Anthropogenic, biogenic, and photochemical influences on surface formaldehyde and its significant decadal (2006-2017) decrease in the Lewiston-Clarkston valley of the northwestern United States.

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a key carcinogen and plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry. Both field measurements and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modeling have been employed to investigate the concentrations and sources of HCHO in the Lewiston-Clarkston (LC) valley of the mountainous northwestern U.S. Different instruments were deployed to measure surface formaldehyde and other related compounds in July of 2016 and 2017. The measurements reveal that the average HCHO concentrations have significantly decreased to 2-5 ppb in the LC valley in comparison to its levels (10-20 ppb) observed in July 2006. This discovery with surface measurements deserves attention given that satellite retrievals showed an increasing long-term trend from 2005 to 2014 in total vertical column density of HCHO in the region, suggesting that satellite instruments may not adequately resolve small valleys in the mountainous region. Our PMF modeling identified four major sources of HCHO in the valley: (1) emissions from a local paper mill, (2) secondary formation and background, (3) biogenic sources, and (4) traffic. This study reveals that the emissions from the paper mill cause high HCHO spikes (6-19 ppb) in the early morning. It is found that biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the area are influenced by national forests surrounding the region (e.g., Nez Perce-Clearwater, Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, and Idaho Panhandle National Forests). The results provide useful information for developing strategies to control HCHO levels and have implications for future HCHO studies in atmospheric chemistry, which affects secondary aerosols and ozone formation.

Efficacy of percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation plus percutaneous kyphoplasty in the management of unstable osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was performed to compare the efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) vs. percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation plus PKP in the management of unstable osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 197 patients with unstable OVCF treated in the Department of Spine Surgery, Lianyungang First People's Hospital from September 2019 to September 2021 were recruited and assigned via random number table method 1:1 to receive either PKP (group A, n=106) or PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation (group B, n=91). The outcome measures for the evaluation of different surgical methods included visual analogue scale (VAS), the height of the anterior-posterior border of the injured spine, Cobb angle of the posterior convexity, Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores. RESULTS: PKP exhibited shorter operative time and length of hospital stay and less intraoperative blood loss vs. PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation (p<0.05). Patients with PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation experienced milder postoperative pain vs. those with PKP alone at 7 days postoperatively, as evidenced by the lower VAS scores (p<0.05). PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation provided more restoration of anterior margin height and posterior convexity Cobb angle vs. PKP alone (p<0.05). Patients with PKP only showed slightly higher Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores than those with combined surgery, while the postoperative clinical signs between the two arms were similar (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Single PKP features the benefits of minimal trauma, simple operation, and rapid postoperative recovery in the treatment of OVCF. PKP plus percutaneous cement-augmented screw fixation for severe OVCF provided distinctly better performance than PKP alone in terms of early pain relief, restoration of vertebral body height, correction of posterior convexity deformity, and firm spinal stability.

Lipaemic serum in Hb E-Beta thalassaemia major: A rare case of hypertriglyceridaemia thalassaemia syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: A 1-year-old Malay girl presented with pallor, failure to thrive and hepatosplenomegaly. Her blood was sent for thalassaemia screening and it was incidentally found that her blood appeared lipaemic. CASE REPORT: Primary and secondary causes of hyperlipidaemia were investigated. Her blood was sent for fasting lipid profile, thyroid function test (TFT), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), liver function test (LFT), renal profile (RP) and HIV screening. Lipaemic interference was removed by high-speed centrifugation. She is a product of non-consanguineous marriage. She is staying together with her stepfather who is HIV positive. Her mother's infective status was negative with no dyslipidaemic features and a normal lipid profile. Lipid profile of her biological father was not known. No other lipid stigmata such as eruptive xanthoma or lipaemia retinalis was seen in the patient. Haemoglobin analysis showed Hb E-Beta thalassaemia major. Her triglycerides was 9.05 mmol/L with normal total cholesterol, 2.85 mmol/L and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), 0.26 mmol/L. Calculated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) was invalid as triglycerides was >4.5 mmol/L. TFT, RP, FPG, LFT were normal and HIV status was negative. She was transfused with 10 ml/kg packed cell and her blood post transfusion appeared non lipaemic. CONCLUSION: Primary hypertriglyceridaemia was excluded based on insignificant family history of dyslipidaemia. Secondary causes of hypertriglyceridaemia were ruled out based on unremarkable laboratory investigations. Thus, we conclude that this patient is having hypertriglyceridaemia thalassaemia syndrome (HTS) which is a rare disorder with unknown pathogenesis. Further research may be required to explore this unknown association.

Correction to: Topical antimicrobial prophylaxis in colorectal surgery for the prevention of surgical wound infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Unfortunately, an author name (Nuzhat Iqbal) was missed out in the original publication. The complete updated author list is given below.

Topical antimicrobial prophylaxis in colorectal surgery for the prevention of surgical wound infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Among the techniques investigated to reduce the risk of surgical wound infection or surgical space infection (SSI) in patients having colorectal surgery are topical application of antimicrobials (antibiotics and antiseptics) to the open wound or immediately after closure. The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the literature on those treatments, with the exception of antibiotic ointments applied to closed skin, which are adequately assessed elsewhere, and a meta-analysis. METHODS: Only randomized trials of patients having only colorectal surgery were included in this review. Studies were sought in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, Clinical Trials.gov, and the World Health Organization Internet clinical trials register portal. In addition, reference lists of included studies and other published reviews were screened. Meta-analysis was performed for all included studies and subgroup analyses done for each individual intervention. Risk of bias was assessed for each included study, paying particular attention to the preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis used in each study. Sensitivity analyses were done to investigate heterogeneity of the analyses, excluding those studies with a significant risk of bias issues. Absolute risk reduction (RR) was calculated. The overall quality of the evidence for each individual intervention was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, and was classified as high, moderate, low or very low. RESULTS: A total of 30 studies are included in this review with 5511 patients, 665 of whom had SSI. The interventions included: 10 studies of gentamicin impregnated sponge or beads wound inlays, 4 studies of chlorhexidine impregnated suture, 11 studies of direct wound lavage or powder application or injection of antibiotics before closure, 4 studies of ionized silver dressing applied to the closed skin, and 1 study of vitamin E oil applied to the open wound. All but one study used preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in addition to topical procedures, although, in some studies, the systemic antibiotic prophylaxis was not the same between groups or varied significantly from the recommended guidelines. Use of gentamycin sponge did not decrease SSI (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.75-1.16; low-quality evidence) even after including only the studies of abdominal wounds (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.80-1.30; low-quality evidence). However, sensitivity analysis excluding studies at high risk of bias decreased the heterogeneity and increased the effect of the prophylaxis for all wounds (RR 0.5, 95% CI 0.33-0.78; low-quality evidence) and for abdominal wounds only (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.20-0.72; moderate-quality evidence). Chlorhexidine impregnated suture showed no effect on SSI (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.56-1.10; low-quality evidence) and an increased efficacy after sensitivity analysis (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.22-0.79; low-quality evidence). Antibiotic lavage showed a significant decrease in SSI (RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.79; low-quality evidence) which increased after sensitivity analysis (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.15-0.72; moderate-quality evidence). Application of silver dressing to the closed wound resulted in a decrease of SSI (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.35-0.85; moderate-quality evidence). The one study of topical vitamin E oil applied to the open wound showed a significant risk reduction (RR 0.22, 95% CI 0.05-0.98; low-quality evidence). CONCLUSIONS: Each of these interventions appears to be effective in decreasing SSI, but the number of studies for each is small and the quality of evidence is very low to moderate. Within the various outcomes of GRADE assessment, even a moderate classification suggests that further studies may well have very different results.. No randomized trials exist of combinations of two or more of the above interventions to see if there is a combined effect. Future studies should make sure that the antibiotic used preoperatively is uniform within a study and is consistent with the current guidelines. Deviation from this leads to a significant heterogeneity and risk of bias.

[Clinical retrospective control study of single-port laparoendoscopic and multi-port laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy].

Objective: To investigate clinical outcomes of laparoendoscopic single-site ovarian cystectomy compared with traditional multi-port laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. Methods: Data of 81 patients with ovarian cystectomy from January 2016 to May 2017, the single-site group (n=40) and the multi-port group (n=41) in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively collected. The outcomes of single-site and multi-port groups were analyzed and compared, including: postoperative fever, operation time, blood loss, hemoglobin change, surgical complications, postoperative pain score, postoperative analgesic requirements, body image scale and cosmetic score, length of hospital stay, postoperative total cost. Results: No complication was found in two groups. No difference was found in postoperative fever, blood loss, hemoglobin change, postoperative pain score, length of hospital stay, and total cost between the two groups (all P>0.05). Operation time was (50±20) minutes in single-site group, and (40±15) minutes in multi-port group; postoperative analgesic requirements was 28%(11/40) in single-site group, and 7%(4/41) in multi-port group; cosmetic score was 22.6±2.6 in single-site group, and 17.3±2.6 in multi-port group; body image scale was 5.7±1.2 in single-site group, and 6.2±1.2 in multi-port group; these four clinical parameters were statistical differences (all P<0.05). Conculsion: Laparoendoscopic single-site ovarian cystectomy is feasible and safe, although it could't relieve the postoperative pian, it do offer a higher cosmetic satisfaction.

[The mechanism of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells excessive senescence in severe aplastic anemia mouse model].

Objective: To explore the mechanism of excessive senescence in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) of mouse model with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) . Methods: 40 BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to two groups of control (n=20) and AA (n=20) . SAA mouse model was induced by intraperitoneal injection with IFN-γ and intragastric infusion with busulfan. BM-MSC were isolated and cultured from bone marrow of SAA and healthy mice. The cell morphology was observed by inverted microscope and cell cytoskeleton was stained by Rhodamine-Phalloidin; The level of proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8 method, and cell cycle was tested by flow cytometry. Senescence-associated ß-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal) assay was used to detect senescent BM-MSC; The expression of mTOR protein was detected by Western blot method. Results: BM-MSC from normal mice presented spindle-shaped, clear boundaries and stress fibers were arranged in parallel, neat. while BM-MSCs from SAA mice presented cell volume increases, tiled, ill-shaped and the stress fiber appeared to be disordered. The decreased activity of proliferation [more cells restricted in G(0)/G(1) phase [ (77.461±1.567) % vs (46.045±2.055) %, t=-34.384, P<0.001], increased percentage of SA-ß-gal positive cells [ (75±11) % vs (28±8) %, t=15.454, P<0.001] and notably enhanced expression of mTOR of BM-MSC from SAA mice were observed when compared with those from normal mice. Conclusion: This study clarified senescent BM-MSCs from SAA model mice, which could be caused by the excessive activation of mTOR pathway.

Continuous treatment with lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone in transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma in Asia: subanalysis of the FIRST trial.

The phase 3 FIRST (Frontline Investigation of REVLIMID + Dexamethasone Versus Standard Thalidomide) trial demonstrated that lenalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone (Rd) until disease progression (Rd continuous) is an effective treatment option for transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). Given genetic differences between Asian and Western populations, this subanalysis of the FIRST trial examined the safety and efficacy of Rd (given continuously or for 18 cycles [Rd18]) and MPT (melphalan, prednisone, thalidomide) in 114 Asian patients from Mainland China, South Korea and Taiwan. Efficacy and safety with Rd continuous in Asian patients were consistent with those in the overall study population. The overall response rates were 77·8% for Rd continuous, 57·5% for MPT and 65·8% for Rd18. The risk of progression or death was reduced by 39% with Rd continuous versus MPT and by 35% with Rd continuous versus Rd18. Rd continuous improved the 3-year survival rate compared with MPT (70·2% vs. 56·4%) and Rd18 (58·1%). Common grade 3/4 adverse events in the Rd continuous and MPT arms were neutropenia (25·0% vs. 43·6%), infection (19·4% vs. 28·2%) and anaemia (19·4% vs. 15·4%), respectively. Thromboembolic event rates were low, and no second primary malignancies were observed. Rd continuous is safe and effective in transplant-ineligible Asian patients with NDMM.

Nutrition and physical activity related school environment/policy factors and child obesity in China: a nationally representative study of 8573 students in 110 middle schools.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a serious threat to global health. School is a key setting for obesity intervention. Research on school risk factors for child obesity is limited in developing countries. OBJECTIVES: To examine regional variations in obesity and school environments/policies and their associations among students in China. METHODS: Analyses were based on the first nationally representative sample of 8573 9th graders in 110 middle schools from 28 regions across China. Multilevel models tested associations between school factors and child self-reported weight outcomes and by school urbanicity setting (urban, rural). RESULTS: Overweight/obesity rate is higher among boys and in urban areas. Schools in rural areas, or less developed regions, promote longer on-campus life, as is indicated by the presence of school cafeterias, night study sessions and longer class hours. Multilevel models show that (i) school cafeterias (OR = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.35-4.75) and internet bars close to school (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.15-2.30) are associated with increased overweight/obesity risk in rural areas, especially for boys; (ii) school night study sessions are associated with lower overweight/obesity risk (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.50-0.96) in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: China has large regional disparities in school environment/policies related to nutrition and physical activity. Some school factors are associated with students' weight status, which vary across gender and areas. Future school-based interventions should attend to diverse regional contexts.

Progression of subcortical atrophy in mild Parkinson's disease and its impact on cognition.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with pronounced grey matter atrophy in various brain regions. However, the association between atrophy patterns and progression from no cognitive impairment (NCI) to Parkinson's disease (PD)-MCI is not clearly known. We investigated the pattern and progression of atrophy in subcortical structures and its impact on cognition in patients with mild PD. METHODS: Sixty-five patients with mild PD with baseline and longitudinal clinical and neuropsychological assessments, and structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were studied. Movement Disorder Society Task Force criteria were used to classify patients with PD into PD-NCI (n = 54) and PD-MCI (n = 11). Based on progression over time, those who remained without cognitive impairment were classified as PD-stable (n = 42) and those who converted to MCI over 18 months were classified as PD-converters (n = 12). FreeSurfer was used to measure cortical thickness and subcortical volumes at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: Parkinson's disease-MCI showed baseline thalamus atrophy and progressive atrophy in the thalamus, caudate, presubiculum, cornu ammonis 1 and 2-3, and significant memory and executive dysfunction compared with PD-NCI. PD-converters had greater accumbens atrophy at baseline and progressive atrophy in the thalamus, caudate and accumbens with dysfunctions in memory and executive domains. CONCLUSIONS: Progression of cognitive impairment in non-demented PD is associated with a specific pattern of subcortical atrophy. Findings from this study will allow future studies to investigate in the role of subcortical structures as a biomarker for PD dementia.

Neutralization of Interleukin-17 Attenuates Cholestatic Liver Fibrosis in Mice.

Anti-inflammation strategy is one of the proposed therapeutic approaches to hepatic fibrosis. IL-17 is critical in inflammation, but the role of IL-17 in liver fibrosis has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we investigate the role of IL-17 on bile duct ligation-induced liver injury and fibrosis in C57BL/6 mice. Animals were sacrificed at designated times, and serum and liver tissues were collected for analysis of liver function and serum IL-6, IL-1ß, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) levels. IL-17 blockade with anti-IL-17A mAb significantly improved liver function and decreased hepatocellular necrosis, pro-inflammatory cytokines, neutrophils and macrophages influx. Furthermore, CD3 + and CD8 + lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages were found to express IL-17, and neutrophils are the principal IL-17-producing cells after BDL-induced liver injury. These data indicated that IL-17 signal contributes to the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver injury and blocked of IL-17 could potentially benefit patients with cholestatic liver disease.

Changing pattern of mortality in renal transplant recipients: a single-center, 30-year experience.

INTRODUCTION: Patient survival among kidney transplant (KTx) recipients has improved remarkably in the past decades. The most common causes of death are cardiovascular disease in the West; in Taiwan, the answer remains uncertain. METHODS: From 1983 to 2012, KTx patients who underwent transplantation and were followed at our hospital were recruited for the study. For comparison, patients were stratified according to the transplant time as group 1, 1983-1989 (the initial era); group 2, 1990-1998 (the cyclosporine era); and group 3, 1999-2012 (the modern era, in which tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil were available). RESULTS: A total of 520 KTx patients (male:female ratio of 285:235) were performed in our hospital during the study period. A progressive improvement in patient survival rates (P < .0001) was noted among the 3 groups. At a mean follow-up duration of 9.55 ± 8.20 years, 83 recipients had died. Overall, the most common cause of death was infection (44.6%), followed by cardiovascular disease (21.7%), malignancy (12.0%), and hepatic failure (10.8%). Infection was the main cause of death in groups 1 and 2 (44.1% and 52.6%, respectively) but not in Group 3 (18.2%), although this trend did not reach statistical significance. Death owing to cardiovascular diseases became the most common cause of death (27.3%) in the modern era (group 3). CONCLUSION: The pattern of mortality among Taiwanese KTx patients has changed over the past 30 years. Infection is no longer the commonest cause of death.

Improving the in vivo persistence, distribution and function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes by inhibiting the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment.

Adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy of malignant tumors has the problem of symbiosis between effector cells and tumor cells, a short in vivo residence time, and a poor killing efficiency of effector cells. Thus, releasing effector cells from the cancer immunosuppressive microenvironment and improving their effective time and functional status in vivo would seem to be ideal strategies for facilitating immunotherapy. Low-dose cyclophosphamide administration can effectively break immunotolerance by inhibiting regulatory T cells. In the present study, in order to verify whether the persistence, distribution and function of effector cells can be improved by inhibiting immunosuppressive microenvironment, low-dose cyclophosphamide was previously intraperitoneally injected into melanoma-bearing C57BL/6 mice, thereafter, CFSE-labeled cytotoxic T lymphocytes were transfused intravenously, and their effective time, distributive pattern, and killing efficiency in different groups were observed by measuring the fluorescence intensity and cell cycle of cytotoxic T lymphocytes distributed in various organs, in comparison with tumor growth. We found down-regulating Tregs in vivo can simultaneously reduce the levels of interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-ß. Migration and distribution of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo was found to vary with time. Inhibition of immunotolerance can significantly improve the persistence, distribution, and function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Correspondingly, significantly higher secretion of perforin, granzyme B, IL-2, and IFN-γ in tumor tissues with decreased tumor growth was seen in the cyclophosphamide injection group than in the control group. Our study may provide useful information on the cyclophosphamide-mediated mechanism for facilitating tumor immunotherapy by inhibiting the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

The potential role of Th17 cells and Th17-related cytokines in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis.

T helper type 17 (Th17) cells, a novel distinct subset of Th cell, can secrete interleukin (IL)-17 in humans. Although recent data suggest that Th17 cells and IL-17 play an important role in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN), the expression of Th17-related cytokines in the kidneys of SLE patients has not been studied in detail. In the present study, we investigated circulating Th17-cell frequencies using flow cytometry and serum Th17-related cytokine levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 24 LN patients (17 patients with class IV and seven patients with class V) and 12 healthy controls. We also investigated glomerular Th17-related cytokine expression in LN patients and minimal change nephropathy (MCN) patients using immunohistochemistry. Our results showed significantly higher median frequencies of circulating Th17 cells in LN patients (0.68%) than in healthy controls (0.12%, p < 0.001). Serum levels of IL-17, IL-6 and IL-23 were significantly higher in LN patients (median 7.26, 232.60 and 37.01 pg/ml, respectively) than in healthy controls (median 0.82, 34.60 and 7.42 pg/ml, respectively; all p < 0.001). Circulating Th17-cell frequencies were positively correlated with SLEDAI, renal SLEDAI and histological activity index, the degree of cellular crescent and endocapillary proliferation. Significantly higher levels of glomerular IL-17 and IL-23 expression were observed in renal biopsies from class IV LN patients as compared to those from MCN patients and normal controls. Glomerular IL-17 and IL-23 expression levels were positively correlated with renal SLEDAI and histological activity index for LN patients. Our results suggest the potential role of the IL-23/Th17 axis in the intra-renal inflammation of SLE.

Follow-up and treatment of renal transplantation with nephropathic cystinosis in central Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Cystinosis is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by a defect in lysosomal cystine. The intracellular cystine accumulation causes damage in multiple organs and renal failure. We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes and complications of patients with nephropathic cystinosis after renal transplantation (RT) in Taiwan. METHODS: Only 2 nephropathic cystinosis patients (siblings) had RT out of the 1,196 RTs in our hospital over the past 30 years. The younger sister received a living-related RT from her mother. The elder sister received a second cadaveric RT owing to chronic allograft rejection one-half year before. RESULTS: They were diagnosed with cystinosis at ages 5 and 9 years, and received allografts at ages 13.4 (younger) and 19.8 and 26.4 (elder) years. They each experienced 1 episode of acute rejection at 6 months after the first RT. The elder sister suffered from obstructive nephropathy with progressive graft failure at age 26.4 years and was treated for vulvar condyloma and carcinoma in situ of cervix. The second graft kidney then maintained good kidney function. The younger sister delivered a girl without complication during gestation, and her renal function also remained good. At latest follow-up, they both had crystalline keratopathy and nephropathy, but no other system involvement. CONCLUSIONS: The extrarenal complications with nephropathic cystinosis are high. These 2 siblings had only have ocular involvement without further cysteamine therapy. However, long-term follow-up is required to monitor development of complications and determine their prognoses.

Antinucleosome antibodies as a potential biomarker for the evaluation of renal pathological activity in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the correlation between antinucleosome antibodies and renal pathological activity in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis (LN). We evaluated 36 patients with proliferative LN, 14 non-renal lupus patients and 10 healthy volunteers. Lupus activity was assessed using the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group 2004 (BILAG 2004) index, serum anti-double stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) levels, serum complement levels and daily urinary protein levels. All 36 lupus nephritis patients received renal biopsy. Antinucleosome antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our results showed that levels of serum antinucleosome antibodies were significantly higher in LN patients (median 90.35 units/ml, interquartile range [IQR] 37.38-135.23) than in non-renal SLE patients (median 5.45 units/ml, IQR 2.6-28.93, p <0.05) and in healthy volunteers (median 3.35 units/ml, IQR 2.95-5.23, p <0.001). Serum levels of antinucleosome antibodies were positively correlated with BILAG index (Spearman's r = 0.645, p <0.001) and serum anti-dsDNA antibody levels (r(s) = 0.644, p <0.01), while serum levels of antinucleosome antibodies were negatively correlated with serum levels of C3 (r(s) = -0.400, p <0.01) and C4 (r(s) = -0.300, p <0.05). Serum levels of antinucleosome antibodies were positively correlated with the histological activity index of LN (r(s) = 0.368, p <0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between serum levels of antinucleosome antibodies and the histological chronicity index. In conclusion, the serum level of antinucleosome antibodies is a potential biomarker for early recognition of renal involvement and evaluation of disease activity in SLE. Our preliminary results suggested that serum levels of antinucleosome antibodies might be a potential biomarker in evaluating pathological activity of LN.

Emissions of EC, OC, and PAHs from cottonseed oil biodiesel in a heavy-duty diesel engine.

Biodiesel fuels, made from renewable resources, have emerged as viable alternatives to conventional diesel fuel, but their impact on emissions is not fully understood. This study examines elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emissions from cottonseed oil biodiesel (CSO-B100). Relative to normal diesel fuel, CSO-B100 reduced EC emissions by 64% (±16%). The bulk of EC emitted from CSO-B100 was in the fine particle mode (<1.4 µm), which is similar to normal diesel. OC was found in all size ranges, whereas emissions of OC(1.4-2.5) were proportionately higher in OC(2.5) from CSO-B100 than from diesel. The CSO-B100 emission factors derived from this study are significantly lower, even without aftertreatment, than the China-4 emission standards established in Beijing and Euro-IV diesel engine standards. The toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) for CSO-B100 was half the TEFs of diesel, which suggests that PAHs emitted from CSO-B100 may be less toxic.