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The utility of measurement of serum immunoglobulin and complement in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association of serum immunoglobulin and complement levels and liver fibrosis and inflammation stage in CHB patients. A total of 687 patients with CHB who underwent liver biopsy were enrolled. Serum immunoglobulin and complement were measured before liver biopsy, and liver pathological results were recorded. Associations of serum immunoglobulin and complement levels and liver fibrosis and inflammation stage were analysed. C3, C4, IgG and IgG1 had statistically significant differences among different fibrosis and different inflammation groups. Both C3 and C4 negatively correlated with fibrosis and inflammation stage, but IgG and IgG1 showed opposite results. C3, C4, IgG and IgG1 had statistical significance to predict ≥S2, ≥S3 and S4, and also had statistical significance to predict ≥G2, ≥G3 and G4. The area under curve (AUC) of the combination of C3, C4 and IgG (C3 + C4 + IgG) for predicting ≥S2, ≥S3 and S4 was 0.640 (95% CI: 0.603, 0.676), 0.674 (95% CI: 0.638, 0.709) and 0.744 (95% CI: 0.710, 0.776), respectively. The AUC of C3 + C4 + IgG for predicting ≥G2, ≥G3 and G4 was 0.723 (95% CI: 0.688, 0.756), 0.674 (95% CI: 0.638, 0.709) and 0.771 (95% CI: 0.738, 0.802), respectively. C3, C4, IgG and IgG1 are correlated with liver fibrosis and inflammation stage in CHB patients. C3, C4, IgG and IgG1 have diagnostic value for liver fibrosis and inflammation. C3 + C4 + IgG may improve diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of complex background, diverse shapes, and object occlusion in aerial images, a cascade reasoning graph network (CRGN) is proposed for multi-fitting detection on transmission lines. First of all, for these three problems mentioned above, co-occurrence knowledge, semantic knowledge, and spatial knowledge were constructed to represent the co-relation of objects by analyzing the characteristics of the transmission line fittings. Next, the Supervised Graph Learning (SGL), Graph Attention network (GAT), and Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) were employed to reason corresponding knowledge. In addition, to generate more accurate proposals for the graph reasoning module, resampling was carried out through the cascade network. Finally, the enhanced features were fused with the original visual features to recognize and position the fittings. Test results show that CRGN can improve the detection effect of multi-fittings on the transmission line, especially for some hard-detection fittings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extremely low-background environment is a crucial requirement for any neutrinoless double beta decay experiment. Neutrons are very difficult to stop, because they can pass through the shielding and activate nuclei in the detector, even inside the fiducial volume itself. Using Geant4 simulations we have studied the neutron background for N ν DEx-100 and the most efficient way to reduce it. Using a 60 cm thick external high-density polyethylene (HDPE) shielding the neutron background can be reduced down to 0. 24 ± 0. 06 events/year, lower than the background rate due to natural radioactivity (0.42 events/year), which was used as a benchmark for these calculations. The amount of HDPE needed can be significantly reduced by placing a filler in the empty space between the lead shielding and the steel vessel; in this way, it is sufficient to add 20 cm external HDPE shielding to reduce the neutron background down to 0. 15 ± 0. 05 events/year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanol is regarded as a low-carbon renewable fuel which is friendly to the environment. For purpose of investigating the impact of water introduction in methanol on diesel-methanol diffusion combustion, experimental tests were performed on a refitted dual-fuel high-speed diesel engine test bench. This research compared the differences between diesel-methanol diffusion combustion (DMDC) mode and diesel-hydrous methanol diffusion combustion (DHMDC) mode with a water mass content of 20%. The tests were performed by maintaining the engine speed of 3000 rpm and varying engine load as well as methanol injection timing (MIT). The results indicate that the heat release process in DHMDC mode begins later but is more rapid and concentrated compared to DMDC mode. The addition of 20% water in methanol does not significantly decreases the peak average in-cylinder temperature. However, it decreases the NO x emissions by up to approximately 40%. Water introduction leads to higher CO and THC emissions in DHMDC mode, but the retardation of MIT helps mitigate the increase in CO and THC emissions. The exhaust losses in DHMDC mode decrease by about 5%–8%, while the heat transfer losses increase by over 20%, resulting in a lower indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) in comparison with DMDC mode. The effects of the 20% water addition in methanol are sensitive to changes in engine load and MIT. Higher engine load and appropriately retarded MIT facilitate more efficient and cleaner combustion in DHMDC mode. • Hydrous methanol direct injection was studied on a compression ignition engine. • Water addition in methanol contributed to a reduction in NO x emissions of up to 40%. • Appropriately high engine load conduced to low reduction in thermal efficiency. • Retarded hydrous methanol injection timing facilitated lower overall emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Accelerating cavity applying to ignition chamber increased the jet flow speed. • Methanol combustion duration was shortened by 28% by using accelerating cavity. • Methanol ultra-lean combustion limit reached 0.35 in equivalent ratio with accelerating cavity. Owing to the high laminar flame velocity and broad flammability limit of methanol (CH 3 OH), it is ideal for lean burning. How to obtain high energy and reliable ignition is one of the biggest challenges with lean or ultra-low combustion. To gain good ultra-lean burn performance, one solution is utilizing an turbulent jet ignition (TJI)system. Moreover, the methanol can be directly used in the jet ignition chamber for its low vaporization temperature and volatile characteristics. To enhance the methanol jet ignition performance, the two-stage accelerating cavity was applied to accelerate the combustion and extend the lean-burn limit in this research. In a optical experimental apparatus, jet ignition and combustion process of premixed methanol in the main combustion chamber (MCC) were investigated using the shadowgraph and transient pressure data acquisition methods. The experiment results showed that the pressure of the MCC emerged an obvious two-stage rising process to use the two-stage accelerating cavity (SAC). In addition, when the SAC was applied in the ignition chamber (IC), the proportion and peak value of the first stage heat release in the MCC were clearly higher than those of the single straight hole (SSH). Moreover, the ignition chamber compounded with SAC exhibited a short ignition delay and long jet ignition duration. Compared to SSH, the methanol combustion duration in the MCC by using SAC shortened by approximately 28% under both stoichiometric and lean conditions. In other words, The SAC accelerated the combustion process of methanol. More significantly, it was found that the proper secondary acceleration hole diameter (SAHD) play an crucial role in the jet ignition and combustion process, especially under ultra-lean conditions. In addition, by utilizing SAC-3-4.5, the combustion duration of was shortened by 41.9% than that of using SAC-3-3 at the equivalence ratio of 0.6. Finally, the ultra-lean burn limit could be extended to 0.35 by using SAC-3-4.5, which greatly expanded the methanol lean combustion limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-accuracy positioning and identification of transmission line components is the premise for their status detection and fault diagnosis. However, due to the limitations of imbalance object scale and distribution in aerial images, the problem of detecting dense-tiny objects still needs to be solved. Considering the prior knowledge of fixed connection scenes, we proposed a novel method named scene iterative reasoning network (SIRN) based on self-adaptive clustering and local scene knowledge. It consists of the coarse-grained detector (CGD), scene self-adaptive clustering (SSAC) subnetwork, and scene structure iterative reasoning (SSIR) subnetwork. The CGD was proposed to obtain global coarse detection results. Then, the SSAC subnetwork utilized unsupervised self-adaptive clustering to obtain accurate dense regions based on the CGD results. Finally, the SSIR subnetwork was designed to extract and fuse the scene semantic structure information of local regions for realizing accurate dense-tiny object detection. In summary, the SIRN model utilizes an iterative inference strategy to detect dense regions accurately. By leveraging scene structure information, the model effectively transforms the challenge of detecting dense objects into an advantage, resulting in precise detection. The SIRN model is compatible with single-stage and two-stage object detection models, achieving a notable mean average precision (mAP) improvement ranging from 4.4% to 12.2% compared to the baseline models. Compared to other state-of-the-art object detection models, SIRN demonstrates significant advantages in accuracy and error rate metrics. In addition, qualitative and quantitative experiments show that the SIRN model considerably enhanced the detection of dense-tiny objects. The code is available at https://github.com/CharmingWang/SIRN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection by fitting is a basic task in the fault diagnosis of electric transmission lines. To effectively solve the problem of missed and false detection in multi-fitting detection caused by occlusion between fittings and complex settings, we propose a decoupling detection method based on the latent knowledge reasoning model (LKRM) inspired by the fixed combination structure of fittings. This method consists of a scenario knowledge reasoning (SCKR) module, spatial knowledge reasoning (SPKR) and decoupling detection module (DDM). To obtain knowledge about the combination and structure of fittings, the scenario perception method of SCKR is employed to determine the scenario information in each image, and the reasoning network is utilized for further effective fusion of the scenario information. To obtain relevant knowledge about the spatial location of the fittings, spatial-visual features and geometric features are extracted by the spatial perception network in SPKR, and spatial knowledge is inferred through a graph convolution network (GCN). Fitting detection will be trained through the non-coupling method used by the decoupled module, and the final detection decision will then be made. The experimental results show that the LKRM achieves better detection results than the other advanced object detection models. The accuracy rate is improved by 10.8% compared with the original baseline model. The qualitative experiment shows that the LKRM can effectively solve the problem of object occlusion in a complex setting. • A latent knowledge reasoning model for fitting detection was proposed. • Scenario and spatial latent knowledge of fitting's structure were extracted. • The accuracy rate is improved by 10.8% compared to original baseline model. • Decoupling method was used to balance two sub-networks. • The problem of object occlusion in a complex setting can be solved effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hydrous methanol/diesel dual-direct injection mode was studied by optical diagnostics method. • The combustion process of hydrous methanol/diesel dual-direct injection mode was studied. • Adopting appropriate injection strategy, hydrous methanol could be ignited steadily by diesel. • The influence of water on combustion was nonmonotonic with the variation in injection interval. Aiming to regulate the combustion and emission of diesel/methanol dual-fuel engine more effectively, the using of hydrous methanol was proposed in the current study. The ignition and combustion characteristics of direct-injected hydrous methanol ignited by diesel were investigated by optical diagnostics. Visualization experiments were conducted on a constant volume combustion chamber (CVCC) test bench with a dual-direct injection system. Diesel was injected into CVCC prior to methanol. The results show that adjusting water content in methanol and injection interval between diesel and methanol injection are two of the most important strategies that can control the ignition and combustion process. Higher water content in methanol results in much more heat absorption during water evaporation, which should be corresponding to longer ignition delay, longer flame lift-off length (FLOL) and lower spatial integrated natural luminosity (SINL). However, the decomposition of water under high temperature as well as high pressure condition can produce OH groups, which accelerates the combustion process. Moreover, the injection interval can alter the collision timing and position of spray plumes, which are very significant for diesel ignition and methanol combustion. There are almost no monotonic effect laws when water is introduced under different injection interval conditions. Suitable design and calibration of injection strategy is crucial for effective and clean combustion in diesel/hydrous methanol dual-direct injection mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a novel terbium-based luminescent hybrid inorganic/organic probe was designed and synthesized. Mesoporous silica nanospheres dispersed in water were used as the appropriate host for the covalently linked lanthanide-containing organic structures. The lanthanide structure was linked to a sulfonate ester unit, which, in the presence of biothiols, was cleaved to result in terbium emission. The hybrid probe exhibited the capabilities of quantitative determination and detection limits for biothiols were presented (36.8 nM for Cys, 32.5 nM for GSH, and 34.7 nM for Hcy). Evaluation of luminescence changes in cell culture demonstrated that this smart probe is cell membrane permeable and selectively lights up in the presence of cysteine and glutathione in human embryonic kidney cells and human lung adenocarcinoma cells. This variation in the presence of biothiols can be controlled by the treatment with N-methylmaleimide. The narrow line-like bands and long-lived excited states of this terbium luminescent sensor allows the discrimination of scattering signals and interfering fluorescence derived from biological tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responsive photo-luminescent soft matters have led to the design of optical sensors and switches. In this research, two new organic–inorganic type hybrid hydrogels have been fabricated by the self-assembly of sodium alginate and lanthanide elements. The incorporation of europium ions (Eu 3+ ) (or terbium ions (Tb 3+ )) was required for the gelation of the dissolved alginate and thermally stable gels were formed. It has been found that red/green emissions derived from lanthanide ions were clearly identified in pure aqueous media through the metal coordination interactions with assembled alginate. These supramolecular structures could partially prevent the Eu 3+ (or Tb 3+ ) from being attacked by high frequency vibrations. More importantly, the lanthanide luminescence could be switched “off–on” in the presence of the anthrax biomarker sodium dipicolinate (NaDPA). The detection limits (for NaDPA) were determined to be 8.3 × 10 −8 M and 9.0 × 10 −8 M based on Eu(III) and Tb(III) gel, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and spectroscopic features of 1,4-bis([1,10] phenanthroline-[5,6-d] imidazol-2-yl) benzene (BPIB) with its europium (III) complex have been described. Characteristic red emissions can be achieved upon the excitation at 369 nm. This compound exhibited ultraviolet absorption shifts as well as fluorescence emission quenching upon exposure to Cu 2+ ions. Hence, it can be utilized as a responsive copper sensor in terms of double routes including naked-eye observation and fluorescent probing. In the case of anions, this sensor could be used for direct determination of F − in DMSO through fluorescence signal changes with satisfied results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New chemical sensors based on lanthanide emission that enable sequential detection of two targets in live cells have been developed. The indicator molecules (unsaturated europium complexes) were covalently immobilized on carbon quantum dots (CQDs), and a water soluble fluorescent nano-probe ( CQDs-DTPA-Eu ) with biocompatibility was fabricated. A novel stepwise assembly method was used to generate unique responses to two different targets sequentially. Rapid and highly selective detection of tetracycline (Tc) in water and milk (detection limit 32 nM) were demonstrated. The in situ generated CQDs-DTPA-EuTc was non-emissive, but, upon addition of hydrogen peroxide (detection limit 21 nM) intense red luminescence was observed. Highly reproducible results were obtained in Plat-E cells, demonstrating the identification of tetracycline and H 2 O 2 in cellular environment with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and synthesis of cross-linked siloxane and polymeric matrices incorporated with terbium or europium complexes have been studied. The preparation of hybrid hosts demonstrated that poly(vinyl alcohol) in the presence of tetraethoxysilane with various concentrations gave different mechanical stabilities and water solubilities. The as-derived films exhibited excellent photophysical properties of lanthanides with large Stokes shifts, narrow emissions, and high color purity. It has been found that the luminescent materials were dramatically quenched over the assayed pH ranges (pH 7 to 1 and pH 7 to 14). These optical probes could be recycled for ten times by changing the aqueous media. The novel inorganic-organic responsive films that can be switched on or off based on pH values will find potential application in biological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ , Bi 3+ with tetragonal phase has been successfully synthesized by employing efficient irradiations. The assembly of composites with fine grains based on acoustic energy and microwave radiation requires low temperature (90 °C) and short reaction time (60 min). All the compounds exhibited red emissions and they can be sensitized through the doped Bi 3+ ions. The dependence of pH changes and doping concentration on the fluorescence features has been discussed. The photoluminescence measurements show that the optical properties achieved the best results at pH = 9 for GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ (5 mol%), Bi 3+ (1 mol%) or pH = 7 for GdVO 4 :Eu 3+ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The concept of “slow release anions for the assembly of crystals” was tried by a new method. [•] Both the crystalline phases and the microstructures could be controlled. [•] Red and green emissions could be excited by multiple wavelengths. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel design strategy has been applied to fabricate thermo-sensitive silica based lanthanide luminescent hydrogels (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)), which possesses intense luminescence and exhibits host-guest interactions with anions. In detail, 2-(2-furyl)-4,5-imidazoledicarboxylic acid (a) was used as sensitizing ligand, which could not only transfer its energy to europium ion but also to terbium ion effectively. We observed that only HSO4−can give rise to fluorescence quenching to these target materials compared with CH3COO−, F−, Cl−, Br−, and I−. We regarded that it was mainly due to the anion's acidity which resulted the turned-off process. More importantly, the emission intensities of the two hydrogels significantly enhanced at lower critical solution temperature (33°C). [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the Publisher's online edition ofSoft Materialsfor the following free supplemental resource(s): Supporting information.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ZnSnO3:Eu3+ and Sr1− x Ca x MoO4:Tb3+ nanocrystals with controlled shape have been assembled in the presence of two driving forces (supersonic microwave co-assistance, abbreviated as SMC) simultaneously in less than 60min at very low temperature (80°C). Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) images further supported the existence of cubic crystals and shuttle-like structures. More interestingly, Eu(III) ion has been encapsulated into zinc stannate for the first time and ZnSnO3:Eu3+ can exhibit red emissions excited by long wavelength (395nm). Similarly, it was found that Sr1− x Ca x MoO4:Tb3+ had striking green luminescence. The parameters to improve the optical properties have been studied in detail. This convenient approach may be applicable to construct other phosphors with well-defined crystalline structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cellulose hydrogels are biodegradable materials that can be applied as accommodating hosts for various species. Here we report the preparation of novel thin films based on luminescent cellulose hydrogels. The spectroscopic behavior of these soft materials and their sensing effects are investigated. Interestingly, we found that these films only give selective signal changes in the presence of Cu in water in comparison with Na, K, Ag, Mn, Co, Ca, Cd, Hg, Pd, Mg, Ni, Fe, and Fe. High visible-light transmittance and good flexibility for these films can be observed. More importantly, the thermal stability of rare-earth complexes could be significantly enhanced in aqueous solution as result of the protection by hydrogel matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Here two novel terbium silica xerogels (Ha and Hb) were assembled into cellulose hydrogels and two transparent films with narrow emission were successfully fabricated as fluorescent probes. We have found that the nitrite addition entailed efficient quenching effects of the photoluminescence intensity, contrasting the stable emissions upon exposure to other comparative ions (SO4 2−, CO3 2−, ClO3 −, NO3 −, AcO−, OH−, F−, Cl−, Br−, I−, K+, Na+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Pd2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+ and Fe3+). The recognition process may be ascribed to the coordination interaction between terbium ions and NO2 −. Linear functions for spectroscopic titrations were obtained in both hydrogel-based films and the new soft sensors exhibit a dynamic range for determination of nitrite from 1×10−5 to 1×10−4 M. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two novel luminescent europium (III) tris(dibenzoylmethane) (Eu(dbm)3) with 2-indole-3-yl-imidazo [4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline (a) and 2-(2-nitrophenyl)-imidazo [4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline (b) complexes were prepared as anion receptors. It was found that Eu(dbm)3(a), which give rise to intense yellow emission, can selectively recognize F− and H2PO4 − by changing its color from yellow to green. However, Eu(dbm)3(b) with red emission could generate luminescent quenching by F− and H2PO4 −. These sensing materials were characterized by UV–vis, fluorescence and NMR, indicating that the recognition processes were attributed to the synergistic effects of hydrogen-bonding and competitive coordination interactions between the ligands and anions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Crystalline BiVO:Eu nanomaterials have been successfully synthesized by four different methods: co-precipitation, hydrothermal, solvothermal, and reverse micelles. The relationship between crystal structure and luminescent properties was studied by X-ray diffraction and steady-state fluorescence. The data indicate that EuD → F red luminescence at 618 nm can be excited by visible light at 466 nm in BiVO host. Furthermore, it has been found that the encapsulation of europium(III) in tetragonal phase (BiVO) results in enhanced luminescence intensities compared with monoclinic phase. Transmission electron microscopy showed rods with sizes ranging from nanometer to micrometer and nanospheres can be obtained under different experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a novel fluorescent indicator for the real-time monitoring of amines is described. This probe contains a complex of europium-(thenoyltrifluoroacetone)3 (Eu(TTA)3) that efficiently reacts with primary and secondary amines. The electron-withdrawing trifluoroacetyl undergoes a nucleophilic addition with amines, and the complex was used to selectively detect BuNH2 and Et2NH (quenching concentration for BuNH2: 10−4 m, for Et2NH: 1.2 × 10−3 m) by monitoring emission; no changes were observed in the emission spectrum of Eu(TTA)3 in the presence of Et3N, [Bu4N]Cl, or PhNH2 in aqueous solution (THF/H2O = 1:1). The ratio of emission intensity to amine concentration was linear by the least-squares fitting method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new terbium 2-isopropylimidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid complex was prepared and incorporated into titanium dioxide matrix by mild sol–gel method. Then we fabricated a terbium luminescent hybrid material, which displayed striking green emission even in pure water. It was interesting to find that this target material exhibited highly selective and fast (1 s) quenching effect to F− compared with CH3COO−, Cl−, Br−, I−. We recognized that the hydrogen bonding interactions between fluoride and ligand resulted in the recognition process. More significantly, this hybrid titania material prepared under low temperature (80 °C) could be used in photodegradation of methyl orange in aqueous environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, four green luminescent gels were successfully formed in dimethyl sulfoxide as solvents. The gels are prepared by self-assembly of urea derivatives gelator N,N′-dioctadecylurea 1 and N-octadecylurea 2 in the presence of two terbium complexes. Very interestingly, the analysis of the peak intensities as function of temperature during heating treatments could be described by two linear equations at two stages. The best fit results were composed of two independent decay processes. Graphical Abstract: The gels are prepared by self-assembly of urea derivatives gelator N,N′-dioctadecylurea 1 and N-octadecylurea 2 in the presence of two terbium complexes. Very interestingly, the analysis of the peak intensities as function of temperature during heating treatments could be described by two linear equations at two stages.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel green emissive terbium inorganic–polymeric hybrid particle was designed and this material could detect cations in water. Polyvinyl alcohol as an amphiphilic surfactant rendered the powders dispersible in water with regular round shape (10–20μm). Interestingly, we noticed that not only Cu2+ (detection limit 10−4 M) but also Fe3+ (detection limit 10−4 M) can give rise to emission quenching to this target material in comparison with K+, Na+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Pd2+, Cd2+ and Co2+ (10−3 molL−1). We regarded that the coordination interactions between ligand and metal ions resulted in these quenching processes. Additionally, it was found that the sensing material can be repeatedly used at least 5 cycles. More importantly, this novel material demonstrated higher thermal-stability in aqueous media than pure silica hybrid material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A group of lanthanide luminescent xerogels, CMa, CMb, CMc and CMd, exhibited specific emission responses towards to the temperature variation in polyelectrolyte hydrogels. The europium(III) containing materials decrease at a rate that follows the exponential function (y=122.03e−0.0175x and y=93.054e−0.0162x) whereas the terbium(III) systems undergo the linear decay process (y=−7.1733x+677.64 and y=−6.5467x+653.62). Interestingly, it has been shown that the excitation wavelengths for europium silica materials (CMa and CMb) embedded hydrogels can be extended into the visible region (415 and 465nm respectively). In addition, the incorporation of lanthanide xerogels into polymeric hydrogel can obviously improve their thermal stabilities in water. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hexagonal and monoclinic phase yttrium/cerium phosphates with terbium dopants have been prepared successfully through co-precipitation and calcination approaches. Their crystal structure properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra exhibited improved luminescence properties by increasing the terbium content in the micron-meter crystals. In addition, Y0.3Ce0.7PO4: Tb was embedded in colloidal sols and strong green emission was obtained in the presence of water atoms or hydroxyl groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this report, we have shown that the encapsulation of the terbium 2-methylimidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid complex into inorganic host tetraethoxysilance is considered to be an efficient way for the design of anion sensors. Strong green emission still can be observed when it disperses in pure water. It was found that the luminescence of hybrid material was selectively turned off rapidly (1 s) by hydrogen sulfate compared with the addition of different anions such as F, Cl, Br and I. Thin film was successfully prepared and also could be a promising tool for recognizing HSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lanthanide tris(2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) complex based on 2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)imidazo [4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline (1) with red luminescence acted as effective receptors for F− and AcO− anions. Spectroscopic studies of UV–vis, fluorescence and NMR present that the sensor exhibits striking emission changes to fluoride (green) and acetate anions (yellow-red to green) respectively due to hydrogen binding interactions. More importantly, transparent hybrid thick films composed by europium complex and poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix were successfully prepared. All the films exhibit intense red emissions of europium ions and the optimized composing concentration of luminescent species is 0.5mg/5ml MMA. The derived film could give rise to luminescence change in fluoride anion containing DMSO solution. The micro-structure and size of the hybrid films were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), the results reflect that granule size has the average diameter of 300nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have reported the synthesis of three chemical bonded hybrid materials based on silica matrices composed of terbium ions and aromatic acid derivatives. Of significant importance, ligand 1 was grafted with three long alkyl chains and the as-derived hybrid 1 exhibited attracting green luminescence in solid matrices which is much stronger than ligand 2 which does not bear aliphatic chains. All the fluorescence spectra, quantum yields, and time-resolved spectra proved that the side chains influence for the effective sensitization of terbium ions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A smart fluoride sensitive luminescence probe based on 1:2 complex of europium(III) with 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)imidazo[4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline was prepared. The emission of europium ions via photosensitization of the ligand was completely quenched by addition of 2equiv. of fluoride ions in DMSO. Spectroscopic analyses proved that the imidazolyl NH of the ligand was hydrogen-bonded with additive fluoride to form the 1:1 complex, leading to suppression of the photosensitization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A luminescent hydrogel was successfully prepared by immobilizing an europium(III) tetrakis(β-diketonate) complex into a gallate-based hydrogelator. The Eu(III) emission in hydrogel media was switched reversibly “on-off” as a function of pH and the corresponding thermal and photostabilities dramatically increased compared with its solution sample. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Copolymer (MMA-co-MAL) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and maleic anhydride (MAL) was prepared and grafted by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APES), which behaves as the structural precursor for functional bridge to assemble the covalently bonded systems through the coordination to rare earth ions (Eu3+, Tb3+) with carboxylic groups of maleic anhydride. On the other hand, 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) is engaged in a second functional ligand to sensitize the luminescence of RE3+ (rare earth ions) by intramolecular energy transfer process. Meanwhile, the cohydrolysis and copolycondensation processes happened between triethoxysilyl of modified copolymer (MMA-co-MAL-APES) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with Si–O covalent bonds, resulting in the polymer-inorganic hybrids (phen-RE-MMA MMA-co-MAL-Si) exhibiting characteristic red or green emissions of Eu or Tb ions. Especially the luminescent quantum efficiencies of europium hybrid systems are estimated and discussed in detail. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT Precious metals are effective catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction, but their high cost with complicated operation steps drives people to search for non–noble‐metal alternatives. Building rational design concept for efficient electrocatalyst relies on the capability to control the structure and composition. Herein, a Ni/Cu bimetallic mesoporous MOFs with 4,4′,4″‐(1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4,6‐triyl)tribenzoic acid as the robust ligand has been assembled via a one‐step solvothermal method. Due to the extensive conjugate plane and high nitrogen content, the catalyst possesses large pore size of 17 nm and fast electron transfer rate, which favors hydrogen bubble overflow and exposes more active sites to solid–liquid interfaces. The bimetallic interaction between highly conductive Cu ions and Ni ions allows it to improve charge migration and realize excellent conductivity. The functionalized electrode requires an overpotential of 132 mV to achieve 10 mA current density with a small Tafel slope (87.7 mV·dec−1) and continuous electrolysis for 24 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorescent probe based on ternary AgFeS2 quantum dots has been prepared for the design of ternary chalcogenides. The nanoparticles are synthesized with oleylamine as a stabilizer at a low temperature (particle size in the range of 2 to 3 nm) and they exhibit an intense blue emission in aqueous media. As for their internal structure, each nanoparticle's relative stoichiometric ratio (AgFe1.01S1.91) is very close to the theoretical value of 1:1:2. Their magnetic properties have been studied with a vibrating sample magnetometer and they have ferromagnetism between 4 K and 298 K (applied magnetic field ranging between −10,000 and 10,000 Oe). In the presence of iodide ions, the emission at 458 nm derived from AgFeS2 QDs has been observed to give rise to fluorescence quenching. The detection system is based on a static quenching process and morphological change between iodide ions and AgFeS2, which has a good linear range from 0 to 37.5 μmol/L, with a limit of detection of 0.99 μM. The nanoprobe responds within 30 s for the efficient detection of iodide. Such functional quantum dots will provide a powerful indicator in environmental and bio-sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Modification of 1,10-phenanthroline moiety has obtained hydrogen-bond donor such as 2-(furanyl) imidazo [4,5-f]-1,10-phenanthroline and its lanthanide complexes exhibited red or green luminescence. Spectroscopic studies of UV–vis, Fluorescence and NMR present that the sensors give distinguished emission changes to fluoride ions. More interestingly, the acetate anion induced enhanced luminescence is high enough to be detected by naked eye. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A facile sonochemical and the microwave co-assisted method (SMC) with low temperature (70°C) has been applied to synthesize a series of rare earth orthovanadates LnVO4 with the tetragonal zircon structures. XRD patterns indicate that the average crystallite sizes gradually increase with the decrease of the ions radii of the rare earth, SEM images show that different lanthanide ions triggered various morphologies. The luminescence properties of EuVO4 and GdVO4: 5%Eu3+ (or LuVO4: 5%Eu3+) have been compared and the results showed that europium(III) activated GdVO4 (or LuVO4) composites were more efficient red-emissive phosphors than pure EuVO4. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To address the challenges in the unmanned system-based intelligent inspection of electric transmission line insulators, this paper proposed a multi-geometric reasoning network (MGRN) to accurately detect insulator geometric defects based on aerial images with complex backgrounds and different scales. The spatial geometric reasoning sub-module (SGR) was developed to represent the spatial location relationship of defects. The appearance geometric reasoning sub-module (AGR) and the parallel feature transformation (PFT) sub-module were adopted to obtain the appearance geometric features from the real samples. These multi-geometric features can be fused with the original visual features to identify and locate the insulator defects. The proposed solution is assessed through experiments against the existing solutions and the numerical results indicate that it can significantly improve the detection accuracy of multiple insulator defects using the aerial images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) covalently loaded with unsaturated terbium emissive material was designed for specific and rapid (2–3 s) detection of calcium dipicolinate (CaDPA) (detection limit 1 μM). The nanoprobe was successfully assembled onto electrodes and its sensing abilities were investigated through electrochemical measurement. Cyclic voltammetry curves were selectively responsive to calcium dipicolinate compared with benzoic acid, o-phthalic acid and m-phthalic acid. This novel material provides dual opto-electrochemical recognition of the anthrax biomarker CaDPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we focus on the design, synthesis, characterization, kinematic analysis and fluorescent properties of two novel sailboat-shaped self-complexes. Bearing a secondary ammonium rotor, acid and base can convert their decomplexation/recomplexation states that they are capable of mimicking the function played by a macroscopic electronic switch. The dynamic processes of these self-complexes have been investigated through 1H NMR and emission spectra in solution. Owing to through-space energy transfer (FRET), one of them performing a reversible intensity in fluorescence during the dynamic motion. Such finding may be bode well for the future construction of luminescent chemosensors in supramolecular fields. • Novel and simple molecular switches which can be switch on and off reversible. • High accuracy fluorescent response in switching motion. • Easy to prepare, performing well prospect in supramolecular assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new design strategy will provide the possibility for preparing a dynamic sensor by employing the inhibition of C = N isomerization. In this work, the functional probe 4-(1 H-imidazo [4,5-f] [1,10]-phenanthrolin-2-yl) benzaldehyde oxime (compound 4) has been synthesized and such molecule gives rise to blue emission. Due to the incorporation of hypochlorite, the oxime group can be oxidized to the structure of aldehyde. As a result, the molecular motif exhibits sharp emission change from blue to green due to the addition of hypochlorite with enough sensitivity and selectivity (detection limit = 53 nM, linear range 0.5-8.0 µM). It has also been used for monitoring ClO− by employing solution color change and the absorption signal difference could effectively rule out the effects of interference species. To our knowledge, it will be the first case of a highly selective hypochlorite sensor derived from oxime isomerization reaction based on phenanthroline backbone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth in phosphor‐converted near‐infrared light‐emission diodes (NIR‐LEDs) has led to the development of NIR emitter with high efficiency, broadband emission and high thermal stability. In this work, an efficient broad NIR emission of Cr3+ in novel Ca3Sc2Ge3O12 (CSGO) garnet‐based host was developed for the first time, which located at 700 to 1000 nm peaking at 817 nm with a broad bandwidth of ~128 nm. Such a broadband NIR emission originated from the preferential occupancy of Cr3+ in Sc3+ sites with weak octahedral field, which was manifested by the luminescence spectrum and decay behaviors. The Cr3+‐doping concentration was regulated to achieve a good internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of 72.1 % and a fantastic thermal stability (at 423 K, sustained approximately 85 % of the initial intensity). The mechanism for concentration and thermal quenching was further investigated. Benefiting from the excellent luminescence features, a prototype NIR‐LEDs was assembled via integrating the optimized samples with commercial blue InGaN LED chips, which exhibited a satisfactory photoelectric property and a brilliant performance in night vision. These results demonstrated the as‐obtained sample to be a great potential candidate for NIR‐LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-GPIIb/IIIa-mediated complement activation has been reported to be important in the pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, the role of the complement system and the involved regulatory mechanism remain equivocal. Beta2-glycoprotein I (β2-GPI), known as the main target for antiphospholipid autoantibodies, has been demonstrated as a complement regulator. Here, we investigated the complement-regulatory role of β2-GPI in anti-GPIIb/IIIa-mediated ITP. Plasma complement activation and enhanced complement activation capacity (CAC) were found in ITP patients with anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibodies in vivo and in vitro. Diminished plasma levels of β2-GPI were shown in patients of this group, which was inversely correlated with C5b-9 deposition. C5b-9 generation was inhibited by approximate physiological concentrations of β2-GPI, in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of C3a generation by β2-GPI and the existence of β2-GPI/C3 complexes in plasma indicated a regulation on the level of the C3 convertase. Furthermore, β2-GPI down-regulated the phosphorylation levels of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and cleavage of BH3 interacting domain death agonist (Bid) and ultimately harbored platelet lysis. Our findings may provide a novel link between diminished plasma levels of β2-GPI and enhanced complement activation, indicating β2-GPI as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in the treatment of anti-GPIIb/IIIa-mediated ITP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since lanthanide luminescent materials generally possess striking and special spectroscopic or photophysical features such as sharp emission bands and long lifetimes, they have emerged as new platforms in sensory and diagnostic fields. This review aims to summarize the recent development relevant to the assembly of ligand design and fluorogenic species for a wide range of analytes. Moreover, the flexible and rigid optical frameworks include not only the molecular-based functional complexes, numerous lanthanide hybrid nanocomposite materials that lie between the interface of organic and inorganic hosts also provide possibilities to fabricate tailor-made optical probes due to their unique chemical and physical properties. The remarkable examples of newly-designed lanthanide hybrid sensing materials (siloxane or titania based hybrids, carbon-related nanomaterials, polymeric composites and noble metal based probes) are discussed in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a star material in conducting polymers, a polypyrrole coating was assembled onto the surface of 316 stainless steel by an electrochemical method. In the next step, the composite layer consisting of carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was sprayed. The corrosion manner of composite coatings in a simulated proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) environment was evaluated. The results show that the final coating generated at a voltage of 1.0 has demonstrated the optimized corrosion resistance. The polypyrrole layer improves the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel substrate, and the CNNS/PMMA coating further strengthens the physical barrier effect of the coating in corrosive solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the precision and stability of vehicle component detection for intelligent claims assessment and intelligent vehicle detection, it is necessary to address the problem of missing detection and false detection in complex scenes caused by feature similarity between classes and insufficient feature extraction. In this paper, we propose a decoupling network architecture, named the Multi-Task Feature Decoupling Network (MTFDN), which is based on a two-stage multitasking algorithm. Three improved modules have been designed and integrated into the architecture for this purpose. First, we design an improved Parallel Dynamic Attention Module (PDAM) to facilitate a more scientific and logical acquisition of features and localization of regions of interest. Then, we introduce an improved Bidirectional Fusion Feature Pyramid Network (BF-FPN) module in the segmentation task, followed by the design of a Bidirectional Hybrid Dilated Fusion Feature Pyramid Network (BHDF-FPN) module in the detection task. The BF-FPN and BHDF-FPN modules are used to meet the different requirements of different tasks for features after decoupling. The experimental results demonstrate that, in comparison with the baseline model, MTFDN exhibits superior performance in terms of detection and segmentation on two vehicle-related datasets, namely the Vehicle Scene Dataset (VSD) and the Vehicle Component Dataset (VCD). Moreover, MTFDN demonstrates robust generalization capabilities when integrated with other two-stage algorithms, significantly enhancing the detection and segmentation performance of the algorithm itself, thereby highlighting its superiority in this domain. • The multi-task feature decoupling network (MTFDN) is proposed. • The method is extendable to other multi-task networks and two-stage algorithms. • Two feature extraction modules are designed according to the task requirements. • A parallel dynamic attention module (PDAM) is proposed. • The detection of vehicle components in complex environment can be realized effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel terbium-based organic/inorganic hybrid materials have been fabricated through sol–gel processing technology. Both materials could exhibit striking green emissions under ultra-violet excitations. In contrast to the physical doped material ( Hb ), the strong covalent-bonded material ( Ha ) demonstrated higher thermal stability, photostability and well-dispersed spherical microstructure. The exposure to nitrite aqueous solution would result in suppression of green luminescence and the detection limits for the two hybrids were determined to be 4.78 × 10 −5 M ( Ha ) and 6.45 × 10 −5 M ( Hb ) respectively. The present work proved the feasibility of using sol–gel derived lanthanide hybrid materials as a way of signal transduction for recognition of important anions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel luminescent organic-inorganic hybrid terbium material containing a boronic acid receptor site has been designed and synthesized. Ultra-violet excitation of the material results in green emission from the terbium core. Homogenous spherical nanoparticles with the average diameter of 60 nm were achieved by embedding the terbium complex onto a silica surface. The boron–fluoride interactions of the new material in an aqueous environment provide for a new on-off luminescence sensor for fluoride ions in the field of lanthanide based multifunctional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of nitrite (NO2−) in water and food leads to serious problems in public health and the environment. Therefore, it is important to develop a rapid and efficient method for the selective detection of NO2−. In this work, the synthesis and characterization of magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA nanoprobe have been carried out. The Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA aqueous solution exhibits a strong green emission. Due to the addition of various concentrations of NO2− (0–100 μM), the fluorescence intensity has been suppressed. The nanoprobe Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA exhibits excellent selectivity and sensitivity toward NO2− ions. Excellent linearity is obtained in the range of 5–80 μM with a detection limit of 1.03 μM. Furthermore, the presence of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles in Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA nanospheres will also facilitate the effective separation of Fe3O4@SiO2-TbDPA from the aqueous solution. Our proposed strategy is expected to fabricate an organic-inorganic hybrid magnetic nanomaterial and can be used as an efficient sensor. It has been shown that this new strategy has numerous advantages, such as high stability, selectivity, and simplicity of operation. It demonstrates great potential for simple and convenient NO2− detection. It may expand to a variety of ranges in environmental monitoring and biomedical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been well documented that urea would be slowly hydrolyzed to produce OH and the reaction equilibrium requires relatively long times. Sometimes the samples have been achieved under high temperature (such as hydrothermal method). Here we describe systematic preparation of lanthanide hydroxycarbonate series through a facile and effective route (supersonic and microwave co-assistance) at 80 °C in less than 40 min. Product formation can be observed directly by the naked eye. Synthetic conditions were identical for all tested lanthanide elements, and corresponding nano- or micro-scale materials with different structures were obtained. A three-stage-effect was observed in crystalline phases and morphologies. More importantly, the intensive red and green emissions from europium and terbium oxycarbonates, respectively, were observed under relatively long wavelength excitations (365 or 394 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]