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Oscillating body wave energy converter (OBWEC) is an essential way to exploit wave energy. Existing OBWECs with a single degree of freedom (DOF) suffer from a low energy conversion ratio. Although this power generation limit of OBWECs can be alleviated by increasing DOF, for the multi-DOF OBWEC, specific structure design guidelines, accurate energy conversion modeling and economic cost-related performance analysis at the conceptual design stage are still missing. To address this gap, this study proposes a novel parallel configuration WEC (PCWEC) with the idea of combining the advantages of multi-DOF OBWEC and parallel structure. The PCWEC energy conversion model is established under irregular wave states. Furthermore, we propose an energy cost-efficiency indicator and perform the performance comparison analysis and simulation experiments. Compared with typical OBWECs, results validate that the proposed PCWEC has the following advantages: (i) a significant power generation increase under the same device scale, (ii) greater optimal output power by power take-off control, and (iii) higher energy cost-efficiency under changing wave states. Such a novel PCWEC design concept improves the current OBWEC's power generation performance and application prospect and offers certain guidance for the future commercial development of OBWECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein report a facile two‐pot method to prepare a series of the two‐dimensional Ni(OH)2 nanocrystals with varied surface structures via the in‐situ surface transformation derived from Nickel metal‐organic framework (Ni‐MOF) in KOH solution at room temperature. The Ni(OH)2 obtained at the KOH concentration of 0.25 M displayed superior performance among the samples in terms of activities and stability. Further investigation proves that the enhanced urea oxidation reaction (UOR) activities can be ascribed to the cooperation of the larger electrochemical surface area, a faster electronic transfer speed, and a lower transfer resistance on the surface. These findings provide a new route for the rational design and synthesis of advanced electrocatalysts with relatively lower energy consumption that aims to be large‐scale synthesized and utilized in clean energy conversion and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and efficient catalyst-free and oxidant-free tandem aza-Mannich/cyclization/aromatization reaction of C,N-cyclic azomethine imines with enamides has been developed. This practical one-step protocol enables a simple and environmentally friendly route toward the straightforward synthesis of highly substituted 5,6-dihydropyrazolo[5,1-a]isoquinolines. Different types of enamides and enamines, especially enamides derived from marketed drugs as well as bioactive molecules, are suitable substrates. CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist could be synthesized efficiently based on this methodology, illustrating that this would be a practical strategy to synthesize valuable structural motifs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with quintic higher-order nonlinearity and higher-order dispersion effects, we investigate the dynamics of bright soliton in power-law nonlinear medium with quintic-order nonlinearity. Via the F-expansion method, we derived the typical bright soliton solution of such system and show the system's power-law characteristics of the derived bright soliton evolution graphically. Meanwhile, we show the stability of the bright soliton for the power-law system under the system's appropriate practical parametric setting. The theoretical results derived in this work can be used to guide the experimental observation of the dynamic behavior of solitons in higher-order nonlinear power-law systems with higher-order dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an improved filtering operator based on the first-order derivative Gaussian filtering operator. As the defocus distance decreases, the edges of an image transition from being smooth to sharp. Using the operator proposed in this study, a parameter can be obtained to quantify the degree of edge sharpness, where a smaller value indicates sharper edges. By using the characteristic, we can judge whether the object is near the focal plane. Combining this information, we proposed two focus method. Both of them can avoid the problem of the hill climbing algorithm locating at local extremum points and one of them can locate the watershed between "coarse search" and "fine search" before the sharpness value crosses the peak value, so as to realize the transition from "coarse search" to "fine search" before crossing the peak value and improve focusing efficiency. This is different from previous passive focusing strategies. The final experiment shows that the proposed solutions in this paper is effective. However, the methods proposed in this study are only applicable to incoherent optical microscopy imaging systems and are not suitable for coherent light source microscopy imaging systems. Besides, the prerequisite for the successful implementation of the two proposed focusing strategies in this study is that the target exhibits sharp edges when it is within the focal plane. • A sharpness measurement parameter with a lower bound. • An autofocus strategy for microscope without repeated motion. • An autofocus strategy is more stable than and similar time-consuming to hill-climbed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of local repair to damaged concrete lining in an operational tunnel, in which a local repairing countermeasure is proposed and adopted in practical implementation. The countermeasure consisted of grouting cavities with cement slurry and installing a ribbed ring reinforcement in the damaged part of the concrete lining. The field investigation and numerical analysis demonstrate the concrete lining damage is primarily induced by the field-observed construction deficiency of small-size cavities around surrounding rocks. The implemented treatment work demonstrates that the employed countermeasure is capable of local repair of the damaged concrete lining induced by the aforementioned construction deficiency of small-size cavities around surrounding rocks, which can provide the design basis for similar treatment work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the shrinkage behavior of strain‐hardening cementitious composite (SHCC), which focuses on the influences of varied ingredients in mix proportions and curing condition. The experimental results confirm that the shrinkage strains of SHCC are obviously influenced by the investigated ingredients of SHCC, in which expansion agent can induce expansion strain for nominally reducing the shrinkage strains of SHCC, the shrinkage strains of SHCC's matrix are decreased with increasing fiber volume content and water‐to‐binder ratio, whereas those are increased with increasing silica‐fume‐to‐binder ratio. Moreover, the curing condition has significant influence for the shrinkage behavior of SHCC, and water curing can significantly reduce the shrinkage strains. This work provides experimental foundations for shrinkage behavior of SHCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kunitz-like protease inhibitors (KTIs) have been identified to play critical roles in insect defense, but evidence for their involvement in drought stress is sparse. The aim of this study was to identify and functionally characterize a Kunitz-like protease inhibitor, GsKTI , from the wild soybean (Glycine soja) variety ED059. Expression patterns suggest that drought stress and insect herbivory may induce GsKTI transcript levels. Transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing GsKTI have been shown to exhibit enhanced drought tolerance by regulating the ABA signaling pathway and increasing xylem cell number. Transgenic Arabidopsis leaves overexpressing GsKTI interfered with insect digestion and thus had a negative effect on the growth of Helicoverpa armigera. It is concluded that GsKTI increases resistance to drought stress and insect attack in transgenic Arabidopsis lines. • This study identifies and characterizes the GsKTI gene from the strongly cotton bollworm-resistant wild soybean ED059. • The study investigated the subcellular localization and expression pattern of GsKTI in response to various stresses. • The study found that GsKTI positively regulates drought and cotton bollworm resistance in Arabidopsis. • The GsKTI overexpression Arabidopsis results in insect resistance by severely impairing the immune system of cotton bollworm larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Fouling and pore wetting phenomenon were analyzed in VMD concentration process. • Five types of solution were tested as feed to simulate the foulant/wetting systems. • The critical concentration factor was found different for various feeds. • Composite membranes presented much better performance than original membrane. Abstract Membrane fouling and pore wetting are the key problems affecting the separation performance of membrane distillation (MD). They can become more severe with increasing the operation time, which will have a negative impact on heat and mass transfers. In this paper, solutions containing CaCO 3 , humid acid (HA), and/or silica sols (SiO 2) were used as the feed with different Hyflon AD/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite membranes for vacuum membrane distillation (VMD). The evolutions of flux and salt rejection during the concentration process were examined, and the membranes with different properties were compared. The results showed that the original membrane was more prone to be fouled and wetted even at low concentration factors. In the single-component systems, CaCO 3 impacts the membrane performance most severely. With the hybrid component solutions, the flux declines for the composite membranes were lower than that of the original membrane. Compared with the single-component systems, the practical situation is more likely close to the hybrid-component system where fouling and wetting were easier to happen. Overall, the composite membranes showed enhanced fouling and wetting resistance and maintained stable salt rejections. Particularly, the composite membrane with smaller pore sizes (M-40L) performed best among all the membranes, suggesting its high potential for practical VMD applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical micro/nanostructures manifest attractive prospects for photocatalytic application. Nevertheless, large-scale hierarchical micro/nanostructures for industrial application with facile, low-cost and eco-friendly routes remain difficult. Herein, nanowire-assembled hierarchical CuO microspheres (HCMAW) are synthesized for the first time by CO32− ions induced synthesis route. The time-dependent SEM images reveal that the growth mechanism for HCMAW is the well-known Ostwald ripening with self-assembly. The specific surface area of the HCMAW is 7.265 m2 g−1, which is higher than that of hierarchical CuO microspheres assembled with nanosheets (HCMAS) (4.952 m2 g−1) prepared by direct self-assembly scheme without the introduction of CO32− ions. Meanwhile, the HCMAW possess strong light absorption around a broadband wavelength from 300 nm to 800 nm. As a result, the photodegradation activity test demonstrates that the HCMAW shows the degradation efficiency of 98.8% for rhodamine B (RhB) under white light irradiation for 30 min in the presence of H2O2 higher than those of HCMAS (66.3%) and commercial CuO (48.3%) under the same condition, which is one of the highest reported till date related to CuO nanomaterials for the degradation of RhB. The novel HCMAW synthesized by the ion-induced protocol is worth being generalized to more assembled hierarchical micro/nanostructures for versatile applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract It is rather important to not only obtain the better detection efficiency for metal ions, but also investigate the change of sensitivity and detection limit in the simultaneous detection. Herein, a novel type of room temperature ion liquid (RTIL)/γ-AlOOH/Fe(OH) 3 composite was prepared. Both the individual and simultaneous determination of Hg(II) and Cu(II) were examined by the composite electrode. The electrode exhibited the lowest limits of detection (LODs) of 0.5 and 0.3 nM for Hg(II) and Cu(II) in simultaneous determination, the highest sensitivities of 64.5 and 65.9 μA/μM, respectively, and the shortest response time. Both Hg(II) and Cu(II) films electroplated on the surface of composite were used to further analyze change of sensitivity and LOD, respectively. The thickness of films influenced the sensitivity and LOD. The proposed electrode was also performed the analysis of soil sample. The analytic method in this study could open up an avenue for the analysis and detection of metal ions, and provide a reference of electrochemical sensor based on metal films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mining industries, the process combining ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) is often used for wastewater treatment, but RO brine discharge is a big issue. Membrane distillation (MD) has been proposed to solve this problem by significantly increasing the water recovery ratio, and recovering minerals. However, membranes with high hydrophobicity targeting for MD, particularly for vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) are still scarce. Hyflon AD is a novel candidate for fabricating membranes for MD. In this paper, the effects of membrane fabrication parameters, such as coating time, heat treatment and pre-filling were investigated and optimized. Membrane morphology, mechanical properties and VMD performance of the composite membranes were tested. The results showed that the hydrophobicity and elongation at break of the membrane were significantly improved after coating. The coating polymer concentration, coating time, heat treatment temperature and heat treatment time for the membrane coated by Hyflon AD40L and Hyflon AD40H, respectively were optimized. Monovalent alcohols can be excellent pre-filling agents to improve membrane performance. Separation performance of the membrane coated by Hyflon AD40H was better than that of the one coated by Hyflon AD40L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Observational studies have suggested an association between frozen shoulder (FS) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, due to challenges in establishing a temporal sequence, the causal relationship between these two conditions remains elusive. This study, based on aggregated data from large-scale population-wide genome-wide association studies (GWAS), investigates the genetic causality between FS and CTS. Methods: Initially, a series of quality control measures were employed to select single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) closely associated with the exposure factors. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was utilized to examine the genetic causality between FS and CTS, employing methods including Inverse-Variance Weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, Weighted Median, Simple Mode, and Weighted Mode approaches. Subsequently, sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the MR analysis results. Results: IVW analysis results indicate a positive causal relationship between CTS and FS (p < 0.05, OR > 1), while a negative causal relationship between the two conditions was not observed. Heterogeneity tests suggest minimal heterogeneity in our IVW analysis results (p > 0.05). Multivariable MR testing also indicates no pleiotropy in our IVW analysis (p > 0.05), and stepwise exclusion tests demonstrate the reliability and stability of the MR analysis results. Gene Ontology (GO) pathway analysis reveals enrichment of genes regulated by the associated SNPs in the TGFβ-related pathways. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of the genetic causal association between frozen shoulder and carpal tunnel syndrome and provides new insights into the genetics of fibrotic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical shear stress transfer model for investigating the shear fracture behaviour of strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The model focuses on the transferred shear stress on the crack surface of the SHCC, taking account of the contributions from both the contact stress of the matrix and the bridging stress of the fibres. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed shear stress transfer model can appropriately evaluate the shear fracture behaviour of SHCCs for RC strengthening, in which the fibre bridging effect on the crack surface of the SHCC has much influence on the shear fracture behaviour of the SHCC strengthening layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) is an attractive construction material used for reinforced concrete (RC) strengthening, and a simplified method has been previously proposed for evaluating the behavior of SHCC flexural strengthening RC member (Zhang, Engineering Fracture Mechanics 2014; 121–122: 11–27), whereas the load carrying capacity of strengthened RC member is over-estimated using the simplified method. In this study, a numerical approach improved from the aforementioned method is presented for accurately evaluating the behavior of SHCC flexural strengthening RC member, considering the influence of the tensile strain capacity of SHCC, presence of localized concrete cracks and varying SHCC layer thickness, in which a zero-span tensile model with fictitious material is adopted to obtain the average tensile behavior of SHCC layer for strengthening RC member with crack. The effectiveness of the improved numerical approach is confirmed thorough the comparison between experimental and numerical investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite membranes were fabricated by coating three types of highly hydrophobic perfluorinated copolymers (commercial name: Hyflon AD) on poly(vinylidene fluoride) hollow fibers. The membrane properties, including morphologies, pore sizes, porosities, liquid entry pressures (LEPs), mechanical strength, and separation performance (flux, rejection and wettability) in vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) were systematically characterized and investigated. The properties of the fabricated membranes, including pore sizes, pore size distributions, porosities, and LEPs were significantly affected by the viscosity of the coating polymer solution. Coating solutions with lower viscosities caused smaller pore sizes, narrower pore size distributions, lower porosities, higher LEPs and less flux decline in VMD. Particularly, LEP of the membrane coated with a lower viscosity solution (0.46 MPa) was two times higher than that of the uncoated membrane (0.23 MPa). As a result, the anti-wetting property of the composite membrane after coating was significantly enhanced compared with that of the original membrane. The coated composite hollow fiber membranes also showed improved hydrophobicity, mechanical strength and separation performance (water flux and salt rejection). The water contact angle of the membrane increased from 94 to 145° after coating with a lower viscosity solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical approach for evaluating the behaviour of strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) for reinforced-concrete (RC) seismic strengthening is presented. The method takes account of the seismic tensile strain capacity of SHCCs for RC strengthening, which is affected by the presence of cracks within the RC and varying layer thickness of the SHCC, the shear transfer behaviour of SHCC layers on the crack surface, which is contributed to by both the contact effect and the fibre bridging effect on the crack surface, and the seismic compressive constitutive law of SHCCs. In the numerical approach, a zero-span tensile model is adopted for reflecting the tensile strain capacity of SHCCs for RC strengthening, and a shear stress transfer model is applied for reflecting the respective contributions of both contact stress and fibre bridging stress for shear stress transfer behaviour of the SHCC on the crack surface. The effectiveness of the numerical approach is confirmed through the comparison between the experimental investigation and numerical analysis, in which the numerical result is coincided with the experimental one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant height is a major trait affecting yield potential in rice. Using a large-scale hybrid transcription factor approach, we identified the novel MYB-like transcription factor OsMPH1 (MYB-like gene of Plant Height 1), which is involved in the regulation of plant height in rice. Overexpression of OsMPH1 leads to increases of plant height and grain yield in rice, while knockdown of OsMPH1 leads to the opposite phenotypes. Microscopy of longitudinal stem sections indicated that a change in internode cell length resulted in the change in plant height. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of transgenic rice lines showed that multiple genes related to cell elongation and cell wall synthesis, which are associated with plant height and yield phenotypes, exhibited an altered expression profile. These results imply that OsMPH1 might be involved in specific recognition and signal transduction processes related to plant height and yield formation, providing further insights into the mechanisms underlying the regulation of plant height and providing a candidate gene for the efficient improvement of rice yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba 1-x Sm 1-x SnO 3 (BSSO, x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10 and 0.15) thin films were epitaxially grown on (001) oriented MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The structure analysis was performed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), including 2theta-omega (2θ-ω) scans, omega (ω) scans, phi (φ) scans, and reciprocal space mapping (RSM). Hall effect measurement shows that the lowest room temperature resistivity value can reach to 7.842 mΩ cm in the 0.04 Sm-doped thin film, while the carrier mobility ( μ ) decreases systematically with increasing Sm doping content. Temperature dependent resistivity behavior indicates that the BSSO films exhibit metal-semiconductor transition in the temperature range of 10–300 K with the doping content up to x = 0.08. Optical transmission spectra measurement shows that all the BSSO films exhibit a high transmittance of more than 80% in the visible range. The increasing of optical band gap E g with the increase of Sm doping content was interpreted by the Burstein-Moss effect and the occurrence of octahedral tilt distorting. Excellent optical and electrical properties mean that the BSSO films have potential applications as transparent and conducting oxide (TCO) material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailored design of photocatalysts with complicated hollow structures is of great importance for promoting environmental remediation. Herein, a monodispersed CuO yolk-shelled structure is synthesized for the first time by simple calcination treatment of a pre-synthesized Cu–EG (ethylene glycol) complex with yolk-shelled structure using a simple, environmentally friendly and glycerol-mediated solvothermal method. Ostwald ripening is the main formation mechanism for the yolk-shelled structure. Such CuO yolk-shelled structures show excellent photocatalytic activity, which is 3.65 times faster than that of the commercial CuO powders and is one of the highest reported photocatalytic activities to date in the CuO nanomaterials for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. Such a preferable photocatalytic activity is mainly attributed to the unique yolk-shelled structure, which can enable higher multiple light reflections and scattering between the outer spherical shell and the interior core compared with commercial CuO powders, to provide a more efficient way to enhance light-harvesting efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unexpected CO 2 -induced dissolution of ZnO into ionic liquids was discovered. This process exhibited high dissolution speed and the dissociated mixture was applied as an efficient Zn-based catalytic system for the CO 2 -promoted hydration of propargylic alcohols under atmospheric pressure with broad substrate scope. Moreover, this system could be recycled and reused for at least 16 times with excellent yields continuously obtained, which is an unprecedented record for this reaction. Significantly, this system could employ waste pigments as the ZnO source and work even under flue gas atmosphere. In the mechanistic investigations, the interaction between ZnO, CO 2 and ionic liquids to give N-heterocyclic carbene/CO 2 adducts proved to be the key factor for this specific dissolution. These adducts were further identified to exhibit better reactivity than the normal CO 2 by experimental data and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which might be responsible for the excellent performance of the abovementioned catalytic system. [Display omitted] • An unexpected CO 2 -induced dissolution of ZnO into ionic liquids is reported. • The dissolution constructs a Zn-catalytic system for hydration of propargyl alcohols. • ZnO pigments and flue gas can be applied as ZnO and CO 2 sources for the hydration. • This catalyst works under ambient pressure and reaches a new record of recyclability. • N-heterocyclic carbene/CO 2 adducts are the key factor for dissolution and catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodispersed and uniform hexagonal thin plate-like magnesium-aluminum layered double hydroxide intercalated with CO 3 2− (MgAl–CO 3 2− -LDH) is synthesized by an ethanol–water mediated solvothermal method. The maximum adsorption capacities of the as-synthesized and calcined MgAl − CO 3 2 − − LDH are 129.9 and 143.27 mg g −1 , respectively, which are higher than those of the other metal oxide nanostructures reported to date. More importantly, although N 2 adsorption–desorption analysis indicates that the BET surface area changed from 24.74 m 2 g −1 for the as-synthesized MgAl − CO 3 2 − − LDH to 165.07 m 2 g −1 for the calcined MgAl − CO 3 2 − − LDH , the as-synthesized and calcined hexagonal thin plate-like MgAl − CO 3 2 − − LDH structures show similar adsorption capacity of Congo red (CR) from aqueous solution. The adsorption mechanism for the as-prepared LDH is anion exchange while adsorption mechanism for the calcined LDH is reconstruction. Our study opens a new insight for understanding and preparing high-performance adsorbents for organic dye removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a scheme of double-plane shear testing to investigate the shear transmission mechanism of strain-hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) after crack opening; the focus is on the shear stress transfer behaviour on the crack surface of the SHCC, contributed by both the contact effect of the matrix and the fibre bridging effect on the crack surface. The experimental results demonstrate that the transferred shear stress on the crack surface of the SHCC is contributed by both the contact effect of the matrix and the fibre bridging effect on the crack surface until peak shear stress, whereas after the separation of the crack surfaces, it is influenced solely by the fibre bridging effect. It is confirmed that the fibre bridging effect on the crack surface of SHCC has considerable influence in the shear fracture behaviour of SHCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) are an attractive construction material, due to their obvious advantage of large tensile strain capacity with pseudo strain-hardening, whereas this advantage is obviously reduced when SHCC is used for RC strengthening. This study investigated, experimentally and numerically, the localised behaviour of SHCCs for RC strengthening, with a focus on crack elongation performance and the ductility reduction of SHCC for RC strengthening. The numerical investigation was implemented using a proposed scheme that considers the localised behaviour of SHCCs for strengthening RC structures with cracks. The effectiveness of the numerical scheme was confirmed through a comparison of experimental and numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical approach for evaluating the shear failure behavior of strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) member. The developed approach can clarify the respective contributions of both contact stress and fiber bridging stress for the shear stress transfer behavior on crack surface of SHCC member, which thus can disclose the contribution of fibers to local shear of SHCC member. In the numerical approach, a shear stress transfer model and shear lattice system are proposed, in which the shear lattice system can appropriately express the shape of crack surface, and the shear stress transfer model can accurately quantify the transferred shear stress on the crack surface of SHCC member, focusing on the contribution from both matrix’s contact effect and fiber bridging effect respectively. The effectiveness of the numerical approach is confirmed through the comparison between the experimental and numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many nanomaterials have been widely reported for removal of toxic inorganic metal ions. However, some nanoscale adsorbents are subject to serious aggregation. For example, it is very difficult to directly synthesize the monodispersed Fe(OH) 3 nanomaterials. Here, through using the monodispersed hierarchical γ-Al 2 O 3 nanoflowers as adsorbent supports, the Fe(OH) 3 colloid nanoparticles have been well deposited onto the surfaces of the hierarchical γ-Al 2 O 3 nanostructures to form γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 composites with hierarchical structures via an electrostatic attraction without forming large aggregates. The γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 composites with hierarchical structures have high specific surface areas and large pore volumes, which are used as adsorbents to remove anion species of As(V) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The maximum capacities of the monodispersed γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 composites with hierarchical structures for As(V) and Cr(VI) are determined at 61.99 mg g −1 and 24.13 mg g −1 , respectively, which are higher than those of the other metal oxide nanostructures reported. In addition, the adsorption rates of As(V) and Cr(VI) onto the monodispersed γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 composites with hierarchical structures are rather fast. The γ-Al 2 O 3 /Fe(OH) 3 hierarchical micro/nanoflower structures show high adsorption capacity for removing anion species of As(V) and Cr(VI), demonstrating a promising potential in environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-ethylene glycol (Fe-EG) complex was synthesized using a facile and surfactant-free solvothermal method, and was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), bright field transmission electron microscopy(TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained Fe-EG complex was an excellent candidate for synthesis of various iron oxides micro/nanostructures by a simple calcination approach. In an air atmosphere, γ-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 /α-Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposites, and α-Fe 2 O 3 micro/nanostructures were successfully prepared by controlling the calcination temperature. Fe 3 O 4 micro/nanostructures were also synthesized by calcination the Fe-EG complex under an argon atmosphere. The magnetic properties of the obtained series of iron oxides micro/nanostructures were studied, and the saturation magnetisation of the obtained γ-Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 were 65.91 and 100.20 emu g −1 , respectively. The results of the work put forward a simple and effective approach for the synthesis of iron oxides micro/nanostructures with controlled chemical composition and good magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is one of the most prevalent skeletal system diseases; yet, its pathophysiological mechanisms remain elusive. Adipocytes accumulate remarkably in the bone marrow of osteoporotic patients. The potential processes and molecular mechanisms underlying adipogenesis in osteoporotic BMSCs have attracted significant attention as adipocytes and osteoblasts share common precursor cells. Some environmental factors influence bone mass through epigenetic mechanisms; however, the role of epigenetic modifications in osteoporosis is just beginning to be investigated, and there is still little data regarding their involvement. In the current study, we investigated how epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, lead to adipogenesis in the bone marrow during osteoporosis. A glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) mouse model was established, and BMSCs were isolated from the bone marrow. Compared with normal BMSCs, osteoporotic BMSCs had significantly increased adipogenesis potential and decreased osteogenesis potential. In osteoporotic BMSCs, PPARγ2 regulatory region DNA hypo-methylation, histone 3 and 4 hyper-acetylation and H3K9 hypo-di-methylation were observed. These epigenetic modifications were involved not only in PPARγ2 expression but also in osteoporotic BMSC adipogenic differentiation potential. We also found that Wnt/β-catenin signal played an important role in the establishment and maintenance of epigenetic modifications at PPARγ2 promoter in osteoporotic BMSCs. Finally, we inhibited adipogenesis and rescued osteogenesis of osteoporotic BMSCs by modulating those epigenetic modifications. Our study provides a deeper insight into the pathophysiology of osteoporosis and identifies PPARγ2 as a new target for osteoporosis therapy based on epigenetic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The damage cause of ground surface and tunnel lining during tunneling is studied. • The tunnel damages during tunneling in silty clay can be reasonably simulated. • The field monitored softening soil body has much influence on tunnel damages. This paper presents a case study of investigating the cause of tunnel damages during tunneling in silty clay, in which the damages are existed in both ground surface and tunnel lining. The study is implemented by field investigation and numerical back analysis to determine the cause of tunnel damages, in which the field observed funnel-shaped surface subsidence of ground and surrounding soil moving to the tunnel are considered as softening soil body from ground surface until surrounding rocks in the numerical model, and the material parameters of the field monitored softening soil body are respectively taken as 0.8 times and 0.6 times of the original ones. This work confirms that the field observed tunnel damages during tunneling in silty clay can be numerically simulated, which is significantly influenced by the field monitored softening soil body from ground surface until surrounding rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presented a experimental investigation into the advantage of RC member with shear strengthening using strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC), focused on the crack pattern of SHCC strengthening layer and its obvious advantage for increasing the shear load carrying capacity of the strengthened RC member. Especially, the shear failed SHCC member was also adopted to reflect the reduced multiple fine crack distribution in SHCC strengthening layer. Moreover, the contributions of matrix and reinforcing fiber for shear load carrying capacity of SHCC strengthening layer were also calibrated respectively, and the shear load carrying capacity of SHCC strengthening layer was assumed as the sum of load carried by matrix and reinforcing fiber. This work provided experimental foundations for RC member with shear strengthening using SHCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Release of fugitive methane (CH4) emissions from ventilation air in coal mines is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Approximately 64% of methane emissions in coal mine operations are the result of VAM (i.e. ventilation air methane) which is difficult for use as a source of energy. A novel ancillary utilization of VAM was thereby proposed. In this proposal, the VAM was utilized instead of air as a feedstock to a chemical looping combustion (CLC) process of coal. In this case, Fe2O3/Fe3O4 particles were shuttled between two interconnected reactors for combustion of syngas produced by an imbedded coal gasifier. The effect of VAM flow rate and methane concentration on the performance of CLC was analyzed thermodynamically using Aspen Plus software. Results indicated that the variations of air reactor temperature with VAM flow rate and methane concentration can be minimized as expected. The effect of temperature and inlet methane concentration on the conversion of CH4 was examined experimentally in a fixed bed reactor with the presence of particles of Fe2O3/Al2O3. Not surprisingly, the reaction temperature put a significant influence on the conversion of CH4. The conversion started at the temperature about 300°C and the temperature to achieve full conversion was around 500°C while the temperature in empty reactor between 665°C and 840°C. This is due to the catalytic effect of oxygen carriers (i.e. Fe2O3/Al2O3) on the conversion of methane. Moreover, it was observed that the methane conversion rate decreased with the increase in inlet methane concentration while increasing with Fe2O3 loading content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Chemical looping combustion can be extended to the combustion of ultra low concentration of methane. [•] Compared with CuO/SiO2, Fe2O3/Al2O3 shows better performance in terms of reduction reactivity. [•] The redox reactivity of Fe2O3/Al2O3 is stable over 60 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) have obvious advantages when used to strengthen reinforced concrete (RC) structures - high tensile and compressive strengths, as well as large tensile strain in uniaxial tensile behaviour. However, when used for flexural strengthening of RC members, the ductility of SHCC is reduced and the cracking behaviour of the SHCC strengthening layer varies with different layer thicknesses. In this paper, a zero-span tensile model using a fictitious material is proposed to assess the cracking behaviour of SHCC used for RC flexural strengthening, considering the localised behaviour of the SHCC on the cracked RC substrate member. In the model, the crack in the RC substrate member is represented by an artificial crack formed by two areas of fictitious material. The proposed model can evaluate the cracking behaviour of SHCC layers of varying thickness used for flexural strengthening of RC members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on result of uniaxial tensile test for strain hardening cementitious composites, a tri-linear curve model considering fracture energy was proposed to evaluate the uniaxial tensile property of this material. A type of zero-span tensile model with a pair of fictitious was also proposed to reflect the crack propagation behavior of multiple fine cracks in strain hardening cementitious composites layer, used as a repair material for RC substrate member with existing crack. Moreover, the average tensile stress-strain curve of numerical element for strain hardening cementitious composites strengthening layer was obtained, considering the influence of multiple fine cracks (placed in one numerical element of strain hardening cementitious composites layer) limited in a ranged area adjacent to localized crack (in RC substrate member), and then the effect of RC member strengthened by strain hardening cementitious composites in flexural failure was evaluated numerically using the obtained average tensile stress-strain curve, which was considered as the uniaxial tensile property for strain hardening cementitious composites while strengthening RC member. This method avoided the dependency of numerical result on element size, and strain hardening cementitious composite flexural strengthening RC member could be analyzed with large mesh size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a renewable energy with immense development potential, ocean wave energy has abundant storage. The utilizations of wave energy technology to exploit wave energy resources have broad application prospects and an important realistic meaning. The researchers worldwide have designed many wave energy converters (WEC) with varied and structures based on different concepts. In this paper, the principle of wave energy power generation technology is reviewed and analyzed from basic structure and power take-off (PTO). Some typical WEC and multi-degree of freedom WEC (MDWEC) and their realization are introduced. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is employed to construct a comprehensive multi-index model and evaluate the present WEC from five perspectives: energy capture, technology cost economic, reliability, environmental friendliness and adaptability. Results show that in the field of wave energy utilization and development, the MDWEC has a good comprehensive performance and a wide application range. Qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted to find the optimal WEC technical scheme based on the review and analysis of technology principles of wave energy power generation and realization of devices, which can be used for the development of WEC. • The wave power generation technologies are analyzed from basic structure and power take-off. • Including typical wave energy converters and multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy converters are introduced. • A multi-index evaluation system is established based on the commercialization of wave energy converters. • The multi-degree-of-freedom wave energy converter is found to have a better overall performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a typical layered material, has important applications in various fields, such as optoelectronics, catalysis, electronic devices, sensors, and supercapacitors. Extensive research has been carried out on few-layered MoS2 in the field of electrochemistry due to its large specific surface area, abundant active sites and short electron transport path. However, the preparation of few-layered MoS2 is a significant challenge. This work presents a simple one-pot hydrothermal method for synthesizing few-layered MoS2. Furthermore, it investigates the exfoliation effect of different amounts of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as a stripping agent on the layer number of MoS2. Na+ ions, as alkali metal ions, can intercalate between layers to achieve the purpose of exfoliating MoS2. Additionally, NaBH4 exhibits reducibility, which can effectively promote the formation of the metallic phase of MoS2. Few-layered MoS2, as an electrode for supercapacitor, possesses a wide potential window of 0.9 V, and a high specific capacitance of 150 F g−1 at 1 A g−1. This work provides a facile method to prepare few-layered two-dimensional materials for high electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic electroactive polymer (iEAP) actuators are recognized as exceptional candidates for artificial muscle development, with significant potential applications in bionic robotics, space exploration, and biomedical fields. Here, we developed a new iEAP actuator utilizing high-purity single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-reinforced poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS, PP) hybrid electrodes and a Nafion/EMIBF4 ion-exchange membrane via a straightforward and efficient spray printing technique. The SWCNT/PP actuator exhibits significantly enhanced electric conductivity (262.9 S/cm) and specific capacitance (22.5 mF/cm2), benefitting from the synergistic effect between SWCNTs and PP. These improvements far surpass those observed in activated carbon aerogel bucky-gel-electrode-based actuators. Furthermore, we evaluated the electroactive behaviors of the SWCNT/PP actuator under alternating square-wave voltages (1–3 V) and frequencies (0.01–100 Hz). The results reveal a substantial bending displacement of 6.44 mm and a high bending strain of 0.61% (at 3 V, 0.1 Hz), along with a long operating stability of up to 10,000 cycles (at 2 V, 1 Hz). This study introduces a straightforward and efficient spray printing technique for the successful preparation of iEAP actuators with superior electrochemical and electromechanical properties as intended, which hold promise as artificial muscles in the field of bionic robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti3C2Tx MXene, as a common two-dimensional material, has a wide range of applications in electrochemical energy storage. However, the surface forces of few-layer or monolayer Ti3C2Tx MXene lead to easy agglomeration, which hinders the demonstration of its performance due to the characteristics of layered materials. Herein, we report a facile method for preparing monolayer Ti3C2Tx MXene on nickel foam to achieve a self-supporting structure for supercapacitor electrodes under high electrostatic fields. Moreover, the specific capacitance varies with the deposition of different-concentration monolayer Ti3C2Tx MXene on nickel foam. As a result, Ti3C2Tx/NF has a high specific capacitance of 319 mF cm−2 at 2 mA cm−2 and an excellent long-term cycling stability of 94.4% after 7000 cycles. It was observed that the areal specific capacitance increases, whereas the mass specific capacitance decreases with the increasing loading mass. Attributable to the effect of the high electrostatic field, the self-supporting structure of the Ti3C2Tx/NF becomes denser as the concentration of the monolayer Ti3C2Tx MXene ink increases, ultimately affecting its electrochemical performance. This work provides a simple way to overcome the agglomeration problem of few-layer or monolayer MXene, then form a self-supporting electrode exhibiting excellent electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polar coding and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) are key technologies for 5G mobile communication, the joint design of them has a great significance to improve the overall performance of the transmitter-receiver symmetric wireless communication system. In this paper, we firstly propose a pruning iterative joint detection and decoding algorithm (PI-JDD) based on the confidence stability of resource nodes. Branches to be updated are dynamically pruned to avoid redundant iterative, which is able to reduce 24~50% complexity while achieving the approximate error performance of traditional serial joint iterative detection and decoding algorithm S-JIDD. Then, to further reduce the bit error rate (BER) of the receiver, a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) termination mechanism is added at the end of each joint iteration to avoid the convergence error caused by decoding deviation. Simulation results show that the addition of an early stopping criterion can achieve a remarkable performance gain compared with the S-JIDD algorithm. More importantly, the combined algorithm of the two proposed schemes can reduce the computational complexity while achieving better error performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The PC-SCMA technology can enhance the performance of communication system. • JIDD scheme can make full use of the intermediate messages to improve performance. • S-JIDD can effectively reduce complexity and achieve ideal error performance. • Adding CRC early stopping criterion can further reduce the BER of the system. Polar coding and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) technique are excellent candidates for 5G, and have a promising prospect in optical communication, the joint design of polar coded sparse code multiple access (PC-SCMA) system is important to enhance the overall system performance. In this paper, a serial joint iterative detection and decoding scheme is proposed by passing message between serial max-log message passing algorithm and soft cancellation (SCAN) algorithm, the strategy can accelerate the algorithm convergence speed by reducing the number of required iterations, decrease the computational complexity and achieve ideal bit error rate (BER) performance. In order to further improve the BER performance, a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is added in the joint iterative process as an early stopping criterion to avoid decoding divergence caused by a low signal to noise ratio (SNR). Simulation results demonstrate that the addition of a termination mechanism can obtain an excellent performance gain compares with the conventional JIDD algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dumbbell and sphere-like CuO are successfully synthesized by a facile method. • Their morphologies are obviously affected by the reaction temperature. • Both of them possess porous three dimensional structures. • Both of them display good rate capability and high cycling stability. Dumbbell and sphere-like CuO with porous three dimensional (3D) structures are synthesized via a simple chemical solution method and subsequent annealing treatment approach. The morphologies of the samples are obviously affected by the reaction temperature. Benefiting from the desired porous 3D structure, the dumbbell and sphere-like CuO are used as the anodes materials in LIBs, evidencing good rate capability (569 mAh g−1 for dumbbell-like CuO and 467 mAh g−1 for sphere-like CuO at 5 C) and high cycling stability (680 and 601 mAh g−1 for dumbbell-like CuO and sphere-like CuO over 400 cycles at 2 C, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) has gained significant attention in the scientific community. Few-layered MoS 2 demonstrates unique properties and potential applications. However, the synthesis of few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2 is still a challenge. In this study, we successfully employed a hydrothermal method to synthesize few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2. The purity of the material is controlled by a combination of sodium borohydride and ethanol. Notably, the few-layered 1T-MoS 2 exhibits exceptional performance as a supercapacitor, including the high specific capacitance (250.3 ​F ​g−1 at a current density of 1 ​A ​g−1) and excellent long-trem cycling stability (90.7 ​% after 5000 cycles). Meanwhile, the asymmetric device assembled by 6-FL-1T-MoS 2 and active carbon on carbon cloths exhibits excellent flexibility and high energy and power density (23.1 ​μWh cm−2 at 600 ​μW ​cm−2, 55 ​μWh cm−2 at 12000 ​μW ​cm−2). This work provides valuable insights into the synthesis of few-layered and high-purity 1T-MoS 2 , opening up new avenues for further research and applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain-hardening cementitious composite (SHCC) has the obvious advantages of excellent material properties such as its high tensile and compressive strengths, high tensile strain capacity, and excellent durability against multi-cracking performance with very fine crack widths. In particular, the multi-cracking performance of SHCC during structural utilization is obviously reduced compared to that of SHCC in uniaxial tension tests using dumbbell-shaped specimens of small size. The corresponding tensile strain capacity of SHCC during structural utilization is, thus, significantly decreased compared to that of SHCC in uniaxial tension tests. However, the reduction in the ductility of SHCC during structural utilization has not been sufficiently understood, and further study is required. This paper presents an experimental investigation into the ductility variation of flexural-failed and shear-failed SHCC members as well as the ductility improvement of SHCC members with steel reinforcement compared with that of SHCC in uniaxial tension tests using small-sized specimens. This study focuses on not only the decrease in the crack elongation performance of the SHCC material during structural utilization but also the increase in the crack elongation performance of SHCC members with steel reinforcement. The results demonstrate that the crack elongation performance of flexural-failed and shear-failed SHCC members is significantly reduced compared to that of SHCC in the uniaxial tension tests. Moreover, it was confirmed that steel reinforcement can effectively improve the SHCC member, increasing the strain-hardening capacity and multi-cracking performance. The load-carrying capacity of the flexural-failed SHCC member with steel reinforcement seemed to increase linearly with an increase in the reinforcement ratio, accompanied by an increase in the distribution of multiple fine cracks in the flexural-failed SHCC member with steel reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-layer tunnel lining using shotcrete has the significant advantages of reducing the tunnel excavation volume and saving construction materials, which has been gradually applied in tunnel construction. The high-performance concretes are generally adopted in single-layer tunnel lining for enhancing the bearing capacity of the tunnel lining, whereas the single-layer tunnel lining may still induce damages due to the adverse conditions such as shallow buried depth of the tunnel, and further study related to its application condition is thus required. This paper presents a study of the single-layer tunnel lining with shotcrete employed for supporting the large-span tunnel, in which the reinforcement ribs are also adopted in the single-layer lining for improving the lining stiffness and strength. The study is implemented using numerical simulation, focusing on the safety and performance variation of the single-layer tunnel lining influenced from the varied lining thicknesses and shallow buried depths of the tunnel. The results shows that the single-layer tunnel lining has the obvious advantage of toughness in significantly absorbing large deformation of surrounding rocks and improving the ability to resist lining cracking. The results also demonstrate that the single-layer tunnel lining with shotcrete and reinforcement ribs can safely support the large-span tunnel, in which the stability and safety of the large-span tunnel are confirmed from both the tunnel deformation and lining stresses. Moreover, the factors related to both the lining thickness and shallow buried depth of the tunnel have great influence on the single-layer tunnel lining with shotcrete and reinforcement ribs, in which the insufficient lining thickness and excessive shallow buried depth of the tunnel can induce the damages of the single-layer tunnel lining due to shotcrete stresses exceeding its strength. This study provides some references of employing the single-layer tunnel lining with shotcrete and reinforcement ribs for supporting large-span tunnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon nitride was firstly used as anticorrosive pigment in organic coatings. An effective strategy by combining inorganic fillers and organosilanes was used to enhance the dispersibility of silicon nitride in epoxy resin. The formed nanocomposites were applied to protect Q235 carbon steel from corrosion. The anticorrosive performance of modified silicon nitride with silane (KH-570) was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), water absorption and pull-off adhesion methods. With the increase of immersion time, the corrosion resistance as well as adhesion strength of epoxy resin coating and unmodified silicon nitride coating decreased significantly. However, for the modified silicon nitride coating, the corrosion resistance and adhesion strength still maintained 5.7×1010 Ω cm2 and 7.6 MPa after 2400-h and 1200-h immersion, respectively. The excellent corrosion resistance performance could be attributed to the chemical interactions between KH-570 functional groups and silicon nitride powders, which mainly came from the easy formation of Si-O-Si bonds. Furthermore, the modified silicon nitride coating formed a strong barrier to corrosive electrolyte due to the hydrophobic of modified silicon nitride powder and increased bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of landslide during tunneling period in hilly topography, and a practical treating countermeasure is also proposed in the study. The field investigation and numerical analysis demonstrate that tunneling in hilly topography with sloping stratification has risk of landslide while heavy rainfall permeates into ground, and a treating countermeasure of anti-slide piles combined with in-layer compacted backfilling is adopted in the practical implementation. Moreover, the implemented treating work demonstrates that the employed countermeasure is capable of treating landslide during tunneling with heavy rain water permeating into ground, which can provide the design basis for similar treating work. • A case of landslide during tunneling is presented. • The landslide is caused by tunneling in hilly topography with heavy rainfall. • The primary cause of landslide during tunneling can be numerically clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cracks caused by fracture of concrete lining have adverse impacts on the tunnel structure, considering the influences of serviceability and durability. In this paper, a particular case study of a newly built tunnel structure is presented for a certain amount of longitudinal cracks, focusing on the inducement of cracking and effect of concrete fracture. An integrated field investigation is implemented to characterize the spatial distribution of longitudinal cracks and detailed site situations, and the temperature difference of concrete within the lining is as inducement according to a series of reliable experiments. To further understanding of the lining structure performance influenced by fracture behaviors, two groups of numerical models based on finite element software are simulated for reinforced concrete and concrete cross sections, respectively. Among the numerical models, a simplified crack model is applied for damaged lining structure, considering the realistic width and depth of cracks. Ultimately, different safety factors are adopted not only for verifying the stability of cracks but also for getting the differences of structural safety under maintenance work. Situations of crack are in accordance with the real conditions in situ, besides the maintenance work is proved as essential and effective methods in this damaged tunnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) are an attractive construction material with obvious advantages of large strain capacity and high strength, as well as excellent workability and easy processing using conventional equipment. Moreover, SHCC can be designed with varied mix proportions in order to satisfy various requirements and expectations to overcome the shortages of existing construction materials. However, the behavior of SHCC in the structural application is varied from that of SHCC material, which is reviewed and presented in this paper, focusing on the flexural and shear behavior of the SHCC member and the SHCC layer used for strengthening reinforced concrete (RC). The reviewed results demonstrate that both the zero-span tensile behavior of the stress concentration and the uniaxial tensile behavior of the bending effect can influence the crack propagation patterns of multiple fine cracks in the SHCC strengthening layer, in which the crack distribution within the SHCC layer is limited near the existing crack in the RC substrate member in the zero-span tensile behavior. Moreover, the crack propagation patterns of the SHCC strengthening layer are changed with varied layer thicknesses, and the SHCC strengthening layer, even with a small thickness, can significantly increase the shear load carrying capacity of the shear strengthened RC member. This work provides the foundations for promoting SHCC material in the structural application of repairing or retrofitting concrete structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]