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Vascular calcification (VC) is a common pathological manifestation of atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes vascular disease, vascular injury, chronic kidney disease and aging, which is mainly manifested as increased stiffness of the vascular wall. Oxidative stress and autophagy dysfunction are key factors in the pathogenesis of vascular calcification, but the specific mechanisms and the therapeutic strategy of vascular calcification have not been clarified. In the present study, Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) was screened as the therapeutic targets for vascular calcification by the bioinformatics. SIRT1 is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which plays an important role in inhibiting oxidative stress and promoting autophagy. Luteolin (LUT), a kind of natural tetrahydroxyl flavonoid, exists in many plants and has many pharmacological effects such as anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis. We have reported that luteolin has certain anti-osteoporosis effects in the previous study, and it is accepted that the development of vascular calcification is similar to bone formation, indicating that luteolin may also resist vascular calcification. And luteolin is known to activate SIRT1 to some extent. Moreover, the molecular docking analysis predicted that SIRT1 could bind directly to luteolin. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the potential role of luteolin in inhibiting oxidative stress and promoting autophagy during vascular calcification via modulating SIRT1 expression. The results showed that luteolin significantly improved vascular calcification induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and vitamin D 3 in rats in vivo. In addition, luteolin significantly repressed the formation of mineralized nodules and ALP activity in H 2 O 2 -treated A7r5 cells. Luteolin reduced the level of MDA, LDH and ROS generation, inhibited the protein expression of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, β-catenin and BMP-2 in the aortic tissue of the rat and rat smooth muscle cells (A7r5) treated with hydrogen peroxide. At the same time, luteolin could promote the expression of autophagy related proteins. Moreover, luteolin also produced effects to increase the protein expression levels of SIRT1 more than 2 times both in vivo and in vitro. In terms of mechanism, luteolin attenuated vascular calcification by inhibiting oxidative stress and improving autophagy level, via modulating SIRT1 / CXCR4 signaling pathway. In conclusion, this experiment for the first time revealed that LUT protected against VC via modulating SIRT1 / CXCR4 signaling pathway to promote autophagy and inhibit vascular calcification and may be developed as a new therapeutic agent for vascular calcification and atherosclerosis., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists.)

Soil contamination by multiple metals is a significant concern due to the interlinked mobilization processes. The challenges in comprehending this issue arise from the poorly characterized interaction among different metals and the complexities introduced by spatial and temporal heterogeneity in soil systems. We delved into these complexities by incubating size-fractionated paddy soils under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions, utilizing a combination of techniques for aqueous and colloidal analysis. The contaminated paddy soil predominantly consisted of particles measuring <53, 250-53, and 2000-250 μm, with the <53 μm fractions exhibiting the highest concentrations of multiple metals. Interestingly, despite their higher overall content, the <53 μm fractions released less dissolved metal. Furthermore, glucose enhanced the release of arsenic while simultaneously promoting the sequestration of other metals, such as Pb, Zn, and Cu. Utilizing asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation, we unveiled the presence of both fine (0.3-130 kDa) and large (130-450 nm) colloidal pools, each carrying various metals with different affinities for iron minerals and organic matter. Our results highlighted the pivotal role of the <53 μm fraction as a significant reservoir for multiple metal contaminants in paddy soils, in which the colloidal metals were mainly associated with organic matter. These findings illuminated the size-resolved dynamics of soil metal cycling and provided insights for developing remediation strategies for metal-contaminated soil ecosystems.

Aromatic chlorinated compounds and Cr(VI) in groundwater pose significant challenges due to their resistance. This study explores microbial fuel cells using low-cost Si-modified ferrihydrite (SiFh) electrodes for simultaneous chlorobenzene and Cr(VI) removal. The voltage output of MFC assembled with SiFh modified electrode was approximately 1.63 times higher than the bare electrode, achieving 1.23 times higher in chlorobenzene degradation efficiency. CF-SiFh loaded MFC had the highest power generation and best EET efficiency, which was positive to greatest and fastest chlorobenzene removal. Microbial community analysis identified the dominance of Cupriavidus and Pandoraea in chlorobenzene oxidation, while Lentimicrobiaceae and Rhodobacteraceae were key genera that may facilitate direct and indirect electron transfer within the biofilms. Cr species analysis in solution and solids confirmed it was reduced to Cr(OH) 3 or Cr x Fe 1-x (OH) 3 coprecipitates at cathode. MFCs with SiFh-modified electrodes thus offer a promising technology for simultaneous chlorinated compound and Cr(VI) removal, promising in contaminated groundwater remediation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Soil aggregates are crucial for soil organic carbon (OC) accumulation. This study, utilizing a 32-year fertilization experiment, investigates whether the core microbiome can elucidate variations in carbon content and decomposition across different aggregate sizes more effectively than broader bacterial and fungal community analyses. Employing ensemble learning algorithms that integrate machine learning with network inference, we found that the core microbiome accounts for an average increase of 26 % and 20 % in the explained variance of PCoA and Adonis analyses, respectively, in response to fertilization. Compared to the control, inorganic and organic fertilizers decreased the decomposition index (DDI) by 31 % and 38 %, respectively. The fungal core microbiome predominantly influenced OC content and DDI in larger macroaggregates (>2000 μm), explaining over 35 % of the variance, while the bacterial core microbiome had a lesser impact, explaining <30 %. Conversely, in smaller aggregates (<2000 μm), the bacterial core microbiome significantly influenced DDI (R 2  > 0.2), and the fungal core microbiome more strongly affected OC content (R 2  > 0.3). Mantel tests showed that pH is the most significant environmental factor affecting core microbiome composition across all aggregate sizes (Mantel's r > 0.8, P < 0.01). Linear correlation analysis further confirmed that the core microbiome's community structure could accurately predict OC content and DDI in aggregates (R 2  > 0.8, P < 0.05). Overall, our findings suggested that the core microbiome provides deeper insights into the variability of aggregate organic carbon content and decomposition, with the bacterial core microbiome playing a particularly pivotal role within the soil aggregates., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The acidic nature of malignant tumors leads to increased drug sequestration and the evasion of apoptotic damage, which is further exacerbated by abnormal lysosomes in tumor cells. In this study, a "lysosomal bomb" will be constructed using a type of acid-neutralized amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) to encapsulate the sonosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), and then coated with homologous tumor cell membranes to increase water solubility and homologous targeting. The PpIX-ACC@CMs designed in this paper are popcorn-like structures, which can not only neutralize the tumor's acidic microenvironment to balance the pH value and release excess Ca 2+ , but also cause lysosomal dysfunction and achieve drug lysosomal escape to increase drug accumulation. Additionally, the CO 2 gas nucleus produced by the acid reaction of ACC can increase the ultrasonic cavitation effect to amplify the sonodynamic therapy (SDT) effect. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that PpIX-ACC@CMs, serving as a "lysosomal bomb," successfully localized to lysosomes of tumor cells and exhibited lysosomal escape ability through its acid reaction ability, achieving excellent SDT efficacy under ultrasound stimulation. Furthermore, exogenous Ca 2+ overload also increased the likelihood of tumor calcification, which could contribute to in vivo tumor inhibition and facilitate CT medical imaging to monitor treatment efficacy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The cycling processes of elemental manganese (Mn), including the redox reactions of dissolved Mn(III) (dMn(III)), directly and indirectly influences the biogeochemical processes of many elements. Though increasing evidence indicates the widespread presence of dMn(III) mediates the fate of many elements, its role may be currently underestimated. There is both a lack of clear understanding of the historical research framework of dMn(III) and a systematic overview of its geochemical properties and detection methods. Therefore, the primary aim of this review is to outline the understanding of dMn(III) in multiple fields, including soil science, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, geochemistry, and water treatment, and summarize the formation pathways, species forms, and detection methods of dMn(III) in aquatic systems. This review considers how the characteristics of dMn(III), the intermediate formed in the single-electron reaction processes of Mn(II) oxidation and Mn(IV) reduction, determines its participation in environmental geochemical processes. Its widespread presence in diverse water systems and active redox properties coupling with various elements confirm its significant role in natural elemental geochemistry cycle and artificial water treatment processes. Therefore, further investigation into the role of dissolved Mn(III) in aquatic systems is warranted to unravel unexplored coupled elemental redox reaction processes mediated by dissolved Mn(III), filling in the gaps in our understanding of manganese environmental geochemistry, and providing a theoretical basis for recognizing the role of dMn(III) role in water treatment technologies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The influence of Si content (0.1-0.8 wt.%) on the development of precipitation microstructures and the resultant mechanical and creep properties during thermal exposure, up to 1000 h at 300 °C, in Al-Cu 224 cast alloys, was systematically investigated. The room and elevated temperature yield strength (YS) increased with increasing Si content under the T7 condition, which was attributed to the fact that the Si promoted the precipitation of fine θ'. However, Si increased the coarsening of θ' during thermal exposure at 300 °C, and the alloys with low Si exhibited a higher YS and creep resistance at elevated temperatures than high Si alloys. The mechanical strength and creep resistance were mainly controlled by the precipitation strengthening of the predominant θ' phase. Because of the high mechanical strength and creep resistance of the 0.1Si alloy during long-term thermal exposure, the Si level in Al-Cu alloys should be maintained at a low level of 0.1 wt.% for high-temperature applications. The strengthening mechanisms were quantitatively analyzed, based on the characteristics of the precipitate. The predicted YS values under different exposure conditions agreed well with the experimentally measured values.

Fenton-conditioning is commonly used to improve dewatering ability for municipal biological sludge, however, its application in industries is scarce. In this study, biochar (FT-BC) was successfully synthesized from a Fenton-conditioned landfill leachate biological sludge under oxygen-limited. As compared to the corresponding blank and poly ferric-pretreated biochars (BC and PF-BC), moderate Fenton conditioning of the sludge could enable good removal performance for Cr (Ⅵ) by FT-BC. It was found that the oxygen central free radicals (OCFRs) on the biochar surface was intensively promoted due to Fenton electrophilic addition of ·OH onto the oxygen-containing functional groups in biomass. The amounts of OCFRs correlated positively well with the removal efficiency, indicating these persistent free radicals (PFRs)would mainly responsible for the reductive immobilization of Cr(VI)on the FT-BC surface. This study is expected to provide a new method for reclamation of industrial biological sludges with poor agglomeration by introducing simple Fenton pre-conditioning., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background: Effective biomarkers for assessing anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy efficacy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are still lacking. The human gut microbiota has been shown to influence clinical response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in many cancers. However, the relationship between the gut microbiota and the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma has not been determined., Methods: We conducted a prospective study in which fecal and blood samples from patients with NPC were subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing and survival analysis. To investigate potential differences in the gut microbiome between these groups and to identify potential biomarkers indicative of immunotherapy efficacy, patients were categorized into two groups according to their clinical response to immunotherapy, the responder group (R group) and the non-responder group (NR group). Progression-free survival (PFS) between these subgroups was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with the log-rank test. Additionally, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate prognostic factors. Finally, we carried out non-targeted metabolomics to examine the metabolic effects associated with the identified microbiome., Results: Our 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that the abundance of Lachnoclostridium was higher in the NR group than in the R group (p = 0.003), and alpha diversity analysis showed that the abundance of microbiota in the NR group was higher than that in the R group (p = 0.050). Patients with a lower abundance of Lachnoclostridium had better PFS (p = 0.048). Univariate (p = 0.017) and multivariate analysis (p = 0.040) showed that Lachnoclostridium was a predictor of PFS. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis revealed that Lachnoclostridium affects the efficacy of immunotherapy through the usnic acid., Conclusions: High abundance of Lachnoclostridium predicts poor prognosis in patients with NPC receiving immunotherapy., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The clearance of urea poses a formidable challenge, and its excessive accumulation can cause various renal diseases. Urease demonstrates remarkable efficacy in eliminating urea, but cannot be reused. This study aimed to develop a composite vector system comprising microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) immobilized with urease and metal-organic framework (MOF) UiO-66-NH 2 , denoted as MCC@UiO/U, through the dynamic defect generation strategy. By utilizing competitive coordination, effective immobilization of urease into MCC@UiO was achieved for efficient urea removal. Within 2 h, the urea removal efficiency could reach up to 1500 mg/g, surpassing an 80% clearance rate. Furthermore, an 80% clearance rate can also be attained in peritoneal dialyzate from patients. MCC@UiO/U also exhibits an exceptional bioactivity even after undergoing 5 cycles of perfusion, demonstrating remarkable stability and biocompatibility. This innovative approach and methodology provide a novel avenue and a wide range of immobilized enzyme vectors for clinical urea removal and treatment of kidney diseases, presenting immense potential for future clinical applications.

Within the beamlines of diffraction-limited storage rings, the liquid-metal-bath cooling scheme is a prevalent choice for the cooling of high-heat load mirrors. This study employs the finite element analysis method to evaluate the thermal deformations of liquid-metal-bath horizontally deflecting mirrors in the Hefei Advanced Light Facility. In particular, we introduce a novel optimization strategy to obtain the optimal thermal deformation scenario, which also satisfies mechanical design requirements. Moreover, a concurrent optimization approach across multiple structural parameters of mirrors is adopted to attain globally optimal thermal deformation. Following the optimization of the mirror's structural parameters, the curvature radius increases to 227 km, while the residual slope error decreases to 36.3 nrad at 6 eV in the meridian direction. The ray tracing analysis of the beam demonstrates a considerable reduction in the influence of thermal deformation on the beam's focal point. This work proposes an optimization method for designing cooling schemes under mechanical constraints., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is pivotal for both agricultural activities and climate change mitigation, and biochar stands as a promising tool for bolstering SOC and curtailing soil carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. However, the involvement of biochar in SOC dynamics and the underlying interactions among biochar, soil microbes, iron minerals, and fresh organic matter (FOM, such as plant debris) remain largely unknown, especially in agricultural soils after long-term biochar amendment. We therefore introduced FOM to soils with and without a decade-long history of biochar amendment, performed soil microcosm incubations, and evaluated carbon and iron dynamics as well as microbial properties. Biochar amendment resulted in 2-fold SOC accrual over a decade and attenuated FOM-induced CO 2 emissions by approximately 11% during a 56-day incubation through diverse pathways. Notably, biochar facilitated microbially driven iron reduction and subsequent Fenton-like reactions, potentially having enhanced microbial extracellular electron transfer and the carbon use efficiency in the long run. Throughout iron cycling processes, physical protection by minerals could contribute to both microbial carbon accumulation and plant debris preservation, alongside direct adsorption and occlusion of SOC by biochar particles. Furthermore, soil slurry experiments, with sterilization and ferrous iron stimulation controls, confirmed the role of microbes in hydroxyl radical generation and biotic carbon sequestration in biochar-amended soils. Overall, our study sheds light on the intricate biotic and abiotic mechanisms governing carbon dynamics in long-term biochar-amended upland soils.

Radiation-induced enteritis, a significant concern in abdominal radiation therapy, is associated closely with gut microbiota dysbiosis. The mucus layer plays a pivotal role in preventing the translocation of commensal and pathogenic microbes. Although significant expression of REGγ in intestinal epithelial cells is well established, its role in modulating the mucus layer and gut microbiota remains unknown. The current study revealed notable changes in gut microorganisms and metabolites in irradiated mice lacking REGγ, as compared to wild-type mice. Concomitant with gut microbiota dysbiosis, REGγ deficiency facilitated the infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages, thereby exacerbating intestinal inflammation after irradiation. Furthermore, fluorescence in situ hybridization assays unveiled an augmented proximity of bacteria to intestinal epithelial cells in REGγ knockout mice after irradiation. Mechanistically, deficiency of REGγ led to diminished goblet cell populations and reduced expression of key goblet cell markers, Muc2 and Tff3, observed in both murine models, minigut organoid systems and human intestinal goblet cells, indicating the intrinsic role of REGγ within goblet cells. Interestingly, although administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics did not alter the goblet cell numbers or mucin 2 (MUC2) secretion, it effectively attenuated inflammation levels in the ileum of irradiated REGγ absent mice, bringing them down to the wild-type levels. Collectively, these findings highlight the contribution of REGγ in counteracting radiation-triggered microbial imbalances and cell-autonomous regulation of mucin secretion., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are considered as a useful biomarker for early cancer diagnosis, which play a crucial role in metastatic process. Unfortunately, the tumor heterogeneity and extremely rare occurrence rate of CTCs among billions of interfering leukocytes seriously hamper the sensitivity and purity of CTCs isolation., Methods: To address these, we firstly used microfluidic chips to detect the broad-spectrum of triple target combination biomarkers in CTCs of 10 types of cancer patients, including EpCAM, EGFR and Her2. Then, we constructed hybrid engineered cell membrane-camouflaged magnetic nanoparticles (HE-CM-MNs) for efficient capture of heterogeneous CTCs with high-purity, which was enabled by inheriting the recognition ability of HE-CM for various CTCs and reducing homologous cell interaction with leukocytes. Compared with single E-CM-MNs, HE-CM-MNs showed a significant improvement in the capture efficiency for a cell mixture, with an efficiency of 90%. And the capture efficiency of HE-CM-MNs toward 12 subpopulations of tumor cells was ranged from 70 to 85%. Furthermore, by using HE-CM-MNs, we successfully isolated heterogeneous CTCs with high purity from clinical blood samples. Finally, the captured CTCs by HE-CM-MNs could be used for gene mutation analysis., Conclusions: This study demonstrated the promising potential of HE-CM-MNs for heterogeneous CTCs detection and downstream analysis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Regular blood glucose monitoring and control is necessary for people with type 1 or advanced type 2 diabetes, yet diagnosing and treating patients with diabetes in an accurate, sustained and patient-friendly manner remains limited. Here, a glucose-responsive bifunctional nanosystem (PGOxMns) is constructed via one-pot biomineralisation of manganese dioxide with glucose oxidase and ε-poly-L-lysine. Under hyperglycaemic conditions, the cascade reactions that occur when glucose interacts with PGOxMns can trigger the production of Mn(II), which enhances the magnetic resonance imaging signal. Simultaneously, manganese dioxide catalyses the decomposition of toxic hydrogen peroxide into oxygen, which also maintains glucose oxidase (GOx) activity. In an in vivo model of diabetes, PGOxMns is used to monitor glucose levels (0-20 mm) and allowed identification of diabetic mice via T 1 -weighted MRI. Furthermore, PGOxMns is found to have a high insulin-loading capacity (83.6%), likely due to its positive charge. A single subcutaneous injection of insulin-loaded nanosystem (Ins-PGOxMns) into diabetic mice resulted in a rapid and efficient response to a glucose challenge and prolonged blood glucose level control (< 200 mg dL -1 ) for up to 50 h. Overall, this proof-of-concept study demonstrates the feasibility of using biomineralised nanosystems to develop patient-friendly strategies for glucose monitoring and control., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Selective removal of ultra-high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from the blood of hyperlipemia patients using hemoperfusion is considered an efficient method to prevent the deterioration of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Based on the exceptional structure-function properties of multistimulus-responsive materials, we developed a magnetic photorenewable nanoadsorbent (Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @Azo-COOH) with outstanding selectivity and regenerative characteristics, featuring functionalized azobenzene as the ligand. The dual-stimulus response endowed Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @Azo-COOH with rapid separation and photoregenerative properties. The adsorbent demonstrated excellent removal efficiency of LDL with an adsorption capacity of 15.06 mg/g, and highly repetitive adsorption performance (≥5 cycles) under irradiation. Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @Azo-COOH also exhibited remarkable adsorption properties and selectivity in human serum, with adsorption capacities of 10.93, 21.26 and 9.80 mg/g for LDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides and only 0.77 mg/g for high-density lipoprotein (HDL), resulting in a 93% selective adsorption difference (LDL/HDL). Complete green regeneration of the nanoadsorbent was achieved through a simple regeneration process, maintaining a recovery rate of 99.4% after five regeneration experiments. By combining dynamic perfusion experiment with micromagnetic microfluidics, the LDL content decreased by 16.6%. Due to its superior adsorption capacity and regenerative properties, the dual stimulus-responsive nanosorbent is considered a potential hemoperfusion adsorbent., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) photochemically generated from natural iron minerals have gained significant attention. Amidst the previous studies on the impact of heavy metal ions on ROS generation, our study addresses the role of the anion Cr(VI), with its intrinsic photoactivity, in influencing ROS photochemical generation with the co-presence of minerals. We investigated the transformation of inorganic/organic pollutants (Cr(VI) and benzoic acid) at the ferrihydrite interface, considering sunlight-mediated conversion processes (300-1000 nm). Increased photochemical reactivity of ferrihydrite was observed in the presence of aqueous Cr(VI), acting as a photosensitizer. Meanwhile, a positive correlation between hydroxyl radical ( • OH) production and concentrations of aqueous Cr(VI) was observed, with a 650% increase of • OH generation at 50 mg L -1 Cr(VI) compared to systems without Cr(VI). Our photochemical batch experiments elucidated three potential pathways for • OH photochemical production under varying wet chemistry conditions: (1) ferrihydrite hole-mediated pathway, (2) chromium intermediate O -I -mediated pathway, and (3) chromium intermediates Cr IV/V -mediated pathway. Notably, even in the visible region (> 425 nm), the promotion of aqueous Cr(VI) on • OH accumulation was observed in the presence of ferrihydrite and TiO 2 suspensions, attributed to Cr(VI) photosensitization at the mineral interface. This study sheds light on the overlooked role of aqueous Cr(VI) in the photochemical reactivity of minerals, thereby enhancing our understanding of pollutant fate in acid mining-impacted environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The use of hemoperfusion adsorbents for the removal of bilirubin in patients with liver failure has become a critical treatment. However, the insufficient clearance of bilirubin and the possibility of bacterial infection during hemoperfusion limit the application. In this work, we designed a novel antibacterial bilirubin adsorbent (PSVT) through the suspension polymerization reaction between double-bond functionalized TiO 2 nanoparticles and styrene. PSVT showed an excellent bilirubin adsorption ability and antibacterial performance, ensuring efficient clearance of bilirubin in liver failure patients during hemoperfusion and preventing bacterial infection. The experimental results indicated that TiO 2 was uniformly dispersed in the microspheres, which improved the mesoporous structure and increased the specific surface area. Composite adsorbent PSVT showed an exceptional bilirubin adsorption capacity, with the maximum adsorption capacity reaching 24.3 mg/g. In addition, the introduction of TiO 2 endowed PSVT with excellent antibacterial ability; the ultimate antibacterial rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reached 97.31 and 96.47%, respectively. In summary, PSVT served as a novel antibacterial bilirubin adsorbent with excellent bilirubin clearance capacity and antibacterial performance, providing excellent application prospects for treating liver failure patients.

Human in vitro fertilized embryos exhibit low developmental capabilities, and the mechanisms that underlie embryonic arrest remain unclear. Here using a single-cell multi-omics sequencing approach, we simultaneously analysed alterations in the transcriptome, chromatin accessibility and the DNA methylome in human embryonic arrest due to unexplained reasons. Arrested embryos displayed transcriptome disorders, including a distorted microtubule cytoskeleton, increased genomic instability and impaired glycolysis, which were coordinated with multiple epigenetic reprogramming defects. We identified Aurora A kinase (AURKA) repression as a cause of embryonic arrest. Mechanistically, arrested embryos induced through AURKA inhibition resembled the reprogramming abnormalities of natural embryonic arrest in terms of the transcriptome, the DNA methylome, chromatin accessibility and H3K4me3 modifications. Mitosis-independent sequential activation of the zygotic genome in arrested embryos showed that YY1 contributed to human major zygotic genome activation. Collectively, our study decodes the reprogramming abnormalities and mechanisms of human embryonic arrest and the key regulators of zygotic genome activation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), which are widespread environmental contaminants, can be efficiently biodegraded, mediated by enzymes such as hydrolases. Despite great advances in the characterization of PAE hydrolases, which are the most important enzymes in the process of PAE degradation, their molecular catalytic mechanism has rarely been systematically investigated. Acinetobacter sp. LUNF3, which was isolated from contaminated soil in this study, demonstrated excellent PAE degradation at 30 °C and pH 5.0-11.0. After sequencing and annotating the complete genome, the gene dphAN1 , encoding a novel putative PAE hydrolase, was identified with the conserved motifs catalytic triad (Ser 201 -Asp 295 -His 325 ) and oxyanion hole (H 127 GGG 130 ). DphAN1 can hydrolyze DEP (diethyl phthalate), DBP (dibutyl phthalate) and BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate). The high activity of DphAN1 was observed under a wide range of temperature (10-40 °C) and pH (6.0-9.0). Moreover, the metal ions (Fe 2+ , Mn 2+ , Cr 2+ and Fe 3+ ) and surfactant TritonX-100 significantly activated DphAN1, indicating a high adaptability and tolerance of DphAN1 to these chemicals. Molecular docking revealed the catalytic triad, oxyanion hole and other residues involved in binding DBP. The mutation of these residues reduced the activity of DphAN1, confirming their interaction with DBP. These results shed light on the catalytic mechanism of DphAN1 and may contribute to protein structural modification to improve catalytic efficiency in environment remediation.

Pollution generated by synthetic polymers, particularly plastics, has become a significant global environmental problem. However, when compared to polymer-derived products like microplastics, oligomers have not received the attention they deserve. Oligomers are by-products of polymer production and intermediates of degradation. Despite the industrial advancements leading to an exponential increase in the production of new polymers, a majority of oligomers have remained inadequately researched. While the exposure and toxic effects of polylactic acid oligomers have been documented, the structures and fundamental properties of oligomers derived from most polymers are still poorly understood. This knowledge gap presents challenges in establishing effective analytical methods. Considering the potential of oligomers to act as new pollutants, it is imperative to investigate their environmental behavior, as well as their absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties. This perspective highlights the research gap concerning oligomers., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Co-published by Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and American Chemical Society.)

The association of arsenic (As) with colloidal particles could facilitate its transport to adjacent water systems or alter its availability in soil-rice systems. However, little is known about the size distribution and composition of particle-bound As in paddy soils, particularly under changing redox conditions. Here, we incubated four As-contaminated paddy soils with distinctive geochemical properties to study the mobilization of particle-bound As during soil reduction and subsequent reoxidation. Using transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy and asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation, we identified organic matter (OM)-stabilized colloidal Fe, most likely in the form of (oxy)hydroxide-clay composite, as the main arsenic carriers. Specifically, colloidal As was mainly associated with two size fractions of 0.3-40 and >130 kDa. Soil reduction facilitated the release of As from both fractions, whereas reoxidation caused their rapid sedimentation, coinciding with solution Fe variations. Further quantitative analysis demonstrated that As concentrations positively correlated with both Fe and OM concentrations at nanometric scales (0.3-40 kDa) in all studied soils during reduction and reoxidation, yet the correlations are pH-dependent. This study provides a quantitative and size-resolved understanding of particle-bound As in paddy soils, highlighting the importance of nanometric Fe-OM-As interactions in paddy As geochemical cycling.

Recent discoveries of methyl-coenzyme M reductase-encoding genes ( mcr ) in uncultured archaea beyond traditional euryarchaeotal methanogens have reshaped our view of methanogenesis. However, whether any of these nontraditional archaea perform methanogenesis remains elusive. Here, we report field and microcosm experiments based on 13 C-tracer labeling and genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, revealing that nontraditional archaea are predominant active methane producers in two geothermal springs. Archaeoglobales performed methanogenesis from methanol and may exhibit adaptability in using methylotrophic and hydrogenotrophic pathways based on temperature/substrate availability. A five-year field survey found Candidatus Nezhaarchaeota to be the predominant mcr -containing archaea inhabiting the springs; genomic inference and mcr expression under methanogenic conditions strongly suggested that this lineage mediated hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis in situ. Methanogenesis was temperature-sensitive , with a preference for methylotrophic over hydrogenotrophic pathways when incubation temperatures increased from 65° to 75°C. This study demonstrates an anoxic ecosystem wherein methanogenesis is primarily driven by archaea beyond known methanogens, highlighting diverse nontraditional mcr -containing archaea as previously unrecognized methane sources.

Aerosol microdroplets as microreactors for many important atmospheric reactions are ubiquitous in the atmosphere. pH largely regulates the chemical processes within them; however, how pH and chemical species spatially distribute within an atmospheric microdroplet is still under intense debate. The challenge is to measure pH distribution within a tiny volume without affecting the chemical species distribution. We demonstrate a method based on stimulated Raman scattering microscopy to visualize the three-dimensional pH distribution inside single microdroplets of varying sizes. We find that the surface of all microdroplets is more acidic, and a monotonic trend of pH decreasing is observed in the 2.9-μm aerosol microdroplet from center to edge, which is well supported by molecular dynamics simulation. However, bigger cloud microdroplet differs from small aerosol for pH distribution. This size-dependent pH distribution in microdroplets can be related to the surface-to-volume ratio. This work presents noncontact measurement and chemical imaging of pH distribution in microdroplets, filling the gap in our understanding of spatial pH in atmospheric aerosol.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxin and has great adverse health impacts on humans. Organisms and sunlight-mediated demethylation are well-known detoxification pathways of MeHg, yet whether abiotic environmental components contribute to MeHg degradation remains poorly known. Here, we report that MeHg can be degraded by trivalent manganese (Mn(III)), a naturally occurring and widespread oxidant. We found that 28 ± 4% MeHg could be degraded by Mn(III) located on synthesized Mn dioxide (MnO 2- x ) surfaces during the reaction of 0.91 μg·L -1 MeHg and 5 g·L -1 mineral at an initial pH of 6.0 for 12 h in 10 mM NaNO 3 at 25 °C. The presence of low-molecular-weight organic acids (e.g., oxalate and citrate) substantially enhances MeHg degradation by MnO 2- x via the formation of soluble Mn(III)-ligand complexes, leading to the cleavage of the carbon-Hg bond. MeHg can also be degraded by reactions with Mn(III)-pyrophosphate complexes, with apparent degradation rate constants comparable to those by biotic and photolytic degradation. Thiol ligands (cysteine and glutathione) show negligible effects on MeHg demethylation by Mn(III). This research demonstrates potential roles of Mn(III) in degrading MeHg in natural environments, which may be further explored for remediating heavily polluted soils and engineered systems containing MeHg.

The global problem of petroleum contamination in soils seriously threatens environmental safety and human health. Current studies have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of bioelectrokinetic and bioelectrochemical remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils due to their easy implementation, environmental benignity, and enhanced removal efficiency compared to bioremediation. This paper reviewed recent progress and development associated with bioelectrokinetic and bioelectrochemical remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils. The working principles, removal efficiencies, affecting factors, and constraints of the two technologies were thoroughly summarized and discussed. The potentials, challenges, and future perspectives were also deliberated to shed light on how to overcome the barriers and realize widespread implementation on large scales of these two technologies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The association of poorly crystalline iron (hydr)oxides with organic matter (OM), such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), exerts a profound effect on Fe and C cycles in soils and sediments, and their behaviors under sulfate-reducing conditions involve complicated mineralogical transformations. However, how different loadings and types of EPS and water chemistry conditions affect the sulfidation still lacks quantitative and systematic investigation. We here synthesized a set of ferrihydrite-organic matter (Fh-OM) coprecipitates with various model compounds for plant and microbial exopolysaccharides (polygalacturonic acids, alginic acid, and xanthan gum) and bacteriogenic EPS (extracted from Bacillus subtilis ). Combining wet chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopic techniques, we systematically studied the impacts of C and S loadings by tracing the temporal evolution of Fe mineralogy and speciation in aqueous and solid phases. Our results showed that the effect of added OM on sulfidation of Fh-OM coprecipitates is interrelated with the amount of loaded sulfide. Under low sulfide loadings (S(-II)/Fe < 0.5), transformation to goethite and lepidocrocite was the main pathway of ferrihydrite sulfidation, which occurs more strongly at pH 6 compared to that at pH 7.5, and it was promoted and inhibited at low and high C/Fe ratios, respectively. While under high sulfide loadings (S(-II)/Fe > 0.5), the formation of secondary Fe-S minerals such as mackinawite and pyrite dominated ferrihydrite sulfidation, and it was inhibited with increasing C/Fe ratios. Furthermore, all three synthetic EPS proxies unanimously inhibited mineral transformation, while the microbiogenic EPS has a more potent inhibitory effect than synthetic EPS proxies compared at equivalent C/Fe loadings. Collectively, our results suggest that the quantity and chemical characteristics of the associated OM have a strong and nonlinear influence on the extent and pathways of mineralogical transformations of Fh-OM sulfidation.

The oxidative dissolution of As from arsenopyrite, one important arsenic mineral in reducing conditions, poses an environmental hazard to natural aquatic systems. The dissolution of arsenopyrite occurs slowly due to the surface precipitates of iron oxides in circumneutral oxic environments. However, the presence of natural ligands and coexisting metals may change the release of Fe species, which would be of critical importance to the dissolution of arsenopyrite. Here, we investigated the oxidative dissolution of arsenopyrite induced by pyrophosphate (PP) and dissolved Mn(III) species as a natural occurring Mn species with strong complexation affinity to PP. With the presence of PP, the formation of Fe(II)-PP complexes and its rapid oxidation to dissolved Fe(III)-PP species resulted in a substantial increase in the generation of hydroxyl radicals ( • OH) under ambient dark conditions, contributing to faster dissolution of arsenopyrite and higher percentage of As(V) in the dissolved products. Dissolved Mn(III), though considered as an extra oxidant besides oxygen, unexpectedly acted as a radical scavenger for • OH and inhibited the production of As(V). Moreover, the oxidation of sulfur species differed in the two systems as significant formation of thiosulfate was observed with the presence of PP, which did not occur in the system with dissolved Mn(III). Overall, the effects of dissolved Mn(III) and PP on the dissolution of arsenopyrite and the subsequent transformation of Fe, As and S species have important implications for disentangling the interactions among these metastable elements, and for assessing their transport and environmental impacts in aquatic systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Despite of the extensive research in semiconductor photocatalysis with respect to material and device innovations, much of the fundamental aquatic chemistry of those new materials that governs their environmental hazard and implications remains poorly understood. BiVO 4 has long been recognized as a promising visible-light-responsive photocatalyst. However, the solubility product (K sp ) of BiVO 4 and the mechanistic understanding of the non-stoichiometric dissolution of BiVO 4 remain unclear. Here, we investigated the solubility of BiVO 4 via the observation on its non-stoichiometric dissolution in the pH range of 4-9. Combining dissolution experiments, adsorption behavior and thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, the K sp of BiVO 4 was determined to be 10 -35.81±0.51 . The solubility and stability of BiVO 4 were strongly pH-dependent, with the lowest solubility and highest stability near pH 5. Furthermore, we tested the effect of illumination on the dissolution of BiVO 4 , which was significantly enhanced by light. Under both dark and illumination conditions, adsorption of dissolved bismuth by BiVO 4 solids was the main reason for the non-stoichiometric dissolution of BiVO 4 , and could be modeled by including an additional surface complexation reaction. Thus, the results highlighted the importance of considering the dissolution of photocatalysts, and presented a feasible method to evaluate environmental stability and risks of other semiconductor materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decline of adaptive response of antioxidants to oxidative stimuli has been implicated in the aging process. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation is a core event in attenuating oxidative stress-associated aging. The activity is modulated by a more complex regulatory network. In this study, we demonstrate the proteasome activator REG γ function as a new regulator of Nrf2 activity upon oxidative stress in cell aging model induced by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). REG γ deficiency promotes cell senescence in primary MEF cells after H 2 O 2 treatment. Accordingly, ROS scavenging is accelerated in WT cells but blunted in REG γ lacking cells during 12-hour recovery from a 1-hour H 2 O 2 treatment, indicating long-lasting antioxidant buffering capacity of REG γ . Mechanistically, through GSK-3 β inhibition, REG γ enhances the nuclear distribution and transcriptional activity of Nrf2, which is surveyed by induction of phase II enzymes including Ho1 and Nqo1. Meanwhile, Nrf2 mediates the transcriptional activation of REG γ upon H 2 O 2 stimulation. More interestingly, short-term exposure to H 2 O 2 leads to transiently upregulation and gradually descent of REG γ transcription, however sustained higher REG γ protein level even in the absence of H 2 O 2 for 24 hours. Thus, our results establish a positive feedback loop between REG γ and Nrf2 and a new layer of adaptive response after oxidative stimulation that is the REG γ -GSK-3 β -Nrf2 pathway., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2023 Solomon Kibreab et al.)

Manganese (Mn) exists as Mn(II), Mn(III), or Mn(IV) in soils, and the Mn oxidation state controls the roles of Mn in numerous environmental processes. However, the variations of Mn oxidation states with climate remain unknown. We determined the Mn oxidation states in highly weathered bulk volcanic soils (primary minerals free) across two rainfall gradients covering mean annual precipitation (MAP) of 0.25-5 m in the Hawaiian Islands. With increasing MAP, the soil redox conditions generally shifted from oxic to suboxic and to anoxic despite fluctuating at each site; concurrently, the proportions of Mn(IV) and Mn(II) decreased and increased, respectively. Mn(III) was low at both low and high MAP, but accumulated substantially, up to 80% of total Mn, in soils with prevalent suboxic conditions at intermediate MAP. Mn(III) was likely hosted in Mn(III,IV) and iron(III) oxides or complexed with organic matter, and its distribution among these hosts varied with soil redox potentials and soil pH. Soil redox conditions and rainfall-driven leaching jointly controlled exchangeable Mn(II) in soils, with its concentration peaking at intermediate MAP. The Mn redox chemistry was at disequilibrium, with the oxidation states correlating with long-term average soil redox potentials better than with soil pH. The soil redox conditions likely fluctuated between oxic and anoxic conditions more frequently at intermediate than at low and high MAP, creating biogeochemical hot spots where Mn, Fe, and other redox-sensitive elements may be actively cycled.

The disadvantages of active ingredients extracted from medicinal plants due to poor solubility in the body and low bioavailability limit their clinical application. Pharmaceutical cocrystal as a new type of drug in solid form has attracted the attention of researchers. This article reviews the effects of cocrystal in various poorly soluble herbal active ingredients of medicinal plants on their physicochemical properties and biological properties and provides references for the application of pharmaceutical cocrystal in poorly soluble active compounds of medicinal plants., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. Although significant advances have been achieved in the treatment of NSCLC during the past two decades, the 5-year survival rate of patients with NSCLC remains <20%. Thus, there is an urgent requirement to further understand the molecular mechanisms that promote NSCLC development and to identify novel therapeutic targets. In the present study, the gene expression profiles of patients with NSCLC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were carefully analyzed and SPINK1 was identified as a tumor-inducing factor. SPINK1 expression level was found to be increased in both NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, SPINK1 promoted cell proliferation in A549 and H1299 cells. Knockdown of SPINK1 could activate cell autophagy and apoptosis. Mechanistically, SPINK1 was demonstrated to induce the proliferation of NSCLC via activating the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. In conclusion, these findings suggested that SPINK1 may serve as a potential biomarker in NSCLC., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Yersinia enterocolitica ( Y. enterocolitica ) is an important food-borne and zoonotic pathogen. It can form biofilm on the surface of food, increasing the risk to food safety. Generally, outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are spherical nanostructures secreted by Gram-negative bacteria during growth. They play a role in biological processes because they contain biologically active molecules. Several studies have reported that OMVs secreted by various bacteria are associated with the formation of biofilms. However, the interactions between Y. enterocolitica OMVs and biofilm are unknown. This study aims to investigate the effect of Y. enterocolitica OMVs on biofilm formation. Firstly, OMVs were extracted from Y. enterocolitica Y1083, which has a strong biofilm-forming ability, at 15 °C, 28 °C and 37 °C and then characterized. The characterization results showed differences in the yield and protein content of three types of OMVs. Next, by co-culturing the OMVs with Y. enterocolitica , it was observed that the OMVs inhibited the initial stage of Y. enterocolitica biofilm formation but did not affect the growth of Y. enterocolitica . Furthermore, biofilm formation by Salmonella enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus were also inhibited by OMVs. Subsequently, it was proved that lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in OMVs inhibited biofilm formation., The proteins, DNA or RNA in OMVs could not inhibit biofilm formation. Bacterial motility and the expression of the biofilm-related genes pgaABC , motB and flhBD were inhibited by LPS. LPS demonstrated good anti-biofilm activity against various bacteria. This study provides a new approach to the prevention and control of pathogenic bacterial biofilm.

In the area of air-assisted spray, conventional detection of speed and direction of the wind fields for spray are separately conducted, and multiple kinds of sensors have to be laid on each coordinate axis during multidimensional detection. It limits the optimization of operation effect of sprayers based on wind-field distribution characteristics. This paper proposes a novel detection method to achieve synchronous measurement of wind speed and direction in three dimensions. Wind flow was considered as vectors and the sensing structure with a regular triangular pyramid shape supported by cantilever pieces was established. Strain gauges were utilized to detect the deformation in each direction by the wind thrust onto a ball before and after wind flow. Moreover, the calculation models of wind speed and direction were developed respectively based on the relationship of 'strains-force-wind pressure-wind velocity' and the principle of space operation of vectors, so multiple parameters of wind fields could be obtained simultaneously. Calibration was conducted based on a wind tunnel and the Testo 405i anemometers. The results showed that: the minimum relative error of wind-speed values was about 0.06%, while the maximum was about 10%. The average relative error of all the directions was less than 5%. Furthermore, the measurement of the wind among artificial tree canopies demonstrated that the proposed method could effectively measure both speed value and direction of the wind among canopies, and it also helped to find the wind distribution characteristics of the fan, SFG4-2R. The results highlighted both the reliability and the practical meaning of the proposed method, which could be a technical solution for measuring and evaluating wind-field characteristics of sprayers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yang, Li, Liu, Wang, Zheng, Tan and Feng.)

Freeze-casting (ice templating) is generally used to prepare super-macroporous materials. However, water solubility limits the application of freeze-casting in hydrophobic material fabrication. In the present work, inexpensive and low-toxic sulfolane was used as a novel crystallization-induced porogen (sulfolane crystal templating) to prepare super-macroporous hydrophobic monoliths (cryogels) with tunable polarity. The phase transition of sulfolane consisted of reversible processes in the liquid, semi-crystalline, and crystalline states. Because of the density change during phase transition, liquid sulfolane experienced a 16.4% volume shrinkage per unit mass. Thus, the cryogels obtained using the conventional freezing method contained obvious hollow-shaped defects. Furthermore, a novel route of pre-cooling, pre-crystallization, crystal growth, freezing, and thawing (PPCFT) was employed to prepare cryogels with defect-free macroscopic morphology and uniform pore structure. The as-obtained cryogels were composed of a super-macroporous structures and interconnected channels, and their porosity ranged between 85 and 97%. Moreover, the cryogels manifested good hydrophobicity (contact angle = 120-130°) and had absorption capacities greater than 10 g g -1 for oils and organic liquids. The maximum absorption capacities of the resultant cryogels in dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and liquid paraffin were 60.3, 35.8, and 15.2 g g -1 , respectively. Moreover, sulfolane could conveniently dissolve hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers to generate amphiphilic cryogels (contact angle = 130-0°). Therefore, sulfolane crystal templating is a potential fabrication method for super-macroporous hydrophobic materials with tunable polarity.

Fe(II)-catalyzed ferrihydrite transformation under anoxic conditions has been intensively studied, while such mechanisms are insufficient to be applied in oxic environments with depleted Fe(II). Here, we investigated expanded pathways of sunlight-driven ferrihydrite transformation in the presence of dissolved oxygen, without initial addition of dissolved Fe(II). We found that sunlight significantly facilitated the transformation of ferrihydrite to goethite compared to that under dark conditions. Redox active species (hole-electron pairs, reactive radicals, and Fe(II)) were produced from the ferrihydrite interface via the photoinduced electron transfer processes. Experiments with systematically varied wet chemistry conditions probed the relative contributions of three pathways for the production of hydroxyl radicals: (1) oxidation of water (5.0%); (2) reduction of dissolved oxygen (40.9%); and (3) photolysis of Fe(III)-hydroxyl complexes (54.1%). Results also showed superoxide radicals as the main oxidant for Fe(II) reoxidation under acidic conditions, thus promoting the ferrihydrite transformation. The presence of inorganic ions (chloride, sulfate, and nitrate) did not only affect the hydrolysis and precipitation of Fe(III) but also the generation of radicals via photoinduced charge transfer reactions. The involvement of redox active species and the accompanying mineral transformations would exert a profound effect on the fate of multivalent elements and organic contaminants in aquatic environments.

Leucine-rich repeat containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5), a marker of intestinal stem cells (ISCs), is considered to play key roles in tissue homoeostasis and regeneration after acute radiation injury. However, the activation of Lgr5 by integrated signaling pathways upon radiation remains poorly understood. Here, we show that irradiation of mice with whole-body depletion or conditional ablation of REGγ in Lgr5 + stem cell impairs proliferation of intestinal crypts, delaying regeneration of intestine epithelial cells. Mechanistically, REGγ enhances transcriptional activation of Lgr5 via the potentiation of both Wnt and Hippo signal pathways. TEAD4 alone or cooperates with TCF4, a transcription factor mediating Wnt signaling, to enhance the expression of Lgr5. Silencing TEAD4 drastically attenuated β-catenin/TCF4 dependent expression of Lgr5. Together, our study reveals how REGγ controls Lgr5 expression and expansion of Lgr5 + stem cells in the regeneration of intestinal epithelial cells. Thus, REGγ proteasome appears to be a potential therapeutic target for radiation-induced gastrointestinal disorders., (© 2021. Science China Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In recent years, the world economy and the global financial system have closely intertwined, deepened economic and financial integration via cross-border investments, financings, imports, and exports. Since banks serve as the core of a country's financial system, the risk status of banks directly affects the country's national credit and financial security. The current complexities of the international and domestic environments are increasing geopolitical risks. Moreover, there is increasing uncertainty recognition in the financial and economic development of all countries, more systemic banking risks, and sovereign risk transfer elements. In this scenario, resisting external risk input is essential to enhance risk prevention ability. Therefore, this paper adopted the VAR-based time domain and frequency model for a multi-dimensional analysis of the two perspectives of banking and sovereign risk spillover effects. The empirical results indicate that the entire sample under the static overflow effect always shows that most of the absorption is the banking sector risk, and sovereign risk is the leading risk spillover. In the frequency domain perspective, the short-term spillover effects between bank and sovereign risk are dominant. Moreover, in relation to the outbreak and continuous spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spillover effects are often dominated by adverse, long-term scenarios., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Hu, Wang, Hu, Shi, Wang and Wang.)

Antimony trioxide (Sb 2 O 3 ) is one of the primary forms of Sb in the environment, and its dissolution significantly impacts the migration and bioavailability of Sb. However, the dissolution of Sb 2 O 3 coupled with abiotic redox of Mn processes is unclear. Here, we investigated the kinetics of Sb 2 O 3 dissolution in the presence of the ubiquitous Mn(II) by kinetic experiments, spectroscopies, density functional theory calculations and the chemical kinetic modeling. The oxidative dissolution of Sb 2 O 3 was catalyzed by Mn(II) through the in-situ generated amorphous Mn oxides (MnO x ) under oxic conditions, during which the generation of Mn(III) is a critical step in Sb(V) release. The released Sb(V) was partially retained on MnO x through bidentate-binuclear (corner-sharing) complexes as revealed by extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. The coexistent morphological forms of Sb 2 O 3 , i.e., senarmontite and valentinite exhibited distinct dissolution patterns. Valentinite showed higher activity in catalyzing Mn(II) oxidation and faster oxidative dissolution than senarmontite, due to its higher surface energy and lower conduction band minimum of its exposed facets. These abiotic processes can extrapolate to other metal(loid)s (hydr)oxides, further supplying for the comprehensive understanding of the redox transformation of Mn., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Biomass burning has been recognized as an important primary source of atmospheric phosphorus (P), but the measurements of P from biomass burning particles are lacking. In this work, emission factors of different P forms, including total P (TP), total dissolved P (TDP), dissolved inorganic P (DIP) and dissolved organic P (DOP), in emission particles from four types of crop residues burning were measured in a number of chamber experiments. Based on the measured emission factors and the amount of crop residue burned, a high-resolution (0.25° × 0.25°) emission inventory of P for China during 2011-2015 was firstly developed. The emission factors of TP, DIP and DOP were 0.23, 0.06 and 0.13 g/kg, 0.57, 0.17 and 0.27 g/kg, 0.52, 0.15 and 0.27 g/kg, 0.43, 0.13 and 0.25 g/kg for wheat, corn, soybean and rice straw burning, respectively. The total emissions of TP, TDP, DIP, and DOP from the four types of crop straw open burning were 72.0 × 10 3 ± 6.7 × 10 3 Tons, 56.3 × 10 3 ± 5.5 × 10 3 , 20.9 × 10 3 ± 2.0 × 10 3 and 35.4 × 10 4 ± 3.4 × 10 3 Tons, respectively. TDP dominated the TP fraction, indicating that biomass burning was the important source of bioavailable P. The high P emission areas were mainly distributed in the Northeast and North China Plain, where were the main grain production areas in China, while P emission in economically developed areas such as Beijing and Shanghai and western areas such as Tibet and Qinghai was lower. Affected by the harvesting periods of crops, high P emissions peaked in March, April, June and October. The results herein can provide a dataset for modeling research in calculating the contribution of biomass burning sources to atmospheric P; therefore reduce uncertainties in estimating atmospheric P deposition., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the history of environmental science and engineering, there are numerous great thinkers, mentors, and scholars, whose influence transcends geographical boundaries. Being assembled into a special tribute issue in ES &T celebrating its founding editor Jim Morgan, this Perspective tells a few stories related to China, a country that he never visited but one where his research and vision have a profound influence. The following stories are inspiring accounts of people who made indelible contributions to this discipline. Through providing an international angle, this perspective aims to reinforce the global aquatic chemistry community's appreciation of our discipline's roots and continuous growth in China, as well as the significant contributions from China. Given the universality of scientific knowledge, we believe that similar stories exist in many other countries, cultures, and fields, where their pioneers are celebrated and remembered.

Capillary gel electrophoresis is widely applied for determination of sequence and size of DNA, in which the sieving gel plays an unignorable role. Herein, a pore-size controllable hydrogel was synthesized in the capillary with two symmetrical tetrahedron-like macromonomers consisting of pentaerythritoltetra (succinimidylcarboxypentyl) polyoxyethylene (PS) and pentaerythritoltetra (aminopropyl) polyoxyethylene) (PA). By capillary electrophoresis of the DNA fragments with this hydrogel, it is found that a homogenous structure of hydrogel which is more suitable for the DNA separation can be achieved when the molecular weight of PA is approximate to that of PS. DNA fragments smaller than 1500 bp can be well resolved in this hydrogel within 13 min. More than 100 consecutive runs can be carried out in such a dynamically coated capillary before performance begins to degrade. Notably, such hydrogel can realize separation of dsDNA up to single base pair resolution and same length of dsDNA with 1 bp difference., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Adsorption of uranium onto goethite is an important partitioning process that controls uranium mobility in subsurface environments, for which many different surface complexation models (SCMs) have been developed. While individual models can fit the data for which they are parameterized, many perform poorly when compared with experimental data covering a broader range of conditions. There is an imperative need to quantitatively evaluate the variations in the models and to develop a more robust model that can be used with more confidence across the wide range of conditions. We conducted an intercomparison and refinement of the SCMs based on a metadata analysis. By seeking the globally best fit to a composite dataset with wide ranges of pH, solid/sorbate ratios, and carbonate concentrations, we developed a series of models with different levels of complexity following a systematic roadmap. The goethite-uranyl-carbonate ternary surface complexes were required in every model. For the spectroscopically informed models, a triple-plane model was found to provide the best fit, but the performance of the double-layer model with bidentate goethite-uranyl and goethite-uranyl-carbonate complexes was also comparable. Nevertheless, the models that ignore the bidentate feature of uranyl surface complexation consistently performed poorly. The goodness of fitting for the models that ignore adsorption of carbonate and the charge distributions was not significantly compromised compared with that of their counterparts that considered those. This approach of model development for a large and varied dataset improved our understanding of U(VI)-goethite surface reactions and can lead to a path for generating a single set of reactions and equilibrium constants for including U(VI) adsorption onto goethite in reactive transport models.

Archaeological and ancient DNA studies revealed that Shandong, a multi-culture center in northern coastal China, was home to ancient populations having ancestry related to both northern and southern East Asian populations. However, the limited temporal and geographical range of previous studies have been insufficient to describe the population history of this region in greater detail. Here, we report the analysis of 86 complete mitochondrial genomes from the remains of 9500 to 1800-year-old humans from 12 archaeological sites across Shandong. For samples older than 4600 years before present (BP), we found haplogroups D4, D5, B4c1, and B5b2, which are observed in present-day northern and southern East Asians. For samples younger than 4600 BP, haplogroups C (C7a1 and C7b), M9 (M9a1), and F (F1a1, F2a, and F4a1) begin to appear, indicating changes in the Shandong maternal genetic structure starting from the beginning of the Longshan cultural period. Within Shandong, the genetic exchange is possible between the coastal and inland regions after 3100 BP. We also discovered the B5b2 lineage in Shandong populations, with the oldest Bianbian individual likely related to the ancestors of some East Asians and North Asians. By reconstructing a maternal genetic structure of Shandong populations, we provide greater resolution of the population dynamics of the northern coastal East Asia over the past nine thousand years., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lung cancer is one of the most malignant type of tumors worldwide. Non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is the most common type of lung cancer, is defined as a distinct disease that exhibits both genetic and cellular heterogeneity. Although in the past two decades significant advances in the treatment of NSCLC have besen performed, the 5‑year survival rate of patients with NSCLC remains <20%. Thus, there is an urgent requirement to gain an in‑depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms that promote NSCLC development and to identify novel therapeutic targets. In the present study, the gene expression profiles of patients with NSCLC from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were analyzed to determine potential therapeutic targets, and transmembrane protein 100 (TMEM100) was identified as a candidate tumor suppressor. TMEM100 expression level was discovered to be decreased in both NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and it was observed to be negatively associated with the TNM stage and positively associated with prognosis. Moreover, TMEM100 inhibited tumor growth and promoted cell apoptosis in A549 and H460 cells. Mechanistically, TMEM100 was demonstrated to induce autophagy in A549 cells via inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, whereas inhibiting autophagy using bafilomycin A1 significantly enhanced TMEM100‑induced apoptosis to compensate for the cell death. In conclusion, these findings suggested that TMEM100 may serve as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC and promote autophagy via inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) foams have recently gained research interests because they are renewable, abundant, biodegradable and exhibit high surface area. However, the application of CNCs-based foams is still challenging, which is attributed to its lack of effective entanglements between the CNCs particles, thus lowering foam properties. In this study, a synergistic enhancement strategy was proposed, based on the in situ mineralization with hydroxyapatite (HAP) layer onto the CNCs surface, followed by a chemical crosslinking reaction. The physical and chemical structures of the composites were analyzed with SEM, STEM, XRD, FTIR, and TGA. By controlling the amount of coated HAP and the crosslinker, it is possible to manufacture a series of CNCs-based foams that are lightweight (50-75 mg/cm 3 ), highly porous (~90%) with high water absorption (>1300%) and outstanding mechanical strength properties (as high as 1.37 MPa). Moreover, our study further indicated that these CNCs/HAP materials could increase the proliferation of rat osteoblast cells. The method developed in this study presents a novel approach to design improved networked CNCs foam, which has the potential to be used in thermal-retardant material, wastewater treatment, tissue engineering, and personal care applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)