Association between viral infection other than human papillomavirus and risk of esophageal carcinoma: a comprehensive meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

BACKGROUND: Infection with viruses such as human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to induce carcinomas, including esophageal carcinoma (EC). However, the possible role of viruses other than HPV in EC carcinogenesis is unclear in many studies. Here, we aimed to explore the association between infection with viruses other than HPV and EC risk by integrating existing studies of epidemiology in a meta-analysis. METHODS: The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Odds ratios (ORs) or relative risks (RRs) (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were pooled to estimate the association between virus infection and risk of EC. RESULTS: We included 31 eligible studies involving nine different viruses. Overall, an increased risk of EC was associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OR = 1.19, 95%CI 1.01-1.36) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (OR = 1.77, 95%CI 1.17-2.36), but not human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, according to the current evidence. The evidence for an association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), JC virus (JCV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) or Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infection was insufficient. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the relationship between HBV and HCV infection and the risk of EC, but we found no association of EC risk with HIV and EBV infection. The roles of HSV-1, JCV, CMV, HTLV-1, and MCPyV were not clear because of the limited number of studies.

Current operation state of wastewater treatment plants in urban China.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in urban China generally face operational difficulties. To comprehensively analyze the current operation status and determine the factors that caused difficulties in urban domestic WWTPs, we conducted a questionnaire survey, and 18 operating conditions of scale-level WWTPs in seven regions in China were investigated. The research results showed that, of the 467-urban domestic WWTPs surveyed in China, approximately 63.17% of the WWTPs' hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) are greater than 80%, 67.02% of the WWTPs have mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentrations greater than 4000 mg/L, and 95.93% of the WWTPs' mixed liquor volatile suspended solids to mixed liquor suspended solids (MLVSS/MLSS) ratios are lower than 0.7. The WWTP energy consumption accounts for approximately 1% of the national electricity consumption, and approximately 100,000 tons of various chemicals are consumed every year. A high HLR, a high activated sludge concentration and low sludge activity, design value mismatches with actual values, high energy and material consumption, etc. have become the main operational difficulties of urban domestic WWTPs. In this study, the main barriers that hinder improving the operating efficiency of WWTPs were investigated, the causes of operational dilemmas were analyzed, and pathways were jointly explored to solve them. This study may provide valuable implications for industry practitioners with a comprehensive grasp of the industry's current status and related policy formulation.

Regulation of anaerobic fermentation for producing short-chain fatty acids from primary sludge in WWTPs by different alkalis.

Carbon source production from primary sludge in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) via anaerobic fermentation process has been paid more attention. However, slow hydrolysis rate and low yield of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) limited its application. This study aimed at improving the anaerobic fermentation efficiency of primary sludge by alkali regulation (NaOH, Na2CO3 and Ca(OH)2), and revealing the mechanism. Results showed that three kinds of alkalis allowed enhancing hydrolysis and acidification, and reducing methane production in the anaerobic fermentation process of primary sludge. The Na2CO3 regulation contributed to highest yield and productivity of SCFAs, reaching 1626 mg COD/L and 0.189 g COD/g VSS at 4th day, respectively. Microbial community structure analysis indicated that the relative abundance of fermentative microbial community was improved in the alkali regulation system, where methanogenic archaea was effectively inhibited. The continuous flow experiment further verified that the Na2CO3 regulation could steadily increase yield of SCFAs in the anaerobic fermentation process of primary sludge, and the yield was also the highest among three kinds of alkali regulation.

Modeling sulfide production in full flow concrete sewers based on the HRT variation of sewerage.

The corrosion and odor in concrete sewers are mainly related to the sulfide production, which is, under certain circumstances, directly proportional to the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the sewer. To reduce the corrosion and control the odor in concrete sewers, it is necessary to model the production of sulfide in the concrete sewers with different HRTs. However, previous researches were mostly carried out in simulated Perspex-made sewers, and the obtained theoretical formulas based on the Monod equation were impractical because of the complexity. An actual concrete pipe with domestic sewage was employed in this study to obtain a simple but practical model, which can be applied to quantitively describe the sulfide production according to the HRT of the sewer and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the sewage. The empirical equation obtained was rs = (0.045 × lnHRT + 0.071) × ([COD] - b)0.6, the coefficient is a logarithmic function of the HRT, and the sulfide production rate and COD have a power relationship. Based on the data of COD and HRT obtained in the realistic sewer, the production of sulfide in the sewer can be predicted for better maintaining sewers through sulfide control.

Associations of trace element levels in paired serum, whole blood, and tissue: an example of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Previous studies have extensively explored impacts of trace elements on human beings and complex relationships with cancers. However, contradictory conclusions may be more challenging to explain due to biological specimen differences. To investigate the distribution of trace elements inside body, we collected serum, whole blood and tissues from 77 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), as well as serum and whole blood from 100 healthy individuals, and determined the concentrations of 13 elements (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Cd, and Pb) with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Al, Ni, Cu, Sr, and Cd variations between patients and controls were found to be inconsistent in serum and blood. Concentrations of Cu, As, Se, and Sr in serum were positively correlated with that in whole blood in both case and control group (rs >0.450, P <0.01). Elements in serum had a higher accuracy (87.0%) than whole blood (74.0%) in classifying ESCC patients and healthy individuals with discriminant analysis. As, Cd, and Pb concentrations in cancerous tissues were positively correlated with those in normal epithelium (rs =0.397, 0.571, and 0.542, respectively), while Mn, Cu, and Se accumulated in malignant tissues, with V, Cr, Co, Ni, Sr, and Cd partitioning in normal epithelium (all P <0.05). Thus, certain elements in blood, such as Cu, As, Se, and Sr, were useful in assessing element exposure burdens and accumulation tendency of some elements (Mn, Cu and Se, etc.) was uncovered in tumors. Our investigation demonstrated the variations in trace element distribution for frequently used specimens and further evidence of etiological mechanism is necessary.

Impacts of Cigarette Smoking on the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Objective: Cigarette smoking is a carcinogenic factor for esophageal cancer and evidence also indicates its effects on tumor microenvironment in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Materials and Methods: In our study, we demonstrated nine immune infiltrating cells and markers in non-smokers and smokers of 189 non-drinking ESCC patients with multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry (mflHC) staining and multispectral imaging. The impacts of cigarette smoking on tumor microenvironment and patient prognosis were also analyzed. Results: Among 189 ESCC patients of non-drinker, 86 patients was current smokers, while 34 males and 59 females were non-smokers and 10 former-smokers. Among 34 male non-smokers and 83 smokers, distinct immune infiltrating cells, with increased DCs in stromal regions (P=0.033), elevated infiltration of Treg cells in intraepithelial regions (P=0.010) and reduced activate cytotoxic T lymphocytes (aCTLs) in both intraepithelial (P=0.021) and stromal regions (P=0.017), were observed in tumor specimens of smoking males, implying an immune suppressed response during cigarette smoke exposure. For smoking characters, the level of stromal tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) infiltration was correlated with smoking year after age adjusted (rs =0.352, P=0.002). Though cigarette smoking did not alter the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in epithelial cells or TAMs in tumor specimens, higher expression of PD-L1 predicted a worse survival in non-smokers but not smokers. Conclusions: Our findings indicated smoking may impair T cell-mediated immune response and supported the possible impacts of cigarette smoking in PD-L1 related research and therapy of ESCC.

Attitudes of COVID-19 vaccination among college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis of willingness, associated determinants, and reasons for hesitancy.

The significance of COVID-19 vaccine has been declared and this study synthesizes the attitudes and determinants in vaccination hesitancy of college students. We searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and CNKI to enroll the related studies. The modified NOS was used for quality evaluation. Proportion and OR with 95% CI were pooled to estimate the acceptance rates and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination. Data of 34 studies involving 42 countries were pooled. The pooled acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccination among all the college students was 69% and varies between countries, while medical students have a slightly higher acceptancy rate. Knowledge, trust conception, social behavior, and information sources were important for their decision. Most of the college students intended to COVID-19 vaccination, but the proportion varied among countries. Governments should strengthen credibility, convey trusted information with media influences and improve vaccination services in urging students to be vaccinated.

Exposure to multiple metals and the risk of dyslexia - A case control study in Shantou, China.

Environmental heavy metal exposure has been considered to be the risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders in children. However, the available data on the associations between multiple metals exposure and the risk of dyslexia in China are limited. The purpose of our study was to examine the associations between urinary metal concentrations and Chinese dyslexia risk. A total of 56 Chinese dyslexics and 60 typically developing children were recruited. The urinary concentration of 13 metals were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Binary logistic regression and the Probit extension of Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR-P) were used to explore the associations between multiple metal exposure and the risk of Chinese dyslexia. Our results indicated that Co, Zn and Pb were significantly associated with Chinese dyslexia in the multiple-metal exposure model. After adjusting the covariates, a positive association was observed between Pb and the risk of Chinese dyslexia, with the odds ratio (OR) in the highest quartiles of 6.81 (95%CI: 1.07-43.19; p-trend = 0.024). Co and Zn were negatively associated with the risk of Chinese dyslexia. Compared to the lowest quartile, the ORs of Co and Zn in the highest quartile are 0.13 (95%CI: 0.02-0.72; p-trend = 0.026) and 0.18 (95%CI: 0.04-0.88; p-trend = 0.038), respectively. In addition, BKMR-P analysis indicated that with the cumulative level across Co, Zn and Pb increased, the risk of Chinese dyslexia gradually declined and then rebounded, albeit non-significantly, and Pb was the major contributor in this association. In general, the urinary concentrations of Co, Zn and Pb were significantly associated with Chinese dyslexia. More prospective studies are needed to confirm the health effects of multiple metals exposure in children with Chinese dyslexia.

Association between Serum Level of Multiple Trace Elements and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Risk: A Case-Control Study in China.

We investigated the associations between multiple serum trace element levels and risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A total of 185 ESCC patients and 191 healthy individuals were recruited in our study. The concentration of 13 trace elements (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sr, Cd and Pb) in serum was determined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Logistic regression and the Probit extension of Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) models was established to explore the associations and the cumulative and mixed effects of multiple trace elements on ESCC. Three elements (Zn, Se and Sr) displayed a negative trend with risk for ESCC, and a significant overall effect of the mixture of Al, V, Mn, Ni, Zn, Se and Sr on ESCC was found, with the effects of V, Ni and Sr being nonlinear. Bivariate exposure-response interactions among these trace elements indicated a synergistic effect between Zn and Se, and an impactful difference of V combined with Ni, Sr or Zn. Our results indicate that Ni, V, Al, Mn, Zn, Se and Sr are associated with ESCC risk, providing additional evidence of the complex effects of trace elements disorder during the etiology of EC development.

Analysis on common problems of the wastewater treatment industry in urban China.

The wastewater treatment industry in urban China generally faces certain common problems. To provide a comprehensive analysis on common problems of the wastewater treatment industry, survey data from 467 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and field investigation reports of 38 WWTPs were analyzed. The research results showed that, the common problems of the wastewater treatment industry are mainly concentrated in WWTPs and the drainage system. The length of per capita drainage networks is insufficient, only 0.85 m; approximately 63.17% WWTPs have hydraulic load rates (HLRs) are greater than 80%, and the ratio of water quality between the design value and actual value is approximately 0.7; and there is still a considerable gap in construction of wastewater treatment facilities compared to those in developed countries. These are still major common problems perplexing the wastewater treatment industry in urban China. In this study, the common problems that hinder improving the operation efficiency of WWTPs were investigated, the causes of the discrepancy were analyzed, and three countermeasures, such as refinement design, optimization facilities and reasonable process control were jointly explored to solve them. This study may provide valuable insights and methods for the wastewater treatment industry to effectively address the discrepancy between the design and actual operation of WWTPs.

Insights into the relationship between denitrification and organic carbon release of solid-phase denitrification systems: Mechanism and microbial characteristics.

Solid-phase denitrification is a promising alternative denitrification technology when facing a shortage of carbon sources. Nevertheless, it is still unclear whether there is a certain interaction between the denitrification process and the carbon release process in a solid-phase denitrification system. In this study, the concept of "Self-adaptation" was proposed for the relationship between denitrification and carbon release. At various influent nitrate loads, the PCL-supported denitrification system achieved an average nitrate removal rate of over 90.59 ± 7.01 % and a maximum denitrification rate of 0.67 ± 0.06 gN/(L·d). Microorganisms can spontaneously regulate the carbon release rate of PCL in response to changes in influent nitrate load, demonstrating "self-adaptation" of the PCL-supported solid-phase denitrification system. Regulation of carbon release rate via the "Self-adaptation" was achieved by changes in extracellular depolymerase activity. Acidovorax_sp. played a key role in "Self-adaptation", for its function of both denitrification and PCL degradation.

Regional discrepancy of microbial community structure in activated sludge system from Chinese WWTPs based on high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing.

Overall understanding of microbial community structure in activated sludge (AS) system at regional level is of great significance for operation regulation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, 110 AS samples from 21 cities in different Chinese regions were analyzed based on high-throughput 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing to explore effects of different regions on microbial community structure. Results showed that the regions with different characteristics (south and north, coastal and inland, high GDP and low GDP) had great impact on AS bacterial community in China. Core bacterial communities (101 OTUs) in south China were more abundant than those in north China (49 OTUs), and many core species in south China were associated with nutrient removal. Coastal WWTPs possessed unique bacterial communities due to the influence of marine bacteria. Phyla Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria were observed to be main biomarkers in coastal WWTPs. Compared with low GDP regions, more diverse microbial community and effective wastewater treatment were discovered in high GDP regions, and environmental factor analysis suggested that they were mainly correlated with high capacity and influent TP in the WWTPs. ß nearest taxon index (ßNTI) analysis showed that microbial community assembly in the analyzed AS samples was dominated by deterministic factors (70.67%) and influent quality was observed to be main factor.

Wastewater COD characterization: RBCOD and SBCOD characterization analysis methods.

Wastewater characterization is the basis for process design and operation optimization of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this work, a comprehensive study of the respirometry method has been performed to evaluate the biodegradable organic matters of wastewater. First, the optimal initial substrate to biomass ratio (S0/X0) was confirmed. Second, under the optimal S0/X0, the degradation curves of wastewater carbon oxygen demand (COD) components rapidly biodegradable COD (RBCOD) and slowly biodegradable COD (SBCOD) were obtained. Third, the Mann-Kendall test was performed to confirm the time point (t2) when endogenous respiration levels were reached, and the hydrolysis model was used to determine the time point (t1) of the SBCOD degradation stage. Considering the results, an adequate wastewater COD characterization method for RBCOD and SBCOD has been proposed. This study provides strong support to carry out effective and feasible process design, process diagnosis and optimization capability, can help achieve refined and stable operational management of WWTPs.

Effect of operating temperature on the efficiency of ultra-short-sludge retention time activated sludge systems.

There are abundant recyclable carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus resources in wastewater and their efficient recovery is a heavily studied topic at present. As an effective means of carbon and phosphorus recovery, the ultra-short-sludge retention time (SRT) activated sludge (USSAS) system has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers. In this study, the capture efficiency and mechanism of carbon/phosphorus, and the microbial characteristics of the USSAS system, were studied at different temperatures (12, 18, 24, and 30 °C) and a 3-day SRT. The results showed that temperature had little effect on the carbon capture efficiency but had a considerable impact on the carbon capture mode. Increasing temperature decreased the EPS content and increased the biological metabolic activity, then decreasing adsorption but increasing the biotransformation effect. There was a negative correlation between temperature and phosphorus capture efficiency. As the temperature increased, the biological phosphorus removal effect decreased, but the adsorptive phosphorus removal effect gradually increased. With decreasing temperatures, the mixed liquid volatile suspended solid (MLVSS)/mixed liquid suspended solid (MLSS) value increased, but there was a risk of sludge bulking. Kinetic parameters confirmed microbial energy storage under lower temperature conditions and high biological activity under higher temperature conditions.

Optimization nutrient removal at different volume ratio of anoxic-to-aerobic zone in integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) system.

This study evaluated the influence of different volume ratios of the anoxic-to-aerobic zone (Vano/Vaer) on the enhancement of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in an integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) system. As the Vano/Vaer increased from 1:2 to 2:1, the removal of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients of the IFAS system was improved. At Vano/Vaer = 1:1, the removal effect of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients was optimal, and the average removal rates of COD, NH4+-N, TN, and TP of the system reached 90 ± 3.2%, 98.2 ± 1.4%, 88.9 ± 2.2%, and 89.1 ± 2.7%, respectively. As the volume of the anoxic zone continued to increase, the denitrifying phosphate-accumulating capacity of the system was enhanced, and the highest ratio of specific anoxic and aerobic phosphorus uptake rate could reach 65.3%. Analysis of the molecular evaluation showed that, the proportion of nitrifying bacteria in the biofilm gradually increased as Vano increased. Moreover, denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms (DNPAOs), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (Anammox) bacteria were all enriched all showed enrichment in the biofilm of fiber carriers, which further strengthened the system's synergistic removal of nitrogen and phosphorus.

Sludge characteristics, system performance and microbial kinetics of ultra-short-SRT activated sludge processes.

Activated sludge processes with an ultra-short sludge retention time (ultra-short-SRT) are considered to have potential for energy and resource recovery from wastewater. The present study focused on the sludge characteristics, system performance and microbial kinetics in ultra-short-SRT activated sludge (USSAS) processes using typical domestic wastewater (SRT = 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 d). The results showed that compared with the sludge in conventional activated sludge (CAS) processes, the sludge structure in USSAS system was looser (fractal dimension, D2P, 1.19-1.33), the boundary was rougher (pore boundary fractal dimension, DB, 1.44-1.59), the sludge concentration was lower, and the sludge volume index (SVI) was higher; bacteria such as Thiothrix and Trichococcus that cause sludge bulking, which poses an operation risk, were extensively detected, especially at SRTs of 0.5 d and 1.0 d. The performance in terms of total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD) and phosphorus removal increased with increasing SRT, and the highest removal rate (approximately 85% for tCOD and 90% for phosphorus) was observed when the SRT was 4 d. Both bioconversion and biosorption were responsible for the C/P separation, and their roles were different for different types of organic matter and phosphorus under different SRT conditions. The proportion of phosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO) reached 2.4% when the SRT was 3 d, resulting in highly effective biological phosphorus removal. The values of microbial kinetic parameters such as YH and KdH in USSAS systems were higher than those in CAS systems, indicating faster microbial community renewal. This study was helpful for understanding the characteristics of USSAS process.

Cytokine activin C ameliorates chronic neuropathic pain in peripheral nerve injury rodents by modulating the TRPV1 channel.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The cytokine activin C is mainly expressed in small-diameter dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and suppresses inflammatory pain. However, the effects of activin C in neuropathic pain remain elusive. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Male rats and wild-type and TRPV1 knockout mice with peripheral nerve injury - sciatic nerve axotomy and spinal nerve ligation in rats; chronic constriction injury (CCI) in mice - provided models of chronic neuropathic pain. Ipsilateral lumbar (L)4-5 DRGs were assayed for activin C expression. Chronic neuropathic pain animals were treated with intrathecal or locally pre-administered activin C or the vehicle. Nociceptive behaviours and pain-related markers in L4-5 DRGs and spinal cord were evaluated. TRPV1 channel modulation by activin C was measured. KEY RESULTS: Following peripheral nerve injury, expression of activin ßC subunit mRNA and activin C protein was markedly up-regulated in L4-5 DRGs of animals with axotomy, SNL or CCI. [Correction added on 26 November 2020, after first online publication: The preceding sentence has been corrected in this current version.] Intrathecal activin C dose-dependently inhibited neuropathic pain in spinal nerve ligated rats. Local pre-administration of activin C decreased neuropathic pain, macrophage infiltration into ipsilateral L4-5 DRGs and microglial reaction in L4-5 spinal cords of mice with CCI. In rat DRG neurons, activin C enhanced capsaicin-induced TRPV1 currents. Pre-treatment with activin C reduced capsaicin-evoked acute hyperalgesia and normalized capsaicin-evoked persistent hypothermia in mice. Finally, the analgesic effect of activin C was abolished in TRPV1 knockout mice with CCI. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Activin C inhibits neuropathic pain by modulating TRPV1 channels, revealing potential analgesic applications in chronic neuropathic pain therapy.