[Effects of Biochar Addition on Soil Nitrogen Mineralization and Leaching Characteristics in Riparian Zone of Taihu Lake].

Nitrogen mineralization in riparian soil changes the migration and utilization efficiency of nitrogen, which is closely related to the control of water eutrophication. The differences in soil properties caused by land use alter nitrogen retention and transport capacity. Therefore, the soil of three land use types (woodland, grassland, and cultivated land) in the western riparian zone of Taihu Lake were selected for research on the dynamic changes in nitrogen mineralization amount using an incubation experiment and a leaching characteristics by soil column leaching experiment, and their environmental effects were also studied under different biochar addition conditions (0%, 1%, and 5%).

Gpr19 is a circadian clock-controlled orphan GPCR with a role in modulating free-running period and light resetting capacity of the circadian clock.

Gpr19 encodes an evolutionarily conserved orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with currently no established physiological role in vivo. We characterized Gpr19 expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the locus of the master circadian clock in the brain, and determined its role in the context of the circadian rhythm regulation. We found that Gpr19 is mainly expressed in the dorsal part of the SCN, with its expression fluctuating in a circadian fashion.

[Comparison of Available Nitrogen and Phosphorus Characteristics in the Land-Water Transition Zone of Different Watersheds and Their Environmental Significance].

In order to explore the characteristics and environmental significance of available nitrogen and phosphorus in different land-water transition zones, soil and sediment samples from three study areas, including the upstream watershed of Minjiang River (MJU), western watershed of Hongze Lake (HZW), and western watershed of Taihu Lake (THW), were collected and analyzed. The results showed that the contents of total nitrogen and phosphorus in THW were higher than those of other two study areas. The contents of nitrogen and phosphorus in sediments were higher than those in soils of HZW.

[Effects of Biochar Input on Changes of Available Nutrient Elements in Riparian Soils with Different Landuse Types].

Biochar, as a new environmentally friendly material, has been used to improve soil quality and for pollution remediation. Biochar input has a significant impact on available nutrients in the soil. Based on the different land use types (forestland, grassland, cultivated land, and barren land) in the riparian zone of Taihu Lake, the effects of biochar application on the available content of nutrients in different land use types of soil were compared, and the dynamics of nutrient change was also discussed.

Spatial variations in and environmental significance of nitrogen forms in river sediments from two different watersheds in eastern China.

Nitrogen is considered an essential nutrient element limiting water productivity, and its distribution in sediments directly affects its release potential. This study aimed to analyse the spatial characteristics, distribution, and influence of nitrogen forms in two different river catchments situated in eastern China. Using sequential extraction methods, the study divided sediment nitrogen into four forms, namely, an ion-exchangeable form (IEF-N), weak acid-extractable form (WAEF-N), strong alkali-extractable form (SAEF-N), and strong oxidant-extractable form (SOEF-N).

Spatial distribution, source analysis, and ecological risk assessment of PBDEs in river sediment around Taihu Lake, China.

The distribution and composition of organic pollutants in sediment are affected by the source and regional environment. To understand the characteristics and risk of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the area around Taihu Lake, composite sediment samples (n = 41) were collected in rivers around Taihu Lake to explore the level, spatial distribution, and source of PBDEs. The results showed that the most abundant BDE congener in river sediment was BDE209, followed by BDE99 and BDE47, with median values of 48.

Prevalence of fluoroquinolone, macrolide and sulfonamide-related resistance genes in landfills from East China, mainly driven by MGEs.

Landfills are one of the most important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and ARG pollution in landfills has been well investigated. However, the various factors contributing to the widespread prevalence of ARGs in landfills have rarely been explored. Here, we quantified three classes of antibiotics, six kinds of heavy metals, eight types of ARGs, and five varieties of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in refuse samples from 10 landfills in Zhejiang Province, China.

, an Emerging Causative Agent of Freshwater-Farmed Whiteleg shrimp .

is a well-known bacterial pathogen associated with mass mortalities in aquaculture. Yet, few reports are available on whiteleg shrimp-pathogenic . In the present study, a virulent isolate WS05 was confirmed as a causative agent of diseased freshwater-cultured whiteleg shrimp and showed a mean lethal dose (LD) value of 4.

[Spatial Distribution of Organic Phosphorus in Sediment and Its Environmental Implication in the Upper Stream of Minjiang River].

In order to explore the effect of land use pattern on phosphorus distribution and the potential release capacity of stream sediment in the upper Minjiang River, this paper presented organic phosphorus forms and their spatial distribution characteristics of sediments in the upper Minjiang River by using the IVANOFF method and discussing the effects of physicochemical properties of sediments on the distribution of organic phosphorus forms. The results show that:①nitrogen and phosphorus contents of sediments in Jianxi and Shaxi catchments are higher than those in the Futunxi catchment, probably related to the large number of farmland runoff and municipal sewage near the Jianxi and Shaxi catchments and the large forest area around the Futunxi catchment;②contents in the sediments from three catchments and TP contents in the sediments from Jianxi and Futunxi catchments showed the order of upper reaches < middle reaches < lower reaches, which may be caused by the mountainous and forested areas in the upper reaches and the intensive human activities in the middle and lower reaches;③nitrogen phosphorus in sediments of the three catchments were mainly non-active organic phosphorus, which indicated that upper reaches of the Minjiang river were generally less affected by external pollution, and the relative proportion of organic phosphorus in the sediments of different catchments was relatively large, while the change in different sections of the same river was relatively small;④physicochemical properties of sediments had a significant impact on the morphology and distribution of organic phosphorus, among which the effects of organic matter, TP, and TN were the most obvious, but the effects on sediments in different river basins were different. Therefore, to protect the water quality of the upper Minjiang River, it is necessary to strengthen the control of the living and agricultural pollution sources near the catchments.

Association between elevated plasma microRNA-223 content and severity of coronary heart disease.

Bioinformatics indicate that miR-223 regulates many genes associated with cholesterol metabolism, and it could also control high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) uptake. As reported in previous study, miR-223 was found to be upregulated from human subjects with familial hypercholesterolaemia, however, it remains to be determined using a larger group of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Moreover, whether it correlates with severity of atherogenesis, has never been elucidated before.

Preparation of a novel chloromethylated polystyrene-2-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole chelating resin and its adsorption properties and mechanism for separation and recovery of Hg(II) from aqueous solutions.

With an efficient methodology, a novel chloromethylated polystyrene-g-2-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole chelating resin (MTR resin) was prepared via a one-step reaction. The structure of MTR resin was characterized by elements analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Meanwhile, the adsorption properties of the resin for Hg(II) were investigated by batch and column experiments.

One-Step Reduction and Surface Modification of Graphene Oxide by 3-Hydroxy-2-Naphthoic Acid Hydrazide and Its Polypropylene Nanocomposites.

3-Hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid hydrazide (HNH), a new reductant and modifier, was applied to reduce and modify graphene oxide (GO) in a one-step process. The obtained HNH reduced graphene oxide (HNH-rGO) was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The results demonstrated that GO was successfully reduced to graphene and the surface of HNH-rGO was grafted with HNH.

Atomic structure and polarity compensation of BaTiO3 (1 1 1) surface.

Surfaces of perovskite-type oxides have been attracting increasing interest for their primary importance in various potential applications such as multiferroic thin films, interface electronics and catalysis. However, the (1 1 1) surface of BaTiO3, the most typical ferroelectric, is far from well understood. In this work, the atomic structure and polarity compensation of BaTiO3 (1 1 1) surface have been investigated combining aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and first-principle calculations.

[Degradation of dimethyl phthalate by Ti (IV)-catalyzed O3/H2O2 under acidic conditions].

The degradation efficiencies of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) by O3, O3/H2O2, Ti(IV)/O3 and Ti(IV)/O3/H2O2 were investigated under acidic conditions. The results indicated that Ti(IV)/O3/H2O2 was the best system with the highest degradation efficiency and mineralization rate of DMP, and the highest utilization rate of ozone at pH 2.8.

[Research of urban eutrophic water repair by water/sediment biological bases].

A micro power turbine water aeration system with a water biological base and a sediment biological base was independently developed, aimed at urban water eutrophication. The results showed that the average removal rates of COD, NH+4 -N, TP by the water biological base were 82. 33% , 98.

Protective effects of andrographolide analogue AL-1 on ROS-induced RIN-mβ cell death by inducing ROS generation.

Oxidative stress is considered to be a major factor contributing to pathogenesis and progression of many diseases. A novel andrographolide-lipoic acid conjugate (AL-1) could protect pancreatic β-cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative injury. However, its protective mechanism is still unclear.