Search

NiCo 2 O 4 modified carbon cloth (CC) and Ni-P modified CC are respectively prepared and used as microbial fuel cell (MFC) anodes to deal with the aging landfill leachate. The electrode characterization results reveal a significant improvement in redox activity, owing to the large specific capacitance and excellent electrochemical activity. The MFCs using NCOC and NPC anodes severally exhibit excellent power production performance with the maximum steady-state output voltages of 598.0 mV and 483.0 mV and maximum power densities of 502.9 mW/m2 and 383.4 mW/m2, which are better than that of CC electrode (216.8 mV, 212.4 mW/m2). Moreover, the electrochemical measurements of MFCs unveil that the modified electrodes have significantly higher exchange current densities (9.8 times than that of CC) and lower internal resistances (about 1/5 of CC). As far as chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and the coulombic efficiency (CE) are concerned, the COD removal of NCOC and NPC are 880.9 ± 34.6 mg/L and 917.7 ± 17.3 mg/L, and their CEs are 13.9 ± 0.5% and 17.8 ± 0.3%, respectively. According to the analysis of biofilms and microbial communities, the selective effect of electrode materials on the dominant bacteria Desulfobacterota, Proteobacteria makes NiCo 2 O 4 and Ni-P possess considerable prospects as modified materials for MFC anodes. [Display omitted] • A green way to treat and utilize aging landfill leachate. • The NCOC and NPC have a maximum output voltage of 598.0 mV and 483.0 mV. • Modified composite electrodes can significantly improve the performance of MFC. • The NCOC and NPC can attract the enrichment of dominant electroactive bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Eurasian permafrost serves as an important nitrogen source for linked aquatic and oceanic ecosystems. To fill in the data gaps in the southern margin of the Eurasian permafrost, nitrogen dynamics in the two rivers that drain the permafrost in the Great Xing'an Mountains of northeast China were investigated during the 2012–2015 growing seasons. The mean concentration of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in the two catchments was 0.63 mg L−1, which is generally higher than other permafrost catchments around the Arctic Ocean. The dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) constituted the majority of TDN, and the mean DON:TDN ratio was as high as 0.84. The seasonal flood patterns broadly influenced the concentrations and annual loads of DON, as well as the dissolved organic carbon (DOC):DON ratios in the two rivers. River discharge was positively related to DON concentration during growing seasons, while the concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), namely ammonium and nitrate, demonstrated no relationship with discharge. The estimated annual TDN yield, 190 kg km−2 yr−1 on average, was much higher than in the large Arctic rivers that drain permafrost. This yield accounts for 42.7% of the total atmospheric nitrogen deposition in the study area, which indicates a great potential for dissolved nitrogen export from the permafrost area in the Great Xing'an Mountains. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • N loads and yields are estimated in the south margin of Eurasian permafrost. • Mean TDN concentration is higher than other sites around the Arctic Ocean. • Annual TDN yield accounts for 42.7% of the total atmospheric N deposition. • Discharge pattern is the main controlling factor on DON concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass meadows act as filters for nitrogen in coastal areas, but whether they are a source or sink for N 2 O has been still controversy. Additionally, the production pathways of N 2 O as well as the microbial driving mechanism in seagrass meadows are seldom reported. In this study, the air-sea fluxes, sediment release potential, and production pathway of N 2 O in a temperate Zostera marina and Z. japonica mixed meadow were investigated by using gas chromatography and 15N isotopic tracing methods. The qPCR and metagenome sequencing were used to compare the difference in functional gene abundance and expression between seagrass vegetated and non-grass sediments. The results showed that the N 2 O air-sea fluxes in the meadow ranged from −1.97 to −1.77 nmol m⁻2 h⁻1, which was slightly lower in the seagrass region than in the adjacent bare region. Seagrass sediment N 2 O release potential dramatically increased after warming and nitrogen enrichment treatments. Heterotrophic nitrification was firstly investigated in seagrass meadows, and the process (26.80%–62.41%) and denitrification (37.55%–72.83%) contributed significantly to N 2 O production in the meadow, affected deeply by sediment organic content, while the contribution of autotrophic nitrification can be neglected. Compared with the bare sediments, the ammonia monooxygenase genes amoA , amoB and amoC , and nitrite oxidoreductase genes nxrA and nxrB , as well as nitrite reductase gene nirS and nitric oxide reductase gene norB were down-regulated, while the nitrous oxide reductase gene nosZ was up-regulated in the seagrass sediments, explaining less N 2 O emission in seagrass regions from the perspective of molecular. The nosZII -bearing bacteria like Bacteroidia , Polyangia , Anaerolineae , and Verrucomicrobiae could play important roles in N 2 O reduction in the seagrass meadow. The result is of great significance for highlighting the ability of seagrass meadows to mitigate climate changes. • Seagrass meadows could be N 2 O sink in coastal zones. • Warming and nitrogen enrichment enhanced N 2 O emission in seagrass sediments. • Heterotrophic nitrification contributed to N 2 O production in seagrass meadows. • Metagenomic data supported lower N 2 O emission in seagrass regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is an acute hypoxic respiratory failure caused by diffuse inflammatory injury in alveolar epithelial cells during severe infection, trauma, and shock. Among them, trauma/hemorrhagic shock (T/HS) is the main type of indirect lung injury. Despite a great number of clinical studies, indirect factor trauma/hemorrhagic shock to the function and the mechanism in acute lung injury is not clear yet. Therefore, it is still necessary to carry on relevant analysis in order to thoroughly explore its molecular and cellular mechanisms and the pathway of disease function. In our research, we aimed to identify potential pathogenic genes and do modular analysis by downloading disease-related gene expression profile data. And our dataset is from the NCBI-GEO database. Then, we used the Clusterprofiler R package, GO function, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis to analyze the core module genes. In addition, we also identified key transcription factors and noncoding RNAs. Based on the high degree of interaction of potential pathogenic genes and their involved functions and pathways, we identified 17 dysfunction modules. Among them, up to 9 modules significantly regulate the response to bacterial-derived molecules, and the response to lipopolysaccharide and other related functional pathways that mediate disease development. In addition, miR-290, miR-30c-5p, miR-195-5p, and miR-1-3p-based ncRNA and Jun, Atf1, and Atf3-based transcription factors have a total of 80 transcription drivers for functional modules. In summary, this study confirmed that miR-30c-5p activates lipopolysaccharide response pathway to promote the pathogenesis of ALI induced by hemorrhagic shock. This result can be an important direction for further research on related deepening diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It further provides a piece of scientific medical evidence for revealing the pathogenic principle and cure difficulty of acute lung injury and also provides important guidance for the design of therapeutic strategies and drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CH 4 and CO 2 fluxes from two wetlands in northeast China are presented. • Most variations of CH 4 were distributed at time scales of several days to some months. • Soil temperature and thaw depth imposed alternated influences on CH 4 at the peatland. • Soil temperature and plant productivity influenced CH 4 emissions at the marsh. • Both wetlands were carbon sinks while the marsh had a net positive radiative forcing. Quantifying net CO 2 exchange (NEE) and CH 4 emissions of northern wetlands and their responses to biophysical controls are central to understanding the role of wetlands in global climate change. This study presents two growing seasons of observations of CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes by eddy covariance technique from a permafrost peatland and an inundated marsh in northeast China. Wavelet analysis was used to explore the temporal multi-scale variations of NEE and CH 4 fluxes and their biophysical controls. NEE showed prominent variations at the diel and the seasonal scales. However, most CH 4 variance was distributed at time scales longer than one day. At the permafrost peatland wavelet analysis revealed strong spectral coherency and alternating coherence between soil temperature and CH 4 fluxes during the spring and summer seasons and between thaw depth and CH 4 fluxes in the late growing season, with the suggestion of an as yet unknown coherence at longer timescales than could be resolved with just growing season records. At the marsh, soil temperature and CH 4 flux showed strong spectral coherency throughout the growing seasons and gross ecosystem production (GEP) additionally imposed its influence on CH 4 mainly during the most active part of the growing season. The growing season average CH 4 emission from the peatland (0.7 g C CH 4 m−2) was quite small and was negligible compared to its growing season NEE (−74.2 g C CO 2). In contrast, the growing season CH 4 emission from the marsh (average 31.1 g C CH 4 m−2) was considerably higher and accounted for about 16.2 % of its NEE (−191.7 g C CO 2 m−2). Although the two wetlands were net carbon sinks during the growing seasons and the permafrost peatland had a negative radiative forcing (i.e., cooling effect), the high CH 4 emissions from the marsh resulted in a net positive radiative forcing (i.e., warming effect). To understand the function of northern wetlands in the global carbon cycle, continuous field observations of these greenhouse gases are vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: In recent decades, temperate herbaceous wetlands have been widely experiencing shrub encroachment. By now, little has been known about whether such alteration in plant community would generate updated soil organic carbon (SOC) conservation strategies, and thus alter SOC dynamics. Methods: To assess the temporal dynamics of SOC stock and fractions after shrub encroachment into temperate herbaceous wetlands, we measured floor litter mass, fine root biomass, and SOC stock and fractions (i.e. labile C pool I, labile C pool II, and recalcitrant C pool) across the 0–50 cm soil profile in the open wetlands and shrub islands (Betula fruticose and Salix floderusii) with different basal diameter sizes (small, 10 ~ 15 cm; medium, 15 ~ 20 cm; and large, 20 ~ 30 cm) in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China. Results: Regardless of shrub species, SOC stock initially decreased after shrub expansion, but gradually recovered to the initial level of herbaceous wetlands. Moreover, SOC stock correlated positively with fine root biomass, but showed no significant relationship with floor litter mass. The responses of SOC fractions to shrub expansion mainly occurred in the surface soils (0–15 cm), despite a slight change in recalcitrant C pool in 15–50 cm layer. In the surface soils, labile C pool decreased substantially, whereas recalcitrant C pool and recalcitrant index of SOC elevated with increasing shrub sizes. Conclusions: Shrub encroachment can recover SOC pool and enhance SOC recalcitrance in temperate herbaceous wetlands, and altered fine root biomass would account for shrub encroachment-induced SOC dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Graminoid-dominated wetlands have been subjected to widespread shrub encroachment, yet the effect of this shift in species composition on litter decomposition remains unclear, especially in the standing-dead stage. Methods: We collected labile (Deyeuxia angustifolia) and recalcitrant (Carex schmidtii) graminoid leaf litter from a freshwater wetland in northeast China, and used the litterbag method to characterize litter ash-free dry mass (AFDM) loss and nitrogen (N) release in the air and on the soil surface in open wetlands and two shrub islands (Salix floderusii producing phenol-poor litter and Betula fruticosa producing phenol-rich litter) over 360 days of decomposition. Results: Litter decomposition in the air and on the soil surface responded differentially to shrub expansion. In the air, AFDM loss and N release for both labile and recalcitrant litter were often lower in shrub islands than in open wetlands. On the soil surface, labile litter decomposition was decelerated in the presence of shrubs with phenol-rich litter, but accelerated in the presence of shrubs with phenol-poor litter. Despite the absence of significant differences in N release, recalcitrant litter AFDM loss was lower in shrub islands than in open wetlands after 360 days of decomposition on the soil surface. Conclusions: Shrub encroachment retards litter decomposition in the air, but the effects on litter decomposition on the soil surface vary with shrub type and litter degradability in graminoid-dominated wetlands. Moreover, these findings emphasize that standing litter decomposition should be considered to enhance our understanding of shrub encroachment effects on litter decomposition in these wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to dispose of large quantities of hazardous shale gas drilling waste is an important worldwide problem facing the oil and gas industry. In this study, we report an environmentally friendly and low energy consumption approach (carbonization followed by activation) to convert oil-based drill sludge (OBDS) and oil-based drill cuttings (OBDCs) into biochar composites and investigate the effect of hydrofluoric acid (HF) acidification on them. The biochar composites were prepared using the OBDS, OBDCs, the mixtures of OBDS and OBDCs, and HF treatment the mixtures were named OS, OC, OSC, and OSC-HF, respectively. The characterization result of synthesized biochar composites indicated that the OSC had a larger specific surface area and a higher degree of graphitization. The composites mainly consisted of SiO 2 and BaSO 4 , except for biochar. The OSC electrode exhibited the highest oxygen evolution potential (1.72 V vs Ag/AgCl) and the lowest charge transfer resistance compared with OS, OC, and OSC-HF electrodes, implying that SiO 2 plays an important role in electrochemical performance. Using the OSC electrode as an anode, the chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency of the OBDS supernatant was 79.4 ± 0.95%. Further, the OSC electrode could maintain higher degradation efficiency and stability after the fifth reuse. The study provides a promising route for the proper disposal and resource utilization of OBDS and OBDCs and proposes a novel biochar compound as an electrode for the efficient treatment of wastewater. Moreover, this work highlights the important significance of the simultaneous resource utilization of waste and the treatment of wastewater using waste materials. [Display omitted] • A low-consumption way to treat and utilize oil-based drill sludge and cuttings. • The novel biochar-SiO 2 -BaSO 4 could be synthesized by oil-based waste as precursors. • The biochar composites display better porosity and electrochemical properties. • The biochar electrode shows 79.4% COD removal efficiency for the supernate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A cluster of eleven patients, including eight family members and three healthcare workers with fever and thrombocytopenia occurred in Yixing County, Jiangsu Province, China, from October to November 1996. However, the initial investigation failed to identify its etiology. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by SFTS bunyavirus (SFTSV), which was first discovered in 2009. The discovery of novel SFTSV resulted in our consideration to test SFTSV on the remaining samples of this cluster in September 2010. Methodology/Principal findings: We retrospectively analyzed the epidemiological and clinical data of this cluster. The first case, one 55-year-old man with fulminant hemorrhagic diseases, died on October 14, 1996. His younger brother (the second case) developed similar hemorrhagic diseases after nursing him and then died on November 3. From November 4 to November 15, nine other patients, including six family members and three medical staffs, developed fever and thrombocytopenia after exposure to the second case. The sera of six patients were collected on November 24, 1996. IgM antibodies against SFTSV were detected in all of the six patients’ sera using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while IgG antibodies were detected in one patient’s serum using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). We also found that IgG antibodies against SFTSV were still detected in four surviving patients’ sera 14 years after illness onset. Conclusions and significance: The mysterious pathogen of the cluster in 1996 was proved to be SFTSV on the basis of its epidemiological data, clinical data and serological results. It suggests that SFTSV has been circulating in China for more than 10 years before being identified in 2009, and SFTSV IgG antibodies can persist for up to 14 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) availability affects litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics, especially in N-limited ecosystems. We investigated the response of litter decomposition to N additions in Eriophorum vaginatum and Vaccinium uliginosum peatlands. These two species dominate peatlands in Northeast China. In 2012, mesh bags containing senesced leaf litter of Eriophorum vaginatum and Vaccinium uliginosum were placed in N addition plots and sprayed monthly for two years with NH 4 NO 3 solution at dose rates of 0, 6, 12, and 24 g N m − 2 year − 1 (CK, N1, N2 and N3, respectively). Mass loss, N and phosphorus (P) content, and enzymatic activity were measured over time as litter decomposed. In the control plots, V. uliginosum litter decomposed faster than E. vaginatum litter. N1, N2, and N3 treatments increased the mass losses of V. uliginosum litter by 6%, 9%, and 4% respectively, when compared with control. No significant influence of N additions was found on the decomposition of E. vaginatum litter. However, N and P content in E. vaginatum litter and V. uliginosum litter significantly increased with N additions. Moreover, N additions significantly promoted invertase and β-glucosidase activity in E. vaginatum and V. uliginosum litter. However, only in V. uliginosum litter was polyphenol oxidase activity significantly enhanced. Our results showed that initial litter quality and polyphenol oxidase activity influence the response of plant litter to N additions in peatland ecosystems. Increased N availability may change peatland soil N and P cycling by enhancing N and P immobilization during litter decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming is expected to increasingly influence boreal peatlands and alter their greenhouse gases emissions. However, the effects of warming on N 2 O fluxes and the N 2 O budgets were ignored in boreal peatlands. Therefore, in a boreal peatland of permafrost zone in Northeast China, a simulated warming experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of warming on N 2 O fluxes in Betula . Fruticosa community ( B . Fruticosa ) and Ledum . palustre community ( L . palustre ) during the growing seasons from 2013 to 2015. Results showed that warming treatment increased air temperature at 1.5 m aboveground and soil temperature at 5 cm depth by 0.6 °C and 2 °C, respectively. The average seasonal N 2 O fluxes ranged from 6.62 to 9.34 μg m − 2 h − 1 in the warming plot and ranged from 0.41 to 4.55 μg m − 2 h − 1 in the control plots. Warming treatment increased N 2 O fluxes by 147% and transformed the boreal peatlands from a N 2 O sink to a source. The primary driving factors for N 2 O fluxes were soil temperature and active layer depth, whereas soil moisture showed a weak correlation with N 2 O fluxes. The results indicated that warming promoted N 2 O fluxes by increasing soil temperature and active layer depth in a boreal peatland of permafrost zone in Northeast China. Moreover, elevated N 2 O fluxes persisted in this region will potentially drive a noncarbon feedback to ongoing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northeast China contains a large concentration of wetlands, primarily in two prominent types, freshwater marshes on the lowlands plains to the northeast and mountain permafrost peatlands in the north. Both wetlands types are threatened by disturbance, the marshes from agricultural conversion and the peatlands due to climate warming and loss of permafrost. Here we compare two seasons of ecosystem-scale CH 4 fluxes measured via eddy covariance for a permafrost peatland in the Da Xing’anling Mountains and a freshwater marsh on the Sanjiang Plain. The objectives were to quantify CH 4 fluxes, compare seasonal trends in the flux and determine the dominant environmental and biophysical drivers of the CH 4 flux for these two distinct wetland types. CH 4 fluxes at the marsh had a strong seasonal trend peaking in mid-summer, while the pattern for the peatland was muted. Maximum instantaneous fluxes were 1.34 μg CH 4 m −2 s −1 and 9.5 μg CH 4 m −2 s −1 at the peatland and marsh, respectively. Total seasonal CH 4 emissions for the peatland, 0.38–1.27 g C-CH 4 m −2 , were an order of magnitude smaller than those at the marsh, 19.71–21.8 g C-CH 4 m −2 . Differences between years were small for both wetlands. We used path analysis to examine environmental and biophysical drivers of the flux and found that soil temperature (average soil temperature between 10 cm to 60 cm depths for the peatland and 10 cm depth for the marsh) was most strongly correlated with seasonal CH 4 variability for both wetlands. Secondary influences were thaw depth for the peatland and net ecosystem CO 2 exchange for the marsh. Given the temperature sensitivity of CH 4 flux for both of these wetlands, future climate warming will likely increase CH 4 emissions in northeast China, as well, the continued loss of permafrost in the mountain peatlands will likely further contribute to enhanced CH 4 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mid-high latitude permafrost peatlands in the Northern Hemisphere is a major natural source of methane (CH 4 ) to the atmosphere. Ecosystem scale CH 4 emissions from a typical permafrost peatland in the Great Hing'an Mountains were observed during the growing season of 2014 and 2015 using the open-path eddy covariance method. Relevant environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation were also collected. There was a clear diurnal variation in methane emissions in the second half of each growing season, with significantly higher emission rates in the wet sector of study area. The daily CH 4 exchange ranged from 1.8 mg CH 4 m −2 d −1 to 40.2 mg CH 4 m −2 d −1 in 2014 and ranged from −3.9 to 15.0 mg CH 4 m −2 d −1 in 2015. There were no peaks of CH 4 fluxes during the spring thawing period. However, large peaks of CH 4 emission were found in the second half of both growing seasons. The CH 4 emission after Jul 25th accounted for 77.9% of total growing season emission in 2014 and 85.9% in 2015. The total CH 4 emission during the growing season of 2014 and 2015 was approximately 1.52 g CH 4 m −2 and 0.71 g CH 4 m −2 , respectively. CH 4 fluxes during the growing seasons were significantly correlated with thawing depth ( R 2 = 0.71, P < 0.01) and soil temperatures ( R 2 = 0.75, P < 0.01) at 40 cm depth. An empirical equation using these two major variables was modified to estimate growing season CH 4 emissions in permafrost peatlands. Our multiyear observations indicate that the time-lagged volume of precipitation during the growing season is a key factor in interpreting locally inter-annual variations in CH 4 emissions. Our results suggested that the low temperature in the deep soil layers effectively restricts methane production and emission rates; these conditions may create significant positive feedback under global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) is a limiting nutrient in many peatland ecosystems. Enhanced N deposition, a major component of global climate change, affects ecosystem carbon (C) balance and alters soil C storage by changing plant and soil properties. However, the effects of enhanced N deposition on peatland ecosystems are poorly understood. We conducted a two-year N additions field experiment in a peatland dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum in the Da Xing’an Mountains, Northeast China. Four levels of N treatments were applied: (1) CK (no N added), (2) N1 (6 g N m −2 yr −1 ), (3) N2 (12 g N m −2 yr −1 ), and (4) N3 (24 g N m −2 yr −1 ). Plant and soil material was harvested at the end of the second growing season. N additions increased litter N and phosphorus (P) content, as well as β-glucosidase, invertase, and acid-phosphatase activity, but decreased litter C:N and C:P ratios. Litter carbon content remained unchanged. N additions increased available NH 4 + –N and NO 3 − –N as well as total Gram-positive (Gram+), Gram-negative (Gram−), and total bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) in shallow soil (0–15 cm depth). An increase in these PLFAs was accompanied by a decrease in soil labile organic C (microbial biomass carbon and dissolved organic carbon), and appeared to accelerate decomposition and reduce the stability of the soil C pool. Invertase and urease activity in shallow soils and acid-phosphatase activity in deep soils (15–30 cm depth) was inhibited by N additions. Together, these findings suggest that an increase in N deposition in peatlands could accelerate litter decomposition and the loss of labile C, as well as alter microbial biomass and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is considered an effective strategy to improve electrochemical performance that introducing rare elements into metal catalysts, which would provide abundant electrochemical active sites and be a benefit for redox reactions. A new Ni–Mo–P composite electrode material modified with rare earth elements (light rare earth Nd and heavy rare earth Yb) was prepared, evaluating the current density of direct current electrodeposition, the doping ratio of Yb and Nd, and the cyclic voltammetry deposition (CVD) cycle numbers on electrode structure and electrochemical performance. The results showed that the electrode has the most obvious amorphous state, the lowest hydrogen evolution overpotential (41.5 mV vs Ag/AgCl) and charge transfer resistance (15.74 Ω/cm2), and remarkable stability when the molar ratio of Yb and Nd was 8:2 and the 20 cycle numbers under the CVD condition. The electrochemical performance and characterization of the electrode showed that there was a good synergistic effect between rare earth elements (Yb, Nd) and Ni–Mo–P alloys. The oil-based drill sludge (OBDS) treatment indicated that the organic matter content is significantly reduced by using the above-modified electrode as the cathode, and the COD and petroleum removal rate can reach up to 85.4 ± 1.2% and 66.2 ± 5.9%. The effect of degradation for aliphatic hydrocarbon was better than aromatic hydrocarbons and no other intermediates are produced during the degradation, which may eventually mineralize the organic matter. This research provided technical support for the preparation of new Ni–Mo–P electrodes modified with rare earth elements and confirmed that electrocatalytic technology was a suitable method for OBDS treatment. [Display omitted] • A new rare-earth element (Yb and Nd) composite Ni–Mo–P electrode was prepared. • Investigate the effect of DC and CVD on the electrode structure and performance. • Electrochemical oxidation treatment for oil-based dill sludge. • The mechanism and process of degradation were preliminarily explored. • It provided a new idea for waste disposal of oil and gas fields with high oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic wastewater, especially dye wastewater, has become a severe pollutant threatening environmental health. Photocatalysis is considered a promising technology for wastewater treatment; therefore, Bismuth-based photocatalytic materials have been heavily investigated. In this paper, flower-like Ni2+ doped Bi 2 WO 6 was successfully prepared by hydrothermal method. XRD, XPS, Raman, FT-IR, SEM, EDS, PL, EIS, UV–Vis DRS and transient photocurrent response were tested to analyze the structure, morphology, optical properties, and photocatalytic activity of the materials. The photocatalytic performance of Ni2+ doped Bi 2 WO 6 was measured by degrading Rhodamine B (RhB). The results exhibit that the best photocatalytic degradation rate of RhB, reaching 93%, was achieved using 0.25% Ni2+ doped Bi 2 WO 6. The characterization results demonstrated that Ni2+ successfully entered Bi 2 WO 6 and supplanted Bi3+ in part. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is due to the generation of defects and the reduced band gap width in Ni2+ doped Bi 2 WO 6. Furthermore, according to capture experiments, the effective reactive group is the superoxide radical. Therefore, Ni2+ doped Bi 2 WO 6 catalyst holds some promise for application. • Flower-like Ni2+ doped photocatalysts were synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal method。. • A small amount of Ni2+ doping can substantially improve photocatalytic activity, which is economically valuable. • 0.25% Ni–Bi 2 WO 6 achieved a 93.17% degradation rate of Rhodamine b under simulated light. • Oxygen Vacancy defects and reduction of band gap width are considered to enhance the photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, conducted at the Emuer River in northern China during the growing season of 2014, investigated the concentrations and sources of dissolved CH 4 and CO 2 in wetland rivers in the permafrost region, as well as the total export of dissolved gaseous carbon (C) transported by streamflow. CH 4 and CO 2 concentrations in these rivers, ranging from 0.410–1.045 to 107.838–190.925 μmol L −1 , respectively, were among the highest levels of gaseous C concentrations reported from studies around the world. The concentrations of the C gases varied greatly with streamflow, but the influence of hydrological, as well as meteorological parameters, was not significant, except for the influence of the thaw depth of the soil active layer of adjacent wetlands on CH 4 concentrations. δ 18 O‰ values suggest the observed dissolved gases originated mainly from soil pore water in the active layers of the wetlands, as opposed to organic-rich sediments in river beds, which serves as a common source for riverine CH 4 and CO 2 according to many other studies. A total of 444.30 t C was exported by the 3rd order main Emuer river during the growing season, and an export coefficient of 4.65 mg C m −2 day −1 was calculated for the wetland ecosystem. The dataset in this study is significant with regard to the global carbon balance because it is representative of the extensive wetlands occurring throughout the Eurasian permafrost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV), a tick-borne phlebovirus in family Bunyaviridae. Studies have found that humans, domestic and wildlife animals can be infected by SFTSV. However, the viral ecology, circulation, and transmission remain largely unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: Sixty seven human SFTS cases were reported and confirmed by virus isolation or immunofluorescence assay between 2011 and 2014. In 2013–2014 we collected 9,984 ticks from either vegetation or small wild mammals in the endemic area in Jiangsu, China, and detected SFTSV-RNA by real-time RT-PCR in both questing and feeding Haemaphysalis longicornis and H. flava. Viral RNA was identified in larvae of H. longicornis prior to a first blood meal, which has never been confirmed previously in nature. SFTSV-RNA and antibodies were also detected by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively, in wild mammals including Erinaceus europaeus and Sorex araneus. A live SFTSV was isolated from Erinaceus europaeus captured during the off tick-feeding season and with a high SFTSV antibody titer. Furthermore, SFTSV antibodies were detected in the migratory birds Anser cygnoides and Streptopelia chinensis using ELISA. Conclusions/Significance: The detection of SFTSV-RNA in non-engorged larvae indicated that vertical transmission of SFTSV in H. longicornis might occur in nature, which suggests that H. longicornis is a putative reservoir host of SFTSV. Small wild mammals such as Erinaceus europaeus and Sorex araneus could be infected by SFTSV and may serve as natural amplifying hosts. Our data unveiled that wild birds could be infected with SFTSV or carry SFTSV-infected ticks and thus might contribute to the long-distance spread of SFTSV via migratory flyways. These findings provide novel insights for understanding SFTSV ecology, reservoir hosts, and transmission in nature and will help develop new measures in preventing its rapid spread both regionally and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Warming increases soil C cycling microbial abundance, which will result in C loss. • Soil nif H and nir K gene abundances exhibit insensitivity to 6 years of warming. • Soil β-glucosidase, inverse, and urease respond differently to 6 years of warming. • Warming accelerates DOC decomposition and leaching from shrub non-rhizosphere soil. • No warming effect is observed on soil TC, MBC, and NO 3 −–N content. Soil microbes and enzymes in permafrost peatland are sensitive to temperature changes, which might result in more potential loss of carbon and increase in available nitrogen from permafrost peatlands in a warming world. We previously demonstrated that 3-year warming could affect soil microbial abundance and enzymatic activity. However, soil microbial abundance and enzymatic activity in permafrost peatlands under long-term climate warming is not well understood. Therefore, a 6-year field manipulation experiment was used to assess the impact of long-term warming on soil microbial abundance and enzymatic activity in a permafrost peatland in northeastern China. Results showed that 6-year warming increased the abundance of bacteria in 0 to 15 cm soil under tussock and from shrub rhizosphere, fungi from shrub non-rhizosphere, and archaea under tussock and from the rhizosphere of shrub. These increased microbial abundances could stimulate soil carbon cycling and accelerate soil carbon loss in permafrost peatland under warming. Six-year warming increased methanogen abundance in 0 to 15 cm soil and methanotroph abundance in 15 to 30 cm soil under tussock, indicating that warming could enhance CH 4 cycling. Soil nir S-denitrifier abundance from the 0 to 15 cm shrub rhizosphere increased under warming, thereby suggesting that warming stimulated denitrification and N 2 O emission. β-Glucosidase activity in 0 to 15 cm soil under tussock and from shrub rhizosphere increased, but invertase activity in 15 to 30 cm soil under tussock and from shrub rhizosphere showed opposite tendency under warming. DOC content tended to increase in the 0 to 15 cm rhizosphere soil, but decreased in shrub non-rhizosphere soil. Warming increased NH 4 +–N content in both rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil. Positive correlations between abundances of bacteria, archaea, contents of DOC, and NH 4 +–N in 0 to 15 cm soil suggest that increases in bacterial and archaeal abundance could indicate higher carbon and nitrogen availability in topsoil of permafrost peatlands under warming. The results offer new insights into the response of plant–soil-microbe interactions in permafrost peatlands to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Growing season carbon budget from the peatland was estimated to be 71–95 g C m−2. • Photosynthetically active radiation is a good indicator in estimating photoinhibition. • Soil respiration and plant respiration respond to environmental changes differently. • Detailed utilization and analyses of the eddy covariance data are important. Eddy covariance (EC) technique is a widely used method to quantify the net exchange of CO 2 between ecosystems and the atmosphere. The quality control and data analysis of calculated fluxes are essential to ensure accurate budget estimates. Ecosystem scale CO 2 exchange between a typical permafrost peatland of the Great Hing'an Mountains and the atmosphere was measured during the growing season of 2014 and 2015 using the open-path eddy covariance technique. Footprint analysis and turbulence stationary test were applied to the calculated fluxes to improve the data accuracy. High quality data were then screened to study emission patterns. Combining widely used models with the observed data, an empirical model derived by photosynthetically active radiation was developed to fit daily photosynthesis reduction. Seasonal variation of apparent quantum yield (α , mol CO 2 mol−1 photon), maximum photosynthesis rate (P max , µmol CO 2 m−2 s−1) and temperature sensitivity for respiration (E 0 , K) were found to follow a unimodal distribution and could be simulated by a Gaussian based equation. The use of EC data and the potential issues, especially the bias on respiration estimation, were discussed. Detailed utilization and analyses of the EC data are helpful in revealing the CO 2 exchange patterns on different time scales, and also contribute to reducing the result differences between EC and other measurement techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litter mixing effects during decomposition remain inconclusive for boreal peatlands, and such effects may vary with climate warming and associated shifts in vegetation composition. Here, litters were collected from four common species (deciduous shrub Betula fruticosa , evergreen shrub Ledum palustre , graminoid Eriophorum vaginatum , and moss Sphagnum divinum) in a boreal peatland of northeast China, resulting in 15 species combinations with species richness ranging from one to four. We determined litter mixing effects on carbon (C) mineralization rate and mass loss under aerobic conditions at 10 °C and 20 °C in a 315-d incubation experiment, and assessed the differences in litter mass loss for the individual species within monocultures and mixtures. Non-additive effects on C mineralization and mass loss were prevalent during decomposition of litter mixtures. Moreover, the sensitivity of C mineralization and mass loss to rising incubation temperature (Q 10) was found to be non-additive in five and three out of 11 mixtures, respectively. Notably, mass loss of other litters in the mixtures was generally promoted by B. fruticosa , but inhibited by S. divinum in two- and three-species litter mixtures. Furthermore, B. fruticosa increased and S. divinum decreased Q 10 values for mass loss of other litters in four out of seven cases. These findings suggest that the shifts in plant community composition will not only influence community-level litter decomposition through altered litter mixing effects during decomposition, but also modulate the response of litter decomposition to rising temperature in boreal peatlands. • Non-additive effects were predominant during litter mixture decomposition. • Litter mixing effects on decomposition varied with incubation temperature. • B. fruticosa litter promoted mass loss of other litters in the mixtures. • S. divinum litter often inhibited mass loss of other litters in the mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on network pharmacology analysis, this study was to uncover the anti-colorectal cancer (CRC) targets and molecular mechanisms exerted by puerarin. Pathological genes of CRC and therapeutic genes of puerarin were collected through well-established databases. The crucial targets of puerarin against CRC were further used for function and pathway enrichment assays to elucidate the biological processes and signaling pathways, followed by experiment-based verification. In network data, the most significant targets of tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase-1 (TDP1), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A-1 (ALDH1A1), muscleblind like splicing regulator 1 (MBNL1), aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (HPGD) were screened and defined in anti-CRC effects exerted by puerarin. In further enrichment assays, the functional processes of puerarin against CRC were associated with energy pathways, metabolism, cell communication, signal transduction, aldehyde metabolism, DNA repair. Meanwhile, key ten signaling pathways from bioinformatic findings were ascertained respectively. As revealed in human data, CRC patients showed up-regulated expressions of endogenous TDP1, ALDH1A1, accompanied with visible hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Ki-67 stains and elevated blood tumor marker expressions. In further study in vitro , puerarin-treated human CRC cells resulted in inhibited cell growth, increased cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent way. Further, down-regulated expressions of TDP1, ALDH1A1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected in puerarin-treated CRC cells. In conclusion, the molecular network data manifest the biotargets and signaling pathways of puerarin against CRC, followed by verification of both human and cell line studies. Furthermore, the pharmacological molecules of TDP1, ALDH1A1 seem to be the possible targets for managing CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]