Optimizing Household Wastes (Rice, Vegetables, and Fruit) as an Environmentally Friendly Electricity Generator

The high consumption of electricity and issues related to fossil energy have triggered an increase in energy prices and the scarcity of fossil resources.Consequently,many researchers are seeking alternative energy sources.One potential technology,the Microbial Fuel Cell(MFC)based on rice,vegetable,and fruit wastes,can convert chemical energy into electrical energy.This study aims to determine the potency of rice,vegetable,and fruit waste assisted by Cu/Mg electrodes as a generator of electricity.The method used was a laboratory experiment,including the following steps:electrode preparation,waste sample preparation,incubation of the waste samples,construction of a reactor using rice,vegetable,and fruit waste as a source of electricity,and testing.The tests included measuring electrical conductivity,electric current,voltage,current density,and power density.Based on the test results,the maximum current and voltage values for the fruit waste samples were 5.53 V and 11.5 mA,respectively,with a current density of 2.300 mA/cm^(2) and a power density of 12.719 mW/cm^(2).The results indicate the potential for a future development.The next step in development involves determining the optimum conditions for utilizing of rice,vegetable,and fruit waste.The results of the electrical conductivity test on rice,vegetable,and fruit waste samples were 1.51,2.88,and 3.98 mS,respectively,with the highest electrical conductivity value found in the fruit waste sample.

Survey on Groundwater Environment Related to Vegetation in Mu Us Desert

[Objective] The research aimed to study the groundwater environment related to vegetation in Mu Us Desert.[Method] Choosing the hinterland of Mu Us Desert,the relationship between vegetation and groundwater in the desert was studied.The indicator system for the relationship between vegetation and groundwater in the sandy area was established,including vegetation population,vegetation cover,groundwater depth,vadose zone moisture content,groundwater mineralization and vadose zone salinity,as well as the corresponding field work methods.[Result] The result showed that the nine primary vegetation populations were distributed in the study area,and Artemisia,Salix and Cares were the dominant vegetation species.The groundwater mineralization in the sand dunes was 100-300mg/L,and 800mg/L in the beach,vadose zone moisture content remained at 8%-16%.The dunes salinity was less than 0.2%,and beaches were higher than 0.3%.[Conclusion] These results provided a basis for study on the relationship between vegetation and groundwater in Mu Us Desert.

Purification Effects of Aquatic Vegetations on Lake Wetland Water Environment and Analysis of the Influencing Factors in Hongze Lake

[Objective] To study the purification effect of plant community on wetland water environment in Hongze Lake, and to provide references to the ecological restoration of this area. [Methed] The typical lakeside zone of Hongze Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve was taken as the study area. Through the field survey based on environmental characteristics of aquatic areas and non-aquatic areas, combined with laboratory test, the content changes of nutrients （N and P）, COD （chemical oxygen demand） and SD （transparency） levels in the water body of lake wetland were measured; the purification effect of the lake wetland ecosystem in the growth process of aquatic vegetation was quantitatively analyzed, and possible influ- encing factors were discussed. [Result] Aquatic vegetation could remove the TN, TP, COD, Chla in wetland water environment and had obvious effects on the changes of SD content. Competition between aquatic plants can inhibit the growth of algae and relieve the eutrophication of water body. [Conclusion] This study provided theoretical basis for ecological restoration and enhancement of self-purification capability in the lakeside zone of Hongze Lake.

Effects of thinning on the understory light environment of different stands and the photosynthetic performance and growth of the reforestation species Phoebe bournei

Light levels determine regeneration in stands and a key concern is how to regulate the light environment of different stand types to the requirements of the understory.In this study,we selected three stands typical in south China(a Cryptomeria japonica plantation,a Quercus acutissima plantation,and a mixed stand of both)and three thinning intensities to determine the best understory light environ-ment for 3-year-old Phoebe bournei seedlings.The canopy structure,understory light environment,and photosynthe-sis and growth indicators were assessed following thin-ning.Thinning improved canopy structure and understory light availability of each stand;species composition was the reason for differences in the understory light environ-ment.Under the same thinning intensity,the mixed stand had the greatest light radiation and most balanced spectral composition.P.bournei photosynthesis and growth were closely related to the light environment;all three stands required heavy thinning to create an effective and sustained understory light environment.In a suitable understory light environment,the efficiency of light interception,absorption,and use by seedlings was enhanced,resulting in a higher carbon assimilation the main limiting factor was stomatal conductance.As a shade-avoidance signal,red/far-red radia-tion is a critical factor driving changes in photosynthesis and growth of P.bournei seedlings,and a reduction increased light absorption and use capacity and height:diameter ratios.The growth advantage transformed from diameter to height,enabling seedlings to access more light.Our findings suggest that the regeneration of shade-tolerant species such as P.bournei could be enhanced if a targeted approach to thinning based on stand type was adopted.

A phenology-based vegetation index for improving ratoon rice mapping using harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data

Ratoon rice,which refers to a second harvest of rice obtained from the regenerated tillers originating from the stubble of the first harvested crop,plays an important role in both food security and agroecology while requiring minimal agricultural inputs.However,accurately identifying ratoon rice crops is challenging due to the similarity of its spectral features with other rice cropping systems(e.g.,double rice).Moreover,images with a high spatiotemporal resolution are essential since ratoon rice is generally cultivated in fragmented croplands within regions that frequently exhibit cloudy and rainy weather.In this study,taking Qichun County in Hubei Province,China as an example,we developed a new phenology-based ratoon rice vegetation index(PRVI)for the purpose of ratoon rice mapping at a 30 m spatial resolution using a robust time series generated from Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2(HLS)images.The PRVI that incorporated the red,near-infrared,and shortwave infrared 1 bands was developed based on the analysis of spectro-phenological separability and feature selection.Based on actual field samples,the performance of the PRVI for ratoon rice mapping was carefully evaluated by comparing it to several vegetation indices,including normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),enhanced vegetation index(EVI)and land surface water index(LSWI).The results suggested that the PRVI could sufficiently capture the specific characteristics of ratoon rice,leading to a favorable separability between ratoon rice and other land cover types.Furthermore,the PRVI showed the best performance for identifying ratoon rice in the phenological phases characterized by grain filling and harvesting to tillering of the ratoon crop(GHS-TS2),indicating that only several images are required to obtain an accurate ratoon rice map.Finally,the PRVI performed better than NDVI,EVI,LSWI and their combination at the GHS-TS2 stages,with producer's accuracy and user's accuracy of 92.22 and 89.30%,respectively.These results demonstrate that the proposed PRVI based on HLS data can effectively identify ratoon rice in fragmented croplands at crucial phenological stages,which is promising for identifying the earliest timing of ratoon rice planting and can provide a fundamental dataset for crop management activities.

Corrosion behavior of HVOF Inconel 625 coating in the simulated marine environment

High velocity oxygen fuel(HVOF)spraying process is commonly used to produce superalloy coatings.Inconel 625 coating was prepared on Q235B low carbon steel by HVOF.A series of experiments were conducted to examine the surface and corrosion resistance properties of Inconel 625 HVOF coating.In this paper,potentiodynamic polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS)tests were carried out to evaluate the corrosion resistance of Inconel 625 coating under simulated marine environment.The experiment-al results showed that Inconel 625 coating revealed low porosity and desired coating thickness.Shift in the corrosion potential(E_(corr))to-wards the noble direction combined with much low corrosion current density(i_(corr))indicating a significant improvement of HVOF Inconel 625 coating compared with the substrate.

Changes in human settlement environments and their drivers in valley cities located in arid and semi-arid regions:A case study of Lanzhou in Western China

Development of urban human settlement environments(HSEs)is an integral part of promoting high-quality and sustainable regional development and constructing a beautiful China.The city of Lanzhou,located at the geometric center of China,is the only provincial capital traversed by the Yellow River.Given the constraints posed by the valley topography and the need for economic development,the development of this HSE,which is located within an arid region,poses considerable challenges.Evidently,an understanding of the evolution of HSEs and drivers of changes in them contributes to high-quality,sustainable urban development in arid and semi-arid regions.An analytical model was developed using the parameters of relief degree of land surface,human comfort days,the land cover index,nighttime light index,and precipitation.This model was used in combination with population density and the gross domestic product to analyze the spatial distribution of Lanzhou's HSE and its drivers.The results showed that landscapes in Lanzhou underwent significant changes between 2000 and 2022,with an increase in building-up land(+0.946%),cultivated land(+0.134%),and forest land(+0.018%)and a decrease in grassland(-1.10%).There was significant outward expansion of the main urban zone of Lanzhou and of various county towns,with the increase in building-up land being most prominent.During this period,there were significant changes in the periphery of the core urban area and county towns in Lanzhou,with decreases moving from the urban center(the highest value)to the surrounding areas(Yongdeng County had the lowest value).The correlation between the HSE and population density grew stronger in Anning and Chengguan Districts but became weaker in Xigu and Qilihe Districts.Spatiotemporal variations in the HSE were primarily caused by climate change,followed by human activities,and were also influenced by the valley topography.Overall,the spatial distribution of population density and the HSE in Lanzhou demonstrated good consistency under the in-fluence of economic development and urbanization.

Assessment of vegetation cover changes and the contributing factors in the Al-Ahsa Oasis using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)

The abandonment of date palm grove of the former Al-Ahsa Oasis in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia has resulted in the conversion of delicate agricultural area into urban area.The current state of the oasis is influenced by both expansion and degradation factors.Therefore,it is important to study the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation cover for the sustainable management of oasis resources.This study used Landsat satellite images in 1987,2002,and 2021 to monitor the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation cover in the Al-Ahsa Oasis,applied multi-temporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)data spanning from 1987 to 2021 to assess environmental and spatiotemporal variations that have occurred in the Al-Ahsa Oasis,and investigated the factors influencing these variation.This study reveals that there is a significant improvement in the ecological environment of the oasis during 1987–2021,with increase of NDVI values being higher than 0.10.In 2021,the highest NDVI value is generally above 0.70,while the lowest value remains largely unchanged.However,there is a remarkable increase in NDVI values between 0.20 and 0.30.The area of low NDVI values(0.00–0.20)has remained almost stable,but the region with high NDVI values(above 0.70)expands during 1987–2021.Furthermore,this study finds that in 1987–2002,the increase of vegetation cover is most notable in the northern region of the study area,whereas from 2002 to 2021,the increase of vegetation cover is mainly concentrated in the northern and southern regions of the study area.From 1987 to 2021,NDVI values exhibit the most pronounced variation,with a significant increase in the“green”zone(characterized by NDVI values exceeding 0.40),indicating a substantial enhancement in the ecological environment of the oasis.The NDVI classification is validated through 50 ground validation points in the study area,demonstrating a mean accuracy of 92.00%in the detection of vegetation cover.In general,both the user’s and producer’s accuracies of NDVI classification are extremely high in 1987,2002,and 2021.Finally,this study suggests that environmental authorities should strengthen their overall forestry project arrangements to combat sand encroachment and enhance the ecological environment of the Al-Ahsa Oasis.

Feature extraction and analysis of reclaimed vegetation in ecological restoration area of abandoned mines based on hyperspectral remote sensing images

The vegetation growth status largely represents the ecosystem function and environmental quality.Hyperspectral remote sensing data can effectively eliminate the effects of surface spectral reflectance and atmospheric scattering and directly reflect the vegetation parameter information.In this study,the abandoned mining area in the Helan Mountains,China was taken as the study area.Based on hyperspectral remote sensing images of Zhuhai No.1 hyperspectral satellite,we used the pixel dichotomy model,which was constructed using the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),to estimate the vegetation coverage of the study area,and evaluated the vegetation growth status by five vegetation indices(NDVI,ratio vegetation index(RVI),photochemical vegetation index(PVI),red-green ratio index(RGI),and anthocyanin reflectance index 1(ARI1)).According to the results,the reclaimed vegetation growth status in the study area can be divided into four levels(unhealthy,low healthy,healthy,and very healthy).The overall vegetation growth status in the study area was generally at low healthy level,indicating that the vegetation growth status in the study area was not good due to short-time period restoration and harsh damaged environment such as high and steep rock slopes.Furthermore,the unhealthy areas were mainly located in Dawukougou where abandoned mines were concentrated,indicating that the original mining activities have had a large effect on vegetation ecology.After ecological restoration of abandoned mines,the vegetation coverage in the study area has increased to a certain extent,but the amplitude was not large.The situation of vegetation coverage in the northern part of the study area was worse than that in the southern part,due to abandoned mines mainly concentrating in the northern part of the Helan Mountains.The combination of hyperspectral remote sensing data and vegetation indices can comprehensively extract the characteristics of vegetation,accurately analyze the plant growth status,and provide technical support for vegetation health evaluation.

Modelling analysis embodies drastic transition among global potential natural vegetations in face of changing climate

Potential natural vegetation(PNV)is a valuable reference for ecosystem renovation and has garnered increasing attention worldwide.However,there is limited knowledge on the spatio-temporal distributions,transitional processes,and underlying mechanisms of global natural vegetation,particularly in the case of ongoing climate warming.In this study,we visualize the spatio-temporal pattern and inter-transition procedure of global PNV,analyse the shifting distances and directions of global PNV under the influence of climatic disturbance,and explore the mechanisms of global PNV in response to temperature and precipitation fluctuations.To achieve this,we utilize meteorological data,mainly temperature and precipitation,from six phases:the Last Inter-Glacial(LIG),the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM),the Mid Holocene(MH),the Present Day(PD),2030(20212040)and 2090(2081–2100),and employ a widely-accepted comprehensive and sequential classification sy–stem(CSCS)for global PNV classification.We find that the spatial patterns of five PNV groups(forest,shrubland,savanna,grassland and tundra)generally align with their respective ecotopes,although their distributions have shifted due to fluctuating temperature and precipitation.Notably,we observe an unexpected transition between tundra and savanna despite their geographical distance.The shifts in distance and direction of five PNV groups are mainly driven by temperature and precipitation,although there is heterogeneity among these shifts for each group.Indeed,the heterogeneity observed among different global PNV groups suggests that they may possess varying capacities to adjust to and withstand the impacts of changing climate.The spatio-temporal distributions,mutual transitions and shift tendencies of global PNV and its underlying mechanism in face of changing climate,as revealed in this study,can significantly contribute to the development of strategies for mitigating warming and promoting re-vegetation in degraded regions worldwide.

Taxonomic Study of Five Parasitic Polypores of the Hymenochaetaceae Family of TIN Vegetation in Western Burkina Faso

The aim of this work is to inventory and study the lignicolous parasitic macrofungi of the Tin plant formation. The mycological outings from July to September 2018 and 2019, collected forty-four (44) basidiomes through a random sampling device over an area of 40,000 m2 including 1000 m long by 40 m2 wide. The standard methods and techniques used in mycology for taxonomic studies were used to describe and classify the carpophores collected in three families: Hymenochaetaceae, Ganodermataceae and Polyporaceae, into eight genera: Onnia (4.55%), Amauroderma (4.55%), Ganoderma (20.45%), Phellinus (52.27%), Inonotus (4.55%), Phellinopsis (6.82%), Grammothele (2.27%) and Trametes (4.55%). The genera Phellinus and Ganoderma were the most abundant. Finally, eight species were identified: Inonotus cf. ochroporus, Inonotus cf. pachyphloeus, Phellinus cf. cryptarum, Phellinus cf. hartigii, Phellinus cf. hippophaecola;Phellinus cf. robustus, Phellinus cf. igniarius, et Amauroderma cf. fasciculatum. Seven fungal species belong to the family Hymenochaetaceae and only the species Amauroderma cf. fasciculatum is a Ganodermataceae. However, all these fungal species are shown to be parasites of trunks and/or branches of the following woody: Parkia biglobosa (50%), Anogeissus leiocarpus (25%), Annona senegalensis (12.5%) and Mangifera indica (12.5%). Authors attest that the presence of phytoparasitic polypores in a plant formation is an indicator of aging hence the urgency to put in place the appropriate measures to safeguard and restore Tin’s plant formation.

Response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities in the Shiyang River Basin of China during 2001-2022

Understanding the response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities is critical for addressing future conflicts between humans and the environment,and maintaining ecosystem stability.Here,we aimed to identify the determining factors of vegetation variation and explore the sensitivity of vegetation to temperature(SVT)and the sensitivity of vegetation to precipitation(SVP)in the Shiyang River Basin(SYRB)of China during 2001-2022.The climate data from climatic research unit(CRU),vegetation index data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS),and land use data from Landsat images were used to analyze the spatial-temporal changes in vegetation indices,climate,and land use in the SYRB and its sub-basins(i.e.,upstream,midstream,and downstream basins)during 2001-2022.Linear regression analysis and correlation analysis were used to explore the SVT and SVP,revealing the driving factors of vegetation variation.Significant increasing trends(P<0.05)were detected for the enhanced vegetation index(EVI)and normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)in the SYRB during 2001-2022,with most regions(84%)experiencing significant variation in vegetation,and land use change was determined as the dominant factor of vegetation variation.Non-significant decreasing trends were detected in the SVT and SVP of the SYRB during 2001-2022.There were spatial differences in vegetation variation,SVT,and SVP.Although NDVI and EVI exhibited increasing trends in the upstream,midstream,and downstream basins,the change slope in the downstream basin was lower than those in the upstream and midstream basins,the SVT in the upstream basin was higher than those in the midstream and downstream basins,and the SVP in the downstream basin was lower than those in the upstream and midstream basins.Temperature and precipitation changes controlled vegetation variation in the upstream and midstream basins while human activities(land use change)dominated vegetation variation in the downstream basin.We concluded that there is a spatial heterogeneity in the response of vegetation variation to climate change and human activities across different sub-basins of the SYRB.These findings can enhance our understanding of the relationship among vegetation variation,climate change,and human activities,and provide a reference for addressing future conflicts between humans and the environment in the arid inland river basins.

Impact of climate and human activity on NDVI of various vegetation types in the Three-River Source Region, China

The Three-River Source Region(TRSR)in China holds a vital position and exhibits an irreplaceable strategic importance in ecological preservation at the national level.On the basis of an in-depth study of the vegetation evolution in the TRSR from 2000 to 2022,we conducted a detailed analysis of the feedback mechanism of vegetation growth to climate change and human activity for different vegetation types.During the growing season,the spatiotemporal variations of normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)for different vegetation types in the TRSR were analyzed using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)-NDVI data and meteorological data from 2000 to 2022.In addition,the response characteristics of vegetation to temperature,precipitation,and human activity were assessed using trend analysis,partial correlation analysis,and residual analysis.Results indicated that,after in-depth research,from 2000 to 2022,the TRSR's average NDVI during the growing season was 0.3482.The preliminary ranking of the average NDVI for different vegetation types was as follows:shrubland(0.5762)>forest(0.5443)>meadow(0.4219)>highland vegetation(0.2223)>steppe(0.2159).The NDVI during the growing season exhibited a fluctuating growth trend,with an average growth rate of 0.0018/10a(P<0.01).Notably,forests displayed a significant development trend throughout the growing season,possessing the fastest rate of change in NDVI(0.0028/10a).Moreover,the upward trends in NDVI for forests and steppes exhibited extensive spatial distributions,with significant increases accounting for 95.23%and 93.80%,respectively.The sensitivity to precipitation was significantly enhanced in other vegetation types other than highland vegetation.By contrast,steppes,meadows,and highland vegetation demonstrated relatively high vulnerability to temperature fluctuations.A further detailed analysis revealed that climate change had a significant positive impact on the TRSR from 2000 to 2022,particularly in its northwestern areas,accounting for 85.05%of the total area.Meanwhile,human activity played a notable positive role in the southwestern and southeastern areas of the TRSR,covering 62.65%of the total area.Therefore,climate change had a significantly higher impact on NDVI during the growing season in the TRSR than human activity.

Design and Sizing of an Ecological Wastewater Treatment System in a School Environment: A Case Study of Ndiebene Gandiol 1 School

The primary objective of this study was to design and size a sustainable sanitation solution for the Ndiebene Gandiol 1 school located in the eponymous commune in northern Senegal. Field investigations led to the collection of wastewater samples. Their analysis revealed specific pollutant loads, including loads of BOD5 3.6966 kgO2/day and COD of 12.8775 kgO2/day, which were central to the design phase. Following a rigorous assessment of the existing sanitation infrastructure, constructed wetland (CWs) emerged as the most appropriate ecological solution. This system, valued for its ability to effectively remove contaminants, was tailored to the specific needs of the site. Consequently, the final design of the filter extends over 217.16 m2, divided into two cells of 108.58 m2 each, with dimensions of 12.77 m in length and 8.5 m in width. The depth of the filtering medium is approximately 0.60 m, meeting the standards while ensuring maximized purification. Typha, an indigenous and prolific plant known for its purification abilities, was selected as the filtering agent. Concurrently, non-crushed gravel was chosen for its proven filtration capacity. This study is the result of a combination of scientific rigor and design expertise. It provides a holistic view of sanitation for Ndiebene Gandiol. The technical specifications and dimensions of the constructed wetland filter embody an approach that marries indepth analysis and practical application, all aimed at delivering an effective and long-lasting solution to the local sanitation challenges. By integrating precise scientific data with sanitation design expertise, this study delivers a holistic solution for Ndiebene Gandiol. The detailed dimensions and specifications of the constructed wetland filter reflect a methodology that combines meticulous analysis with practical adaptation, aiming to provide an effective and sustainable response to the challenges of rural and school sanitation in the northern region of Senegal.

Sedimentary environment and organic matter accumulation of Wufeng-Longmaxi shales,southwest Yangtze Plate,China:Insights from geochemical and petrological evidence

Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation is the most developed strata of shale gas in southern China.Due to the complex sedimentary environment adjacent to the Kangdian Uplift,the favorable area for organic-rich shale development is still undetermined.The authors,therefore,focus on the mechanism of accumulation of organic matter and the characterization of the sedimentary environment of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Shales to have a more complete understanding and new discovering of organic matter enrichment and favorable area in the marginal region around Sichuan Basin.Multiple methods were applied in this study,including thin section identification,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)observations and X-ray diffraction(XRD),and elemental analysis on outcrop samples.Five lithofacies have been defined according to the mineralogical and petrological analyses,including mudstone,bioclastic limestone,silty shale,dolomitic shale,and carbonaceous siliceous shale.The paleo-environments have been reconstructed and the organic enrichment mechanism has been identified as a reduced environment and high productivity.The Wufeng period is generally a suboxic environment and the early Longmaxi period is a reducing environment based on geochemical characterization.High dolomite content in the study area is accompanied by high TOC,which may potentially indicate the restricted anoxic environment formed by biological flourishing in shallower water.And for the area close to the Kangdian Uplift,the shale gas generation capability is comparatively favorable.The geochemical parameters implied that new favorable areas for shale gas exploration could be targeted,and more shale gas resources in the mountain-basin transitional zone might be identified in the future.

Can urban forests provide acoustic refuges for birds?Investigating the influence of vegetation structure and anthropogenic noise on bird sound diversity

As a crucial component of terrestrial ecosystems,urban forests play a pivotal role in protecting urban biodiversity by providing suitable habitats for acoustic spaces.Previous studies note that vegetation structure is a key factor influencing bird sounds in urban forests;hence,adjusting the frequency composition may be a strategy for birds to avoid anthropogenic noise to mask their songs.However,it is unknown whether the response mechanisms of bird vocalizations to vegetation structure remain consistent despite being impacted by anthropogenic noise.It was hypothesized that anthropogenic noise in urban forests occupies the low-frequency space of bird songs,leading to a possible reshaping of the acoustic niches of forests,and the vegetation structure of urban forests is the critical factor that shapes the acoustic space for bird vocalization.Passive acoustic monitoring in various urban forests was used to monitor natural and anthropogenic noises,and sounds were classified into three acoustic scenes(bird sounds,human sounds,and bird-human sounds)to determine interconnections between bird sounds,anthropogenic noise,and vegetation structure.Anthropogenic noise altered the acoustic niche of urban forests by intruding into the low-frequency space used by birds,and vegetation structures related to volume(trunk volume and branch volume)and density(number of branches and leaf area index)significantly impact the diversity of bird sounds.Our findings indicate that the response to low and high frequency signals to vegetation structure is distinct.By clarifying this relationship,our results contribute to understanding of how vegetation structure influences bird sounds in urban forests impacted by anthropogenic noise.

Echocardiographic predictors and associated outcomes of multiple vegetations in infective endocarditis:A pilot study

BACKGROUND Infective endocarditis(IE)is a life-threatening infection with an annual mortality of 40%.Embolic events reported in up to 80%of patients.Vegetations of>10 mm size are associated with increased embolic events and poor prognosis.There is a paucity of literature on the association of multiple vegetations with outcome.AIM To study the echocardiographic(ECHO)features and outcomes associated with the presence of multiple vegetations.METHODS In this retrospective,single-center,cohort study patients diagnosed with IE were recruited from June 2017 to June 2019.A total of 84 patients were diagnosed to have IE,of whom 67 with vegetation were identified.Baseline demographic,clinical,laboratory,and ECHO parameters were reviewed.Outcomes that were studied included recurrent admission,embolic phenomenon,and mortality.RESULTS Twenty-three(34%)patients were noted to have multiple vegetations,13(56.5%)were male and 10(43.5%)were female.The mean age of these patients was 50.Eight(35%)had a prior episode of IE.ECHO features of moderate to severe valvular regurgitation[odds ratio(OR)=4],presence of pacemaker lead(OR=4.8),impaired left ventricle(LV)relaxation(OR=4),and elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure(PASP)(OR=2.2)are associated with higher odds of multiple vegetations.Of these moderate to severe valvular regurgitation(P=0.028),pacemaker lead(P=0.039)and impaired relaxation(P=0.028)were statistically significant.These patients were noted to have an increased association of recurrent admissions(OR=3.6),recurrent bacteremia(OR=2.4),embolic phenomenon(OR=2.5),intensive care unit stay(OR=2.8),hypotension(OR=2.1),surgical intervention(OR=2.8)and device removal(OR=4.8).Of this device removal(P=0.039)and recurrent admissions(P=0.017)were statistically significant.CONCLUSION This study highlights the associations of ECHO predictors and outcomes in patients with IE having multiple vegetations.ECHO features of moderate to severe regurgitation,presence of pacemaker lead,impaired LV relaxation,and elevated PASP and outcomes including recurrent admissions and device removal were found to be associated with multiple vegetations.

Synthesis and nitrogen content regulation of diamond in a high-pressure hydrogen-rich environment

The regulating nitrogen content of diamond in a hydrogen-rich high-temperature and high-pressure(HPHT) growth environment was systematically investigated in this work by developing three growth systems,namely, "FeNi+Ti", "FeNi+G_(3)N_(6)H_(6)",and "FeNi+Ti+C_(3)N_(6)H_(6)".Optical microscopy,infrared spectroscopy,and photoluminescence(PL)spectroscopy measurements were conducted to analyze the spectroscopic characteristics of diamonds grown in these three systems.From our analysis,it was demonstrated that the presence of hydrogen in the sp^(3) hybrid C-H does not directly affect the color of the diamond and facilitates the increase of the nitrogen-vacancy(NV) center concentration in a highnitrogen-content diamond.In addition,titanium plays an important role in nitrogen removal,while its impact on hydrogen doping within the diamond lattice is insignificant.Most importantly,by regulating the ratio of nitrogen impurities that coexist in the nitrogen and hydrogen HPHT environment,the production of hydrogenous Ⅱa-type diamond,hydrogenous Ib-type diamond,and hydrogenous high-nitrogen-type diamonds was achieved with a nitrogen content of less than 1 ppm to 1600 ppm.

Predict the evolution of mechanical property of Al-Li alloys in a marine environment

The ocean is one of the essential fields of national defense in the future,and more and more attention is paid to the lightweight research of Marine equipment and materials.This study it is to develop a Machine learning(ML)-based prediction method to study the evolution of the mechanical properties of Al-Li alloys in the marine environment.We obtained the mechanical properties of Al-Li alloy samples under uniaxial tensile deformation at different exposure times through Marine exposure experiments.We obtained the strain evolution by digital image correlation(DIC).The strain field images are voxelized using 2D-Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN)autoencoders as input data for Long Short-Term Memory(LSTM)neural networks.Then,the output data of LSTM neural networks combined with corrosion features were input into the Back Propagation(BP)neural network to predict the mechanical properties of Al-Li alloys.The main conclusions are as follows:1.The variation law of mechanical properties of2297-T8 in the Marine atmosphere is revealed.With the increase in outdoor exposure test time,the tensile elastic model of 2297-T8 changes slowly,within 10%,and the tensile yield stress changes significantly,with a maximum attenuation of 23.6%.2.The prediction model can predict the strain evolution and mechanical response simultaneously with an error of less than 5%.3.This study shows that a CNN/LSTM system based on machine learning can be built to capture the corrosion characteristics of Marine exposure experiments.The results show that the relationship between corrosion characteristics and mechanical response can be predicted without considering the microstructure evolution of metal materials.

Heterogeneous population distribution enhances resistance to wheat lodging by optimizing the light environment

Lodging is still the key factor that limits continuous increases in wheat yields today,because the mechanical strength of culms is reduced due to low-light stress in populations under high-yield cultivation.The mechanical properties of the culm are mainly determined by lignin,which is affected by the light environment.However,little is known about whether the light environment can be sufficiently improved by changing the population distribution to inhibit culm lodging.Therefore,in this study,we used the wheat cultivar“Xinong 979”to establish a low-density homogeneous distribution treatment(LD),high-density homogeneous distribution treatment(HD),and high-density heterogeneous distribution treatment(HD-h)to study the regulatory effects and mechanism responsible for differences in the lodging resistance of wheat culms under different population distributions.Compared with LD,HD significantly reduced the light transmittance in the middle and basal layers of the canopy,the net photosynthetic rate in the middle and lower leaves of plants,the accumulation of lignin in the culm,and the breaking resistance of the culm,and thus the lodging index values increased significantly,with lodging rates of 67.5%in 2020–2021 and 59.3%in 2021–2022.Under HD-h,the light transmittance and other indicators in the middle and basal canopy layers were significantly higher than those under HD,and the lodging index decreased to the point that no lodging occurred.Compared with LD,the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-Lyase(PAL),4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase(4CL),catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT),and cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase(CAD)in the lignin synthesis pathway were significantly reduced in the culms under HD during the critical period for culm formation,and the relative expression levels of TaPAL,Ta4CL,TaCOMT,and TaCAD were significantly downregulated.However,the activities of lignin synthesis-related enzymes and their gene expression levels were significantly increased under HD-h compared with HD.A partial least squares path modeling analysis found significant positive effects between the canopy light environment,the photosynthetic capacity of the middle and lower leaves of plants,lignin synthesis and accumulation,and lodging resistance in the culms.Thus,under conventional high-density planting,the risk of wheat lodging was significantly higher.Accordingly,the canopy light environment can be optimized by changing the heterogeneity of the population distribution to improve the photosynthetic capacity of the middle and lower leaves of plants,promote lignin accumulation in the culm,and enhance lodging resistance in wheat.These findings provide a basis for understanding the mechanism responsible for the lower mechanical strength of the culm under high-yield wheat cultivation,and a theoretical basis and for developing technical measures to enhance lodging resistance.