Biodegradation of microplastics derived from controlled release fertilizer coating: Selective microbial colonization and metabolism in plastisphere.

Coated controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) are widely used in agriculture, and the persistent presence of residual polymer coating has raised environmental concerns. This study investigates the underlying degradation dynamics of microplastics (MPs) derived from three typical materials used in CRFs, including polyethylene (PE), epoxy (EP), and polyurethane (PU), through a soil degradation test. The formation of surface biofilm, the succession process, and metabolic characteristics of microbial community are revealed by laser scanning confocal microscope, 16S rRNA sequencing, and non-targeted metabolomics analysis. The weight loss rates of PE, EP, and PU after 807 days of degradation were 16.70 %, 2.79 %, and 4.86 %, respectively. Significant secondary MPs were produced with tears and holes appeared in the coating cross sections and pyrolysis products were produced such as ethers, acids, and esters for PE; alkanes, olefins and their branched-chain derivatives for EP; and short-chain fatty acids and benzene molecules for PU. The coating surface selectively recruited the bacteria of Chujaibacter and Ralstonia and fungus of Fusarium and Penicillium, forming biofilm composed of lipids, proteins, and living cells. The metabolism of amino acids and polymers was enhanced to protect against MP-induced stress. The metabolites or intermediates of organic acids and derivatives, oxygen-contained organic compounds, and benzenoids on CRF surface increased significantly compared with soil, but there were no significant differences among different coating types. This study provides insights to the underlying mechanisms of biodegradation and microenvironmental changes of MPs in soil.

Bioaerosolization behaviour of potential pathogenic microorganisms from wastewater treatment plants: Occurrence profile, social function and health risks.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the leading sources of potential pathogenic bioaerosol that cause non-negligible health risks. However, bioaerosolization behaviour of potential pathogenic microorganisms (PPMs) migrating from wastewater to the atmosphere is still unclear. This study investigated the occurrence profile of PPMs in wastewater, sludge and bioaerosol, then analyzed bioaerosolization level, impact factors and social function. Staphylococcus aureus was selected as the target due to its pathogenicity, and the health risks of workers, engineers and researchers wearing various masks (N90, N95 and medical masks) were evaluated. The results showed that there were 38 and 64 PPMs in bioaerosol from plant A and B. Streptomyces in plant A (average bioaerosolization index, BI= 237.71) and Acinetobacter in plant B (average BI = 505.88) were more likely to migrate from wastewater to the atmosphere forming bioaerosol. Environmental factors (relative humidity, wind speed and temperature) affected both BI and microbial species of PPMs in different ways. PPMs related to fermentation, aerobic chemoheterotrophy, and chemoheterotrophy are the most abundant. Meanwhile microbial networks from plants A and B showed that PPMs were well-connected. Emission level of Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosol can reach 980 ± 309.19 CFU/m3 in plant A and 715.55 ± 44.17 CFU/m3 in plant B. For three exposure population, disease burden (DB) and annual probability infection (Py) of Staphylococcus aureus bioaerosol in two plants were both higher than the U.S.EPA benchmark (10-4 DALYs pppy). All three masks (N90,N95 and medical masks) can decrease Py and DB by at least one order of magnitude. This study illustrated the bioaerosolization behaviour of PPMs comprehensively, which provides a scientific basis for exposure risk prevention and control.

Determination of carboxylesterase by fluorescence probe to guide detection of carbamate pesticide.

A carboxylesterase fluorescent probe (Probe 1) was developed for determination of carboxylesterase to guide detection of carbamate pesticide. The probe uses benzothiazole as fluorescence group and phenyldimethyl carbamate as recognition group. The solution of the fluorescent probe gradually changes from light blue to dark blue as the concentration of carbamate pesticides increases. The concentration of carbamate pesticides can be quickly calculated according to the colour of the probe solution through Get Color software on a smartphone. It showed that Probe 1 can be used as a rapid detection tool to achieve rapid detection of carbamate pesticides in juice samples without professional personnel and equipment. Furthermore, the probe has been successfully used to detect carbamate pesticides in fruit juice and vegetable juice.

A colorimetric probe for the detection of hydrazine and its application.

A colorimetric probe was developed to detect N2H4 content based on the colour change in natural light, and the recognition mechanism is the N2H4 cutting the ester bond of probe 1. As the N2H4 concentration increases, the Ultraviolet absorption ratio (A352nm/A505nm) of the probe solution was gradually increases, and the colour of the solution changed from colourless to pink under natural light. The detection limit of probe 1 for N2H4 was 0.1 µM. The probe can also be applied to test paper detection, and the test paper of probe was changed from colourless to fluorescent yellow under UV light as the concentration of N2H4 increased. There was a linear functional relationship between the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values of the photos and the N2H4 concentration. Probe 1 is a rapid detection tool for N2H4 concentration using a smartphone. Furthermore, the probe can also be used to detect N2H4 in tap water, tea and apple juice.

Ultrasonic synthesis of magnetic covalent organic frameworks and application magnetic solid phase extraction for rapid adsorption of trace bisphenols in food samples.

A simple ultrasonic synthesis strategy was developed for a novel magnetic covalent organic framework. Firstly, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles were encapsulated by imine-type COF, which generated by the Schiff reaction of 4,4',4''-(1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-triyl)-trianiline (TAPT) and tris(4-formylphenyl)-amine (TFPA) using ultrasonic synthesis method within 2 h. The synthesised nanocomposites showed a sizeable specific surface area, and high adsorption capacity. A fast, sensitive MSPE method with Fe3O4@TAPT-TFPA-COF as adsorbent for analysing bisphenol compounds was developed. This method's advantages were simple operation, short extraction time, and avoidance of the use of centrifugal equipment. The method validation indicate that this method exhibited superior linearity, and detection limits range between 0.33 and 0.60 µg L-1. The recoveries of BPs ranged from 74.7 % to 107.0 %, with relative standard deviations of less than 3.8 % in water, milk, vinegar, and soy sauce samples. The proposed method was successfully applied for extracting BPs in food samples.

The Chemical Composition and Health-Promoting Benefits of Vegetable Oils-A Review.

With population and economic development increasing worldwide, the public is increasingly concerned with the health benefits and nutritional properties of vegetable oils (VOs). In this review, the chemical composition and health-promoting benefits of 39 kinds of VOs were selected and summarized using Web of Science TM as the main bibliographic databases. The characteristic chemical compositions were analyzed from fatty acid composition, tocols, phytosterols, squalene, carotenoids, phenolics, and phospholipids. Health benefits including antioxidant activity, prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, diabetes treatment, and kidney and liver protection were examined according to the key components in representative VOs. Every type of vegetable oil has shown its own unique chemical composition with significant variation in each key component and thereby illustrated their own specific advantages and health effects. Therefore, different types of VOs can be selected to meet individual needs accordingly. For example, to prevent CVD, more unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols should be supplied by consuming pomegranate seed oil, flaxseed oil, or rice bran oil, while coconut oil or perilla seed oil have higher contents of total phenolics and might be better choices for diabetics. Several oils such as olive oil, corn oil, cress oil, and rice bran oil were recommended for their abundant nutritional ingredients, but the intake of only one type of vegetable oil might have drawbacks. This review increases the comprehensive understanding of the correlation between health effects and the characteristic composition of VOs, and provides future trends towards their utilization for the general public's nutrition, balanced diet, and as a reference for disease prevention. Nevertheless, some VOs are in the early stages of research and lack enough reliable data and long-term or large consumption information of the effect on the human body, therefore further investigations will be needed for their health benefits.

A colorimetric fluorescent probe for the detection of carboxylesterase and carbamate pesticides.

A colorimetric fluorescent probe (BTCNA) was developed for the determination of carboxylesterase and carbamate pesticides. The probe used naphthalene-benzothiazole as the fluorescent group and naphthyl acetate as the recognition group. The recognition mechanism of BTCNA for carboxylesterase was based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of naphthyl acetate by carboxylesterase (CES). The test paper of the BTCNA gradually changed from light blue to bright yellow with the increase of CES activity. The probe solution gradually changed from light blue to earth-yellow as the carbaryl concentration increased. There was a linear functional relationship between the R*G (red, green) value of the photo and the CES activity. And a linear functional relationship between the carbaryl concentration and the R*G value of the photo was found. Additionally, BTCNA was successfully used to detect the concentration of carbaryl in actual samples. BTCNA is a rapid detection tool for CES activity and carbamate pesticides using a smartphone.

Comparison of bioaerosol release characteristics between windrow and trough sludge composting plants: Concentration distribution, community evolution, bioaerosolization behaviour, and exposure risk.

Windrow and trough composting are two mainstream composting methods, but the effect of composting methods on bioaerosol release from sludge composting plants is unclear. The study compared the bioaerosol release characteristics and exposure risks between the two composting methods. The results showed that the bacterial aerosol concentrations in the windrow composting plant ranged from 14,196 to 24,549 CFU/m3, while the fungal aerosol concentrations in the trough composting plant reached 5874 to 9284 CFU/m3; there were differences in the microbial community structures between the two sludge composting plants, and the composting method had a greater effect on bacterial community evolution than on fungal community evolution. The biochemical phase was the primary source of the bioaerosolization behaviour of the microbial bioaerosols. In the windrow and trough composting plants, the bacterial bioaerosolization index ranged from 1.00 to 999.28 and from 1.44 to 24.57, and the fungal bioaerosolization index ranged from 1.38 to 1.59 and from 0.34 to 7.72, respectively. Bacteria preferentially aerosolized mainly in the mesophilic stage, while the peak of the fungal bioaerosolization index appeared in the thermophilic stage. The total non-carcinogenic risks for bacterial aerosols were 3.4 and 2.4, while those for fungi were 1.0 and 3.2 in the trough and windrow sludge composting plants, respectively. Respiration is the main exposure pathway for bioaerosols. It is necessary to develop different bioaerosol protection measures for different sludge composting methods. The results of this study provided basic data and theoretical guidance for reducing the potential risk of bioaerosols in sludge composting plants.

A dual-function fluorescent probe for the detection of pH values and formaldehyde.

A dual-function fluorescent probe (Probe 1) was developed in this work for the separate detection of pH value and formaldehyde (HCHO). Probe 1 could recognize HCHO and the pH value from the amino group. The colour of the probe solution was changed from grey blue to light blue with the increase in the pH value, and luminous intensity became larger with the increase in formaldehyde concentration. The curve function relationship between fluorescence intensity and the pH value was also determined. A smartphone containing a colour detector for imaging was used to record the values of the three primary colours (R value, G value, and B value) for the probe solution in formaldehyde. Importantly, there was a linear functional relationship between the B*R/G value with HCHO concentration. Therefore, the probe could be used as a rapid tool for the detection of formaldehyde. More importantly, Probe 1 was successfully used to detect formaldehyde in an actual distilled liquor sample.

Stress response and signalling of a low-temperature bioaugmentation system in decentralized wastewater treatment: Degradation characteristics, community structure, and bioaugmented mechanisms.

Low temperatures present challenges for stable wastewater treatment operations in cold regions. Low-temperature effective microorganisms (LTEM) were added as a bioaugmentation strategy at a decentralized treatment facility to improve performance. The effects of a low-temperature bioaugmentation system (LTBS) with LTEM at low temperatures (4 °C) on organic pollutant performance, microbial community changes, and the metabolic pathways of functional genes and functional enzymes were studied. To explore the bioaugmentation mechanism of LTBS based on stress response and signalling. The results showed that the start-up time of the LTBS (S2) with LTEM was shorter (8 days) and that it removed COD and NH4+-N at higher rates (87 % and 72 %, respectively) at 4 °C. LTEM effectively degraded complex macromolecular organics into small molecular organics, and decomposing sludge flocs and the changing the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) structure removed more organics and nitrogen. LTEM and local microbial communities (nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria) improved the ability of organic matter degradation and denitrification of the LTBS and formed a core microbial community dominated by LTEM (Bacillus and Pseudomonas). Finally, based on the functional enzymes and metabolic pathways of the LTBS, a low-temperature strengthening mechanism consisting of 6 cold stress responses and signal pathways under low temperatures was formed. This study demonstrated that the LTEM-dominated LTBS could provide an engineering alternative for future decentralized wastewater treatment in cold regions.

Cross-media migration behavior of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from municipal wastewater treatment systems (MWTSs): Fugitive characteristics, sharing mechanisms, and aerosolization behavior.

The municipal wastewater treatment systems (MWTSs) are the leading enrichment site of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), the occurrence of which in sewage and sludge significantly influences the ARGs burden of aerosols. However, the migration behavior and impact factors of ARGs in gas-liquid-solid phase are still unclear. This study collected gas (aerosol), liquid (sewage), and solid (sludge) samples from three MWTSs to explore the cross-media transport behavior of ARGs. The results showed that the main ARGs detected in the solid-gas-liquid phase were consistent, constituting the central antibiotic resistance system of MWTSs. Multidrug resistance genes dominated cross-media transmission (average relative abundance is 42.01 %). Aminocoumarin, fluoroquinolone, and aminoglycoside resistance genes (aerosolization index of 1.260, 1.329, and 1.609, respectively) were prone to migrating from the liquid to gas phase, resulting in long-distance transmission. Environmental factors (mainly temperature and wind speed), water quality index (mainly COD), and heavy metals may be the key factors affecting the trans-media migration of ARGs between the liquid, gas, and solid phase. Based on partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM), the migration of ARGs in gas phase is primarily influenced by ARGs' aerosolization potential in liquid and solid phase, while heavy metals indirectly influences almost all categories of ARGs. Impact factors aggravated the migration of ARGs in MWTSs through co-selection pressure. This study clarified the key pathways and impact factors that form the cross-media migration behavior of ARGs, which can more specifically control ARGs pollution from different media.

A novel integrated industrial-scale biological reactor for odor control in a sewage sludge composting facility: Performance, pollutant transformation, and bioaerosol emission mechanism.

In order to remove multiple pollutants in the sewage sludge (SS) composting facility, a novel integrated industrial-scale biological reactor based on biological trickling filtration and fungal biological filtration (BTF-FBF) was developed. This study examined bioaerosol emission, odour removal, pollutant transformation mechanism, and project investment. At an inlet flow rate of 7200 m3/h, the average removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ammonia (NH3), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the steady stage were 97.2 %, 98.9 %, and 92.2 %. The BTF-FBF separates microbial phases (bacteria and fungi) of different modules. BTF removed most hydrophilic compounds, while FBF removed hydrophobic ones. Moreover, the reactor could effectively remove pathogens or opportunistic pathogens bioaerosols, such as Escherichia coli (61.9%), Salmonella sp. (85%), and Aspergillus fumigatus (82.1%). The pollutant transformation mechanism of BTF-FBF was proposed. BTF-FBF annualized costs were 324,783 CNY/year at 15 years. In conclusion, BTF-FBF provides new insights into composting facility bioaerosol, odour, and pathogen emission control.

Valley-polarized and enhanced transmission in graphene with a smooth strain profile.

We explore the influence of strain on the valley-polarized transmission of graphene by employing the wave-function matching and the non-equilibrium Green's function technique. When the transmission is along the armchair direction, we show that the valley polarization and transmission can be improved by increasing the width of the strained region and increasing (decreasing) the extensional strain in the armchair (zigzag) direction. It is noted that the shear strain does not affect transmission and valley polarization. Furthermore, when we consider the smooth strain barrier, the valley-polarized transmission can be enhanced by increasing the smoothness of the strain barrier. We hope that our finding can shed new light on constructing graphene-based valleytronic and quantum computing devices by solely employing strain.

Bioaerosol-related studies in wastewater treatment plant with anaerobic-anoxic-oxic processes: Characterization, source analysis, control measures.

Sewage in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can produce fugitive bioaerosols that pose a health risk to employees and residents. This study aimed to fugitive bioaerosols from two WWTPs with anaerobic-anoxic-oxic (AAO) processes, and bioaerosols control measures were proposed based on the results of these studies. It was found that the bioaerosols were mainly composed of microorganisms from dominant genera such as Romboutsia, Rubellimicrobium, Sphingomonas, Acidea, Cryptotrichosporon and water-soluble ions dominated by SO42-. Moreover, total suspended particulate (TSP), relative humidity (RH), wind speed (WS), Ca2+, NH4+, Na+, Cl-, NO3-, and K+ had positive effects on most dominant genera, while temperature (T) and SO42- had negative effects on most dominant genera. The source analysis showed that the bioaerosols in the indoor treatment facility's fine screen room and sludge dewatering plant mainly originated from sewage or sludge, and those in the aeration tank of the outdoor treatment facility mainly originated from the background air of WWTPs . By combining the characteristics of bioaerosols and the results of source analysis, targeted control measures were proposed from three aspects: source reduction of bioaerosol fugitives, control of bioaerosol propagation, and collection and treatment systems. This study provides the theoretical basis and ideas for controlling bioaerosols in WWTPs with AAO processes.

Study of dental phobia, psychological resilience, and related factors in children aged 8-9 years in Weifang city.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influencing factors of children's dental fear (CDF) and the relationship of CDF with resilience in children aged 8-9 years in Weifang city to provide evidence for the early prevention and intervention of CDF. METHODS: Random cluster sampling method was applied. A total of 1 995 children aged 8-9 years from 10 primary schools in four districts of Weifang city were selected from June to October 2021 as the survey objects. General information questionnaire, the children's fear survey schedule-dental sub-scale, and adolescent resilience scale were used in the investigation. RESULTS: The CDF detection rate was 31.78% (634 cases) in children aged 8-9 years in Weifang city, including 28.41% (296 cases) in boys and 35.47% (338 cases) in girls. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that female gender [odds ratio (OR)=1.329, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.062-1.665], dental caries (OR=1.961, 95%CI=1.330-2.891), dental pain (OR=2.133, 95%CI=1.700-2.676), and dental treatment experience (OR=3.621, 95%CI=2.888-4.540) are risk factors for CDF. Parents with tertiary education or higher (OR=2.123, 95%CI=1.546-2.916; OR=3.304, 95%CI=2.368-4.612), high scores in the positive cognition factor of the psychological resilience-personal strength dimension (OR=1.520, 95%CI=1.141-2.025), high scores in the interpersonal assistance factor of the psychological resilience-support strength dimension (OR=3.819, 95%CI=2.743-5.318), and high scores in the family support factor (OR=5.634, 95%CI=4.047-7.844) were protective factors for CDF occurrence (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children with high psychological resilience scores have low CDF incidence, and good parenting practices are beneficial in reducing CDF incidence.

Performance on desulfurization and denitrification of one-step produced activated carbon for purification of sintering flue gas.

An innovative one-step process for activated carbon production from low-rank coal is proposed in this research by applying oxidized pellets as activator. The new process can realize synchronous production of the activated carbon and direct reduction iron through combination of carbonization and activation of low-rank coal in one step while no solid wastes were discharged. The desulfurization and denitrification performance of the obtained activated carbon was also evaluated on the simulative sintering flue gas in comparison with one type of commercial activated carbon. The results indicated that a superior activated carbon with high specific surface area of 370.42 m2 g-1, iodine sorption value of 695.13 mg g-1, compressive strength of 315 N·per-1and abrasive resistance of 96.61%, can be prepared under suitable conditions of activation temperature at 850 °C for 140 min with C/Fe mass ratio of 2.5. Meanwhile, the direct reduction iron has a metallization ratio of 88.31%. The activated carbon has a preferable desulfurization performance with the breakthrough sulfur capacity of 5.463 mg/g and breakthrough time of 46.33 min, and single denitrification performance with the breakthrough nitric capacity of 1.935 mg/g and breakthrough time of 90.17 min at flue gas temperature of 80 °C, airspeed ratio of 8370 h-1, gas flow of 1.8 m3/h, and oxygen concentration of 16%. The denitrification of activated carbon in the simultaneous desulfurization and denitrification process can be improved by catalytic reduction via the transformation from NO to N2. The good results show that this process has a bright future with high technical and economic feasibility.

A one-pot electrochemical synthesis of 2-aminothiazoles from active methylene ketones and thioureas mediated by NH4I.

The electrochemical preparation of 2-aminothiazoles has been achieved by the reaction of active methylene ketones with thioureas assisted by ᴅʟ-alanine using NH4I as a redox mediator. The electrochemical protocol proceeds in an undivided cell equipped with graphite plate electrodes under constant current conditions. Various active methylene ketones, including ß-keto ester, ß-keto amide, ß-keto nitrile, ß-keto sulfone and 1,3-diketones, can be converted to the corresponding 2-aminothiazoles. Mechanistically, the in situ generated α-iodoketone was proposed to be the key active species.

A Robust Visual Tracking Method Based on Reconstruction Patch Transformer Tracking.

Recently, the transformer model has progressed from the field of visual classification to target tracking. Its primary method replaces the cross-correlation operation in the Siamese tracker. The backbone of the network is still a convolutional neural network (CNN). However, the existing transformer-based tracker simply deforms the features extracted by the CNN into patches and feeds them into the transformer encoder. Each patch contains a single element of the spatial dimension of the extracted features and inputs into the transformer structure to use cross-attention instead of cross-correlation operations. This paper proposes a reconstruction patch strategy which combines the extracted features with multiple elements of the spatial dimension into a new patch. The reconstruction operation has the following advantages: (1) the correlation between adjacent elements combines well, and the features extracted by the CNN are usable for classification and regression; (2) using the performer operation reduces the amount of network computation and the dimension of the patch sent to the transformer, thereby sharply reducing the network parameters and improving the model-tracking speed.

Secondary Flow Effect on Supercritical Kerosene Oxidation Deposition and Heat Transfer in a Coiled Tube.

Deposition in fuel cooling systems remains a challenge to the development of active cooling technologies for air-breathing engines. We experimentally and numerically investigated the influence of the secondary flow and heat-transfer characteristics of supercritical kerosene in a coiled tube on oxidation deposition. A coiled heated tube reactor (3000 mm long, 23 cycles) under constant heat flux and flow rate was applied to simulate the conditions of the fuel side in the heat exchanger of an aero-engine cooling system. The coupling characteristics of coking distribution with the development of secondary flow were studied along the whole pipe. The dynamic pressure, temperature, and velocity were analyzed in two specific circular cross sections located in the bend of the tube. The secondary flows induced in the coiled tube greatly enhance the heat transfer and slightly decrease the deposition rate, resulting in linear wall temperature profiles and a uniform coking distribution along the tube compared to the long straight tube. There is no obvious heat-transfer enhancement or deterioration in the whole coiled tube. The modified heat-transfer correlation of the supercritical RP-3 in the coiled tube was fitted at different flow rates and heat fluxes with an error of ±10%.

A novel fluorescence probe for the detection of water content in organic solvents and the distinction between deuterated and nondeuterated reagents.

A novel D-π-A type fluorescent probe (probe 1) was developed for water content detection in organic solvents. By analyzing the relationship between fluorescence and water content, the probe was successfully applied to determine trace water content in tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate, 2-butanone, acetone, dimethylformamide, and acetonitrile. High water content in THF and ethyl acetate was associated with a gradual colour change from yellowish green to earthy yellow. The red/green value had a linear relationship with the water content in THF and ethyl acetate. There was a linear relationship between the red/blue value and water content in 2-butanone and acetone. Furthermore, probe 1 could be used for human serum albumin detection. Unexpectedly, probe 1 had a different colour response in deuterated and nondeuterated solvents, and had different fluorescence intensity and fluorescence emission wavelength. Probe 1 is rare tool that can distinguish between deuterated and nondeuterated reagents.