Novel PTPRQ variants associated with hearing loss in a Chinese family PTPRQ variants in Chinese hearing loss.

Introduction: Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent congenital sensory disorders. Over 50% of congenital hearing loss cases are attributed to genetic factors. The PTPRQ gene encodes the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor Q, which plays an important role in maintaining the structure and function of the stereocilia of hair cells. Variants in the PTPRQ gene have been implicated in hereditary sensorineural hearing loss. Methods and Results: Utilizing next-generation sequencing technology, we identified novel compound heterozygous variants (c.977G>A:p.W326X and c.6742C>T:p.Q2248X) in the PTPRQ gene within a Chinese national lineage, marking the first association of these variants with hereditary sensorineural hearing loss. Discussion: Our findings further emphasize the critical role of PTPRQ in auditory function and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of PTPRQ-associated hearing loss mechanisms, aiding in clinical management and genetic counseling.

Development of a Highly Sensitive, Visual Platform for the Detection of Cadmium in Actual Wastewater Based on Evolved Whole-Cell Biosensors.

A whole-cell biosensor (WCB) is a convenient and cost-effective method for detecting contaminants. However, the practical application of the cadmium WCBs has been hampered by performance deficiencies, such as low sensitivity, specificity, and responsive strength. In this study, to improve the performance of cadmium WCBs, the cadmium transcription factor (CadC) and its DNA binding site (CadO), the key sensing module of the biosensor, were successively and separately subjected to a two-step directed evolution: 6-round random mutagenesis for CadC and 2-round saturation mutagenesis for CadO. For practical application, the GFP reporter gene was replaced with the lacZ gene and a facile and rapid smartphone detection platform for actual water samples was established by optimizing the reaction systems with detergents. The results showed that the evolved cadmium fluorescent biosensor CadO66 exhibited a higher specificity and a detection limit of 0.034 µg/L, representing a 19-fold reduction compared to the wild-type cadmium biosensor. The detergent sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate effectively enhanced the visualization of WCB B0033-lacZ. Using the fluorescent WCB CadO66 and the visual WCB B0033-lacZ to analyze the cadmium contents of the actual water samples, the results were also consistent with a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. Taken together, this study indicates that the two-step directed evolution of CadC and CadO can efficiently improve the performance of cadmium WCBs, further promoting the utilization of WCB in actual sample detection and presenting a promising and feasible method for rapid sample detection.

How do urban rainfall-runoff pollution control technologies develop in China? A systematic review based on bibliometric analysis and literature summary.

Rapid urbanization in China is driving the need of urban rainfall-runoff pollution control technologies due to adverse impacts on water environment. In this study, literature from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Web of Science and Scopus in 1995/1/1-2019/5/15 are used to review research hotspots, development process and future directions of urban rainfall-runoff pollution control technologies in China and global world. Temporal evolution of publications showed that source reduction played better growing trend in urban rainfall-runoff pollution control field for both China and global world. Furthermore, with bibliometric tool, density visualization maps and co-occurrence network maps were created to identify research hotspots in China and global world. By comprehensively analyzing research hotspots above and development process from extracted literature, future directions of urban rainfall-runoff pollution control technologies were predicted. For model and strategy, both China and global world would concern on the accuracy of models to evaluate combination technologies. For source reduction, China would explore rainwater purification in sponge city, while global world would investigate match characteristics between specific regions and control technologies, combination between model and technologies, and improvement of pollutants removal. For process control, China would enhance ecological gutter inlet performance, whereas global world would concentrate on optimization of rainwater harvesting system. For post treatment, China would estimate modified hydrocylone and coagulation technology, and improve performance of filtration systems, riparian buffers and constructed wetlands, while global world would explore ecological and landscape function of constructed wetlands. Since China ranked first in producing Western publications and was the second most cited country for Western publications recently, China would significantly influence future development of urban rainfall-runoff pollution control technologies around the world. Meanwhile, some directions including infiltration basin and rainwater harvesting system were still shortcomings for China due to a late start of urban rainfall-runoff pollution control technologies in China.

Renshen (Panax ginseng) and Huanglian (Rhizoma Coptidis) For T2DM: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar caused by impaired insulin action. With an increasing incidence year by year, it has become a worldwide epidemic. Because of its serious, long-term condition, T2DM has a bad impact on the life and well-being of individuals, families and society. Renshen and Huanglian or compound prescription contain Renshen and Huanglian for treatment of T2DM has already been confirmed. However, due to the lack of evidence, there is no specific method or suggestion, so it is necessary to carry out systematic evaluation on Renshen and Huanglian and provide effective evidence for further research. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Nature, Science on line, the Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (CNKI, Wan Fang, VIP, Chinese biomedical database), from the establishment of database to October 2020, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ginseng and coptis and the compound containing ginseng and coptis in the treatment of T2DM. Primary outcomes: fasting blood-glucose (FBG), 2 Hours Postprandial Blood Glucose (2hPBG), Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Additional outcomes: Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG), total serum cholesterol (TC). Two researchers independently extracted the data and evaluated the quality of the included research, and meta-analysis was conducted on the included data using the software of RevMan5.3 and Stata V.12.0. RESULTS: The results of this study will systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Renshen and Huanglian intervention for people with T2DM. CONCLUSION: The systematic review of this study will summarize the current published evidence of Renshen and Huanglian or compound prescription contain Renshen and Huanglian for the treatment of T2DM, which can further guide the promotion and application of it. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study is a systematic review; the outcomes are based on the published evidence, so examination and agreement by the ethics committee are not required in this study. We intend to publish the study results in a journal or conference presentations. OPEN SCIENCE FRAMEWORK OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: October 18, 2020. osf.io/8gz7c (https://osf.io/8gz7c).

Novel CuCo2O4 Composite Spinel with a Meso-Macroporous Nanosheet Structure for Sulfate Radical Formation and Benzophenone-4 Degradation: Interface Reaction, Degradation Pathway, and DFT Calculation.

A series of CuCo2O4 composite spinels with an interconnected meso-macroporous nanosheet morphology were synthesized using the hydrothermal method and subsequent calcination treatment to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for benzophenone-4 (BP-4) degradation. As-prepared CuCo2O4 composite spinels, especially CuCo-H3 prepared by adding cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, showed superior reactivity for PMS activation. In a typical reaction, BP-4 (10.0 mg/L) was almost completely degraded in 15 min by the activation of PMS (200.0 mg/L) using CuCo-H3 (100.0 mg/L), with only 9.2 µg/L cobalt leaching detected. Even after being used six times, the performance was not influenced by the lower leaching of ions and surface-absorbed intermediates. The possible interface mechanism of PMS activation by CuCo-H3 was proposed, wherein a unique interconnected meso-macroporous nanosheet structure, strong interactions between copper and cobalt, and cycling of Co(II)/Co(III) and Cu(I)/Cu(II) effectively facilitated PMS activation to generate SO4•- and •OH, which contributed to BP-4 degradation. Furthermore, combined with intermediates detected by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and density functional theory calculation results, the degradation pathway of BP-4 involving hydroxylation and C-C bond cleavage was proposed.

Occurrence and risk assessment of heavy metals in an urban river supplied by reclaimed wastewater.

Heavy metals in reclaimed water are a global problem that leads to ecological risks for the replenishment water body. This study investigated concentrations and ecological risks posed by heavy metals in SH River, Beijing, which is supplied by reclaimed water. Results showed that Cr was not detected in the sample, Cd and Pb exceeded threshold values according to regulations by 1.19% and 25.00%, respectively. The characterization of temporal and spatial of heavy metals was studied. The potential ecological risks posed by heavy metals in SH River were found to be low and safe. The risk decreased in the order Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd > As by comprehensive index assessment; this changed to Pb > Cd > As > Ni > Cu > Zn according to potential ecological risk assessment. Pb posed the greatest ecological risks and was identified as most contaminated metal. According to discussion of sampling sites and water quality, it was proposed that reclaimed water and exogenous discharges were the main sources of the heavy metals identified. This should be considered when developing catchment management strategies for heavy metals elimination and protection of the aquatic environment. If a higher level of ecological risk management is required, Pb, Cd, and Cu should be considered first and should be removed in situ through ecological remediation methods. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Reclaimed water and exogenous discharges were the main sources of the heavy metals identified. The potential ecological risks posed by heavy metals in SH River were found to be low and safe. The risk decreased in the order Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd > As by comprehensive index assessment. Potential ecological risk assessment showed Pb > Cd > As > Ni > Cu > Zn. Pb posed the greatest ecological risks and was identified as most contaminated metal.

Protective effect of glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) on intestinal tissues after severe burn in experimental rats.

Intestinal barrier damage after scald and burns, other trauma or major operations result in severe intestinal infections that cause serious consequences. Therefore, it is important to develop methods to protect intestinal barrier after severe burns. This study used rats that had full-thickness burn of approximately 30% of the total body surface area to investigate the effect and mechanism of glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) and provide experimental evidence for application of GIK in protecting the intestine after burns or other trauma and major surgeries. The results show that the degree of intestinal damage and plasma diamine oxidase (DAO) levels in GIK (the concentrations of glucose, insulin, sodium chloride and potassium chloride were 100 g l(-1), 70 U l(-1), 9 g l(-1) and 5 g l(-1), respectively) and insulin (30 IU l(-1)) treatment groups were significantly lower than that in control group; the status of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines and the ratio between them in GIK and insulin groups also significantly improved compared to those in control group; intestinal tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and IL10/TNFα in GIK and insulin groups 2 days after the injury were also improved significantly compared to those in control group. All the indices including body weight detected in GIK group were improved to those in insulin group. Taken together, these results show that GIK and insulin show protective effect on intestine after severe burn, which may relate to controlling hyperglycaemia and regulating intestinal expression of NFκB and pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine genes by GIK and insulin; the protective effect of GIK on intestinal tissue after severe burn is superior to that of using insulin alone, which may attribute to improving the nutritional status by glucose supplement and the relatively higher dose of insulin in the GIK group.

[Influence of glucose-insulin-potassium on the levels of inflammatory cytokines and prognosis of MODS in the scalded rats].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of glucose-insulin-potassium treatment (GIK) on the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the scalded rats with MODS. METHODS: One hundred and twenty Sprague Dawley rats were inflicted with 30% TBSA full-thickness scalding, and MODS model was reproduced with intraperitoneal injection of endotoxin following burn injury. Then the rats were randomly divided into GIK, glucose (G) and control (C) groups, with 40 rats in each group. The serum contents of glucose, lactate acid, TNF-alpha, NO and IL-6 of the rats in the three groups were determined during 1 to 7 PSD, and the mortality rate within 7 PSD was observed. RESULTS: The serum contents of glucose, lactate acid, TNF-alpha, NO and IL-6 of the rats in the GIK group were obviously lower than those in the other two groups during 1 to 7 PSD (P < 0.01), and reached the lowest level at 6 to 7 PSD (TNF-alpha: 2.37 +/- 0.54 microg/L; IL-6: 0.28 +/- 0.17 microg/L; NO: 29 +/- 9 micromol/L). The content of glucose and lactate acid in G group were obviously higher than those in control group (P < 0.01), but the contents of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and NO content were similar between these two groups (P > 0.05). The mortality in GIK group within 7 PSD was 20.0%, which was evidently lower than that in G (37.5%) and C (47.5%) groups (P < 0.05), while that between G and C groups was similar (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The administration of GIK might ameliorate sepsis by reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokine after burns and endotoxin challenge.