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Copper‐based halides have emerged as promising scintillator materials for X‐ray imaging due to their favorable photophysical characteristics, such as negligible self‐absorption, high light output, and fast decay. Among these materials, Cs3Cu2I5, a blue emitter, currently delivers the highest scintillation light output under steady‐state X‐rays. However, there is a significant spectral mismatch between its emission band and the spectral responsivity of regular flat‐panel photodiode arrays. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the physical properties of the CsCu2I3 scintillator is conducted, and its perfect spectral compatibility is discovered, which results in a higher photodiode signal despite its relatively lower light output compared to typical Cs3Cu2I5 scintillators. Furthermore, CsCu2I3 exhibits faster light decay properties, making it especially suitable for Computed Tomography (CT) X‐ray imaging. High‐quality X‐ray cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging is successfully demonstrated using the fast‐decaying CsCu2I3 scintillator screen. Additionally, the flexibility of the scintillator allows for non‐planar imaging, showcasing advantages not available with traditional rigid scintillators. These results not only highlight the significant promise of the CsCu2I3 scintillator but also emphasize the necessity of considering spectral compatibility when designing novel scintillator materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional scintillator‐based X‐ray imaging typically captures the full spectral of X‐ray photons without distinguishing their energy. However, the absence of X‐ray spectral information often results in insufficient image contrast, particularly for substances possessing similar atomic numbers and densities. In this study, an innovative multi‐energy X‐ray linear‐array detector is presented that leverages side‐illuminated X‐ray scintillation using the emerging metal halide Cs3Cu2I5. The negligible self‐absorption characteristic not only improves the scintillation output but is also beneficial for improving the energy resolution for the side‐illuminated scintillation scenarios. By exploiting Beer's law, which governs the absorption of X‐ray photons with different energies, the incident X‐ray spectral can be reconstructed by analyzing the distribution of scintillation intensity when the scintillator is illuminated from the side. The relative error between the reconstructed and measured X‐ray spectral is < 5.63%. This method offers an additional energy‐resolving capability for X‐ray linear‐array detectors commonly used in computed tomography (CT) imaging setups, surpassing the capabilities of conventional energy‐integration approaches, all without requiring extra hardware components. A proof‐of‐concept multi‐energy CT imaging system featuring eight energy channels is successfully implemented. This study presents a simple and efficient strategy for achieving multi‐energy X‐ray detection and CT imaging based on emerging metal halides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have attracted much attentions due to the superior optoelectronic properties such as pure spectrum, high photoluminescence quantum yield, tunable emission, and ease of fabrication. Though lots of progresses have been made on PeLEDs and optically pumped lasers, microcavity perovskite lasing device under electrical pumping remains extremely challenging. Microcavity perovskite LEDs can be considered as a step toward laser diode due to the common structure of resonant cavity. In this study, a new type of metal‐dielectric microcavity PeLED is designed and fabricated by using 2.5 pairs of TiO2/SiO2 distributed bragg reflector (DBR) and Al as cavity coplanar mirrors. A microcavity device with forward spectral full‐width at half‐maximum of 11.8 and 9.5 nm, under electrical and optical excitations, respectively, the directional forward emission within 30° is enhanced by 3 times compared to the control device without cavity is realized. To the best of the knowledge, this study demonstrates the narrowest spectrum for three‐demisional PeLEDs so far, it helps to expand the color space in display applications and may also serve as a reference device for solution processed perovskite exciton–polariton electroluminescent devices and electrically driven vertical cavity surface emitting lasers due to the similar device structure and processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding soil microbial element limitation and its relation with the microbial community can help in elucidating the soil fertility status and improving nutrient management of planted forest ecosystems. The stand age of a planted forest determines the aboveground forest biomass and structure and underground microbial function and diversity. In this study, we investigated 30 plantations of Camellia oleifera distributed across the subtropical region of China that we classified into four stand ages (planted <9 years, 9–20 years, 21–60 years, and >60 years age). Enzymatic stoichiometry analysis showed that microbial metabolism in the forests was mainly limited by C and P. P limitation significantly decreased and C limitation slightly increased along the stand age gradient. The alpha diversity of the soil microbiota remained steady along stand age, while microbial communities gradually converged from scattered to clustered, which was accompanied by a decrease in network complexity. The soil bacterial community assembly shifted from stochastic to deterministic processes, which probably contributed to a decrease in soil pH along stand age. Our findings emphasize that the stand age regulated the soil microbial metabolism limitation and community assembly, which provides new insight into the improvement of C and P management in subtropical planted forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All‐inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs) CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, and I) have recently emerged as a new promising class of X‐ray scintillators. However, the instability of perovskite QDs and the strong optical scattering of the thick opaque QD scintillator film imped it to realize high‐quality and robust X‐ray image. Herein, the europium (Eu) doped CsPbBr3 QDs are in situ grown inside transparent amorphous matrix to form glass‐ceramic (GC) scintillator with glass phase serving as both matrix and encapsulation for the perovskite QD scintillators. The small amount of Eu dopant optimizes the crystallization of CsPbBr3 QDs and makes their distribution more uniform in the glass matrix, which can significantly reduce the light scattering and also enhance the photoluminescence emission of CsPbBr3 QDs. As a result, a remarkably high spatial resolution of 15.0 lp mm−1 is realized thanks to the reduced light scattering, which is so far a record resolution for perovskite scintillator based X‐ray imaging, and the scintillation stability is also significantly improved compared to the bare perovskite QD scintillators. Those results provide an effective platform particularly for the emerging perovskite nanocrystal scintillators to reduce light scattering and improve radiation hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paddy soils make up the largest anthropogenic wetlands on earth, and are characterized by a prominent potential for organic carbon (C) sequestration. By quantifying the plant‐ and microbial‐derived C in soils across four climate zones, we identified that organic C accrual is achieved via contrasting pathways in paddy and upland soils. Paddies are 39%–127% more efficient in soil organic C (SOC) sequestration than their adjacent upland counterparts, with greater differences in warmer than cooler climates. Upland soils are more replenished by microbial‐derived C, whereas paddy soils are enriched with a greater proportion of plant‐derived C, because of the retarded microbial decomposition under anaerobic conditions induced by the flooding of paddies. Under both land‐use types, the maximal contribution of plant residues to SOC is at intermediate mean annual temperature (15–20°C), neutral soil (pH~7.3), and low clay/sand ratio. By contrast, high temperature (~24°C), low soil pH (~5), and large clay/sand ratio are favorable for strengthening the contribution of microbial necromass. The greater contribution of microbial necromass to SOC in waterlogged paddies in warmer climates is likely due to the fast anabolism from bacteria, whereas fungi are unlikely to be involved as they are aerobic. In the scenario of land‐use conversion from paddy to upland, a total of 504 Tg C may be lost as CO2 from paddy soils (0–15 cm) solely in eastern China, with 90% released from the less protected plant‐derived C. Hence, preserving paddy systems and other anthropogenic wetlands and increasing their C storage through sustainable management are critical for maintaining global soil C stock and mitigating climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photosynthate carbon (C) released in the rhizosphere plays a crucial role in C sequestration, microbial activities and nutrient availability in soil. Nitrogen (N) fertilization modifies the allocation and dynamics of photosynthates in paddy rice systems, but these effects depend on plant growth stages. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants were pulse labelled with 13CO2 at the tillering, elongation, heading and grain‐filling stages with 0 and 225 kg N ha−1 fertilizer. The plants and soil were sampled shortly after each pulse labelling and at harvest. Relative 13C (as % of assimilated C) in the roots and rhizosphere soil was largest at the early growth stage (tillering) and subsequently decreased. At harvest, 68% of the rhizodeposited C remained in bulk soil without N fertilizer, which corresponded to 6.2% of the net assimilated 13C. The absolute amount of net belowground C input (root + rhizodeposition) by rice was 268 and 468 kg C ha−1 under 0 and 225 kg N ha−1 fertilizer, of which rhizodeposition accounted for 60 and 40%, respectively. We concluded that N fertilization raised the belowground C input by rice mainly by increasing root biomass rather than by rhizodeposition. Highlights: Rice photosynthesis‐derived carbon (C) was quantified in soil by multiple pulse labelling with 13CO2Young rice plants allocated more assimilates into the soil compared to mature plantsNitrogen deficiency led to greater C retention in bulk soil than in the rhizosphereNitrogen fertilization increased the net belowground C input mainly with larger root biomass [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 100-day incubation experiment was conducted to (i) trace the fate of rice residue-derived 13C in the amino sugar (AS) pool in 0-1-cm (oxic) and 1-5-cm (anoxic) layers of paddy soil and (ii) evaluate the effects of inorganic N ((NH4)2SO4) fertilization on the formation of AS at early and late incubation times (5 and 100 days, respectively). The accumulation of rice residue-derived AS occurred at 5 and 100 days in both soil layers as a result of AS stabilization. Inorganic N addition increased the contents of rice residue-derived muramic acid, glucosamine, and galactosamine in the 0-1-cm soil layer for both incubation times by average on 14.7-20.8%, 23.7-31.8%, and 11.6-23.3%, respectively. In contrast, no effects of N fertilization on AS content in the 1-5-cm soil layer were found. The amount of rice residue-derived AS was higher in the 1-5-cm than in the 0-1-cm soil layer at early incubation time, probably due to the higher contents of ammonium here compared to the upmost oxic layer where nitrate was the dominated N form. Thus, the preferential uptake of ammonium but not nitrate by microorganisms led to the higher formation of rice residue-derived AS in the anoxic soil layer. The ratio of fungal to bacterial residues (fungal glucosamine/muramic acid) ranged between 1.0 and 1.7 for rice residue-derived AS and was 12.5-14.6 for total AS, indicating that fungi and bacteria have similar contributions to the decomposition of fresh rice residue whereas native soil organic matter (SOM) is a fungi-predominated process. This study emphasized that coupling of C and N cycles in paddy soils is different in oxic and anoxic layers, resulting in variation of plant residue decomposition and formation of SOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria play important roles in plant growth and recovery in degraded ecosystems. The desertification in karst regions has become more severe in recent decades. Evaluation of the fungal and bacterial diversity of such regions during vegetation restoration is required for effective protection and restoration in these regions. Therefore, we analyzed relationships among AM fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria abundances, plant species diversity, and soil properties in four typical ecosystems of vegetation restoration (tussock (TK), shrub (SB), secondary forest (SF), and primary forest (PF)) in a karst region of southwest China. Abundance of AM fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, plant species diversity, and soil nutrient levels increased from the tussock to the primary forest. The AM fungus, nitrogen-fixing bacterium, and plant community composition differed significantly between vegetation types ( p < 0.05). Plant richness and pH were linked to the community composition of fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, respectively. Available phosphorus, total nitrogen, and soil organic carbon levels and plant richness were positively correlated with the abundance of AM fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria ( p < 0.05). The results suggested that abundance of AM fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria increased from the tussock to the primary forest and highlight the essentiality of these communities for vegetation restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]