Effects of natural forest conversion and plantation tree species composition on soil macrofauna communities in Northeast China mountains

As primary and secondary forests are being replaced by plantations across the globe,the soil macrofauna community structure is also affected,but little is known about the impact of mixed culture plantations compared with monocultures on the soil macrofauna.To determine the impact of forest conversion on soil macrofauna,we surveyed the soil macrofauna in two broad-leaved and three coniferous monoculture stands and four coniferous-broadleaved mixed stands,and in adjacent reserved secondary stands as a reference.Soil macro fauna community composition was significant affected by forest type,season and their interaction(P<0.05).The abundance,taxa richness and diversity of soil macro fauna changed to different degrees depending on the plantation type.Broadleaved monoculture stands and secondary stands had similar macrofauna abundance and taxa richness,but values were lower in coniferous stands than in secondary stands.The Shannon index for macrofauna in coniferous stands was also the lowest,but the Pielou index did not differ between forest types.The negative effects of the conifer monoculture on soil macro fauna were not present in the mixed stands with broad-leaved trees.Forest conversion impacted soil properties;soil moisture,NO_(3)^(-),and pH were significant drivers of soil macrofauna community structure.The impact of forest conversion on soil macrofauna was closely dependent on tree species composition and diversity.The macro fauna community structure in the broadleaved and the mixed stands were relatively similar to that in the natural forest,and thus recommended for forest conversion in the study area.

Enabling heterogeneous catalysis to achieve carbon neutrality: Directional catalytic conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids

The increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emissions has exacerbated the deterioration of the global environment,which should be controlled to achieve carbon neutrality.Central to the core goal of achieving carbon neutrality is the utilization of CO_(2) under economic and sustainable conditions.Recently,the strong need for carbon neutrality has led to a proliferation of studies on the direct conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids,which can effectively alleviate CO_(2) emissions and create high-value chemicals.The purpose of this review is to present the application prospects of carboxylic acids and the basic principles of CO_(2) conversion into carboxylic acids through photo-,electric-,and thermal catalysis.Special attention is focused on the regulation strategy of the activity of abundant catalysts at the molecular level,inspiring the preparation of high-performance catalysts.In addition,theoretical calculations,advanced technologies,and numerous typical examples are introduced to elaborate on the corresponding process and influencing factors of catalytic activity.Finally,challenges and prospects are provided for the future development of this field.It is hoped that this review will contribute to a deeper understanding of the conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids and inspire more innovative breakthroughs.

Dendroclimatological study of Sabina saltuaria and Abies faxoniana in the mixed forests of the Qionglai Mountains,eastern Tibetan Plateau

Tree-ring chronologies were developed for Sabina saltuaria and Abies faxoniana in mixed forests in the Qionglai Mountains of the eastern Tibetan Plateau.Climate-growth relationship analysis indicated that the two co-exist-ing species reponded similarly to climate factors,although S.saltuaria was more sensitive than A.faxoniana.The strong-est correlation was between S.saltuaria chronology and regional mean temperatures from June to November.Based on this relationship,a regional mean temperature from June to November for the period 1605-2016 was constructed.Reconstruction explained 37.3%of the temperature variance during th period 1961-2016.Six major warm periods and five major cold periods were identified.Spectral analysis detected significant interannual and multi-decadal cycles.Reconstruction also revealed the influence of the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation,confirming its importance on climate change on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Dealuminated Hβ zeolite for selective conversion of fructose to furfural and formic acid

The fructose-to-furfural transformation is facing major challenges in the selectivity and high efficiency. Herein, we have developed a simple and effective approach for the selective conversion of fructose to furfural using Hβ zeolite modified by organic acids for dealuminization to regulate its textural and acidic properties. It was found that citric acid-dealuminized Hβ zeolite possessed high specific surface areas, wide channels and high Brønsted acid amount, which facilitated the selective conversion of fructose to furfural with a maximum yield of 76.2% at433 K for 1 h in the γ-butyrolactone(GBL)-H_(2)O system, as well as the concomitant formation of 83.0% formic acid. The^(13)C-isotope labelling experiments and the mechanism revealed that the selective cleavage of C1–C2 or C5–C6 bond on fructose was firstly occurred to form pentose or C5 intermediate by weak Brønsted acid, which was then dehydrated to furfural by strong Brønsted acid. Also this dealuminized Hβ catalyst showed the great recycling performance and was active for the conversion of glucose and mannose.

Oxygen functionalization-assisted anionic exchange toward unique construction of flower-like transition metal chalcogenide embedded carbon fabric for ultra-long life flexible energy storage and conversion

The metal-organic framework(MOF)derived Ni–Co–C–N composite alloys(NiCCZ)were“embedded”inside the carbon cloth(CC)strands as opposed to the popular idea of growing them upward to realize ultrastable energy storage and conversion application.The NiCCZ was then oxygen functionalized,facilitating the next step of stoichiometric sulfur anion diffusion during hydrothermal sulfurization,generating a flower-like metal hydroxysulfide structure(NiCCZOS)with strong partial implantation inside CC.Thus obtained NiCCZOS shows an excellent capacity when tested as a supercapacitor electrode in a three-electrode configuration.Moreover,when paired with the biomass-derived nitrogen-rich activated carbon,the asymmetric supercapacitor device shows almost 100%capacity retention even after 45,000 charge–discharge cycles with remarkable energy density(59.4 Wh kg^(-1)/263.8μWh cm^(–2))owing to a uniquely designed cathode.Furthermore,the same electrode performed as an excellent bifunctional water-splitting electrocatalyst with an overpotential of 271 mV for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and 168.4 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)at 10 mA cm−2 current density along with 30 h of unhinged chronopotentiometric stability performance for both HER and OER.Hence,a unique metal chalcogenide composite electrode/substrate configuration has been proposed as a highly stable electrode material for flexible energy storage and conversion applications.

Bird species composition and conservation challenges in the Gaoligong Mountains, one of the most diverse bird areas in the world

The Gaoligong Mountains(GLGM),located in southwestern China,extend north to south along the western border of the Hengduan Mountains,spanning approximately 600 km.In this study,we consolidated findings from 17 bird surveys conducted in the GLGM between 2010 and 2022.We found that the GLGM harbors tremendous bird diversity,with a total of 796 documented bird species in the region.Nearly a quarter(23.0%)of these species are listed as state key protected species or as Chinese and global threatened species.Analysis of species richness at the county level showed a decreasing trend with increasing latitude,with the greatest diversity in Yingjiang(661 species).Observations indicated that the GLGM belongs to the Oriental realm,primarily composed of bird species from southern and southwestern China.The GLGM plays an important role in avian conservation by sheltering exceptional bird diversity,providing corridors and flyways for bird migration and dispersal,and mitigating the effects of climate change.In response to the conservation needs of birds and other wildlife,the Chinese government has established numerous protected areas within the GLGM.Despite these efforts,avian conservation still faces considerable challenges in the GLGM due to limitations in the protected area network,transboundary nature of the regions,and existing gaps in monitoring and research.

Two-photon live imaging of direct glia-to-neuron conversion in the mouse cortex

Over the past decade,a growing number of studies have reported transcription factor-based in situ reprogramming that can directly conve rt endogenous glial cells into functional neurons as an alternative approach for n euro regeneration in the adult mammalian central ne rvous system.Howeve r,many questions remain regarding how a terminally differentiated glial cell can transform into a delicate neuron that forms part of the intricate brain circuitry.In addition,concerns have recently been raised around the absence of astrocyte-to-neuron conversion in astrocytic lineage-tra cing mice.In this study,we employed repetitive two-photon imaging to continuously capture the in situ astrocyte-to-neuron conversion process following ecto pic expression of the neural transcription factor NeuroD1 in both prolife rating reactive astrocytes and lineage-tra ced astrocytes in the mouse cortex.Time-lapse imaging over several wee ks revealed the ste p-by-step transition from a typical astrocyte with numero us short,tapered branches to a typical neuro n with a few long neurites and dynamic growth cones that actively explored the local environment.In addition,these lineage-converting cells were able to migrate ra dially or to ngentially to relocate to suitable positions.Furthermore,two-photon Ca2+imaging and patch-clamp recordings confirmed that the newly generated neuro ns exhibited synchronous calcium signals,repetitive action potentials,and spontaneous synaptic responses,suggesting that they had made functional synaptic connections within local neural circuits.In conclusion,we directly visualized the step-by-step lineage conversion process from astrocytes to functional neurons in vivo and unambiguously demonstrated that adult mammalian brains are highly plastic with respect to their potential for neuro regeneration and neural circuit reconstruction.

1.42-fold enhancement of formate selectivity by linker conversion on the Zn-based metal organic framework catalyst

Electro-reduction of carbon dioxide(ERCO_(2)) is considered an effective method to alleviate the greenhouse effect and produce value-added chemicals.Achieving the dominant selectivity of Zn-based catalysts for formate remains a challenge.In this article,the ZnIn-E_(12) catalyst is successfully prepared by solvent assisted ligand exchange(SALE) method to convert organic ligands,achieving a Faradaic efficiency of 72.28% for formate at-1.26 V vs.RHE(V_(RHE)),which is 1.42 times higher than the original catalyst.Evidence shows that the successful conversion of organic ligands can transform the catalyst from the original large size polyhedron to cross-linked network of particles with a diameter of about 30 nm.The increased specific surface area can expose more active sites and facilitate the electrocatalytic conversion of CO_(2) to formate.This work is expected to provide inspiration for the regulation of formate selectivity and catalyst size in Zn-based catalysts.

Hollow Metal-Organic Framework/MXene/Nanocellulose Composite Films for Giga/Terahertz Electromagnetic Shielding and Photothermal Conversion

With the continuous advancement of communication technology,the escalating demand for electromagnetic shielding interference(EMI)materials with multifunctional and wideband EMI performance has become urgent.Controlling the electrical and magnetic components and designing the EMI material structure have attracted extensive interest,but remain a huge challenge.Herein,we reported the alternating electromagnetic structure composite films composed of hollow metal-organic frameworks/layered MXene/nanocellulose(HMN)by alternating vacuum-assisted filtration process.The HMN composite films exhibit excellent EMI shielding effectiveness performance in the GHz frequency(66.8 dB at Kaband)and THz frequency(114.6 dB at 0.1-4.0 THz).Besides,the HMN composite films also exhibit a high reflection loss of 39.7 dB at 0.7 THz with an effective absorption bandwidth up to 2.1 THz.Moreover,HMN composite films show remarkable photothermal conversion performance,which can reach 104.6℃under 2.0 Sun and 235.4℃under 0.8 W cm^(−2),respectively.The unique micro-and macrostructural design structures will absorb more incident electromagnetic waves via interfacial polarization/multiple scattering and produce more heat energy via the local surface plasmon resonance effect.These features make the HMN composite film a promising candidate for advanced EMI devices for future 6G communication and the protection of electronic equipment in cold environments.

Intrinsic polarization conversion and avoided-mode crossing in X-cut lithium niobate microrings

Compared with well-developed free space polarization converters, polarization conversion between TE and TM modes in the waveguide is generally considered to be caused by shape birefringence, like curvature, morphology of waveguide cross section and scattering. Here, we study the polarization conversion mechanism in 1-THz-FSR X-cut lithium niobate microrings with multiple-resonance condition, that is the conversion can be implemented by birefringence of waveguides,which will also introduce an avoided-mode crossing. In the experiment, we find that this mode crossing results in severe suppression of one sideband in local nondegenerate four-wave mixing and disrupts the cascaded four-wave mixing on this side. Simultaneously, we propose one two-dimensional method to simulate the eigenmodes(TE and TM) in X-cut microrings, and the mode crossing point. This work will provide one approach to the design of polarization converters and simulation for monolithic photonics integrated circuits, and may be helpful to the studies of missed temporal dissipative soliton formation in X-cut lithium niobate rings.

Insight into structure evolution of carbon nitrides and its energy conversion as luminescence

A series of carbon nitride(CN)materials represented by graphitic carbon nitride(g-C3N4)have been widely used in bioimaging,biosensing,and other fields in recent years due to their nontoxicity,low cost,and high luminescent quantum efficiency.What is more attractive is that the luminescent properties such as wavelength and intensity can be regulated by controlling the structure at the molecular level.Hence,it is time to summarize the related research on CN structural evolution and make a prospect on future developments.In this review,we first summarize the research history and multiple structural evolution of CN.Then,the progress of improving the luminescence performance of CN through structural evolution was discussed.Significantly,the relationship between CN structure evolution and energy conversion in the forms of photoluminescence,chemiluminescence,and electrochemiluminescence was reviewed.Finally,key challenges and opportunities such as nanoscale dispersion strategy,luminous efficiency improving methods,standardization evaluation,and macroscopic preparation of CN are highlighted.

Temperature trends and its elevation-dependent warming over the Qilian Mountains

Understanding temperature variability especially elevation dependent warming(EDW)in high-elevation mountain regions is critical for assessing the impacts of climate change on water resources including glacier melt,degradation of soils,and active layer thickness.EDW means that temperature is warming faster with the increase of altitude.In this study,we used observed temperature data during 1979-2017 from 23 meteorological stations in the Qilian Mountains(QLM)to analyze temperature trend with Mann-Kendall(MK)test and Sen’s slope approach.Results showed that the warming trends for the annual temperature followed the order of T_min>T_mean>T_max and with a shift both occurred in 1997.Spring and summer temperature have a higher increasing trend than that in autumn and winter.T_mean shifts occurred in 1996 for spring and summer,in 1997 for autumn and winter.T_max shifts occurred in 1997 for spring and 1996 for summer.T_min shifts occurred in 1997 for spring,summer and winter as well as in 1999 for autumn.Annual mean diurnal temperature range(DTR)shows a significant decreasing trend(-0.18°C/10a)from 1979 to 2017.Summer mean DTR shows a significant decreasing trend(-0.26°C/10a)from 1979 to 2017 with a shift occurred in 2010.After removing longitude and latitude factors,we can learn that the warming enhancement rate of average annual temperature is 0.0673°C/km/10a,indicating that the temperature warming trend is accelerating with the continuous increase of altitude.The increase rate of elevation temperature is 0.0371°C/km/10a in spring,0.0457°C/km/10a in summer,0.0707°C/km/10a in autumn,and 0.0606°C/km/10a in winter,which indicates that there is a clear EDW in the QLM.The main causes of warming in the Qilian Mountains are human activities,cloudiness,ice-snow feedback and El Nino phenomenon.

Recent advances in core-shell organic framework-based photocatalysts for energy conversion and environmental remediation

Direct conversion of solar energy into chemical energy in an environmentally friendly manner is one of the most promising strategies to deal with the environmental pollution and energy crisis.Among a variety of materials developed as photocatalysts,the core-shell metal/covalent-organic framework(MOF or COF)photocatalysts have garnered significant attention due to their highly porous structure and the adjustability in both structure and functionality.The existing reviews on core-shell organic framework photocatalytic materials have mainly focused on core-shell MOF materials.However,there is still a lack of indepth reviews specifically addressing the photocatalytic performance of core-shell COFs and MOFs@COFs.Simultaneously,there is an urgent need for a comprehensive review encompassing these three types of core-shell structures.Based on this,this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding and useful guidelines for the exploration of suitable core-shell organic framework photocatalysts towards appropriate photocatalytic energy conversion and environmental governance.Firstly,the classification,synthesis,formation mechanisms,and reasonable regulation of core-shell organic framework were summarized.Then,the photocatalytic applications of these three kinds of core-shell structures in different areas,such as H_(2)evolution,CO_(2)reduction,and pollutants degradation are emphasized.Finally,the main challenges and development prospects of core-shell organic framework photocatalysts were introduced.This review aims to provide insights into the development of a novel generation of efficient and stable core-shell organic framework materials for energy conversion and environmental remediation.

Using satellite-derived land surface temperatures to clarify the spatiotemporal warming trends of the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran

The Alborz Mountains are some of the highest in Iran,and they play an important role in controlling the climate of the country’s northern regions.The land surface temperature(LST)is an important variable that affects the ecosystem of this area.This study investigated the spatiotemporal changes and trends of the nighttime LST in the western region of the Central Alborz Mountains at elevations of 1500-4000 m above sea level.MODIS data were extracted for the period of 2000-2021,and the Mann-Kendall nonparametric test was applied to evaluating the changes in the LST.The results indicated a significant increasing trend for the monthly average LST in May-August along the southern aspect.Both the northern and southern aspects showed decreasing trends for the monthly average LST in October,November,and March and an increasing trend in other months.At all elevations,the average decadal change in the monthly average LST was more severe along the southern aspect(0.60°C)than along the northern aspect(0.37°C).The LST difference between the northern and southern aspects decreased in the cold months but increased in the hot months.At the same elevation,the difference in the lapse rate between the northern and southern aspects was greater in the hot months than in the cold months.With increasing elevation,the lapse rate between the northern and southern aspects disappeared.Climate change was concluded to greatly decrease the difference in LST at different elevations for April-July.

Viscoelastic stress change from the 1931 M_(w)7.8 Fuyun earthquake and its impacts on seismic activity around the Altai mountains

The 1931 M_(w)7.8 Fuyun earthquake occurred around the Altai mountains, an intracontinental deformation belt with limited active strain-rate accumulation. To explore whether seismic activity in this deformation belt was affected by stress interaction among different active faults, we calculate the Coulomb failure stress change(ΔCFS) induced by the Fuyun earthquake due to coseismic deformation of the elastic crust and postseismic viscoelastic relaxation of the lower crust and upper mantle. Numerical results show that the total ΔCFS at a 10-km depth produced by the Fuyun earthquake attains approximately 0.015-0.134 bar near the epicenter, and just before the occurrence of the 2003 M_(w)7.2 Chuya earthquake, which distances about 400 km away from the Fuyun earthquake. Among the increased ΔCFS,viscoelastic relaxation from 1931 to 2003 contributes to approximately 0.014-0.131 bar, accounting for>90% of the total ΔCFS. More importantly, we find that for the recorded seismicity in the region with a radius of about 270 km to the Fuyun earthquake from 1970 to 2018, the percentage of earthquakes that fall in positive lobes of ΔCFS resolved on the NNW-SSE Fuyun strike-slip fault, on the NWW-SEE Irtysh strike-slip fault, and on the NW-SE Kurti reverse fault is up to 67.22%-91.36%. Therefore, the predictedΔCFS suggests that the impact of the 1931 M_(w)7.8 Fuyun earthquake on seismic activity around the Altai mountains is still significant as to hasten occurrence of the 2003 M_(w)7.2 Chuya earthquake at a relatively far distance and to trigger its aftershocks in the near-field even after several decades of the mainshock.

Quantifying the impact of earthquakes and geological factors on spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow prone areas:A case study in the Hengduan Mountains

Understanding the spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow-prone areas holds significant implications for regional risk management, particularly in seismically active regions with geological faults. Despite the significance of this knowledge, a comprehensive quantification of the influence of regional topographical and geological factors on the spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow-prone areas has been lacking. This study selected the Hengduan Mountains, an earthquake-prone region characterized by diverse surface conditions and complex landforms, as a representative study area. An improved units zoning and objective factors identification methodology was employed in earthquake and fault analysis to assess the impact of seismic activity and geological factors on spatial heterogeneity of debrisflow prone areas. Results showed that the application of GIS technology with hydrodynamic intensity and geographical units analysis can effectively analyze debris-flow prone areas. Meanwhile, earthquake and fault zones obviously increase the density of debrisflow prone catchments and make them unevenly distributed. The number of debris-flow prone areas shows a nonlinear variation with the gradual increase of geomorphic factor value. Specifically, the area with 1000 m-2500 m elevation difference, 25°-30° average slope, and 0.13-0.15 land use index is the most favorable conditions for debris-flow occurrence;The average annual rainfall from 600 to 1150 mm and landslides gradient from 16° to 35° are the main causal factors to trigger debris flow. Our study sheds light on the quantification of spatial heterogeneity in debris flow-prone areas in earthquake-prone regions, which can offer crucial support for post-debris flow risk management strategies.

Reversible solid-liquid conversion enabled by self-capture effect for stable non-flow zinc-bromine batteries

Non-flow aqueous zinc-bromine batteries without auxiliary components(e.g.,pumps,pipes,storage tanks)and ion-selective membranes represent a cost-effective and promising technology for large-scale energy storage.Unfortunately,they generally suffer from serious diffusion and shuttle of polybromide(Br^(-),Br^(3-))due to the weak physical adsorption between soluble polybromide and host carbon materials,which results in low energy efficiency and poor cycling stability.Here,we develop a novel self-capture organic bromine material(1,10-bis[3-(trimethylammonio)propyl]-4,4'-bipyridinium bromine,NVBr4)to successfully realize reversible solid complexation of bromide components for stable non-flow zinc-bromine battery applications.The quaternary ammonium groups(NV^(4+)ions)can effectively capture the soluble polybromide species based on strong chemical interaction and realize reversible solid complexation confined within the porous electrodes,which transforms the conventional“liquid-liquid”conversion of soluble bromide components into“liquid-solid”model and effectively suppresses the shuttle effect.Thereby,the developed non-flow zinc-bromide battery provides an outstanding voltage platform at 1.7 V with a notable specific capacity of 325 mAh g^(-1)NVBr4(1 A g^(-1)),excellent rate capability(200 mAh g^(-1)NVBr4 at 20 A g^(-1)),outstanding energy density of 469.6 Wh kg^(-1)and super-stable cycle life(20,000 cycles with 100%Coulombic efficiency),which outperforms most of reported zinc-halogen batteries.Further mechanism analysis and DFT calculations demonstrate that the chemical interaction of quaternary ammonium groups and bromide species is the main reason for suppressing the shuttle effect.The developed strategy can be extended to other halogen batteries to obtain stable charge storage.

Options and survival benefits of conversion therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

In the study by Wu et al,patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)as a conversion therapy in order to render their tumors suitable for resection.A nomogram was devised and shown to be effective in predicting the survival of these patients.Generalization of the results,however,is questionable since the study subjects consisted of patients who had resection after TACE while excluding patients with the same disease but not suitable for TACE.Immunotherapy can be considered to be an option for conversion therapy.However,markers for determining responses to a conversion therapy and for guiding the decision between TACE and sequential immunotherapy have been lacking.The question of whether effective conversion therapy can truly enhance overall survival remains unanswered.

Advanced Thermochemical Conversion Approaches for Green Hydrogen Production from Crop Residues

The huge volumes of crop residues generated during the production,processing,and consumption of farm products constitute an ecological nuisance when ineffectively managed.The conversion of crop residues to green hydrogen is one of the sustainable management strategies for ubiquitous crop residues.Production of green hydrogen from crop residue sources will contribute to deepening access to clean and affordable energy,mitigating climate change,and ensuring environmental sustainability.However,the deployment of conventional thermochemical technologies for the conversion of crop residues to green hydrogen is costly,requires long residence time,produces low-quality products,and therefore needs to be upgraded.The current review examines the conventional,advanced,and integrated thermochemical conversion technologies for crop residues for green hydrogen production.After a brief overview of the conventional thermochemical techniques,the review delves into the broad narration of advanced thermochemical technologies including catalytic pyrolysis,microwave pyrolysis,co-pyrolysis,hyropyrolysis,and autothermal pyrolysis.The study advocates the deployment of integrated pyrolysis,anaerobic digestion,pyrolysis,and gasification technologies will ensure scalability,decomposition of recalcitrant feedstocks,and generation of high grade green hydrogen.The outlook provides suggestions for future research into cost-saving and sustainable integrated technologies for green hydrogen production towards achieving carbon neutrality and a circular bio-economy.

A review on electrocatalytic CO_(2) conversion via C-C and C-N coupling

Electrochemical C-C and C-N coupling reactions with the conversion of abundant and inexpensive small molecules,such as CO_(2) and nitrogencontaining species,are considered a promising route for increasing the value of CO_(2) reduction products.The development of high-performance catalysts is the key to the both electrocatalytic reactions.In this review,we present a systematic summary of the reaction systems for electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction,along with the coupling mechanisms of C-C and C-N bonds over outstanding electrocatalytic materials recently developed.The key intermediate species and reaction pathways related to the coupling as well as the catalyst-structure relationship will be also discussed,aiming to provide insights and guidance for designing efficient CO_(2) reduction systems.