Distribution Characteristics and Ecological Risk Assessment of Organophosphate Esters in Surface Soils of China.

The chemical flame retardants represented by organophosphate esters (OPEs) are widely used and have a serious impact on the environment. In this study, we collected data on the exposure levels of ten OPEs in Chinese soils in recent years and performed an ecological risk assessment. The results showed that the levels of OPEs varied considerably throughout different regions of China, with high exposure levels in highly urbanized or industrialized areas such as Guangdong Province and Northeast China, where the mean value was >200 ng/g. The content of OPEs in the soil in industrial and commercial areas was significantly higher than in other regions, indicating that the concentration of OPEs in the soil is closely related to local economic development and the degree of industrialization. Meanwhile, the number of studies reporting on OPEs and their exposure concentrations have increased significantly since 2018. Through the ecological risk assessment, it was found that TCP, EHDPP and TEHP pose high ecological risks. Although some OPEs, such as TCIPP, have low ecological risk levels overall, their high exposure concentrations are still worthy of attention. This study details the general status of OPE contamination in Chinese soils, which can serve as a reference for ecological environmental supervision.

Simultaneous modulation of cathode/anode and electrolyte interfaces via a nitrile additive for high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries.

Nickel-rich layered oxides have great potential for commercial development applications, so it is critical to address their stability over long cycles. Ensuring long-term cycle stability relies heavily on the stability of the interface between the electrode and electrolyte in Li|LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) batteries. In this work, a denser, more stable and thinner nickel-rich cathode/electrolyte interface was constructed by electrolyte engineering with succinonitrile (SN) as an additive. The increase of organic compound content in the formed Ni-rich cathode/electrolyte interface can fully release the stress and strain generated during repetitive charge-discharge processes, and significantly reduce the irreversible phase transition during the nickel-rich cathode charge-discharge processes. Additionally, this interface impedes the breakdown of electrolytes and the dissolution of transition metals. Furthermore, the addition of SN additives also forms a more stable lithium metal anode/electrolyte interface. Notably, batteries containing SN additives (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 wt%) show excellent electrochemical performance compared to base electrolytes. Particularly, the improvement is most significant with an SN addition of 1.0 wt%. After 250 cycles at 1C rate, the capacity retention rate of the battery improved by 32.8%. Thus, this work provides a new perspective for simultaneously constructing a stable interface of nickel-rich cathode and lithium metal anode with a high energy density in lithium metal batteries.

Microvirga sesbaniae sp. nov. and Microvirga yunnanensis sp. nov., Pink-Pigmented Bacteria Isolated from Root Nodules of Sesbania cannabina (Retz.) Poir.

Four pigment-producing rhizobial strains nodulating Sesbania cannabina (Retz.) Poir. formed a unique group in genus Microvirga in the phylogeny of a 16S rRNA gene and five housekeeping genes (gyrB, recA, dnaK, glnA, and atpD) in a genome analysis, phenotypic characteristics analysis, and chemotaxonomic analysis. These four strains shared as high as 99.3% similarity with Microvirga tunisiensis LmiM8T in the 16S rRNA gene sequence and, in an MLSA, were subdivided into two clusters, ANI (genome average nucleotide) and dDDH (digital DNA-DNA hybridization) which shared sequence similarities lower than the species thresholds with each other and with the reference strains for related Microvirga species. The polar lipids elucidated that phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and cardiolipin were the main components for strain SWF67558T and for strain HBU65207T, with the exception of PC. SWF67558T and HBU65207T strains had similar predominant cellular fatty acids, including C16:0, C18:0, summed feature 2, and summed feature8, but with different contents. In addition, all the four novel strains produced pink-pigment, and the main coloring material extract from strain SWF67558T was identified as zeaxanthin, which presented antioxidant ability and reduction power. With all the phylogenetic and phenotypic divergency, we proposed these pink-pigmented symbiotic bacteria as two novel species, named Microvirga sesbaniae sp. nov. and Microvirga yunnanensis sp. nov., with SWF67558T (=KCTC82331T=GDMCC1.2024T) and HBU65207T (=KCTC92125T=GDMCC1.2023T) as the type strains, respectively.

Concentration-resistance relationship and PK/PD evaluation of danofloxacin against emergence of resistant Pasteurella multocida in an in vitro dynamic model.

AIMS: This study aimed to assess the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) targets of danofloxacin to minimize the risk of selecting resistant Pasteurella multocida mutants and to identify the mechanisms underlying their resistance in an in vitro dynamic model, attaining the optimum dosing regimen of danofloxacin to improve its clinical efficacy based on the mutant selection window (MSW) hypothesis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Danofloxacin at seven dosing regimens and 5 days of treatment were simulated to quantify the bactericidal kinetics and enrichment of resistant mutants upon continuous antibiotic exposure. The magnitudes of PK/PD targets associated with different efficacies were determined in the model. The 24 h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratios (AUC24h/MIC) of danofloxacin associated with bacteriostatic, bactericidal and eradication effects against P. multocida were 34, 52, and 64 h. This translates to average danofloxacin concentrations (Cav) over 24 h being 1.42, 2.17, and 2.67 times the MIC, respectively. An AUC/MIC-dependent antibacterial efficacy and AUC/mutant prevention concentration (MPC)-dependent enrichment of P. multocida mutants in which maximum losses in danofloxacin susceptibility occurred at a simulated AUC24h/MIC ratio of 72 h (i.e. Cav of three times the MIC). The overexpression of efflux pumps (acrAB-tolC) and their regulatory genes (marA, soxS, and ramA) was associated with reduced susceptibility in danofloxacin-exposed P. multocida. The AUC24h/MPC ratio of 19 h (i.e. Cav of 0.8 times the MPC) was determined to be the minimum mutant prevention target value for the selection of resistant P. multocida mutants. CONCLUSIONS: The emergence of P. multocida resistance to danofloxacin exhibited a concentration-dependent pattern and was consistent with the MSW hypothesis. The current clinical dosing regimen of danofloxacin (2.5 mg kg-1) may have a risk of treatment failure due to inducible fluoroquinolone resistance.

Glycine-Modified Co-MOF Pervaporation Membrane to Enhance Water Transporting.

Cobalt-based metal-organic frameworks (Co-MOFs) with a two-dimensional layered morphology have received increasing attention for pervaporation due to their stability and hydrophilic properties. Using amino glycine (Gly) as a cross-linking agent, the Co-MOF ultrathin two-dimensional membrane doped with organic filler sodium alginate (SA) with the "brick-mixed-sand" structure was proposed. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was selected as the support layer of the hybrid membrane. The introduction of Gly efficiently solved the nanomaterial stacking problem and controllably adjusted the interlayer spacing between the nanosheets, which demonstrated good performance for ethanol dehydration. The results of this experimental research showed that the total flux of alcohol/water (9:1) separation by Gly-Co-MOF-SA/PAN hybrid membranes reached 1902 g m-2 h-1, which was 67% higher than that of the pure SA membranes. The "brick-mixed-sand" lamellar dense morphology of Gly-Co-MOF not only enhances membrane hydrophilicity but also provides effective channels for the rapid transport of water, which is expected to be used for the dehydration of organic solvents.

Antibiotic resistance spectrums of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. strains against commonly used antimicrobials from commercial meat-rabbit farms in Chengdu City, Southwest China.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is commonly associated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics during meat-rabbit production, posing unpredictable risks to rabbit welfare and public health. However, there is limited research on the epidemiological dynamics of antibiotic resistance among bacteria indicators derived from local healthy meat-rabbits. To bridge the knowledge gap between antibiotic use and AMR distribution, a total of 75 Escherichia coli (E. coli) and 210 Enterococcus spp. strains were successfully recovered from fecal samples of healthy meat-rabbits. The results revealed that diverse AMR phenotypes against seven commonly used antimicrobials, including ampicillin (AMP), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (A/C), doxycycline (DOX), enrofloxacin (ENR), florfenicol (FFC), gentamicin (GEN), and polymycin B (PMB), were observed among most strains of E. coli and Enterococcus spp. in two rabbit farms, although the distribution pattern of antibiotic resistance between young and adult rabbits was similar. Among them, 66 E. coli strains showed resistance against 6 antimicrobials except for PMB. However, 164 Enterococcus spp. strains only exhibited acquired resistance against DOX and GEN. Notably, the DOX-based AMR phenotypes for E. coli and Enterococcus spp. strains were predominant, indicating the existing environmental stress conferred by DOX exposure. The MICs tests suggested elevated level of antibiotic resistance for resistant bacteria. Unexpectedly, all GEN-resistant Enterococcus spp. strains resistant high-level gentamicin (HLGR). By comparison, the blaTEM, tetA, qnrS and floR were highly detected among 35 multi-resistant E. coli strains, and aac[6']-Ie-aph[2']-Ia genes widely spread among the 40 double-resistant Enterococcus spp. strains. Nevertheless, the presence of ARGs were not concordant with the resistant phenotypes for a portion of resistant bacteria. In conclusion, the distribution of AMR and ARGs are prevalent in healthy meat-rabbits, and the therapeutic antimicrobials use in farming practice may promote the antibiotic resistance transmission among indicator bacteria. Therefore, periodic surveillance of antibiotic resistance in geographic locations and supervisory measures for rational antibiotic use are imperative strategies for combating the rising threats posed by antibiotic resistance, as well as maintaining rabbit welfare and public health.

A GITRL-mTORC1-GM-CSF Positive Loop Promotes Pathogenic Th17 Response in Primary Sjögren Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily-related protein (GITR), with its ligand (GITRL), plays an important role in CD4+ T cell-mediated autoimmunity. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of GITRL in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS). METHODS: Patients with pSS and healthy controls were recruited. Serum GITRL and Th17-related cytokines were determined. RNA sequencing was performed to decipher key signal pathways. Nonobese diabetes (NOD) mice were adopted as experimental Sjögren models and recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) transduction was conducted to verify the therapeutic potentials of targeting GITRL in vivo. RESULTS: Serum GITRL was significantly higher in patients with pSS and showed a positive correlation with leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, autoantibodies, lung involvement, and disease activity. Serum GITRL was correlated with Th17-related cytokines. GITRL promoted the expansion of Th17 and Th17.1 cells. Expansion of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor positive (GM-CSF+) CD4+ T cells induced by GITRL could be inhibited by blockade of GITRL. Moreover, GM-CSF could stimulate GITRL expression on monocytes. RNA sequencing revealed mammalian target of rapamycin complexes 1 (mTORC1) might be the key modulator. The increased phosphorylation of S6 and STAT3 and the expansion of Th17 and Th17.1 cells induced by GITRL were effectively inhibited by rapamycin, suggesting a GITRL-mTORC1-GM-CSF positive loop in pathogenic Th17 response in pSS. Administration of an rAAV vector expressing short hairpin RNA targeting GITRL alleviated disease progression in NOD mice. CONCLUSION: Our results identified the pathogenic role of GITRL in exacerbating disease activity and promoting pathogenic Th17 response in pSS through a GITRL-mTORC1-GM-CSF loop. These findings suggest GITRL might be a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of pSS.

A predictive model for premature atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus based on clinical characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a significant risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, especially in the development of premature atherosclerosis. Specific prediction models for premature atherosclerosis in SLE patients are still limited. The objective of this study was to establish a predictive model for premature atherosclerosis in SLE. METHOD: The study collected clinical and laboratory data from 148 SLE patients under the age of 55, between January 2021 and June 2023. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression model was utilized to identify potentially relevant features. Subsequently, a nomogram was developed using multivariable logistic analysis. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated through a receiver-operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: A total of 148 SLE patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study, of whom 53 patients (35.81%) met the definition of premature atherosclerosis. Hypertension, antiphospholipid syndrome, azathioprine use, duration of glucocorticoid, and age of patients were included in the multivariable regression. The nomogram, based on the non-overfitting multivariable model, was internally validated and demonstrated sufficient clinical utility for assessing the risk of premature atherosclerosis (area under curve: 0.867). CONCLUSIONS: The comprehensive nomogram constructed in this study serves as a useful and convenient tool for evaluating the risk of premature atherosclerosis in SLE patients. It is helpful for clinicians to early identify SLE patients with premature atherosclerosis and facilitates the implementation of more effective preventive measures. Key Points • SLE patients are at a significantly higher risk of developing premature atherosclerosis compared to the general population, and this risk persists even in cases with low disease activity. Traditional models used to evaluate and predict premature atherosclerosis in SLE patients often underestimate the risk. • This study establishes a comprehensive and visually orientated predictive model of premature atherosclerosis in SLE patients, based on clinical characteristics. • The scoring system allows for convenient and effective prediction of individual incidence of premature atherosclerosis, and could provide valuable information for identification and making further intervention decision.

Electroacupuncture protects the intestinal mucosal barrier in diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome rats by regulating the MCs/Tryptase/PAR-2/MLCK pathway.

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is related to damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier function. Based on the Mast cell (MC)/Tryptase/Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2)/Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) pathway, this study explored the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on IBS-D rats and its possible mechanism of protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier. METHODS: The IBS-D rat model was established by mother-offspring separation, acetic acid enema, and chronic restraint stress. The efficacy of EA on IBS-D rats was evaluated by observing the rate of loose stool (LSP) and the minimum volume threshold of abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) in rats. Mast cells and the ultrastructure of intestinal mucosa were observed by H&E staining, toluidine blue staining, and transmission electron microscopy. The expression levels of Tryptase, PAR-2, MLCK, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and Occludin in rats were detected by ELISA, qRT-PCR, and western blot. RESULTS: After 7 days of intervention, compared to the IBS-D group, the loose stool rates of rats in IBS-D + EA group and IBS-D + ketotifen group were decreased (P < 0.01), the minimum volume thresholds of AWR were improved (P < 0.01), the inflammation of colon tissue decreased, the number of MCs were decreased (P < 0.01), the expression of Tryptase, PAR-2, and MLCK were lowered (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), and the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin were enhanced (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared to the EA group, there was no significant difference in each index between the ketotifen groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA has a good therapeutic effect on IBS-D rats. Regulating the MCs/Tryptase/PAR-2/MLCK pathway may be a mechanism to protect the intestinal mucosal barrier.

The endophytic microbiome response patterns of Juglans regia to two pathogenic fungi.

The endophytic microbial community reassembles to participate in plant immune balance when the host plants are stressed by pathogens. However, it remains unclear whether this assembly is pathogen-specific and how regulatory pathways are coordinated in multi-pathogens. In order to investigate the effects of infection with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg treatment) and Fusarium proliferatum (Fp treatment) on walnut leaf endophytic microbiome in their assembly, co-occurrence pattern, and on comprehensive chemical function of the internal environment of leaf, an interaction system of the walnut-pathogenic fungi was constructed using seed embryo tissue culture technology. The study showed differences in the assembly of endophytic microbial communities in walnut trees across three groups (control group, Ck; Cg; Fp) after Cg and Fp treatments. Despite changes in relative abundances, the dominant communities in phyla and genera remained comparable during the infection of the two pathogens. Endophyte fungi were more sensitive to the pathogen challenge than endophyte bacteria. Both promoted the enrichment of beneficial bacteria such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas, changed the modularity of the community, and reduced the stability and complexity of the endophyte community. Pathogenic fungi infection mainly affects the metabolism of porphyrin and chlorophyll, purine metabolism, phenylpropane metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. However, there was no significant difference in the secondary metabolites for the different susceptible plants. By screening endogenous antagonistic bacteria, we further verified that Pseudomonas psychrotolerans and Bacillus subtilis had inhibitory effects on the two pathogenic fungi and participated in the interaction between the leaves and pathogenic fungi. The antibacterial substances may be 1-methylnaphthalene, 1,3-butadiene, 2,3-butanediol, and toluene aldehyde.

Influence of Social Distance on Foreign Language Effect in Moral Judgment.

Previous research has shown that moral choice depends on language, a phenomenon known as the moral foreign language effect (mFLE). The current study examines the influence of social distance on the mFLE. In Experiment 1, 200 participants were randomly assigned to either close or distant social distance in English or Chinese. In Experiment 2, 188 participants were randomly assigned to either English or Chinese and were presented with eight moral dilemmas, each with five different levels of social distance. After reading the dilemma, participants made a choice on a binary scale (Yes/No) in both Experiments 1 and 2 or on a more sensitive 100-point scale in Experiment 2. The results showed that the mFLE was present in distant social distance but absent in close social distance. Finally, a meta-analysis of the results from both studies confirmed the effect of social distance on the mFLE. These findings demonstrate that social distance might play an important role in moderating the mFLE in moral judgment.

PLMSearch: Protein language model powers accurate and fast sequence search for remote homology.

Homologous protein search is one of the most commonly used methods for protein annotation and analysis. Compared to structure search, detecting distant evolutionary relationships from sequences alone remains challenging. Here we propose PLMSearch (Protein Language Model), a homologous protein search method with only sequences as input. PLMSearch uses deep representations from a pre-trained protein language model and trains the similarity prediction model with a large number of real structure similarity. This enables PLMSearch to capture the remote homology information concealed behind the sequences. Extensive experimental results show that PLMSearch can search millions of query-target protein pairs in seconds like MMseqs2 while increasing the sensitivity by more than threefold, and is comparable to state-of-the-art structure search methods. In particular, unlike traditional sequence search methods, PLMSearch can recall most remote homology pairs with dissimilar sequences but similar structures. PLMSearch is freely available at https://dmiip.sjtu.edu.cn/PLMSearch .

Effects of nitrate- and ammonium- nitrogen on anatomical and physiological responses of Catalpa bungei under full and partial root-zone drought.

Catalpa bungei is a precious timber species distributed in North China where drought often occurs. To clarify adaptive responses of C. bungei to partial- and full- root-zone drought under the influence of nitrogen forms, a two-factor experiment was conducted in which well-watered (WW), partial root-zone drought in horizontal direction (H-PRD) and in vertical direction (V-PRD), and full root-zone drought (FRD) were combined with nitrate-nitrogen (NN) and ammonium-nitrogen (AN) treatments. C. bungei responded to FRD by sharply closing stomata, decreasing gas exchange rate and increasing leaf instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi). Under FRD condition, the growth of seedlings was severely inhibited and the effect of N forms was covered up by the drastic drought effect. In comparison, stomata conductance and gas exchanges were moderately inhibited by PRDs. WUEi in V-PRD treatment was superior to H-PRD due to the active stomata regulation resulting from a higher ABA level and active transcription of genes in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway under V-PRD. Under both PRDs and FRD, nitrate benefited antioxidant defense, stomata regulation and leaf WUEi. Under V-PRD, WUEi in nitrate treatment was superior to that in ammonium treatment due to active stomata regulation by signaling network of nitric oxide (NO), Ca2+ and ABA. Under FRD, WUEi was higher in nitrate treatment due to the favoring photosynthetic efficiency resulting from active NO signal and antioxidant defense. The interactive effect of water and N forms was significant on wood xylem development. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) largely contributes to stress tolerance and xylem development.

Effect of moxibustion on colonic low-grade inflammatory response in rats with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome based on mast cell degranulation. / åŸºäºŽè‚¥å¤§ç»†èƒžè„±é¢—ç²’æŽ¢è®¨è‰¾ç¸å¯¹è ¹æ³»åž‹è‚ æ˜“æ¿€ç»¼åˆå¾å¤§é¼ ç»“è‚ ä½Žåº¦ç‚Žæ€§ååº”çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effects of moxibustion on colonic mast cell degranulation and inflammatory factor expression in rats with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), and explore the potential mechanism of moxibustion in treating IBS-D. METHODS: Forty-five rat pups born from 5 healthy SPF-grade pregnant SD rats, with 8 rats were randomly selected as the normal group. The remaining 37 rats were intervened with maternal separation, acetic acid enema, and chronic restraint stress to establish the IBS-D model. The successfully modeled 32 rats were then randomly assigned to a model group, a ketotifen group, a moxibustion group, and a moxibustion-medication group, with 8 rats in each group. The rats in the ketotifen group were intervened with intragastric administration of ketotifen solution (10 mL/kg); the rats in the moxibustion group were intervened with suspended moxibustion on bilateral "Tianshu" (ST 25) and "Shangjuxu" (ST 37); the rats in the moxibustion-medication group were intervened with suspended moxibustion combined with intragastric administration of ketotifen solution. All interventions were administered once daily for 7 consecutive days. The diarrhea rate and minimum volume threshold of abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) were calculated before and after modeling, as well as after intervention. After intervention, colonic tissue morphology was observed using HE staining; colonic mucosal ultrastructure was examined by scanning electron microscopy; colonic mast cell ultrastructure was observed using transmission electron microscopy; mast cell degranulation was assessed by toluidine blue staining; serum and colonic levels of histamine, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) were measured by ELISA; the Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR were employed to evaluate the protein and mRNA expression of colonic IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2; the immunofluorescence was used to detect the positive expression of histamine, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2 in the colonic tissue. RESULTS: Compared to the normal group, the rats in the model group exhibited extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells in colonic tissue, severe damage to the colonic mucosa, disordered arrangement of villi, reduced electron density, and a significant decrease in granule quantity within mast cells. The diarrhea rate and mast cell degranulation rate were increased (P<0.01), AWR minimum volume threshold was decreased (P<0.01); the serum and colonic levels of histamine, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2 were elevated (P<0.01); the positive expression of histamine, as well as protein, mRNA and positive expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2 in the colon were all elevated (P<0.01). Compared to the model group, the rats in the ketotifen group, the moxibustion group, and the moxibustion-medication group exhibited significantly reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells in colonic tissue, relatively intact colonic mucosa, orderly arranged villi, increased electron density, and an augmented number of mast cell granules; the diarrhea rate and mast cell degranulation rate were decreased (P<0.01), and AWR minimum volume threshold was increased (P<0.01); the serum and colonic levels of histamine, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2 were reduced (P<0.01); the positive expression of histamine, as well as protein, mRNA and positive expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2 in the colon were all decreased (P<0.01). Compared to the ketotifen group, the moxibustion group showed decreased serum levels of histamine, IL-6, and trypsin-like enzyme (P<0.01, P<0.05), as well as reduced colonic levels of IL-1ß and IL-6 (P<0.01, P<0.05); the protein expression of colonic IL-1ß, IL-1α, and PAR-2 was reduced (P<0.05), and the positive expression of colonic IL-1ß and trypsin-like enzyme was reduced (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared to both the ketotifen group and the moxibustion group, the moxibustion-medication group exhibited decreased diarrhea rate and mast cell degranulation rate (P<0.01), an increased AWR minimum volume threshold (P<0.01), reduced serum and colonic levels of histamine, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2 (P<0.01), decreased protein expression of colonic IL-1ß, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2 (P<0.01, P<0.05), reduced mRNA and positive expression of colonic IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-1α, trypsin-like enzyme, and PAR-2 (P<0.01, P<0.05), and decreased positive expression of colonic histamine (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Moxibustion on "Tianshu" (ST 25) and "Shangjuxu" (ST 37) might inhibit low-grade inflammatory reactions in the colon of IBS-D model rats. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of histamine and trypsin-like enzyme secreted by mast cell, thereby reducing the expression of related inflammatory factors.

Continuous-wave operation of 1550 nm low-threshold triple-lattice photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers.

Benefitting from narrow beam divergence, photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers are expected to play an essential role in the ever-growing fields of optical communication and light detection and ranging. Lasers operating with 1.55 µm wavelengths have attracted particular attention due to their minimum fiber loss and high eye-safe threshold. However, high interband absorption significantly decreases their performance at this 1.55 µm wavelength. Therefore, stronger optical feedback is needed to reduce their threshold and thus improve the output power. Toward this goal, photonic-crystal resonators with deep holes and high dielectric contrast are often used. Nevertheless, the relevant techniques for high-contrast photonic crystals inevitably complicate fabrication and reduce the final yield. In this paper, we demonstrate the first continuous-wave operation of 1.55 µm photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers by using a 'triple-lattice photonic-crystal resonator', which superimposes three lattice point groups to increase the strength of in-plane optical feedback. Using this geometry, the in-plane 180° coupling can be enhanced threefold compared to the normal single-lattice structure. Detailed theoretical and experimental investigations demonstrate the much lower threshold current density of this structure compared to 'single-lattice' and 'double-lattice' photonic-crystal resonators, verifying our design principles. Our findings provide a new strategy for photonic crystal laser miniaturization, which is crucial for realizing their use in future high-speed applications.

Ecological Risk Assessment of Organochlorine Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Coastal Sediments in China.

Although the ecological risk of emerging contaminants is currently a research hotspot in China and abroad, few studies have investigated the ecological risk of pesticide pollutants in Chinese coastal sediments. In this study, nine pesticide pollutants included in the "List of New Key Pollutants for Control (2023 Edition)" issued by the Chinese government were used as the research objects, and the environmental exposure of pesticide pollutants in China's coastal sediments was analyzed. The baseline sediment quality criteria were deduced using the balanced distribution method, and a multi-level ecological risk assessment of pesticides in sediment was performed. The results showed that the nine pesticide pollutants were widespread in Chinese coastal sediments, with concentrations ranging from 0.01 ng·g-1 to 330 ng·g-1. The risk quotient assessment showed that endosulfan and DDT posed medium environmental risks to the Chinese coastal sediment environment, and PCBs posed medium risks in some bays of the East China Sea. The semi-probabilistic, optimized semi-probability evaluation and joint probability curve (JPC) assessments all show that endosulfan and DDT pose a certain degree of risk to the environment.

Health risk assessment and development of human health ambient water quality criteria for PCBs in Taihu Basin, China.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of typical persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with carcinogenicity and extensively found in diverse environmental mediums. The Taihu Basin is one of the most economically developed regions in China, and it has also caused a lot of historical legacy and unconscious emissions of PCBs, posing a threat to the health of people in the region. This study counted the concentrations of PCBs in five environmental media (water, soil, air, dust, and food) in the Taihu Basin from 2000 to 2020 and used Monte Carlo simulation to simulate the multi-channel exposure of PCBs in people of different ages (children, teenagers, and adults), and evaluated their noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks. Finally, the human health ambient water quality standards (AWQC) for PCBs were obtained using regional exposure parameters and bioaccumulation factors. The results showed that the pollution of PCBs in the Taihu Basin was relatively serious in China. The concentration of PCBs in dust is higher than other environmental media. And exposure to water and food is the main exposure pathway for PCBs in the population of the region. Besides, PCBs pose no noncarcinogenic risk to people in this region, but their carcinogenic risk to residents exceeds the safety threshold. Among the three population groups, adults have the highest risk of cancer, and prevention measures need to be taken by controlling the intake of related foods and the concentration of PCBs in water. The following human health AWQC values of the PCBs in Taihu Basin is 3.2 × 10-9 mg/L.

Elevated expression of hsa_circ_0000479 in neutrophils correlates with features of systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Accumulating evidence suggests that differentially expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in immune cells of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Hsa_circ_0000479 has been studied in the field of cancer and infection, whereas seldom studied in autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the role and clinical value of neutrophil hsa_circ_0000479 in SLE. METHODS: The expression levels of hsa_circ_0000479 in both healthy individuals and SLE patients' neutrophils were detected by qPCR and compared with those in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) . In addition, the correlation of hsa_circ_0000479 levels in neutrophils with the clinical and immunological features of SLE patients was also analysed. RESULTS: The expression levels of hsa_circ_0000479 in the patients with SLE were significantly higher in neutrophils than that of PBMCs, and also significantly higher than that in healthy controls (HCs). Moreover, the expression levels of hsa_circ_0000479 in neutrophils were negatively associated with absolute neutrophil count and complement 3 (C3), whereas positively correlated with anti-dsDNA and anti-nucleosome antibodies in SLE. In addition, SLE patients with higher levels of hsa_circ_0000479 demonstrated more several clinical manifestations, including Raynaud's phenomenon, alopecia and leucopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Hsa_circ_0000479 is up-regulated in neutrophils of SLE patients, and is also associated with several important laboratory indicators and clinical manifestations, suggesting that hsa_circ_0000479 in neutrophils was one of probable factors involved in the pathogenesis of SLE with potential clinical value.

Hsa_circ_0000479 was expressed in neutrophils and was considerably higher than that of PBMCs in SLE patients.The neutrophil hsa_circ_0000479 was correlated with laboratory parameters, including NEUT, C3, anti-dsDNA antibodies and AnuA, in addition to being associated with Raynaud's phenomenon, alopecia, and leucopenia in patients with SLE.Hsa_circ_0000479 in neutrophils may play an influential role in SLE patients and will be important to understand the pathogenesis, stratification and treatment in SLE.