Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Identify the Potential Mechanism and Therapeutic Role of Scutellaria baicalensis in Alzheimer's Disease.

Aim: Scutellaria baicalensis, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb renowned for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor properties, has shown promise in alleviating cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease. Nonetheless, the exact neuroprotective mechanism of Scutellaria baicalensis against Alzheimer's disease remains unclear. In this study, network pharmacology was employed to explore the possible mechanisms by which Scutellaria baicalensis protects against Alzheimer's disease. Methods: The active compounds of Scutellaria baicalensis were retrieved from the TCMSP database, and their corresponding targets were identified. Alzheimer's disease-related targets were obtained through searches in the GeneCards and OMIM databases. Cytoscape 3.6.0 software was utilized to construct a regulatory network illustrating the "active ingredient-target" relationships. Subsequently, the target genes affected by Scutellaria baicalensis in the context of Alzheimer's disease were input into the String database to establish a PPI network. GO analysis and KEGG analysis were conducted using the DAVID database to predict the potential pathways associated with these key targets. Following this, the capacity of these active ingredients to bind to core targets was confirmed through molecular docking. In vitro experiments were then carried out for further validation. Results: A total of 36 active ingredients from Scutellaria baicalensis were screened out, which corresponded to 365 targets. Molecular docking results demonstrated the robust binding abilities of Baicalein, Wogonin, and 5,2'-Dihydroxy-6,7,8-trimethoxyflavone to key target proteins (SRC, PIK3R1, and STAT3). In vitro experiments showed that the active components of Scutellaria baicalensis can inhibit STAT3 expression by downregulating the PIK3R1/SRC pathway in Neuro 2A cells. Conclusion: In summary, these findings collectively suggest that Scutellaria baicalensis holds promise as a viable treatment option for Alzheimer's disease.

Amino acid application inhibits root-to-shoot cadmium translocation in Chinese cabbage by modulating pectin methyl-esterification.

The exogenous application of amino acids (AAs) generally alleviates cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants by altering their subcellular distribution. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying AA-mediated cell wall (CW) sequestration of Cd in Chinese cabbage remain unclear. Using two genotypes of Chinses cabbage, Jingcui 60 (Cd-tolerant) and 16-7 (Cd-sensitive), we characterized the root structure, subcellular distribution of Cd, CW component, and related gene expression under the Cd stress. Cysteine (Cys) supplementation led to a reduction in the Cd concentration in the shoots of Jingcui 60 and 16-7 by 65.09 % and 64.03 %, respectively. Addition of Cys alleviated leaf chlorosis in both cultivars by increasing Cd chelation in the root CW and reducing its distribution in the cytoplasm and organelles. We further demonstrated that Cys supplementation mediated the downregulation of PMEI1 expression and improving the activity of pectin methyl-esterase (PME) by 17.98 % and 25.52 % in both cultivars, respectively, compared to the Cd treatment, resulting in an approximate 12.00 %-14.70 % increase in Cd retention in pectin. In contrast, threonine (Thr) application did not significantly alter Cd distribution in the shoots of either cultivar. Taken together, our results suggest that Cys application reduces Cd root-to-shoot translocation by increasing Cd sequestration in the root CW through the downregulation of pectin methyl-esterification.

Uncovering the mechanisms of how corn steep liquor and microbial communities minimize cadmium translocation in Chinese cabbage.

Corn steep liquor-assisted microbial remediation has been proposed as a promising strategy to remediate cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil. In this study, we determined Bacillus subtilis (K2) with a high cadmium (Cd) accumulation ability and Cd resistance. However, studies on this strategy used in the Cd uptake of Chinese cabbage are lacking, and the effect of the combined incorporation of corn steep liquor and K2 on the functions and microbial interactions of soil microbiomes is unclear. Here, we study the Cd uptake and transportation in Chinese cabbage by the combination of K2 and corn steep liquor (K2 + C7) in a Cd-contaminated soil and corresponding microbial regulation mechanisms. Results showed that compared to inoculant K2 treatment alone, a reduction of Cd concentration in the shoots by 14.4% and the dry weight biomass of the shoots and the roots in Chinese cabbage increased by 21.6% and 30.8%, respectively, under K2 + C7 treatment. Meanwhile, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were decreased by enhancing POD and SOD activity, thereby reversing Cd-induced oxidative damage. Importantly, inoculation of K2 would decrease the diversity of the microbial community while enhancing the abundance of dominant species. These findings provide a promising strategy for reducing the Cd accumulation in Chinese cabbage and recovering soil ecological functions.

Biochar's dual role in greenhouse gas emissions: Nitrogen fertilization dependency and mitigation potential.

Biochar was popularly used for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in vegetable production, but using biochar does not necessarily guarantee a reduction in GHG emissions. Herein, it's meaningful to elucidate the intricate interplay among biochar properties, soil characteristics, and GHG emissions in vegetable production to provide valuable insights for informed and effective mitigation strategies. Therefore, in current research, a meta-analysis of 43 publications was employed to address these issues. The boost-regression analysis results indicated that the performance of biochar in inhibiting N2O emissions was most affected by the N application rate both in high and low N application conditions. Besides, biochar had dual roles and showed well performance in reducing GHG emissions under low N input (≤300 kg N ha-1), while having the opposite effect during high N input (>300 kg N ha-1). Specifically, applying biochar under low N fertilization input could obviously reduce soil N2O emissions, CO2 emissions, and CH4 emissions by 18.7 %, 17.9 %, and 16.9 %, respectively. However, the biochar application under high N fertilization input significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil N2O emissions, CO2 emissions, and CH4 emissions by 39.7 %, 43.0 %, and 27.7 %, respectively. Except for the N application rate, the soil pH, SOC, biochar C/N ratio, biochar pH, and biochar pyrolysis temperature are also the key factors affecting the control of GHG emissions in biochar-amended soils. The findings of this study will contribute to deeper insights into the potential application of biochar in regulating GHG under consideration of N input, offering scientific evidence and guidance for sustainable agriculture management.

Mechanistic insights into mitigating Cd stress in plants using typical organic waste fermentation solutions.

Finding practical solutions for utilizing agricultural organic wastes has always been a challenge. To address this, our study investigated the effects and mechanisms of different exogenous organic waste fermentation solutions on alleviating Cd stress in plants using hydroponic experiments. Out of the seven fermentation solutions examined, pea fermentation liquid (T3), chicken manure (T5), molasses (T6), and chitosan oligosaccharide broth (T9) exhibited positive effects. They increased shoot fresh weight by 1.17%, 26.83%, 7.94%, and 15.59%, and root fresh weight by 50.00%, 12.21%, 81.19%, and 19.47%, respectively. Conversely, amino acid mother liquid (T7) and potassium polyaspartate liquid (T8) reduced shoot fresh weight by 34.21% and 24.74%, and root fresh weight by 27.06% and 7.10%, respectively. All organic waste liquids reduced Cd concentration in shoots and roots. Corn fermentation liquid (T4) reduced Cd in shoots from 87.91 to 19.20 mg/kg, while molasses (T6) reduced Cd in roots from 980.94 to 260.47 mg/kg. SEM-EDX results revealed that molasses (T6) effectively repaired Cd damage on root surfaces. In addition, several waste liquids mitigated microelement absorption disturbances. All waste liquids reduced MDA, corn fermentation liquid (T4), chicken manure (T5), molasses (T6), potassium polyaspartate liquid (T8), and chitosan oligosaccharide liquid (T9) significantly decreased H2O2 by 21.6-38.3%. Structural equation model (SEM) and correlation analysis highlighted the importance of root Mg, Cu, and Zn content and CAT activity in relieving Cd stress and promoting plant growth. Overall, molasses (T6) and chicken manure (T5) demonstrated the most beneficial combined effects, while amino acid mother liquid (T7) and chitosan oligosaccharide liquid (T9) should be exercised with caution due to their weaker effects.

PIM3 regulates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via ferroptosis.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is closely related with cardiovascular diseases; however, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain not fully understood. This study sought to investigate the effect and mechanisms of PIM3 implicated in myocardial I/R injury using a rat model of myocardial I/R injury and a cell model of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) induction. METHODS: The morphology changes were detected by HE staining while cell viability was accessed by the CCK-8 method. The characteristics of ferroptosis were evaluated by ROS production, MDA content, SOD level, iron content, TfR1, FTH1, and GPX4 expression. RESULTS: Myocardial I/R operation increased myocardial tissue damage in rats, while OGD/R treatment reduced the viability of H9c2 cells. Both myocardial I/R operation and OGD/R stimulation increased ferroptosis, as demonstrated by elevated ROS, MDA, iron content, decreased SOD level, upregulation of TfR1, and downregulation of FTH1 and GPX4. Additionally, myocardial I/R modeling or OGD/R treatment enhanced the expression of PIM3. Silencing of PIM3 inhibited ferroptosis, which resulted in alleviated myocardial I/R-induced damage and improved H9c2 cell survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight a vital role of PIM3 in myocardial I/R injury, indicating that PIM3-targeting ferroptosis may be a promising target for the development of novel therapies of myocardial I/R injury-associated diseases.

Long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness evaluation of robot-assisted stereotactic hematoma drainage for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Background: To investigate the long-term follow-up and economic estimation outcomes of hematoma drainage for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) with the assistance of neurosurgical navigation and positioning planning system (referred to as robot). Methods: Data were retrospectively obtained from consecutive patients with SICH who were admitted to our single-center between March 2019 and March 2022. Different minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures were performed according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The different groups were sampled and matched using the propensity score method, with age, sex, history of stroke, hypertension, bleeding volume and site of bleeding as matching variables, and matched with inverse probability weighting using R statistical analysis software. From the time of discharge up until 1 year after the surgery, records were gathered on clinical results and medical expenditures. An analysis was conducted to compare the costs and health outcomes of both robot-assisted stereotactic hematoma drainage and neuro-endoscopic surgery, considering both short-term and long-term effects. Health outputs were measured using modified Rankin scale (mRS) and quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Results: Of the 142 patients, there were 77 patients in the robotic surgery group and 65 patients in the neuro-endoscopic surgery group. Propensity score sampling was matched, resulting in a balanced and comparable group of 37 patients in each, with the robotic surgery group [mean age (57.29 ± 12.74) years, 27 males (72.97%), hematoma volume (44.54 ± 10.49 ml), 22 deep location (59.46%)] and the neuro-endoscopic surgery group [mean age (57.27 ± 11.12) years, 27 males (72.97%), hematoma volume (44.70 ± 10.86 ml), 23 deep location (62.16%)]. At both three-month and one-year postoperative follow-up, the proportion of mRS scores ≤3 was higher in the robotic surgery group (45.95%,70.27%) than in the neuro-endoscopic surgery group (35.14%, 62.16%), but there was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.344, 0.461). One year after surgery, the robotic group demonstrated cost savings of ¥36,862.14 per individual and a gain of 0.062 QALYs compared to the neuro-endoscopic group. Conclusion: Our calculations based on a model for SICH suggest that robotic-assisted stereotactic drainage offers health economic benefits due to its lower cost and higher effectiveness. However, to confirm these findings, more data from multicenter, prospective randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are needed.

Cleaner production of Chinese cabbage by intercropping from Cd contaminated soil: Effects of hyperaccumulator variety and planting strip width.

The utilization of Cd-contaminated soil in vegetable crop production can lighten the food crisis and improve the soil environmental resilience. Intercropping is a reliable technology in safety production from contaminated soil. A field-scale experiment was carried out to unravel how plant species and pattern affect the growth and Cd uptake of Chinese cabbage from Cd contaminated land. Among all the intercropping systems designed in this study, one row of Chinese cabbage intercropping with one row of Solanum nigrum L. is the best planting mode (high yields (2.78 kg/m2) and low Cd accumulation (0.02 mg/kg) of Chinese cabbage). Combined with the in-depth joint analysis of diverse soil physicochemical features (soil nutrient characteristics and microbial community structure), biomass yield and quality, and soil microbiological properties, we elaborated that two measures (screening hyperaccumulation types and controlling planting strip width) were the major factors in determining the growth of the aboveground and underground parts of Chinese cabbage respectively, thus directly regulating the application effectiveness of intercropping technology. The intertwined mechanisms (interspecific and intraspecific relationship) of different intercropping systems are summarized, which include better utilization of space, light and other resources in the aboveground part, bioavailability of nutrient, drive of soil bacteria and alleviated soil Cd stress in the underground part, etc. Our research outputs indicate the effectiveness and feasibility of intercropping can be improved by optimizing the streamline configuration and plant mode, which provide theory of reference and practical evidence for warranting the food safety and agricultural soil remediation simultaneously.

Safe Production Strategies for Soil-Covered Cultivation of Morel in Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils.

Morel is a popular edible mushroom with considerable medicinal and economic value which has garnered global popularity. However, the increasing heavy metal (HM) pollution in the soil presents a significant challenge to morels cultivation. Given the susceptibility of morels to HM accumulation, the quality and output of morels are at risk, posing a serious food safety concern that hinders the development of the morel industry. Nonetheless, research on the mechanism of HM enrichment and mitigation strategies in morel remains scarce. The morel, being cultivated in soil, shows a positive correlation between HM content in its fruiting body and the HM content in the soil. Therefore, soil remediation emerges as the most practical and effective approach to tackle HM pollution. Compared to physical and chemical remediation, bioremediation is a low-cost and eco-friendly approach that poses minimal threats to soil composition and structure. HMs easily enriched during morels cultivation were examined, including Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb, and we assessed soil passivation technology, microbial remediation, strain screening and cultivation, and agronomic measures as potential approaches for HM pollution prevention. The current review underscores the importance of establishing a comprehensive system for preventing HM pollution in morels.

Metal oxide modified biochars for fertile soil management: Effects on soil phosphorus transformation, enzyme activity, microbe community, and plant growth.

Metal oxide modified biochars are increasingly being used for intensive agricultural soil remediation, but there has been limited research on their effects on soil phosphorus transformation, soil enzyme activity, microbe community and plant growth. Two highly-performance metal oxides biochars (FeAl-biochar and MgAl-biochar) were investigated for their effects on soil phosphorus availability, fractions, enzyme activity, microbe community and plant growth in two typical intensive fertile agricultural soils. Adding raw biochar to acidic soil increased NH4Cl-P content, while metal oxide biochar reduced NH4Cl-P content by binding to phosphorus. Original biochar slightly reduced Al-P content in lateritic red soil, while metal oxide biochar increased it. LBC and FBC significantly reduced Ca2-P and Ca8-P properties while improving Al-P and Fe-P, respectively. Inorganic phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria increased in abundance with biochar amendment in both soil types, and biochar addition affected soil pH and phosphorus fractions, leading to changes in bacterial growth and community structure. Biochar's microporous structure allowed it to adsorb phosphorus and aluminum ions, making them more available for plants and reducing leaching. In calcareous soils, biochar additions may dominantly increase the Ca (hydro)oxides bounded P or soluble P instead of Fe-P or Al-P through biotic pathways, favoring plant growth. The recommendations for using metal oxides biochar for fertile soil management include using LBC biochar for optimal performance in both P leaching reduction and plant growth promotion, with the mechanisms differing depending on soil type. This research highlights the potential of metal oxide modified biochars for improving soil fertility and reducing phosphorus leaching, with specific recommendations for their use in different soil types.

Modifying engineered nanomaterials to produce next generation agents for environmental remediation.

The application of pristine nanomaterials (PNMs) for environment remediation remains challenging due to inherently high potential for aggregation, low stability, sub-optimum efficiency, and non-uniformity in size and toxicity. Conversely, modified nanomaterials (MNMs) approaches have shown significant potential to enhance the technical and economic efficiency of conventional nanoscale remediation strategies by decreasing aggregation of nanomaterials by imparting electrostatic, electrosteric or steric repulsion between particles. Furthermore, the solubility enhancing agents in MNMs have been shown to increase metal bioavailability and accelerate the breakdown of pollutants. As such, it is imperative to modify nanomaterials for unlocking their full potential and expanding their range of applications. However, there is no comprehensive review in the literature that evaluates the efficacy and environmental impact of MNMs against PNMs in the environment. This critical review identifies major barriers preventing the widescale application of nano-enabled remediation and discusses strategies to increase the stability and activity of nanomaterials at reaction sites. The higher reactivity and versatility of MNMs, along with novel properties and functionalities, enable effective removal of a range of chemical pollutants from complex environmental matrices. Additionally, MNMs show significant improvement in mobility, reactivity, and controlled and targeted release of active ingredients for in situ remediation. However, the uncertainties associated with the adverse effects of some modification agents of MNMs are not well-understood, and require further in-depth investigations. Overall, our findings show that MNMs are potentially more efficient, cost-effective, and resilient for remediation of soil and sediment, water, and air pollution than PNMs. The possible action mechanisms of MNMs have been demonstrated for different environmental compartments. Conclusively, this work provides a path forward for developing effective nano-enabled remediation technologies with MNMs, which are widely applicable to a range of environmental contamination scenarios.

Robot-Assisted Percutaneous Balloon Compression in Elderly Patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) for trigeminal neuralgia in elderly patients with the assistance of a neurosurgical navigation and positioning planning system (referred to hereafter as the robot). Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 11 patients with trigeminal neuralgia. Preoperative TOF MRA, T2WI-SPACE, and thin-slice CT scans were performed, and the volume of Meckel's Cave was calculated by multi-modal image fusion on a workstation. Surgical planning involved two paths. Path A was the actual puncture path, the target point was the anterior inner quadrant of the inner opening of the foramen ovale; Path B represented a virtual path for measurement, and was used to plan the depth of balloon placement. The foramen ovale puncture for path A was completed under the guidance of a robotic arm adapter, while path B was completed under lateral X-ray fluoroscopy with a DSA machine. The balloon was placed at a predetermined depth, and filled to a "pear" shape to complete the operation. Preliminary follow-up results were obtained by considering VAS score and BNI classification. Results: The foramen ovale was successfully punctured in all 11 patients and entered Meckel's Cave, the balloon was then filled to create a "pear shape". Immediate complete healing was achieved in 10 patients and delayed healing was achieved in one patient by the 5th postoperative day. No serious complications were identified that were related to surgery, and over a follow-up time of 1-12 months, there was no recurrence of pain, and a BNI numbness grade of 2-3 points. The appropriate ratio of the balloon inflated volume to the preoperative Meckel's Cave volume was approximately 1.7. Conclusion: Preliminary clinical application and short-term follow-up showed that robot-assisted PBC surgery is a safe and effective surgical method for elderly patients with trigeminal neuralgia.

Effects of Critical Operation and Cleaning Parameters on Performances and Economic Benefits of Biogas Slurry Concentration by Forward Osmosis Membrane.

Forward osmosis membrane technology (FO) shows potential application prospects in biogas slurry concentration, which is conducive to promoting the sustainable development of biogas projects. However, at present, the key influencing factors of membrane concentration using FO are not well understood. Therefore, this study analyzed the influence of draw solution concentration, pH, temperature and cross-flow velocity on the concentration efficiency of FO membrane, and optimized the operation parameters of FO membrane. The results showed that the concentration effect of the NaCl draw solution at pH 5 or 9 was better than that at pH 7. The order of factor influencing the water flux was as follows: draw liquid concentration > cross-flow velocity > operating temperature. The optimal combination obtained by orthogonal analysis was under 45 °C, with a cross-flow velocity of 1 L/min and the use of 1.5 mol/L NaCl as draw solution. The results of the membrane cleaning implied that the recovery rate of the fouled membrane after acid-base cleaning is significantly higher (88%) than other cleaning solutions. This research offers a scientific reference for applying positive osmosis technology to re-utilize biogas slurry resources.

Recent progresses, challenges, and opportunities of carbon-based materials applied in heavy metal polluted soil remediation.

The application of carbon-based materials (CBMs) for heavy metal polluted soil remediation has gained growing interest due to their versatile properties and excellent remediation performance. Although the progresses on applications of CBMs in removing heavy metal from aqueous solution and their corresponding mechanisms were well known, comprehensive review on applications of CBMs in heavy metal polluted soil remediation were less identified. Therefore, this review provided insights into advanced progresses on utilization of typical CBMs including biochar, activated carbon, graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and carbon black for heavy metal polluted soil remediation. The mechanisms of CBM remediation of heavy metals in soil were summarized, mainly including physical adsorption, precipitation, complexation, electrostatic interaction, and cationic-π coordination. The key factors affecting the remediation effect include soil pH, organic matter, minerals, microorganisms, coexisting ions, moisture, and material size. Disadvantages of CBMs were also included, such as: potential health risks, high cost, and difficulty in achieving co-passivation of anions and cations. This work will contribute to our understanding of current research advances, challenges, and opportunities for CBMs remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils.

Effects of straw return and straw biochar on soil properties and crop growth: A review.

Straw return is an effective method for disposing agricultural residues. It not only utilizes agricultural waste but also improves soil. In the current review, different crop straw and its characteristics were highlighted, and patterns of straw return were explored (including straw return, straw biochar return, and their combined with fertilizer return), as well as their environmental impacts were outlined. In addition, the effects of straw return and straw biochar amendment on soil properties [e.g., pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil nitrogen (N)/phosphorus (P)/potassium (K), soil enzyme activities, and soil microbes] were discussed. Information collected from this review proposed that straw return and straw biochar return or in combination with fertilizer is an applicable way for improving soil fertility and enhancing crop production. Straw return is beneficial to soil physicochemical properties and soil microbial features. The rice straw has positive impacts on crop growth. However, there are different climate types, soil types and crops in China, meaning that the future research need long-term experiment to assess the complex interactions among straw, soil, and plant eco-systems. Accordingly, this review aims to provide available information on the application of straw return in terms of different patterns of its to justify and to expand their effective promotion.

Interception of fertile soil phosphorus leaching with immobilization materials: Recent progresses, opportunities and challenges.

The non-point source pollution induced by phosphorus (P) leaching from fertile soils is accelerating the eutrophication phenomena in aqueous ecosystems. Herein, to alleviate and intercept the P leaching from the fertile soils, diverse P immobilization materials (PIM) which can transform labile P into stable P via a range of physicochemical and biological interactions have been adopted and received increasing research interest. However, the remediation mechanisms of different PIMs were complex and vary with soil properties and PIM application methods. In this review, the P fraction and mobility characteristics of different fertile soils were first introduced. Then, three kinds of PIM including inorganic materials (e.g., clay minerals and red mud), organic materials (e.g., polyacrylamide), and composites (e.g., modified biochar) applied in soil P leaching interception were concluded. The key factors (i.e., soil pH, soil texture, organic matter content and variable soil moisture) influencing PIM performance and potential PIMs used for reducing soil P leaching were also introduced. Current review can favor for proposing more suitable and insightful strategies to regulate the fertile soil P and achieve the dual goals of improving the crop land quality and yield, and preventing agricultural non-point source pollution.

Supplying amendments alleviates aluminum toxicity and regulates cadmium accumulation by spinach in strongly acidic soils.

Al toxicity and Cd pollution are key limiting factors for agricultural production in the acidic soils in China. The application of amendments is an effective and promising measure for remediating strongly acidic Cd-contaminated soils. However, the information on applying amendments for alleviating Al toxicity and regulating plant Cd accumulation is still rare. Here, oyster shell (OS), red mud (RM), hydroxyapatite (HAP), and biochar (BC) at 30 g kg-1 were investigated for alleviating Al toxicity and decreasing Cd accumulation in spinach plants. The results showed that four amendments significantly increased soil pH, and reduced soil exchangeable Al3+ and DTPA-Cd, promoted spinach growth (P < 0.05). Al(OH)30 and Al-HA were the main forms of active Al in soil. The BC and OS were more effective to alleviate Al toxicity but significantly (P < 0.05) increased Cd accumulation in spinach. RM and HAP effectively reduced the uptake of Cd by spinach plants as well as alleviated Al toxicity (P < 0.05). Bivariate correlation analysis and the partial least squares path modeling analysis indicated that soil exchangeable Al3+ was the main limiting factor for biomass production. Our study demonstrated that HAP could significantly alleviate Al toxicity, promote spinach growth, and decrease Cd accumulation in strongly acidic Cd-contaminated soils. Besides, OS and BC effectively alleviated soil Al toxicity leading to promoting the growth of spinach. Compared with CK, RM treatment significantly reduced soil Cd bioavailability (61.2%) and decreased Cd concentration and uptake of spinach plants by 90.0% and 50.7%. These results indicated that RM could be used as an efficient amendment in Cd contaminated.

Identifying biotic and abiotic processes of reversing biochar-induced soil phosphorus leaching through biochar modification with MgAl layered (hydr)oxides.

Biochar (BC) as a increasing widely adopted soil amendments showed potential threat to soil P leaching, but the relevant mechanisms were not clear enough and relevant strategy should be proposed to address the P leaching induced by BC application. In this study, effects of ordinary corn straw BC, and a fabricated Mg/Al-LDHs modified biochar (LBC) on soil P availability, adsorption, fraction and mobility were compared and investigated by conducting the column and incubation experiments at biochar to soil rate of 1 %, 2 % and 4 % (w/w). Chemical sequential extraction methods and various solid-state method (i.e., three-dimensional excitation emission matrix (EEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES)) were utilized to give deep insights into the P mobilization and immobilization mechanisms by respectively applying the BC and LBC. Results of incubation experiments showed that applying the LBC reduced the labile P with significant CaP transformation to Al-retained P, while ordinary BC promoted the Fe/Al-P transformation to labile dibasic calcium phosphate and monobasic calcium phosphate evidenced by the EEM analysis, in-situ XANES investigation and chemical sequential extraction methods. Results of phosphatase and microbial analyses indicated that the decreased labile P after 30 days' incubation and the mitigated P leaching in LBC treatment were dominantly ascribed to abiotic processes of inorganic P transformation and (de)sorption. This research gave deep insights into abiotic and biotic processes of ordinary biochar promoting soil P leaching, and important implications for applying engineered biochar in reducing P leaching and improving soil productivity.

Effects of phosphorus-containing material application on soil cadmium bioavailability: a meta-analysis.

Diverse phosphorus-containing materials (PCMs) were widely applied in remediation of cadmium-contaminated soils, and their effects on the change of soil cadmium availability (SCA) varied with their physicochemical characteristics and environmental conditions. Investigation on the effect of various PCMs on reducing SCA under different conditions favors the safe utilization of Cd-contaminated soil. Herein, a meta-analysis of literature published before August 2021 was carried out. A total of 342 independent observations were obtained from 42 published papers which included 9 factors that may affect the passivation effect of fertilizer content: phosphorus type, phosphorus application rate, soil pH, soil CEC, soil organic matter, experiment type, and time. Results of boosted regression tree analysis showed that the application rate is the most important factor contributing to the SCA, followed by soil pH and duration. Results of this meta-analysis showed that medium P input shows potential for reactivating the SCA. Under alkaline soil conditions and high soil CEC values, PCM input can better deactivate SCA. In addition, the difference from the previous understanding is that under the medium input of phosphorus-containing fertilizer (90-500 mg P∙kg-1), it will significantly increase the content of available cadmium in soil. In addition, future recommendation for exploring novel PCMs and suitable strategies for controlling the SCA though PCM application were also proposed. Our works may promote the interpretation of the interference factors on the SCA changes and fill the research gaps on utilization of PCM in Cd-polluted soil remediation.