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Background: Early identification of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance contributes to better management of Kawasaki disease (KD). This study aims to establish an effective prediction model for IVIG resistance in the Chinese population. Methods: A total of 658 eligible patients diagnosed with KD were enrolled in this study, with 461 in the training cohort and 197 in the validation cohort. The demographic characteristics and potential risk factors were compared between IVIG-responsive and resistant groups. Predictors were selected by the Akaike information criterion. The nomogram's performance was evaluated by calibration curve, decision curve analysis, and operating characteristic curve. Results: White blood cell counts (WBC), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (N/L ratio), hematocrit (HCT), albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TBIL), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatinine (Cr) were detected as predictors of IVIG resistance. A predictive nomogram incorporating these predictors was constructed using the training cohort. The calibration curve and decision curve analysis showed good discrimination and calibration of the proposed nomogram in both training and validation sets, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) in both sets was 75.8% and 74.2%, respectively. Conclusion: This study identified WBC, N/L ratio, HCT, ALB, TBIL, LDH, and Cr as predictors for IVIG resistance in patients with KD. The proposed novel nomogram with a high level of accuracy and reliability may benefit clinical decision-making upon treatment initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crown width (CW) is an important individual tree variable commonly used to assess tree vigor and the production efficiency of stands. However, our understanding of the effects of climate and the combined effects of climate with competition on the variation of CW remains unknown. Therefore, this study developed CW models by nonlinear mixed-effects (NLME) to explore these effects. Data were obtained from Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Siebold and Zucc.) plantations in five forestry agencies in northeastern China. The results showed that stand basal area (BA), height to crown base (HCB), isothermality (BIO3), and annual precipitation (BIO12) were significantly related to the variations of CW. CW increased with increasing BIO12, while decreased with increasing BA, HCB, and BIO3. The hierarchical partitioning (HP) analysis showed that the relative importance of BIO3 was larger than BA, HCB, and BIO12. In addition, we found that competition altered the variations of CW responses to climate. Competition, tree size, and climate CW model (CC-CWM) performed the best performance in model fitting and prediction accuracy. Therefore, CC-CWM was selected to predict CW under future climate change. By comparing the eleven sampling methods with eighteen sample sizes, it was reasonable to select six medium-trees to estimate the random effect parameters. Our study provides evidence of the effects of climate and the combined effects of competition and climate on the variations of CW, potentially useful for the development of rational and scientific forest management decisions under future climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel–iron slag, a byproduct of industrial processes in China with an annual production exceeding 400,000 tons, is considered an industrial waste material. This study focuses on the rational utilization of nickel–iron slag by investigating its mechanical properties and road performance as a roadbed fill material. Initially, a detailed analysis of the grading curve of pure nickel–iron slag was conducted, leading to the proposal of various modification schemes for nickel–iron slag. Subsequently, static triaxial tests were performed on nickel–iron slag-clay mixtures to explore the impact of different factors on the stress–strain curve of nickel–iron slag-modified soil. Utilizing these discoveries, a formula for the molar Coulomb shear strength of nickel–iron slag-modified soil was derived. In addition, a numerical simulation study of a nickel–iron slag-reinforced embankment was conducted, integrating field tests. This aimed to investigate the variations in the compression layer sedimentation-thickness ratio and settlement factor of nickel–iron slag-modified soil reinforced embankment under different filling heights and slope rates. The results informed the development of a prediction model for the settlement ratio of nickel–iron slag-modified soil-reinforced embankment. Key findings indicate that pure nickel–iron slag exhibits poorly graded gravel sand characteristics, and optimal gradation is achieved when clay doping ranges from 30% to 40%. As the clay content increases, the stress–strain curve of nickel–iron slag-clay transitions from strain-hardening to strain-softening. Furthermore, the stress–strain curve of nickel–iron slag-cement-clay exhibits strain-softening, and the shear strength fitting formula demonstrates high computational accuracy with a small error range. Numerical simulations reveal that the sink-thickness ratio and settlement factor are minimally affected by the slope rate. The sink-thickness ratio increases with the elevation of filling height, while the settlement factor fluctuates within a small range. The proposed sink-thickness ratio prediction model exhibits high accuracy and strong generalization capabilities. This comprehensive study provides valuable insights into the efficient utilization of nickel–iron slag in construction and road engineering. • Nickel–iron slag, a major industrial waste in China, can be efficiently repurposed for roadbed fill material. • Optimal gradation is achieved with 30%–40% clay doping, impacting the stress–strain curve of nickel–iron slag. • Study unveils formula for molar Coulomb strength of nickel–iron slag. • Numerical simulations reveal minimal impact of slope rate on sink-thickness ratio in reinforced embankments. • Accurate prediction model for settlement in nickel–iron slag-modified soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Although hydrogen gas (H2) has been widely used in industry and gradually used in medicine, it is less applied to agriculture, especially in modified atmosphere packing (MAP). RESULTS: During chicken egg storage, H2 MAP not only slowed down or delayed the reduction in antioxidant capacities, but also alleviated the deterioration of egg quality. The extent of micro‐cracks in the eggshell was also negatively influenced by H2, which might result in eggs being less vulnerable to microbes. The earlier results demonstrated that the H2 MAP‐extended shelf life of chicken eggs might be caused by the responses of eggshell and re‐establishment of redox homeostasis. According to the data collected from different provinces of China, cost‐economics analysis further suggested that the increase in the extra cost caused by H2 was trivial compared with the original price of eggs. CONCLUSION: Together, H2 MAP can prolong the shelf life of chicken eggs with the prospect of wider application. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved black carbon (DBC), the water-soluble component of black carbon, which is formed by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels or biochar, takes up about 10% of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in river water. However, the distribution of DBC in water environment especially in source water is not clear and as an important component of DOM, whether DBC can produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs) like other DOM during disinfection remains unknown. In this study, the DBC concentrations in seventeen source water samples from East China were measured. The concentrations of DBC in the source water samples ranged from 60 to 270 μg/L, which were positively correlated with UV 254 absorbance and chemical oxygen demand. The levels of DBC in wet season were higher than that in dry season. The average concentrations of DBC in different types of source water samples followed the order of reservoir > canal > lake > river. DBC could only be removed by 20% during the simulated coagulation, and further generate different categories of DBPs during chlorination, among which the concentrations of haloacetic acids (HAA) were the highest. The results indicated that DBC widely distributes in source water and is an important precursor of HAAs and THMs during chlorination. [Display omitted] ● DBC derived from biochar was used for the QA/QC of benzene polycarboxylic acid method. ● DBC was widely spread in source water and significantly correlated with UV 254. ● DBC could generate higher concentration of DBPs than SRNOM during chlorination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus (Astragalus) is a perennial medicinal plant belonging to Leguminosae. Its main agronomic and industrial interest is the accumulation of astragaloside IV and calycosin‐7‐O‐β‐D‐glucoside in roots, two components that play crucial pharmacological roles in the finished pharmaceutical products. Phenological research is a prerequisite for improving the yield quality of cultivated medicinal plants. However, there are no standardized phenological studies on Astragalus. To expand phenotyping knowledge on this medicinal plant, researchers and breeders need a universal scale to describe the development of this plant. This study aims to define the phenological growth stages of Astragalus, based on the existing Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie (BBCH) scale to provide a standard scale for Astragalus, and grown under temperate conditions of production and climate, proposes a disease and pest control reference. This study was conducted in Inner Mongolia, North China. The existing BBCH scale with a three‐digit code was used to define Astragalus's phenological growth codes, supplemented with pictures. Phenological observations were performed twice monthly, based on the developmental stages. The chronology and duration of each stage were also observed and described according to the accumulation of degree days during the growing season. Based on the data obtained, the influence of the average temperature and GDD on the phenophases was evaluated. The phenological description is divided into two principal growth stages: five for vegetative growth (perennating bud, leaf development, formation of branches, main stem elongation and root development), four for reproductive growth (reproductive organ development, flowering, fruit development and fruit maturation), and one for senescence according to the BBCH scale. Seventy secondary growth stages were described within the 10 principal growth stages. Under each secondary growth stage, six mesostages are also taken into account, which contains the distinct patterns of the phenological characteristics in Astragalus varieties and the process of transplanting seedlings. A practical management program for disease and pest control was also proposed by using the BBCH code and the phenological data proposed in this work. Our study presents the first BBCH scale established for Astragalus cultivated in temperate conditions and a chronology of phenological stages based on the accumulation of thermal time, through growing degree day calculation. This work provides a general tool that can be widely used by researchers, breeders, and manufacturers of medicinal materials leading to better agricultural production and scientific communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree architectural attributes demonstrate a significant association with fruit yield. Yellowhorn is the future bioenergy tree in China; however, the species suffers from high reproductive energy and exceedingly low reproductive output. To optimize yellowhorn management and pinpoint priority trees featuring optimal architecture, we employed machine learning modeling to develop high fruit yielding predictive models using five yield indicators (dependent variables: FrW, SeW, ShW, FrW, and SeN) and five tree characteristics (independent variables: CA, TH, DGL, HLC, and MBN) of yellowhorn. Results showed that trees characterized by a substantial canopy area (>1.70 m2) and a large diameter at ground level (>3.71 cm) have been found to yield a higher fruit production. However, increased tree height does not invariably correlate with an elevated yield. Effective selection of high‐yielding individuals can be accomplished by restricting tree height within the range of 192–232.4 cm. This approach emphasizes the importance of integrating considerations of tree architecture into forestry management practices. Such integration can bolster productivity, thereby contributing to both the sustainability and economic viability of yellowhorn forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil environmental quality assessment traditionally focuses on a single objective. Therefore, related results only reflect the pollution of the assessment objective and ignore the interaction and relationships between soil, ecology, and human health. In this study, we collected and filtered data about heavy metal content (Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni) in city soils from more than 1000 published papers. Spatial multi-criteria decision-making theory was used to establish the combined evaluation model of soil environmental quality using the geochemical accumulation, ecological risk, non-carcinogenic risk, and carcinogenic risk indexes. Our results showed that the pollution degree and elements causing most pollution were significantly different when these different methods were used for assessment. The proposed framework was able to unify the overall pollution trend in regional soil environmental quality assessment and could output more robust and reasonable assessment results of soil, ecology, and human health. The random forest model was used to analyze the potential sources for excessive accumulation of heavy metal elements in soils, and the results showed that the main potential sources were the proportion of secondary industry and urbanization rate, each with an average contribution ratio of 20%. This study provides comprehensive and specific information for the prevention and control of soil heavy metal pollution in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive vegetable production has been characterized by high nitrogen (N) fertilizer input in southwest China. Optimizing the N fertilizer rate is the basis for the optimal management of regional N fertilizer. A two-year field experiment with five N fertilizer rates was conducted during 2019–2021 in southwest China, and the aim of this study was to identify the effects of different N application rates on yield, dry matter biomass (DMB), N uptake, N use efficiency (NUE) and soil mineral N (Nmin) residues for Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.) and further determine the critical plant N concentration and root-zone soil Nmin residues required to reach the maximum DMB of Chinese cabbage. Five N treatments were established: control without N input (CK); optimal N fertilizer rate decreased by 30% (70% OPT, 175 kg N ha−1), optimized N fertilizer rate (OPT, 250 kg N ha−1), optimal N fertilizer rate increased by 30% (130% OPT, 325 kg N ha−1) and farmers' N fertilizer practice (FP, 450 kg N ha−1). The N source in all treatments was conventional urea (N ≥ 46.2%). The results showed that the total yield of Chinese cabbage followed a "linear-plateau" trend with an increasing N fertilizer rate. There was no significant difference in yield between the OPT, 130% OPT and FP treatments. The aboveground plant DMB and N uptake showed a 'slow-fast-slow' pattern with the growth period. There was no significant difference in aboveground plant DMB and N uptake between the OPT, 130% OPT and FP treatments. Moreover, the OPT treatment significantly increased the aboveground plant DMB and N accumulation by 29.6% and 40.5%, respectively, compared with the 70% OPT treatment. The OPT treatment significantly increased the NUE by 23.8%, 31.2% and 43.1% compared with that in the 70% OPT, 130% OPT and FP treatments, respectively. The linear-plateau model provided the best fit for the relationship among aboveground DMB of Chinese cabbage, plant N concentration and root-zone soil Nmin content. The critical root-zone soil Nmin and plant N concentrations were 94.1, 63.4 and 68.3 kg ha−1 and 34.4, 33.5 and 32.9 g kg−1 during the rosette, heading and harvest periods, respectively. In summary, compared to the FP treatment, the optimized N fertilizer rate (250 kg N ha−1) could significantly reduce the N application rate, maintain yield, increase aboveground plant DMB and N uptake, and improve NUE. Moreover, the study has great significance for guiding the green utilization of vegetable N fertilizer in southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of organic matter in soils plays an important role in the carbon cycle. Lignin is the main source of soil organics and it can be used to trace the source, distribution and turnover of organic matter. In this study the distribution and degradation of lignin were investigated to identify the source and degradation of soil organic matter during the succession of China's Zoige Plateau. Lignin monomers were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with alkaline CuO oxidation and the soils' δ13C and δ15N contents were interpreted to explore the turnover rate of lignin and organic matter. The main source of organics was identified as C3 non-woody angiosperm tissues. Lignin in the topsoil (0–30 cm) was derived from litter and roots, and it then migrated vertically to the deep soil (30–80 cm). Correlations of δ13C/δ15N with the soil's elemental composition showed that the organics degraded more quickly in meadow soil than in bog soil. The soil communities in the meadow and bog soils were generally similar, but there were certain differences in the dominant microbial phyla at different depths. The meadow soil's effectiveness as a carbon sink was gradually weakened, while that of the bog soil strengthened with depth. These results provide a scientific basis for accurately assessing the carbon sink capacity of the soils in Zoige Plateau. [Display omitted] • Two representative soils in the bog degeneration in Zoige Plateau were selected. • SOM turnover was identified by lignin biomarkers and δ13C & δ15N abundances. • Correlations of SOC, C/N & isotopes showed SOM degraded more slowly in bog soil. • Environmental factors and microbes jointly affected SOM turnover in meadow soil. • Effective carbon sink between two typical soils were opposite with soil depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objective: This multicenter study aimed to explore the efficacy and toxicity of radioactive Iodine-125 seed implantation for lymph node recurrence in patients with esophageal cancer after external radiotherapy. Methods: Clinical data of eligible patients from 5 centers in China were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 126 patients between January 2016 and March 2019 were included. The median interval between previous radiotherapy and radioactive Iodine-125 seed implantation was calculated. The target volume was 2.1–128.1 cm3 (median, 22.2 cm3) and the median postoperative D90 is 120.6 Gy (range, 101.7–192). Short-term efficacy of tumor response, the long-term efficacy of local progression-free survival (LRFS) and overall survival (OS), and treatment-related toxicity were reported. Results: For tumor response, 37 (29.4%), 51 (40.5%), 14 (11.1%), and 24 (19.0%) patients achieved complete response, partial response, stable disease and progressive disease, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year LPFS and OS rates were 48.8%, 23.0% and 15.9%, and 80.2%, 38.8%, and 24.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified Karnofsky performance status (P = 0.041) and tumor response (P = 0.049) as independent prognostic factors for LPFS; initial tumor stage (P = 0.034), lesion volume (P = 0.017), and tumor response (P = 0.004) as independent prognostic factors for OS. In total, 77 (61.1%) patients suffered from skin reactions and the incidence of grade 3–5 skin toxicity was 5.6% (7/126). Conclusion: Radioactive Iodine-125 seed implantation seems efficient with acceptable toxicity for the treatment of lymph node recurrence secondary to esophageal cancer. A head-to-head study is needed to further evaluate the survival benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objective: This multicenter study aimed to explore the efficacy and toxicity of radioactive Iodine-125 seed implantation for lymph node recurrence in patients with esophageal cancer after external radiotherapy. Methods: Clinical data of eligible patients from 5 centers in China were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 126 patients between January 2016 and March 2019 were included. The median interval between previous radiotherapy and radioactive Iodine-125 seed implantation was calculated. The target volume was 2.1–128.1 cm3 (median, 22.2 cm3) and the median postoperative D90 is 120.6 Gy (range, 101.7–192). Short-term efficacy of tumor response, the long-term efficacy of local progression-free survival (LRFS) and overall survival (OS), and treatment-related toxicity were reported. Results: For tumor response, 37 (29.4%), 51 (40.5%), 14 (11.1%), and 24 (19.0%) patients achieved complete response, partial response, stable disease and progressive disease, respectively. The 1-, 2- and 3-year LPFS and OS rates were 48.8%, 23.0% and 15.9%, and 80.2%, 38.8%, and 24.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified Karnofsky performance status (P = 0.041) and tumor response (P = 0.049) as independent prognostic factors for LPFS; initial tumor stage (P = 0.034), lesion volume (P = 0.017), and tumor response (P = 0.004) as independent prognostic factors for OS. In total, 77 (61.1%) patients suffered from skin reactions and the incidence of grade 3–5 skin toxicity was 5.6% (7/126). Conclusion: Radioactive Iodine-125 seed implantation seems efficient with acceptable toxicity for the treatment of lymph node recurrence secondary to esophageal cancer. A head-to-head study is needed to further evaluate the survival benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper describes the aquatic plants of Trapa L. and Hemitrapa Miki from the upper Eocene of Bailuyuan Formation in the Weihe Basin, central China. The discoveries represent the earliest known Trapa records in the world and the earliest Hemitrapa record in Asia. Furthermore, the new species identified in this study is the most reliable leaf fossil record of Trapa so far. These occurrences provide a new clue to investigate the origin of Trapa and its evolutionary relationships with Hemitrapa. The unexpected aquatic plant assemblage indicates that central China was warm and humid, with freshwater ponds or lakes, in the late Eocene. Both Trapa L. and the extinct Hemitrapa Miki are aquatic plants in the family Lythraceae, with abundant fossil records in Eurasia and North America in the Cenozoic. However, documented materials are mainly based on fruit and pollen grains without reliable leaf fossils. Here, we report fossil leaves, fruit, and roots of Trapa and fruit of Hemitrapa from the late Eocene of Weinan, the Weihe Basin of central China. The fossil leaves are identified as a new species, Trapa natanifolia Z. C. Han et H. Jia sp. nov., which represents the earliest known record of a Trapa leaf fossil. It is remarkably similar to extant species of Trapa, mostly due to the unique inflated petiole structures found in both of them. While displaying prominent intergeneric differences, the incomplete fossil fruits are assigned to Trapa sp. indet. and Hemitrapa sp. indet. The former is the earliest fossil fruit record of Trapa, and the latter represents the earliest fossil record of Hemitrapa found in Asia. These new fossil discoveries suggest that the divergence of Trapa and Hemitrapa occurred at least by the late Eocene. It is believed that modern Trapa most likely originated in China. Furthermore, this unexpected aquatic plant fossil assemblage indicates that central China was warm and humid, with freshwater ponds or lakes, in the late Eocene and not as arid as previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the oldest agricultural crops in China, millet (Panicum miliaceum) has powerful drought tolerance. In this study, transcriptome and metabolome analyses of 'Hequ Red millet' (HQ) and 'Yanshu No.10' (YS10) millet after 6 h of drought stress were performed. Transcriptome characteristics of drought stress in HQ and YS10 were characterized by Pacbio full-length transcriptome sequencing. The pathway analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed that the highly enriched categories were related to starch and sucrose metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, metabolic pathways, and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites when the two millet varieties were subjected to drought stress. Under drought stress, 245 genes related to energy metabolism were found to show significant changes between the two strains. Further analysis showed that 219 genes related to plant hormone signal transduction also participated in the drought response. In addition, numerous genes involved in anthocyanin metabolism and photosynthesis were confirmed to be related to drought stress, and these genes showed significant differential expression and played an important role in anthocyanin metabolism and photosynthesis. Moreover, we identified 496 transcription factors related to drought stress, which came from 10 different transcription factor families, such as bHLH, C3H, MYB, and WRKY. Further analysis showed that many key genes related to energy metabolism, such as citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and ATP synthase, showed significant upregulation, and most of the structural genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis also showed significant upregulation in both strains. Most genes related to plant hormone signal transduction showed upregulated expression, while many JA and SA signaling pathway-related genes were downregulated. Metabolome analysis was performed on 'Hequ red millet' (HQ) and 'Yanshu 10' (YS10), a total of 2082 differential metabolites (DEMs) were identified. These findings indicate that energy metabolism, anthocyanins, photosynthesis, and plant hormones are closely related to the drought resistance of millet and adapt to adversity by precisely regulating the levels of various molecular pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wide-scale automatic monitoring based on the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) with remote sensing images is of great significance for the management of aquaculture areas. However, different spatial resolutions brought different cost and model performance. To find more suitable image spatial resolutions for automatic monitoring offshore aquaculture areas, seven different resolution remote sensing images in the Sandu'ao area of China, from 2 m, 4 m, to 50 m, were compared. Results showed that the remote sensing images with a resolution of 15 m and above can achieve the corresponding recognition effect when no financial issues were considered, with the F1 score of over 0.75. By establishing a cost-effectiveness evaluation formula that comprehensively considers image price and recognition effect, the best image resolution in different scenes can be found, thus providing the most appropriate data scheme for the automatic monitoring of offshore aquaculture areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to air pollutants has become a major global health threat and is a dominant contributor to increasing respiratory mortality. Accurate projections of respiratory mortality are crucial to mitigating the adverse influences of air pollution on public health and guiding long-term policy implementation. However, the forecasting models' accuracy is difficult to guarantee because seasonal factors perturb the raw series of air pollutants and respiratory mortality. This paper proposes an enhanced seasonal and self-adaptive multivariate grey convolution model to solve this dilemma. The innovations of the proposed model reside in the following areas: firstly, a seasonal operator vector of multidimensional data is initially built to digitize the seasonality of air pollutants and related mortality. Secondly, a multivariate grey convolution model with an adaptive time-lag cumulative optimization item is put forward. The weight coefficients of each driving variable at different periods are intended to adapt dynamically. Thirdly, the self-adaptive time-delay coefficient is determined by the Particle Swarm Algorithm, enhancing the accuracy of predictions. Theoretically, the generalizability and adaptability of the newly presented model are well-validated. Moreover, its practical applicability and higher forecasting performance are further verified in estimating the respiratory mortality attributable to the comprehensive effects of air pollutants in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tight shales, occurrence characteristics limit oil migration and recovery. This paper proposes an innovative approach based on experimental and theoretical models to investigate the oil occurrence mechanism in nanoporous shales. Thermogravimetry (TG) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests were conducted to investigate the migrations and distributions of adsorbed, irreducible, and movable oils. Furthermore, the oil micro-occurrence characteristics within shales were quantitatively clarified using the theoretical equation for the adsorption ratio. Lacustrine shales with different lithofacies from Dongying Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China, were evaluated as a case study. The results showed that adsorbed, irreducible, and movable oils occur in different pore sizes. The adsorbed oil is primarily saturated in micropores (<0.1 μm) and mesopores (0.1–1 μm) but hardly in macropores (>1 μm), characterized by an average density of around 1.4974 g/cm3 and a mean adsorption thickness of approximately 0.723 nm at a temperature of 60 °C. The irreducible oil predominantly occurs in mesopores, whereas the movable oil primarily exists in mesopores and macropores, and the weight ratio rapidly increases with increased pore size. Additionally, the NMR T 1 –T 2 patterns of the adsorbed, irreducible, and movable oils were reported, and these patterns can directly reveal the states of oil micro-occurrence in shale pore-fracture systems. This study gives substantial insights into the oil occurrence mechanisms in nanoporous shales. • An innovative method evaluating the micro-occurrence of shale oil was developed. • The mean density and adsorption thickness of adsorbed oil at 60 °C were disclosed. • The NMR T 1 – T 2 patterns of the adsorbed, irreducible, and movable oils were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High N fertilizer inputs in subtropical vegetable systems under the warm and humid climatic conditions increase the risk of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions. However, there is limited information available on integrated N management strategies to reduce N 2 O emissions from intensive open-field vegetable systems in subtropical region. Two plot-based field experiments were conducted in subtropical southwest China to examine the effects of different N management strategies on N 2 O emissions from a typical open-field pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) production system. Experiment 1 included five N rates (0, 175, 250, 325, and 400 kg ha−1) with conventional urea. Experiment 2 included a 0 N control and four N sources (conventional urea, organic fertilizer, nitrification inhibitor-based enhanced efficiency fertilizer ENTEC26, and controlled release urea) applied under an optimized N rate (250 kg N ha−1). The results of Experiment 1 showed that cumulative N 2 O emission and emission factor were 4.05 kg N ha−1 season−1 and 0.96%, respectively, under the conventional management (N400). N 2 O emissions increased exponentially with increasing N rates. Compared to the N400 treatment, application of conventional urea at the optimal rate (250 kg N ha−1) significantly reduced cumulative N 2 O emissions by 54% while maintaining similar pepper yield. The results from Experiment 2 indicated that the use of enhanced efficiency fertilizers at the optimal rate further reduced N 2 O emission by 30%− 50% compared to conventional urea, while increasing pepper yield by 6.7%− 9.0%. This resulted in a 36%− 53% reduction of yield-scaled N 2 O emission intensity. In particular, the use of nitrification inhibitor was 28% more effective than controlled release urea for N 2 O mitigation. These results suggest that the application of enhanced efficiency fertilizers at an optimum N rate could produce more vegetables while reducing N 2 O emission, thereby promoting sustainable vegetable production in the subtropic regions. [Display omitted] • Innovative N management strategy was proposed to produce more vegetables with lower N 2 O emission in the subtropics. • Optimizing rate and timing of conventional urea significantly decreased N 2 O emission by 54% compared to farmer's practice. • Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers further reduced N 2 O emission by 30%− 50% compared to conventional urea. • Nitrification inhibitor showed better performance than controlled release urea for N 2 O mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The growth of exotic mangrove was significantly faster than that of native species. • The morphological patterns can be used to indicate the hotspots of mangroves. • Sonneratia species was found in the forest gap and forest edge of native mangroves. • The spread of Sonneratia species is fast in bare tidal flat and tidal creek zones. • Invasive potentials of Sonneratia mangrove in Shenzhen Bay should not be ignored. Mangroves are essential forest communities in tropical and subtropical coastal zones, providing unique ecological functions and significant social and economic value. Accurate and efficient monitoring of mangroves is crucial for their protection and management. The impact of exotic species on native species is still debated, especially for mangroves, the spatiotemporal dynamics of introduced species and native mangrove species need to be closely monitored. This study aimed to investigate how exotic mangrove species affects the spatial dynamics of mangroves in Shenzhen Bay, China. Yearly Landsat images from 2000 to 2011 and Chinese high spatial resolution images during 2012–2022 were obtained and the pixel-based and multiscale object-based methods were used to obtain mangrove distribution. The results showed that: (1) Overall, mangroves in the study area increased from 281.51 ha to 526.43 ha from 2000 to 2022, with different spatiotemporal patterns in Shenzhen (+5.14%) and Hong Kong (+2.38%); (2) rapid spread of Sonneratia species was one of the main contributions to the growth of mangrove hotspots, and growth hotspots were mainly concentrated in the estuary delta; and (3) Sonneratia mangrove species was dominant in interspecific competition, not only invading the habitat of local mangroves, but also preventing the expansion of native mangrove growth. The results provide a reference for fine-scale and accurate mangrove mapping with high spatial and temporal resolutions, and highlight the need to pay more attentions to the spread and invasive potential of exotic mangrove species in the study area, as well as cooperation in adjacent reserves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence and mobility of oil obtained from shales are primarily controlled by the pore–fracture networks of the shales. To clarify the distributions and characteristics of the type, morphology, and size in lacustrine shale pores, shale samples obtained from the Shahejie Formation, Dongying Sag, Bohai Bay Basin in China were examined using argon ion milling and scanning electron microscopy. In this study, pores were mainly classified as interparticle pores, intraparticle pores, and fractures and further classified into 14 types, comprising intraparticle pores (7 types), interparticle pores (6 types), and fractures, based on the differences in their components. Interparticle pores have more complex morphologies than intraparticle pores and fractures. Complex shapes characterize the interparticle pores between quartz granules and at the edges of feldspar granules. Intraparticle pores mainly contribute to mesopores and then to macropores, while interparticle pores behave in the opposite manner. Micropores are primarily derived from the intraparticle pores present in clay aggregates and dissolution pores present in calcite or dolomite granules. However, macropores mainly come from the interparticle pores present within or at the edges of quartz granules; consequently, siliceous-rich shales may be the favorable shale oil reservoirs called interlayer shale oil. Moreover, organic-rich calcareous shales with numerous large dissolution pores can become optimal self-generation and self-storage shale oil reservoirs. This study gives insight into the evaluation of shale oil exploration and development in the Dongying Sag in the Bohai Bay Basin. • Fracture, 7 types of intra- and 6 types of interparticle pores were observed. • The morphology and size of each type of pore were well revealed. • Micropores mainly come from intraparticle pores in clay and carbonate minerals. • Macropores primarily come from interparticle pores associated with quartz granules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel nonlinear interactive grey model based on dynamic compensation is proposed. • The new method can be used to forecast nonlinear interactive coupled systems. • The WOA algorithm is utilized to determine the optimal nonlinear parameters. • Three different cases verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the novel model. • Empirical results demonstrate the novel model's excellent forecasting performance. Achieving the goals of emissions intensity reduction and energy structure transformation while ensuring stable economic development is essential for sustainable development in China. Establishing a concise and accurate model for predicting the 3E (economy-energy-environment) system is beneficial for decision-makers in developing optimal long-term energy and environmental planning. Although previous studies have concentrated on the interaction of variables in the 3E system, frameworks for prediction have thus far been limited. In this paper, we develop a novel nonlinear interactive grey multivariable model based on dynamic compensation, denoted as D C N I G M 1 , N , to perform the prediction of the 3E system. More specifically, the proposed model innovatively takes into account nonlinear driving effects to elucidate nonlinear interactive relationships between the system variables. A dynamic compensation mechanism is introduced into the systematic grey modeling for the first time to adapt to a dynamic system. In addition, the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) is employed to determine the optimal nonlinear parameters to improve the forecast accuracy. To evaluate the performance of the D C N I G M 1 , N model in forecasting the 3E system, two existing grey forecasting models, three statistical approaches, and three machine learning models are selected as the benchmark models. Moreover, two more cases with different variables of the 3E system are applied to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model. Experimental results indicate that the D C N I G M 1 , N model possesses the most excellent performance in all cases, showing the effectiveness and generalizability of the proposed method. The prediction from 2019 to 2020 shows that carbon emissions, total energy consumption, and gross domestic product will grow steadily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the long-term performance of structural concretes in China southeast coastal area, the city of Shenzhen, exposed to atmosphere and chlorides. The structural concretes, incorporating large quantity of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), were among the first massive application of such mixtures in construction in China. In both cases, in-field sampling and tests have been conducted during more than 20 years for the resistance of concretes to carbonation and chloride ingress respectively. The synthetic analysis of these results shows that (1) the concretes have substantial strength growth in atmospheric environment with exposure age, but the carbonation rate does not all obey the square root law of exposure time; (2) the protection of silane impregnation of high-performance concrete against chloride ingress maintains its hydrophobic effect after nearly 20 years; (3) Notable "skin" effect of surface concrete was observed for both atmospheric and marine exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Climate-sensitive nonlinear mixed-effects height-diameter model was developed for 14 tree species in mixed forests. • The inclusion of climate and species diversity improved the H-D model. • The impact of environmental gradients on tree height growth was simulated. • The sensitivity of multiple species in mixed forest to environmental gradient changes varies with species. Models based on height-diameter (H-D) are helpful for estimating forest biomass and carbon storage on a large scale. Climate change has an impact on allometric height-diameter growth. H-D models explaining climatic effects are still inadequate due to the complexity of mixed forests. This paper developed climate-sensitive mixed-effects models for 14 tree species based on 316 natural mixed forest plots in Northeastern China and compared the response of tree height growth to environmental gradients for multiple species. The results showed that the species heterogeneity leads to the differences in scaling exponents in varying degrees. The analysis revealed that incorporating mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), dominant tree height (HT), basal area of the larger trees (BAL), and Shannon diversity index significantly enhanced the predictive ability of the model. By exploring the tree height change patterns of each tree species under different gradients of environmental factors, we found that increases in temperature, precipitation, site quality, and competition intensity positively affected height growth in mixed forests. In contrast, increases in species diversity inhibited height growth. The degree to which environmental factors regulate the H-D allometric growth of trees in mixed forests is related to species specificity. This paper provides theoretical support for tree height estimates of major tree species in mixed forests under global climate change by introducing environmental factors to improve the H-D model of 14 tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance for the accurate forecast of carbon emissions affected by many factors is gradually emerging. Carbon emissions usually lag behind the related factors, which cannot be dynamically reflected in the existing grey forecasting models. Therefore, investigating the dynamic lag relationships remains the key challenge to carbon emissions forecast. For this purpose, an enhanced dynamic time-delay discrete grey forecasting model, denoted as D T D G M (1 , N , τ) , is proposed to predict the systems having dynamic time-lag effects. More specifically, a time-lag driving term consisting of both the interval and intensity of the time lags is developed to reflect the lag process of different factors to carbon emissions. The impulse response analysis of the vector autoregressive (VAR) model is carried out for determining the dynamic lags between carbon emissions and the related factors. In addition, a linear correction term is designed in the proposed model to extend the grey forecasting theory. Extensive experimental results about carbon emissions prediction from 1995 to 2017 show that the D T D G M (1 , N , τ) model considering the delayed relationships can significantly improve the fitting and prediction performance of the model in comparison with the six benchmark models, including the three existing grey forecasting models, two machine learning models and one statistical prediction approach. • An enhanced dynamic time-delay discrete grey forecasting model is proposed. • The novel model reveals the lag relationships between variables and the factors. • The dynamic lag processes over time are depicted by the impulse response analysis. • The new method improves the applicability of the grey forecasting model. • Empirical results comprehensively verify the efficacy of the enhanced method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]