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The non-point source pollution of drinking water source areas is a global issue which is mainly caused by unreasonable management of the commercial forests growing in the upstream areas. However the occurrence and specific mechanism of runoff pollution in these areas have not been approached. In order to clarify the factors influencing the non-point source pollution in the area, the test plot in Fushi Reservoir watershed covered by Phyllostachys edulis plantations with pure and modified stands was chosen, and the characteristics of soil chemical properties, enzyme activities and the coupling between soil factors and surface runoff of were initially analyzed, the relationship between soil factors and surface runoff pollutants was examined using redundancy analysis. The results showed that pH, soil nitrate reductase (S-NR) and catalase (S-CAT) were the key factors affecting the differentiation of water quality in surface runoff. The total nitrogen (TN) concentration in surface runoff was positively correlated with S-NR but negatively correlated with pH, TN and alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN) concentrations in soil. The total phosphorus (TP) concentration was negative correlation with soil pH and TP. In addition, the permanganate index (COD Mn) concentration has positive correlation with urease (S-UE), acid phosphatase (S-ACP) and organic matter (SOM) in soil. These results suggest that soil enzyme activities are more sensitive than soil nutrient status, and could be used as indicators of non-point source pollution assessing. Moreover, pollution in this area could be effectively controlled by enhancing vegetation coverage and ameliorating soil environment. Image 1 • The relationship between runoff pollution and soil features was discussed based on field survey. • Heavy rain leads to soil erosion, and the loss of nitrogen was mainly in the form of NO 3 −-N. • Soil pH, S-NR and S-CAT were the key factors determining the water quality in reservoir watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contamination by uranium presents a burgeoning global environmental concern, exerting detrimental effects on both agricultural production and soil health. Biochar, a carbonaceous material derived from biomass pyrolysis, exhibits considerable potential for remediating uranium-contaminated soils. However, a comprehensive review of the effects of biochar on the fate and accumulation of uranium in soil–plant systems remains conspicuously absent. In this paper, uranium sources and contamination are reviewed, and the impact of biochar on uranium immobilization and detoxification in soil–plant systems is analyzed. We reviewed the status of uranium contamination in soils globally and found that mining activities are currently the main sources. Further meta-analysis revealed that biochar addition significantly reduced the soil uranium bioavailability and shoot uranium accumulation, and their effect value is 58.9% (40.8–76.8%) and 39.7% (15.7–63.8%), respectively. Additionally, biochar enhances the soil microenvironment, providing favourable conditions for promoting plant growth and reducing uranium mobility. We focused on the mechanisms governing the interaction between biochar and uranium, emphasising the considerable roles played by surface complexation, reduction, ion exchange, and physical adsorption. The modification of biochar by intensifying these mechanisms can promote uranium immobilisation in soils. Finally, biochar alleviates oxidative stress and reduces uranium accumulation in plant tissues, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of uranium on plant growth and development. Overall, our review highlights the capacity of biochar to remediate uranium contamination in soil–plant systems through diverse mechanisms, providing valuable insights for sustainable environmental remediation. Highlights Biochar reduces uranium mobility through a variety of mechanisms, including surface complexation, reduction, ion exchange, and physical adsorption. Biochar significantly reduces uranium bioavailability in soil and limits its accumulation in plants. Modified biochar has been shown to enhance its effectiveness in immobilising uranium. Biochar application to soil not only promotes uranium remediation but also improves soil quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to heavy metal(loid)s (HM) through contaminated food chains poses significant health risks to humans. While soil amendments are known to reduce HM bioavailability, their effects on bioaccessibility and health risks in soil-pakchoi-human systems remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a greenhouse pot experiment coupling soil immobilization with bioaccessibility-based health risk assessment for Cd and As exposure from pakchoi consumption. Four amendments (attapulgite, shell powder, nanoscale zero-valent iron, and biochar) were applied to soil, resulting in changes to soil characteristics (pH and organic matter), plant dry weight, and exchangeable fractions of As and Cd. Among the tested amendments, biochar exhibited the highest effectiveness in reducing the risk of Cd and As exposure from pakchoi consumption. The bioaccessibility-based health risk assessment revealed that the application of 5% biochar resulted in the lowest hazard index, significantly decreasing it from 1.36 to 0.33 in contaminated soil. Furthermore, the structural equation model demonstrated that pH played a critical role in influencing remediation efficiency, impacting the exposure of the human body to Cd and As. In conclusion, our study offers a new perspective on mitigating exposure risks of soil HM and promoting safe crop production. The results underscore the importance of considering bioaccessibility in health risk assessment and highlight the potential of biochar as a promising amendment for reducing Cd and As exposure from pakchoi consumption. [Display omitted] • Soil amendments can reduce bioavailability and bioaccessibility of arsenic and cadmium in soil-pakchoi-human systems. • Bioaccessibility-based health risk assessment better reflected arsenic and cadmium exposure risk. • Soil pH plays a key role in influencing arsenic and cadmium bioaccessibility and associated health risk. • Coupling immobilization strategy with bioaccessibility-based health risk assessment enables safe crop production and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cu2O/Cu modified shungite (ShC) absorbent (Cu2O/Cu-ShC) was synthesized by hydrothermal method, benefiting from the mineral backbone and Cu2O/Cu particles, Cu2O/Cu-ShC can remove ~ 96% of I− within 60 min, the batch experiments showed that the I− adsorption process follows pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacity of 10.99 mg/g. The high binding affinity between Cu+ and I− contributes effective removal of I− and excellent selectivity at high concentrations of competing ions. This work highlights the feasibility of Cu2O/Cu-ShC for the radioactive iodine separation, and provides a promising sorbent material for large-scale purification of radioactive iodine anions in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pickering emulsion method is used to construct photo-responsive metal-free microcapsules comprising graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets dispersed in montmorillonite (Mt) colloidosomes. Morphology characterization revealed a spherical-shaped microcapsule with diameter ranges from 5 to 50 µm. Cr (VI) was employed as a target contaminant to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the microcapsules. Batch investigation showed pH 3 to be the optimal condition with a complete Cr (VI) removal. XPS analysis proved that the as-prepared microcapsule is able to reduce Cr (VI) to Cr (III). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montmorillonite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron composite functionalized by thiols (nZVI/Mt-SH) was synthesized by a two-step co-precipitation method for uranium (IV) removal from water. The SEM investigation showed that the morphology of nZVI/Mt was successfully modified by the (3-Mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane. The optimal adsorption efficiencies could be attributed to the synergetic behavior between SH-functionalized clay and iron nanoparticles. Analysis of the removal kinetics indicated the feature of monolayer chemisorption. The intraparticle diffusion exploration by Weber-Morris model illustrated a multi-phase removal process. This work suggests that the as-synthesized particles could be used as an efficient adsorbent to remove U(VI) from contaminated water sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new band structure modulation approach to novel N-TiO 2 @C photocatalysts with elevated reduction potential, increased visible light absorption, inhibited recombination of electron-hole pairs and dramatically improved visible light-driven reduction ability in NADH generation. [Display omitted] • N-TiO 2 @C photocatalysts with elevated conductive band position and narrowed band gap were constructed via a simple glycine doping process. • The N-TiO 2 @C photocatalysts exhibited enhanced reduction potential, improved visible light absorption and higher separation efficiency of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. • The N-TiO 2 @C photocatalysts showed dramatically improved activity in the visible-light-driven generation of NADH without electron mediator and was successfully used in the enzymatic synthesis of methanol. Titanium dioxide photocatalysts with high reduction potential and visible light response hold great promise in photochemical conversion. Here, we used a simple glycine doping method to synthesize novel N-TiO 2 @C photocatalysts with upward shifted conduction bands and narrowed band gaps as well as inhibited recombination of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. The N-TiO 2 @C photocatalysts exhibited higher visible light response and remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity in the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by photomediated reduction of NAD+ without any electron mediator. The yield of NADH was up to 70.3 % far greater than that of the undoped TiO 2 (11.3 %), and it stabilized at ca. 60 % after 10 cycles. The viability of coupling NADH regeneration with enzymatic reaction (alcohol dehydrogenase) was established in aldehyde reduction where formaldehyde was specifically reduced to methanol. These findings shed new light on the modulation of the band structure of semiconductors and develop an electron mediator free strategy for NADH-dependent artificial photosynthesis through coupled photocatalytic and enzymatic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co-contamination of soils by microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd), one of the most perilous heavy metals, is emerging as a significant global concern, posing risks to plant productivity and human health. However, there remains a gap in the literature concerning comprehensive evaluations of the combined effects of MPs and Cd on soil–plant–human systems. This review examines the interactions and co-impacts of MPs and Cd in soil–plant–human systems, elucidating their mechanisms and synergistic effects on plant development and health risks. We also review the origins and contamination levels of MPs and Cd, revealing that sewage, atmospheric deposition, and biosolid applications are contributors to the contamination of soil with MPs and Cd. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that MPs significantly (p<0.05) increase the bioavailability of soil Cd and the accumulation of Cd in plant shoots by 6.9 and 9.3 %, respectively. The MPs facilitate Cd desorption from soils through direct adsorption via surface complexation and physical adsorption, as well as indirectly by modifying soil physicochemical properties, such as pH and dissolved organic carbon, and altering soil microbial diversity. These interactions augment the bioavailability of Cd, along with MPs, adversely affect plant growth and its physiological functions. Moreover, the ingestion of MPs and Cd through the food chain significantly enhances the bioaccessibility of Cd and exacerbates histopathological alterations in human tissues, thereby amplifying the associated health risks. This review provides insights into the coexistence of MPs and Cd and their synergistic effects on soil–plant–human systems, emphasizing the need for further research in this critical subject area. [Display omitted] • The impacts of MPs on Cd transfer in the soil-plant-human system were reviewed comprehensively. • MPs have the potential to increase the bioavailability of Cd and its accumulation in plants. • MPs increase Cd desorption from soil through adsorption and changes in soil properties. • MPs can increase Cd bioaccessibility, enhancing the potential risk of Cd to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzyme immobilization on nanostructured substrates is an emerging method for the efficient development of nanobiocatalysts to enhance enzymatic performance. In this study, a novel α-amylase nanobiocatalytic system was constructed based on the allosteric activation of the enzyme and its immobilization on a natural nanostructured mineral montmorillonite. The strategy of allosteric modulation and immobilization, equipped the immobilized α-amylase with higher catalytic activity and greater stability (compared to those of free α-amylase) over a broad range of pH values (4.5–9.0) and temperatures (30–80 °C). Kinetic experiments revealed that although the immobilized α-amylase possessed a considerably lower affinity for its substrate, its catalytic activity was higher than that of free α-amylase, likely owing to allosteric modulation. Thus, this study demonstrates a convenient and environmentally benign immobilization strategy to construct a nanobiocatalytic α-amylase system that exploits the phenomenon of allosteric activation of the enzyme and lays the foundation for further industrial applications. [Display omitted] • The design of α-amylase/Mt nanobiocatalytic system based on allosteric effect. • The catalytic activities of α-amylase/Ca-Mt-NaCl were hiked compared to free form. • Immobilized α-amylase have better operation and storage stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kind of amino groups modified polyacrylonitrile fibers (PAN-A) was prepared to extract uranium from organic-containing low-level radioactive wastewater (OC-LLRW). SEM/EDS and FTIR characterization conformed that amino group was triumphant grafed on polyacrylonitrile fibers (PAN) surface. Its adsorption capacity was 492.1 mg g−1 (pH 6.0) and can endure at least five adsorption/desorption cycles under condition of 0.1 mol L−1 HCl solution. This PAN-A can work efficiently in the organic containing waste water (urea, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol), while the polyvinylalcohol (PVA) exhibited an apparently suppressive effect. This phenomenon was mainly with respect to the sticky nature of PVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed main structural models of sp 2 carbon with a structure similar to glassy carbon from the point of view of impedance spectroscopy in the range from hertz frequencies to 15 MHz. We used samples of natural carbon (shungites, anthraxolites) with a structure and properties close to synthetic glassy carbon. The impedance spectroscopy results were compared to high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images, which revealed a complex nanoscale structure including stacks of misoriented graphene layers, multilayer ribbons, and closed fullerene-like structures. The high locality of the HRTEM method often does not allow identifying the predominant nano-sized structure if two or more types of structural elements are observed in one sample. Using impedance spectroscopy, we found samples with an inductive type of resistance indicating predominant extended and tortuous elements (ribbons, fibrils), as well as samples with a capacitive type of resistance with a significant predominance of nano-sized stacks of graphene layers with impurities/dielectric gaps and micropores. • Impedance spectroscopy used to understand the nanostructure of disordered sp 2 carbon. • The effect of carbon nanostructure on impedance starts at megahertz frequencies. • The inductive type of resistance correlates with the ribbon nanostructures. • The capacitive type of resistance correlates with the stacks nanostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd) are widely distributed in soil ecosystems, posing a potential threat to agricultural production and human health. However, the coupled effects of MPs and Cd in soil-plant systems remain largely unknown, especially on a large scale. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of MPs on plant growth and Cd accumulation under the Cd contamination conditions. Our results showed that MPs had significantly negative effects on shoot biomass (a decrease of 11.8 %) and root biomass (a decrease of 8.79 %). MPs also significantly increased Cd accumulation in the shoots and roots by 14.6 % and 13.5 %, respectively, revealing that MPs promote plant Cd uptake. Notably, polyethylene displayed a stronger promoting effect (an increase of 29.4 %) on Cd accumulation among these MP types. MPs induced a significantly increase (9.75 %) in concentration of soil available Cd and a slight decrease in soil pH, which may be the main driver promoting plant Cd uptake. MP addition posed physiological toxicity risks to plants by inhibiting photosynthesis and enhancing oxidative damage, directly demonstrating that MPs in combination with Cd can pose synergetic toxicity risks to plants. We further noted that MPs altered microbial diversity, likely influencing Cd bioavailability in soil-plant systems. Overall, our study has important implications for the combined impacts of Cd and MPs on plants and provides new insights into developing guidelines for the sustainable use of MPs in agriculture. [Display omitted] • A meta-analysis reveals that MPs promotes plant Cd uptake. • Polyethylene shows a stronger promoting effect compared to other MPs types. • MPs exert a synergistic effect on Cd phytotoxicity, depending on their types. • MPs increase Cd bioavailability in soil-plant systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the waste disposal principles is decrement. The programmed gradient descent biosorption of strontium ions by Saccaromyces cerevisiae regarding bioremoval and ashing process for decrement were studied in present research. The results indicated that S. cerevisiae cells showed valid biosorption for strontium ions with greater than 90% bioremoval efficiency for high concentration strontium ions under batch culture conditions. The S. cerevisiae cells bioaccumulated approximately 10% of strontium ions in the cytoplasm besides adsorbing 90% strontium ions on cell wall. The programmed gradient descent biosorption presented good performance with a nearly 100% bioremoval ratio for low concentration strontium ions after 3 cycles. The ashing process resulted in a huge volume and weight reduction ratio as well as enrichment for strontium in the ash. XRD results showed that SrSO 4 existed in ash. Simulated experiments proved that sulfate could adjust the precipitation of strontium ions. Finally, we proposed a technological flow process that combined the programmed gradient descent biosorption and ashing, which could yield great decrement and allow the supernatant to meet discharge standard. This technological flow process may be beneficial for nuclides and heavy metal disposal treatment in many fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subcellular distribution of uranium in roots of Spirodela punctata (duckweed) and the process of surface interaction were studied upon exposure to U (0, 5–200 mg/L) at pH 5. The concentration of uranium in each subcelluar fraction increased significantly with increasing solution U level, after 200 mg/L uranium solution treatment 120 h, the proportion of uranium concentration approximate as 8:2:1 in the cell wall organelle and cytosol fractions of roots of S. punctata . OM SEM and EDS showed after 5–200 mg/L U treatment 4–24 h, some intracellular fluid released from the root cells, after 100 mg/L U treatment 48 h, the particles including 35% Fe (wt%) and other organic matters such as EPS released from the cells, most of the uranium bound onto the root surface and contacted with phosphorus ligands and formed as nano-scales U-P lamellar crystal, similar crystal has been found in the cell wall and organelle fractions after 50 mg/L U treatment 120 h. FTIR and XPS analyses result indicates the uranium changed the band position and shapes of phosphate group, and the region of characteristic peak belongs to U(VI) and U(IV) were also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining activity and abandoned mine land are one of the major sources of heavy metal pollution. Thus, ecological rehabilitation of abandoned mine lands is crucial to control heavy metal pollution. This research aims to explore the influencing factors and effects of different vegetation on copper (Cu) accumulation and soil amelioration. In this study, the abandoned land of Tongguanshan Cu mine in Tongling city, Anhui province, China, was chosen as the test area, and nine sampling points were established. Samples of soil and plants were collected from each plot, and the impacts of Cu pollution on soil enzymes and other features were analyzed, as well as the correlation between Cu accumulation of different plants and soil properties. The results showed that Cu content of soil in the Tongguanshan area varied greatly with the depth of the soil profile. Moreover, Cu in the soil can inhibit soil enzyme activities; and the correlation coefficients of total soil Cu with urease and catalase were −0.83 and −0.73, respectively. Clearly, the accumulation of Cu in plants was positively correlated with Cu content in soil. It was found that Pueraria lobata had the best remediation effect on soil Cu pollution in a short period of time. Hence the preliminary tests clearly indicate that phytoremediation in abandoned mine lands can not only reduce heavy metal pollution, but also enhance soil nutrition and enzyme activity, helping to ameliorate degraded land and promote regional socioeconomic sustainable development. • Cu in the soil can inhibit soil enzyme activities. • The accumulation of Cu in plants is positively correlated with Cu content in soil. • Pueraria lobata is the most suited for soil Cu remediation in a short time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption features and mechanism of phospholipid (the main components of cytoderm of gram-negative bacterium) to remove U(VI) in carbonate solution have been explored in this study. The utilized phospholipid was characterized by SEM-EDS, FT-IR, XRD, and XPS. Macroscopic experiments demonstrated that the removal capacity of phospholipid was dominated by the concentration of carbonate and the maximum capacity can reach as high as 207 mg/g at optimized condition. Removal efficiency of U(VI) by phospholipid up to 94.83% at pH 5.0, while 6.04% at pH 10.0 could be attributed to formation of massive micelles under the condition of high carbonate concentration according to the phenomenon of Tyndall Effect (carbonate concentration represented by pH). XRD and FT-IR results indicated the main U(VI) species adsorbed on phospholipid was UO 2 CO 3. Both XPS and FT-IR results showed the chemical environment of P element had been changed after adsorbing U(VI), indicating the main adsorption sites for U(VI) may be phosphate groups. Besides, simulation results of simplified adsorption model were investigated as well. Calculation results exhibited phospholipid adsorbing U(VI) through electrostatic force, and the adsorption process may involve in electron transfer. Unlabelled Image • Mechanism study of phospholipid removing U(VI) from uranium waste water • UO 2 CO 3 particles with high surface energy formed at pH 5.0 • The main adsorption site of phospholipid is phosphate group. • Simulation and calculation of adsorption model were performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar application emerges as a promising and sustainable solution for the remediation of soils contaminated with potentially toxic metal (loid)s (PTMs), yet its potential to reduce PTM accumulation in crops remains to be fully elucidated. In our study, a hierarchical meta-analysis based on 276 research articles was conducted to quantify the effects of biochar application on crop growth and PTM accumulation. Meanwhile, a machine learning approach was developed to identify the major contributing features. Our findings revealed that biochar application significantly enhanced crop growth, and reduced PTM concentrations in crop tissues, showing a decrease trend of grains (36.1%, 33.6-38.6%) > shoots (31.1%, 29.3-32.8%) > roots (27.5%, 25.7-29.2%). Furthermore, biochar modifications were found to amplify its remediation potential in PTM-contaminated soils. Biochar application was observed to provide favorable conditions for reducing PTM uptake by crops, primarily through decreasing available PTM concentrations and improving overall soil quality. Employing machine learning techniques, we identified biochar properties, such as surface area and C content as a key factor in decreasing PTM bioavailability in soil-crop systems. Furthermore, our study indicated that biochar application could reduce probabilistic health risks associated with of the presence of PTMs in crop grains, thereby contributing to human health protection. These findings highlighted the essential role of biochar in remediating PTM-contaminated lands and offered guidelines for enhancing safe crop production., 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.)

Ideal plant architecture is essential for enhancing crop yields. Ideal soybean ( Glycine max ) architecture encompasses an appropriate plant height, increased node number, moderate seed weight, and compact architecture with smaller branch angles for growth under high-density planting. However, the functional genes regulating plant architecture are far not fully understood in soybean. In this study, we investigated the genetic basis of 12 agronomic traits in a panel of 496 soybean accessions with a wide geographical distribution in China. Analysis of phenotypic changes in 148 historical elite soybean varieties indicated that seed-related traits have mainly been improved over the past 60 years, with targeting plant architecture traits having the potential to further improve yields in future soybean breeding programs. In a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 12 traits, we detected 169 significantly associated loci, of which 61 overlapped with previously reported loci and 108 new loci. By integrating the GWAS loci for different traits, we constructed a genetic association network and identified 90 loci that were associated with a single trait and 79 loci with pleiotropic effects. Of these 79 loci, 7 hub-nodes were strongly linked to at least three related agronomic traits. qHub&#95;5, containing the previously characterized Determinate 1 ( Dt1 ) locus, was associated not only with plant height and node number (as determined previously), but also with internode length and pod range. Furthermore, we identified qHub&#95;7, which controls three branch angle-related traits; the candidate genes in this locus may be beneficial for breeding soybean with compact architecture. These findings provide insights into the genetic relationships among 12 important agronomic traits in soybean. In addition, these studies uncover valuable loci for further functional gene studies and will facilitate molecular design breeding of soybean architecture., 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 © 2024 Niu, Tian, Chen, Yang, Zhang, Sun and Wang.)

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) has drawn extensive attention with some features including visible-light response as non-metallic semiconductor, low cost in raw material and green pollution-free for environment, but suffers from some issues such as fast charge carriers' recombination, easy aggregation, etc. In this work, the 1D-2D HNTs&g-C 3 N 4 -X binary materials similar to meat floss pattern in a series of halloysite loading amounts are designed via a facile electrostatic self-assembly strategy with debris g-C 3 N 4 after cell pulverizing treatment and HNTs that outwardly modified by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the building blocks. The halloysite-mediated satellite-core material displays a photocatalytic of H 2 evolution performance with the highest evolution rate of 137.0 μmol g -1  h -1 in visible light condition with no co-catalysts, and is ∼3.4 times that of bulk g-C 3 N 4 , mainly benefiting from the reduced nanometer size of debris g-C 3 N 4 and enhanced interface dispersion ability by HNTs, resulting in ameliorative separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers. This research conclusively provides the new perspective towards the performance enhancement of water splitting of g-C 3 N 4 in raw clay mineral modification mode and broadens the applications of mineral-based composite in the renewable energy utilization field., 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 rapid development of nanozymes for ultrasensitive detection of contaminate has resulted in considerable attention. Herein, a carboxyl- and aminopropyl-functionalized copper organophyllosilicate (Cu-CAP) was synthesized by a facile, one-pot sol-gel method. The bifunctional groups endow it with superior catalytic activity than that of natural enzyme. Besides, it possesses outstanding catalytic stability under harsh conditions such as high temperature, extremely high or low pH, and high salinity. Apart from laccase-mimetic activity, Cu-CAP also shows oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to the blue-colored TMB ox in the presence of H 2 O 2 , which is similar to natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Interestingly, this colorimetric system was suppressed by hydroquinone (HQ) specifically. Inspired by this, Cu-CAP was used to develop a highly sensitive and selective colorimetric method for the determination of HQ. This assay displayed an extremely low detection limit of 23 nM and was applied for the detection of HQ in environmental water with high accuracy. This approach offers a new route for the rational design of high performance nanozymes for environmental and biosensing applications., (© 2021. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Mining areas are suffering from serious environmental hazards, such as soil erosion, water pollution as well as land degradation. In this study, two types of mining areas in Anhui Province, China-one a copper mining area and the other a coal mining area-were selected to compare the soil properties under different vegetation restoration conditions, which can be generally classified into reclaimed and non-reclaimed areas. Soil catalase and urease activities and soil chemical properties were chosen to be the main indicators of soil quality. Principal component analysis was used to evaluate the overall soil fertility in the copper and coal mining areas. Results showed that in the copper mining area soil catalase activity was between 12.36 and 19.17 μg g -1  h -1 and urease activity was between 0.03 and 12.05 μg g -1  h -1 . And in coal mining area, soil catalase activity was between 3.52 and 9.72 μg g -1  h -1 and urease activity was between 2.71 and 10.81 μg g -1  h -1 . Moreover, soil catalase and urease activities in degraded areas were lower than those in reclaimed areas. Soil catalase activity and soil urease activity were significantly correlated with total potassium and total nitrogen, respectively. Soil quality in land types with vegetation restoration was higher than in non-reclaimed areas and old subsidence areas, while soil quality in the copper mining area was generally higher than in the coal mining area. Thus, the optimum measure in this region to ameliorate these degraded soils is vegetation restoration, which helps not only to improve the environment, but also to enhance soil quality in these degraded lands., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Water pollution is exacerbated due to irrational human activities in China. Restoring and rebuilding river basin ecosystems are major ecological strategies at present. Controlling the non-point source pollution (NPSP) by reasonable management of land use in the basin and phytoremediation of contaminated waters is the optimum approach. Thus, it is significant to study on the relationship that between landscape change and the aquatic environment, as well as further to analyze on the combined effect of the landscape and water quality. This paper describes the application and development of the "source-sink" landscape theory in China, and the role of the theory in controlling NPSP. From this perspective, a landscape capable of generating NPSP would be a "source" landscape, such as farmland, while another capable of preventing NPSP would be a "sink" landscape, such as forests and wetland. Applying the source-sink landscape theory, it is possible to exert the ecological benefits of the landscape while playing the esthetic value of the landscape. Also, the purification mechanism of plants in contaminated water is discussed. Besides, it is vital that research on water body restoration should focus not only on single discipline but also on integration and coordination between various ones such as ecology, environmental science, and geography to jointly push up researches related to water body phytoremediation. Hopefully, this paper could help to control water pollution from a new perspective, also to improve water environment and benefit human lives.

Leaf angle is mainly determined by the lamina joint (LJ) and contributes to ideal crop architecture for high yield. Here, we dissected five successive stages with distinct cytological features of LJs spanning organogenesis to leaf angle formation and obtained the underlying stage-specific mRNAs and small RNAs, which well explained the cytological dynamics during LJ organogenesis and leaf angle plasticity. Combining the gene coexpression correlation with high-throughput promoter analysis, we identified a set of transcription factors (TFs) determining the stage- and/or cytological structure-specific profiles. The functional studies of these TFs demonstrated that cytological dynamics determined leaf angle and that the knockout rice of these TFs with erect leaves significantly enhanced yield by maintaining the proper tiller number under dense planting. This work revealed the high-resolution mechanisms of how the cytological dynamics of LJ determined leaf erectness and served as a valuable resource to remodel rice architecture for high yield by controlling population density., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Shoot branching, determining plant architecture and crop yield, is critically controlled by strigolactones (SLs). However, how SLs inhibit shoot branching after its perception by the receptor complex remains largely obscure. In this study, using the transcriptomic and genetic analyss as well as biochemical studies, we reveal the key role of BES1 in the SL-regulated shoot branching. We demonstrate that BES1 and D53-like SMXLs, the substrates of SL receptor complex D14-MAX2, interact with each other to inhibit BRC1 expression, which specifically triggers the SL-regulated transcriptional network in shoot branching. BES1 directly binds the BRC1 promoter and recruits SMXLs to inhibit BRC1 expression. Interestingly, despite being the shared component by SL and brassinosteroid (BR) signaling, BES1 gains signal specificity through different mechanisms in response to BR and SL signals., (© 2019 The Authors.)

The coccolithophore species Emiliania huxleyi has one of the most global distributions in the modern oceans. They are characteristically covered with calcite scales called coccoliths. In this study, stable strontium immobilization during the calcification process was investigated to indirectly assess a proposed bioremediation approach for removing Sr 2+ contamination from marine environments. Results indicate that E. huxleyi has high Sr 2+ tolerance and removal efficiency in response to Sr 2+ stress ranging from 5.6 to 105.6 ppm. Sr 2+ immobilization during E. huxleyi calcification indicates a concentration-dependent synergistic mechanism. At lower concentrations of Sr 2+ (25.6 ppm), Sr 2+ is incorporated into coccoliths through competitive supply between Sr 2+ and Ca 2+ . In addition, calcite productivity decreases with increased Sr 2+ removal efficiency due to crystallographic transformation of coccoliths from hydrated calcite into aragonite at 55.6 ppm Sr 2+ . Further formation of strontianite at 105.6 ppm Sr 2+ is due to precipitation of Sr 2+ on the edge of the rims and radial arrays of the coccoliths. Our study implies that coccolithophores are capable of significant removal of Sr 2+ from the marine environment.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant-specific steroid hormones that control plant growth and development. Recent studies have identified key components of the BR signaling pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana and in rice ( Oryza sativa ); however, the mechanism of BR signaling in rice, especially downstream of GSK3/SHAGGY-like kinase (GSK2), remains unclear. Here, we identified a BR-insensitive rice mutant, reduced leaf angle1 ( rla1 ), and cloned the corresponding gene. RLA1 was identical to the previously reported SMALL ORGAN SIZE1 ( SMOS1 ), which was cloned from another allele. RLA1/SMOS1 encodes a transcription factor with an APETALA2 DNA binding domain. Genetic analysis indicated that RLA1/SMOS1 functions as a positive regulator in the BR signaling pathway and is required for the function of BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 (OsBZR1). In addition, RLA1/SMOS1 can interact with OsBZR1 to enhance its transcriptional activity. GSK2 can interact with and phosphorylate RLA1/SMOS1 to reduce its stability. These results demonstrate that RLA1/SMOS1 acts as an integrator of the transcriptional complex directly downstream of GSK2 and plays an essential role in BR signaling and plant development in rice., (© 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.)

De novo promoter DNA methylation represses gene transcription and is a common mechanism to inactivate tumor suppressor genes in tumorigenesis. DNMT3B plays an important role in de novo DNA methylation. We report here the identification of a novel DNMT3B subfamily, termed DeltaDNMT3B, whose expression is initiated through a promoter located at intron 4 and exon 5 of the DNMT3B gene. At least 7 transcriptional variants of DeltaDNMT3B have been observed as the result of alternative pre-mRNA splicing. Predicted proteins derived from these variants suggest that 4 of the variants share a conservative enzymatic domain but contain a variable PWWP motif, a putative DNA binding structure, whereas 3 of the variants lack the enzymatic domain due to predicted premature translational termination. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, DeltaDNMT3B variants are frequently expressed and are the predominant forms of DNMT3B. Similarly, DeltaDNMT3B variants are frequently expressed in primary NSCLC but are not detectable or are expressed at low levels in corresponding normal lung tissue. Our results indicate that DeltaDNMT3B is the major expression form of DNMT3B in NSCLC and may play an important role in the development of aberrant promoter methylation during lung tumorigenesis.