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The global burden of heart disease is severe and increasing in the coming years. This study aims to analyze the global burden of heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), hypertensive heart disease (HHD), and non-rheumatic valvular heart disease (NRVHD) were selected and analyzed from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The prevalence, deaths, disability-adjusted life years and their corresponding age-standardized rates were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. In addition, estimated annual percentage change was calculated to better assess epidemiological trends. In addition, we performed an age-period-cohort analysis using the Nordpred package in R program to predict death trends over the next 20 years. Globally, the prevalence of four heart diseases (RHD, IHD, HHD, and NRVHD) increased by 70.5%, 103.5%, 137.9%, and 110.0% compared with 1990, respectively. The deaths cases of RHD decreased by 15.6%, whereas IHD, HHD, and NRVHD increased by 60.4%, 76.6%, and 110.6%. Compared with absolute values, their corresponding age-standardized rates only showed a slight increase trend or even decreased in some areas with high sociodemographic index. In the next 20 years, the absolute values of deaths will continue to increase, whereas their age-standardized rates of deaths will flatten out. Globally, the absolute values of heart disease have increased over the past 30 years and will continue to increase over the next 20 years. Targeted prevention and control strategies and measures need to be developed and improved to reduce this burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The risk of toxic metals in sediments were assessed at different depths. • Pb and cd binding to surface sediments is mainly mediated by organic functional groups. • Mineral components were mainly bound to toxic metals in the bottom sediments. • Mineral compounds (Fe, Mn), Pb, and c functional groups were unevenly distributed. • The type and sequence of toxic metal binding changed with sediment depth. The excessive accumulation of potentially toxic metals (Pb and Cd) in coastal wetlands is among the main factors threatening wetland ecosystems. However, the effects of water table depth (WTD) on the risk and binding mechanisms of potentially toxic metals in sediments remain unclear. Here, sediments from different WTD obtained from a typical coastal wetland were evaluated using a newly developed strategy based on chemical extraction methods coupled with high-resolution spectroscopy. Our findings indicated that the WTD of the coastal wetland fluctuates frequently and the average enrichment factor for Pb was categorized as minor, whereas Cd enrichment was categorized as moderate. High-resolution spectroscopy techniques also demonstrated that organic functional groups and partly inorganic compounds (e.g., Fe-O/Si-O) played a vital role in the binding of Pb and Cd to surface sediments. Additionally, mineral components rather than organic groups were mainly bound to these metals in the bottom sediments. Collectively, our findings provide key insights into the potential health effects and binding characteristics of potentially toxic metals in sediments, as well as their dynamic behavior under varying sediment depths at a microscale. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorobenzene (CB) is a prevalent organic contaminant in water and soil environments. It presents high chemical stability and is resistant to both oxidation and reduction. In this study, we showed that CB was substantially removed by soluble Mn(III) produced during the reductive dissolution of colloidal MnO 2 by naturally-occurring organic acids such as formate (FOR), oxalate (OX), and citrate (CIT). The removal rate was dependent on the physicochemical properties of organic acids. With strong electron-donating and coordination ability, OX and CIT promoted MnO 2 dissolution and Mn(III) generation compared to FOR, but had adverse effects on the stability and reactivity of Mn(III). As a result, CB removal followed the order: MnO 2 /CIT > MnO 2 /FOR > MnO 2 /OX. Analysis of the transformation products showed that Mn(III) complexes acted as strong electrophiles, attacking the ortho/para carbons of the benzene ring and transforming CB to chlorophenols via an electrophilic substitution mechanism. The theoretical foundation of this proposed reaction mechanism was supplemented by quantum mechanical calculations. Together, the findings of this study provide new insights into the transformation of CB in natural environments and hold the potential to offer a novel strategy for the development of manganese oxide/ligand systems for CB elimination. [Display omitted] • Chlorobenzene was removed by soluble Mn(III) generated in MnO 2 /organic acid systems. • The removal rate was dependent on the physicochemical properties of organic acids. • OX and CIT promoted MnO 2 dissolution and Mn(III) generation compared to FOR. • Mn(III)-FOR exhibited higher stability and reactivity than Mn(III)-OX and Mn(III)-CIT. • Mn(III)-L transformed chlorobenzene via an electrophilic substitution mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The undesired segregation of inactive secondary phase that randomly distributed across the perovskite film is detrimental to charge-carrier transport dynamics and light stability. However, in-depth studies for understanding the underlying chemical reaction mechanism and the relationship between phase structural configuration and physical properties are still lacking. Herein, the segregation behavior of the inactive secondary phase and the underlying microcosmic mechanism regarding ionic chemical replacement reaction and lattice reconfiguration process are systematically elaborated. A high-quality perovskite-PbI 2 heterojunction film is constructed via converting the three-dimensional PbI 2 photoactive phase into a two-dimensional inactive phase, alleviating the energetic disorder of carrier dynamics and photochemical dissociation. The resultant perovskite solar cells achieve an efficiency of 24.23% with excellent light-resistance. The dissociation energetics of phase dimensional structure is theoretically analyzed. This work provides new insights into crystal structure design for constructing high-quality perovskite heterojunction devices. [Display omitted] • The segregation behavior of secondary phase in perovskite is rationally regulated based on dimensional engineering strategy. • Evolution mechanism of ion-competition reaction and lattice reconstruction process is revealed in depth. • The energetic disorder of carrier dynamics is well ameliorated based on the formed build-in type-Ⅰ band alignment. • Perovskite-2D PbI 2 heterojunction devices achieve high efficiency of 24.23% with excellent long-term light-resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrodynamics of culture tank plays an essential role in the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), maintaining the maximum effective energy utilization rate and uniform vortex distributions for fish growth is still a great challenge. To solve this problem, a novel approach to optimize physical parameters of octagonal tank using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and machine learning (ML) is proposed. The initial tank is regarded as the benchmark, six vital parameters of octagonal tank including inlet and outlet diameters, fillet radius, inlet height, inlet angle and inlet velocity have been numerically investigated by CFD. Modelling development and optimization based on the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm ΙΙ (NSGA-Ⅱ) are developed to obtain the Pareto front for maximizing effective energy utilization rate and minimizing the vortex STD. Some key findings are found that: 1) The model provides high predictive capability: RMSE of average velocity is 0.002.2) NSGA-Ⅱ combining ANN is applied in the optimization process to obtain 78 groups of optimal Pareto front.3) A series of optimal parameters are achieved by LINMAP, the optimal parameter combination could improve the energy utilization rate up to 12.32 corresponding with the benchmark. 4) Inlet velocity of 0.1 m/s and inlet diameter of 103.9 mm in the culture tank can be more significant for improving flow uniformity but also raising effective energy utilization rate. The proposed CFD-ML model prediction and optimization have satisfactory performance in hydrodynamics of culture tank. [Display omitted] • Inlet velocity and diameter being most significant factors improving flow uniformity and effective energy utilization rate. • Vortex fields in the octagonal tank visualized by CFD model. • Average velocity and vortex STD used to evaluate hydrodynamic characteristics of tank. • Energy utilization rate of proposed novelty model up to 12.32 corresponding with the benchmark. • Pareto front including 78 group parameters providing valuable guidelines for tank design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the binding characteristics of copper (Cu) to different functional groups in soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) is important to explore Cu toxicity, bioavailability and ultimate fate in the environment. However, the methods used to explore such binding characteristics are still limited. Here, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) integrated with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 29 Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 27 Al NMR, and synchrotron-radiation-based FTIR spectromicroscopy were used to explore the binding characteristics of Cu to soil DOM as part of a long-term (23 years) fertilization experiment. Compared with no fertilization and inorganic fertilization (NPK), long-term pig manure fertilization (M) treatment significantly increased the concentration of total and bioavailable Cu in soils. Furthermore, hetero-spectral 2DCOS analyses demonstrated that the binding characteristics of Cu onto functional groups in soil DOM were modified by fertilization regimes. In the NPK treatment, Cu was bound to aliphatic C, whereas in the manure treatment Si O groups had higher affinity toward Cu than aliphatic C. Also, the sequence of binding of functional groups to Cu was modified by the fertilization treatments. Moreover, synchrotron-radiation-based FTIR spectromicroscopy showed that Cu, clay minerals and sesquioxides, and C functional groups were heterogeneously distributed at the micro-scale. Specifically, clay-OH as well as mineral elements had a distribution pattern similar to Cu, but certain (but not all) C forms showed a distribution pattern inconsistent with that of Cu. The combination of synchrotron radiation spectromicroscopy and 2DCOS is a useful tool in exploring the interactions among heavy metals, minerals and organic components in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dynamic risk assessment framework for industrial systems based on accidents chain theory. • The accidents chain theory is perfected from accident mechanism, structural equation and elements. • Analysis model and risk assessment method based on dynamic risk of accidents chain. • Verification of the proposed methodology rationality and feasibility by a practical application. The development of technology leads to the increasing complexity and hugely loss of industrial system, so, it's necessary to assess the risk. This study established a framework for dynamic risk assessment (DRA) of industrial systems based on accidents chain theory, and quantitatively assess risk. In this framework, the theory of accidents chain was proposed, including the structural equation and basic relationships of accidents chain. The risk analysis model, including the risk of initial event, the node risk and the risk of the four interaction relations, was established. The concept and the model of dynamic risk change rate were put forward. In addition, a risk grade classification method was built for dynamic risk evaluation. The DRA framework can be used to construct the risk correlation between the subsystems of the industrial system, and classify the accidents risk involved in the accidents chain. This study took the fire and explosion risk of UHV converter transformer as an example to conduct case analysis. The results showed that the DRA framework proposed in this paper is effective and feasible, which provides basis for risk prevention and control and improves the safety protection level of UHV converter transformer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A detailed understanding of the effect of natural products on plant growth and protection will underpin new product development for plant production. The isolation and characterization of a known secondary metabolite named harzianolide from Trichoderma harzianum strain SQR-T037 were described, and the bioactivity of the purified compound as well as the crude metabolite extract in plant growth promotion and systemic resistance induction was investigated in this study. The results showed that harzianolide significantly promoted tomato seedling growth by up to 2.5-fold (dry weight) at a concentration of 0.1 ppm compared with the control. The result of root scan suggested that Trichoderma secondary metabolites may influence the early stages of plant growth through better root development for the enhancement of root length and tips. Both of the purified harzianolide and crude metabolite extract increased the activity of some defense-related enzymes to response to oxidative stress. Examination of six defense-related gene expression by real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed that harzianolide induces the expression of genes involved in the salicylic acid (PR1 and GLU) and jasmonate/ethylene (JERF3) signaling pathways while crude metabolite extract inhibited some gene expression (CHI-II and PGIP) related to basal defense in tomato plants. Further experiment showed that a subsequent challenge of harzianolide-pretreated plants with the pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resulted in higher systemic resistance by the reduction of lesion size. These results indicate that secondary metabolites of Trichoderma spp., like harzianolide, may play a novel role in both plant growth regulation and plant defense responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The distribution of organic contents and compositions was dependent on EPS matrix. [•] Heating outperformed other methods for EPS extraction from cyanobacterial blooms. [•] The optimal extraction condition was proved to be at 60°C for 30min. [•] OH in polysaccharides was released prior to amide I in proteins at initial heating. [•] Amide I and amide II degraded faster than polysaccharides for the further heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report the synthesis of large-area graphene films on Mo foils by chemical vapor deposition. X-ray diffraction indicates that the dissolution and segregation process governs the growth of graphene on Mo foils. Among all processing parameters investigated, the cooling rate is the key one to precisely control the thickness of graphene film. By optimizing the cooling rate between 1.5 and 10°C/s, we managed to achieve graphene films ranging from mono- to tri-layer. Their uniformity and thickness were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and optical measurements. The carrier mobility of films reaches as high as 193cm2 V−1 s−1. Our experiments show that the Mo substrate has the similar simplicity and large tolerance to processing conditions as Cu. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Assessment of compost maturity is essential for achieving high quality compost. In this study, fluorescence excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy combined with different analysis techniques was applied to improve the sensitivity of compost maturity assessment. Results showed that composts in two parallel piles could be believed mature after 37d when combined with the evolution of temperature, chemical and biological indices in the two piles. Pearson correlation between the common maturity indices and fluorescence analysis parameters demonstrated that fluorescence regional integration (FRI) had a higher correlation coefficient than that of fluorescence intensities and the ratios of peaks, suggesting that FRI technique is more suitable to characterize the maturity of compost than the other two analysis techniques, i.e., peak intensity and peak ratio. Furthermore, the fluorescence spectroscopy combined with FRI analysis could be used as a valuable industrial and research tool for assessing compost maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in plant cytokinesis remains largely uncharacterized. To elucidate its role, tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells have been synchronized using a two-step procedure, and the different phases of the cell cycle identified by Histone 4 gene expression and the mitotic index. MAPK expression was analyzed by semi-quantitative (SQ) RT-PCR and protein gel blot analysis for phosphorylated MAPK during cell cycle progression. The SQ RT-PCR analysis indicated that MAPK expression is lower in mitosis than in interphase (G1, G2 and S). However, the amount of phosphorylated MAPK remained stable throughout the cell cycle, indicating that MAPK activity is predominantly regulated at the post-translational level and that phosphorylation of MAPK plays an important role in mitosis. Application of the specific MAPK phosphorylation inhibitor U0126 revealed that while U0126 treatment decreases the phosphorylation of MAPK and the progression from telophase to early cytokinesis is significantly inhibited. The formation of the phragmoplast is also negatively affected at this stage. These results demonstrate that MAPK phosphorylation is involved in the formation of the cell plate within the phragmoplast during cytokinesis and that MAPK predominantly functions during the cytokinesis stage of the cell cycle in tobacco BY-2 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rhizosphere, formed via the input of root exudates, is one of the most dynamic biological interfaces on earth. Investigation of carbon dynamics in rhizosphere is thus crucial for the understanding of soil biogeochemical processes. Herein, synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) combined with two dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) was used to probe and identify the changes of chemical constituents and functional groups of organic carbon on the root/soil interface in rhizosphere of two plants [ Leptochloa chinensis (L.) Nees and Cyperus rotundus L.]. The SR-FTIR results showed obviously heterogeneous distributions of functional groups in rhizosphere at microscale. Specifically, regardless of plant species, about 20–30 μm regions in rhizosphere can be affected by root activities. The peak area ratios of organic-OH and aliphatic-C to clay-OH on the root/soil interface in rhizosphere were 4.04–8.48 times higher than that in bulk soil, providing direct evidence of the organic carbon storage due to root activities. 2D-COS analysis suggested that the root activities induced the first adsorption or sequestration of newly organics (3350 cm−1) on the root/soil interface, followed by the destruction of clay-OH (3621 or 860 cm−1), leading to the release of mineral associated organics and nutrients (e.g., 1510 and 1150 cm−1) from the soil. These results can enlarge our knowledge on the concentration, distribution, and dynamics of organic carbon in rhizosphere at the microscale level and also the environmental behaviors and fate of other elements and contaminants that associated with organic carbon in rhizosphere. SR-FTIR combined with 2D-COS can explore the distribution and dynamics of organic carbon on the root/soil interface in rhizosphere. Unlabelled Image • The distributing and dynamics of functional groups in rhizospheres were studied. • The root/soil interface was present by the range of 20–30 μm from root surface. • SR-FTIR showed different distribution of groups between rhizosphere and bulk soil. • Organic-OH/aliphatic-C in interface were obvious higher than that in bulk soil. • Variations sequences of groups in the interface were affected by root activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease commonly found in middle-aged and older people. Chondrocytes are the only cells in joint cartilage that are difficult to heal after pyroptosis, and they will aggravate the wear and tear of joint cartilage and affect the progression of OA. Pyroptosis is a novel form of programmed cell death, and the classical pyroptosis pathway is a programmed cell death pattern mediated by inflammatory cysteine protease-1. Activation of NLRP3 leads to activation and cleavage of caspase-1 precursors, which in turn leads to activation and cleavage of GSDMD proteins and the release of proinflammatory factors. Resolvin D1 (RvD1) is a specialized pro-resolving mediator (SPM) derived from omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids that reduces inflammation and catabolic responses in OA chondrocytes. However, it is unclear whether RvD1 promotes OA chondrocyte proliferation and thus joint cartilage repair. Our results show that RvD1 regulates the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway by inhibiting the expression of caspase-1, promoting the proliferation of OA chondrocytes, promoting the repair of articular cartilage in rats and delaying the progression of osteoarthritis. [Display omitted] • RvD1 played a protective role in OA chondrocytes, which increased the metabolic activity of articular cartilage. • RvD1 alleviated cartilage degeneration and osteophyte formation in the OA model of SD rats. • RvD1 accelerated the transport of OA chondrocytes from G1 to S phase. • RvD1 effectively promoted the proliferation of OA chondrocytes. • RvD1 and belnacasan inhibited pyroptosis in OA chondrocytes caused by NLRP3/caspase-1 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The method of dynamic risk analysis and system protection of accidents chain based on complex network and node structure importance. • An optimal protection strategy model considering the constraint of protection cost is proposed. • The robustness changes of the accident chain network and the risk changes of complex systems under different protection strategies are studied. • The accidents chain network of UHV converter transformer system has the same properties as scale-free network. Due to the increasing complexity and nonlinearity of complex industrial systems, traditional risk analysis methods have become inapplicable. A method of dynamic risk analysis and system protection based on complex networks and node structure importance was established. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated through case studies, where we compare and analyze six protection strategies. In light of the topology and directivity of the accidents chain network (ACN) in the complex industrial system, a node structure importance evaluation method and an ACN evaluation method were established to measure the protection cost. An optimal protection strategy model with the protection cost constraint was proposed, and a study was carried out on the ACN of UHV converter transformer. The results show that ACN in UHV converter transformer belongs to a scale-free network. The structural importance evaluation method can identify the critical nodes in ACN, and better reflect the structural importance of nodes than the traditional degree indicator. Considering the dual objectives of the complex system, the optimal protection strategy proposed by the optimal protection model achieves better effect than other strategies, no matter how the protection cost factor and the protection cost budget coefficient change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abrupt change of climate has led to an increasing trend of hospitalised patients in recent years. This study aimed to analyse the temperature variability (TV) associated with respiratory disease (RD) hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses. The generalized linear model combined with distributed lag non-linear model was used to investigate the association between TV and RD hospitalisations. TV was determined by measuring the standard deviation of maximum and minimum temperatures for the current day and the previous 7 days. RD hospitalisations data were obtained from three major tertiary hospitals in Huaibei City, namely, the Huaibei People's Hospital, the Huaibei Hospital Of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Huaibei Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital. First, using a time series decomposition model, the seasonality and long-term trend of hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses for RD were explored in this warm temperate sub-humid monsoon climate. Second, robust models were used to analyse the association between TV and RD hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses. In addition, this study stratified results by sex, age and season. Third, using the attributable fraction (AF) and attributable number (AN), hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses for RD attributed to TV were quantified. Overall, 0.013% of hospitalisations were attributed to TV 0-1 (i.e. TV at the current day and previous 1 day), corresponding to 220 cases, 1603 days of hospital stays and 1,308,000 RMB of hospital expenses. Females were more susceptible to TV than males, and the risk increased with longer exposure (the highest risk was seen at TV 0-7 [i.e. TV at the current day and previous 7 days] exposure). Higher AF and AN were observed at ages 0–5 years and ≥65 years. In addition, it was also found that TV was more strongly linked to RD in the cool season. The hot season was positively associated with hospital stays and hospital expenses at TV 0-3 to TV 0-7 exposure. Exposure to TV increased the risk of hospitalisations, longer hospital stays and higher hospital expenses for RD. The findings suggested that more attention should be paid to unstable weather conditions in the future to protect the health of vulnerable populations. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Haihe River is a sluice-controlled coastal plain river showing both salinity and trophic gradients. • TSI posed a greater influence than salinity on the CDOM abundance. • TSI affected the CDOM abundance more than the fluorescence intensity. • Salinity affected the abundance of CDOM but rarely affected FDOM. Due to the combined effect of sluices and sea tide, the sluice-controlled coastal plain river would be characterized by both trophic state and salinity gradients, affecting the spatiotemporal optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM). In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal variation of water quality parameters and optical properties of DOM in the Haihe River, a representative sluice-controlled coastal plain river in Tianjin, China. A significant salinity gradient and four trophic states were observed in the water body of the Haihe River. Two humic- and one protein-like substances were identified from the DOM by the three-dimensional fluorescence spectra combined with the parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Pearson's correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that the salinity significantly affected the abundance of chromophoric DOM (CDOM) but did not cause significant changes in the fluorescence optical characteristics. In addition, the effect of Trophic state index (TSI) on the CDOM abundance was greater than that on the fluorescence intensity of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM). In the water body with both salinity and trophic state gradients, TSI posed a greater influence than salinity on the CDOM abundance. Our results fill the research gap in spatiotemporal DOM characteristics and water quality variation in water bodies with both salinity and trophic state gradients. These results are beneficial for clarifying the joint influence of saline intrusion and sluices on the DOM characteristics and water quality in sluice-controlled coastal plain rivers. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel tripodal fluorescent receptor based on naturally occurring coumarin was synthesized and its ionic recognition properties were fully investigated by spectroscopic techniques. As revealed by the results, tripodal 1 exhibits excellent selectivity toward copper(II) by forming a 1:1 complex with triazole N as the main binding sites. And the resulted 1 ·Cu 2+ complex shows recognition ability toward H 2 PO 4 − by metal displacement approach. The recognition mechanism was further investigated by computer calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently emerged BA.2.86, JN.1, EG.5, EG.5.1, and HV.1 variants have a growth advantage. In this study, we explore the structural bases of receptor binding and immune evasion for the Omicron BA.2.86, JN.1, EG.5, EG.5.1, and HV.1 sub-variants. Our findings reveal that BA.2.86 exhibits strong receptor binding, whereas its JN.1 sub-lineage displays a decreased binding affinity to human ACE2 (hACE2). Through complex structure analyses, we observed that the reversion of R493Q in BA.2.86 receptor binding domain (RBD) plays a facilitating role in receptor binding, while the L455S substitution in JN.1 RBD restores optimal affinity. Furthermore, the structure of monoclonal antibody (mAb) S309 complexed with BA.2.86 RBD highlights the importance of the K356T mutation, which brings a new N-glycosylation motif, altering the binding pattern of mAbs belonging to RBD-5 represented by S309. These findings emphasize the importance of closely monitoring BA.2.86 and its sub-lineages to prevent another wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections. [Display omitted] • BA.2.86, JN.1, EG.5, EG.5.1, and HV.1 apo S structures and their hACE2 bound structures • An additional N-glycosylation of BA.2.86 RBD influences its binding to mAb S309 • Electrostatic changes in BA.2.86 contribute to immune evasion • JN.1 RBD L455S mutation maintains optimal receptor binding and enhances immune evasion Li et al. present the spike structures of the recently emerged BA.2.86, JN.1, EG.5, EG.5.1, and HV.1 SARS-CoV-2 variants and systematically analyzed these sub-variants. Compared to their ancestor BA.2, large scale of electrostatic changes were observed in the BA.2.86 and JN.1 RBDs, and the K356T mutation yields a novel N-glycosylation motif. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Investigations on the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are crucial for better understanding the growth and proliferation of cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. In this study, a combined approach of fractionation procedure and parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis were applied to characterize the EPS of M. aeruginosa. Physicochemical analysis showed that the contents of polysaccharides in EPS matrix were higher than those of proteins, regardless of the differences in growth phases and nutritional levels in medium. Organic matters were mainly distributed in the tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) fraction during the exponential growth phase, whereas they sharply released to the soluble EPS (SL-EPS) and loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) fractions at the decay period. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) was applied to characterize the specific compositions in EPS matrix, and all the fluorescence EEM spectra collected could be successfully decomposed into a four-component model by PARAFAC analysis. Component 1 [excitation/emission (Ex/Em) = 220/340], component 2 (Ex/Em = 280/340) and component 3 [Ex/Em = (200, 220, 270)/296] were attributed to protein-like substances, while component 4 [Ex/Em = (250, 340)/438] belonged to humic-like substances. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that tryptophan-like substances in the LB-EPS and TB-EPS fractions were positively correlated with Microcystis growth, whereas in the SL-EPS fraction, tryptophan-like as well as humic-like substances were associated with the growth of M. aeruginosa. The scientific implication for Microcystis growth and proliferation, based on the results of fractionation procedure and EEM-PARAFAC analysis, was also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A two-temperature-stage process was developed for the production of lipopeptides under SSF conditions. The effects of various temperatures, ranging from 25 to 40°C, on the bacterial growth during the growth stage and on the production of lipopeptides during the productive stage were investigated. The optimum temperatures were found to be 30°C for the growth of the strain and 37°C for the biosynthesis of lipopeptides. The two-stage fermentation temperatures should be 30°C in the initial 24h and then 37°C for the enhanced production of lipopeptides. The bioprocess results obtained in a 50L fermenter verified the efficacy of this technique, which increased the yield of lipopeptides by 8.40% in flasks and by 13.11% in the fermenter, with a 4h decrease of fermentation time in the fermenter. The 1000-fold scale-up of fermentation in a fermenter was successfully achieved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a polymer with uses in foods, cosmetics, medicine and agriculture. The medium for the production of γ-PGA by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens C1 was optimized by response surface methodology using agro-industrial wastes in solid-state fermentation (SSF). The optimal SSF medium (20g substrates with 50% initial moisture) for producing γ-PGA was determined to contain 5.51g dairy manure compost, 1.91g soybean cake, 0.57g corn flour, 2.15g monosodium glutamate production residues, 1.5g wheat bran, 0.5g rapeseed cake, 0.1g citric acid, 0.05g MgSO4·7H2O and 0.03g MnSO4·H2O. In this medium the strain produced up to 0.0437g γ-PGA per gram of substrates when cultured for 48h at 37°C. SDS–PAGE showed that the molecular weight of the γ-PGA was more than 130kDa. Due to the high-yields observed and the low-cost nature of the optimal medium, this study indicates a possibility to establish economical large-scale production of γ-PGA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Goethite is known to contribute to the co-precipitation of rhizodeposits and thus benefit carbon (C) sequestration, while arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play significant role in soil organic C (SOC), however, the combined effect is less known. To address this paucity in knowledge, we compared the physicochemical stabilization and microbial mineralization of rhizodeposits from maize (Zea mays L.) and the rhizosphere priming effect (RPE) in soils with a combination of goethite addition and AMF inoculation. Here, we showed that compared to the control: i) Co-amendment of AMF and goethite resulted in a 0.6-fold decrease of rhizodeposit derived CO 2 , and a 2.8-fold larger allocation of rhizodeposits into macro-aggregates, most likely due to precipitation by goethite and macro-aggregate formation stimulated by AMF hyphae. Analyses using μ-FTIR confirmed the spatial distribution of polysaccharides overlapped with Fe–O minerals within macro-aggregates, supporting the concomitant processes of rhizodeposit stabilization and aggregate formation via hyphal-aggregate mineral interactions; ii) Inoculation with AMF accelerated SOC turnover by increasing the RPE (by 6.1 mg C kg−1 day−1, 74% increase) and rhizodeposit stabilization (by 6.2 mg C kg−1 soil day−1, 47% increase). The larger soil priming effect stimulated by AMF was associated with several genera including Solirubrobacter, Pseudomonas and Talaromyces , suggesting these hyper-symbionts were involved in nutrient acquisition (mining hypothesis). Our results enabled the comparison between rhizodeposit stabilization versus rhizodeposit and SOC mineralization, and highlighted the contributions of both goethite (abiotic contribution) and AMF (biotic contribution) to C accrual in a soil-plant system. • AMF and goethite stabilized rhizo-C via mineral-aggregate-hyphae interaction. • μ-FTIR confirmed the spatial distribution of polysaccharides overlapped with Fe–O. • AMF increased SOM priming via extended hyphae and hyper-symbiont activity. • AMF enhanced both rhizo-C stabilization and soil priming and thus faster SOC turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-area and high-quality graphene grown on metal by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has great potential applications in electronics and photo electronics. After more than 10 years of development, great progress has been made in the growth of graphene, and the role of various factors in the growth of graphene has been gradually clear. In this review, the role of hydrogen and oxygen in the formation and elimination of carbon-based impurities and silicon oxide particles and in the formation, observation, and control of grain boundary, point defects, and wrinkles is introduced. The content focuses on the specific experimental methods, results, and mechanism. Finally, the challenges of hydrogen and oxygen in the study of graphene growth on metal are introduced. This review can increase the theoretical knowledge and experimental design ability related to hydrogen and oxygen in CVD graphene grown on metal. • The concept of carbon-based impurity, silicon oxide particle, grain boundary, point defect and wrinkle, and their effects on the CVD graphene growth on metal are introduced in detail. • The role and the mechanism of hydrogen and oxygen in the study of carbon-based impurities, silicon oxide particles, grain boundaries, point defects and wrinkles are introduced. • We systematically share our experience and suggestions on the research of impurities and defects in CVD graphene growth on metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wafer-scale single-crystal graphene with strong antioxidation is fundamentally important for their applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Although significant progress has been achieved in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene, the production of wafer-scale graphene with high crystalline and excellent oxidation resistance still remains a challenge. Here, we report the epitaxial growth of 6-inch single-crystal graphene on twinned Pt (111) films with in-plane rotation of 60°(T-Pt) by ambient-pressure CVD. Our results show that the CVD-grown graphene on T-Pt exhibits fast growth rate and ultrahigh stability under the high-temperature air condition (>500 °C). The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the twinned Pt(111) surface does not change the preferential orientation of graphene nucleation, leading to highly aligned graphene domains on the T-Pt substrate. Moreover, the edge growth of graphene cannot be limited by the Pt twin boundaries (TBs), which is responsible for the fast growth of graphene single crystals. This work provides a reliable route to produce wafer-size single-crystal graphene monolayers with excellent oxidation resistance and clarifies the oriented growth mechanism of graphene domains on twinned Pt substrate. Here, we report an oriented multi-nuclei growth strategy toward 6-inch single-crystal graphene on twinned Pt (111) films with in-plane rotation of 60° (T-Pt) by ambient-pressure chemical vapor deposition. The graphene on Pt grows fast and has better oxidation resistance than graphene on Cu substrate. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that Pt-twinned structure does not change the preferential orientation of graphene nuclei, resulting in highly oriented graphene domains on the T-Pt substrate. This work provides a reliable approach to produce wafer-size single-crystal graphene monolayers with excellent oxidation resistance and clarifies the oriented growth mechanism of graphene domains on T-Pt substrate. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AB-stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) has wide application prospects in the field of optoelectronic devices. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an important method used to prepare BLG, but no definite stacking orientation is observed between the bilayers. Besides AB stacking, a number of disordered stacking orientations that could seriously affect the performance of BLG also exist. In this paper, we report a method to control the stacking orientation of reverse-transferred CVD-BLG via high pressure environment. We found that the orientation of BLG could be changed from weak-coupling stacking to AB stacking by increasing the temperature of the solvent in the autoclave. MoS 2 grains grown on graphene confirmed the stacking orientation variation of BLG. Reductions in the distance between layers in BLG under a high-pressure environment were considered to explain the observed orientation change. Reverse transfer allows the easy modification of the stacking orientation of BLG. The proposed high-pressure assistant method introduces a new route to prepare AB-stacked BLG and could be used to adjust the stacking direction of other two-dimensional materials. Increasing the pressure can change the distance between the two graphene layers, the distance reduced from d1 to d2 and the original stacking balance is modified. The stacking orientations of BLG can be determined by analyzing the orientation of MoS 2 crystals grown in SLG and BLG regions. After high pressure treatment, the orientation of MoS 2 crystals on the monolayer and bilayer is consistent. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sources contribute to the presence of antibiotic residues in water environments, and the environmental risks caused by antibiotics were paid more and more attention. This work aims to establish a relationship between optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and sources and risks of antibiotics. Occurrence of antibiotics and DOM in a city-river-reservoir freshwater system containing distinct antibiotic sources was investigated during three seasons using LC-MS and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix coupled with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC), respectively. The results showed that antibiotics and DOM in the water had trends of increasing levels from the upstream to the midstream in the system. Five classes of antibiotics had statistically significant correlations with the humic-like component (C3) in the water (Pearson, p < 0.05). Especially, norfloxacin (NFX), which was dominant in the aquaculture source, significantly increased the fluorescence of C3 according to the fluorescence titration (R 2 = 0.86, p < 0.01). Furthermore, fluorescence signature in the aquaculture pond posed broad humic acid-like peaks with relatively higher abundances compared to other areas. These results suggested that C3 could be recognized as an indicator of NFX from aquaculture sources. Meanwhile, C3 can largely account for ecological risks of tetracyclines according to the results of redundancy analysis. This work highlights the roles of EEM-PARAFAC on tracing the source of antibiotics and the correlations between environmental risks of antibiotics and DOM in the aquatic environment. Unlabelled Image • Correlations between antibiotics and optical properties of DOM could be used to indicate antibiotics in freshwater system. • Sources and risks of antibiotics related to EEM-PARAFAC components were assessed by PMF and RQ method, respectively. • Spatiotemporal variations of antibiotics and DOM were investigated. • Fluorescence signature posed more remarkable peaks of humic-like materials in aquaculture area than those in other area. • Humic acid-like materials (Ex/Em=240(295)/430 nm) could indicate NFX from aquaculture source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]