Part-set cuing effects in spatial memory: the role of interitem associations.

Part-set cuing facilitation and impairment effects are rarely found in spatial memory, which is a challenge to the theories of part-set cuing effects based on lexical stimulus. This study aims to investigate whether there part-set cuing facilitation and impairment effects are present in spatial memory by constructing two types of memory scenes with high and low degrees of interitem associations, achieved by manipulating the presentation of miniatures. This study examined the effects of different part-set cues on free recall, recognition, and reconstruction tasks. The results of two experiments revealed that matrix cues impaired the performance of three recall tasks in memory scenes with a high degree of interitem associations, and scene cues facilitated the reconstruction performance (Experiment 1). Conversely, in memory scenes with a low degree of interitem associations, the impairment effect of matrix cues was not observed in the three recall tasks, but scene cues still facilitated the reconstruction performance (Experiment 2). These findings supported the retrieval strategy disruption hypothesis, the two-mechanism and the multi-mechanism accounts, demonstrating the significance of interitem associations in spatial memory. Furthermore, the results provided direct evidence for the importance of the encoding-retrieval strategy matching principle in spatial memory tasks.

Metastable Supramolecular Assembly of Simple Monomers Enabled by Confinement: Towards Aqueous Phase Room Temperature Phosphorescence.

The application of supramolecular assembly (SA) with room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in aqueous phase has the potential to revolutionize numerous fields. However, using simple molecules with crystalline RTP to construct SA with aqueous phase RTP is hardly possible from the standpoint of forces. The reason lies in that the transition from crystal to SA involves a structure transformation from highly stable to more dynamic state, leading to increased non-radiative deactivation pathways and silent RTP signal. Here, with the benefit of the confinement from the layered double hydroxide (LDH), various simple molecules (benzene derivatives) can successfully form metastable SA with aqueous phase RTP. The maximum of RTP lifetime and efficiency can reach 654.87 ms and 5.02%, respectively. Mechanistic studies reveal the LDH energy trap can strengthen the intermolecular interaction, providing the prerequisite for the existence of metastable SA and appearance of aqueous phase RTP. The universality of this strategy will usher exploration into other multifunctional monomer, facilitating the development of SAs with aqueous phase RTP.

New records for the Helius Lepeletier & Serville fauna (Diptera, Limoniidae) of China.

Background: The genus Helius Lepeletier & Serville, 1828 is globally distributed with 232 species and subspecies, of which 25 have been known to occur in China. Amongst the Chinese Helius crane flies, 24 species are distributed in southern China. The species diversity of Helius in other Chinese regions may be severely underestimated due to a lack of investigation. Some investigations on crane flies in Inner Mongolia, China have been initiated by the authors together with other entomologists, with Helius being one of the key targets of attention. New information: Two Helius species, H. (Helius) flavus (Walker, 1856) and H. (H.) gracillimus Alexander, 1938, are added to the Chinese fauna. The two newly-recorded species also represent the first records of the crane fly tribe Elephantomyiini in Inner Mongolia. Re-descriptions and illustrations of the two newly-recorded species are presented.

High-Entropy Catalysis Accelerating Stepwise Sulfur Redox Reactions for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Catalysis is crucial to improve redox kinetics in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. However, conventional catalysts that consist of a single metal element are incapable of accelerating stepwise sulfur redox reactions which involve 16-electron transfer and multiple Li2Sn (n = 2-8) intermediate species. To enable fast kinetics of Li-S batteries, it is proposed to use high-entropy alloy (HEA) nanocatalysts, which are demonstrated effective to adsorb lithium polysulfides and accelerate their redox kinetics. The incorporation of multiple elements (Co, Ni, Fe, Pd, and V) within HEAs greatly enhances the catalytically active sites, which not only improves the rate capability, but also elevates the cycling stability of the assembled batteries. Consequently, HEA-catalyzed Li-S batteries achieve a high capacity up to 1364 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and experience only a slight capacity fading rate of 0.054% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 2 C, while the assembled pouch cell achieves a high specific capacity of 1192 mAh g-1. The superior performance of Li-S batteries demonstrates the effectiveness of the HEA catalysts with maximized synergistic effect for accelerating S conversion reactions, which opens a way to catalytically improving stepwise electrochemical conversion reactions.

A preliminary study of roxadustat in the treatment of aplastic anemia patients with inadequate erythroid responses.

Some aplastic anemia(AA) patients only have partial hematological responses after immunosuppressive therapy. Failure to achieve complete normalization of blood counts, particularly hemoglobin, will reduce their quality of life. This open-label pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of roxadustat in this setting. A total of 14 patients with AA who had inadequate erythroid response after immunosuppressive therapy were included in the study. The primary efficacy endpoint was hemoglobin response at week 8 after roxadustat treatment. The median duration of roxadustat therapy was 14 (4-30) weeks, with 12 patients receiving roxadustat for ≥ 8 weeks. At week 8, nine patients (9/14, 64.3%) had their hemoglobin rising for at least 15 g/L, with two patients (2/14, 14.3%) achieving normal hemoglobin levels. By the last follow-up, hemoglobin responses were observed in 10 patients (10/14, 71.4%), with 4 patients(4/14, 28.6%) having normal hemoglobin levels. Roxadustat was tapered or discontinued in four responded patients; one relapsed after 12 weeks of tapering, and three maintained their response. Four patients (4/14, 28.6%) experienced mild adverse effects during therapy. Roxadustat is safe and well tolerated by patients with AA. Treatment with the hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor improves hemoglobin levels in AA patients with inadequate erythroid responses.

Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for predicting parametrial invasion in cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the predictive efficacy of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in parametrial invasion (PMI) in cervical cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 83 cervical cancer patients (32 PMI-positive and 51 PMI-negative) retrospectively underwent pretreatment IVIM-DWI and DCE-MRI scans. IVIM-DWI parameters included apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), slow apparent diffusion coefficient (D), fast apparent diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f). DCE-MRI parameters included volume transfer constant (Ktrans), flux rate constant (Kep), and fractional extravascular extracellular space volume (Ve). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify independent variables associated with PMI. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to assess the predictive performance of significant parameters. RESULTS: Multivariable analysis revealed that the MRI parameters D (odds ratio [OR]: 7.05; 95% CI 1.78-27.88; P = 0.005), D* (OR 6.58; 95% CI 1.49-29.10; P = 0.01), f (OR 5.12; 95% CI 1.23-21.37; P = 0.03), Ktrans (OR 4.60; 95% CI 1.19-17.81; P = 0.03), and Kep (OR 4.90; 95% CI 1.25-19.18; P = 0.02) were independent predictors of PMI in cervical cancer patients. The combined parameter incorporating these parameters demonstrated the highest performance in predicting PMI, yielding an area under the curve of 0.906, sensitivity of 84.4%, and specificity of 86.3%. CONCLUSION: The proposed combined parameter exhibited favorable performance in identifying PMI in cervical cancer patients.

Effects of warming on rice production and metabolism process associated with greenhouse gas emissions.

Evaluating the impact of global warming on rice production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is critical for ensuring food security and mitigating the consequences of climate change. Nonetheless, the impacts of warming on crop production, GHG emissions, and microbial mechanisms in the single-cropping rice systems remain unclear. Here, a two-year field experiment was conducted to explore the effects of warming (increased by 2.7-3.0 °C on average) in the rice growing season on crop production and functional microorganisms associated with GHG emissions. Results showed that warming resulted in significant reduction (p < 0.01) in the aboveground biomass and grain yield as well as in grain weight, the number of spikelets per panicle, and the seed-setting rate. However, it caused a significant increase (p < 0.01) in the number of panicles by 15.6 % and 34.9 %, respectively. Furthermore, warming significantly increased (p < 0.01) seasonal methane (CH4) emissions but reduced nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, particularly in 2022.The relative abundance of genes associated with CH4 metabolism and nitrogen metabolism was increased by 40.7 % and 32.7 %, respectively, in response to warming. Moreover, warming had a positive impact on the abundance of genes related to CH4 production and oxidation processes but did not affect the denitrification processes associated with N2O production. These results showed that warming decreased rice yield and biomass in the single cropping rice system but increased CH4 emissions and global warming potential. Taken together, to address the increasing food demand of a growing population and mitigate the impacts of global warming, it is imperative to duce GHG emissions and enhance crop yields.

Ruthenium-Cobalt Solid-Solution Alloy Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photopromoted Thermocatalytic CO2 Hydrogenation to Methane.

Bimetallic alloy nanoparticles have garnered substantial attention for diverse catalytic applications owing to their abundant active sites and tunable electronic structures, whereas the synthesis of ultrafine alloy nanoparticles with atomic-level homogeneity for bulk-state immiscible couples remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we present the synthesis of RuxCo1-x solid-solution alloy nanoparticles (ca. 2 nm) across the entire composition range, for highly efficient, durable, and selective CO2 hydrogenation to CH4 under mild conditions. Notably, Ru0.88Co0.12/TiO2 and Ru0.74Co0.26/TiO2 catalysts, with 12 and 26 atom % of Ru being substituted by Co, exhibit enhanced catalytic activity compared with the monometallic Ru/TiO2 counterparts both in dark and under light irradiation. The comprehensive experimental investigations and density functional theory calculations unveil that the electronic state of Ru is subtly modulated owing to the intimate interaction between Ru and Co in the alloy nanoparticles, and this effect results in the decline in the CO2 conversion energy barrier, thus ultimately culminating in an elevated catalytic performance relative to monometallic Ru and Co catalysts. In the photopromoted thermocatalytic process, the photoinduced charge carriers and localized photothermal effect play a pivotal role in facilitating the chemical reaction process, which accounts for the further boosted CO2 methanation performance.

Ordered mesoporous carbon with binary CoFe atomic species for highly efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalysis.

The exploration of powerful, efficient and precious metal-free electrocatalysts for facilitating the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a crucial endeavor in the development and application of energy conversion and storage devices. Herein, we have rationally designed and synthesized bimetallic CoFe species consisting of CoFe nanoparticles and atomically dispersed dual atoms anchored on an ordered mesoporous carbon matrix (CoFe/NC) as highly efficient ORR electrocatalysts. The pyrolyzation temperature for CoFe/NC plays a vital role in regulating the morphology and composition of both the carbon matrix and CoFe species. The optimized CoFe/NC-750 exhibits a favorable ORR performance in 0.1 M KOH with a high half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.87 V vs. RHE, excellent tolerance to methanol and remarkable durability (no obvious decrease in E1/2 value after 3000 cycles), all of which are superior to the performance of commercial Pt/C. Experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the improved ORR performance of CoFe/NC-750 is mainly attributed to the electronic structure of atomically dispersed Fe active sites modulated by the surrounding CoFe alloys and Co single atoms, which accelerates the dissociation and reduction of intermediate OH* species and promotes the ORR process.

Atorvastatin causes developmental and behavioral toxicity in yellowstripe goby (Mugilogobius chulae) embryos/larvae via disrupting lipid metabolism and autophagy processes.

Atorvastatin (ATV) is one of the most commonly prescribed lipid-lowering drugs detected frequently in the environment due to its high use and low degradation rate. However, the toxic effects of residual ATV in the aquatic environment on non-target organisms and its toxic mechanisms are still largely unknown. In the present study, embryos of a native estuarine benthic fish, Mugilogobius chulae, were employed to investigate the developmental and behavioral toxic effects of ATV including environmentally relevant concentrations. The aim of this study was to provide a scientific basis for ecological risk assessment of ATV in the aquatic environment by investigating the changes of biological endpoints at multiple levels in M. chulae embryos/larvae. The results showed that ATV had significantly lethal and teratogenic effects on M. chulae embryos/larvae and caused abnormal changes in developmental parameters including hatch rate, body length, heart rate, and spontaneous movement. ATV exposure caused oxidative stress in M. chulae embryos/larvae subsequently inhibited autophagy and activated apoptosis, leading to abnormal developmental processes and behavioral changes in M. chulae embryos/larvae. The disruptions of lipid metabolism, autophagy, and apoptosis in M. chulae embryos/larvae caused by ATV exposure may pose a potential ecological risk at the population level.

Effects of the kinetic pattern of dietary glucose release on nitrogen utilization, the portal amino acid profile, and nutrient transporter expression in intestinal enterocytes in piglets.

BACKGROUND: Promoting the synchronization of glucose and amino acid release in the digestive tract of pigs could effectively improve dietary nitrogen utilization. The rational allocation of dietary starch sources and the exploration of appropriate dietary glucose release kinetics may promote the dynamic balance of dietary glucose and amino acid supplies. However, research on the effects of diets with different glucose release kinetic profiles on amino acid absorption and portal amino acid appearance in piglets is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the kinetic pattern of dietary glucose release on nitrogen utilization, the portal amino acid profile, and nutrient transporter expression in intestinal enterocytes in piglets. METHODS: Sixty-four barrows (15.00 ± 1.12 kg) were randomly allotted to 4 groups and fed diets formulated with starch from corn, corn/barley, corn/sorghum, or corn/cassava combinations (diets were coded A, B, C, or D respectively). Protein retention, the concentrations of portal amino acid and glucose, and the relative expression of amino acid and glucose transporter mRNAs were investigated. In vitro digestion was used to compare the dietary glucose release profiles. RESULTS: Four piglet diets with different glucose release kinetics were constructed by adjusting starch sources. The in vivo appearance dynamics of portal glucose were consistent with those of in vitro dietary glucose release kinetics. Total nitrogen excretion was reduced in the piglets in group B, while apparent nitrogen digestibility and nitrogen retention increased (P < 0.05). Regardless of the time (2 h or 4 h after morning feeding), the portal total free amino acids content and contents of some individual amino acids (Thr, Glu, Gly, Ala, and Ile) of the piglets in group B were significantly higher than those in groups A, C, and D (P < 0.05). Cluster analysis showed that different glucose release kinetic patterns resulted in different portal amino acid patterns in piglets, which decreased gradually with the extension of feeding time. The portal His/Phe, Pro/Glu, Leu/Val, Lys/Met, Tyr/Ile and Ala/Gly appeared higher similarity among the diet treatments. In the anterior jejunum, the glucose transporter SGLT1 was significantly positively correlated with the amino acid transporters B0AT1, EAAC1, and CAT1. CONCLUSIONS: Rational allocation of starch resources could regulate dietary glucose release kinetics. In the present study, group B (corn/barley) diet exhibited a better glucose release kinetic pattern than the other groups, which could affect the portal amino acid contents and patterns by regulating the expression of amino acid transporters in the small intestine, thereby promoting nitrogen deposition in the body, and improving the utilization efficiency of dietary nitrogen.

Interplay between Defects and Short-Range Disorder Manipulating the Oxygen Evolution Reaction on a Layered Double Hydroxide Electrocatalyst.

Improving the efficiency of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for advancing sustainable and environmentally friendly hydrogen energy. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have emerged as promising electrocatalysts for the OER. However, a thorough understanding of the impact of structural disorder and defects on the catalytic activity of LDHs remains limited. In this work, a series of NiAl-LDH models are systematically constructed, and their OER performance is rigorously screened through theoretical density functional theory. The acquired results unequivocally reveal that the energy increase induced by structural disorder is effectively counteracted at the defect surface, indicating the coexistence of defects and disorder. Notably, it is ascertained that the simultaneous presence of defects and disorder synergistically augments the catalytic activity of LDHs in the context of the OER. These theoretical findings offer valuable insights into the design of highly efficient OER catalysts while also shedding light on the efficacy of LDH electrocatalysts.

Alpha-fetoprotein predicts the treatment efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are commonly used in conjunction with chemotherapy to improve treatment outcomes for patients with gastric cancer. Since AFP could influence immunity by both inhibiting natural killer (NK) cells and regulating negatively the function of dendritic cells, we evaluated the influence of baseline serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels on the curative effect of ICIs in advanced gastric cancer (AGC) patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 158 AGC patients who underwent ICI treatment. The patients were divided into high and low groups based on the AFP threshold of 20 ng/ml. The efficacy of ICI treatment was assessed using objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The higher levels of baseline AFP were found to be associated with a decrease in the effectiveness of ICIs, as evidenced by a DCR of 50.0% in the group with high AFP levels compared to 87.7% in the group with low AFP levels (P < 0.001). Further analysis using Kaplan-Meier survival techniques indicated that a high AFP level was linked to shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.001) in AGC individuals receiving ICIs. After propensity score matching, a log rank test revealed that the high AFP group had a decrease in median PFS (P = 0.011) and median OS (P = 0.036) compared to the low AFP group. The high AFP levels also showed its association with shorter PFS and OS in the subgroup analysis of ICI plus chemotherapy patients. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline AFP levels may predict immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment efficacy in AGC patients.

CRKL dictates anti-PD-1 resistance by mediating tumor-associated neutrophil infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited by treatment resistance. However, the mechanisms underlying immunotherapy resistance remain elusive. We aimed to identify the role of CT10 regulator of kinase-like (CRKL) in resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy in HCC. METHODS: Gene expression in HCC specimens from 10 patients receiving anti-PD-1 therapy was identified by RNA-sequencing. A total of 404 HCC samples from tissue microarrays were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Transgenic mice (Alb-Cre/Trp53fl/fl) received hydrodynamic tail vein injections of a CRKL-overexpressing vector. Mass cytometry by time of flight was used to profile the proportion and status of different immune cell lineages in the mouse tumor tissues. RESULTS: CRKL was identified as a candidate anti-PD-1-resistance gene using a pooled genetic screen. CRKL overexpression nullifies anti-PD-1 treatment efficacy by mobilizing tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), which block the infiltration and function of CD8+ T cells. PD-L1+ TANs were found to be an essential subset of TANs that were regulated by CRKL expression and display an immunosuppressive phenotype. Mechanistically, CRKL inhibits APC (adenomatous polyposis coli)-mediated proteasomal degradation of ß-catenin by competitively decreasing Axin1 binding, and thus promotes VEGFα and CXCL1 expression. Using human HCC samples, we verified the positive correlations of CRKL/ß-catenin/VEGFα and CXCL1. Targeting CRKL using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing (CRKL knockout) or its downstream regulators effectively restored the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in an orthotopic mouse model and a patient-derived organotypic tumor spheroid model. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of the CRKL/ß-catenin/VEGFα and CXCL1 axis is a critical obstacle to successful anti-PD-1 therapy. Therefore, CRKL inhibitors combined with anti-PD-1 could be useful for the treatment of HCC. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: Here, we found that CRKL was overexpressed in anti-PD-1-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and that CRKL upregulation promotes anti-PD-1 resistance in HCC. We identified that upregulation of the CRKL/ß-catenin/VEGFα and CXCL1 axis contributes to anti-PD-1 tolerance by promoting infiltration of tumor-associated neutrophils. These findings support the strategy of bevacizumab-based immune checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy, and CRKL inhibitors combined with anti-PD-1 therapy may be developed for the treatment of HCC.

Satisfactory degradation of tetracycline by a pH-universal CoFe-LDH/MoS2 heterojunction catalyst in Fenton process.

Fenton or Fenton-like reactions have been widely used in various fields, including solar energy conversion to generate hydroxyl radicals, environmental remediation, biology, and life science. However, the slow Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle and narrow applicable pH range still present significant challenges. Here, a heterostructured CoFe-layered double hydroxide/MoS2 nanocomposite (CoFe-LDH/MoS2) was prepared via simple electrostatic interactions. The heterostructure establishes a robust interfacial contact, leading to an abundance of exposed Mo6+ sites. Consequently, the developed CoFe-LDH/MoS2+H2O2 system exhibited superior performance in the degradation of tetracycline (>85%) within 60 min across a wide pH range from acidic to basic. Moreover, the CoFe-LDH/MoS2 heterojunction catalysts exhibited exceptional resistance to common anions and efficiently degraded various organic pollutants. The mechanism study verified that the CoFe-LDH/MoS2 had high efficiency in producing 1O2 and ‧OH to degrade various organic pollutants. The present study will serve as a foundation for creating efficient catalyst systems for related environmental remediation.

The production of ultrahigh molecular weight xanthan gum from a Sphingomonas chassis capable of co-utilising glucose and xylose from corn straw.

Corn straw is an abundant and renewable alternative for microbial biopolymer production. In this paper, an engineered Sphingomonas sanxanigenens NXG-P916 capable of co-utilising glucose and xylose from corn straw total hydrolysate to produce xanthan gum was constructed. This strain was obtained by introducing the xanthan gum synthetic operon gum as a module into the genome of the constructed chassis strain NXdPE that could mass produce activated precursors of polysaccharide, and in which the transcriptional levels of gum genes were optimised by screening for a more appropriate promoter, P916 . As a result, strain NXG-P916 produced 9.48 ± 0.34 g of xanthan gum per kg of fermentation broth (g/kg) when glucose was used as a carbon source, which was 2.1 times improved over the original engineering strain NXdPE::gum. Furthermore, in batch fermentation, 12.72 ± 0.75 g/kg xanthan gum was produced from the corn straw total hydrolysate containing both glucose and xylose, and the producing xanthan gum showed an ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) of 6.04 × 107 Da, which was increased by 15.8 times. Therefore, the great potential of producing UHMW xanthan gum by Sphingomonas sanxanigenens was proved, and the chassis NXdPE has the prospect of becoming an attractive platform organism producing polysaccharides derived from biomass hydrolysates.

Cytotoxic metabolites from the mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. GXNU QG1a.

A new benzoquinone, guxiumasperone A (1), and a new diisoprenyl-cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids, biscognienyne M (2), along with four known diisoprenyl-cyclohexene analogues was isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus QG1a. Their structures were determined by extensive spectral analysis of 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI- MS, and X-ray crystallography. Compound 1 was deduced by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and the absolute configuration of 2 was further unequivocally elucidated by comparing the experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data with calculated ECD spectra. Compounds 1 and 2 showed significant cytotoxic activity against selected tumour cells. Particularly, compound 2 exhibited strong activity against A2780 cancer cells with an IC50 value of 6.8 µM.

Response of lipid metabolism, energy supply, and cell fate in yellowstripe goby (Mugilogobius chulae) exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations atorvastatin.

The usage of typical pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) such as cardiovascular and lipid-modulating drugs in clinical care accounts for the largest share of pharmaceutical consumption in most countries. Atorvastatin (ATV), one of the most commonly used lipid-lowering drugs, is frequently detected with lower concentrations in aquatic environments owing to its wide application, low removal, and degradation rates. However, the adverse effects of ATV on non-target aquatic organisms, especially the molecular mechanisms behind the toxic effects, still remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the potentially toxic effects of ATV exposure (including environmental concentrations) on yellowstripe goby (Mugilogobius chulae) and addressed the multi-dimensional responses. The results showed that ATV caused typical hepatotoxicity to M. chulae. ATV interfered with lipid metabolism by blocking fatty acid ß-oxidation and led to the over-consumption of lipids. Thus, the exposed organism was obliged to alter the energy supply patterns and substrates utilization pathways to keep the normal energy supply. In addition, the higher concentration of ATV exposure caused oxidative stress to the organism. Subsequently, M. chulae triggered the autophagy and apoptosis processes with the help of key stress-related transcriptional regulators FOXOs and Sestrins to degrade the damaged organelles and proteins to maintain intracellular homeostasis.

Facilitating mitigation of agricultural non-point source pollution and improving soil nutrient conditions: The role of low temperature co-pyrolysis biochar in nitrogen and phosphorus distribution.

The current study generated co-pyrolysis biochar by pyrolyzing rice straw and pig manure at 300 °C and subsequently applying it in a field. Co-pyrolysis biochar demonstrated superior efficiency in mitigating agricultural non-point source pollution compared to biochar derived from individual sources. Furthermore, it displayed notable capabilities in retaining and releasing nutrients, resulting in increased soil levels of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and organic matter during the maturation stage of rice. Moreover, co-pyrolysis biochar influences soil microbial communities, potentially impacting nutrient cycling. During the rice maturation stage, the soil treated with co-pyrolysis biochar exhibited significant increases in available nutrients and rice yield compared to the control (p < 0.05). These findings emphasize the potential of co-pyrolysis biochar for in-situ nutrient retention and enhanced soil nutrient utilization. To summarize, the co-pyrolysis of agricultural waste materials presents a promising approach to waste management, contributing to controlling non-point source pollution, improving soil fertility, and promoting crop production.

Toxic effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of naproxen exposure on Daphnia magna including antioxidant system, development, and reproduction.

Naproxen (NPX) is one of common non-prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which is widely detected in aquatic environments worldwide due to its high usage and low degradation. NPX exerts anti-inflammatory and analgesic pharmacological effects through the inhibition of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (PTGS), also known as cyclooxygenase (COX). Given its evolutionarily relatively conserved biological functions, the potential toxic effects of NPX on non-target aquatic organisms deserve more attention. However, the ecotoxicological studies of NPX mainly focused on its acute toxic effects under higher concentrations while the chronic toxic effects under realistic concentrations exposure, especially for the underlying molecular mechanisms still remain unclear. In the present study, Daphnia magna, being widely distributed in freshwater aquatic environments, was selected to investigate the toxic effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of NPX via determining the response of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway-mediated antioxidant system in acute exposure, as well as the changes in life-history traits, such as growth, reproduction, and behavior in chronic exposure. The results showed that the short-term exposure to NPX (24 h and 48 h) suppressed ptgs2 expression while activating Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway and its downstream antioxidant genes (ho-1, sod, cat and trxr). However, with prolonged exposure to 96 h, the opposite performance was observed, the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) indicated that D. magna suffered from severe oxidative stress. To maintain homeostasis, the exposed organism may trigger ferroptosis and apoptosis processes with the help of Silent mating type information regulation 2 homologs (SIRTs). The long-term chronic exposure to NPX (21 days) caused toxic effects on D. magna at the individual and population levels, including growth, reproduction and behavior, which may be closely related to the oxidative stress induced by the drug. The present study suggested that more attention should be paid to the ecological risk assessment of NSAIDs including NPX on aquatic non-target organisms.