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Minghao Wu, 1,* Yanyan Zhang, 1, 2,* Na Zhuo, 3 Mingjie Wu, 4 Zhaoxiang Ye, 1 Xuening Zhang 2 1Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Ultrasound, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, People’s Republic of China; 4Institut National De La Recherche Scientifique-Energie Materiaux Et Telecommunications, Varennes,Quebec J3X 1S2, Canada*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhaoxiang Ye; Xuening Zhang Email yezhaoxiang@163.com; luckyxn@126.comIntroduction: Multimodal imaging agent has the potential to overcome the shortage and incorporate the advantages of different imaging tools for extremely sensitive diagnosis. To achieve multimodal imaging, combining multiple contrast agents into a special nanostructure has become a main strategy; However, the combination of all of these functions into one nanoplatform usually requires a complicated synthetic procedure that results in heterogeneous nanostructure.Methods: In this study, we develop ultrasmall gold nanoclusters with 15 gold atoms (Au 15NCs) functionalized with diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid dianhydride (DTPAA-Gd) as an optimized multimodal imaging agent to enhance imaging ability.Results: The Au 15NCs-DTPAA-Gd nanohybrids possess the ultra-small size and are capable of enhancing the contrast in near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF), magnetic resonance (MR) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. Meanwhile, the integrated DTPAA-Gd component not only endow the nanohybrids to produce higher T 1 relaxivity (r 1 = 21.4 mM− 1 s− 1) than Omnipaque (r 1 = 3.973 mM− 1s− 1) but also further enhance X-ray attenuation property of Au 15NCs. Importantly, the fluorescence intensity of Au 15NCs-DTPAA-Gd did not decrease compared with Au 15NCs. Ultimately, in vivo imaging experiments have demonstrated that Au 15NCs-DTPAA-Gd nanohybrids can be quickly eliminated from the body through the urinary system and has great potential for anatomical imaging.Conclusion: These data manifest Au 15NCs-DTPAA-Gd present great potential as a multimodal contrast agent for disease diagnosis, especially for early accurate detection of tumors.Keywords: multimodal imaging, ultrasmall gold nanoclusters, magnetic resonance imaging, near-infrared fluorescence, X-ray computed tomography

This article discusses a recent publication on the requirements for intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The authors found that only a small number of emergency admissions in these patients require ICU admission, and patients with organ failure due to immune-mediated toxicity may have positive outcomes from ICU admission. However, the article raises some concerns about the exclusion criteria, the underestimation of immune-related toxicities, the interpretation of survival outcomes, and the generalizability of the study findings. The authors suggest interpreting the study's findings cautiously until these issues are clarified. [Extracted from the article]

Iron reduction is one of the most crucial biogeochemical processes in groundwater for organic contaminants biodegradation, especially in the iron-rich aquifers. Previous research has posited that the reduction of iron and the biodegradation of organic substances occur synchronously, with their processes adhering to specific quantitative relationships. However, discrepancies between the observed values of iron reduction and organic compound degradation during the reaction and their theoretical counterparts have been noted. To find out the relationship between organic substance biodegradation and iron reduction, this study conducted batch experiments utilizing toluene as a typical organic compound and electron donor, with various iron minerals serving as electron acceptors. Results indicate that toluene degradation follows first-order kinetic equations with different degradation rate constants under different iron minerals, but the generation of the iron reduction product Fe(II) was not uniform. Based on these dynamic relationships, a conceptual model was developed, which categorizes the reactions into two phases: the transformation of toluene to an intermediate-state dominated phase and the mineralization of the intermediate-state dominated phase. This model revealed the relationships between toluene oxidation and Fe(II) formation in the toluene biodegradation through iron reduction. The coupling mechanism of toluene degradation and iron reduction was revealed, which is expected to improve our ability to accurately assess the attenuation of organic contaminants in groundwater.

We report on an index-coupled distributed feedback (DFB) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) of high single-mode stability by using of a grating reflector (GR) to reflect effectively light of a specific wavelength. Fabrications of the QCLs were performed with λ∕4 equivalent phase shift (EPS) or sampled Moiré grating (SMG) structure, which regulates the light intensity distribution in the cavity and coupling strength. Both EPS-GR and SMG-GR QCLs demonstrate a high emission wavelength precision and a side-mode-suppression-ratio (SMSR) of 24.5 dB at the injection current of 5 A and the pulse width of 5 μs, offering considerable output power even at the edge of the gain spectrum. Furthermore, we investigated the arrays of EPS-GR and SMG-GR QCLs with lower threshold current and higher output power by introducing semi-insulated InP (Fe) ranging from 8.25 to 8.67 μm and 8.16–8.63 μm, respectively. The present QCLs via a GR are prospective for applications requiring single-mode stability and wide tunability.

Natural source zone depletion (NSZD) is the main process of LNAPL (Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid) removal under natural conditions. The NSZD rates assessed ranged from 0.55 to 11.55 kg·m−2·a−1 (kilograms per square meter per year) in previous studies. However, most of these data were obtained from sandy sites, with few clayey sites. To gain knowledge of NSZD in clayey soil sites, the study assessed the NSZD of a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated clayey soil site in China, combining the concentration gradient method with metagenomic sequencing technology. The results show that the abundance of methane-producing key enzyme mcrA gene in the source zone was more abundant than in background areas, which suggests that there was methanogenesis, the key process of NSZD. The concentration gradients of oxygen and carbon dioxide existed only in shallow soil (−2·a−1, which fall within the moderate range compared to previous NSZD sites. This study expands the knowledge of NSZD in clayey soil and enriches the attenuation rate data for contaminated sites, which is of significant importance in managing petroleum contaminants.

The Xiaojiang watershed in Luxi, Yunnan, is a typical rocky desertification area, in which karst groundwater pollution is severe and water resources are scarce. This article takes the watershed as an example and investigates the response mechanisms of surface karst spring water quality to agricultural pollution in rocky desertification areas. Specifically, the study was conducted as follows: (I) A total of 108 water samples from 54 sources were collected during the dry and wet seasons for analysis. (i) Principal component and correlation analyses identified the main pollution indicators in the soil surface karst zone of the area, including total bacterial count, total coliforms, COD, pH, and redox potential. (ii) It was also discovered that surface soil, impacted by agricultural activities, directly contributes to groundwater pollution in the soil surface karst zone. (II) Local soil was used to prepare soil columns under various conditions for simulation. The findings indicate: (i) Temperature significantly affects the surface karst springs, with higher temperatures leading to more pronounced water quality responses, increased enrichment of pathogen-microbiota indicators, and degraded water quality. (ii) Soil porosity substantially influences the water quality of surface karst springs. Increased porosity results in looser soil, more oxidizing conditions in the storage matrix, reduced pathogen-microbiota development, and consequently, less water pollution. This study offers theoretical and technical references for evaluating, monitoring, and issuing early warnings for pathogenic bacteria-microbiota pollution in groundwater in rocky desertification areas.

IntroductionGroundwater is considered the best candidate for drinking water supply in the karst area. The groundwater water resources, however, are vulnerable to pathogenic microorganism contamination because of the typically thin soil layers overlying aquifers and the high permeability of the aquifer host rock, resulting in short residence times and low natural attenuation capacities. Until now, little attention has been paid to the critical environmental factors affecting the pathogenic microorganism contamination in soil-groundwater systems in the karst area.MethodsIn the study, orthogonality column experiments with controlling ambient temperatures, pH values of inlet water, and soil porosities were carried out to investigate the transport and lifespan of pathogenic microorganisms in the leachate of agricultural soils in the karst area of Yunnan province, China. The pathogenic indicators, i.e., total bacteria count (TBC) and total coliforms count (TCC), and hydrochemical parameters, i.e., pH and permanganate index (CODMn) in the leaching water, were systematically monitored.Results and DiscussionThe results showed that bacteria including coliforms can survive for prolonged periods of time in karst soils. The soils overlying the karst rocks were unable to impede the bacteria from seeping into the groundwater. The soils, in turn, likely served as both reservoirs and incubators for pathogenic bacteria. The ambient temperature was the most predominant influential factor affecting both TBC and TCC. The bacteria concentrations were proportional to the temperature in the leachate. Therefore, more attention should be paid to temperature variations in protecting the water supply, particularly in the high-temperature period, such as during the summer months.

The mineralization of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) into inorganic substances by microorganisms may affect the water–rock interaction. However, few studies have quantitatively analyzed the processes. To quantitatively reveal this mechanism, in this study, nitrate and toluene were taken as the typical electron acceptor and BTEX, respectively. Based on hydro-geochemical theory, the mechanism and mathematical model were established. In addition, the model was verified with a toluene mineralization experiment. The mechanism model demonstrated that H+ was the main factor in the dissolution or precipitation of CaCO3. The mathematical model derived the equations quantitatively between the amount of toluene mineralization, CaCO3, and some biogeochemical indicators, including temperature, microbial consumption, and other major ions in groundwater. According to the model, the amount of dissolved CaCO3 increased with the increasing proportion of completely reduced nitrate. For a complete reaction, the greater the microorganisms’ consumption of toluene was, the smaller the precipitation of CaCO3. CaCO3 dissolution was a nonmonotonic function that varied with temperature and the milligram equivalent of other ions. Furthermore, the validation experiments agreed well with the mathematical model, indicating its practicality. The established model provides a tool for assessing the biodegradation of toluene by monitoring the concentration of groundwater ions.

Millions of contaminated sites worldwide need to be remediated to protect the environment and human health. Although numerous remediation technologies have been developed, selecting optimal technologies is challenging. Several multiple criteria decision-making methods for screening the optimal remediation technology have been proposed, but they mostly focus on a specific area rather than the whole contaminated site. In recent years, the “contamination source control—process blocking—in situ remediation” technology mix model has gradually gained high appreciation. Nevertheless, the screening of technologies within each chain of this model relies heavily on arbitrary personal experience. To avoid such arbitrariness, a petroleum-contaminated site containing light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) was used as an example, and a scientific screening and combination procedure was developed in this study by considering the distribution characteristics of contaminants. Through the procedure, a technology mix, which includes institutional control, risk monitoring, emergency response, multiphase extraction, interception ditch, monitoring of natural attenuation, hydrodynamic control, as well as some alternative technologies, was found, aiming at different locations and strata. The clear spatial relationship concept promises to enhance the effectiveness of contaminated site remediation. The proposed method only gave us a technical framework and should be tested and enriched in future studies.

The contribution of forestry to achieving carbon neutrality lies in offsetting carbon emissions by implementing certified emission reduction through afforestation projects. However, measurable carbon sinks from China's national key forestry ecology projects have not been able to offset carbon emissions and contribute to achieving carbon neutrality. To promote successful trading of forest carbon sinks in carbon market, we conducted a review to highlight difficulties in project cycle and indicators in measuring climate effectiveness. The results of the current review showed that forestry has the advantage of achieving higher emission reduction targets at a low cost. The initial goals of increasing carbon sinks and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are prerequisites for forestry projects to enter the carbon market. The offset ratio is significant for ensuring the additionality of forest carbon sinks and reducing the risk of crowding out. It should be noted the carbon trading mechanism plays a positive role in mobilizing private sector to reduce emissions, but it may ignore forestry protection in remote areas that have high emission reduction costs and are far from market.

With the settlement under the mountains, the Chinese Oroqen has started comprehensive interaction with other ethnic groups, and gradually adapted to the wider society. During this process, the shaman culture, which has accompanied the Oroqen’s daily life and social development for a long time, has changed accordingly. Through looking at the changes of shaman culture, the self-adjustment process of Oroqen people in the transition from traditional to modern society can be better understood. It is also an important entry point to understand the social and cultural transformation and community consciousness of Oroqen people, which helps to understand their cultural self-confidence and identity consciousness. Grounded in ethnographic observations, especially “the last shaman” Guan Kouni’s life story, this paper traces the shaman culture and its social significance in the traditional society for Oroqen people. With the help of the research paradigm of “embedding–disembedding–re-embedding”, the article compares the reshaping of the identity of Oroqen shamans under the combined effect of various socio-historical events since the settlement, smoothing out the changing process in the Oroqen shaman culture, and discussing the transformation of the social function of Oroqen shaman. This article offers a more comprehensive picture of the cultural changes of Oroqen shaman since the settlement under the mountains, in order to clarify the role and functions played by Oroqen shamans at contemporary society and provide a reference case for understanding the significant transformation of the original functions and status of the traditional elites of ethnic minorities in the theoretical sense. The study explores motivations for the deepening of cultural consciousness among ethnic groups in the context of modernity.

International trade of goods is also flows of CO2. As a key exporter of harvested wood products (HWPs), China emits a large amount of CO2 to meet the consumption of other countries. This article uses an MRIO model to quantify the embodied CO2 emissions of China’s HWP sectors in international trade based on the WIOD database. China’s CO2 emissions from a production perspective were 121.25 Mt, more than four times those from a consumption perspective. China was a net exporter for embodied CO2 in HWP sectors, while the US was China’s largest importer. In addition, the furniture sector exported more embodied CO2 by international trade than those from the wood and paper sectors. Based on the unbalances of exports and imports, establishing a common international standard to share the responsibility for CO2 emissions is of great urgency in HWP sectors. This article facilitates promoting CO2 emission reduction in HWP sectors and references China’s future participation in international trade and environmental negotiations.

Taking cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the template and using TiO2 as the substrate, coral-globular-like composite Ag/TiO2-SnO2 (CTAB) was successfully synthesized by the sol--gel combined with a temperature-programmed treatment method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV--vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, SEM combined with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption--desorption tests were employed to characterize samples' crystalline phase, chemical composition, morphology and surface physicochemical properties. Results showed that composites not only had TiO2 anatase structure, but also had some generated SnTiO4, and the silver species was metallic Ag°. Ag/TiO2-SnO2 (CTAB) possessed a coral-globular-like structure with nanosheets in large quantities. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO2-SnO2 (CTAB) had studied by degrading organic dyes under multi-modes, mainly using rhodamine B as the model molecule. Results showed that the coral-globular-like Ag/TiO2-SnO2 (CTAB) was higher photocatalytic activity than that of commercial TiO2, Ag/TiO2-SnO2, TiO2-SnO2 (CTAB), and TiO2-SnO2 under ultraviolet light irradiation. Moreover, Ag/TiO2-SnO2 (CTAB) composite can significantly affect the photocatalytic degradation under multi-modes including UV light, visible light, simulated solar light and microwave-assisted irradiation. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic activity of Ag/TiO2-SnO2 (CTAB) was maintained even after three cycles, indicating that the catalyst had good usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose Bioremediation is widely considered the most desirable procedure for remediation of oil-contaminated soil. Few studies have focused on the relationships among microbial community, functional genes of biodegradation, and geochemical processes during field bioremediation, which provide crucial information for bioremediation. Methods In the current study, the microbial community and functional genes related to hydrocarbon and nitrogen metabolism, combined with the soil physico-chemical properties, were used to diagnose a set of bioremediation experiments, including bioaugmentation, biostimulation, and phytoremediation, at the field scale. Result The results showed that the added nutrients stimulated a variety of microorganisms, including hydrocarbon degradation bacteria and nitrogen metabolism microorganisms. The functional genes reflected the possibility of aerobic denitrification in the field, which may be helpful in biodegradation. Biostimulation was found to be the most suitable of the studied bioremediation methods in the field. Conclusion We offer a feasible approach to obtain useful bioremediation information and assist with the development of appropriate remediation procedures. The findings improve our knowledge of the interactions between microorganisms and edaphic parameters.

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that natural source zone depletion (NSZD) in the vadose zone accounts for the majority (90%~99%) of the natural attenuation of light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL). Until now, 0.05 to 12 kg/a.m2 NSZD rates at tens of petroleum LNAPL source zones have been determined in the middle or late evolution stage of LNAPL release, in which limited volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and methane (CH4) were detected. NSZD rates are normally estimated by the gradient method, yet the associated functional microbial activity remains poorly investigated. Herein, the NSZD at an LNAPL-releasing site was studied using both soil gas gradient methods quantifying the O2, CO2, CH4, and VOCs concentrations and molecular biology methods quantifying the abundance of the pmoA and mcrA genes. The results showed that the methanogenesis rates were around 4 to 40 kg/a.m2. The values were greater than the rates calculated by the sum of CH4 escaping (0.3~1.2 kg/a.m2) and O2 consuming (3~13 kg/a.m2) or CO2 generating rates (2~4 kg/a.m2), suggesting that the generated CH4 was oxidized but not thoroughly to CO2. The functional gene quantification also supported the indication of this process. Therefore, the NSZD rates at the site roughly equaled the methanogenesis rates (4~40 kg/a.m2), which were greater than most of the previously studied sites with a 90th percentile value of 4 kg/a.m2. The study extended the current knowledge of the NSZD and has significant implications for LNAPL remediation management.

The modulation of part-list cues on long-term memory has been well-documented, whereas its impact on working memory remains largely unknown. The current study recruited a working memory part-list cuing paradigm to investigate how re-exposing part-list items affected item representation in working memory, and more specifically, whether the cuing effect was modulated by the task presentation mode. Our results showed that when the part-list re-exposure and no-part-list re-exposure trials were presented in separate blocks, using the re-exposed items as retrieval cues (part-list cue condition) significantly impaired recognition speed, accuracy and elevated judgement criteria (Experiment 1a), whereas merely relearning the re-exposed items (part-list relearning condition) has no such effect (Experiment 1b). When the part-list cue trials are randomly interleaved with the no-part-list cue trials, recognition accuracy was significantly lower in the part-list cue condition, whereas the recognition speed and judgement criteria were not significantly different under the two conditions (Experiment 2). These results indicate that re-exposing subsets of previously memorized items as retrieval cues can reduce the strength of other representations in working memory. Moreover, the effect of part-list cues in working memory is affected by task presentation mode. The mechanisms of part-list cuing within working memory were discussed.

The frequency of forest disturbances has increased under intensifying climate changes, and the economic impacts of forest disturbances should receive more attention. This paper systematically reviews models of the economic impacts of forest disturbances and summarizes four commonly applied models, which are “with and without” analysis, equilibrium models, the intervention model, and the social welfare model. The advantages and disadvantages of these four models are presented and compared, and literature using these models is introduced. The review of the economic assessment of damage caused by forest disturbances is expected to provide insights for researchers in this field and useful information about economic losses, price dynamics, and welfare redistribution for policymakers.

With the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the incidence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) increases each day. To date, there is no specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug. The usual approach to treating COVID-19 is treating its symptoms. However, this approach is limited by the different conditions of each area. We treated a 57-year-old man who was initially diagnosed with a severe type of the infection, but he progressed to a critical condition and eventually died. We learned valuable lessons from this case. The first lesson is the need to use immediate invasive mechanical ventilation if there is no obvious improvement after using non-invasive ventilation for several hours, which directly affects the prognosis. Another lesson is the risk involved in transferring severe COVID-19 patients. In the process of transfer, various threats may be encountered at any time. Thus, accurate assessment of the patient's condition and strict medical conditions are highly required. During the patient's 25-day treatment, we performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation twice. Currently, many patients require invasive mechanical ventilation and transfer to a superior hospital. We hope our findings will provide some advice and help for treating severe and critical COVID-19 cases.

Neonatal bacterial meningitis remains a life-threatening and causative sequelae disease in newborns, despite the effective usage of antibiotics and improved critical medical care. Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) transendothelial migration across the blood-brain barrier, one of the three hallmarks of bacterial meningitis, now is considered as a “double-edge sword”. When participating in host immune system defending against virulent pathogens, it results in tissue inflammation and following severe damage of central nervous system at the same time, which contributes to a disastrous consequence. Recently, several researches have focused on this multi-step process and the mechanism of how the virulent factors of different pathogens influence PMN migration. The great progression they made has enlightened a new research hotspot and a novel therapeutic strategy. This mini review outlines the determinants and progression of PMN transmigration in neonatal meningitis caused by different predominant pathogens.

K2SiF6:Mn4+ phosphor was prepared by wet chemical etching, and the effect of the raw material molar ratio of K/Mn of different materials and different reaction time on the structure and properties of phosphor was studied,the surface of K2SiF6:Mn4+ was coated with SiO2 to improve the thermal stability of K2SiF6:Mn4+ phosphor by sol-gel method. The structure, morphology, excitation spectrum and emission spectrum of phosphor powder were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and fluorescence spectrometer. The results show that the change of K/Mn ratio does not change the crystal structure of K2SiF6:Mn4+, the sample has cubic structure. At 460nm excitation, the strongest narrowband emission peak is located at 630nm (2Eg → 4A2). The crystal structure of K2SiF6:Mn4+ phosphor coated with SiO2 has not been changed. The results show that the thermal stability of the K2SiF6:Mn4+ phosphor coated with SiO2 is improved.

Contrast enhanced abdominal computed tomography scan showed that the patient had an infarction in the spleen (Fig. The mortality rate of patients can be increased by splenic infarction, and a computed tomography scan is the best examination for the diagnosis of splenic infarction. When patients with systemic lupus erythematosus present with acute epigastric pain, abdominal computed tomography, and antiphospholipid tests need to be completed to rule out splenic infarction and lupus enteritis. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, the silver paste was prepared by highly dispersed spherical silver powders with an average particle size of 0.85 um. The silver conductive thick films were printed on Al _2 O _3 and dielectric layer by screen-printing, the dielectric layer had been heat-treated differently, one was dried, the other fired. The corresponding sintering behaviors, electrical and mechanical properties of silver films were investigated systematically. Besides, we made a chip resistor to test performance. The results show that the silver conducting film on fired dielectric is compact, uniform and defect-free, the resistivity and adhesion are 2.54 uΩ·cm and 20.3 N mm ^−2 respectively. With the increase of sintering times, the conductivity of silver films on the fired dielectric layer increases first and then decreases, while the adhesion increases continuously. We proposed that the diffusion quantity of glasses from the dielectric layer to the surface was the key step in the period of the properties of silver films. The silver film on the fired dielectric layer has better applications in the high current chip resistors.

Propane-oxidizing bacteria in surface soils are often used to indicate the position of oil and gas reservoirs. As a potential replacement for the laborious traditional culture-dependent counting method, we applied real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction detection as a quick and accurate technology for quantification of propane-oxidizing bacteria. The propane monooxygenase gene was set as the target and the assay is based on SYBR Green I dye. The detection range was from 9.75 × 10 8 to 9.75 × 10 1 gene copies/µl, with the lowest detected concentration of 9.75 copies/µl. All coefficient of variation values of the threshold cycle in the reproducibility test were better than 1%. The technique showed good sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility. We also quantified the propane-oxidizing bacteria in soils from three vertical 250 cm profiles collected from an oil field, a gas field, and a nonoil gas field using the established technique. The results indicated that the presence of propane monooxygenase A genes in soils can indicate an oil or gas reservoir. Therefore, this technique can satisfy the requirements for microbial exploration of oil and gas.

In petroleum-contaminated aquifers, biodegradation is always associated with various types of microbial metabolism. It can be classified as autotrophic (such as methanogenic and other carbon fixation) and heterotrophic (such as nitrate/sulfate reduction and hydrocarbon consumption) metabolism. For each metabolic type, there are several key genes encoding the reaction enzymes, which can be identified by metagenomics analysis. Based on this principle, in an abnormally low dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) petroleum-contaminated aquifer in North China, nine groundwater samples were collected along the groundwater flow, and metagenomics analysis was used to discover biodegradation related metabolism by key genes. The major new finding is that autotrophic metabolism was revealed, and, more usefully, we attempt to explain the reasons for abnormally low DIC. The results show that the methanogenesis gene, Mcr, was undetected but more carbon fixation genes than nitrate reduction and sulfate genes were found. This suggests that there may be a considerable number of autotrophic microorganisms that cause the phenomenon of low concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon in contaminated areas. The metagenomics data also revealed that most heterotrophic, sulfate, and nitrate reduction genes in the aquifer were assimilatory sulfate and dissimilatory nitrate reduction genes. Although there was limited dissolved oxygen, aerobic degrading genes AlkB and Cdo were more abundant than anaerobic degrading genes AssA and BssA. The metagenomics information can enrich our microorganic knowledge about petroleum-contaminated aquifers and provide basic data for further bioremediation.

Objective: Observing the effects of Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on the expression of Collagen IV and Laminin in neurovascular basement membrane and the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells, and to study the mechanism of TMP in the treatment of sciatic nerve injury., Results: Compared with the NS group, the TMP group had a significant increase in the sciatic nerve function index (P < 0.01).The miss times in TMP group was significantly lower than that in NS group (P < 0.01). The HE staining results of the TMP group showed irregular arrangement of some neuronal axons and Schwann cells, and more edema and rupture of cells. The proliferation of glial cells and inflammatory cells was significantly increased in TMP group. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of type IV collagen and laminin in the TMP group group was distributed around the blood vessels, vascular endothelial cells, basal membrane and glial cells after SNI. The expression of type IV collagen and laminin in TMP group increased significantly(P < 0.05). Immunofluorescence showed that compared with NS group, the apoptosis rate of TMP group was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Flow cytometry results showed that compared with the NS group, the number of CECs in the TMP group was significantly decreased (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: TMP can effectively improve the sciatic nerve functional index (SFI) of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, enhance the proliferation of sciatic nerve vascular endothelial cells, reduce apoptosis, promote the expression of Collagen IV and Laminin in sciatic nerve microvascular basal membrane components, thereby promoting angiogenesis and improving lower limb function in rats., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Southwest Medical University. Consent for publication Not applicable. Availability of data and material. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We report on the design, fabrication, and characterization of an interband cascade laser (ICL) array incorporating multimode interference (MMI) couplers for phase-locking emitters. The ICL array, emitting at 3-4 µm, was developed to address the challenges of heat dissipation and in-phase operation in mid-infrared lasers. The array features a 7.5-µm-wide ridge design for fundamental transverse mode propagation and employs MMI structures to realize an in-phase operation of multiple emitters. The far-field patterns, characterized by periodic and symmetrical interference fringes, confirm the coherent operation of the array and the efficacy of MMI couplers in achieving phase-locking. The single-ridge side of the array exhibits a single-lobe far-field profile, with higher-order transverse modes effectively suppressed, showcasing a nearly diffraction-limited beam quality (M 2  ≈ 1.31) at high output powers (390 mW from the 1 × 4 array). The robust performance and scalable design of the ICL array, validated by experimental results and theoretical simulations, indicate its potential for high-power mid-infrared applications and as an optical phased array.

Purpose: To report a rare case of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease complicated by unilateral focal choroidal excavation (FCE)., Methods: A 25-year-old male patient with bilateral blurred vision, tinnitus, and headache. Initial examination revealed multiple sensory retinal detachments in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), and other diagnostic tests confirmed VKH. The patient was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisolone., Results: Following treatment, the exudative retinal detachments resolved, and a subfoveal FCE was observed in the right eye. OCT imaging revealed choroidal inflammation and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) disruption. The patient's visual acuity improved, but the FCE persisted during follow-up, suggesting a potential association between inflammation and the development of FCE in VKH., Conclusions: This case highlights the rare occurrence of FCE during the course of VKH disease, suggesting that inflammatory disruption of the RPE and choroidal atrophy may contribute to FCE formation. Comprehensive retinal imaging in VKH patients is essential for detecting such complications, which may influence long-term visual outcomes. This case adds to the limited literature on the relationship between ocular inflammation and choroidal excavation, providing valuable insights for future clinical management., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

High-power terahertz (THz) quantum cascade laser, as an emerging THz solid-state radiation source, is attracting attention for numerous applications including medicine, sensing, and communication. However, due to the sub-wavelength confinement of the waveguide structure, direct beam brightness upscaling with device area remains elusive due to several mode competition and external optical lens is normally used to enhance the THz beam brightness. Here, we propose a metallic THz photonic crystal resonator with a phase-engineered design for single mode surface emission over a broad area. The quantum cascade surface-emitting laser is capable of delivering an output peak power over 185 mW with a narrow beam divergence of 4.4° × 4.4° at 3.88 THz. A high beam brightness of 1.6 × 10 7  W sr -1 m -2 with near-diffraction-limited M 2 factors of 1.4 in both vertical and lateral directions is achieved from a large device area of 1.6 × 1.6 mm 2 without using any optical lenses. The adjustable phase shift between the lattices enables a stable and high-intensity surface emission over a broad device area, which makes it an ideal light extractor for large-scale THz emitters. Our research paves the way to high brightness solid-state THz lasers and facilitates new applications in standoff THz imaging, detection, and diagnosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)