Analysis of Ethical Problems in China＇s Engineering Activities and Countermeasures

Engineering ethics is generated from the research on ethical issues caused by engineering activities. The development of engineering ethics in China was compared with that of European countries and the United States. Problems such as non-standard evaluation of registered engineers,weak ethical awareness,and lack of scientific understanding in engineering activities were discussed. Establishing and improving the system of registered engineers,strengthening education in engineering ethics,and promoting public participation will be the only way for the development of engineering ethics in China.

Active Alumni in Electrical Engineering Extracurricular Activities： Innovation and Social Responsibility

The project analyzes the student＇s participation in complementary activities such as Education Tutorial Program, Junior Company and Academic Center. These organizations have the goal to improve, expand and connect knowledge learned during classes with several practical activities. They can provide a huge integration between the students and the professors in order to achieve better results in the pedagogical, structural and organizational parts of an engineering major degree. Therefore, the project goes through the impact of each entity in the student＇s life and the advantages to professional future, focusing the presence of these organizations in the Electrical Engineering Course of Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte.

Defect engineering: A versatile tool for tuning the activation of key molecules in photocatalytic reactions

Many photocatalytic reactions such as CO2 reduction and N2 fixation are often limited by the activation of some key molecules. Defects in solid materials can robustly introduce coordinately unsaturated sites to serve as highly active sites for molecular chemisorption and activation. As a result, rational defect engineering has endowed a versatile approach to further develop photocatalytic applications beyond water splitting. The subtly designed defects in photocatalysts can play critical and decisive roles in molecular activation as proven in recent years. The defects cannot only serve as active sites for molecular chemisorption, but also spatially supply channels for energy and electron transfer. In this review, we aim to summarize the diversiform photocatalytic applications using defects as active sites, including but not limited to CO2 reduction, O2 activation,H2O dissociation, N2 fixation as well as activation of other molecules. In particular, we emphatically outline how the parameters of defects (e.g.,concentration,location,geometric and electronic structures) can serve as the knobs for maneuvering molecular adsorption and activation as well as altering subsequent reaction pathway. Moreover, we underline the remaining challenges at the current stage and the potential development in the future.It is anticipated that this review consolidates the in-depth understanding towards the structure-activity relationship between defects and related reactions.

Intrinsic pentagon defect engineering in multiple spatial-scale carbon frameworks for efficient triiodide reduction

Intrinsic topological defect engineering has been proven as a promising strategy to elevate the electrocatalytic activity of carbon materials.However,the controllable construction of high-density and specific topological defects in carbon frameworks to reveal the relationship between reactivity and defect structure remains a challenging task.Herein,the intrinsic pentagon carbon sites that can favor electron overflow and enhance their binding affinity towards the intermediates of catalytic reaction are firstly presented by the work function and the p-band center calculations.To experimentally verify this,the cage-opening reaction of fullerene is proposed and utilized for synthesizing carbon quantum dots with specific pentagon configuration(CQDs-P),subsequently utilizing CQDs-P to modulate the micro-scale defect density of three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide(rGO)viaπ-πinteractions.The multiple spatial-scale rGO-conjugated CQDs-P structure simultaneously possesses abundant pentagon and edge defects as catalytic active sites and long-range-orderedπelectron delocalization system as conductive network.The defects-rich CQDs-P/rGO-4 all-carbon-based catalyst exhibits superb catalytic activity for triiodide reduction reaction with a high photoelectric conversion efficiency of 8.40%,superior to the Pt reference(7.97%).Theoretical calculations suggest that pentagon defects in the carbon frameworks can promote charge transfer and modulate the adsorption/dissociation behavior of the reaction intermediates,thus enhancing the electrocatalytic activity of the catalyst.This work confirms the role of intrinsic pentagon defects in catalytic reactions and provides a new insight into the synthesis of defects-rich carbon catalysts.

Structural engineering of Fe single-atom oxygen reduction catalyst with high site density and improved mass transfer

Fe-N-C catalysts are widely considered as promising non-precious-metal candidates for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),Yet despite their high catalytic activity through rational modulation,challenges remain in their low site density and unsatisfactory mass transfer structure.Herein,we present a structural engineering approach employing a soft-template coating strategy to fabricate a hollow and hierarchically porous N-doped carbon framework anchored with atomically dispersed Fe sites(FeNCh) as an efficient ORR catalyst.The combination of hierarchical porosity and high exterior surface area is proven crucial for exposing more active sites,which gives rise to a remarkable ORR performance with a half-wave potential of 0.902 V in 0.1 m KOH and 0.814 V in 0.1 m HClO_(4),significantly outperforming its counterpart with solid structure and dominance of micropores(FeNC-s).The mass transfer property is revealed by in-situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) measurement.The distribution of relaxation time(DRT) analysis is further introduced to deconvolve the kinetic and mass transport processes,which demonstrates an alleviated mass transport resistance for FeNC-h,validating the effectiveness of structural engineering.This work not only provides an effective structural engineering approach but also contributes to the comprehensive mass transfer evaluation on advanced electrocatalyst for energy conversion applications.

Doping-induced metal–N active sites and bandgap engineering in graphitic carbon nitride for enhancing photocatalytic H_(2 )evolution performance

Durable and inexpensive graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_(3)N_(4))demonstrates great potential for achieving efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reduction(HER).To further improve its activity,g-C_(3)N_(4)was subjected to atomic-level structural engineering by doping with transition metals(M=Fe,Co,or Ni),which simultaneously induced the formation of metal-N active sites in the g-C_(3)N_(4)framework and modulated the bandgap of g-C_(3)N_(4).Experiments and density functional theory calculations further verified that the as-formed metal-N bonds in M-doped g-C_(3)N_(4)acted as an"electron transfer bridge",where the migration of photo-generated electrons along the bridge enhanced the efficiency of separation of the photogenerated charges,and the optimized bandgap of g-C_(3)N_(4)afforded stronger reduction ability and wider light absorption.As a result,doping with either Fe,Co,or Ni had a positive effect on the HER activity,where Co-doped g-C_(3)N_(4)exhibited the highest performance.The findings illustrate that this atomic-level structural engineering could efficiently improve the HER activity and inspire the design of powerful photocatalysts.

Geological risk assessment of traffic engineering construction among 7.0-8.5 magnitude earthquake areas:Practice from the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

At least 13 active fault zones have developed in the Ya'an-Linzhi section of the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor,and there have been undergone 17 MS≥7.0 earthquakes,the largest earthquake is 1950 Chayu MS 8.5 earthquake,which has very strong seismic activity.Therefore,carrying out engineering construction in the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor is a huge challenge for geological technological personnel.To determining the spatial geometric distribution,activity of active faults and geological safety risk in the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor.Based on remote sensing images,ground surveys,and chronological tests,as well as the deep geophysical and current GPS data,we investigated the geometry,segmentation,and paleoearthquake history of five major active fault zones in the Ya'an-Linzhi section of the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor,namely the Xianshuihe,Litang,Batang,Jiali-Chayu and Lulang-Yigong.The five major fault zones are all Holocene active faults,which contain strike-slip components as well as thrust or normal fault components,and contain multiple branch faults.The Selaha-Kangding segment of the Xianshuihe fault zone,the Maoyaba and Litang segment of the Litang fault zone,the middle segment(Yigong-Tongmai-Bomi)of Jiali-Chayu fault zone and Lulang-Yigong fault zone have the risk of experiencing strong earthquakes in the future,with a high possibility of the occurrence of MS≥7.0 earthquakes.The Jinsha River and the Palong-Zangbu River,which is a high-risk area for geological hazard chain risk in the Ya'an-Linzhi section of the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor.Construction and safe operation Ya'an-Linzhi section of the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor,need strengthen analysis the current crustal deformation,stress distribution and fault activity patterns,clarify active faults relationship with large earthquakes,and determine the potential maximum magnitude,epicenters,and risk range.This study provides basic data for understanding the activity,seismicity,and tectonic deformation patterns of the regional faults in the Sichuan-Tibet transport corridor.

Impact of climate change and human activities on the spatiotemporal dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province, China

Understanding the dynamics of surface water area and their drivers is crucial for human survival and ecosystem stability in inland arid and semi-arid areas.This study took Gansu Province,China,a typical area with complex terrain and variable climate,as the research subject.Based on Google Earth Engine,we used Landsat data and the Open-surface Water Detection Method with Enhanced Impurity Control method to monitor the spatiotemporal dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province from 1985 to 2022,and quantitatively analyzed the main causes of regional differences in surface water area.The findings revealed that surface water area in Gansu Province expanded by 406.88 km2 from 1985 to 2022.Seasonal surface water area exhibited significant fluctuations,while permanent surface water area showed a steady increase.Notably,terrestrial water storage exhibited a trend of first decreasing and then increasing,correlated with the dynamics of surface water area.Climate change and human activities jointly affected surface hydrological processes,with the impact of climate change being slightly higher than that of human activities.Spatially,climate change affected the'source'of surface water to a greater extent,while human activities tended to affect the'destination'of surface water.Challenges of surface water resources faced by inland arid and semi-arid areas like Gansu Province are multifaceted.Therefore,we summarized the surface hydrology patterns typical in inland arid and semi-arid areas and tailored surface water'supply-demand'balance strategies.The study not only sheds light on the dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province,but also offers valuable insights for ecological protection and surface water resource management in inland arid and semi-arid areas facing water scarcity.

Study of Tissue Engineered Dental Implants of human alveolar Bone-Evaluations on their osteogenic activities invitro

The development of the activated cellular bony implant, in light of the principle on tissue engineering, has brought about a new era to the fields of dental maxillofacial implantation. The present study separated the osteoblast like cells from human alveolar bone and seeded them into 3 types of biodegradable scaffold to form the complexes and then evaluated their osteogenic activities in vitro, in order to acquire experimental data that are essential to future clinical practice of this new type of therapeutical procedure in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Material and methods: Human alveolar bone origin cells were separated from alveolar bone around the third impacted teeth of 3 patients by enzyme digestion and went on cultures with α MEM containing β glycerophosphate and Dexamethasone at 5% CO2 ,37℃ for 21 28 days. Confirmed osteoblasts like cells were then seeded onto 3 types of degradable biomaterials of polyglycolic acid scaffold, collagen sponge, and L lactic acid/ε caprolactone to form cell matrices complexes. The 3 types of complex were continued to culture for 21 28 days in vitro at the same conditions with the single layer cultured cells. The cell proliferation, morphological changes, ALPase activity and mineral nodules formation on scaffolds were measured and observed at 3 days intervals to evaluate the affinities & the osteogenic activities of the human alveolar osteoblast like cells in the 3 different complexes. Result and discussion: The results indicated that the cultured human alveolar bone origin cells from 3 patients could successfully express the osteoblasts phenotype in single layered culturing in vitro after stimulated by β glycerophosphate and Dexamethasone. It has been shown that the cultured osteoblast like cells seeded on PGAS matrix had the highest attachmental, proliferative and osteogenic activities, suggesting a good bio affinity between the human alveolar osteoblast like cells and the PGAS matrix. The statistical analysis (ANOVA) showed that there were significant differences between PGAS osteoblasts complex and CLGS or LACT complexes on osteogenic activities. (P<0.05). It was also noticed that cultured human alveolar osteoblasts seeded in biodegradable materials had a delayed peak period on cell proliferation and PLAase production ,suggesting the osteoblasts seeded on scaffolds need a period of time to adjust themselves before they can normally proliferate and expres their phenotypes. Conclusion: PGAS osteoblasts complex is worth to be further developed into a tissue engineered cellular artificial bony implant for reconstructing the oral maxillofacial bony defects in a more effective way in the future.

Active Tectonic Research for Seismic Safety Evaluation of Long-Line Engineering Sites in China

Long-line engineering sites usually have to pass through active tectonics, so the research of active tectonics is of great importance to seismic safety evaluation of this sort of site. In the paper, basing on the summarization and analysis of the requirements for seismic safety evaluation of long-line engineering site and the status quo of active tectonics research, we propose the focal points of active tectonics research for seismic safety evaluation of long-line engineering sites, including the research contents, technical targets and routes, and the submission of the achievements, etc. Finally, we make a preliminary analysis and discussion about the problems existing in the present-day active tectonics research for seismic safety evaluation of long-line engineering sites.

Heuristic algorithm for RCPSP with the objective of minimizing activities' cost

Resource-constrained project scheduling problem（RCPSP） is an important problem in research on project management. But there has been little attention paid to the objective of minimizing activities＇ cost with the resource constraints that is a critical sub-problem in partner selection of construction supply chain management because the capacities of the renewable resources supplied by the partners will effect on the project scheduling. Its mathematic model is presented firstly, and analysis on the characteristic of the problem shows that the objective function is non-regular and the problem is NP-complete following which the basic idea for solution is clarified. Based on a definition of preposing activity cost matrix, a heuristic algorithm is brought forward. Analyses on the complexity of the heuristics and the result of numerical studies show that the heuristic algorithm is feasible and relatively effective.

Ultrasonic Plasma Engineering Toward Facile Synthesis of Single-Atom M-N4/N-Doped Carbon(M=Fe,Co) as Superior Oxygen Electrocatalyst in Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries

As bifunctional oxygen evolution/reduction electrocatalysts,transition-metal-based single-atom-doped nitrogen-carbon(NC)matrices are promising successors of the corresponding noblemetal-based catalysts,offering the advantages of ultrahigh atom utilization effciency and surface active energy.However,the fabrication of such matrices(e.g.,well-dispersed single-atom-doped M-N4/NCs)often requires numerous steps and tedious processes.Herein,ultrasonic plasma engineering allows direct carbonization in a precursor solution containing metal phthalocyanine and aniline.When combining with the dispersion effect of ultrasonic waves,we successfully fabricated uniform single-atom M-N4(M=Fe,Co)carbon catalysts with a production rate as high as 10 mg min-1.The Co-N4/NC presented a bifunctional potential drop ofΔE=0.79 V,outperforming the benchmark Pt/C-Ru/C catalyst(ΔE=0.88 V)at the same catalyst loading.Theoretical calculations revealed that Co-N4 was the major active site with superior O2 adsorption-desorption mechanisms.In a practical Zn-air battery test,the air electrode coated with Co-N4/NC exhibited a specific capacity(762.8 mAh g(-1))and power density(101.62 mW cm^(-2)),exceeding those of Pt/C-Ru/C(700.8 mAh g^(-1) and 89.16 mW cm^(-2),respectively)at the same catalyst loading.Moreover,for Co-N4/NC,the potential difference increased from 1.16 to 1.47 V after 100 charge-discharge cycles.The proposed innovative and scalable strategy was concluded to be well suited for the fabrication of single-atom-doped carbons as promising bifunctional oxygen evolution/reduction electrocatalysts for metal-air batteries.

Integration optimization of novel electric power steering system based on quality engineering theory

The dynamic model of a novel electric power steering （EPS） system integrated with active front steering function （the novel EPS system） is built. The concepts and quantitative expressions of the steering road feel, steering sensibility, and steering operation stability are introduced. Based on quality engineering theory, the optimization algorithm is proposed by integrating the Monte Carlo descriptive sampling, elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm （NSGA-II） and 6-sigma design method. With the steering road feel and the steering portability as optimization targets, the system parameters are optimized by the proposed optimization algorithm. The simulation results show that the system optimized based on quality engineering theory can improve the steering road feel, guarantee steering stability and steering portability and thus provide a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of the novel electric power steering system.

Atomic-level insights into surface engineering of semiconductors for photocatalytic CO_(2) reduction

Photocatalytic conversion of CO_(2)into solar fuels provides a bright route for the green and sustainable development of human society.However,the realization of efficient photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)is still challenging owing to the sluggish kinetics or unfavorable thermodynamics for basic chemical processes of CO_(2)RR,such as adsorption,activation,conversion and product desorption.To overcome these shortcomings,recent works have demonstrated that surface engineering of semiconductors,such as introducing surface vacancy,surface doping,and cocatalyst loading,serves as effective or promising strategies for improved photocatalytic CO_(2)RR with high activity and selectivity.The essential reason lies in the activation and reaction pathways can be optimized and regulated through the reconstruction of surface atomic and electronic structures.Herein,in this review,we focus on recent research advances about rational design of semiconductor surface for photocatalytic CO_(2)RR.The surface engineering strategies for improved CO_(2)adsorption,activation,and product selectivity will be reviewed.In addition,theoretical calculations along with in situ characterization techniques will be in the spotlight to clarify the kinetics and thermodynamics of the reaction process.The aim of this review is to provide deep understanding and rational guidance on the design of semiconductors for photocatalytic CO_(2)RR.

Effect of Petroleum Products on Soil Catalase and Dehydrogenase Activities

The effect of refined petroleum products on the activities of selected enzymes (catalase and dehydrogenase) was studied. There was a significant decrease (p kerosene > diesel > engine oil. However, a significant increase (p diesel > petrol > engine oil. On the whole the results reveal that refined petroleum products alter soil biochemistry.

Active Machine Learning for Chemical Engineers:A Bright Future Lies Ahead!

By combining machine learning with the design of experiments,thereby achieving so-called active machine learning,more efficient and cheaper research can be conducted.Machine learning algorithms are more flexible and are better than traditional design of experiment algorithms at investigating processes spanning all length scales of chemical engineering.While active machine learning algorithms are maturing,their applications are falling behind.In this article,three types of challenges presented by active machine learning—namely,convincing the experimental researcher,the flexibility of data creation,and the robustness of active machine learning algorithms—are identified,and ways to overcome them are discussed.A bright future lies ahead for active machine learning in chemical engineering,thanks to increasing automation and more efficient algorithms that can drive novel discoveries.

Changes of groundwater flow field of Luanhe River Delta under the human activities and its impact on the ecological environment in the past 30 years

The Luanhe River Delta is located in the center of the Circum-Bohai Sea Economic Zone.It enjoys rapid economic and social development while suffering relatively water scarcity.The overexploitation of groundwater in the Luanhe River Delta in recent years has caused the continuous drop of groundwater level and serious environmental and geological problems.This study systematically analyzes the evolution characteristics of the population,economy,and groundwater exploitation in the Luanhe River Delta and summarizes the change patterns of the groundwater flow regime in different aquifers in the Luanhe River Delta according to previous water resource assessment data as well as the latest groundwater survey results.Through comparison of major source/sink terms and groundwater resources,the study reveals the impacts of human activities on the groundwater resources and ecological environment in the study area over the past 30 years from 1990 to 2020.The results are as follows.The average annual drop rate of shallow groundwater and the deep groundwater in the centers of depression cones is 0.4 m and 1.64 m,respectively in the Luanhe River Delta in the past 30 years.The depression cones of shallow and deep groundwater in the study area cover an area of 545.32 km^(2)and 548.79 km^(2),respectively,accounting for more than 10%of the total area of the Luanhe River Delta.Overexploitation of groundwater has further aggravated land subsidence.As a result,two large-scale subsidence centers have formed,with a maximum subsidence rate of up to 120 mm/a.The drop of groundwater level has induced some ecological problems in the Luanhe River Delta area,such as the zero flow and water quality deterioration of rivers and continuous shrinkage of natural wetlands and water.Meanwhile,the proportion of natural wetland area to the total wetland area has been decreased from 99%to 8%and the water area from 1776 km^(2)to 263 km^(2).These results will provide data for groundwater overexploitation control,land subsidence prevention,and ecological restoration in plains and provide services for water resources management and national land space planning.

Bandgap engineering of hierarchical network-like SnIn4S8 microspheres through preparation temperature for excellent photocatalytic performance and high stability

The effect of synthesis temperature and reaction time on the visible-light photocatalytic activity of hierarchical network-like SnIn4S8 microspheres was investigated by the low-temperature co-precipitation strategy. The preparation temperature and reaction time have great influence on the photocatalytic activity of SnIn4S8, and the optimal preparation temperature and reaction time are 70℃ and 3 h, respectively.The SnIn4S8 shows good reusability and high stability with no observable decrease of photocatalytic activity in five consecutive cycles.