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• Single atom Ir doped few layer MoS 2 was successfully synthesized. • Single atom Ir doped MoS 2 has outstanding performance for hydrodeoxygenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), reaching up to 96.5% yield of DMF. • Single atom Ir doped MoS 2 can be reused for five times without loss of activity. The catalytic transformation of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) is of great importance within the context of biomass valorization, but remains a major challenge due to the complicated reaction networks. Herein, single-atom Ir doped ultrathin MoS 2 layers were synthesized and used as catalyst for the hydrodeoxygenation of HMF, yielding 96.5% of DMF. The single atomic structure of Ir was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (XAFS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Furthermore, the Ir doped MoS 2 catalyst showed excellent stability and did not deactivate after five reaction cycles. This work expands the applications of single-atom catalysts and introduces a new and highly efficient catalyst for the sustainable production of DMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there are no effective therapeutic agents available to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, edaravone dexborneol (EDB), a novel composite agent used to treat acute ischemic stroke, has recently been shown to exert efficacious neuroprotective effects. However, whether EDB can ameliorate cognitive deficits in AD currently remains unclear. To this end, we explored the effects of EDB on AD and its potential mechanisms using an AD animal model (male APP/PS1 mice) treated with EDB for 10 weeks starting at 6 months of age. Subsequent analyses revealed that EDB-treated APP/PS1 mice exhibited improved cognitive abilities compared to untreated APP/PS1 mice. Administration of EDB in APP/PS1 mice further alleviated neuropathological alterations of the hippocampus, including Aβ deposition, pyramidal cell karyopyknosis, and oxidative damage, and significantly decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) and COX-2 in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. Transcriptome sequencing analysis demonstrated the critical role of the inflammatory reaction in EDB treatment in APP/PS1 mice, indicating that the alleviation of the inflammatory reaction by EDB in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice was linked to the action of the TREM2/TLR4/MAPK signaling pathway. Further in vitro investigations showed that EDB suppressed neuroinflammation in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells by inhibiting the TLR4/MAPK signaling pathway and upregulating TREM2 expression. Thus, the findings of the present study demonstrate that EDB is a promising therapeutic agent for AD-related cognitive dysfunction. [Display omitted] • EDB improves the cognitive deficits of APP/PS1 mice. • EDB alleviates pathological alterations in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. • EDB reduces neuroinflammation by suppressing TLR4/MAPK pathway in APP/PS1 mice. • EDB inhibits TLR4/MAPK pathway via upregulating TREM2 in APP/PS1 mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High fertilizer input and nitric oxide (NO) emissions characterize the intensive vegetable production system. However, the amount, geographic distribution, and effective mitigation strategies of NO emissions over Chinese vegetable fields remain largely uncertain. In this study, we developed a data-driven estimate of NO emissions and their spatial pattern in Chinese vegetable fields based on the Random Forest (RF) model. Additionally, we conducted a field experiment in a subtropical vegetable field to investigate the effect of climate-smart practices on NO emissions. The RF model results showed that soil NO emissions from Chinese vegetable fields were sensitive to nitrogen application amount, soil clay content, and pH. The total NO emission from Chinese vegetable fields in 2018 was estimated to be 75.9 Gg NO–N. The urgency to reduce NO emissions in vegetable fields was higher in northern than in southern China. Our meta-analysis and field experiment results suggested that biochar amendment and replacing chemical fertilizers with bio-organic fertilizers were win-win climate-smart management practices for mitigating NO emissions while improving vegetable production. Overall, our study provided new insights into NO emissions in vegetable soil ecosystems and can facilitate the development of regional NO emission inventories and effective mitigation strategies. These findings highlight the importance of adopting sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices to reduce NO emissions and mitigate their adverse environmental impacts. [Display omitted] • Chinese vegetable fields are a hotspot of NO emissions. • The spatial distribution of NO emissions from vegetable farms has great variability. • The total NO emissions from Chinese vegetable fields were 75.9 Gg NO–N in 2018. • Biochar and bio-organic fertilizer substitution are promising practices to mitigate NO emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of underwater acoustic communication, multipath signals arrive at the receiving end with different angles and path delays, which can cause degradation in communication quality. When performing angle-delay joint estimation, sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) has many advantages over traditional methods, such as high accuracy, resolution and global minimum results, but at the cost of high computational complexity. Regarding this, in this study, we propose a low-complexity SBL based framework to jointly estimate the angle and delay of the received signal. We first propose a low-complexity approximation SBL algorithm applied to joint estimation, which can keep the super-resolution and estimation accuracy but significantly reduce the computation time. To further tackle the problem of performance degradation of the approximate algorithm in underwater low signal-to-noise ratio environments, we utilize above result as a starting point for the space-alternating generalized Expectation Maximization (SAGE) algorithm to achieve a more precise estimation. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has an excellent performance in various underwater multipath scenarios. • We first propose a low-complexity approximation SBL algorithm applied to joint angle and delay estimation. • It can keep the super-resolution and estimation accuracy but significantly reduce the computation time. • In low SNR environment, we use above result as a starting point for the SAGE algorithm for more precise estimation. • Simulation and experimental results demonstrate its excellent performance in various multipath environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling of pro-inflammation induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory response induced by M2 macrophages is important for osteogenesis in the process of bone tissue repair. Thus, we fabricated biomimetic anti-inflammatory nano-capsule (BANC) that can block cytokines and promote M2 macrophage polarization, presenting a positive role for bone tissue repair. The BANC is a biomimic nanosystem, coated with lipopolysaccharide-treated macrophage cell membranes with cytokine receptors enveloping gold nanocage (AuNC) as "cytokine blocker", and loaded with resolvin D1 inside into AuNC as "M2 polarization inducer" whose controlled-release could be triggered under near-infrared laser irradiation in sequence, and these chronological events were consistent with the healing process of bone tissue repair. Moreover, in vivo application of femoral bone defects revealed that the BANC composite boron-containing mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds improved the final effects of bone tissue repair through preventing inflammatory response, promoting M2 polarization in sequence in accord with the in vitro investigation. Hence, cytokine neutralization and M2 macrophage polarization enables the BANC to enhance the bone tissue repair as a biomimetic anti-inflammation effector. Therefore, this study provides potential therapeutic strategies for trauma-mediated or inflammation-related bone defects based on a biomimetic nanomaterial with weakened pro-inflammatory and enhanced anti-inflammatory effects. Cell membrane-mimic nanomaterials have been popular for blocking natural cell responses for some infection diseases, yet their role in biological process of bone repair is unknown. Here, we fabricated Biomimetic Anti-inflammatory Nano-Capsule (BANC), coated with cell membrane with cytokines receptors on the surface which could neutralize the pro-inflammatory cytokine receptor to block activated pro-inflammation, loaded with Resolvin D1 inside which could be controllably released by NIR irradiation to promote M2 macrophage polarization for the following bone formation during the process of bone repair. Administration of BANC as cytokines blocker and M2 polarization inducer to enhance the bone regeneration, thus presenting a promising potential for the treatment of bone repair and regeneration. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence suggests that tropospheric ozone has widespread effects on vegetation, which can contribute to alter ecosystem carbon (C) dynamics and belowground processes. In this study, we used intact soil mesocosms from a semi-improved grassland and investigated the effects of elevated ozone, alone and in combination with nitrogen (N) fertilization on soil-borne greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem C fluxes. Ozone exposure under fully open-air field conditions was occurred during the growing season. Across a one-year period, soil methane (CH 4) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions did not differ between treatments, but elevated ozone significantly depressed soil CH 4 uptake by 14% during the growing season irrespective of N fertilization. Elevated ozone resulted in a 15% reduction of net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide, while N fertilization significantly increased ecosystem respiration during the growing season. Aboveground biomass was unaffected by elevated ozone during the growing season but significantly decreased by 17% during the non-growing season. At the end of the experiment, soil mineral N content, net N mineralization and extracellular enzyme activities (i.e., cellobiohydrolase and leucine aminopeptidase) were higher under elevated ozone than ambient ozone. The short-term effect of single application of N fertilizer was primarily responsible for the lack of the interaction between elevated ozone and N fertilization. Therefore, results of our short-term study suggest that ozone exposure may have negative impacts on soil CH 4 uptake and C sequestration and contribute to accelerated rates of soil N-cycling. • Temperate grassland mesocosms were exposed to ozone with or without N fertilizer. • Elevated ozone had negative effects on soil CH 4 uptake and net ecosystem CO 2 exchange. • Aboveground biomass was reduced during the non-growing but not the growing season. • A positive feedback of soil N-cycling to ozone exposure was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A curvature-dependent chemo-mechanical coupling model is proposed. • The non-linear oxidation kinetics on curved surfaces is predicted. • The inhibition of oxidation on convex and concave surfaces is investigated. • The interaction mechanism between the curvature and growth strain is revealed. Understanding the chemo-mechanical coupling effect during oxidation at elevated temperatures is of critical importance for revealing complicated oxidation mechanism and oxidation behavior, as well as proposing countermeasures for oxidation protection. There has been an intensive investigation of the chemo-mechanics in planar oxidation, while much less attention is paid to the issue of non-planar oxidation. In this work, we proposed a curvature-dependent chemo-mechanical coupling model to investigate the two-dimensional oxidation process on curved surfaces. The oxidation kinetics including the oxide thickness and oxide growth rate on the curved surfaces, as well as the stress distribution and evolution at the substrate-oxide interface, were demonstrated. Comparisons between the experimental observations and theoretical predictions validated the accuracy of the proposed model, and the phenomenon of inhibition of oxidation on both convex and concave surfaces was explained by the stress-curvature effect on the oxidation process. Furthermore, based on the proposed model, we proposed a parameter and established a phase diagram to characterize the interactions between the curvature effect and the oxide growth effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Reduced belowground carbon (C) allocation by plants exposed to ozone may change properties and activities of the microbial community in soils. To investigate how soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activities respond to elevated ozone, we collected soils from a temperate grassland after four years of ozone exposure under fully open-air field conditions. We measured soil microbial biomass, the metabolism of low molecular weight C substrates and hydrolytic extracellular enzyme activities in both bulk soil and isolated aggregates to assess changes in microbial activity and community function. After four years of elevated ozone treatment, soil total organic C was reduced by an average of 20% compared with ambient condition. Elevated ozone resulted in a small but insignificant reduction (4–10%) in microbial biomass in both bulk soil and isolated aggregates. Activities of extracellular enzymes were generally not affected by elevated ozone, except β -glucosidase, whose activity in bulk soil was significantly lower under elevated ozone than ambient condition. Activities of β -glucosidase, leucine aminopeptidase and acid phosphatase were higher in microaggregates (<0.25 mm) as compared to macroaggregates (>0.25 mm). Elevated ozone had no effects on mineralization rates of low molecular weight C substrates in both bulk soil and isolated aggregates. We therefore conclude that the size and activity rather than function of the soil microbial community in this semi-natural grassland are altered by elevated ozone. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A temperate grassland was exposed to ozone for 4 years under field conditions. • Soil total carbon and β-glucosidase activity were decreased under elevated ozone. • Neither ozone nor its interaction with aggregate size affected microbial activities. • Elevated ozone could alter the size and activity of soil microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac fibrosis with diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of major diabetic complications. miR-21 and MMP-9 were closely associated with fibrosis diseases. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) have cardioprotective effects. However, it remains unclear whether miR-21 was involved in the mechanism of cardiac fibrosis with DN by target MMP-9 and ARB ameliorates cardiac fibrosis partly by inhibiting miR-21 expression. In this study, In Situ Hybridization(ISH), RT-PCR, cell transfection, western blotting and laser confocal telescope were used, respectively. ISH showed that miR-21, concentrated in cytoplasmic foci in the proximity of the nucleus, was mainly localized in cardiac fibroblasts and at relatively low levels in cardiomyocytes within cardiac tissue with DN. RT-PCR showed that miR-21 expression was significantly enhanced in cardiac tissue with DN, accompanied by the increase of col-IV, FN, CVF, PVCA, LVMI, HWI and NT-pro-BNP (p < 0.05). Bioinformatics analysis and Luciferase reporter gene assays showed that MMP-9 was a validated target of miR-21. Furthermore, cell transfection experiments showed that miR-21 overexpression directly decreased MMP-9 expression. Interestingly, miR-21 levels in cardiac tissue was positively correlated with ACR (r = −0.870, P = 0.003), whereas, uncorrelated with SBP, HbA1C and T-Cho (p > 0.05). More importantly, ARB can significantly decrease miR-21 expression in cardiac tissue, cardiac fibroblasts and serum. Overall, our results suggested that miR-21 may contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis with DN by target MMP-9, and that miR-21 may be a new possible therapeutic target for ARB in cardiac fibrosis with DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the chemo-mechanics during oxidation is of great importance for designing novel countermeasures for materials protections. However, it is yet challenging to accurately measure the coupled mechanical stress/strain components at micro-/nanoscale. In this work, we propose a novel method to combine surface markers (SiO 2 micro-pillars) and high temperature scanning probe microscopy (HTSPM) for quantifying the growing oxide thickness, while mapping the local displacement and strain fields at the surface of a nickel-based alloy during high temperature oxidation. The proposed method displays great potential in quantitatively mapping the non-uniform oxide distribution, providing a novel approach to investigate the high-temperature oxidation process. • In situ and real-time micro-/nano oxidation observation at elevated temperature is realized. • Quantitative measurement for oxidation characteristics and in-plane deformation is proposed. • In-plane displacement and strain in the grown oxide is derived with feature processing technique. • Thermo-mechanical behavior of the evolving oxide-alloy during oxidation is modeled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial soil denitrification is of great importance for closing the nitrogen (N) cycle, yet the current understanding of soil denitrification response to N fertilization remains uncertain. While there has been a focus on factors controlling N 2 O fluxes from agricultural soils because of its global warming effect, much less is known about factors controlling total denitrification losses, yet these can be sufficiently large to affect N use efficiency. Here, we collated 353 observations from 74 papers and conducted a global-scale meta-analysis to explore the effects of N fertilization on agricultural soil denitrification (N 2 O + N 2 ) where the acetylene inhibition technique was used. Relative to the control, N fertilization significantly increased soil denitrification by an average of 174%, although the magnitude of this increase differed significantly across environmental and soil conditions. Soil denitrification was more responsive to N fertilization in grasslands than in croplands. The changes in soil denitrification increased exponentially when the rates of synthetic N fertilizer application ≤ 250 kg N ha − 1 , but above this threshold, there were no further increases. The responses of soil denitrification to N fertilization were negatively correlated with soil clay content, C:N ratio, and bulk density. The comparable responses of soil N 2 O emissions (165%) and denitrification to N fertilization resulted in a small insignificant decrease of the N 2 O:N 2 ratio. Organic fertilizer applied with and without synthetic N fertilizer can contribute to lower N 2 O emissions probably by facilitating the last step of soil denitrification to N 2 production. Taken together, we conclude that these findings can provide important insights on regulating soil denitrification, which might contribute to improvement of N use efficiency and elimination of its negative impacts in agro-ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Two hallmarks of cancer cells are their resistance to apoptosis and ability to thrive despite reduced levels of vital serum components. c- jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation is crucial for apoptosis triggered by serum starvation (SS), and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutations are tumorigenic, in part, because they produce the abnormal metabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). However, it is unknown whether 2-HG-induced tumorigenesis is partially due to JNK inhibition and thus defective SS-induced apoptosis. We show here, using IDH1-R132Q knockin mutant mouse cells, that 2-HG inhibits JNK activation induced only by SS and not by UV or doxorubicin, and thus can block apoptosis. Upon SS, Cdc42 normally disrupts mixed lineage kinase 3’s (MLK3’s) auto-inhibition, triggering the MLK3-MKK4/7-JNK-Bim apoptotic cascade. 2-HG binds to Cdc42 and abolishes its association with MLK3, inactivating MLK3 and apoptosis. Allograft tumor assays in mice demonstrate that this mechanism contributes to tumorigenesis driven by mutant IDH1, a result confirmed by detection of JNK inactivation in human gliomas harboring IDH1-R132H mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural ceramics such as carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) are of great importance for supersonic aircraft, where thermal-mechanical coupling behavior of materials affects the service performance of structural ceramics. In order to advance the understanding of the high temperature thermal-mechanical coupling behavior of heterostructure materials (one typical type of structural ceramics), we adopted here an optical observation system to visualize the variation of the gap width between heterostructure materials in arc-heated wind tunnel test. The variation of the gap width (decreasing and then volatility increasing) was observed during the test. Numerical simulation shows that thermal conduction and thermal expansion between the substrate and specimens play a critical role in the evolution of the gap width, as evidenced by the experiments. Additionally, the variation of the gap width under various conditions was given and a one-dimensional unsteady thermodynamic model of double-layer plate was established to reveal the gap evolution mechanism of heterostructure materials. The results of theoretical model agree well with numerical simulation. • In arc-heated wind tunnel test, the gap width of heterostructure materials is affected by temperature gradient. • The initial time of temperature change plays a crucial role in the gap width. • The influence of the thickness of the specimens on the gap width is affected by the initial time of temperature change. • An unsteady thermodynamic model is established to reveal the gap evolution mechanism of heterostructure materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural soils have experienced large anthropogenic nitrogen (N) inputs in recent decades. Our mechanistic understanding of the effects of added N on the carbon (C) cycle in agricultural soils, especially in the rhizosphere (C excess and N limitation), remains incomplete. The effects of increasing N fertilization on soil CO 2 emissions and microbial biomass in a wheat rhizosphere were investigated in a 56-day incubation experiment. The rhizosphere soil was amended with increasing NH 4 + rates of 0 (Control), 52 (Low N), 104 (Medium N), and 208 μg N g −1 soil (High N). N fertilization exponentially decreased soil CO 2 emissions by 27–42% compared to the control. Microbial biomass was decreased by N fertilization, but depended on the amount of added N and the timing of measurements. N additions caused pronounced negative priming effects ranging from −72 to −113 μg C g −1 over 56 days, corresponding to a decrease in basal respiration of 27%, 35% and 42% for Low, Medium and High N, respectively. The CO 2 fluxes per unit of microbial biomass decreased exponentially with N addition (R 2 = 0.84), indicating increased microbial carbon use efficiency under higher N availability. A literature review and own results showed that negative PEs occurred in the most cases and getting more negative exponentially with increasing N fertilization (n = 158, P < 0.001). In conclusion, increasing N fertilization facilitates C sequestration in soil not only by higher root biomass production, but also by reducing the SOM decomposition in the rhizosphere because of decreased N limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the balance between the priming effect and the retention of added organic carbon (C) in soil is important in evaluating the role of specific practices for terrestrial C sequestration. However, knowledge about the effects of biochar addition on soil net C accumulation following various C input patterns remains limited. We incubated soil with aged and fresh biochar, and added 14 C-labeled glucose at three frequencies over 120 days: single, repeated, and continuous additions. Regardless of glucose addition, the presence of aged or fresh biochar reduced the accumulative CO 2 emissions, by 23% on average, relative to the soil without biochar addition. Compared with the soil without biochar addition, glucose mineralization significantly increased by 1.4–2.0% in the soils with aged biochar, but decreased by 0.1–1.9% in the soils with fresh biochar. Relative to repeated and continuous glucose additions, the single addition may slightly overestimate priming effects, especially during the early incubation period. At the end of incubation, repeated and continuous additions showed a higher net C accumulation than the single addition. Regardless of the glucose addition frequency, net C accumulation was lower in soils with aged or fresh biochar than in the control. In summary, biochar amendment has an interactive effect with glucose addition frequency and thus affects the direction and magnitude of priming. Despite the direct contribution of biochar to C sequestration in soil, the low net C accumulation from glucose in the biochar-amended soil highlights the necessity of C balance accounting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inland freshwater ecosystems are of increasing concerns in global methane (CH 4) budget in the atmosphere. Agricultural irrigation watersheds are a potential CH 4 emission hotspot owing to the anthropogenic carbon and nutrients loading. However, large-scale spatial variations of CH 4 concentrations and fluxes in agricultural catchments remain poorly understood, constraining an accurate regional estimate of CH 4 budgets. Here, we examined the spatiotemporal variations of dissolved CH 4 concentrations and fluxes from typical freshwater types (ditch, reservoir and river) within an agricultural irrigation watershed from Hongze catchment, which is subjected to intensive agricultural and rural activities in Eastern China. The dissolved CH 4 concentrations and fluxes showed similar temporal variations among the three freshwater types, with the highest rates in summer and the lowest rates in winter. The total CH 4 emission from this agricultural irrigation watershed was estimated to be 0.002 Gg CH 4 yr−1, with annual mean CH 4 concentration and flux of 0.12 μmol L−1 and 0.58 mg m−2 d−1, respectively. Diffusive CH 4 fluxes varied in samples taken from different freshwater types, the annual mean CH 4 fluxes for ditch, reservoir and river were 0.31 ± 0.06, 0.71 ± 0.13 and 0.72 ± 0.25 mg m−2 d−1, respectively. Among three freshwater types, the CH 4 fluxes were the lowest in ditch, which was associated with the lowest responses of CH 4 fluxes to water dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 −-N) and sediment dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in ditch. In addition, water velocity and wind speed were significantly lower in ditch than in reservoir and river, suggesting that they also played important roles in explaining the spatial variability of dissolved CH 4 concentrations and fluxes. These results highlighted a need for more field measurements with wider spatial coverage and finer frequency, which would further improve the reliability of flux estimates for assessing the contribution of agricultural watersheds to the regional and global CH 4 budgets. [Display omitted] • CH 4 concentrations and fluxes showed similar temporal variations among water types. • The CH 4 fluxes were significantly lower in ditches than in reservoirs and rivers. • The most sensitive responses of CH 4 fluxes to water parameters were found in rivers. • Water velocity and wind speed are responsible for spatial variability of CH 4 fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRs) play important roles in initiation and progression of many pathologic processes. However, the role of miR-30c in diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains unclear. This study was to determine whether miR-30c was involved in the mechanism of renal fibrosis by inhibiting target CTGF expression in DN. In this study, In Situ Hybridization(ISH), RT-PCR, cell transfection, western blotting and laser confocal telescope were used, respectively. ISH showed that miR-30c, concentrated in cytoplasmic foci in the proximity of the nucleus, was mainly localized in glomerular and renal tubular epithelial cells within the cortex. RT-PCR showed that miR-30c expression was significantly decreased in DN (p < 0.05), consistent with of the results of ISH. Luciferase reporter gene assays showed that CTGF was a validated target of miR-30c. Furthermore, miR-30c overexpression directly decreased CTGF mRNA and protein. Conversely, miR-30c inhibitor enhanced CTGF expression. Interestingly, miR-30c expression was negatively correlated with ACR (r = − 0.870, P = 0.003) and positively correlated with Ccr (r = 0.8230, P = 0.01), whereas it was uncorrelated with KW/BW, SBP, HbA1C, HOMR-IR and T-Cho (p > 0.05). More importantly, miR-30c mimics significantly decreased col-IV, FN, GSI, GBM, GA, MRA/CLA and ACR (p < 0.05) and, in contrast, slightly but significantly increased Ccr (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggested that loss of miR-30c may contribute to the pathogenesis of DN by inhibiting target CTGF expression; replenishing miR-30c may ameliorate renal structure and function by reducing renal fibrosis in DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The origin of color crosstalk of high temperature multi-channel synchronous measurement is analyzed in detail. • Developing a novel method to realize the synchronous measurement of temperature and deformation while addressing the challenge of color crosstalk. • Establishing a set of correction equations to obtain the crosstalk-eliminated light intensity of each channel. • Synchronous measurement of temperature and deformation is accomplished with the thermal heating experiment up to 1100 °C. Synchronous measurement of temperature and deformation at elevated temperatures based on the noncontact optical method can be achieved through the allocation of channels R, G , and B for a color camera. Channels R and G are used for the radiation-based temperature measurement, while channel B is adopted for the deformation measurement. However, the existence of color crosstalk, which is mainly caused by the color camera's spectral response and the use of the narrow-band filtering technique, has a significant influence on the accuracy of temperature and deformation calculations. In this work, the color crosstalk effect in high-temperature optical imaging is analyzed, and a crosstalk correction algorithm based on grayscale calibration is performed on the different color channels (channels R, G, and B) of the color image. By solving the calibration equations, three corrected color channels are generated for a high-precision temperature and deformation calculation. A flame heating experiment of a C/SiC material up to 1100 °C is carried out to validate the applicability accuracy of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method can effectively eliminate the color crosstalk between different channels and provide a non-contact, full-field, and synchronous measurement of temperature and deformation with higher accuracy than the existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The estimation of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions based on specific cropping systems is important for accurate national N2O budgets. Intensively managed vegetable cultivation is responsible for large N2O emissions in mainland China. However, little information can be obtained on the nationwide estimation of direct N2O emissions from vegetable fields. Estimates of fertilizer-induced direct N2O emissions from vegetable fields in mainland China were thus obtained by compiling and analyzing reported data in peer-reviewed journals and research reports. The results indicated that the seasonal N2O emissions from vegetable fields significantly increased with nitrogen (N) fertilizer application (p < 0.0001). According to the ordinary least squares (OLS) model, the fertilizer-induced emission factor (EF) and background emissions of N2O were estimated to be 0.55 ± 0.05% and 1.067 ± 0.277 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively. The EF was reduced and the background emission of N2O increased when the measurement duration was prolonged from ≤100 d to >100 and ≤200 d. Comparable results were obtained by the maximum likelihood (ML) model, with an EF of 0.49 ± 0.06% and background N2O emissions of 1.228 ± 0.189 kg N ha−1 yr−1. Based on the OLS-derived parameters, the fertilizer-induced direct emissions and background emissions of N2O were estimated to be 66.95 Gg N and 19.63 Gg N, respectively, in 2009, and the annual N2O emissions were much higher in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, Hebei and Sichuan. The estimated N2O emissions from vegetable fields accounted for 21.4% of the total direct N2O emissions from Chinese croplands, with large uncertainties. Therefore, the EF and background emissions of N2O for each cropping system, particularly for intensively managed vegetable fields, should be specifically determined for accurate national N2O inventories. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Non-contact measurement method at elevated temperatures has been widely studied, which provides an efficient means for evaluating the properties of high-temperature materials. However, such high-temperature environment-induced challenges as strong light radiation and air disturbance may cause a huge quality decrease to the captured images based on the optical systems. As an important application of neural networks, Denoising Convolutional Neural Networks (DNCNN) has shown a considerable performance in conventional image denoising. In this work, an optimized DNCNN method based on the sub-region processing and transfer learning was proposed and applied in the high-temperature measurement. The thermal heating experiment of the SiC material was carried out to validate the applicability and accuracy of the method, while the synchronous measurement of temperature and deformation is realized. Simulation results based on the finite element method (FEM) agree well with the calculated data, indicating the proposed model can improve the measurement accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuaries are often characterised by a complex network of branching channels, in which the water motion is primarily driven by tides and fresh water discharge. For both scientific reasons and management purposes, it is important to gain more fundamental knowledge about the hydrodynamics in such networks, as well as their implications for turbidity and ecological functioning. A generic 2DV estuarine network model is developed to study tides and river water transport and to understand the dependence of their along-channel and vertical structure on forcings, geometry characteristics and sea level changes. The model is subsequently applied to the Yangtze Estuary to investigate tides and the distribution of river water over channels during dry and wet season, spring tide, as well as prior to and after the formation of Hengsha Passage and the construction of the Deep Waterway Project and sea level rise. Increasing river discharge enhances the friction for tides by increasing both internal and bottom stresses. Changes in tidal forcing are correlated with the friction for both tide and river. A shortcut channel reduces the water level difference in adjacent channels, as well as tidal amplitudes difference. Sea level rise results in larger friction parameters and faster propagation of tides. The distribution of river water transport is hardly affected by above mentioned changes. Model results and current vertical structure are consistent with observations. • We developed a 2DV semi-analytical estuarine network model. • Various modifications are explained by the interaction between friction parameters. • Impacts of local geometric changes can be either local or global. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manure application mitigates land degradation and improves soil fertility. Despite many individual studies on manure effects, a comprehensive overview of its consequences for a broad range of soil properties is lacking. Through a meta-analysis of 521 observations spanning the experiments from days after pulse addition up to 113 years with continues manure input, we quantified and generalized the average responses of soil biochemical properties depending on climate factors, management, soil, and manure characteristics. Large increase of pools with fast turnover (microbial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N): +88% and +84%, respectively) compared to stable organic matter pools (+27% for organic C, and +33% for total N) reflects acceleration of C and N cycles and soil fertility improvement. Activities of enzymes acquiring C-, energy-, N-, phosphorus- and sulfur were 1.3–3.3 times larger than those in soil without manure for all study durations included. Soil C/N ratio remained unaffected, indicating the stability of coupled C and N cycles. Microbial C/N ratio decreased, indicating a shift towards bacterial domination, general increase of C and N availability and acceleration of element cycling. Composted manure or manure without mineral fertilizers induced the greatest increase compared to non-composted manure or manure with mineral fertilizers, respectively, in most biochemical properties. The optimal manure application rate for adjusting proper soil pH was 25 Mg ha−1 year−1. Among manure types, swine manure caused the greatest increase of N-cycle-related properties: microbial N (+230%), urease (+258%) and N -acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (+138%) activities. Manure application strategies should avoid P and N losses and pollution via runoff, leaching or gaseous emissions due to fast mineralization and priming of soil organic matter. In conclusion, manure application favors C accumulation and accelerates nutrient cycling by providing available organic substances and nutrients and thus increasing enzyme activities. Unlabelled Image • Manure effects on soil biochemical properties were identified using meta-analysis • Manure-only application was differentiated from application of manure with mineral fertilizers • Averaging of enzyme activities should be avoided as it disregards specific functions of individual enzymes • Optimal manure application rate for adjusting best soil pH is 25 Mg ha−1 year−1 • Swine manure caused the greatest increase of N-cycle-related properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shifting from conventional tillage to a no-till system can contribute to improving soil carbon sequestration and sustaining crop productivity. However, our understanding of the soil nitrogen (N) process through insights into the no-till effect on soil denitrification remains elusive. Here, we compiled data from 323 observations in 57 studies and quantified the responses of soil denitrification and the size and activity of the denitrifying community to no-till vs. conventional tillage. Across all studies, no-till significantly increased soil denitrification (85%) compared to conventional tillage. The no-till effect on soil denitrification was significantly dependent upon N fertilizer management, with a greater increase with N fertilization than without (101 vs. 46%). The increased soil denitrification under no-till was attributed to increases in the size and activity of the denitrifying community. On average, the potential denitrification activity, the total number of denitrifiers, and the abundance of denitrifying genes were increased by 66, 116, and 14–70%, respectively, in response to no-till. Our results demonstrate that soil denitrification under no-till leads to increased soil nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission. This is supported by a larger response of soil N 2 O emission compared to the total denitrification, together with a significant increase (33%) in the (nir K + nir S)/ nos Z ratio under no-till conditions. Therefore, the increased soil denitrification under no-till conditions may have negative impacts on soil N cycling and mitigation of N 2 O emission. • The effect of no-till on soil denitrification was meta-analyzed. • No-till significantly increased soil denitrification and N 2 O emissions. • No-till enhanced the activity and abundance of the soil denitrifying community. • An overall positive response of (nir K + nir S)/ nos Z to no-till was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different organic fertilization strategies for rice–wheat annual rotation systems on net global warming potential (net GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) by incorporating methane, nitrous oxide emissions, the changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) derived from the net ecosystem carbon budget (NECB), and the CO 2 equivalent emissions from manure and chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer manufacturing. Six fertilization strategies were studied, including control (CK), N fertilizer (CF), pig manure compost + N fertilizer (MC), straw + N fertilizer (SC), straw + pig manure compost + N fertilizer (SM), and straw + straw-decomposing inoculant + N fertilizer (SI). The results indicated that the application of organic amendments did not change the seasonal pattern of GHG emissions but significantly affected their seasonal quantities. Averaged over the 3 cycles, the annual SOC sequestration rates contributed significantly to the net GWPs and were estimated to be 1.01 t C ha −1  yr −1 for the control and 1.13–1.27 t C ha −1  yr −1 for the fertilized plots. Compared to CF, the MC strategy significantly increased SOC while had similar size of net GWP and GHGI, thus deserving recommendation regarding sustainable soil productivity and GHGs mitigations. However, the other proposed organic strategies of SC, SM, and SI significantly increased net GWP and GHGI as well as SOC thus requiring further researches for GHGs mitigations. Therefore, we recommend that the application of manure substituting half chemical fertilizer be an effective strategy while straw returning in any currently studied strategies should be re-examined in the rice–wheat annual rotation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veterinary antibiotics are increasingly used in the livestock industry annually. Sulfonamides introduced into the soil with manure are usually largely degraded in various pathways. However, the influence of the metabolic intermediate of sulfonamides on nitrogen (N) cycling under anaerobic conditions in soils has been overlooked. To this end, we carried out a microcosm experiment to investigate the potential consequences of ADPD (2-amino-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine, a degradation product of sulfonamide) at five concentration gradients (i.e., 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg kg−1) on nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions, associated genes involved in N cycling, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in soils applied with manure or urea. The results showed that ADPD application promoted N 2 O emissions under flooded conditions at environmentally relevant concentrations, and the maximum cumulative N 2 O emissions were observed at 1 mg kg−1 and 0.1 mg kg−1 ADPD for manure and urea applied, respectively. The main reasons were the imbalance of denitrifying bacteria, which affected N 2 O production and reduction, and the increase of antibiotic resistance in soil bacteria. In conclusion, these findings contribute to assessing the eco-environmental risks associated with the prevalence of sulfonamide metabolic intermediates and expand our understanding of the link between antibiotics and N transformation. Further research in the field is warranted to incorporate their recommendations into the greenhouse gas assessment system. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]