Theoretical Insights into the Efficient Reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia on Crystalline Carbon Nitride.

The nitrate reduction reaction (NORR) has emerged as a promising approach for wastewater treatment and ammonia (NH) synthesis. Poly(triazine imide)/LiCl (PTI/LiCl), a highly crystalline carbon nitride with a well-defined structure, has shown significant potential in this field. In this study, the electronic properties and catalytic performance of PTI/LiCl for NORR were investigated through theoretical calculations.

Evolution takes multiple paths to evolvability when facing environmental change.

Life at all scales is surprisingly effective at exploiting new opportunities, as demonstrated by the rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance and novel pathogens. How populations acquire this level of evolvability and the various ways it aids survival are major open questions with direct implications for human health. Here, we use digital evolution to show that changing environments facilitate the simultaneous evolution of high mutation rates and a distribution of mutational effects skewed toward beneficial phenotypes.

Lacustrine sedimentation patterns at the Northern Antarctic Peninsula and surroundings as a response to late Holocene and Modern Climate changes.

The Northern Antarctic Peninsula (NAP) and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are likely to respond rapidly to climate changes by increasing the collapse of peripheral ice shelves and the number of days above 0 °C. These facts make this region a representative hotspot of the global sea level rise and the location of one of the global climate tipping points (thresholds in the Earth system whose changes may become irreversible, if exceeded). Understanding the climate evolution of the NAP, based on past evidences, may help infer its future scenario.

Large morphological transitions underlie exceptional shape diversification in an adaptive radiation.

Adaptive radiations are characterized by an increase in species and/or phenotypic diversity as organisms fill open ecological niches. Often, the putative adaptive radiation has been studied without explicit comparison to the patterns and rates of evolution of closely related clades, leaving open the question whether notable changes in evolutionary process indeed occurred at the origin of the group. Anolis lizards are an oft-used model for investigating the tempo and mode of adaptive radiations.

Evolution characteristics and causes of iodine and fluoride in groundwater of Hengshui city in North China.

Iodine and fluoride are essential trace elements for human health, with both deficiency and excess intake impacting well-being. This study investigates the groundwater funnel area in eastern Hengshui City, utilizing groundwater level and hydrochemical data from 2014 to 2022. Hydrogeochemical methods were employed to comprehensively analyze the evolution characteristics and causes of iodine and fluoride concentrations in the funnel area.

Biophysical effects of croplands on land surface temperature.

Converting natural vegetation to croplands alters the local land surface energy budget. Here, we use two decades of satellite data and a physics-based framework to analyse the biophysical mechanisms by which croplands influence daily mean land surface temperature (LST). Globally, 60% of croplands exhibit an annual warming effect, while 40% have a cooling effect compared to their surrounding natural ecosystems.

Strontium isoscape of sub-Saharan Africa allows tracing origins of victims of the transatlantic slave trade.

Strontium isotope (Sr/Sr) analysis with reference to strontium isotope landscapes (Sr isoscapes) allows reconstructing mobility and migration in archaeology, ecology, and forensics. However, despite the vast potential of research involving Sr/Sr analysis particularly in Africa, Sr isoscapes remain unavailable for the largest parts of the continent. Here, we measure the Sr/Sr ratios in 778 environmental samples from 24 African countries and combine this data with published data to model a bioavailable Sr isoscape for sub-Saharan Africa using random forest regression.

Territory Sizes and Patterns of Habitat Use by Forest Birds Over Five Decades: Ideal Free or Ideal Despotic?

Relations among territoriality, abundance and habitat suitability are fundamental to the ecology of many animal populations. Theory suggests two classes of possible responses to increasing abundance in territorial species: (1) the ideal free distribution (IFD), which predicts smaller territory sizes and decreased fitness as individuals adaptively pack into suitable habitats, and (2) the ideal despotic distribution (IDD), which predicts stable territory sizes and fitness in preferred habitats for dominant individuals and increased use of marginal habitats, reduced fitness and changes in territory sizes for subordinate individuals. We analysed the territory sizes and locations of seven migratory songbird species occupying a 10-ha plot in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA over a 52-year period.

Increasing Aridity May Threaten the Maintenance of a Plant Defence Polymorphism.

It is unclear how environmental change influences standing genetic variation in wild populations. Here, we characterised environmental conditions that protect versus erode polymorphic chemical defences in Boechera stricta (Brassicaceae), a short-lived perennial wildflower. By manipulating drought and herbivory in a 4-year field experiment, we measured the effects of driver variation on vital rates of genotypes varying in defence chemistry and then assessed interacting driver effects on total fitness (estimated as each genotype's lineage growth rate, λ) using demographic models.

Climate Change Impacts Pair-Bond Dynamics in a Long-Lived Monogamous Species.

Climate change can influence populations of monogamous species by affecting pair-bond dynamics. This study examined the impact of climate on widowhood and divorce, and the subsequent effects on individual vital rates and life-history outcomes over 54 years in a snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea) population. We found that environmental conditions can affect pair-bond dynamics both directly and indirectly.

Retraction notice to "Investigation on the evolution of hydrothermal biochar"[Chemosphere 307 (2022) 135774].

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal).

Research on the evolutionary characteristics and mechanism of production-living-ecological space in Shanxi Province, China.

An investigation of the evolutionary characteristics and internal driving mechanisms of territorial space since the reform and opening up is essential. The study will guide the orderly development and rational layout of territorial space, as well as achievement transformation and high-quality development in Shanxi Province. We used land use data from 1980 to 2020, which was divided into four periods, to examine the changes in production-living-ecological spatial pattern in Shanxi Province.

Tracking Cr(VI) removal with spectral induced polarization under ZVI and AC synergetic remediation.

The structure and active components of the filling material play a critical role in the contamination remediation performance of permeable reactive barriers. However, current methods lack a comprehensive understanding of the structural evolution and long-term performance of these materials during remediation processes. This study utilizes column experiments combined with spectral induced polarization (SIP) monitoring to investigate the effectiveness of zero-valent iron (ZVI), activated carbon (AC), and their composite with sand in removing Cr(VI).

Lonicera caerulea genome reveals molecular mechanisms of freezing tolerance and anthocyanin biosynthesis.

Introduction: Lonicera caerulea L. (blue honeysuckle) is a noteworthy fleshy-fruited tree and a prominent medicinal plant, which possesses notable characteristics such as exceptional resilience to winter conditions and early maturation, and the richest source of functional anthocyanins, particularly cyanidin-3-glucoside. The molecular mechanisms responsible for its freezing tolerance and anthocyanin biosynthesis remain largely unknown.

Seasonal Changes in the Gut Microbiota of Halyomorpha halys.

The gut microbiome plays an important role in insect evolution and ecology. Bacteria support the host's nutrition and defense and therefore play an important role in the fitness of the host. Halyomorpha halys is one of the most important invasive pest species in the world.

Mitochondrial genomes of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) reveal Pliocene diversification, extensive gene flow and pervasive purifying selection.

The development of management strategies for the promotion of sustainable fisheries relies on a deep knowledge of ecological and evolutionary processes driving the diversification and genetic variation of marine organisms. Sustainability strategies are especially relevant for marine species such as the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus), a small pelagic fish with high ecological and socioeconomic importance, especially in Southern Europe, whose stock has declined since 2006, possibly due to environmental factors. Here, we generated sequences for 139 mitochondrial genomes from individuals from 19 different geographical locations across most of the species distribution range, which was used to assess genetic diversity, diversification history and genomic signatures of selection.

The seepage model for CO in Shale considering dynamic slippage, effective stress and gas adsorption.

This paper first conducted a shale injection CO seepage experiment based on an improved single-vessel pressure pulse attenuation method. The experimental results reveal that the evolution pattern of shale permeability with respect to pore pressure can be divided into before and after phase change. The overall trend is that it first decreases and then increases, which is not a simple exponential form.

Dissolved oxygen depletion in Chinese coastal waters.

Estuarine and coastal environments have experienced dissolved oxygen (DO hereafter) depression and hypoxia due to increasingly intensified anthropogenic eutrophication and climate warming. This review compared diverse systems in Chinese coastal waters that experience DO depletion or hypoxia, aiming to identify essential aspects in advancing the abilities in comprehensively understanding DO dynamics across systems that span wide ranges of physical and biogeochemical environments. The coastal DO depression and relevant ecological consequences around the world are generally overviewed.

Saltwater intrusion and land subsidence destroy northern Nile Delta archaeological sites: An assessment using hydrochemical indices, SAR satellite imagery, and analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

Archaeological sites in deltaic regions face increasing environmental threats. This study provides the first assessment of seawater intrusion and land subsidence impacts on archaeological sites in the Nile Delta through hydrochemical investigations, InSAR techniques, and multi-criteria decision analysis of 33 sites. The results reveal that 80.

Characterization, prognostic factors, and clinical profile of ear infections by Turicella otitidis: Revealing the emerging rise of a controversial pathogen.

Introduction: Environmental changes and modifications in leisure habits have facilitated the emergence of new bacteria responsible for causing ear infections with different presentations. In this context, Turicella otitidis is a pathogen for which isolated cases of external and middle ear infections have been reported. However, our experience indicates a resurgence in its occurrence in recent years.

CAECENET: An automatic system processing photometer and ceilometer data from different networks to provide columnar and vertically-resolved aerosol properties.

This work introduces CAECENET, a new system capable of automatically retrieving columnar and vertically-resolved aerosol properties running the GRASP (Generalized Retrieval of Atmosphere and Surface Properties) algorithm using sun-sky photometer (aerosol optical depth, AOD; and sky radiance measurements) and ceilometer (range corrected signal; RCS) data as input. This method, so called GRASPpac, is implemented in CAECENET, which assimilates sun-sky photometers data from CÆLIS database and ceilometer data from ICENET database (Iberian Ceilometer Network). CAECENET allows for continuous and near-real-time monitoring of both vertical and columnar aerosol properties.

Deconstruction and analysis of global biodiversity loss transfer network based on the social network analysis method.

Biodiversity is crucial for maintaining ecosystem stability and achieving sustainable development. However, global biodiversity loss is a common challenge faced by most countries. Therefore, based on the data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and the Eora database, we used the multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model to calculate biodiversity loss in 188 countries.

Exploring the Gastrointestinal Microbiome of Eurasian Griffon Vultures () Under Rehabilitation in Portugal and Their Potential Role as Reservoirs of Human and Animal Pathogens.

The Eurasian griffon vulture (), a widely distributed scavenger, plays a crucial role in ecosystem health by consuming decomposing carcasses. Scavengers have adapted to avoid disease from the rotting carrion they feed on, probably through a specialized gut microbiome. This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiome of (n = 8) present in two rehabilitation centers in mainland Portugal and evaluate their potential as reservoirs of pathogens.

Single but Not Combined In Vitro Exposure to Bisphenol A and Nanoplastics Affects the Cholinergic Function of the Ascidian .

Nanoplastics are known to represent a threat to marine ecosystems. Their combination with other contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) may amplify ecotoxic effects, with unknown impacts on marine biodiversity. This study investigates the effects, single and combined, of bisphenol A (BPA)-one of the most hazardous CECs-and polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs)-as a proxy for nanoplastics, being among the most commonly found asmarine debris-on cholinesterase (ChE) activities of the ascidian .