Disordered Structure and Reversible Phase Transformation from K-Birnessite to Zn-Buserite Enable High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-lon Batteries

The layeredδ-MnO_(2)(dMO)is an excellent cathode material for rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries owing to its large interlayer distance(~0.7 nm),high capacity,and low cost;however,such cathodes suffer from structural degradation during the long-term cycling process,leading to capacity fading.In this study,a Co-doped dMO composite with reduced graphene oxide(GC-dMO)is developed using a simple cost-effective hydrothermal method.The degree of disorderness increases owing to the hetero-atom doping and graphene oxide composites.It is demonstrated that layered dMO and GC-dMO undergo a structural transition from K-birnessite to the Zn-buserite phase upon the first discharge,which enhances the intercalation of Zn^(2+)ions,H_(2)O molecules in the layered structure.The GC-dMO cathode exhibits an excellent capacity of 302 mAh g^(-1)at a current density of 100 mAg^(-1)after 100 cycles as compared with the dMO cathode(159 mAhg^(-1)).The excellent electrochemical performance of the GC-dMO cathode owing to Co-doping and graphene oxide sheets enhances the interlayer gap and disorderness,and maintains structural stability,which facilitates the easy reverse intercalation and de-intercalation of Zn^(2+)ions and H_(2)O molecules.Therefore,GC-dMO is a promising cathode material for large-scale aqueous ZIBs.

Influence of Local Cation Order on Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of Cation-Disordered Semiconductor AgBiS_(2)

Site disorder exists in some practical semiconductors and can significantly impact their intrinsic properties both beneficially and detrimentally.However,the uncertain local order and structure pose a challenge for experimental and theoretical research.Especially,it hinders the investigation of the effects of the diverse local atomic environments resulting from the site disorder.We employ the special quasi-random structure method to perform first-principles research on connection between local site disorder and electronic/optical properties,using cationdisordered AgBiS_(2)(rock salt phase)as an example.We predict that cation-disordered AgBiS_(2)has a bandgap ranging from 0.6 to 0.8 eV without spin-orbit coupling and that spin-orbit coupling reduces this by approximately 0.3 eV.We observe the effects of local structural features in the disordered lattice,such as the one-dimensional chain-like aggregation of cations that results in formation of doping energy bands near the band edges,formation and broadening of band-tail states,and the disturbance in the local electrostatic potential,which significantly reduces the bandgap and stability.The influence of these ordered features on the optical properties is confined to alterations in the bandgap and does not markedly affect the joint density of states or optical absorption.Our study provides a research roadmap for exploring the electronic structure of site-disordered semiconductor materials,suggests that the ordered chain-like aggregation of cations is an effective way to regulate the bandgap of AgBiS_(2),and provides insight into how variations in local order associated with processing can affect properties.

Carbon Emission Effects Driven by Evolution of Chinese Dietary Structure from 1987 to 2020

Exploring carbon emission effects based on the evolution of residents’ dietary structure to achieve the carbon neutrality goal and mitigate climate change is an important task.This study took China as the research object(data excluding Hong Kong,Macao and Taiwan) and used the carbon emission coefficient method to quantitatively measure the food carbon emissions from 1987–2020,then analyzed the carbon emission effects under the evolution of dietary structure.The results showed that during the study period,the Chinese dietary structure gradually changed to a high-carbon consumption pattern.The dietary structure of urban residents developed to a balanced one,while that of rural residents developed to a high-quality one.During the study period,the per capita food carbon emissions and total food consumption of Chinese showed an increasing trend.The per capita food carbon emissions of residents in urban and rural showed an overall upward trend.The total food carbon emissions in urban increased significantly,while that in rural increased first and then decreased.The influence of beef and mutton on carbon emissions is the highest in dietary structure.Compared with the balanced dietary pattern,the food carbon emissions of Chinese residents had not yet reached the peak,but were evolving to a high-carbon consumption pattern.

Seismic response of a mid-story isolated structure considering SSI in mountainous areas under long-period earthquakes

At present,there is not much research on mid-story isolated structures in mountainous areas.In this study,a model of a mid-story isolated structure considering soil-structure interaction(SSI)in mountainous areas is established along with a model that does not consider SSI.Eight long-period earthquake waves and two ordinary earthquake waves are selected as inputs for the dynamic time history analysis of the structure.The results show that the seismic response of a mid-story isolated structure considering SSI in mountainous areas can be amplified when compared with a structure that does not consider SSI.The structure response under long-period earthquakes is larger than that of ordinary earthquakes.The structure response under far-field harmonic-like earthquakes is larger than that of near-fault pulse-type earthquakes.The structure response under near-fault pulse-type earthquakes is larger than that of far-field non-harmonic earthquakes.When subjected to long-period earthquakes,the displacement of the isolated bearings exceeded the limit value,which led to instability and overturning of the structure.The structure with dampers in the isolated story could adequately control the nonlinear response of the structure,effectively reduce the displacement of the isolated bearings,and provide a convenient,efficient and economic method not only for new construction but also to retrofit existing structures.

OptoGPT: A foundation model for inverse design in optical multilayer thin film structures

Optical multilayer thin film structures have been widely used in numerous photonic applications.However,existing inverse design methods have many drawbacks because they either fail to quickly adapt to different design targets,or are difficult to suit for different types of structures,e.g.,designing for different materials at each layer.These methods also cannot accommodate versatile design situations under different angles and polarizations.In addition,how to benefit practical fabrications and manufacturing has not been extensively considered yet.In this work,we introduce OptoGPT(Opto Generative Pretrained Transformer),a decoder-only transformer,to solve all these drawbacks and issues simultaneously.

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.

Heteroatom dopant strategy triggered high-potential plateau to non-graphitized carbon with highly disordered microstructure for high-performance sodium ion storage

Non-graphitized carbon(NGC)has been extensively utilized as carbonaceous anode in sodium-ion batteries(SIBs).However,more optimization to achieve competitive capacity and stability is still challenging for SIBs.In the study,the dopant strategy is utilized to construct nitrogen/sulfur-doped non-graphitized carbon(N-NGC or S-NGC)shell decorated on three-dimensional graphene foam(GF)as a self-support electrode.The highly disordered microstructures of heteroatom doped carbons are produced by applying a low-temperature pyrolysis treatment to precursors containing nitrogen and sulfur.The DFT calculations of Na-ion adsorption energies at diverse heteroatom sites show marginal-S,pyrrolic N and pyridinic N with more intensive Na-ion adsorption ability than middle-S,C=O and pristine carbon.The N-NGC with dominant small graphitic regions delivers adsorption ability to Na-ion,while the S-NGC with significant single carbon lattice stripes demonstrates redox reaction with Na-ion.Evidently,in comparison with only adsorption-driven slope regions at high potential for N-NGC,the redox reaction-generated potentialplateau enables non-graphitized S-NGC superior discharge/charge capacity and cycle-stability in the slope region.This work could provide deep insight into the rational design of non-graphitized carbon with rich microstructure and composition.

Mechanical responses of anchoring structure under triaxial cyclic loading

Dynamic load on anchoring structures(AS)within deep roadways can result in cumulative damage and failure.This study develops an experimental device designed to test AS under triaxial loads.The device enables the investigation of the mechanical response,failure mode,instability assessment criteria,and anchorage effect of AS subjected to combined cyclic dynamic-static triaxial stress paths.The results show that the peak bearing strength is positively correlated with the anchoring matrix strength,anchorage length,and edgewise compressive strength.The bearing capacity decreases significantly when the anchorage direction is severely inclined.The free face failure modes are typically transverse cracking,concave fracturing,V-shaped slipping and detachment,and spallation detachment.Besides,when the anchoring matrix strength and the anchorage length decrease while the edgewise compressive strength,loading rate,and anchorage inclination angle increase,the failure intensity rises.Instability is determined by a negative tangent modulus of the displacement-strength curve or the continued deformation increase against the general downward trend.Under cyclic loads,the driving force that breaks the rock mass along the normal vector and the rigidity of the AS are the two factors that determine roadway stability.Finally,a control measure for surrounding rock stability is proposed to reduce the internal driving force via a pressure relief method and improve the rigidity of the AS by full-length anchorage and grouting modification.

Seabed structures and foundations related to deep-sea resource development:A review based on design and research

The deep‐sea ground contains a huge amount of energy and mineral resources,for example,oil,gas,and minerals.Various infrastructures such as floating structures,seabed structures,and foundations have been developed to exploit these resources.The seabed structures and foundations can be mainly classified into three types:subsea production structures,offshore pipelines,and anchors.This study reviewed the development,installation,and operation of these infrastructures,including their structures,design,installation,marine environment loads,and applications.On this basis,the research gaps and further research directions were explored through this literature review.First,different floating structures were briefly analyzed and reviewed to introduce the design requirements of the seabed structures and foundations.Second,the subsea production structures,including subsea manifolds and their foundations,were reviewed and discussed.Third,the basic characteristics and design methods of deep‐sea pipelines,including subsea pipelines and risers,were analyzed and reviewed.Finally,the installation and bearing capacity of deep‐sea subsea anchors and seabed trench influence on the anchor were reviewed.Through the review,it was found that marine environment conditions are the key inputs for any offshore structure design.The fabrication,installation,and operation of infrastructures should carefully consider the marine loads and geological conditions.Different structures have their own mechanical problems.The fatigue and stability of pipelines mainly depend on the soil‐structure interaction.Anchor selection should consider soil types and possible trench formation.These focuses and research gaps can provide a helpful guide on further research,installation,and operation of deep‐sea structures and foundations.

Structure and immunomodulatory activity of Lentinus edodes polysaccharides modified by probiotic fermentation

Plant-based fermentations provide an untapped source for novel biotechnological applications.In this study,a probiotic named Lactobacillus fermentum 21828 was introduced to ferment Lentinus edodes.Polysaccharides were extracted from fermented and non-fermented L.edodes and purified via DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100.The components designated F-LEP-2a and NF-LEP-2a were analyzed by FT-IR,HPGPC,HPAEC,SEM,GC-MS and NMR.The results revealed that probiotic fermentation increased the molecular weight from 1.16×10^(4) Da to 1.87×10^(4) Da and altered the proportions of glucose,galactose and mannose,in which glucose increased from 45.94%to 48.16%.Methylation analysis and NMR spectra indicated that F-LEP-2a and NF-LEP-2a had similar linkage patterns.Furthermore,their immunomodulatory activities were evaluated with immunosuppressive mice.NF-LEP and F-LEP improved immune organ indices,immunoglobulin(Ig G and Ig M)and cytokines concentrations;restored the antioxidation capacity of liver;and maintained the balance of gut microbiota.F-LEP displayed better moderating effects on the spleen index,immunoglobulin,cytokines and the diversity of gut microbiota than NF-LEP(200,400 mg/kg).Our study provides an efficient and environment-friendly way for the structural modification of polysaccharides,which helps to enhance their biological activity and promote their wide application in food,medicine and other fields.

Tuning electronic structure of RuO_(2)by single atom Zn and oxygen vacancies to boost oxygen evolution reaction in acidic medium

The poor stability of RuO_(2)electrocatalysts has been the primary obstacles for their practical application in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers.To dramatically enhance the durability of RuO_(2)to construct activity-stability trade-off model is full of significance but challenging.Herein,a single atom Zn stabilized RuO_(2)with enriched oxygen vacancies(SA Zn-RuO_(2))is developed as a promising alternative to iridium oxide for acidic oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Compared with commercial RuO_(2),the enhanced Ru–O bond strength of SA Zn-RuO_(2)by forming Zn-O-Ru local structure motif is favorable to stabilize surface Ru,while the electrons transferred from Zn single atoms to adjacent Ru atoms protects the Ru active sites from overoxidation.Simultaneously,the optimized surrounding electronic structure of Ru sites in SA ZnRuO_(2)decreases the adsorption energies of OER intermediates to reduce the reaction barrier.As a result,the representative SA Zn-RuO_(2)exhibits a low overpotential of 210 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^(-2)and a greatly enhanced durability than commercial RuO_(2).This work provides a promising dual-engineering strategy by coupling single atom doping and vacancy for the tradeoff of high activity and catalytic stability toward acidic OER.

From VIB‑to VB‑Group Transition Metal Disulfides:Structure Engineering Modulation for Superior Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

The laminated transition metal disulfides(TMDs),which are well known as typical two-dimensional(2D)semiconductive materials,possess a unique layered structure,leading to their wide-spread applications in various fields,such as catalysis,energy storage,sensing,etc.In recent years,a lot of research work on TMDs based functional materials in the fields of electromagnetic wave absorption(EMA)has been carried out.Therefore,it is of great significance to elaborate the influence of TMDs on EMA in time to speed up the application.In this review,recent advances in the development of electromagnetic wave(EMW)absorbers based on TMDs,ranging from the VIB group to the VB group are summarized.Their compositions,microstructures,electronic properties,and synthesis methods are presented in detail.Particularly,the modulation of structure engineering from the aspects of heterostructures,defects,morphologies and phases are systematically summarized,focusing on optimizing impedance matching and increasing dielectric and magnetic losses in the EMA materials with tunable EMW absorption performance.Milestones as well as the challenges are also identified to guide the design of new TMDs based dielectric EMA materials with high performance.

Multi-Material Topology Optimization for Spatial-Varying Porous Structures

This paper aims to propose a topology optimization method on generating porous structures comprising multiple materials.The mathematical optimization formulation is established under the constraints of individual volume fraction of constituent phase or total mass,as well as the local volume fraction of all phases.The original optimization problem with numerous constraints is converted into a box-constrained optimization problem by incorporating all constraints to the augmented Lagrangian function,avoiding the parameter dependence in the conventional aggregation process.Furthermore,the local volume percentage can be precisely satisfied.The effects including the globalmass bound,the influence radius and local volume percentage on final designs are exploited through numerical examples.The numerical results also reveal that porous structures keep a balance between the bulk design and periodic design in terms of the resulting compliance.All results,including those for irregular structures andmultiple volume fraction constraints,demonstrate that the proposedmethod can provide an efficient solution for multiple material infill structures.

Community structure and species diversity dynamics of a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China:2005 to 2020

Here,we characterize the temporal and spatial dynamics of forest community structure and species diversity in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China.We found that community structure in this forest changed over a 15-year period.Specifically,renewal and death of common species was large,with the renewal of individuals mainly concentrated within a few populations,especially those of Aidia canthioides and Cryptocarya concinna.The numbers of individual deaths for common species were concentrated in the small and mid-diameter level.The spatial distribution of community species diversity fluctuated in each monitoring period,showing a more dispersed diversity after the 15-year study period,and the coefficient of variation on quadrats increased.In 2010,the death and renewal of the community and the spatial variation of species diversity were different compared to other survey years.Extreme weather may have affected species regeneration and community stability in our subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forests.Our findings suggest that strengthening the monitoring and management of the forest community will help better understand the long-and short-term causes of dynamic fluctuations of community structure and species diversity,and reveal the factors that drive changes in community structure.

Estimation-free spatial-domain image reconstruction of structured illumination microscopy

Structured illumination microscopy(SIM)achieves super-resolution(SR)by modulating the high-frequency information of the sample into the passband of the optical system and subsequent image reconstruction.The traditional Wiener-filtering-based reconstruction algorithm operates in the Fourier domain,it requires prior knowledge of the sinusoidal illumination patterns which makes the time-consuming procedure of parameter estimation to raw datasets necessary,besides,the parameter estimation is sensitive to noise or aberration-induced pattern distortion which leads to reconstruction artifacts.Here,we propose a spatial-domain image reconstruction method that does not require parameter estimation but calculates patterns from raw datasets,and a reconstructed image can be obtained just by calculating the spatial covariance of differential calculated patterns and differential filtered datasets(the notch filtering operation is performed to the raw datasets for attenuating and compensating the optical transfer function(OTF)).Experiments on reconstructing raw datasets including nonbiological,biological,and simulated samples demonstrate that our method has SR capability,high reconstruction speed,and high robustness to aberration and noise.

Crystal structure,phase transitions,and thermodynamic properties of magnesium metavanadate(MgV_(2)O_(6))

As a promising anode material for magnesium ion rechargeable batteries,magnesium metavanadate(MgV_(2)O_(6))has attracted considerable research interest in recent years.A MgV_(2)O_(6)sample was synthesized via a facile solid-state reaction by multistep-firing stoichiometric mixtures of MgO and V2O5 powder under an air atmosphere.The solid-state phase transition fromα-MgV_(2)O_(6)toβ-MgV_(2)O_(6)occurred at 841 K and the enthalpy change was 4.37±0.04 kJ/mol.The endothermic effect at 1014 K and the enthalpy change was 26.54±0.26 kJ/mol,which is related to the incongruent melting ofβ-MgV_(2)O_(6).In situ XRD was performed to investigate phase transition of the as-prepared MgV_(2)O_(6)at high temperatures.The cell parameters obtained by Rietveld refinement indicated that it crystallizes in a monoclinic system with the C2/m space group,and the lattice parameters of a=9.280 A°,b=3.501 A°,c=6.731 A°,β=111.76°.The solid-state phase transition fromα-MgV_(2)O_(6)toβ-MgV_(2)O_(6)was further studied by thermal kinetics,indicating that this process is controlled first by a fibril-like mechanism and then by a spherulitic-type mechanism with an increasing heating rate.Additionally,the enthalpy change of MgV_(2)O_(6)at high temperatures was measured utilizing the drop calorimetry,heat capacity was calculated and given as:Cp=208.3+0.03583T-4809000T^(−2)(298-923 K)(J mol^(−1)K^(−1)),the high-temperature heat capacity can be used to calculate Gibbs free energy of MgV_(2)O_(6)at high temperatures.

Enhancing electromagnetic wave absorption with core‐shell structured SiO_(2)@MXene@MoS_(2)nanospheres

Material composition and structural design are important factors influencing the electromagnetic wave(EMW)absorption performance of materials.To alleviate the impedance mismatch attributed to the high dielectric constant of Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene,we have successfully synthesized core‐shell structured SiO_(2)@MXene@MoS_(2)nanospheres.This architecture,comprising SiO_(2)as the core,MXene as the intermediate layer,and MoS_(2)as the outer shell,is achieved through an electrostatic self‐assembly method combined with a hydrothermal process.This complex core‐shell structure not only provides a variety of loss mechanisms that effectively dissipate electromagnetic energy but also prevents self‐aggregation of MXene and MoS_(2)nanosheets.Notably,the synergistic combination of SiO_(2)and MoS_(2)with highly conductive MXene enables the suitable dielectric constant of the composites,ensuring optimal impedance matching.Therefore,the core‐shell structured SiO_(2)@MXene@MoS_(2)nanospheres exhibit excellent EMW absorption performance,featuring a remarkable minimum reflection loss(RL_(min))of−52.11 dB(2.4 mm).It is noteworthy that these nanospheres achieve an ultra‐wide effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 6.72 GHz.This work provides a novel approach for designing and synthesizing high‐performance EMW absorbers characterized by“wide bandwidth and strong reflection loss.”

An origami shield with supporting frame structures optimized by a feature-driven topology optimization method

In this paper,the design,manufacture and testing of an origami protective shield with a supporting frame structure are presented.It consists of an origami shield surface and a deployable supporting frame structure that needs to be portable and sufficiently stiff.First,for the design of the shield surface,a threestage origami crease pattern is developed to reduce the shield size in the folded state.The shield surface consists of several stiff modular panels and layered with flexible fabric.The modular panels are made of a multi-layer composite where a ceramic layer is made of small pieces to improve durability as those small pieces enable restriction of crack propagation.Then,the supporting frame structure is designed as a chain-of-bars structure in order to fold into a highly compact state as a bundle of bars and deploy in sequence.Thus,a feature-driven topology structural optimization method preserving component sequence is developed where the inter-dependence of sub-structures is taken into account.A bar with semi-circular ends is used as a basic design feature.The positions of the bar’s end points are treated as design variables and the width of the bars is kept constant.Then,a constraint on the total length of the chain of bars is introduced.Finally,the modular panels made of multi-layer composite and the full-scale prototype of the origami shield are fabricated and tested to verify the bullet-proof performance.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Orthorexia Nervosa Symptomatology and Other Disordered Eating

While some research has explored racial and ethnic differences in disordered eating, this study may be the first to examine these differences in orthorexia nervosa, involving obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors concerning healthy eating, which negatively impact one’s life. Adult participants, recruited from college courses and social media, completed an online survey with the Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory (ONI) and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Regarding racial and ethnic background, 743 were White, 249 were Hispanic, 87 were Black, 61 were Asian or Pacific Islander, and 110 were biracial/multiracial. A MANCOVA revealed that the racial and ethnic groups did not differ on the ONI subscales assessing orthorexic behaviors, impairments, and emotions, after accounting for gender, BMI, and EAT-26 total scores that were covariates. In contrast, a second MANCOVA did reveal group differences on the EAT-26 subscales, after accounting for gender, BMI, and ONI total scores that were covariates. Black participants scored significantly lower than the other racial and ethnic groups on the subscale assessing dieting behaviors characteristic of anorexia nervosa, and the subscale assessing binge-eating and purging behaviors characteristic of bulimia nervosa. Further, Hispanic participants scored significantly lower than White participants on the latter subscale. These findings suggest that while orthorexic symptomatology does not differ based on race and ethnicity, a Black race and Hispanic ethnicity may be protective factors against disordered eating, perhaps related either to cultural norms concerning body image or to the resiliency and social support among the Black and Hispanic communities.

Influence of topography on the fine structures of stratospheric gravity waves:An analysis using COSMIC-2 temperature data

We derive the potential energy of gravity waves(GWs)in the upper troposphere and stratosphere at 45°S-45°N from December 2019 to November 2022 by using temperature profiles retrieved from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology,Ionosphere,and Climate-2(COSMIC-2)satellite.Owing to the dense sampling of COSMIC-2,in addition to the strong peaks of gravity wave potential energy(GWPE)above the Andes and Tibetan Plateau,we found weak peaks above the Rocky,Atlas,Caucasus,and Tianshan Mountains.The land-sea contrast is responsible for the longitudinal variations of the GWPE in the lower and upper stratosphere.At 40°N/S,the peaks were mainly above the topographic regions during the winter.At 20°N/S,the peaks were a slight distance away from the topographic regions and might be the combined effect of nontopographic GWs and mountain waves.Near the Equator,the peaks were mainly above the regions with the lowest sea level altitude and may have resulted from convection.Our results indicate that even above the local regions with lower sea level altitudes compared with the Andes and Tibetan Plateau,the GWPE also exhibits fine structures in geographic distributions.We found that dissipation layers above the tropopause jet provide the body force to generate secondary waves in the upper stratosphere,especially during the winter months of each hemisphere and at latitudes of greater than 20°N/S.