The cyan-green luminescent behaviour of nitrided Ba9Y2Si6O24: Eu2+ phosphors for W-LED

The nitrided Ba9Y2Si6O24: Eu2+ phosphors were prepared by the conventional high temperature solid state reaction. Si3N4 doping obviously improves the luminescent intensity compared with undoped phosphors. The Eu2+ emitting lights in different Ba2+ crystal lattices and its temperature dependent luminescence properties from 293 to 453 K are discussed. Under the 410 nm excitation, the nitrided Ba9Y2Si6O24:Eu2+ has more thermal stability than other same crystal structure of Ba9M2Si6O24:Eu2+ (M = Sc, Lu, Y). The nitriding schemes can significantly improve the luminescence properties of the phosphors, and nitrided Ba9Y2Si6O24: Eu2+ can be an excellent candidate as a green phosphor for W-LEDs

Regio- and stereoselective organocatalyzed relay glycosylations to synthesize 2-amino-2-deoxy-1,3-dithioglycosides

Herein, we describe a novel methodology for the regio-and stereoselectiveconvergent synthesis of 2-amino-2-deoxy-dithioglycosides via one-potrelay glycosylation of 3-O-acetyl-2-nitroglucal donors.This unique organo-catalysis relay glycosylation features excellentsite- and stereoselectivity, good to excellent yields, mild reactionconditions, and broad substrate scope. 2-Amino-2-deoxy-glucosides/mannosidesbearing 1,3-dithio-linkages were efficiently obtained from 3-O-acetyl-2-nitroglucal donors in both stepwise and one-potglycosylation protocols. The dithiolated O-antigen of E. coli serogroup 64 was successfully synthesizedusing this newly developed method.Bio-organic Synthesi

Measurement of Cosmic-ray Muon-induced Spallation Neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory

AbstractMuon-induced neutrons are one of the major backgrounds to various underground experiments, such as dark matter searches, low-energy neutrino oscillation experiments and neutrino-less double beta-decay experiments. Previous experiments on the underground production rate of muon-induced neutrons were mostly carried out either at shallow sites or at very deep sites. The Aberdeen Tunnel experiment aims to measure the neutron production rate at a moderate depth of 611 meters water equivalent. Our apparatus comprises of six layers of plastic-scintillator hodoscopes for tracking the incident cosmic-ray muons, and 760 L of gadolinium-doped liquid-scintillator for both neutron production and detection targets. In this paper, we describe the design and the performance of the apparatus. The preliminary result on the measurement of neutron production rate is also presented

The newly merged satellite remotely sensed, gauge and reanalysis-based Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation: Evaluation over Australia and Africa (1981–2016)

The Australian and African continents, regions prone to hydroclimate extremes (e.g., droughts and floods), but with sparse distribution of rain-gauge that are limited in time, rely heavily on complementary satellite and reanalysis data to provide important crucial information necessary for informing policies and management. The problem, however, is that satellite products suffer from systematic biases while reanalysis products carry over uncertainties from their forcing parameters. Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP) is a new global rainfall-product that merges satellite, rain-gauge and re-analysis data to exploit their advantages and minimise their disadvantages. Although MSWEP has been validated globally, this product, together with its potential applications, e.g., in water storage fluxes, river discharge and climate impacts studies over Australia and Africa, regions with urgent need of reliable products, has however, not been verified. Using GRACE satellite products, GLDAS model data, GRDC runoff products, and ENSO/IOD climate indices; five rainfall products - FLUXNET, BoM, GPCC, CHIRPS, and AgCFSR; and a suite of statistical methods (Pearson, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, PCA and Three-Corner-Hat (TCH)), this study (i) evaluates monthly MSWEP-V2.1 data (1981–2016), and (ii), assesses its potential applications to water storage flux (within the water balance framework), river discharge analysis, and climate impacts studies. The results show good MSWEP correlations and cumulative distribution with BoM product over most of Australia except in regions with heavy monsoonal rainfall, e.g., northern and north-western Australia where it tends to underestimate. Over Africa, MSWEP has no obvious advantages compared to insitu-GPCC, satellite-CHIRPS or reanalysis-AgCFSR. Furthermore, it is unable to reflect on major hydro-climate extremes over west, east and southern Africa, where it underestimates compared to CHIRPS. Its potential applications to water storage flux, discharge and climate impacts over the two continents show better suitability for water storage flux in Africa, while no advantages are seen compared to other rainfall products on other aspects

Inference of the spatio-temporal variability and storage potential of groundwater in data-deficient regions through groundwater models and inversion of impact factors on groundwater, as exemplified by the Lake Victoria Basin

Groundwater is an important resource for supporting domestic water use for people's livelihoods and for maintaining ecosystems. Borehole observations provide the first-hand data that characterise the fluctuation, depth, and aquifer conditions of the groundwater. Unfortunately, such observations are not available or are insufficient for scientific use in many regions. Taking the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) as an example of data-deficient regions, this study proposes a simple knowledge-based approach that uses the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) Catchment Land Surface Model (CLSM) for the main data, with rainfall, hydrological, topographical and geological datasets as supports, by which to infer the spatio-temporal variability and storage potential of groundwater. The method is based on analysis and inversion of impact factors on groundwater, and the feasibility of such a method is proven by showing that the groundwater results from GLDAS CLSM can correctly indicate the seasonality, as well as the link to topographical and geological features. For example, both results from the water balance equation (WBE) and GLDAS CLSM indicate that there are two groundwater recharge seasons in the basin, e.g., March to May and September to November. Compared to the eastern side of the LVB, the western side has mountains blocking surface runoff, and thus, reasonably, has larger storage potential estimates in GLDAS CLSM. Due to the low degree of weathering of the basement rocks, it is expected that there is only small storage potential and variation of groundwater in the southeastern parts of the LVB. GLDAS CLSM also correctly reflects this behaviour. Additionally, the largest groundwater storage potential over the LVB is found in regions near the Kagera River and the western shoreline, since it associates with unconsolidated rocks and behaviours of large groundwater recharge from GLDAS CSLM during the wet year of 2006. The major limitation of this knowledge-based method is that the uncertainty in terms of magnitude on GLDAS CLSM groundwater changes cannot be assessed, in addition to the fact that the reliability of the results cannot be quantified in terms of specific numbers. Therefore, the results and interpretation of groundwater behaviours using such methods can only be a guide for ‘where’ and ‘when’ to find groundwater

Effects of seed tuber weight on potato as influenced by other factors under different ecological conditions in Sichuan

study was carried out to investigate these effects and their interactions with effects of the other factors in sub-tropical double cropping systems. When evaluated at constant spacing, seed tuber weight significantly affected tuber yield in all conditions under study although seed origin, variety, altitude and season muddled these effects in varying degrees. The effects of seed tuber weight could be attributed to more main stems per plant from heavier seed tubers, resulting in more tubers produced per plant and thus per Unit area. When number of sprouts was set equal per unit area, effect of weight of seed tubers on final tuber yield per unit area was absent in seed tuber weight range from 22 to 124g. However, lighter seed tubers tended to increase leaf area per plant thus compensating the lower plant stand, with larger progeny tubers achieved. If calculated at a per stem basis the numbers of tubers produced and the tuber yields were different for the seed weight treatments; these differences were confounded by seed age effects. The number of tubers produced per unit area largely determined plant yield because the varieties used produced few tubers per plant whereas variation was caused by seed weight or seed density

Contamination status of dioxins in sediment cores from the Three Gorges Dam area, China.

In order to screen dioxin pollution in sediment of Three Gorges Dam (TGD) area, three sediment cores were obtained from two sites in 2010 similar to 2011; each core was divided into different samples with every 10 cm depth. Sediment dating determined by radiometry (Cs-137, Pb-210) and concentrations of dioxins were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The results indicated: Sediment dating showed no significant difference among all the samples from the same core and the two locations (ANOVA, p > 0.05). The total amount of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD)/Fs in all sample ranged from 30.7 to 371 pg/g dry weight (d.w.), with the mean value of 66.2 pg/g d.w. PCDDs occupied 60.33 similar to 85.22 % of dioxins in each sample, and PCDFs contributed to a very small extend. There was no significant difference in the dioxin concentration between 2010 and 2011 and in the two locations (t test, p > 0.05), but the vertical distribution of dioxins showed significant different in different depths. Toxic equivalent (TEQ) (WHO 2005, Humans) of samples ranged from 0.15 to 1.60 pg/g d.w.; the mean was 0.41 pg/g d.w. No significant difference was found in TEQ between 2010 and 2011(t test, p > 0.05). It could be concluded that the distribution of dioxins showed the spatial heterogeneous which resulted from the strong mixing and sediment deposition characteristics. Dioxin concentration in sediment cores was low with very low environmental risk potential. Dioxins at the two sites had the same origin, and exogenous input was the main source. It is the first report on the dioxins concentrations in sediment cores in the TGD area