Grain yield and N uptake of maize in response to increased plant density under reduced water and nitrogen supply conditions

The development of modern agriculture requires the reduction of water and chemical N fertilizer inputs.Increasing the planting density can maintain higher yields,but also consumes more of these restrictive resources.However,whether an increased maize density can compensate for the negative effects of reduced water and N supply on grain yield and N uptake in the arid irrigated areas remains unknown.This study is part of a long-term positioning trial that started in 2016.A split-split plot field experiment of maize was implemented in the arid irrigated area of northwestern China in 2020 to 2021.The treatments included two irrigation levels:local conventional irrigation reduced by 20%(W1,3,240 m^(3)ha^(-1))and local conventional irrigation(W2,4,050 m^(3)ha^(-1));two N application rates:local conventional N reduced by 25%(N1,270 kg ha^(-1))and local conventional N(360 kg ha^(-1));and three planting densities:local conventional density(D1,75,000 plants ha^(-1)),density increased by 30%(D2,97,500 plants ha-1),and density increased by 60%(D3,120,000 plants ha^(-1)).Our results showed that the grain yield and aboveground N accumulation of maize were lower under the reduced water and N inputs,but increasing the maize density by 30% can compensate for the reductions of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation caused by the reduced water and N supply.When water was reduced while the N application rate remained unchanged,increasing the planting density by 30% enhanced grain yield by 13.9% and aboveground N accumulation by 15.3%.Under reduced water and N inputs,increasing the maize density by 30% enhanced N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity,and it also compensated for the N harvest index and N metabolic related enzyme activities.Compared with W2N2D1,the N uptake efficiency and N partial factor productivity increased by 28.6 and 17.6%under W1N1D2.W1N2D2 had 8.4% higher N uptake efficiency and 13.9% higher N partial factor productivity than W2N2D1.W1N2D2 improved urease activity and nitrate reductase activity by 5.4% at the R2(blister)stage and 19.6% at the V6(6th leaf)stage,and increased net income and the benefit:cost ratio by 22.1 and 16.7%,respectively.W1N1D2 and W1N2D2 reduced the nitrate nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen contents at the R6 stage in the 40-100 cm soil layer,compared with W2N2D1.In summary,increasing the planting density by 30% can compensate for the loss of grain yield and aboveground N accumulation under reduced water and N inputs.Meanwhile,increasing the maize density by 30% improved grain yield and aboveground N accumulation when water was reduced by 20% while the N application rate remained constant in arid irrigation areas.

Insights on advanced substrates for controllable fabrication of photoanodes toward efficient and stable photoelectrochemical water splitting

Conversion of solar energy into H_(2) by photoelectrochemical(PEC)water splitting is recognized as an ideal way to address the growing energy crisis and environmental issues.In a typical PEC cell,the construction of photoanodes is crucial to guarantee the high efficiency and stability of PEC reactions,which fundamentally rely on rationally designed semiconductors(as the active materials)and substrates(as the current collectors).In this review work,we start with a brief introduction of the roles of substrates in the PEC process.Then,we provide a systematic overview of representative strategies for the controlled fabrication of photoanodes on rationally designed substrates,including conductive glass,metal,sapphire,silicon,silicon carbide,and flexible substrates.Finally,some prospects concerning the challenges and research directions in this area are proposed.

Inter-layer interference for multi-layered tight gas reservoir in the absence and presence of movable water

Due to the dissimilarity among different producing layers,the influences of inter-layer interference on the production performance of a multi-layer gas reservoir are possible.However,systematic studies of inter-layer interference for tight gas reservoirs are really limited,especially for those reservoirs in the presence of water.In this work,five types of possible inter-layer interferences,including both absence and presence of water,are identified for commingled production of tight gas reservoirs.Subsequently,a series of reservoir-scale and pore-scale numerical simulations are conducted to quantify the degree of influence of each type of interference.Consistent field evidence from the Yan'an tight gas reservoir(Ordos Basin,China)is found to support the simulation results.Additionally,suggestions are proposed to mitigate the potential inter-layer interferences.The results indicate that,in the absence of water,commingled production is favorable in two situations:when there is a difference in physical properties and when there is a difference in the pressure system of each layer.For reservoirs with a multi-pressure system,the backflow phenomenon,which significantly influences the production performance,only occurs under extreme conditions(such as very low production rates or well shut-in periods).When water is introduced into the multi-layer system,inter-layer interference becomes nearly inevitable.Perforating both the gas-rich layer and water-rich layer for commingled production is not desirable,as it can trigger water invasion from the water-rich layer into the gas-rich layer.The gas-rich layer might also be interfered with by water from the neighboring unperforated water-rich layer,where the water might break the barrier(eg weak joint surface,cement in fractures)between the two layers and migrate into the gas-rich layer.Additionally,the gas-rich layer could possibly be interfered with by water that accumulates at the bottom of the wellbore due to gravitational differentiation during shut-in operations.

Influence of water coupling coefficient on the blasting effect of red sandstone specimens

This study investigates the impact of different water coupling coefficients on the blasting effect of red sandstone.The analysis is based on the theories of detonation wave and elastic wave,focusing on the variation in wall pressure of the blasting holes.Using DDNP explosive as the explosive load,blasting tests were conducted on red sandstone specimens with four different water coupling coefficients:1.20,1.33,1.50,and 2.00.The study examines the morphologies of the rock specimens after blasting under these different water coupling coefficients.Additionally,the fractal dimensions of the surface cracks resulting from the blasting were calculated to provide a quantitative evaluation of the extent of rock damage.CT scanning and 3D reconstruction were performed on the post-blasting specimens to visually depict the extent of damage and fractures within the rock.Additionally,the volume fractal dimension and damage degree of the post-blasting specimens are calculated.The findings are then combined with numerical simulation to facilitate auxiliary analysis.The results demonstrate that an increase in the water coupling coefficient leads to a reduction in the peak pressure on the hole wall and the crushing zone,enabling more of the explosion energy to be utilized for crack propagation following the explosion.The specimens exhibited distinct failure patterns,resulting in corresponding changes in fractal dimensions.The simulated pore wall pressure–time curve validated the derived theoretical results,whereas the stress cloud map and explosion energy-time curve demonstrated the buffering effect of the water medium.As the water coupling coefficient increases,the buffering effect of the water medium becomes increasingly prominent.

A study on the simulation of carbon and water fluxes of Dangxiong alpine meadow and its response to climate change

The alpine meadow ecosystem accounts for 27%of the total area of the Tibetan Plateau and is also one of the most important vegetation types.The Dangxiong alpine meadow ecosystem,located in the south-central part of the Tibetan Plateau,is a typical example.To understand the carbon and water fluxes,water use efficiency(WUE),and their responses to future climate change for the alpine meadow ecosystem in the Dangxiong area,two parameter estimation methods,the Model-independent Parameter Estimation(PEST)and the Dynamic Dimensions Search(DDS),were used to optimize the Biome-BGC model.Then,the gross primary productivity(GPP)and evapotranspiration(ET)were simulated.The results show that the DDS parameter calibration method has a better performance.The annual GPP and ET show an increasing trend,while the WUE shows a decreasing trend.Meanwhile,ET and GPP reach their peaks in July and August,respectively,and WUE shows a“dual-peak”pattern,reaching peaks in May and November.Furthermore,according to the simulation results for the next nearly 100 years,the ensemble average GPP and ET exhibit a significant increasing trend,and the growth rate under the SSP5–8.5 scenario is greater than that under the SSP2–4.5 scenario.WUE shows an increasing trend under the SSP2–4.5 scenario and a significant increasing trend under the SSP5–8.5 scenario.This study has important scientific significance for carbon and water cycle prediction and vegetation ecological protection on the Tibetan Plateau.

Experimental study on the effect of water absorption level on rockburst occurrence of sandstone

To investigate the mechanism of rockburst prevention by spraying water onto the surrounding rocks,15 experiments are performed considering different water absorption levels on a single face.High-speed photography and acoustic emission(AE)system are used to monitor the rockburst process.The effect of water on sandstone rockburst and the prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst are analyzed from the perspective of energy and failure mode.The results show that the higher the ab-sorption degree,the lower the intensity of the rockburst after absorbing water on single side of sand-stone.This is reflected in the fact that with the increase in the water absorption level,the ejection velocity of rockburst fragments is smaller,the depth of the rockburst pit is shallower,and the AE energy is smaller.Under the water absorption level of 100%,the magnitude of rockburst intensity changes from medium to slight.The prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst is that water reduces the capacity of sandstone to store strain energy and accelerates the expansion of shear cracks,which is not conducive to the occurrence of plate cracking before rockburst,and destroys the conditions for rockburst incubation.

Classification and technical target of water electrolysis for hydrogen production

Continuous efforts are underway to reduce carbon emissions worldwide in response to global climate change.Water electrolysis technology,in conjunction with renewable energy,is considered the most feasible hydrogen production technology based on the viable possibility of large-scale hydrogen production and the zero-carbon-emission nature of the process.However,for hydrogen produced via water electrolysis systems to be utilized in various fields in practice,the unit cost of hydrogen production must be reduced to$1/kg H_(2).To achieve this unit cost,technical targets for water electrolysis have been suggested regarding components in the system.In this paper,the types of water electrolysis systems and the limitations of water electrolysis system components are explained.We suggest guideline with recent trend for achieving this technical target and insights for the potential utilization of water electrolysis technology.

Mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rock with different water contents under dynamic disturbance

Uniaxial compression tests and cyclic loading acoustic emission tests were conducted on 20%,40%,60%,80%,dry and saturated muddy sandstone by using a creep impact loading system to investigate the mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rocks with different water contents under dynamic disturbance.The mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of muddy sandstones at different water contents were analysed.Results of experimental studies show that water is a key factor in the mechanical properties of rocks,softening them,increasing their porosity,reducing their brittleness and increasing their plasticity.Under uniaxial compression,the macroscopic damage characteristics of the muddy sandstone change from mono-bevel shear damage and‘X’type conjugate bevel shear damage to a roadway bottom-drum type damage as the water content increases.Dynamic perturbation has a strengthening effect on the mechanical properties of samples with 60%and less water content,and a weakening effect on samples with 80%and more water content,but the weakening effect is not obvious.Macroscopic damage characteristics of dry samples remain unchanged,water samples from shear damage and tensile–shear composite damage gradually transformed into cleavage damage,until saturation transformation monoclinic shear damage.The evolution of acoustic emission energy and event number is mainly divided into four stages:loading stage(Ⅰ),dynamic loading stage(Ⅱ),yield failure stage(Ⅲ),and post-peak stage(Ⅳ),the acoustic emission characteristics of the stages were different for different water contents.The characteristic value of acoustic emission key point frequency gradually decreases,and the damage degree of the specimen increases,corresponding to low water content—high main frequency—low damage and high water content—low main frequency—high damage.

Recent advances in cobalt phosphide-based materials for electrocatalytic water splitting:From catalytic mechanism and synthesis method to optimization design

Electrochemical water splitting has long been considered an effective energy conversion technology for trans-ferring intermittent renewable electricity into hydrogen fuel,and the exploration of cost-effective and high-performance electrocatalysts is crucial in making electrolyzed water technology commercially viable.Cobalt phosphide(Co-P)has emerged as a catalyst of high potential owing to its high catalytic activity and durability in water splitting.This paper systematically reviews the latest advances in the development of Co-P-based materials for use in water splitting.The essential effects of P in enhancing the catalytic performance of the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction are first outlined.Then,versatile synthesis techniques for Co-P electrocatalysts are summarized,followed by advanced strategies to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of Co-P materials,including heteroatom doping,composite construction,integration with well-conductive sub-strates,and structure control from the viewpoint of experiment.Along with these optimization strategies,the understanding of the inherent mechanism of enhanced catalytic performance is also discussed.Finally,some existing challenges in the development of highly active and stable Co-P-based materials are clarified,and pro-spective directions for prompting the wide commercialization of water electrolysis technology are proposed.

Electrokinetic-mechanism of water and furfural oxidation on pulsed laser-interlaced Cu_(2)O and CoO on nickel foam

The electrocatalytic oxidation of biomass-derived furfural(FF)feedstocks into 2-furoic acid(FA)holds immense industrial potential in optics,cosmetics,polymers,and food.Herein,we fabricated Co O/Ni O/nickel foam(NF)and Cu_(2)O/Ni O/NF electrodes via in situ pulsed laser irradiation in liquids(PLIL)for the bifunctional electrocatalysis of oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and furfural oxidation reaction(FOR),respectively.Simultaneous oxidation of NF surface to NiO and deposition of CoO and/or Cu_(2)O on NF during PLIL offer distinct advantages for enhancing both the OER and FOR.CoO/NiO/NF electrocatalyst provides a consistently low overpotential of~359 m V(OER)at 10 m A/cm^(2),achieving the maximum FA yield(~16.37 m M)with 61.5%selectivity,79.5%carbon balance,and a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of~90.1%during 2 h of FOR at 1.43 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode).Mechanistic pathway via in situ electrochemical-Raman spectroscopy on CoO/NiO/NF reveals the involvement of phase transition intermediates(NiOOH and CoOOH)as surface-active centers during electrochemical oxidation.The carbonyl carbon in FF is attacked by hydroxyl groups to form unstable hydrates that subsequently undergo further oxidation to yield FA products.This method holds promise for large-scale applications,enabling simultaneous production of renewable building materials and fuel.

Future changes in precipitation and water availability over the Tibetan Plateau projected by CMIP6 models constrained by climate sensitivity

Precipitation projections over the Tibetan Plateau(TP)show diversity among existing studies,partly due to model uncertainty.How to develop a reliable projection remains inconclusive.Here,based on the IPCC AR6–assessed likely range of equilibrium climate sensitivity(ECS)and the climatological precipitation performance,the authors constrain the CMIP6(phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project)model projection of summer precipitation and water availability over the TP.The best estimates of precipitation changes are 0.24,0.25,and 0.45 mm d^(−1)(5.9%,6.1%,and 11.2%)under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway(SSP)scenarios of SSP1–2.6,SSP2–4.5,and SSP5–8.5 from 2050–2099 relative to 1965–2014,respectively.The corresponding constrained projections of water availability measured by precipitation minus evaporation(P–E)are 0.10,0.09,and 0.22 mm d^(−1)(5.7%,4.9%,and 13.2%),respectively.The increase of precipitation and P–E projected by the high-ECS models,whose ECS values are higher than the upper limit of the likely range,are about 1.7 times larger than those estimated by constrained projections.Spatially,there is a larger increase in precipitation and P–E over the eastern TP,while the western part shows a relatively weak difference in precipitation and a drier trend in P–E.The wetter TP projected by the high-ECS models resulted from both an approximately 1.2–1.4 times stronger hydrological sensitivity and additional warming of 0.6℃–1.2℃ under all three scenarios during 2050–2099.This study emphasizes that selecting climate models with climate sensitivity within the likely range is crucial to reducing the uncertainty in the projection of TP precipitation and water availability changes.

Research progress on the water vapor channel within the Yarlung Zsangbo Grand Canyon, China

The Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program tasked a research team with the“Investigation of the water vapor channel of the Yarlung Zsangbo Grand Canyon(INVC)”in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau(TP).This paper summarizes the scientific achievements obtained from the data collected by the INVC observation network and highlights the progress in investigating the development of heavy rainfall events associated with water vapor changes.The rain gauge network of the INVC can represent the impacts of the Yarlung Zsangbo Grand Canyon(YGC)topography on precipitation at the hourly scale.The microphysical characteristics of the precipitation in the YGC are different than those in the lowland area.The GPM-IMERG(Integrated MultisatellitE Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement)satellite precipitation data for the YGC region should be calibrated before they are used.The meridional water vapor flux through the YGC is more important than the zonal flux for the precipitation over the southeastern TP.The decreased precipitation around the YGC region is partly due to the decreased meridional water vapor flux passing through the YGC.High-resolution numerical models can benefit precipitation forecasting in this region by using a combination of specific schemes that capture the valley wind and water vapor flux along the valley floor.

Investigation of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene propellant breaking characteristics and mechanism impacted by submerged cavitation water jet

A submerged cavitation water jet(SCWJ)is an effective method to recycle solid propellant from obsolete solid engines by the breaking method.Solid propellant's breaking modes and mechanical process under SCWJ impact are unclear.This study aims to understand those impact breaking mechanisms.The hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene(HTPB)propellant was chosen as the research material,and a self-designed test system was used to conduct impact tests at four different working pressures.The high-speed camera characterized crack propagation,and the DIC method calculated strain change during the impact process.Besides,micro and macro fracture morphologies were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM)and computed tomography(CT)scanning.The results reveal that the compressive strain concentration region locates right below the nozzle,and the shear strain region distributes symmetrically with the jet axis,which increases to 4% at first 16th ms,the compressive strain rises to 2% and 6% in the axial and transverse direction,respectively.The two tensile cracks formed first at the compression strain concentrate region,and there generate many shear cracks around the tensile cracks,and those shear cracks that develop and aggregate cause the cracks to become wider and cut through the tensile cracks,forming the tensile-shear cracks and the impact parts eventually fail.The HTPB propellant forms a breaking hole shaped conical after impact 10 s.The mass loss increases by 17 times at maximum,with the working pressure increasing by three times.Meanwhile,the damage value of the breaking hole remaining on the surface increases by 7.8 times while 2.9 times in the depth of the breaking hole.The breaking efficiency is closely affected by working pressures.The failure modes of HTPB impacted by SCWJ are classified as tensile crack-dominated and tensile-shear crack-dominated damage mechanisms.

Monitoring and evaluation of the water quality of the Lower Neches River, Texas, USA

Increasing bacteria levels in the Lower Neches River caused by Hurricane Harvey has been of a serious concern.This study is to analyze the historical water sampling measurements and real-time water quality data collected with wireless sensors to monitor and evaluate water quality under different hydrological and hydraulic conditions.The statistical and Pearson correlation analysis on historical water samples determines that alkalinity,chloride,hardness,conductivity,and pH are highly correlated,and they decrease with increasing flow rate due to dilution.The flow rate has positive correlations with Escherichia coli,total suspended solids,and turbidity,which demonstrates that runoff is one of the causes of the elevated bacteria and sediment loadings in the river.The correlation between E.coli and turbidity indicates that turbidity greater than 45 nephelometric turbidity units in the Neches River can serve as a proxy for E.coli to indicate the bacterial outbreak.A series of statistical tools and an innovative two-layer data smoothing filter are developed to detect outliers,fill missing values,and filter spikes of the sensor measurements.The correlation analysis on the sensor data illustrates that the elevated sediment/bacteria/algae in the river is either caused by the first flush rain and heavy rain events in December to March or practices of land use and land cover.Therefore,utilizing sensor measurements along with rainfall and discharge data is recommended to monitor and evaluate water quality,then in turn to provide early alerts on water resources management decisions.

Recent advances and future prospects on Ni_(3)S_(2)-Based electrocatalysts for efficient alkaline water electrolysis

Green hydrogen(H_(2))produced by renewable energy powered alkaline water electrolysis is a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its high energy density with zero-carbon emissions.However,efficient and economic H_(2) production by alkaline water electrolysis is hindered by the sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Therefore,it is imperative to design and fabricate high-active and low-cost non-precious metal catalysts to improve the HER and OER performance,which affects the energy efficiency of alkaline water electrolysis.Ni_(3)S_(2) with the heazlewoodite structure is a potential electrocatalyst with near-metal conductivity due to the Ni–Ni metal network.Here,the review comprehensively presents the recent progress of Ni_(3)S_(2)-based electrocatalysts for alkaline water electrocatalysis.Herein,the HER and OER mechanisms,performance evaluation criteria,preparation methods,and strategies for performance improvement of Ni_(3)S_(2)-based electrocatalysts are discussed.The challenges and perspectives are also analyzed.

Yields,growth and water use under chemical topping in relations to row configuration and plant density in drip-irrigated cotton

Background Water deficit is an important problem in agricultural production in arid regions.With the advent of wholly mechanized technology for cotton planting in Xinjiang,it is important to determine which planting mode could achieve high yield,fiber quality and water use efficiency(WUE).This study aimed to explore if chemical topping affected cotton yield,quality and water use in relation to row configuration and plant densities.Results Experiments were carried out in Xinjiang China,in 2020 and 2021 with two topping method,manual topping and chemical topping,two plant densities,low and high,and two row configurations,i.e.,76 cm equal rows and 10+66 cm narrow-wide rows,which were commonly applied in matching harvest machine.Chemical topping increased seed cotton yield,but did not affect cotton fiber quality comparing to traditional manual topping.Under equal row spacing,the WUE in higher density was 62.4%higher than in the lower one.However,under narrow-wide row spacing,the WUE in lower density was 53.3%higher than in higher one(farmers’practice).For machine-harvest cotton in Xinjiang,the optimal row configuration and plant density for chemical topping was narrow-wide rows with 15 plants m-2 or equal rows with 18 plants m-2.Conclusion The plant density recommended in narrow-wide rows was less than farmers’practice and the density in equal rows was moderate with local practice.Our results provide new knowledge on optimizing agronomic managements of machine-harvested cotton for both high yield and water efficient.

Analysis of faulting destruction and water supply pipeline damage from the first mainshock of the February 6,2023 Türkiye earthquake doublet

In 2023,two consecutive earthquakes exceeding a magnitude of 7 occurred in Türkiye,causing severe casualties and economic losses.The damage to critical urban infrastructure and building structures,including highways,railroads,and water supply pipelines,was particularly severe in areas where these structures intersected the seismogenic fault.Critical infrastructure projects that traverse active faults are susceptible to the influence of fault movement,pulse velocity,and ground motions.In this study,we used a unique approach to analyze the acceleration records obtained from the seismic station array(9 strong ground motion stations)located along the East Anatolian Fault(the seismogenic fault of the MW7.8 mainshock of the 2023 Türkiye earthquake doublet).The acceleration records were filtered and integrated to obtain the velocity and displacement time histories.We used the results of an on-site investigation,jointly conducted by China Earthquake Administration and Türkiye’s AFAD,to analyze the distribution of PGA,PGV,and PGD recorded by the strong motion array of the East Anatolian Fault.We found that the maximum horizontal PGA in this earthquake was 3.0 g,and the maximum co-seismic surface displacement caused by the East Anatolian Fault rupture was 6.50 m.As the fault rupture propagated southwest,the velocity pulse caused by the directional effect of the rupture increased gradually,with the maximum PGA reaching 162.3 cm/s.We also discussed the seismic safety of critical infrastructure projects traversing active faults,using two case studies of water supply pipelines in Türkiye that were damaged by earthquakes.We used a three-dimensional finite element model of the PE(polyethylene)water pipeline at the Islahiye State Hospital and fault displacement observations obtained through on-site investigation to analyze pipeline failure mechanisms.We further investigated the effect of the fault-crossing angle on seismic safety of a pipeline,based on our analysis and the failure performance of the large-diameter Thames Water pipeline during the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake.The seismic method of buried pipelines crossing the fault was summarized.

Superwetting Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) anchored mesh with enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities for efficient water purification

Superwetting materials have drawn unprecedented attention in the treatment of oily wastewater due to their preferable anti-fouling property and selective oil/water separation.However,it is still a challenge to fabricate multifunctional and environmentally friendly materials,which can be stably applied to purify the actual complicated wastewater.Here,a Ag/Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) heterostructure anchored copper mesh was intentionally synthesized using a facile two-step hydrothermal method.The resultant mesh with superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity was capable of separating various oil/water mixtures with superior separation efficiency and high permeationflux driven by gravity.Benefiting from the joint effects of the smaller band gap of Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) heterojunction,inherent antibacterial capacity of Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) and Ag nanoparticles,favorable conductive substrate,as well as the hierarchical structure with superwettability,such mesh presented remarkably enhanced degradation capability toward organic dyes under visible light irradiation and antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli(E.coli)and Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)compared with the pure Ag/α-Fe_(2)O_(3) coated mesh.Impressively,the mesh exhibited bifunctional water purification performance,in which organic dyes were eliminated simultaneously from water during oil/water separation in onefiltration process.More importantly,this mesh behaved exceptional chemical resistance,mechanical stability and long-term reusability.Therefore,this material with multifunctional integration may hold promising potential for steady water purification in practice.

Variations in evaporation from water surfaces along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert over nearly 60 years and influencing factors

Based on meteorological data collected over nearly 60 years(1960-2017)from four national meteorological stations along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert,this study analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in evaporation from water surfaces and identified the dominant controlling factors.Methods used included linear trend analysis,linear tendency estimation,the departure method,the rank correlation coefficient-based method,and Multiple Linear Regression(MLR).Results indicate notable spatiotemporal differences in evaporation distribution and evolution.Spatially,average annual evaporation exhibited a pronounced altitude effect,decreasing at a rate of about 8.23 mm/m from east to west with increasing altitude.Temporally,annual evaporation showed significant upward trends after 1996 at the northeastern(Guaizi Lake)and western(Dingxin)margins,with rates of 132 mm/10a and 105 mm/10a,respectively.Conversely,along the northwestern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins of the desert,an evaporation paradox was observed,with annual evaporation trending downward at rates of 162 mm/10a and 187 mm/10a,respectively,especially after 1987.The dominant factors controlling evaporation varied spatially:Average annual temperature and relative humidity influended the western margin(Dingxin),average annual temperature was the key factor for the northeastern margin(Guaizi Lake),and average wind speed was crucial for the northern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins.

Regulation effects of water and nitrogen on yield,water,and nitrogen use efficiency of wolfberry

Wolfberry(Lycium barbarum L.)is important for health care and ecological protection.However,it faces problems of low productivity and resource utilization during planting.Exploring reasonable models for water and nitrogen management is important for solving these problems.Based on field trials in 2021 and 2022,this study analyzed the effects of controlling soil water and nitrogen application levels on wolfberry height,stem diameter,crown width,yield,and water(WUE)and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE).The upper and lower limits of soil water were controlled by the percentage of soil water content to field water capacity(θ_(f)),and four water levels,i.e.,adequate irrigation(W0,75%-85%θ_(f)),mild water deficit(W1,65%-75%θ_(f)),moderate water deficit(W2,55%-65%θ_(f)),and severe water deficit(W3,45%-55%θ_(f))were used,and three nitrogen application levels,i.e.,no nitrogen(N0,0 kg/hm^(2)),low nitrogen(N1,150 kg/hm^(2)),medium nitrogen(N2,300 kg/hm^(2)),and high nitrogen(N3,450 kg/hm^(2))were implied.The results showed that irrigation and nitrogen application significantly affected plant height,stem diameter,and crown width of wolfberry at different growth stages(P<0.01),and their maximum values were observed in W1N2,W0N2,and W1N3 treatments.Dry weight per plant and yield of wolfberry first increased and then decreased with increasing nitrogen application under the same water treatment.Dry weight per hundred grains and dry weight percentage increased with increasing nitrogen application under W0 treatment.However,under other water treatments,the values first increased and then decreased with increasing nitrogen application.Yield and its component of wolfberry first increased and then decreased as water deficit increased under the same nitrogen treatment.Irrigation water use efficiency(IWUE,8.46 kg/(hm^(2)·mm)),WUE(6.83 kg/(hm^(2)·mm)),partial factor productivity of nitrogen(PFPN,2.56 kg/kg),and NUE(14.29 kg/kg)reached their highest values in W2N2,W1N2,W1N2,and W1N1 treatments.Results of principal component analysis(PCA)showed that yield,WUE,and NUE were better in W1N2 treatment,making it a suitable water and nitrogen management mode for the irrigation area of the Yellow River in the Gansu Province,China and similar planting areas.