Intermittent hypoxic pretreatment exacerbates house dust mite-induced asthma airway inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is widely recognized as an inflammatory disorder. In the context of this inflammatory microenvironment, the involvement of hypoxia and its impact on related pathways have drawn considerable attention. However, the exact role of hypoxia, a prevalent environmental factor, in the development and progression of asthma remains poorly understood. METHODS: Mice were treated with house dust mite (HDM) extracts for 23 days to induce asthma. Mice were divided into room air (RA) group and intermittent hypoxic (IH) group by exposing to different conditions and IH preconditioning (IHP) were underwent to the above groups before the hypoxic regimen. Airway inflammation in mice was evaluated by airway hyperresponsiveness, excessive mucus secretion, and recruitment of inflammatory cells. Immunohistochemistry was employed to quantify the expression levels of NF-κB. Subsequently, the dose of allergen was modified to investigate whether the impact of hypoxia on asthma is affected by different doses of allergens. RESULT: Compared to the RA and IH groups, HDM-treated mice in the IHP group exhibited aggravated inflammatory cell infiltration and airway hyperresponsiveness (p＜.05). Moreover, there was an increased release of inflammatory mediators and higher expression levels of NF-κB (p＜.05). Importantly, the impact ia on asthma was found to be influenced by high dose of allergen (p＜.05). CONCLUSION: IHP treatment potentially exacerbates HDM-induced airway inflammation in asthma, with the involvement of NF-κB, particularly under high-dose allergen stimulation.

Competitive and synergic evolution of the water-food-ecology system: A case study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China.

A vital approach to attaining sustainable development lies in the in-depth examination of both competition and synergy between these subsystems from a water-food-ecology (WFE) system perspective, while previous or existing studies have limitations in to quantitative characterize and evaluation the cooperative and competitive relationships between different systems. In this study, an evaluation indicator system is constructed from the two dimensions of resources and efficiency, and the WFE synergic development capacity (WFE-SDC) is proposed by integrating the order degree of the coupled system, enables a multidimensional and comprehensive quantitative assessment of the sustainable development of the WFE system. Then a synergic evolution model is constructed to explore the competitive and synergic evolution of the WFE system in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The following key insights were obtained: (1) The WFE-SDC (range of 0-1) shows a fluctuating increase, indicating a shift from mild dysfunctional recession to intermediate synergic development (0.24 to 0.72). (2) Principal factors impeding WFE-SDC encompass diversion water, ecology water consumption, grain demand, reclaimed water consumption, and outbound water, both come from resource dimension, with a combined impediment degree of over 46 %, and the improvement of efficiency dimension may improve the WFE-SDC. (3) The water subsystem acts as a driving force for synergic development, fostering cooperation within the food and ecology subsystems, although they mainly operate in a competitive state. (4) Within the WFE system, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei exhibited mutual cooperation and significantly contributed to one another's development. Beijing has played a pivotal role in the progress of both Tianjin and Hebei. This study offers valuable insights for the formulation of policies and the application of technical approaches for the sustainable development of the WFE system in relevant regions.

Characteristics of typical intermediate and semi volatile organic compounds in Shanghai during China International Import Expo event.

To ensure good air quality during the China International Import Expo (CIIE) event, stringent emission-reduction measures were implemented in Shanghai. To assess the efficacy of these measures, this study measured typical categories of intermediate/semi volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs), including alkanes (C10-C26 n-alkanes and pristane), EPA-priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkylnaphthalenes, benzothiazole (BTH) and chlorobenzenes (CBs), at an urban site of Shanghai before and during two CIIE events (2019 and 2020; non-CIIE versus CIIE). The average concentrations of alkanes and PAHs during both 2019 and 2020 CIIE events decreased by approximately 41% and 17%, respectively, compared to non-CIIE periods. However, the decline in BTH and CBs was only observed during CIIE-2019. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from alkanes, PAHs and BTH was evaluated under atmospheric conditions, revealing considerable SOA contributions from dimethylnaphthalenes and BTH. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis further revealed that life-related sources, such as cooking and residential emissions, make a noticeable contribution (21.6%) in addition to the commonly concerned gasoline-vehicle sources (31.5%), diesel-related emissions (20.8%), industrial emissions (18.6%) and ship emissions (7.5%). These findings provide valuable insights into the efficacy of the implemented measures in reducing atmospheric I/SVOCs levels. Moreover, our results highlight the significance of exploring additional individual species of I/SVOCs and life-related sources for further research and policy development.

Elicitor-Driven Defense Mechanisms: Shielding Cotton Plants against the Onslaught of Cotton Leaf Curl Multan Virus (CLCuMuV) Disease.

Salicylic acid (SA), benzothiadiazole (BTH), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) are potential elicitors found in plants, playing a crucial role against various biotic and abiotic stresses. The systemic acquired resistance (SAR) mechanism was evaluated in cotton plants for the suppression of Cotton leaf curl Multan Virus (CLCuMuV) by the exogenous application of different elicitors. Seven different treatments of SA, MeJA, and BTH were applied exogenously at different concentrations and combinations. In response to elicitors treatment, enzymatic activities such as SOD, POD, CAT, PPO, PAL, ß-1,3 glucanse, and chitinase as biochemical markers for resistance were determined from virus-inoculated and uninoculated cotton plants of susceptible and tolerant varieties, respectively. CLCuMuV was inoculated on cotton plants by whitefly (Bemesia tabaci biotype Asia II-1) and detected by PCR using specific primers for the coat protein region and the Cotton leaf curl betasatellite (CLCuMuBV)-associated component of CLCuMuV. The development of disease symptoms was observed and recorded on treated and control plants. The results revealed that BTH applied at a concentration of 1.1 mM appeared to be the most effective treatment for suppressing CLCuMuV disease in both varieties. The enzymatic activities in both varieties were not significantly different, and the disease was almost equally suppressed in BTH-treated cotton plants following virus inoculation. The beta satellite and coat protein regions of CLCuMuV were not detected by PCR in the cotton plants treated with BTH at either concentration. Among all elicitors, 1.1 mM BTH was proven to be the best option for inducing resistance after the onset of CLCuMuV infection and hence it could be part of the integrated disease management program against Cotton leaf curl virus.

The prevalence of disability and associated factors among community adults in the baseline of CHCN-BTH Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Disability was a major public health problem in China. However, the prevalence of disabilities in community-dwelling adults and their relationships to chronic physical conditions were unclear. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of disabilities and associated factors among a large community-based cohort in China. METHODS: Participants who were local permanent residents aged 18 years or above and completed the disability assessments were selected from the Cohort study on Chronic Disease of Communities Natural Population in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei (CHCN-BTH) from 2017 to 2019. Disability was assessed using five questions about impairments and activity limitations based on the International Classification of Functioning (ICF), Disability and Health. Univariate, multivariate and multilevel logistic regressions were conducted to estimate the associations between disabilities and associated factors. RESULTS: Totally, 12,871 community-dwelling adults completed the survey. Among of them, 12.9% (95% CI: 12.3%-13.5%) reported having any disability. The prevalence of any disability was significantly higher in participants who were older age, widowed, retired and smokers, had higher BMI, average monthly income < 5000 RMB, lower education level, lower physical exercise frequency and heavy physical labor. Multilevel logistic regressions showed that there were significant associations between disabilities with chronic physical conditions, especially in the vision impairment with lower back pain, and hearing impairment as well as difficulty walking without special equipment with injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Many Chinese adults suffered from disabilities. Sustained efforts should be made to develop specific population-based health promotion and prevention programs for disabilities in China. TRAIL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900024725 (25/07/2019).

The Effect of Benzo(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic Acid S-Methyl Ester (BTH) and Its Cholinium Ionic Liquid Derivative on the Resistance Induction and Antioxidant Properties of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

Tomatoes are one of the most important vegetables thanks to their taste attributes and nutritional value. Their cultivation is threatened by various pathogens including viruses. The application of resistance inducers (RI), such as benzo(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) may be used to enhance plant performance against viruses. Here we aimed to compare the impact of BTH and its choline derivative (Chol-BTH) on resistance induction and antioxidant properties of healthy plants and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV)-infected ones. The response of tomato plants to treatment with BTH or Chol-BTH was manifested by increased expression of not only pathogenesis-related (PR) genes but also WRKY and Jasmonate Zim-domain protein (JAZ) genes and increased jasmonic acid (JA) levels. The effect of BTH as a resistance inducer was observed early after application, while with Chol-BTH the plant defense system reacted more strongly after 8 days. The antioxidant properties of RI-treated tomatoes are related to both glutathione content and peroxidase activity. In the case of BTH, an increase in these activities occurred early after application, while in the case of Chol-BTH, the glutathione level was particularly high in the plant early after treatment, and high peroxidase activity was observed 8 days post-treatment. Overall, the collected results indicate that Chol-BTH, due to its physicochemical parameters (e.g., good solubility) and biological activity (increased expression of lignification-related genes, supported by increases in peroxidase activity and total phenolic compounds levels), can also be a very useful agent inducing tomato resistance against viral pathogens.

Utilizing differences in bTH tolerance between the parents of two-line hybrid rice to improve the purity of hybrid rice seed.

Introduction: Two-line hybrid rice based on Photoperiod/thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (P/TGMS) lines has been developed and applied widely in agriculture due to the freedom in making hybrid combinations, less difficulty in breeding sterile lines, and simpler procedures for breeding and producing hybrid seed. However, there are certain risks associated with hybrid seed production; if the temperature during the P/TGMS fertility-sensitive period is lower than the critical temperature, seed production will fail due to self-pollination. In a previous study, we found that the issue of insufficient purity of two-line hybrid rice seed could be initially addressed by using the difference in tolerance to ß-triketone herbicides (bTHs) between the female parent and the hybrid seeds. Methods: In this study, we further investigated the types of applicable herbicides, application methods, application time, and the effects on physiological and biochemical indexes and yield in rice. Results: The results showed that this method could be used for hybrid purification by soaking seeds and spraying plants with the bTH benzobicylon (BBC) at safe concentrations in the range of 37.5-112.5 mg/L, and the seeds could be soaked in BBC at a treatment rate of 75.0 mg/L for 36-55 h without significant negative effects. The safe concentration for spraying in the field is 50.0-400.0 mg/L BBC at the three-leaf stage. Unlike BBC, Mesotrione (MST) can only be sprayed to achieve hybrid purification at concentrations between 10.0 and 70.0 mg/L without affecting yield. The three methods of hybrid seed purification can reach 100% efficiency without compromising the nutritional growth and yield of hybrid rice. Moreover, transcriptome sequencing revealed that 299 up-regulated significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the resistant material (Huazhan) poisoned by BBC, were mainly enriched in phenylalanine metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, it may eliminate the toxic effects of herbicides through this way. Discussion: Our study establishes a foundation for the application of the bTH seed purification strategy and the three methods provide an effective mechanism for improving the purity of two-line hybrid rice seeds.

[Spatiotemporal Distribution Characteristics of Co-pollution of PM2.5 and Ozone over BTH with Surrounding Area from 2015 to 2021].

PM2.5 and ozone co-pollution, which are harmful to not only human health but also the social economy, has become the pivotal issue in air pollution prevention and synergistic control, especially in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its surrounding areas and "2+26" cities. It is necessary to analyze the correlation between PM2.5 and ozone concentration and explore the mechanism of PM2.5 and ozone co-pollution. In order to study the characteristics of PM2.5 and ozone co-pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei with its surrounding area, ArcGIS and SPSS software were used to analyze the correlation between air quality data and meteorological data of the "2+26" cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its surrounding areas from 2015 to 2021. The results indicated:① PM2.5 pollution constantly decreased from 2015 to 2021, and the pollution was concentrated in the central and southern parts of the region; ozone pollution showed a trend of fluctuation and presented a pattern of "low in the southwest and high in the northeast" spatially. In terms of seasonal variation, PM2.5concentration was mainly in the order of winter>spring ≈ autumn>summer, and O3-8h concentration was in the order of summer>spring>autumn>winter. ② In the research area, days with PM2.5 exceeding the standard continued to decline, whereas days with ozone exceeding the standard fluctuated, and days with co-pollution decreased significantly; there was a strong positive correlation between PM2.5 and ozone concentration in summer, with the highest correlation coefficient of 0.52, and a strong negative correlation in winter. ③ Comparing the meteorological conditions of typical cities during the ozone pollution period with that of the co-pollution period, the co-pollution occurred under the temperature range of 23.7-26.5℃, humidity of 48%-65%, and S-SE wind direction.

Association of PM2.5 Components with Acceleration of Aging: Moderating Role of Sex Hormones.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been linked to aging risk, and a lack of knowledge about the relationships between PM2.5 components and aging risk impeded the development of healthy aging. Participants were recruited through a multicenter cross-sectional study in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China. Middle-age and older males and menopausal women completed the collection of basic information, blood samples, and clinical examinations. The biological age was estimated by Klemera-Doubal method (KDM) algorithms based on clinical biomarkers. Multiple linear regression models were applied to quantify the associations and interactions while controlling for confounders, and a restricted cubic spline function estimated the corresponding dose-response curves of the relationships. Overall, KDM-biological age acceleration was associated with PM2.5 component exposure over the preceding year in both males and females, with calcium [females: 0.795 (95% CI: 0.451, 1.138); males: 0.712 (95% CI: 0.389, 1.034)], arsenic [females: 0.770 (95% CI: 0.641, 0.899); males: 0.661 (95% CI: 0.532, 0.791)], and copper [females: 0.401 (95% CI: 0.158, 0.644); males: 0.379 (95% CI: 0.122, 0.636)] having greater estimates of the effect than total PM2.5 mass. Additionally, we observed that the associations of specific PM2.5 components with aging were lower in the higher sex hormone scenario. Maintaining high levels of sex hormones may be a crucial barrier against PM2.5 component-related aging in the middle and older age groups.

Effects of Dimerization, Dendrimerization, and Chirality in p-BthTX-I Peptide Analogs on the Antibacterial Activity and Enzymatic Inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro Protein.

Recent studies have shown that the peptide [des-Cys11,Lys12,Lys13-(p-BthTX-I)2K] (p-Bth) is a p-BthTX-I analog that shows enhanced antimicrobial activity, stability and hemolytic activity, and is easy to obtain compared to the wild-type sequence. This molecule also inhibits SARS-CoV-2 viral infection in Vero cells, acting on SARS-CoV-2 PLpro enzymatic activity. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the effects of structural modifications to p-Bth, such as dimerization, dendrimerization and chirality, on the antibacterial activity and inhibitory properties of PLpro. The results showed that the dimerization or dendrimerization of p-Bth was essential for antibacterial activity, as the monomeric structure led to a total loss of, or significant reduction in, bacterial activities. The dimers and tetramers obtained using branched lysine proved to be prominent compounds with antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, hemolysis rates were below 10% at the corresponding concentrations. Conversely, the inhibitory activity of the PLpro of SARS-CoV-2 was similar in the monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric forms of p-Bth. Our findings indicate the importance of the dimerization and dendrimerization of this important class of antimicrobial peptides, which shows great potential for antimicrobial and antiviral drug-discovery campaigns.

BTH-induced joint regulation of wound healing at the wounds of apple fruit by JA and its downstream transcription factors.

Jasmonic acids (JAs) are important injury signaling molecules, which participate in the process of wound healing in plants. However, how JA and its downstream transcription factors involve in wound healing in apple fruit mediated by BTH has not been reported yet. In the present study, BTH treatment up-regulated gene expression of MdLOX3.1, MdAOS1, MdAOC, and MdOPR3, promoting JA synthesis at fruit wounds. Moreover, BTH up-regulated the gene expression of MdMYC2, MdGAIPB, and MdMYB108 transcription factors and increased MdPAL1, Md4CL2, MdCOMT1, and MdCAD6 expression. In addition, BTH facilitated the synthesis of phenylpropanoid metabolism products and accelerated suberin polyphenolics deposition at the wounds, which effectively reduced fruit weight loss and lesion diameter of apple fruit inoculated with Penicillium expansum during healing. It is suggested that BTH induced wound healing in apple fruit by the stimulating JA and its downstream transcription factors, and phenylpropanoid metabolism.

Decomposition, decoupling, and future trends of environmental effects in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region: A regional heterogeneity-based analysis.

The green growth of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration plays a leading and exemplary role in overcoming internal resource restrictions, addressing climate change, and supporting China's high-quality growth. From the standpoint of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, this paper first conducts a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental impact based on combined weighting technique. The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model is used to decompose the environmental impact drivers in distinct areas. A decoupling effort index is further constructed to measure the effect of various efforts on the decoupling of economic growth and environmental impact, the improved grey Markov model is applied to predict the future trend of regional decoupling efforts. The results of empirical analysis based on data of the BTH region during 2011-2018 show that: 1) the environmental impact index of Beijing is the lowest followed by Tianjin and Hebei; 2) environmental regulation exerts the most significant impact on reducing environmental pressure in Beijing while technology progress and energy intensity have the most significant effect on easing environmental pressure in Tianjin; 3) strong decoupling efforts have been found in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, however, such effect is more significant in Beijing; 4) Beijing's decoupling state is mostly driven by regulatory effect, intensity effect, and scale effect, while Tianjin and Hebei's decoupling states are primarily driven by improvements in environmental regulation and energy intensity; 5) according to the forecast outcome of the improved grey Markov technique, a state of strong decoupling effort will be maintained in the BTH area by 2025, and the decoupling effort index in Beijing will remain the highest while the index in Hebei will remain the lowest.

Serum lipoprotein (a) associates with the risk of renal function damage in the CHCN-BTH Study: Cross-sectional and Mendelian randomization analyses.

Background: Evidence regarding the effects of lipoprotein (a) [lp(a)] and renal function remains unclear. The present study aimed to explore the causal association of serum lp(a) with renal function damage in Chinese general adults. Methods: A total of 25343 individuals with available lp(a) data were selected from the baseline survey of the Cohort Study on Chronic Disease of Communities Natural Population in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei (CHCN-BTH). Five renal function indexes [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid (UA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(CRPHS)] were analyzed. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) method, logistic regression, and linear regression were used to test the dose-response association between lp(a) and renal function. Stratified analyses related to demographic characteristics and disease status were performed. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to obtain the causal association of lp(a) and renal function indexes. Genotyping was accomplished by MassARRAY System. Results: Lp(a) levels were independently associated with four renal function indexes (eGFR, Scr, BUN, CRPHS). Individuals with a higher lp(a) level had a lower eGFR level, and the association with Scr estimated GFR was stronger in individuals with a lower lp(a) level (under 14 mg/dL). . The association was similar in individuals regardless of diabetes or hypertension. MR analysis confirmed the causal association of two renal function indexes (Scr and BUN). For MR analysis, each one unit higher lp(a) was associated with 7.4% higher Scr (P=0.031) in the inverse-variance weighted method. But a causal effect of genetically increased lp(a) level with increased eGFR level which contrasted with our observational results was observed. Conclusion: The observational and causal effect of lp(a) on Scr and BUN were founded, suggesting the role of lp(a) on the risk of renal function damage in general Chinese adults.

Dramatic changes in aerosol composition during the 2016-2020 heating seasons in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas: The role of primary pollutants and secondary aerosol formation.

With the implementation of a series of air pollution mitigation strategies during the past decade, great air quality improvements have been observed in the BTH region. Despite of significant decreases in gaseous pollutants, such as SO2 and NO2, the enhancement of secondary aerosol formation was observed. NO3- has surpassed SO42- and OM to become the dominant PM2.5 component. We find that the reduction of POC mainly dominated the decreasing trend of OC. As for secondary inorganic components, the key processes or factors controlling the spatial-temporal variation characteristics were different. The areas with large SO42- concentrations corresponded well to those with high SO2 concentrations, while the synchronized NO3- better followed spatial patterns in O3 than NO2. From 2016 to 2020, the response of SO42- to SO2 was close to a linear function, while the reaction of NO3- to the decrease of NO2 displayed nonlinear behavior. Such different relationships indicated that SO42- was predominantly controlled by SO2, while NO3- was not only related to NO2 but also determined by the secondary conversion process. The ratios of SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, and OC to EC between 2016 and 2020 were generally higher than 1 in typical BTH cities, and the ratio of NO3- to EC was exceptionally high, with a range reaching up to 200 %. Besides, this ratio coincided well with the enhancement of Ox, indicating the potential role of Ox to secondary NO3- formation. The diurnal cycle of NO3-, O3, and NO2 concentration change rate indicated that the relative increase of O3 during nighttime may offset the effectiveness of NOX emission reduction. This study provided observational evidence of enhanced secondary NO3- formation with the rising trend of atmospheric oxidation and emphasized the importance of nighttime chemistry for NO3- formation in the BTH region.

Observational Subseasonal Variability of the PM2.5 Concentration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area during the January 2021 Sudden Stratospheric Warming.

It is still not well understood if subseasonal variability of the local PM2.5 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region is affected by the stratospheric state. Using PM2.5 observations and the ERA5 reanalysis, the evolution of the air quality in BTH during the January 2021 sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) is explored. The subseasonal variability of the PM2.5 concentration after the SSW onset is evidently enhanced. Stratospheric circumpolar easterly anomalies lasted for 53 days during the January-February 2021 SSW with two evident stratospheric pulses arriving at the ground. During the tropospheric wave weakening period and the intermittent period of dormant stratospheric pulses, the East Asian winter monsoon weakened, anomalous temperature inversion developed in the lower troposphere, anomalous surface southerlies prevailed, atmospheric moisture increased, and the boundary layer top height lowered, all of which favor the accumulation of pollutant particulates, leading to two periods of pollution processes in the BTH region. In the phase of strengthened East Asian winter monsoon around the very beginning of the SSW and another two periods when stratospheric pulses had reached the near surface, opposite-signed circulation patterns and meteorological conditions were observed, which helped to dilute and diffuse air pollutants in the BTH region. As a result, the air quality was excellent during the two periods when the stratospheric pulse had reached the near surface. The increased subseasonal variation of the regional pollutant particulates after the SSW onset highlights the important role of the stratosphere in the regional environment and provides implications for the environmental prediction.

Investigation of the nitrogen flows of the food supply chain in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China during 1978-2017.

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) is an indispensable material for food production. However, it may cause serious environmental problems. The enhancement of nitrogen management in the food supply chain is an effective way to reduce Nr loss and increase Nr use efficiency. While Nr flows in association with the food chain have synergy in a mega-region, in-depth investigations at a cross-regional scale have remained relatively undocumented. This study developed a food-related Nr flow model based on a material flow analysis for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH) during the years 1978-2017. A multi-regional input-output method was applied to investigate the Nr emissions embodied in the transboundary food supply. The results showed that the total Nr emissions from the food system during the years 1978-2017 in the BTH region increased until 2004 and subsequently decreased gradually. In 2017, Beijing exhibited the lowest Nr emissions per capita (2.3 kg N/cap) and per land use (3089 kg N/km2), while Hebei and Tianjin demonstrated the greatest Nr emissions intensity by capita (13.6 kg N/cap) and by land use (6392 kg N/km2), respectively. While farming and livestock husbandry dominated the regional Nr emissions (i.e., responsible for 90% of the total in 2017), food consumption and waste management have had an increasingly substantial role, as their shared percentage in the total increased by 22% over the study period. Nr emissions resulting from the inner-transboundary food supply chain decreased by 81% between 2012 and 2015 but dramatically increased by 231% between 2015 and 2017. This rebound effect partially resulted from the implementation of coordinated development planning for the BTH region in 2015. This study can facilitate the efficient regulation of regional nitrogen flows and the desired transition of food supply chain.

Spatiotemporal variations of PM2.5 pollution and its dynamic relationships with meteorological conditions in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Identifying the effects of meteorological conditions on PM2.5 pollution is of great significance to explore methods to reduce atmospheric pollution. This study attempts to analyze the spatiotemporal variations of PM2.5 pollution and its dynamic nexus with meteorological factors in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region from 2015 to 2020 using standard deviation ellipse (SDE) and panel vector autoregressive (PVAR) model. The results indicate that: (1) In 2015-2020, PM2.5 pollution decreased significantly, indicating air pollution control policies in China have taken effect; Also, it showed a cumulative effect, or there was the path dependence of air pollution. (2) PM2.5 pollution presented a distribution pattern from northeast to southwest, while the directionality of air pollution has weakened. Based on SDE, PM2.5 pollution in Cangzhou can reflect the average level in the BTH; (3) Meteorological conditions exhibited a lagged and sustained effect on PM2.5 pollution. Specifically, the effects of meteorological factors on PM2.5 presented disequilibrium over time. In the long run, precipitation and temperature mainly showed negative impacts on PM2.5 pollution, while wind speed, relative humidity and sunshine duration aggravated PM2.5 pollution in the BTH. This study contributes to extending the study on the spatiotemporal evolution of PM2.5 pollution and its links with meteorological conditions.

Transcriptome sequencing and differential expression analysis of natural and BTH-treated wound healing in potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.).

BACKGROUND: Wound healing is a representative phenomenon of potato tubers subjected to mechanical injuries. Our previous results found that benzo-(1,2,3)-thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) promoted the wound healing of potato tubers. However, the molecular mechanism related to inducible wound healing remains unknown. RESULTS: Transcriptomic evaluation of healing tissues from potato tubers at three stages, namely, 0 d (nonhealing), 5 d (wounded tubers healed for 5 d) and 5 d (BTH-treated tubers healed for 5 d) using RNA-Seq and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis showed that more than 515 million high-quality reads were generated and a total of 7665 DEGs were enriched, and 16 of these DEGs were selected by qRT-PCR analysis to further confirm the RNA sequencing data. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that the most highly DEGs were involved in metabolic and cellular processes, and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that a large number of DEGs were associated with plant hormones, starch and sugar metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and terpenoid skeleton biosynthesis. Furthermore, a few candidate transcription factors, including MYB, NAC and WRKY, and genes related to Ca2+-mediated signal transduction were also found to be differentially expressed during wound healing. Most of these enriched DEGs were upregulated after BTH treatment. CONCLUSION: This comparative expression profile provided useful resources for studies of the molecular mechanism via these promising candidates involved in natural or elicitor-induced wound healing in potato tubers.

A comparative study of land development patterns and regional thermal environments (RTEs) in typical urban agglomerations of China and America: A case study of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) and Boswash.

Currently, most regional thermal environment (RTE) studies in urban agglomerations focus on developing countries, especially China. However, there is still a lack of comparative studies on the RTEs of urban agglomerations between China and other developed countries, such as the United States. This paper used the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) agglomeration in China and Boswash (the highly urbanized area extending from Boston to Washington) in the United States as examples to investigate the differences in land development patterns, RTEs and their relationship between the agglomerations of China and America. The results showed that the land development patterns of BTH and Boswash were different, as evidenced by the spatial pattern of land development intensity (LDI) and impervious surface configuration. In terms of the RTE, the sub-high land surface temperature (LST) zones were aggregated in a large and compact patch in central and northern BTH. However, the sub-high zones of the cities in Boswash were relatively separate. Moreover, the land development pattern of Boswash showed a stronger relationship with the RTE than that of BTH did. Global Moran's I between the LDI and LST in Boswash was higher than that in BTH. In addition, the correlation between impervious surface configuration and LST in Boswash was stronger than that in BTH, and this correlation was more controlled by LDI in Boswash. This study also indicated that BTH should change the land development pattern to prevent the further expansion of aggregated sub-high LST zones and control the proximity of high LST zones in cities in central and southern BTH, however, Boswash should adopt some local heat management approaches (installing cool and green roofs and creating more green space) in the core areas to help reduce the very high temperatures in the already highly developed areas where the largest fraction of people live.

Impact of lipoprotein(a) level on cardiometabolic disease in the Chinese population: The CHCN-BTH Study.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of promising compounds to lower lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has increased the need for a precise characterisation and comparability assessment of Lp(a)-associated cardiometabolic disease risk. This study aimed to evaluate the distribution of Lp(a) levels in a Chinese population and characterise the association with cardiometabolic diseases. METHODS: We assessed data from individuals from the Cohort Study on Chronic Diseases of the General Community Population in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region project. All Lp(a) measurements were performed in the same hospital. The cardiometabolic diseases considered were coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, hypertension and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). RESULTS: A total of 25343 individuals were included in the study. The median level of Lp(a) was 11.9 mg/dl (IQR 5.9 to 23.7 mg/dl), and higher Lp(a) levels showed a significant concentration-dependent association with CHD risk. Individuals with Lp(a) levels lower than the 25th percentile were at increased risk of hypertension (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.25) and T2DM (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.03-1.28); however, Lp(a) levels were not significantly associated with stroke. The addition of Lp(a) levels to the prognostic model led to a marginal but significant C-index, integrated discrimination improvement and net reclassification improvement. CONCLUSIONS: In this large sample size study, we observed that elevated Lp(a) levels were significantly associated with CHD. Furthermore, we found that the lowest Lp(a) levels were also significantly associated with hypertension and T2DM. These results provide evidence for differential approaches to higher levels of Lp(a) in individuals with different cardiometabolic diseases.