Antimony isotopic fractionation induced by Sb(V) adsorption on ß-MnO2.

Antimony (Sb) isotopes hold immense promise for unraveling Sb biogeochemical cycling in environmental systems. Mn oxides help control the fate of Sb via adsorption reactions, yet the behavior and mechanisms of Sb isotopic fractionation on Mn oxides are poorly understood. In this study, we examine the Sb isotopic fractionation induced by adsorption on ß-MnO2 in different experiments (kinetic, isothermal, effect of pH). We observe that adsorption on ß-MnO2 surfaces preferentially enriches lighter Sb isotopes through equilibrium fractionation, with Δ123Sbaqueous-adsorbed of 0.55-0.79 ‰. Neither the pH or surface coverage affects the fractionation magnitude. The analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) demonstrates that the enrichment of light isotope results from the adsorption of inner-sphere complexation on solids. Our finding of this study enhances our comprehension of the impact of ß-MnO2 on Sb isotopic fractionation behavior and mechanism and facilitate the applicability of Sb isotopes as effective tracers to elucidate the origins and pathways of Sb contamination in environmental systems, as well as provide a new insight into forecasting the isotopic fractionation of other similar metals adsorbed by manganese oxides.

Uncovering the complexity of childhood undernutrition through strain-level analysis of the gut microbiome.

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition (UN) is a critical public health issue that threatens the lives of children under five in developing countries. While evidence indicates the crucial role of the gut microbiome (GM) in UN pathogenesis, the strain-level inspection and bacterial co-occurrence network investigation in the GM of UN children are lacking. RESULTS: This study examines the strain compositions of the GM in 61 undernutrition patients (UN group) and 36 healthy children (HC group) and explores the topological features of GM co-occurrence networks using a complex network strategy. The strain-level annotation reveals that the differentially enriched species between the UN and HC groups are due to discriminated strain compositions. For example, Prevotella copri is mainly composed of P. copri ASM1680343v1 and P. copri ASM345920v1 in the HC group, but it is composed of P. copri ASM346549v1 and P. copri ASM347465v1 in the UN group. In addition, the UN-risk model constructed at the strain level demonstrates higher accuracy (AUC = 0.810) than that at the species level (AUC = 0.743). With complex network analysis, we further discovered that the UN group had a more complex GM co-occurrence network, with more hub bacteria and a higher clustering coefficient but lower information transfer efficiencies. Moreover, the results at the strain level suggested the inaccurate and even false conclusions obtained from species level analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study highlights the importance of examining the GM at the strain level and investigating bacterial co-occurrence networks to advance our knowledge of UN pathogenesis.

Health burden from food systems is highly unequal across income groups.

Food consumption contributes to the degradation of air quality in regions where food is produced, creating a contrast between the health burden caused by a specific population through its food consumption and that faced by this same population as a consequence of food production activities. Here we explore this inequality within China's food system by linking air-pollution-related health burden from production to consumption, at high levels of spatial and sectorial granularity. We find that low-income groups bear a 70% higher air-pollution-related health burden from food production than from food consumption, while high-income groups benefit from a 29% lower health burden relative to their food consumption. This discrepancy largely stems from a concentration of low-income residents in food production areas, exposed to higher emissions from agriculture. Comprehensive interventions targeting both production and consumption sides can effectively reduce health damages and concurrently mitigate associated inequalities, while singular interventions exhibit limited efficacy.

PhageScope: a well-annotated bacteriophage database with automatic analyses and visualizations.

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria or archaea. Understanding the diverse and intricate genomic architectures of phages is essential to study microbial ecosystems and develop phage therapy strategies. However, the existing phage databases are short of meticulous annotations. To this end, we propose PhageScope (https://phagescope.deepomics.org), an online phage database with comprehensive annotations. PhageScope harbors a collection of 873 718 phage sequences from various sources. Applying fifteen state-of-the-art tools to perform systematic annotations and analyses, PhageScope provides annotations on genome completeness, host range, lifestyle information, taxonomy classification, nine types of structural and functional genetic elements, and three types of comparative genomic studies for curated phages. Additionally, PhageScope incorporates automatic analyses and visualizations for curated and customized phages, serving as an efficient platform for phage study.

Iron and Steel Industry Emissions: A Global Analysis of Trends and Drivers.

The iron and steel industry (ISI) is important for socio-economic progress but emits greenhouse gases and air pollutants detrimental to climate and human health. Understanding its historical emission trends and drivers is crucial for future warming and pollution interventions. Here, we offer an exhaustive analysis of global ISI emissions over the past 60 years, forecasting up to 2050. We evaluate emissions of carbon dioxide and conventional and unconventional air pollutants, including heavy metals and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. Based on this newly established inventory, we dissect the determinants of past emission trends and future trajectories. Results show varied trends for different pollutants. Specifically, PM2.5 emissions decreased consistently during the period 1970 to 2000, attributed to adoption of advanced production technologies. Conversely, NOx and SO2 began declining recently due to stringent controls in major contributors such as China, a trend expected to persist. Currently, end-of-pipe abatement technologies are key to PM2.5 reduction, whereas process modifications are central to CO2 mitigation. Projections suggest that by 2050, developing nations (excluding China) will contribute 52-54% of global ISI PM2.5 emissions, a rise from 29% in 2019. Long-term emission curtailment will necessitate the innovation and widespread adoption of new production and abatement technologies in emerging economies worldwide.

Progress on simultaneous photocatalytic degradation of pollutants and production of clean energy: A review.

In the current era of severe energy and environmental crises, the need for efficient and sustainable methods to control pollution and promote resource recycling has become increasingly important. Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants and simultaneous production of clean energy is one such approach that has garnered significant attention in recent years. The principle of photocatalysis involves the development of efficient photocatalysts and the efficient utilization of solar energy. The use of organic contaminants can enhance the photocatalytic reactions, leading to the sustainable generation of clean energy. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the latest advances in the application of photocatalytic synergized clean energy production in the environmental field. This review highlights the latest developments and achievements in this field, highlighting the potential for this approach to revolutionize the way we approach environmental pollution control and resource recycling. The review focuses on (1) the mechanism of photocatalytic degradation and synergistic energy production, (2) photocatalysts and synthesis strategies, (3) photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction, (4) pollutant degradation, and (5) hydrogen and electricity production. In addition, perspectives on key challenges and opportunities in photocatalysis and clean energy for future developments are proposed. This review provides a roadmap for future research directions and innovations of photocatalysis that could contribute to the development of more sustainable and cleaner energy solutions.

Contact between water vapor and silicate surface causes abiotic formation of reactive oxygen species in an anoxic atmosphere.

Spontaneous generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aqueous microdroplets or at a water vapor-silicate interface is a new source of redox chemistry. However, such generation occurs with difficulty in liquid water having a large ionic strength. We report that ROS is spontaneously produced when water vapor contacts hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups on a silicate surface. The evolution of hydrogen-bonded species such as hydroxyl groups was investigated by using two-dimensional, time-resolved FT-IR spectroscopy. The participation of water vapor in ROS generation is confirmed by investigating the reaction of D2O vapor and hydroxyl groups on a silicate surface. We propose a reaction pathway for ROS generation based on the change of the hydrogen-bonding network and corresponding electron transfer onto the silicate surface in the water vapor-solid contact process. Our observations suggest that ROS production from water vapor-silicate contact electrification could have contributed to oxidation during the Archean Eon before the Great Oxidation Event.

Significant but Inequitable Cost-Effective Benefits of a Clean Heating Campaign in Northern China.

Residential emissions significantly contribute to air pollution. To address this issue, a clean heating campaign was implemented to replace coal with electricity or natural gas among 13.9 million rural households in northern China. Despite great success, the cost-benefits and environmental equity of this campaign have never been fully investigated. Here, we modeled the environmental and health benefits, as well as the total costs of the campaign, and analyzed the inequality and inequity. We found that even though the campaign decreased only 1.1% of the total energy consumption, PM2.5 emissions and PM2.5 exposure experienced 20% and 36% reduction, respectively, revealing the amplification effects along the causal pathway. Furthermore, the number of premature deaths attributable to residential emissions reduced by 32%, suggesting that the campaign was highly beneficial. Governments and residents shared the cost of 2,520 RMB/household. However, the benefits and the costs were unevenly distributed, as the residents in mountainous areas were not only less benefited from the campaign but also paid more because of the higher costs, resulting in a notably lower cost-effectiveness. Moreover, villages in less developed areas tended to choose natural gas with a lower initial investment but a higher total cost (2,720 RMB/household) over electricity (2,190 RMB/household). With targeted investment and subsidies in less developed areas and the promotion of electricity and other less expensive alternatives, the multidevelopment goals of improved air quality, reduced health impacts, and reduced inequity in future clean heating interventions could be achieved.

P(VDF-TrFE)/BaTiO3 Nanofibrous Membrane with Enhanced Piezoelectricity for High PM0.3 Filtration and Reusable Face Masks.

In the background of air pollution and regular COVID-19 prevention, personal protective masks are necessary for our daily life. However, protective masks with high PM0.3 filtration usually have poor air permeability and are mostly disposable, leading to a heavy burden on the environment. In this work, a reusable membrane based on piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] nanofibers embedded with BaTiO3 nanoparticles (BTO NPs) was developed. The P(VDF-TrFE)/BTO composite nanofibers not only have enhanced piezoelectricity and surface polarity but also have reduced diameters that could be beneficial for electrostatic adhesion, pole-polar interactions, and mechanical sieving to increase the PM0.3 capture capacity. Moreover, the BTO NPs also improved the charge storage capacity of the composite membrane, which could further enhance the PM0.3 filtration efficiency after corona treatment. The piezoelectric mask based on P(VDF-TrFE)/BTO composite nanofibers has high filtration efficiencies of 96% for PM0.3 and 98% for bacteria, while the pressure drop was only 182 Pa, which is lower than the commercial N95 standard of 343.2 Pa. Furthermore, the piezoelectric mask has a long and stable filtration performance after 5 cycles of 75% alcohol disinfection, demonstrating that the P(VDF-TrFE)/BTO composite membrane has a potential application in personal protective masks with comfortable and reusable properties.

Wireless Self-Powered Optogenetic System for Long-Term Cardiac Neuromodulation to Improve Post-MI Cardiac Remodeling and Malignant Arrhythmia.

Autonomic imbalance is an important characteristic of patients after myocardial infarction (MI) and adversely contributes to post-MI cardiac remodeling and ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). A previous study proved that optogenetic modulation could precisely inhibit cardiac sympathetic hyperactivity and prevent acute ischemia-induced VAs. Here, a wireless self-powered optogenetic modulation system is introduced, which achieves long-term precise cardiac neuromodulation in ambulatory canines. The wireless self-powered optical system based on a triboelectric nanogenerator is powered by energy harvested from body motion and realized the effective optical illumination that is required for optogenetic neuromodulation (ON). It is further demonstrated that long-term ON significantly mitigates MI-induced sympathetic remodeling and hyperactivity, and improves a variety of clinically relevant outcomes such as improves ventricular dysfunction, reduces infarct size, increases electrophysiological stability, and reduces susceptibility to VAs. These novel insights suggest that wireless ON holds translational potential for the clinical treatment of arrhythmia and other cardiovascular diseases related to sympathetic hyperactivity. Moreover, this innovative self-powered optical system may provide an opportunity to develop implantable/wearable and self-controllable devices for long-term optogenetic therapy.

Ultrasound-mediated piezoelectric nanoparticle modulation of intrinsic cardiac autonomic nervous system for rate control in atrial fibrillation.

Rate control is a cornerstone of atrial fibrillation treatment. Barium titanate nanoparticles (BTNPs) are piezoelectric nanomaterials that can generate local electromagnetic fields under ultrasound activation, stimulating nearby neuronal tissue. This study aimed to modulate the inferior right ganglionated plexus (IRGP) of the heart and reduce the ventricular rate during rapid atrial pacing (RAP)-induced atrial fibrillation using ultrasound-mediated BTNPs. Adult male beagles were randomly divided into a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) group (n = 6) and a BTNP group (n = 6). PBS or nanoparticles were injected into the IRGP of both groups before RAP. The biological safety of the material was evaluated according to electrophysiology recordings, thermal effects and level of inflammation. Compared to the PBS group, the BaTiO3 piezoelectric nanoparticle group had reduced ventricular rates in the sinus rhythm and atrial fibrillation models after stimulating the IRGP by applying ultrasound. In addition, transient stimulation by BTNPs did not lead to sustained neuronal excitation in the IRGP. The activation of the BTNPs did not induce inflammation or thermal damage effects in the IRGP. Ultrasound-mediated BTNP neuromodulation can significantly reduce the ventricular rate by stimulating the IRGP. Thus, ultrasound-mediated BTNP neuromodulation is a potential therapy for atrial fibrillation rate control.

TIMEDB: tumor immune micro-environment cell composition database with automatic analysis and interactive visualization.

Deciphering the cell-type composition in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) can significantly increase the efficacy of cancer treatment and improve the prognosis of cancer. Such a task has benefited from microarrays and RNA sequencing technologies, which have been widely adopted in cancer studies, resulting in extensive expression profiles with clinical phenotypes across multiple cancers. Current state-of-the-art tools can infer cell-type composition from bulk expression profiles, providing the possibility of investigating the inter-heterogeneity and intra-heterogeneity of TIME across cancer types. Much can be gained from these tools in conjunction with a well-curated database of TIME cell-type composition data, accompanied by the corresponding clinical information. However, currently available databases fall short in data volume, multi-platform dataset integration, and tool integration. In this work, we introduce TIMEDB (https://timedb.deepomics.org), an online database for human tumor immune microenvironment cell-type composition estimated from bulk expression profiles. TIMEDB stores manually curated expression profiles, cell-type composition profiles, and the corresponding clinical information of a total of 39,706 samples from 546 datasets across 43 cancer types. TIMEDB comes readily equipped with online tools for automatic analysis and interactive visualization, and aims to serve the community as a convenient tool for investigating the human tumor microenvironment.

Clinical Practice of Targeted Capture Sequencing to Identify Actionable Alterations in Cholangiocarcinoma.

The early diagnosis and treatment of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remain a challenge worldwide. Genetic testing promises to solve these problems. Due to the different mutation landscapes across populations and the paucity of sequencing data of Chinese patients with CCA, the existing mutation landscape is insufficient to reflect the mutation characteristics of Chinese patients. Thus, we retrospectively analyzed 72 Chinese patients with CCA who had received genetic testing of targeted capture sequencing. A total of 2152 somatic mutations were detected in 56 (77.78%) patients, of which, the frequently mutated driver genes were TP53 (27.78%), KMT2D (23.81%), KMT2C (20.63%), BCOR (18.06%), APC (15.28%), BAP1 (13.89%), ARID1A (12.50%), NF1 (12.50%), PIK3CA (12.50%), KRAS (11.11%), and LRP1B (11.11%). Most mutations were enriched in NRF2, TP53, and TGF-Beta oncogenic signaling pathways and cadherin repeat domains which were associated with intercellular adhesion. Based on cancer-related public databases and multiple protein function prediction algorithms, we identified 118 novel pathogenic or likely pathogenic somatic mutations and 77 actionable alterations. Molecular analysis of tumors from a precision oncology perspective can provide potential targets for early diagnosis and treatment of CCA and assist physicians in clinical decision making.

Global brown carbon emissions from combustion sources.

Light-absorbing organic carbon (OC), sometimes known as Brown Carbon (BrC), has been recognized as an important fraction of carbonaceous aerosols substantially affecting radiative forcing. This study firstly developed a bottom-up estimate of global primary BrC, and discussed its spatiotemporal distribution and source contributions from 1960 to 2010. The global total primary BrC emission from both natural and anthropogenic sources in 2010 was 7.26 (5.98-8.93 as an interquartile range) Tg, with 43.5% from anthropogenic sources. High primary BrC emissions were in regions such as Africa, South America, South and East Asia with natural sources (wild fires and deforestation) contributing over 70% in the former two regions, while in East Asia, anthropogenic sources, especially residential solid fuel combustion, accounted for over 80% of the regional total BrC emissions. Globally, the historical trend was mainly driven by anthropogenic sources, which increased from 1960 to 1990 and then started to decline. Residential emissions significantly impacted on emissions and temporal trends that varied by region. In South and Southeast Asia, the emissions increased obviously due to population growth and a slow transition from solid fuels to clean modern energies in the residential sector. It is estimated that in primary OC, the global average was about 20% BrC, but this ratio varied from 13% to 47%, depending on sector and region. In areas with high residential solid fuel combustion emissions, the ratio was generally twice the value in other areas. Uncertainties in the work are associated with the concept of BrC and measurement technologies, pointing to the need for more studies on BrC analysis and quantification in both emissions and the air.

Efficient hydrogenation of p-chlorophenol and Cr(VI) driven by hydrogen rich balls over Pd/C catalysts.

Catalytic hydrogenation can selectively destabilize and detoxify specific contaminants in water. Herein, to explore safer and more efficient hydrogen sources, hydrogen rich balls (HRBs) were researched and applied for hydrogenating p-chlorophenol and Cr(VI) over Pd/C catalyst. The results showed that HRBs can realize the sustained release of H2 by replacing the hydrogen in water, and generate the refined (micro/nano-sized) H2 bubble, which effectively improves the adsorption and activation effectively of H2 molecules on Pd/C catalyst, and the hydrogen atoms utilization efficiency during p-chlorophenol hydrodechlorination is as high as 3.5 %. Continuous flow experiments showed that rapid removal of p-chlorophenol with different concentrations could be achieved by adjusting the flow rate. Moreover, the high-toxic Cr(VI) was successfully reduced to the low-toxic Cr(III) in an appropriate pH range. This research is of far-reaching significance for realizing the detoxification of environmental pollutants and promoting the development of hydrogen economy.

Acoustic Bioprinting of Patient-Derived Organoids for Predicting Cancer Therapy Responses.

Cancer models, which are biologically representative of patient tumors, can predict the treatment responses and help determine the most appropriate cancer treatment for individual patients. Here, a point-of-care testing system called acoustically bioprinted patient-derived microtissues (PDMs) that can model cancer invasion and predict treatment response in individual patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), is reported. The PDMs are composed of patient-derived colorectal tumors and healthy organoids which can be precisely arranged by acoustic bioprinting approach for recapulating primary tissue's architecture. Particularly, these tumor organoids can be efficiently generated and can apprehend histological, genomic, and phenotypical characteristics of primary tumors. Consequently, these PDMs allow physiologically relevant in vitro drug (5-fluorouracil) screens, thus predicting the paired patient's responses to chemotherapy. A correlation between organoid invasion speed and normalized spreading speed of the paired patients is further established. It provides a quantitative indicator to help doctors make better decisions on ultimate anus-preserving operation for extremely low CRC patients. Thus, by combing acoustic bioprinting and organoid cultures, this method may open an avenue to establish complex 3D tissue models for precision and personalized medicine.

Identification of groundwater pollution from livestock farming using fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with multivariate statistical methods.

Extensive livestock farming has highly threatened groundwater quality, thereby necessitating a rapid and effective method to identify groundwater quality in such areas. Fluorescence spectroscopy has been recognized as an interpretable method for tracking anthropogenic influences on water quality, but its applicability in identifying the groundwater pollution from livestock farming remains unknown. In this study, the fluorescence characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in groundwater from a typical livestock farming area were investigated by using fluorescence excitation emission matrix (EEM)-parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) coupled with multivariate statistical methods. The results showed that livestock farming significantly altered the content and composition of DOM in groundwater, and these effects were mainly observed in shallow groundwater in the study area. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on fluorescence parameters divided the groundwater samples into three clusters with significantly different pollution degrees: Cluster A, unpolluted; Cluster B, highly polluted; Cluster C, moderately polluted. In particular, the intensity of tryptophan-like fluorescence was high in the polluted groundwater but was almost undetectable in the unpolluted groundwater, suggesting that it is a potential indicator of groundwater quality. Principal component analysis based on the fluorescence parameters explained 91.5% of the variance with the first two principal components, and revealed that the degree of pollution dominated the fluorescence characteristics of groundwater in the study area. In addition, NO3- was abundant in Clusters B and C, while it was low in Cluster A, validating the analysis results of fluorescence spectroscopy. These findings indicated that DOM fluorescence was sensitive to livestock farming pollution and could be applied to identify, monitor, and assess groundwater pollution from livestock farming.

Effects of Food Types, Frying Frequency, and Frying Temperature on 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol Esters and Glycidyl Esters Content in Palm Oil during Frying.

3-Monochloropropanediol esters (3-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE) have high toxicity and have drawn global attention because of their widespread occurrence in refined oils and oil-based foods. In this study, the effects of food type (potato chips and chicken breasts), frying frequency, and frying temperature on the formation of 3-MCPDE and GE in palm oil (PO) were investigated. The results showed that 3-MCPDE was formed easier in chicken breasts than potato chips. The GE content decreased in PO after it was used for frying potato chips and chicken breasts with or without NaCl. Frying frequency was an influencing factor in the formation of 3-MCPDE and the decrease in GE in PO. Frying temperature was positively correlated with GE degradation, while it had a bidirectional effect on the formation of 3-MCPDE. The formation kinetic equations indicated that 3-MCPDE and GE followed zero-order reactions in PO. The estimated activation energy (Ea) of 1,2-bis-palmitoyl-3-chloropropanediol (Pa-Pa, 41.05 kJ/mol) was lower than those of the other three types of 3-MCPDE; this is the first theoretical explanation for why PO contains more 3-MCPD than other edible oils. Among GEs, glycidyl oleate (Li-GE) was degraded more readily than other GEs.