Microalgae have been developed as promising candidates for bioenergy production, coupled with answering challenges related to water pollution and global warming. When combined with wastewater, ...microalgal biomass production could be freed from a strong dependence on freshwater and chemical nutrients, as well as achieve the additional advantage of wastewater reclamation. However, despite those dual benefits, certain limitations on the growing of algae in wastewater remain to be resolved, including the inevitable presence of bacteria in wastewater, which influences biomass productivity and quality in various ways. Pointing at microalgal-bacterial relationships, this study provides an updated review of the application of microalgal-bacterial consortia (MABC) to benefit biomass yield and harvest, and in wastewater remediation, focusing on the main interactions established between the microorganisms integrated within MABC and the factors influencing the behaviours of MABC. The challenges faced by the MABC biotechnology are also discussed, which are primarily rooted in undesirable bacteria that parasitically eat microalgal products and inhibit algal growth through nutrient competition, lysate exudation, or reducing the algal resistance to biotic stress. However, there is a lack of systematic studies on maintaining stable and effective operation of MABCs for wastewater cultivation and high-value bioproduct generation. Knowledge gaps are identified as including systematic information about the responses of MABC to culture conditions and wastewater-borne bacterial communities, and the metabolic mechanisms underpinning the interactions between algae and bacteria in wastewater. Further research focuses and methodologies are proposed in this review, making full use of the advent of omics and computational technology.
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•Nutrients and signals were highlighted as algal stimuli from bacteria.•MABC enhances microalgal productivity, bio-flocculation and wastewater treatment efficiency.•Unwanted bacteria hurdle algal dominance and MABC sustainability in wastewater.•Operation strategies strongly affect MABC behaviour and need systematic research.•Pipeline for developing an MABC platform for bioproduct generation was proposed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract
Low efficiency has seriously restricted the application of prime editing (PE) systems in plants. In this study, we develop an enhanced plant prime editor 2 system, enpPE2, by stacking ...various optimization strategies, including updating the PE architecture to PEmax and expressing engineered pegRNA with a structured motif under the control of a composite promoter. In T
0
rice plants, enpPE2 exhibits editing frequencies of 64.58% to 77.08%, which are much higher than the frequencies with unmodified pPE2. Our results indicate that the enpPE2 system provides a robust and powerful tool for the precise modification of plant genomes.
The spatial and temporal variability of sea surface temperature (SST) and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) is examined using daily, cloud-free Data INterpolating Empirical Orthogonal ...Function (DINEOF) reconstructions during 2003–2012. The utility of the DINEOF SST and Chl-a is demonstrated through direct comparisons with buoy- and ship-based observations. EOF analyses of cloud-free products are further used to quantify the SST and Chl-a variability on seasonal to inter-annual timescales. The first mode of SST is dominated by an annual cycle in response to net surface heat flux, with SST lagging surface flux by ~57days. The second mode of SST underscores interactions between GOM, the Scotian Shelf, and the slope sea in response to the basin scale atmospheric forcing represented by the North Atlantic Oscillation. The third mode correlates well with the evolution of Scotian Shelf-slope frontal displacement. The first EOF mode of Chl-a is dominated by a winter–spring bloom and a fall bloom, with a spatial distribution modified by the tidal mixing that facilitates nutrient delivery from the deep ocean. The second EOF mode is likely associated with a winter bloom in the warm slope sea, where the low-frequency variations of second modes of SST and Chl-a are in phase, suggesting a possible coupling between physical and biological responses to atmospheric forcing. The third mode of the Chl-a is likely associated with freshening events associated with advection of the Scotian Shelf Water, which enhance stratifications in the eastern GOM.
•Satellite SST and Chl-a in the Gulf of Maine are reconstructed using DINEOF.•Reconstructed data are in good agreement with in situ observations.•Major modes of variability are further examined based on EOF decomposition.•Low frequency variations are likely associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Sedimentary facies is an important factor influencing shale gas accumulation. It not only controlls hydrocarbon generation, but also affects reservoir characteristics and distribution. This paper ...discusses the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the south of the Sichuan Basin. Outcrop, core, drilling and logging data identify the sedimentary facies of the formation as continental shelf facies, which is divided into two subfacies: an inner shelf and an outer shelf subfacies. These two subfacies can be further divided into seven microfacies: muddy silty shallow shelf, calcareous silty shallow shelf, muddy limy shallow shelf, storm flow, muddy deep shelf, silty muddy deep shelf and contour current microfacies. Vertical and horizontal distribution of microfacies establishes a sedimentation model of the continental shelf facies. Combined with analization or calculation of geochemical, mineralogical, physical and gas-bearing properties of samples, sedimentary microfacies is evaluated using nine parameters: total organic carbon content, effective shale continuous thickness, vitrinite reflectance, kerogen type, mineral components, porosity, permeability, water saturation and gas content. The evaluation revealed that the most favorable facies for shale gas exploration and development are the muddy deep shelf and part of the silty muddy deep shelf microfacies, with TOC more than 2%, siliceous component over 50%, clay less than 30%, porosity more than 3%, water saturation lower than 40%, gas content greater than 2 m3/t. These results provide a theoretical basis for deciston-making on the most promising areas for shale gas exploration in the Sichuan Basin and for marine shale gas exploration and development in South China.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
As rapidly developing area of intensive agriculture during the past half century, the oases in the source region of the Tarim River have encountered serious environmental challenges. Therefore, a ...comparative analysis of soil pollution characteristics and source-specific risks in different oases is an important measure to prevent and control soil pollution and provide guidance for extensive resource management in this area. In this study, the concentration of potential toxic elements (PTEs) was analyzed by collecting soil samples from the four oases in the source region of the Tarim River. The cumulative frequency curve method, pollution index method, positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, geographical detector method and health risk assessment model were used to analyze the pollution status and source-specific risk of potential toxic elements in different oases. The results showed that Cd was the most prominent PTE in the oasis agricultural soil in the source region of the Tarim River. Especially in Hotan Oasis, where 81.25% of the soil samples were moderately contaminated and 18.75% were highly contaminated with Cd. The PTEs in the Hotan Oasis corresponded to a moderate level of risk to the ecological environment, and the noncarcinogenic risk of soil PTEs in the four oases to local children exceeded the threshold (TH > 1), while the carcinogenic risk to local residents was acceptable (1E-06 < TCR < 1E-04). The research results suggested that the Hotan Oasis should be the key area for soil pollution control in the source region of the Tarim River, and agricultural activities and natural sources, industrial sources, and atmospheric dust fall are the priority sources that should be controlled in the Aksu Oasis, Kashgar Oasis and Yarkant River Oasis, respectively. The results of this study provide important decision-making support for the protection and management of regional agricultural soil and the environment.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
A boom in tourism may lead to the enrichment in heavy metals (HMs) in soils. Contamination with HMs poses a significant threat to the security of the soil environment. In this study, topsoil samples ...were collected from a tourist area of Sayram Lake, and the concentrations of HMs (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Cd) were determined. With contamination and eco-risk assessment models, correlation analysis, Pb isotope ratios, redundancy analysis and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, the risks and sources of HMs in the soil were studied. The I
results suggested that Cd was the primary pollutant in the tourist area of Sayram Lake. The potential ecological risk index (PERI) showed that the study area was at low risk, and the pollution load index (PLI) indicated that the study area had a moderate contamination level. Qualitative and quantitative analyses apportioned three sources of HMs, namely, natural sources (38.5%), traffic sources (27.2%) and mixed sources (tourist waste and atmospheric deposition) (34.3%). Redundancy analysis results showed that the HMs content was related to SiO
, Al
O
, TiO
, P
O
, MnO, K
O, Fe
O
and SOC, and heavy metals tended to be stored in soil particles of grain sizes < 32 µm. These findings are expected to provide useful insights into the source identification of HMs in the soils of mountain tourism areas and provide a scientific decision-making basis for sustainable tourism development and for the assessment of ecological service values in the Tianshan Mountains.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
Our aim was to conduct a meta-analysis and systematic review in order to compare the diagnostic efficacy of
68
Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and
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Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI in patients with biochemically ...recurrent after radical prostatectomy and biochemically recurrent prostate cancers (BCR) after hybrid RT and RP.
Methods
Up until February 2023, we searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for pertinent papers. Studies examining the utility of
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Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT or PET/MRI as a screening tool for biochemically recurrent prostate cancer were included. To measure heterogeneity, we employed the I
2
statistic. In cases of substantial heterogeneity (I
2
> 50%), we used the random effect model to produce a forest plot. In other cases, we utilized the fixed model. Furthermore, we assessed the quality of the studies included using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Performance Studies (QUADAS-2) method.
Results
In total, 37 studies involving 8409 patients were examined. For
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Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and
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Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI, the combined total detection rate was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.65-0.75) and 0.71 (95% CI:0.67-0.75), respectively.
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Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and
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Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI did not substantially differ in terms of the overall detection rate for BCR
(P = 0.58)
. The detection rate was unaffected by the PSA values
(all P > 0.05)
.
Conclusion
The diagnostic efficacy of
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Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT appears to be equivalent to that of
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Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI in detecting biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. Nonetheless, it should be noted that not all studies have used pathological biopsies as the gold standard. Therefore, additional larger prospective studies are needed to address this issue.
Systematic review registration
identifier CRD42023410039.
Searching for natural products with antitumor and immune-enhancing activities is an important aspect of cancer research.
is an edible brown alga that has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for ...the treatment of tumors. However, the purification and application of its active components are still insufficient. In the present study, the polysaccharides from
(SPPs) with antitumor and immune-enhancing activities were isolated and purified, and five polysaccharide fractions (SPP-0.3, SPP-0.5, SPP-0.7, SPP-1, and SPP-2) were obtained. The ratio of total saccharides, monosaccharide composition, and sulfated contents was determined, and their structures were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, bioactivity analysis showed that all five fractions had significant antitumor activity against three types of cancer cells (A549, HepG2, and B16), and can induce cancer cell apoptosis. In addition, the results indicated that SPPs can enhance the proliferation of immune cells and improve the expression levels of serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS, and TNF-α). SPP-0.7 was identified as the most active fraction and selected for further purification, and its physicochemical properties and antitumor mechanism were further analyzed. Transcriptome sequencing result showed that SPP-0.7 can significantly induce the cell apoptosis, cytokine secretion, and cellular stress response process, and inhibit the normal physiological processes of cancer cells. Overall, SPPs and SPP-0.7 may be suitable for use as potential candidate agents for cancer therapy.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Nearly all annual blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (K. brevis) pose a serious threat to coastal Southwest Florida. These blooms discolor water, kill fish and marine mammals, ...contaminate shellfish, cause mild to severe respiratory irritation, and discourage tourism and recreational activities, leading to significant health and economic impacts in affected communities. Despite these issues, we still lack standard measures suitable for assessing bloom severity or for evaluating the efficacy of modeling efforts simulating bloom initiation and intensity. In this study, historical cell count observations along the southwest Florida shoreline from 1953 to 2019 were used to develop monthly and annual bloom severity indices (BSI). Similarly, respiratory irritation observations routinely reported in Sarasota and Manatee Counties from 2006 to 2019 were used to construct a respiratory irritation index (RI). Both BSI and RI consider spatial extent and temporal evolution of the bloom, and can be updated routinely and used as objective criteria to aid future socioeconomic and scientific studies of K. brevis. These indices can also be used to help managers and decision makers both evaluate the risks along the coast during events and design systems to better respond to and mitigate bloom impacts. Before 1995, sampling was done largely in response to reports of discolored water, fish kills, or respiratory irritation. During this timeframe, lack of sampling during the fall, when blooms typically occur, generally coincided with periods of more frequent-than-usual offshore winds. Consequently, some blooms may have been undetected or under-sampled. As a result, the BSIs before 1995 were likely underestimated and cannot be viewed as accurately as those after 1995. Anomalies in the frequency of onshore wind can also largely account for the discrepancies between BSI and RI during the period from 2006 to 2019. These findings highlighted the importance of onshore wind anomalies when predicting respiratory irritation impacts along beaches.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK