Large-scale snake genome analyses provide insights into vertebrate development.

Snakes are a remarkable squamate lineage with unique morphological adaptations, especially those related to the evolution of vertebrate skeletons, organs, and sensory systems. To clarify the genetic underpinnings of snake phenotypes, we assembled and analyzed 14 de novo genomes from 12 snake families. We also investigated the genetic basis of the morphological characteristics of snakes using functional experiments. We identified genes, regulatory elements, and structural variations that have potentially contributed to the evolution of limb loss, an elongated body plan, asymmetrical lungs, sensory systems, and digestive adaptations in snakes. We identified some of the genes and regulatory elements that might have shaped the evolution of vision, the skeletal system and diet in blind snakes, and thermoreception in infrared-sensitive snakes. Our study provides insights into the evolution and development of snakes and vertebrates.

Protective effect of liver X receptor on cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide induced airway inflammation and emphysema in mice.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the impact of Liver X receptors (LXRs) on airway inflammation, airway remodeling, and lipid deposition induced by cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure in the lung. METHODS: Wild mice and LXR-deficient mice were exposed to cigarette smoke and LPS to induce airway inflammation and remodeling. In addition, some wild mice received intraperitoneal treatment with the LXR agonist GW3965 before exposure to cigarette smoke and LPS. Lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected to evaluate airway inflammation, airway remodeling and lipid deposition. RESULTS: Exposure to cigarette smoke and LPS resulted in airway inflammation, emphysema and lipid accumulation in wild mice. These mice also exhibited downregulated LXRα and ABCA1 in the lung. Treatment with GW3965 mitigated inflammation, remodeling and lipid deposition, while the deletion of LXRs exacerbated these effects. Furthermore, GW3965 treatment following exposure to cigarette smoke and LPS increased LXRα and ABCA1 expression and attenuated MyD88 expression in wild mice. CONCLUSION: LXRs demonstrate the potential to mitigate cigarette smoke and LPS- induced airway inflammation, emphysema and lipid disposition in mice.

MiR-937-3p promotes metastasis and angiogenesis and is activated by MYC in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still one of the diseases with the highest mortality and morbidity, and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) accounts for more than half of all NSCLC cases in most countries. miRNA can be used as a potential biological marker and treatment for lung adenocarcinoma. However, the effect of miR-937-3p to the invasion and metastasis of LUAD cells is not clear. METHODS: miRNA microarray is used to analyze the expression of miRNA in lung adenocarcinoma tissue. Transwell migration, Wound-healing assay and Western blot analysis are used to analyze cell migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) capabilities. Tube formation is used to assess angiogenesis ability. In addition, dual luciferase reporter gene detection is used to identify the potential binding between miRNA and target mRNA. In vivo experiments were performed on male NOD/SCID nude mice by tail vein injection to establish a transplanted tumor model. The CHIP experiment is used to verify the transcription factors of miRNA. RESULT: In our study, miR-937-3p was high-regulated in LUAD cell lines and tissues, and its expression level was related to tumor progression. We found that miR-937-3p high-expression has an effect on cell invasion and metastasis. In molecular mechanism, miR-937-3p causes SOX11 reduction by directly binding to the 3'-UTR of SOX11.In addition, MYC affects miR-937-3p transcription by binding to its promoter region. CONCLUSIONS: Our research shows that miR-937-3p is mediated by MYC and can control the angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis of LUAD by regulating SOX11, thereby promoting the progress of LUAD. We speculate that miR-937-3p can be used as a therapeutic target and potential biomarker for LUAD.

Long non-coding RNAs in lung cancer: implications for lineage plasticity-mediated TKI resistance.

The efficacy of targeted therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been impeded by various mechanisms of resistance. Besides the mutations in targeted oncogenes, reversible lineage plasticity has recently considered to play a role in the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) resistance in NSCLC. Lineage plasticity enables cells to transfer from one committed developmental pathway to another, and has been a trigger of tumor adaptation to adverse microenvironment conditions including exposure to various therapies. More importantly, besides somatic mutation, lineage plasticity has also been proposed as another source of intratumoural heterogeneity. Lineage plasticity can drive NSCLC cells to a new cell identity which no longer depends on the drug-targeted pathway. Histological transformation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition are two well-known pathways of lineage plasticity-mediated TKI resistance in NSCLC. In the last decade, increased re-biopsy practice upon disease recurrence has increased the recognition of lineage plasticity induced resistance in NSCLC and has improved our understanding of the underlying biology. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), the dark matter of the genome, are capable of regulating variant malignant processes of NSCLC like the invisible hands. Recent evidence suggests that lncRNAs are involved in TKI resistance in NSCLC, particularly in lineage plasticity-mediated resistance. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of lncRNAs in regulating lineage plasticity and TKI resistance in NSCLC. We also discuss how understanding these themes can alter therapeutic strategies, including combination therapy approaches to overcome TKI resistance.

High Fe and Mn groundwater in the Nanchang, Poyang Lake Basin of China: hydrochemical characteristics and genesis mechanisms.

Based on the water quality test data of 257 groups of phreatic groundwater and 165 groups of confined groundwater in the Nanchang area and the redox conditions, acid-base conditions and the organic matter content in groundwater, we identified hydrochemical characteristics and genesis of groundwater with high Fe and Mn contents in Nanchang. The results showed that Fe and Mn exceeded the standard in both phreatic and confined groundwater. The over-standard rates of Fe and Mn in groundwater were 8.56-11.52% and 33.07-36.36%, respectively. The degree of pollution Fe and Mn in the confined groundwater is higher than that in the phreatic groundwater, and the degree of pollution caused by Mn is higher than that caused by Fe. The high Fe and Mn contents in groundwater were caused by the release of Fe and Mn minerals from the native environment due to changes in the groundwater environment of the study area. A mild redox environment (Eh < 100) and low pH value are favorable for Fe and Mn enrichment in groundwater. The presence of organic matter accelerates microbial activity and promotes the release of Fe and Mn from aquifer sediments. Therefore, the change in the native environment played an important role in the increase in Fe and Mn content in the study area.

Four transcription profile-based models identify novel prognostic signatures in oesophageal cancer.

Oesophageal cancer (ESCA) is a clinically challenging disease with poor prognosis and health-related quality of life. Here, we investigated the transcriptome of ESCA to identify high risk-related signatures. A total of 159 ESCA patients of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were sorted by three phases. In the discovery phase, differentially expressed transcripts were filtered; in the training phase, two adjusted Cox regressions and two machine leaning models were used to construct and estimate signatures; and in the validation phase, prognostic signatures were validated in the testing dataset and the independent external cohort. We constructed two signatures from three types of RNA markers by Akaike information criterion (AIC) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regressions, respectively, and all candidate markers were further estimated by Random Forest (RFS) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms. Both signatures had good predictive performances in the independent external oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cohort and performed better than common clinicopathological indicators in the TCGA dataset. Machine learning algorithms predicted prognosis with high specificities and measured the importance of markers to verify the risk weightings. Furthermore, the cell function and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining assays identified that the common risky marker FABP3 is a novel oncogene in ESCA.

Effect of Arsenic on the Formation and Adsorption Property of Ferric Hydroxide Precipitates in ZVI Treatment.

Treatment of arsenic by zerovalent iron (ZVI) has been studied extensively. However, the effect of arsenic on the formation of ferric hydroxide precipitates in the ZVI treatment has not been investigated. We discovered that the specific surface area (ca. 187 m2/g) and arsenic content (ca. 67 mg/g) of the suspended solids (As-containing solids) generated in the ZVI treatment of arsenic solutions were much higher than the specific surface area (ca. 37 m2/g) and adsorption capacity (ca.12 mg/g) of the suspended solids (As-free solids) generated in the arsenic-free solutions. Arsenic in the As-containing solids was much more stable than the adsorbed arsenic in As-free solids. XRD, SEM, TEM, and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analyses showed that the As-containing solids consisted of amorphous nanoparticles, while the As-free solids were composed of micron particles with weak crystallinity. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis determined that As(V) was adsorbed on the As-containing suspended solids and magnetic solid surfaces through bidentate binuclear complexation; and As(V) formed a mononuclear complex on the As-free suspended solids. The formation of the surface As(V) complexes retarded the bonding of free FeO6 octahedra to the oxygen sites on FeO6 octahedral clusters and prevented the growth of the clusters and their development into 3-dimensional crystalline phases.

Risk-Based Prioritization Method for the Classification of Groundwater Pollution from Hazardous Waste Landfills.

Hazardous waste landfill sites are a significant source of groundwater pollution. To ensure that these landfills with a significantly high risk of groundwater contamination are properly managed, a risk-based ranking method related to groundwater contamination is needed. In this research, a risk-based prioritization method for the classification of groundwater pollution from hazardous waste landfills was established. The method encompasses five phases, including risk pre-screening, indicator selection, characterization, classification and, lastly, validation. In the risk ranking index system employed here, 14 indicators involving hazardous waste landfills and migration in the vadose zone as well as aquifer were selected. The boundary of each indicator was determined by K-means cluster analysis and the weight of each indicator was calculated by principal component analysis. These methods were applied to 37 hazardous waste landfills in China. The result showed that the risk for groundwater contamination from hazardous waste landfills could be ranked into three classes from low to high risk. In all, 62.2 % of the hazardous waste landfill sites were classified in the low and medium risk classes. The process simulation method and standardized anomalies were used to validate the result of risk ranking; the results were consistent with the simulated results related to the characteristics of contamination. The risk ranking method was feasible, valid and can provide reference data related to risk management for groundwater contamination at hazardous waste landfill sites.

Ischemic preconditioning attenuates brain injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion during moderate hypothermia low-flow procedures.

OBJECTIVE: We determined the effects of ischemic preconditioning (IP) on apoptosis in a rat model of brain injury induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion following a moderate hypothermic low-flow (MHLF) procedure. METHODS: A total of 180 rats were randomly divided into three groups. The surgery group was subjected to body temperature reduction and bilateral common carotid artery occlusion for 120 min at 25 ± 0.5°C, followed by artery reopening and rewarming. The sham-surgery group underwent the same procedure, but common carotid arteries were not occluded. The ischemic preconditioning-treated surgery group was pretreated with four cycles of 2 min occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries and 5 min reperfusion, before 120 min of cerebral ischemia. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured continuously in 10 rats per group using laser Doppler flowmetry. We investigated brain cell apoptosis levels and mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway components at various time points following reperfusion. RESULTS: The ischemic preconditioning-treated surgery group displayed decreases in apoptotic cell numbers and apoptotic protein expression levels after the procedure at 6 h, 24 h, 72 h, and 7 d. Ischemic preconditioning inhibited cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation, and mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway activation. CONCLUSION: The protective effects of ischemic preconditioning were associated with a reduction of DNA fragmentation, and inhibition of mitochondrial cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation, which alleviated cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury after moderate hypothermic low flow in rats. These findings highlight the potential of ischemic preconditioning as a neuroprotective therapy for surgery involving MHLF.

Response of water quality in major tributaries to the difference of multi-scale landscape indicators in Dongting Lake basin, China.

River water quality has been increasingly deteriorated because of the influence of natural process and anthropogenic activities. Quantifying the influence of landscape metrics, namely topography and land use pattern, which encompass land use composition and landscape configuration, across different spatial and seasonal scales that reflect natural process and anthropogenic activities, is highly beneficial for water quality protection. In this study, we focused on investigating the effects of topography, landscape configuration and land use composition on water quality at different spatial scales, including 1-km buffer and sub-watershed, and seasonal scales, including wet and dry season, based on the monthly water quality data in 2016 of Dongting Lake in China. Multivariate statistical analysis of redundancy analysis and partial redundancy analysis was used to quantify the contributions of these factors under different scales. Our results showed that among the three environmental groups, topography made the greatest pure contribution to water quality, accounting for 11.4 to 30.9% of the variation. This was followed by landscape configuration, which accounted for 9.4 to 23.0%, and land use composition, which accounted for 5.9 to 15.7%. More specifically, water body made the greatest contribution to the water quality variation during dry season at both spatial scales, contributing 16.6 to 17.2% of the variation. In contrast, edge density was the primary interpreter of the variability in water quality during wet season at both spatial scales, accounting for 9.9 to 11.1% of the variation. The spatial variability in the influence of landscape metrics on water quality was not markedly distinct. However, these metrics have a minimal impact difference on water quality at the buffer scale and the sub-watershed scale. Moreover, the contribution of landscape configuration varied the most from the buffer to sub-watershed scales, indicating its importance for the spatial scale difference in water quality. The findings of this study offer useful insights into enhancing water quality through improved handling of landscape metrics.

Identify the seasonal differences in water quality and pollution sources between river-connected and gate-controlled lakes in the Yangtze River basin.

The river-connected Dongting Lake (DT) and Poyang Lake (PY), and the gate-controlled Taihu Lake (TH) and Chaohu Lake (CH) are the four important lakes in the Yangtze River Basin. The comprehensive Water Quality Index (WQI), the Eutrophication Integrated Index (TLI(Σ)), and the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model were employed to evaluate water quality and the contribution of pollution sources for these lakes. The results show that WQI for all lakes indicated generally good water quality, with DT scoring 73.52-86.18, the highest among them. During the wet season, the eutrophication degree of river-connected lake was medium, and that of gate-controlled lakes was high. The surface runoff and agricultural non-point sources are the main pollution sources for both types of lakes, but their impact is more pronounced in gate-controlled lakes during the wet season. The study provides evidence support for scientific understanding of water quality problems and management strategies in these areas.

Transformation pathways of the carbon-containing group compounds during municipal sludge pyrolysis treatment.

Municipal sludge contains abundant amounts of carbon, with contents ranging from 14 % to 38 %. The various carbon-containing group compounds can be converted into beneficial products, but pollutants and greenhouse gases are also released through the municipal sludge pyrolysis process. Ascertaining the pathways by which carbon-containing group compounds is converted and transformed is crucial for addressing pollution concerns and promoting recycling. This study explored the transformation pathways of carbon-containing group compounds during the pyrolysis process of municipal sludge. The results showed that the three major carbon-containing group compounds including protein (61 %), cellulose (9 %), and hemicellulose (7 %), had significantly different pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C, 400 °C and 300 °C. In terms of gas pollution, most carbon was fully pyrolyzed into CO2. While the temperature raised up to 500 °C, a part of the CO2 converted into CO. Meanwhile, the various carbon-containing compounds exhibited distinct effects on gas production, which CH4 was produced more with cellulose and protein presenting in the sludge. When temperature increased to 700 °C, the 60 % of the carbon-containing group compounds were transformed into liquid and solid. The pyrolysis liquid in the low-temperature stage (30-300 °C) contained a relatively high aliphatics content and lower organooxygen species (OOSs) content (at 200 °C), suggesting a potential for resource utilization. The yield of CO in the gas rapidly increased as the temperature increased in the high-temperature stage (500-700 °C). The insights from this study hold practical implications for enhancing municipal sludge pyrolysis efficiency, reducing pollution, and facilitating more sustainable and resource-efficient practices.

Co-migration behavior of toluene coupled with trichloroethylene and the response of the pristine groundwater ecosystems - A mesoscale indoor experiment.

Experimental scale and sampling precision are the main factors limiting the accuracy of migration and transformation assessments of complex petroleum-based contaminants in groundwater. In this study, a mesoscale indoor aquifer device with high environmental fidelity and monitoring accuracy was constructed, in which dissolved toluene and trichloroethylene were used as typical contaminants in a 1.5-year contaminant migration experiment. The process was divided into five stages, namely, pristine, injection, accumulation, decrease, and recovery, and characteristics such as differences in contaminant migration, the responsiveness of environmental factors, and changes in microbial communities were investigated. The results demonstrated that the mutual dissolution properties of the contaminants increased the spread of the plume and confirmed that toluene possessed greater mobility and natural attenuation than trichloroethylene. Attenuation of the contaminant plume proceeded through aerobic degradation, nitrate reduction, and sulfate reduction phases, accompanied by negative feedback from characteristic ion concentrations, dissolved oxygen content, the oxidation-reduction potential and microbial community structure of the groundwater. This research evaluated the migration and transformation characteristics of typical petroleum-based pollutants, revealed the response mechanism of the ecosystem to pollutant, provided a theoretical basis for predicting pollutant migration and formulating control strategies.

Sulfuric acid-assisted ball milling for the preparation of Si-O-enriched straw biochar: removal efficiency of rhodamine B and adsorption mechanism.

Traditional pyrolysis biochar has been widely employed to treat dye wastewater. However, there are some problems in the pyrolysis process, such as the generation of harmful gases and the low content of silico-oxygen functional groups to promote adsorption. Straw biochar (Ac-BCbm) was prepared by sulfuric acid co-ball milling method. The adsorption performance and adsorption mechanism of rhodamine B (RhB) under different preparation conditions and factors were investigated. The results showed that the adsorption rate of Ac-BCbm on RhB was up to 94.9%, which was 60.5% and 55.8% higher than that of ball-milling straw (STbm) and biochar prepared by pyrolysis (STBC600), respectively. The Ac-BCbm had better adaptability under different pH and common interfering ions for remove RhB. Characterization and DFT simulation analysis revealed that the sulfuric acid co-ball milling process promoted the formation of Si-OH and Si-O-CH3 oxygen-containing functional groups of Si component in straw, which enhanced the hydrogen bonding interactions and effectively improved the adsorption efficiency. This study investigated a new strategy for biochar preparation by sulfuric acid co-ball milling, which provides an additional development direction for the efficient resource utilization of straw.

Mechanochemically synthesized silicotungsten acidified ZVI composite for persulfate activation: Enhancement of the electron transfer and Fe slowly release mechanism.

Zero-valent iron (ZVI) is a promising technology for groundwater treatment, and its efficiency primarily depends on the electron transfer. However, there are still some problems such as low electron efficiency of ZVI particles and high yield of iron sludge that limits the performance, which warrant further investigation. In our study, a silicotungsten acidified ZVI composite (m-WZVI) was synthesized by ball milling to activate PS to degrade phenol. m-WZVI has a better performance on phenol degradation (with a removal rate of 91.82%) than ball mill ZVI(m-ZVI) with persulfate (PS) (with a removal rate of 59.37%). Compared with m-ZVI, the first-order kinetic constant (kobs) of m-WZVI/PS is 2-3 times higher than that of the others. Iron ion was gradually leached in m-WZVI/PS system, being only 2.11 mg/L after 30 min, having to avoid excessive consumption of active substances. The underlying mechanisms of m-WZVI for PS activation mainly include: 1) were elucidated through different characterizations analyses that accounted for silictungstic acid (STA) can be combined with ZVI, and a new electron donor (SiW124-) was obtained, which improved the transfer rate performance of electrons for activating PS; 2) singlet oxygen (1O2) is the main active substance for phenol degradation, but other radicals also played an important role. Therefore, m-WZVI has good prospects for improving the electron utilization of ZVI.

[Evaluation of Shallow Groundwater Quality and Optimization of Monitoring Indicators in Nanchang].

In the process of groundwater environmental monitoring, while ensuring the representativeness of groundwater quality evaluation, the number of monitoring indicators should be optimized as much as possible, which is of great significance to groundwater environmental management. Based on monitoring data of shallow groundwater in Nanchang in 2014 and 2019, the chemical characteristics of water and the changes in water quality were analyzed via statistical analysis, a Piper three-line diagram, and the entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI). Furthermore, a key indicator optimization method based on water quality evaluation was constructed by coupling stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. The feasibility of this method was also evaluated. The results showed that the water chemistry type of groundwater in 2014 and 2019 was mainly HCO3-Ca, and the five abnormal indicators pH value, NO3-, I-, Fe, and Mn were the main influencing factors of water quality change. The water quality in 2019 was generally higher than that in 2014, which was considered as overall "moderate," and the average EWQI values of the two years were 53.72 and 82.34, respectively. The optimal model EWQImin-4 constructed based on the key indicator optimization method could better represent the actual EWQI; the key indicators included Mn, NO3-, TH, Fe, pH value, and I-; and the determination coefficient (R2) and percentage error (PE) values were 0.865 and 10.61%, respectively. Therefore, the optimization method of groundwater monitoring indicators based on entropy-weighted water quality evaluation could be used as an important reference for optimizing monitoring indicators and provide a method for regional groundwater environmental management.

Energy stress-induced circZFR enhances oxidative phosphorylation in lung adenocarcinoma via regulating alternative splicing.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) contribute to multiple biological functions and are also involved in pathological conditions such as cancer. However, the role of circRNAs in metabolic reprogramming, especially upon energy stress in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), remains largely unknown. METHODS: Energy stress-induced circRNA was screened by circRNA profiling and glucose deprivation assays. RNA-seq, real-time cell analyzer system (RTCA) and measurement of oxygen consumption rate (OCR) were performed to explore the biological functions of circZFR in LUAD. The underlying mechanisms were investigated using circRNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation, immunoprecipitation and bioinformatics analysis of alternative splicing. Clinical implications of circZFR were assessed in 92 pairs of LUAD tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues, validated in established patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) model. RESULTS: CircZFR is induced by glucose deprivation and is significantly upregulated in LUAD compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues, enhancing oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for adaptation to energy stress. CircZFR is strongly associated with higher T stage and poor prognosis in patients with LUAD. Mechanistically, circZFR protects heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L-like (HNRNPLL) from degradation by ubiquitination to regulate alternative splicing, such as myosin IB (MYO1B), and subsequently activates the AKT-mTOR pathway to facilitate OXPHOS. CONCLUSION: Our study provides new insights into the role of circRNAs in anticancer metabolic therapies and expands our understanding of alternative splicing.

[Effect of Er:YAG laser in pulp revascularization in miniature pigs].

PURPUSE: To compare the effectiveness of Er:YAG laser and Ca(OH)2 in pulp revascularization in miniature pigs. METHODS: The second and third premolars of three 14-15-month-old miniature pigs were randomly divided into three groups: laser group, medication group and negative control group. After establishment of pulp necrosis model in each group, the negative control group had no more procedures, while the laser group and medication group were treated with pulp revascularization. Intracanal antisepsis operation was conducted using Er:YAG laser in laser group and Ca(OH)2 in medication group. The maxillary first premolars, as a positive control group, were left untreated and grew naturally. Three months after surgery, X-ray and cone-beam CT(CBCT) were taken. The animals were sacrificed, and the teeth were used to make H-E staining sections. The development of the teeth and the histological manifestations in the root canals of both groups were compared and evaluated by radiographic and histological assessment. SPSS 24.0 software package was used for statistical analysis of the data. RESULTS: Radiographic results showed that 3 months after surgery, apical foramen was closed in the laser group and the medication group. It also showed that intracanal calcification, and some specimens manifested root absorption. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the aspects of increase of root length, root thickness, or decrease of apical foramen size(P>0.05). Histological results showed that there was dentin-like and cementum-like tissue deposition along the root canal walls; apical closure was apparent; and fibrous connective tissue and cementum-like tissue or bone-like tissue formation in the root canal space were evident in the laser group and the medication group 3 months after surgery. There was no significant difference in the histological findings between the two groups(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Er: YAG laser can be applied to pulp revascularization in miniature pigs, and the effect is equivalent to that of intracanal medication using Ca(OH)2.

Ferrous oxalate covered ZVI through ball-milling for enhanced catalytic oxidation of organic contaminants with persulfate.

Zero-valent iron (ZVI), with high reduction capacity and cost effectiveness, has been widely used as an activator for persulfate in remediation of organic pollutants. However, the existence of inherent iron oxide shell blocked the transfer of proton and further reduced its reactivity. In present study, a novel persulfate (PS) activator BZVI@OA was synthesized via ball milling ZVI with oxalic acid dihydrate. Scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy confirmed the original low proton conductive oxidation shell was replaced by a high proton conductive FeC2O4 shell. The generated shell significantly improved persulfate activated capacity, through which degradation rates of various contaminants were enhanced for 1.64 to 2.33 times. Dissolved oxalate was proved to form complexes with iron ions, dramatically reduced the potential difference and relieved the blocked cyclic conversion. Electron paramagnetic resonance and quenching experiments confirmed an inner sphere adsorption of PS on FeC2O4·2H2O shell which facilitated the peroxide bonds cleavage, leading high efficiency of ROS generation. The accelerated proton transition was confirmed with AC impedance method, resulting in fast and elevated surface bound Fe2+ for persulfate decomposition into active species. Furthermore, BZVI@OA/PS system demonstrated high tolerance over wide initial pH range and promising reusability within 6 cycles. This work clarifies an effective strategy for developing efficient modified ZVI as a PS activator for organic pollutant degradation in water.