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To clarify the effects of co-application of rice-straw biochar and different chemical fertilizer doses on paddy soil properties and japonica rice production in Northeast China, a located-field experiment was adopted for 5 years. The treatments included fertilization (F, no biochar, control) and rice-straw biochar (7.5 t ha−1) combined with different chemical fertilizer doses (100, 80, and 60% that of F) set as CF, CF1, and CF2, respectively. The results showed that the co-application of biochar and chemical fertilizers after 5 years reduced soil bulk density, increased soil total and capillary porosity, changed the soil solid–liquid–gas ratio (increased the liquid and air ratios and decreased the solid ratio), and increased soil macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) and aggregate stability, which enhanced the soil’s physical properties. Furthermore, the co-application improved soil pH and soil enzyme activity (urease, sucrase, and catalase) and had a significant effect on promoting SOM. The soil total N, P, and K of CF and CF1, were 23.48, %, 47.28%, and 26.59% and 9.47%, 43.98%, and 27.87% higher than those of the control, respectively. The soil available nutrients (N, P, and K) increased in the co-application treatment, shown as the nitrogen was promoted higher in the early growth of rice, while phosphorus and potassium were exhibited greater in the late growth. With the soil amendment, the co-application increased the rice plant height and dry matter accumulation, and the CF and CF1 increased yields by 5.78 and 2.41%, respectively, by increasing the rice effective panicles, grains per panicle, and seed-setting rate. The co-application of biochar and chemical fertilizers could significantly amend soil properties and reduce chemical fertilizer use to ensure rice–grain output, which has an important significance for enhancing sustainable soil and crop productivity.

Under cold climate conditions, the temporal and spatial distribution of heat and the influencing factors in different layers of Albic soil remain unclear. Here, we aimed to clarify the influence of biochar on soil heat storage capacity and identify approaches to regulate temporal-spatial variations in Albic soil temperature. To this end, we studied thermal properties and temporal-spatial temperature variations in different soil layers (10 and 20 cm) amended with biochar at different concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 g·kg-1) in the key growth stages of soybeans through pot experiments for two years. We found that the daily mean soil temperature and accumulated soil temperature improved during the 2 years in both soil layers after biochar application. Compared with the control, the biochar treatments increased soil daily minimum temperature, decreased soil daily maximum temperature and soil temperature fluctuations, postponed the soil heating stage by 1 h, and caused a "warming effect" during the soil cooling stage. Furthermore, biochar treatment enhanced the thermal capacity of the Albic soil by 7.49% and 6.53% compared with the control in 2016 and 2017, respectively, whereas thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were decreased compared with the control. Biochar regulated the temporal-spatial response variation in temperature of the Albic soil as follows: biochar distributed heat in the Albic soil more uniformly over time by changing the soil temperature cycle and reducing the temperature difference, and heat tended to move downwards into the soil layers by increasing the heat capacity and reducing soil thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity. Biochar changed the heat storage capacity of the Albic soil and temporal-spatial distribution of heat. These changes provide sufficient, timely, and effective heat supply for crop growth. Furthermore, biochar treatments had a significant and positive effect on soil physical properties and crop yield. In cold areas, these changes would help crops resist temperature changes caused by extreme weather and reduce the rate of cold damage. The results of this study have important practical relevance for enriching the basic scientific theory of biochar application.

To verify the feasibility of magnetic field sensing based on the interaction between evanescent waves and magnetic thin films, we have investigated the polar magneto-optical Kerr effect of Co thin films with various thicknesses in the Kretschmann attenuated total reflection configuration. Because of the influence of the glass magneto-optical Faraday rotation under a polar magnetic field, a multi-step experimental method has been applied to measure the intrinsic magneto-optical Kerr rotations of the thin Co films as a function of the angle of incidence. The significant effects of the angle of incidence, the incident light polarization state and the film thickness on the polar Kerr rotations of magnetic thin films in the Kretschmann configuration have been clearly shown in our experiments. The analysis of the experimental results shows that the interaction between the evanescent wave and the magnetic thin film is the main source of the observed magneto-optical activity. On the basis of these results, we discuss the practicalities of the development of a magnetic field sensor based on an evanescent wave penetrating into the magnetic thin film in the Kretschmann configuration, which is a simple structure that is compatible with both optical fibers and integrated optical waveguides.

Carrying out international benchmarking on the operating management of the grid can clear goal orientation, which has targeted to enhance the performances of the power grid. How to do the quantitative assessment on the key indices of grid evaluation and determine the ‘first-class’ of the international power grid has become an important issue which is worthy of study. Under this background, this paper selects eight key indices which are internationally accepted and can comprehensively reflect the overall development and operation of the grid. Furthermore, this paper does the quantitative assessment on each key index by quintile method, optimal segmentation method, and K-means clustering method in order to draw the appropriate “first-class” interval. On this basis, this paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of assessing different types of indices by different methods and determines the top level of each key index to a reference for the grid assessment with the combination of the actual situation.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of repairing osteochondral defects with mosaicplasty and allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation. Methods: BMSCs were harvested from rabbits and maintained in vitro. Cells of third passage were mixed with pluronic F-127. Osteochondral defect animal model was established in rabbits and then this defect was treated with autologous osteochondral grafts with or without BMSCs above mentioned. In control group, pure pluronic F-127 was filled in the defect. Histological and immunohistological examinations were performed for the evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness. Results: Autologous osteochondral grafts in both groups were not loose, prolapsed and depressed. In BMSCs group, the tissues in the “death space” became hyaline cartilage. The arrangement of chondrocytes was regular. At 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks, O’Driscoll and Keeley and Salter score were 14.00±1.00, 16.75±1.71, 18.00±0.82 and 20.50±1.29 in BMSCs group, which were significantly higher than those in control group (7.67±0.58, 8.00±0.82, 8.50±0.58 and 9.00±0.82, respectively). There were significant differences among different treatments (F=584.028, P=0.000), but the score was comparable between right defect and left defect (F=0.028, P=0.890). In addition, significant difference was also observed at different time points (F=18.364, P=0.000), but there was no interaction between time and treatment (F=6.939, P=0.015). Moreover, interactions among other factors were also not observed. Conclusion: Mosaicplasty and BMSC transplantation are effective to repair the osteochondral defects and integrate the “death space”, achieving a better therapeutic efficacy. Thus, this combined therapy may become an effective strategy for the therapy of osteochondral defects.

We investigate the polar magneto-optical Kerr effect as a function of the angle of incidence in Co/Au thin films under attenuated total reflection conditions. An experimental method is proposed to measure the intrinsic polar magneto-optical Kerr rotation of the magnetoplasmonic films while considering the influence of the glass Faraday magneto-optical effect. The experimental results demonstrate that the Kerr rotations of these films are greatly affected by a number of factors including the angle of incidence, the linear polarization of the incident light, and the film thickness. The results suggest that the polar magneto-optical activity is affected by the evanescent fields decaying inside the films; these fields arise not only from attenuated total reflection at the glass/metal interface but also from the surface plasmon polaritons at the metal/air interface. A close relationship between the magneto-optical activity and the electromagnetic field distribution within the magnetoplasmonic films is clearly revealed.