Identification of the regulatory network and potential markers for type 2 diabetes mellitus related to internal exposure to metals in Chinese adults.

People intake metals from their environment. This study investigated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) related to internal exposure to metals and attempted to identify possible biomarkers. A total of 734 Chinese adults were enrolled, and urinary levels of ten metals were measured. Multinomial logistic regression model was used to assess the association between metals and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and T2DM. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and protein-protein interaction were used to explore the pathogenesis of T2DM related to metals. After adjustment, lead (Pb) was positively associated with IFG (odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.61) and T2DM (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.01-1.98), but cobalt was negatively associated with IFG (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.34-0.95). Transcriptome analysis showed 69 target genes involved in the Pb-target network of T2DM. GO enrichment indicated that the target genes are enriched mainly in the biological process category. KEGG enrichment indicated that Pb exposure leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, lipid and atherosclerosis, and insulin resistance. Moreover, there is alteration of four key pathways, and six algorithms were used to identify 12 possible genes in T2DM related to Pb. SOD2 and ICAM1 show strong similarity in expression, suggesting a functional correlation between these key genes. This study reveals that SOD2 and ICAM1 may be potential targets of Pb exposure-induced T2DM and provides novel insight into the biological effects and underlying mechanism of T2DM related to internal exposure to metals in the Chinese population.

Fe3O4 loaded on ball milling biochar enhanced bisphenol a removal by activating persulfate: Performance and activating mechanism.

In this study, pristine biochar (BC), ball milling biochar (MBC), Fe3O4 modified BC (Fe3O4@BC), and Fe3O4 modified MBC (Fe3O4@MBC) were prepared to compare the Bisphenol A (BPA) removal efficiency by activating persulfate (PDS). All catalysts exhibited excellent degradation rather than adsorption in the PDS system, and Fe3O4@MBC800 had the best BPA removal efficiency, with 96.73% degradation and negligible 1.43% adsorption due to the synergistic effect between MBC800 and Fe3O4 particles. Radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis indicated radical pathways, namely, SO4∙- and ∙OH, O2∙-, and non-radical pathway (1O2) involving BPA degradation. The abundant oxygen-containing groups, increased graphitization and mesopores of MBC800, and Fe3+/Fe2+ conversion of Fe3O4 particles facilitated PDS activation to produce reactive oxygen species. In addition, the superior electrochemical performance accelerated the electron transfer between the catalyst and PDS, promoting BPA degradation in the Fe3O4@MBC800/PDS system. More importantly, Fe3O4@MBC800 is resistant to environmental interference, including pH, anions, cations, and humic acid, and has good catalytic reusability and stability, which fulfills the requirements of engineering applications. Therefore, Fe3O4 loaded on ball-milled biochar provides a convenient strategy for preparing environmentally friendly, economical, and efficient carbon-based catalysts to remove organic contaminants.

Spatio-temporal analysis of urban air pollutants throughout China during 2014-2019.

Air pollution control has become the top priority of China's "green development" concept since 2013. The Chinese government has enacted a range of policies and statutes to control contaminant emissions and improve air quality. On the basis of the national air quality ground observation database, the spatial and temporal distribution of air quality index value (AQI), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), coarse particles (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) were explored in 336 cities throughout China from 2014 to 2019. AQI and most pollutants (except O3) decreased in concentrations from 2014 to 2019. In 2019, all cities except Henan reached the level 2 of the ambient air quality index, and six cities had a lower ambient air quality index and reached the level 1. Spatially, higher pollutant concentrations were concentrated in large city clusters, whereas the areas with high O3 concentration were found across the country. Furthermore, central heating was shown to have a negative impact on air quality. The observed AQI value, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO concentrations were highest in north and northwest China and Henan province in central China. The correlations among pollutants suggest that the main sources of pollutants are fossil fuel combustion, industrial production, and motor vehicle emissions. The influence of meteorological factors on air quality, long-distance transportation, and the transformations of pollutants should be explored in future research. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11869-021-01043-5.