Improvement of Efficiency in Kesterite Solar Cells by Intentionally Inserting a Thin MoS2 Layer into the Back Interface.

A Mo(S,Se)2 interfacial layer is formed inevitably and uncontrollably between the Mo electrode and Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) absorber during the selenization process, which significantly influences the performance of CZTSSe solar cells. In this work, an ultrathin MoS2 layer is intentionally inserted into Mo/CZTSSe to reduce the recombination and thus optimize the interface quality. It is revealed that the absorber exhibits a continuous and compact morphology with bigger grains and remarkably without pinholes across the surface or cross-sectional regions after MoS2 modification. Benefitting from this, the shunt resistance (RSh) of the device increased evidently from ∼395 to ∼634 Ω·cm2, and simultaneously, the reverse saturation current density (J0) realized an effective depression. As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the MoS2-modified device reaches 9.64% via the optimization of the thickness of the MoS2 layer, indicating performance improvements with respect to the MoS2-free case. Furthermore, the main contribution to the performance improvement is derived and analyzed in detail from the increased RSh, decreased J0, and diode ideality factor. Our results suggest that the Mo/CZTSSe interface quality and performance of CZTSSe solar cells can be modulated and improved by appropriately designing and optimizing the thickness of the inserted MoS2 layer.

Urinary orosomucoid and retinol binding protein levels as early diagnostic markers for diabetic kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes, which has been a major cause of end-stage renal failure. Diagnosing diabetic kidney disease is important to prevent long-term kidney damage and determine the prognosis of patients with diabetes. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance of combined detection of urine orosomucoid and retinol-binding protein for early diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease. METHODS: We recruited 72 newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes and 34 healthy persons from August 2016 to July 2018 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Polytechnic University (Jiaozuo Second People's Hospital). Using the Mogensen grading criteria, participants were classified as having diabetes or diabetic kidney disease, and healthy persons constituted the control group. Urine orosomucoid and retinol-binding protein levels were measured and correlated with other variables. RESULTS: With the aggravation of renal damage, the level of urinary mucoid protein gradually increased. Urinary retinol-binding protein and microalbumin levels were significantly higher in the diabetes group than in control and nephropathy groups. Orosomucoid and retinol-binding protein might be independent risk factors for diabetes and diabetic kidney disease. Urinary orosomucoid significantly correlated with retinol-binding protein and microalbumin levels in the diabetic kidney disease group. CONCLUSION: Elevated urine orosomucoid and retinol-binding protein levels can be detected in the early stages of type 2 diabetic kidney disease. Both of these markers are important for diabetic kidney disease detection and early treatment.

Effectively removing gaseous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by willow catkins: Do you still dislike the catkins floating?

The floating catkins generated by willow and poplar trees have been criticized for spreading germ and causing fire for decades. It has been found that catkins are with a hollow tubular structure, which made us wonder if the floating catkins can adsorb atmospheric pollutions. Thus, we conducted a project in Harbin, China to investigate whether and how willow catkins could adsorb atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results suggest that both the catkins floating in the air and on the ground preferred to adsorb gaseous PAHs rather than particulate PAHs. Moreover, 3- and 4-ring PAHs were the dominating compositions adsorbed by catkins, which significantly increased with exposure time. The gas/catkins partition (KCG) was defined, which explained why 3-ring PAHs are more easily adsorbed by catkins than by airborne particles when their subcooled liquid vapor pressure is high (log PL > -1.73). The removal loading of atmospheric PAHs by catkins were estimated as 1.03 kg/year in the center city of Harbin, which may well explain the phenomenon that levels of gaseous and total (particle + gas) PAHs are relatively low in the months with catkins floating reported in peer-reviewed papers.

High aquaporin expression correlates with increased translocation of quinclorac from shoots to roots in resistant Echinochloa crus-galli var. zelayensis.

BACKGROUND: Echinochloa crus-galli var. zelayensis is a troublesome weed in rice fields and can be controlled by using quinclorac. However, over-reliance on quinclorac has resulted in resistant (R) barnyardgrass, which differs significantly in its ability to transport quinclorac compared to susceptible (S) barnyardgrass. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms for this different translocation between R and S barnyardgrass. RESULTS: Larger amount of quinclorac was transferred from shoots to roots in R compared to S barnyardgrass. After 1 day of quinclorac [300 g active ingredient (a.i.) ha-1 ] foliar treatment, its content in shoots of R was 81.92% of that in S barnyardgrass; correspondingly, in roots of R was 1.17 fold of that in S barnyardgrass. RNA-sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) confirmed the expression levels of PIPs belonging to aquaporins (AQPs) in R were higher than in S barnyardgrass, with or without quinclorac treatment. With co-application of quinclorac and AQPs inhibitors [mercury(II) chloride (HgCl2 )] treatment, even though the expression levels of PIPs and the transport rates of quinclorac were both suppressed in R and S barnyardgrass, this process was less pronounced in R than in S barnyardgrass. CONCLUSION: This report provides clear evidence that higher PIPs expression results in rapid quinclorac translocation from shoots to roots and reduces the quinclorac accumulation in the shoot meristems in R barnyardgrass, thus reducing the control efficacy of quinclorac. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of Electro-acupuncture on Vasomotor Symptoms in Rats with Acute Cerebral Infarction Based on Phosphatidylinositol System.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on vasomotor symptoms in rats with acute cerebral infarction, by observing the changes in the expression of factors related to the phosphatidylinositol (PI) system. METHODS: Forty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups by a random number table: the control group (n=6), the model group (n=18) and the EA group (n=18). The EA group was given EA treatment at Shuigou (GV 26) instantly after modeling with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method, while the model and control groups were not given any treatment. The degrees of neurological deficiency were evaluated using neurological severity scores (NSS) and the brain blood flow was evaluated by a laser scanning confocal microscope. Western blot analysis was conducted to detect the expression levels of G-protein subtype (Gq) and calmodulin (CaM). Competition for protein binding was conducted to detect the expression level of inositol triphosphate (IP3). Thin layer quantitative analysis was conducted to detect the expression level of diacylglycerol (DAG). The expression level of intracellular concentration of free calcium ion ([Ca2+]i) was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The NSS of the model group was significantly higher than the control group at 3 and 6 h after MCAO (P<0.01), while the EA group was significantly lower than the model group at 6 h (P<0.01). The cerebral blood flow in the model group was significantly lower than the control group at 1, 3 and 6 h after MCAO (P<0.01), while for the EA group it was remarkably higher than the model group at the same time points (P<0.01). The expressions of Gq, CaM, IP3, DAG and [Ca2+]i in the model group were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and those in the EA group were significantly lower than the model group at the same time points (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA treatment at GV 26 can effectively decrease the over-expression of related factors of PI system in rats with acute cerebral infarction, improve cerebral autonomy movement, and alleviate cerebral vascular spasm.

Thickness-dependent anisotropic transport of phonons and charges in few-layered PdSe2.

So far, layered PdSe2 has attracted much attention due to its completely tunable band-gap with varying layer numbers, yet the thickness-dependent transporting properties have been rarely studied. We have systematically studied the electronic structures, phonon and charge transport properties, and thermoelectric properties of few-layered (from 1L to 4L) and bulk PdSe2 by first-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory. As the thickness increases, the energy levels of band edges relative to 4s of selenium move oppositely due to their different bonding states, leading to the power-law decrease of the band-gap. Meanwhile, the electron effective mass decreases rapidly while the hole effective mass increases significantly compared with those unperturbed. Calculations on elastic constants reveal that both bulk and few-layered PdSe2 are mechanically stable, and the bulk is ductile with a Poisson's ratio of 0.27. The shifts of Raman active modes with respect to the thickness as well as their Gruneisen parameters are analyzed and the underlying physics is discussed. At room temperature, the thermal conductivities of the bulk are 7.7, 10.1 and 0.9 W m-1 K-1 along the a, b and c axes, respectively. It is found that the low-frequency modes (<2.0 THz) contribute about 80% of in-plane thermal conductivities. Due to the enhanced contribution from the ZA mode, the thermal conductivity of few-layered PdSe2 is much larger than that of the bulk. The ZA mode is mainly scattered by itself and the Umklapp scattering dominates in the process as the thickness increases. Calculations on charge transport reveal that the electron mobility increases from 2.5-13.2 (1L) to 121.9-167.8 (4L) cm2 V-1 s-1 with the decreasing anisotropy µb/µa, while the hole mobility remains to be ∼20 cm2 V-1 s-1, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. Calculations on the thermoelectric properties reveal that the ZT value as well as the power factor increases largely as the thickness increases and it gets to be optimum for the triple layer. Interestingly, the transport of electrons and phonons is decoupled along the out-of-plane direction, which makes bulk PdSe2 exhibit good thermoelectric performance along the c axis.

[Differences in exogenous methyl jasmonate-induced quinclorac resistance between resistant and sensitive barnyardgrass and the underlying mechanism]. / å¤–æºèŒ‰èŽ‰é ¸ç”²é ¯è¯±å¯¼æŠ—æ€§ä¸Žæ•æ„Ÿç¨—è‰å¯¹äºŒæ°¯å–¹å•‰é ¸æŠ—æ€§çš„å·®å¼‚åŠæœºç†.

The effects of exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the resistance levels to quinclorac and endogenous hormone levels were examined using the resistant and sensitive biotypes of barnyardgrass with the same genetic background. The results showed that exogenous MeJA could significantly increase the resistance of resistant plants to quinclorac, but did not affect the resistance of sensitive plants. There were significant differences in the contents of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and jasmonic acid (JA) among the tested materials. Quinclorac treatment could significantly increase the contents of ABA, SA, and JA in barnyardgrass, with stronger increase of ABA and JA contents in the sensitive plants. Exogenous MeJA could significantly enhance the induction of ABA and JA contents by quinclorac, especially in the sensitive biotypes. These results showed that rapid hormone variations in sensitive plants inhibited their response to herbicide, while gentle hormone variations endowed resistant plants with a strong adapta-bility to herbicide, which closely related to the enhanced resistance by MeJA. ABA and JA hormone signals might play an important role in the resistance of barnyardgrass to quinclorac stress.

First-principles study on the anisotropic transport of electrons and phonons in monolayer and bulk GaTe: a comparative study.

Recently, monoclinic-phase GaTe has attracted much attention due to its potential applications in nanoelectronics. Despite the experimental research, theoretical studies on the thermal and transport properties, which are necessary to provide information for future applications, are still absent. We have systematically investigated the electronic, phonon and electron transporting, and thermoelectric properties of monolayer and bulk GaTe using first-principles calculations plus the Boltzmann transport equation. At the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum, the effective mass shows large anisotropy as the band dispersions are along different k-paths. The group velocity of acoustic modes also shows large anisotropy owing to the in-plane low-symmetry. Our calculations reveal that the in-plane thermal conductivities, κa and κb, take 3.5 and 8.9 W m-1 K-1, respectively, for the bulk at 300 K, compared to κa = 5.5 and κb = 10.4 W m-1 K-1 of the monolayer. Due to the van der Waals interactions between interlayers, the out-of-plane thermal conductivity is very small, κc = 1.8 W m-1 K-1. The difference between the in-plane thermal conductivities of the bulk and the monolayer can be attributed to the strengthened Umklapp scattering, which is caused by the stiffening of the lowest-frequency optical mode in the bulk. The hole mobilities of the bulk is found to be about 12-35 cm2 V-1 s-1 at 300 K, in good agreement with the experimental results. The monolayer is found to have smaller mobility but larger anisotropy than those of the bulk. Interestingly, the out-of-plane conductivity is anomalously larger than the in-plane one for the bulk, which is attributed to the orbital overlaps between the interlayer Te atoms. Moreover, n-type GaTe is found to have much larger mobility and anisotropy than the p-type one, which is useful for future applications. Compared with the case of monolayer GaTe, thermoelectric performance can be enhanced by one order of magnitude for the bulk GaTe by exploiting the out-of-plane thermal and electrical conductivities.

Occurrence and partitioning of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in indoor air and dust: a 15-month case study in a test home.

Ten polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 16 novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) were measured in air and dust samples collected in a test home in Harbin, China, from January 2017 to June 2018. The PBDE and NBFR concentrations in indoor air were in the ranges of 0.598-14.5 pg m-3 and 9.28-686 pg m-3, respectively. The ranges of the PBDE and NBFR concentrations in indoor dust were 221-1060 ng g-1 and 71.9-1160 ng g-1, respectively. Brominated flame retardant (BFR) concentrations in indoor air were affected by the temperature, relative humidity (RH), and ventilation. The BFR concentrations in indoor dust did not show temperature dependence. All dust samples were sieved into 6 size fractions (F1-F6: 1000-2000 µm, 500-1000 µm, 250-500 µm, 125-250 µm, 63-125 µm, and < 63 µm). The mass percentage of BFRs in F6 was the highest. The BFR concentrations did not increase constantly with a particle size decrease, and the concentrations in F2 were higher than those in F3. The partitioning behavior of BFRs illustrates that the dust-air partitioning coefficient approximately approached equilibrium within F5, F6, and the total dust fraction (FA) in the test home when logKOA was between 9.1 and 11.32. Air-dust fugacity fractions were calculated, and the results suggested that most of the BFRs were mainly transferred from air to dust in the indoor environment for F1-F6.

[Effect of Tongli Shuji acupuncture on the expression of Jagged2 and Notch2 in a rat model of permanent ischemia of the right middle cerebral artery].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Tongli Shuji acupuncture on the behavioristics, the percentage of cerebral infarct volume, and the expression of Jagged2 and Notch2 proteins in the hippocampus of the ischemic hemisphere in rats with permanent ischemia of the right middle cerebral artery, as well as the mechanism of Tongli Shuji acupuncture in improving ischemic cerebrovascular disease. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, model control group, medication group, routine acupuncture group, and Tongli Shuji group, with 10 rats in each group. The suture method was used to establish a model of permanent ischemia of the right middle cerebral artery. The rats in the medication group were given Citicoline (0.4 mg/kg) by gavage, those in the routine acupuncture group were given acupuncture at"Baihui"(GV20) and"Dazhui" (GV14) 15 minutes per day, and those in the Tongli Shuji group were given acupuncture at "Zhengying "(GB17), "Tianjing"(SJ10), and"Huantiao"(GB30) at the left side. The neurological deficit score was determined on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 after surgery, the percentage of cerebral infarct volume was measured after treatment, and Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of Jagged2 and Notch2 in the right hippocampal tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, the model control group had significant increases in the neurological deficit score on day 1 after surgery (P<0.001). Compared with the model control, medication and routine acupuncture groups, the Tongli Shuji group had significant reductions in the neurological deficit score on day 21 after surgery (P<0.01). Compared with the sham-operation group, the model control group had a significant increase in the percentage of cerebral infarct volume(P<0.05)．The Tongli Shuji group had a significant reduction in the percentage of cerebral infarct volume compared with the medication groups (P<0.05). Compared with the model control group, the routine acupuncture group had a significant increase in the expression of hippocapmal Jagged2(P<0.01)．Compared with the model control, medication and routine acupuncture groups, the Tongli Shuji group had significant increases in the expression of hippocampal Jagged2 and Notch2 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can improve the behavioral manifestations of neurological deficit in rats with permanent ischemia of the right middle cerebral artery. Tongli Shuji acupuncture can significantly up-regulate the protein expression of Jagged2 and Notch2 in the hippocampal tissue of the ischemic region, possibly by activating the Notch signaling pathway to exert a neuroprotective effect.

Relationship of α2-Macroglobulin with Steroid-Induced Femoral Head Necrosis: A Chinese Population-Based Association Study in Southeast China.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to identify the relationship of α-2-macroglobulin and microvascular vessel pathology with steroid-induced femoral head necrosis in the Southeast Chinese population. METHODS: This study enrolled 40 patients diagnosed with steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head. Patients had various stages of femoral head necrosis. The differential expression of serum proteins and mRNA from patients with steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head (SINFH) and healthy volunteers was analyzed by western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QT-PCR). The pathological change in osteocyte necrosis was indicated by hematoxylin and eosin stain and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Hematoxylin and eosin stain showed histopathology changes in the necrotic area of patients with steroid-induced INFH: bone trabeculae were fewer and thinner, became broken, fragmented and structurally disordered; intraosseous adipose cells became enlarged; the arrangement of the osteoblasts became irregular; and vacant bone lacunae increased. QT-PCR showed significantly lower levels of α-2-macroglobulin in the serum of patients with SINFH than in controls (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining and western blotting demonstrated that the expression of α-2-macroglobulin was significantly decreased in the necrotic area of SINFH patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The α-2-macroglobulin may be associated with the pathology of SINFH. The multiple pathological reactions occur in SINFH and α-2-macroglobulin may serve as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of SINFH or a promising therapeutic target.

Comparison of stress response following microwave ablation and surgical resection of benign thyroid nodules.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects and safety of using microwave ablation (MWA) and surgical resection for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules (BTNs) under ultrasonic guidance and investigate the effects of this treatment on stress response. METHODS: Patients with BTNs were divided into the MWA and operation groups (72 cases each). Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and hydrostatic visual analog scale (VAS) prior to the operation, at 6 h, 24 h, and 72 h post-operation were compared between the two groups. Operation times, hospitalization times, hospitalization expenses, and postoperative complications in the two groups were also compared. All patients underwent routine ultrasound and thyroid function testing at 3 and 6 months post-operation for assessment of nodule changes and thyroid hormone levels. RESULTS: Compared to the MWA group, the operation group had longer average operation times, longer hospital stays, a higher rate of neck pain after surgery, and a higher rate of fever (P < 0.05). Body temperature, as well as VAS, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α levels in the operation group were higher than those in the MWA group at 6 h, 24 h, and 72 h post-operation (P < 0.05). The levels of free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine in the operation group were lower than those in the MWA group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: MWA is a safe and effective treatment for patients with BTNs. The effects of MWA are more tolerable than those of surgical resection and the physiological function of the thyroid is preserved, which has high clinical value.

Realizing both giant magnetic anisotropy and quantum anomalous Hall effect in graphene with adsorbed Te-Co dimer.

To realize quantum anomalous Hall state at higher temperature, it needs to search for the magnetic topological insulators with giant magnetic anisotropy. We have studied the structural, magnetic and topological properties of graphene with adsorbed Te-A (A [Formula: see text] Co, Rh, Ir) dimers by first-principles calculations and Wannier technique. Our results reveal that the system of Te-Co@G is an excellent magnetic topological insulator with both perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of 61.7 meV and large topological band-gap of 35.8 meV. Both the magnetic anisotropy and the band-gap can be effectively tuned by the applied electric field. The dimers are stably adsorbed onto the graphene and the systems are robust against thermal fluctuation. Topological analysis reveals that the adsorption system is the Chern insulator with [Formula: see text].

Protecting quantum anomalous Hall state from thermal fluctuation via the giant magnetic anisotropy of Os-based dimers.

To protect the quantum anomalous Hall state from thermal fluctuation, it is necessary to search for magnetic topological insulators with giant magnetic anisotropy. We have investigated the magnetic and topological properties of Os-based dimers adsorbed onto graphene by density-functional calculations plus the Wannier-function technique. Our results reveal that the systems of Os-Fe@G, Os-Ru@G, and Os-Rh@G possess both giant magnetic anisotropy, typically larger than 100 meV, and a large nontrivial topological band gap. Both the magnetic anisotropy and the band gap can be effectively tuned by the electric field. The dimers prefer ferromagnetic coupling and are stable against thermal fluctuation. The topological band-gap opening can be attributed to the intrinsic spin-orbital coupling of the dimer rather than Rashba spin-orbital coupling. These Chern insulators are found to be [script C] = ±2 with two conducting edge states crossing the Fermi level.

[Progress of Experimental Researches on Mechanisms of Acupuncture Underlying Improvement of Ischemic Cerebral Vascular Disease by Regulating Different Intracellular Signaling Pathways].

China is in the "high death zone" of the world cerebrovascular disease (CVD) map. The prevention and treatment of ischemic CVD (ICVD) have become the top priority in clinical practice. It has been demonstrated that acupuncture therapy has a positive role in bettering clinical symptoms of ICVD patients. Findings of recent experimental studies displayed that electroacupuncture (EA) intervention is effective in reducing the cerebral infarcted volume and cellular injury, promoting proliferation, migration and differentiation of nerve stem cells, facilitating the regeneration of nerve tissue, bettering dysneuria and limb locomotor ability, etc. in ICVD rats, which are closely associated with its effects in regulating different intracellular signaling pathways. In the present study, we review the progress of recent experimental studies on the underlying mechanisms of EA in improving ICVD from six major signaling pathways including Notch, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)/ extracellular signal regulated protein kinases (ERK), phosphatidy linositol-3-kinase (PI 3 K)/ protein kinase B (Akt), Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT), erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte receptor (Eph)/Ephrin, nuclear factor of kappa B (NF-κB) and their compositions, which may provide new therapeutic targets for acupuncture treatment of ICVD. More attention should be paid to the comparison of the efficacy of acupuncture of different acupoint combinations (traditional acupoint formulas) in relieving ICVD.

Clinical significance of serum interleukin-8 and soluble tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis levels in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Recent studies suggest that chronic inflammatory responses are important in the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Various inflammatory and angiogenesis molecules affect the pathogenesis and progression of DN. Inflammation damages the microcirculation and causes kidney damage. In the present study, we studied changes in interleukin-8 (IL-8) and soluble tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (sTWEAK) levels in patients with DN, and investigated the clinical significance of these two inflammatory factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants were categorized into healthy controls (n = 30) and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 124). The type 2 diabetes mellitus group was further subdivided into the normoalbuminuria (n = 34), microalbuminuria (MAU; n = 46,) and proteinuria (MaAU; n = 44,) groups. Patients with DN were included in the MAU and MaAU groups. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, 24-h urine microalbumin, IL-8 and sTWEAK levels were measured. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors associated with proteinuria. RESULTS: In the healthy controls, normoalbuminuria, MAU and MaAU groups, we found that IL-8 levels increased, whereas sTWEAK levels decreased (P < 0.05). IL-8 might be an independent risk factor and serum sTWEAK a protective factor for MAU and MaAU. Serum levels of sTWEAK, IL-8 and microalbumin were significantly correlated in the MAU and MaAU groups. CONCLUSIONS: Serum IL-8 and sTWEAK levels might be markers that can be used for an early diagnosis of DN.

Giant magnetic anisotropy and robust quantum anomalous Hall effect in boron-doped graphene with Re-adsorption.

Recently topological materials have attracted much attention due to their quantization transports as well as edge states. It will be excellent to realize the robust quantum anomalous Hall transports in graphene-based devices. Using density-functional theory and tight-binding method, we investigated the structural, magnetic and topological properties for the boron-doped graphene with Re-adsorption. A large band-gap of 32.5 meV is opened by the Rashba spin-orbital coupling, and the band-gap is robust against the shape deformation of ±[Formula: see text] along the zigzag direction. Giant magnetic anisotropy emerges in this adsorption system together with the Fermi level lying in the band gap. Both the magnetic anisotropy and the band gap can be tuned by a moderate electric field. Calculations reveal that the system exhibits the quantization transports with the Chern number [Formula: see text].

Interference of allelopathic rice with penoxsulam-resistant barnyardgrass.

BACKGROUND: Despite increasing knowledge of allelopathic rice interference with barnyardgrass, relatively little is known about its action on herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass. The incidence of herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass is escalating in paddy fields. Knowledge of the interference of allelopathic rice with herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass and the potential mechanisms involved is warranted. RESULTS: Penoxsulam-resistant and -susceptible barnyardgrass biotypes were identified and segregated from a putative penoxsulam-resistant population occurring in paddy fields in China. Allelopathic rice inhibited the growth of barnyardgrass roots more than shoots, regardless of biotype. In particular, there was a stronger inhibition for resistant barnyardgrass than for susceptible barnyardgrass. Allelopathic rice significantly reduced total root length, total root area, maximum root amplitude and maximum root depth in barnyardgrass. Furthermore, the rice allelochemicals tricin and momilactone B inhibited the growth of both resistant and susceptible barnyardgrass. Compared with root contact, root segregation significantly increased inhibition of barnyardgrass with an increase in rice allelochemicals. Root exudates from barnyardgrass induced the production of rice allelochemicals, but the effect of susceptible barnyardgrass was much stronger than that of resistant barnyardgrass. CONCLUSION: Allelopathic rice can interfere with the growth of penoxsulam-resistant barnyardgrass through allelochemical-mediated root interactions. This type of allelopathic interference may provide a non-herbicidal alternative for herbicide-resistant weed management in paddy systems. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Giant magnetic anisotropy of rare-earth adatoms and dimers adsorbed by graphene oxide.

Nowadays, transition-metal adatoms and dimers with giant magnetic anisotropy have attracted much attention due to their potential applications in data storage, spintronics and quantum computations. Using density-functional calculations, we investigated the magnetic anisotropy of the rare-earth adatoms and dimers adsorbed by graphene oxide. Our calculations reveal that the adatoms of Tm, Er and Sm possess giant magnetic anisotropy, typically larger than 40 meV. When the dimers of (Tm,Er,Sm)-Ir are adsorbed onto graphene oxide, the magnetic anisotropy even exceeds 200 meV. The magnetic anisotropy can be tuned by the external electric field as well as the environment.

[Preparation and Pb2+ Electrosorption Characteristics of Graphene Hydrogels Electrode].

Electrosorption has the advantage of high adsorption capacity and electrode regeneration in the removal of heavy metal ions in water. In this study, graphene hydrogels (GS) were prepared by hydrothermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) suspensions and the electrode was obtained via compression of GS. Various electrochemical properties of GS were tested. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the electrosorption of Pb2+ on GS electrode and GS electrode reusability were investigated. The results showed excellent capacitive behavior (200.4 F·g-1 at 1 A·g-1) of GS. The electrosorption performance of GS indicated that high voltage was favored for the removal of Pb2+ and the highest removal efficiency reached 96.4% when the voltage value was -1.2 V. The electrosorption capacity for Pb2+ removal was found to be 461.20 mg·g-1, which was twice as high as the saturated adsorption capacity of GS. The GS electrode could regenerate after electrosorption when the voltage value was+1.2 V and the removal efficiency of Pb2+ was still maintained above 95% after electrosorption-desorption for 15 cycles.