Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology

About: Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology is a education organization based out in Nanjing, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Precipitation & Aerosol. The organization has 14129 authors who have published 17985 publications receiving 267578 citations. The organization is also known as: Nan Xin Da.

Black-carbon absorption enhancement in the atmosphere determined by particle mixing state

Abstract: Mixing with non-black carbon can enhance the radiative effect of black-carbon aerosols. Lab and field measurements of aerosol properties reveal that the mass ratio of black to non-black carbon determines the amount of enhancement.

Compact and uniform TiO2@g-C3N4 core-shell quantum heterojunction for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline antibiotics

Abstract: Optimizing the heterojunction structure of semiconductor photocatalysts is significant for taking full advantage of their abilities for organic molecules degradation. Here, we demonstrate a feasible strategy of polymerizing the quantum-thick graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) on to the surface of anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanosheets with exposed {001} facets to form the TiO2@g-C3N4 (TCN) core-shell quantum heterojunction for improving photocatalytic tetracycline degradation activity. 100 mg of TCN photocatalyst shows the highest tetracycline degradation rate of 2.2 mg/min, which is 36% higher than that of the TiO2/g-C3N4 random mixture (TCN(mix)), 2 times higher than that of TiO2, and 2.3 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4. Results also indicate that h+ and ·O2− are the main oxidant species for the efficient photocatalytic reaction. The decisive factors in improving the photocatalytic activity of TCN is the unique structural advantages of quantum-thick g-C3N4 shell, compact and uniform contact interface, richly available reaction sites, more surface adsorbed hydroxyl (OH) groups. Efficient electron transfer between TiO2 and g-C3N4 is also demonstrated by the significant enhancement of photocurrent response of TCN electrodes and decrement of fluorescence emission spectra. This work demonstrates new sights for synthesizing high-efficient and environment-stable photocatalysts by engineering the surface heterojunction.

Heat wave impacts on mortality in Shanghai, 1998 and 2003

Abstract: A variety of research has linked extreme heat to heightened levels of daily mortality and, not surprisingly, heat waves both in 1998 and in 2003 all led to elevated mortality in Shanghai, China. While the heat waves in the two years were similar in meteorological character, elevated mortality was much more pronounced during the 1998 event, but it remains unclear why the human response was so varied. In order to explain the differences in human mortality between the two years’ heat waves, and to better understand how heat impacts human health, we examine a wide range of meteorological, pollution, and social variables in Shanghai during the summers (15 June to 15 September) of 1998 and 2003. Thus, the goal of this study is to determine what was responsible for the varying human health response during the two heat events. A multivariate analysis is used to investigate the relationships between mortality and heat wave intensity, duration, and timing within the summer season, along with levels of air pollution. It was found that for heat waves in both summers, mortality was strongly associated with the duration of the heat wave. In addition, while slightly higher than average, the air pollution levels for the two heat waves were similar and cannot fully explain the observed differences in human mortality. Finally, since the meteorological conditions and pollution levels for the two heat waves were alike, we conclude that improvements in living conditions in Shanghai, such as increased use of air conditioning, larger living areas, and increased urban green space, along with higher levels of heat awareness and the implementation of a heat warning system, were responsible for the lower levels of human mortality in 2003 compared to 1998.

Drought losses in China might double between the 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C warming.

Abstract: We project drought losses in China under global temperature increase of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C, based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), a cluster analysis method, and "intensity-loss rate" function. In contrast to earlier studies, to project the drought losses, we predict the regional gross domestic product under shared socioeconomic pathways instead of using a static socioeconomic scenario. We identify increasing precipitation and evapotranspiration pattern for the 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C global warming above the preindustrial at 2020-2039 and 2040-2059, respectively. With increasing drought intensity and areal coverage across China, drought losses will soar. The estimated loss in a sustainable development pathway at the 1.5 °C warming level increases 10-fold in comparison with the reference period 1986-2005 and nearly threefold relative to the interval 2006-2015. However, limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 °C can reduce the annual drought losses in China by several tens of billions of US dollars, compared with the 2.0 °C warming.