[Characteristics of Microplastic Present in Urban Road Dust].

Microplastics (MPs), as an emerging contaminant, have attracted wide attention due to their potentially negative impact on the ecosystem. However, information on microplastic pollution in terrestrial environments, especially road dust, is still rare. In this study, the microplastic pollution in road dust from the Yushan District of Ma'anshan City was characterized. The abundances of MPs accumulated per square meter of road and dust were (18.11±32.36) n·m-2 and (223.00±197.01) n·kg-1, respectively, and the contents were (27.29±72.64) mg·m-2 and (385.23±628.93) mg·kg-1, respectively, with polypropylene (PP, 58.90%) and polyethylene (PE, 30.08%) as the major polymers based on the number fraction in dust. Additionally, in a given road area, the abundance of MPs in commercial areas was the highest[(78.32±101.24) n·m-2], followed by residential[(19.81±14.30) n·m-2], industrial[(10.95±5.54) n·m-2], suburban[(8.56±8.13) n·m-2], and educational[(6.99±5.74) n·m-2] areas. In the case of the same area, the microplastic pollution from the commercial area was heavier. Regarding the shape of the MPs detected in road dust, 66.64% were present as films, 16.14% as granules, 14.13% as fibers, and 3.10% as spheres out of the total number detected. Most of the MPs were less than 1000 µm in size. For a particular road area, the abundance of MPs was significantly correlated with the mass of dust (r=0.599, P<0.01), whereas there was no obvious correlation for the mass of MPs (r=0.067, P=0.780). Generally, the road dust can accumulate continuously prior to cleaning, whereas the mass of the MPs will not increase unless there is external input. Otherwise, MPs on the road will be broken down under the action of external forces such as vehicles, resulting in an increase in the number of MPs.

[A Comparative Study of Soil Environmental Standards for Agricultural Land Among Different Countries and Its Implication for China].

Soil environmental quality of agricultural land plays a determinate role in the quality of agricultural products, human health, and the safety of the ecosystem. In 2018, China issued the "soil environment quality risk control standard for soil contamination of agriculture land" (GB 15618-2018), which has been essential to soil pollution prevention and the control of agricultural land. In this study, a systematic and comparative analysis of soil environmental standards for the agricultural land of 17 countries or regions was conducted, including the framework, protection objective, derivation method, contaminant elements, analyses methods, and standard values, as well as the impact factors. The results showed that the number of contaminants of GB 15618-2018 was insufficient with the simple consideration of total concentrations. Meanwhile, there was a lack of the standardized derivation method. On such a basis, we put forward some suggestions to improve GB 15618-2018 in light of the aforementioned problems, including strengthening the research of soil environmental benchmark and background values; establishing the scientific and standardized derivation method; and improving the number, form, and availability of indicators for risk control. In the meantime, the regional and local background environmental concentration of soil was highly proposed as a supplement and optimization to soil screening values.

Effects of different frequencies of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in stroke patients with non-fluent aphasia: a randomized, sham-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied at different frequencies to the contra-lesional hemisphere to optimize the treatment of post-stroke non-fluent aphasia. METHOD: Patients with post-stroke non-fluent aphasia were divided randomly into four groups: a high-frequency rTMS (HF-rTMS) group (10 Hz), a low-frequency rTMS (LF-rTMS) group (1 Hz), a sham stimulation group, and a control group. All groups received the standard treatment (consisting of drug therapy, conventional physical exercises, and speech training); in the HF-rTMS and LF-rTMS, this was supplemented with magnetic stimulation that targeted the mirror area within the right hemispheric Broca's area. Patients' language ability was assessed prior to, immediately after, and at 2 months post-treatment by the Chinese version of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). RESULTS: When measured immediately post-treatment, as well as at 2 months post-treatment, the LF-rTMS group exhibited a more marked improvement than the HF-rTMS group in spontaneous speech, auditory comprehension, and aphasia quotients (AQ). Compared to the control group, the HF-rTMS cohort exhibited significant improvement at 2-months post-treatment in repetition and AQ. CONCLUSIONS: LF-rTMS and HF-rTMS are both beneficial to the recovery of linguistic function in patients with post-stroke non-fluent aphasia. LF-rTMS produced immediate benefits that persisted long-term, while HF-rTMS only produced long-term benefits. In addition, the benefits produced with LF-rTMS were more marked than those produced by HF-rTMS.

Lung involvement in primary Sjögren's syndrome: Correlation between high-resolution computed tomography score and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Lung involvement is one of the major systemic manifestations of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). This study aims to demonstrate the correlation between high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), pulmonary function test (PFT) results, and outcome in these patients. METHODS: Forty-four pSS patients were enrolled and their PFT results and HRCT findings/scores were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: All patients had reduced carbon monoxide-diffusing capacity (DLCO; <75% of the predicted value); <60% of the predicted value of peak expiratory flow (PEF), of forced vital capacity (FVC), and of forced expiratory volume in the 1st second (FEV1) were noted in 15 (34.1%) patients, 13 (29.5%) patients, and 12 (27.3%) patients, respectively. HRCT scores had a negative correlation with DLCO (r = -0.376, p = 0.012), but not with other PFT results. Twelve patients (27.3%) expired during a mean follow-up of 3.7 years; 11 (91.7%) patients died of respiratory failure in the lung-involved patients, of which three were present with pneumonia. The expired patients had lower predicted values of FEV1 (63.1 ± 19.4% vs. 79.0 ± 22.7%, p = 0.017), FVC (58.7 ± 20.4% vs. 77.1 ± 17.5%, p = 0.005), and PEF (54.3 ± 20.5% vs. 72.0 ± 24.8%, p = 0.035), and higher HRCT scores (9.2 ± 5.7 vs. 5.2 ± 3.5, p = 0.033) than those patients who survived. Patients with FEV1, FVC, PEF < 60% of the predicted value, or high HRCT score (13-18) presented shorter median overall survival (p = 0.005, p < 0.001, p = 0.021, p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis adjusted for PFT results showed that HRCT ≥13 was an independent risk factor for mortality (p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: The clinical outcome of pSS patients with lung involvement in Taiwan is not very favorable. Although HRCT score was poorly correlated with PFT, high HRCT score was significantly associated with higher mortality.

Frequency and risk factors associated with atherosclerotic plaques in patients with a zero coronary artery calcium score.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of the coronary artery calcium levels usually provides important information that can be used in patient prognosis and stratification of treatment when coronary artery disease is suspected. However, plaques, with or without significant stenosis, have been reported in patients without coronary artery calcium. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and risk factors of the development of coronary artery plaques in individuals with a zero calcium score. METHODS: Analysis of coronary artery calcium levels and coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) were performed using 64-slice computed tomography (CT). The demographic data, clinical risk factors, and imaging features of 519 consecutive patients (54 ± 10 years, male:female ratio of 56:44) were retrospectively analyzed. The presence of plaques and the degree of the resulting stenosis were recorded. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify the frequency and risk factors associated with the presence of coronary artery plaques. RESULTS: Among 66 patients, 82 coronary arteries were found to have plaques, and six coronary arteries showed significant stenosis. Univariate analysis showed that an age greater than 55 years, male gender, a body mass index (BMI) of more than 27, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are significant factors associated with the development of coronary artery plaques. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that an age over 55 years (p = 0.012, OR = 2.13, 95% C.I. = 1.18-3.84) and BMI greater than 27 (p = 0.026, OR = 2.01, 95% C.I. = 1.09-3.72) are independent factors associated with the presence of plaques in patients with a zero calcium score. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that plaques are present in a significant proportion of individuals with a zero coronary artery calcium score. In addition, advanced age and obesity are risk factors associated with the development of plaques.

Selection of arterial input function for postprocessing of cerebral ct perfusion in chronic unilateral high-grade stenosis or occlusion of the carotid or middle cerebral artery.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effect of the arterial input function (AIF) on computed tomography perfusion (CTP) in patients with unilateral high-grade stenosis or occlusion in the carotid artery or middle cerebral artery without acute stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CTP datasets were retrospectively postprocessed using the same venous output function and different AIF selections: the second segment of the anterior cerebral artery (A2 AIF), the second segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) on the lesion side (affected M2 AIF), and M2 on the contralateral side (nonaffected M2 AIF). We measured CTP values in the region of interest (ROI) in the bilateral MCA territory and evaluated the lesion-to-contralateral ratios. RESULTS: The mean and standard deviations of cerebral blood flow (CBF) on the normal side were similar to previously reported data only when using "non-affected M2 AIF." Selecting an "affected M2 AIF" overestimated the CBF and shortened the mean transit time (MTT) in normal and lesion areas. Selecting an "A2 AIF" may cause overestimation of CBF in the normal side in patients with nonaffected-side A1 hypoplasia or occlusion. The sensitivity of the CBF ratio or MTT ratio to detect these unilateral cerebrovascular diseases was 100% using "nonaffected M2 AIF for bilateral MCA ROIs" and 70% (CBF ratio) and 90% (MTT ratio) using "respective AIF." CONCLUSION: The use of "nonaffected AIF for the bilateral MCA ROIs" was found to be the best of these AIF-ROI combinations in patients with chronic unilateral carotid or M1 severe stenosis or occlusion.

Myocardial bridging in Taiwanese: noninvasive assessment by 64-detector row coronary computed tomographic angiography.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial bridging (MB) is a congenital structural variant in which a segment of the epicardial coronary artery tunnels into and is surrounded by the myocardium. MB has been correlated to some clinical complications of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The depiction rate of MB varies significantly between catheter coronary angiography and autopsy studies. This study aimed to assess the depiction rate of MB among Taiwanese by coronary computed tomographyic angiography (CCTA), to determine the anatomical features of the tunneling vessels, and to evaluate the outcome of patients having MB. METHODS: Between September 2006 and December 2007, 425 subjects (264 men and 161 women; mean age 59.6 ± 11.7 years) underwent ECG-gated CCTA by a 64-dectector row scanner in our institution. The presence and the location of MB in CCTA images and the presence of atherosclerosis in the tunneling vessels were evaluated and recorded. Major CVD events in the cohort were tracked from the day of CCTA examination until on March 2009 termination of follow-up. RESULTS: The depiction rate of MB was 20.9% (89/425). A total of 122 MB were depicted by CCTA. Thirty-six tunneling segments (29.5%) were situated in the distal portion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), 23 segments (18.8%) were in the middle portion of the LAD, 19 (15.5%) were in the first obtuse marginal branch of the left circumflex artery, 18 (14.7%) in the first diagonal branch of the LAD, and 10 (8.1%) were in the ramus medianus. Nine tunneling segments (7.3%) had concomitant atherosclerotic plaques at the time of CCTA. One hundred and nine tunneled segments (89.3%) were superficially located in the myocardium, with a mean depth of 1.9 ± 0.81 mm (range, 0.9-4 mm). Twelve patients with CVD events were recorded during the mean follow-up interval of 21.91 ± 4.03 months (range, 3.08-28.82 months). All 12 patients with CVD events had no MB on CCTA. CONCLUSION: The depiction rate of MB by CCTA was 20.9% in this study. The most common location of MB was in the LAD. Concomitant atherosclerotic plaques were found in 7.3% of MB cases. Eighty-nine percent of tunneling vessels were superficially situated. None of the enrolled subjects with MB developed CVD event during the follow-up period. No statistical correlation was found between the presence of MB and CVD event (p = 0.057).

[Orthotopic T pouch ileal neobladder: evaluations of urodynamics and upper urinary tract functions].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the urodynamics and functions of upper urinary tract in a substitute of orthotopic T pouch ileal bladder. METHODS: From June 2004 through September 2009, 90 patients underwent the construction of an orthotopic T pouch ileal neobladder after radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The radiographic or ultrasound evaluation of upper urinary tract, determination of renal functions and urodynamic evaluation of T pouch ileal neobladder were performed by data analysis. RESULTS: Renal function as determined by serum creatinine remained in a normal range in all patients. Temporary dilation of renal pelvic and ureter was observed in 18 patients (20.0%) at Day 45 post-operation and then disappeared spontaneously in the late follow-up. A slight dilation of collecting system was found in other 4 patients (4.4%), but there was no negative impact on renal function. Reflux into afferent limb of neobladder was observed in 4 patients (4.4%) by cystography. Excellent daytime and nighttime continence was reported in 100% and 82.2% of evaluated patients respectively. The urodynamic assessment showed a mean capacity of (316 ± 96) ml with a mean intra-bladder pressure of (16 ± 10) cm H2O. These evaluated patients voided with a mean maximum intra-bladder pressure of (87 ± 25) cm H2O, a mean maximum flow rate of (17 ± 10) ml/s and a mean residual urine of (33 ± 29) ml. CONCLUSION: With an intermediate follow-up, the functional results of T pouch ileal neobladder are encouraging with an excellent capacity and compliance, successful daytime and nighttime continence and anti-reflux mechanism.

Myocardial bridging in Taiwan: depiction by multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Myocardial bridging (MB) is a condition in which a segment of the major epicardial coronary artery is tunneled within and surrounded by the myocardium. This condition has been linked to severe complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of MB in Taiwanese subjects examined with electrocardiogram-gated, 16-slice, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography, as well as to determine the location, depth, and length of the bridged segments and the concomitant atherosclerosis of MB. METHODS: From August 2004 to May 2005, 276 consecutive subjects referred to our department for MDCT coronary angiography were enrolled in the study after written informed consent was obtained from each participant. RESULTS: Twenty-four subjects (8.7%) had at least one coronary segment that was completely surrounded by myocardium. Patients ranged in age from 27 to 76 years, with an average of 54 +/- 12 years. Thirty coronary segments were found to have MB. The most common location of MB was in segment 7, which accounted for 14 coronary segments (46.7%) of the total number of bridged segments; left anterior descending artery (LAD) segments accounted for 23 (76.7%); and right coronary artery and left circumflex artery segments accounted for three (10%) and two (6.7%), respectively. The length of bridged segments ranged from 5.2 to 50.6 mm, with an average length of 24.6 +/- 11.8 mm, and the depth of the bridged segments ranged from 0.5 to 9.1 mm, with an average depth of 3.65 +/- 1.89 mm. Two bridged segments (6.7%) had concomitant atherosclerosis; these were located in segment 7 (24.0 mm long and 6.10 mm deep) and segment 8 (27.1 mm long and 7.0 mm deep). Bridged segments with concomitant atherosclerosis were deeper, but not longer, compared with bridged segments without concomitant atherosclerosis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Electrocardiogram-gated MDCT is an effective noninvasive tool for evaluating MB in a clinical setting. The most common location of MB was in the LAD, especially in segment 7. Bridged segments with concomitant atherosclerosis were deeper, but not longer, compared with bridged segments without concomitant atherosclerosis.

Expressional induction of Paralichthys olivaceus cathepsin B gene in response to virus, poly I:C and lipopolysaccharide.

Cathepsin B is a lysosomal cysteine protease of the papain-like enzyme family with multiple biological functions. In this study, Paralichthys olivaceus cathepsin B (PoCatB) cDNA was isolated from flounder embryonic cells (FEC) treated with UV-inactivated grass carp hemorrhage virus (GCHV) and subsequently identified as a virally induced gene. The full length cDNA of PoCatB is 1801bp encoding 330-amino acids. The deduced protein has high homology to all known cathepsin B proteins, containing an N-terminal signal peptide, cysteine protease active sites, the occluding loop segment and a glycosylation site, all of which are conserved in the cathepsin B family. PoCatB transcription of FEC cells could be induced by turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) rhabdovirus (SMRV), UV-inactivated SMRV, UV-inactivated GCHV, poly I:C or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and SMRV or poly I:C was revealed to be most effective among the five inducers. In normal flounder, PoCatB mRNA was detectable in all examined tissues. Moreover, SMRV infection could result in significant upregulation of PoCatB mRNA, predominantly in spleen, head kidney, posterior kidney, intestine, gill and muscle with 18.2, 10.9, 24.7, 12, 31.5 and 18 fold increases at 72h post-infection respectively. These results provided the first evidence for the transcriptional induction of cathepsin B in fish by virus and LPS, indicating existence of a novel function in viral defense.

The innate immune response to grass carp hemorrhagic virus (GCHV) in cultured Carassius auratus blastulae (CAB) cells.

Virus infection of mammalian cells activates an innate antiviral immune response characterized by production of interferon (IFN) and the subsequent transcriptional upregulation of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) by the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Here, we report that a fish cell line, crucian carp (Carassius auratus L.) blastulae embryonic (CAB) cells, can produce IFN activity and then form an antiviral state after infection with UV-inactivated grass carp hemorrhagic virus (GCHV), a double-stranded (ds) RNA virus. From UV-inactivated GCHV-infected CAB cells, 15 pivotal genes were cloned and sequenced, and all of them were shown to be involved in IFN antiviral innate immune response. These IFN system genes include the dsRNA signal sensing factor TLR3, IFN, IFN signal transduction factor STAT1, IFN regulatory factor IRF7, putative IFN antiviral effectors Mx1, Mx2, PKR-like, Viperin, IFI56, and other IFN stimulated genes (ISGs) IFI58, ISG15-1, ISG15-2, USP18, Gig1 and Gig2. The identified fish IFN system genes were highly induced by active GCHV, UV-inactivated GCHV, CAB IFN or poly(I).poly(C), and showed similar expression patterns to mammals. The data indicate that an IFN antiviral innate immune response similar to that in mammals exists in the UV-inactivated GCHV-infected CAB cells, and the IFN response contributes to the formation of an antiviral state probably through JAK-STAT signaling pathway. This study provides strong evidence for existence of IFN antiviral innate immune response in fish, and will assist in elucidating the origin and evolution of vertebrate IFN system.

MRI of alveolar soft-part sarcoma.

Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is rare. We present a case of a 30-year-old woman with a 6-month history of a palpable mass in her left thigh. MRI showed an 8-cm mass and a satellite nodule at the left gluteus muscle. The main tumor exhibited an isointense signal on T1-weighted images and high-signal-intensity areas with low-signal-intensity scanty solid components on T2-weighted images. MR angiography showed dilated and tortuous veins around the tumor. Histologic findings were compatible with ASPS.

Molecular cloning and stress-induced expression of paralichthys olivaceus heme-regulated initiation factor 2alpha kinase.

The heme-regulated initiation factor 2alpha kinase (HRI) is acknowledged to play an important role in translational shutoff in reticulocytes in response to various cellular stresses. In this study, we report its homologous cDNA cloning and characterization from cultured flounder embryonic cells (FEC) after treatment with UV-inactivated grass carp haemorrhagic virus (GCHV). The full-length cDNA of Paralichthys olivaceus HRI homologue (PoHRI) has 2391 bp and encodes a protein of 651 amino acids. The putative PoHRI protein exhibits high identity with all members of eIF2alpha kinase family. It contains 12 catalytic subdomains located within the C-terminus of all Ser/Thr protein kinases, a unique kinase insertion of 136 amino acids between subdomains IV and V, and a relatively conserved N-terminal domain (NTD). Upon heat shock, virus infection or Poly I:C treatment, PoHRI mRNA and protein are significantly upregulated in FEC cells but show different expression patterns in response to different stresses. In healthy flounders, PoHRI displays a wide tissue distribution at both the mRNA and protein levels. These results indicate that PoHRI is a ubiquitous eIF2alpha kinase and might play an important role in translational control over nonheme producing FEC cells under different stresses.

Inductive expression and characterization analysis of Paralichthys olivaceus pigment epithelium-derived factor in a virally infected cell line.

Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is acknowledged to be a non-inhibitory member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily, with antiangiogenesis, and neuroprotective and immunoregulatory function, mainly in the tissues of nervous system. Here, A PEDF gene homolog, Paralichthys olivaceus PEDF (PoPEDF), was isolated from flounder embryonic cells (FEC) treated with UV-inactivated Grass carp hemorrhage virus (GCHV) and subsequently identified as a differentially expressed gene. The full length of PoPEDF cDNA is 1803bp with an open reading frame of 1212bp encoding a 403-amino-acid protein. This deduced protein contains an N-terminal signal peptide, a glycosylation site, a consensus serpin motif, and a 34-mer and a 44-mer fragment, all of which are very conserved in the PEDF family. PoPEDF gene exhibits a conserved exon-intron arrangement with 8 exons and 7 introns. This conserved evolutionary relationship was further confirmed by a phylogenetic analysis, where fish PEDFs and mammalian members formed a well-supported clade. Constitutive expression of PoPEDF was widely detected in many tissues. In response to UV-inactivated GCHV or poly(I:C), PEDF mRNA was upregulated in FEC cells with time. This is the first report on the transcriptional induction of PEDF in virally infected cells.