Rhodamine-linked pyridyl thiourea as a receptor for selective recognition of F^–, Al³⁺ and Ag⁺ under different conditions

<div><p>A new rhodamine-labelled pyridyl thiourea-based compound <b>1</b> has been designed and synthesised. While the receptor selectively recognises F^– and Al³⁺ ions in CH₃CN, Al³⁺ and Ag⁺ ions are selectively screened from other cations in CH₃CN/water (4/1, v/v; 10 μM Tris–HCl buffer, pH 6.8) by observing different emission characteristics and colour changes. While Ag⁺ is sensed through an increase in emission at 416 nm, Al³⁺ is detected by a ratiometric change in emission of <b>1</b> with a band at 585 nm. The receptor shows <i>in vitro</i> detection of both the ions in human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells.</p></div

Rechargeable Sodium-Ion Battery: High-Capacity Ammonium Vanadate Cathode with Enhanced Stability at High Rate

Sodium-ion battery (NIB) cathode performance based on ammonium vanadate is demonstrated here as having high capacity, long cycle life and good rate capability. The simple preparation process and morphology study enable us to explore this electrode as suitable NIB cathode. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculation is envisioned for the NH₄V₄O₁₀ cathode, and three possible sodium arrangements in the structure are depicted for the first time. Relevant NIB-related properties such as average voltage, lattice constants, and atomic coordinates have been derived, and the estimated values are in good agreement with the current experimental values. A screening study shows ammonium vanadate electrodes prepared on carbon coat onto Al-current collector exhibits a better electrochemical performance toward sodium, with a sustained reversible capacity and outstanding rate capability. With the current cathode with nanobelt morphology, a reversible capacity of 190 mAh g^–1 is attained at a charging rate of 200 mA g^–1, and a stable capacity of above 120 mAh g^–1 is retained for an extended 50 cycles tested at 1000 mA g^–1 without the addition of any expensive electrolyte additive

Li-Removal Mechanism and Its Effect on Oxygen Stability Influencing the Electrochemical Performance of Li_1.17Ni_0.17Mn_0.67O₂: Experimental and First-Principles Analysis

The high capacity of Li-rich layered cathode materials is always accompanied by the removal of oxygen from the crystal structure. These oxygen vacancies alter the structural stability, which subsequently deteriorates the electrochemical performance. The electronic origin of oxygen stability with partial delithiation has not been extensively studied so far in the presence of multiple d-orbital elements. Current work presents the experimental and density functional theory based study of the Li-rich phase, Li_1.17­Ni_0.17­Mn_0.67O₂. This study reveals the lithium removal mechanism and its influence on the oxygen stability. Further, the study suggests how lithium removal from different lithium sites, i.e., 2b, 2c, and 4h Wyckoff positions, influence the partial intercalation potential. On higher degree of delithiation, electrochemical potential increases and oxygen binding energy decreases. Thus, the oxygen stability reduces in the compound. At this stage, the material becomes metallic with zero band gap, which facilitates oxygen loss. This affectively influences the charge transfer process and redox center of the compound, which has been captured in this study

Global fertility in 204 countries and territories, 1950–2021, with forecasts to 2100: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundAccurate assessments of current and future fertility—including overall trends and changing population age structures across countries and regions—are essential to help plan for the profound social, economic, environmental, and geopolitical challenges that these changes will bring. Estimates and projections of fertility are necessary to inform policies involving resource and health-care needs, labour supply, education, gender equality, and family planning and support. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 produced up-to-date and comprehensive demographic assessments of key fertility indicators at global, regional, and national levels from 1950 to 2021 and forecast fertility metrics to 2100 based on a reference scenario and key policy-dependent alternative scenarios.MethodsTo estimate fertility indicators from 1950 to 2021, mixed-effects regression models and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression were used to synthesise data from 8709 country-years of vital and sample registrations, 1455 surveys and censuses, and 150 other sources, and to generate age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) for 5-year age groups from age 10 years to 54 years. ASFRs were summed across age groups to produce estimates of total fertility rate (TFR). Livebirths were calculated by multiplying ASFR and age-specific female population, then summing across ages 10–54 years. To forecast future fertility up to 2100, our Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasting model was based on projections of completed cohort fertility at age 50 years (CCF50; the average number of children born over time to females from a specified birth cohort), which yields more stable and accurate measures of fertility than directly modelling TFR. CCF50 was modelled using an ensemble approach in which three sub-models (with two, three, and four covariates variously consisting of female educational attainment, contraceptive met need, population density in habitable areas, and under-5 mortality) were given equal weights, and analyses were conducted utilising the MR-BRT (meta-regression—Bayesian, regularised, trimmed) tool. To capture time-series trends in CCF50 not explained by these covariates, we used a first-order autoregressive model on the residual term. CCF50 as a proportion of each 5-year ASFR was predicted using a linear mixed-effects model with fixed-effects covariates (female educational attainment and contraceptive met need) and random intercepts for geographical regions. Projected TFRs were then computed for each calendar year as the sum of single-year ASFRs across age groups. The reference forecast is our estimate of the most likely fertility future given the model, past fertility, forecasts of covariates, and historical relationships between covariates and fertility. We additionally produced forecasts for multiple alternative scenarios in each location: the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for education is achieved by 2030; the contraceptive met need SDG is achieved by 2030; pro-natal policies are enacted to create supportive environments for those who give birth; and the previous three scenarios combined. Uncertainty from past data inputs and model estimation was propagated throughout analyses by taking 1000 draws for past and present fertility estimates and 500 draws for future forecasts from the estimated distribution for each metric, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) given as the 2·5 and 97·5 percentiles of the draws. To evaluate the forecasting performance of our model and others, we computed skill values—a metric assessing gain in forecasting accuracy—by comparing predicted versus observed ASFRs from the past 15 years (2007–21). A positive skill metric indicates that the model being evaluated performs better than the baseline model (here, a simplified model holding 2007 values constant in the future), and a negative metric indicates that the evaluated model performs worse than baseline.FindingsDuring the period from 1950 to 2021, global TFR more than halved, from 4·84 (95% UI 4·63–5·06) to 2·23 (2·09–2·38). Global annual livebirths peaked in 2016 at 142 million (95% UI 137–147), declining to 129 million (121–138) in 2021. Fertility rates declined in all countries and territories since 1950, with TFR remaining above 2·1—canonically considered replacement-level fertility—in 94 (46·1%) countries and territories in 2021. This included 44 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which was the super-region with the largest share of livebirths in 2021 (29·2% [28·7–29·6]). 47 countries and territories in which lowest estimated fertility between 1950 and 2021 was below replacement experienced one or more subsequent years with higher fertility; only three of these locations rebounded above replacement levels. Future fertility rates were projected to continue to decline worldwide, reaching a global TFR of 1·83 (1·59–2·08) in 2050 and 1·59 (1·25–1·96) in 2100 under the reference scenario. The number of countries and territories with fertility rates remaining above replacement was forecast to be 49 (24·0%) in 2050 and only six (2·9%) in 2100, with three of these six countries included in the 2021 World Bank-defined low-income group, all located in the GBD super-region of sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion of livebirths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa was forecast to increase to more than half of the world's livebirths in 2100, to 41·3% (39·6–43·1) in 2050 and 54·3% (47·1–59·5) in 2100. The share of livebirths was projected to decline between 2021 and 2100 in most of the six other super-regions—decreasing, for example, in south Asia from 24·8% (23·7–25·8) in 2021 to 16·7% (14·3–19·1) in 2050 and 7·1% (4·4–10·1) in 2100—but was forecast to increase modestly in the north Africa and Middle East and high-income super-regions. Forecast estimates for the alternative combined scenario suggest that meeting SDG targets for education and contraceptive met need, as well as implementing pro-natal policies, would result in global TFRs of 1·65 (1·40–1·92) in 2050 and 1·62 (1·35–1·95) in 2100. The forecasting skill metric values for the IHME model were positive across all age groups, indicating that the model is better than the constant prediction.InterpretationFertility is declining globally, with rates in more than half of all countries and territories in 2021 below replacement level. Trends since 2000 show considerable heterogeneity in the steepness of declines, and only a small number of countries experienced even a slight fertility rebound after their lowest observed rate, with none reaching replacement level. Additionally, the distribution of livebirths across the globe is shifting, with a greater proportion occurring in the lowest-income countries. Future fertility rates will continue to decline worldwide and will remain low even under successful implementation of pro-natal policies. These changes will have far-reaching economic and societal consequences due to ageing populations and declining workforces in higher-income countries, combined with an increasing share of livebirths among the already poorest regions of the world.</p