The prevalence of Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications leads to an increasing focus on the design and optimization of sensor nodes. Battery lifetime and associated costs of battery replacement often limits the long term operation and viability of sensor nodes. RF wireless energy harvesting on the other hand can be appealing since...
This study evaluates four policy options to secure the water supply needed for wetland conservation in Qixinghe—a national wetland nature reserve in China—using four criteria: cost effectiveness, probability of success in achieving the water-saving goal, political feasibility, and farmer acceptance. This multi-criteria analysis framework reveals the ecological, economic, and socio-political...
In this study we investigated the role of astragaloside IV (AS-IV), one of the major active constituents purified from the Chinese
medicinal herb Astragalus membranaceus, in LPS-induced acute inflammatory responses in mice in vivo and examined possible
underlying mechanisms. Mice were assigned to four groups: vehicle-treated control animals; AS-IV-treated animals...
Existing pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are mostly based on petrochemicals. In this study, a novel PSA based on a renewable material, methyl oleate, was prepared and characterized. Methyl oleate was first epoxidized to form epoxidized methyl oleate that was subsequently hydrolyzed and acidified to form epoxidized oleic acid (EOA) which...
Numerous studies have shown that some nanomaterials are highly toxic to aquatic organisms and can potentially disrupt overall community health; however, current methods to evaluate the nanomaterials environmental impacts rarely consider the environmental realism or provide sufficient detail on the impact at the community level. Here we demonstrate three approaches...
Most of existing commercial unsaturated polyester (UPE) resins are typically composed of a UPE and a high amount of highly volatile, flammable, and toxic styrene. The emission of hazardous styrene in the handling of the UPE resins and the preparation and use of fiber-reinforced UPE composites poses severe hazards to...
An enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 2-cyclo-hexene-1-one and azomethine ylide generated in situ from isatin and amino ester was developed by employing proline sulfonamide as the catalyst. Consequently, novel polycyclic spirooxindole scaffolds with three contiguous stereocenters were prepared in high yield (up to 95%) with excellent diastereo- (> 20:1 dr) and...
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as energy storage devices play an important role in all aspects of our life. The increasing energy demand of the society requires LIBs with higher energy density and better performance. We here develop a new and easy-to-scaleup sol-gel method to coat a surface protection layer on commercial...
Combined analyses of deep tow magnetic anomalies and International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 349 cores show that initial seafloor spreading started around 33 Ma in the northeastern South China Sea (SCS), but varied slightly by 1-2 Myr along the northern continent-ocean boundary (COB). A southward ridge jump of ∼20 km...
Background: Since whole genome sequences of rice were made publically accessible, the number of articles on new rice genes has increased remarkably. The Committee on Gene Symbolization, Nomenclature and Linkage (CGSNL) of the Rice Genetics Cooperative published the gene nomenclature system for rice and encouraged researchers to follow the rules...