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Reaction characteristics in pyrometallurgical treatment for aluminum dross were studied qualitatively and quantitatively by thermal analysis. The transformation of aluminum nitride (AlN), volatilization of chlorides and fluorides in two kinds of dross under both argon (Ar) and Ar-Oxygen (O2) atmospheres were in detail analyzed and compared. Gas species including water vapor (H2O(g)), ammonia (NH3), nitrogen (N2), nitric oxide (NO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) were clearly identified. The study indicated that N2 and small amount of NO were produced from AlN–O2 reaction while NH3 from AlN–H2O(g) reaction, and H2O(g) and CO2 were necessarily from thermal decomposition of hydroxides and carbonates. Calculation indicated that the AlN–O2 reaction, AlN–H2O(g) reaction, and volatilization of chlorides or fluorides were remarkably slow, for around 30 mg raw material with taking about 37 min to finish the AlN–O2 reaction in 500–1000°C, 60 min to the AlN–H2O(g) reaction in 130–500 °C, and 30 min to the volatilization of chlorides or fluorides in 760–1000°C. Kinetics study indicated that the Ginstling-Brounshtein's diffusion model and Jander's diffusion model were most appropriate for describing the kinetics, respectively with an apparent activation energy of 273.2 kJ mol−1 and 307.4 kJ mol−1 for the AlN–O2 reaction, and with that of 182.0 kJ mol−1 and 194.0 kJ mol−1 for AlN–H2O(g) reaction. The study will be beneficial for design, optimization of pyrometallurgical routes of aluminum dross treatment and for evaluating its environmental effect.

The separator is one of the core inner components of the lithium-ion battery, and its performance directly affects the electrochemical properties, life, and safety performance of the battery. In this research, the physical and electrochemical properties of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) / PE/PP multilayer, (PP), and aluminum oxide ceramic-coated PE (PE–Al2O3) separators were analyzed and compared in detail. Among the separators, the PE–Al2O3 separator exhibited better performance pertaining to puncture strength, thermal stability, wettability, and ionic conductivity. However, its tensile strength is slightly lower than that of the PP/PE/PP separator. The surface of the PE, PP, and PP/PE/PP separators exhibited a large number of submicron pores. Alumina particles were uniformly distributed on the surface of the PE–Al2O3 separator, and a large number of clear pores were presented between the alumina particles. The PP/PE/PP separator exhibited the best tensile properties among the separators in the mechanical direction; the tensile strength of the PP/PE/PP separator was 247.53 MPa, which is higher than that of the PE–Al2O3 (197.58 MPa), PP (119.06 MPa), and PE (147.69 MPa) separators. Meanwhile, the puncture strength of the PE separator was the lowest among the separators at 144.26 N·mm−1 whereas that of the PE–Al2O3 separator was the highest at 426.91 N·mm−1, which was attributed to the high hardness of alumina particles. The melting temperature of the PE–Al2O3 separator was 140.9 ℃, which is lower than that of the PP and PP/PE/PP separators but higher than that of the PE separator. Further, it exhibited no heat shrinkage with heat treatment at 140 ℃ for 1 h. Accordingly, the PE–Al2O3 separator exhibited the best thermal stability compared to the PP, PP/PE/PP, and PE separators. The unique hydrophilic properties of alumina particles improved the wettability between the separator and electrolyte; the wetting angle between the PE–Al2O3 separator and the electrolyte was 12.3°, which was considerably smaller than that for the PP (35.9°), PE (38.3°), and PP/PE/PP (35.3°) separators. The electrolyte wettability of the PE–Al2O3 separator effectively reduced the transmission resistance of lithium ions between the anode and cathode, enabling the separator to exhibit an excellent ionic conductivity (0.719 mS·cm−1). After 100 cycles at 1 C, the capacity retention rate of the PE Al2O3 separator was 91.19%, which was considerably better than the other three types of separators. To summarize, this study reveals that the PE–Al2O3 separator has the best application prospect in high power, long-term stability, and high-safety lithium-ion batteries.

This paper comprehensively introduces a new magnesium production technology the compound-vertical-retort technology, involving in the related fundamental researches, core equipment development, working flow, and technical characteristics. Scale-up test and an annual 1200-ton-magnesium demonstration-level test was conducted to confirm the rationality, reliability, and advancement of the equipment, system and process design. It is indicated that the new technology solved a series of problems of traditional silicothermic process including adhesion and glaze, short life of retort, low efficiency, high impurity of crystallized magnesium, large heat losses, and poor working environment, making a great technological breakthrough in this field. Representatively, the new well-designed ceramic-lined steel retort serves 2∼3 times in life than the normal retorts. The magnesium yield per retort is improved 4∼5 times, with purity of >99.8%. The energy consumption in reduction stage is reduced by more than 20%. The mechanical production is fully realized and operating environment is significantly improved.

The interaction between woody plants and mycorrhizal fungi is an important biological interaction; however, the driving factors behind the diversity of mycorrhizal trees formed through the symbiosis of mycorrhizal fungi and woody plants remain unclear. In this study, we collected and compiled the woody plant data of 34 forest dynamic plots containing 3350 species from habitats around the world and divided them into AM and EcM trees. We tested the contribution of AM and EcM trees to tree diversity and its components in forest communities worldwide. Our results showed that AM trees rather than EcM trees affect the tree diversity of forest communities, and that the diversity of AM trees has a significant latitudinal gradient pattern. Climate variables, especially temperature, are strongly correlated with the diversity patterns for AM trees rather than EcM trees. Topography is the most significant factor affecting the diversity of EcM trees. Our findings highlight the importance of AM trees for the tree diversity of forest communities worldwide. Our findings have important implications for understanding the response of complex woody plant communities with different types of mycorrhizal symbiosis to climate change.

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide necessitating the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cell therapy represents a promising advancement in the field of oncology offering a novel approach to target and eliminate tumor cells with high specificity and reduced risk of immune-related adverse effects. This paper reviews the mechanism, potential targets, and recent advances in CAR-NK cell therapy for lung cancer, including the design and engineering of CAR-NK cells, preclinical studies, and the outcomes of early-phase clinical trials. We highlight the unique advantages of using NK cells, such as their innate ability to recognize and kill cancer cells and their reduced potential for inducing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) compared to CAR T-cell therapies. Results from recent studies demonstrate significant antitumor activity in lung cancer models with improved targeting and persistence of CAR-NK cells observed in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we discuss the challenges in optimizing CAR-NK cell therapies, including the potential resistance mechanisms. The paper concludes with an outlook on the future directions of CAR-NK cell research and its implications for lung cancer treatment emphasizing the importance of continued innovation and collaboration in the field.

Soil microorganisms are a crucial component of forest ecosystems because of their involvement in the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling and their influence on plant growth and development. Soil type is a fundamental characteristic of soil. In the transitional forest regions from subtropical to temperate zones in China, various soil types can be found, including yellow-brown soils, brown soils, and cinnamon soils. However, the composition and distribution patterns of soil bacterial and fungal communities in different soil types remain uncertain. This study selected a 4.8-hectare plot in Baiyun Mountain Forest National Park, China. To explore the spatial distribution and ecological processes of soil microbial communities across three different soil types, Illumina sequencing was conducted. Results showed that the composition and assembly of bacterial and fungal communities varied substantially among different soil types. Bacteria were more influenced by environmental factors than fungi. Fungal communities consistently demonstrated greater stability compared to bacterial communities across the three soil types. Light was the main environmental factor driving the variation in the assembly of microbial communities among different soil types. This study demonstrates that there are differences in the composition and structure of soil microbial communities among different soil types, providing important insights into the management and sustainable development of soil microorganisms in temperate forests.

In order to understand the difference in microbial diversity between wild and cultivated Anemone altaica rhizosphere soils, Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology was used to study the microbial composition and diversity in rhizosphere soils between wild and cultivated A. altaica. The results were as follows: (1) Alpha diversity analysis showed that the diversity of fungi in the rhizosphere soil of wild A. altaica was significantly higher than that of cultivated A. altaica (P0.05). The non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis revealed that the fungal community structures of wild and cultivated A. altaica rhizosphere soils had more significant differences. (2) A total of 9 566 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of bacteria belonged to 39 phyla, 127 classes, 315 orders, 500 families and 886 genera, and 2 670 OTUs of fungi belonged to 15 phyla, 57 classes, 138 orders, 293 families and 597 genera. The bacterial phylum Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and the fungal phylum Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota were the dominant phyla in the rhizosphere soil between wild and cultivated plants, but their relative abundance was different under different growth modes. At genus level, Candidatus_Udaeobacter, norank_f_Xanthobacteraceae and Rokubacteriales were the dominant rhizosphere soil bacteria of wild Anemone altaica. However, Candidatus_Udaeobacter, Vicinamibacter and Rokubacteriales were the dominant rhizosphere soil bacteria of cultivated Anemone altaica. The dominant rhizosphere fungi of wild A. altaica were Mortierella, Sebacina and Russula, while the dominant rhizosphere fungi of cultivated Anemone altaica were Sebacina, Mortierella and unclassified_f_Hyaloscyphaceae. (3) The redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that soil organic matter was the main factor affecting soil bacterial community (P < 0.05), and soil pH, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available phosphorus were the main factors affecting fungi communities (P < 0.05), while bacterial community structure were not significantly correlated with soil pH, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available phosphorus (P > 0.05). In summary, this study reveales significant differences in the composition and diversity of rhizosphere microbial communities between wild and cultivated A. altaica, which may be closely related to the physicochemical properties of soils under different growing conditions. The results of this study have certain significance for scientific planting and soil improvement of A. altaica.

Spherical and whisker-like cobalt particles were doped into the diamond powders to synthesize the PDC compacts under the HPHT conditions, to investigate the effect of their morphology on the properties of PDC. It was found that the two morphologies of cobalt powder have significant differences in physical characteristics, such as microstructure, porosity, magnetic properties, and crystallinity. When they were used to synthesize PDC samples, it was found that there were noticeable differences in interface bonding morphology, abnormal growth of interface WC, impact strength, and wear resistance. PDC synthesized with spherical cobalt powder had better comprehensive performance than PDC synthesized with whisker-like cobalt powder.

The aluminum dross generated during the aluminum alloy processing and regeneration process contains a large amount of harmful highly reactive aluminum nitride and salts, which can cause environmental pollution. A novel method for preparing calcium aluminate by dry calcification of aluminum dross is proposed in this paper to extract valuable aluminum resources while achieving efficient detoxification. Detection methods such as XRD, XRF, and standard dissolution procedures have been applied to characterize the phase transition and reaction behavior of the aluminum extraction process. The results indicate that calcium additives can react with aluminum components in aluminum dross to generate 12CaO·7Al2O3 (C12A7), which is soluble in sodium carbonate solution, thereby separating it from other impurities. Under the optimal roasting conditions, the leaching rate of alumina is 87.89%, and the removal rate of nitrogen, chlorine, and soluble fluorine elements exceeds 99%.Excessive sodium carbonate is required to ensure that the hydrolysis product of C12A7 is calcium carbonate, avoiding the formation of hydrated calcium aluminate precipitates. The optimal leaching conditions are sodium carbonate concentration of 80 g L−1, caustic soda concentration of 5 g L−1, liquid-solid ratio of 8 mL g−1, and leaching time of 30 min. The leaching reaction of calcium aluminate conforms to the unreacted core model controlled by internal diffusion, and the apparent activation energy of the reaction is 18.05 kJ mol−1.

The black aluminum dross (BAD) from aluminum recycling industry is considered to be a hazardous material due to containing a large amount of AlN and fluoride salt. The potential environmental problems caused by BAD restrict the sustainable development of the aluminum recycling industry. A calcining-leaching process for preparing α-Al2O3 by using BAD is proposed in this paper. The transformation mechanism of toxic substances is discussed in detail based on the analysis of TG-DTG-DSC&MS. The results show that the reaction between AlN and O2 occurs in the range of 500–1000 °C. Most of the gaseous products are N2, and there is also a small amount of NO. The average conversion rate is 0.087 mg/min. The average volatilization rate of chloride salt in BAD under Ar atmosphere is 0.065 mg/min, and the average volatilization rate under Ar + O2 atmosphere is 0.089 mg/min, which is slightly higher than that of pure Ar atmosphere. The BAD processed by calcination-leaching process contain more than 95 % corundum and magnesia-aluminum spinel, which can be used as high-quality raw materials for the preparation of refractory materials.

Urbanization induces rapid plant environmental modifications, leading to alterations in plant diversity distribution patterns and plant homogenization. However, how plant diversity is distributed along urbanization gradients in regional urban agglomerations and its relationship with environmental factors are not well defined. In three nearby Henan Province Chinese cities—Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, and Zhongmu—along an urbanization gradient, the distribution pattern of plant diversity was quantified. Both native and non-native plants found in urban green spaces were taken into consideration. A total of 176 plant quadrats were selected and separated into three urbanization gradient types using space-constrained hierarchical clustering: urban core, urban suburb, and urban outskirt. Polynomial fitting was used to characterize the spatial distribution patterns of plants along the urbanization gradient, and Pearson correlation and the Mantel test were employed to examine the effects of environmental factors, including longitude, latitude, altitude, distance from the urban center, temperature, and illumination, on plant diversity. A total of 313 vascular plant species, comprising 137 woody species and 176 herbaceous species, were examined. Along the three urbanization gradients, remarkable variations in plant diversity for woody and herbaceous species were observed. The spatial patterns of plant diversity were consistent across cities, whereas woody plants and herbaceous plants displayed the opposite behavior. Distance to the city center and temperature were the most substantial environmental effect factors for the diversity of woody plants, whereas light factors had a major impact on herbaceous plants. These findings show different life-type plants are affected differently by urbanization, and they offer managers and planners a recommendation for increasing urban plant diversity by executing various interventions throughout the urban gradient.

Abstract Background Soil microbiome is an important part of the forest ecosystem and participates in forest ecological restoration and reconstruction. Niche differentiation with respect to resources is a prominent hypothesis to account for the maintenance of species diversity in forest ecosystems. Resource-based niche differentiation has driven ecological specialization. Plants influence soil microbial diversity and distribution by affecting the soil environment. However, with the change in plant population type, whether the distribution of soil microbes is random or follows an ecologically specialized manner remains to be further studied. We characterized the soil microbiome (bacteria and fungi) in different plant populations to assess the effects of phytophysiognomy on the distribution patterns of soil microbial communities in a temperate forest in China. Results Our results showed that the distribution of most soil microbes in different types of plant populations is not random but specialized in these temperate forests. The distribution patterns of bacteria and fungi were related to the composition of plant communities. Fungal species (32%) showed higher specialization than bacterial species (15%) for different types of plant populations. Light was the main driving factor of the fungal community, and soil physicochemical factors were the main driving factor of the bacterial community. Conclusion These findings suggest that ecological specialization is important in maintaining local diversity in soil microbial communities in this forest. Fungi are more specialized than bacteria in the face of changes in plant population types. Changes in plant community composition could have important effects on soil microbial communities by potentially influencing the stability and stress resistance of forest ecosystems.

Abstract The Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic pathogen of many organisms, including insects. We report the identification and optimal in vitro chitinase production conditions of a novel chitinolytic S. marcescens strain TC-1 isolated from a naturally infected white grub (Anomala corpulenta) collected from a peanut field at Nanyang city, Henan province, China. Strain identification was conducted by morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular analyses. The amplified 16S rRNA gene of TC-1 showed a similarity greater than 99% with multiple strains of S. marcescens. Based on Neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences, TC-1 formed a clade with S. marcescens, clearly separated from other Serratia spp. The strain TC-1 showed larvicidal activities against five insect species (A. corpulenta, Plutella xylostella, Spodoptera exigua, Helicoverpa armigera, Bombyx mori) and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, but not against S. litura. The operating parameters of chitinase production by TC-1 were optimized by response surface methodology using a three-factor, three-level Box-Behnken experimental design. The effects of three independent variables i.e. colloidal chitin concentration (7–13 g l−1), incubation time (24–72 h) and incubation temperature (24–32 °C) on chitinase production by TC-1 were investigated. A regression model was proposed to correlate the independent variables for an optimal chitinase activity predicted as 20.946 U ml−1, using a combination of colloidal chitin concentration, incubation time and incubation temperature of 9.06 g l−1, 63.83 h and 28.12 °C, respectively. The latter agreed well with a mean chitinase activity of 20.761 ± 0.102 U ml−1 measured in the culture supernatants of TC-1 grown under similar conditions with a colloidal chitin concentration, incubation time and incubation temperature of 9 g l−1, 64 h and 28 °C, respectively. Our study revealed the S. marcescens strain TC-1 with potential as a biocontrol agent of insect pests and nematodes and demonstrated the proposed regression model's potential to guide chitinase production by this strain.

Coal gangue is the solid waste from the coal mining process. About 1 billion tons of coal gangue is discharged every year in the world. Coal gangue is usually piled up in the large areas and difficult to be used. Phase transformation and separation of alumina and silica minerals in coal gangue are studied in this paper in order to prompt the resource utilization of coal gangue. The results show that the phase transformation of kaolinite in coal gangue during high-temperature calcination is in the following way: kaolinite → metakaolin → spinel → mullite. Active silica mineral is released during the phase transition process, which can be separated from other minerals by caustic leaching. The optimal calcination temperature of coal gangue is 1050 ± 50 °C while the caustic leaching temperature is 85 °C and the leaching time should be kept between 60 and 80 min. The modulus of the sodium silicate solution can reach 1.0–1.1 and the alumina to silica ratio (A/S) of the desilicated residue can be raised to 1.7.

White pollution has become a global problem. China issued a strict plastic ban but fell into an awkward position. Despite the increasing environmental awareness, the positive attitude of consumers toward using reusable bags instead of plastic bags is difficult to reflect on from their behavior. This article bridges this gap by utilizing a consumer behavior framework based on the behavioral reasoning theory (BRT) and the attitude-behavior-context (ABC) model. This framework is tested using structural equation modeling with 481 Chinese consumers. This article confirms that the value has a significant impact on consumer attitudes. Meanwhile, the article reveals the positive influence of “reasons for” in predicting attitudes and the negative influence of “reasons against” in predicting intentions. Reusable bag consumption behavior is a result of multiple pathways working together, which causes the gap between attitudes and behaviors. This article also confirms the moderating role of the Chinese face and the enforcement of the plastic ban in influencing behavior. These findings offer interesting insights for enterprises and governments to solve the problem of plastic consumption.

Epiphytic bryophytes are important components of forest ecosystems and play important roles in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, the main factors driving epiphytic bryophyte diversity remain unclear. We collected the tree epiphytic bryophytes from a one-hectare plot within a temperate deciduous broadleaf forest (China). Canonical correspondence analyses and Mantel tests were used to establish linear regression models and thus dissect the effects of environmental variables (topography, light and bark physicochemical properties) on the species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity of epiphytic bryophytes. The relationship between environmental variables and epiphytic bryophyte diversity was analyzed using piecewise structural equation modeling. Results showed that the physicochemical properties of the bark directly influenced the species diversity and phylogenetic diversity of the epiphytic bryophytes. The physical and chemical properties of bark also indirectly affected the functional diversity of the epiphytic bryophytes. Elucidation of the factors driving epiphytic bryophyte diversity provides insights into their conservation.

Although soil microbes play an important role in the functioning of the forest ecosystem, our understanding of the spatial distribution characteristics of soil microbes among different vegetation types in urban forest ecosystems is poor. In this study, with the help of high-throughput sequencing, we examined the vegetation type preferences of soil microbes (fungi and bacteria) and then analyzed the microbe–environment (plant community, light availability, soil properties) relations in a temperate urban forest in China. Our results showed that the soil microbial (bacterial and fungal) richness of deciduous forest was higher than that of evergreen, and mixed forests. The spatial distribution of fungi was more specialized than that of bacteria among different vegetation types. The driving forces of environmental factors on soil bacteria and fungi were different. Our findings suggest that different vegetation types favor the occurrence of different microbes, and the relationships between soil microbes and environmental factors depend on different vegetation types in this temperate urban forest. These findings shed new light on the biodiversity conservation of microbes in temperate urban forests and point to the potential importance of vegetation types for microbe formation.

Low-carbon tourism reflects the degree of environmental concern in the tourism industry and is also the foundation of green, sustainable, and ecological tourism. The transformation of the tourism industry, known as the sunrise industry, to a low-carbon pattern contributes to the sustainable development of tourism cities. In this study, an objective evaluation indicator system for low-carbon tourism cities is constructed from the three dimensions of economy, environment, and society, followed by the determination of the weights of the evaluation indicators using an analytic network process model. Ten low-carbon pilot cities in China are evaluated using statistical data of 2014 and 2019. The main research results show that when a city’s economy has reached a certain level, with the development of the economy and individuals’ income and the gradual reduction in environmental pollution, the city’s development level of low-carbon tourism will also be better. Moreover, although these ten low-carbon pilot cities have similar development levels in terms of their social dimension, they have differed greatly in their economic and environmental dimensions. The tourism cities with better economic development levels also rank higher in terms of low-carbon environment and ecological environment, and the overall development level of low-carbon tourism is also better, which shows the obvious Matthew effect as a whole. This study contributes a set of objective evaluation index systems in line with the connotation of low-carbon tourism and assesses the dynamic difference between the cities. This study provides targeted policy recommendations for the construction of low-carbon tourism cities in China.

Aluminum dross, a harmful and abundant solid waste generated in aluminum industry, releases toxic ammonia and causes severe environmental pollution and public health disaster. Secondary aluminum dross (SAD) can be effectively treated by the efficient and complete decomposition of aluminum nitride (AlN). The hydrolysis behavior of AlN in SAD was evaluated by thermodynamic analysis and kinetic leaching experiments. Various factors such as temperature, time, liquid-to-solid ratio, additive type, and additive dosage were evaluated to optimize the hydrolysis of AlN. The chemical composition, mineralogical phases, particle size distribution, and morphology of SAD and leaching residue were determined by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, laser particle size analysis, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The decomposition of AlN reached 96.24% under the following optimum conditions: leaching time of 180 min, leaching temperature of 95 °C, additive of 4 wt% sodium hydroxide, and liquid-to-solid ratio of 6 mL g−1. Meanwhile, the removal efficiency of chlorine and fluorine during leaching reached 95.63% and 69.17%, respectively. The hydrolysis data indicate that the effects of relevant factors on AlN removal are consistent with the shrinking unreacted-core model, where internal layer diffusion is the rate-controlling step. The rate-controlling step was changed to chemical reaction control with the addition of sodium hydroxide, which corrodes bayerite on the surface of AlN. The activation energy of AlN hydrolysis in SAD is 38.64 kJ mol−1.

We report on microfabrication and optical characterization of buried channel waveguides defined in Nd:YCOB crystal by focused proton beam writing (PBW). In the fabrication process, the focused proton beam irradiation creates a local material modification region with geometrically symmetric positive index changes at the end of the proton trajectory, where efficient optical waveguiding can be locally supported within a fiber-like channel structure. The impact of the proton fluence (with different values ranging from 1015 to 1016 cm−2) on the optical waveguiding performance is well studied. The experimental results of the optical waveguide properties are in fairly good agreement with the simulation results.

Determining whether epiphytic bryophytes have ecological preferences for woody plants remains difficult. Here, our primary aim in developing the torus-translation test is to evaluate the associations between epiphytic bryophytes and woody plants at the species, genus, or family levels in a 100 m × 100 m forest dynamics plot in a temperate, deciduous broad-leaved forest (China). We collected all the epiphytic bryophyte species on woody plants and recorded the woody plant species in the 1-ha plot in 2020. All the epiphytic bryophytes on the trees from the ground level up to 2 m were collected. We recorded 988 epiphytic bryophyte specimens belonging to 61 species in 254 woody plants. The Torus-translation test showed that 93.44% (57/61), 93.44% (57/61), and 98.36% (60/61) of the bryophyte species were significantly positively associated with the family, genus, and species of woody plants, respectively. A total of 317, 563, and 857 significant positive associations concerning the family, genus, and species of the woody plants were observed among the 61 examined bryophyte species. In addition, few significant negative associations were identified regarding the family, genus, and species of woody plants. More rare bryophyte species were positively correlated with woody plants than dominant bryophyte species. Our study demonstrates that most epiphytic bryophytes exhibit ecological habitat preferences for woody plants. These observations highlight the importance of the species composition of woody plants with respect to the maintenance of epiphytic bryophytes’ diversity. Epiphytic bryophytes’ growth preference for woody plants, especially rare bryophyte species, should be considered in the process of bryophyte diversity conservation in temperate, deciduous broad-leaved forests.

Secondary aluminum dross (SAD) is a hazardous solid waste discharged from aluminum electrolysis and processing and the secondary aluminum industries, which causes severe environmental pollution and public health disasters. The stable presence of the α-Al2O3 and MgAl2O4 phases in SAD makes it difficult for it to be efficiently utilized. A combined dry pressing and alkaline roasting process was proposed for extracting the valuable Al element from SAD. Two alkaline additives (NaOH and Na2CO3) were selected as a sodium source for extracting the aluminum source from SAD in order to perform the thermodynamic analysis and roasting experiments. The phase transition behavior and the leaching performance tests were conducted using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, leaching kinetics and thermal analysis. The recovery of Al and Na reached the values of 90.79% and 92.03%, respectively, under the optimal conditions (roasting temperature of 1150 °C, Na2CO3/Al2O3 molar ratio of 1.3, roasting time of 1 h, leaching temperature of 90 °C, L/S ratio of 10 mL·g−1 and leaching time of 30 min). Meanwhile, the removal efficiency of N and Cl reached 98.93% and 97.14%, respectively. The leaching kinetics indicated that the dissolution of NaAlO2 clinkers was a first-order reaction and controlled by layer diffusion process. The green detoxification and effective extraction of the Al element from SAD were simultaneously achieved without any pretreatments.

Many areas are affected by the monsoon because of different sea and land positions. At the same time, the blocking effect of a mountain range forms different habitats on both sides of the mountain range. However, the distribution mechanism of woody plants is unclear in mountain forest ecosystems influenced by topography and monsoons. In this study, 10 plots, each with an area of 1 hm2 (100 m × 100 m), were randomly established on the south and north aspects of a mountain forest. We examined community structure differences and distribution preferences of woody plants on both sides of the mountain. Our findings were as follows: (1) The characteristics of woody plant assemblages differed among various aspects. (2) Network analysis showed that specialization index was 0.186 and modularity index was 0.235, and the torus translation test showed that a total of 45 species were detected to be associated with at least one of the habitats (45/106, 42.45%). (3) The community stability of the south aspect was higher than that of the north aspect. Our findings suggest that the distribution of woody plants among different aspects was specialized and not random in alpine forest ecosystems. This study contributes to a clear understanding of the distribution mechanism of woody plants in mountain forest ecosystems influenced by topography and monsoons.

Objectives To develop a model of in-hospital mortality using medical record front page (MRFP) data and assess its validity in case-mix standardisation by comparison with a model developed using the complete medical record data.Design A nationally representative retrospective study.Setting Representative hospitals in China, covering 161 hospitals in modelling cohort and 156 hospitals in validation cohort.Participants Representative patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction. 8370 patients in modelling cohort and 9704 patients in validation cohort.Primary outcome measures In-hospital mortality, which was defined explicitly as death that occurred during hospitalisation, and the hospital-level risk standardised mortality rate (RSMR).Results A total of 14 variables were included in the model predicting in-hospital mortality based on MRFP data, with the area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.78 among modelling cohort and 0.79 among validation cohort. The median of absolute difference between the hospital RSMR predicted by hierarchical generalised linear models established based on MRFP data and complete medical record data, which was built as ‘reference model’, was 0.08% (10th and 90th percentiles: −1.8% and 1.6%). In the regression model comparing the RSMR between two models, the slope and intercept of the regression equation is 0.90 and 0.007 in modelling cohort, while 0.85 and 0.010 in validation cohort, which indicated that the evaluation capability from two models were very similar.Conclusions The models based on MRFP data showed good discrimination and calibration capability, as well as similar risk prediction effect in comparison with the model based on complete medical record data, which proved that MRFP data could be suitable for risk adjustment in hospital performance measurement.

Green innovation has become an important support to promote the strategic goals of peak carbon dioxide emission and high-quality economic development. This paper systematically examines whether internal control can effectively drive enterprise green innovation and achieve the “win–win” result of enterprise economic development and environmental protection. We found that internal control can significantly improve the green innovation level of enterprises, which is mainly reflected in the mandatory disclosure stage of internal control information and the other four elements of internal control, except the control environment. The mechanism test found that internal control can promote green innovation by reducing enterprise risks, alleviating agency conflicts, relieving financing constraints, and improving the rationality of innovation investment. The heterogeneity test found that the promotion effect of internal control on green innovation is more significant in large enterprises and private enterprises; internal control can effectively supervise the maintenance of relationship resources, and relationship resources positively regulate the promotion effect of internal control on green innovation; excessive executive power will weaken the internal control supervision and punishment of executives, and weaken the positive effect between internal control and green innovation; internal control can improve the utilization rate of government subsidies, and government subsidies positively regulate the positive effect of internal control on green innovation. The research conclusions enrich the market-oriented research on the driving factors of enterprise green innovation, and provide empirical evidence for enhancing the competitiveness of enterprise green innovation and achieving carbon neutrality.

Standardization in energy-saving and emission-reduction measures has become increasingly important. The impact of standardization on carbon-emission efficiency in China was explored by using panel data from 2002 to 2017. The results showed that standardization significantly improved China’s carbon-emission efficiency, which remained robust after a series of tests. Furthermore, the development of industry standards had a greater effect on the improvement of carbon-emission efficiency in the economically developed coastal areas, while the development of national standards significantly promoted the improvement of carbon-emission efficiency in the inland areas. An assessment of the impact mechanism demonstrated that standardization affects carbon-emission efficiency through technological progress, industrial modernization, and economies of scale. We compared our findings with the existing literature regarding the governance of a low-carbon economy; we also considered the subsequent policy implications of our findings in terms of sustainable economic development.

Rationale. Hemoptysis is a rare but often life-threatening condition in pediatric patients. Massive hemoptysis can easily lead to asphyxia, respiratory failure, shock, and even death. The most common causes of severe hemoptysis are lower respiratory tract infection, vascular malformation, and bronchial foreign body. We present an unusual case of massive hemoptysis caused by malformation of the bronchial artery, which includes bronchial artery hypertrophy, bronchial-pulmonary artery fistula, and ectopic bronchial artery. Patient. An 11-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital with mild hemoptysis lasting for the two preceding days. He did not report any discomfort, such as fever or chest pain. His complete blood count and coagulation function were normal. Chest X-ray documented lower right pneumonia. Massive hemoptysis occurred on the night of the admission. Diagnosis. Bronchial arteriography revealed that the right lower bronchial artery and the ectopic bronchial artery from the renal artery were the responsible vessels for hemoptysis. Interventions. The boy underwent a successful bronchial artery embolization and bronchoscopy to remove the blood clot from the airway. Outcomes. After bronchial artery embolization and bronchoscopy, the boy recovered without complications. Hemoptysis and chest pain disappeared, and chest radiographs returned to normal. Lessons. Bronchial arterial bleeding often presents as life-threatening massive hemoptysis. Patients should immediately receive hemostatic treatment and undergo chest CTA, bronchial arteriography, BAE, and bronchoscopy according to their condition. Rapid identification of the etiology and symptomatic treatment are critical to saving the lives of children.

Recent studies have shown that concurrent physical activity enhances learning a completely unfamiliar L2 vocabulary as compared to learning it in a static condition. In this paper we report a study whose aim is twofold: to test for possible positive effects of physical activity when L2 learning has already reached some level of proficiency, and to test whether the assumed better performance when engaged in physical activity is limited to the linguistic level probed at training (i.e. L2 vocabulary tested by means of a Word-Picture Verification task), or whether it extends also to the sentence level (which was tested by means of a Sentence Semantic Judgment Task). The results show that Chinese speakers with basic knowledge of English benefited from physical activity while learning a set of new words. Furthermore, their better performance emerged also at the sentential level, as shown by their performance in a Semantic Judgment task. Finally, an interesting temporal asymmetry between the lexical and the sentential level emerges, with the difference between the experimental and control group emerging from the 1st testing session at the lexical level but after several weeks at the sentential level.

In this study, a water-model experiment and numerical simulation were carried out in a pilot ISASMELT furnace to study the factors affecting mixing time. The experimental results were compared to the simulation results to test the accuracy of the latter. To study the internal factors that affect the mixing time, the turbulent viscosity and flow field were calculated using simulation. In addition, following previous research, external factors that influence the mixing time including the depth of the submerged lance, lance diameter, gas flow rate, and the presence of a swirler were studied to investigate their effect on the flow regime. The results indicated that the mixing time is controlled by the turbulent viscosity and velocity vector. In addition, it was found that the lance diameter should not exceed 3.55 cm to maintain sufficient energy for stirring the bath. Finally, the optimal gas flow rate that offers the best mixing efficiency was found to be 50 Nm3/h.

To investigate the protective role of the sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling associated with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in a mouse model.Male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, LPS, LPS-cyclopamine group and cyclopamine group. ALI was induced by LPS ip injection (5 mg/kg). The sonic hedgehog inhibitor cyclopamine (50 mg/kg) was given to the LPS-cyclopamine group at 30 min after LPS injection as well as normal mice as control. Lung injury was observed histologically in hematoxylin and eosin (HE) stained tissue sections, semi-quantified by lung tissue injury score, and the lung tissue mass alteration was measured by wet to dry weight ratio (W/D). mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, SHH, Patched (PTC) and GLI1 in lung tissue were studied with real time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR), while the protein expression of SHH and GLI1 was determined by western blot analysis.Lung tissue injury score, thickness of alveolar septa, W/D, and TNF-α mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in the ALI mice than the normal mice (P