Possible origin of β\beta-relaxation in amorphous metal alloys from atomic-mass differences of the constituents

We employ an atomic-scale theory within the framework of nonaffine lattice dynamics to uncover the origin of the Johari-Goldstein (JG) $\beta$-relaxation in metallic glasses (MGs). Combining simulation and experimental data with our theoretical approach, we reveal that the large mass asymmetry between the elements in a La$_{60}$Ni$_{15}$Al$_{25}$ MG leads to a clear separation in the respective relaxation time scales, giving strong evidence that JG relaxation is controlled by the lightest atomic species present. Moreover, we show that only qualitative features of the vibrational density of states determine the overall observed mechanical response of the glass, paving the way for a possible unified theory of secondary relaxations in glasses

Iron and nickel doped CoSe2 as efficient non precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction

Iron and nickel doped CoSe2 were prepared by solvothermal method, and they were proved to be ternary chalcogenides by series of physical characterization. The effects of the iron and nickel contents on the oxygen reduction reaction were investigated by electrochemical measurements, and the highest activities were obtained on Co0.7Fe0.3Se2 and Co0.7Ni0.3Se2, respectively. Both Co0.7Fe0.3Se2 and Co0.7Ni0.3Se2 presented four-electron pathway. Furthermore, Co0.7Fe0.3Se2 exhibited more positive cathodic peak potential (0.564 V) and onset potential (0.759 V) than these of Co0.7Ni0.3Se2 (0.558 V and 0.741 V). And Co0.7Fe0.3Se2 displayed even superior stability and better tolerance to methanol, ethanol and ethylene glycol crossover effects than the commercial Pt/C (20 wt% Pt)

Development of a multi-layer network model for characterizing energy cascade behavior on turbulent mixing

Eddies of various sizes are visible to the naked eye in turbulent flow. Each eddy scale corresponds to a fraction of the total energy released by the turbulence cascade. Understanding the dynamic mechanism of the energy cascade is crucial to the study of turbulent mixing. In this paper, an energy cascade multi-layer network (ECMN) based on the complex network algorithm is proposed to investigate the spatio-temporal evolution of the energy cascade, covering both the inertial and dispersive ranges. The dynamic process of energy cascade is transformed into a topological structure based on the node definition and edge determination. The topological structure allows for the exploration of eddies interaction and chaotic energy transfer across scales. The model results show the intermittent and non-uniform nature of the energy cascade. Meanwhile, the scale gap found in the model verifies the fractal property of the energy evolution. We also found that scales of the generated eddies in energy cascade process are stochastic, and a synchronous energy cascade pattern is demonstrated according to the constructed framework. Furthermore, it provides a topological way to evaluate the contribution of large and small scale eddies. In addition, a network structure coefficient κ is proposed to evaluate the energy transfer strength. It agrees very well with the fluctuation of dissipation rates. All of this shows that the network model can effectively reveal the inhomogeneous properties of the energy cascade and quantify the turbulent mixing intensity based on the intermittent scale interaction. This also provides new insights into the study of fractal scales of nonlinear complex systems and the bridging of chaotic dynamics with topological frameworks

A case study of time-series regression modeling: Risk factors for pond-level mortality of farmed grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) on a southern Chinese farm

Limited research has been done using multivariable statistical methods to assess factors associated with fish mortality in warm-water finfish aquaculture in China. We carried out a case study to test the hypothesized association between pond-level daily mortality of farmed grass carp and predisposing environmental and husbandry factors. Based on logbook data from a single farm in Guangdong province (China) in 2013, two-stage time-series regression (TSR) analyses were conducted to estimate the lagged effect of these predisposing factors on grass carp mortality. Factors assessed included temperature fluctuations, movement of fish into and out of ponds, and 3 types of treatments (antibiotics-antiparasitics, traditional Chinese medicine-probiotics, and chemicals to improve water quality). First, coefficients were estimated using a generalized linear negative-binomial model for each pond, and these coefficient estimates were combined using meta-analytic techniques. Sensitivity analyses were done to compare effects of changes in the 3 modeling components: distributional forms, number of spline knots, and types of autocorrelation terms. Model results in the case study indicated 2 risk factors might be associated with increased mortality of grass carp: (1) movements-in of new fish during the previous 14 days; and (2) increasing water temperature during the previous 7 days. Sensitivity analyses indicated good consistency of the estimates with different modeling components. Our findings highlight the utility of assessing daily farm records using TSR to develop hypotheses about potential risk factors for grass carp mortality in China

Analysis of the Vibration Characteristics of a Boring Bar with a Variable Stiffness Dynamic Vibration Absorber

Boring bars are widely used in deep hole machining. Due to the low stiffness of the long cantilever boring bar, vibration often occurs in the boring process. Vibration suppression can permit higher productivity and a better surface finish. To improve the performance of boring operations, a variable stiffness dynamic vibration absorber (DVA) is added inside the boring bar to reduce the vibration. The stiffness of the DVA is provided by two rubber bushes placed inside the DVA. By changing the axial compression, the stiffness of the DVA can be adjusted to accommodate different excitation frequencies. By establishing the relationship between the stiffness of the DVA and the axial compression of the rubber bush, the optimal stiffness for different excitation frequencies can always be found. A boring experiment is conducted, and the results show that, by selecting a reasonable axial compression, the vibration of the boring bar can be effectively suppressed

Multi-Frequency Noise Reduction Method for Underwater Radiated Noise of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

The multi-frequency noisy vibration of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a significant factor affecting the performance of shear probes mounted on the head of AUVs. Many efforts have been made to suppress mechanical radiation noise; however, conventional noise reduction methods have their limitations, such as mode mixing. In order to extract thorough information from the aliasing modes and achieve multi-frequency mode targeted correction, a multi-frequency noise reduction method is proposed, based on secondary decomposition and the multi-mode coherence correction algorithm. Weak impulses in aliasing shear mode are enhanced, and mixing frequencies are isolated for thorough decomposition. Noisy mechanical vibrations in the shear modes are eliminated with the use of the acceleration modes along the identical central frequency series. The denoised modes are used to reconstruct the cleaned shear signal, and the updated spectra are aligned with the standard Nasmyth spectrum. Compared with the raw profiles, the variation in the dissipation rate estimated from the corrected shear is reduced by more than an order of magnitude

Insight into curdlan alleviating quality deterioration of frozen dough during storage: Fermentation properties, water state and gluten structure

Curdlan was effective in alleviating quality deterioration of frozen dough during storage. This research explored the mechanisms from perspectives of fermentation properties, water state and gluten structure of frozen dough during storage, and the performance of corresponding steamed bread. Results showed that curdlan addition improved the gas-releasing capability and gas-holding capability of frozen dough, meanwhile enhanced the specific volume and textural properties of corresponding steamed bread. The melting enthalpy and NMR results demonstrated that curdlan restricted the conversation of bound water into freezable water, and inhibited the moisture migration in frozen dough. Frozen dough with 0.5% curdlan had significantly lower gluten macropolymers (GMP) depolymerization degree and free sulfhydryl (SH) content than the control, indicating that curdlan alleviated the depolymerization of GMP. Microstructure results proved that the deterioration of the structure was retarded by curdlan. This study contributes to understanding the theories for curdlan alleviating the deterioration of frozen dough during storage

Screening study on significant Chinese herb for anti-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis by combining clinical experience prescriptions and molecular dynamics simulation technologies

Various techniques such as data mining, network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were used in this study to screen and validate effective herbal medicines for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and to reveal their mechanisms of action at the molecular level. The use of this approach will provide new tools and ideas for future drug screening, especially for the application of herbal medicines in the treatment of complex diseases. Among them, the five identified core targets, including IL6, TP53, AKT1, VEGFA, and TNF, as well as a series of major active compounds, will be important references for future anti-IPF drug development. This information will accelerate the discovery and development of relevant drugs. Meanwhile, this study further confirmed the potential value of four Chinese herbal medicines, including Gancao, Danshen, Huangqin, and Sanqi, in the treatment of IPF. This will promote more clinical trials and practices to confirm and optimise the application of these herbs. Finally, this study is an important theoretical guide to enhance the advantages of Chinese herbal medicines in the prevention and treatment of major and difficult diseases, as well as to understand and utilise the potential efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines. This will further promote the scientific research and clinical application of herbal medicines and provide more possibilities for future disease treatment Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma</p

Full Size Two-Layer Steel Frame–Exterior Wall Panel Shaking-Table Test

A cantilever block wall-panel attachment strip (CBW) flexible connection node was designed to connect precast concrete (PC) exterior wall panels to steel frames. To investigate the performance of the CBW flexible connection node and PC exterior wall panels during earthquakes, a partial two-storey steel frame was extracted from an actual engineering structure, and a full-scale steel frame–exterior wall panel shaking-table model was designed. Two sets of shaking-table tests were conducted under seismic intensity 7, 8, and 9 (Chinese Seismic Intensity Scale) earthquakes. The acceleration and displacement responses of the composite wall panel, open window panel, and integral wall panel along the in-plane and out-of-plane motions were analysed. The acceleration amplification factors of the PC exterior wall panels ranged from 0.753 to 1.400 (in-plane) and from 0.998 to 2.199 (out-of-plane). The CBW flexible connection node had a deformation capacity that could coordinate the deformation of the exterior wall panel and prevent severe damage. The surfaces of the PC exterior wall panels remained intact during a very strong seismic intensity 9 earthquake

Persistence of Salmonella Typhimurium and antibiotic resistance genes in different types of soil influenced by flooding and soil properties

Salmonella is a zoonotic foodborne bacterial pathogen that can seriously harm health. Persistence of Salmonella and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different types of soil under flooding and natural conditions are rare explored. This study investigated the dynamic changes of the Salmonella, ARGs and bacterial communities in three types of soils applied with pig manure in lab scale. Abundance of the Salmonella Typhimurium in soils reduced to the detection limit varied from 40 to 180 days, most of the Salmonella did not survive in soil for more than 90 days. Flooding and soil texture (content of sand) promote the decline rate of Salmonella. No Salmonella was found have acquired resistance gene from the soil or manure after 90 days. 64 ARGs and 11 MGEs were quantified, abundance of these genes and risky ARGs both gradually decline along with the extension of time. Most of the extrinsic ARGs cannot colonize in soil, cellular protection and antibiotic deactivation were their main resistance mechanism. Multidrug resistance and efflux pump were the dominant class and mechanism of soil intrinsic ARGs. Flooding can affect the ARGs profiles by reducing the types of extrinsic ARGs invaded into soil and inhibit the proliferation of intrinsic genes. Soil sand content, soil moisture and nutrition concentrations had significant direct effect on the abundance or profile of ARGs. Soil bacterial community structures also changed along with the extension of time and affected by flooding. Network analyses between ARGs and bacteria taxa revealed that Actinobacteria and Myxococcia were the main hosts of intrinsic ARGs, some taxa may play a role in inhibiting extrinsic ARGs colonization in the soils. These findings unveil that saturate soil with water may play a positive role in reducing potential risk of Salmonella and ARGs in the farmland environment