Post-Modification of a Robust Covalent Organic Framework for Efficient Sequestration of 99 TcO4 - /ReO4.

Nuclear industry spent fuel reprocessing and some radioactive contamination sites often involve high acidity and salinity environments. Currently developed and reported sorbents in 99 TcO4 - sequestration from the nuclear waste are unstable and show low adsorption efficiency in harsh conditions. To address this issue, we developed a post-synthetic modification strategy by grafting imidazole-based ionic liquids (ILs) onto the backbone of covalent organic framework (COF) via vinyl polymerization. The resultant COF-polyILs sorbent exhibits fast adsorption kinetics (<5 min) and good sorption capacity (388 mg g-1 ) for ReO4 - (a nonradioactive surrogate of 99 TcO4 - ). Outstandingly, COF-polyILs composite shows superior ReO4 - removal even under highly acidic conditions and in the presence of excess competing ions of Hanford low-level radioactive waste stream, benefiting from the stable covalent bonds between the COF and polyILs, mass of imidazole rings, and hydrophobic pores in COF.

[Warming-needle moxibustion with different lengths of moxa stick for asthenospermia with kidney deficiency and liver depression: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of warming-needle moxibustion with different lengths of moxa stick for asthenospermia with kidney deficiency and liver depression. METHODS: A total of 240 patients with asthenospermia of kidney deficiency and liver depression were randomly divided into a 4-cm group (moxibustion with 4-cm moxa stick, 60 cases, 3 cases dropped off), a 3-cm group (moxibustion with 3-cm moxa stick, 60 cases, 4 cases dropped off), a 2-cm group (moxibustion with 2-cm moxa stick, 60 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and an acupuncture group (60 cases, 3 cases dropped off). All patients were treated with warming-needle moxibustion with different lengths of moxa stick or conventicnal acupuncture at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3), Guilai (ST 29), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Guanyuanshu (BL 26), etc., once a day, five times a week; 4-week treatment was taken as one course, a total of two courses of treatment were given. The semen routine indexes, seminal plasma biochemical indexes, sex hormone levels and TCM syndrome score were compared before and after treatment among the 4 groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the sperm density, sperm viability, ratio of grade A sperm, ratio of grade A and B sperm, seminal plasma fructose and neutral α-glucosidase were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the sperm deformity rates were lower than those before treatment in the 4-cm group and the 3-cm group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The ratio of grade A sperm, ratio of grade A and B sperm, seminal plasma fructose and neutral α-glucosidase in the 4-cm group were higher than the other three groups (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the sperm deformity rate was lower than the other three groups (P<0.05). After treatment, except for dizziness and tinnitus score, each-domain score and total scores of TCM syndrome scale in the 4-cm group and the 3-cm group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). The each-domain score of depression, weak waist and knees, low sexual function and total score in the 4-cm group were lower than those in the other three groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total effective rate was 87.7% (50/57) in the 4-cm group, which was higher than 78.6% (44/56) in the 3-cm group, 77.6% (45/58) in the 2-cm group and 70.2% (40/57) in the acupuncture group (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The warming-needle moxibustion with 4-cm moxa stick could effectively improve quality and motility of sperm and clinical symptoms in patients with asthenospermia of kidney deficiency and liver depression, which is superior to moxibustion with 3-cm, 2-cm moxa sticks and conventional acupuncture.

[Impacts of climate and land use change on water and sediment load in the Northwest arid region, China: With Xiaonanchuan River Basin as a case.] / 西北干旱区气候和土地利用变化对水沙运移的影响­­ä»¥å°å—川流域为例.

Understanding regional water and sediment transport patterns and their responses to climate and land use changes can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of soil erosion, and is an important prerequisite for the integrated development of land and water resources. Based on monthly monitoring meteorological, runoff, and sediment data from 1963 to 2013, combined with the land use data in the 1980s and 2000 and NDVI data, using the Mann-Kendall trend analysis and abrupt change test method, we systematically analyzed the long-term variations of the climate, runoff and sediment transport, with the changes of land use and vegetation coverage being identified in the Xiaonanchuan (XNC) River basin, a typical watershed in the Northwest arid region. Based on the analysis of single element change, the impacts of climate and land use change on water and sediment transport were quantified by the multiple linear regression analysis. Simultaneously, the key action factors were identified. Results showed that air temperature was developing to the polarization, the precipitation increased gradually. A generally warm and wet tendency of climate change and an increased frequency of extreme climate events were found in the XNC River basin. Moreover, the speed and magnitude of climate change were intensified after the 1990s, which was the abrupt change point of the climate. Since the 1980s, with economic and social development, the area of arable land and built land expanded, that of the forest area increased, and the ecological environments were improved in the XNC River basin. Under the dominant driving effects of land use and vegetation coverage change, the runoff and sediment load gradually reduced with the average rate of 1.7×106 m3·(10 a)-1 and 1.5×108 m3·(10 a)-1, respectively. Quantifying the influence of land use and climate change on the water and sediment transport indicated that vegetation cove-rage and mean daily maximum temperature were the two key factors affecting the runoff change, while the vegetation coverage and maximum daily precipitation were the two key factors affecting the sediment load change. Under the condition of current climate change, ecological restoration could be one of the most effective ways to prevent water and soil losses in the arid area.