Air-sea exchange of PAHs in the Taiwan Strait: Seasonal dynamics and regulation mechanisms revealed by machine learning approach.

In this study, to understand the seasonal dynamics of air-sea exchange and its regulation mechanisms, we investigated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at the air-sea interface in the western Taiwan Strait in combination with measurements and machine learning (ML) predictions. For 3-ring PAHs and most of 4- to 6-ring, volatilization and deposition fluxes were observed, respectively. Seasonal variations in air-sea exchange flux suggest the influence of monsoon transitions. Results of interpretable ML approach (XGBoost) indicated that volatilization of 3-ring PAHs was significantly controlled by dissolved PAH concentrations (contributed 24.0 %), and the gaseous deposition of 4- to 6-ring PAHs was related to more contaminated air masses originating from North China during the northeast monsoon. Henry's law constant emerged as a secondary factor, influencing the intensity of air-sea exchange, particularly for low molecular weight PAHs. Among environmental parameters, notably high wind speed emerges as the primary factor and biological pump's depletion of PAHs in surface seawater amplifies the gaseous deposition process. The distinct dynamics of exchanges at the air-water interface for PAHs in the western TWS can be attributed to variations in primary emission intensities, biological activity, and the inconsistent pathways of long-range atmospheric transport, particularly within the context of the monsoon transition.

Distinct anthropogenic signatures: A comparative analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from two southeastern Chinese bays.

Sansha and Luoyuan Bay are influenced by different industrial structure, but the sources and pollution status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), especially alkylated PAHs, are poorly understood. We studied 25 PAHs in surface sediments from the two bays. The results showed that PAHs concentrations in Sansha and Luoyuan Bay sediment range from 6.54 to 479.28 ng/g and 118.82 to 2984.09 ng/g, respectively. Alkylated PAHs dominated in Sansha (48.86 % of Σ25PAHs), while 3-ring PAHs dominated in Luoyuan (36.32 % of ∑25PAHs). Results of sources analysis indicated oil spills as the main PAHs source in Sansha, and domestic emissions and fossil fuel combustion in Luoyuan. Ecological risk assessment of showed low sediment risk, but in Luoyuan was higher than in Sansha. Compared with Luoyuan Bay, Sansha Bay emits less industrial pollutants, so the pollution is lower than Luoyuan Bay. Increased attention to protecting Luoyuan Bay is recommended.

Biobased Inks Based on Cuttlefish Ink and Cellulose Nanofibers for Biodegradable Patterned Soft Actuators.

Soft actuators with stimuli-responsive and reversible deformations have shown great promise in soft robotics. However, some challenges remain in existing actuators, such as the materials involved derived from nonrenewable resources, complex and nonscalable preparation methods, and incapability of complex and programmable deformation. Here, a biobased ink based on cuttlefish ink nanoparticles (CINPs) and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) was developed, allowing for the preparation of biodegradable patterned actuators by direct ink writing technology. The hybrid CNF/CINP ink displays good rheological properties, allowing it to be accurately printed on a variety of flexible substrates. A bilayer actuator was developed by printing an ink layer on a biodegradable poly(lactic acid) film using extrusion-based 3D printing technology, which exhibits reversible and large bending behavior under the stimuli of humidity and light. Furthermore, programmable and reversible folding and coiling deformations in response to stimuli have been achieved by adjusting the ink patterns. This work offers a fast, scalable, and cost-effective strategy for the development of biodegradable patterned actuators with programmable shape-morphing.

Effect of In Situ NbC-Cr7C3@graphene/Fe Nanocomposite Inoculant Modification and Refinement on the Microstructure and Properties of W18Cr4V High-Speed Steel.

A novel graphene-coated nanocrystalline ceramic particle, iron-based composite inoculant was developed in this study to optimize the as-cast microstructure and mechanical properties of W18Cr4V high-speed steel (HSS). The effects of the composite inoculant on the microstructure, crystal structure, and mechanical properties of HSS were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The (002-) and (020) crystal planes of the Fe3C and Cr7C3 phases, respectively, were collinear at two points in the reciprocal space, indicating a coherent relationship between the Fe3C and Cr7C3 phases in the tempered modified HSS. This contributed to an improved non-uniform nucleation rate and refining of the HSS grains. The mechanical properties of the modified steel exhibited a general improvement. Specifically, the modification treatment enhanced the hardness of HSS from HRC 63.2 to 66.4 and the impact toughness by 48.3%.

Electrochemical Water Oxidation and CO2 Reduction with a Nickel Molecular Catalyst.

Mimicking the photosynthesis of green plants to combine water oxidation with CO2 reduction is of great significance for solving energy and environmental crises. In this context, a trinuclear nickel complex, [NiII3(paoH)6(PhPO3)2]·2ClO4 (1), with a novel structure has been constructed with PhPO32- (phenylphosphonate) and paoH (2-pyridine formaldehyde oxime) ligands and possesses a reflection symmetry with a mirror plane revealed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Bulk electrocatalysis demonstrates that complex 1 can homogeneously catalyze water oxidation and CO2 reduction simultaneously. It can catalyze water oxidation at a near-neutral condition of pH = 7.45 with a high TOF of 12.2 s-1, and the Faraday efficiency is as high as 95%. Meanwhile, it also exhibits high electrocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction towards CO with a TOF of 7.84 s-1 in DMF solution. The excellent electrocatalytic performance of the water oxidation and CO2 reduction of complex 1 could be attributed to the two unique µ3-PhPO32- bridges as the crucial factor for stabilizing the trinuclear molecule as well as the proton transformation during the catalytic process, while the oxime groups modulate the electronic structure of the metal centers via π back-bonding. Therefore, apart from the cooperation effect of the three Ni centers for catalysis, simultaneously, the two kinds of ligands in complex 1 can also synergistically coordinate the central metal, thereby significantly promoting its catalytic performance. Complex 1 represents the first nickel molecular electrocatalyst for both water oxidation and CO2 reduction. The findings in this work open an avenue for designing efficient molecular electrocatalysts with peculiar ligands.

Multistimuli-Responsive Actuators Derived from Natural Materials for Entirely Biodegradable and Programmable Untethered Soft Robots.

Untethered soft robots have attracted growing attention due to their safe interaction with living organisms, good flexibility, and accurate remote control. However, the materials involved are often nonbiodegradable or are derived from nonrenewable resources, leading to serious environmental problems. Here, we report a biomass-based multistimuli-responsive actuator based on cuttlefish ink nanoparticles (CINPs), wood-derived cellulose nanofiber (CNF), and bioderived polylactic acid (PLA). Taking advantage of the good photothermal conversion performance and exceptionally hygroscopic sensitivity of the CINPs/CNF composite (CICC) layer and the opposite thermally induced deformation behavior between the CICC layer and PLA layer, the soft actuator exhibits reversible deformation behaviors under near-infrared (NIR) light, humidity, and temperature stimuli, respectively. By introducing patterned or alignment structures and combining them with a macroscopic reassembly strategy, diverse programmable shape-morphing from 2D to 3D such as letter-shape, coiling, self-folding, and more sophisticated 3D deformations have been demonstrated. All of these deformations can be successfully predicted by finite element analysis (FEA) . Furthermore, this actuator has been further applied as an untethered grasping robot, weightlifting robot, and climbing robot capable of climbing a vertical pole. Such actuators consisting entirely of biodegradable materials will offer a sustainable future for untethered soft robots.

Ocean Stratification Impacts on Dissolved Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): From Global Observation to Deep Learning.

Ocean stratification plays a crucial role in many biogeochemical processes of dissolved matter, but our understanding of its impact on widespread organic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), remains limited. By analyzing dissolved PAHs collected from global oceans and marginal seas, we found different patterns in vertical distributions of PAHs in relation to ocean primary productivity and stratification index. Notably, a significant positive logarithmic relationship (R2 = 0.50, p < 0.05) was observed between the stratification index and the PAH stock. To further investigate the impact of ocean stratification on PAHs, we developed a deep learning neural network model. This model incorporated input variables determining the state of the seawater or the stock of PAHs. The modeled PAH stocks displayed substantial agreement with the observed values (R2 ≥ 0.92), suggesting that intensified stratification could prompt the accumulation of PAHs in the water column. Given the amplified effect of global warming, it is imperative to give more attention to increased ocean stratification and its impact on the environmental fate of organic pollutants.

Dual Protective Porous Ti3 C2 Tx MXene/Polyimide Composite Film for Thermal Insulation and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.

The thriving 5G communication technology leads to the high demand for EMI shielding materials and thermal management materials. Particularly, portable thermal-sensitive electronic devices have more stringent requirements for thermal insulation performances. In most cases, ultrathin EMI shielding materials integrated with ultralow thermal conductivity are not easy to be achieved. To overcome this obstacle, dual protective porous composite films based on Ti3 C2 Tx MXene and polyimide are fabricated by sacrificing polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) templates. By optimizing the contact thermal resistance and Kapitza resistance, the composite film presents superior thermal insulation performances with a thermal conductivity of 0.0136 W m-1 K-1 . Moreover, the hybrid porous film maintains superior EMI shielding effectiveness of 63.0 dB and high SSE/t of 31651.2 dB cm2 g-1 . Nevertheless, the excellent active and passive heating ability based on Joule heating and photothermal conversion makes the composite film an ideal portable material for thermal management. This work sheds light on designing thermal management materials and EMI shielding materials for cutting-edge electronic devices.

Can water dating trace the transport history of HCHs in the ocean?

Long-range atmospheric and oceanic transport play a crucial role in the accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), in the Arctic Ocean. Herein, transient tracers, specifically chlorofluorocarbon-12 and sulfur hexafluoride, were used to determine the ventilation time of HCHs. Results revealed that dissolved HCHs can penetrate to a depth of ~500 m in the western Arctic Ocean, corresponding to water masses with a mean age of 45 ± 14 years. The average long-range transport time for α-HCH from initial atmospheric release to entering the western Arctic Ocean was estimated to be >30 ± 5 years, indicating continued moderate to high ecological risks from HCHs in the Arctic. This study demonstrates that transient tracers serve as effective water dating tools to elucidate the transport history of stable POPs in the ocean, contributing to a better understanding of their environmental characteristics and fate.

La-Doped Ultrahigh-Nickel Layered Oxide Cathode with Enhanced Cycle Stability for Li-Ion Batteries.

Currently, ultrahigh-nickel layered oxide is one of the most promising cathodes for lithium-ion batteries, with the advantages of high theoretical capacity and low cost. However, some problems in ultrahigh-nickel layered oxides are more serious, such as irreversible structural transformation, particle cracking, and side reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface, resulting in the fast decay of the discharge capacity and midpoint potential. In this work, La doping is introduced into ultrahigh-nickel layered LiNi0.9Co0.1O2 oxide to improve the cycle stability on both discharge capacity and midpoint potential. As demonstrated, La can be doped successfully into the subsurface of LiNi0.9Co0.1O2 oxide, and the morphology of the oxide microspheres is not changed obviously by La doping. Compared with the pristine sample, the La-doped sample presents improved electrochemical performance, especially good cycle stabilization on both discharge capacity and midpoint potential. In addition, after a long-term cycle, the La-doped sample still maintains a relatively complete spherical morphology. It means that the pillaring effect of La with a large radius is helpful in accommodating the volume change caused by the insertion/extraction of Li ions, thus easing the anisotropic stress accumulation and microcrack growth inside the microspheres of the La-doped sample.

Upwelling impact and lateral transport of dissolved PAHs in the Taiwan Strait and adjacent South China Sea.

The spatial distribution and depth profile of dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in the western Taiwan Strait (TWS) and northeastern South China Sea (SCS) during the southwest monsoon for a comprehensive study of spatial distribution, potential sources, upwelling, and lateral PAHs transport flux to assess the impacts of oceanic processes. The concentrations of ∑14PAHs were 33 ± 14 ng L-1 and 23 ± 11 ng L-1 in western TWS and northeastern SCS, respectively. A minor difference in potential sources in different areas was shown in principle component analysis results, which illustrated mixed sources (petrogenic and pyrogenic) in western TWS and petrogenic sources in northeastern SCS. An "enrichment in surface or deep but depletion in medium water" distribution pattern of PAHs depth profile during summertime was observed in Taiwan Bank, which was potentially influenced by the upwelling. The greatest lateral ∑14PAHs transport flux was found along the Taiwan Strait Current area (43.51 g s-1), followed by those along South China Sea Warm Current and Guangdong Coastal Current areas. Though the oceanic response to PAHs varied relatively slowly, the ocean current was a less-dominant pathway for PAHs exchange between the SCS and the East China Sea (ECS).

How Gender Segregation in Higher Education Contributes to Gender Segregation in the U.S. Labor Market.

What is the relationship between gender segregation in higher education and gender segregation in the labor market? Using Fossett's (2017) difference-of-means method for calculating segregation indices and data from the American Community Survey, we show that approximately 36% of occupational segregation among college-educated workers is associated with gender segregation across 173 fields of study, and roughly 64% reflects gender segregation within fields. A decomposition analysis shows that fields contribute to occupational segregation mainly through endowment effects (men's and women's uneven distribution across fields) than through the coefficient effects (gender differences in the likelihood of entering a male-dominated occupation from the same field). Endowment effects are highest in fields strongly linked to the labor market, suggesting that educational segregation among fields in which graduates tend to enter a limited set of occupations is particularly consequential for occupational segregation. Within-field occupational segregation is higher among heavily male-dominated fields than other fields, but it does not vary systematically by fields' STEM status or field-occupation linkage strength. Assuming the relationship between field segregation and occupational segregation is at least partly causal, these results imply that integrating higher education (e.g., by increasing women's representation in STEM majors) will reduce but not eliminate gender segregation in labor markets.

Gaseous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over the South China Sea: Implications for atmospheric transport under monsoon influences.

The seasonal monsoon variations have significant impact on the atmospheric transport of semi-volatile organic pollutants over the South China Sea (SCS). We analyzed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) over the basin and island areas (Yongxing Island and Yongshu Island) in 2017. Gaseous PAHs (0.17-1.4 ng m-3) showed spatio-temporal distinctions in their composition and sources among the basin and island areas. Mixed combustion sources of PAHs were identified over the SCS, including a petroleum source near the island areas. The transport routes of PAHs were inferred by the air mass back trajectories and potential source contribution factor analysis, identifying strong biomass burning signals from the Indochina Peninsula and other Southeast Asian countries. Emissions from approximately 90 % of the combustion sources were transported to basin areas by monsoons, whereas the island areas were dominated by local emissions. This study emphasizes the main potential terrestrial source of PAHs over the SCS under monsoon influences.

SD-HRNet: Slimming and Distilling High-Resolution Network for Efficient Face Alignment.

Face alignment is widely used in high-level face analysis applications, such as human activity recognition and human-computer interaction. However, most existing models involve a large number of parameters and are computationally inefficient in practical applications. In this paper, we aim to build a lightweight facial landmark detector by proposing a network-level architecture-slimming method. Concretely, we introduce a selective feature fusion mechanism to quantify and prune redundant transformation and aggregation operations in a high-resolution supernetwork. Moreover, we develop a triple knowledge distillation scheme to further refine a slimmed network, where two peer student networks could learn the implicit landmark distributions from each other while absorbing the knowledge from a teacher network. Extensive experiments on challenging benchmarks, including 300W, COFW, and WFLW, demonstrate that our approach achieves competitive performance with a better trade-off between the number of parameters (0.98 M-1.32 M) and the number of floating-point operations (0.59 G-0.6 G) when compared to recent state-of-the-art methods.

Effects of nursing support workers participation on negative emotions, quality of life and life satisfaction of patients with cerebral hemorrhage: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the high nursing pressure of patients with cerebral hemorrhage and the general shortage of clinical nurses, nursing support workers often participate in clinical nursing work, but the influence of nursing support workers' participation on the negative emotion, quality of life and life satisfaction of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage is unknown. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design. A total of 181 ICH patients admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to April 2022 were enrolled, including 81 patients receiving conventional care (CG control group) and 80 patients receiving nursing support worker participation (RG research group). All patients were recorded with self-perceived Burden Scale (SPBS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Quality of Life Scale (SF-36), Somatic Self rating Scale (SSS), Patient self-care ability assessment scale (Barthel) and Satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) scores. RESULTS: Patients with high negative emotion were more willing to participate in clinical nursing work (p < 0.05). Nursing support workers involved in cerebral hemorrhage patients can alleviate negative emotions, improve life quality, improve life satisfaction (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The participation of nursing support workers can alleviate the negative emotions of ICH patients, enhance their self-management ability, and improve their life quality.

Microplastics in the surface waters of the South China sea and the western Pacific Ocean: Different size classes reflecting various sources and transport.

Microplastic transport in the marginal seas is a key process influencing their ultimate fate in the open oceans. In the present study, we collected seawater samples from the western Pacific Ocean (WP) and the South China Sea (SCS) to investigate the distribution, transport, and possible sources for microplastics. Generally, the range of microplastic levels were 187-1816, 146-1563, and 34.2-622 particles/m3 (averaged in 797 ± 512, 744 ± 330, and 201 ± 134 particles/m3) for the northern SCS, the western SCS, and the WP, respectively. Based on the size distribution, the highest value (390 ± 288 particles/m3) was found for 100-200 µm, followed by 200-500 µm (131 ± 155 particles/m3), and 500-1000 µm (29.7 ± 39.2 particles/m3), with the lowest for 1-5 mm (13.6 ± 14.2 particles/m3). Granule, yellow, and size <1000 µm were their most prevalent characteristics. The main polymer types of microplastics were polyester, rayon, and nylon. A negative correlation between microplastic proportion and particle size was observed in the SCS and the WP. Furthermore, the main sources of microplastics in the northern SCS probably came from the Pearl River. Surface currents and the vertical mixing processes might be two different mechanisms that affect microplastic transport from the WP and the SCS. Future comparison to measured particle size distributions data allows us to explain size-selective microplastic transport in the marine environment, and probably provide guidance on microplastic longevity.

Fate of microplastics in deep-sea sediments and its influencing factors: Evidence from the Eastern Indian Ocean.

Although microplastics (MPs) are known to be found in global oceans, their influencing factors and abundance in the deep sea remain largely unknown. Twenty-six surface sediment samples were collected in the deep basin of the Eastern Indian Ocean (EIO). This study showed that MPs abundance ranged from 30.30 particles/kg to 701.7 particles/kg, with an average of 170.5 ± 140.2 particles/kg. The MPs found in the sediment of the EIO mainly contain fragments and fibers, which account for 47.5% and 45.6%. The MPs were measured in a size range of 44-5000 µm, and the most frequently detected MPs in size of 200-500 µm. MPs were in various compositions, but most of them were found in rayon (62.2%) and polyester (25.7%). The spatial distribution of MPs in the sediments shows a decreasing trend from nearshore to the open sea. In the Bay of Bengal (BOB) and the coast of Sri Lanka (COSL), the abundance of MPs was relatively high, indicating that the spatial distribution of MPs is affected by land source input, river input, and anthropogenic activities. Principal component analysis indicated daily commodities and packaging applications/fishing accounted for 36.9% and 12.9% of the MPs occurrence in the EIO, respectively. Average MPs diversity indices for the BOB (0.87 ± 0.38), the COSL (0.64 ± 0.56), and the Eastern Indian Ocean Basin (EIOB) (0.60 ± 0.24) revealed the BOB had the most complicated MPs sources. In addition, we found that the abundance of MPs has no significant effect on organic carbon and sediment grain size. This study is the first report of MPs detection in the deep-sea sediment in the EIO and can provide a baseline of MPs pollution in this area.

Dissolved PAHs impacted by air-sea interactions: Net volatilization and strong surface current transport in the Eastern Indian Ocean.

In the Indian Ocean, the marine fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is impacted by the unique air-sea interactions with great monsoon characters. By collecting water-column samples during the monsoon transition period, we found PAHs (∑8PAH: 1.1-27 ng L-1) showed significantly different distributions from the Bay of Bengal, Equatorial Indian Ocean, Eastern Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea (p < 0.001). Their vertical profiles showed natural logarithm relationships with depth in the Bay of Bengal and Equatorial Indian Ocean. PAHs were mainly from wood/coal combustion and vehicle emission. The estimation of PAHs' air-seawater exchange flux revealed net volatilizations from seawater except in the Eastern Indian Ocean. The Wyrtki Jet, a surface current driven by the westerly wind, was observed in the equatorial area. This swift current could transport PAHs eastward efficiently with a mass flux of 636 ± 188 g s-1. The subsurface current, Equatorial Undercurrent, played a less crucial role in PAHs' lateral transport with a flux of 115 ± 31.3 g s-1. This study preliminarily revealed the role of air-sea interactions on PAHs' transport and fate in the open ocean. The coupled air-sea interactions with biogeochemical processes should be considered in future work.

Assessment and sources identification of microplastics, PAHs and OCPs in the Luoyuan Bay, China: Based on multi-statistical analysis.

Luoyuan Bay is a mariculture influenced water body located in southeastern China. Multi-statistical techniques were applied to 21 sampling locations in the bay to identify the sources of microplastics and other pollutants in the sediment. In microplastics detection, fragment was the most abundant shape (~36%), and rayon was the dominant polymer (~59%). The size of more than 48% of total microplastics observed was less than 200 µm. The study showed that the upper part of Luoyuan Bay was dominated by microplastic pollution, while the lower part of the bay was dominated by persistent organic pollutants (PAHs, OCPs). Mariculture is one of the main sources of pollution in Luoyuan Bay. Apart from mariculture, there were additional sources such as industry, land reclamation, port, and so on; industry and land reclamation were the leading sources of microplastics, while port, industry, and mariculture were the primary sources of PAHs and OCPs.

Gut Microbiota: A Potential Target for Cancer Interventions.

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in many physiological processes in the human body. Dysbiosis can disrupt the intestinal barrier and alter metabolism and immune responses, leading to the development of diseases. Over the past few decades, evidence has accumulated linking changes in the composition of the gut microbiota to dozens of seemingly unrelated conditions, including cancer. Overall, the gut microbiota mainly affects the occurrence and development of cancer by damaging host DNA, forming and maintaining a pro-inflammatory environment, and affecting host immune responses. In addition, the gut microbiota can also affect the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Scientists attempt to improve the efficacy and decrease the toxicity of these treatment modalities by fine-tuning the gut microbiota. The aim of this review is to assist researchers and clinicians in developing new strategies for the detection and treatment of tumors by providing the latest information on the intestinal microbiome and cancer, as well as exploring potential application prospects and mechanisms of action.