Extracellular electron transfer-dependent bioremediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater: Advancements and challenges.

Efficient and sustainable remediation of uranium-contaminated groundwater is critical for groundwater safety and the sustainable development of nuclear energy, particularly in the context of global carbon neutrality goals. This review explores the potential of microbial reduction processes that utilize extracellular electron transfer (EET) to convert soluble uranium (U(VI)) into its insoluble form (U(IV)), presenting a promising approach to groundwater remediation. The review first outlines the key processes and factors influencing the effectiveness of dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria (DMRB), such as Geobacter and Shewanella, during uranium bioremediation and recovery.

Prognostic Utility of Modified 5-Item Frailty Index on the Outcomes of Spine Surgeries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Frailty refers to a state of weakness that can arise due to age or illnesses, and frailty predisposes individuals to several adverse health outcomes. This has been postulated to prognosticate the outcome of various surgeries, including surgeries for various spine conditions; however, no meta-analysis has validated this finding.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the prognostic utility of frailty for the outcome of spine surgeries.

Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Using a Portable Nucleic Acid Test with Distance-Based Readout.

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) infection in resource-limited settings is critically needed to stop the spread of the disease but remains difficult to achieve. Herein, we report a fast, inexpensive nucleic acid test with distance-based readout (FINDR) for TB. Based on the unique chromatographic behavior of DNA intercalating dye on unmodified cellulose paper, our FINDR platform converted the amplicons of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) into the migration distance on a paper-based analytical device.

Refractive Index Morphology Imaging Microscope System Utilizing Polarization Multiplexing for Label-Free Single Living Cells.

Detections of internal substances and morphologies for label-free living cells are crucial for revealing malignant diseases. With the phase serving as a coupling of refractive index (RI) (marker for substances) and thickness (morphology), existing decoupling methods mainly rely on complex integrated systems or extensive optical field information. Developing simple and rapid decoupling methods remains a challenge.

Task-Specific Design of a Porous Aromatic Framework as an Ultrastable Platform for Enantioselective Organocatalysis.

A hydroxyl-tagged porous aromatic framework PAF-NBU2-OH was task-specifically designed and successfully synthesized targeted toward immobilizing chiral catalysts. Using proline-type compound as model chiral organocatalyst, PAF-NBU2-OH was used as a platform to covalently link proline-type group. The obtained PAF-immobilized organocatalyst PAF-NBU2-OPro featured high chemical stability in different solvents even under very harsh conditions.

Niraparib perturbs autophagosome-lysosome fusion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and exhibits anticancer potential against gemcitabine-resistant PDAC.

While poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have achieved specific clinical benefits in a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients, the potential role of the PARPi niraparib in PDAC necessitates further exploration. In this study, we demonstrated that Niraparib exhibited a pronounced inhibitory effect on autophagy in PDAC both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, this inhibition was primarily attributed to niraparib's ability to disrupt the fusion process between autophagosomes and lysosomes, while potentially exerting a relatively minor impact on the initial stage of autophagy.

A Novel and Powerful Dual-Stream Multi-Level Graph Convolution Network for Emotion Recognition.

Emotion recognition enables machines to more acutely perceive and understand users' emotional states, thereby offering more personalized and natural interactive experiences. Given the regularity of the responses of brain activity to human cognitive processes, we propose a powerful and novel dual-stream multi-level graph convolution network (DMGCN) with the ability to capture the hierarchies of connectivity between cerebral cortex neurons and improve computational efficiency. This consists of a hierarchical dynamic geometric interaction neural network (HDGIL) and multi-level feature fusion classifier (M2FC).

Perborate Activated Peroxymonosulfate Process for Improving the Coagulation Efficiency of by Polymeric Aluminum Chloride.

In this study, the sodium perborate (SP)-activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) process was used to enhance the coagulation efficiency of cyanobacteria with polymeric aluminum chloride (PAC), aiming to efficiently mitigate the impact of algal blooms on the safety of drinking water production. The optimal concentrations of SP, PMS, and PAC were determined by evaluating the removal rate of OD and zeta potential of the algae. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed ternary PMS/SP/PAC process achieved a remarkable OD removal efficiency of 95.

Deep-Eutectic-Solvent-Decorated Metal-Organic Framework for Food and Environmental Sample Preparation.

Deep eutectic solvent (DES) is distinguished by its unique solvent properties, chemical stability, and eco-friendly nature, which are pivotal in a spectrum of chemical processes. It enhances the sample preparation process by increasing efficiency and minimizing the environmental impact. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are porous structures formed through coordination bonds between metal ions and organic ligands, are defined by their adjustable pore dimensions, extensive surface areas, and customizable architectures.

Pedunculoside alleviates cognitive deficits and neuronal cell apoptosis by activating the AMPK signaling cascade.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction emerges as an early pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production are pivotal in the initiation of neuronal cell apoptosis. Pedunculoside(Ped), a novel triterpene saponin derived from the dried barks of Ilex rotunda Thunb, exhibits a potent anti-inflammatory effect.

Religious beliefs and social class identification: micro evidence from China.

Background: Residents' sense of social class identity is of great significance for enhancing self-happiness and maintaining social stability. As a spiritual force, religious beliefs can significantly influence residents' subjective perceptions.

Methods: Based on this, using data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS 2021), this paper explores the impact of religious beliefs on residents' sense of social class identity through the probit model and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method, and analyzes potential mechanisms.

Does smartphone use encourage farmers to participate in centralized household waste disposal?

The centralization of household waste disposal represents a significant stride toward achieving ecological viability in rural China. This initiative can substantially alleviate the grassroots government's burden of managing rural household waste. The proliferation and utilization of smartphones, a powerful tool that can expedite and reduce the cost of imparting environmental protection knowledge to producers, is a beacon of hope in the fight against waste.

Dental Pulp Stem Cell Lysate-Based Hydrogel Improves Diabetic Wound Healing via the Regulation of Anti-Inflammatory Macrophages and Keratinocytes.

The prolonged existence of chronic wounds heightens the risk of patients experiencing chronic pain, necrosis, and amputation. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have garnered attention due to their potential immunomodulatory and tissue repair regenerative effects in the management of chronic wounds. However, stem-cell-based therapy faces challenges such as malignant differentiation, immune rejection, and long-term effectiveness.

Removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by activated hydrochar derived from food waste: Sorption performance and desorption hysteresis.

Carbonaceous materials, derived from waste biomass, have proven to be a viable and appealing alternative for removing emerging micro-pollutants, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). To assess the feasibility and efficacy of using material derived from food waste to alleviate PFAS pollution, this study prepared activated hydrochar (AHC) for sorbing ten PFAS, including five perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCA; C4-C8), three perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSA; C4, C6, C8), and two emerging PFAS, namely hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (commercial name GenX, an alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS). The results demonstrated that AHC possessed a relatively high specific surface area (207 m/g) and hydrophobic surface properties.

Prognosis and clinicopathological features of patients with early-onset and late-onset colorectal cancer with second primary malignancies.

Background And Aim: The risk of developing a second primary malignancy differs among colorectal cancer patients in different age groups. This study aimed to investigate the differences in prognosis and clinicopathological features of patients with early-onset colorectal cancer and late-onset colorectal cancer who developed second primary malignancies.

Methods: The study included 15 489 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between January 2008 and December 2018.

Response of ammonium transformation in bioanodes to potential regulation: Performance, electromicrobiome and implications.

Understanding how potential regulation affects ammonium transformation in bioanodes is crucial for promoting their application. This study explored the performance, electrochemical properties, electromicrobiome of bioanodes across potentials from 0.0 V to 0.

N-Methyladenosine RNA Modification Regulates the Differential Muscle Development in Large White and Ningxiang Pigs.

N6-methyladenosine (mA) is the most common modification in eukaryotic RNAs. Growing research indicates that mA methylation is crucial for a multitude of biological processes. However, research on the mA modifications in the regulation of porcine muscle growth is lacking.

Opportunity for severe and critical COVID-19 pneumonia treatment with corticosteroids: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been the most significant infectious disease outbreak worldwide in the past 3 years, with the potential to progress to severe pneumonia and trigger systemic inflammatory response, posing a threat to human health and life. This study aims to explore the use of corticosteroids for COVID-19 and provide recommendations on the timing and dosage of the treatment.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, enrolling 100 with COVID-19 pneumonia between December 2022 and January 2023.