Bioleaching offers a sustainable alternative to conventional metallurgy, but its application is limited by low leaching rates, inhibition by heavy metals, and prolonged adaptation. Here, we engineered Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, a model bioleaching microorganism ubiquitous in mining environments, by modulating intracellular bis(3′ −5′)-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) signaling to enhance biofilm formation, bioleaching efficiency, and arsenic tolerance. Overexpression of diguanylate cyclase genes AFE_1379, AFE_0053, and AFE_1373 produced engineered strains S-222, S-306, and S-651, respectively, with 1.7-, 2.5-, and 5-fold higher intracellular c-di-GMP levels than the control carrying the empty plasmid vector. Under arsenic-free condi tions, all engineered strains showed similar growth profiles, but S-306, at intermediate c-di-GMP (306.3 ± 28.1 μg mg−1), formed cytochrome-rich biofilms with low internal resistance and achieved the highest bioleaching efficiency. Under arsenic stress, S-651, at high c-di-GMP (651.4 ± 15.5 μg mg−1), developed polysaccharide-rich biofilms that enhanced arsenic tolerance, scorodite (FeAsO₄·2H₂O) precipitation, and bioleaching performance. Transcriptomic analysis confirmed these strain-specific gene expression patterns. These findings demonstrate that tuning intracellular c-di-GMP enables A. ferrooxidans to reprogram biofilm matrix composition for extracellular electron uptake and heavy-metal resistance, providing a synthetic biology strategy for environmentally friendly bioleaching and tailings recycling
Wisdom is theorized to regulate the ethical use of cognitive strengths, but empirical evidence for its moderating role remains limited and inconsistent. This research investigates whether wisdom guides the application of intelligence and creativity toward prosocial ends, using domain-consistent, humanistic assessments across two studies (N = 933). Study 1 employed performance-based measures to examine how state-level wisdom influences the prosocial deployment of social intelligence and real-life creativity in morally complex scenarios. Study 2 used self-report measures to explore trait-level associations among integrative wisdom, social intelligence, creativity, and social mindfulness. Across both studies, wisdom consistently moderated the link between creativity and prosociality: higher wisdom predicted either stronger positive associations (Study 2) or buffered against ethically problematic use (Study 1). In contrast, no consistent evidence was found that wisdom similarly guided the use of intelligence. These findings suggest that wisdom functions as a selective moral regulator, more effectively shaping the ethical expression of open-ended, generative capacities such as creativity than of structured, instrumental capacities such as intelligence. The results underscore the importance of aligning constructs within shared evaluative domains and provide preliminary empirical support for wisdom as a meta-capacity that channels value-sensitive strengths toward socially constructive ends.
Insufficient oxygen mass transfer and inadequate charge separation are two critical factors restricting the photocatalytic efficiency of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for water purification. Here, we develop a facile strategy to simultaneously boost oxygen mass transfer and charge separation in COFs through constructing efficient oxygen capture tentacles via replacing conventional pyridine groups with nicotinic-acid/methyl-nicotinate groups, which have tunable oxygen affinity. Molecular dynamics simulations and in situ characterizations reveal that compared to pyridine groups in COF-EP1 and nicotinic-acid groups in COF-EP2, respectively serving as weak and medium oxygen capture tentacles, methyl-nicotinate groups in COF-EP3 can serve as strong oxygen capture tentacles due to their superb oxygen affinity, which can enhance oxygen interaction energies and thus promote oxygen mass transfer. Owing to the optimal charge polarization, methyl-nicotinate groups in COF-EP3 also strengthen internal electric fields to facilitate charge separation. COF-EP3 thus achieves exceptional photocatalytic degradation performance towards sulfadiazine (99.5% removal in 25 min, k = 0.21 min−1), which is 16.2 and 2.8 times higher than that of COF-EP1 (k = 0.013 min−1) and COF-EP2 (k = 0.076 min−1), respectively. Besides, COF-EP3 exhibits high sulfadiazine degradation performance in complicated water matrices, continuous-flow system, and scaled-up reactor, demonstrating its practical application potential.
High quality factor and sensitivity are critical to wireless sensors targeting small perturbation detection. Although introducing parity-time symmetric dynamics promises enhanced performance, the symmetric scheme often yields limited sensing behaviors. In particular, its implementation is hindered by the inherent difficulties in decoupling capacitance- and coupling strength–induced responses, the requirements of delicately matching and/or tuning both gain and loss, and the need of strong coupling strength. Here, we report a concept of critical point (CP)–based wireless sensors that do not rely on balanced gain-loss configurations, delivering ultrahigh quality factor with an extended interrogation distance. Owing to a sharp and deep reflection dip, the CP-based scheme can resolve the change in coupling coefficient down to 1.92 × 10−4 and features frequency-independent responses. Furthermore, the CP-based scheme allows for identification of tiny asymmetric capacitive perturbations as small as 2.5 × 10−5 without requiring active tuning of the other parameters under weak coupling. Critical-point wireless sensors with unbalanced gain and loss enable reliable and sensitive detection under weak coupling.
This study investigates the impact of the “Broadband China” pilot policy on agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) from a new structural economics (NSE) perspective. Using panel data from 297 Chinese cities (2000–2024), we employ a spatial difference-in-differences (SDiD) approach. We find that the policy significantly enhances agricultural TFP by approximately 25.8 percentage points in treated cities. We identify international internet users as a novel partial mediator, explaining why domestic broadband gains depend on international connectivity. We also provide evidence of positive spatial spillovers: a 1% increase in neighboring cities’ digital economy is associated with a 0.292% increase in local agricultural TFP. Heterogeneity analysis reveals stronger policy effects in less-developed regions (Northwest China, low-GDP areas) and areas with higher scientific expenditure. By integrating institutional and spatial structures into the NSE framework, this study contributes a nuanced, endowment-contingent understanding of how state-led digital infrastructure investment reshapes agricultural efficiency.
Although the term ‘intellectual tradition’ is frequently used, it is rarely clearly defined, leaving a vast and largely unknown space for multidimensional inquiry. This article explores how to find tacit intellectual traditions by drawing upon cross-cultural philosophical resources and proposing possible methodological directions for educational research. The main argument is that intellectual traditions can be tacit at both epistemological and ontological levels. Three Western theorists—Edward Shils, Michael Polanyi, and Michael Oakeshott—critically reflect on anti-traditionalism and objectivism since the Enlightenment. They contend that intellectual traditions, including the tradition of science, as tacit knowledge, play an important role in human knowing and action. Chinese philosophy also attaches great importance to the tacit dimensions of intellectual tradition particularly at the ontological level, as exemplified by the core concept of ‘Dao’. As a foundational assumption underlying the worldview in ancient China, Dao generated different ways of knowing in Confucianism, Daoism, and Zen Buddhism. Even today, it continues to shape how Chinese people interpret and transmit traditions. The philosophical comparison between East and West reveals the complexities inherent in intellectual traditions, which bring new opportunities for educational research. Incorporating diverse tacit intellectual traditions can help researchers better understand cross-cultural educational issues in teaching, learning, and research. For this purpose, we propose ethnoepistemology, ontography, and hermeneutics as potential methodological tools.
