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•Nature reserves (NRs) significantly reduce the net income of households within them.•NRs aggravate income inequality in local communities.•Ecotourism can reduce poverty but increases income ... inequality, especially for households within NRs.•We find that NRs with ecotourism can have a positive effect on local livelihood but aggravate income inequality. The impacts of nature reserves (NRs) and ecotourism on local economies are considered controversial. By surveying households residing inside and outside of six giant panda NRs in the Qinling Mountains from 2015 to 2017, this study evaluates the impacts of NRs and ecotourism on the poverty and income inequality of local communities in China. Our results suggest that the local communities of NRs show higher poverty and lower income levels compared to the national average. NRs significantly reduced the net income of households residing within the NRs, and most of these reductions are caused by converting cropland to conservation land. NRs also aggravated the income inequality of local communities, and the level of inequality inside NRs was significantly higher than that outside. In terms of the impacts from ecotourism, ecotourism can reduce poverty, but it increases income inequality, especially for those households residing within NRs. more

Effective disinfection technology to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can help reduce viral transmission during the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and in the ... future. UV devices emitting UVC irradiation (200 to 280 nm) have proven to be effective for virus disinfection, but limited information is available for SARS-CoV-2 due to the safety requirements of testing, which is limited to biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratories. In this study, inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in thin-film buffered aqueous solution (pH 7.4) was determined across UVC irradiation wavelengths of 222 to 282 nm from krypton chloride (KrCl*) excimers, a low-pressure mercury-vapor lamp, and two UVC light-emitting diodes. Our results show that all tested UVC devices can effectively inactivate SARS-CoV-2, among which the KrCl* excimer had the best disinfection performance (i.e., highest inactivation rate). The inactivation rate constants of SARS-CoV-2 across wavelengths are similar to those for murine hepatitis virus (MHV) from our previous investigation, suggesting that MHV can serve as a reliable surrogate of SARS-CoV-2 with a lower BSL requirement (BSL2) during UV disinfection tests. This study provides fundamental information on UVC's action on SARS-CoV-2 and guidance for achieving reliable disinfection performance with UVC devices. UV light is an effective tool to help stem the spread of respiratory viruses and protect public health in commercial, public, transportation, and health care settings. For effective use of UV, there is a need to determine the efficiency of different UV wavelengths in killing pathogens, specifically SARS-CoV-2, to support efforts to control the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and future coronavirus-caused respiratory virus pandemics. We found that SARS-CoV-2 can be inactivated effectively using a broad range of UVC wavelengths, and 222 nm provided the best disinfection performance. Interestingly, 222-nm irradiation has been found to be safe for human exposure up to thresholds that are beyond those effective for inactivating viruses. Therefore, applying UV light from KrCl* excimers in public spaces can effectively help reduce viral aerosol or surface-based transmissions. more

Advancements in microreactor technology emerge as a promising solution for low-cost hydrogen (H2) production, and there is significant progress being made towards developing microreactor technology ... for onboard H2 production. It is possible that fully matured microreactor technology for onboard H2 production will become available in the next decade. This review summarizes the key numerical findings in the advancements of research on H2 production by steam reforming in microreactors. Although numerous studies are being conducted on microreactors for different fuels, flow altering structures, and reaction parameters for steam reforming, they still lag in considering all parameters. This study aims to comprehend all performance influencing parameters, both structural and reaction, to better understand the selection of a microreactor. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended to use methanol as the fuel and an optimal design that is easy to fabricate while also offering high performance. Since performance is influenced by numerous parameters, identifying the best conditions for the reaction and optimal structure can be achieved through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. Display omitted •Microreactor coupled to fuel cells for onboard applications.•Comprehensive review of studies on hydrogen production in microreactors.•CO free hydrogen can be produced from methanol steam reforming in microreactor.•Structural parameters have the most influence on microreactor performance.•AI can enhance microreactor performance by optimizing various parameters. more

Although typical Concentrated Photovoltaic-Thermal systems can overcome high cell temperatures, the low-level heat generated not only increases the irreversible energy loss but also narrows the ... application scope of the system. Here, we established a new Concentrated Photovoltaic Thermal-Hydrogen system coupling the Pt loaded TiO2 nanoparticle suspension, serving as both a photothermal hydrogen catalyst and an optical liquid filter for spectrum beam splitting, with a GaInP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction photovoltaic cell connected to an electrolytic cell to achieve full-spectrum solar energy to hydrogen storage conversion. Besides the additional hydrogen production, the Concentrated Photovoltaic Thermal-Hydrogen system with spectral beam splitting of TiO2 suspension can reduce the cell temperature by 32.8%, increase the electrical power by 65.7%, and save 49% of the cell area at most, compared to the case without spectral beam splitting. Thermalization loss was also reduced, which, in turn, increased the photovoltaic electrical performance. The proposed system can produce hydrogen at a maximum solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 14% when the TiO2 loading amount is 150 ppm. It is expected to provide a guiding reference for achieving full-spectrum and high-efficiency solar energy conversion. Display omitted •CPVT-H system can achieve full-spectrum STH efficiency of 14%.•The system achieved lower PV temperature increase and power decrease.•The Pt/TiO2 suspension acted both as an optical filter and a photocatalyst. more

Highlights The toxicity issue of lead-based halide perovskites hinders theirs large-scale commercial applications in solar cells. A variety of non- or low-toxic perovskite materials have been used ... for development of environmentally friendly lead-free perovskite solar cells, some of which show excellent optoelectronic properties and device performances. At present, more new lead-free perovskite materials with tunable optical and electrical properties are urgently required to design highly efficient and stable lead-free perovskite solar cells. The toxicity issue of lead hinders large-scale commercial production and photovoltaic field application of lead halide perovskites. Some novel non- or low-toxic perovskite materials have been explored for development of environmentally friendly lead-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This review studies the substitution of equivalent/heterovalent metals for Pb based on first-principles calculation, summarizes the theoretical basis of lead-free perovskites, and screens out some promising lead-free candidates with suitable bandgap, optical, and electrical properties. Then, it reports notable achievements for the experimental studies of lead-free perovskites to date, including the crystal structure and material bandgap for all of lead-free materials and photovoltaic performance and stability for corresponding devices. The review finally discusses challenges facing the successful development and commercialization of lead-free PSCs and predicts the prospect of lead-free PSCs in the future. more

Abstract Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a pivotal role in regulating tumour progression. Therefore, understanding how CAFs communicate with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is crucial for ... HCC therapy. Recently, exosomes have been considered an important “messenger” between cells. In this study, we performed microRNA (miRNA) sequencing of exosomes derived from CAFs and corresponding para-cancer fibroblasts (PAFs) of HCC patients. We found a significant reduction in the miR-320a level in CAF-derived exosomes. Using exogenous miRNAs, we demonstrated that stromal cells could transfer miRNA to HCC cells. In vitro and in vivo studies further revealed that miR-320a could function as an antitumour miRNA by binding to its direct downstream target PBX3 to suppress HCC cell proliferation, migration and metastasis. The miR-320a-PBX3 pathway inhibited tumour progression by suppressing the activation of the MAPK pathway, which could induce the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and upregulate cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and MMP2 expression to promote cell proliferation and metastasis. In xenograft experiments involving CAFs mixed with MHCC97-H cells, miR-320a overexpression in CAFs could inhibit tumourigenesis. Therefore, these data suggest that CAF-mediated HCC tumour progression is partially related to the loss of antitumour miR-320a in the exosomes of CAFs and that promoting the transfer of stromal cell-derived miR-320a might be a potential treatment option to overcome HCC progression. more

To mitigate dust pollution generated during various stages of construction activities and reduce the environmental and health hazards posed by airborne dust, this study utilized hydroxyethyl ... cellulose, glycerol, and isomeric tridecyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether as raw materials to formulate a composite chemical dust suppressant. The properties of the dust suppressant were characterized through analysis. Employing single-factor experiments, the optimal proportions of the binder, water-retaining agent, and surfactant for the composite dust suppressant were determined. Subsequently, a response surface model was established, and, after analysis and optimization, the optimal mass ratios of each component in the composite dust suppressant were obtained. Under optimal ratios, the physicochemical properties and wind erosion resistance of the composite dust suppressant were analyzed. Finally, the practical application of the suppressant was validated through on-site trials at a construction site. This study revealed that the optimal formulation for the dust suppressant was as follows: 0.2% hydroxyethyl cellulose, 2.097% glycerol, 0.693% isomeric tridecyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether, and the remainder was pure water. The suppressant is non-toxic, non-corrosive, environmentally friendly, and exhibits excellent moisture retention and bonding properties compared to water. The research findings provide valuable insights for addressing dust pollution issues on construction sites. more

Display omitted •Strain LSL 251 was identified as Paracoccus thiophilus using 16S rRNA gene.•LSL 251 removed 98.78% of nitrate and 94.79% of TOC under aerobic condition.•RSM model found that the ... maximum TN removal efficiency was 98.43%•13C-MFA revealed that carbon flux distributions were ED pathway and TCA cycle.•Electrons were primarily donated as electron donor-NADH through TCA cycle. The intracellular carbon metabolic flux pathways of denitrifying bacteria under aerobic conditions remain unclear. Here, a newly strain LSL251 was identified as Paracoccus thiophilus. Strain LSL251 removed 94.79% and 98.78% of total organic carbon and nitrate. 74.66% of nitrogen in culture system was lost as gaseous nitrogen. Moreover, 13C stable isotopic labeling and metabolic flux analyses revealed that the primary intracellular carbon metabolic pathways were the Entner-Doudoroff pathway and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Electrons are primarily donated as direct electron donor-NADH through the TCA cycle. Furthermore, response surface methodology modeled that the highest total nitrogen removal efficiency was 98.43%, where the optimal parameters were C/N ratio of 8.00, 32.98 °C, 50.18 rpm, and initial pH of 7.73. All together, these results have shed new lights on intracellular central carbon metabolic distribution and flux pathways of aerobic denitrifying bacteria. more

人与野生动物冲突是人与自然耦合系统不可避免的负向产物,对冲突的治理是实现保护与发展协调的重要路径.国内外学者对此展开了大量的研究.本文从冲突生成、影响、成本和治理四个方面对现有研究进行梳理,结果表明人与野生动物冲突对保护与发展都造成负面影响,包括社区直接经济损失、人身安全受威胁、福祉降低以及野生动物被伤害、栖息地被挤占.现有研究还存在缺乏跨学科系统研究框架、忽视冲突隐性成本以及对冲突影响研究不深入等不足,未来在科学测度冲突成本、从生态和社会经济视角对冲突影响进行评估以及冲突治理措施多元化方面研究需要深入.在此基础上,从建立中央政府为主、地方政府为辅的野生动物冲突补偿专项基金;政府为主导,企业、社区、国际组织和高校多方利益群体参与机制;人与野生动物冲突分区管理制度;冲突损失核算和申报管理系统;多元化冲突治理模式;冲突减缓土地利用规划体系方面提出现有研究对治理我国人与野生动物冲突的启示.

Beijing is undergoing continuous urbanization, and considering the individual availability of urban green spaces is essential for alleviating the ecological problems created by this urbanization, ... especially in relation to improving residents’ well-being. To prove this effect, this article analyzed the social, mental, and physical well-being of current Beijing residents to determine their level of satisfaction, then applied the seemingly unrelated regression model to study how Beijing’s urban green spaces impact this well-being. The result showed that the higher the degree of resident participation with green spaces, the higher their well-being. Such participation includes actions like the frequency at which residents visit a park or green space. A significant inverted U-shaped effect was found between residents’ well-being and their distance from a park or public green space, indicating that residents with the highest well-being live between 1 and 5 km away, and residents with the lowest well-being live over 10 km away. Further, age, education, career status, marital status, years of residence in Beijing, residential area, and average income per month also have a significant impact on residents’ well-being. This study shows that green spaces can have a very positive effect on people’s welfare and provides support for their further promotion. more