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Lithium-sulfur batteries are very promising next-generation energy storage batteries due to their high theoretical specific capacity. However, the shuttle effect of lithium-sulfur batteries is one of the important bottlenecks that limits its rapid development. Herein, physical and chemical dual adsorption of lithium polysulfides are achieved by designing a novel framework structure consisting of MnO2, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The framework-structure composite of MnO2/rGO/CNTs is prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The framework exhibits a uniform and abundant mesoporous structure (concentrating in ~12 nm). MnO2 is an &alpha, phase structure and the &alpha, MnO2 also has a significant effect on the adsorption of lithium polysulfides. The rGO and CNTs provide a good physical adsorption interaction and good electronic conductivity for the dissolved polysulfides. As a result, the MnO2/rGO/CNTs/S cathode delivered a high initial capacity of 1201 mAh g&minus, 1 at 0.2 C. The average capacities were 916 mAh g&minus, 1, 736 mAh g&minus, 1, and 547 mAh g&minus, 1 at the current densities of 0.5 C, 1 C, and 2 C, respectively. In addition, when tested at 0.5 C, the MnO2/rGO/CNTs/S exhibited a high initial capacity of 1010 mAh g&minus, 1 and achieved 780 mAh g&minus, 1 after 200 cycles, with a low capacity decay rate of 0.11% per cycle. This framework-structure composite provides a simple way to improve the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are very promising next-generation energy storage batteries due to their high theoretical specific capacity. However, the shuttle effect of lithium-sulfur batteries is one of the important bottlenecks that limits its rapid development. Herein, physical and chemical dual adsorption of lithium polysulfides are achieved by designing a novel framework structure consisting of MnO2, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The framework-structure composite of MnO2/rGO/CNTs is prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The framework exhibits a uniform and abundant mesoporous structure (concentrating in ~12 nm). MnO2 is an α phase structure and the α-MnO2 also has a significant effect on the adsorption of lithium polysulfides. The rGO and CNTs provide a good physical adsorption interaction and good electronic conductivity for the dissolved polysulfides. As a result, the MnO2/rGO/CNTs/S cathode delivered a high initial capacity of 1201 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C. The average capacities were 916 mAh g−1, 736 mAh g−1, and 547 mAh g−1 at the current densities of 0.5 C, 1 C, and 2 C, respectively. In addition, when tested at 0.5 C, the MnO2/rGO/CNTs/S exhibited a high initial capacity of 1010 mAh g−1 and achieved 780 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles, with a low capacity decay rate of 0.11% per cycle. This framework-structure composite provides a simple way to improve the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries.

With the urgent requirement for high-performance rechargeable Li-S batteries, besides various carbon materials and metal compounds, lots of conducting polymers have been developed and used as components in Li-S batteries. In this review, the synthesis of polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPy) and polythiophene (PTh) is introduced briefly. Then, the application progress of the three conducting polymers is summarized according to the function in Li-S batteries, including coating layers, conductive hosts, sulfur-containing compounds, separator modifier/functional interlayer, binder and current collector. Finally, according to the current problems of conducting polymers, some practical strategies and potential research directions are put forward. We expect that this review will provide novel design ideas to develop conducting polymer-containing high-performance Li-S batteries.

A glucose-tailored SnO2/TiO2/reduced graphene oxide ternary composite is developed for a high-performance photocatalyst. First, SnO2 nanoparticles are deposited on graphene oxide nanosheets through a hydrolysis method. In the presence of glucose, TiO2 nanoparticles are synthesized on SnO2/graphene oxide via a hydrothermal reaction. The influence of glucose dose and Sn/Ti ratio on the photocatalytic performance is studied. When used for degradation of rhodamine B and methylene blue, the optimized composite exhibits much greater photocatalytic activity than commercial P25, and degrades 97.6% of rhodamine B and 99.5% of methylene blue in 40 min. The superior performance is attributed to the tailored microstructure and SnO2/TiO2 heterojunction. Glucose prevents the stacking of graphene nanosheets, adjusts the pore structure, and results in the formation of a composite with a large specific surface area and hydrophilicity, which facilitates dispersion of the catalyst powder in water and improves the physical adsorption to dye molecules. Furthermore, the SnO2/TiO2 heterojunction formed on conductive reduced graphene oxide reduces the band gap and broadens the light absorption range, reduces the charge transfer resistance, and promotes the separation and transfer of carriers. Moreover, ·O2− and ·OH radicals are both generated for degradation of organic pollutants through a redox reaction. Finally, a possible photodegradation mechanism is proposed as a Z-scheme transfer mode.

To improve the electrochemical performance of potassium citrate-derived carbon nanosheets (PC Cs), herein, bamboo-like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are generated on PC Cs to prepare PC Cs/CNTs composite. Based on interconnected porous PC Cs/CNTs, polyaniline (PANI) is in-situ polymerized to fabricate PC Cs/CNTs/PANI ternary composite. Through adjusting the aniline concentration, the optimized PC Cs/CNTs/PANI composite is obtained at the aniline concentration of 0.4 M. The result confirms that much more N-containing groups are introduced after growing PANI on PC CS/CNTs, and the diameter of PANI-wrapped CNT is about three-time thicker than that of CNT. Served as working electrode in three-electrode system, the optimized PC Cs/CNTs/PANI composite delivers the maximum capacitance of 767 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, with a high capacitance retention of 87.5% for 5000 cycles at 5 A g−1. When assembled in asymmetric supercapacitor by using PC Cs/CNTs/PANI as positive electrode and PC Cs/CNTs as negative electrode, the device exhibits a specific capacitance of 102.5 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, and energy density is 56.9 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 537 W kg−1. Compared to existing carbon/PANI composites, PC Cs/CNTs/PANI composite shows an outstanding electrochemical performance, due to the tailored pore structure of PC Cs/CNTs and the high pseduocapacitance contributed by PANI wrapping layer.

Photocatalysis is a sustainable energy conversion technology for degradation of organic pollutants, while developing high-performance photocatalysts is a major task of photocatalysis. Herein, potassium citrate-derived carbon nanosheets (Cs) are prepared and acted as sacrificial templates for preparing Cs/MnO2 nanosheets arrays, and then thin BiOCl nanosheets are deposited to fabricate Cs/MnO2/BiOCl (Cs/Mn/Bi) composite photocatalyst. Through adjusting the loading amount of BiOCl, the optimized Cs/Mn/Bi-1/1 composite exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity and excellent recycling degradation performance, which degrades 97% of Rhodamine B in 25 min, 98% of Methylene blue in 40 min, and 80% of Tetracycline hydrochloride in 30 min, and the degradation rate constant is 0.129, 0.081 and 0.038 min−1, respectively. Based on electron spin resonance result, ·O2− and ·OH radicals are the reactive species for degradation of organic pollutants, and the photocatalytic mechanism is verified as the Z-scheme transfer mode. The superior photocatalytic performance is attributed to the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction between MnO2 and BiOCl, which narrows the band gap and broadens the light absorption range. Furthermore, conductive carbon layer in composite reduces the charge transfer resistance and accelerates the separation and transfer efficiency of photogenerated carriers.

Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed pathological categories of human lung cancer. Nevertheless, the link between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC01116 and LAD remains poorly investigated. Methods QRT-PCR and western blot were applied for quantifying the expression of RNAs and proteins. Both functional experiments assays in vitro and xenografts model in vivo were implemented for analyzing LINC01116 function in LAD while molecular relationship among RNAs was investigated via mechanism experiments. Results LINC01116 was expressed at an abnormally high level in LAD, which was induced by transcription activator EGR1. LINC01116 depletion restrained proliferation, migration and invasion, yet facilitated apoptosis of LAD cells. MiR-744-5p could bind to LINC01116. MiR-744-5p inhibitor reversed the inhibitory effects of silencing LINC01116 on LAD malignant behaviors. In addition, cell division cycle-associated protein 4 (CDCA4) shared binding sites with miR-744-5p. Silencing LINC01116 elicited decline in CDCA4 mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, CDCA4 up-regulation could counteract the biological effects of LINC01116 knockdown on LAD cells. Conclusion Our data revealed that LINC01116 promoted malignant behaviors of LAD cells by targeting miR-744-5p/CDCA4 axis, implying the theoretical potential of LINC01116 as a novel target for LAD treatment.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most common diagnosed pathological categories of lung cancer. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been manifested to be key regulators in modulating multiple cancers. Nevertheless, the pathologic role of lncRNA WDFY3-AS2 in LUAD remains elusive. The relative messenger RNA and protein levels were assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses, respectively. Colony formation, carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling, wound-healing, and transwell invasion assays were performed to study the underlying role of WDFY3-AS2 in LUAD. Luciferase reporter assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation, RNA pull down, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were conducted to probe into the interactions between relevant genes. WDFY3-AS2 expression was elevated in LUAD and WDFY3-AS2 transcription was activated by transcription factor USF1. Silencing WDFY3-AS2 could suppress cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas accelerate cell apoptosis in LUAD. Molecular mechanism assays revealed that WDFY3-AS2 could bind to miR-491-5p and miR-491-5p inhibition could reverse the inhibitory effect of WDFY3-AS2 silence on LUAD progression. Besides, zinc finger protein 703 (ZNF703) was identified as a downstream target of miR-491-5p and its expression could be upregulated by WDFY3-AS2. Further, rescue assays uncovered that ZNF703 overexpression could restore the suppressive influence of silenced WDFY3-AS2 on LUAD development. USF1-acitvated WDFY3-AS2 promotes LUAD progression via targeting miR-491-5p/ZNF703 axis, suggesting the potential value of WDFY3-AS2 as a novel target for LUAD treatment.

Three-dimensional carbon foam (CF) has been widely employed as a conductive framework for preparing self-supporting supercapacitor electrodes. Herein, based on the spin-drying mechanism of washing machine, a spin-coating method is developed to prepare carbon foam@graphene oxide (CF@GO) composites, in which a special centrifugation tube containing a macroporous shelf is used to separate the foam block and residual GO suspension during centrifugation. The GO fractions in CF@GO composites are controlled easily by tuning the spin speeds. As freestanding electrodes in two-electrode supercapacitors, the CF@GO-4500 (4500 rpm, 1.2 wt% GO) and CF@RGO-1000 electrodes (1000 rpm, 3.2 wt% GO) exhibit the specific capacitances of 159 Fg−1 (258 mF cm−2) and 180 Fg−1 (297 mF cm−2) at 0.5 Ag−1, respectively, which are much higher than those of CF and CF@GO-4 or CF@RGO-4 sample (15.3 wt% GO) prepared by a conventional soaking–freeze-drying method. The results show that a few GO/RGO sheets loading in CF framework exhibit an enhanced electrochemical performance in supercapacitor, rather than filling much GO/RGO.

Energy and resources saving is of significance to sustainable development. In the past decades, heat integrated water allocation networks (HIWANs) have been applied to generate effective strategies for water and energy management in chemical process industries, where large amounts of water and energy are consumed. In this paper, a graphical approach for the synthesis of heat exchanger networks (HENs) in HIWANs has been proposed to reveal the new insights into T–H/H–F diagrams and fully exploit the HEN structure possibilities. Current conceptual design methods for HENs in HIWANs by the original separate systems (T–H diagram) and the matching composite curve (H–F diagram) only generate two special kinds of HEN structures: series and parallel structures. A transformation method is proposed to generate HENs with different structures based on these two tools. Both simplex series or parallel structures and hybrid structures can be obtained via the transformation procedures. Two examples are illustrated to demon...

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review. Tehuantepecer is a strong mountain gap wind traveling through Chivela Pass into eastern Pacific coastin southern Mexico, most commonly between October and February and brings huge impacts on local and surrounding meteorology and oceanography. Gulf of Tehuantepec EXperiment (GOTEX) was conducted in February 2004 to enhance the understanding of the strong offshore gap wind, ocean cooling, vertical circulations and interactions among them. The gap wind event during GOTEX was simulated using the U.S. Navy Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS® ). The simulations are compared and validated with the observations retrieved from several satellites (GOES 10–12, MODIS/Aqua/Terra, TMI, and QuikSCAT) and Airborne EXpendable BathyThermograph (AXBT). The study shows that the gap wind outflow has a fanlike pattern expending from the coast and with a strong diurnal variability. The surface wind stress and cooling along the axis of the gap wind outflow caused intense upwelling and vertical mixing in the upper ocean; both contributed to the cooling of the ocean mixed layer under the gap wind. The cooling pattern of sea surface temperature (SST) also reflects temperature advection by the nearby ocean eddies to have a crescent shape. Two sensitivity experiments were conducted to understand the relative roles of the wind stress and heat flux on the ocean cooling. The control has more cooling right under the gap flow region than either the wind-stress-only or the heat-flux-only experiment. Overall, the wind stress has a slightly larger effect in bringing down the ocean temperature near the surface and plays a more important role in local ocean circulations beneath the mixed layer. The impact of surface heat flux on the ocean is more limited to the top 30 m within the mixed layer and is symmetric to the gap flow region by cooling the ocean under the gap flow region and reducing the warming on both sides. The effect of surface wind stress is to induce more cooling in the mixed layer under the gap wind through upwelling associated with Ekman divergence at the surface. Its effect deeper down is antisymmetric related to the nearby thermocline dome by inducing more upwelling to the east side of the gap flow region and more downwelling on the west side. Diagnostics from the mixed layer heat budget for the control and sensitivity experiments confirm that the surface heat flux has more influence on the broader area and the wind stress has more influence in a deeper region. This research is supported by Office of Naval Research (ONR) through the Department Research Initiative Predictability of Seasonal and Intraseasonal Oscillations (PE061153N). Computational resources were supported in part by a grant of HPC time from the Department of Defense Major Shared Resource Centers, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi.

Cobalt disulfide (CoS2) has been revealed as strong adsorption and activation sites for polar polysulfides, which effectively accelerates the redox reactions of polysulfides in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. As an ideal sulfur host, a three-dimensional (3D) graphene framework is adopted for high-performance Li-S batteries. Considering the special function of the CoS2 nanoparticles and the advantages of a 3D porous graphene framework, a porous CoS2/reduced graphene oxide (CoS2/rGO) binder-free sulfur host is prepared by a bottom-up assembly and hydrothermal treatment. The porous rGO film is stacked by interconnected graphene sheets, and the CoS2 nanoparticles are dispersed on the graphene sheets uniformly, which effectively obstructs the stacking of graphene sheets. As a binder-free sulfur host, the porous CoS2/rGO sulfur host combines the sufficient electron conductivity of the porous rGO framework and the sulfur immobilization interaction of the CoS2 nanoparticles. This host material demonstrates an initial discharge capacity of 993.5 mAh g−1 and a capacity of 806.7 mAh g−1 after 110 cycles at 0.5 C. Both the capacity and cycling stability of the CoS2/rGO cathode were greatly improved over that of rGO. Furthermore, the bottom-up assembly approach provides a novel opportunity for preparing self-supporting graphene-based nanocomposite electrodes.

Sustainability is essential for process industries, as energy and resources are getting scarcer and scarcer. For the past decade, heat integrated water allocation networks (HIWANs) have drawn more and more attention, owing to the efficient utilization of water and energy. In this article, a systematic procedure for the synthesis of heat exchanger networks (HENs) in HIWANs has been proposed. A graphical tool, named heat transfer blocks diagram, is developed to improve the conceptual understanding for the implications of HEN structures in HIWANs. The minimum hot/cold utility consumption can be obtained by analyzing heat surpluses and heat deficits between cold stream and hot stream heat transfer blocks, while heat transfer matching blocks are introduced to deal with the heat exchange matches. Not only simplex series or parallel structures but also hybrid structures can be obtained via this graphical tool. Besides, a heuristic of step by step maximizing the heat load of heat exchangers is presented to guide ...

Water and energy management issues in process industries are generally related to the synthesis of heat integrated water networks (HIWN), because water and energy are inextricably intertwined in process water networks. The aim of this study is to present a novel mathematical programming model for HIWN synthesis problems and develop an efficient solution strategy. This research is an extension of our previous work, where the targeting of heat integrated water-using networks (HIWUN) has been addressed. In this model, wastewater treatment units and multiple contaminants are embedded, and the total annual cost (TAC) is optimized rather than targeting a simplified TAC. What is more, a three-step solution strategy is proposed to guarantee obtaining promising solutions. The freshwater consumption, the relaxed TAC (rTAC), and the TAC are optimized successively. Good initial points for the rigorous HIWN model in the last step can be generated by the minimizing the rTAC. Four examples including two large-scale exam...

In view of the uniform lamellar structure of potassium citrate-derived carbon nanosheets (PC-Cs) and a good dispersion in water, PC-Cs are prepared via high-temperature carbonization method and acted as sacrificial template for reacting with KMnO4 to generate MnO2 nanosheets arrays on both sides of carbon nanosheet. When the mass ratio of PC-Cs/KMnO4 is 1/15, sandwich structured MnO2/PC-Cs/MnO2 composite is obtained. Through the characterization in microstructure, X-ray diffraction spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric curve, the sandwich composite has a thickness of 320 nm, containing 79.9% MnO2 and 20.1% residual carbon. When used in three-electrode supercapacitor, the optimized composite delivers a high capacitance of 397 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, with capacitance retention of 93.1% after cycling for 5000 cycles. An asymmetric supercapacitor is assembled by MnO2/PC-Cs/MnO2 positive electrode and PC-Cs negative electrode, which presents a capacitance of 81.5 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, with no capacitance decay for 5000 cycles, and the energy density is 21.9 W h kg−1 at 143.8 W kg−1. Compared to existing C/MnO2 composites, sandwich composite displays an obvious superiority, due to the high fraction of MnO2 and nanosheets arrays structure. Moreover, residual carbon layer sandwiched between two MnO2 layers reduces the internal resistance, enhances electronic conductivity, further improving the long-term cycling stability.

Porous nickel foam (NF) is often wrapped by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for loading active nanomaterials. To clarify the influence of the dispersion of graphene nanosheets in NF framework on the electrochemical performance, herein, spreading GO nanosheets-coated NF (NF@sGO) is developed via negative pressure immersion method, in which, GO sheets spreading on the macropores adjust the pore structure and enlarge the supporting surface of NF framework. Compared to the NF@rGO prepared by hydrothermal method, NF@sGO scaffold exhibits a high capacitance for the pseudocapacitance contributed by GO. Acting as a porous scaffold for growing NiCo2O4 nanoneedles, the NF@sGO/NiCo2O4 composite delivers a specific capacitance of 2522 F g−1 (1135 C g−1) at 1 A g−1, much higher than that of the control sample NF@rGO/NiCo2O4. To further improve the electrochemical performance of NF@sGO/NiCo2O4, thin NiCo2S4 nanosheets are decorated on NiCo2O4 nanoneedles. Optimized NF@sGO/NiCo2O4/NiCo2S4-0.02 sample delivers a maximum specific capacitance of 2980 F g−1 (1341 C g−1) at 1 A g−1 and a superior long-term cycling stability. The performances of NF@sGO/NiCo2O4 and NF@sGO/NiCo2O4/NiCo2S4-0.02 are both higher than existing composites. The superior electrochemical performance is attributed to the combination of novel NF@sGO scaffold and NiCo2O4 nanoneedles or optimized NiCo2O4/NiCo2S4 hybrid nanostructures. In view of the easy preparation and superior performance, NF@sGO scaffold has a promising prospect for preparing high-performance integrated electrodes.

Heat integrated water allocation networks (HIWAN) is a system where water and energy are highly interconnected. Well arranged nexus between water allocation networks and heat exchanger networks would reduce the water and energy consumption significantly. The aim of this study is to develop a novel mathematical programming model for targeting minimum simplified total annual cost of HIWAN. A new transshipment type of heat exchanger networks (HEN) representation is proposed, with features of stream splitting, stream by-pass, non-isothermal mixing, and isothermal mixing. Constraints are added to follow up on the flowrate consistency when stream splitting or mixing happens. Furthermore, a new formulation is presented to count heat exchanger units. The proposed model is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem. It is much easier to get feasible solutions than mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) problems, especially for large-scale problems. Three examples including an industrial example and a large-scale case are solved by the proposed model. It is shown that the proposed model is suitable for the synthesis of HIWAN, and more importantly, the obtained results are better than literature records.

Atmosphere-ocean interaction, particular the ocean response to strong atmospheric forcing, is a fundamental component of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). In this paper, we examine how model errors in previous Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) events can affect the simulation of subsequent MJO events due to increased errors that develop in the upper-ocean before the MJO initiation stage. Two fully coupled numerical simulations with 45-km and 27-km horizontal resolutions were integrated for a two-month period from November to December 2011 using the Navy’s limited area Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS®). There are three MJO events that occurred subsequently in early November, mid-November, and mid-December during the simulations. The 45-km simulation shows an excessive warming of the SSTs during the suppressed phase that occurs before the initiation of the second MJO event due to erroneously strong surface net heat fluxes. The simulated second MJO event stalls over the Maritime Continent which prevents the recovery of the deep mixed layer and associated barrier layer. Cross-wavelet analysis of solar radiation and SSTs reveals that the diurnal warming is absent during the second suppressed phase after the second MJO event. The mixed layer heat budget indicates that the cooling is primarily caused by horizontal advection associated with the stalling of the second MJO event and the cool SSTs fail to initiate the third MJO event. When the horizontal resolution is increased to 27-km, three MJOs are simulated and compare well with observations on multi-month timescales. The higher-resolution simulation of the second MJO event and more-realistic upper-ocean response promote the onset of the third MJO event. Simulations performed with analyzed SSTs indicate that the stalling of the second MJO in the 45-km run is a robust feature, regardless of ocean forcing, while the diurnal cycle analysis indicates that both 45-km and 27-km ocean resolutions respond realistically when provided with realistic atmospheric forcing. Thus, the problem in the 45-km simulation appears to originate in the atmosphere. Additional simulations show that while the details of the simulations are sensitive to small changes in the initial integration time, the large differences between the 45-km and 27-km runs during the suppressed phase in early December are robust.

As a simple and versatile method, diffusion driven Layer-by-Layer assembly (dd-LbL) is developed to assemble graphene oxide (GO) into three-dimensional (3D) structure. The assembled GO macrostructure can be reduced through a hydrothermal treatment and used as a high volumetric capacitance electrode in supercapacitors. In this report we use rGO framework created from dd-LbL as a scaffold for in situ polymerization of aniline within the pores of the framework to form rGO/polyaniline (rGO/PANI) composite. The rGO/PANI composite affords a robust and porous structure, which facilitates electrolyte diffusion and exhibits excellent electrochemical performance as binder-free electrodes in a sandwich-configuration supercapacitor. Combining electric double layer capacitance and pseudo-capacitance, rGO/PANI electrodes exhibit a specific capacitance of 438.8 F g −1 at discharge rate of 5 mA (mass of electrodes were 10.0 mg, 0.5 A g −1 ) in 1 mol L −1 H 2 SO 4 electrolyte; furthermore, the generated PANI nanoparticles in rGO template achieve a higher capacitance of 763 F g −1 . The rGO/PANI composite electrodes also show an improved recyclability, 76.5% of capacitance retains after recycled 2000 times.

Graphite modified carbon materials have become one of the most promising candidate for sodium-ion battery anode materials. However, the low initial coulombic efficiency limits their further commercialization. In this work, composite of nonexpansion reduced graphite oxide and carbon derived from pitch (RGO/C800) has been prepared and characterized. The results show that there is no expansion of graphite oxide (GO) during the preparation, and it has not only a larger layer spacing, but also smaller specific surface area. Electrochemical tests show that RGO/C800 has a high initial discharge capacity of 268.4 mAh g −1 , and a high initial coulombic efficiency of 79.2%.

Electrode materials are crucial for the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. In view of the high specific surface area, high conductivity of graphene nanosheets and the high pseudocapacitance of polyaniline (PANI), the combination of graphene with PANI has become a research hotspot. In this work, we summarize the recent advance on the synthesis of PANI and graphene/PANI composites, and their application in supercapacitors. The synthesis of PANI is the basis of preparing graphene/PANI composites, so we first introduce the synthesis methods of PANI. Then, the advances of two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) graphene/PANI composites are summarized according to the inherent feature of graphene. The 2D composites of pristine graphene and functionalized graphene with PANI are introduced separately; furthermore, the 3D composites are classified into three sections, including flexible graphene/PANI composites, graphene framework based composites, and printable graphene/PANI composites. At last, aiming at solving the current challenges of graphene/PANI composites, we put forward some strategies for preparing high performance graphene/PANI composite electrodes.

In order to control the microstructure of polyaniline (PANI) and enhance the interfacial bonding between PANI and carbon substrate, a vacuum infiltration method is put forward to prepare functionalized carbonized cotton cloth (FCC)@PANI nanocomposite. In which, FCC is soaked in dilute PANI solution under vacuum to achieve the permeation adsorption of PANI. After the solvent evaporated, strawberry-like FCC@PANI nanocomposite is produced with PANI nanoparticles embedding on the fiber surface. This novel method effectively avoids the generation of PANI nanofibers and their agglomeration, even at a high PANI loading of 28.1 wt%. Serving as electrodes in symmetric supercapacitors, the optimum FCC@PANI composite exhibits the maximum capacitance of 350.8 F g−1 (1859.2 mF cm−2) at 1 A g−1, and a high capacitance retention of 90.8% for 10,000 cycles. The performance is much better than that of optimized FCC/PANI composite synthesized by in-situ polymerization, due to the low internal resistance, fast transfer of electrons/ions and a strong interfacial bonding interaction. In view of the easy operation and scalability, vacuum infiltration method has a promising prospect for preparing carbon fabrics/PANI composite electrodes in large scale.

The initial-state sensitivity and interactions between a tropical cyclone and atmospheric equatorial Kelvin waves associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) during the DYNAMO field campaign are explored using adjoint-based tools from the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS). The development of Tropical Cyclone 5 (TC05) coincided with the passage of an equatorial Kelvin wave (KW) and westerly wind burst associated with an MJO that developed in the Indian Ocean in late November 2011. COAMPS 18-h adjoint sensitivities of low-level kinetic energy to changes in initial state winds, temperature, and water vapor are analyzed for both TC05 and the KW to document when the evolution of each system is sensitive to the other. Time series of sensitivity patterns confirm that TC05 and the KW low-level westerlies are sensitive to each other when the KW is to the southwest and south of TC05. While TC05 is not sensitive to the KW after this, the KW low-level westerlies remain sensitive to TC05 until it enters the far eastern Indian Ocean. Vertical profiles of both TC05 and KW sensitivity indicate lower-tropospheric maxima in temperature, wind, and moisture, with KW sensitivity typically 20% smaller than TC05 sensitivity. The magnitude of the sensitivity for both systems is greatest just prior to, and during, their closest proximity. A case study examination reveals that adjoint-based optimal perturbations grow and expand quickly through a dynamic response to decreased static stability. The evolution of moist-only and dry-only initial perturbations illustrates that the moist component is primarily responsible for the initial rapid growth, but that subsequent growth rates are similar.

This paper presented a novel mathematical programming model for the simultaneous optimization of heat integrated water allocation networks featuring parallel heat exchanger network (HEN) structure. In the HEN structure, both freshwater and wastewater can be split freely. This model was suitable for both uniform wastewater treatment and separate wastewater treatment cases. The proposed model was formulated as a MINLP (mixed-integer non-linear programming) problem, making it applicable to large scale problems. The main objective was to minimize the total annual cost. Three literature examples, including a large scale example, were illustrated to demonstrate the applicability of the model. It was shown that the proposed method was as accurate as the literature methods for small scale problems, but performed better for large scale problem applications.

The experimental specific capacity of layered double hydroxide electrode is obviously lower than theoretical specific capacity due to its ordinary interlayer spacing. Therefore, getting large interlayer spacing by big size anions intercalation to improve the capacity performance becomes a important research topic. In addition, the quantitative relationship between interlayer spacing and capacitance performance has not been systematically revealed. In this paper, we synthetised and regulated interlayer spacing of NiMn layered double hydroxide from 7.38 to 28.41 A by adding different moles sodium dodecyl sulphate as intercalating agent using one step method, and defined average interlayer spacing to describe more than one interlayer spacing. We found that specific capacity in three-electrode system and capacitance of hybrid capacitor device are positively correlated with the size of the average interlayer spacing in NiMn layered double hydroxide. The sample with the biggest average interlayer spacing of 28.41 A obtains the highest specific capacity of 325, 290, 258, 209 mA h g−1 under 1, 5, 10, 20 A g−1 current density, respectively. The capacitance of hybrid capacitor device assembled with the biggest average interlayer spacing sample as positive electrode acquire the highest capacitance of 131, 82, 60 F g−1 under 1, 5, 10 A g−1, respectively. In addition, the hybrid capacitor device acquire the highest energy density and better cycle stability. What found can help to design the better structure of LDH for good capacitance performance.

The sewage discharge of industrial wastewater seriously pollutes the water source and rivers, which is very harmful to the health of humans and wildlife. Among those methods for treating wastewater, photocatalysis is a sustainable and environmental-friendly technique for removing the organic pollutants with no secondary pollution. As a popular photocatalyst, graphene/metal oxide nanocomposites have been widely reported in the photocatalysis field. In this review, the recent progress of graphene/metal oxide composites including binary and ternary composites is summarized in detail. The synthesis, microstructure design, and application performance of graphene/TiO2, graphene/ZnO, graphene/SnO2, graphene/WO3, graphene/Fe2O3, and graphene/Cu2O composites are introduced firstly. Then, the synthesis, the selection of components, and the performance of various ternary composites are summarized specifically, including graphene/TiO2-, graphene/ZnO-, graphene/SnO2-, graphene/Cu2O-, graphene/FexOy-, and graphene/Bi-containing ternary composites. At last, the possible research directions of graphene/metal oxide nanocomposites are put forward. The main purpose is to provide a theoretical guidance for designing high-performance graphene/metal oxide photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.

Based on the electrostatic interaction between melamine and graphene oxide (GO), and the solubility of melamine in hot water, we adopt melamine as template and prepare hydrophilic macroporous SnO2/reduced graphene oxide (SnO2/rGO-HM) composite for high efficient photocatalyst. During the preparation process, SnO2 nanoparticles are synthesized on GO sheets by hydrolysis of SnCl4·5H2O, and then melamine particles are added to form clad structure with melamine as cores and SnO2/GO as cladding layers. During subsequent heat annealing, melamine cores protect the oxygen-containing groups on the inner layer of SnO2/GO sheet, which ensures the hydrophilicity of SnO2/rGO composite. Meanwhile, melamine templates are removed by rinsing in hot water to produce macroporous structure. As a template agent, the effect of melamine dosage on the pore structure and photocatalysis performance is discussed. Moreover, the relationship between SnCl4·5H2O dosage and photocatalytic activity of SnO2/rGO-HM composite is also clarified. When used for degradation of Rhodamine B and methylene blue, SnO2/rGO-HM photocatalyst shows a better photocatalytic activity than that of ordinary SnO2/rGO, pure SnO2, and commercial TiO2 photocatalyst (P25). The excellent photodegradation performance is attributed to the hydrophilicity, high specific surface area of composite, and the uniform distribution of SnO2 nanoparticles on rGO sheets.

Among the popular electrochemical energy storage devices, supercapacitors (SCs) have attracted much attention due to their long cycle life, fast charge and discharge, safety, and reliability. Transition metal oxides are one of the most widely used electrode materials in SCs because of the high specific capacitance. Among various transition metal oxides, Co3O4 and related composites are widely reported in SCs electrodes. In this review, we introduce the synthetic methods of Co3O4, including the hydrothermal/solvothermal method, sol−gel method, thermal decomposition, chemical precipitation, electrodeposition, chemical bath deposition, and the template method. The recent progress of Co3O4-containing electrode materials is summarized in detail, involving Co3O4/carbon, Co3O4/conducting polymer, and Co3O4/metal compound composites. Finally, the current challenges and outlook of Co3O4 and Co3O4-containing composites are put forward.

Abundant contaminants in wastewater have a negative effect on the natural environment and ecology. Developing highly efficient photocatalysts is a practical strategy to solve the pollution issue. In order to prevent the agglomeration of SnO2 nanoparticles and improve the photocatalytic efficiency, porous diatomite is adopted as a low-cost template to load monodispersed SnO2 nanoparticles by solvothermal reaction and sintering method. Through adjusting the mass of reactants, monodispersed SnO2 nanoparticles (~15 nm) generated on diatomite template achieved the maximum specific surface area of 23.53 m2&middot, g&minus, 1. When served as a photocatalyst for degrading rhodamine B (Rh B) and methylene blue (MB), the composite presents an excellent photocatalytic activity close to pure SnO2, and achieves the fast degradation of Rh B and MB dye in 60 min. The degradation process is in well agreement with the first-order kinetic equation. The superior photocatalytic performance of SnO2/diatomite composite is attributed to the physical adsorption of dye molecules on the pores of diatomite, and the superior photocatalytic activity of monodispersed SnO2 nanoparticles. Due to the low-cost of diatomite and the easy preparation of SnO2 nanoparticles, the SnO2/diatomite composite has a promising application prospect, even better than pure SnO2 photocatalyst.

A new graphical tool has been developed for the HEN design of WAHEN. An ΔH-F diagram is proposed to deal with the heat exchange matches. Nonisothermal stream mixing and splitting can be achieved by the transformation of stream composite curve in the ΔH-F diagram. A matching composite curve is proposed for the design of HEN with parallel structure. The structure of HEN can be simplified by adjusting the shape of the matching composite curve. Both small scale and large scale examples are illustrated. Results show that the proposed method is as good as the previous methods for small scale problem, while it gets a better result for large scale problem. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2015

A novel intumescent flame-retardant curing agent, poly-( meta-xylylenediamine spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphonate) (PMXSPB), was synthesized and subsequently characterized using Fourier transform infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopies. PMXSPB was used as a flame-retardant and curing agent for preparing halogen-free flame-retarded epoxy (EP) resins. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, flame resistance, and morphology of the char layer of flame-retarded EP resins were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, tensile and Charpy impact tests, limiting oxygen index (LOI), the UL94 test, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results demonstrated that the addition of PMXSPB improved the flame resistance of EP resin composites, and the residual char ratio at 600°C was significantly increased. The flame-retarded composites filling with 3.01% phosphorus content (EP 100 g and PMXSPB 35 g) exhibited the best combination of properties, including a higher glass transition temperature (147°C), good thermal stability, an initial weight loss temperature of 269°C, and an LOI of 31.2. The vertical burning test reached the UL94 V-0 level, and the tensile and impact strengths were 51 MPa and 4.8 kJ m−2, respectively.

A novel intumescent flame retardant poly(phenyl phosphamide spirocyclic diethanolamine borate) (PPSDB) containing phosphorus, nitrogen and boron elements was synthesized successfully with diethanolamine borate and phenylphosphonic dichloride. The structure of PPSDB was characterized by infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transformation and nuclear magnetic resonance. As a new intumescent flame retardant, flame-retardant polyethylene (PE) composites were prepared by filling PPSDB with different fractions. The thermal stability of PPSDB and PE/PPSDB composites was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the thermal stability of PPSDB was fit for processing PE composites, the initial decomposition temperatures of PE/PPSDB composites would decrease and the char residue would increase with an increase in the PPSDB fraction. The PE/PPSDB composite with 30 wt% PPSDB had the best combination properties; the limited oxygen index value was 29.2, and vertical burning reached UL-94 V-0 rating, and the tensile strength and notched impact strength were 18.6 MPa and 12.5 kJ m−2 respectively. The morphologies of char residue showed a lot of protruding structures consisting of smaller protuberances, which prevented the combustion of composite and enhanced anti-dripping property effectively.

Polyurethane (PU)/silicate composite for grouting is prepared using toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI), polyoxypropylene glycol (PPG), and sodium silicate. The reaction temperature change, mechanical properties, flame resistance, thermal performance, chemical structure, and section morphology of PU/silicate composite are investigated by thermometer, mechanical test, LOI and vertical combustion tester, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The addition of sodium silicate reduced the maximum reaction temperature and improved the mechanical properties and flame resistance of PU composite dramatically. The best comprehensive performance can be achieved when the silicate fraction is 25 wt%, tensile strength is 19.3 MPa, bonding strength is 4.1 MPa, compression strength is 47.2 MPa, the value of LOI is 34.1% and reaches UL 94 V-0 rating. Porous structures with microspheres and spherical crevices are observed in the section of PU/silicate composite, which contributes to the low reaction temperature and higher mechanical performance, the reaction equations and possible formation mechanism of the special microspheres reinforced structure are put forward finally. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2322–2327, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers

Combination strategies leveraging chemotherapy and immunotherapy have held the promise as a method to improve benefit to cancer patients. However, most chemotherapies have detrimental effects on immune homeostasis and do not induce immunogenic cell death. The positive phase III trial of pemetrexed/carboplatin with the PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab in NSCLC (Keynote-189) lead to the first chemotherapy/immunotherapy combination ever approved. While this suggests a positive interaction between pemetrexed-based chemotherapy and PD-1 therapy, the underlying mechanism is unknown. Therefore, it is important to understand the role of pemetrexed in modulating antitumor immune response to assure application of this therapy to the appropriate patients. To characterize the effects of pemetrexed on intra-tumor immune response, murine tumor models which were sensitive to pemetrexed and known to be sensitive to PD-L1, were treated with pemetrexed with or without carboplatin, or anti-mouse PD-L1. In MC38 tumors, pemetrexed monotherapy demonstrated a trend towards an increased frequency of intra-tumor leukocytes that was accompanied by immune-related gene expression changes indicative of enhanced T cell infiltration and/or activation. Gene expression induced by pemetrexed was largely unaffected by carboplatin. Treatment of both MC38 and Colon26 tumor cells in vitro with pemetrexed induced release of HMGB1, indicative of immunogenic cell death. Although proliferation of primary human T cells was slightly reduced by pemetrexed, at clinically relevant concentrations, treatment lead to an enhanced T cell activation phenotype, including upregulation of multiple interferon gamma-induced genes, and increased mitochondrial respiration. This correlated with improved antigen specific in vitro cytotoxic activity of OT-1 TCR transgenic CD8 T cells when treated with pemetrexed during priming with OVA peptide. Treatment with pemetrexed and PD-L1 demonstrated a combination benefit compared to either monotherapy in both tumor models. Pathway Analysis of gene expression data revealed that improved antigen presentation, enhanced T cell and cytokine signaling and an engagement of CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity during the combination. This correlated with upregulation of MHC-I & II on monocytes, macrophages and tumor cells, suggesting increased immune priming. Accordingly, treatment with S1P1R antagonist (FTY720, preventing T cell LN egress) after initiation of therapy resulted in a loss of combination efficacy. This data suggests that pemetrexed promotes intra-tumor T cell-mediated immune response through immunogenic tumor cell death and increased activation and metabolic fitness of T cells. The combination of these effects results in enhanced T cell function leading to an improved anti-tumor efficacy in combination with PD-L1 antibody Citation Format: David A. Schaer, Nelusha Amaladas, Zhao Hai Lu, Erik Rasmussen, Andreas Sonyi, Darin Chin, Andrew Capen, Yanxia Li, Catalina Meyer, Bonita Jones, Xiaodong Hong, Shuang Luo, Carmine Carpenito, Kenneth Roth, Alexander Nikolayev, Bo Tan, Manisha Brahmachary, Krishna Chodavarapu, Frank Charles Dorsey, Jason Manro, Thompson Doman, Greg Donoho, David Surguladze, Gerald Hall, Sandaruwan Geeganage, Michael Kalos, Ruslan Novosiadly. The folate pathway inhibitor pemetrexed pleiotropically enhances effects of cancer immunotherapy via immunogenic tumor cell death and T cell-intrinsic mechanisms [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3945.

The solvent annealing induced two-dimensional ordering in poly(styrene–ethylene/butylenes–styrene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer sub-monolayer films with a thickness of 16 nm equaling half of the bulk domain thickness l0 was investigated by time-resolved ex-situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cyclohexane, a selective solvent for majority poly(ethylene/butylenes) block was used. The detailed pathway information on the ordering of highly regular hexagonal spheres was obtained by repeatedly taking images of the same marked area on the sample surface after ex-situ annealing treatments. Two different ordering mechanisms were observed under two different solvent annealing conditions: 1) under a well-sealed environment with a slow cyclohexane evaporation rate, poorly-ordered short cylinders first break into spheres, then the evolution of spherical phase takes place to gradually improve the orderliness of spheres, and finally well-ordered hexagonal spheres are formed; 2) under a poorly-sealed environment with a fast cyclohexane evaporation rate, “holes” and “islands” are instantaneously formed on the sample surface first, and then the surface gradually get even annihilating hole and island areas. Within the hole areas, the transition from short cylinders to hexagonal spheres takes place via a not well-defined microphase separation structure, while in the island areas, the transitions between cylinders and spheres take place to improve the orderliness of cylinders, and finally the enough-ordered cylinders transform into hex-spheres.

The relationship between upper-ocean variability and the Madden-Julian Oscillation in extended-range simulations is examined using the Navy's noil-hydrostatic COAMPS regional modeling system in a two-way coupled mode for the Dynamics of the Madden Julian Oscillation field experiment period (DYNAMO) during November to December 2011. Results show the simulation better captures the initiation, propagation and characteristics of the MJOs when the model horizontal resolution is increased from 45 km to 27 km. Variation of SST in time is in phase with surface heat flux, in which SST warms (cools) during the suppressed (active) phase through strong downward (upward) heat flux. Barrier layers that exist during the suppressed phase and erod during the active phase are consistent between the observation and the 27-km run. The extended-range simulations simulate the propagation of oceanic dowuwelling equatorial Rossby waves, which provide favorable conditions for convective activity for initiation of the MJO. The model simulations are also able to capture the diurnal warming during the suppressed phase.

A coupled ocean–atmosphere mesoscale ensemble prediction system has been developed by the Naval Research Laboratory. This paper describes the components and implementation of the system and presents baseline results from coupled ensemble simulations for two tropical cyclones. The system is designed to take into account major sources of uncertainty in: (1) non-deterministic dynamics, (2) model error, and (3) initial states. The purpose of the system is to provide mesoscale ensemble forecasts for use in probabilistic products, such as reliability and frequency of occurrence, and in risk management applications. The system components include COAMPS® (Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System) and NCOM (Navy Coastal Ocean Model) for atmosphere and ocean forecasting and NAVDAS (NRL Atmospheric Variational Data Assimilation System) and NCODA (Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation) for atmosphere and ocean data assimilation. NAVDAS and NCODA are 3D-variational (3DVAR) analysis schemes. The ensembles are generated using separate applications of the Ensemble Transform (ET) technique in both the atmosphere (for moving or non-moving nests) and the ocean. The atmospheric ET is computed using wind, temperature, and moisture variables, while the oceanographic ET is derived from ocean current, temperature, and salinity variables. Estimates of analysis error covariance, which is used as a constraint in the ET, are provided by the ocean and atmosphere 3DVAR assimilation systems. The newly developed system has been successfully tested for a variety of configurations, including differing model resolution, number of members, forecast length, and moving and fixed nest options. Results from relatively coarse resolution (∼27-km) ensemble simulations of Hurricanes Hanna and Ike demonstrate that the ensemble can provide valuable uncertainty information about the storm track and intensity, though the ensemble mean provides only a small amount of improved predictive skill compared to the deterministic control member.

This paper examines the sensitivity of short-term forecasts of the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) and rainfall to sea surface temperature (SST) uncertainty using the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS). A comparison of analyzed SSTs with satellite observations of SST indicates that SST analysis errors are particularly pronounced on horizontal scales from 100 to 200 km, similar to the mesoscale eddy scales in the Kuroshio region. Since significant oceanic variations occur on these scales, it is of interest to examine the effects of representing this small-scale uncertainty with random, scale-dependent perturbations. An SST ensemble perturbation generation technique is used here that enables temporal and spatial correlations to be controlled and produces initial SST fields comparable to satellite observations. The atmospheric model develops large uncertainty in the Korea and Japan area due to the fluctuation in the horizontal pressure gradient caused by the location of the WNPSH. This, in turn, increases the variance of the low-level jet (LLJ) over southeast China, resulting in large differences in the moist transport flux from the tropical ocean and subsequent rainfall. Validation using bin-mean statistics shows that the ensemble forecast with the perturbed SST better distinguishes large forecast error variance from small forecast error variance. The results suggest that using the SST perturbation as a proxy for the ocean ensemble in a coupled atmosphere and ocean ensemble system is feasible and computationally efficient.

Present mobile devices, transportation tools, and renewable energy technologies are more dependent on newly developed battery chemistries than ever before. Intrinsic properties, such as safety, high energy density, and cheapness, are the main objectives of rechargeable batteries that have driven their overall technological progress over the past several decades. Unfortunately, it is extremely hard to achieve all these merits simultaneously at present. Alternatively, exploration of the most suitable batteries to meet the specific requirements of an individual application tends to be a more reasonable and easier choice now and in the near future. Based on this concept, here, a range of promising alternatives to lithium-sulfur batteries that are constructed with non-Li metal anodes (e.g., Na, K, Mg, Ca, and Al) and sulfur cathodes are discussed. The systems governed by these new chemistries offer high versatility in meeting the specific requirements of various applications, which is directly linked with the broad choice in battery chemistries, materials, and systems. Herein, the operating principles, materials, and remaining issues for each targeted battery characteristics are comprehensively reviewed. By doing so, it is hoped that their design strategies are illustrated and light is shed on the future exploration of new metal-sulfur batteries and advanced materials.

As many properties of polymer thin films critically depend on their thickness, a convenient and cost-effective method for precise measurement of film thickness in a wide range is highly desirable. Here, we present a method which enables polymer film thickness, ranging from nanometer to micrometer scale, to be facilely determined by measuring the height of an artificially created film step on smooth substrates with atomic force microscopy (AFM). Three polymeric films (polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene) films), spin-coated on either mica or quartz substrate with thickness ranging from 5.7 nm to 4.4 µm, were employed to demonstrate the procedure and feasibility of our method. The proposed method is particularly suitable for thicker polymer films, thus complementing the traditional AFM ‘tip-scratch’ method which is generally limited to polymer films of no more than 100 nm thickness. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The morphology evolution of poly(styrene−ethylene/butylene−styrene) monolayer thin films upon “annealing” in the vapor of cyclohexane, a selective solvent for majority poly(ethylene/butylene) block, was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The pathway information on the two-dimensional ordering from poorly ordered short cylinders, to aligned long cylinders, and then to well-ordered hexagonal spheres was revealed by repeatedly taking images of the same marked area of 2 × 2 μm2 on the sample surface after ex-situ annealing treatments. It was found that the whole ordering process consists of (1) the cyclic transitions between poorly ordered cylinders and semidisordered phase via poorly ordered spheres, during which the orderliness of cylinders gradually improves, and (2) the pinching-off from enough-ordered cylinders into hex-spheres. It was noticed that part of the ordering takes place in the way of nucleation and growth, but it seems that the remaining part of ordering involves spinodal and decom...

The unsteady-state process of deep-water convection in the Gulf of Lion has been observed and investigated in recent decades. However, the mechanisms of the uncertainty and irregularity of the deep-water convection in this region have not yet been fully understood. In this study, the effects of time variation of the surface buoyancy flux on the formation of the deep-water convection are examined. Numerical simulations using the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS®) with the NRL Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) as an oceanic component were conducted for the period from October 1998 to September 2000 to cover two winters, 1998–1999 and 1999–2000, over the Gulf of Lion region. The results show large differences in the deep-water convection between the two winters, even though the total surface heat fluxes during the two winter seasons are similar. The differences are related to the time variation of the surface buoyancy flux that causes large differences in the preconditioning and mixing stages of the convection.

Triple-doped (Yb3+/Er3+/Tm3+) KMnF3 nanocubes with uniform sizes of 250 nm were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route using the oleic acid as the capping agent. It was found that these nanocubes can simultaneously exhibited four-color (blue, green, red and NIR) upconversion emissions under a single 980 nm near-infrared (NIR) laser excitation, which should have potential multicolor in vivo imaging applications. Specifically, the red (660 nm) and NIR (800 nm) peaks, known as two “optical windows” for imaging biological tissues, were strong. The spectral and pump analyses indicated the two-photon processes were responsible for the both red and NIR emissions.

Numerical investigation of Hurricane Gilbert (1988) effect on the Loop Current warm core eddy (WCE) in the Gulf of Mexico is performed using the Modular Ocean Model version 2 (MOM2). Results show that the storm-induced maximum sea surface temperature (SST) decrease in Gilbert’s wake is over 2.5°C, as compared with the 3.5°C cooling in the absence of the WCE. The near-inertial oscillation in the wake reduces significantly in an along-track direction with the presence of the WCE. This effect is also reflected between the mixed layer and the thermocline, where the current directions are reversed with the upper layer. After two inertial periods (IP), the current reversal is much less obvious. In addition, it is demonstrated that Hurricane Gilbert wind stress increases the current speed of the WCE by approximate 133%. With the forcing of Gilbert, the simulated translation direction and speed of the WCE towards the Mexican coast are closer to the observed (42% more accurate in distance and 78% more accurate in direction) compared with the simulation without the Gilbert forcing. The simulated ocean response to Gilbert generally agrees with the recent observations in Hurricane Fabian.

Typically, data assimilation systems have been developed separately for the atmosphere and ocean. However, there is increasing evidence that suggests that the atmosphere and ocean data assimilation systems should be combined. To fully account for these observed interactions as well as to anticipate the discovery of a host of other ways in which the ocean and atmosphere modify each other, NRL has undertaken the development of the Couple Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS). The goal of this modeling project is to gain predictive skill in simulating the ocean and atmosphere at high resolution on time-scales of hours to several days. Significant questions exist as to how tightly coupled the atmosphere and ocean data assimilation systems must be, and over what types of atmospheric and ocean conditions this coupling is important. The purpose of this paper is to provided a description of the status of COAMPS and present recent results.

Hurricane Opal (1995) experienced a rapid, unexpected intensification in the Gulf of Mexico that coincided with its encounter with a warm core ring (WCR). The relative positions of Opal and the WCR and the timing of the intensification indicate strong air–sea interactions between the tropical cyclone and the ocean. To study the mutual response of Opal and the Gulf of Mexico, a coupled model is used consisting of a nonhydrostatic atmospheric component of the Naval Research Laboratory’s Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS), and the hydrostatic Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory’s Modular Ocean Model version 2 (MOM 2). The coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere components of the model are accomplished by conservation of heat, salt, momentum, as well as the sensible and latent heat fluxes at the air–sea interface. The atmospheric model has two nests with spatial resolutions of 0.6° and 0.2°. The ocean model has a uniform resolution of 0.2°. The oceanic model domain ...

This research looked at the role of sign obtrusiveness and complexity in the perception and evaluation of urban signscapes. It obtained independent scores for features of 19 signscapes. One group of 30 persons judged physical features of 19 color photographs of retail sign scenes. One opportunity sample of 56 persons sorted the scenes into groups and then scored the groups for preference. A random cluster sample of 50 persons sorted the scenes for preference and rated each scene on several evaluative scales. From the two Q-sorts, the authors derived similarity scores between scenes and used them in a nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis to find the dimensions of perception. Sign obtrusiveness related to Dimensions 1 and 2, and sign complexity related at a marginally significant level to Dimension 4. The study also looked at the relation of these two variables to preference. It found preference associated with reductions in sign obtrusiveness.

—The Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) is used to investigate the mutual response of a tropical squall line and the ocean. Simulated squall line compares well with the observations, and consists of counterrotating vortices, and has a bow shape bulge toward the leading edge. In addition to these features, which are also shown in the previous numerical simulations, the unique results from the coupled simulation indicate that the air–sea interaction processes within the squall line are important. They affect both the atmosphere and the ocean locally. Simulated upper ocean displays significant response to the squall line with upwelling and baroclinicity. Depth of the ocean mixed layer in the coupled simulation becomes modified due to feedback processes. Ocean temperature acts as a destabilizing factor, and the salinity as a stabilizing factor. Surface turbulent fluxes from the coupled simulation are about 10% less than that of the uncoupled simulation. The SST in the coupled simulation decreases by about 0.21°C. Predicted squall line in the coupled simulation is weaker as compared to the uncoupled simulation. This is reflected in terms of differences in surface fluxes, cloud water, rain water and vertical velocities between the two simulations.

An ocean adaptive sampling algorithm, derived from the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (ETKF) technique, is illustrated in this Chapter using the glider observations collected during the Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network (AOSN) II field campaign. This algorithm can rapidly obtain the prediction error covariance matrix associated with a particular deployment of the observation and quickly assess the ability of a large number of future feasible sequences of observations to reduce the forecast error variance. The uncertainty in atmospheric forcing is represented by using a time-shift technique to generate a forcing ensemble from a single deterministic atmospheric forecast. The uncertainty in the ocean initial condition is provided by using the Ensemble Transform (ET) technique, which ensures that the ocean ensemble is consistent with estimates of the analysis error variance. The ocean ensemble forecast is set up for a 72 h forecast with a 24 h update cycle for the ocean data assimilation. Results from the atmospheric forcing perturbation and ET ocean ensemble mean are examined and discussed. Measurements of the ability of the ETKF to predict 24–48 h ocean forecast error variance reductions over the Monterey Bay due to the additional glider observations are displayed and discussed using the signal variance, signal variance summary map, and signal variance summary bar charts, respectively.