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Anthropogenic nutrient pollution has been identified as one of the key stressors of coastal ecosystems. However, the paucity of long-term nutrient records limits our understanding of both the extent of nutrient pollution as well as of the ecological impacts. Here, using coral skeletal phosphorus (P/Ca), we reconstructed a half-a-century record of seawater phosphate at Port Dickson, Malaysia. The P/Ca in the coral revealed an up to 8-fold increase in coral P/Ca from the late 1970s to 2000s, likely linked to increases in fertilizer use (R2 = 0.47) and variabilities in rainfall (R2 = 0.17). The rise in coral P/Ca in coincided with a contemporaneous 18 % decrease in coral skeletal density, suggesting phosphate enrichment may impact the growth and structural integrity of reef-building corals. Given the importance of both agriculture and heavy reliance on coral reefs by populations in Southeast Asia, our study highlights continue the need to develop environmental management upstream of coastal zones. [Display omitted] • A half-century record of coral P/Ca is reconstructed from Port Dickson, Malaysia. • Pre-pollution seawater phosphate baseline of ~0.1 μM as estimated from coral P/Ca. • The coral P/Ca increased up to 8-fold over the late 20th century. • The increase in P/Ca likely caused by land-based human activities and rainfall. • The rise in coral P/Ca coincided with 18 % decrease in coral skeletal density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Salt formations enhance the stability of energetics materials. • The experimental impact sensitivity trend can qualitatively predict. • HOMO-LUMO energy gap, BDE/E, V m i d can use to predict the impact sensitivity. • Bond topology parameters can also use to predict the impact sensitivity. The higher impact sensitivity of many energetic materials has become one of the major obstacles which diminishes its wide range of applications in various fields. Salt formation is an effective approach that enhances the stability of the molecules towards impact. In this study quantum mechanical calculations have been employed in order to predict the impact sensitivity trends for the series of nitrogen rich energetic salts: 3-Amino-1,2,4(4H)-oxadiazol-5-one (AOD) and 4-Nitramino-1,2,4-Triazole (NRTZ). Quantum mechanically derived criteria, namely, HOMO-LUMO energy gap, ratio of the bond dissociation energy to molecular total energy, the electrostatic potential at bond mid-point, bond topological parameters were computed, and the quality of results are assessed against experimental BAM fall hammer test results. Several sets of DFT functionals and basis sets were tested to identify the best level of theory for the selected nitrogenous salts. The results demonstrated an excellent qualitative prediction of the impact sensitivity by using CAMB3LYP/6-31G(d)/IEFPCM = water level of theory. Hence, quantum mechanical predictions are an ideal preliminary approach to design advanced energetic salts based on AOD and NRTZ with enhanced stability prior to the synthesis, which facilitates reducing the great cost and risk to safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The CH3 + +H2 →CH5 + + radiative associative reaction plays a major role in the synthesis of complex hydrocarbons in interstellar dust clouds and was studied using a part-classical, part-ab initio approach. A first-principles potential energy surface (PES) at CCSD/6-311++G(2df, 2pd) was constructed from a set of 828 data points in configurational space using modified Shepard interpolation, and was used in conjuction with long-range perturbation theory at large intermolecular distances. Data points are chosen so as to optimize PES construction according to the GROW software algorithm. Classical reaction dynamics was employed to infer the reaction rate coefficient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]