Observed differences between paddy and upland croplands in soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) may reflect environmental and data-provenance imbalances rather than land-use effects. We reconstructed independent SOC and SIC profile datasets across China, harmonized depths, and separated full-sample comparisons from a prespecified comparable subset. Among all topsoil SOC profiles retained after applying the inclusion criteria (334 paddy, 347 upland), the median Upland-minus-Paddy contrast was −2.12 g kg−1; within the shared subset (97/95), it attenuated to −0.35 g kg−1 (95% interval, −1.74 to 1.55). For 97 paddy soils, changing only the land-use indicator to upland while holding observed soil and environment states fixed yielded a mean SOC contrast of −0.58 g kg−1 (joint 95% interval, −1.02 to −0.15), with 78.4% negative. A layer-resolved Extra Trees S-learner supported this scenario with out-of-fold R2 = 0.72 and mean R2 = 0.72 across ten spatial partitions. The shared topsoil SIC subset retained only 9 paddy and 7 upland profiles, so adjusted SIC could not be estimated. Aridity index (AI) stratification showed the strongest negative SOC contrast in more humid high-AI croplands (−1.08 g kg−1; −1.62 to −0.56), whereas low- and middle-AI strata crossed zero; the high-minus-middle difference was −1.29 g kg−1 (−2.09 to −0.60). Among comparable croplands, observed topsoil SOC differed little between paddy and upland fields, but model predictions indicated lower SOC under upland land use, particularly in humid regions. These results suggest a modest SOC advantage of paddy croplands, while SIC differences remain unresolved.
Soil organic carbon (SOC) sustains ecosystem productivity, soil health, and sequesters atmospheric CO2. Straw return (StrawR) effectively compensates for carbon (C) losses by SOC mineralization in croplands. Quantifying the straw-derived SOC and straw conversion efficiency (SCE; the percentage of straw C converted to SOC) enables a direct assessment of C sequestration potential. This study integrates 13C isotopic tracer data with machine learning approaches to evaluate straw-derived SOC and SCE. A random forest model was further used to identify the key environmental and management drivers controlling straw-derived SOC and SCE, and to extrapolate their spatial patterns at the global scale. Straw-derived SOC content decreased over time, primarily due to the relative accumulation of recalcitrant compounds. Such dynamics are typically mediated by changes in microbial metabolic strategies in response to shifting resource availability. Random forest analysis identified StrawR amount, straw particle size, and soil bulk density (BD) as the key drivers of straw-derived SOC content (IncMSE percentages: 42%, 20%, and 19%, respectively). High soil BD potentially reduces soil aeration and suppresses microbial metabolic capacity, reducing C sequestration. Machine learning predictions indicate a straw C residual ratio of 17 ± 3.4% after 1 year and a global average SCE of 10 ± 1.1% after 5 years of StrawR, which supports our hypothesis that initial StrawR practices elevated C sequestration potential and SCE compared with prolonged StrawR application. Assuming 100% global adoption, StrawR offers a theoretical maximum biophysical potential of 1.7 Pg C yr−1 over five years. This maximum capacity would theoretically offset 52% of agricultural CO2 emissions and 16% of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This study addresses critical gaps in straw conversion dynamics and updated estimates of C sequestration capacity, highlighting the contribution of StrawR as a climate change mitigation strategy.
The conversion of carbonaceous solid wastes into H-2-rich syngas is an important route for sustainable energy transition. However, maintaining catalyst stability under complex processing conditions remains a major challenge. This study investigates the durability and regeneration behavior of Ni-Mg-Ca multifunctional catalysts during a plasma-assisted and sorption-enhanced reforming system for biomass and plastics co-pyrolysis. The synergistic effects of plasma-catalysis and in-situ CO2 capture significantly improved performance, achieving a maximum H-2 yield of 71.22 mmol/g (similar to 69 vol%) while reducing the CO2 concentration to similar to 9 vol%. During cyclic tests, catalyst deactivation was mainly caused by carbon deposition and sintering of active metals. Two different regeneration routes were employed and showed distinct performance and mechanisms. Thermal regeneration (TR) restored approximately 92% of catalytic activity through fully oxidizing coke accumulation and rebuilding the crystalline structure. In contrast, plasma regeneration (PR) recovered over 80% of the initial activity via selective removal of amorphous carbon and the introduction of oxygen vacancies, while largely preserving the catalyst texture. Based on these findings, a hybrid regeneration strategy of frequent non-invasive plasma cleaning and periodic thermal treatment is proposed as an effective way to extend catalyst lifetime and improve the cost effectiveness of waste-to-hydrogen technologies.
Many mergers and acquisitions (M&As) fail, and an emerging body of literature highlights the role of prejudice in derailing the M&A process. While prejudice is frequently observed in M&As, strategies to mitigate these biases remain underexplored. Adopting a qualitative case study approach, this study focuses on Chinese acquisitions in the UK and examines how managers from both the acquired and acquiring organizations navigate prejudice through emotional sensemaking. The findings demonstrate that emotional sensemaking plays a critical role in shaping the post-acquisition integration (PAI) process and its outcomes. Specifically, sensemaking supported by emotional intelligence facilitates the accommodation or reduction of prejudice, while emotionally unintelligent sensemaking tends to reinforce it. By focusing on the dynamic, interactive emotional exchanges between managers at the micro level, this study offers a fresh lens on the integration process beyond traditional strategic or structural explanations. The study contributes to the literature by advancing the understanding of micro-level emotional sensemaking in the PAI, emphasizing the dynamic, interactive nature of emotional sensemaking between acquirer and acquiree managers, and its impact on the integration process and outcomes. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (M&As) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (prejudice) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (emotional sensemaking) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (post-acquisition integration, PAI) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic): (sic)(sic)(sic) (emotional intelligence) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).
The integration of non-thermal CO2 plasma (NTP) with a custom-designed electrolyte-gap electrolyser and CuO catalysts represents an innovative strategy to enhance the electrochemical conversion of CO2 into C1-C3 products. Systematic galvanostatic experiments conducted at current densities ranging from 100 to 225 mA cm-2 demonstrated that plasma-on operation significantly reduces cell voltages (by up to similar to 1.3 V) and that product selectivity transitions from C1 species (CO and methane) to C2+ products, including ethylene, ethanol, acetate, propylene, and propanol. While CO and H2 predominate under plasma-off conditions, with limited formation of C2 products, the hybrid plasma-electrochemical system increases the faradaic efficiency (FE) for ethylene up to 39.5% and ethanol up to 18.1%. These enhancements are attributed to plasma-generated reactive species (radicals and excited-state molecules) that lower kinetic barriers for C-C coupling and modify the interfacial pH, thereby reducing parasitic carbonate/bicarbonate losses. The plasma-on state resulted in a statistically significant increase in liquid product carbon efficiency, from an average of similar to 0.41% during plasma-off experiments to similar to 0.91% during plasma-on experiments. Although the system currently exhibits lower overall energy efficiency owing to the power demands of the plasma discharge, this work establishes a robust framework for flexible product tuning and sustainable carbon utilisation via plasma-activated feeds.
