CBX2-mediated suppression of SIAH2 triggers WNK1 accumulations to promote glycolysis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Previous studies have highlighted the poor prognosis of liver cancer, and treatment effects are overall limited. We aimed to confirm the biological roles of SIAH2 in liver cancer and provide potential therapeutic targets. Differential analysis was conducted based on public datasets and found that SIAH2 expressed lowly in HCC samples relative to normal tissues, which was demonstrated in tumor samples via immunohistochemistry (IHC). Besides, SIAH2 overexpression could significantly suppress HCC proliferation. SIAH2 deficiency induced cell proliferation, migration and self-renewal abilities in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, SIAH2 could interact with WNK1, and trigger the ubiquitination and degradation of WNK1 proteins. In addition, low SIAH2 depended on elevated WNK1 proteins to drive HCC malignant features, including proliferation, migration and stemness. Meanwhile, we further found that CBX2 could regulate SIAH2 expressions. CBX2 cooperated with EZH2 to mediate the H3K27me3 enrichment on the promoter region of SIAH2 to suppress its transcriptional levels. High CBX2/EZH2 levels in HCC correlated with poor prognosis of patients. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) further implicated that WNK1 correlates tightly with glycolytic process in HCC samples. WNK1 overexpression was found to notably enhance glycolytic activity, whereas WNK1 deficiency could significantly suppress the HCC glycolysis activity. Lastly, the subcutaneous tumor model further demonstrated that targeting WNK1 was effective to inhibit the in vivo tumor growth of SIAH2low HCC. Collectively, down-regulated SIAH2 expressions induced by CBX2/EZH2 could drive progression and glycolysis via accumulating WNK1 proteins, indicating that CBX2/SIAH2/WNK1 axis is a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic vulnerability for human HCC.

Errate: Enhanced Patient Comfort and Satisfaction with Early Oral Feeding after Thoracoscopic Lung Cancer Resection.

The published grant number was "OFJH2021008", while the correct should read "DFJH2021008". Reference: Yinghong Wu, Huiling Liu, Minghao Zhong, Xiyi Chen, Zhiqiong Ba, Guibin Qiao, Jiejie Feng, Xiuqun Zeng: Enhanced Patient Comfort and Satisfaction with Early Oral Feeding after Thoracoscopic Lung Cancer Resection. Med Sci Monit, 2023; 29: e941577. DOI: 10.12659/MSM.941577.

Cross-Link-Dependent Ionogel-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerators with Slippery and Antireflective Properties.

Given the ability to convert various ambient unused mechanical energies into useful electricity, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are gaining interest since their inception. Recently, ionogel-based TENGs (I-TENGs) have attracted increasing attention because of their excellent thermal stability and adjustable ionic conductivity. However, previous studies on ionogels mainly pursued the device performance or applications under harsh conditions, whereas few have investigated the structure-property relationships of components to performance. The results indicate that the ionogel formulation-composed of a crosslinking monomer with an ionic liquid-affects the conductivity of the ionogel by modulating the cross-link density. In addition, the ratio of cross-linker to ionic liquid is important to ensure the formation of efficient charge channels, yet increasing ionic liquid content delivers diminishing returns. The ionogels are then used in I-TENGs to harvest water droplet energy and the performance is correlated to the ionogels structure-property relationships. Improvement of the energy harvesting is further explored by the introduction of surface polymer brushes on I-TENGs via a facile and universal method, which enhances droplet sliding by means of ideal surface contact angle hysteresis and improves its anti-reflective properties by employing the I-TENG as a surface covering for solar cells.

Enhanced Patient Comfort and Satisfaction with Early Oral Feeding after Thoracoscopic Lung Cancer Resection.

BACKGROUND The study aimed to compare the patient-reported outcomes in patients who underwent early vs conventional feeding after thoracoscopic lung cancer resection. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study enrolled 211 patients who underwent thoracoscopic lung cancer resection at a tertiary hospital between July 2021 and July 2022. Patients were randomly assigned to the conventional group or the early feeding group. There were 106 patients in the early feeding group and 105 patients in the conventional group. The conventional group received water 4 h after extubation and liquid/semi-liquid food 6 h after extubation. In contrast, the early feeding group received water 1 h after extubation and liquid/semi-liquid food 2 h after extubation. The primary outcomes were the degree of hunger, thirst, nausea, and vomiting. The secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, duration of hospital stay, and chest tube drainage. RESULTS No differences were found between the 2 groups in the degrees of postoperative nausea, vomiting, or pain after extubation for 1, 2, 4, and 8 h. Postoperative complications, duration of chest tube drainage, and duration of hospital stay were also similar (P=0.567, P=0.783, P=0.696). However, the hunger and thirst scores after extubation for 2 h and 4 h decreased and were lower in the early feeding group (both P<0.001). No patients developed choking, postoperative aspiration, gastrointestinal obstruction, or other complications. CONCLUSIONS Early oral feeding after thoracoscopic lung cancer resection is safe and can increase patient comfort postoperatively.

Metasurface absorber with ultra-thin thickness designed for a terahertz focal plane array detector.

Terahertz (THz) refers to electromagnetic waves with frequency from 0.1 to 10 THz, which lies between millimeter waves and infrared light. This paper proposes an ultra-thin metasurface absorber which is perfectly suited to be the signal coupling part of terahertz focal plane array (FPA) detector. The absorptance of the proposed metasurface is higher than 80% from 4.46 to 5.76 THz (25.4%) while the thickness is merely 1.12 µm (0.018 λ). Since the metasurface absorber will be applied to terahertz FPA detector which requires planar array formation, it is divided into meta-atoms. Each meta-atom consists of the same unit cell layout, and air gaps are introduced between adjacent meta-atoms to enhance the thermal isolation, which is crucial for FPA detector to obtain desired imaging results. Due to the symmetrical layout of meta-atoms, absorptance keeps stable for different polarized waves, moreover, good absorptance could also be achieved for incidence angles range of ± 30 °. Spectral measurements show good agreement with the simulation. As a result, features of ultra-thin thickness, polarization insensitivity, and high absorptance make the proposed metasurface absorber well suited to highly efficient coupling of terahertz signals in FPA detector.

Excretion characteristics of nylon microplastics and absorption risk of nanoplastics in rats.

Ingestion of environmental microplastics (MPs) by animals is receiving a great health concern, because of its potential adverse effects on organisms. Most ingested MPs will be excreted, while the health threats depend largely on the excretory dynamics. Although the excretion characteristics of MPs in invertebrates and fishes have been studied, information on the excretion of MPs in mammals remains lacking, especially for the fibrous MPs. Here, fibrous and granular MP and nanoplastic (NP) of nylon polymer (polyamide 66, PA66) were exposed in rats by oral in the first day, then the excretion behavior of ingested PA66 in rats was quantified using mass quantification of liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) together with the microscope observation. Although most of the ingested PA66-MP or PA66-NP was excreted within 48 h, the three forms of PA66 were not completely cleared by the rats even after seven days excretion. The excretion of PA66 in rats was well-described by a first-order kinetics model, and the calculated half-lives of elimination of PA66 polymer in rats are 19.9 h (fibrous PA66-MP), 23.7 h (granular PA66-MP), and 36.9 h (PA66-NP), indicating rats excrete smaller MPs more slowly than the bigger ones. This was further confirmed by the particle size distribution of granular PA66-MP observed in feces. Besides, approximately 30% of the ingested PA66-NP were failed to be detected in feces, while the occurrence of PA66-NP in rat serum induced by PA66-NP ingestion was found. This indicates that PA66-NP can pass through the gut barrier and entered the blood circulation. Therefore, the health risks of ingested MPs, especially for the NPs, deserve further attention.

Stopping the supply of iodized salt alone is not enough to make iodine nutrition suitable for children in higher water iodine areas: A cross-sectional study in northern China.

BACKGROUND: For the sake of children's health, iodized salt supply has been stopped in many areas with excessive iodine in the drinking water, but children's iodine nutrition status and thyroid function after terminating the iodized salt supply is unknown. Objective We assessed the iodine nutrition, thyroid function and influencing factors for thyroid abnormalities in children from areas with different concentrations of water iodine; the supply of iodized salt has been stopped in high water iodine areas. This study aimed to evaluate whether the strategy of stopping the supplies of iodized salt alone is enough to avoid thyroid dysfunction in all areas with excess water iodine while still meeting the iodine nutrition needs of children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in children from four areas with different drinking water iodine concentrations in Tianjin, China. The drinking water samplings and spot urine samples were collected to estimate the external and internal iodine exposure levels. The thyroid volume was measured, and blood samples were collected to assess thyroid function. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze risk factors for thyroid abnormalities. A dietary survey was conducted to determine the sources of iodine nutrition among the areas with different iodine concentrations in the drinking water. RESULTS: In the area with a drinking water iodine concentration ≥300 µg/L, the median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in children was 476.30 (332.20-639.30) µg/L, which was higher than that in other groups (all P < 0.05), and the prevalence of thyroid nodules and the thyroid goiter rate were higher than those in the <100 µg/L, 100-150 µg/L and 150-300 µg/L areas (all P < 0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that the risk of thyroid abnormalities was significantly increased in the UIC 200-299 µg/L group (OR: 4.534; 95% CI: 1.565, 13.135; bootstrapped 95% CI: 1.689, 21.206, P = 0.004) and in the UIC ≥ 300 µg/L group (OR: 6.962; 95% CI: 2.490, 19.460; bootstrapped 95% CI: 2.838, 32.570, P = 0.001) compared to the 100-199 µg/L group. The iodine contribution rates from water in areas with water iodine concentrations ≥300 µg/L are up to 63.04%. CONCLUSIONS: After termination of the iodized salt supply, the level of iodine nutrition of children in the area with drinking water iodine concentrations ≥300 µg/L is still excessive. The water source needs to be replaced in this area. In the area with a water iodine concentration of 150-300 µg/L, it is proposed that stopping the supply of iodized salt is sufficient to achieve the proper iodine nutrition status in children.

Pollution Characterization and Source Apportionment of Day and Night PM2.5 Samples in Urban and Suburban Communities of Tianjin (China).

Day and night PM2.5 samples were collected from two typical urban and suburban communities in Tianjin. The major chemical components in PM2.5, including the metal elements, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and inorganic water-soluble ions, were monitored. A positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was used to apportion the potential sources of PM2.5 at the two sites in the daytime and nighttime. The results indicated that the PM2.5 concentration was higher in the suburban area than in the urban area during the daytime in winter. The daytime and nighttime PAHs concentrations at both sites were both generally higher in winter than in summer. The concentrations of some of the metal elements were higher in summer than in winter. Regional differences and day and night differences in the metals and water-soluble ions commonly existed. The PMF analysis indicated that coal combustion and transportation-related sources were the predominant sources in the urban and suburban areas in the daytime in winter, and secondary aerosols were the most important source for the suburban area in the nighttime in winter. There were more pollution sources of PM2.5 during the daytime in summer, especially in the suburban area. In the nighttime in summer, the pollution sources of PM2.5 in the urban and suburbs areas were basically the same, but the source apportionment was quite different.

Chlorpyrifos exposure in farmers and urban adults: Metabolic characteristic, exposure estimation, and potential effect of oxidative damage.

Chlorpyrifos is a widely used organophosphorus pesticide that efficiently protects crops against pests. However, recent studies suggest that severe exposure to chlorpyrifos may present adverse health effects in human. To analyze the exposure level and metabolic characteristics of chlorpyrifos pesticide in urban adults and farmers with/without occupation pesticide contact, the occurrence of urinary chlorpyrifos and methyl chlorpyrifos (CP-me), as well as their metabolite, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), was determined in farmers of an agricultural village in China, and in urban adults of a nearby town. The geometric mean (GM) concentrations of TCPy, which is the major marker of chlorpyrifos exposure, were 4.29 and 7.57µg/g-creatinine in urban adults and farmers before pesticide application, respectively. Chlorpyrifos spraying significantly increased the concentrations of urinary TCPy. In the first day after spraying, a GM concentration of 43.7µg/g-creatinine was detected in the urine specimens from farmers, which decreased to 38.1 and 22.8µg/g-creatinine in the second and third day after chlorpyrifos spraying. The ratio of TCPy and its parent compounds, i.e. chlorpyrifos and CP-me, was positively associated with the sum concentration of urinary chlorpyrifos, CP-me, and TCPy, suggesting the increasing metabolic efficiency of chlorpyrifos to TCPy at higher chlorpyrifos exposure levels. To estimate the farmers' occupational exposure to chlorpyrifos pesticide, a new model based on the fitted first-order elimination kinetics of TCPy was established. Occupational chlorpyrifos exposure in a farmer was estimated to be 3.70µg/kg-bw/day (GM), which is an exposure level that is higher than the recommended guideline levels. Significant increase of urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was observed on the first day after chlorpyrifos spraying, which indicates a potential oxidative damage in farmers. However, urinary 8-OHdG returned to its baseline level within two days.

Occurrence and Profile Characteristics of the Pesticide Imidacloprid, Preservative Parabens, and Their Metabolites in Human Urine from Rural and Urban China.

Knowledge of human exposure to imidacloprid, the most extensively used insecticide, and para-hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens), the most extensively used preservative, is insufficient. In this study, 295 urine samples collected from subjects in rural and urban areas in China were analyzed for imidacloprid and four parabens (namely, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, and butyl paraben) as well as their major metabolites (namely, 6-chloronicotinic acid (6-ClNA) and para-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HB)). Imidacloprid was detected in 100% of the urine samples from rural Chinese subjects and 95% of the urine samples from urban Chinese subjects. Concentrations of urinary imidacloprid detected in rural Chinese subjects (geometric mean (GM) = 0.18 ng/mL) were slightly higher than those detected in urban Chinese subjects (GM = 0.15 ng/mL) when the effect of pesticide spraying was excluded. However, concentrations of urinary imidacloprid detected in rural adults increased significantly in the subsequent days of pesticide spraying (GM = 0.62 ng/mL), which could return to the normal levels within 3 days. In contrast, concentrations of urinary parabens detected in rural Chinese subjects (GM = 6.90 ng/mL) were lower than that in urban Chinese subjects (GM = 30.5 ng/mL). In addition, the metabolism characteristics of imidacloprid to 6-ClNA and parabens to p-HB were discussed preliminarily.

First multicenter study on multidrug resistant bacteria carriage in Chinese ICUs.

BACKGROUND: The importance of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in Chinese hospitals is not clearly delineated. Thus we sought to assess the prevalence of MDRO in Chinese intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: Prospective study of inpatients admitted consecutively to eight ICUs in four Chinese cities in 2009-10. Admission and weekly screenings were performed by using selective media for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For the two latters, resistance to ceftazidime defined MDRO. Backward logistic regression models were designed to assess factors independently associated with MDRO carriage on admission and MDRO acquisition within ICUs. RESULTS: 686 patients were included, and the MDRO prevalence rate on admission was 30.5 % (32.7 % for ESBL-positive Enterobacteriaceae, 3.2 % for MRSA). Antibiotic treatment prior to ICU admission was independently associated with carriage on admission (OR: 1.4) in multivariate analysis. A total of 104 patients acquired ≥1 MDRO in ICU (overall attack rate: 23.7 %; 14.9 % for ESBL-positive Enterobacteriaceae, and 5.1 % for MRSA). The MDRO attack rate increased from 13.2 % in the first week to 82.1 % for ICU stay > 3 weeks. Duration of antibiotic exposure (OR: 1.16; 1.1-1.2) and prior antibiotic treatment before ICU (OR: 2.1; 1.1-3.3) were associated with MDRO acquisition in multivariate analysis. The MDRO prevalence rate on ICU discharge was 51.2 % and the global prevalence density rate 71 per 1000 hospital-days. CONCLUSION: More than one out of two patients was MDRO carrier on ICU discharge in Chinese hospitals. This is the result of the combination of a high MDRO prevalence rate on ICU admission and a high MDRO acquisition rate within ICU.

Effect of cosolutes on the sorption of phenanthrene onto mineral surface of river sediments and kaolinite.

Sorption of phenanthrene onto the natural sediment with low organic carbon content (OC%), organic-free sediment, and kaolinite was investigated through isotherm experiments. Effects of cosolutes (pyrene, 4-n-nonyphenol (NP), and humic acid (HA)) on phenanthrene sorption were also studied by comparing apparent solid-water distribution coefficients (K d (app)) of phenanthrene. Two addition sequences, including "cosolute added prior to phenanthrene" and "cosolute and phenanthrene added simultaneously," were adopted. The Freundlich model fits phenanthrene sorption on all 3 sorbents well. The sorption coefficients on these sorbents were similar, suggesting that mineral surface plays an important role in the sorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants on low OC% sediments. Cosolutes could affect phenanthrene sorption on the sorbents, which depended on their properties, concentrations, and addition sequences. Pyrene inhibited phenanthrene sorption. Sorbed NP inhibited phenanthrene sorption at low levels and promoted sorption at high levels. Similar to NP, effect of HA on phenanthrene sorption onto the natural sediment depended on its concentrations, whereas, for the organic-free sediment and kaolinite, preloading of HA at high levels led to an enhancement in phenanthrene K d (app) while no obvious effect was observed at low HA levels; dissolved HA could inhibit phenanthrene sorption on the two sorbents.

Microplastics release from face masks: Characteristics, influential factors, and potential risks.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have been used popularly and disposed of improperly, leading to the generation of a large amount of microplastics. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive insight into the characteristics of mask-derived microplastics, the influential factors of microplastics release, and the potential risks of these microplastics to the environment and organisms. Mask-derived microplastics were predominantly transparent fibers, with a length of <1 mm. The release of microplastics from masks is mainly influenced by mask types, use habits, and weathering conditions. Under the same conditions, surgical masks release more microplastics than other types of masks. Long-term wearing of masks and the disinfection for reuse can promote the release of microplastics. Environmental media, UV irradiation, temperature, pH value, and mechanical shear can also influence the microplastics release. The risks of mask-derived microplastics to human health via inhalation cannot be neglected. Future studies should pay more attention to the release of microplastics from the masks with alternative materials and under more weathering conditions.

Functional study of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase MsLPMO3 from Morchella sextelata in the oxidative degradation of cellulose.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) can improve the effectiveness with which agricultural waste is utilized. This study described the potent AA9 family protein MsLPMO3, derived from Morchella sextelata. It exhibited strong binding to phosphoric acid swollen cellulose (PASC), and had the considerable binding ability to Cu2+ with a Kd value of 2.70 µM by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). MsLPMO3 could also act on PASC at the C1 carbon via MALDI-TOF-MS results. Moreover, MsLPMO3 could boost the hydrolysis efficiency of corncob and wheat bran in combination with glycoside hydrolases. MsLPMO3 also exhibited strong oxidizing ability for 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DMP), achieving the best Vmax value of 443.36 U·g-1 for pH 7.4 with a H2O2 concentration of 300 µM. The structure of MsLPMO3 was obtained using AlphaFold2, and the molecular docking results elucidated the specific interactions and key residues involved in the recognition process between MsLPMO3 and cellulose. Altogether, this study expands the knowledge of AA9 family proteins in cellulose degradation, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms of synergistic degradation of lignocellulose with cellulases.

Characteristic profiles of urinary p-hydroxybenzoic acid and its esters (parabens) in children and adults from the United States and China.

Hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens) are used as preservatives in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, which results in the exposure of humans to these compounds. Parabens and its metabolite, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HB) are excreted from urine in free and conjugated forms. In this study, free and total forms (free plus conjugated) of parabens and their common metabolite, p-HB, were measured in urine samples collected from U.S. children (n = 40), Chinese children (n = 70), and Chinese adults (n = 26). The median concentrations of the sum of 6 parabens (Σparabens) in urine from U.S. and Chinese children were 54.6 and 10.1 ng/mL, respectively. The median concentration of urinary parabens measured for Chinese adults was 33.2 ng/mL, which was lower than that reported for U.S. adults. Elevated concentrations of parabens (1000-10,000 ng/mL) were found in urine from some Chinese adult females. Parabens were present predominantly (>90%) as conjugated species in urine. Among the six parabens analyzed, methyl paraben (MeP) and propyl paraben (PrP) were the predominant compounds, which accounted for 57-98% and 1.4-12%, respectively, of the total concentrations. A significant positive correlation was found between the concentrations of MeP and PrP. The geometric mean (GM) concentration of p-HB was 1380 and 2370 ng/mL for Chinese children and adults, respectively. The GM concentrations of p-HB in urine from U.S. children were 752 ng/mL for girls and 628 ng/mL for boys, which were 2-3 times lower than the concentrations determined for Chinese children. There was a significant difference in the ratios of concentrations of Σparabens and p-HB between demographic groups, which suggested the existence of various exposure routes to parabens. Based on the concentrations of urinary parabens and p-HB, the daily intake (DI) of MeP and PrP was estimated. The GM DI(MeP) estimated for Chinese children was 0.5-0.7 mg/day, which was similar to those determined for U.S. children. The GM DI(PrP) (0.2-0.5 mg/day) estimated for Chinese children was 20- to 50-fold higher than the value determined for U.S. children (0.01 mg/day). The highest exposure to parabens was found for Chinese adult females, with GM DI(MeP) and DI(PrP) of 5.9 and 1.2 mg/day, respectively. Elevated exposure to PrP was found in some Chinese adult females (27 mg/day) and children (11 mg/day).

Defect Engineering of Nanomaterials for Catalysis.

Defect chemistry is a branch of materials science that deals with the study of the properties and behavior of defects in crystalline solids [...].

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor with hemophilic syndrome and bone marrow fibrosis: A rare case report.

BACKGROUND: Malignant schwannoma is a rare tumor in the peripheral nervous system, accounting for approximately 5% to 10% of systemic soft tissue sarcomas. Especially, malignant schwannoma occurring in the broad ligament of the uterus with hemophilic syndrome and bone marrow fibrosis is extremely rare in clinical practice. Here, we report the first case of an patient diagnosed with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) of the broad ligament of the uterus with hemophilic syndrome and bone marrow fibrosis, and share our reference clinical diagnosis and treatment experience. CASE SUMMARY: A patient was diagnosed with MPNST of the uterus harboring hemophilic syndrome and bone marrow fibrosis. She received combination, and repeated imaging revealed further encountered rare complications (hemophilia syndrome and bone marrow fibrosis) after two cycles of chemotherapy. Thereafter, combined treatment with pazopanib, gemcitabine, and dacarbazine was initiated. Unfortunately, the patient succumbed to death at hospital after two weeks. CONCLUSION: This report firstly provided reference clinical practice for a patient with MPNST of the uterus harboring hemophilic syndrome and bone marrow fibrosis. Our case raises a reminder about the tolerance and safety of combination therapy, especially in young women.

Widespread occurrence and distribution of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) and its derivatives in human urine from the United States and China.

Despite reports of the occurrence of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) and its derivatives in canned foods and consumer products, biomonitoring studies of human exposure to these compounds are lacking. In this study, 127 urine samples collected from the U.S. and China were analyzed for free and total (free plus conjugated) concentrations of BADGE and its three derivatives, bisphenol A (2,3-dihydroxypropyl) glycidyl ether [BADGE·H(2)O], bisphenol A (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) (2,3-dihydroxypropyl) ether [BADGE·HCl·H(2)O], and bisphenol A bis (2,3-dihydroxypropyl) ether [BADGE·2H(2)O], using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). BADGE and its three derivatives (collectively referred to as BADGEs) were found in 100% of the urine samples analyzed. Total urinary concentrations of BADGEs in the U.S. ranged from 1.24 to 9.03 ng/mL, with a GM concentration of 3 ng/mL. Concentrations of BADGEs in urine from adults (GM: 1.36 ng/mL) and children (1.02 ng/mL) in China were 3-fold lower than the concentrations found in the U.S. Both free and conjugated forms of BADGEs were present in urine, and the proportion of free form was inversely related to the total concentration of BADGEs. Among the four BADGEs measured in urine, BADGE·2H(2)O was the predominant compound, accounting for 45-60% of the total BADGEs concentration, followed by BADGE (17-24%). The distribution of the four BADGEs varied, depending on age, gender, and ethnicity of the adults and children. Daily intake (DI) and effective daily intake (DI(E)) of BADGEs were estimated based on urinary concentrations, and their respective values were 69.4 and 9.16 ng/kg-bw/day for the U.S. population and 28.4 and 5.69 ng/kg-bw/day for the Chinese population. The concentrations of BADGEs in U.S. urine were 3- to 4-fold higher than the corresponding concentrations of bisphenol A.

Defect Engineering To Tailor Metal Vacancies in 2D Conductive Metal-Organic Frameworks: An Example in Electrochemical Sensing.

Two-dimensional conductive metal-organic frameworks (2D conductive MOFs) with π-d conjugations exhibit high electrical conductivity and diverse coordination structures, making them constitute a desirable platform for new electronic devices. Defects are inevitable in the self-assembly process of 2D conductive MOFs. Arguably, defect engineering that deliberately manipulates defects demonstrates great potential to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of this family of novel materials. Herein, a facile and universal defect engineering strategy is proposed and demonstrated for metal vacancy regulation of metal benzenehexathiolato (BHT) coordination polymer films. Controllable metal vacancies can be produced by simply tuning the proton concentration during the confined self-assembly process at the liquid-liquid interface. This facile but universal defect design strategy has been proven to be effective in a class of materials including Cu-BHT, Ni-BHT, and Ag-BHT for physicochemical regulation. To further demonstrate the feasibility and practicality in electrochemical applications, the elaborately fabricated Cu-BHT films with abundant Cu vacancies deliver competitive performance in electrocatalytic sensing of H2O2. Mechanistic analysis revealed that the Cu vacancies act as effective active sites for adsorption and reduction of H2O2, and the tuned electronic structure boosts the electrocatalytic reaction. The developed advanced sensing platform confirms the excellent commercial potential of Cu-BHT sensors for H2O2. The findings provide insights into the molecular structure design of 2D conducting MOFs by defect engineering and demonstrate the commercial potential of Cu-BHT electrochemical sensors.

Correlation Between the Number of Fiberoptic Bronchoscopies and Nosocomial Infection/Colonization of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

Objective: The present study aims to explore the effects of different numbers of fiberoptic bronchoscopic examinations on the nosocomial infection/colonization of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Methods: The data of 129 patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a grade 3A hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and CRE nosocomial infection/colonization situations in patients with fiberoptic bronchoscope application times of 1, 2, 3, and ≥4 were statistically analyzed. Results: The incidence of nosocomial infection/colonization of CRE increased significantly when the number of fiberoptic bronchoscopic examinations was ≥3. Conclusion: Nosocomial infection/colonization of CRE is highly correlated with an increased number of fiberoptic bronchoscopic examinations.