A Comprehensive Analysis of Fel Ursi and Its Common Adulterants Based on UHPLC-QTOF-MSE and Chemometrics.

BACKGROUND: As one of the four most valuable animal medicines, Fel Ursi, named Xiong Dan (XD) in China, has the effect of clearing heat, calming the liver, and brightening the eyes. However, due to the special source of XD and its high price, other animals' bile is often sold as XD or mixed with XD on the market, seriously affecting its clinical efficacy and consumers' rights and interests. In order to realize identification and adulteration analysis of XD, UHPLC-QTOF-MSE and multivariate statistical analysis were used to explore the differences in XD and six other animals' bile. METHODS: XD, pig gall (Zhu Dan, ZD), cow gall (Niu Dan, ND), rabbit gallbladder (Tu Dan, TD), duck gall (Yan Dan, YD), sheep gall (Yang Dan, YND), and chicken gall (Ji Dan, JD) were analyzed by UHPLC-QTOF-MSE, and the MS data, combined with multivariate analysis methods, were used to distinguish between them. Meanwhile, the potential chemical composition markers that contribute to their differences were further explored. RESULTS: The results showed that XD and six other animals' bile can be distinguished from each other obviously, with 27 ions with VIP > 1.0. We preliminarily identified 10 different bile acid-like components in XD and the other animals' bile with significant differences (p < 0.01) and VIP > 1.0, such as tauroursodeoxycholic acid, Glycohyodeoxycholic acid, and Glycodeoxycholic acid. CONCLUSIONS: The developed method was efficient and rapid in accurately distinguishing between XD and six other animals' bile. Based on the obtained chemical composition markers, it is beneficial to strengthen quality control for bile medicines.

Winter Water Quality Modeling in Xiong'an New Area Supported by Hyperspectral Observation.

Xiong'an New Area is defined as the future city of China, and the regulation of water resources is an important part of the scientific development of the city. Baiyang Lake, the main supplying water for the city, is selected as the study area, and the water quality extraction of four typical river sections is taken as the research objective. The GaiaSky-mini2-VN hyperspectral imaging system was executed on the UAV to obtain the river hyperspectral data for four winter periods. Synchronously, water samples of COD, PI, AN, TP, and TN were collected on the ground, and the in situ data under the same coordinate were obtained. A total of 2 algorithms of band difference and band ratio are established, and the relatively optimal model is obtained based on 18 spectral transformations. The conclusion of the strength of water quality parameters' content along the four regions is obtained. This study revealed four types of river self-purification, namely, uniform type, enhanced type, jitter type, and weakened type, which provided the scientific basis for water source traceability evaluation, water pollution source area analysis, and water environment comprehensive treatment.

Contamination, risk and quantitative identification of nutrients and potentially toxic elements in the surface sediments of Baiyangdian Lake, North China.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in lake sediments are concerning because of their toxic effects on lacustrine ecosystems and human health. Baiyangdian Lake (BYDL), the "pearl of North China", plays a vital role in maintaining the ecological health of North China. Here, risk assessment and source identification of nutrients and PTEs in sediments were performed. The results showed that the sediments were highly contaminated with total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN), but contamination by total phosphorus (TP) was minor, and the ecological risk associated with Cd was considerable, especially in the northern region. The average noncarcinogenic hazard quotient of PTEs increased in the order of Zn < Hg < Cd < Cu < Ni < Pb < Cr < As. Statistical analyses indicated that Al, Ti, Fe, Co, Cr, Hg, Ni, and rare earth elements were primarily from natural origins; Pb was derived from local tourism development and pollution by fishermen; and TOC, TN, TP, As, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Mn were mainly derived from industrial and agricultural activities. Additionally, the mean contribution rates of industrial wastewater and domestic sewage sources, agricultural sources, and natural sources to BYDL sediment pollution were 59.9%, 17.9%, and 22.2%, respectively. Spatially, industrial and domestic sewage sources contributed more in the northwestern region (average 79.8%) than in the southern region (average 35.5%), while agricultural sources contributed the most in the southwestern region (average 41.3%). These findings will advance our knowledge of the spatial differences, contamination risks and sources of nutrients and PTEs in BYDL and provide a scientific basis to help policy-makers establish a healthy ecological community in BYDL of the Xiong'an New Area.

Nitrogen behavior during artificial groundwater recharge through ponds: A case study in Xiong'an New Area.

The Xiong'an New Area (XA) was established as a development hub in China. Excessive exploitation of groundwater has caused a series of environmental and geological problems, restricting further development of XA. The widely distributed ponds in this area have been targeted as convenient and efficient sites of artificial groundwater recharge. However, nitrogen accumulation in the shallow vadose zone associated with agricultural activities may pose environmental risks to groundwater during the recharge and infiltration process. Therefore, this study investigated the effects, transfer, and transformation of nitrogen during artificial groundwater recharge. The aeration zone is thick and the medium comprises fine particles, with total nitrogen and nitrate accumulation mainly in the shallow aeration zone. In indoor experiments, the nitrate removal rate reached 83.5% when organic carbon in the source water was increased by 10 mg/L. For Baigou diversion river water(BW) with slightly higher (14.46 mg/L) and lower (5.04 mg/L) nitrate contents, the nitrate content decreased by 26.0% (10.70 mg/L) and 26.8% (3.69 mg/L), respectively, after 150 days. When the water head was increased by 20 cm to increase the recharge rate, the time required for nitrate and ammonium to reach the maximum and equilibrium concentration was reduced by 50%. These findings indicate that nitrogen concentration in the source water, aeration zone media, and groundwater should be considered in pond replenishment. It is also necessary to control the concentration of organic carbon and the rate of recharge, which would provide guidance for other similar projects.

Analysis on historical flood and countermeasures in prevention and control of flood in Daqing River Basin.

The Daqing River Basin has long been seriously threatened by floods. The construction of Xiong'an New Area has put forward higher requirements for the flood control system of the basin. Researches on the characteristics of the flood control system in the Daqing River Basin, the causes of the flood and the historical flood were conducted with the purpose to have a clear understanding of the deficiency of the existing flood control system in the Drainage Basin and figure out the countermeasures to improve the flood control capacity of the Drainage Basin by taking the development process of the flood control system in the Drainage Basin into consideration. Analysis was conducted on the causes, flood process, the process of regulation and storage of reservoirs and depressions as well as flood disaster with the flood occurred in August 1963 as the major research object. Besides, the deficiency of flood control system of the Drainage Basin in terms of flood control system and the flood occurred in August 1963 (also called 63.8 Flood). According to the research, the major problems in the current flood control system of the Daqing River Basin are mainly concentrated on Baiyang Lake with blocked internal water transmission and insufficient drainage capacity, which makes it difficult to cope with the flood exceeding the designed level. The great change of water level will also destroy the ecological balance of Baiyang Lake itself. In addition, during the construction of the New District, some flood storage and detention areas in Baiyang Lake will be deprived of the capability in regulation and storage, which will increase the difficulty of flood control in the downstream areas. Combined with the existing flood control system and aiming at the construction of Xiong'an New Area, the concepts of flood control system such as developing the Xiaoguan flood diversion way, rebuilding the new housing hub and strengthening the dredging of downstream river are put forward.

Self-adapting extraction of cropland phenological transitions of rotation agroecosystems using dynamically fused NDVI images.

Remote sensing can be used to monitor cropland phenological characteristics; however, tradeoffs between the spatial and temporal resolutions of cloudless satellite images limit the accuracy of their retrieval. In this study, an improved enhanced spatial and temporal adaptive reflectance fusion model (ESTARFM) was applied to human-dominated Xiong'an New Area to develop a self-adapting algorithm automating the extraction of main phenological transition points (greenup, maturity, senescence, and dormancy). The analyses of cropland phenological characteristics were performed utilizing the Softmax classification method. By examining three different phases of fusion images, it was found that the improved ESTARFM was more accurate than the original ESTARFM (correlation coefficient > 0.76; relative root mean square error < 0.25; structural similarity index > 0.79). The reconstructed normalized difference vegetation indexes were consistent with that acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (average discrepancy: 0.1136, median absolute deviation: 0.0110). The greenup, maturity, senescence, and dormancy points were monitored in 5-day resolution and 50-day length on a 30-m grid scale, and their average day of year (DOY) were 67, 119, 127, and 166 for wheat; 173, 224, 232, and 283 for single-season corn; and 189, 227, 232, and 285 for rotation corn, respectively. The corresponding median absolute deviations were 2, 3, 2, and 2 days for wheat; 2, 5, 3, and 4 days for single-season corn; and 2, 5, 2, and 2 days for rotation corn, respectively, while all coefficients of variation did not exceed 6%. The proposed self-adapting approach can be used for identifying the planting modes at grid level in rotation agroecosystems and cropland phenological dynamics on a global or regional scale.

Differential sedimentary evolution of typical aulacogens of Meso-Neoproterozoic in North China craton.

Many countries and regions in the world have obtained industrial oil flow in the Meso-Neoproterozoic sedimentary strata and formed commercial exploitation in recent years. The development horizon of high-quality source rocks in the Proterozoic in North China can be compared with the international, indicating that the Meso-Neoproterozoic in North China has great exploration potential. The sedimentary characteristics of typical aulacogen in multiple cratons in the Meso-Neoproterozoic North China Craton are compared and studied by using field outcrop data, drilling data and analysis and test data, aiming to provide sedimentary support for the prediction of oil and gas distribution and evaluation of exploration field in the Meso-Neoproterozoic in this area. The results show that there are four sedimentary systems in the study area, including Marine clastic rock sedimentary system, Marine carbonate sedimentary system, Marine-continental transitional facies sedimentary system and glacial sedimentary system. They are divided into seven sedimentary facies types: barrier coastal facies, non-barrier coast facies, shallow shelf facies, carbonate platform facies, reef facies, fan delta facies and glacial facies, and further divided into 15 subfacies and 21 microfacies. On this basis, the Meso-Neoproterozoic sedimentary filling sequences of two typical aulacogens, Yanliao and Xiong 'er, in the study area are clarified, showing that the formation time of each sedimentary filling sequence stage of different aulacogens is different, and the rock characteristics, lithology combination, lithologic structure, contact relationship, vertical sequence and sedimentary facies assemblage of the same sedimentary filling sequence stage are obviously different. The filling characteristics of the two aulacogens completely record the geological events related to the breakup of the Colombian supercontinent.

[Aqueous extract of Chuan Xiong Rhizoma enhances inhibitory effect of temozolomide against brain metastasis of melanoma in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the aqueous extract of Chuan Xiong Rhizoma (CR) on brain metastasis of melanoma B16F10 cells in mice. METHODS: C57BL/6J mouse models of brain metastasis of melanoma were established by ultrasound-guided intraventricular injection of Luc-labeled B16F10 cells, and brain tumor growth was monitored by in vivo imaging. The mouse models were then randomized for daily gavage of saline or aqueous extract of CR (equivalent crude drug concentration of 1 mg/g). Behavioral tests were used to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of CR in the tumor-bearing mice, and the changes in proteins associated with blood-brain barrier integrity, neuronal cell proliferation and apoptosis, and microglial cell apoptosis and activation were observed using immunofluorescence assay. The efficacy of CR combined with temozolomide (25 mg/kg) against brain metastases of B16F10 cells was observed by in vivo imaging. RESULTS: CR-treated mouse models did not show obvious progression of brain metastases and had a reduced rate of body weight loss and lowered protein expressions of ZO-1, claudin-5, occludin, P-gp, TNF-α, AQP4 and PDGFRß. In the behavioral tests, the CR-treated mice showed prolonged stay on the wooden stick with a shortened time of sticky stick removal. Immunofluorescence assay showed increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis of neuronal cells and microglia in CR-treated mice. CR treatment significantly increased the levels of CD86, CD206, IL-4 and IL-10 and decreased the levels of CD163 and IL-1ß in the microenvironment of brain metastases. The mice receiving combined treatments with CR and temozolomide showed significantly lower intensity of fluorescent signals in the brain than those treated with temozolomide alone. CONCLUSION: CR does not promote brain metastasis of melanoma while inducing opening of the blood-brain barrier, and its combined use with TMZ results in enhanced inhibition against brain metastasis of melanoma B16F10 cells in mice.

Assessment and simulation of eco-environmental quality changes in rapid rural urbanization: Xiong'an New Area, China.

Xiong'an New Area was established as a state-level new area in 2017 and serves as a typical representative area for studying the ecological evolution of rural areas under rapid urbanization in China. Remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEI) is a regional eco-environmental quality (EEQ) assessment index. Many studies have employed RSEI to achieve rapid, objective, and effective quantitative assessment of the spatio-temporal changes of regional EEQ. However, research that combines RSEI with machine learning algorithms to conduct multi-scenario simulation of EEQ is still relatively scarce. Therefore, this study assessed and simulated EEQ changes in Xiong'an and revealed that: (1) The large-scale construction has led to an overall decline in EEQ, with the RSEI decreasing from 0.648 in 2014 to 0.599 in 2021. (2) Through the multi-scenario simulation, the non-unidirectional evolution of RSEI during the process of urban-rural construction has been revealed, specifically characterized by a significant decline followed by a slight recovery. (3) The marginal effects of urban-rural construction features for simulated RSEI demonstrate an inverted "U-shaped" curve in the relationship between urbanization and EEQ. This indicates that urbanization and EEQ may not be absolute zero-sum. These findings can provide scientific insights for maintaining and improving the regional EEQ in urban-rural construction.

[Potential Ecological Risk Assessment and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Soil-crop System in Xiong'an New District].

In order to evaluate the distribution characteristics of fluorine geochemistry in the surface soil and human health risk in Xiong'an New District, GIS spatial analysis and correlation analysis were used to analyze the depleted and enriched features and influencing factors of soil fluoride and to carry out the soil fluoride health risk assessment. The uncertainty of the health risk assessment results was studied based on the Monte Carlo stochastic simulation. The results showed that the average content of fluorine was 641 mg·kg-1, which was 1.34 times the background value of the national A-layer soil. The excess fluorine and high-grade samples accounted for more than 85%, and the overall soil fluorine content was relatively high. The average content of fluoride of the irrigation water samples was 0.85 mg·L-1, the spatial distribution characteristics of which were affected by the hydrochemical type and flow direction of shallow groundwater. The vertical spatial variation of soil fluoride, mainly affected by the vertical distribution of soil physicochemical properties such as soil organic carbon and texture, was not obvious. The depletion and enrichment of topsoil fluorine was mainly controlled by the geological background, and its spatial distribution was affected by external inputs, such as human factors (agricultural irrigation water, fertilization, and atmospheric dry and wet deposition). The soil fluoride content was significantly correlated with the iconic indicators of the geomorphological environment, including the content of Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, K2O, soil organic carbon (Corg.), cation exchange capacity (CEC), clay, and silt (P<0.01). The results of human health risk assessment showed that oral intake was the main exposure risk route of soil fluoride. The non-carcinogenic health risk index HQ of adults was less than 1, and the harm could be ignored. The probability of non-carcinogenic health risk exceeding the threshold for adults and children was 34.3% and 27.6%, respectively, and daily soil intake was the most sensitive parameter.

Xiong Fu Powder Regulates the Intestinal Microenvironment to Protect Bones Against Destruction in Collagen-Induced Arthritis Rat Models.

Background: Changes in the intestinal microenvironment affected bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and spleen deficiency (SD) was closely related to the intestinal microenvironment. In this study, we aimed to explore the aggravation of SD on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and the bone protection of compound Xiong Fu powder (XFP) on CIA with SD (SD-CIA) based on the intestinal microenvironment. Method: An SD-CIA rat model was established using Rheum officinale Baill. decoction combined with CIA and then treated with XFP. The aggravating action of SD on CIA rats and the efficacy of XFP were evaluated using AI scores, H&E staining of the joint, and level of serum anti-collagen type II antibody (Col II Ab). Bone destruction was assessed by micro-CT and TRACP staining. In addition, flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, and ELISA were used to evaluate gut mucosal immunity. Moreover, metagenomic sequencing was used to determine the distribution and function of the gut microbiota. Results: Compared with that in CIA rats, bone destruction in SD-CIA rats was aggravated, as manifested by increased AI scores, more severe joint pathological changes and radiological damage, and increased number of osteoclasts (OCs) in the ankle joint. Meanwhile, the proportion of Tregs/Th17 cells was biased toward Th17 cells in Peyer's patches. Furthermore, the gene levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-17 were increased. In contrast, the expression of IL-10 and sIgA was decreased in the jejunum and ileum. XFP treatment improved bone damage and intestinal mucosal immune disorders compared with the SD-CIA group. In addition, the distribution and function of the gut microbiota were altered in the SD-CIA group. After XFP treatment, the community and function of the gut microbiota were regulated, manifested as increased abundance of several Lactobacillus species, such as L. acidophilus, which regulates the intestinal Tregs/Th17 cells and quorum sensing pathways, followed by promoting probiotic adhesion to the intestines. Conclusion: SD can aggravate bone destruction in CIA rats. Compound XFP may attenuate bone destruction in SD-CIA rats by regulating the intestinal microenvironment. One of the mechanisms is the cross-talk between sIgA secretion regulated by intestinal mucosal Tregs and Th17 cells and adhesion of Lactobacillus mediated by quorum sensing.

Occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in groundwater, surface water, and sediment in Xiong'an New Area, China, and their relationship with antibiotic resistance genes.

The emergence and pollution of antibiotics in surface water in various regions have drawn widespread concern because of the harm to aquatic ecosystems and human health. In this study, we aim to first investigate contamination and ecological risks of 39 antibiotics in Xiong'an New Area (XANA), China, and then illuminate relative abundances of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their correlations with antibiotics. The sum of antibiotic concentrations in the water circulation system, including surface water, groundwater, and sediment was 12.71-260.56 ng/L, ND-196.12 ng/L, and 38.03-406.31 ng/g, respectively. In surface water and sediment, cephalosporins and quinolones were the primary antibiotics, accounting for 45% and 16% of the total antibiotic concentrations in surface water and for 62% and 32% of the total antibiotic concentrations in sediment; this suggests a significant interaction between the two media. The antibiotic concentration was the highest in shallow groundwater at depths of <50 m (mean concentration of 79.22 ± 56.46 ng/L), indicating that surface water was a possible source of antibiotic contamination in groundwater. AMX presented the highest risk in both surface and groundwater and should be controlled as a priority. Moreover, the selection pressure of antibiotics on ARGs was discovered in the sediment in XANA, because the enrichment of sulA was significantly correlated with spiramycin and lincomycin and the enrichment of blaOXA-1 was significantly correlated with roxithromycin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and sulfapyridine. Thus, our investigation revealed potential antibiotic contamination in multiple environmental media in XANA, which should be addressed to prevent more serious pollution.

Mechanisms of Xiong-Pi-Fang in treating coronary heart disease associated with depression: A systematic pharmacology strategy and in vivo pharmacological validation.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) and depression are very common and often co-existing disorders. Xiong-Pi-Fang (XPF), a therapeutic classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has shown satisfactory efficacy in treating CHD associated with depression. However, its mechanism of action is still unknown. PURPOSE: To employ a systematic pharmacology approach for identifying the action mechanisms of XPF in treating CHD associated with depression. METHODS: We used a systematic pharmacology approach to identify the potential active mechanisms of XPF in treating CHD with depression. Potential active compounds in XPF and the diseases targets were screened using relevant databases to build corresponding pathways, following the experiments that were conducted to confirm whether the presumptive results of systemic pharmacology were correct. RESULTS: Network pharmacology predicted 42 key targets and 20 signaling pathways involved in XPF-mediated treatment, with IL-6/JAK2/STAT3/HIF-1α/VEGF-A pathway significantly affected. The common influences were hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) and glucocorticoid signaling, validated through chronic unexpected mild stress (CUMS) with isoprenaline (ISO) for inducing CHD within the depression model in rats. In addition, XPF intake reduced depressive-like behaviors and improved ECG ischemic changes. Furthermore, XPF exerted some anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the interleukin-6 (IL-6) induced phosphorylation of janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), ultimately downregulating hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) activation. The dysfunctional HPA axis feedback loop was also regulated, which enhanced the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression. In contrast, it improved glucocorticoid resistance by reducing the mineralocorticoid receptor expression. CONCLUSIONS: Suppressing IL-6 release and maintaining the HPA feedback loop balance could be the primary mechanism of XPF against CHD with depression. The significance of the IL-6 and HPA axis identified indicates their potential as essential targets for CHD therapy with depression.

Study on the Effects of Kuanxiong Aerosol on the Isolated Artery and Rabbits Acute Myocardial Ischemia Model.

BACKGROUND: Kuan Xiong aerosol (KXA) is a Chinese herbal compound used to regulate qi-flowing to relieve pain and improve angina. However, only a few pharmacological studies on this traditional Chinese medicine preparation have been reported to confirm these activities. OBJECTIVES: This article aims to observe the effect of resisting acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) in vivo and dilating vessel in vitro of KXA. METHODS: The AMI model involves intravenously injecting the pituitary (2 U.kg-1) into the ear of rabbits. Electrocardiograph (ECG) T waves were then recorded after administration, and the falling range was calculated. Following this, the level of serum Cardiac troponin T (cTn-T) and the histopathology of the cardiac muscle tissue were evaluated. In vitro, the effect of KXA on vasodilation of isolated aortic rings that had been pre-contracted with KCl (30 mM) was observed. RESULTS: It was found that KXA reduced ECG ST-T waves and serum cTn-T in the rabbit AMI model, protecting myocardial tissue from fracturing and loss of myocardial fibers and inhibiting inflammatory cell infiltration, cavitation degeneration, and karyopyknosis of the myocardial matrix. Furthermore, the administration of 0.215, 1.075, and 2.150 mg.mL-1 of KXA resulted in significant relaxation of the aortic rings at a rate of 69.63 %, 90.14 %, and 118.72 % (p < 0.01) in the untreated ones, and a second shrinkage ratio of 20.17 %, 4.29 %, and 4.54 % (p < 0.01) in the untreated ones, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that KXA protects against AMI, contributes to the dilation of blood vessels, and has long-acting effectiveness.

[Characteristics, Ozone Formation Potential, and Source Apportionment of VOCs During the COVID-19 Epidemic in Xiong'an].

Many restrictive measures were implemented in China from January-February 2020 to control the rapid spread of COVID-19. Many studies reported that the COVID-19 lockdown impacted PM2.5, SO2, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), etc. VOCs play important roles in the production of ozone and PM2.5. Ambient VOCs in Xiong'an were measured from December 25, 2019 to January 24, 2020 (prior to epidemic prevention, P1) and from January 25, 2020 to February 24, 2020 (during epidemic prevention, P2) through a VOCs online instrument. In the study, VOCs characteristics and ozone generation potential (OFP) of ambient VOCs were analyzed, and source apportionment of VOCs were analyzed by using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). The results showed that φ(TVOCs) during epidemic prevention and control was 45.1×10-9, which was approximately half of that before epidemic prevention and control (90.5×10-9). The chemical composition of VOCs showed significant changes after epidemic prevention and control, the contribution rate of alkanes increased from 37.6% to 53.8%, and the contribution rate of aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons decreased from 13.3% and 12.0% to 7.5% and 7.8%, respectively. Aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, and OVOCs decreased by more than 60%. Seven types of the top ten species were the same before and during the epidemic prevention and control, mainly low-carbon alkanes, olefins, aldehydes, and ketones. Dichloromethane, trichloromethane, and BTEXs decreased significantly. The OPP was 566 µg·m-3 and 231 µg·m-3 in P1 and P2, respectively. The OPP of VOCs decreased by more than 30%. The proportion of OFP contribution of aromatic hydrocarbons decreased significantly after the epidemic prevention and control, and the proportion of OFP contribution of alkanes and alkynes increased significantly. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was then applied for VOCs sources apportionment. Six sources were identified, including background sources, oil-gas volatile sources, combustion sources, industrial sources, solvent use sources, and vehicle exhaust sources. The results showed that after the epidemic prevention and control, the contribution rate of solvent use sources to TVOCs decreased from 24% to 9%. The contribution rates of background sources, oil-gas volatile sources, and combustion sources increased from 13%, 34%, and 24% to 6%, 14%, and 13%, respectively. The relative contributions of vehicle exhaust sources before and after epidemic prevention and control were 21% and 18%, respectively. The observation points were affected by the emission of VOCs from paroxysmal industrial sources before the epidemic prevention and control. The emission was stopped after the epidemic prevention and control, and its contribution rate was reduced from 22% before the epidemic prevention and control to 1%. The concentrations of industrial sources, solvent sources, motor vehicle tail gas sources, and combustion sources decreased by 97%, 82%, 61%, and 15%, respectively, after the epidemic prevention and control. The concentration of background sources remained stable, and the concentration of oil and gas volatile sources increased by 7%. The control of production and traffic activities cannot reduce the emission of VOCs from oil and gas volatile sources, which is the focus of VOCs control in Xiong'an.

Application and validation of the fugitive dust source emission inventory compilation method in Xiong'an New Area, China.

The development of a refined fugitive dust emission inventory is vital for prevention and control of air pollution. In this study, a fugitive dust emission inventory of soil dust (SD), road dust (RD), and construction dust (CD) in Xiong'an New Area (XANA) for 2020 was developed by collecting activity data and combining remote sensing and field investigation data based on a popular compilation technology in China. The CALPUFF model was used to elucidate the contribution characteristics of dust sources to ambient particulate matter (PM), and the accuracy of the dust emission inventory compilation method was verified. The results show that the total emissions of PM10 and PM2.5 were 43,081.14 tons and 9701.69 tons, respectively. Meanwhile, RD and CD were the main emission sources, accounting for over 98.49% of the total emissions. The total contribution from the different types of dust sources to the ambient PM10 was 42.59 µg/m3 (29.38%), with the contribution of RD (32.63 µg/m3, 22.51%) being approximately three times that of CD (9.78 µg/m3, 6.74%). Roads were the main source of fugitive dust, but large-scale infrastructure construction was the main cause of the high emission and high contribution of RD. The results show that the emission inventory compilation method can be used to estimate the emissions of dust sources, while the method used to calculate the emission of SD may be more suitable for dry and semi-dry areas with less rainfall. It was also found that when the dust emissions stay stable, the contribution of dust sources to the ambient PM10 in different seasons can vary by 3-4 times. Therefore, under adverse meteorological conditions, it is necessary to strengthen the control of various dust sources and reduce the influence of human factors on them.

Landscape Pattern Evolution Processes of Wetlands and Their Driving Factors in the Xiong'an New Area of China.

Wetland landscape patterns are the result of various ecological and hydrological processes. Based on the land use landscape types from 1980 to 2017, a transfer matrix, landscape pattern analysis index, and principal component analysis were used to analyze the landscape pattern evolution in the Xiong'an New Area of China, which has a large area with a lake and river wetlands. The results showed that the wetland area has changed greatly since 2000 and the beach land has decreased greatly, while the area of the lake and river wetlands has increased slightly. Beach land was the dominant landscape type of the wetland. The dominant degree of the wetland landscape showed a slightly decreasing trend, and the patches tended to be scattered. The shape complexity of the ponds was the lowest, while that of rivers was the highest. The fragmentation degree of the wetland patches increased, the proportion of landscape types tended to be equalized, and the landscape heterogeneity increased. The leading factors of the wetland landscape change can be summarized as socioeconomic, meteorological, and hydrological processes, with a cumulative contribution rate of 85.3%, among which socioeconomic development was the most important factor. The results have important guiding significance for the ecological restoration and management of wetlands in the Xiong'an New Area and other wetland ecosystems with rivers and lakes.

Amphibian habitat network planning based on the graph theory: A case study of Pelophylax nigromaculata.

Both biodiversity conservation and the construction of biological habitat networks are key components of territorial spatial planning in China. Improving the landscape functional connectivity of biological habitat networks plays a vital role in biodiversity conservation. Although biological habitat network planning is a hot topic in literature, there is still lack of operable technological and methodological support in practical planning. According to the graph theory, the following three different aspects of biodiversity conservation and ecological network construction should be addressed in territorial spatial planning. First, the importance of biological habitat patches should be evaluated to determine the priority of patch protection. Second, the best locations for adding new elements should be identified to increase landscape functional connectivity of biological habitat network. Third, the impacts of construction projects should be judged and the potential impact of new construction projects according to the reduction of landscape function connectivity should be evaluated. We applied such framework to the network planning of amphibian (Pelophylax nigromaculata) habitat in Xiong'an New Area. The results showed that graph theory approach effectively met the requirements of those three aspects. The identification of the five optimal locations of new habitats of P. nigromaculata improved the overall landscape functional connectivity of habitat network by 19%. Four optimal locations of cross passage were identified to reduce the impacts of G45 expressway by assessing its impacts on functional connectivity of the amphibian habitat network.

[Geochemical Survey Method of Land Quality in Land Parcel Scale City: A Case Study of the Initial Area of the Xiong'an New District].

In order to evaluate the land quality geochemical survey achievement in the service of the accurate management of urban land resources, the initial area of the Xiong'an New District as urbanization pathfinder in China is chosen as the research subject. The sample points were set by differential classification, and the spatial interpolation accuracy of the soil elements at a plot scale and a quantitative assessment of the consistency of the land plot (pattern spot) prediction evaluation were studied under the conditions of different sampling densities. The regional geochemical variation values randomly distributed on the plane can be reflected quantitatively by differential classification sampling, which can meet the basic demand of the quality attribute of a single plot (map spot) by the accurate management of urban land resources. The spatial variability of soil elements is mostly middle to moderate, and Cd, Cu, Pb, Hg, Se, N, P, and other elements of high spatial variability are affected by human industrial and agricultural production activities. Under the same sampling density, the larger the element variation coefficient, the worse the spatial interpolation accuracy. Although the interpolation accuracy of the same element index is affected by the sampling density, the increase in the sampling density could not identify the continuous component on the structure of the soil element content. The soil environment is clean, and the heavy metal content is lower than the GB15618-2018 standard. The interpolation results are basically consistent with the grading results of the measured values, while the contents of N, P, and K of the nutrient indices vary greatly, and the predicted and measured geochemical grades of the plots (map spot) differ substantially under the influence of factors such as human disturbance and spatial variability. The quantitative evaluation of the six different sampling densities indicates that the 16 points·km-2 sampling density adopted in the geochemical survey and evaluation of urban land quality can satisfy the needs of an accurate control of urban land resources in the study area and similar areas. The research can provide key technologies to support and serve the accurate management of urban land resources for geochemical surveys and the evaluation of land quality in land parcel scale cities.