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To predict the behavior of aromatic contaminants (ACs) in complex soil–plant systems, this study developed machine learning (ML) models to estimate the root concentration factor (RCF) of both traditional (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls) and emerging ACs (e.g., phthalate acid esters, aryl organophosphate esters). Four ML algorithms were employed, trained on a unified RCF dataset comprising 878 data points, covering 6 features of soil–plant cultivation systems and 98 molecular descriptors of 55 chemicals, including 29 emerging ACs. The gradient-boosted regression tree (GBRT) model demonstrated strong predictive performance, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.75, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.11, and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.22, as validated by five-fold cross-validation. Multiple explanatory analyses highlighted the significance of soil organic matter (SOM), plant protein and lipid content, exposure time, and molecular descriptors related to electronegativity distribution pattern (GATS8e) and double-ring structure (fr_bicyclic). An increase in SOM was found to decrease the overall RCF, while other variables showed strong correlations within specific ranges. This GBRT model provides an important tool for assessing the environmental behaviors of ACs in soil–plant systems, thereby supporting further investigations into their ecological and human exposure risks.

Sika deer are known to prefer oak leaves, which are rich in tannins and toxic to most mammals; however, the genetic mechanisms underlying their unique ability to adapt to living in the jungle are still unclear. In identifying the mechanism responsible for the tolerance of a highly toxic diet, we have made a major advancement by explaining the genome of sika deer. We generated the first high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of sika deer and measured the correlation between tannin intake and RNA expression in 15 tissues through 180 experiments. Comparative genome analyses showed that the UGT and CYP gene families are functionally involved in the adaptation of sika deer to high-tannin food, especially the expansion of the UGT family 2 subfamily B of UGT genes. The first chromosome-level assembly and genetic characterization of the tolerance to a highly toxic diet suggest that the sika deer genome may serve as an essential resource for understanding evolutionary events and tannin adaptation. Our study provides a paradigm of comparative expressive genomics that can be applied to the study of unique biological features in non-model animals.

Background and purposeData on earlobe crease (ELC) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are limited. Here, we determined the frequency and characteristics of ELC and the prognostic effect of ELC among AIS patients.MethodsA total of 936 patients with acute AIS were enrolled during the period between December 2018 and December 2019. The patients were divided into those without and with ELC, unilateral and bilateral ELC, and shallow and deep ELC, according to the photographs taken of the bilateral ears. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the effect of ELC, bilateral ELC, and deep ELC on poor functional outcomes at 90 days (a modified Rankin Scale score ≥2) in AIS patients.ResultsAmong the 936 AIS patients, there were 746 (79.7%) patients with ELC. Among patients with ELC, there were 156 (20.9%) patients with unilateral ELC and 590 (79.1%) with bilateral ELC and 476 (63.8%) patients with shallow ELC and 270 (36.2%) with deep ELC. After adjusting for age, sex, baseline NIHSS score, and other potential covariates, patients with deep ELC were associated with a 1.87-fold [odds ratio (OR) 1.87; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13–3.09] and 1.63-fold (OR 1.63; 95%CI, 1.14–2.34) increase in the risk of poor functional outcome at 90 days in comparison with those without ELC or shallow ELC.ConclusionELC was a common phenomenon, and eight out of ten AIS patients had ELC. Most patients had bilateral ELC, and more than one-third had deep ELC. Deep ELC was independently associated with an increased risk of poor functional outcome at 90 days.

African swine fever, which is induced by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), poses a significant threat to the global pig industry due to its high lethality in domestic pigs and wild boars. Despite the severity of the disease, there is a lack of effective vaccines and drugs against the ASFV. The p72 protein, constituting 31 to 33% of the total virus particle mass, serves as the primary capsid protein of ASFV. It is a crucial antigen for the development of ASF subunit vaccines and serological diagnostic methods. In this investigation, 27 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated through mouse immunization with the truncated C-terminal p72 protein expressed by Escherichia coli. Among these, six mAbs exhibited binding to the p72 trimer, with their respective recognized epitopes identified as 542VTAHGINLIDKF553, 568GNAIKTP574, and 584FALKPREEY592. All three epitopes were situated within the interval sequences of functional units of the C-terminal jelly-roll barrel of p72. Notably, two epitopes, 568GNAIKTP574 and 584FALKPREEY592, were internal to the p72 trimer, while the epitope 542VTAHGINLIDKF553 was exposed on the surface of the trimer and consistently conserved across all ASFV genotypes. These findings enhance our comprehension of the antigenic function and structure of the p72 protein, facilitating the utilization of p72 in the development of diagnostic techniques for ASFV.

Wildlife conservation requires public support. Growing evidence has suggested that childhood nature experience plays an essential role in forming one's environmental commitment. Yet, the link between nature contact and children's willingness to conserve wild animals has been examined little, especially for children from developing countries. Here, we conducted a questionnaire survey of school children from 4th to 5th grade and investigated their knowledge, likeability of species, and willingness to conserve wild animals, as well as the associations between nature contact (direct and indirect forms) and these outcomes. A total of 842 students at six primary schools in Nanning, Southern China, participated in the survey. Results showed that children's willingness to conserve wild animals was positively associated with both direct (time spent outdoors) and indirect (watching natural programs or reading natural books) nature contact frequency, their knowledge of species, and their likeability of species. Moreover, children's knowledge and likeability of species were also positively associated with nature contact frequency (direct and indirect forms). Therefore, wildlife conservation would benefit from environmental education and child care policies that enable children to spend time outdoors and learn about nature in multiple ways.

Abstract Background Dynamic change of heart rate in the acute phase and clinical outcomes after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the associations of heart rate trajectories and variability with functional outcome and mortality in patients with acute ICH. Methods This prospective study was conducted among 332 patients with acute ICH. Latent mixture modeling was used to identify heart rate trajectories during the first 72 h of hospitalization after ICH onset. Mean and coefficient of variation of heart rate measurements were calculated. The study outcomes included unfavorable functional outcome, ordinal shift of modified Rankin Scale score, and all-cause mortality. Results We identified 3 distinct heart rate trajectory patterns (persistent-high, moderate-stable, and low-stable). During 3-month follow-up, 103 (31.0%) patients had unfavorable functional outcome and 46 (13.9%) patients died. In multivariable-adjusted model, compared with patients in low-stable trajectory, patients in persistent-high trajectory had the highest odds of poor functional outcome (odds ratio 15.06, 95% CI 3.67–61.78). Higher mean and coefficient of variation of heart rate were also associated with increased risk of unfavorable functional outcome (P trend < 0.05), and the corresponding odds ratios (95% CI) comparing two extreme tertiles were 4.69 (2.04–10.75) and 2.43 (1.09–5.39), respectively. Likewise, similar prognostic effects of heart rate dynamic changes on high modified Rankin Scale score and all-cause mortality were observed. Conclusions Persistently high heart rate and higher variability in the acute phase were associated with increased risk of unfavorable functional outcome in patients with acute ICH.

Background: Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) is an important health care concern in the worldwide, and is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditure. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent causative pathogen of CABP. Common treatment for hospitalized patients with CABP is empiric antibiotic therapy using β-lactams in combination with macrolides, respiratory fluoroquinolones, or tetracyclines. However, overuse of antibiotics has led to an increased incidence of drug-resistant S. pneumoniae, exacerbating the development of community-acquired drug-resistant bacterial pneumonia (CDBP) and providing a challenge for physicians to choose empirical antimicrobial therapy.Methods: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used as a complementary treatment for CDBP. Yinhuapinggan granules (YHPG) is widely used in the adjuvant treatment of CDBP. Experimental studies and small sample clinical trials have shown that YHPG can effectively reduce the symptoms of CDBP. However, there is a lack of high-quality clinical evidence for the role of YHPG as a complementary drug in the treatment of CDBP. Here, we designed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to explore the efficacy and safety of YHPG. A total of 240 participants will be randomly assigned to the YHPG or placebo group in a 1:1 ratio. YHPG and placebo will be added to standard treatment for 10 days, followed by 56 days of follow-up. The primary outcome is the cure rate of pneumonia, and the secondary outcomes includes conversion rate of severe pneumonia, lower respiratory tract bacterial clearance, lactic acid (LC) clearance rate, temperature, C-reactive protein (CRP), criticality score (SMART-COP score), acute physiological and chronic health assessment system (APACHEII score) and clinical endpoint events. Adverse events will be monitored throughout the trial. Data will be analyzed according to a pre-defined statistical analysis plan. This research will disclose the efficacy of YHPG in acquired drug-resistant pneumonia.Clinical Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier ChiCTR2100047501

BackgroundEosinophils contribute to antibacterial defense by releasing mitochondrial DNA, which are decreased in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, the impact of eosinophils on stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) among patients with AIS remains unclear. Moreover, whether SAP is in the path of the association between eosinophils and clinical outcomes also remains unclear. We aimed to assess the relationships between eosinophils, SAP, and clinical outcome after mechanical thrombectomy in patients with AIS.MethodsA total of 328 consecutive patients with AIS who underwent mechanical thrombectomy between May 2017 and March 2021 were analyzed. Their baseline data and peripheral eosinophil counts were recorded on admission. Regression analysis was used to assess the effect of eosinophils on SAP, and its effect on poor outcome is defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 3–6 at month 3 after admission. Mediation analysis was utilized to assess the proportion of the total effect of SAP on the association between eosinophils and poor outcomes.ResultsMultivariate analysis revealed that eosinophils was independently associated with SAP after adjusting for potential confounders (odds ratio, 0.00; 95% CI, 0.00–0.38; P = 0.0267), which are consistent with the result of eosinophils (dichotomous) as a categorical variable (odds ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31–0.96; P = 0.0342). A non-linear relationship was detected between eosinophils and SAP, whose inflection point was 0.06. Subgroup analyses further confirmed these associations. Eosinophils were also associated with poor outcomes (odds ratio, 0.00; 95% CI, 0.00–0.14; P = 0.0124). Additionally, mediation analysis found that SAP partially mediated the negative relationship between eosinophils and poor outcome (indirect effect = −0.169; 95% CI:−0.339 –−0.040, P < 0.001).ConclusionOur findings suggested that a lower eosinophil level was associated with higher SAP and poorer outcome, and SAP might play an important effect in the association between eosinophils and poor outcomes.

The influence of the underlying surface on the atmospheric environment over rivers and lakes is not fully understood. To improve our understanding, this study targeted the Twain-Hu Basin (THB) in central China, with a unique underlying surface comprising a dense “water network” over rivers and lakes. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) was used to simulate the impact of this dense “water network” on a wintertime heavy PM2.5 pollution event in the THB. On this basis, the regulating effects of density and area of the lake groups, with centralized big lakes (CBLs) and discrete small lakes (DSLs), on PM2.5 concentrations over the underlying surface of the dense “water network” in the THB were clarified, and the relative contributions of thermal factors and water vapor factors in the atmospheric boundary layer to the variation of PM2.5 concentrations were evaluated. The results show that the underlying surface of dense “water networks” in the THB generally decreases the PM2.5 concentrations, but the influences of different lake-group types are not uniform in spatial distribution. The CBLs can reduce the PM2.5 concentrations over the lake and its surroundings by 4.90–17.68% during the day and night. The ability of DSLs in reducing PM2.5 pollution is relatively weak, with the reversed contribution between −5.63% and 1.56%. Thermal factors and water vapor–related factors are the key meteorological drivers affecting the variation of PM2.5 concentrations over the underlying surface of dense “water networks”. The warming and humidification effects of such underlying surfaces contribute positively and negatively to the “purification” of air pollution, respectively. The relative contributions of thermal factors and water vapor–related factors are 52.48% and 43.91% for CBLs and 65.96% and 27.31% for DSLs, respectively. The “purification” effect of the underlying surface with a dense “water network” in the THB on regional air pollution highlights the importance of environmental protection of inland rivers and lakes in regional environmental governance. In further studies on the atmospheric environment, long-term studies are necessary, including fine measurements in terms of meteorology and the environment and more comprehensive simulations under different scenarios.

The management of stray cats is often contentious because public perceptions about these animals are different. Using user-generated content from Weibo, this study investigated Chinese citizens’ opinions on stray cats on a large scale. Through the techniques of natural language processing, we obtained each Weibo post’s topics and sentiment propensity. The results showed that: (1) there were some irresponsible feeding behaviors among citizens; (2) public perceptions of the ecological impacts caused by stray cats were unlike; (3) the trap-neuter-return (TNR) method served high support in public discussion; (4) knowledge about stray cats’ ecological impacts was positively correlated with support for the lethal control methods in management. Based on these findings, we suggested that management policies should be dedicated to (1) communicating to the (potential) cat feeders about the negative aspects of irresponsible feeding behaviors; (2) raising “ecological awareness” campaigns for the public as well as highlighting the environmental impacts caused by stray cats; (3) understanding citizens’ perceptions toward different management scenarios and making decisions accordingly. In addition, this study also suggested that social media data can provide useful information about people’s opinions on wild animals and their management. Policies would benefit by taking this source of information into the decision-making process.

The impact of structural variations in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) during the regional transport of air pollutants on its local pollution changes deserves attention. Based on multi-source ABL detection and numerical simulation of air pollutants over the Twain-Hu Basin (THB) during 4–6 January 2019, the mechanism of the rapid growth of atmospheric pollutant concentrations in Xianning by the synergistic effect of regional transport and ABL evolution is explored, and the main conclusions are obtained as follows. The vertically stratified atmosphere is noticeable at nighttime, and the heavy humidity of near-surface fog within the stable boundary layer (SBL) promoted the generation and cumulative growth of secondary PM2.5 components during the pollution formation stage. The horizontal transport characteristics of atmospheric pollutant concentration peak were observed in the residual layer (RL) of 500–600 m. At the pollution maintenance stage, the convective boundary layer (CBL) developed during the daytime, and northerly wind transported high-concentration pollutants from the north to the THB. Under the combined action of horizontal transport and turbulent mixing, the high-concentration atmospheric pollutants in the mixing layer (ML) from the ground to the 500 m height were mixed uniformly and maintained accumulation growth. The next day, the strong vertical turbulent mixing caused the downward transport of high-concentration pollutants in the RL during nighttime due to the development of the CBL again, resulting in a doubling of near-surface pollutant concentration in a short time. With the development of ABL turbulence, local pollution dissipated rapidly without the continuous input of pollutants from external regions. This study emphasizes the importance of multi-scale processes impact on pollution variation, that is, regional transport of atmospheric pollutants at the CBL development stage for the rapid growth of PM2.5 concentration in the ML.

Abstract Background Previous investigations of phylogeny in Cervus recovered many clades without whole genomic support. Methods In this study, the genetic diversity and phylogeny of 5 species (21 subspecies/populations from C. unicolor, C. albirostris, C. nippon, C. elaphus and C. eldii) in the genus Cervus were analyzed using reduced-representation genome sequencing. Results A total of 197,543 SNPs were identified with an average sequencing depth of 16 x. A total of 21 SNP matrices for each subspecies/population and 1 matrix for individual analysis were constructed, respectively. Nucleotide diversity and heterozygosity analysis showed that all 21 subspecies/populations had different degrees of genetic diversity. C. eldii, C. unicolor and C. albirostris showed relatively high expected and observed heterozygosity, while observed heterozygosity in C. nippon was the lowest, indicating there was a certain degree of inbreeding rate in these subspecies/populations. Phylogenetic ML tree of all Cervus based on the 21 SNP matrices showed 5 robustly supported clades that clearly separate C. eldii, C. unicolor, C. albirostris, C. elaphus and C. nippon. Within C. elaphus clade, 4 subclades were well differentiated and statistically highly supported: C. elaphus (New Zealand), C. e. yarkandensis, C. c. canadensis and the other grouping the rest of C. canadensis from China. In the C. nippon clade, 2 well-distinct subclades corresponding to C. n. aplodontus and other C. nippon populations were separated. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicated that the first evolutionary event of the genus Cervus occurred approximately 7.4 millions of years ago. The split between C. elaphus and C. nippon could be estimated at around 3.6 millions of years ago. Phylogenetic ML tree of all samples based on individual SNP matrices, together with geographic distribution, have shown that there were 3 major subclades of C. elaphus and C. canadensis in China, namely C. e. yarkandensis (distributed in Tarim Basin), C. c. macneilli/C. c. kansuensis/C. c. alashanicus (distributed in middle west of China), and C. c. songaricus/C. c. sibiricus (distributed in northwest of China). Among them, C. e. yarkandensis was molecularly the most primitive subclade, with a differentiation dating back to 0.8–2.2 Myr ago. D statistical analysis showed that there was high probability of interspecific gene exchange between C. albirostris and C. eldii, C. albirostris and C. unicolor, C. nippon and C. unicolor, and there might be 2 migration events among 5 species in the genus Cervus. Conclusions Our results provided new insight to the genetic diversity and phylogeny of Cervus deer. In view of the current status of these populations, their conservation category will need to be reassessed.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a common cardiovascular disease with high mortality and a poor prognosis, which places heavy burdens upon society and families. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used extensively as complementary treatment for CHF. Guanxinshutong (GXST) capsules are used commonly for the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). Experimental research and small-sample clinical trials have shown that GXST can attenuate CHF. However, the effects of GXST as complementary medicine in CHF treatment lack high-quality clinical evidence. We have designed a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial that explores the efficacy and safety of using GXST compared with placebo for patients with CHF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). A total of 480 participants will be assigned randomly to the GXST group or placebo group at a 2:1 ratio. GXST and placebo will be added to standard treatment for 12 weeks, and then followed up for another 40 weeks. The primary outcome is the improvement value of 6-min walk distance, and the secondary outcomes include plasma levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, New York Heart Association classification, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire scores, echocardiographic parameters, and clinical endpoint events. Adverse events will be monitored throughout the trial. Data will be analyzed following a predefined statistical analysis plan. This study will show the effects of the specific use of GXST in CHF patients with reduced LVEF. The Research Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University has approved this study (2019-Y-003-02). Written informed consent of patients will be required. This trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900023877). Our results will be disseminated to the public through peer-reviewed journals, academic conferences, and the Internet.

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are one important category of additives in plastics, which are ubiquitous products of e-waste recycling areas, where PAEs are released to the environment intensively and higher exposure level is expected for the employees. This study investigated human exposure levels of PAEs in an e-waste recycling area (Ziya Circular Economy Park (ZCEP) in Tianjin, China) with intending to explore the impacts of residence spatial variation and dismantling manipulation mode. We collected 157 urine samples from three sites around ZCEP with different distances from the core dismantling site and urinary phthalate metabolites (mPAEs) concentrations were measured and were compared among these three sites. The exposure levels of PAEs exhibited spatial variation according to the distance from the core dismantling site, and urinary median ∑mPAEs concentrations (389 ng/mL) of the employees in ZCEP were significantly higher than those of residents in Ziya town (285 ng/mL) and the downtown of Jinghai district (207 ng/mL) (p 0.05). Besides, there was no correlation between exposure levels of different PAEs and their physicochemical parameters like the logKow (p > 0.05). Keywords: Occupational exposure, Phthalic acid esters, E-waste recycling area, Dismantling manipulation modes

As the largest independent east–west-trending mountain in the world, Mt. Tianshan exerts crucial impacts on climate and pollutant distributions in central Asia. Here, the vertical structures of meteorological elements and black carbon (BC) were first derived at Mt. Tianshan using an unmanned aerial vehicle system (UAVS). Vertical changes in meteorological elements can directly affect the structure of the planet boundary layer (PBL). As such, the influences of topography and meteorological elements’ vertical structure on aerosol distributions were explored from observations and model simulations. The mass concentrations of BC changed slightly with the increasing height below 2300 m above sea level (a.s.l.), which significantly increased with the height between 2300–3500 m a.s.l. and contrarily decreased with ascending altitude higher than 3500 m. Topography and mountain–valley winds were found to play important roles in the distributions of aerosols and BC. The prevailing valley winds in the daytime were conducive to pollutant transport from surrounding cities to Mt. Tianshan, where the aerosol number concentration and BC mass concentration increased rapidly, whereas the opposite transport pattern dominated during nighttime.

Fine particulate matters (PM2.5) and relative humidity (RH) in the ambient atmosphere are the leading anthropogenic and natural factors changing atmospheric horizontal visibility. Based on the analysis of environmental and meteorological data observed over 2013–2019 in Nanjing, an urban area in East China, this study investigated the influences of PM2.5 and RH on atmospheric visibility changes over recent years. The visibility had significantly negative correlations with the PM2.5 concentrations and RH changes. The nonlinear relationships existed between PM2.5 concentrations and visibility, as well as between RH and visibility, with the inflection points in the atmospheric visibility changes. The PM2.5 inflection concentrations were 81.0 μg m−3, 76.0 μg m−3, 49.0 μg m−3, and 33.0 μg m−3, respectively, for the RH ranges of RH < 60%, 60% ≤ RH < 80%, 80% ≤ RH < 90%, and RH ≥ 90%, indicating that the improvement of visibility with reducing PM2.5 concentrations could be more difficult under the humid meteorological condition. The visibility changes were most sensitive to PM2.5 concentrations in the RH range of 60–80% in this urban area of East China. The relative contributions of natural factor RH and anthropogenic factor PM2.5 to variations of wintertime atmospheric visibility were quantified with 54.3% and 45.7%, respectively, revealing an important role of natural factor RH in the change of atmospheric visibility in the urban area of East Asian monsoon region.

Surface albedo is a critical parameter in surface energy balance, and albedo change is an important driver of changes in local climate. In this study, we developed a workflow for landscape albedo estimation using images acquired with a consumer-grade camera on board unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Flight experiments were conducted at two sites in Connecticut, USA and the UAV-derived albedo was compared with the albedo obtained from a Landsat image acquired at about the same time as the UAV experiments. We find that the UAV estimate of the visibleband albedo of an urban playground (0.037 ± 0.063, mean ± standard deviation of pixel values) under clear sky conditions agrees reasonably well with the estimates based on the Landsat image (0.047 ± 0.012). However, because the cameras could only measure reflectance in three visible bands (blue, green, and red), the agreement is poor for shortwave albedo. We suggest that the deployment of a camera that is capable of detecting reflectance at a near-infrared waveband should improve the accuracy of the shortwave albedo estimation.

Birdwatching has become increasingly popular over the past two decades. Because of its potential to meet both economic and conservation needs, birdwatching tourism (or avitourism) has been considered a tool for sustainable regional development. To date, very few studies have examined the impacts of avitourism in mountainous protected areas in China. We therefore conducted a case study of the Nonggang avitourism project in Southern China to explore the impacts of the activity on livelihoods and conservation. By investigating 197 local households using a structured questionnaire, we found that avitourism has improved and diversified mountain people's livelihoods, by providing employment opportunities, and increased household incomes. Moreover, it has supported biodiversity conservation by raising mountain people's awareness of sustainability and their willingness to conserve biodiversity. Community participation, government support and collaboration between stakeholders are important for the success of this project. We conclude that, when implemented adequately, avitourism can support sustainable mountain development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The requirement of energy for growth was studied in 176 pastel farm-raised mink (88♂+88♀). Diets formulated with 32% of crude protein and increasing bean oil contents were fed to eight groups of mink. It were fed containing approximately 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 or 24% bean oil in the complete dry power respectively. Mink were voluntary feed intake was found to be dependent upon dietary energy content. Body weights were regulated by energy intake tended to increase at first and then decreased as the energy level was increased. The growth rate and voluntary feed intake regression coefficients for energy and the growth responses from weaning to the age of 26 weeks were studied in male and female mink receiving diets varying in energy level content. The apparent digestibility was digested better by male than by female. The energy levels affected the performances of female mink to a lesser degree than those of male mink. Diets containing energy at levels below 15.06KJ/kg and exceed 29.06 KJ/kg of dry matter did not support optimum growth of male, but energy levels at least as low as 17.81KJ/kg and no more than 29.06 KJ/kg appeared to be satisfactory for the growth of female. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress caused by high air temperature and high humidity is a serious health concern for urban residents. Mobile measurement of these two parameters can complement weather station observations because of its ability to capture data at fine spatial scales and in places where people live and work. In this paper, we describe a smart temperature and humidity sensor (Smart-T) for use on bicycles to characterize intracity variations in human thermal conditions. The sensor has several key characteristics of internet of things (IoT) technology, including lightweight, low cost, low power consumption, ability to communicate and geolocate the data (via the cyclist's smartphone), and the potential to be deployed in large quantities. The sensor has a reproducibility of 0.038-0.058C for temperature and of 0.18%-0.33% for relative humidity (one standard deviation of variation among multiple units). The time constant with a complete radiation shelter and moving at a normal cycling speed is 9.7 and 18.5 s for temperature and humidity, respectively, corresponding to a spatial resolution of 40 and 70 m. Measurements were made with the sensor on street transects in Nanjing, China. Results show that increasing vegetation fraction causes reduction in both air temperature and absolute humidity and that increasing impervious surface fraction has the opposite effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio and its δ13C-CO2 composition contain important CO2 sink and source information spanning from ecosystem to global scales. The observation and simulation for both CO2 and its carbon isotope ratio (δ13C-CO2) can be used to constrain regional emissions and better understand the anthropogenic and natural mechanisms that control δ13C-CO2 variations. Such work remains rare for urban environments, especially megacities. Here, we used near-continuous CO2 and δ13C-CO2 measurements, from September 2013 to August 2015, and inverse modeling to constrain the CO2 budget and investigate the main factors that dominated δ13C-CO2 variations for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, one of the largest anthropogenic CO2 hotspots and densely populated regions in China. We used the WRF-STILT model framework with category-specified EDGAR v432 CO2 inventories to simulate hourly CO2 mixing ratios and δ13C-CO2, evaluated these simulations with observations, and constrained the anthropogenic CO2 emission categories. Our study shows that: (1) Top-down and bottom-up estimates of anthropogenic CO2 emissions agreed well (bias < 6 %) on an annual basis; (2) The WRF-STILT model performed well in reproducing the observed diel and seasonal atmospheric δ13C-CO2 variations; (3) Anthropogenic CO2 emissions played a much larger role than ecosystems in controlling the δ13C-CO2 seasonality. When excluding ecosystem respiration and photosynthetic discrimination in the YRD area, δ13C-CO2 seasonality increased from 1.53 ‰ to 1.66 ‰; (4) Atmospheric transport processes in summer amplified the cement CO2 enhancement proportions in the YRD area, which dominated monthly δs variations. These findings support that the combination of long-term atmospheric carbon isotope observations and inverse modeling can provide a powerful constraint on the carbon cycle of these complex megacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of atmospheric CO2 mole fraction and the 13C/12C ratio (expressed as δ13C) in urban airsheds provide constraints on the roles of anthropogenic and natural sources and sinks in local and regional carbon cycles. In this study, we report observations of these quantities in Nanjing at hourly intervals from March 2013 to August 2015, using a laser-based optical instrument. Nanjing is the second largest city located in the highly industrialized Yangtze River Delta (YRD), eastern China. The mean CO2 mole fraction and δ13C were (439.7±7.5) μmol mol-1 and (-8.48±0.56)‰ over this observational period. The peak monthly mean δ13C (-7.44 ‰, July 2013) was 0.74‰ higher than that observed at Mount Waliguan, a WMO (World Meteorological Organization) baseline site on the Tibetan Plateau and upwind of the YRD region. The highly 13C-enriched signal was partly attributed to the influence of cement production in the region. By applying the Miller-Tans method to nighttime and daytime observations to represent signals from the city of Nanjing and the YRD, respectively, we showed that the 13C/12C ratio of CO2 sources in the Nanjing municipality was (0.21±0.53)‰ lower than that in the YRD. Flux partitioning calculations revealed that natural ecosystems in the YRD were a negligibly small source of atmospheric CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of atmospheric CO2 molar fraction and its 13C isotope composition (δ13C) in urban airsheds provide constraints on the roles of anthropogenic and natural sources in local and regional C cycles. In this study, we report observations of these quantities in Nanjing at hourly intervals from March 2013 to August 2015 using a laser-based optical instrument. Nanjing is the second largest city located in the highly industrialized Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Eastern China. The mean CO2 molar fraction and 13C were 439.7 ppm and −8.48 ‰ over this observational period. The peak monthly mean δ13C (−7.44 ‰, July 2013) was 1.03 ‰ higher than that observed at the Mauna Loa Observatory. The highly enriched 13C signal was attributed to the influence of cement production in the region. By applying the Keeling plot and the Miller–Tans method to midnight and midday observations, respectively, we showed that the 13C signal of C sources in the Nanjing Municipality was 0.48 ‰ lower than that in the YRD. Flux partitioning calculations revealed that natural ecosystems in the YRD were a negligibly small sink of atmospheric CO2, consistent with the Carbon Tracker inverse modeling result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]