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Although a significant portion of calcium-rich concrete waste slurry water is unusable, converting this calcium into micro-nano CaCO 3 enhances the performance of concrete materials. In this study, an electric field facilitated microbial β-oxidation, supplying sufficient carbonate for microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) to produce valuable micro-nano CaCO 3. Experimental results show that in the 0.5 V·cm−1, the accumulated concentration of carbonate changed most significantly, increasing by 10.24 times to 1400 mg·L−1. Correspondingly, the maximum increase in SCOD bio-degradation rate was 2.57 mg·L−1·h−1，consequently leading to a maximum 1.32 times increase in the yield of micro-nano CaCO 3. Furthermore, the DC field had a positive effect on bacterial EPS secretion, with increased excretion of proteins and polysaccharides, which was beneficial for the adsorption and uptake of organics. Then the electric field increased the abundance of Proteobacteria in sludge by a maximum of 8.17 %, which also led to an improvement in the organic matter degradation ability of sludge. Finally, the NAD+, NADH, and FAD coenzymes involved in fatty acid degradation increased by 1.82, 1.87, and 1.25 times, respectively. And the number of FadL and FadD gene related to fatty acids metabolism were increased remarkably, which accelerated the uptake and acylation of fatty acids and relieved the inhibition of β-oxidation. In short, this work provides a novel strategy for MICP utilization in calcium-rich wastewater. [Display omitted] • Electric field rose Proteobacteria abundance, improving sludge degradation capacity. • Electric field boosted microbial metabolism, yielding more carbonate for MICP. • Electric field impact on fatty acids metabolism surpassed other organics. • Electric field upped enzyme content and eased gene inhibition linked to β-oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A three-dimensional multi-physics model considering bypass current is developed. • Model considers the coupling of two-phase flow, electrochemistry and heat transfer. • Model is well validated by voltage, temperature difference and gas production data. • Operating conditions effect on temperature distribution of electrolyzer is revealed. • Electrolyte flow rate significantly affects the temperature distribution uniformity. Alkaline water electrolysis technology is currently the most prospective commercial choice for producing green hydrogen, however, accurately modeling the temperature distribution evolution inside the alkaline water electrolyzer is still a challenge, since the existence of strong coupling multi-physical fields among gas–liquid flow, electrochemistry and heat transfer. In this article, 3D simulation models of the zero-gap alkaline water electrolyzer are established considering the mutual coupling relationship among two-phase flow, electrochemistry and heat transfer as well as the bypass current effect to study the heat transfer property and temperature profiles under different electrolysis conditions. The simulation study is conducted for the electrolyzer consisting of five electrolysis cells. The voltage, temperature difference and gas production rate were measured experimentally and simulated well using the established models. It indicates that the average relative error is respectively 0.45% for the estimated cell voltage, 13% for the estimated outlet-inlet temperature difference of the cathode flow channel, and 1.18% for the estimated hydrogen production rate. The characteristics of temperature distribution evolution in the zero-gap alkaline water electrolyzer have been disclosed, accordingly the suitable heat management strategy has been suggested for the stable operation. The results would provide a useful guide on the optimization and design of large-scale alkaline water electrolyzer to implement long-term stable operation with low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] As a consequence of the depletion of fossil fuels and an increasing population, the global energy crisis has driven researchers to explore innovative energy storage and conversion (ESC) devices, such as fuel cells, electrolyzers and chemical looping systems. In order to enhance the energy conversion efficiency of these electrochemical devices, high performance and stable electrocatalysts are essential to accelerate the sluggish electrochemical kinetics, e.g. oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and redox reaction. In recent years, as cost-effective and high-efficient catalysts, perovskite oxides have attracted much attention. In addition, the potential of perovskite electrocatalysts may be further boosted due to their flexible composition and tunable electronic structures. This review provides the readers with a comprehensive understanding and updated information of improvements towards the electrocatalytic performances of perovskite oxides. It will focus on research papers regarding low to intermediate temperature electrochemical devices, e.g., water splitting, fuel cells, chemical looping technology and three-way catalysis (TWC) published over the last five years. Various design strategies for optimizing the conductivity and catalytic activity of perovskite are discussed in detail. In the end, this review discusses challenges for the future researches in regard to perovskite based electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of single-phased emission Ce3+/Tb3+-coactivated KSrY(PO4)2 (KSYP) phosphors were synthesized by solid-state reaction. The crystal structures, photoluminescence properties, fluorescence lifetimes and energy transfer of KSYP:Ce3+, Tb3+ were systematically investigated in detail. Wavelength-tunable bluish-green light could be realized by coupling the emission bands centered at 401 and 543nm ascribed to the contribution from Ce3+ and Tb3+, respectively. Intense green emission was realized in the KSrY0.59(PO4)2:0.01mol Ce3+, 0.40mol Tb3+ phosphors on the basis of the high efficiency energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ with an efficiency of over 68%. The energy transfer mechanism from Ce3+ to Tb3+ in the KSYP host was ascribed to the exchange interaction. These results indicated that the KSYP:Ce3+, Tb3+ phosphors have potential applications in the field of lighting and display due to their effective excitation in the ultraviolet range. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A novel tunable NaBa4(BO3)3:Ce3+, Tb3+ phosphor had been obtained. [•] Energy transfer phenomenon from Ce3+ to Tb3+ was observed. [•] The energy transfer mechanism was demonstrated to be a dipole–dipole interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous membranes play a crucial role in alkaline water electrolyzer, and addressing the urgent need for the development of membranes with enhanced ion-transferring properties and superior gas-retarding properties is of utmost importance. This work presents a simple and efficient method for preparing the superhydrophilic polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) membrane, which includes surface oxidation to generate photosensitive sulfone groups, then UV irradiation radical reaction to introduce amine groups as the reaction site, and finally covalently grafting chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) monomers containing hydrophilic groups onto the PPS surface via interfacial polymerization to form a superhydrophilic coating on the surface of fibers. The application of ATR-FTIR, XPS, and SEM has been employed to illustrate that the monomers utilized in the preparation procedure are chemically bonded to the membrane surface, resulting in the formation of a hydrophilic surface layer. The modified PPS membrane can fast adsorb water droplets, promote ion transfer and gas bubbles detachment in an alkaline solution. When used as a membrane in an alkaline water electrolyzer with a 30% KOH electrolyte solution, the cell voltage of 1.90 V at 80oC and 5000 A m−2, and the hydrogen and oxygen produced with a purity of 99.88% and 99.49%, respectively, which was better than the commercial PPS membrane, and the performance was remained essentially unchanged after 120 h of operation. As a result, the superhydrophilic PPS membrane generated by this process has a wide range of applications in alkaline water electrolysis. [Display omitted] • Superhydrophilic PPS membrane was prepared and tested in alkaline water electrolysis. • The area resistance of SHL-PPS used in the electrolyzer is 0.11 Ω cm2 (80 °C, 30% KOH). • AWE using SHL-PPS produces H 2 and O 2 with higher purities than using commercial PPS. • SHL-PPS membrane facilitates the long-term stable operation of AWE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid electrolytic water system was constructed including the anodic electro-oxidation treatment of the leachate from a waste incineration plant as well as the coupled cathodic electrolysis for hydrogen production. Four types of electrolyzers were designed with different flow channels and investigated the effect of different electrolysis parameters on the coupled reactions. The results indicate that the pin-type electrolyzer is superior to the other three electrolyzers in term of the degradation performance and energy consumption. At high current density of 4000 A/m2 and the flow rate of 100 ml/min, the pin-type electrolyzer shows the lowest potential of 6.09 V, the COD removal rate of 98.17% for the leachate and the energy consumption of 200.14 W h. The mass transfer mechanism was further explored under different flow channels and current densities, illustrating that the excellent performance of the pin-type electrolyzer is due to its largest mass transfer area and the most uniform inside flow field distribution. The apparent COD degradation kinetic behaviors were studied, indicating that the maximum degradation rate was 0.033 min-1 at the electric density of 4000A/m2. Such electrocatalytic oxidation of waste leachate coupled with hydrogen production would provide a promising route to construct new hybrid electrolytic water systems. [Display omitted] • Electrooxidation of leachate is successfully coupled with hydrogen production. • The coupled electrolytic water system operates well at 4000-5000A/m2. • COD removal rate is 98.17% in Pin-type electrolyzer at 4000A/m2 and 2h • Flow patterns in different electrolyzer channels are studied using PIV. • The apparent kinetics of leachate electrooxidation degradation were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF, also known as ZBTB16) is critical for the self-renewal of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). However, the function of PLZF in SSCs is not clear. Here, we found that PLZF acted as an epigenetic regulator of stem cell maintenance and self-renewal of germ cells. The PLZF protein interacts with the ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) protein and subsequently acts as a modulator to regulate the expression of self-renewal-related genes. Furthermore, Transcription Factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) is promoted by the coordination of PLZF and Tri-methylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4me3). In addition, testicular single-cell sequencing indicated that TCF7L2 is commonly expressed in the PLZF cluster. We demonstrated that PLZF directly targets TCF7L2 and alters the landscape of histone methylation in the SSCs nucleus. Meanwhile, the RD domain and Zn finger domain of PLZF synergize with H3K4me3 and directly upregulate TCF7L2 expression at the transcriptional level. Additionally, we identified a new association between PLZF and the histone methyltransferase EZH2 at the genomic level. Our study identified a new association between PLZF and H3K4me3, established the novel PLZF&TET1-H3K4me3-TCF7L2 axis at the genomic level which regulates undifferentiated spermatogonia, and provided a platform for studying germ cell development in male domestic animals. • PLZF interacts with TET1 protein to act as a transcriptional activator in SSCs. • PLZF is conserved in mammals and is highly expressed in CD49f positive cells jointly with TCF4. • The transcription factor PLZF directly targets TCF7L2, which is an effector of wnt signaling. • PLZF synergies with H3K4me3 to directly target TCF4 in undifferentiated spermatogonial stem cells. • The role of RD2 domain of PLZF in transcriptional regulation was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is an important tool for identifying electrochemical processes and evaluating electrolyzer performance. Fitting EIS data with equivalent circuits often requires prior knowledge and involves inherent uncertainties. This work performed the experimental measurements of visualized zero-gap water electrolyzer equipped with four different flow channels, and then explored an efficient impedance analysis procedure for Alkaline Water Electrolysis (AWE) coupling with the Distribution Relaxation Time (DRT) method. By determining the optimal regularization parameter λ , typical characteristic peaks were identified corresponding to ion transfer, charge transfer, and mass transfer impedance, respectively. The flow channel structure significantly impacted two-phase flow distribution, with the pin-type channel showing a more uniform flow. Based on the optimal pin-type flow channel structure, the influences of operating parameters (current density, flow rate, and temperature) on the electrolysis performance were experimentally measured, and the impact mechanism was disclosed using the DRT method. The results illustrate that the charge transfer impedance R t is greatly associated with current density and ohmic resistance R O is highly dependent on flow rate and temperature. At high current densities, the bubble coverage plays an indispensable role in the mass transfer impedance process. This work offers a quantitative method to characterize the AWE performance, which can be employed to optimize the structure and operating parameters of electrolyzers. [Display omitted] • Different polarization processes of AWE were identified through DRT. • The regularization parameter λ for the characteristic frequencies is 10−2. • The effects of flow channel structures on the two-phase flow regime were unveiled. • The effects of current density, flow rate and temperature on AWE were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eif2s3y (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2, subunit 3, structural gene Y-linked, Eif2s3y) is an essential gene for spermatogenesis. Early studies have shown that Eif2s3y can promote the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and can replace the Y chromosome together with sex-determining region Y (Sry) to transform SSCs into round spermatozoa. We injected lentiviral particles into the seminiferous tubules of mouse testes by sterile surgery surgically to establish overexpressing Eif2s3y testes. And then the mice were intraperitoneally injected with LPS to established the model of testis inflammation. Through RNA sequencing, qRT–PCR analysis, Western blot, co-culture etc., we found that Eif2s3y alleviated LPS-induced damage in mouse testes and maintained spermatogenesis. In testes with Eif2s3y overexpression, the seminiferous tubules were more regularly organized after exposure to LPS compared with the control. Eif2s3y performs its function by negatively regulating Adamts5 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase containing a thrombospondin-1 motif), an extracellular matrix-degrading enzyme. ADAMTS5 shows a disruptive effect when the testis is exposed to LPS. Overexpression of Eif2s3y inhibited the TLR4/NFκB signaling pathway in the testis in response to LPS. Generally, our research shows that Eif2s3y protects the testis from LPS and maintains spermatogenesis by negatively regulating A damts5. • Overexpression of Eif2s3y alleviates testicular injury induced by LPS. • Eif2s3y is a negative regulator of Adamts5. • Eif2s3y alleviates LPS-induced germ cell damage by negatively regulating Adamts5. • Eif2s3y maintains testicular immune homeostasis through negative regulation of Adamts5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our flame retardant was highly efficient for PLA. "With mere 1.5 phr the new flame retardant, the LOI of PLA composite can be increased to 30.6 from 20.5% of neat PLA." • All the raw materials were bio-based. Also, the solvent is green. "PA, furfurylamine, PLA, ethanol." • This work could achieve the balance between improved flame retardancy and mechanical properties of PLA. "the tensile strength of PLA/PAF 1.5 films only decreased 10.9% compared with that of neat PLA." • We have new viewpoints about the melt-away mechanism. "Firstly, PAF preferred to induce the random transesterification of PLA chains to form lower m n polymer rather than small molecules, which would increase the cooling time of the falling fires. Also, from Figs. 7 to 10, it could be found that the new flame-retardant was a heat stabilizer. Therefore, the new flame-retardant could reduce the production of small molecule during combustion, which made it difficult for PLA to burn." Highly efficient flame retardants for polylactic acid (PLA) are not easy to prepare, let alone fully bio-based ones. Herein, the furfurylamine phytate (PAF) was simply fabricated using phytic acid and furfurylamine in the ethanol solutions. Furthermore, the PAF could provide PLA with high flame retardancy with low loadings. The flame retardancy of PLA/PAF composites was investigated by the limited oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning tests, and cone calorimeter tests. The PLA containing 2 phr PAF showed the highest LOI value (around 34.2%) and self-extinguished without igniting cotton in the vertical burning test. Meanwhile, the peak of heat release and total heat release decreased compared with the neat PLA. Moreover, the PLA/PAF 1.5 composite could achieve the balance between the mechanical property and flame retardancy. This findings provided a facile and green method for fully bio-based flame-retardant PLA composites to expand the practical applications of PLA, such as electrics, building, and transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sample pretreatment is the critical section for residue monitoring of hazardous pollutants. In this paper, using the cellulose fabric as host matrix, three extraction sorbents such as poly (tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF), poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly (dimethyldiphenylsiloxane) (PDMDPS), were prepared on the surface of the cellulose fabric. Two practical extraction techniques including stir bar fabric phase sorptive extraction (stir bar-FPSE) and magnetic stir fabric phase sorptive extraction (magnetic stir-FPSE) have been designed, which allow stirring of fabric phase sorbent during the whole extraction process. In the meantime, three brominated flame retardants (BFRs) [tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), tetrabromobisphenol A bisallylether (TBBPA-BAE), tetrabromobisphenol A bis(2,3-dibromopropyl)ether (TBBPA-BDBPE)] in the water sample were selected as model analytes for the practical evaluation of the proposed two techniques using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Moreover, various experimental conditions affecting extraction process such as the type of fabric phase, extraction time, the amount of salt and elution conditions were also investigated. Due to the large sorbent loading capacity and unique stirring performance, both techniques possessed high extraction capability and fast extraction equilibrium. Under the optimized conditions, high recoveries (90–99%) and low limits of detection (LODs) (0.01–0.05 μg L −1 ) were achieved. In addition, the reproducibility was obtained by evaluating the intraday and interday precisions with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 5.1% and 6.8%, respectively. The results indicated that two pretreatment techniques were promising and practical for monitoring of hazardous pollutants in the water sample. Due to low solvent consumption and high repeated use performance, proposed techniques also could meet green analytical criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug repurposing is an effective method to reduce the time and cost of drug development. Computational drug repurposing can quickly screen out the most likely associations from large biological databases to achieve effective drug repurposing. However, building a comprehensive model that integrates drugs, proteins, and diseases for drug repurposing remains challenging. This study proposes a drug repurposing method based on the ternary heterogeneous graph attention network (DRTerHGAT). DRTerHGAT designs a novel protein feature extraction process consisting of a large-scale protein language model and a multi-task autoencoder, so that protein features can be extracted accurately and efficiently from amino acid sequences. The ternary heterogeneous graph of drug-protein-disease comprehensively considering the relationships among the three types of nodes, including three homogeneous and three heterogeneous relationships. Based on the graph and the extracted protein features, the deep features of the drugs and the diseases are extracted by graph convolutional networks (GCN) and heterogeneous graph node attention networks (HGNA). In the experiments, DRTerHGAT is proven superior to existing advanced methods and DRTerHGAT variants. DRTerHGAT's powerful ability for drug repurposing is also demonstrated in Alzheimer's disease. [Display omitted] • A protein features extraction process was proposed to obtain the high-quality features of the protein. • A drug repurposing model based on the ternary heterogeneous graph attention network (DRTerHGAT) was proposed. • It was found that Tolcapone and Miglustat have the possibility of treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A post annealing process is developed and applied to CdTe solar cells with thinner CdS:O. • Carrier concentration (N CV), built-in potential (V bi) are increased, and back contact barrier (Φ b) is decreased. • Open circuit voltage (V oc) and fill factor (FF) of cells are improved. • The Cu diffusion and redistribution are studied and partially responsible for the improvement. The thickness of the CdS:O window layer plays an important role in CdTe-based thin-film solar cell performance. Normally with thinner CdS:O layer, the cells' short wavelength response can be enhanced to achieve higher short-circuit current density (J sc), while the open-circuit voltage (V oc) and fill factor (FF) would degrade. Previous research finds that reducing the CdS:O layer thickness to less than 40 nm would decrease the cells' efficiency (Eff.). In this work, 18% efficiency CdTe thin-film solar cell with only 30 nm CdS:O window layer is demonstrated. A post annealing process is developed to fabricate high efficiency cells with ultrathin CdS:O layers. Our results indicate that the high defect density in CdTe absorber, low built-in potential (V bi) and high back contact barrier (Φ b) are partially responsible for the reduced V oc and FF of cells with ultrathin CdS:O layers. The post annealing process can increase the carrier concentration (N CV) and V bi , and decrease the Φ b , in which way improves V oc and FF for higher cell efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit 3 and structural gene Y-linked (Eif2s3y) gene, the gene encoding eIF2γ protein, is globally expressed in all tissues and plays important roles in regulating global and gene-specific mRNA translation initiation. It has been noticed that Eif2s3y plays crucial roles in spermatogenesis, however, the mechanism remains unclear. In the current study, transgenic Eif2s3y mice were generated to test our hypothesis that the Eif2s3y promotes the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Transgenic Eif2s3y mouse had enhanced SSCs proliferation rate when compared to WT mouse. Interesting, the testes from transgenic Eif2s3y mouse had increased Active-β-catenin protein expression and higher expression pattern of Wnt ligand Wnt6 when compared to testes from WT mouse. This study revealed novel roles of Eif2s3y in the activation Wnt6/β-catenin signal pathway in SSCs. Taken together, we identified Eif2s3y - Wnt6 -β-catenin as a critical pathway in the regulation of spermatogenesis, which provides a platform for investigating the molecular mechanisms of male reproduction. • The transgenic Eif2s3y mouse showed enhances spermatogonial cell proliferation. • Eif2s3y regulates Wnt6 of SSCs and Sertoli cells to promote the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells. • Eif2s3y - Wnt6 -β-catenin as a critical pathway in the regulation of spermatogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexithymia refers to the difficulties in identifying and describing one's own emotions, lacking of imagination, and an externally oriented thinking style. Studies up to date have examined the associations of 5-HTTLPR and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms with alexithymia. However, the previous findings were mixed. We replicated the associations by scoring on alexithymia with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and genotyping the polymorphisms of 5-HTTLPR and COMT Val158Met in a large population of college students (N = 1698). Moreover, we also meta-analyzed the associations with five samples (N = 7517) for the 5-HTTLPR and with five samples (N = 2186) for the COMT Val158Met. Neither the replicated study nor the meta-analyses indicated the 5-HTTLPR and COMT Val158Met were associated with alexithymia. The findings suggest that the 5-HTTLPR and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms are not associated with alexithymia. However, genetic-environmental studies with different ethnicity and psychopathology should be carried in future. • The replicated study indicated that the 5-HTTLPR was not associated with alexithymia in a larger population. • The replicated study indicated that the COMT Val158Met was not associated with alexithymia in a larger population. • The meta-analysis with five samples indicated that the 5-HTTLPR was not associated with alexithymia. • The meta-analysis with five samples indicated that the COMT Val158Met was not associated with alexithymia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The G alleles of OXTR rs53576 is related to high interpersonal adaptability. • The G alleles of OXTR rs53576 is related to high dispositional forgiveness. • Dispositional forgiveness mediates the association of OXTR rs53576 with interpersonal adaptability. Abstract Polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene have been shown to be related to individual differences in social skills that are important for building and maintaining social relationships, such as the capability to efficiently process social information and regulate emotions. However, what remains unclear is the potential roles of OXTR polymorphisms in interpersonal adaptability, namely the ability to cope with the situational demands of interpersonal interactions. In this study, we examined the roles of OXTR rs53576 polymorphism in interpersonal adaptability, empathic perception, and dispositional forgiveness in a cohort of 573 college freshmen. The results indicated that the scores on interpersonal adaptability and dispositional forgiveness, apart from empathic perception, increased as functions of the number of G alleles of OXTR rs53576. Moreover, dispositional forgiveness, but not empathic perception, mediated the association between OXTR rs53576 and interpersonal adaptability. The findings highlight the influences of the OXTR gene on adaptive interpersonal interactions, especially when individuals face changing social situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonaggregated YAG:Ce phosphor with a nearly spherical morphology was successfully synthesized using the mixtures of Na 2 SO 4 –BaF 2 as the molten salt and the oxides (Y 2 O 3 , CeO 2 and Al 2 O 3 ) as raw materials via a molten salt method. The Y 3 Al 5 O 12 phase can be well crystallized at a temperature as low as 1350 °C. By varying the mass ratios of molten salt/raw materials and Na 2 SO 4 /BaF 2 , the average diameter of the particles can be controlled in a range of 10–40 μm. The as-prepared YAG:Ce phosphor showed a characteristic yellow emission of Ce ions in a range of 480–650 nm under excitation of 460 nm blue light. What׳s more, the phosphor showed the strongest emission when the mass ratio of the molten salt/raw materials was 1.8:1 and the dosage of BaF 2 in Na 2 SO 4 –BaF 2 was 5 wt%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ba2Y(BO3)2Cl:Eu3+ microspheres, rods, columns and hexagonal flakes are synthesized via a facile molten salt synthesis (MSS) method by simply changing the salt species and adjusting the dosage of the molten salts. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns suggest that the crystals have different preferential orientation growth under different molten salt conditions. Then transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results present that the micro-rods show a good crystallinity and the growth direction [ ]. When KCl is used as the molten salt, the sample with near spherical morphology shows the strongest emission at 593nm which is due to 5D0–7F1 transition of Eu3+. While the samples that grow in NaCl or Na2SO4 environment show the strongest emission at 611nm which is attributed to 5D0–7F2 transition of Eu3+. The lifetimes of the samples that used KCl, NaCl and Na2SO4 as molten salt are 1.99ms, 1.93ms and 2.33ms, respectively. The reasons of how salt species to affect the crystallization, morphology and luminescence properties are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A single-phase white-emitting phosphor Ca3Gd7(PO4)(SiO4)5O2: Dy3+ was obtained. [•] Energy transfer phenomenon from Gd3+ to Dy3+ in the phosphor was observed. [•] The concentration quenching mechanism of Dy3+ ions was dipole–dipole interaction. [•] The phosphor is a promising candidate for UV-based white light illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of novel color tunable phosphors BaY2Si3O10:Ce3+,Tb3+ have been synthesized by the solid-state reaction. The crystalline structure, photoluminescence properties, lifetimes and luminous efficiency were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectroscopy and quantum yield measurement system. The decay mode of Ce3+ confirms that the energy transfer occurred in BaY2Si3O10:Ce3+,Tb3+ phosphors, and the intense green emission is realized in BaY1.10Si3O10:0.05Ce3+,0.85Tb3+ on the base of high efficient energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ with an efficiency of 70%. The quantum yield of BaY1.10Si3O10:0.05Ce3+,0.85Tb3+ is 81.6%. The CIE coordinates are tuned from deep blue (0.156, 0.098) to green (0.294, 0.562) by adjusting the concentration of Tb3+. Those results indicate that the BaY2Si3O10:Ce3+,Tb3+ phosphors would be a promising candidate as an ultraviolet convertible phosphor for light emitting devices due to its efficient green emission. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ce0.67Tb0.33MgAl11O19 (CMAT) green phosphors with variety of morphologies have been successfully prepared via a sol–gel method. The crystalline structure, morphology, and luminescent properties of these phosphors were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD patterns showed that the samples can be well-crystallized at 1300°C. The FE-SEM images revealed that the morphology and size distribution of the synthesized CMAT phosphor were predominantly dependent upon the pH value and molecular weights of polyethylene glycol in the initial reaction systems, and the morphologies of the particles vary from irregular to spherical then to hexagonal flake shape by decreasing the acidity of the solution in the range of pH=2–8. The PL properties were discussed in terms of crystallinity, particle size and shape of the as-obtained phosphors. A reasonable explanation for the shape modifier on the morphology of CMAT has been presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel charge transfer blue-emitting phosphor BaY2Si3O10 has been synthesized by the conventional solid state reaction method. The results of XDR patterns demonstrate that the single-phase BaY2Si3O10 was formed with P21/m symmetry. The excitation spectrum of BaY2Si3O10 consists of two bands centered at 294 and 333nm, which are associated with the 1A1→1T2 and 1A1→1T1 charge transfer between oxygen 2p orbital and the 3d orbital of Si4+ ions, respectively. Strong emission with the peak position at 426 nm and with the decay time in ns range is revealed. The blue emission is corresponding to the superposition of 3T2→1A1 and 3T1→1A1 charge transfer under the near-ultraviolet excitation of 333nm. The enhancement of the blue luminescence calcining in different atmospheres suggests that a reductive atmosphere is better to form BaY2Si3O10 particles with a better light yield. The CIE chromaticity coordinates of as-prepared BaY2Si3O10 are (0.181, 0.148) for air-calcined sample and (0.161, 0.090) for H2-N2 calcined one, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of NaSrBO3:xEu3+ and NaSr1−2x BO3:xEu3+, xM+ (M=Li, Na, K) phosphors were synthesized by the solid state reaction. The crystal structure, photoluminescence properties and concentration quenching of NaSrBO3:Eu3+ phosphors were systematically investigated. The excitation spectra indicate that the phosphors can be efficiently excited by 394nm, which is matched well with the emission wavelength of near-UV LED chip. All the samples show the characteristic red emission of Eu3+ ions (5D0→7F J , J=0, 1, 2, 3 and 4). The maximum intensity of luminescence is observed at the Eu3+ concentration around x=0.11. The concentration quenching of Eu3+ in NaSrBO3:Eu3+ phosphor can be mainly attributed to quadrupole–quadrupole interaction. The relative emission intensities of Eu3+ (5D0→7F2) in NaSrBO3:Eu3+ phosphors with Li+, Na+ or K+ introduced as charge compensator are significantly enhanced, and the phosphors added with K+ ions show the strongest emission. The emission intensities of NaSr1−2x BO3:xEu3+, xM+ (M=Li, Na, K) are about 1.47, 1.64 and 2.08 times than that of commercial red phosphor Y2O2S:Eu3+. These results indicate that NaSr1−2x BO3:xEu3+, xM+ (M=Li, Na, K) phosphors exhibit potential applications in the field of near-UV LED as an efficient red-emitting phosphors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Different irrigation treatments in plants significantly influence CO 2 emissions. This study investigated the net ecosystem CO 2 exchange (NEE) and yield of maize cropland under different irrigation treatments to determine the optimal irrigation treatment at different maize growth stages. Different degrees of water deficit irrigation were carried out in four fields: full irrigation, 100% evapotranspiration (ET); moderate deficit irrigation, 65% ET; and severe deficit irrigation, 40% ET. Automated static and dynamic chambers were used to measure CO 2 fluxes. We found that NEE showed a "V" -shaped trend during the day and slowly declined at night. The light response parameters were calculated using the rectangular hyperbola model, and the leaf area index accounted for 85% of the light use efficiency. In the late vegetative stage, severe deficit irrigation led to a reduction in CO 2 emissions but significantly reduced the crop growth rate (p < 0.05). In the reproductive stage, full irrigation not only reduced CO 2 emissions but also significantly increased the crop growth rate. In the maturation stage, moderate deficit irrigation reduced CO 2 emissions, and the crop growth rate decreased compared with full irrigation, but the decrease was not significant (p > 0.05). Compared with full irrigation throughout the growth period, full irrigation in the reproductive stage and moderate deficit irrigation in the late vegetative and reproductive stages both increased the maize carbon sink capacity and light use efficiency at higher leaf area index, and the harvest index did not decrease significantly. However, inadequate irrigation in the reproductive stage or severe deficit irrigation in the late vegetative and maturation stages significantly reduced the maize harvest index. Thus, full irrigation during the reproductive stage, and moderate deficit irrigation during the late vegetative and reproductive stages were the optimal irrigation strategies for saving water, reducing CO 2 emissions and ensuring a satisfactory maize yield. • NEE in maize cropland under different irrigation treatments in semiarid Inner Mongolia. • Automated static and dynamic chambers were used to measure night and day maize NEE. • Full irrigation in reproductive stage can decrease CO 2 emission. • Moderate deficit irrigation in late vegetative and maturation stages reduced CO 2 emission. • Reasonable irrigation can reduce CO 2 emission and maintain high harvest index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The cross-sectional analysis indicates that the OXTR polymorphisms are not associated with attachment dimensions. • The three-wave analysis shows that the polymorphisms are not related to the changes of attachment. • The meta-analysis indicates that the OXTR polymorphisms are associated with attachment anxiety and avoidance. Inspired by the roles of oxytocin in social behaviors, scientists have devoted considerable efforts to examine the association between the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and human attachment, a personality of seek and receiving comfort from intimate figures. However, there are still a lot of controversies on the association. To clarify the relationship, this research integrated three studies: (1) A cross-sectional study indicated that the OXTR polymorphisms (i.e., rs53576 and rs2254298) were not significantly associated with attachment dimensions in a college student sample (N = 1193); (2) A three-wave study showed that the polymorphisms were not associated with the individual differences and changes of attachment dimensions in a freshmen sample (N = 657); and (3) Meta-analysis indicated that attachment dimensions were not associated with the polymorphisms of rs53576 (Anxiety: 14 samples, N = 5053; Avoidance: ten samples, N = 4273) and rs2254298 (Anxiety: ten samples, N = 3670; Avoidance: ten samples, N = 3698). Taken together, these findings provide strong evidence that the OXTR polymorphisms are not related to attachment dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]