Endothelial DGKG promotes tumor angiogenesis and immune evasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most prevalent and lethal cancers worldwide. The tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes to the poor response of patients with HCC to current therapies, while tumor vascular endothelial cells (ECs) are fundamental TME components that significantly contribute to tumor progression. However, the specific functions and mechanisms of tumor vascular ECs in HCC remain unclear. METHODS: We screened and validated diacylglycerol kinase gamma (DGKG) hyper-expression specifically in HCC tumor vascular ECs. Single-cell RNA-sequencing, cytometry by time-of-flight, and in vitro and in vivo studies were performed to investigate the functions of endothelial DGKG. Multiplexed immunohistochemistry staining and flow cytometry were used to evaluate changes in the TME. RESULTS: Functionally, endothelial DGKG promotes tumor angiogenesis and immunosuppressive regulatory T-cell differentiation in HCC. Of significance, we found that HIF-1α activates DGKG transcription by directly binding to its promoter region under hypoxia. Upregulated DGKG promotes HCC progression by recruiting ubiquitin specific peptidase 16 to facilitate ZEB2 deubiquitination, which increases TGF-ß1 secretion, thus inducing tumor angiogenesis and regulatory T-cell differentiation. Importantly, targeting endothelial DGKG potentiated the efficiency of dual blockade of PD-1 and VEGFR-2. CONCLUSION: Hypoxia-induced EC-specific DGKG hyper-expression promotes tumor angiogenesis and immune evasion via the ZEB2/TGF-ß1 axis, suggesting EC-specific DGKG as a potential therapeutic target for HCC. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: Here, we reported that hypoxia-induced endothelial cell-specific DGKG hyper-expression promotes angiogenesis and immune evasion in HCC by recruiting USP16 for K48-linked deubiquitination and inducing the subsequent stabilization of ZEB2, leading to increased TGF-ß1 secretion. Most importantly, endothelial DGKG inhibition greatly improved the efficacy of the dual combination of anti-VEGFR2 and anti-PD-1 treatment in a mouse HCC model, significantly inhibiting the malignant progression of HCC and improving survival. This preclinical study supports the targeting of endothelial DGKG as a potential strategy for precision HCC treatment.

A Cucurbit[8]uril-Based Supramolecular Framework Material for Reversible Iodine Capture in the Vapor Phase and Solution.

The safe and efficient management of hazardous radioactive iodine is significant for nuclear waste reprocessing and environmental industries. A novel supramolecular framework compound based on cucurbit[8]uril (Q[8]) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) is reported in this paper. In the single crystal structure of Q[8]-(4-AP), two 4-AP molecules interact with the outer surface of Q[8] and the two other 4-AP molecules are encapsulated into the Q[8] cavity to form the self-assembly Q[8]-(4-AP). Iodine adsorption experiments show that the as-prepared Q[8]-(4-AP) not only has a high adsorption capacity (1.74 g· g-1) for iodine vapor but also can remove the iodine in the organic solvent and the aqueous solution with the removal efficiencies of 95% and 91%, respectively. The presence of a large number of hydrogen bonds between the iodine molecule and the absorbent, as seen in the single crystal structure of iodine-loaded Q[8]-(4-AP) (I2@Q[8]-(4-AP)), is thought to be responsible for the exceptional iodine adsorption capacity of the material. In addition, the adsorption-desorption tests reveal that the self-assembly material has no significant loss of iodine capture capacity after five cycles, indicating that it has sufficient reusability.

Eight-month intensive meditation-based intervention improves refractory hallucinations and delusions and quality of life in male inpatients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: This study investigated the impact of an 8-month daily-guided intensive meditation-based intervention (iMI) on persistent hallucinations/delusions and health-related quality of life (QoL) in male inpatients with schizophrenia with treatment-refractory hallucinations and delusions (TRHDs). METHODS: A randomized controlled trial assigned 64 male inpatients with schizophrenia and TRHD equally to an 8-month iMI plus general rehabilitation program (GRP) or GRP alone. Assessments were conducted at baseline and the third and eighth months using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), 36-Item Short Form-36 (SF-36), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Primary outcomes measured PANSS reduction rates for total score, positive symptoms, and hallucinations/delusions items. Secondary outcomes assessed PANSS, SF-36, and FFMQ scores for psychotic symptoms, health-related QoL, and mindfulness skills, respectively. RESULTS: In the primary outcome, iMI significantly improved the reduction rates of PANSS total score, positive symptoms, and hallucination/delusion items compared with GRP at both the third and eighth months. Treatment response rates (≥25% reduction) for these measures significantly increased in the iMI group at the eighth month. Concerning secondary outcomes, iMI significantly reduced PANSS total score and hallucination/delusion items, while increasing scores in physical activity and mindfulness skills at both the third and eighth months compared with GRP. These effects were more pronounced with an 8-month intervention compared with a 3-month intervention. CONCLUSIONS: An iMI benefits patients with TRHDs by reducing persistent hallucinations/delusions and enhancing health-related QoL. Longer iMI duration yields superior treatment outcomes.

Hybrid MOF Template-Directed Construction of Hollow-Structured In2 O3 @ZrO2 Heterostructure for Enhancing Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol.

Direct hydrogenation of CO2  to methanol using green hydrogen has emerged as a promising method for carbon neutrality, but qualifying catalysts represent a grand challenge. In2 O3 /ZrO2  catalyst has been extensively applied in methanol synthesis due to its superior activity; however, the electronic effect by strong oxides-support interactions between In2 O3  and ZrO2  at the In2 O3 /ZrO2  interface is poorly understood. In this work, abundant In2 O3 /ZrO2  heterointerfaces are engineered in a hollow-structured In2 O3 @ZrO2  heterostructure through a facile pyrolysis of a hybrid metal-organic framework precursor MIL-68@UiO-66. Owing to well-defined In2 O3 /ZrO2  heterointerfaces, the resultant In2 O3 @ZrO2  exhibits superior activity and stability toward CO2  hydrogenation to methanol, which can afford a high methanol selectivity of 84.6% at a conversion of 10.4% at 290 °C, and 3.0 MPa with a methanol space-time yield of up to 0.29 gMeOH  gcat -1  h-1 . Extensive characterization demonstrates that there is a strong correlation between the strong electronic In2 O3 -ZrO2  interaction and catalytic selectivity. At In2 O3 /ZrO2  heterointerfaces, the electron tends to transfer from ZrO2  to In2 O3  surface, which facilitates H2  dissociation and the hydrogenation of formate (HCOO*) and methoxy (CH3 O*) species to methanol. This study provides an insight into the In2 O3 -based catalysts and offers appealing opportunities for developing heterostructured CO2  hydrogenation catalysts with excellent activity.

Macrophage PTEN controls STING-induced inflammation and necroptosis through NICD/NRF2 signaling in APAP-induced liver injury.

BACKGROUND: Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) signaling has been known to play a critical role in maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis, which also has an essential role in the inflammatory response. However, it remains unidentified whether and how the macrophage PTEN may govern the innate immune signaling stimulator of interferon genes (STING) mediated inflammation and hepatocyte necroptosis in APAP-induced liver injury (AILI). METHODS: Myeloid-specific PTEN knockout (PTENM-KO) and floxed PTEN (PTENFL/FL) mice were treated with APAP (400 mg/kg) or PBS. In a parallel in vitro study, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) were isolated from these conditional knockout mice and transfected with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Notch1 knockout (KO) or CRISPR/Cas9-mediated STING activation vector followed by LPS (100 ng/ml) stimulation. RESULTS: Here, we report that myeloid-specific PTEN knockout (PTENM-KO) mice were resistant to oxidative stress-induced hepatocellular injury with reduced macrophage/neutrophil accumulation and proinflammatory mediators in AILI. PTENM-KO increased the interaction of nuclear Notch intracellular domain (NICD) and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) in the macrophage nucleus, reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Mechanistically, it is worth noting that macrophage NICD and NRF2 co-localize within the nucleus under inflammatory conditions. Additionally, Notch1 promotes the interaction of immunoglobulin kappa J region (RBPjκ) with NRF2. Disruption of the Notch1 signal in PTEN deletion macrophages, reduced RBPjκ and NRF2 binding, and activated STING signaling. Moreover, PTENM-KO macrophages with STING activated led to ROS generation and TNF-α release, resulting in hepatocyte necroptosis upon co-culture with primary hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that the macrophage PTEN-NICD/NRF2-STING axis is critical to regulating oxidative stress-induced liver inflammation and necroptosis in AILI and implies the therapeutic potential for managing sterile liver inflammation. Video Abstract.

Predicting fracture classification and prognosis with hounsfield units and femoral cortical index: A simple and cost-effective approach.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between bone density and fracture has been widely studied and recognized, and the role of cortical bone in proximal femoral fractures has also been increasingly studied. However, both the determination of bone mineral density (BMD) and the determination of cortical mass are expensive and cumbersome. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether two readily available indicators, Hounsfield Units (HUs) and femoral cortical index (FCI), can be used to predict hip fracture classification and prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 110 patients with hip fragility fractures. Cortical index was calculated on fractured and contralateral femur FCI, with HUs calculated on the proximal femur. The correlation of the FCI and HU with diabetes, hypertension, and related indicators, such as albumin, creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels, were also analyzed in the study. RESULTS: Both the Evans classification of intertrochanteric fractures and the Garden and Pauwels classifications of femoral neck fractures showed that as the severity of the fracture increased, the HUs and FCI decreased. Age and albumin level also had a negative correlation with HUs and FCI. There was also a significant correlation between HUs and FCI. CONCLUSIONS: The HUs and FCI, which can be easily and quickly obtained, can be used to predict the classification and prognosis of hip fractures.

An Unsupervised Learning-Based Regional Deformable Model for Automated Multi-Organ Contour Propagation.

The aim of this study is to evaluate a regional deformable model based on a deep unsupervised learning model for automatic contour propagation in breast cone-beam computed tomography-guided adaptive radiation therapy. A deep unsupervised learning model was introduced to map breast's tumor bed, clinical target volume, heart, left lung, right lung, and spinal cord from planning computed tomography to cone-beam CT. To improve the traditional image registration method's performance, we used a regional deformable framework based on the narrow-band mapping, which can mitigate the effect of the image artifacts on the cone-beam CT. We retrospectively selected 373 anonymized cone-beam CT volumes from 111 patients with breast cancer. The cone-beam CTs are divided into three sets. 311 / 20 / 42 cone-beam CT images were used for training, validating, and testing. The manual contour was used as reference for the testing set. We compared the results between the reference and the model prediction for evaluating the performance. The mean Dice between manual reference segmentations and the model predicted segmentations for breast tumor bed, clinical target volume, heart, left lung, right lung, and spinal cord were 0.78 ± 0.09, 0.90 ± 0.03, 0.88 ± 0.04, 0.94 ± 0.03, 0.95 ± 0.02, and 0.77 ± 0.07, respectively. The results demonstrated a good agreement between the reference and the proposed contours. The proposed deep learning-based regional deformable model technique can automatically propagate contours for breast cancer adaptive radiotherapy. Deep learning in contour propagation was promising, but further investigation was warranted.

Phase-locking dynamics of a 2D VCSEL hexagonal array with an integrated Talbot cavity.

In this paper, phase-locking dynamics of 2D VCSEL hexagonal array with an integrated Talbot cavity are numerically investigated based on rate equations aiming at achieving high brightness output. The processes of wavelength synchronization and phase locking under different fill factors ff and fractional Talbot cavity lengths L were addressed comprehensively. Different supermodes of phase-locked VCSEL array were then analyzed from both near-field and far-field pattern, and proved to be well matched with the results of coupled-mode theory. With appropriate configuration the Talbot-VCSEL system can operate in a full in-phase mode eventually, which is beneficial for determining the parameter interval corresponding to the most expected single narrow-lobe far-field pattern. Furthermore, the simulation results also indicate that, considering the parametric interactions the distribution of optical feedback from the fractional Talbot cavity should be consistent as much as possible to facilitate the realization of phase-locked state. Our study could provide a theoretical support to obtain the full in-phase coupled VCSEL array with high performance.

UCHL1 acts as a potential oncogene and affects sensitivity of common anti-tumor drugs in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Recently, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) has been demonstrated to be highly expressed in many tumors and plays the role of an oncogene. However, the functional mechanism of UCHL1 is unclear in lung adenocarcinoma progression. METHODS: We analyzed the differential expression of the UCHL1 gene in lung adenocarcinoma and normal lung tissues, and the correlation between the UCHL1 gene and prognosis was also analyzed by the bioinformatics database TCGA. Meanwhile, we detected and analyzed the expression of UCHL1 and Ki-67 protein in a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 150 patients with lung adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and clinicopathological characteristics by TCGA database. In vitro experiments, we knocked down the UCHL1 gene of A549 cells and detected the changes in cell migration, invasion, and apoptosis. At the same time, we analyzed the effect of UCHL1 on anti-tumor drug sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma by a bioinformatics database. In terms of the detection rate of lung adenocarcinoma indicators, we analyzed the impact of UCHL1 combined with common clinical indicators on the detection rate of lung adenocarcinoma through a bioinformatics database. RESULTS: In this study, the analysis of UCHL1 protein expression in lung adenocarcinoma proved that obviously higher UCHL1 protein level was discovered in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. The expression of UCHL1 was closely related to poor clinical outcomes. Interestingly, a significantly positive correlation between the expression of UCHL1 and Ki-67-indicated UCHL1 was associated with tumor migration and invasion. Through executing loss of function tests, we affirmed that silencing of UCHL1 expression significantly inhibited migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro. Furthermore, lung adenocarcinoma cells with silenced UCHL1 showed a higher probability of apoptosis. In terms of the detection rate of lung adenocarcinoma indicators, we discovered UCHL1 could improve the detection rate of clinical lung adenocarcinoma and affect drug sensitivity. CONCLUSION: In lung adenocarcinoma, UCHL1 promotes tumor migration, invasion, and metastasis by inhibiting apoptosis and has an important impact on the clinical drug treatment of lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, UCHL1 can improve the detection rate of clinical lung adenocarcinoma. Above all, UCHL1 may be a new marker for the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma and provide a new target for the treatment of clinical diseases.

Recent Advances in Catalytic Confinement Effect within Micro/Meso-Porous Crystalline Materials.

Micro/meso-porous crystalline materials with a well-defined pore structure, such as zeolites, carbon nanotubes, and metal-organic frameworks, are of great significance in the development of catalytic systems for scientific and industrial demands. The confinement effect aroused by pore features of porous crystalline materials has triggered great interest in heterogeneous catalysis. Catalytic reactions in confined spaces exhibit unique behaviors compared to those observed on bulk materials. More interestingly, chemical reactivity can be modulated in different ways by the confinement effect, despite the fact that the mechanism on how the confinement effect changes the reaction remains unclear. In this review, a systematic discussion and fundamental understanding is provided concerning the concept of confinement effect, highlighting the impact of confinement effects on diffusion, adsorption/desorption, and catalytic reaction in typical micro/meso-porous crystalline materials, including zeolites, carbon nanotubes, and metal-organic frameworks. Relevant studies demonstrate that confinement effect affords not only shape selectivity against reactants/products, but also modulates surface electron distribution of active species confined within porous environments, thereby successively affecting the catalytic reactivity, selectivity, and stability. This review provides a useful guide for researchers attempting to design excellent porous crystalline catalysts based on the concept of confinement effect in heterogeneous catalysis.

Identification of latent biomarkers in connection with progression and prognosis in oral cancer by comprehensive bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer (OC) is a common and dangerous malignant tumor with a low survival rate. However, the micro level mechanism has not been explained in detail. METHODS: Gene and miRNA expression micro array data were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and miRNAs (DE miRNAs) were identified by R software. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were used to assess the potential molecular mechanisms of DEGs. Cytoscape software was utilized to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and miRNA-gene network. Central genes were screened out with the participation of gene degree, molecular complex detection (MCODE) plugin, and miRNA-gene network. Then, the identified genes were checked by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) gene expression profile, Kaplan-Meier data, Oncomine, and the Human Protein Atlas database. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to predict the diagnostic efficiency of crucial gene level in normal and tumor tissues. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to analyze the effect of dominant genes and clinical characteristics on the overall survival rate of OC patients. RESULTS: Gene expression data of gene expression profiling chip(GSE9844, GSE30784, and GSE74530) were obtained from GEO database, including 199 tumor and 63 non-tumor samples. We identified 298 gene mutations, including 200 upregulated and 98 downregulated genes. GO functional annotation analysis showed that DEGs were enriched in extracellular structure and extracellular matrix containing collagen. In addition, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in IL-17 signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Then, we detected three most relevant modules in PPI network. Central genes (CXCL8, DDX60, EIF2AK2, GBP1, IFI44, IFI44L, IFIT1, IL6, MMP9,CXCL1, CCL20, RSAD2, and RTP4) were screened out with the participation of MCODE plugin, gene degree, and miRNA-gene network. TCGA gene expression profile and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that high expression of CXCL8, DDX60, IL6, and RTP4 was associated with poor prognosis in OC patients, while patients with high expression of IFI44L and RSAD2 had a better prognosis. The elevated expression of CXCL8, DDX60, IFI44L, RSAD2, and RTP44 in OC was verified by using Oncomine database. ROC curve showed that the mRNA levels of these five genes had a helpful diagnostic effect on tumor tissue. The Human Protein Atlas database showed that the protein expressions of DDX60, IFI44L, RSAD2, and RTP44 in tumor tissues were higher than those in normal tissues. Finally, univariate and multivariate Cox regression showed that DDX60, IFI44L, RSAD2, and RTP44 were independent prognostic indicators of OC. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the potential biomarkers and relevant pathways of OC from publicly available GEO database, and provided a theoretical basis for elucidating the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of OC.

[Value of autism screening checklists in the early identification of autism spectrum disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of autism screening checklists in the early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: A total of 2 571 children who attended the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and completed autism screening and diagnostic test were enrolled as subjects, among whom 2 074 were diagnosed with ASD, 261 were diagnosed with global developmental delay (GDD), 206 were diagnosed with developmental language disorder (DLD), and 30 had normal development. The sensitivity, specificity, and optimal threshold value of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) for the early identification of ASD were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: The M-CHAT had a high sensitivity of 88.3% but a low specificity of 36.0% for the identification of ASD. Its sensitivity decreased with age, and was maintained above 80% for children aged 16 to < 48 months. The ABC had a high specificity of 87.3% but a low sensitivity of 27.2%, with an optimal cut-off value of 47.5 based on the ROC curve analysis. The multivariate linear regression model based on a combination of the M-CHAT and ABC for screening of ASD showed a specificity of 85.8% and a sensitivity of 56.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The M-CHAT has a high sensitivity and a low specificity in the identification of ASD, with a better effect in children aged 16 to < 48 months. The ABC has a high specificity and a low sensitivity. The multiple linear regression model method based on the combined M-CHAT and ABC to screen ASD appears to be effective.

Hepatitis B virus infection and the risk of cancer among the Chinese population.

The relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and nonhepatocellular cancers remains inconclusive. This large case-control study aimed to assess the associations between HBV infection status and multiple cancers. Cases (n = 50 392) and controls (n = 11 361) were consecutively recruited from 2008 to 2016 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Multivariable adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using logistic regression by adjusting age and gender. A meta-analysis based on published studies was also performed to verify the associations. Of these, 12.1% of cases and 5.5% of controls were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositive. We observed significant associations between HBsAg seropositivity and esophagus cancer (aOR [95% CI] = 1.32 [1.13-1.54]), stomach cancer (1.46 [1.30-1.65]), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; 39.11 [35.08-43.59]), intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct carcinoma (ICC and ECC; 3.83 [2.58-5.67] and 1.72 [1.28-2.31]), pancreatic cancer (PaC; 1.37 [1.13-1.65]), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL; 1.88 [1.61-2.20]) and leukemia (11.48 [4.05-32.56]). Additionally, compared to participants with HBsAg-/anti-HBs-/anti-HBc-, participants with HBsAg-/anti-HBs-/anti-HBc+, indicating past HBV-infected, had an increased risk of esophagus cancer (aOR [95% CI] = 1.46 [1.24-1.73]), stomach cancer (1.20 [1.04-1.39]), HCC (4.80 [3.95-5.84]) and leukemia (15.62 [2.05-119.17]). Then the overall meta-analysis also verified that HBsAg seropositivity was significantly associated with stomach cancer (OR [95% CI] = 1.23 [1.14-1.33]), ICC (4.05 [2.78-5.90]), ECC (1.73 [1.30-2.30]), PaC (1.26 [1.09-1.46]), NHL (1.95 [1.55-2.44]) and leukemia (1.54 [1.26-1.88]). In conclusion, both our case-control study and meta-analysis confirmed the significant association of HBsAg seropositivity with stomach cancer, ICC, ECC, PaC, NHL and leukemia. Of note, our findings also suggested that the risk of stomach cancer elevated for people whoever exposed to HBV.

Effect of water chemistry on the aggregation and photoluminescence behavior of carbon dots.

Carbon dots are rapidly emerging carbon-based nanomaterials that, due to their growing applications, will inevitable find their way to natural waters; however, their environmental fate is mostly unknown. Carbon dots with different surface functionality were fabricated and characterized by TEM and FT-IR. Their surface charge, given by the zeta potential, and their hydrodynamic diameter in suspension were investigated under a variety of environmentally relevant conditions. The effect of ionic strength was studied in the presence of monovalent (NaCl) and divalent (CaCl2) cations, for pH levels from 3 to 11; humic acid was used as a model for dissolved natural organic matter. Total potential energies of interactions were modeled by classical DLVO theory. The experimental results showed that water chemistry altered the surface charge of the nanomaterials, but their hydrodynamic size could not be correlated to those changes. Evidence of specific interactions was found for the amino functionalized particles in most cases, as well as the plain carbon dots in the presence of Ca2+ and humic acid. Nanoparticles remained largely stable in suspension, with some exception at the highest ionic strength considered. DLVO theory did not adequately capture the aggregation behavior of the system. Moreover, cation and/or humic acid adsorption negatively affected the emission intensity of the particles, suggesting limitations to their use in natural water sensing applications. The particular stability shown by the carbon dots results in exposure to organisms in the water column and the possibility of contamination transported to significant distances from their source.

Facile Synthesis of Flowerlike LiFe5O8 Microspheres for Electrochemical Supercapacitors.

Facile synthesis of porous and hollow spinel materials is very urgent due to their extensive applications in the field of energy storage. In present work, flowerlike porous LiFe5O8 microspheres etched for 15, 30, and 45 min (named as p-LFO-15, p-LFO-30, and p-LFO-45, respectively) are successfully synthesized through a facile chemical etching method based on bulk LiFe5O8 (LFO) particles as precursors, and they are applied as electrode materials for high-performance electrochemical capacitors. In particular, the specific surface area of p-LFO-45 reaches 46.13 m2 g-1, which is 112 times greater than that of the unetched counterpart. Therefore, the p-LFO-45 electrode can achieve a higher capacitance of 278 F g-1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s-1 than the unetched counterpart. Furthermore, the p-LFO-45 electrode presents a good cycling stability with 78.3% of capacitive retention after 2000 cycles, which is much higher than that of the unetched LFO particles (66%). Therefore, the flowerlike porous LFO microspheres are very promising candidate materials for supercapacitor applications.

The players may change but the game remains: network analyses of ruminal microbiomes suggest taxonomic differences mask functional similarity.

By mapping translated metagenomic reads to a microbial metabolic network, we show that ruminal ecosystems that are rather dissimilar in their taxonomy can be considerably more similar at the metabolic network level. Using a new network bi-partition approach for linking the microbial network to a bovine metabolic network, we observe that these ruminal metabolic networks exhibit properties consistent with distinct metabolic communities producing similar outputs from common inputs. For instance, the closer in network space that a microbial reaction is to a reaction found in the host, the lower will be the variability of its enzyme copy number across hosts. Similarly, these microbial enzymes that are nearby to host nodes are also higher in copy number than are more distant enzymes. Collectively, these results demonstrate a widely expected pattern that, to our knowledge, has not been explicitly demonstrated in microbial communities: namely that there can exist different community metabolic networks that have the same metabolic inputs and outputs but differ in their internal structure.

Colloidal crystal templated molecular imprinted polymer for the detection of 2-butoxyethanol in water contaminated by hydraulic fracturing.

The authors describe a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) that enables detection of 2-butoxyethanol (2BE), a pollutant associated with hydraulic fracturing contamination. Detection is based on a combination of a colloidal crystal templating and a molecular imprinting. The MIPs are shown to display higher binding capacity for 2BE compared to non-imprinted films (NIPs), with imprinting efficiencies of ∼ 2. The tests rely on the optical effects that are displayed by the uniformly ordered porous structure of the material. The reflectance spectra of the polymer films have characteristic Bragg peaks whose location varies with the concentration of 2BE. Peaks undergo longwave red shifts up to 50 nm on exposure of the MIP to 2BE in concentrations in the range from 1 ppb to 100 ppm. This allows for quantitative estimates of the 2BE concentrations present in aqueous solutions. The material is intended for use in the early detection of contamination at hydraulic fracturing sites. Graphical abstract Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) sensor with the sensing ability on reflectance spectra responding to the presence of 2-butoxyethanol (2BE) for early detection of hydraulic fracking contamination.

Stream, Lake, and Reservoir Management.

This review on stream, lake, and reservoir management covers selected 2016 publications on the focus of the following sections: Stream, lake, and reservoir management • Water quality of stream, lake, and reservoir • Reservoir operations • Models of stream, lake, and reservoir • Remediation and restoration of stream, lake, and reservoir • Biota of stream, lake, and reservoir • Climate effect of stream, lake, and reservoir.

[Isolation, identification and inhibition activity of endophytes in Fengdan].

Endophytes were isolated and purified from the roots of medicinal plant Fengdan also known as Paeonia suffruticosa from Tongling region, Anhui province, China. Morphology and molecular biology methods were applied to indentify the endophyte strains. And methods of growth rate and filtering paper were also used for studying antibacterial/antifungal effects of the strains. As a result, 129 endophyte strains were isolated. Fifty-eight endophytic fungi strains were identified as 6 species in 4 genera and the dominant genus was Fusarium. Seventy-one endophytic bacteria strains were identified as 9 species in 3 genera and the dominant genus was Bacillus. Inhibitory diameter with endophytic fermenting liquid of Pseudomonas chlororaphis, F. nematophilum and B. megaterium from P. suffruticosa against Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli and B. subtilis reached 25.0,20.2,24.0 mm respectively. The inhibition rate of endophytic fermenting liquid from F. nematophilum against Penicillium sp. and Colletotrichum dematium reached 90.6% and 83.3%, respectively. The inhibition effect of P. chlororaphis against F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum and Mucor sp. was good and the antifungal rate reached 80.0% and 84.9%, respectively. P. suffruticosa in Tongling region contains abundant endophytes. P. chlororaphis and F. nematophilum are valuable species as starting strain about microbicide.

Emission of Carbon Dioxide and Methane from Duckweed Ponds for Stormwater Treatment.

This study determined the greenhouse gas emission from two laboratory-scale duckweed ponds for stormwater treatment. The rate of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from the two duckweed systems was 1472 ± 721 mg/m(2)·d and 626 ± 234 mg/m(2)·d, respectively. After the removal of duckweeds, CO2 emissions decreased to 492 ± 281 mg/m(2)·d and 395 ± 53 mg/m(2)·d, respectively. The higher CO2 emissions in the duckweed systems were attributed to duckweed biomass decay on the pond soil surface. A thin-film model was able to predict the increasing CO2 concentrations in the closed static chamber during 2 weeks of sampling. The initial methane fluxes from the duckweed systems were 299 ± 74 mg/m(2)·d and 180 ± 91 mg/m(2)·d, respectively. After the removal of duckweeds, the flux increased to 559 ± 215 mg/m(2)·d and 328 ± 114 mg/m(2)·d, respectively.