Identification of driving factors for heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollution in agricultural soils using interpretable machine learning.

This study integrated data-driven interpretable machine learning (ML) with statistical methods, complemented by knowledge-driven discrimination diagrams, to identify the primary driving factors of heavy metal (HM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination in agricultural soils influenced by complex sources in a rapidly industrializing region of a megacity in southern China. First, the statistical characteristics of the concentrations of HMs and PAHs, and their correlations with the environmental covariates were explored. Three ML models and a statistical model comprising multiple environmental variable predictors were developed and assessed to predict the concentration of HMs in the agricultural soil.

Analysis of heavy metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution characteristics of a typical metal rolling industrial site based on data mining.

With the transformation and upgrading of industries, the environmental problems caused by industrial residual contaminated sites are becoming increasingly prominent. Based on actual investigation cases, this study analyzed the soil pollution status of a remaining sites of the copper and zinc rolling industry, and found that the pollutants exceeding the screening values included Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, total petroleum hydrocarbons and 6 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon monomers. Based on traditional analysis methods such as the correlation coefficient and spatial distribution, combined with machine learning methods such as SOM + K-means, it is inferred that the heavy metal Zn/Pb may be mainly related to the production history of zinc rolling.

Loss of TDP-43 function underlies hippocampal and cortical synaptic deficits in TDP-43 proteinopathies.

TDP-43 proteinopathy is linked to neurodegenerative diseases that feature synaptic loss in the cortex and hippocampus, although it remains unclear how TDP-43 regulates mature synapses. We report that, in adult mouse hippocampus, TDP-43 knockdown, but not overexpression, induces robust structural and functional damage to excitatory synapses, supporting a role for TDP-43 in maintaining mature synapses. Dendritic spine loss induced by TDP-43 knockdown is rescued by wild-type TDP-43, but not ALS/FTLD-associated mutants, suggesting a common TDP-43 functional deficiency in neurodegenerative diseases.

Multi-step column leaching using low-molecular-weight organic acids for remediating vanadium- and chromium-contaminated soil.

In soil, vanadium (V) contamination is commonly concomitant with chromium (Cr) contamination, which poses potential risks to humans, animals, and plants due to the transfer of toxic metals and the increase in their concentrations via the food chain or through direct exposure. This study applied a multi-step column leaching process using low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) to treat V-contaminated soil from a smelter site that contains 2015.1 mg V kg and 1060.

Geochemical simulation of the stabilization process of vanadium-contaminated soil remediated with calcium oxide and ferrous sulfate.

Vanadium (V)-contaminated soil poses health risks to plants, animals, and humans via both direct exposure and through the food chain. Stabilization treatment of metal-contaminated soil can chemically convert metal contaminants into less soluble, mobile, and toxic forms. However, the stabilization mechanisms of V-contaminated soil have not been thoroughly investigated.

The interactions of metal concentrations and soil properties on toxic metal accumulation of native plants in vanadium mining area.

High demand of Vanadium (V) in high-strength steel and battery manufacturing industry led to extensive V mining activity in China, and caused multi-metal pollution of soil around V mining area. To understand the phytoremediation potentials of native plants grown in V mining area, and the effect of soil properties and soil metal concentrations on toxic metal accumulations of native plants. Setaria viridis, Kochia scoparia and Chenopodium album were sampled from different sites in V mining area, soil properties, soil metal concentrations and metal accumulation amount of investigated plants were measured, bioaccumulation (BAF) and translocation (TF) efficiencies were calculated.

Amendment of vanadium-contaminated soil with soil conditioners: A study based on pot experiments with canola plants (Brassica campestris L.).

We performed pot experiments with canola plants (Brassica campestris L.) to evaluate the effect of eight soil conditioners on the amendment of vanadium (V)-contaminated soil based on analysis of the growth of canola plants and the uptake, bioaccumulation, and translocation of heavy metals. Tested soil conditioners included polyacrylamide (PAM), sepiolite, humic acid (HAC), peat, sludge compost (SC), bentonite, lime, and fly ash.

Toxic metal tolerance in native plant species grown in a vanadium mining area.

Vanadium (V) has been extensively mined in China and caused soil pollution in mining area. It has toxic effects on plants, animals and humans, posing potential health risks to communities that farm and graze cattle adjacent to the mining area. To evaluate in situ phytoremediation potentials of native plants, V, chromium, copper and zinc concentrations in roots and shoots were measured and the bioaccumulation (BAF) and translocation (TF) efficiencies were calculated.

Soil heavy metal contamination related to roasted stone coal slag: a study based on geostatistical and multivariate analyses.

Soil was examined for vanadium (V) and related metal contamination near a stone coal mine in Hubei Province, China. In total, 92 surface and vertical (0-200 cm) soil samples were collected from the site. A handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was used for in situ analysis of the soil concentrations of heavy metals, including V, chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb).

Ultrasound coupled with Fenton oxidation pre-treatment of sludge to release organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.

We focused on the effects of ultrasound and Fenton reagent in ultrasonic coupling Fenton oxidation (U + F) pre-treatment processes on the disintegration of wastewater treatment plant sludge. The results demonstrated that U + F treatment could significantly increase soluble COD, TOC, total N, proteins, total P and PO4(3-) concentrations in sludge supernatant. This method was more effective than ultrasonic (U) or Fenton oxidation (F) treatment alone.

Ultrasonic application to boost hydroxyl radical formation during Fenton oxidation and release organic matter from sludge.

We examined the effects of ultrasound and Fenton reagent on ultrasonic coupling Fenton oxidation (U+F) pre-treatment processes for the disintegration of wastewater treatment plant sludge. The results demonstrated that U+F treatment could significantly increase soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), total organic carbon (TOC), and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) concentrations in sludge supernatant. This method was more effective than ultrasonic (U) or Fenton oxidation (F) treatment alone.

Detection of unsaturated disaccharides, pyridinoline, and hydroxyproline in urine of patients with Kashin-Beck disease: comparison with controls in an endemic area.

Objective: To investigate the pathologic status of adult patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) in an endemic area of China through detection of 5 biochemical markers in their urine, and to study the correlations between these markers and KBD.

Methods: A total of 55 patients with KBD over age 40 years were recruited and divided into groups, Grade 1 and Grade 2, according to clinical diagnosis criteria for KBD and our inclusion criteria; 25 healthy persons were enrolled into a control group. The first-time urine of the 80 participants was collected in the morning.

Proteomic analysis of augmented immune responses in mouse by prime-and-boost immunization strategy with DNA vaccine coding HBsAg and rHBsAg protein.

Prime-and-boost vaccination strategy with DNA and protein vaccines is broadly adopted to augment the immunogenicity of both vaccines, but the mechanism is ambiguous. Antigen-specific immunological memories in humoral and cellular immune responses were examined in mice after immunization with different regimens, by the evaluation of persistence of antibody production and CTL activity, as well as T cell proliferation assay. Stronger immunological memories were demonstrated in group DDS (mice immunized with rHBsAg after twice DNA priming), well associated with the induced higher level of antibody and CTL activity.

Comparative proteomics analysis to annexin B1 DNA and protein vaccination in mice.

DNA vaccines have been widely reported to elicit both effective humoral and cellular immune responses, but the mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation in DNA immunization is still ambiguous. Aiming to molecular mechanisms involved in DNA immunization, comparative serum proteomics was introduced to discover differentially expressed proteins after different immunizations. Using two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, 23 three-fold or greater up-regulated proteins were separated and identified, including 14 from ANXB1 DNA immunized mice and 9 from annexin B1 protein immunized mice.

Enhanced immunogenicity of microencapsulated multiepitope DNA vaccine encoding T and B cell epitopes of foot-and-mouth disease virus in mice.

The role of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid, PLGA) microparticles on enhancing immune responses of multiepitope DNA vaccines was investigated in vitro and in vivo. pcDNA-SG encoding T and B cell epitopes of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) was encapsulated into PLGA microparticles. PLGA microparticles could protect themselves from nuclease degradation in vitro.