Geographical accessibility of medical resources, health status, and demand of integrated care for older people: a cross-sectional survey from Western China.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) published the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework to help healthcare providers cope with the population aging crisis. However, the relevant evidence on the demands of older people and the compensatory capacity of the environment is limited. This study reports for the first time the level of the ICOPE demand in Western China that includes the impact of geographic accessibility of medical resources (GAMR) on ICOPE demand and the potential mechanism of health status. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 1200 adults aged 60 years and older selected through multi-stage stratified cluster sampling to obtain relevant data, including ICOPE demand, health status, and GAMR. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to analyze the impact of GAMR on ICOPE demand among older people and those with different health statuses. RESULTS: Among the prospective research participants, 1043 were eligible for the study. The mean score of ICOPE demand among all participants was 3.68 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.78). After adjusting for covariates between high and low GAMR groups (1:1 match), ICOPE demand was significantly higher in the low GAMR group than in the high GAMR group (average treatment effect on the treated [ATT] = 0.270, p < 0.05). For both good and poor self-rated health status, the ICOPE demand of the low GAMR group was significantly higher than that in the high GAMR group (ATT = 0.345, p < 0.05; ATT = 0.190, p < 0.05). For chronic diseases, the ICOPE demand of older people with multimorbidity in the low GAMR group was significantly higher than that in the high GAMR group (ATT = 0.318, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The older population in Western China has a relatively high demand for ICOPE. Low GAMR is a key factor in ICOPE demand growth in this region. It accelerates demand release for both older people with multimorbidity and self-perceptions of health.

ALLENE OXIDE SYNTHASE (AOS) induces petal senescence through a novel JA-associated regulatory pathway in Arabidopsis.

Flowers are crucial for the reproduction of flowering plants and their senescence has drastic effects on plant-animal interactions as well as pollination. Petal senescence is the final phase of flower development which is regulated by hormones and genes. Among these, jasmonic acid (JA) has emerged as a major contributor to petal senescence, but its molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, the role of JA in petal senescence in Arabidopsis was investigated. We showed that petal senescence in aos mutant was significantly delayed, which also affected petal cell size and proliferation. Similar significant delays in petal senescence were observed in dad1 and coi1 mutants. However, MYB21/24 and MYC2/3/4, known downstream regulators of JA in flower development, played no role in petal senescence. This indicated that JA regulates petal senescence by modulating other unknown transcription factors. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that AOS altered the expression of 3681 genes associated, and identified groups of differentially expressed transcription factors, highlighting the potential involvement of AP-2, WRKY and NAC. Furthermore, bHLH13, bHLH17 and URH2 were identified as potential new regulators of JA-mediated petal senescence. In conclusion, our findings suggest a novel genetic pathway through which JA regulates petal senescence in Arabidopsis. This pathway operates independently of stamen development and leaf senescence, suggesting the evolution of specialized mechanisms for petal senescence. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-024-01425-w.

MYEOV with High Frequencies of Mutations in Head and Neck Cancers Facilitates Cancer Cell Malignant Behaviors.

Cancer driver genes (CDGs) and the driver mutations disrupt the homeostasis of numerous critical cell activities, thereby playing a critical role in tumor initiation and progression. In this study, integrative bioinformatics analyses were performed based on a series of online databases, aiming to identify driver genes with high frequencies of mutations in head and neck cancers. Higher myeloma overexpressed (MYEOV) genetic variation frequency and expression level were connected to a poorer prognosis in head and neck cancer patients. MYEOV was dramatically upregulated within head and neck tumor samples and cells. Consistently, MYEOV overexpression remarkably enhanced the aggressiveness of head and neck cancer cells by promoting colony formation, cell invasion, and cell migration. Conversely, MYEOV knockdown attenuated cancer cell aggressiveness and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in the oral orthotopic tumor model. In conclusion, MYEOV is overexpressed in head and neck cancer, with greater mutation frequencies correlating to a poorer prognosis in head and neck cancer patients. MYEOV serves as an oncogene in head and neck cancer through the promotion of tumor cell colony formation, invasion, and migration, as well as promoting tumor growth and metastasis in the oral orthotopic tumor model.

Fluoride regulates the differentiation and atrophy through FGF21/ERK signaling pathway in C2C12 cells.

Excess intake of fluoride leads to a serious health issue called fluorosis. Fluorosis patients exhibit the symptom of muscle damage, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a novel myokine that is involved in the regulation of myogenic differentiation, but whether fluoride induces skeletal muscle damage via FGF21 signaling has not been reported yet. In the current study, C2C12 cells were used to investigate the impact of fluoride on myogenic development and the involved regulatory role of FGF21/ERK signaling pathway. The expressions of the markers of myoblasts development and FGF21/ERK signaling pathway-related molecules were detected after fluoride treatment. The results indicated that fluoride notably inhibited the expressions of myogenic regulatory genes MyoD, MyoG and MyHC in C2C12 cells. In addition, fluoride increased the expressions of muscle atrophy-related markers MuRF1 and MAFbx. We proved that fluoride significantly inhibited the expression of FGF21 based on the RNA-seq results, and detected the expressions of downstream molecules FGFR1, KLB, Raf, MEK and ERK. Moreover, FGF21 pretreatment reversed the adverse effect of fluoride on the C2C12 cells and alleviated the atrophy of myotubes. Taken together, these findings indicated that fluoride suppressed differentiation and aggravated atrophy via FGF21/ERK signaling pathway in C2C12 cells. Our study has provided new evidence for the role of FGF21/ERK in fluoride-induced skeletal muscle damage and FGF21 may be one of the potential targets for prevention and treatment of fluorosis.

Transcriptomic Analysis Revealed Key Defense Genes and Signaling Pathways Mediated by the Arabidopsis thaliana Gene SAD2 in Response to Infection with Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000.

Nucleocytoplasmic transport receptors play key roles in the nuclear translocation of disease resistance proteins, but the associated mechanisms remain unclear. The Arabidopsis thaliana gene SAD2 encodes an importin ß-like protein. A transgenic Arabidopsis line overexpressing SAD2 (OESAD2/Col-0) showed obvious resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) compared to the wild type (Col-0), but the knockout mutant sad2-5 was susceptible. Transcriptomic analysis was then performed on Col-0, OESAD2/Col-0, and sad2-5 leaves at 0, 1, 2, and 3 days post-inoculation with Pst DC3000. A total of 1825 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified as putative biotic stress defense genes regulated by SAD2, 45 of which overlapped between the SAD2 knockout and overexpression datasets. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that the DEGs were broadly involved in single-organism cellular metabolic processes and in response to stimulatory stress. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) biochemical pathway analysis revealed that many of the DEGs were associated with the biosynthesis of flavonoids and other specialized metabolites. Transcription factor analysis showed that a large number of ERF/AP2, MYB, and bHLH transcription factors were involved in SAD2-mediated plant disease resistance. These results provide a basis for future exploration of the molecular mechanisms associated with SAD2-mediated disease resistance and establish a set of key candidate disease resistance genes.

Effect of minute amounts of arsenic on the sulfamethoxazole removal and microbial community structure via the SBR system.

In this study, the effect of arsenic on the sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal efficiency and microbial community structure was investigated over 60 days using the SBR process. The results showed that the presence of arsenic had no significant impact on the system performance, the removal efficiencies of two reactors, R1 (the control test) and R2 (with the addition of arsenic), were 13.36 ± 5.71 and 14.20 ± 5.27%, which were attributed to the adsorption of SMX by fulvic acid-like substances and tryptophan-like proteins of extracellular polymeric substances. Compared to the seed sludge, the species number indicated that R2 possessed the richer diversity, while R1 possessed the lower diversity on day 60, which might be relative to the transferring of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in sludge bacterial communities; the minute amounts of arsenic could make the relative levels of Sul1 and Sul2 genes which encode ARGs of sulfonamides in R2 (2.07 and 2.47%) be higher than that in R1 (1.65 and 1.27%), which made the bacterial community of the R2 system more adaptable to SMX stress. Therefore, the minute amounts of arsenic weakened the effect of SMX on the system and enhanced the stability of the microbial community structure.

Study on the Baseline Factors and Platelet Indices That Predict Outcome of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients after Thrombolytic Therapy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate the baseline characters that influence 3-month clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) after thrombolytic therapy. METHODS: We consecutively enrolled 241 AIS patients who are treated with thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. Baseline characters were measured on admission including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST), risk factors, platelet indices, and lipid parameters. The subjects were divided into good or poor functional outcomes based on modified Rankin Scale at 3 months. The multivariate logistic regression was performed to explore the association between baseline factors and outcomes. Pearson correlation was used to investigate whether linear associations existed between platelet indices in different outcomes. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the NIHSS, TOAST classification, diabetes, mean platelet volume (MPV) are important factors for predicting clinical outcomes after 3 months in AIS patients. We found a correlation between elevated MPV and worse outcome at 3 months, particularly in large-artery atherosclerosis stroke patients. MPV and platelet count are negative correlated (r = -0.375, p = 0.000). MPV and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (r = 0.83, p = 0.000), MPV and platelet distribution width (PDW) (r = 0.820, p = 0.000) both have highly positive linear correlations in patients with good outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, lower NIHSS and MPV levels on admission were predictors of good functional outcomes in patients with AIS after undergoing thrombolytic therapy. The correlations between MPV, PDW, and PLR may be helpful to evaluate prognosis in stroke patients and deserve further exploration.

Selenomethionine mitigate PM2.5-induced cellular senescence in the lung via attenuating inflammatory response mediated by cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway.

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is a widely known atmospheric pollutant which can induce the aging-related pulmonary diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In recent years, with the increasing atmospheric pollution, airborne fine PM2.5, which is an integral part of air pollutants, has become a thorny problem. Hence, this study focused on the effect of PM2.5 on cellular senescence in the lung, identifying which inflammatory pathway mediated PM2.5-induced cellular senescence and how to play a protective role against this issue. Our data suggested that PM2.5 induced time- and concentration-dependent increasement in the senescence of A549 cells. Using an inhibitor of cGAS (PF-06928215) and an inhibitor of NF-κB (BAY 11-7082), it was revealed that PM2.5-induced senescence was regulated by inflammatory response, which was closely related to the cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway activated by DNA damage. Moreover, our study also showed that the pretreatment with selenomethionine (Se-Met) could inhibit inflammatory response and prevent cellular senescence by hindering cGAS/STING/NF-κB pathway in A549 cells exposed to PM2.5. Furthermore, in vivo C57BL/6J mice model demonstrated that aging of mouse lung tissue caused by PM2.5 was attenuated by decreasing cGAS expression after Se-Met treatment. Our findings indicated that selenium made a defense capability for PM2.5-induced cellular senescence in the lung, which provided a novel insight for resisting the harm of PM2.5 to human health.

[Simultaneous determination of 11 active components in Lonicera japonica flowers and leaves at different development stages by HPLC-DAD].

This study aims to develop an HPLC-DAD method for simultaneous determination of 11 components(6 phenolic acids and 5 iridoids) in Lonicera japonica flowers(LjF) and leaves(LjL), and compare the content differences of LjF at different development stages, LjL at different maturity levels, and between LjF and LjL. One-way ANOVA, principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were employed to compare the content of the 11 components. The content of total phenolic acids, total iridoid glycosides, and total 11 components in LjF showed an overall downward trend with the development of flowers. The content of total phenolic acids, total iridoid glycosides, and total 11 components in young leaves were higher than those in mature leaves. The results of PCA showed that the samples at different flowering stages had distinguishable differences in component content. The VIP value of OPLS-DA showed that isochlorogenic acid A, chlorogenic acid, and secologanic acid were the main differential components of LjF at different development stages or LjL with different maturity levels. LjF and LjL have certain similarities in chemical composition while significant differences in component content. The content of total phenolic acids in young leaves was significantly higher than that in LjF at various development stages. The content of total iridoid glycosides in young leaves was similar to that in LjF before white flower bud stage. The total content of 11 components in young leaves was significantly higher than that in LjF at green flower bud stage, before and during completely white flower bud stage. LjL have great potential for development. Follow-up research on the pharmacodynamic equivalence of LjF and LjL(especially young leaves) should be carried out to speed up the development and application of LjL.

Suppression of Helicobacter pylori infection by daily cranberry intake: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Dietary strategies that contribute to reducing incidence of Helicobacter pylori infection without negative side effects are highly desirable owing to worldwide bacterial prevalence and carcinogenesis potential. The aim of this study was to determine dosage effect of daily cranberry consumption on H. pylori suppression over time in infected adults to assess the potential of this complementary management strategy in a region with high gastric cancer risk and high prevalence of H. pylori infection. METHODS: This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on 522 H. pylori-positive adults evaluated dose-response effects of proanthocyanidin-standardized cranberry juice, cranberry powder, or their placebos on suppression of H. pylori at 2 and 8 weeks by 13 C-urea breath testing and eradication at 45 days post-intervention. RESULTS: H. pylori-negative rates in placebo, low-proanthocyanidin, medium-proanthocyanidin, and high-proanthocyanidin cranberry juice groups at week 2 were 13.24%, 7.58%, 1.49%, and 13.85% and at week 8 were 7.35%, 7.58%, 4.48%, and 20.00%, respectively. Consumption of high-proanthocyanidin juice twice daily (44 mg proanthocyanidin/240-mL serving) for 8 weeks resulted in decreased H. pylori infection rate by 20% as compared with other dosages and placebo (P < 0.05). Percentage of H. pylori-negative participants increased from 2 to 8 weeks in subjects who consumed 44 mg proanthocyanidin/day juice once or twice daily, showing a statistically significant positive trend over time. Encapsulated cranberry powder doses were not significantly effective at either time point. Overall trial compliance was 94.25%. Cranberry juice and powder were well-tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Twice-daily consumption of proanthocyanidin-standardized cranberry juice may help potentiate suppression of H. pylori infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1800017522, per WHO ICTRP.

Involvement of Bmal1 and circadian clock signaling in chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells by fluoride.

Skeletal fluorosis causes growth plate impairment and growth retardation during bone development. However, the mechanism of how fluoride impairs chondrocyte is unclear. To explore the effect of fluoride on chondrocyte differentiation and the regulation of circadian clock signaling pathway during chondrogenesis, we treated ATDC5 cells with fluoride and carried out a series of experiments. 10-3 M fluoride inhibited cell viability and significantly decreased the expression of Sox9 and Col2a1 (P < 0.05). Fluoride inhibited proteoglycan synthesis and decreased significantly the expression of Aggrecan, Ihh and Col10a1 (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, fluoride significantly inhibited the expression of Bmal1 and disrupted circadian clock signaling pathway (P < 0.05). Furthermore, fluoride disrupted the time-dependent expression of circadian clock molecules and stage-specific differentiation markers. Overexpression of Bmal1 by lentivirus reversed the adverse effects of fluoride on chondrogenesis. These results suggested that fluoride inhibited chondrocyte viability and delayed chondrocyte differentiation. Fluoride delayed chondrogenesis partly via interfering with Bmal1 and circadian clock signaling pathway. Nevertheless, the specific mechanism of circadian clock in fluoride-induced cartilage damage needs to be further studied.

Next-generation sequencing for D47N mutation in Cx50 analysis associated with autosomal dominant congenital cataract in a six-generation Chinese family.

BACKGROUND: Congenital cataract is the most frequent cause of blindness during infancy or early childhood. To date, more than 40 loci associated with congenital cataract have been identified, including at least 26 genes on different chromosomes associated with inherited cataract. This present study aimed to identify the genetic mutation in a six-generation Chinese family affected with congenital cataract. METHODS: A detailed six-generation Chinese cataract family history and clinical data of the family members were recorded. A total of 27 family members, including 14 affected and 13 unaffected individuals were recruited. Whole exome sequencing was performed to determine the disease-causing mutation. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the results. RESULTS: A known missense mutation, c. 139G > A (p. D47N), in Cx50 was identified. This mutation co-segregated with all affected individuals and was not observed in the unaffected family members or in 100 unrelated controls. The homology modeling showed that the structure of the mutant protein was different with that wild-type Cx50. CONCLUSIONS: The missense mutation c.139G > A in GJA8 gene is associated with autosomal dominant congenital cataract in a six-generation Chinese family. The result of this present study provides further evidence that the p. D47N mutation in CX50 is a hot-spot mutation.

Retention of 14C-labeled multiwall carbon nanotubes by humic acid and polymers: Roles of macromolecule properties.

Developing methods to measure interactions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with soils and sediments and understanding the impact of soil and sediment properties on CNT deposition are essential for assessing CNT environmental risks. In this study, we utilized functionalized carbon-14 labeled nanotubes to systematically investigate retention of multiwall CNTs (MWCNTs) by 3 humic acids, 3 natural biopolymers, and 10 model solid-phase polymers, collectively termed macromolecules. Surface properties, rather than bulk properties of macromolecules, greatly influenced MWCNT retention. As shown via multiple linear regression analysis and path analysis, aromaticity and surface polarity were the two most positive factors for retention, suggesting retention was regulated by π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions. Moreover, MWCNT deposition was irreversible. These observations may explain the high retention of MWCNT in natural soils. Moreover, our findings on the relative contribution of each macromolecule property on CNT retention provide information on macromolecule selection for removal of MWCNTs from wastewater and provide a method for measuring CNT interactions with organic macromolecules.

Sorption mechanisms of organic compounds by carbonaceous materials: site energy distribution consideration.

Sorption of naphthalene, lindane, and atrazine on 10 kinds of carbonaceous materials which included four kinds of graphene, three kinds of graphite, two kinds of carbon nanotubes and one kind of mesoporous carbon was investigated. The approximate sorption site energy distributions were calculated based on Dubinin-Ashtakhov (DA) model. The average sorption site energy and standard deviation of the site energy distribution were deduced and applied to analyze the interaction between sorbents and sorbates, and the sorption site heterogeneity. The introduction of oxygen-containing functional groups to the sorbents caused a decrease in their average sorption energy for the studied compounds. However, relative to the decrease in average site energy, the reduction in number of sorption sites as indicated by surface area more strongly reduced their sorption capacity to the tested carbonaceous materials based on the result of the linear regression analysis. Sorption site heterogeneity of the sorbents decreased as their oxygen contents increased, which is attributed to the better dispersion of the oxygen-containing materials as indicated by their TEM images. The method proposed in this study to quantify the average sorption site energy and heterogeneity is helpful for a better understanding of the sorption mechanisms of organic pollutants to carbonaceous materials.

Developmental abnormality induced by strong static magnetic field in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Understanding the effects of strong static magnetic fields (SMFs) on living organisms is significant in health risk assessment, but underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In the present study, we determined developmental abnormalities induced by 8.5Tesla (T) SMFs in a well-established in vivo model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Exposure of C. elegans eggs to 8.5 T SMF resulted in a time-dependent lifespan decrease, whereas only slight changes were observed upon exposure to 5 T SMF. Although SMF exposure did not alter brood size, development rate and stages were significantly modified by 8.5 T SMF. Germ cell apoptosis dramatically increased upon exposure to 8.5 T SMF in adult worms, as confirmed by ced-3 and ced-4 mutants, and could be prevented by concurrent treatment with a free radical scavenger, dimethyl sulfoxide. Compared to wild-type worms, shorter lifespan and greater numbers of apoptotic cells were observed in abnormal methyl viologen sensitivity-1 (mev-1(kn1)) nematodes with increased sensitivity to oxidative damage. Furthermore, exposure to 8.5 T SMF increased expression of superoxide dismutase-3 (sod-3), which is thought to protect against oxidative stress. However, 8.5 T SMF had minimal effects on lifespans of daf-2 and daf-16 mutants, which have compromised insulin/IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factors-1) mediated signaling pathways; this finding was consistent with the expression of these genes in wild-type worms. Our results indicate that developmental toxicity induced by strong SMF in C. elegans is mediated by oxidative stress and may be regulated by the insulin-like receptor pathway.

Synergistic effects induced by a low dose of diesel particulate extract and ultraviolet-A in Caenorhabditis elegans: DNA damage-triggered germ cell apoptosis.

Diesel exhaust has been classified as a potential carcinogen and is associated with various health effects. A previous study showed that the doses for manifesting the mutagenetic effects of diesel exhaust could be reduced when coexposed with ultraviolet-A (UVA) in a cellular system. However, the mechanisms underlying synergistic effects remain to be clarified, especially in an in vivo system. In the present study, using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as an in vivo system we studied the synergistic effects of diesel particulate extract (DPE) plus UVA, and the underlying mechanisms were dissected genetically using related mutants. Our results demonstrated that though coexposure of wild type worms at young adult stage to low doses of DPE (20 µg/mL) plus UVA (0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 J/cm2) did not affect worm development (mitotic germ cells and brood size), it resulted in a significant induction of germ cell death. Using the strain of hus-1::gfp, distinct foci of HUS-1::GFP was observed in proliferating germ cells, indicating the DNA damage after worms were treated with DPE plus UVA. Moreover, the induction of germ cell death by DPE plus UVA was alleviated in single-gene loss-of-function mutations of core apoptotic, checkpoint HUS-1, CEP-1/p53, and MAPK dependent signaling pathways. Using a reactive oxygen species (ROS) probe, it was found that the production of ROS in worms coexposed to DPE plus UVA increased in a time-dependent manner. In addition, employing a singlet oxygen (1O2) trapping probe, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone, coupled with electron spin resonance analysis, we demonstrated the increased 1O2 production in worms coexposed to DPE plus UVA. These results indicated that UVA could enhance the apoptotic induction of DPE at low doses through a DNA damage-triggered pathway and that the production of ROS, especially (1)O2, played a pivotal role in initiating the synergistic process.

The impacts of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastic on the performance and microbial community characterization of aerobic granular sludge.

Introduction: Microplastics (MPs), identified as emerging contaminants, have been detected across diverse environmental media. Their enduring presence and small size facilitate the adsorption of organic pollutants and heavy metals, leading to combined pollution effects. MPs also accumulate in the food chain thus pose risks to animals, plants, and human health, garnering significant scholarly attention in recent years. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology emerges as an innovative approach to wastewater treatment. However, the impacts of MPs on the operational efficiency and microbial characteristics of AGS systems has been insufficiently explored. Methods: This study investigated the effects of varying concentration (10, 50, and 100 mg/L) of biodegradable MPs (Polylactic Acid, PLA) and non-biodegradable MPs (Polyethylene Terephthalate, PET) on the properties of AGS and explored the underlying mechanisms. Results and discussions: It was discovered that low and medium concentration of MPs (10 and 50 mg/L) showed no significant effects on COD removal by AGS, but high concentration (100 mg/L) of MPs markedly diminished the ability to remove COD of AGS, by blocking most of the nutrient transport channels of AGS. However, both PLA and PE promoted the nitrogen and phosphorus removal ability of AGS, and significantly increased the removal efficiency of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and total phosphorus (TP) at stages II and III (P < 0.05). High concentration of MPs inhibited the growth of sludge. PET noticeably deteriorate the sedimentation performance of AGS, while 50 mg/L PLA proved to be beneficial to sludge sedimentation at stage II. The addition of MPs promoted the abundance of Candidatus_Competibacter and Acinetobacter in AGS, thereby promoting the phosphorus removal capacity of AGS. Both 50 mg/L PET and 100 mg/L PLA caused large amount of white Thiothrix filamentous bacteria forming on the surface of AGS, leading to deterioration of the sludge settling performance and affecting the normal operation of the reactor. Comparing with PET, AGS proved to be more resistant to PLA, so more attention should be paid to the effect of non-biodegradable MPs on AGS in the future.

An O/N/S-rich porous Fe-based metal-organic framework (MOF) for gold recovery from the aqueous phase with excellent performance.

Recovering gold from wastewater has both economic and environmental benefits. However, how to effectively recover it is challenging. In this work, a novel Fe-based metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized and decorated with 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid to have a well-developed porous architecture to effectively recover Au(III) from water. The maximum Au(III) sorption capacity by the finally-synthesized porous material MIL-101(Fe)-TDCA reached 2350 mg/g at pH = 6.00 ± 0.15, which is one of the highest among all literature-reported relevant materials including MOFs, and high sorption strength can be maintained within a wide pH range from 2.0 to 10.0. Besides, Au(III) sorption efficiency at low concentrations (i.e., 3.5 × 104 mg/mL) reached over 99%. Mechanically, outstanding Au(III) sorption by MIL-101(Fe)-TDCA resulted from the O/N/S-containing moieties on its surface, large surface area and porosity. The N- and S-containing functionalities (CS, CONH) served as electron donors to chelate Au(III). The O-containing (FeOFe, COFe, COOH, and coordinated H2O) and N-containing (CONH) moieties on MIL-101(Fe)-TDCA interacted with OH groups on the hydrolyzed species of Au(III) (AuCl3(OH)-, AuCl2(OH)2-, and AuCl(OH)3-) by hydrogen bond, which further increased Au(III) sorption. Furthermore, about 45.71% of Au(III) was reduced to gold nanoparticles by CS groups on the decorated 2,5-dithiophene dicarboxylic acid during sorption on MIL-101(Fe)-TDCA. Over 98.35% of Au(III) was selectively sorbed on MIL-101(Fe)-TDCA at pH 4.0, much higher than that of the coexisting heavy metal ions including Cu(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), and Ni(II) (< 5%), despite their same concentration at 0.01 mg/mL. Although sorption selectivity of a noble metal Pt(IV) by MIL-101(Fe)-TDCA is relatively poor (68.23%), it could be acceptable. Moreover, reusability of MIL-101(Fe)-TDCA is also excellent, since above 90.5% Au(III) still can be sorbed after two sorption-desorption cycles. Overall, excellent sorption performance and the roughly-calculated gold recycling benefits (26.30%) highlight that MIL-101(Fe)-TDCA is a promising porous material for gold recovery from the aqueous phase.

Widely targeted metabolomics analysis of Sanghuangporus vaninii mycelia and fruiting bodies at different harvest stages.

Sanghuangprous vaninii is a medicinal macrofungus cultivated extensively in China. Both the mycelia and fruiting bodies of S. vaninii have remarkable therapeutic properties, but it remains unclear whether the mycelia may serve as a substitute for the fruiting bodies. Furthermore, S. vaninii is a perennial fungus with therapeutic components that vary significantly depending on the growing year of the fruiting bodies. Hence, it is critical to select an appropriate harvest stage for S. vaninii fruiting bodies for a specific purpose. With the aid of Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QQQ-MS) was used to preliminarily determine 81 key active metabolites and 157 active pharmaceutical metabolites in S. vaninii responsible for resistance to the six major diseases. To evaluate the substitutability of the mycelia and fruiting bodies of S. vaninii and to select an appropriate harvest stage for the fruiting bodies of S. vaninii, we analyzed the metabolite differences, especially active metabolite differences, among the mycelia and fruiting bodies during three different harvest stages (1-year-old, 2-year-old, and 3-year-old). Moreover, we also determined the most prominent and crucial metabolites in each sample of S. vaninii. These results suggested that the mycelia show promise as a substitute for the fruiting bodies of S. vaninii and that extending the growth year does not necessarily lead to higher accumulation levels of active metabolites in the S. vaninii fruiting bodies. This study provided a theoretical basis for developing and using S. vaninii.

SAD2 functions in plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 defense by regulating the nuclear accumulation of MYB30 in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Accurate nucleocytoplasmic transport of signal molecules is essential for plant growth and development. Multiple studies have confirmed that nucleocytoplasmic transport and receptors are involved in regulating plant disease resistance responses, however, little is known about the regulatory mechanism in plants. In this study, we showed that the mutant of the importin beta-like protein SAD2 exhibited a more susceptible phenotype than wild-type Col-0 after treatment with Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000). Coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) experiments demonstrated that SAD2 interacts with the hypersensitive response (HR)-positive transcriptional regulator MYB30. Subcellular localization showed that MYB30 was not fully localized in the nucleus in sad2-5 mutants, and western-blot experiments further indicated that SAD2 was required for MYB30 nuclear trafficking during the pathogen infection process. A phenotypic test of pathogen inoculation demonstrated that MYB30 partially rescued the disease symptoms of sad2-5 caused by Pst DC3000, and that MYB30 worked downstream of SAD2 in plant pathogen defense. These results suggested that SAD2 might be involved in plant pathogen defense by mediating MYB30 nuclear trafficking. Taken together, our results revealed the important function of SAD2 in plant pathogen defense and enriched understanding of the mechanism of nucleocytoplasmic transport-mediated plant pathogen defense.