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Tin telluride (SnTe), a promising mid-temperature thermoelectric material, faces limitations due to inherent vacancies and band characteristics. Low-dimensionalization represents one avenue to potentially improve thermoelectric performance. This work explores the SnTe films with varying thicknesses (67–610 nm) and Zn doping concentration (0–12.81%) at high temperature. A 224 nm-SnTe-film exhibits optimal ZT values (0.27 at 600 K), and the Zn-doped films experience impaired thermoelectric properties, with the electrical conductivity reduction being a primary contributor. This study contributes valuable insights for enhancing thin-film SnTe's thermoelectric performance and developing eco-friendly mid-temperature thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulblets, as the main reproductive organ of lilies, have a tremendous impact on the reproductive efficiency of lilies. Cytokinin is known to promote the formation of lily bulblets, but little is known about the mechanisms involved. In this study, a combination of full-length transcriptome and high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed at the leaf axils of LA lily 'Aladdin' to characterize the transcriptional response to 6-BA treatment during the critical period of stem-to-bulblet transition. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that 6-BA treatment caused significant changes in starch and sucrose metabolism and plant hormone balance. In particular, the high expression of SUS1 and TPS6 in the 6-BA-treated group suggests that sucrose may act as a key signal to promote bulblet initiation. Furthermore, the induction of elevated expression of genes associated with cytokinin and auxin transport and signaling is crucial for initiating bulblet emergence and stimulating growth. WGCNA analysis revealed that hub TFs such as BLHs, ARFs, HD-ZIPs, AP2/ERFs, and SBPs were significantly overexpressed with genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and phytohormone signaling, which warranted more in-depth functional studies. This study enriches the understanding of plant hormone-related genes, sugar metabolism-related genes and various transcription factors in the regulation of plant organ development, and lays the foundation for further studies on the molecular mechanisms of lily stem bulblet formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of materials' behavior under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, such as the correlation with structural characteristics and thermal properties, holds significant importance. However, the challenges associated with the experimental implementation have, to a certain extent, constrained such research endeavors. We utilized the ultrafast laser based non-contact thermal measurement method combined with an externally heated moissanite-anvil-cell to characterize the thermal conductivity of [10-10] oriented SiO2 crystals under high temperature (300–830 K) and high pressure (0–15 GPa) conditions. We investigated the impact of extreme conditions on the microstructure from both Raman spectroscopy and thermal perspectives. The presence of kinetic hindrances associated with the transformation of α-quartz to coesite and stishovite was identified and confirmed. It expands the comprehension and application of the SiO2 pressure–temperature phase diagram in this range and provides insights into the intricate relationship between extreme environments and material structure formation through the analysis of thermal characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1995 marks the 10th anniversary of Shen & Mu v. Du, the first libel case against the press in the history of the People's Republic of China. Through case and statutory analysis, this study identified various factors accounting for the explosion of libel litigation against the Chinese media since then and current problems faced by the Chinese media and judiciary in handling libel suits. In addition, it evaluated the impact of libel litigation on the country's press and legal systems. In conclusion, the authors expressed the belief that although the increase in libel litigation targeted against the media reflects the progress China has made in perfecting its legal system and educating the Chinese people in their civil rights and on legal matters, it has also produced a chilling effect on the media. This is especially dangerous for a society like China which is not yet used to having its problems scrutinized and publicized by the media.

Examines the potential impact of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on government controls of information in China. Examines the current development of CMC in China; challenges posed by new media technologies to government information control; and the current policy of the Chinese government towards on-line communication and its implications. (RS)

As a world-renowned heritage site, the Ming Great Wall in Qinghai Province, is an example of an earthen site that is seriously threatened by a series of deterioration. Its damage assessment is the precondition for further protection planning and implementation, but related research was found to be scant. To fill this gap, we explore to study its damage assessment by applying Fuzzy-AHP and AHP-TOPSIS to determine the damage assessment levels for 18 earthen sites selected from Qinghai Province, combined with their occurrence environment, engineering properties of rammed earth, deterioration characteristics, and building technologies. After obtaining and comparing results, the AHP-TOPSIS is indicated to be much closer to the real damage conditions. Therefore, this method is proved to be more suitable for the damage assessment of earthen sites in Qinghai Province. This study also holds the potential application of the AHP-TOPSIS in the damage assessment for other earthen sites in Northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell–material interactions and compatibility are important aspects of bioactive materials for bone tissue engineering. Phosphate glass fiber (PGF) is an attractive inorganic filler with fibrous structure and tunable composition, which has been widely investigated as a bioactive filler for bone repair applications. However, the interaction of osteoblasts with PGFs has not been widely investigated to elucidate the osteogenic mechanism of PGFs. In this study, different concentrations of short PGFs with interlaced oriented topography were cocultured with MC3T3‐E1 cells for different periods, and the synergistic effects of fiber topography and ionic product of PGFs on osteoblast responses including cell adhesion, spreading, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation were investigated. It was found that osteoblasts were more prone to adhere on PGFs through Vinculin protein, leading to enhanced cell proliferation with polygonal cell shape and spreading cellular actin filaments. In addition, osteoblasts incubated on PGF meshes showed enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity, extracellular matrix mineralization, and increased expression of osteogenesis‐related marker genes, which could be attributed to the Wnt/β‐catenin/Runx2 signaling pathway. This study elucidated the possible mechanism of PGF on triggering specific osteoblast behavior, which would be highly beneficial for designing PGF‐based bone graft substitutes with excellent osteogenic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-based compound 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoyl) propionic acid (GSA) containing both phenolic hydroxyl and carboxylic acid group was synthesized by Friedel-Crafts reaction of succinic anhydride and guaiacol with rigid structure of aromatic ring. GSA could be used as curing agent for epoxy resin. Compared with the commonly used petroleum-based curing agent 4, 4-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS), the curing system of GSA had higher curing reaction rate constant. Under the identical curing conditions, the glass transition temperature and the 5% weight loss temperature of bisphenol A epoxy resin cured with GSA were 40 °C and 107.8 °C higher than that of DDS, respectively, showing better thermal stability of GSA curing system. This study provides a path for the construction of high-performance bio-based polymer materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]