Synergetic PM2.5 and O3 control strategy for the Yangtze River Delta, China.

PM2.5 concentrations have dramatically reduced in key regions of China during the period 2013-2017, while O3 has increased. Hence there is an urgent demand to develop a synergetic regional PM2.5 and O3 control strategy. This study develops an emission-to-concentration response surface model and proposes a synergetic pathway for PM2.5 and O3 control in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) based on the framework of the Air Benefit and Cost and Attainment Assessment System (ABaCAS). Results suggest that the regional emissions of NOx, SO2, NH3, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and primary PM2.5 should be reduced by 18%, 23%, 14%, 17% and 33% compared with 2017 to achieve 25% and 5% decreases of PM2.5 and O3 in 2025, and that the emission reduction ratios will need to be 50%, 26%, 28%, 28% and 55% to attain the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. To effectively reduce the O3 pollution in the central and eastern YRD, VOCs controls need to be strengthened to reduce O3 by 5%, and then NOx reduction should be accelerated for air quality attainment. Meanwhile, control of primary PM2.5 emissions shall be prioritized to address the severe PM2.5 pollution in the northern YRD. For most cities in the YRD, the VOCs emission reduction ratio should be higher than that for NOx in Spring and Autumn. NOx control should be increased in summer rather than winter when a strong VOC-limited regime occurs. Besides, regarding the emission control of industrial processes, on-road vehicle and residential sources shall be prioritized and the joint control area should be enlarged to include Shandong, Jiangxi and Hubei Province for effective O3 control.

Progress in quantitative research on the relationship between atmospheric oxidation and air quality.

Atmospheric oxidizing capacity (AOC) is an essential driving force of troposphere chemistry and self-cleaning, but the definition of AOC and its quantitative representation remain uncertain. Driven by national demand for air pollution control in recent years, Chinese scholars have carried out studies on theories of atmospheric chemistry and have made considerable progress in AOC research. This paper will give a brief review of these developments. First, AOC indexes were established that represent apparent atmospheric oxidizing ability (AOIe) and potential atmospheric oxidizing ability (AOIp) based on aspects of macrothermodynamics and microdynamics, respectively. A closed study refined the quantitative contributions of heterogeneous chemistry to AOC in Beijing, and these AOC methods were further applied in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and key areas across the country. In addition, the detection of ground or vertical profiles for atmospheric OH·, HO2·, NO3· radicals and reservoir molecules can now be obtained with domestic instruments in diverse environments. Moreover, laboratory smoke chamber simulations revealed heterogeneous processes involving reactions of O3 and NO2, which are typical oxidants in the surface/interface atmosphere, and the evolutionary and budgetary implications of atmospheric oxidants reacting under multispecies, multiphase and multi-interface conditions were obtained. Finally, based on the GRAPES-CUACE adjoint model improved by Chinese scholars, simulations of key substances affecting atmospheric oxidation and secondary organic and inorganic aerosol formation have been optimized. Normalized numerical simulations of AOIe and AOIp were performed, and regional coordination of AOC was adjusted. An optimized plan for controlling O3 and PM2.5 was analyzed by scenario simulation.

Pan-cancer analysis of oncogenic role of Programmed Cell Death 2 Like (PDCD2L) and validation in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Programmed Cell Death 2 Like (PDCD2L) correlates with cell proliferation, apoptosis and mouse embryonic development. However, the role of PDCD2L in human cancers is unclear. METHODS: Multiple bioinformatic methods, in vitro function experiments and validation were performed to clarify the oncogenic role of PDCD2L in human cancers. RESULTS: Our study found that PDCD2L was aberrantly expressed in multiple types of human cancers, and associated with clinical stage and molecular subtype. Furthermore, overexpression of PDCD2L predicted poor overall survival in adrenocortical carcinoma(ACC), kidney chromophobe(KICH), acute myeloid leukemia(LAML), brain lower grade glioma(LGG),liver hepatocellular carcinoma(LIHC), mesothelioma(MESO), uveal melanoma(UVM) and poor diseases free survival in ACC, bladder urothelial carcinoma(BLCA), cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma(KIRC), kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma(KIRP), LGG, LIHC, and UVM. PDCD2L expression was negatively associated with cancer associated fibroblast in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), sarcoma (SARC), stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) and testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). Mechanically, we found that PDCD2L expression was associated with apoptosis, invasion and cell cycle by investigating single cell sequencing data. For further validation, PDCD2Lwas highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and tissue samples compared with the normal colon cell line and non-tumor adjacent colorectal mucosa tissues. PDCD2L knockdown induced the apoptosis and proliferation of CRC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that the oncogenic role of PDCD2L in various cancers and PDCD2L could be served as a biomarker of CRC.

Optimization of a NOx and VOC Cooperative Control Strategy Based on Clean Air Benefits.

Serious ambient PM2.5 and O3 pollution is one of the most important environmental challenges of China, necessitating an urgent cost-effective cocontrol strategy. Herein, we introduced a novel integrated assessment system to optimize a NOx and volatile organic compound (VOC) control strategy for the synergistic reduction of ambient PM2.5 and O3 pollution. Focusing on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cities and their surrounding regions, which are experiencing the most serious PM2.5 and O3 pollution in China, we found that NOx emission reduction (64-81%) is essential to attain the air quality standard no matter how much VOC emission is reduced. However, the synergistic VOC control is strongly recommended considering its substantially human health and crop production benefits, which are estimated up to 163 (PM2.5-related) and 101 (O3-related) billion CHY during the reduction of considerable emissions. Notably, such benefits will be greatly reduced if the synergistic VOC reduction is delayed. This study also highlights the necessity of simultaneous VOC and NOx emission control in winter while enhancing the NOx control in the summer, which is contrary to the current control strategy adopted in China. These findings point out the right pathways for future policy making on comitigating PM2.5 and O3 pollution in China and other countries.

A three-dimensional dynamic DNA walker-mediated branching hybridization chain reaction for the ultrasensitive fluorescence sensing of ampicillin.

In this study, a novel, rapid and ultrasensitive fluorescence strategy using the three-dimensional (3D) dynamic DNA walker (DW)-induced branched hybridization chain reaction (bHCR) has been proposed for the detection of ampicillin (AMP). The sensing system was composed of an Nt·Bbvcl-powered DNA walker blocked by an AMP aptamer, hairpin-shaped DNA track probe (TP) and four kinds of metastable hairpin probes as the substrates of bHCR, which triggered the formation of the split G-quadruplex as the signal molecule. Due to the reasonable design, the specific binding between AMP and its aptamer activated the DW, and the DW moved on the surface of the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with the help of Nt·Bbvcl to produce primer probes (PPs), which induced bHCR. The products of the bHCR gathered two split G-quadruplex sequences together to form one complete G-quadruplex. The formed G-quadruplex emitted a strong fluorescence signal in the presence of thioflavin-T (ThT) to achieve the purpose of detecting AMP. The sensitivity of this method was greatly improved by the use of the 3D DNA walker and bHCR. The split G-quadruplex enhanced the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Under the optimal experimental conditions, a good correlation was obtained between the fluorescence intensity of the sensing system and the concentration of AMP ranging from 5 pM to 500 nM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.68 pM. Simultaneously, the method has been applied to the detection of antibiotics in spiked milk samples with satisfactory results.

The prominent value of apparent diffusion coefficient in assessing high-risk factors and prognosis for patients with endometrial carcinoma before treatment.

BACKGROUND: To date, there are no consensus methods to evaluate the high-risk factors and prognosis for managing the personalized treatment schedule of patients with endometrial carcinoma (EC) before treatment. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is regarded as a kind of technique to assess heterogeneity of malignant tumor. PURPOSE: To explore the role of ADC value in assessing the high-risk factors and prognosis of EC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made on 185 patients with EC who underwent 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Mean ADC (mADC), minimum ADC (minADC), and maximum ADC (maxADC) were measured and compared in different groups. RESULTS: Among the 185 patients with EC, the mADC and maxADC values in those with high-risk factors (type 2, deep myometrial invasion, and lymph node metastasis) were significantly lower than in those without. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the areas under the curve (AUC) were significant for mADC, minADC, and maxADC predicting high-risk factors. Furthermore, the AUCs were significant for mADC and maxADC predicting lymph node metastasis but were not significant for minADC. Patients with lower mADC were associated with worse overall survival and disease-free survival; the opposite was true for patients with higher mADC. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that ADC values could be applied to assess the high-risk factors of EC before treatment and might significantly relate to the prognosis of EC. It might contribute to managing initial individualized treatment schedule and improve outcome in patients with EC.

Relationship between ascites volume and clinical outcomes in epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Ascites is a tumor microenvironment, ascites and massive ascites-induce compression could promote the progression of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC); however, the impact of ascites volume on clinical outcomes has not been studied extensively. We aimed to investigate the association between ascites volume and clinical outcomes especially platinum resistance in EOC. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated a total of 546 EOC patients with respect to the amount of ascites, clinicopathologic factors, and survival. Using the threshold of 1500 ml to classify patients into small- and large-volume ascites groups, we analyzed the correlation between ascites volume and clinicopathological factors, including platinum-free interval (PFI), and prognosis. RESULTS: Patients with large volume ascites were more likely to present with later stage disease, primary platinum-resistant (PPR) cancer, and suboptimal cytoreduction. Prolonged PFI was associated with decreased ascites volume. The large-volume ascites group showed worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). An increase in ascites volume was associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.115, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.035-1.200) and death (HR = 1.213, 95% CI: 1.090-1.350). CONCLUSIONS: Ascites was an independent predictor of PFS and OS in EOC patients. A large volume of ascites predicated a shortened PFI, an increased incidence of PPR and suboptimal cytoreduction. Thus, the volume of ascites is a simply available clinical parameter, which could be used to evaluate the prognosis and platinum resistance of EOC patients early, it contributes to formulate individualized treatment plan and improve the outcome of EOC patients.

Target-swiped DNA lock for electrochemical sensing of miRNAs based on DNAzyme-assisted primer-generation amplification.

As an extremely important post-transcriptional regulator, miRNAs are involved in a variety of crucial biological processes, and the abnormal expressions of miRNAs are closely related to a variety of diseases. In this work, for the first time, we designed a nucleic acid lock nanostructure for specific detection of miRNA-21, which changes the self-structure to "active conformation" by binding the target, in order to generate triggers to initiate the subsequent reaction. Emphatically, this flexible nucleic acid lock is capable of self-cleaving without the assistance of external component, overcoming the disadvantages of the complex design and requiring protease assistance in traditional nanostructure. Moreover, the combination of DNAzyme and RCA technology not only greatly improves the efficiency of signal amplification but also enables primer generation to simultaneous cascade RCA amplification. Additionally, the electrochemical detection technology based on silver nanoclusters overcomes the shortcomings of traditional detection methods such as low sensitivity and complex operation. The detection limit achieved was 9.3 aM with a wide dynamic response ranging from 10 aM to 100 pM (at the DPV peak of - 0.5 V), which is comparable to most of the reported studies. Therefore, our work provided an ultra-sensitive way for the detection of miRNAs using nanostructures and revealed an effective means for disease theranostics and cancer diagnosis. In this work, for the first time, we designed a nucleic acid lock nanostructure based on its self-structural transformation for the specific detection of miRNA. And the combination of DNAzyme and cascade RCA reaction greatly improved the signal amplification efficiency.

Polymorphous low-grade neuroepithelial tumor of the young: case report and review focus on the radiological features and genetic alterations.

BACKGROUND: A new type of epileptogenic tumor, the polymorphous low-grade neuroepithelial tumor of the young (PLNTY) was firstly reported by Jason T. Huse et al. at 2016. After that, only 1 case of PLNTY was reported by article. The radiological characteristics of PLNTY have not been concluded. The objective of our study was to report 3 cases of PLNTYs in details and to analyze the image characteristics and genetic alterations of PLNTYs by reviewing our cases and articles. CASE PRESENTATION: There were 3 cases diagnosed as PLNTY by pathology in our hospital during the last 10 years, with the average age of 15. They were all suffered from different degrees of epilepsy. All of them underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and 2 of them underwent computer tomography (CT) imaging. The PLNTYs are all appearing as a solid or solid-cystic cortical mass with little mass effect and unclear boundary with normal brain tissue. They are all shown as hyperintensity in T2WI and iso-/hypointensity in T1WI with slight or no enhancement after contract enhanced in MR imaging. The "salt and pepper sign" in T2WI and grit calcification in CT images might be specific characteristics of PLNTY. All of them recovered after excision of the tumors. The gene tests revealed fibroblast growth factor receptors 3 (FGFR3)-TACC3 fusion and FGFR3 amplification in one case, and the B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF) V600E mutation in another case. CONCLUSION: In the image, the partial ill-marginated cortical mass with "salt and pepper sign" in T2WI or grit calcification in CT imaging might be the typical imaging characteristics of PLNTY. We also prove that the BRAF V600E mutation as well as the FGFR2 and FGFR3 have a close relationship with PLNTY.

Estimation of abatement potentials and costs of air pollution emissions in China.

Understanding the air pollution emission abatement potential and associated control cost is a prerequisite to design cost efficient control policies. In this study, a linear programming algorithm model, International Control Cost Estimate Tool, was updated with cost data for applications of 56 types of end-of-pipe technologies and five types of renewable energy in 10 major sectors namely power generation, industry combustion, cement production, iron and steel production, other industry processes, domestic combustion, transportation, solvent use, livestock rearing, and fertilizer use. The updated model was implemented to estimate the abatement potential and marginal cost of multiple pollutants in China. The total maximum abatement potentials of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), primary particulate matter (PM2.5), non-volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), and ammonia (NH3) in China were estimated to be 19.2, 20.8, 9.1, 17.2 and 8.6 Mt, respectively, which accounted for 89.7%, 89.9%, 94.6%, 74.0%, and 80.2% of their total emissions in 2014, respectively. The associated control cost of such reductions was estimated as 92.5, 469.7, 75.7, 449.0, and 361.8 billion CNY in SO2, NOx, primary PM2.5, NMVOCs and NH3, respectively. Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces exhibited large abatement potentials for all pollutants. Provincial disparity analysis shows that high GDP regions tend to have higher reduction potential and total abatement costs. End-of-pipe technologies tended be a cost-efficient way to control pollution in industries processes (i.e., cement plants, iron and steel plants, lime production, building ceramic production, glass and brick production), whereas such technologies were less cost-effective in fossil fuel-related sectors (i.e., power plants, industry combustion, domestic combustion, and transportation) compared with renewable energy. The abatement potentials and marginal abatement cost curves developed in this study can further be used as a crucial component in an integrated model to design optimized cost-efficient control policies.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Diacerein on 76 Isolates of Gram-Positive Cocci from Bacterial Keratitis Patients and In Vivo Study of Diacerein Eye Drops on Staphylococcus aureus Keratitis in Mice.

Bacterial keratitis is an aggressive infectious corneal disease. With the continuing rise in antibiotic resistance and a decline in the discovery of new antibiotics, new antimicrobial drugs are now required. In the present study, we determined the antibacterial activity of diacerein, an anti-inflammatory drug, against 76 Gram-positive cocci isolated from bacterial keratitis patients in vitro and anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity in a mouse bacterial keratitis model in vivo The MICs of diacerein were tested using the broth microdilution method in vitro A BALB/c Staphylococcus aureus keratitis animal model was selected and the corneal clinical observation, viable bacteria, and hematoxylin-eosin and Gram staining of infected corneas were measured to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of diacerein eye drops in vivo An in vivo eye irritation study was carried out by a modified Draize test in rabbits. Our in vitro results showed that diacerein possesses satisfactory antibacterial activity against the majority of Gram-positive cocci (60/76), including all 57 tested Staphylococcus spp. and 3 Enterococcus spp. The in vivo experiment showed that diacerein eye drops reduced bacterial load and improved ocular clinical scores after topical administration of diacerein drops on infected corneas. The ocular irritation test revealed that diacerein eye drop had excellent ocular tolerance. These results indicated that diacerein possesses in vivo anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity. We suggest that diacerein is a possible topically administered drug for Staphylococcus aureus-infected patients, especially those with ocular surface inflammatory disorders.

A label-free electrochemical platform for the detection of antibiotics based on cascade enzymatic amplification coupled with a split G-quadruplex DNAzyme.

Herein, a split G-quadruplex DNAzyme as a signal reporter was integrated into an electrochemical sensing platform for the detection of antibiotics with specificity and sensitivity. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio, two G-rich oligonucleotide sequences (G1 and G2) were blocked into two different hairpin probes, preventing the two segments from assembling into a spilt G-quadruplex structure. Moreover, we designed a double-arch probe, consisting of an aptamer as the recognition element and two-step enzymatic signal amplification. Concretely, the first is the Nt.BbvCI-assisted nicking cyclic reaction activated by target-aptamer binding, and the second is exonuclease III-aided cyclic amplification for generating abundant G1 and G2. The modified capture probe on the electrode was used to combine G1 and G2 to form the spilt G-quadruplex/hemin when K+ and hemin were present. This complex plays the role of DNAzyme with superior horseradish peroxidase activity in catalyzing the decomposition of H2O2. Under optimal conditions, this biosensor showed an excellent performance for sensing kanamycin with a detection limit of 83 fM for kanamycin concentrations ranging from 100 fM to 1 nM. Hence, the proposed strategy has potential as an efficient and actual platform for small molecule analysis.

A triply amplified electrochemical lead(II) sensor by using a DNAzyme and via formation of a DNA-gold nanoparticle network induced by a catalytic hairpin assembly.

An amplified electrochemical biosensing scheme is described for lead(II) ions. It is making use of DNAzyme-assisted target recycling and catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA). The hairpin strand (substrate probe for the Pb2+-based DNAzyme; referred to as SP) is composed of trigger probe (TP) and a capture probe 1 attached to gold nanoparticles (AuNP). In the presence of the enzyme probe that partially hybridizes with SP, the introduction of Pb2+ triggers target recycling and drives the highly amplified translation of target Pb(II) to TP. The CHA reaction is further initiated by TP. The modified AuNP act as the connecting unit, and this leads to the formation of a 3D DNA-AuNP network on the electrode (which is the third amplification step). It can bind the positively charged redox mediator RuHex via electrostatic interaction for electrochemical detection. This biosensor has a low detection limit (95 pM) and any analytical range that covers the 100 pM to 5 µM Pb(II) concentration range. It is selective over other divalent metal ions. It was applied to the determination of Pb2+ in spiked real-world samples. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of the electrochemical biosensor. The triply amplified electrochemical assay is based on the use of DNAzyme-assisted target recycling with catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) reaction for sensitive and selective determination of lead ion (Pb2+). AuNP: gold nanoparticles; SP: substrate probe; EP: enzyme probe.

Least-cost control strategy optimization for air quality attainment of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China.

Control strategies can be optimized to attain air quality standards at minimal cost through selecting optimal combinations of controls on various pollutants and regional sources. In this study, we developed a module for least-cost control strategy optimization based on a real-time prediction system of the responses of pollution concentrations to emissions changes and marginal cost curves of pollutant controls. Different from other method, in this study the relationship between pollution concentrations to and precursor emissions was derived from multiple air quality simulations in which the nonlinear interactions among different precursor emissions can be well addressed. Hypothetical control pathways were designed to attain certain air quality goals for particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region under the 2014 baseline emission level. Results suggest that reducing local primary PM emissions was the most cost-efficient method to attain the ambient PM2.5 standard, whereas for O3 attainment, reducing regional emission sources of gaseous pollutants (i.e., SO2, NOx, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) exhibited greater effectiveness. NH3 controls may be cost-efficient in achieving strengthened PM2.5 targets; however, they might not help in reducing O3. To achieve both PM2.5 (<35 µg m-3) and O3 (daily 1-h maxima concentration < 100 ppb) targets in Beijing, the reduced rates in BTH regions of NOx, SO2, NH3, VOCs and primary PM are 75%, 75%, 5%, 55%, and 85%, respectively from the emission levels in the year of 2014. Local reduction is the most effective method of attaining moderate PM2.5 and O3 targets; however, to achieve more aggressive air quality goals, the same level of reductions must be conducted across the whole Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Quantifying Nonlinear Multiregional Contributions to Ozone and Fine Particles Using an Updated Response Surface Modeling Technique.

Tropospheric ozone (O3) and fine particles (PM2.5) come from both local and regional emissions sources. Due to the nonlinearity in the response of O3 and PM2.5 to their precursors, contributions from multiregional sources are challenging to quantify. Here we developed an updated extended response surface modeling technique (ERSMv2.0) to address this challenge. Multiregional contributions were estimated as the sum of three components: (1) the impacts of local chemistry on the formation of the pollutant associated with the change in its precursor levels at the receptor region; (2) regional transport of the pollutant from the source region to the receptor region; and (3) interregional effects among multiple regions, representing the impacts on the contribution from one source region by other source regions. Three components were quantified individually in the case study of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei using the ERSMv2.0 model. For PM2.5 in most cases, the contribution from local chemistry (i.e., component 1) is greater than the contribution from regional transport (i.e., component 2). However, regional transport is more important for O3. For both O3 and PM2.5, the contribution from regional sources increases during high-pollution episodes, suggesting the importance of joint controls on regional sources for reducing the heavy air pollution.

The interaction of hepatoma-derived growth factor and ß-catenin promotes tumorigenesis of synovial sarcoma.

To clarify the clinicopathological and biological role of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) and ß-catenin in synovial sarcoma. Our results showed that histological type and HDGF/ß-catenin expression were the two important independent prognostic factors for overall survival in synovial sarcoma patients. HDGF knockdown dramatically inhibited cellular proliferation, colony formation, and migration but induced G1 phase arrest and apoptosis in SW982 cells. Recombinant HDGF enhanced synovial sarcoma cell growth and partially retrieved the cell growth suppression in SW982 cells upon HDGF knockdown. HDGF knockdown dramatically suppressed ß-catenin and its downstream gene expression in SW982 cells. Intriguingly, ß-catenin knockdown dramatically suppressed HDGF expression in SW982 cells. A direct interaction of HDGF and ß-catenin was found in SW982 cells. Three HDGF-binding elements in ß-catenin promoter were found and specific for transcriptional activation of ß-catenin in SW982 cells. In conclusion, our findings first indicate that the interaction of HDGF and ß-catenin may play a crucial role in tumorigenesis of synovial sarcoma.

Quantitative analysis of sitagliptin using the (19)F-NMR method: a universal technique for fluorinated compound detection.

To expand the application scope of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology in quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical ingredients, (19)F nuclear magnetic resonance ((19)F-NMR) spectroscopy has been employed as a simple, rapid, and reproducible approach for the detection of a fluorine-containing model drug, sitagliptin phosphate monohydrate (STG). ciprofloxacin (Cipro) has been used as the internal standard (IS). Influential factors, including the relaxation delay time (d1) and pulse angle, impacting the accuracy and precision of spectral data are systematically optimized. Method validation has been carried out in terms of precision and intermediate precision, linearity, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ), robustness, and stability. To validate the reliability and feasibility of the (19)F-NMR technology in quantitative analysis of pharmaceutical analytes, the assay result has been compared with that of (1)H-NMR. The statistical F-test and student t-test at 95% confidence level indicate that there is no significant difference between these two methods. Due to the advantages of (19)F-NMR, such as higher resolution and suitability for biological samples, it can be used as a universal technology for the quantitative analysis of other fluorine-containing pharmaceuticals and analytes.

Source Contributions of PM2.5 in the Severe Haze Episode in Hebei Cities.

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area is one of the most polluted areas in China. This paper used the Fifth-Generation Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) and Model-3/Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system to quantify the source contribution to PM2.5 in Hebei cities in order to obtain an in-depth understanding haze process in January and February 2013, using the Multiresolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC). The result showed that PM2.5 were mainly originated from the southern Hebei (SHB) with the fractions of 70.8% and 66.4% to Shijiazhuang, 70.6% and 63.9% to Xingtai, and 68.5% and 63.0% to Handan in January and February 2013, respectively. The northern Hebei (NHB) contributed 69.8% and 70.7% to Zhangjiakou, 68.7% and 66.2% to Chengde, and 57.7% and 59.6% to Qinhuangdao in January and February. In Cangzhou, Hengshui, and Langfang, regional joint policy making should be implemented due to the pollution of multiple sources. In Baoding and Tangshan, industrial emissions contributed 38.1% and 41.9% of PM2.5 to Baoding and 39.8% and 45.8% to Tangshan in January and February, respectively. Industrial and domestic emissions should be controlled in Tangshan and Baoding, especially for industrial emissions of NHB.

Clinical and biological significance of hepatoma-derived growth factor in Ewing's sarcoma.

We sought to investigate the clinicopathological significance and biological function of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) in Ewing's sarcoma. Our results showed that HDGF expression is up-regulated in Ewing's sarcoma. Nuclear HDGF expression is significantly associated with tumour volume (p < 0.001), metastases at diagnosis (p < 0.001), low overall survival rate (p < 0.001) and low disease-free survival rate (p < 0.001). HDGF knock-down results in significant reduction of Ewing's sarcoma cell growth, proliferation and enhances tumourigenesis, both in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, HDGF knock-down causes cell cycle arrest and enhanced sensitization to serum starvation-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, recombinant HDGF promotes proliferation and colony formation of Ewing's sarcoma cells. Ninety-eight candidate HDGF downstream genes were identified in Ewing's sarcoma cells using cDNA microarray analysis. In addition, we found that HDGF knock-down inhibited FLI1 expression in Ewing's sarcoma cells at the mRNA and protein levels. Our findings suggest that HDGF exhibits oncogenic properties and may be a novel prognostic factor in Ewing's sarcoma. Targeting HDGF might be a potential therapeutic strategy for Ewing's sarcoma.

Assessing the impact of different contact patterns on disease transmission: Taking COVID-19 as a case.

Human-to-human contact plays a leading role in the transmission of infectious diseases, and the contact pattern between individuals has an important influence on the intensity and trend of disease transmission. In this paper, we define regular contacts and random contacts. Then, taking the COVID-19 outbreak in Yangzhou City, China as an example, we consider age heterogeneity, household structure and two contact patterns to establish discrete dynamic models with switching between daytime and nighttime to depict the transmission mechanism of COVID-19 in population. We studied the changes in the reproduction number with different age groups and household sizes at different stages. The effects of the proportion of two contacts patterns on reproduction number were also studied. Furthermore, taking the final size, the peak value of infected individuals in community and the peak value of quarantine infected individuals and nucleic acid test positive individuals as indicators, we evaluate the impact of the number of random contacts, the duration of the free transmission stage and summer vacation on the spread of the disease. The results show that a series of prevention and control measures taken by the Chinese government in response to the epidemic situation are reasonable and effective, and the young and middle-aged adults (aged 18-59) with household size of 6 have the strongest transmission ability. In addition, the results also indicate that increasing the proportion of random contact is beneficial to the control of the infectious disease in the phase with interventions. This work enriches the content of infectious disease modeling and provides theoretical guidance for the prevention and control of follow-up major infectious diseases.