of 1:1 exhibited optimal comprehensive performance.Compared with those of WPC#0 without MSS,the tensile,flexural,and impact strengths of MSS/WPC#50 were increased by 18.5%,12.8%,and 18.0%,respectively.Moreover,the MSS/WPC#50 sample achieved the highest limited oxygen index of 22.5%,the highest vertical burning rating at the V-1 level,and the lowest horizontal burning rate at 44.2 mm/min.The formation of a dense and stable char layer led to improved thermal stability and a considerable reduction in heat and smoke releases of MSS/WPC#50.However,the partial replacement of TP with MSS slightly compromised the mechanical and flame-retardant properties,possibly due to the weak grafting caused by SS powder agglomeration.These findings suggest the suitability of MSS/WPCs for high-value-added applications as decorative panels indoors or outdoors.

Characterization, preparation, and reuse of metallic powders for laser powder bed fusion: a review

Laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF) has attracted significant attention in both the industry and academic fields since its inception, providing unprecedented advantages to fabricate complex-shaped metallic components. The printing quality and performance of L-PBF alloys are infuenced by numerous variables consisting of feedstock powders, manufacturing process,and post-treatment. As the starting materials, metallic powders play a critical role in infuencing the fabrication cost, printing consistency, and properties. Given their deterministic roles, the present review aims to retrospect the recent progress on metallic powders for L-PBF including characterization, preparation, and reuse. The powder characterization mainly serves for printing consistency while powder preparation and reuse are introduced to reduce the fabrication costs.Various powder characterization and preparation methods are presented in the beginning by analyzing the measurement principles, advantages, and limitations. Subsequently, the effect of powder reuse on the powder characteristics and mechanical performance of L-PBF parts is analyzed, focusing on steels, nickel-based superalloys, titanium and titanium alloys, and aluminum alloys. The evolution trends of powders and L-PBF parts vary depending on specific alloy systems, which makes the proposal of a unified reuse protocol infeasible. Finally,perspectives are presented to cater to the increased applications of L-PBF technologies for future investigations. The present state-of-the-art work can pave the way for the broad industrial applications of L-PBF by enhancing printing consistency and reducing the total costs from the perspective of powders.

Design,preparation,application of advanced array structured materials and their action mechanism analyses for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB)has brought much attention and concern because of high theoretical specific capacity and energy density as one of main competitors for next-generation energy storage systems.The widely commercial application and development of LSB is mainly hindered by serious“shuttle effect”of lithium polysulfides(Li PSs),slow reaction kinetics,notorious lithium dendrites,etc.In various structures of LSB materials,array structured materials,possessing the composition of ordered micro units with the same or similar characteristics of each unit,present excellent application potential for various secondary cells due to some merits such as immobilization of active substances,high specific surface area,appropriate pore sizes,easy modification of functional material surface,accommodated huge volume change,enough facilitated transportation for electrons/lithium ions,and special functional groups strongly adsorbing Li PSs.Thus many novel array structured materials are applied to battery for tackling thorny problems mentioned above.In this review,recent progresses and developments on array structured materials applied in LSBs including preparation ways,collaborative structural designs based on array structures,and action mechanism analyses in improving electrochemical performance and safety are summarized.Meanwhile,we also have detailed discussion for array structured materials in LSBs and constructed the structure-function relationships between array structured materials and battery performances.Lastly,some directions and prospects about preparation ways,functional modifications,and practical applications of array structured materials in LSBs are generalized.We hope the review can attract more researchers'attention and bring more studying on array structured materials for other secondary batteries including LSB.

A Review on Sources,Extractions and Analysis Methods of a Sustainable Biomaterial:Tannins

Condensed and hydrolysable tannins are non-toxic natural polyphenols that are a commercial commodity industrialized for tanning hides to obtain leather and for a growing number of other industrial applications mainly to substitute petroleum-based products.They are a definite class of sustainable materials of the forestry industry.They have been in operation for hundreds of years to manufacture leather and now for a growing number of applications in a variety of other industries,such as wood adhesives,metal coating,pharmaceutical/medical applications and several others.This review presents the main sources,either already or potentially commercial of this forestry by-materials,their industrial and laboratory extraction systems,their systems of analysis with their advantages and drawbacks,be these methods so simple to even appear primitive but nonetheless of proven effectiveness,or very modern and instrumental.It constitutes a basic but essential summary of what is necessary to know of these sustainable materials.In doing so,the review highlights some of the main challenges that remain to be addressed to deliver the quality and economics of tannin supply necessary to fulfill the industrial production requirements for some materials-based uses.

A comparison study on structure-function relationship of polysaccharides obtained from sea buckthorn berries using different methods:antioxidant and bile acid-binding capacity

In this study,the structural characters,antioxidant activities and bile acid-binding ability of sea buckthorn polysaccharides(HRPs)obtained by the commonly used hot water(HRP-W),pressurized hot water(HRP-H),ultrasonic(HRP-U),acid(HRP-C)and alkali(HRP-A)assisted extraction methods were investigated.The results demonstrated that extraction methods had significant effects on extraction yield,monosaccharide composition,molecular weight,particle size,triple-helical structure,and surface morphology of HRPs except for the major linkage bands.Thermogravimetric analysis showed that HRP-U with filamentous reticular microstructure exhibited better thermal stability.The HRP-A with the lowest molecular weight and highest arabinose content possessed the best antioxidant activities.Moreover,the rheological analysis indicated that HRPs with higher galacturonic acid content and molecular weight showed higher viscosity and stronger crosslinking network(HRP-C,HRP-W and HRP-U),which exhibited stronger bile acid binding capacity.The present findings provide scientific evidence in the preparation technology of sea buckthorn polysaccharides with good antioxidant and bile acid binding capacity which are related to the structure affected by the extraction methods.

Environmental performance assessments of different methods of coal preparation for use in small-capacity boilers: experiment and theory

The purpose of this article is to receive environmental assessments of combustion of different types of coal fuel depending on the preparation(unscreened,size-graded,briquetted and heat-treated)in automated boilers and boilers with manual load-ing.The assessments were made on the basis of data obtained from experimental methods of coal preparation and calculated methods of determining the amount of pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions,as well as the mass of ash and slag waste.The main pollutants from coal combustion are calculated:particulate matter,benz(a)pyrene,nitrogen oxides,sulfur dioxide,carbon monoxide.Of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide is calculated.As a result of conducted research it is shown that the simplest preliminary preparation(size-graded)of coal significantly improves combustion efficiency and environmental performance:emissions are reduced by 13%for hard coal and up to 20%for brown coal.The introduction of automated boil-ers with heat-treated coal in small boiler facilities allows to reduce emissions and ash and slag waste by 2-3 times.The best environmental indicators correspond to heat-treated lignite,which is characterized by the absence of sulfur dioxide emissions.

On-spot preparation of EDTA solution for the treatment of band keratopathy:a case report

Dear Editor,We report a case of band keratopathy who experienced several ocular surgeries,secondary uveitis and glaucoma which eventually led to severe band keratopathy.We use commonly-used vacuum blood collection tubes with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dipotassium salt(EDTA-K2)to prepare chelation solution on-spot to remove the calcium deposits on the corneal surface.It is proved to be relatively safety,efficacy,cost-effective.

Common Artifacts and Remedies in Histological Preparations

The importance of the accuracy of preparing biological specimen as histological sections that can be examined under a microscope lies in reflecting a true image of the tissue that includes all its components, which are used in scientific research or for the purpose of diagnosing various diseases of the body. Despite this, some cellular structures within the tissue may suffer from some alterations that result from the appearance of defects during any stage of preparing these microscopic sections, which alter or interfere with the precise cellular structures and morphology that constitute the tissue and thus give a different image for tissue features and cause confusion in the work histopathologist in the diagnosis. There are several reasons that can cause a misdiagnosis of the sample that occurs during the surgical separation process or after separation during the stages of microscopic preparation techniques from fixation stage, tissue processing, embedding or microtomy, staining until mounting procedures. The constant need to identify these defects and their causes in addition to try to reduce them is one of the biggest challenges evident in pathology laboratories. Therefore, this study aims to review the most common defects that occur in any stage of tissue processing, with an explanation of their causes and appropriate ways to avoid them.

Synthesis Methods and Property Control of Two-Dimensional Magnetic Materials

Two-dimensional(2D)magnetic materials have been demonstrated to have excellent chemical,optical,electrical,and magnetic properties,particularly in the development of multifunctional electronic and spin electronic devices,showcasing tremendous potential.Therefore,corresponding synthesis techniques for 2D magnetic materials that offer high quality,high yield,low cost,time-saving,and simplicity are highly desired.This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent research advances in preparation of magnetic 2D materials,with a particular focus on the preparation methods employed.Moreover,the characteristics and applications of these magnetic materials are also discussed.Finally,the challenges and prospects of synthesis methods for magnetic 2D materials are briefly addressed.This review serves as a guiding reference for the controlled synthesis of 2D magnetic materials.

Preparation and Thermal Stability of AlMoON Based Solar Selective Absorption Coating

AlMoON based solar selective absorption coatings were deposited on stainless steel substrate by magnetron sputtering.The coatings included infrared reflection layer Mo,absorption layer AlMoN,absorption layer AlMoON and antireflection layer AlMoO from bottom to top.The surface of the deposited coatings is flat without obvious defects.The absorptivity and emissivity are 0.896 and 0.09,respectively,and the quality factor is 9.96.After heat treatment at 500℃-36 h,the surface roughness of the coating increases,a small number of cracks and other defects appear,and the broken part is still attached to the coating surface.A certain degree of element diffusion occurs in the coatings,resulting in the decline of the optical properties of the coatings.The absorptivity and emissivity are 0.883 and 0.131,respectively,the quality factor is 7.06,and the PC value is 0.0335.The coatings do not fail under this condition and have certain thermal stability.

Research Progress of Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy

Colorectal cancer ranks third in the global cancer data in 2020. Colorectal scope is the most effective method to diagnose colorectal diseases such as benign and malignant colorectal tumors. The poor quality of intestinal preparation causes an increased rate of missed diagnosis of colorectal tumors, reduces the rate of cecal intubation for colorectal examination, increases the discomfort, and reduces the compliance of re-examination. Therefore, we should try our best to improve the quality of intestinal preparation. This study reviewed the latest advances related to the preoperative preparation for colonoscopy. Recent research shows that smartphone apps can provide more detailed education and guidance on bowel preparation;Pre-packaged foods are more suitable as a way to eat before colonoscopy. The use of smaller doses, better taste of cathartic agents, and some auxiliary measures, combined with the patient’s situation to provide personalized intestinal preparation measures to improve the quality of intestinal preparation. Starting from the quality of colonoscopy bowel preparation, continuous improvement of patients’ tolerance to bowel preparation, continuous improvement of bowel preparation plan based on individual factors’ needs, and better communication with examined subjects by using existing scientific information technology, may be the hot spot of colonoscopy bowel preparation research in the next few years.

Hybrid Strategy of Partitioned and Monolithic Methods for Solving Strongly Coupled Analysis of Inverse and Direct Piezoelectric and Circuit Coupling

The inverse and direct piezoelectric and circuit coupling are widely observed in advanced electro-mechanical systems such as piezoelectric energy harvesters.Existing strongly coupled analysis methods based on direct numerical modeling for this phenomenon can be classified into partitioned or monolithic formulations.Each formulation has its advantages and disadvantages,and the choice depends on the characteristics of each coupled problem.This study proposes a new option:a coupled analysis strategy that combines the best features of the existing formulations,namely,the hybrid partitioned-monolithic method.The analysis of inverse piezoelectricity and the monolithic analysis of direct piezoelectric and circuit interaction are strongly coupled using a partitioned iterative hierarchical algorithm.In a typical benchmark problem of a piezoelectric energy harvester,this research compares the results from the proposed method to those from the conventional strongly coupled partitioned iterative method,discussing the accuracy,stability,and computational cost.The proposed hybrid concept is effective for coupled multi-physics problems,including various coupling conditions.

Progress in preparation of AlN-reinforced magnesium matrix composites:A review

As a ceramic material,AlN has very good thermophysical and mechanical properties.In addition,AlN is an effective refining agent for Mg alloys because it has a lattice constant similar to that of Mg.Therefore,AlN is an ideal reinforcement for magnesium matrix composites(MMCs),and is attracting increasing attention.This review addresses the development of preparation technologies for AlN-reinforced Mg matrix composites.The mainstream preparation techniques include stir casting,melt infiltration,powder metallurgy,and in-situ methods.In addition,the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are analyzed in depth,and it is pointed out that the next direction for the preparation of high-performance AlN-reinforced MMCs is less aluminization and multiple technologies integration.

Establishment of Microbial Limit Test Methods for Two Hospital Preparations

[Objectives] This study was conducted to establish microbial limit test methods for traditional Chinese medicine preparations Yunpi Granules and Bupi Qiangli Paste. [Methods] According to General Rules of Part IV of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, applicability tests were conducted on microbial limit test methods for the above two traditional Chinese medicine preparations by the plate method. [Results] The established methods showed recovery values in the range of 0.5-2.0 for both experimental strains, and the control bacteria could be detected in the experimental group, but not in the negative control group. [Conclusions] The microbial limit test methods were reliable for the two traditional Chinese medicine preparations and could be used for quality control.

Preparation of single atom catalysts for high sensitive gas sensing

Single atom catalysts(SACs)have garnered significant attention in the field of catalysis over the past decade due to their exceptional atom utilization efficiency and distinct physical and chemical properties.For the semiconductor-based electrical gas sensor,the core is the catalysis process of target gas molecules on the sensitive materials.In this context,the SACs offer great potential for highly sensitive and selective gas sensing,however,only some of the bubbles come to the surface.To facilitate practical applications,we present a comprehensive review of the preparation strategies for SACs,with a focus on overcoming the challenges of aggregation and low loading.Extensive research efforts have been devoted to investigating the gas sensing mechanism,exploring sensitive materials,optimizing device structures,and refining signal post-processing techniques.Finally,the challenges and future perspectives on the SACs based gas sensing are presented.

Stability Analysis and Performance Evaluation of Additive Mixed-Precision Runge-Kutta Methods

Additive Runge-Kutta methods designed for preserving highly accurate solutions in mixed-precision computation were previously proposed and analyzed.These specially designed methods use reduced precision for the implicit computations and full precision for the explicit computations.In this work,we analyze the stability properties of these methods and their sensitivity to the low-precision rounding errors,and demonstrate their performance in terms of accuracy and efficiency.We develop codes in FORTRAN and Julia to solve nonlinear systems of ODEs and PDEs using the mixed-precision additive Runge-Kutta(MP-ARK)methods.The convergence,accuracy,and runtime of these methods are explored.We show that for a given level of accuracy,suitably chosen MP-ARK methods may provide significant reductions in runtime.

High-Order Decoupled and Bound Preserving Local Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for a Class of Chemotaxis Models

In this paper,we explore bound preserving and high-order accurate local discontinuous Galerkin(LDG)schemes to solve a class of chemotaxis models,including the classical Keller-Segel(KS)model and two other density-dependent problems.We use the convex splitting method,the variant energy quadratization method,and the scalar auxiliary variable method coupled with the LDG method to construct first-order temporal accurate schemes based on the gradient flow structure of the models.These semi-implicit schemes are decoupled,energy stable,and can be extended to high accuracy schemes using the semi-implicit spectral deferred correction method.Many bound preserving DG discretizations are only worked on explicit time integration methods and are difficult to get high-order accuracy.To overcome these difficulties,we use the Lagrange multipliers to enforce the implicit or semi-implicit LDG schemes to satisfy the bound constraints at each time step.This bound preserving limiter results in the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker condition,which can be solved by an efficient active set semi-smooth Newton method.Various numerical experiments illustrate the high-order accuracy and the effect of bound preserving.