Influence of High Dilutions of Cina for the Control of Meloidogyne incognita in Tomato Plants

Considering the importance of the tomato crop and the high costs for controlling Meloidogyne incognita with resistant cultivar or nematicides, it is necessary for the search of new alternatives to manage the root-knot disease. The homeopathy may be an alternative way of control, by inducing plant resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the homeopathic product Cina at dynamizations 12, 24, 50, 100, 200, and 400 CH (centesimal hahnemanian dilutions) on the number of root galls, eggs and second-stage juveniles (J2) present in the roots of tomato and soil, as well on the growth of tomato plants. The Cina demonstrated effectiveness in stimulating root development, once the results of root volume were higher in homeopathic treatments than those in the control. Cina 100 CH also favored the growth of the stalk diameter of the plants. However, the homeopathic product showed no nematostatic nor nematicide effects. The potentized Cina is capable to induce tomato growth besides the presence of M. incognita infecting the roots, with no nematotoxic effects.

基于构型优选的5G集群无人机协同导航方法

针对现有基于测距的集群UAV协同导航方法普遍忽略了空间构型对定位定能的影响,难以获得精确的导航定位结果,提出一种基于空间构型优选的5G集群UAV协同导航方法。构建了复杂环境下基于5G信号的UAV相对测距误差模型,基于最小几何精度因子(geometric dilution of precision,GDOP)准则建立了协同导航节点寻优策略,实现了协同导航空间构型的实时优选;设计了基于5G测距网络的协同导航滤波器,对UAV导航信息进行在线估计和实时补偿,提高集群UAV的协同定位精度。仿真结果表明:该方法从机定位精度平均提升了约42.05%,为集群UAV实现在卫星不可用条件下的自主导航提供了一种有效的新方法。

Causal Analysis Between Rice Growth and Cadmium Accumulation and Transfer under Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculation

Cadmium(Cd)contamination in rice has been a serious threat to human health.To investigate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)on the Cd translocation in rice,a controlled pot experiment was conducted.The results indicated that AMF significantly increased rice biomass,with an increase of up to 40.0%,particularly in root biomass by up to 68.4%.Notably,the number of prominent rice individuals also increased,and their plasticity was enhanced following AMF inoculation.AMF led to an increase in the net photosynthetic rate and antioxidant enzyme activity of rice.In the AMF treatment group,the Cd concentration in the rice roots was significantly higher(19.1%‒68.0%)compared with that in the control group.Conversely,the Cd concentration in the rice seeds was lower in the AMF treatment group,indicating that AMF facilitated the sequestration of Cd in rice roots and reduced Cd accumulation in the seeds.Path coefficients varied across different treatments,suggesting that AMF inoculation reduced the direct impact of soil Cd concentration on the total Cd accumulation in seeds.The translocation of Cd was consistently associated with simultaneous growth dilution and compensatory accumulation as a result of mycorrhizal effects.Our study quantitatively analyzed this process through path analysis and clarified the causal relationship between rice growth and Cd transfer under the influence of AMF.

Effects of homoeopathic ultrahigh dilutions of Aconitum napellus on Baker＇s yeast-induced fever in rabbits

OBJECTIVE： To evaluate the effects of homoeopathic ultrahigh dilutions of Aconitum napellus in Baker＇s yeast-induced fever in rabbits. METHODS： Rabbits were divided into 4 groups and each group contained 6 rabbits. Baker＇s yeast suspension （20%） was injected subcutaneously. After fever induction, paracetamol and homoeopathic ultrahigh dilutions （A. nape//us 200c and 1 000c） were given orally. Rectal temperature was measured with digital thermometer hourly. RESULTS： Fever was induced in all the rabbits after 4 hours of Baker＇s yeast administration. A. nape//us 200c and 1000c significantly reduced the temperature （P 〈 0.05）. In positive control, temperature decrease was more significant （P 〈 0.001 ）. CONCLUSION： The above findings indicate the effectiveness of ultrahigh dilutions ofA. nape//us in Baker＇s yeast-induced fever in rabbits. However, the effects were slower and less significant than standard medicine Moreover, future research is required to know their mechanism of reducing temperature.

Optimality of Group Testing with Differential Misclassification

Group testing is a method that can be used to estimate the prevalence of rare infectious diseases,which can effectively save time and reduce costs compared to the method of random sampling.However,previous literature only demonstrated the optimality of group testing strategy while estimating prevalence under some strong assumptions.This article weakens the assumption of misclassification rate in the previous literature,considers the misclassification rate of the infected samples as a differentiable function of the pool size,and explores some optimal properties of group testing for estimating prevalence in the presence of differential misclassification conforming to this assumption.This article theoretically demonstrates that the group testing strategy performs better than the sample by sample procedure in estimating disease prevalence when the total number of sample pools is given or the size of the test population is determined.Numerical simulation experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of group tests in estimating prevalence in the presence of dilution effect.

Development of 400-μW cryogen-free dilution refrigerators for quantum experiments

We have successfully developed cryogen-free dilution refrigerators with medium cooling power that can be applied to quantum experiments. Breakthroughs have been made in some key technologies and components of heat switches and dilution units. Our prototype has been running continuously and stably for more than 100 hours below 10 m K, with a minimum temperature of 7.6 m K and a cooling power of 450 μW at 100 m K. At the same time, we have also made progress in the application of dilution refrigerators, such as quantum computing, low-temperature detector, and magnet integration. These indicators and test results indicate good prospects for application in physics, astronomy, and quantum information.

Regulating the dopant clustering in LiZnAs-based diluted magnetic semiconductor

Tuning of the magnetic interaction plays the vital role in reducing the clustering of magnetic dopant in diluted magnetic semiconductors(DMS).Due to the not well understood magnetic mechanism and the interplay between different magnetic mechanisms,no efficient and universal tuning strategy is proposed at present.Here,the magnetic interactions and formation energies of isovalent-doped(Mn) and aliovalent(Cr)-doped LiZnAs are studied based on density functional theory(DFT).It is found that the dopant–dopant distance-dependent magnetic interaction is highly sensitive to the carrier concentration and carrier type and can only be explained by the interplay between two magnetic mechanisms,i.e.,superexchange and Zener’s p–d exchange model.Thus,the magnetic behavior and clustering of magnetic dopant can be tuned by the interplay between two magnetic mechanisms.The insensitivity of the tuning effect to U parameter suggests that our strategy could be universal to other DMS.

A Molecular-Sieving Interphase Towards Low-Concentrated Aqueous Sodium-Ion Batteries

Aqueous sodium-ion batteries are known for poor rechargeability because of the competitive water decomposition reactions and the high electrode solubility.Improvements have been reported by saltconcentrated and organic-hybridized electrolyte designs,however,at the expense of cost and safety.Here,we report the prolonged cycling of ASIBs in routine dilute electrolytes by employing artificial electrode coatings consisting of NaX zeolite and NaOH-neutralized perfluorinated sulfonic polymer.The as-formed composite interphase exhibits a molecularsieving effect jointly played by zeolite channels and size-shrunken ionic domains in the polymer matrix,which enables high rejection of hydrated Na^(+)ions while allowing fast dehydrated Na^(+)permeance.Applying this coating to electrode surfaces expands the electrochemical window of a practically feasible 2 mol kg^(-1) sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate aqueous electrolyte to 2.70 V and affords Na_(2)MnFe(CN)_(6)//NaTi_(2)(PO_(4))_(3) full cells with an unprecedented cycling stability of 94.9%capacity retention after 200 cycles at 1 C.Combined with emerging electrolyte modifications,this molecular-sieving interphase brings amplified benefits in long-term operation of ASIBs.

Correlation of work function and stacking fault energy through Kelvin probe force microscopy and nanohardness in diluteα-magnesium

Electronic interactions of the Group 2A elements with magnesium have been studied through the dilute solid solutions in binary Mg-Ca,Mg-Sr and Mg-Ba systems.This investigation incorporated the difference in the‘Work Function'(ΔWF)measured via Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy(KPFM),as a property directly affected by interatomic bond types,i.e.the electronic structure,nanoindentation measurements,and Stacking Fault Energy values reported in the literature.It was shown that the nano-hardness of the solid-solutionα-Mg phase changed in the order of Mg-Ca>Mg-Sr>Mg-Ba.Thus,it was shown,by also considering the nano-hardness levels,that SFE of a solid-solution is closely correlated with its‘Work Function'level.Nano-hardness measurements on the eutectics andΔWF difference between eutectic phases enabled an assessment of the relative bond strength and the pertinent electronic structures of the eutectics in the three alloys.Correlation withΔWF and at least qualitative verification of those computed SFE values with some experimental measurement techniques were considered important as those computational methods are based on zero Kelvin degree,relatively simple atomic models and a number of assumptions.As asserted by this investigation,if the results of measurement techniques can be qualitatively correlated with those of the computational methods,it can be possible to evaluate the electronic structures in alloys,starting from binary systems,going to ternary and then multi-elemental systems.Our investigation has shown that such a qualitative correlation is possible.After all,the SFE values are not treated as absolute values but rather become essential in comparative investigations when assessing the influences of alloying elements at a fundamental level,that is,free electron density distributions.Our study indicated that the principles of‘electronic metallurgy'in developing multi-elemental alloy systems can be followed via practical experimental methods,i.e.ΔWF measurements using KPFM and nanoindentation.

Development of a novel critical nitrogen concentration-cumulative transpiration curve for optimizing nitrogen management under varying irrigation conditions in winter wheat

Accurate nitrogen(N)nutrition diagnosis is essential for improving N use efficiency in crop production.The widely used critical N(Nc)dilution curve traditionally depends solely on agronomic variables,neglecting crop water status.With three-year field experiments with winter wheat,encompassing two irrigation levels(rainfed and irrigation at jointing and anthesis)and three N levels(0,180,and 270 kg ha1),this study aims to establish a novel approach for determining the Nc dilution curve based on crop cumulative transpiration(T),providing a comprehensive analysis of the interaction between N and water availability.The Nc curves derived from both crop dry matter(DM)and T demonstrated N concentration dilution under different conditions with different parameters.The equation Nc=6.43T0.24 established a consistent relationship across varying irrigation regimes.Independent test results indicated that the nitrogen nutrition index(NNI),calculated from this curve,effectively identifies and quantifies the two sources of N deficiency:insufficient N supply in the soil and insufficient soil water concentration leading to decreased N availability for root absorption.Additionally,the NNI calculated from the Nc-DM and Nc-T curves exhibited a strong negative correlation with accumulated N deficit(Nand)and a positive correlation with relative grain yield(RGY).The NNI derived from the Nc-T curve outperformed the NNI derived from the Nc-DM curve concerning its relationship with Nand and RGY,as indicated by larger R2 values and smaller AIC.The novel Nc curve based on T serves as an effective diagnostic tool for assessing winter wheat N status,predicting grain yield,and optimizing N fertilizer management across varying irrigation conditions.These findings would provide new insights and methods to improve the simulations of water-N interaction relationship in crop growth models.

First-Principle Study on the Electronic Structure and Optical Property of New Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor(Y_(0.75)Ca_(0.25))(Cu_(0.75)Mn_(0.25))SO

The band structure,DOSs,and optical properties of(Y_(0.75)Ca_(0.25))(Cu_(0.75)Mn_(0.25))SO,including dielectric function,absorption function,reflection function,and energy loss spectrum were studied by using the first-principles calculation.The calculation results indicate that(Y_(0.75)Ca_(0.25))(Cu_(0.75)Mn_(0.25))SO is a direct bandgap semiconductor with a bandgap of 1.1 eV.The Fermi surface is asymmetric and exhibits spin splitting phenomenon.The new type of dilute magnetic semiconductor(Y_(0.75)Ca_(0.25))(Cu_(0.75)Mn_(0.25))SO exhibits significant light loss around 70 eV,with light reflection gradually increasing after 30 eV,and light absorption mainly occurring around 8-30 eV.These results also provide a basis for the discovery of more types of 1111 phase new dilute magnetic semiconductors in the future.

Effect of CO_(2) dilution on laminar burning velocities,combustion characteristics and NO_(x) emissions of CH_(4)/air mixtures

The laminar combustion characteristics of CH_(4)/air premixed flames with CO_(2) addition are systemically studied.Experimental measurements and numerical simulations of the laminar burning velocity(LBV)are performed in CH_(4)/CO_(2)/Air flames with various CO_(2) doping ratio under equivalence ratios of 1.0–1.4.GRI 3.0 mech and Aramco mech are employed for predicting LBV,adiabatic flame temperature(AFT),important intermediate radicals(CH_(3),H,OH,O)and NO_(x) emissions(NO,NO_(2),N2O),as well as the sensitivity analysis is also conducted.The detail analysis of experiment and simulation reveals that as the CO_(2) addition increases from 0%to 40%,the LBVs and AFTs decrease monotonously.Under the same CO_(2) doping ratio,the LBVs and AFTs increase first and then decrease with the increase of equivalence ratio,and the maximum of LBV is reached at equivalence ratio of 1.05.The mole fraction tendency of important intermediates and NO_(x) with equivalence ratio and CO_(2) doping ratio are similar to the LBVs and AFTs.Reaction H+O_(2)⇔O+OH is found to be responsible for the promotion of the generation of important intermediates and NO_(x) under the equivalence ratios and CO_(2) addition through sensitivity analysis.The sensitivity coefficients of elementary reactions that the increasing of CO_(2) doping ratio promotes or inhibits formation of intermediate radicals and NO_(x) decreases.

Crystallization thermodynamics of 2,4(5)-dinitroimidazole in binary solvents

2,4(5)-Dinitroimidazole(2,4(5)-DNI)is an important organic intermediate,and itself can also be used for energetic material.In this work,the solubility of 2,4(5)-DNI in(methanol+water,acetonitrile+water,acetone+water)binary solvents were measured by using a dynamic test method from 278.15 K to 323.15 K under 101.1 k Pa.The Jouyban–Acree model,van't Hoff–Jouyban–Acree model,Apelblat–Jouyb an–Acree model,Ma model,and Sun model were used to correlate the experimental data.The values of relative average deviation(RAD)and root-mean-square deviation(RMSD)were very small,indicating that the error between the experimental value and the correlated value was very small.The thermodynamic parameters such as dissolution enthalpy,dissolution entropy and Gibbs energy were calculated based on solubility data.High-purity of 2,4(5)-DNI was efficiently obtained by using cooling and dilution crystallization method.

Colossal negative magnetoresistance in spin glass Na(Zn,Mn)Sb

We report the study of magnetic and transport properties of polycrystalline and single crystal Na(Zn,Mn)Sb,a new member of“111”type of diluted magnetic materials.The material crystallizes into Cu2Sb-type structure which is isostructural to“111”type Fe-based superconductors.With suitable carrier and spin doping,the Na(Zn,Mn)Sb establishes spin-glass ordering with freezing temperature(Tf)below 15 K.Despite lack of long-range ferromagnetic ordering,Na(Zn,Mn)Sb single crystal still shows sizeable anomalous Hall effect below Tf.Carrier concentration determined by Hall effect measurements is over 1019 cm-3.More significantly,we observe colossal negative magnetoresistance(MR≡[ρ(H)−ρ(0)]/ρ(0))of-94%in the single crystal sample.

Dilution characteristics of dual buoyant jets in wavy cross-flow environment

Due to the difference in density between the discharge effluent and coastal water,partially treated wastewater is often discharged into the marine environment as a buoyant jet via submarine outfalls with multiport diffusers.The dilution characteristics of effluent discharge(dual buoyant jets)in a wavy cross-flow environment were studied in a laboratory.The planar laser-induced fluorescence technique was used to obtain the concentration data of the jets.The effects of different environmental variables on the diffusion and dilution characteristics of the jets were examined through physical experiments,dimensional analysis,and empirical formulations.It was found that the dilution process of the dual jets could be divided into two components:the original jet component and the effluent cloud component.The jet-to-current velocity ratio was the main parameter affecting the concentration levels of the effluent cloud.The merging of the two jets increased the jet concentration in the flow field.When the jets traveled further downstream,the axial dilution increased gradually and then increased significantly along the axis.Under the effects of strong waves,the concentration contours branched into two peaks,and the mean dilution became more significant than under the effects of weak waves.Therefore,the dilution of the effluent discharge was expected to be significant under strong wave effects because the hydrodynamic force increased.A dilution equation was derived to improve our understanding of the dilution process of buoyant jets in a wavy cross-flow environment.This equation was used to determine the influences of the jet-to-current velocity ratio,wave-to-current velocity ratio,and Strouhal number on the minimum jet dilution.It revealed that the wave and buoyancy effects in effluent discharges were significant.

Lateral downslope transport and tentative sedimentary organic carbon box model in the southern Yap Trench,western Pacific Ocean

Sediment collapse and subsequent lateral downslope migration play important roles in shaping the habitats and regulating sedimentary organic carbon(SOC)cycling in hadal trenches.In this study,three sediment cores were collected using a human-occupied vehicle across the axis of the southern Yap Trench(SYT).The total organic carbon(TOC)and total nitrogen(TN)contents,δ13C,radiocarbon ages,specific surface areas,and grain size compositions of sediments from three cores were measured.We explored the influence of the lateral downslope transport on the dispersal of the sediments and established a tentative box model for the SOC balance.In the SYT,the surface TOC content decreased with water depth and was decoupled by the funneling effect of the V-shaped hadal trench.However,the sedimentation(0.0025 cm/a)and SOC accumulation rates(∼0.038 g/(m^(2)·a)(in terms of OC))were approximately 50%higher in the deeper hadal region than in the abyssal region(0.0016 cm/a and∼0.026 g/(m^(2)·a)(in terms of OC),respectively),indicating the occurrence of lateral downslope transport.The fluctuating variations in the prokaryotic abundances and the SOC accumulation rate suggest the periodic input of surficial sediments from the shallow region.The similar average TOC(0.31%–0.38%),TN(0.06%–0.07%)contents,and SOC compositions(terrestrial OC(11%–18%),marine phytoplanktonic OC(45%–53%),and microbial OC(32%–44%))of the three sites indicate that the lateral downslope transport has a significant mixing effect on the SOC composition.The output fluxes of the laterally transported SOC(0.44–0.56 g/(m^(2)·a)(in terms of OC))contributed approximately(47%–73%)of the total SOC input,and this proportion increased with water depth.The results of this study demonstrate the importance of lateral downslope transport in the spatial distribution and development of biomes.

Butyl ether as Co-diluent in medium-concentrated electrolyte for Li-S battery

1. Introduction The Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB) shows promise as a highdensity energy source, with a theoretical energy density of approximately 2600 W h kg^(-1)[1]. However, practical application of the LSB has been hindered by the “shuttle effect” and Li anode corrosion [2,3]. Highly concentrated electrolytes(HCEs) have been proposed as a solution, as they can inhibit the dissolution of lithium polysulfide and promote homogeneous lithium deposition [4].

Single-element Anomaly Mapping from Stream Sediment Geochemical Landscapes Aided by Digital Terrain Analysis

The identification of anomalies within stream sediment geochemical data is one of the fastest developing areas in mineral exploration.The various means used to achieve this objective make use of either continuous or discrete field models of stream sediment geochemical data.To map anomalies in a discrete field model of such data,two corrections are required:background correction and downstream dilution correction.Topography and geomorphology are important factors in variations of element content in stream sediments.However,few studies have considered,through the use of digital terrain analysis,the influence of geomorphic features in downstream dilution correction of stream sediment geochemical data.This study proposes and demonstrates an improvement to the traditional downstream dilution correction equation,based on the use of digital terrain analysis to map single-element anomalies in stream sediment geochemical landscapes.Moreover,this study compares the results of analyses using discrete and continuous field models of stream sediment geochemical data from the Xincang area,Tibet.The efficiency of the proposed methodology was validated against known mineral occurrences.The results indicate that catchment-based analysis outperforms interpolation-based analysis of stream sediment geochemical data for anomaly mapping.Meanwhile,the proposed modified downstream dilution correction equation proved more effective than the original equation.However,further testing of this modified downstream dilution correction is needed in other areas,in order to investigate its efficiency further.

Impact of black cherry on pedunculate oak vitality in mixed forests:Balancing benefits and concerns

The vitality of European forests continues to decline due to new pests and diseases,climate-change related disturbances and high loads of atmospheric nitrogen deposition.Deteriorating soil health is a major factor underpinning the low vitality of West-European forests.Selecting tree species with soil ameliorative traits is proposed as an avenue to counteract soil acidification and improve overall forest vitality.Here we evaluate the impact of black cherry(Prunus serotina Ehrh.),a known rich litter species,on the vitality of neighboring pedunculate oak(Quercus robur L.)in ten mixed forests on sand in Germany,Belgium and the Netherlands.We found that black cherry admixture increases foliar N and P to a surplus whereas it causes deficiencies in foliar Mg,thereby resulting in an overall negative effect on oak foliar nutrient concentrations.Contrary,defoliation of oak leaves by herbivory decreases with the proximity of black cherry.Using structural equation modelling(SEM),we tested the hypothesized‘improved soil health’pathway.Our analyses showed that black cherry admixture leads to lower accumulation in the humus layer,resulting in higher soil base saturation which has a positive effect on foliar Ca yet a negative effect on total chlorophyll.Moreover,the SEM illustrated that herbivory of oak leaves decreases when black cherry is admixed,both via dilution and improved soil health.Indirect effects of black cherry on oak vitality via“improved soil health”in our SEM are however small in comparison to direct relations.Hence,our study showed that the combined positive and negative impacts of black cherry on oak vitality are limited,which tempers the potential benefits of using the rich litter species to counteract oak decline via improved soil health–yet,the concern of black cherry as an invasive alien species negatively affecting the vitality of mature pedunculate oak trees may also be exaggerated.

Potassium thiocyanate additive for PEDOT:PSS layer to fabricate efficient tin-based perovskite solar cells

The commercialized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)is usually used as hole transport layers(HTLs)in tin-based perovskite solar cells(TPSCs).However,the further development has been restricted due to the acidity that could damage the stability of TPSCs.Although the PEDOT:PSS solution can be diluted by water to decrease acidity and reduce the cost of device fabrication,the electrical conductivity will decrease obviously in diluted PEDOT:PSS solution.Herein,potassium thiocyanate(KSCN)is selected to regulate the properties of PEDOT:PSS HTLs from the diluted PEDOT:PSS aqueous solution by water with a volume ratio of 1:1 to prepare efficient TPSCs.The effect of KSCN addition on the structure and photoelectrical properties of PEDOT:PSS HTLs and TPSCs have been systematically studied.At the optimal KSCN concentration,the TPSCs based on KSCN-doped PEDOT:PSS HTLs(KSCN-PSCs)demonstrate the champion power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 8.39%,while the reference TPSCs only show a champioan PCE of 6.70%.The further analysis demonstrates that the KSCN additive increases the electrical conductivity of HTLs prepared by the diluted PEDOT:PSS solution,improves the microstructure of perovskite film,and inhibits carrier recombination in TPSCs,leading to the reduced hysteresis effect and enhanced PCE in KSCN-PSCs.This work gives a low-cost and practical strategy to develop a high-quality PEDOT:PSS HTLs from diluted PEDOT:PSS aqueous solution for efficient TPSCs.