The Influence of Hydrogen Bonding in Wood and Its Modification Methods: A Review.

Construction wood has a high economic value, and its construction waste also has multiple consumption values. Natural wood has many advantages, such as thermal, environmental, and esthetic properties; however, wood sourced from artificial fast-growing forests is found to be deficient in mechanical strength. This shortcoming makes it less competitive in certain applications, leading many markets to remain dominated by non-renewable materials.

Nitrogen and phosphorus addition affected soil organic carbon storage and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi contributions.

Substantial quantities of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) released by human activities, enter terrestrial ecosystems, thereby affecting the carbon cycling within these ecosystems. Previous studies found that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could affect soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, the impacts of AMF on SOC under nutrients enrichment have yet to be well understood. Here, we conducted an 8-year field experiment involving N and P addition, and aC labeled microcosm experiment labeled with AMF inoculation, to explore how SOC respond to nutrients enrichment, as well as AMF-induced changes in SOC.

A general esterolysis strategy for upcycling waste polyesters into high-value esters.

The upcycling of waste polyesters into high-value chemicals offers a sustainable and economically viable solution to the global plastic waste crisis. Herein, we report a general esterolysis strategy for the efficient depolymerization of polyesters to produce high-value ester products, utilizing a broad range of esters, including carboxylates, carbonates, and C/Si/Ti/P-based esters. Using the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate as a highly effective catalyst, polyethylene terephthalate is selectively converted into dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene carbonate with remarkable yields of 99% and 90%, respectively.

Novel enzymes involved in the biotransformation of oxytetracycline by OTC-16.

Current research on the microbial degradation of antibiotic residues primarily focuses on isolating degrading bacteria and characterizing their metabolites. The enzymatic mechanisms underlying these biotransformation processes remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the biodegradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) by OTC-16 using integrated transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing analyses.

Widowhood disparities in nonaccidental mortality attributable to heat waves and ozone.

Emerging evidence suggests that heat waves and ozone (O) contribute to increased mortality risks. Since widowhood is a common event that can increase individuals' susceptibility to the environment, it is of great importance and interest to elucidate the widowhood disparity in mortality attributable to heat waves and O. We therefore conducted a case-crossover study of 1,214,763 nonaccidental deaths in Jiangsu Province, China, during 2015-2021 to investigate the independent and interactive associations of exposure to heat waves and O with mortality by widowhood status.

Sustained benefits of long-term biochar application for food security and climate change mitigation.

Biochar application offers significant potential to enhance food security and mitigate climate change. However, most evidence stems from short-term field experiments (≤3 y), leaving uncertainty about the long-term sustainability of these benefits, especially with annual biochar additions to soils. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed a global dataset from 438 studies (3,229 observations) and found that long-term annual biochar application (≥4 y) not only sustains but often enhances its benefits.

Bismuth Silicate Catalyst for Efficient Electrocatalytic CO Reduction and Electrolyte-Free Formic Acid Production.

The rising atmospheric CO levels pose significant environmental challenges. Electrocatalytic CO reduction offers a promising approach for converting CO into valuable chemicals such as formate or formic acid. However, the development of efficient electrocatalysts, a deeper mechanistic understanding, and the minimization of energy consumption during product purification remain critical challenges to practical carbon utilization.

Physiological effects and technical strategies of LED supplemental lighting for pitaya cultivation: a review.

Pitaya is a high-value perennial tropical fruit known for its nutritional and health benefits. It is now widely cultivated in many tropical and subtropical countries, offering strong economic returns. China ranks first globally in pitaya cultivation, which includes both open-field production in tropical and subtropical regions and facility-based cultivation in temperate zones.

Enhancing the Operational Lifetime of OLEDs Through the Modulation of Rigidity and Excited-State Properties.

Blue-emitting multiple-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) emitters with high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), high robustness with short-lived emission lifetime is particularly desired for the development of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this study, a series of MR-TADF molecules featuring fused boron/nitrogen (B/N) and C ═ O/N frameworks is reported. These emitters namely BNO, BNDO, and BNTO are systematically designed and synthesized to investigate the impact of molecular rigidity or planarity toward their excited-state dynamics through stepwise intramolecular electrophilic acylation reactions.

Agronomic practices and road proximity drive plastic pollution in agricultural soils: Insights from Bihar, India on weathering, elemental association, and ecological risk.

The widespread use of plastics in agriculture, particularly through mulching and polyhouse practices, has intensified concerns over soil contamination. However, limited research has addressed how spatial factors and agronomic practices, such as proximity to roads and mulching, influence macroplastics (MaP) and microplastics (MP) distribution in agricultural soils, particularly in India. This study assessed plastic contamination across 22 sites in six districts of Bihar, revealing mean MaP concentrations of 7.

Soil heterogeneity influences the biotoxicity of photoaged tire wear particles in Eisenia fetida: A comparative assessment.

Tire wear particles (TWPs) pose escalating environmental concerns owing to their aging-enhanced toxicity. However, the combined effects of photoaging and soil heterogeneity remain poorly understood. This study investigated the impact of virgin and photoaged TWPs on Eisenia fetida in three soil types (red, black, and loess), focusing on earthworm survival, weight loss, antioxidant responses, histopathological changes, and gut microbiota shifts.

pH/Temperature tuning selective generation of SO/HO/Fe in Fe-activated peroxide water systems.

Active species (AS) are key in Fenton/Fenton-like reactions. The unclear AS category and generation order of SO and HO in the reaction of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and Fe, as well as the quantity of SO produced in the Fe/peroxydisulfate (PDS) system, limiting the practical application of selective AS generation for targeted pollutant degradation. Understanding the pathway of PMS/PDS/HO activated by Fe for SO, HO, and Fe generation is critical for the selective generation of AS by adjusting reaction conditions of pH or temperature.

Role of plant growth promoting bacteria in alleviating heavy metals induced oxidative stress in plant systems: a review.

Soil contamination with heavy metals has emerged as a significant concern in the modern world. Exposure to these metals induces various toxic effects on biotic communities within ecosystems, notably oxidative stress. To counteract metal-induced oxidative stress, biotic communities have evolved complex antioxidant defense mechanisms.

Defining ecological roles of sharks on coral reefs.

Sharks have often been perceived to play a critical role in the dynamics of coral reef ecosystems globally. Yet, there is relatively little evidence to support this idea across all but a limited set of species and contexts. Research on the roles and importance of reef sharks has been complicated by logistical challenges in collecting data on sharks compounded by widespread declines in shark populations and reef state due to anthropogenic stressors.

Metagenomic insights into the changes of runoff water quality in a deep tunnel drainage system.

Deep tunnel retrofitting of conventional urban drainage systems represents a pivotal strategy for mitigating stormwater pollution and combating flooding. While microbial-driven biogeochemical cycles in stormwater are constrained by taxonomic diversity and environmental variability, the interplay between hydrogeochemical dynamics and microbial functional genes during storage remains poorly characterized. In this study, an in situ stormwater self-purification system was constructed to investigate seasonal water quality evolution, microbial community dynamics, and functional gene regulation in Shenzhen, China.

Activated carbon facilitates Saccharomyces cerevisiae colonization in an electron-donor self-sustaining chain elongation fermentation system.

Chain elongation is a promising technology for the resourceful utilization of organic waste and wastewater. Glucose and starch were used as model substrates to demonstrate that exogenous electron donors are essential for chain elongation. Glucose and starch affects caproate synthesis in the chain elongation lacking of electron donor producing microorganisms, while glucose and ethanol significantly influence the succession of microbial community.

Salt gradient-driven adaptation in okra: uncovering mechanisms of tolerance and growth regulation.

Soil salinity is an increasingly critical constraint on crop establishment and yield stability, especially in marginal and irrigated agricultural zones. Despite its nutritional and economic value, the mechanistic basis of salt tolerance in (okra) remains poorly defined. Here, we integrated physiological phenotyping with transcriptome profiling to elucidate the stage-specific strategies employed by okra in response to NaCl stress.

Mechanistic insights into nitrogen-mediated carbon transformation during hydrothermal humification for the synthesis of nutrient-enriched artificial humic acids.

Hydrothermal humification (HTH) of biomass is a promising approach to address the depletion of soil organic matter. However, the HTH products derived from lignocellulose are limited by low nutrient availability and conversion efficiency. In this study, four nitrogen-containing additives were used to produce nitrogen-rich artificial humic acids (AHA) from crop waste.

Resolving Hydraulic Resistances in Thin-Film Composite Polyamide Nanofiltration Membranes.

Thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membranes are widely used in water treatment and resource recovery. Researchers generally take for granted that the dense polyamide rejection film dictates the overall hydraulic resistance of these membranes, neglecting the contributions of the substrate and the transverse transport of water to reach substrate pores. To address this critical gap, we developed a resistance-in-series model to quantify the resistances from the polyamide film, substrate, and transverse transport.

Mitigation of salinity induced negative impacts by salt tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in mustard ( L.).

Salinity is a major environmental stressor affecting crop productivity worldwide and a substantial portion of the agricultural ecosystem supporting cultivation of mustard ( L.) in Indian subcontinent is salinity stricken. However, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria has been noted to modulate salinity stress in plants through numerous direct and indirect mechanisms.

Enhanced Photolysis of Sulfite by Far-UVC (222 nm) and Efficient Photoreductive Degradation and Dehalogenation of Halogenated Organic Pollutants.

UV/sulfite technologies offer promising advanced reduction processes (ARPs) for the degradation and dehalogenation of halogenated organic compounds (HOCs), but are limited by the low absorption of sulfite at a conventional wavelength of 254 nm (UV254). This study introduces a wavelength-optimized far-UVC KrCl* lamp (UV222)/sulfite as transformative ARPs. Sulfite exhibited 45.

Evaluate the impacts of different straw returning rates on soil quality and field environmental sustainability of film mulching or non-mulching farmland in semiarid region.

Film mulching (FM) has been widely adopted in dryland agriculture to increase crop yields, but its potential long-term impacts on soil health and degradation remain a subject of debate. In contrast, straw returning (SR) has shown promising results in improving soil quality and enhancing economic returns, making it an effective measure to optimize FM practices. This study assessed the effects of varying straw return rates (0, 6, 12, and 18 t ha) on soil quality, ecosystem services, and economic benefits in a semiarid region, under both mulched (FM) and non-mulched conditions.

From biodegradation to biohazard: Polylactic acid microplastics induced rice growth inhibition in agroecosystems.

The increasing use of biodegradable plastics necessitates critical evaluation of their environmental safety. This study investigated the effects of polylactic acid microplastics (PLA-MPs, 0.1-2.