In arable soils, anthropogenic activities such as fertilizer applications have intensified soil acidification in recent years. This has resulted in frequent environmental problems such as aluminum ...(Al) and H+ stress, which negatively impact crop yields and quality in acidic soils. Biochar, as a promising soil conditioner, has attracted much attention globally. The present study was conducted in a greenhouse by setting up 2% biochar rate to investigate how biochar relieves Al3+ hazards in acidic soil by affecting soil quality, soil environment, and soil microbiomes. The addition of biochar significantly improved soil fertility and enzyme activities, which were attributed to its ability to enhance the utilization of soil carbon sources by influencing the activity of soil microorganisms. Moreover, the Al3+ contents were significantly decreased by 66.61–88.83% compared to the C0 level (without biochar treatment). In particular, the results of the 27Al NMR suggested that forms of AlVI (Al(OH)2+, Al(OH)+ 2, and Al3+) were increased by 88.69–100.44% on the surface of biochar, reducing the Al3+ stress on soil health. The combination of biochar and nitrogen (N) fertilizer contributed to the augmentation of bacterial diversity. The application of biochar and N fertilizer increased the relative abundance of the majority of bacterial species. Additionally, the application of biochar and N fertilizer had a significant impact on soil microbial metabolism, specifically in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites (lipids and organic acids) and carbon metabolic ability. In conclusion, biochar can enhance soil microbial activity and improve the overall health of acidic soil by driving microbial metabolism. This study offers both theoretical and technical guidance for enhancing biochar in acidified soil and promoting sustainable development in farmland production.
•The Al3+ was significantly decreased by 66.61–88.83% with biochar treatment.•The soil carbon and nitrogen extracellular enzyme activities were increased under biochar treatment.•The utilization ability of 5 types of carbon sources were promoted with biochar treatment.•Biochar and N fertilizers promoted soil metabolism by changing soil communities.
Using medical insurance (MI) to shift employees' health risks outside is an important risk management tool for modern firms. Existing studies usually treat firms' contributions to employees' MI only ...as a labor cost. However, contributing to MI also has indirect benefits, such as improved labor productivity and R&D innovation, which consequently increase corporate value. This paper studies the impact of firms' MI contributions for employees on corporate value, using social insurance collection system reform in China as a natural experiment. Results show that, first, the reform increases firms' contributions to employees' MI funds. Second, the increase has a positive impact on firms' market‐to‐book ratio. These effects can be explained by enhanced labor productivity, firm efficiency, and innovation. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that the effects are more pronounced for firms in high R&D industries, areas with high pollution, or areas with better medical and labor supplies.
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•ON causes occult cervical cord damage, as demonstrated by DTI abnormalities.•The DTI abnormalities are positively correlated with cognitive impairment in ON patients.•Quantitative ...spinal MRI may hold potential for contributing to clinical evaluations in patients with ON.
Previous studies have demonstrated that optic neuritis (ON) affects brain plasticity. However, whether ON affects the spinal cord remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the spinal cord changes in ON and their associations with disability.
A total of 101 ON patients, and 41 healthy controls (HC) were retrospectively recruited. High-resolution imaging was conducted using a Magnetization Prepared Rapid Acquisition Gradient-Echo (MP-RAGE) sequence for T1-weighted images and an echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence for Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data collection. Additionally, patients' disability and cognitive impairment were evaluated using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), respectively. The quantitative spinal MRI was employed to examine the cross-sectional area (CSA) and diffusion indicators, with a specific focus on calculating the average values across the C2-C7 cervical spinal cord segments. CSA, fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were compared between groups. Correlation analyses were performed between CSA, diffusion indicators, and clinical variables.
No significant differences were found in CSA between ON patients and HCs. MD (p = 0.007) and RD (p = 0.018) were increased in ON patients compared with HCs, and AD was decreased in ON (p = 0.013). The AD values of the ON patients were significantly positively correlated with PASAT scores (r = 0.37, p < 0.001).
This study provided imaging evidence for DTI abnormalities in patients with ON. Spinal cord DTI can improve our knowledge of the path physiology of ON, and clinical progression.
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•N-p heterojunction Bi4O5Br2/Bi2S3 composites were constructed via an anion exchange route in CS2.•These composites showed significantly improved NOx removal and selectivity.•These ...ultra-stable composites boosted generation of radical species OH and O2−.•A possible “Z-scheme” type mechanism was speculated.
Advancement of photocatalytic systems that restricted formation and emission of toxic by-product NO2 remained a great challenge regarding NO removal. To circumvent this issue, in this study composites Bi4O5Br2/Bi2S3 were constructed through a facile anion exchange route that sulfurized pure Bi4O5Br2 (BB) in CS2 under room temperature. In-situ formed Bi2S3 (BS) was identified and intimately connected with BB to form n-p heterojunctions. Under visible light, n-p heterojunction composites BB-BS showed significantly improved NOx removal and selectivity for NO2−/NO3− comparing to BB, although photocatalytic removal over NO was almost identical. Specifically, NOx removal by the best candidate BB-BS60 was 1.5 times that of BB, while selectivity for NO2−/NO3− increased from 60% to 90%, causing extremely low formation of NO2. The generation of NO2−/NO3− was identified by FT-IR spectra and XPS analyses. The variation of photocatalytic performance and relevant selectivity was systemically discussed and mainly related to boosting generation of radicals OH and O2−, strengthened visible-light absorption, and well-matched band structures of both components in the Z-scheme mode. Eventually, these ultra-stable composites could be utilized for successive five runs and catalytic performance was well preserved without surface cleaning. This work might shed light on the construction of suitable photocatalytic systems with significant improvement of total NOx removal and avoidance of toxic by-product NO2 formation or emission.
Hepatic ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is a common clinical challenge lacking effective therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether spermidine has protective effects against hepatic ...IR injury through autophagy.
Liver ischaemia reperfusion was induced in male C57BL/6 mice. Then, liver function, histopathology, cytokine production and immunofluorescence were evaluated to assess the impact of spermidine pre-treatment on IR-induced liver injury. Autophagosome formation was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Western blotting was used to explore the underlying mechanism and its relationship with autophagy, and TUNEL staining was conducted to determine the relationship between apoptosis and autophagy in the ischaemic liver.
The results of the transaminase assay, histopathological examination, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production and immunofluorescence evaluations demonstrated that mice pre-treated with spermidine showed significantly preserved liver function. Further experiments demonstrated that mice administered spermidine before the induction of IR exhibited increased autophagy via the AMPK-mTOR-ULK1 pathway, and TUNEL staining revealed that spermidine attenuated IR-induced apoptosis in the liver.
Our results provide the first line of evidence that spermidine provides protection against IR-induced injury in the liver by regulating autophagy through the AMPK-mTOR-ULK1 signalling pathway. These results suggest that spermidine may be beneficial for hepatic IR injury.
•Mice pre-treated with spermidine showed significantly preserved liver function.•Spermidine can induce autophagy to attenuate IR-induced injury in the liver.•Spermidine provides protection through the AMPK-mTOR-ULK1 signalling pathway.
Nostalgia is shown to relieve an individual's perception of pain evoked by cold water, pressure, and thermal stimuli. However, there is no direct evidence to show the analgesic effects of different ...nostalgia‐inducing methods on various stimulus intensities. We conducted two studies to examine the analgesic effect, at different pain intensities, after inducing nostalgia either idiographically or nomothetically. Study 1 (N = 118) induced nostalgia through an idiographic approach (i.e., event reflection task) and found that nostalgia relieved both high and low thermal pain. Study 2 (N = 66) induced nostalgia through a nomothetic approach (i.e., viewing nostalgic pictures) and found that nostalgia relieved low but not high thermal pain. The findings verify the analgesic effect of nostalgia on thermal pain and suggest the potential moderating role of the nostalgia induction approach and pain intensity. Practically, these findings have implications for using nostalgia as a nonpharmacological treatment for pain.
Nostalgia is shown to relieve an individual's perception of pain. However, there is no direct evidence to show the analgesic effects of different nostalgia‐inducing methods on various stimulus intensities. An idiographic nostalgia induction approach relieved both high and low thermal pain. A nomothetic nostalgia approached relieved low but not high thermal pain. The findings verify the analgesic effect of nostalgia on thermal pain.
Abstract
Practical applications of synthetic self‐propelled nano and microparticles for microrobotics, targeted drug delivery, and manipulation at the nanoscale are rapidly expanding. However, ...fabrication limitations often hinder progress, resulting in relatively simple shapes and limited functionality. Here, taking advantage of 3D nanoscale printing, chiral micropropellers powered by the hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction are fabricated. Due to their chirality, the propellers exhibit multifunctional behavior controlled by an applied magnetic field: spinning in place (loitering), directed migration in the prescribed direction, capture, and transport of polymer cargo particles. Design parameters of the propellers are optimized by computation modeling based on mesoscale molecular dynamics. It is predicted by computer simulations, and confirmed experimentally, that clockwise rotating propellers attract each other and counterclockwise repel. These results shed light on how chirality and shape optimization enhance the functionality of synthetic autonomous micromachines.
Saline-alkali soil poses significant chanllenges to sustainable development of agriculture. Although biochar is commonly used as a soil organic amendment, its microbial remediation mechanism on ...saline-alkali soil requires further confirmation. To address this, we conducted a pot experiment using cotton seedlings to explore the potential remediation mechanism of rice straw biochar (BC) at three different levels on saline-alkaline soil. The results showed that adding of 2% biochar greatly improved the quality of saline-alkaline soil by reducing pH levels, electrical conductivity (EC), and water-soluble ions. Moreover, biochar increased the soil organic matter (SOM), nutrient availability and extracellular enzyme activity. Interestingly, it also reduced soil salinity and salt content in various cotton plant tissues. Additionally, biochar had a notable impact on the composition of the microbial community, causing changes in soil metabolic pathways. Notably, the addition of biochar promoted the growth and metabolism of dominant salt-tolerant bacteria, such as Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota. By enhancing the positive correlation between microorganisms and metabolites, biochar alleviated the inhibitory effect of salt ions on microorganisms. In conclusion, the incorporation of biochar significantly improves the soil microenvironment, reduces soil salinity, and shows promise in ameliorating saline-alkaline soil conditions.
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•2% Biochar addition improved the microenvironment of saline-alkali soil by lowering EC and salt.•Biochar significantly reduced the relative abundance of Latescibacterota and Desulfobacterota.•Biochar stimulated the formation and metabolism of salt-tolerant dominant microbes.
Abstract
Maximizing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) involves synchronizing the interplay between nitrogen preferential crops and the nitrogen transformation pathways of soil. Biochar may benefit ...specific N‐preference crops in relatively unsuitable soil environments; however, experimental data are lacking. This study tested eight treatments, consisting of four nitrogen treatments (N0 = control; N1 = NH
4
Cl; N2 = NaNO
3
; and N3 = 1:1 ratio of NH
4
+
and NO
3
−
) each with biochar applied at 0% or 2% (w/w). The results show that biochar and/or nitrogen application enhanced maize seedling biomass and NO
3
−
‐based fertilizer resulted in higher seedling biomass than NH
4
+
‐based fertilizer. With the application of biochar and NH
4
+
‐based fertilizer, maize seedling biomass increased and soil NH
4
+
‐N content was significantly reduced compared with NH
4
Cl sole application. Correlation analysis and redundancy analysis revealed that SOC content and inorganic nitrogen content were the main factors influencing maize growth and N absorption. Biochar with or without nitrogen fertilizer (except N1 treatment) significantly increased β‐1,4‐glucosidase (BG) activity. Co‐application treatments also resulted in higher vector length, an indicator of C limitation—the increment might add to the risk of microbial C limitation. The activity of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), a key enzyme in nitrification, decreased with the co‐application of biochar and nitrogen, suggesting the alteration of nitrogen transformation.
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