[1] In this study, a laboratory seismoelectric measurement for the permafrost model with a frozen -unfrozen interface is presented. The measurements obtained experimentally confirms that an electric double-layer can be formed at the interface due to the electric and mechanical differences of the frozen and unfrozen media, and seismoelectric conversion EM waves originted from the relative motion of the charges in the electric double-layer can be observed at n  10 kHz frequency band. This suggests a potential application for non-destructive detection of the frost depth.Citation: Liu, Z., L. Yuan, X. Zhang, Z. Liu, and H. Wu (2008), A laboratory seismoelectric measurement for the permafrost model with a frozen -unfrozen interface, Geophys.

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Managing waste is an increasing problem globally. Microalgae have the potential to help remove contaminants from a range of waste streams and convert them into useful biomass. This article presents a critical review of recent technological developments in the production of chemicals and other materials from microalgae grown using different types of waste. A range of novel approaches are examined for efficiently capturing CO in flue gas via photosynthetic microalgal cultivation. Strategies for using microalgae to assimilate nitrogen, organic carbon, phosphorus, and metal ions from wastewater are considered in relation to modes of production. Generally, more economical open cultivation systems such as raceway ponds are better suited for waste conversion than more expensive closed photobioreactor systems, which might have use for higher-value products. The effect of cultivation methods and the properties of the waste streams on the composition the microalgal biomass is discussed relative to its utilization. Possibilities include the production of biodiesel via lipid extraction, biocrude from hydrothermal liquefaction, and bioethanol or biogas from microbial conversion. Microalgal biomass produced from wastes may also find use in higher-value applications including protein feeds or for the production of bioactive compounds such as astaxanthin or omega-3 fatty acids. However, for some waste streams, further consideration of how to manage potential microbial and chemical contaminants is needed for food or health applications. The use of microalgae for waste valorization holds promise. Widespread implementation of the available technologies will likely follow from further improvements to reduce costs, as well as the increasing pressure to effectively manage waste.

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We report a quasi-continuous beam splitter with highly efficient equal-power beam splitting in a wide spectral range. It consists of rhombic aluminum antimonide nanorods standing on a silica substrate. Firstly, a beam splitter based on discrete structures is designed, and the structures are optimized to obtain the quasi-continuous beam splitter. The beam splitter achieves a splitting efficiency of over 80% within the region of 675–786 nm (bandwidth = 111 nm), where the splitting angle can vary in the range of 97.2°−121.8°. In particular, the splitting efficiency reaches 93.4% when the wavelength is 690 nm. Overall, the proposed beam splitter potentially paves the way for realizing broadband metasurfaces and high-performance quasi-continuous metasurface-based devices.