Projecting future impacts of cropland reclamation policies on carbon storage

Cropland reclamation policies result in carbon storage loss by the conversion of natural land. However, the future impacts of cropland reclamation policies (CRP) on carbon storage have seldom been explored. Taking Hubei, China as study area, this study assesses the impacts of cropland reclamation policies before and after optimization on carbon storage from 2010 to 2030. The LAND System Cellular Automata model for Potential Effects (LANDSCAPE) was used to simulate the land use patterns in 2030, while the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) Carbon Storage and Sequestration model was applied to calculate the changes in carbon storage. Results indicate that carbon storage loss due to cropland reclamation policies is expected to increase from 0.48 Tg·C to 4.34 Tg·C between 2010 and 2030 in Hubei. This increase is related to the loss of wetland and forest. Carbon storage loss can be reduced by 52%–73% by protecting carbon-rich lands. This study highlights the importance of considering the carbon storage loss when implementing cropland reclamation policies

Texture development and coercivity enhancement in cast alnico 9 magnets

The effect of Y addition and magnetic field on texture and magnetic properties of arc-melted alnico 9 magnets has been investigated. Small additions of Y (1.5 wt.%) develop a (200) texture for the arc-melted alnico 9 magnet. Such a texture is hard to form in cast samples. To achieve this goal, we set up a high-field annealing system with a maximum operation temperature of 12500 C. This system enabled annealing in a field of 45 kOe with subsequent draw annealing for the solutionized buttons; we have been able to substantially increase remanence ratio and coercivity, from 0.70 and 1200 Oe for the Y-free alnico 0 to 0.90 and 1400 Oe for the Y-doped alnico 9, respectively. A high energy product of 7.3 MGOe has been achieved for the fully heat-treated Y-doped alnico 9. The enhancement of coercvity is believed to arise from the introduction of magnetocrystalline anisotropy from 80 nm Y2Co17- type grains, which are exchange-coupled to the main-phase alnico rods

Impacts of cropland expansion on carbon storage : A case study in Hubei, China

When cropland expansion encroaches on ecological land (e.g., forest, grassland, wetland), it seriously affects carbon storage which plays an important role in global climate change. Taking Hubei as the study area, this study explored the effects of cropland expansion on carbon storage in both 2000–2010 and 2010–2030 in different scenarios by using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model and the LAND System Cellular Automata model for Potential Effects (LANDSCAPE). The results showed that cropland expansion led to a massive loss of carbon storage (1.76 Tg C) during 2000–2010, which is expected to continue during 2010–2030 in different scenarios. The loss is predicted to be 3.70 Tg C in the Business-As-Usual scenario and be 0.88 Tg C in the Requisition–Compensation Balance of Cropland Policy scenario. Noticeably, the loss of carbon storage due to cropland expansion was 1.12 times more than that due to urban expansion during 2000–2010. For the period of 2010–2030, the loss of carbon storage caused by cropland expansion is predicted to be 3.89 times more than that caused by urban expansion in the Business-As-Usual scenario, while the losses caused by cropland expansion and urban expansion are predicted to be almost equal in the Requisition–Compensation Balance of Cropland Policy scenario. The main cause of carbon storage loss due to cropland expansion is that it leads to the considerable loss of forest and wetland. This study highlights the importance of considering the loss of carbon storage caused by cropland expansion when conducting cropland protection policies and land use planning.</p

Texture development and coercivity enhancement in cast alnico 9 magnets

The effect of Y addition and magnetic field on texture and magnetic properties of arc-melted alnico 9 magnets has been investigated. Small additions of Y (1.5 wt.%) develop a (200) texture for the arc-melted alnico 9 magnet. Such a texture is hard to form in cast samples. To achieve this goal, we set up a high-field annealing system with a maximum operation temperature of 12500 C. This system enabled annealing in a field of 45 kOe with subsequent draw annealing for the solutionized buttons; we have been able to substantially increase remanence ratio and coercivity, from 0.70 and 1200 Oe for the Y-free alnico 0 to 0.90 and 1400 Oe for the Y-doped alnico 9, respectively. A high energy product of 7.3 MGOe has been achieved for the fully heat-treated Y-doped alnico 9. The enhancement of coercvity is believed to arise from the introduction of magnetocrystalline anisotropy from 80 nm Y2Co17- type grains, which are exchange-coupled to the main-phase alnico rods

Effect of Rolling Temperature on Microstructure and Properties of Al-Mg-Li Alloy

In this study, the effects of hot-rolled processes at different temperatures (420 &deg;C, 450 &deg;C, and 480 &deg;C) and subsequent solid solution and aging treatments on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion properties of Al-Mg-Li alloys with trace Sc and Zr addition were investigated. The aging treatment of rolled sheets after solid solution treatment could obtain Al3Li particles and Al3(Sc, Zr)/Al3Li core&ndash;shell particles to improve the mechanical properties of Al-Mg-Li alloy products effectively. The results showed that, as the rolling temperatures increased from 420 &deg;C to 480 &deg;C, the alloy&rsquo;s ultimate tensile strengths and yield strengths increased, while the corrosion resistance decreased. The increase in rolling temperature increased the precipitation-free zone (PFZ) width of the alloy, which undermined the corrosion resistance of the alloy. Moreover, elevating the hot rolling temperature changes the texture strength of the alloy. Particularly in the 480 &deg;C hot-rolled sample, the decrease in the Brass texture strength and the increase in the S texture and Copper texture strength led to an increase in the Taylor factor (M). The increase in rolling temperature also raised the number density of the Al3(Sc, Zr)/Al3Li core&ndash;shell particles. The presence of such particles not only inhibits grain growth but also changes the strength mechanism from dislocation cutting to Orowan bypassing. Due to the combination effect of grain morphology, texture evolution, and precipitation behavior, the 480 &deg;C hot-rolled sample had the highest properties

Do We Need More Urban Green Space to Alleviate PM_2.5 Pollution? A Case Study in Wuhan, China

Urban green space can help to reduce PM2.5 concentration by absorption and deposition processes. However, few studies have focused on the historical influence of green space on PM2.5 at a fine grid scale. Taking the central city of Wuhan as an example, this study has analyzed the spatiotemporal trend and the relationship between green space and PM2.5 in the last two decades. The results have shown that: (1) PM2.5 concentration reached a maximum value (139 µg/m3 ) in 2010 and decreased thereafter. Moran’s I index values of PM2.5 were in a downward trend, which indicates a sparser distribution; (2) from 2000 to 2019, the total area of green space decreased by 25.83%. The reduction in larger patches, increment in land cover diversity, and less connectivity led to fragmented spatial patterns of green space; and (3) the regression results showed that large patches of green space significantly correlated with PM2.5 concentration. The land use/cover diversity negatively correlated with the PM2.5 concentration in the ordinary linear regression. In conclusion, preserving large native natural habitats can be a supplemental measure to enlarge the air purification function of the green space. For cities in the process of PM2.5 reduction, enhancing the landscape patterns of green space provides a win-win solution to handle air pollution and raise human well-being

Which impacts more seriously on natural habitat loss and degradation? Cropland expansion or urban expansion?

Natural habitat plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity. Both cropland expansion and urban expansion have an influence on natural habitat. However, it is not clear which one impacts more seriously on both the quantity and quality of natural habitat. This study compared the impacts of cropland expansion on the quantity and quality of natural habitat in China between 2000 and 2015 with the impacts of urban expansion. Map algebra in ArcGIS 10.6 was used to calculate the changes in the quantity of natural habitat, while the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) Habitat Quality model was used to assess the changes in its quality. The results indicated that cropland expansion led to a loss of 35,811 km2 of natural habitat, which was twelve-times as much as that from urban expansion. Furthermore, the area of the heaviest habitat degradation due to cropland expansion was 9,530 km2, which was eight-times as much as that due to urban expansion. Noticeably, the greatest impacts of cropland expansion on natural habitat mostly occurred in areas where the ecological environment is already vulnerable (namely, the resistance and resilience of ecosystems in response to external interference are weak), whereas the impacts of urban expansion were much less in these areas. This study highlights that the impacts of cropland expansion on both the natural habitat loss and degradation far exceeded the impacts of urban expansion. It is necessary to improve cropland protection policies to guarantee food security while ensuring little or no harm to natural habitat

Biphenyl Phytoalexin in Sorbus pohuashanensis Suspension Cell Induced by Yeast Extract

Biphenyls are unique phytoalexins de novo synthesized in plants in response to pathogen attack. These compounds are found in Maloideae, a subfamily of the Rosaceae. The anti-microbial activities of biphenyls have been reported in a number of studies and they appear to represent an important defense strategy against pathogens common in the Maloideae, such as species in Malus, Pyrus, Sorbus, and Chaenomeles. Here, cell suspension cultures of Sorbus pohuashanensis were established to study biphenyl phytoalexins formation after yeast extract (YE) treatment. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS) LC−MS/MS was applied to determine the time course of these biphenyl biomarkers accumulation in YE-treated S. pohuashanensis suspension cells. The results of quantitative analyses show the content of Noraucuparin, 2′-Hydroxyaucuparin, and their glycosides initially increased, then decreased over time. The Noraucuparin content reached its highest (225.76 μg·g−1) at 18 h after treatment, 6 hours earlier than that of Noraucuparin 5-O-β-d-glucopyranoside. The content of 2′-Hydroxyaucuparin reached its highest (422.75 μg·g−1) at 30 h after treatment, also earlier than that of its glycoside. The understanding of phytoalexin metabolism in this study may provide a basis for improving Maloideae resistance to pathogens

Tetrahydroisoquinolines as novel histone deacetylase inhibitors for treatment of cancer

Histone acetylation is a critical process in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) remove the acetyl group, leading to chromatin condensation and transcriptional repression. HDAC inhibitors are considered a new class of anticancer agents and have been shown to alter gene transcription and exert antitumor effects. This paper describes our work on the structural determination and structure-activity relationship (SAR) optimization of tetrahydroisoquinoline compounds as HDAC inhibitors. These compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit HDAC 1, 3, 6 and for their ability to inhibit the proliferation of a panel of cancer cell lines. Among these, compound 82 showed the greatest inhibitory activity toward HDAC 1, 3, 6 and strongly inhibited growth of the cancer cell lines, with results clearly superior to those of the reference compound, vorinostat (SAHA). Compound 82 increased the acetylation of histones H3, H4 and tubulin in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that it is a broad inhibitor of HDACs