mlsa-iai-msu-lab/ru_sci_bench_zho_cite_reranking huggingface dataset:
Uncertainty in crossing time of 2 °C warming threshold over China

The 2 °C warming target has been used widely in global and regional climate change research. Previous studies have shown large uncertainties in the time when surface air temperature(SAT) change over China will reach 2 °C relative to the pre-industrial era. To understand the uncertainties,we analyzed the projected SAT in the twenty-first century using 40 state-of-the-art climate models under two Representative Concentration Pathways(RCP4.5 and RCP8.5)from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5.The 2 °C threshold-crossing time(TCT) of SAT averaged across China was around 2033 and 2029 for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. Considering a ±1r range of intermodel SAT change, the upper and lower bounds of the 2 °C TCT could differ by about 25 years or even more. Uncertainty in the projected SAT and the warming rate around the TCT are the two main factors responsible for the TCT uncertainty. The former is determined by the climate sensitivity represented by the global mean surface temperature response. About 45 % of the intermodel variance of the projected 2 °C TCT for averaged SAT over China can be explained by climate sensitivity across the models, which is contributed mainly by central and southern China. In a climate more sensitive to CO2 forcing, stronger greenhouse effect, less stratus cloud over the East Asian monsoon region,and less snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau result in increased downward longwave radiation, increased shortwave radiation, and decreased shortwave radiation reflected by the surface, respectively, all of which may advance the TCT.
Enhancing the stability and activity by anchoring Pt nanoparticles between the layers of etched montmorillonite for oxygen reduction reaction

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are recognized as potential environmentally friendly power sources owing to their high energy conversion efficiency and low pollutant emissions [1–4]. However, the insufficient electrocatalytic durability of Pt cathode catalysts remains one of the major obstacles for their wide applications [5–8]. The Pt cathode catalyst is predominantly operated under harsh potential fluctuations, particularly during startup and shut-down cycles where the electrode potential can locally reach values up to 1.5 V [1, 6, 9, 10]. At such a high potential, both the corrosion of carbon support and the dissolution of Pt followed by particle growth due to Ostwald ripening inevitably occur, leading to the degradation of catalytic performance [9, 11, 12]. To address this issue, the modification of the interaction between Pt NPs and carbon materials by decorating Pt NP surfaces with molecules or tuning the chemical and physical properties of the carbon supports have been developed. These approaches are proved to be efficient in suppressing the agglomeration and migration of Pt NPs [9, 13–18]. However, to meet the commercial requirement in stability at low Pt loading, further improvement is still needed and remains great challenges for the catalysis of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
Which type of forest management provides most ecosystem services?

Background: Forest ecosystems are increasingly seen as multi-functional production systems, which should provide,besides timber and economic benefits, also other ecosystem services related to biological diversity, recreational uses and environmental functions of forests. This study analyzed the performance of even-aged rotation forest management(RFM)continuous cover forestry(CCF) and any-aged forestry(AAF) in the production of ecosystem services. AAF al ows both even-aged and uneven-aged management schedules. The ecosystem services included in the analyses were net present value, volume of harvested timber, cowberry and bilberry yields, scenic value of the forest, carbon balance and suitability of the forest to Siberian jay.Methods: Data envelopment analysis was used to derive numerical efficiency ratios for the three management systems.Efficiency ratio is the sum of weighted outputs(ecosystem services) divided by the sum of weighted inputs. The linear programing model proposed by Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes was used to derive the weights for calculating efficiency scores for the silvicultural systems.Results and conclusions: CCF provided more ecosystem services than RFM, and CCF was more efficient than RFM and AAF in the production of ecosystem services. Multi-objective management provided more ecosystem services(except harvested timber) than single-objective management that maximized economic profitability. The use of low discount rate(resulting in low cutting level and high growing stock volume) led to better supply of most ecosystems services than the use of high discount rate. RFM where NPV was maximized with high discount rate led to particularly poor provision of most ecosystem services. In CCF the provision of ecosystem services was less sensitive to changes in discount rate and management objective than in RFM.
Charcoal kiln sites, associated landscape attributes and historic forest conditions:DTM-based investigations in Hesse(Germany)

Background: An examination of the distribution of ancient charcoal kiln sites in the forest landscape seems to be worthwhile, since general trends in the selection of suitable kiln site locations in the past might become obvious. In this way forest landscape elements with a more intense usage by charcoal burning can be identified. By doing this, we can expect to gain information on the former condition and tree species composition of woodland. Investigations on the spatial distribution of charcoal kiln sites in relation to landscape attributes are sparse, however, probably due to the high on-site mapping effort. The outstanding suitability of Li DAR-derived digital terrain models(DTMs) for the detection of charcoal kiln sites has been recently proved. Hence, DTM-based surveys of charcoal kiln sites represent a promising attempt to fill this research gap.Methods: Based on DTM-based surveys, we analyzed the spatial distribution of charcoal kiln sites in two forest landscapes in the German federal state of Hesse: Reinhardswald and Kel erwald-Edersee National Park. In doing so, we considered the landscape attibutes "tree species composition", "water supply status", "nutrient supply status", "soil complex classes", "altitude", "exposition", and "inclination".Results: We found that charcoal kiln sites were established preferably on hil side locations that provided optimal growing and regeneration conditions for European beech(Fagus sylvatica) due to their acidic brown soils and sufficient water supply. These results are in line with instructions for the selection of appropriate kiln site locations, found in literature from the 18 th to the 19 th century.Conclusions: We conclude that there were well-stocked, beech-dominated deciduous forest stands in northern Hesse before 1800, particularly at poorly accessible hillside locations. These large stocks of beech wood were utilized by the governments of the different Hessian territories through the establishment of ironworks and hammer mills.Our argumentation is well in line with findings which underline that not all Hessian forests were overexploited in the18 th century. Frequently repeated complaints about "wood shortage" seemed to be more a political instrument than reality, not only in Hesse, but all over Europe. Consequently, a differentiated assessment of woodland conditions in proto-industrial times is strictly advised, even if contemporary sources draw a dark picture of the historic situation.
Developing a tool for nurses to assess risk of infection in pediatric oncology patients in China: a modified Delphi study

Infections are identified as the most common preventable cause of death in pediatric oncology patients. Assessing and stratifying risk of infections are essential to prevent infection in these patients. To date, no tool can fulfill this demand in China. This study aimed to develop a nursing work-based and Chinese-specific tool for pediatric nurses to assess risk of infection in oncology patients. This research was a modified Delphi study. Based on a literature review, a 37-item questionnaire rating on a 0-5 scale was developed. Twenty-four experts from 8 hospitals in 6 provinces of China were consulted for three rounds. Consensus for each item in the first round was defined as: the rating mean was > 3 and the coefficient of variation (CV) was < 0.5. Consensus for each item in the second round was defined as CV < 0.3. Consensus among experts was defined as: P value of Kendall's coefficient of concordance (W) < 0.05. After three rounds of consultation, a two-part tool was developed: the Immune Status Scale (ISS) and the Checklist of Risk Factors of Infection (CRFI). There were 5 items in the ISS and 14 in the CRFI. Based on the ISS score, nurses could stratify children into the low-risk and high-risk groups. For high-risk children, nurses should screen risk factors of infection every day by the CRFI, and twice weekly for low-risk children. Further study is needed to verify this tool's efficacy.
New family of Dirac and Weyl semimetals in XAuTe (X = Na, K, Rb) ternary honeycomb compounds

We propose a new family of 3D Dirac semimetals based on XAuTe (X = K, Na, Rb) ternary honeycomb compounds, determined based on first-principles calculations, which are shown to be topological Dirac semimetals in which the Dirac points are induced by band inversion. Dirac points with four-fold degeneracy that are protected by C_3 rotation symmetry and located on the Γ-A high-symmetry path are found. Through spatial-inversion symmetry breaking, a K(Au_(0.5) Hg_(0.5))(Te_(0.5)As_(0.5)) superlattice structure composed of KHgAs and KAuTe compounds is proven to be a Weyl semimetal with type-II Weyl points, which connect electronand hole-like bands. In this superlattice structure, the six pairs of Weyl nodes are distributed along the K-Γ high-symmetry path on the k_z = 0 plane. Our research expands the family of topological Dirac and type-II Weyl semimetals.
An area method for visualizing heat-transfer imperfection of a heat exchanger network in terms of temperature–heat-flow-rate diagrams

The identification of the imperfection originating from finite-temperature-difference heat transfer is an indispensable step for both the performance analysis and the better design of a heat exchanger network(HEN) with the aim of energy saving. This study develops a convenient area method for visualizing the heat-transfer imperfection of a HEN in terms of temperature–heat flow diagrams( T-Q diagrams) by combining the composite curves that have already been used in pinch analysis and the recently developed entransy analysis. It is shown that the area between the hot and cold composite curves and the hot and cold utility lines on a T-Q diagram is just equal to the total entransy dissipation rate during the multi-stream heat transfer process occurred in a HEN, and this area can be used to graphically represent the total heat-transfer imperfection of the HEN. The increase in heat recovery or decrease in energy requirements with decreasing the minimum temperature difference, ΔTmin, of a HEN can then be attributed to a lower entransy dissipation rate, quantitatively represented by the decrease of the area between the composite curves and the utility lines. In addition, the differences between the T-Q diagram and the pre-existing energy level–enthalpy flow diagram(Ω-H diagram) in the roles of visualizing process imperfection and designing HENs are discussed.
Entransy dissipation/loss-based optimization of two-stage organic Rankine cycle(TSORC) with R245fa for geothermal power generation

Based on organic Rankine cycle(ORC), the two-stage evaporation strategy is adopted to replace the single-stage evaporation to improve the system performance. In order to evaluate the temperature matching of the two-stage evaporation, a theoretical optimization model was established to optimize the two stage organic Rankine cycle(TSORC) based on the entransy theory and thermodynamics, with the ratio of the entransy dissipation rate of the TSORC to that of the ORC as the objective function. This paper aims to illuminate the improving degree of the system performance of the TSORC. The results show that the TSORC enhances the average evaporating temperature, thereby reducing the entransy dissipation rate in the evaporator and the total entransy dissipation rate. The maximal net power output is proportional to the entransy loss rate and inversely proportional to the entransy dissipation rate. However, compared with the ORC, the TSORC can output more power but requires a higher total thermal conductance. Moreover, there exists an optimal intermediate geothermal water temperature(IGWT) to maximize the net power output of the TSORC. The TSORC can be considered in engineering applications.
Progress of entransy analysis on the air-conditioning system in buildings

It is of great importance to improve the energy performance of the air-conditioning system for building energy conversation. Entransy provides a novel perspective to investigate the losses existing in the air-conditioning system. The progress of entransy analysis in the air-conditioning system is comprehensively investigated in the present study. Firstly missions and characteristics of the air-conditioning system are analyzed with emphasis on heat or mass transfer process. It is found that reducing the temperature difference, i.e. reducing the entransy dissipation helps to improve the performance. Entransy dissipations and thermal resistances of typical transfer processes in the air-conditioning system are presented. Characteristics of sensible heat transfer process and coupled heat and mass transfer processes are researched in terms of entransy dissipation analysis. Reasons leading to entransy dissipation are also clarified with the help of unmatched coefficient ξ. Principles for reducing the entransy dissipation and constructing a high temperature cooling system are summarized on the basis of case studies in typical handling processes. It’s recommended that reducing mixing process, improving match properties are main approaches to reduce the entransy dissipation. The present analysis is beneficial to casting light on the essence of the air-conditioning system and proposing novel approaches for performance optimization.
A novel technique for probing phase transitions in ferroelectric functional materials: Condensed matter spectroscopy

As relaxor ferroelectric functional materials, their crystal structures depend on temperature, component, electric filed, pressure, and so on, which are important for the applications of sensors, transducers, and actuators. For the case of PbTiO_3-based ferroelectrics Pb(Zn_(1/3)Nb_(2/3))O_3-PbTiO_3, Pb(Mg_(1/3)Nb_(2/3))O_3-PbTiO_3, Pb(In_(1/2)Nb_(1/2))O_3-Pb(Mg_(1/3)Nb_(2/3))O_3-PbTiO_3 and some other crystals, they have been extensively investigated due to the excellent electromechanical and piezoelectric properties. Generally, ferroelectric crystal structure and corresponding phase diagram are detected by temperature-dependent high resolution X-ray diffraction, low frequency dielectric permittivity, and domain structures. In this review, we focus on the novel condensed matter spectroscopy(i.e., spectroscopic ellipsometry, transmittance, photoluminescence spectra as well as Raman spectra), which is nondestructive, noncontact, and sensitive optical techniques for probing symmetries, phase transitions and phase diagrams of ferroelectric crystals. Besides, it can supply some other physical and chemical information for ferroelectric and semiconductor functional materials such as optical band gap, electronic transitions, dielectric functions, optical conductivity, absorption, phonon modes, lattice dynamics as functions of temperature and PT composition.
Light carbon isotope events of foraminifera attributed to methane release from gas hydrates on the continental slope, northeastern South China Sea

In 2013, the China Geological Survey and Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey conducted the second Chinese gas hydrate expedition in the northern South China Sea (SCS) and successfully obtained visible gas hydrate samples. Five of the thirteen drilling sites were cored for further research. In this work, Site GMGS2-08 is selected for the stable isotopic analysis of foraminifera present in the boreholes in order to reveal the carbon isotopic characteristics of the foraminifera and their response to methane release in the gas hydrate geological system. Our results show that the methane content at Site GMGS2-08 is extremely high, with headspace methane concentrations up to 39300 μmol L~(-1). The hydrocarbon δ~(13)C values, ranging from -69.4‰ to -72.3‰ PDB, distinctly indicate biogenic generation. Based on the δD analytical results (-183‰ to -185‰ SMOW), headspace methane is further discriminated to be microbial gas, derived from CO_2 reduction. By isotopic measurement, five light δ~(13)C events are found in the boreholes from Site GMGS2-08, with foraminiferal δ~(13)C values being apparently lower than the normal variation range found in the glacial-interglacial cycles of the SCS. The δ~(13)C values of benthic Uvigerina peregrina are extremely depleted (as low as -15.85‰ PDB), while those of planktonic Globigerinoides ruber reach -5.68‰ PDB. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) studies show that foraminiferal tests have experienced post-depositional alteration, infilled with authigenic carbonate, and the diagenetic mineralization is unlikely to be related to the burial depths. The correlation calculation suggests that the anaerobic oxidation of organic matter has only weak influences on the δ~(13)C composition of benthic foraminifera. This means that the anomalous δ~(13)C depletions are predominantly attributed to the overprinting of secondary carbonates derived from the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Furthermore, the negative δ~(13)C anomalies, coupled with the positive δ~(18)O anomalies observed at Site GMGS2-08, are most likely the critical pieces of evidence for gas hydrate dissociation in the geological history of the study area.
Quantifying the sources of dissolved inorganic carbon within the sulfate-methane transition zone in nearshore sediments of Qi’ao Island, Pearl River Estuary, Southern China

The significance of the various biogeochemical pathways that drive carbon cycling and the relative fractions of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) produced by these reactions within the sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ) are still being debated. Unraveling these processes is important to our understanding of the benthic DIC sources and their contributions to the global carbon cycle. Here, we measure pore water geochemistry (chlorine, sulfate, methane, Ca~(2+), Mg~(2+), DIC and δ~(13)C-DIC) as well as solid geochemistry (sedimentary organic carbon (SOC) and δ~(13)C of SOC) in nearshore sediments from Qi’ao Island in the Pearl River Estuary of the Southern China Sea. Our analysis indicates that SOC originates from the mixing of carbon from terrestrial and marine sources, and that terrestrial materials dominate the net loss of SOC during the degradation of organic matter, especially at sites located near the river outlets. Sulfate reduction via SOC degradation is not appreciable in the upper sediment layer due to conservative mixing-dilution by freshwater. However, below this layer, the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and methanogenesis occur. Within the SMTZ, the δ~(13)C mass balance shows that the proportions of DIC derived from organoclastic SO_4~(2-) reduction (OSR) and AOM are 50.3% to 66.7% and 0.1% to 17.9%, respectively, whereas methanogenesis contributes 17.0% to 43.9%. This study reveals that the upward diffusion of DIC from ongoing methanogenesis significantly influences carbon cycling within the SMTZ in these estuarine sediments. As a result, we suggest that the plots of the ratio of change in sulfate to change in DIC in pore water should be used with caution when discriminating between sulfate reduction pathways in methane-rich sediments.
Recent key developments in isotactic polypropylene in-reactor alloy and in-reactor nanocomposite technology

Alloying and nanocompositing are two most effective techniques by which isotactic polypropylene (iPP), one of the most promising polymers of the 21st century, can be endowed with high performance for ever-demanding high-end applications. Thanks to the continuous advancement of catalyst technology, the technological trend for iPP alloy and nanocomposite fabrication has been projected to be in-reactor synthesis, the performance and economic advantages of which are beyond doubt. In this paper, we review two recent key developments in the iPP in-reactor alloy and in-reactor nanocomposite technology in our laboratory that will have profound influence on the continuing development of the prestigious iPP modification art. The first is the simultaneous EPR (ethylene-propylene random copolymer) cross-linking chemistry for controlling its physical growth pattern during in-reactor alloying, which helps to remove the compositional cap on EPR that so far greatly limits the iPP in-reactor alloying technique. The second is the nanofiller support fabrication strategy for simultaneously controlling both the phase morphology of the nanofiller dispersion and the polymer particle granule morphology of synthesized nanocomposites, which resolves the critical scale-up issue surrounding the iPP in-reactor nanocompositing technique. Based on these new developments, new advancements of iPP materials are envisaged.
Alkoxy substituted benzodithiophene-alt-fluorobenzotriazole copolymer as donor in non-fullerene polymer solar cells

A new benzodithiophene (BDT)-alt-fluorobenzotriazole (FBTA) D-A copolymer J40 was designed and synthesized by introducing 2-octyldodecyloxy side chains on its BDT units, for expanding the family of the BDT- alt-FBTA-based copolymers and investigating the side chain effect on the photovoltaic performance of the polymer in non-fullerene polymer solar cells (PSCs). J40 exhibits complementary absorption spectra and matched electronic energy levels with the n-type organic semiconductor (n-OS) (3,9-bis(2-methylene-(3-(1,1-dicyanomethylene)-indanone))-5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-hexylphenyl)-dithieno[2,3-d:2′,3′-d′]-sindaceno[ 1,2-b:5,6-b′]dithiophene) (ITIC) acceptor, and was used as polymer donor in the non-fullerene PSCs with ITIC as acceptor. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSCs based on J40:ITIC (1:1, w/w) with thermal annealing at 120 °C for 10 min reached 6.48% with a higher open-circuit voltage (V_(oc)) of 0.89 V. The high V_(oc) of the PSCs is benefitted from the lower-lying highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level of J40. Although the photovoltaic performance of the polymer J40 with alkoxy side chain is lower than that of J60 and J61 with alkylthio-thienyl conjugated side chains, the PCE of 6.48% for the J40-based device is still a relatively higher photovoltaic efficiency in the non-fullerene PSCs reported so far. The results indicate that the family of the BDT-alt-FBTA-based D-A copolymers are high performance polymer donor materials for non-fullerene PSCs and the side chain engineering plays an important role in the design of high performance polymer donors in the non-fullerene PSCs.