Acer yangbiense Y.S. Chen & Q.E. Yang (Aceraceae) is a threatened tree species endemic to China, formerly presumed to have declined to only five extant individuals, restricted to Yangbi County, Yunnan Province. Our surveys in 2016, however, located 577 individuals in 12 localities, but only three localities (with a total of 62 individuals) are protected. Nine localities are on private forest land. The population's size structure is an inverse J-curve, but there is a scarcity of trees of the smallest size class and of seedlings. Our surveys also showed that the habitat of A. yangbiense is degraded as a result of the negative effects of agriculture, logging and wood harvesting. Assessment with the IUCN Red List categories and criteria indicates that A. yangbiense should be recategorized from Critically Endangered to Endangered.

Magnolia ovoidea is a narrowly endemic, Critically Endangered tree with a fragmented distribution in south-west Yunnan, China. We examined the size structure of this species, documented threats and assessed its extinction risk. We found the species in six locations, all in unprotected areas, in Maguan County. The largest subpopulations are in Donggua Lin and Youfang Po, with 17 and 50 living individuals, respectively. The distribution of the diameter at breast height of the M. ovoidea population has an inverse J-shape, indicating a stable size structure. However, the distribution of the height of seedlings is L-shaped, suggesting inhibited regeneration. The natural vegetation is severely fragmented in all six locations, surrounded by roads, farmlands, and Alnus nepalensis or Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations. We recommend that M. ovoidea should be categorized on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered based on criteria B2ab(iii) + C2a(i).

The Steptoean Positive Carbon Isotope Excursion (SPICE) is globally distributed in late Cambrian sedimentary records but controversially heterogeneous in its magnitudes. Here we use multiple geochemical proxies to investigate the late Cambrian carbonates from the Tangwangzhai section in North China, which were deposited in a shallow coastal environment with three depositional sequences (S1–S3). Each sequence comprises a transgressive systems tract (TST) and a highstand systems tract (HST). The REE + Y and trace element records are consistent with the depositional condition and indicate that terrigenous influence was more significant in the TST than HST. δ13Ccarb and δ34SCAS are low in the TST relative to HST, consistent with the scenario that terrigenous inputs were profoundly aggressive to seawater by introducing 13C-depleted and 34S-depleted materials. Within the TST of S2, the SPICE excursion shows a scaled-down δ13Ccarb positive shift (∼1.7 ‰) relative to its general records (∼4–6 ‰); the corresponding δ34SCAS show no positive excursion. This ‘atypical’ SPICE record is attributed to enhanced 13C-depleted and 34S-depleted terrigenous influence during the TST, which would reduce the amplitude of δ13Ccarb excursion, and even obscure δ34SCAS excursion. Meanwhile the subaerial unconformity at the base of TST would also cause a partially missing and a ‘snapshot’ preservation. Our study confirms significant local influence to the SPICE records, and further supports the heterogeneity and low sulphate concentrations of the late Cambrian seawater, because of which the SPICE records may be vulnerable to specific depositional conditions (e.g. sea-level, terrigenous input).

Strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling provides a powerful method for controlling nanoscale magnetism with an electric voltage. This article reviews the initial use of macroscale composites and subsequent experimental control of magnetic thin films, nanoscale heterostructures, and single domains. The discussion highlights several characteristics enabling small, fast, and energy-efficient technologies. The second section covers applications where strain-mediated magnetoelectricity has been used, with emphasis on the storage, transmission, and processing of information (i.e., memory, antenna, and logic devices). These advances are order-of-magnitude improvements over conventional technologies, and open up exciting new possibilities.

This paper presents a simple and highly visual approach for the type synthesis of a family of overconstrained parallel mechanisms that have one translational and two rotational movement capabilities. It considers, especially, mechanisms offering the accuracy and dynamic response needed for machining applications. This family features a spatial limb plus a member of a class of planar symmetrical linkages, the latter connected by a revolute joint either to the machine frame at its base link or to the platform at its output link. Criteria for selecting suitable structures from among numerous candidates are proposed by considering the realistic practical requirements for reconfigurability, movement capability, rational component design and so on. It concludes that a few can simultaneously fulfil the proposed criteria, even though a variety of structures have been presented in the literature. Exploitation of the proposed structures and evaluation criteria then leads to a novel five degrees of freedom hybrid module named TriMule. A significant potential advantage of the TriMule over the Tricept arises because all the joints connecting the base link and the machine frame can be integrated into one single, compact part, leading to a lightweight, cost effective and flexible design particularly suitable for configuring various robotized manufacturing cells.

Mastery of strengthening strategies to achieve high-capacity anodes for lithium-ion batteries can shed light on understanding the nature of diffusion-induced stress and offer an approach to use submicro-sized materials with an ultrahigh capacity for large-scale batteries. Here, we report solute strengthening in a series of silicon (Si)–germanium (Ge) alloys. When the larger solute atom (Ge) is added to the solvent atoms (Si), a compressive stress is generated in the vicinity of Ge atoms. This local stress field interacts with resident dislocations and subsequently impedes their motion to increase the yield stress in the alloys. The addition of Ge into Si substantially improves the capacity retention, particularly in Si0.50Ge0.50, aligning with literature reports that the Si/Ge alloy showed a maximum yield stress in Si0.50Ge0.50. In situ X-ray diffraction studies on the Si0.50Ge0.50 electrode show that the phase change undergoes three subsequent steps during the lithiation process: removal of surface oxide layer, formation of cluster-size Lix(Si,Ge), and formation of crystalline Li15(Si,Ge)4. Furthermore, the lithiation process starts from higher index facets, i.e., (220) and (311), then through the low index facet (111), suggesting the orientation-dependence of the lithiation process in the Si0.50Ge0.50 electrode.

In this paper, we review the status of the multifunctional experimental platform at the National Laboratory of High Power Laser and Physics (NLHPLP). The platform, including the SG-II laser facility, SG-II 9th beam, SG-II upgrade (SG-II UP) facility, and SG-II 5 PW facility, is operational and available for interested scientists studying inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and a broad range of high-energy-density physics. These facilities can provide important experimental capabilities by combining different pulse widths of nanosecond, picosecond, and femtosecond scales. In addition, the SG-II UP facility, consisting of a single petawatt system and an eight-beam nanosecond system, is introduced including several laser technologies that have been developed to ensure the performance of the facility. Recent developments of the SG-II 5 PW facility are also presented.

The discovery of the first electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave signal has generated follow-up observations by over 50 facilities world-wide, ushering in the new era of multi-messenger astronomy. In this paper, we present follow-up observations of the gravitational wave event GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart SSS17a/DLT17ck (IAU label AT2017gfo) by 14 Australian telescopes and partner observatories as part of Australian-based and Australian-led research programs. We report early- to late-time multi-wavelength observations, including optical imaging and spectroscopy, mid-infrared imaging, radio imaging, and searches for fast radio bursts. Our optical spectra reveal that the transient source emission cooled from approximately 6 400 K to 2 100 K over a 7-d period and produced no significant optical emission lines. The spectral profiles, cooling rate, and photometric light curves are consistent with the expected outburst and subsequent processes of a binary neutron star merger. Star formation in the host galaxy probably ceased at least a Gyr ago, although there is evidence for a galaxy merger. Binary pulsars with short (100 Myr) decay times are therefore unlikely progenitors, but pulsars like PSR B1534+12 with its 2.7 Gyr coalescence time could produce such a merger. The displacement (~2.2 kpc) of the binary star system from the centre of the main galaxy is not unusual for stars in the host galaxy or stars originating in the merging galaxy, and therefore any constraints on the kick velocity imparted to the progenitor are poor.

The sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is a deposit-feeder and vital for marine benthic ecosystems. Hypoxia can influence the behaviour and even lead to massive mortality in A. japonicus in the wild. It is important to understand the molecular responses of A. japonicus when exposed to acute changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration. In this study, RNA-seq provided a general overview of the gene expression profiles of the respiratory tree of A. japonicus exposed to DO of 8 mg l−1 (DO8), 4 mg l−1 (DO4) and 2 mg l−1 (DO2) conditions. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) screening with the NOISeq method identified 51, 59 and 61 DEGs according to the criteria of fold change ≥2 and divergence probability ≥0.8 in the comparisons of DO2 vs DO4, DO2 vs DO8 and DO4 vs DO8, respectively. Gene ontology analysis showed that ‘cellular process’ and ‘binding’ had the most enriched DEGs in the categories of ‘biological process’ and ‘molecular function’, respectively (catalytic activity also had the most enriched DEGs in the category of ‘molecular function’ based on the comparison of DO2 vs DO8), while ‘cell’ and ‘cell part’ had the most enriched DEGs in the category of ‘cellular component’. The DEGs were mapped to 79, 81 and 104 pathways in the KEGG database, and 8, 29 and 16 pathways were significantly enriched, respectively. The DO-specific DEGs identified in this study of the respiratory tree are important targets for further research into the biochemical mechanisms involved in the response of the sea cucumber to changes in the DO concentration.

A 9.24 m sediment core, GA-2, was collected on the coastal platform of Grande Valley, a relatively narrow and shallow fjord in Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica. The sediment was formed between 6600 and 2000 cal. yr bp according to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating of five bulk sediment samples. The comprehensive proxy indicators (grain size, loss on ignition at 550°C, magnetic susceptibility, elements) were analysed, and three separate depositional environments and an alternating climate change pattern were identified. Grande Valley experienced a warm marine environment between 6600 and 5800 cal. yr bp, a minor cooling between 5800 and 4800 cal. yr bp, the transition from cool to warm during 4800–4400 cal. yr bp, a mid-Holocene climatic optimum between 4400 and 2700 cal. yr bp, and the onset of the Neoglacial at 2700 cal. yr bp. This study reconstructed the environmental history of Grande Valley during the mid–late Holocene, provides the missing marine record of historical climate for the western coast of Fildes Peninsula and lays the foundation for further study of the climate and environment changes therein. Our finding that the sea level was c. 12 m a.m.s.l. at 2000 cal. yr bp allows for detailed reconstruction of Holocene sea level variations.

In this paper the asymmetric shock reflection configurations in two-dimensional steady flows have been studied theoretically. For an overall Mach reflection, it is found that the horizontal distance between both triple points in the Mach stem is related to the angles of two slip streams. Based on the features of the converging stream tube, several assumptions are put forward to perform better the wave configurations near the slip streams. Therefore, we present an analytical model here to describe the asymmetric overall Mach reflection configurations which agrees well with the computational and experimental results.

The composite Li-ion battery anode material of Fe2SiO4, Fe3O4, Fe3C (Fe-Si-O) and carbon nanotubes was prepared by a simple one-step reaction between ferrocene and tetraethyl orthosilicate. When cycled at 100 mA g-1, this material exhibited ever-increasing capacities and reached 588 mAh g-1 at the 280th cycle. At 500 mA g-1, a reversible capacity of 350 mAh g-1 was retained for 600 cycles. Compared with Fe3O4 materials, the Fe-Si-O/CNT exhibited superior long-term high-rate performance, which could mainly result from its enhanced stability and conductivities by introducing silicates and CNTs during the one-step synthesis.