Haplotype-resolved genome of Mimosa bimucronata revealed insights into leaf movement and nitrogen fixation.

BACKGROUND: Mimosa bimucronata originates from tropical America and exhibits distinctive leaf movement characterized by a relative slow speed. Additionally, this species possesses the ability to fix nitrogen. Despite these intriguing traits, comprehensive studies have been hindered by the lack of genomic resources for M. bimucronata. RESULTS: To unravel the intricacies of leaf movement and nitrogen fixation, we successfully assembled a high-quality, haplotype-resolved, reference genome at the chromosome level, spanning 648 Mb and anchored in 13 pseudochromosomes. A total of 32,146 protein-coding genes were annotated. In particular, haplotype A was annotated with 31,035 protein-coding genes, and haplotype B with 31,440 protein-coding genes. Structural variations (SVs) and allele specific expression (ASE) analyses uncovered the potential role of structural variants in leaf movement and nitrogen fixation in M. bimucronata. Two whole-genome duplication (WGD) events were detected, that occurred ~ 2.9 and ~ 73.5 million years ago. Transcriptome and co-expression network analyses revealed the involvement of aquaporins (AQPs) and Ca2+-related ion channel genes in leaf movement. Moreover, we also identified nodulation-related genes and analyzed the structure and evolution of the key gene NIN in the process of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). CONCLUSION: The detailed comparative genomic and transcriptomic analyses provided insights into the mechanisms governing leaf movement and nitrogen fixation in M. bimucronata. This research yielded genomic resources and provided an important reference for functional genomic studies of M. bimucronata and other legume species.

Characterization of centromeric DNA of Gossypium anomalum reveals sequence-independent enrichment dynamics of centromeric repeats.

Centromeres in eukaryotes are composed of highly repetitive DNAs, which evolve rapidly and are thought to achieve a favorable structure in mature centromeres. However, how the centromeric repeat evolves into an adaptive structure is largely unknown. We characterized the centromeric sequences of Gossypium anomalum through chromatin immunoprecipitation against CENH3 antibodies. We revealed that the G. anomalum centromeres contained only retrotransposon-like repeats but were depleted in long arrays of satellites. These retrotransposon-like centromeric repeats were present in the African-Asian and Australian lineage species, suggesting that they might have arisen in the common ancestor of these diploid species. Intriguingly, we observed a substantial increase and decrease in copy numbers among African-Asian and Australian lineages, respectively, for the retrotransposon-derived centromeric repeats without apparent structure or sequence variation in cotton. This result indicates that the sequence content is not a decisive aspect of the adaptive evolution of centromeric repeats or at least retrotransposon-like centromeric repeats. In addition, two active genes with potential roles in gametogenesis or flowering were identified in CENH3 nucleosome-binding regions. Our results provide new insights into the constitution of centromeric repetitive DNA and the adaptive evolution of centromeric repeats in plants.

The formation and evolution of centromeric satellite repeats in Saccharum species.

Centromeres in eukaryotes are composed of tandem DNAs and retrotransposons. However, centromeric repeats exhibit considerable diversity, even among closely related species, and their origin and evolution are largely unknown. We conducted a genome-wide characterization of the centromeric sequences in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum). Four centromeric tandem repeat sequences, So1, So103, So137 and So119, were isolated. So1 has a monomeric length of 137 bp, typical of a centromeric satellite, and has evolved four variants. However, these So1 variants had distinct centromere distributions and some were unique to an individual centromere. The distributions of the So1 variants were unexpectedly consistent among the Saccharum species that had different basic chromosome numbers or ploidy levels, thus suggesting evolutionary stability for approximately 7 million years in sugarcane. So103, So137 and So119 had unusually longer monomeric lengths that ranged from 327 to 1371 bp and lacked translational phasing on the CENH3 nucleosomes. Moreover, So103, So137 and So119 seemed to be highly similar to retrotransposons, which suggests that they originated from these mobile elements. Notably, all three repeats were flanked by direct repeats, and formed extrachromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNAs). The presence of circular molecules for these retrotransposon-derived centromeric satellites suggests an eccDNA-mediated centromeric satellite formation pathway in sugarcane.

The safety and efficacy of different endovascular treatments for in-stent restenosis of the femoropopliteal artery: A network meta-analysis.

Introduction: Femoropopliteal artery in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a challenging treatment. We performed a network meta-analysis (NWM) for femoropopliteal artery ISR to explore the safety and efficacy of endovascular therapeutic strategies. Methods: The MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were used as data sources. The network meta-analysis (NWM) approach used random-effects models based on the frequentist framework. We compared technical success rate, primary patency, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and major amputation at the 12-month follow-up for femoropopliteal artery ISR. Results: In total, 14 eligible studies (10 prospective and four retrospective; 1348 patients; and eight treatment modalities - standard balloon angioplasty (SBA), drug-coated balloon (DCB), peripheral cutting balloon angioplasty (PCBA), Viabahn endoprosthesis (VBE), directional atherectomy (DA), excimer laser atherectomy (ELA), and combinations - were included. The primary patency rates (at 6 months) were significantly higher for DCB and ELA+DCB than for SBA and ELA+SBA. ELA+DCB had higher primary patency rates (at 12 months) than ELA+SBA and SBA. The technical success rates were significantly lower for DCB and SBA than for VBE. The major amputation rates were significantly lower for ELA+DCB than for DCB. Based on the surface values under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA), ELA+DCB was considered the best treatment in terms of primary patency at 6 months (SUCRA = 91.1), primary patency at 12 months (SUCRA = 82.3), and TLR (SUCRA = 83.4). Conclusion: ELA+DCB showed positive encouraging results in primary patency (6, 12 months), TLR, and major amputation in femoropopliteal ISR. The efficacy and safety of ELA+DCB are worthy of further investigation. PROSPERO Registration No.: CRD42021246674.

Exposure to short-chain chlorinated paraffins induces astrocyte activation via JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

In the last few decades, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) have become the most heavily produced monomeric organohalogen compounds, and have been reported to induce multiple organ toxicity. However, the effects of SCCPs on the central nervous system are unknown. In the present study, we show that SCCP exposure induced astrocyte proliferation and increased the expression of two critical markers of astrocyte activation, glial fibrillary acidic protein and inducible nitric oxide synthase, in vivo and in vitro. SCCP exposure also increased inflammatory factory gene expression. Moreover, SCCP treatment triggered Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signalling, as shown by increased phosphorylation and STAT3 translocation to the nucleus. Both JAK2 and STAT3 inhibition effectively attenuated SCCP-induced astrocyte activation. Finally, JAK2 inhibition significantly rescued STAT3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Taken together, JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation contributed to SCCP-induced astrocyte activation. These data will help elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying SCCP-induced neurotoxicity.

GPX4 degradation via chaperone-mediated autophagy contributes to antimony-triggered neuronal ferroptosis.

Exposure to antimony (Sb), recently identified as a nerve pollutant, can result in neuron damage; but, associated-neurotoxicological mechanisms were still not clear. Herein, we assessed the role of ferroptosis in Sb-mediated neurotoxicity and clarified the underlying mechanism. Following Sb exposure, ferroptosis was significantly promoted in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, following use of ferrostatin-1 (fer-1) to inhibit ferroptosis, Sb-induced ferroptosis in PC12 cells was effectively attenuated. Sb accelerated lysosomal transport and subsequent degradation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), resulting in ferroptosis. Furthermore, chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) was activated following treatment with Sb, while inhibition of CMA by lysosomal associated protein 2 A (LAMP2A) knockdown attenuated Sb-induced GPX4 degradation. Sb treatment also increased expression of the chaperones heat shock cognate protein 70 (HSC70) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and the lysosome receptor LAMP2A, and increased binding of HSP90, HSC70, and LAMP2A with GPX4 was observed, indicating increased formation of the chaperone-GPX4 complex. Finally, GPX4 overexpression significantly protected PC12 cells from activation of Sb-stimulated ferroptosis and subsequent cytotoxicity. Collectively, our results provide a original mechanism by which Sb triggers neurotoxicity, to concluded that Sb stimulates neuronal ferroptosis through CMA-mediated GPX4 degradation.

Insights into the Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase Superfamily in Osmanthus fragrans and the Role of OfCYP142 in Linalool Synthesis.

Osmanthus fragrans flowers have long been used as raw materials in food, tea, beverage, and perfume industries due to their attractive and strong fragrance. The P450 superfamily proteins have been reported to widely participate in the synthesis of plant floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To investigate the potential functions of P450 superfamily proteins in the fragrance synthesis of O. fragrans, we investigated the P450 superfamily genome wide. A total of 276 P450 genes were identified belonging to 40 families. The RNA-seq data suggested that many OfCYP genes were preferentially expressed in the flower or other organs, and some were also induced by multiple abiotic stresses. The expression patterns of seven flower-preferentially expressed OfCYPs during the five different flower aroma content stages were further explored using quantitative real-time PCR, showing that the CYP94C subfamily member OfCYP142 had the highest positive correlation with linalool synthesis gene OfTPS2. The transient expression of OfCYP142 in O. fragrans petals suggested that OfCYP142 can increase the content of linalool, an important VOC of the O. fragrans floral aroma, and a similar result was also obtained in flowers of OfCYP142 transgenic tobacco. Combined with RNA-seq data of the transiently transformed O. fragrans petals, we found that the biosynthesis pathway of secondary metabolites was significantly enriched, and many 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway genes were also upregulated. This evidence indicated that the OfCYP proteins may play critical roles in the flower development and abiotic response of O. fragrans, and that OfCYP142 can participate in linalool synthesis. This study provides valuable information about the functions of P450 genes and a valuable guide for studying further functions of OfCYPs in promoting fragrance biosynthesis of ornamental plants.

Atherectomy plus drug-coated balloon versus drug-coated balloon only for treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the safety and efficiency of atherectomy plus drug-coated balloon with drug-coated balloon only for the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed and reported following the requirement of the PRISMA. EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane library were queried from January 2000 to June 2020 to identify eligible literature. The modified Downs and Black checklist was used to assess the quality of included studies. Outcome measures included bail-out stenting, distal embolization, perforation, hematoma, primary patency at 12 months, target lesion revascularization at 12 months, leg amputation at 12 months, and mortality at 12 months. We used DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model to pool the dichotomous data on risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from each study to obtain an overall estimate for major outcomes. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Six studies (two randomized controlled trials and four retrospective cohort studies) with 470 patients were included. Atherectomy plus drug-coated balloon group was associated with lower rates of bail-out stenting (RR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.34-0.71, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between two groups in terms of distal embolization (RR: 2.06, 95%CI: 0.51-8.38, P = 0.31), perforation (RR: 2.04, 95%CI: 0.43-9.71, P = 0.37), hematoma (RR: 1.75, 95%CI: 0.43-7.09, P = 0.43), primary patency at 12 months (1.09, 95%CI: 0.98-1.21, P = 0.12), target lesion revascularization at 12 months (RR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.41-1.14, P = 0.15), leg amputations at 12 months (RR: 0.54, 95%CI: 0.13-2.23, P = 0.39), mortality at 12 months (RR: 2.18, 95%CI: 0.71-6.64, P = 0.17). Sensitivity analysis had no effect on our findings. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of atherectomy and drug-coated balloon was safe and effective in the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions, with lower incidence of bail-out stenting compared with drug-coated balloon only.

Malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of the lung synchronous with a primary adenocarcinoma: one case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumors (PEComa) is an extraordinarily rare mesenchymal neoplasm especially the malignant type originating from the lung. To date, only 8 cases of malignant or malignant potential pulmonary PEComa had been documented. Firm diagnostic criteria for malignant pulmonary PEComa need urgently to be established. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a challenging case of malignant pulmonary PEComa combined with a primary adenocarcinoma in a 54-year-old man. The PEComa-like tumor showed strong Melan-A and weak transcription factor E3 (TFE3) protein expression but no TFE3 gene rearrangement. The carcinoma-like nodule was recognized as a poorly differentiated primary lung adenocarcinoma. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our case report was the first case of malignant pulmonary PEComa synchronous with a primary adenocarcinoma and studied the dilemma of diagnosing benign versus malignant criteria for this uncommon tumor.

Transcriptomic Analysis of the Candidate Genes Related to Aroma Formation in Osmanthus fragrans.

Osmanthus fragrans, or "RiXiangGui", is an ornamental, woody, evergreen plant that is cultivated widely because it blooms recurrently and emits a strong fragrance. Recently, the germplasm resources, classification, and aroma compositions of O. fragrans have been investigated. However, the molecular mechanisms of the floral scent formation and regulation have remained largely unknown. To obtain a global perspective on the molecular mechanism of the aroma formation during blooming, nine RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) libraries were constructed from three flowering stages: The initial, full, and final flowering stage. In short, a total of 523,961,310 high-quality clean reads were assembled into 136,611unigenes, with an average sequence length of 792 bp. About 47.43% of the unigenes (64,795) could be annotated in the NCBI non-redundant protein database. A number of candidate genes were identified in the terpenoid metabolic pathways and 1327 transcription factors (TFs), which showed differential expression patterns among the floral scent formation stages, were also identified, especially OfMYB1, OfMYB6, OfWRKY1, and OfWRKY3, which could play critical roles in the floral scent formation. These results indicated that the floral scent formation of O. fragrans was a very complex process which involved a large number of TFs. This study provides reliable resources for further studies of the O.fragrans floral scent formation.

Sulfur dioxide and o-xylene co-treatment in biofilter: Performance, bacterial populations and bioaerosols emissions.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and benzene homologs are frequently present in the off-gas during the process of sewage sludge drying. A laboratory scale biofilter was set up to co-treat SO2 and o-xylene in the present study. SO2 and o-xylene could be removed simultaneously in a single biofilter. Their concentration ratio in the inlet stream influenced the removal efficiencies. It is worth noting that the removal of SO2 could be enhanced when low concentrations of o-xylene were introduced into the biofilter. Pseudomonas sp., Paenibacillus sp., and Bacillus sp. were the main functional bacteria groups in the biofilter. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) and o-xylene-degrading bacteria (XB) thrived in the biofilter and their counts as well as their growth rate increased with the increase in amount of SO2 and o-xylene supplied. The microbial populations differed in counts and species due to the properties and components of the compounds being treated in the biofilter. The presence of mixed substrates enhanced the diversity of the microbial population. During the treatment process, bioaerosols including potentially pathogenic bacteria, e.g., Acinetobacter lwoffii and Aeromonas sp., were emitted from the biofilter. Further investigation is needed to focus on the potential hazards caused by the bioaerosols emitted from waste gas treatment bioreactors.

Investigation of the effects of temperature and sludge characteristics on odors and VOC emissions during the drying process of sewage sludge.

Sludge drying is a necessary step for sludge disposal. In this study, sludge was collected from two wastewater treatment plants, and dried at different temperatures in the laboratory. The emission of odor and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) during the sludge drying process were determined by an online odor monitoring system. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in off-gas were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results showed that sludge with 30% moisture content could be obtained in 51 minutes under drying temperature 100 °C but only within 27 minutes under 150 °C. Concentration of odor, TVOCs, sulfur-containing compounds (SCCs), and amines were changed with drying temperature and sludge sources. The maximum concentration of odor, TVOCs, SCCs, and amines were 503.13 ppm, 3.01 ppm, 8.15 ppm, and 11.27 ppm, respectively, at drying temperature 100 °C. These values reached 1,250.79, 8.10, 53.51, and 37.80 ppm when sludge dried at 150 °C. Odor concentration had a close relationship with emission of SCCs, amines, and TVOCs. The main VOCs released were benzene series and organic acid. Potential migration of substances in sludge was examined via analysis of off-gas and condensate, aiming to provide scientific data for effective sludge treatment and off-gas control.

Continuous desulfurization and bacterial community structure of an integrated bioreactor developed to treat SO2 from a gas stream.

Sulfide dioxide (SO2) is often released during the combustion processes of fossil fuels. An integrated bioreactor with two sections, namely, a suspended zone (SZ) and immobilized zone (IZ), was applied to treat SO2 for 6months. Sampling ports were set in both sections to investigate the performance and microbial characteristics of the integrated bioreactor. SO2 was effectively removed by the synergistic effect of the SZ and IZ, and more than 85% removal efficiency was achieved at steady state. The average elimination capacity of SO2 in the bioreactor was 2.80g/(m(3)·hr) for the SZ and 1.50g/(m(3)·hr) for the IZ. Most SO2 was eliminated in the SZ. The liquid level of the SZ and the water content ratio of the packing material in the IZ affected SO2 removal efficiency. The SZ served a key function not only in SO2 elimination, but also in moisture maintenance for the IZ. The desired water content in IZ could be feasibly maintained without any additional pre-humidification facilities. Clone libraries of 16S rDNA directly amplified from the DNA of each sample were constructed and sequenced to analyze the community composition and diversity in the individual zones. The desulfurization bacteria dominated both zones. Paenibacillus sp. was present in both zones, whereas Ralstonia sp. existed only in the SZ. The transfer of SO2 to the SZ involved dissolution in the nutrient solution and biodegradation by the sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. This work presents a potential biological treatment method for waste gases containing hydrophilic compounds.

Reduction and characterization of bioaerosols in a wastewater treatment station via ventilation.

Bioaerosols from wastewater treatment processes are a significant subgroup of atmospheric aerosols. In the present study, airborne microorganisms generated from a wastewater treatment station (WWTS) that uses an oxidation ditch process were diminished by ventilation. Conventional sampling and detection methods combined with cloning/sequencing techniques were applied to determine the groups, concentrations, size distributions, and species diversity of airborne microorganisms before and after ventilation. There were 3021 ± 537 CFU/m³ of airborne bacteria and 926 ± 132 CFU/m³ of airborne fungi present in the WWTS bioaerosol. Results showed that the ventilation reduced airborne microorganisms significantly compared to the air in the WWTS. Over 60% of airborne bacteria and airborne fungi could be reduced after 4 hr of air exchange. The highest removal (92.1% for airborne bacteria and 89.1% for fungi) was achieved for 0.65-1.1 µm sized particles. The bioaerosol particles over 4.7 µm were also reduced effectively. Large particles tended to be lost by gravitational settling and small particles were generally carried away, which led to the relatively easy reduction of bioaerosol particles 0.65-1.1 µm and over 4.7 µm in size. An obvious variation occurred in the structure of the bacterial communities when ventilation was applied to control the airborne microorganisms in enclosed spaces.

Comparison of structural characteristics and anti-tumor activity of two alkali extracted peach gum arabinogalactan.

Two polysaccharides, PGP-90 and PGP-100 (molecular weights of 7.59 × 102 kDa and 10.48 × 102 kDa, respectively), were isolated from Peach gum using alkaline electrolyte water as an extraction solution. Structural characterization showed that PGP-90 and PGP-100 are AG-II arabinogalactans with ß-D-(1 â†’ 6)-Galp as the main chain and 1 â†’ 3 Araf and 1 â†’ 5 Araf branched chains at O-3 and O-4 positions. Animal experiments showed that PGP-90 and PGP-100 significantly improved immune function, enhance the proliferative capacity of lymphocytes and phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages, and regulated the ratio of lymphocyte subpopulations in S180 tumor-bearing mice. Meanwhile, PGP-90 and PGP-100 promoted the secretion of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-2) by activated macrophages and blocked apoptosis at the G1 phase, resulting in tumor suppression rates of 40.80 % and 46.30 % (100 mg/kg), respectively, with PGP-100 demonstrating stronger in vivo anti-tumor activity. The above experimental results indicate that Peach gum polysaccharides have the potential to be functional anti-tumor agents.

Selenochemical modification of low molecular weight polysaccharides from Grifola frondosa and the mechanism of their inhibitory effects on gastric cancer cells.

An important micronutrient involved in immune response and antitumor is selenium. LMW-GFP, a polysaccharide extracted from Grifola frondosa seed bodies, has a relatively weak antitumor effect on BGC-823 and MFC cells in vitro, whereas selenium binding to LMW-GFP can significantly increase the in vitro antitumor activity of LMW-GFP. In this study, Se-LMW-GFP was prepared by the HNO3-Na2SeO3 method, and the structures of LMW-GFP and Se-LMW-GFP were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy of absorption, FTIR spectroscopy, and electron scanning microscopy, and these structural analyses showed that selenium was successfully complexed to LMW-GFP. The selenium content of Se-LMW-GFP was measured to be 2.08 % ± 0.08 % by ICP-MS. The anti-tumor activity of LMW-GFP before and after selenium modification was compared by cellular experiments, and the findings indicated that the anti-tumor activity of Se-LMW-GFP was considerably improved over that of LMW-GFP, and inhibited the proliferation of BGC-823 cells and MFC cells through a combination of the Fas/FasL-mediated exogenous death receptor pathway as well as the endogenous mitochondrial pathway. Our results suggest that Se-LMW-GFP not only has great potential for natural health food and anti-gastric cancer drug development but is also a good selenium supplement.

TRPML1 contributes to antimony-induced nephrotoxicity by initiating ferroptosis via chaperone-mediated autophagy.

Evidence suggests that ferroptosis participates in kidney injury. However, the role of ferroptosis in antimony (Sb) induced nephrotoxicity and the mechanism are unknown. Here, we demonstrated that Sb induced injury in renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) and ferroptosis. Inhibition of ferroptosis reduced RTECs injury. Besides, elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) alleviated ferroptosis and RTECs injury. Moreover, exposure to Sb not only increased the co-localization of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and LAMP1, but also decreased the levels of MEF2D and LRRK2, while increased the levels of HSC70, HSP90, and LAMP2a. These findings suggest that Sb activates chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), enhances lysosomal transport and subsequent degradation of GPX4, ultimately leads to ferroptosis. Additionally, up-regulation of lysosomal cationic channel, TRPML1, mitigated RTECs injury and ferroptosis. Mechanistically, up-regulation of TRPML1 mitigated the changes in CMA-associated proteins induced by Sb, diminished the binding of HSC70, HSP90, and TRPML1 with LAMP2a. Furthermore, NAC restored the decreased TRPML1 level caused by Sb. In summary, deficiency of TRPML1, secondary to increased ROS induced by Sb, facilitates the CMA-dependent degradation of GPX4, thereby leading to ferroptosis and RTECs injury. These findings provide insights into the mechanism underlying Sb-induced nephrotoxicity and propose TRPML1 as a promising therapeutic target.

Circulating Flow-Electric-Field-Configuration-Enhanced Cadmium Cementation from Sulfate Systems and Its Optimization Mechanism.

In this work, a novel flow-electric field coupling configuration was designed and implemented for enhancing Zn-Cd cementation. A series of tests was conducted to explore the optimization of the Zn-Cd cementation process and its mechanism. Firstly, the various characteristics of the sponge cadmium at various locations in the device were compared, and it was concluded that the optimum purity of the sponge cadmium obtained from the anode was up to 94.1%. The generation and stripping of the cadmium sponge was revealed for the first time by cross-sectional electron microscopy. The four stages of the apparent reaction in the system were analyzed in relation to the pH, cadmium concentration and cadmium sponge flaking at each flow rate. It was proved that the separation of cadmium sponge mainly occurred in the third phase. Secondly, by comparing the morphology and specific surface area of the cadmium sponge at different flow rates, the optimum flow field velocity was identified as 30 mL/s. At this point, the specific surface area reached a maximum of 1.151 m2/g. Six flow field configurations were compared and preferred. The results demonstrated that the LCAH (Low-Cathode-Anode-High) modulation resulted in a sparser structure of the cadmium sponge, which was more easily exfoliated from the zinc anode surface by fluid impact. This was considered to be the most beneficial flow field configuration for improving the cadmium cementation rate and reducing the cost of the reaction. Moreover, the reaction steps of the system were analyzed. Its rate-limiting step was initially empirically identified as the diffusion step and proven by calculating the activation energy of 12.6 kJ/mol. It was confirmed that the diffusion process under different flow field configurations followed the first-order kinetic principle. In addition, the system's reaction phases were compared. Calculations confirmed that the diffusion process under various flow field configurations followed first-order kinetics. The diffusion coefficient of LACH proved to be the highest in the comparative tests, and the evident experimental results supported this conclusion.

Combined Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis Provides Insights into Petaloidy in Pomegranate.

Petaloidy leads to a plump floral pattern and increases the landscape value of ornamental pomegranates; however, research on the mechanism of petaloidy in ornamental pomegranates is limited. In this study, we aimed to screen candidate genes related to petaloidy. We performed transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing of the stamens and petals of single-petal and double-petal flowers of ornamental pomegranates. Briefly, 24,567 genes and 5865 proteins were identified, of which 5721 genes were quantified at both transcriptional and translational levels. In the petal and stamen comparison groups, the association between differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was higher than that between all genes and all proteins, indicating that petaloidy impacts the correlation between genes and proteins. The enrichment results of transcriptome, proteome, and correlation analyses showed that cell wall metabolism, jasmonic acid signal transduction, redox balance, and transmembrane transport affected petaloidy. Nine hormone-related DEGs/DAPs were selected, among which ARF, ILR1, LAX2, and JAR1 may promote petal doubling. Sixteen transcription factor DEGs/DAPs were selected, among which EREBP, LOB, MEF2, MYB, C3H, and trihelix may promote petal doubling. Our results provide transcriptomic and proteomic data on the formation mechanism of petaloidy and a theoretical basis for breeding new ornamental pomegranate varieties.

Preparation of Heavy Metal Trapping Flocculant Polyacrylamide-Glutathione and Its Application for Cadmium Removal from Water.

In this study, a heavy metal trapping gel with multiple ligand groups was prepared for the first time using response surface methodology. The gel was produced by condensing and grafting glutathione as a grafting monomer onto the main polyacrylamide chain, based on the Mannich reaction mechanism with formaldehyde. FTIR, SEM, TG-DSC, and zeta potentials were used to characterize the gel. The results demonstrated that the gel was morphologically folded and porous, with a net-like structure, which enhanced its net trapping and sweeping abilities, and that glutathione was used to provide sulfhydryl groups to boost the metal trapping ability of polyacrylamide. Coagulation experiments showed that the highest efficiency of the removal of Cd ions from water samples was achieved when the concentration of polyacrylamide-glutathione was 84.48 mgL-1, the concentration of Cd was 10.0 mgL-1, the initial turbidity was 10.40 NTU, and the initial pH was 9.0. Furthermore, the presence of two cations, Cu and Zn, had an inhibitory effect on the removal of Cd ions. In addition, analysis of the zeta potential revealed the flocculation of polyacrylamide-glutathione. The flocculation mechanism of glutathione is mainly chelation, adsorption bridging, and netting sweeping.