Freeze–thaw (FT) cycle, a ubiquitous and important physical process in natural environments, may influence the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) process of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs), yet its impact and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the impact and mechanisms of FT cycles on ARG conjugative transfer among intra- and interspecies under different solution ionic strength conditions. The results showed that despite ionic strengths and species pairs, different FT treatment cycles induced diverse influences on ARG conjugation frequency with inhibition effect of 1 FT cycle (decreased by 3.5–76-fold) and facilitation effect of 2 and 3 FT cycles (promoted by 2–27-fold). The reduced conjugation frequency after 1 FT treatment cycle is mainly attributed to energy deficiency caused by the starvation process during FT treatment. The enhanced cell–cell adhesion induced by the increased hydrophobicity and secretion of bacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) facilitated the formation of conjugative pilus, primarily promoting the ARG conjugative transfer process after 2 and 3 FT treatment cycles. The results of our study clearly show that FT cycles (intensified by the ongoing climate change) exhibit profound influence on the dissemination of ARGs, which helps understand and predict ARG risks in different natural environments.
This paper revisits the commercial peace hypothesis using global event data from 1989 to 2019. We show that greater imports consistently worsen bilateral relations, with the effect strengthening after the 2008 financial crisis. The negative impact is most pronounced in democracies, high-income countries and those with elevated unemployment, where globalisation's distributive conflicts more easily shape foreign policy. Instrumental variable estimates confirm causality, and analyses using militarised interstate disputes reveal that trade-driven tensions extend beyond diplomacy to overt conflict. These findings challenge the optimistic view that economic interdependence fosters peace.
Gender ideology can affect household energy consumption; however, the existing literature has ignored this aspect. Using data from household surveys, this study employs econometric modeling to examine the impact of gender ideology on household cooking fuel choices and their underlying mechanisms. The results show that an emancipatory gender ideology can substantially promote adoption of clean cooking fuels by households. The results of the mechanistic analysis show that gender ideology encourages the adoption of clean cooking fuels through two pathways: increased internet use and exercise. Furthermore, the impact of gender ideology on households' choice of cooking fuel is moderated by income and the importance of internet, with neighborhood spillover effects and heterogeneity. The HOUSE model, developed by integrating households and neighbors, clarifies the complex relationship between gender ideology and household cooking fuel choice. This study provides meaningful theoretical and practical guidance for encouraging rural households to adopt cleaner cooking fuel.
Hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide (HMHP, HOCH2OOH) is one of the most abundant organic peroxides (POs) in the atmosphere. Owing to its extremely high solubility, HMHP readily partitions into cloudwater and aerosol liquid water, where it hydrolyzes to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and formaldehyde (HCHO). However, previous studies were conducted in dilute solutions and did not adequately account for the high-salinity characteristic of deliquesced aerosol particles. Here, we systematically investigate the combined effects of pH (0–6), temperature (277–313 K), ionic strength (0–10 M), and ion identity (NH4+, Na+, SO42–, and Cl–) on the hydrolysis kinetics of HMHP. For the first time, a parametrization formula describing the dependence of the hydrolysis rate constant on ionic strength is established, demonstrating that ionic strength exerts only a limited influence on HMHP hydrolysis. However, it is found that in highly concentrated ammonium salt solutions, HMHP undergoes a previously unrecognized NH3-driven reaction pathway. This new pathway competes with hydrolysis, accelerating the apparent transformation rate of HMHP by more than an order of magnitude while significantly reducing the yield of H2O2 and HCHO. Our findings highlight that future atmospheric chemical models should fully account for the NH3-driven pathway in aqueous-phase reactions of POs, thereby enabling a more accurate assessment of the role of POs in atmospheric oxidant cycling and secondary particulate matter formation.
Transistor-integrated flexible pressure sensors have received considerable interest in emerging fields such as humanoid robotics, prosthetics, and implantable electronics. However, existing designs for these integrated sensors often exhibit a trade-off between pressure response and operating voltage, thus significantly limiting their practical applications. In this letter, we report a unique device design of integrated pressure sensors based on deformable microstructured electrodes capacitively coupled with floating-gate carbon nanotube transistors. The microstructured electrodes can dramatically enhance the pressure-introduced electrostatic control of the transistor, enabling a substantial improvement in the transduced pressure response at low operating voltages. With this unique design, we achieve a high pressure response of $10^5$ and an ultrahigh sensitivity up to $10^4 \text kPa^\text - 1$ at a low operating voltage below 3 V, which holds great promise for the development of advanced functionalized flexible electronics.
The dissolution of manganese (Mn) (hydr)oxides induced by low-molecular-weight organic compounds (LMWOCs) critically influences Mn and carbon cycling, yet limited high-resolution characterization hinders mechanistic understanding. Here, we investigated the dissolution kinetics of Mn(III/IV) (hydr)oxides mediated by citric acid, pyruvic acid, oxalic acid, and hydroquinone, as well as the controlling factors (LMWOC type and concentration, pH, and coexisting ions), by real-time and in-situ electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), complemented by grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and kinetic modeling. Hydroquinone and citric acid promoted significant dissolution at pH 5 and 6, with hydroquinone dominating initially but slowing later; at pH 7, hydroquinone remained highly effective, far surpassing citric acid. In contrast, pyruvic acid and oxalic acid at pH 5, 6, and 7 showed negligible dissolution. Citric acid– and hydroquinone–mediated dissolution exhibited characteristic S-shaped kinetics with induction, acceleration, and deceleration stages, indicating an autocatalytic pathway, whereas pyruvic acid and oxalic acid showed no such pattern. Analysis of controlling factors showed that citric acid–mediated dissolution increased with increasing citric acid concentration and decreasing pH. Coexisting ions, including NO3−, Cl−, SO42− (5–50 mM), and Mg2+, Ca2+, Zn2+ (0.5–4 mM), inhibited the dissolution. Notably, HPO42− and P2O74− (0.1–1 mM) and Mn2+ (0.5–4 mM) exhibited concentration-dependent dual effects on dissolution, arising from competing promotive and inhibitory processes. GIWAXS analysis revealed that citric acid–mediated dissolution of Mn(III/IV) (hydr)oxides was facet-dependent, whereas exogenous Mn2+ promoted non-selective citric acid–mediated dissolution. This study provides insights into complex interfacial geochemical processes on redox-active minerals.
Geological carbon cycle (GCC) directly impacts the global carbon cycle and climate change, where CO2 adsorption is one most critical factor, governs the GCC's efficiency and security. However, the fundamental mechanisms of CO2 adsorption and its effects on interfacial properties remain inadequately understood due to the inherent complexities of mineral compositions, pore structures, and wettability heterogeneities. To address these challenges, this review systematically explores the theoretical foundations of CO2 adsorption, providing a mechanistic elucidation of CO2 adsorption and its effects on interfacial properties. It integrates insights from mathematical modeling, molecular simulations, and experimental methodologies to elucidate the mechanisms of CO2 sorption and its competitive behavior with other fluid components such as CH4 and H2O in geological formations. We critically assess CO2 adsorption behaviors at diverse interfaces, including solid-fluid interfaces (organic, inorganic, and composite models) and fluid-fluid interfaces (e.g., CO2-water), and discuss influencing factors, such as pore shape/size, temperature, pressure, moisture, wettability, and external electric fields. Furthermore, the review specifically evaluates the key physicochemical mechanisms underlying CO2-interface interactions and its implications for interfacial properties, including wettability alteration, interfacial tension changes and adsorption-induced deformation. Meanwhile, we provide a comprehensive understanding of adsorption scenarios within the GCC. Finally, we outline current research challenges and identify prospects to advance the fundamental understanding of how CO2 adsorption influences mineral interfacial properties and the GCC processes, thereby contributing to global climate governance and carbon neutrality efforts.Keywords: CO2 adsorption; Interfacial properties; Gas–solid interactions; Minerals; Geological carbon cycle
