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Examining the equalization of higher education and how it affects the economic growth of each region in China is crucial from both a theoretical and practical standpoint as it pertains to public services since higher education has a significant impact on a nation’s or region’s competitiveness. In this context, this research uses data from 1997 to 2020 to examine the economic impact of higher education on each province using the education composite index. On the other hand, the generalized least squares method was used to analyze the effects of GDP per capita, high school graduation rates, and educational policies on economic development from 1988-2018. The empirical findings indicate that higher education throughout the sample period contributed 15.73% to economic growth and 0.18% to the general level of education. Additionally, there is a strong association between the number of recent high school graduates, GDP per capita, and national policy and enrollment size.

Due to the relative abundance, long half-life and high mobility of radioactive cesium (Cs), new adsorbents are urgently needed to treat Cs to ensure public health. In this study, a graphene oxide (GO) based adsorbent for Cs(I) adsorption was prepared by 1-aza-18-crown-6 ether modification. XRD, FT-IR, XPS and SEM results showed that the properties of 1-aza-18-crown 6 ether modified GO (18C6-GO) changed dramatically compared with that of raw graphite. The adsorption properties of 18C6-GO for Cs(I) were studied by batch static adsorption experiments. The results showed that the adsorption equilibrium time of 18C6-GO was 20 h. Kinetic study revealed that the adsorption rate of Cs(I) conformed to pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Langmuir adsorption isotherm simulation indicated that the adsorption arises at homogeneous adsorption sites on 18C6-GO. Therefore, crown ether modified GO may have implications for the treatment of wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an optimized model is proposed for predicting the effective conductivity of nanocomposites, which contains conductive spherical fillers above the percolation threshold. The influence of filler properties, interphase regions, filler concentrations, elemental cell sizes as well as contact area on the effective conductivity of nanocomposites was investigated and discussed in detail. The developed model is verified by using the experimental data reported in the literatures, and it is found that the prediction results are fitted well with the experimental results at different particle concentrations. In addition, high levels of filler conductivity, particle concentration, and elemental cell size led to a good conductivity. The maximum conductivity of nanocomposite with σeff = 1,500,000 S/m, Vf = 0.07, r = 10−4 nm, and D = 1250 nm is obtained at Ri = 40 nm and d = 10 nm. Furthermore, the conductivity of nanocomposite is not sensitive to interphase thickness, when d is larger than 25 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient enzymatic conversion of CO2 to methanol is limited by low CO2 solubility in water (33 mM), and the high-cost of the cofactor (NADH) hinders the potential large-scale application of CO2 enzymatic conversion. In this study, a bioelectrocatalytic system was established for tackling both these issues, and in this system enzymes were embedded in the metal–organic framework ZIF-8 via in situ encapsulation to increase the substrate (CO2) concentration and pre-concentrate NADH, and a Rh complex-grafted electrode was developed for regenerating NADH in a sustainable manner. The results showed that after encapsulation of enzymes in ZIF-8, the methanol concentration increased from 0.061 to 0.320 mM (5 fold) in three hours. Furthermore, after coupling with electrocatalytic NADH regeneration, the methanol concentration further increased to 0.742 mM (12 fold) compared to a free enzyme system. Overall, methanol was produced at a rate of 822 μmol g−1 h−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This study developed a green and efficient surface protection method for Cu–Ni alloys. A zinc dibenzyl dithiocarbamate film was prepared on the surface of electrodeposited Cu–Ni alloys using the self‐assembly method to improve the material's corrosion resistance in seawater. The influence of zinc dibenzyl dithiocarbamate concentration and self‐assembly time on the corrosion resistance of the self‐assembled films was investigated through electrochemical testing. The findings revealed that at a zinc dibenzyl dithiocarbamate concentration of 10 mmol/L and a self‐assembly time of 20 min, the self‐assembled film exhibited the most robust corrosion resistance, achieving a maximum corrosion inhibition efficiency of 97.70%. The self‐assembly and adsorption mechanism of zinc dibenzyl dithiocarbamate were explored using molecular dynamics simulations and adsorption isotherms. The protective effect of self‐assembled films was visually observed through salt spray testing. Zinc dibenzyl dithiocarbamate self‐assembled film technology has high application prospects in the field of marine anti‐corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer-based nanocomposites with high dielectric constant have attracted the attention of many researchers, owing to their wide applications in advanced electronics. The experimental measurement of dielectric constant for every polymer-based nanocomposite system is not practically feasible, due to there being many polymer matrixes and nanofiller combinations. Therefore, there is rising interest in predicting the dielectric constant of polymer nanocomposites, using mathematical methods. In this study, we estimate the dielectric constant of polymer nanocomposites by considering astounding interphase properties. The Paletto model is modified, in order to predict the dielectric constant of a BaTiO 3 -polymer nanocomposite by properly assuming the interphase parameters, including the thickness of the interphase layer and the dielectric constant of the interphase region. Results from the modified Paletto model are verified by experimental data, indicating that the predicted values agree well with the experimentally determined dielectric constant, and thus the accuracy of the developed model. In addition, the particle concentration will significantly be underestimated if the influence of the interphase volume is ignored. Furthermore, the effects of different parameters, including the dielectric constant of polymer substrate, dielectric constant of particles, particle content, particle size, the thickness of the interphase layer as well as the dielectric constant of the interphase region on the dielectric constant of a BaTiO 3 -polymer nanocomposite are also investigated. The developed model provides a useful tool for predicting the dielectric constant of a BaTiO 3 -polymer nanocomposite, accompanied by interphase analysis., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)