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The preparation of three metal (Ag(I) and Hg(II)) complexes based on bis‐carbene ligands and correlative three precursors H2Ln·(PF6)2 (n = 1–3) were reported. In each cationic moiety of complexes 1 and 2 and the monomer of complex 3, two Ag+ (or Hg2+) ions and two Ln (n = 1–3) formed one 36‐membered macrometallocycle. There existed π–π interactions between two naphthalenes in each cationic moiety of 1 and 2. The monomers of 3 were connected together through HgO bonds to form 1D chain. In the crystal packings of 1–3, two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional supramolecular structures were formed through CH˙˙˙π contacts and CH˙˙˙F H bonds. Additionally, the recognition capacity of 1 for H2PO4− was studied via fluorescence spectra, UV/Vis spectra, HRMS, 1H NMR titrations, and infrared (IR) spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are widely used in lighting and display applications. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs), which have high biocompatibility, high resistance to photobleaching, and full‐spectrum luminescence, have inherent advantages as fluorescent materials for LED devices. Herein, multicolor CQDs are prepared by a new reagent engineering strategy due to the difference of effective conjugate length and the surface electron‐withdrawing groups of CQDs. White CQDs are realized by mixing blue, green, and red CQDs proportionally. Then, the aggregation‐caused quenching phenomenon of CQDs is suppressed through the hydrogen‐bonding network of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). Multicolor fluorescent films are prepared from CQDs and CNFs by simple mixing and casting methods. Finally, thin‐film encapsulation based on the photosensitive resin ABPE‐10 coating can be realized and rapidly assembles into fluorescent films with different light‐emitting colors into LED devices, leading to have superior thermal performance compared with conventional LEDs. White LEDs have excellent white‐light illumination performance, with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage color coordinates of (0.33, 0.37), a correlated color temperature of 5688 K, and a color rendering index of 86. This strategy provides a convenient and scalable pathway for low‐cost, environmentally friendly, and high‐performance CQDs‐based LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TC18 titanium alloy as an aviation landing gear material is famous for its high strength and hardenability. However, under the influence of the harsh service environment, its corrosion resistance is relatively poor. WC–12Co ceramic material is one of the most widely used surface strengthening materials, and the coatings are often produced by high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying. In the spraying, the deposition state of particles directly affects the quality and strengthening ability of coating. This study combined the correlation of flow field calculation and impact process of particles, and the particle flight characteristics were analyzed in the three‐dimensional HVOF spraying. The change law for temperature and velocity of particles was explored by changing the spraying distance, oxygen/fuel (O/F) ratio, and particle size. Based on the calculation results of flow field, a three‐dimensional random deposition model of WC–12Co multiparticle was established by the coupled Euler–Lagrange method, and the crystal inhomogeneity was introduced by the Voronoi method. Compared the flattening rate and spreading degree of particles deposition, the evolution law of temperature and stress–strain fields for coating and substrate during the deposition was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the magnesium aluminum layered double hydroxide intercalated with sodium dodecyl sulfate (Mg‐Al S‐LDH) was synthesized by using a roasting–restoration method based on the Mg‐Al LDH precursor, and their effectiveness in removing Cu2+ from aqueous solutions was investigated. Detailed microstructural characterization of these adsorption materials involved employing X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms (N2 ad/desorption), and thermogravimetric‐differential thermal gravimetric analysis (TG‐DTG). The experimental results revealed that Mg‐Al S‐LDH displayed a plate‐like layered structure with a larger surface area and enhanced adsorption ability. Specifically, the maximum adsorption capacity, reaching 96.15 mg ⋅ g−1, was achieved at a temperature of 298 K, accompanied by a rapid adsorption rate. The adsorption kinetics adhered to the pseudo‐second‐order model, suggesting that chemisorption controlled the adsorption behavior. Furthermore, the adsorption of Cu2+ followed the Freundlich model, signifying a multi‐site adsorption mechanism onto the surface and layers of Mg‐Al S‐LDH. Thermodynamic investigations indicated that higher temperatures facilitated Cu2+ dissolution and strengthened the affinity with Mg‐Al S‐LDH, with a positive ΔHΘ value suggesting that the Cu2+ adsorption process was endothermic and temperature‐enhancing. Ion selectivity experiments demonstrated that Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions had a significant impact on Cu2+ adsorption, while the effects of Zn2+ and Fe2+ ions were less pronounced. The primary adsorption mechanisms of Cu2+ onto Mg‐Al S‐LDH encompassed precipitation, complexation on the surface and layers, and isomorphous substitution. This study sheds light on the promising potential of Mg‐Al S‐LDH as an effective adsorbent for heavy metal removal and provides valuable insights into its adsorption mechanisms and performance in different environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HVAF thermal spraying has the characteristics of low spraying temperature, high coating density, and strong corrosion resistance. It is widely used in the aerospace, iron–steel metallurgy, national defense and military industry, petrochemical industry, and other fields for manufacturing protection and repair strengthening, which has achieved significant economic benefits. In this study, a numerical model of HVAF thermal spraying on a circular roll was established by the computational fluid dynamics method. The characteristics of the spraying flame, evolution of the gas composition mass fraction, and influence of the spraying parameters on particle flight behaviors were calculated and revealed. Based on the dynamic mesh method, the effect of roll speed on the spraying flame characteristics and particle flight behaviors was analyzed. Calculations show that the spraying flame is extruded at the Laval nozzle and the speed rapidly increases to 805 m/s, which increases to a supersonic speed through the barrel. The flame flow rises rapidly reaching the surface of the roll, which is 780 m/s. The highest temperature is in the combustion chamber, and the flame temperature of the airshed is a damped vibration. The flame covers the surface of the roll to preheat it, and the flame temperature there decreases layer by layer from the inside to outside. The particle diameter significantly effects the powder flight behavior. The flame velocity increases with the barrel length increasing. The flame temperature up to the peak when the barrel length is 190 mm. As the rotation speed of the roll increases, the temperature, velocity, and pressure of the flame flow on the roll surface change in a certain extent. The particle spatter will be increased with the rotational speed increasing of the roll, which little affects the particle temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breaking the time‐reversal symmetry of light is of great importance for fundamental physics and has attracted increasing interest in the study of non‐reciprocal photonic devices. Here, a chiral cavity quantum electrodynamics system with multiple atoms strongly coupled to a Fabry–Pérot cavity is experimentally demonstrated. By polarizing the internal quantum state of the atoms, the time‐reversal symmetry of the atom‐cavity interaction is broken. The strongly coupled atom‐cavity system can be described by non‐reciprocal quasiparticles, that is, the cavity polariton. When it works in the linear regime, the inherent nonreciprocity makes the system work as a single‐photon‐level optical isolator. Benefiting from the collective enhancement of multiple atoms, an isolation ratio exceeding 30 dB on the single‐quanta level (≈ 0.1 photon on average) is achieved. The validity of the non‐reciprocal device under zero magnetic field and the reconfigurability of the isolation direction are also experimentally demonstrated. Moreover, when the cavity polariton works in the nonlinear regime, the quantum interference between polaritons with weak anharmonicity induces non‐reciprocal nonclassical statistics of cavity transmission from coherent probe light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the electromechanical breakdown mechanisms of polycrystalline ceramics is critical to texture engineering for high‐energy‐density dielectric ceramics. Here, an electromechanical breakdown model is developed to fundamentally understand the electrostrictive effect on the breakdown behavior of textured ceramics. Taking the Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3‐Sr0.7Bi0.2TiO3 ceramic as an example, it is found that the breakdown process significantly depends on the local electric/strain energy distributions in polycrystalline ceramics, and reasonable texture design could greatly alleviate electromechanical breakdown. Then, high‐throughput simulations are performed to establish the mapping relationship between the breakdown strength and different intrinsic/extrinsic variables. Finally, machine learning is conducted on the database from the high‐throughput simulations to obtain the mathematical expression for semi‐quantitatively predicting the breakdown strength, based on which some basic principles of texture design are proposed. The present work provides a computational understanding of the electromechanical breakdown behavior in textured ceramics and is expected to stimulate more theoretical and experimental efforts in designing textured ceramics with reliable electromechanical performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported the realization of superhydrophobic layered double hydroxide (LDH) coating with the double‐anticorrosion mechanism on magnesium alloys. This coating was prepared via in‐situ growth of LDHs on the etched AZ31 alloy and the modification was caused by 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H‐perfluorooctyltrimethoxysilane. The water contact angle on the coating was as large as 161°, possessing the two‐scale rough structure consisting of microislands and LDH crystal nanosheets. The excellent corrosion resistance properties of the superhydrophobic LDH coating can be attributed to the double‐anticorrosion mechanism associated with LDH coating and superhydrophobic structure. In addition to the active protection of LDH coating, the passive protection of superhydrophobic coating can suppress the occurrence of ion‐exchange reactions, leading to excellent corrosion resistance stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidating mechanisms underlying community assembly and biodiversity patterns is central to ecology and evolution. Genome size (GS) has long been hypothesized to potentially affect species' capacity to tolerate environmental stress and might therefore help drive community assembly. However, its role in driving β‐diversity (i.e., spatial variability in species composition) remains unclear. We measured GS for 161 plant species and community composition across 52 sites spanning a 3200‐km transect in the temperate grasslands of China. By correlating the turnover of species composition with environmental dissimilarity, we found that resource filtering (i.e., environmental dissimilarity that includes precipitation, and soil nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations) affected β‐diversity patterns of large‐GS species more than small‐GS species. By contrast, geographical distance explained more variation of β‐diversity for small‐GS than for large‐GS species. In a 10‐year experiment manipulating levels of water, nitrogen, and phosphorus, adding resources increased plant biomass in species with large GS, suggesting that large‐GS species are more sensitive to the changes in resource availability. These findings highlight the role of GS in driving community assembly and predicting species responses to global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Functional Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Functional Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Temporal stability of net primary productivity (NPP) is important for predicting the reliable provisioning of ecosystem services under global changes. Although nitrogen (N) addition is known to affect the temporal stability of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), it is unclear how it impacts that of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and NPP, and whether such effects are scale dependent. Here, using experimental N addition in a grassland, we found different responses of ANPP and BNPP stability to N addition at the local scale and that these responses propagated to the larger spatial scale. That is, N addition significantly decreased the stability of ANPP but did not affect the stability of BNPP and NPP at the two scales investigated. Additionally, spatial asynchrony of both ANPP and BNPP among communities provided greater stability at the larger scale and was not affected by N addition. Our findings challenge the traditional view that N addition would reduce ecosystem stability based on results from aboveground dynamics, thus highlighting the importance of viewing ecosystem stability from a whole system perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiliquid‐accumulation on the surface is desired in practical applications. Super‐repellency of the surface reduces the interaction between impacting drop and the surface effectively. However, for horizontal super‐repellent surfaces, super‐repellency is not enough for liquid removal when drops keep coalescing and remain on the surface. The interaction between impacting drop and static drop can further be beneficial for antiliquid‐accumulation on the surface. Here, aqueous drop‐on‐drop impact on the super‐repellent surface is studied. Weber number of impacting drop and offset distance between drops control impacting outcomes (coalescence or bouncing), while the viscosity of drops influences fluid dynamics after the coalescence. The efficiency of released excess surface energy transferred into mechanical energy during coalescence can be 18.9% for upcoalescence, which is much higher than the efficiency for downcoalescence or in‐plane coalescence (≈6%) as reported in the literature. The bouncing between drops can reduce liquid accumulation on a super‐repellent wafer remarkably (99.1 vol% reduction of accumulated liquid), being a promising method for liquid removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimensionality is a fundamental parameter to modulate the properties of solid materials by tuning electronic structures. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a prominent class of porous crystalline materials, but the study of dimensional dependence on their physicochemical properties is still lacking. Herein we illustrate photocatalytic performances of N,N‐diaryl dihydrophenazine (PN)‐based COFs are heavily dependent on the structural dimensionality. Six isostructural imine‐bonded 2D‐PN COFs and one 3D‐PN COF were prepared. All can be heterogeneous photocatalysts to promote radical ring‐opening polymerization of vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs), which typically produces polymers with a combination of linear (l) and cyclic (c) repeat units. The 2D‐PN COFs have much higher catalytic activity than the 3D‐PN COF, allowing the efficient synthesis of poly(VCPs) with controlled molecular weight, low dispersity and high l/c selectivity (up to 97 %). The improved performance can be ascribed to the 2D structure which has a larger internal surface area, more catalytically active sites, higher photosensitizing ability and photoinduced electron transfer efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As postulated by life‐history theory, not all life‐history traits can be maximized simultaneously. In ectothermic animals, climate warming is predicted to increase growth rates, but at a cost to overall life span. Maternal effects are expected to mediate this life‐history trade‐off, but such effects have not yet been explicitly elucidated.To understand maternal effects on the life‐history responses to climate warming in lizard offspring, we conducted a manipulative field experiment on a desert‐dwelling viviparous lacertid lizard Eremias multiocellata, using open‐top chambers in a factorial design (maternal warm climate and maternal present climate treatments × offspring warm climate and offspring present climate treatments).We found that the maternal warm climate treatment had little impact on the physiological and life‐history traits of adult females (i.e. metabolic rate, reproductive output, growth and survival). However, the offspring warm climate treatment significantly affected offspring growth, and both maternal and offspring warm climate treatments interacted to affect offspring survival.Offspring from the warm climate treatment grew faster than those from the present climate treatment. However, the offspring warm climate treatment significantly decreased the survival rate of offspring from maternal present climate treatment, but not for those from the maternal warm climate treatment.Our study demonstrates that maternal effects mediate the trade‐off between growth and survival of offspring lizards, allowing them to grow fast without a concurrent cost of low survival rate (short life span). These findings stress the importance of adaptive maternal effects in buffering the impact of climate warming on organisms, which may help us to accurately predict the vulnerability of populations and species to future warming climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We offer a new perspective on the low‐beta anomaly by acknowledging the omitted‐variable problem in the correlation component of beta: Correlation is "plagued" by firm size (the omitted variable) to exhibit a negative price. Once isolating the size impact, a hidden positive price emerges for the size‐orthogonalized component of correlation. Further analyses suggest that (a) the positive price of the size‐orthogonalized component is not due to mispricing, supporting the return comovement‐based pricing channel; (b) the negative price of the size‐explained component is related to illiquidity and coskewness.; (c) the omitted‐variable problem also applies to the pricing of beta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The calibration of sedimentary rock absolute dates is one of the difficulties in sedimentological and stratigraphic research. Since strontium (Sr) resides in seawater much longer (≈106 a) than the seawater intermixing time (≈103 a), the Sr isotopic composition of global seawater is uniform at any time and results in a stable system throughout geological history, based on which a global Sr isotope composition dating database has been established for age‐calibration of marine strata. The Permian stratigraphic sections in the northern part of the Upper Yangtze block, southern China, record continuous marine sediments with clear stratigraphic boundaries and is suitable for stratigraphic dating of Sr isotopes. Based on sampling and Sr isotopic compositions of Permian carbonate strata in the northern part of the Upper Yangtze, a Permian Sr isotope evolution curve was established. According to the basic principles of Sr isotope stratigraphy, the global Strontium isotope age database can be used to calibrate the Permian stratigraphic dates in the northern Upper Yangtze. The results show that the Sr isotope evolution curves for the marine carbonate rocks in the Permian stratigraphic section of the Upper Yangtze present a decreasing trend from the mid‐Qixia stage (P2) to the mid‐Wujiaping stage (P3), and then rise from the middle Wujiaping stage to the end of Changxing stage (P3). When the Permian Sr‐isotope evolution curve is compared with the global Sr isotope evolution curve in the northern Upper Yangtze, the two are consistent in their long‐term evolutionary trend, indicating that Permian global geological events are important controlling factors for the composition and evolution of Sr isotopes. The 87Sr/86Sr value decreased gradually in the background of large‐scale regressions at the turn of middle to late Permian period, revealing that the Emeishan basalt eruption occurred near the Maokou/Wujiaping boundary (GLB). Sr‐isotope stratigraphy dating was performed on the boundaries of the Qixia Formation/Maokou Formation, Maokou Formation/Wujiaping Formation (GLB), Wujiaping Formation/Changxing Formation (WCB) and the Permian/Triassic (PTB) using the Global Strontium Isotope Age Database. The results are 270.4 Ma, 261.2 Ma, 254.5 Ma and 249.7 Ma, respectively. Based on this, the eruption age of the Emeishan basalts is defined at about 261.2 Ma., which is more coincident with that acquired from other previous dating methods on the eruption age of the Emeishan basalts, and therefore proves that the application of Sr isotopic stratigraphy to dating marine sedimentary units is an effective method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with well‐defined porous channels are shown to be capable of inducing chiral molecular catalysts from non‐enantioselective to highly enantioselective in catalyzing organic transformations. By condensations of a tetrahedral tetraamine and two linear dialdehydes derived from enantiopure 1,1′‐binaphthol (BINOL), two chiral 3D COFs with a 9‐fold or 11‐fold interpenetrated diamondoid framework are prepared. Enhanced Brønsted acidity was observed for the chiral BINOL units that are uniformly distributed within the tubular channels compared to the non‐immobilized acids. This facilitates the Brønsted acid catalysis of cyclocondensation of aldehydes and anthranilamides to produce 2,3‐dihydroquinazolinones. DFT calculations show the COF catalyst provides preferential secondary interactions between the substrate and framework to induce enantioselectivities that are not achievable in homogeneous systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The continuing nitrogen (N) deposition observed worldwide alters ecosystem nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning. Litter decomposition is a key process contributing to these changes, but the numerous mechanisms for altered decomposition remain poorly identified.We assessed these different mechanisms with a decomposition experiment using litter from four abundant species (Achnatherum sibiricum, Agropyron cristatum, Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis) and litter mixtures representing treatment‐specific community composition in a semi‐arid grassland under long‐term simulation of six different rates of N deposition.Decomposition increased consistently with increasing rates of N addition in all litter types. Higher soil manganese (Mn) availability, which apparently was a consequence of N addition‐induced lower soil pH, was the most important factor for faster decomposition. Soil C : N ratios were lower with N addition that subsequently led to markedly higher bacterial to fungal ratios, which also stimulated litter decomposition.Several factors contributed jointly to higher rates of litter decomposition in response to N deposition. Shifts in plant species composition and litter quality played a minor role compared to N‐driven reductions in soil pH and C : N, which increased soil Mn availability and altered microbial community structure. The soil‐driven effect on decomposition reported here may have long‐lasting impacts on nutrient cycling, soil organic matter dynamics and ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of chemo‐ and photothermal therapy is an effective strategy to improve clinical outcomes and minimize side effects. For simultaneously delivering chemo‐ and photothermal agents to the tumor region to exert their synergistic effect, an efficient and safe drug co‐delivery platform is in great need. Microcapsules (MCs) are promising drug carriers for local treatment of tumors. However, their applications in chemo‐photothermal combinational therapy have not been fully explored. Herein, novel doxorubicin (DOX) and indocyanine green (ICG)‐incorporated microcapsules (DIMCs) are reported for highly efficient delivery of combinational therapeutics. To obtain DIMCs with precise configuration and controlled drug release characteristics, the microfluidic double‐emulsion templating method is adopted and factors dominating the size and morphology of DIMCs are investigated. Under optimized conditions, DIMCs with well‐defined hydrogel cores and polymeric shells can be steadily prepared, which are hydrolytically degradable, allow for pH‐sensitive sustained release of the drug payload, and show excellent photothermal effects. The in vitro experiment shows that DIMCs exhibit significantly enhanced antitumor efficiency owing to the synergistic effects of chemo‐ and photothermal actives, showing great potential as a new therapeutic platform in local treatment of cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is to study the influence of sulphate corrosion on the mechanical behaviors of concrete, especially concrete corrosion under actual corrosion environment. This study investigated different immersion methods for concrete in a corrosion environment, and different strengths of concrete specimens with contents of sodium sulphate and magnesium chloride of 10.36% and 12.00%, respectively. Strength tests were performed on the specimens for the different immersion methods of full immersion, half‐immersion, and dry‐wet cycles, and with different strengths for the concrete of C20, C35, and C50. To study the internal mechanisms of the corrosion of concrete with different immersion methods and different strengths, a microscopic pore structure test was conducted. The field tests were performed after 12 years to evaluate the long term performance of the concrete under the actual environmental conditions. The test results show that full immersion mainly led to chemical corrosion, half immersion led to double damage from salt crystallization and chemical corrosion, and dry‐wet cycles accelerated the corrosions of the salt crystallization and chemical corrosion. The higher the strength of concrete, the better its resistance to the sulphate corrosion. In comparison with the strength of the concrete before corrosion, field test results show that the strength of uncorroded concrete after 12 years is increased by 9.5% and the strength of corroded concrete after 12 years is reduced by 56.2%. The results of the strength tests and pore structure tests show that sulphate has a significant impact on concrete strength after 12 years of field tests. This study will contribute to improve long‐term performance of the concrete, provide guidance for concrete structure design in corroded areas, and suggested that increasing attention should be paid to the effects of sulphate on concrete performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Martensite is a common metallographic structure. Accurately revealing the objective law of the martensite transformation process is of great significance for controlling material organization and design materials. Herein, based on the phase‐field method, a 3D three‐variant martensite transformation model from the metastable to steady state is established based on the Khachaturyan. A. G. dislocation dynamic model. The transformation mechanism of martensite is analyzed and the transformation law and the law of growth behavior of variants is obtained. The research reveals the growth mechanism of martensite in multivariant martensite transformation, verifies the microstructure of steel after the quenching process, and proposes the "phagocytic" behavior of martensite transformation process and the prediction method of transforming variants. Finally, an interpretation of the interface fluctuations and residual austenite appearing during the transformation process is made. Herein, the objective law of martensite transformation is revealed, the universal prediction of martensite transformation morphology is realized, and an important theoretical basis for quenching tissue regulation and large‐scale high‐precision phase‐transition simulation is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many sophisticated chemical and physical properties of porous materials strongly rely on the presence of the metal ions within the structures. Whereas homogeneous distribution of metals is conveniently realized in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), the limited stability potentially restricts their practical implementation. From that perspective, the development of metal–covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs) may address these shortcomings by incorporating active metal species atop highly stable COF backbones. This Minireview highlights examples of MCOFs that tackle important issues from their design, synthesis, characterization to cutting‐edge applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anlotinib is a novel, orally administered, multitarget receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. It functions by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and proliferative signaling pathways. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib plus epirubicin in a sarcoma patient‐derived xenografts (PDX) model. Methods: We firstly established a PDX model using fresh tumor tissues that were surgically removed from a patient diagnosed with malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Thirty‐six PDX models were divided into six groups and treated with anlotinib alone (low‐dose, 1.5 or high‐dose, 3.0 mg/kg/day, oral gavage), or with anlotinib plus epirubicin (3.0 mg/kg/once weekly, i.p.) when the tumors grew to 150‐200 mm3. After 5 weeks of treatment, the mice were sacrificed, and the tumors were measured by weight and processed for IHC and H&E staining. IHC staining was performed to detect CD31, EGFR, MVD, and Ki‐67 on paraffin sections. H&E stainings were performed to examine the microcosmic changes that occurred in the tumor tissues and myocardium, respectively. Results: After 5 weeks, treatment with anlotinib or epirubicin alone significantly inhibited tumor growth in the sarcoma PDX model compared with the vehicle control. Tumor volume in the high‐dose anlotinib group was significantly smaller than the low‐dose anlotinib group (P <.001). Combined high‐dose anlotinib and epirubicin treatment resulted in the most pronounced tumor inhibition. In the groups treated with the anlotinib‐containing regimen, the expression levels of CD31, EGFR, MVD, and Ki‐67 were significantly low. The weight in each group had no statistical differences; the same applied to the hepatic function, cardiac function, and toxicity. Conclusions: High‐dose anlotinib combined with epirubicin was an effective and safe therapy for STS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing awareness of the importance of soil microorganisms in agricultural management practices. Currently, much less is known about whether different crop cultivar has an effect on the taxonomic structure and diversity, and specific functions of soil bacterial communities. Here, we examined the changes of the diversity and composition and enzyme‐encoding nitrogenase genes in a long‐term field experiment with seven different rhizoma peanut cultivars in southeastern USA, coupling high‐throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and the sequence‐based function prediction with Tax4Fun. Of the 32 phyla detected (Proteobacteria class), 13 were dominant: Acidobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Gammaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, Nitrospirae, Chloroflexi, and Planctomycetes (relative abundance >1%). We found no evidence that the diversity and composition of bacterial communities were significantly different among different cultivars, but the abundance of some dominant bacterial groups that have N‐fixation potentials (at broad or fine taxonomic level) and predicted abundances of some enzyme‐encoding nitrogenase genes showed significant across‐cultivar differences. The nitrogenase genes were notably abundant in Florigraze and Latitude soils while remarkably lower in Arbook and UF_TITO soils when compared with other cultivars, indicating different nitrogen fixation potentials among different cultivars. The findings also suggest that the abundance of certain bacterial taxa and the specific function bacteria perform in ecosystems can have an inherent association. Our study is helpful to understand how microbiological responses and feedback to different plant genotypes through the variation in structure and function of their communities in the rhizosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral phosphoric acids are incorporated into indium‐based metal–organic frameworks (In‐MOFs) by sterically preventing them from coordination. This concept leads to the synthesis of three chiral porous 3D In‐MOFs with different network topologies constructed from three enantiopure 1,1′‐biphenol‐phosphoric acid derived tetracarboxylate linkers. More importantly, all the uncoordinated phosphoric acid groups are periodically aligned within the channels and display significantly enhanced acidity compared to the non‐immobilized acids. This facilitates the Brønsted acid catalysis of asymmetric condensation/amine addition and imine reduction. The enantioselectivities can be tuned (up to >99 % ee) by varying the substituents to achieve a nearly linear correlation with the concentrations of steric bulky groups in the MOFs. DFT calculations suggest that the framework provides a chiral confined microenvironment that dictates both selectivity and reactivity of chiral MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, the stability and specificity of a counterfeit protection system (CPS) code were determined. This research involved an analysis of a counterfeit protection system code unit over time using the pattern location measurement method. We collected 379 sample sheets from 196 printers or photocopiers, covering 14 original brands, including 129 models. There was an interval of at least two months between the collections of samples from each machine. Four types of characteristics were established: CPS pattern unit, distance of the CPS unit, position of dots, size and shape of the dot. Except for the partial changes in the Xerox brand, no other brand exhibited changes over time. This implies that the CPS characteristics are stable. Meanwhile, no correlation was noted between the combinations of the characteristic systems in the collected samples, which implied strong specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A trace code pattern location measurement approach is proposed. It includes a method that can precisely extract the trace code pattern to identify the color laser printer or photocopier class. In this study, we collected 379 samples from 15 brands, including 129 models and 196 printers or photocopiers. The trace code pattern class is identified. Four class characteristics are used to identify the print source: (i) the relation between the pattern and print output direction; (ii) observation of the shape features from among the trace code pattern units; (iii) the feature arrangement from among the trace code pattern units; and (iv) the arrangement relation of the trace code pattern. Blind testing shows that the accuracy of the proposed method is approximately 96.9% for the Questioned Document Examiners, and 84.3% in the non‐Questioned Document Examiners. It is thus an effective technique for determining a print's color laser printer or photocopier source class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Trees associating with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi typically occur in infertile soils and use nutrients more conservatively than arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees. We hypothesized that ECM trees would have greater nutrient resorption (i.e., proportion of nutrients resorbed during leaf senescence) than AM trees. Location: Global. Methods: We synthesized nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption data from 378 species from sub/tropical, temperate and boreal forests, including 43 studies where ECM and AM trees cooccurred, and conducted a meta-analysis. Additionally, we quantified N resorption in 45 plots varying in ECM-AM tree abundances in the temperate deciduous forests of southern Indiana, USA. Results: Overall, resorption patterns were driven primarily by mycorrhizal type, climate zone, and to a lesser degree, leaf habit. In the boreal forest, P resorption was 76% greater for ECM than AM trees (p<.05). In the sub/tropics, AM trees resorbed 30% more N than ECM trees. At the sites where AM and ECM trees co-occurred, ECM trees resorbed more N in temperate forests (15% greater; p<.001) whereas AM trees tended to resorb more N in sub/tropical forests (by 29%; p5.08). Besides, deciduous ECM trees resorbed more N (10%) and P (15%) than deciduous AM trees, while evergreen ECM and AM trees did not differ. In the deciduous forests of Indiana, where ECM and AM trees co-occurred, the relative abundance of ECM trees in a plot was positively correlated to plot-scale N resorption (R25.25, p5.001), indicating greater nutrient conservatism with increasing ECM-dominance. Main conclusions: Our results indicate that mycorrhizal association - in addition to other factors - is correlated with the degree to which trees recycle nutrients, with the strongest effects occurring for N resorption by temperate deciduous trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A Brønsted acid enabled nickel‐catalyzed hydroalkenylation of aldehydes and styrene derivatives has been developed. The Brønsted acid acts as a proton shuttle to transfer a proton from the alkene to the aldehyde, thereby leading to an economical and byproduct‐free coupling. A series of synthetically useful allylic alcohols were obtained through one‐step reactions from readily available styrene derivatives and aliphatic aldehydes in up to 88 % yield and with high linear selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Supramolecular containers featuring both high catalytic activity and high enantioselectivity represent a design challenge of practical importance. Herein, it is demonstrated that a chiral octahedral coordination cage can be constructed by using twelve enantiopure Mn(salen)‐derived dicarboxylic acids as linear linkers and six Zn4‐p‐tert‐butylsulfonylcalix[4]arene clusters as tetravalent four‐connected vertices. The porous cage features a large hydrophobic cavity (≈3944 Å3) decorated with catalytically active metallosalen species and is shown to be an efficient and recyclable asymmetric catalyst for the oxidative kinetic resolution of racemic secondary alcohols and the epoxidation of olefins with up to >99 % enantiomeric excess. The cage architecture not only prevents intermolecular deactivation and stabilizes the Mn(salen) catalysts but also encapsulates substrates and concentrates reactants in the cavity, resulting in enhanced reactivity and enantioselectivity relative to the free metallosalen catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Combining nutrient dynamics (plant nutrient uptake and soil fertility) can help uncover mechanisms of shrub–grass interactions and assess the validity of the stress‐gradient hypothesis, which predicts that facilitation between plants increases in stressful environments. However, how facilitation via shrub‐mediated nutrient increases varies with precipitation is poorly resolved. We first synthesized a global dataset from 66 studies and evaluated how shrubs affected soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in grasslands along a precipitation gradient. We then made new measurements in a single‐grassland type encroached by leguminous shrubs from the same genus (Caragana) to constrain the variations caused by combining different grassland types and shrubs traits in the meta‐analysis. Specifically, we investigated how shrubs mediated N dynamics and how shrub–grass interactions varied along a precipitation gradient (147–342 mm) in a temperate steppe of China. At the global scale, leguminous shrub‐mediated effects on soil nutrients increased with precipitation, while no relationship was found for non‐leguminous shrub. For the field experiment, greater N and lower δ15N in Caragana compared to non‐leguminous shrub (reference shrub, Salsola collina) suggested active N‐fixation in Caragana. We found that Caragana enhanced N concentration and leaf quality (low C:N ratio) in neighbouring plants more on mesic sites than on xeric sites. Thus, facilitation increased via higher soil N and with decreasing environmental stress, at least along this relatively arid precipitation gradient. Our results highlight the importance of precipitation in determining the nutritional facilitation to neighbouring grasses from encroaching leguminous shrubs. Conceptual frameworks for plant facilitation may therefore need to include shrub characteristics (N‐fixers vs. non‐fixers) and positive effects of higher precipitation on this type of facilitation to characterize plant interactions along stress gradients. A plain language summary is available for this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most forests worldwide are located in upland landscapes. Previous studies have mainly focused on ground methane (CH4) flux in upland forests, and living tree stem-based CH4 processes and fluxes are thus relatively poorly understood. This study investigated the relationship between CH4 concentration and water content in the heartwood of living trees in midtemperate, warm temperate, and subtropical upland forests and also measured seasonal changes of in situ stem CH4 flux and the CH4 concentration and water content in the heartwood of Populus davidiana Dode in a warm temperate upland forest. We found that approximately 4-13% of tree stems or approximately 8-31% of tree species had a substantial CH4 concentration of ≥10,000 μL L−1 in their heartwood across the three types of upland forests. The heartwood CH4 concentration was related to water content by a power function. A threshold of water content occurred beyond which CH4 was produced at high levels in the heartwood. The CH4 emissions from the breast height stems of P. davidiana ranged from 202.1 to 331.6 μg m−2 h−1 on a stem surface area basis during July-October 2016 and were significantly linearly correlated with the CH4 concentration or water content in the heartwood throughout the experimental period, but the linear correlation was not significant at daily and monthly scales. Temperature was not a limiting factor for CH4 production during July-October 2016, and thus, most of the CH4 production may be explained by water content in the heartwood of living trees in upland forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stoichiometry play an important role in the maintenance of ecosystem structure and function. To decipher the influence of changing environment on plant C and N stoichiometry at the subcontinental scale, we studied the shoot and root C and N stoichiometry in two widely distributed and dominant genera along a 2,200-km climatic gradient in China's grasslands. Relationships between C and N concentrations and soil climatic variables factors were studied. In contrast to previous theory, plant C concentration and C:N ratios in both shoots and roots increased with increasing soil fertility and decreased with increasing aridity. Relative N allocation shifted from soils to plants and from roots to shoots with increasing aridity. Changes in the C:N ratio were associated with changes in N concentration. Dynamics of plant C concentration and C:N ratios were mainly caused by biomass reallocation and a nutrient dilution effect in the plant-soil system. Our results suggest that the shifted allocation of C and N to different ecosystem compartments under a changing environment may change the overall use of these elements by the plant-soil system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in litter quality and in soil microbial community composition can influence the litter decomposition and 'home-field advantage' ( HFA). However, our knowledge about the relative role of litter and soil characteristics on litter decomposition and HFA effects is still limited, especially under long-term N deposition., We collected soil and two types of litter (monospecific and mixed species litter) from five replicate plots from a long-term N deposition field experiment with seven N addition treatments (0, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 g N m−2 year−1). We examined the effects of N addition on litter quality and soil characteristics. We then carried out a three-pronged microcosm decomposition experiment with (i) litter from different N addition treatments decomposed on a standard field soil; (ii) standard litter decomposed on soils from the different N addition treatments; and (iii) litter decomposed on soil from the same N addition treatment plot., Decomposition of litter on standard soil was influenced strongly by the N addition treatment, but did not consistently decrease or increase with increasing N addition rates. Instead, decomposition of standard litter on soils collected from different N addition treatments decreased with increasing rates of N addition. Decomposition of litter on soil collected from the same plot increased with increasing N addition rates. Soil characteristics explained more of the variation in litter decomposition than litter characteristics., There was a clear HFA effect for litter decomposition, both from a litter and from a soil perspective. HFA effects increased when the dissimilarity in litter quality (N content and C : N ratio) increase among the different N addition treatments and the soil effect was strongest at high N addition rates., N addition influenced litter decomposition by changing both litter and soil characteristics. Importantly, N addition decreased the capability of soils to decompose litter and it increased the HFA effect indicating that soils decomposed local litter better than other litter, due to specialization in soil communities. Nitrogen deposition is an important threat to ecosystems worldwide and our study emphasizes that ecosystem functions such as decomposition can be greatly influenced by these global changes., A is available for this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upland forests are traditionally thought to be net sinks for atmospheric methane ( CH4). In such forests, in situ CH4 fluxes on tree trunks have been neglected relative to soil and canopy fluxes., We measured in situ CH4 fluxes from the trunks of living trees and other surfaces, such as twigs and soils, using a static closed-chamber method, and estimated the CH4 budget in a temperate upland forest in Beijing., We found that the trunks of Populus davidiana emitted large quantities of CH4 during July 2014-July 2015, amounting to mean annual emissions of 85.3 and 103.1 μg m−2 h−1 on a trunk surface area basis on two replicate plots. The emission rates were similar in magnitude to those from tree trunks in wetland forests. The emitted CH4 was derived from the heartwood of trunks. On a plot or ecosystem scale, trunk CH4 emissions were equivalent to c. 30-90% of the amount of CH4 consumed by soils throughout the year, with an annual average of 63%., Our findings suggest that wet heartwoods, regardless of rot or not, occur widely in living trees on various habitats, where CH4 can be produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) causes agricultural losses worldwide. Identifying sources of soybean resistance to the soybean aphid is a key strategy in preventing crop damage caused by this pest. Three hundred accessions of cultivated soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and two hundred accessions of wild soybean (G. soja) originally from northeastern China were evaluated in 2011 and 2012. The objectives of this study were to identify sources and types of resistance to the soybean aphid in earlymaturing soybean germplasm. First, two preliminary choice tests were performed. Accessions that had been identified as aphid resistant in the two choice tests were simultaneously re-evaluated in a pot choice test, pot no-choice test, and field no-choice test to determine the type of resistance. The results of all tests showed that 4 of the 500 accessions were resistant to the soybean aphid. The results of a confirmation test indicated that the logarithmic value and the damage index 25 d after inoculation of accessions ZDD0326, ZDD0219, ZYD00022, and ZYD00033 were significantly (P < 0.05) different from those of susceptible checks in the pot choice test. Accessions ZDD0219, ZYD00022, and ZYD00033 had significantly lower logarithmic values and significantly lower damage index (DI) values than the susceptible checks in the pot and field no-choice tests (P < 0.05). Evidence indicated that ZDD0219, ZYD00022, and ZYD00033 have antibiotic resistance, and ZDD0326 has antixenosis resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities have significantly altered nitrogen (N) availability in most terrestrial ecosystems, with consequences for community composition and ecosystem functioning. Although studies of how changes in N availability affect biodiversity and community composition are relatively common, much less remains known about the effects of N inputs on the coupled biogeochemical cycling of N and phosphorus (P), and still fewer data exist regarding how increased N inputs affect the internal cycling of these two elements in plants. Nutrient resorption is an important driver of plant nutrient economies and of the quality of litter plants produce. Accordingly, resorption patterns have marked ecological implications for plant population and community fitness, as well as for ecosystem nutrient cycling. In a semiarid grassland in northern China, we studied the effects of a wide range of N inputs on foliar nutrient resorption of two dominant grasses, Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis. After 4 years of treatments, N and P availability in soil and N and P concentrations in green and senesced grass leaves increased with increasing rates of N addition. Foliar N and P resorption significantly decreased along the N addition gradient, implying a resorption-mediated, positive plant-soil feedback induced by N inputs. Furthermore, N : P resorption ratios were negatively correlated with the rates of N addition, indicating the sensitivity of plant N and P stoichiometry to N inputs. Taken together, the results demonstrate that N additions accelerate ecosystem uptake and turnover of both N and P in the temperate steppe and that N and P cycles are coupled in dynamic ways. The convergence of N and P resorption in response to N inputs emphasizes the importance of nutrient resorption as a pathway by which plants and ecosystems adjust in the face of increasing N availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary 1. The potential resorption of substantial amounts of nutrients from all vegetative organs of plants has large implications for the plant nutrient economy and for biogeochemical cycles. So far, most studies have focused on leaf nutrient resorption only. Besides, while evidence is growing that soil fertility changes impact on leaf nutrient resorption at a large spatial scale, hardly anything is known of such coupling at a small spatial scale. 2. Here we show that nitrogen (N) in culms of four dominant grasses of northern Chinese steppes contributed from 17% to 36% to the total pool of N resorbed from above-ground senescing parts and accounted for 25-52% of above-ground litter N. These results demonstrate the tremendous importance of non-leaf organs for plant nutrient economy and ecosystem nutrient cycling. 3. More importantly, we found that even microscale variations in resource availability (soil inorganic N; soil moisture) can strongly impact on both leaf and culm N resorption proficiencies (RP) and absolute leaf N resorption of grasses. Moreover, plasticity was responsible for 86% and 43% of within-site variance in leaf and culm RP, respectively, with the remainder owing to interspecific differences between the four grasses. These results imply a much larger role of plant plasticity in driving ecosystem functioning than previously assumed. 4. Synthesis. Our results suggest that plant litter quality varies even at the microscale with heterogeneity in soil resource availability, thereby potentially feeding back on soil properties and sustaining microscale soil fertility patchiness. In parallel, plants of more fertile patches resorbed a greater absolute amount of N, likely benefiting their competitive and reproductive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of niobium-doped SrBiTiO was calculated by using density function and discrete variation method (DFT-DVM). By comparing the total energy of different doping sites, the total energy is found to be lower when Nb ion was substituted into the Ti site in the upper perovskite layer, which is far from the two bismuth (Bi) ions in the perovskite layer. The bonding strength of Nb (3)-O increases and the electronic conductivity of the SBT decreases after Nb doping. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deposition of ubiquitinated protein aggregates is a hallmark of neurodegeneration in both acute neural injuries, such as stroke, and chronic conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the role of Zn2+ in ischemia-induced impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus after transient global ischemia. We found that scavenging endogenous Zn2+ reduced ischemia-induced ubiquitin conjugation and free ubiquitin depletion. Furthermore, exposure to zinc chloride increased ubiquitination and inhibited proteasomal enzyme activity in cultured hippocampal neurons in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Further studies of the underlying mechanisms showed that Zn2+-induced ubiquitination required p38 activation. These findings indicate that alterations in Zn2+ homeostasis impair the protein degradation pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study was undertaken to determine the outcomes of patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oesophagus. Methods: The study group consisted of 61 patients (median age: 64 years) with invasive SCC of the oesophagus who underwent resection between 1987 and 2007 in Adelaide, South Australia. Thirty-two (52%) were female. Survival data were available for all patients. The log rank test was performed to identify prognostic factors for survival. Results: The 5-year overall survival rate was 33% (median: 24 months). Of 61 patients, 42 (69%) received neoadjuvant therapy prior to surgery. The overall resection rate was 95%. Significant post-operative morbidity occurred in 47%, and the in-hospital mortality was 5% (30-day mortality: 3%). No overall survival benefit was seen in patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy prior to surgical resection. However, patients who had a complete pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy had a better 5-year survival than patients who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy: 47% versus 30%, respectively. Conclusions: Oesophagectomy following neoadjuvant therapy for SCC of the oesophagus can be performed with low perioperative mortality. A complete response to neoadjuvant therapy was followed by an improved survival outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandated efforts to assess chemicals for their potential to bioaccumulate within the environment are increasingly moving into the realm of data inadequacy. Consequently, there is an increasing reliance on predictive tools to complete regulatory requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner. The kinetic processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) determine the extent to which chemicals accumulate in fish and other biota. Current mathematical models of bioaccumulation implicitly or explicitly consider these ADME processes, but there is a lack of data needed to specify critical model input parameters. This is particularly true for compounds that are metabolized, exhibit restricted diffusion across biological membranes, or do not partition simply to tissue lipid. Here we discuss the potential of in vitro test systems to provide needed data for bioaccumulation modeling efforts. Recent studies demonstrate the utility of these systems and provide a ''proof of concept'' for the prediction models. Computational methods that predict ADME processes from an evaluation of chemical structure are also described. Most regulatory agencies perform bioaccumulation assessments using a weight-of-evidence approach. A strategy is presented for incorporating predictive methods into this approach. To implement this strategy it is important to understand the ''domain of applicability'' of both in vitro and structure-based approaches, and the context in which they are applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock grazing represents a major human disturbance to grasslands throughout the world. We evaluated the effects of long-term grazing (>20 years) on a dominant perennial grass species, Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel., in the semiarid grassland of Inner Mongolia, China, in terms of its morphological and functional responses. L. chinensis, one of the most abundant species in semiarid grassland, had significantly smaller leaf area, fewer vegetative tillers and shorter shoot internodes length, but significantly greater specific leaf area for the individuals in the grazing plot than those in the exclosure (grazing-free) plot. Long-term grazing also altered the relative distribution of biomass to leaves, roots and rhizomes. The biomass, coverage and the number of species were lower in the grazing plot by 50–70% in comparison with those in the grazing-free plot. In addition, the long-term grazing substantively decreased the physiological capacities of this grass species, including significantly lower net photosynthetic rate, apparent quantum efficiency, photochemical efficiency of PSII and water use efficiency. Significantly higher stable oxygen isotope ratios ( δ 18O) of the soil water in the grazing plot than those in the grazing-free plot indicated a much higher soil evaporation in the grazing plot because of less litter coverage. Seasonal patterns in the δ 18O values of the stem water of L. chinensis and three other common species in the grazing and grazing-free plots indicated that plants in the grazing and grazing-free plots might shift their water sources differently from a dry month (June) to a wet month (August). This study illustrated the importance of using different approaches to study the possible responses of grass species in arid regions to human disturbances, such as long-term grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the microwave-assisted molten salt method (MAMSS) and molten salt method (MSS) were used to synthesize SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBT). The phase constitution was determined by powder X-ray diffraction and the microstructure of powder was examined by scanning electron microscopy. In contrast to the conventional MSS method, MAMSS produces more distinct plate-like grains and synthesizes both SBT and Bi4Ti3O12 (BTO) at 600°C with a 30-min soaking time. The increase of temperature and soaking time can make the plate-like grains of BTO more distinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]