[Effects of Different Proportions of Ammonium Sulfate Replacing Urea on Soil Nutrients and Rhizosphere Microbial Communities].

In order to investigate the effects of ammonium sulfate, an industrial by-product, on soil nutrients and microbial community when applied in different proportions instead of using urea as nitrogen fertilizer, a pot corn experiment was conducted. A completely randomized block experimental design was used, with a total of five treatments:CK (no fertilization), U10S0 (100 % urea), U8S2 (80 % urea + 20 % ammonium sulfate), U6S4(60 % urea + 40 % ammonium sulfate), and U0S10 (100 % ammonium sulfate). The basic physical and chemical properties of soil and the dry weight of maize plants were determined by conventional methods, and microbial sequencing was performed using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. The experiment results showed that:① In each growth stage of maize, the pH of soil treated with fertilization (7.85-8.15) was decreased compared with that of CK (8.1-8.21), and the pH showed a decreasing trend with the increase in ammonium sulfate content. ② The soil available nitrogen content increased gradually with the increase in the ammonium sulfate ratio at each growth stage of maize. Compared with that in the CK and U10S0 treatments, the ratio in the U0S10 treatment increased 30.56 % to 63.68 % and 13.22 % to 38.43 %, respectively. The variation trend of organic carbon content was opposite to that of available nitrogen (U8S2 > U6S4 > U0S10), and the addition of ammonium sulfate was still higher than that of U10S0 at other growth stages except for the seedling stage. ③ The protease activity of all fertilization treatments was higher than that of the control, and the protease activity was gradually enhanced with the continuous growth of corn and the increase in the ammonium sulfate ratio. The protease activity of the U0S10 treatment was higher than that of the U10S0 treatment at each growth stage of corn, which increased by 10.54 %-100 %. Soil sucrase activity ranged from 0.04 to 0.24 mg·(g·24 h)-1, and those in the U0S10 treatments were significantly higher than those in the U10S0 and CK treatments at all growth stages, increasing by 20.32 % to 99.16 % and 24.31 % to 79.33 %, respectively. ④ The species abundance of bacteria and fungi in maize rhizosphere under all fertilization treatments were lower than those under the CK treatment, followed by those under the U10S0 treatment. The species diversity trend of the bacterial community in the three treatments with ammonium sulfate replacing urea were U8S2 > U0S10 > U6S4, and that of fungi were U6S4 > U8S2 > U0S10. ⑤ The maize dry weight of the U10S0 treatment and U0S10 treatment was the highest, which was 39.47 % and 36.16 % higher than that of the CK treatment, respectively, but the difference was not significant. The Pearson model showed that the species abundance and diversity of soil rhizosphere fungi and bacteria were affected by relevant environmental variables, among which pH value and soil available nitrogen content were the most important factors affecting microbial diversity. In conclusion, when corn planting in calcareous brown soil, replacing urea with a certain proportion of ammonium sulfate can improve soil nutrients more than urea alone, which affects the growth and rhizosphere microbial community of corn to a certain extent and has a greater yield.

Collagen degradation assessment with an in vitro rotator cuff tendinopathy model using multiparametric ultrashort-TE magnetization transfer (UTE-MT) imaging.

PURPOSE: This study aims to assess ultrashort-TE magnetization transfer (UTE-MT) imaging of collagen degradation using an in vitro model of rotator cuff tendinopathy. METHODS: Thirty-six supraspinatus tendon specimens were divided into three groups and treated with 600 U collagenase (Group 1), 150 U collagenase (Group 2), and phosphate buffer saline (Group 3). UTE-MT imaging was performed to assess changes in macromolecular fraction (MMF), macromolecule transverse relaxation time (T2m), water longitudinal relaxation rate constant (R1m), the magnetization exchange rate from the macromolecular to water pool (Rm0 w) and from water to the macromolecular pool (Rm0 m), and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) at baseline and following digestion and their differences between groups. Biochemical and histological studies were conducted to determine the extent of collagen degradation. Correlation analyses were performed with MMF, T2m, R1m, Rm0 w, Rm0 m, and MTR, respectively. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate combinations of UTE-MT parameters to predict collagen degradation. RESULTS: MMF, T2m, R1m, Rm0 m, and MTR decreased after digestion. MMF (r = -0.842, p < 0.001), MTR (r = -0.78, p < 0.001), and Rm0 m (r = -0.662, p < 0.001) were strongly negatively correlated with collagen degradation. The linear regression model of differences in MMF and Rm0 m before and after digestion explained 68.9% of collagen degradation variation in the tendon. The model of postdigestion in MMF and T2m and the model of MTR explained 54.2% and 52.3% of collagen degradation variation, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the potential of UTE-MT parameters for evaluation of supraspinatus tendinopathy.

Regulation of interstitial fluid flow in adventitia along vasculature by heartbeat and respiration.

Converging studies showed interstitial fluid (ISF) adjacent to blood vessels flows in adventitia along vasculature into heart and lungs. We aim to reveal circulatory pathways and regulatory mechanism of such adventitial ISF flow in rat model. By MRI, real-time fluorescent imaging, micro-CT, and histological analysis, ISF was found to flow in adventitial matrix surrounded by fascia and along systemic vessels into heart, then flow into lungs via pulmonary arteries and back to heart via pulmonary veins, which was neither perivascular tissues nor blood or lymphatic vessels. Under physiological conditions, speckle-like adventitial ISF flow rate was positively correlated with heart rate, increased when holding breath, became pulsative during heavy breathing. During cardiac or respiratory cycle, each dilation or contraction of heart or lungs can generate to-and-fro adventitial ISF flow along femoral veins. Discovered regulatory mechanisms of adventitial ISF flow along vasculature by heart and lungs will revolutionize understanding of cardiovascular system.

Comparative Analysis of the Gut Microbiota in Mice under Lard or Vegetable Blend Oil Diet.

Diet is the most direct and rapid contributor to the gut microbiome. Oils and fats are important nutrients in the human body. The effects of lard or vegetable blend oil on gut microbiota were investigated. Kunming mice were given lard or vegetable blend oil for six weeks. Changes in microbiota composition and abundance in lard or vegetable blend oil diets were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Our study shows that the gut microbiota of mice changed significantly after ingestion of lard or vegetable blend oil. Lard may synergize with Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002. Vegetable blend oil has synergistic effects with Akkermansia, Roseburia, and Enteractinococcus. Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002 showed a significant negative correlation with Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis. Roseburia was most strongly associated with Starch and sucrose metabolism. According to bacterial function prediction and correlation analysis, long-term consumption of lard or vegetable oil may affect glycolipid metabolism, but lard has a greater impact on human health and consequently host health.

Enhancing the Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells through Interface Engineering with MoS2 Quantum Dots.

The interface of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) determines their power conversion efficiency (PCE). Here, the buried bottom surface of a perovskite film is efficiently passivated by using MoS2 quantum dots. The perovskite films prepared on top of MoS2-assisted substrates show enhanced crystallinity, as evidenced by improved photoluminescence and a prolonged emission lifetime. MoS2 quantum dots with a large bandgap of 2.68 eV not only facilitate hole collection but also prevent the photogenerated electrons from flowing to the hole transport layer. Overall promotion leads to decreased trap density and an enhanced built-in electric field, thus increasing the device PCE from 17.87% to 19.95%.

Detecting Articular Cartilage and Meniscus Deformation Effects Using Magnetization Transfer Ultrashort Echo Time (MT-UTE) Modeling during Mechanical Load Application: Ex Vivo Feasibility Study.

OBJECTIVE: Ultrashort echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences have improved imaging of short T2 musculoskeletal (MSK) tissues. UTE-MRI combined with magnetization transfer modeling (UTE-MT) has demonstrated robust assessment of MSK tissues. This study aimed to investigate the variation of UTE-MT measures under mechanical loading in tibiofemoral cartilage and meniscus of cadaveric knee joints. DESIGN: Fourteen knee joints from young (n = 8, 42 ± 12 years old) and elderly (n = 6, 89 ± 4 years old) donors were scanned on a 3-T scanner under 3 loading conditions: load = 300 N (Load1), load = 500 N (Load2), and load = 0 N (Unload). UTE-MT sequences were performed at each loading condition. Macromolecular proton fraction (MMF) was calculated from UTE-MT modeling. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to examine the MRI data differences between loading conditions. RESULTS: For young donors, MMF increased in all grouped regions of interest (meniscus [M], femoral articular cartilage [FAC], tibial articular cartilage [TAC], articular cartilage regions covered by meniscus [AC-MC], and articular cartilage regions uncovered by meniscus [AC-UC]) when the load increased from 300 to 500 N. The increases in MMF were significant for M (13.3%, P < 0.01) and AC-MC (9.2%, P = 0.04). MMF decreased in all studied regions after unloading, which was significant only for AC-MC (-8.9%, P = 0.01). For elderly donors, MRI parameters did not show significant changes by loading or unloading. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the potential of the UTE-MT modeling combined with knee loading in differentiating between normal and abnormal knees. Average tissue deformation effects were likely higher and more uniformly distributed in the joints of young donors compared with elderly donors.

T1 measurement of bound water in cortical bone using 3D adiabatic inversion recovery ultrashort echo time (3D IR-UTE) Cones imaging.

PURPOSE: We describe the measurement of bound water T1 ( T1BW ) of cortical bone in vitro and in vivo with a 3D adiabatic inversion recovery ultrashort echo time (IR-UTE) Cones sequence using a clinical 3T scanner. METHODS: A series IR-UTE data from 6 repetition times (TRs) with 5 inversion times (TIs) at each TR were acquired from 12 human tibial bone specimens, and data from 4 TRs with 5 TIs at each TR were acquired from the tibial midshafts of 8 healthy volunteers. The pore water nulling point was calculated from exponential fitting of the inversion recovery curve at each TR. Bone specimens and volunteers were then scanned again with the calculated nulling point at each TR. T1BW was derived through exponential fitting of data from IR-UTE images acquired at different TRs using the calculated pore water nulling point for each TR. RESULTS: In vitro pore water nulling TIs were 141.3 ± 11.6, 123.4 ± 8.9, 101.3 ± 6.2, 88.9 ± 5.3, 74.8 ± 4.2, and 59.2 ± 3.9 ms for the 6 TRs of 500, 400, 300, 250, 200, and 150 ms, respectively. In vivo pore water nulling TIs were 132.8 ± 12.8, 110.3 ± 10.0, 80.0 ± 7.2, and 63.9 ± 5.4 ms for the 4 TRs of 400, 300, 200, and 150 ms, respectively. Excellent exponential fitting was achieved for IR-UTE imaging of bound water with pore water nulled at each TR. The mean T1BW was 106.9 ± 6.3 ms in vitro and 112.3 ± 16.4 ms in vivo. CONCLUSION: Using the 3D IR-UTE Cones with a variable TR/TI approach, T1BW of cortical bone was calculated after complete nulling of pore water signals.

Assessment of an in vitro model of rotator cuff degeneration using quantitative magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging with biochemical and histological correlation.

PURPOSE: Quantitative imaging methods could improve diagnosis of rotator cuff degeneration, but the capability of quantitative MR and US imaging parameters to detect alterations in collagen is unknown. The goal of this study was to assess quantitative MR and US imaging measures for detecting abnormalities in collagen using an in vitro model of tendinosis with biochemical and histological correlation. METHOD: 36 pieces of supraspinatus tendons from 6 cadaveric donors were equally distributed into 3 groups (2 subjected to different concentrations of collagenase and a control group). Ultrashort echo time MR and US imaging measures were performed to assess changes at baseline and after 24 h of enzymatic digestion. Biochemical and histological measures, including brightfield, fluorescence, and polarized microscopy, were used to verify the validity of the model and were compared with quantitative imaging parameters. Correlations between the imaging parameters and biochemically measured digestion were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the imaging parameters, macromolecular fraction (MMF), adiabatic T1ρ, T2*, and backscatter coefficient (BSC) were useful in differentiating between the extent of degeneration among the 3 groups. MMF strongly correlated with collagen loss (r=-0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.90,-0.66), while the adiabatic T1ρ (r = 0.66; CI: 0.42,0.81), T2* (r = 0.58; CI: 0.31,0.76), and BSC (r = 0.51; CI: 0.22,0.72) moderately correlated with collagen loss. CONCLUSIONS: MMF, adiabatic T1ρ, and T2* measured and US BSC can detect alterations in collagen. Of the quantitative MR and US imaging measures evaluated, MMF showed the highest correlation with collagen loss and can be used to assess rotator cuff degeneration.

Volumetric mapping of bound and pore water as well as collagen protons in cortical bone using 3D ultrashort echo time cones MR imaging techniques.

Cortical bone assessment using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has recently received great attention in an effort to avoid the potential harm associated with ionizing radiation-based techniques. Ultrashort echo time MRI (UTE-MRI) techniques can acquire signal from major hydrogen proton pools in cortical bone, including bound and pore water, as well as from the collagen matrix. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a technique for mapping bound water, pore water, and collagen proton densities in human cortical bone ex vivo and in vivo using three-dimensional UTE Cones (3D-UTE-Cones) MRI. Eight human tibial cortical bone specimens (63 ±â€¯19 years old) were scanned using 3D-UTE-Cones sequences on a clinical 3 T MRI scanner and a micro-computed tomography (µCT) scanner. Total, bound, and pore water proton densities (TWPD, BWPD, and PWPD, respectively) were measured using UTE and inversion recovery UTE (IR-UTE) imaging techniques. Macromolecular proton density (MMPD), a collagen representation, was measured using TWPD and macromolecular fraction (MMF) obtained from two-pool UTE magnetization transfer (UTE-MT) modeling. The correlations between proton densities and µCT-based measures were investigated. The 3D-UTE-Cones techniques were further applied on ten young healthy (34 ±â€¯3 years old) and five old (78 ±â€¯6 years old) female volunteers to evaluate the techniques' feasibility for translational clinical applications. In the ex vivo study, PWPD showed the highest correlations with bone porosity and bone mineral density (BMD) (R = 0.79 and - 0.70, p < 0.01). MMPD demonstrated moderate to strong correlations with bone porosity and BMD (R = -0.67 and 0.65, p < 0.01). MMPD showed strong correlation with age in specimens from female donors (R = -0.91, p = 0.03, n = 5). The presented comprehensive 3D-UTE-Cones imaging protocol allows quantitative mapping of protons in major pools of cortical bone ex vivo and in vivo. PWPD and MMPD can serve as potential novel biomarkers to assess bone matrix and microstructure, as well as bone age- or injury-related variations.

Imaging of the region of the osteochondral junction (OCJ) using a 3D adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort echo time cones (3D IR-UTE-cones) sequence at 3 T.

The purpose of this study is to develop a 3D adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort echo time Cones (3D IR-UTE-Cones) sequence for high resolution and contrast imaging of the region of osteochondral junction (OCJ) of human knee joint using a clinical 3 T scanner. A feasibility study on direct imaging of the OCJ region was performed on a human patellar cartilage sample and on eight cadaveric knee joints using T1 -weighted, proton density (PD)-weighted and short-T2 -weighted 3D IR-UTE-Cones sequences. Contrast to noise ratio was measured to evaluate the effectiveness of the 3D IR-UTE-Cones sequences for selective imaging of the OCJ region. Computed tomography imaging was performed in parallel for the cadaveric knee joints. The optimized T1 -weighted 3D IR-UTE-Cones sequence was used to image the knee joints of eight healthy volunteers and six patients with osteoarthritis (OA) to evaluate morphological changes in the OCJ region. Clinical PD- and T2 -weighted FSE sequences were also performed for comparison. The T1 -weighted 3D IR-UTE-Cones sequence showed high resolution and contrast bright band of the normal OCJ region in the cadaveric joints. Normal OCJ appearances were also seen in healthy volunteers. Abnormal OCJ regions, manifested as ill-defined, focal loss or non-visualization of the high intensity band adjacent to the subchondral bone plate, were observed in the knee joints of both ex vivo and in vivo OA patients. The 3D IR-UTE-Cones sequence can image OCJ regions ex vivo and in vivo, with abnormalities depicted with high resolution and contrast. The technique may be useful for demonstrating involvement of OCJ regions in early OA.

Fat suppression for ultrashort echo time imaging using a single-point Dixon method.

PURPOSE: In ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging, fat suppression can improve short T2 * contrast but can also reduce short T2 * signals. The conventional two-point Dixon (2p-Dixon) method does not perform well due to short T2 * decay. In this study, we propose a new method to suppress fat for high contrast UTE imaging of short T2 tissues, utilizing a single-point Dixon (1p-Dixon) method. METHODS: The proposed method utilizes dual-echo UTE imaging, where UTE is followed by the second TE, chosen flexibly. Fat is estimated by applying a 1p-Dixon method to the non-UTE image after correction of phase errors, which is used to suppress fat in the UTE image. In vivo ankle and knee imaging were performed at 3 T to evaluate the proposed method. RESULT: It was observed that fat and water signals in tendons were misestimated by the 2p-Dixon method due to signal decay, while the 1p-Dixon method showed reliable fat and water separation not affected by the short T2 * signal decay. Compared with the conventional chemical shift based fat saturation technique, the 1p-Dixon based approach showed much stronger signal intensities in the Achilles, quadriceps, and patellar tendons, with significantly improved contrast to noise ratios (CNRs) of 11.8 ± 2.2, 16.0 ± 1.6, and 26.8 ± 1.3 with the 1p-Dixon method and 0.6 ± 0.2, 4.6 ± 1.0, and 17.5 ± 1.4 with regular fat saturation, respectively. CONCLUSION: The proposed 1p-Dixon based fat suppression allows more flexible selection of imaging parameters and more accurate fat and water separation over the conventional 2p-Dixon in UTE imaging. Moreover, the proposed method provides much improved CNR for short T2 tissues over the conventional fat saturation method.

Synthesis of ZnO doped high valence S element and study of photogenerated charges properties.

Nonmetal doping is an efficient way to increase the photoresponse range of ZnO. However, the mechanism for improving the light response range of ZnO with nonmetal doping is not clear. Herein, ZnO doped with S was successfully prepared by ion exchange and calcination methods, which resulted in the uniform distribution of sulfur ions in ZnO. The S element doped was mainly S4+ and S6+, which was identified by XPS. We studied the influence of S on the photogenerated charge characteristics of ZnO with SPS. Results indicated that the uniform distribution of S dopants elevated the valence band maximum by mixing S 3p with the upper valence band states of ZnO. The valence band maxima of S-ZnO was 0.37 eV higher than that of ZnO. This result was the main reason for the improvement in the light response. We also studied the photocatalytic activity of Ag/S-ZnO. Ag/S-ZnO with 10 wt% Ag loading showed the highest photocatalytic degradation rate for MO. In this paper, a potential photocatalytic mechanism has been proposed.

Whole knee joint T1 values measured in vivo at 3T by combined 3D ultrashort echo time cones actual flip angle and variable flip angle methods.

PURPOSE: To measure T1 relaxations for the major tissues in whole knee joints on a clinical 3T scanner. METHODS: The 3D UTE-Cones actual flip angle imaging (AFI) method was used to map the transmission radiofrequency field (B1 ) in both short and long T2 tissues, which was then used to correct the 3D UTE-Cones variable flip angle (VFA) fitting to generate accurate T1 maps. Numerical simulation was carried out to investigate the accuracy of T1 measurement for a range of T2 values, excitation pulse durations, and B1 errors. Then, the 3D UTE-Cones AFI-VFA method was applied to healthy volunteers (N = 16) to quantify the T1 of knee tissues including cartilage, meniscus, quadriceps tendon, patellar tendon, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), marrow, and muscles at 3T. RESULTS: Numerical simulation showed that the 3D UTE-Cones AFI-VFA technique can provide accurate T1 measurements (error <1%) when the tissue T2 is longer than 1 ms and a 150 µs excitation RF pulse is used and therefore is suitable for most knee joint tissues. The proposed 3D UTE-Cones AFI-VFA method showed an average T1 of 1098 ± 67 ms for cartilage, 833 ± 47 ms for meniscus, 800 ± 66 ms for quadriceps tendon, 656 ± 43 ms for patellar tendon, 873 ± 38 ms for ACL, 832 ± 49 ms for PCL, 379 ± 18 ms for marrow, and 1393 ± 46 ms for muscles. CONCLUSION: The 3D UTE-Cones AFI-VFA method allows volumetric T1 measurement of the major tissues in whole knee joints on a clinical 3T scanner.

Novel role of SF1 in alleviating thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by an increased volume of adipose/connective tissue. This study aims to explore whether steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) is implicated in development of TAO through the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. METHODS: Initially, we extracted orbital preadipocytes from 10 TAO patients for culture and identification. After differentiation, cells were inoculated with plasmids with overexpressed SF1, and plasmids with siRNA against SF1, respectively. Then fat content and PGE2 secretion were measured by using ELISA. The levels of SF1, Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase3, Pref-1, PPARγ, Leptin, Adiponectin, p-AMPKαThr172, p-mTORSer2448, and p-S6KThr389 were detected by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by EdU and flow cytometry. RESULTS: TAO patients showed reduced SF1 expression in orbital preadipocytes. Overexpression of SF1 led to inhibited expression of Bcl-2, PPARγ, Leptin, Adiponectin and p-AMPKαThr172, fat content, cell proliferation and differentiation, but increased levels of Bax, Caspase3, Pref-1, p-mTORSer2448 and p-S6KThr389, PGE2 secretion and apoptosis rate. CONCLUSION: Our result showed up-regulated SF1 may relieve TAO through suppressing cell proliferation and differentiation, but accelerating cell apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Block-Diagonal Constrained Low-Rank and Sparse Graph for Discriminant Analysis of Image Data.

Recently, low-rank and sparse model-based dimensionality reduction (DR) methods have aroused lots of interest. In this paper, we propose an effective supervised DR technique named block-diagonal constrained low-rank and sparse-based embedding (BLSE). BLSE has two steps, i.e., block-diagonal constrained low-rank and sparse representation (BLSR) and block-diagonal constrained low-rank and sparse graph embedding (BLSGE). Firstly, the BLSR model is developed to reveal the intrinsic intra-class and inter-class adjacent relationships as well as the local neighborhood relations and global structure of data. Particularly, there are mainly three items considered in BLSR. First, a sparse constraint is required to discover the local data structure. Second, a low-rank criterion is incorporated to capture the global structure in data. Third, a block-diagonal regularization is imposed on the representation to promote discrimination between different classes. Based on BLSR, informative and discriminative intra-class and inter-class graphs are constructed. With the graphs, BLSGE seeks a low-dimensional embedding subspace by simultaneously minimizing the intra-class scatter and maximizing the inter-class scatter. Experiments on public benchmark face and object image datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Use of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging in identifying the vascular and avascular zones of human meniscus.

PURPOSE: To investigate the hypothesis that the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted imaging may depict microcirculation of meniscus and the perfusion changes in meniscal disorder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients received diffusion-weighted MRI with multiple b-values ranging from 0 to 400 s/mm2 . The four horns of the menisci were divided into normal, degenerated, and torn groups. IVIM parameters including perfusion fraction (f), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), true diffusion coefficient (D), and the product of f and D* (f D*) of normal meniscal red zone and white zone were derived and compared for microcirculation changes of normal, degenerated, and torn posterior horn of the medial meniscus (PMM). The parameters between red and white zones among the groups were compared. Significant differences were considered when P < 0.05. RESULTS: Mean f and fD* were significantly higher in the red zone than those in the white zone for the normal four meniscal horns (P < 0.05), whereas D* (P = 0.882, 0.011, 0.593, and 0.33) and D (P = 0.186, 0.099, 0.767, and 0.041) did not significantly differ between the two zones. Among the normal, degenerated, and torn PMM, f was observed to be lower in the red zone of torn horns as compared to the normal horns (P = 0.013). D*, fD*, and D did not exhibit statistically significant difference among different groups (P = 0.353, 0.661, and 0.327, respectively). CONCLUSION: This hypothesis driven work shows that IVIM imaging is able to depict microcirculation of meniscus and the perfusion changes in meniscal disorder. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:1090-1096.

Environmental Chemicals in an Urban Population of Pregnant Women and Their Newborns from San Francisco.

Exposures to environmental pollutants in utero may increase the risk of adverse health effects. We measured the concentrations of 59 potentially harmful chemicals in 77 maternal and 65 paired umbilical cord blood samples collected in San Francisco during 2010-2011, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hydroxylated PBDEs (OH-PBDEs), and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in serum and metals in whole blood. Consistent with previous studies, we found evidence that concentrations of mercury (Hg) and lower-brominated PBDEs were often higher in umbilical cord blood or serum than in maternal samples (median cord:maternal ratio > 1), while for most PFCs and lead (Pb), concentrations in cord blood or serum were generally equal to or lower than their maternal pair (median cord:maternal ratio ≤ 1). In contrast to the conclusions of a recent review, we found evidence that several PCBs and OCPs were also often higher in cord than maternal serum (median cord:maternal ratio > 1) when concentrations are assessed on a lipid-adjusted basis. Our findings suggest that for many chemicals, fetuses may experience higher exposures than their mothers and highlight the need to characterize potential health risks and inform policies aimed at reducing sources of exposure.

High exposure of California firefighters to polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Concern about persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Californians prompted the state's biomonitoring program to conduct a study in firefighters, who are occupationally exposed to high levels of POPs. In this work we present serum concentrations of several classes of POPs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDEs], polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], and organochlorine pesticides [OCPs]) in 101 Southern California firefighters. Despite recently reported declining trends of PBDEs in Californians, high levels were measured in firefighters' serum (Σ5PBDEs: median = 59.1 ng/(g of lipid); range = 18.8-714 ng/(g of lipid)) in comparison to other populations in California during the same period. In addition, nearly one-third of subjects had particularly high serum levels of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), consistent with other recent results in firefighters; this pattern may be a marker of recent firefighting activity. In contrast, serum levels of PCBs and OCPs measured in firefighters' sera were not elevated compared to U.S. levels. Multivariable analysis indicated that lower levels of serum PBDEs were associated with turnout gear cleaning and storage practices after fires. Our study supports the hypothesis that firefighting activities are likely to increase exposure to PBDEs and that good housekeeping and personal hygiene practices may reduce exposure to these compounds.

Association of the rs11196218 polymorphism in TCF7L2 with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Asian population.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the association of rs11196218 polymorphism in transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Asian population by a case-control study and meta-analysis. METHODS: In the case-control study, 1842 patients with T2DM and 7777 normal glucose-tolerant controls in the Henan province of China were genotyped for rs11196218 in TCF7L2 by PCR-ligase detection reaction. We used allele, co-dominant, dominant and recessive models to evaluate the risk association and performed a meta-analysis of the results of different genetic models in previous studies and the current study. RESULTS: The AG genotype of rs11196218 was associated with risk of T2DM in the Henan population (odds ratio 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.78), and dominant model showed marginal significant association (1.28, 0.99-1.67). Meta-analysis of 10 studies revealed the dominant model associated with T2DM in the overall population (1.20, 1.05-1.36). When stratified by region (southern and northern China and Japan), both the AG genotype and the dominant model were associated with risk of T2DM in southern Chinese (1.31, 1.03-1.66; 1.27, 1.01-1.60, respectively). CONCLUSION: The rs11196218 polymorphism in TCF7L2 is associated with risk of T2DM in Asian population.

Screening and analysis of metabolites in rat urine after oral administration of Apocynum venetum L. extracts using HPLC-TOF-MS.

HPLC with diode array detection and ESI-TOF-MS was used for the study of the constituents in Apocynum venetum L. extracts and the metabolites in rat urine after oral administration of A. venetum L. extracts. A formula database of the known constituents in A. venetum L. was established, and 21 constituents were rapidly identified by accurately matching their molecular masses with the formulae of the compounds in the database. Furthermore, 34 metabolites were detected and elucidated in the rat urine. The scientific and plausible biotransformation pathways of the flavonoid components in A. venetum L. were also proposed together with the presentation of clues for potential mechanisms of bioactivity. This specific and sensitive HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS method can be used to identify the chemical components in the extracts of A. venetum L. and their metabolites in rat urine. This method can also be used to reveal the possible metabolic mechanisms of action of the extract components in vivo.