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Abstract A paper-type colorimetric detector for identifying the degree of alkali ion concentration with the naked eye was fabricated using polydiacetylene/nanoporous rice husk silica (PDA/NP-SiO 2) nanocomposites as a potentially effective, rapid, and facile approach to detect alkali ion in aqueous solution. This study is worth investigating because it has the advantage of visually confirming the alkaline ion in aqueous solution without the aid of other analytical instruments directly at on-site as if pH indicator analysis. The concept of this study is the facile synthetic route of PDA and NP-SiO 2. Nanoporous rice husk silica (NP-SiO 2) with a high specific surface area 450 m2/g was extracted from leached rice husk ash via a sol-gel process and utilized for efficient absorption of alkali ion. PDA was used as a material to differentiate the degree of alkali ion drawing using only the change of color. By compositing these two materials on the surface of filter paper using the spray drying method, the resulting PDA/NP-SiO 2 composites with NP-SiO 2 of the different specific surface areas showed a different change of color indicated by the degree of alkali ions even at a low concentration of less than 122 μm. The composite was further analyzed by UV spectroscopy for a change of color and images for screening depending on the alkali ion concentrations. The color response percentage of the PDA/NP-SiO 2 composites (PDA/449S; S BET 449.9213 m2/g) was 23.39% at 0.122 mM of NH 4 OH. Consequently, the result from this study showed the possibility of sensitively distinguishing the alkali ions ranging from pH 9.86 to pH 11.38 using only the naked eye, brought potential features that can be used as a convenient and facile primary water testing kit in practical applications. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • On-site paper-type colorimetric detector for alkali ion with naked-eye by polydiacetylene-based nanocomposites coated on paper. • Synthesis of polydiacetylene/nanoporous silica (PDA/NP-SiO 2) nanocomposites and coating on paper by sol-gel process and facile spraying. • Enhancement of sensitivity for alkali ion in the range of (pH 9.86 ~ 11.35) in proportion to the specific surface area of NP-SiO 2. • The high CR% to 23.39% at very low alkali ion concentration of 0.122 mM NH 4 OH. • The potential for the paper type colorimetric detector enhanced sensitivity for bacteria or virus by replacing the receptor of PDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The strategies that require minimal resources, eco-friendly and readily available to a researcher are necessary for implementation of pervasive sensors. In this regard, a solvent-free frictional deposition of polymer is utilized to develop a chemiresistive ammonia gas sensor. The sensor was exposed to ammonia gas in the range of 200 ppb to 3.15 ppm concentration. The sensitivity of the sensor was found to be 20.5% ppm−1. The high sensitivity of ammonia sensor can be attributed to the rough surface of the film deposited on the paper. Being an eco-friendly and inexpensive approach, it can be used in the fabrication of maintenance-free disposable conducting polymer-gas sensors. Graphical abstract Fabrication of chemiresistive gas sensor by a solvent-free frictional deposition. Image 10864437 Highlights • Fabricated an ammonia (NH 3) gas sensor by solvent-free frictional deposition of polyaniline (PANI) on paper. • The response of the sensor is linear in the range of 200 ppb to 2 ppm with a sensitivity of 20.5%/ppm. • This approach doesn't require specialized facilities and thus eliminates the requirement of trained personnel and reduces the production cost. • It is solvent-free approach and thus ensures work place safety due to harmful chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Advanced CO 2 sponges were developed from MOF-CNT composites. • Plasma gas treatments were used to control functional groups density across the CNTs. • The MOF crystals growth density was correlated to the density of functional groups. • Short plasma treatments led to the highest CO 2 adsorption capabilities. Abstract In this study, a novel hybrid metal organic framework (MOF) – bucky-paper was developed by seeding crystal growth of Mg-MOF-74 from the surface of carbon nanotube (CNT) mats, called bucky-papers (BP). The seeding density and growth kinetics of the MOF crystals across the CNT-BPs was enhanced through continuous discharge plasma treatments with either O 2 /Ar or NH 3 gas streams. X ray Photo-electron Spectroscopy measurements were used to demonstrate the impact of the plasma treatment on the anchoring of hydroxyl, amine and carbonyl functional groups to the graphitic surfaces, resulting in higher surface wettability and greater MOF seeding densities. CO 2 adsorption isotherms at 25 °C showed a large increase in CO 2 uptake (maximum of 10.70 mmol CO 2 /g) for MOF-CNT-BP samples compared to virgin CNT-BP (0.35 mmol CO 2 /g) or parent Mg-MOF-74 (maximum of 3.13 mmol CO 2 /g). Higher CO 2 adsorption of MOF-CNT-BP sponges were attributed to the synergistic effect between the MOF and CNT due to increased porosity at the interface, better MOF crystal distribution, and enhanced dispersive forces which improve structural integrity of MOF component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mount Washington Observatory Regional Mesonet (MWRM) is a network of 18 remote meteorological monitoring stations (as of 2022), including the Auto Road Vertical Profile (ARVP), located across the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire. Each station measures temperature and relative humidity, with additional variables at many locations. All stations need to withstand the frequent combination of intense cold, high precipitation amounts, icing, and hurricane-force winds in a mountain environment. Due to these challenges, the MWRM employs rugged instrumentation, an innovative radio-communications relay approach, and carefully selected sites that balance ideal measuring environments with station survivability. Data collected from the MWRM are used operationally by forecasters (including Mount Washington Observatory and National Weather Service staff) to validate model guidance, by alpine and climate scientists, by recreationalists accessing conditions in the backcountry, by groups operating on the mountain (Cog Railway, toll Auto Road), and by search and rescue organizations. This paper provides a detailed description of the network, with emphasis on how the challenging climate and terrain of this mountain region impacts sensor selection, site maintenance, and overall operation. Significance Statement: The mountain environment is a heterogeneous landscape, and interactions between the atmosphere and terrain can cause a wide variety of conditions across time and space. Our network of remote stations at different elevations across the White Mountains allows data users to understand how the weather varies spatially across the mountain range where conditions on higher peaks can be drastically, and dangerously, different. Sharing information about the MWRM can help other groups establish networks in similar challenging environments, and broaden our understanding of weather and climate in mountainous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions of higher education to transition and work in ways that were new and innovative. Even though most colleges and universities transitioned to a virtual platform, the issues that students face continued, including sexual violence (SV). For many campus prevention and response professionals, reaching students during the pandemic posed unique challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic began when the project team was 18-months into a 4-year grant to administer and evaluate the efficacy of a SV prevention and response app, uSafeUS®, at 15 4-year colleges. In this paper, we describe the transition of engaging students with the app in traditional inperson settings to remote and hybrid learning settings. The project team, in collaboration with the campus partners, devised new ways to use the app to support victims of SV and their allies, along with campus professionals in their efforts to support students. These efforts included changes to collaboration (e.g., virtual platforms) and student engagement strategies. We describe how the lessons learned from this transition are important for continuing to engage campus communities in SV prevention and response, even as campuses slowly transitioned back to hybrid and in-person activities. The knowledge gained from this transition are attributable to an ongoing and open collaboration between campus practitioners and the project team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political institutions in the United States have become increasingly polarized. This paper asks how gender has been part of party polarization's institutionalization and what consequences gender has on relations of power in increasingly divisive legislative work. Drawing on interviews with 21 New Hampshire state representatives and archival legislative and committee leadership records, I analyze the process and changing meanings of partisanship in the everyday work of the legislature. As this state's moderate conservative caucus disbanded and the Republican Party lost its long‐standing control, more divisive Republican alliances masculinized legislative politics as combative. Meanwhile, the newly competitive Democratic Party began to actively showcase women as party and committee leaders. State representatives' accounts demonstrate the gendered meanings and consequences of party polarization in the legislative workplace beyond what is captured by traditional measures of ideological polarization. These findings show how gender polarization produces new forms of institutionalized political inequalities in the hierarchical legislative workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islands and remote rural communities throughout the USA pay some of the highest costs for electricity and heating fuel in the nation. For areas with such high energy costs, the benefits of energy efficiency can be significant but rural residents face several geographic, financial, and awareness barriers that make it difficult to invest in home energy upgrades. These barriers combine to create a market failure that we call the "rural energy efficiency gap." The existence of the rural efficiency gap is supported by data collected from Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont which indicate that the "energy burden," or percentage of household income spent on energy bills, is 33% higher in rural areas and that participation in residential energy efficiency financing and rebate programs can be significantly lower. The combination of higher energy burdens and greater barriers to participation can lead to inequitable distribution of available resources for energy efficiency, meaning that those who could benefit most from efficiency upgrades are often least able to access them. This work is designed to be a resource for energy efficiency program administrators but may also be of interest to energy efficiency program implementers, policymakers, and regulators. It provides data about the rural energy efficiency gap and identifies barriers to energy efficiency in rural communities. It also highlights strategies that are helping to bridge the gap by making it easier for residents in cold climate, petroleum-dependent states—those with high thermal energy burdens—to increase comfort and safety in their homes while also reducing energy bills. The barriers to rural energy efficiency identified in this paper have been grouped into three categories: geographic barriers, financial barriers, and awareness and access barriers. There are many differences between rural areas across the country, e.g., demographics, utility model and rate structures, energy sources, and consumption patterns. This paper is not intended to suggest that the strategies documented here will necessarily be applicable to all rural areas in the USA [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract H 2 is clean power source, which can be obtained from hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) through electrocatalysis directly. To obtain highly effective electrocatalyst with low price for HER, small Mo 2 C nanoparticles with dimension about 4–6 nm were loaded on rice paper derived nitrogen doped 3D mesoporous carbon matrix with ammonium heptamolybdate as precursor after calcination. The unique 3D mesoporous carbon matrix donates the electrocatalyst large surface as well as high conductivity, which enhances HER activity in great extent. In 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , to obtain the current with density 10 mA cm−2, the electrocatalyst only requires overpotential of 155 mV with Tafel slope merely 73 mV·dec−1. In 1.0 M KOH, these values decrease to 78 mV and 64 mV·dec−1. Moreover, this electrocatalyst also exhibits outstanding stability and its activity keeps stable after 2000 runs 10 h long-time tests. In 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , the H 2 production rate of this electrocatalyst achieves 456 μmol h−1. The faradaic efficiency this electrocatalyst arrives nearly 100% in both acidic and basic conditions. This work introduces a new and efficient strategy to fabricate noble metal free HER electrocatalyst with cheap material as precursor. The simple preparation procedure facilitates the application of this electrocatalyst in HER. Graphical abstract A Mo 2 C based composite electrocatalyst has been fabricated successfully with (NH 4) 6 Mo 7 O 24 ·4H 2 O and rice paper as precursor for HER. Image 1 Highlights • Rice paper was employed as precursor to synthesis composite electrocatalyst. • 3D mesoporous nitrogen doped carbon matrix has been obtained. • The composite electrocatalyst exhibits HER excellent activity. • During H 2 production process, the faradaic efficiency achieves almost 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overarching purpose of this paper was to explore the legal resolution of companion animal custody disputes in the event of a couple's divorce or dissolution of a cohabiting union. I conducted content analysis on court cases throughout the U.S. between 1944 and 2019 and on policies enacted between 2016 and 2019 in Alaska, California, Illinois, and New Hampshire, the only states to date that have implemented legislation stipulating how companion animal custody disputes should be legally resolved. Results indicate that the law is moving away from a legal standard that defines animals as personal property to one concerned with the best interests, well-being, or care of companion animals and the strong emotional attachments of individuals to them. The implications of these court cases and legislation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Surface water quality has weak relationships with spatial configuration metrics. • Sub-watershed is better for land use proportions to explain surface water quality. • 500 m buffer is better for configuration metrics to explain adjacent water quality. • The land use-water quality relationships vary over space. • Poorer water quality leads to less significant land use-water quality correlations. Abstract Characterizing surface water quality is important for water resources management and protection. Numerous studies have addressed the fact that water quality is often impacted by land use, but the relationship between the two remains obscure. This paper explores the spatial dynamics of the relationship between land use and surface water quality and offers new insights into water pollution control practices. A self-organizing map (SOM) method and Pearson correlation testing were adopted to evaluate the associations between land use and surface water quality in Zhejiang Province, China. Selected water quality indicators included: dissolved oxygen (DO), permanganate index (COD Mn), total phosphorus (TP), and ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 –N). All the sampling sites were classified into four groups (Group A, B, C, and D) according to water quality using the SOM approach. Correlations between 16 land use parameters and the four water quality indicators were calculated at both the sub-watershed and 500 m buffer zone scales. The results showed that surface water quality was closely related to percent land use type, but was weakly related to spatial pattern (i.e., configuration) metrics. For percent land use type, the sub-watershed scale appeared to be more important than the 500 m buffer scale when explaining water quality variability. For landscape pattern parameters, buffer zone was superior to the sub-watershed for interpreting adjacent water quality. The correlation analysis for SOM clustered groups showed that land use-water quality relationships varied over space, suggesting that poorer water conditions had less significant correlations. The findings and the method used in this study can help improve water management as well as land use planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A method of vapor oxidation combined with dual-area absorption was developed. • The SO 2 removal efficiency reached 99.3%. • The NO conversion efficiency was up to 96.3%. • The key oxidizing species were determined as HO by ESR. • The main byproducts were determined as (NH 4) 2 SO 3 , NH 4 NO 2 and (NH 4) 2 SO 4 by IC. Abstract This paper developed an integrated method to cooperatively remove SO 2 and NO, then the resources of sulfur and nitrogen in flue gas were recovered. It consisted of three parts: (1) an initial-absorber was used to pre-absorb SO 2 using NH 4 OH; (2) a hybrid catalytic reactor of ultraviolet-heat-H 2 O 2 was used to oxidize NO using hydroxyl radical (HO); (3) a main-absorber was used to absorb the produced NO 2 and other products, with utilizing (NH 4) 2 SO 3. The removal efficiencies of SO 2 and NO reached 99.3% and 96.3% respectively. The suitable concentrations of NH 4 OH, H 2 O 2 and (NH 4) 2 SO 3 were determined as 2.5%wt, 15%wt and 0.5%wt respectively. 110 °C was the critical temperature for H 2 O 2 vaporization. SO 2 and O 2 promoted and inhibited the NO removal, respectively. Ion chromatography (IC) results demonstrated the existing forms and distribution of sulfur- and nitrogen-species in the spent solutions. (NH 4) 2 SO 3 was the main product in the spent NH 4 OH solution. NH 4 NO 2 and (NH 4) 2 SO 4 were the main products in the spent (NH 4) 2 SO 3 solution. But NH 4 NO 2 gradually converted to N 2 /H 2 O or NO 3 −. The electron spin resonance (ESR) results suggested that the hybrid catalysis of ultraviolet-heat was more efficient in producing HO as compared with heat catalysis alone. Finally, the mechanism and application prospective were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel Zn(ii) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) including {[Zn(L)0.5(bimb)]·2H2O·0.5(CH3)2NH}n (1), {[Zn(L)0.5(bimmb)]·2H2O}n (2), {[Zn(L)0.5(btdpe)]·H2O}n (3), and [Zn(L)0.5(bidpe)]n (4) (H4L = 5,5′-(1,4-xylylenediamino) diisophthalic acid, bimb = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)-butane, bimmb = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene, btdpe = 4,4′-bis(4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)diphenyl ether, and bidpe = 4,4′-bis(imidazolyl)diphenyl ether) were solvothermally prepared and further characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis showed that complex 1 features a 3-fold interpenetrated bbf topological framework with the Schläfli symbol of (64·82)(66)2. Complex 2 displayed an unprecedented 2-nodal (4,4)-connected 3D framework with the Schläfli symbol of (86), while complexes 3 and 4 showed 3-nodal (2,4,4)-connected (4·8·104)2(4)2(84·10·12)-unprecedented frameworks. Luminescence studies revealed that complexes 1–4 can be used as high selectivity luminescence sensors for sensing Fe(iii) cations, Cr(vi) anions (Cr2O72− and CrO42−) and nitroaromatic compounds. Furthermore, a possible sensing mechanism was investigated in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Various phosphorus modified small-pore zeolites were successfully synthesized. • Tetraalkylphosphonium cations acted as phosphorus modifying agents. • A degree of phosphorus modification was successfully controlled. • High catalytic activity and durability was obtained in the NH 3 -SCR and ETO processes. Abstract Small-pore zeolites, composed of 8-membered ring windows, exhibit high catalytic performances in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH 3 -SCR) and the light olefin production from methanol or ethanol (MTO or ETO). As these processes are performed at high reaction temperatures in the presence of steam, the enhancement of the thermal and hydrothermal resistances of zeolites is essential for the development of high-performance catalysts that retain their high catalytic activity and selectivity. This paper reports on the syntheses of phosphorus-modified small-pore zeolites with high thermal/hydrothermal stabilities, prepared by the hydrothermal conversion of FAU zeolite in the presence tetraalkylphosphonium cations as both organic structure directing agents and phosphorus modifying agents. Several phosphorus-modified small-pore zeolites with different framework structures and a controlled phosphorus modification degree were synthesized. Moreover, it was found that the phosphorus-modified small-pore zeolites exhibit a good catalytic activity and durability in the NH 3 -SCR and ETO processes even after severe thermal or hydrothermal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model performance of a regional-scale meteorology-chemistry model (NHM-Chem) has been evaluated for the consistent predictions of the chemical, physical, and optical properties of aerosols. These properties are essentially important for the accurate assessment of air quality and health hazards, contamination of land and ocean ecosystems, and regional climate changes due to aerosol-cloud-radiation interaction processes. Currently, three optional methods are available: the five-category non-equilibrium method, the three-category non-equilibrium method, and the bulk equilibrium method. These three methods are suitable for the predictions of regional climate, air quality, and operational forecasts, respectively. In this paper, the simulated aerosol chemical, physical, and optical properties and their consistency were evaluated using various observation data in East Asia. The simulated mass, size, and deposition of SO42- and NH4+ agreed well with the observations, whereas those of NO3-, sea salt, and dust needed improvement. The simulated surface mass concentration (PM10 and PM2.5) and spherical extinction coefficient agreed well with the observations. The simulated aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and dust extinction coefficient were significantly underestimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new surfactant butane-3-heptyloxy-1,2-diamine [CH3(CH2)6OCH(CH3)CH(NH2)CH2NH2; BHLD] was synthesized. It has been innovatively used as a collector in the flotation of quartz. In this present study, the flotation behaviors of quartz with BHLD were investigated by micro-flotation of quartz. It was found that the recovery of the quartz reaches 98.9%. Furthermore, the hydrogen bond lengths were measured, calculated and simulated in a molecular dynamics (MD) model, and the interaction energy between the four species of BHLD and the quartz surface were determined under vacuum and aqueous conditions. Based on the results of the zeta potential measurements, the FT-IR measurements and the MD simulation in this paper, it is revealed that the BHLD collector adsorbs onto the quartz surface through electrostatic adsorption and hydrogen bond adsorption. Furthermore, micro-flotations were studied by the radial distribution function (RDF) and the relative concentrations. The results show that the hydrogen bond adsorption between the O atom on the quartz surface and the H atom in BHLD are the main interactive forces causing BHLD to adsorb onto the quartz surface. The BHLD cations adsorb significantly more strongly than the BHLD molecules, which agrees well with the results of the micro-flotation tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we explore an amino functionalized selenolate unit for the synthesis of new multinuclear compounds with promising interesting properties and potential precursors of semiconductors. We present for the first time the X‐ray crystallographic structure of [Hg(SeC6H4NH2)2]2·diox (1·diox) and its copper(I) derivatives: HgCu2X2(SeC6H4NH2)2(PPh3)4·4diox [X = Br (2·4diox) and I (3·4diox)]. The compounds 1 and 2, 3 can be considered as the starting material and intermediates, respectively, for the synthesis of ternary HgII/Se/CuI nanoclusters. We also provide IR and NMR spectroscopic data and evaluate the optical features of these compounds by difuse reflectance UV/Vis spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents the detailed thermodynamic study to compare the performance of solar energy-assisted ammonia-sodium thiocyanate (NH3-NaSCN) and ammonia-lithium nitrate (NH3-LiNO3) absorption cooling system coupled with various solar collectors. A 15-kW absorption cooling system at evaporator temperature − 5 °C is considered and analyzed integrated with flat plate collectors (FPC), evacuated tube collectors (ETC), flat plate with compound parabolic collector reflectors and parabolic trough collectors (PTC) connected with storage tank to operate the absorption system. In this study, minimum generator (cut-off) temperature to operate the system is evaluated for both NH3-NaSCN and NH3-LiNO3 working pairs. Analysis of variance is performed to find out most critical operational parameters for cut-off temperature. In addition, the influence of heat source temperature on energetic, exergetic and economic aspects of systems is depicted. Exergetic optimization of each system estimated the required optimum collecting area for cooling. Required capital cost of solar collector at optimized area is also evaluated. The performance comparison from thermodynamic perspectives shows that NH3-LiNO3 coupled with ETC is superior to NH3-LiNO3 coupled with FPC. NH3-LiNO3 VARS coupled with PTC exhibited 23% higher value of optimized cost and 0.7% higher value of ηII,system in comparison with NH3-LiNO3 integrated with ETC. Key performance indicator is evaluated for the selection of optimum system. On the basis of key performance indicator, NH3-LiNO3 system coupled with ETC is recommended by considering thermodynamic and economic criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract It is known that some components of the bathing solution can enhance water splitting at depleted solution/ion-exchange membrane interface via protonation/deprotonation reactions with water. In this paper, we show that not only the presence of such components is important, but also a mechanism ensuring their sufficiently high concentration near the membrane surface. A comparative study of the electrochemical behavior of a Neosepta® homogeneous cation-exchange CMX and an anion-exchange AMX membranes (Astom, Japan) in 0.02 M KCl or 0.02 M NH 4 Cl solutions is carried out. The NH 4 +/NH 3 couple is an effective catalyst of water splitting. The deprotonation reaction rate constant of the NH 4 + ions, which limits the rate of water splitting, is about 10 s−1. It is almost 6 orders of magnitude greater than the rate constant for direct water dissociation in free solution. A comprehensive electrochemical characterization of the membrane systems is made: voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, electrochemical impedancemetry, and pH-metry (including color indication of the pH of the membrane internal solution). It is found that the water splitting rate at the interface of the AMX membrane in the NH 4 Cl solution is essentially higher than in the KCl solution. The difference in the rates of this reaction in KCl and NH 4 Cl solutions at the CMX membrane is insignificant. The reason for the weak effect of the NH 4 +/NH 3 couple on the rate of water splitting at the CMX membrane is that the concentration of both NH 4 + and NH 3 species is very low near its surface if the current density is close to or higher than its limiting value. As for the AMX membrane, we show that the ammonia-containing species can be transported to its depleted surface from the enriched solution by back "facilitated" diffusion through the membrane and this transport plays a crucial role in the occurrence of the rapid water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to develop an emission inventory of anthropogenic air pollutants and VOCs species in Sichuan Province. Based on the anthropogenic source activity data collected in different cities of Sichuan Province and the selected emission factors, the 1 km × 1 km gridded atmospheric air pollutant emission inventory of 2015 was developed in the "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches with the GIS technology. The results showed that the emissions of SO2, NOX, CO, PM10, PM2.5, BC, OC, VOCs and NH3 from anthropogenic sources in Sichuan Province were 444.9 kt, 820.0 kt, 3773.1 kt, 1371.6 kt, 537.5 kt, 28.7 kt, 53.1 kt, 923.6 kt and 988.0 kt, respectively. Power plants and other industrial combustion boilers contributed more than 95% of SO2 emission. Transportation, fossil fuel burning and industrial process contributed 54%, 23% and 20% of NOx emission respectively. Industrial process dominated by steel production and building material manufacturing contributed 20% of PM10 emission and 34% of PM2.5 emission. Fugitive dust dominated by road fugitive dust contributed 60% of PM10 emission and 35% of PM2.5 emission respectively. Biomass burning contributed 33% of BC emission and 51% of OC emission respectively. Solvent use of mechanical processing, building decoration, electronic equipment manufacturing, printing and furniture industry contributed 46% of VOCs emission. NH3 mainly came from the emission of agricultural sectors, such as livestock breeding and N-fertilizer application, which contributed 70% and 25% of NH3 emission respectively. The percentage of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatics, OVOCs, halohydrocarbons and other VOCs in the total VOCs emission were 17%, 9%, 2%, 23%, 22%, 4% and 23%, respectively. Ethene, m-xylene, toluene, propene, formaldehyde, o-xylene, 1, 2, 4-trimethyl benzene, 1-butene, p-xylene and ethyl benzene were the most critical chemical species for the formation of ozone pollution in Sichuan Province contributing 50% of the total OFP. Various air pollutants and OFP were mainly distributed in places with the densest population and well-developed agriculture and industry in Sichuan Basin and some areas of Panzhihua. The Chengdu Plain urban agglomerations, represented by Chengdu, Deyang and Mianyang, were the main areas with concentrated pollutant emissions in Sichuan Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interstellar complex organic molecules are thought to be the building blocks of more complex prebiotic compounds. In particular, formamide (or methanimide, NH2CHO), is presented as a multifunctional prebiotic precursor, the starting point of both pre-genetic and pre-metabolic species. NH2CHO is widely observed in different astrophysical media as well as in comets that may have had a crucial role in the delivery of exogenous material to Earth. In star-forming regions, gas phase synthesis of formamide is possible, even if it is still debated. In this paper we present laboratory experiments demonstrating formamide formation in interstellar ice analogues at astronomically relevant temperatures via simultaneous hydrogenation of NO and H2CO, two abundant molecules in star-forming regions. Inclusion of the experimental results in an astrochemical gas-grain model confirms the importance of the investigated solid-state reaction channel leading a high yield of formamide in dark interstellar clouds, and adds a valuable perspective about the way this refractory molecule may have been part of the prebiotic molecular building blocks delivered to the young Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges of the ammonia-based CO2 capture process is how to further reduce the regeneration energy consumption. An antisolvent crystallization method was proposed to strengthen the crystallization process of carbonized ammonia, and heating the crystal products instead of rich solution can greatly reduce renewable energy consumption. The main component of the crystal product was NH4HCO3 analyzed by X-ray diffraction. Therefore, it is very important to study the thermodynamic properties of ammonium bicarbonate in the ternary system of NH3–H2O–ethanol. In this paper, the solubility curves under different temperature and solvent compositions were determined by static method and the mathematical model of solubility was established. The effects of the addition of ammonium carbamate which was produced in the initial stage of the CO2 absorption process and the addition of ammonia on the solubility in ternary system of NH4HCO3–H2O–ethanol were studied. The dissolution heat was also calculated in the end. The research of this article has a guiding significance for the antisolvent method to strengthen the crystallization of carbonized ammonia of ammonia-based carbon capture technology. It is helpful to further strengthen the crystallization process of low carbonized ammonia and improve the crystallization yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, different HgO nanoparticles were synthesized using the hydrothermal method in the absence and presence of tartaric acid, citric acid monohydrate, and succinic acid as low-cost capping agents. FT-IR, XRD, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FE-SEM, and HR-TEM were utilized for the characterization of the synthesized HgO samples. The results proved that the utilized organic acids have a significant effect on producing HgO nanoparticles with different crystallite sizes and energy gaps. The HgO sample, which was synthesized using citric acid monohydrate, was tested for the photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet dye. Complete photocatalytic degradation was obtained using HgO after 180, 120, 80, and 60 min in the presence of UV, sunlight, (sunlight and KBrO3), (sunlight and (NH4)2S2O8), and (sunlight and H2O2), respectively. Also, the pseudo-first-order rate constant of the degradation processes was increased in the following order; (HgO + UV) < (HgO + sunlight) < (HgO + sunlight + KBrO3) < (HgO + sunlight + (NH4)2S2O8) < (HgO + sunlight + H2O2). Besides, the crystal structure and catalytic activity of HgO remained unchanged even after it was reused three times. In addition, atomic absorption spectrophotometer measurements of the liquid phases of all catalytic experiments prove the absence of mercury. Hence, HgO is a stable photocatalyst and can be used repeatedly without sacrificing its degradation ability towards the crystal violet dye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The working process of high-pressure SCR (HP-SCR) system is a kind of catalytic reaction process in the high-pressure exhaust flow, which involves urea decomposition reaction, catalytic reduction reaction of NOx and oxidizing reaction of NH3. Based on existing exhaust conditions of marine low-speed diesel engines, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with the chemical reaction kinetics, the catalytic process, and the working performance of the HP-SCR system were correspondingly studied in this paper. With the optimized scheme of the HP-SCR system, concentration uniformity, linear velocity, and total pressure loss were determined. Likewise, the concentration distribution of NH3, NO, and NO2 were obtained, and the catalytic kinetics of the NOx reduction reaction was analyzed. For the optimized scheme, the concentration of NH3 and the flow uniformity of the catalyst upwind section was met with the design requirements of the HP-SCR system, and the pressure loss of the SCR catalyst layer occupied about 40% of the total pressure loss. With NO, NO2, and NH3 existing together in the exhaust, both the standard SCR reaction and fast SCR reaction are competitive, and they mostly react along the first layer of catalyst. Finally, the weighted average value of the NOx emission behind the HP-SCR system was determined using the ISO8717 test cycle E3, and the value was 2.67 g/kWh, which met with the NOx limited requirement of the IMO Tier III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A novel process for preparing ATM solution using BMED has been developed. • The effects of various factors on the BMED process have been investigated. • The experimental conditions of BMED process have been optimized. • The consumption of nitric acid can be largely decreased during the ATM preparation. Abstract The disadvantage of the traditional ammonium tetramolybdate (ATM) production process is a large consumption of nitric acid. Therefore a novel process for the generation of ammonium isopolymolybdate solution from ammonium molybdate solution using bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) was developed and the batch experiment was carried out in this paper. The BMED process was studied to optimize various parameters such as initial base solution, final electrolytic pH value of salt solution, current density, initial NH 4 HCO 3 concentration of base solution and Mo concentration in feed solution. The average current efficiency was 82%, the power consumption was 0.058 kWh/mol NH 4 + or 0.887 kWh/mol Mo, and the recovery rate of Mo reached 99.4% under the optimal conditions of a current density of 500 A/m2, an initial Mo concentration of 173 g/L in the salt compartment, an initial NH 4 HCO 3 concentration 2.0 mol/L in the base compartment, an initial (NH 4) 2 CO 3 concentration of 1.0 mol/L in the electrode solution and 32 ± 0.5 °C and a final solution pH of 4.0 in the salt compartment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, a novel one-step solution approach is developed to prepare high quality methylammonium lead trihalide (MAPbI 3) perovskite films. This approach employs methanol as additive, which is added into the perovskite precursor solution. The use of methanol can enhance the absorption of MAPbI 3 and significantly improve the coverage of MAPbI 3 on a planar substrate. The fabricated perovskite solar cell (PSC) with methanol exhibits a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared with that without methanol (19.51% vs 16.53%). Furthermore, the power conversion efficiencies of devices with methanol are still high after kept in dark under ambient environment for 30 days. This work provides a method to prepare high quality perovskite films for planar perovskite solar cells with high performance. Graphical abstract A novel one-step solution is reported to prepare perovskite films by adding methanol into the perovskite precursor solution. The use of methanol can enhance the absorption of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 and significantly improve the coverage of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 on a planar substrate. The fabricated perovskite solar cell with methanol exhibits a higher power conversion efficiency compared with that without methanol (19.51% vs 16.53%). Image 1 Highlights • Methanol was employed as additive successfully for perovskite solar cells. • The methanol-treated PSCs showed remarkable efficiency and enhanced stability. • The methanol-treated method can suppress the hysteresis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from publicly available information, this paper addresses the alkali silica reaction management of Seabrook nuclear power plant. The essence of the reaction is first examined, followed by a summary of findings, current and planned work. Then, the authors draw on their experience in ASR to first comment on the current work, and then complete the paper with what they would recommend. An important observation is that ASR constitutes a major challenge to the nuclear industry, and a thorough understanding of the State of the Art is essential before a holistic approach is undertaken. It is neither a simple nor an inexpensive challenge, yet a most critical one that industry and regulators must confront. This paper is only a breach into such an effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Apparent negative activation energy of NH 3 -SCR reaction at high temperature. • NH 3 desorption outpaces the intrinsic SCR reaction rate at elevated temperature. • Novel insights into kinetics of NH 3 -SCR over Cu- and Fe-zeolite catalysts. • SCR reaction rate decelerates at higher temperatures. • The studied Cu-SSZ-13 SCR catalyst never attained true external mass transfer limit. Abstract We demonstrate an unusual behavior of a practically-important reaction of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO x with NH 3 over a state-of-the-art Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst. In response to increasing temperature, the rate of SCR reaction increases initially, attains a maximum around 300 °C, and then declines, resulting in a negative apparent activation energy at higher temperatures. This behavior has never been previously reported because the side reaction of NH 3 oxidation obfuscated the kinetic analysis of SCR reaction at high temperatures. We were able to discover this phenomenon by performing severe hydrothermal aging of the catalyst that suppressed the NH 3 oxidation activity without a significant change in the SCR activity. Further, we show that the phenomenon is more general and also found in other Cu- and Fe-exchanged zeolite and V 2 O 5 -(WO 3)/TiO 2 catalysts. The behavior is explained based on the fact that the activation energy for NH 3 desorption is higher than that for standard SCR reaction. Therefore, at higher temperatures, the increase in the SCR reaction rate constant with temperature gets outpaced by the decline in the NH 3 coverage, resulting in the overall decline of the reaction rate. One of the implications of the finding is that the studied Cu-SSZ-13 SCR catalyst never operates in a purely external mass transfer limited regime, under the range of conditions relevant to the practical SCR applications. In other words, there is always a certain contribution of slower reaction rate to the performance of the SCR catalyst, even after increasing the reaction rates by increasing catalyst amount, using the "fast" SCR reaction, or operating at elevated temperatures. This has significant consequences for the design of practical SCR catalysts, in particular related to the choices of the active material loading and channel hydraulic diameter, as empirically and analytically demonstrated in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Collabo RATE is a brief patient survey focused on shared decision making. This paper aims to (i) provide insight on facilitators and challenges to implementing a real-time patient survey and (ii) evaluate Collabo RATE scores and response rates across multiple clinical settings with varied patient populations. Method All adult patients at three United States primary care practices were eligible to complete Collabo RATE post-visit. To inform key learnings, we aggregated all mentions of unanticipated decisions, problems and administration errors from field notes and email communications. Mixed-effects logistic regression evaluated the impact of site, clinician, patient age and patient gender on the Collabo RATE score. Results While Collabo RATE score increased only slightly with increasing patient age ( OR 1.018, 95% CI 1.014-1.021), female patient gender was associated with significantly higher Collabo RATE scores ( OR 1.224, 95% CI 1.073-1.397). Clinician also predicts Collabo RATE score (random effect variance 0.146). Site-specific factors such as clinical workflow and checkout procedures play a key role in successful in-clinic implementation and are significantly related to Collabo RATE scores, with Site 3 scoring significantly higher than Site 1 ( OR 1.759, 95% CI 1.216 to 2.545) or Site 2 (z=−2.71, 95% CI −1.114 to −0.178). Discussion This study demonstrates that Collabo RATE can be used in diverse primary care settings. A clinic's workflow plays a crucial role in implementation. Patient experience measurement risks becoming a burden to both patients and administrators. Episodic use of short measurement tools could reduce this burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal estuaries feature spatially and temporally varying sediment dynamics and characteristics. Particularly, the variability of geotechnical sediment parameters is still poorly understood, limiting the prediction of long-term sediment stability and dynamics. This paper presents results from an in situ investigation of surficial sediments (≤50 cm) in a tidal estuary in New Hampshire (USA), using a portable free fall penetrometer. The aim is to investigate variations in sediment strength and pore pressure behavior with regard to sediment type and seabed morphology. The study also provides a detailed analysis of high velocity impact pore pressure data to derive information about sediment type and permeability. The penetrometer was deployed 227 times, and the findings are correlated to 78 sediment samples. Differences in sediment strength and type were found when transitioning from tidal flats to the deeper channels. Finer-grained sediments located predominantly on the tidal flats appeared well consolidated with noticeable and spatially consistent sediment strength (reflected in an estimate of quasi-static bearing capacity qsbc ~10 kPa). Sediments with higher sand content (>75%) showed more variations in strength relating to differences in gradation, and likely represent loose and poorly consolidated sands (qsbc ~10-55 kPa). The rate at which the recorded excess pore pressures approached equilibrium after penetration was classified and related to sediment type. The data indicate that the development of excess pore pressures upon impact and during penetration may provide additional insight into the nature and layering of bed material, such as identifying a desiccated or over-consolidated dilative surficial layer. In summary, with varying sediment grain size distributions, bulk densities and morphology, sediment strength and pore pressure behavior can vary significantly within a tidal estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The US is experiencing an unprecedented opioid overdose epidemic fostered in recent years by regional contamination of the heroin supply with the fentanyl family of synthetic opioids. Since 2011 opioid-related overdose deaths in the East Coast state of Massachusetts have more than tripled, with 75% of the 1374 deaths with an available toxicology positive for fentanyl. Fentanyl is 30-50X more potent than heroin and its presence makes heroin use more unpredictable. A rapid ethnographic assessment was undertaken to understand the perceptions and experiences of people who inject drugs sold as 'heroin' and to observe the drugs and their use.Methods: A team of ethnographers conducted research in northeast Massachusetts and Nashua, New Hampshire in June 2016, performing (n=38) qualitative interviews with persons who use heroin.Results: (1) The composition and appearance of heroin changed in the last four years; (2) heroin is cheaper and more widely available than before; and (3) heroin 'types' have proliferated with several products being sold as 'heroin'. These consisted of two types of heroin (alone), fentanyl (alone), and heroin-fentanyl combinations. In the absence of available toxicological information on retail-level heroin, our research noted a hierarchy of fentanyl discernment methods, with embodied effects considered most reliable in determining fentanyl's presence, followed by taste, solution appearance and powder color. This paper presents a new 'heroin' typology based on users' reports.Conclusion: Massachusetts' heroin has new appearances and is widely adulterated by fentanyl. Persons who use heroin are trying to discern the substances sold as heroin and their preferences for each form vary. The heroin typology presented is inexact but can be validated by correlating users' discernment with drug toxicological testing. If validated, this typology would be a valuable harm reduction tool. Further research on adaptations to heroin adulteration could reduce risks of using heroin and synthetic opioid combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deliberative methods elicit social values and provide a framework for explicit representation of value dimensions that go beyond narrow self-interest; these dimensions are obscured by methods that focus on monetary value. The primary objective of this paper is to explore the reasoning behind people's assessments of the value of ecosystem services in a deliberative context. To do so, we collected quantitative and qualitative data from four workshops of residents in New Hampshire's Great Bay watershed in the Northeastern United States. Quantitative data come from participant surveys and expressed group preferences, while qualitative data were derived from transcripts of the group deliberations. This paper aims to understand the process of social value construction by identifying themes of discussion that affected participants' preferences changes over the course of deliberation. We visualized the dynamic process by which participants develop their preferences over time and developed two metrics using applied thematic analysis to better understand how people talk about themes related to ecosystem service tradeoffs. Our results suggest that preferences were formed mainly from ecological and common good considerations. Policymakers could use this insight to support environmental protection strategies and policies, improve environmental decisions, and better allocate resources among competing objectives. • Deliberative valuation of ecosystem services promotes social learning. • We run four experiments with residents in the Great Bay Estuary in the US state of New Hampshire. • We combined quantitative and qualitative data to understand the deliberative process. • Preferences were formed mainly from ecological and common good considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to estimate the effect of rearing systems (floor and organic) on the chemical composition of meat of laying hens. The tested genotypes were Isa Brown hybrid and dual purpose breed New Hampshire. Based on the results of this research can be concluded that the rearing system, generally, did not caused statistically significant differences in any of the parameters examined chemical composition of meat. On the other hand, the breast meat - white meat and thigh and drumstick - dark meat of New Hampshire genotype had significantly higher fat content compared to the Isa Brown hybrid. It must be noted that in the breast meat reported significant interaction genotype x rearing system. The other parameters of the chemical composition of meat were not significantly different between reared genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive governance has been recognized as an integrative approach for analyzing the social, institutional, ecologic, and economic aspects of decision-making to build resilience against climate change. Although closely aligned with adaptive co-management and ecosystem management, adaptive governance is a distinct framework that explicitly focuses on decentralized decision-making through social processes such as collaborative learning, networking, and the promotion of cross-sectoral partnerships to enhance adaptive capacity. In this paper, we explore an ongoing engagement process for climate change adaptation planning in Exeter, New Hampshire, and its alignment with key principles of adaptive governance. Climate change poses multiple challenges to Exeter, including increased flooding, reduced low flows, water quality degradation, and associated threats to estuarine ecosystems and public health. Engagement strategies include community conversations, workshops, experiential activities, and a community advisory board comprised of different stakeholder representatives (Citizens' Working Group) collaborating with the scientific team on water resources modeling and scenario analysis. We present important lessons about conveying expectations and timeframes of technical modeling to participants, developing multiple forums for interaction between researchers and other stakeholders, and making climate change locally relevant to residents by drawing connections to the community's experiences, cultural memory, values, and upcoming decisions. This study contributes to the literature on adaptive governance and climate change adaptation by evaluating stakeholder involvement in a local institutional setting, an important arena where adaptation decisions must be deliberated. It is also among the first studies to evaluate the ways in which a climate change adaptation stakeholder engagement process aligns with adaptive governance principles, particularly through boundary objects and experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Litterfall sampling in a deciduous forest indicated disturbance effects on leaf abundance. • Decline of sugar maple in this forest preceded the initiation of sampling in 1993. • Decline of canopy American beech was compensated by expansion of understory beech. • Calcium addition probably caused an increase in leaf abundance of sugar maple. Leaf abundance of trees plays a dominant role in energy, water and nutrient flux of forest ecosystems, in defining the habitat structure of entrained biota and in mediating interspecific competition among tree species. We quantified leaf abundance of three dominant tree species (Acer saccharum Marsh.; Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.; Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) for 27 years in mature northern hardwood forest at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA using annual counts of leaves of each species collected in 117 litter traps (0.1 m2, each). We hypothesized that variation in leaf abundance would reflect known disturbance events and canopy dieback episodes. No significant trend in leaf abundance of the three species over 27 years (1993–2019) was observed in seven reference stands despite known canopy dieback of sugar maple and American beech in these stands, indicating that 1) maple decline preceded our sampling interval and 2) expansion of beech understory compensated for canopy dieback caused by beech bark disease. Leaf abundance temporarily declined significantly in response to known disturbances (ice storm, 34 to 47%; late-spring frost, 13 to 16%). Increased leaf abundance, especially for sugar maple (30%), on a watershed where calcium addition restored acidified soils, was probably associated with increased soil pH, Ca availability and decreased Al. The temporal sequence of decline of paper birch at higher elevations following a severe drought in 2002 also was apparent. Leaf abundance based on leaf litterfall in deciduous forests provides a useful indicator of forest ecosystem function and forest health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Higher latitudes regions will witness a high soil NO 3 – production. • Frequent freeze–thaw process may accelerate the soil NO 3 – production. • Soil NO 3 – may reach 18 mg/l concentration during winter only in future. Winter season is characterized by lowering of air temperature and soil temperature, and deceleration of soil nitrogen cycle. Despite low soil temperature, soil NO 3 – is found on the soil surface and in the streams of temperate and higher latitude regions towards the end of winter season. With the rise in global air temperature, the soil temperature is expected to warm up accordingly. Plausible effects of future soil temperature changes in affecting the production and movement of soil NO 3 – within a vertical profile were studied in the present paper. Four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios were considered to estimate the effects of change in air temperature on soil temperature at different depths within a vertical profile and on the soil nitrate status. Since winter season is known to have low to no soil nitrate utilization (due to microbial inactivity and low utilization by biomass), plausible effects of winter warming in the future decades were studied. The occurrence and movement of soil NO 3 – during winter, raises a concern regarding the future warming climate's response. Long-term records from Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA, were used for observation, calibration, and validation purposes. Non-linear relationship between air temperature, soil moisture, soil temperature, and soil NO 3 – status at different soil depths, were assessed using support vector regression (SVR) models. Soil temperature and soil NO 3 – status at different soil depths were predicted using SVR models, under the four different RCP scenarios. The projections under different RCP scenarios suggested - significant production of soil NO 3 – during winter (approx. 18 mg/l by the year 2095 under a "business as usual" scenario), and movement of soil NO 3 – towards soil surface before the beginning of plant-growing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While archaeologists have long understood that thermal and multi-spectral imagery can potentially reveal a wide range of ancient cultural landscape features, only recently have advances in drone and sensor technology enabled us to collect these data at sufficiently high spatial and temporal resolution for archaeological field settings. This paper presents results of a study at the Enfield Shaker Village, New Hampshire (USA), in which we collect a time-series of multi-spectral visible light, near-infrared (NIR), and thermal imagery in order to better understand the optimal contexts and environmental conditions for various sensors. We present new methods to remove noise from imagery and to combine multiple raster datasets in order to improve archaeological feature visibility. Analysis compares results of aerial imaging with ground-penetrating radar and magnetic gradiometry surveys, illustrating the complementary nature of these distinct remote sensing methods. Results demonstrate the value of high-resolution thermal and NIR imagery, as well as of multi-temporal image analysis, for the detection of archaeological features on and below the ground surface, offering an improved set of methods for the integration of these emerging technologies into archaeological field investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selective catalytic reduction and non-selective catalytic reduction (SCR/SNCR) are the most popular de-NOx processes for coal-fired power plant, where the real-time temperature is a significant parameter. A new developed tunable diode laser spectroscopy used for measuring the temperature of ammonia (NH3) in the process of SCR/SNCR influenced by strong exhaust gas matrices CO2 and H2O was presented in this paper. Two lines near 6605 cm−1 were selected, with rather weak temperature dependency and minimal interface from CO2 and H2O according to HITRAN12 database. A homemade heating equipment for high temperature laser spectroscopy measurement was developed based on an ARM microcontroller. The temperature calibration experiments of absorption lines were carried out at variable concentrations under different temperatures. The spectral signals of 2.5%, 3.5% and 4.5% NH3 were observed for validation of the generalization and robustness of the sensor. The calibration and validation experimental results show that the maximum measurement error and global average error of the temperature sensor with the temperature ranging from 453 to 653 K are less than 2% and 1.38%, respectively. It demonstrates that our proposed sensor with high accuracy and linearity, and can be utilized to measure the temperature in SNCR/SCR process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the dependences of the morphology, particle sizes, and compositions of the condensed combustion products (CCP) of modified double-base propellants (1,3,5-trimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) as oxidizer) on the chamber pressure (<35 MPa) and nickel inclusion have been evaluated under a practical rocket motor operation. It has been shown that higher pressure results in smaller average particle sizes of the CCPs. The CCPs of Ni-containing propellants have more diverse morphologies, including spherical particles, large layered structures, and small flakes coated on large particles depending on the pressure. The specific surface area (SSA) of CCPs is in the range of 2.49 to 3.24 m2 g−1 for propellants without nickel are less dependent on the pressure, whereas it is 1.22 to 3.81 Ni-based propellants. The C, N, O, Al, Cu, Pb, and Si are the major elements presented on the surfaces of the CCP particles of both propellants. The compositions of CCPs from Ni-propellant are much more diverse than another one, but only three or four major phases have been found for both propellants under any pressure. The metallic copper is presented in CCPs for both propellants when the chamber pressure is low. The lead salt as the catalyst has been transformed in to Pb(OH)Cl as the most common products of lead-based catalysts with pressure lower than 15 MPa. When pressure is higher than 5 MPa, the nickel-based CCPs has been found to contain one of the following crystalline phases: Pb2Ni(NO2)6, (NH4)2Ni(SO4)2·6H2O, C2H2NiO4·2H2O, and NiO, depending on the pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant reservoirs of elemental nitrogen in protoplanetary disks have not yet been observationally identified. Likely candidates are HCN, NH3, and N2. The relative abundances of these carriers determine the composition of planetesimals as a function of disk radius due to strong differences in their volatility. A significant sequestration of nitrogen in carriers less volatile than N2 is likely required to deliver even small amounts of nitrogen to the Earth and potentially habitable exoplanets. While HCN has been detected in small amounts in inner disks (<10 au), so far only relatively insensitive upper limits on inner disk NH3 have been obtained. We present new Gemini-TEXES high-resolution spectroscopy of the 10.75 μm band of warm NH3, and use two-dimensional radiative transfer modeling to improve previous upper limits by an order of magnitude to at 1 au. These NH3 abundances are significantly lower than those typical for ices in circumstellar envelopes (). We also consistently retrieve the inner disk HCN gas abundances using archival Spitzer spectra, and derive upper limits on the HCN ice abundance in protostellar envelopes using archival ground-based 4.7 μm spectroscopy ([HCNice]/[H2Oice] < 1.5%–9%). We identify the NH3/HCN ratio as an indicator of chemical evolution in the disk, and we use this ratio to suggest that inner disk nitrogen is efficiently converted from NH3 to N2, significantly increasing the volatility of nitrogen in planet-forming regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In order to optimize microstructure and improve the photoelectric properties of planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the Cs+ and SCN− are selected to tune the A-site cation and X-site anion composition of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 material with ABX 3 structure, respectively. The effects of Cs+ and SCN− addition on the microstructure and photoelectric properties of (CH 3 NH 3) 0.9 Cs 0.1 Pb(I 1-x SCN x) 3 perovskite films and the performance of PSCs have been systematically investigated. The value of "x" corresponding to the amount of SCN− has been optimized. At the optimum amount of 0.05, the (CH 3 NH 3) 0.9 Cs 0.1 Pb(I 0.95 SCN 0.05) 3 (Cs 0.1 SCN 0.05) PSC achieve the champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.78% and average PCE of 17.66%, being much higher than that of the reference PSCs. The results indicate that the obtained Cs 0.1 SCN 0.05 perovskite film shows the improved microstructure, better local electric properties, the reduced trap density and suppressed charge recombination, resulting in the promoted carrier transfer and improved performance in PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]