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Frontiers in Microbiology 2024Dominant native plants are crucial for vegetation reconstruction and ecological restoration of mining areas, though their adaptation mechanisms in stressful environments...
Dominant native plants are crucial for vegetation reconstruction and ecological restoration of mining areas, though their adaptation mechanisms in stressful environments are unclear. This study focuses on the interactions between dominant indigenous species in antimony (Sb) mining area, and , and the microbes in their rhizosphere. The rhizosphere microbial diversity and potential functions of both plants were analyzed through the utilization of 16S, ITS sequencing, and metabarcoding analysis. The results revealed that soil environmental factors, rather than plant species, had a more significant impact on the composition of the rhizosphere microbial community. Soil pH and moisture significantly affected microbial biomarkers and keystone species. , and , exhibited high resistance to Sb and As, and played a crucial role in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S). The genes participating in N, P, and S cycling exhibited metabolic coupling with those genes associated with Sb and As resistance, which might have enhanced the rhizosphere microbes' capacity to endure environmental stressors. The enrichment of these rhizosphere functional microbes is the combined result of dispersal limitations and deterministic assembly processes. Notably, the genes related to quorum sensing, the type III secretion system, and chemotaxis systems were significantly enriched in the rhizosphere of plants, especially in , in the mining area. The phylogenetic tree derived from the evolutionary relationships among rhizosphere microbial and chloroplast whole-genome resequencing results, infers both species especially , may have undergone co-evolution with rhizosphere microorganisms in mining areas. These findings offer valuable insights into the dominant native rhizosphere microorganisms that facilitate plant adaptation to environmental stress in mining areas, thereby shedding light on potential strategies for ecological restoration in such environments.
PubMed: 38577689
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1348054 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024Suppression of threading dislocations (TDs) in thin germanium (Ge) layers grown on silicon (Si) substrates has been critical for realizing high-performance Si-based...
Suppression of threading dislocations (TDs) in thin germanium (Ge) layers grown on silicon (Si) substrates has been critical for realizing high-performance Si-based optoelectronic and electronic devices. An advanced growth strategy is desired to minimize the TD density within a thin Ge buffer layer in Ge-on-Si systems. In this work, we investigate the impact of P dopants in 500-nm thin Ge layers, with doping concentrations from 1 to 50 × 10 cm. The introduction of P dopants has efficiently promoted TD reduction, whose potential mechanism has been explored by comparing it to the well-established Sb-doped Ge-on-Si system. P and Sb dopants reveal different defect-suppression mechanisms in Ge-on-Si samples, inspiring a novel co-doping technique by exploiting the advantages of both dopants. The surface TDD of the Ge buffer has been further reduced by the co-doping technique to the order of 10 cm with a thin Ge layer (of only 500 nm), which could provide a high-quality platform for high-performance Si-based semiconductor devices.
PubMed: 38575676
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57937-8 -
Optics Express Mar 2024With the increasing demand for privacy, multispectral camouflage devices that utilize metasurface designs in combination with mature detection technologies have become...
With the increasing demand for privacy, multispectral camouflage devices that utilize metasurface designs in combination with mature detection technologies have become effective. However, these early designs face challenges in realizing multispectral camouflage with a single metasurface and restricted modes. Therefore, this paper proposes a dynamically tunable metasurface. The metasurface consists of gold (Au), antimony selenide (SbSe), and aluminum (Al), which enables radiative cooling, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and infrared camouflage. In the amorphous phase of SbSe, the thermal radiation reduction rate in the mid wave infrared range (MWIR) is up to 98.2%. The echo signal reduction rate for the 1064 nm LiDAR can reach 96.3%. In the crystalline phase of SbSe, the highest cooling power is 65.5 Wm. Hence the metasurface can reduce the surface temperature and achieve efficient infrared camouflage. This metasurface design provides a new strategy for making devices compatible with multispectral camouflage and radiative cooling.
PubMed: 38571100
DOI: 10.1364/OE.517889 -
Chemistry of Materials : a Publication... Mar 2024Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) possess a unique combination of optical transparency and electrical conductivity, making them indispensable in optoelectronic...
Transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) possess a unique combination of optical transparency and electrical conductivity, making them indispensable in optoelectronic applications. However, their heavy dependence on a small number of established materials limits the range of devices that they can support. The discovery and development of additional wide bandgap oxides that can be doped to exhibit metallic-like conductivity are therefore necessary. In this work, we use hybrid density functional theory to identify a binary Sb(V) system, SbO, as a promising TCO with high conductivity and transparency when doped with fluorine. We conducted a full point defect analysis, finding F-doped SbO to exhibit degenerate n-type transparent conducting behavior. The inherently large electron affinity found in antimony oxides also widens their application in organic solar cells. Following our previous work on zinc antimonate, this work provides additional support for designing Sb(V)-based oxides as cost-effective TCOs for a broader range of applications.
PubMed: 38558913
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c03257 -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... Jun 2024Thermoelectric materials are highly promising for waste heat harvesting. Although thermoelectric materials research has expanded over the years, bismuth telluride-based...
Thermoelectric materials are highly promising for waste heat harvesting. Although thermoelectric materials research has expanded over the years, bismuth telluride-based alloys are still the best for near-room-temperature applications. In this work, a ≈38% enhancement of the average ZT (300-473 K) to 1.21 is achieved by mixing BiSbTe with an emerging thermoelectric material SbSiTe, which is significantly higher than that of most BiSbTe-based composites. This enhancement is facilitated by the unique interface region between the BiSbTe matrix and SbSiTe-based precipitates with an orderly atomic arrangement, which promotes the transport of charge carriers with minimal scattering, overcoming a common factor that is limiting ZT enhancement in such composites. At the same time, high-density dislocations in the same region can effectively scatter the phonons, decoupling the electron-phonon transport. This results in a ≈56% enhancement of the thermoelectric quality factor at 373 K, from 0.41 for the pristine sample to 0.64 for the composite sample. A single-leg device is fabricated with a high efficiency of 5.4% at ΔT = 164 K further demonstrating the efficacy of the SbSiTe compositing strategy and the importance of the precipitate-matrix interface microstructure in improving the performance of materials for relatively low-temperature applications.
PubMed: 38553790
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400870 -
Microorganisms Mar 2024Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused, in Brazil, mainly by , which is a protozoan transmitted during the blood feeding of infected female...
Platelet-Derived Microvesicles Contribute to the Pathophysiogenesis of Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Nano-Flow Cytometric Approach in Plasma Samples from Patients before and under Antimonial Treatment.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused, in Brazil, mainly by , which is a protozoan transmitted during the blood feeding of infected female sandflies. To control leishmaniasis, the participation of CD4 Th1 cells together with macrophages, neutrophils, and other peripheral blood cells, including platelets, is necessary. These anuclear fragments, when activated, produce microvesicles (MVs) that can reach locations outside the blood, carrying molecules responsible for activating pro-inflammatory responses and antigen presentation. Using flow cytometry, this current study evaluated the frequency and concentration of platelet-derived MVs (pMVs) in plasma samples obtained from patients in the acute phase and undergoing treatment, as well as from healthy volunteers. Our results revealed a higher frequency and concentration of pMVs in the plasma of patients with acute CL when compared to all other groups studied. These results highlight the impact of pMVs in modulating the immune response of CL patients, correlating their higher concentrations and frequencies in CL-patient plasmas, with the acute inflammatory status of the disease and their reduction with beneficial results of systemic treatment with antimony. This knowledge is essential to define potential treatment protocols, as well as highlight pMVs as biomarkers for the different clinical stages of CL.
PubMed: 38543577
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12030526 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024Groundwater is an essential source for drinking water production. Nitrate infiltration into groundwater due to over-fertilization can cause a potential risk for...
Groundwater is an essential source for drinking water production. Nitrate infiltration into groundwater due to over-fertilization can cause a potential risk for groundwater quality. Pyrite and other geogenic minerals can be oxidized and trace metals consequently released into water, e.g., nickel and uranium. To achieve a better understanding of the nitrate-induced mobilization of metals, this study investigated the release of antimony, arsenic, chromium, cobalt, molybdenum, uranium, and vanadium from three different reduced sediments after nitrate addition. The experiments were conducted as batch and soil column tests under oxygen-free conditions. In addition to the ORP, the pH value was a relevant driver for the metal mobilization due to pH dependent adsorption and ion exchange processes. Uranium concentrations in the water increased with increasing redox potential. Also, antimony and, to a lesser extent, molybdenum showed higher mobilization at higher ORP as well as at higher pH values. On the contrary, arsenic and cobalt was immobilized with increasing redox potential. Pourbaix diagrams demonstrated very complex species distributions even in synthetic water. The mobilization of trace metals is expected to be also influenced by the type of surrounding rocks and water quality parameters such as dissolved organic carbon.
PubMed: 38537820
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171961 -
ACS Omega Mar 2024Leishmaniasis, which is caused by a parasitic protozoan of the genus , is still a major threat to global health, impacting millions of individuals worldwide in endemic... (Review)
Review
Leishmaniasis, which is caused by a parasitic protozoan of the genus , is still a major threat to global health, impacting millions of individuals worldwide in endemic areas. Chemotherapy has been the principal method for managing leishmaniasis; nevertheless, the evolution of drug resistance offers a significant obstacle to therapeutic success. Drug-resistant behavior in these parasites is a complex phenomenon including both innate and acquired mechanisms. Resistance is frequently related to changes in drug transportation, drug target alterations, and enhanced efflux of the drug from the pathogen. This review has revealed specific genetic mutations in parasites that are associated with resistance to commonly used antileishmanial drugs such as pentavalent antimonials, miltefosine, amphotericin B, and paromomycin, resulting in changes in gene expression along with the functioning of various proteins involved in drug uptake, metabolism, and efflux. Understanding the genetic changes linked to drug resistance in parasites is essential for creating approaches for tackling and avoiding the spread of drug-resistant variants. Based on which specific treatments focus on mutations and pathways could potentially improve treatment efficacy and help long-term leishmaniasis control. More study is needed to uncover the complete range of genetic changes generating medication resistance and to develop new therapies based on available information.
PubMed: 38524425
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09400 -
Heliyon Mar 2024Hemp ( L.) is known to tolerate high concentrations of soil contaminants which however can limit its biomass yield. On the other hand, organic-based amendments such as...
Hemp ( L.) is known to tolerate high concentrations of soil contaminants which however can limit its biomass yield. On the other hand, organic-based amendments such as biochar can immobilize soil contaminants and assist hemp growth in soils contaminated by potentially toxic elements (PTEs), allowing for environmental recovery and income generation, e.g. due to green energy production from plant biomass. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the suitability of a softwood-derived biochar to enhance hemp growth and promote the assisted phytoremediation of a PTE-contaminated soil (i.e., Sb 2175 mg kg; Zn 3149 mg kg; Pb 403 mg kg; and Cd 12 mg kg). Adding 3% (w/w) biochar to soil favoured the reduction of soluble and exchangeable PTEs, decreased soil dehydrogenase activity (by ∼2.08-fold), and increased alkaline phosphomonoesterase and urease activities, basal respiration and soil microbial carbon (by ∼1.18-, 1.22-, 1.22-, and 1.66-fold, respectively). Biochar increased the abundance of selected soil culturable microorganisms, while amplicon sequencing analysis showed a positive biochar impact on α-diversity and the induction of structural changes on soil bacterial community structure. Biochar did not affect root growth of hemp but significantly increased its aboveground biomass by ∼1.67-fold for shoots, and by ∼2-fold for both seed number and weight. Biochar increased the PTEs phytostabilisation potential of hemp with respect to Cd, Pb and Zn, and also stimulated hemp phytoextracting capacity with respect to Sb. Overall, the results showed that biochar can boost hemp yield and its phytoremediation effectiveness in soils contaminated by PTEs providing valuable biomass that can generate profit in economic, environmental and sustainability terms.
PubMed: 38509955
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28050 -
Heliyon Mar 2024Nanomaterials have drawn significant attention for their biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. In the present study, manganese tetra oxide (MnO) nanoparticles were...
Nanomaterials have drawn significant attention for their biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. In the present study, manganese tetra oxide (MnO) nanoparticles were prepared greenly, and their physicochemical properties were studied. acetone extract was used as a safely novel precursor for reducing and stabilizing nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The cytotoxicity of MnO (hausmannite) nanostructures was evaluated against murine macrophage cell line J774-A1 and U87 glioblastoma cancer cells for approximately 72 h. Spherical MnO nanoparticles with tetragonal spinel structures demonstrated minimal toxicity against normal body cells with CC around 876.38 μg mL. Moreover, MnO nanoparticles as well as the combination of antimoniate meglumine and MnO nanoparticles exhibited maximum mortality in . The synthesized nanominerals displayed a significant inhibitory effect against glioblastoma cancer cells at 100 μg mL. The selective cytotoxicity of MnO nanoparticles indicates that these biogenic agents can be employed simultaneously for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in medical applications.
PubMed: 38509884
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27695