Low-loss silicon waveguide and an ultrahigh-Q silicon microring resonator in the 2†µm wave band.

Silicon photonic-integrated circuits (PICs) operating in the 2 µm wave band are of great interest for spectroscopic sensing, nonlinear optics, and optical communication applications. However, the performance of silicon PICs in this wave band lags far behind the conventional optical communication band (1310/1550 nm). Here we report the realization of a low-loss waveguide and an ultrahigh-Q microring resonator in the 2 µm wave band on a standard 200 mm silicon photonic platform. The single-mode strip waveguide fabricated on a 220 nm-thick silicon device layer has a record-low propagation loss ∼0.2 dB/cm. Based on the low-loss waveguide, we demonstrate an ultrahigh-Q microring resonator with a measured loaded Q-factor as high as 1.1 × 106 and intrinsic Q-factor of 2 × 106, one order of magnitude higher than prior silicon resonators operating in the same wave band. The extinction ratio of the resonator is higher than 22 dB. These high-performance silicon photonic components pave the way for on-chip sensing applications and nonlinear optics in the 2 µm wave band.

Charge Carriers Localization Effect Revealed through Terahertz Spectroscopy of MXene: Ti3C2Tx.

The transport properties of charge carriers in MXene, a promising material, have been studied using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) to examine its potential applications in optical and electronic devices. However, previous studies have been limited by narrow frequency ranges, which have hindered the understanding of the intrinsic mechanisms of carrier transport in MXenes. To address this issue, ultrabroadband THz-TDS with frequencies of up to 15 THz to investigate the complex photoconductances of MXene (Ti3C2Tx) films with different thicknesses are employed. The findings indicate that the electronic localization is substrate-dependent, and this effect decreases with an increase in the number of layers. This is attributed to the screening effect of the high carrier density in Ti3C2Tx. Additionally, the layer-independent photocarrier relaxations revealed by optical pump THz probe spectroscopy (OPTP) provide evidence of the carrier heating-induced screening effect. These results are significant for practical applications in both scientific research and various industries.

An Integrated Method for Tunnel Health Monitoring Data Analysis and Early Warning: Savitzky-Golay Smoothing and Wavelet Transform Denoising Processing.

A tunnel health monitoring (THM) system ensures safe operations and effective maintenance. However, how to effectively process and denoise several data collected by THM remains to be addressed, as well as safety early warning problems. Thus, an integrated method for Savitzky-Golay smoothing (SGS) and Wavelet Transform Denoising (WTD) was used to smooth data and filter noise, and the coefficient of the non-uniform variation method was proposed for early warning. The THM data, including four types of sensors, were attempted using the proposed method. Firstly, missing values, outliers, and detrend in the data were processed, and then the data were smoothed by SGS. Furthermore, data denoising was carried out by selecting wavelet basis functions, decomposition scales, and reconstruction. Finally, the coefficient of non-uniform variation was employed to calculate the yellow and red thresholds. In data smoothing, it was found that the Signal Noise Ratio (SNR) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of SGS smoothing were superior to those of the moving average smoothing and five-point cubic smoothing by approximately 10% and 30%, respectively. An interesting phenomenon was discovered: the maximum and minimum values of the denoising effects with different wavelet basis functions after selection differed significantly, with the SNR differing by 14%, the RMSE by 8%, and the r by up to 80%. It was found that the wavelet basis functions vary, while the decomposition scales are consistently set at three layers. SGS and WTD can effectively reduce the complexity of the data while preserving its key characteristics, which has a good denoising effect. The yellow and red warning thresholds are categorized into conventional and critical controls, respectively. This early warning method dramatically improves the efficiency of tunnel safety control.

Preparation of a ternary composite based on water caltrop shell derived biochar and gelatin/alginate for cadmium removal from contaminated water: Performances assessment and mechanism insight.

A ternary composite (SA/GE@BC) for cadmium removal from wastewater was successfully prepared. The alginate and gelatin were successfully impregnated with biochar (derived from water caltrop shell) to improve the recyclability and adsorption capacity. The prepared SA/GE@BC demonstrated a good removal for cadmium at pH 4.0-7.0 conditions. The cadmium removal increased with increasing SA/GE@BC dosage. The adsorption kinetics process was well consistent with the pseudo-second order model. And the Langmuir model (R2 > 0.99) best described the isotherm data. The calculated adsorption capacity reached a maximum of 86.25 mg/g. The adsorption was a spontaneous and endothermic process, and elevating temperature favored the removal of cadmium. The alginate-gelatin composition enhanced the number of oxygenated functional groups and exchangeable ions. This enhanced the removal of cadmium by complexation and cation ion exchange. Also, the removal mechanism of cadmium on SA/GE@BC involved electrostatic attraction and π-bond coordination. The saturated SA/GE@BC could be well regenerated by 0.1 M HNO3. All these results suggested the preparation of SA/GE@BC could effectively use waste resources to produce highly effective adsorbents for removing cadmium from contaminated water.

Research on the Road Performance of Asphalt Mixtures Based on Infrared Thermography.

Temperature segregation during the paving of asphalt pavements is one of the causes of asphalt pavement distress. Therefore, controlling the paving temperature is crucial in the construction of asphalt pavements. To quickly evaluate the road performance of asphalt mixtures during paving, in this work, we used unmanned aerial vehicle infrared thermal imaging technology to monitor the construction work. By analyzing the temperature distribution at the paving site, and conducting laboratory tests, the relationship between the melt temperature, high-temperature stability, and water stability of the asphalt mix was assessed. The results showed that the optimal temperature measurement height for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an infrared thermal imager was 7-8 m. By coring the representative temperature points on the construction site and then conducting a Hamburg wheel tracking (HWT) test, the test results were verified through the laboratory test results in order to establish a prediction model for the melt temperature and high-temperature stability of y = 10.73e0.03x + 1415.78, where the predictive model for the melt temperature and water was y = -19.18e-0.02x + 98.03. The results showed that using laboratory tests combined with UAV infrared thermography could quickly and accurately predict the road performance of asphalt mixtures during paving. We hope that more extensive evaluations of the roadworthiness of asphalt mixtures using paving temperatures will provide reference recommendations in the future.

Why does the spread of COVID-19 vary greatly in different countries? Revealing the efficacy of face masks in epidemic prevention.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by it has forced many countries to adopt 'lockdown' measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic through social isolation of citizens. Some countries proposed universal mask wearing as a protection measure of public health to strengthen national prevention efforts and to limit the wider spread of the epidemic. In order to reveal the epidemic prevention efficacy of masks, this paper systematically evaluates the experimental studies of various masks and filter materials, summarises the general characteristics of the filtration efficiency of isolation masks with particle size, and reveals the actual efficacy of masks by combining the volume distribution characteristics of human exhaled droplets with different particle sizes and the SARS-CoV-2 virus load of nasopharynx and throat swabs from patients. The existing measured data show that the filtration efficiency of all kinds of masks for large particles and extra-large droplets is close to 100%. From the perspective of filtering the total number of pathogens discharged in the environment and protecting vulnerable individuals from breathing live viruses, the mask has a higher protective effect. If considering the weighted average filtration efficiency with different particle sizes, the filtration efficiencies of the N95 mask and the ordinary mask are 99.4% and 98.5%, respectively. The mask can avoid releasing active viruses to the environment from the source of infection, thus maximising the protection of vulnerable individuals by reducing the probability of inhaling a virus. Therefore, if the whole society strictly implements the policy of publicly wearing masks, the risk of large-scale spread of the epidemic can be greatly reduced. Compared with the overall cost of social isolation, limited personal freedoms and forced suspension of economic activities, the inconvenience for citizens caused by wearing masks is perfectly acceptable.

2.8 µm passively Q-switched Er:ZBLAN fiber laser with an Sb saturable absorber mirror.

A Q-switched Er:ZBLAN fiber laser operating at 2.8 µm was realized by employing Sb as the saturable material. The Sb material was deposited on a gold mirror by the magnetron-sputtering deposition method to develop a saturable absorber mirror (SAM). By employing the Sb-SAM in an Er:ZBLAN fiber laser, stable Q-switching operation was achieved at central wavelength of 2799.7 nm with the repetition rates ranging from 33.3 to 58.8 kHz and the pulse duration ranging from 5.7 to 1.7 µs. The Sb-SAM still works stably under the maximum pump power of 5.6 W, with an output power of 59 mW corresponding to the pulse energy of 1.03 µJ. To our knowledge, this was the first demonstration of Sb-based saturable material in Er:ZBLAN fiber laser for mid-infrared Q-switched pulse generation operating in the 2.8 µm regime, indicating its potential applications in the mid-infrared waveband.

[Analysis of Component Spectral Characteristics of PM10-Bound PAHs and the Influence of Weather Conditions During Spring in Xiamen].

In order to study pollution status and distribution characteristics of PAHs in PM10 during the spring in city and suburban Xiamen. A total of 18 PAHs were analyzed in the aerosol samples collected in daytime and nighttime during 11th to 21st of April, 2013 in city and suburban Xiamen. Results showed diurnal variation of Σ PAHs in suburban was weaker than that in city. In the city, the concentration of PAHs during daytimes was higher than that during nighttimes, close to 1.83 times, and it is still under the national environmental standards. In different times and space scales, PAHs were a bimodal distribution, the components of PAHs gave the priority to low and middle rings in urban and suburban during daytimes and nighttimes. PAHs with high molecular weight decreased gradually by the increase of particle size, and the proportion of low molecular weight PAHs increased gradually in the meantime. In the city, the change of size distribution among 2-4 rings PAHs in PM10 during days and nights was bigger than these among 5-7 rings. The main sources of PAHs were estimated by DR, the main contributions included gasoline and diesel combustion, the smelting furnace exhaust emissions. During sampling periods, the relationship between the concentration of PAHs, temperature and WD is negative, PAHs had a positive correlation with the visibility and WS in suburban. And in urban, the relationship with temperature during the day was negative, and with an opposite correlation between other meteorological elements.

Competitive migration behaviors of multiple ions and their impacts on ion-exchange resin packed microbial desalination cell.

Mixed ion-exchange resins packed microbial desalination cell (R-MDC) could stabilize the internal resistance, however, the impacts of multiple ions on R-MDC performance was unclear. This study investigated the desalination performance, multiple ions migration behaviors and their impacts on R-MDCs fed with salt solution containing multiple anions and cations. Results showed that R-MDC removed multiple anions better than multiple cations with desalination efficiency of 99% (effluent conductivity <0.05 ms/cm) at hydraulic retention time of 50 h. Competitive migration order was SO4(2-)>NO3(-)>Cl(-) for anions and Ca(2+)≈Mg(2+)>NH4(+)>Na(+) for cations, jointly affected by both their molar conductivity and exchange selectivity on resins. After long-term operation, the existence of higher concentration Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) caused the electric conductivity of mixed resins decrease and scaling on the surface of cation-exchange membrane adjoined with cathode chamber, suggesting that R-MDC would be more suitable for desalination of water with lower hardness.

Power generation by packed-bed air-cathode microbial fuel cells.

Catalysts and catalyst binders are significant portions of the cost of microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes. Many materials have been tested as aqueous cathodes, but air-cathodes are needed to avoid energy demands for water aeration. Packed-bed air-cathodes were constructed without expensive binders or diffusion layers using four inexpensive carbon-based materials. Cathodes made from activated carbon produced the largest maximum power density of 676 ± 93 mW/m(2), followed by semi-coke (376 ± 47 mW/m(2)), graphite (122 ± 14 mW/m(2)) and carbon felt (60 ± 43 mW/m(2)). Increasing the mass of activated carbon and semi-coke from 5 to ≥ 15 g significantly reduced power generation because of a reduction in oxygen transfer due to a thicker water layer in the cathode (∼3 or ∼6 cm). These results indicate that a thin packed layer of activated carbon or semi-coke can be used to make inexpensive air-cathodes for MFCs.

Using a glass fiber separator in a single-chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cell shortens start-up time and improves anode performance at ambient and mesophilic temperatures.

A shorter start-up time and highly negative anode potentials are needed to improve single-chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Using a glass fiber separator reduced the start-up time from 10d to 8d at 20°C, and from 4d to 2d at 30°C, and enhanced coulombic efficiency (CE) from <60% to 89% (20°C) and 87% (30°C). Separators also reduced anode potentials by 20-190mV, charge transfer resistances by 76% (20°C) and 19% (30°C), and increased CV peak currents by 24% (20°C) and 8% (30°C) and the potential range for redox activity (-0.55 to 0.10mV vs. -0.49 to -0.24mV at 20°C). Using a glass fiber separator in an air-cathode MFC, combined with inoculation at a mesophilic temperature, are excellent strategies to shorten start-up time and to enhance anode performance and CE.

Microbial desalination cells packed with ion-exchange resin to enhance water desalination rate.

A novel configuration of microbial desalination cell (MDC) packed with ion-exchange resin (R-MDC) was proposed to enhance water desalination rate. Compared with classic MDC (C-MDC), an obvious increase in desalination rate (DR) was obtained by R-MDC. With relatively low concentration (10-2 g/L NaCl) influents, the DR values of R-MDC were about 1.5-8 times those of C-MDC. Ion-exchange resins packed in the desalination chamber worked as conductor and thus counteracted the increase in ohmic resistance during treatment of low concentration salt water. Ohmic resistances of R-MDC stabilized at 3.0-4.7 Ω. By contrast, the ohmic resistances of C-MDC ranged from 5.5 to 12.7 Ω, which were 55-272% higher than those of R-MDC. Remarkable improvement in desalination rate helped improve charge efficiency for desalination in R-MDC. The results first showed the potential of R-MDC in the desalination of water with low salinity.

Carbonization and activation of inexpensive semicoke-packed electrodes to enhance power generation of microbial fuel cells.

A simple and low-cost modification method was developed to improve the power generation performance of inexpensive semicoke electrode in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). After carbonization and activation with water vapor at 800-850 °C, the MFC with the activated coke (modified semicoke) anode produced a maximum power density of 74 Wm(-3) , 17 Wm(-3) , and 681 mWm(-2) (normalized to anodic liquid volume, total reactor volume, and projected membrane surface area, respectively), which was 124 % higher than MFCs using a semicoke anode (33 Wm(-3) , 8 Wm(-3) , and 304 mWm(-2) ). When they were used as biocathode materials, activated coke produced a maximum power density of 177 Wm(-3) , 41 Wm(-3) , and 1628 mWm(-2) (normalized to cathodic liquid volume, total reactor volume, and projected membrane surface area, respectively), which was 211 % higher than that achieved by MFCs using a semicoke cathode (57 Wm(-3) , 13 Wm(-3) , and 524 mWm(-2) ). A substantial increase was also noted in the conductivity, C/O mass ratio, and specific area for activated coke, which reduced the ohmic resistance, increased biomass density, and promoted electron transfer between bacteria and electrode surface. The activated coke anode also produced a higher Coulombic efficiency and chemical oxygen demand removal rate than the semicoke anode.

Microbial community analysis in biocathode microbial fuel cells packed with different materials.

Biocathode MFCs using microorganisms as catalysts have important advantages in lowering cost and improving sustainability. Electrode materials and microbial synergy determines biocathode MFCs performance. In this study, four materials, granular activated carbon (GAC), granular semicoke (GS), granular graphite (GG) and carbon felt cube (CFC) were used as packed cathodic materials. The microbial composition on each material and its correlation with the electricity generation performance of MFCs were investigated. Results showed that different biocathode materials had an important effect on the type of microbial species in biocathode MFCs. The microbes belonging to Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla in the four materials packed biocathode MFCs. Comamonas of Betaproteobacteria might play significant roles in electron transfer process of GAC, GS and CFC packed biocathode MFCs, while in GG packed MFC Acidovorax may be correlated with power generation. The biocathode materials also had influence on the microbial diversity and evenness, but the differences in them were not positively related to the power production.

Capacitive deionization coupled with microbial fuel cells to desalinate low-concentration salt water.

A new technology (CDI-MFC) that combined capacitive deionization (CDI) and microbial fuel cell (MFC) was developed to treat low-concentration salt water with NaCl concentration of 60mg/L. The water desalination rate was 35.6mg/(Lh), meanwhile the charge efficiency was 21.8%. Two desorption modes were investigated: discharging (DC) mode and short circuit (SC) mode. The desalination rate in the DC mode was 200.6±3.1mg/(Lh), 47.8% higher than that in the SC mode [135.7±15.3mg/(Lh)]. The average current in the DC mode was also much higher than that of the SC mode. The energy stored in the CDI cell has been reused to enhance the electron production of MFC by the discharging desorption mode (DC mode), which offers an approach to recover the electrostatic energy in the CDI cell.

Electricity generation and microbial community changes in microbial fuel cells packed with different anodic materials.

Four materials, carbon felt cube (CFC), granular graphite (GG), granular activated carbon (GAC) and granular semicoke (GS) were tested as packed anodic materials to seek a potentially practical material for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The microbial community and its correlation with the electricity generation performance of MFCs were explored. The maximum power density was found in GAC, followed by CFC, GG and GS. In GAC and CFC packed MFCs, Geobacter was the dominating genus, while Azospira was the most populous group in GG. Results further indicated that GAC was the most favorable for Geobacter adherence and growth, and the maximum power densities had positive correlation with the total biomass and the relative abundance of Geobacter, but without apparent correlation with the microbial diversity. Due to the low content of Geobacter in GS, power generated in this system may be attributed to other microorganisms such as Synergistes, Bacteroidetes and Castellaniella.

Use of inexpensive semicoke and activated carbon as biocathode in microbial fuel cells.

In this study, two inexpensive semicoke and activated carbon packed bed biocathode were developed for oxygen reduction in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). These two materials were compared with two commonly used biocathode materials graphite and carbon felt in terms of material characteristic, power density, biomass density and price-performance ratio. MFCs with semicoke and activated carbon biocathode produced a maximum power density of 20.1 W/m3 (normalized liquid volume in cathodic compartment) and 24.3 W/m3, respectively, compared to 14.1 and 17.1 W/m3 obtained by MFCs with graphite and carbon felt biocathode, respectively. The bacteria attached on biocathode played a major role in oxygen reduction for all the materials investigated. The material cost per Watt produced for semicoke and activated carbon biocathode is only 2.8% and 22.7% of that for graphite biocathode, respectively. These two inexpensive carbon materials, especially semicoke, are very cost-effective biocathode materials for future large scale MFCs.

Recent progress in electrodes for microbial fuel cells.

The performance and cost of electrodes are the most important aspects in the design of microbial fuel cell (MFC) reactors. A wide range of electrode materials and configurations have been tested and developed in recent years to improve MFC performance and lower material cost. As well, anodic electrode surface modifications have been widely used to improve bacterial adhesion and electron transfer from bacteria to the electrode surface. In this paper, a review of recent advances in electrode material and a configuration of both the anode and cathode in MFCs are provided. The advantages and drawbacks of these electrodes, in terms of their conductivity, surface properties, biocompatibility, and cost are analyzed, and the modification methods for the anodic electrode are summarized. Finally, to achieve improvements and the commercial use of MFCs, the challenges and prospects of future electrode development are briefly discussed.

Alternate charging and discharging of capacitor to enhance the electron production of bioelectrochemical systems.

A bioelectrochemical system (BES) can be operated in both "microbial fuel cell" (MFC) and "microbial electrolysis cell" (MEC) modes, in which power is delivered and invested respectively. To enhance the electric current production, a BES was operated in MFC mode first and a capacitor was used to collect power from the system. Then the charged capacitor discharged electrons to the system itself, switching into MEC mode. This alternate charging and discharging (ACD) mode helped the system produce 22-32% higher average current compared to an intermittent charging (IC) mode, in which the capacitor was first charged from an MFC and then discharged to a resistor, at 21.6 Ω external resistance, 3.3 F capacitance and 300 mV charging voltage. The effects of external resistance, capacitance and charging voltage on average current were studied. The average current reduced as the external resistance and charging voltage increased and was slightly affected by the capacitance. Acquisition of higher average current in the ACD mode was attributed to the shorter discharging time compared to the charging time, as well as a higher anode potential caused by discharging the capacitor. Results from circuit analysis and quantitatively calculation were consistent with the experimental observations.

A new insight into potential regulation on growth and power generation of Geobacter sulfurreducens in microbial fuel cells based on energy viewpoint.

The anode potential in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) defines the possible metabolic energy gain (PMEG) for the bacteria growth. This study focused on the mechanism behind anode potential controlling microbial growth and power generation in MFCs from an energy perspective. Four sets of MFCs were operated with varied conditions: three with different applied anode potential (-160, 0, and 400 mV vs standard hydrogen electrode (SHE)) and one with an external resistor (500 Omega). A model strain Geobacter sulfurreducens was used here. The evolution of biomass was measured and its quantitative relationship with PMEG was analyzed. Linear voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry were also carried out. Results indicated a notable gain in biomass and power density when anode potential increased from -160 to 0 mV. However, no gain in biomass and power generation was detected when anode potential further increased to 400 mV. At anode potential of 0 mV and below, G. sulfurreducens extracted a significant portion of PMEG for growth, while utilization of PMEG significantly decreased at 400 mV. Furthermore, the anode potential has a minor influence on individual G. sulfurreducens cell activity, and the maximum power density of MFC proportionate to biomass.