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Cytokinins (CKs) are a class of phytohormones identified in the early 1960s and are mainly responsible for stimulating cell division. Following the discovery, research to help understand the pluralistic roles of CKs in plant growth and stress biology increased. With their fascinating ability, CKs serve as an important element in regulating the defense–growth trade-off. Herein, we demonstrate how the CK fine-tuning the organogenesis of different parts of horticultural plants is discussed. CK's role in tailoring reproductive biology (flowering, sex differentiation, fruit set, and fruit attributes) has been presented. An extensive explanation of the CK-mediated response of horticultural crops to abiotic (temperature, drought, and salinity) and biotic stresses (fungal, bacterial, and nematodes) is provided. Finally, we posit the unexplored roles of CKs and highlight the research gaps worth addressing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hydrogen gas (H2), a novel and beneficial gaseous molecule, plays a significant role in plant growth and development processes. Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) is regarded as a safe and easily available way to study the physiological effects of H2 on plants. Several recent research has shown that HRW attenuates stress-induced seed germination inhibition; however, the underlying modes of HRW on seed germination remain obscure under non-stress condition. Results: In this current study, we investigated the possible roles of gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) in HRW-regulated seed germination in wax gourd (Benincasa hispida) through pharmacological, physiological, and transcriptome approaches. The results showed that HRW application at an optimal dose (50% HRW) significantly promoted seed germination and shortened the average germination time (AGT). Subsequent results suggested that 50% HRW treatment stimulated GA production by regulating GA biosynthesis genes (BhiGA3ox, BhiGA2ox, and BhiKAO), whereas it had no effect on the content of ABA and the expression of its biosynthesis (BhiNCED6) and catabolism genes (BhiCYP707A2) but decreased the expression of ABA receptor gene (BhiPYL). In addition, inhibition of GA production by paclobutrazol (PAC) could block the HRW-mediated germination. Treatment with ABA could hinder HRW-mediated seed germination and the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor sodium tungstate (ST) could recover the function of HRW. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis revealed that, in the presence of GA or ABA, an abundance of genes involved in GA, ABA, and ethylene signal sensing and transduction might involve in HRW-regulated germination. Conclusions: This study portrays insights into the mechanism of HRW-mediated seed germination, suggesting that HRW can regulate the balance between GA and ABA to mediate seed germination through ethylene signals in wax gourd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur (S) is one of the main components of important biomolecules, which has been paid more attention in the anaerobic environment of rice cultivation. In this study, 12 accessions of rice materials, belonging to two Asian rice domestication systems and one African rice domestication system, were used by shotgun metagenomics sequencing to compare the structure and function involved in S cycle of rhizosphere microbiome between wild and cultivated rice. The sulfur cycle functional genes abundances were significantly different between wild and cultivated rice rhizosphere in the processes of sulfate reduction and other sulfur compounds conversion, implicating that wild rice had a stronger mutually-beneficial relationship with rhizosphere microbiome, enhancing sulfur utilization. To assess the effects of sulfate reduction synthetic microbiomes, Comamonadaceae and Rhodospirillaceae, two families containing the genes of two key steps in the dissimilatory sulfate reduction, aprA and dsrA respectively, were isolated from wild rice rhizosphere. Compared with the control group, the dissimilatory sulfate reduction in cultivated rice rhizosphere was significantly improved in the inoculated with different proportions groups. It confirmed that the synthetic microbiome can promote the S-cycling in rice, and suggested that may be feasible to construct the synthetic microbiome step by step based on functional genes to achieve the target functional pathway. In summary, this study reveals the response of rice rhizosphere microbial community structure and function to domestication, and provides a new idea for the construction of synthetic microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, implicit sentiment analysis, which aims to detect sentiment of a sentence that don't contain obvious sentiment words, has become an attractive research topic. This paper focuses on event-centric implicit sentiment analysis, which utilizes the sentiment-aware event to infer the sentiment polarity of the sentence. Existing event-based implicit sentiment analysis methods typically treat entities or noun phrases in the text as events, or model contextual information to indirectly infer events using sophisticated models, but these methods fail to fully capture event information. To address these issues, this paper defines events as . Based on this event representation, neural tensor network was used to model the interaction between event elements and extract high-level semantic features of events. In addition, a novel affective enhanced graph model was proposed to capture sentiment-related dependencies between context words. Furthermore, this paper considers the case where a sentence contains multiple events, and constructs an event-centric implicit sentiment analysis dataset, where each sentence contains at least one event triplet. Experimental results on the constructed dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oasis-desert ecotone as a transitional zone is sensitive and vulnerable to hydro-climatic changes and anthropogenic activities in maintaining oasis stability and combating desertification. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is an important indicator for evaluating the desert vegetation restoration status. However, it is difficult to quantify individual and interactive impacts of hydro-climatic changes and anthropogenic activities on NDVI in the oasis-desert ecotone. This paper introduces the hydro-climate elasticity and geographical detector approach to assess the influences of hydro-climate changes and human activities on NDVI in Qira oasis-desert ecotone, Northwest China during 2000–2019. Results show that the climatic elasticities of NDVI reflect that the NDVI is more sensitive to precipitation (0.318) than to temperature (0.290), while the NDVI becomes more sensitive to variation in soil moisture content (0.219) than that in the groundwater table (0.150) in hydrological elasticities. The land-use change caused by human activities results in a decrease of NDVI, accounting for 90% of NDVI reduction. The human activities indicate the strongest influence on NDVI. The nonparametric elasticity estimator proposed is illustrated good agreement with the spatiotemporal synchronism of NDVI to hydro-climatic changes. The interaction analysis of geographical detector reveals that the interaction among influencing factors has a bivariate enhancement relationship and a nonlinear enhancement effect on NDVI. This study contributes to clarifying the individual influencing and interactive relationships of NDVI to hydro-climatic factors and human activities, and assist land restoration practitioners to evaluate the desert vegetation restoration status under current and future hydro-climatic changes in arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dongxiang common wild rice (CWR) is extremely cold tolerant, which can grow at the northernmost latitudes. To take full advantage of Dongxiang CWR's cold tolerance for rice production and breeding, it is important to obtain a deep understanding of the mechanism underlying its cold tolerance. In this study, the rhizospheric microbiome of CWR was investigated and compared with that of Leersia hexandra Swartz (LHS) in Dongxiang to clarify the role of the rhizospheric microbiome in CWR cold tolerance. The results showed that, compared with the LHS rhizospheric microbiome, the CWR rhizospheric microbiome was less diverse and smaller, as indicated by its lower diversity and richness indices and fewer detected groups, core genera, and indicator genera. However, a larger proportion of the CWR indicator genera and unique genera, including Acidiphilium, Mortierella, Glomus, etc. showed the ability to adapt to low temperatures, indicating that CWR was more likely to be associated with microbial groups that may enhance cold tolerance. The results indicated that the extreme cold tolerance of Dongxiang CWR benefited from its rhizospheric microbiome, and this cold tolerance was speculated to benefit more from key microbial groups (indicator genera and unique genera) than from microbial diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening for sensitive toxicological indicators and understanding algal tolerance to pharmaceutical contaminants (PhCs) are essential for assessing PhCs risk and their removal by microalgae. Carbamazepine (CBZ) showed adverse effects on microalgae, but the specific toxicity mechanisms on the most sensitive algal photosynthetic system (PS) remain limited. This study delved into the impact of CBZ exposure on the growth, cell viability, pigment content, and PS of Chlorella vulgaris. The findings revealed a notable inhibition of C. vulgaris growth by CBZ, with an IC 50 value of 27.2 mg/L at 96 h. CBZ exposure induced algal membrane damage and cell viability. Intriguingly, CBZ drastically diminished intracellular pigment levels, notably showing "low promotion and high inhibition" of chlorophyll b (Chl b) by 72 h. Moreover, the study identified a decreased number of active reaction centers (RCs) within algal PSII alongside inhibited electron transport from Q A to Q B on the PSII receptor side, leading to PSII disruption. As an adaptive response to CBZ stress, C. vulgaris stimulated its Chl b synthesis, increased non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), and adapted its tolerance to bright light. Additionally, the alga attempted to compensate for the CBZ-induced reduction in electron transfer efficiency at the PSII receptor side and light energy utilization by increasing its electron transfer from downstream. Principal component analysis (PCA) further verified that the parameters on non-photochemical dissipation, electron transport, and integrative performance were the most sensitive algal toxicological indicators for CBZ exposure, and algal PS has energy protection capability through negative feedback regulation. However, prolonged exposure to high doses of CBZ will eventually result in permanent damage to the algal PS. Hence, attention should be paid to the concentration of CBZ in the effluent and the exposure time, while methods to mitigate algal photodamage should be appropriately sought for algal treatment of dense effluents. [Display omitted] • CBZ inhibited algal growth, compromised cell viability and pigments level. • CBZ decreased RCs number and inhibited electron transport on PSII receptor side. • CBZ enhanced electron transfer from downstream as a compensation. • PCA results revealed the most sensitive algal toxicological indicators. • Algal PS has energy protection capability through negative feedback regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing the cropping structure is of great significance for ensuring efficient water use and ecological sustainability in irrigation districts experiencing water shortages. However, how farmers choose the crops to plant under the intervention of factors such as behavioral economics and policies has been less considered in agricultural land-use planning. This study proposes an agent-based socio-hydrological model embedding a geographic information system (ABSHM-GIS). In ABSHM-GIS, a bottom-up research methodology coupled with farmers' behavioral economics and government policies is used to examine the factors influencing farmers' cropping structure and the impact of cropping decisions on farmers' income and the spatial and temporal distributions of water resources. In this study, ABSHM-GIS was applied in the context of planting structure and crop subsidy policy in Qira oasis, Xinjiang, China as a case study area. Results showed that government intervention in cropping structure was effective in reducing water use for agricultural irrigation (18–30 million m3/year) relative to farmer intervention, but it also reduced farmer returns (17,850–25,860 yuan/ha). During the period of agricultural irrigation, regulating the increase in the lower residual volume of irrigation gates 2–4 in the range of 666–869 m3/day and that of irrigation gates 5–9 in the range of 211–342 m3/day could effectively ensure the even spatial distribution of surface water and groundwater. In the planting structure, an increase in government subsidy by 300 yuan/ha could save an average of 2 million m3/year of water resources for ecological water use to ensure ecological safety. The behavioral economics showed that the learning factor was the main behavioral factor that changed the decision-making behavior of farmers. The ABSHM-GIS model proposed in this paper could help researchers reveal the causes and provide insights into the emergence of macro-patterns, such as changes in cropping structure and irrigated agriculture, as a result of microfarmers' economic behavior in a bottom-up research approach. • A socio-hydrological ABM coupling behavioral economics and water policies was proposed. • Government intervention saves water use via cropping structure, but reducing farmer returns. • Learning factor was main behavioral factor changing decision-making behavior of farmers. • Sensitivity factor and radius of information has a less significant effect on income of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wax gourd (Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn) is a vegetable crop with a long storage period; however, blackheart disorder seriously compromises its storability and economic value. This study delves into the spatial-temporal process of blackheart disorder in wax gourd fruit at the physiological, transcriptional, and metabolic levels. The findings revealed decreased concentrations of total calcium (Ca), Ca-pectinate, and chelate-soluble pectin (CSP), and increased levels of total phenolics, flavonoids, and lignin during the development of blackheart disorder. These changes in physiological indicators in blackheart fruit were regulated by the expression of relevant genes, the accumulation of key metabolites, and increased enzyme activities in the glycometabolism and phenylpropane metabolism pathways. Moreover, transcriptome analysis revealed significant suppression in the expression of Ca channel and transport-related genes in blackheart fruit. Finally, there was a pronounced correlation between CSP, Ca-pectinate, phenolic acid, flavonoids, and monosaccharides. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified several transcription factors related to blackheart development were identified. Importantly, it has been discovered for the first time that the development of blackheart disorder in wax gourd results from pectin degradation and metabolic disturbance caused by Ca deficiency. These findings lay a theoretical foundation for devising strategies to manage and control blackheart in wax gourds. [Display omitted] • Wax gourd blackheart is a postharvest disorder caused by Ca deficiency. • Ca deficiency inhibits Ca channels and intracellular Ca2+ signaling. • Reduction of Ca-pectinate and CSP leads to cellular metabolic imbalance. • Fruit browning accompanied by phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein hydrolysates (PHs), derived from enzymatic or chemical protein hydrolysis, are recognized as effective biostimulants for sustainable and environmentally safe crop production. Extensive research has highlighted their benefits and demonstrated their capacity to enhance crop growth and yield under various abiotic stresses, making them increasingly popular in agriculture. To fully unlock the potential of PHs, more research is needed to elucidate their mechanisms of action. This involves understanding plant preferences for different PH sources as well as their impact on rhizosphere microbial communities. This study explored how PHs from plant and animal sources affect plant growth and rhizosphere microbiota across five different plant species. We found variations in plant responses to different PHs, indicating differing plant preferences for nitrogen sources and protein uptake mechanisms among species. There was an increase in beneficial microbial taxa in response to PH application, including Pseudomonas , Paraburkholderia , and Mortierella. Functional analysis also indicated variations in chemoheterotrophy, nitrate respiration and reduction, based on crop species. In conclusion, this research shows the potential of PHs as biostimulants for diverse crops. Their effectiveness is dependent on various factors, including source, production process and plant species, having a positive impact on both plant growth and rhizosphere microbial communities. • The response to protein hydrolysates varies among plant species. • The application of protein hydrolysates increased the abundance of beneficial taxa. • Crop species impact the microbial community structure more than PHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant domestication was a pivotal accomplishment in human history, which led to a reduction in genetic diversity of crop species; however, there was less research focus on how this reduced genetic diversity of crops in affecting rhizosphere microbial communities during crop domestication process. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing to explore the different effects of crops domestication on rhizosphere microbial community structure of rice (Oryza sativa L. and Oryza rufipogon Griff.) and soybean (Glycine max L. and Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc.). Results indicated that rhizosphere fungal communities are more strongly influenced by crop domestication than bacterial communities. There was a stronger relationship for fungi and bacteria in the cultivated crops than in the wild relatives. Results also showed that the wild varieties had a higher abundance of beneficial symbionts and a lower abundance of pathogens comparing with the cultivated varieties. There was a similar tendency for both rice and soybean in rhizosphere microbial communities by comparing wild crops and their cultivated varieties. In conclusion, crop domestication had a stronger effect on the fungal communities than on the bacterial communities and had improved the microbial relationship in rhizosphere of cultivated crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the near-neutral and high-salt conditions, the Fenton technology with hydroxyl radicals (HO•) as the main reactive species is difficult to satisfy the removal of trace emerging contaminants (ECs) in pharmaceutical sewage. Here, a layered double hydroxide FeZn-LDH was prepared, and the selective formation of ≡Fe(IV)=O in Fenton-like system was accomplished by the chemical environment regulation of the iron sites and the pH control of the microregion. The introduced zinc can increase the length of Fe-O bond in the FeZn-LDH shell layer by 0.22 Å compared to that in Fe 2 O 3 , which was conducive to the oxygen transfer process between ≡Fe(III) and H 2 O 2 , resulting in the ≡Fe(IV)=O formation. Besides, the amphoteric hydroxide Zn(OH) 2 can regulate the pH of the FeZn-LDH surface microregion, maintaining reaction pH at around 6.5–7.5, which could avoid the quenching of ≡Fe(IV)=O by H+. On the other hand, owing to the anti-interference of ≡Fe(IV)=O and the near-zero Zeta potential on the FeZn-LDH surface, the trace ECs can also be effectively degraded under high-salt conditions. Consequently, the process of ≡Fe(IV)=O generation in FeZn-LDH system can satisfy the efficient removal of ECs under near-neutral and high-salt conditions. [Display omitted] • ≡Fe(IV)=O was generated on the surface of the layered double hydroxide FeZn-LDH. • The elongated Fe-O bond will facilitate the generation of ≡Fe(IV)=O. • Buffering of pH by Zn(OH) 2 provides a suitable environment for ≡Fe(IV)=O generation. • ≡Fe(IV)=O can satisfy ECs degradation under near-neutral and high-salt conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Catalytic ozonation, a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP), leverages catalysts to activate ozone (O 3) into highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydroxyl (HO•) and superoxide radicals (O 2 •-). These potent oxidants effectively degrade refractory organic pollutants in wastewater. Nevertheless, the presence of complex coexisting ions and organic compounds in real wastewater can significantly hinder the removal efficiency of target pollutants during catalytic ozonation. Consequently, a thorough understanding of how coexisting ions and organics influence the catalytic ozonation process is crucial for optimizing its effectiveness in wastewater treatment. This review delves into the degradation pathways of emerging contaminants (ECs) during catalytic ozonation, considering the influence of these coexisting components. By analyzing interfacial reactions involving catalysts, O 3 , and coexisting components, this review aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and propose strategies to optimize the performance of catalytic ozonation for real wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: NiOx hole transporting layer has been extensively studied in optoelectronic devices. In this paper, the low temperature, solution–combustion‐based method is employed to prepare the NiOx hole transporting layer. The resulting NiOx thin films show better quality and preferable energy alignment with perovskite thin film compared to high temperature sol–gel‐processed NiOx. With this, high‐performance perovskite solar cells are fabricated successfully with power conversion efficiency exceeding 20% using a modified two‐step prepared MA1−yFAyPbI3−xClx perovskite. This efficiency value is among the highest values for NiOx‐based devices. Various characterizations and analyses provide evidence of better film quality, enhanced charge transport and extraction, and suppressed charge recombination. Meanwhile, the device exhibits much better device stability compared to sol–gel‐processed NiOx and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)‐based devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) as an extension of traditional Bayesian networks have recently been paid great concern to environmental modeling to capture dynamic processes and support feedback loops. However, the applications of DBNs in environmental modeling are still scarce and challenging. There are no reviews found in the literature to explore the potential and application of DBNs in the environmental science fields so far. This review is to illustrate how DBNs are applied in the environmental modeling and management. The overview of DBNs is performed from January 1990 to December 2021 in the Web of Science search related to Environmental Sciences. Only 5.69% of the total publications have been used in this item. The application fields, model types, model aims, model learning, model spatial and temporal scale, model validation, and software are discussed. The pros and cons analysis highlights the advantages and disadvantages of DBNs in the environmental modeling. The current DBNs research focuses mainly on environment applications through expert knowledge for learning and validation of models due to less available support of the popular commercial software packages and data availability limitation. The powerful potential of DBNs is yet unexploited. Some challenges including timeline discretization, modeling accuracy in medium- and long-term scale, modeling of spatial dependencies and interactions, and development of algorithms and software have to be considered in future research. • DBNs applications in environmental modeling are reviewed in recent decades. • DBNs have been increasingly used in environmental modeling, learning and predicting. • Pros and cons of DBNs in environmental modeling are illustrated in present applications. • Potential of DBNs is still unexploited and challenging in environmental sciences. • Some recommendations in environmental modeling of DBNs for future works are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composition and stability of soil organic matter (SOM) affect the sustenance and productivity of soil over the long-term. This issue is particularly important for karst regions in China where the water supply and fertilizer use are limiting factors. Here, we used four indicators to evaluate changes in the composition and stability of SOM quantitatively in five main land-use types in karst area, including primary forest [PF], 15-year secondary forest [SF], grazing secondary forest [GF], abandoned farmland [AF] and farmland [FL]. We collected soil samples at a depth of 0–20 cm to conduct the analyses. Four indicators were used: soil physical and chemical properties, active organic carbon (C), humus C composition, and SOM functional groups. Our results showed that the content of SOM, total nitrogen, and easily oxidized organic C at 0–20 cm soil depth differed among the five land-use types ( P < 0.05). For humic acid C concentration, the land-use types were ordered as: SF > PF > GF > FL > AF. Solid-state 13 C NMR spectra showed that the highest ratio of Alkyl C/O-alkyl C was in AF, while the lowest was in SF. Overall, the comprehensive quality of SOM in different land-use types was PF (setting 100%) > SF (83.1%) > GF (58%) > AF (30.9%) > FL (29.9%). For karst areas, we suggest that farmlands in sloping area should be converted back to forests, with only moderate grazing being permitted, whereas farmlands in the plains should implement grain-forage rotation and grain-soybean rotation to meet the needs of the growing population and economic development. In conclusion, our findings provide a scientific basis from which to delineate rational land-use types for different land (geographical and geological) formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted much attention due to their high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and low cost fabrication. Since the PCE is critically related to the perovskite crystal morphology and quality, controlling the perovskite crystal formation is becoming more important. In this work, we chose PDDA polyelectrolyte as the crystal capping agent to modulate the perovskite thin film formation. The PDDA capping agent significantly enhanced the short-circuit current ( J sc ) and fill factor (FF) of the corresponding PSCs, which produced an optimal PCE of 14.1% compared to 12.5% of control device without the modifying agent. The effect of PDDA agent is examined by various techniques. It was found that improved surface morphology, enhanced crystallinity, and decreased grain boundary related defects are contributed to the performance and stability enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) have attracted much interest because they can be fabricated by low temperature process and exhibit high power conversion efficiency (PCE). The PCE is strongly dependent on the interface properties between the PCBM layer and cathode. In this work, solution-processable material, rhodamine 101, was used as the interfacial layer between the PCBM layer and Ag cathode. These interfacial materials significantly increase the fill factor so as to the PCE of the PSCs. The optimal power conversion efficiencies are 13.2% (CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 ) and 14.8% (CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3−x Cl x ) for the devices with rhodamine 101 as the electron collection interlayer, saliently higher than that (8.5% and 12.0%) of control devices without an electron-collection interlayer. The effect of the interfacial material is carefully examined by time-resolved photoluminance spectroscopy (TR-PL), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) techniques. Decreased work-function and energy barrier, enhanced electron extraction and prolonged free carrier lifetime all contributed to the photovoltaic performance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic semiconductors have attracted much attention for plastic electronics due to their good solution processability, low temperature deposition, and compatible with large-area printing technology. The charge transport properties of polymer based field effect transistors are limited by their amorphous domains and weakly interaction between polymer chains. In this study, antisolvent like methanol is introduced to promote polymer chain aggregation, and slot die coating is used to finely tune the film morphology. The effects of anti-solvent introduction and slot die coating process on the device performance, e.g. charge transport, surface morphology, and solid state packing, were investigated in details. By optimizing the antisolvent ratio and polymer chain aggregation, the charge transport properties of the polymer devices were observed to be significantly improved. An average charge carrier mobility of 3.76 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and a maximum mobility of 4.10 cm 2 V −1 s −1 were achieved under optimized conditions. The controlling the aggregation degree by combining the mixed solvent system and slot die coating technique provides a convenient and practical approach to achieve high performance polymer field effect transistor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyimide (PI)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) blend fibers were successfully prepared through a wet-spinning method, derived from the blend of poly (amic acid) (PAA) and PAN precursors in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent. Herein, the effects of thermal treated time and PAN weight ratios on the structures and properties of the PI/PAN blend fibers were systematically explored. The increased thermal treated time favored the imidization of PAA and cyclization of PAN. As a consequence, the optimum mechanical properties of the PI/PAN blend fibers were obtained at a thermal treated time of 10 min with the tensile strength of 1.15 GPa and initial modulus of 50.87 GPa. On the other hand, the combination of PI and PAN facilitated the imidization process of PAA and the formation of ladder structures of PAN, while the optimum mechanical performances were achieved when the PAN weight ratio was 23 wt%. In addition, the PI and PAN macromolecules exhibited good compatibility in the blend fibers with the glass transition temperature around 300 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 is an industrially important fructooligosaccharides (FOS) producer since it produces the β-fructofuranosidase with superior transglycosylation activity, which is responsible for the conversion of sucrose to FOS accompanied by the by-product (glucose) generation. This study aims to consume glucose to enhance the content of FOS by heterologously expressing glucose oxidase and peroxidase in engineered A. niger. Results: Glucose oxidase was successfully expressed and co-localized with β-fructofuranosidase in mycelia. These mycelia were applied to synthesis of FOS, which possessed an increased purity of 60.63% from 52.07%. Furthermore, peroxidase was expressed in A. niger and reached 7.70 U/g, which could remove the potential inhibitor of glucose oxidase to facilitate the FOS synthesis. Finally, the glucose oxidase-expressing strain and the peroxidase-expressing strain were jointly used to synthesize FOS, which content achieved 71.00%. Conclusions: This strategy allows for obtaining high-content FOS by the multiple enzymes expressed in the industrial fungus, avoiding additional purification processes used in the production of oligosaccharides. This study not only facilitated the high-purity FOS synthesis, but also demonstrated the potential of A. niger ATCC 20611 as an enzyme-producing cell factory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the vigorous development of biotechnology, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have become more and more common. In order to effectively supervise and administrate them, the rapid and accurate detection of GMOs is urgently demanded. Here, GMO gene-specific sensing methods based on colorimetry and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were proposed based on the lateral branch cleavage function of the CRISPR/Cas12a system. Two transgenes, pCaMV35S and M810 Cry1Ab, were chosen as targets for transgenic crops. By using these methods, we performed transgenic detection on five types of maize leaves and successfully distinguished transgenic from non-transgenic samples. The colorimetric method is rapid, economical and available for field detection. The SERS approach, giving a higher sensitivity to 100 fM, is more suitable for laboratory application scenarios. This study explores practical transgenic detection approaches and will be valuable for the supervision of GMOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of aromatic copolyimide (co-PI) fibers containing benzimidazole and benzoxazole were prepared by introducing 5-amino-2-(4-aminobenzene)benzoxazole (BOA) and 2-(4-aminophenyl)-5-aminobenzimidazole (BIA) into the rigid 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA)/ p-phenylenediamine ( p-PDA) backbone via a typical two-step wet-spinning method. The incorporated BOA and BIA moieties in the polymer chains resulted in significant changes on the comprehensive performances of the resulting PI fibers. The optimum tensile strength was 2.26 GPa with the BIA/BOA molar ratio of 3/1, whereas the optimum initial modulus was 145.0 GPa with the BIA/BOA molar ratio of 1/3. The drastically improved mechanical properties were originated from the hydrogen-bonding intermolecular interactions by BIA moieties and high molecular orientation by BOA moieties. FT-IR results confirmed the presence of hydrogen-bonding interaction in the fibers with high imidization degree. Two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (2D WAXD) indicated the existence of highly oriented structures along the fiber axial direction, while this feature varied with different diamine ratios. SEM observations showed that the fibers were obtained with homogeneous and uniform structures at various diamine ratios. Meanwhile, the co-PI fibers exhibited excellent thermal properties with 5 % weight loss temperature ranging from 563 to 570 °C in nitrogen and glass transition temperature ranging from 308 to 321 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acene-based materials have promising applications for organic electronics but the major constrain comes from their poor stability. Herein a new strategy to stabilize reactive acenes, by fusion of an anti-aromatic pentalene unit onto the zigzag edges of two acene units to form a Z-shaped acene dimer, is introduced. The Z-shaped acene dimers are extremely stable and show a small energy gap resulting from intramolecular donor-acceptor interactions. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed their unique geometry and one-dimensional slip-stack columnar structure. Besides optical and electrochemical characterizations, solution-processed field-effect transistors were also fabricated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acene-based materials have promising applications for organic electronics but the major constrain comes from their poor stability. Herein a new strategy to stabilize reactive acenes, by fusion of an anti-aromatic pentalene unit onto the zigzag edges of two acene units to form a Z-shaped acene dimer, is introduced. The Z-shaped acene dimers are extremely stable and show a small energy gap resulting from intramolecular donor-acceptor interactions. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed their unique geometry and one-dimensional slip-stack columnar structure. Besides optical and electrochemical characterizations, solution-processed field-effect transistors were also fabricated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copolyimide (co-PI) fibers containing 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) moiety into the 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA)/ p-phenylenediamine backbone were prepared via a two-step wet-spinning method. The processability and mechanical properties were improved significantly after the incorporation of ODPA, and the fibers exhibited an optimum tensile strength of 10.94 cN dtex and modulus of 470.52 cN dtex with elongation of 2.75 % at a BPDA/ODPA molar ratio of 7/3. Two-dimensional wide angle X-ray diffraction indicated that highly oriented structures and ordered molecular packing regions were formed in the fibers. Two-dimensional small angle X-ray scattering revealed that the incorporation of ODPA resulted in the reduction in radius, length, misorientation, and internal surface roughness of the microvoids in the fibers simultaneously, which was supposed to be mainly dominated for the drastically improved mechanical properties of PI fibers. Moreover, the co-PI fibers exhibited excellent thermal and thermal-oxidative stability, and the 5 % weight loss temperature was above 572 and 535 °C under nitrogen and air, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisindeno-annulated pentacenes 3a and 3b were synthesized by a simple regio-selective, FeCl3-mediated Scholl reaction from the corresponding 6,13-diaryl pentacene precursors. The fusion of two indeno-units dramatically changes the electronic properties and chemical reactivity of pentacene and the obtained compounds exhibited exceptionally high photo-stability in the solution, with a half-life time of 11.2 (3a) and 32.0 (3b) days under ambient light and air conditions. Ordered molecular packing with a small π–π stacking distance was observed in the single crystals of 3a and 3b. Our research provides a promising strategy to access stable higher order acenes with controlled molecular order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three soluble and stable thienoacene-fused pentalene derivatives ( 1- 3) with different π-conjugation lengths were synthesized. X-ray crystallographic analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed their unique geometric and electronic structures due to the interaction between the aromatic thienoacene units and antiaromatic pentalene moiety. As a result, they all possess a small energy gap and show amphoteric redox behaviour. Time dependent (TD) DFT calculations were used to explain their unique electronic absorption spectra. These new compounds exhibited good thermal stability and ordered packing in solid state and thus their applications in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) were also investigated. The highest field-effect hole mobility of 0.016, 0.036 and 0.001 cm2 V−1 s−1 was achieved for solution-processed thin films of 1- 3, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation studies on emotion have shown that facial actions can initiate and modulate particular emotions. However, the neural mechanisms of these initiating and modulating functions are unclear. In this study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and task-based fMRI to explore these processes by examining spontaneous cerebral activities and brain activations under two conditions: holding a pen using only the teeth (HPT: facilitating the muscles typically associated with smiling) and holding a pen using only the lips (HPL: inhibiting the muscles typically associated with smiling). The resting-state fMRI results showed that compared with the HPL condition, significant increases in the amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations were found in the right posterior cingulate gyrus [PCG; Brodmann area 31 (BA31)] and in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG; BA9) in the HPT condition. These findings might be related to the initiation of positive emotions (PCG) and to the control and allocation of attention (MFG). The task-based fMRI results showed that the inferior parietal lobule, left supplementary motor area, superior parietal lobule, precuneus, and bilateral middle cingulum were active when facial manipulation influenced the recognition of emotional facial expressions. These results demonstrate that facial actions might not only initiate a particular emotion and draw attention, but also influence face-based emotion recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A pyromellitic diimide building block, 2,6- bis(2-decyltetradecyl)−4,8-di(thiophen-2-yl)pyrrolo[3,4- f]isoindole-1,3,5,7(2H,6H)-tetraone ( 4), is synthesized. Based on this building block and other electron-rich units such as 2,2′-bithiophene, thieno[3,2- b]thiophene and 4,8- bis(dodecyloxy)benzo[1,2- b:4,5- b′]dithiophene, three conjugated polymers P1, P2, and P3 are prepared in good yield via Stille coupling polymerization. These new copolymers have good solubility in common organic solvents and exhibit good thermal stability. The optical, electrochemical, and thermal properties of these polymers P1-P3 are carefully investigated, and their applications in solution-processed organic field-effect transistors are also studied. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 2454-2464 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two7,14-disubstituted-5,12-dithiapentacenes (1and 2) with quinoidal conjugation were synthesized. Their ground-statequinoidal structures were proven by X-ray crystallographic analysis.They showed very different electronic and optical properties fromthose of the corresponding pentacene derivatives with diene conjugation,and their stability was significantly improved. Organic field effecttransistors based on solution processed thin films of 1and 2exhibited a hole mobility of up to 0.032 cm–2V–1s–1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of unsymmetrical naphthalene imide derivatives ( 1- 5) with high electron affinity was synthesized and used in n-channel organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). They have very good solubility in common organic solvents and good thermal stability up to 320 °C. Their photophysical, electrochemical, and thermal properties were investigated in detail. They showed low-lying LUMO energy levels from −3.90 to −4.15 eV owing to a strong electron-withdrawing character. Solution-processed thin-film OFETs based on 1- 4 were measured in both N2 and air. They all showed n-type FET behavior. The liquid-crystalline compounds 1 a, 1 b, and 3 showed good performance owing to the self-healing properties of the film in the liquid-crystal phase. Compound 3 has an electron mobility of up to 0.016 cm2 V−1 s−1 and current on/off ratios of 104-105. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium oxide (TiOx) modified with a thin layer of Al was used as an electron transporting layer in an inverted organic solar cell based on the P3HT/PCBM blend. The thin Al layer was shown to improve the TiOx surface properties, decreased the work-function of TiOx, increased the built-in voltage, and facilitated electron extraction. As a result, good device performance with power conversion efficiency of 3.6%, open circuit voltage of 0.60 V, short circuit current of 9.13 mA/cm2, and fill factor of 0.66 was achieved. The light soaking problem was eliminated compared to the TiOx only device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stepwise cyanation of tetrabromonaphthalenediimide (NDI) 1gave a series of cyanated NDIs 2–5with the monocyanated NDI 2and dicyanated NDI 3isolated. The tri- and tetracyano- NDIs 4and 5show intrinsic instability toward moisture because of their extremely low-lying LUMO energy levels. The partially cyanated intermediates can be utilized as air-stable n-type semiconductors with OFET electron mobility up to 0.05 cm2V–1s–1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several diazatetracene diimides with high electron affinity (up to 4.66 eV!) were prepared and well characterized. The LUMO energy level of these electron-deficient molecules was found to be closely related to their material stability. Compound 7 with ultrahigh electron affinity suffered from reduction and hydrolysis in the presence of silica gel or water. The stable compounds 3 and 6 showed n-channel FET behavior with an average electron mobility of 0.002 and 0.005 cm2 V–1 s–1, respectively, using a solution processing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An improved index of connectivity is proposed to evaluate hydrological connectivity of watershed. • Regime shifts model is built to explore effectiveness and critical threshold of hydrological connectivity. • Empirical research displays two distinct high and low modes of hydrological connectivity. • Positive feedback loop between reduced vegetation cover and increased hydrological connectivity accelerates regime shifts. Hydrological connectivity (HC) provides essential information about ecosystem structure and function at large spatial scales, playing a pivotal role in predicting catchment ecosystem degradation in drylands. However, the relationships between HC and spatial vegetation patterns, and their interactions that contribute to regime shifts in catchment ecosystems, remain unclear. This study selects the Tarim River Basin in Northwest China as a typical study area to reveal the mutual effects and relationships between HC and vegetation patterns using the improved index of connectivity (IIC), spatial vegetation pattern indexes, potential analysis, and partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM). The regime shifts model is used to explore the effectiveness and critical threshold of HC as an early warning indicator for ecosystem degradation. The findings show that: (1) the hydrological connectivity exhibits significant spatial variability due to the influences of the terrain characteristics and vegetation cover; (2) the basin displays two distinct high and low modes of hydrological connectivity. As vegetation cover decreases to approximately 0.23, the ecosystem undergoes a sudden and discontinuous shift from the low to high hydrological connectivity mode; and (3) the increased hydrological connectivity leads to marked changes in spatial vegetation pattern metrics, indicating the effectiveness of hydrological connectivity as an early warning signal of ecosystem degradation. The positive feedback loop between reduced vegetation cover and increased hydrological connectivity accelerates regime shifts, potentially leading to irreversible ecosystem degradation if not properly mitigated. This study lays an important foundation for identifying potential degradation hotspots at larger scales, and explores the potential of hydrological connectivity as an early warning indicator for regime transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lime application (liming) has historically been used to ameliorate soil acidity in grasslands. Liming effectively improves soil pH, plant productivity, and soil physicochemical properties, but the long-term impact of acidity control by liming on key microbial nitrogen (N)-cycling genes in semi-natural grasslands is unknown. We investigated the effect of 65 years of liming on N-cycling processes in the limed and control plots of the Ossekampen long-term grassland experiment in the Netherlands. These plots have not received any other fertilizers for 65 years. Soil sampling and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission measurements were conducted three times in spring and four times in summer, and quantitative real-time PCR was performed to determine the absolute abundances of N-cycling genes, including ammonia-oxidation (amoA-AOB, amoA-AOA, amoA-comammox), denitrification (nirS, nirK, nosZ), nitrate ammonification (nrfA), and N-fixation (nifH) genes. Long-term liming increased the absolute abundances of nitrifiers, denitrifiers, and nitrate ammonifiers. Soil N2O emissions did not differ significantly between liming and control treatments. Additionally, liming had a buffering effect that maintained the population of N-cycling microbes against seasonal variations in abundance. Our results indicate that improving soil acidity through liming potentially facilitates microbial N-cycling processes without increasing N2O emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Turning trash into treasure: The outstanding tunable aerogels were fabricated via heterodimensional by-products of silver nanowires. The first tunable form, aerogel film, shields electromagnetic interference (EMI SE > 89 dB), while the second tunable form, aerogel foam, performs dual EM functions (EMI SE > 30 dB and RL < -35 dB, EAB > 6.7 GHz). Recycle again: The secondary recycled aerogels retain nearly all of their EM protection qualities, making this closed-loop cycle desirable.One of the significant technological challenges in safeguarding electronic devices pertains to the modulation of electromagnetic (EM) wave jamming and the recycling of defensive shields. The synergistic effect of heterodimensional materials can effectively enable the manipulation of EM waves by altering the nanostructure. Here we propose a novel approach for upcycling by-products of silver nanowires that can fabricate shape-tunable aerogels which enable the modulation of its interaction with microwaves by heterodimensional structure of by-products. By-product heterodimensionality was used to design EM-wave-jamming-dissipation structures and therefore two typical tunable aerogel forms were studied. The first tunable form was aerogel film, which shielded EM interference (EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) > 89 dB) and the second tunable form was foam, which performed dual EM functions (SE > 30 dB& reflective loss (RL) < -35 dB, effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) > 6.7 GHz). We show that secondary recycled aerogels retain nearly all of their EM protection properties, making this type of closed-loop cycle an appealing option. Our findings pave the way for the development of adaptive EM functions with nanoscale regulation in a green and closed-loop cycle, and they shed light on the fundamental understanding of microwave interactions with heterodimensional structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoride anion (F−) with extremely high electronegativity has been under intensive investigation in perovskite solar cells due to its remarkable defect suppression and great improvement of device performance. Nevertheless, these researches only focus on the surface, grain boundaries, or interface modification, the direct insertion of F− into the crystal lattice of regular lead halide perovskite films is still unrevealed. Herein, F− was successfully incorporated into the perovskite lattice by overcoming the insolubility of PbF2 via the introduced pyridinium halide as a novel volatile solubilizing ligand. The strong electronegativity of F− can strongly increase the binding energy of all the ions in CsPbI2Br and inhibit their defect formations. A trace amount of F− incorporation not only enhanced the optoelectronic properties but also effectively mitigated the ion migration and phase separation simultaneously. The photovoltaic performance and operational stability of perovskite solar cells were significantly improved with a champion efficiency of 17.78 % (38.01 %) under AM 1.5G (1000 lux indoor light). Moreover, F− can also be directly inserted into the hybrid perovskite lattice and greatly stabilized crystal‐phase, enabling efficient fully MA‐free FAPbI3 devices with 25.10 % efficiency. Our strategy sheds light on F‐containing perovskites and provides a promising way to tackle ion migration and stabilize the crystal phase in halide perovskites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoride anion (F−) with extremely high electronegativity has been under intensive investigation in perovskite solar cells due to its remarkable defect suppression and great improvement of device performance. Nevertheless, these researches only focus on the surface, grain boundaries, or interface modification, the direct insertion of F− into the crystal lattice of regular lead halide perovskite films is still unrevealed. Herein, F− was successfully incorporated into the perovskite lattice by overcoming the insolubility of PbF2 via the introduced pyridinium halide as a novel volatile solubilizing ligand. The strong electronegativity of F− can strongly increase the binding energy of all the ions in CsPbI2Br and inhibit their defect formations. A trace amount of F− incorporation not only enhanced the optoelectronic properties but also effectively mitigated the ion migration and phase separation simultaneously. The photovoltaic performance and operational stability of perovskite solar cells were significantly improved with a champion efficiency of 17.78 % (38.01 %) under AM 1.5G (1000 lux indoor light). Moreover, F− can also be directly inserted into the hybrid perovskite lattice and greatly stabilized crystal‐phase, enabling efficient fully MA‐free FAPbI3 devices with 25.10 % efficiency. Our strategy sheds light on F‐containing perovskites and provides a promising way to tackle ion migration and stabilize the crystal phase in halide perovskites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Filamentous fungi are extensively exploited as important enzyme producers due to the superior secretory capability. However, the complexity of their secretomes greatly impairs the titer and purity of heterologous enzymes. Meanwhile, high-efficient evaluation and production of bulk enzymes, such as biomass-degrading enzymes, necessitate constructing powerful expression systems for bio-refinery applications. Results: A novel sucrose-inducible expression system based on the host strain Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 and the β-fructofuranosidase promoter (PfopA) was constructed. A. niger ATCC 20611 preferentially utilized sucrose for rapid growth and β-fructofuranosidase production. Its secretory background was relatively clean because β-fructofuranosidase, the key enzyme responsible for sucrose utilization, was essentially not secreted into the medium and the extracellular protease activity was low. Furthermore, the PfopA promoter showed a sucrose concentration-dependent induction pattern and was not subject to glucose repression. Moreover, the strength of PfopA was 7.68-fold higher than that of the commonly used glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter (PgpdA) with enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) as a reporter. Thus, A. niger ATCC 20611 coupled with the PfopA promoter was used as an expression system to express a β-glucosidase gene (bgla) from A. niger C112, allowing the production of β-glucosidase at a titer of 17.84 U/mL. The crude β-glucosidase preparation could remarkably improve glucose yield in the saccharification of pretreated corncob residues when added to the cellulase mixture of Trichoderma reesei QM9414. The efficacy of this expression system was further demonstrated by co-expressing the T. reesei-derived chitinase Chi46 and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase Nag1 to obtain an efficient chitin-degrading enzyme cocktail, which could achieve the production of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine from colloidal chitin with a conversion ratio of 91.83%. Besides, the purity of the above-secreted biomass-degrading enzymes in the crude culture supernatant was over 86%. Conclusions: This PfopA-driven expression system expands the genetic toolbox of A. niger and broadens the application field of the traditional fructo-oligosaccharides-producing strain A. niger ATCC 20611, advancing it to become a high-performing enzyme-producing cell factory. In particular, the sucrose-inducible expression system possessed the capacity to produce biomass-degrading enzymes at a high level and evade endogenous protein interference, providing a potential purification-free enzyme production platform for bio-refinery applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium (Mg) is critical for agricultural production and human health. The wax gourd yield was greatly affected by Mg fertilizer and it serves as an excellent crop to study Mg functioning in sink growth; however, as a Cucurbitaceae plant which is called a raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs)-transporting plant, its adaptive mechanism of photoassimilates transportation and distribution to Mg nutrients remains unknown. Herein, we used two Mg treatments (+Mg 90 kg ha−1; CK as control 0 kg ha−1) to observe the effects of Mg on the photoassimilates status in the leaves, phloem sap and fruit of wax gourd grown across the entire growth stage under a field condition. For the first time, we confirmed that stachyose and raffinose, which accounted for 54.9–78.0% of the total carbohydrates across the whole growth phase in the phloem sap, were the most predominant sugars used for the long-distance transport of wax gourds. They were strongly increased by Mg application which started from the seedling stage to the end of growing season. This response was earlier and more dramatic than the over-accumulation of sucrose in leaves regardless of positions. Hexoses (glucose plus fructose) were the main soluble sugars in the source leaves as well as in the mesocarp tissues, and their responses to Mg varied with temporal and spatial differences. The difference in the sugar status in the leaves between the upper, middle and lower positions is closely related to the concentration of Mg ions. Compared with Mg deficiency (CK), Mg application stimulated sugar accumulation in the leaves at the seedling and flowering stages by 10.6–24.5%. On the contrary, after fruit set, Mg supplementation significantly reduced the soluble sugar concentration in leaves by 33.5–67.9%. Mg treatment also spiked the fructose and glucose in fruit at the fruit expansion stage by 26.7% and 16.4%, respectively. Taken together, our results showed that Mg tailors the carbohydrate status in the source (leaves), flow (phloem sap) and sink (mesocarp tissues) in wax gourds, especially during the fruit growth period. The lower stachyose in the phloem at the beginning of fruit setting may be an early indication of a curtailed sink process in wax gourds grown in Mg deficient soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two fused cyclopentadithiophenebis(dicyanovinylene) derivatives (FCPDT-16 and FCPDT-C24) with a low-lying LUMO energy level (−3.88 eV) and a rigid core structure were successfully synthesized. They have good thermal stability and form highly ordered packing structures both in the bulk solid state and in thin films. The field effect transistors fabricated from a solution of these two compounds showed ambipolar behaviour with major n-channel operation. FCPDT-C16 exhibited electron mobility up to 0.16 cm2 V−1 s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services (ESs) refer to the benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems. These services are subject to environmental changes and human interventions, which introduce a significant level of uncertainty. Traditional ES modeling approaches often employ Bayesian networks, but they fall short in capturing spatiotemporal dynamic change processes. To address this limitation, dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs) have emerged as stochastic models capable of incorporating uncertainty and capturing dynamic changes. Consequently, DBNs have found increasing application in ES modeling. However, the structure and parameter learning of DBNs present complexities within the field of ES modeling. To mitigate the reliance on expert knowledge, this study proposes an algorithm for structure and parameter learning, integrating the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs) model with DBNs to develop a comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics and uncertainty of ESs in the Tarim River Basin, China from 2000 to 2020. The study further evaluates the tradeoffs and synergies among four key ecosystem services: water yield, habitat quality, sediment delivery ratio, and carbon storage and sequestration. The findings show that (1) the proposed structure learning and parameter learning algorithm for DBNs, including the hill-climb algorithm, linear analysis, the Markov blanket, and the EM algorithm, effectively address subjective factors that can influence model learning when dealing with uncertainty; (2) significant spatial heterogeneity is observed in the supply of ESs within the Tarim River Basin, with notable changes in habitat quality, water yield, and sediment delivery ratios occurring between 2000–2005, 2010–2015, and 2015–2020, respectively; (3) tradeoffs exist between water yield and habitat quality, as well as between soil conservation and carbon sequestration, while synergies are found among habitat quality, soil retention, and carbon sequestration. The land-use type emerges as the most influential factor affecting the tradeoffs and synergies of ESs. This study serves to validate the capacity of DBNs in addressing spatiotemporal dynamic changes and establishes an improved research methodology for ES modeling that considers uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the reversal barrier of Al1−xScxN ferroelectric alloy is critical for improving the coercive voltage and power consumption of ferroelectric devices. Here, the synergistic effect of alloy composition and strain is introduced to optimize the ferroelectric properties of Al1−xScxN alloys. Because of the increased Al–N ionic bond character and the contribution of Sc-d orbitals, the spontaneous polarization, reversal barrier, and bandgap all reduce as the Sc concentration increases. Strain engineering improves the electron's electric dipole moment, resulting in a significant increase in spontaneous polarization (145.93 μC/cm2 for Al0.625Sc0.375N alloy). Meanwhile, the horizontal tension and vertical compression lower the reversal barrier of Al0.625Sc0.375N alloy to 95.45 meV/f.u., significantly lower than that of orthorhombic HfO2. Interestingly, the bandgap of Al1−xScxN alloy with low Sc concentration rises initially and then decreases as horizontal strain varies from compression to tension, whereas that of Al1−xScxN alloy with high Sc concentration monotonically decreases. The Al1−xScxN alloy exhibits the opposite tendency under vertical strain. These findings provide a thorough understanding of Al1−xScxN ferroelectric alloys and a guideline for designing high-performance Al1−xScxN ferroelectric alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A kind of suspension stator for traveling wave ultrasonic motor is proposed. • Piezoelectric material powering the motor is used with d 33 mode instead of d 31 mode. • Motor's power density can be heightened based on this suspension structure. A ring-shaped traveling wave ultrasonic motor with a suspension stator is proposed for improving output power density. Piezoelectric stacks working in d 33 mode are involved in the stator, whereas piezoelectric plates employed in classic ring-shaped traveling wave motors often work in d 31 mode. Spring-mass systems are used to suspend the stator from the base that supports the motor and provide preload force. The volume of piezoelectric material and the power density of the motor can be easily increased through the suspension structure. Large vibration amplitude of the stator can be generated on the coupling surface. Simulink analysis and finite element analysis are conducted to verify the theory and determine the optimum parameters of the suspension stator with four piezoelectric stacks. The maximum free vibration amplitude of 4.25 µm of the stator is observed, which is nearly 4.7 times of that without suspension. The prototype can work at a maximum no-load speed of 62 rpm and produce a stall torque of 49.5 mN m under a driving signal of 30 V pp when the mass block is 0.30 g. Furthermore, the higher output power can be expected because more extra stacks can be added in this suspension structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]