An integrated approach to prioritizing ecological restoration of abandoned mine lands based on cost-benefit analysis.

How to increase the usable land area by adhering to environmentally friendly ecological restoration of mines with limited funds is a challenge that many cities are currently facing. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can provide efficient and effective restoration decisions for abandoned mine land (AML) ecological restoration with limited financial resources. Thus, this study proposes an integrated approach for coupling ecological benefits and restoration costs, including hotspots/coldspots analysis based on five ecosystem services (ESs), landscape connectivity analysis based on graph theory model, hidden costs, and project implementation costs to prioritize AML restoration. The study was conducted on 54 abandoned mine lands (AMLs) in Chaoyang city, the ecological security barrier of China's northern sand prevention belt (NSPB). The comprehensive analysis prioritized the restoration of AMLs into four levels, of which 9 mines were in priority I, where restoration was recommended as a priority, and 22 mines were in priority II, where restoration could be carried out within the affordability of funds. In addition, our model indicates areas with high ecological benefits, in which the ecological source area (7423.66 km2) and the ecosystem service hotspots area (2028.44 km2) are mostly distributed in the southwestern part of Chaoyang city, the two mountain ranges of Songling mountain and Nuruerhu mountain. This study provides scientific spatial guidance to ensure that the AMLs realizes effective restoration and management.

Mn(iii)-mediated carbon-centered radicals generate an enhanced immunotherapeutic effect.

A strategy for designing cancer therapeutic nanovaccines based on immunogenic cell death (ICD)-inducing therapeutic modalities is particularly attractive for optimal therapeutic efficacy. In this work, a highly effective cancer therapeutic nanovaccine (denoted as MPL@ICC) based on immunogenic photodynamic therapy (PDT) was rationally designed and fabricated. MPL@ICC was composed of a nanovehicle of MnO2 modified with a host-guest complex using amino pillar[6]arene and lactose-pyridine, a prodrug of isoniazid (INH), and chlorine e6 (Ce6). The nanovaccine exhibited excellent biosafety, good targeting ability to hepatoma cells and enrichment at tumor sites. Most importantly, it could modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) to facilitate the existence of Mn(iii) and Mn(iii)-mediated carbon-centered radical generation with INH released from the prodrug in situ to further strengthen ICD. This is the first report on Mn(iii)-mediated generation of carbon-centered radicals for successful anti-tumor immunotherapy using ICD, which provides a novel strategy for designing highly efficient cancer therapeutic nanovaccines.

Screening and Optimization of Conditions for the Adsorption of Cd2+ in Serpentine by Using Response Surface Methodology.

In order to explore the optimal conditions for the adsorption of Cd2+ in serpentine, this paper studied the adsorption of simulated cadmium solutions with serpentine as an adsorbent. On the basis of a single factor experiment, four factors including the amount of serpentine, initial pH, the initial concentration of solutions, and adsorption time were selected as the influencing factors, and the adsorption quantity and adsorption rate of serpentine to Cd2+ were double response values using the Box-Behnken design. Response surface analyses were used to study the effects of four factors on the adsorption quantity and adsorption rate of serpentine on cadmium, and the interaction between various factors. The results showed that the optimum adsorption conditions were as follows: the amount of serpentine was 1%, the initial pH was 5.5, the initial solution concentration was 40.83 mg·L-1, and the adsorption time was 26.78 h. Under these conditions, the theoretical adsorption quantity and adsorption rate of serpentine to Cd2+ were 3.99 mg·g-1 and 95.24%, respectively. At the same time, after three repeated experiments, the actual adsorption quantity and adsorption rate of serpentine to Cd2+ were 3.91 mg·g-1 and 94.68%, respectively, and the theoretical value was similar to the actual value. Therefore, it was proved that the experimental design of the regression model is reliable, and it is feasible to use the response surface method to optimize the adsorption conditions of serpentine on Cd2+.

Effects of constructing farmland with large amounts of iron tailings as soil reconstruction materials on soil properties and crop growth.

With continuous population growth and farmland decrease, the food security is seriously threatened. Farmland reclamation has been used as a means of raising the agricultural productivity and improving the ecological environment. However, the lack of reclaimed soil represents a serious problem. To verify the feasibility and effect of using large amounts of iron tailings to construct farmland, ten treatments (T1-T10) were designed to represent different soil profiles of regional normal farmland and constructed profiles using iron tailings. All treatments involving an iron tailings layer below topsoil exhibited higher soil water contents. The field capacity under T3 (20-cm iron tailings layer below cinnamon soil (b)) was 19.20% higher than that under T7 (20-cm red clay layer below cinnamon soil (b)), and the field capacity under T5 (20-cm iron tailings layer below cinnamon soil (a)) was 2.26% higher than that under T9 (20-cm red clay layer below cinnamon soil (a)). The soil water contents under T3 and T5 were almost the same as those under T7 and T9, respectively. The water-holding capacity of the 30-cm iron tailings layer (T6) was better than that of the 20-cm iron tailings layer (T2). Additionally, none of the treatments caused salt injury to maize. The maize height and stem thickness under the treatments employing iron tailings layers below topsoil were significantly greater than those in normal farmland; the maize height and stem thickness under T3 were 136.82% and 32.02% greater, respectively, than those under T7, and the values under T5 were 9.13% and 9.56% greater, respectively, than those under T9. The maize yields matched or even surpassed those in normal farmland, namely, the maize yield under T5 was equal to that under T9, and the maize yield under T3 was 12.69% higher than that under T7. In general, the application of an iron tailings layer below topsoil to construct farmland is a feasible and environmentally friendly way to realize sustainable farmland utilization and is beneficial to soil quality and crop yield improvement. Collectively, these results provide insight into the efficient utilization of iron tailings and environmental protection.

A disulfide-induced supra-amphiphilic co-assembly for glycosylated pro-drug-photosensitizer nanoparticles in combination therapies.

A disulfide-induced supra-amphiphilic co-assembly strategy for hydrophobic drug co-delivery in combination therapies was proposed based on a disulfide bond containing hydrophobic pro-drug-photosensitizer (BG) and a hydrophilic/targeting dimer lactose molecule (Lac-SS-Lac). The anti-tumor efficiency was significantly enhanced by the combination therapies of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeted therapy and phototherapy in EGFR-positive and/or galectin overexpressed tumors.

Are Iron Tailings Suitable for Constructing the Soil Profile Configuration of Reclaimed Farmland? A Soil Quality Evaluation Based on Chronosequences.

Iron tailings used as soil substitute materials to construct reclaimed farmland soil can effectively realize the large-scale resource utilization of iron tailings and reduce environmental risks. It is vital to understand the mechanisms affecting reclaimed soil quality and determine the appropriate pattern for reclamation with iron tailings. Thus, a soil quality index (SQI) was developed to evaluate the soil quality of reclaimed farmland with iron tailings in a semi-arid region. Soil samples were collected from two reclamation measures (20 cm subsoil + 20 cm iron tailings + 30 cm topsoil and 20 cm subsoil + 20 cm iron tailings + 50 cm topsoil) with reclamation years of 3 (R3), 5 (R5), and 10 (R10) at three soil depths (0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm) to measure 13 soil physicochemical properties in western Liaoning, China. Adjacent normal farmland (NF) acted as a reference. Results indicated that iron tailings were suitable for constructing the soil profile configuration of reclaimed farmland. SQI of reclaimed soil increased with the reclamation year, but it has not reached the NF level after 3 years, while it was better than NF after 5 years. The nutrient content of reclaimed soil increased with the reclamation year, but it still did not reach the NF level after 10 years. SQI of R10 (with 50 cm topsoil) was also better than NF but slightly lower than R5 (with 30 cm topsoil). For the semi-arid region with sticky soil texture, the topsoil thickness of reclamation was not the thicker the better, and 30 cm topsoil covered on iron tailings in western Liaoning could achieve a better reclamation effect than 50 cm.

Morphology transformation of pillararene-based supramolecular nanostructures.

Supramolecular nanostructures (SNSs) have received significant attention in recent years since they endow specific and unique properties to materials. Pillararenes, as a novel group of macrocyclic molecules, present particular features such as ease of modification, more electron-rich cavity as well as captivating host-guest chemistry, thus bestowing them with the abilities to fabricate intriguing SNSs. This feature article highlights the construction methods of pillararene-based supramolecular nanostructures (PSNSs), where most of which are in aqueous media, and the factors that influence the morphological transformation of PSNSs. Moreover, the structure-function relationship of divergent PSNSs is clarified. Finally, the future challenges and perspectives for PSNSs are pointed out and discussed. We hope this review will benefit the researchers interested in engineering PSNSs with on demand morphologies and desired functions.

[Evaluation of AB-8 macroporous adsorption resin for adsorption of total flavones in liquorice].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of AB-8 macroporous adsorption resin for adsorption and desorption of flavones in liquorice. METHODS: The concentration of flavones in liquorice was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and the adsorption behavior of AB-8 macroporous adsorption resin to flavones in liquorice was examined for the adsorption capacity and the volume of solution loaded. RESULTS: Optimal adsorption of flavones was achieved with the sample pH of 5, total flavones concentration in the solution of 0.85 mg/ml, sample flow velocity of 3 BV/h, and washing with 60% ethanol at the flow velocity of 3 BV/h. CONCLUSION: AB-8 macroporous adsorption resin can be well applicable for enrichment of flavones in liquorice.