Search

Stringent emission controls during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit (APEC; November 5–11, 2014) provide a valuable opportunity to examine the impact of such measures on the chemical properties of PM 2.5 and other air pollutants. Here, we measured the water-soluble inorganic ions (WSII) and carbonaceous species in PM 2.5 , NH 3 and NO 2 at multiple sites in Beijing between September and November 2014. Relative to the pre-APEC period (September and October 2014), significant reductions in the average concentrations of WSII (69% for NO 3 −, 68% for SO 4 2−, 78% for NH 4 +, and 29–71% for other species), elemental carbon (EC, 43%) and organic carbon (OC, 45%) in PM 2.5 were found during the APEC period. The contributions of secondary inorganic ions (SIA, including SO 4 2−, NO 3 −, and NH 4 +) to PM 2.5 were significantly lower during the APEC period (9–44%), indicating a combination of lower gaseous precursor emissions and a relative weak secondary aerosol formation. Ion-balance calculations indicated that the PM 2.5 sample in the pre-APEC period was alkaline but was acidic during the APEC period. Relatively lower mean concentrations of EC (1.5 μg m−3), OC (10.5 μg m−3), secondary organic carbon (SOC, 3.3 μg m−3), secondary organic aerosol (SOA, 5.9 μg m−3) and primary organic aerosol (POA, 10.0 μg m−3) appeared during the APEC period. The average concentrations of NH 3 and NO 2 at all road sites were significantly reduced by 48 and 60% during the APEC period, which is consistent with clear reductions in satellite NH 3 columns over Beijing city in the same period. This finding suggests that reducing traffic emissions could be a feasible method to control urban NH 3 pollution. During the APEC period, concentrations of PM 2. 5 , PM 10 , NO 2 , SO 2 and CO from the Beijing city monitoring network showed significant reductions at urban (20–60%) and rural (18–57%) sites, whereas O 3 concentrations increased significantly (by 93% and 53%, respectively). The control measures taken in the APEC period substantially decreased PM 2.5 pollution but can increase ground O 3 , which also merits attention. • Concentrations of PM 2.5 and components reduced significantly during the APEC period. • Major components in PM 2.5 and other pollutants were comparable with other cities. • Vehicle restrictions could lower atmospheric NH 3 concentration over Beijing. • Emission control measures significantly increased ground-level O 3 concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the phenomenon of plasma acoustic wave during laser shock processing, the online monitoring method of laser shock processing based on plasma acoustic wave signal energy is proposed. The TC4 titanium alloy samples, after the vibration stress relief treatment, were treated by a Nd:YAG laser system with a wavelength of 1064nm, a pulse width of 12–18 ns, and a single pulse energy of 0–7 J. The plasma acoustic wave in air is sampled, stored, digitally filtered, and analyzed by the laser shock processing online monitoring system during laser shock processing. Then the system gets the plasma acoustic wave signal energy. The surface residual stress of material after the treatment of laser shock processing were measured by a Photo-LXRD X-ray diffraction device. The experimental results show that the residual compressive stress is generated on the surface of material after laser shock processing. Both the surface residual stress of the material and the plasma acoustic wave signal energy are increased as the laser pulse energy increases from 3J to 7J, and their growth trend is consistent. Finally, the empirical formula between the surface residual compressive stress of the material and the plasma acoustic wave signal energy is obtained by polynomial fitting, which will provides a theoretical basis for the development of laser shock processing online monitoring technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We applied the adapted model VSD + to assess cropland acidification in four typical Chinese cropping systems (single Maize (M), Wheat-Maize (W-M), Wheat-Rice (W-R) and Rice-Rice (R-R)) on dominant soils in view of its potential threat to grain production. By considering the current situation and possible improvements in field (nutrient) management, five scenarios were designed: i) Business as usual (BAU); ii) No nitrogen (N) fertilizer increase after 2020 (N2020); iii) 100% crop residues return to cropland (100%RR); iv) manure N was applied to replace 30% of chemical N fertilizer (30%MR) and v) Integrated N2020 and 30%MR with 100%RR after 2020 (INMR). Results illustrated that in the investigated calcareous soils, the calcium carbonate buffering system can keep pH at a high level for > 150 years. In non-calcareous soils, a moderate to strong decline in both base saturation and pH is predicted for the coming decades in the BAU scenario. We predicted that approximately 13% of the considered croplands may suffer from Al toxicity in 2050 following the BAU scenario. The N2020, 100%RR and 30%MR scenarios reduce the acidification rates by 16%, 47% and 99%, respectively, compared to BAU. INMR is the most effective strategy on reducing acidification and leads to no Al toxicity in croplands in 2050. Both improved manure and field management are required to manage acidification in wheat-maize cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) plays a key role in the atmospheric environment and its deposition has induced large negative impacts on ecosystem health and services. Five-year continuous in-situ monitoring of N deposition, including wet (total nitrogen ( W TN), total dissolved nitrogen ( W TDN), dissolved organic nitrogen ( W DON), ammonium nitrogen ( W AN) and nitrate nitrogen ( W NN)) and dry ( D NH 3 , D HNO 3 , D pNH 4 + , D pNO 3 − and D NO 2 ) deposition, had been conducted since August 2008 to December 2013 (wet) and May 2011 to December 2013 (dry) in Yan-ting, China, a typical agricultural area in the central Sichuan Basin. Mean annual total N deposition from 2011 to 2013 was 30.8 kg N ha −1 yr −1 , and speculated that of 2009 and 2010 was averaged 28.2 kg N ha −1 yr −1 , respectively. Wet and dry N deposition accounted for 76.3% and 23.7% of annual N deposition, respectively. Reduced N ( W AN, D NH 3 and D pNH 4 + ) was 1.7 times of oxidized N ( W NN, D HNO 3 , D NO 2 and D pNO 3 − ) which accounted for 50.9% and 30.3% of TN, respectively. Maximum loadings of all N forms of wet deposition, gaseous NH 3 , HNO 3 and particulate NH 4 + in dry deposition occurred in summer and minimum loadings in winter. Whether monthly, seasonal or annual averaged, dissolved N accounted for more than 70% of the total. N deposition in the central Sichuan Basin increased during the sampling period, especially that of ammonium compounds, and has become a serious threat to local aquatic ecosystems, the surrounding forest and other natural or semi-natural ecosystems in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cr 2 O 3 /MoN interface nanosheet electrocatalyst is facilely designed and synthesized. • The electronic structure of Mo atom is optimized by creating Cr 2 O 3 /MoN interface. • The constructed Cr 2 O 3 /MoN exhibits a promising HER activity alkaline environment. Hydrogen production from water splitting in alkaline solution has been hampered by the cleavage of strong OH-H bond with high energy barrier. Herein, we develop the Cr 2 O 3 /MoN interface nanosheets for hydrogen evolution in basic media. The creation of the interface between Cr 2 O 3 and MoN crystal effectively tunes the electronic structure of Mo atom, making it easier to accelerate the dissociation of water molecule. Consequently, the Cr 2 O 3 /MoN interface electrocatalyst delivers the current density of 10 mA cm−2 at the overpotential of 30 mV and the Tafel slope is 61.3 mV dec-1 together with robust durability, providing an efficient avenue to improve electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity in basic solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new concept is introduced to fabricate flexible, on-chip supercapacitors by electrophoretically depositing highly dispersed reduced graphene oxide/polypyrrole on interdigital-like electrodes. By the unique method, the deposited films could construct on the substrate facilely and uniformly. The prepared all-solid-state device demonstrates high volumetric capacitance (about 147.9 F cm −3 ), high energy density (13.15 mWh cm −3 at a power density of 1300 mW cm −3 ) and excellent cycling stability (approximately 71.7% of the initial capacitance retained after 5000 cycles). Compared with other supercapacitor, the device demonstrated here is lightweight, flexible and inexpensive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two 3-D organic–inorganic hybrid mixed-valent polyoxovanadates [Ni(en) 2 ][V IV 4 V V 2 O 14 ] ( 1 ) and [Cu(en) 2 ][V IV 2 V V 3 O 12.5 ] ( 2 ) (en = ethylenediamine) have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The common feature of 1 and 2 is that both exhibit the 3-D organic–inorganic hybrid framework. It should be pointed out that the 3-D hybrid architecture of 1 is constructed from planar 2-D vanadium(IV/V)–oxygen layers through [Ni(en) 2 ] 2+ bridges, whereas the 3D hybrid framework of 2 is built by wavy 2-D vanadium(IV/V)–oxygen layers via [Cu(en) 2 ] 2+ connectors. The magnetic properties of 1 have been investigated and 1 behaves as the dominant antiferromagnetic interactions within V IV centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the role of Brønsted acid for furfural production in biomass pyrolysis on supported sulfates catalysts was investigated. The introduction of Brønsted acid was shown to improve the degradation of polysaccharides to intermediates for furfural, which did not work well when only Lewis acids were used in the process. Experimental results showed that CuSO 4 /HZSM-5 catalyst exhibited the best performance for furfural (28% yield), which was much higher than individual HZSM-5 (5%) and CuSO 4 (6%). The optimum reaction conditions called for the mass ratio of CuSO 4 /HZSM-5 to be 0.4 and the catalyst/biomass mass ratio to be 0.5. The recycled catalyst exhibited low productivity (9%). Analysis of the catalysts by Py-IR revealed that the CuSO 4 /HZSM-5 owned a stronger Brønsted acid intensity than HZSM-5 or the recycled CuSO 4 /HZSM-5. Therefore, the existence of Brønsted acid is necessary to achieve a more productive degradation of biomass for furfural. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three-dimensional Ni-MoN nanorod array electrocatalyst is facilely designed and synthesized. • The nitridation process ensures the uniform distribution of active Ni sites across the robust MoN nanorods. • The constructed Ni-MoN nanorod array exhibits a promising electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation reaction. The development of direct methanol fuel cells requires low-cost, non-noble-metal electrocatalysts. However, it has not been widely used because of its limited activity, poor durability, and slow kinetics. Herein, the 3D nanostructured arrays of Ni-MoN composite nanorods were facilely prepared on the nickel foam (Ni-MoN NR/NF), which involves the direct hydrothermal synthesis of NiMoO 4 on NF and further nitridation treatment in the atmosphere of ammonia. The nitridation ensures the uniform distribution of active Ni sites across the robust MoN nanorods. Owing to the collaborative effect of Ni and the specific 3D MoN nanorod structure, the Ni-MoN NR/NF exhibits a promising electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), which shows excellent activity (374 mA cm−2@0.8 V vs. Hg/HgO), fast kinetics (40 mV dec−1 for the Tafel slope) and good stability. This work has shed light on the design of high-performance non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for MOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this current work, the electrochemical co-deposition of nickel sulfide/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide(ERGO) nanocomposites is presented. During the electrochemical process, the graphene oxide nanosheets loose their hydrophilicity and precipitate onto the electrode. In the meantime, nickel sulfide is also electrochemically deposited on the electrode. The porous structure with ERGO covered by nickel sulfide, which facilitates the charge and ion transport in the electrode, has been observed by a scanning electron microscope. The cycle voltammetry curves as well as the galvanostatic charge/discharge curves of the nickel sulfide/ERGO nanocomposites exhibit distinct pseudocapacitive characteristic. The nanocomposites maintain 66.8% of the initial specific capacitance for the first 500 cycles, and only 4.6% loss of the specific capacitance is experienced for the further 1500 cycles, evidently showing a relatively high cycling stability. The results suggest that the nickel sulfide/ERGO is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many Chinese croplands are suffering from soil acidification, defined as a decrease in soil acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), due to over-application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and removal of base cations (BCs) in crop harvest. The contribution of fertilization and harvesting on soil acidification rates for different cropping systems is, however, seldom quantified under field conditions. Here, field experiments were conducted on a moderately acid silty clay soil in southwest China to quantify proton (H+) production rates under three fertilization management regimes, including control (non-N), optimized fertilization and farmers' practices (i.e. over fertilization), by measuring the inputs and outputs of major element in three cropping systems, i.e. rice-fallow, rice-wheat and maize-wheat. The maize-wheat cropping system had the highest proton production rates (2.3–10.2 kmol c H+ ha−1 yr−1), followed by rice-fallow (3.2–4.6 kmol c H+ ha−1 yr−1) and rice-wheat (2.2–4.5 kmol c H+ ha−1 yr−1) systems. Crop removal, dominated by straw removal, was the main driver of proton production in all three cropping systems, contributing over 50% of the total H+ production. Compared to the control, N fertilizer application enhanced soil acidification rates among three cropping systems, but had no significant effects on H+ production per kg grain in the rice-fallow and rice-wheat systems. The same was true for the maize-wheat system in case of optimized fertilization, but over fertilization increased both soil acidification rate and H+ production per kg grain, while grain yield was comparable to that with optimized fertilization. The change in soil ANC was dominated by accumulation of SO 4 2− (leading to potential soil acidification) that was mainly added to the soil with superphosphate containing high concentrations of both Ca2+ and SO 4 2− sometimes even causing an increase in the base cation pool, despite BC crop removal. The low contribution of N transformation processes to the total H+ production (3–47%) was due to high denitrification in this specific soil. The soil pH and base saturation did not change significantly among the three fertilization management regimes, largely due to the large BCs pools in the soil. Although the common farmers' practice does not strongly increase proton production in rice-fallow and rice-wheat systems, it still implies a waste of N fertilizer as the excess N input is either enhancing straw production or lost to air in this silty clay soil. Hence, optimized fertilization and localized BCs-rich straw return are suggested to reduce costs of N fertilizer without yield losses and mitigate soil acidification in those systems. [Display omitted] • Soil acidification rates were quantified in three cropping systems in China. • Maize-wheat rotations had higher acidification rates than rice-wheat and rice-fallow. • Optimized N fertilization reduced soil acidification rates without yield loss. • Base cation removal by crop harvesting was the main driver of soil acidification. • Low contribution of N cycle to soil acidification was due to high denitrification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A method integrating the artificial neural network with genetic algorithm is proposed. • A three-dimensional multiphysics model is employed for data generation and validation. • The fuel cell maximum power and corresponding operation conditions are identified. • The maximum powers @ various temperatures & their operation conditions are identified. • Deep-learning results reflect major physical/electrochemical processes in fuel cells. The maximum achievable power of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell under specific operating temperature is important to its application. In this paper, we propose a method that integrates an artificial neural network (ANN) with the genetic algorithm (GA) to predict the performance of a PEM fuel cell and identify its maximum powers and corresponding conditions for operational control purpose. A validated three-dimensional (3D) multiphysics model is employed to generate total 1500 data points for training, testing, and verifying the ANN, which consists of two hidden layers with eight and four neurons on each hidden layer, respectively. After the ANN is properly trained, it is incorporated into the GA for deep learning to identify the maximum power and corresponding operating conditions, which shows that the fuel cell configuration could achieve a maximum power of about 0.78 W/cm2 at 368.8 K. Additionally, the combined ANN-GA method is employed to identify the maximum powers and their operating conditions under eight typical operation temperatures in the range of 323–373 K. The deep-learning results reflect the major physical and electrochemical processes that govern fuel cell performance and are validated against the 3D multiphysics model. The results demonstrate that the combined ANN-GA method is suitable to predicting fuel cell performance and identifying operation parameters for the maximum powers under various temperatures, which is important to practical system design and rapid control in fuel cell applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many studies about gray water footprint (GWF) were carried out for different economic sectors, regions, production systems as well as methodologies, little research evaluates improving potential of the current situation. As the largest nitrogen (N) fertilizer consumption country in the world, leaching and runoff contributed half of the N release to waters, while associated GWF was not calculated based on local parameters, management and water quality standards. Different from previous studies, we firstly conducted a meta-analysis of N leaching and runoff parameters based on traditional and optimal management practices from the original field experiments rather than empirical parameters; then, distinguished the different influences of leaching and runoff on groundwater and surface water and applied corresponding standards for the GWF calculations; finally, estimated the improving potential of the GWF. The results show that N leaching and runoff could be reduced by 53%–84% and 34%–68%, respectively, by optimal fertilizer application and irrigation, and integrated management, while the corresponding GWF associated with leaching and runoff could be reduced by 53%–87% and 29%–59%, respectively, without sacrificing crop yields. The total GWF was 999.8 billion cubic meters in 2016, of which 45% was from leaching and 55% from runoff. GWF hotspots were concentrated in the middle and downstream of the Yangtze River basin, while the highest water pollution level (WPL) was found in northern China (e.g., in the Hai River basin, where N released to water exceeded the water resource dilution capacity). It was found that optimal fertilizer and irrigation management could reduce the GWF from existing cropping practices by 44%. We suggest that original experimental results and standards of different water pollution processes should be considered for the GWF calculations, and a GWF assessment under optimal crop management should be used as indicators to guide the technology and policy of water resource management and sustainable intensive agriculture development. • A meta-analysis based on traditional and optimal managements was conducted and applied for the improving potential of GWF. • Different influences on groundwater and surface water, combining local water quality standards were applied for assessment. • Improving potential should be highlighted as an indicator to guild water management and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions and deposition have caused much damage to the global environment and also impacted human health. Determining long-term trends in atmospheric Nr concentrations and deposition is important for evaluating air quality and ecosystem effects and formulating control measures to reduce negative impacts. We measured monthly concentrations of NH 3 , pNH 4 +, HNO 3 , pNO 3 -, and NO 2 and calculated their dry deposition rates using an inferential method from 2011 to 2018 at an urban site in Zhengzhou in the North China Plain. Inorganic N (NH 4 + and NO 3 −) concentrations in precipitation and wet/bulk N deposition were also quantified in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The results showed high concentrations of atmospheric Nr species, with considerable variation in some species over the monitoring period. Annual mean NH 3 concentrations significantly increased from 2011 to 2018 (p < 0.001) with that in 2018 being twice that in 2011. However, pNO 3 - and pNH 4 + concentrations decreased after 2013. The annual mean NO 2 concentration in 2018 had decreased by 33.4% compared to the peak in 2011. Highest NH 3 concentrations were measured in spring or summer, and lowest concentrations in winter. pNH 4 + and pNO 3 - concentrations peaked mainly in winter. Total annual dry N deposition ranged from 21.9 to 41.2 kg N ha−1. Bulk NH 4 + and NO 3 − deposition was lower in 2016–2018 than in 2011. However, atmospheric Nr concentrations and N deposition remained high in this urban ecosystem. NH 3 emissions urgently need control measures, and Nr impacts on the surrounding ecosystems and human health should be considered. Continuous long-term measurements of atmospheric Nr concentrations and deposition at a regional scale are necessary to help formulate emission control measures and protect human and ecosystem health. • Significant changes in atmospheric reactive nitrogen were observed at an urban site in north China. • NH 3 concentrations increased by 110% from 2011 to 2018. • pNO 3 - and pNH 4 + concentrations in 2018 decreased by 65.1% and 62.8% compared to the maxima in 2012. • As a consequence, N deposition slightly decreased, with some improvement in air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of significant importance to construct the low-cost, efficient, and stable carbon-based non-noble metal to replace the noble metal electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in both alkaline and acidic media. In this work, a straightforward and cost-efficient strategy is reported to synthesize the Fe–N co-doped open-porous carbon materials with three-dimensional (3D) carbon networks structure, high surface areas and multiple actives sites including iron carbide nanoparticles, pyridinic N, and graphitic N using a new kind of Fe-Imace coordinated complex as the precursor and melamine as nitrogen sources by direct pyrolysis. The obtained Fe– N –C 900 catalyst shows excellent oxygen reduction performance in both alkaline (E onset , 1.014 vs. RHE) and acidic (E onset , 0.982 V vs. RHE) media, which are better than those of the Pt/C in alkaline (E onset , 0.986 vs. RHE) and acidic media (E onset , 0.979 V vs. RHE). Even more important, the stability and methanol tolerance of the Fe–N–C 900 catalyst are much better than that of the Pt/C catalyst in both alkaline and acidic media. All the results demonstrate that the present facile and universal one-step pyrolytic strategy can be used to synthesize catalyst materials as one of the superior non-precious cathode electrocatalysts for fuel cells. [Display omitted] • 3D hierarchical open-porous carbon networks catalyst (Fe– N –C) is obtained by one-step pyrolytic method. • Fe 3 C nanoparticle plays a crucial role in improving the activity of Fe– N –C. • The synthesized Fe– N –C 900 catalyst exhibits excellent ORR activity and stability in alkaline and acidic media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent publication in the journal Science of the Total Environment, Zhu et al. (2015) reported the composition, spatial patterns, and factors influencing atmospheric wet nitrogen (N) deposition based on one year's data from 41-monitoring sites in China. We suspect their results may largely underestimate dissolved organic N (DON) but overestimate total particulate N (TPN) in wet deposition due to the uncertainty resulting from the sampling, storage and analysis methods in their study. Our suspicions are based mainly on our experience from earlier measurements and the literature. We therefore suggest that enhanced data quality control on atmospheric N deposition measurements should be taken into account in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of substituting pork lean meat with Lentinula edodes (LE) on the physicochemical properties, amino acid content, cooking loss, texture, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, microstructure, microbiological analysis, and sensory characteristics of sausages were evaluated. Five formulations were used in the production of sausages: the control (the pork lean meat formulation) and the four different samples in which LE substituted 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of pork lean meat. The results showed that LE improved the moisture, total dietary fiber, methionine, glutamic, cysteine, and total phenolic content; cooking loss; and antioxidant activity of the sausage. By contrast, LE reduced the levels of protein, ash, pH, as well as the energy level and texture of the sausage. No difference was observed between the treatments for fat content, water activity and microorganisms of sausages. In addition, LE led to slight darkening of the sausages. From the sensory point of view, all modified sausages were considered acceptable, and the pork lean meat with 25% substitution by LE exhibited best sensory characteristics. In a word, LE is a promising ingredient to partially replace the lean meat in sausages. • Lentinula edodes (LE) as a kind of pork lean meat replacer was used in sausage production. • LE improved the moisture, total dietary fiber, methionine, glutamic and cysteine content of the sausage. • The substitution of pork lean meat by LE reduced the energy value of the sausage. • LE enhanced total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the sausage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While the ongoing increases in the deposition of atmospheric nitrogen (N) in China have attracted ever more attention, to date there has been little research in N deposition in inland aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we quantified the bulk and dry atmospheric N deposition around the Dongting Lake, which is connected to the Yangtze River and is the second largest freshwater lake in China. Bulk N deposition averaged 48.0 kg N ha−1 yr−1, of which ammonium (NH 4 N), nitrate (NO 3 N), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) accounted for 41.6%, 35.1%, and 23.3%, respectively. Dry N deposition averaged 27.0 kg N ha−1 yr−1, and was dominated by NH 3. Bulk N deposition was higher in spring and summer than in autumn and winter at the sites around the lake because of the high precipitation. NH 3 deposition was the highest in spring and summer due to fertilization, and NO x deposition was the highest in winter because of the combustion of coal for domestic heating. The concentrations of NH 3 significantly decreased with the concentration of NH 4 N, indicating below-cloud scavenging and local sources. The concentrations of NO x and NO 3 N were not correlated, indicating long-distance transfer of NO x. Bulk N deposition in our study was generally twice that reported in other studies, even when only inorganic N species in bulk deposition were considered. Total N deposition averaged 75.0 kg N ha−1 yr−1, which was much higher than that reported in other studies. Both N deposited directly into the lake and N deposited across the lake basin that was subsequently transported to the lake in runoff could enrich the N concentration of the lake water and increase the gross primary productivity (GPP). Our results highlighted the importance of integrated management that includes both aquatic and atmospheric systems at either the lake basin scale or regional scale, rather than at the individual lake-scale. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Total N deposition was much higher than that reported in other studies around the Dongting Lake. • DON deposition, which usually be ignored, is a significant contributor. • Potential eutrophication effects of N loading to the Dongting Lake from atmospheric N deposition should be re-evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The interactions between dopamine hydrochloride (DH) and nicotinamide (NA) in aqueous solution were studied using CV, NMR and quantum chemistry calculations. According to the cyclic voltammetry and the 1H NMR spectra, it was found that the hydrogen bond and π-π stacking between DH and NA were the main interactions, for which the predominant interaction varied with the ratio of NA to DH. The structures of NA-DH+ complexes were optimized by the quantum chemistry calculation, which confirmed above interactions, as well as the existence of C H-π interaction in NA-DH mixtures. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • Dopamine and nicotinamide (NA) are crucially important in humans. • The interactions of dopamine hydrochloride with NA were investigated by experimental and theoretical methods. • Experimental results were supported by theoretical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Education is the foundation and strength of a nation, and educational equity is the basic right of every citizen. However, in China, there are vast differences in education levels between the eastern and western areas, urban and rural areas, and ethnic and non-ethnic areas. This is especially so in China's mountainous areas in the rural southwest. In this region, Yunnan Province is selected as study area. This study proposed an educational convenience index (ECI), and established an evaluation model for educational convenience in mountainous regions. In this model, we investigated the road networks that connect settlements to schools in ethnic mountainous areas, and considered the vulnerability, complexity and accessibility of the road networks from settlements to schools. In road vulnerability analysis, a new concept of "only link" is introduced. Based on this model, the ECI of each settlement in Yunnan Province in 2011 and 2015 was calculated. The improvement of ECI for each settlement in the 4-year period between 2011 and 2015 was analyzed. The findings show that: (1) Educational convenience of non-ethnic autonomous regions (65% settlements >=" good") was far better than that of ethnic autonomous regions (53% settlements >= "good"). (2) The educational convenience level in both ethnic and non-ethnic autonomous regions have improved. The improvement was slightly lower in ethnic autonomous regions (5.44%) than in non-ethnic autonomous regions (6.23%). (3) The comparison of improvements in educational convenience between 2011 and 2015 showed that such improvements formed a significant "substantially improved - greatly improved - moderately improved" three-tier pattern and a "greatly improved - moderately improved" two-tier pattern. Highlights • Propose an educational convenience index of the settlements in ethnic mountainous areas. • Establish an evaluation model based on the vulnerability of road network. • Educational convenience of non-ethnic regions was far better than that of ethnic regions in 2015. • Educational convenience in ethnic and non-ethnic regions was improved in 2011–2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant soil pH decrease has been reported in Chinese croplands in response to enhanced chemical fertilizer application and crop yields. However, the temporal and spatial variation of soil acidification rates across Chinese croplands is still unclear. We therefore assessed trends in soil acidification rates across provincial China for the period 1980–2010 by calculating inputs-outputs of major cations and anions in cropland systems. Nitrogen (N) induced proton production increased from 4.7 keq H + /ha/yr in 1980 to a peak of 11.0 keq H + /ha/yr in 1996 and remained nearly constant after 2000 at a rate of approximately 8.6 keq H + /ha/yr. The proton production induced by crop removal increased from 1.2 to 2.3 keq H + /ha/yr. The total proton production thus increased from 5.9 to 10.9 keq H + /ha/yr in the 30 years. As a result, the actual acidification rate, reflected by (base) cation losses, accelerated from 2.3 to 6.2 keq H + /ha/yr and the potential acidification rate, reflected by phosphorus accumulation accelerated from 0.2 to 1.3 keq H + /ha/yr. The national averaged total acidification rates were thus estimated to increase from 2.6 to 7.6 keq H + /ha/yr in the past 30 years. The highest soil acidification rate occurred in the Jiangsu Province with a rate of 17.9 keq H + /ha/yr, which was due to both high N application rates and high base cation removals by crops and crop residues. The combination of elevated N inputs and decreased N use efficiency (NUE) in response to those N inputs, thus enhancing the nitrate discharge, were the main reasons for the accelerated acidification in Chinese croplands. Considering the expected growth of food demand in the future, and the linkage between grain production and fertilizer N consumption, a further acceleration of soil acidification can thus be expected, unless the N inputs is reduced and/or the NUE is increased substantially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rotating zigzag bed, as a Higee device, has successfully achieved the industrialization of Higee in the commercial continuous distillation process. To increase applicability of rotating zigzag bed in the gas-liquid mass-transfer processes, the mass-transfer characteristics of the rotor of rotating zigzag bed were examined. The effective interfacial area ( a e ) and local liquid-side mass-transfer coefficient ( k L ) were measured using a chemical absorption of CO 2 in NaOH solution. Based on two-film theory, the local gas-side mass-transfer coefficient ( k G ) was obtained from the overall volumetric gas-side mass-transfer coefficient ( K G a e ) which was measured using a stripping of ethanol from an ethanol-water mixture by air. The effects of rotational speed, liquid volumetric flow rate and gas volumetric flow rate on these mass-transfer parameters were investigated. Compared to the conventional rotating packed bed, the k L of the rotor of rotating zigzag bed was as about 2.5 times higher as that of conventional RPB rotor, and the a e and k G of the rotor of rotating zigzag bed matched with those of the rotor of conventional rotating packed bed. Therefore, rotating zigzag bed has good mass-transfer performance with a great potential for the industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Achieving all-weather rainfall observations using a surveillance camera. • Building a new rain streak extraction algorithm for NIR surveillance video. • A novel rainfall intensity estimation mechanism for surveillance video. Widespread surveillance cameras that continuously record rainfall information offer an opportunity for high-spatiotemporal resolution rainfall inversion. Surveillance video-based rainfall data estimation has become one of the most promising methods. However, existing relevant studies have focused on rainfall observations during the day. Little attention has been given to developing a surveillance camera-based rain gauge that works at night. Generally, ordinary surveillance cameras actively emit near-infrared light (NIR) to supplement the insufficient illumination of a surveillance scenario, providing an essential prerequisite for rainfall observations at night. In this paper, an NIR-surveillance video-based rain gauge (NIR-VRG) was constructed. First, combining the meteorological and microphysical characteristics of raindrops with the camera imaging principle, the abilities of different NIR-surveillance cameras to capture raindrops during different rainfall scenarios were discussed, providing the theoretical basis for subsequent work; second, a tensor-based algorithm was proposed for rain streak extraction from NIR surveillance video; and finally, a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D CNN)-based regression algorithm was proposed and used to build a mapping relationship between the extracted rain streaks and the rainfall intensity (RI). Experimental results on synthetic rainy videos showed that the proposed rain streak extraction algorithm achieves robust performance in a light breeze (speed approximately 3 m/s) and still works in a gentle breeze (speed approximately 5 m/s). Moreover, experiments during various rainfall scenarios show that the designed NIR-VRG measures rainfall information with high accuracy. The relative error of the RI and cumulative rainfall ranged from 8.86 % to 84.84 % and 7.82 % to 30.70 % respectively. The NIR-VRG fills the gap of rainfall observations at night by using surveillance cameras and provides a reference for constructing an all-weather rainfall observation network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and cancer are at higher risk of recurrent VTE and mortality. Clinical guidelines recommend anticoagulant treatment for these patients. This study assessed trends in outpatient anticoagulant treatment and factors associated with this treatment initiation in outpatient setting among this high-risk patient population. To study trends and factors associated with anticoagulant treatment initiation among patients with VTE and cancer. VTE cancer patients age ≥65 were identified from the SEER-Medicare database from 01JAN2014-31DEC2019. Patients were enrolled for ≥6 months prior to their first VTE (i.e. index event) and without evidence of other reasons for anticoagulation (i.e., atrial fibrillation). Patients were also required to be enrolled for ≥30 days after index. Cancer status was identified from SEER or Medicare database in the 6 months pre- through 30 days post-VTE. Patients were classified into treated or untreated cohorts depending on whether they initiated outpatient anticoagulant treatment within 30 days post-index. The trends of treated vs. untreated were evaluated by quarter. Logistic regression was used to identify demographic-, VTE-, cancer- and comorbid-related factors associated with anticoagulant treatment initiation. A total of 28,468 VTE-cancer patients met all study criteria. Of these, ~46 % initiated outpatient anticoagulant treatment within 30 days, and ~54 % did not. The above rates were stable from 2014 to 2019. Factors such as VTE diagnosis in inpatient setting, pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosis, and pancreatic cancer were associated with increased odds whereas bleeding history and some comorbid factors were associated with decreased odds of initiating anticoagulant treatment. Over half of VTE patients with cancer did not initiate outpatient anticoagulant treatment within the first 30-days after VTE diagnosis. This trend was stable from 2014 to 2019. A range of cancer-, VTE-, and comorbid-related factors were associated with the likelihood of the treatment initiation. • Over half of patients did not initiate anticoagulant treatment within 30 days as recorded. • Rates of anticoagulant treatment initiation remained stable over time. • Several factors were associated with initiating anticoagulant treatment. • A switch to new anticoagulants such as apixaban was observed over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the similarities and differences in atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition between different ecosystems is important to develop effective measures to reduce air pollution and maintain biodiversity. Here we show that the constitution of N deposition differed significantly between a grassland and a desert ecosystem in Northwestern China. Flux of bulk (wet plus part of dry deposition) and dry (gaseous NH 3 and NO 2) deposition were continuously monitored from 2018 to 2020. The grassland and desert sites had similar amount of total N deposition, being 7.29 and 6.33 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively. However, N deposition at the grassland was dominated by the bulk deposition (4.44 kg N ha−1 yr−1, 61% of the total N deposition), whereas that at the desert was dominated by dry deposition (4.20 kg N ha−1 yr−1, 66% of total deposition). The desert had greater ambient concentrations of NH 3 (3.66 μg N m−3) and NO 2 (1.52 μg N m−3) than the grassland (2.73 μg NH 3 –N m−3 and 0.72 μg NO 2 –N m−3). The amount of reduced N deposition (NH 4 + and NH 3) was around 3 times of that of oxidized N deposition (NO 3 − and NO 2) in both ecosystems. The N deposition rates in both ecosystems have exceeded the critical load for the fragile ecosystems (5–10 kg N ha−1 yr−1), highlighting the importance of reducing N emission sources that are related with anthropogenic disturbance. [Display omitted] • The boundary of Tarim Basin and Tibet Plateau has relatively low N deposition. • Bulk and dry deposition dominated in grassland and desert, respectively. • The reduced/oxidized N ratio in N deposition was close to 3 in both ecosystems. • N deposition exceeded the minimum critical load value for sensitive ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils below croplands and grasslands have acidified significantly in China since the 1980s in terms of pH decline in response to acid inputs caused by intensified fertilizer application and/or acid deposition. However, it is unclear what the rate is of pH decline of forest soils in China in response to enhanced acid deposition and wood production over the same period. We therefore gathered soil pH data from the Second National Soil Inventory of China and publications from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database in 1981–1985 and 2006–2010, respectively, to evaluate the long-term change of pH values in forest soils. We found that soil pH decreased on average by 0.36 units in the period 1981–1985 to 2006–2010., with most serious pH decline occurring in southwest China (0.63 pH units). The soil type with the strongest pH decline was the semi-Luvisol (0.44 pH units). The decrease in pH was significantly correlated with the acid input induced by atmospheric deposition and forest harvesting. On average, the contribution of atmospheric deposition to the total acid input was estimated at 84% whereas element uptake (due to forest wood growth and harvest) contributed 16% only. Atmospheric deposition is thus the major driver for the significant forest soil acidification across China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated variations of PM 2.5 and water-soluble inorganic ions chemical characteristics at nine urban and rural sites in China using ground-based observations. From 2015 to 2019, mean PM 2.5 concentration across all sites decreased by 41.9 µg/m3 with a decline of 46% at urban sites and 28% at rural sites, where secondary inorganic aerosol (SIAs) contributed to 21% (urban sites) and 17% (rural sites) of the decreased PM 2.5. SIAs concentrations underwent a decline at urban locations, while sulfate (SO 4 2–), nitrate (NO 3 –), and ammonium (NH 4 +) decreased by 49.5%, 31.3% and 31.6%, respectively. However, only SO 4 2– decreased at rural sites, NO 3 – increased by 21% and NH 4 + decreased slightly. Those changes contributed to an overall SIAs increase in 2019. Higher molar ratios of NO 3 – to SO 4 2– and NH 4 + to SO 4 2– were observed at urban sites than rural sites, being highest in the heavily polluted days. Mean molar ratios of NH 3 /NH x were higher in 2019 than 2015 at both urban and rural sites, implying increasing NH x remained as free NH 3. Our observations indicated a slower transition from sulfate-driven to nitrate-driven aerosol pollution and less efficient control of NO x than SO 2 related aerosol formation in rural regions than urban regions. Moreover, the common factor at urban and rural sites appears to be a combination of lower SO 4 2– levels and an increasing fraction of NO 3 – to PM 2.5 under NH 4 +-rich conditions. Our findings imply that synchronous reduction in NO x and NH 3 emissions especially rural areas would be effective to mitigate NO 3 –-driven aerosol pollution. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airfoil design based on Bayesian optimization generally involves high-fidelity simulations, whose crux in terms of efficiency has always challenged existing optimization frameworks. Theoretically, fully mining the useful information in the evaluated samples is expected to speed up the optimization process. In this paper, a multi-objective Bayesian optimization framework explicitly modeling objective correlations is proposed for airfoil design to make the most of the expensive simulations, where a convolved multiple output Gaussian process (CMOGP) surrogate model and a correlated Pareto-frontier entropy search (cPFES) infill sampling strategy are incorporated respectively for reliable capture of the complex relationships involved and final acquisition of well-distributed Pareto airfoils. Specially, a correlation-concerned representative Pareto-frontier sampling method is also proposed to guide candidate selection in cPFES to a prospective optimization direction efficiently. Comparative results on synthetic problems and an airfoil aerodynamic-stealth design problem demonstrate that modeling objective correlations contributes to both the improvement in prediction accuracy for promising regions and the accelerated convergence to a superior and well-distributed Pareto-frontier within a limited budget. It indicates potential practicability of the proposed framework for multi-objective airfoil design as well as other engineering optimization problems to alleviate efficiency issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active films based on chitosan incorporated with pine bark extract (PBE) were prepared and characterized. Subsequently, these films were utilized for packaging carp slices in refrigerated storage at 4 ± 1 °C. Analysis of the physicochemical properties and biological activity of the active films revealed that, except for water content, all assessed indices showed an increasing trend with an increase in the amount of supplemental PBE. As this trend progresses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed deposition on the film surface accompanied by transverse lines and fractures, while the color of the film gradually changed from light yellow to reddish-brown. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that the phenolic hydroxyl groups in PBE interacted with the hydrogen in the amino groups of chitosan molecules to form non-covalent bonds. X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) showed that the reaction between PBE and chitosan altered the crystalline structure of chitosan molecules. Moreover, the analysis of the effects of active films on the pH, water-holding capacity, thiobarbituric acid values, and the total bacterial counts of carp slices revealed that in terms of preservation, films containing 30 % PBE were the most effective, using which the shelf life of carp slices could be extended by 50 %. [Display omitted] • Films based on chitosan incorporated pine bark extract (PBE) were developed. • Films containing PBE improved antioxidant activities and antibacterial activity of films. • Films extended the shelf life of the carp slices of the carp slices by 50 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The impacts of N deposition and its change on N flow was quantified. • The spatial impacts and the drivers of N deposition were observed. • The indirect N deposition contributed for 12.94% of the river N flow. • The change in N deposition induced the declining river N:P ratio. Atmospheric deposition has a significant impact on the nutritional status and limitations of aquatic ecosystems. However, the impacts have considerable uncertainty due to a lack of quantification of the indirect nitrogen (N) deposition, in terms of atmospheric-land surface-water bodies fluxes. In this study, we combined monitoring N deposition datasets with semi-distributed modeling to characterize the baseline N flow in tributary streams in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region of China, and predicted the varying impacts of indirect N deposition from 2006 to 2015. This study indicated that the indirect N deposition, as an important N source, accounted for 10.47% of the total N flow of tributary streams. The Clean Air Action or Carbon Neutral would induce a reduction of deposition and then reduced the tributary N flux by 0.45 × 104–1.09 × 104 T yr−1. Meanwhile, the declining N deposition would result in the tributary N: phosphorus (P) stoichiometry to 22.04, approaching from P limitation to N limitation. The variation in N/P ratio was smaller in agricultural watersheds than those forest- and grass-dominated watersheds. Our finding indicated that process toward mitigating water quality will be difficult without consideration the indirect impacts of N deposition, and attention should be paid to variations in nutrient limitation and the plankton communities of inland waters due to the variation of regional or global N deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular geometries, FT-IR and Raman spectra of 2-acetylpyridine were studied using Density functional theory (DFT-B3LYP) with the large basis sets. Theoretical calculations indicate the cis conformer of 2-acetylpyridine is most stable though this conformation was seldom found in the crystal structures of coordinated compounds. Based on the stable conformer, comprehensive assignments of the experimental bands were made. The observed and calculated positions are found to be in good agreement with an average deviation of <4 cm −1 . The assignments provide valuable information for the fingerprint and identification of 2-acetylpyridine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Accuracy enhancement for current surveillance camera-based rainfall estimation. • A quality control model for rainfall data obtained by cameras. • A solution to the critical problems of regional rainfall data production. • A novel high-resolution, low-cost, ground-level rainfall monitoring network. The widespread use of surveillance cameras has become an emerging means for rainfall observations. With the advantages of high spatial–temporal resolution, rainfall information obtained from surveillance videos is highly suitable for meteorological-related research and has bright prospects. However, due to the complex and variable monitoring scenarios, the quality of the rainfall data estimated by each camera is always inconsistent, resulting in low practical value. Dense ground-level surveillance cameras have temporal and spatial correlations that can be used to improve the accuracy of rainfall estimation through mutual verification. In this study, we first introduce camera parameters to refine the spatial volume of rainfall (SVoR) 1 1 Most acronyms used in this study appear in the Appendix 1. perceived by cameras to improve the accuracy of rainfall intensity (RI) estimation. Next, a novel quality control (QC) model of rainfall estimation with multi-surveillance camera collaboration that takes the rainfall observations of all cameras as input is proposed. (i) We build a reliability evaluation (RE) model for the estimation of RI in accordance with raindrop imagery features to provide a reference for the subsequent correction of RI estimation; (ii) inspired by the first law of geography (Tobler, 1970), we then construct a spatial–temporal consistency filter and a situation consistency filter by using the spatial–temporal constraints between cameras to coarsely evaluate the RI values; and (iii) the correlation between cameras is calculated based on the fuzzy method to further build a correlation filter for the fine-grained correction of RI values. Experiments show that our method can effectively eliminate RI outliers and improve the accuracy and reliability of rainfall estimation results. Moreover, our method is highly suitable for heavy and violent rainfall application scenarios and can provide high-resolution rainfall data support for flooding warnings and simulations in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental audio recordings are a rich and underexploited source of rainfall events. Widespread surveillance cameras continuously record rainfall information, which provides a basis for the possibility of rainfall monitoring. In this study, using surveillance audio as input, an automatic rainfall level classification system was built. Through rainfall level definitions, the rainfall observation task can be transformed into an audio classification task. Three 2-D baseline convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were proposed as the classifiers. In view of the classifier training and testing, a new dataset named Rainfall Audio_XZ (RA_XZ) was generated based on the surveillance audio data. Because of the significant impact of the input features on the classification performance, 16 kinds of feature aggregation schemes were constructed and investigated to find the best representation of rainfall. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CNN (7-stack CNN) achieves 81.67% accuracy in rainfall level classification in the RA_XZ dataset and 93.38% accuracy in environmental sound classification in the UrbanSound8k dataset, which is optimal performance compared to that of some existing relevant algorithms. Furthermore, audio aggregation strategies that facilitate the representation and classification of rainfall events are investigated, which has important implications for audio and speech classification systems. In summary, our study provides an effective supplement to traditional rainfall monitoring technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Personal exposure to particulate and gaseous pesticides was characterized. • Particulate/gaseous distribution of pesticides was studied in indoor-outdoor nexus. • Two third of exposed pesticides mainly originated from non-occupational sources. • Over 43% of bystanders suffered the same exposure level as farmers. • Around 7% and 3% of local farmers and bystanders may suffer chronic health risk. Rural residents are exposed to both particulate and gaseous pesticides in the indoor-outdoor nexus in their daily routine. However, previous personal exposure assessment mostly focuses on single aspects of the exposure, such as indoor or gaseous exposure, leading to severe cognition bias to evaluate the exposure risks. In this study, residential dust and silicone wristbands (including stationary and personal wearing ones) were used to screen pesticides in different phases and unfold the hidden characteristics of personal exposure via indoor-outdoor nexus in intensive agricultural area. Mento-Carlo Simulation was performed to assess the probabilistic exposure risk by transforming adsorbed pesticides from wristbands into air concentration, which explores a new approach to integrate particulate (dust) and gaseous (silicone wristbands) pesticide exposures in indoor and outdoor environment. The results showed that particulate pesticides were more concentrated in indoor, whereas significantly higher concentrations were detected in stationary outdoor wristbands (p < 0.05). Carbendazim and chlorpyrifos were the most frequently detected pesticides in dust and stationary wristbands. Higher pesticide concentration was found in personal wristbands worn by farmers, with the maximum value of 2048 ng g−1 for difenoconazole. Based on the probabilistic risk assessment, around 7.1 % of farmers and 2.6 % of bystanders in local populations were potentially suffering from chronic health issues. One third of pesticide exposures originated mainly from occupational sources while the rest derived from remoting dissipation. Unexpectedly, 43 % of bystanders suffered the same levels of exposure as farmers under the co-existence of occupational and non-occupational exposures. Differed compositions of pesticides were found between environmental samples and personal pesticide exposure patterns, highlighting the need for holistic personal exposure measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant progress of non-precious metal cathodic electrocatalytic materials is impressive in electrochemical energy conversion application. Here, iron and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon spheres (Fe/N-PCS) have been designed via 3-aminophenol/formaldehyde (APF) resin spheres as carbon precursor, ferric nitrate as iron source, colloidal silica as template and tetramethylguanidine as catalyst by the improved Stöber method. Fe/N-PCS possesses uniform spherical morphology, abundant mesoporous shape and high surface area and exhibits higher oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalytic activity (E 1/2 , 0.838 V vs. RHE) compared with the Pt/C (E 1/2 , 0.827 V vs. RHE) in alkaline media. In addition, the methanol tolerance and catalytic stability of Fe/N-PCS are greater than commercial Pt/C catalyst. The outstanding ORR behavior of Fe/N-PCS mainly benefits from the iron and nitrogen elements synergistic effect, pyridinic N and the spherical porous structure enabling plenty of active sites exposed. This method is prospective for preparation of highly efficient cathodic ORR electrocatalyst. [Display omitted] • Fe-N co-doped porous carbon spheres (Fe/N-PCS) are obtained by an improved Stöber method. • The synergistic effect between iron and nitrogen species dopant can facilitate ORR activities. • The Fe/N-PCS catalyst exhibits excellent ORR activity and stability in alkaline media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant straw resources are rich, and the annual yield of crop straw is large. To reduce environmental pollution caused by the burning of plant straw and realize maximum resource utilization of straw, the published literature data are analyzed in depth. It was found that the carbon element content in the straw was about 40% and the ash content was low. The straw activated carbon can meet the adsorption standard requirements of wooden activated carbon, which was a good material for the sustainable utilization of activated carbon. The activated carbons prepared from cotton straw and hemp straw have large specific surface area, and the total pore volumes of activated carbon from sunflower straw and hemp straw are obviously higher than that of other straw activated carbon. In order to improve the quality of activated carbon, the effects of various activators are better than that of single activator in the preparation of straw activated carbon. The study found that when the ratio of the initial concentration of pollutants to the adsorbent concentration is 30, the removal efficiencies of heavy metals (Cu(II), Cr(VI) and Fe(III)) aren't less than 90%. This review will be of great significance to optimize the preparation conditions of straw activated carbon, improve the quality of straw activated carbon and expand the application range of straw activated carbon. • The C element content of straw is approximately 40%. • Most of straw AC can meet the standard requirements of wooden AC. • The removal rates of heavy metals (Cu(II), Cr(VI) and Fe(III)) exceeded 90% (K < 30). • Straw AC has more advantages than coal-based AC. • The economic and environmental benefits of straw AC are better than other AC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive N fertilizer application contributes to a surge in reactive N (Nr) emissions from agroecosystems, consequently threatening global ecosystems' quality and security. Adding functional microorganisms to agricultural soils, namely microbial inoculants (MI), is a promising method for ensuring sustainable agriculture, but general assessment of microorganism-driven N losses and mediating factors (such as climate conditions, soil properties, and field management practices) remains unclear. Therefore, a comprehensive meta-analysis on the effect of MI addition on NH 3 volatilization, N 2 O emissions, and N leaching in soil-crop systems was conducted by integrating 50 published articles (188 paired observations). The MI application significantly reduced N 2 O emissions and NH 3 volatilization by 29.8% and 24.9%, respectively. The boosted regression tree model showed that the soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil pH significantly affected the efficacy of MI application on both NH 3 and N 2 O loss mitigation. The effects of MI application on N leaching were not clear due to limited data points. Additionally, MI addition significantly increased the abundance of denitrification functional genes (nir K, nir S, and nos Z). In conclusion, MI application presented a high potential to reduce Nr from croplands, future adoption of MI techniques should consider the effects of soil properties and field practices on its efficacy in order to achieving sustainable N management in crop production systems. [Display omitted] • MI amendment mitigated N 2 O and NH 3 losses from fertilized soils. • N fertilizer management had great contribution to variation of MI efficacy. • Soil pH had significant impact on mitigation efficiency of N 2 O and NH 3 by MI. • MI amendment increased denitrification genes abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Atmospheric pesticides were characterized by a year-long 10-site sampling campaign. • Higher concentrations of atmospheric pesticides were observed in spring and summer. • Atmospheric pesticide residues are strongly influenced by cropping systems. • The risk of pesticide inhalation exposure to residents and wildlife is negligible. The intensive use of pesticides in the North China Plain (NCP) has resulted in widespread contamination of pesticides in the local atmosphere, posing risks to air quality and human health. However, the occurrence and distribution of atmospheric pesticides in the NCP as well as their risk assessment have not been well investigated. In this study, 300 monthly samples were collected using passive air samplers with polyurethane foam at ten rural sites with different crop systems in Quzhou county, the NCP, from June 2021 to May 2022. The pesticides were quantified using mass-spectrometric techniques. Our results revealed that chlorpyrifos, carbendazim, and atrazine were the most frequently found pesticides in the air samples, with detection frequencies of ≥ 87 % across the samples. The average concentrations of atmospheric pesticides during spring (7.47 pg m−3) and summer (16.05 pg m−3) were significantly higher than those during autumn (2.04 pg m−3) and winter (1.71 pg m−3), attributable to the intensified application of pesticides during the warmer seasons. Additionally, cash crop sites exhibited higher concentrations (10.26 pg m−3) of atmospheric pesticides compared to grain crop (5.59 pg m−3) and greenhouse sites (3.81 pg m−3), primarily due to more frequent pesticides spraying events in cash crop fields. These findings indicate a distinct spatial–temporal distribution pattern of atmospheric pesticides influenced by both seasons and crop systems. Furthermore, the model-based inhalation risk assessment indicates that inhalation exposure to atmospheric pesticides is unlikely to pose a significant public concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is now considered the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. In diabetes, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron overload are important determinants that promote the occurrence of DN. However, the underlying mechanism of how they cause diabetic kidney damage remains unclear. Ferroptosis, characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, provided us with a new idea to explore the progression of DN. Iron overload, reduced antioxidant capability, massive ROS and lipid peroxidation were detected in the kidneys of streptozotocin-induced DBA/2J diabetic mice and high-glucose cultured human renal proximal tubular (HK-2) cells, which were the symbolic changes of ferroptosis. Furthermore, the characteristic mitochondrial morphological changes of ferroptosis were observed in high glucose cultured cells. Additional treatment of Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) in DN models significantly rescued these changes and alleviated the renal pathological injuries in diabetic mice. Besides, the decreased NFE2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) was observed in DN models. The specific knockdown of Nrf2 increased the sensitivity of cells to ferroptosis in the high glucose condition. In Nrf2 knockdown cells, up-regulating Nrf2 by treating with fenofibrate improved the situation of ferroptosis, which was verified in RSL-3 induced cells. Moreover, the ferroptosis-related changes were inhibited by increasing Nrf2 in fenofibrate treated diabetic mice, which delayed the progression of DN. Collectively, we demonstrated that ferroptosis was involved in the development of DN, and up-regulating Nrf2 by treating with fenofibrate inhibited diabetes-related ferroptosis, delaying the progression of DN. Our research revealed the development mechanism of DN from a new perspective, and provide a new approach delaying the progression of DN. In diabetes, hyperglycemia causes the overload of redox-active (ferrous) iron and the accumulation of multiple sources of ROS, which provides conditions for the occurrence of ferroptosis. Simultaneously, the decreased glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) weakened the resistance to oxidative stress, promoted the occurrence of lipid peroxidation, and ultimately led to cell ferroptosis. However, up-regulating Nrf2 by treating with fenofibrate could regulate the expression of GPX4, solute carrier family 7 member (SLC7A11), ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH-1) and transferrin receptor 1 (TFR-1), which restored the antioxidant ability and rescued disordered iron pool, thereby inhibiting the diabetes-related ferroptosis. Image 1 • The biomarkers of ferroptosis were significantly changed in diabetic models. • Inhibition of ferroptosis alleviated the renal pathological damages in diabetic mice. • Up-regulating Nrf2 alleviated the diabetes related ferroptosis in kidneys. • Ferroptosis was involved in the progression of diabetic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]