Selective N-functionalization of Arylhydrazines with Primary Alcohols and Acids under PPh3/DDQ System.

We present a PPh3/DDQ-mediated regiospecific selective N-functionalization of arylhydrazines with primary benzylic alcohols and aryl carboxylic acids for the synthesis of N1-benzyl arylhydrazines and N2-acyl arylhydrazines, respectively. This metal- and base-free approach features very short reaction times (about 10 min), broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and mild reaction conditions. Furthermore, N1-benzlated products have also been successfully applied to the concise synthesis of N-substituted indoles and anticancer drug MDM2 inhibitor.

Migration Patterns and Potential Risk Assessment of Trace Elements in the Soil-Plant System in the Production Area of the Chinese Medicinal Herb Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl.

Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. holds a prominent place among Chinese medicinal herbs. Assessing the soil-plant system of its origin is crucial for ensuring medication safety. Although some trace elements are essential for the normal functioning of living organisms, exposure to higher concentrations is harmful to humans, so in order to assess the possible health risk of trace elements in the soil-plant system of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. origin for human assessment, we used non-carcinogenic risk (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) for their evaluation. In this paper, the following trace elements were studied in the soil-Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. system: manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), arsenic (As) and lead (Pb). Correlation and structural equation analyses showed that the effect of soil in the root zone on the plant was much greater than the effect of soil in the non-root zone on the plant. The single-factor pollution index (Pi) showed that the soil in the production area of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. was polluted to a certain extent, notably with Pb showing the highest average Pi values of 0.94 and 0.89 in the non-root and root zones, respectively. Additionally, the Nemerow composite pollution indices (PN) for both zones indicated an alert range. Regarding health risks, exposure to soil in the non-root zone posed higher non-carcinogenic risk (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) compared to the root zone, although neither zone presented a significant carcinogenic risk. The potential non-carcinogenic risk (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) from consuming Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. leaves and stems were more than ten times higher than that of roots. However, the carcinogenic risk (CR) values for both the soil and plant of interest in the soil- Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. system did not exceed 10-4, and therefore no significant carcinogenic risk existed.

Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Mediastinal Cryobiopsy versus Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration for Mediastinal Disorders: A Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial mediastinal cryobiopsy (EBUS-TMC), a novel technique, has been reported to improve the diagnostic value of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for mediastinal lesions in recent studies. Current literature suggests that this procedure has greater diagnostic efficacy compared to conventional EBUS-TBNA. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield and complications associated with EBUS-TMC in comparison to EBUS-TBNA, thereby exploring the potential of this novel technique in enhancing the diagnostic utility for mediastinal lesions. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was conducted by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar databases for articles published from inception to December 31, 2023. The objective of this review was to evaluate the utilization of EBUS-TMC in diagnosing mediastinal disease, while also assessing the quality of each study using the QUADAS-2 tool. The diagnostic yield estimates were subjected to a meta-analysis utilizing inverse variance weighting. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the complications associated with this procedure was performed. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 10 studies involving a total of 538 patients. The findings of the meta-analysis demonstrated that EBUS-TMC yielded an overall diagnostic rate of 89.59% (482/538), while EBUS-TBNA yielded a rate of 77.13% (415/538). The calculated inverse variance-weighted odds ratio was 2.63 (95% confidence interval, 1.86-3.72; p < 0.0001), and I2 value was 11%, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two techniques. The associated complications consisted of pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, mediastinitis, and bleeding, with an incidence of 0.74% (4/538), 0.37% (2/538), 0.0% (0/538), and 1.12% (6/538), respectively. Moreover, the funnel plot displayed no discernible publication bias. Further subgroup analysis revealed a notable improvement in the diagnosis value for lymphoma (86.36% vs. 27.27%, p = 0.0006) and benign disorder (87.62% vs. 60.00%, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: This review of the current available studies indicated that EBUS-TMC enhanced overall diagnostic yields compared to EBUS-TBNA, particularly for diagnosing benign disease and lymphoma. This procedure was not associated with any serious complications.

Effects of soil properties and land use patterns on the distribution of microplastics: A case study in southwest China.

Microplastic pollution in the soil environment is of great concern. However, the current research on microplastics (MPs) in Southwest China mainly focuses on their distribution characteristics and sources in soil, making the understanding of the soil properties and land use patterns influencing soil MPs insufficient. In this study, the abundance and distribution characteristics of MPs in the soil of different land use patterns in Guizhou Province were determined. The results revealed that the average abundance of MPs in soils was 2936 items/kg, ranging from 780 to 9420 items/kg. The MPs were mainly small particle size (0-0.5 mm), granular, and black, accounting for 87.5%, 36.6%, and 82.2%, respectively. The most common polymer types of MPs were polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene, which accounted for 20.4%, 16.8%, and 16.4%, respectively. As soil bulk density increased, microplastic abundance and small particle size decreased. Soil microplastic abundance slightly decreased with increasing soil porosity. The abundance of MPs increased with the increase in soil pH, but no significant correlation was observed between soil organic matter content and microplastic abundance. pH was the major factor that affected the microplastic distribution, which accounted for 32.5%. This study provides insight into the distribution and influencing factors of soil MPs and also provides a theoretical basis for subsequent research on soil microplastic pollution.

Microplastics in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau lakes, China.

As an emerging environmental pollutant, microplastics (MPs) have received widespread attention. Recently, studies examining microplastic pollution in plateau lakes have been increasing, but few have examined the distributions, sources, and fates of MPs in different plateau areas. In this work, the abundances and characteristics of MPs in surface waters and sediments in lakes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (YGP) were systematically investigated. The abundances of MPs in the lakes of the QTP ranges within 0.05-1.8 n/L in surface waters and 10-2643.7 n/kg in sediments. In the lakes of the YGP, the abundances of MPs ranged within 1.3-10.1 n/L in surface waters and 171.7-4260 n/kg in sediments. The dominant shape, color, and size class of MPs were fiber, transparent, and 0-0.5 mm in plateau lakes, respectively. MPs were mainly composed of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate polymers. The different sources of MPs in the QTP and YGP lakes were mainly due to differences in human activities. The primary sources of microplastic pollution in the lakes of the QTP were tourism and atmospheric transport, while sewage discharge, agriculture, and fishing activities were the main sources of MPs in urban lakes of the YGP. Although the level of microplastic pollution in plateau lakes was relatively low, the sources should be identified and monitored so that the effects and extent of microplastic pollution in these fragile environments can be fully understood. This study provides a valuable dataset and theoretical basis for subsequent research on microplastic pollution in plateau lakes.

Identification and visualization of environmental microplastics by Raman imaging based on hyperspectral unmixing coupled machine learning.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous contaminants that have become an emerging pollutant of concern, potentially threatening human health and ecosystem environments. Although current detection methods can accurately identify various types of MPs, it remains necessary to develop non-destructive and rapid methods to meet growing demands for detection. Herein, we combine a hyperspectral unmixing method and machine learning to analyse Raman imaging data of environmental MPs. Five MPs types including poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), p-polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) were visualized and identified. Individual or mixed pure or aged MPs along with environmental samples were analysed by Raman imaging. Alternating volume maximization (AVmax) combined with unconstrained least squares (UCLS) method estimated end members and abundance maps of each of the MPs in the samples. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were used as the evaluation index; the results showed that there is a high similarity between the raw spectra and the average spectra calculated by AVmax. This indicates that Raman imaging based on machine learning and hyperspectral unmixing is a novel imaging analysis method that can directly identify and visualize MPs in the environment.

The Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of EBUS-TBNA for Intrathoracic Metastasis in Previously Treated Patients With Head and Neck Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The present study assessed the diagnostic and prognostic significance of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for suspected intrathoracic metastasis after HNC treatment. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 75 patients with a prior history of head and neck cancer treatment who underwent EBUS-TBNA for suspected intrathoracic metastases between March 2012 and December 2021. RESULTS: A total of 126 targeted lesions, including 107 mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes and 19 intrapulmonary/mediastinal masses, were sampled. The metastatic head and neck cancer (HNC) cases detected by EBUS-TBNA consisted of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (n = 24), oropharyngeal carcinoma (n = 3), hypopharynx carcinoma (n = 6), laryngeal carcinoma (n = 6), and oral cavity carcinoma (n = 6). Cases with negative EBUS-TBNA results consisted of tuberculosis (n = 9), sarcoidosis (n = 3), anthracosis (n = 9), and reactive lymphadenitis (n = 9). Six false-negative cases were found among the 75 patients with suspected intrathoracic metastases. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of the EBUS-TBNA procedure for metastatic HNC were 88.2, 100.0, 100.0, 80, and 92.0%, respectively. The diagnosis of HNC intrathoracic metastasis by EBUS-TBNA correlated with an adverse prognosis in terms of overall survival (OS) (P = .008). The log-rank univariate analysis and Cox regression multivariate analysis results indicated that the detection of metastatic HNC through EBUS-TBNA was a significant independent prognostic factor for patients with HNC who had received prior treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive procedure for assessing suspected intrathoracic metastasis in HNC patients after treatment. The intrathoracic metastasis detected by EBUS-TBNA has crucial prognostic significance in previously treated HNC patients.

[Effect of Calcified Lymph Nodes on Thoracoscopic Lobectomy in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients with Lung Cancer].

Objective To observe the effect of calcified lymph nodes on video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with lung cancer. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the COPD patients with lung cancer who underwent VATS lobectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from May 2014 to May 2018.The patients were assigned into a calcified lymph node group and a control group according to the presence or absence of calcified lymph nodes in CT,and the size,morphology,and calcification degree of the lymph nodes were recorded.The operation duration,intraoperative blood loss,chest tube retention time,hospitalization days,and overall complication rate were compared between the two groups. Results The 30 patients in the calcified lymph node group included 17 patients with one calcified lymph node and 13 patients with two or more calcified lymph nodes,and a total of 65 calcified lymph nodes were recorded.The calcified lymph nodes with the size ≤5 mm were the most common (53.8%),and complete calcification was the most common form (55.4%) in lymph node calcification.The mean operation duration had no significant difference between the calcified lymph node group and the control group (t=-1.357,P=0.180).The intraoperative blood loss (t=-2.646,P=0.010),chest tube retention time (t=-2.302,P=0.025),and hospitalization days (t=-2.274,P=0.027) in the calcified lymph node group were higher than those in the control group. Conclusion Calcified lymph nodes increase the difficulty and risk of VATS lobectomy in the COPD patients with lung cancer.The findings of this study are conducive to predicting the perioperative process of VATS lobectomy.

Expression of Shh, Gli1, and Cyr61 in Gastric Cancer Predicts Overall Survival of Patients: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the expression levels of Shh, Gli1, and Cyr61 proteins in gastric cancer tissues and analyze the relationship between these three proteins and the clinicopathological factors and prognosis of patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Four hundred gastric cancer tissue specimens from patients who underwent radical gastrectomy in Zhangye People's Hospital affiliated to Hexi University between February 2013 and February 2021 underwent immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: The positive expression rates of Shh, Gli1, and Cyr61 in gastric cancer tissues were 55.5%, 56.5%, and 64.5%, respectively. The expressions of Shh, Gli1, and Cyr61 in gastric cancer tissues were significantly correlated with tumor size, depth of invasion, and degree of differentiation (P < .05). The expression of Shh protein was positively correlated with the expression of Gli1 protein (P < .01), and the expression of Gli1 protein was positively correlated with the expression of Cyr61 protein (P < .01). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the expression of Shh, Gli1, and Cyr61 could predict the prognosis of patients (P < .05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis combined with TNM staging could better predict the three-year overall survival of patients (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Shh, Gli1, and Cyr61 proteins are significantly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and are risk factors for the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.

Roll-to-Roll DNA Nanomachine for Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Determination of miRNA.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of endogenous noncoding RNAs with the functions of gene regulation, which serve as promising markers for a range of diseases such as diabetic foot ulcers, cancers, etc. In this work, we engineered a roll-to-roll DNA nanomachine for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of miRNA. A dumbbell-structured DNA probe could be transitioned to be wheel-structured conformation upon target recognition, which rolls around track strands on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the presence of nicking endonuclease. The resulting single strands on AuNPs are activated for the second round of rolling at the DNA-modified electrode interface, leading to the variation of electrochemical responses. The roll-to-roll amplification behavior allows a wide detection range with a limit of detection as low as 10 aM. The practicability is also demonstrated by the application in human serum samples with satisfactory results. It is expected that the proposed electrochemical method offers a new paradigm to develop miRNA assays based on DNA nanotechnology.

Application of Transurethral Prostate Resection Instrumentation for Treating Low Rectal Anastomotic Leakage: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: To determine an accurate method of inspecting low anastomotic leakages and application of transurethral prostate resection instrumentation for treating low rectal anastomotic leakage. Patients and Methods: Clinical data of eight patients treated for anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer surgery at Zhangye People's Hospital (affiliated to Hexi University), from August 2019 to November 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. Transanal prostate resection instrumentation was used to assess the leakage and surrounding conditions. Using prostate resection instrumentation, the presacral and perirectal residual cavities were washed and removed, and indwelling suprapubic presacral, transanal presacral, and rectal drainage tubes were placed. Continuous presacral saline irrigation and drainage and open negative-pressure suction in the rectal cavity were performed until the patients' fistula healed. Results: Of the eight patients with anastomotic leakages, one had grade B and seven had grade C International Study Group of Rectal Cancer anastomotic leakage classifications following Dixon operation. Transanal prostate resection instrumentation showed that the leakage of the one patient with grade B was less than a third of the circumference of the anastomosis. Among the seven patients with grade C, one leakage was less than a third of the anastomotic circumference. One patient had complete separation of the anastomosis and one distal colon necrosis, which necessitated immediate descending colostomy. Conservative treatment was successful in six patients; the conservative overall cure rate was 75%, and the median healing time was 43 (21-68) days. Conclusion: Transanal examination of rectal anastomotic leakage using prostate resection instrumentation is comprehensive, easy to perform, provides clear visualization, accurately guides catheter placement, and can be combined with continuous open negative-pressure drainage, which is a safe, convenient, and effective method for treating low rectal leakage.

Application of Prostate Resection Endoscopy for Treating Acute Obstruction Associated with Rectal Cancer.

Purpose: To explore a minimally invasive emergency solution for acute obstruction caused by rectal cancer in patients in whom rectal stents or drainage tubes cannot be placed under the guidance of conventional colonoscopy or digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Patients and Methods: Without anesthesia, analgesia, or sedation, the prostate resection endoscopy was inserted into the rectum through the anus, and the rectal space in which the tumor caused obstruction was searched with a certain flushing pressure until it crossed the area of obstruction to reach the proximal intestinal cavity. The drainage catheter or rectal stent was inserted through the sheath of the endoscope to relieve the acute obstruction and permit further cancer treatment. Results: In 31 patients in whom a drainage catheter or rectal stent could not be inserted using conventional colonoscopy or DSA guidance, placement of the catheter or stent into the proximal intestinal cavity was achieved in 28 patients, including drainage tube placement in 21 patients and rectal stent placement in seven patients. Three patients could not undergo placement because of their advanced age and poor general condition. The operative time ranged 15-40 min. Among the 28 patients whose obstruction was relieved, 23 patients underwent radical resection rectal cancer after 10-14 days, and five patients were discharged with stents because they were unwilling to receive further treatment. There were no postoperative complications. Conclusion: Transanal resection is a minimally invasive, effective, safe, and feasible emergency treatment for rectal cancer-associated obstruction.

Investigation of femoral condyle height changes during flexion of the knee: implication to gap balance in TKA surgery.

BACKGROUND: Gap balance of the knee at 0° and 90° of flexion has been pursued in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with the trans-epicondyle axis (TEA) as a reference. This study investigated the height changes of the tibiofemoral articulation and compared the data with the femoral condyle height changes measured using different flexion axes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty healthy knees were investigated during an in vivo weightbearing flexion using a technique combining MRI and a dual fluoroscopic imaging system (DFIS). The tibiofemoral contact points and the femoral condyle heights [measured using: TEA, geometric center axis (GCA), and iso-height axis (IHA)] were determined at each flexion angle. The height changes of the articular contact points and the femoral condyles were compared along the flexion path. RESULTS: The changes of the medial and lateral contact point heights were within 2.5 mm along the flexion path. The changes of the medial and lateral condyle heights were within 8.9 mm for TEA, within 4.2 mm for GCA and within 3.0 mm for IHA. The height changes measured by the contact points and IHA are similar (p > 0.05), and both are significantly smaller than those measured using the TEA and GCA (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The TEA and GCA measured varying femoral condyle heights, but the IHA resulted in minimal condyle height changes and could better represent the articulation characteristics of the knee. The data suggested that the IHA could be used as an alternative reference to guide surgical preparation of gap balance along the knee flexion path during TKA surgeries.

IRGM/Irgm1 facilitates macrophage apoptosis through ROS generation and MAPK signal transduction: Irgm1+/- mice display increases atherosclerotic plaque stability.

Rationale: Atherosclerosis plaque rupture (PR) is the pathological basis and chief culprit of most acute cardiovascular events and death. Given the complex and important role of macrophage apoptosis and autophagy in affecting plaque stability, an important unanswered question include is whether, and how, immunity-related GTPase family M protein (IRGM) and its mouse orthologue IRGM1 affect macrophage survival and atherosclerotic plaque stability. Methods: To investigate whether serum IRGM of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients is related to plaque morphology, we divided 85 STEMI patients into those with and without plaque rupture (PR and non-PR, respectively) based on OCT image analysis, and quantified the patients' serum IRGM levels. Next, we engineered Irgm1 deficient mice (Irgm1+/-) and chimera mice with Irgm1 deficiency in the bone marrow on an ApoE-/- background, which were then fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. Pathological staining was used to detect necrotic plaque cores, ratios of neutral lipids and cholesterol crystal, as well as collagen fiber contents in these mice to characterize plaque stability. In addition, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemical staining and western blot were used to detect the apoptosis of macrophages in the plaques. In vitro, THP-1 and RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with ox-LDL to mimic the in vivo environment, and IRGM/IRGM1 expression were modified by specific siRNA (knockdown) or IRGM plasmid (knocked-in). The effect of IRGM/Irgm1 on autophagy and apoptosis of macrophages induced by ox-LDL was then evaluated. In addition, we introduced inhibitors of the JNK/p38/ERK signaling pathway to verify the specific mechanism by which Irgm1 regulates RAW264.7 cell apoptosis. Results: The serum IRGM levels of PR patients is significantly higher than that of non-PR patients and healthy volunteers, which may be an effective predictor of PR. On a high-fat diet, Irgm1-deficient mice exhibit reduced necrotic plaque cores, as well as neutral lipid and cholesterol crystal ratios, with increased collagen fiber content. Additionally, macrophage apoptosis is inhibited in the plaques of Irgm1-deficient mice. In vitro, IRGM/Irgm1 deficiency rapidly inhibits ox-LDL-induced macrophage autophagy while inhibiting ox-LDL-induced macrophage apoptosis in late stages. Additionally, IRGM/Irgm1 deficiency suppresses reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in macrophages, while removal of ROS effectively inhibits macrophage apoptosis induced by IRGM overexpression. We further show that Irgm1 can affect macrophage apoptosis by regulating JNK/p38/ERK phosphorylation in the MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusions: Serum IRGM may be related to the process of PR in STEMI patients, and IRGM/Irgm1 deficiency increases plaque stability. In addition, IRGM/Irgm1 deficiency suppresses macrophage apoptosis by inhibiting ROS generation and MAPK signaling transduction. Cumulatively, these results suggest that targeting IRGM may represent a new treatment strategy for the prevention and treatment of acute cardiovascular deaths caused by PR.

A novel technique of endonasopharyngeal ultrasound-guided transnasopharyngeal needle aspiration in the diagnosis of submucosal recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after chemoradiotherapy is common, but submucosal recurrence of NPC is rare. The final pathological results determine the optimal therapeutic schedule for treatment of NPC recurrence, but tissue retrieval from submucosal lesions is usually difficult. The present study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of a novel approach of endonasopharyngeal ultrasound-guided transnasopharyngeal needle aspiration (ENUS-TNNA) for submucosal neoplasms in patients with suspected NPC recurrence. METHODS: Between March 2017 and June 2021, 11 post-chemoradiotherapy patients with suspected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of submucosal recurrence of NPC underwent ENUS-TNNA. The safety and effectiveness of using ENUS-TNNA to sample submucosal neoplasms were evaluated. RESULTS: Needle aspiration biopsies were performed without any incidences in all cases. Out of the 11 patients, nine were diagnosed with submucosal recurrence of NPC via histopathological or cytological evaluations. Of the two puncture-negative cases, one patient had atypical imaging findings and clinical manifestations and was therefore followed-up using MRI. After follow-up for 3 years, this patient was still considered to be cancer-free due to the shrinking diameters of the submucosal lesions. For the other puncture-negative patient, submucosal biopsy samples were obtained using a surgical method. Pathological examination of these biopsies revealed that an angiosarcoma had developed after radiotherapy. There were no severe complications that occurred during the ENUS-TNNA procedure. CONCLUSION: ENUS-TNNA is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive approach to obtain tissue samples from the submucosal region of the nasopharynx for patients with suspected NPC recurrence.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in soils and screening of accumulating plants around the Wanshan mercury mine in Northeast Guizhou Province, China.

The Wanshan mercury mine, which is an abandoned mine located in northeastern Guizhou Province in Southwest China, has introduced serious Hg pollution to the local ecosystem resulting from previous mining and smelting activities. However, it is not clear to date whether soil pollution has actually improved after treatment by related departments. Therefore, the present study investigates the vegetation community and heavy metal contents of the soil and plants in the Wanshan mercury mining area. The results showed that most of Hg, Cd, As, Cu, and Zn contents in soil samples were higher than those of Soil Environment Quality Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Agricultural Land in China (GB15618-2018). The observed plant species mainly consisted of Compositae, followed by Leguminosae. Unfortunately, this investigation found that heavy metal concentrations in these plants were not extremely high and far below the standard of hyperaccumulator. Despite all this, the maximum values of bioaccumulation factor for Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cu and Zn were Serissa japonica (Thunb.) Thunb., Rhus chinensis Mill., Potentilla sibbaldii Haller f., Erigeron canadensis L., Clerodendrum bungei var. bungei. and Rhus chinensis Mill., respectively. Regardless of the carcinogenic or noncarcinogenic risk index, the potential risk to urban children is higher. Our results suggest that heavy metal pollution was indeed relieved since their contents in soil significantly decreased in comparison with those reported in other previous studies. This finding provides a reference for the long-term treatment of heavy metal pollution in the local environment and other areas employing analogous environmental protection measures.

Arsenic trioxide induces macrophage autophagy and atheroprotection by regulating ROS-dependent TFEB nuclear translocation and AKT/mTOR pathway.

Inducing autophagy and inhibiting apoptosis may provide a therapeutic treatment for atherosclerosis (AS). For the treatment of progressive AS, arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been used to coat vascular stents. However, the effect of ATO on autophagy of macrophages is still unknown. Therefore, the aims of this study were to characterize the effects and the mechanism of actions of ATO on autophagy in macrophages. Our results showed that ATO-induced activation of autophagy was an earlier event than ATO-induced inhibition of the expression of apoptosis markers in macrophages and foam cells. Nuclear transcription factor EB (TFEB) prevents atherosclerosis by activating macrophage autophagy and promoting lysosomal biogenesis. Here, we report that ATO triggered the nuclear translocation of TFEB, which in turn promoted autophagy and autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Both the latter events were prevented by TFEB knockdown. Moreover, ATO decreased the p-AKT and p-mTOR in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thus inducing autophagy. Correspondingly, treatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) abolished the autophagy-inducing effects of ATO. Meanwhile, PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) and mTOR inhibitor (rapamycin) cooperated with ATO to induce autophagy. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were generated in macrophages after treatment with ATO. The ROS scavenger N-acetyl-1-cysteine (NAC) abolished ATO-induced nuclear translocation of TFEB, as well as changes in key molecules of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and downstream autophagy. More importantly, ATO promoted autophagy in the aorta of ApoE-/- mice and reduced atherosclerotic lesions in early AS, which were reversed by 3-MA treatment. In summary, our data indicated that ATO promoted ROS induction, which resulted in nuclear translocation of TFEB and inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. These actions ultimately promoted macrophage autophagy and reduced atherosclerotic lesions at early stages. These findings may provide a new perspective for the clinical treatment of early-stage atherosclerosis and should be further studied.

Clinical application of endonasopharyngeal ultrasound-guided transnasopharyngeal needle aspiration in the diagnosis of submucosal nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Submucosal nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare type, which is usually difficult to obtain tissue samples. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield and safety of a new technique of endonasopharyngeal ultrasound-guided transnasopharyngeal needle aspiration (ENUS-TNNA) for submucosal NPC. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Between March 2018 and September 2019, 11 patients with submucosal nasopharyngeal neoplasms detected with previously computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging underwent ENUS-TNNA. All patients had cytological evaluation by smears and tissue evaluation of aspiration specimens. Mean and rate. RESULTS: There were seven males and four females, with ages ranging from 33 to 77 years. Needle puncture biopsies were successfully performed in all cases, and sufficient tissue sample for histopathological examination was obtained from each of the 11 patients. Of the 11 patients, nine of these patients were diagnosed using ENUS-TNNA without on-site cytology assistance, false negative in two cases. The sensitivity of the ENUS-TNNA technique in diagnosing submucosal NPC was 81.82%. In the absence of any major complications, the procedure was uneventful. CONCLUSIONS: ENUS-TNNA is a safe and effective method to provide a pathological diagnosis of submucosal growth type of nasopharyngeal neoplasms, which has a great clinical value.

Speciation and accumulation pattern of heavy metals from soil to rice at different growth stages in farmland of southwestern China.

Paddy rice, one of the most important food crops in Southeast Asia, is considered a main source of human exposure to heavy metal contamination because it efficiently accumulates heavy metals. In the present study, of Japonica rice grains, straw, roots, leaves, and husks and rhizosphere paddy soils (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm depth) were collected from Zunyi in northern Guizhou Province, China. The forms of heavy metals, including Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn, in the two soil profiles were investigated using Tessier's five-stage sequential extraction procedure. There was no heavy metal pollution in the study area based on the evaluation of the geo-accumulation index and the potential ecological risk index. Accumulation varied from one area to another, and the highest metal accumulation was found in the order of root > stems > leaves. The bioaccumulation factor (BCF) results revealed that during the grain-filling stage, the rice had high BCF values (> 1) for Cd and Zn. The target hazard quotient (THQ) of ingestion peaked for Cd and reached its minimum level for Zn in not only in adults but also in children. The THQ was ranked as Cd > Cu > Pb > Cr > Zn for both adults and children. The hazard index values for adults and children for the five heavy metals were 1.81 × 10-3 and 1.55 × 10-3, respectively, indicating that these metals have little effect on the human body. The lifetime carcinogenic risk values for local adults and children were 4.28 × 10-5 and 5.92 × 10-5, respectively, both of which were within the tolerable to acceptable risk range. In summary, obvious hazards for local adults and children were not observed in this study. Considering the total amount and chemical forms of Cd, it is necessary to notify the appropriate departments about the possible rice contamination caused by Cd in the soil.