Phosphorus limitation on CO_(2)fertilization effect in tropical forests informed by a coupled biogeochemical model

Tropical forests store more than half of the world's terrestrial carbon(C)pool and account for one-third of global net primary productivity(NPP).Many terrestrial biosphere models(TBMs)estimate increased productivity in tropical forests throughout the 21st century due to CO_(2)fertilization.However,phosphorus(P)liaitations on vegetation photosynthesis and productivity could significantly reduce the CO_(2)fertilization effect.Here,we used a carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus coupled model(Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model;DLEM-CNP)with heterogeneous maximum carboxylation rates to examine how P limitation has affected C fluxes in tropical forests during1860-2018.Our model results showed that the inclusion of the P processes enhanced model performance in simulating ecosystem productivity.We further compared the simulations from DLEM-CNP,DLEM-CN,and DLEMC and the results showed that the inclusion of P processes reduced the CO_(2)fertilization effect on gross primary production(GPP)by 25%and 45%,and net ecosystem production(NEP)by 28%and 41%,respectively,relative to CN-only and C-on ly models.From the 1860s to the 2010s,the DLEM-CNP estimated that in tropical forests GPP increased by 17%,plant respiration(Ra)increased by 18%,ecosystem respiration(Rh)increased by 13%,NEP increased by 121%per unit area,respectively.Additionally,factorial experiments with DLEM-CNP showed that the enhanced NPP benefiting from the CO_(2) fertilization effect had been offset by 135%due to deforestation from the 1860s to the 2010s.Our study highlights the importance of P limitation on the C cycle and the weakened CO_(2)fertilization effect resulting from P limitation in tropical forests.

Comprehensive Assessment of Anxiolytic Properties in 4-HPAA Derivatives: Bridging in Vivo Validation and Molecular Docking Analyses

Anxiety is a significant mental health issue that substantially affects an individual’s quality of life. Feelings of uneasiness, irritability, and sleep disturbances characterize it. 4-Hydroxyphenyl acetic acid (4-HPAA) is identified in brain cells as a physiological byproduct of tyramine. This study hypothesizes that 4-HPAA may regulate anxiety due to its anxiolytic properties, acting as a modulator of the GABAergic system, which plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders. Our study aims to enhance the anxiolytic effects of 4-HPAA through chemical modification to improve its pharmacokinetic properties. Three derivatives, namely Isopropyl-4-hydroxy-[phenyl] acetate (IHPA), Isopropyl-4-hydroxy-[phenyl] acetate (MPAA), and 4-methoxyphenyl acetate (MPHA), have been synthesized from 4-HPAA. This assessment will use well-established animal models, specifically the Elevated Plus-Maze (EPM) and Zero Maze (EZM) tests, selected for their validity in replicating anxiety-like symptoms in animals. Chronic caffeine administration via drinking water (0.3 g/l for 14 days) was employed to induce an anxiety state for testing purposes. IHPA and MPAA demonstrated significant anxiolyticactivity when tested in the EPM and EZM experiments. Molecular docking simulations using AutoDock Vina indicated that 4-HPAA derivatives had docking scores ranging from −5.8 to −4.8 kcal/mol, compared to the standard anxiolytic medication Diazepam, which scored −7.1 kcal/mol. These scores suggest a potential for 4-HPAA derivatives to interact effectively with the Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA_A) receptor. In conclusion, our in vivo and in silico analyses indicate a promising anxiolytic potential for 4-HPAA derivatives.

A Review on the Advancement of Renewable Natural Fiber Hybrid Composites: Prospects, Challenges, and Industrial Applications

Naturalfibre(NFR)reinforced functional polymer composites are quickly becoming an indispensable sustainable material in the transportation industry because of their lightweight,lower cost in manufacture,and adaptability to a wide variety of goods.However,the major difficulties of using thesefibres are their existing poor dimensional stability and the extreme hydrophilicity.In assessing the mechanical properties(MP)of composites,the interfacial bonding(IB)happening between the NFR and the polymer matrix(PM)plays an incredibly significant role.When compared to NFR/syntheticfibre hybrid composites,hybrid composites(HC)made up of two separate NFR are less prevalent;yet,these hybrid composites also have the potential to be valuable materials in terms of environmental issues.A new dimension to theflexibility of composites reinforced with NFR is added by the cost-effective manufacture of hybrid composites utilising NFR.The purpose of this study is to offer an over-view of the keyfindings that were presented on hybrid composites.The emphasis was focused on the factors that influence the performance of the naturalfiber composites,diverse approaches to enhancing MP,physical,electri-cal,and thermal characteristics of the HC.HC study in polymer science gains interest for applications in con-struction and automotive industries.

Impacts of Global Warming on Hydrological Cycles in the Asian Monsoon Region

The hydrologic changes and the impact of these changes constitute a fundamental global-warmingrelated concern. Faced with threats to human life and natural ecosystems, such as droughts, floods, and soil erosion, water resource planners must increasingly make future risk assessments. Though hydrological predictions associated with the global climate change are already being performed, mainly through the use of GCMs, coarse spatial resolutions and uncertain physical processes limit the representation of terrestrial water/energy interactions and the variability in such systems as the Asian monsoon. Despite numerous studies, the regional responses of hydrologic changes resulting from climate change remains inconclusive. In this paper, an attempt at dynamical downsealing of future hydrologic projection under global climate change in Asia is addressed. The authors conducted present and future Asian regional climate simulations which were nested in the results of Atmospheric General Circulation Model （AGCM） experiments. The regional climate model could capture the general simulated features of the AGCM. Also, some regional phenomena such as orographic precipitation, which did not appear in the outcome of the AGCM simulation, were successfully produced. Under global warming, the increase of water vapor associated with the warmed air temperature was projected. It was projected to bring more abundant water vapor to the southern portions of India and the Bay of Bengal, and to enhance precipitation especially over the mountainous regions, the western part of India and the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. As a result of the changes in the synoptic flow patterns and precipitation under global warming, the increases of annual mean precipitation and surface runoff were projected in many regions of Asia. However, both the positive and negative changes of seasonal surface runoff were projected in some regions which will increase the flood risk and cause a mismatch between water demand and water availability in the agricultural season.

Economic Implications of Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change： An Analysis Using the AIM/CGE [Global] Model

The purpose of this study is to analyze economic impacts of reducing greenhouse gases emissions significantly. A large amount of emissions reductions are required throughout this century to avoid dangerous climate change, and understanding the economic consequences under such situations is important and meaningful. The AIM/CGE [Global] model, a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model on a global scale, is applied to analyze carbon prices and changes in GDP when implementing five policy scenarios represented by emissions pathways, respectively. As a result of the analysis, higher carbon prices and larger decreases in GDP compared to the baseline emissions scenario are observed when emissions are reduced more deeply. However, such GDP losses are rather small and insignificant compared to the GDP growth observed throughout the century. These results suggest that although it is challenging to reduce emissions until the level to avoid dangerous climate change, there is a sufficient possibility to achieve it from economic perspectives.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived apoptotic bodies alleviate alveolar bone destruction by regulating osteoclast differentiation and function

Periodontitis is caused by overactive osteoclast activity that results in the loss of periodontal supporting tissue and mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)are essential for periodontal regeneration.However,the hypoxic periodontal microenvironment during periodontitis induces the apoptosis of MSCs.Apoptotic bodies(ABs)are the major product of apoptotic cells and have been attracting increased attention as potential mediators for periodontitis treatment,thus we investigated the effects of ABs derived from MSCs on periodontitis.MSCs were derived from bone marrows of mice and were cultured under hypoxic conditions for 72 h,after which ABs were isolated from the culture supernatant using a multi-filtration system.The results demonstrate that ABs derived from MSCs inhibited osteoclast differentiation and alveolar bone resorption.miRNA array analysis showed that miR-223-3p is highly enriched in those ABs and is critical for their therapeutic effects.Targetscan and luciferase activity results confirmed that Itgb1 is targeted by miR-223-3p,which interferes with the function of osteoclasts.Additionally,DC-STAMP is a key regulator that mediates membrane infusion.ABs and pre-osteoclasts expressed high levels of DC-STAMP on their membranes,which mediates the engulfment of ABs by pre-osteoclasts.ABs with knock-down of DC-STAMP failed to be engulfed by pre-osteoclasts.Collectively,MSC-derived ABs are targeted to be engulfed by pre-osteoclasts via DC-STAMP,which rescued alveolar bone loss by transferring miR-223-3p to osteoclasts,which in turn led to the attenuation of their differentiation and bone resorption.These results suggest that MSC-derived ABs are promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of periodontitis.

Responses of gross primary productivity to different sizes of precipitation events in a temperate grassland ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, China

Changes in the sizes of precipitation events in the context of global climate change may have profound impacts on ecosystem productivity in arid and semiarid grasslands. However, we still have little knowledge about to what extent grassland productivity will respond to an individual precipitation event. In this study, we quantified the duration, the maximum, and the time-integrated amount of the response of daily gross primary productivity (GPP) to an individual precipitation event and their variations with different sizes of precipitation events in a typical temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia, China. Results showed that the duration of GPP-response (τR) and the maximum absolute GPP-response (GPPmax) increased linearly with the sizes of precipitation events (Pes), driving a corresponding increase in time-integrated amount of the GPP-response (GPPtotal) because variations of GPPtotal were largely explained by τR and GPPmax. The relative contributions of these two parameters to GPPtotal were strongly Pes-dependent. The GPPmax contributed more to the variations of GPPtotal when Pes was relatively small (<20 mm), whereas τR was the main driver to the variations of GPPtotal when Pes was relatively large. In addition, a threshold size of at least 5 mm of precipitation was required to induce a GPP-response for the temperate steppe in this study. Our work has important implications for the modeling community to obtain an advanced understanding of productivity-response of grassland ecosystems to altered precipitation regimes.

Findings through the AsiaFlux network and a view toward the future

The preliminary results of long-term CO_(2)flux measurements at forest sites in East Asia are explained and compared with each other.The features of seasonal variation of CO_(2)fluxes are different among deciduous-broadleaf,evergreen-coniferous,deciduous-coniferous and tropical forests in East Asia,and the causes of difference are discussed.The integrated yearly NEP(net ecosystem production)estimated from the CO_(2)flux by eddy covariance method in various forests of East Asia has a notable difference in the range of 2 to 8 tC ha^(-1)yr^(-1).The main factors of this difference are the annual mean temperature and tree species.Furthermore,the remaining issues are discussed,such as the quantitative estimation of the CO_(2)flux by the eddy covariance method and the synthetic analysis of the carbon budget under collaborations with biological survey.

Vegetation Phenology in Permafrost Regions of Northeastern China Based on MODIS and Solar-induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence

Vegetation phenology is an indicator of vegetation response to natural environmental changes and is of great significance for the study of global climate change and its impact on terrestrial ecosystems.The normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)and enhanced vegetation index(EVI),extracted from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer(MODIS),are widely used to monitor phenology by calculating land surface reflectance.However,the applicability of the vegetation index based on‘greenness'to monitor photosynthetic activity is hindered by poor observation conditions(e.g.,ground shadows,snow,and clouds).Recently,satellite measurements of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence(SIF)from OCO-2 sensors have shown great potential for studying vegetation phenology.Here,we tested the feasibility of SIF in extracting phenological metrics in permafrost regions of the northeastern China,exploring the characteristics of SIF in the study of vegetation phenology and the differences between NDVI and EVI.The results show that NDVI has obvious SOS advance and EOS lag,and EVI is closer to SIF.The growing season length based on SIF is often the shortest,while it can represent the true phenology of vegetation because it is closely related to photosynthesis.SIF is more sensitive than the traditional remote sensing indices in monitoring seasonal changes in vegetation phenology and can compensate for the shortcomings of traditional vegetation indices.We also used the time series data of MODIS NDVI and EVI to extract phenological metrics in different permafrost regions.The results show that the length of growing season of vegetation in predominantly continuous permafrost(zone I)is longer than in permafrost with isolated taliks(zone II).Our results have certain significance for understanding the response of ecosystems in cold regions to global climate change.

Decay rate of Larix gmelinii coarse woody debris on burned patches in the Greater Khingan Mountains

The decomposition of coarse woody debris(CWD)affects the energy flow and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems.Previous studies on CWD have focused on the input,decomposition,reserve dynamics,and CWD functions,but coarse woody debris decomposition is complex and the results from different regions vary considerably.It is not clear which factors affect decay rate(k),especially at different decomposition stages.In this study,a single-exponential decay model was used to analyze the characteristics of CWD decomposition in Larix gmelinii forests over the 33 years following a fire in the Greater Khingan Mountains.The results show that the decay rate of coarse woody debris was positively correlated to decay class.The average decomposition rate was 0.019,and 41 years and 176 years are needed for a 50%and 95%mass loss,respectively.CWD nutrient content,density,and water content could explain the variance in the decay rate(~42%)of the decay factors such as amount of leaching,degree of fragmentation,respiration of the debris,and biotransformation,and varied significantly between different decay classes.Using the space-time substitution method,this study arranged the coarse woody debris of different mortality times to form a 33 year chronosequence which revealed the decomposition process.It was concluded that the decay rate was mainly explained by structural component of the debris and its nitrogen and water contents.This paper quantifies the indicators affecting CWD decay to explain the decomposition process.

Improved Pregnancy Outcomes in a Prospective Study of Pregnant Women Enrolling in an Antenatal Clinic in Western Kenya

In areas of sub-Saharan Africa where malaria is endemic, pregnant women are at a greater risk of malaria than non-pregnant women leading to significant adverse consequences including anemia, intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight (LBW), and pre-term delivery. The Kenya Ministry of Health adopted Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) and use of insecticide-treated nets (ITN) as a National strategy for malaria prevention in pregnancy. In this report, we evaluated the prevalence of malaria, the anthropometric measures of birth outcomes and the reasons for loss to follow up among pregnant women participating in an ongoing cohort study in Western Kenya. A total of 175 HIV-negative pregnant women enrolled at antenatal clinic of Chulaimbo sub-District hospital were longitudinally evaluated in a monthly follow-up visits through antenatal visits (up to 4 per mother) and delivery. Thirty three percent and 15% of the pregnant women were malaria positive by real-time quantitative (Q)-PCR and microscopy respectively at enrolment, while 54% and 23% of the pregnant women had malaria by Q-PCR and microscopy respectively at any time during follow-up. Of the enrolled study participants, 65% delivered at Chulaimbo hospital. Overall, 39% (69) of the pregnant women were lost to follow-up. The major reasons for loss to follow up were relocation from the study area (26%) and delivery at alternative health facilities (25%). The mean birth weight of the newborn infants was 3202 g (range, 2000 g - 4000 g). Only 5.3% of the infants weighed less than 2500 g (low birth weight). The mean head circumference was 34 cm (range, 30 cm - 39 cm) with mean Apgar score (at 10 minutes) ± S.D. of 9.8 ± 0.97. In conclusion, we observed decreased adverse pregnancy outcomes among our study population. We recommend a larger study of all pregnant women attending the Chulaimbo hospital so as to assess whether effectiveness of malaria and anemia control programs lead to improved birth outcomes.

Thermal pyrolysis conversion of methane to hydrogen(H_(2)):A review on process parameters,reaction kinetics and techno-economic analysis

Hydrogen(H_(2))is a promising renewable energy which finds wide applications as the world gears toward low-carbon economy.However,current H_(2) production via steam methane reforming of natural gas or gasification of coal are laden with high CO_(2) footprints.Recently,methane(CH_(4))pyrolysis has emerged as a potential technology to generate low-carbon H_(2) and solid carbon.In this review,the current state-of-art and recent progress of H_(2) production from CH_(4) pyrolysis are reviewed in detail.Aspects such as funda-mental mechanism and chemistry involved,effect of process parameters on the conversion efficiency and reaction kinetics for various reaction media and catalysts are elucidated and critically discussed.Temper-ature,among other factors,plays the most critical influence on the methane pyrolysis reaction.Molten metal/salt could lower the operating temperature of methane pyrolysis to<1000℃,whereas plasma technology usually operates in the regime of>1000℃.Based on the reaction kinetics,metal-based cata-lysts were more efficient in lowering the activation energy of the reaction to 29.5-88 kJ/mol from that of uncatalyzed reaction(147-420.7 kJ/mol).Besides,the current techno-economic performance of the pro-cess reveals that the levelized cost of H_(2) is directly influenced by the sales price of carbon(by-product)generated,which could offset the overall cost.Lastly,the main challenges of reactor design for efficient product separation and retrieval,as well as catalyst deactivation/poisoning need to be debottlenecked.

Spectral vegetation indices as the indicator of canopy photosynthetic productivity in a deciduous broadleaf forest

Aims Understanding of the ecophysiological dynamics of forest canopy photosynthesis and its spatial and temporal scaling is crucial for revealing ecological response to climate change.Combined observations and analyses of plant ecophysiology and optical remote sensing would enable us to achieve these studies.In order to examine the utility of spectral vegetation indices(VIs)for assessing ecosystem-level photosynthesis,we investigated the relationships between canopy-scale photosynthetic productivity and canopy spectral reflectance over seasons for 5 years in a cool,temperate deciduous broadleaf forest at‘Takayama’super site in central Japan.Methods Daily photosynthetic capacity was assessed by in situ canopy leaf area index(LAI),(LAI×Vcmax[single-leaf photosynthetic capacity]),and the daily maximum rate of gross primary production(GPPmax)was estimated by an ecosystem carbon cycle model.We examined five VIs:normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),enhanced vegetation index(EVI),green–red vegetation index(GRVI),chlorophyll index(CI)and canopy chlorophyll index(CCI),which were obtained by the in situ measurements of canopy spectral reflectance.Important Findings Our in situ observation of leaf and canopy characteristics,which were analyzed by an ecosystem carbon cycling model,revealed that their phenological changes are responsible for seasonal and interannual variations in canopy photosynthesis.Significant correlations were found between the five VIs and canopy photosynthetic capacity over the seasons and years;four of the VIs showed hysteresis-type relationships and only CCI showed rather linear relationship.Among the VIs examined,we applied EVI–GPPmax relationship to EVI data obtained by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer to estimate the temporal and spatial variation in GPPmax over central Japan.Our findings would improve the accuracy of satellite-based estimate of forest photosynthetic productivity in fine spatial and temporal resolutions,which are necessary for detecting any response of terrestrial ecosystem to meteorological fluctuations.

Uncovering the impact of alcohol on internal organs and reproductive health:Exploring TLR4/NF-kB and CYP2E1/ROS/Nrf2 pathways

This review delves into the detrimental impact of alcohol consumption on internal organs and reproductive health,elucidating the underlying mechanisms involving the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/Nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells(NF-kB)pathway and the Cytochrome P4502E1(CYP2E1)/reactive oxygen spe-cies(ROS)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)pathways.The TLR4/NF-kB pathway,crucial for inflammatory and immune responses,triggers the production of pro-inflammatory agents and type-1 interferon,disrupting the balance between inflammatory and antioxidant responses when tissues are chronically exposed to al-cohol.Alcohol-induced dysbiosis in gut microbes heightens gut wall permeability to pathogen-associated molecular patterns(PAMPs),leading to liver cell infection and subsequent inflammation.Concurrently,CYP2E1-mediated alcohol metabolism gen-erates ROS,causing oxidative stress and damaging cells,lipids,proteins,and deoxy-ribonucleic acid(DNA).To counteract this inflammatory imbalance,Nrf2 regulates gene expression,inhibiting inflammatory progression and promoting antioxidant re-sponses.Excessive alcohol intake results in elevated liver enzymes(ADH,CYP2E1,and catalase),ROS,NADH,acetaldehyde,and acetate,leading to damage in vital organs such as the heart,brain,and lungs.Moreover,alcohol negatively affects reproduc-tive health by inhibiting the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis,causing infertility in both men and women.These findings underscore the profound health concerns associated with alcohol-induced damage,emphasizing the need for public awareness regarding the intricate interplay between immune responses and the multi-organ im-pacts of alcohol consumption.

Practical recommendations for the prevention and management of COVID-19 in low-income and middle-income settings:adapting clinical experience from the field

INTRODUCTION Efforts to contain and respond to the novel COVID-19 in both high-income and low-income countries remain extremely challenging.Resource-constrained countries face the additional obstacles of limited health infrastructure and inability to socially distance due to crowded and often multigenerational living conditions.As Western nations begin mass vaccination campaigns,many countries in the Global South may not receive the vaccine for months or years.

PnET-CN模型对东亚森林生态系统碳通量模拟的适用性和不确定性分析

东亚地区森林类型多样,开展区域生态系统碳循环模拟时应考虑森林类型的差异。论文利用基于叶氮浓度-最大净光合作用速率关系的PnET-CN模型,对东亚地区8个森林生态系统通量观测站点的总生态系统碳交换(GEE)和生态系统呼吸(RE)进行模拟,以探讨模型的适用性并对不确定性来源进行分析。研究结果表明:1PnET-CN模型能较为准确地模拟东亚地区大部分森林生态系统站点的GEE和RE;2模型的适用性排序依次为温带、寒温带、亚热带、热带,模型未能很好地模拟热带湿地森林GEE和RE的季节与年际变异;3在同一气候区中,PnET-CN模型更加适用于针叶林碳交换的模拟;4PnET-CN模型比较准确地反映了东亚森林生态系统GEE、RE对气候因子(例如,温度或辐射)的响应,但在低温、较弱辐射条件下模型低估了GEE,在高温或较强辐射条件下高估了GEE;在低温条件下模型低估了RE,在高温条件下模型高估了RE。针对东亚多个森林通量站点的模拟情况,论文提出模型应在以下方面进行改进:1PnET-CN模型计算物候时除了考虑温度之外还应加入土壤湿度的影响,并对不同气候区森林生态系统赋予不同叶片凋落时长;2PnET-CN模型中温度对GEE的限制以及光合最适温度应该根据不同站点设置;3PnET-CN模型应该考虑森林生态系统对环境胁迫的适应性,加强对干旱等干扰的模拟;4同时对于拥有复杂水文条件的森林生态系统应该改进土壤含水量的算法,以准确反映该类型森林生态系统GEE和RE的季节变化。