Essential role of composting industry in achieving China's dual-carbon goals: Case studies from Chinese composting companies.

Composting is one of the primary methods for organic waste recycling in China. This study aims to analyze the product quality of organic fertilizer enterprises from the perspective of actual production and the relationship between production process variations and organic matter content in organic fertilizers based on 348 samples from 229 organic fertilizer companies across 22 provinces. Results showed that fertilizers produced through composting processes contain higher organic matter, averaging 45.42 %, compared to commercial organic fertilizers and bio-organic fertilizers. Raw materials, equipment, methods, operational scale, and personnel structure are key factors affecting the content of organic matter in products. Optimizing equipment and processes in Chinese organic fertilizer companies could increase organic matter content to 49.3 %, potentially reducing annual carbon emissions by an estimated 3.07 to 6.97 billion kg of CO2 equivalent, thereby supporting the realization of dual carbon goals.

Genome-wide identification of GRF transcription factors and their expression profile in stem meristem of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.).

To understand the genome-wide information of the GRF family genes in broomcorn millet and their expression profile in the vegetative meristems, bioinformatic methods and transcriptome sequencing were used to analyze the characteristics, physical and chemical properties, phylogenetic relationship, chromosome distribution, gene structure, cis-acting elements and expression profile in stem meristem for the GRF family members. The results showed that the GRF gene family of millet contains 21 members, and the PmGRF gene is unevenly distributed on 12 chromosomes. The lengths of PmGRF proteins vary from 224 to 618 amino acids, and the isoelectric points are between 4.93-9.69. Each member of the family has 1-4 introns and 2-5 exons. The protein PmGRF13 is localized in both the nucleus and chloroplast, and the rest PmGRF proteins are located in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 21 GRF genes were divided into 4 subfamilies (A,B,C and D) in broomcorn millet. The analysis of cis-acting elements showed that there were many cis-acting elements involved in light response, hormone response, drought induction, low temperature response and other environmental stress responses in the 2000 bp sequence upstream of the GRF genes. Transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR analyses showed that the expression levels of PmGRF3 and PmGRF12 in the dwarf variety Zhang778 were significantly higher than those of the tall variety Longmi12 in the internode and node meristems at the jointing stage, while the expression patterns of PmGRF4, PmGRF16 and PmGRF21 were reverse. In addition, the expression levels of PmGRF2 and PmGRF5 in the internode of Zhang778 were significantly higher than Longmi12. The other GRF genes were not or insignificantly expressed. These results indicated that seven genes, PmGRF2, PmGRF3, PmGRF4, PmGRF5, PmGRF12, PmGRF16 and PmGRF21, were related to the formation of plant height in broomcorn millet.

Combination of venetoclax and azacitidine in relapsed/refractory acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia: a case series from a single center.

OBJECTIVES: Relapsed/refractory acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL) often responds poorly to induction chemotherapy. However, recent research has shown a novel and effective drug treatment for R/R B-ALL. METHODS: A total of eight patients with R/R B-ALL were enrolled in the study from November 2021 to August 2022. All patients received chemotherapy based on a combination regimen of venetoclax and azacitidine. The regimen was as follows venetoclax 100 mg d1, 200 mg d2, 400 mg d3-14, azacitidine 75 mg/m2 d1-7. RESULTS: Five of eight patients achieved very deep and complete remission (CR) with minimal residual disease (MRD) less than 0.1%. One patient achieved partial remission. Two patients did not achieve remission. There were no serious adverse events and all patients were well tolerated. Three patients were eligible for consolidation chemotherapy and were bridged to CAR-T therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The combined regimen of venetoclax and azacitidine may be beneficial for patients with R/R B-ALL.

Carbon-encapsulated V2O3 nanorods for high-performance aqueous Zn-ion batteries.

Searching for stable cathodes is of paramount importance to the commercial development of low-cost and safe aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs). V2O3 is a good candidate for AZIB cathodes but has unsatisfied cycling stability. Herein, we solve the stability issue of a V2O3 cathode by coating a robust carbon shell. Strong evidence was provided that V2O3 was oxidized to favorable V2O5·nH2O during charging and the carbon shell could promote the oxidation of V2O3 to V2O5·nH2O. The discharge capacity was increased from ∼45 mA h g-1 to 336 mA h g-1 after V2O3 was oxidized to V2O5·nH2O, indicating a higher Zn2+-storage capability of V2O5·nH2O than V2O3. In addition, the rate-capability and long-term cycling performance are greatly enhanced after coating carbon shells on the surface of V2O3 nanorods. Therefore, the presented strategy of introducing carbon shells and fundamental insights into the favorable role of carbon shells in this study contribute to the advancement of highly stable AZIBs.

Insights into bacterial diversity in compost: Core microbiome and prevalence of potential pathogenic bacteria.

Fertilizer-replacement programs by the ministry of agriculture and rural affairs are extraordinary actions for environment protection and sustainable agriculture in China. A national-level survey was performed to acquire consensuses of bio-physiochemical properties for composts. A total of 116 compost samples collected from 16 provinces in China were analyzed by high throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The germination index and bacterial alpha-diversity were lower in composts from poultry manure than others. This large-scale survey revealed that bacterial communities were distinct among different composts and slightly explained by pH, moisture and total nitrogen, but not by raw material or composting process. Nevertheless, 26 OTUs affiliated with Firmicutes (Cerasibacillus, Atopostipes and Bacillus) and Actinobacteria (Thermobifida, Actinomadura and Nocardiopsis) were present in most (>90%) composts and majority of these bacterial species were possibly associated with the biodegradation of organic materials. Surprisingly, 629 potential human or animal bacterial pathogens accounting an average of 1.21% of total 16S rRNA gene were detected and these bacteria were mainly affiliated with Helicobacter, Staphylococcus, Acinotobacter, Streptococcus, Mycobacterium and Enterococcus. In summary, this study provides baseline data for the diversity and abundance of core microbiome and potential pathogens in composts.