Characteristics of advanced anaerobic digestion sludge-based biochar and its application for sewage sludge conditioning.

The utilization of sludge-based biochar, characterized by abundant pore structures, proves advantageous in enhancing sludge dewatering performance. In this study, advanced anaerobic digestion sludge underwent pyrolysis to produce biochar, subsequently employed for sludge conditioning. Results revealed that biochar, obtained at 800 °C, exhibited the highest specific surface area (105.3 m2/g) and pore volume (0.17 cm3/g). As the pyrolysis temperature increased, the sludge's functional groups tended to aromatize. When used to condition sludge, particularly at a 20 % (dry solid) dosage, biochar significantly reduced sludge capillary suction time and floc size. The addition of biochar enhanced the conditioning effect of cationic polyacrylamide by absorbing extracellular polymeric substances, creating water molecule channels, and forming skeletons for sludge flocs. These findings introduce a novel approach to sludge reuse and provide valuable data supporting the use of biochar as a sludge conditioner.

Minimal residual disease profiling predicts pathological complete response in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Accurate presurgical prediction of pathological complete response (pCR) can guide treatment decisions, potentially avoiding unnecessary surgeries and improving the quality of life for cancer patients. We developed a minimal residual disease (MRD) profiling approach with enhanced sensitivity and specificity for detecting minimal tumor DNA from cell-free DNA (cfDNA). The approach was validated in two independent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cohorts. In a cohort undergoing neoadjuvant, surgical, and adjuvant therapy (NAT cohort), presurgical MRD status precisely predicted pCR. All MRD-negative cases (10/10) were confirmed as pCR by pathological evaluation on the resected tissues. In contrast, MRD-positive cases included all the 27 non-pCR cases and only one pCR case (10/10 vs 1/28, P < 0.0001, Fisher's exact test). In a definitive radiotherapy cohort (dRT cohort), post-dRT MRD status was closely correlated with patient prognosis. All MRD-negative patients (25/25) remained progression-free during the follow-up period, while 23 of the 26 MRD-positive patients experienced disease progression (25/25 vs 3/26, P < 0.0001, Fisher's exact test; progression-free survival, P < 0.0001, log-rank test). The MRD profiling approach effectively predicted the ESCC patients who would achieve pCR with surgery and those likely to remain progression-free without surgery. This suggests that the cancer cells in these MRD-negative patients have been effectively eliminated and they could be suitable candidates for a watch-and-wait strategy, potentially avoiding unnecessary surgery.

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy in older patients with rectal cancer guided by comprehensive geriatric assessment within a multidisciplinary team-a multicenter phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (preCRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer in older people who were classified as "fit" by comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). METHODS: A single-arm, multicenter, phase II trial was designed. Patients were eligible for this study if they were aged 70 years or above and met the standards of "fit" (SIOG1) as evaluated by CGA and of the locally advanced risk category. The primary endpoint was 2-year disease-free survival (DFS). Patients were scheduled to receive preCRT (50 Gy) with raltitrexed (3 mg/m2 on days 1 and 22). RESULTS: One hundred and nine patients were evaluated by CGA, of whom eighty-six, eleven and twelve were classified into the fit, intermediate and frail category. Sixty-eight fit patients with a median age of 74 years were enrolled. Sixty-four patients (94.1%) finished radiotherapy without dose reduction. Fifty-four (79.3%) patients finished the prescribed raltitrexed therapy as planned. Serious toxicity (grade 3 or above) was observed in twenty-four patients (35.3%), and fourteen patients (20.6%) experienced non-hematological side effects. Within a median follow-up time of 36.0 months (range: 5.9-63.1 months), the 2-year overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 89.6% (95% CI: 82.3-96.9), 92.4% (95% CI: 85.9-98.9) and 75.6% (95% CI: 65.2-86.0), respectively. Forty-eight patients (70.6%) underwent surgery (R0 resection 95.8%, R1 resection 4.2%), the corresponding R0 resection rate among the patients with positive mesorectal fascia status was 76.6% (36/47). CONCLUSION: This phase II trial suggests that preCRT is efficient with tolerable toxicities in older rectal cancer patients who were evaluated as fit based on CGA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The registration number on ClinicalTrials.gov was NCT02992886 (14/12/2016).

Enhancing Zinc Electrode Stability Through Pre-Desolvation and Accelerated Charge Transfer via a Polyimide Interface for Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-based energy storage devices possess superior safety, cost-effectiveness, and high energy density; however, dendritic growth and side reactions on the zinc electrode curtail their widespread applications. In this study, these issues are mitigated by introducing a polyimide (PI) nanofabric interfacial layer onto the zinc substrate. Simulations reveal that the PI nanofabric promotes a pre-desolvation process, effectively desolvating hydrated zinc ions from Zn(H2O)6 2+ to Zn(H2O)4 2+ before approaching the zinc surface. The exposed zinc ion in Zn(H2O)4 2+ provides an accelerated charge transfer process and reduces the activation energy for zinc deposition from 40 to 21 kJ mol-1. The PI nanofabric also acts as a protective barrier, reducing side reactions at the electrode. As a result, the PI-Zn symmetric cell exhibits remarkable cycling stability over 1200 h, maintaining a dendrite-free morphology and minimal byproduct formation. Moreover, the cell exhibits high stability and low voltage hysteresis even under high current densities (20 mA cm-2, 10 mAh cm-2) thanks to the 3D porous structure of PI nanofabric. When integrated into full cells, the PI-Zn||AC hybrid zinc-ion capacitor and PI-Zn||MnVOH@SWCNT zinc-ion battery achieve impressive lifespans of 15000 and 600 cycles with outstanding capacitance retention. This approach paves a novel avenue for high-performance zinc metal electrodes.

[Effect of Thermal Hydrolysis Pretreatment Time on Microbial Community Structure in Sludge Anaerobic Digestion System].

To evaluate the effect of thermal hydrolysis pretreatment time on the sludge anaerobic digestion system of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Daxing district, Beijing, the structure and diversity of microbial communities in primary sludge and an activated sludge anaerobic digestion system with different thermal hydrolysis pretreatment times (15 min, 30 min, and 45 min) were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the dominant groups of digested sludge were mainly distributed in Firmicutes, Cloacimonadota, Chloroflexi, and Synergistota, with W5 being the most common genus. The sum of relative abundance of the dominant phylum was greater than 60%, and W5 accounted for 20.8%-54.5%, showing a high abundance of a few dominant species. During the anaerobic digestion of thermo-hydrolyzed sludge, the relative abundance of acetogenic methanogens decreased due to high levels of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentrations, which suggested that the hydrogenophilic methanogenic pathway was more than that of the acetogenic methanogenic pathway. Correlation analysis showed that the soluble protein and pH of thermo-hydrolyzed sludge, NH4+-N of digested sludge, and thermal hydrolysis pretreatment time were the four main environmental factors affecting microbial community structure, and NH4+-N of digested sludge had the largest negative correlation with methanogens. The thermal hydrolysis pretreatment time was negatively correlated with both the Chao index and Shannon index, so longer thermal hydrolysis pretreatment time was not conducive to microbial flora during anaerobic digestion.

Nonisospectral water wave field: Fast and adaptive modal identification and prediction via reduced-order nonlinear solutions.

Real-world water wave fields exhibit significant nonlinear and nonisospectral characteristics, making it challenging to predict their evolution by relying solely on numerical simulation or exact solutions using integrable system theory. Hence, this paper introduces a fast and adaptive method of modal identification and prediction in nonisospectral water wave fields using the reduced-order nonlinear solution (RONS) scheme. Specifically, we discuss the coarse graining and mode extraction of wave field snapshots from the data-driven and physics-driven perspectives and utilize the RONS method for principle modal prediction of nonisospectral water wave fields. This is achieved by investigating the standard and nonisospectral Gardner system describing nonlinear water waves as a demonstration. Through detailed comparison and analysis, the fundamental solitary behaviors and dispersive effects in the Gardner system are discussed. Subsequently, a neighbor approximation is developed that combines the essences of symbolic precomputation and numerical computation in the RONS procedure, which exploits the locality of nonlinear interactions in water wave fields.

Biomechanical and clinical outcomes of 3D-printed versus modular hemipelvic prostheses for limb-salvage reconstruction following periacetabular tumor resection: a mid-term retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Debates persist over optimal pelvic girdle reconstruction after acetabular tumor resection, with surgeons grappling between modular and 3D-printed hemipelvic endoprostheses. We hypothesize superior outcomes with 3D-printed versions, yet scarce comparative research exists. This study fills the gap, examining biomechanics and clinical results retrospectively. METHODS: From February 2017 to June 2021, we retrospectively assessed 32 patients undergoing en bloc resection for malignant periacetabular tumors at a single institution. PRIMARY OUTCOME: limb function. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: implant precision, hip joint rotation center restoration, prosthesis-bone osteointegration, and complications. Biomechanical characteristics were evaluated through finite element analysis on pelvic defect models. RESULTS: In the 3D-printed group, stress distribution mirrored a normal pelvis, contrasting the modular group with elevated overall stress, unstable transitions, and higher stress peaks. The 3D-printed group exhibited superior functional scores (MSTS: 24.3 ± 1.8 vs. 21.8 ± 2.0, p < 0.05; HHS: 79.8 ± 5.2 vs. 75.3 ± 3.5, p < 0.05). Prosthetic-bone interface osteointegration, measured by T-SMART, favored 3D-printed prostheses, but surgery time (426.2 ± 67.0 vs. 301.7 ± 48.6 min, p < 0.05) and blood loss (2121.1 ± 686.8 vs. 1600.0 ± 505.0 ml, p < 0.05) were higher. CONCLUSIONS: The 3D-printed hemipelvic endoprosthesis offers precise pelvic ring defect matching, superior stress transmission, and function compared to modular endoprostheses. However, complexity, fabrication expertise, and challenging surgical implantation result in prolonged operation times and increased blood loss. A nuanced consideration of functional outcomes, complexity, and patient conditions is crucial for informed treatment decisions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study (Retrospective comparative study).

Bayesian hypernetwork collaborates with time-difference evolutional network for temporal knowledge prediction.

A Temporal Knowledge Graph (TKG) is a sequence of Knowledge Graphs (KGs) attached with time information, in which each KG contains the facts that co-occur at the same timestamp. Temporal knowledge prediction (TKP) aims to predict future events given observed historical KGs in TKGs, which is essential for many applications to provide intelligent analysis services. However, most existing TKP methods focus on entity and relation prediction tasks but ignore the importance of time prediction tasks. Furthermore, there is uncertainty in time prediction, and it is difficult for prediction models to model it completely. In this work, we propose a collaboration framework with Bayesian Hypernetwork and Time-Difference Evolutional Network (BH-TDEN) to address these problems. First, we begin with the time prediction task, and we present a Bayesian hypernetwork to model the uncertainty of events time. For the input of Bayesian hypernetwork, we design a novel time-difference evolutional network to obtain the entities and relations embedding. Specifically, we propose an auto-regressive time gate parameterized by the time difference of adjacent KGs in entity and relation encoder to learn the time-sensitive TKG embedding, which not only learns the relationship between the given time information and TKG embedding but also provides more expressive TKG embedding for Bayesian hypernetwork to accurately predict the time of future events. Furthermore, we also present a novel relation updating mechanism that employs the neighbor relations of the subject corresponding to the current relation to learn more adaptive relation embedding. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method obtains considerable time prediction and link prediction performance on four TKG benchmark datasets.

A Quadrivalent mRNA Immunization Elicits Potent Immune Responses against Multiple Orthopoxviral Antigens and Neutralization of Monkeypox Virus in Rodent Models.

The global outbreak of the 2022 monkeypox virus infection of humans and the 2023 documentation of a more virulent monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo raised public health concerns about the threat of human-to-human transmission of zoonotic diseases. Currently available vaccines may not be sufficient to contain outbreaks of a more transmissible and pathogenic orthopoxvirus. Development of a safe, effective, and scalable vaccine against orthopoxviruses to stockpile for future emergencies is imminent. In this study, we have developed an mRNA vaccine candidate, ALAB-LNP, expressing four vaccinia viral antigens A27, L1, A33, and B5 in tandem in one molecule, and evaluated the vaccine immunogenicity in rodent models. Immunization of animals with the candidate mRNA vaccine induced a potent cellular immune response and long-lasting antigen-specific binding antibody and neutralizing antibody responses against vaccinia virus. Strikingly, the sera from the vaccine-immunized mice cross-reacted with all four homologous antigens of multiple orthopoxviruses and neutralized monkeypox virus in vitro, holding promise for this mRNA vaccine candidate to be used for protection of humans from the infection of monkeypox and other orthopoxvirus.

Unsupervised Bidirectional Contrastive Reconstruction and Adaptive Fine-Grained Channel Attention Networks for image dehazing.

Recently, Unsupervised algorithms has achieved remarkable performance in image dehazing. However, the CycleGAN framework can lead to confusion in generator learning due to inconsistent data distributions, and the DisentGAN framework lacks effective constraints on generated images, resulting in the loss of image content details and color distortion. Moreover, Squeeze and Excitation channel attention employs only fully connected layers to capture global information, lacking interaction with local information, resulting in inaccurate feature weight allocation for image dehazing. To solve the above problems, in this paper, we propose an Unsupervised Bidirectional Contrastive Reconstruction and Adaptive Fine-Grained Channel Attention Networks (UBRFC-Net). Specifically, an Unsupervised Bidirectional Contrastive Reconstruction Framework (BCRF) is proposed, aiming to establish bidirectional contrastive reconstruction constraints, not only to avoid the generator learning confusion in CycleGAN but also to enhance the constraint capability for clear images and the reconstruction ability of the unsupervised dehazing network. Furthermore, an Adaptive Fine-Grained Channel Attention (FCA) is developed to utilize the correlation matrix to capture the correlation between global and local information at various granularities promotes interaction between them, achieving more efficient feature weight assignment. Experimental results on challenging benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiority of our UBRFC-Net over state-of-the-art unsupervised image dehazing methods. This study successfully introduces an enhanced unsupervised image dehazing approach, addressing limitations of existing methods and achieving superior dehazing results. The source code is available at https://github.com/Lose-Code/UBRFC-Net.

Bifunctional Metal-Organic Nanoballs Featuring Lewis Acidic and Basic Sites as a New Platform for One-Pot Tandem Catalysis.

The design and synthesis of polyhedra using coordination-driven self-assembly has been an intriguing research area for synthetic chemists. Metal-organic polyhedra are a class of intricate molecular architectures that have garnered significant attention in the literature due to their diverse structures and potential applications. Hereby, we report Cu-MOP, a bifunctional metal-organic cuboctahedra built using 2,6-dimethylpyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid and copper acetate at room temperature. The presence of both Lewis basic pyridine groups and Lewis acidic copper sites imparts catalytic activity to Cu-MOP for the tandem one-pot deacetalization-Knoevenagel/Henry reactions. The effect of solvent system and time duration on the yields of the reactions was studied, and the results illustrate the promising potential of these metal-organic cuboctahedra, also known as nanoballs for applications in catalysis.

Distinctive Craniofacial and Oral Anomalies in MN1 C-terminal Truncation Syndrome.

MN1 C-terminal truncation (MCTT) syndrome was first reported in 2020 and only 28 patients have been recorded to date. Since MCTT syndrome is a newly defined and rare syndrome with many clinical features, the present study reviewed the manifestations and management of oral and dental anomalies. Gene variants of MCTT syndrome and their positive phenotypes were summarised. The phenotypes of variants in two exons differed from each other mainly in the craniomaxillofacial region, including brain MRI abnormalities and palatal morphology. Pathogenic mechanisms, especially in craniofacial and oral anomalies, were discussed. Appropriate treatments in the stomatology and respiratory departments could improve the symptoms of MCTT syndrome. The different sites of MN1 gene variants may influence the clinical symptoms and there may be racial differences in MCTT syndrome. We recommend oral and pulmonary evaluations for the multidisciplinary treatment of MCTT syndrome.

DRAC 2022: A public benchmark for diabetic retinopathy analysis on ultra-wide optical coherence tomography angiography images.

We described a challenge named "DRAC - Diabetic Retinopathy Analysis Challenge" in conjunction with the 25th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI 2022). Within this challenge, we provided the DRAC datset, an ultra-wide optical coherence tomography angiography (UW-OCTA) dataset (1,103 images), addressing three primary clinical tasks: diabetic retinopathy (DR) lesion segmentation, image quality assessment, and DR grading. The scientific community responded positively to the challenge, with 11, 12, and 13 teams submitting different solutions for these three tasks, respectively. This paper presents a concise summary and analysis of the top-performing solutions and results across all challenge tasks. These solutions could provide practical guidance for developing accurate classification and segmentation models for image quality assessment and DR diagnosis using UW-OCTA images, potentially improving the diagnostic capabilities of healthcare professionals. The dataset has been released to support the development of computer-aided diagnostic systems for DR evaluation.

Nicorandil-Pretreated Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Facilitate Cardiac Repair After Myocardial Infarction via Promoting Macrophage M2 Polarization by Targeting miR-125a-5p/TRAF6/IRF5 Signaling Pathway.

Background: Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-exo) have been considered as a promising cell-free therapeutic strategy for ischemic heart disease. Cardioprotective drug pretreatment could be an effective approach to improve the efficacy of MSC-exo. Nicorandil has long been used in clinical practice for cardioprotection. This study aimed to investigate whether the effects of exosomes derived from nicorandil pretreated MSC (MSCNIC-exo) could be enhanced in facilitating cardiac repair after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: MSCNIC-exo and MSC-exo were collected and injected into the border zone of infarcted hearts 30 minutes after coronary ligation in rats. Macrophage polarization was detected 3 days post-infarction, cardiac function as well as histological pathology were measured on the 28th day after AMI. Macrophages were separated from the bone marrow of rats for in vitro model. Exosomal miRNA sequencing was conducted to identify differentially expressed miRNAs between MSCNIC-exo and MSC-exo. MiRNA mimics and inhibitors were transfected to MSCs or macrophages to explore the specific mechanism. Results: Compared to MSC-exo, MSCNIC-exo showed superior therapeutic effects on cardiac functional and structural recovery after AMI and markedly elevated the ratio of CD68+ CD206+/ CD68+cells in infarcted hearts 3 days post-infarction. The notable ability of MSCNIC-exo to promote macrophage M2 polarization was also confirmed in vitro. Exosomal miRNA sequencing and both in vivo and in vitro experiments identified and verified that miR-125a-5p was an effector of the roles of MSCNIC-exo in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we found miR-125a-5p promoted macrophage M2 polarization by inhibiting TRAF6/IRF5 signaling pathway. Conclusion: This study suggested that MSCNIC-exo could markedly facilitate cardiac repair post-infarction by promoting macrophage M2 polarization by upregulating miR-125a-5p targeting TRAF6/IRF5 signaling pathway, which has great potential for clinical translation.

Investigating the causal impact of polycystic ovary syndrome on gestational diabetes mellitus: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: Determining the causal relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) holds significant implications for GDM prevention and treatment. Despite numerous observational studies suggesting an association between PCOS and GDM, it remains unclear whether a definitive causal relationship exists between these two conditions and which specific features of PCOS contribute to increased incidence of GDM. Methods: The causal relationship between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), its characteristic indices, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was investigated using a two-sample Mendelian randomization study based on publicly available statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The inverse-variance weighted method was employed as the primary analytical approach to examine the association between PCOS, its characteristic indices, and GDM. MR Egger intercept was used to assess pleiotropy, while Q values and their corresponding P values were utilized to evaluate heterogeneity. It is important to note that this study adopts a two-sample MR design where PCOS and its characteristic indices are considered as exposures, while GDM is treated as an outcome. Results: The study results indicate that there is no causal relationship between PCOS and GDM (all methods P > 0.05, 95% CI of OR values passed 1). The IVW OR value was 1.007 with a 95% CI of 0.906 to 1.119 and a P value of 0.904. Moreover, the MR Egger Q value was 8.141 with a P value of 0.701, while the IVW Q value was also 8.141 with a P value of 0.774, indicating no significant heterogeneity. Additionally, the MR Egger intercept was 0.0004, which was close to zero with a P value of 0.988, suggesting no pleiotropy. However, the study did find a causal relationship between several other factors such as testosterone, high-density lipoprotein, sex hormone-binding globulin, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, apolipoprotein A-I, number of children, diabetes illnesses of mother, father and siblings, hemoglobin A1c, fasting insulin, fasting blood glucose, years of schooling, and GDM based on the IVW method. Conclusion: We observed no association between genetically predicted PCOS and the risk of GDM, implying that PCOS itself does not confer an increased susceptibility to GDM. The presence of other PCOS-related factors such as testosterone, high-density lipoprotein, and sex hormone-binding globulin may elucidate the link between PCOS and GDM. Based on these findings, efforts aimed at preventing GDM in individuals with PCOS should prioritize those exhibiting high-risk features rather than encompassing all women with PCOS.

Facile mechanochemical synthesis of MIL-53 and its isoreticular analogues with a glance at reaction reversibility.

MIL-53 represents one of the most notable metal-organic frameworks given its unique structural flexibility and remarkable thermal stability. In this study, a shaker-type ball milling method has been developed into a facile and generalizable synthetic strategy to access a family of MIL-53 type materials under ambient conditions. During the explorations of [M(OH)(fumarate)] (M = Al, Ga, and In), we report a positive correlation between the metal-ligand (M-L) bond reversibility and the size of resultant crystallites under the mechanochemical process. The more kinetically labile the M-L bond is, the larger the afforded crystallite size is.

Polycomb repressive complex 1 modulates granulosa cell proliferation in early folliculogenesis to support female reproduction.

Rationale: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is an accelerated reduction in ovarian function inducing infertility. Folliculogenesis defects have been reported to trigger POI as a consequence of ovulation failure. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear due to the genetic complexity and heterogeneity of POI. Methods: We used whole genome sequencing (WGS), conditional knockout mouse models combined with laser capture microdissection (LCM), and RNA/ChIP sequencing to analyze the crucial roles of polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) in clinical POI and mammalian folliculogenesis. Results: A deletion mutation of MEL18, the key component of PRC1, was identified in a 17-year-old patient. However, deleting Mel18 in granulosa cells (GCs) did not induce infertility until its homolog, Bmi1, was deleted simultaneously. Double deficiency of BMI1/MEL18 eliminated PRC1 catalytic activity, upregulating cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) and thus blocking GC proliferation during primary-to-secondary follicle transition. This defect led to damaged intercellular crosstalk, eventually resulting in gonadotropin response failure and infertility. Conclusions: Our findings highlighted the pivotal role of PRC1 as an epigenetic regulator of gene transcription networks in GC proliferation during early folliculogenesis. In the future, a better understanding of molecular details of PRC1 structural and functional abnormalities may contribute to POI diagnosis and therapeutic options.

Projecting the response of ecological risk to land use/land cover change in ecologically fragile regions.

Anthropogenic activities have dramatically altered land use/land cover (LULC), leading to ecosystem service (ES) degradation and further ecological risks. Ecological risks are particularly serious in ecologically fragile regions because trade-offs between economic development and ecological protection are prominent. Thus, ways in which to assess the response of ecological risks to LULC change under each development scenario in ecologically fragile regions remain challenging. In this study, future LUCC and its impact on ESs under four development scenarios in 2040 in western Jilin Province were predicted using a patch-generating land use simulation model and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model. Ecological risk was assessed based on future LUCC possibilities, and potential ES degradation and potential drivers of ecological risks were explored using a geographic detector. The results showed that the cropland development scenario (CDS) would experience large-scale urbanization and cropland expansion. Carbon storage (CS), habitat quality (HQ), and water purification (WP) degraded the most under the CDS, and grain yield (GY) and water yield (WY) degraded the most under the ecological protection scenario (EPS). The LUCC probability under the CDS (14.37 %) was the highest, while the LUCC probability under the comprehensive development scenario (CPDS) (8.68 %) was the lowest. The risk of WP degradation was greatest under the CDS, but the risk of soil retention (SR) degradation was greatest under the natural development scenario (NDS), EPS, and CPDS. Ecological risk coverage was the largest (98.04 %), and ecological risks were the highest (0.21) under the CDS, while those under the EPS were the opposite. Distance to roads and population density had a higher impact on ecological risks than other drivers. Further attention should be given to the ecological networks and pattern establishment in urbanized regions. This study will contribute to risk prevention and sustainable urban and agricultural development.

Integrating porphyrin-based nanoporous organic polymers with electrochemical aptasensors for ultratrace detection of kanamycin.

The synthesis and characterization of two new porphyrin-based porous organic polymers (POPs) via Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction and leverage the two obtained POPs is reported for the fabrication of electrochemical aptasensors to detect kanamycin at an ultratrace level. The resultant electrochemical aptasensor demonstrates a high linear relationship with the logarithmic value of kanamycin concentration in the range 5 × 10-5-5 µg/L with the limit of detection of 17.6 pg/L or 36.3 fM. During the analysis of real samples from milk and river, a relative standard deviation of less than 4.39%, and good recovery values in the range 97.0-105% were obtained.

H3K36 methyltransferase NSD1 protects against osteoarthritis through regulating chondrocyte differentiation and cartilage homeostasis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common joint diseases, there are no effective disease-modifying drugs, and the pathological mechanisms of OA need further investigation. Here, we show that H3K36 methylations were decreased in senescent chondrocytes and age-related osteoarthritic cartilage. Prrx1-Cre inducible H3.3K36M transgenic mice showed articular cartilage destruction and osteophyte formation. Conditional knockout Nsd1Prrx1-Cre mice, but not Nsd2Prrx1-Cre or Setd2Prrx1-Cre mice, replicated the phenotype of K36M/+; Prrx1-Cre mice. Immunostaining results showed decreased anabolic and increased catabolic activities in Nsd1Prrx1-Cre mice, along with decreased chondrogenic differentiation. Transcriptome and ChIP-seq data revealed that Osr2 was a key factor affected by Nsd1. Intra-articular delivery of Osr2 adenovirus effectively improved the homeostasis of articular cartilage in Nsd1Prrx1-Cre mice. In human osteoarthritic cartilages, both mRNA and protein levels of NSD1 and OSR2 were decreased. Our results indicate that NSD1-induced H3K36 methylations and OSR2 expression play important roles in articular cartilage homeostasis and OA. Targeting H3K36 methylation and OSR2 would be a novel strategy for OA treatment.