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Mangrove ecosystems play an important role in global carbon budget, however, the quantitative relationships between environmental drivers and productivity in these forests remain poorly understood. This study presented a remote sensing (RS)-based productivity model to estimate the light use efficiency (LUE) and gross primary production (GPP) of mangrove forests in China. Firstly, LUE model considered the effects of tidal inundation and therefore involved sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity as environmental scalars. Secondly, the downscaling effect of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) on the mangrove LUE was quantified according to different PAR values. Thirdly, the maximum LUE varied with temperature and was therefore determined based on the response of daytime net ecosystem exchange and PAR at different temperatures. Lastly, GPP was estimated by combining the LUE model with the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation from Sentinel-2 images. The results showed that the LUE model developed for mangrove forests has higher overall accuracy (RMSE = 0.0051, R2 = 0.64) than the terrestrial model (RMSE = 0.0220, R2 = 0.24). The main environmental stressor for the photosynthesis of mangrove forests in China was PAR. The estimated GPP was, in general, in agreement with the in-situ measurement from the two carbon flux towers. Compared to the MODIS GPP product, the derived GPP had higher accuracy, with RMSE improving from 39.09 to 19.05 g C/m2/8 days in 2012, and from 33.76 to 19.51 g C/m2/8 days in 2015. The spatiotemporal distributions of the mangrove GPP revealed that GPP was most strongly controlled by environmental conditions, especially temperature and PAR, as well as the distribution of mangroves. These results demonstrate the potential of the RS-based productivity model for scaling up GPP in mangrove forests, a key to explore the carbon cycle of mangrove ecosystems at national and global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing is the main approach to map aquatic vegetation, and classification tree (CT) is superior to various classification methods. Based on previous studies, modified CT can be developed from traditional CT by adjusting the thresholds based on the statistical relationship between spectral features to classify different images without ground-truth data. However, no studies have yet employed this method to resolve marine vegetation. In this study, three Gao-Fen 1 satellite images obtained on 30 January 2014, 5 November 2014 and 21 January 2015 were selected, and two features were then employed to extract macroalgae farms. Results show that the overall accuracies of traditional CTs for three images are 92.0, 94.2 and 93.9%, respectively, whereas those of the two corresponding modified CTs for images obtained on 21 January 2015 and 5 November 2014 are 93.1 and 89.5%, respectively. This indicates modified CTs can map macroalgae with multi-date imagery and monitor their spatiotemporal distribution in coastal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal water eutrophication and resource depletion have become serious issues in many coastal regions of the world. Seaweed aquaculture in Chinese coastal waters is a very important industry. This work assessed the major environmental benefits of seaweed cultivation, mapped the spatial distributions of various species and analyzed their environmental impacts during 2015 in China. This study found that seaweed aquaculture had brought in considerable environmental benefits, including the removal of about 75,563 t of nitrogen and 9592 t of phosphate from coastal waters, the sequestration of about 539,555 t of carbon, the absorption of 1,980,167 t of CO2, the release of 1,440,612 t of O2 into coastal waters, and the production of 5809 t of Iodine. In addition, seaweed cultivation saved approximately 29,313 t of chemical fertilizers, 1873 t of pesticide and 62,492 ha of farmland compared with terrestrial vegetable cultivation. These results demonstrate that Chinese seaweed aquaculture has turned the pollutants that cause eutrophication into nutrients, which generates considerable environmental benefits as well as socio-economic values. However, seaweed species, as well as coastal water qualities, vary by regions, spatial management of seaweed farms related to the coastal water quality is necessary. In the eutrophic coastal waters, more seaweed species that are highly capable of removing nitrogen and phosphate should be cultivated. Besides, the potentially negative effects of seaweed farming should also be considered before performing spatial management to ensure the healthy development of seaweed industry. As Chinese seaweed production continues to boom, it is a unique opportunity to strengthen the seaweed industry and to reach a win–win situation that both gains considerable environmental benefits and generates substantial socio-economic returns. This is also a promising way for other coastal developing nations/regions to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroalgae plays an important role in coastal ecosystems. The accurate delineation of macroalgae areas is important for environmental management. This study compared the pixel- and object-based methods using Gaofen satellite no. 2 image to explore an efficient classification approach. Expert system rules and nearest neighbour classifier were adopted for object-based classification, whereas maximum likelihood classifier was implemented in the pixel-based approach. Normalized difference vegetation index, normalized difference water index, mean value of the blue band and geometric characteristics were selected as features to distinguish macroalgae farms by considering the spectral and spatial characteristics. Results show that the object-based method achieved a higher overall accuracy and kappa coefficient than the pixel-based method. Moreover, the object-based approach displayed superiority in identifying Porphyra class. These findings suggest that the object-based method can delineate macroalgae farming areas efficiently and be applied in the future to monitor the macroalgae farms with high spatial resolution imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium humate (SH) is one of the derivatives humic substances, which can be utilized for heavy metal removal from water due to its containing plenty of functional groups. In this study, a double network hydrogel SH/polyacrylamide (SH/PAM) was synthesized by a simple free-radical polymerization and used for Cu2+ and Pb2+ removal from water. The adsorption process can be well described by Langmuir-Freundlich model, indicating that both physical and chemical adsorption were involved. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization demonstrated that complexation was the main mechanism for the adsorption. Two-dimensional correlation analysis of FTIR (2D-FTIR-COS) results showed that the variation order of functional groups during Cu2+ and Pb2+ adsorption in the following order: COOH ≈ –C O > –OH > C–O and –COOH ≈ C–O > –C O > –OH, respectively. According to the density functional theory (DFT) calculation results, the O atom of SH in the COO− was the main adsorption site. Meanwhile, the adsorption energy of Pb2+ was more negative than that of Cu2+ and the orbital hybridization between O atom of SH and Pb2+ was denser than that of Cu2+, which suggested that SH/PAM had a stronger combining capacity for Pb2+ than Cu2+. Therefore, the adsorption capacity for Pb2+ was larger than Cu2+. Moreover, the removal efficiencies are 30.2% for Al, 98.79% for Cu, 99.0% for Fe, 17.2% for Mn, 93.4% for Pb, and 62.4% for Zn in actual acid mine drainage using 6 g L−1 adsorbent. Collectively, this study not only provided a new adsorbent for heavy metal removal but also explicated the mechanism of heavy metal removal by SH from molecule and electron perspective, which is helpful for the application of SH in the environmental field. [Display omitted] • The SH/PAM double network hydrogel was prepared for Cu and Pb removal. • The change of the functional groups during the adsorption process was identified. • The properties of electron and orbital of sodium humate were calculated. • The SH/PAM has a good removal efficiency for acid mine drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the controllability of the semi-discrete internally controlled 1-D wave equation by using the finite difference method. In the discrete setting of the finite difference method, we derive the observability inequality and get the exact controllability for the semi-discrete internally controlled wave equation in the one-dimensional case. Then we also analyze whether the uniform observability inequality holds for the adjoint system as $h\rightarrow0$ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper-based photosensitizer nanoparticle has high potential clinic translation potency for its extensive physiological effects such as anti-cancer progression, anti-bacteria and accelerate tissue regeneration. However, copper excess or improper coordination can induce toxicity or reduce drug efficacy. To get proper copper-photosensitizer complex nanoparticle, a portion of chlorin e6 covalently conjugated with low molecular weight fish collagen fragments-collage tripeptides (CTPs), and Cu2+ subsequently triggers CTP-Ce6 conjugates assemble to Cu(II) based CTP-Ce6 nanosphere(CCeC-Ns). CCeC-Ns are 10–20 nm nanoparticles. CCeC-Ns quenched Ce6 fluorescence in aqueous solution and improved longer wavelength light absorbance. It exhibited dramatically higher cellular uptake rates and much more anticancer potency than those of free Ce6 under 660 nm irradiation without obvious dark toxicity in vitro. CCeC-Ns have longer retention time and higher penetrating rate than free Ce6 in tumor spheroid model. CCeC-Ns displayed extremely higher anti-bacterial potency than free Ce6 and sustainable efficacy. It provides a more potent and safer nanodrug for cancer and infection treatment and an idea for highly efficient metal-photosensitizers complexes design. • Fish collagen tripeptides(CTP), Cu(II) and Chlorin e6(Ce6) successfully formed ~20 nm CTP/Cu (II)/Ce6 nanoparticles(CCeC-Ns). • CCeC-Ns quenched Ce6 fluorescence in aqueous solution and recovered Ce6 fluorescence in cells. • CCeC-Ns got great improvements in cellular uptake, tumor spheroid penetrating depth and long wavelength light absorbance. • CCeC-Ns dramatically elevated anti-tumor and anti-bacteria efficacy and got maximum potency at extremely low dosage in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) combined with gas chromatography‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (GC‐TOFMS) was used to detect and analyse the volatile components of five samples with different degrees of fragmentation, combined with cluster analysis, orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS‐DA) and relative odour activity value (ROAV) analysis. The results showed that 70 volatile components were detected and identified in samples with different degrees of fragmentation. 40 were co‐containing components. Cluster analysis revealed a high degree of similarity between samples B (20 mesh sieve top) and C (40 mesh sieve top), which were grouped into one category. The order of variation in the relative content of volatile components was A (unbroken) > E (120 mesh sieve top) > D (80 mesh sieve top) > B. C; the OPLS‐DA analysis revealed significant differences in the volatile composition of rice samples with different degrees of fragmentation, This variation between samples is mainly due to the relative content of volatile components of 36 projections of variable importance (VIP > 1), such as ethyl butyrate, ethyl phenylacetate, and dimethyl trisulfide. A total of 12 volatile components with ROAV > 1, including ethyl hexanoate, 2‐acetyl‐1‐pyrroline, and E‐2‐nonenal, were found to be the key volatile components in five samples based on their ROAV, the different degrees of crushing had a greater impact on the overall aroma of the rice, and the results can be used as a reference for further rice processors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ecological roles of AHL-mediated QS in shaping bacterial communities were revealed. • Enhanced QS stimulated fast-growing bacteria (r-strategists) in biofilm reactors. • The r-selected life strategy was tied to strong extracellular substance production. • Enhanced QS facilitated bacterial interactions, particularly cooperative ones. • QS-enhanced communities showed stronger stochasticity and more convergent dynamics. Quorum sensing (QS)-based manipulations emerge as a promising solution for biofilm reactors to overcome challenges from inefficient biofilm formation and lengthy start-ups. However, the ecological mechanisms underlying how QS regulates microbial behaviors and community assembly remain elusive. Herein, by introducing different levels of N-acyl-homoserine lactones, we manipulated the strength of QS during the start-up of moving bed biofilm reactors and compared the dynamics of bacterial communities. We found that enhanced QS elevated the fitness of fast-growing bacteria with high ribosomal RNA operon (rrn) copy numbers in their genomes in both the sludge and biofilm communities. This led to notably increased extracellular substance production, as evidenced by strong positive correlations between community-level rrn copy numbers and extracellular proteins and polysaccharides (Pearson's r = 0.529−0.830, P < 0.001). Network analyses demonstrated that enhanced QS significantly promoted the ecological interactions among taxa, particularly cooperative interactions. Bacterial taxa with higher network degrees were more strongly correlated with extracellular substances, suggesting their crucial roles as public goods in regulating bacterial interactions and shaping network structures. However, the assembly of more cooperative communities in QS-enhanced reactors came at the cost of decreased network stability and modularity. Null model and dissimilarity-overlap curve analysis revealed that enhanced QS strengthened stochastic processes in community assembly and rendered the universal population dynamics more convergent. Additionally, these shaping effects were consistent for both the sludge and biofilm communities, underpinning the planktonic-to-biofilm transition. This work highlights that QS manipulations efficiently drive community assembly and confer specialized functional traits to communities by recruiting taxa with specific life strategies and regulating interspecific interactions. These ecological insights deepen our understanding of the rules governing microbial societies and provide guidance for managing engineering ecosystems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, full Poincaré beams (FPBs) with spatially variant polarization states spanning the entire surface of the Poincaré sphere have attracted considerable interests. Expanding the FPBs into an array way has the promising applications from multiparticle manipulation to optical communication. However, how to efficiently generate a high‐purity FPB array with intracavity method remains elusive. Here, a metasurface‐integrated degenerate cavity laser is proposed for efficient generation of 10 × 10 FPB array, where a pair of metasurfaces are adopted to independently modulate the circular polarization state while compensating the mode discrepancies within the cavity. Such a design strategy enables a self‐reproducing intracavity optical field, concurrently ensuring the stabilization of intracavity oscillation. It is numerically demonstrated that the purity of orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the first‐order FPB array can approach to 92.89%, with a root‐mean‐square error (RMSE) of polarization ellipse parameters below 8.17%. This work provides a compact and efficient design platform for the generation of a variety of vector beam arrays and may find promising applications in free space communication and multiple particle manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid urbanization in China, urban expansion has gradually shifted from large cities to small cities, causing spatiotemporal changes in the urban thermal environment. The differential thermal environmental characteristics of 334 cities at different hierarchy caused by urbanization are investigated in this study. Then, the spatiotemporal changes of land surface temperature (LST), albedo, and emissivity among urban areas and their surrounding buffer areas are analyzed during 2000–2015. We found that the urban warming effect is usually prominent in the daytime, with an obvious seasonal differentiation between 0.32 °C[0.27,0.38] in summer and -0.14 °C[-0.20,-0.07] in winter. The nighttime warming effect during summer resembles that in winter, in the range 0.23–0.25 °C. In addition, the number of cities with intensifying trends of the warming effect in summer daytime account for 50% of the total cities, but only 9% in winter nighttime, 23% in summer nighttime, and 25% in winter daytime. Large cities usually have obvious warming effects compared with small cities. But the highest warming effect is found in megacities during the daytime and in medium cities during the nighttime. In southern subtropical cities, the warming of urban zones is high in the daytime and low in the nighttime, while it is opposite in arid and semiarid regions, especially in winter. The negative correlations between the difference of surface albedo (emissivity) and LST in megacities and metropolitan areas emphasize that nighttime warming primarily results from radiation absorption and release affected by urbanization. This study may advance the understanding of the heterogeneity in the warming effects of different cities in China and support policy formulation and regulation to adapt to urban warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove ecosystems are valuable, yet vulnerable, and therefore they have been an important subject of protection and restoration in China. Reliable information on long-term China mangrove dynamics is lacking but vital to analyze the driving forces and evaluate the efforts of mangrove conversation. This study aims to quantify the conversions among mangroves and other land covers with high accuracy. The updated mangrove base map for 2018 was produced by integrating Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar 2 (PALSAR-2) yearly mosaics and Landsat imagery with an overall accuracy of 95.23 ± 6.02%. Then, a novel approach combining map-to-image and image-to-image methods was proposed to detect the changed pixels in mangrove forests from 1985 to 2018. The mangrove base map was adopted to mask the images from other years. To determine the changed pixels, the differencing values in the masked area between two images were calculated and compared with the corresponding thresholds. Based on the changed pixels, the possible driving forces were analyzed and associated with socioeconomic development. The resultant mangrove dynamics demonstrated that mangrove forests in China experienced a tendency of loss first and recovery later during the past 30 years. Most mangrove gains came from aquaculture and mudflat, whilst losses were due to the built-up construction and aquaculture reclamation. These conversions indicated that mangrove deforestations were mainly due to human-induced destruction, while the recoveries were strongly associated with conservation and restoration actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plant leaf senescence, caused by multiple internal and environmental factors, has an important impact on agricultural production. The lectin receptor‐like kinase (LecRLK) family members participate in plant development and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, but their roles in regulating leaf senescence remain elusive. Here, we identify and characterize a rice premature withered leaf 1 (pwl1) mutant, which exhibits premature leaf senescence throughout the plant life cycle. The pwl1 mutant displayed withered and whitish leaf tips, decreased chlorophyll content, and accelerated chloroplast degradation. Map‐based cloning revealed an amino acid substitution (Gly412Arg) in LOC_Os03g62180 (PWL1) was responsible for the phenotypes of pwl1. The expression of PWL1 was detected in all tissues, but predominantly in tillering and mature leaves. PWL1 encodes a G‐type LecRLK with active kinase and autophosphorylation activities. PWL1 is localized to the plasma membrane and can self‐associate, mainly mediated by the plasminogen‐apple‐nematode (PAN) domain. Substitution of the PAN domain significantly diminished the self‐interaction of PWL1. Moreover, the pwl1 mutant showed enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, cell death, and severe DNA fragmentation. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that PWL1 was involved in the regulation of multiple biological processes, like carbon metabolism, ribosome, and peroxisome pathways. Meanwhile, interfering of biological processes induced by the PWL1 mutation also enhanced heat sensitivity and resistance to bacterial blight and bacterial leaf streak with excessive accumulation of ROS and impaired chloroplast development in rice. Natural variation analysis indicated more variations in indica varieties, and the vast majority of japonica varieties harbour the PWL1Hap1 allele. Together, our results suggest that PWL1, a member of LecRLKs, exerts multiple roles in regulating plant growth and development, heat‐tolerance, and resistance to bacterial pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been implicated in the progression of obesity and metabolic diseases. However, its impact on beige fat biology is not well understood. Here, via m6A‐sequencing and RNA‐sequencing, this work reports that upon beige adipocytes activation, glycolytic genes undergo major events of m6A modification and transcriptional activation. Genetic ablation of m6A writer Mettl3 in fat tissues reveals that Mettl3 deficiency in mature beige adipocytes leads to suppressed glycolytic capability and thermogenesis, as well as reduced preadipocytes proliferation via glycolytic product lactate. In addition, specific modulation of Mettl3 in beige fat via AAV delivery demonstrates consistently Mettl3's role in glucose metabolism, thermogenesis, and beige fat hyperplasia. Mechanistically, Mettl3 and m6A reader Igf2bp2 control mRNA stability of key glycolytic genes in beige adipocytes. Overall, these findings highlight the significance of m6A on fat biology and systemic energy homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since diabetic patients with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) exhibit high cardiac mortality and women have higher prevalence of non-obstructive coronary artery disease than men, we tried to expand the limited understanding about the etiology and the sex difference of diabetic CMD. Accumulated methylglyoxal (MGO) due to diabetes promotes vascular damage and it was used for mimicking diabetic status. Flow cytometry analysis and isometric tension measurement were performed to evaluate coronary artery endothelial injury. MGO induced apoptosis of coronary endothelial cells, accompanied by downregulation of androgen receptor (AR). Lentivirus-mediated stable expression of AR in coronary endothelial cells increased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression and attenuated MGO-induced cell apoptosis. cPLA 2 activation was the downstream of AR downregulation by MGO treatment. Moreover, MGO also activated cPLA 2 rapidly to impair endothelium-dependent vasodilation of coronary arteries from mice. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction was demonstrated to account for MGO-mediated cPLA 2 activation and endothelial dysfunction. Importantly, AR blockade increased endothelial ROS production whereas AR activation protected coronary artery endothelial vasodilatory function from the MGO-induced injury. Although galectin-3 upregulation was confirmed by siRNA knockdown in endothelial cells not to participate in MGO-induced endothelial apoptosis, pharmacological inhibitor of galectin-3 further enhanced MGO-triggered ROS generation and coronary artery endothelial impairment. Our data proposed the AR downregulation-ROS overproduction-cPLA 2 activation pathway as one of the mechanisms underlying diabetic CMD and postulated a possible reason for the sex difference of CMD-related angina. Meanwhile, MGO-induced galectin-3 activation played a compensatory role against coronary endothelial dysfunction. [Display omitted] • MGO induces endothelial apoptosis via lowering androgen receptor expression. • MGO induces coronary endothelial dysfunction via activating cPLA 2. • Androgen receptor overexpression attenuates MGO-induced cPLA 2 upregulation. • ROS participates in MGO-mediated cPLA 2 activation and endothelial dysfunction. • Galectin-3 upregulation compensates for MGO-induced endothelial dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Period circadian regulator 3 (PER3) functions as a tumor suppressor in various cancers. However, the role of PER3 in multiple myeloma (MM) has not been reported yet. Through this study, we aimed to investigate the potential role of PER3 in MM and the underlying mechanisms. RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of PER3. Glyoxylate reductase 1 homolog (GLYR1) was predicted to be a transcription factor of PER3. The binding sites of GLYR1 on the promoter region of PER3 were analyzed using UCSC and confirmed using luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Viability, apoptosis, and metathesis were determined using CCK-8, colony formation, TUNEL, and transwell assays. We found that PER3 expression decreased in MM. Low PER3 levels may predict poor survival rates; PER3 overexpression suppresses the viability and migration of MM cells and promotes apoptosis. Moreover, GLYR1 transcriptionally activates PER3, and the knockdown of PER3 alleviates the effects of GLYR1 and induces its malignant behavior in MM cells. To conclude, GLYR1 upregulates PER3 and suppresses the aggressive behavior of MM cells, suggesting that GLYR1/PER3 signaling may be a potential therapeutic target for MM. • PER3 expression was decreased in MM. • Overexpressed PER3 suppressed the viability and migration of MM cells, meanwhile, promoted cell apoptosis. • GLYR1 transcriptionally activated PER3, and knockdown of PER3 alleviated the effects of GLYR1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluent often contains a significant amount of residual organic pollutants and nutrients, causing disturbance to the coastal effluent receiving areas (ERA). Microbial communities in coastal ERA sediments may benefit from the coexistence of organic pollutants and nutrients, promoting the emergence of versatile taxa that are capable of eliminating these substances simultaneously. However, the identification and exploration of versatile taxa in natural environments under anthropogenic disturbances remain largely uncharted territory. In this study, we specifically focused on the versatile taxa coupled by the degradation of aromatic compounds (ACs) and denitrification, using Hangzhou Bay in China as our study area. We explored how WWTPs effluent disturbance would affect the versatile taxa, and particularly examined the role of disturbance intensity in shaping their composition. Intriguingly, we found that versatile taxa were mainly derived from denitrifiers like Pseudomonas , suggesting the fulfilled potential of denitrifiers regarding ACs degradation. We also discovered that moderate disturbance stimulated the diversity of versatile taxa, resulting in strengthened functional redundancy. Through correlation network analysis, we further demonstrated that moderate disturbance enhanced the community-level cooperation. Thus, moderate disturbance serves as a catalyst for versatile taxa to maintain community function, making them more resilient to effluent disturbances. Additionally, we identified COD and NO 3 −-N concentrations as significant environmental factors influencing the versatile taxa. Overall, our findings reveal the role of effluent disturbances in the promotion of versatile taxa, and highlight moderate disturbance can foster more robust versatile taxa that are better equipped to handle effluent disturbances. [Display omitted] • Versatile taxa were firstly identified in coastal effluent-receiving area. • Denitrifiers contributed nearly all versatile taxa. • Moderate disturbance greatly stimulated versatile taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Excess pruning of dendritic spines in a minimal hepatic encephalopathy mouse model. • Spine over-pruning in vivo is accompanied with impaired motor learning. • Elevated corticosterone is associated with spine over-pruning and motor deficits. • Concurrent de-population and activation of microglia mediated by corticosterone surge. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is characterized as cognitive deficits including memory and learning dysfunctions after liver injuries or hepatic diseases. Our understandings of neurological mechanisms of MHE-associated cognitive syndromes, however, are far from complete. In the current study we generated a mouse MHE model by repetitive administrations of thioacetamide (TAA), which induced hyperammonemia plus elevated proinflammatory cytokines in both the general circulation and motor cortex. MHE mice presented prominent motor learning deficits, which were associated with excess dendritic spine pruning in the motor cortex under 2-photon in vivo microscopy. The pharmaceutical blockade of glucocorticoid receptor or suppression of its biosynthesis further rescued motor learning deficits and synaptic protein loss. Moreover, MHE mice presented microglial activation, which can be alleviated after glucocorticoid pathway inhibition. In sum, our data demonstrates corticosterone-induced microglial activation, synaptic over-pruning and motor learning impairments in MHE, providing new insights for MHE pathogenesis and potential targets of clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting sustainable development in rural areas through industrial transformation has emerged as a global consensus. The rural complex, characterized by its integration of industrial elements, serves as an advantageous target for China's rural transformation and development. However, the lack of accurate assessment and identification of industrial resource potential has impeded the progress and growth of rural complexes. Therefore, there is a pressing need for an evaluation framework that includes screening and identification functionalities to effectively guide the industrial transformation of rural complexes. Commencing with a precise definition of rural complexes and an explanation of relevant policies, this study combines qualitative theoretical constructs with quantitative multi-criteria decision-making models. Additionally, the study incorporates the gravity model to measure the impact of urban radiation on rural areas. The resulting framework for evaluating industrial resource potential consists of "3 + 7" Modules. Subsequently, utilizing Changsha as a case study, the effectiveness of the evaluation framework is verified across 804 administrative villages. The findings classify these villages into three regions, revealing a circular distribution pattern characterized by decay from the urban center towards the periphery, except for education. Moreover, all modules demonstrate significant spatial autocorrelation. Infrastructure and the ecological environment exert a substantial influence on other industries, while notable synergies exist among the Internet, culture, tourism, and science & technology innovation. Finally, based on the findings, five development suggestions are proposed, focusing on spatial integration and construction mechanisms. The study strengthens the theoretical understanding of rural complexes, provide a practical decision-making tool for project approval processes and the diagnosis of rural industries, and enhance the strategic investment approach toward rural revitalization. • A new evaluation framework for rural complex based on industrial resource potential. • The staged and modular evaluation criteria under internal and external influences. • The gravity model was used to determine the degree of the economic impact of a central city. • Some industrial resources showed a positive correlation and a circle-like distribution. • The resource potential of 804 villages in Changsha was calculated and then analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blastocystis is a common protozoan found in the surveys of human and animal fecal specimens. Extensive genetic diversity has been observed within the genus Blastocystis. At least 17 subtypes (ST) have been identified in mammals and birds, nine of which (ST1 to ST9) have been identified in humans. In China, although there have been a few reports on Blastocystis infection in humans and many animal species, no epidemiological data are available in either humans or animals in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province. To determine infection rates and subtype distributions of Blastocystis in pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, to understand genetic characterizations and to assess zoonotic possibility of Blastocystis isolates, 337 fecal specimens from livestock (68 from pigs, 147 from cattle, 109 from sheep and 13 from goats) were collected in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province. Each of them was detected for Blastocystis by PCR amplification of the partial SSU rRNA gene. An average infection rate of Blastocystis was 7.7% (26/337), and the highest infection rate was found in 9.5% (14/147) in cattle, followed by 8.8% (6/68) in pigs and 5.5% (6/109) in sheep. There was an absence of Blastocystis in goats. Five Blastocystis subtypes were identified: ST5 (n = 6) in pigs; ST3 (n = 2), ST10 (n = 10) and ST14 (n = 2) in cattle; ST1 (n = 1), ST5 (n = 1), ST10 (n = 3) and ST14 (n = 1) in sheep. 38.5% (10/26) of Blastocystis isolates belong to potentially zoonotic subtypes based on the previous findings of ST1, ST3 and ST5 in humans. This is the first report of Blastocystis in pigs, cattle and sheep in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province. ST1, ST5 and ST14 were identified in sheep for the first time. Due to the low infection rate of Blastocystis and the small percentage of potentially zoonotic subtypes in these livestock, there is a minimal risk of zoonotic transmission of Blastocystis . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use transitions are an important research area in land system science. In seeking a feasible way to improve rural residents' livelihoods and rural development, this paper explores the mechanism and effects of farmland use transition on rural livelihood transformation from the perspective of the human-land relationship. The theoretical framework of rural livelihood transformation as affected by farmland use transition is established, and econometric models are used to test the effects based on empirical panel data from China for the period 2000–2017. The major conclusions are drawn as follows. In essence, farmland use transition is the redistribution of agricultural productivity on farmland, and rural livelihood transformation is a process of long-term and trend transformation of rural residents' livelihood capital, livelihood structure, and livelihood pattern. Land use transitions boost the transformation of rural livelihood by regulating the rural human-land interactive relationship and substitutional relationship of elements in agricultural development. For every 1% increase in farmland management scale transition and farmland efficiency transition, rural livelihood transformation can be improved by 3.748% and 3.854%, respectively. The direction and intensity of the impact of farmland use transition on rural livelihood transformation differ by area and topographic conditions. Furthermore, people's livelihood finances and farmers' planting decisions regulate the effects of farmland use transition on rural livelihood transformation. The authors argue that regulating land use transitions can be an important component of policy-making to promote rural livelihoods transformation, and rural development transformation. • Theoretical framework for rural livelihood transformation affected by farmland use transition is established. • For every 1% increase in farmland scale and efficiency transition, rural livelihood transformation can be improved by 3.748% and 3.854%, respectively. • Impact of farmland use transition on rural livelihood transformation is heterogeneous in different areas and terrains. • People's livelihood finances and farmers' planting decisions will regulate the effect of farmland use transition on rural livelihoods transformation. • Regulating land use transition can be an important component of policy-making to promote rural livelihood transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The dominant role of e aq − was proved by in-situ irradiation EPR and HRMS. • Reduction pathways of 2,5 − DCNB were predicted by DFT calculation and GC − MS. • Sulfite was found to be activated by H+ in dark. • Nonlinear growth of k obs caused by scatting in concentrated SO 3 2− solution. • Cl− was proved to enhance the inhibition triggered by ●OH from H 2 O photolysis. 2,5 − dichloronitrobenzene (2,5 − DCNB) and its chlorine − containing intermediates as adsorbable organic halogens (AOX), which may cause persist environment and health damages, are widely present in fine chemical wastewater. However, AOX in high − salt wastewater are hardly removed by biological process and advanced oxidation process (AOPs). Advanced reduction processes (ARPs), especially UV/sulfite process, have attracted increasing attention in past few years due to their powerful reduction potential to refractory contaminants. In this study, the kinetics, main inhibition mechanisms, and degradation pathways of 2,5 − DCNB in UV/sulfite process were studied. The apparent reaction rate (k obs) increasing from 0.0059 min−1 to 0.0628 min−1 with sulfite dosage increasing from 2.6 mM to 104.2 mM and from 0.0027 min−1 to 0.0659 min−1 with pH value increasing from 3 to 12. Relative quantitation method based on EPR was developed to prove the dominant role of hydrated electron (e aq −) in UV/sulfite ARPs. A new sulfite activating pathway in dark was discovered at lower pH, which partly inhibits the ARPs. The nonlinear increase of k obs with increasing sulfite dosage was attributed to UV scattering which is caused by density fluctuation. The inhibition of Cl− triggered by ●OH from H 2 O direct photolysis by UV at 185 nm from lower pressure mercury lamp. This inhibition is linearly depending on Cl− concentration. The multiple competitive inhibition of NO 3 − was discussed and the three pathways are "inner filter" effect, e aq − competition and oxidizing species generation. In addition, the reduction pathways of 2,5 − DCNB during UV/sulfite ARPs were predicted by intermediates identification and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Cyclohexanol with lower toxicity was identified as final product of UV/sulfite process. This study revealed the capacity of UV/sulfite ARPs for direct dehalogenation on benzene ring and the application potential in industrial wastewater dehalogenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Coastal area is an ideal platform for studying antibiotic resistome from the "One Health" perspective. • Land-based wastewater disposal exports ARGs with higher diversity and abundance to sea. • Industrial WWTP effluent might be the source of highest antibiotic resistome risk. • mcr-4 and mcr-5 derived from industrial effluent were enriched in the ERA sediments. • HGT potential was higher between microbiome of industrial effluent and its ERA sediments. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been regarded as an important source of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environment, but out of municipal domestic WWTPs, few evidences show how environment is affected by industrial WWTPs. Here we chose Hangzhou Bay (HZB), China as our study area, where land-based municipal and industrial WWTPs discharged their effluent into the bay for decades. We adopted high-throughput metagenomic sequencing to examine the antibiotic resistome of the WWTP effluent and coastal sediment samples. And we proposed a conceptual framework for the assessment of antibiotic resistome risk, and a new bioinformatic pipeline for the evaluation of the potential horizontal gene transfer (HGT) frequency. Our results revealed that the diversity and abundance of ARGs in the WWTP's effluent were significantly higher than those in the sediment. Furthermore, the antibiotic resistome in the effluent-receiving area (ERA) showed significant difference from that in HZB. For the first time, we identified that industrial WWTP effluent boosted antibiotic resistome risk in coastal sediment. The crucial evidences included: 1) the proportion of ARGs derived from WWTP activated sludge (WA) was higher (14.3 %) and two high-risky polymyxin resistance genes (mcr-4 and mcr-5) were enriched in the industrial effluent receiving area; 2) the HGT potential was higher between resistant microbiome of the industrial effluent and its ERA sediment; and 3) the highest resistome risk was determined in the industrial effluent, and some biocide resistance genes located on high-risky contigs were related to long-term stress of industrial chemicals. These findings highlight the important effects of industrial activities on the development of environmental antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,4,6-Trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) is extensively consumed in industrial production and may cause environmental damages. The effect of halide ions on the decomposition of 2,4,6-TCP has often been overlooked. In this study, the bromide ion was found to have a stronger negative impact on 2,4,6-TCP degradation than chloride ion in the O 3 system, and led to the formation of adsorbable organic halogens (AOX). Kinetic modeling demonstrated that the concentration of various radicals was largely depended on the solution pH, and stronger basicity not only contributed to the mineralization of 2,4,6-TCP, but also inhibited the formation of halogenated by-products. Combining the intermediate identification and quantum chemical calculation, the degradation pathways of 2,4,6-TCP during ozone oxidation process were proposed. The toxicity test and ECOSAR simulation demonstrated that the acute toxicity of some 2,4,6-TCP degradation intermediates was relatively higher than their parent compound. With high concentrations of halide ions, the ozone-treated solution showed greater toxicity than the originator 2,4,6-TCP solution. These results illustrate that the ozone treatment of the halide-containing wastewater may cause potential ecological hazards and its application needs to be more cautious. [Display omitted] • Cl− and Br− pose an adverse effect on 2,4,6-TCP degradation in the O 3 system. • Kinetics of the generation of reactive species are modelled during ozonation. • Possible degradation pathways of 2,4,6-TCP are proposed. • With halide ions, the toxicity of 2,4,6-TCP solution increases after O 3 treatment. • There is a synergistic toxic effect between 2,4,6-TCP degradation intermediates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 helper T cells (TH2) are critically involved in allergies and asthma. Here we demonstrate that extracellular matrix protein-1 (ECM1) is highly and selectively expressed in TH2 cells. ECM1 deficiency caused impaired TH2 responses and reduced allergic airway inflammation in vivo. Functional analysis demonstrated that although the TH2 polarization of ECM1-deficient cells was unimpaired, these cells had a defect in migration and were retained in peripheral lymphoid organs. This was associated with reduced expression of KLF2 and S1P1. We also found that ECM1 could directly bind the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor to inhibit IL-2 signaling and activate S1P1 expression. Our data identify a previously unknown function of ECM1 in regulating TH2 cell migration through control of KLF2 and S1P1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics have raised significant concern as emerging pollutants for their increasing consumption, persistent input, and potential threat to ecological environment. Due to low concentrations and various types in coastal water, simultaneous quantification of all kinds of antibiotics is time-consuming and costly. In order to make antibiotic regular monitoring in coastal water possible, identifying the priority antibiotics in the environment is essential. Here, a method for screening the priority antibiotics in coastal water was proposed, considering individual antibiotic concentration, the positive correlation between individual and total antibiotic concentration, the detection frequency, and obvious ecological risk. Taking coastal water of the East China Sea as an example, on a list of 77 target antibiotics, 7 (SMX, TMP, SCP, SMP, CNX, ATM, and ETM) and 4 (SMX, SCP, SMP, and CNX) antibiotics were selected to be the priority antibiotics in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Furthermore, the 4 priority antibiotics in 2018 were all involved in the 7 priority antibiotics in 2017. The sum of the priority antibiotic concentrations accounted for 0.8% and 23.2% of total antibiotic concentrations, and the sum of their RQ accounted for 69.2% and 66.8% of total RQ values in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Among the above 7 priority antibiotics, ATM is mainly used in human clinical, SMX, SCP, and SMP are mainly consumed in veterinary medicine, TMP, CNX, and ETM are commonly used for humans and animals. The proposed method might provide an important reference for the monitoring and management of antibiotic pollution in coastal water. Unlabelled Image • Methods for determining priority antibiotics lack criterion in coastal water. • Detection frequency, concentration and ecological risk were considered simultaneously. • Both individual and combined toxicity of multiple antibiotics were taken into account. • Priority antibiotics in a typical coastal water of China were first proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the reasons for over-fertilisation is critical to agro-environment sustainability, especially for the fast-growing farming areas under urbanisation. Previous studies are more quantitatively biased and in most cases, merely focus on demographical, economic and political factors whilst excluding in-depth qualitative and holistic investigation. To address this gap, this paper attempts to construct a conceptual framework to investigate the hidden mechanism of chemical fertiliser overuse through an empirical study in the Dancheng county of China. Such a framework is based on Kollmuss and Agyeman (2002), and Blake's (1999) works, but incorporates demographical factors and external barriers for explaining the awareness-behaviour gap. Results indicate that environmental awareness is not necessarily related with chemical fertiliser overuse as the reasons for farmers' inappropriate behaviours are embedded within an intricate network of economic, social-cultural and policy-influenced factors incorporating labour and time constraints, risk-averse decisions, intergenerational division, farm size, attachment to instant gratification, land attachment, peer pressure, distortion of agricultural and land use policies, which has roots in the agricultural marginalisation and urban-rural dichotomy. Based on the results, policy recommendations are provided. • There is a paucity of in-depth understanding of Chinese farmers' over-fertilisation behaviour. • A comprehensive analytical framework was constructed to analyse the fertiliser overuse behaviour. • Environmental awareness is not necessarily related with chemical fertiliser overuse. • Farmers' overuse behaviour is embedded within an intricate network of multiple factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humic-like substance-containing wastewater is the main type of wastewater. This study investigated the redox behavior of organic matter during the treatment process of humic-like substances by electrochemical oxidation as well as the feasibility of improving heavily polluted soil (using petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil as an example) with the effluent from different treatment levels. Molecular spectrum analysis and electrochemical analysis showed that the quinone and aromatic groups of the humic-like substances were degraded by electrochemical oxidation, directly leading to a decreased electron donating capability. Meanwhile, this process promoted the formation of protein-like substances and fulvic-like substances, and was accompanied by an improved electron accepting capability. Since the increasing amount of electron accepting capability was greater than the decreasing amount of electron donating capability throughout the whole process, the electrochemical oxidation process increased the total electron transfer capacity of the organic matter. In addition, bioinformatic analysis shows that the organic matter in the treated effluent enhanced the activity and abundance of dominant indigenous microorganisms in petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil, which is advantageous to the natural remediation of heavily polluted soils based on degradation by indigenous bacteria. This study provides a detailed basis for understanding the electrochemical degradation process of humic-like substances as well as the resource utilization of residual organic matter after electrochemical treatment of humic-like substance-containing wastewater. Image 1 • Formation of protein-like substances and fulvic-like substances can increase EAC. • The removal of quinone and aromatic group lead to the reduction of EDC. • Electrochemical oxidation process can increase the total ETC of organic matters. • Treated effluent enhanced the growth of indigenous microorganisms for PHCS. • Electrochemical technology is conducive to the further utilization of treated effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presented a novel alternating-anode electrochemical system (AAES) based on single electrolytic cell for the treatment of nitrogen-containing refractory organic wastewater (NOW). The core of AAES lies in the alternating working of iron anode and DSA anode to integrate different electrochemical processes. The biologically treated landfill leachate (BTLL) was selected as a practical NOW for assessing the performance of AAES. The results indicated that after 140 min of electrolytic reaction, the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen (TN) using AAES was found to be 76.9 and 98.9%, respectively. The main component of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in BTLL included humic-like substances, which could be degraded into small-molecule DOM, such as fulvic-like substances and protein-like substances, by available chlorine and hydroxyl radicals present in AAES. Cathode reduction (NO x −-N → NH 4 +–N and N 2) under iron anode and indirect oxidation (NH 4 +–N → N 2) under DSA anode were the main pathways to remove TN from NOW. Owing to the redox conditions created by the alternating anodes, the main stable crystalline forms of precipitates obtained from AAES were Fe 3 O 4 and γ-Fe 2 O 3 , which could be separated by using the external magnetic field. The findings of this study may provide a feasible solution for the advanced electrochemical treatment of NOW in a single electrolytic cell as well as rapid separation of precipitates. Unlabelled Image • AAES can simultaneously remove COD and TN in a single electrolytic cell. • AAES can promote magnetic force formation for electro-coagulation precipitates. • AAES can accelerate TN removal by decreasing the conversion of NO x −-N to NH 4 +-N. • Obtained precipitate under Fe and DSA anode was Fe 3 O 4 and γ-Fe 2 O 3 , respectively. • The available chlorine played a greater role in promoting the removal of COD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is facing intense coastal eutrophication. Large-scale seaweed aquaculture in China is popular, now accounting for over 2/3's of global production. Here, we estimate the nutrient removal capability of large-scale Chinese seaweed farms to determine its significance in mitigating eutrophication. We combined estimates of yield and nutrient concentration of Chinese seaweed aquaculture to quantify that one hectare of seaweed aquaculture removes the equivalent nutrient inputs entering 17.8 ha for nitrogen and 126.7 ha for phosphorus of Chinese coastal waters, respectively. Chinese seaweed aquaculture annually removes approximately 75,000 t nitrogen and 9,500 t phosphorus. Whereas removal of the total N inputs to Chinese coastal waters requires a seaweed farming area 17 times larger than the extant area, one and a half times more of the seaweed area would be able to remove close to 100% of the P inputs. With the current growth rate of seaweed aquaculture, we project this industry will remove 100% of the current phosphorus inputs to Chinese coastal waters by 2026. Hence, seaweed aquaculture already plays a hitherto unrealized role in mitigating coastal eutrophication, a role that may be greatly expanded with future growth of seaweed aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]