The effects of big five personality traits on sub-health in a Chinese young adults: A moderated mediation model.

BACKGROUND: Sub-health can have an impact on the physical condition of the young adults, and this study aimed to investigate the influencing factors of sub-health related to the Big Five personality in Chinese young adults. METHODS: A multi-stage random sampling method was used to survey the Chinese young adults. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted to investigate how sleep quality and family health influenced the relationship between diverse personalities and sub-health in young adults. RESULTS: A total of 6165 young adults were included in this study. The results of the mediation analysis indicated that sleep quality partially mediated the relationship between neurotic, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness of young adults and sub-health. Family health played a moderating role between the sleep quality and agreeableness of young adults. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional study limits conclusions about causal relationships between factors. CONCLUSION: Family health and sleep quality can influence sub-health in Chinese young adults with different personality traits.

Home care needs assessment among caregivers of children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents with complex medical issues need home care services; however, few studies have provided insight into the unmet home care needs of the families of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). In this study, we aimed to assess the home care needs of caregivers of children and adolescents with OI and the associated factors. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was administered online to 142 caregivers of patients with OI aged 3-17 years between May and October 2022 from 25 provinces in China. The questionnaire comprised 15 questions on demographic variables and 14 questions on home care needs. Chi-square analysis was used to compare group differences for categorical variables. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine predictors of caregivers' home care needs. RESULTS: The study findings indicated that 81.5% of caregivers had high home care needs. The three leading types of home care needs were helping the child carry out physical fitness recovery exercises at home (72.5%), understanding precautions regarding treatment drugs (72.5%), and relieving the child's pain (70.4%). OI patients' poor self-care ability (adjusted odds ratio = 5.9, 95% confidence interval = 1.8-19.0) was related to caregivers' high level of home care needs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that future scientific research and nursing guidance should focus on OI patients' physical training, medication management, pain relief, fracture prevention, and treatment. In addition, caregivers of patients with poor self-care ability should receive special attention in the development of interventions. This study can help with addressing the unmet home care needs of caregivers of children and adolescents with OI. It is vital to develop a personalized intervention plan based on patients' self-care ability.

Diosgenin improves post-myocardial infarction cardiac function via HAND2-induced angiogenesis.

While diosgenin has been demonstrated effective in various cardiovascular diseases, its specific impact on treating heart attacks remains unclear. Our research revealed that diosgenin significantly improved cardiac function in a myocardial infarction (MI) mouse model, reducing cardiac fibrosis and cell apoptosis while promoting angiogenesis. Mechanistically, diosgenin upregulated the Hand2 expression, promoting the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells under hypoxic conditions. Acting as a transcription factor, HAND2 activated the angiogenesis-related gene Aggf1. Conversely, silencing Hand2 inhibited the diosgenin-induced migration of hypoxic endothelial cells and angiogenesis. In summary, these findings provide new insights into the protective role of diosgenin in MI, validating its effect on angiogenic activity and providing a theoretical basis for clinical treatment strategies.

Murepavadin promotes the killing efficacies of aminoglycoside antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa by enhancing membrane potential.

Murepavadin is a peptidomimetic that specifically targets the lipopolysaccharide transport protein LptD of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we found that murepavadin enhances the bactericidal efficacies of tobramycin and amikacin. We further demonstrated that murepavadin enhances bacterial respiration activity and subsequent membrane potential, which promotes intracellular uptake of aminoglycoside antibiotics. In addition, the murepavadin-amikacin combination displayed a synergistic bactericidal effect in a murine pneumonia model.

SLC24A-mediated calcium exchange as an indispensable component of the diatom cell density-driven signaling pathway.

Diatom bloom is characterized by a rapid increase of population density. Perception of population density and physiological responses can significantly influence their survival strategies, subsequently impacting bloom fate. The population density itself can serve as a signal, which is perceived through chemical signals or chlorophyll fluorescence signals triggered by high cell density, and their intracellular signaling mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In this study, we focused on the model diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and designed an orthogonal experiment involving varying cell densities and light conditions, to stimulate the release of chemical signals and light-induced chlorophyll fluorescence signals. Utilizing RNA-Seq and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis, we identified four gene clusters displaying density-dependent expression patterns. Within these, a potential hub gene, PtSLC24A, encoding a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, was identified. Based on molecular genetics, cellular physiology, computational structural biology, and in situ oceanic data, we propose a potential intracellular signaling mechanism related to cell density in marine diatoms using Ca2+: upon sensing population density signals mediated by chemical cues, the membrane-bound PtSLC24A facilitates the efflux of Ca2+ to maintain specific intracellular calcium levels, allowing the transduction of intracellular density signals, subsequently regulating physiological responses, including cell apoptosis, ultimately affecting algal blooms fate. These findings shed light on the calcium-mediated intracellular signaling mechanism of marine diatoms to changing population densities, and enhances our understanding of diatom bloom dynamics and their ecological implications.

Cryptochrome PtCPF1 regulates high temperature acclimation of marine diatoms through coordination of iron and phosphorus uptake.

Increasing ocean temperatures threaten the productivity and species composition of marine diatoms. High temperature response and regulation are important for the acclimation of marine diatoms to such environments. However, the molecular mechanisms behind their acclimation to high temperature are still largely unknown. In this study, the abundance of PtCPF1 homologs (a member of the cryptochrome-photolyase family in the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum) transcripts in marine phytoplankton is shown to increase with rising temperature based on Tara Oceans datasets. Moreover, the expression of PtCPF1 in P. tricornutum at high temperature (26 °C) was much higher than that at optimum temperature (20 °C). Deletion of PtCPF1 in P. tricornutum disrupted the expression of genes encoding two phytotransferrins (ISIP2A and ISIP1) and two Na+/P co-transporters (PHATRDRAFT_47667 and PHATRDRAFT_40433) at 26 °C. This further impacted the uptake of Fe and P, and eventually caused the arrest of cell division. Gene expression, Fe and P uptake, and cell division were restored by rescue with the native PtCPF1 gene. Furthermore, PtCPF1 interacts with two putative transcription factors (BolA and TF IIA) that potentially regulate the expression of genes encoding phytotransferrins and Na+/P co-transporters. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal PtCPF1 as an essential regulator in the acclimation of marine diatoms to high temperature through the coordination of Fe and P uptake. Therefore, these findings help elucidate how marine diatoms acclimate to high temperature.

Succinylated starch emulsified Eugenol and Carvacrol nanoemulsions improved digestive stability, bio-accessibility and Salmonella typhimurium inhibition.

The ultrasonically processed Eugenol (EU) and Carvacrol (CAR) nanoemulsions (NE) were successfully optimized via response surface methodology (RSM) to achieve broad spectrum antimicrobial efficacy. These NE were prepared using 2 % (w/w) purity gum ultra (i.e., succinylated starch), 10 % (v/v) oil phase, 80 % (800 W) sonication power, and 10 min of processing time as determined via RSM. The second order Polynomial method was suitable to RSM with a co-efficient of determination >0.90 and a narrow polydispersity index (PDI) ranging 0.12-0.19. NE had small droplet sizes (135.5-160 nm) and low volatility at high temperatures. The EU & CAR entrapment and heat stability (300 °C) confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Further, the volatility of EU & CAR NE was 18.18 ± 0.13 % and 12.29 ± 0.11 % respectively, being lower than that of bulk/unencapsulated EU & CAR (i.e., 23.48 ± 0.38 % and 19.11 ± 0.08 %) after 2 h at 90 °C. Interestingly, both EU & CAR NE showed sustained release behaviour till 48 h. Their digest could inhibit Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) via membrane disruption and access to cellular machinery as evident from SEM images. Furthermore, in-vivo bio-accessibility of EU & CAR in mice serum was up to 80 %. These cost-effective and short-processed EU/CAR NE have the potential as green preservatives for food industry.

Precursor Induced Assembly of Si Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Graphene/Carbon Matrices and the Influence of Al2 O3 Coating on their Properties as Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The theoretical capacity of pristine silicon as anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) can reach up to 4200 mAh g-1 , however, the low electrical conductivity and the huge volume expansion limit their practical application. To address this challenge, a precursor strategy has been explored to induce the curling of graphene oxide (GO) flakes and the enclosing of Si nanoparticles by selecting protonated chitosan as both assembly inducer and carbon precursor. The Si nanoparticles are dispersed first in a slurry of GO by ball milling, then the resulting dispersion is dried by a spray drying process to achieve instantaneous solution evaporation and compact encapsulation of silicon particles with GO. An Al2 O3 layer is constructed on the surface of Si@rGO@C-SD composites by the atomic layer deposition method to modify the solid electrolyte interface. This strategy enhances obviously the electrochemical performance of the Si as anode for LIBs, including excellent long-cycle stability of 930 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 1000 mA g-1 , satisfied initial Coulomb efficiency of 76.7%, and high rate ability of 806 mAh g-1 at 5000 mA g-1 . This work shows a potential solution to the shortcomings of Si-based anodes and provides meaningful insights for constructing high-energy anodes for LIBs.

Oxymatrine Alleviates High-Fat-High-Fructose-Induced Fatty Liver in Rats: Understanding the Molecular Mechanism Through an Untargeted Metabonomics Study.

Objective: Previous studies have shown that oxymatrine (OMT) can improve high-fat-high-fructose-diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and our study aimed to explore its possible metabolic potential mechanisms. Methods: Wistar rats were fed a high-fat-high-fructose diet for 8 weeks and treated with oxymatrine by gavage for the last 4 weeks. We measured biochemical indicators and pathological changes in each group and used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to analyze changes in metabolites in the serum and liver of the rats. Results: The results showed that OMT can alleviate the high-fat-high-fructose-induced weight gain and hepatic lipid deposition in rats. Metabolomic analysis showed that the level of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was downregulated and levels of desmosterol and d-galactose were upregulated in livers fed with HFDHFr. The levels of L-isoleucine, L-valine, arachidonic acid (AA), taurocholic acid (TCA), chenodeoxycholyltaurine (TDCA), isocitrate, and glutathione (GSH) were downregulated in the liver, whereas those of linoleic acid (LA), phosphocholine (PC), glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were upregulated in the serum treated with OMT. Conclusion: In summary, OMT can improve HFDHFr-induced NAFLD, and metabolomic analysis can provide an early warning for the development of NAFLD as well as provide a rationale for therapeutic targets.

The ATF2/miR-3913-5p/CREB5 axis is involved in the cell proliferation and metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Various miRNAs have been shown to participate in the tumor progression and development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the role of miR-3913-5p in CRC are yet to be clearly defined. In the present study, we determine that miR-3913-5p is downregulated in CRC cell lines and CRC tissues. Exogenous miR-3913-5p expression weakens the CRC cells growth, migration and invasion. Mechanistically, miR-3913-5p directly targets the 3'UTR of CREB5. Overexpression of CREB5 reverses the suppression of CRC cells proliferation, migration and invasion induced by miR-3913-5p. Furthermore, ATF2 negatively regulates the transcription of miR-3913-5p by binding to its promoter. CREB5 can cooperate with ATF2. CREB5 is required for ATF2 in regulating miR-3913-5p. Finally, inverse correlations can be found between the expressions of miR-3913-5p and CREB5 or ATF2 in CRC tissues. Thus, a plausible mechanism of ATF2/miR-3913-5p/CREB5 axis regulating CRC progression is elucidated. Our findings suggest that miR-3913-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in CRC. ATF2/miR-3913-5p/CREB5 axis might be a potential therapeutic target against CRC progression.

Carbon Nanofibers Decorated by MoS2 Nanosheets with Tunable Quantity as Self-Supporting Anode for High-Performance Lithium Ion Batteries.

Two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is considered as a highly promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its unique layer structure, large plane spacing, and high theoretical specific capacity; however, the overlap of MoS2 nanosheets and inherently low electrical conductivity lead to rapid capacity decay, resulting in poor cycling stability and low multiplicative performance. This severely limits its practical application in LIBs. To overcome the above problems, composite fibers with a core//sheath structure have been designed and fabricated. The sheath moiety of MoS2 nanosheets is uniformly anchored by the hydrothermal treatment of the axial of carbon nanofibers derived from an electrospinning method (CNFs//MoS2). The quantity of the MoS2 nanosheets on the CNFs substrates can be tuned by controlling the amount of utilized thiourea precursor. The influence of the MoS2 nanosheets on the electrochemical properties of the composite fibers has been investigated. The synergistic effect between MoS2 and carbon nanofibers can enhance their electrical conductivity and ionic reversibility as an anode for LIBs. The composite fibers deliver a high reversible capacity of 866.5 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g-1 and maintain a capacity of 703.3 mA h g-1 after a long cycle of 500 charge-discharge processes at 1 A g-1.

The VAX2-LINC01189-hnRNPF signaling axis regulates cell invasion and migration in gastric cancer.

Transcription factors (TFs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to gastric cancer (GC). However, the roles of TFs and lncRNAs in the invasion and metastasis of GC remain largely unknown. Here, we observed that the transcription factor VAX2 is significantly upregulated in GC cells and tissues and acts as an oncogene. Moreover, high VAX2 expression is associated with the advancement of tumors in GC. In terms of functionality, the enforced expression of VAX2 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of GC cells. Mechanistically, VAX2 specifically interacts with the LINC01189 promoter and represses LINC01189 transcription. Furthermore, LINC01189 exhibits significant downregulation in GC and functions as a suppressor gene. Functionally, it inhibits migratory and invasive abilities in GC cells. In the context of GC metastasis, VAX2 plays a role in modulating it by trans-repressing the expression of LINC01189. Additionally, LINC01189 binds to hnRNPF to enhance hnRNPF degradation through ubiquitination. The cooperation between LINC01189 and hnRNPF regulates GC cell invasion and migration. In addition, both VAX2 and hnRNPF are highly expressed, while LINC01189 is expressed in at low levels in GC tissues compared to normal gastric tissues. Our study suggests that VAX2 expression facilitates, while LINC01189 expression suppresses, metastasis and that the VAX2-LINC01189-hnRNPF axis plays a contributory role in GC development.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Inhibits Neuronal Ferroptosis After Spinal Cord Injury in Mice.

STUDY DESIGN: Basic science study investigating the potential molecular mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in mice with spinal cord injury (SCI). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the intrinsic mechanisms of HBO for SCI through the lens of ferroptosis in the subacute phase. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: HBO has been observed to facilitate the restoration of neurological function subsequent to SCI. Ferroptosis is a distinct cellular death mechanism that can be distinguished from apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. However, the precise relationship between these two phenomena remains poorly understood. METHODS: We established an SCI model and employed a range of techniques, including behavioral assessments, electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, RT-qPCR, Western blotting (WB), Glutathione (GSH) measurement, and iron assay, to investigate various aspects of HBO therapy on SCI in mice. These included analyzing mitochondrial morphology, neuronal count, GSH levels, iron levels, and the expression of genes (Acyl-CoA synthetase family member-2, Iron-responsive element-binding protein-2) and proteins (Glutathione peroxidase 4; system Xc-light chain) associated with ferroptosis. The study included three groups: Sham-operated, SCI, and HBO. Group comparisons were performed using one-way analysis of variance and one-way repeated measures analysis of variance, followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Statistical significance was set at a P < 0.05. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that HBO therapy significantly enhanced the recovery of lower limb motor function in mice following SCI in the subacute phase. This was accompanied by upregulated expression of GPX4 and system Xc-light chain proteins, elevated GSH levels, increased number of NeuN+ cells, decreased expression of the iron-responsive element-binding protein-2 gene, and reduced iron concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Our research suggests that HBO therapy has the potential to be an effective treatment for SCI in the subacute phase by mitigating ferroptosis.

Morphological characteristics and genetic diversity of floating and attached Ulva prolifera--A case study in the Yellow Sea, China.

Green tides in the Yellow Sea have occurred periodically since 2007, impacting the ecological environment and green algal communities along the coasts of Jiangsu and Shandong provinces in China. To investigate the morphological characteristics and genetic diversity of Ulva prolifera, we conducted surveys and comparative analyses of both its floating and attached forms along the coastal areas of Jiangsu and Shandong. The results revealed that the external morphology of the floating U. prolifera was multibranched. The attached U. prolifera displayed significant morphological variation among individuals. Based on the analysis of the amplified characteristic bands of the chloroplast gene, it was shown that both floating and attached U. prolifera could hybridize with Ulva linza. The genetic diversity of U. prolifera was studied using mitochondrial and chloroplast genome fragments. All floating U. prolifera and three strains of attached U. prolifera belonged to the same haplotype. The genetic diversity of floating U. prolifera was low, and there were some genetic differences with attached U. prolifera. The attached U. prolifera displayed a higher level of genetic diversity with abundant sites of variation and haplotypes.

Positive interactions among Corynebacterium glutamicum and keystone bacteria producing SCFAs benefited T2D mice to rebuild gut eubiosis.

Accumulating evidences strongly support the correlations between the compositions of gut microbiome and therapeutic effects on Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Notably, gut microbes such as Akkermansia muciniphila are found able to regulate microecological balance and alleviate dysmetabolism of mice bearing T2D. In order to search out similarly functional bacteria, bacteriophage MS2 with a good specificity to bacteria carrying fertility (F) factor were used to treat T2D mice. Based on multi-omics analysis of microbiome and global metabolism of mice, we observed that gavage of bacteriophage MS2 and metformin led to a significant increase in the abundance of Corynebacterium glutamicum and A. muciniphila, respectively. Consequently, the gut microbiota were remodeled, leading to variations in metabolites and a substantial increase in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In which, the amount of acetate, propionate, and butyrate presented negative correlations to that of proinflammatory cytokines, which was beneficial to repairing the intestinal barriers and improving their functions. Moreover, main short fatty acid (SCFA) producers exhibited positive interactions, further facilitating the restoration of gut eubiosis. These findings revealed that C. glutamicum and its metabolites may be potential dietary supplements for the treatment of T2D. Moreover, our research contributes to a novel understanding of the underlying mechanism by which functional foods exert their anti-diabetic effects.

Consecutive engineering of anodic graphene supported cobalt monoxide composite and cathodic nanosized lithium cobalt oxide materials with improved lithium-ion storage performances.

Downsizing the electrochemically active materials in both cathodic and anodic electrodes commonly brings about enhanced lithium-ion storage performances. It is particularly meaningful to explore simplified and effective strategies for exploiting nanosized electrode materials in the advanced lithium-ion batteries. In this work, the spontaneous reaction between few-layered graphene oxide (GO) and metallic cobalt (Co) foils in mild hydrothermal condition is for the first time employed to synthesize a reduced graphene oxide (RGO) supported nanosized cobalt monoxide (CoO) anode material (CoO@RGO). Furthermore, the CoO@RGO sample is converted to nanosized lithium cobalt oxide cathode material (LiCoO2, LCO) by taking the advantages of the self-templated effect. As a result, both the CoO@RGO anode and the LCO cathode exhibit inspiring lithium-ion storage properties. In half-cells, the CoO@RGO sample maintains a reversible capacity of 740.6 mAh·g-1 after 300 cycles at the current density of 1000 mA·g-1 while the LCO sample delivers a reversible capacity of 109.1 mAh·g-1 after 100 cycles at the current density of 100 mA·g-1. In the CoO@RGO//LCO full-cells, the CoO@RGO sample delivers a reversible capacity of 553.9 mAh·g-1 after 50 cycles at the current density of 200 mA·g-1. The reasons for superior electrochemical behaviors of the samples have been revealed, and the strategy in this work can be considered to be straightforward and effective for engineering both anode and cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Oxymatrine relieves high-fructose/fat-induced obesity via reprogramming the activity of lipid metabolism-related enhancer.

Introduction: Emerging evidence demonstrates that the high-fructose and high-fat diet (HFHF) induced obesity and fatty liver disease has become one of the most common metabolic disorders worldwide. Therefore, innovative investigations on compounds targeting obesity and fatty liver diseases are urgently needed. Methods: The high-throughput natural compounds screen was performed to screen the important compounds. A rat HFHF model was constructed, the regulatory function of Oxymatrine in HFHF-induced obesity was further explored. Results: We identified Oxymatrine, a natural compound extracted from Sophora flavescens, showed a potential compacity in high-fat diet-induced fatty liver disease. We found that oxymatrine significantly inhibited HFHF-induced obesity using a rat HFHF model. Additionally, we found that oxymatrine altered the enhancer landscape of subcutaneous adipose tissues by ChIP-seq analysis using antibodies against the H3K27ac histone modification. Motif enrichment analysis showed the Smad motif was significantly enriched in enhancers altered post-oxymatrine treatment. Further chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR) analysis and luciferase reporter assays showed oxymatrine alters the binding of Smad3 on the enhancer regions of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) and the enhancer activity of Bcl2. Discussion: Together, our study highlighted oxymatrine could suppress high-fructose and high-fat diet-induced obesity by inhibiting the suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic 3 (Smad3) binding on obesity-related enhancers.

Integration of Multiple Heterointerfaces in a Hierarchical 0D@2D@1D Structure for Lightweight, Flexible, and Hydrophobic Multifunctional Electromagnetic Protective Fabrics.

The development of wearable multifunctional electromagnetic protective fabrics with multifunctional, low cost, and high efficiency remains a challenge. Here, inspired by the unique flower branch shape of "Thunberg's meadowsweet" in nature, a nanofibrous composite membrane with hierarchical structure was constructed. Integrating sophisticated 0D@2D@1D hierarchical structures with multiple heterointerfaces can fully unleash the multifunctional application potential of composite membrane. The targeted induction method was used to precisely regulate the formation site and morphology of the metal-organic framework precursor, and intelligently integrate multiple heterostructures to enhance dielectric polarization, which improves the impedance matching and loss mechanisms of the electromagnetic wave absorbing materials. Due to the synergistic enhancement of electrospinning-derived carbon nanofiber "stems", MOF-derived carbon nanosheet "petals" and transition metal selenide nano-particle "stamens", the CoxSey/NiSe@CNSs@CNFs (CNCC) composite membrane obtains a minimum reflection loss value (RLmin) of -68.40 dB at 2.6 mm and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 8.88 GHz at a thin thickness of 2.0 mm with a filling amount of only 5 wt%. In addition, the multi-component and hierarchical heterostructure endow the fibrous membrane with excellent flexibility, water resistance, thermal management, and other multifunctional properties. This work provides unique perspectives for the precise design and rational application of multifunctional fabrics.

Algal-bacterial consortium promotes carbon sink formation in saline environment.

INTRODUCTION: The level of atmospheric CO2 has continuously been increasing and the resulting greenhouse effects are receiving attention globally. Carbon removal from the atmosphere occurs naturally in various ecosystems. Among them, saline environments contribute significantly to the global carbon cycle. Carbonate deposits in the sediments of salt lakes are omnipresent, and the biological effects, especially driven by halophilic microalgae and bacteria, on carbonate formation remain to be elucidated. OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to characterize the carbonates formed in saline environments and demonstrate the mechanisms underlying biological-driven CO2 removal via microalgal-bacterial consortium. METHODS: The carbonates naturally formed in saline environments were collected and analyzed. Two saline representative organisms, the photosynthetic microalga Dunaliella salina and its mutualistic halophilic bacteria Nesterenkonia sp. were isolated from the inhabiting saline environment and co-cultivated to study their biological effects on carbonates precipitation and isotopic composition. During this process, electrochemical parameters and Ca2+ flux, and expression of genes related to CaCO3 formation were analyzed. Genome sequencing and metagenomic analysis were conducted to provide molecular evidence. RESULTS: The results showed that natural saline sediments are enriched with CaCO3 and enrichment of genes related to photosynthesis and ureolysis. The co-cultivation stimulated 54.54% increase in CaCO3 precipitation and significantly promoted the absorption of external CO2 by 49.63%. A pH gradient was formed between the bacteria and algae culture, creating 150.22 mV of electronic potential, which might promote Ca2+ movement toward D. salina cells. Based on the results of lab-scale induction and 13C analysis, a theoretical calculation indicates a non-negligible amount of 0.16 and 2.3 Tg C/year carbon sequestration in China and global saline lakes, respectively. CONCLUSION: The combined effects of these two typical representative species have contributed to the carbon sequestration in saline environments, by promoting Ca2+ influx and increase of pH via microalgal and bacterial metabolic processes.

Engineering a hierarchical reduced graphene oxide and lignosulfonate derived carbon framework supported tin dioxide nanocomposite for lithium-ion storage.

Tin dioxide (SnO2) is widely recognized as a high-performance anode material for lithium-ion batteries. To simultaneously achieve satisfactory electrochemical performances and lower manufacturing costs, engineering nano-sized SnO2 and further immobilizing SnO2 with supportive carbon frameworks via eco-friendly and cost-effective approaches are challenging tasks. In this work, biomass sodium lignosulfonate (LS-Na), stannous chloride (SnCl2) and a small amount of few-layered graphene oxide (GO) are employed as raw materials to engineer a hierarchical carbon framework supported SnO2 nanocomposite. The spontaneous chelation reaction between LS-Na and SnCl2 under mild hydrothermal condition generates the corresponding SnCl2@LS sample with a uniform distribution of Sn2+ in the LS domains, and the SnCl2@LS sample is further dispersed by GO sheets via a redox coprecipitation reaction. After a thermal treatment, the SnCl2@LS@GO sample is converted to the final SnO2/LSC/RGO sample with an improved microstructure. The SnO2/LSC/RGO nanocomposite exhibits excellent lithium-ion storage performances with a high specific capacity of 938.3 mAh/g after 600 cycles at 1000 mA g-1 in half-cells and 517.1 mAh/g after 50 cycles at 200 mA g-1 in full-cells. This work provides a potential strategy of engineering biomass derived high-performance electrode materials for rechargeable batteries.