Pitch-derived soft carbon composite with hard carbon fibers for high-rate and long-cycling K^(+) storage

Potassium-ion batteries(KIBs)have been seen as a competitive alternative to lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to their natural abundance,low cost and rocking chair-like operating mechanism similar to LIBs.Soft carbon has a lower voltage plateau compared to hard carbon and an easily modulated lattice structure compared to graphite,which provides particular advantages in KIBs anodes.Pitch has attracted much attention as a simple,readily available and inexpensive precursor for soft carbon,but its structure is easily damaged during cycling.Herein,the flexible film Pitch@CNF are prepared by uniformly winding reticulated carbon fibers on the surface of pitch-soft carbon via electrostatic spinning technique,which not only enables the pitch to maintain its structure well during cycling and withstand the volume expansion upon K^(+) insertion,but also is conducive to ionic transport of the three-dimensional reticulated structure.Meanwhile,the abundant pores on the carbon fibers can provide more K^(+) active sites.The prepared flexible self-supporting films can be used directly as electrodes without the addition of binders and conductive agents.The reversible capacity is 290 mAh·g^(-1)at a current density of 0.1 A·g^(-1),and the capacity retention rate is 83%after 500 cycles.

Deformation characteristics and damage ontologies of soft and hard composite rock masses under impact loading

As one of the most common occurring geological landforms in deep rock formations, the dynamic mechanical properties of layered composite rock bodies under impact loading have been widely studied by scholars. To study the dynamic properties of soft and hard composite rocks with different thickness ratios, this paper utilizes cement, quartz sand and gypsum powder to construct soft and hard composite rock specimens and utilizes a combination of indoor tests, numerical calculations, and theoretical analyses to investigate the mechanical properties of soft and hard composite rock bodies. The test results reveal that:(1) When the proportion of hard rock increases from 20% to 50%, the strength of the combined rock body increases by 69.14 MPa and 87 MPa when the hard rock face and soft rock face are loaded, respectively;however, when the proportion of hard rock is the same, the compressive strength of the hard rock face impact is 9%-17% greater than that of the soft rock face impact;(2) When a specimen of soft and hard combined rock body is subjected to impact loading, the damage mode involves mixed tension and shear damage, and the cracks generally first appear at the ends of the specimen, then develop on the laminar surface from the impact surface, and finally end in the overall damage of the soft rock part. The development rate and the total number of cracks in the same specimen when the hard rock face is impacted are significantly greater than those when the soft rock face is impacted;(3) By introducing Weibull’s statistical strength theory to establish the damage variables of soft-hard combined rock bodies, combined with the DP strength criterion, the damage model and the Kelvin body are concatenated to obtain a statistical damage constitutive model, which can better fit the full stress-strain curve of soft-hard combined rock body specimens under a single impact load.

Integrated simulation and monitoring to analyze failure mechanism of the anti-dip layered slope with soft and hard rock interbedding

The significant difference between the mechanical properties of soft rock and hard rock results in the complexity of the failure mode of the anti-dip layered slope with soft and hard rock interbedding.In order to reveal the landslide mechanism,taking the north slope of Fushun West Open-pit Mine as an example,this paper analyzed the failure mechanism of different landslides with monitoring and field surveys,and simulated the evolution of landslides.The study indicated that when the green mudstone(hard rock)of the anti-dip slope contains siltized intercalations(soft rock),the existence of weak layers not only aggravates the toppling deformation of anti-dip layered slope with high dip,but also causes the shear failure of anti-dip layered slope with stable low dip.The shear failure including subsidence induced sliding and wedge failure mainly exists in the unloading zone of the slope.Its failure depth and failure time were far less than that of toppling failure.In terms of the development characteristics of deformation,toppling deformation has the long-term and progressive characteristics,but shear failure deformation has the abrupt and transient characteristics.This study has deepened the understanding of such slope landslide mechanism,and can provide reference for similar engineering.

Theoretical study on stability evolution of soft and hard interbedded bedding reservoir slopes

Soft and hard interbedded bedding rock slopes,which is prone to failure,are widely distributed in the Three Gorges Reservoir,China.Limit equilibrium method(LEM)is commonly used to analyze the stability of bedding rock slopes that have a single failure plane.However,this method cannot accurately estimate the stability of soft and hard interbedded bedding reservoir slopes because the strength parameters of a soft and hard interbedded rock mass vary spatially along the bedding plane and deteriorate with time due to periodic fluctuations of reservoir level.A modified LEM is proposed to evaluate the stability evolution of soft and hard interbedded bedding reservoir slopes considering the spatial variation and temporal deterioration of shear strength parameters of rock masses and bedding planes.In the modified LEM,the S-curve model is used to define the spatial variation of shear strength parameters,and general deterioration equations of shear strength parameters with the increasing number of wettingdrying cycles(WDC)are proposed to describe the temporal deterioration.Also,this method is applied to evaluate the stability evolution of a soft and hard interbedded bedding reservoir slope,located at the Three Gorges Reservoir.The results show that neglecting the spatial variation and temporal deterioration of shear strength parameters may overestimate slope stability.Finally,the modified LEM provides useful guidance to reasonably evaluate the long-term stability of soft and hard interbedded bedding reservoir slopes in reservoir area.

Defining soft skills in nursing:a concept analysis

Objective:To define soft skills in nursing.Methods:This is a concept analysis using the Walker and Avant approach.Multiple electronic databases in the English language including CINAHL,Science Direct,MEDLINE on EBSCOhost,and Scopus were consulted.Results:Soft skills in nursing include the intrapersonal attributes,interpersonal skills,and creativity of the nurse,which,when combined with professionalism,teamwork,and effective communication skills,improve the quality of nursing care and client satisfaction.Conclusions:Although hard and soft skills are compatible and synergetic,soft skills are to be prioritized for the success of nursing care in the healthcare industry.This concept analysis adds to the body of knowledge by identifying the attributes of soft skills in nursing and revealing that a good nurse needs more than just good grades to be successful.

Constitutive model for methane desorption and diffusion based on pore structure differences between soft and hard coal

This paper aims to improve the accuracy and applicability of gas diffusion mathematical models from coal particles. Firstly, a new constitutive model for gas diffusion from coal particles with tri-disperse pore structure is constructed by considering the difference in characteristics between soft coal and hard coal.The analytical solution is then derived, that is, the quantitative relationship between gas diffusion rate(Qt/Q_∞) and diffusion time(t), The pore structure parameters of soft coal and hard coal from Juji coal mine are determined. Gas diffusion rules are numerically calculated and investigated by physical simulation methods. Lastly, the applicability of this model is verified. The results show that the homogeneous model only applies to the gas diffusion process of hard coal during the initial 10 min. The calculation results from this model and the physical experimental results of soft coal and hard coal are nearly identical during the initial 30 min.

Comparison of Starch Granule Size Distribution Between Hard and Soft Wheat Cultivars in Eastern China

Granule size distribution of wheat starch is an important characteristic that can affect its chemical composition and functionality. Two types of wheat cultivars, the hard and soft wheat cultivars, grown at Tai＇an Experimental Station of Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, China, were examined in this study. The granule size distribution and amylose contents in wheat grains were studied and compared, and relationships between the properties were identified. A clear bimodal distribution of granule size was shown in all wheat cultivars. Volume distribution of starch granules shows the typical bimodal with peak values in the ranges of 5.6-6.1μm and 20.7-24.9μm, respectively. Also, granule surface area distribution was bimodal with peak values in the ranges of 2.4-3.2μm and 20.7-24.9μm, respectively. Number distribution of granules was a typical population with a peak value in the range of 0.54-1.05μm. Contributions from the granules 〈 2.8μm and 〈 9.9μm to the total volume were in the ranges of 94.2-95.1% and 99.7-99.9% of total number, respectively. Proportions of granules〈2.8μm, 2.8-9.9μm, 9.9-22.8μm, and 22.8-42.8μm were in the ranges of 12.9-14.3%, 28.4-31.1%, 33.5-35.6%, and 19.7-22.7% for hard wheat, and 10.3-13.9%, 26.6-28.1%, 32.7-34.6%, and 24.2-27% for soft wheat. Hard wheat had greater B-type granules （ 〈 9.9μm）, and had fewer granules of 22.8-42.8μm than soft wheat. Amylose content was positively related to volume percentage of granules 22.8-42.8μm, and negatively related to volume percentage of granules 2.8-22.8μm.

Excavation-induced microseismicity and rockburst occurrence:Similarities and differences between deep parallel tunnels with alternating soft-hard strata

Excavation-induced microseismicity and rockburst occurrence in deep underground projects provide invaluable information that can be used to warn rockburst occurrence,facilitate rockburst mitigation procedures,and analyze the mechanisms responsible for their occurrence.Based on the deep parallel tunnels with the maximum depth of 1890 m created as part of the Neelum–Jhelum hydropower project in Pakistan,similarities and differences on excavation-induced microseismicity and rockburst occurrence between parallel tunnels with soft and hard alternant strata are studied.Results show that a large number of microseismic(MS)events occurred in each of the parallel tunnels during excavation.Rockbursts occurred most frequently in certain local sections of the two tunnels.Significant differences are found in the excavation-induced microseismicity(spatial distribution and number of MS events,distribution of MS energy,and pattern of microseismicity variation)and rockbursts characteristics(the number and the spatial distribution)between the parallel tunnels.Attempting to predict the microseismicity and rockburst intensities likely to be encountered in subsequent tunnel based on the activity encountered when the parallel tunnel was previously excavated will not be an easy or accurate procedure in deep tunnel projects involving complex lithological conditions.

Mixed-Weights Least-Squares Stable Predictive Control Algorithm with Soft and Hard Constraints

Mixed-weight least-squares (MWLS) predictive control algorithm, compared with quadratic programming (QP) method, has the advantages of reducing the computer burden, quick calculation speed and dealing with the case in which the optimization is infeasible. But it can only deal with soft constraints. In order to deal with hard constraints and guarantee feasibility, an improved algorithm is proposed by recalculating the setpoint according to the hard constraints before calculating the manipulated variable and MWLS algorithm is used to satisfy the requirement of soft constraints for the system with the input constraints and output constraints. The algorithm can not only guarantee stability of the system and zero steady state error, but also satisfy the hard constraints of input and output variables. The simulation results show the improved algorithm is feasible and effective.

Influence of confining stress on fracture characteristics and cutting efficiency of TBM cutters conducted on soft and hard rock

Combined with numerical simulation, the influence of confining stress on cutting process, fracture conditions and cutting efficiencies of soft and hard rock has been conducted on the triaxial testing machine(TRW-3000) designed and manufactured in Central South University(China). Results are obtained by performing analysis on the fracture scopes of cement and granite plates,the characteristics of cutting force in cutting processes and the cutting efficiency. Firstly, the increase of latitude fracture scope and the decrease of longitude fracture scope are both more notable in the tests conducted on cement plates subjected to the increasing confining stresses; secondly, the increase tendency of peak penetration forces obtained from tests conducted on granite plates is more obvious, however, the increase tendencies of average penetration forces achieved from cement and granite plates are close to each other; thirdly, the cutting efficiency could be improved by increasing the spacing between cutters when the confining stress which acts on soft and hard rock increases in a certain degree, and the cutting efficiency of soft rock is more sensitive to the varying confining stresses.

Experimental analysis of pore structure and fractal characteristics of soft and hard coals with same coalifcation

Accurate and quantitative investigation of the physical structure and fractal geometry of coal has important theoretical and practical signifcance for coal bed methane(CBM)development and the prevention of dynamic disasters such as coal and gas outbursts.This study investigates the pore structure and fractal characteristics of soft and hard coals using nitrogen and carbon dioxide(N_(2)/CO_(2))adsorption.Coal samples from Pingdingshan Mine in Henan province of China were collected and pulverized to the required size(0.20–0.25 mm).N_(2)/CO_(2)adsorption tests were performed to evaluate the specifc surface area(SSA),pore size distribution(PSD),and pore volume(PV)using Braunuer-Emmett-Teller(BET),Barrett-Joyner-Halenda(BJH),and Density Functional Theory(DFT).The pore structure was characterized based on the theory of fractal dimensions.The results unveiled that the strength of coal has a signifcant infuence on pore structure and fractal dimensions.There are signifcant diferences in SSA and PV between both coals.The BJH-PV and BET-SSA obtained by N_(2)-adsorption for soft coal are 0.029–0.032 cm^(3)/g and 3.523–4.783 m^(2)/g.While the values of PV and SSA obtained by CO_(2)-adsorption are 0.037–0.039 cm^(3)/g and 106.016–111.870 m^(2)/g.Soft coal shows greater SSA and PV than hard coal,which is consistent with the adsorption capacity(VL).The fractal dimensions of soft and hard coal are respectively diferent.The Ding coal exhibits larger D1 and smaller D_(2),and the reverse for the Wu coal seam is observed.The greater the value of D1(complexity of pore surface)of soft coal is,the larger the pore surface roughness and gas adsorption capacity is.The results enable us to conclude that the characterization of pores and fractal dimensions of soft and hard coals is diferent,tending to diferent adsorption/desorption characteristics.In this regard,the results provide a reference for formulating corresponding coal and gas outburst prevention and control measures.

Numerical simulation for rheological characteristics of alternating distribution of soft and hard rock layers

The difficulty of selecting appropriate rheological model and parameters for the alternating distribution of soft and hard rock layers was often encountered due to the unhomogeneity, discontinuity and anisotropy of rock mass. The Burgers and generalized Kelvin models were applied to the soft and hard rock respectively and the rheological parameters were obtained based on the method of optimum separation. By using the simulated code FLAC^(3D), the stability of surrounding rocks of a certain underground plant was analyzed. The effect of surface load and weakening the parameters intensity of argillaceous and bioclastic interlayers between soft and hard rock on rheological behavior of layer composite rock mass was investigated. The results indicate that the rheological characteristics of soft and hard rock layer in composite rock mass can be described well with above two rheological models.

Contrastive Study of Metadiscourse in the Conclusion of Academic Papers between Soft Science and Hard Science

Academic paper as a genre is communicative.Interactional metadiscourse is one of the linguistic features that can significantly show the communicative feature of texts.With different research methodologies and characteristics,academic papers of hard and soft science present different degree of communicative features.The corpus of this study consists of 16 academic papers among which 8 are from hard science and 8 from soft science.This article aims to explore the different ways of scholars from soft and hard science to use metadiscourse in the conclusion part of their academic papers to exert lights to the pedagogical development of academic papers.

Magnetic Properties Hard-Soft SmCo₅-FeNi and SmCo₅-FeCo Composites Prepared by Electroless Coating Technique

Composites of SmCo5-FeNi and SmCo5-FeCo, hard-soft magnetic materials, have been synthesized via electroless plating of magnetically hard SmCo5 powder particles with magnetically soft FeNi and FeCo, respectively. The influence of coating thickness of soft magnetic layers on the structure and magnetic properties of the composite has been studied. Overall FeNi coating was found to be less dense compared to FeCo for the same plating duration. Structurally the coat ing was found to be nodular in morphology. These coating have dramatic effect on the overall magnetic property of the composite. As compared to FeNi coated SmCo5 composite, two-fold increase in the saturation magnetization has been observed upon coating SmCo5 (Ms^28 emu/g) with FeCo to a value 56 emu/g. The coercivity of composite powder was found to decrease with increasing the coating layer thickness. The absence of exchange spring behavior in the hard-soft composite is attributed to magnetically soft layer thickness exceeding the theoretical length limit for exchange-spring coupling.

Proteomic analysis reveals the differential proteins of endosperm between soft and hard wheat varieties

In this study,we revealed the differential proteins from the wheat endosperms using proteomic analysis and investigated their surface properties.The pattern of the polypeptides obtained from the Yangmai-15 and Yangmai-16 wheat varieties were compared using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels.In addition,we compared the characteristics of the grain such as grain hardness,protein content,wet gluten,dough development time,dough stability,gliadin and glutenin contents between Yangmai-15 and Yangmai-16,and the results were significantly different.Notably,216 and 197 protein spots were separated from Yangmai-15 and Yangmai-16,respectively.The isoelectric points of the identified proteins ranged from 4 to 10 and the molecular weights of proteins varied from 10 to 100 kDa.Further,21 and 8 specific differential protein spots were identified fromthe flour of Yangmai-15 and Yangmai-16,respectively.The surface properties of identified peptides consisted of hydrophobic or hydrophilic residues,as well as randomly scattered residues.The proteomic analysis of the wheat endosperms provides a novel insight into the biochemical basis for the differences in physicochemical properties between the soft and hard wheat varieties.

THE BALANCE BETWEEN “SOFT”AND “HARD”,AN EXCELLENT RELATION

On a year-end party for cosuls from cosulates in Guangzhouin 1996,a French consul asked Mr.Wang,"There are so manydevelopment zones in China,competition is so intense,are youconfident in GETDD?"Mr.Wang answered,"Competition,the daily phenomenom inmarket economy is what we have been expecting for a long time.""The whole country is a unified chessboard,we surpport allhonest investment,no matter whose money and where they areinvested in the country.""As head of GETDD,I know it is a promising investment dis-trict,so I hope investors can put their money here,I am sure itwill be a right choice."

XPS STUDIES OF IRRADIATED HARD AND SOFT Si—SiO_2

The interracial structure of hard and soft oxides grown by dry oxidation on<100> n-type silicon substrates is examined using high resolution mild X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) before and after irradiation. Substantial differences in silicon of silica state (B.E. 103.4 eV), silicon of transitional state (B.E. 101.5 eV), surplus oxygen (B.E. 529.6 eV) and negative two-valence oxygen (B.E. 531.4 eV) are observed between the two kinds of samples. The XPS spectra strongly depend on the conditions of irradiation for soft samples, but do not as remarkablely as soft samples for hard samples. The effects of irradiation doses on XPS are greater than that of irradiation bias fields. Some viewpoints of irradiation induced hole electron pair are proposed to explain the results.

Proximal Femoral Cortical Thickness and Medullary Canal Diameter in Soft and Hard Water Regions

This study compared proximal femoral morphology in patients living in soft and hard water regions. The proximal femoral morphology of two groups of 70 patients living in hard and soft water regions with a mean age of 72.29 (range: 50 to 87 years) was measured using an antero-posterior radiograph of the non-operated hip with magnification adjusted. The medullary canal diameter at the level of the lesser trochanter (LT) was significantly wider in patients living in the hard water region (mean width: 1.9 mm wider;p = 0.003). No statistical significant difference was found in the medullary canal width at 10 cm below the level of LT, Dorr index, or Canal Bone Ratio (CBR). In conclusion, the proximal femoral morphology does differ in patients living in soft and hard water areas. These results may have an important clinical bearing in patients undergoing total hip replacement surgery. Further research is needed to determine whether implant survivorship is affected in patients living in hard and soft water regions.

Substitution or Complementarity Between ＂Soft＂ Information and ＂Hard＂ Information： Why and Which Effect on Bank Profitability？

The Basel II committee sets their customers. This new up directives encouraging banks to use internal scores in order to assess the risk of form of information competes with the existing ones. Small and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs） are most concerned by these new stakes, due to the lack of transparency. The aim of this paper is to understand the determinants of the choice between substitution and complementarity between the two types of information： ＂soft＂ and ＂hard＂, to test a potential effect of this choice on the banking performance and to describe which variables are involved in the decision-making process. The originality of this work is to try to quantify the information costs and to use it as a variable which is affecting the adopted choice.

Analysis of the Mamaia Bay shoreline Retreat with Hard and Soft Protection Works

Integrated Coastal Zone Management is a complex concept that involves various economic, social and environmental factors. There are often conflicting approaches to these factors. Furthermore, when it is decided to implement structural works in the coastal area, it must be taken into account the particularity of the area, the way in which it is developed and the type of work to be done. The Gulf of Mamaia in the Romanian Black Sea coast is the target of structural changes through the implementation of an extensive coastal rehabilitation program. The works made are of “hard” type and aim to change the shore line configuration. From this perspective, the target of the present paper is to make an analysis between the type of work that is being carried out and another kind of "soft" work aiming especially to favor the ecological reconstruction of the area and the approach of an environmentally friendly concept. Thus, we propose to analyze the two types of works with a view to apply the Bruun rule in order to mitigate the effect of the increase of the sea level and to prevent the shoreline retreat.