Biohydrogen production from organic solid waste has shown particular advantages over other methods owing to the combination of waste reduction and bioenergy production. In this study, biohydrogen production from the co-digestion of cattle manure and food waste was optimized in a mesophilic semi-continuous process. To maximize hydrogen production, the effects of the mixing ratio (the proportion of food waste in the substrate), substrate concentration, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the co-digestion were systematically analyzed using a Box–Behnken design. The results showed that strong interactive effects existed between the three factors, and they had a direct effect on the responses. Hydrogen was primarily produced via the butyrate pathway, which was accompanied by the competing heterolactic fermentation pathway. Propionate and valerate produced from lipids and proteins, respectively, were obtained along with butyrate. The optimal process parameters included a mixing ratio of 47% to 51%, a substrate concentration of 76 to 86 g L⁻¹, and an HRT of 2 d. Under these optimal conditions, the hydrogen production rate and hydrogen yield were higher than 1.00 L L⁻¹ d⁻¹ and 30.00 mL g⁻¹ VS, respectively, and the predicted results were consistent with the experimental data. The results indicate that the co-digestion of cattle manure and food waste is a practical and economically promising approach for biohydrogen production.

The potential for genetic variation to cause adult unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia is increasingly being recognized. However, the cumulative effects of genetic variants have not been fully illuminated. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of uridine diphospho-glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) and/or solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B (SLCO1B) polymorphic variants and their combined effects on mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in Chinese adults. Fourteen genetic variants in the UGT1A1 or SLCO1B gene were genotyped through sequencing in 148 adults with unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia and 158 healthy controls. Variants c.-3275T > G, (TA)₆>(TA)₇, c.211G > A or c.1091C > T within the UGT1A1 gene as well as c.521T > C within the SLCO1B1 gene appear to be genetic risk factors for inherited unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. After adjusting for covariates, the results of multivariate logistic regressions revealed that odds ratios (ORs) [(with 95% confidence interval (CI)] of these five variants were 2.35 (95% CI: 1.37–4.01, p = 0.002), 2.38 (95% CI: 1.35–4.20, p = 0.003), 2.99 (95% CI: 1.71–5.21, p < 0.001), 7.60 (95% CI: 1.99–28.96, p = 0.003), and 2.54 (95% CI: 1.27–5.11, p = 0.009), respectively. The OR for unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia is positively correlated with the cumulative number of these five variants in adults. And the greater the number of genetic variations, the higher the total bilirubin level. Adults carrying diplotype 3/4 (homozygous c.-3275T > G and heterozygous (TA)₆>(TA)₇) had higher bilirubin levels than those with diplotypes 1/3 (heterozygous c.-3275T > G and (TA)₆>(TA)₇)) or 1/4 (heterozygous c.-3275T > G) (P < 0.05). Similarly, bilirubin levels in individuals with diplotype 2/4 (heterozygous c.-3275T > G and c.211G > A) were higher than adults carrying diplotypes 1/2 (heterozygous c.211G > A) or 1/4 (P < 0.001). For subjects with heterozygous or homozygous variant c.211G> A, as the number of c.521T > C alleles variation increased, the incidence of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia increased, but it was not statistically significant. Our results indicate that variants of UGT1A1 and/or SLCO1B1 have combined effects on Chinese adult mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nanomanipulation can align the orientation and position of individual carbon nanotubes accurately. However, the flexible deformation during the tip manipulation modifies the original shape of these nanotubes, which could affect its electrical properties and reduce the accuracy of AFM nanomanipulation. Thus, we developed a protocol for searching the synergistic parameter combinations to push single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to maintain their original shape after manipulation as far as possible, without requiring the sample physical properties and the tip-manipulation mechanisms. In the protocol, from a vast search space of manipulating parameters, the differential evolution (DE) algorithm was used to identify the optimal combinations of three parameters rapidly with the DE algorithm and the feedback of the length ratio of SWCNTs before and after manipulation. After optimizing the scale factor F and crossover probability Cr, the values F = 0.4 and Cr = 0.6 were used, and the ratio could reach 0.95 within 5–7 iterations. A parameter region with a higher length ratio was also studied to supply arbitrary pushing parameter combinations for individual manipulation demand. The optimal pushing parameter combination reduces the manipulation trajectory and the tip abrasion, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of tip manipulation for nanowire materials. The protocol for searching the best parameter combinations used in this study can also be extended to manipulate other one-dimensional nanomaterials.

In order to improve and alleviate environmental pollution caused by the disposal of seedling pots, a rice straw fiber-based headed vegetable seedling pot material, which is suitable for mechanical transplantation and biodegradable, was studied. Used rice straw as the main raw material, a five-factor and five-level (1/2 full implementation) quadratic regression orthogonal rotation central of rotation combination test method. The experimental factors included the beating degree of rice straw fiber, quantity, the proportion of rice fiber, neutral sizing agents, and wet strength agent mass fraction. The performance evaluation index included dry and wet tensile strength, burst strength, tear strength, air permeance, and degradation period. The results showed that when the parameter combination of the beating degree of rice straw fiber was 50 ± 1°SR, the quantity was 87.5 ± 4 g/m², the proportion of fiber in rice was 70%, the neutral sizing agents mass fraction was 1 ± 0.25%, and the wet strength agent mass fraction was 1.5 ± 0.1%. The dry tensile strength was ≥ 1.8 kN·m⁻¹, the wet tensile strength was ≥ 0.7 kN·m⁻¹, the burst strength was ≥ 140 kPa, the tear strength was ≥ 350 m·N, the air permeance was ≤ 1.33 μm/Pa·s, and the degradation period was ≤ 80 d. The dry tensile strength reduction rate was 0.0274 kN/(m·d) and the wet tensile strength reduction rate was 0.0113 kN/(m·d), during the nursery period [30, 40], while the dry tensile strength was ≥ 1 kN·m⁻¹ and the wet tensile strength was ≥ 0.4 kN·m⁻¹ during the transplanting period.

Biodegradable agricultural films manufactured with straw serve as a viable substitute for plastic films, effectively addressing the issue of white pollution. However, existing biodegradable straw fiber films exhibit insufficient mechanical properties, primarily characterized by their susceptibility to fracture damage. To address this issue, a novel method for the preparation of film raw materials was proposed, which employs the synergistic treatment of bioenzymes and a single screw extruder, with the aim of enhancing the mechanical properties of the film. The method begins with the application of microbial agents to pretreat the straw, for improving its fiber morphology and inducing beneficial physicochemical structural changes. Subsequently, single screw extrusion technology is employed to further enhance the quality of the straw fibers and the mechanical performance of the film. The bio-mechanical pulp produced with this method demonstrated an increase in the crystallinity index (CrI) from 50.33% to 60.78%, while the degree of polymerization (DP) decreased from 866.51 to 749.60. Furthermore, the tensile strength, tear strength, and burst strength of the fiber covering film increased by 35.74%, 16.22%, and 11.65%, respectively, which meet the mechanical durability requirements for farmland mulching. This research effectively mitigates agricultural white pollution by converting agricultural waste straw into biodegradable mulch film, which promotes the recycling of straw resources. This study presents a novel method with significant potential application value for the production of bio-pulping in the paper industry.

Selecting an appropriate disc coulter is crucial for reducing the power consumption of no-till seeders, preventing straw from being pressed into seed furrows, improving the soil penetration performance of the disc coulter, and thus minimizing the weight of no-till seeders. This study utilized the quadratic regression orthogonal rotation central composite approach. With the application of EDEM and RecurDyn software, a virtual simulation model of the interaction between a toothed disc coulter and soil was developed. The angle of front serration δ, the angle of rear serration θ, and the number of serrations n were taken as experimental factors. The draft F_v and penetration resistance F_N were selected as performance evaluation indicators for parameter combination optimization simulation tests. The results indicated that δ, θ, and n have significant influences on F_v and F_N (p < 0.05). When the optimized parameter combinations δ, θ, and n were respectively determined as 16°, 39.1°, and 13, both F_v and F_N reached their minimum values. A comparative experimental study was conducted with the optimized toothed disc coulter and six existing disc coulters; under the working conditions of 14.4 km·h⁻¹, both the draft and penetration resistance of the toothed disc coulter are minimized. The draft was 227.5 ± 8.9 N and the penetration resistance was 415.9 ± 5.3 N. Meanwhile, the toothed disc coulter had the highest ratio of soil disturbance area to draft, indicating better soil loosening effects.