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Diblock copolymers of phenyl methacrylate (PMA) and butyl methacrylate (BMA) were synthesized using dual-wavelength photopolymerization with a bifunctional photoinitiator 2-(4-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanoyl)phenoxy)ethyl(E)-3-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)acrylate (PAA-2959). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macronutrients, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S), are the most basic nutrient elements in the solution for the hydroponic system. However, the current management of hydroponic nutrient solutions usually depends on EC and pH sensors due to the lack of accurate specific macronutrient sensing equipment, which easily leads to nutritional imbalance for the cultivated plant. In this study, the UV-NIR absorption spectroscopy (200–1100 nm) was used to predict six macronutrients in hydroponic solutions; two kinds of single-task learning algorithms, including partial least squares (PLS) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and two kinds of multi-task learning algorithms, including dirty multi-task learning (DMTL) and robust multi-task learning (RMTL), were investigated to develop prediction models and assess capabilities of UV-NIR. The results showed that N and Ca could be quantitatively predicted by UV-NIR with the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) more than 2, K could be qualitatively predicted (1.4 < RPD < 2), and P, Mg, and S could not be successfully predicted (RPD < 1.4); the RMTL algorithm outperformed others for predicting K and Ca benefit from the underlying task relationships with N; and predicting P, Mg, and S were identified as irrelevant (outlier) tasks. Our study provides a potential approach for predicting several macronutrients in hydroponic solutions with UV-NIR, especially using RMTL to improve model prediction ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to shape and pattern conductors has been indispensable for manufacturing functional devices. Herein, a series of patterned liquid metals–based flexible electronics are fabricated via magnetic printing. The combination of highly conductive liquid metals and flexible photosensitive resins endows the as‐prepared devices with excellent electrical and mechanical properties, such as high electric conductivity (8 × 104 S m−1), low detection hysteresis, good durability, and environmental stability. What's more, strain‐insensitive flexible electronics can be achieved by designing the structure of liquid metal‐based conductors, and the resistance is only increased 0.13 Ω at 100% strain. Therefore, the as‐prepared liquid metals‐based flexible electronics have promising applications in stretchable conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's economy has transtioned into the “new normal”, which demands higher standards for energy utilization efficiency. Meanwhile, the spatial distribution of China's energy consumption and economic development exhibits a significant imbalance, complicating efforts to achieve Pareto optimization of regional energy allocation efficiency. Addressing this issue, this study explores the heterogeneity of the factors influencing energy consumption in China from the dual perspectives of economic “new normal” and geographic space, using an exponential decomposition model. The results of the study show that: (1) the inhibitory effect of the energy intensity effect on the growth of regional energy consumption is differentiated, with stronger inhibitory effects in Guangdong, Jiangsu and other provinces, and weaker inhibitory effects in Hainan, Qinghai, and other provinces. Living standard effect on the regional energy consumption growth of the promotion of the effect also has differences, Jiangsu, Shandong and other provinces of the promotion of the effect is stronger, while Hainan, Qinghai, and other provinces of the promotion of the effect is weaker. (2) Population size effect on regional energy consumption growth is not consistent in the direction of the role of Guangdong, Zhejiang, and other provinces have a promotional effect and the role of the effect of the stronger, on the contrary, the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Gansu has an inhibitory effect. (3) In the late stage of the economic “new normal”, the effects of energy intensity effect, living standard effect and population size effect on the growth of energy consumption in the four regions show a weakening trend, and this weakening trend is more obvious in the northeast region. This study expands theoretical research on factors affecting energy consumption and offers practical guidance for China's government to coordinate regional energy allocation under the economic “new normal” and geographical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green manure (GM)–rice–rice rotation is an important management practice for improving soil fertility and rice productivity. The microbiological mechanisms for the increase in grain yield in GM–rice–rice rotation remain unclear. The responses of soil biodiversity, bacterial and fungal communities, and their interactions in the GM–rice–rice rotation were investigated based on two long-term field experiments in Gaoqiao (GQ) and Nanxian (NX) in Hunan Province, south China. Results showed that rice yields were raised by 11.79% and 15.03% under GM in GQ and NX, respectively. GM promoted Shannon diversity and Pielou's evenness and changed the community structures of bacteria and fungi. The co-occurrence network analysis found that the percentages of negative edges were higher in GM (40.79% and 44.32% in GQ and NX, respectively) than those in the corresponding winter fallow (34.86% and 29.13% in GQ and NX, respectively) in the combined bacterial–fungal networks, suggesting more stable microbial community under GM. Moreover, GM had higher percentages of bacterial–fungal and fungal–fungal edges than winter fallow, indicating that GM increased the interaction between bacteria and fungi and fungi play more essential roles in affecting soil processes under GM. The keystone taxa in GM were positively linked with C metabolism-related enzymes and soil multifunctionality, and were important in improving soil fertility and rice productivity. We concluded that the fungal community was more sensitive to GM application than the bacterial community and that keystone taxa had important influences on soil properties and rice productivity in the GM–double-rice cropping system, which can effectively support the sustainable development of the paddy field ecosystem in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]