Screening of the Indoor Plants for Removing Formaldehyde

[ Objective] The research aimed to screen out the best ornamental houseplants to remove formaldehyde from indoor air through deposition velocity and to explore the pathways of plants for formaldehyde removal. [ Method] Fifty-three indoor ornamental plant species were experimen- ted in series of sealed chambers （volumes of O. 096 m^3 ） by formaldehyde fumigation with the internal concentration of （1 ± 0. 1 ） mg/L in this study. The removal efficiency of formaldehyde was assessed by the uptake fluxes and the deposition velocity of formaldehyde. [ Result] Six species of indoor plants （ Hedera helix, Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem, Nephrolepis exaltata cv. Bostoniensis, Begonia evansiana, Mentha canadensis L. and Adiantum capillus-veneris Linn. ） with high formaldehyde removal efficiency were firstly screened out. Significance analysis of the deposition velocity by Statistical Program for Social Sciences （SPSS） presented that tested plants belonging to the same genera or family had similar ability to remove formaldehyde pollution. The diurnal variations of deposition velocity for the six plants were then tested further. The results showed that four of them, including Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem, Nephrolepis exaltata cv. Bostoniensis, Mentha canadensis L. and Adiantum capi//us-veneris Linn. re- moved formaldehyde mainly by leaves surface adsorption, while Begonia evansiana and Hedera helix by stomatal uptake, f Conclusion Begonia evansiana and Hedera helixare the most efficient indoor plants among the 53 species studied for phytoremediation of the air formaldehyde pollution.

Analysis and discussion of different methods of artificial ice-high specimen preparation

Because ice-high foundation soil is widely distributed in permafrost regions,the correct preparation of ice-high specimens is of critical interest in engineering design for foundation stability.Past research has shown that the uniaxial compression strength of ice-high frozen soils changes as the ice or total water content increases; the differences of different methods of specimen preparation are analyzed here and the advantages and disadvantages of them are presented.It is confirmed that the role of crushed ice is significantly different from that of naturally frozen ice in frozen soils,and the size and amount of crushed ice will influence the strength and deformation mechanism of frozen soils.Therefore,it is strongly recommended that when a ice-high specimen is artificially prepared,the ice should be frozen through natural means and not be replaced with crushed ice.

Generation of a high-efficiency adenine base editor with TadA8e for developing wheat dinitroaniline-resistant germplasm

Base editing using CRISPR technologies is an invaluable tool for crop breeding. One of the major base editors, the adenine base editor(ABE), has been successfully used in both model plants and many crops.However, owing to limited editing efficiency, the ABE has been difficult to apply in polyploid crops such as allohexaploid bread wheat that often require simultaneous mutation of multiple alleles for fast breeding. We have designed a wheat high-efficiency ABE(Whie ABE), using the newly developed high-activity adenosine deaminase Tad A8 e. In vivo and in vitro analysis demonstrated the improved applicability of Tad A8 e over the commonly used Tad A7.10. Dinitroaniline is a widely used herbicide with high effectiveness and low toxicity to animals. However, wheat cultivars with tolerance to dinitroaniline are rare, limiting the application of dinitroaniline in wheat planting. Using A-to-G editing with Whie ABE, we found that a Met-to-Thr mutation in wheat tubulin alleles located on chromosomes 1 A, 1 B, 1 D, 4 A, and 4 D increased the resistance of wheat to dinitroaniline, revealing a dosage effect of edited tubulins in resistance. The Whie ABE promises to be a valuable editing tool for accelerating crop improvement and developing herbicide-resistant wheat germplasm.

Characteristics of thawed interlayer and its effect on settlement beneath embankment in permafrost regions--A case study for the Qinghai-Tibet Highway

Based on ground temperatures and deformations monitored at the Xieshuihe site along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway(QTH)in permafrost regions from 2004 to 2015,variation of artificial permafrost table(APT),maximum frozen depth(MFD),thawed interlayer thickness(TIT)and ground temperature beneath embankment is analyzed,respectively.The results indicate that under the embankment,the change of APT occurred from October to December of that year and presented a deepening trend.The change of MFD occurred from April to June of that year with no obvious change trend,and TIT had an increasing trend year by year,which mainly resulted from the deepening artificial permafrost table.Mean annual ground temperature at 0.5 m depth was 3.91°C higher beneath the embankment center than that under the natural field.The rising ground temperature at shallow layer of embankment resulted in the development of thawed interlayer beneath the embankment and warming of underlying permafrost.Embankment settlement is closely associated with TIT.Greater settlement easily occurs when permafrost with higher ice content exists under the thawed interlayer,and in turn the settlement is smaller when permafrost with lower ice content exists under the thawed interlayer.

Detection of Favorable Alleles for Quality- and Yield-related Traits in Wheat Using a Backcross Population

Development of wheat varieties with high yield and good quality has been a major objective in wheat breeding.A BC 1 F 2-3 population was used to detect QTLs for wheat quality related traits: SDS-sedimentation value (Ssd),grain protein content (GPC),grain hardness (GH) and 11 mixograph parameters,as well as five agronomic traits: spike length (SL),spikelet number per spike (SPN),grain number per spike (GN),thousand-grain weight (TGW),and plant height (PH).A total of 44 putative QTLs were detected in the present study,31 for quality parameters and 13 for important agronomic traits,including three important major QTLs.One major QTL for Ssd QSsd.saas-1B.1,linked to barc137,explained on average 21.1% of the phenotypic variation in three environments.The allele increasing Ssd at this locus also significantly increased GN.The second locus on chromosome 1B with the linked marker Barc 61 was a major locus for mixograph parameters.It explained 21.3%-32.5%,24.3%-30.6%,30.6%-37% and 20.1%-22.7% of phenotypic variation for mixing tolerance (MT),weakening slope (WS),midline peak time (MPTi) and midline time x =8 value (MTxW),respectively.The third major QTL,explaining above 40% of plant height variation,close to Rht-B 1 on the short arm of chromosome 4BS,co-located with QTL for quality and yield-related traits.

Acetylacetone effectively controlled the secondary metabolites of Microcystis aeruginosa under simulated sunlight irradiation

Inactivation of cyanobacterial cells and simultaneous control of secondary metabolites is of significant necessity for the treatment of cyanobacteria-laden water.Acetylacetone(AcAc)has been reported a specific algicide to inactivate Microcystis aeruginosa(M.aeruginosa)and an effective light activator to degrade pollutants.This study systematically investigated the photodegradation ability of AcAc under xenon(Xe)irradiation on the secondary metabolites of M.aeruginosa,mainly algal organic matter(AOM),especially toxic microcystin-LR(MC-LR).Results showed that AcAc outperformed H_(2)O_(2)in destructing the protein-like substances,humic acid-like matters,aromatic proteins and fulvic-like substances of AOM.For MC-LR(250μg/L),0.05 mmol/L AcAc attained the same degradation efficiency(87.0%)as 0.1mmol/L H_(2)O_(2).The degradation mechanism of Xe/AcAc might involve photo-induced energy/electron transfer and formation of carbon center radicals.Alkaline conditions(pH>9.0)were detrimental to the photoactivity of AcAc,corresponding to the observed degradation rate constant(k_(1)value)of MC-LR drastically decreasing to 0.0013 min^(-1)as solution pH exceeded 9.0.The PO_(4)^(3-)and HCO_(3)^(-)ions had obvious inhibition effects,whereas NO_(3)^(-)slightly improved k_(1)value from 0.0277 min^(-1)to 0.0321 min^(-1).The presence of AOM did not significantly inhibit MC-LR degradation in Xe/AcAc system.In addition,the biological toxicity of MC-LR was greatly reduced after photoreaction.These results demonstrated that AcAc was an alternative algicidal agent to effectively inactivate algal cells and simultaneously control the secondary metabolites after cell lysis.Nevertheless,the concentration and irradiation conditions should be further optimized in practical application.

Application potential of carbon nanotubes in water treatment:A review

Water treatment is the key to coping with the conflict between people＇s increasing demand for water and the world-wide water shortage. Owing to their unique and tunable structural, physical, and chemical properties, carbon nanotubes （CNTs） have exhibited great potentials in water treatment. This review makes an attempt to provide an overview of potential solutions to various environmental challenges by using CNTs as adsorbents, catalysts or catalyst support, membranes, and electrodes. The merits of incorporating CNT to conventional water-treatment material are emphasized, and the remaining challenges are discussed.

Quantitative structure-activity relationship in the photodegradation of azo dyes

The photolysis characteristics of azo dyes are critically important in environmental pollution control,dye-sensitized solar cells,and dyeing-related industries.However,there is still lack of quantitative relationship between the structures of azo dyes and their photolysis characteristics.To address this issue,the photolysis of 22 azo dyes were conducted side by side at three pH(4.0,6.0,9.0).The obtained pseudo-first order photodegradation rate constants(k1)were processed with meta-analysis.Statistically,the hydrazone tautomer had a smaller excitation energy and was easier to undergo photolysis than the azo tautomer.The ortho-substituted sulfonate groups had an obvious protective effect on the photo stability of azo dyes.The softness(s),the most positive and negative partial charge on a carbon atom(qC+,qC-)were found to be crucial descriptors in the establishment of QSAR models for the photo stability of azo dyes.The QSAR model at pH 9.0 was robust for predicting the photo stability of azo dyes under UV irradiation.N2-purging experiments and quantum chemical computation verified that the cleavage of azo bond was not a result of direct photolysis but was caused by the attack of photoinduced reactive oxygen species.The results here are helpful for the design of more stable azo dyes or the selection of suitable approaches for the treatment of dyecontaminated water bodies.

Is resource allocation and grain yield of rice altered by inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi?

Aims our study quantified the combined effects of fertilization and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)on grain yield and allocation of biomass and nutrients in field-grown rice(Oryza sativa l.).Methods a two-factor experiment was conducted at a field site in northeast of China(in shuangcheng,Heilongjiang Province,songhua river basin):six nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer levels were provided(0,20,40,60,80 and 100%of the local norm of ferti-lizer supply),with or without inoculation with Glomus mosseae.at maturity,we quantified the percentage of root length colonization by AMF,grain yield,shoot:root ratios,shoot N and P contents and nutrients allocated to panicles,leaves and stems.Important Findingsas expected,inoculation resulted in greatly increased AMF colo-nization,which in turn led to higher shoot:root ratios and greater shoot N contents.shoot:root ratios of inoculated rice increased with increasing fertilization while there was a significant interaction between fertilization and inoculation on shoot:root ratio.additionally,a F inoculation increased panicle:shoot ratios,panicle N:shoot N ratios and panicle P:shoot P ratios,especially in plants grown at low fertilizer levels.Importantly,inoculated rice exhibited higher grain yield,with the maximum improvement(near 62%)at the lower fertilizer end.our results showed that(i)AMFinoculated plants conform to the functional equilibrium theory,albeit to a reduced extent compared to non-inoculated plants and(ii)AMF inoculation resulted in greater allocation of shoot biomass to panicles and increased grain yield by stimulating N and P redis-tribution to panicles.

双酮基光化学高级氧化/还原技术:分子机制解析及研究进展

由于实际水体成分的复杂性,以强活性自由基反应为主导机制的传统光化学高级氧化/还原技术普遍存在光子利用率低、底物选择性差等问题.近年来,基于低分子量双酮的新型光化学氧化/还原技术因具有良好的反应选择性和抗共存基质干扰能力而渐受关注.本文总结了双酮在水相中的光化学研究进展,重点评述了烯醇式双酮在光化学体系中对电子和能量转移的调控作用,初步揭示了紫外/双酮法转化污染物的特点以及其在水污染控制中的应用潜力.进而通过分析目前研究中存在的问题,对今后的研究方向和趋势进行了展望.

Can arbuscular mycorrhiza and fertilizer management reduce phosphorus runoff from paddy fields?

Our study sought to assess how much phosphorus（P） runoff from paddy fields could be cut down by fertilizer management and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. A field experiment was conducted in Lalin River basin, in the northeast China： six nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer levels were provided（0, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of the recommended fertilizer supply）, with or without inoculation with Glomus mosseae. The volume and concentrations of particle P（PP） and dissolved P（DP） were measured for each runoff during the rice growing season. It was found that the seasonal P runoff, including DP and PP, under the local fertilization was 3.7 kg/ha, with PP, rather than DP, being the main form of P in runoff water. Additionally, the seasonal P runoff dropped only by 8.9% when fertilization decreased by 20%; rice yields decreased with declining fertilization. We also found that inoculation increased rice yields and decreased P runoff at each fertilizer level and these effects were lower under higher fertilization. Conclusively, while rice yields were guaranteed arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation and fertilizer management would play a key role in reducing P runoff from paddy fields.

我国教育税收政策改革研究

教育经费来源稳定是保证教育稳定发展的前提。然而近年来,由于受到外部冲击和政策效果的制约,教育附加收入规模减少,给地方教育财政运行增加了困难。本文通过借鉴国际经验,分析了中国教育费附加、地方教育附加政策的演变、实施情况及存在的问题,论述了我国教育经费的税收政策设计——教育税的基本设想。

Ligand effects on arsenite removal by zero-valent iron/O2: Dissolution, corrosion, oxidation and coprecipitation

Ligands may increase the yields of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in zero-valent iron(ZVI)/O2 systems.To clarify the relationship between the properties of ligands and their effects on the oxidative removal of contaminants,five common ligands(formate,acetate,oxalate,ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid(EDTA),and phosphate)as well as acetylacetone(AA)were investigated with arsenite(As(III))as the target contaminant at three initial p H values(3.0,5.0,and 7.0).The addition of these ligands to the ZVI/O2 system resulted in quite different effects on As(III)removal.EDTA enhanced the oxidation of As(III)to arsenate(As(V))but inhibited the removal of As(V).Oxalate was the only ligand in this work that accelerated both the removal of As(III)and As(V).By analyzing the ligand effects from the four aspects:dissolution of surface iron(hydr)oxides,corrosion of ZVI,reaction with ROS,and interference with precipitation,the following properties of ligands were believed to be important:ability to provide dissociable protons,complexation ability with iron,and reactivity with ROS.The complexation ability is a double-edged sword.It could enhance the generation of ROS by reducing the reduction potential of the Fe(III)/Fe(II)redox couple,but also could inhibit the removal of arsenic by coprecipitation.The elucidated relationship between the key property parameters of ligands and their effects on the ZVI/O2 system is helpful for the rational design of effective ZVI/ligand/O2 systems.

Comparative proteomic analysis of cold responsive proteins in two wheat cultivars with different tolerance to spring radiation frost

Spring radiation frost(SRF)is a severe environmental stress which impairs wheat yield and productivity worldwide.To better understand the mechanism of wheat(Triticum aestivum)responding to SRF,a comparative proteomic analysis was performed to analyze the changes of the key proteins in two wheat cultivars Jimai22 and Luyuan301 with high and low tolerance to SRF respectively.A total of 43 differentially expressed proteins(DEPs)which mainly involved in carbohydrate metabolism,amino acid metabolism,resistance proteins and antioxidant enzymes,photosynthesis and cellular respiration proteins,cell-wall related proteins,protein translation/processing/degradation and signal transduction were isolated and identified by two-dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF-TOF MS.The results revealed that of the 21 DEPs in Jimai22 responding to the SRF,13 DEPs were upregulated and 8 DEPs were downregulated,and that of the 22 DEPs in Luyuan301,9 DEPs were upregulated and 13 DEPs were downregulated.These DEPs might be responsible for the stronger cold resistance of Jimai22 compared to Luyuan301.The expression pattern and function analysis of these DEPs were very significant to understanding the mechanism of the SRF responses in wheat.

Reducing nitrogen runoff from paddy fields with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under different fertilizer regimes

Nitrogen（N） runoff from paddy fields serves as one of the main sources of water pollution. Our aim was to reduce N runoff from paddy fields by fertilizer management and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi（AMF）. In northeast China, Shuangcheng city in Heilongjiang province, a field experiment was conducted, using rice provided with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%,and 100% of the local norm of fertilization（including N, phosphorus and potassium）, with or without inoculation with Glomus mosseae. The volume, concentrations of total N（TN）,dissolved N（DN） and particulate N（PN） of runoff water were measured. We found that the local norm of fertilization led to 18.9 kg/ha of N runoff during rice growing season, with DN accounting for 60%–70%. We also found that reduction in fertilization by 20% cut down TN runoff by 8.2% while AMF inoculation decreased N runoff at each fertilizer level and this effect was inhibited by high fertilization. The combination of inoculation with AMF and 80% of the local norm of fertilization was observed to reduce N runoff by 27.2%. Conclusively, we suggested that the contribution of AMF inoculation combined with decreasing fertilization should get more attention to slow down water eutrophication by reducing N runoff from paddy fields.

HBI1-TCP20 interaction positively regulates the CEPs-mediated systemic nitrate acquisition

Nitrate is the main source of nitrogen for plants but often distributed heterogeneously in soil.Plants have evolved sophisticated strategies to achieve adequate nitrate by modulating the root system architecture. The nitrate acquisition system is triggered by the short mobile peptides C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDES(CEPs)that are synthesized on the nitrate-starved roots,but induce the expression of nitrate transporters on the other nitrate-rich roots through an unclear signal transduction pathway. Here,we demonstrate that the transcription factors HBI1 and TCP20 play important roles in plant growth and development in response to fluctuating nitrate supply. HBI1 physically interacts with TCP20, and this interaction was enhanced by the nitrate starvation. HBI1 and TCP20 directly bind to the promoters of CEPs and cooperatively induce their expression. Mutation in HBIs and/or TCP20 resulted in impaired systemic nitrate acquisition response. Our solid genetic and molecular evidence strongly indicate that the HBI1-TCP20 module positively regulates the CEPs-mediated systemic nitrate acquisition.

A settling curve modeling method for quantitative description of the dispersion stability of carbon nanotubes in aquatic environments

Understanding the aggregation and deposition behavior of carbon nanotubes （CNTs） is of great significance in terms of their fate and transport in the environment. Attachment efficiency is a widely used index for well-dispersed CNT solutions. However, in natural waters, CNTs are usually heterogeneous in particle size. The attachment efficiency method is not applicable to such systems. Describing the dispersion stability of CNTs in natural aquatic systems is still a challenge. In this work, a settling curve modeling （SCM） method was developed for the description of the aggregation and deposition behavior of CNTs in aqueous solutions. The effects of water chemistry （natural organic matter, pH, and ionic strength） on the aggregation and deposition behavior of pristine and surface-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWCNTs） were systematically studied to evaluate the reliability of the SCM method. The results showed that, as compared to particle size and optical density, the centrifugal sedimentation rate constant （ks） from the settling curve profile is a practical, useful and reliable index for the description of heterogeneous CNT suspensions. The SCM method was successfully applied to MWCNT in three natural waters. The constituents in water, especially organic matter, determine the dispersion stability of MWCNTs in natural water bodies.

Marine aquaculture mapping using GF-1 WFV satellite images and full resolution cascade convolutional neural network

Growing demand for seafood and reduced fishery harvests have raised intensive farming of marine aquaculture in coastal regions,which may cause severe coastal water problems without adequate environmental management.Effective mapping of mariculture areas is essential for the protection of coastal environments.However,due to the limited spatial coverage and complex structures,it is still challenging for traditional methods to accurately extract mariculture areas from medium spatial resolution(MSR)images.To solve this problem,we propose to use the full resolution cascade convolutional neural network(FRCNet),which maintains effective features over the whole training process,to identify mariculture areas from MSR images.Specifically,the FRCNet uses a sequential full resolution neural network as the first-level subnetwork,and gradually aggregates higher-level subnetworks in a cascade way.Meanwhile,we perform a repeated fusion strategy so that features can receive information from different subnetworks simultaneously,leading to rich and representative features.As a result,FRCNet can effectively recognize different kinds of mariculture areas from MSR images.Results show that FRCNet obtained better performance than other classical and recently proposed methods.Our developed methods can provide valuable datasets for large-scale and intelligent modeling of the marine aquaculture management and coastal zone planning.

Enriched gestation activates the IGF pathway to evoke embryo-adult benefits to prevent Alzheimer’s disease

Background:Building brain reserves before dementia onset could represent a promising strategy to prevent Alzheimer’s disease(AD),while how to initiate early cognitive stimulation is unclear.Given that the immature brain is more sensitive to environmental stimuli and that brain dynamics decrease with ageing,we reasoned that it would be effective to initiate cognitive stimulation against AD as early as the fetal period.Methods:After conception,maternal AD transgenic mice(3×Tg AD)were exposed to gestational environment enrichment(GEE)until the day of delivery.The cognitive capacity of the offspring was assessed by the Morris water maze and contextual fear-conditioning tests when the offspring were raised in a standard environment to 7 months of age.Western blotting,immunohistochemistry,real-time PCR,immunoprecipitation,chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP)assay,electrophysiology,Golgi staining,activity assays and sandwich ELISA were employed to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of GEE on embryos and 7–10-month-old adult offspring.Results:We found that GEE markedly preserved synaptic plasticity and memory capacity with amelioration of hallmark pathologies in 7–10-m-old AD offspring.The beneficial effects of GEE were accompanied by global histone hyperacetylation,including those at bdnf promoter-binding regions,with robust BDNF mRNA and protein expression in both embryo and progeny hippocampus.GEE increased insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF1)and activated its receptor(IGF1R),which phosphorylates Ca^(2+)/calmodulin-dependent kinase IV(CaMKIV)at tyrosine sites and triggers its nuclear translocation,subsequently upregulating histone acetyltransferase(HAT)and BDNF transcription.The upregulation of IGF1 mimicked the effects of GEE,while IGF1R or HAT inhibition during pregnancy abolished the GEE-induced CaMKIV-dependent histone hyperacetylation and BDNF upregulation.Conclusions:These findings suggest that activation of IGF1R/CaMKIV/HAT/BDNF signaling by gestational environment enrichment may serve as a promising strategy to delay AD progression.

Improved performance and prolonged lifetime of titania-based materials: sequential use as adsorbent and photocatalyst

Lifetime is a key index in the evaluation of environmentally functional materials. Although it is well known that adsorption is the first step in photocatalysis, very little work has been done on the sequential use of materials as both adsorbents and photo- catalysts. In this work, two titania-based materials, TiO2 xerogel and TiO2 photocatalyst nanoparticles, were fabricated and evaluated as adsorbent and photocatalyst for the remediation of contaminated water with an azo dye, Acid Orange 7 （AO7）, as the modeling pollutant. The TiO2 xerogel showed a high adsorption capacity to AO7 （769 mg/g） and could be regenerated eas- ily with diluted NaOH solution （0.01 mol/L） for several cycles. The exhausted xerogel was calcined at 400 ℃ for 3 h and used as a photocatalyst for the degradation of AO7. Compared to the nanoparticles directly prepared from fresh TiO2 xerogel, the TiO2 nanoparticles from adsorption exhausted xerogel showed a much higher photocatalytic activity upon both UV and visible light irradiation. Thus the titania-based materials were endowed with improved performance as well as prolonged lifetime.