Digital Twin Enables Rational Design of Ultrahigh-Power Lithium-Ion Batteries

With the widespread applications of electric vehicles, power grid stabilization, and high-pulsed power loads, high-power lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are in urgent demand. However, the existing experimental-based design of high-power batteries is usually costly and inefficient, and provides limited information on the complex physicochemical processes inside the batteries. Digital twin concept is promising for capturing the batteries’ electrochemical performance, and optimizing the power capability of LIBs. Here, an electrochemical-thermal coupled model is developed as a digital twin model for rational design of ultrahigh-power LiFePO₄/graphite LIBs. The model can accurately predict the batteries’ performance and help to predetermine the optimal parameters to achieve an ultrahigh power capability. After model-guided optimization, the battery shows a high energy density of 92.38 Wh kg⁻¹ at an ultrafast discharging current of 50 C and can withstand 150 C pulse discharging tests. Notably, the digital twin model can reveal experimentally inaccessible time- and space-resolved information and identify the rate-determining steps inside the battery. Hence, model-driven optimization of ultrahigh-power LiFePO₄/graphite batteries is successfully realized aiming at the critical factors in the rate-determining steps. The work provides an instructive design of ultrahigh-power LiFePO₄/graphite batteries, which might guide the future direction to boost the power capability of LIBs.     

Fast Charge-Transfer Rates in Li-CO2 Batteries with a Coupled Cation-Electron Transfer Process

Li-CO₂ batteries with a high theoretical energy density (1876 Wh kg⁻¹) have unique benefits for reversible carbon fixation for energy storage systems. However, due to lack of stable and highly active catalysts, the long-term operation of Li-CO₂ batteries is limited to low current densities (mainly <0.2 mA cm⁻²) that are far from practical conditions. In this work, it is discovered that, with an ionic liquid-based electrolyte, highly active and stable transition metal trichalcogenide alloy catalysts of Sb_0.67Bi_1.33X₃ (X = S, Te) enable operation of the Li-CO₂ battery at a very high current rate of 1 mA cm⁻² for up to 220 cycles. It is revealed that: i) the type of chalcogenide (Te vs S) significantly affects the electronic and catalytic properties of the catalysts, ii) a coupled cation-electron charge transfer process facilitates the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR) occurring during discharge, and iii) the concentration of ionic liquid in the electrolyte controls the number of participating CO₂ molecules in reactions. A combination of these key factors is found to be crucial for a successful operation of the Li-CO₂ chemistry at high current rates. This work introduces a new class of catalysts with potential to fundamentally solve challenges of this type of batteries.     

A Low-Cost Al(OH)3-Modified Fire-Retardant and Shuttle-Limiting Separator for Safe and Stable Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Lithium–sulfur battery (LSB) possesses high theoretical energy density, but its poor cycling stability and safety issues significantly restrict progress in practical applications. Herein, a low-cost and simple Al(OH)₃-based modification of commercial separator, which renders the battery outstanding fire-retardant and stable cycling, is reported. The modification is carried out by a simple blade coating of an ultrathin composite layer, mainly consisting of Al(OH)₃ nanoparticles and conductive carbon, on the cathode side of the separator. The Al(OH)₃ shows strong chemical absorption ability toward Lewis-based polysulfides and outstanding fire retardance through a self-decomposition mechanism under high heat, while the conductive carbon material acts as a top current collector to prevent dead polysulfide. LSB using the Al(OH)₃-modified separator shows an extremely low average capacity decade per cycle during 1000 cycles at 2 C (0.029%, 1 C = 1600 mA g⁻¹). The pouch cell exhibiting high energy density (426 Wh kg⁻¹) can also steadily cycle for more than 100 cycles with high capacity retention (70.2% at 0.1 C). The effectiveness and accessibility of this Al(OH)₃ modification strategy will hasten the practical application progress of LSBs.     

The effects of arsenic and induced-phytoextraction methods on photosynthesis in Pteris species with different arsenic-accumulating abilities

Arsenic (As) accumulation and photosynthesis occur simultaneously in plants under As exposure. We investigated the effects of As and induced-phytoextraction methods on photosynthesis in two As hyperaccumulators (Pteris vittata and Pteris cretica var. nervosa) and two non-hyperaccumulators (Pteris semipinnata and Pteris ensiformis) under soil culture conditions. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (the maximum [F_v/F_m] and actual quantum efficiency [F_PSII]) and the activities of three photosynthetic enzymes (ATPase, ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase [RuBPC] and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GAPDH]) were measured. Arsenic accumulation and photosynthetic behaviours in response to enhanced-phytoextraction methods (trans-1, 2-cyclobexylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid [CDTA] and phosphorous [P] addition and soil pH adjustment) of P. cretica and P. semipinnata were monitored and compared under conditions of 100 mg As kg⁻¹. Significant decreases in the F_v/F_m (19.9%) and F_PSII (36.1%) were observed in P. vittata when exposed to 100 mg As kg⁻¹ in comparison to the control (0 mg As kg⁻¹). Compared to the control (0 mg As kg⁻¹), the activities of GAPDH increased by 0.5% in P. cretica var. nervosa and decreased by only 8.3% in P. vittata even when both of them were treated with 200 mg As kg⁻¹, whereas a significant decrease, 56.1% and 51.7%, of this enzyme was observed in P. semipinnata and P. ensiformis, respectively, when exposed to 50 mg As kg⁻¹. Compared to the control (0 mg CDTA kg⁻¹ or 0 mg P kg⁻¹), the activities of ATPase increased by 53.7% and 82.7% in P. cretica when exposed to 0.5 g CDTA kg⁻¹ and 50 mg P kg⁻¹, respectively, and an increase of up to 175% was also observed in P. semipinnata when exposed to 600 mg P kg⁻¹. The activities of GAPDH increased by 68.9% and 90.7% in P. cretica when exposed to 2 g CDTA kg⁻¹ and 600 mg P kg⁻¹, respectively, but a decrease of up to 60% was observed in P. semipinnata when exposed to 2 g CDTA kg⁻¹. The uptake of As in P. semipinnata increased by 80.9% and 73.3% when 1 g CDTA kg⁻¹ and 600 mg P kg⁻¹ were added, respectively, compared to the control (0 g CDTA kg⁻¹ or 0 mg P kg⁻¹). It was concluded that GAPDH played an important role in the photosynthesis of As hyperaccumulators under As treatments.     

Effects of osmotic pressure on recombinant BHK cell growth and von willebrand factor (vWF) expression

The effects of osmotic pressure were investigated on cell growth and von willebrand factor (vWF) expression in batch culture, pulse culture and adaptive culture of recombinant baby hamster kidney (rBHK) cells. Intracellular contents of some amino acids including aspartic acid, glycine, arginine, alanine, valine and serine in adaptive culture showed a significant increase with environmental osmotic pressure and became steady after 6 h adaptation. There was little change in intracellular concentrations of amino acids in a control cultivation under 330 mOsmol kg⁻¹. With the increase of osmotic pressure from 330 to 350 mOsmol kg⁻¹, the specific growth rate of rBHK cells remained kept constant. However, the growth of rBHK cells was seriously inhibited under 370 mOsmol kg⁻¹. When gradually increasing the osmotic pressure from 370 to 470 mOsmol kg⁻¹ over more than 6 h, the specific growth rate of rBHK cells could increase by 40% in comparison with that when directly increasing within the same range. High osmotic pressure hardly effected any change in the percent of both cells during G₀/G₁ phase and apoptotic cells in the cell population, but the percentage of cells during S phase in the cell population increased. Higher osmotic pressure (470 mOsmol kg⁻¹) could inhibit the expression of vWF, although at 370 mOsmol kg⁻¹ the specific production rate of vWF was 47% higher than that in 330 mOsmol kg⁻¹.     

Two ways to achieve an anammox influent from real reject water treatment at lab-scale: Partial SBR nitrification and SHARON process

A comparative study to produce the correct influent for Anammox process from anaerobic sludge reject water (700–800 mg NH₄⁺-N L⁻¹) was considered here. The influent for the Anammox process must be composed of NH₄⁺-N and NO₂⁻-N in a ratio 1:1 and therefore only a partial nitrification of ammonium to nitrite is required. The modifications of parameters (temperature, ammonium concentration, pH and solid retention time) allows to achieve this partial nitrification with a final effluent only composed by NH₄⁺-N and NO₂⁻-N at the right stoichiometric ratio. The equal ratio of HCO₃⁻/NH₄⁺ in reject water results in a natural pH decrease when approximately 50% of NH₄⁺ is oxidised. A Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and a chemostat type of reactor (single-reactor high activity ammonia removal over nitrite (SHARON) process) were studied to obtain the required Anammox influent. At steady state conditions, both systems had a specific conversion rate around 40 mg NH₄⁺-N g⁻¹ volatile suspended solids (VSS) h⁻¹, but in terms of absolute nitrogen removal the SBR conversion was 1.1 kg N day⁻¹ m⁻³, whereas in the SHARON chemostat was 0.35 kg N day⁻¹ m⁻³ due to the different hydraulic retention time (HRT) used. Both systems are compared from operational (including starvation experiments) and kinetic point of view and their advantages/disadvantages are discussed.     

Macro and micro-elements concentrations in Calligonum comosum wild grazing plant through its growth period

In this study, the change in the content of the macro and micro elements in the growing wild grazing plant of Calligonum comosum was tracked at the Research and Training Station of King Faisal University in Al-Hassa Governorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mineral elements were estimated in aerial parts (plant as a whole, leaves and stem) from January-April 2020. The results showed that the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the plant as a whole plant > leaves > roots, while the concentrations of calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and copper elements in the leaves was higher than other parts whereas the concentrations of these elements of whole plant were higher than the concentrations in roots. The results showed that the plant contents of nitrogen, potassium and zinc were the highest in March, while the concentrations of phosphorus, calcium, iron and copper were in February. The concentrations of magnesium, manganese and copper was the highest in January and April respectively. The values ​​of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper ranged from 11.1 to 18.4 g kg⁻¹, 4.17–2.33 g kg⁻¹, 13.73–18.97 g kg⁻¹, 24.50–28.90 g kg⁻¹, 10.40–12.30 gkg⁻¹, 1500–1677 mg kg⁻¹, 45.45–49.29 mg kg⁻¹, 70.70–177.23 mg kg⁻¹, 16.78–73.46 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, the results exhibited that the lowest values of the elements appeared in the plant roots in April. As well as, the distribution of the elements followed the normal life curve from January to April. Besides that, the evaluated elements satisfy the needs of the grazing animals' life in which this type of plant grows.     

Investigation of Heavy Metal Level and Mineral Nutrient Status in Widely Used Medicinal Plants’ Leaves in Turkey: Insights into Health Implications

The use of plants in treatments has been as old as humanity and it has preserved its popularity for centuries til now because of their availability, affordability and safeness. However, despite their widespread use, safety and quality issues have been major concerns in the world due to industrial- and anthropogenic-based heavy metal contamination risks. Thus, this study was attempted to analyze the heavy metal levels and mineral nutrient status of widely used medicinal plants in Turkey to have insights about their health implications on humans. The plant concentrations of B, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and Zn were analyzed by ICP-OES in the leaves of 44 medical plants purchased from herbal markets of three different districts of Istanbul/Turkey. The measured lowest to highest concentrations were 0.065–79.749 mg kg⁻¹ B, 921.802–12,854.410 mg kg⁻¹ Ca, 0.020–0.558 mg kg⁻¹ Cd, 0.015–4.978 mg kg⁻¹ Cr, 0.042–8.489 mg kg⁻¹ Cu, 34.356–858.446 mg kg⁻¹ Fe, 791.323–15,569.349 mg kg⁻¹ K, 102.236–2837.836 mg kg⁻¹ Mg, 4.915–91.519 mg kg⁻¹ Mn, 10.224–3213.703 mg kg⁻¹ Na, 0.001–5.589 mg kg⁻¹ Ni, 0.003–3.636 mg kg⁻¹ Pb and 2.601–36.102 mg kg⁻¹ Zn. Those levels in plants were in acceptable limits though some elements in some plants have high limits which were not harmful. Variations (above acceptable limits) in element concentrations also indicated that these plants could be contaminated with other metals and that genetic variations may influence accumulation of these elements at different contents. Overall, analyzed medicinal plants are expected not to pose any serious threat to human health.

     

Estimation of the phosphorus requirement of weanling pigs fed supplemental phytase

Studies were conducted with crossbred weanling pigs to determine the level of phosphorus needed to be fed when a maize–soyabean meal–whey diet was supplemented with exogenous phytase (Natuphos™). In Trial 1, phytase was added at 1200 phytase units (PTU) kg⁻¹ as phosphorus decreased. The control diet in Phase I (0–14 days) contained 7.3 g kg⁻¹ phosphorus and in Phase II (14–28 days) contained 6.5 g kg⁻¹ phosphorus. Dietary phosphorus was calculated to decrease by 0.8, 1.6 or 2.4 g kg⁻¹ when phytase was supplemented. Chromic oxide was added for estimation of apparent absorption of phosphorus. Performance was optimum when 5.7 and 4.8 g kg⁻¹ phosphorus (analysed levels) were fed with 1200 PTU kg⁻¹ phytase in Phases I and II, respectively. The lowest dietary phosphorus levels did not reduce performance for the overall 28-day period. Apparent phosphorus digestibility was increased by phytase in Phase I when 5.7 g kg⁻¹ phosphorus was fed compared to the control diet and in Phase II when 6.0 g kg⁻¹ phosphorus was fed with phytase. Faecal phosphorus excretion decreased in both phases as dietary phosphorus decreased. Faecal phosphorus excretion was minimized at the lowest phosphorus level with no decrease in performance. The estimated requirement for dietary phosphorus, as determined by the NLIN procedure, is 5.0 g kg⁻¹ in Phase I and 4.3 g kg⁻¹ in Phase II when 1200 PTU kg⁻¹ is used. In Trial 2, phytase was supplemented at 500 PTU kg⁻¹ when phosphorus was decreased in the diet. The control diet contained 6.6 and 6.0 g kg⁻¹ phosphorus in Phases I and II, respectively, and phosphorus was calculated to decrease by 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 g kg⁻¹ when phytase was added. Daily gain decreased when 5.0 g kg⁻¹ phosphorus was fed in Phase I and when 4.6 or 4.2 g kg⁻¹ (analysed levels) phosphorus was fed in Phase II with 500 PTU kg⁻¹. Faecal phosphorus excretion decreased as dietary phosphorus decreased, but there were no treatment effects on apparent phosphorus digestibility. The dietary phosphorus requirement was estimated to be 5.7 and 5.0 g kg⁻¹ in Phases I and II, respectively, when phytase is fed at 500 PTU kg⁻¹. At the present recommendation of 500 PTU kg⁻¹ in starter feed, phosphorus can be decreased by 0.10 g kg⁻¹. However, higher levels of phytase are needed to actually increase apparent phosphorus digestibility.     

Soil nitrate accumulation explains the nonlinear responses of soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes to nitrogen addition in a temperate needle-broadleaved mixed forest

The responses of soil-atmosphere carbon (C) exchange fluxes to growing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition are controversial, leading to large uncertainty in the estimated C sink of global forest ecosystems experiencing substantial N inputs. However, it is challenging to quantify critical load of N input for the alteration of the soil C fluxes, and what factors controlled the changes in soil CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes under N enrichment. Nine levels of urea addition experiment (0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) were conducted in the needle-broadleaved mixed forest in Changbai Mountain, Northeast China. Soil CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes were monitored weekly using the static chamber and gas chromatograph technique. Environmental variables (soil temperature and moisture in the 0–10 cm depth) and dissolved N (NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N, total dissolved N (TDN), and dissolved organic N (DON)) in the organic layer and the 0–10 cm mineral soil layer were simultaneously measured. High rates of N addition (≥60 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) significantly increased soil NO₃⁻-N contents in the organic layer and the mineral layer by 120%-180% and 56.4%-84.6%, respectively. However, N application did not lead to a significant accumulation of soil NH₄⁺-N contents in the two soil layers except for a few treatments. N addition at a low rate of 10 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ significantly stimulated, whereas high rate of N addition (140 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) significantly inhibited soil CO₂ emission and CH₄ uptake. Significant negative relationships were observed between changes in soil CO₂ emission and CH₄ uptake and changes in soil NO₃⁻-N and moisture contents under N enrichment. These results suggest that soil nitrification and NO₃⁻-N accumulation could be important regulators of soil CO₂ emission and CH₄ uptake in the temperate needle-broadleaved mixed forest. The nonlinear responses to exogenous N inputs and the critical level of N in terms of soil C fluxes should be considered in the ecological process models and ecosystem management.     

Evaluation of phosphorus distribution and bioavailability in sediments of a subtropical wetland reserve in southeast China

The phosphorus (P) fractions and bioavailable P in the sediments from the Quanzhou Bay Estuarine Wetland Nature Reserve were investigated using chemical extraction methods for the first time to study the distribution and bioavailability of P in the reserve sediments. A hypothesis was presented suggesting that the bioavailable P in the sediments could be evaluated using the P fractions. The total phosphorus (TP), inorganic phosphorus (IP), organic phosphorus (OP), non-apatite phosphorus (NAIP), and apatite phosphorus (AP) contents in the sediments were in the ranges of 303.87–761.59 mg kg⁻¹, 201.22–577.66 mg kg⁻¹, 75.83–179.16 mg kg⁻¹, 28.86–277.90 mg kg⁻¹, and 127.36–289.94 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The water soluble phosphorus (WSP), readily desorbable phosphorus (RDP), algal available phosphorus (AAP), and NaHCO₃ extractable phosphorus (Olsen-P) contents in the sediments were in the ranges of 0.58–357.17 mg kg⁻¹, 80.77–586.75 mg kg⁻¹, 1.09–24.12 mg kg⁻¹, and 54.96–676.82 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The correlation analysis results showed that the NAIP was the major component of the bioavailable P and that the impact of the AP on the bioavailable phosphorus may be minimal. Due to the low TP content in the sediments of the Quanzhou Bay Estuarine Wetland Nature Reserve, the potential pollution risks of P in the sediments may not be very high. The results also show that the bioavailable P concentrations in the sediments of the Quanzhou Bay Estuarine Wetland Nature Reserve could not be evaluated by measuring the P fractions and that the hypothesis was untenable.     

Effects of temperature on metabolic rate and lower dissolved oxygen tolerance of juvenile speckled peacock bass Cichla temensis

The speckled peacock bass Cichla temensis is a popular sport and food fish that generates substantial angling tourism and utilitarian harvest within its range. Its popularity and value make this species important for management and a potential aquaculture candidate for both fisheries enhancement and food fish production. However, little is known of optimal physiochemical conditions in natural habitats, which also are important for the development of hatchery protocols for handling, spawning and grow-out. Speckled peacock bass have been documented to have high sensitivity to extreme temperatures, but the metabolic underpinnings have not been evaluated. In this study, the effects of temperature (25, 30 and 35°C) on the standard metabolic rate (SMR) and lower dissolved oxygen tolerance (LDOT) of juvenile speckled peacock bass (mean ± standard error total length 153 ± 2 mm and wet weight 39.09 ± 1.37 g) were evaluated using intermittent respirometers after an acclimation period of 2 weeks. Speckled peacock bass had the highest SMR at 35°C (345.56 ± 19.89 mgO₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹), followed by 30°C (208.16 ± 12.45 mgO₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹) and 25°C (144.09 ± 10.43 mgO₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹). Correspondingly, the Q₁₀, or rate of increase in aerobic metabolic rate (MO₂) relative to 10°C, for 30–35°C was also greater (2.76) than from 25 to 30°C (2.08). Similarly, speckled peacock bass were the most sensitive to hypoxia at the warmest temperature, with an LDOT at pO₂ of 90 mmHg (4.13 mg l⁻¹) at 35°C compared to pO₂ values of 45 mmHg (2.22 mg l⁻¹) and 30 mmHg (1.61 mg l⁻¹) at 30 and 25°C, respectively. These results indicate that speckled peacock bass are sensitive to temperatures near 35°C, therefore we recommend managing and rearing this species at 25–30°C.     

Multiscale Micro-Nano Hierarchical Porous Germanium with Self-Adaptive Stress Dispersion for Highly Robust Lithium-Ion Batteries Anode

The manipulation of stress in high-capacity microscale alloying anode materials, which undergo significant volumetric variation during cycling, is crucial prerequisite for improved their cycling capability. In this work, an innovative structural design strategy is proposed for scalable fabrication of a unique 3D highly porous micro structured germanium (Ge) featuring micro-nano hierarchical architecture as viable anode for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The resultant micro-sized Ge, consisting of interconnected nanoligaments and bicontinuous nanopores, is endowed with high activity, decreased Li⁺ diffusion distance and alleviated volume variation, appealing as an ideal platform for in-depth understanding the relationship between structural design and stress evolution. Such a micro-sized Ge being highly porous delivers a record high initial Coulombic efficiency of 92.5%, large volumetric capacity of 2,421 mAh cm⁻³ at 1.2 mA cm⁻², exceptional rate capability (805.6 mAh g⁻¹ at 10 Ag⁻¹) and cycling stability (over 90% capacity retention after 1000 cycles even at 5 A g⁻¹), largely outperforming the reported Ge-based anodes for LIBs. Furthermore, its underlying Li storage mechanism and stress dispersion behavior are explicitly revealed by combined substantial in situ/ex situ experimental characterizations and theoretical computation. This work provides novel insights into the rational design of high-performance and durable alloying anodes toward high-energy LIBs.     

Self-Regulating Interfacial Space Charge through Polyanion Repulsion Effect towards Dendrite-Free Polymer Lithium-Metal Batteries

Uncontrolled transport of anions leads to many issues, including concentration polarization, excessive interface side reactions, and space charge-induced lithium dendrites at the anode/electrolyte interface, which severely deteriorates the cycling stability of lithium metal batteries. Herein, an asymmetrical polymer electrolyte modified by a boron-containing single-ion conductor (LiPVAOB), is designed to inhibit the nonuniform aggregation of free anions in the vicinity of the lithium anode through the repulsion effect improving the lithium-ion transference number to 0.63. This LiPVAOB exerts a repulsion interaction with free anions even at a long distance and a selective effect for free anions transport, which diminishes uneven aggregation of free anions at the interface and suppresses space charges-induced lithium dendrites growth. Consequently, the assembled Li||Li cell delivers an ultra-long cycle for over 5400 h. The Li||LiFePO₄ cell exhibits outstanding cycle performance with a capacity retention of 93% over 4500 cycles. In particular, the assembled high-voltage Li||Li_1.2Ni_0.2Mn_0.6O₂ cell (charged to 4.8 V) exhibits good cycle stability with a high specific capacity of 245 mAh g⁻¹. This designed polymer electrolyte provides a promising strategy for regulating ion transport to inhibit space charge-induced lithium dendrite growth for high-performance lithium metal batteries.     

Ultrafast Manufacturing of Ultrafine Structure to Achieve An Energy Density of Over 120 Wh kg−1 in Supercapacitors

Supercapacitor (SC) is one of the most promising electrochemical energy-storage devices. However, the practical application of SCs is limited by the low-energy density. Herein, high-temperature shock (HTS)-derived ultrafine structure-activated porous carbon (UAPC) with N, O functional groups is reported as high-energy density SCs carbon. The process of ultrafast joule heating and cooling effectively transfers general-purposed carbon into electrochemical-activated carbon. The UAPC-based SCs exhibit an energy density of up to 129 Wh kg⁻¹ in EMIMBF₄ ionic liquid, which outperform almost all reported and commercial SCs (22 Wh kg⁻¹). The outstanding electrochemical performance of UAPC is attributed to the ultrafine structure and N, O functional groups, which enlarges the surface area, improves the surface wettability of UAPC electrodes, and provides pseudocapacitance. The facile and efficient ultrafast-processing strategy has opened up an unprecedented pathway for the application of low-value carbon for the electrode design and application of SCs.     

Synergistic effect of Se-methylselenocysteine and vitamin E in ameliorating the acute ethanol-induced oxidative damage in rat

The present study was conduced to investigate the synergistic effects of combined treatments with Se-methylselenocysteine (SeMSC) and vitamin E (Vit E) in reversing oxidative stress induced by ethanol in serum and different tissues of rats. Sixty female rats were randomly divided into six groups for 30 days’ consecutive pretreatments as followed: control (I), physiological saline (II), 2.8 μg kg⁻¹ Se as SeMSC (III), 2.8 μg kg⁻¹ Se as sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃, IV), 5 mg kg⁻¹ α-tocopherol as α-tocopherol acetate (Vit E, V), 5 mg kg⁻¹ α-tocopherol as α-tocopherol acetate and 2.8 μg kg⁻¹ Se as SeMSC (VI). All animals in groups II–VI were treated by ethanol treatment to cause oxidative stress. After 6 h of ethanol treatment, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the contents of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and carbonyl protein (CP) in the serum, liver, heart and kidney were measured. The result showed that the individual SeSMC, Na₂SeO₃ and vitamin E could effectively increase the SOD, T-AOC, GSH-Px and GSH contents as well as significantly decrease the MDA and CP concentrations in the tissues of ethanol-induced rats. At the same dose on different forms of Se, SeMSC showed greater antioxidant activity than Na₂SeO₃. Moreover, group VI (SeMSC and α-tocopherol acetate) showed much better antioxidant activity than individual group III (SeMSC) and V (α-tocopherol acetate) due to the synergistic effect.     

The role of plants in the removal of nutrients at a constructed wetland treating agricultural (dairy) wastewater,Ontario, Canada

The South Nation River Watershed, in eastern Ontario, Canada, is an agricultural watershed impacted by excess nutrient loading primarily from agricultural activities. A constructed wetland for the treatment of agricultural wastewater from a 150-cow dairy operation in this watershed was monitored in its eighth operating season to evaluate the proportion of total nitrogen (TN) (approximated by total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) due to low NO₃⁻) and total phosphorus (TP) removal that could be attributed to storage in Typha latifolia L. and Typha angustifolia L., which dominate this system. Nutrient loading rates were high, with 16.2 kg ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ N and 3.4 kg ha⁻¹ d⁻¹ P entering the wetland and loading the first wetland cell. Plant uptake accounted for 0.7% of TKN removal when the vegetated free water surface cells were considered together. However, separately, in the second wetland cell with lower N and P loading rates, plants accounted for 9% of TKN, 21% of NH₄⁺ and 5% of TP removal. Plant uptake was significant to overall removal given wetland age and nutrient loading. Nutrient storage during the growing season at this constructed wetland helped reduce the nutrient load entering the watershed, already stressed by intensive local agriculture.     

An integrated constructed wetland to treat contaminants and nutrients from dairy farmyard dirty water

Water pollution by agriculture can include inappropriately managed dairy farmyard dirty water. In Ireland, dairy farmyard dirty water includes farmyard runoff, parlour washings, and silage/farmyard manure effluents. The objectives of this study were to determine (i) the quality and quantity of dirty water generated at a farm-scale and (ii) the seasonal effectiveness of a constructed wetland to treat farmyard dirty water. The wetland system was 4800 m² in area and treated dirty water from a 42-cow organic dairy unit with an open yard area of 2031 m². Monthly dirty water inflow rate to the wetland ranged between 3.6 and 18.5 m³ d⁻¹. Farmyard dirty water accounted for 27% of hydrological inputs to the wetland, whereas rainfall on wetland, along with wetland bank inflows accounted for 45 and 28%, respectively. Farmyard dirty water quality and quantity did not vary with season. Yearly mass loads discharged to the wetland were 47 ± 10 kg yr⁻¹ of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), 128 ± 35 kg yr⁻¹ of NH₄⁺, 5484 ± 1433 kg yr⁻¹ of organic material as measured by five-day biological oxygen demand (BOD₅), and 1570 ± 465 kg yr⁻¹ of total suspended solids (TSS). Phosphorus retention by the wetland varied with season (5–84%) with least amounts being retained during winter.     

Non-phytin phosphorus requirements of commercial broilers and White Leghorn layers

Experiments were conducted to determine the optimum requirements of non-phytin phosphorus (NPP) in commercial broilers and White Leghorn layers. Five levels of NPP (2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 g kg⁻¹ diet) were tested to assess the NPP requirement of commercial broilers (3–30 days of age) fed maize–soya diets containing 10 g Ca kg⁻¹. Each level of NPP was fed to quadruplicate groups of ten chicks each. Inclusion of graded levels of NPP significantly (P < 0.01) influenced body weight gain, feed intake, tibia ash content, phosphorus content in serum, tibia ash and phosphorus retention. The predicted NPP requirements for body weight gain, P content in serum and tibia ash were 4.4, 4.48 and 4.1 g kg⁻¹ diet, respectively. The NPP requirement for tibia ash was the highest (7.4 g kg⁻¹ diet). Similarly, four levels of NPP (2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 g kg⁻¹ diet) were tested with maize–soya diets containing 35 g Ca kg⁻¹ for White Leghorn layers (266–350 days of age). Each diet was tested on four groups of 12 hens in each. Egg production was not influenced by the variation in dietary NPP levels. The predicted NPP requirements for better egg weight and shell thickness were 2.6 and 2.4 g kg⁻¹ diet, respectively, while for the serum inorganic P level the value was 3.42 g kg⁻¹ diet. Therefore, it can be concluded that commercial broilers need about 4.4 g NPP kg⁻¹ diet for better performance, whereas, White Leghorn layers need not more than 2.0 g NPP kg⁻¹ diet for better egg production. However, layers require 2.6 g NPP kg⁻¹ diet to produce eggs with better egg size and shell quality.     

Carbon and nitrogen footprint of double rice production in Southern China

Agriculture plays an important role in greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and reactive nitrogen (Nr) loss. Therefore, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) footprint reductions in agro-ecosystem have become an increasingly hot topic in global climate change and agricultural adaptation. The objective of this study was to assess the C footprint (CF) and N footprint (NF) of double rice (Oryza sativa L.) production using life cycle assessment method in Southern China. The results showed that fertilizer application and farm machinery operation contributed the most to both GHGs and Nr emissions from agricultural inputs in the double rice production process. The CF for the early, late, and double rice was 0.86, 0.83, and 0.85 kg CO₂-eq kg⁻¹ year⁻¹ at yield-scale, respectively. In addition, the NF was 10.47, 10.89, and 10.68 g N-eq kg⁻¹ year⁻¹ at yield-scale for the early, late and double rice, respectively. The largest fraction of CF and NF of double rice was the share of CH₄ emission and NH₃ volatilization from the paddy field, respectively. Higher CF and NF at yield-scale for Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan provinces were presented, compared to the average level in double rice cropping for the region, while smaller than those of Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan provinces. Some effective solutions would be favorable toward mitigating climate change and eutrophication of the double rice cropping region in Southern China, including reduction of fertilizer application rates, improvements in farm machinery operation efficiencies, and changes in regional allocation of double rice cropping areas.