Predicting the efficiency of arsenic immobilization in soils by biochar using machine learning.

Arsenic (As) pollution in soils is a pervasive environmental issue. Biochar immobilization offers a promising solution for addressing soil As contamination. The efficiency of biochar in immobilizing As in soils primarily hinges on the characteristics of both the soil and the biochar. However, the influence of a specific property on As immobilization varies among different studies, and the development and application of arsenic passivation materials based on biochar often rely on empirical knowledge. To enhance immobilization efficiency and reduce labor and time costs, a machine learning (ML) model was employed to predict As immobilization efficiency before biochar application. In this study, we collected a dataset comprising 182 data points on As immobilization efficiency from 17 publications to construct three ML models. The results demonstrated that the random forest (RF) model outperformed gradient boost regression tree and support vector regression models in predictive performance. Relative importance analysis and partial dependence plots based on the RF model were conducted to identify the most crucial factors influencing As immobilization. These findings highlighted the significant roles of biochar application time and biochar pH in As immobilization efficiency in soils. Furthermore, the study revealed that Fe-modified biochar exhibited a substantial improvement in As immobilization. These insights can facilitate targeted biochar property design and optimization of biochar application conditions to enhance As immobilization efficiency.

Characteristics of astigmatism in school-age children aged 5 to 13 years in northeast Sichuan: a cross-sectional school-based study.

Background: Astigmatism is closely associated with myopia progression, vision loss, eye fatigue and amblyopia, which seriously endangers children's eye health. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and characteristic distribution of astigmatism in children in Langzhong City, providing valuable insights for allocating resources and develop prevention and control strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study and random sampling survey were conducted. Between January and November 2021, 21,415 students aged 5 to 13 years from 14 primary schools in Langzhong City underwent non-cycloplegic refractive testing using autorefraction. The data on myopia were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 23.0. Results: The inclusion criterion was set at an absolute astigmatism value of ≥0.50D. Among the 21,415 children studied, 61.70% were found to have astigmatism. The prevalence of astigmatism varied significantly across different grades (χ2=501.414, P<0.001). The predominant types of astigmatism were mild astigmatism (0.50-1.00D) and with-the-rule astigmatism. Mixed astigmatism was primarily observed in children in grades 1 and 2, while compound myopic astigmatism was more common in children in grades 3 to 6. These differences were statistically significant. As the degree of astigmatism increased, the proportions of against-the-rule astigmatism, oblique astigmatism, compound myopic astigmatism, and simple hyperopic astigmatism decreased, whereas the proportions of with-the-rule astigmatism, mixed astigmatism, and compound hyperopic astigmatism increased. Conclusions: The prevalence of astigmatism among school-age children aged 5 to 13 years in northeast Sichuan is notably high, with compound myopic astigmatism and with-the-rule astigmatism being the most common types. Regular refractive examinations are crucial for the early detection and management of astigmatism.

Polyphenol-Reinforced Glycocalyx-Like Hydrogel Coating Induced Myocardial Regeneration and Immunomodulation.

Although minimally invasive interventional occluders can effectively seal heart defect tissue, they still have some limitations, including poor endothelial healing, intense inflammatory response, and thrombosis formation. Herein, a polyphenol-reinforced medicine/peptide glycocalyx-like coating was prepared on cardiac occluders. A coating consisting of carboxylated chitosan, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), tanshinone IIA sulfonic sodium (TSS), and hyaluronic acid grafted with 3-aminophenylboronic acid was prepared. Subsequently, the mercaptopropionic acid-GGGGG-Arg-Glu-Asp-Val peptide was grafted by the thiol-ene "click" reaction. The coating showed good hydrophilicity and free radical-scavenging ability and could release EGCG-TSS. The results of biological experiments suggested that the coating could reduce thrombosis by promoting endothelialization, and promote myocardial repair by regulating the inflammatory response. The functions of regulating cardiomyocyte apoptosis and metabolism were confirmed, and the inflammatory regulatory functions of the coating were mainly dependent on the NF-kappa B and TNF signaling pathway.

The abundant fraction of soil microbiomes regulates the rhizosphere function in crop wild progenitors.

The rhizosphere influence on the soil microbiome and function of crop wild progenitors (CWPs) remains virtually unknown, despite its relevance to develop microbiome-oriented tools in sustainable agriculture. Here, we quantified the rhizosphere influence-a comparison between rhizosphere and bulk soil samples-on bacterial, fungal, protists and invertebrate communities and on soil multifunctionality across nine CWPs at their sites of origin. Overall, rhizosphere influence was higher for abundant taxa across the four microbial groups and had a positive influence on rhizosphere soil organic C and nutrient contents compared to bulk soils. The rhizosphere influence on abundant soil microbiomes was more important for soil multifunctionality than rare taxa and environmental conditions. Our results are a starting point towards the use of CWPs for rhizosphere engineering in modern crops.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Peptide in Human Dermal Fibroblasts: Implications for Skin Health and Care Applications.

Hydrolyzed royal jelly peptide (RJP) has garnered attention for its health-promoting functions. However, the potential applications of RJP in skincare have not been fully explored. In this study, we prepared RJP through the enzymatic hydrolysis of royal jelly protein with trypsin and investigated its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). Our results demonstrate that RJP effectively inhibits oxidative damage induced by H2O2 and lipid peroxidation triggered by AAPH and t-BuOOH in HDFs. This effect may be attributed to the ability of RJP to enhance the level of glutathione and the activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase 4, as well as its excellent iron chelating capacity. Furthermore, RJP modulates the NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory response in HDFs, suppressing the mRNA expressions of NLRP3 and IL-1ß in the primer stage induced by LPS and the release of mature IL-1ß induced by ATP, monosodium urate, or nigericin in the activation stage. RJP also represses the expressions of COX2 and iNOS induced by LPS. Finally, we reveal that RJP exhibits superior antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties over unhydrolyzed royal jelly protein. These findings suggest that RJP exerts protective effects on skin cells through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, indicating its promise for potential therapeutic avenues for managing oxidative stress and inflammation-related skin disorders.

[Pollution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Soil Heavy Metal in Coal Mine Area near the Yellow River in Shandong].

To explore the pollution characteristics and source of soil heavy metal in a coal mine area near the Yellow River in Shandong, the geo-accumulation index method and improved Nemerow pollution index method were used to evaluate the pollution characteristics of soil heavy metal. The absolute principal component-multiple linear regression model (APCS-MLR) was used to quantitatively analyze the source of soil heavy metal, and the spatial distribution of Hg and Cd were analyzed using the Kriging spatial difference method in ArcGIS. The result accuracy of the APCS-MLR model was further verified. The results showed that:The measured contents of soil heavy metal Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, Ni, As, and Hg all exceeded the normal site, among which, Hg and Cd exceeded the background values of soil elements in Shandong. The coefficient of variation (CV) of Hg was higher than 0.500, indicating significant spatial heterogeneity. Moreover, the correlation between Hg and other heavy metals was generally low, and the possibility of the same pollution source was small. The results of the geo-accumulation index and improved Nemerow pollution index showed that the overall soil heavy metal pollution was at a moderate level, among which the Hg pollution level was the highest, and its maximum value was at a slanted-heavy pollution level; Cu, Cd, and As in soil caused local pollution, which were at a slanted-light pollution level. Soil heavy metal pollution was closely related to mining activities, rehabilitation, and engineering construction in the coal mine area. The two major pollution sources of soil heavy metal in the research area were the compound source of the parent material and industrial and mining transportation sources (known source 1) and the compound source of atmospheric sedimentation and coal production (known source 2), the contribution rates of which were 76.705% and 16.171%, respectively. The results of the APCS-MLR model were shown to be reliable by analyzing the content distribution of Hg and Cd using the Kriging space difference mode. This research can provide scientific basis for the precise control and improvement of soil heavy metal pollution, ensuring the safety of food and agricultural products and improving the quality of the ecological environment in the coal mine area in the Shandong section of the Yellow River Basin.

Effects of common artificial sweeteners at environmentally relevant concentrations on soil springtails and their gut microbiota.

Artificial sweeteners (AS) are extensively utilized as sugar substitutes and have been recognized as emerging environmental contaminants. While the effect of AS on aquatic organisms has garnered recent attention, their effects on soil invertebrates and gut microbial communities remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we exposed springtails (Folsomia candida) to both single and combined treatments of four typical AS (sucralose [SUC], saccharin [SAC], cyclamate [CYC], and acesulfame [ACE]) at environmentally relevant concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg kg-1 in soil. Following the first-generational exposure, the reproduction of juveniles showed a significant increase under all the AS treatments of 0.1 mg kg-1. The transcriptomic analysis revealed significant enrichment of several Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome pathways (e.g., glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, amino sugar, and nucleotide sugar metabolism, ribosome, and lysosome) in springtails under all AS treatments. Analysis of gut bacterial microbiota indicated that three AS (SUC, CYC, and ACE) significantly decreased alpha diversity, and all AS treatments increased the abundance of the genus Achromobacter. After the sixth-generational exposure to CYC, weight increased, but reproduction was inhibited. The pathways that changed significantly (e.g., extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, lysosome) were generally similar to those altered in first-generational exposure, but with opposite regulation directions. Furthermore, the effect on the alpha diversity of gut microbiota was contrary to that after first-generational exposure, and more noticeable disturbances in microbiota composition were observed. These findings underscore the ecological risk of AS in soils and improve our understanding of the toxicity effects of AS on living organisms.

Investigation and analysis of the status of myopia and related behavior in children and adolescents in Northeast Sichuan.

PURPOSE: In this study, we examined the current status of myopia among primary and secondary school children in northeastern Sichuan to analyze the factors connected to myopia and provide data support and a theoretical foundation for the prevention and control of myopia. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study and a comprehensive sampling survey, 34,138 students aged 5-19 years were screened for refraction in 22 primary and secondary schools in Langzhong, and 4000 behavioral questionnaires were delivered at random. After evaluation and rational problem-solving, a total of 3764 valid questionnaires were obtained. SPSS 23.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The percentage of myopia among primary and secondary school students in Langzhong was 65.61%, with female students having a higher rate than male students ( P < 0.05); 52.81% of primary school students, 86.26% of secondary school students, and 88.17% of high school students had myopia. The incidence of myopia detection increased with school age ( P < 0.001), indicating a correlation between age and myopia prevalence. The prevalence of myopia was mainly low (40.53%) and moderate myopia (19.89%). The prevalence of high myopia (5.19%) was relatively high. The prevalence of myopia among female students (5.54%) was greater than that in male students ( P < 0.05) and increased with age ( P < 0.001). The proportion of students who wore eyeglasses was 24.36%, with a larger proportion of female students (25.93%) than male students (22.61%) ( P < 0.001). In addition, the rate of eyeglass use increased with school age ( P < 0.001). A logistic regression analysis revealed that higher grade point averages, female gender, and long-term usage of electronic items were risk factors for myopia. The results of the questionnaire survey revealed that students in this region were under immense pressure to perform well academically, spent a lot of time engaged in near-work activities, and had a low rate of myopia awareness; 24.43% of the students had not had a vision examination in the previous year, indicating that parents did not pay sufficient attention to eye health. CONCLUSION: The incidence of myopia among children and teenagers is high in Northeast Sichuan, and the outlook for addressing the problem is bleak. Therefore, it is critical to improve vision monitoring and eye health education.

Exploring ecological effects of arsenic and cadmium combined exposure on cropland soil: from multilevel organisms to soil functioning by multi-omics coupled with high-throughput quantitative PCR.

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) pose potential ecological threats to cropland soils; however, few studies have investigated their combined effects on multilevel organisms and soil functioning. Here, we used collembolans and soil microbiota as test organisms to examine their responses to soil As and Cd co-contamination at the gene, individual, and community levels, respectively, and further uncovered ecological relationships between pollutants, multilevel organisms, and soil functioning. At the gene level, collembolan transcriptome revealed that elevated As concentrations stimulated As-detoxifying genes AS3MT and GST, whereas the concurrent Cd restrained GST gene expression. At the individual level, collembolan reproduction was sensitive to pollutants while collembolan survival wasn't. At the community level, significant but inconsistent correlations were observed between the biodiversity of different soil keystone microbial clusters and soil As levels. Moreover, soil functioning related to nutrient (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur) cycles was inhibited under As and Cd co-exposure only through the mediation of plant pathogens. Overall, these findings suggested multilevel bioindicators (i.e., AS3MT gene expression in collembolans, collembolan reproduction, and biodiversity of soil keystone microbial clusters) in cropland soils co-contaminated with As and Cd, thus improving the understanding of the ecotoxicological impact of heavy metal co-contamination on soil ecosystems.

Fundamentals and application in phytoremediation of an efficient arsenate reducing bacterium Pseudomonas putida ARS1.

Arsenic is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant. Microbe-mediated arsenic bio-transformations significantly influence arsenic mobility and toxicity. Arsenic transformations by soil and aquatic organisms have been well documented, while little is known regarding effects due to endophytic bacteria. An endophyte Pseudomonas putida ARS1 was isolated from rice grown in arsenic contaminated soil. P. putida ARS1 shows high tolerance to arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)), and exhibits efficient As(V) reduction and As(III) efflux activities. When exposed to 0.6 mg/L As(V), As(V) in the medium was completely converted to As(III) by P. putida ARS1 within 4 hr. Genome sequencing showed that P. putida ARS1 has two chromosomal arsenic resistance gene clusters (arsRCBH) that contribute to efficient As(V) reduction and As(III) efflux, and result in high resistance to arsenicals. Wolffia globosa is a strong arsenic accumulator with high potential for arsenic phytoremediation, which takes up As(III) more efficiently than As(V). Co-culture of P. putida ARS1 and W. globosa enhanced arsenic accumulation in W. globosa by 69%, and resulted in 91% removal of arsenic (at initial concentration of 0.6 mg/L As(V)) from water within 3 days. This study provides a promising strategy for in situ arsenic phytoremediation through the cooperation of plant and endophytic bacterium.

Mechanosensitive channels TMEM63A and TMEM63B mediate lung inflation-induced surfactant secretion.

Pulmonary surfactant is a lipoprotein complex lining the alveolar surface to decrease the surface tension and facilitate inspiration. Surfactant deficiency is often seen in premature infants and in children and adults with respiratory distress syndrome. Mechanical stretch of alveolar type 2 epithelial (AT2) cells during lung expansion is the primary physiological factor that stimulates surfactant secretion; however, it is unclear whether there is a mechanosensor dedicated to this process. Here, we show that loss of the mechanosensitive channels TMEM63A and TMEM63B (TMEM63A/B) resulted in atelectasis and respiratory failure in mice due to a deficit of surfactant secretion. TMEM63A/B were predominantly localized at the limiting membrane of the lamellar body (LB), a lysosome-related organelle that stores pulmonary surfactant and ATP in AT2 cells. Activation of TMEM63A/B channels during cell stretch facilitated the release of surfactant and ATP from LBs fused with the plasma membrane. The released ATP evoked Ca2+ signaling in AT2 cells and potentiated exocytic fusion of more LBs. Our study uncovered a vital physiological function of TMEM63 mechanosensitive channels in preparing the lungs for the first breath at birth and maintaining respiration throughout life.

Proteomic analyses reveal cystatin c is a promising biomarker for evaluation of systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with multiple organ involvement, especially the kidneys. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear, and accurate biomarkers are still lacking. This study aimed to identify biomarkers to assess organ damage and disease activity in patients with SLE using quantitative proteomics. METHODS: Proteomic analysis was performed using mass spectrometry in 15 patients with SLE and 15 age-matched healthy controls. Proteomic profiles were compared in four main subtypes: SLE with proteinuria (SLE-PN), SLE without proteinuria (SLE-non-PN), SLE with anti-dsDNA positivity (SLE-DP), and SLE with anti-dsDNA negativity (SLE-non-DP). Gene ontology biological process analysis revealed differentially expressed protein networks. Cystatin C (CysC) levels were measured in 200 patients with SLE using an immunoturbidimetric assay. Clinical and laboratory data were collected to assess their correlation with serum CysC levels. RESULTS: Proteomic analysis showed that upregulated proteins in both the SLE-PN and SLE-DP groups were mainly mapped to neutrophil activation networks. Moreover, CysC from neutrophil activation networks was upregulated in both the SLE-PN and SLE-DP groups. The associations of serum CysC level with proteinuria, anti-dsDNA positivity, lower complement C3 levels, and SLE disease activity index score in patients with SLE were further validated in a large independent cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Neutrophil activation is more prominent in SLE with proteinuria and anti-dsDNA positivity, and CysC is a promising marker for monitoring organ damage and disease activity in SLE.

TMEM63 mechanosensitive ion channels: Activation mechanisms, biological functions and human genetic disorders.

The transmembrane 63 (TMEM63) family of proteins are originally identified as homologs of the osmosensitive calcium-permeable (OSCA) channels in plants. Mechanosensitivity of OSCA and TMEM63 proteins are recently demonstrated in addition to their proposed activation mechanism by hyper/hypo-osmolarity. TMEM63 proteins exist in all animals, with a single member in Drosophila (TMEM63) and three members in mammals (TMEM63 A/B/C). In humans, monoallelic variants of TMEM63A have been reported to cause transient hypomyelination during infancy, or severe hypomyelination and global developmental delay. Heterozygous variants of TMEM63B are found in patients with intellectual disability and abnormal motor function and brain morphology. Biallelic variants of TMEM63C are associated with hereditary spastic paraplegias accompanied by mild or no intellectual disability. Physiological functions of TMEM63 proteins clearly recognized so far include detecting food grittiness and environmental humidity in Drosophila, and supporting hearing in mice by regulating survival of cochlear hair cells. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the activation mechanisms and biological functions of TMEM63 channels, and provide a concise reference for researchers interested in investigating more physiological and pathogenic roles of this family of proteins with ubiquitous expression in the body.

Application of real-time PCR-based multicolor melting curve with automatic analysis system in pregestational and prenatal thalassemia diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the value of the real-time PCR-based multicolor melting curve analysis (MMCA) with an automatic analysis system used in a mass thalassemia screening and prenatal diagnosis program. METHODS: A total of 18,912 peripheral blood samples from 9456 couples and 1150 prenatal samples were detected by MMCA assay. All prenatal samples were also tested by a conventional method. Samples with unknown melting peaks, unusual peak height ratios between a wild allele and a mutant allele, or a discordant phenotype-genotype match were further studied by using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) or Sanger sequencing. All MMCA results were automatically analyzed and manually checked. The consistency between MMCA assay and conventional methods among prenatal samples was investigated. RESULTS: Except for initiation codon (T > G) (HBB:c.2T > G), all genotypes of thalassemia inside the scope of conventional methods were detected by MMCA assay. Additionally, 27 carriers with 10 rare HBB variants, 13 with α fusion gene, 1 with a rare deletion in α globin gene, and 1 with rare HBA variant were detected by using MMCA assay. CONCLUSION: MMCA can be an alternative approach used in routine thalassemia carrier screening and prenatal diagnosis for its high throughput, sufficient stability, low cost, and easy operation.

A Campylobacteriosis Outbreak Caused by One Asymptomatic Food Handler Carrier.

In August 2021, three students with diarrhea from the same school visited a local hospital in the S district of Beijing. An epidemic investigation showed that there were more students with diarrhea in the same school and they had one meal together. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from both patients with diarrhea and asymptomatic food handlers; however, the latter also carried Campylobacter coli. Phylogenomic analysis showed that there was a campylobacteriosis outbreak among the students, and the asymptomatic food handler may have been the source of the infection. Routine inspection and surveillance for Campylobacter is needed for the food producing staff, particularly those cooking in the cafeteria in schools or other public food services.

Genetic and Phenotypic Variation of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC11168 Caused by flhA Mutation during Laboratory Passage.

Objective: Campylobacter jejuni NCTC11168 is commonly used as a standard strain for flagellar biosynthesis research. In this report, two distinguished phenotypic isolates (CJ1Z, flhA mutant strain, lawn; CJ2S, flhA complemented strain, normal colony) appeared during laboratory passages for NCTC11168. Methods: Phenotypic assessments, including motility plates, transmission electron microscopy, biofilm formation assay, autoagglutination assay, and genome re-sequencing for these two isolates (CJ1Z, flhA mutant strain; CJ2S, flhA complemented strain) were carried out in this study. Results: Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the flagellum was lost in CJ1Z. Phenotypic assessments and genome sequencing of the two isolates were performed in this study. The capacity for biofilm formation, colony auto-agglutination, and isolate motility was reduced in the mutant CJ1Z. Comparative genomic analysis indicated a unique native nucleotide insertion in flhA (nt, 2154) that caused the I719Y and I720Y mutations and early truncation in flhA. Conclusion: FlhA has been found to influence the expression of flagella in C. jejuni. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the function of the C-terminal of this protein.

To Be or Not to Be an Ion Channel: Cryo-EM Structures Have a Say.

Ion channels are the second largest class of drug targets after G protein-coupled receptors. In addition to well-recognized ones like voltage-gated Na/K/Ca channels in the heart and neurons, novel ion channels are continuously discovered in both excitable and non-excitable cells and demonstrated to play important roles in many physiological processes and diseases such as developmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. However, in the field of ion channel discovery, there are an unignorable number of published studies that are unsolid and misleading. Despite being the gold standard of a functional assay for ion channels, electrophysiological recordings are often accompanied by electrical noise, leak conductance, and background currents of the membrane system. These unwanted signals, if not treated properly, lead to the mischaracterization of proteins with seemingly unusual ion-conducting properties. In the recent ten years, the technical revolution of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has greatly advanced our understanding of the structures and gating mechanisms of various ion channels and also raised concerns about the pore-forming ability of some previously identified channel proteins. In this review, we summarize cryo-EM findings on ion channels with molecular identities recognized or disputed in recent ten years and discuss current knowledge of proposed channel proteins awaiting cryo-EM analyses. We also present a classification of ion channels according to their architectures and evolutionary relationships and discuss the possibility and strategy of identifying more ion channels by analyzing structures of transmembrane proteins of unknown function. We propose that cross-validation by electrophysiological and structural analyses should be essentially required for determining molecular identities of novel ion channels.