Fabrication of Dielectric Elastomers with Improved Electromechanical Properties Using Silicone Rubber and Walnut Polyphenols Modified Dielectric Particles

In this work, polyphenolic extract from walnut green husks (denoted as walnut polyphenols), which is an abun-dant agroindustrial residue/waste, was used to modify barium titanate (BT) particles in the preparation of sili-cone rubber (SR) based dielectric elastomer (DE) composites with enhanced electromechanical performance.By employing walnut polyphenols modification, the dispersibility of BT particles in the SR matrix and the com-patibility between BT and SR were greatly improved, which resulted in enhanced mechanical performance ofthe DE composites. Dielectric property measurement showed that DE composites containing walnut polyphenolsmodified BT particles (WNBT) had higher dielectric constants and lower dielectric losses than that of DEs withunmodified BT particles. Furthermore, it was found that the walnut polyphenols modification resulted in de-creased dielectric loss tangent of the DE composites, suggesting an improved compatibility between the modifiedBT particles and SR. Finally, the static and dynamic electromechanical performance of the DE composites wereevaluated. The SR/5%WNBT composite achievedthehighest actuatedareastrainof 38% among the SRbasedcom-posites used in this work. Moreover, the actuated area strain of SR/WNBT composites exhibited excellent electro-mechanical stability during the application of cyclic voltage signals

Optical homogeneity of ADP crystals from rapid growth

ADP (NH4H2PO4) crystals were grown through the traditional method and rapid growth technology. The optical homogeneity of rapid grown ADP crystals was analyzed by laser interferometry and X-ray topography. Laser interferometry revealed sector boundaries at which optical homogeneity decreased dramatically. The main defects that seriously reduced the optical homogeneity of the rapid grown ADP crystal were sector boundaries, growth bands and inclusions. The concentration of Fe and Cr impurities was tested by a plasma emission spectrometer. It was found that the preferential incorporation of metallic impurities into the prismatic faces resulted in high density of growth bands and inclusions, thus reducing optical homogeneity of the prismatic sector

Fertilization of the Northwest Pacific Ocean by East Asia air pollutants

Haze particles as a key air pollutant contain high level of toxins, which were hypothesized to inhibit phytoplankton growth when deposited to the ocean, and thus indirectly affect the climate. However, field observations have yet to provide conclusive evidence to confirm this hypothesis. On-board microcosm experiments in the Northwest Pacific ocean (NWPO) show that haze particles collected at the East Asia continent had an inhibition impact on phytoplankton growth only when at very high particle loading (2 mg L-1). In contrast, haze particles at low and medium loadings (0.03-0.6 mg L-1) stimulated phytoplankton growth and shifted phytoplankton size structure towards larger cells, primarily due to the supply of inorganic nitrogen nutrients from the particles. Model simulations showed that haze particle loading in NWPO surface seawater was usually more than an order of magnitude lower than 2 mg L-1. This indicates that haze particles are unlikely to cause harm but to stimulate phytoplankton growth in the nitrogen-limited NWPO. Ocean biogeochemical modelling further show that deposited nitrogen significantly enhanced surface ocean chlorophyll a concentration in the winter and spring of 2014. Overall, these results demonstrate that haze particles stimulate rather than inhibit primary production in the NWPO

Fertilization of the Northwest Pacific Ocean by East Asia air pollutants

Haze particles as a key air pollutant contain high level of toxins, which were hypothesized to inhibit phytoplankton growth when deposited to the ocean, and thus indirectly affect the climate. However, field observations have yet to provide conclusive evidence to confirm this hypothesis. On-board microcosm experiments in the Northwest Pacific ocean (NWPO) show that haze particles collected at the East Asia continent had an inhibition impact on phytoplankton growth only when at very high particle loading (2 mg L-1). In contrast, haze particles at low and medium loadings (0.03-0.6 mg L-1) stimulated phytoplankton growth and shifted phytoplankton size structure towards larger cells, primarily due to the supply of inorganic nitrogen nutrients from the particles. Model simulations showed that haze particle loading in NWPO surface seawater was usually more than an order of magnitude lower than 2 mg L-1. This indicates that haze particles are unlikely to cause harm but to stimulate phytoplankton growth in the nitrogen-limited NWPO. Ocean biogeochemical modelling further show that deposited nitrogen significantly enhanced surface ocean chlorophyll a concentration in the winter and spring of 2014. Overall, these results demonstrate that haze particles stimulate rather than inhibit primary production in the NWPO

Genes "Waiting" for recruitment by the adaptive immune system: The insights from amphioxus

in seeking evidence of the existence of adaptive immune system (AIS) in ancient chordate, cDNA clones of six libraries from a protochordate, the Chinese amphioxus, were sequenced. Although the key molecules such as TCR, MHC, Ig, and RAG in AIS have not been identified from our database, we demonstrated in this study the extensive molecular evidence for the presence of genes homologous to many genes that are involved in AIS directly or indirectly, including some of which may represent the putative precursors of vertebrate AIS-related genes. The comparative analyses of these genes in different model organisms revealed the different fates of these genes during evolution. Their gene expression pattern suggested that the primitive digestive system is the pivotal place of the origin and evolution of the AIS. Our studies support the general statement that AIS appears after the jawless/jawed vertebrate split. However our study further reveals the fact that AIS is in its twilight in amphioxus and the evolution of the molecules in amphioxus are waiting for recruitment by the emergence of AIS

CCDC 1902501: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Feng Su, Guangmei Chen, Peter A. Korevaar, Fangfang Pan, Huijiao Liu, Zongxia Guo, Albertus P. H. J. Schenning, Hui‐Jun Zhang, Jianbin Lin, Yun‐Bao Jiang|2019|Angew.Chem.,Int.Ed.|58|15273|doi:10.1002/anie.20190783