The effect of dietary carbohydrate and calorie restriction on weight and metabolic health in overweight/obese individuals: a multi-center randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Both low-carbohydrate (LC) and calorie-restricted (CR) diets have been shown to have metabolic benefits. However, the two regimens have yet to be thoroughly compared. We conducted a 12-week randomized trial to compare the effects of these diets separately and in combination on both weight loss and metabolic risk factors in overweight/obese individuals. METHODS: A total of 302 participants were randomized to LC diet (n = 76), CR diet (n = 75), LC + CR diet (n = 76), or normal control (NC) diet (n = 75) using a computer-based random number generator. The primary outcome was the change in body mass index (BMI). The secondary outcomes included body weight, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat, and metabolic risk factors. All participants attended health education sessions during the trial. RESULTS: A total of 298 participants were analyzed. BMI change over 12 weeks was - 0.6 (95% CI, - 0.8 to - 0.3) kg/m2 in NC, - 1.3 (95% CI, - 1.5 to - 1.1) kg/m2 in CR, - 2.3 (95% CI, - 2.6 to - 2.1) kg/m2 in LC, and - 2.9 (95% CI, - 3.2 to - 2.6) kg/m2 in LC + CR. LC + CR diet was more effective than LC or CR diet alone at reducing BMI (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, compared with the CR diet, the LC + CR diet and LC diet further reduced body weight, waist circumference, and body fat. Serum triglycerides were significantly reduced in the LC + CR diet group compared with the LC or CR diet alone. Plasma glucose, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and cholesterol concentrations (total, LDL, and HDL) did not change significantly between the groups during the 12-week intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of carbohydrate intake without restricting caloric intake is more potent to achieve weight loss over 12 weeks when compared to a calorie-restricted diet in overweight/obese adults. The combination of restricting carbohydrate and total calorie intake may augment the beneficial effects of reducing BMI, body weight, and metabolic risk factors among overweight/obese individuals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the institutional review board of Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University and registered at the China Clinical Trial Registration Center (registration number: ChiCTR1800015156).

Identification of T Cell Epitopes in the Spike Glycoprotein of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Rhesus Macaques.

The T cell response is an important detection index in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine development. The present study was undertaken to determine the T cell epitopes in the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 that dominate the T cell responses in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. PBMCs from rhesus macaques vaccinated with a DNA vaccine encoding the full-length S protein were isolated, and an ELISPOT assay was used to identify the recognized T cell epitopes among a total of 158 18-mer and 10-aa-overlapping peptides spanning the full-length S protein. Six multipeptide-based epitopes located in the S1 region, with four of the six located in the receptor-binding domain, were defined as the most frequently recognized epitopes in macaques. The conservation of the epitopes across species was also verified, and peptide mixtures for T cell response detection were established. Six newly defined T cell epitopes were found in the current study, which may provide a novel potential target for T cell response detection and the diagnosis and vaccine design of SARS-CoV-2 based on multipeptide subunit-based epitopes.

Improvement of the reduction of condensable particulate matter in flue gas scrubbing process.

Condensable particulate matter (CPM) is characterized by complex composition, non-negligible emission concentration, and fine or ultrafine in size after conversion to particles, which is difficult to remove. Current methods to control CPM are not fully developed and mainly focus on synergistic removal of CPM in existing air pollution control devices, such as CPM reduction through scrubbing processes in wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) systems. In this work, an experimental system including a simulated WFGD scrubber, also referred to as the primary scrubber (PS), and a secondary scrubber (SS) was built to explore measures to improve the CPM reduction performance during scrubbing. The operating parameters of the liquid-to-gas (L/G) ratio and the spray temperature in the two scrubbers were tuned in the experiments. The results indicated that CPM could be reduced in the PS by conversion to filterable particulate matter (FPM), and captured by the spray droplets through the effects of dissolution and condensation, but the reduction was not very efficient. In the SS, the reduction performance of CPM could be further improved due to increased dissolution of CPM caused by increased opportunities for gas-liquid contact, and increased condensation of CPM due to lower spray temperature. The FPM transformed from the CPM in the PS could also be reduced in the SS by the effects of diffusiophoresis and thermophoresis contributed by water vapor condensation. An increase in the L/G ratio could improve the CPM reduction.

Microbial mechanism of biochar addition to reduce N2O emissions from soilless substrate systems.

The soilless peat-based substrate partially solves the global soil problem in greenhouse vegetable production. However, it still produces serious N2O emissions due to the application of nutrient solutions. The pyrolysis biochar is regarded as an effective measure to reduce soil N2O emissions. However, the effect and mechanism of biochar on N2O emissions from the soilless substrate remain unknown. Therefore, this study set up six treatments by adjusting the ratio of biochar addition of peat-based substrate: 0% (0BC), 2% (2BC), 4% (4BC), 6% (6BC), 8% (8BC) and 10% (10BC) (v/v). The results showed that compared to the control treatment, N2O emissions reduced by 81%, 71%, 51%, 61%, and 75% in the 2BC, 4BC, 6BC, 8BC and 10BC treatments, respectively. In addition, lettuce yield increased by 10% and 7% in the 2BC and 4BC treatments and decreased by 0.5%, 4% and 6% in the 6BC, 8BC and 10BC treatments, respectively. Combining stable isotope technology, qPCR analysis and high-throughput sequencing, five microbial pathways of N2O production, including bacterial and archaea nitrification (BN and AN), denitrification performed by fungi, denitrifier bacteria and nitrifier bacteria (FD, DD and ND), were roughly distinguished. In addition, the extent of N2O reduction was obtained by δ18O vs.δ15NSP map. For all treatments, overall, the DD process (over 50%) was the main process of N2O production and reduction, while ND and AN processes were almost negligible (less 5%). In detail, the decrease of N2O emissions was caused by decreasing the contribution of FD in the 6BC, 8BC and 10BC treatments and reducing the contribution of BN in the 0BC and 2BC treatments. In addition, biochar addition increased the extent of N2O reduction to N2. In summary, the 2% biochar addition presented the greatest extent of N2O reduction to N2 (83%) and the lowest N2O emissions as well as the highest lettuce yields and nitrogen utilization efficiency. Therefore, 2% biochar is deemed the most optimal addition to the peat-based substrate.

Preoptimized phage cocktail for use in aerosols against nosocomial transmission of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: A 3-year prospective intervention study.

Using bacteriophages (phages) as environmental sanitizers has been recognized as a potential alternative method to remove bacterial contamination in vitro; however, very few studies are available on the application of phages for infection control in hospitals. Here, we performed a 3-year prospective intervention study using aerosolized phage cocktails as biocontrol agents against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection in the hospital. When a CRAB-infected patient was identified in an intensive care unit (ICU), their surrounding environment was chosen for phage aerosol decontamination. Before decontamination, 501 clinical specimens from the patients were subjected to antibiotic resistance analysis and phage typing. The optimal phage cocktails were a combination of different phage families or were constructed by next-evolutionary phage typing with the highest score for the host lysis zone to prevent the development of environmental CRAB phage resistance. The phage infection percentage of the antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii strains was 97.1%, whereas the infection percentage in the antibiotic-susceptible strains was 79.3%. During the phage decontamination periods from 2017 to 2019, the percentage of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii in test ICUs decreased significantly from 65.3% to 55%. The rate of new acquisitions of CRAB infection over the three years was 4.4 per 1000 patient-days, which was significantly lower than that in the control wards (8.9 per 1000 patient-days) where phage decontamination had never been performed. In conclusion, our results support the potential of phage cocktails to decrease CRAB infection rates, and the aerosol generation process may make this approach more comprehensive and time-saving.

High-efficiency nonhomologous insertion of a foreign gene into the herpes simplex virus genome.

Efficient, accurate and convenient foreign-gene insertion strategies are crucial for the high-throughput and rapid construction of large DNA viral vectors, but relatively inefficient and labour-intensive methods have limited the application of recombinant viruses. In this study, we applied the nonhomologous insertion (NHI) strategy, which is based on the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) repair pathway. Compared to the currently used homologous recombination (HR) strategy, we obtained a higher efficiency of foreign-gene insertion into the herpes simplex virus (HSV) genome that reached 45 % after optimization. By using NHI, we rapidly constructed recombinant reporter viruses using a small amount of clinical viruses, and the recombinant virus was stable for at least ten consecutive passages. The fidelity of NHI ranged from 70-100% and was related to the sequence background of the insertion site according to the sequencing results. Finally, we depict the dynamic process by which the foreign-gene donor plasmid and viral genome are rapidly cleaved by Cas9, as revealed by quantitative pulse analysis. Furthermore, the NHI strategy exerted selection pressure on the wild-type and reverse-integrated viral genomes to efficiently integrate the foreign gene in a predetermined direction. Our results indicate that the use of a rationally designed NHI strategy can allow rapid and efficient foreign gene knock-in into the HSV genome and provide useful guidance for gene insertion into large DNA viral genomes using NHI.

Evaluation of N2O sources after fertilizers application in vegetable soil by dual isotopocule plots approach.

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is the major deriver of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in agricultural soil. In the vegetable fields in China both inorganic and organic fertilizers are largely applied as basic sources of nitrogen. Identifying the effects of fertilizer type on soil microbial activities involved in N2O emissions would be of great help for future development of N2O reduction strategies. N2O isotopocule deltas, including δ15Nbulk, δ18O and SP (the 15N site preference in N2O), have been used to analyze microbial pathways of N2O production under different treatments, including bio-organic fertilizer treatment, half bio-organic fertilizer and half urea (mixed fertilizer) treatment, urea treatment and no fertilizer treatment. We measured environmental factors, N2O fluxes and N2O isotopocule deltas to evaluate the dynamics of N2O emissions and constructed the dual isotopocule plots (δ15Nbulk vs. SP and δ18O vs. SP) of the main N2O emission phases to assess contribution of the involved microbial processes (bacterial nitrification, bacterial denitrification, nitrifier denitrification and fungal denitrification). According to the results of the main N2O emission phases, we found that bio-organic fertilizer and mix fertilizer treatments had significantly lower N2O emissions compared to urea treatment, with average N2O fluxes of 1477 ± 204, 1243 ± 187 and 1941 ± 164 µg m-3 h-1, respectively, but there were no significant effects on mineral N and cabbage yield. In addition, the urea treatment and the mixed fertilizer treatment had close and higher nitrogen use efficiency. Furthermore, the δ18O vs. SP plot was useful for providing insight into microbial processes, showing that fungal denitrification/bacterial nitrification was the dominant microbial pathway and bio-organic fertilizer and mix fertilizer treatments had higher denitrification and N2O reduction compared to urea treatment. Those findings demonstrated that the partial replacement of urea with bio-organic fertilizer was a better choice, by means of enhancing denitrification to reduce N2O emissions and also guaranteeing the nitrogen use efficiency and the cabbage yield.

Exosomal protein CD82 as a diagnostic biomarker for precision medicine for breast cancer.

CD82, a member of the tetraspanin superfamily, has been proposed to exert its activity via tetra-transmembrane protein enriched microdomains (TEMs) in exosomes. The present study aimed to explore the potential of the exosome protein CD82 in diagnosing breast cancers of all stages and various histological subtypes in patients. The results strongly suggest that CD82 expression in breast cancer tissue was significantly lower than that in healthy and benign breast disease tissues. There was a significant negative correlation between CD82 expression in tissues and CD82 content in exosomes, which indicated that CD82 expression was redistributed from tissues to the blood with the development and metastasis of breast cancer.

Polyamines Regulate Strawberry Fruit Ripening by Abscisic Acid, Auxin, and Ethylene.

Polyamines (PAs) participate in many plant growth and developmental processes, including fruit ripening. However, it is not clear whether PAs play a role in the ripening of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa), a model nonclimacteric plant. Here, we found that the content of the PA spermine (Spm) increased more sharply after the onset of fruit coloration than did that of the PAs putrescine (Put) or spermidine (Spd). Spm dominance in ripe fruit resulted from abundant transcripts of a strawberry S-adenosyl-l-Met decarboxylase gene (FaSAMDC), which encodes an enzyme that generates a residue needed for PA biosynthesis. Exogenous Spm and Spd promoted fruit coloration, while exogenous Put and a SAMDC inhibitor inhibited coloration. Based on transcriptome data, up- and down-regulation of FaSAMDC expression promoted and inhibited ripening, respectively, which coincided with changes in several physiological parameters and their corresponding gene transcripts, including firmness, anthocyanin content, sugar content, polyamine content, auxin (indole-3-acetic acid [IAA]) content, abscisic acid (ABA) content, and ethylene emission. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we found that FaSAMDC also had a high enzymatic activity with a Kd of 1.7 × 10-3 m In conclusion, PAs, especially Spm, regulate strawberry fruit ripening in an ABA-dominated, IAA-participating, and ethylene-coordinated manner, and FaSAMDC plays an important role in ripening.

Pharmacokinetic Characterizations of Ginsenoside Ocotillol, RT5 and F11, the Promising Agents for Alzheimer's Disease from American Ginseng, in Rats and Beagle Dogs.

BACKGROUND: Ocotillol, RT5 and F11, the main active components of ocotillol type ginsenosides, have attracted a lot of attention due to their beneficial effects on neurodegenerative disease models of Alzheimer's disease. Pharmacokinetic (PK) is a bridge linking the herbal medicines and their pharmacological responses. However, few data are available regarding PK behaviors of ocotillol type ginsenosides. METHODS: The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methods were developed and validated to calculate the concentrations of 3 ginsenosides in different biological matrices. Rat and beagle dog plasma samples were deproteinized with methanol and separated on Shim-pack GIST C18 column. All of the analytes were detected in positive ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring. RESULTS: The methods showed good linearity (r > 0.996) in the established concentration range. All validated data, such as specificity, intra- and inter-day precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, matrix effect, and stability were within required limits. The values of Cmax and AUC(0-t) indicated ocotillol type ginsenosides had low systemic exposure and poor absorption into blood. T1/2 and MRT(0-t) demonstrated the elimination process of ocotillol type ginsenosides might be slow. Double peaks were observed in the mean plasma concentration versus time profiles of ocotillol, RT5, and F11 after oral intake. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first PK investigation of the ocotillol type ginsenosides in rats and beagle dogs. The results we found here were helpful to our understanding of the absorption mechanism of ocotillol type ginsenosides and provided the scientific basis for further pre-clinical research.

Improved Bound Fit Algorithm for Fine Delay Scheduling in a Multi-Group Scan of Ultrasonic Phased Arrays.

Multi-group scanning of ultrasonic phased arrays (UPAs) is a research field in distributed sensor technology. Interpolation filters intended for fine delay modules can provide high-accuracy time delays during the multi-group scanning of large-number-array elements in UPA instruments. However, increasing focus precision requires a large increase in the number of fine delay modules. In this paper, an architecture with fine delay modules for time division scheduling is explained in detail. An improved bound fit (IBF) algorithm is proposed, and an analysis of its mathematical model and time complexity is provided. The IBF algorithm was verified by experiment, wherein the performances of list, longest processing time, bound fit, and IBF algorithms were compared in terms of frame data scheduling in the multi-group scan. The experimental results prove that the scheduling algorithm decreased the makespan by 8.76⁻21.48%, and achieved the frame rate at 78 fps. The architecture reduced resource consumption by 30⁻40%. Therefore, the proposed architecture, model, and algorithm can reduce makespan, improve real-time performance, and decrease resource consumption.

An Improved Scheduling Algorithm for Data Transmission in Ultrasonic Phased Arrays with Multi-Group Ultrasonic Sensors.

High data transmission efficiency is a key requirement for an ultrasonic phased array with multi-group ultrasonic sensors. Here, a novel FIFOs scheduling algorithm was proposed and the data transmission efficiency with hardware technology was improved. This algorithm includes FIFOs as caches for the ultrasonic scanning data obtained from the sensors with the output data in a bandwidth-sharing way, on the basis of which an optimal length ratio of all the FIFOs is achieved, allowing the reading operations to be switched among all the FIFOs without time slot waiting. Therefore, this algorithm enhances the utilization ratio of the reading bandwidth resources so as to obtain higher efficiency than the traditional scheduling algorithms. The reliability and validity of the algorithm are substantiated after its implementation in the field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology, and the bandwidth utilization ratio and the real-time performance of the ultrasonic phased array are enhanced.

Growth inhibition effects of isoalantolactone on K562/A02 cells: caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways, S phase arrest, and downregulation of Bcr/Abl.

Isoalantolactone, a sesquiterpene lactone, is the active component of Inula helenium (Compositae). It has been reported that isoalantolactone has the capacity to inhibit tumor cell growth through induction of apoptosis. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the effects of isoalantolactone on the human erythroleukemia drug-resistant cell line K562/A02 and to provide evidence of its function as a potent therapeutic agent in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia with the Bcr/Abl phenotype. Our results showed that isoalantolactone significantly inhibited K562/A02 cell growth by downregulating Bcr/Abl expression. Isoalantolactone also induced apoptosis via increase generation of reactive oxygen species, modulation of the protein levels of Bcl-2 family members, caspase activation, poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage, and release of cytochrome c. We also observed that isoalantolactone inhibited proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest in the S phase. Taken together, all these findings support that growth inhibition effects of isoalantolactone on K562/A02 cells may be mediated through caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways, S phase arrest, and downregulation of Bcr/Abl.

Barriers and facilitators to use of buprenorphine in state-licensed specialty substance use treatment programs: A survey of program leadership.

INTRODUCTION: Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including buprenorphine, reduce overdose risk and improve outcomes for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, historically, most non-opioid treatment program (non-OTP) specialty substance use treatment programs have not offered buprenorphine. Understanding barriers to offering buprenorphine in specialty substance use treatment settings is critical for expanding access to buprenorphine. This study aims to examine program-level attitudinal, financial, and regulatory factors that influence clients' access to buprenorphine in state-licensed non-OTP specialty substance use treatment programs. METHODS: We surveyed leadership from state-licensed non-OTP specialty substance use treatment programs in New Jersey about organizational characteristics, including medications provided on- and off-site and percentage of OUD clients receiving any type of MOUD, and perceived attitudinal, financial, and regulatory barriers and facilitators to buprenorphine. The study estimated prevalence of barriers and compared high MOUD reach (n = 36, 35 %) and low MOUD reach (n = 66, 65 %) programs. RESULTS: Most responding organizations offered at least one type of MOUD either on- or off-site (n = 80, 78 %). However, 71 % of organizations stated that fewer than a quarter of their clients with OUD use any type of MOUD. Endorsement of attitudinal, financial, and institutional barriers to buprenorphine were similar among high and low MOUD reach programs. The most frequently endorsed government actions suggested to increase use of buprenorphine were facilitating access to long-acting buprenorphine (n = 95, 96 %), education and stigma reduction for clients and families (n = 95, 95 %), and financial assistance to clients to pay for medications (n = 90, 90 %). CONCLUSIONS: Although non-OTP specialty substance use programs often offer clients access to MOUD, including buprenorphine, most OUD clients do not actually receive MOUD. Buprenorphine uptake in these settings may require increased financial support for programs and clients, more robust education and training for providers, and efforts to reduce the stigma associated with medication among clients and their families.

Emission characteristics of condensable particulate matter during the production of solid waste-based sulfoaluminate cement: Compositions, heavy metals, and preparation impacts.

Recycling solid waste for preparing sulfoaluminate cementitious materials (SACM) represents a promising approach for low-carbon development. There are drastic physical-chemical reactions during SACM calcination. However, there is a lack of research on the flue gas pollutants emissions from this process. Condensable particulate matter (CPM) has been found to constitute the majority of the primary PM emitted from various fuel combustion. In this study, the emission characteristics of CPM during the calcination of SACM were determined using tests in both a real-operated kiln and laboratory experiments. The mass concentration of CPM reached 96.6 mg/Nm3 and occupied 87% of total PM emission from the SACM kiln. Additionally, the mass proportion of SO42- in the CPM reached 93.8%, thus indicating that large quantities of sulfuric acid mist or SO3 were emitted. CaSO4 was one key component for the formation of main mineral ye'elimite (3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4), and its decomposition probably led to the high SO42- emission. Furthermore, the use of CaSO4 as a calcium source led to SO42- emission factor much higher than conventional calcium sources. Higher calcination temperature and more residence time also increased SO42- emission. The most abundant heavy metal in kiln flue gas and CPM was Zn. However, the total condensation ratio of heavy metals detected was only 40.5%. CPM particles with diameters below 2.5 µm and 4-20 µm were both clearly observed, and components such as Na2SO4 and NaCl were conformed. This work contributes to the understanding of CPM emissions and the establishment of pollutant reduction strategies for waste collaborative disposal in cement industry.

Method of smoldering combustion for the treatment of oil sludge-contaminated soil.

There is an urgent need to globally remediate oil sludge-contaminated soil (OSS). Smoldering combustion is a new low-energy approach for the treatment of organic waste. Therefore, the feasibility of smoldering combustion for the treatment of OSS was investigated in this study using a series of laboratory-scale experiments. The effective remediation of OSS was found to be achievable when the mass ratio of oil sludge in the sample reached 1/12 and above. Experimental results showed that smoldering at peak temperatures above 500 °C was found to completely remove petroleum hydrocarbons from the samples. The mass ratio of oil sludge in the sample had little effect on the distribution of the major elements (Si, Al, and Ca) in the smoldering products, and most of the minerals in the oil sludge adhered to the surface of the soil particles after smoldering. The smoldering heating environment is detrimental to the reusability of the soil, increases soil pH and available phosphorus content, and decreases organic carbon and total nitrogen content. Moreover, the influence of the airflow rate and material height on smoldering characteristics was investigated. Matching the appropriate airflow rate can help maintain optimal smoldering conditions, and smoldering remains stable with increasing material height. The addition of recovered oil to a sample with a low mass ratio of oil sludge can help with smoldering ignition and improve the removal efficiency of petroleum hydrocarbons. This study has confirmed that smoldering can be used to treat OSS within a broad range of oil sludge concentrations without pretreatment.

Drought-induced assembly of rhizosphere mycobiomes shows beneficial effects on plant growth.

Beneficial interactions between plants and rhizosphere fungi can enhance plant adaptability during drought stress. However, harnessing these interactions will require an in-depth understanding of the response of fungal community assembly to drought. Herein, by using different varieties of wheat plants, we analyzed the drought-induced changes in fungal community assembly in rhizosphere and bulk soil. We demonstrated that drought significantly altered the fungal communities, with the contribution of species richness to community beta diversity increased in both rhizosphere and bulk soil compartments during drought stress. The stochastic processes dominated fungal community assembly, but the relative importance of deterministic processes, mainly homogeneous selection, increased in the drought-stressed rhizosphere. Drought induced an increase in the relative abundance of generalists in the rhizosphere, as opposed to specialists, and the top 10 abundant taxa that enriched under drought conditions were predominantly generalists. Notably, the most abundant drought-enriched taxon in rhizosphere was a generalist, and the corresponding Chaetomium strain was found capable of improving root length and activating ABA signaling in wheat plants through culture-based experiment. Together, these findings provide evidence that host plants exert a strong influence on rhizospheric fungal community assembly during stress and suggest the fungal communities that have experienced drought have the potential to confer fitness advantages to the host plants. IMPORTANCE: We have presented a framework to integrate the shifts in community assembly processes with plant-soil feedback during drought stress. We found that environmental filtering and host plant selection exert influence on the rhizospheric fungal community assembly, and the re-assembled community has great potential to alleviate plant drought stress. Our study proposes that future research should incorporate ecology with plant, microbiome, and molecular approaches to effectively harness the rhizospheric microbiome for enhancing the resilience of crop production to drought.

Distribution of the existence forms of condensable particulate matter during condensation: The surface collection and the space suspension forms.

Condensable particulate matter (CPM), as an air pollutant that has received wide attention in recent years, has a high emission concentration compared to filterable particulate matter (FPM), yet there is not a well-developed removal method. Air pollution control devices (APCDs) with a condensation process have a certain effect on CPM removal, which inspired us to study the condensation behavior of CPM. During the condensation process, the condensed CPM may exist in two final forms: one was collected by the cold surface that caused the condensation; the other was converted to fine particles and suspended in the space of the flue. In a sense, the surface collection form can reflect the removal of CPM, while the CPM in the space suspension form should be further separated with the aim of removal. In this work, we adopted a CPM sampling system based on EPA Method 202 to reveal the distribution of the condensation behavior of CPM. In this sampling system, the CPM collected by all the cooling surfaces, including the cooling coil and impingers, can be counted as the surface collection form, while those collected by the terminal CPM filter can be regarded as the space suspension form. It was found that about 75 % of CPM was collected by the cooling surfaces, which suggested that CPM preferred to be in the surface collection form than the space suspension form. This preference characteristic also could be observed in the inorganic (CPMi) and organic components of the CPM (CPMo). Among the CPMi, almost all NH4+ and SO42- condensed in the form of surface collection. The preference characteristics in CPM's (and its components') condensation behavior are similar under every temperature reduction condition. In this work, the interference of CPM measurement error was resolved by the statistical method of ANOVA.

Effect of CaO Sourced from CaCO3 or CaSO4 on Phase Formation and Mineral Composition of Iron-Rich Calcium Sulfoaluminate Clinker.

The performance of iron-rich calcium sulfoaluminate (IR-CSA) cement is greatly affected by mineral composition and mineral activity in the clinker. This study aims to identify the effect of CaO sources, either CaCO3 or CaSO4, on the phase formation and mineral composition of the IR-CSA clinker. Targeted samples were prepared with different proportions of CaCO3 and CaSO4 as CaO sources at 1300 °C for 45 min. Multiple methods were used to identify the mineralogical conditions. The results indicate that the mineral composition and performance of the IR-CSA clinker could be optimized by adjusting the CaO source. Both Al2O3 and Fe2O3 tend to incorporate into C4A3-xFxS¯ with an increase in CaSO4 as a CaO source, which leads to an increased content of C4A3-xFxS¯ but a decreased ferrite phase. In addition, clinkers prepared with CaSO4 as a CaO source showed much higher x value in C4A3-xFxS¯ and higher compressive strength than clinker prepared with CaCO3 as the sole CaO source. The crystal types of both C4A3-xFxS¯ and C2S were also affected, but showed different trends with the transition of the CaO source. The findings provide a possible method to produce IR-CSA cement at a low cost through cooperative utilization of waste gypsum and iron-bearing industrial solid wastes.

Insights into production and consumption processes of nitrous oxide emitted from soilless culture systems by dual isotopocule plot and functional genes.

Soilless culture systems (SCS) play an increasing role in greenhouse vegetable production. In the SCS, soilless substrates serve as the major substitute for soil, supplying nutrients to plants but releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Remarkably, there is a serious problem of N2O emission due to excessive input of N fertilizer. However, the microbial processes of N2O production and consumption in soilless substrates have been rarely studied resulting in difficultly interpreting for its global warming potential. Therefore, these pathways from two classic soilless substrates under two irrigation patterns were investigated by stable isotope technology combined with qPCR analysis in present study. The results according to the dual isotopocule plot of δ15NSP vs. δ18O showed that the mean contribution of denitrification and the mean extent of N2O reduction of case i (Reduction-Mixing) were 26.2 and 81.2 % for the treatment of peat based substrate under drip irrigation (PD), 47.7 and 70.3 % for the treatment of coir substrate under drip irrigation (CD), 29.0 and 80.8 % for the treatment of peat based substrate under tidal irrigation (PT), and 50.8 and 47.4 % for the treatment of coir substrate under tidal irrigation (CT). These results were also further confirmed by the abundance of major functional genes including AOA amoA, nirK and nosZ. Altogether, N2O emission and its microbial processes are determined by substrate types instead of irrigation patterns. For detail, denitrification dominated in the peat based substrate and nitrification dominated in the coir substrate. Compared to the coir substrate, the peat based substrate had higher abundance of functional genes and stronger denitrification and thus generated more N2O. For the two soilless substrates, moreover, the microbiome replaced the mineral N content as the limiting factor for N2O emission. In the SCS, in summary, the two soilless substrates play an important role in tomato growth, but might suffer from inorganic nutrient surplus and microbial shortage. More importantly, the combined analysis of N2O isotopocule deltas and functional genes is a robust tool and provides reliable conclusions for clarifying the microbial processes of N2O production and consumption, thus it is also recommended for use in environments other than soilless substrates.