Hydrogels, especially Polyvinyl alcohols, have received extensive attention as alternative materials for articular cartilage. Aiming at the problems such as low strength and poor toughness of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels in practical applications, an enhancement and modification strategy is proposed. Sodium alginate fibers were introduced into polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel network through physical blending and freezing/thawing methods. The prepared composite hydrogels exhibited a three-dimensional porous network structure similar to that of human articular cartilage. The mechanical and tribological properties of hydrogels have been significantly improved, due to the multiple hydrogen bonding interaction between sodium alginate fibers and polyvinyl alcohol. Most importantly, under a load of 2 N, the friction coefficient of the PVA/0.4SA hydrogel can remain stable at 0.02 when lubricated in PBS buffer for 1 h. This work provides a novel design strategy for the development of high-performance polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels.

The Zhuxihe River has faced significant water quality challenges in recent years. Although control measures have been implemented, the pollution levels remain concerning. This paper aims to investigate the spatio-temporal variations in the water quality of the Zhuxihe River through field sampling, chemical testing, and synthetic evaluation. We collected 52 water samples in both dry and wet seasons along the main river and its tributaries. The evaluation, which utilized the integrated SFE-FCE method, identified MnO₄²⁻, NH₃-N, TP, and TFe as the primary pollutants. In the dry season, MnO₄²⁻ concentrations ranged from 1.6 mg/L to 19.8 mg/L, NH₃-N ranged from 0.12 mg/L to 2.04 mg/L, and TP concentrations varied from 0.1 mg/L to 5.61 mg/L. In the wet season, MnO₄²⁻ concentrations ranged from 4.9 mg/L to 13.9 mg/L, NH₃-N from 0.27 mg/L to 1.73 mg/L, and TP from 0.07 mg/L to 1.31 mg/L. The results indicate the concentrations of MnO₄²⁻ are higher in the wet season, and TP and NH₃-N show seasonal fluctuations. Spatially, the downstream section of the main river faces the highest pollution levels. This study provides insights into the pollution dynamics of the Zhuxihe River, offering a scientific foundation for future research and water quality management strategies.

Wind turbine blades serve as the core components of wind energy conversion systems, and their safe and stable operation is pivotal to the operational efficiency and reliability of wind farms. However, prolonged operation in harsh environmental conditions such as strong winds, heavy rainfall, ultraviolet radiation, and temperature fluctuations renders wind turbine blades susceptible to fatigue damage and structural failure. Aiming at the drawbacks of traditional electromagnetic sensors, including their vulnerability to lightning strikes and poor corrosion resistance, as well as the elastic modulus mismatch between existing fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-encapsulated sensors and wind turbine blade structures, this study selects the ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) as the encapsulation material to develop EPDM-FBG strain sensors. The effectiveness of the proposed sensor in blade strain monitoring is ultimately verified via static load model tests on small-scale wind turbine blades. Test results demonstrate that the EPDM-FBG strain sensor exhibits excellent static strain sensing performance, with its test results being highly consistent with those of bare FBG sensors and a relative error of less than 5%, which can fully meet the practical requirements of static strain monitoring for wind turbine blades. This research provides a novel and reliable monitoring method for the health monitoring of wind turbine blades.

The (1−x)Ba_0.96Ca_0.04TiO₃-xBa(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ (x = 0–0.20) lead-free ceramics were prepared through the chemical-furnace-assisted combustion synthesis (abbreviated as CFACS). The phase structure, microstructure, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties were systematically investigated. Phase analysis revealed the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases in the vicinity of x = 0.07. More importantly, the composition with x = 0.07 exhibited optimal overall electrical properties, including a high piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃) of 495 pC/N, the planar electromechanical coupling factor (K_p) of 41.9%, and the Curie temperature (T_c) of 123.7 °C. In addition, the average grain size was observed to progressively decrease with increasing x.

Traditional artificial joints mainly face the challenges of severe wear and aseptic loosening, which limits their application as joint bearing interfaces under high-stress loading conditions. To improve this problem, inspired by the gradient modulus structure of natural cartilage/subchondral bone and the inherent negative charge characteristics of the surface, a negatively charged hydrogel layer was adhered to a porous Ti6Al4V surface through a combination of ultraviolet irradiation and freeze–thaw cycles. The cross-sectional SEM image exhibited that the hydrogel layer was closely bonded to the hard substrate. After physical doping with SBMA, the lubrication performance of the composite bearing interface was significantly improved, primarily attributable to the biphasic lubrication of the hydrogel layer and the hydration lubrication mechanism of SBMA.