Multifunctional rural development provides a powerful entrée into understanding sustainable rural transformation development against the context of rapid socio-economic growth with cascading effects ...on human-land relations. This paper attempts to summarize the stage characteristics of the multifunctional rural development and categorize China's rural areas by using both multi-factor comprehensive evaluation method and spatial analysis. Rural areas in China were encapsulated as four functional types-agricultural production function, economic development function, social security function, and ecological conservation function, and it was divided into 4 categories and 16 subcategories. The results indicated that the rural multifunctionality index presents obvious spatial heterogeneity during 2000–2015. Both the agricultural production function and social security function have shown an obvious increase, while the economic development function has much room for improvement. Recognizing the interaction between multiple functions is of great significance for implementation of strong multifunctionality pathways. The evolution of multifunctional rural is driven by both policy-oriented and market-induced forces. The results provide evidence for the cognition that multifunctionality is spatially complex, and contribute to the geography of multifunctionality.
•Multifunctional rural development (MRD) is of paramount significance for rural sustainability.•Conceptual framework and assessment basis of MRD are established.•Spatio-temporal differentiation and regional types of MRD in China are probed.•Policy-oriented and market-induced mechanisms driving MRD are analyzed.•It has potential to enrich the geography of multifunctionality.
Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided strong evidence and mechanistic underpinnings to support positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning, from single to ...multiple functions. This research has provided knowledge gained mainly at the local alpha scale (i.e. within ecosystems), but the increasing homogenization of landscapes in the Anthropocene has raised the potential that declining biodiversity at the beta (across ecosystems) and gamma scales is likely to also impact ecosystem functioning. Drawing on biodiversity theory, we propose a new statistical framework based on Hill–Chao numbers. The framework allows decomposition of multifunctionality at gamma scales into alpha and beta components, a critical but hitherto missing tool in BEF research; it also allows weighting of individual ecosystem functions. Through the proposed decomposition, new BEF results for beta and gamma scales are discovered. Our novel approach is applicable across ecosystems and connects local‐ and landscape‐scale BEF assessments from experiments to natural settings.
Drawing on biodiversity theory, we propose a statistical framework based on Hill–Chao numbers to quantify multifunctionality in ecosystems. The framework allows decomposition of multifunctionality at gamma scales into alpha and beta components, a critical but hitherto missing tool in BEF research.
Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) offer outstanding lightweight potential and can play a key role for modern energy and mobility concepts. However, production of carbon fibers is energy- and ...cost-intensive, while at the same time waste rates of common manufacturing technologies are quite high and repair possibilities for damaged parts still limited. Therefore, holistic recycling approaches are urgently required in order to reach acceptable cost-efficiency and sustainability. What makes the recycling so challenging, is the fact that true recycling, i.e. re-usage of fibers in high-performance composites, requires preservation of a high fiber length and enabling of accurate fiber orientation. This generates a trade-off between the best possible exploitation of the fiber properties and the effort to minimize the recycling costs. Hence, this paper does not only give a brief overview of technologies to recover carbon fibers from waste and to process them to new CFRP components. In addition, different approaches are presented, that exploit the specific characteristics of semi-finished products based on recycled carbon fibers, in order to achieve process- or material-related multifunctionality. This includes quasi-plastic deformation behavior (enables deep-drawing or curved tow placement), improved surface quality through reduced fiber print-through, robust resin impregnation through supersaturated nonwovens, and high energy absorption.
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•A brief introduction concerning origin and detection of Single-Molecule Magnets.•A time travel in single-molecule magnetism.•Highly anisotropic systems are prevailing over high ...nuclearity metal clusters.•Synergistic multifunctionality, a key feature in molecular magnetism.•Hybrid materials based on Single-Molecule Magnets, towards future devices.
The discovery of the first Single-Molecule Magnet, Mn12-ac, in 1993 changed the perspective of how information can be stored. The current bit, occupying few hundreds of nanometers in present devices, would be minimized to tens of angstroms at molecular level. However, until a couple of years these materials could only operate at temperatures near to the absolute zero. From 1993 to date, the field of Single-Molecule Magnets (SMMs) has continuously evolved thanks to the close collaboration of chemists and physicists obtaining materials already operating above the liquid nitrogen temperature. This long journey, however, has involved the study of many different routes towards high performance SMMs, being each of them essential in order to deeply understand the quantum dynamics behind these molecules. An era of high spin 3d metal clusters was the beginning of everything, but it went through highly anisotropic low coordinate 3d compounds, lanthanide based magnets, radical bridged compounds and 3d-4f mixed systems, among others, to end up in the current state of the art dysprosium metallocenes. Furthermore, after the magnetic studies in bulk, SMM based hybrid systems are emerging for future application devices, which also involve very interesting multifunctionalities. All in all, this work aims to explain how these materials work and show the trajectory and some of the major advances that have been made during recent years in this field.
Establishing forest plantations is an important solution to the growing conflict between an increasing human population and mounting pressure to protect the natural forests, as plantations also ...harbor great potential for providing multiple ecosystem services (ESs). However, because of the trade-offs between multiple ESs and the conflicts between different stakeholders, the sustainable management of plantations has been exceedingly challenging. Especially in recent years, with China's emphasis on ecological civilization construction and sustainable development, forestry departments have begun to focus on long-term ecological benefits, which conflict with farmers' attention to short-term economic gains. In this study, we quantified 15 field-based ES indicators from the data measured in Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantations aged 4 to 32 years. Corresponding to the concerns of two different stakeholders (forestry departments and farmers), we calculated ES-multifunctionality with different thresholds under four management scenarios: equal weight, production only, production multifunctionality, and supporting multifunctionality. Our results suggested pronounced stand age effects on both individual ESs and ES-multifunctionality of plantations. For individual ESs, stand age had a greater impact on provisioning services than on supporting services. High degree of trade-offs existed between plantation provisioning ESs and soil nutrient supporting ESs, and between water relevant ESs and the other ESs. With respect to ES-multifunctionality, the values under different scenarios were all augmented with stand age, but to differing degrees. The values for supporting multifunctionality were higher than those of production multifunctionality and production only before 21 years of stand development, but completely reversed once the fir plantations reached an age of 25 years. Finally, several stage-based plantation management recommendations are proposed to minimize conflicts between different stakeholders. Our results combined measures of temporal stability and multifunctionality, thereby providing valuable and timely insight into the multifunctional stability of plantations represented by Chinese fir.
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•There is pronounced stand age effect on ESs and ES-multifunctionality of plantation.•Stand age has a greater impact on provisioning services than on supporting services.•The development of all ESs is more balanced in a 32-years-old plantation.•There are 2 distinct stages of variation in ES-multifunctionality under 4 scenarios.•Stage-based management recommendations for multifunctional stability are proposed.
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Fluorescence imaging with deep penetration and low auto-fluorescence in the second near-infrared biochannel (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) was developed rapidly during the past decades. ...Organic materials such as organic small molecules and polymers are promising candidates for various biomedical studies owing to their low toxicity and facile chemical modification. Recently, scaffold-structural diversity and multifunctional utilization of NIR-II fluorophores attracted a lot of attentions as the gradually revealing shortcomings of first generation NIR-I organic fluorophores and unbalanced demand between single fluorescence imaging and clinical practice. In this review, organic emitters including NIR-II organic small molecules and polymers are discussed which focus on their multifunctional applications in biomedicine. Furthermore, we raised the current challenges and perspectives of NIR-II organic emitters.
Dynamic functions of biological organisms often rely on arrays of actively deformable microstructures undergoing a nearly unlimited repertoire of predetermined and self-regulated reconfigurations and ...motions, most of which are difficult or not yet possible to achieve in synthetic systems. Here, we introduce stimuli-responsive microstructures based on liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) that display a broad range of hierarchical, even mechanically unfavored deformation behaviors. By polymerizing molded prepolymer in patterned magnetic fields, we encode any desired uniform mesogen orientation into the resulting LCE microstructures, which is then read out upon heating above the nematic–isotropic transition temperature (TN–I) as a specific prescribed deformation, such as twisting, in- and out-of-plane tilting, stretching, or contraction. By further introducing light-responsive moieties, we demonstrate unique multifunctionality of the LCEs capable of three actuation modes: self-regulated bending toward the light source at T < TN–I, magnetic-field–encoded predetermined deformation at T > TN–I, and direction-dependent self-regulated motion toward the light at T > TN–I. We develop approaches to create patterned arrays of microstructures with encoded multiple area-specific deformation modes and show their functions in responsive release of cargo, image concealment, and light-controlled reflectivity. We foresee that this platform can be widely applied in switchable adhesion, information encryption, autonomous antennae, energy harvesting, soft robotics, and smart buildings.
Many different polymers and polymer composites are used for engineering applications in which friction and wear are critical issues. This article briefs (a) the importance of polymer tribology in ...general, (b) the special design principles of polymer composites for low friction and wear under sliding against smooth metallic counterparts, and (c) synergistic effects of nano-particles and traditional fillers and fibers for an optimal tribological performance. Based on these fundamental aspects, the article reviews traditional applications of polymeric tribo-components in mechanical and automotive engineering, including slide elements in textile machines, filament wound bushings for harsh environments, cages of high-precision ball bearings in dental turbines, and hybrid bushings in Diesel fuel injection pumps. A following chapter on special developments of tribo-components outlines (a) ways to achieve electrical conductivity of polymer bearings, (b) the enhancement of self-lubrication and self-healing potential by the incorporation of micro-capsules into the polymer matrix, (c) modern additive manufacturing methods for friction and wear loaded polymer parts, (d) the application and properties of high temperature polymer coatings, and (e) the composition and use of polymer composites under friction at cryogenic temperature conditions. Keywords: Polymer, Composites, Tribology, Friction, Wear, Electrical conductivity, Self-healing, Additive manufacturing, Cryogenic temperature, Coatings, Bearings, Multifunctionality
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The extraordinary strength and toughness of arthropod cuticle depend on phenol-amine chemistry and mineral reinforcement. A bio-inspired adhesive was engineered through introducing ...the cost-effective phenolic polymer accompanied with acid-stable montmorillonite mineral into amino-rich soy protein matrix. This adhesive reproduces the outstanding properties of arthropod cuticle, including high toughness and superior strength, and exhibited outstanding stiffness, mold resistance, flame retardancy.
•An arthropod cuticle-inspired bio-based adhesive was prepared by phenol-amine chemistry and mineral enhancement.•The phenol-amine cross-linking and MMT reinforcement improved adhesive’s adhesion strength.•The sacrificial interactions and micro-phase separation enhanced the adhesive’s toughness.•The compatibility of hybrid system endows this adhesive with multi-functionality.
Arthropod cuticles are extraordinarily stiff and strong due to phenol-amine chemistry and mineral reinforcement. Nevertheless, these cuticles require costly dopamine (phenol provider), acid-unstable minerals, enzymes that can be deactivated, making them difficult to imitate in artificial materials. Herein, the arthropod cuticle was mimicked by introducing a low-cost phenolic polymer (DP) and acid-stable montmorillonite into an amino-rich soy protein matrix (SPI) to develop a bio-based adhesive. Fe3+ was chosen as the oxidizing agent to trigger the oxidation of DP without using enzyme, while activating cross-linking between oxidized DP and SPI to cure the adhesive. This covalent cross-linking and mineral reinforcement strategy endowed the adhesive with a bonding strength (1.04 MPa) comparable to industrial-use adhesives, whereas its volatile organic compounds emission was about 10-fold lower than the industrial-use adhesives. The sacrificial bonds and microphase-separated structure formed from the adhesive resulted in a high toughness. Furthermore, this adhesive featured an outstanding stiffness (40.38 GPa), exceeding ten times that of normal plastics. Notably, this adhesive exhibited excellent mold resistance (288 h shelf life) and flame retardancy (level B1 in GB 8624-2012). This efficient, eco-friendly, and low-cost bionic design strategy can advance the enhancement and functionalized modification of underwater adhesives, hydrogel, and composite materials.
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