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Photocatalytic water splitting offers an economic and sustainable pathway for producing hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel, but it still suffers from low efficiencies limited by visible-light absorption capacity and charge separation kinetics. Herein, we report an interface-engineered 2D-C3N4/NiFe layered double hydroxide (CN/LDH) heterostructure that shows highly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) rate with excellent long-term stability. The morphology and band gap structure of NiFe-LDH are precisely regulated by employing NH4F as a structure-directing agent, which enables a fine interfacial tuning via coupling with 2D-C3N4. The formation of a type II interface in CN/LDH enlarges the active surface area and promotes the charge separation efficiency, leading to an HER rate of 3087 μmol g-1 h-1, which is 14 times higher than that of 2D-C3N4. This study highlights a rational interface engineering strategy for the formation of a heterostructure with a proper hole transport co-catalyst for designing effective water-splitting photocatalysts.

Composite electrolytes composed of a nanoceramic and polymer have been widely studied because of their high ionic conductivity, good Li-ion transference number, and excellent machinability, whereas the intrinsic reason for the improvement of performance is ambiguous. Herein, we have designed a functional polymer skeleton with different types of nanofiller to reveal the superiority of fast ion conductors in composite electrolyte. Three types of ceramics with different dielectric constants and Li-ion transfer ability were selected to prepare composite electrolytes, the composition, structure, and electrochemical performances of which were systematically investigated. It was found that the addition of fast ion conductive ceramics could provide a high Li-ion transference ability and decreased diffusion barrier because the additional pathways existed in the ceramic, which are revealed by experiment and density functional theory calculations. Benefiting from the superiority of fast ion conductor, Li-metal batteries with this advanced composite electrolyte exhibit an impressive cycling stability and enable a dendrite-free Li surface after cycling. Our work enriches the understanding of the function of fast ion conductors in composite electrolyte and guides the design for other high-performance composite electrolytes in rechargeable solid batteries.

Expanding the optical absorption range of photocatalysts is still a key endeavor in graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) studies. Here, we report on a novel thiophene group extending the optical property, which is assigned to n-π* electronic transitions involving the two lone pairs on sulfur (TLPS). The as-prepared samples, denoted as CN-ThAx (where x indicates the amount of ThA added, mg), showed an additional absorption above 500 nm as compared to pristine g-C3N4. Further, the thiophene group enhanced charge carrier separation to suppress e−/h+ pair recombination. The experimental results suggest that the thiophene group can obstruct the polymerization of melem to generate a large plane, thus exposing the lone electron pairs on the sulfur. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated in the decomposition of bisphenol A and H2 evolution. Compared with g-C3N4, the optimized CN-ThA30 sample led to a 6.6- and 2-fold enhancement of the degradation and H2 generation rates, respectively. The CN-ThA30 sample allowed for synchronous H2 production and BPA decomposition.

Intimate understanding of the synthesis-structure–activity relationships is an accessible pathway to overcome the intrinsic challenges of carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts. This work looks in the effects of humidity of the synthesis process to the morphology, chemical structure, band structure as well as the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 materials. Four g-C3N4 samples were prepared by heating melem in four gas environments: dry Ar, dry Air, moist Ar and moist Air. The photocatalytic activity measurements revealed that the samples synthesized in moist inert and oxidic gases environments displayed 20 and 10 times the photocatalytic H2 evolution activity of the samples synthesized in dry inert and oxidic gases environments, respectively. The reasons for this remarkable variety in photocatalytic activities had been through investigated. After all, the terminations of the carbon vacancies were identified as the dominant factor in enhancing H2 evolution performance. The work here thus demonstrating an example of defect engineering.

Transition metal phosphosulfides (TMPSs) have gained much interest due to their highly enhanced photocatalytic activities compared to their corresponding phosphides and sulfides. However, the application of TMPSs on photocatalytic CO2 reduction remains a challenge due to their inappropriate band positions and rapid recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Herein, we report ultrasmall copper phosphosulfide (us-Cu3P|S) nanocrystals anchored on 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets. Systematic studies on the interaction between us-Cu3P|S and g-C3N4 indicate the formation of an S-scheme heterojunction via interfacial P-N chemical bonds, which acts as an electron transfer channel and facilitates the separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers. Upon the composite formation, the band structures of us-Cu3P|S and g-C3N4 are altered to enable the enhanced photocatalytic CO generation rate of 137 μmol g-1 h-1, which is eight times higher than that of pristine g-C3N4. The unique phosphosulfide structure is also beneficial for the enhanced electron transfer rate and provides abundant active sites. This first application of Cu3P|S to photocatalytic CO2 reduction marks an important step toward the development of TMPSs for photocatalytic applications.

One new diterpernoid glycoside, lanceolatinoside A (1), together with one known iridoid glycoside, luzonoside C (2) were isolated from the fruit of Forsythia suspensa. The structure of the new comp...

Two new selariscinins named selariscinin F (1) and selariscinin G (2), along with one known selariscinin D (3) were isolated from Selaginella tamariscina. The structures of 1-3 were elucidated on the basis of chemical and spectral analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR analyses and HRESIMS.

In order to unravel the cadmium (Cd) enrichment patterns in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown under different exogenous exposure pathways, the pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. Cd was added to the soil-rice system via mixing soil with Cd-containing solution, irrigating the pots with Cd-containing water and leaf-spraying with Cd solution to simulate soil pollution (SPS), irrigation water pollution (IPS), and atmospheric deposit pollution sources (APS), respectively. No significant (p > 0.05) differences in plant height and rice grain yield were observed among all treatments including three different Cd pollution sources and control. The contents of Cd in rice plants significantly (p stems > leaves > husk > brown rice, while it was leaves > roots > stems > husk > brown rice treated with APS. At the same level of treatment, the highest concentration of Cd was observed in rice organs (except for middle and high concentrations treatment roots) grown under APS, followed by IPS and SPS, suggesting that the Cd bioavailability from different pollution sources followed the order of APS > IPS > SPS. It is concluded that the atmospheric pollution contributed more enrichment of rice with Cd. Therefore, in field environment, air deposits should also be analyzed for toxic metals during assessment of food chain contamination and health risk.

The principal objective of this study was to investigate the strengthened remediation effect and relevant mechanism of P. aeruginosa on ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) for soil contaminated by Cu-Pb-Cd compound heavy metals. The results showed that the complex heavy metals’ contamination had remarkable inhibiting effect on the growth of plants (P

In the present study, a numerical model is developed to research the effect of the heat input on fluid sloshing. The volume of fluid method is used to simulate fluid reciprocating motion during sloshing with the mesh motion treatment being coupled. The external sloshing excitation is realized by user-defined functions and the convection thermal boundary condition is adopted to consider the heat exchange between the tank and the external environment. The model validation is made with the relative error being less than five percent. Based on the developed numerical model, the variation of fluid pressure, interface fluctuation, fluid sloshing hydrodynamics and fluid temperature distribution are, respectively, analyzed. Some conclusions are obtained finally. The present study is significant to the fluid sloshing suppression in cryogenic fuel storage tanks.

Fingerprint image quality assessment is important because the good performance of the minutiae-based matching algorithm is heavily dependent on fingerprint images with high quality. Many efforts have been made in existing methods, but most methods either use full fingerprint images or use local areas and involve subjective judgments. Unlike previous methods, the proposed method considers both local and global assessments. Local feature vectors are extracted from the fingerprint image block for hierarchical clustering, and the results are used as target outputs of the back-propagation (BP) neural network without any subjective judgments. Global feature vectors based on the local quality assessment results are used for hierarchical clustering and fed into the BP neural network that calculates the overall error rate of genuine and imposter errors to achieve global quality assessment. Furthermore, the minutiae quality assessment method is also proposed and incorporated into the minutiae-based matching algorithm. The experimental results based on the FVC2002 and FVC2004 databases show that the proposed methods can effectively assess the quality of fingerprint images and ensure the overall improvement of matching performance.

Many biological tissues offer J-shaped stress–strain responses, since their microstructures exhibit a three-dimensional (3D) network construction of curvy filamentary structures that lead to a bending-to-stretching transition of the deformation mode under an external tension. The development of artificial 3D soft materials and device systems that can reproduce the nonlinear, anisotropic mechanical properties of biological tissues remains challenging. Here we report a class of soft 3D network materials that can offer defect-insensitive, nonlinear mechanical responses closely matched with those of biological tissues. This material system exploits a lattice configuration with different 3D topologies, where 3D helical microstructures that connect the lattice nodes serve as building blocks of the network. By tailoring geometries of helical microstructures or lattice topologies, a wide range of desired anisotropic J-shaped stress–strain curves can be achieved. Demonstrative applications of the developed conducting 3D network materials with bio-mimetic mechanical properties suggest potential uses in flexible bio-integrated devices., The development of artificial 3D soft materials and device systems that can reproduce the nonlinear, anisotropic mechanical properties of biological tissues remains challenging. Here, the authors design a class of soft 3D network materials that can offer defect-insensitive, nonlinear mechanical responses closely matched with those of biological tissues.

Plant immunity must be tightly controlled to avoid activation of defense mechanisms in the absence of pathogen attack. Protein phosphorylation is a common mechanism regulating immune signaling. In Arabidopsis thaliana, nine members of the type one protein phosphatase (TOPP) family (also known as protein phosphatase 1, PP1) have been identified. Here, we characterized the autoimmune phenotype of topp4-1, a previously identified dominant-negative mutant of TOPP4. Epistasis analysis showed that defense activation in topp4-1 depended on NON-RACE-SPECIFIC DISEASE RESISTANCE1, PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT4, and the salicylic acid pathway. We generated topp1/4/5/6/7/8/9 septuple mutants to investigate the function of TOPPs in plant immunity. Elevated defense gene expression and enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 in the septuple mutant indicate that TOPPs function in plant defense responses. Furthermore, TOPPs physically interacted with mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and affected the MAPK-mediated downstream defense pathway. Thus, our study reveals that TOPPs are important regulators of plant immunity.

A hybrid solid/liquid electrolyte with superior security facilitates the implementation of high-energy-density storage devices, but it suffers from inferior chemical compatibility with cathodes. Herein, an optimal lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate salt was introduced to build in situ an amorphous cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) between Ni-rich cathodes and hybrid electrolyte. The CEI preserves the surface structure with high compatibility, leading to enhanced interfacial stability. Meanwhile, the space-charge layer can be prominently mitigated at the solid/solid interface via harmonized chemical potentials, acquiring promoted interfacial dynamics as revealed by COMSOL simulation. Consequently, the amorphous CEI integrates the bifunctionality to provide an excellent cycling stability, high Coulombic efficiency, and favorable rate capability in high-voltage Li-metal batteries, innovating the design philosophy of functional CEI strategy for future high-energy-density batteries.

The urgent demands for high-energy-density rechargeable batteries promote a flourishing development of Li metal anode. However, the uncontrollable dendrites growth and serious side reactions severely limit its commercial application. Herein, an artificial LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is constructed at molecular-level using one-step photopolymerization of hexafluorobutyl acrylate based solution, where the LiF is in situ generated during photopolymerization process (denoted as PHALF). The LiF-rich layer comprised flexible polymer matrix and inorganic LiF filler not only ensures intimate contact with Li anode and adapts volume fluctuations during cycling but also regulates Li deposition behavior, enabling it to suppress the dendrite growth and block side reactions between the electrolyte and Li metal. Accordingly, the PHALF-Li anode presents superior stable cycling performance over 500 h at 1 mA·cm−2 for 1 mA·h·cm−2 without dendrites growth in carbonate electrolyte. The work provides a novel approach to design and build in situ artificial SEI layer for high-safety and stable Li metal anodes.

Introduction RNA-based therapy for bone repair and regeneration is a highly safe and effective approach, which has been extensively investigated in recent years. However, the molecular stability of RNA agents still remains insufficient for clinical application. High porosity, tunable size, and ideal biodegradability and biosafety are a few of the characters of mesoporous silicon nanoparticles (MSNs) that render them a promising biomaterial carrier for RNA treatment. Materials and methods In this study, a novel miR-26a delivery system was constructed based on MSNs. Next, we assessed the miRNA protection of the delivery vehicles. Then, rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were incubated with the vectors, and the transfection efficiency, cellular uptake, and effects on cell viability and osteogenic differentiation were evaluated. Results The results demonstrated that the vectors protected miR-26a from degradation in vitro and delivered it into the cytoplasm. A relatively low concentration of the delivery systems significantly increased osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs. Conclusion The vectors constructed in our study provide new methods and strategies for the delivery of microRNAs in bone tissue engineering.

An extracellular laccase (GLL) was purified from fermentation broth of the litter-decomposing fungus Gymnopus luxurians by four chromatography steps, which resulted in a high specific activity of 118.82 U/mg, purification fold of 41.22, and recovery rate of 42.05%. It is a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 64 kDa and N-terminal amino acid sequence of AIGPV TDLHI, suggesting that GLL is a typical fungal laccase. GLL demonstrated an optimum temperature range of 55°C–65°C and an optimum pH 2.2 toward 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). It displayed considerably high thermostability and pH stability with about 63% activity retained after 24 h at 50°C, and 86% activity retained after 24 h at pH 2.2, respectively. GLL was significantly enhanced in the presence of K+, Na+, and Mg2+ ions. It demonstrated Km of 539 μM and kcat/Km of 140 mM–1⋅s–1 toward ABTS at pH 2.2 and 37°C. Acetosyringone (AS) and syringaldehyde (SA) were the optimal mediators of GLL (0.4 U/ml) for dye decolorization with decolorization rates of about 60%–90% toward 11 of the 14 synthetic dyes. The optimum reaction conditions were determined to be mediator concentration of 0.1 mM, temperature range of 25°C –60°C, and pH 4.0. The purified laccase was the first laccase isolated from genus Gymnopus with high thermostability, pH stability, and effective decolorization toward dyes, suggesting that it has potentials for textile and environmental applications.

This paper reports a combined experimental and theoretical study of structural, electronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties of quaternary Heusler alloys ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Cr}}_{x}\mathrm{FeGe}$ prepared by arc-melting with Cr concentrations $0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}1$. Single-phase microstructures are observed for Cr compositions from $x=0.25$ to $x=1$. Lower Cr concentrations are multiphased. X-ray diffraction patterns at room temperature reveal a face-centered cubic crystal structure in all single-phase samples. The low-temperature saturation magnetic moments, as determined from magnetization measurements, agree fairly well with our theoretical results and also obey the Slater-Pauling rule for half-metals, a prerequisite for half-metallicity. All alloys are observed to have high Curie temperatures that scale linearly with the saturation magnetic moments. Relatively high mechanical hardness values are also observed. First-principles calculations also predict a finite band gap in the minority spin channel of the alloys, increasing in size with increasing Cr concentration. Cr substitution brings the Fermi level toward the center of this gap while also increasing the majority spin density of states near the Fermi level. As a whole, ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Cr}}_{x}\mathrm{FeGe}$ shows great promise as a half-metal with 100% spin polarization.

We present the results of P-to-S receiver function analysis to improve the 3D image of the sedimentary layer, the upper crust, and lower crust in the Pannonian Basin area. The Pannonian Basin hosts deep sedimentary depocentres superimposed on a complex basement structure and it is surrounded by mountain belts. We processed waveforms from 221 three-component broadband seismological stations. As a result of the dense station coverage, we were able to achieve so far unprecedented spatial resolution in determining the velocity structure of the crust. We applied a three-fold quality control process; the first two being applied to the observed waveforms and the third to the calculated radial receiver functions. This work is the first comprehensive receiver function study of the entire region. To prepare the inversions, we performed station-wise H-Vp/Vs grid search, as well as Common Conversion Point migration. Our main focus was then the S-wave velocity structure of the area, which we determined by the Neighborhood Algorithm inversion method at each station, where data were sub-divided into back-azimuthal bundles based on similar Ps delay times. The 1D, nonlinear inversions provided the depth of the discontinuities, shear-wave velocities and Vp/Vs ratios of each layer per bundle, and we calculated uncertainty values for each of these parameters. We then developed a 3D interpolation method based on natural neighbor interpolation to obtain the 3D crustal structure from the local inversion results. We present the sedimentary thickness map, the first Conrad depth map and an improved, detailed Moho map, as well as the first upper and lower crustal thickness maps obtained from receiver function analysis. The velocity jump across the Conrad discontinuity is estimated at less than 0.2 km/s over most of the investigated area. We also compare the new Moho map from our approach to simple grid search results and prior knowledge from other techniques. Our Moho depth map presents local variations in the investigated area: the crust-mantle boundary is at 20–26 km beneath the sedimentary basins, while it is situated deeper below the Apuseni Mountains, Transdanubian and North Hungarian Ranges (28–33 km), and it is the deepest beneath the Eastern Alps and the Southern Carpathians (40–45 km). These values reflect well the Neogene evolution of the region, such as crustal thinning of the Pannonian Basin and orogenic thickening in the neighboring mountain belts. ISSN:2169-9313 ISSN:0148-0227 ISSN:2169-9356

The key issue holding back the application of solid polymeric electrolytes in high-energy density lithium metal batteries is the contradictory requirements of high ion conductivity and mechanical stability. In this work, self-healable solid polymeric electrolytes (SHSPEs) with rigid-flexible backbones and high ion conductivity are synthesized by a facile condensation polymerization approach. The all-solid Li metal full batteries based on the SHSPEs possess freely bending flexibility and stable cycling performance as a result of the more disciplined metal Li plating/stripping, which have great implications as long-lifespan energy sources compatible with other wearable devices.

In the present investigation, a new Ag–ZnO loaded carboxymethyl cellulose/K-carrageenan/graphene oxide/konjac glucomannan (Ag–ZnO@CGK) hydrogel was effectively prepared by means of a straight forward two step technique for clinical applications as wound-recuperating materials. In the first step, silver nanoparticles were synthesized with green deoxidizer mango peel extracts. The Ag–ZnO@CGK hydrogel indicated incredible swelling assimilation and impressive mechanical properties. Also, Ag–ZnO@CGK hydrogel exhibited great bactericidal movement against test microorganisms. In vitro viability testing demonstrated that fibroblast cells could endure well within the sight of Ag@CGK hydrogel, showing that Ag–ZnO@CGK hydrogel has great viability. In vivo animal models demonstrated that the Ag–ZnO@CGK hydrogel adequately quickened wound recuperating and histological examinations demonstrated that they have advanced fibroblast development and quickened epithelialization. The test results demonstrated that Ag–ZnO@CGK hydrogel has incredible potential in advanced wound healing.

The stabilization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers is crucial for the preparation of high-quality carbon fibers and patterned microstructures on carbon fibers are necessary for some special applications. Here a non-oxygen-stabilization of PAN fibers was demonstrated using boron trichloride (BCl3) as the crosslinking agent, and ring-patterned boron nitride (BN) surface wrinkles were further demonstrated when the PAN fibers are stabilized under the consecutive gases of BCl3 and ammonia (NH3), due to the thermal-shrinking-induced mismatched strain along the axial direction. The obtained fibers are potential candidates for the fabrication of self-cleaning clothes, water collectors, anti-icing coatings, and high performance composites.

Microbial fuel cell, a promising energy conversion technology, plays a crucial role in the field of renewable and sustainable energy. In an air-cathode microbial fuel cell, the oxygen reduction reaction catalytic activity of cathode catalyst is a critical factor that determines the performance of microbial fuel cell. This work reports a facile route for the synthesis of Co/N incorporated carbonaceous electrocatalyst using a Zr-based metal-organic framework UiO66-NH2 as a template. This electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding activity and stability toward four-electron mechanism. In the microbial fuel cell application, Co/UiO66-900 shows superb electrochemical performance with a stable output voltage of 395 mV and maximum power density of 299.62 mW/m2, which is 95.8% of the power density achieved in microbial fuel cell catalyzed by Pt/C catalyst (312.59 mW/m2). Co/UiO66-900 possesses high-performance catalytic activity because of its 3D-structured micropores, nitrogen-coordinated cobalt species and the synergistic effects between carbon and metal ion center. These unique properties can facilitate the oxygen reduction reaction by exposing abundant efficient active sites and accelerating mass transfer at oxygen reduction reaction interfaces. This work suggests that Co/UiO66-900 catalyst with superb electrocatalytic ORR activity is a promising alternative which can replace the expensive Pt/C in air-cathode MFC.

Phytochemical investigation of 95% ethanol extract of the fruit of Forsythia suspensa resulted in the isolation of two new furofuran lignan glycoside derivatives pinoresinoside A (1) and phillyrige...

The two-dimensional black phosphorous (2D BP) was synthesized by a novel cryo-mediated liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE). 2D Black phosphorous/2D carbon nitride (2D BP/2D C3N4) as a dual-functional photocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution with the simultaneous photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA) organic pollutants has been designed and synthesized. The as-prepared 5% 2D BP/2D C3N4 sample shows the best photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of 259.04 μmol·g−1·h−1and BPA degradation rate of 88% under light irradiation, which derives from the strong electronic coupling between 2D BP and 2D C3N4, the matched band structure and high charge mobility of 2D BP and 2D C3N4. This work provides an effective way for achieving the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater coupled with the simultaneous generation of fuel energy.

Main environmental variables of the bottom water and the macrozoobenthic community were compared between northern and southern adjacent sea areas of the Yangtze River estuary, China, using data of ten months from 2015 to 2016. The PCA (principal component analysis) results showed significant north-south differences in the environmental variables. Results of PCO (principal coordinates) analysis and cluster analysis revealed an obvious north-south distribution pattern of the macrozoobenthic community, and a phenomenon of patchy distribution of macrozoobenthos was also found in the study area. Relationships of environmental variables and the macrozoobenthic community dissimilarities were analysed by BIOENV analysis and CCA (canonical correspondence analysis). Depth, salinity and turbidity were revealed as major environmental factors related to the north-south differences in the macrozoobenthic community in adjacent sea areas of the Yangtze River estuary, and among them, depth contributed most to the differences. The CDW (Changjiang Diluted Water) was suggested as an important driving factor related to the north-south differences of both environmental variables and the macrozoobenthic community. ABC (abundance/biomass comparison) curves indicated that macrozoobenthos in the north suffered a higher level of disturbance than those in the south, probably due to suffering more interference from the Yangtze River.

In order to further verify the accuracy and feasibility of the calculated mass action concentrations $$N_{i}$$ of Al and Fe by the developed atom and molecule coexistence theory (AMCT) model, i.e., AMCT–$$N_{i}$$ model, for representing activities $$a_{{{\text{R, }}i}}^{{}}$$ of Al and Fe in Fe–Al binary melts reported in the first part of the serial studies, the molar mixing thermodynamic functions of Fe–Al binary melts over a temperature range from 1823 to 1973 K have been calculated based on $$N_{i}$$ of Al and Fe as well as the effect of temperature on activity coefficients $$\gamma_{i}^{{}}$$ of Al and Fe as $${{\partial \ln \gamma_{i} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial \ln \gamma_{i} } {\partial T}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\partial T}} = {{\partial \ln \left( {{{N_{i} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{N_{i} } {x_{i} }}} \right. \kern-0pt} {x_{i} }}} \right)} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial \ln \left( {{{N_{i} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{N_{i} } {x_{i} }}} \right. \kern-0pt} {x_{i} }}} \right)} {\partial T}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\partial T}}$$ by the developed AMCT–$$N_{i}$$ model, where T is absolute temperature and xi is the mole fraction of element i or compound i in metallic melts. The reported molar mixing thermodynamic functions of Fe–Al binary melts as well as the reported excess molar mixing thermodynamic functions of Fe–Al binary melts relative to ideal solution as a basis from the available literatures have been critically assessed and applied as criteria to verify the developed AMCT–$$N_{i}$$ model. The effect of changing temperature on $$\gamma_{i}^{{}}$$ of Al and Fe, i.e., activity coefficient gradients $${{\partial \ln \gamma_{\text{Al}}^{{}} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial \ln \gamma_{\text{Al}}^{{}} } {\partial T}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\partial T}}$$ and $${{\partial \ln \gamma_{\text{Fe}}^{{}} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\partial \ln \gamma_{\text{Fe}}^{{}} } {\partial T}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\partial T}}$$, which are two indispensable parameters to calculate the molar mixing thermodynamic functions of Fe–Al binary melts, can be accurately obtained by the developed AMCT–$$N_{i}$$ model and expressed by the cubic polynomial functions. Not only the partial molar mixing thermodynamic functions of Al and Fe in Fe–Al binary melts but also the integral molar mixing thermodynamic functions of Fe–Al binary melts can be accurately calculated by the developed AMCT–$$N_{i}$$ model. Furthermore, the excess partial and integral molar mixing thermodynamic functions of Fe–Al binary melts relative to ideal solution as a basis can also be precisely calculated by the developed AMCT–$$N_{i}$$ model.

Materials with a large magnetocaloric response require a large magnetic moment. However, we show in this paper that it is possible to retain both the magnetic entropy change and the adiabatic temperature change even using dopants that reduce the magnetic moment of the parent alloy, provided that the first order character of the transition is enhanced. In this work, a combination of first-principles calculations, experimental determination of the magnetocaloric response (direct and indirect) as well as a new criterion to determine the order of the phase transition are applied to Cr-doped La(Fe,Si) 13 compounds. Despite a reduction in magnetic moment, the magnetocaloric response is retained up to x≈0.3 in LaFe 11.6-x Cr x Si 1.4 . Unlike other transition metal dopants, Cr occupy 8b sites and couple antiferromagnetically to Fe atoms. The cross-over of first to second order transition is achieved for a Cr content of x=0.53, larger in comparison to other dopants (e.g. Ni or Mn). A direct relation between the first order character and the hysteresis is observed.

Designing muscle-inspired hydrogels that possess structure and bioactivity similar to muscles is an eternal pursuit in material sciences and tissue engineering. However, the development of a muscle-inspired hydrogel via the formation of noncovalent interactions remains challenging, and its application in sustained loading situations such as cyclic stresses is limited. Herein, H-bonds and microcrystalline domains were introduced, and a noncovalent muscle-inspired hydrogel was developed to mimic both the physical structure and functionality of muscles at the macroscopic level. The hydrogel exhibited excellent mechanical properties (a fracture strength of 2.16 ± 0.08 MPa, fracture strain of 830 ± 23%, elastic modulus of 275 ± 9 KPa, and toughness of 7.04 ± 0.80 MJ/m

The chemical investigation of a 95% ethanol extract of the fruit of Forsythia suspensa resulted in the isolation of one new lignan and one new lignan derivative, forsythialan E-F, along with two known lignans. Their structures were established based on extensive spectroscopic data analyses, including UV, IR, HRESIMS, 1D NMR and 2D NMR. Absolute configurations of 1-2 were determined by the CD method. In addition, compounds 1-2 were evaluated for their antiviral activity against the influenza A (H5N1) virus in vitro.

A total of 25 targeted hydrogen sulfide donor–pentacyclic triterpene hybrids were designed, synthesized and evaluated on the basis of inspiring reports about hydrogen sulfide donor molecules and oleanolic acid derivatives on anti-tumor activity. The results revealed that only some hybrids (10a, 10b, 12a, 12b, 13a, and 15b) showed moderate anti-proliferation activity against K562 cell line. It indicated that oleanane-type, (R)-lipoic acid and TBZ groups were much more favorable to the anti-proliferation activity. Furthermore, C-3 OH was more beneficial than C-28/29 COOH in the oleanane-type to the antitumor activity of the batch of (R)-lipoic acid derivatives. And among them, only compound 13a exhibited moderate anti-proliferation activity against both K562 and K562/ADR cell lines, while it exhibited no anti-proliferation activity against BEL-7402 and L-O2 cell lines. Therefore, it suggested that it was not suitable for hybridization of hydrogen sulfide donors attached to oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid in the field of anti-tumor.

Solid-state batteries provide a safe and high energy density solution to next-generation energy storage devices. However, unsatisfactory power capability and cycling stability raised from lithium diffusion resistance and catalytic reaction at the electrode/electrolyte interface critically restrict their development. In this study, these interfacial issues are ameliorated by LiBO2 coating to achieve the successful implementation of nickel-rich LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 in poly(ether-acrylate) based solid-state batteries. The continuous coating acts not only as a physical barrier hindering the decomposition of polymer electrolyte but also as a buffer layer promoting lithium diffusion across the space charge layer owing to its electronic insulativity and ionic conductivity. In consequence, the LiBO2 coated nickel-rich cathode delivers superior cycling stability with a capacity retention of 84.3% during 150 cycles at 0.5C, remarkably improved lithium diffusion kinetics with an order of magnitude increase in apparent diffusion coefficient and prominent power performance with 97 mA h g−1 at 2C. The effectiveness of inserting such functional interlayer emphasizes the essentiality of interfacial chemistry in building high-performance solid-state Li metal batteries.

In order to reveal the functions of yttrium addition on damping and mechanical properties for Mg−based alloys, the damping and mechanical properties of prepared as-cast Mg−0.6Zr−xY ternary alloys with [Y] = 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 mass % have been experimentally measured and theoretically explained through combining the observed microstructures with related theoretical models or mechanisms. The experimental results indicate that added [Y] in the ternary alloys has clear effect on grain refinement. Changing [Y] from 1.0 to 5.0 mass % can effectively decrease the average size of formed equiaxed α −Mg grains from 70.15 to 33.62 μm. The bulk-shaped yttrium-rich phase in α −Mg matrix is mainly composed of Mg24Y5 phase. Increasing [Y] from 1.0 to 5.0 mass % can significantly affect damping properties described by tan φ under the condition of e > e cr = 2.0 × 10−2, while no visible effect of increasing [Y] on tan φ at e e cr = 2.0 × 10−2 can be obtained. Furthermore, the influence of changing strain e from 1.0 × 10−4 to 1.0 × 10−1 on tan φ complies with dislocation pinning theory or the G−L model. Meanwhile, increasing [Y] in the ternary alloys shows the similar variation tendency for relationship between tan φ and temperature T from ambient temperature T am to 673 K (400 °C). The effect of varying temperature T from T am to 673 K (400 °C) on tan φ for the ternary alloys can be well explained by the grain boundary damping mechanism. In addition, increasing [Y] from 1.0 to 4.0 mass % can effectively promote both yield strength R p 0.2 and ultimate tensile strength R m , however further increasing [Y] from 4.0 to 5.0 mass % cannot result in an obviously increasing tendency for R p 0.2 and R m . The similar results of adding [Y] on elongation A can also be obtained with [Y] = 3.0% as a criterion. Meanwhile, the measured results of adding [Y] on R p 0.2 and R m for the ternary alloys can be well explained by the grain boundary strengthening and solid solution strengthening mechanisms. Therefore, the optimal chemical composition for as-cast Mg−Zr−Y ternary alloys with higher damping properties and greater tensile properties is recommended to be Mg−0.6Zr−4.0Y.

Cellular behavior is crucially dependent on the biophysical and biochemical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), in which the properties of biochemistry, topography, and mechanics are critically important and dominantly studied. Since its introduction by Decher and Lvov in the early 1990s, layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technology has received considerable interest for constructing polymeric thin films in both academic and industrial studies. The technology has been especially important in applications involving biomedical materials, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. In recent years, because of outstanding flexibility and multipotency, polymeric LbL thin films have been extensively studied to create a biomimetic cellular microenvironment with one or more biophysical and biochemical properties. The field has moved from simple mimicking to active control of various cellular behaviors. This review first introduces the basic background of the natural cellular microenvironment, the LbL assembly, and progress in polymeric LbL thin films. Next, biomimetic films constructed using the LbL technique are introduced. The biochemical components, topographical features, and mechanical properties of the films are detailed. Furthermore, progress in thin LbL films for controlling cell behavior, such as cell adhesion, stem cell differentiation, and cell-cell interactions, are highlighted. Finally, the review closes with a summary and a brief outlook of the opportunities and challenges associated with polymeric LbL thin films for advancing promising future developments.

It is usually claimed that structural and magnetic transitions should coincide to improve the total entropy change. Here we show that overlapping structural and magnetic transitions can compete with each other, which gives rise to some signature of the competition misinterpreted as an experimental artifact of the measurements as observed in Ni49+xMn36-xIn15 (nominally x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0) investigated in this work. Their various magnetic phase transitions show a low temperature conventional magnetocaloric effect (MCE), an inverse MCE followed by another high temperature conventional MCE. For concurrent phase transitions with their respective transition temperatures close to one another, an observed spike embedded in the high temperature conventional MCE region is found arising from the martensitic transformation. We show that a crossover of the magnetic field dependence of the transition temperatures is obtained for concurrent phase transitions occurring in a narrow temperature range. As an evidence of the complexity of overlapping phase transitions, a recently proposed quantitative method for determining the order of phase transition is applied to this compositional series, showing its applicability even to cases when first- and second-order phase transitions occur in a narrow temperature range.

Single-component graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) are faced with inadequate visible light absorption and low quantum efficiency arising from the rapid charge recombination, limiting their efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant under visible light radiation. Here, we demonstrated a ternary photocatalyst composed of Ag3PO4, graphene oxide (GO), and g-C3N4 synthesized by chemical precipitation method, in which Ag3PO4 as the photosensitizer and GO as the cocatalyst that significantly promoted the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation under visible light radiation. The ternary photocatalysts (Ag3PO4/GO/g-C3N4) exhibited enhanced absorption in the visible region and superior photocatalytic activity compared with single-component or binary composite photocatalysts for RhB degradation. The degradation rate toward RhB could reach to 94.8% under visible light irradiation for 50 min, and we found that it was the hole (h+), superoxide radical (O2 −) and hydroxyl radical (OH ) that played a major role in RhB degradation. Meanwhile, the ternary photocatalyst showed enhanced photocatalytic stability attributing the synergistic effect among them, and the possible mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability was carefully discussed. The present work provides a facile development of a g-C3N4-based ternary photocatalyst system for highly improved photocatalytic activity by coupling a small amount of Ag-based photosensitizer and metal-free GO cocatalyst.

As part of our continuing efforts to explore bioactive compounds from natural resources, a new iridoid glycoside, adoxosidic acid-6′-oleuroperic ester (1), together with one known phenylethanoid glycoside (2) and two known flavonoid glycosides (3–4) were isolated from the fruit of Forsythia suspensa. The structure of the new compound (1) was elucidated through 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data and HR-ESIMS. Interestingly, compound 1 was a monoterpene ester of one iridoid glycoside. Compounds 2–4 were identified as calceolarioside A (2), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (3), kampferol-3-O-robinobioside (4) on the basis of NMR spectroscopic data analyses and comparison with the data reported in the literature. The antiviral activity aganisist influenza A (H5N1) virus of compound 1 was studied as well.

A simple method for the synthesis of the title compounds by an efficient in-situ reduction and cyclization reactions of aromatic aldehydes, tert-butyl 2,4-dioxopiperidine-1-carboxylate and 5-nitro-1H-indazole or 6-nitro-1H-indazole was developed.

In this work, PANI/Bi12O17Cl2 composites have been successfully synthesized via a simple and green strategy at room temperature. From TEM, EDS-mapping and DRS results, it can be seen that conducting polymers PANI loaded well on the Bi12O17Cl2, and extended the light-absorption region of the composite to a higher wavelength. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by removal of CIP under visible light (λ > 420 nm). The degradation rate of the optimal ratio composite is about 2 times to that of Bi12O17Cl2. The photodegradation intermediates of CIP were identified by mass spectrometry and the toxicity of the CIP photodegraded products were investigated via a microbiological antibacterial reaction. The results indicated the low-toxicity of the degraded products. Photocurrent results showed that the high separation and transfer of the photogenerated charge carriers were implemented by the introduction of PANI into the surface of Bi12O17Cl2 material. Furthermore, long wavelength light (λ > 550 nm) degradation of CIP indicated that the PANI played as photosentizer could extend the light absorption region and thus enhance the photocatalytic ability. The reaction rate constant of optimal ratio PANI/Bi12O17Cl2 composite was 3.1 times to Bi12O17Cl2. Eventually, a possible photocatalysis mechanism was proposed.

In this study, NixFeyO4–BiOBr (NFB) composites with different etching degrees were successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. The etching degree was regulated by adjusting the pH during the synthesis process. The superiorities of the obtained materials can be outlined as follows: (i) BiOBr has the property of generating H2O2in situ; and (ii) NixFeyO4 nanoparticles in the composite could effectively promote the decomposition of H2O2, which proceeded via the two-electron reduction of O2 on the surface of BiOBr. The excellent properties of the prepared materials were confirmed through the photocatalytic degradation of bisphenol A under visible light irradiation, which is denoted as a solid–liquid-interfacial Fenton system. This work may pave the way for in situ H2O2 generation and decomposition; thus, the defects of traditional Fenton reaction systems, such as strict reaction conditions, high costs and secondary contamination after reactions, can be intelligently overcome.

In this work, biodegradable antimicrobial cationic copolyesters were prepared via a simple two-step process. Firstly, brominated poly(butylene succinate) (BPBS) was prepared by addition of bromine to carbon–carbon double bonds on the backbone of poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene fumarate) (PBSF). Then, the quaternization of BPBS with series of N,N-dimethyl alkylamines afforded poly(butylene succinate) containing quaternary ammonium cations (QPBS) with various ion contents and alkyl chain lengths. The structures of BPBS and QPBS were systematically characterized by NMR, ATR-FTIR, GPC and XPS. The hydrophilicity and the antibacterial activity have been studied by water contact angle (WCA), inhibition zone method, optical density method and scanning electron microscope (SEM). WCA test indicates that the hydrophilicity of polyester is greatly improved after the introduction of quaternary ammonium cations. The antibacterial study reveals that cationic copolyesters exhibited excellent antibacterial performance for both S. aureus and E. coli when the alkyl chain length was greater than 8, as compared with the ion content and alkyl chain length is a more important factor for the antibacterial performance. Considering the biodegradation, good antibacterial activities and simple process, this kind of material may have great potential to be applied as biomaterials.

Hyaluronic acid (HA)-based nanocarriers are of great interest in the drug delivery field due to the tumor targetability via CD44-mediated recognition and endocytosis. However, sufficient tumor-specific release of encapsulated cargoes with steady controllability is necessary to optimize their outcome for cancer therapy. In this study, we constructed a light-activated nanocarrier TKHCENPDOX to enable on-demand drug release at the desired site (tumor). Particularly, TKHCENPDOX encapsulating doxorubicin (DOX) was self-assembled from a HA-photosensitizer conjugate (HA-TK-Ce6) containing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive thioketal (TK) linkers. Following i.v. injection, TKHCENPDOX was accumulated in the MDA-MB-231 breast tumor xenograft more efficiently through preventing drug leakage in the bloodstream and the HA-mediated targeting effect. Upon internalization into tumoral cells, 660 nm laser irradiation generated ROS during a photodynamic (PDT) process to cleave the TK linker next to Ce6, resulting in light-induced TKHCENPDOX dissociation and selective DOX release in the tumor area. Consequently, TKHCENPDOX showed a remarkable therapeutic effect and minimized toxicity in vivo. This strategy might provide new insight for designing cancer-selective nanoplatforms with active targeting and locoregional drug release simultaneously.

The recent development of ambient noise tomography, in combination with the increasing number of permanent seismic stations and dense networks of temporary stations operated during passive seismic experiments, provides a unique opportunity to build the first high-resolution 3-D shear wave velocity (vS) model of the entire crust of the Bohemian Massif (BM). This paper provides a regional-scale model of velocity distribution in the BM crust. The velocity model with a cell size of 22 km is built using a conventional two-step inversion approach from Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion curves measured at more than 400 stations. The shear velocities within the upper crust of the BM are ∼0.2 km s−1 higher than those in its surroundings. The highest crustal velocities appear in its southern part, the Moldanubian unit. The Cadomian part of the region has a thinner crust, whereas the crust assembled, or tectonically transformed in the Variscan period, is thicker. The sharp Moho discontinuity preserves traces of its dynamic development expressed in remnants of Variscan subductions imprinted in bands of crustal thickening. A significant feature of the presented model is the velocity-drop interface (VDI) modelled in the lower part of the crust. We explain this feature by the anisotropic fabric of the lower crust, which is characterised as vertical transverse isotropy with the low velocity being the symmetry axis. The VDI is often interrupted around the boundaries of the crustal units, usually above locally increased velocities in the lowermost crust. Due to the north-west–south-east shortening of the crust and the late-Variscan strike-slip movements along the north-east–south-west oriented sutures preserved in the BM lithosphere, the anisotropic fabric of the lower crust was partly or fully erased along the boundaries of original microplates. These weakened zones accompanied by a velocity increase above the Moho (which indicate an emplacement of mantle rocks into the lower crust) can represent channels through which portions of subducted and later molten rocks have percolated upwards providing magma to subsequently form granitoid plutons.

Picea mongolica, a native species with excellent industrial wood quality and strong sand-fixing capacity, may be utilized in construction of urban green spaces in arid areas in China. However, now the sustainability of the ecosystems where this species grows is at serious risk due to a lack of natural regeneration. In this study, we developed an efficient regeneration system and comprehensively analyzed various factors affecting somatic embryogenesis (SE) using zygotic embryos as explants. We identified the optimal plant growth regulators (PGRs) performance and the best donor trees (k81) for the generation of somatic embryos (SEMs). Additionally, we confirmed that the positive developmental window of SEMs initiation was at the end of July to early August, which is when zygotic embryos was at the late embryogeny. In this time period, specific transcripts associated with the regulation of epigenetic modifications, plant hormone-related genes, and embryonic development-related transcription factors play important roles for early SEMs initiation. These results may provide a valuable resource for vegetative propagation of Picea mongolica. Our results may help to establish a reliable protocol for plantlet regeneration, which may facilitate urban greening applications and industrialization in arid areas.

We compiled a dataset of continuous recordings from the temporary and permanent seismic networks to compute the high-resolution 3D S-wave velocity model of the Southeastern Alps, the western part of the external Dinarides, and the Friuli and Venetian plains through ambient noise tomography. Part of the dataset is recorded by the SWATH-D temporary network and permanent networks in Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia between October 2017 and July 2018. We computed 4050 vertical component cross-correlations to obtain the empirical Rayleigh wave Green’s functions. The dataset is complemented by adopting 1804 high-quality correlograms from other studies. The fast-marching method for 2D surface wave tomography is applied to the phase velocity dispersion curves in the 2–30 s period band. The resulting local dispersion curves are inverted for 1D S-wave velocity profiles using the non-perturbational and perturbational inversion methods. We assembled the 1D S-wave velocity profiles into a pseudo-3D S-wave velocity model from the surface down to 60 km depth. A range of iso-velocities, representing the crystalline basement depth and the crustal thickness, are determined. We found the average depth over the 2.8–3.0 and 4.1–4.3 km/s iso-velocity ranges to be reasonable representations of the crystalline basement and Moho depths, respectively. The basement depth map shows that the shallower crystalline basement beneath the Schio-Vicenza fault highlights the boundary between the deeper Venetian and Friuli plains to the east and the Po-plain to the west. The estimated Moho depth map displays a thickened crust along the boundary between the Friuli plain and the external Dinarides. It also reveals a N-S narrow corridor of crustal thinning to the east of the junction of Giudicarie and Periadriatic lines, which was not reported by other seismic imaging studies. This corridor of shallower Moho is located beneath the surface outcrop of the Permian magmatic rocks and seems to be connected to the continuation of the Permian magmatism to the deep-seated crust. We compared the shallow crustal velocities and the hypocentral location of the earthquakes in the Southern foothills of the Alps. It revealed that the seismicity mainly occurs in the S-wave velocity range between ∼3.1 and ∼3.6 km/s.

SUMMARYProbing seismic anisotropy of the lithosphere provides valuable clues on the fabric of rocks. We present a 3-D probabilistic model of shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy of the crust and uppermost mantle of Europe, focusing on the mountain belts of the Alps and Apennines. The model is built from Love and Rayleigh dispersion curves in the period range 5–149 s. Data are extracted from seismic ambient noise recorded at 1521 broad-band stations, including the AlpArray network. The dispersion curves are first combined in a linearized least squares inversion to obtain 2-D maps of group velocity at each period. Love and Rayleigh maps are then jointly inverted at depth for shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy using a Bayesian Monte Carlo scheme that accounts for the trade-off between radial anisotropy and horizontal layering. The isotropic part of our model is consistent with previous studies. However, our anisotropy maps differ from previous large scale studies that suggested the presence of significant radial anisotropy everywhere in the European crust and shallow upper mantle. We observe instead that radial anisotropy is mostly localized beneath the Apennines while most of the remaining European crust and shallow upper mantle is isotropic. We attribute this difference to trade-offs between radial anisotropy and thin (hectometric) layering in previous studies based on least-squares inversions and long period data (>30 s). In contrast, our approach involves a massive data set of short period measurements and a Bayesian inversion that accounts for thin layering. The positive radial anisotropy (VSH > VSV) observed in the lower crust of the Apennines cannot result from thin layering. We rather attribute it to ductile horizontal flow in response to the recent and present-day extension in the region.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), which are ubiquitous in intertidal sediments, play an important role in global sulfur and carbon cycles, and in the bioremediation of toxic metalloids/metals. Pollution from human activities is now a major challenge to the sustainable development of the intertidal zone, but little is known about how and to what extent various anthropic and/or natural factors affect the SRB community. In the current study, based on the dsrB gene, we investigated the SRB community in intertidal sediment along China's coastline. The results showed that dsrB gene abundances varied among different sampling sites, with the highest average abundance of SRB at XHR (near the Bohai Sea). The SRB community structures showed obvious spatial distribution patterns with latitude along the coastal areas of China, with Desulfobulbus generally being the dominant genus. Correlation analysis and redundancy discriminant analysis revealed that total organic carbon (TOC) and pH were significantly correlated with the richness of the SRB community, and salinity, pH, sulfate and climatic parameters could be the important natural factors influencing the composition of the SRB community. Moreover, metals, especially bioavailable metals, could regulate the diversity and composition of the SRB communities. Importantly, according to structural equation model (SEM) analysis, anthropic factors (e.g., population, economy and industrial activities) could drive SRB community diversity directly or by significantly affecting the concentrations of metals. This study provides the first comprehensive investigation of the direct and indirect anthropic factors on the SRB community in intertidal sediments on a continental scale.

The search for high-entropy alloys (HEAs), a new class of materials, with high magnetocaloric perfor- mance can address the open question about their potential in functional applications. HEAs exist in a vast compositional space but magnetocaloric HEAs typically exhibit modest magnetocaloric response as they undergo second-order magnetic phase transitions. In this work, through a property-directed search ap- proach, FeMnNiGeSi HEAs with varying Ge/Si ratio are found in the large HEA space to exhibit magneto- structural first-order phase transition. Isothermal entropy change as large as 13 J kg -1 K -1 (for 2.5T) is achieved, which is the largest reported to date for magnetocaloric HEAs. When compared to conventional high-performance magnetocaloric materials, our work is observed to be comparable to many of the con- ventional systems, closing the gap between magnetocaloric HEAs versus conventional magnetocaloric ma- terials for the first time. This opens a new path for the search of functional materials with the optimal mechanical properties of HEAs. FEDER, Unión Europea PID2019–105720RB- I00 Junta de Andalucía US-1260179 Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad de la Junta de Andalucía P18-RT-746

Through designing the composition and processing approach, the non-equiatomic (Gd36Tb20Co20Al24)100- xFex (x = 0, 1, 2 and 3 at.%) high-entropy-metallic-glass (HE-MG) alloy microwires were successfully fabricated by melt-extraction technique. The microstructure and magnetocaloric properties of the microwires were systematically investigated. The microwires possess tunable Curie temperatures, i.e. 81– 108 K, above the typical rare-earth (RE) containing HE-MG reports. The high Curie temperatures are attributed to the designed composition. Magnetocaloric response peak values of Fe-containing GdTbCoAl alloy microwires range 7.6–8.9 J kg1 K1 (5 T), which are comparable to those of many outstanding RE-containing magnetocaloric HE-MGs. The characteristics of the melt-extraction method, combining with compositional effects, favor the formation of amorphous and nanocrystalline phases. The increase in the cooling efficiency for microwires with higher Fe content can be attributed to the broadening of the Curie temperature distribution induced by the composition difference between nanocrystalline phase and amorphous matrix. The designed composition and the melt-extraction processing approach for Fe-containing GdTbCoAl alloys can tune their Curie temperatures towards a temperature range of natural gas liquefaction and improve their magnetocaloric properties. This demonstrates that Fe-containing GdTbCoAl HE-MG composite microwires have great potential as high-performance magnetic refrigerants

SUMMARYTo constrain seismic anisotropy under and around the Alps in Europe, we study SKS shear wave splitting from the region densely covered by the AlpArray seismic network. We apply a technique based on measuring the splitting intensity, constraining well both the fast orientation and the splitting delay. Four years of teleseismic earthquake data were processed, from 723 temporary and permanent broad-band stations of the AlpArray deployment including ocean-bottom seismometers, providing a spatial coverage that is unprecedented. The technique is applied automatically (without human intervention), and it thus provides a reproducible image of anisotropic structure in and around the Alpine region. As in earlier studies, we observe a coherent rotation of fast axes in the western part of the Alpine chain, and a region of homogeneous fast orientation in the Central Alps. The spatial variation of splitting delay times is particularly interesting though. On one hand, there is a clear positive correlation with Alpine topography, suggesting that part of the seismic anisotropy (deformation) is caused by the Alpine orogeny. On the other hand, anisotropic strength around the mountain chain shows a distinct contrast between the Western and Eastern Alps. This difference is best explained by the more active mantle flow around the Western Alps. The new observational constraints, especially the splitting delay, provide new information on Alpine geodynamics.