Stable immobilization of lithium polysulfides using three-dimensional ordered mesoporous Mn_(2)O_(3) as the host material in lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs)have drawn significant attention owing to their high theoretical discharge capacity and energy density.However,the dissolution of long-chain polysulfides into the electrolyte during the charge and discharge process(“shuttle effect”)results in fast capacity fading and inferior electrochemical performance.In this study,Mn_(2)O_(3)with an ordered mesoporous structure(OM-Mn_(2)O_(3))was designed as a cathode host for LSBs via KIT-6 hard templating,to effectively inhibit the polysulfide shuttle effect.OM-Mn_(2)O_(3)offers numerous pores to confine sulfur and tightly anchor the dissolved polysulfides through the combined effects of strong polar-polar interactions,polysulfides,and sulfur chain catenation.The OM-Mn_(2)O_(3)/S composite electrode delivered a discharge capacity of 561 mAh g^(-1) after 250 cycles at 0.5 C owing to the excellent performance of OM-Mn_(2)O_(3).Furthermore,it retained a discharge capacity of 628mA h g^(-1) even at a rate of 2 C,which was significantly higher than that of a pristine sulfur electrode(206mA h g^(-1)).These findings provide a prospective strategy for designing cathode materials for high-performance LSBs.

Swelling pressure evolution characterization of strong expansive soil considering the influence of reserved expansion deformation

Numerous engineering cases have demonstrated that the expansive soil channel slope remains susceptible to damage with the implementation of a rigid or closed protective structure. It is common for the protective structure to experience bulging failure due to excessive swelling pressure. To investigate the swelling pressure properties of expansive soil, the constant volume test was employed to study the influence of water content and reserved expansion deformation on the characteristics of swelling pressure in strong expansive soils, and also to explore the evolution mechanism of the swelling pressure. The findings demonstrate that the swelling pressure-time curve can be classified into swelling pressure-time softening and swelling pressure-time stability type. The swelling pressuretime curve of the specimen with low water content is the swelling pressure-time softening type, and the softening level will be weakened with increasing reserved expansion deformation. Besides, the maximum swelling pressure Psmax decreases with increasing water content and reserved expansion deformation, especially for expansion ratio η from 24% to 37%. The reserved deformation has little effect on reducing Psmax when it is beyond 7% of the expansion rate. The specimen with low water content has a more homogeneous structure due to the significant expansion-filling effect, and the fracture and reorganization of the aggregates in the specimens with low water content cause the swelling pressure-time softening behavior. In addition, the proposed swelling pressure-time curve prediction model has a good prediction on the test results. If necessary, a deformation space of about 7% expansion rate is recommended to be reserved in the engineering to reduce the swelling pressure except for keeping a stable water content.

Effect of distribution shape on the melting transition, local ordering,and dynamics in a model size-polydisperse two-dimensional fluid

We study the effect of particle size polydispersity(δ) on the melting transition(T*), local ordering, solid–liquid coexistence phase and dynamics of two-dimensional Lennard–Jones fluids up to moderate polydispersity by means of computer simulations. The particle sizes are drawn at random from the Gaussian(G) and uniform(U) distribution functions.For these systems, we further consider two different kinds of particles, viz., particles having the same mass irrespective of size, and in the other case the mass of the particle scales with its size. It is observed that with increasing polydispersity,the value of T*initially increases due to improved packing efficiency(φ) followed by a decrease and terminates at δ ≈8%(U-system) and 14%(G-system) with no significant difference for both mass types. The interesting observation is that the particular value at which φ drops suddenly coincides with the peak of the heat capacity(CP) curve, indicating a transition. The quantification of local particle ordering through the hexatic order parameter(Q_6), Voronoi construction and pair correlation function reveals that the ordering decreases with increasing δ and T. Furthermore, the solid–liquid coexistence region for the G-system is shown to be comparatively wider in the T –δ plane phase diagram than that for the U system. Finally, the study of dynamics reveals that polydisperse systems relax faster compared to monodisperse systems;however, no significant qualitative differences, depending on the distribution type and mass polydispersity, are observed.

Research on the Generation Mechanism and Suppression Method of Aerodynamic Noise in Expansion Cavity Based on Hybrid Method

The expansion chamber serves as the primary silencing structure within the exhaust pipeline.However,it can also act as a sound-emitting structure when subjected to airflow.This article presents a hybrid method for numerically simulating and analyzing the unsteady flow and aerodynamic noise in an expansion chamber under the influence of airflow.A fluid simulation model is established,utilizing the Large Eddy Simulation(LES)method to calculate the unsteady flow within the expansion chamber.The simulation results effectively capture the development and changes of the unsteady flow and vorticity inside the cavity,exhibiting a high level of consistency with experimental observations.To calculate the aerodynamic noise sources within the cavity,the flow field results are integrated using the method of integral interpolation and inserted into the acoustic grid.The acoustic analogy method is then employed to determine the aerodynamic noise sources.An acoustic simulation model is established,and the flow noise source is imported into the sound field grid to calculate the sound pressure at the far-field response point.The calculated sound pressure levels and resonance frequencies show good agreement with the experimental results.To address the issue of airflow regeneration noise within the cavity,perforated tubes are selected as a means of noise suppression.An experimental platformfor airflow regeneration noise is constructed,and experimental samples are processed to analyze and verify the noise suppression effect of perforated tube expansion cavities under different airflow velocities.The research findings indicate that the perforated tube expansion cavity can effectively suppress low-frequency aerodynamic noise within the cavity by impeding the formation of strong shear layers.Moreover,the semi-perforated tube expansion cavity demonstrates the most effective suppression of aerodynamic noise.

Stochastic programming based coordinated expansion planning of generation,transmission,demand side resources,and energy storage considering the DC transmission system

With the increasing penetration of wind and solar energies,the accompanying uncertainty that propagates in the system places higher requirements on the expansion planning of power systems.A source-grid-load-storage coordinated expansion planning model based on stochastic programming was proposed to suppress the impact of wind and solar energy fluctuations.Multiple types of system components,including demand response service entities,converter stations,DC transmission systems,cascade hydropower stations,and other traditional components,have been extensively modeled.Moreover,energy storage systems are considered to improve the accommodation level of renewable energy and alleviate the influence of intermittence.Demand-response service entities from the load side are used to reduce and move the demand during peak load periods.The uncertainties in wind,solar energy,and loads were simulated using stochastic programming.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed model is verified through numerical simulations.

The chemical environment and structural ordering in liquid Mg-Y-Zn system:An ab-initio molecular dynamics investigation of melt for the formation mechanism of LPSO structure

In an effort to clarify the formation mechanism of LPSO structure in Mg-Y-Zn alloy,the chemical environment and structural ordering in liquid Mg-rich Mg-Y-Zn system are investigated with the aid of ab-initio molecular dynamics simulation.In liquid Mg-rich Mg-Y alloys,the strong Mg-Y interaction is determined,which promotes the formation of fivefold symmetric local structure.For Mg-Zn alloys,the weak Mg-Zn interaction results in the fivefold symmetry weakening in the liquid structure.Due to the coexistence of Y and Zn,the strong attractive interaction is introduced in liquid Mg-Y-Zn ternary alloy,and contributes to the clustering of Mg,Y,Zn launched from Zn.What is more,the distribution of local structures becomes closer to that in pure Mg compared with that in binary Mg-Y and Mg-Zn alloys.These results should relate to the origins of the Y/Zn segregation zone and close-packed stacking mode in LPSO structure,which provides a new insight into the formation mechanism of LPSO structure at atomic level.

The Negative Thermal Expansion Property of NdMnO_(3) Based on Pores Effect and Phase Transition

A novel negative thermal expansion(NTE) material NdMnO_(3) was synthesized by solid-state method at 1 523 K. The crystal structure, phase transition, pores effect and negative expansion properties of NdMnO_(3) were investigated by variable temperature X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM) and variable temperature Raman spectra. The compound exhibits NTE properties in the orderly O' phase crystal structure. When the temperature is from 293 to 759 K, the ceramic NdMnO_(3) shows negative thermal expansion of-4.7×10^(-6)/K. As temperature increases, the ceramic NdMnO_(3) presents NTE property range from 759 to 1 007 K. The average linear expansion coefficient is-18.88×10^(-6)/K. The physical mechanism of NTE is discussed and clarified through experiments.

An agent-based model of agricultural land expansion in the mountain forest of Timor Island,Indonesia

The Mutis-Timau Forest Complex,located on Timor Island,Indonesia,is a mountainous tropical forest area that gradually decreases due to deforestation and forest degradation.Previous modelling studies based on patterns indicate that deforestation primarily occurs at lower elevations and near the boundaries of forests and settlements,often associated with shifting cultivation by local farmers.This study adopts a process-based modelling approach,specifically the agent-based model,to simulate land changes,particularly farmers'expansion of agricultural land around the Mutis mountain forest.The underlying concept of this agent-based approach is the interaction between the human and environmental systems.Farmers,representing the human system,interact with the land,which represents the environmental system,through land use decision-making mechanisms.The research was conducted in the Community Forest of the Timor Tengah Utara District,one of the sites within the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex with the highest deforestation rate.Land use change simulations were performed using agent-based modelling from 1999 to 2030,considering the socio-economic conditions of farmers,spatial preferences,land use decisions,and natural transitions.The results revealed that the agricultural area increased by 14%under the Business as Usual scenario and 5%under the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation scenario,compared to the initial agricultural area of 245 hectares.The probability of farmers deciding to extend agricultural activities was positively associated with the number of livestock maintained by farmers and the size of the village area.Conversely,the likelihood of farmers opting for agricultural extensification decreased with an increase in the area of private land and the farmer's age.These findings are crucial for the managers of the Mutis-Timau Forest Complex and other relevant stakeholders,as they aid in arranging actions to combat deforestation,designing proper forest-related policies,and providing support for initiatives such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation programs or further incentive schemes.

Higher-order expansions of powered extremes of logarithmic general error distribution

In this paper,Let M_(n)denote the maximum of logarithmic general error distribution with parameter v≥1.Higher-order expansions for distributions of powered extremes M_(n)^(p)are derived under an optimal choice of normalizing constants.It is shown that M_(n)^(p),when v=1,converges to the Frechet extreme value distribution at the rate of 1/n,and if v>1 then M_(n)^(p)converges to the Gumbel extreme value distribution at the rate of(loglogn)^(2)=(log n)^(1-1/v).

The Disintegration of a Floating Ferrofluid Layer into an Ordered Drop System in a Vertical Magnetic Field

Magnetic fluids,also known as ferrofluids,are versatile functional materials with a wide range of applications.These applications span from industrial uses such as vacuum seals,actuators,and acoustic devices to medical uses,including serving as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),delivering medications to specific locations within the body,and magnetic hyperthermia for cancer treatment.The use of a non-wettable immiscible liquid substrate to support a layer of magnetic fluid opens up new possibilities for studying various fluid flows and related instabilities in multi-phase systems with both a free surface and an interface.The presence of two deformable boundaries within a ferrofluid layer significantly reduces the critical magnetic field strength required to transform the layer into an organized system of drops or polygonal figures evolving according to the intensity,frequency and direction of the considered magnetic field.This paper experimentally investigates this problem by assuming a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the surface.This specific subject has not been previously explored experimentally.The critical magnetic field intensity required to destabilize the ferrofluid layer is determined based on the layer’s thickness and the fluid’s initial magnetic susceptibility.It is demonstrated that the critical magnetic field strength needed to disrupt the initially continuous ferrofluid layer increases with the layer’s thickness.Conversely,an increase in the ferrofluid’s magnetic susceptibility results in a decrease in the critical magnetic field strength.The emerging droplet structures are analyzed in terms of the number of drops,their size,and the periodicity of their arrangement.The number of droplets formed depends on the initial thickness of the layer,the presence or absence of a stable rupture in the upper layer,and the rate at which the magnetic field strength is increased to the critical value.A characteristic viscous time is proposed to evaluate the decomposition of the ferrofluid layer,which depends on the duration of the magnetic field’s application.The experimental data on the instability of a ferrofluid layer on a liquid substrate are compared with the theoretical results from the study of“magnetic fluid sandwich structures”conducted by Rannacher and Engel.This comparison highlights the similarities and differences between experimental observations and theoretical predictions,providing a deeper understanding of the behavior of ferrofluid layers under the influence of magnetic fields.

Modification of streamer-to-leader transition model based on radial thermal expansion in the sphere-plane gap discharge at high altitude

Historically,streamer-to-leader transition studies mainly focused on the rod-plane gap and low altitude analysis,with limited attention paid to the sphere-plane gap at high altitude analysis.In this work,sphere-plane gap discharge tests were carried out under the gap distance of 5 m at the Qinghai Ultra High Voltage(UHV)test base at an altitude of 2200 m.The experiments measured the physical parameters such as the discharge current,electric field intensity and instantaneous optical power.The duration of the dark period and the critical charge of streamer-toleader transition were obtained at high altitude.Based on radial thermal expansion of the streamer stem,we established a modified streamer-to-leader transition model of the sphere-plane gap discharge at high altitude,and calculated the stem temperature,stem radii and the duration of streamer-to-leader transition.Compared with the measured duration of sphere-plane electrode discharge at an altitude of 2200 m,the error rate of the modified model was 0.94%,while the classical model was 6.97%,demonstrating the effectiveness of the modified model.From the comparisons and analysis,several suggestions are proposed to improve the numerical model for further quantitative investigations of the leader inception.

Advanced 3D ordered electrodes for PEMFC applications: From structural features and fabrication methods to the controllable design of catalyst layers

The catalyst layers(CLs) electrode is the key component of the membrane electrode assembly(MEA) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs). Conventional electrodes for PEMFCs are composed of carbon-supported, ionomer, and Pt nanoparticles, all immersed together and sprayed with a micron-level thickness of CLs. They have a performance trade-off where increasing the Pt loading leads to higher performance of abundant triple-phase boundary areas but increases the electrode cost. Major challenges must be overcome before realizing its wide commercialization. Literature research revealed that it is impossible to achieve performance and durability targets with only high-performance catalysts, so the controllable design of CLs architecture in MEAs for PEMFCs must now be the top priority to meet industry goals. From this perspective, a 3D ordered electrode circumvents this issue with a support-free architecture and ultrathin thickness while reducing noble metal Pt loadings. Herein, we discuss the motivation in-depth and summarize the necessary CLs structural features for designing ultralow Pt loading electrodes. Critical issues that remain in progress for 3D ordered CLs must be studied and characterized. Furthermore, approaches for 3D ordered CLs architecture electrode development, involving material design, structure optimization, preparation technology, and characterization techniques, are summarized and are expected to be next-generation CLs for PEMFCs. Finally, the review concludes with perspectives on possible research directions of CL architecture to address the significant challenges in the future.

ENTIRE SOLUTIONS OF HIGHER ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH ENTIRE COEFFICIENTS HAVING THE SAME ORDER

In this paper,we consider entire solutions of higher order homogeneous differential equations with the entire coefficients having the same order,and prove that the entire solutions are of infinite lower order.The properties on the radial distribution,the limit direction of the Julia set and the existence of a Baker wandering domain of the entire solutions are also discussed.

Unveiling the adaptation strategies of woody plants in remnant forest patches to spatiotemporal urban expansion through leaf trait networks

Background:With the expansion of urban areas,the remnants of forested areas play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in urban environments.This study aimed to explore the impact of spatiotemporal urban expansion on the networks of leaf traits in woody plants within remnant forest patches,thereby enhancing our understanding of plant adaptive strategies and contributing to the conservation of urban biodiversity.Methods:Our study examined woody plants within 120 sample plots across 15 remnant forest patches in Guiyang,China.We constructed leaf trait networks (LTNs) based on 26 anatomical,structural,and compositional leaf traits and assessed the effects of the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion on these LTNs.Results and conclusions:Our results indicate that shrubs within these patches have greater average path lengths and diameters than trees.With increasing urban expansion intensity,we observed a rise in the edge density of the LTN-shrubs.Additionally,modularity within the networks of shrubs decreased as road density and urban expansion intensity increased,and increases in the average path length and average clustering coefficient for shrubs were observed with a rise in the composite terrain complexity index.Notably,patches subjected to‘leapfrog’expansion exhibited greater average patch length and diameter than those experiencing edge growth.Stomatal traits were found to have high degree centrality within these networks,signifying their substantial contribution to multiple functions.In urban remnant forests,shrubs bolster their resilience to variable environmental pressures by augmenting the complexity of their leaf trait networks.

Rolling Decision Model of Thermal Power Retrofit and Generation Expansion Planning Considering Carbon Emissions and Power Balance Risk

With the increasing urgency of the carbon emission reduction task,the generation expansion planning process needs to add carbon emission risk constraints,in addition to considering the level of power adequacy.However,methods for quantifying and assessing carbon emissions and operational risks are lacking.It results in excessive carbon emissions and frequent load-shedding on some days,although meeting annual carbon emission reduction targets.First,in response to the above problems,carbon emission and power balance risk assessment indicators and assessment methods,were proposed to quantify electricity abundance and carbon emission risk level of power planning scenarios,considering power supply regulation and renewable energy fluctuation characteristics.Secondly,building on traditional two-tier models for low-carbon power planning,including investment decisions and operational simulations,considering carbon emissions and power balance risks in lower-tier operational simulations,a two-tier rolling model for thermal power retrofit and generation expansion planning was established.The model includes an investment tier and operation assessment tier and makes year-by-year decisions on the number of thermal power units to be retrofitted and the type and capacity of units to be commissioned.Finally,the rationality and validity of the model were verified through an example analysis,a small-scale power supply system in a certain region is taken as an example.The model can significantly reduce the number of days of carbon emissions risk and ensure that the power balance risk is within the safe limit.

Impact of Medicaid expansion on kidney transplantation in the State Oklahoma

BACKGROUND There is no data evaluating the impact of Medicaid expansion on kidney tran-splants(KT)in Oklahoma.AIM To investigate the impact of Medicaid expansion on KT patients in Oklahoma.METHODS The UNOS database was utilized to evaluate data pertaining to adult KT reci-pients in Oklahoma in the pre-and post-Medicaid eras.Bivariate analysis,Kaplan Meier analysis was used to estimate,and cox proportional models were utilized.RESULTS There were 2758 pre-and 141 recipients in the post-Medicaid expansion era.Post-expansion patients were more often non-United States citizens(2.3%vs 5.7%),American Indian,Alaskan,or Pacific Islander(7.8%vs 9.2%),Hispanic(7.4%vs 12.8%),or Asian(2.5%vs 8.5%)(P<0.0001).Waitlist time was shorter in the post-expansion era(410 vs 253 d)(P=0.0011).Living donor rates,pre-emptive transplants,re-do transplants,delayed graft function rates,kidney donor profile index values,panel reactive antibodies levels,and insurance types were similar.Patients with public insurance were more frail.Despite increased early(<6 months)rejection rates,1-year patient and graft survival were similar.In Cox proportional hazards model,male sex,American Indian,Alaskan or Pacific Islander race,public insurance,and frailty category were independent risk factors for death at 1 year.Medicaid expansion was not associated with graft failure or patient survival(adjusted hazard ratio:1.07;95%CI:0.26-4.41).CONCLUSION Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma is associated with increased KT access for non-White/non-Black and non-United States citizen patients with shorter wait times.1-year graft and patient survival rates were similar before and after expansion.Medicaid expansion itself was not independently associated with graft or patient survival outcomes.Ongoing research is necessary to determine the long-term effects of Medicaid expansion.

Properties of Ultra-low Thermal Expansion LAS Transparent Glass-ceramics Prepared by Spodumene

The glass-ceramics were prepared with the spodumene mineral as the main raw material,and the effects of ZrO_(2)replacing TiO_(2)on the samples were systematically investigated.The results show that the substitution of ZrO_(2)for TiO_(2)is not conductive to precipitate𝛽β-quartz solid solution phase,but can improve the transparency and flexural strength of glass-ceramics.And the glass-ceramic with the highest visible light transmittance(87%)and flexural strength(231.80 MPa)exhibits an ultra-low thermal expansion of-0.028×10^(-7)K^(-1)in the region of 30-700℃.

Dynamic Uncertainty:Exploring the Spatial Order of Future Digital Architecture

The spatial order of architecture has been significantly impacted by digital architectural design and production,creating a dynamic uncertainty.This study aims to explore digital architecture from the perspective of spatial order,discussing the antidote/poison effect caused by digital technologies in architectural practice and the cultural digital changes in digital architectures.The study selected four digital architecture cases,including the(W)rapper at Los Angeles by Eric Owen Moss,Beijing Daxing International Airport by Zaha Hadid,3D Print Niaokan Bridge by Xu Weiguo,and World Internet Conference Center by Yuan Feng.This study is hypothesising that the future special order of digital architectures will be a dynamic and balanced new spatial order.This new order includes the symbiosis of a human-machine and virtual-real hierarchy;the interactive co-existence between nature,humanity and technology;and the creative multi-immersive sharing of parametric information,built-environment resources and cultural artistic information.The evolution of spatial order of future digital architecture will be discussed in connection with the idea of the metaverse.The value of this work is its ability to inspire a broader examination of the new order of digital architectural space.

The Accelerated Expansion of the Universe in the Light of the Maximum Ordinality Principle

The main aim of the paper is to present (and at the same time offer) a differ-ent perspective for the analysis of the accelerated expansion of the Universe. A perspective that can surely be considered as being “in parallel” to the tradition-al ones, such as those based, for example, on the hypotheses of “Dark Matter” and “Dark Energy”, or better as a “com-possible” perspective, because it is not understood as being “exclusive”. In fact, it is an approach that, when con-firmed by experimental results, always keeps its validity from an “operative” point of view. This is because, in analogy to the traditional perspectives, on the basis of Popper’s Falsification Principle the corresponding “Generative” Logic on which it is based has not the property of the perfect induction. The basic difference then only consists in the fact that the Evolution of the Universe is now modeled by considering the Universe as a Self-Organizing System, which is thus analyzed in the light of the Maximum Ordinality Principle.

On the Local Convergence and Dynamics of New Iterative Method with Sixth Order Convergence

In this paper,we construct a new sixth order iterative method for solving nonlinear equations.The local convergence and order of convergence of the new iterative method is demonstrated.In order to check the validity of the new iterative method,we employ several chemical engineering applications and academic test problems.Numerical results show the good numerical performance of the new iterative method.Moreover,the dynamical study of the new method also supports the theoretical results.