Wastewater-based epidemiology empowered by o-DGT passive sampling: Quantifying pharmaceuticals consumption hotspots in rural China's untreated watersheds.

The lack of centralized sewage treatment in rural areas has led to severe underestimation of pharmaceutical pollution, posing significant risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. While wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is widely used to estimate pharmaceutical consumption in urban settings, its dependence on sewage infrastructure leads to monitoring deficiencies in rural watersheds with direct wastewater discharges into rivers. Here, we pioneer the application of organic-diffusive gradients in thin-films (o-DGT) passive sampling to conduct WBE in a representative rural area of Hunan Province, China, which lacks sewage treatment facilities.

Substantial reductions in black carbon from both fossil fuels and biomass burning during China's Clean Air Action.

Black carbon (BC) aerosols exacerbate air pollution and climate warming, but their climatic impacts and sources are poorly constrained by bottom-up emission inventories (EIs). China's Clean Air Action (CAA), which was launched in 2013, provides an excellent opportunity for investigating interannual variations in source contributions and validate the accuracy of EIs. Here, we present an 11-y (2008-2018) record of the BC concentration and its source-diagnostic radiocarbon (C) and stable carbon isotope (C) signatures at a receptor site in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, South China.

Shared genetic link and causal inference between blood lipids, lipid-lowering drugs and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Growing evidence suggests that abnormal lipid metabolism occurs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, even in the presymptomatic stage, implying an etiologic link. However, the genetic mechanism underlying altered lipid levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis remains elusive. Therefore, in this study, we performed genetic correlation analysis, a cross-trait meta-analysis, tissue-specific enrichment analysis, and bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis of European population to explore whether there is a genetic and causal relationship between lipids and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The Quinazoline Derivative, QNZ, Alleviates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Suppressing Th1 and Th17 Cells.

Aims: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Substantial evidence implicates a central role for CD4+ T cells in MS pathogenesis, particularly IFN-γ+ Th1 cells and IL-17+ Th17 cells. NF-κB plays an essential role in regulating the differentiation of Th1 and Th17 cells, which typically mediate inflammatory responses as self-triggers.

Tracing anthropogenic contamination in a riverine source-reservoir continuum: Insights from molecular markers.

Anthropogenic contamination poses a growing threat to water quality, yet most studies focus on discrete river segments rather than entire hydrological continuums where contaminant transformation occurs. This study explored this gap by investigating the spatial distribution, sources, and transport pathways of organic pollutants across a complete hydrological continuum, using the Xinfengjiang Reservoir Basin as a case study. Sampling sites were classified into three hydrological units: riverine sources, watercourses and reservoir.

The Intrinsic Link between Optical Properties and Toxicity of Extractable Organic Matter in Combustion Particles: Mediated by Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds.

Organic compounds are important contributors to the optical properties and health effects of combustion-derived particles. However, the connection between optical properties and toxicity of combustion particles remains a matter of little concern. In this study, combustion particles were collected from 11 primary sources, including biomass burning, coal combustion, and vehicle exhaust.

Decadal changes in atmospheric circulation detected in cloud motion vectors.

Changing atmospheric circulations shift global weather patterns and their extremes, profoundly affecting human societies and ecosystems. Studies using atmospheric reanalysis and climate model data indicate diverse circulation changes in recent decades but show discrepancies in magnitude and even direction, underscoring the urgent need for validation with independent, climate-quality measurements. Here we show statistically significant changes in tropospheric circulation over the past two decades using satellite-observed, height-resolved cloud motion vectors from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR).

Eliminating surfactant interference in lateral flow immunoassay using separation strategy for the sensitive detection of coumaphos.

Coumaphos (CMP), an organophosphorus insecticide and acaricide widely used in agriculture for controlling pests, pose health and environment risks. However, no lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) have been reported for its detection. Here, sensitive monoclonal antibodies with IC values of 0.

Concurrent Formation of Low-Maturity EC and BrC in Biomass and Coal Burning: O-PAH as a Precursor.

Black carbon (BC) significantly influences climate change through light absorption. Traditional emission inventories equate BC with elemental carbon (EC) and overlook the variability in its properties across sources, leading to uncertainties in climate predictions. This study shows that EC from solid fuel combustion contains substantial low-maturity EC (char), whose emissions increase alongside the light absorption of soluble organic carbon (OC) as the fuel aromaticity rises.

Enhancing Thermal Tolerance for Bright and Stable Near-Infrared Perovskite LEDs.

Perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation display technologies, owing to their high efficiency and color purity. However, the operational instability of PeLEDs at high current densities (>100 mA cm) remains a significant challenge. Here, near-infrared (≈797 nm) PeLEDs are reported with peak external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of ≈24.

Unveiling the nexus of p53 and PD-L1: insights into immunotherapy resistance mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the predominant form of primary liver cancer worldwide, continues to pose a substantial health challenge with limited treatment options for advanced stages. Despite progress in therapies such as surgery, transplantation, and targeted treatments, prognosis remains bleak for many patients. The advent of immunotherapy has revolutionized the landscape of advanced HCC treatment, offering hope for improved outcomes.

Aqueous secondary formation substantially contributes to hydrophilic organophosphate esters in aerosols.

Chemicals of emerging concern (CECs), like organophosphate esters (OPEs), are toxic substances threatening human and wildlife health. Yet the atmospheric transformation of CECs remains poorly understood. Here we combine field measurements and partitioning models to reveal that OPEs could be enhanced by aqueous-phase processes in aerosols.

TAZ/NRF2 positive feedback loop contributes to proliferation in bladder cancer through antagonistic ferroptosis.

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a prevalent malignancy characterized by high recurrence and metastasis rates. Emerging evidence suggests that the NRF2-GPX4 axis is closely associated with ferroptosis. The transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) plays a crucial role in regulating ferroptosis; however, its role in BLCA remains unclear.

Synergistic effects of surfactant biostimulation and indigenous fungal bioaugmentation for enhanced bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soils.

Surfactant biostimulation and autochthonous fungal bioaugmentation have emerged as promising strategies for the bioremediation of soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, the mechanisms driving their combined effects remain poorly understood. This study investigates the degradation mechanisms associated with bioaugmentation using the indigenous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus LJD-29 and surfactant Tween 80.

Impact of sleep quality on disease progression in early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Non-motor symptoms are clinical manifestations of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, few studies have examined these symptoms in patients with early-stage ALS. We conducted a cross-sectional study to explore non-motor symptoms in 69 patients with ALS within 18 months of disease onset.

Ganoderic acid a potentiates cisplatin's cytotoxicity on gallbladder cancer cells by promoting DNA damage and inhibiting cell stemness.

Background: Ganoderma acid A (GAA), a triterpenoid compound from Ganoderma lucidum, has gained attention for its anti-tumor properties. Herein, we hypothesized that GAA may enhance cisplatin's (DDP) anticancer effect in gallbladder cancer (GBC) cells by promoting DNA damage response, particularly through upregulation of DNA damage markers such as γH2AX, p-ATM, p-ATR, and p-p53, and reducing cell stemness by downregulating stemness markers like SOX2, Oct4, and NANOG.

Materials And Methods: The human GBC cell line GBC-SD and human gallbladder epithelial cell line HGBEC were cultured in RPMI-1640 and DMEM/F12 media with 10% fetal bovine serum.

J-Aggregated Fluorescence Nanoparticles with Multichromatic Performance Enable Sensitive LFIA Platform.

The application of conventional lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) remains challenging due to its single signal readout and poor sensitivity. In this work, we developed J-aggregated fluorescence nanoparticles (JNPs) with multichromatic performance and employed them as reporters for the simultaneous and sensitive detection of T-2 and AFB1 toxins on the LFIA platform. Upon the strong confinement effect of nanoparticles, the emission region of JNPs was red-shifted from ∼545 to ∼620 nm, exhibiting a strong J-aggregation phenomenon.

Polycyclic aromatics in the Chang'E 5 lunar soils.

Polycyclic aromatics are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium and meteorites, yet the search for lunar polycyclic aromatics remains a significant challenge. Here, we analyze Chang'E-5 lunar soil samples, revealing polycyclic aromatic concentrations of 5.0-9.

Legacy and currently-used pesticides in sedimentary archives: Anthropogenic footprint in the pearl river estuary.

Pesticides are fundamental to modern agriculture but pose significant environmental risks due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity. This study systematically investigates the pollution characteristics and historical trends of 28 legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 17 currently-used pesticides (CUPs) in a sediment core from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), assessing their potential as Anthropocene markers. The concentrations of ΣOCPs ranged from 0.

Key toxicity enhancement effect of aqueous-phase secondary formation: Insights from hourly measurements during haze events.

Haze events pose substantial health risks, yet the link between the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) and the exacerbated health impacts during such episodes remains unclear. This study conducted hourly off-line measurements of the chemical composition and oxidative potential (OP) of water-soluble fractions (WSF) of PM during three haze episodes in the North China Plain (NCP). Results revealed that water-soluble inorganic ions were the primary contributors to the increase in WSF mass (60.

Roles of anoikis in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy and the assessment of anoikis-regulatory molecules as therapeutic targets.

As the fourth leading cause of death from cancer and the sixth most common neoplasm in the world, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is responsible for ninety percent of all primary liver cancers. There are four mechanisms that contribute to the spread of cancer: the separation of cells from the primary neoplasm, their survivability during metastasis, extravasation, and the development of secondary tumors at remote locations. In addition to its role in the development of a scaffold for cell adhesion, the extracellular matrix (ECM) also plays a role in the stimulation of signal transduction and the regulation of essential cellular mechanisms, including proliferation, migration, differentiation, and viability.

Downscaling micro- and nano-perovskite LEDs.

Many technological breakthroughs in electronics and photonics were made possible by downscaling-the process of making elementary devices smaller in size. The downsizing of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on III-V semiconductors led to micro-LEDs, an 'ultimate technology' for displays. However, micro-LEDs are costly to produce and they exhibit severe efficiency losses when the pixel sizes are reduced to about 10 μm or less, hindering their potential in commercial applications.

Low-Threshold Amplified Spontaneous Emission from Quasi-2D Lead-Bromide Perovskites for Lasing Applications.

Quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) lead halide perovskite materials have shown great potential as gain media for amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and lasing. Due to the complexity of the mixed-dimensional perovskite materials, factors influencing their ASE thresholds remain unclear, limiting the pace of development in this emerging area of research. Here, we report exceptionally low ASE thresholds of ∼2.

Multiplex immunochromatographic assay based on triple-color aggregation-induced emission fluorescent microspheres with good biocompatibility for the simultaneous detection of veterinary drugs in aquatic products.

Background: The simultaneous presence of multiple veterinary drug residues in a single sample poses a significant challenge for food safety analysis. Compared with traditional single-target detection, multiplex detection can not only provide richer sample information to raise the detection efficiency and reduce the possibility of false positives and omissions, but also decrease sample volume, shorten detection time, and lower costs. The luminance of aggregation-induced emission fluorescent microspheres (AIEFMs) can be enhanced by loading more fluorophores.

Single-Cell Analysis of Microbial Degradation Mechanisms and Remediation Potential for Emerging Pollutants: A Case Study on Methylnaphthalene.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) derivatives, including alkyl-PAHs, are significant emerging environmental contaminants. Traditional culture techniques often fail to isolate functional microorganisms responsible for their degradation, leaving their metabolic interactions and pathways largely uncharacterized. This study employs 2-methylnaphthalene (MP) as a model compound and utilizes Raman-activated cell sorting with stable isotope probing (RACS-SIP) and single-cell genome sequencing to investigate alkyl-PAH degradation in petroleum-contaminated wastewater.