As the number falls,alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number method: A review

This review examines the application, limitations, and potential alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number (FN) method used in the global wheat industry for detecting the risk of poor end-product quality mainly due to starch degradation by the enzyme α-amylase. By viscometry, the FN test indirectly detects the presence of α-amylase, the primary enzyme that digests starch. Elevated α-amylase results in low FN and damages wheat product quality resulting in cakes that fall, and sticky bread and noodles. Low FN can occur from preharvest sprouting (PHS) and late maturity α-amylase (LMA). Moist or rainy conditions before harvest cause PHS on the mother plant. Continuously cool or fluctuating temperatures during the grain filling stage cause LMA. Due to the expression of additional hydrolytic enzymes, PHS has a stronger negative impact than LMA. Wheat grain with low FN/high α-amylase results in serious losses for farmers, traders, millers, and bakers worldwide. Although blending of low FN grain with sound wheat may be used as a means of moving affected grain through the marketplace, care must be taken to avoid grain lots from falling below contract-specified FN. A large amount of sound wheat can be ruined if mixed with a small amount of sprouted wheat. The FN method is widely employed to detect α-amylase after harvest. However, it has several limitations, including sampling variability, high cost, labor intensiveness, the destructive nature of the test, and an inability to differentiate between LMA and PHS. Faster, cheaper, and more accurate alternatives could improve breeding for resistance to PHS and LMA and could preserve the value of wheat grain by avoiding inadvertent mixing of high- and low-FN grain by enabling testing at more stages of the value stream including at harvest, delivery, transport, storage, and milling. Alternatives to the FN method explored here include the Rapid Visco Analyzer, enzyme assays, immunoassays, near-infrared spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging.     

Near-Field Drives Long-Lived Shallow Trapping of Polymeric C3N4 for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Undesired photoelectronic dormancy through active species decay is adverse to photoactivity enhancement. An insufficient extrinsic driving force leads to ultrafast deep charge trapping and photoactive species depopulation in carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄). Excitation of shallow trapping in g-C₃N₄ with long-lived excited states opens up the possibility of pursuing high-efficiency photocatalysis. Herein, a near-field-assisted model is constructed consisting of an In₂O₃-cube/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction associated with ultrafast photodynamic coupling. This In₂O₃-cube-induced near-field assistance system provides catalytic “hot areas”, efficiently enhances the lifetimes of excited states and shallow trapping in g-C₃N₄ and this favors an increased active species density. Optical simulations combined with time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy shows there is a built-in charge transfer and the active species lifetimes are longer in the In₂O₃-cube/g-C₃N₄ hybrid. Besides these properties, the estimated overpotential and interfacial kinetics of the In₂O₃-cube/g-C₃N₄ hybrid co-promotes the liquid phase reaction and also helps in boosting the photocatalytic performance. The photocatalytic results exhibit a tremendous improvement (34-fold) for visible-light-driven hydrogen production. Near-field-assisted long-lived active species and the influences of trap states is a novel finding for enhancing (g-C₃N₄)-based photocatalytic performance.     

Near‐Infrared (NIR) Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes (OLEDs): Challenges and Opportunities

The rapid development of the science and technology of organic semiconductors has already led to mass application of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) in television monitors of outstanding quality as well as in a large variety of smaller displays found in smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets, while introduction of the technology to the illumination sector is imminent. Notably, the requirements of all such applications for emission in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum are well tuned to the optical and electronic properties of typical organic semiconductors, thereby representing relatively “low‐hanging fruits,” in terms of material development and exploitation. However, the question arises as to whether developing materials suited for efficient near‐infrared (NIR, 700–1000 nm) emission is possible, and, crucially, desirable to enable new classes of applications spanning from through‐space, short‐range communications to biomedical sensors, night vision, and more generally security applications to name but a few. Here, the major fundamental hurdles to be overcome to achieve efficient NIR emission from organic π‐conjugated systems are discussed, recent progress is reviewed, and an outlook for further development of both materials and applications is provided.     

基于可见/近红外光谱和变量选择的脐橙可溶性固形物含量在线检测

为联合可见/近红外光谱技术和变量选择方法在线检测脐橙主要内部品质指标可溶性固形物(SSC),分别选定脐橙校正集和预测集样本141个和47个,脐橙运输速度为0.3m/s,利用USB4000微型光谱仪在线采集脐橙样本的可见/近红外光谱,先分别采用无信息变量消除(UVE)和遗传算法(GA)对650~950nm波段范围的波长变量进行预筛选,再分别利用竞争自适应重加权采样(CARS)及连续投影算法(SPA)对波长变量进一步筛选,并应用偏最小二乘(PLS)方法分别建立脐橙SSC的在线预测模型,并与原始光谱等建立的预测模型进行比较。结果表明,对于脐橙SSC,预筛选方法GA优于UVE方法,变量选择方法CARS优于SPA方法;GA-CARS及GA-SPA联合变量选择方法优于对应的单一变量选择方法CARS及SPA。在上述变量选择方法中,GA-CARS方法获得的结果最优,其所建立的脐橙SSC的PLS模型的校正集和预测集相关系数分别为0.933和0.824,校正集和预测集均方根误差分别为0.429%和0.670%,性能优于原始光谱建立的PLS模型,且建模波长变量数由1 385个下降为78个,仅占原波长变量数的5.63%。由此表明,GA-CARS联合变量选择方法可以有效筛选脐橙SSC的波长变量,提高预测模型的稳定性和预测精度。     

TG6钛合金冷却过程的块状转变机制研究

在近α型TG6钛合金两相区淬火过程中,对初生α相αP周围形成的块状组织αm进行表征研究,块状组织αm与αP存在明显的界面,合金元素Al、Sn和Zr浓度介于αP和β基体之间,EBSD分析结果表明αm取向与αP保持一致。在冷却过程中,αP周围β基体中合金元素扩散受到限制,进而在局部过渡成分区域通过扩散转变形成αm组织。当固溶温度从1040℃提高至1060℃,同时保温时间从30 min减少为5 min,溶质元素扩散受限,αm体积分数从5.2%提升至30.7%。     

Preparation of near net size porous alumina-calcium aluminate ceramics by gelcasting-pore-forming agent processs

In the processing of porous ceramics, shrinkage from green body to sintered compact during drying and sintering is one of the key concerns which affect microstructure and properties of porous ceramics. Through releasing gases from the burning of the pore forming agents, and volume expansion from the formation of low density resultants during sintering, the sintering shrinkage can be effectively compensated and near net size preparation can be achieved. Herein, near net size porous alumina-calcium aluminate ceramics with controllable shrinkage have been prepared using a combination of gelcasting and pore-forming agent process by adjusting the amount of CaCO₃ and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres added. Al₂O₃ and CaCO₃ were used as raw materials, PMMA microspheres were used as pore-forming agent, isobutylene/maleic anhydride copolymer (Isobam104) was used as gelling agent and dispersing agent. The effects of the addition amounts of CaCO₃ and PMMA in the slurry on the phase composition, shrinkage, porosity, and strength of porous alumina-calcium aluminate ceramics were investigated. The results show that as the CaCO₃ addition amount increases from 0 to 20 wt%, the shrinkage of the samples gradually decreases from 7.3% to −1.4%, and the consequent porosity increases from 58% to 66%, while the compressive strength increases from 5.9 to 15.5 MPa. When PMMA content increases from 10 to 50 wt%, the shrinkage of the samples decreases first and then increases, the porosity increases from 51% to 74%, and the compressive strength decreases from 12.5 to 5.3 MPa. The mechanisms for controlling shrinkages during preparation of porous alumina-calcium aluminate ceramics can be attributed to the following aspects: on one hand, gas release from burning of PMMA and decomposition of CaCO₃ during sintering; on the other hand, volume expansion due to the formation of lower density calcium aluminates which come from the reactions between CaO and Al₂O₃. The near net size preparation technique is of great significance for the manufacture of porous ceramics since the subsequent machining cost can be effectively reduced.     

临近空间载人舱舱门密封特性研究

为研究临近空间载人舱舱门密封特性,对临近空间载人舱舱门P形橡胶密封圈进行有限元压缩行为仿真分析,分析P形橡胶密封圈主副密封面密封接触宽度和接触应力随舱门间隙与舱门行程变化的规律,并根据该规律给出舱门压缩行程和舱门密封间隙的设计推荐值。基于ROTH泄漏模型推导出P形橡胶密封圈的总漏率模型,并计算该泄漏模型的稳态漏率值。通过舱门密封试验,对P形橡胶密封圈的总漏率进行验证。P形橡胶密封圈总漏率计算值与试验结果基本吻合,验证了P形橡胶密封圈总漏率模型的有效性。