Existing evidence on the associations between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and years of life lost (YLL) from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is limited and inconclusive, and the role of potential modifiers, especially those at city-level, is not fully understood. In this study, a time-series study was conducted in 48 large Chinese cities from 2013 to 2017. Generalized additive model coupled with random effects model were used to estimate national-average associations of PM2.5 with YLL. Effect modification by individual- and city-level characteristics obtained by linking with China Chronic Disease and Risk Factors Surveillance was explored. Selleck EHop-016 Moreover, additional life gain was evaluated under scenario where PM2.5 concentration would be reduced. For 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration at lag01 day, the relative increment of YLL was 0.22% from CVD, 0.20% from ischemic heart disease, 0.26% from stroke, 0.23% from hemorrhagic stroke, and 0.31% from ischemic stroke. Some associations were stronger in elder and less educated people, warm season, as well as cities characterized by higher temperature and prevalence of binge drinking and excess red meat intake, or lower PM2.5 and prevalence of usual exercise. Additional life gain attributable to avoidable YLL from CVD was estimated to be 0.08 year if PM2.5 concentration could fall to the standard recommended by World Health Organization (25 μg/m3). This large epidemiological investigation demonstrated robust evidence of short-term associations between PM2.5 exposure and YLL from CVD. Potential modifiers should be considered to develop efficient intervention strategies. Implementation of more stringent standard is beneficial to alleviate YLL caused by PM2.5.Agricultural production systems are sensitive to weather and climate anomalies and extremes as well as to other environmental and socio-economic adverse events. An adequate evaluation of the resilience of such systems helps to assess food security and the capacity of society to cope with the effects of global warming and the associated increase of climate extremes. Here, we propose and apply a simple indicator of resilience of annual crop production that can be estimated from crop production time series. First, we address the problem of quantifying resilience in a simplified theoretical framework, focusing on annual crops. This results in the proposal of an indicator, measured by the reciprocal of the squared coefficient of variance, which is proportional to the return period of the largest shocks that the crop production system can absorb, and which is consistent with the original ecological definition of resilience. Subsequently, we show the sensitivity of the crop resilience indicator to the level of management of the crop production system, to the frequency of extreme events as well as to simplified socio-economic impacts of the production losses. Finally, we demonstrate the practical applicability of the indicator using historical production data at national and sub-national levels for France. The results show that the value of the resilience indicator steeply increases with crop diversity until six crops are considered, and then levels off. The effect of diversity on production resilience is highest when crops are more diverse (i.e. as reflected in less well correlated production time series). In the case of France, the indicator reaches about 60% of the value that would be expected if all crop production time-series were uncorrelated.Returning sloping farmland (>25°) to forest/grassland (RFTF) is an effective ecological measure for soil and water conservation. However, changes in nutrient cycles and green development are still unclear. Ningxia, in Northwestern China, began to implement RFTF in 2000. Here, we used the NUFER model to calculate the input and loss of nitrogen and phosphorus, utilization efficiency, production and consumption at food-chain scale in Ningxia for the period 1985-2015. Five aspects comprised the evaluation of green development society, economy, resources, environment, and productivity. Results showed that forest coverage rate increased from 7.74% to 33.2%, while cropping area decreased by 6.6%. NH3 loss increased from 53,000 to 83,000 tons (56%), N2O increased from 1200 to 2300 tons (92%) and leaching loss from 18,000 to 62,000 tons (240%). Phosphorus leaching loss increased from 13,000 to 35,000 tons (130%). The environmental cost of food nitrogen per unit of production decreased from 8 to 6.7 kg/kg (19.4%). Nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiencies decreased by 4.8% and 58% in crops-animal systems, respectively, but increased by 652% and 430% in animal husbandry systems. The proportion of animal protein production increased from 18.3% to 39.0% (113%). The major source of organic waste was livestock and poultry manure and urine (70%). Indicators for achieving green development level increased from 14 to 18 (14.7%). Improving the level of scientific and technological management of aquaculture system, increasing the proportion of organic matter returned to farmlands, and paying attention to the combination of planting and breeding will effectively promote future cycling efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus in the food chain, and the sustainability of agriculture towards green development.Aiming for total nitrogen (TN) pollution control in the urbanized stream, this study proposed and verified a strategy of cultivating and acclimating sulfur-based autotrophic denitrifiers by using river-bottom sediments as seed sludge, and investigated temperature effects on sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification (SAD). With thiosulfate as an electron donor, seven SAD batch reactors were operated and studied at both 15 °C and 30 °C, to compare reactor performance and their microbial community analysis results. In the first batch, three parallel reactors (A1, A2, and A3) were operated at 30 °C for 30 days. The dynamic analysis showed that sequentially decreasing temperature to 20, 15, and 10 °C had significant adverse effects on nitrate-loading rates. In the second batch, two groups of parallel reactors were operated at 30 °C (B1 and B2) and 15 °C (C1 and C2) for 45 days. High TN removal efficiencies (>95%) were achieved in all four reactors, with comparable nitrate loading rates and less nitrite accumulation at 15 °C.