Heavy metal spatial distribution, source analysis, and ecological risks in the central hilly area of Hainan Island, China: results from a high-density soil survey.

The presence of heavy metals in soil has gained considerable attention due to their potential risks to ecosystems and human health. In this study, a thorough soil investigation was performed in the hilly region of central Hainan, which was formerly regarded as an area with the highest ecological environmental quality. A total of 7094 soil samples were systematically collected with high density over a large area. Simultaneously, a detailed investigation was conducted on the surrounding environment of each sampling point, including environmental factors such as soil, land use and crop types. The soil samples were analysed for heavy metals, pH, organic matter, and other parameters. The soil heavy metal pollution level, ecological risk and health risk were evaluated using the geo-accumulation index and the potential ecological risk index. The findings showed that the average contents of the heavy metals As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn in the soil were 1.68, 0.042, 24.2, 6.49, 0.0319, 7.06, 29.6 and 49.8 mg·kg-1 respectively. Except for Hg, the mean values of the other heavy metals were either lower than or similar to the background values of Hainan. Also, only a few localised areas showed contamination by heavy metals. The primary sources of heavy metals, identified by a positive matrix factorisation model, could be categorised into four types: natural sources related to the soil formation process from acidic intrusive rocks (such as granite); natural sources primarily influenced by atmospheric deposition; anthropogenic sources associated with agricultural activities; and natural sources related to the soil formation process from middle-mafic intrusive rocks and black shales. The correlation analysis and variance analysis findings suggested that the content of heavy metals in the soil was primarily associated with the parent rock. The study area generally had low heavy metal levels and was not significantly polluted. However, agricultural activities still affected the enrichment of heavy metals. Therefore, it is imperative to remain vigilant about the ecological risks linked to soil heavy metals while continuing land development and expanding agricultural activities in the future. These findings indicate that conducting high-density soil surveys can enhance our understanding of regional soil heavy metals and enable reliable recommendations for agricultural planning. Whether in areas with low pollution risk or potential pollution risk, it is recommended that high-density soil surveys be conducted provide scientific guidance for further agricultural development.

Distribution and ecological risk assessment of antibiotics in different freshwater aquaculture ponds in a typical agricultural plain, China.

Freshwater aquaculture serves as a significant focal point for antibiotic contamination, yet understanding antibiotic distribution across different aquaculture models and stages remains limited. This study evaluated antibiotic pollution in three distinct freshwater aquaculture models: rice-crayfish coculture, fish aquaculture, and crab-crayfish aquaculture, during various aquaculture stages. Of the 33 target antibiotics, 16 were detected at concentrations ranging from 111.81 ng/L to 15,949.05 ng/L in water and 10.11 ng/g to 8,986.30 ng/g in sediment. Among these antibiotics, erythromycin and lomefloxacin are prohibited for use in Chinese aquaculture. Dominant antibiotics in water included lincomycin, enrofloxacin, and enoxacin, whereas in sediment, oxytetracycline and erythromycin were predominant. Notably, lincomycin emerged as a dominant antibiotic in aquaculture for the first time. The concentrations of these dominant antibiotics were high compared to other aquaculture settings and exhibited elevated ecological risk. Critical periods for antibiotic contamination in water and sediment were found to be incongruent, occurring during the rainy season in July for water and the dry season in October for sediment. Notably, the rice-crayfish coculture model exerts a good effect in reducing antibiotic pollution. Overall, these findings offer valuable evidence for the healthful and sustainable advancement of aquaculture.

Current spectral norm and phase variation based fault region identification for active distribution network.

The paper presents a fault region identification method for the active distribution network (ADN) with limited PMU. First, PMU configuration and region division strategies are proposed based on the network topology. Next, the difference in three-phase current variations between the normal and fault regions of the ADN is analyzed. A multi-dimensional state monitoring matrix is built using the measured current data. The spectral norm ratio coefficient is constructed based on the 2-norm to lower the complexity of the multi-dimensional state monitoring matrix and quantify the difference in state changes before and after the fault occurs in each region. Then, the fault region is identified by combining each region's spectral norm ratio coefficient and the change of the current phase. Finally, an IEEE 33-node simulation model is created to simulate faults under different working conditions. According to the simulation results, the suggested approach is less impacted by fault type, neutral point grounding mode, and transition resistance. Furthermore, even if the communication does not match the rigorous synchronization requirements, the proposed method can still complete the fault identification of the distribution network correctly and has high robustness.

Development of a (Poly)phenol Metabolic Signature for Assessing (Poly)phenol-Rich Dietary Patterns.

The objective assessment of habitual (poly)phenol-rich diets in nutritional epidemiology studies remains challenging. This study developed and evaluated the metabolic signature of a (poly)phenol-rich dietary score (PPS) using a targeted metabolomics method comprising 105 representative (poly)phenol metabolites, analyzed in 24 h of urine samples collected from healthy volunteers. The metabolites that were significantly associated with PPS after adjusting for energy intake were selected to establish a metabolic signature using a combination of linear regression followed by ridge regression to estimate penalized weights for each metabolite. A metabolic signature comprising 51 metabolites was significantly associated with adherence to PPS in 24 h urine samples, as well as with (poly)phenol intake estimated from food frequency questionnaires and diaries. Internal and external data sets were used for validation, and plasma, spot urine, and 24 h urine samples were compared. The metabolic signature proposed here has the potential to accurately reflect adherence to (poly)phenol-rich diets, and may be used as an objective tool for the assessment of (poly)phenol intake.

Quantitative radiomics analysis of imaging features in adults and children Mycoplasma pneumonia.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the value of clinical features, CT imaging signs, and radiomics features in differentiating between adults and children with Mycoplasma pneumonia and seeking quantitative radiomic representations of CT imaging signs. Materials and methods: In a retrospective analysis of 981 cases of mycoplasmal pneumonia patients from November 2021 to December 2023, 590 internal data (adults:450, children: 140) randomly divided into a training set and a validation set with an 8:2 ratio and 391 external test data (adults:121; children:270) were included. Using univariate analysis, CT imaging signs and clinical features with significant differences (p < 0.05) were selected. After segmenting the lesion area on the CT image as the region of interest, 1,904 radiomic features were extracted. Then, Pearson correlation analysis (PCC) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to select the radiomic features. Based on the selected features, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to establish the clinical model, CT image model, radiomic model, and combined model. The predictive performance of each model was evaluated using ROC curves, AUC, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and precision. The AUC between each model was compared using the Delong test. Importantly, the radiomics features and quantitative and qualitative CT image features were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis and analysis of variance, respectively. Results: For the individual model, the radiomics model, which was built using 45 selected features, achieved the highest AUCs in the training set, validation set, and external test set, which were 0.995 (0.992, 0.998), 0.952 (0.921, 0.978), and 0.969 (0.953, 0.982), respectively. In all models, the combined model achieved the highest AUCs, which were 0.996 (0.993, 0.998), 0.972 (0.942, 0.995), and 0.986 (0.976, 0.993) in the training set, validation set, and test set, respectively. In addition, we selected 11 radiomics features and CT image features with a correlation coefficient r greater than 0.35. Conclusion: The combined model has good diagnostic performance for differentiating between adults and children with mycoplasmal pneumonia, and different CT imaging signs are quantitatively represented by radiomics.

Association of methyl donor nutrients dietary intake and sleep disorders in the elderly revealed by the intestinal microbiome.

Currently, sleep disorders (SD) in the elderly are gaining prominence globally and are becoming a significant public health concern. Methyl donor nutrients (MDNs), such as vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, and choline, have been reported to have the potential to improve sleep disorders. Moreover, MDNs help to maintain gut flora homeostasis, and are closely associated with the development of SD. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of comprehensive human studies examining the association between MDNs intake and SD. In our study, we comprehensively evaluated the association between MDNs intake and SD in the elderly and used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to explore the underlying mechanism. We found that the SD group (n = 91) had a lower methyl-donor nutritional quality index (MNQI) and a trend toward lower intake compared to the control group (n = 147). Based on the intestinal microbiome, the beta diversity of the intestinal flora was higher in the high methyl-donor nutritional quality (HQ) group compared to the low methyl-donor nutritional quality (LQ) group, and it was lower in the SD group compared to the control group. This suggests that MDNs may regulate sleep by modulating the abundance distribution of the microbiota. Subsequently, we performed correlation analyses between the relative abundance of the microbiota, MDNs intake, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), identifying five genera with potential regulatory roles. The KEGG pathway analysis indicated that energy metabolism and one-carbon metabolism might be the pathways through which MDNs modulate sleep. This study offers dietary guidance strategies for managing SD in the elderly and provides insights for targeted microbiota intervention.

Comparative analysis of two digestive tract reconstruction methods in total laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastric cancer has significantly increased in recent years. Surgical resection is the main treatment, but the method of digestive tract reconstruction after gastric cancer surgery remains controversial. In the current study, we sought to explore a reasonable method of digestive tract reconstruction and improve the quality of life and nutritional status of patients after surgery. To this end, we statistically analyzed the clinical results of patients with gastric cancer who underwent jejunal interposition double-tract reconstruction (DTR) and esophageal jejunum Roux-en-Y reconstruction (RY). AIM: To explore the application effect of DTR in total laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy (TLTG) and evaluate its safety and efficacy. METHODS: We collected the relevant data of 77 patients who underwent TLTG at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 2021 to January 2023. Among them, 35 cases were treated with DTR, and the remaining 42 cases were treated with traditional RY. After 1:1 propensity score matching, the cases were grouped into 31 cases per group, with evenly distributed data. The clinical characteristics and short- and long-term clinical outcomes of the two groups were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The two groups showed no significant differences in basic data, intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph node dissections, first defecation time after operation, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications, and laboratory examination results on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th days after operation. The operation time of the DTR group was longer than that of the RY group [(307.58 ± 65.14) min vs (272.45 ± 62.09) min, P = 0.016], but the first intake of liquid food in the DTR group was shorter than that in the RY group [(4.45 ± 1.18) d vs (6.0 ± 5.18) d, P = 0.028]. The incidence of reflux heartburn (Visick grade) and postoperative gallbladder disease in the DTR group was lower than that in the RY group (P = 0.033 and P = 0.038). Although there was no significant difference in body weight, hemoglobin, prealbumin, and albumin between the two groups at 1,3 and 6 months after surgery, the diet of patients in the DTR group was better than that in the RY group (P = 0.031). CONCLUSION: The clinical effect of DTR in TLTG is better than that of RY, indicating that it is a more valuable digestive tract reconstruction method in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.

In-situ precipitation zero-valent Co on Co2VO4 to activate oxygen vacancies and enhance bimetallic ions redox for efficient detection toward Hg(II).

Despite the widespread utilization of variable valence metals in electrochemistry, it is still a formidable challenge to enhance the valence conversion efficiency to achieve excellent catalytic activity without introducing heterophase elements. Herein, the in-situ precipitation of Co particles on Co2VO4 not only enhanced the concentration of oxygen vacancies (Ov) but also generated a greater number of low-valence metals, thereby enabling efficient reduction towards Hg(II). The electroanalysis results demonstrate that the sensitivity of Co/Co2VO4 towards Hg(II) was measured at an impressive value of 1987.74 µA µM-1 cm-2, significantly surpassing previously reported results. Further research reveals that Ov acted as the main adsorption site to capture Hg(II). The redox reactions of Co2+/Co3+ and V3+/V4+ played a synergistic role in the reduction of Hg(II), accompanied by the continuous supply of electrons from zero-valent Co to expedite the valence cycle. The Co/Co2VO4/GCE presented remarkable selectivity towards Hg(II), with excellent stability, reproducibility, and anti-interference capability. The electrode also exhibited minimal sensitivity fluctuations towards Hg(II) in real water samples, underscoring its practicality for environmental applications. This study elucidates the mechanism underlying the surface redox reaction of metal oxides facilitated by zero-valent metals, providing us with new strategies for further design of efficient and practical sensors.

Tuning the Solvation Structure in Water-Based Solution Enables Surface Reconstruction of Layered Oxide Cathodes toward Long Lifespan Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Layered oxides of sodium-ion batteries suffer from severe side reactions on the electrode/electrolyte interface, leading to fast capacity degradation. Although surface reconstruction strategies are widely used to solve the above issues, the utilization of the low-cost wet chemical method is extremely challenging for moisture-sensitive Na-based oxide materials. Here, the solvation tuning strategy is proposed to overcome the deterioration of NaNi1/3Mn1/3Fe1/3O2 in water-based solution and conduct the surface reconstruction. When capturing the water molecules by the solvation structure of cations, here is Li+, the structural collapse and degradation of layered oxides in water-based solvents are greatly mitigated. Furthermore, Li(H2O)3EA+ promotes the profitable Li+/Na+ exchange to build a robust surface, which hampers the decomposition of electrolytes and the structural evolution upon cycling. Accordingly, the lifespan of Li-reinforced materials is prolonged to three times that of the pristine one. This work represents a step forward in understanding the surface reconstruction operated in a water-based solution for high-performance sodium layered oxide cathodes.

Lenvatinib in hepatocellular carcinoma: Resistance mechanisms and strategies for improved efficacy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most prevalent and destructive causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, approximately 70% of patients with HCC exhibit advanced disease at diagnosis, limiting the potential for radical treatment. For such patients, lenvatinib, a long-awaited alternative to sorafenib for first-line targeted therapy, has become a key treatment. Unfortunately, despite some progress, the prognosis for advanced HCC remains poor because of drug resistance development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying lenvatinib resistance and ways to relief drug resistance in HCC are largely unknown and lack of systematic summary; thus, this review not only aims to explore factors contributing to lenvatinib resistance in HCC, but more importantly, summary potential methods to conquer or mitigate the resistance. The results suggest that abnormal activation of pathways, drug transport, epigenetics, tumour microenvironment, cancer stem cells, regulated cell death, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and other mechanisms are involved in the development of lenvatinib resistance in HCC and subsequent HCC progression. To improve the therapeutic outcomes of lenvatinib, inhibiting acquired resistance, combined therapies, and nano-delivery carriers may be possible approaches.

Strictosamide promotes wound healing through activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Nauclea officinalis, as a Chinese medicine in Hainan province, had the effect of treating lower limb ulcers, burn infections. In this paper, we studied the effect of Strictosamide (STR), the main bioactive compound in Nauclea officinals, on wound healing and explored its internal mechanism. Firstly, the wound healing potential of STR was evaluated in a rat model, demonstrating its ability to expedite wound healing, mitigate inflammatory infiltration, and enhance collagen deposition. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis revealed that STR up-regulated the expression of CD31 and PCNA. Subsequently, target prediction, protein-protein interaction (PPI), gene ontology (GO), and pathway enrichment analyses were used to obtain potential targets, specific biological processes, and molecular mechanisms of STR for the potential treatment of wound healing. Furthermore, molecular docking was conducted to predict the binding affinity between STR and its associated targets. Additionally, in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that STR could increase the expression of P-PI3K, P-AKT and P-mTOR by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In summary, this study provided a new explanation for the mechanism by which STR promotes wound healing through network pharmacology, suggesting that STR may be a new candidate for treating wound.

Improvement of functional dyspepsia with Suaeda salsa (L.) Pall via regulating brain-gut peptide and gut microbiota structure.

PURPOSE: The traditional Chinese herbal medicine Suaeda salsa (L.) Pall (S. salsa) with a digesting food effect was taken as the research object, and its chemical composition and action mechanism were explored. METHODS: The chemical constituents of S. salsa were isolated and purified by column chromatography, and their structures were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance. The food accumulation model in mice was established, and the changes of the aqueous extract of S. salsa in gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion rate, colonic tissue lesions, serum brain-gut peptide hormone, colonic tissue protein expression, and gut microbiota structure were compared. RESULTS: Ten compounds were isolated from S. salsa named as naringenin (1), hesperetin (2), baicalein (3), luteolin (4), isorhamnetin (5), taxifolin (6), isorhamnetin-3-O-ß-D-glucoside (7), luteolin-3'-D-glucuronide (8), luteolin-7-O-ß-D-glucuronide (9), and quercetin-3-O-ß-D-glucuronide (10), respectively. The aqueous extract of S. salsa can improve the pathological changes of the mice colon and intestinal peristalsis by increasing the rate of gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion. By adjusting the levels of 5-HT, CCK, NT, SS, VIP, GT-17, CHE, MTL, and ghrelin, it can upregulate the levels of c-kit, SCF, and GHRL protein, and restore the imbalanced structure of gut microbiota, further achieve the purpose of treating the syndrome of indigestion. The effect is better with the increase of dose. CONCLUSION: S. salsa has a certain therapeutic effect on mice with the syndrome of indigestion. From the perspective of "brain-gut-gut microbiota", the mechanism of digestion and accumulation of S. salsa was discussed for the first time, which provided an experimental basis for further exploring the material basis of S. salsa.

Effectiveness and safety of early lens extraction during par plana vitrectomy for proliferative diabetes retinopathy with mild cataract: a randomized clinical trial.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of early lens extraction during pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) compared to those of PPV with subsequent cataract surgery. METHODS: This multicenter randomized controlled trial was conducted in three Chinese hospitals on patients with PDR, aged >45y, with mild cataracts. The participants were randomly assigned to the combined (PPV combined with simultaneously cataract surgery, i.e., phacovitrectomy) or subsequent (PPV with subsequent cataract surgery 6mo later) group and followed up for 12mo. The primary outcome was the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to 6mo, and the secondary outcomes included complication rates and medical expenses. RESULTS: In total, 129 patients with PDR were recruited and equally randomized (66 and 63 in the combined and subsequent groups respectively). The change in BCVA in the combined group [mean, 36.90 letters; 95% confidence interval (CI), 30.35-43.45] was significantly better (adjusted difference, 16.43; 95%CI, 8.77-24.08; P<0.001) than in the subsequent group (mean, 22.40 letters; 95%CI, 15.55-29.24) 6mo after the PPV, with no significant difference between the two groups at 12mo. The overall surgical risk of two sequential surgeries was significantly higher than that of the combined surgery for neovascular glaucoma (17.65% vs 3.77%, P=0.005). No significant differences were found in the photocoagulation spots, surgical time, and economic expenses between two groups. In the subsequent group, the duration of work incapacity (22.54±9.11d) was significantly longer (P<0.001) than that of the combined group (12.44±6.48d). CONCLUSION: PDR patients aged over 45y with mild cataract can also benefit from early lens extraction during PPV with gratifying effectiveness, safety and convenience, compared to sequential surgeries.

Simultaneous detection of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) using recombinase polymerase amplification.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is considered to be the most common agent of severe diarrhea in cattle worldwide, causing fever, diarrhea, ulcers, and abortion. Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is also a major bovine respiratory disease agent that spreads worldwide and causes extensive damage to the livestock industry. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a novel nucleic acid amplification method with the advantages of high efficiency, rapidity and sensitivity, which has been widely used in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. A dual RPA assay was developed for the simultaneous detection of BVDV and BoHV-1. The assay was completed at a constant temperature of 37 °C for 30 min. It was highly sensitive and had no cross-reactivity with other common bovine viruses. The detection rate of BVDV RPA in clinical samples (36.67%) was higher than that of PCR (33.33%), the detection rate of BoHV-1 RPA and PCR were equal. Therefore, the established dual RPA assay for BVDV and BoHV-1 could be a potential candidate for use as an immediate diagnostic.

Real-world effectiveness of a new powered stapling system with gripping surface technology on the intraoperative clinical and economic outcomes of gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Surgical staplers have been widely used to facilitate surgeries, and this study aimed to examine the real-world effectiveness of a new powered stapling system with Gripping Surface Technology (GST) on intraoperative outcomes of gastrectomy for gastric cancer. METHOD: The data were extracted from the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University's (FHHMU) medical records system. Participants (N = 121 patients) were classified into the GST (n = 59) or non-GST group (n = 62), based on the use of the GST system. The intraoperative outcomes such as bleeding were assessed by reviewing video records. T-tests, Chi-square tests, and Mann-Whitney-U tests were used to compare the baseline characteristics between groups. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted for adjusting outcomes to study the effect of variables. RESULTS: Compared with the non-GST group, the GST group had significantly lower risks for intraoperative bleeding, intraoperative anastomosis intervention rate, intraoperative suture, and intraoperative pression (aORs: 0.0853 (p < 0.0001), 0.076 (p = 0.0003), 0.167 (p = 0.0012), and 0.221 (p = 0.0107), respectively). The GST group also consumed one fewer cartridge than the non-GST group (GST:5 vs non-GST: 6, p = 0.0241). CONCLUSION: The use of the GST system was associated with better intraoperative outcomes and lower cartridge consumption in Chinese real-world settings.

MicroRNA-142-3p alleviated high salt-induced cardiac fibrosis via downregulating optineurin-mediated mitophagy.

High salt can induce cardiac damage. The aim of this present study was to explore the effect and the mechanism of microRNA (miR)-142-3p on the cardiac fibrosis induced by high salt. Rats received high salt diet to induce cardiac fibrosis in vivo, and neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts (NRCF) treated with sodium chloride (NaCl) to induce fibrosis in vitro. The fibrosis and mitochondrial autophagy levels were increased the heart and NRCF treated with NaCl, which were alleviated by miR-142-3p upregulation. The fibrosis and mitochondrial autophagy levels were elevated in NRCF after treating with miR-142-3p antagomiR. Optineurin (OPTN) expression was increased in the mitochondria of NRCF induced by NaCl, which was attenuated by miR-142-3p agomiR. OPTN downregulation inhibited the increases of fibrosis and mitochondrial autophagy levels induced by NaCl in NRCF. These results miR-142-3p could alleviate high salt-induced cardiac fibrosis via downregulation of OPTN to reduce mitophagy.

Resistive Memristors Using Robust Electropolymerized Porous Organic Polymer Films as Switchable Materials.

Porous organic polymers (POPs) with inherent porosity, tunable pore environment, and semiconductive property are ideally suitable for application in various advanced semiconductor-related devices. However, owing to the lack of processability, POPs are usually prepared in powder forms, which limits their application in advanced devices. Herein, we demonstrate an example of information storage application of POPs with film form prepared by an electrochemical method. The growth process of the electropolymerized films in accordance with the Volmer-Weber model was proposed by observation of atomic force microscopy. Given the mechanism of the electron transfer system, we verified and mainly emphasized the importance of porosity and interfacial properties of porous polymer films for memristor. As expected, the as-fabricated memristors exhibit good performance on low turn-on voltage (0.65 ± 0.10 V), reliable data storage, and high on/off current ratio (104). This work offers inspiration for applying POPs in the form of electropolymerized films in various advanced semiconductor-related devices.

Graphene Quantum Dots Nanoantibiotic-Sensitized TiO2- x Heterojunctions for Sonodynamic-Nanocatalytic Therapy of Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Infections.

The exploration of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) as a possible replacement for antibiotics by creating reactive oxygen species (ROS) is suggested as a non-drug-resistant theranostic method. However, the low-efficiency ROS generation and complex tumor microenvironment which can deplete ROS and promote tumor growth will cause the compromised antibacterial efficacy of SDT. Herein, through an oxygen vacancy engineering strategy, TiO2- x microspheres with an abundance of Ti3+ are synthesized using a straightforward reductant co-assembly approach. The narrow bandgaps and Ti3+/Ti4+-mediated multiple-enzyme catalytic activities of the obtained TiO2- x microspheres make them suitable for use as sonosensitizers and nanozymes. When graphene quantum dot (GQD) nanoantibiotics are deposited on TiO2- x microspheres, the resulting GQD/TiO2- x shows an increased production of ROS, which can be ascribed to the accelerated separation of electron-hole pairs, as well as the peroxidase-like catalytic activity mediated by Ti3+, and the depletion of glutathione mediated by Ti4+. Moreover, the catalytic activities of TiO2- x microspheres are amplified by the heterojunctions-accelerated carrier transfer. In addition, GQDs can inhibit Topo I, displaying strong antibacterial activity and further enhancing the antibacterial activity. Collectively, the combination of GQD/TiO2- x-mediated SDT/NCT with nanoantibiotics can result in a synergistic effect, allowing for multimodal antibacterial treatment that effectively promotes wound healing.

A Stable and Sensitive Engineering Bacterial Sensor via Physical Biocontainment and Two-Stage Signal Amplification.

Although engineering bacterial sensors have outstanding advantages in reflecting the actual bioavailability and continuous monitoring of pollutants, the potential escape risk of engineering microorganisms and lower detection sensitivity have always been one of the biggest challenges limiting their wider application. In this study, a core-shell hydrogel bead with functionalized silica as the core and alginate-polyacrylamide as the shell have been developed not only to realize zero escape of engineered bacteria but also to maintain cell activity in harsh environments, such as extremely acidic/alkaline pH, high salt concentration, and strong pressure. Particularly, after combining the selective preconcentration toward pollutants by functionalized core and the positive feedback signal amplification of engineering bacteria, biosensors have realized two-stage signal amplification, significantly improving the detection sensitivity and reducing the detection limit. In addition, this strategy was actually applied to the detection of As(III) and As(V) coexisting in environmental samples, and the detection sensitivity was increased by 3.23 and 4.39 times compared to sensors without signal amplification strategy, respectively, and the detection limits were as low as 0.39 and 0.86 ppb, respectively.

Multi-omics analyses provide insights into the evolutionary history and the synthesis of medicinal components of the Chinese wingnut.

Chinese wingnut (Pterocarya stenoptera) is a medicinally and economically important tree species within the family Juglandaceae. However, the lack of high-quality reference genome has hindered its in-depth research. In this study, we successfully assembled its chromosome-level genome and performed multi-omics analyses to address its evolutionary history and synthesis of medicinal components. A thorough examination of genomes has uncovered a significant expansion in the Lateral Organ Boundaries Domain gene family among the winged group in Juglandaceae. This notable increase may be attributed to their frequent exposure to flood-prone environments. After further differentiation between Chinese wingnut and Cyclocarya paliurus, significant positive selection occurred on the genes of NADH dehydrogenase related to mitochondrial aerobic respiration in Chinese wingnut, enhancing its ability to cope with waterlogging stress. Comparative genomic analysis revealed Chinese wingnut evolved more unique genes related to arginine synthesis, potentially endowing it with a higher capacity to purify nutrient-rich water bodies. Expansion of terpene synthase families enables the production of increased quantities of terpenoid volatiles, potentially serving as an evolved defense mechanism against herbivorous insects. Through combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis, we identified the candidate genes involved in the synthesis of terpenoid volatiles. Our study offers essential genetic resources for Chinese wingnut, unveiling its evolutionary history and identifying key genes linked to the production of terpenoid volatiles.