Fruiting phenology affects the direction of vertical seed dispersal by mammals and birds across mountain ranges.

Vertical seed dispersal towards higher or lower altitudes is an important process for plants' adaptation to climate change. Although many plants depend on animals for seed dispersal, studies on vertical seed dispersal by animals, determined by complex animal behaviours, are scarce. Previous studies hypothesised that animals inhabiting temperate regions disperse seeds uphill in spring/summer and downhill in autumn/winter due to their seasonal movement following the altitudinal gradients in food phenology.

Direct TiH powder production by the reduction of TiO using Mg in Ar and H mixed gas atmosphere.

To develop a direct production process for TiH powder from TiO, the reduction of TiO using Mg in molten MgCl - KCl salt under a high hydrogen chemical potential was investigated. The reduction of nano-sized TiO powder was conducted at 973 - 1073 K under an Ar or Ar and 10% H mixed gas atmosphere when the mass ratios of Mg to feed and salt to feed were 1.14 - 2.

Inequitable distribution of risks associated with occupational heat exposure driven by trade.

The exposure to extreme heat at workplaces poses substantial threat to human effort and manual labour. This becomes more prominent due to the global dispersion of labour-intensive production activities via trade. We combine a climate model with an input-output model to quantify the risks associated with trade-related occupational extreme heat exposure.

A novel floating adsorbent for cesium based on Shirasu balloon modified with magnetite and Prussian blue.

Shirasu balloon (SB) is a hollow glassy sphere produced from volcanic deposits by heating that can float up on water owing to its hollow structure. In this study, a novel adsorbent for the removal of cesium ion in water was developed by the modification of the surface of the SBs with magnetite (Mag) and Prussian blue (PB). The developed adsorbent (PB-Mag-SB) was characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and the magnetism of the adsorbent.

Hydrogenotrophic methanogens overwrite isotope signals of subsurface methane.

Methane, a greenhouse gas and energy source, is commonly studied using stable isotope signals as proxies for its formation processes. In subsurface environments, methane often exhibits equilibrium isotopic signals, but the equilibration process has never been demonstrated in the laboratory. We cocultured a hydrogenotrophic methanogen with an H-producing bacterium under conditions (55°C, 10 megapascals) simulating a methane-bearing subsurface.

Research on the Structural and Magnetic Phase Transitions of CeMnGe Alloy.

Magnetic phase transitions play crucial roles in various material applications, including sensors, actuators, information storage, magnetic refrigeration, and so on. Typically, these magnetic phase transitions exhibit discontinuous first-order phase transitions. When a material undergoes a magnetic phase transition, it often exhibits simultaneous changes in both its crystal and electronic structures.

Optimizing air quality monitoring spatial layout by maximizing the coverage of the population in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas.

The spatial layout of the air quality monitoring network (AQMN) is crucial for objective, accurate, and comprehensive air quality assessment. The current technical standard specified the minimum quantity requirements for air quality monitoring sites, but there were no standards to specify the spatial of monitoring sites. This study proposed a novel framework to evaluate and optimize the spatial layout of AQMN.

Geological inference of channel and polka-dot seismic anomalies in Yeongil bay, Pohang.

The Engineering Ocean Seismic 3D system, which enables ultra-high-resolution seismic surveys on a smaller survey scale, was deployed in Yeongil Bay, Pohang, South Korea. The region is renowned for abundant shallow gas deposits and faults. Based on acoustic impedance contrast and abnormal behavior observations, two seismic anomalies termed channel and polka-dot anomalies have been identified in the seismic volume.

Effect of waste rock particle size on acid mine drainage generation: Practical implications for reactive transport modeling.

Mine waste rock poses significant environmental challenges. Evaluating management and reclamation options is particularly complex because of the wide particle size distribution, the non-uniform distribution of acid-generating and buffering minerals, and the variable contribution of the different particle size fractions to acid mine drainage (AMD) generation. Reactive transport simulations can be useful to complement and overcome the limitations of laboratory and field experiments.

Evolution of the Corrosion Products around MnS Embedded in AISI 304 Stainless Steel in NaCl Solution.

The characterization and evolution of corrosion products deposited on/around MnSs, a typical kind of inclusive particle embedded in AISI 304 stainless steel, was analyzed using a quasi-in-situ method in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution.

Distribution and modes of occurrence of Nb in subbituminous coal: A case study from the Jungar Coalfield, Ordos Basin, China.

Niobium has been considered to be enriched in high-Al-Ga in north China coal and coal-hosted Nb(Ta)-Zr(Hf)-REY-Ga polymetallic deposits in the southwestern region of China. However, modes of occurrence and influencing factors of Nb in Al-Ga-rich coal in North China are rarely reported. This study investigated the distribution characteristics of Nb in the No.

Uncovering the differentiated impacts of carbon neutrality and clean air policies in multi-provinces of China.

Ambitious action plans have been launched to address climate change and air pollution. Through coupling the IMED|CGE, GAINS, and IMED|HEL models, this study investigate the impacts of implementing carbon neutrality and clean air policies on the energy-environment-health-economy chain in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei-Henan-Shandong-Shanxi region of China. Results show that Shandong holds the largest reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions toward the 1.

Exergoeconomic analysis and optimization of wind power hybrid energy storage system.

The hybrid energy storage system of wind power involves the deep coupling of heterogeneous energy such as electricity and heat. Exergy as a dual physical quantity that takes into account both 'quantity' and 'quality, plays an important guiding role in the unification of heterogeneous energy. In this paper, the operation characteristics of the system are related to the energy quality, and the operation strategy of the wind power hybrid energy storage system is proposed based on the exergoeconomics.

Zero-Emission Cement Plants with Advanced Amine-Based CO Capture.

Decarbonization of the cement sector is essentially required to achieve carbon neutrality to combat climate change. Amine-based CO capture is a leading and practical technology to deeply remove CO from the cement industry, owing to its high retrofittability to existing cement plants and extensive engineering experience in industrial flue gas decarbonization. While research efforts have been made to achieve low-carbon cement with 90% CO removal, a net-zero-emission cement plant that will be required for a carbon neutrality society has not yet been investigated.

5G and energy internet planning for power and communication network expansion.

Our research addresses the critical intersection of communication and power systems in the era of advanced information technologies. We highlight the strategic importance of communication base station placement, as its optimization is vital for minimizing operational disruptions in energy systems. Our study introduces a communications and power coordination planning (CPCP) model that encompasses both distributed energy resources and base stations to improve communication quality of service.

Seed dispersal function of the brown bear Ursus arctos on Hokkaido Island in northern Japan: gut passage time, dispersal distance, germination, and effects of remaining pulp.

Megafauna are important seed dispersers because they can disperse large quantities of seeds over long distances. In Hokkaido, Japan, the largest terrestrial animal is the brown bear (Ursus arctos) and other megafauna seed dispersers are lacking. Thus, brown bears are expected to have an important function as seed dispersers in Hokkaido.

The scholarly footprint of ChatGPT: a bibliometric analysis of the early outbreak phase.

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the scholarly footprint of ChatGPT, an AI language model, using bibliometric and scientometric methods. The study zooms in on the early outbreak phase from when ChatGPT was launched in November 2022 to early June 2023. It aims to understand the evolution of research output, citation patterns, collaborative networks, application domains, and future research directions related to ChatGPT.

Development of deoxidation process for off-grade titanium sponge using magnesium metal with wire mesh strainer type of crucible.

In this study, the deoxidation process for off-grade titanium (Ti) sponge using magnesium (Mg) metal with a wire mesh strainer type of crucible was developed. Ti hydride (TiH) feedstock, which was prepared by hydrogenating off-grade Ti sponge, was deoxidized using Mg in a molten magnesium chloride-potassium chloride salt at 933 K under an argon and 20% hydrogen (H) mixed gas atmosphere. After deoxidation, the residual Mg-containing salt was separated in situ from the crucible to investigate the feasibility of minimizing salt loss during the leaching and production of pure TiH.

Renewable-to-ammonia: Configuration strategy and technoeconomic analysis.

The increasing demand for chemical raw materials has provided opportunities for the ammonia (NH) industry. However, little attention has been devoted to the economic feasibility of renewable-to-ammonia (RE2A). Therefore, this paper proposes a technoeconomic model to research the optimal capacity configuration and quantify the levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA) for RE2A, which is a retrofitted plant based on coal-to-ammonia (C2A).

Corridor-Level Impacts of Battery-Electric Heavy-Duty Trucks and the Effects of Policy in the United States.

Electrifying freight trucks will be key to alleviating air pollution burdens on disadvantaged communities and mitigating climate change. The United States plans to pursue this aim by adding vehicle charging infrastructure along specific freight corridors. This study explores the coevolution of the electricity grid and freight trucking landscape using an integrated assessment framework to identify when each interstate and drayage corridor becomes advantageous to electrify from a climate and human health standpoint.