Global perspectives on quartet radium isotopes in lakes.

Lake-groundwater systems sustain critical ecosystems and socioeconomic activities, yet global radium (Ra) distribution patterns, radiation risks and quantified potential remain understudied, particularly regarding Ra's utility in tracing lake salinization timescales. This study characterizes the ionic composition and Ra dynamics of ∼50 global lake-groundwater systems using an integrated framework of comprehensive data retrieval and geochemical analysis. Saline lakes (∼46 %, SO₄·Cl-Na-type) dominate arid endorheic basins, contrasting with freshwater systems (similar proportion, Ca·Mg-HCO₃-type) in humid catchments.

Source apportionment of groundwater contamination and spatial variability in the Bohai Sea region (China).

Understanding large-sample groundwater chemical dynamics is critical for sustainable coastal aquifer management. Using geostatistics, Self-Organizing Maps (SOM), K-means clustering, and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) on 1415 high-dimensional datasets from China's Bohai region (subregions: Bohai Bay, Liaodong Bay, Laizhou Bay), we investigate spatial dynamics, evolutionary classification, and source apportionment of groundwater chemistry. Results reveal pronounced spatial heterogeneity in salinity and contaminant ions, with a distinct hydrochemical gradient (Laizhou Bay area > Bohai Bay area > Liaodong Bay area) reflecting salinity-driven quality degradation.

Esculin delivery system based on phospholipid complex technology: research on solubility optimization and antibacterial activity improvement.

Esculin (ES) has antibacterial effects, but its low solubility and bioavailability limit applications. This study prepared an esculin phospholipid complex (ES-PC) solvent evaporation. SEM, FTIR, XRD and H-NMR verified its amorphous structure formed by intermolecular forces.

Loading esculin can improve the morphology and antibacterial properties of chitosan/whey protein isolate composite film.

In this study, chitosan (CTS), whey protein isolate (WPI) and glycerol were used as biodegradable film-forming matrices to prepare composite films by solution blending. Esculin (ES) as antibacterial active compound, was added during the film modification process. CTS, CTS/WPI (C/W) and CTS/WPI/ES (C/W/ES) films were compared in terms of structure, physical properties and functions.

Large scale submarine groundwater discharge dominates nutrient inputs to China's coast.

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a nutrient source to coastal waters. However, most SGD estimates are restricted to a local scale and hardly distinguish contributions from fresh (FSGD) and recirculated (RSGD) SGD. Here, we compiled data on radium/radon of groundwater (n ~ 2000) and seawater (n ~ 10,000) samples along ~18,000 km of China's coastal seas to resolve large scale FSGD and RSGD and their associated nutrient loads.

Hydrochemical fingerprints and health risk assessment of groundwater contamination in the Bohai Sea region, China.

Seawater intrusion and human activities have significantly impacted coastal groundwater quality in many regions worldwide. This study systematically assessed groundwater chemistry, its suitability for drinking and irrigation (sample size, n = 3034), and exposure risks (n = 2863) across three key sub-regions of the Bohai Sea area: Bohai Bay, Liaodong Bay, and Laizhou Bay. Significant seasonal variations observed in groundwater chemistry at different depths in Bohai Bay region, with severe contamination from salinity-alkalinity and nitrogen-fluoride.

Tailoring Copper Single-Atoms-Stabilized Metastable Transition-Metal-Dichalcogenides for Sustainable Hydrogen Production.

Unconventional 1T' phase transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) show great potential for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, they are susceptible to transitioning into the stable 2H phase, which reduces their catalytic activity and stability. Herein, we present a scalable approach for designing thermally stable 1T'-TMDs hollow structures (HSs) by etching CuS templates from pre-synthesized CuS@TMDs heterostructures, including 1T'-MoS, MoSe, WS, and WSe HSs.

Identification of dense nonaqueous phase liquid sources in groundwater: a review of isotope technique.

Excessive dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) in subsurface aquifers posed a threat to human health and sustainable development of groundwater resources. Accurately identifying the sources of DNAPLs is crucial for groundwater remediation and prevention efforts. In the previous studies, significant advances were made in using isotope techniques for identifying DNAPLs in groundwater.

An investigation on the face inversion effect in deaf children.

The face inversion effect is an important indicator of holistic face perception and reflects the developmental level of face processing. This study examined the face inversion effect in deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children aged 7-17 using the face dimensions task. This task uses photographic images of a face, in which configural and featural information in the eye and mouth regions have been parametrically and independently manipulated.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ultrathin heteroatom-doped CeO 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 (CeO) by doping heteroatoms (Fe, Co, Ni) to generate additional OVs. We systematically analyzed both the morphology and electronic structure of the obtained CeO catalysts.

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, CO reduction reaction, N reduction reaction, etc.

High stability and strong luminescence CsPbBr-CsPbBr 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 CsPbBr 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 [PbX] octahedron into an isolated octahedral structure.

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.

Validating the repetitive behavior scale-revised for children in China aged 9 to 16 with autism spectrum disorder.

Restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) is one of the two core diagnostic features used to determine the severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Repetitive Behavior Scale‑Revised (RBS-R) is widely used to measure the presence and severity of a variety of RRBs in individuals with ASD. Previous studies have implemented a factor analysis framework to examine the RBS-R, while there're still inconsistencies in the use of the measure.

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.

Vacuum Evaporation of High-Quality CsPbBr 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 CsPbBr films.

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.

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.

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 = 226). 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonic acid (Cl-PFESA), perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid were generally the predominant PFASs.