Guangxi Academy of Special Crops

Silicosis is an irreversible fibrotic interstitial lung disease triggered by chronic exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Currently, effective therapeutic interventions for this disease remain lacking, as existing clinical approaches are limited to mitigating disease progression rather than reversing or halting pathological changes. Stem cell-based therapies have emerged as a promising therapeutic modality for silicosis, leveraging their inherent biological properties to target key pathogenic cascades, such as NLRP3 inflammasome activation, TGF-β1/Smad-mediated fibrotic progression, and Th1/Th2 immune homeostasis imbalance. Notably, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have advanced to early-phase (I/II) clinical trials for related pulmonary fibrotic diseases, demonstrating preliminary safety and potential for stabilizing lung function. This review synthesizes the latest advancements in stem cell-based therapeutic strategies for silicosis, with a systematic comparison of three key cell sources. The discussion encompasses adult stem cells, such as the readily accessible and immunomodulatory mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and the epithelium-regenerative airway basal stem cells (ABSCs), as well as the pluripotent but ethically debated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Additionally, this review discusses critical challenges impeding the clinical translation of these therapies, including the standardization of GMP-compliant production processes, suboptimal homing efficiency of transplanted stem cells within the fibrotic pulmonary microenvironment, and inherent safety risks. Finally, this review highlights innovative translational strategies-such as CRISPR-engineered stem cells, stem cell-driven nano-delivery systems, and alveolar organoid models-and underscores the future potential of combination therapies and targeted approaches for silicosis-associated comorbidities. By integrating current knowledge, analyzing translational barriers, and exploring these forward-looking directions, this review aims to provide both theoretical insights and practical guidance for advancing the development and clinical application of stem cell-based therapies for silicosis.

Under the global imperative for energy conservation and emission reduction, a critical yet underexplored question is how environmental regulation (ER) specifically affects carbon emission efficiency (CEE). In this paper, the Super-Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model with undesirable outputs is used to measure the CEE of 30 Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2022. Based on the results, the Tobit model is used to study the impact of ER on CEE empirically. The results show that (1) China’s CEE is low, and the eastern region has the highest CEE, followed by the central and northeastern regions, and the lowest is the western region. (2) There is a U-shaped curve relationship between ER and CEE, namely, the impacts of ER on CEE are first inhibitory and then promotive; Currently, ER is having a negative effect on CEE, and the inflection point has yet to emerge. (3) Opening up level and population density have positive influences on CEE, while industrial structure exerts a negative impact. This research provides a reference for improving the CEEs of China and other developing countries. Policy implications include the need to strengthen and optimise the regulations to promote the high-quality development of the Chinese economy. The results offer a reference for policymakers.

Q fever is a globally distributed zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, which is mainly harbored by farm ruminants. Although some studies have reported the presence of C. burnetii in cats, cat-associated Q fever is very rare. In this study, we report the case of a 30-year-old man who was diagnosed with Q fever in May 2024. The diagnosis was based on the results of next-generation sequencing and confirmed by nested PCR. Epidemiological investigations suggest that he had not come into contact with any infection sources other than two cats, one of which was a parturient cat. The blood samples of the cats were collected and tested by nested PCR and immunofluorescence assay. The results showed that the serum of the parturient cat was positive for both phase I and phase II Q fever antigens, suggesting that it had been infected with C. burnetii. This is a rare human case of Q fever transmitted by a domestic cat in China. Importantly, it shows that the pet cat may be a neglected risk factor of Q fever in China.

BACKGROUNDThe therapeutic role of neurodynamic mobilization in improving lower limb function in patients with mild post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis remains poorly understood.AIMTo further elucidate the role of neurodynamic mobilization in facilitating knee joint functional recovery.METHODSThirty-two patients with post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis treated at Chonghua Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Guilin) from March 2024 to August 2025 were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 16) or an intervention group (n = 16). Both groups received eight weeks of conventional treatment; and the intervention group additionally underwent neurodynamic mobilization. Outcomes including pain assessed by the visual analogue scale, active range of motion, Lysholm score, stork stand test, single hop test, and Y-balance test were assessed before and after the intervention.RESULTSThere were no significant differences between the two groups in baseline characteristics, including gender, age, body mass index, or surgical side (P > 0.05). Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance demonstrated significant time × group interaction effects for the visual analogue scale score (F = 13.364, P < 0.05), Lysholm knee score (F = 20.385, P < 0.05), stork stand test (F = 103.756, P < 0.05), and Y-balance test score (F = 8.089, P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONNeurodynamic mobilization effectively reduces pain, improves knee function, and enhances lower limb balance in patients with mild post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis.

Given the pervasive existence and toxicity of organic dyes, especially benzidine-derived dyes, it is imperative to develop effective wastewater treatment solutions.

ABSTRACT SnTe is considered a potential alternative to PbTe for thermoelectric applications. However, excessive carrier concentration and thermal conductivity result in poor thermoelectric performance. Herein, p‐type SnTe‐based materials Sn 0.8‐ x Mn 0.1 Pb 0.1 Sb x Te were synthesized, and the combined effects of Sb, Mn, and Pb were systematically investigated. Mn doping promotes band convergence, leading to a high Seebeck coefficient, whereas Pb doping enhances power factor and simultaneously reduces the total thermal conductivity. The doping of the Sb element reasonably regulates the carrier concentration, leading to an increase in the Seebeck coefficient and resulting in a sample with excellent electrical transport performance. Additionally, Sb incorporation induces the formation of point defects, edge dislocations, grain boundaries, and nanoprecipitates within the SnTe matrix, which significantly lowers the lattice thermal conductivity. The lattice thermal conductivity of the Sn 0.71 Mn 0.1 Pb 0.1 Sb 0.09 Te alloy decreases to 1.06 W m −1 K −1 at 323 K. The increase in resistivity leads to a decrease in electronic thermal conductivity, resulting in an extremely low total thermal conductivity of the sample. Therefore, a ZT value of ∼1.27 at 773 K is recorded for the Sn 0.71 Mn 0.1 Pb 0.1 Sb 0.09 Te sample, which represents a 272% improvement over intrinsic SnTe. The remarkable enhancement unequivocally confirms that the optimized doping strategy effectively improves the alloy's thermoelectric performance.