Unraveling the impact of environmental provisions in preferential trade agreements on green total factor energy efficiency.

Environmental provisions in Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) have increased in recent years, however, their impact on green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) remains underexplored. Utilizing comprehensive data on countries' engagement with PTAs' environmental provisions, along with environmental legislative information and green trade data, this study employs various quantitative and qualitative research methods to investigate heterogeneity influence, mechanism, nonlinear relationship, and combined effect of PTAs' environmental provisions on GTFEE. The empirical results indicate that: (1) Environmental provisions within PTAs significantly enhance the GTFEE of participating countries, which is more pronounced in North-South PTAs, particularly when these provisions are closely tied to trade issues. (2) Environmental provisions in PTAs improve the GTFEE by promoting environmental legislation, facilitating green goods trade, and fostering cleaner energy structures in participating countries. (3) As the number of PTAs' environmental provisions increases in participating countries, their effect on GTFEE follows a pattern of initial inhibition, followed by promotion, and ultimately insignificance. (4) The combined effect of different types of environmental provisions in PTAs reveals three primary pathways contributing to improved GTFEE: the "environment", the "environment-trade synergy", and the "trade-safeguard synergy".

Stable and Bright CsPbX3 Nanocrystals in Metal-Organic Frameworks for White Light-Emitting Diodes.

The stability of metal halide perovskite (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br, and I) nanocrystals (NCs) is crucial for their practical applications. In this paper, perovskite NCs were synthesized in situ in lead-based metal-organic frameworks (Pb-MOFs: [Pb2(1,3,5-HBTC)2(H2O)4]·H2O), and we obtained stable and bright luminescence composites with different colors. Namely, CsPbBr3@Pb-MOF composites were created by the in situ growth of CsPbBr3 crystals (NCs) on Pb-MOF, which had high ion resistance, bright photoluminescence (PL), and excellent stability. The composites still had bright luminescence after 11 months of storage. The PL intensity of green-emitting CsPbBr3@Pb-MOF composites was increased compared with as-prepared CsPbBr3 NCs. Bright and stable blue- and red-emitting CsPbX3@Pb-MOF composites were obtained by adjusting the amount of PbX2 (X = Cl, Br, and I) in the synthesis process. These CsPbX3 NCs were homogeneously distributed in Pb-MOF substrates. The growth of CsPbX3 NCs in Pb-MOFs prevented NC aggregation and decreased surface defects against nonradiative recombination during emitting. Thus, the PL lifetime and stability were improved. Furthermore, white light-emission diodes were prepared using three color CsPbX3@Pb-MOF composites with Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage color coordinates of (0.296, 0.316). This result provided an efficient way to overcome the limitation of chemical solution synthesis and improve the stability of CsPbX3 NCs.

Evolutionary analysis of gyrA gene from Neisseria meningitidis bacterial strains of clonal complex 4821 collected in China between 1978 and 2016.

BACKGROUND: Neisseria meningitidis (N.meningitidis) bacteria belonging to clonal complex 4821 (CC4821) have been mainly reported in China and have been characterized by a high resistance rate to ciprofloxacin (CIP). The aim of this study was to assess the evolution of the DNA gyrase A (gyrA) gene from N.meningitidis CC4821 strains collected in China between 1978 and 2016. The complete sequence of gyrA gene from 77 strains are reported in this study and analyzed in the context of publicly available sequences from N. meningitidis of other CCs as well as other Neisseria species. RESULTS: The phylogenetic analysis of CC4821 gyrA gene reveals at least 5 distinct genetic clusters. These clusters are not CC4821-specific showing that gyrA evolution is independent of CC4821 evolution. Some clusters contain sequences from other Neisseria species. Recombination within N.meningitidis strains and between Neisseria species was identified in SimPlot analysis. Finally, amino acid substitutions within GyrA protein were analyzed. Only one position, 91 (83 in E.coli gyrA gene), was linked to CIP resistance. Thirty-one additional putative resistance markers were identified, as amino acid substitutions were only found in resistant strains. CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of gyrA gene of CC4821 N.meningitidis strains is not dependent on CC4821 evolution or on CIP resistance phenotype. Only amino acid 91 is linked to CIP resistance phenotype. Finally, recombination inter- and intra-species is likely to result in the acquisition of various resistance markers, 31 of them being putatively mapped in the present study. Analyzing the evolution of gyrA gene within CC4821 strains is critical to monitor the CIP resistance phenotype and the acquisition of new resistance markers. Such studies are necessary for the control of the meningococcal disease and the development of new drugs targeting DNA gyrase.

Aqueous synthesis of MPA-capped CdTe nanocrystals emitted in near infrared with high quantum yield.

The high luminescent near infrared (NIR)--emitting CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as the stabilized molecules had been sucessfully fabricated by a facile and simple water-reflux method. By virtue of the characterizations for the as-prepared MPA-capped CdTe NCs, such as UV-Vis absorption, steady-state photoluminescence (PL), time-resolved PL spectra and PL image, the optical properties, diameters and morphologies of the CdTe NCs were investigated detailedly. With the increase of reflux time, the PL peak wavelength of NCs gradually shifted from red light to NIR spectra range within 7 h, and the PL quantum yield (QY) was increased firstly and then decreased slightly. It was worth noted that the NCs still showed a relative high PL QY of 47% as well as a narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of PL spectra even when the NCs emitted at the NIR wavelength of 754 nm. In addition, the average PL lifetime also exhibited an obvious increase as the growth of CdTe NCs due to the formation of thin CdS shell on the surface of CdTe. The PL stabilities for these NIR-emitting NCs (754 nm) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) buffer solution with various concentrations ranged from 0.005 to 0.1 M were also checked accordingly, and the results indicated that the as-prepared NIR-emitting CdTe NCs had a satisfied PL stability, implying a potential application in the biological field. Hopefully, all the superiority of these NIR-emitting CdTe NCs, such as high PL QY and PL lifetime, narrow FWHM of PL spectra, high PL stability in PBS solution, would make them to be a good candidate for biological applications in future.

Photoluminescence properties of aeschynite-type LaNbTiO6:RE3+ (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho) down-converting phosphors.

In this study, a series of LaNbTiO6:RE(3+) (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho) down-converting phosphors were synthesized using a modified sol-gel combustion method, and their photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated as a function of activator concentration and annealing temperature. The resultant particles were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and PL spectra. The highly crystalline LaNbTiO6:RE(3+) (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho) phosphors with an average size of 200-300 nm obtained at 1100°C have an orthorhombic aeschynite-type structure and exhibit the highest luminescent intensity in our study range. The emission spectra of LaNbTiO6:RE(3+) (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho) phosphors under excitations at UV/blue sources are mainly composed of characteristic peaks arising from the f-f transitions of RE(3+), including 489 nm ((5) D4 → (7) F6) and 545 nm ((5) D4 → (7) F5) for Tb(3+), 476 and 482 nm ((4) F9/2 → (6) H15/2) and 571 nm ((4) F9/2 → (6) H13/2) for Dy(3+), and 545 nm ((5) F4 + (5) S2 → (5) I8) for Ho(3+), respectively. The luminescent mechanisms were further investigated. It can be expected that these phosphors are of intense interest and potential importance for many optical applications.

Fabrication of SiO2 beads with high concentrated hydrophobic CdSe/Cd(x)Zn(1-x)S quantum dots using functional alkoxides.

A two-step approach including the assembly of QDs and subsequent Stöber synthesis has been developed to encapsulate hydrophobic CdSe/Cd(x)Zn(1-x)S core/shell QDs into SiO2 beads. TEM observation shows that the core/shell QDs have high concentration in the SiO2 bead. The fabrication mechanism was proposed for these SiO2 bead. First, partially hydrolyzed tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) replaces the initial ligands of the QDs and assembles the QDs into seeds by condensation reaction. 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) was applied to control the assembly process and inhibit a heavy aggregation. Second, the mixed silane TEOS/carboxyethylsilanetriol sodium (CES) was used for Stöber process. The carboxyl group of CES can react with the sulfhydryl of the MPS facilitating the deposition of the SiC2 on the QDs seeds. Sonication was required for the formation of well-dispersed and well-coated SiO2 beads. The combined application of MPS and CES, the decent silane concentration, and the sonication during the Stöber process were crucial for the synthesis of SiO2 beads with high concentrated QDs.

Synthesis of CdSe quantum dots using various long-chain fatty acids and their phase transfer.

Monodispersed colloidal photoluminescent CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized via an organic approach by using cadmium oxide and elemental selenium as precursors, and long-chain fatty acids as surface ligands. The hydrocarbon chain length of the fatty acid was adjusted to investigate the effect on CdSe QDs. The fatty acid ligands with different hydrocarbon chain lengths showed an apparent effect on the nanocrystal nucleation and growth which is the key controlling the size, size distribution and crystal structure of resulting CdSe QDs. This effect was attributable to the steric hindrance of different hydrocarbon length of the fatty acids, which affected the reactivity of the monomers and nanocrystals during the nanocrystal nucleation and growth. The water-soluble CdSe QDs were obtained by encapsulating the CdSe ODs in oil phase with amphiphilic poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) (PSMA)-ethanolamine (EA) polymers, which made it possible for further applications of the CdSe QDs in aqueous environment such as surface functionalization for biological labeling and application in photocatalysis and photosensitization.

Application of hybrid SiO2-coated CdTe nanocrystals for sensitive sensing of Cu2+ and Ag+ ions.

A new ion sensor based on hybrid SiO2 -coated CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) was prepared and applied for sensitive sensing of Cu(2+) and Ag(+) for the selective quenching of photoluminescence (PL) of NCs in the presence of ions. As shown by ion detection experiments conducted in pure water rather than buffer solution, PL responses of NCs were linearly proportional to concentrations of Cu(2+) and Ag(+) ions < 3 and 7 uM, respectively. Much lower detection limits of 42.37 nM for Cu(2+) and 39.40 nM for Ag(+) were also observed. In addition, the NC quenching mechanism was discussed in terms of the characterization of static and transient optical spectra. The transfer and trapping of photoinduced charges in NCs by surface energy levels of CuS and Ag2 S clusters as well as surface defects generated by the exchange of Cu(2+) and Ag(+) ions with Cd(2+) ion in NCs, resulted in PL quenching and other optical spectra changes, including steady-state absorption and transient PL spectra. It is our hope that these results will be helpful in the future preparation of new ion sensors.

Effect of mercaptocarboxylic acids on luminescent properties of CdTe quantum dots.

CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were prepared in an aqueous solution using various mercaptocarboxylic acids, such as 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and thioglycolic acid (TGA), as stabilizing agents. The experimental result indicated that these stabilizing agents played an important role for the properties of the QDs. Although both TGA and MPA-capped CdTe QDs exhibited the tunable photoluminescence (PL) from green to red color, the TGA-capped QDs revealed a higher PL quantum yield (QY) up to 60% than that of MPA-capped QDs (up to 50%) by using the optimum preparation conditions, such as a pH value of ~11.2 and a TGA/Cd molar ratio of 1.5. PL lifetime measurements indicate that the TGA-capped QDs exhibited a short average lifetime while the MPA-capped QDs revealed a long one. Furthermore, the average lifetime of the TGA-capped QDs increased with the increase of the QDs size, while a decreased lifetime for the MPA-capped QDs was obtained. This means that the PL lifetime depended strongly on the surface state of the CdTe QDs. These results should be utilized for the preparation and applications of QDs.

CdSe/Cd(x)Zn1-xS core/shell nanocrystals: core morphology and luminescent property.

CdSe cores with rod (an aspect ratio of 1.8, d-5 nm) and spherical (an aspect ratio of 1, d-5 nm) morphologies were fabricated by two kinds of organic approaches through adjusting growth processes. Because of large difference of size and morphology, two kinds of cores revealed different absorption spectra. However, these cores exhibited almost same photoluminescence (PL) spectra with a red-emitting PL peak of around 625 nm. This is ascribed that they have a similar size in diameter. A graded Cd(x)Zn1-xS shell of larger band gap was grown around CdSe rods and spheres using oleic acid as a capping agent. Based on the growth kinetics of CdS and ZnS, interfacial segregation was created to preferentially deposit CdS near the core, providing relaxation of the strain at the core/shell interface. For spherical CdSe cores, the homogeneous deposition of the Cd(x)Zn1-xS shell created spherical core/shell nanocrystals (NCs) with a size of 7.1 nm in diameter. In the case of using CdSe cores with rod morphology, the anisotropic aggregation behaviors of CdS monomers on CdSe rods led to the size (approximately 10 nm in diameter) of spherical CdSe/Cd(x)Zn1-xS core/shell NCs with a small difference to the length of the CdSe rod (approximately 8.9 nm). The resulting spherical core/shell NCs created by the rod and spherical cores exhibited almost same PL peak wavelength (652 and 653 nm for using rod and spherical cores, respectively), high PL efficiency up to 50%, and narrow PL spectra (36 and 28 nm of full with at half maximum of PL spectra for the core/shell NCs with CdSe spheres and rods, respectively). These core/shell NCs provide an opportunity for the study of the evolution of PL properties as the shape of semiconductor NCs.

The synergism between self-activated and impurity-related emissions of LiCa3ZnV3O12: lattice distortion, energy transfer and temperature sensing effect.

Some of the metal vanadates have special self-activated luminescence. In order to further enrich its luminous color, luminescent impurity ions can be introduced into its lattice. The interaction between the self-activated emission and the impurity-related emission remains to be studied. In this work, the synergism between the two kinds of emission in LiCa3ZnV3O12 was explored from these three aspects: lattice distortion, energy transfer and temperature effect. Eu3+ ions replace Ca2+ ions in the lattice of LiCa3ZnV3O12, leading to a lattice contraction of the LCZV host, which depresses the self-activating emission around 500 nm. The characteristic linear emissions of Eu3+ ions are also observed benefiting from the energy transfer from [VO4]3- to Eu3+. Since the temperature quenching effect is more sensitive for the self-activated emission than that for the Eu3+-related ones, the phosphor can be applied as a luminescent temperature sensor, with the absolute and relative temperature sensitivities of 0.012 K-1 and 1.56% K-1, respectively.

Improvement of gut microbiome and intestinal permeability following splenectomy plus pericardial devascularization in hepatitis B virus-related cirrhotic portal hypertension.

The gut microbiome is an essential component of the intestinal mucosal barrier, critical in regulating intestinal permeability. Microbiome dysbiosis and intestinal permeability changes are commonly encountered conditions in patients with cirrhosis and are closely related to its development and further complications. However, alterations in the gut microbiome and intestinal permeability in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension after undergoing a splenectomy plus pericardial devascularization (SPD) have not been investigated. This study recruited 22 patients who were measured against themselves on the study parameters before and after an SPD, along with 20 healthy controls. Methodologically, fecal samples were collected for gut microbiome analysis by 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing, and peripheral blood samples were obtained to examine the liver function and intestinal permeability. This study showed that the community structure of the gut microbiomes in patients before the SPD exhibited obvious differences from those in the healthy control group. They also exhibited a decreased bacterial community richness, increased intestinal permeability, and enhanced inflammation compared with the healthy controls. These issues were further aggravated two weeks after the SPD. There was also evidence of significantly higher abundances of Streptococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Enterococcaceae than those in the healthy control group. However, 12 months after the surgery, 12 of the 16 patient-associated genera recovered, of which 10 reached normal levels. Additionally, the microbiome diversity increased; the bacterial composition was back to a level similar to the healthy controls. Liver function, intestinal permeability, and inflammation levels all improved compared with preoperative levels. Furthermore, correlation analyses indicated that the five recovered bacterial taxa and the Shannon diversity index were correlated with several improved clinical indicators. Altogether, the improvements in the liver function and intestinal permeability in HBV-related cirrhotic patients may be related to the restoration of the gut microbiome after an SPD.

Importance of exopolysaccharide branched chains in determining the aggregation ability of anammox sludge.

The high aggregation ability of anammox granular sludge is an issue of wide concern; however, the mechanism needs to be further clarified. In this study, selective hydrolysis experiments were performed to determine the role of exopolysaccharide (PS) branched chains and proteins for the aggregation mechanism of anammox granular sludge. The results revealed that selective hydrolysis of proteins hardly affected the granular aggregation while the hydrolysis of PS branched chains led to a decrease in the sludge zeta potential by 17.3% (ß-amylase group) and 24.1% (isoamylase group), a decrease of hydrophobicity by 11.6% (ß-amylase group) and 17.7% (isoamylase group), an increase of surface free energy by 36.8% (ß-amylase group) and 55.1% (isoamylase group) and the deterioration of the PS self-assembly ability. In addition, FTIR and XPS spectra analysis showed that the disruption of PS branched chains resulted in a higher proportion of hydrophilic and electronegative groups, which hindered bacterial aggregation, which was further confirmed by XDLVO theory. The key role of the PS chain structure in sludge aggregation is a critical finding of this work that provides helpful insights for the application of anammox process.

Comparative genomic analyses of Chinese serogroup W ST-11 complex Neisseria meningitidis isolates.

Although serogroup W ST-11 complex (cc11) (W:cc11) Neisseria meningitidis has been widespread in China over the past ten years, its origin and genetic relatedness has not yet been described. In this study, we described the genetic relatedness and discuss the possible origin of Chinese W:cc11 isolates by comparing their genome sequences with those of other cc11 strains globally. Comparative genomic analysis with geo-temporally diverse cc11 isolates showed that the Chinese W:cc11 isolates exclusively formed two closely related subclusters within a distinct sublineage (proposed as the Chinese-strain sublineage) of lineage 11.1 close to the interface between the Hajj-strain sublineage and the South American-strain sublineage. Several isolates from Africa and Europe were closely related to the Chinese subclusters which were largely segregated from one another among distinct provinces of China. No alleles were identified that were unique to the Chinese isolates as a whole, though each subcluster possessed unique alleles differentiating itself from the other subcluster as well as closely related isolates within the extended sublineage. Three genes differentiated the two subclusters with allele combinations that were each present among the non-Chinese isolates within the wider sublineage. These results indicate that the Chinese W:cc11 isolates formed part of a previously undescribed W:cc11 sublineage that is closely related to, but distinct from, the Hajj-strain sublineage and South American-strain sublineage. The geographical source of the Chinese subclusters was indeterminate based on available data.

A vanadate-based white light emitting luminescent material for temperature sensing.

Calcium magnesium vanadate-europium vanadate powders with a homogeneous distribution have been prepared by a sol-gel method followed by a sintering process. The as-prepared powders show both broadband emission around 520 nm and sharp peak emission at 617 nm under UV light excitation, which are ascribed to the one-electron charge transfer transition in the VO4 tetrahedra and the typical 5D0 → 7F2 transition of Eu3+. Energy transfer occurs between the vanadate and Eu ions. The emission color of the products can be tuned by controlling the Eu concentration and temperature. White light emission can be obtained at the Eu concentration of 15% and at room temperature. The temperature related luminescence properties have been studied for the sample with 15 mol% Eu. The intensity ratio between the broadband emission (due to VO4 tetrahedra) and the sharp peak emission (due to Eu3+ ions) decreases as the temperature increases in a linear relationship. The relative sensitivity (S R) of this luminescent temperature sensor has been calculated and a maximum has been gained at 455 K with the value equal to 1.83% K-1.

Cu2+ and Fe2+ Sensor Based on CdTe QD@ZIF-8 Composites.

TGA capped CdTe QDs have been encapsulated in miroporous ZIF-8, with no obvious deterioration of their photoluminescence property. The resulted CdTe QD@ZIF-8 composites show a higher luminescent stability in various buffer solution. The material has successfully been used as a luminescent indicator for the detection of Cu2+ and Fe2+ ions. The luminescence of CdTe QD@ZIF-8 composite quenches only in the presence of Cu2+ or Fe2+ ions. The linear ranges of detection have been estimated as 1~50 uM for Cu2+ ions and 1~60 uM for Fe2+ ions, respectively. A "competing transmission" mechanism has been proposed to explain the selectivity of the sensor to detecting Cu2+ and Fe2+ ions. Luminescent quenching can only occurred when the bonding power of QD surface surpasses the adsorptivity of the outside ZIF-8 to the metal ions.

Prevalence and genetic characteristics of 4CMenB and rLP2086 vaccine candidates among Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B strains, China.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of 4CMenB and rLP2086 vaccine candidates among Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (NmB) in China. METHODS: A total of 485 NmB strains isolated in 29 provinces of China between 1968 and 2016 were selected from the culture collection of the national reference laboratory according to the isolation year, location, and source. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and porA gene sequencing were performed on all 485 study strains; PCR was used to detect the fHbp, nadA, and nhba gene of 432 strains; positive amplification products from the fHbp and nadA genes from all strains, as well as those of the nhba gene from 172 representative strains, were sequenced. RESULTS: MLST results showed that the predominant (putative) clonal complexes (CCs) of NmB isolates have changed over time in China. While strains that could not be assigned to existing (p)CCs were the biggest proportion, CC4821 was the most prevalent lineage (36.0%) since 2005. PCR and sequence analysis revealed that the 4CMenB and rLP2086 vaccine candidates were highly diverse. Respectively, 152 PorA genotypes and 83 VR2 sequences were identified with significant diversity within a single CC; the complete nadA gene was found in ten of 432 study strains; fHbp was present in most strains (422/432) with variant 2 predominating (82.9%) in both patient- and carrier- derived isolates; almost all strains harbored the nhba gene while sequences were diverse. CONCLUSIONS: With regards to clonal lineages and vaccine candidate proteins, NmB isolates from China were generally diverse. Further studies should be performed to evaluate the cross-protection of present vaccines against Chinese NmB strains.

Novel class of aeschynite structure LaNbTiO6-based orange-red phosphors via a modified combustion approach.

A novel class of orange-red phosphors based on Eu(3+)-activated LaNbTiO(6) was successfully fabricated by a wet chemical method, called a modified combustion approach. XRD, TG-DTA, SEM, and EDS results show that the heat-treatment of the powders above 1000 degrees C is enough to obtain highly crystallized and phase-pure LaNbTiO(6) and Eu(3+)-doped samples, which is of prime importance in investigating the optical properties of the novel phosphors using LaNbTiO(6) as the host material. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy reveals that the direct band gap of LaNbTiO(6) with large grains (above 200 nm) is calculated to be 3.27 eV, while the absorption edge of the small particles shows an obvious blue-shift. Two blue emission bands centered at 440 and 470 nm ascribed to the self-trapped exciton emission of the distorted NbO(6) and TiO(6) groups for the pure LaNbTiO(6) can be obtained. Photoluminescence spectra of the Eu(3+)-doped phosphor particles illuminated the simultaneous occurrence of several intense orange-red band emissions due to the characteristic transitions of (5)D(0,1) --> (7)F(J) (J = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) of Eu(3+) under 395 nm excitation. The mechanism of these multiplets possibly arising from the odd-parity distortions of the Eu(3+) ion environment and the effect of crystallanity of the compounds on luminescence were discussed, respectively. The highly bright and color-uniform fluorescence images of the doped samples with short luminescence decay times (nanosecond magnitude) confirmed the potential applications of the phosphors in luminescence and display devices.

Combustion synthesis of novel Li 0.9 Y(0.9-x-y)Zr 0.1 O2:Eu x 3+, R y 3+(R = Ce,Bi) red luminescence nanocrystal and emission-mechanism research.

Novel Li(0.9)Y((0.9-x-y))Zr(0.1)O(2):Eu(x)(3+), R(y)(3+) (R = Ce,Bi) red nanocrystal phosphors were synthesized by the sol-combustion process at 800 degrees C. XRD and TEM were used to evaluate the crystallinity and the morphological characterization of the samples. The photoluminescence properties and lifetime of the obtained phosphor nanoparticles were measured using an Edinburgh FLS920 at room temperature. The result showed that the luminescence intensity of Li(0.9)Y((0.9-x-y))Zr(0.1)O(2):Eu(x)(3+) was increased by Bi(3+) and Ce(3+) by 900% and 600%, respectively. The emission mechanism and sensitization mechanism of Bi(3+) and Ce(3+) on Eu(3+) emission intensity were described and explained in detail in this work. The high bright and color-uniform fluorescence images of the doped samples with short luminescence decay times (nanosecond level) confirmed the potential applications of the phosphors in light-emitting diodes and display devices.

Characterization and Distribution of the autB Gene in Neisseria meningitidis.

We aimed to investigate and understand the characterization and distribution of the autB gene in Neisseria meningitidis in China. autB is flanked by two conservative genes, smpB and glcD, and it can be present in the majority of meningococcal isolates, but not in 053442 of clonal complex 4821 (CC4821) which contains a 968 bp sequence. In this study, we sequenced the intervenient region between smpB and glcD in 178 Chinese N. meningitidis strains isolated from both patients and carriers. There were 110 serogroupable strains, other 68 were non-groupable (NG). Ninety nine of the 178 strains were clustered into 13 CCs, the remaining 79 were unassigned (UA). CC4821 is one of the dominant CCs in China. Forty of the 42 CC4821 strains and 26 of the 79 UA strains were autB-null, while the remaining 12 CCs were autB-positive. According to the N-terminal sequence, most (97/112) of the autB-positive strains were clustered into AutB1 and the remaining 15 were AutB2. The autB gene and its flanking intergenic sequences was superseded by a perfectly conservative sequence of an identical 968 bp in all of the autB-null N. meningitidis strains which had no identity with the relatively conservative intergenic sequences that flanked the autB gene in autB-positive strains. There was a 10 bp DNA uptake sequence (DUS) at the beginning of the interval 968 bp sequence in the autB-null strains while there was a 9 bp Haemophilus-specific uptake sequence (hUS) at the beginning of the partial holB gene and at the end of the partial tmk gene in autB-positive strains, holB and tmk gene were flanking the autB gene in Haemophilus. In conclusion, not all pathogenic N. meningitidis strains especially CC4821 possess the autB gene in China and the corresponding spacer region of the autB-null strains was not homologous to that found in autB-positive strains. There's a hypothesis that the DUS and hUS are likely to play a key part in the mechanism of uptake or loss of the autB gene.