Pyrolysis of wild cyanophyta from Chaohu lake for bio-oil

To solve the environmental problems caused by the algae, pyrolysis experiment was studied to produce bio-oil with the wild cyanophyta from Chaohu lake for the first time. The results showed that the suitable temperature, carrier gas flow rate, and the smaller particle size were better for liquid products generation, the liquid (bio-oil) yield obtained maximum (66 %) at temperature of 450 oC, carried gas flow rate of 50 mL/min and particle size of less than 0.25 mm. The main ingredients of liquid product from cyanophyta pyrolysis consisted of hydrocarbons, nitrogenous compounds, acids and other organic compounds (such as alcohols, phenols esters and non-identified materials). Acid content was the highest and greatly affected by temperature. The content of hydrocarbons was about 15%

Measurement and analysis of ozone, ultraviolet B and aerosol light scattering coefficients in the Arctic

Tropospheric ozone (O3), ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and aerosol light scattering coefficients (SC) were investigated on a cruise ship during the fourth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition from July 1 - September 20, 2010. The results showed that O3, UVB and SC decreased with increasing latitude, with minimum values recorded in the central Arctic Ocean. Average O3 concentrations were 15.9 ppbv and 15.1 ppbv in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, respectively. Ozone concentrations increased to 17.5 ppbv in the high Arctic region. Average UVB values were 0.26 W * m(-2) and 0.14 W * m(-2) in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, respectively. The average SC in the Bering Sea was 4.3 M * m(-1), more than twice the value measured in the Arctic Ocean, which had an average value of 1.7 M * m(-1). Overall, UVB and SC values were stable in the central Arctic Ocean

On board measurement of black carbon aerosols over the Arctic Ocean in summer

This paper presents aerosol black carbon (BC) concentrations measured at deck level on board the R/V XUE LONG icebreaker. The vessel cruised the Arctic Ocean carrying an in situ aethalometer during the summers of 2008 and 2010. The courses of the third Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (3rd CHINARE - Arctic, August 2008) and fourth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (4th CHINARE-Arctic, from late July to August 2010) were bounded by 173°W - 143°W and 178°E - 150°W, with northernmost points 85°250N and 88°260N, respectively. Results show low surface BC concentrations over the ocean throughout the courses, with means (standard error) of 6.0 (±4.7) ng * m(-3) for 3rd CHINARE-Arctic, and 8.4(±7.1) ng * m(-3) for 4th CHINARE- Arctic. It is clear that these onboard BC concentrations are similar to reported data from coastal stations in the Arctic region. The latitude-average BC concentration varied from 3.0 - 26.2 ng * m(-3) for 3rd CHINARE-Arctic, to 4.2 - 20.5 ng * m(-3) for 4th CHINARE-Arctic. At latitudes higher than 72°N for 3rd CHINARE-Arctic and 75°N for 4th CHINARE-Arctic, BC concentrations were lower and had negligible latitudinal gradients. Analysis indicates that the presence of the Arctic front isolates the lower atmosphere of the high-latitude Arctic Ocean from low-latitude terrestrial transport. This maintains the very low BC concentrations and negligible concentration gradients at high latitudes of the Arctic Ocean during summer. Calculated airmass backward trajectories for the two expeditions show that the Arctic front in 2010 was further north than in 2008, which caused different latitudinal variation of BC concentration in the two years

Evidence synthesis of Chinese medicine for monkeypox: Suggestions from other contagious pox-like viral diseases

Background: Monkeypox, a zoonotic disease caused by an Orthopoxvirus, presents an etiology similar to smallpox in humans. Currently, there are no licensed treatments for human monkeypox, so clear and urgent research on its prophylaxis and treatment is needed. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the evidence of Chinese medicine for contagious pox-like viral diseases and provide suggestions for the multi-country outbreak management of monkeypox. Methods: The review was registered on INPLASY (INPLASY202270013). Ancient classics in China and clinical trials involving randomized controlled trials , non-RCTs, and comparative observational studies of CM on the prevention and treatment of monkeypox, smallpox, measles, varicella, and rubella were retrieved from the Chinese Medical Code (fifth edition), Database of China Ancient Medicine, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chongqing VIP, Wanfang, Google Scholar, International Clinical Trial Registry Platform, and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry until 6 July 2022. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to present the data collected. Results: The use of CM to control contagious pox-like viral diseases was traced back to ancient Chinese practice cited in Huangdi’s Internal Classic, where the pathogen was recorded nearly two thousand years back. There were 85 articles (36 RCTs, eight non-RCTs, one cohort study, and 40 case series) that met the inclusion criteria, of which 39 studies were for measles, 38 for varicella, and eight for rubella. Compared with Western medicine for contagious pox-like viral diseases, CM combined with Western medicine showed significant improvements in fever clearance time (mean difference, −1.42 days; 95% CI, −1.89 to −0.95; 10 RCTs), rash/pox extinction time (MD, −1.71 days; 95% CI, −2.65 to −0.76; six RCTs), and rash/pox scab time (MD, −1.57 days; 95% CI, −1.94 to −1.19; five RCTs). When compared with Western medicine, CM alone could reduce the time of rash/pox extinction and fever clearance. Chinese herbal formulas, including modified Yinqiao powder, modified Xijiao Dihaung decoction, modified Qingjie Toubiao decoction, and modified Shengma Gegen decoction, were frequently applied to treat pox-like viral diseases and also showed significant effects in shortening the time of fever clearance, rash/pox extinction, and rash/pox scabs. Compared with Western medicine (placental globulin) or no intervention, eight non-randomized trials and observational studies on the prevention of contagious pox-like viral diseases showed a significant preventive effect of Leiji powder among high-risk populations. Conclusion: Based on historical records and clinical studies of CM in managing contagious pox-like viral diseases, some botanical drugs could be an alternative approach for treating and preventing human monkeypox. Prospective, rigorous clinical trials are urgently needed to confirm the potential preventive and treatment effect of Chinese herbal formulas

Distinguishing Newly Born Strange Stars from Neutron Stars with g-Mode Oscillations

The gravity-mode (g-mode) eigenfrequencies of newly born strange quark stars (SQSs) and neutron stars (NSs) are studied. It is found that the eigenfrequencies in SQSs are much lower than those in NSs by almost one order of magnitude, since the components of a SQS are all extremely relativistic particles while nucleons in a NS are non-relativistic. We therefore propose that newly born SQSs can be distinguished from the NSs by detecting the eigenfrequencies of the g-mode pulsations of supernovae cores through gravitational radiation by LIGO-class detectors.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

A new species of Trychosis Förster (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with a key to the species known from China

A new species of Ichneumonidae, Trychosis naolihense Meng & Ren, sp. nov., is described and illustrated. Specimens were collected from Naolihe National Natural Reserve, Heilongjiang Province, China. A key to the currently known species from China is provided

Thermogravimetric analysis of face mask waste: Kinetic analysis via iso-conversional methods

The surge of face mask waste in response to the global pandemic has proven to be a liability to the environment. Microfibers from plastic constituents of the face mask would cause microplastic pollution in the water bodies. Fortunately, these waste could be converted into renewable source of energy via thermochemical method, i.e. pyrolysis. However, the studies on the thermal decomposition of face masks and their kinetic mechanisms are not well-established. The aim of this paper focuses on the prospects of pyrolysis at low to high heating rates ranging from 10 °C min-1 to 100 °C min-1, to cater for the slow pyrolysis and fast pyrolysis modes. Following this, the thermal degradation behaviour of the face mask waste was studied via thermogravimetric analysis which determined the single peak temperature degradation range at 218 to 424 °C at 10 °C min-1, and maximum degradation rate was determined at 172.51 wt.% min-1 at 520 °C, with heating rate of 100 °C min-1. Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and Starink method was employed to determine the average activation energy and average pre-exponential factor of the pyrolysis process of face mask waste. i.e., 41.31 kJ mol-1 and 0.9965, 10.43 kJ mol-1 and 0.9901 for FWO and Starink method, respectively

Mapping the distribution of Anthrax in Mainland China, 2005-2013

Anthrax in China was characterized by significant seasonality and spatial clustering. The spatial distribution of human anthrax was largely driven by livestock husbandry, human density, land cover, elevation, topsoil features and climate. Enhanced surveillance and intervention for livestock and human anthrax in the high-risk regions, particularly on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is the key to the prevention of human infections

mNGS helped diagnose scrub typhus-associated HLH in children: a report of two cases

BackgroundScrub typhus, caused by the Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot), is a widespread vector-borne disease transmitted by chigger mites. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is considered to be one of the potentially severe complications. The diagnosis of scrub typhus-associated HLH may be overlooked due to the non-specific clinical characteristics and the absence of pathognomonic eschar.Case presentationWe obtained clinical data from two patients in the South of Sichuan, China. The first case involved a 6-year-old girl who exhibited an unexplained fever and was initially diagnosed with sepsis, HLH, and pulmonary infection. The other patient presented a more severe condition characterized by multiple organ dysfunction and was initially diagnosed with septic shock, sepsis, HLH, acute kidney injury (AKI), and pulmonary infection. At first, a specific examination for scrub typhus was not performed due to the absence of a characteristic eschar. Conventional peripheral blood cultures yielded negative results in both patients, and neither of them responded to routine antibiotics. Fortunately, the causative pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot) was detected in the plasma samples of both patients using metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and further confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, they both were treated with doxycycline and recovered quickly.ConclusionThe unbiased mNGS provided a clinically actionable diagnosis for an uncommon pathogen-associated infectious disease that had previously evaded conventional diagnostic approaches