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The massive CO2 emission has caused frequent occurrence of climate problems, and a typical response to climate change has reached international consensus. Digital finance and green finance, as a subversion of the traditional financial model, have become significant drivers of global carbon emissions reduction efforts. Based on the panel data, this paper profoundly compares the effects of carbon emissions reduction, mechanisms, and heterogeneous results of two forms of finance. Research finds that technology-centered digital finance focuses on suppressing carbon emissions through technological innovation, and the higher the level of regional economic is, the stronger the role of digital finance in suppressing carbon emissions through technological innovation. The concept-centered green finance focuses on carbon emissions reduction through industrial ecologization, and government-led environmental regulation plays a positive regulatory role. Although the paths of affecting carbon emissions are different, there is a natural fit between the two in terms of the essential goal of carbon emissions reduction. Based on the consideration of the differences in geographic location and financial development level, the carbon emission reduction effects of two forms of finance show apparent heterogeneity. Based on the spatial characteristics of digital finance and carbon emissions, this paper further finds that the digital finance’s carbon emission reduction effects have apparent spatial spillovers. These findings provide an essential direction to formulate a reasonable carbon emissions reduction plan and accelerate realizing the “double carbon” goal.

ABSTRACT Hyperuricemia has become the second most prevalent metabolic disease after diabetes, but the limitations of urate-lowering treatment (ULT) drugs and patient nonadherence make ULT far less successful. Thus, more ULT approaches urgently need to be explored. Uric acid-degrading bacteria have potential application value in ULT. In this study, we isolated 44XBT, a uric acid-degrading bacterium, from black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) feces. Using a polyphasic taxonomic approach, strain 44XBT was identified as a novel genus within the family Bacillaceae; subsequently, the name Aciduricibacillus chroicocephali was proposed. Strain 44XBT had a unique uric acid-dependent phenotype and utilized uric acid and allantoin as the sole carbon and nitrogen sources, but not common carbon sources or complex media. In the genome, multiple copies of genes involved in uric acid metabolic pathway (pucL, pucM, uraD, and allB) were found. Six copies of pucL (encoding urate oxidase) were detected. Of these, five pucL copies were in a tandem arrangement and shared 70.42%–99.70% amino acid identity. In vivo experiments revealed that 44XBT reduced serum uric acid levels and attenuated kidney damage in hyperuricemic mice through uric acid catalysis in the gut and gut microbiota remodeling. In conclusion, our findings discover a strain for studying bacterial uric acid metabolism and may provide valuable insights into ULT.IMPORTANCEThe increasing disease burden of hyperuricemia highlights the need for new therapeutic drugs and treatment strategies. Our study describes the developmental and application values of natural uric acid-degrading bacteria found in the gut of birds and broadened the source of bacteria with potential therapeutic value. Furthermore, the special physiology characteristics and genomic features of strain 44XBT are valuable for further study.

Background: Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is a common and clinically significant subtype of kidney cancer. A potential therapeutic target in KIRC is disulfidptosis, a novel mode of cell death induced by disulfide stress. The aim of this study was to develop a prognostic model to explore the clinical significance of different disulfidptosis gene typings from KIRC.Methods: A comprehensive analysis of the chromosomal localization, expression patterns, mutational landscape, copy number variations, and prognostic significance of 10 disulfide death genes was conducted. Patients were categorized into distinct subtypes using the Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) typing method based on disulfidptosis gene expression patterns. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was used on the KIRC dataset to identify differentially expressed genes between subtype clusters. A risk signature was created using LASSO-Cox regression and validated by survival analysis. An interaction between risk score and immune cell infiltration, tumor microenvironment characteristics and pathway enrichment analysis were investigated.Results: Initial findings highlight the differential expression of specific DRGs in KIRC, with genomic instability and somatic mutation analysis revealing key insights into their role in cancer progression. NMF clustering differentiates KIRC patients into subgroups with distinct survival outcomes and immune profiles, and hierarchical clustering identifies gene modules associated with key biological and clinical parameters, leading to the development of a risk stratification model (LRP8, RNASE2, CLIP4, HAS2, SLC22A11, and KCTD12) validated by survival analysis and predictive of immune infiltration and drug sensitivity. Pathway enrichment analysis further delineates the differential molecular pathways between high-risk and low-risk patients, offering potential targets for personalized treatment. Lastly, differential expression analysis of model genes between normal and KIRC cells provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying KIRC, highlighting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of KIRC and provides a potential prognostic model using disulfidptosis gene for personalized management in KIRC patients. The risk signature shows clinical applicability and sheds light on the biological mechanisms associated with disulfide-induced cell death.

ABSTRACTHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is prevalent worldwide, and there is currently no licenced HCMV vaccine to control it. Therefore, developing an effective HCMV vaccine is a significant priority. Because of their excellent immunogenicity, the crucial components of HCMV, phosphoprotein 65 (pp65) and glycoproteins H (gH) are potential target proteins for HCMV vaccine design. In this study, we predicted and screened the dominant antigenic epitopes of B and T cells from pp65 and gH conjugated with the carrier protein cross-reacting material 197 (CRM197) to form three peptide-CRM197 vaccines (pp65-CRM197, gH-CRM197, and pp65-CRM197+gH-CRM197). Furthermore, the immunogenicity of the peptide-CRM197 vaccines and their effects on dendritic cells (DCs) were explored. The results showed that three peptide-CRM197 vaccines could induce maturation of DCs through the p38 MAPK signalling pathway and promote the release of proinflammatory factors, such as TNF-α and interleukin (IL) −6. Meanwhile, the peptide-CRM197 vaccines could effectively activate T cell and humoral immunity, which were far better than the inactivated HCMV vaccine. In conclusion, we constructed three peptide-CRM197 vaccines, which could induce multiple immune effects, providing a novel approach for HCMV vaccine design.

Primary and metastatic lung cancers are malignant lung tumors each with of which has a different pathogenesis, although both threaten patient lives. Tumor development and progression involve communication between tumor cells and the host microenvironment. Neutrophils are the most abundant immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME); they participate in the generation of an inflammatory milieu and influence patient survival through their anti- and pro-tumor abilities. Neutrophils can be classified into various categories according to different criteria; frequent categories include N1 antitumor neutrophils and N2 immunosuppressive neutrophils. The antitumor effects of neutrophils are reported to be mediated through a combination of reactive oxygen species, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, and receptor for advanced glycation end-products–cathepsin G association, as well as the regulation of the activities of other immune cells. There have also been reports that neutrophils can function as tumor promoters that contribute to lung cancer progression and metastasis by influencing processes including carcinogenesis, angiogenesis, cancer cell proliferation, and invasion ability, as well as having similar roles in the lung metastasis of other cancers. The rapid development of nanotechnology has provided new strategies for cancer treatment targeting neutrophils.

Abstract Metabolic diseases are often associated with high fructose (HF) consumption. HF has also been found to alter the gut microbiota, which then favors the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the mechanisms underlying of the gut microbiota on this metabolic disturbance are yet to be determined. Thus, in this study, we further explored the effect the gut microbiota concerning the T cells balance in an HF diet mouse model. We fed mice 60% fructose-enriched diet for 12 weeks. At 4 weeks, HF diet did not affect the liver, but it caused injury to the intestine and adipose tissues. After 12 weeks, the lipid droplet aggregation was markedly increased in the liver of HF-fed mice. Further analysis of the gut microbial composition showed that HF decreased the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and increased the levels of Blautia, Lachnoclostridium, and Oscillibacter. In addition, HF can increase the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) in the serum. T helper type 1 cells were significantly increased, and regulatory T(Treg) cells were markedly decreased in the mesenteric lymph nodes of the HF-fed mice. Furthermore, fecal microbiota transplantation alleviates systemic metabolic disorder by maintaining liver and intestinal immune homeostasis. Overall, our data indicated that intestinal structure injury and intestinal inflammation might be early, and liver inflammation and hepatic steatosis may be a subsequent effect following HF diets. Gut microbiota disorders impairing the intestinal barrier function and triggering immune homeostasis imbalance may be an importantly responsible for long-term HF diets induced hepatic steatosis.

Rice not only plays an important role in people's daily diet, but also makes a huge contribution to China's agricultural products trade. However, heavy metal contamination in rice has become one of the main hazards about rice production and human health in China. In this paper, the main sources, existing forms, detection and analysis methods of heavy metal contamination in rice are reviewed, furthermore, the current situation, prevention and control measures, risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in rice are summarized. This review would provide a theoretical reference for the effective prevention and control, and the accurate risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in rice.

Atherosclerosis is still the main cause of death in developed and developing countries. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) death disorder is a key pathogens of atherosclerosis. During the early stage of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, immediate early protein 2 (IE2) is critical in regulating its host cell death to ensure HCMV replication. Abnormal cell death induced by HCMV infection contributes to the development of numerous diseases, including atherosclerosis. Hitherto, the underlying mechanism of HCMV involved in the progression of atherosclerosis is still unclear. In this study, the infection models in vitro and in vivo were constructed to explore the pathogenesis of HCMV-related atherosclerosis. Our results indicated that HCMV could contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis by enhancing the proliferation, invasion, and inhibiting the pyroptosis of VSMCs under inflammatory conditions. Meanwhile, IE2 played a key role in these events. Our present research revealed a novel pathogenesis of HCMV-related atherosclerosis, which might help develop new therapeutic strategies.

N6-methyldeoxyadenosine (6mA) is a recently discovered DNA modification involved in regulating plant adaptation to abiotic stresses. However, the mechanisms and changes of 6mA under cold stress in plants are not yet fully understood. Here, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of 6mA and observed that 6mA peaks were predominantly present within the gene body regions under both normal and cold conditions. In addition, the global level of 6mA increased both in Arabidopsis and rice after the cold treatment. The genes that exhibited an up-methylation showed enrichment in various biological processes, whereas there was no significant enrichment observed among the down-methylated genes. The association analysis revealed a positive correlation between the 6mA level and the gene expression level. Joint analysis of the 6mA methylome and transcriptome of Arabidopsis and rice unraveled that fluctuations in 6mA levels caused by cold exposure were not correlated to changes in transcript levels. Furthermore, we discovered that orthologous genes modified by 6mA showed high expression levels; however, only a minor amount of differentially 6mA-methylated orthologous genes were shared between Arabidopsis and rice under low-temperature conditions. In conclusion, our study provides information on the role of 6mA in response to cold stress and reveals its potential for regulating the expression of stress-related genes.

Summary: Larger vehicles, such as sports utility vehicles, consume more energy than cars. Their increasing popularity runs contrary to the goal of fuel economy regulations to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and can be explained by consumer preference and lower regulation stringency, which is due to footprint, truck classification, and the omission of heterogenous lifetime vehicle distance traveled among vehicle classes. This study shows that, for both the US and China, large vehicles travel more, last longer, and are owned by higher income consumers. This means large vehicles and their high-income owners use more fuel and emit more pollutants than represented by current policy and thus raises both policy effectiveness and energy equity concerns. We propose and estimate Sales Adjustment Factors that weigh fuel economy standards based on vehicle lifetime usage and demonstrate the resultant significant improvements in the effectiveness and equity of fuel economy regulations.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a β-herpesvirus whose genome consists of double stranded linear DNA. HCMV genome can generate non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) through transcription in its host cells. Besides that, HCMV infection also changes the ncRNAs expression profile of the host cells. ncRNAs play a key role in maintaining the normal physiological activity of cells, and the disorder of ncRNAs expression has numerous adverse effects on cells. However, until now, the relationship between ncRNAs and HCMV-induced adverse effects are not summarized in detail. This review aims to give a systematic summary of the role of HCMV infection in ncRNAs expression while providing insights into the molecular mechanism of unnormal cellular events caused by ncRNAs disorder. ncRNAs disorder induced by HCMV infection is highly associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumorigenesis, and immune regulation, as well as the development of cardiovascular diseases, and the potential role of biomarker. We summarize the studies on HCMV associated ncRNAs disorder and suggest innovative strategies for eliminating the adverse effects caused by HCMV infection.

Abstract Human skin moisture is closely related to health and personal care issues. Many creams were developed to claim capable of skin moisturizing. However, people can hardly check their skin moisture status and the moisturizing effect of various creams conveniently, since currently all the skin moisturizing detection rely on large equipment requiring power supply. Herein, we report a power‐supply independent supramolecular film that is able to directly report the moisturizing status of the skin. With the strategy of solid‐phase molecular self‐assembly (SPMSA), the aqueous precipitates formed by commercially available polyelectrolyte and oppositely charged surfactant would transform into a supramolecular film under a mild mechanical pressure, where the hydrophobic surfactant domains bridged by polyelectrolyte merge into hydrophobic mesophases to reduce interfacial energy. The hydrophobic mesophase will greatly retard water diffusion inside the film, so that a humidity gradient is generated as the film is exposed to a humid environment. The film will bend upward automatically in touch with moisture skin, and the bending degree is proportional to the skin moisture status. Therefore, the film can be used as portable smart power‐free skin moisture sensor.

Abstract Across a city, tree communities are spatially heterogenous and vary by land use type. However, it remains unclear how urban tree communities change over time and whether rates of change depend on land use type. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed urban tree composition using long‐term plot data to examine tree diversity changes across six different urban land use types in 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2014. We found that spatial differences in tree species diversity and community composition among land uses were much greater than changes over time. Number of trees increased over time, being driven by gains of non‐native species. There was also a significant interaction between land use and time, with institutional and transportation land uses having greater community changes over time. Our study can inform site‐specific efforts to promote and preserve urban biodiversity across public and private land uses.

Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a biological system with sophisticated constituents. In addition to tumor cells, tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) and microbiota are also dominant components. The phenotypic and functional changes of TAMs are widely considered to be related to most tumor progressions. The chronic colonization of pathogenic microbes and opportunistic pathogens accounts for the generation and development of tumors. As messengers of cell‐to‐cell communication, tumor‐derived extracellular vesicles (TDEVs) can transfer various malignant factors, regulating physiological and pathological changes in the recipients and affecting TAMs and microbes in the TME. Despite the new insights into tumorigenesis and progress brought by the above factors, the crosstalk among tumor cells, macrophages, and microbiota remain elusive, and few studies have focused on how TDEVs act as an intermediary. We reviewed how tumor cells recruit and domesticate macrophages and microbes through extracellular vehicles and how hijacked macrophages and microbiota interact with tumor‐promoting feedback, achieving a reciprocal coexistence under the TME and working together to facilitate tumor progression. It is significant to seek evidence to clarify those specific interactions and reveal therapeutic targets to curb tumor progression and improve prognosis.

Tanshinone IIA (TanIIA) is the main active ingredient in the fat-soluble components isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Our previous studies have convincingly proved that TanIIA is an effective drug against human colorectal carcinoma cells. In order to further demonstrate the effect of TanIIA on CRC, we carried out exploratory research about it in vivo and in vitro. The results demonstrated that TanIIA were observably more effective than control group in preventing tumor growth, and it has increased the survival time. Cancer cells viability and proliferation were accompanied by concentration and time dependent decline reached with TanIIA. We found that TanIIA altered the morphology of cytoskeleton and it could obviously induce apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells and block the cells in the G0/G1 phase. TanIIA also increased phosphorylation of p38MAPK, upregulated ATF-2 expression and downregulated Transgelin-2 expression, which could be reversed by SB203580, a p38MAPK-specific inhibitor. Our results suggested that TanIIA could induce apoptosis of colorectal cancer and block the cells in G0/G1 phase involved in downregulating the expression of Transgelin-2 through p38MAPK signal pathway.

Known as “living fossils”, large old trees play an important role in ecology, landscape, and culture and are an important part of ecosystems and human settlements. The aim of this paper is to provide suggestions for the protection of urban large old tree resources and the selection of large old tree backup resources. First, we conducted a statistical analysis on the composition, distribution, and important values of large old tree species in Beijing and used Downtrend correspondence analysis (DCA) to analyze the composition of different types of habitat tree species. Second, we created a 3 km × 3 km grid within the administrative scope of Beijing, extracted the number of large old trees and tree species richness in the grid, and used geographic detectors to determine the driving factors of the spatial distribution of large old trees, as well as tree species richness differences and their interactions. A total of 40,590 large old trees in Beijing were found, belonging to 72 species, 52 genera, and 29 families. Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco was the dominant tree species, with an importance value of 0.51. Among the different habitats, the large old trees were found in parks and temples, and the greatest tree species number of old trees were found in communities and the countryside; meanwhile, microgreen spaces had the lowest number of trees and tree species. The distribution of large old trees and tree species was mainly concentrated in the center of the city and the northwest. The distribution pattern of large old tree resources in Beijing is affected by the interaction of various factors. Social factors were the dominant in the distribution of large old tree resources in Beijing. The spatial distribution of large old trees was mainly affected by the scenic resort and historic site (SRHS), and the SRHS and gross domestic product (GDP) level were the most important factors influencing the richness of large old tree species. In addition, the functional value and characteristics of tree species determined the distribution of large old tree habitats. Therefore, the protection of large old tree resources requires developing scientific management and planning by managers, increasing investment in management and protection, and strengthening ecological culture publicity.

Large quantities of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are released and migrate into the environment continuously and become ubiquitous in soil, surface water, groundwater and other areas, eventually leading to serious environmental pollution. Therefore, the methods of PAEs mineralization have become a hot research topic. In this study, a highly efficient dimethyl phthalate (DMP)-degrading bacterium capable of utilizing DMP as the sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from frozen soil collected from a refuse disposal station. The DMP-degrading bacterium was identified as Pseudomonas sp. QDF12 according to the phylogeny of 16S rDNA sequence. The degradation process well fitted a first-order kinetic model, with a half-life of 9.8 h and the highest degradation rate of 20.19 mg/L•h at 15.0 °C. The fermentation conditions that enhanced the fermentation of biomass were optimized via Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology. Finally, the carbon-nitrogen ratio, CaCO3, temperature and shaking speed were identified as key factors. Verification experiments indicated that the maximal biomass was 1.85 × 109 cfu/mL under the optimized conditions, which was 134.18% and 66.67% higher than those obtained under the Luria broth medium and the basic fermentation conditions, respectively. The time and temperature of fermentation were reduced to 12 h and 12.0 °C respectively. In conclusion, the strain QDF12 is more suitable for application in low-temperature areas owing to its fast, efficient fermentation and low-temperature resistance. Because of the shorter fermentation period and lower fermentation temperature, the large-scale commercial application of strain QDF12 will reduce the production costs and accelerate the fermentation speed.

The parenchymal microglia possess different morphological characteristics in cerebral physiological and pathological conditions; thus, visualizing these cells is useful as a means of further investigating parenchymal microglial function. Annexin A3 (ANXA3) is expressed in microglia, but it is unknown whether it can be used as a marker protein for microglia and its physiological function. Here, we compared the distribution and morphology of parenchymal microglia labeled by ANXA3, cluster of differentiation 11b (CD11b), and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) and measured the expression of ANXA3 in nonparenchymal macrophages (meningeal and perivascular macrophages). We also investigated the spatiotemporal expression of ANXA3, CD11b, and Iba1 in vivo and in vitro and the cellular function of ANXA3 in microglia. We demonstrated that ANXA3-positive cells were abundant and evenly distributed throughout the whole brain tissue and spinal cord of adult rats. The morphology and distribution of ANXA3-labeled microglia were quite similar to those labeled by the microglial-specific markers CD11b and Iba1 in the central nervous system (CNS). ANXA3 was expressed in the cytoplasm of microglia, and its expression was significantly increased in activated microglia. ANXA3 was almost undetectable in the nonparenchymal macrophages. Meanwhile, the protein and mRNA expression levels of ANXA3 in different regions of the CNS were different from those of CD11b and Iba1. Moreover, knockdown of ANXA3 inhibited the proliferation and migration of microglia, while overexpression of ANXA3 enhanced these activities. This study confirms that ANXA3 may be a novel marker for parenchymal microglia in the CNS of adult rats and enriches our understanding of ANXA3 from expression patterns to physiological function.

Objective: To clarify the clinical significance of breast cancer anti-estrogen resistance protein 1 (BCAR1) expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood and tumor tissues in patients with early stage lung adenocarcinoma (ES-LUAD). Methods: The study cohort included 60 patients with stage I LUAD (50 IA and 10 IB) who underwent surgery from November 2015 to November 2018 and 31 healthy controls. The expression levels of BCAR1 and markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in peripheral blood CTCs were detected using CanPatrol TM technology before surgery, and immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect BCAR1 expression in tumor tissues collected from 40 patients. The predictive power of BCAR1 expression in CTCs and tumor tissues on disease-free survival (DFS) was analyzed. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to study BCAR1 expression and overall survival as validation. The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis online tool was used to analyze the correlations between the expression levels of BCAR1 and EMT molecular markers. Results: Both the number and detection rates of BCAR1-negative CTCs and BCAR1-positive CTCs in peripheral blood of lung cancer patients were significantly higher as compared with healthy controls ( p < 0.05). BCAR1-positive CTCs more commonly co-expressed both epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with BCAR1(++) CTCs in peripheral blood before surgery were more prone to recurrence or metastasis after 2 years. COX analysis showed that patients with higher abundance of BCAR1(++) CTCs had a poorer prognosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.712, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.077–2.272, p = 0.023). Furthermore, high BCAR1 expression in tumor tissues was predictive of a poor prognosis (HR = 2.654, 95% CI = 1.239–5.686, p = 0.012), as validated by TCGA database (HR = 2.217, 95% CI = 1.069–4.595, p = 0.032). In addition, BCAR1 expression in LUAD tissues from TCGA was significantly positively correlated with the expression of both epithelial markers (e.g., ck8/18/19) and mesenchymal markers (e.g., vimentin and twist). Conclusion: BCAR1 may have a “dual impact” on EMT markers in tumor tissues and CTCs due to micro-environmental disparities, resulting in important clinical significance, which can potentially guide accurate treatment of LUAD.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) belongs to the β-herpesvirus family, which is transmitted in almost every part of the world and is carried by more than 90% of the general population. Increasing evidence indicates that HCMV infection triggers numerous diseases by disrupting the normal physiological activity of host cells, particularly apoptosis. Apoptosis disorder plays a key role in the initiation and development of multiple diseases. However, the relationship and molecular mechanism of HCMV-related diseases and apoptosis have not yet been systematically summarized. This review aims to summarize the role of apoptosis in HCMV-related diseases and provide an insight into the molecular mechanism of apoptosis induced by HCMV infection. We summarize the literature on HCMV-related diseases and suggest novel strategies for HCMV treatment by regulating apoptosis.

ABSTRACT Multidrug resistance (MDR) by bacterial pathogens constitutes a global health crisis, and resistance to treatment displayed by biofilm-associated infections (e.g., cystic fibrosis, surgical sites, and medical implants) only exacerbates a problem that is already difficult to overcome. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a promising class of therapeutics that may be useful in the battle against antibiotic resistance, although certain limitations have hindered their clinical development. The goal of this study was to examine the therapeutic potential of novel AMPs derived from the multifunctional respiratory host defense protein SPLUNC1. Using standard growth inhibition and antibiofilm assays, we demonstrated that a novel structurally optimized AMP, α4-short, was highly effective against the most common group of MDR bacteria while showing broad-spectrum bactericidal and antibiofilm activities. With negligible hemolysis and toxicity to white blood cells, the new peptide also demonstrated in vivo efficacy when delivered directly into the airway in a murine model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced respiratory infection. The data warrant further exploration of SPLUNC1-derived AMPs with optimized structures to assess the potential application to difficult-to-cure biofilm-associated infections. IMPORTANCE The rise of superbugs underscores the urgent need for novel antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have the ability to kill superbugs regardless of resistance to traditional antibiotics. However, AMPs often display a lack of efficacy in vivo. Sequence optimization and engineering are promising but may result in increased host toxicity. We report here the optimization of a novel AMP (α4-short) derived from the multifunctional respiratory protein SPLUNC1. The AMP α4-short demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against superbugs as well as in vivo efficacy in the P. aeruginosa pneumonia model. Further exploration for clinical development is warranted.

Automated remote sensing methods have not gained widespread usage for damage assessment after hurricane events, especially for low-rise buildings, such as individual houses and small businesses. Hurricane wind, storm surge with waves, and inland flooding have unique damage signatures, further complicating the development of robust automated assessment methodologies. As a step toward realizing automated damage assessment for multi-hazard hurricane events, this paper presents a mono-temporal image classification methodology that quickly and accurately differentiates urban debris from non-debris areas using post-event images. Three classification approaches are presented: spectral, textural, and combined spectral–textural. The methodology is demonstrated for Gulfport, Mississippi, using IKONOS panchromatic satellite and NOAA aerial colour imagery collected after 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The results show that multivariate texture information significantly improves debris class detection performance by decreasing the confusion between debris and other land cover types, and the extracted debris zone accurately captures debris distribution. Additionally, the extracted debris boundary is approximately equivalent regardless of imagery type, demonstrating the flexibility and robustness of the debris mapping methodology. While the test case presents results for hurricane hazards, the proposed methodology is generally developed and expected to be effective in delineating debris zones for other natural hazards, including tsunamis, tornadoes, and earthquakes.

This study is among the first to investigate ozone levels in urban forests in China. It establishes that urban forest air quality in Yuanshan Forest Park (Shenzhen) is suitable for recreational activities and identifies spatial, seasonal, and diurnal O3 patterns and relationships with micrometeorological parameters, suggesting the possibility of manipulating relevant forest characteristics to reduce Surface ozone (O3) levels. An understanding of O3 levels of urban forest environments is needed to assess potential effects on human health and recreational activities. Such studies in China are scarce. This study investigated urban forest O3 levels to improve understanding and support residents engaging in forest recreational activities. We monitored O3 levels in 2015–2016 for three urban forests representing common habitats (foothill, valley, and ridge) in Yuanshan Forest Park and for an adjacent square. The overall mean daily and daily maximum 8 h mean (MDA8) O3 concentrations were highest for the ridge forest and lowest for the valley forest. Each forest’s O3 concentrations were highest in summer. Diurnally, forest O3 concentrations peaked between 13:00 and 17:00 and reached a minimum between 03:00 and 09:00. The correlation between forest O3 concentrations and air temperature (AT) was strongly positive in summer and autumn but negative in spring. In each season, O3 concentration was negatively correlated with relative humidity (RH). No MDA8 or hourly O3 concentrations in the forests exceeded National Ambient Air Quality Standard Grade I thresholds (100 and 160 μg m−3, respectively). O3 accumulation is present in ridge urban forest in all seasons. Foothill and valley urban forests have better air quality than ridge forestation. Urban forest air quality is better in spring and autumn than in summer and is better from night-time to early morning than from noon to afternoon.

Forests are important place for outdoor recreation and scenery appreciation. So in order to better meet the needs of the public, forest appreciation has received increasing attention from foresters in recent years. However, related research is still limited. Therefore, this paper seeks to examine the relationship between forest colors (measured by specific elements and spatial indices of color) and Scenic Beauty Estimation values. We researched Jiuzhai Valley in China by selecting 104 pictures to determine the scenic beauty estimation values of forests in a mountainous region. Quantitative color elements were extracted by programming on Matlab, and spatial indices of color patches were extracted by ArcGIS and FRAGSTATS. A total of 23 indices were obtained to explain the color characteristics of each forest picture. The results showed that the yellow and red colors were the main mutable colors of Jiuzhai Valley in autumn, but the color patches index had no significant change over time in that season. After partial correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis, we found that 14 color elements, eight color patch factors and six particular indices had an effect on the SBE values, which can then be used to efficiently measure and enhance the forest color beauty of Jiuzhai Valley.