Occurrence, dietary influence and risks of selected trace metals in different coastal predatory species.

The global issue of ongoing trace metal emissions and legacy accumulation from diverse sources is posing threats to coastal wildlife. This study characterized the distribution of five metals in relation to dietary ecology (carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes: δ15N and δ13C) in representative predatory species (starfish, fish, and seabird) collected from the coast of Qingdao, northeastern China. Zinc (Zn) was the most abundant metal across species, followed by copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), total and methylated mercury (THg and MeHg). Among the studied species, black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) occupied the highest trophic position, followed by three predatory fish species, whereas the northern Pacific seastar (Asterias amurensis) had the lowest trophic position. The starfish exhibited high capacity to accumulate Cd, Cr and Cu. Conversely, black-tailed gulls exhibited high levels of Zn, while Hg was highest in predatory fishes. Across species, Cr, MeHg, THg and MeHg:THg showed significant positive correlations with δ13C, suggesting the influence of inshore food sources on their accumulation. Both MeHg and THg were significantly and positively correlated with δ15N, with MeHg demonstrating a greater slope, indicating their potential trophic magnification. We assessed health risks from the studied metals using established toxicity reference thresholds. Elevated risks of Hg were identified in three predatory fish species, while other metals and species remain within safe limits. These findings emphasize the significance of foraging patterns in influencing trace metal accumulation in coastal predators and highlight the importance of further monitoring.

Distribution, trophic magnification and risk of trace metals and perfluoroalkyl acids in marine organisms from Haizhou Bay.

Haizhou Bay, a semi-enclosed key aquaculture area in East China, has had relatively limited research focused on trace metals and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in its biota. This study characterized the distribution, biomagnification and health risks of selected trace metals and PFAAs in various marine organisms from Haizhou Bay. Among the species examined, zinc (Zn) was the most prevalent metal, followed by copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr), whereas cadmium (Cd), total mercury (THg), and methylmercury (MeHg) contents were relatively low. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the most abundant PFAA, followed by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The calculated trophic magnification factors (TMFs) were above one for Cr, THg, MeHg, and all PFAAs except perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) and perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA). Across animal groups, gastropods exhibited relatively low levels of THg, MeHg, and perfluorosulfonic acids (∑PFSAs). By comparison, fish generally had lower levels of Cd and Cu compared to other animal groups, and demersal fish had significantly higher MeHg compared to gastropods. Certain organisms, such as cephalopods and shrimps, were found to pose potential health risks due to elevated levels of Cd, while levels of other studied metals, PFOS and PFOA generally appeared to be within safe limits for human consumption. Further research is needed to assess the sources and impacts of these and other contaminants.

Mesenchymal stem cells in fibrotic diseases-the two sides of the same coin.

Fibrosis is caused by extensive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, which play a crucial role in injury repair. Fibrosis attributes to ~45% of all deaths worldwide. The molecular pathology of different fibrotic diseases varies, and a number of bioactive factors are involved in the pathogenic process. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of multipotent stem cells that have promising therapeutic effects in the treatment of different diseases. Current updates of fibrotic pathogenesis reveal that residential MSCs may differentiate into myofibroblasts which lead to the fibrosis development. However, preclinical and clinical trials with autologous or allogeneic MSCs infusion demonstrate that MSCs can relieve the fibrotic diseases by modulating inflammation, regenerating damaged tissues, remodeling the ECMs, and modulating the death of stressed cells after implantation. A variety of animal models were developed to study the mechanisms behind different fibrotic tissues and test the preclinical efficacy of MSC therapy in these diseases. Furthermore, MSCs have been used for treating liver cirrhosis and pulmonary fibrosis patients in several clinical trials, leading to satisfactory clinical efficacy without severe adverse events. This review discusses the two opposite roles of residential MSCs and external MSCs in fibrotic diseases, and summarizes the current perspective of therapeutic mechanism of MSCs in fibrosis, through both laboratory study and clinical trials.

A Low-Volatile and Durable Deep Eutectic Electrolyte for High-Performance Lithium-Oxygen Battery.

The lithium-oxygen battery (LOB) with a high theoretical energy density (∼3500 Wh kg-1) has been regarded as a strong competitor for next-generation energy storage systems. However, its performance is still far from satisfactory due to the lack of stable electrolyte that can simultaneously withstand the strong oxidizing environment during battery operation, evaporation by the semiopen feature, and high reactivity of lithium metal anode. Here, we have developed a deep eutectic electrolyte (DEE) that can fulfill all the requirements to enable the long-term operation of LOBs by just simply mixing solid N-methylacetamide (NMA) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) at a certain ratio. The unique interaction of the polar groups in the NMA with the cations and anions in the LiTFSI enables DEE formation, and this NMA-based DEE possesses high ionic conductivity, good thermal, chemical, and electrochemical stability, and good compatibility with the lithium metal anode. As a result, the LOBs with the NMA-based DEE present a high discharge capacity (8647 mAh g-1), excellent rate performance, and superb cycling lifetime (280 cycles). The introduction of DEE into LOBs will inject new vitality into the design of electrolytes and promote the development of high-performance LOBs.

Three Birds with One Stone: An Integrated Cathode-Electrolyte Structure for High-Performance Solid-State Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

Constructing solid-state lithium-oxygen batteries (SSLOBs) holds a great promise to solve the safety and stability bottlenecks faced by lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs) with volatile and flammable organic liquid electrolytes. However, the realization of high-performance SSLOBs is full of challenges due to the poor ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes, large interfacial resistance, and limited reaction sites of cathodes. Here, a flexible integrated cathode-electrolyte structure (ICES) is designed to enable the tight connection between the cathode and electrolyte through supporting them on a 3D SiO2 nanofibers (NFs) framework. The intimate cathode-electrolyte structure and the porous SiO2 NFs scaffold combination are favorable for decreasing interfacial resistance and increasing reaction sites. Moreover, the 3D SiO2 NFs framework can also behave as an efficient inorganic filler to enhance the ionic conductivity of the solid polymer electrolyte and its ability to inhibit lithium dendrite growth. As a result, the elaborately designed ICES can simultaneously tackle the issues that limit the performance liberation of SSLOBs, making the batteries deliver a high discharge capacity and a long lifetime of 145 cycles with a cycling capacity of 1000 mAh g-1 at 60 °C, much superior to coventional SSLOBs (50 cycles).

Soluble and Perfluorinated Polyelectrolyte for Safe and High-Performance Li-O2 Batteries.

The severe performance degradation of high-capacity Li-O2 batteries induced by Li dendrite growth and concentration polarization from the low Li+ transfer number of conventional electrolytes hinder their practical applications. Herein, lithiated Nafion (LN) with the sulfonic group immobilized on the perfluorinated backbone has been designed as a soluble lithium salt for preparing a less flammable polyelectrolyte solution, which not only simultaneously achieves a high Li+ transfer number (0.84) and conductivity (2.5 mS cm-1 ), but also the perfluorinated anion of LN produces a LiF-rich SEI for protecting the Li anode from dendrite growth. Thus, the Li-O2 battery with a LN-based electrolyte achieves an all-round performance improvement, like low charge overpotential (0.18 V), large discharge capacity (9508 mAh g-1 ), and excellent cycling performance (225 cycles). Besides, the fabricated pouch-type Li-air cells exhibit promising applications to power electronic equipment with satisfactory safety.

Methylmercury in commercial fish species from the Erhai Lake Basin, Southwest China: concentrations, health risk assessment, and implications for future monitoring.

Erhai Lake, a highland lake situated in Southwest China, provides critical aquatic protein sources for the local community, and its preservation is vital due to the sensitivity of alpine freshwater ecosystems to disturbance. However, there is a lack of research on the contamination status of methylmercury (MeHg) in aquatic organisms of the Erhai Lake Basin. MeHg concentrations in important commercial fish species from the Erhai Lake were examined, and the potential health risks associated with human consumption were assessed. Our results showed significant inter-species differences in fish muscle MeHg: the carnivorous S. asotus exhibited the highest level (303 ng/g; ww), while that of the detritivorous R. ocellatus was the lowest (3.86 ng/g). Moreover, MeHg concentrations in P. fulvidraco and C. auratus collected from the Luoshi River (a major tributary of Erhai Lake) were significantly higher compared to those from the Erhai Lake, indicating possible river-based input of MeHg into the Erhai Lake. Additionally, our study revealed a significant positive correlation between the MeHg levels and the length as well as weight of the examined fish species. All the fish species analyzed in our study had MeHg concentrations within the limits of China's food safety standard. Nevertheless, a relatively low consumption quantity of 16 g per day of certain species (i.e., S. asotus) may still pose potential health risks especially for children. The present study provides baseline data for MeHg monitoring and risk assessment in the Erhai Lake Basin, and warrants continued monitoring and source investigation.

The Effects of Lateral Meniscus Posterior Root Tear and its Repair on Knee Stability of Internal Rotation and Forward Shift: A Biomechanical Kinematics Cadaver Study.

Objective: Lateral meniscal posterior root (LMPR) is an important stabilizer for knee joint, providing the stability during tibia forward shifting and internal rotating. It is still controversial that whether the LMPR tear (LMPRT) should be repaired together with ACL reconstruction. This study aims to investigate the effects of LMPR on knee stability with intact ACL. Methods: Eight cadaver knees were used and performed the biomechanical kinematics tests in orders of: Group A: the LMPR was intact; Group B: the LMPR was cut off from its tibial end; Group C: the LMPRT has been repaired. 1) An internal rotation moment (5 Nm) was given to the tibia, then the internal rotation angle of the tibia was measured; 2) An forward shifting force (134 N) was given to the tibia, then the anterior displacement of the tibia was measured; 3) An internal rotation moment (5 Nm) and a valgus moment (10 Nm) were given to the tibia, then the internal rotation angle and the anterior displacement was measured. The stability was inferred from smaller rotation angle and displacement, and all of the angles and displacements were measured at knee flexion of 0°, 30°, 60° and 90°, respectively. Results: Comparing to Group A, the internal rotation angle in Group B was increased significantly at knee flexion of 30° (p = 0.025), 60° (p = 0.041), 90° (p = 0.002); the anterior tibia displacement in Group B was increased significantly at knee flexion of 30° (p = 0.015), 60° (p = 0.024); at knee valgus, the internal rotation angle was also increased significantly at knee flexion of 60° (p = 0.011), 90° (p = 0.037). Comparing to Group B, the internal rotation angle in Group C was decreased significantly at knee flexion of 30° (p = 0.030), 60° (p = 0.019), 90° (p = 0.021); the anterior displacement in Group C was decreased significantly at knee flexion of 30° (p = 0.042), 60° (p = 0.037); at valgus, the internal rotation angle was also decreased significantly at knee flexion of 60° (p = 0.013), 90° (p = 0.045). Comparing to Group A, only the internal rotation angle (p = 0.047) and anterior displacement (p = 0.033) in Group C were increased at knee flexion of 30°. Conclusion: In simulated knee with intact ACL, LMPRT can still lead to the notable internal rotational instability at knee flexion from 30° to 90°, as well as the anterior shift instability at knee flexion from 30° to 60°. LMPRT repair help to improve the internal rotation stability at 30° and restore it at 60° to 90°, and improve the anterior shift stability at 30° and restore it at 60°.