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Reliable detection and attribution of changes in nitrogen (N) runoff from croplands are essential for designing efficient, sustainable N management strategies for future. Despite the recognition that excess N runoff poses a risk of aquatic eutrophication, large-scale, spatially detailed N runoff trends and their drivers remain poorly understood in China. Based on data comprising 535 site-years from 100 sites across China's croplands, we developed a data-driven upscaling model and a new simplified attribution approach to detect and attribute N runoff trends during the period of 1990–2012. Our results show that N runoff has increased by 46% for rice paddy fields and 31% for upland areas since 1990. However, we acknowledge that the upscaling model is subject to large uncertainties (20% and 40% as coefficient of variation of N runoff, respectively). At national scale, increased fertilizer application was identified as the most likely driver of the N runoff trend, while decreased irrigation levels offset to some extent the impact of fertilization increases. In southern China, the increasing trend of upland N runoff can be attributed to the growth in N runoff rates. Our results suggested that increased SOM led to the N runoff rate growth for uplands, but led to a decline for rice paddy fields. In combination, these results imply that improving management approaches for both N fertilizer use and irrigation is urgently required for mitigating agricultural N runoff in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Micron-grade high iron-containing fly ash (MHIFA)—a processed hazardous waste containing Fe 3 O 4 —was added to an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor to improve the removal performance of high concentration phenol-containing wastewater. The chemical oxygen demand and total phenol removal efficiency with MHIFA were 72.13% and 81.83%, respectively. Moreover, MHIFA addition increased the contents of coenzyme F 420 and extracellular polymeric substances, as well as higher electron transport system activity in activated sludge. Additionally, microbial community analysis revealed that the total methanogens contents increased at genera level, producing an increase in methane production, while enriched Geobacter along with archaea Methanothrix might collaborate in direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) by MHIFA stimulation, promoting the effect of phenolic compound fermentation. Finally, this technology allows for resource utilization of hazardous waste and enhances anaerobic degradation of toxic and refractory pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Simplified model was developed to estimate subsurface fluxes. • Subsurface fluxes of nutrient losses dominated in drier rice cropping areas. • Precipitation determines relative importance of subsurface fluxes to surface runoff. • Spatially flexible set for mitigating nutrient losses is needed for paddy fields. Abstract Rice paddy fields pose a high risk of water pollutions for the surrounding waterbodies through surface runoff and subsurface fluxes. Compared to surface runoff, subsurface flux from rice paddy fields has received less attention and is still poorly quantified, mainly due to low-frequency measurements at field scale and limited modeling capability at regional scale. Here we proposed a simplified modeling approach to estimate the subsurface fluxes of water, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from rice paddy fields and examined their relative importance compared to surface runoff. This model was established based on the high-frequency field measurements over two rice growing seasons in central China and the extended datasets across the East Asia. Two-year site-based observations indicate the significance of subsurface fluxes of water (737–785 mm season−1), N (28.5–40.0 kg N ha−1) and P (0.7–4.3 kg P ha−1) compared to those of surface runoff (178–199 mm season−1, 4.5–12.9 kg N ha−1, 0.5–2.6 kg P ha−1). Our regional estimations in the East Asia reveal that subsurface fluxes from rice paddy fields were comparable with surface fluxes, primarily controlled by the magnitude of seasonal precipitation. Subsurface fluxes were the dominant pathway of nutrient losses in drier rice cropping areas, while surface runoff was the more important process in wetter areas. In the light of the regional differences, we suggest that a spatially flexible set of policies for mitigating nutrient losses from rice paddy fields would be beneficial for the future water-quality improvements in the surrounding waterbodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired glycolipid metabolism can induce vascular injury and plaque formation. It is important to investigate the associations between carotid plaque progression and lipid-lowering goal achievement and cardiovascular disease. Diabetic patients who underwent at least 2 carotid ultrasound scans with intervals ≥0.5 years and were hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital were included. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on carotid plaque progression: the persistent plaque absence, new-onset plaque and persistent plaque presence groups. The primary outcomes were CHD and stroke, while the secondary outcomes were low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) goal achievement. There were 304 diabetic patients included, with a median follow-up period of 2.15 years. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, persistent plaque presence was positively associated with a 2.285-fold increase in coronary heart disease (CHD) prevalence, while new-onset plaque was associated with a 3.225-fold increase in stroke prevalence compared to persistent plaque absence in patients with follow-up periods ≥ 0.5 years. The association remained significant in patients with a follow-up period ≥ 1 year and ≥2 years. The velocity of average plaque length change was independently associated with increased ΔLDL-C (last – goal) (β = 0.073, P = 0.048). Carotid plaque progression had long-term association with CHD and stroke starting from 0.5 years, while the velocity of average plaque length associated with increased ΔLDL-C (last – goal) might reflect patient response to statins. Repeated carotid plaque measurements might guide lipid-lowering therapies. • Carotid plaque progression is associated with cardiovascular disease prevalence. • Plaque length progression is associated with increased ΔLDL-C (last – goal). • Repeated carotid ultrasound in 0.5 years has benefits for risk prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are critical factors in regulating morphogenesis, mating, infection and virulence in fungi. In this study, various computational strategies were applied to identify GPCR-like proteins from the genomes of both Verticillium dahliae and Verticillium albo-atrum. The putative GPCRs were distributed over 13 classes, and significantly, three of those represented novel classes of GPCR-like proteins in fungi. The three novel GPCRs had high levels of identity to their counterparts in higher eukaryotes, including Homo sapiens. The numbers of GPCR-like proteins in the two Verticillium spp. were similar to those seen in other filamentous fungi, such as Magnaporthe grisea, Neurospora crassa and Fusarium graminearum. Additionally, the carbon/amino acid receptors were divided into three different subclasses, indicating that differences among the GPCRs existed not only among different classes but also within classes. In conclusion, the identification and classification of GPCRs and their homology to some well-studied fungi will be an important starting point for future research in Verticillium spp. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]