Non-negligible environmental risks of typical hazardous trace elements in wastes from Chinese coal-fired industrial boilers.

Coal-fired industrial boilers (CFIBs) that provide heat for industrial production operate to produce large quantities of wastes containing hazardous trace elements (HTEs), threatening the quality of the environment. Based on the established facility-level material flow inventory of five typical HTEs (Hg, As, Cd, Cr, and Pb) of Chinese CFIBs in 2020, we explored the enrichment characteristics and environmental risks of HTEs in wastes at the regional scale from the perspective of substance flow and enrichment levels. Results showed that the shares of HTEs entering the waste stream were 2.2-16.8 % higher in the focus regions of continuous improvement of air quality compared to the non-focus regions, explained by the higher synergistic control efficiencies of their air pollution control facilities (ACPFs), at 86.6-90.4 % (Hg), 98.6-99.1 % (As), 95.1-95.9 % (Cd), 93.2-94.8 % (Cr), and 97.1-98.0 % (Pb), respectively. In addition, the national averages of HTEs in slag, fly ash, and flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) were simulated to be 0.15-0.87 g/t, 3.25-18.44 g/t, 0.30-0.96 g/t, 19.76-70.11 g/t, and 15.85-73.74 for Hg, As, Cd, Cr, and Pb, respectively. Nationally, the integrated environmental risks of the five HTEs in slag, fly ash, and FGD residue exhibited Considerable, Very High, and Very High level of environmental risk, with the cumulative environmental risk indexes of 171, 317, and 281, respectively. Hg and Cd were the major contributors to the environmental risks of slag, fly ash, and FGD residue, with environmental risk contributions ranging from 23.8 to 82.3 % and 16.0 to 66.1 %, respectively. Results can provide data support for modelling the environmental release of HTEs from wastes and formulating control strategies for environmental management agencies.

Tsc22d3 promotes morphine tolerance in mice through the GPX4 ferroptosis pathway.

BACKGROUND: Morphine tolerance refers to gradual reduction in response to drug with continuous or repeated use of morphine, requiring higher doses to achieve same effect. METHODS: The morphine tolerance dataset GSE7762 profiles, obtained from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database, were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was applied to explore core modules of DEGs related to morphine tolerance. Core genes were input into Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Animal experiments were performed to validate role of Tsc22d3 in morphine tolerance and its relationship with ferroptosis-related pathway. RESULTS: 500 DEGs were identified. DEGs were primarily enriched in negative regulation of brain development, neuronal apoptosis processes, and neurosystem development. Core gene was identified as Tsc22d3. Tsc22d3 gene-associated miRNAs were mmu-miR-196b-5p and mmu-miR-196a-5p. Compared to Non-morphine tolerant group, Tsc22d3 expression was significantly upregulated in Morphine tolerant group. Tsc22d3 expression was upregulated in Morphine tolerant+Tsc22d3_OE, expression of HIF-1alpha, GSH, GPX4 in GPX4 ferroptosis-related pathway showed a more pronounced decrease. As Tsc22d3 expression was downregulated in Morphine tolerant+Tsc22d3_KO, expression of HIF-1alpha, GSH, GPX4 in GPX4 ferroptosis-related pathway exhibited a more pronounced increase. Upregulation of Tsc22d3 in Morphine tolerant+Tsc22d3_OE led to a more pronounced increase in expression of apoptosis proteins (P53, Caspase-3, Bax, SMAC, FAS). The expression of inflammatory factors (IL6, TNF-alpha, CXCL1, CXCL2) showed a more pronounced increase with upregulated Tsc22d3 expression in Morphine tolerant+Tsc22d3_OE. CONCLUSIONS: Tsc22d3 is highly expressed in brain tissue of morphine-tolerant mice, activating ferroptosis pathway, enhancing apoptosis, promoting inflammatory responses in brain cells.

Selenium-modified activated coke: a high-capacity and facile designed Hg0 adsorbent for coal-fired flue gas.

The substantial amount of mercury emissions from coal-fired flue gas causes severe environmental contamination. With the Minamata Convention now officially in force, it is critical to strengthen mercury pollution control. Existing activated carbon injection technologies suffer from poor desulfurization performance and risk secondary-release risks. Therefore, considering the potential industrial application of adsorbents, we selected cost-effective and readily available activated coke (AC) as the carrier in this study. Four metal selenides-copper, iron, manganese, and tin-were loaded onto the AC to overcome the application problems of existing technologies. After 120 min of adsorption, the CuSe/AC exhibited the highest efficiency in removing Hg0, surpassing 80% according to the experimental findings. In addition, the optimal adsorption temperature window was 30-120 °C, the maximum adsorption rate was 2.9 × 10-2 mg·g-1·h-1, and the effectiveness of CuSe/AC in capturing Hg0 only dropped by 5.2% in the sulfur-containing atmosphere. The physicochemical characterization results indicated that the AC surface had a uniform loading of CuSe with a nanosheet structure resembling polygon and that the Cu-to-Se atomic ratio was close to 1:1. Finally, two possible Hg0 reaction pathways on CuSe/AC were proposed. Moreover, it was elucidated that the highly selective binding of Hg0 with ligand-unsaturated Se- was the key factor in achieving high adsorption efficiency and sulfur resistance in the selenium-functionalized AC adsorbent. This finding offers substantial theoretical support for the industrial application of this adsorbent.

DNA methylation mediates overgrazing-induced clonal transgenerational plasticity.

Overgrazing generally induces dwarfism in grassland plants, and these phenotypic traits could be transmitted to clonal offspring even when overgrazing is excluded. However, the dwarfism-transmitted mechanism remains largely unknown, despite generally thought to be enabled by epigenetic modification. To clarify the potential role of DNA methylation on clonal transgenerational effects, we conducted a greenhouse experiment with Leymus chinensis clonal offspring from different cattle/sheep overgrazing histories via the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. The results showed that clonal offspring from overgrazed (by cattle or sheep) parents were dwarfed and the auxin content of leaves significantly decreased compared to offspring from no-grazed parents'. The 5-azaC application generally increased the auxin content and promoted the growth of overgrazed offspring while inhibited no-grazed offspring growth. Meanwhile, there were similar trends in the expression level of genes related to auxin-responsive target genes (ARF7, ARF19), and signal transduction gene (AZF2). These results suggest that DNA methylation leads to overgrazing-induced plant transgenerational dwarfism via inhibiting auxin signal pathway.

Shoot-Root Interplay Mediates Defoliation-Induced Plant Legacy Effect.

Shoot defoliation by grazers or mowing can affect root traits of grassland species, which may subsequently affect its aboveground traits and ecosystem functioning (e.g., aboveground primary production). However, experimental evidence for such reciprocal feedback between shoots and roots is limited. We grew the perennial grass Leymus chinensis-common across the eastern Eurasian steppe-as model species in a controlled-hydroponics experiment, and then removed half of its shoots, half of its roots, or a combination of both. We measured a range of plant aboveground and belowground traits (e.g., phenotypic characteristics, photosynthetic traits, root architecture) in response to the shoot and/or root removal treatments. We found the regenerated biomass was less than the lost biomass under both shoot defoliation and root severance, generating a under-compensatory growth. Root biomass was reduced by 60.11% in the defoliation treatment, while root severance indirectly reduced shoot biomass by 40.49%, indicating a feedback loop between shoot and root growth. This defoliation-induced shoot-root feedback was mediated by the disproportionate response and allometry of plant traits. Further, the effect of shoot defoliation and root severance on trait plasticity of L. chinensis was sub-additive. That is, the combined effects of the two treatments were less than the sum of their independent effects, resulting in a buffering effect on the existing negative influences on plant persistence by increased photosynthesis. Our results highlight the key role of trait plasticity in driving shoot-root reciprocal feedbacks and growth persistence in grassland plants, especially perennial species. This knowledge adds to earlier findings of legacy effects and can be used to determine the resilience of grasslands.

Overgrazing-induced legacy effects may permit Leymus chinensis to cope with herbivory.

There is growing evidence that herbivory-induced legacy effects permit plants to cope with herbivory. However, herbivory-induced defense strategies in plants against grazing mammals have received little attention. To further understand the grazing-induced legacy effects on plants, we conducted a greenhouse experiment with Leymus chinensis experiencing different grazing histories. We focused on grazing-induced legacy effects on above-ground spatial avoidance and below-ground biomass allocation. Our results showed that L. chinensis collected from the continuous overgrazing plot (OG) exhibited higher performance under simulated grazing in terms of growth, cloning and colonizing ability than those collected from the 35-year no-grazing plot (NG). The enhanced adaptability of OG was attributed to increased above-ground spatial avoidance, which was mediated by larger leaf angle and shorter height (reduced vertical height and increased leaf angle contributed to the above-ground spatial avoidance at a lower herbivory stubble height, while reduced tiller natural height contributed to above-ground spatial avoidance at a higher herbivory stubble height). Contrary to our prediction, OG pre-allocated less biomass to the rhizome, which does not benefit the herbivory tolerance and avoidance of L. chinensis; however, this also may reflect a tolerance strategy where reduced allocation to rhizomes is associated with increased production of ramets.

Dexmedetomidine Pretreatment Improves Lipopolysaccharide-induced Iron Homeostasis Disorder in Aged Mice.

BACKGROUND: Iron homeostasis disorder and neuroinflammation are the most commonly known factors that promote the occurrence and development of cognitive impairment in people. Dexmedetomidine has an anti-inflammatory effect, and it reduces the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Therefore, the aim of this study is to verify whether dexmedetomidine could improve lipopolysaccharide-induced iron homeostasis disorder in aged mice, and show neuroprotective effect. METHODS: First part, forty 12 month old male Kunming(KM) mice were divided into group N and group D: Normal saline group (group N), Dexmedetomidine group (group D). Second part, sixty 12-month-old male KM mice were divided into the following three groups: Normal saline group (group N), Lipopolysaccharide group (group LPS) and Dexmedetomidine + Lipopolysaccharide group (group D + LPS). The mice in group D + LPS were given dexmedetomidine, and given LPS intraperitoneally 2 h later. Mice underwent an oriented navigation test and a space exploration test in the Morris Water maze (MWM) test. The expression levels of Interleukin-6 ( IL-6), L-ferritin (FTL) and Transferrin receptor-1 (TfR1) in hippocampus were detected by the Western blot analysis; the hippocampal hepcidin mRNA was detected by Real-time PCR(RT-PCR); the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the hippocampus was measured using ROS test kit. RESULTS: Dexmedetomidine improved the cognitive decline induced by LPS. Dexmedetomidine reduced the level of hippocampal IL-6, and it attenuated the increase in their levels caused by LPS. It had no effect on hippocampal hepcidin mRNA, FTL, TfR1 and ROS but it could attenuate the increase caused by LPS. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine has no effect on iron metabolism pathway, but it can improve the cognitive decline and the iron disorder by reducing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. The research indicates that dexmedetomidine plays a neuroprotective role.

Stoichiometric ratios support plant adaption to grazing moderated by soil nutrients and root enzymes.

BACKGROUND: Vegetation succession is one of the major driving processes of grassland degradation. Stoichiometry significantly contributes to vegetation dynamics. However, a knowledge gap exists in how soil nutrients and root enzymes influence the stoichiometric ratio to affect vegetation dynamics. METHODS: To address these questions, we selected a dominant species (Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel.) and a degraded-dominant species (Artemisia frigida Willd.) under different management regimes (enclosure and grazing) on the Inner Mongolia steppe. We measured (i) plant nutrient concentrations, (ii) root enzymes and (iii) soil nutrients to investigate how the selected plant species responded to grazing. RESULTS: The results show that: (i) N and P concentrations and the C:N:P ratio in different organs are significantly affected by grazing, and there is variation in the plant species' response. Grazing significantly increased N and P in the leaves and stems of L. chinensis and the stems and roots of A. frigida. (ii) Grazing significantly increased the activities of glutamine synthase but decreased the activities of acid phosphatase in L. chinensis. The nitrate reductase and acid phosphatase activities significantly increased in A. frigida under grazing conditions. (iii) Grazing decreased the total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available nitrogen, but increased the available phosphorus in the soil. CONCLUSION: We conclude that A. frigida is better adapted to grazing than L. chinensis, possibly because of its relatively increased stem and root growth, which enhance population expansion following grazing. Conversely, L. chinensis showed increased leaf and stem growth, but suffered nutrient and biomass loss as a result of excessive foraging by livestock, which severely affected its ability to colonize. Root enzymes coupled with soil nutrients can regulate plant nutrients and stoichiometric ratios as an adaptive response to grazing. Thus, we demonstrated that stoichiometric ratios allow species to better withstand grazing disturbances. This study provides a new understanding of the mechanisms involved in grazing-resistance within a plant-soil system.

Pathways of Leymus chinensis Individual Aboveground Biomass Decline in Natural Semiarid Grassland Induced by Overgrazing: A Study at the Plant Functional Trait Scale.

Natural grassland productivity, which is based on an individual plant's aboveground biomass (AB) and its interaction with herbivores, can obviously affect terrestrial ecosystem services and the grassland's agricultural production. As plant traits have been linked to both AB and ecosystem success, they may provide a useful approach to understand the changes in individual plants and grassland productivity in response to grazing on a generic level. Unfortunately, the current lack of studies on how plant traits affect AB affected by herbivores leaves a major gap in our understanding of the mechanism of grassland productivity decline. This study, therefore, aims to analyze the paths of overgrazing-induced decline in the individual AB of Leymus chinensis (the dominant species of meadow-steppe grassland in northern China) on a plant functional trait scale. Using a paired-sampling approach, we compared the differences in the functional traits of L. chinensis in long-term grazing-excluded and experimental grazing grassland plots over a continuous period of approximately 20 years (located in meadow steppe lands in Hailar, Inner Mongolia, China). We found a highly significant decline in the individual height and biomass (leaf, stem, and the whole plant) of L. chinensis as a result of overgrazing. Biomass allocation and leaf mass per unit area were significantly affected by the variation in individual size. Grazing clearly enhanced the sensitivity of the leaf-to-stem biomass ratio in response to variation in individual size. Moreover, using a method of standardized major axis estimation, we found that the biomass in the leaves, stems, and the plant as a whole had highly significant allometric scaling with various functional traits. Also, the slopes of the allometric equations of these relationships were significantly altered by grazing. Therefore, a clear implication of this is that grazing promotes an asymmetrical response of different plant functional traits to variation in individual plant size, which influences biomass indirectly. Furthermore, we detected paths of individual AB decline in L. chinensis induced by grazing by fitting to a structural equation model. These results indicate that grazing causes AB decline primarily through a 'bottom-up' effect on plant height and stem traits. However, leaf traits, via the process of allometric scaling, affect plant AB indirectly.

An aging-related cell surface NADH oxidase (arNOX) generates superoxide and is inhibited by coenzyme Q.

This report describes a novel ECTO-NOX protein with an oscillating activity having a period length of ca. 26 min encountered with buffy coat fractions and sera of aged individuals (70-100 years) that generates superoxide as measured by the reduction of ferricytochrome c. The oscillating, age-related reduction of ferricytochrome c is sensitive to superoxide dismutase, is inhibited by coenzyme Q and is reduced or absent from sera of younger individuals (20-40 years). An oscillating activity with a regular period length is a defining characteristic of ECTO-NOX proteins (a group of cell surface oxidases with enzymatic activities that oscillate). The period length of ca. 26 min is longer than the period length of 24 min for the usual constitutive (CNOX) ECTO-NOX proteins of the cell surface and sera which neither generate superoxide nor reduce ferricytochrome c. The aging-related ECTO-NOX protein (arNOX) provides a mechanism to transmit cell surface oxidative changes to surrounding cells and circulating lipoproteins potentially important to atherogenesis. Additionally, the findings provide a rational basis for the use of dietary coenzyme Q to retard aging-related arterial lesions.