[Progress of allergic rhinitis research based on transcriptome sequencing].

Traditional studies on allergic rhinitis（AR） have mainly adopted animal models and biomolecular approaches. In addition, the advent of transcriptome sequencing technology is promoting the development of AR at the genetic level. Recently, many scholars have focused on the role of common RNA in the pathogenesis of AR, suggesting that breakthroughs have been made in the field of AR bioinformatics analysis. This review aims to summarize the research advances in AR, the development of transcriptome sequencing technology, and the application of transcriptome sequencing in AR, in order to explore potential drug targets for AR treatment and provide new insights into precision medicine.

Molecular, biological characterization and drug sensitivity of chidamide-resistant MCF7 cells.

Background: Chidamide (CHI) is a subtype-selective histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI) developed in China and approved as a second-line treatment combined with the aromatase inhibitor for hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer. However, drug resistance is commonly occurred after a long period of medication. This study aimed to investigate the characterization of induced resistance to CHI and explore the potential cross-resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Methods: CHI with gradually increasing concentrations was added to breast cancer MCF7 cells to establish a CHI-resistant MCF7 (MCF7-CHI-R) cell line. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays were performed to detect half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of CHI. Colony formation was used to determine the proliferation inhibition rate. Western blot analysis was conducted to detect expressions of protein related with cell cycle, apoptosis, ferroptosis, and histone deacetylase (HDAC). Flow cytometry was used to analyze apoptosis and cell cycle. Results: The IC50 value of CHI of MCF7-CHI-R cells was increased in comparison with MCF7 cells. And CHI led to cell cycle arrest and ferroptosis, which were not exhibited in MCF7-CHI-R cells. Moreover, HDAC activity decreased in MCF7-CHI-R cells in comparison with MCF7 cells, and HDAC1 and HDAC10 might be involved in the resistance to CHI. In addition, MCF7-CHI-R cells were resistant to gemcitabine (GEM), doxorubicin (ADM), docetaxel (DXT), albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PTX) and paclitaxel (PTX). Conclusions: The MCF7-CHI-R was established and the anti-ferroptosis pathway activation was involved in the resistance of MCF-CHI-R cells. Also, MCF7-CHI-R cells were resistant to GEM, ADM, DXT, nab-PTX and PTX.

Multi-omic dissection of the cold resistance traits of white water lily.

The white water lily (Nymphaea candida), exemplifying nature's resilience, thrives in the high-altitude terrains of Xinjiang, China, serving as an ideal model for investigating cold adaptation mechanisms in aquatic plants. This study meticulously elucidates the complex cold adaptation mechanisms of the white water lily through a comprehensive and integrated methodological approach. We discovered that the water lily undergoes ecodormancy in winter, retaining high cellular viability and growth potential. During overwintering, the white water lily demonstrates effective resource reallocation, a process facilitated by morphological adjustments, thereby strengthening its resistance to cold temperatures. This enhancement is achieved particularly through the compartmentalization of large vacuoles, the accumulation of osmoregulatory substances, and an increased antioxidant capacity. We established the first exhaustive full-length transcriptome for the white water lily. A subsequent comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome, phytohormones, and metabolome uncovered a multifaceted regulatory network orchestrating cold adaptation. Our research spotlights phytohormone signaling, amino acid metabolism, and circadian rhythms as key elements in the water lily's defense against cold. The results emphasize the critical role of nitrogen metabolism, especially amino acid-related pathways, during cold stress. Metabolite profiling revealed the importance of compounds like myo-inositol and L-proline in enhancing cold tolerance. Remarkably, our study demonstrates that the white water lily notably diminishes the utilization of unsaturated fatty acids in its temperature regulation strategies. In conclusion, this research substantially enriches our understanding of the white water lily's intricate cold adaptation mechanisms, offering new perspectives on the adaptive strategies of aquatic plants and potential applications in agricultural advancement.

Model informed precision medicine of Chinese herbal medicines formulas-A multi-scale mechanistic intelligent model.

Recent trends suggest that Chinese herbal medicine formulas (CHM formulas) are promising treatments for complex diseases. To characterize the precise syndromes, precise diseases and precise targets of the precise targets between complex diseases and CHM formulas, we developed an artificial intelligence-based quantitative predictive algorithm (DeepTCM). DeepTCM has gone through multilevel model calibration and validation against a comprehensive set of herb and disease data so that it accurately captures the complex cellular signaling, molecular and theoretical levels of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). As an example, our model simulated the optimal CHM formulas for the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) with depression, and through model sensitivity analysis, we calculated the balanced scoring of the formulas. Furthermore, we constructed a biological knowledge graph representing interactions by associating herb-target and gene-disease interactions. Finally, we experimentally confirmed the therapeutic effect and pharmacological mechanism of a novel model-predicted intervention in humans and mice. This novel multiscale model opened up a new avenue to combine "disease syndrome" and "macro micro" system modeling to facilitate translational research in CHM formulas.

Heterogeneous hydrochlorination of lipids mediated by fatty acids in an indoor environment.

Fatty acids from cooking fumes and hypochlorous acid (HOCl) released from indoor cleaning adversely affect respiratory health, but the molecular-level mechanism remains unclear. Here, the effect of cooking oil fumes [palmitic acid (PA), oleic acid (OA), and linoleic acid (LA)] on lung model phospholipid (POPG) hydrochlorination mediated by HOCl at the air-water interface of the hanged droplets was investigated. Interfacial hydrochlorination of POPG was impeded by OA and LA, while that of POPG was facilitated by PA. The effect on POPG hydrochlorination increased with the decrease in oil fume concentration. A potential mechanism with respect to the chain length of these oil fumes, regardless of their saturation, was proposed. PA with a short carbon chain looses the POPG packing and leads to the exposure of the C=C double bonds of POPG, whereas OA and LA with a long carbon chain hinder HOCl from reaching the C=C bonds of POPG. These results for short chain and low concentration dependence suggest that the decay of oil fumes or the conversion of short-chain species by indoor interfacial chemistry might be adverse to lung health. These results provide insights into the relationship between indoor multicomponent pollutants and the respiratory system.

Hispidin Increases Cell Apoptosis and Ferroptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells Through Phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase and Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Chemotherapy is mainly used in the clinical treatment of prostate cancer. Different anticancer mechanisms can induce cell death in various cancers. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play crucial roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and signal transduction. It is widely accepted that ROS accumulation is closely related to chemical drug-induced cancer cell death. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We utilized the MTT assay to detect changes in cell proliferation. Additionally, colony formation and wound healing assay were conducted to investigate the effect of hispidin on cell colony formation and migration ability. Fluorescence microscopy was used to detect intracellular and mitochondrial ROS levels, while western blot was used for detection of cell apoptosis. RESULTS: Hispidin treatment significantly decreased viability of PC3 and DU145 cancer cells but exhibited no cytotoxicity in WPMY-1 cells. Furthermore, hispidin treatment inhibited cell migration and colony formation and triggered cellular and mitochondrial ROS accumulation, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis. Moreover, hispidin treatment induced ferroptosis in PC3 cells. Scavenging of ROS with N-acetyl cysteine significantly inhibited hispidin-induced apoptosis by altering the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, such as cleaved caspase-3, 9, Bax, and Bcl2. Furthermore, hispidin treatment dramatically up-regulated MAPK (involving p38, ERK, and JNK proteins) and NF-kB signaling pathways while down-regulating AKT phosphorylation. Hispidin treatment also inhibited ferroptosis signaling pathways (involving P53, Nrf-2, and HO-1 proteins) in PC3 cells. In addition, inhibiting these signaling pathways via treatment with specific inhibitors significantly reversed hispidin-induced apoptosis, cellular ROS levels, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ferroptosis. CONCLUSION: Hispidin may represent a potential candidate for treating prostate cancer.

EDTA enables to alleviate impacts of metal ions on conjugative transfer of antibiotic resistance genes.

Various heavy metals are reported to be able to accelerate horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In real water environmental settings, ubiquitous complexing agents would affect the environmental behaviors of heavy metal ions due to the formation of metal-organic complexes. However, little is known whether the presence of complexing agents would change horizontal gene transfer due to heavy metal exposure. This study aimed to fill this gap by investigating the impacts of a typical complexing agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the conjugative transfer of plasmid-mediated ARGs induced by a range of heavy metal ions. At the environmentally relevant concentration (0.64 mg L-1) of metal ions, all the tested metal ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, Co2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Fe3+) promoted conjugative transfer of ARGs, while an inhibitory effect was observed at a relatively higher concentration (3.20 mg L-1). In contrast, EDTA (0.64 mg L-1) alleviated the effects of metal ions on ARGs conjugation transfer, evidenced by 11 %-66 % reduction in the conjugate transfer frequency. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations disclosed that this is attributed to the stronger binding of metal ions with the lipids in cell membranes. Under metal-EDTA exposure, gene expressions related to oxidative stress response, cell membrane permeability, intercellular contact, energy driving force, mobilization, and channels of plasmid transfer were suppressed compared with the metal ions exposure. This study offers insights into the alleviation mechanisms of complexing agents on ARGs transfer induced by free metal ions.

Continuous blood exchange in rats as a novel approach for experimental investigation.

Blood exchange therapy, specifically Whole blood exchange (WBE), is increasingly being utilized in clinical settings to effectively treat a range of diseases. Consequently, there is an urgent requirement to establish convenient and clinically applicable animal models that can facilitate the exploration of blood exchange therapy mechanisms. Our study conducted continuous WBE in rats through femoral and tail vein catheterization using dual-directional syringe pumps. To demonstrate the applicability of continuous WBE, drug-induced hemolytic anemia (DIHA) was induced through phenylhydrazine hydrochloride (PHZ) injection. Notability, the rats of DIHA + WBE group all survived and recovered within the subsequent period. After the implementation of continuous WBE therapy day (Day 1), the DIHA + WBE group exhibited a statistically significant increase in red blood cells (RBC) (P = 0.0343) and hemoglobin (HGB) levels (P = 0.0090) compared to DIHA group. The rats in the DIHA + WBE group exhibited a faster recovery rate compared to the DIHA group, indicating the successful establishment of a continuous blood exchange protocol. This experimental approach demonstrates not just promising efficacy in the treatment of DIHA and offers a valuable tool for investigating the underlying mechanisms of blood exchange. Furthermore, it has a great potential to the advancement of biomedical research such as drug delivery exploration.

Efficacy and safety of gemcitabine plus raltitrexed or S-1 versus standard third-line therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: After the failure of standard first- and second-line treatments, including oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combined with targeted drugs, the currently recommended third-line regimens for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) include TAS-102, regorafenib, and fruquintinib. However, these regimens have the drawbacks of mediocre efficacy, substantive side effects, and high cost. Therefore, more effective, economical regimens with fewer side effects are needed in clinical practice. In this study, we assessed the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine plus raltitrexed or S-1 as a third- or later-line treatment in comparison to those of standard third-line therapies for patients with mCRC. Methods: Patients with previous failures of at least two lines of standard therapy with oxaliplatin, 5-FU, irinotecan, or capecitabine combined with targeted drugs were included. The participants received standard third-line therapies (including TAS-102, regorafenib, and fruquintinib) or gemcitabine plus raltitrexed or S-1 until disease progression, death, or intolerable toxicity arose. Imaging follow-up was performed every 3 months during their treatment. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were recorded. Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the potential predictors of survival. Results: From April 2018 to October 2022, 60 patients with mCRC were enrolled in our study. The numbers of patients in the chemotherapy, fruquintinib, regorafenib, and TAS-102 groups were 13, 15, 17, and 15, respectively; the median OS of the four groups was 7.4, 6.1, 8.3, and 6.7 months (P=0.384), respectively; the median PFS was 4.1, 3.4, 4.4, and 2.3 months (P=0.656), respectively; the overall response rate was 7.69%, 6.67%, 0.00%, and 13.33%, respectively; and the disease control rate was 61.54%, 60.00%, 70.59%, and 60.00%, respectively. Additionally, multivariate analysis revealed that primary lesion located in the rectum was adverse independent prognostic factors for OS. A typical case is presented in this article. Conclusions: The gemcitabine plus raltitrexed or S-1 regimen is a potential regimen with tolerable adverse reactions and low cost for patients with mCRC.

Ozonolysis of phospholipids at the air-water interface intervened by polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are ubiquitous in the environment and even accumulate in the human body associated with their excellent stability and persistence. However, the effect and reaction mechanism at the molecular level on the cell phospholipid peroxidation remained unclear. In this work, the interfacial reaction of model phospholipids (POPG) intervened by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) at the air-water interface of a hanged droplet exposed to ozone (O3) was investigated. Perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates were evaluated. Four-carbon PFASs promoted interfacial ozonolysis, but PFASs with longer carbon skeletons impeded this chemistry. A model concerning POPG packing was proposed and it was concluded that the interfacial chemistry was mediated by chain length rather than their functional groups. Four-carbon PFASs could couple into POPG ozonolysis by mainly reacting with aldehyde products along with minor Criegee intermediates, but this was not observed for longer PFASs. This is different from that condensed-phase Criegee intermediates preferred to reacting with per-fluoroalkyl carboxylic acids. These results provide insight into the adverse health of PFASs on cell peroxidation.

Rational Design and Pharmacomodulation of 18F-Labeled Biotin/FAPI-Conjugated Heterodimers.

Due to the complex heterogeneity in different cancer types, the heterodimeric strategy has been intensively practiced to improve the effectiveness of tumor diagnostics. In this study, we developed a series of novel 18F-labeled biotin/FAPI-conjugated heterobivalent radioligands ([18F]AlF-NSFB, [18F]AlF-NSFBP2, and [18F]AlF-NSFBP4), synergistically targeting both fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and biotin receptor (BR), to enhance specific tumor uptake and retention. The in vitro and in vivo biological properties of these dual-targeting tracers were evaluated, with a particular focus on positron emission tomography imaging in A549 and HT1080-FAP tumor-bearing mice. Notably, in comparison to the corresponding FAP-targeted monomer [18F]AlF-NSF, biotin/FAPI-conjugated heterodimers exhibited a high uptake in tumor and prolong retention. In conclusion, as a proof-of-concept study, the findings validated the superiority of biotin/FAPI-conjugated heterodimers and the positive influence of biotin and linker on pharmacokinetics of radioligands. Within them, the bispecific [18F]AlF-NSFBP4 holds significant promise as a candidate for further clinical translational studies.

Oxygen Vacancy-Rich Bimetallic Au@Pt Core-Shell Nanosphere-Functionalized Electrospun ZnFe2O4 Nanofibers for Chemiresistive Breath Acetone Detection.

Sensitive and selective acetone detection is of great significance in the fields of environmental protection, industrial production, and individual health monitoring from exhaled breath. To achieve this goal, bimetallic Au@Pt core-shell nanospheres (BNSs) functionalized-electrospun ZnFe2O4 nanofibers (ZFO NFs) are prepared in this work. Compared to pure NFs-650 analogue, the ZFO NFs/BNSs-2 sensor exhibits a stronger mean response (3.32 vs 1.84), quicker response/recovery speeds (33 s/28 s vs 54 s/42 s), and lower operating temperature (188 vs 273 °C) toward 0.5 ppm acetone. Note that an experimental detection limit of 30 ppb is achieved, which ranks among the best cases reported thus far. Besides the demonstrated excellent repeatability, humidity-enhanced response, and long-term stability, the selectivity toward acetone is remarkably improved after BNSs functionalization. Through material characterizations and DFT calculations, all these improvements could be attributed to the boosted oxygen vacancies and abundant Schottky junctions between ZFO NFs and BNSs, and the synergistic catalytic effect of BNSs. This work offers an alternative strategy to realize selective subppm acetone under high-humidity conditions catering for the future requirements of noninvasive breath diabetes diagnosis in the field of individual healthcare.

Clinicopathologic analysis of nodal T-follicular helper cell lymphomas, a multicenter retrospective study from China.

Background: Nodal T-follicular helper cell lymphomas (nTFHLs) represent a new family of peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs), and comparative studies of their constituents are rare. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 10 patients with nTFHL-F and 30 patients with nTFHL-NOS diagnosed between December 2017 and October 2023 at six large comprehensive tertiary hospitals; 188 patients with nTFHL-AI were diagnosed during the same period at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University for comparison. Results: Compared with nTFHL-AI, nTFHL-NOS patients exhibited better clinical manifestations, lower TFH expression levels, and a lower Ki-67 index. However, no differences in clinicopathological features were observed between nTFHL-F and nTFHL-AI patients as well as nTFHL-NOS patients. According to the survival analysis, the median OS for patients with nTFHL-NOS, nTFHL-AI, and nTFHL-F were 14.2 months, 10 months, and 5 months, respectively, whereas the median TTP were 14 months, 5 months, and 3 months, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed differences in TTP among the three subtypes(P=0.0173). Among the population of patients receiving CHOP-like induction therapy, there were significant differences in the OS and TTP among the nTFHL-NOS, nTFHL-AI, and nTFHL-F patients (P=0.0134, P=0.0205). Both the GDPT and C-PET regimens significantly improved the ORR, OS, and PFS in nTFHL patients. Conclusion: There are significant differences in the clinical manifestations, pathology, and survival outcomes among the three subtypes of nTFHLs. However, further research with a larger sample size, and involving clinical pathology and molecular genetics is needed to determine the distinctive biological characteristics of these tumors.

[Research advances of mesenchymal stem cell in allergic rhinitis].

Allergic rhinitis is a chronic nasal mucosal inflammation characterized by upper airway hyperresponsiveness, involving a variety of immune cells and inflammatory mediators. Drugs, immunotherapy, and surgical operation are the principal treatments at present. The study found that mesenchymal stem cells have the ability of immune regulation and have a promising clinical application in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. In this review, the action mechanism of mesenchymal stem cells, the immunomodulatory effect of mesenchymal stem cells on the key cells of allergic rhinitis, and the challenges of clinical application are reviewed, to provide new directions for the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Global research trends and hotspots in patellofemoral pain syndrome from 2000 to 2023: a bibliometric and visualization study.

Background: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a prevalent condition in sports medicine, and as sports competitions become more popular, the incidence of sports injuries is on the rise. Despite the increasing research on PFPS, there remains a lack of bibliometric analyses on this topic. The aim of this study was to identify the research hotspots and trends in the field of PFPS by reviewing 23 years of literature in this field. Methods: By analyzing the literature on PFPS research from 2000 to 2023 in the core dataset of the Web of Science database and utilizing bibliometric tools like CiteSpace 6.1, VOSviewer 1.6.18, R-bibliometrix 4.6.1, Pajek 5.16, and Scimago Graphica 1.0.26, our aim was to gain insights into the current status and key areas of PFPS research. The study examined various aspects including the number of publications, countries, institutions, journals, authors, collaborative networks, keywords, and more. Through the visualization of relevant data, we also attempted to forecast future trends in the field. Results: There were 2,444 publications were included in this visualization study, published in 322 journals by 1,247 authors from 818 institutions in 67 countries. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy had the highest number of publications, with the USA leading in article count. La Trobe University contributed the most articles, while Rathleff MS and Barton CJ emerged as the most prolific authors. Hip and knee strength and core strength, lower extremity kinematics and biomechanics, females (runners), muscle activation, risk factors, gait retraining, clinical practice guidelines, and rehabilitation were research hotspot keywords. Conclusion: Current research suggests that there is still significant potential for the development of PFPS research. Key areas of focus include the clinical effectiveness of combined hip and knee strengthening to address PFPS, characterization of lower limb kinematics and biomechanics, gait retraining, risk factors, and clinical practice guidelines. Future research could explore the effectiveness of innovative exercise therapies such as blood flow restricting training, gait retraining, and neuromuscular control training for PFPS improvement. Further investigation into gait retraining for runners, particularly females, and clinical efficacy study of a novel PRP formulation for the treatment of PFPS.

What Elements Really Intercalate into Pd Lattice When Heated in Dimethylformamide?

Palladium hydrides (PdHx) are pivotal in both fundamental research and practical applications across a wide spectrum. PdHx nanocrystals, synthesized by heating in dimethylformamide (DMF), exhibit remarkable stability, granting them widespread applications in the field of electrocatalysis. However, this stability appears inconsistent with their metastable nature. The substantial challenges in characterizing nanoscale structures contribute to the limited understanding of this anomalous phenomenon. Here, through a series of well-conceived experimental designs and advanced characterization techniques, including aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-STEM), in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), we have uncovered evidence that indicates the presence of C and N within the lattice of Pd (PdCxNy), rather than H (PdHx). By combining theoretical calculations, we have thoroughly studied the potential configurations and thermodynamic stability of PdCxNy, demonstrating a 2.5:1 ratio of C to N infiltration into the Pd lattice. Furthermore, we successfully modulated the electronic structure of Pd nanocrystals through C and N doping, enhancing their catalytic activity in methanol oxidation reactions. This breakthrough provides a new perspective on the structure and composition of Pd-based nanocrystals infused with light elements, paving the way for the development of advanced catalytic materials in the future.

Subjective social status, health and well-being among older adults in China and South Korea: a cross-sectional analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Social status, which encompasses various psychosocial dimensions, such as income, education and social relationships, can have a significant impact on physical and mental health outcomes. The study aims to explore the association among subjective social status, health and well-being among individuals aged 55 years and older in China and South Korea. PARTICIPANTS: Sample population included individuals aged 55 years and older: China (n=1779) and South Korea (n=421). OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included self-reported health status and well-being which were assessed by life satisfaction and general happiness. RESULTS: The percentage of participants who reported a 'very good' health condition was higher in South Korea (14.5%) than in China (11.0%). The percentage of participants who reported feeling very satisfied (14.7%) with their life was lower in South Korea (11.8%). In China, 6.7% of the respondents reported their health as 'very bad' (rating 5), while in South Korea, this percentage was higher at 18.1%. Regression analysis revealed an inverse association among higher social status and poorer health, lower life satisfaction and lower happiness levels. For example, individuals who placed themselves in the highest social status category had 0.26 times lower odds (95% CI=0.13 to 0.55) of reporting poorer self-rated health status than those in the lowest category. Similarly, compared with individuals who place themselves in the lowest social status category, those who place themselves in the highest social status category have 0.03 times lower odds of reporting lower life satisfaction (95% CI=0.02 to 0.07). CONCLUSION: Overall, the results highlight a significant association among social status, subjective health, life satisfaction and general happiness in both the countries. Health policymakers should identify effective strategies to promote healthy ageing and reduce disparities in health and well-being outcomes among older adults from different social backgrounds.

Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742 augments morphophysiological responses, nutrient availability and photosynthetic efficacy of ornamental Ilex verticillata.

Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata [L.] A. Gray), a deciduous shrub producing glossy bright red berries, is a valuable ornamental and medicinal plant with good market prospects. However, the growth and development of I. verticillata are significantly affected by various stresses, and environmentally hazardous agrochemicals are often used to mitigate them. Trichoderma spp., ubiquitous soil-borne eco-friendly plant growth-promoting fungi, are potent biostimulants and biofertilizers and viable alternatives to agrochemicals for healthy and sustainable agriculture. In this study, the temporal efficacy of different dosages of the filamentous fungus Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742 in promoting morphophysiological responses of I. verticillata and the physicochemical properties and enzymatic activities of the substrate were investigated. Different concentrations of the strain T. guizhouense NJAU4742 spore suspension (C [0%], T1 [5%, v/m], T2 [10%, v/m] and T3 [15%, v/m]) were injected in the substrate contained in a pot in which 1-year-old I. verticillata was planted for temporal treatment (15, 45 and 75 days) under open-air conditions. The beneficial effects of T2 and/or T3 treatment for a long duration (75 days) were evident on the different root, aerial and photosynthetic traits; total contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in different tissues and the physicochemical properties of the substrate and its enzymatic activities (urease and invertase). Overall, the study revealed the potency of strain T. guizhouense NJAU4742 as a sustainable solution to improve the growth and development and ornamental value of I. verticillata.

Contact-Electro-Catalysis for Direct Oxidation of Methane under Ambient Conditions.

The conversion of methane under ambient conditions has attracted significant attention. Although advancements have been made using active oxygen species from photo- and electro- chemical processes, challenges such as complex catalyst design, costly oxidants, and unwanted byproducts remain. This study exploits the concept of contact-electro-catalysis, initiating chemical reactions through charge exchange at a solid-liquid interface, to report a novel process for directly converting methane under ambient conditions. Utilizing the electrification of commercially available Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) with water under ultrasound, we demonstrate how this interaction promote the activation of methane and oxygen molecules. Our results show that the yield of HCHO and CH3OH can reach 467.5 and 151.2 µmol ⋅ gcat -1, respectively. We utilized electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to confirm the evolution of hydroxyl radicals (⋅OH) and superoxide radicals (⋅OOH). Isotope mass spectrometry (MS) was employed to analyze the elemental origin of CH3OH, which can be further oxidized to HCHO. Additionally, we conducted density functional theory (DFT) simulations to assess the reaction energies of FEP with H2O, O2, and CH4 under these conditions. The implications of this methodology, with its potential applicability to a wider array of gas-phase catalytic reactions, underscore a significant advance in catalysis.

Spatiotemporal distribution, interactions and toxic effect of microorganisms and ARGs/MGEs from the bioreaction tank in hospital sewage treatment facility.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can be emitted from wastewater to ambient air and impose unignorable inhalable hazards, which could be exacerbated in antibiotic-concentrated hospital sewage. However, whether the ARG-carrying pathogens are more likely to infect cells remains largely unknown. Here, this study investigated and analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution, interaction, and toxicity of airborne microorganisms and their hosting ARGs in a hospital sewage treatment facility. The average concentration of ARGs/MGEs in sewage of bioreaction tank (BRT-W) was 2.27 × 104 gene copies/L. In the air of bioreaction tank (BRT-A), the average concentration of ARGs/MGEs was 15.86 gene copies/m3. In the four seasons, the ARGs concentration of sewage gradually decreased over time; The concentration of ARGs in the air first decreased and then increased. In spring, the concentration of ARGs/MGEs (qacedelta1-01) in BRT-W was highest (1.05 × 105 gene copies/L); The concentration of ARGs/MGEs (strB) in BRT-A in winter was higher than other seasons (26.18 gene copies/m3). Different from the past, this study also paid attention to the pathogenic potential of ARGs/MGEs in the air. The results of cell experiments showed that the cytotoxicity of drug-resistant Escherichia coli could reach Grade V. This suggested that the longer the drug-resistant E. coli were exposed to cells, the greater the cytotoxicity. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of bacteria increased with the increase in exposure time. In spring, the toxic effect of ARGs/MGEs in sewage of BRT-W was highest. Traceability analysis proved that BRT-W was an essential source of microorganisms and ARGs/MGEs in BRT-A. Furthermore, the combined risk of people exposed to the air of BRT in spring was higher than that in other seasons.