Aquaculture oxidant (ClO) or antibiotic disinfection induces unique bimodal aggregation and boosts exDNA sedimentation: A disinfection-driven great spatial shift of antibiotic resistance risk.

ClO has been ever-increasingly used as an alternative disinfectant to alleviate antibiotic resistance risk in aquaculture. However, the feasibility of ClO disinfection in reducing antibiotic resistance has not been clarified yet. We comparatively explored the aggregation mechanisms and their effect on extracellular DNA (exDNA) partition and settlement in disinfected aquaculture waters and natural waters.

Enhancement of nutrient use efficiency with biochar and wood vinegar: A promising strategy for improving soil productivity.

Background: The co-application of biochar and wood vinegar has demonstrated the potential to enhance premium crop production. The present study reveals the effects of co-applying rice husk biochar and wood vinegar (both foliar and soil application) on soil properties and the growth of Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.) in a two-season pot experiment.

Combined use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and alkaline lignin enhance phosphorus nutrition and alleviate cadmium stress in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

The excessive application of phosphorus (P) fertiliser and its poor utilisation efficiency have led to significant amounts of P being retained in agricultural soils in unavailable forms. The application of alkaline lignin to soil and its inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have both been shown to improve plant P nutrition. However, their combined effects on soil P transformation remain unclear, particularly in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soils.

Characteristics of surface ozone pollution and its correlations with meteorological factors: the case of Xiangtan.

Based on ozone (O) monitoring data for Xiangtan and meteorological observation data for 2020-2022, we examined ozone pollution characteristics and the effects of meteorological factors on daily maximum 8-h average ozone (O) concentrations in Xiangtan. Thus, we observed significant increases as well as notable seasonal variations in O concentrations in Xiangtan during the period considered. The ozone and temperature change response slope (K) indicated that local emissions had no significant effect on O generation.

Whole-cell bioreporter application for rapid evaluation of hazardous metal bioavailability and toxicity in bioprocess.

Assessing heavy metal bioavailability and toxicity during bioprocess is critical for advancing green biotechnology. The capability of whole-cell bioreporters to measure heavy metal bioavailability has been increasingly recognized. The advantages of this technology being applied to bioprocess monitoring are less studied.

HSD17B6 delays type 2 diabetes development via inhibiting SREBP activation.

Background: The SREBP/SCAP/INSIG complex plays an essential role in SREBP activation and de novo lipogenesis. Whether the activation process is affected by hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 6 (HSD17B6) remains unknown.

Methods: SREBP's transcriptional activities were analyzed using an SRE-luciferase (SRE-luc) reporter in 293T cells, Huh7 hepatoma cells, and primary human hepatocytes following a variety of conditions, including ectopic expression of HSD17B6, HSD17B6 mutants defective in its enzymatic activities, knockdown of HSD17B6, and cholesterol starvation.

Pandemic COVID-19 ends but soil pollution increases: Impacts and a new approach for risk assessment.

For three years, a large amount of manufactured pollutants such as plastics, antibiotics and disinfectants has been released into the environment due to COVID-19. The accumulation of these pollutants in the environment has exacerbated the damage to the soil system. However, since the epidemic outbreak, the focus of researchers and public attention has consistently been on human health.

Biochar for the Removal of Emerging Pollutants from Aquatic Systems: A Review.

Water contaminated with emerging pollutants has become a serious environmental issue globally. Biochar is a porous and carbon-rich material produced from biomass pyrolysis and has the potential to be used as an integrated adsorptive material. Many studies have shown that biochar is capable to adsorb emerging pollutants from aquatic systems and could be used to solve the water pollution problem.

Alkaline lignin does not immobilize cadmium in soils but decreases cadmium accumulation in the edible part of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

Heavy metal contamination and low use efficiency of phosphorus (P) fertilizers are worldwide issues. Alkaline lignin is expected to decrease the heavy metal risk and enhance the P availability in heavy-metal-contaminated soils. A 120-day incubation study examined the effects of alkaline lignin on Cd, Pb and P bioavailability and transformation in Cd or Cd/Pb co-contaminated red and cinnamon soils and elucidated the associated mechanisms.

MafB, WDR77, and ß-catenin interact with each other and have similar genome association profiles.

MafB (a bZIP transcription factor), ß-catenin (the ultimate target of the Wnt signal transduction pathway that acts as a transcriptional co-activator of LEF/TCF proteins), and WDR77 (a transcriptional co-activator of multiple hormone receptors) are important for breast cellular transformation. Unexpectedly, these proteins interact directly with each other, and they have similar genomic binding profiles. Furthermore, while some of these common target sites coincide with those bound by LEF/TCF, the majority are located just downstream of transcription initiation sites at a position near paused RNA polymerase (Pol II) and the +1 nucleosome.

Global characterization of macrophage polarization mechanisms and identification of M2-type polarization inhibitors.

Macrophages undergoing M1- versus M2-type polarization differ significantly in their cell metabolism and cellular functions. Here, global quantitative time-course proteomics and phosphoproteomics paired with transcriptomics provide a comprehensive characterization of temporal changes in cell metabolism, cellular functions, and signaling pathways that occur during the induction phase of M1- versus M2-type polarization. Significant differences in, especially, metabolic pathways are observed, including changes in glucose metabolism, glycosaminoglycan metabolism, and retinoic acid signaling.

Prognostic and Therapeutic Potential of the OIP5 Network in Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) is an aggressive but minor type of RCC. The current understanding and management of pRCC remain poor. We report here OIP5 being a novel oncogenic factor and possessing robust prognostic values and therapeutic potential.

YAP and TAZ are transcriptional co-activators of AP-1 proteins and STAT3 during breast cellular transformation.

The YAP and TAZ paralogs are transcriptional co-activators recruited to target sites by TEAD proteins. Here, we show that YAP and TAZ are also recruited by JUNB (a member of the AP-1 family) and STAT3, key transcription factors that mediate an epigenetic switch linking inflammation to cellular transformation. YAP and TAZ directly interact with JUNB and STAT3 via a WW domain important for transformation, and they stimulate transcriptional activation by AP-1 proteins.

Effect of alkaline lignin on immobilization of cadmium and lead in soils and the associated mechanisms.

Lignin is a low-cost and environmental-friendly material and could increase the solubility of phosphorus (P) in soils. Meanwhile, application of P compounds to soils decreases the bioavailability of heavy metals. However, there are few reports on whether lignin-induced P release immobilizes heavy metals in soil.

Attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder effectively reduce cadmium accumulation in grains of rice growing in a contaminated acidic paddy field.

Heavy-metal contamination is widespread in agricultural soils worldwide, especially paddy soils contaminated by Cd. Amendment-induced immobilization of heavy metals is an attractive and effective technique, provided that cost-effective materials are used. This field experiment compared three alkaline passivators (attapulgite, processed oyster shell powder, and mixed soil conditioner) at a rate of 2.

Lanthanum-doped activated carbon derived from municipal sludge for enhanced defluoridation: characteristics and mechanism.

The sewage sludge production has been increasing along with the ever-growing populations and wastewater treatment rate. Lanthanum-doped activated carbon (AC-La) was derived from municipal sludge via chemical activation and utilized for fluoride removal. Batch experiments were conducted to discuss the effect of lanthanum dosage, time and pH on the adsorption process.

Simultaneous removal of NH-N and COD from shale gas distillate via an integration of adsorption and photo-catalysis: A hybrid approach.

In view of the circulation cooling water (CCW) quality for refining and petrochemical enterprises, distillates obtained from shale gas produced water after alkali precipitation, filtration and multi-effect evaporation required further purification to remove NH-N and COD. Illumination, adsorption, photocatalysis after adsorption equilibrium (AP) and integration of adsorption and photocatalysis (IOAP) were carried out to optimize the distillates treatment. AP and IOAP treatments were feasible for the simultaneous removal of NH-N and COD from the target distillate, while IOAP treatment had much better adaptability and practicability due to its economic cost and easy operation.

Inhibition of Cd accumulation in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in alkaline soil using mercapto-modified attapulgite.

Cd contamination in agricultural soils threatens the safety of agricultural products and poses human health risk via food chain. However, the remediation of Cd polluted alkaline soils has not drawn the public concern, and the corresponding efficient amendments that can reduce Cd accumulation in crop grains are relatively few. In current study, mercapto-modified attapulgite (MA in abbreviation) was selected as the amendment to conduct winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.

FAM84B promotes prostate tumorigenesis through a network alteration.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the contributions of FAM84B in prostate tumorigenesis and progression.

Methods: A FAM84B mutant with deletion of its HRASLS domain (ΔHRASLS) was constructed. DU145 prostate cancer (PC) cells stably expressing an empty vector (EV), FAM84B, or FAM84B (ΔHRASLS) were produced.

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils by biochar: Mechanisms, potential risks and applications in China.

There are global concerns about heavy metal (HM) contamination in soils, which in turn has produced an increased demand for soil remediation. Biochar has been widely documented to effectively immobilize metals in contaminated soils and has received increasing attention for use in soil remediation. Here, we review recent progresses in understanding metal-biochar interactions in soils, potential risks associated with biochar amendment, and application of biochar in soil remediation in China.

Inflammatory regulatory network mediated by the joint action of NF-kB, STAT3, and AP-1 factors is involved in many human cancers.

Using an inducible, inflammatory model of breast cellular transformation, we describe the transcriptional regulatory network mediated by STAT3, NF-κB, and AP-1 factors on a genomic scale. These proinflammatory regulators form transcriptional complexes that directly regulate the expression of hundreds of genes in oncogenic pathways via a positive feedback loop. This transcriptional feedback loop and associated network functions to various extents in many types of cancer cells and patient tumors, and it is the basis for a cancer inflammation index that defines cancer types by functional criteria.

Chemical Composition and Source Apportionment of PM in Urban Areas of Xiangtan, Central South China.

Xiangtan, South China, is characterized by year-round high relative humidity and very low wind speeds. To assess levels of PM, daily samples were collected from 2016 to 2017 at two urban sites. The mass concentrations of PM were in the range of 30⁻217 µg/m³, with the highest concentrations in winter and the lowest in spring.

Reduction of Cd accumulation in pak choi ( L.) in consecutive growing seasons using mercapto-grafted palygorskite.

Cd contamination in agricultural fields poses a potential human health risk food chain exposure. Proper remediation methods are critical to ensure the adequate safety of agricultural food products. In the current study, mercapto-grafted palygorskite (MP), a novel immobilization agent, was selected for the remediation of Cd-contaminated acid soils in pot experiments.