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The widespread environmental contamination resulting from the misuse of tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) has garnered significant attention and study by scholars. Photocatalytic technology is one of the environmentally friendly advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) that can effectively solve the problem of residue of TCs in the water environment. This study involved the synthesis of the heterogeneous magnetic photocatalytic material of CoFe2O4/NaBiO3 via the solvothermal method, and it was characterized using different characterization techniques. Then, the photocatalytic system under visible light (Vis) was coupled with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to explore the performance and mechanism of degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) in the wastewater. The characterization results revealed that CoFe2O4/NaBiO3 effectively alleviated the agglomeration phenomenon of CoFe2O4 particles, increased the specific surface area, effectively narrowed the band gap, expanded the visible light absorption spectrum, and inhibited recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. In the Vis+CoFe2O4/NaBiO3+PMS system, CoFe2O4/NaBiO3 effectively activated PMS to produce hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and sulfate radicals (SO4−). Under the conditions of a TCH concentration of 10 mg/L−1, a catalyst concentration of 1 g/L−1 and a PMS concentration of 100 mg/L−1, the degradation efficiency of TCH reached 94% after 100 min illumination. The degradation of TCH was enhanced with the increase in the CoFe2O4/NaBiO3 and PMS dosage. The solution pH and organic matter had a significant impact on TCH degradation. Notably, the TCH degradation efficiency decreased inversely with increasing values of these parameters. The quenching experiments indicated that the free radicals contributing to the Vis+CoFe2O4/NaBiO3+PMS system were ·OH followed by SO4−, hole (h+), and the superoxide radical (O2−). The main mechanism of PMS was based on the cycle of Co3+ and Co2+, as well as Fe3+ and Fe2+. The cyclic tests and characterization by XRD and FT-IR revealed that CoFe2O4/NaBiO3 had good degradation stability. The experimental findings can serve as a reference for the complete removal of antibiotics from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Background and objective】 Evaporation and its associated salt accumulation on the soil surface is an abiotic stress facing agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions, and how to alleviate its detrimental impact is a topic that continues to attract interest from both researchers and practitioners. Cutting the capillary connection in soil is one technology and the purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of burying a straw interlayer in soil to slow down evaporation and salt migration from groundwater. 【Method】 The experiments were conducted in columns filled with saline soil taken from a cotton field that has been watered by film-mulched drip irrigation in southern Xinjiang. The groundwater table was controlled at the depths of 1.0 m, 1.5 m and 2.0 m respectively, with a cotton straw interlayer buried at a depth between 15 cm and 60 cm from the soil surface. In each treatment, we measured water evaporation and salt accumulation on the soil surface. 【Result】 ①The cumulative evaporation and daily evaporation rate both decreased as the groundwater table depth increased, with the average daily evaporation rate being 1.73 mm/d, 1.12 mm/d and 0.49 mm/d, respectively, when the groundwater table was 1.0 m, 1.5 m and 2.0 m deep. The cotton straw layer reduced water evaporation with the reduction depending on its burying depth. The reduction was the highest when its buying depth was 15 cm, and the least when the burying depth was 30 cm. ②Salt accumulation in 0~30 cm soil layer decreased as the groundwater depth increased, with daily accumulation rate being 0.031 g/kg/d, 0.012 g/kg/d and 0.004 g/kg/d, respectively, when the groundwater table depth was 1.0 m, 1.5 m and 2.0 m without the straw layer. The efficacy of the straw layer in reducing evaporation was more noticeable in the early stage of the experiment, and was most effective when being buried at the depth of 15cm. When groundwater table was 1 m, 1.5 m and 2.0 m deep, burying the straw 15 cm deep reduced daily slat accumulation in the 0~30 cm of soil by 71.25%, 87.15% and 90.58%; 41.91%, 37.85% and 34.90%; and 20.45%, 26.63% and 33.33%, respectively, compared with that buying it at 30 cm, 45 cm and 60 cm deep. ③The accumulated salt in 0~30 cm soil increased linearly with soil water evaporation. 【Conclusion】 The accumulated salt on the soil surface and daily evaporation from groundwater both decreased as groundwater depth increased. Regardless of its burying depth, the cotton straw layer reduced groundwater evaporation and salt accumulation in 0~30 cm soil, but it was most effective when being buried at the depth of 15 cm. We also found that the accumulated salt in the 0~30 cm soil increased linearly with water evaporation.

The biodegradable materials cannot meet the requirements as the agricultural film due to the poor UV resistance and antidripping performance. The work herein thus presented the development of the green‐based anti‐ultraviolet and antidripping multifunctional composite films using poly(butyleneadipate‐co‐terephthalate), microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), and soybean protein isolate (SPI) as the raw materials in the presence of other agents. The resulting composite films were systematically characterized using scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetry analysis (TG), UV, and rheometer measurements. The morphology changed obviously after introducing the MFC and SPI into the substrate film. In addition, the results indicated that the addition of MFC and SPI had a positive effect on the thermal stability and heat preservation of the film, respectively. The contact angle results indicated that SPI was an ideal antidripping agent and the MFC could be used as the release agent. The time of the first water drop of the film containing 2.5 g MFC and 2.0 g SPI was 6 min and 46 s, and the time of each 10 drops was less than 60 s, showing the advantages of using MFC as the release agent and SPI as the antidripping agent. The resulting multifunctional biodegradable films can be widely used in the agricultural and packaging fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential application of zinc air batteries to tackle the energy shortage and environmental crisis has proposed new requirements of bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Utilizing the special spatial structure of zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) as an ideal research platform, the effect of a trace amount of Fe on the composition and structure of as-obtained Fe-CoNC catalysts was investigated. It was revealed that, due to the increased exposed pore structure and metal species located at the near surface, the active sites for the ORR/OER on Fe-CoNC are highly exposed, greatly boosting the activity to the reduction and evolution of oxygen in alkaline media. ZABs with Fe-CoNC have the highest maximum power density of 200 mW cm−2 when operated at current densities as high as 328 mA cm−2, better than not only Fe-free CoNC, but also precious metal-based references with the same catalyst loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mica is a variety of filler material with excellent barrier properties. In the present study, mica‐AKD was successfully prepared by treating sericite mica surface with alkyl ketene dimer (AKD). The distribution and content of AKD in mica, the mode of its binding with mica and its surface properties were characterized by thermogravimetry, Soxhlet extraction, Fourier infrared analysis, the scanning electron microscope with energy spectrum and contact angle analysis. The results show that AKD was combined with mica through physical adsorption and chemical grafting, with the content of AKD in mica‐AKD exceeding 5 wt%. Due to AKD‐coated mica surface, mica‐AKD showed hydrophobicity. PCM and PCMa films were prepared by blending PBAT and PPC with mica and mica‐AKD, respectively. Given the same content, mica‐AKD has better compatibility with PBAT/PPC matrix, and PCMa films show better mechanical properties, lower water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability, and higher CDTR/OTR ratio, which has a good application prospect in fruit and vegetable preservation materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological restoration of territorial space emphasizes the synergy between ecology and social development. On this basis, we used landscape index analysis methods to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of landscape patterns in urban areas on a district scale. Then, we used multiple regression analysis to explore the driving factors behind this evolution. The results showed the following: (1) Landscape compositions have changed significantly. The growth rate of construction land in the main districts was about three times that in the urban area. (2) There were differences in the characteristics of landscape pattern evolution. Arable land is becoming more fragmented as construction land expands outward. The shapes of public green spaces, arable land, and woodlands tend to be simple and regular. The degree of both urban sprawl and agglomeration decreased in the urban area and the main districts. Meanwhile, landscape separation first decreased and then increased, and landscape diversity increased. (3) Population growth, industrial development, changes in industrial structure, and real estate development are the main driving factors of landscape pattern evolution. Based on this, this study puts forward some suggestions for landscape pattern optimization, which is significant for ecological restoration planning and promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas barrier properties of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) films can be improved with poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), but this will reduce the mechanical properties. In this work, PBAT/PPC composites and the related films were prepared by melt blending followed by film blowing process using triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) as the reactive compatibilizer. Herein, the structure, thermal properties, mechanical properties, and gas barrier properties of the composites were systematically characterized via various techniques. The results indicated that the incorporation of TGIC effectively improved the interfacial compatibility between PBAT and PPC, and enhanced the thermal stability of the composites, especially for PPC. In addition, PBAT/PPC/TGIC films at 1 phr (parts per hundreds of resin) TGIC content exhibited a tensile strength of 30.8 MPa, and an elongation at break of 860%, which are 136% and 142% of those of PBAT/PPC, respectively. Meanwhile, the water vapor transmission rate dropped by 33% at this content. The improvement of mechanics and gas barrier properties makes PBAT/PPC film better meet the requirements of food preservation packaging such as fruits and vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrophobic modification of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) was carried out via free radical polymerization using methyl methacrylate (MMA) as the monomer to improve the compatibility between CNF and poly lactic acid (PLA). Followed by the preparation of the novel nanocomposites in combination of the organic montmorillonite and the substrate. The resulting nanocomposites were then coated on paper surface using a cast‐coating process in an attempt to improve the barrier properties towards water vapor and oxygen. In addition, the composite films are prepared via a solution casting method. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), water vapor permeability (WVP), oxygen transmission rate (OTR), and tensile strength of the as‐prepared films were systematically measured. The corresponding results demonstrated that the WVTR, WVP and OTR decreased with the addition of a certain content of MCNF in coatings. 0.2 wt% MCNF is the optimum content, showing the best gas resistance and tensile performance. The lowest value of WVTR and WVP are 10.30 g/(m2⋯24 h) and 3306.58 g⋯μm/(m2⋯24 h) for films with 0.2 wt% MCNF added, which is 88.23% and 26.05% lower than that of PLA composite film without NFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was prepared through the hydrolysis of concentrated sulfuric acid using commercial bagasse pulp as a raw material. The performance of the developed CNC was tested through the atomic force microscope, particle size measurement, and zeta potential analysis. The melt blending method was adopted to prepare thermoplastic polyvinyl alcohol (TPVA) and CNC‐TPVA using the glycerol (GI)‐dicondensed triethylene glycol (TEG) complex. The TPVA and CNC‐TPVA were blended with poly(butylene adipate‐coterephthalate) and polylactic acid composite material (COM) through melt extrusion granulation and blown film, and then explored the effect of CNC on the UV aging properties of materials. The complex plasticizer could effectively break the PVA hydrogen bond and reduce its melting point. It had been observed that CNC had good interface compatibility with PVA, and CNC did not affect the crystallinity of PVA, but it could weaken the hydrogen bond between GI, TEG, and PVA, thereby reduce the plasticizing effect of PVA. Compared TPVA‐COM with CNC‐TPVA‐COM, detailed information of crystallization, the thermal stability of materials and mechanical properties was presented in the UV aging process, it was found that the cross‐section of CNC‐TPVA‐COM was rough, and its unevenness formed a striped structure, and its hydrogen bond strength, diffraction peak strength and anti‐aging performance were all improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT)/polylactic acid (PLA) composites were prepared by water‐soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and degradation‐promoting agent (DPA) which were made from acidity‐regulating KH2PO4 and halloysite by a physical layer‐by‐layer coating method. The effect of PVA and DPA on the biodegradation of PBAT/PLA composites in the cross‐sectional morphology, thermal properties, molecular structure, due to degradation was evaluated using a host of characterization methods. The results showed that PVA had a good solubilizing effect on the composite system and improved the overall compatibility. DPA had little effect on the compatibility, crystallinity, and thermal stability of the composite system, but greatly accelerated the degradation. The interior of composite material containing DPA (Com‐DPA) was shown to be severely damaged after 29 weeks of degradation, which was attributed to preferential degradation of amorphous regions of the composite by ester hydrolysis. Our results demonstrated the PVA and DPA worked synergistically to promote swelling and diffusivity of degradation products, and provided an acid environment for enhancing ester hydrolysis. This technology may have good prospects for accelerated degradation of materials in agricultural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation and fertilization management are important for controlling agricultural soil salinity and increasing productivity in extremely arid regions. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of long‐term drip irrigation and organic fertilizer application on soil salinity, fruit quality and yield of jujube [Ziziphus ziziphus (L.) Karst]. We established a 7‐yr field experiment in a desert‐oasis area in Northwest China. Six treatments were performed: CK (conventional irrigation, no fertilizer), CIMF (conventional irrigation, mineral fertilizer), CIOF (conventional irrigation, organic fertilizer), DI (drip irrigation, no fertilizer), DIMF (drip irrigation, mineral fertilizer), and DIOF (drip irrigation, organic fertilizer). The results showed that soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration in soil treated with organic fertilizer increased gradually over years. Treatment DIOF favored the accumulation of SOC with the highest content and stock after 7 yr. Lower salt content in root zone was found in DIOF after 7 yr. The yield of DIOF increased annually and reached an equilibrium level after the fourth year (14.88 to 16.69 Mg ha−1). Total carbohydrate and vitamin C (Vc) of DIOF of fruit were all significantly higher than CIOF and DIMF. The boosted regression tree showed that SOC content had the highest relative contribution rate to jujube yield. Path analysis identified the most important factor affecting SOC in the drip‐fertigation system was the input of organic fertilizer, with path coefficient 0.65. Long‐term combination of drip irrigation and organic fertilizer application would be an effective strategy maintaining productivity and improve fruit quality in extremely arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colour patterns based on micro-nano structure have attracted enormous research interests due to unique optical switches and smart surface applications in photonic crystal, superhydrophobic surface modification, controlled adhesion, inkjet printing, biological detection, supramolecular self-assembly, anti-counterfeiting, optical device and other fields. In traditional methods, many patterns of micro-nano structure are derived from changes of refractive index or lattice parameters. Generally, the refractive index and lattice parameters of photonic crystals are processed by common solvents, salts or reactive monomers under specific electric, magnetic and stress conditions. This review focuses on the recent developments in the fabrication of micro-nano structures for patterns including styles, materials, methods and characteristics. It summarized the advantages and disadvantages of inkjet printing, angle-independent photonic crystal, self-assembled photonic crystals by magnetic field force, gravity, electric field, inverse opal photonic crystal, electron beam etching, ion beam etching, laser holographic lithography, imprinting technology and surface wrinkle technology, etc. This review will provide a summary on designing micro-nano patterns and details on patterns composed of photonic crystals by surface wrinkles technology and plasmonic micro-nano technology. In addition, colour patterns as switches are fabricated with good stability and reproducibility in anti-counterfeiting application. Finally, there will be a conclusion and an outlook on future perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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