Field and pot fertilization experiments on foxtail millet and common millet further suggest that the millet grain δ¹⁵N values can serve as reliable indicators of manuring practices, and the relationship between manuring levels and the δ¹⁵N values of archaeological millet remains was proposed. The δ¹⁵N values of ancient millet grains suggest widespread and intensive manuring practices in prehistoric North China.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44312-024-00040-3

 

Announcing a new publication for Marine Development journal. The availability of water quality data is crucial for water quality assessment and environmental management. In real-time monitoring, the issue of missing data frequently occurs because of various reasons, such as natural hazards, facility malfunction, periodic maintenance, and parameter adjustment. Missingness can cause a mismatch in sample sizes and introduce unpleasant blank cells in data matrices, which reduces the utility and precision of related statistical analysis. Handling missing values in real water quality monitoring systems is essential for environmental analysis, particularly in some small-scale datasets.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44312-024-00033-2

 

Announcing a new publication for Marine Development journal. The shipping industry plays a pivotal role in facilitating global trade, with over 80% of world trade by volume being transported via maritime transportation. However, the environmental impacts of shipping, particularly in terms of air pollution in coastal regions, have received increasing attention in recent years. In response to these concerns, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented a series of regulations designed to curb emissions from ships, with the establishment of Emission Control Areas (ECAs) being one of the most significant measures. ECAs are designated sea areas where stricter controls are imposed on emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM).

The present study explores the potential for functional processes maintenance principles to be applied in coastal restoration. In this paper, the research progress and development trend of restoration of damaged coastal wetland ecosystems in greater bay areas were specially discussed in terms of the mechanism, restoration technologies and methods, and the importance and criticality of coastal wetland functional processes to maintaining ecosystem functions, the main future research trends are proposed, which will solve the principal theory facing the restoration of coastal wetland ecosystems in greater bay areas.

Researchers at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), have pioneered a new cancer-treatment strategy that amplifies cancer cell starvation for amino acids. The study found that cancer cells can survive in nutrient-deprived environments by internalising extracellular proteins via macropinocytosis and degrading them through the proteasomal pathway. Leveraging this discovery, the HKUMed researchers engineered pH-responsive polymeric nanoparticles that release drugs to block both protein uptake and degradation, effectively achieving tumour starvation therapy. The research findings were published in Advanced Science, and a US patent application has been filed.