Recent Developments in Catalytic Carbonyl Sulfur Hydrolysis.

Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is the most abundant and longest-lasting organic reduced sulfur compound in the atmosphere. Removing it is a critical and challenging aspect in desulfurization technology in order to comply with global restrictions on harmful emissions. Catalytic hydrolysis refers to the process whereby COS reacts with water under the influence of a catalyst to generate carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.

Fine particulate matter pollution in the Sichuan Basin of China from 2013 to 2020: Sources, emissions, and mortality burden.

Fine particulate matter (PM) pollution is a critical air quality concern which poses threats to public health. Despite strict air pollution control measures implemented in China since 2013, PM exceedances and region-wide PM episodes are still frequently observed in the Sichuan Basin (SCB) located in southwestern China. Here, we examine ambient PM pollution within the SCB from 2013 to 2020, focusing on emission sources, trends, and health outcomes.

Novel Bidirectional ESD Circuit for GaN HEMT.

In this paper, the ESD protection circuit for p-GaN gate HEMTs with bidirectional clamp is proposed and investigated. ESD clamp circuits consist of several forward diodes in serials and a reverse diode. During the ESD pulse, a discharging channel in the proposed ESD clamp is built and the gate to source voltage for p-GaN HEMTs is clamped at safety value.

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Wine Grape Under Climate Change in Northwestern China.

The favorable terroir of China's northwest region provides an ideal environment for the cultivation and thriving growth of grapes. However, climate change threatens to alter the optimal grape-growing regions, presenting considerable challenges to the local wine making industry. To enhance the utilization of regional climate resources and refine the wine grape industry's spatial distribution, this study assessed the performance of nine climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) in Northwestern China, simulated the future spatiotemporal distribution of wine grape.

Ongoing large ozone depletion in the polar lower stratospheres: the role of increased water vapour.

The very low temperatures of the polar lower stratosphere lead to the efficient seasonal depletion of ozone following the formation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) and heterogeneous chlorine-activating reactions on their surfaces. The Montreal Protocol has controlled the production of major chlorine- (and bromine-) containing Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs) and the stratospheric Cl and Br loadings have been slowly decreasing for over two decades. However, we are still experiencing very large (by some measures record) ozone depletion in the Antarctic and cold Arctic springs.

Fracture Mechanical Properties of Double-Edge Cracked Flattened Brazilian Disc Samples Under Compressive Loads.

The shear-based fracturing of deep fractured rocks under compression-shear loading is one of the most prevalent failure modes due to the existence of in situ stress. In order to study the shear fracture mechanical properties of fractured rocks, a double-edge cracked flattened Brazilian disc (DCFBD) sample was developed by introducing two platforms into a double-edge cracked Brazilian disc (DCBD). Extensive finite element analyses were conducted on DCFBD samples to determine the stress intensity factors (SIFs) and T-stress.

An advanced robotic system incorporating haptic feedback for precision cardiac ablation procedures.

This study introduces an innovative master-slave cardiac ablation catheter robot system that employs magnetorheological fluids. The system incorporates magnetorheological fluid to enable collision detection through haptic feedback, thereby enhancing the operator's situational awareness. A modular clamping and propulsion mechanism has been engineered for the ablation catheter, facilitating omnidirectional operation and force feedback within the cardiac cavity.

A multidimensional adaptive transformer network for fatigue detection.

Variations in information processing patterns induced by operational directives under varying fatigue conditions within the cerebral cortex can be identified and analyzed through electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The inherent complexity of EEG signals poses significant challenges in the effective detection of driver fatigue across diverse task scenarios. Recent advancements in deep learning, particularly the Transformer architecture, have shown substantial benefits in the retrieval and integration of multi-dimensional information.

Microstructural and Micromechanical Properties of Decellularized Fibrocartilaginous Scaffold.

Fibrocartilage decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) is a promising alternative material for damaged fibrocartilage repair and replacement due to its biomimetic gross morphology and internal microstructure. However, the alterations in the microstructure and micromechanical properties of fibrocartilage after decellularization interfere with the macroscopic functional application of the scaffold. Therefore, this study aims to present an analytical atlas of the microstructure and micromechanics of the fibrocartilaginous dECM scaffold to elucidate the effect of decellularization treatment on the macroscopic function of the scaffold.

Farmland change at different altitudes: A global analysis of climate and anthropogenic influences.

With intensifying climate change and anthropogenic activities, the spatial distribution and productivity of global farmland are undergoing significant shifts. Comprehensive understanding of these changes across different altitudinal gradients remains limited. This study aims to analyze regions of significant farmland change from 1981 to 2015, focusing on how climate change and anthropogenic activities influence these changes across different altitudes.

[Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Ozone Formation Sensitivity and Its Influencing Factors in Chengdu-Chongqing Area].

To study the characteristics of ozone formation sensitivity changes in the Chengdu-Chongqing area, the summer ozone formation sensitivity （OFS） was analyzed using satellite observation of the OMI tropospheric column concentration of HCHO and NO. Additionally, the effects of meteorological factors, source emissions, and their interactions on OFS were identified with the geodetic detector. The results showed that the summer OFS zoning in the Chengdu-Chongqing area was dominated by a transitional regime, with an area share of 42.

Biochar chemical-looping gasification for hydrogen-rich syngas production in solid-solid reaction: O, H and CaO of carbide slag effect NiFeO oxygen carrier.

Biomass chemical-looping gasification represents a promising technology for the production of hydrogen-rich syngas, wherein the yield of gas is contingent upon the rate of solid-solid reactions. In this study, the incorporation of carbide slag as an oxygen carrier, hydrogen carrier, and in-situ carbon capture agent, as well as the modification of the synthesis method for the NiFeO oxygen carrier, were specifically targeted to enhance the solid-solid reaction activity. The results indicate that the reactivity can be significantly improved by synthesizing NiFeO using the sol-gel method with varying ratios of citric acid.

A novel navigation assistant method for substation inspection robot based on multisensory information fusion.

Introduction: Due to the complex environment of the substation, the inspection work of the substation becomes time-consuming and laborious. As a result, the substation inspection robot has gradually become a hot research point.

Objectives: At present, the mainstream intelligent inspection robots for substations use high-precision LiDAR sensors for navigation, which has high navigation accuracy but cannot identify the types of obstacles and the road contour boundary, seriously affecting the inspection performance and efficiency.

Defect physics investigations in bulk NaBiO photocatalysts Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid density functional theory calculations.

This study employs Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid density functional theory calculations to thoroughly investigate the -type and -type conductivity mechanisms of NaBiO photocatalysts. The results reveal that the intrinsic interstitial defect Na1+i is dominant under most growth conditions because of its lower formation energy. It is an excellent donor because of its shallower charge transition level.

Recent centennial drought on the Tibetan Plateau is outstanding within the past 3500 years.

Given growing concerns about global climate change, it is critical to understand both historical and current shifts in the hydroclimate, particularly in regions critically entwined with global circulation. The Tibetan Plateau, the Earth's largest and highest plateau, is a nexus for global atmospheric processes, significantly influencing East Asian hydroclimate dynamics through the synergy of the Asian Monsoon and the Westerlies. Yet, understanding historical and recent hydroclimate fluctuations and their wide-ranging ecological and societal consequences remains challenging due to short instrumental observations and partly ambiguous proxy reconstructions.

Targeted Screening, Distribution and Sources of Antibiotics in Drinking Water Sources and its Risk Assessment in Sichuan Province, China.

The misuse of antibiotics has led to frequent detection of antibiotics in the environment and triggered a series of environmental pollution problems. As the upper reaches of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, Sichuan Province has a large population, and the safety of its drinking water is of great importance to the local and even downstream areas. In this study, ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used for targeted screening 41 antibiotics from 4 categories including tetracyclines, sulfonamides, macrolides, and quinolones in 35 water sources in Sichuan Province, China.

Theoretical Investigations on the n-Type and p-Type Conductivity Mechanisms in BiTaO Photocatalysts through Intrinsic Point Defects and Group IIA and Group VIB Element Doping.

The n-type and p-type conductivity mechanisms from intrinsic defects and Group IIA and Group VIB element doping in the photocatalyst BiTaO are systematically investigated by employing hybrid density functional calculations. The results reveal that vacancies , , , and antisite Ta are the predominant defects, depending on growth conditions. Bi-rich, appropriate Ta-rich, and O-poor conditions can promote BiTaO to form n-type conductivity due to the presence of the Ta donor defect and its easier ionization.

White Matter-Gray Matter Correlation Analysis Based on White Matter Functional Gradient.

Background: The spontaneous fluctuations in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals of the brain's gray matter (GM) have been interpreted as representations of neural activity variations. In previous research, white matter (WM) signals, often considered noise, have also been demonstrated to reflect characteristics of functional activity and interactions among different brain regions. Recently, functional gradients have gained significant attention due to their success in characterizing the functional organization of the whole brain.

Regulation of Zinc Hydroxide Sulfate Growth Environment for Stable Zinc Anode/Electrolyte Interfaces.

Metallic Zn is a promising anode for high-safety, low-cost, and large-scale energy storage systems. However, it is strongly hindered by unstable electrode/electrolyte interface issues, including zinc dendrite, corrosion, passivation, and hydrogen evolution reactions. In this work, an in situ interface protection strategy is established by turning the corrosion/passivation byproducts (zinc hydroxide sulfates, ZHSs) into a stable hybrid protection layer.

DFCL: Dual-pathway fusion contrastive learning for blind single-image visible watermark removal.

Digital image watermarking is a prevalent method for image copyright protection. As watermark embedding techniques evolve, research in copyright protection has increasingly extended into watermark removal. Recent advancements in deep learning and generative technologies have led to the development of public watermark removal solutions, addressing issues such as plagiarized, illegal, or outdated watermarks while driving significant improvements in robust watermark embedding.

Tropical Indian Ocean drives Hadley circulation change in a warming climate.

The weakening and poleward expansion of the Hadley circulation (HC) are considered robust responses of atmospheric meridional circulation to anthropogenic warming. Climate impacts arising from these changes enhance drought conditions and reduce food production in the affected regions. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of HC changes is critical to anticipating the resultant climate risks.

Digital-based emergency prevention and control system: enhancing infection control in psychiatric hospitals.

Background: The practical application of infectious disease emergency plans in mental health institutions during the ongoing pandemic has revealed significant shortcomings. These manifest as chaotic management of mental health care, a lack of hospital infection prevention and control (IPC) knowledge among medical staff, and unskilled practical operation. These factors result in suboptimal decision-making and emergency response execution.

Clinical and patient-reported outcomes between full-endoscopic and conventional parotidectomy: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: This study investigates the clinical and patient-reported outcomes of full-endoscopic parotidectomy compared to the conventional approach.

Methods: Between July 2021 and December 2023, patients who underwent parotidectomy were prospectively enrolled and assigned to either the full-endoscopic parotidectomy group (Group I) or the conventional surgery group (Group II). Clinical outcomes were evaluated, and patient-reported outcomes were assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale and five FACE-Q scales.

Asynchronicity of deglacial permafrost thawing controlled by millennial-scale climate variability.

Permafrost is a potentially important source of deglacial carbon release alongside deep-sea carbon outgassing. However, limited proxies have restricted our understanding in circumarctic regions and the last deglaciation. Tibetan Plateau (TP), the Earth's largest low-latitude and alpine permafrost region, remains underexplored.

Insight into the performance and fouling characteristics of submerged ceramic membrane bioreactor in wastewater treatment.

Submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) is a promising technology in municipal wastewater treatment, but the membrane fouling has restricted its development. In this study, an integrated submerged ceramic membrane bioreactor (C-SMBR) was constructed to treat domestic wastewater, and the characteristics of membrane fouling and the microbial community structure were investigated. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies of COD, TN, NH-N reached 94.