scholarly journals Mechanically durable and long-term repairable flexible lubricant-infused monomer for enhancing water collection efficiency by manipulating droplet coalescence and sliding

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1473-1482
Author(s):  
Hui Zhou ◽  
Xueshan Jing ◽  
Zhiguang Guo
Keyword(s):  
Service Life ◽  
Collection Efficiency ◽  
Droplet Coalescence ◽  
Degree Of Deformation ◽  
Water Collection ◽  
Strain Release ◽  
High Degree

The flexible lubricant-infused surface can realize the slipping of pinned droplets based on the high degree of deformation generated by strain/release, which highly enhances its water collection efficiency and service life.

scholarly journals Bio-inspired Fog Harvesting Materials: Basic Research and Bionic Potential Applications

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-533
Author(s):  
Kui Wan ◽  
Xuelian Gou ◽  
Zhiguang Guo
Keyword(s):  
Collection Efficiency ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Water Mist ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Biological Water ◽  
Water Collection ◽  
Transmission Area ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Water Transmission

AbstractWith the explosive growth of the world’s population and the rapid increase in industrial water consumption, the world’s water supply has fallen into crisis. The shortage of fresh water resources has become a global problem, especially in arid regions. In nature, many organisms can collect water from foggy water under harsh conditions, which provides us with inspiration for the development of new functional fog harvesting materials. A large number of bionic special wettable synthetic surfaces are synthesized for water mist collection. In this review, we introduce some water collection phenomena in nature, outline the basic theories of biological water harvesting, and summarize six mechanisms of biological water collection: increased surface wettability, increased water transmission area, long-distance water delivery, water accumulation and storage, condensation promotion, and gravity-driven. Then, the water collection mechanisms of three typical organisms and their synthesis are discussed. And their function, water collection efficiency, new developments in their biomimetic materials are narrated, which are cactus, spider and desert beetles. The study of multiple bionics was inspired by the discovery of Nepenthes’ moist and smooth peristome. The excellent characteristics of a variety of biological water collection structures, combined with each other, are far superior to other single synthetic surfaces. Furthermore, the main problems in the preparation and application of biomimetic fog harvesting materials and the future development trend of materials fog harvesting are prospected.

Hate Crime and Place: The Spatial and Temporal Concentration of Bias-Motivated Crime in Washington, D.C.

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052098781
Author(s):  
Marin R. Wenger ◽  
Brendan Lantz
Keyword(s):  
Hate Crime ◽  
Hate Crimes ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Spatial Stability ◽  
Units Of Analysis ◽  
Crime Types ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Block Groups ◽  
Street Segments

Prior research suggests that many crime types are spatially concentrated and stable over time. Hate crime, however, is a unique crime type that is etiologically distinct from others. As such, examination of hate crime from a spatial and temporal perspective offers an opportunity to understand hate crime and the spatial concentration of crime more generally. The current study examines the spatial stability of hate crimes reported to the police in Washington, D.C., from 2012 through 2018 using street segments, intersections, and block groups as units of analysis. Findings reveal that hate crime is spatially concentrated, with less than 4% of street segments and intersections experiencing hate crime over the study period. Results reveal a high degree of spatial stability, both year-to-year and over the long term even when restricting the analysis to units that experienced at least one hate crime.

scholarly journals Influence of the Share of Renewable Energy Sources on the Level of Energy Security in EECCA Countries

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Trifonov ◽  
Dmitry Trukhan ◽  
Yury Koshlich ◽  
Valeriy Prasolov ◽  
Beata Ślusarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Security ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Structural Content ◽  
High Degree

In this study we aimed to determine the extent to which changes in the share of renewable energy sources, their structural complex, and the level of energy security in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) countries in the medium- and long-term are interconnected. The study was performed through modeling and determination of the structural characteristics of energy security in the countries. The methodology of the approach to modeling was based on solving the problem of nonlinear optimization by selecting a certain scenario. For the study, the data of EECCA countries were used. The ability of EECCA countries to benefit from long-term indirect and induced advantages of the transformation period depends on the extent to which their domestic supply chains facilitate the deployment of energy transformation and induced economic activity. This study provides an opportunity to assess the degree of influence of renewable energy sources on the level of energy security of countries in the context of energy resource diversification. The high degree of influence of renewable energy sources on energy security in the EECCA countries has been proven in the implementation of the developed scenarios for its increase. Energy security is growing. At the same time, its level depends not only on an increase in the share of renewable sources but also on the structure of energy resources complex of countries, and the development of various renewable energy sources. Therefore, today the EECCA countries are forced not only to increase the share of renewable energy sources but also to attach strategic importance to the structural content of their energy complex.

scholarly journals A Novel Highly Durable Carbon/Silver/Silver Chloride Composite Electrode for High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1962
Author(s):  
Lingjun Li ◽  
Guangli Li ◽  
Yuliang Cao ◽  
Yvonne Yanwen Duan
Keyword(s):  
Service Life ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Silver Chloride ◽  
Cycling Performance ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Silver Silver ◽  
Sintered Ag ◽  
Silver Silver Chloride

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) is a promising non-invasive neuromodulation technique, which has been widely used in the clinical intervention and treatment of neurological or psychiatric disorders. Sintered Ag/AgCl electrode has become a preferred candidate for HD-tDCS, but its service life is very short, especially for long-term anodal stimulation. To address this issue, a novel highly durable conductive carbon/silver/silver chloride composite (C/Ag/AgCl) electrode was fabricated by a facile cold rolling method. The important parameters were systematically optimized, including the conductive enhancer, the particle size of Ag powder, the C:Ag:PTFE ratio, the saline concentration, and the active substance loading. The CNT/Ag/AgCl-721 electrode demonstrated excellent specific capacity and cycling performance. Both constant current anodal polarization and simulated tDCS measurement demonstrated that the service life of the CNT/Ag/AgCl-721 electrodes was 15-16 times of that of sintered Ag/AgCl electrodes. The much longer service life can be attributed to the formation of the three-dimensional interpenetrating conductive network with CNT doping, which can maintain a good conductivity and cycling performance even if excessive non-conductive AgCl is accumulated on the surface during long-term anodal stimulation. Considering their low cost, long service life, and good skin tolerance, the proposed CNT/Ag/AgCl electrodes have shown promising application prospects in HD-tDCS, especially for daily life scenarios.

Development of a Performance-Related Framework for Asphalt Mixture Design for the Illinois Tollway

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110148
Author(s):  
Behnam Jahangiri ◽  
Punyaslok Rath ◽  
Hamed Majidifard ◽  
William G. Buttlar
Keyword(s):  
Asphalt Mixture ◽  
Field Performance ◽  
Compact Tension ◽  
T Test ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Final Adjustment ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Selection Of

Various agencies have begun to research and introduce performance-related specifications (PRS) for the design of modern asphalt paving mixtures. The focus of most recent studies has been directed toward simplified cracking test development and evaluation. In some cases, development and validation of PRS has been performed, building on these new tests, often by comparison of test values to accelerated pavement test studies and/or to limited field data. This study describes the findings of a comprehensive research project conducted at Illinois Tollway, leading to a PRS for the design of mainline and shoulder asphalt mixtures. A novel approach was developed, involving the systematic establishment of specification requirements based on: 1) selection of baseline values based on minimally acceptable field performance thresholds; 2) elevation of thresholds to account for differences between short-term lab aging and expected long-term field aging; 3) further elevation of thresholds to account for variability in lab testing, plus variability in the testing of field cores; and 4) final adjustment and rounding of thresholds based on a consensus process. After a thorough evaluation of different candidate cracking tests in the course of the project, the Disk-shaped Compact Tension—DC(T)—test was chosen to be retained in the Illinois Tollway PRS and to be presented in this study for the design of crack-resistant mixtures. The DC(T) test was selected because of its high degree of correlation with field results and its excellent repeatability. Tailored Hamburg rut depth and stripping inflection point thresholds were also established for mainline and shoulder mixes.

China’s evolving humanitarian diplomacy: Evidence from China’s disaster-related aid to Nepal

2021 ◽  
pp. 205789112110192
Author(s):  
Peng Lin
Keyword(s):  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Underdeveloped Countries ◽  
The Past ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Belt And Road ◽  
Post Disaster ◽  
Effective Channel ◽  
India And China

Engaging in disaster relief and, more recently, post-disaster reconstruction in developing countries with critical geoeconomic and geopolitical interests has become an increasingly regular and institutionalized component of China’s evolving humanitarian diplomacy over the past decade. Drawn upon novel evidence from China’s growing disaster-related humanitarian assistance to Nepal and unprecedented engagement in Nepal’s long-term post-earthquake rebuild since 2015, this article explores the dynamics behind China’s transforming humanitarian diplomacy. The findings of this article suggest that: 1) geopolitical and geoeconomic interests, represented by the Belt-and-Road Initiative, serve as a critical driver for the development of China’s bilateral partnership with other countries in the disaster sector; 2) long-term cooperation with underdeveloped countries like Nepal provides China, both government and non-state actors (NSAs), with an effective channel to engage with the international humanitarian community and to internalize humanitarian norms; 3) although humanitarian missions remain contingent and instrumental in China’s international relations, they are laying the foundations for a specialized humanitarian policy area with more relevant normative assets, more professional actors, and more sophisticated institutions; 4) NSAs, represented by private foundations and civil NGOs, have played active roles in the state-dominant cooperation in disaster management. This article also suggests that intensified geopolitical confrontations, such as military clashes between India and China along their disputed borders over the past year, would lead to a high degree of politicization of humanitarian missions and partnerships counter-conducive to humanitarian goals.

scholarly journals Microscale Heterogeneous Distribution and Speciation of Phosphorus in Soils Amended with Mineral Fertilizer and Cattle Manure Compost

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Noriko Yamaguchi ◽  
Toshiaki Ohkura ◽  
Atsuko Hikono ◽  
Yohey Hashimoto ◽  
Aomi Suda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spots ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Chemical Extraction ◽  
Heterogeneous Distribution ◽  
Edge Structure ◽  
Soil P ◽  
Macro Scale ◽  
Cattle Manure Compost ◽  
High Degree

Global concerns for the sustainability of agriculture have emphasized the need to reduce the use of mineral fertilizer. Although phosphorus (P) is accumulated in farmland soils due to the long-term application of fertilizer, most soil P is not readily available to plants. The chemical speciation of P in soils, which comprise heterogeneous microenvironments, cannot be evaluated with a high degree of specificity using only macroscopic analyses. In this study, we investigated the distribution and speciation of P accumulated in soils by using both macro- and microscopic techniques including chemical extraction, solution and solid-state 31P NMR, bulk- and micro- P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Soil samples were collected from a field in which cabbage was cultivated under three amendment treatments: i) mineral fertilizer (NPK), ii) mineral fertilizer and compost (NPK + compost), and iii) mineral fertilizer plus compost but without nitrogen fertilizer (PK + compost). Macro-scale analyses suggested that accumulated P was predominantly inorganic P and associated with Al-bearing minerals. The repeated application of compost to the soils increased the proportion of P associated with Ca which accounted for 17% in the NPK + compost plot and 40% in the PK + compost plot. At the microscale, hot spots of P were heterogeneously distributed, and P was associated with Fe and Ca in hot spots of the NPK + compost (pH 6) and PK + compost (pH 7) treated samples, respectively. Our results indicate that application of compost contributed to creating diverse microenvironments hosting P in these soils.

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