WATER MODE BASIC INDEXES OF FOREST-AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES OF PRECARPATHIANS

Оцінено водорегулювальну роль лісових земель на прикладі річкових басейнів Передкарпаття. Здійснено порівняльний аналіз розвитку шкідливих стихійних процесів, що відбуваються на водозборах із значним контрастом лісистості. З'ясовано особливості формування поверхневого стоку води залежно від співвідношення угідь. Досліджено водопроникливість лісових і польових ґрунтів. З'ясовано особливості снігонагромадження на різних категоріях угідь у лісоаграрних ландшафтах. Визначено кількісні показники впливу лісу на формування схилового стоку води.Оценена водорегулирующая роль лесных земель на примере речных бассейнов Предкарпатья. Осуществлен сравнительный анализ развития вредных стихийных процессов, которые имеют место на водосборах со значительным контрастом лесистости. Выяснены особенности формирования поверхностного стока воды в зависимости от соотношения угодий. Исследована водопроницаемость лесных и полевых почв. Выяснены особенности снегонакопления на разных категориях угодий в лесоаграрных ландшафтах. Определены количественные показатели влияния леса на формирование склонового стока воды.Some water-regulating functions of forest lands of Precarpathian river basins example are reviewed; a comparative analysis of the destructive processes that occur in catchments with considerable contrast forest is made. The features of the runoff water formation depending on the ratio of land are clarified. The forest and field soils permeability is investigated. Specific accumulation and melting snow on the ground in these categories of forest-agricultural landscapes is studied. The quantitative indicators of impact on forest slope water flow formation are determined

Discussions on the Belt and Road Initiative: mutual benefits or loses

China has put forward a grandiose transport and economic project the Belt and Road Initiative, also known as "One Belt One Road" or "New Silk Road. It is impossible to deny the scale and complexity of the project. It entails achievement of economic prosperity by the countries along the Silk Road, their sustainable economic development and strengthening of mutual cooperation between the regions. However, there are more and more discussions about China's economic expansion into the countries participating in this initiative, about increasing the debt burden of the countries implementing the infrastructure projects of the Belt and Road Initiative. The concept involves the development of infrastructure construction, including roads, railways, ports, power networks, signal transmission via optical cables, and others

Reactivity of Carbon in Lithium Oxygen Battery Positive Electrodes

Unfortunately the practical applications of Li-O₂ batteries are impeded by poor rechargeability. Here we for the first time show that superoxide radicals generated at the cathode during discharge react with carbon that contain activated double bonds or aromatics to form epoxy groups and carbonates, which limits the rechargeability of Li-O2 cells. Carbon materials with a low amount of functional groups and defects demonstrate better stability thus keeping the carbon will-o’-the-wisp lit for lithium-air batteries

Can surface reactivity of mixed crystals be predicted from their counterparts? A case study of Bi1 xSbx 2Te3 topological insulators

The behavior of ternary mixed crystals or solid solutions and its correlation with the properties of their binary constituents is of fundamental interest. Due to their unique potential for application in future information technology, mixed crystals of topological insulators with the spin locked, gapless states on their surfaces attract huge attention of physicists, chemists and material scientists. Bi1 amp; 8722;xSbx 2Te3 solid solutions are among the best candidates for spintronic applications since the bulk carrier concentration can be tuned by varying x to obtain truly bulk insulating samples, where the topological surface states largely contribute to the transport and the realization of the surface quantum Hall effect. As this ternary compound will be evidently used in the form of thin film devices its chemical stability is an important practical issue. Based on the atomic resolution HAADF TEM and EDX data together with the XPS results obtained both ex situ and in situ, we propose an atomistic picture of the mixed crystal reactivity compared to that of its binary constituents. We find that the surface reactivity is determined by the probability of oxygen attack on the Te Sb bonds, which is directly proportional to the number of Te atoms bonded to at least one Sb atom. The oxidation mechanism includes formation of an amorphous antimony oxide at the very surface due to Sb diffusion from the first two quintuple layers, electron tunneling from the Fermi level of the crystal to oxygen, oxygen ion diffusion to the crystal, and finally, slow Te oxidation to the 4 oxidation state. The oxide layer thickness is limited by the electron transport, and the overall process resembles the Cabrera Mott mechanism in metals. These observations are critical not only for current understanding of the chemical reactivity of complex crystals, but also to improve the performance of future spintronic devices based on topological material