Optimizing biochar addition strategies in combined processes: Comprehensive assessment of earthworm growth, lignocellulose degradation and vermicompost quality.

The sustainable management of agricultural waste is essential for curtailing environmental contamination. To address the shortcomings of single treatment methods, this study evaluated the feasibility of combining membrane-covered composting (MC) with vermicomposting. Based on this, the integrated effects of different biochar addition strategies on the combined process were investigated. The aim was to improve the efficiency of vermicomposting while eliminating the negative effects of biochar on earthworms. Addition of biochar before membrane-covered composting increased total earthworm biomass by 25.6 - 31.4 % and reproduction rate by 13.4 - 23.9 %. Specifically, the electrical conductivity (EC) (1061.0 - 1112.0 uS/cm) of the vermicompost was significantly reduced, while the total nutrient content (42.3 - 42.6 mg/g) and germination index (GI) (103.9 - 108.4 %) were maximized. Additionally, reductions in the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and volatile content were observed. Overall, combination process is a promising approach to improve the quality of vermicomposting. The study's results offer a novel perspective on the value-added treatment of agricultural waste.

Association between cathepsins and benign prostate diseases: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Objectives: The relationship between cathepsins and prostate cancer (PCa) has been reported. However, there is a lack of research on cathepsins and benign prostate diseases (BPDs). This study investigated the potential genetic link between cathepsins and BPDs through the utilization of Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to determine if a causal relationship exists. Methods: Publicly accessible summary statistics on BPDs were obtained from FinnGen Biobank. The data comprised 149,363 individuals, with 30,066 cases and 119,297 controls for BPH, and 123,057 individuals, with 3,760 cases and 119,297 controls for prostatitis. The IEU OpenGWAS provided the Genome-wide association data on ten cathepsins. To evaluate the causal relationship between BPDs and cathepsins, five distinct MR analyses were employed, with the primary method being the inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach. Additionally, sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity of the findings. Results: The examination of IVW MR findings showed that cathepsin O had a beneficial effect on BPH (IVW OR=0.94, 95% CI 0.89-0.98, P=0.0055), while cathepsin X posed a threat to prostatitis (IVW OR=1.08, 95% CI 1.00-1.16, P=0.047). Through reverse MR analysis, it was revealed that prostatitis had an adverse impact on cathepsin V (IVW OR=0.89, 95% CI 0.80-0.99, P=0.035), while no favorable association was observed between BPH and cathepsins. The results obtained from MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods were consistent with the findings of the IVW approach. Based on sensitivity analyses, heterogeneity, and horizontal pleiotropy are unlikely to distort the results. Conclusion: This study offers the initial evidence of a genetic causal link between cathepsins and BPDs. Our findings revealed that cathepsin O was beneficial in preventing BPH, whereas cathepsin X posed a potential threat to prostatitis. Additionally, prostatitis negatively affected cathepsin V level. These three cathepsins could be targets of diagnosis and treatment for BPDs, which need further research.

Biotransformation of Pb and As from sewage sludge and food waste by black soldier fly larvae: Migration mechanism of bacterial community and metalloregulatory protein scales.

The accumulation and transformation of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) during the digestion of sewage sludge (SS) by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) remain unclear. In this study, we used 16 s rRNA and metagenomic sequencing techniques to investigate the correlation between the microbial community, metalloregulatory proteins (MRPs), and Pb and As migration and transformation. During the 15-day test period, BSFL were able to absorb 34-48 % of Pb and 32-45 % of As into their body. Changes in bacterial community abundance, upregulation of MRPs, and redundancy analysis (RDA) results confirmed that ZntA, EfeO, CadC, ArsR, ArsB, ArsD, and ArsA play major roles in the adsorption and stabilization of Pb and As, which is mainly due to the high contribution rates of Lactobacillus (48-59 %) and Enterococcus (21-23 %). Owing to the redox reaction, the regulation of the MRPs, and the change in pH, the Pb and As in the BSFL residue were mainly the residual fraction (F4). The RDA results showed that Lactobacillus and L.koreensis could significantly (P < 0.01) reduce the reducible fraction (F2) and F4 of Pb, whereas Firmicutes and L.fermentum can significantly (P < 0.05) promote the transformation of As to F4, thus realizing the passivation Pb and As. This study contributes to the understanding of Pb and As in SS adsorbed by BSFL and provides important insights into the factors that arise during the BSFL-mediated migration of Pb and As.

Periprostatic Adipose Tissue: A New Perspective for Diagnosing and Treating Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common tumor of the male genitourinary system. It will eventually progress to fatal metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, for which treatment options are limited. Adipose tissues are distributed in various parts of the body. They have different morphological structures and functional characteristics and are associated with the development of various tumors. Periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) is the closest white visceral adipose tissue to the prostate and is part of the PCa tumor microenvironment. Studies have shown that PPAT is involved in PCa development, progression, invasion, and metastasis through the secretion of multiple active molecules. Factors such as obesity, diet, exercise, and organochlorine pesticides can affect the development of PCa indirectly or directly through PPAT. Based on the mechanism of PPAT's involvement in regulating PCa, this review summarized various diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for PCa with potential applications to assess the progression of patients' disease and improve clinical outcomes.

Addition of plantation waste to the bioconversion of pig manure by black soldier fly larvae: Effects on heavy metal content and bioavailability.

During the conversion of pig manure by black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), the accumulation and speciation changes of heavy metals (HMs) have adverse effects on the environment. In this study, corn straw, rice straw, bamboo chips (BC), wood chips, and rice husk char were added to a bioconversion system to study the accumulation, migration, speciation changes, and microbial correlations of HMs. The results indicated that the addition of BC was most beneficial for the accumulation of HMs (47-72 %) in the BSFL body. In the BC group, the accumulation effect of the BSFL body on zinc (Zn) and arsenic (As) was the most evident (72 and 71 %, respectively). The results of linear fitting (R2 > 0.90) and redundancy analysis (RDA; 90 %) indicated that the bacterium Bacillaceae (Bacillus) was beneficial for increasing the larval weight (LW) of BSFL, and a higher LW accumulated HMs. The addition of BC helped reduce the total amount (6-51 %) of available states (weak acid extraction and reducible states) in the BSFL residue. The RDA results indicated that bacteria (55-92 %) affected the transformation of HM speciation. For example, Zn and cadmium were mainly affected by Firmicutes, whereas copper and chromium were affected by Bacteroidetes. Proteobacteria and Pseudomonas formosensis affected the conversion of lead and As. This study provides important insights into the adsorption of HMs from pig manure by BSFL.

Emulsion-Directed Synthesis of Poly-Porphyrin Nanoparticles as Heterogeneous Photocatalysts for PET-RAFT Polymerization.

Heterogeneous photocatalysts have attracted extensive attention in photo-induced electron transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization due to their remarkable advantages such as easy preparation, tunable photoelectric properties, and recyclability. In this study, zinc (II) 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin (ZnTAPP)-based poly-porphyrin nanoparticles (PTAPP-Zn) are constructed by an emulsion-directed approach. It is investigated as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for PET-RAFT polymerization of various methacrylate monomers under visible light exposure, and the reactions show refined polymerization control with high monomer conversions. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the PTAPP-Zn nanoparticles with the larger pore size enhance photocatalytic activity in PET-RAFT polymerization. In addition, the capabilities of oxygen tolerance and temporal control are demonstrated and PTAPP-Zn particles can be easily recycled and reused without an obvious decrease in catalytic efficiency.

Effects of different fermentation synergistic chemical treatments on the performance of wheat straw as a nursery substrate.

Wheat straw is rich in organic matter and nutrients and has the potential to replace peat as the primary raw material in organic nurseries. Using straw as a peat substitute can also aid in reducing the CO2 emissions that result from peat mining. Furthermore, this can avoid resource wastage and eliminate the practice of burning wheat straw, thereby causing pollution. The conventional composting treatment has a long cycle and inability to control substrate properties in a targeted manner. Thus, this study analyzed the physicochemical properties, material science properties, and biological toxicity of straw substrate at the end of fermentation to achieve rapid and targeted regulations of the substrate's overall performance. Wheat straw treated with two types of fermentation (aerobic/anaerobic) and five chemical conditioners (1% CH3COOH, 1% H2SO4, 1% NaOH, 1% K2CO3, and H2O) under different temperature conditions was used. Adjusting the pH of straw substrate to acidic levels (4.47-6.51) reduced the organic matter consumption by 0.27-5.82% under anaerobic digestion than under aerobic composting. Meanwhile, aerobic composting retained more nitrogen (0.12-8.23 mg/g) than anaerobic digestion. The co-fermentation of wheat straw pretreated with 1% H2SO4 resulted in 14.18-46.12% hemicellulose degradation. Co-aerobic straw composting with H2SO4 and K2CO3 at 35 °C reduced the crystallinity of the straw substrate by 6.66 and 7.33%, respectively, as compared to other conditioning agents. CH3COOH lowered the electrical conductivity values of the straw substrate at the end of fermentation (2.33-3.49 mS/cm). Overall, the findings revealed that CH3COOH-cooperative aerobic composting pretreatment at 35 °C is a suitable replacement for the traditional composting process as a method of utilizing straw substrate.

Biorefining waste into nanobiotechnologies can revolutionize sustainable agriculture.

Modern agriculture has evolved technological innovations to sustain crop productivity. Recent advances in biorefinery technology use crop residue as feedstock, but this raises carbon sequestration concerns as biorefining utilizes carbon that would otherwise be returned to the soil, thus causing a decline in crop productivity. Furthermore, biorefining generates abundant lignin waste that significantly impedes the efficiency of biorefineries. Valorizing lignin into advanced nanobiotechnologies for agriculture provides a unique opportunity to balance bioeconomy and soil carbon sequestration. Integration of agricultural practices such as utilization of agrochemicals, fertilizers, soil modifiers, and mulching with lignin nanobiotechnologies promotes crop productivity and also enables advanced manufacturing of high-value bioproducts from lignin. Lignin nanobiotechnologies thus represent state-of-the-art innovations to transform both the bioeconomy and sustainable agriculture.

RAFT Polymerization of Semifluorinated Monomers Mediated by a NIR Fluorinated Photocatalyst.

Near-infrared (NIR) light plays an increasingly important role in the field of photoinduced electron/energy transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization due to its unique properties. Yet, the NIR photocatalyst with good stability for PET-RAFT polymerization remains promising. Here, a strategy of NIR PET-RAFT polymerization of semifluorinated monomers using fluorophenyl bacteriochlorin as a photocatalyst with strong absorption at the NIR light region (710-780 nm) is reported. In which, the F atoms are used to modify reduced tetraphenylporphyrin structure with enhanced photostability of photocatalyst. Under the irradiation of NIR light (λmax = 740 nm), the PET-RAFT polymerization of semifluorinated methylacrylic monomers presents living/control characteristics and temporal modulation. By the PET-RAFT polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) strategy, stable fluorine-containing micelles are constructed in various solvents. In addition, the fluorinated hydrophobic surface is fabricated via a surface-initiated PET-RAFT (SI-PET-RAFT) polymerization using silicon wafer bearing RAFT agents with tunable surface hydrophobicity. This strategy not only enlightens the application of further modified compounds based on porphyrin structure in photopolymerization, but also shows promising potential for the construction of well-defined functional fluoropolymers.

A carboxylatopillar[5]arene-based pH-triggering supramolecular photosensitizer for enhanced photodynamic antibacterial efficacy.

A pH-triggering supramolecular antibacterial photosensitizer was constructed by host-guest interaction between a water-soluble porphyrin photosensitizer and carboxylatopillar[5]arene (P[5]). The formation of the supramolecular complex not only improves the biocompatibility of the photosensitizer, but also enhances antibacterial efficacy by pH-triggering dissociation under the low pH bacterial microenvironment.

Pillar[5]arene-Based Acid-Triggered Supramolecular Porphyrin Photosensitizer for Combating Bacterial Infections and Biofilm Dispersion.

The treatment of pathogenic bacterial infection has long been the most serious threat to human life and attracted widespread attention. Herein, a supramolecular photosensitizer platform based on carboxylatopillar[5]arene (CP5) and tetrafluorophenyl porphyrin functionalized with a quaternary ammonium group (TFPP-QA) for combating bacteria and dispersing biofilm via photodynamic treatment is constructed. By introducing the host macrocycle CP5 and host-guest interaction, the supramolecular photosensitizer has great biocompatibility and acid responsiveness. On the one hand, the acid-triggered dissociation of TFPP-QA/CP5 could induce the porphyrin photosensitizer to target bacterial cells and disrupt the charge balance of bacterial membranes, enhance the permeability of the bacterial membrane. On the other hand, the TFPP-QA/CP5 antibacterial platform possesses superb reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation capability under light irradiation, leading to enhanced photodynamic antibacterial efficacy. The in vitro and in vivo studies show that the supramolecular photosensitizers exhibit high antibacterial efficiency and biofilm dissipation effect under 660 nm light irradiation. Therefore, it is anticipated that the rational design and integration of photosensitizers and quaternary ammonium compounds through the supramolecular strategy would provide a promising prospect for clinical photodynamic antimicrobial therapy.

A pH/H2O2 dual triggered nanoplatform for enhanced photodynamic antibacterial efficiency.

Bacterial infection and biofilms cause non-healing chronic wounds and threaten human health. Although antibiotics still play an irreplaceable role to treat infectious diseases in clinics, increasing attention has been paid to the problem of multidrug resistance (MDR). As a novel strategy to deal with bacterial infection, photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (PDAT) has shown promising potential to reduce bacterial infection, and stimuli-responsive nanomaterials have been shown to enhance the antibacterial efficiency and postpone the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. In this work, we developed a bacterial microenvironment-responsive nanoplatform to eliminate bacteria and bacterial biofilms under 650 nm laser irradiation. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization was applied to synthesize an H2O2 responsive block copolymer of POEGMA-b-PBMA, and the antibacterial drug of porphyrin TAPP was loaded to form nanoparticles (PT) by a co-assembled approach. At the infection area with overexpressed peroxide, nanoparticles were disintegrated due to the cleaved boronic ester leading to the release of TAPP. Furthermore, the released TAPP became protonated in the acidic infection area (pH = 5.5) and then enhanced its photodynamic antibacterial efficacy by producing higher singlet oxygen (1O2) levels under light irradiation. Both in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial and biofilm elimination experiments demonstrated that the responsive nanoplatform combined with PDAT has tremendous potential for the treatment of infections.

Characteristics and mechanisms of phosphorous adsorption by rape straw-derived biochar functionalized with calcium from eggshell.

Biochar modified with calcium source is acted as an effective adsorbent for phosphorous recovery. In this research, eggshell is used as a low-cost and environmentally friendly calcium source to replace chemical reagents such as CaCO3, Ca(OH)2 and CaCl2 used in the modified biochar production. Biochar derived from rape straw and modified with eggshell shows prominent phosphorous adsorption performance (e.g., equilibrium adsorption amount, 109.7 mg/g). The kinetic and isotherm analysis demonstrate that chemical adsorption process is performed as the main controlled step for the modified biochar adsorption, and the phosphate adsorption process is composed of both monolayer adsorption and multi-layer adsorption. Moreover, it is found from the physicochemical structures comparison before and after phosphate adsorption that Ca-P precipitation, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction are identified as main adsorption mechanisms. In addition, the adsorbed phosphates are mainly distributed inside the space with pore sizes of 15-50 nm.

Inhibiting Radiative Transition-Mediated Multifunctional Polymeric Nanoplatforms for Highly Efficient Tumor Phototherapeutics.

It is highly desired to explore ideal phototherapeutic nanoplatforms, especially containing satisfactory phototherapeutic agents (PTAs), for potential cancer therapies. Herein, we proposed an effective strategy for designing a highly efficient PTA through inhibiting radiative transition (IRT). Specifically, we developed an ultralow radiative BODIPY derivative (TPA-IBDP) by simply conjugating two triphenylamine units to iodine-substituted BODIPY, which could simultaneously facilitate the nonradiative decay channels of singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing and intramolecular charge transfer. In comparison to the normal BODIPY compound, TPA-IBDP exhibited an outstanding singlet oxygen yield (31.8-fold) and a higher photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE; over 3-fold), respectively, benefiting from the extended π-conjugated donor-to-accepter (D-A) structure and the heavy atom effect. For tumor phototherapy using TPA-IBDP, TPA-IBDP was conjugated with a H2O2-responsive amphiphilic copolymer POEGMA10-b-[PBMA5-co-(PS-N3)2] to construct a multifunctional phototherapeutic BODIPY-based nanoplatform (PB). PB produced abundant singlet oxygen (1O2) and heat along with negligible fluorescence emission under near-infrared laser irradiation. Additionally, PB could generate a GSH-depletion scavenger (quinone methide, QM) after reacting with the abundant intracellular H2O2 in tumor for the cooperative enhancement of IRT-mediated phototherapy. We envision that this highly efficient multifunctional phototherapeutic nanoplatform cooperated by GSH-depletion could be a valuable paradigm for tumor treatments.

Single-wavelength phototheranostics for colon cancer via the thiolytic reaction.

It's a huge challenge to develop effective nanosystems that combine the capabilities of diagnoses and therapies together for colon cancer in the clinic. Herein, we constructed a far-red absorbing phototheranostic nanosystem (FR-H2S) based on the thiolytic reaction of a dinitrophenyl modified phototheranostic prodrug and over-expressed H2S in colon cancer sites for precise imaging-guided phototherapy. FR-H2S with a BODIPY core not only could work as an imaging probe for diagnosis but also act as a phototherapeutic agent for cancer treatment under a single FR laser source (650 nm). FR-H2S exhibited a gradually enhanced fluorescence emission for precise diagnosis of H2S-rich colon tumor sites. After entering tumor cells, FR-H2S could generate abundant 1O2 and heat for phototherapies timely by using the same laser source (650 nm). We believe that this precise imaging-guided phototheranostic nanosystem could provide a promising approach to colon cancer with minimal damage.

Linear Alternating Supramolecular Photosensitizer for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy.

Supramolecular polymers with facile and versatile architectures via noncovalent connection present great potential in biological fields. Herein, a linear alternating supramolecular polymer is constructed via host-guest inclusion interaction between cyclodextrin dimer (CD2) and bifunctional adamantane-conjugated porphyrin (TPP-Ad2). The supramolecular alternating structure of CD/TPP could not only suppress the aggregation of PSs to improve the photophysical properties because of the steric hindrance but also enhance the water solubility of PSs induced from cyclodextrin moieties. The nanoplatform obtained by this linear alternating supramolecular polymer (TPP-Ad2/CD2) presents significantly enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy, providing a promising path for PDT.

Enhanced photodynamic therapy based on an amphiphilic branched copolymer with pendant vinyl groups for simultaneous GSH depletion and Ce6 release.

Photodynamic therapy would suffer from low efficiency in the cancer treatment process if the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from a photosensitizer (PS) were reduced by intracellular glutathione (GSH). To overcome this limitation, in this work, we developed an amphiphilic branched copolymer with pendant vinyl groups, and it self-assembled with chlorin e6 (Ce6) into nanoparticles to fabricate a GSH-reaction response drug delivery system. The vinyl groups in the hydrophobic core of the nanoparticles were reacted with GSH by a "thio-ene" click reaction to release Ce6; simultaneously, the level of GSH decreased for enhanced PDT. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that remarkable PDT efficacy for the nanosystem can be achieved.

Sustained protein therapeutics enabled by self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels for non-invasive bone regeneration.

Bone tissue engineering based on stem cells, growth factors and bioactive scaffolds presents an appealing but challenging approach for rehabilitation of patients with bone defects. A versatile system with the capability for easy operation and precise protein delivery in specific locations is attractive for enhancing bone regeneration. Here, we develop a non-invasive delivery system based on injectable and self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels for sustained protein release, which has the potential to improve the current orthopedic strategy. Specifically, LAPONITE® (LAP) nanoplatelets are able to accelerate the gelation process through hydrogen bonds with polysaccharide matrices, endowing hydrogels with superior mechanical and rheological behaviors, along with better injectability and self-healing ability. Attractively, the strong static binding between LAP nanoplatelets and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) can form stable LAP@BMP-2 complexes. The results indicate that the complexes effectively preserve the intrinsic bioactivity of BMP-2 and prolong the release period for more than four weeks. Moreover, hydrogels incorporating with the LAP@BMP-2 complexes synergistically boost cell spreading, proliferation activity and osteogenesis, both in vitro and in vivo, compared with LAP or BMP-2 alone. Overall, this study proposes a valid platform for protein therapeutics and non-invasive bone repair.