Search Results (6,383)

Surface dust samples were collected from bus stops and parking lots in different functional areas of Binzhou City, Shandong Province, China. This study investigated the contamination characteristics, source apportionment, and potential ecological and health risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in these dust samples. Eight target PTEs, including As, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Mn, were quantitatively analyzed. The results revealed distinct concentration differences in these elements between bus stop dust and parking lot dust. Several PTEs exceeded the corresponding local soil background values, predominantly Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd and Cr. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Mn in bus stop dust were mainly sourced from traffic emissions, whereas As and Cd primarily originated from atmospheric deposition. For parking lot dust, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, and Mn were predominantly attributed to traffic sources, while As and Ni were mainly derived from natural background sources. The geo-accumulation index (I_geo) demonstrated that As, Cr, Ni, and Mn had negligible environmental impact, Pb, Cu, and Cd induced slight pollution, and Zn resulted in moderate pollution. Except for Cd, the average individual potential ecological risk index ($E_r^i$) values for all elements were below 40, suggesting a low ecological risk. Cd posed a moderate ecological hazard, whereas the comprehensive ecological risk index ($E_r^i$) values of all analyzed elements were at an extremely low level. The hazard index (HI) values via different exposure pathways and for all PTEs in both bus stops and parking lots were lower than 1, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic health risk. The carcinogenic risk ranking of elements was Cr > Cd > Ni > As, and their carcinogenic risk values (CR) via inhalation exposure were below 1 × 10⁻⁶, indicating no carcinogenic risk. This study provides a scientific basis for the environmental quality control and risk management of surface dust in urban bus stops and parking lots. Full article

Changes in urban form strongly affect surface thermal conditions, yet long-term quantitative assessments of this relationship, particularly the role of ventilation resistance, remain limited. To address this gap, this study integrates XGBoost, SHapley Additive explanations (SHAP), and multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to examine how six morphological, ecological, and human-activity factors influence land surface temperature (LST) in Kaifeng City. The results indicate three main findings. First, LST increased significantly from 1986 to 2024, while interannual variability declined, indicating a gradual reduction in regional thermal fluctuations. Second, NTL was consistently the dominant indicator across the five representative years, while BF and NTL together captured the effects of urban expansion and intensified human activity. Third, FAD coefficients were more spatially heterogeneous in urban fringe areas than in the urban core. In 2020, the dispersion of FAD coefficients in fringe areas was 2.74 times greater than that in the central area, indicating stronger spatial differentiation in ventilation-related morphological constraints during urban expansion. Although FAD made only a modest contribution to overall predictive accuracy, it provided supplementary diagnostic information not captured by conventional density indicators and showed nonlinear, directional, and spatially heterogeneous responses. Compared with previous studies that mainly examined short-term or single-dimensional relationships between urban morphology and LST, this study integrates building densification, ventilation-related morphological resistance, ecological conditions, and human activity intensity into a long-term LST-driver framework, providing evidence to support heat-risk management during urban regeneration and outward expansion. Full article

Some groups of Diphyllobothriid tapeworms can cause foodborne or waterborne taeniasis, yet their systematics and evolution remain poorly understood. Based on mitochondrial genome data, this study reconstructed the phylogenetic trees of 11 cestode orders using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, clarified the valid species of Spirometra, traced the evolutionary history of four key ecological traits, and estimated the divergence times of major groups. Phylogenetic analyses supported Diphyllobothriidea and Bothriocephalidea as distinct clades, with Diphyllobothriidea forming a sister group to Haplobothriidea. In addition, three novel types of mitochondrial gene arrangements were identified in tapeworms, and variations in these arrangement types appear to correspond to changes in proglottid morphology. Species validation has shown that the available Spirometra mitogenomes represent only four valid species. Phylogenetic analysis identified two genetic lineages within S. mansoni, and a comparison of their representative sequences showed that the differences mainly lie in 12 PCGs, 7 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and 2 mNCRs. Ancestral character reconstruction suggested that tapeworms likely originated from freshwater fish hosts, with gradual adaptation to terrestrial hosts representing the main pathway of diversification, whereas transitions to marine environments were independent evolutionary events occurring in only a few groups. Molecular clock analyses indicated that tapeworm diversification began in the mid-to-late Oligocene, with episodic species radiations in different groups closely linked to host diversification and climatic changes. Notably, most groups within the family Diphyllobothriidae radiated during the Pleistocene, whereas Spirometra radiated during the Pliocene, coinciding with the origin of human-specialized cestodes. This study clarifies the phylogenetic position of diphyllobothriid tapeworms, infers the evolutionary patterns of ancestral traits across different tapeworm groups, and provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the origin and species diversity of tapeworms, as well as for assessing the transmission risk of pathogenic species. Full article

Background: Public fitness facilities are high-contact environments that facilitate microbial transfer via shared surfaces; however, temporal dynamics and device-specific contamination patterns remain insufficiently characterized. Methods: A repeated-measures observational study was conducted in a fitness facility over five consecutive weekdays (Monday to Friday). A total of 180 surface samples were collected from 12 gym devices, each sampled three times daily (morning, noon, and evening). Surface-associated cultivable bacteria were recovered using culture-based methods followed by MALDI-TOF MS identification. Ecological metrics, including species richness and Shannon diversity, were calculated, and taxa were classified by origin (skin-associated versus environmental). Device-specific contamination profiles were developed using a composite index incorporating pathogen presence, contamination frequency, and persistence. Temporal trends and predictors of contamination were analyzed using mixed-effects regression models. All statistical analyses were performed in R. Results: A total of 248 bacterial isolates were identified, representing 61 species across 32 families, with a predominance of skin-associated taxa (72.2%). Sampling time point was a strong independent predictor of contamination (adjusted OR for noon vs. morning: 7.19; p < 0.001). While overall microbial diversity remained stable across devices (Shannon index, p = 0.44), substantial heterogeneity was observed in pathogen prevalence, multispecies burden, and persistence. The functional trainer and leg extension showed the highest composite risk scores (42.3%), while the ab crunch machine and upper body ergometer demonstrated significantly increasing contamination trends over the sampling period (p < 0.05). Co-occurrence analysis showed nonrandom microbial associations, with the strongest positive links between Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (Φ = 0.76) and Staphylococcus aureus (Φ = 0.61). Conclusions: Gym equipment surfaces harbor predominantly human-associated microbial communities exhibiting dynamic temporal contamination patterns, and on selected devices, increasing the baseline contamination across consecutive cleaning cycles. The findings indicate that contamination patterns on shared fitness equipment are dominated by taxa commonly associated with human skin and support targeted hygiene interventions focused on frequently contacted devices and periods of elevated contamination. Full article

The growing urbanisation of India is a major contributor to the production of 72,368 million litres of wastewater daily. Unfortunately, not even 28 to 31% of the generated wastewater receives proper treatment before disposal, putting public health, water quality, and ecological conditions at risk. Traditional wastewater treatment technologies have been proven effective, but they cannot be applied in decentralised settings due to excessive initial investment costs, continuous power needs, and the need for expert supervision. Constructed wetlands (CWs) provide an efficient and environmentally friendly option for decentralised treatment, but these systems suffer from a gradual loss of effectiveness associated with the problem of media-clogging in traditional setups. This research investigates the functioning and efficiency of the Modified Towery Bio-rack Constructed Wetland (MTBRCW) technology designed specifically to mitigate media-clogging issues. The MTBRCW is tested on the basis of its performance under continuous operating conditions for thirteen months (January 2025 to January 2026), as well as on the effectiveness of the treatment at eight different hydraulic retention times (days 1 to 8). A pilot-scale MTBRCW system was monitored through two periodic sampling events (S1 and S2) conducted during each month of operation. The pilot-scale MTBRCW unit is made up of an inlet storage tank (volume 0.099 m³) followed by two wetland containers (volume 0.034 m³ each) planted with Typha angustifolia and Chrysopogon zizanioides (vetiver grass). In continuous testing mode, influent–effluent paired samples are collected for eight days at each HRT (totalling eighty samples), and samples are analysed according to APHA Standard Methods for pH, BOD, COD, TN, and TP. In continuous testing mode, the MTBRCW exhibits high removal efficiencies at the levels of 89.8% for BOD, 87.5% for COD, 78.2% for TN, and 74.4% for TP. The BOD/COD of the effluent was within the prescribed CPCB discharge limits for all thirteen months of the study, and the TN levels were adhered to in 12 out of 13 months, with one non-compliance event recorded only in July 2025 (effluent TN = 10.8 mg/L), coinciding with the peak monsoon hydraulic loading rate of 0.28 m³/m²·d. TP remained within CPCB limits in all thirteen months. In batch testing mode, removal efficiencies are 94.9% for BOD and 89.9% for COD by day 8. In addition, there were no indications of clogging or any reduction in hydraulic performance during the entire period of the tests through the use of visual inspections and measurement of the outlet flows, but this can only be seen as an observation in a field operation, and not as proof of the hydraulic performance of the system, since no tracer test or measurement of hydraulic conductivity was conducted. Full article

Long-standing studies of historical cultural spaces have primarily focused on the preservation of heritage objects and landscapes, while insufficient attention has been paid to the structural relationships, land-use transformations, and cultural–ecological processes that sustain their long-term continuity. Taking the World Heritage site of Lijiang as a case, this study develops a three-dimensional structural decoding framework composed of spatial base, spatial network, and spatial entity, together with an analytical pathway of “Identification–Interpretation–Evaluation–Synthesis–Practice.” By integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches with multi-source data, the study establishes an evidence chain linking historical processes and contemporary conditions to examine the formation mechanisms, continuity, and contemporary deviations of Lijiang’s historical cultural space. The results show that terrain–habitat adaptability, water system coupling, and environmental risk avoidance shaped environmental adaptation; historical corridors, landscape perception, and core node associations organized spatial networks; and functional diversity, cultural capital agglomeration, and spatial-scale compatibility supported entity-based spatial practices. Although tourism development, urban expansion, and land-use transformation have not completely dismantled these historical relationships, they have caused localized deviations in ecological boundaries, path continuity, visual connections, functional vitality, and spatial scale. This study argues that the governance of historical cultural spaces should shift from preserving isolated heritage objects to sustaining cultural–ecological relationships that support memory, identity, spatial practice, and adaptive land governance. Full article

Planktothrix species are among the most widespread bloom-forming cyanobacteria in freshwater ecosystems and are of particular concern because of their ability to produce cyanotoxins and form persistent harmful algal blooms (HABs). Among them, Planktothrix agardhii and Planktothrix rubescens are the most extensively studied species and are responsible for a large proportion of bloom events reported in European lakes. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the taxonomy, ecophysiology, toxin production, environmental drivers, species interactions, and management of Planktothrix blooms, with a particular focus on European freshwater ecosystems. The available evidence highlights marked ecological differences between the two dominant species. P. agardhii is primarily associated with shallow, eutrophic, and well-mixed lakes, whereas P. rubescens is typically found in deep, stratified, and relatively transparent water bodies, where it forms persistent metalimnetic populations. These contrasting ecological strategies influence bloom development, toxin dynamics, detection, and management. Nutrient availability, light climate, temperature, water column stability, and biological interactions all contribute to bloom establishment and persistence, while climate change is expected to further modify bloom frequency, duration, and geographic distribution. The review also examines current monitoring and mitigation approaches, highlighting the limitations of conventional surface-based surveys for detecting deep P. rubescens populations and emphasizing the need for integrated monitoring strategies combining depth-resolved sampling, molecular tools, and toxin analyses. Overall, understanding the ecological and physiological diversity of Planktothrix species is essential for improving risk assessment, developing effective management measures, and mitigating the impacts of cyanobacterial blooms in European freshwaters. Full article

Maintaining regional landscape ecological stability and enhancing rural landscape ecosystem services are critical research priorities. This study selected Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture (XXAP), a representative mountainous region in Southwestern (SW) China, as the case study area. This study aims to construct a rural landscape ecological risk (RLER) evaluation index system based on five-period remote sensing data (2000–2020), analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of RLER, and provide a scientific basis for landscape ecological management and rural spatial governance. The results show that the RLERI exhibited a balanced multi-ring development trend, decreasing slightly from 0.295 in 2000 to 0.282 in 2020, suggesting a slight alleviation of overall risk. Medium-risk areas of the RLERI consistently accounted for the largest proportion (over 37%). Notably, the share of high-risk areas remained relatively stable, fluctuating narrowly between 7.98% and 8.73%. Meanwhile, high-risk areas of the landscape disturbance degree (LDD) expanded markedly from 1.87% to 10.28%. Correspondingly, high-risk areas of the landscape fragility degree (LFD) also increased significantly, rising from 0.93% to 2.8%. Spatially, RLER displayed significantly positive spatial autocorrelation, with high–high (H-H) clusters concentrated in the central-southern part and low–low (L-L) clusters distributed in the northern and southern margins, indicating pronounced spatial differentiation. In conclusion, this study provides a transferable framework for ecological risk assessment in mountainous regions. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of optimizing landscape patterns in ecologically fragile areas, strengthening ecological risk management, and mitigating ecological risks in rural settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Social isolation is a significant risk factor for child maltreatment. However, few studies have examined this relationship across multiple ecological levels, including neighborhood, family, and individual factors. This cross-sectional study operationalized social isolation using social cohesion, social support, and loneliness, and aimed to examine how their inter-relationships influence child maltreatment among Japanese mothers. Methods: Data were collected through an anonymous online survey of 330 Japanese mothers of children aged under six years, conducted April–May 2025. Structural equation modeling was employed in a two-step analytic approach. First, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to establish construct validity. Second, the hypothesized structural model was tested to examine the proposed pathways among social cohesion, social support, loneliness, parenting stress, and child maltreatment. Analyses were conducted using weighted least squares with mean and variance adjustment estimation. Results: Higher social cohesion was indirectly associated with reduced child maltreatment via two pathways. First, higher social cohesion was associated with lower loneliness, reduced parenting stress, and decreased child maltreatment (β = −0.063, p < 0.001). Second, higher social cohesion was associated with greater social support, reduced loneliness, lower parenting stress, and decreased child maltreatment (β = −0.043, p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings highlight that enhancing neighborhood connectedness and alleviating maternal loneliness are key changes that may help to prevent child maltreatment. Full article

Pesticide contamination in urban runoff, stormwater, and peri-urban drainage networks is an increasing concern because of the persistence, mobility, and ecological toxicity of many pesticide residues and their transformation products. Nature-based solutions (NBSs), including constructed wetlands, bioretention systems, biofilters, and permeable reactive bio-barriers, provide low-energy and ecologically compatible platforms for urban water treatment; however, their performance is often constrained by limited sorption capacity, substrate saturation, variable hydraulic loading, and incomplete degradation of persistent pesticides. Biochar offers a multifunctional amendment for strengthening these systems because its tunable porosity, surface functionality, mineral composition, redox activity, and microbial habitat-forming capacity can support pesticide adsorption, catalytic transformation, and biodegradation. This review critically evaluates biochar-integrated NBSs for pesticide-contaminated urban water systems by linking biochar production and modification strategies with pesticide removal mechanisms, biochar–microbe interactions, engineered treatment configurations, and field-scale applicability. A comparative synthesis is provided across material-level mechanisms, system-level performance, machine learning-assisted prediction, techno-economic feasibility, life-cycle impacts, and environmental risk considerations. By integrating material properties, removal mechanisms, NBS configurations, predictive modeling, sustainability assessment, and risk considerations, this review provides a broader comparative basis than previous studies focused mainly on individual aspects of biochar-based pesticide remediation. Future priorities include standardized biochar production, long-term field validation, spent-biochar management, ecotoxicological assessment, and data-driven optimization of biochar-assisted NBSs. Full article

Seasonal snowpack and snowmelt are critical regulators of forest ecosystem functioning in temperate, boreal, montane, and alpine regions. Snowpack acts as a temporary water and energy reservoir, while snowmelt determines the seasonal availability of water and influences ecosystem processes during the growing season. Climate change is altering snowfall patterns, snow accumulation, and melt timing, with consequences for forest productivity, resilience, and disturbance dynamics. This review synthesizes current knowledge on snow–forest interactions and identifies major research trends, methodological approaches, and remaining knowledge gaps. The study combines a bibliometric analysis and a qualitative literature review based on publications indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. A total of 695 publications were included in the bibliometric dataset and analyzed to assess temporal trends, geographical patterns, research themes, and the ecological consequences of changing snow dynamics in forests. Representative studies from this dataset were subsequently synthesized to evaluate the influence of snowpack and snowmelt on forest ecosystem functioning, resilience, and sustainability. The reviewed literature shows that snowpack and snowmelt strongly regulate forest water availability, soil thermal conditions, nutrient cycling, vegetation responses, and carbon dynamics. Changes in snow regimes, particularly reduced snow accumulation and earlier melt, can increase the risk of soil freezing, modify moisture conditions, intensify water stress, and affect ecosystem carbon balance. However, the magnitude and direction of these effects depend on forest type, species composition, climate, and landscape characteristics. Forest structure also plays an important role in controlling snow interception, accumulation, persistence, and melt processes. The bibliometric analysis indicates a rapid increase in research interest in snow–forest interactions over the last two decades, with major contributions from the United States, Canada, China, and Northern Europe. Environmental sciences, hydrology, and ecology were the dominant research areas. Despite substantial progress, uncertainties remain regarding long-term ecosystem responses, species-specific vulnerabilities, and the interactions between declining snow cover and other climate-driven disturbances. This review emphasizes that understanding snowpack and snowmelt dynamics is essential for predicting forest ecosystem responses to climate change and for improving sustainable forest management and watershed conservation strategies in snow-dependent regions. Full article

Bumblebees are dominant pollinators threatened by environmental antibiotic residues. This study investigated sublethal chloramphenicol (12 and 120 μg/L) effects on Bombus terrestris after 15 days’ exposure. The results showed that chloramphenicol exposure had no significant effect on the survival rate and cumulative food intake of bumblebees, confirming the sublethal property of the tested concentrations. However, chloramphenicol significantly dysregulated the expression of genes related to learning–memory (DopR2, Oamb, NMDA), immunity (abaecin, defensin) and detoxification (cyp9Q6) in bumblebees. High-dose chloramphenicol significantly increased carboxylesterase activity and reduced malondialdehyde content, while superoxide dismutase activity remained unchanged. In addition, chloramphenicol exposure significantly reshaped the gut microbiota structure of bumblebees, reduced the abundance of core beneficial symbiotic bacteria, and increased the proportion of drug-resistant bacteria. Our findings indicate that sublethal concentrations of chloramphenicol can impair bumblebee health through multiple pathways, including regulating gene expression, altering antioxidant enzyme activity and disrupting gut microbiota homeostasis. This study provides multi-dimensional toxicological data and a scientific basis for the ecological risk assessment of agricultural antibiotic residues to pollinator insects. Full article

Naturally derived psilocybin is widely used, yet its therapeutic potential, pharmacological distinctiveness and regulatory feasibility remain understudied. This review evaluates the potential of naturally derived psilocybin using a six-criterion framework to evaluate: (1) therapeutic benefit, (2) safety and tolerability, (3) pharmacological uniqueness vs. synthetic psilocybin, (4) identity and composition control, (5) dose precision and stability, and (6) ecological sustainability. This paper answers three key questions about naturally derived psilocybin: Does it show therapeutic potential? Does it differ from synthetic psilocybin? Can it meet medicinal standards? Findings suggest perceived therapeutic benefits from naturally derived psilocybin across mental health domains, though evidence of causal efficacy is mixed. Safety profiles are favorable but context-dependent, with risks in vulnerable populations. Some preliminary preclinical evidence indicates possible entourage effects, but human validation is lacking. Dose precision varies, with purified psilocybin being most reliable, followed by standardized extracts, alcoholic, aqueous, and whole biomass preparations. Scalable cultivation is feasible but faces sustainability challenges. Key gaps include a lack of controlled trials, longitudinal safety evaluations, and standardization. We provide a phased research roadmap, which proposes short-term studies to establish safety, mid-term mechanistic and standardization efforts, and long-term integration into therapeutic, cultural, and ecological systems. This review highlights the promise of naturally derived psilocybin but underscores the need for rigorous evidence to support regulatory acceptance and clinical use. Full article

Introduction: Agricultural water scarcity and cadmium (Cd) contamination threaten global food security. Reclaimed water (RW) and partial root-zone alternate irrigation (PRA) offer possible solutions, but their synergistic effects on Cd-contaminated soils remain unclear. Objective: This study evaluated the impacts of PRA with RW on Cd-polluted tomato-growing soils. Methods: A pot experiment was conducted with 5 Cd levels (0.30–2.74 mg/kg, 5 replicates each). Soil properties, enzyme activities, Cd fractions, and 16S rRNA microbiome were analyzed. Results: PRA with RW increased rhizosphere pH by 0.42 units (p < 0.01), decreased EC by 18.7% (p < 0.05), and available Cd by 12.3% (p < 0.05). Catalase activity rose by 27.47% (p < 0.05), while sucrase and urease decreased by 32.1% and 28.5% (p < 0.01). Beneficial Actinobacteria (+8.26%) and Proteobacteria (+4.64%) were enriched, and Bacillus was reduced by 11.8%. Flavisolibacter (r = 0.802, p < 0.001) and Nocardioides (r = 0.572, p < 0.001) were key genera. Conclusions: PRA with RW reduces Cd bioavailability and ecological risks, providing a sustainable strategy for mildly/moderately polluted farmland soil. Full article

Urban ecological resilience (UER) has become a central concern in rapidly urbanizing regions where development pressures increasingly interact with ecological constraints. Focusing on the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration (GPUA), a semi-arid urban agglomeration in western China, this study examines the non-static and locally heterogeneous drivers of UER across 11 prefecture-level cities from 2000 to 2023. UER is measured through resistance, adaptability, and recovery. An extended STIRPAT model, Elastic Net with stability selection, two-way fixed-effects period interactions, and Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) are integrated to identify robust drivers, test post-2011 shifts, and estimate city-year local associations. Residual Moran’s I diagnostics and Spatial Lag GTWR (SLM-GTWR) are used as supplementary checks. The results show that UER remains relatively stable at the aggregate regional level but becomes increasingly divergent across cities. Ten robust drivers are retained, with fiscal investment intensity, human capital, medical and health level, and total energy consumption emerging as key variables. Period heterogeneity results indicate that fiscal investment becomes more favorably associated with UER after 2011, while the marginal association of energy consumption weakens. GTWR reveals clear local heterogeneity: human capital shows the most stable positive association, medical and health level remains generally negative, fiscal investment is positive but context-dependent, and energy consumption is predominantly negative but locally differentiated. Supplementary spatial diagnostics suggest that the GTWR specification captures the main spatiotemporal structure of UER, while spatial-lag checks broadly support the robustness of the local coefficient patterns, although estimates of spatial interaction remain sensitive to how inter-city linkages are defined. These findings indicate that UER drivers are dynamic rather than fixed, with resilience formation shaped mainly by governance-regime shifts and localized heterogeneity. The study contributes a sequential screening–heterogeneity framework for identifying non-static resilience drivers and suggests that resilience governance should combine stage-sensitive policy adjustment, place-based intervention, and regional coordination where ecological functions and environmental risks cross administrative boundaries. Full article