Enhanced performance of quantum dot light-emitting diodes enabled by zirconium doped SnO2 as electron transport layers.

Next-generation display and lighting based on quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) require a balanced electron injection of electron transport layers (ETLs). However, classical ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) as ETLs face inherent defects such as excessive electron injection and positive aging effects, urgently requiring the development of new types of ETL materials. Here, we show that high stability SnO2 NPs as ETL can significantly improve the QLED performance to 100567 cd·m-2 luminance, 14.3% maximum external quantum efficiency, and 13.1 cd·A-1 maximum current efficiency using traditional device structures after optimizing the film thickness and annealing the temperature. Furthermore, experimental tests reveal that by doping Zr4+ ions, the size of SnO2 NPs will reduce, dispersion will improve, and energy level will shift up. As expected, when using Zr-SnO2 NPs as the ETL, the maximum external quantum efficiency can reach 16.6%, which is close to the state-of-the-art QLEDs based on ZnO ETL. This work opens the door for developing novel, to the best of our knowledge, type ETLs for QLEDs.

Solvent-modulated luminescence of carbon dots for ion sensing and fingerprint detection.

Since carbon dots (CDs) with good water solubility are preferred by researchers and biological applications, a hydrothermal method was used to synthesize green fluorescent CDs with an excitation-independent peak at 526 nm using deionized water as the solvent and neutral red as the carbon source. To achieve spectral modulation, the pH of the solvent was adjusted with KOH to obtain orange CDs (O-CDs) in an alkaline environment, with the emission peak red-shifted to 630 nm. The water-soluble CDs were prepared for multidimension sensing as Fe3+ sensing (on/off). Carbon dots dispersed into a silica gel matrix can be used for fingerprint detection of various materials.

Boosting Cu─In─Zn─S-based Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes Enabled by Engineering Cu─NiOx /PEDOT:PSS Bilayered Hole-Injection Layer.

The imbalance of charge injection is considered to be a major factor that limits the device performance of cadmium-free quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs). In this work, high-performance cadmium-free Cu─In─Zn─S(CIZS)-based QLEDs are designed and fabricated through tailoring interfacial energy level alignment and improving the balance of charge injection. This is achieved by introducing a bilayered hole-injection layer (HIL) of Cu-doped NiOx (Cu─NiOx )/Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). High-quality Cu─NiOx film is prepared through a novel and straightforward sol-gel procedure. Multiple experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations show that the incorporation of Cu2+ ions can regulate the energy level structure of NiOx and enhance the hole mobility. The state-of-art CIZS-based QLEDs with Cu─NiOx /PEDOT:PSS bilayered HIL exhibit the maximum external quantum efficiency of 6.04% and half-life time of 48 min, which is 1.3 times and four times of the device with only PEDOT:PSS HIL. The work provides a new pathway for developing high-performance cadmium-free QLEDs.

The Structural Evolution of ß-to-α Phase Transition in the Annealing Process of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate).

In this study, the structural and property changes induced in the highly ordered structure of preoriented poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) PHBV films containing the ß-form during annealing were investigated. The transformation of the ß-form was investigated by means of in situ wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) using synchrotron X-rays. The comparison of PHBV films with the ß-form before and after annealing was performed using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The evolution mechanism of ß-crystal transformation was elucidated. It was revealed that most of the highly oriented ß-form directly transforms into the highly oriented α-form, and there might be two kinds of transformations: (1) The ß-crystalline bundles may be transformed one by one rather than one part by one part during annealing before a certain annealing time. (2) The ß-crystalline bundles crack or the molecular chains of the ß-form are separated from the lateral side after annealing after a certain annealing time. A model to describe the microstructural evolution of the ordered structure during annealing was established based on the results obtained.

Bifurcations of a prey-predator system with fear, refuge and additional food.

In the predator-prey system, predators can affect the prey population by direct killing and inducing predation fear, which ultimately force preys to adopt some anti-predator strategies. Therefore, it proposes a predator-prey model with anti-predation sensitivity induced by fear and Holling-Ⅱ functional response in the present paper. Through investigating the system dynamics of the model, we are interested in finding how the refuge and additional food supplement impact the system stability. With the changes of the anti-predation sensitivity (the refuge and additional food), the main result shows that the stability of the system will change accordingly, and it has accompanied with periodic fluctuations. Intuitively the bubble, bistability phenomena and bifurcations are found through numerical simulations. The bifurcation thresholds of crucial parameters are also established by the Matcont software. Finally, we analyze the positive and negative impacts of these control strategies on the system stability and give some suggestions to the maintaining of ecological balance, we perform extensive numerical simulations to illustrate our analytical findings.

Two-Dimensional Cs2 AgInx Bi1- x Cl6 Alloyed Double Perovskite Nanoplatelets for Solution-Processed Light-Emitting Diodes.

Lead-free double perovskites have emerged as a promising class of materials with potential to be integrated into a wide range of optical and optoelectronic applications. Herein, the first synthesis of 2D Cs2 AgInx Bi1- x Cl6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) alloyed double perovskite nanoplatelets (NPLs) with well controlled morphology and composition is demonstrated. The obtained NPLs show unique optical properties with the highest photoluminescence quantum yield of 40.1%. Both temperature dependent spectroscopic studies and density functional theory calculation results reveal that the morphological dimension reduction and In-Bi alloying effect together boost the radiative pathway of the self-trapped excitons of the alloyed double perovskite NPLs. Moreover, the NPLs exhibit good stability under ambient conditions and against polar solvents, which is ideal for all solution-processing of the materials in low-cost device manufacturing. The first solution-processed light-emitting diodes is demonstrated using the Cs2 AgIn0.9 Bi0.1 Cl6 alloyed double perovskite NPLs as the sole emitting component, showing luminance maximum of 58 cd m-2 and peak current efficiency of 0.013 cd A-1 . This study sheds light on morphological control and composition-property relationships of double perovskite nanocrystals, paving the way toward ultimate utilizations of lead-free perovskite materials in diverse sets of real-life applications.

Narrow-Bandwidth Blue-Emitting Ag-Ga-Zn-S Semiconductor Nanocrystals for Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

I-III-VI type semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted considerable attention in the display field. Herein, we realized the synthesis of narrow-bandwidth blue-emitting Ag-Ga-Zn-S (AGZS) NCs via a facile one-pot method. Intriguingly, the Ag/Zn feeding ratio and Ag/Ga feeding ratio are crucial for the realization of narrow-bandwidth AGZS NCs. By choosing a Ag/Zn feeding ratio of 4:1 and Ag/Ga feeding ratio of 1:8, AGZS NCs demonstrate a typical blue emission at 470 nm with a narrow full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 48 nm, which is mainly generated from the band-to-hole recombination rather than the donor-acceptor pair (DAP) recombination. Furthermore, a solution-processed quantum-dot light-emitting device based on AGZS NCs exhibits a narrow electroluminescent bandwidth of 53 nm and high luminance over 123.1 cd m-2, as well as a high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 0.40%. Our work highlights AGZS NCs with high color purity as an important candidate for blue-light-emitting devices.

Unraveling the Phase Transition and Luminescence Tuning of Pb-Free Cs-Cu-I Perovskites Enabled by Reaction Temperature and Polar Solvent.

Ternary Pb-free Cs-Cu-I perovskites have attracted widespread attention because of their excellent optical properties and environmentally friendly advantages. Herein, two different Pb-free ternary Cs3Cu2I5 nanocrystals (NCs) and CsCu2I3 microrods (MRs) were synthesized via a heating method. The phase and morphology transition from blue emission of Cs3Cu2I5 NCs to yellow emission of CsCu2I3 MRs could be tuned effectively by manipulating the reaction temperature, decreasing the maximum photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) from 82.7% to ∼10%. More interestingly, the Cs3Cu2I5 NCs could self-assemble into stacking chains, which exhibited a strong dependence on the polarity of solvents. In addition, it was demonstrated that the rapid phase transition and luminescence tuning between Cs3Cu2I5 and CsCu2I3 films took only a few seconds by direct heating or exposure to the polar solvent. This work may deepen the understanding of the phase transition process in Cu-based perovskites and provide a fluorescence material with a short switching time for anticounterfeiting applications.

Two-site occupancy induced the broad-band emission in the Ba4-x-ySryLa6O(SiO4)6:xEu2+ phosphor for white LEDs and anti-counterfeiting.

With the increasing demand for new inorganic functional materials, more and more attention is paid to rare earth ion doped luminescent materials. In this work, an Eu2+ doped Ba4La6O(SiO4)6 phosphor was synthesized by the high temperature solid-phase method. In the phosphor, two Ba2+ sites could be occupied by Eu2+ cations to provide two different kinds of coordination environments, resulting in broad emitting bands in the range of 450-630 nm and ultra-wide excitation bands in the range of 250-500 nm. The presence of two different Eu2+ emitting centers is verified by measuring the photoluminescence spectra and decay curves in Ba4La6O(SiO4)6 phosphors. The temperature dependence of emission intensity and full width at half maximum of Eu2+ in the range of 293-453 K were investigated systematically. The substitution of Ba2+ by Sr2+ can adjust the crystal field; thus, the luminous intensity was improved by 2.07 times and T50 was increased from 380 K to 453 K. Due to the Sr2+ ion doping, some of the Eu3+ ions cannot be reduced and remain in the trivalent state. In addition, by integrating the as-prepared Ba1.42Sr2.5La6O(SiO4)6:Eu phosphor, commercial blue and red phosphors, and a 385 nm LED chip, a white-LED lamp was made, which realized an applicable color rendering index (Ra = 94.6). For the Ba0.42Sr3.5La6O(SiO4)6 phosphor, the emission can be shifted from yellow to green and to yellow by excitation wavelength variation from 250 to 360 and 480 nm, which proves that the phosphor is a promising candidate for anti-counterfeiting applications.

High stability ultra-narrow band self-activated KGaSiO4 long-persistent phosphors for optical anti-counterfeiting.

Optical anti-counterfeiting has been developed as a promising optical-sensing technique. A self-activated KGaSiO4 phosphor was successfully prepared using the traditional solid-state method. The photoluminescence spectra of the as-synthesized phosphors indicate that the ultra-narrow band emission with green light peak at 503 nm is obtained when phosphors are excited by 254 nm UV light. Additionally, the measured afterglow curve shows that the emission of this phosphor can last more than 1200 s after UV excitation stops, which indicates that KGaSiO4 is a potential candidate for anti-counterfeiting materials. The luminescent and decay mechanism are discussed by theoretical calculation and thermo-luminescent spectra in detail. The theoretical model can provide support for explaining the mechanism of narrow band or persistent phosphor.

From blue to cyan emission: Ce3+ and Tb3+ co-doped silicon phosphate phosphors with high thermal stability.

A series of Ca15(PO4)2(SiO4)6:xCe3+,yTb3+ phosphors have been prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction. Under the excitation of near-UV with 371 nm wavelength, Ca15(PO4)2(SiO4)6:xCe3+ phosphors exhibit strong blue emission with a broad peak at 432 nm. Based on the photoluminescence of Ca15(PO4)2(SiO4)6:xCe3+ phosphors, the coordination environment around Ce3+ ions and the concentration quenching mechanism are inferred. With the doping of Tb3+ ions into Ca15(PO4)2(SiO4)6:1.33%Ce3+, the luminescence color from blue to cyan can be well tuned. By measuring the luminescence intensity and lifetime of the as-prepared phosphors, it can be judged that there exists an energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+. To achieve white light, the optimal Ca15(PO4)2(SiO4)6:1.33%Ce3+, 9%Tb3+ phosphors are mixed with commercial SrAlSiN3:Eu2+ powders and finally warm white light emission could be obtained. The results show that Ca15(PO4)2(SiO4)6:xCe3+,yTb3+ phosphors have potential applications in warm white light-emitting diodes.

Polypyrrole Encapsulated Nickel Nanorods for Conductivity Improvement by Magnetic Alignment.

Polypyrrole encapsulated nickel nanorods (PPy@Ni) have been prepared by electro-polymerization using Ni nanorods as template. PPy@Ni were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The maximum saturation magnetization of PPy@Ni was up to 44.6 emu g-1. Further, PPy@Ni was used as the additive for the conductivity improvement in polymer matrix. Experimental results showed that the electric conductivity reached 1.8×10-3 S m-1 when 5% PPy@Ni was added in the poly(urethane acrylate) matrix by applying a magnetic field. Further tests showed that when the additive concentration increased from 0.1% to 5%, the correspondence saturation magnetization increased from 15.1 emug-1 to 31.3 emug-1. This work provides new light on controllable fabrication of conducting polymer by adding magnetic alignment conductive additives.

High-Level PM2.5/PM10 Exposure Is Associated With Alterations in the Human Pharyngeal Microbiota Composition.

Previous studies showed that high concentration of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10 carried a large number of bacterial and archaeal species, including pathogens and opportunistic pathogens. In this study, pharyngeal swabs from 83 subjects working in an open air farmer's market were sampled before and after exposure to smog with PM2.5 and PM10 levels up to 200 and 300 µg/m3, respectively. Their microbiota were investigated using high-throughput sequencing targeting the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. The genus level phylotypes was increased from 649 to 767 in the post-smog pharyngeal microbiota, of which 142 were new and detected only in the post-smog microbiota. The 142 new genera were traced to sources such as soil, marine, feces, sewage sludge, freshwater, hot springs, and saline lakes. The abundance of the genera Streptococcus, Haemophilus, Moraxella, and Staphylococcus increased in the post-smog pharyngeal microbiota. All six alpha diversity indices and principal component analysis showed that the taxonomic composition of the post-smog pharyngeal microbiota was significantly different to that of the pre-smog pharyngeal microbiota. Redundancy analysis showed that the influences of PM2.5/PM10 exposure and smoking on the taxonomic composition of the pharyngeal microbiota were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Two days of exposure to high concentrations of PM2.5/PM10 changed the pharyngeal microbiota profiles, which may lead to an increase in respiratory diseases. Wearing masks could reduce the effect of high-level PM2.5/PM10 exposure on the pharyngeal microbiota.

Rare Shewanella spp. associated with pulmonary and bloodstream infections of cancer patients, China: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Members of Shewanella species are opportunistic pathogens that are found in marine environments. Currently more than sixty species have been identified, whereas the most commonly clinical cases associated with Shewanella species have involved only two species, i.e., S. algae and S. putrefaciens. We present two cases of pulmonary and bloodstream infections caused by two rare Shewanella spp. strains from patients of gastrointestinal cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: Two male patients with a history of gastrointestinal cancer presented to hospital with pulmonary and bloodstream infections, respectively. The infective pathogens of both cases were primarily isolated and identified as Shewanella algae (case I) and Shewanella putrefaciens (case II) by phenotypic features and VITEK 2 system, but they were further confirmed as Shewanella haliotis and Shewanella upenei by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The major bacterial composition of the bronchoalveolar lavage in case I was also identified as Shewanella by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing analysis. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that the two strains had broad susceptibility, but S. haliotis in the case I was resistant to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin and S. upenei in the case II was intermediate to imipenem, piperacillin/tazobactam and ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first cases of the pulmonary and bloodstream infections caused by Shewanella spp. from clinical patients in mainland China. Shewanella as a potential pathogen in China should not be ignored.

In-Situ Template Formation Strategy for the Preparation of Nitrogen Doped Carbon Nanocage with Graphitic Shell as Electrode Material for Supercapacitor.

Nitrogen doped carbon nanocage with graphitic shell (NGCS) was fabricated through in-situ solid reaction between calcium acetate and dicyandiamide in an inert atmosphere followed by acid etching. The role played by the calcium acetate (Ca(Ac)2) and dicyandiamide (DCD) during the synthesis process is one-stone-two-birds. Calcium acetate plays multiple functions: template agent, graphitization catalyst, and carbon source. Dicyandiamide can be considered as the nitrogen sources and the chemical reaction agent that can be reacted with calcium acetate to form it into CaCN2. The NGCS obtained at 800 °C has a specific surface area of 420 m2/g and nitrogen content of 8.87 at%. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to the combination effects of porous structure, nitrogen doping and graphitized nanocage shell of NGCS electrode. The hollow structure serves as the reservoir for fast electrolyte ion supplement. Nitrogen groups not only improve the wettability of interfaces between carbon surface and electrolyte, but also generate extra pseudocapacitance through redox reaction. The graphitic carbon nanocage shell can enhance the conductivity and facilitates the fast charge transfer. At a current density of 0.5 A/g, the specific capacitance of the NGCS-800 electrode is 215 F/g. Furthermore, the NGCS-800 electrode exhibits excellent rate capability (80% capacitance retention at 10 A/g) and outstanding cycling stability (96.89% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles). These intriguing results demonstrate that nitrogen doped carbon with graphitic shell will be highly promising as electrode materials for supercapacitors and other energy storage and conversation applications.

Finite-Time Thermodynamic Modeling and a Comparative Performance Analysis for Irreversible Otto, Miller and Atkinson Cycles.

Finite-time thermodynamic models for an Otto cycle, an Atkinson cycle, an over-expansion Miller cycle (M1), an LIVC Miller cycle through late intake valve closure (M2) and an LIVC Miller cycle with constant compression ratio (M3) have been established. The models for the two LIVC Miller cycles are first developed; and the heat-transfer and friction losses are considered with the effects of real engine parameters. A comparative analysis for the energy losses and performances has been conducted. The optimum compression-ratio ranges for the efficiency and effective power are different. The comparative results of cycle performances are influenced together by the ratios of the energy losses and the cycle types. The Atkinson cycle has the maximum peak power and efficiency, but the minimum power density; and the M1 cycle can achieve the optimum comprehensive performances. The less net fuel amount and the high peak cylinder pressure (M3 cycle) have a significantly adverse effect on the loss ratios of the heat-transfer and friction of the M2 and M3 cycles; and the effective power and energy efficiency are always lower than the M1 and Atkinson cycles. When greatly reducing the weights of the heat-transfer and friction, the M3 cycle has significant advantage in the energy efficiency. The results obtained can provide guidance for selecting the cycle type and optimizing the performances of a real engine.

Multilocus sequence typing-based analysis of Moraxella catarrhalis population structure reveals clonal spreading of drug-resistant strains isolated from childhood pneumonia.

This work revealed the drug resistance and population structure of Moraxella catarrhalis strains isolated from children less than three years old with pneumonia. Forty-four independent M. catarrhalis strains were analyzed using broth dilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The highest non-susceptibility rate was observed for amoxicillin (AMX), which reached 95.5%, followed by clindamycin (CLI) (n=33; 75.0%), azithromycin (AZM) (61.4%), cefaclor (CEC) (25.0%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) (15.9%), cefuroxime (CXM) (4.5%), tetracycline (TE) (2.3%), and doxycycline (DOX) (2.3%). There was no strain showing non-susceptibility to other six antimicrobials. Using MLST, the 44 M. catarrhalis strains were divided into 33 sequence types (STs). Based on their allelic profiles, the 33 STs were divided into one CC (CC363) and 28 singletons. CC363 contained five STs and ST363 was the founder ST. CC363 contained 63.6%, 33.3%, and 40.7% of CEC non-susceptible, CLI non-susceptible and AZM non-susceptible strains, respectively. The proportions of CEC non-susceptible, CLI non-susceptible and AZM non-susceptible strains in CC363 were higher than that of singletons; these differences were significant for CEC (p=0.002) and AZM (p=0.011). Furthermore, CC363 contained more AMX-CLI-AZM co-non-susceptible and AMX-CEC-CLI-AZM co-non-susceptible strains than the singletons (p=0.007 and p<0.001, respectively). CC363 is a drug-resistant clone of clinical M. catarrhalis strains in China. Expansion of this clone under selective pressure of antibiotics should be noted and long-term monitoring should be established.

Preparation of carbon quantum dots based high photostability luminescent membranes.

Urethane acrylate (UA) was used to prepare carbon quantum dots (C-dots) luminescent membranes and the resultants were examined with FT-IR, mechanical strength, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and quantum yields (QYs). FT-IR results showed the polyurethane acrylate (PUA) prepolymer -C = C-vibration at 1101 cm-1 disappeared but there was strong vibration at1687cm-1 which was contributed from the-C = O groups in cross-linking PUA. Mechanical strength results showed that the different quantity of C-dots loadings and UV-curing time affect the strength. SEM observations on the cross-sections of the membranes are uniform and have no structural defects, which prove that the C-dots are compatible with the water-soluble PUA resin. The C-dot loading was increased from 0 to 1 g, the maximum tensile stress was nearly 2.67 MPa, but the tensile strain was decreased from 23.4% to 15.1% and 7.2% respectively. QYs results showed that the C-dots in the membrane were stable after 120 h continuous irradiation. Therefore, the C-dots photoluminescent film is the promising material for the flexible devices in the future applications.

Spatio-temporal epidemiology of hand, foot and mouth disease in Liaocheng City, North China.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has posed a notable threat to public health and become a public health priority in China. This study was based on the reported cases of HFMD between 2007 and 2011. A total of 34,176 HFMD cases were geo-coded at town level (n=134). Firstly, a descriptive analysis was conducted to evaluate the epidemic characteristics of HFMD. Then, the Kulldorff scan statistic based on a discrete Poisson model was used to detect spatial-temporal clusters. Spatial distribution of HFMD in Liaocheng City, China from 2007 to 2011 was mapped at town level in the aspects of crude incidence, excess hazard and spatial smoothed incidence. The spatial distribution of HFMD was non-random and clustered with a significant Moran's I value every year. The local Moran's I Z-score detected three significant spatial clusters for high incidence of HFMD. The space-time analysis identified one most likely cluster and twenty-five secondary clusters for high incidence of HFMD. We demonstrate evidence of the existence of statistically significant HFMD clusters in Liaocheng City. Our results provide better guidance for formulating regional prevention and control strategies.

[Expression of hemolytic phospholipase C from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Escherichia coli].

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we constructed a recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain to produce hemolytic phospholipase C and optimized the fermentation conditions. METHODS: We screened a high phospholipase C activity strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) 41, through yolk borax plate method, and cloned the hemolytic phospholipase C gene (plcH) from it. The plcH was inserted into pET-28a (+) and then obtained the recombinant expression plasmid (pET28a-plcH). We selected the correct recombinant plasmid and transformed it into E. coli BL21 (DE3). Furthermore, we determined the PLC activity and hemolytic activity in positive transformants on yolk borax plate and columbia blood agar plate. Finally, we optimized the fermentation conditions. RESULTS: We successfully constructed a recombinant E. coli strain (E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pET28a-plcH) that showed significant phospholipase C activity. Moreover, hemolytic phospholipase C of the recombinant strain showed strong hemolytic activity. The enzyme activity of phospholipase C was 722.9 +/- 0.47 U/mL with 5% of inoculation amount, 200 r/min for 4 hours at temperature of 37, induced by 0.9 mmol/L IPTG for 14 hours. CONCLUSION: We constructed a recombinant E. coli strain with high hemolytic phospholipase C activity under optimized fermentation conditions. It is the first time in domestic to successfully clone and express phospholipase C gene from P. aeruginosa in E. coli. These research results are helpful to advance the industrialization and application of phospholipase C.