Remediation of lead-contaminated groundwater by oyster shell powder-peanut shell biochar mixture.

Groundwater pollution caused by lead ions has become a widespread issue worldwide due to the ever-increasing development of industrial activities. Such pollution poses significant threats to both humans and the environment. Oyster shell powder-peanut shell biochar mixture (OSP-PSB mixture) was used for lead-contaminated groundwater treatment by permeable reactive barrier (PRB) technology. Basic characteristics of materials proved that OSP-PSB mixture has good adsorption properties; OSP with particle sizes ranging from 0.85 to 1.18 mm was used in this research; according to engineering and adsorption characteristics, OSP-PSB mixture (5:1) showed excellent permeability (4.35 × 10-4 cm/s) and lead adsorption capacity(27 mg/g); long-term permeability of the OSP-PSB mixture slightly decreased over time and met the permeability requirements for PRB; the removal mechanisms of lead ions by OSP-PSB mixture include precipitation, surface complexation, ion exchange, and physical adsorption. The experiment results showed that the OSP-PSB mixture fulfills the actual project requirements of PRB.

Microfluidic platform for studying the anti-cancer effect of ursolic acid on tumor spheroid.

At present, the probability that a new anti-tumor drug will eventually succeed in clinical trials is extremely low. In order to make up for this shortcoming, the use of a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model for secondary screening is often necessary. Cell spheroid is the easiest 3D model tool for drug screening. In this study, the microfluidic chip with a microwell array was manufactured, which could allow the formation of tumor spheroids with uniform size and easily retrieve cell spheroids from the chip. Cell spheroids were successfully cultured for over 15 days and the survival rate was as high as 80%. Subsequently, cellular response to the ursolic acid (UA) was observed on the chip. Compared to the monolayer culture cells in vitro, the tumor spheroids showed minor levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition fluctuation after drug treatment. The mechanism of cell spheroid resistance to UA was further verified by detecting the expression level of upstream pathway proteins. But the invasive ability of tumor spheroids was attenuated when the duration of action of UA extended. The anti-cancer effect of UA was innovatively evaluated on breast cancer by using the microfluidic device, which could provide a basis and direction for future preclinical research on UA.

Food preference strategy of four sympatric rodents in a temperate forest in northeast China.

Rodents are well known as both seed predators and dispersers of various plant species in forest ecosystems, and they play an important role in the regeneration of vegetation. Thus, the research on seed selection and vegetation regeneration by sympatric rodents is an interesting topic. To understand the characteristics of preferences of rodents for different seeds, a semi-natural enclosure experiment was performed with four rodent species (Apodemuspeninsulae, Apodemusagrarius, Tscherskiatriton, and Clethrionomysrufocanus) and the seeds of seven plant species (Pinuskoraiensis, Corylusmandshurica, Quercusmongolica, Juglansmandshurica, Armeniacasibirica, Prunussalicina, and Cerasustomentosa) to investigate the differentiation in niches and patterns of resource utilization of sympatric rodents. The results showed that all the rodents had consumed many seeds of Pi.koraiensis, Co.mandshurica, and Q.mongolica but differed significantly in how they selected the different seeds. The rate of utilization (Ri) of Pi.koraiensis, Co.mandshurica, and Q.mongolica exhibited the highest values. The Ei values indicated that the rodents tested exhibited differences in their priorities used to select the seeds from different plant species. All four species of rodents exhibited obvious preferences for certain seeds. Korean field mice preferentially consumed the seeds of Q.mongolica, Co.mandshurica, and Pi.koraiensis. Striped field mice favor the seeds of Co.mandshurica, Q.mongolica, P.koraiensis, and Nanking cherry. Greater long-tailed hamsters prefer to consume the seeds of Pi.koraiensis, Co.mandshurica, Q.mongolica, Pr.salicina, and Ce.tomentosa. Clethrionomysrufocanus likes to eat the seeds of Pi.koraiensis, Q.mongolica, Co.mandshurica, and Ce.tomentosa. The results supported our hypothesis that sympatric rodents overlap in food selection. However, each rodent species has a marked preference for food selection, and different rodent species differ in their food preferences. This reflects the role of distinct food niche differentiation in their coexistence.