Regime shifts in the thermal dynamics of offshore China due to accelerated global warming.

Thermal dynamics play a pivotal role in offshore ecosystems, influencing a multitude of ecological and biogeochemical processes. Assessing how water temperature (WT) responds to climate change is vital for the sustainable development of marine ecosystems. Despite the scarcity of long-term sea surface temperature (SST) data, this study reconstructs SSTs from 1973 to 2020 in China's coastal zones using the data-driven Air2water model. A probabilistic approach was applied to investigate the joint dependency structures between air temperature (AT) and WT at offshore oceanic stations in China, focusing on variations during periods of decelerated and accelerated warming. The results indicate that the Air2water model performs well in reconstructing SSTs of the coastal zone of China. Furthermore, the joint probability of AT-WT events, characterized by bimodal distributions, tends to increase during accelerated warming. This suggests intensified extreme SST events in the coastal zone of China due to global warming, with the significant warming primarily related with regional oscillations, atmospheric dynamics, and the complex temperature trends in the regional marine environment. These findings highlight the escalating impact of global warming on marine ecosystems in China's coastal regions, underscoring the urgency of developing adaptive strategies to mitigate these effects.

A framework to evaluate the impact of a hazard chain and geographical covariates on spatial extreme water levels: A case study in the Pearl River Delta.

The interactions and collective impacts of different types of hazards within a compound hazard system, along with the influence of geographical covariates on flooding are presently unclear. Understanding these relationships is crucial for comprehending the formation and dynamic processes of the hazard chain and improving the ability to identify flood warning signals in complex hazard scenarios. In this study, we presented a multivariate spatial extreme value hierarchical (MSEVH) framework to assess the spatial extreme water levels (EWL) at different return levels under the influence of a hazard chain and geographical covariates. The Pearl River Delta (PRD) was selected as a research example to assess the effectiveness of the MSEVH framework. Firstly, we identified a hazard chain (extreme streamflow from the Xijiang River (XR) - extreme streamflow from the Beijiang River (BR) - extreme sea level) and three geographical covariates influencing EWL in the PRD. Then, we compared four hazard scenarios in the MSEVH framework to evaluate the spatial EWL at different return levels under the influence of the hazard chain in the PRD. The final step involves assessing spatial EWL with the effect of the hazard chain and geographical covariates. The results indicate that when extreme streamflow from XR and BR occurs concurrently, the extreme streamflow from BR weakens the influence of extreme streamflow from XR on EWL in the PRD. However, it cannot fully offset the overall impact of extreme streamflow from XR on EWL. In addition, when extreme streamflow from XR, extreme streamflow from BR, and extreme sea level occur simultaneously, the extreme sea level enhances the influence of concurrent extreme streamflow from XR and BR on EWL in the PRD. The proposed MSEVH is not only applicable to the PRD but also shows promising potential for evaluating extreme hydrometeorological variables under the influence of other hazard chains.

Smart Temperature Sensor Design and High-Density Water Temperature Monitoring in Estuarine and Coastal Areas.

Acquiring in situ water temperature data is an indispensable and important component for analyzing thermal dynamics in estuarine and coastal areas. However, the long-term and high-density monitoring of water temperature is costly and technically challenging. In this paper, we present the design, calibration, and application of the smart temperature sensor TS-V1, a low-power yet low-cost temperature sensor for monitoring the spatial-temporal variations of surface water temperatures and air temperatures in estuarine and coastal areas. The temperature output of the TS-V1 sensor was calibrated against the Fluke-1551A sensor developed in the United States and the CTD-Diver sensor developed in the Netherlands. The results show that the accuracy of the TS-V1 sensor is 0.08 °C, while sensitivity tests suggest that the TS-V1 sensor (comprising a titanium alloy shell with a thermal conductivity of 7.6 W/(m °C)) is approximately 0.31~0.54 s/°C slower than the CTD-Diver sensor (zirconia shell with thermal conductivity of 3 W/(m °C)) in measuring water temperatures but 6.92~10.12 s/°C faster than the CTD-Diver sensor in measuring air temperatures. In addition, the price of the proposed TS-V1 sensor is only approximately 1 and 0.3 times as much as the established commercial sensors, respectively. The TS-V1 sensor was used to collect surface water temperature and air temperature in the western part of the Pearl River Estuary from July 2022 to September 2022. These data wells captured water and air temperature changes, frequency distributions, and temperature characteristics. Our sensor is, thus, particularly useful for the study of thermal dynamics in estuarine and coastal areas.

A new perspective on the impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on Chinese wetlands in the context of climate change: A case study of the Jiuduansha Shoals, Yangtze Estuary.

Spartina alterniflora, an invasive plant, was introduced to the Chinese coastal zone in the early 90s. As an eco-engineering species, S. alterniflora not only alters saltmarsh species distributions, previously described as habitat degradation, but it also plays a vital role in coastal protection, especially for the development of recently emerged intertidal shoals. To provide a reference for coastal management under global change, we quantified the impact of the invasion process on provided ecological and coastal protection functions, exemplified at the emerging Jiuduansha Shoals (JDS) in the Yangtze Estuary. Results obtained by high-precision satellite monitoring and numerical modelling showed that the establishment and growth of S. alterniflora can exert considerable changes on local environment. The invasion of S. alterniflora to JDS wetland can be divided into three distinct phases, (1) establishment 1998-2003, (2) expansion 2003-2009, and (3) dominant 2009-2018 stages according to the changes in saltmarsh composition. Spatially, S. alterniflora continuously replaced Scirpus mariqueter, forcing S. mariqueter and Phragmites australis slowly to the lower and higher intertidal habitats, respectively. Notably, S. alterniflora expansion was the main driver that contributed to over 70 % of recent JDS wetland expansion even under sediment deficit conditions. Established S. alterniflora marsh (directly) dampens more waves because of aboveground stems, but it also causes more accretion and indirectly leads to higher "morphological" wave dampening. Thus, it increases coastal defense provided by the saltmarsh in the context of sea-level rise and strengthening storms. In conclusion, the role of S. alterniflora invasion to the local environment under global changes is controversial. For sustainable coastal management, we need context-dependent S. alterniflora management to maximize the benefit of coastal protection and minimize the impact on local ecology, especially in sediment-starving estuaries with expected coastline retreat.

Hypertension as an independent risk factor for severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Hypertension is one of the most common comorbidities in COVID-19 pneumonia. However, whether it is an independent factor on the severity and mortality of COVID-19 has not been studied. STUDY DESIGN: In this study, 736 patients with a PCR-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included from 12 January 2020 to 25 March 2020. All patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they were hypertensive. After propensity score matching (PSM) to remove the interference of mismatches in the baseline data, the clinical characteristics and outcomes of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)/ACE inhibitors application were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 220 (29.9%) patients were hypertensive, and 516 (70.1%) patients were not hypertensive. PSM eliminated demographic and comorbidity differences between the two groups. Of all participants, 32 patients died (4.3% mortality), including 17 out of 220 in the hypertension group (7.7%) and 15 out of 516 in the non-hypertension group (2.9%). The incidence of intensive care unit (ICU) stay in the hypertension group (12.8%) was higher than in the non-hypertension group (5.3%) (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension was an independent risk factor for death, not other comorbidities. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that mortality was higher in the hypertension group than in the non-hypertension group before and after PSM (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in ICU therapy, mortality and hospitalisation time between hypertensive patients with or without ARBs/ACE inhibitors (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Hypertension was an independent risk factor for the severity and mortality of patients with COVID-19. ARBs/ACE inhibitors should not be discontinued in hypertensive patients with COVID-19.

Mir24-2-5p suppresses the osteogenic differentiation with Gnai3 inhibition presenting a direct target via inactivating JNK-p38 MAPK signaling axis.

Background: Congenital anomalies are increasingly becoming a global pediatric health concern, which requires immediate attention to its early diagnosis, preventive strategies, and efficient treatments. Guanine nucleotide binding protein, alpha inhibiting activity polypeptide 3 (Gnai3) gene mutation has been demonstrated to cause congenital small jaw deformity, but the functions of Gnai3 in the disease-specific microRNA (miRNA) upregulations and their downstream signaling pathways during osteogenesis have not yet been reported. Our previous studies found that the expression of Mir24-2-5p was significantly downregulated in the serum of young people with overgrowing mandibular, and bioinformatics analysis suggested possible binding sites of Mir24-2-5p in the Gnai3 3'UTR region. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the mechanism of Mir24-2-5p-mediated regulation of Gnai3 gene expression and explore the possibility of potential treatment strategies for bone defects. Methods: Synthetic miRNA mimics and inhibitors were transduced into osteoblast precursor cells to regulate Mir24-2-5p expression. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was utilized to identify the direct binding of Gnai3 and its regulator Mir24-2-5p. Gnai3 levels in osteoblast precursor cells were downregulated by shRNA (shGnai3). Agomir, Morpholino Oligo (MO), and mRNA were microinjected into zebrafish embryos to control mir24-2-5p and gnai3 expression. Relevant expression levels were determined by the qRT-PCR and Western blotting. CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and transwell migration assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. ALP, ARS and Von Kossa staining were performed to observe osteogenic differentiation. Alcian blue staining and calcein immersions were performed to evaluate the embryonic development and calcification of zebrafish. Results: The expression of Mir24-2-5p was reduced throughout the mineralization process of osteoblast precursor cells. miRNA inhibitors and mimics were transfected into osteoblast precursor cells. Cell proliferation, migration, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization processes were measured, which showed a reverse correlation with the expression of Mir24-2-5p. Dual-luciferase reporter gene detection assay confirmed the direct interaction between Mir24-2-5p and Gnai3 mRNA. Moreover, in osteoblast precursor cells treated with Mir24-2-5p inhibitor, the expression of Gnai3 gene was increased, suggesting that Mir24-2-5p negatively targeted Gnai3. Silencing of Gnai3 inhibited osteoblast precursor cells proliferation, migration, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization. Promoting effects of osteoblast precursor cells proliferation, migration, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization by low expression of Mir24-2-5p was partially rescued upon silencing of Gnai3. In vivo, mir24-2-5p Agomir microinjection into zebrafish embryo resulted in shorter body length, smaller and retruded mandible, decreased cartilage development, and vertebral calcification, which was partially rescued by microinjecting gnai3 mRNA. Notably, quite similar phenotypic outcomes were observed in gnai3 MO embryos, which were also partially rescued by mir24-2-5p MO. Besides, the expression of phospho-JNK (p-JNK) and p-p38 were increased upon Mir24-2-5p inhibitor treatment and decreased upon shGnai3-mediated Gnai3 downregulation in osteoblast precursor cells. Osteogenic differentiation and mineralization abilities of shGnai3-treated osteoblast precursor cells were promoted by p-JNK and p-p38 pathway activators, suggesting that Gnai3 might regulate the differentiation and mineralization processes in osteoblast precursor cells through the MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusions: In this study, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of Mir24-2-5p on Gnai3 expression regulation in osteoblast precursor cells and provided a new idea of improving the prevention and treatment strategies for congenital mandibular defects and mandibular protrusion.

Metal pollution in the Pearl River Estuary and implications for estuary management: The influence of hydrological connectivity associated with estuarine mixing.

Understanding the metal pollution can help governments and estuary management groups manage metal inputs. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the behaviors of seven metals Cd, Zn, Cu, As, Pb, Cr, and Hg in water and the responses of these metals to hydrological connectivity in the Pearl River Estuary. The analyses were based on the field measurements of August-2016 in the estuary and January-2016 in the upper river mouth. We also assessed the ecosystem health of these metals. Overall, this estuary had an overall moderate pollution level, with occasional severe perturbations. The mean concentration of individual metal was in the order of Zn > As > Cu > Cr > Pb > Cd > Hg. The eastern estuary was more heavily polluted by metals (notably, Zn, Cd, and Cu) than the western estuary; this condition was attributable to sewage and industrial effluent discharges from the eastern urban cities of Dongguan and Shenzhen. Longitudinally, high levels of Cd and Zn appeared in the upper estuary, while elevated levels of Cu, As, Pb, Cr, and Hg were found in the middle and lower estuaries. The riverine inputs and estuarine mixing significantly influenced the distribution and movement of trace metals in the estuary, and have contributed to phytoplankton productivity (chlorophyll-a > 10 µg/L). River inflow inhibited the vertical diffusion of metals, and tidal currents facilitated surface-to-bottom mixing. Cu and Cd posed ecological risks. We determined the source contributions and transport routes of the metals using principal component analysis combining with multiple linear regression. The results of this study suggest that the source apportionment of metals can help to manage the source input entering into the estuary. Further, identified hydrological connectivity of metals can inform water quality managers in the highly anthropogenically influenced estuary.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Hypertensive Patients Infected with COVID-19: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension has been reported as the most prevalent comorbidity in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This retrospective study aims to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes in COVID-19 patients with or without hypertension. METHODS: A total of 944 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were included from January to March 2020. Information from the medical record, including clinical features, radiographic and laboratory results, complications, treatments, and clinical outcomes, were extracted for the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 311 (32.94%) patients had comorbidity with hypertension. In COVID-19 patients with hypertension, the coexistence of type 2 diabetes (56.06% vs 43.94%), coronary heart disease (65.71% vs 34.29%), poststroke syndrome (68.75% vs 31.25%) and chronic kidney diseases (77.78% vs 22.22%) was significantly higher, while the coexistence of hepatitis B infection (13.04% vs 86.96%) was significantly lower than in COVID-19 patients without hypertension. Computed tomography (CT) chest scans show that COVID-19 patients with hypertension have higher rates of pleural effusion than those without hypertension (56.60% vs 43.40%). In addition, the levels of blood glucose [5.80 (IQR, 5.05-7.50) vs 5.39 (IQR, 4.81-6.60)], erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) [28 (IQR, 17.1-55.6) vs 21.8 (IQR, 11.5-44.1), P=0.008], C-reactive protein (CRP) [17.92 (IQR, 3.11-46.6) vs 3.15 (IQR, 3.11-23.4), P=0.013] and serum amyloid A (SAA) [99.28 (IQR, 8.85-300) vs 15.97 (IQR, 5.97-236.1), P=0.005] in COVID-19 patients with hypertension were significantly higher than in patients without hypertension. CONCLUSION: It is common for patients with COVID-19 to have the coexistence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and so on, which may exacerbate the severity of COVID-19. Therefore, optimal management of hypertension and other comorbidities is essential for better clinical outcomes.

Seasonal dynamics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons between water and sediment in a tide-dominated estuary and ecological risks for estuary management.

Understanding the transportation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) across the water-sediment interface can help researchers to partition their sources while being particularly important for managing PAH input. This study fully explored the PAH dynamics between water and sediment in a tide-dominated estuary. The monthly concentration of ΣPAHs in sediments ranged from 325.47 to 1098.49 ng/g (dry weight), while that in water varied from 154.00 to 725.80 ng/L. The PAH levels found in the present study were relatively high in comparison with other estuarine systems worldwide. The high-molecular-weight PAHs were more readily redissolved from sediment to water, while the low-molecular-weight PAHs were mostly in an unsaturated state with diffusion occurring from water to sediment. The seasonal differences of ΣPAHs were significant and were largely controlled by the changes in sediment properties, marine currents, and water temperature. The diagnostic ratios revealed that predominant sources of PAHs were pyrogenic processes and petrogenic inputs.

Field analysis of PAHs in surface sediments of the Pearl River Estuary and their environmental impacts.

Based on a monthly field survey in 2011 of the Pearl River Estuary, the dynamics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments (depth < 5 cm) were explored. The seasonal variations in PAH level and composition were investigated in this study, as well as their environmental behaviors, the role of particles, and source apportionment. The concentration of the sum of 16 priority PAHs (defined as ∑16PAHs) ranged from 0.32 to 1.10 µg/g, while that of the sum of 62 PAHs (defined as ∑tPAHs) varied from 0.83 to 2.75 µg/g. The levels of both the ∑16PAHs and ∑tPAHs peaked in February, although the minimum levels appeared in different months-December and August, respectively. The seasonal difference in the ∑tPAHs was significant (flood season, 7.69 µg/g; dry season, 10.51 µg/g). The 5-ring PAH compound (e.g., perylene) was the most abundant and was responsible for 35% of the total, which implied a terrestrial input source via the Pearl River. Sediment particles were predominantly composed of clayed sand, and sediment PAHs showed a greater tendency to be adsorbed onto the large-sized particles rather than the fine fractions. Total organic carbon (TOC) could considerably facilitate the sediment PAHs. Principal component analysis revealed that vehicle emission sources, petroleum sources, and combustion sources were the major anthropogenic contamination sources. The diagnostic ratios of various individual PAHs were also explored. These findings are particularly useful for understanding the geochemistry of organic pollutants in the complex estuarine environment.

Salvianolic acid B protects against myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats via inhibiting high mobility group box 1 protein expression through the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.

Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) has a significant protective effect on myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the effects of Sal B on myocardial ischaemic-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats and to explore whether its underlying mechanism of cardioprotection occurs through activating the expression of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein, kinase B (PI3K/Akt) and inhibiting the expression of high mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1). Ninety Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into five groups: group 1 (sham-operated), group 2 (myocardial I/R), group 3 (low dose of Sal B+I/R), group 4 (high dose of Sal B+I/R), and group 5 (high dose of Sal B+I/R+LY294002, which is a specific PI3k inhibitor). All I/R rats received 30 min myocardial ischaemia followed by 24-h reperfusion. Cardiac function, infarct size, myocardial injury marker levels, inflammatory response and cardiomyocyte apoptosis as well as Bcl-2, Bax, P-Akt, HMGB1 and TLR4 expression were measured. In the current study, Sal B significantly ameliorated myocardial I/R injury in a dose-dependent manner, ameliorated cardiac function, reduced myocardial infarction size, decreased myocardial injury marker expression, decreased inflammatory responses, reduced apoptosis, activated PI3K/Akt expression and inhibited HMGB1 expression. However, all effects of Sal B were significantly reversed by LY294002. Overall, the present study indicated that Sal B attenuated myocardial I/R injury by activating PI3K/Akt and inhibiting the release of HMGB1 in rats.

Application evaluation of clinical practice guidelines for traditional Chinese medicine: a clinical analysis based on the analytic hierarchy process.

BACKGROUND: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) play an important role in clinical practice, and they require appropriate evaluation, especially in application. This study explores the application evaluation method of CPGs for Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM). It uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and clinical cases to evaluate the consistency between CPGs of TCM and clinical practice. METHODS: To evaluate the consistency between CPGs of TCM and clinical cases, a 3-level AHP construction was built. Weightings were calculated by collecting questionnaires according to AHP theory. To test the evaluation system, a retrospective study was performed. The study evaluated the China Association of Chinese Medicine's Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Internal Diseases in Chinese Medicine Diseases of Modern Medicine (CPGs of DTCID) (ZYYXH/T50-135-2008). A total of 150 cases were involved. The evaluation system was used to assess the consistency between CPGs of DTCID and clinical cases of angina pectoris. RESULTS: The results showed that the overall consistency between CPGs of DTCID and the 150 cases was 42.32 ± 6.94%, ranging from 35.21 to 63.37%. The overall consistency was not affected by age, gender, type of angina pectoris, condition of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or angina classification as determined by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. The consistencies of each index were as follows: Diagnosis of TCM, 100%; Diagnosis of Western medicine, 100%; Syndrome classification, 38.25 ± 4.40%; Syndrome key point, 34.17 ± 8.15%; TCM Decoction, 31.08 ± 23.64%; TCM particular treatment, 7.92 ± 19.13%; and Recuperation and prevention, 0. The most frequent syndromes were qi-deficiency, phlegm and blood stasis (n = 124) (82.7%). The overall consistency of qi-deficiency, turbid phlegm and blood stasis was lower than the overall consistency of the group without that syndrome. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). 42 cases (28%) applied the TCM decoction recommended by CPGs of DTCID. Of these, Gualouxiebaibanxia decoction was applied in 34 cases. Wendan decoction, the most frequently used, was applied in 64 cases (42.7%). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the AHP system can perform quantitative evaluation of consistency between TCM CPG and clinical practice. It also found the factors affecting the application of TCM CPGs and might indicate the need for revisions of CPGs.

Impacts of estuarine mixing on vertical dispersion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a tide-dominated estuary.

To examine the impacts of estuarine mixing on the dispersion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), seasonal variations in the vertical distribution of dissolved PAHs in the Humen River mouth of the Pearl River Estuary, which is a tide-dominated estuary, were thoroughly examined. An analysis of the vertical distribution of the concentration, composition and sources of PAHs indicates enhanced mixing of PAHs in January relative to June, which is strongly related to seasonal variations in the magnitude of estuarine mixing. Furthermore, the vertical distribution of PAHs initially indicated an increase and then a decrease from the surface layer to the bottom layer. In general, estuarine mixing promotes the vertical dispersion of PAHs, causing a more even PAHs distribution, while salinity stratification can trap PAHs, resulting in higher PAHs concentrations. Our study indicates that salinity variability stimulates significant dynamic effects regarding the dispersion of PAHs within estuarine environments.

Risk assessment of trace metal-polluted coastal sediments on Hainan Island: A full-scale set of 474 geographical locations covering the entire island.

Hainan Island is the second largest island and one of the most famous tourist destinations in China, but sediment contamination by trace metals in coastal areas is a major issue. However, full-scale risk assessments of trace metal-polluted coastal sediments are lacking. In this study, coastal surface sediments from 474 geographical locations covering almost the entire island were collected to identify risk-related variables. Controlling factors and possible sources of trace metals were identified, and the toxicity effects were carefully evaluated. Our results suggest that trace-metal pollution in coastal sediments, which was mainly caused by Pb, Zn and Cu emissions, has primarily resulted from industrial sewage and shipping activities and has threatened the offshore ecosystem of Hainan Island and warrants extensive consideration. This is the first study that has systematically investigated trace metal-polluted coastal sediments throughout the entirety of Hainan Island and provides solid evidence for sustainable marine management in the region.