Gradual effects of gradient concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate on the antioxidant ability and gut microbiota of red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus).

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a typical persistent organic pollutant that is characterized by environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. In this study, we investigated the gut microbial response of the red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus after 28 days of exposure to 0 ng/L, 1 ng/L, 10 µg/L, or 10 mg/L of PFOS as a stressor. We measured oxidative stress-related enzyme activities and expression of molecules related to detoxification mechanisms to evaluate the toxic effects of PFOS. We found that PFOS disturbed microbial homeostasis in the gut of C. quadricarinatus, resulting in increased abundance of the pathogen Shewanella and decreased abundance of the beneficial bacterium Lactobacillus. The latter especially disturbed amino acid transport and carbohydrate transport. We also found that the activities of glutathione S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase were positively correlated with the expression levels of cytochrome P450 genes (GST1-1, GSTP, GSTK1, HPGDS, UGT5), which are products of PFOS-induced oxidative stress and play an antioxidant role in the body. The results of this study provided valuable ecotoxicological data to better understand the biological fate and effects of PFOS in C. quadricarinatus.

R-loop and diseases: the cell cycle matters.

The cell cycle is a crucial biological process that is involved in cell growth, development, and reproduction. It can be divided into G1, S, G2, and M phases, and each period is closely regulated to ensure the production of two similar daughter cells with the same genetic material. However, many obstacles influence the cell cycle, including the R-loop that is formed throughout this process. R-loop is a triple-stranded structure, composed of an RNA: DNA hybrid and a single DNA strand, which is ubiquitous in organisms from bacteria to mammals. The existence of the R-loop has important significance for the regulation of various physiological processes. However, aberrant accumulation of R-loop due to its limited resolving ability will be detrimental for cells. For example, DNA damage and genomic instability, caused by the R-loop, can activate checkpoints in the cell cycle, which in turn induce cell cycle arrest and cell death. At present, a growing number of factors have been proven to prevent or eliminate the accumulation of R-loop thereby avoiding DNA damage and mutations. Therefore, we need to gain detailed insight into the R-loop resolution factors at different stages of the cell cycle. In this review, we review the current knowledge of factors that play a role in resolving the R-loop at different stages of the cell cycle, as well as how mutations of these factors lead to the onset and progression of diseases.

Suppression of mercury methylation in soil and methylmercury accumulation in rice by dissolved organic matter derived from sulfur-rich rape straw.

Straw amendment significantly enhances mercury (Hg) methylation and subsequent methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation in Hg-contaminated paddy fields by releasing dissolved organic matter (DOM). This study comprehensively investigates the regulatory mechanisms of DOM and its different molecular weights derived from sulfur-rich rape straw (RaDOM) and composted rape straw (CRaDOM) applied in the rice-filling stage on soil MeHg production and subsequent bioaccumulation in rice grains. The results indicated that the amendment of RaDOM and CRaDOM significantly reduced soil MeHg content by 42.40-62.42%. This reduction can be attributed to several factors, including the suppression of Hg-methylating bacteria in soil, the supply of sulfate from RaDOM and CRaDOM, and the increase in the humification, molecular weight, and humic-like fractions of soil DOM. Additionally, adding RaDOM increased the MeHg bioaccumulation factor in roots by 27.55% while inhibiting MeHg transportation by 12.24% and ultimately reducing MeHg content in grains by 21.24% compared to the control group. Similarly, CRaDOM enhanced MeHg accumulation by 25.19%, suppressed MeHg transportation by 39.65%, and reduced MeHg levels in the grains by 27.94%. The assimilation of sulfate derived from RaDOM and CRaDOM into glutathione may be responsible for the increased retention of MeHg in the roots. Over the three days, there was a significant decrease in soil MeHg content as the molecular weight of RaDOM increased; conversely, altering the molecular weight of CRaDOM demonstrated an inverse trend. However, this pattern was not observed after 12 days. Applying sulfur-rich rape DOM can help mitigate MeHg accumulation in paddy fields by regulating the quality of soil DOM, sulfur cycling, and Hg-methylating bacteria.

Confounding effects of seasonality and anthropogenic river regulation on suspended particulate matter-driven mercury transport to coastal seas.

Riverine mercury (Hg) is mainly transported to coastal areas in suspended particulate matter (SPM)-bound form, posing a potential threat to human health. Water discharge and SPM characteristics in rivers vary naturally with seasonality and can also be arbitrarily disrupted by anthropogenic regulation events, but their effects on Hg transport remain unresolved. Aiming to understand the confounding effects of seasonality and anthropogenic river regulation on Hg and SPM transport, this study selected the highly sediment-laden Yellow River as a representative conduit. Significant variations in SPM concentrations (108 - 7097 mg/L) resulted in fluctuations in total mercury (THg, 3.79 - 111 ng/L) in river water corresponding to seasonality and anthropogenic water/sediment regulation. Principal component analysis and structural equation model revealed that SPM was the essential factor controlling THg and particulate Hg (PHg) in river water. While SPM exhibited equilibrium state in the dry season, a net resuspension during the anthropogenic regulation and net deposition in the wet season demonstrated the impact of SPM dynamics on Hg distribution and transport to coastal regions. Combining water discharge, SPM, and Hg concentrations, a modified model was developed to quantify Hg flux (2256 kg), over 98% of which was in particulate phase.

The role of ADAR1 through and beyond its editing activity in cancer.

Adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing of RNA, catalyzed by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes, is a prevalent RNA modification in mammals. It has been shown that A-to-I editing plays a critical role in multiple diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, neurological disorder, and particularly cancer. ADARs are the family of enzymes, including ADAR1, ADAR2, and ADAR3, that catalyze the occurrence of A-to-I editing. Notably, A-to-I editing is mainly catalyzed by ADAR1. Given the significance of A-to-I editing in disease development, it is important to unravel the complex roles of ADAR1 in cancer for the development of novel therapeutic interventions.In this review, we briefly describe the progress of research on A-to-I editing and ADARs in cancer, mainly focusing on the role of ADAR1 in cancer from both editing-dependent and independent perspectives. In addition, we also summarized the factors affecting the expression and editing activity of ADAR1 in cancer.

Finite element analysis and clinical application of 3D-printed Ti alloy implant for the reconstruction of mandibular defects.

BACKGROUND: The reconstruction of segmental defect of the mandible has always been a challenge. The customized reconstruction plate without a bone graft is also considered a transitional means of rehabilitation and reconstruction in some cases. METHODS: This study evaluated the biomechanical behaviors of customized plates with different structural designs comparing with commercial plates using the finite element method in reconstrution of the lateral mandible defect. RESULTS: Simulations revealed the stress state in the plate bodies, bone tissues and screws were associated with the width, height, thickness of the plates as well as the distribution of screws. In all of the groups, the system of 16 mm-high, 2.8 mm-thick customized reconstruction plate with 10 screws was considered to be the most ideal design because of the most harmonious biomechanical state. What's more, the stress shielding effects were not obvious in this experiment. Based on the above findings, we conducted a clinical case analysis to verify the mechanical properties of customized reconstruction and obtained a satisfactory operation result. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that by adjusting the contour parameters of the reconstruction plates, an ideal and reliable customized plate can be manufactured. And the customized 3D-printed Ti alloy implant will be a new way to achieve mandibular reconstruction in patients unable to perform autologous bone graft surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The present trial has been registered with ChiCTR, the registration number is ChiCTR 2,000,038,973 on 11/10/2020.

Psychosocial combined with methadone maintenance treatments versus methadone maintenance treatments alone for treatment of opioid use disorder: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial combined with methadone maintenance treatment aimed at opioid use disorder is effective, but the efficacy of the psychosocial intervention in such treatment is questionable. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of psychosocial plus methadone maintenance treatment versus methadone maintenance treatment alone for opioid use disorder in improving treatment retention and reducing drug use. METHODS: An exhaustive literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, "the Wan Fang database, the VIP database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database", and randomized controlled trials were identified from their inception to February 2021. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies were included. The results of this meta-analysis showed that adding any psychosocial treatment to standard methadone maintenance treatment significantly improved the illicit drug use during the treatment relative risk (RR) 0.62 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.79), and retention in treatment RR 1.18 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.25). No statistically significant additional benefit was detected in terms of retention at follow-up RR 1.08 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.22). CONCLUSIONS: The present evidence suggests that adding psychosocial intervention to methadone maintenance treatment significantly improves the nonuse of opioids and retention in treatment. It should be noted that psychosocial treatment is only beneficial for methadone treatment when methadone is provided in subtherapeutic doses. Additionally, the finding about the improvement effect of retention at follow-up did not achieve statistical significance. Due to the diversity of outcome indicators in relevant original studies, the included studies are limited.

A Tumor-Specific Cascade-Activating Smart Prodrug System for Enhanced Targeted Therapy.

Developing intelligently targeted drugs with low side effects is urgent for cancer treatment. Toward this goal, a tumor-specific cascade-activating smart prodrug system consisting of a G-quadruplex(G4)-modulated tumor-targeted DNA vehicle and a well-designed cellular stimuli-responsive ligand-drug conjugates (LDCs) is proposed. An original "donor-acceptor" binary fluorescent ligand, with ultrahigh affinity, brightness, and photostability, is engineered to tightly bind G4 structures and significantly improve the nuclease resistance of the DNA vehicle, which serves as a bridge contributing to the construction of the prodrug system, named ApG4/LDCs. Sodium nitroprusside and doxorubicin are loaded into ApG4/LDCs in one pot and generate nitric oxide and superoxide anion in response to cancer cellular environments, which in cascade generates peroxynitrite to cause DNA damage while promoting the self-monitored drug release to achieve enhanced targeted therapy. Such a cascade activation and self-reinforcement process is executed only when the prodrug system targets the tumor tissue followed by cell uptake, showing significant antitumor efficacy and greatly weakening the damage to normal tissues. Given the unique features, the innovative strategy for prodrug design may open a new door to precision disease treatment.

Electrocatalytic Deep Dehalogenation and Mineralization of Florfenicol: Synergy of Atomic Hydrogen Reduction and Hydroxyl Radical Oxidation over Bifunctional Cathode Catalyst.

It is difficult to achieve deep dehalogenation or mineralization for halogenated antibiotics using traditional reduction or oxidation processes, posing the risk of microbial activity inhibition and bacterial resistance. Herein, an efficient electrocatalytic process coupling atomic hydrogen (H*) reduction with hydroxyl radical (•OH) oxidation on a bifunctional cathode catalyst is developed for the deep dehalogenation and mineralization of florfenicol (FLO). Atomically dispersed NiFe bimetallic catalyst on nitrogen-doped carbon as a bifunctional cathode catalyst can simultaneously generate H* and •OH through H2O/H+ reduction and O2 reduction, respectively. The H* performs nucleophilic hydro-dehalogenation, and the •OH performs electrophilic oxidization of the carbon skeleton. The experimental results and theoretical calculations indicate that reductive dehalogenation and oxidative mineralization processes can promote each other mutually, showing an effect of 1 + 1 > 2. 100% removal, 100% dechlorination, 70.8% defluorination, and 65.1% total organic carbon removal for FLO are achieved within 20 min (C0 = 20 mg·L-1, -0.5 V vs SCE, pH 7). The relative abundance of the FLO resistance gene can be significantly reduced in the subsequent biodegradation system. This study demonstrates that the synergy of reduction dehalogenation and oxidation degradation can achieve the deep removal of refractory halogenated organic contaminants.

MOF Template-Derived Carbon Shell-Embedded CoP Hierarchical Nanosheet as Bifunctional Catalyst for Overall Water Splitting.

The design of earth-abundant and highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution reactions (HER/OER) is crucial for hydrogen production through overall water splitting. Herein, we report a novel nanostructure consisting of vertically oriented CoP hierarchical nanosheet arrays with in situ-assembled carbon skeletons on a Ti foil electrode. The novel Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-67 (ZIF-67) template-derived hierarchical nanosheet architecture effectively improved electrical conductivity, facilitated electrolyte transport, and increased the exposure of the active sites. The obtained bifunctional hybrid exhibited a low overpotential of 72 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a small Tafel slope of 65 mV dec-1 for HER, and an improved overpotential of 329 mV and a Tafel slope of 107 mV dec-1 for OER. Furthermore, the assembled C@CoP||C@CoP electrolyzer showed excellent overall water splitting performance (1.63 V) at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and superior durability. This work provides a structure engineering strategy for metal-organic framework (MOF) template-derived hybrids with outstanding electrocatalytic performance.

Determination of 25 polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Chinese mitten crab ecosystems by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and reliable method for determining 25 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Chinese mitten crabs and their ecosystems ranging from the growing environment to edible feed by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry with advanced electron ionization (GC-AEI-MS/MS) was developed and validated. Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and liquid-liquid extraction were used to extract solid and water samples, respectively. On the basis of a traditional acid-base silica column, deactivated silica was added and n-hexane elution was used to increase the effect of separation and purification. Two oven temperature programs were applied to achieve good separation of low brominated congeners and increase the sensitivity of high brominated congeners. The method provided good linearity (>0.9996). The recoveries of four matrices were in the range of 82-115% and the method quantification limits (MQLs) in crabs, feed, sediment and water ranged from 0.36-6 pg per g wet weight, 0.69-22.29 pg per g dry weight, 1.02-25.26 pg per g dry weight, and 2.43-40.14 pg L-1, respectively. The proposed method was used for ten samples from two aquatic sites and PBDEs were detected in Chinese mitten crabs, commercial feed and sediment, with the highest in crabs. This analytical technique can be used to monitor the content and the accumulation behavior of PBDEs in Chinese mitten crab ecosystems or other aquaculture systems.

A customized MOF-polymer composite for rapid gold extraction from water matrices.

With the fast-growing accumulation of electronic waste and rising demand for rare metals, it is compelling to develop technologies that can promotionally recover targeted metals, like gold, from waste, a process referred to as urban mining. Thus, there is increasing interest in the design of materials to achieve rapid, selective gold capture while maintaining high adsorption capacity, especially in complex aqueous-based matrices. Here, a highly porous metal-organic framework (MOF)-polymer composite, BUT-33-poly(para-phenylenediamine) (PpPD), is assessed for gold extraction from several matrices including river water, seawater, and leaching solutions from CPUs. BUT-33-PpPD exhibits a record-breaking extraction rate, with high Au3+ removal efficiency (>99%) within seconds (less than 45 s), a competitive capacity (1600 mg/g), high selectivity, long-term stability, and recycling ability. Furthermore, the high porosity and redox adsorption mechanism were shown to be underlying reasons for the material's excellent performance. Given the accumulation of recovered metallic gold nanoparticles inside, the material was also efficiently applied as a catalyst.

Deep remediation of As(III) in water by La-Ce bimetal oxide modified carbon framework.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater harms the health of millions of people, especially As(III), which is extremely toxic and difficult to remediate. Herein, we fabricated a reliable La-Ce binary oxide-anchored carbon framework foam (La-Ce/CFF) adsorbent for As(III) deep removal. Its open 3D macroporous structure ensures fast adsorption kinetic. The incorporation of an appropriate amount of La could enhance the affinity of La-Ce/CFF for As(III). The adsorption capacity of La-Ce10/CFF reached 40.01 mg/g. It could purify the As(III) concentrations to drinking standard level (< 10 µg/L) over the pH ranges 3-10. It also possessed excellent anti-interference ability to the interfering ions. In addition, it worked reliably in the simulated As(III)-contaminated groundwater and river water. La-Ce10/CFF could easily apply in fixed-bed, and La-Ce10/CFF (1 g) packed column could purify 4580 BV (36.0 L) of As(III)-contaminated groundwater. When further considering the excellent reusability of La-Ce10/CFF, it is a promising and reliable adsorbent for As(III) deep remediation.

Fast, specific, and ultrasensitive antibiotic residue detection by monolayer WS2-based field-effect transistor sensor.

Antibiotic residues cause increasing concern in environmental ecology and public health, which needs efficient analysis strategy for monitoring and control. In this study, a fast, specific, and ultrasensitive sensor based on field-effect transistor (FET) has been proposed for the detection of ampicillin (AMP). The sensor involves monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanosheet as the sensing channel, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) as the sensing probe, and gold nanoparticle (Au NP) as the linker. The WS2/Au/ssDNA FET sensor responds rapidly to AMP in a wide linear detection range (10-12-10-6 M) and has low limit of detection (0.556 pM), which meets the permissible standards of AMP in water and food. The sensing mechanism study suggests that the excellent sensor response results from the increased number of negative charges in the Debye length and the consequent accumulation of holes in WS2 channel after the addition of AMP. Moreover, satisfactory sensing performance was confirmed in real water samples, indicating the potential application of the proposed method in practical AMP detection. The reported FET sensing strategy provides new insights in antibiotic analysis for risk assessment and control.

Chemical Constituents of the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Cladosporium oxysporum 170103 and Their Antibacterial Effects.

The Cladosporium fungi, one of the largest genera of dematiaceous hyphomycetes, could produce various bioactive secondary metabolites. From the AcOEt-soluble extract of Cladosporium oxysporum 170103, three new secopatulolides (1-3) and thirteen known compounds (4-16) were obtained. Their structures were established by detailed analysis of the NMR and HR-ESI-MS data. All sixteen compounds were tested for antibacterial activity against Vibrio parahemolyticus, ergosterol (10) presented moderate effect with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 32 µM. It can destruct the membrane integrity of Vibrio parahemolyticus to change the cell shape.

Framework and Spherical Nucleic Acids Synergistically Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence Nanosensors for Rapidly Diagnosing Acute Myocardial Infarction Based on Circulating MicroRNA Levels.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)-related microRNAs (miRNAs) in circulating blood have been proved as promising biomarkers for AMI diagnosis. The detection of these miRNAs at ultralow levels usually requires nucleic acid amplification strategies to improve the sensitivity at the cost of time. Given that the first hour after an AMI attack is the golden time for saving AMI patients' lives, shortening the time of ultrasensitive miRNA analysis is of great significance for clinical AMI diagnosis. Toward this goal, here we present a direct electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensing strategy for fast and ultrasensitive miRNA detection, circumventing the time-consuming signal amplification steps. Target miRNAs are directly hybridized with two probe strands that are attached to a covalently hemin-modified spherical nucleic acid enzyme (SNAzyme) and a truncated triangular pyramid DNA nanoplatform on the electrode, respectively. Both of them improve the ECL signal and meanwhile reduce the background, thereby remarkably promoting the detection sensitivity of target miRNAs. It enables the rapid detection of an AMI-related miRNA (miR-499) at 10 aM in human serum within 30 min using the SNAzyme-catalyzed luminol-H2O2 ECL reaction. This sensing strategy is then utilized for AMI diagnosis via probing endogenous miR-499 in patients' circulating blood with endogenous miR-16 as an intrinsic reference, showing a significant difference (P < 0.001) between the miR-499 levels of patients and the healthy.

Enhanced lead and copper removal in wastewater by adsorption onto magnesium oxide homogeneously embedded hierarchical porous biochar.

Removing non-biodegradable Pb2+ and Cu2+ is the top priority in wastewater purification, while adsorption is a green technology to remove them. Herein, MgO-embedded granular hierarchical porous biochar (HP-MgO@BC) was fabricated by pyrolysis of porous Mg-infused chitosan beads. MgO nanoparticles were homogeneously embedded throughout the hierarchical porous biochar matrix in a high-density and accessible manner, thus providing a large number of easily accessible adsorption sites. Pb2+ and Cu2+ sorption capacities on HP-MgO@BC are 1044.8 and 811.2 mg/g at pH 5, respectively. It could effectively remove Pb2+ and Cu2+ across a broad pH range of 2-7, and show excellent adsorption efficiency in the presence of interfering cations. It also possessed excellent reusability. In the fixed-bed operation, 7880 BV (78.80 L) and 1610 BV (16.10 L) of synthetic Pb2+ and Cu2+ wastewater could be purified by HP-MgO@BC packed column, respectively. The adsorption mechanism involves mineral precipitation, ion exchange, and surface coordination.

Double-Faced Atomic-Level Engineering of Hollow Carbon Nanofibers as Free-Standing Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts for Flexible Zn-Air Battery.

Flexible solid-state zinc-air batteries (ZABs) with low cost, excellent safety, and high energy density has been considered as one of ideal power sources for portable and wearable electronic devices, while their practical applications are still hindered by the kinetically sluggish cathodic oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR/OER). Herein, a Janus-structured flexible free-standing bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst, with OER-active O, N co-coordinated Ni single atoms and ORR-active Co3O4@Co1-xS nanosheet arrays being separately integrated at the inner and outer walls of flexible hollow carbon nanofibers (Ni-SAs/HCNFs/Co-NAs), is reported. Benefiting from the sophisticated topological structure and atomic-level-designed chemical compositions, Ni-SAs/HCNFs/Co-NAs exhibits outstanding bifunctional catalytic activity with the ΔE index of 0.65 V, representing the current state-of-the-art flexible free-standing bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalyst. Impressively, the Ni-SAs/HCNFs/Co-NAs-based liquid ZAB show a high open-circuit potential (1.45 V), high capacity (808 mAh g-1 Zn), and extremely long life (over 200 h at 10 mA cm-2), and the assembled flexible all-solid-state ZABs have excellent cycle stability (over 80 h). This work provides an efficient strategy for developing high-performance bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalysts for commercial applications.

Relationship among Child Maltreatment, Parental Conflict, and Mental Health of Children during the COVID-19 Lockdown in China.

Children are more likely to experience maltreatment and parental conflict in a pandemic context, which can exacerbate their vulnerability to psychological disorders. The purpose of the present study was to examine mental health symptoms in children aged 0 to 10 years and consider related factors from the perspectives of maltreatment and parental conflict during the COVID-19 lockdown. Participants were 1286 parents aged 18 years and over with children aged 0 to 10 years were included. Several multivariable linear regressions were used to analyze the data. The largest variance in child mental health was explained by child maltreatment, as more maltreatment predicted higher reported psychological problems (standardized beta = 0.49, P < 0.001). Comparatively, parental conflict predicted less variance in mental health problems than maltreatment (standardized beta = 0.18, P < 0.001). Children who experienced more maltreatment experience and exposure to COVID-19 showed elevated levels of mental health symptoms (standardized beta = 0.06, p < 0.05), as did those who experienced parental conflict and pandemic exposure (standardized beta = 0.06, p < 0.05). The findings highlight that tailored programs that focus on a healthy family environment and strategic parental support services may be particularly effective in reducing children's mental health problems due to COVID-19 exposure.