Coalescence-Induced Droplet Jumping on Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Annular Wedge-Shaped Micropillar Arrays.

The coalescence-induced droplet jumping on superhydrophobic surfaces has extensive application potential in water harvesting, thermal management of electronic devices, and microfluidics. The rational design of the surface structure can influence the interaction between the droplet and the surface, thereby controlling the velocity and direction of the droplet's jumping. In this study, we fabricate the superhydrophobic surface with annular wedge-shaped micropillar arrays, examine the dynamic behavior of condensate droplets on the surface, and measure the temporal and spatial variations of droplet density, average radius, and surface coverage with wedge-shaped micropillars of varying sizes. In addition, the energy analysis of the coalescence-induced droplet jumping reveals that the two primary factors influencing the jumping are the relative size and position of the droplets and micropillars. Further numerical simulations find that the wedge-shaped micropillars cause an asymmetric distribution of pressure within the droplet and at the solid-liquid contact surface, which generates an unbalanced force driving the droplet in the gradient direction of the wedge-shaped micropillar, causing the droplet to jump off the surface with both vertical and gradient-direction velocities. The capacity of the wedge-shaped micropillar surface to transport droplets in the gradient direction increases and then decreases as the relative size of the droplets and micropillars increases. The relative position of the droplet center-of-mass line perpendicular to the bottom edge of the wedge micropillars' trapezoidal shape is more favorable for droplet transport. This work reveals the influence mechanism of surface structure on the velocity and direction of droplet jumping, and the results can guide the microstructure design of superhydrophobic surfaces, which has significant implications for the application of droplet jumping.

An Oscillation System Based on a Liquid Metal Droplet and Pillars under a Direct Current Electric Field.

Gallium-based liquid metal is a new class of material that has attracted extensive attention due to its excellent deformation characteristics and great potential in applications. Based on the deformation characteristics of liquid metal droplets, researchers have developed many oscillation systems composed of gallium indium tin alloy (GaInSn) droplet and graphite, or aluminum-doped gallium indium alloy (Al-GaIn24.5) droplet and iron, and so on. Rather than the oxidation and deoxidation mechanisms used in previous systems, an oscillation system that can achieve gallium indium alloy (EGaIn) droplet oscillation with the frequency of 0-29 Hz is designed depending on the interactions between the electric field, pillars, sodium hydroxide, and the droplet. The forces on the droplet are analyzed specifically, which have a great influence on droplet deformation. Additionally, the effects of factors such as voltage, the concentration of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, and droplet size on the droplet oscillation are elucidated based on the force analysis, enabling the flexible control of the oscillation frequency and amplitude of the droplet. This work provides a new perspective on the design of oscillation systems and further enhances our understanding of the deformation of gallium-based liquid metal droplets.

Contact Time of Droplet Impact on Inclined Ridged Superhydrophobic Surfaces.

Superhydrophobic surfaces decorated with macrostructures have attracted extensive attention due to their excellent performance of reducing the contact time of impacting droplets. In many practical applications, the surface is not perpendicular to the droplet impact direction, but the impacting dynamics in such scenarios still remain mysterious. Here, we experimentally investigate the dynamics of droplet impact on inclined ridged superhydrophobic surfaces and reveal the effect of Wen (the normal Weber number) and α (the inclination angle) on the contact time τ. As Wen increases, τ first decreases rapidly until a platform is reached; if Wen continues to increase, τ further reduces to a lower platform, indicating a three-stage variation of τ in low, middle, and high Wen regions. In the middle and high Wen regions, the contact time is reduced by 30 and 50%, respectively, and is dominated by droplet spreading/retraction in the tangential and lateral directions, respectively. A quantitative analysis demonstrates that τ in the middle and high Wen regions is independent of Wen and α, while the range of middle and high Wen regions is related to α. When α < 30°, increasing α narrows the middle Wen region and enlarges the high Wen region; when α ≥ 30°, the two Wen regions remain unchanged. In addition, droplet sliding is hindered by the friction and is affected by the droplet morphology in the high Wen region. Overall, the synergistic effect of the surface inclination and macrostructures effectively promotes the detachment of impacting droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces, which provides guidance for applications of superhydrophobic surfaces.

The Effect of the Initial State of the Droplet Group on the Energy Conversion Efficiency of Self-Propelled Jumping.

The essential characteristic of the self-propelled jumping droplet is the jumping velocity, which determines its application value in heat transfer enhancement, antifrosting, self-cleaning, and so on. The jumping velocity is directly related to the energy conversion efficiency (i.e., the ratio of jumping kinetic energy surface energy released by coalescence to surface energy released by coalescence) and it is affected by the initial state of droplets but there is no unified theory to describe the relationship between the initial state of droplets and the energy conversion efficiency. In this paper, the projection of the initial chemical potential and the final chemical potential difference of droplets in the direction of jumping is defined as jumping potential by theoretical analysis of the chemical potential evolution. The effects of droplet number, distribution, and radius ratio on energy conversion efficiency can be synthetically characterized by jumping potential. The larger the jumping potential is, the higher the energy conversion efficiency is. Finally, the rationality and universality of the jumping potential are verified by numerical simulations and comparison with previous studies. The jumping potential can explain phenomena that cannot be explained in previous studies and can provide a synthesis critical value of droplet jumping.

BRD4 promotes LPS-induced endothelial cells senescence via activating and cooperating STING-IRF3 pathway.

Endothelial cells (ECs) senescence is closely associated with the initiation and development of multiple age-related cardiovascular diseases. It is necessary to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of ECs senescence, which is not only the basis to decipher cellular senescence, but also a novel therapeutic target for the endothelial senescence-related diseases. BRD4, a key epigenetic regulator, is universally related to gene expression regulation and has been reported to accelerate cell senescence. Besides, emerging evidence has suggested that the stimulator of interferon genes protein (STING) can regulate inflammatory and senescence-related diseases. However, whether STING pathway activation is regulated by BRD4 in the context of ECs senescence remains largely unclear. Here, we observed that elevated BRD4 and activated STING-IRF3 signaling pathway during ECs senescence and further confirmed that BRD4 could abolish STING activation. We demonstrated that BRD4 could inhibit E3 ubiquitin ligase HRD1-mediated ubiquitination degradation of STING via inhibiting HRD1 transcription. In addition to the direct regulatory effect of BRD4 on STING activation, we have confirmed that BRD4 cooperates with IRF3 and P65 to promote SASP gene expression, thereby accelerating ECs senescence. Here, we proposed a novel mechanism underlying BRD4' key dual role in activating the STING pathway during ECs senescence.

Understanding and Utilizing Droplet Impact on Superhydrophobic Surfaces: Phenomena, Mechanisms, Regulations, Applications, and Beyond.

Droplet impact is a ubiquitous liquid behavior that closely tied to human life and production, making indispensable impacts on the big world. Nature-inspired superhydrophobic surfaces provide a powerful platform for regulating droplet impact dynamics. The collision between classic phenomena of droplet impact and the advanced manufacture of superhydrophobic surfaces is lighting up the future. Accurately understanding, predicting, and tailoring droplet dynamic behaviors on superhydrophobic surfaces are progressive steps to integrate the droplet impact into versatile applications and further improve the efficiency. In this review, the progress on phenomena, mechanisms, regulations, and applications of droplet impact on superhydrophobic surfaces, bridging the gap between droplet impact, superhydrophobic surfaces, and engineering applications are comprehensively summarized. It is highlighted that droplet contact and rebound are two focal points, and their fundamentals and dynamic regulations on elaborately designed superhydrophobic surfaces are discussed in detail. For the first time, diverse applications are classified into four categories according to the requirements for droplet contact and rebound. The remaining challenges are also pointed out and future directions to trigger subsequent research on droplet impact from both scientific and applied perspectives are outlined. The review is expected to provide a general framework for understanding and utilizing droplet impact.

A system for fluid pumping by liquid metal multi-droplets.

The transportation and control of microfluidics have an important influence on the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine. Pump systems based on the electrocapillary effect and room-temperature liquid metal droplets have attracted extensive attention. Flow rate is an important parameter that reflects the delivery performance of the pump systems. In the systems of previous studies, cylindrical structures are mostly used to constrain the droplet. The analysis and quantitative description of the influence of voltage frequency, alternating voltage, direct current voltage bias, and solution concentration on the flow rate are not yet comprehensive. Furthermore, the systems are driven by only one droplet, which limits the increase in flow rate. Therefore, a pump with a cuboid structure is designed and the droplet is bound by pillars, and the flow rate of the pump is increased by more than 200% compared with the cylindrical pump. For this structure, the mechanism of various factors on the flow rate is analyzed. To further enhance the flow rate, a pump system with multi-droplets is proposed. Moreover, the expression of flow velocity of the solution on the surface of each droplet and the relationship between the flow rate, alternating voltage, and the number of droplets are deduced. Finally, the potential of applying the multi-droplet cuboid pump system in drug delivery and analytical chemistry is demonstrated. Additionally, the core of the pump, the droplet area, is modularized, which breaks the overall structural limitations of the liquid metal pump and provides ideas for pump design.

SETBP1 activation upon MDM4-enhanced ubiquitination of NR3C1 triggers dissemination of colorectal cancer cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) presents a growing concern globally, marked by its escalating incidence and mortality rates, thus imposing a substantial health burden. This investigation delves into the role of nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1) in CRC metastasis and explores the associated mechanism. Through a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, NR3C1 emerged as a gene with diminished expression levels in CRC. This finding was corroborated by observations of a low-expression pattern of NR3C1 in both CRC tissues and cells. Furthermore, experiments involving NR3C1 knockdown revealed an exacerbation of proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells in vitro. Subsequent assessments in mouse xenograft tumor models, established by injecting human HCT116 cells either through the tail vein or at the cecum termini, demonstrated a reduction in tumor metastasis to the lung and liver, respectively, upon NR3C1 knockdown. Functionally, NR3C1 (glucocorticoid receptor) suppressed SET binding protein 1 (SETBP1) transcription by binding to its promoter region. Notably, mouse double minute 4 (MDM4) was identified as an upstream regulator of NR3C1, orchestrating its downregulation via ubiquitination-dependent proteasomal degradation. Further investigations unveiled that SETBP1 knockdown suppressed migration and invasion, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition of CRC cells, consequently impeding in vivo metastasis in murine models. Conversely, upregulation of MDM4 exacerbated the metastatic phenotype of CRC cells, a propensity mitigated upon additional upregulation of NR3C1. In summary, this study elucidates a cascade wherein MDM4-mediated ubiquitination of NR3C1 enables the transcriptional activation of SETBP1, thereby propelling the dissemination of CRC cells.

Advanced Anti-Icing Strategies and Technologies by Macrostructured Photothermal Storage Superhydrophobic Surfaces.

Water is the source of life and civilization, but water icing causes catastrophic damage to human life and diverse industrial processes. Currently, superhydrophobic surfaces (inspired by the lotus effect) aided anti-icing attracts intensive attention due to their energy-free property. Here, recent advances in anti-icing by design and functionalization of superhydrophobic surfaces are reviewed. The mechanisms and advantages of conventional, macrostructured, and photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces are introduced in turn. Conventional superhydrophobic surfaces, as well as macrostructured ones, easily lose the icephobic property under extreme conditions, while photothermal superhydrophobic surfaces strongly rely on solar illumination. To address the above issues, a potentially smart strategy is found by developing macrostructured photothermal storage superhydrophobic (MPSS) surfaces, which integrate the functions of macrostructured superhydrophobic materials, photothermal materials, and phase change materials (PCMs), and are expected to achieve all-day anti-icing in various fields. Finally, the latest achievements in developing MPSS surfaces, showcasing their immense potential, are highlighted. Besides, the perspectives on the future development of MPSS surfaces are provided and the problems that need to be solved in their practical applications are proposed.

Microbial community evolution and individual-based model validation of biofilms in single-stage partial nitrification/anammox system.

In this study, matrix degradation, microbial community development, and distribution using an individual-based model during biofilm formation on carriers at varying depths within a single-stage partial nitrification/anammox system were simulated. The findings from the application of individual-based model fitting, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and high-throughput sequencing reveal the presence of aerobic bacteria, specifically ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, as discrete particles within the outer layer of the carrier. Facultative anaerobic bacteria exemplified by anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, are observed as aggregates within the middle layer. Conversely, anaerobic bacteria, represented by denitrifiers, are enveloped by extracellular polymeric substances within the inner layer. The present study extends the application of individual-based model to the formation of polyurethane-supported biofilms and presents valuable avenues for the design and advancement of pragmatic engineering carriers.

Leidenfrost droplet jet engine by bubble ejection.

HYPOTHESIS: Despite the flourishing studies of Leidenfrost droplet motion in its boiling regime, the droplet motion across different boiling regimes has rarely been focused on, where bubbles are generated at the solid-liquid interface. These bubbles are probable to dramatically alter the dynamics of Leidenfrost droplets, creating some intriguing phenomena of droplet motion. EXPERIMENTS: Hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and superhydrophobic substrates with a temperature gradient are designed, and Leidenfrost droplets with diverse fluid types, volumes, and velocities travel from the hot end to the cold end of the substrate. The behaviors of droplet motion across different boiling regimes are recorded and depicted in a phase diagram. FINDINGS: A special phenomenon of Leidenfrost droplets that resembles a jet engine is witnessed on a hydrophilic substrate with a temperature gradient: the droplet traveling across boiling regimes repulsing itself backward. The mechanism of repulsive motion is the reverse thrust from fierce bubble ejection when droplets meet nucleate boiling regime, which cannot take place on hydrophobic and superhydrophobic substrates. We further demonstrate that conflicting droplet motions can occur in similar conditions, and a model is developed to predict the occurring criteria of this phenomenon for droplets in diverse working conditions, which agrees well with the experimental data.

Critical role of extracellular DNA in the establishment and maintenance of anammox biofilms.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) has been widely used for the sustainable removal of nitrogen from wastewater. Extracellular DNA (exDNA), as one of the main components of biofilms, not only determines the initial formation process, but also allows the three-dimensional structure to be maintained. Since the effects of exDNA on anammox biofilm formation are still poorly understood, this study elucidated the effects of exDNA on different stages of anammox biofilm establishment and maintenance under static conditions and its mechanism. The results revealed that exDNA mainly affected the maintenance stage of anammox biofilm formation. Compared with the absence of exDNA, nitrogen removal efficiency in the presence of exDNA was 6.17 % higher; the number of bacteria cells attached to the carrier was 2.23 times that in the absence of exDNA. The spatiotemporal distribution of bacteria was revealed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. After 30 days, the relative abundances of anammox in biofilms were 6.19 % and 0.4 % in the presence and absence of exDNA, respectively, indicating its positive role in anammox bacteria (AnAOB) adhesion and biofilm formation. The presence of exDNA in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) promotes the synthesis of proteins and soluble microbial products. According to the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (X - DLVO) theory, the presence of exDNA also reduced the Lewis acid-base interaction energy and created favorable thermodynamic conditions for AnAOB adhesion. These findings advance our understanding of the role of exDNA in anammox-mediated biofilm formation and offer insights into the mechanism of exDNA in the establishment and maintenance stages.

Dual-mobility cup total hip arthroplasty improves the quality of life compared to internal fixation in femoral neck fractures patients with severe neuromuscular disease in the lower extremity after stroke: a retrospective study.

Background: This study aimed to demonstrate that dual-mobility cup total hip arthroplasty (DMC-THA) can significantly improve the quality of life (QOL) of elderly femoral neck fracture patients with severe neuromuscular disease in unilateral lower extremities due to stroke hemiplegia compared to internal fixation (IF). Methods: Fifty-eight cases of severe neuromuscular disease in the unilateral lower extremities with muscle strength < grade 3/5 due to stroke were retrospectively examined From January 2015 to December 2020. Then, patients were divided into DMC and IF groups. The QOL was examined using the EQ-5D and SF-36 outcome measures. The physical and mental statuses were assessed using the Barthel Index (BI) and e Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), respectively. Results: Patients in the DMC group had higher BI scores than those in the IF group at different time point. Regarding mental status, the FES-I mean score was 42.1 ± 5.3 in the DMC group and 47.3 ± 5.6 in the IF group (p = 0.002). For the QOL, the mean SF-36 score was 46.1 ± 18.3 for the health component and 59.5 ± 15.0 for the mental component in the DMC group compared to 35.3 ± 16.2 (p = 0.035), and 46.6 ± 17.4 (p = 0.006) compared to the IF group. The mean EQ-5D-5L values were 0.733 ± 0.190 and 0.303 ± 0.227 in the DMC and IF groups (p = 0.035), respectively. Conclusion: DMC-THA significantly improved postoperative QOL compared to IF in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures and severe neuromuscular dysfunction in the lower extremity after stroke. The improved outcomes were related to the enhanced early, rudimentary motor function of patients.

Osmotic cleaning of typical inorganic and organic foulants on reverse osmosis membrane for textile printing and dyeing wastewater treatment.

Reverse osmosis (RO) is one of the most fundamental membrane technology because it has higher salt rejections, which suffers from the issue of membrane fouling, as the membrane is inevitably exposed to foulants during the filtration process. For different fouling mechanisms of RO membrane, physical and chemical cleaning are widely used in the control of RO membrane fouling. The present study investigated the performance and water flux recovery using osmotic cleaning to clean the typical inorganic and organic foulants on RO membrane for textile printing and dyeing wastewater treatment. The effects of operation conditions (i.e., the concentration of cleaning solution, the filtrating time and cleaning time, and the flow rate of cleaning solution) on relative water flux recovery were examined. The results show that a highly water flux recovery (98.3% for cleaning of inorganic fouling and 99.6% for cleaning of organic fouling) was achieved under optimal operation of the concentration and flow rate of cleaning solution and the filtrating and cleaning time. Moreover, the experiment of repeated "filtrating-cleaning" cycles indicated that the osmotic cleaning has highly performance of recoverability of water flux (over 95.0%) can be extended in a relatively long time. The experimental results and changes on SEM and AFM images of RO membrane confirmed the successful development and application of osmotic cleaning for inorganic and organic fouling of RO membrane.

High-speed directional transport of condensate droplets on superhydrophobic saw-tooth surfaces.

HYPOTHESIS: Most droplets on high-efficiency condensing surfaces have radii of less than 100 µm, but conventional droplet transport methods (such as wettability-gradient surfaces and structural-curvature-gradient surfaces) that rely on the unbalanced force of three-phase lines can only transport millimeter-sized droplets efficiently. Regulating high-speed directional transport of condensate droplets is still challenging. Therefore, we present a method for condensate droplet transportation, based on the reaction force of the superhydrophobic saw-tooth surfaces to the liquid bridge, the condensate droplets could be transported at high speed and over long distances. EXPERIMENTS: The superhydrophobic saw-tooth surfaces are fabricated by femtosecond laser ablation and chemical etching. Condensation experiments and luminescent particle characterization experiments on different surfaces are conducted. Aided by the theoretical analysis, we illustrate the remarkable performance of condensate droplet transportation on saw-tooth surfaces. FINDINGS: Compared with conventional methods, our method improves the transport velocity and relative transport distance by 1-2 orders of magnitude and achieves directional transport of the smallest condensate droplet of about 2 µm. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic saw-tooth surfaces enable multi-hop directional jumping of condensate droplets, leading to cross-scale increases in transport distances from microns to decimeters.

Superhydrophobic Strategy for Nature-Inspired Rotating Microfliers: Enhancing Spreading, Reducing Contact Time, and Weakening Impact Force of Raindrops.

Wind-dispersal of seeds is a remarkable strategy in nature, enlightening the construction of microfliers for environmental monitoring. However, the flight of these microfliers is greatly affected by climatic conditions, especially in rainy days, they suffer serious raindrop impact. Here, a hierarchical superhydrophobic surface is fabricated and a novel strategy is demonstrated that the superhydrophobic coating can enhance spreading while reduce contact time and impact force of raindrops, all of which are beneficial for the rotating microfliers. When the surface rotating speed exceeds a critical value, the effect of centrifugal force becomes considerable so that the droplet spreading is enhanced. The rotating superhydrophobic surface can rotate an impacting droplet by the tangential drag force from the air boundary layer, and the rotation of the droplet generates a negative pressure zone inside it, reducing the contact time by more than 30%. The impact force by the droplet on the rotating superhydrophobic surface also has a remarkable reduction of 53% compared to that on unprocessed hydrophilic surfaces, which helps maintain the flight stability of the microfliers. This work pioneers in revealing the droplet impact effect on rotating microflier surfaces and demonstrates the effectiveness of protecting microfliers with superhydrophobic coatings, which shall guide the manufacture and flight of microfliers in rainy conditions.

Ultimate jumping of coalesced droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces.

HYPOTHESIS: Jumping of coalesced droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) is widely used for enhanced condensation, anti-icing/frosting, and self-cleaning due to its superior droplet transport capability. However, because only a tiny fraction (about 5%) of the released excess surface energy during coalescence can be transformed into jumping kinetic energy, the jumping is very weak, limiting its application. METHODS: We experimentally propose enhanced jumping methods, use machine learning to design structures that achieve ultimate jumping, and finally combine experiments and simulations to investigate the mechanism of the enhanced jumping. FINDING: We find that a more orderly flow inside the droplets through the structure is the key to improve energy transfer efficiency and that the egg tray-like structure enables the droplet to jump with an energy transfer efficiency 10.6 times higher than that of jumping on flat surfaces. This energy transfer efficiency is very close to the theoretical limit, i.e., almost all the released excess surface energy is transformed into jumping kinetic energy after overcoming viscous dissipation. The ultimate jumping enhances the application of water droplet jumping and enables other low surface energy fluid such as R22, R134a, Gasoline, and Ethanol, which cannot jump on a flat surface, to jump.

Axial spreading of droplet impact on ridged superhydrophobic surfaces.

HYPOTHESIS: Due to the complex hydrodynamics of droplet impact on ridged superhydrophobic surfaces, quantitative droplet spreading characteristics are unrevealed, limiting the practical applications of ridged superhydrophobic surfaces. During droplet impacting, the size ratio (the ratio of the ridge diameter to the droplet diameter) is an important factor that affects droplet spreading dynamics. EXPERIMENTS: We fabricated ridged superhydrophobic surfaces with size ratios ranging from zero to one, and conduct water droplet impact experiments on these surfaces at varied Weber numbers. Aided by the numerical simulations and theoretical analysis, we illustrate the droplet spreading dynamics and reveal the law on the maximum axial spreading coefficient. FINDS: The results show that the droplet spreading and retraction dynamics on ridged superhydrophobic surfaces are significantly asymmetric in the axial and spanwise directions. Focusing on the maximum axial spreading coefficient, we find it decreases first and then increases with increasing size ratios, indicating the existence of the critical size ratio. The maximum axial spreading coefficient can be reduced by 25-40% at the critical size ratio compared with that on flat surfaces. To predict the maximum axial spreading coefficient, two theoretical models are proposed respectively for size ratios smaller and larger than the critical size ratio.

Effect of Nonwoven Carbon Tissue-Reinforced Epoxy Resin Adhesive Layer on the Single Lap Bonding Strength of Aluminum Alloy Joints.

The present paper provides a solution to enhance the reliability of bonding. The effect of the nonwoven carbon tissue (NWCT) composite adhesive layer on the bonding strength and reliability of aluminum alloy of single lap joints (SLJ) was investigated by embedding NWCT into the epoxy adhesive layer. The bonding strength, Weibull distribution, metallography of cross section, and fracture surface morphology of NWCT specimens were investigated. The results showed that the average bonding strength and Weibull characteristic strength (WCS) of NWCT-reinforced specimen were 16.78 and 17.17 MPa, which increased by 70.2 and 66.7%, respectively, compared with the neat specimen, and the Weibull modulus increased from 11.46 to 22.83, which indicated that NWCT specimens had higher bonding reliability. The mechanism of microcrack formation was obtained by analyzing the cross section of specimen loaded 95% WCS without macroscopic damage. The metallographic section showed that the microcrack of the neat specimen originated from the adhesive-aluminum interface, while the microcracks of the NWCT specimen originated from the interface between short carbon fibers (SCF) and adhesive. Typical failure modes were gained from visual observation and SEM. The failure mode of the neat specimen included more Al-adhesive interface failure, while the NWCT specimen included more internal failure of adhesive-SCFs with the fracture, pullout, peeling, and slippage of SCFs improving the toughness and bonding strength of the adhesive layer. The bridging effect of SCFs in the adhesive layer reinforced by NWCT can even the load and release the stress to improve the bonding reliability.

Performance and microbial community dynamics relationship within a step-feed anoxic/oxic/anoxic/oxic process (SF-A/O/A/O) for coking wastewater treatment.

A step-feed anoxic/oxic/anoxic/oxic (SF-A/O/A/O) was developed and successfully applied to full-scale coking wastewater treatment. The performance and microbial community were evaluated and systematically compared with the anoxic/oxic/oxic (A/O/O) process. SF-A/OA/O process exhibited efficient removal of COD, NH4+-N, TN, phenols, and cyanide with corresponding average effluent concentrations of 317.9, 1.8, 46.2, 1.1, and 0.2 mg·L-1, respectively. In particular, the TN removal efficiency of A/O/O process was only 7.8%, with an effluent concentration of 300.6 mg·L-1. Furthermore, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with high molecular weight were the dominant compounds in raw coking wastewater, which were degraded to a greater extent in SF-A/OA/O. The abundance in Thiobacillus, SM1A02, and Thauera could be the main reason why SF-A/O/A/O was superior to A/O/O in treating TN. The microbial community structure of SF-A/O/A/O was similar among stages in system (P ≥ 0.05, Welch's t-test) and was less affected by environmental factors, which may have been one of the important factors in the system's strong stability.