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CO2photoreduction into carbon-based chemicals has been considered as an appropriate way to alleviate the energy issue and greenhouse effect. Herein, the 5, 10, 15, 20-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin cobalt (II) (CoTCPP) has been integrated with BiOBr microspheres and formed the CoTCPP/BiOBr composite. The as-prepared CoTCPP/BiOBr-2 composite shows optimized photocatalytic performance for CO2conversion into CO and CH4upon irradiation with 300 W Xe lamp, which is 2.03 and 2.58 times compared to that of BiOBr, respectively. The introduced CoTCPP significantly enhanced light absorption properties, promoted rapid separation of photogenerated carriers and boosted the chemisorption of CO2molecules. The metal Co2+at the center of the porphyrin molecules also acts as adsorption center for CO2molecules, accelerating the CO2conversion into CO and CH4. The possible mechanism of CO2photoreduction was explored by in-situFT-IR spectra. This work offers a new possibility for the preparation of advanced photocatalysts.

• Mo-S 6 configuration is revealed by X-ray absorption fine spectra. • Electron-transfer (∼2.2 ps) from CdS to Mo-S 6 configuration is found. • Contribution of Mo-S 6 configuration to photocatalytic H 2 evolution is proven. Maximizing ultrafast electron-transfer kinetics in semiconductor is pivotal but challenging for high-efficiency solar-to-energy during the photocatalytic reaction process due to the intrinsic property of photocatalysts with low surface electron density. Herein, a model photocatalyst CdS@Mo is synthesized through a typical hydrothermal method for modulating the ultrafast electron-transfer to enhance the surface electron density. X-ray absorption fine spectra (XAFS) reveal that Mo is coordinated with S atoms to form a Mo-S 6 configuration which is different from common MoS 2 and Mo foil structures. Based on the femtosecond transient absorption spectra (fs-TAS), it is found that the formation of Mo-S 6 configuration contributes to the fast decay of CdS signal and Mo-S 6 signal reactivation, illustrating the ultrafast electron-transfer (∼2.2 ps) from CdS to Mo-S 6 configuration, which achieves the enhanced electron density of photocatalyst surface. Finally, a holistic photocatalytic performance evaluation discloses that the growing of Mo-S 6 configuration obviously improves the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) efficiency of CdS from 28.5 to 47.5 mmol g–1 h–1 with a solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of 0.10 % which is seldomly discussed in the system containing sacrificial agents. This work opens a new path to modulate the surface electron density by tuning the ultrafast electron-transfer for enhancing reaction efficiency in electron-density-dependent systems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart contract is the core of blockchain operation, and contract vulnerability will cause huge economic losses. Therefore, effective smart contract vulnerability detection is of vital importance and attracts more and more attention. In this paper, we propose a vulnerability detection model (VDM-AEI) based on automatic feature extraction and feature interaction. For the first time, this model converts smart contracts into gray images and uses VGG16 and GRU models to automatically extract vulnerability features and filter effective features, respectively. Then, a contract graph and an expert knowledge feature vector are constructed by using commonly used methods as part of feature construction. Next, AutoInt and DCN networks are used to build a dual feature interaction network to obtain more abundant vulnerability feature information, which extracts high-dimensional nonlinear features from the low and sparse features of the contract graph feature vector and the expert knowledge-defined feature vector. Finally, all output features of GRU, AutoInt and DCN networks are integrated to obtain vulnerability classification results through fully connected neural networks. We conducted extensive experiments on the ESC and VSC datasets for reentrancy vulnerabilities, timestamp dependency vulnerabilities, and infinite loop vulnerabilities. The experimental results prove the effectiveness and accuracy of the VDM-AEI model. Compared with the latest vulnerability detection model CGE, the accuracy rates of the 3 types of vulnerability detection are improved by 10.85%, 6.18%, and 12.34%, respectively. In addition, the predicted F1 scores of VDM-AEI are all greater than 95%, and the recall rate is no less than 94%.

With the advancement of modern science and technology, large scientific facilities are increasingly oriented toward demand and application, and can be used for basic research as well as serving multiple disciplines. Developing large scientific facilities and related analytical technologies enhances understanding of large scientific facilities and popularizes their application in research across multiple disciplines. The combination of light or neutron sources from large scientific facilities and advanced analytical technologies can be achieved for materials structure information, dynamics study of chemical reactions, high dissociation of biomolecules, 3D visualization of energy materials or biological samples, etc. We first introduce the progress of domestic large scientific facilities of synchrotron radiation (SR) and free electron lasers (FELs) with different wavelengths and neutron sources. We further discuss the comparison between Chinese and typical foreign facilities in X-ray radiation from X-ray tubes, synchrotrons, X-ray FELs, and neutron sources based on physical parameters of light and neutron sources. In addition, we focus on the technological progress and perspectives combined with advanced X-ray radiation and neutron sources of large scientific facilities in China, especially in the nanoscience fields of energy catalysis and biological science. We hope that this roadmap will provide references on technology and methods to experimental users, as well as prospects for future development of technologies based on large research infrastructure facilities. Comprehensive studies and guidelines for basic research to practical application in various disciplines can be made with the assistance of large scientific facilities.

The precise control of pore structures in porous organic polymer (POP) materials is of paramount importance in addressing a wide range of challenges associated with gas separation processes. In this study, we present a novel approach to optimize the gas separation performance of POPs through the introduction of fluorine groups and figure out an important factor of reaction decision that whether the AlCl3-catalyzed polymerization is Scholl reaction or Friedel–Crafts alkylation. In the chloroform system, the steric hindrance of function groups could make direct coupling between the benzene rings difficult, which would lead to part solvent knitting (Friedel–Crafts alkylation) instead. The fluorinated polymers show enhanced surface area and pore size characteristics. Notably, the fluorinated polymers exhibited significantly improved adsorption and separation performance for SF6, as evidenced by an ideal adsorbed solution theory selectivity (SF6/N2, v: v = 50:50, 273 K) increase of 75.0, 668.8, and 502.8% compared to the nonfluorinated POPs. These findings highlight the potential of fluorination as a strategy for tailoring the properties of POP materials for advanced gas separation applications.

High-entropy alloy (HEA) catalysts exhibit enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in water electrolysis, yet the understanding of their structure and active sites in reaction environments remains unclear. Here, we systematically investigated the HER activity and stability of PtPdRhRuCu/C through a combination of electrochemical measurements, in situsynchrotron radiation X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Cu K-edge and Pt L3-edge, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Uniformly sized PtPdRhRuCu HEA nanoparticles were prepared viaa facile one-step solvothermal method. In situXAS results revealed that the HEA nanoparticles maintained metallic states and a disordered arrangement of the overall structure at hydrogen evolution potential, implying the absence of the separated phases. Relying on multi-metal active sites, PtPdRhRuCu/C demonstrated a remarkably low overpotential of 23.3 mV at 10 mA cm–2in alkaline HER, which is significantly lower than the overpotential observed in commercial Pt/C (50.3 mV), and achieving a mass activity 7.9 times that of Pt/C. DFT calculations show that the synergy of each metal site optimizes the dissociation energy barrier of water molecules. This study not only demonstrates the advancement of high-entropy alloys in electrocatalysis but also provides a comprehensive understanding of the structure-activity relationship of these unique catalysts through detailed characterizations. Our findings further contribute to the rational design and application of high-entropy alloy catalysts, specifically in HER.

Aluminum (Al) is a low-toxic, accumulative substance with neurotoxicity properties that adversely affect human cognitive function. This study aimed to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment resulting from occupational Al exposure. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted on 54 individuals with over 10 years of Al exposure. Al levels were measured, and cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Subsequently, the K-means clustering algorithm was employed to identify functional gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) networks. Two-sample t-tests were conducted between the cognition impairment group and the control group. Al exhibited a negative correlation with MoCA scores. Participants with cognitive impairment demonstrated reduced functional connectivity (FC) between the middle cingulum network (WM1) and anterior cingulum network (WM2), as well as between the executive control network (WM6) and limbic network (WM10). Notably, decreased FCs were observed between the executive control network (GM5) and WM1, WM4, WM6, and WM10. Additionally, the FC of GM5-GM4 and WM1-WM2 negatively correlated with Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A) scores. Prolonged Al accumulation detrimentally affects cognition, primarily attributable to executive control and limbic network disruptions.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) already become a potential candidate for high-efficiency energy storage in view of inherent safety and abundant zinc reserves. Nevertheless, the progress of AZIBs cathode materials with excellent comprehensive performance still retains formidable challenges. Herein, the three-dimensional amorphous vanadium pentoxide@graphene (3D a-V2O5@graphene) microspheres were prepared and investigated as the cathode material of AZIBs. The amorphous characteristics of a-V2O5and the three-dimensional graphene framework with outstanding conductivity synergistically enabled the 3D a-V2O5@graphene microspheres to expose more active sites and achieve rapid ion/electron transfer. Consequently, the obtained a-V2O5@graphene presented a promising specific capacity of 518 mAh g–1under 0.5 A g–1and a stable long-term cycle with an eminent remaining capacity of 177 mAh g–1over 2000 cycles under 40 A g–1. Meanwhile, the storage mechanism also was illuminated by various ex situ characterization tests. Hence, this study provides a new viewpoint for the design of advanced AZIBs based on amorphous cathode materials.

Salvia miltiorrhizais a kind of medicinal plant with various pharmacological activities. Few studies on the composition and diversity of rhizosphere microbial communities at different growth stages have been conducted on Salvia miltiorrhiz; in particular, salviorrhiza grows in soil that has been continuously planted for 3 years. The purpose of this study was to understand the changes of soil physicochemical properties of Salvia miltiorrhizaat different growth stages, and to study the composition and diversity of rhizosphere microbial community at different growth stages. Illumina NovaSeq sequencing technology was used to analyze the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the fungal ITS region in the rhizosphere soil of Salvia miltiorrhizaat different growth stages. The results showed that the dominant bacterial phyla in the Salvia miltiorrhizarhizosphere were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi.The dominant fungal phyla were Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota, Basidiomycota, and Rozellomycota. During the growth of Salvia miltiorrhiza, the physical and chemical properties of soil changed. As the Salvia miltiorrhizagrew, the content of available phosphorus, available potassium, pH, nitrate nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen significantly decreased. Ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen had a greater impact on the bacterial community structure in the rhizosphere than on the fungal community structure. The work was to reveal differences in the rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community structure during different growth stages of Salvia miltiorrhiza, further understand the changes of rhizosphere microbial ecological characteristics and soil physicochemical properties during the cultivation of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Phase separation inside mammalian cells regulates the formation of the biomolecular condensates that are related to gene expression, signalling, development and disease. However, a large population of endogenous condensates and their candidate phase-separating proteins have yet to be discovered in a quantitative and high-throughput manner. Here we demonstrate that endogenously expressed biomolecular condensates can be identified across a cell’s proteome by sorting proteins across varying oligomeric states. We employ volumetric compression to modulate the concentrations of intracellular proteins and the degree of crowdedness, which are physical regulators of cellular biomolecular condensates. The changes in degree of the partition of proteins into condensates or phase separation led to varying oligomeric states of the proteins, which can be detected by coupling density gradient ultracentrifugation and quantitative mass spectrometry. In total, we identified 1,518 endogenous condensate proteins, of which 538 have not been reported before. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our strategy can identify condensate proteins that respond to specific biological processes.

The synthesis of highly dispersed Au nanoclusters that are stable under elevated temperatures in heterogeneous catalysis is challenging. Here, we directly observe a strong metal–support interaction (SMSI)-induced dispersion of Au nanoparticles (NPs) on α-MoC using an environmentally atomically resolved secondary imaging technique. Under a realistic environment, Au NPs flatten and spread out on the α-MoC to form two-dimensional atomic layered clusters. The formed highly dispersed Au/α-MoC catalyst shows excellent stability at 600 °C for 160 h in the reverse water–gas shift reaction. The X-ray photoelectron spectrum and extended X-ray absorption fine structure results show that Au NPs gradually become low-coordination-number cluster species and lose electrons to become Auδ+; these form chemical bonds with the α-MoC support and are responsible for the dispersion behavior. This work provides an insightful understanding of dispersion behavior and promotes the rational design and synthesis of reverse sintering catalysts.

Selective production of singlet oxygen (1O2) as an electrophilic oxidant is crucial for the precise control of chemical targets in environmental fields. Herein, we proposed a strategy to construct a redox interface on electrodes, which can in situ produce inorganic metal hydroperoxides with appropriate oxidative ability during oxygen activation. Benefiting from atomic Cu sites (CuN4) in a copper–carbon aerogel electrode, almost complete production of 1O2was achieved, thereby refraining the competitive formation of other reactive oxygen species. The fast electron transfer rate between CuN4and electrogenerated H2O2promoted the in situ formation of copper hydroperoxide (N4–Cu–OOH), thereby selectively and efficiently oxidizing intermediate O2•–to 1O2. The optimized production of 1O2was up to 2583 μmol L–1without additional chemical reagents. We further considered the high production of 1O2for efficiently removing electron-rich organic pollutants from a complex water matrix. Fast kinetics was achieved and considered for removing various pollutants with electron-donating substituents in a nonradical oxidation pathway. The BPA degradation efficiency is less susceptible to the coexisting natural organic matter (NOM) and inorganic ions. Specifically, the kinetic constant for BPA removal is 34 times higher than that for a nanoparticle of a copper–carbon electrode while producing a hydroxyl radical. Our findings highlight the innovative interfacial surface engineering of an electrocatalytic O2activation system to selectively generate 1O2for future potential applications.

• Ultrathin FeCoV-NiMOF nanosheets with a thickness of merely 1.5 nm are synthesized. • Heteroatom synergistic electronic modulation yields optimal intermediate binding energy. • The FeCoV-NiMOF exhibits superior bifunctional activity in water electrolysis. • Morphological and electronic modulation boosts green hydrogen production efficiency. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have caused extensive attention attributed to their widespread applications including electrocatalysis by virtue of their distinctive structural characteristics. However, the direct application of pristine MOFs as bifunctional electrocatalysts is quite challenging due to their insufficient active sites and poor electrical conductivity. In this research, the ultrathin tri-metal (Fe, Co, and V) doped FeCoV-NiMOF nanosheet arrays were prepared through a facile hydrothermal method. Benefiting from the distinctive ultrathin (1.5 nm) nanosheet arrays and electronic structure reconfiguration induced by heteroatom doping, the prepared FeCoV-NiMOF displays the low overpotentials of 238, 309, and 408 mV for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and 144, 255, and 349 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the current densities of 10, 100, and 1000 mA cm−2, respectively, outperforming the vast majority of previously reported bifunctional pristine MOFs. The electrolytic cell utilizing FeCoV-NiMOF as both cathode and anode requires just 1.61 V to attain 10 mA cm−2 and displays superior stability of 100 h at 100 mA cm−2. In the anion exchange membrane electrolyzer, as-prepared FeCoV-NiMOF needs a low cell voltage of 2.16 V at 500 mA cm−2 for effective overall water splitting, demonstrating its substantial potential as bifunctional electrodes for H 2 production. The viable and efficient strategy in this study exhibits great prospects to enrich the exploration of bifunctional MOF-based electrocatalysts with superior performance for renewable energy conversion. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is presently a great demand for nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals that can demonstrate both strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) and high birefringence in emerging spin-orbit angular momentum photonic technologies. Here we report a new chiral trithiocyanate compound, K4(HC3N3S3)2·H2O, which is composed of highly π-conjugated [HC3N3S3]2−rings and is structurally analogous to commercial NLO crystal β-BaB2O4(BBO). Compared with BBO, which has optimally arranged π-conjugated [B3O6]3−rings, K4(HC3N3S3)2·H2O does not have an optimal arrangement of [HC3N3S3]2−rings. However, this trithiocyanate exhibits a significantly enhanced SHG response of up to 1.8 times that of BBO and an enhanced birefringence of up to 0.402 at the wavelength of 550 nm (about 3.3 times that of BBO). The first-principles calculations show that the π-conjugated [HC3N3S3]2−is the cause of the superior optical properties of K4(HC3N3S3)2·H2O. These findings demonstrate that the π-conjugated [HC3N3S3]2−is an excellent bi-functional “material gene” and merits more attention in the study of optical integrated devices for emerging photonic technologies.

Phosphorus (P) is typically associated with iron (Fe) hydroxides in paddy soils. Our study investigated the impact of different fertilization treatments on the availability of P regulated by Fe redox transformation in a rice (Oryza sativaL.)–wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) cropping system in the mid‐low reaches of the Yangtze River. Five fertilization treatments were examined: control (CK), chemical fertilizer (CF), 35% CF (P) plus pig manure compost (CFM), 100% CF (P) plus straw (CFS), and 35% CF (P) plus pig manure compost and straw (CFMS). Nine‐year rice–wheat rotations increased the oxalate‐extractable poorly crystalline Fe hydroxides (i.e., Feo) by 33%–87% compared with the initial soil, while fertilization further accelerated this process. Compost application increased the proportion of labile P by 75%–108% and decreased the proportion of non‐labile P by 14%–22% compared with the single chemical fertilization treatment. Furthermore, organic fertilization increased the mass proportions of macroaggregates and macroaggregate‐associated labile P. The Feo was positively correlated with the content of labile P but negatively correlated with the proportion of non‐labile P. Moreover, the reductive dissolution of Fe hydroxides was accompanied by the transformation of P from NaOH‐extractable to NaHCO3‐ and H2O‐extractable phases. These results indicate that seasonal alternation of drying and wetting can progressively drive the redox transformation of Fe hydroxides and promote the formation of Feo, thereby affecting the availability of P. Therefore, we suggested that P fertilizer should be reduced in the rice season due to the reduction of Fe hydroxides, particularly in the compost‐amended soils in the temperate rice–wheat cropping system. Fertilization accelerated the poorly crystalline iron hydroxide formation.Organic fertilization enhanced the availability of phosphorus.Poorly crystalline iron hydroxide formation contributed to the increase in phosphorus availability.

Chemiresistive sensing has been regarded as the key monitoring technique, while classic oxide gas detection devices always need an external power supply. In contrast, the bulk photovoltage of photoferroelectric materials could provide a controllable power source, holding a bright future in self-powered gas sensing. Herein, we present a new photoferroelectric ([n-pentylaminium]2[ethylammonium]2Pb3I10, 1), which possesses large spontaneous polarization (∼4.8 μC/cm2) and prominent visible-photoactive behaviors. Emphatically, driven by the bulk photovoltaic effect, 1enables excellent self-powered sensing responses for NO2at room temperature, including extremely fast response/recovery speeds (0.15/0.16 min) and high sensitivity (0.03 ppm–1). Such figures of merit are superior to those of typical inorganic systems (e.g., ZnO) using an external power supply. Theoretical calculations and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy measurements confirm the great selectivity of 1for NO2. As far as we know, this is the first realization of ferroelectricity-driven self-powered gas detection. Our work sheds light on the self-powered sensing systems and provides a promising way to broaden the functionalities of photoferroelectrics.

Low-cost, rapid, and accurate acquisition of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) is key to limiting the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Until now, conventional antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) methods are typically time-consuming, high-cost, and labor-intensive, making them difficult to accomplish this task. Herein, an electricity-free, portable, and robust handyfuge microfluidic chip was developed for on-site AST, termed handyfuge-AST. With simply handheld centrifugation, the bacterial-antibiotic mixtures with accurate antibiotic concentration gradients could be generated in less than 5 min. The accurate MIC values of single antibiotics (including ampicillin, kanamycin, and chloramphenicol) or their combinations against Escherichia colicould be obtained within 5 h. To further meet the growing demands of point-of-care testing, we upgraded our handyfuge-AST with a pH-based colorimetric strategy, enabling naked eye recognition or intelligent recognition with a homemade mobile app. Through a comparative study of 60 clinical data (10 clinical samples corresponding to six commonly used antibiotics), the accurate MICs by handyfuge-AST with 100% categorical agreements were achieved compared to clinical standard methods (area under curves, AUCs = 1.00). The handyfuge-AST could be used as a low-cost, portable, and robust point-of-care device to rapidly obtain accurate MIC values, which significantly limit the progress of AMR.

A lamellar carbon nitride (CN) framework is one of the most promising materials for solar-driven hydrogen peroxide production. The low dielectric constant of the organic CN framework leads to severe recombination of the excitons, and the photon-to-chemical conversion efficiency is thus unsatisfactory. In this work, by polycondensation of the small molecules on the KCl crystal surface, K+-incorporated crystalline CN (CNK) frameworks show significantly extended periodicity of the stacking layers and in-plane orderly organized heptazine/triazine units. The crystalline CNK frameworks exhibit a series of favorable photophysical properties, such as enhanced photon absorption, negatively shifted LUMO potentials, and attenuated emissive decay of the excitons. The CNK frameworks thus present remarkable performance in the photocatalytic selective oxygen reduction reaction for hydrogen peroxide production, e.g., CNK framework from the polycondensation of NH4SCN on the KCl surface could produce hydrogen peroxide at a remarkable reaction rate of 26.7 mmol h–1g–1with a high apparent quantum yield of 25.0%, which is 23.5 times that on its counterpart synthesized in the absence of KCl. This method is generally applicable to all of the precursors for CN synthesis.

Synchrotron radiation grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) directly observes the perovskite buried interface structure and corresponding mechanical stability of FPSCs without any damage.

High-entropy transition-metal oxides are potentially interesting cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, among which high-entropy layered oxides are considered highly promising because there exist two-dimensional ion transport channels that may, in principle, enable fast ion transport. However, high-entropy layered oxides reported to date exhibit fast capacity fading in initial cycles and thus are hardly of any practical value. Here, we investigate the structural and property changes of a five-element layered oxide, LiNi0.2Co0.2Mn0.2Fe0.2Al0.2O2, using electrochemical and physical characterization techniques. It is revealed that the M3O4phase formed at the surface of LiNi0.2Co0.2Mn0.2Fe0.2Al0.2O2due to the migration of metal ions from octahedral sites of the transition-metal layer to tetrahedral 8a and octahedral sites of the lithium layer hinders the intercalation of lithium ion, which leads to the low initial Coulombic efficiency and fast decay of reversible capacity. This mechanism could be generally applicable to other high-entropy layered oxides with different elemental compositions.

Photocatalysis is one of the environmental-friendly approaches toward the sustainable production of the versatile hydrogen peroxide. Polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) frameworks are especially favorable for the photocatalytic 2e–oxygen reduction reaction. High crystallinity of the PCN is favorable for enhancing the solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency. Employing the ionic compound of ammonium thiocyanate (NH4SCN) as the precursor, the crystallinity of AT-CN was significantly improved as compared to its counterpart synthesized with the organic melamine as the precursor (m-CN). Spectroscopic investigations revealed that the exciton dissociation was remarkably enhanced for the crystalline AT-CN. AT-CN thus exhibited remarkable photocatalytic performance in the H2O2production and pollutant degradation. This work demonstrates a novel approach of tuning the miscibility of the precursor in the molten salt for enhancing the crystallinity of the polymeric carbon nitride framework.

AbstractObjective:This study aimed to explore Chinese people’s attitudes to the official application of TCM in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment.Methods:We collected data referring to TCM on Weibo from 0:00 on January 24, 2020, to 23:59:59 on March 31, 2020 (Beijing time). In addition, this study used DLUT-Emotion ontology to analyze the sentiment orientation and emotions of selected data and then conducted a text analysis.Results:According to DLUT-Emotion ontology, we examined 3 sentiment orientations of 215,565 valid Weibo posts. Among them, 25,025 posts were judged as positive emotions, accounting for approximately 12%; 22,362 were regarded as negative emotions, accounting for approximately 10%; and 168,178 were judged as neutral emotions, accounting for approximately 78%. Results indicate that the words judged as “Good” have the highest frequency, and words marked as “Happy” have increased over time. The word frequency of “Fear” and “Sadness” showed a significant downward trend.Conclusion:Weibo users have a relatively positive attitude to the TCM in the COVID-19 treatment in general. Results of text analysis show that data with negative emotions is essentially an expression of public opinions to supporting TCM or not. Texts of “Fear” and “Sadness” do not reflect users’ negative attitudes to TCM.

Modularly synthesized giant molecular clusters containing rigid spherical molecules as element-blocks are a new class of unconventional macromolecules. Among various candidates for rigid spherical molecules, cage octasilsesquioxane (T8) frameworks have been demonstrated to be an efficient building block for designing well-defined 3D solid materials due to the flexible designability of their organic substituents. Here, we studied the crystalline phase and phase transition behavior of an optically transparent film of star-shaped (heptaisobutyl-T8-silsesquioxy)propyl-substituted octadimethylsiloxy-Q8-silsesquioxane (star-POSS) by DSC and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) measurements. This star-POSSexhibited a crystalline phase with a hexagonal system at room temperature and underwent melting above the melting temperature (Tm). Furthermore, the specimens underwent recrystallization even at temperature above Tm, resulting in the same hexagonal system with slightly larger a- and c-axis lengths. The amorphous state of the surrounding isobutyl substituents on the T8-cage framework provides an optically transparent film of star-POSS.

Purpose: This paper aims to examine how auditors respond through audit fees and audit quality following disciplinary actions imposed by audit regulators in an emerging market setting. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses the disciplinary actions in 2017 against two major audit firms in China as an exogenous shock to examine the effect of tougher enforcement actions on auditor behavior as reflected in their emended audit fees and audit quality. This paper sampled from publicly listed firms in China with requisite data for the period 2015 through 2018. Using a difference-in-differences model, this paper examines whether the enforcement action (i.e. the suspension of audit firms) significantly impacted the audit fees and audit quality for clients of the disciplined audit firms (hereafter, suspended audit firms) in the two-year period postsuspension relative to audit firms that were not disciplined (hereafter, nonsuspended audit firms). Findings: This paper finds evidence of increased audit fees and improved audit quality by the suspended audit firms relative to the nonsuspended audit firms in the two-year period postsuspension. These findings suggest that in contrast to symbolic disciplinary actions such as public censures documented in prior literature (Boone et al.,2015), tougher punitive disciplinary actions are followed by an increase in audit fees and an improvement in audit quality by the suspended audit firms. This paper also finds that the deterrent effect from the audit firm suspension is exclusive to the penalized audit firms and had no positive spillover effects on their peers. Research limitations/implications: A limitation of this study is the focus on the effect of audit firm suspension against two large local audit firms in China. Given the unique characteristics of the Chinese audit market and the Chinese regulatory environment, our findings may not be generalizable to audit firms in other countries and jurisdictions, especially where the audit market is dominated by the international Big 4 auditors that possess greater brand name capital than second-tier local audit firms. Originality/value: This paper provides novel evidence on the impact of strengthened enforcement on auditor behavior in an emerging market setting. This paper contributes to the existing literature examining the impact of regulatory interventions on financial reporting outcomes and audit quality. While there is evidence on how regulations affect financial statement preparers’ demand for high audit quality, there is limited research on how regulatory interventions affect auditor’s incentive to supply higher audit quality. This paper also contributes to the scant existing evidence on the effect of disciplinary actions against audit firms in emerging economies.

Anaeromyxobacterspp. are prevalent and can make important contribution to microbial Fe(III) reduction in flooded paddy soils, which could be greatly regulated by exogenous organic C input. In this study, dynamics in the abundance and structure of metabolically active Anaeromyxobactercommunity based on RNA level were investigated by a 40‐d anaerobic incubation of paddy soils amended with glucose at 0.1 and 0.5 mol C kg−1soil, respectively. Compared with the control treatment, glucose additions generally showed obvious inhibitory effect on the Anaeromyxobactergrowth; glucose addition at low concentration decreased the abundance of Anaeromyxobacterby 3.56 × 106to 4.06 × 107copies g–1soil within the first 5 d of incubation, whereas a remarkable decrease by 4.54 × 106to 7.71 × 107copies g–1soil occurred after paddy soils were amended with high glucose concentration. Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans‐like OTU_1 (where OTU stands for operational taxonomic unit) was dominant in the metabolically active Anaeromyxobactercommunity and showed significant and positive relationship with Fe(III) reduction process. The structure of Anaeromyxobactercommunity was greatly altered by glucose additions, and divergences mainly occurred after 5 d of incubation. Additionally, glucose additions could enhance interactions within the Anaeromyxobactercommunity, especially for positive correlations. In general, glucose addition could greatly inhibit the abundance and alter the structure of Anaeromyxobactercommunity by jointly decreasing soil pH; however, it could promote the final Fe(III) reduction by enhancing the utilization of Anaeromyxobacterto crystalline Fe oxide. The Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans‐like group was dominant in the Anaeromyxobactercommunity.The growth of Anaeromyxobacterwas generally inhibited by glucose addition.Glucose addition greatly altered the community structure of Anaeromyxobacter.Glucose addition could enhance interactions within the Anaeromyxobactercommunity.

Circularly polarized light (CPL) detection has sparked overwhelming research interest for its widespread chiroptoelectronic and spintronic applications. Ferroelectric materials, especially emerging layered hybrid perovskite ferroelectrics, exhibiting striking bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) present significant possibilities for CPL detection by a distinctive working concept. Herein, for the first time, we demonstrate the realization of robust angular anisotropy of CPL detection in a new layered hybrid perovskite ferroelectric crystal (CPA)2FAPb2Br7(1, CPA is chloropropylammonium, FA is formamidinium), which crystallized in an optically active achiral polar point group. Benefiting from the notable spontaneous polarization (5.1 μC/cm2) and excellent semiconducting characteristics, single crystals of 1exhibit remarkable BPVE under light illumination, with a high current on/off switching ratio (ca. 103). More intriguingly, driven by the angular carrier drift originating from spin-dependent BPVE in optically active ferroelectrics, 1displays highly sensitive self-powered CPL detection performance, showing a robust angular anisotropy factor up to 0.98, which is far more than those achieved by material intrinsic chirality. This work provides an unprecedented approach for realizing highly sensitive CPL detection, which sheds light on the further design of optically active ferroelectrics for chiral photonic applications.

A design-inexpensive, effective, and easy-to-prepare additive in the large-scale preparation of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is urgently desired to alleviate the future energy crisis. Carbon-based quantum dots have demonstrated novel nanomaterials with excellent chemical stability and high electrical conductivity, which exhibit great potential as additives for perovskite optoelectronics. Herein, we designed novel highly fluorescent collagen-based quantum dots (Col-QDs) and thoroughly studied the micromorphological characteristics, photoluminescence properties, and the states of surface-functionalized groups on the Col-QDs. It is found that the introduction of Col-QDs in the two-dimensional (2D) perovskite precursor can be further confirmed as an efficient interlinkage via Col-Pb bands in the pure 2D perovskite heterojunction, which significantly improves the crystallinity, orientation, and interlayer coupling of perovskite crystal plates, as observed by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIWAXS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Finally, the champion Col-QD additive can efficiently modulate the photovoltaic performance of pure 2D PSCs with a significant increase of photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) from 8.18% up to 10.45%, which ranks among the best efficiencies of highly pure 2D PSCs. These results provide a facile and feasible approach to modulate the interlayer interaction of pure 2D perovskites and further improve their output of PSCs, which would further facilitate the burgeoning applications of the Col-QDs in various perovskite-based optical-related fields.

For some Cas nucleases, trans-cleavage activity triggered by CRISPR/Cas-mediated cis-cleavage upon target nucleic acid recognition has been explored for diagnostic detection. Portable single and multiplex nucleic acid-based detection is needed for crop pathogen management in agriculture. Here, we harnessed and characterized RfxCas13d as an additional CRISPR/Cas nucleic acid detection tool. We systematically characterized AsCas12a, LbCas12a, LwaCas13a, and RfxCas13d combined with isothermal amplification to develop a CRISPR/Cas nucleic acid-based tool for single or multiplex pathogen detection. Our data indicated that sufficient detection sensitivity was achieved with just a few copies of DNA/RNA targets as input. Using this tool, we successfully detected DNA from Fusarium graminearumand Fusarium verticillioidesand RNA from rice black-streaked dwarf virus in crude extracts prepared in the field. Our method, from sample preparation to result readout, could be rapidly and easily deployed in the field. This system could be extended to other crop pathogens, including those that currently lack a detection method and have metabolite profiles that make detection challenging. This nucleic acid detection system could also be used for single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping, transgene detection, and qualitative detection of gene expression in the field.

Multiple ex-situ monitors were applied to investigate the role of Pt/Ti2C catalysts in accelerating the conversion of polysulfides at different states during discharge/charge process.

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to analyze the function and latent mechanism of long noncoding RNA BACE1-antisense transcript (lncRNA BACE1-AS) in MPP+-induced SH-SY5Y cells. SH-SY5Y cells were cultivated in 1 mM MPP+for 24 h to establish Parkinson’s disease (PD) model in vitro. TargetScan and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to predict and verify the interaction between microRNA (miR)-214-3p and CDIP1 (Cell death-inducing p53-target protein 1). Cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and cell apoptosis were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2 H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), LDH, and flow cytometer. The secretion of inflammatory factors and representative biomarkers of oxidative stress, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and specific assay kits. Results suggested that lncRNA BACE1-AS was over-expressed and miR-214-3p was under-expressed in MPP+-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. Further analyses revealed that MPP+inhibited cell viability; enhanced cell apoptosis, Cleaved Caspase-3 expression and Cleaved Caspase-3/GAPDH ratio; induced oxidative stress and inflammation in SH-SY5Y cells were inhibited by lncRNA BACE1-AS-siRNA transfection; and all these inhibitions were reversed by miR-214-3p inhibitor. In addition, we found that CDIP1 was directly targeted by miR-214-3p and up-regulated in MPP+-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. Further functional assays suggested that CDIP1-plasmid reversed the effects of miR-214-3p mimic on MPP+-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells. In conclusion, lncRNA BACE1-AS regulates SH-SY5Y cell proliferation, apoptosis, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress through direct regulation of miR-214-3p/CDIP1 signaling axis, and could be a potential candidate associated with the diagnosis and treatment of PD.

Visible–infrared dual-modal light harvesting is crucial for various optoelectronic devices, particularly for solar cells and photodetectors. Hybrid metal-halide perovskites are recently emerging for visible–infrared dual-modal photodetection owing to their prominent multiphoton absorption and carrier transport performances. However, they work relying on an applied external power source or complicated heterostructures. It is still a difficult task to realize visible–infrared dual-modal self-powered photoresponse induced by a bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) in a single material. In this work, we constructed a polar multilayered perovskite, (Br-BA)2(EA)2Pb3Br10(BEP; EA+= ethylammonium, and Br-BA+= 4-brombutylammonium). Notably, the polar feature endows BEP with a BPVE. In addition, BEP presents a distinctive two-photon activity arising from the layered quantum-well structure. Benefitting from these striking characteristics, self-powered visible–infrared dual-modal photodetection is realized, and a direct self-powered detection of 800 nm light with a photocurrent of 2.1 nA cm–2is achieved. This work will inspire the design of desired photoelectric materials with a BPVE for high-performance self-powered visible–infrared dual-modal photodetection.

This study investigates the reliable fuzzy tracking control problem for an unmanned surface vehicles (USV) with dynamic positioning system (DPS) based on aperiodic measurement information. The Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy model with actuator failure for the USV is established, and the values of the actuator failures are random, and both lower and upper bounds of the sampling period are considered. By constructing a suitable Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF), the mean square exponential criteria are obtained and the real sampling patterns are fully captured. Finally, an example is exhibited that the Aperiodic sampled-data controller can ensure the states of the USV and have excellent tracking performance.

ABSTRACTDysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) are common in human cancers and are involved in the proliferation, promotion, and metastasis of tumor cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and biological function of miR-889-3p in lung cancer (LC). MiR-889-3p and Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 1 (HIPK1) expression was detected in human LC tissues and cells. The correlation of miR-889-3p with the clinicopathology of LC patients was observed. After the transfection of miR-889-3p and HIPK1-related plasmids in human LC cell line A549, several studies were employed for detection of cell growth. In addition, the targeting of miR-889-3p with HIPK1 was verified. The results clarified miR-889-3p was down-regulated, while HIPK1 was up-regulated in LC tissues. Elevated miR-889-3p or repressed HIPK1 weakened the viability, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, migration of LC cells, whereas strengthened apoptosis. MiR-889-3p targeted HIPK1; MiR-889-3p mediated HIPK1 to affect the proliferation and EMT of LC cells. Therefore, it is concluded that miR-889-3p repressing HIPK1 restrains the proliferation and EMT of LC cells, providing a novel target for LC therapy.

Surface energy of the underneath interlayer plays a crucial role in determining the morphology of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) film in solution-processed organic solar cells (OSCs). However, little attention has been paid to this perspective at the microscopic level. In this study, we demonstrate an effective strategy to tune the nanoscale heterogeneous distribution of surface energy (HeD-SE) at interlayers through incorporating two-dimensional (2D) MoS2nanosheets, which modulate the component distribution, molecular orientation, and phase separation in the upper BHJ layers, leading to suppressed charge recombination and increased charge extraction in devices with enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) and device stability. Furthermore, we explore the relationship among the different surface energies of BHJs between the donor and the acceptor, the nanoscale HeD-SE at interlayers, and the PCEs of the resultant devices. This work reveals the impact of nanoscale heterogeneity in the distribution of surface energy in the underneath interlayers on the BHJ morphology and device performance in OSCs.

Trace 17β-estradiol (E2) is persistent against advanced treatment when blended with higher concentrations of low-toxicity organics, thus wasting energy. A circulating-flow selective photoelectrocatalysis (CF-SPEC) system is established with a selective E2-TiO2-NR photoanode, accurately reducing 1 μg L–1E2 to less than 0.1 ng L–1along with eliminating estrogenic activity even when blended with natural organic matter (NOM) at a thousand times higher concentration. Such high efficiency is derived from the augmented selectivity and activity of E2-TiO2-NRs toward E2 during CF-SPEC. Under a flow, the difference in adsorption capacity between NOM and E2 is further amplified 5.6-fold. Furthermore, the higher initial •OH concentration and faster mass transfer jointly endow CF-SPEC with a stronger oxidation capacity. As a result, the removal of E2 increases by 58.7%, and the elimination of estrogenic activity increases 5.8-fold. In addition, deeper mineralization and less homo- and heterocoupling under CF-SPEC are observed, leading to more thorough estrogenic activity removal. Although additional energy is needed to maintain the flow, there is a 55% decrease in energy consumption due to the accurate removal capacity. This work suggests a combination of flow degradation and surface engineering that can be expanded for the selective removal of toxic trace pollutants in blended systems.

The continuous increase in the consumption of coal, oil, and natural gas has not only led to the depletion of unsustainable energy sources, but has also caused excessive CO2emissions, thus resulting in serious energy crises and climate issues. In such a scenario, it is imperative to explore clean and sustainable energy conversion technologies to address the escalating energy demands and environmental crises. Photocatalytic CO2conversion, inspired by natural photosynthesis, utilizes solar energy to convert CO2and water into valuable chemicals. After decades of development, artificial photosynthesis has emerged as a green, cost-effective, and sustainable approach to achieving carbon neutrality. However, the challenges of low carrier separation efficiency and insufficient active sites in photocatalysts remain significant hurdles in achieving high-performance CO2photoreduction. To address this challenge, the integration of metal nanoparticles with semiconductors to create an Ohmic junction can enhance electron-hole migration by the assist of interfacial electric field (IEF). In this study, an Ohmic junction photocatalyst is constructed by in situformation of Bi nanoparticles on the surface of BiOCl nanosheets through a solvothermal process. The composition and morphology of the photocatalysts were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) was employed to assess the light absorption performance of the photocatalyst. Transient photocurrent response, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electron spin resonance (ESR) were utilized to evaluate the efficiency of electron-hole transfer. The distinct work function difference between Bi nanoparticles and BiOCl nanosheets leads to favorable charge transfer characteristics within the formed Ohmic junction, significantly improving the utilization efficiency of photogenerated carriers. Besides, the Bi nanoparticles serve as co-catalysts, enhancing the activation of inert CO2. As a result, the optimized Bi/BiOCl composite (Bi/BiOCl-2) exhibits enhanced generation rates of CO (34.31 μmol·g−1) and CH4(1.57 μmol g−1) during 4-h of irradiation, which is 2.55 and 4.76 times compared to pristine BiOCl nanosheets, respectively. Isotope tracer experiments suggest that the obtained carbon-based products are generated through CO2photoreduction in the presence of water molecule under irradiation. Moreover, in situFourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (in situFTIR) results indicate the formation of *CHO, *CH3O, b-CO2-3, m-CO2-3, HCO-3, HCOOH, *COOH, and HCOO−species during the CO2reduction process and a possible mechanism for CO2photoreduction into CO and CH4is proposed based on these findings. After 25-h of CO2photoreduction reaction, the yields of CO and CH4continue to increase. Furthermore, the stability of the prepared material is confirmed by XRD pattern, XPS analysis, and TEM image. These outcomes underscore an effective strategy for constructing advanced photocatalysts tailored for high-performance solar-driven CO2reduction.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic disease with an unclear etiology and no effective treatment. This study aims to elucidate the pathogenic mechanism networks involving multiple targets and pathways in IPF. Extracts and metabolites of Astragali Radix (AR) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), two well-known traditional Chinese medicines, have demonstrated therapeutic effects on IPF. However, the underlying mechanisms of AR and ASR remain unclear. Utilizing network pharmacology analysis, the disease targets associated with IPF were obtained from the GeneCards database and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. Targets of AR and ASR were identified using the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and Swiss Target Prediction. A proteinprotein interaction (PPI) network was subsequently constructed and analyzed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Gene ontology enrichment (GO) analysis and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis were conducted using DAVID. Additionally, a component-target-pathway network was employed to identify the main active components, and molecular docking was performed between these components and proteins encoded by key targets. Finally, in vitro studies were conducted based on network pharmacology. A total of 260 common targets between IPF and drug targets were identified and included in the PPI network, in which TNF, IL-6, STAT3, AKT1, VEGFA, SRC, EGFR, INS, JUN, and IL1B were predicted as key targets. These 260 targets were enriched in the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, FOXO signaling pathway, and Pathways in cancer. Docking scores ranged from –4.1 to –9.5 kcal/mol, indicating a strong binding affinity between the main active compounds and key targets. In vitro studies have indeed shown that Quercetin and Magnolol can alleviate the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the A549 cells caused by IL-6. The treatment with AR and ASR resulted in a reduction of mRNA levels for key targets HIF-1α and α-SAM. Additionally, the protein expression levels of P-JAK2/JAK2, P-STAT3/STAT3, and α-SMA/β-Actin were also reduced. These results support the therapeutic potential of AR and ASR in ameliorating pulmonary fibrosis and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in their therapeutic effects.

Chiral hybrid perovskites have brought an unprecedented opportunity for circularly polarized light (CPL) detection. However, the circular polarization sensitivity of such a detector remains extremely low because of the high exciton recombination rate in those single-phase hybrid perovskites. Here, a heterostructure construction strategy is proposed to reduce the electron–hole recombination rate in a chiral hybrid perovskite and achieve CPL detectors with greatly amplified circular polarization sensitivity. A heterostructure crystal, namely, [(R)-MPA]2MAPb2I7/MAPbI3((R)-MPA = (R)-methylphenethylamine, MA = methylammonium), has been successfully created by integrating a chiral two-dimensional (2D) perovskite with its three-dimensional counterpart via solution-processed heteroepitaxy. Strikingly, the sharp interface of the as-grown heterostructure crystal facilitates the formation of a built-in electric field, enabling the combined concepts of charge transfer and chirality transfer, which effectively reduces the recombination probability for photogenerated carriers while retaining chiroptical activity of chiral 2D perovskite. Thereby, the resultant CPL detector exhibits significantly amplified circular polarization sensitivity at zero bias with an impressive anisotropy factor up to 0.67, which is about six times higher than that of the single-phase [(R)-MPA]2MAPb2I7(0.1). As a proof-of-concept, the strategy we presented here enables a novel path to modulate circular polarization sensitivity and will be helpful to design chiral hybrid perovskites for advanced chiroptical devices.

A set Aof nonnegative integers is called a Sidon set if there is no Sidon 4-tuple, i.e., (a, b, c, d) in Awith a+b= c+dand {a, b}n{c, d} = ø;. Cameron and Erdos proposed the problem of determining the number of Sidon sets in [n]. Results of Kohayakawa, Lee, Rodl and Samotij, and Saxton and Thomason have established that the number of Sidon sets is between and . An a-generalized Sidon set in [n] is a set with at most aSidon 4-tuples. One way to extend the problem of Cameron and Erdos is to estimate the number of a-generalized Sidon sets in [n]. We show that the number of (n/ log4n)-generalized Sidon sets in [n] with additional restrictions is . In particular, the number of (n/log5n)-generalized Sidon sets in [n] is . Our approach is based on some variants of the graph container method.

High-Curie-temperature (Tc) ferroelectrics have exhibited broad applications in optoelectronic devices. Recently, two-dimensional multilayered perovskite ferroelectrics with excellent photoelectric attributes are attracting increasing interest as new systems of photoferroelectrics. However, the effective tuning of the Tcvalue of a multilayered perovskite photoferroelectric system still remains a huge challenge. Here, by a halogen substitution strategy to introduce bromine atoms on n-propylamine cations, the hybrid perovskite photoferroelectric (3-bromopropylaminium)2(formamidinium)Pb2Br7(BFPB) with a high Tcvalue (348.5 K) was obtained. It is notable that BFPBadopts a two-dimensional bilayered inorganic framework, with tight linking to the organic cation by C–Br···Br–Pb halogen···halogen interactions and N–H···Br hydrogen bonds. Intriguingly, in comparison with the prototypical compound (n-propylaminium)2(formamidinium)Pb2Br7, a remarkable augmentation of 85.2 K in the resulting Tcvalue of BFPBis clearly observed, which further broadens the temperature range of its application. In combination with the remarkable ferroelectric and semiconducting attributes, the reversible bulk photovoltaic effect was realized in single crystals of BFPB. This finding can not only enhance the hybrid perovskite ferroelectric family but also further promote the photoelectric application of ferroelectrics.

Polyaniline (PANI) is a promising cathode material for Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) due to its intrinsic conductivity and redox activity; however, the achievements of PANI in high-performance ZIBs are largely hindered by its instability during the repeated charge/discharge. Taking advantage of the high conductivity, flexibility, and grafting ability together, a surface-engineered Ti3C2TxMXene is designed as a silver bullet to fight against the deprotonation and swelling/shrinking issues occurring in the redox process of PANI, which are the origins of its instability. Specifically, the sulfonic-group-grafted Ti3C2Tx(S-Ti3C2Tx) continuously provides protons to improve the protonation degree of PANI and maintains the polymer backbone at a locally low pH, which effectively inhibits deprotonation and brings high redox activity along with good reversibility. Meanwhile, the conductive and flexible natures of S-Ti3C2Txassist the fast redox reaction of PANI and concurrently buffer its corresponding swelling/shrinking. Therefore, the S-Ti3C2Tx-enhanced PANI cathode simultaneously achieves a high discharge capacity of 262 mAh g–1at 0.5 A g–1, a superior rate capability of 160 mAh g–1at 15 A g–1, and a good cyclability over 5000 cycles with 100% coulombic efficiency. This work enlightens the development of versatile MXene viasurface engineering for advanced batteries.

Purpose: The authors examine whether Chinese banks use loan loss provisions (LLPs) for capital management, income smoothing and signaling purposes, and assess the effect of the recent regulatory changes following the implementation of Chinese Basel III on such behavior. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use a unique set of hand-collected data on bank capital combined with financial data downloaded from the China Stock Market and Accounting Research (CSMAR) database. Multivariate regression models are used to test our hypotheses. Findings: The authors find that while there is no evidence to suggest capital management practice before the Chinese Basel III, the implementation of the new regulations induced listed banks to manage tier-1 capital via LLPs. The authors also find strong support that Chinese banks engage in income smoothing via LLPs management, and there is no change in such tendency following the issuance of Chinese Basel III. Lastly, the authors do not find support for the signaling behavior by Chinese banks using LLPs. Practical implications: The authors’ evidence suggests that elevated tier-1 capital and provisioning requirements may induce capital management by banks, which indicates a potential unintended effect brought forth by the new Basel regulations. Originality/value: To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine Chinese banks' behavior relating to LLPs in terms of capital management, income smoothing and signaling. In particular, the authors use a sample containing a large number of Chinese commercial banks – previously a major data issue in other studies.

Playing a crucial role in light-emitting diode (LED) illumination sources, the blue light-emitting materials are commonly obtained by doping rare-earth metal ions. Considering the high price, non-renewable supply, and unstable oxidation state of rare-earth metal ions, developing economically and environmentally amicable as well as steady blue light-emitting materials is of great significance. Herein, we have proposed a new structural design strategy of introducing Sn4+cations into borates and have successfully constructed a novel barium borostannate, Ba7Sn(BO3)6. Notably, this is the first SnO6-activated rare-earth-free deep-blue light-emitting borostannate with extremely high emission energy. By combining Ba7Sn(BO3)6with other commercial phosphors, a series of white LED devices were successfully fabricated. This promising material will provide a new approach in the development of LED applications.

AbstractFloods have become the most prevalent natural disaster in the world. Understanding the emotional impact of floods on people helps reduce negative mass incidents and contributes to the implementation of disaster prevention and mitigation. This study collected online discussions related to the great flood in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin in China in 2020. Then, we obtained the sentiments of people and the deep thoughts behind their negative sentiment through the dictionary sentiment analysis and the LDA topic modeling, counting them according to the regions. The overall sentiment of Internet users during this flood was neutral, and the posts showing negative sentiment were mostly from the affected areas. People in the affected areas were highly concerned about personal safety and property, whose negative emotions were directed towards the flood prevention work and the relocation of affected people.

Halide double perovskites have emerged as remarkable semiconductors owing to their nontoxicity and superior optoelectronic features. Despite recent exciting progress, halide double perovskites with bulk ferroelectricity are still sparse. Herein, we report the discovery of a multiaxial layered halide double perovskite ferroelectric, BA2CsAgBiBr7(1, BA = n-butylammonium), which exhibits a fascinating ferroelectric feature with a Curie temperature of ∼273 K and unique semiconducting nature. Particularly, for 1, the dimensional reduction reduced strong coupling of octahedral rotations and cation ordering leads to a notable spontaneous polarization of 5.2 μC/cm2and an extremely high fatigue resistance (over 107switching), which are comparable to those of oxide perovskites. As far as we are aware, this is the first example of a multiaxial ferroelectric in the booming family of halide double perovskites. Another fascinating feature is that 1also possesses a biaxial ferroelastic order with a high Curie temperature of 375 K. Such discovery of a halide double perovskite ferroelectric with multiple ferroic orders signifies an important step toward designing multifunctional ferroelectric materials as well as inspires their further applications in optoelectronic devices.

Structures composed of SiOxF6–x(x= 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) or SiOxF4–x(x= 1, 2, 3) species have thus far been observed in only a few compounds, and their functional properties are completely unknown in silicate chemistry. By introducing the least electronegative element, cesium, and the most electronegative element, fluorine, into the silicophosphate system, we successfully designed the first noncentrosymmetric fluorooxosilicophosphate with Si–F bonds, CsSiP2O7F, whose structure consists of an unprecedented SiP2O10F moiety containing hexacoordinate SiO5F species. The experimental results highlight CsSiP2O7F as the first fluorooxosilicophosphate deep-UV nonlinear optical (NLO) material. The first-principles calculations reveal that the SiP2O10F moiety is a new type of NLO-active unit and that both cesium and fluorine increase the deep-UV transparency of CsSiP2O7F. This work provides a new source of deep-UV NLO materials and insights into obtaining noncentrosymmetric structures that are indispensable to functional materials in nonlinear optics, piezoelectricity, ferroelectric, pyroelectricity, etc.

Benefiting from their structural flexibility and solution processability, organic–inorganic metal halide hybrids with efficient white-light emission present a great promise for solid-state lighting and display applications. However, most of these reported high-performance single-component white-light materials contain lead. Herein, we report a “green” organic zinc halide, [(N-AEPz)ZnCl4]Cl (1; N-AEPz = N-aminoethylpiperazine), exhibiting prominent bluish-white-light emission with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency as high as 11.52%. Such a value is among the highest in the reported metal halide white-light emitters. Mechanism studies disclose that the broad-band emission is ascribed to the synergistic work of organic salts and inorganic clusters. This work would incent research on single-component white-light materials for next-generation display and lighting technologies.

MTA1, SOX4, EZH2, and TGF-β are all potent inducers of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer; however, the signaling relationship among these molecules in EMT is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the function of MTA1 in cancer cells and demonstrated that MTA1 overexpression efficiently activates EMT. This activation resulted in a significant increase in the migratory and invasive properties of three different cancer cell lines through a common mechanism involving SOX4 activation, screened from a gene expression profiling analysis. We showed that both SOX4 and MTA1 are induced by TGF-β and both are indispensable for TGF-β-mediated EMT. Further investigation identified that MTA1 acts upstream of SOX4 in the TGF-β pathway, emphasizing a TGF-β-MTA1-SOX4 signaling axis in EMT induction. The histone methyltransferase EZH2, a component of the polycomb (PcG) repressive complex 2 (PRC2), was identified as a critical responsive gene of the TGF-β-MTA1-SOX4 signaling in three different epithelial cancer cell lines, suggesting that this signaling acts broadly in cancer cells in vitro. The MTA1-SOX4-EZH2 signaling cascade was further verified in TCGA pan-cancer patient samples and in a colon cancer cDNA microarray, and activation of genes in this signaling pathway predicted an unfavorable prognosis in colon cancer patients. Collectively, our data uncover a SOX4-dependent EMT-inducing mechanism underlying MTA1-driven cancer metastasis and suggest a widespread TGF-β-MTA1-SOX4-EZH2 signaling axis that drives EMT in various cancers. We propose that this signaling may be used as a common therapeutic target to control epithelial cancer metastasis.