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Cross ethnic Mendelian randomization analysis reveals causal relationship between air pollution and risk of kidney stones
Formulation optimization and synergistic effects of flocculation–solidification–vacuum preloading on sludge treatment
Abstract Rapid infrastructure development generates large volumes of high-water-content sludge, creating an urgent need for efficient recycling and management strategies. This study introduces the flocculation–solidification–vacuum preloading (FSVP) method to enhance dewatering efficiency and strength development, facilitating subsequent mechanical construction requirements. To enhance solidification and reduce cement consumption, the response surface method was used to determine the optimal composite curing agent, which consists of 53% cement, 32% rice husk ash, and 15% sodium silicate. Vacuum dewatering was applied to sludge samples treated with different flocculants and curing agents to assess their synergistic effects on soil improvement. The mixed flocculant of polyaluminum chloride and anionic polyacrylamide significantly increased the micropore content and compactness, with pore sizes primarily concentrated around 0.01 μm. While the flocculant facilitated efficient drainage, required unconfined compressive strength could only be achieved with the further addition of a curing agent. The optimal composite curing agent formulation induced hydration and pozzolanic reactions, filling larger pores with cementitious materials and enhancing soil strength. As a result, the vane shear strength reached 58 kPa and unconfined compressive strength reached 365 kPa at 7 days, further increasing to 586 kPa at 28 days.
Investigation of water treatment residues as corrosion inhibitors in acidic environment
Activation of notch signaling pathway is a potential mechanism for mucin2 reduction and intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction in high-altitude hypoxia
The proteome of osteoblasts in a 3D culture perfusion bioreactor model compared with static conditions
Abstract Bone disorders represent a significant global burden. Currently, animal models are used to develop and screen novel treatments. However, interspecies variations and ethical concerns highlight the need for a more complex 3D bone model. In this study, we developed a simplified in vitro bone-like model using a U-CUP perfusion-based bioreactor system, designed to provide continuous nutrient flow and mechanostimulation through 3D cultures. An immortalized human fetal osteoblastic cell line was seeded on collagen scaffolds and cultured for 21 days in both a perfusion bioreactor system and in static cultures. PrestoBlue™ assay, scanning electron microscopy, and proteomics allowed monitoring of metabolic activity and compared morphological and proteome differences between both conditions. Results indicated an altered cellular morphology in the bioreactor compared to the static cultures and identified a total of 3494 proteins. Of these, 105 proteins exhibited significant upregulation in the static culture, while 86 proteins displayed significant downregulation. Enrichment analyses of these proteins revealed ten significant pathways including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, TNF-alpha signaling via NF-kB, and KRAS pathway. The current data indicated of osteogenic differentiation enhancement within the bioreactor on day 21 compared to static cultures. In conclusion, the U-CUP perfusion bioreactor is beneficial for facilitating osteogenic differentiation in 3D cultures.
SwinLightGAN a study of low-light image enhancement algorithms using depth residuals and transformer techniques
Relics
Genome editing in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 cells improves Golgi apparatus structure
Integrating bioinformatics with experimental validation unveils immunological and prognostic significance of PVRIG in pan-cancer
Research round-up: sleep
Leaf drought and heat tolerance are integrated across three temperate biome types
Abstract Leaf-scale heat and drought tolerance provide direct measures of the ability to withstand environmental stress and can be used to evaluate plant susceptibility to emerging climatic extremes. However, recent droughts increasingly occur with heatwaves, causing plants to withstand two simultaneous environmental stresses. Tolerance of leaf-level processes to heat and drought stress have mostly been studied independently, preventing an understanding of whether tolerance co-occurs for these two environmental stresses. To address this, we measured leaf photosynthetic heat tolerance as the critical temperatures at which photosystem II efficiency starts to decrease (Tcrit) and shows a decrease of 50% (T50) or 95% (T95) in three temperate biomes (desert, oak-pine forest, and mediterranean-type shrubland). We also characterized drought tolerance as the water potential at leaf turgor loss point (πtlp) and cellular membrane stability in response to simulated drought. We found coordination of heat and drought tolerance through a significant relationship of πtlp with T50 and Tcrit that varied with season, whereas T95 showed no relation to πtlp. Species with greater drought tolerance also showed greater membrane stability, implicating membrane leakiness as a potential mechanism of physiological decline during stress. Despite local variation in temperature and precipitation extremes, leaf heat and drought tolerance converged to common cross-biome relationships, providing evidence of interdependence that spanned distinct climates.