Molten slag, encapsulating heavy metals in fly ash, has been widely used in subgrade concrete. However, the molten slag aggregate concrete (MSAC) poses a potential risk of heavy metals leaching. For MSAC, this study developed a rapid, accurate closed-vessel agitation method to simulate long-term heavy metal leaching, and determined heavy metal leaching limits for soil and ground water by designing soil column experiment to analyze the migration rule. The closed-vessel agitation method with a leaching solution pH of 4.32 and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 11:1 L/kg was designed. Heavy metal concentrations from the 18-hour closed-vessel agitation method differed by no more than 15% from those of the 64-day semi-dynamic leaching method. Heavy metals from MSAC are transported into groundwater following dilution by soil. The soil dilution multiples for collected loess and lateritic soil were 12-22.9 and 20-50, respectively. This MSAC on top of loess and lateritic soil corresponded to industrial/agricultural and drinking water groundwater standards, accordingly. Moreover, new leaching standards for MSAC heavy metals were introduced, covering applicable soil and groundwater types. The establishment of the assessment methodology facilitates safe promotion of MSAC and other green concretes, ensuring their long-term environmental stability and sustainability.
Coal gangue stockpiling leads to considerable soil heavy metal contamination and ecological degradation. Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) exhibits strong phytoremediation potential; however, the mechanisms underlying heavy metal immobilisation during soil function recovery remains unclear. In this study, a spatiotemporal substitution method was applied to investigate soil heavy metal distribution, microbial communities, and metabolite profiles during a nine-year cultivation period of V. zizanioides in coal gangue. Long-term cultivation effectively immobilised heavy metals (Cr, Cu, and Zn), reduced their migration and progressively restored soil pH while enhancing soil multifunctionality. Bacterial network vulnerability decreased, whereas network complexity and robustness increased, resulting in greater microbial diversity in the coal gangue-V. zizanioides system. Sulfurifustis, a dominant bacterial genus, strongly influenced microbial network structure and promoted heavy metal immobilisation. Keystone taxa (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Chloroflexi) were essential in determining bacterial network structures. In addition, purine metabolism and its intermediate metabolite allantoin were significantly enhanced and were potentially associated with plant detoxification under heavy metal stress in soils. Overall, these findings demonstrate that V. zizanioides cultivation immobilises heavy metals, restores soil functionality, and maintains microecological balance through bacterial network assembly and metabolic reprogramming.
Heavy metal contamination in lake sediments poses significant ecological and health risks, yet comprehensive national-scale assessments remain limited. This study systematically evaluates the spatial distribution, ecological risks, and human health implications of heavy metals Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, and As in sediments from 41 representative large lakes across China. Analyses were conducted using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), the potential ecological risk index (PERI), and health risk models. Spatial analysis via geographic information systems (GIS) revealed that heavy metal contamination was generally higher in eastern lakes (0.19-376.00 mg/kg) than in western lakes (0.17-339.00 mg/kg), with southwestern lakes (11.55-339.00 mg/kg) emerging as a notable pollution hotspot. Cd was identified as the predominant contributor to ecological risk, with 80% of lakes exceeding moderate risk thresholds (PERI > 60). Severe Cd pollution hotspots were observed notably in Chaohu (34.5 mg/kg), Dianchi (1.30 mg/kg), and Fuxian (7.90 mg/kg) lakes. Non-carcinogenic risk (hazard quotient (HQ) < 1) for Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu were negligible, and carcinogenic risks for Cr and As (10⁻5-10⁻4) remained within acceptable limits. This multi-metric assessment underscores Cd as a priority pollutant requiring urgent mitigation. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers to design region-specific pollution control strategies and advance sustainable lake management in China.
Incidental cetacean bycatch provides irreplaceable opportunities to investigate population dynamics, mortality, and health. This multidisciplinary study examined morphology, age, gut microbiome, heavy metals, and gastrointestinal polymer-related materials in an immature male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus, 248 cm, 114 kg, 5 years) accidentally captured in the East China Sea. Morphometrics indicated excellent body condition (BCI = 0.506) and superior dorsal fin shape compared to captive individuals, highlighting the role of natural environments in development. The gut microbiome was dominated by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, showing segment-specific variation. Heavy metals accumulated mainly as Cd in kidneys and Cu and Zn in liver, with overall levels lower than those in other Chinese marine regions. LDIR analysis indicated the presence of polymer-related materials in the gastrointestinal tract, including reported matches to polyamide and chlorinated polyethylene, which may be associated with fisheries activities. These findings provide critical baseline ecotoxicological data for the East China Sea and underscore the importance of standardized passive biomonitoring networks that transform bycatch events into valuable scientific and conservation resources.
Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) excavate burrow systems for a variety of reasons, including social organization and predator avoidance. As such, they have evolved a suite of musculoskeletal traits in their forelimbs that are employed for scratch-digging (i.e., digging motion performed by alternating power and recovery strokes). However, the degree to which their muscular anatomy has become modified in response to the selective pressures of their semi-fossorial lifestyle is unknown. To better understand the functional capacities of their forelimb musculature, dissections of C. ludovicianus (N = 9) were conducted to quantify limb mechanical advantage, muscle architectural properties, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform content. Compared with previous data from other ground squirrels, forelimb muscle mass distribution in black-tailed prairie dogs is broadly similar with a large investment of scapular and shoulder muscle mass that accounts for two-thirds of the total forelimb muscle mass. The majority of muscles have long fascicles with correspondingly high fascicle length-to-muscle length (LF/ML) ratios, whereas aside from the main carpal and digital flexors/extensors, selected intrinsic shoulder flexors/extensors, and the smallest elbow extensors, most muscles have low physiological cross-sectional area to muscle mass (PCSA/MM) ratios. Notably, only the massive m. pectoralis superficialis was considered to be a high power muscle by its architectural properties, although several muscles are modified for large joint torque or torque range, including m. latissimus dorsi and a well-developed m. triceps brachii long head. Mechanical advantage is correspondingly greatest at the shoulder joint, intermediate at the elbow joint, and low at the carpal joint. Lastly, muscle composition is fast-contracting by moderate expression of fast MHC-2B and low expression of slow MHC-1. That said, %MHC isoform content shows a predominance of fast MHC-2A as predicted, which progressively increases distally throughout the forelimb. These findings collectively suggest that C. ludovicianus is less specialized among burrowing rodents as hypothesized. Its forelimb musculoskeletal properties are likely constrained by a preference for medium soil types and cooperative social behavior, and may further represent a trade-off between terrestrial locomotor behavior and digging function. Nonetheless, the modifications observed are comparible with other semi-fossorial members of the Marmotini tribe with respect to distinctive traits for scratch-digging. Future work is needed to quantify muscle properties in additional genera (e.g., Tamias, Spermophilus) to better assess selection for burrowing in ground squirrels.
Heavy metal (HM) contamination in agricultural soils adjacent to bauxite mining poses a significant risk to the ecological and human health. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the degree of contamination, the spatial distribution, source apportionment, and probabilistic health risks assessment in bauxite mining-affected agricultural ecosystems in Eastern India. Soil samples (n = 120) were collected from the Rayagada district (Zone 1 = 60) and Koraput district (Zone 2 = 60) regions of Eastern India. Soils in both zones were found to acidic (Zone 1pH: 5.65 ± 0.45 and Zone 2pH: 5.62 ± 0.64) and low electrical conductivity (EC) values of (Zone 1 = 0.04 ± 0.01 and Zone 2 = 0.03 ± 0.01 mS/cm). In Zone 1, average values of Cr (249.05 ± 74.51 mg/kg), Cd (4.73 ± 0.98 mg/kg) and Fe (53,284.20 ± 12,889.27 mg/kg) were significantly greater than Zone 2. Spatial distribution suggested high levels of HMs were associated close to the mining activities. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) revealed the four major pollution sources identified in this study, namely industrial, natural/geological, traffic-related, and agricultural inputs. Pollution indices revealed significant pollution (PLI: 1.56 in Zone 1; 1.08 in Zone 2), while ecological risk index values for Cr exceeding 600 in both zones. Although non-carcinogenic risk (HI < 1) was within acceptable limits, carcinogenic risks-primarily attributed to Cr and Pb-were elevated for children (TCR = 1.01E-02). The Sobol sensitivity analysis found chromium, lead, and nickel as important contributors to carcinogenic risk. Overall, the findings emphasize the need for focused management, monitoring and long-term restoration in agricultural land affected by mining.
Advances in process optimization and stable CHO cell line engineering have enabled recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) titers above 10 g/L in fed-batch cultures. Despite these advances, the correlation between mAb nucleotide coding sequence and protein yield is still not fully understood. Initial studies with two IgG1 mAbs showed that Lys codon selection at the heavy chain (HC) C-terminus significantly affected yields in certain sequence contexts, as the titer of mAb1 was unchanged by codon selection, while mAb2 titer dropped four-fold with AAGLys compared to AAALys. To determine the factors contributing to this difference, CHO cell lines expressing the two mAb variants with different HC C-terminal variants were generated. The specific C-terminal codon pair GGTGly-AAGLys notably reduced HC mRNA transcript levels and mAb yields in CHO expression studies. Metabolic labeling studies using a modified uracil analog revealed that the decreased HC transcript levels resulted from reduced accumulation of nascent HC mRNA. Furthermore, the C-terminal codon pair GGTGly-AAGLys was found to broadly influence the expression of other industrially relevant IgG mAb isotypes, including IgG2 and IgG4. This study establishes a connection between the HC C-terminal nucleotide sequence and mAb expression titer, offering insights for optimizing the expression of Fc-containing molecules.
Effective management of soil heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) requires linking carrying limits to specific pollution sources for targeted regulation. However, traditional environmental capacity calculation often lacks integrated health risk and source apportionment models, thereby overestimating safety margins by ignoring critical toxicological constraints. Analyzing 430 soil samples from Shanghai green spaces, this study developed an environmental capacity model constrained by health risks and quantized source-specific capacity loads by coupling with Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). Results indicate relatively low soil HM pollution (average PN = 3.05), yet both children and adults face non-negligible carcinogenic risks exceeding the negligible risk threshold (10-6). Upon introducing health risk constraints, the environmental carrying capacity significantly decreased, the comprehensive environmental capacity index decreased from 1.002 to 0.784, resulting in a downgrade of the regional capacity level from "high" to "medium", and Cr and As showed the most significant declines among all HMs, with their average capacity indices dropping by 77.14% and 41.01%, respectively. Source-capacity coupling analysis further revealed that traffic emissions exhibited the highest contribution to the capacity load at 42.68%. Our findings challenge conventional total-quantity control and provide a quantitative basis for shifting to a refined, source-oriented soil management framework.
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common complaint in young women in the general population and is associated with disruptions in physical, mental, and social well-being. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of HMB among adolescents with Mullerian anomalies. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adolescents diagnosed with a Mullerian anomaly at a tertiary children's health system from 2014-2024. We queried the Electronic Health Record (EHR) for the following diagnostic codes: Mullerian anomaly, uterine anomaly, bicornuate uterus, didelphic uterus, uterine septum, unicornuate uterus, and arcuate uterus. We defined HMB as provider diagnosis of HMB, menorrhagia, or prolonged menstrual bleeding. We collected data on patient race, age of menarche, age at time of diagnosis of Mullerian anomaly and HMB, subtype of Mullerian anomaly diagnosis, imaging modality used in diagnosis, presence or absence of a bleeding disorder evaluation, and treatment received for HMB. Only adolescents with a confirmed Mullerian anomaly and a documented menstrual history who had reached menarche were included in the analysis. Of the 140 adolescents included, 60 (43%) experienced HMB. HMB was most prevalent in those with bicornuate uterus (58%), uterine septum (55%), and arcuate uterus (50%). The most common treatment for HMB was combined hormonal contraception (44%). The prevalence of HMB in adolescents with Mullerian anomalies in this cohort was 43% but varied by subtype. Understanding the prevalence of HMB in patients with specific Mullerian anomalies will allow clinicians to provide improved anticipatory guidance for this patient population.
The anomalous Hall and Nernst effects refer to the perpendicular voltage drop generated by a magnetic material's magnetization in response to an applied current and temperature gradient. These effects can be harnessed to determine the Berry curvature and hold potential for future applications in electronic devices and thermoelectric energy conversion. We investigate the anomalous Hall and Nernst effects in the heavy-fermion ferromagnet CeCrGe3 and its non-4f analog ferromagnet LaCrGe3. We find that CeCrGe3 exhibits a giant anomalous Hall angle and an anomalous Nernst coefficient, reaching values as high as 33% and ∼10μVK-1, respectively, among the largest reported for topological magnets. Based on electronic band-structure calculations, we identify a series of topological flat bands carrying strong Berry curvature with a pronounced Ce 4f orbital character in CeCrGe3, which are absent in LaCrGe3, highlighting the crucial role of Kondo flat bands in generating large anomalous transport responses. Furthermore, we identify a breakdown of the anomalous Hall scaling relation and the nonlinear anomalous Mott relation, which we attribute to the breaking of the topological Kondo flat bands at finite temperatures.
Accumulating evidence suggests that transient mitochondrial hyperactivity shapes the early stage of neuronal differentiation although mechanistic details remain largely unknown. Here, we report a mitochondrial suicide program which is activated in response to thermal flux to terminate this early stage of mitochondrial hyperactivity. A conserved stem loop at the mitochondrial origin of replication of the light strand operates as a thermal sensor, denaturing upon enhanced thermal flux and repressing the replication of the parental heavy strand of mitochondrial DNA. This triggers a quasi-replication of mitochondrial DNA characterised by replication of only the parental light strand. The non-replicated single-stranded heavy strand is then released and operates as a natural antisense DNA which sequesters complementary mRNAs encoded by the heavy strand. Subsequent degradation of the bound mRNAs by RNase H1 completes the cycle by triggering mitochondrial transcriptional decline and ultimately mitochondrial death.
Uncovering how ligand environments modulate the reactivity of transition metal centers is pivotal for rational design of methane conversion catalysts. Herein, we report a striking reactivity dichotomy in the thermal gas-phase reactions of Re cluster cations with methane: while [Re(H2O)]+ efficiently dehydrogenates methane, whereas [Re(CO2)]+ remains inert, as revealed by FT-ICR mass spectrometry. Guided by extensive theoretical evaluation across a broadened ligand space (H2O, CO2, H2S, SiO2, HCl, HBr, etc.), we reveal a synergistic thermodynamic-kinetic controls mechanism governing methane activation. Thermodynamically, moderate σ-donation induces electron-rich Re center, raising d-orbital energies to match with methane C-H breaking. Kinetically, the rate-determining spin-forbidden transition is regulated by the competition between the "spin-orbit dilution" and "heavy-atom auxiliary" effects. High reactivity requires either strong orbital localization to preserve the metal's intrinsic spin orbit coupling (SOC) (e.g., H2O), or incorporating heavy atoms (e.g., S, Cl) to provide auxiliary relativistic potential. Notably, this auxiliary strategy is limited by the nephelauxetic effect, as excessive covalency (e.g., in [Re(HBr)]+) quenches effective SOC. These insights challenge the conventional view that neutral ligands diminish reactivity without spin-state changes, offering quantitative electronic descriptors for the design of condensed-phase catalysts via surface hydroxyl engineering or heavy-atom doping.
Paddy soils derived from basalt weathering contain high levels of Fe-Mn oxides, along with elevated nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr), posing threats to rice safety. Unlike Fe oxides, Mn oxides exhibit both adsorption and oxidation capabilities, creating complex regulatory mechanisms for Ni and Cr. The environmental impacts of these oxides depend on their spatial distribution, though the mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the synergistic regulation of δ-MnO2 on the speciation transformation and bioavailability of Ni and Cr. Pot experiments were setup using δ-MnO2 distributed either in the rhizosphere or sub-root layers, combined with continuous or intermittent flooding water management. Results show that δ-MnO2 spatial distribution critically influences the distinct environmental behaviors of Ni and Cr. For Ni, δ-MnO2 exhibits adsorption and immobilization effect, but these effects are strongly dependent on the position: distribution in the rhizosphere reduces the concentration of available forms and decreases Ni accumulation in rice grains, while distribution in the sub-root layer hinders downward Ni migration and increases grain Ni accumulation. For Cr, δ-MnO2 primarily converts inert Cr(III) into highly reactive Cr(VI) through oxidation, resulting in increased Cr accumulation in grains. Water management and the spatial distribution of δ-MnO2 show significant synergistic effects: continuous flooding promotes Ni release and Cr(VI) reduction, while intermittent flooding favors Ni adsorption and immobilization. This study challenges the conventional understanding that "metal oxides universally exhibit immobilization effects on heavy metals", clarifying the differential regulatory roles of Mn oxide spatial distribution in paddy soil profiles on the environmental behaviors of Ni and Cr. It reveals the "double-edged sword effect" of Mn oxides in adsorbing/immobilizing Ni while oxidizing/activating Cr, and elucidates the core principle that neglecting their vertical distribution would lead to counterproductive heavy metal control measures. The findings not only provide new insights into the mechanisms by which Mn oxides regulate Ni and Cr accumulation in rice within basalt weathering zones, but also offer scientific and theoretical support for precise management of rice safety production in geologically high-background regions based on the differential properties of heavy metals.
Heavy quadricycles are gaining traction as sustainable urban mobility solutions due to their compact design, energy efficiency, and reduced environmental impact. However, their lightweight structure and limited safety features pose significant challenges in collisions, particularly with heavier traditional passenger cars. This study investigates the safety implications of introducing heavy quadricycles (L6e and L7e categories) into the circulating fleet, focusing on collision dynamics and occupant Injury Risk (IR). Advanced simulation tools are employed to reconstruct real-world impacts from an in-depth accident database and analyse the consequences of substituting traditional cars with L-category quadricycles. Velocity change (ΔV) and IR are determined across various collision scenarios as a function of market penetration. Results indicate that in high-speed scenarios (90 km/h) L-category quadricycles experience substantially higher ΔV compared to traditional cars in similar collisions, leading to increased occupant loads and IR across the investigated collision scenarios. Conversely, in 50 km/h urban zones, the average fleet IR decreases, with ΔV averaging 12.6 km/h at 50% penetration. The safest environment is observed in 30 km/h cities, where IR decreases by over 50%. The findings suggest that current consumer programme tests may not fully capture certain critical collision scenarios for L-category quadricycles, notably side impacts. Consequently, further attention should be directed towards safety assessment protocols and design refinements that enhance crashworthiness without compromising the fundamental vehicle concept. The study concludes that while L-category quadricycles offer benefits for sustainable urban transportation, their integration requires careful management to address safety concerns, particularly in high-speed environments.
El Fuerte River (EFR) is one of Mexico's main rivers, and its basin supports agricultural, mining, industrial, and municipal activities that have been associated with contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). This study evaluated As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn along the EFR during the dry and rainy seasons. Pollution risk of PTEs was assessed using the heavy metal pollution index (HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), and health risk indicators (hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and total carcinogenic risk (TCR)). This novel methodological framework provides a detailed understanding of pollution dynamics and risks in a subtropical river that has not been assessed previously. For both seasons, concentrations (μg L-1) were: 2.11-24.44 (As), <DL-0.62 (Pb), <DL-1.44 (Cd), <DL-8.04 (Cu), <DL-270.68 (Zn), 2.26-241.79 (Fe), and 0.55-1021 (Mn), showing an increasing trend downstream. Speciation revealed that Cd, Zn, and Mn were mainly present as free ions, whereas Pb and Cu as carbonate complexes. The main sources of PTEs were associated with weathering upstream and agricultural and municipal activities downstream. Human exposure via ingestion was the most important pathway for PTEs. The results indicate that children were more vulnerable compared to adults. Arsenic was identified as the primary driver of non-carcinogenic risk via ingestion pathway. HQderm values for both adults and children indicate that PTEs studied do not pose a threat via dermal absorption. TCRs for As were found in moderate-risk range (1×10-4 < TCR < 1×10-3) at all sites and scenarios.
This study investigates the sources of heavy metal contamination in surface and core sediments from the semi-enclosed Pohang Old Port (POP), South Korea, using an integrated approach combining positive matrix factorization (PMF) and Zn-Cu-Pb stable isotope analyses. Geochemical profiling showed that although heavy metals were primarily derived from anthropogenic sources, sediment grain size controlled the spatial variability of their concentrations through hydrodynamic sorting. PMF resolved four major factors: (1) urban and seafood market discharges enriched in Cd and Zn; (2) Hg-dominated inputs likely associated with riverine transport of landfill-derived sediments; (3) As, Ni, and Pb linked to atmospheric deposition and industrial runoff; and (4) Cu and Zn contamination related to antifouling paint (AFP) use in shipyards. Isotopic analysis of δ66Zn, δ65Cu, and 207Pb/206Pb-208Pb/206Pb provided complementary source constraints. Zn isotopic compositions exhibited limited variability among sediments and potential sources, restricting their discriminatory power. In contrast, Cu isotopes effectively distinguished AFP-related shipyard inputs from urban-industrial contributions, while Pb isotopic ratios indicated mixing between marine background sediments and atmospheric fallout from road dust and cement-related emissions. Isotope-based mixing models were consistent with PMF results and refined the distinction between diffuse and point sources. These findings demonstrate the value of integrating receptor modeling with isotopic fingerprinting to resolve complex multi-source contamination in estuarine sediments.
This study presents a vision-based framework for accurate vehicle speed estimation and real-world emission assessment at urban signalized intersections under challenging weather conditions. Using a publicly available dataset recorded in Curitiba, Brazil, comprising five videos (total duration 132 min) captured by a single low-cost 5 MP camera under cloudy, sunny, dusty, heavy rain, and low-visibility conditions, vehicles were detected with YOLOv11 and tracked using ByteTrack. Speed was estimated through a monocular vision pipeline calibrated against radar ground truth. The proposed speed estimation method achieved outstanding accuracy, with mean absolute error (MAE) ranging from 0.38 to 0.84 km/h and standard deviation below 0.96 km/h across all weather scenarios, significantly outperforming existing vision-only approaches. Two emission models were implemented: (1) MOVESTAR using measured speeds and vehicle classification, and (2) SUMO with real trajectory enforcement via TraCI to create a high-fidelity digital twin of the intersection. When the whole four-lane region was analyzed (439 vehicles total), MOVESTAR yielded average emissions of CO₂ 2.02 g/mi, HC 0.018 g/mi, NOx 0.058 g/mi, and fuel consumption 93.15 g/mi. After unit standardization to g/km and statistical comparison via paired t-tests, MOVESTAR consistently produced significantly lower and more realistic emission estimates than SUMO for fuel, CO₂, NOx, and HC (p < 0.01), with CO₂ and fuel showing the most significant differences (- 12 g/km and - 18.57 g/km, respectively). Heavy rain and dusty conditions were identified as the most challenging environments, whereas cloudy and sunny weather provided the highest accuracy.
The intensification of illegal gold mining in Brazil has caused severe socio-environmental impacts, requiring mechanisms to trace the origin of illegally mined gold. Mining carpets used to concentrate free gold also retain heavy minerals, whose analysis can provide provenance fingerprints and support forensic traceability within the gold supply chain. This study evaluated the forensic potential of sediments retained in carpets seized by the Brazilian Federal Police across different geological contexts. Ten samples from five illegal mining sites in the states of Pará (PA), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), and Minas Gerais (MG) were analyzed. Following standardized sediment recovery procedures, a multi-analytical approach was applied, integrating grain-size analysis, XRD, XRF, heavy minerals and SEM-EDS-EBSD. Textural results indicate that sediment texture is influenced by the type of mining operation (regolith- or alluvial-based) and carpet structure. Compositional data analyzed by multivariate statistical (PCA) revealed well-defined clustering among groups, reflecting geological settings. Samples from PA exhibit mineral assemblages dominated by altered minerals and iron oxides, associated with the Carajás Domain. The RJ sample is enriched in resistant minerals typical of granitoids from the Ribeira Belt. In contrast, samples from MG exhibit more diverse mineral assemblages, reflecting combined contributions from mafic rocks of the São Francisco Craton and granitoids of the Ribeira Belt. These results suggest that sediments retained in mining carpets can be used to discriminate different geological provenances. The integration of mineralogical, geochemical, and statistical data represents a promising approach for forensic comparison and may contribute to improving gold traceability.
Excessive copper (Cu) accumulation in soils triggers phytotoxicity and severely impairs crop growth and yield. Cu absorbed by plant roots is distributed to various tissues through root-to-shoot translocation. Although phytohormones have been widely documented to mediate plant responses to heavy metal stress, the role of brassinosteroids (BRs) in regulating Cu tolerance in rice remains unclear. Here, we show that Cu stress upregulates BR biosynthesis genes in rice, exogenous BR reduces ROS accumulation and lignin deposition under Cu stress. Phenotypic and physiological analyses of a series of BR-related genetic materials revealed that enhanced BR signaling, as in OsBZR1-overexpressing lines, improved shoot and root growth under Cu stress and attenuated ROS accumulation through enhanced activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes. Interestingly, BR promoted root Cu uptake and root-to-shoot translocation under normal conditions, but under Cu stress, however, plants with enhanced BR signaling exhibited reduced Cu accumulation and uptake capacity in roots, thereby alleviating growth inhibition, OsBZR1 serves as a key downstream hub mediating BR-dependent copper tolerance. Furthermore, BR modulated root Cu uptake and root-to-shoot translocation under Cu stress through transcriptional regulation of the Cu transport-related genes OsCOPT6, OsNPF6.5, and OsYSL16. In summary, our findings reveal that BR signaling mitigates Cu toxicity by integrating ROS homeostasis with transcriptional control of Cu transporters, leading to improved growth under stress, highlighting functional roles of multiple BR signaling components in mediating rice responses to Cu stress.
Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) is the most common pregnancy-related liver disorder. ABCB4 heterozygous variants are implicated in ICP, but interpretation of rare variants remains challenging, leading to many variants of uncertain significance. This study compares predictions from multiple in silico tools on nine heterozygous missense variants identified in women with ICP. Using the Genomics England Research Environment, 253 women with ICP and whole-genome sequencing data were analysed. Variants with minor allele frequency < 0.05 were filtered, and nine rare missense variants were assessed using SIFT, PolyPhen, CADD, Vasor (ABCB4-specific), and AlphaMissense. Only 44% (4/9) of variants had consistent classification across all tools. Published functional studies often conflicted with predictions. For example, T175A showed no detectable effect in HepG2/HEK293 cells but was classified as likely pathogenic by Vasor and benign by AlphaMissense. Similarly, N510S impacted protein stability functionally and was deemed likely pathogenic by Vasor but benign by AlphaMissense. In silico tools show conflicting predictions for ABCB4 rare variants, highlighting the difficulty of classification without functional or segregation data as well as the heavy reliance on computational predictions.