Search Results (74)

Selenium (Se) is a beneficial element that enhances plant antioxidant capacity, improves fruit quality, and contributes to the biofortification of horticultural crops. However, information regarding its effects on mineral nutrient balance and antioxidant metabolism in pomegranate remains limited. This study investigated the effects of foliar selenium (Se) application on fruit yield, mineral nutrient balance, antioxidant metabolism, and fruit quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. ‘Malas Saveh’ during the 2022 and 2023 growing seasons under orchard conditions in Iran. Trees were treated with sodium selenate at different concentrations using a randomized complete block design. In 2022, Se was applied at 0, 2, 4, and 6 mg L⁻¹, while in 2023, based on the results of the first-year screening phase, the concentration range was expanded to 0, 6, 8, and 10 mg L⁻¹ to further investigate plant responses to higher Se levels. Foliar Se application significantly increased fruit yield, fruit number, and Se accumulation in both leaves and fruits, confirming the effectiveness of Se biofortification. Selenium treatments also improved the nutritional composition of pomegranate fruits by increasing the concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn), whereas manganese (Mn) concentrations declined, suggesting an antagonistic interaction between Se and Mn uptake. Significant improvements were observed in fruit quality traits, including soluble solids content, titratable acidity, vitamin C, total phenolics, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity. The 6 mg L⁻¹ treatment in 2022 and the 8–10 mg L⁻¹ treatments in 2023 resulted in the most pronounced physiological and biochemical responses, with 10 mg L⁻¹ showing no further significant improvement for several key traits. Selenium application also enhanced the antioxidant defense system through increased activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), while reducing hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), malondialdehyde (MDA), and membrane ion leakage. Principal component analysis further confirmed the strong positive association between higher Se concentrations and improved mineral and biochemical characteristics. Overall, foliar Se application effectively enhanced pomegranate productivity, nutritional quality, antioxidant capacity, and physiological performance, highlighting its potential as a sustainable agronomic practice for the production of high-quality Se-enriched fruits. Full article

This study investigates nitrogen sources and biogeochemical pathways in a highly urbanized shallow aquifer in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, using an integrated approach combining hydrochemical analysis, multivariate statistics (PCA and K-means cluster analysis), and stable nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N-NH₄⁺, δ¹⁵N-NO₃⁻, δ¹⁵N-DON, and dual δ¹⁵N–δ¹⁸O-NO₃⁻). K-means clustering (K = 2, silhouette = 0.54) partitioned all 41 samples into a background group (n = 34) and an ion-enriched group (n = 7; wells sbi 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, and 19), with the latter exhibiting hydrochemical signatures consistent with localized sewage leakage. The convergence of hydrochemical, multivariate, and isotopic evidence suggests that soil organic matter may represent the dominant diffuse background source of nitrogen across the study area. DON constitutes the dominant fraction of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), while the linear correlations between TDN and DON concentrations (r = 0.77, p < 0.001) and between δ¹⁵N-TDN and δ¹⁵N-DON (r = 0.88, p < 0.001) indicate a common primary source. The dominance of DON combined with the theoretical inverse relationship between δ¹⁵N-DON and DON concentration is consistent with active soil DON mineralization, supported by an isotope fractionation factor (ε = −4.4 ± 0.78‰). Dual isotope analysis of NO₃⁻ (δ¹⁵N–N–δ¹⁸O slope = 0.51) points towards denitrification as an ongoing process in the aquifer. Taken together, the isotopic variations among nitrogen species suggest a transformation sequence from soil organic nitrogen → DON → NH₄⁺/NO₃⁻ → N₂, though each step in this sequence is supported to varying degrees of confidence. These findings highlight the value of δ¹⁵N-DON as a tracer for nitrogen source attribution and cycling in urban groundwater systems, and underscore the importance of considering all dissolved nitrogen fractions in contamination assessments. Full article

Currently, the escalating global problem of soil salinization severely limits the yield and quality of processing tomatoes. However, the differential responses and salt-tolerance strategies among processing tomato genotypes with different salt tolerances under salt stress remain largely elusive. Therefore, this study used salt-tolerant genotype ‘S39’ and salt-sensitive genotype ‘S37’ as materials. Seeds were sown in plug trays, and seedlings at the two-leaf-one-heart stage were transplanted into hydroponic containers filled with Hoagland nutrient solution. When seedlings reached the four-leaf-one-heart stage, they were exposed to NaCl treatments of 0 mM (control), 120 mM (Na120), and 180 mM (Na180). Plant samples were collected at 3, 6, and 9 days after treatment to determine growth parameters, physiological indices, and gene expression levels, aiming to reveal the dynamic differential responses to salt stress between the two processing tomato genotypes. The results demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of NaCl on the growth of processing tomatoes was aggravated with increasing NaCl concentration and treatment duration. The most significant difference in salt tolerance between the two genotypes was observed at 9 days under 180 mM NaCl treatment. At this sampling point, the relative salt-stress indices of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, soluble sugar content, proline content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll (a + b) in ‘S39’ were significantly higher than those in ‘S37’ by 31.55%, 53.40%, 66.70%, 65.07%, 20.80%, 15.74%, and 19.44%, respectively. In addition, Na contents in roots and stems, as well as K contents in stems and leaves, were significantly higher in ‘S39’ than in ‘S37’ by 43.40%, 8.67%, 22.08%, and 21.99%, respectively. In contrast, relative electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in ‘S37’ were 15.54% and 12.44% higher than those in ‘S39’. In addition, photosynthetic parameters, including net photosynthetic rate (A_net), stomatal conductance (g_s), intercellular CO₂ concentration (C_i), transpiration rate (E), and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, were more stable in ‘S39’ than in ‘S37’. In conclusion, ‘S39’ possesses stronger salt tolerance via a multi-level regulatory strategy involving an enhanced antioxidant enzyme system, elevated accumulation of osmoregulatory substances, improved mineral ion balance, and increased stability of the photosynthetic apparatus. This study provides a comprehensive multi-level analysis of the differential salt tolerance mechanisms in processing tomato genotypes with contrasting salt tolerances and lays a theoretical basis for the screening and identification of salt-tolerant germplasm in processing tomatoes. Full article

With the continuous advancement of display technology and advanced integrated circuits, oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) have become core devices due to their high mobility, low leakage current and excellent large-area uniformity. To achieve low power consumption, high performance and high reliability, the introduction of high-k gate insulating layers is crucial. Among the numerous high-k materials, hafnium oxide (HfO₂) has attracted significant attention due to its excellent dielectric properties and good compatibility with CMOS processes. In this paper, uniform and dense HfO₂ films were successfully fabricated using the sol–gel method to serve as insulating layers for TFT devices. Through experimental analysis, 400 °C was determined to be the optimal annealing temperature. At this temperature, the effects of replacing SiO₂ with HfO₂ as the insulating layer, as well as the impact of reducing film thickness, on TFT devices were investigated. Ultimately, at an annealing temperature of 400 °C, an 85 nm-thick HfO₂ film achieved the highest on/off current ratio (I_on/off = 1.11 × 10⁶), the lowest subthreshold swing (SS = 0.53 V/dec), the lowest threshold voltage (Vth = −1.1 V) and the lowest off-current ratio (I_off = 2.5 × 10⁻¹² A). It was confirmed that replacing SiO₂ with HfO₂ as the insulating layer is a viable approach for reducing the volume of TFT devices. Full article

Zeolite P was synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of coal fly ash and applied to the individual removal of six heavy metals (Pb²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cr³⁺, Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺) from aqueous solutions. Characterization by SEM-EDS, FTIR, BET, XRD, zeta potential, and XPS revealed a BET surface area of 30 m²/g, Si/Al ratio of 1.63, and pH_pzc of 3.2. Batch experiments at the natural solution pH of 3.9 in all cases (C₀ = 10, 100, 200 mg/L; t = 1–60 min) yielded an apparent selectivity sequence at C₀ = 200 mg/L of Hg²⁺ (10.47 mg/g) > Pb²⁺ (9.12) > Ni²⁺ (2.18) > Cr³⁺ (2.05) > Cu²⁺ (1.82) > Cd²⁺ (1.26), where Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺ reached near-equilibrium while the remaining metals were still approaching it at t = 60 min. Weber–Morris and Boyd analyses confirmed three sequential diffusion stages with a concentration-dependent shift from film to intraparticle diffusion control through the narrow GIS channels (3.1 × 4.5 Å). Ion exchange was identified as the dominant mechanism based on convergent kinetic, diffusion, XPS, and selectivity–electronegativity evidence (r = +0.76). A leakage-free machine learning framework combining physicochemical descriptors with experimental variables was tested under three cross-validation strategies of increasing stringency. Gradient Boosting achieved R² = 0.979 ± 0.043 (repeated K-Fold) and R² = 0.880 on six completely held-out kinetic curves. An ablation study confirmed that physicochemical descriptors are essential (experimental-only models yielded negative R²). SHAP feature importance rankings were consistent with established ion exchange selectivity theory. This work demonstrates that group-level validation, physics-informed descriptors, and systematic ablation testing are able to identify both the capabilities and the boundaries of small-dataset ML when testing for metal kinetics prediction. Full article

Soil salinization has become a major global constraint threatening ecosystem stability and agricultural production. As a prominent salt-tolerant turfgrass, Paspalum vaginatum (seashore paspalum) serves as an excellent material for exploring salt tolerance mechanisms. In this study, PvHAK12, a high-affinity K⁺ transporter (HAK) family gene isolated from seashore paspalum, was functionally characterized. PvHAK12 encodes a 788 amino acid protein with 13 transmembrane domains, belonging to the plasma membrane-localized ion transporters. It exhibits high sequence conservation with other HAK transporters and is predominantly expressed in roots and stems, with distinct tissue- and time-specific induction under salt stress. Yeast complementation assays revealed that PvHAK12 has no obvious K⁺ transport capacity but may mediate Na⁺ transport. Overexpression of PvHAK12 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly reduced salt tolerance at germination, seedling and rosette stages, as reflected by lower germination rate, fresh weight, survival rate, the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) value and chlorophyll content, accompanied by higher ion leakage. Under salt stress, transgenic plants accumulated more Na⁺ and less K⁺, leading to an elevated Na⁺/K⁺ ratio. Moreover, transgenic lines displayed weaker antioxidant enzyme activities and higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Transcript analysis further demonstrated that PvHAK12 overexpression suppressed the induction of multiple ion-transport and stress-responsive genes under salt conditions. These results indicate that PvHAK12 negatively regulates plant salt tolerance by disrupting ion homeostasis, antioxidant capacity and stress-related gene expression. Full article

Tunnel Field-Effect Transistors (TFETs) are being explored for ultra-low-power very-large-scale integrated circuits (VLSI) because their band-to-band tunnelling (BTBT) transport permits subthreshold swings (SS) below the 60 mV/dec thermionic limit at room temperature, along with significantly lower leakage than MOSFETs. This paper presents a systematic TCAD study of DG-TFETs that maps how four primary knobs–gate dielectric materials, silicon channel thickness, temperature variation, and different channel material shape key figures of merit: the ON current (I_ON), OFF current (I_OFF), threshold voltage (V_TH), SS, and the I_ON/I_OFF switching ratio. High-k gate enhances gate-to-channel coupling and boost tunnelling efficiency; rigorous body scaling enhances electrostatic control; and targeted source-proximal doping profiles elevate I_ON while minimizing leakage. We also measure the trade-offs between I_ON, SS, and I_OFF that occur when scaling is performed at the same time. This shows that careful coordination is needed instead of just tuning one parameter. This is a simulated work, and the physical models are calibrated to experimental TFET data and all parameters are checked against previously reported results. The device reaches SS = 31.4 mV/dec, V_TH = 0.46 V, I_ON = 5.91 × 10⁻⁵ A and an I_ON/I_OFF of about 4.5 × 10¹¹. This shows that it can switch quickly with little leakage. The design insights that come from this work provide useful advice regarding how to choose gate dielectric material, structures, and doping strategies to add DG-TFETs to the next generation of low-power semiconductor technologies. Full article

Magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions require sensitive and selective detection due to their low concentrations and coexistence with similar ions in matrices. This study developed a potentiometric ISE using a new modified polyurethane membrane. The membrane’s negative surface charge facilitates selective interaction with Mg²⁺ ion. Optimal performance was obtained at 0.0061% (w/w) κ-carrageenan and 0.0006% (w/w) D2EHPA. The ISE exhibited a near-Nernstian response of 29.49 ± 0.01 mV/decade across a 10⁻⁹–10⁻⁴ M concentration range (R² = 0.992), with a detection limit of 1.25 × 10⁻¹⁰ M and a response time of 200 s. It remained stable in the pH range 6–8 for one month and demonstrated high selectivity over K⁺, Na⁺, and Ca²⁺ ($K_{ij}$ < 1). The repeatability and reproducibility tests yielded standard deviations of 0.15 and 0.39, while recovery rates confirmed analytical reliability. The water contact angle analysis showed a reduction from ~80° to ~69° after membrane conditioning, indicating increased hydrophilicity and improved interfacial for ion diffusion. FTIR analysis confirmed successful modification by reduced O–H peak intensity, while XRD verified the amorphous structure. SEM revealed a dense top layer with concave morphology, favorable for minimizing leakage and ensuring efficient ion transport within the sensing system. Full article

Ensuring thermal stability is a major concern in lithium-ion battery systems. Although phase change materials (PCMs) provide a passive approach for temperature regulation, they are limited by poor heat conduction and potential leakage during phase transitions. This study develops a novel composite PCM (CPCM) using paraffin (PA) as the matrix, copper foam (CF) as a conductive skeleton (10–30 pores per inch, PPI), and a low-melting-point alloy (LMA) as an encapsulant to prevent leakage. The effects of CF pore size on thermal conductivity, impregnation ratio, and leakage resistance were systematically investigated. Results show that CPCM with 10 PPI CF achieved the highest thermal conductivity (4.42 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹), while LMA encapsulation effectively eliminated leakage. The thermal management performance was evaluated on both a single 18,650 LIB cell and a 2S2P module during rate discharging at 1C, 2C, and 3C. For the module at 3C, the 10 PPI CPCM significantly lowered the maximum temperature from 75.9 °C to 44.6 °C and critically reduced the maximum temperature difference between cells from 10.2 °C to a safe level of 1.2 °C, significantly improving temperature uniformity. This work provides a high-conductivity and leakage-proof CPCM solution based on LMA-encapsulated CF/PA for enhanced thermal safety and uniformity in LIB modules. Full article

With the rapid advancement of electronic devices toward higher frequencies, faster speeds, increased integration, and miniaturization, the resulting elevated operating temperatures pose significant challenges to the performance and longevity of electronic components. These developments have intensified the demand for high-performance thermal interface materials (TIMs). Conventional silicone rubber-based TIMs often suffer from silicone oil-bleeding and the volatilization of low-molecular-weight siloxanes under elevated temperatures and mechanical stress. The release of these volatile organic compounds can lead to their deposition on circuit boards and electronic components, causing signal interference or distortion in optical and electronic systems, ultimately compromising device functionality. Additionally, the intrinsic thermal conductivity of traditional TIMs is insufficient to meet the escalating demands for efficient heat dissipation. To overcome these limitations, this study introduces a novel, non-silicone TIM based on a calcium ion-crosslinked sodium alginate matrix, prepared via ion-exchange curing. This bio-derived polymer matrix serves as an environmentally benign alternative to silicone rubber. Furthermore, a brush-coating technique is employed to induce the oriented alignment of boron nitride (BN) fillers within the alginate matrix. Experimental characterization reveals that this aligned microstructure markedly enhances the thermal conductivity of the composite, achieving a value of 7.87 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹. The resulting material also exhibits outstanding thermal and mechanical stability, with no observable leakage or condensate formation under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. This work offers a new design paradigm for environmentally friendly, high-performance TIMs with considerable potential for advanced electronic and optoelectronic applications. Full article

The advancement of portable high-definition organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays necessitates thin film transistors (TFTs) with low power consumption and high pixel density. Amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) TFTs are promising candidates to meet these requirements. However, conventional silicon dioxide gate insulators provide limited channel modulation due to their low dielectric constant, while alternative high-k dielectrics often suffer from high leakage currents and poor surface quality. Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) enables the atomic-level control of film thickness, resulting in high-quality films with superior conformality and uniformity. In this work, a systematic investigation was conducted on the properties of HfO₂ films and the electrical characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs with different HfO₂ thicknesses. A Vth of −0.9 V, μ_sat of 6.76 cm²/Vs, SS of 0.084 V/decade, and I_on/I_off of 1.35 × 10⁹ are obtained for IGZO TFTs with 40 nm HfO₂. It is believed that the IGZO TFTs based on a HfO₂ gate insulating layer and prepared by PEALD can improve electrical performance. Full article

Salt stress is a major constraint to crop productivity, negatively affecting plant physiology and fruit quality. This study hypothesized that seed priming with polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) might enhance antioxidant activity by mitigating oxidative stress in Solanum lycopersicum ‘Micro-Tom’ under salt stress. Seeds primed with –1.2 MPa PEG6000 were grown in Rockwool and treated with 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM NaCl. Primed plants showed a 32% increase in leaf potassium (K⁺) and a 28% decrease in sodium (Na⁺) accumulation compared to non-primed plants under 150 mM NaCl. Glucose, fructose, and sucrose contents increased by 25%, 22%, and 19%, respectively, in primed fruits, while citric acid decreased by 15%. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage were reduced by 35% and 29%, respectively, in primed plants under moderate salinity. Antioxidant enzyme activities—SOD, POD, CAT, and APX were enhanced by 30–45% in primed plants under 100 and 150 mM NaCl, compared to non-primed controls. Abscisic acid (ABA) levels increased by 40% in primed roots under salt stress. Activities of polyamine-related enzymes (DAO, PAO, and ADC) also rose significantly. Priming improved protein content by 20% and relative water content by 18%. These results suggest that PEG6000 seed priming enhances salt tolerance by boosting antioxidant defense, regulating osmotic balance, and improving ion homeostasis, offering a viable strategy for sustaining tomato productivity under salinity. Full article

This paper presents an advanced dielectric engineering approach utilizing a composition-dependent hafnium zirconium oxide (Hf_1-xZr_xO₂) superlattice (SL) structure for Si nanosheet gate-all-around field-effect transistors (Si NSGAAFETs). The dielectric (DE) properties of solid solution (SS) and SL Hf_1-xZr_xO₂ capacitors were systematically characterized through capacitance-voltage (C-V) and polarization-voltage (P-V) measurements under varying annealing conditions. A high dielectric constant (k-value) of 59 was achieved in SL-Hf_0.3Zr_0.7O₂, leading to a substantial reduction in equivalent oxide thickness (EOT). Furthermore, the SL-Hf_0.3Zr_0.7O₂ dielectric was integrated into Si NSGAAFETs, with the interfacial layer (IL) further optimized via NH₃ plasma treatment. The resulting devices exhibited superior electrical performance, including an enhanced ON-OFF current ratio (I_ON/I_OFF) reaching 10⁷, an increased drive current, and significantly reduced gate leakage. These results highlight the potential of SL-Hf_0.3Zr_0.7O₂ as a high-k dielectric solution for overcoming EOT scaling challenges in advanced CMOS technology and enabling further innovation in next-generation logic applications. Full article

The salinity of water and soil is a constraint that has an extreme effect on germination and the establishment of crops. Therefore, it is pivotal to boost crop salt tolerance in global semi-arid regions. By mixing Si in an ME medium, a new complex of nanoparticles (Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs) was synthesized, and we investigated the role of Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs on Cyamopsis tetragonoloba germination and tolerance against salinity stress. Thus, this study examined the influence of Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs at different concentrations (N₁: 0, N₂: 40 and N₃: 80 mg L⁻¹) on some germination and seedling growth parameters and the ion homeostasis of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L. (cluster bean) seedlings under three salinity levels (S₁: 0, S₂: 6 and S₃: 12 dS m⁻¹). With increasing salinity, the energy of germination (GE), index of germination (GI), index of vitality (VI), seedling vigor index (SVI), fresh weight (SFW) and dry (SDW) weight of seedlings, plumule length (PL), and radicle length (RL) parameters gradually decreased, while the mean germination time (MGT) and coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG) increased in salt-stressed cluster bean seedlings in comparison to the control. However, the usage of Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs was effective in enhancing cluster bean tolerance to salinity by enhancing total phenols and flavonoids and improving K⁺, Si, and Ca²⁺ uptake, thus reducing lipid peroxidation, decreasing sodium ion uptake and potassium leakage, and promoting germination parameters compared with non-NP-treated seedlings. Meanwhile, 40 mg L⁻¹ Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs exhibited an effective response in saline conditions compared with the other NP treatments. Consequently, the application of Si-CTS-HPC-ME NPs in salt-stressed cluster bean seedlings can serve as an effective technique to enhance salinity tolerance in saline conditions under arid and semi-arid climatic conditions. Full article

The present study scrutinized the influence of foliar application of methyl jasmonate on the physiochemical characteristics and antioxidant enzymes of two grapevine rootstocks, ‘SO4’ (high drought tolerance) and ‘101-14’ (low drought tolerance), under drought conditions. The grapevine seedlings were sprayed with methyl jasmonate at 100 µM at 3-day intervals throughout the 28-day drought stress period. The results showed that treating both rootstocks with methyl jasmonate greatly minimized the adverse effects of reactive oxygen species caused by drought. Specifically, methyl jasmonate substantially reduced levels of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and ion leakage while increasing photosynthetic pigment levels, soluble carbohydrates, proline, protein, and total phenols content. Additionally, applying methyl jasmonate improved the action of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase. This made the membranes of leaves more solid during drought conditions. Methyl jasmonate treatment reduced oxidative damage and improved mineral element (P, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, and Zn) accumulation in the green leaves of treated plants as opposed to the drought-untreated plants. These results were more noticeable in ‘SO4’ compared to ‘101-14’ rootstocks. Based on these results, applying methyl jasmonate at 100 µM to the leaves of grapevines may be considered a novel strategy for mitigating water scarcity in the grapevine production system. Full article