Hypoxia exerts greater impacts on shallow groundwater nitrogen cycling than seawater mixture in coastal zone.

There is no doubt that hypoxia and seawater mixture are profoundly affecting the global nitrogen (N) cycle. However, their mechanisms for altering N cycling patterns in shallow coastal groundwater are largely unknown. Here, we examined shallow groundwater N transformation characteristics (dissolved inorganic N and related chemical properties) in the coastal area of east and west Shenzhen City. Results showed that common hypoxic conditions exist in this study area. Ions/Cl- ratios indicated varying levels of saltwater mixture and sulfide formation across this study area. Dissolved oxygen (DO) affects the N cycle process by controlling the conditions of nitrification and the formation of sulfides. Salinity affects nitrification and denitrification processes by physiological effects, while sulfide impacts nitrification, denitrification, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) processes through its own toxicity mechanism and the provision of electron donors for DNRA organisms. Redundancy analysis (RDA) results indicate that the influence magnitude is in the following order: DO > sulfide > salinity. Seawater mixture weakened the nitrification and denitrification of groundwater by changing salinity, while hypoxia and its controlled sulfide formation not only weaken nitrification and denitrification but also stimulated the DNRA process and promotes N regeneration. In this study area, hypoxia is considered to exert greater impacts on N cycling in the coastal shallow groundwater than seawater mixture. These findings greatly improve our understanding of the consequences of hypoxia and seawater mixture on coastal groundwater N cycling.

Research methods for seawater intrusion in China and recommendations for novel radium-radon technologies.

Seawater intrusion has been a globally significant environmental issue. This paper comprehensively reviews and highlights the research methods of seawater intrusion in China, recommending the potential application of novel radioactive radium-radon isotopes. Geochemical and geophysical techniques have been extensively utilized in studying seawater intrusion in China, including methods such as hydrochemical analysis, groundwater level observations, geophysical survey techniques, and isotope tracing. The former three methodologies boast a lengthier historical application in seawater intrusion field, while the radium-radon tools in isotope tracing, as newcomers, can specifically indicate crucial scientific questions such as seawater intrusion rates, salt groundwater age, water-rock reactions, and preferential flow dynamics. However, it is imperative to acknowledge the limitations inherent in the utilization of radium-radon tools within the realm of seawater intrusion research, as with any other methodologies. Strategic integration of radium-radon tools with other methodologies will propel advancements in the investigation of seawater intrusion in China. While the primary focus is on research methods in China, insights gained from novel radium-radon tools could have broader value for seawater intrusion research and coastal management globally.

Platelet-derived microparticles and their cargos: The past, present and future.

All eukaryotic cells can secrete extracellular vesicles, which have a double-membrane structure and are important players in the intercellular communication involved in a variety of important biological processes. Platelets form platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs) in response to activation, injury, or apoptosis. This review introduces the origin, pathway, and biological functions of PMPs and their importance in physiological and pathological processes. In addition, we review the potential applications of PMPs in cancer, vascular homeostasis, thrombosis, inflammation, neural regeneration, biomarkers, and drug carriers to achieve targeted drug delivery. In addition, we comprehensively report on the origin, biological functions, and applications of PMPs. The clinical transformation, high heterogeneity, future development direction, and limitations of the current research on PMPs are also discussed in depth. Evidence has revealed that PMPs play an important role in cell-cell communication, providing clues for the development of PMPs as carriers for relevant cell-targeted drugs. The development history and prospects of PMPs and their cargos are explored in this guidebook.

Submarine groundwater discharge and ocean acidification: Implications from China's coastal waters.

Ocean acidification (OA) is a global environmental concern, and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a potentially process that enhances OA. This review summarizes the relationship between two types of constituents carried by SGD into China's seawater and OA. 1) Current research predominantly concentrates on constituent fluxes from SGD, neglecting its ecological impacts on carbon and nutrients budgets, as well as the mechanisms between carbon and nutrients. 2) Uncertainties persist in SGD research methods and acidification characterization. 3) There's a need to enhance quantitative research methods of SGD-OA, particularly in areas with intricate biogeochemical processes. Effective identification methods are crucial to quantify SGD's contribution to OA. Investigating core scientific questions, including SGD's impact on OA rates and scales, is paramount. While the primary focus is on SGD-OA research in China, insights gained from novel perspectives could have broader value for coastal management globally.

Ultrathin heteroatom-doped CeO2 nanosheet assemblies for durable oxygen evolution: Oxygen vacancy engineering to trigger deprotonation.

The manipulation of oxygen vacancies (OVs) in metal oxides has progressively emerged as a versatile strategy for improving their catalytic performance. In this study, we aim to enhance the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of cerium oxide (CeO2) by doping heteroatoms (Fe, Co, Ni) to generate additional OVs. We systematically analyzed both the morphology and electronic structure of the obtained CeO2 catalysts. The experimental results revealed the self-assembly of two-dimensional (2D) CeO2 nanosheets, with an approximate thickness of ∼1.7 nm, into 2D nanosheet assemblies (NSAs). Moreover, the incorporation of heteroatoms into the CeO2 matrix promoted the formation of OVs, resulting in a significant enhancement of the OER performance of CeO2. Among them, the Co-doped CeO2 NSAs sample displayed the highest activity and durability, with almost negligible activity loss during extended operating periods. The roles of heteroatom doping in improving OER activity were explored by DFT calculations. The produced OVs improve the adsorption of hydroxyl groups (OH-), promote the deprotonation process, and increase more active sites. These findings suggest that doping CeO2 with heteroatoms is a promising strategy for improving electrocatalytic OER activity, with great potential for the development of clean energy technologies, including but not limited to water splitting and fuel cells.

Recent Advances in Engineering of 2D Materials-Based Heterostructures for Electrochemical Energy Conversion.

2D materials, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorus, layered double hydroxides, and MXene, have exhibited broad application prospects in electrochemical energy conversion due to their unique structures and electronic properties. Recently, the engineering of heterostructures based on 2D materials, including 2D/0D, 2D/1D, 2D/2D, and 2D/3D, has shown the potential to produce synergistic and heterointerface effects, overcoming the inherent restrictions of 2D materials and thus elevating the electrocatalytic performance to the next level. In this review, recent studies are systematically summarized on heterostructures based on 2D materials for advanced electrochemical energy conversion, including water splitting, CO2 reduction reaction, N2 reduction reaction, etc. Additionally, preparation methods are introduced and novel properties of various types of heterostructures based on 2D materials are discussed. Furthermore, the reaction principles and intrinsic mechanisms behind the excellent performance of these heterostructures are evaluated. Finally, insights are provided into the challenges and perspectives regarding the future engineering of heterostructures based on 2D materials for further advancements in electrochemical energy conversion.

High stability and strong luminescence CsPbBr3-Cs4PbBr6 thin films for all-inorganic perovskite light-emitting diodes.

All-inorganic lead halide perovskite, characterized by its exceptional optical and electrical properties, is burgeoning as a potential optoelectronic material. However, the standalone CsPbBr3 component encounters several challenges including small exciton binding energy (≈40 meV) and long charge diffusion length, giving rise to low photo-luminescence quantum-yield (PLQY); ion migration leads to instability in device operation, hindering device operation and potential development. To circumvent these limitations, our research endeavors to construct a novel core-shell structure that transforms the continuous [PbX6]4- octahedron into an isolated octahedral structure. We introduce the Cs4PbBr6 phase with 0D structure to passivate the vacancy defects in CsPbBr3, thereby suppressing ion migration and enhancing the luminescence intensity and stability. Our methodology involves fabricating dense CsPbBr3-Cs4PbBr6 composite films using a co-evaporation method, wherein the molar ratio of CsBr and PbBr2 is precisely adjusted. The films are subsequently rapidly annealed under ambient air conditions, and the effects of different annealing temperatures and annealing times on the CsPbBr3-Cs4PbBr6 films were investigated. Our results demonstrate significantly improved stability of the annealed films, with a mere 15% decrease in PL intensity after 100 days of storage under ambient air conditions at 48% relative humidity (RH). Based on this thin film, we fabricated all-inorganic structure Ag/N-Si/CsPbBr3-Cs4PbBr6/NiO/ITO light emitting diodes (LEDs), the devices have a low turn-on voltage VT ∼3 V and under unencapsulated, ambient air conditions, it can operate continuously for 12 hours under DC drive with only 10% attenuation. The results we obtained open up the possibility of designing and developing air-stable perovskite LEDs.

Engineering Single-Layer Hollow Structure of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides with High 1T-Phase Purity for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Rational design and controllable synthesis of hollow structures based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have gained tremendous attention in the field of clean energy. However, the general synthetic strategies to fabricate single-layer hollow structures of TMDs, especially with unconventional phases (e.g., 1T or 1T'), still pose significant challenges. Herein, a scalable method is reported for the synthesis of single-layer hollow spheres (SLHS) of TMDs with high 1T-phase purity by etching bismuth (Bi) cores from pre-synthesized Bi@TMDs core-shell heterostructures including SLHS-1T-MoS2 , SLHS-1T-MoSe2 , SLHS-1T-WS2 , and SLHS-1T-WSe2 . Additionally, the etched Bi ions can be adsorbed on the single-layer TMDs shells in the form of single atoms (SAs) via the Bi─S bond. Due to the benefits of the single-layer hollow structure, high conductivity of 1T phase, and synergistic effect of Bi SAs and TMDs supports, the fabricated SLHS-1T-MoS2 exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen production. This work provides a way to manufacture advanced functional materials based on the single-layer hollow structures of 1T-TMDs and to expand their applications.

Deaf and hearing children: A comparison of face perception.

Deaf and hearing adults perceive faces differently. This study investigates whether these differences are acquired during childhood development. We characterized facial perception in deaf and hearing children aged 7-17 using a perceptual discrimination task. Configural and featural information was manipulated in the eye and mouth facial regions. Participants were asked whether two faces presented simultaneously were different. Deaf and hearing children performed better in featural than configural discriminations and in mouth than eye discriminations. Compared with children with typical hearing, deaf children performed better in featural and mouth judgments but had longer reaction times with strongest effects at 7-8 and 13-14 years old. Type and location contributed jointly in deaf children's face perception with different configural but similar featural discriminations in mouth and eye locations. However, children with typical hearing showed different featural and configural judgments in both locations. Thus, featural and configural information effects on location processing differ between the two groups.

Vacuum Evaporation of High-Quality CsPbBr3 Thin Films for Efficient Light-Emitting Diodes.

The all-inorganic lead halide perovskite has become a very promising optoelectronic material due to its excellent optical and electrical properties. Device performances are currently hindered by crystallinity of the films and environmental stability. Here, we adopted dual-source co-evaporation method to prepare CsPbBr3 films. By adjusting and controlling the co-evaporation ratio and substrate temperature, we obtained CsPbBr3 films with large grain sizes and uniform morphology. Films with smooth surfaces and large grains exhibit properties such as efficient photon capture, fast carrier transport, and suppressed ion migration. Therefore, in this paper, by refining the annealing conditions, the effects of annealing temperature and time on the films were studied in detail. The CsPbBr3 films were annealed under suitable annealing temperature and time in ambient air, and films with high quality and crystallinity and average grain size up to ~ 2.5 µm could maintain stability in ambient air for 130 days. The corresponding LEDs show the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the green EL spectrum is as narrow as 18 nm, and the devices have a low turn-on voltage VT ~ 3 V and can work continuously for 12 h in ambient air.

Quantifying the groundwater seepage along a glacier originated river by integrated use of radium isotopes and hydrochemistry.

Glaciers, as the core part of the cryosphere, are very sensitive to climate change. As an indicator of glacier changes, the characteristics of glacier-originated rivers have profound significance to global climate change and local water resources. In this paper, the Mingyong River, a glacier-originated river replenished by groundwater, was selected to study the river hydrological cycle characteristics by integrating natural tracer radium isotopes with hydrochemical parameters. The results showed that there were significant differences in radium isotope activities and hydrochemical parameters between groundwater and river water, and the radium activities increased along the river, which reflected the fact that the river was supplied by groundwater seepage. We also found that the activity ratios of 224Ra/228Ra in river and groundwater were less than one unit, which indicated that the groundwater and river water circulated rapidly and that the radioactive equilibrium of short-time radium isotopes had not yet been reached. According to the geochemical behavior of radium in river water body, the mass balance equation of radium was established. 228Ra and 224Ra were used to estimate the groundwater seepage of different segments of the Mingyong River. The results demonstrated that the groundwater seepage fluxes calculated by 224Ra and 228Ra were similar and increased along the river from 123.12 to 657.68 m3 m-1 d-1. Our results have certain significance in revealing the characteristics of the local hydrological cycle and demonstrate that radium isotopes can be used as a tool to estimate the groundwater discharge of rivers in glacial environments.

Cadmium-Free Nanostructured Multilayer Thin Films with Bright Blue Photoluminescence and Excellent Stability.

Cadmium-based quantum dots (Cd-QDs) show decent performance for lighting applications due to good color saturation, an excellent high quantum yield, and a narrow full-width at half-maximum. However, the intrinsic toxicity of Cd is a major hindrance to related applications, especially in the biological field. ZnSe, with a band gap of 2.7 eV and lower toxicity than CdSe or CdS, is promising as a blue luminescent material. Herein, we mainly reported the preparation and luminescence properties of nanostructured ZnSe/ZnS multilayer thin films with bright blue photoluminescence. The photoluminescence spectrum contained two emission peaks, located at about 442 nm (near band-edge emission) and 550 nm (defect-related emission), respectively. More importantly, the photoluminescence performance and decay were explored in detail through low-temperature photoluminescence spectra. In addition, the nanostructured ZnSe/ZnS multilayer thin films showed favorable photostability.

Occurrence and Distribution of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Tianjin, China: The Contribution of Emerging and Unknown Analogues.

Tianjin, located in Bohai Bay, China, constitutes a relevant study area to investigate emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) due to its high population density, clustering of chemical and aircraft industries, as well as international airports, harbors, and oil rigs. In this study, 53 anionic, zwitterionic, and cationic PFASs were monitored in river surface water, groundwater, seawater, and sediments in this area (overall n = 226). 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonic acid (Cl-PFESA), perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid were generally the predominant PFASs. 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamidoalkyl betaine (6:2 FTAB) was also widespread (occurrence >86%), with the highest concentration (1300 ng/L) detected at contamination hot spots impacted by wastewater effluents. The aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF)-related PFASs with sulfonamide betaine, amine oxide, amine, or quaternary ammonium moieties are also reported for the first time in river water and seawater samples. Fifteen classes of infrequently reported PFASs, including n:2 FTABs and n:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide amines, hydrogen-substituted PFESA homologues, and p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzenesulfonate (OBS), were also identified in the water and sediment samples using suspect screening. Field-derived sediment-water distribution coefficients (Kd) of these emerging PFASs are provided for the first time, confirming that cationic and zwitterionic PFASs tend to be strongly associated with sediments.

Effect of Preparation Parameters on Deep-Blue Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Nanostructured ZnSe/ZnS Multilayer Films.

Compared to colloidal quantum dots, nanostructured multilayer films may also be a promising emission layer in future light-emitting diodes, due to their excellent photoluminescence (PL), narrow full width at half-maximum (FWHM), and wide color gamut. In this paper, multilayer-structured deep-blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were prepared, where nanostructured ZnSe/ZnS multilayer films act as the light-emitting layer. The device showed good blue electroluminescence (EL) spectrum locating at 448 nm with an FWHM of 31 nm. To improve the performance of the device, the effect of preparation parameters of different layers was investigated in detail. The results demonstrated that the preparation parameters of each layer affected the performance in different ways, and choosing the most suitable preparation parameters can achieve optimal performance. Furthermore, this multilayer-structured device based on nanostructured films as emission layer can also be applied in green and red LEDs or all-inorganic QLEDs.

Identifying locations and sources of groundwater discharge into Poyang Lake (eastern China) using radium and stable isotopes (deuterium and oxygen-18).

Knowledge of groundwater discharge (location and sources) into Poyang Lake is needed for water resources management and ecological security. In this study, hydrochemical and stable (δD and δ18O) and radium (223Ra, 224Ra, 226Ra, and 228Ra) isotopic approaches were employed to study the hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics of groundwater and surface water (river water and lake water) to identify the places where groundwater discharged into Poyang Lake and the groundwater discharge sources. The results showed that the groundwater discharge area was extensive during the dry season. The locations of predominant groundwater discharge were indicated by the evolution of radium and stable isotopes in lake water along two water flow profiles. At the confluence of Ganjiang and Xiushui rivers, groundwater with more negative δ18O value than that of the lake water discharged into this area, and the estimated groundwater discharge proportion in this area was close to that of the river water input. The main sources of groundwater input for Poyang Lake were inferred to originate from clastic rock pore-fissure aquifer and bedrock fissured aquifer around this lake. This study also found that groundwater affected by the anthropogenic activities may have discharged into Poyang Lake. Future studies are required to focus on groundwater discharge into Poyang Lake for its management and protection.

Validating the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised for Children in China Aged 3 to 8 with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Research on the repetitive behavior of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has recently gained scholarly attention. Restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) is a core ASD symptom of various patterns and high prevalence. The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) is a standard questionnaire used to assess RRB in individuals with ASD. This study collected data from 163 Chinese children aged 3-8 with ASD to analyze the validity and reliability of the RBS-R. Results showed that the original tested items were adaptable to the Chinese cultural environment when treating such disorders. A confirmatory factor analysis was applied to the structuring models, indicating that a 5-factor model was more suitable for evaluating RRB in this context.

Probing excitons in transition metal dichalcogenides by Drude-like exciton intraband absorption.

Understanding excitonic dynamics in two-dimensional semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides is important for developing their optoelectronic applications. Recently, transient absorption techniques based on resonant excitonic absorption have been used to study various aspects of excitonic dynamics in these materials. The transient absorption in such measurements originates from phase-space state filling, bandgap renormalization, or screening effects. Here we report a new method to probe excitonic dynamics based on exciton intraband absorption. In this Drude-like process, probe photons are absorbed by excitons in their intraband excitation to higher energy states, causing a transient absorption signal. Although the magnitude of the transient absorption is lower than that of the resonant techniques, the new method is less restrictive on the selection of probe wavelength, has a larger linear range, and can provide complementary information on photocarrier dynamics. Using the WS2 monolayer and bulk samples as examples, we show that the new method can probe exciton-exciton annihilation at high densities and reveal exciton formation processes. We also found that the exciton intraband absorption cross section of the WS2 monolayer is on the order of 10-18 cm2.

Electron dynamics in MoS2-graphite heterostructures.

The electron dynamics in heterostructures formed by multilayer graphite and monolayer or bulk MoS2 were studied by femtosecond transient absorption measurements. Samples of monolayer MoS2-multilayer graphite and bulk MoS2-multilayer graphite were fabricated by exfoliation and dry transfer techniques. Ultrafast laser pulses were used to inject electron-hole pairs into monolayer or bulk MoS2. The transfer of these photocarriers to the adjacent multilayer graphite was time resolved by measuring the differential reflection of a probe pulse. We found that photocarriers injected into monolayer MoS2 transfer to graphite on an ultrafast time scale shorter than 400 fs. Such an efficient charge transfer is key to the development of high performance optoelectronic devices with MoS2 as the light absorbing layer and graphite as electrodes. The absorption coefficient of monolayer MoS2 can be controlled by the carriers in graphite. This process can be used for interlayer coupling and control. In a bulk MoS2-graphite heterostructure, the photocarrier transfer time is about 220 ps, due to the inefficient interlayer charge transport in bulk MoS2. These results provide useful information for developing optoelectronic devices based on MoS2-graphite heterostructures.

Multicolor light-emitting devices with Tb2O3 on silicon.

Great efforts have been devoted to achieving efficient Si-based light-emitting devices. Here we report new light-emitting devices fabricated with Tb2O3 on Si substrates. Intense green electroluminescence was observed, with a turn-on voltage of about 8 V. The green emission is attributed to the characteristic transitions of Tb3+ ions in Tb2O3. The electroluminescence mechanisms of the Tb2O3 light-emitting devices are discussed. In addition, visible and near infrared electroluminescence was observed in rare-earth (Eu3+, Sm3+ and Yb3+) doped Tb2O3 light-emitting devices.

A novel violet/blue light-emitting device based on Ce2Si2O7.

Rare-earth silicates are highly efficient materials for silicon-based light sources. Here we report a novel light-emitting device based on Ce2Si2O7. Intense violet/blue electroluminescence was observed, with a turn-on voltage of about 13 V. The violet/blue emission is attributed to 4f-5d transitions of the Ce(3+) ions in Ce2Si2O7, which are formed by interfacial reaction of CeO2 and Si. Electroluminescence and photoluminescence mechanisms of the Ce2Si2O7 light-emitting device are also discussed.