Causal association between peripheral immune cells and IgA nephropathy: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The relationship between peripheral immune cells and immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is widely known; however, causal evidence of this link is lacking. Here, we aimed to determine the causal effect of peripheral immune cells, specifically total white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, and neutrophils, as well as lymphocyte subset traits, on the IgAN risk using a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods: The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used for the primary analysis. We applied three complementary methods, including the weighted median, MR-Egger regression, and MR-PRESSO, to detect and correct for the effect of horizontal pleiotropy. Additionally, we performed a multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis, adjusting for the effects of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The roles of specific lymphocyte subtypes and their significance have garnered interest. Bidirectional two-sample MR analysis was performed to test the potential causal relationships between immune traits, including median fluorescence intensities (MFIs) and the relative cell count (AC), and IgAN. Results: The IVW-MR analysis suggested a potential causal relationship between lymphocyte counts and IgAN in Europe (OR per 1-SD increase: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.08-1.88, P = 0.0123). The risk effect of lymphocytes remained even after adjusting for CRP levels using the MVMR method (OR per 1-SD increase: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.05-1.96, P = 0.0210). The other sensitivity analyses showed a consistent trend. The largest GWAS published to date was used for peripheral blood immunophenotyping to explore the potential causal relationship between peripheral immune cell subsets and IgAN. Six AC-IgAN and 14 MFI-IgAN pairs that reached statistical significance (P < 0.05) were detected. Notably, CD3, expressed in eight subsets of T cells, consistently showed a positive correlation with IgAN. The bidirectional MR analysis did not reveal any evidence of reverse causality. According to the sensitivity analysis, horizontal pleiotropy was unlikely to distort the causal estimates. Conclusions: Genetically determined high lymphocyte counts were associated with IgAN, supporting that high lymphocyte counts is causal risk factor for IgAN.

CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cells are essential in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Human tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells play a crucial role in protecting the body from infections and cancers. Recent research observed increased numbers of TRM cells in the lung tissues of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient. However, the functional consequences of TRM cells in pulmonary fibrosis remain unclear. Here, we found that the numbers of TRM cells, especially the CD8+ subset, were increased in the mouse lung with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Increasing or decreasing CD8+ TRM cells in mouse lungs accordingly altered the severity of fibrosis. In addition, adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells containing a large number of CD8+ TRM cells from fibrotic lungs was sufficient to induce pulmonary fibrosis in control mice. Treatment with CCL18 to induced CD8+ TRM cell expansion and exacerbated fibrosis, while blocking CCR8 prevented CD8+ TRM recruitment and inhibited pulmonary fibrosis. In conclusion, CD8+ TRM cells are essential for bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and targeting CCL18/CCR8/CD8+ TRM cells may be a potential therapeutic approach.

Micronuclear battery based on a coalescent energy transducer.

Micronuclear batteries harness energy from the radioactive decay of radioisotopes to generate electricity on a small scale, typically in the nanowatt or microwatt range1,2. Contrary to chemical batteries, the longevity of a micronuclear battery is tied to the half-life of the used radioisotope, enabling operational lifetimes that can span several decades3. Furthermore, the radioactive decay remains unaffected by environmental factors such as temperature, pressure and magnetic fields, making the micronuclear battery an enduring and reliable power source in scenarios in which conventional batteries prove impractical or challenging to replace4. Common radioisotopes of americium (241Am and 243Am) are α-decay emitters with half-lives longer than hundreds of years. Severe self-adsorption in traditional architectures of micronuclear batteries impedes high-efficiency α-decay energy conversion, making the development of α-radioisotope micronuclear batteries challenging5,6. Here we propose a micronuclear battery architecture that includes a coalescent energy transducer by incorporating 243Am into a luminescent lanthanide coordination polymer. This couples radioisotopes with energy transducers at the molecular level, resulting in an 8,000-fold enhancement in energy conversion efficiency from α decay energy to sustained autoluminescence compared with that of conventional architectures. When implemented in conjunction with a photovoltaic cell that translates autoluminescence into electricity, a new type of radiophotovoltaic micronuclear battery with a total power conversion efficiency of 0.889% and a power per activity of 139 microwatts per curie (µW Ci-1) is obtained.

Dual-Site Molecular Dipole Enables Tunable Interfacial Field Toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

The interfacial management in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), including mitigating the carrier transport barrier and suppressing non-radiative recombination, still remains a significant challenge for efficiency and stability enhancement. Herein, by screening a family of fluorine (F) terminated dual-site organic dipole molecules, the study aims to gain insight into the molecular dipole array toward tunable interfacial field. Both experimental and theoretical results reveal that these functional interfacial dipole molecules can effectively anchor on perovskite surface through Lewis acid-base interaction. In addition, the tailored side-chain with terminated F atoms allows for altering and constructing a well matched perovskite/Spiro-OMeTAD interfacial contact. As a result, the inserting dual-site organic dipole array effectively modulates the interface to deliver a gradient energy level alignment, facilitating carrier extraction and transport. The optimal dual-site dipole trifluoro-methanesulfonamide mediated N-i-P PSCs achieve the highest efficiency of 25.47%, together with enhanced operational stability under 1000 h of the simulated 1-sun illumination exposure. These findings are believed to provide insight into the design of dual-site molecular dipole with sufficient interfacial tunability for perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.

New insights into the function and mechanisms of piRNA PMLCPIR in promoting PM2.5-induced lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Extensive studies have established the correlation between long-term PM2.5 exposure and lung cancer, yet the mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood. PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a novel category of small non-coding RNAs, serve important roles in various diseases. However, their biological function and mechanism in PM2.5-induced lung cancer have not been thoroughly investigated. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the oncogenic role of piRNA in lung cancer induced by PM2.5 exposure, as well as the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: We conducted a PM2.5-induced human lung epithelial cell malignant transformation model. Human samples were used to further verify the finding. In vitro proliferation, migration, and invasion assays were performed to study the function of piRNA. RNA-sequencing was used to elucidate the the mechanisms of how piRNA mediates cell functions. PiRNA pull-down and computational docking analysis were conducted to identify proteins that binding to piRNA. In vivo experiments were used to explore whether inhibition of PMLCPIR could have a therapeutic effect on lung cancer. RESULTS: We identified a new up-regulated piRNA, termed PM2.5-induced lung cancer up-regulation piRNA (PMLCPIR), which promotes the proliferation of PM2.5-transformed cells and lung cancer cells. RNA sequencing revealed ITGB1 as a downstream target of PMLCPIR. Importantly, PMLCPIR binds to nucleolin (NCL) and increases the expression of its target gene, ITGB1, thereby activating PI3K/AKT signaling. The inhibition of PMLCPIR could promote apoptosis in lung cancer cells and enhance their chemosensitivity to anti-tumor drugs. CONCLUSION: We systematically identified the alterations of piRNA expression profiles in the PM2.5-induced malignant transformation model. Then, PMLCPIR was recognized as a novel oncogenic piRNA in PM2.5-induced lung cancer. Mechanically, PMLCPIR binds to NCL, enhancing ITGB1 expression and activating the ontogenetic PI3K/AKT signaling, potentially contributing to lung cancer progression. This study provides novel insights into the revelation of a new epigenetic regulator in PM2.5-induced lung cancer.

Size-resolved gas-particle partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a large temperature range of 50 ℃.

Size-resolved gas-particle partitioning of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) can affect their environmental behaviors and health effects, which has not been widely studied in comparing with the gas-total suspended particle partitioning. Herein, the size-resolved gas-particle partitioning quotient (KPi) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a large temperature range (-20.6 â„ƒ ∼ 29.4 â„ƒ) was firstly comprehensively studied. The log KPi values of PAHs related to fine particles were significantly higher than those related to coarse particles. When the logarithm of subcooled liquid-vapor pressure (log PL0) ∈ [-7, -1), the regression slopes of log KPi vs log PL0 related to the particle size > 1.0 µm were shallower than those with the particle size range of 0.10-1.0 µm, which indicated the influence of particle size on KPi. Among the three previous prediction equations of gas-particle partitioning quotient, the empirical equation based on the ambient temperature matched better with the measured log KPi. Therefore, a new prediction equation including ambient temperature and particle size as the two major parameters was established. For most particle size ranges, the new equation showed better prediction performance than the three previous equations. In summary, this study provided new insights for the size-resolved gas-particle partitioning mechanism and quotient.

[Correlation of environment temperature with the incidence of testicular torsion].

Objective： To explore the influence of environment temperature on the incidence of testicular torsion. METHODS: We collected the clinical data on 172 cases of testicular torsion diagnosed in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from December 2013 to December 2020. According to the local environment temperature on the day of onset, we divided the patients into groups A (below 0℃), B (0－10℃), C (10－20℃) and D (above 20℃), and compared the incidence rates of testicular torsion among the four groups, followed by correlation analysis. RESULTS: The incidence rate of testicular torsion was 12.8% (n = 22) in group A, 35.5% (n = 61) in B, 34.9% (n = 60) in C and 16.9% (n = 29) in D, the highest at 0－10℃ in group B, with statistically significant difference among the four groups (χ2 = 29.07, P <0.001). Spearman correlation analysis indicated that the incidence of testicular torsion was negatively correlated with the environment temperature (r = －0.261, P <0.01), with no statistically significant difference among different seasons (χ2 = 5.349, P >0.05), but higher in autumn and winter than in the other two seasons. CONCLUSION: The incidence of testicular torsion is negatively correlated with the environment temperature, elevated when the temperature decreases, but has no statistically significant difference among different seasons, though relatively higher in autumn and winter.

Assessment of the Efficacy of the Antihistamine Drug Rupatadine Used Alone or in Combination against Mycobacteria.

The emergence of drug-resistant mycobacteria has rendered many clinical drugs and regimens ineffective, imposing significant economic and healthcare burden on individuals and society. Repurposing drugs intended for treating other diseases is a time-saving, cost-effective, and efficient approach for identifying excellent antimycobacterial candidates or lead compounds. This study is the first to demonstrate that rupatadine (RTD), a drug used to treat allergic rhinitis, possesses excellent activity against mycobacteria without detectable resistance, particularly Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium marinum, with a minimal inhibitory concentration as low as 3.13 µg/mL. Furthermore, RTD exhibited moderate activity against nonreplicating M. tuberculosis with minimal inhibitory concentrations lower than drugs targeting the cell wall, suggesting that RTD has great potential to be modified and used for the treatment of nonreplicating M. tuberculosis. Additionally, RTD exhibits partial synergistic effects when combined with clofazimine, pretomanid, and TB47 against M. tuberculosis, providing the theoretical foundation for the development of treatment regimens. Transcriptomic profiling leads us to speculate that eight essential genes may be the targets of RTD or may be closely associated with mycobacterial resistance to RTD. In summary, RTD may be a promising hit for further antimycobacterial drug or regimen optimization, especially in the case of nonreplicating mycobacteria.

piR-27222 mediates PM2.5-induced lung cancer by resisting cell PANoptosis through the WTAP/m6A axis.

PM2.5 pollution has been associated with the incidence of lung cancer, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), initially identified in germline cells, have emerged as a novel class of small non-coding RNAs (26 - 32 nucleotides) with diverse functions in various diseases, including cancer. However, the role and mechanism of piRNAs in the development of PM2.5-induced lung cancer remain to be clarified. In the presented study, we used a PM2.5-induced malignant transformation cell model to analyze the change of piRNA profiles. Among the disturbed piRNAs, piR-27222 was identified as an oncogene that inhibited cell death in a m6A-dependent manner. Mechanistically, we found that piR-27222 could deubiquitinate and stabilize eIF4B by directly binding to eIF4B and reducing its interaction with PARK2. The enhanced expression of eIF4B, in turn, promoted the expression of WTAP, leading to increased m6A modification in the Casp8 transcript. Consequently, the stability of Casp8 transcripts was reduced, rendering lung cancer cells resistant to PANoptosis. Collectively, our findings reveal that PM2.5 exposure up-regulated piR-27222 expression, which could affect EIF4B/WTAP/m6A axis, thereby inhibiting PANoptosis of cells and promoting lung cancer. Our study provides new insights into understanding the epigenetic mechanisms underlining PM2.5-induced lung cancer.

Stabilizing Lead Halide Perovskites via an Organometallic Chemical Bridge for Efficient and Stable Photovoltaics.

Defects around the surface and grain boundaries of perovskite films normally cause severe nonradiative recombination and imbalanced charge carrier transport, further limiting both the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To tackle this critical issue, we propose a chemical bridge strategy to reconstruct the interface using organometallic molecules. The commercially available molecule bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (FcP2), with a unique bridge molecular structure, anchors and chelates Pb atoms by forming strong Pb-P bonds and further passivates both surfaces and grain boundaries. Detailed characterization revealed that bridge molecule FcP2 reconstruction can effectively suppress nonradiative recombination, and the electron delocalization properties of the ferrocene core can further achieve more balanced interfacial carrier transport. The resultant N-i-P PSC device outputs close to 25% efficiency together with one of the best reported operational stabilities, maintaining over 95% of the initial efficiency after 1000 h of continuous operation at the maximum power point under 1-sun illumination.

Hybrid Thin Film Encapsulation for Improving the Stability of PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells.

The instability to moisture, heat, and ultraviolet (UV) light is the main problem in the application of quantum dot solar cells (QDSCs). Thin film encapsulation can effectively improve their operational stability. However, it is difficult to achieve multiple barrier effects with single layer of encapsulated film. Here, a hybrid thin-film encapsulation strategy is reported to encapsulate lead sulfide QDSCs, which can isolate moisture and partial thermal, and prevent the penetration of UV light, thus retarding the surface oxidation process of the quantum dots. After 60 h, the encapsulated device retains a normalized power conversion efficiency of 83.8% and 80.6% at 85% humidity and 75 °C, respectively, which is three and six times of the value obtained in unencapsulated devices. At continuous UV illumination, encapsulated device exhibits five times higher stability than the reference. This strategy provides the way for the overall improvement of the operating stability of lead sulfide QDSCs in harsh environments of high humidity, high temperature, and UV light.

Phthalate Acid Esters (PAEs) in Indoor Dust from Decoration Material Stores: Occurrence, Sources, and Health Risks.

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are one of the most widely used plasticizers globally, extensively employed in various decoration materials. However, studies on the impact of these materials on indoor environmental PAE pollution and their effects on human health are limited. In this study, forty dust samples were collected from four types of stores specializing in decoration materials (flooring, furniture boards, wall coverings, and household articles). The levels, sources, exposure doses, and potential health risks of PAEs in dust from decoration material stores were assessed. The total concentrations of Σ9PAE (the sum of nine PAEs) in dust from all decoration-material stores ranged from 46,100 ng/g to 695,000 ng/g, with a median concentration of 146,000 ng/g. DMP, DEP, DBP, and DEHP were identified as the predominant components. Among all stores, furniture board stores exhibited the highest Σ9PAE (159,000 ng/g, median value), while flooring stores exhibited the lowest (95,300 ng/g). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that decoration materials are important sources of PAEs in the indoor environment. The estimated daily intakes of PAEs through non-dietary dust ingestion and dermal-absorption pathways among staff in various decoration-material stores were 60.0 and 0.470 ng/kg-bw/day (flooring stores), 113 and 0.780 ng/kg-bw/day (furniture board stores), 102 and 0.510 ng/kg-bw/day (wall covering stores), and 114 and 0.710 ng/kg-bw/day (household article stores). Particularly, staff in wall-covering and furniture-board stores exhibited relatively higher exposure doses of DEHP. Risk assessment indicated that although certain PAEs posed potential health risks, the exposure levels for staff in decoration material stores were within acceptable limits. However, staff in wall covering stores exhibited relatively higher risks, necessitating targeted risk-management strategies. This study provides new insights into understanding the risk associated with PAEs in indoor environments.

Sclerotinia rot of Zephyranthes candida caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Sclerotinia minor.

Sclerotinia rot is a serious disease that occurs on Zephyranthes candida. A thorough understanding of the pathogenic fungal species and understanding the biological characteristics are important for controlling sclerotinia. Fungal strains were isolated from the diseased leaves of Z. candida through tissue isolation. Koch's hypothesis screened pathogenic strains by pathogenicity of healthy leaves, including re-isolation and identification. A multigene phylogenetic tree was constructed by extracting genomic DNA from pathogenic strains and measuring the nucleotide sequences at four sites, including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), and heat shock protein 60 (HSP60). Morphological characteristics of the fungal structures were evaluated through microscopic analysis. The growth of pathogens was observed and recorded under different pH, different temperatures, different carbon sources and different nitrogen sources to clarify their biological characteristics. Representative strains D7, D13, X4, and X15 infected Z. candida and caused sclerotinia rot. At the beginning of the culture, white flocculent fungal hyphae appeared on the potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, and black spherical to irregular-shaped sclerotia appeared at the edge of the colony after 7 days. The diameter of the sclerotia was 2.4-8.6 mm and 0.4-0.9 mm, respectively. One sclerotium was able to germinate from 1 to 5 apothecia. Ascus were cylindrical or spindle-shaped, with a size of 110.0-120.0 × 9.2-11.6 µm. One ascus contained eight colorless, oval ascospores, with a size of 8.4-12.0 × 4.5-5.5 µm. Based on the phylogenetic tree constructed with the gene sequences for ITS, G3PDH, HSP60, and RPB2, D7 and D13 shared 99% homology with sclerotinia sclerotiorum, whereas X4 and X15 shared 99% homology with sclerotinia minor. S. sclerotiorum growth was more suitable when the culture temperature was 15°C-25°C, pH 5.0, carbon source was maltose and nitrogen source was yeast powder. S. minor growth was more suitable when the culture temperature was 15°C, pH 5.0, the carbon source was glucose, and the nitrogen source was yeast powder. The results identified the pathogens as S. sclerotiorum and S. minor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. sclerotiorum and S. minor causing sclerotinia rot on Z. candida. We herein aimed to identify the causal agent of sclerotinia rot of Z. candida in China based on morphological characteristics, molecular identification, and pathogenicity tests. Performed the experiments on the biological characteristics, to understand the law of disease occurrence. We also evaluated methods for the effective control of this disease. Our findings provide support for further studies on the pathogenesis mechanism of sclerotinia rot.

The influence of digital intelligence transformation on carbon emission reduction in manufacturing firms.

Severe global climate change has resulted in the focus of social attention shifting to the manufacturing industry's low-carbon transformation. Digital intelligent transformation (DIT) in enterprises is identified as a crucial driver in mitigating carbon emissions. An estimation of DIT's impact on manufacturing industries' carbon emission intensity (CEI) and its underlying mechanisms was conducted using data from Chinese A-share listed companies. Research findings indicate that DIT significantly reduces corporate CEI. Robustness tests, such as the instrumental variable method and variable substitution method, confirm this conclusion. By enhancing labor productivity and accelerating capital renewal, DIT indirectly lowers CEI. Furthermore, non-state-owned enterprises with superior market competitiveness have been observed to be markedly adept at harnessing DIT for CEI. The heterogeneity test found that DIT has a considerably significant effect on reducing CEI in enterprises that are not low-carbon pilots, non-broadband pilots, smart pilots, non-provincial capitals, and eastern cities. This study provides new evidence supporting the promotion of enterprise DIT for achieving green development, offering insights for corporate policy making.

Trends and Outcomes in Sepsis Hospitalizations With and Without Acute kidney injury: A Nationwide Inpatient Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite rapid advances in treatment, sepsis currently remains a major public health challenge worldwide. Over the past several years, there has been an increase in the clinical incidence of sepsis, as well as an increase in hospitalization rates, which bear the majority of the economic burden associated with sepsis. Sepsis is a public health burden due to the high fatality rates and accompanying morbidity. However, the sepsis-related mortality rates have fallen steadily over the years. One of the most common organs to fail in patients with sepsis is the kidney, and acute kidney injury(AKI) is associated with high mortality rates. This study's primary goal was to assess the impact of AKI on the evolution and outcome of hospitalization of patients with sepsis. METHODS: Adults (≥18 years) hospitalized for sepsis in the United States between 2010 and 2019 were retrospectively analysed using the nationally representative NIS database.Sepsis and acute kidney injury were defined using the codes of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). RESULTS: Of the 4,258,360 outcomes, 3,946,048 met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of AKI among sepsis inpatients increased from 39.10% in 2010 to 41% in 2019, but the impact of AKI on mortality declined over time, with in-hospital mortality from AKI among sepsis inpatients decreasing from 26.30% in 2010 to 16.30% in 2019. Hospitalizations linked to AKI were substantially more likely to involve infection sites such as the urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, and endocarditis. Numerous pathogenic floras, including Escherichia coli [E. coli], Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcal, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas, had greater rates among sepsis-related contacts with AKI. Furthermore, compared to hospitalization without comorbid AKI, the median total hospital charges and length of stay days for sepsis hospitalization with comorbid AKI were greater. CONCLUSIONS: With time, patients with sepsis have a higher frequency of AKI and a corresponding decline in mortality.

Temperature dependence of the rain-gas and snow-gas partition coefficients for nearly a thousand chemicals.

Compared to the particle-gas partition coefficients (KPG), the rain-gas (KRG) and snow-gas (KSG) partition coefficients are also essential in studying the environmental behavior and fate of chemicals in the atmosphere. While the temperature dependence for the KPG have been extensively studied, the study for KRG and KSG are still lacking. Adsorption coefficients between water surface-air (KIA) and snow surface-air (KJA), as well as partition coefficients between water-air (KWA) and octanol-air (KOA) are vital in calculating KRG and KSG. These four basic adsorption and partition coefficients are also temperature-dependent, given by the well-known two-parameters Antoine equation logKXY = AXY + BXY/T, where KXY is the adsorption or partition coefficients, AXY and BXY are Antoine parameters (XY stand for IA, JA, WA, and OA), and T is the temperature in Kelvin. In this study, the parameters AXY and BXY are calculated for 943 chemicals, and logKXY can be estimated at any ambient temperature for these chemicals using these Antoine parameters. The results are evaluated by comparing these data with published experimental and modeled data, and the results show reasonable accuracy. Based on these coefficients, temperature-dependence of logKRG and logKSG is studied. It is found that both logKRG and logKSG are linearly related to 1/T, and Antoine parameters for logKRG and logKSG are also estimated. Distributions of the 943 chemicals in the atmospheric phases (gas, particle, and rain/snow), are illustrated in a Chemical Space Map. The findings reveal that, at environmental temperatures and precipitation days, the dominant state for the majority of chemicals is the gaseous phase. All the AXY and BXY values for logKSG, logKRG, and basic adsorption and partition coefficients, both modeled by this study and collected from published work, are systematically organized into an accessible dataset for public utilization.

Differences between the intestinal microbial communities of healthy dogs from plateau and those of plateau dogs infected with Echinococcus.

OBJECTIVE: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) represents a profoundly perilous zoonotic disease. The advent of viral macrogenomics has facilitated the exploration of hitherto uncharted viral territories. In the scope of this investigation, our objective is to scrutinize disparities in the intestinal microbiotic ecosystems of canines dwelling in elevated terrains and those afflicted by Echinococcus infection, employing the tool of viral macrogenomics. METHODS: In this study, we collected a comprehensive total of 1,970 fecal samples from plateau dogs infected with Echinococcus, as well as healthy control plateau dogs from the Yushu and Guoluo regions in the highland terrain of China. These samples were subjected to viral macrogenomic analysis to investigate the viral community inhabiting the canine gastrointestinal tract. RESULTS: Our meticulous analysis led to the identification of 136 viral genomic sequences, encompassing eight distinct viral families. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of this study hold the potential to enhance our comprehension of the intricate interplay between hosts, parasites, and viral communities within the highland canine gut ecosystem. Through the examination of phage presence, it may aid in early detection or assessment of infection severity, providing valuable insights into Echinococcus infection and offering prospects for potential treatment strategies.

Activating peroxymonosulfate with Fe-doped biochar for efficient removal of tetracycline: Dual action of reactive oxygen species and electron transfer.

If pharmaceutical wastewater is not managed effectively, the presence of residual antibiotics will result in significant environmental contamination. In addition, inadequate utilization of agricultural waste represents a squandering of resources. The objective of this research was to assess the efficacy of iron-doped biochar (Fe-BC) derived from peanut shells in degrading high concentrations of Tetracycline (TC) wastewater through activated peroxymonosulfate. Fe-BC demonstrated significant efficacy, achieving a removal efficiency of 87.5% for TC within 60 min without the need to adjust the initial pH (20 mg/L TC, 2 mM PMS, 0.5 g/L catalyst). The degradation mechanism of TC in this system involved a dual action, namely Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and electron transfer. The primary active sites were the Fe species, which facilitated the generation of SO4•-, •OH, O2•-, and 1O2. The presence of Fe species and the C=C structure in the Fe-BC catalyst support the electron transfer. Degradation pathways were elucidated through the identification of intermediate products and calculation of the Fukui index. The Toxicity Estimator Software Tool (T.E.S.T.) suggested that the intermediates exhibited lower levels of toxicity. Furthermore, the system exhibited exceptional capabilities in real water and circulation experiments, offering significant economic advantages. This investigation provides an efficient strategy for resource recycling and the treatment of high-concentration antibiotic wastewater.

Seasonal variations and sources of atmospheric EPFRs in a megacity in severe cold region: Implications for the influence of strong coal and biomass combustion.

Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) can pose exposure risks by inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species. As a new class of pollutants, EPFRs have been frequently detected in atmospheric particulate matters. In this study, the seasonal variations and sources of EPFRs in a severe cold region in Northeastern China were comprehensively investigated, especially for the high pollution events. The geomean concentration of EPFRs in the total suspended particle was 6.58 × 1013 spins/m3 and the mean level in winter was one order of magnitude higher than summer and autumn. The correlation network analysis showed that EPFRs had significantly positive correlation with carbon component, K+ and PAHs, indicating that EPFRs were primarily emitted from combustion and pyrolysis process. The source appointment by the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model indicated that the dominant sources in the heating season were coal combustion (48.4%), vehicle emission (23.1%) and biomass burning (19.4%), while the top three sources in the non-heating season were others (41.4%), coal combustion (23.7%) and vehicle emissions (21.2%). It was found that the high EPFRs in cold season can be ascribed to the extensive use of fossil fuel for heating demand; while the high EPFRs occurred in early spring were caused by the large-scale opening combustion of biomass. In summary, this study provided important basic information for better understanding the pollution characteristics of EPFRs, which suggested that the implementation of energy transformation and straw utilization was benefit for the control of EPFRs in severe cold region.

Modelling the dynamic gas/particle partitioning process of semi-volatile organic compounds emitted from point sources: Quantitative analysis and impact assessment.

The deleterious impact of pollution point sources on the surrounding environment and human has long been a focal point of environmental research. When considering the local atmospheric dispersion of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) around the emission sites, it is essential to account the dynamic process for the gas/particle (G/P) partitioning, which involves the transition from an initial state to a steady state. In this study, we have developed a model that enables the prediction of the dynamic process for G/P partitioning of SVOCs, particularly considering the influence from emission. It is important to note that the dynamic processes of the concentrations of SVOCs in particle phase (CP) and in gas phase (CG) differ significantly. These differences arise due to the influence of two critical factors: particulate proportion of SVOCs in the emissions (ϕ0) and octanol-air partitioning coefficient (KOA). The validity of our model was assessed by comparing its predictions of the extremum value of the G/P partitioning quotient (KP) with the results obtained from the steady-state model. Remarkably, the characteristic time (tC), used to evaluate the timescale required for SVOCs to reach steady state, demonstrated different variations with KOA for CP and CG. Additionally, the values of tC were quite different for CP and CG, which were markedly influenced by ϕ0. For some SVOCs with high KOA values, it took approximately 35 h to reach steady state. Furthermore, it was found that the time to achieve 95 % of steady state (t95 ≈ 3tC) could reach approximately 105 h. This duration is sufficient for chemicals to disperse from their emission site to the surrounding areas. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the dynamic process of G/P partitioning in local atmospheric transport studies. Moreover, the influence of ϕ0 should be incorporated into future investigations examining the dynamic process of G/P partitioning.