Comprehensive single-cell analysis deciphered microenvironmental dynamics and immune regulator olfactomedin 4 in pathogenesis of gallbladder cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Elucidating complex ecosystems and molecular features of gallbladder cancer (GBC) and benign gallbladder diseases is pivotal to proactive cancer prevention and optimal therapeutic intervention. DESIGN: We performed single-cell transcriptome analysis on 230 737 cells from 15 GBCs, 4 cholecystitis samples, 3 gallbladder polyps, 5 gallbladder adenomas and 16 adjacent normal tissues. Findings were validated through large-scale histological assays, digital spatial profiler multiplexed immunofluorescence (GeoMx), etc. Further molecular mechanism was demonstrated with in vitro and in vivo studies. RESULTS: The cell atlas unveiled an altered immune landscape across different pathological states of gallbladder diseases. GBC featured a more suppressive immune microenvironment with distinct T-cell proliferation patterns and macrophage attributions in different GBC subtypes. Notably, mutual exclusivity between stromal and immune cells was identified and remarkable stromal ecosystem (SC) heterogeneity during GBC progression was unveiled. Specifically, SC1 demonstrated active interaction between Fibro-iCAF and Endo-Tip cells, correlating with poor prognosis. Moreover, epithelium genetic variations within adenocarcinoma (AC) indicated an evolutionary similarity between adenoma and AC. Importantly, our study identified elevated olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) in epithelial cells as a central player in GBC progression. OLFM4 was related to T-cell malfunction and tumour-associated macrophage infiltration, leading to a worse prognosis in GBC. Further investigations revealed that OLFM4 upregulated programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression through the MAPK-AP1 axis, facilitating tumour cell immune evasion. CONCLUSION: These findings offer a valuable resource for understanding the pathogenesis of gallbladder diseases and indicate OLFM4 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for GBC.

Detecting Bacteria with Ultralow Concentrations by Enzymatic Cascade Reaction-Amplifying Strategy.

Bacteria can cause infectious diseases even at ultralow concentrations (<1 CFU/mL). It is important to rapidly identify bacterial contamination at ultralow concentrations. Herein, FITC-labeled gelatinase-sensitive nanoparticles (GNPs@FITCs) and NFM@GNP@FITCs are designed and fabricated as ultralow concentration bacteria detection platforms based on an enzymatic cascade reaction-amplifying strategy. Bacterial secretions could trigger the dissociation of GNPs@FITCs to release FITC, with gelatinase used as the model secretion. The detectable signal of ultralow concentration bacteria could be amplified effectively by the gelatinase-triggered cascade reaction. Bacterial concentration was evaluated by the change in fluorescence density. The results showed that the GNPs@FITCs and NFM@GNP@FITCs could be used for identifying bacterial contamination qualitatively, even when the bacterial contamination is lower than 1 CFU/mL. Moreover, the method has better timeliness and convenience, when compared with national standards. As solid films, NFM@GNP@FITCs have better long-term storage stability than GNPs@FITCs. The potential applications of GNPs@FITC and NFM@GNP@FITCs were proved by detecting pathogenic bacteria in food. All the results showed that the method has great potential for screening pathogenic bacterial contamination qualitatively.

First report of Fusarium solani causing wilt disease on Gleditsia sinensis in Tianjin, China.

The Gleditsia sinensis Lam. widely grown in China is a perennial plant with medicinal properties (Zhang et al. 2016). Since 2019, the leaves of G. sinensis have exhibited yellowing and wilting, and the plants have gradually become stunted and dead in Taifeng park of Binhai New Area in Tianjin (39.02° N; 117.65° E). In this park, there are two types of G. sinensis, one is with round branch thorns, the other is with flat branch thorns. The G. sinensis with round branch thorns did not grow well and almost all plants had disease symptoms. The samples were collected on October, 2021 and deposited in Plant Disease Laboratory of Tianjin Agricultural University under accession no. PATAU211018. The disease symptoms consisted of foliage wilt (Figure 1A), plant drying and vascular tissue discoloration (Figure 1B). The stem sections from different plants were surface-disinfested in 0.6% NaClO, wiped with 75% ethanol and rinsed with sterile water. Thirty tissue samples were placed on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium and cultured at 28℃ for 7 days (Uppala et al. 2013). Thirty fungal isolates with the same morphological characteristics were obtained from the samples. Five representative isolates (PATAU211018-05, PATAU211018-07, PATAU211018-10, PATAU211018-12 and PATAU211018-21) were collected and purified using the single-spore method (Li et al. 2022). Colonies of the five isolates on PDA grew in a circular shape and showed abundant white densely fluffy aerial mycelium (Figure 1C). Morphological characteristics included septate and hyaline hyphae, long cylindrical monophialides (Figure 1D), macroconidia (Figure 1E) and microconidia (Figure 1F). Macroconidia were falcate, 2-5-septate, hyaline, 18-40 × 4-6 µm (n = 50). Microconidia were hyaline, oblong, 0-1-septate, 5-14 × 2-6 µm (n = 50). These morphological characteristics were consistent with the description of Fusarium solani. (Chitrampalam et al. 2018). PATAU211018-12 was randomly chosen for molecular analysis as the representative isolate given the similarity of these isolates. For further identification, the genomic DNA of isolate PATAU211018-12 was extracted. The fragments of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1α (EF1α) gene and RNA polymerase II subunit (RPB2) were amplified and sequenced (O'Donnell et al. 2008; Carbone et al. 1999). The sequences of ITS, EF1α, and RPB2 of PATAU211018-12 were deposited in GenBank under the accession no. of OP735578, ON630412 and OP746032, respectively. Phylogenetic trees were constructed in MAGA X (Kumar et al. 2018) using the neighbor-joining (NJ) method based on the concatenated sequences of ITS, EF1α, and RPB2 (Figure 2). The isolate (PATAU211018-12) grouped with F. solani (JS-169) with a bootstrap value of 100 in the phylogenetic tree. The morphology and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis indicated that the new isolate is F. solani. Pathogenicity tests were carried out on one-year-old G. sinensis seedlings with round branch thorns (n=6). The F. solani isolate PATAU211018-12 was cultured in Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) at 28°C on a shaker at 150 rpm for 5 days. Mycelia were filtered through four layers of sterilized lens paper and the conidia were obtained for pathogenicity tests. G. sinensis was infected by F. solani through root soaking method. The roots were inoculated by dipping in conidial suspension with the concentration of 107 conidia/mL for 30 minutes. Control plants (n=6) were treated with distilled water. Plants were in pots indoors at 25℃. At 20 days after inoculation, the leaves of inoculated plants were chlorotic and wilted (Figure 1G), symptoms similar to those observed in the park. In contrast, the leaves of control plants were symptomless (Figure 1H). The pathogenicity assay was repeated three times. The fungal isolate was re-isolated from the disease tissues and verified as F. solani based on morphology and molecular character (ITS, EF1α and RPB2). F. solani has been reported as pathogens on many plants, such as Eriobotrya japonica (Wu et al. 2021), Fragaria × ananassa (Pastrana et al. 2014), Gastrodia elata (Li et al. 2022) and Hedysarum boreale (Uppala et al. 2013). To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. solani causing disease on G. sinensis in China. Identification of F. solani as a disease agent in G. sinensis will assist in disease management for this important tree crop.

Clinical Efficacy of 2-Needle Joint Lavage for Osteoarthritis-Related Knee Pain and Predictors of Response Based on Knee MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score: A Medical Records Review Study.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is notoriously difficult to treat. Pain is the key symptom for patients to seek medical attention. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of joint lavage (JL) for OA-related knee pain and to explore the knee pathological changes detected by magnetic resonance imaging that may affect the prognosis of patients who received JL. METHODS: Eighty-two hospitalized patients who were diagnosed with knee OA and received JL in our department were finally enrolled in this study. The patients' clinical data including Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale, analgesic medication usage, adverse events, and magnetic resonance imaging data of the affected knee joint scored by the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: The NRS scores significantly decreased after JL and remained steady until 6 months ( p < 0.001). The Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index pain scores and the percentage of patients who needed analgesic medication significantly decreased at 6 months compared with baseline ( p < 0.001). At 6 months after JL, 51 of the 82 patients experienced ≥50% improvement in their NRS scores (effective). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that duration of pain (odds ratio [OR], 1.022; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.003-1.042; p = 0.024), bone marrow lesion score (OR, 1.221; 95% CI, 1.028-1.450; p = 0.023), and cartilage loss score (OR, 1.272; 95% CI, 1.021-1.585; p = 0.032) significantly influenced the therapeutic efficacy of JL. CONCLUSIONS: JL treatment can significantly alleviate the OA-related knee pain in at least 6 months. JL tends to provide limited benefit for patients with long duration of pain, serious bone marrow lesions, and severe cartilage loss.

Inhibition of exosome release augments neuroinflammation following intracerebral hemorrhage.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a severe stroke subtype without effective pharmacological treatment. Following ICH, peripheral leukocytes infiltrate into the brain and contribute to neuroinflammation and brain edema. However, the intercellular machinery controlling the initiation and propagation of leukocyte infiltration remains elusive. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles released from donor cells and bridge intercellular communication. In this study, we investigated the effects of inhibition of exosome release on neuroinflammation and ICH injury. Using a mouse model of ICH induced by collagenase injection, we found that ICH induced an increase of exosome level in the brain. Inhibition of exosome release using GW4869 augmented neurological deficits and brain edema after ICH. The exacerbation of ICH injury was accompanied by increased barrier disruption and brain infiltration of leukocytes. The detrimental effects of GW4869 were ablated in ICH mice receiving antibody depletion of Gr-1+ myeloid cells. Extracted exosomes from the ICH brains suppressed the production of inflammatory factors by splenocytes. Additionally, exosomes extracted from brain tissues of donor ICH mice reduced ICH injury in recipient mice. These results demonstrate that inhibition of exosome release augments neuroinflammation and ICH injury. The impact of exosomes released from the ICH brain on the immune system deserves further investigation.

Template-Mediated Assembly of DNA into Microcapsules for Immunological Modulation.

There is a need for effective vaccine delivery systems and vaccine adjuvants without extraneous excipients that can compromise or minimize their efficacy. Vaccine adjuvants cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) can effectively activate immune responses to secrete cytokines. However, CpG ODNs are not stable in serum due to enzymatic cleavage and are difficult to transport through cell membranes. Herein, DNA microcapsules made of CpG ODNs arranged into 3D nanostructures are developed to improve the serum stability and immunostimulatory effect of CpG. The DNA microcapsules allow encapsulation and co-delivery of cargoes, including glycogen. The DNA capsules, with >4 million copies of CpG motifs per capsule, are internalized in cells and accumulate in endosomes, where the Toll-like receptor 9 is engaged by CpG. The capsules induce up to 10-fold and 20-fold increases in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 secretion, respectively, in RAW264.7 cells compared with CpG ODNs. Furthermore, the microcapsules stimulate TNF-α and IL-6 secretion in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The immunostimulatory activity of the capsules correlates to their intracellular trafficking, endosomal confinement, and degradation, assessed by confocal and super-resolution microscopy. These DNA capsules can serve as both adjuvants to stimulate an immune reaction and vehicles to encapsulate vaccine peptides/genes to achieve synergistic immune effects.

The experimental optimization and comprehensive environmental risk assessment of heavy metals during the enhancement of sewage sludge dewaterability with ethanol and Fe(â ¢)-rice husk.

The optimal concentrations of ethanol, Fe3+ and rice husk (RH) to enhance sludge dewaterability were determined by response surface methodology (RSM). Results showed the optimal concentrations of ethanol, Fe3+ and RH were 22.2 g/g DS, 239.9 mg/g DS and 348.9 mg/g DS, respectively, and the CST reduction efficiency reached 72.3%. The transformation behavior and mechanism of the heavy metals (HMs) during conditioning process were determined in terms of total HMs content, leaching tests, and fraction distribution. The environmental risk of HMs was quantitatively evaluated after conditioning in terms of bioavailability and ecotoxicity, potential ecological risks, and pollution levels. Results showed that the high ecological risk of HMs in raw sludge cake is primarily dominated by Cd and the use of Fe3+ alone negatively affected the immobilization of HMs and reduction of leaching toxicity. However, after repeated conditioning with Fe3+ and ethanol, the total HMs content reduction values in sludge cake were 75%, 93%, 100%, 91%, and 74% for Pb, Cr, Cd, Zn, and Cu, respectively. The potential ecological risk index (PERI) and geoaccumulation indicated low or no overall environmental risk after repeated conditioning. Particularly, the risk of Cd was reduced from high risk to low risk after repeated conditioning according to the PERI. Ethanol/Fe3+-RH can effectively reduce HMs risk from the sludge cake in the dewatering tests.

Expanding the Toolbox of Metal-Phenolic Networks via Enzyme-Mediated Assembly.

Functional coatings are of considerable interest because of their fundamental implications for interfacial assembly and promise for numerous applications. Universally adherent materials have recently emerged as versatile functional coatings; however, such coatings are generally limited to catechol, (ortho-diphenol)-containing molecules, as building blocks. Here, we report a facile, biofriendly enzyme-mediated strategy for assembling a wide range of molecules (e.g., 14 representative molecules in this study) that do not natively have catechol moieties, including small molecules, peptides, and proteins, on various surfaces, while preserving the molecule's inherent function, such as catalysis (≈80 % retention of enzymatic activity for trypsin). Assembly is achieved by in situ conversion of monophenols into catechols via tyrosinase, where films form on surfaces via covalent and coordination cross-linking. The resulting coatings are robust, functional (e.g., in protective coatings, biological imaging, and enzymatic catalysis), and versatile for diverse secondary surface-confined reactions (e.g., biomineralization, metal ion chelation, and N-hydroxysuccinimide conjugation).

Oxidation-Mediated Kinetic Strategies for Engineering Metal-Phenolic Networks.

The tunable growth of metal-organic materials has implications for engineering particles and surfaces for diverse applications. Specifically, controlling the self-assembly of metal-phenolic networks (MPNs), an emerging class of metal-organic materials, is challenging, as previous studies suggest that growth often terminates through kinetic trapping. Herein, kinetic strategies were used to temporally and spatially control MPN growth by promoting self-correction of the coordinating building blocks through oxidation-mediated MPN assembly. The formation and growth mechanisms were investigated and used to engineer films with microporous structures and continuous gradients. Moreover, reactive oxygen species generated by ultrasonication expedite oxidation and result in faster (ca. 30 times) film growth than that achieved by other MPN assembly methods. This study expands our understanding of metal-phenolic chemistry towards engineering metal-phenolic materials for various applications.

[Evaluation on the capability of testing total dissolved solids of the provincial centers for disease control and prevention].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) provincial divisions' capabilities of detecting concentrations of organoleptic and physical parameter of total dissolved solids by adopging a quality control assessment methodology of interlaboratory comparison. METHODS: All laboratories had been divided into 2 groups of which contained 16 laboratories. Total dissolvedsolids' concentrations were assigned to 2 sample groups. Testing capabilities of the laboratories were evaluated through the use of robust statistical methods. RESULTS: Thirty-two CDC provincial divisions, including municipalities under the central government and in autonomous regions, participated in this interlaboratory comparison. Thirty laboratories obtained positive results, accounting for 93. 8%. Two laboratories' results were suspicious, accounting for 6. 2%. Finally, no laboratories produced outliers. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of provincial CDC participants in this interlaboratory comparison are capable of testing the concentrations of total dissolvedsolidsin drinking water.

[Evaluation on the capability of testing carbon tetrachloride, benzene, methylbenzene, dimethylbenzene, p' p-DDT of the provincial centers for disease control and prevention].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) provincial divisions' capabilities of detectingconcentrations of organic parameters such as carbon tetrachloride, benzene, methylbenzene, dimethylbenzene and pesticide parameter of p' p-DDT in drinking water, by adopting a quality control assessment methodology of interlaboratory comparison. METHODS: All laboratories had been divided into 2 groups, each of which contained aboutl6 laboratories. Organic concentrations and pesticide concentrations were assigned to 2 sample groups. Testing capabilities of the laboratories were evaluated through the use of robust statistical methods. RESULTS: Thirty CDC provincial divisions, including municipalities under the central government and in autonomous regions, participated in this interlaboratory comparison. Twenty laboratories obtained positive results in all parameters, accounting for 66.7%. Eight laboratories' results were suspicious, accounting for 26.7%. Finally, 2 laboratories produced outliers, accounting for 6.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of provincial CDC participants in this interlaboratory comparison are capable of testing the concentrations of organic parameterssuch as carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and methylbenzene, dimethyl benzene, and pesticide concentrations of p' p-DDT in drinking water.

Microecological regulation in HCC therapy: Gut microbiome enhances ICI treatment.

The exploration of the complex mechanisms of cancer immunotherapy is rapidly evolving worldwide, and our focus is on the interaction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly as it relates to the regulatory role of the gut microbiome. An important basis for the induction of immune responses in HCC is the presence of specific anti-tumor cells that can be activated and reinforced by ICIs, which is why the application of ICIs results in sustained tumor response rates in the majority of HCC patients. However, mechanisms of acquired resistance to immunotherapy in unresectable HCC result in no long-term benefit for some patients. The significant heterogeneity of inter-individual differences in the gut microbiome in response to treatment with ICIs makes it possible to target modulation of specific gut microbes to assist in augmenting checkpoint blockade therapies in HCC. This review focuses on the complex relationship between the gut microbiome, host immunity, and HCC, and emphasizes that manipulating the gut microbiome to improve response rates to cancer ICI therapy is a clinical strategy with unlimited potential.

Nature-Inspired Wet Drug Delivery Platforms.

Nature has created various organisms with unique chemical components and multi-scale structures (e.g., foot proteins, toe pads, suckers, setose gill lamellae) to achieve wet adhesion functions to adapt to their complex living environments. These organisms can provide inspirations for designing wet adhesives with mediated drug release behaviors in target locations of biological surfaces. They exhibit conformal and enhanced wet adhesion, addressing the bottleneck of weaker tissue interface adhesion in the presence of body fluids. Herein, it is focused on the research progress of different wet adhesion and bioinspired fabrications, including adhesive protein-based adhesion and inspired adhesives (e.g., mussel adhesion); capillarity and Stefan adhesion and inspired adhesive surfaces (e.g., tree frog adhesion); suction-based adhesion and inspired suckers (e.g., octopus' adhesion); interlocking and friction-based adhesion and potential inspirations (e.g., mayfly larva and teleost adhesion). Other secreted protein-induced wet adhesion is also reviewed and various suckers for other organisms and their inspirations. Notably, one representative application scenario of these bioinspired wet adhesives is highlighted, where they function as efficient drug delivery platforms on target tissues and/or organs with requirements of both controllable wet adhesion and optimized drug release. Finally, the challenges of these bioinspired wet drug delivery platforms in the future is presented.

Identification of gut microbes-related molecular subtypes and their biomarkers in colorectal cancer.

The role of gut microbes (GM) and their metabolites in colorectal cancer (CRC) development has attracted increasing attention. Several studies have identified specific microorganisms that are closely associated with CRC occurrence and progression, as well as key genes associated with gut microorganisms. However, the extent to which gut microbes-related genes can serve as biomarkers for CRC progression or prognosis is still poorly understood. This study used a bioinformatics-based approach to synthetically analyze the large amount of available data stored in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Through this analysis, this study identified two distinct CRC molecular subtypes associated with GM, as well as CRC markers related to GM. In addition, these new subtypes exhibit significantly different survival outcomes and are characterized by distinct immune landscapes and biological functions. Gut microbes-related biomarkers (GMRBs), IL7 and BCL10, were identified and found to have independent prognostic value and predictability for immunotherapeutic response in CRC patients. In addition, a systematic collection and review of prior research literature on GM and CRC provided additional evidence to support these findings. In conclusion, this paper provides new insights into the underlying pathological mechanisms by which GM promotes the development of CRC and suggests potentially viable solutions for individualized prevention, screening, and treatment of CRC.

Engineering poly(ethylene glycol) particles for targeted drug delivery.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is considered to be the "gold standard" among the stealth polymers employed for drug delivery. Using PEG to modify or engineer particles has thus gained increasing interest because of the ability to prolong blood circulation time and reduce nonspecific biodistribution of particles in vivo, owing to the low fouling and stealth properties of PEG. In addition, endowing PEG-based particles with targeting and drug-loading properties is essential to achieve enhanced drug accumulation at target sites in vivo. In this feature article, we focus on recent work on the synthesis of PEG particles, in which PEG is the main component in the particles. We highlight different synthesis methods used to generate PEG particles, the influence of the physiochemical properties of PEG particles on their stealth and targeting properties, and the application of PEG particles in targeted drug delivery.

The environmental impact of mask-derived microplastics on soil ecosystems.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increased number of masks were used and improperly disposed of. For example, the global monthly consumption of approximately 129 billion masks. Masks, composed of fibrous materials, can readily release microplastics, which may threaten various soil ecosystem components such as plants, animals, microbes, and soil properties. However, the specific effects of mask-derived microplastics on these components remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the effects of mask-derived microplastics (grouped by different concentrations: 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 % w/w) on soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, growth performance of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. ramosa Hort.) and earthworm (Eisenia fetida) under laboratory conditions for 80 days. Our findings suggest that mask-derived microplastics reduced soil bulk density while increasing the mean weight diameter of soil aggregates and modifying nutrient levels, including organic matter, potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. An increase in the abundance of denitrification bacteria (Rhodanobacteraceae) was also observed. Mask-derived microplastics were found to reduce lettuce germination, and a hormesis effect of low-concentration stimulation and high-concentration inhibition was observed on biomass, chlorophyll, and root activity. While the mortality of earthworms was not significantly affected by the mask-derived microplastics, but their growth was inhibited. Collectively, our results indicate that mask-derived microplastics can substantially impact soil properties, plant growth, and earthworm health, with potential implications for soil ecosystem functionality.

Enhanced Cd activation by Coprinus comatus endophyte Bacillus thuringiensis and the molecular mechanism.

Fungal endophytes not only tolerate and activate Cd in soil but also promote host growth, yet its Cd activation capacity and mechanism remain unrevealed. Our previous study isolated a robust endophyte Bacillus thuringiensis L1 from Coprinus comatus fruiting body with splendid Cd resistance and activation abilities under laboratory conditions. In this study, those peculiarities were investigated in the actual soil environment. L1 could significantly increase the soil bioavailable Cd content and effectively compensate for alkali-hydro nitrogen losses and microbial inhibition caused by Cd. Furthermore, L1 inoculation improved the soil's bacterial community structure and increased the relative abundance of Cd-resistant bacteria, such as Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacter, and Firmicutes, closely associated with the soil enzyme activity shift. The genome sequencing analysis revealed the presence of genes related to growth promotion, resistance to Cd stress, and Cd activation, which were significantly up-regulated under Cd stress. Notably, L1 mainly activates Cd in soil by secreting citric acid, succinic acid, siderophore, and soluble phosphorus substances to chelate with Cd or dissolve bounded Cd. Meanwhile, the metal-responsive transcription repressor (CadC) and the Cd-translocating protein P-type ATPase (CadA) can help the L1 to suppress the toxicity of Cd. Those results help to unveil the possible mechanism of L1 in Cd-contaminated soil remediation, providing a clear strategy for Cd bio-extraction from soil.

Study on Plant-blanket to reduce heavy metal migration caused by precipitation and to improve the soil environment of pyritic tailings.

The increasing demand for mineral resources due to industrial development has led to significant tailings pollution during the mineral extraction process. In the southwestern region of China, a large amount of pyritic tailings containing pyrite cinder easily leaches heavy metals and other pollutants when exposed to precipitation, resulting in widespread soil contamination. Effective remediation methods are urgently needed to address this issue. This study utilized naturally occurring Plant-blanket formed by the symbiosis of moss and herbaceous plants on pyritic tailings as restoration material. Through leaching experiments and staining tracer techniques, the study investigated the ability of Plant-blanket to reduce the migration of heavy metals from pyrite cinder to soil under the influence of precipitation and its role in improving the soil environment. The results showed that within 12 h, the Plant-blanket could absorb water equivalent to 206.9 % of its own weight and had good water retention ability. It reduced the stained area ratio of soil horizontal and vertical profiles after precipitation leaching by a maximum of 76.08 % and 46.41 %, respectively, and improved the pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), bulk density, and water content of soil at different depths. In addition, after being covered by Plant-blanket, the migration of Cd and Cu was reduced by a maximum of 44.35 % and 55.77 % respectively, and it increased the diversity and abundance of bacterial communities, promoting the recovery of soil microbial ecological functions. These findings indicate that Plant-blanket can regulate water and improve soil environment, and has certain control ability on the migration of Cd and Cu produced by pyritic tailings. Meanwhile, Plant-blanket plays an important role in improving the soil environment in mining areas and promoting ecosystem restoration, providing valuable reference for further exploration of ecological restoration of tailings.

Cell interactions with lipid nanoparticles possessing different internal nanostructures: Liposomes, bicontinuous cubosomes, hexosomes, and discontinuous micellar cubosomes.

HYPOTHESIS: Lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LLCNPs) with complex internal nanostructures hold promise for drug delivery. Cubosomes, in particular, have garnered interest for their ability to fuse with cell membranes, potentially bypassing endosomal escape challenges and improving cellular uptake. The mesostructure of nanoparticles plays a crucial role in cellular interactions and uptake. Therefore, we hypothesise that the specific internal mesophase of the LLCNPs will affect their cellular interactions and uptake efficiencies, with cubosomes exhibiting superior cellular uptake compared to other LLCNPs. EXPERIMENTS: LLCNPs with various mesophases, including liposomes, cubosomes, hexosomes, and micellar cubosomes, were formulated and characterised. Their physicochemical properties and cytotoxicity were assessed. Chinese Hamster Ovarian (CHO) cells were treated with fluorescently labelled LLCNPs, and their interactions were monitored and quantified through confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. FINDINGS: The non-lamellar LLCNPs showed significantly higher cellular interactions compared to liposomes, with cubosomes exhibiting the highest level. However, there was no significant difference in relative cell uptake between cubosomes, hexosomes, and micellar cubosomes. Cell uptake experiments at 4 °C revealed the presence of an energy-independent uptake mechanism. This study provides the first comparative analysis of cellular interactions and uptake efficiencies among LLCNPs with varying mesophases, while maintaining similar size, composition, and surface charge.

Different survival strategies of the phosphate-mineralizing bacterium Enterobacter sp. PMB-5 in response to cadmium stress: Biomineralization, biosorption, and bioaccumulation.

The phosphate-mineralizing bacteria (PMBs) has shown great potential as a sustainable solution to support pollution remediation through its induced mineralization capacity. However, few studies have been conducted on the mechanism of cadmium (Cd) tolerance in PMBs. In this study, a PMB strain, Enterobacter sp. PMB-5, screened from Cd-contaminated rhizosphere soil, has high resistance to Cd (540 - 1220 mg/L) and solubilized phosphate (232.08 mg/L). The removal experiments showed that the strain PMB-5 removed 71.69-98.24% and 34.83-76.36% of Cd with and without biomineralization, respectively. The characterization result of SEM, EDS, TEM, XPS and XRD revealed that PMB-5 induced Cd to form amorphous phosphate precipitation through biomineralization and adopted different survival strategies, including biomineralization, bioaccumulation, and biosorption to resistance Cd in the microbial induced phosphate precipitation (MIPP) system and the non-MIPP system, respectively. Moreover, the results of whole genome sequencing and qRT-PCR indicated that phosphorus metabolism genes such as pst, pit, phn, ugp, ppk, etc. and heavy metal tolerance genes (including ion transport, ion efflux, redox, antioxidant stress), such as czcD, zntA, mgtA, mgtC, katE, SOD2, dsbA, cysM, etc. were molecular for the PMB-5 mineralization and Cd tolerance of PMB-5. Together, our findings suggested Enterobacter sp. PMB-5 is a potential target for developing more effective bioinoculants for Cd contamination remediation.