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It is important to improve the overall quality of rice grown in northeastern China, which is famous for its high yield. Therefore, it is necessary to study the quality of japonica rice resources in the region. This study analyzed 71 rice samples from the Liaoning, Heilongjiang, and Jilin Provinces, focusing on grain shape, endosperm composition, and taste. Significant regional differences were observed in taste and edibility, with the samples from Heilongjiang and Jilin generally scoring higher taste value, which was significantly higher than the Liaoning variety. However, the Liaoning varieties were more stable in terms of the sensory evaluation of taste. Obvious differences in grain length were detected among the samples, with the varieties from Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces predominantly having short and medium-to-long grains, respectively, and those from Liaoning Province having diverse grain shapes. However, there was no correlation between grain shape and taste. This indicated that the taste of rice is not affected solely by its external morphology but also by multiple interacting factors. There were significant differences in endosperm composition among the three provinces, but the amylose content of the tested varieties was generally less than 18%, and the protein content was about 6%. Additionally, the Jilin Province varieties had the lowest apparent amylose content and long chain of amylopectin (Fb3), the Heilongjiang Province varieties had the lowest protein content, and there were more medium chains of amylopectin. Notably, protein content was negatively correlated with taste but positively correlated with pasting properties. It can be seen that the premise of varieties in different provinces showing good taste characteristics is to ensure the content of amylose and protein is low, and adjust the proportion of amylopectin chain length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen fertilizer affects rice endosperm protein, which in turn affects rice taste. However, study of nitrogen regulation of protein components is not sufficient. To clarify the effects of nitrogen fertilizer on rice protein components and related traits, we used two high albumin content and two low glutelin content rice varieties as test materials and analyzed the relationship between protein components and rice eating quality. The results showed that nitrogen application significantly affected prolamine and glutelin contents; moreover, a relationship was observed between variety and fertilization level. The protein components of the low glutelin content rice varieties were sensitive to nitrogen treatment; the albumin and globulin contents increased, whereas the prolamine and glutelin contents decreased following treatment with medium level nitrogen. Nitrogen treatment also significantly affected the apparent amylose content (AAC) of varieties except Yinguang. The eating characteristics of the high albumin content varieties differed significantly among nitrogen treatments, and the two varieties tasted better following treatment with high concentrations of nitrogen. In conclusion, the short chain of amylopectin in the endosperm had a greater direct effect on taste, but the effect was opposite in the two varieties. Furthermore, globulin was found to affect the taste of low glutelin content varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A prediction model for hydrogen loss rate (HLR) of coating zirconium hydride at 873 K based on Wagner's model was established using gas chromatograph. A continuous and dense coating of zirconium hydride with bilayer structure was prepared by phosphation‐oxidation method. The oxidation weight gain of coating zirconium hydride specimens at 873 K in a mixture atmosphere of CO2 and He was investigated. The oxidation weight gain law was obtained by fitting Wagner's model, and the release equation of CO were further deduced. The concentration of H2 and CO in the gas phase was measured by gas chromatograph in the closed system under the same conditions. The optimized HLR of coating zirconium hydride was obtained by deducting the amount of CO generated by the reaction of zirconium and CO2 using the release equation of CO. Fitted by Wagner's model, the dependence between optimized HLR and reaction time was obtained, and the loss amount of hydrogen at any moment can be calculated by extrapolated and integrated, thus a prediction model was established. Based on the model, the HLR of coating zirconium hydride is 0.97% in 1 year. Highlights: A prediction model for hydrogen loss rate of coating ZrHx at 873 K was established using gas chromatograph.A continuous and dense coating of ZrHx with bilayer structure was prepared by phosphation‐oxidation method.Fitted by Wagner's model, the equation of hydrogen permeability rate was obtained.The prediction model was further optimized by deducting the amount of CO produced by the reaction of Zr in CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photoredox promoted decarboxylative C–H glycosylation has been developed for the synthesis of heteroaryl C-glycosides. This methodology is characterized by its exceedingly simple reaction system, high diastereoselectivity and good functional group tolerance. Moreover, this innovative approach circumvents the need for high temperatures, transition metals, and photocatalysts, providing an environmentally friendly, straightforward, and efficient protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ionic liquid was used as the wetting agent for the interface between PEO/LLZO SSE and electrodes. • IL content was optimized to 17.5 wt% to render the sufficient wetting but no liquid leakage. • [Py14]TFSI endows the SSEs with high interfacial compatibility with both cathode and Li metal anode. • Solid-state Li||LFP cell shows good safety, flexibility, and cycling stability at room temperature. Employing solid electrolytes in lithium metal batteries has been proposed to address the safety issues from the organic liquid electrolyte and Li dendrite growth. However, their practical applications are still plagued by the large interfacial resistance between the electrode and solid-state electrolytes (SSEs). Herein, a small amount of nonflammable and nonvolatile ionic liquids (ILs) are introduced into the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) composite SSEs to simultaneously promote the ionic transport within SSEs bulks and through SSEs-electrode interface. When the 17.5 wt% ILs are added, the ionic conductivity of PEO/LLZO SSEs increases by an order of magnitude, and the interfacial resistance decrease by >5 times at 25 °C. Meanwhile, no leakage of ILs from PEO/LLZO SSEs can be observed under high pressure of 10 MPa. Moreover, it is found that the IL of [Py 14 ]TFSI endows the PEO/LLZO SSEs with better interfacial compatibility with both high voltage cathode and Li metal anode than [BMIM]TFSI and [EMIM]TFSI. Benefiting from these merits of PEO/LLZO@[Py 14 ]TFSI (PLP) SSEs, the pouch-type solid-state LiFePO 4 ||Li cell shows a high average capacity of 124 mAh g−1, average Coulombic efficiency of over 99.5 %, and retains 120 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 25 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the deficiencies of the three typical "external gettering" systems: metal-oxide equilibrium deoxidation (MED), halide flux deoxidation (HFD) and electrochemical deoxidation (ECD), a novel deoxidation method based on the combination of oxytropic rare earth metal Y and Ca for in-depth deoxidation of Zr-O solid solution was proposed. The thermodynamic properties of the deoxidation method were analyzed, and it was found that the addition of metallic Y could significantly improve the deoxidation ability of the Ca-CaCl 2 system, because Y could form Y-Y 2 O 3 equilibrium to "anchor" the activity of CaO (a CaO) at a very low level. When the activity of Y 2 O 3 (a Y2O3) and a CaO in the flux conforms to a Y2O3 < 18.9 a 3 CaO at 1173 K, the deoxidation mode is thermodynamically feasible. Experiments were conducted to verify the method. The results showed that even if CaO was saturated in CaCl 2 flux, the oxygen content of Zr-O solid solution could still be controlled at the level of less than 100 ppm, thus the "anchoring effect" of Y on a CaO was verified. The oxygen content, phase and microstructure of the reacted Y specimens were analyzed, which suggested that when the ratio of CaO was less than 40 % of its solubility in CaCl 2 flux, the oxygen potential of the system was controlled by Y-O solid solution, and when it was greater than 40 %, the oxygen potential of the system was controlled by Y-Y 2 O 3 equilibrium. [Display omitted] • A novel in-depth deoxidationmethod based on the combination of oxytropic metals Y and Ca was proposed. • The formation of Y-O solid solution and Y-Y 2 O 3 equilibrium can "anchor" a CaO at an extremely low level. • The oxygen content of zirconium can be stably reduced to less than 100 ppm using this deoxidation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and efficient approach is developed for the fabrication of asymmetric non-spherical polymer particle arrays. A specific amount of solvent is provided to interact with the spherical polymer particles to intensify the segmental mobility, thus suppressing the viscosity and the glass transition temperature of the polymer particles. The spherical polymer particles in the rubbery state are deformed into non-spherical particle arrays at the gas/liquid interface. The upper parts of the polymer particles that protrude out of the liquid phase undergo deformation by interfacial tensions at the three-phase contact line, allowing the formation of a ridge of polymer with a protrusion on the top surface. Simultaneously, the lower parts of the polymer particles submerged under the liquid phase are subjected to enormous surface tension at the contact points, leading to a non-linear coalescence behavior of the neighboring polymer particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni-20Cr-Eu2O3 composites were designed as new control rod materials and were synthesized from Ni, Cr, and Eu2O3 mixture powders via ball milling and vacuum hot pressing. During ball milling, Eu2O3 was fined, nano-crystallized, amorphized, and then dissolved into matrix. The effect of Eu2O3 content on the microstructure and mechanics was researched, and the corresponding mechanism was discussed. The relative densities, grain sizes, and microhardness increased when Eu2O3 content increased. According to the TEM observations, Eu2O3 particles showed a semi-coherent relationship with the matrix. The results of mechanical property testing showed that the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation decreased with the Eu2O3 content increased. The maximum ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation were 741 MPa, 662 MPa, and 4%, respectively, with a 5 wt.% Eu2O3 addition. The experimental strengths were well matched with the theoretical values calculated by the strengthening mechanisms indicating that this method was highly effective for predicting the mechanical properties of Ni-20Cr-Eu2O3 composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitride film as a hydrogen permeation barrier on zirconium hydride has seldom been studied. In this work, the zirconium nitride films were prepared on zirconium hydride in an atmosphere of N2 and N2 + H2 at 500~800 °C, with a holding time of 5 h and 20 h, and the mechanisms of film growth and hydrogen permeation were analyzed. The results showed that the film growth was mostly influenced by the temperature, followed by the reaction atmosphere and the holding time. The hydrogen could increase the nitrogen diffusivity during the formation of zirconium nitride films. The in situ nitriding conditions were optimized as 800 °C, N2 + H2 atmosphere, and 5~20 h. The chemical composition of ZrN-based films was mainly comprised of Zr and N, with a minor content of O. In addition, the film exhibited a major phase of ZrN, accompanied by the coexistence of ZrO2, ZrO, ZrN(NH2), and ZrN0.36H0.8, as well as O-H and N-H bonds based on the XPS analysis. The as-prepared ZrN base films in the present study exhibited superior hydrogen permeation resistance to other ZrO2 films previously reported. The hydrogen permeation resistance of the films could be attributed to the following mechanisms, including the chemical capture of hydrogen by the above-mentioned compounds and bonds; the physical barrier of continuous and dense film incurred from the volume effect of different compounds based on Pilling–Bedworth model and the different nitrogen diffusion coefficients at different temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermodynamic properties of zirconium-oxygen (Zr–O) solid solution and its deoxidation by calcium in CaCl 2 molten salt were studied using a chemical equilibration technique. In the temperature range from 1173 to 1373 K, the equilibrium oxygen contents in Zr were measured experimentally under coexistence of Ca and CaO in CaCl 2 molten salt. The oxygen content in Zr was reduced from about 800 ppm to a minimum of less than 100 ppm. Then a CaO sensor — niobium-oxygen (Nb–O) solid solution was employed to equilibrate with Zr–O solid solution to determine the oxygen activity coefficient in Zr–O solid solution. Zr and Nb specimens were submerged in Ca-saturated CaCl 2 molten salt containing different amounts of CaO. CaCl 2 melt was used for a homogeneous reaction and composition. The experimental results shown that Henry's law held and the activity coefficient of oxygen was constant within the concentration range of this study. Based on the result, the standard formation Gibbs free energy of Zr–O solid solution was obtained as a function of temperature: 1/2O 2 (g) = O (in Zr) Δ G Z r − O θ = − 543577 + 64. 3 T (1173−1373K) The p-t-x relationship of the deoxidation system was obtained simultaneously, which make the deoxidation limit and variation trend of oxygen content in Zr–O solid solution predictable and controllable under different conditions. Oxygen distribution coefficient between Zr–O solid solution and Nb–O solid solution was found in agreement with the theoretical value and independent of oxygen potential of the system. • A simple method is used to verify the validity of Henry's law in Zr–O solution. • The formation Gibbs energy of Zr–O solid solution was obtained. • The p - t - x relationship of the deoxidation system was also established. • Oxygen distribution coefficient is independent with external oxygen potential. • The results of this paper can make the deoxidation process of Zr predictable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saurogobio dumeriliis a cyprinid fish endemic to China. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome ofS. dumeriliis reported, a circular molecule of 16,601 bp in length, with a base composition of 29.75% A, 25.71% T, 16.80% G and 27.75% C. It consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, 1 control region and a replication origin region (OL), with the typical pattern for vertebrates. The origin of L-strand replication (OL) inS. dumeriliwas located in a cluster of five tRNA genes (WANCY region) with 33 bp in length. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: This study was undertaken to characterize the blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction in patients with new onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) using dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI). Methods: This study included three groups of adult participants: patients with NORSE, encephalitis patients without status epilepticus (SE), and healthy subjects. These participants were retrospectively included from a prospective DCE‐MRI database of neurocritically ill patients and healthy subjects. The BBB permeability (Ktrans) in the hippocampus, basal ganglia, thalamus, claustrum, periventricular white matter, and cerebellum were measured and compared between these three groups. Results: A total of seven patients with NORSE, 14 encephalitis patients without SE, and nine healthy subjects were included in this study. Among seven patients with NORSE, only one had a definite etiology (autoimmune encephalitis), and the rest were cryptogenic. Etiology of encephalitis patients without SE included viral (n = 2), bacterial (n = 8), tuberculous (n = 1), cryptococcal (n = 1), and cryptic (n = 2) encephalitis. Of these 14 encephalitis patients without SE, three patients had seizures. Compared to healthy controls, NORSE patients had significantly increased Ktrans values in the hippocampus (.73 vs..02 × 10−3/min, p =.001) and basal ganglia (.61 vs..003 × 10−3/min, p =.007) and a trend in the thalamus (.24 vs..08 × 10−3/min, p =.017). Compared to encephalitis patients without SE, NORSE patients had significantly increased Ktrans values in the thalamus (.24 vs..01 × 10−3/min, p =.002) and basal ganglia (.61 vs..004 × 10−3/min, p =.013). Significance: This exploratory study demonstrates that BBBs of NORSE patients were impaired diffusely, and BBB dysfunction in the basal ganglia and thalamus plays an important role in the pathophysiology of NORSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ordered arrays of anisotropic non‐spherical polymer particles are fabricated by interfacial tension deformation of self‐assembled spherical polymer particles as described by Qingfeng Yan and their co‐workers on page 812. The polymer particles are softened due to the diffusion of solvent molecules into the polymer and subjected to lateral stretches by the interfacial tensions at the three‐phase contact line, leading to the formation of asymmetric polymer particle arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using ternary molten salt with a molar ratio of NaCl:KCl:CsCl = 30:24.5:45.5 and ZrCl4 as raw materials to prepare a NaCl-KCl-CsCl-Cs2ZrCl6 composite electrolyte. Characterizing by XRD, ICP-AES, optical microscopy and SEM-EDS, the results showed that when the molar ratio of CsCl:ZrCl4 ≥ 2:1, Cs2ZrCl6 was generated according to the stoichiometric reaction; when the molar ratio of CsCl:ZrCl4 < 2:1, CsCl in molten salt was almost completely converted to Cs2ZrCl6, and there was a ZrCl4 phase. When the molar ratio of CsCl:ZrCl4 = 2:1, with the increase of the reaction temperature and reaction time, the concentration of zirconium ions first increased and then decreased. The optimized preparation process conditions are: the 2:1 molar ratio of CsCl to ZrCl4 in NaCl-KCl-CsCl, 500 °C of reaction temperature of and 3 h of reaction time. Under this condition, 99.68% conversion rate from ZrCl4 to Cs2ZrCl6 was obtained. Taking the prepared NaCl-KCl-CsCl-Cs2ZrCl6 composite electrolyte as a raw material, a preliminary study of molten salt electrolytic refining zirconium was carried out, and a refined zirconium product with a dendrite of 10.61 mm was obtained under the conditions of a zirconium ions concentration of 5%, an electrolysis temperature of 750 °C, a current density of 0.1 A/cm2, and an electrolysis time of 9 h, indicating that the composite electrolyte can be used for the electrolytic refining of zirconium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoO 3 nanorods/Fe 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 nanoparticles composite has been prepared by a hydrothermal method combined with an in situ diffusion growth process. Single cells based on 300 μm LSGM electrolyte have been fabricated with the MoO 3 nanorods/Fe 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 nanoparticles composite anode and a composite cathode consisting of Sr 0.9 Ce 0.1 CoO 3− δ and Sm-doped ceria (SDC). The peak power densities reach 225, 50, 75 mW cm −2 at 900 °C in H 2 , CH 4 and C 3 H 8 , respectively. The cell shows excellent long-term stability at 850 °C. The preliminary results demonstrate that the MoO 3 nanorods/Fe 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 nanoparticles composite is a promising alternative anode for solid oxide fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An investigation was conducted using phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) profiles to follow the spatial response of the microbial community at the millimeter scale with the purpose of illustrating the mechanism of nonlinear spatial dependence of PCP degradation on the distance from the root surface in the rhizosphere of Lolium perenne L. A laminar rhizobox was designed to allow the harvest of intact layers of root compartment, near-(1, 2, 3, 4, 5mm) and far-(>5mm) rhizosphere soil from root surfaces without the removal of the root material itself. Lolium perenne L. was grown in environmental chambers for 53 days with soil spiked with 8.7 and 18mgkg−1 PCP. PLFA profiles were found to be affected by the distance from the rhizosphere, indicating a distance-dependent selective enrichment of competent species that may be responsible for efficient PCP degradation. In particular, the five fatty acids 16:1ω5, 16:0, i17:0, a17:0 and 10Me18:0 emerged as microbiological biomarkers that may be used for assessing phytoremediation processes of PCP in soil. Their synergistic effects were shown to be most responsive to the nonlinear spatial patterns of PCP degradation in the vicinity of Lolium perenne L. roots. The results suggest that root exudates induced modifications of microbial communities in the PCP contaminated rhizosphere and spatially modified the dominant species within these communities, resulting in the nonlinear PCP degradation pattern. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Thin‐film lithium niobate (TFLN) is superior for integrated nanophotonics due to its outstanding properties in nearly all aspects: strong second‐order nonlinearity, fast and efficient electro‐optic effects, wide transparency window, and little two photon absorption and free carrier scattering. Together, they permit highly integrated nanophotonic circuits capable of complex photonic processing by incorporating disparate elements on the same chip. Yet, there has to be a demonstration that synergizes those superior properties for system advantage. Here, such a chip that capitalizes on TFLN's favorable ferroelectricity, high second‐order nonlinearity, and strong electro‐optic effects is demonstrated. It consists of a monolithic circuit integrating a Z‐cut, quasi‐phase matched microring with high quality factor and a phase modulator used in active feedback control. By Pound–Drever–Hall locking, it realizes stable frequency doubling at about 50% conversion with only milliwatt pump power. This demonstration addresses a long‐outstanding challenge facing cavity‐based optical processing, including frequency conversion, frequency comb generation, and all‐optical switching, whose stable performance is hindered by photorefractive or thermal effects. These results further establish TFLN as an excellent material capable of optical multitasking, as desirable to build multi‐functional chip devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper describes the work to standardize Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) medical records. The new standard was created through modification and augmentation of the existing western medicine medical record standard WS-445. • In order to standardize Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) medical records, the TCM clinical information system was modeled with an outpatient clinical database structure and an inpatient clinical database structure. • Based on the proposed models, eight new datasets were created to describe TCM clinical diagnosis and treatment activities. • Some of the existing data elements from WS-445 are kept as is, some are expanded with new TCM contents, and yet some 732 brand new data elements are created to cover TCM specialties which do not have a proper counterpart in western medicine. • The proposed new standard were verified with over 170,000 medical records, and validated by three independent TCM hospitals. Standardization of electronic medical record, so as to enable resource-sharing and information exchange among medical institutions has become inevitable in view of the ever increasing medical information. The current research is an effort towards the standardization of basic dataset of electronic medical records in traditional Chinese medicine. In this work, an outpatient clinical information model and an inpatient clinical information model are created to adequately depict the diagnosis processes and treatment procedures of traditional Chinese medicine. To be backward compatible with the existing dataset standard created for western medicine, the new standard shall be a superset of the existing standard. Thus, the two models are checked against the existing standard in conjunction with 170,000 medical record cases. If a case cannot be covered by the existing standard due to the particularity of Chinese medicine, then either an existing data element is expanded with some Chinese medicine contents or a new data element is created. Some dataset subsets are also created to group and record Chinese medicine special diagnoses and treatments such as acupuncture. The outcome of this research is a proposal of standardized traditional Chinese medicine medical records datasets. The proposal has been verified successfully in three medical institutions with hundreds of thousands of medical records. A new dataset standard for traditional Chinese medicine is proposed in this paper. The proposed standard, covering traditional Chinese medicine as well as western medicine, is expected to be soon approved by the authority. A widespread adoption of this proposal will enable traditional Chinese medicine hospitals and institutions to easily exchange information and share resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Solid-state lithium batteries promise to exceed the capabilities of traditional Li-ion batteries in safety and performance. However, a number of obstacles have stood in the path of solid-state battery development, primarily high resistance and low capacity. In this work, these barriers are overcome through the fabrication of a uniquely microstructured solid electrolyte architecture based on a doped Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZ) ceramic Li-conductor. Specifically, a porous-dense-porous trilayer structure was fabricated by tape casting, a scalable roll-to-roll manufacturing technique. The dense (>99%) center layer can be fabricated as thin as ∼10 μm and blocks dendrites over hundreds of cycles. The microstructured porous layers serve as electrode supports and increase the mechanical strength by ∼9×, making the cells strong enough to handle with ease. Additionally, the porous layers multiply the electrode–electrolyte interfacial surface area by >40× compared to a typical planar interface. Lithium symmetric cells based on the trilayer architecture were cycled at room temperature and achieved area-specific resistances (∼7 Ω-cm2) dramatically lower, and current densities dramatically higher (10 mA/cm2), than previously reported literature results. Moreover, to demonstrate scalability a large-format cell was fabricated with lithium metal in one porous layer and a sulfur electrode with conductive carbon and an ionic liquid interface in the other, achieving 1244 mAh/g S utilization and 195 Wh/kg based on total cell mass, showing a promising path to commercially viable, intrinsically safe lithium batteries with high specific energy and high energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing solid-state lithium metal batteries requires fast lithium-ion conductors, good electrochemical stability, and scalable processing approaches to device integration. In this work, we demonstrate a unique design for a flexible lithium-ion conducting ceramic textile with the above features for use in solid-state batteries. The ceramic textile was based on the garnet-type conductor Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 and exhibited a range of desirable chemical and structural properties, including: lithium-ion conducting cubic structure, low density, multi-scale porosity, high surface area/volume ratio, and good flexibility. The solid garnet textile enabled reinforcement of a solid polymer electrolyte to achieve high lithium-ion conductivity and stable long-term Li cycling over 500 h without failure. The textile also provided an electrolyte framework when designing a 3D electrode to realize ultrahigh cathode loading (10.8 g/cm 2 sulfur) for high-performance Li-metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Electrolytes that are able to reversibly deposit/strip Mg are crucial for rechargeable Mg batteries. The most studied complex electrolytes based on Lewis acid‐base chemistry are expensive, difficult to be synthesized, and show limited anodic stability. Conventional electrolytes using simple salts such as Mg(TFSI)2 can be readily synthesized, but Mg deposition/stripping in these simple salt electrolytes is accompanied by a large overpotential due to the formation of a surface layer on the Mg metal with a low Mg ion conductivity. Here the overpotential for Mg deposition/stripping in a simple salt, Mg(TFSI)2‐1,2‐dimethoxyethane (DME), electrolyte is significantly reduced by adding a small concentration of iodine (≤50 × 10−3 m) as an additive. Mechanism studies demonstrate that an Mg ion conductive solid MgI2 layer is formed on the surface of the Mg metal and acts as a solid electrolyte interface. With the Mg(TFSI)2‐DME‐I2 electrolyte, a very small voltage hysteresis is achieved in an Mg‐S full cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The redox chemistry of magnesium and its application in rechargeable Mg batteries has received increasing attention owing to the unique benefits of Mg metal electrodes, namely high reversibility without dendrite formation, low reduction potentials, and high specific capacities. The Mg/S couple is of particular interest owing to its high energy density and low cost. Previous reports have confirmed the feasibility of a rechargeable Mg/S battery; however, only limited cycling stability was achieved, and the complicated procedure for the preparation of the electrolytes has significantly compromised the benefits of Mg/S chemistry and hindered the development of Mg/S batteries. Herein, we report the development of the first rechargeable Mg/S battery with a MgTFSI2/MgCl2/DME electrolyte (DME=1,2-dimethoxyethane, TFSI=bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide) and realize the best cycling stability among all reported Mg/S batteries by suppressing polysulfide dissolution. Mechanistic studies show that the battery works via S0/MgS x redox processes and that the large voltage hysteresis is mainly due to the Mg anode overpotential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The redox chemistry of magnesium and its application in rechargeable Mg batteries has received increasing attention owing to the unique benefits of Mg metal electrodes, namely high reversibility without dendrite formation, low reduction potentials, and high specific capacities. The Mg/S couple is of particular interest owing to its high energy density and low cost. Previous reports have confirmed the feasibility of a rechargeable Mg/S battery; however, only limited cycling stability was achieved, and the complicated procedure for the preparation of the electrolytes has significantly compromised the benefits of Mg/S chemistry and hindered the development of Mg/S batteries. Herein, we report the development of the first rechargeable Mg/S battery with a MgTFSI2/MgCl2/DME electrolyte (DME=1,2-dimethoxyethane, TFSI=bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide) and realize the best cycling stability among all reported Mg/S batteries by suppressing polysulfide dissolution. Mechanistic studies show that the battery works via S0/MgS x redox processes and that the large voltage hysteresis is mainly due to the Mg anode overpotential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High electrochemical reversibility of the TiS 2 anode in “Water-in-Salt” electrolyte (21 m LiTFSI in H 2 O) is demonstrated for the first time. The wide electrochemical window and low chemical activity of H 2 O in the “Water-in-Salt” electrolyte not only significantly enhanced the electrochemical reversibility of TiS 2 but also effectively suppressed the hydrolysis side reaction in the aqueous electrolyte. Paired with a LiMn 2 O 4 cathode, the LiMn 2 O 4 /TiS 2 full cell delivers a relatively high discharge voltage of 1.7 V and an energy density of 78 Wh kg − 1 as well as a satisfactory rate performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced electrode materials have been intensively explored for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and great progresses have been achieved for many potential candidates at the lab-scale. To realize the commercialization of these materials, industrially-viable synthetic approaches are urgently needed. Spray pyrolysis (SP), which is highly scalable and compatible with on-line continuous production processes, offers great fidelity in synthesis of electrode materials with complex architectures and chemistries. In this review, motivated by the rapid advancement of the given technology in the battery area, we have summarized the recent progress on SP for preparing a great variety of anode and cathode materials of LIBs with emphasis on their unique structures generated by SP and how the structures enhanced the electrochemical performance of various electrode materials. Considering the emerging popularity of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), recent electrode materials for SIBs produced by SP will also be discussed. Finally, the powerfulness and limitation along with future research efforts of SP on preparing electrode materials are concisely provided. Given current worldwide interests on LIBs and SIBs, we hope this review will greatly stimulate the collaborative efforts among different communities to optimize existing approaches and to develop innovative processes for preparing electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Experimental measurements from published literature were re-analyzed. • Three typical blockage types were identified. • The coupling effect of blockage and longitudinal ventilation was addressed. • Modified correlations were proposed by incorporating the blockage ratio. The present study investigated the ventilation and blockage effect on fuel burning rate, the maximum temperature, critical velocity, and smoke back-layering length in longitudinally ventilated tunnels. Quantitative analysis was carried out by analyzing massive experimental measurements from the published literature. Three typical blockage modes were extracted to illustrate the blockage effect. Results indicated that fuel burning rate exhibited different responses towards the longitudinal ventilation, wherein burning rate of acetone, gasoline, ethanol, heptane, and wood crib increased when the wind velocity increased from 0.0 m/s to 3.0 m/s while burning rate of methanol pool fire firstly decreased and then increased. Prediction of the maximum temperature in tunnels without blockage by using previous correlations agreed well with the literature data. However, the maximum temperature was poorly estimated when the blockage effect was introduced. Modified correlations were thus established considering different blockage ratios. Meanwhile, empirical formulae to calculate the critical velocity and smoke-back-layering length in tunnels with and without blockages were also proposed, presenting good agreement with the measurements from previous literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new super-concentrated aqueous electrolyte is proposed by introducing a second lithium salt. The resultant ultra-high concentration of 28 m led to more effective formation of a protective interphase on the anode along with further suppression of water activities at both anode and cathode surfaces. The improved electrochemical stability allows the use of TiO2 as the anode material, and a 2.5 V aqueous Li-ion cell based on LiMn2O4 and carbon-coated TiO2 delivered the unprecedented energy density of 100 Wh kg−1 for rechargeable aqueous Li-ion cells, along with excellent cycling stability and high coulombic efficiency. It has been demonstrated that the introduction of a second salts into the 'water-in-salt' electrolyte further pushed the energy densities of aqueous Li-ion cells closer to those of the state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new super-concentrated aqueous electrolyte is proposed by introducing a second lithium salt. The resultant ultra-high concentration of 28 m led to more effective formation of a protective interphase on the anode along with further suppression of water activities at both anode and cathode surfaces. The improved electrochemical stability allows the use of TiO2 as the anode material, and a 2.5 V aqueous Li-ion cell based on LiMn2O4 and carbon-coated TiO2 delivered the unprecedented energy density of 100 Wh kg−1 for rechargeable aqueous Li-ion cells, along with excellent cycling stability and high coulombic efficiency. It has been demonstrated that the introduction of a second salts into the 'water-in-salt' electrolyte further pushed the energy densities of aqueous Li-ion cells closer to those of the state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 340 GHz 4 × 4 detector array based on 0.18 µm gallium arsenide technology is presented. Each pixel is composed of a planar log‐periodic antenna, a Schottky barrier diode, and a pair of bonding pads. The detector array is mounted on a silicon lens and assembled onto a PCB using the authors' novel flip‐chip structure. Off‐axis performances of the lens‐coupled detector array are demonstrated experimentally, which agree well with the simulated ones. The detector array shows a peak voltage responsivity of 1347 V/W and a noise equivalent power of 2.1 pW/Hz1/2 at 340 GHz, exhibiting much better performance than the CMOS counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Willow tree bark samples from urban and rural sites in Inner Mongolia, Ningxia Province, and Gansu Province, in the Yellow River basin, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), dechlorane plus (DP), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) to compare their relative levels in air in these areas (i.e., treating bark as a passive air sampler). No difference was found between the pollutant concentrations in Salix matsudana and Salix babylonica bark samples. The mean concentrations of the total PBDEs, DP, and total DL-PCBs were 13 000 ± 6400, 46 ± 44, and 26 ± 17 pg/g dry weight, respectively, with urban samples containing much higher concentrations (19 000 ± 5700 pg/g, 51 ± 27 pg/g, and 37 ± 29 pg/g dry wt in PBDEs, DP, and DL-PCBs, respectively) than rural samples (10 000 ± 5200 pg/g, 45 ± 53 pg/g, 22 ± 9 pg/g dry wt). A strong positive correlation between PBDEs and DP was found in all of the samples ( r = 0.712, p = 0.006), but correlations between PCBs and the other pollutants were only found in the rural samples. The total DL-PCB concentration in the tree bark correlated with population density. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:1732-1738. © 2014 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organochlorine pesticide (OCP) concentrations in tree bark from the upper Yellow River region were determined. Total OCP concentrations ranged from 2.7 to 82 ng/g dw, with a mean of 20 ng/g dw. Concentrations of total (Σ) DDTs (0.49–37 ng/g dw), HCHs (0.55–4.5 ng/g dw), and HCB (0.1–1.0 ng/g dw) were much higher than the other OCPs and accounted for 89% of the ΣOCP concentrations. p,p' -DDT was the dominant member of the DDT pesticide group and β-HCH was the dominant HCH isomer. The p,p’ -DDT/ p,p’ -DDE and α-HCH/γ-HCH ratios suggested that there were recent DDT and γ-HCH releases. OCP concentrations in the air were estimated from the tree bark, and the estimated median ΣDDTs, ΣHCHs, and HCB concentrations in the air were 0.09, 0.14, and 0.024 pg/m 3 , respectively. The relationship between total OCP concentrations and socioeconomic and natural environment indices were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis, and a regression equation including all these factors was obtained. Population density and tertiary industry were the two dominant factors that appeared to affect OCP concentrations in the upper Yellow River region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Porous flowerlike Co3O4 microspheres/Cu nanoparticles composite has been synthesized via a combined solvothermal method, subsequent thermal treatment and polyol process. Due to the 3D mesoporous structure, the resulting Co3O4 microspheres/Cu catalyst shows an efficient and stable bifunctional catalytic activity. The cobalt oxide-based catalysts show better performance during the discharging and charging processes at a current density of 0.05mAcm−2 compared with that of the Vulcan XC-72. The cell with this novel catalyst can be reversibly charged/discharged and has a good cycle performance. The preliminary results indicate that the Porous flowerlike Co3O4 microspheres/Cu nanoparticles composite is a promising material for a metal/air battery or a PEM fuel cell as an efficient and stable bifunctional catalyst. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nanosphere lithography (NSL) has been regarded as aninexpensive,inherently parallel, high-throughput, materials-general approach tothe fabrication of nanoparticle arrays. However, the order of theresulting nanoparticle array is essentially dependent on the qualityof the colloidal monolayer mask. Furthermore, the lateral featuresize of the nanoparticles created using NSL is coupled with the diameterof the colloidal spheres, which makes it inconvenient for studyingthe size-dependent properties of nanoparticles. In this work, we demonstratea facile approach to the fabrication of a large-area, transferrable,high-quality latex colloidal mask for nanosphere lithography. Theapproach is based on a combination of the air/water interface self-assemblymethod and the solvent-vapor-annealing technique. It enables the fabricationof colloidal masks with a higher crystalline integrity compared tothose produced by other strategies. By manipulating the diameter ofthe colloidal spheres and precisely tuning the solvent-vapor-annealingprocess, flexible control of the size, shape, and spacing of the intersticein a colloidal mask can be realized, which may facilitate the broaduse of NSL in studying the size-, shape-, and period-dependent optical,magnetic, electronic, and catalytic properties of nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Air samples in four seasons at one site and tree bark samples from four districts were determined to investigate seasonal variation and regional distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in Beijing, China. The total concentrations of PBDEs (∑PBDE) and HBCD (∑HBCD) were in the range of 57–470 and 20–1800pgm−3 in the atmosphere, respectively. The ∑PBDE and ∑HBCD concentrations were significantly influenced by the total suspended particulate matter in atmosphere. The total concentrations of PBDEs and HBCD in tree bark samples were in the range of 99–3700 and 26–3400ngg−1 lipid weight. It was found that regional distribution of PBDEs and HBCD was related to the function of each district. In addition, the study found that weeping willow bark was an ideal atmospheric PBDEs and HBCD passive sampler. Finally, atmospheric levels of BDE-209 and HBCD at tree bark sampling districts were estimated via applying an established bark/air partitioning model, which had been verified by the measured concentrations in tree bark and atmosphere in Beijing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To understand root–soil–microbe interactions in rhizo-depletion of xenobiotics, we conducted a glasshouse study using specially designed laminar rhizoboxes which allow intact layers of near- (1–5mm) and far- (>5mm) rhizosphere soil to be harvested separately from root surfaces without the removal of the root material itself. Plant (Lolium perenne L.) seedlings were grown for 90 days in a soil treated with PCP at 20 and 50mgkg−1. Changes in PCP depletion, soil microbial biomass and community structure (as indicated by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) profiles) with increasing distance from the root surfaces were then assessed after harvesting. Surprisingly, depletion of PCP in the planted rhizoboxes exhibited a nonlinear dependence on the distance to root surfaces, with the most rapid loss in the 2 or 3mm near-rhizosphere layers, contrasting to the well-known linear gradient of root exudates and mineral nutrients etc. (generally, the extent gradually decreased with increasing distance from the root surface). Soil microbial biomass carbon, however, decreased linearly as expected with increasing distance from the roots. The microbial community structures as indicated by PLFA profiles showed distance-dependent selective enrichment of competent species that may be responsible for efficient PCP depletion. The results suggest that root exudates induced modifications of microbial communities in the PCP contaminated rhizosphere and spatially modified the dominant species within these communities, resulting in the nonlinear PCP depletion pattern. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Insight into the sorption mechanism of pentachlorophenol (PCP) was gained by constructing highly detailed isotherms over the widest possible concentration range. Using the dual-mode model, sorption isotherms of PCP were accurately predicted, the sorption capacities were determined, and the mechanisms of adsorption (hole-filling) and partitioning were elucidated. Sorption–desorption hysteresis in the present study was manifested to some significant degree in 10 soils with different properties. Such hysteresis might result from the pore deformation and entrapment of PCP molecules within organic matter. Total nitrogen in soils also has its contribution in these kinds of processes. Correlations of stepwise regression equations obtained confirm that pH, soil organic carbon and organic carbon fractions, and particle size distribution are the main factors responsible for the sorption and desorption hysteresis processes. These factors worked in concert in influencing the fate of PCP sorption–desorption in soil. The empirical models developed in this study accurately predict PCP sorption and desorption hysteresis phenomena for the soils that were investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• This paper identified the challenges of existing works for fully chromosome segmentation in an end-to-end manner. • This paper proposed a non-end-to-end paradigm to utilize existing chromosome cluster segmentation works. • This paper proposed a novel method to address the issue of cluster type identification of chromosome clusters. • The proposed method was evaluated on a clinical dataset and achieved advanced performance. • This paper made the code and dataset available for peers to promote research of cluster type identification of chromosome clusters and fully chromosome segmentation. Chromosome karyotyping analysis plays a crucial role in prenatal diagnosis for diagnosing whether a fetus has severe defects or genetic diseases. However, due to the complicated morphological characteristics of various types of chromosome clusters, chromosome instance segmentation is the most challenging stage of chromosome karyotyping analysis, leading chromosome karyotyping analysis to highly dependent on skilled clinical analysts. Since most of the chromosome instance segmentation efforts are currently devoted to segmenting chromosome instances from different types of chromosome clusters, type identification of chromosome clusters is a vital anterior task for chromosome instance segmentation. Firstly, this paper proposes an automatic approach for chromosome cluster identification using recent transfer learning techniques. The proposed framework is based on ResNeXt weakly-supervised learning (WSL) pre-trained backbone and a task-specific network header. Secondly, this paper proposes a fast training methodology that tunes our framework from coarse-to-fine gradually. Extensive evaluations on a clinical dataset consisting of 6592 clinical chromosome samples show that the proposed framework achieves 94.09 % accuracy , 92.79 % sensitivity , and 98.03 % specificity. Such performance is superior to the best baseline model that we obtain 92.17 % accuracy , 89.1 % sensitivity , and 97.42 % specificity. To foster research and application in the chromosome cluster type identification, we make our clinical dataset and code available via GitHub. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A promising hybrid anode material for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) is designed and synthesized by coating reduced graphene oxide onto NiCo 2 S 4 nanoparticles (denoted as NCS@rGO). An intrinsic 3D micro-mesoporous network is obtained, which can shorten and fasten the access of Na+ diffusion and electron transport, provide sufficient reaction active sites, and enhance structural stability to suppress volume expansion. As a result, as an anode for SIBs, the NCS@rGO electrode delivers reversible capacity of 621 and 532 mAh g−1 at 0.1 and 0.5 A g−1, respectively. A high capacity retention of 95% is obtained at 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles. The reaction mechanism of NCS@rGO during charge and discharge has been investigated. The results reveal that the conversion products of NiS 2 and CoS 2 from the phase transformation of NiCo 2 S 4 are successfully confined with the rGO coating. Furthermore, the NCS@rGO hybrid exhibits a pseudo-capacitive dominated behaviour, which contributes to the measured superior rate capability. This work provides valuable insight into how the phase transformation of NCS@rGO during the charge/discharge process affecting the performance of sodium ion batteries, and this hybrid can be applied as a promising anode for SIBs. A promising hybrid NiCo 2 S 4 @rGO, using rGO as a protective matrix, is synthesized and exhibits excellent performance for the anode of SIBs. The reaction mechanisms during charge and discharge have been revealed. The decomposition products of NiS 2 and CoS 2 from the phase transformation of NiCo 2 S 4 are successfully confined by the rGO coating, which makes the hybrid a promising anode material for SIBs. Image 1 • NCS@rGO has been prepared by a hydrothermal method to form a mosaic structure. • NCS@rGO shows excellent electrochemical performance as the anode material for SIBs. • Insights into the phase transformation of NCS@rGO has been provided. • Pseudo-capacitive dominated behaviour contributes to the superior rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bandpass filter (BPF) with improved upper‐stopband performance has been studied and implemented with the aid of a ground plane based on high impedance structures (HIS). The microstrip structure of the filter on the top layer consists of three‐order cascaded cross‐shaped resonators loaded by folded split ring slots. The ground plane contains two groups of 2 × 5 lattice metallic mushroom array, showing high impedance at the spurious band so that the upper‐stopband bandwidth of the BPF can be effectively broadened. The HIS‐based ground can independently control the stopband without affecting passband performance. Experimental results demonstrate that the BPF exhibits an extremely broad stopband region from 15.5 to 49.2 GHz with a rejection level above 20 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudobagrus trilineatuswas listed as a vulnerable species in the China Species Red List. In the present paper, we reported the complete mitochondrial genome ofP. trilineatus. The genome was 16,535 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a control region, a gene organization similar to that of typical vertebrate mitochondrial genome. The overall nucleotide base composition ofP. trilineatusmitogenome was A (31.56%), T (26.48%), C (27.13%) and G (14.83%), with an AT content of 58.04%. This study contributes to providing new molecular data for the conservation of this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Flowerlike CeO2 coated with Sr2Fe1.5Mo0.5Ox (Sr-Fe-Mo-oxide) nanoparticles exhibits enhanced conductivity at low temperatures (300-600 oC), e.g. 0.12 S cm−1 at 600 oC, this is comparable to pure ceria (0.1 S cm−1 at 800 oC). Advanced single layer fuel cell was constructed using the flowerlike CeO2/Sr-Fe-Mo-oxide layer attached to a Ni-foam layer coated with the conducting transition metal oxide. Such fuel cell has yielded a peak power density of 802 mWcm−2 at 550 oC. The mechanism of enhanced conductivity and cell performance were analyzed. These results provide a promising strategy for developing advanced low-temperature SOFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]