Search Results (21,624)

The evaluation of potentially toxic element concentrations (PTEs) in soils and plants is essential for understanding environmental quality and potential human exposure in areas affected by intense anthropogenic activity. This study addresses a research gap in the Valencian Region, focusing on soil–plant interactions of PTEs in urban and industrial environments. We assess the status of the soil–plant system in a region of the Valencian Community (eastern Spain) subjected to strong urban, industrial and agricultural pressure. A total of 55 soil samples and 47 plant samples were collected from agricultural, urban and industrial sites and analysed for soil properties, major elements (Al, Mg, Fe) and PTEs (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Ni, Sr, V and Zn). Land use significantly influenced soil physicochemical characteristics, with clear differentiation among environments. Soil texture and organic matter were the main factors controlling element retention, while Al, Fe and Mg dominated the geochemical composition, consistent with Mediterranean calcareous soils. Correlation analyses revealed strong co-occurrence patterns among lithogenic elements (e.g., Fe-Al, r = 0.917 p < 0.01), soil texture and chemical properties, indicating a shared origin and preferential retention in the fine fraction and soil organic matter. Contamination indices identified potential environmental risk mainly associated with Cu, Pb, Sr and Zn, particularly in densely populated areas. Mean concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were, respectively, 0.63 mg kg⁻¹, 42.25 mg kg⁻¹, 31.49 mg kg⁻¹, 56.91 mg kg⁻¹ and 76.08 mg kg⁻¹. These elements exceeded Spanish regulatory reference values in several soils. Bioaccumulation indices indicated notable plant uptake of As, Sr and Zn, highlighting their potential for trophic transfer. Full article

The delineation of the Area of Review (AoR) is a fundamental requirement for Class VI carbon storage permits in the United States. The regulatory definition of the pressure front relies on the potential for injected fluids or formation brine to migrate into an Underground Source of Drinking Water (USDW). However, in deep sedimentary basins such as the Texas Gulf Coast and offshore regions, targeted saline formations often lack overlying USDWs. In these scenarios, traditional methods for calculating the critical pressure threshold become mathematically undefined or yield infinite AoR boundaries. This paper proposes a practical, geomechanics-based methodology for defining the pressure front in the absence of a USDW, framed as an alternative site-specific approach under the authority of the UIC Program Director (40 CFR 146.84). By leveraging existing regulatory limits on injection pressure, the proposed framework establishes a threshold based on the minimum horizontal stress, caprock fracture pressure, and fault reactivation limits via Mohr–Coulomb failure analysis. The framework further incorporates capillary breakthrough pressure as a third containment threshold, ensuring that the most restrictive condition governs the AoR boundary. A synthetic case study of a deep Gulf Coast saline formation demonstrates that this approach produces a finite, physically meaningful AoR that scales appropriately with injection operations (evaluated at 1.0 and 2.0 Mt/yr) and captures post-injection pressure evolution during the Post-Injection Site Care (PISC) period. Sensitivity analyses on permeability and fracture gradients confirm the robustness of the method. The study also examines model limitations, injection feasibility boundaries, and extensions toward a probabilistic framework. This framework provides operators and regulators with a defensible, regulatory-consistent pathway for advancing carbon storage projects in deep sedimentary basins, complete with a standardized reviewer checklist and an example AoR delineation report template. Full article

Poly(lactic acid-lactic acid) (PLGA) has demonstrated significant application potential in tumor-targeted drug delivery systems due to its excellent biocompatibility, degradability, and multifunctionality for loading various therapeutic agents. PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) can achieve targeted delivery to tumor cells through specific surface modifications and stimulus-responsive release mechanisms, significantly enhancing drug accumulation efficiency at tumor sites while reducing toxic side effects on normal tissues. This review systematically summarizes the fundamental physicochemical properties of PLGA materials and recent advances in tumor-targeting strategies for PLGA NPs. It comprehensively elucidates research breakthroughs in PLGA-based delivery systems regarding stimulus-response mechanisms, passive targeting, active targeting, and tumor combination immunotherapy, while revealing the intrinsic logic of synergistic strategies for enhancing targeting efficiency. Finally, from the perspective of clinical translation and individualized oncology, this review conducts an in-depth assessment of the current challenges and looks forward to future research directions, aiming to provide forward-looking guidance for the development of precision nanomedicine. Full article

The increasing demand for sustainable pest management has positioned essential oils (EOs) as viable bio-based alternatives to synthetic pesticides. This study investigates the insecticidal potential of Haplopappus foliosus EO, a Chilean endemic medicinal plant, against Drosophila melanogaster as a key toxicological model for fruit fly control. Chemical characterization identified 56 compounds, with 4-terpineol (27.27%) and α-bisabolol (10.40%) as the primary constituents, marking the first report of α-bisabolol in this species. To enhance bioavailability and overcome EO volatility, a nanoemulsion was developed, achieving an exceptionally small and stable particle size of 2.10 nm that remained consistent for over 90 days. Nanoencapsulation significantly optimized the EO’s efficacy, reducing the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) from 120.26 µg/mL to a potent 54.57 µg/mL. While in vitro assays showed the free oil as a more potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, molecular docking confirmed the high affinity of 4-terpineol and α-bisabolol for the enzyme’s active site, elucidating the neurotoxic mechanism at a molecular level. In silico analysis predicted a favorable human safety profile within GHS classes 4 and 5. Overall, this stable nanoformulation represents a sustainable biotechnological strategy for agricultural pest management, leveraging the synergistic effects and enhanced delivery of natural products. Full article

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a versatile opportunistic pathogen that thrives in hostile environments by tightly regulating zinc (Zn) homeostasis. The CzcRS two-component system is pivotal for Zn resistance, primarily by activating the CzcCBA efflux pump, yet its basal activity and full regulon remain poorly defined. Here, we analyzed putative CzcR targets under zinc sufficiency (ZS) and zinc excess (ZE) conditions in P. aeruginosa PAO1 using ChIP-seq. Under ZE, we identified 32 CzcR binding sites, potentially regulating 39 genes, many of which are linked to virulence, antibiotic resistance, and stress response. Under ZS, 10 binding sites were detected, revealing distinct CzcR targets. Considering the presence of a CzcR binding motif close to the peaks summit and RNA-seq data, we identified seven and four novel CzcR-regulated genes under ZE and ZS conditions, respectively, mostly implicated in bacterial virulence. Our findings highlight that CzcR may exhibit different functionalities depending on Zn concentration: its basal activity maintains physiological robustness, while its activated form orchestrates Zn detoxification and virulence modulation. This study expands our understanding of how P. aeruginosa integrates metal sensing with clinically relevant phenotypes, highlighting CzcR as a key regulator at the intersection of metal homeostasis and pathogenicity. Full article

We developed an automated system to address orchard crop damage caused by Formosan macaques, a problem where traditional deterrent methods have proven to be ineffective. The system integrates an Internet Protocol camera with a You Only Look Once version 5 (YOLOv5) object detection model, which was trained on an augmented 6000-image dataset featuring a simulated monkey puppet in an indoor setting to validate its real-time identification capability through simulation. Upon target detection, a high-power laser, controlled via the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport protocol, is actuated to perform dynamic and non-invasive repelling. A web-based Human–Machine Interface (HMI) is provided, allowing users to remotely monitor and adjust strategies. This system offers a low-cost, highly efficient, and scalable solution for smart agriculture, with potential for expansion to other scenarios requiring a high degree of security and defense, such as warehouses and construction sites. Full article

Wind energy is an important form of clean energy, and its rational utilization represents a crucial solution for mitigating the energy crisis and global warming. In this study, wind energy potential and its long-term changes in the South China Sea (SCS) are evaluated using ERA5 100 m wind data from 1944 to 2023, validated against ASCAT observations. High wind speeds and high wind power density (WPD) are concentrated southwest of Taiwan and southeast of Vietnam. Annual wind availability exceeds 6457 h across most regions, reaching up to 8283 h in optimal locations. WPD and capacity factor peak in winter (up to 2.4 × 10⁸ Wh·m⁻² and >50% capacity factor), with the most stable conditions occurring in the southwestern Taiwan Strait, southeast of the Pearl River Delta, and the Beibu Gulf. Empirical orthogonal function analysis reveals that the first mode of winter WPD accounts for 65.7% of the total variance, with a statistically significant increasing trend since 1990. The interannual variation in wind energy resources in the SCS during winter is controlled by the combined effects of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical Pacific and the Arctic Barents Sea. Specifically, in the years with strong wind anomalies in the SCS, mega-La Niña-type SST patterns in the tropical Pacific trigger anomalous cyclonic circulation in the SCS and the eastern Philippine Sea, while warm anomalies in the Arctic Barents Sea surface drive a wave-like structure of “anticyclone–cyclone–anticyclone” from Siberia to South China. The coupling of the two systems jointly promotes the strengthening of the South China Sea monsoon, leading to increased wind speeds and elevated WPD in the northern SCS. These findings provide a scientific basis for wind farm siting and long-term operational planning in the region. Full article

The search for new anticancer agents with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity has intensified interest in metal-based compounds. In this study, two novel palladium(II) complexes, synthesized from Schiff base ligands derived from 5-chloro-salicylaldehyde and p-hydroxybenzylamine or tyramine, were chemically characterized and biologically evaluated. Both complexes exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with Pd2 showing slightly higher potency. Morphological analysis of treated cells indicated that apoptosis is the predominant mechanism of cell death. To gain deeper insight into the potential mechanisms underlying the observed anticancer activity, several biologically relevant targets were investigated. Enzyme kinetics revealed that the complexes act as uncompetitive inhibitors of liver catalase, suggesting a possible role in the induction of oxidative stress. Fluorescence studies demonstrated that Pd2 interacts with CT-DNA through combined intercalative and minor groove binding modes and exhibits significant binding affinity toward human serum albumin, predominantly at Sudlow’s site I. Molecular docking analysis further supported favorable interactions with catalase, estrogen receptor α, and B-form DNA, providing structural insight into the experimentally observed biological effects. Overall, the study explores multiple potential mechanisms of anticancer action, underscoring the promising therapeutic potential of these palladium(II) complexes, while antitumor activity has been initially assessed using a MCF-7 cell line as a preliminary model. Full article

Graphene-based aerogels (GAs) exhibit outstanding performance in the adsorption of organic contaminants. Consequently, numerous studies have investigated the use of GAs for this purpose. In this work, the synthesis methods commonly used to produce GAs are first briefly described, and their key characteristics are summarized. Subsequently, GAs are classified according to the modifications applied to improve their adsorption properties toward organic pollutants. Furthermore, the quantitative relationships between surface area, density, surface chemistry, and adsorption performance for organic contaminants are systematically reviewed. The analysis revealed that the adsorption of two representative organic contaminants, toluene and methylene blue, is not dependent on the surface area of GAs. In contrast, GAs with lower density exhibit an improved adsorption capacity for toluene. Additionally, the relationship between the surface chemistry of GAs and their adsorption capacity toward methylene blue was analyzed considering the concentration of carboxylic sites. The available data suggests a potential correlation between the concentration of carboxylic groups on the surface of GAs and their adsorption capacity for methylene blue. This observation is supported by the analysis of methylene blue species in aqueous solution and the pH at the point of zero charge of GAs, which indicate that the interaction occurs mainly through electrostatic attractions resulting from the deprotonation of acidic surface sites. Finally, several opportunity areas and future research directions regarding the use of GAs for pollutant adsorption are discussed. Full article

Aquaculture sustainability in rapidly urbanizing regions is increasingly threatened by heavy metal contamination originating from complex anthropogenic land-use patterns. This study used an integrated model to evaluate the molecular-to-human health continuum in hybrid catfish (Clarias gariepinus × Clarias macrocephalus) sourced from Pathum Thani, Thailand’s primary aquaculture hub. We integrated geospatial land-use data with heavy-metal quantification, oxidative-stress biomarkers, and transcriptional profiling to assess how canal-specific water quality modulates fish health and consumer risk. The results revealed significant spatial heterogeneity in metal concentrations, corresponding to the province’s 27% urban–industrial land-use footprint. While water quality generally met regulatory limits, a pronounced aqueous–biotic discrepancy, “bioaccumulation paradox” was identified at certain sites, where muscle and hepatic tissues exhibited lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) levels that substantially exceeded international safety standards. Biochemical and molecular analyses provided functional evidence of physiological distress, specifically significantly elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the transcriptional modulation of cat, cyp1a, gpx, met, tnf, and star genes indicated that chronic metal exposure overwhelmed antioxidant defenses and induced potential endocrine disruption. Moreover, human health risk assessments revealed that the hazard index (HI) and target cancer risk (TR) exceeded unacceptable thresholds at multiple hotspots, indicating that Cr is a primary carcinogenic driver. These findings highlight a “GAP Paradox,” where farm-level certifications are insufficient to mitigate risks posed by the surrounding canal network. This study presents vital evidence-based risk profiles that necessitate a transition to a spatially based regulatory framework, incorporating geospatial land-use monitoring into national food safety policies to protect both aquaculture viability and public health. Full article

Agrivoltaic systems co-locate photovoltaic (PV) arrays and crops, offering land-use efficiency and potential microclimate benefits, yet they introduce new challenges for computer-vision-based crop monitoring. PV structures produce strong, spatially varying shadows, specular reflections, and periodic occlusions that confound visual cues for diagnosing crop diseases and abiotic stresses. Meanwhile, agrivoltaic deployments are often distributed across farms and operators, making centralized data collection impractical due to privacy, ownership, and regulatory concerns. This paper proposes PrivAgriVolt, a novel privacy-preserving learning framework for agrivoltaic crop issue recognition that explicitly models PV-induced illumination and enables collaborative training without sharing raw images. The core algorithm integrates (i) a PV-geometry-conditioned shadow normalization module that fuses estimated array layout and sun-angle priors into a shadow-aware appearance canonization network, reducing illumination-induced domain shift across times and sites; (ii) a federated contrastive stress learner that aligns stress semantics across farms via prototype-based contrastive objectives while remaining robust to heterogeneous sensors and crop stages; and (iii) an adaptive privacy layer that combines secure aggregation with budget-aware gradient perturbation and client-level clipping to provide formal privacy guarantees while preserving fine-grained diagnostic performance. Extensive experiments on real agricultural vision benchmarks and agrivoltaic shadow variants demonstrate that PrivAgriVolt improves stress recognition and segmentation under PV shading while maintaining strong privacy–utility trade-offs. Full article

The identification and characterization of air pollutants in metropolitan environments are of paramount global concern due to their significant implications for air quality and public health. This study investigates the chemical composition of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) at two strategically selected urban sites in Seoul, South Korea, during 2020: Gwanghwamun Plaza, representing a high-density central location, and Bokjeong Station, situated in the metropolitan periphery. A key aspect of this research is the detection of terephthalic acid (TPA)—a distinct marker of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) combustion—using high-resolution liquid chromatography–time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ToF-MS/MS). Results from the simultaneous measurement campaign demonstrate that nighttime conditions strongly influence PM_2.5 at both sites, with increases observed not only in absolute concentrations (levoglucosan, TPA, As, CO, and NH₃) but also in OC-normalized ratios (levoglucosan/OC and TPA/OC). The consistent nighttime enhancement of these ratios suggests that the observed increases cannot be explained solely by reduced planetary boundary layer height but instead indicate relatively stronger emission contributions. These increases are likely influenced by waste incineration activities, wherein PET-based plastics and wood materials are combusted. Furthermore, assessment of the dithiothreitol assay-derived oxidative potential (DTT-OP) underscores the heightened oxidative stress associated with these emissions, posing substantial health risks. Full article

Bottom sediments in anthropogenically impacted freshwater systems represent a dynamic and poorly constrained source of secondary pollution, where heavy metal mobility, rather than total concentration, controls the release of contaminants into the water column under changing physicochemical conditions. This issue is particularly pronounced in small and medium-sized freshwater systems subjected to sustained anthropogenic pressure, where local hydrochemical conditions and sediment composition strongly influence metal speciation and remobilization dynamics. This study aims to quantitatively assess heavy metal speciation, mobility, and associated ecological risk in bottom sediments of anthropogenically impacted freshwater systems using complementary analytical approaches. The data obtained indicate a pronounced spatial heterogeneity in the total metal content, due to varying degrees of anthropogenic impact on the water bodies. The highest level of pollution was recorded in the bottom sediments of the Chizhovskoye reservoir, where Zn concentrations reach 755 mg/kg, Cr—379 mg/kg, Ni—106 mg/kg, and Cu—158 mg/kg, indicating intense technogenic influence. The bottom sediments of the Loshitsa River are characterized by elevated, but less extreme values: the content of Cu is up to 77 mg/kg, Zn—up to 263 mg/kg, and Mn—up to 418 mg/kg. In contrast to urbanized water bodies, the background site—Lake Sergeevskoye—is characterized by significantly lower concentrations of heavy metals, which confirms its representativeness as a control object. Analysis of the fractional composition showed that Zn and Mn have the largest share of mobile forms, with their concentrations in the mobile phase reaching 12–92 mg/kg and 60–116 mg/kg, respectively, especially under conditions of increased anthropogenic load. A significant portion of Cu and Zn (up to 60–70% of the total content) is associated with organic matter, indicating the important role of the organic matrix in retaining metals and their potential mobilization under changing environmental conditions. Calculation of the geoaccumulation index showed that most of the studied bottom sediments belong to the from uncontaminated to moderately contaminated class, while for Cr and Ni in the Chizhovskoye reservoir, I_geo values up to 1.9 are characteristic, corresponding to a moderate level of pollution. The results obtained indicate a significant impact of anthropogenic load on the forms of occurrence and mobility of heavy metals and highlight the role of bottom sediments as an active factor in the secondary pollution of freshwater ecosystems. Full article

Observations suggest that headwater streams have lower species diversity within a site than larger streams, but higher beta diversity, and thus gamma diversity, across a catchment. This pattern of diversity includes taxonomic richness and genetic diversity, as well as a high degree of endemism. I review several mechanisms that potentially contribute to the overall high diversity of freshwater organisms in headwaters, although these mechanisms are interdependent. These include the high numbers of headwater streams, heterogeneity of habitats and resources, founder effects, colonization dynamics, isolation, and strong selection, all leading to diversification of forms. However, riverscape diversity patterns vary across taxonomic and functional groups, highlighting that patterns of diversity are driven by different processes for different organisms. More explicitly structured sampling designs will better address patterns of taxonomic richness and for a broader range of taxa. It will be interesting to find ways to partition the relative importance of different mechanisms in contributing to the variation in diversity among headwaters. The great importance of headwater streams to global biodiversity conservation is clear, but will be more evident when better assessments of diversity patterns across these small systems are available. Full article

Urban stormwater runoff often contains toxic metals that threaten aquatic environments. Meanwhile, the large quantities of drinking water treatment residuals (DWTRs) generated worldwide offer opportunities for sustainable reuse as pollutant removal materials. In this study, a manganese sand-modified drinking water treatment residual particle (RDP-M) was prepared from DWTRs and manganese sand for Pb(II) removal from water. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that RDP-M had a rough surface morphology and abundant oxygen-containing functional groups, which provided adsorption sites. Batch experiments showed that the maximum Pb(II) adsorption capacity of RDP-M reached 2.79 mg g⁻¹ at 298 K and pH 7.0, which was about 48% higher than that of the unmodified particles (RDP). The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating a chemisorption-dominated process. Thermodynamic analysis further showed that the process was spontaneous and exothermic. RDP-M maintained stable Pb(II) removal over a wide pH range, showed low sensitivity to coexisting ions, and retained high efficiency during repeated use. These results demonstrate that RDP-M has potential as a sustainable granular material for stormwater treatment and waste resource valorization. Full article