Organic Sulphur Transfers in Coke Oven Gas via Noncatalytic Partial Oxidation

The organic sulfur transformation was studied during coke oven gas to produce syngas via noncatalytic partial oxidation. The concentration of CS2 and thiophene was examined in syngas by sulfide detector. For comparison, the sulfur transfer was also studied in coke oven gas under dry and hydrous conditions. When the ratio of O2 / Gas was 0.32, complete thiophene and about 83% of CS2 in feed gas could be transformed via noncatalytic partial oxidation in the dry condition. It was mainly because of burner nozzle unique structure forming local hyperthemia, which benefited OH, O free radical and active atoms. During steam transforming to produce syngas, the ratio of water to carbon was less than 3, a higher ratio of O2/Gas favored sulfur transformation. However, compared to dry feed, transforming rate of CS2 and thiophene was decreased. This indicates that the steam added was disadvantageous to the transformation of organic sulphur during the production of syngas by noncatalytic partial oxidation, steam and mass H2S in feed gas, resulting in the decrease of local hyperthermia temperature and the formation of organic sulfu

Mesoporous High‐Surface‐Area Copper–Tin Mixed‐Oxide Nanorods: Remarkable for Carbon Monoxide Oxidation

Mesoporous, high‐surface‐area Cu–Sn mixed‐oxide nanorods were fabricated for the first time by nanocasting with the use of mesoporous KIT‐6 silica as the hard template. The Cu–Sn nanorods are significantly more active than 1 % Pd/SnO2 for the oxidation of CO and possesses long‐term durability and potent water resistance; they thus have the potential to replace noble metal catalysts for emission‐control processes.In rod we trust: Mesoporous, high‐surface‐area Cu–Sn nanorods are successfully fabricated for the first time by nanocasting with the use of KIT‐6 silica as the hard template; these nanomaterials are significantly more active than 1 % Pd/SnO2 for the oxidation of CO, and furthermore, they have the potential to replace noble metal catalysts for emission control.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137536/1/cctc201600221.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137536/2/cctc201600221-sup-0001-misc_information.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137536/3/cctc201600221_am.pd

Limitations and Challenges of MODIS-Derived Phenological Metrics Across Different Landscapes in Pan-Arctic Regions

Recent efforts have been made to monitor the seasonal metrics of plant canopy variations globally from space, using optical remote sensing. However, phenological estimations based on vegetation indices (VIs) in high-latitude regions such as the pan-Arctic remain challenging and are rarely validated. Nevertheless, pan-Arctic ecosystems are vulnerable and also crucial in the context of climate change. We reported the limitations and challenges of using MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements, a widely exploited set of satellite measurements, to estimate phenological transition dates in pan-Arctic regions. Four indices including normalized vegetation difference index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), phenology index (PI), plant phenological index (PPI) and a MODIS Land Cover Dynamics Product MCD12Q2, were evaluated and compared against eddy covariance (EC) estimates at 11 flux sites of 102 site-years during the period from 2000 to 2014. All the indices were influenced by snow cover and soil moisture during the transition dates. While relationships existed between VI-based and EC-estimated phenological transition dates, the R-2 values were generally low (0.01-0.68). Among the VIs, PPI-estimated metrics showed an inter-annual pattern that was mostly closely related to the EC-based estimations. Thus, further studies are needed to develop region-specific indices to provide more reliable estimates of phenological transition dates.Peer reviewe

Impacts of Land Use and Salinization on Soil Inorganic and Organic Carbon in the Middle-lower Yellow River Delta

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41877028 and 41205104). This work also contributes to the activities of N-Circle projects, a UK-China Virtual Joint Centre on Nitrogen, funded by the Newton Fund via Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (No. BB/N013484/1Peer reviewedPostprin

Overlooked cooling effects of albedo in terrestrial ecosystems

Radiative forcing (RF) resulting from changes in surface albedo is increasingly recognized as a significant driver of global climate change but has not been adequately estimated, including by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports, compared with other warming agents. Here, we first present the physical foundation for modeling albedo-induced RF and the consequent global warming impact (GWIΔα). We then highlight the shortcomings of available current databases and methodologies for calculating GWIΔα at multiple temporal scales. There is a clear lack of comprehensive in situ measurements of albedo due to sparse geographic coverage of ground-based stations, whereas estimates from satellites suffer from biases due to the limited frequency of image collection, and estimates from earth system models (ESMs) suffer from very coarse spatial resolution land cover maps and associated albedo values in pre-determined lookup tables. Field measurements of albedo show large differences by ecosystem type and large diurnal and seasonal changes. As indicated from our findings in southwest Michigan, GWIΔα is substantial, exceeding the RFΔα values of IPCC reports. Inclusion of GWIΔα to landowners and carbon credit markets for specific management practices are needed in future policies. We further identify four pressing research priorities: developing a comprehensive albedo database, pinpointing accurate reference sites within managed landscapes, refining algorithms for remote sensing of albedo by integrating geostationary and other orbital satellites, and integrating the GWIΔα component into future ESMs

Temporal and spatial variations of atmospheric methane concentration and δ13 C-CH4 near the surface on the Millor Peninsula, East Antarctica

During the 22nd Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE222, 2005/06) , the atmospheric gas samples near the surface were taken on the Millor Peninsula and adjacent areas, east Antarctica, using Tedlar gas bags. The methane(CH4) concentration and δ13 C-CH4 in those samples were analyzed in the laboratory. The average value of atmospheric CH4 concentration on this peninsula was (1.87 ± 0.12) × 10(-6) , slightly higher than the global average CH4 concentration. The summertime variation of CH4 concentrations showed a large fluctuation, corresponding to the variation of air temperatures. The average δ13 C-CH4 was ( -38.26 ± 0.52) ‰. CH4 concentrations and δ13 C-CH4 at different sites varied from 1.74 × 10(-6) to 2.56 ×10(-6) and from -39.31‰ to - 31.25‰, respectively. The factors affecting CH4 concentrations and δ13 C-CH4 values have also been discussed in this study

Liquid-Based Cytopathology Test: A Novel Method for Diagnosing Pulmonary Mucormycosis in Bronchial Brushing Samples

Background: Pulmonary mucormycosis, a relatively rare but severe pulmonary fungal disease with a high mortality rate, is difficult to diagnose in immunocompromised patients. Conventional cytopathology (CCP) examination of respiratory samples can help detect Mucorales, but its diagnostic sensitivity is poor. The aim of this study was to assess the first application of liquid-based cytopathology test (LCT) to detect Mucorales.Methods: A total of 33 pairs of bronchial brushing samples from 27 patients diagnosed as pulmonary mucormycosis by fiberoptic bronchoscopy biopsy were prepared as slides using both CCP and LCT. LCT and CCP used the same cytology brush to obtain samples at the same site during the same time as the fiberoptic bronchoscopy biopsy. All samples were stained with Papanicolaou, GMS and PAS. CCP and LCT slides were evaluated from the rate of positive detection, 8 cytomorphological features and 7 background features.Results: LCT-prepared slides showed a higher positive rate of Mucorales detection than CCP-prepared slides for Papanicolaou’s staining [28/33 (84.85%) vs. 15/33 (45.45%), p = 0.001] and for “special staining” with GMS and PAS [29/33 (87.88%) vs. 18/33 (54.55%), p = 0.003]. Clearer smear background and more distinct stereoscopic cytopathological features were observed in LCT. Messy yarn-like necrosis observed in conventionally prepared 75.76% (25/33) samples was cytomorphological suggestive for the diagnosis of mucormycosis.Conclusion: This retrospective study suggests that LCT may be better than CCP to detect Mucorales in bronchial brushing samples from patients with pulmonary mucormycosis

Association between the variability of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with coronary heart disease

BackgroundLowering lipid variability may be a potential strategy for improving the inflammatory state in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). This study investigated the association between the variability of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).MethodsThis study enrolled 2,711 CHD patients subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). During the 1-year follow-up period after PCI, the variability of non-HDL-C was assessed using standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and variability independent of mean (VIM). NLR was calculated as the ratio of absolute neutrophil count to absolute lymphocyte count. The relationship between the non-HDL-C variability and the average NLR level during follow-ups was examined using a linear regression analysis.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 64.4 ± 10.8 years, with 72.4% being male. The average NLR level was 2.98 (2.26–4.14) during the follow-up (1 year after PCI). The variability of non-HDL-C was 0.42 (0.26–0.67) for SD, 0.17 (0.11–0.25) for CV, and 0.02 (0.01–0.03) for VIM. A locally weighted scatterplot smoothing curve indicates that the average levels of NLR increased with increasing variability of non-HDL-C. Regardless of the variability assessment method used, non-HDL-C variability was significantly positively associated with the average NLR level during follow-ups: SD [β (95% CI) = 0.681 (0.366–0.996)], CV [β (95% CI) = 2.328 (1.458–3.197)], and VIM [β (95% CI) = 17.124 (10.532–23.715)]. This association remained consistent across subgroups stratified by age, gender, diabetes, and hypertension.ConclusionThe variability of non-HDL-C was positively associated with NLR in patients with CHD, suggesting that reducing non-HDL-C variability may improve the low-grade inflammatory state in CHD patients

Clinical features and risk factors of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy in children with sepsis

Objective To investigate the clinical features and risk factors of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy in children with sepsis， aiming to provide reference for enhancing the diagnosis and treatment levels of clinicians. Methods Clinical data of children with sepsis were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group and non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group according to whether sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy occurred.Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between two groups. The risk factors of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy were analyzed. Results Three hundred and ninty-eight children with sepsis were included in this study， and the incidence of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy was 15.58%（62/398）. The age of children in the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group was 49 （18， 108） months， older than 19 （6， 52） months in the non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group. The incidence of septic shock in the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group was 83.87%（52/62）， which was higher than 42.56% （143/336） in the non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group. The mortality rate in the sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group was 29.03% （18/62）， significantly higher than 14.58% （49/336） in the non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy group. All differences were statistically significant （all P < 0.05）.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the influence of age on sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy was statistically significant （OR=1.010， 95%CI 1.003-1.017， P = 0.006）. The higher the lactic acid level， the higher the risk of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy， with statistical significance （OR=1.163， 95%CI 1.034-1.308， P = 0.012）. The higher the cTnI level， the higher the risk of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy， with statistical significance （OR=9.929， 95%CI 4.651-21.197， P < 0.001）. Conclusions Compared with children with non-sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy， children with sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy are more prone to septic shock and have higher mortality. Age， lactic acid and cTnI levels are the independent influencing factors for sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy in children