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To explore the reaction mechanism of sludge, slag, lime, and fly ash in high temperature environments, the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test was hereby implemented to study the effect on curing age, curing temperature, slag content and fly ash content about the strength of sludge. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the microscopic composition of the substance, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to analyze the mineral composition at the micro level to further disclose its reinforcement mechanism. The experimental results demonstrate the difference in the strength measured by different dosage of curing agent, and results indicate that the strength of high temperature curing sample was obviously higher than that of low temperature curing sample. When the curing temperature rises, the pozzolanic reaction and hydration reaction between materials are accelerated, and a certain amount of gel products are produced, playing a precipitation and bonding role between particles. The 28 days and 90 days strengths of the sludge samples with 20% fly ash and 80% slag dosing at 40°C were 1139 KPa and 1194 KPa, which were 1.4 and 1.1 times of that of pure cement solidified sludge. At 60°C, the strength of 14 days, 28 days and 90 days were 802 KPa, 1298 KPa and 1363 KPa, which were 1.1, 1.5 and 1.3 times of that of pure cement solidified sludge. Under the influence of an alkaline environment, the silicon-aluminum grid structure was interconnected into a denser network structure, and the compressive strength of lime-activated fly ash-slag was thus continuously enhanced. Affected by the high temperature, lime-activated fly ash-slag solidified sludge could significantly improve the middle and late strength of the sample. The research showed that the new solidification material can replace partly the concrete curing agent, thereby alleviating the carbon emission and environmental pollution problems arising from cement solidified sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The layered nickel-cobalt-manganese LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (LNCM) was investigated as commercializable and high reversible capacity cathode material by more and more investigators in recent years. In this paper, the LiNi1/3Co1/3−xMn1/3YxO2 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10) samples were successfully obtained by a ball milling combined with calcination method. The synthesized LNCM nanocomposites are characterized by different analytical methods. The effect of amount of Y ions doping on the lithium storage performance of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 was also studied systematically. The Y3+ ions replace the part of Co ions, reducing cation mixing and increasing the diffusion coefficient of Li+ ions in the lattice. It causes the unit cell volume to become larger, and the structure of the material becomes more stable in the intercalation and de-intercalation process of Li+ ions. These test results show that LiNi1/3Co1/3−0.05Mn1/3Y0.05O2 (Y-0.05 LNCM) sample behaves best electrochemical properties with the specific capacity of 174.8 mAh g–1 at 0.5 C after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZSSG (ZnSSe/rGO) composites are prepared by a hydrothermal method. The structure, morphology and material properties are investigated by various tests. Compared to ZnSe, the diffraction peaks of ZnSSe are moved to a larger angle and located between cubic phase ZnSe and cubic phase ZnS. The photocurrent density of ZSSG20 with 20 wt.% graphene is 2.17×10−5 A cm−2, which is 8.9 times higher than that of pure ZnSSe. ZSSG20 has the minimum charge transfer resistance and highest carrier density. The decreased fluorescence intensity in PL spectra indicates that graphene can effectively prevent the recombination of electron‐hole pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Grain size and weight determine rice yield. Although numerous genes and pathways involved in regulating grain size have been identified, our knowledge of post‐transcriptional control of grain size remains elusive. In this study, we characterize a rice mutant, decreased grain width and weight 1 (dgw1), which produces small grains. We show that DGW1 encodes a member of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) family protein and preferentially expresses in developing panicles, positively regulating grain size by promoting cell expansion in spikelet hulls. Overexpression of DGW1 increases grain weight and grain numbers, leading to a significant rise in rice grain yield. We further demonstrate that DGW1 functions in grain size regulation by directly binding to the mRNA of Grain Width 6 (GW6), a critical grain size regulator in rice. Overexpression of GW6 restored the grain size phenotype of DGW1‐knockout plants. DGW1 interacts with two oligouridylate binding proteins (OsUBP1a and OsUBP1b), which also bind the GW6 mRNA. In addition, the second RRM domain of DGW1 is indispensable for its mediated protein‐RNA and protein–protein interactions. In summary, our findings identify a new regulatory module of DGW1‐GW6 that regulates rice grain size and weight, providing important insights into the function of hnRNP‐like proteins in the regulation of grain size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of steroid phytohormones that control various aspects of plant growth and development. Several transcriptional factors (TFs) have been suggested to play roles in BR signaling. However, their possible relationship remains largely unknown. Here, we identified a rice mutant dwarf and low‐tillering 2 (dlt2) with altered plant architecture, increased grain width, and reduced BR sensitivity. DLT2 encodes a GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE (GAI)‐REPRESSOR OF GAI (RGA)‐SCARECROW (GRAS) TF that is mainly localized in the nucleus and has weak transcriptional activity. Our further genetic and biochemical analyses indicate that DLT2 interacts with two BR‐signaling‐related TFs, DLT and BRASSINAZOLE‐RESISTANT 1, and probably modulates their transcriptional activity. These findings imply that DLT2 is implicated in a potentially transcriptional complex that mediates BR signaling and rice development and suggests that DLT2 could be a potential target for improving rice architecture and grain morphology. This work also sheds light on the role of rice GRAS members in regulating numerous developmental processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]