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The identification of aviation hazardous winds is crucial and challenging in air traffic management for assuring flight safety, particularly during the take-off and landing phases. Existing criteria are typically tailored for special wind types, and whether there exists a universal feature that can effectively detect diverse types of hazardous winds from radar/lidar observations remains as an open question. Here we propose an interpretable semi-supervised clustering paradigm to solve this problem, where the prior knowledge and probabilistic models of winds are integrated to overcome the bottleneck of scarce labels (pilot reports). Based on this paradigm, a set of high-dimensional hazard features is constructed to effectively identify the occurrence of diverse hazardous winds and assess the intensity metrics. Verification of the paradigm across various scenarios has highlighted its high adaptability to diverse input data and good generalizability to diverse geographical and climate zones. The identification of aviation hazardous winds is crucial for flight safety, especially during take-off and landing. Here, authors propose an interpretable semi-supervised clustering method to detect diverse hazardous winds from radar/lidar observations, integrating prior knowledge and probabilistic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial wastewater generated from various production processes is often associated with elevated pollutant concentrations and environmental hazards, necessitating efficient treatment. Floating wetlands (FWs) have emerged as a promising and eco-friendly solution for industrial wastewater treatment, with numerous successful field applications. This article comprehensively reviews the removal mechanisms and treatment performance in the use of FWs for the treatment of diverse industrial wastewaters. Our findings highlight that the performance of FWs relies on proper plant selection, design, aeration, season and temperature, plants harvesting and disposal, and maintenance. Well-designed FWs demonstrate remarkable effectiveness in removing organic matter (COD and BOD), suspended solids, nutrients, and heavy metals from industrial wastewater. This effectiveness is attributed to the intricate physical and metabolic interactions between plants and microbial communities within FWs. A significant portion of the reported applications of FWs revolve around the treatment of textile and oily wastewater. In particular, the application reports of FWs are mainly concentrated in temperate developing countries, where FWs can serve as a feasible and cost-effective industrial wastewater treatment technology, replacing high-cost traditional technologies. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that the treatment efficiency of FWs can be significantly enhanced through strategies like bacterial inoculation, aeration, and co-plantation of specific plant species. These techniques offer promising directions for further research. To advance the field, we recommend future research efforts focus on developing novel floating materials, optimizing the selection and combination of plants and microorganisms, exploring flexible disposal methods for harvested biomass, and designing multi-functional FW systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rydberg atom-based sensors using the atomic heterodyne technique demonstrate prominent performance on sensing sensitivity and thus have significant potential for radar, electronic reconnaissance, and communication applications. Here, we propose a local oscillator (LO) embedded field enhancement resonator to improve the sensitivity and integration of Rydberg atomic heterodyne sensors. In this approach, a vapor cell filled with cesium atoms is placed into the resonance structure for electric (E) field measurements. By integrating parallel-plate waveguide (PPWG) antennas and the resonator, the LO signal can be directly guided to the resonator using coaxial cable instead of the use of external antennas radiating through free space, allowing for a more flexible and practical Rydberg atom-based heterodyne technique. Based on the off-resonant Rydberg atomic heterodyne approach, for a radio frequency (RF) signal at 638 MHz, it is found that the sensitivity is 43 μV/cm Hz in the absence of the resonator, while in the presence of our resonator, the sensitivity is down to 854.36 nV/cm Hz , indicating 50 times or 34 dB improvement capacity of the proposed resonator. This type of enhancement resonator is expected to benefit Rydberg atomic heterodyne applications in practical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this paper, we investigate an impulsive nutrient-plankton model in a stochastic environment. The model dynamics have been studied by using the theoretical as well as numerical approaches. We observe the existence of a global positive solution, which indicates that the population size will remain non-negative for sufficiently large time. By using a Lyapunov function, we derive sufficient conditions for the existence of a positive T-periodic solution. Our numerical results indicate that the coupling between environmental stochasticity and impulsive control play an important role in regulating the interplay between nutrients concentration and plankton densities in the aquatic ecosystems. Overall, the results obtained in this study may provide insight into how plankton dynamics respond to impulsive perturbation under environmental fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the accuracy of intraocular lens power calculation formulas Barrett Universal II (BUII), Hill-Radial Basis Function (RBF) 3.0, Kane, Ladas Super Formula (LSF), Haigis, Hoffer Q, and SRK/T in primary angle-closure disease (PACD). Methods: A total of 129 PACD eyes were enrolled. Prediction refraction was calculated for each formula and compared with actual refraction. Accuracy was determined by formula performance index (FPI), median absolute error (MedAE) and percentage of eyes with a prediction error (PE) within ± 0.50D. Subgroup analysis was performed according to axial length (AL). Results: Overall, FPI was ranked as follows: Kane (0.067), RBF 3.0 (0.064), Haigis (0.062), SRK/T (0.060), BUII (0.058), Hoffer Q (0.055), and LSF (0.049). Kane got the highest (71.3%) percentage of eyes with PE within ± 0.50 D. In medium AL eyes (22 mm < AL ≤ 25 mm), FPI ranked the same as in total group. MedAEs were equal across all formulas (P = 0.121). In short eyes (AL ≤ 22 mm), FPI was Kane (0.055), RBF 3.0 (0.050), SRK/T (0.050), Haigis (0.049), BUII (0.047), Hoffer Q (0.045), and LSF (0.033). MedAEs were significantly different across all formulas (P = 0.033). Haigis showed the lowest MedAE (0.35 D), Haigis and Kane got the highest percentage (63.6%) of eyes with PE within ± 0.50 D. Conclusion: Kane outperformed in total PACD eyes; RBF 3.0, Haigis, and SRK/T achieved satisfying performance. When dealing with PACD eyes shorter than 22 mm, Kane achieved the best accuracy. RBF 3.0, SRK/T, Haigis, and BUII achieved comparable outcomes. No formula showed superiority over others for medium AL PACD eyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the Pb(II) and Cd(II) sorption from aqueous solution by oily sludge-derived char (OSDC) prepared at different pyrolysis temperatures and chemical activation. The maximum Pb(II) sorption capacity for OSDC at pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C (OS500) was found as 351.48 mg/g, which was greater than that of OSDC produced at other temperatures. Post-sorption characterizations using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and sequential extraction test indicated the precipitation was the principal mechanism of sorption of Pb(II) onto OSDC prepared at low pyrolysis temperature (≤ 500 °C). The Pb(II) sorption capacity dramatically decreased as the pyrolysis increased from 500 to 900 °C. This is because the alkaline minerals decomposed at high temperature (≥ 700 °C), thereby the mineral precipitation with Pb(II) was inhibited. With increasing pyrolysis temperature from 500 to 900 °C, the contribution of precipitation to Pb(II) sorption decreased from 93.79 to 34.63%, while the contribution of complexation increased from 0 to 44.68%. The sorption capacity of Cd(II) was less than that of Pb(II), and no precipitation was formed during Cd(II) sorption by OSDC. Sorption results showed that OSDC prepared at pyrolysis temperature of 700 °C (OS700) had the best sorption capacity for Cd(II) (92.14 mg/g). The high sorption capacity of OS700 for Cd(II) was mainly attributed to the carboxyl/hydroxyl functional groups and complexation with mineral oxides. The hydrothermal treatment (8M NaOH solution) activated OS500 significantly with respect to surface area, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and total pore volume (PV). The substitution of Pb(II) with alkaline earth metals led to precipitation in the form of hydrocerussite (Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2) that was mainly responsible for Pb(II) sorption on activated OS500 (accounted for 93.79%). The activated OS500 showed a higher sorption capacity (90.06 mg/g) for Cd(II) than OS500 (23.95 mg/g) because the conversion of barite (BaSO4) to witherite (BaCO3) after chemical activation favored the precipitation of Cd carbonate. The contributions of precipitation to the total Cd(II) removal was 0% for OS500 but 76.12% for the activated OS500. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of wavefront-derived objective refraction in pseudophakic eyes. Methods: Retrospective case series. A total of 356 eyes (356 patients) that underwent phacoemulsification and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation were included. Noncycloplegic subjective manifest refraction (MR) and objective refraction results from the wavefront aberrometer were obtained and compared. Subgroup analysis of objective refraction at 2.6-mm zone was performed based on axial length (AL) and average keratometry. Results: The biases (at the 2.6-mm, 3-mm, and 4-mm zones) were − 0.29 ± 0.37 D, − 0.53 ± 0.41 D, and − 0.51 ± 0.60 D for sphere; − 0.27 ± 0.36 D, − 0.52 ± 0.38 D, and − 0.53 ± 0.51 D for spherical equivalent (SE); 0.03 ± 0.20 D, 0.03 ± 0.22 D, and 0.04 ± 0.27 D for J0; and 0.01 ± 0.16 D, 0.03 ± 0.22 D, and 0.01 ± 0.22 D for J45, respectively. Objective refraction for sphere, SE, and J0 (at 2.6 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm) was significantly different from MR (P < 0.05), while J45 values were equal. The objective refraction at 2.6 mm was the most accurate in short eyes (≤ 22.5 mm) with a minimum bias for SE (− 0.15 ± 0.28 D) and highest percentage of SE within ± 0.25 to ± 0.75 D of MR. However, there was no difference between the keratometry subgroups. Conclusions: The wavefront aberrometer achieved the best accuracy at 2.6 mm in pseudophakic eyes with short AL. It still needs modification to be used as a substitute for MR in such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in relation to optical biometry devices and refraction types. Methods: Patients undergoing cataract phacoemulsification and insertion of the MX60 IOL were enrolled. Optical biometric measurements were performed with both IOLMaster 700 and Lenstar 900. Biometry measurements were compared between devices. A subsample of 133 eyes (81.1%) had examination for both autorefraction and subjective refraction postoperatively. The differences between the postoperative refraction and the refraction predicted by eight formulas (Kane, Hill-RBF 2.0, Barrett Universal II, Olsen, Haigis, SRK/T, Holladay 1 and Hoffer Q) were calculated. Results: Overall, this study comprised 164 eyes of 164 patients. High agreement between the two biometers for axial length, average keratometry readings, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness and central corneal thickness was found (interclass correlation confidents: 0.999, 0.988, 0.965, 0.865 and 0.972, respectively, all P < 0.001). The absolute prediction error calculated with IOLMaster 700 measurements was significantly lower than that calculated with Lenstar 900 measurements for Olsen (P = 0.003), Haigis (P < 0.001) and Hoffer Q (P = 0.028). OPD-Scan III gave slightly more negative readings than subjective refraction (mean difference − 0.107 ± 0.553, P = 0.003 for spherical equivalent). However, no significant difference in absolute prediction error was found between the two refraction types per each formula. Conclusion: IOLMaster 700 and Lenstar 900 showed good agreement in biometric measurements with a trend toward better refractive outcome using IOLMaster 700. The accuracy of IOL calculation assessed with OPD autorefraction was equivalent to that assessed with subjective refraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the status and risk of heavy metal pollution in an urban wetland in China, the distribution and speciation of chromium (Cr) and other metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) were examined. We investigated the impact of three major land uses (residential and industrial (RI), orange plantation (OP), and mixed OP and RI (OPRI)) on the heavy metal characteristics using sediment cores (0–60 cm below water/sediment interface) collected in Sanyang Wetland, China. It was found that all the metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) had lower concentrations in the top layers but higher contents in the bottom layers of sediments. Species of metals in sediments were dominated by their secondary phase (i.e., exchangeable and carbonate bound, Fe-Mn bound and organic bound) with relatively low contents of primary phase (i.e., residual form), except for Cr in RI affected river sediments that had a relatively high content of primary phase (20.97–36.07%). The ratio of secondary phase to primary phase (RSP) and risk assessment code (RAC) methods were applied to assess environmental risk. The results implied that the metal mobility and bioavailability could significantly cause urban wetland environmental quality decline, and thus enhanced strategies should be required to target the capture and removal of metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term disposal of tannery waste and effluent without rigorous treatment may result in severe chromium (Cr) contamination in soils. In order to reduce the toxicity of Cr in soil, rice straw was co-pyrolyzed with Cr-contaminated soil under 0.5 MPa pressure. The influences of co-pyrolysis temperature (100–300 °C) and rice straw/soil mixing ratio (0–20 wt%) on Cr immobilization were investigated. The synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP), total Cr(VI) measurement, and simple bioaccessibility extraction test (SBET) were conducted, and results showed that the leachable Cr, total Cr(VI), and bioavailable Cr in co-pyrolyzed soils were significantly decreased (up to 95%, 86%, 70%, respectively) compared with untreated soil. BCR sequential extraction also indicated that mobile fractions (F1, F2) of Cr were transformed to more stable fractions after pressurized co-pyrolysis treatment. Time-varying desorption tests showed that the pseudo-second order kinetic model fitted better (R2 > 0.9) in all samples and co-pyrolysis could effectively reduce Cr desorption when extracted by citric acid, nitric acid, and CaCl2 solution. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that unstable forms of Cr transformed to stable Cr species and Cr(III) was the dominant species in the soil. In conclusion, pressurized co-pyrolysis of Cr-contaminated soil with 20% of rice straw at 300 °C effectively immobilized Cr and reduced Cr(VI), making it a promising method to minimize the potential bioavailable risk of Cr in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is one of the most abundant metal soil pollutants. In this research, effects of nano-hydroxyapatite (NHAP) on remediation of Pb-contaminated soil were evaluated by the measure of extractable Pb using toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and soil enzyme activities. Results suggested NHAP significantly decreased the concentrations of extractable Pb, achieving the maximum decrement rate of 75.71%. Activity of urease decreased with increasing Pb concentrations. Moreover, activities of alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and catalase increased at the lower Pb levels and decreased at the higher Pb levels. NHAP had a positive effect on regulating soil enzymes. Thus, soil enzyme activities, especially dehydrogenase, could be used as biological indicators of Pb pollution and NHAP remediation. Moreover, NHAP could reduce the mobility and bioavailability of Pb, while increasing enzyme activities, thereby lowering the leaching risk and biotoxicity of Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a modeling framework by combining system dynamic (SD) model and optimal allocation model was developed to study water resources vulnerability and optimal water use structure, and the framework was applied in the middle reaches of Heihe River basin, northwest of China. The SD model could describe the dynamical change of water resources vulnerability by integrating water resources with socio-economic effect. The sensitivity analysis of SD model was then conducted to design appropriate scenarios for finding out the optimal development pattern, and based on which, an integrated water-saving scenario with lower water resources vulnerability was identified for optimization modeling. Then, an inexact fuzzy-parameter two-stage programming (IFTSP) model was developed and applied to optimize water use structure among industries under uncertainties. This study addresses the water resources vulnerability analysis in considering both water resources system and socio-economic system. Water resources vulnerability analysis was combined with optimization model to make adaptive water resources management plans. And the optimal allocation schemes under lower water resources vulnerability are more advantageous for regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of sediments in polluted rivers requires an inventory of sediment quantities as well as their nutrient and metal contents and the chemical forms of pollutants. We investigated the influence of three major land uses (i.e., orange plantation-OP, OP + residential + industrial-OPRI, and residential + industrial-RI) on the quality of surface sediments (0-20 cm below water/sediment interface) at the Sanyang Wetland (China). The total contents of metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and nutrients (C, N, and P) as well as metal speciation in sediments were examined. GIS technology was used to estimate the volume of sediments needed to calculate the amounts of stored nutrients and metals in sediments. The surface sediments in the 3.2-km study area contain more than 2800 Mg C, 200 Mg N, and 100 Mg P. OPRI and RI land uses contribute more total C, N, P, Zn, and Cd to sediments than OP land use. High contents of C, N, and P may provide options to recycle the sediments as fertilizer but must be used with caution due to high levels of metals. Total Cd in sediments is at an order of magnitude (up to 59 mg kg−1) higher than the Level III criterion in the Chinese Environmental Quality Standards for Soil. Sediments in all land uses have very high risks due to >50% exchangeable + carbonate-bound Zn, Ni, and Cd. It is suggested that toxicity tests be conducted to better assess the environmental risks associated with any potential use of sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Rivers in low plains in the subtropical regions of China, where the population is dense and economies are active and well-developed, might be a large terrestrial carbon pool. This present study of the Sanyang wetlands in Wenzhou, southeastern China, aims to quantitatively estimate the volume of sediments in this region's polluted river systems and their carbon storage. Materials and methods: The bathymetry of river sections were surveyed using an echo sounder equipped with a differential GPS. An underwater digital elevation model (DEM) was then developed using the anisotropic ordinary Kriging method. Sediment samples were collected and analyzed for carbon content and sediment properties. Carbon storage in sediments was calculated using bathymetric and sediment analysis data. Results and discussion: The studied rivers have been receiving organic pollutants from local residences and industries for decades. Results from a river network of 1.2 km revealed a total carbon storage of 46.7 million kg in the sediments which had a volume of 1.4 million m, with the upper 20 cm depth of sediments contributing about one third of this carbon storage. Conclusions: The present work demonstrated that GIS technologies can be used to create digital river sediment surfaces and assess sediment amounts as well as determine the spatial distribution of sediments and their components. This could provide further insight into river restoration planning and other options from a carbon-balance perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional biofilm-electrode reactor (3DBER) was integrated with sulfur autotrophic denitrification (SAD) to improve nitrogen removal performance for wastewater reclamation. The impacts of influent carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, electric current, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) were evaluated. The new process, abbreviated as 3DBER-SAD, achieved a more stable denitrification compared to the recently studied 3DBER in literature. Its nitrogen removal improved by about 45 % as compared to 3DBER, especially under low C/N ratio conditions. The results also revealed that the biofilm bacteria community of 3DBER-SAD contained 21.1 % of the genus Thauera, 19.3 % of the genus Thiobacillus and Sulfuricella, as well as 5.3 % of the genus Alicycliphilus, Pseudomonas, and Paracoccus. The synergy between these heterotrophic, sulfur autotrophic, and hydrogenotrophic denitrification bacteria was believed to cause the high and stable nitrogen removal performance under various operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fuzzy chance-constrained linear fractional programming method was developed for agricultural water resources management under multiple uncertainties. This approach improved upon the previous programming methods, and could reflect the ratio objective function and multiple uncertainties expressed as probability distributions, fuzzy sets, and their combinations. The proposed approach is applied to an agricultural water resources management system where many crops are considered under different precipitation years. Through the scenarios analyses, the multiple alternatives are presented. The solutions show that it is applicable to practical problems to address the crop water allocation under the precipitation variation and sustainable development with ratio objective function of the benefit and the irrigation amount. It also provides bases for identifying desired agriculture water resources management plans with reasonable benefit and irrigation schedules under crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local-scale relationship between ambient ozone (O) and its precursors was examined around a coking plant in northern China. The upwind, plant boundary, and downwind locations were selected for investigation during the summer and autumn seasons in 2012. It was found that propene, toluene, and benzene were the top three non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) species for O formation at plant boundary, while propene, toluene, and m/ p-xylene were the top three NMHC species at downwind location. Isoprene was the dominant species for O formation at upwind location. It was also found that an O depressing process occurred at plant boundary as a result of high NO emissions. Both local photochemistry and transport led to O accumulation at the downwind locations. The variation of NMHC concentration during O polluted and non-polluted episodes was investigated, and it indicated that NMHC concentration was higher during non-polluted episodes than polluted episodes. The impacts of precursors on O formation under different meteorological conditions were also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of laboratory experiments were carried out in this study to investigate the remediation of phenanthrene contaminated soil using ultrasound and soil washing. The results indicated that ultrasound and soil washing could significantly enhance the remediation efficiency of each other. The performance of the combined ultrasonic and soil washing process was then investigated, and the impacts of four experimental variables including the initial concentration of phenanthrene in soil, sonication time, pH of washing solution, and washing flow rate were examined using an orthogonal experimental design method. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of experimental results revealed that the initial phenanthrene concentration, sonication time and soil washing flow rate showed significant effects ( P ≤ 0.05) on the remediation efficiency. A pseudo-first-order kinetics model was developed for describing the remediation process, and a maximum remediation efficiency of 69.5% was observed in the study after 20 min of treatment under the experimental conditions. Therefore, the results indicate that the combined ultrasonic and soil washing process could represent a promising technology for the effective remediation of phenanthrene contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to calculate the highly oscillatory integrals is the bottleneck that restraints the research of light wave and electromagnetic wave’s propagation and scattering. Levin method is a classical quadrature method for this type of integrals. Unfortunately it is susceptible to the system of linear equations’ ill-conditioned behavior. We bring forward a universal quadrature method in this paper, which adopts Chebyshev differential matrix to solve the ordinary differential equation (ODE). This method can not only obtain the indefinite integral’ function values directly, but also make the system of linear equations well-conditioned for general oscillatory integrals. Furthermore, even if the system of linear equations in our method is ill-conditioned, TSVD method can be adopted to solve them properly and eventually obtain accurate integral results, thus making a breakthrough in Levin method’s susceptivity to the system of linear equations’ ill-conditioned behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water samples containing dissolved aluminum were collected from the Yellow and East China Seas in October–November 2000. The average concentrations of dissolved Al in the Yellow Sea (YS) and East China Sea (ECS) were 0.042 and 0.056 μmolL−1, respectively. The concentration of dissolved aluminum decreased gradually across the continental shelf. The lower concentrations appeared in the YS cold water center and in the bottom layer at the shelf edge of the ECS, where they were 0.016 and 0.011 μmolL−1, respectively. The distribution of dissolved Al was controlled by physical mixing processes rather than biological uptake processes. The impact of different water masses along the PN transect was calculated based on the mass balance model. The results show that the impact of the Changjiang River was mainly concentrated on the coastal area and the top thermocline water on the ECS shelf, where the impact percentage decreased from 12.6% to 1.1% in the surface water, while the contribution of the Kuroshio water was dominant on the ECS shelf in this survey, increasing from 77.6% to 97.8% along the PN transect from the Changjiang River Estuary to the Ryukyu Islands. It is concluded that aluminum can serve as a proper tracer for studying the impact of Changjiang terrestrial matter on the ECS shelf water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By predicting influent quantity, a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) can be well controlled. The nonlinear dynamic characteristic of WWTP influent quantity time series was analyzed, with the assumption that the series was predictable. Based on this, a short-term forecasting chaos neural network model of WWTP influent quantity was built by phase space reconstruction. Reasonable forecasting results were achieved using this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coupled ARPS–CMAQ modeling system was applied to investigate the atmospheric assimilative capacity (AAC) of PM10 in the Beijing metropolitan region of China. The AAC was defined as the maximum allowable pollutant emission that can be discharged to the atmosphere without violating the desired air quality objective in the planning region. The coupled modeling system was firstly evaluated through comparing the simulation results of PM10 concentration with the corresponding observations during four representative months in 2002, which showed an acceptable modeling performance. By using a trial-and-error approach, the validated modeling system was run through gradually reducing the emission strength within the modeling domain from a GIS-based pollutant emission database until a desired air quality objective was achieved. The air quality objective was characterized by the air quality guideline-satisfaction ratio (AQGSR) which was defined as the ratio of days when the daily PM10 concentrations are below the air quality standard during a certain time period. The PM10 emission within the modeling domain after such trial-and-error reduction under the condition of satisfying a certain AQGSR was considered its corresponding assimilative capacity. Accordingly, the atmospheric assimilative capacities of PM10 in the study region were identified corresponding to the AQGSR of 60, 65, 70, 75 and 80%, respectively. The relation between such capacity and guideline-satisfaction ratio was then established through regression analysis. The results could provide sound basis for decision makers in terms of effective air quality management by understanding the allowable pollutant discharge under different desired air quality objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gaussian-box modeling approach was presented in this paper to examine the urban air quality due to multiple point-and area-source emissions in the northern Chinese city of Fengnan, which is associated with a deteriorated air quality as a consequence of industrialization and rapid urban growth. A 3-D multi-box (3DMB) air quality model was developed to predict air quality due to area-source emissions. It improved upon the conventional box models by allowing consideration of more details in spatial variations of emission sources and meteorological conditions. The modeling domain was divided into various layers within the mixing height, while each layer was associated with a number of sub-boxes. A multi-source and multi-grid Gaussian modeling approach was then applied to predict the air quality in different sub-boxes that are associated with multiple point-source emissions. Thus the Gaussian-box modeling approach could effectively simulate impacts of both area-and point-source emissions but also reflect more details of the spatial variations in source distributions and meteorological conditions. This modeling approach was employed to predict daily average SO2, TSP and PM10 concentrations for each sub-box during the heating and non-heating seasons, respectively. The analysis of the mean normalized error of the modeling results demonstrates the feasibility and applicability of the developed method, and the presented method could provide more useful and scientific bases for developing effective urban air quality control and management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modeling framework by linking air quality simulation with system optimization was presented in this paper to develop cost-effective urban air quality management strategies in Fengnan district of China. The relation between the total allowable emission and wind speed as well as the relation between the total allowable emission and air-quality-guideline satisfaction were quantified based on the simulation results of the Gaussian-box modeling system. The area-source emission reduction objective in each functional zone of the study city during the heating and non-heating seasons was calculated based on such relations. A linear programming model was then developed to optimize the emission abatement which was subject to a number of dust and SO2 control measures. The economic objective of the air quality management strategy was to minimize the total emission control system cost while the environmental objective can still be satisfied. The environmental objective was reflected by the emission reduction objective of TSP, PM10 and SO2 corresponding to an air-quality-guideline satisfaction percentage of 80%. Consequently, the modeling system comprehensively took into account the information of emission reduction objectives, emission abatement alternatives, emission reduction cost, and related resources constraints. An optimal emission abatement strategy and the related cost were obtained for various pollution control measures. The results would provide sound bases for decision makers in terms of effective urban air quality management and ensuring healthy economic development in the study city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk assessment of contaminated sites is crucial for quantifying adverse impacts on human health and the environment. It also provides effective decision support for remediation and management of such sites. This study presents an integrated approach for environmental and health risk assessment of subsurface contamination through the incorporation of a multiphase multicomponent modeling system within a general risk assessment framework. The method is applied to a petroleum-contaminated site in western Canada. Three remediation scenarios with different efficiencies (0, 60, and 90%) and planning periods (10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 years later) are examined for each of the five potential land-use plans of the study site. Then three risky zones with different temporal and spatial distributions are identified based on the local environmental guidelines and the excess lifetime cancer risk criteria. The obtained results are useful for assessing potential human health effects when the groundwater is used for drinking water supply. They are also critical for evaluating environmental impacts when the groundwater is used for irrigation, stockbreeding, fish culture, or when the site remains the status quo. Moreover, the results indicate that the proposed method can effectively identify risky zones with different risk levels under various remediation actions, planning periods, and land-use patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although cyberbullying victimization significantly impacts cyberbullying behaviors, research on its longitudinal mechanisms and protective factors remains scarce. A total of 1465 Chinese adolescents (52.2% female) with an average age of 16.14 (SD = 0.40) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study with 3-month intervals. Cyberbullying victimization positively predicted cyberbullying perpetration 6 months later, and this effect was mediated by impairment in personality functioning. Mindfulness buffered the predictive effect of cyberbullying victimization on impairment in personality functioning and mitigated the negative impact of impairment in personality functioning on cyberbullying perpetration. Further findings revealed that the indirect effect of impairment in personality functioning was more pronounced when levels of mindfulness were low, and higher levels of mindfulness could disrupt the mediating pathway of impairment in personality functioning between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. The findings highlighted the importance of promoting the positive development of adolescents’ personality functioning and fostering mindfulness skills to reduce cyberbullying among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensively studied in interparental relationship literature suggests interparental conflict is a risk factor for adolescent adjustment, but the specific, dimension level relationships between interparental conflict and adolescent adjustment remain unclear. This study explored the interactions between the various dimensions of interparental conflict and adolescent adjustment in Chinese adolescents. A total of 1870 Chinese adolescents (42.27% males; Mage = 16.18, SD = 0.43, range = 15–18) completed a survey at two time points spaced three months apart. Data was analyzed using both cross-sectional and longitudinal network analysis. The cross-sectional network analysis found that resolution has the greatest connections with the dimensions of adolescent adjustment, suggesting that adolescents reporting high resolution are more prone to experience concurrent poor adjustment and therefore should be a primary focus of attention. The longitudinal network analysis revealed that, in general, previous hyperactivity-inattention is a significant and strong predictor of future interparental conflict, underscoring a child-driven effect. Meanwhile, prosocial behavior contributes to decreases in both interparental conflict and adjustment problems over time. These findings highlight the importance of addressing hyperactivity-inattention and cultivating prosocial behavior in adolescents as key intervention points—these can help resolve conflicts between parents and reduce adjustment problems for adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]