Oxidative Dissolution Process of Sphalerite in Fe(SO)-O System: Implications for Heavy Metals Removal and Recovery.

Metal sulfides in waste rocks and tailings are susceptible to serious soil and water contamination due to the generation of acid mine drainage (AMD) during stockpiling. The hydrometallurgical process is one of the most essential heavy metal remediation technologies through harmless disposal and resource utilization of the waste sulfides. However, atmospheric hydrometallurgy of sulfides still faces great challenges due to low leaching efficiency and high cost.

Wing Plasticity Is Associated with Growth and Energy Metabolism in Two Color Morphs of the Pea Aphid.

The pea aphid, , is a major pest of legume crops, exhibiting distinct polymorphism in terms of wings and body color. We found that, under crowded conditions, the red morph produced more winged offspring than the green morph. The signaling pathways involved in aphid wing determination, like insulin and ecdysone, also play important roles in regulating growth, development, and metabolism.

A Long Photoperiod Promoted the Development, Reproduction, and Predation of Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) at an Average Greenhouse Temperature during the Winter.

To explore the feasibility of adjusting the photoperiod to regulate the life parameters and predation ability of Pallas in greenhouses during the winter, life tables were constructed for under the three following photoperiods: 9L:15D (light/dark), 12L:12D, and 16L:8D at 15 °C, an average greenhouse temperature during the winter when aphids severely damage vegetables. The effects of photoperiods on predation by this ladybird were tested in both laboratory and greenhouse settings. The results showed that increased illumination promoted the development and reproduction of ; under medium and long photoperiods, the pre-adult periods were 3.

A Thermosalient and Mechanically Compliant Organic Crystalline Optical Waveguide Switcher.

The dense and ordered molecular arrangements endow dynamic molecular crystals with fast response, rapid energy conversion, low energy dissipation, and strong coupling between heat/light and mechanical energy. Most of the known dynamic crystals can only respond to a single stimulus, and materials that can respond to multiple stimuli are rare. Here, we report an organic crystalline material that can be bent plastically and is also thermosalient, as its crystals can move when they undergo a reversible phase transition.

Suitability of treated wastewater for irrigation and its impact on groundwater resources in arid coastal regions: Insights for water resources sustainability.

Water scarcity threatens agriculture and food security in arid regions like Saudi Arabia. The nation produces significant quantities of municipal wastewater, which, with adequate treatment, could serve as an alternative water source for irrigation, thereby reducing reliance on fossil and non-renewable groundwater. This study assessed the appropriateness of using treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation in a dry coastal agricultural region in Eastern Saudi Arabia and its impact on groundwater resources.

Understanding Water Governance in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia: Governance Framework, Coherence and Practices.

Water governance demands multi-sector participation beyond the state; and, appropriate laws, policies, regulations, and institutions need to be developed and put in place for sustainable use of water resources. A good water policy, a critical and integral instrument of water governance, guides water use schemes and ensures equitable water distribution among users. The Ethiopian Central Rift Valley (CRV) is rich in water resources, but these water resources are currently under severe strain owing to an imbalance in human-water interactions.

Combined collection systems of sewage and rainfall runoff seriously affect the spatial distributions of natural estrogens and their conjugates in river water: Insights from the Pearl River of China.

So far, little has been known about how the combined collection systems of sewage and rainfall runoff (CCSs) affect emerging contaminants in river water. To fill up the knowledge gap, this study was conducted to investigate the spatial distributions of three natural estrogens (NEs, i.e.

Physics-informed NN-based adaptive backstepping terminal sliding mode control of buck converter for PEM electrolyzer.

This paper proposes an advanced control approach to controlling a DC-DC buck converter for a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer within the framework of a direct current (DC) microgrid. The proposed adaptive backstepping terminal sliding mode control (ABTSMC) leverages a physics-informed neural network (PINN) to accurately estimate and compensate for system uncertainty. The composite controller achieves finite-time convergence of the tracking error by combining backstepping control and terminal sliding mode control (TSMC).

From Water to Water: Insight into the Translocation of Pesticides from Plant Rhizosphere Solution to Leaf Guttation and the Associated Ecological Risks.

Plant guttation is an important source of water/nutrients for many beneficial insects, while the presence of pesticides in guttation has been considered as a new exposure route for nontarget insects. This study aimed to elucidate how 15 diverse pesticides are translocated from growth media to guttation by maize plants through a hydroponic experiment. All pesticides were effectively translocated from the growth solution to maize guttation and reached a steady state within 5 days.

Mood and physiological effects of visual stimulation with images of the natural environment in individuals with depressive and anxiety disorders.

Background: Nature therapies are gaining attention as non-pharmacological treatments for depressive and anxiety disorders, but research on their effectiveness in patients is limited. This study investigates the mood-improving effects of visual stimulation with natural environmental images in patients with depressive and anxiety disorders.

Methods: We conducted a randomized crossover comparison trial involving 60 right-handed adult participants with depressive or anxiety disorders and receiving outpatient treatment.

Strategies to Diversification of the Mechanical Properties of Organic Crystals.

Structurally ordered soft materials that respond to complementary stimuli are susceptible to control over their spatial and temporal morphostructural configurations by intersectional or combined effects such as gating, feedback, shape-memory, or programming. In the absence of general and robust design and prediction strategies for their mechanical properties, at present, combined chemical and crystal engineering approaches could provide useful guidelines to identify effectors that determine both the magnitude and time of their response. Here, we capitalize on the purported ability of soft intermolecular interactions to instigate mechanical compliance by using halogenation to elicit both mechanical and photochemical activity of organic crystals.

Prepubertal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are associated with early pubertal development onset in boys: A longitudinal study.

Objective: To investigate the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) on puberty in boys.

Methods: 695 subjects were selected from four primary schools in Chongqing, China. 675 urine samples from these boys were collected four PAH metabolites: 1-hydroxypyrene, 2-hydroxynaphthoic, 2-hydroxyfluorene, and 9-hydroxyphenanthrene.

Long-term exposure to major constituents of fine particulate matter and neurodegenerative diseases: A population-based survey in the Pearl River Delta Region, China.

Background: Exposure to PM has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, with limited understanding of constituent-specific contributions.

Objectives: To explore the associations between long-term exposure to PM constituents and neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods: We recruited 148,274 individuals aged ≥ 60 from four cities in the Pearl River Delta region, China (2020 to 2021).

Exploring the macrominerals and heavy metals profile of deep-sea fishes: A pioneering study on trawl bycatch and discards in the Arabian Sea.

This study assesses macrominerals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P) and heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, Mn, Co, Fe, and Zn) content of deep-sea fish bycatch in the Arabian Sea, offering insights into their nutritional value, toxicant levels and health implications. Variations in Ca, K, P, Mg, and Na levels across species highlight mineral diversity. Setarches guentheri has the highest Ca (7716 mg/kg ww), K (2030.

Occurrence of organophosphorus flame retardants in Xiangjiang River: Spatiotemporal variations, potential affecting factors, and source apportionment.

The environmental occurrence of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) is receiving increasing attention. However, their distribution in the Xiangjiang River, an important tributary in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, is still uncharacterized, and the potential factors influencing their distribution have not been adequately surveyed. In this study, the occurrence of OPFRs in the Xiangjiang River was comprehensively investigated from upstream to downstream seasonally.

Analysis of land use/ land cover changes and landscape fragmentation in the Baro-Akobo Basin, Southwestern Ethiopia.

This study investigated the relationship between land use/land cover (LULC) changes and forested landscape fragmentation in the southwestern region of Ethiopia. Satellite images from 1986, 2002 and 2019 were collected and analyzed using standard procedures in ERDAS 2015 software. Fragstat 4.

Psychochemical changes and functional properties of organosulfur and polysaccharide compounds of black garlic ( L.).

Background: Black garlic is one of the functional food products made from garlic which is processed through aging to improve sensory value and nutritional quality. Aging conditions has a major impact on the psychochemical and functional properties changes of black garlic which is closely related to organosulfur compounds and polysaccharides as the largest component in garlic.

Scope And Approach: The method used in this research is a systematic review with the aim of research to determine the relationship between reactions during aging and changes in organosulfur, polysaccharides and non-enzymatic browning product compounds as well as the function of black garlic by focusing on certain aspects of aging including temperature, humidity, time, microorganism activity, and pre-treatment application.

Characterization of mineral composition of leaves and flowers of wild-growing .

The objective of this study was to determine the mineral content in the leaves and flowers of wild-grown collected from eleven different locations in Kosovo. The samples were digested in a microwave system using the wet digestion method. The minerals were determined by the application of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Environmental copper exposure, placental cuproptosis, and miscarriage.

Copper pollution has become global environmental concern. Widespread Cu pollution results in excessive Cu exposure in human. Epidemiological studies and animal experiments revealed that Cu exposure might have reproductive toxicity.

Iron complex regulated synergistic effect between the current and peroxymonosulfate enhanced ultrafast oxidation of perfluorooctanoic acid via free radical dominant electrochemical reaction.

Iron complex regulated electrochemical reaction was triggered for revealing the reaction mechanism, degradation pathway, and applied potential of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The increased PMS concentrations, electrode spacing, and current density significantly enhanced PFOA elimination, with current density exhibiting a relatively strong interdependency to PFOA complete mineralization. The synergy between PMS and electrochemical reactions greatly accelerated PFOA decomposition by promoting the generation of key reaction sites, such as those for PMS activation and electrochemical processes, under various conditions.

Progress in Research on the Gut Microflora of the Red Panda ().

Animals can adapt to unique feeding habits through changes in the structure and function of the gut microflora. However, the gut microflora is strongly influenced by the evolutionary relationships between the host, nutritional intake, intake of microorganisms, etc. The red panda (), an herbivorous carnivore, has adapted to consuming bamboo through seasonal foraging strategies and optimization of the composition and function of its gut microflora during long-term evolution.

Optimizing a twin-chamber system for direct ozone production rate measurement.

High Ozone Production Rate (OPR) leads to O pollution episodes and adverse human health outcomes. OPR observation (Obs-OPR) and OPR modelling (Mod-OPR) have been obtained from observed and modelled peroxy radicals and nitrogen oxides. However, discrepancies between them remind of an imperfect understanding of O photochemistry.