Effect of SPM Scanning Range on the Micromorphology Parameters

The surface of a compact disk is analyzed by using SPM and the quantitative micromorphology analysissoftware SPMIAS developed by the author. Images at the same position but with different scanning ranges areobtained under the same experimental conditions. Micromorphology parameters are calculated and compared, andthe relationship between the changing of the scanning range and the changing of micromorphology parameters issummarized.

Comparative studies on leaf epidermal micromorphology and mesophyll structure of Elaeagnus angustifolia L.in two different regions of desert habitat

In order to obtain qualitative and quantitative characteristics of leaf epidermal micromorphology and mesophyll structure to evaluate the responses ofElaeagnus angustifolia L. to different environmental factors, epidermal micromorphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and mesophyll structure was studied by light microscopy （LM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Materials were selected from Linze County, Gansu Province （material A） and Qitai County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region （material B） of China. Results show that lamina thickness was higher in material A, with one layer of epidermal cells in both adaxial and abaxial surfaces, and epidermal cell radial length was significantly longer in the adaxial surface. E. angustifolia leaves are typically bifacial, with a higher ratio of palisade to spongy tissue in material A. The thickness of trichome layer of epidermis was thicker in material A. In contrast, cell wall and cuticular wax of the epidermal cells were thinner in material A than in material B. Chloroplast ultrastructure was different with the approximate spherical chloroplast containing numerous starch grains and osmiophilic granules in ma- terial A, while only the spindly chloroplast contained starch grains in material B. Multiple layers of peltate or stel- late-peltate trichomes occupied both leaf surfaces in material A and the abaxial surface in material B, while the adaxial surface of material B contained few trichomes. Stomata were not observed on the leaf surfaces in materials A and B by SEM because of trichome obstruction. Our results indicate that the leaf structure of E. angustifolia is closely correlated with environmental factors, and the combination of leaf epidermal micromorphology and mesophyll structure afford re- sistance to environmental stress.

Direct image-based fractal characterization of micromorphology of calcium carbonate fouling crystals

Researches on macroscopic fouling behavior and micromorphology are usually conducted separately.In this paper,the relationship between the macroscopic fouling behavior and micromorphology on different materials is established.A direct fractal-characterization approach based on the micrographs of calcium carbonate fouling crystals is presented.The box-counting method is used to characterize the fouling crystals.For fractal measurements,t-distribution tests of linear regression hypothesis are performed at the significance level of 0.01.If all listed absolute t-statistics with the minimum of 164 are higher than the corresponding t value,the fouling crystals are determined as fractal,with a confidence level of 99%.The fractal dimensions obtained from the micrographs of different visual fields of a specimen are demonstrated to be almost identical,with maximum and minimum relative values of 4.42%and 0.75%,respectively,and standard deviations ranging from 0.0062 to 0.0266.The irregularity of the crystal morphology indicates larger fractal dimensions.Comparison and analysis of the relationship between macroscopic fouling behavior and micromorphology show that the larger fractal dimension of crystal morphology suggests a small amount of surface fouling.Thus,the reasons for the differences in the macroscopic fouling behaviors of different materials are revealed geometrically.

Growth and aggregation micromorphology of natural gas hydrate particles near gas-liquid interface under stirring condition

To investigate the morphological evolution of the whole growth and aggregation processes of hydrate crystals near the gas–liquid interface,we used a high-pressure visual reactor with high-speed camera to capture the micromorphology of hydrate particles in a natural gas+pure water system with pressure from 2.6 to 3.6 MPa and sub-cooling from 4.7 to 6.23C.The results showed that under low sub-cooling conditions,the amount and size of particles increased first and then decreased in the range of 0–330 lm,and the small particles always dominated.These particles can be roughly classified into two categories:planar flake particles and polyhedral solid particles.Then,the concept of maximum growth dominant particle size was proposed to distinguish the morphological boundary of growth and aggregation.In addition,the micro model was established to better reflect the effects of particle formation process and evolution mechanism near the gas–liquid interface under stirring condition.The results of this study can provide a guidance for flow assurance in multiphase pipeline.

Development of SPM Quantitative Micromorphology Analysis Software

Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) has great advantages in quantitative micromorphology analysis because of its conveniencein obtaining micromorphology information of materials on nanometer or atomic scale under control of a computer. Based on an established SPM quantitative micromorphology analysis model, an SPM image analysis software Which can calculate both two- and three-dimensional micromorphology parameters is developed.

Modulations in seed micromorphology reveal signature of adaptive species-diversification in <i>Dendrobium</i>(Orchidaceae)

During speciation in flowering plants, many morphological characters were evolved in response to continuous selection pressure. Such characters are largely governed by genetic changes or get modulated according to ecological adaptations. To explore the potential of latter, a novel comparative analysis of seed micromorphology and ultrastructure was performed in twenty species in the genus Dendrobium (Orchidaceae) from well-defined altitude based phytogeographical realms i.e. temperate, subtropical and tropical regions. Seed morphological characteristics from all collected species were examined using 13 quantitative traits descriptors. Comparative seed morphology revealed that the species from temperate region have larger seed volumes and seed volume/embryo volume ratio than species from subtropical or tropical regions irrespective of their phylogenetic association. Hence, phylogenetically related species emphasized their preference for a climatic region as their prime habitat. Similar trends towards gradual increase of percentage free air space were observed in the species of tropical to subtropical and subtropical to temperate regions. The higher percentage of free air space may have an advantage for the species from temperate region with relatively low atmospheric pressure that had greater buoyancy for optimal seed dispersal. Also, phylogenetically distant species from a particular climatic region, showed characteristic features of the testa cell walls sculptured with bead-like orna-mentations or covered with cottony white substances. Based on these observations, it may be concluded that seed volume, % free air space and seed coat ornamentation in Dendrobium species are signatures of adaptation according to climatic preferences rather than their selection during speciation.

STM study on micromorphology of pyrite and dynamic significance of ore-formation

A careful scanning tunneling microscope (STM) observation has been made on the micromorphology structure of the crystal faces for a group of pyrites which include two types of pyrite specimens: natural pyrites, from the different stage of hydrothermal ore deposits and artificial crystal of pyrite. It has been discovered that there is a set of micromorphological structures on the surfaces of pyrite crystals, including pisolitic hillocks, lotus root-like hillocks and spiral steps. This study reveals that the micromorphology of pyrite crystals, which are closely related to thermodynamic conditions and dynamic environment of the ore-forming systems, carries a lot of genetic information.

Foliar Micromorphology of In Vitro-cultured Shoots and Field-grown Plants of Passiflora foetida

The present report describes the development of quantitative and qualitative foliar micromorphological and architectural features in the field environment which elucidated the adaptation of micropropagated plants of Passiflora foetida L. in the natural soil conditions. The field environment(high light intensity in comparison to in vitro culture conditions) promotes the autotrophy through decrease in stomatal index(from 23.2 ± 0.15 to 21.0 ± 0.19), increased vein-islets(from 10.0 ± 0.14 to 15.6 ± 0.24 per square millimeters) and veinlet terminations(from 1.6 ± 0.14 to 5.0 ± 0.20 per square millimeters), and trichome density in P. foetida plantlets. The in vitro and field grown leaves mostly possessed anomocytic and anisocytic types of stomata. Two types of trichomes were observed on the surface of leaves of in vitro as well as field transferred plants of P. foetida: the unicellular hairy trichomes(non-glandular), and the multicellular(glandular) trichomes. The trichomes density was less under in vitro conditions as compared to the in vivo environments. The new leaves formed during the ex vitro rooting stage(in greenhouse) and after transplantation of plantlets to the field exhibited the development of adaptive micromorphological features in micropropagated plants, which enabled them to survive under field conditions.

Tribological Performance of Different Concentrations of Al_(2)O_(3)Nanofluids on Minimum Quantity Lubrication Milling

Nanofluid minimum quantity lubrication(NMQL)is a green processing technology.Cottonseed oil is suitable as base oil because of excellent lubrication performance,low freezing temperature,and high yield.Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles improve not only the heat transfer capacity but also the lubrication performance.The physical and chemical proper-ties of nanofluid change when Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles are added.However,the effects of the concentration of nanofluid on lubrication performance remain unknown.Furthermore,the mechanisms of interaction between Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparti-cles and cottonseed oil are unclear.In this research,nanofluid is prepared by adding different mass concentrations of Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles(0,0.2%,0.5%,1%,1.5%,and 2%wt)to cottonseed oil during minimum quantity lubrication(MQL)milling 45 steel.The tribological properties of nanofluid with different concentrations at the tool/workpiece interface are studied through macro-evaluation parameters(milling force,specific energy)and micro-evaluation parameters(surface roughness,micro morphology,contact angle).The result show that the specific energy is at the minimum(114 J/mm^(3)),and the roughness value is the lowest(1.63μm)when the concentration is 0.5 wt%.The surfaces of the chip and workpiece are the smoothest,and the contact angle is the lowest,indicating that the tribological proper-ties are the best under 0.5 wt%.This research investigates the intercoupling mechanisms of Al_(2)O_(3)nanoparticles and cottonseed base oil,and acquires the optimal Al_(2)O_(3)nanofluid concentration to receive satisfactory tribological properties.

Dispersion polymerization of anionic polyacrylamide in an aqueous salt medium

Anionic polyacrylamide dispersions were prepared by dispersion polymerization in an aqueous salt medium, using acrylamide（AM） and acrylic acid（AA） as monomers and anionic polyelectrolytes as stabilizer. Effects of salt concentration, and molecular weight and concentration of stabilizers on the stability of the dispersions were investigated using a HAAKE rheometer and optical microscopy. The results showed that stable anionic polyacrylamide dispersions, consisting of smooth, spherical, polydisperse particles, could be obtained under the conditions of salt concentration ranging from 26 wt% to 30 wt%, concentration of stabilizers from 1.2 wt% to 1.8 wt%, and intrinsic viscosity of stabilizers from 2.98 dL·g^-1 to 3.74 dL·g^-1. The apparent viscosity of the stable dispersions changed very little with the shear rate, showing Newton fluid behavior.

Micromorphological characterization and random reconstruction of 3D particles based on spherical harmonic analysis

The microscopic characteristics of skeletal particles in rock and soil media have important effects on macroscopic mechanical properties. A mathematical procedure called spherical harmonic function analysis was here developed to characterize micromorphology of particles and determine the meso effects in a discrete manner. This method has strong mathematical properties with respect to orthogonality and rotating invariance. It was used here to characterize and reconstruct particle micromorphology in three-dimensional space. The applicability and accuracy of the method were assessed through comparison of basic geometric properties such as volume and surface area. The results show that the micromorphological characteristics of reproduced particles become more and more readily distinguishable as the reproduced order number of spherical harmonic function increases, and the error can be brought below 5% when the order number reaches 10. This level of precision is sharp enough to distinguish the characteristics of real particles. Reconstructed particles of the same size but different reconstructed orders were used to form cylindrical samples, and the stress-strain curves of these samples filled with different-order particles which have their mutual morphological features were compared using PFC3D. Results show that the higher the spherical harmonic order of reconstructed particles, the lower the initial compression modulus and the larger the strain at peak intensity. However, peak strength shows only a random relationship to spherical harmonic order. Microstructure reconstruction was here shown to be an efficient means of numerically simulating of multi-scale rock and soil media and studying the mechanical properties of soil samples.

Fabrication of Crack-Free Flattened Bamboo and Its Macro-/MicroMorphological and Mechanical Properties

This work aimed to help the bamboo industry develop methodology for producing imperfection-free bamboo boards that can serve either decorative or structural benefit to consumers seeking to engage with the bioeconomy.Specifically,softened and slotted bamboo tubes were handled by a roller device with nails to render crack-free flattened bamboo board.Softening temperature and time were optimized herein according to findings regarding chemical composition and board mechanical properties.The optimal softening parameters for saturated steam heat treatment is proved to be 160°C for 8 min.The flattened bamboo board possesses an increased bending strength of 101.5 MPa and a decreased bending modulus of 7.7 GPa,being compared with only-softened bamboo.The corresponding changing mechanism is determined in-depth by the micro-morphological and mechanical results based on in-situ SEM and AFM technologies.Under the action of nails and rolling processes,the bamboo texture becomes compact with crushed and fragmented conduit walls.The resulting cell cavity then becomes stretched and compressed,taking on a morphology which allows for the mechanical penalties associated with flattening to be avoided.According to the micro-mechanical results obtained by AFM,compared with unflatten bamboo,the Young’s modulus of the cell membrane in transverse direction(YT)decreases to 1.00 GPa while the corresponding Young’s modulus in radial direction(YR)increases to 7.29 GPa.

Micromorphological Features of Old Cultivated and Modern Soils in Guanzhong Areas, Shaanxi Province, China

Using the data obtained from the LGT soil profile, this article attempts to illustrate the process of modem soil formation in the Guanzhong areas and its micromorphological features. The micromorphology is observed under a petrographic microscope, and its image is quantitatively measured by LEICAL Qwin 2.6 software. Micromorphological observations of the thin sections show that the assemblage of minerals in different horizons is very similar, which is mainly composed of Q and P1. However, there are obvious differences in C/F15μm ratio, mineral content, and coarse features. The pedofeatures is mainly composed of clay, calcite, and amorphous Fe. Ap horizon is characterized by abundant needleshaped secondary calcite, secondary clay, and earthworm fecal pellet. BC horizon is characterized by a large quantity of secondary calcite with various shapes. Bt1and Bt2 horizons are characterized by abundant clay hypocoatings and a small quantity of secondary calcite. All the results of this research suggest that Earth-cumulic Orthic Anthrosols consist of both the upper Ap horizon, which cause loessal dung and eolian dust deposition, and cultivation occurs simultaneously during the process of Ap horizon-formation, and the lower BC horizon, which is aeolian sedimentary at the time of relative aridity during late Holocene.

Effect of Alkaline Electrolyzed Water on Performance Improvement of Green Concrete with High Volume of Mineral Admixtures

The strength and durability of concrete will be significantly reduced at high volume of mineral admixture,and the poor early strength of concrete also still needs to be solved.In this investigation,a highly active alkaline electrolyzed waters was used as mixing water to improve the early strength and enhance the durability of green concrete with high volume mineral admixture,the influences of alkaline electrolyzed water(AEW)on hydration activity of mineral admixture and durability of concrete were determined.The results showed that compared with natural tap water,AEW can accelerate early hydration process of cement in concrete and produce comparatively more hydrated products,leading to a 13.6%higher compressive strength than that of ordinary concrete at early age,but the improvement effect of AEW concrete was relatively reduced at long-term age.Meanwhile,the activity of mineral admixtures could be stimulated by AEW to some extent,the strength and durability performance of AEW concrete after double doping 25%slag and 25%fly ash can still reach the level of ordinary cement concrete without mineral admixtures.The SEM micromorphology of 7 d hydrated natural tap water cement paste was observed to be flaky and tabular,but the AEW cement pastes present obvious cluster and granulation phenomenon.The SEM microstructure of AEW concrete with mineral admixtures is more developed and denser than ordinary tap water concrete with mineral admixtures.Therefore,the AEW probably could realize the effective utilization of about 50%mineral admixture amount of concrete without strength loss,the cement production cost and associated CO_(2) emission reduced,which has a good economic and environmental benefit.

Comparison of Micromorphological Features of Two Agricultural Cultivated Soils in Guanzhong Areas, Shaanxi Province, China

By comparing micromorphological features of irrigated and non-irrigated soils in Guanzhong areas, China, this paper tries to illustrate the influences of farming management methods on the soil-forming process. The micromorphology was observed under a petrographic microscope and its image was quantificationally measured by Nikon NISBR 2.2 software. Both irrigated and non-irrigated soils have the same soil profile pattern, Ap1- AP2- BC, but the former has a more obvious profile dissimilation. The minerals assemblage of soil profiles A and B are very similar, which is mainly composed of Q and P1. Compared with non-irrigated soil, grains of irrigated soil remarkably decrease in length, area, eqdiameter, perimeter, elongation, roundness, and C/F10μm ratio; voids are characterized by more regular void shape and more smooth void wall; there is more abundant residual clay and small amount of illuvial clay. All results in this study suggest that the farming management method has influences on soil profile dissimilation and micromorphology. Agricultural irrigation could strengthen the degree of weathering, make smaller and rounder soil grains, cause a significant increase of residual clay and appearance of illuvial clay. But no significant change has been observed in the minerals assemblage of coarse grains.

Enzymatic activity and physico-chemical changes of terminal bud in rain-fed fig(Ficus carica L. ‘Sabz’) during dormant season

Rain-fed fig culture is known to provide a good quality of dried figs, while almost no research has been reported so far on the enzyme activity comparisons of seasonal variations among terminal buds in this plant. Toward this goal, we evaluated the physiochemical changes of terminal buds of fig 'Sabz' and their micromorphology during the dormant season(November to April) using Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) analysis during two consecutive years(2016 and 2017). Results indicated that the highest contents of total sugars in terminal fig buds were registered in January and the lowest values were noticed in April. SEM analysis showed the presence of vegetative terminal fig buds during the dormant season and after bud-break in April. An increasing trend was observed for the protein content, length and diameter of terminal buds at the beginning of bud-break. In dormant buds, ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase and catalase enzymes exhibited initially an ascending pattern,while it decreased from December. A second increase for these enzymes occurred during the dormant season until bud-break. Superoxide dismutase activity increased in buds during the dormancy season until bud-break. Proline content remained stable in buds from November to February, while it decreased rapidly until bud-break. Furthermore, a downward trend of the total phenol content in buds was observed between the onset and end of dormant period. In general, the dormant buds in 'Sabz' fig cultivar were metabolically active with a short dormant period under the rain-fed conditions.

Ion Transport and Microstructure of Sandwich Cementitious Materials Exposed to Chloride Environment

Ion transport of sandwich cementitious materials（SCM） exposed to chloride environment was investigated by accelerated diffusion method and natural diffusion method. Pore structure and micromorphology of SCM were investigated by MIP and SEM-EDS. In comparison with the monolayer structural high performance concrete（HPC）, conductive charge for 6 hours, chloride diffusion coefficient, and apparent chloride diffusion coeffi cient of SCM were decreased by 30%-40%, two orders of magnitude and 40%-50%, respectively. Pore structure of ultra low ion permeability cementitious materials（ULIPCM） prepared for the facesheet is superior to that of HPC prepared for the core. As for porosity, the most probable pore radius, the content of pores with radius 50 nm and the surface area of pores, the order is ULIPCM

Lithological indicators of discontinuities in mountain soils rich in calcium carbonate in the Polish Carpathians

Six soils located within the Polish Carpathians,developed on calcium carbonate–rich sedimentary parent materials and representing various reference groups,were investigated in order to detect the lithic discontinuity.We propose using a multidirectional approach to assess the lithic discontinuity in these soils,one that includes grain size distribution,geochemical composition,heavy mineral content and micromorphology,supported by a traditional soil survey.A further aim of this process was to identify the possible admixture of allochthonous material of aeolian origin.The studied soils presented lithic discontinuities mostly at the contact of underlying calcium carbonate–rich coarsegrained slope deposits with the overlaying colluvium layer having a lower content of rock fragments.The significant changes in grain size distribution,especially in the silt and sand content,as well as high Uniformity Values and partially,high Lithological Discontinuity Index values,confirmed the occurrence of a lithic discontinuity in all studied soils.High heterogeneity in the soil profiles was also confirmed by the distribution of the major oxides;however,their distribution did not clearly indicate the lithic discontinuity.The most visible distinctions were noted from CaO content,which resulted from the deposition of carbonate-free materials(aeolian silts)and their mixing with the calcium carbonate–rich parent material.Furthermore,the analysis of heavy mineral content confirmed the allochthonous origin of the upper(and in some cases also the middle)parts of all profiles,which was manifested by the presence of highly weathering-resistant minerals such as zircon,epidote and various types of garnets.The micromorphological features of some of the studied soils showed distinctiveness within the soil profile,manifested by changes in b-fabric pattern,the occurrence and distribution of secondary carbonate and the coarse and fine coarse and fine ratio.Based on the high content of silt within the upper and middle parts of the soils,the content of Hf and Zr,as well as the higher content of weathering-resistant minerals,admixture of aeolian silt could be considered in some of the studied soils,yet with weak character.However,the dominance of minerals typical for metamorphic and igneous rocks suggested that the supply of aeolian silt was associated with loess covers rather than local sedimentary material.

Diaspore characteristics and ecological adaptation of Bromus tectorum L.from different distribution regions

The invasion of nonnative plants is considered one of the main threats to the structure and function of North American ecosystems. Moreover, they can alter ecosystem processes and reduce biodiversity. In arid and semi-arid region of North America, the species of European annual grass Bromus tectorum L. is an outstanding example of these problems, which not only increase the fire density and change the fire regime, but replace native communities. Therefore, there are amount of researches on B. tectorum, including resource acquisition, water use efficiency and growth. Whereas the relevant research on the morphology of diaspore is scare. Diaspores have a fundamental role in seed germination and seedling establishment. Besides, as an important link between different generations, diaspores have a vital significance on individual reproduction and population extension. Hence, dias- pores under selection for studying have an important implication. This study compares differences in seed mor- phology for Bromus tectorum collected from the United States, Kazakhstan, and Xinjiang of China. The following indices of B. tectorum diaspores were analyzed： size, thickness of covering layers, and micromorphological char- acteristics of the base, middle and transition area of diaspores as well as of the awn. Micromorphology of the lemma and the cross-section of the diaspore were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that thick- ness of the lemma and the palea of diaspores from B. tectorum-infested grasslands in the United States were re- duced （P〈0.05）, likely because of environmental influences. This reduction facilitated the germination of diaspores and lowered the resistance of B. tectorum to adverse environmental conditions. The length of the awn also in- creased significantly （P〈0.05）, which helped in dispersal and anchoring of diaspores. Therefore, B. tectorum adapted ecologically to its new environment in the United States by strengthening its establishment ability. However, the defense capability of B. tectorum decreased. These results fit the evolution of increased competitive ability hy- pothesis （EICA） of invasive species. Analysis of various cells on the lemma revealed that prickle densities and col- lapsed, long epidermal cells were easily influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and moisture because of the physiologic function of these structures on silicon accumulation. However, the form and the position of silica cells, which were not greatly influenced by environmental factors, might be genetically controlled. Studying these structures at the microscopic level helps define the relationship between the diaspore and its environment. This study has a reference value for future studies on B. tectorum.

Study of variegated and white flower petals of Capparis spinosa expanded at dusk in arid landscapes

In this study, we provide the first evidence of two pairs of petals of the rapidly expanded and short-lived nocturnal flowers of Capparis spinosa L. （caper） during the prolonged drought period in Eastern Mediterranean region. The corolla of the winter-deciduous, perennial C. spinosa consists of two pairs of petals： a pair of white dis- tinct petals and a pair of connate variegated petals with green basal parts. The results indicated the presence of substantially different amounts of chlorophyll in the two pairs of petals, while their carbohydrates＇ content is com- parable with that of the green sepals. High resolution imaging of petal surfaces of short-lived flowers of C. spinosa, obtained by using scanning electron microscopy, revealed stomata on the adaxial epidermis on both the white and the green parts of the variegated petals; while dense hairs were found on the surface ofthe abaxial green parts of the variegated petals. Adaxial, epidermal cells of the variegated petals, viewed using atomic force microscopy, pos- sess a submicron, cuticular microfolding that differs between the white and the green parts of the petals. It appears that microridges on the adaxial, white parts of petals of C. spinosa compensate for an increase in cell surface area of the short lived petals, while the roughness of the green parts of petals was found to be higher than that of the white parts. Thus, the micromorphology of surfaces of epidermal cells is expected to affect optical properties and wettability of the floral tissues. These findings may be particularly important for understanding the performance of the short-lived petals of C. spinosa, which are exposed to dryland environments.