Exposure risk to rural Residents: Insights into particulate and gas phase pesticides in the Indoor-Outdoor nexus.

Rural residents are exposed to both particulate and gaseous pesticides in the indoor-outdoor nexus in their daily routine. However, previous personal exposure assessment mostly focuses on single aspects of the exposure, such as indoor or gaseous exposure, leading to severe cognition bias to evaluate the exposure risks. In this study, residential dust and silicone wristbands (including stationary and personal wearing ones) were used to screen pesticides in different phases and unfold the hidden characteristics of personal exposure via indoor-outdoor nexus in intensive agricultural area. Mento-Carlo Simulation was performed to assess the probabilistic exposure risk by transforming adsorbed pesticides from wristbands into air concentration, which explores a new approach to integrate particulate (dust) and gaseous (silicone wristbands) pesticide exposures in indoor and outdoor environment. The results showed that particulate pesticides were more concentrated in indoor, whereas significantly higher concentrations were detected in stationary outdoor wristbands (p < 0.05). Carbendazim and chlorpyrifos were the most frequently detected pesticides in dust and stationary wristbands. Higher pesticide concentration was found in personal wristbands worn by farmers, with the maximum value of 2048 ng g-1 for difenoconazole. Based on the probabilistic risk assessment, around 7.1 % of farmers and 2.6 % of bystanders in local populations were potentially suffering from chronic health issues. One third of pesticide exposures originated mainly from occupational sources while the rest derived from remoting dissipation. Unexpectedly, 43 % of bystanders suffered the same levels of exposure as farmers under the co-existence of occupational and non-occupational exposures. Differed compositions of pesticides were found between environmental samples and personal pesticide exposure patterns, highlighting the need for holistic personal exposure measurements.

[Heat-tonifying acupuncture relieves pain and synovial inflammatory injury by regulating Keap1-Nrf2/ARE/ HO-1 signaling pathway in rabbits with cold syndrome type rheumatoid arthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of heat-tonifying needling on Keap1-Nrf2/ARE/HO-1 signal transduction pathway in knee synovium in rabbits with cold syndrome type rheumatoid arthritis (RA), so as to explore its mechanisms underl-ying improvement of RA. METHODS: New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into normal control, RA model, uniform reinforcing-reducing acupuncture, twisting reinforcing acupuncture and heat-tonifying acupuncture groups, with 6 rabbits in each group. The cold syndrome type RA model was established by subcutaneous injection of mixture fluid of ovalbumin and Freund's complete adjuvant at the shoulder-back as well as injection of mixture of ovalbumin and normal saline into knee-joint cavity combined with ice-compress freezing. Acupuncture stimulation (uniform reinforcing-reducing, or twisting reinforcing or heat-tonifying) was applied to bilateral "Zusanli"(ST36) for 1 min with the needle retained for 30 min, once a day for 7 consecutive days. The general conditions of rabbits in each group were recorded, the thermal pain threshold (TPT) and perimeter of knee joints was measured. Conditions of the synovium in the knee cavity, hydrops, blood flow signal, articular surface, and related muscles were observed by using a color Doppler ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and the blood flow signals inside the synovium (image scores) were divided into 0 (no signals), I (1 or 2 dot-like signal), II (less than half) ad III (more than half). After H.E. staining, the pathological changes (0-3 points) were assessed according to the state of inflammatory cell infiltration, and hyperplasia of synovial matrix and coating cells. The expression levels of Keap1, Nrf2, HO-1 and GSH-PX1 mRNAs in the knee synovium were detected by quantitative real-time PCR, and the expression of knee synovial HO-1 protein was measured by Western blot. RESULTS: In comparison with the normal control group, the model group had a significant increase in the perimeter, pathological score, expression of Nrf2, HO-1 mRNAs and HO-1 protein (P<0.05), and an obvious decrease in the TPT, expression levels of Keap1 and GSH-PX1 mRNAs (P<0.05). Relevant to the model group, all the three acupuncture maneuvers reversed modeling-induced increase of perimeter and pathological score (P<0.05), decrease of TPT and expression of GSH-PX1 mRNA(P<0.05), further down-regulated expression of Keap1 mRNA (P<0.05), further up-regulated the expression of Nrf2, HO-1 mRNAs and HO-1 protein (P<0.05). The heat-reinforcing manipulation was significantly superior to uniform reinforcing-reducing and twirling reinforcing manipulations in up-regulating TPT, and expression of Nrf2 mRNA, GSH-PX1 mRNA, HO-1 mRNA and protein (P<0.05), and in down-regulating pathological score and Keap1 mRNA expression (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Heat-tonifying, uniform reinforcing-reducing and twirling reinforcing needling manipulations may relieve pain and improve pathological state in RA rabbits, which may be associated with their functions in raising the ability of anti-oxidative stress by regulating Keap1-Nrf2/ARE/ HO-1 signaling pathway, the therapeutic effect of heat-tonifying needling is superior to that of uniform reinforcing-reducing and twirling reinforcing needling.

Study on the Mechanism of Radix Astragali against Renal Aging Based on Network Pharmacology.

Radix Astragali is widely used in the traditional Chinese medicine with the effect of antiaging. The purpose of this study is to explore the main active ingredients and targets of Radix Astragali against renal aging by network pharmacology and further to verify the mechanism of the main active ingredients in vitro. TCMSP, ETCM, and TCMID databases were used to screen active ingredients of Radix Astragali. Targets of active ingredients were predicted using BATMAN-TCM and cross validated using kidney aging-related genes obtained from GeneCards and NCBI database. Pathways enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis were performed on core targets. Additionally, a pharmacological network was constructed based on the active ingredients-targets-pathways. HK-2 cell was treated with D-galactose to generate a cell model of senescence. CCK-8 and ß-galactosidase were used to detect the effect of Radix Astragali active components on cell proliferation and aging. ELISA was used to detect the expression of senescence-associated secreted protein (TGF-ß and IL-6) in the cell culture supernatant. Western blot was used to detect the expression of key proteins in the SIRT1/p53 pathway. Five active ingredients (Astragaloside I, II, III, IV and choline) were identified from Radix Astragali, and all these active ingredients target a total of 128 genes. Enrichment analysis showed these genes were implicated in 153 KEGG pathways, including the p53, FoxO, and AMPK pathway. 117 proteins and 572 interactions were found in PPI network. TP53 and SIRT1 were two hub genes in PPI network, which interacted with each other. The pharmacological network showed that the five main active ingredients target on some coincident genes, including TP53 and SIRT1. These targeted genes were involved in the p53, FoxO, and AMPK pathway. Proliferation of HK-2 cells was increased by Astragaloside IV treatment compared with that of the D-Gal treatment group. However, the proliferation of the SA-ß-gal positive cells were inhibited. The expression of TGF-ß and IL-6 in the D-Gal group was higher than that in the normal group, and the treatment of Astragaloside IV could significantly reduce the expression of TGF-ß and IL-6. The expression of SIRT1 in the Astragaloside IV group was higher than that in the D-Gal group. However, the expression of p53 and p21 was less in the Astragaloside IV group than that in the D-Gal group. This study suggested that Astragaloside IV is an important active ingredient of Radix Astragali in the treatment of kidney aging via the SITR1-p53 pathway.

Spatiotemporal variations of nitrogen and phosphorus deposition across China.

Atmospheric deposition is an important pathway for the input of anthropogenic and natural nutrients to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However, previous measurements focused mainly on hotspot locations, ignoring the fact that the deposition magnitudes of various nutrient species (e.g., nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P)) at a national scale should be investigated jointly. To better characterize national scale bulk deposition, precipitation samples were collected at 41 sites across China from September 2015 to August 2016 and September 2017 to August 2018. The bulk deposition fluxes of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) over the network were 27.5 kg N ha-1 yr-1 and 0.92 kg P ha-1 yr-1, respectively. Contributions of NH4+, NO3-, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to TN averaged 32%, 32%, and 36%, respectively. Significant spatial and seasonal variations in concentrations and deposition fluxes of all nutrient species were observed reflecting effects of local reactive nitrogen (Nr) and P emissions and rainfall amount. Major sources were energy resource consumption for NO3-, agricultural activities for NH4+, and a mixed contribution of both anthropogenic and natural sources for DON and TP. Atmospheric N and P deposition represent important external nutrient inputs to ecosystems and a high ratio of TN to TP (29.9) may induce relative P-limitation and further increase the risk of eutrophication. This work reveals a new map of atmospheric N and P deposition and identifies regions where emissions should be controlled to mitigate long-term impacts of atmospheric deposition over China.

Using texture analyzer to characterize pecan and olive oil tactile properties, compare to viscometer analysis, and link to fatty acid profile and total polyphenols.

This study aimed to characterize mechanical properties of five pecan oils and one olive oil using a texture analyzer compared to a rotational viscometer; the results were linked to fatty acid profile and total polyphenol content. The seven texture parameters (firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, viscosity index, and stickiness at 5 s, stickiness at 30 s, and delta stickiness) showed significant difference (p ≤.05) among the six oils. Overall, olive oil had higher texture analysis values and significantly higher rotational viscosity than pecan oils. Chemically, C18 fatty acids accounted for approximately 90% of the total fatty acids in the five pecan oils. Olive oil had a higher amount of long-chain, unsaturated fatty acids. Total polyphenols in pecan oils were 8-15 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g, while olive oil contained 27.2 mg GAE/100 g. Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant, positive relationship between "consistency" texture and rotational viscosity measurement. Mechanical properties (seven texture parameters and rotational viscosity) were partially correlated to fatty acid profile, though no universal pattern was identified.

Changes in precipitation and atmospheric N deposition affect the correlation between N, P and K but not the coupling of water-element in Haloxylon ammodendron.

Global changes in precipitation and atmospheric N deposition affect the geochemical cycle of the element and its hydrological cycle in the ecosystem. It may also affect the relationship between plant water use efficiency (WUE) and nutrients, as well as the relationship between plant nutrients. Desert ecosystems are vulnerable to global changes. Haloxylon ammodendron is the dominant species in the Asian desert. Revealing the variations in these relationships in H. ammodendron with precipitation and N deposition will enhance our understanding of the responses of plants to global change in terms of trade-off strategies of nutrient absorption, water and element geochemical cycles in desert ecosystems. Thus, we conducted field experiments with different amounts of water and N. This study showed that WUE of H. ammodendron was not correlated with nitrogen content (N), phosphorus content (P), and potassium content (K) when water and N supply were varied (p > 0.05 for WUE vs. N, P, and K), suggesting lack of coupling between water use and nutrient economics. This result was associated with the lack of correlation between plant nutrients and gas exchang in H. ammodendron. However, water addition, N addition and the interaction between both of them all played a role in the correlation between plant N, P and K owing to their different responses to water and N supplies. This indicates that global changes in precipitation and N deposition will affect N, P and K geochemical cycles in the Asian deserts dominated by H. ammodendron, and drive changes in the relationships between plant nutrients, resulting in changes in the trade-off strategy of plant absorption of N, P, and K.

Application of 1H-MRS in end-stage renal disease with depression.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the metabolite changes in the frontal lobe of the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with depression using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). METHODS: All subjects were divided into three groups: ESRD patients with depression (30 cases), ESRD patients without depression (27 cases) and 32 normal subjects. ESRD with depression patients were further divided into two groups according to the severity of depression: 14 cases of ESRD with severe depression group (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) score ≥ 35) and 16 cases of ESRD with mild to moderate depression group (20 ≤ HAMD score<35). 1H-MRS was used in brain regions of all subjects to measure N-acetylaspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr), choline-containing compounds/creatine (Cho/Cr) and myo-inositol/creatine (MI/Cr) ratios of the frontal lobe. Correlations between the metabolite ratio and HAMD score as well as clinical finding were confirmed, respectively. RESULTS: ESRD patients with depression showed lower NAA/Cr ratio and higher Cho/Cr ratio compared with ESRD patients without depression and normal subjects. NAA/Cr ratio was negatively correlated with the HAMD score. Cho/Cr ratio was positively correlated with the HAMD score. There were positive correlations between NAA/Cr ratio and blood urea notrogen (BUN) as well as creatinine (CRE) concentration, respectively. There was a negative correlation between Cho/Cr ratio and sodium concentration. The Cho/Cr ratio was positively correlated with the potassium concentration. CONCLUSIONS: MR spectroscopy identified some metabolite changes in ESRD patients with depression.

Effects of Herba Lophatheri extract on the physicochemical properties and biological activities of the chitosan film.

Active films based on chitosan incorporated Herba Lophatheri extract (HLE) with different concentrations were developed. Physicochemical properties of the chitosan films incorporated HLE, including density, opacity, moisture content, color, water solubility, swelling, water vapor permeability and oil resistance were measured. Biological activities of the films include antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties, which were characterized in terms of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and Oxford cup method, respectively. The potential interactions between chitosan and HLE in the films were investigated by Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared analysis and X-ray diffraction. The results indicated that the moisture content, water solubility, swelling degree, water vapor permeability and oil absorption rate of chitosan/HLE films decreased up to 14.81%, 38.97%, 48.03%, 69.23% and 80% in comparison with the control chitosan film. The DPPH free radical scavenging activity of chitosan/HLE films increased by nearly 3.5 folds, and the diameter of inhibitory zone of the chitosan/HLE films extract solution against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli increased 17.02% and 19.28%, respectively. Additionally, the incorporation of HLE caused interactions between chitosan and HLE and gave rise to the chitosan/HLE films more opacity, darker, redness and yellowness appearance. In summary, the addition of HLE enhanced the moisture and oil resistance, antioxidant activity which declined with time, and antimicrobial activity of the chitosan film, which were all desirable for food packaging.

Hotspots for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Losses from Food Production in China: A County-Scale Analysis.

Food production in China results in large losses of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to the environment. Our objective is to identify hotspots for N and P losses to the environment from food production in China at the county scale. To do this, we used the NUFER (Nutrient flows in Food chains, Environment and Resources use) model. Between 1990 and 2012, the hotspot area expanded by a factor of 3 for N, and 24 for P. In 2012 most hotspots were found in the North China Plain. Hotspots covered less than 10% of the Chinese land area, but contributed by more than half to N and P losses to the environment. Direct discharge of animal manure to rivers was an important cause of N and P losses. Food production was found to be more intensive in hotspots than in other counties. Synthetic fertilizer use and animal numbers in hotspots were a factor of 4-5 higher than in other counties in 2012. Also the number of people working in food production and the incomes of farmers are higher in hotspots than in other counties. This study concludes with suggestions for region-specific pollution control technologies for food production in China.

Effect of Peony-Glycyrrhiza Decoction on Amisulpride-Induced Hyperprolactinemia in Women with Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to observe the effect of Peony-Glycyrrhiza Decoction (PGD) on hyperprolactinemia in women with schizophrenia induced by Amisulpride. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 41 female schizophrenia patients receiving Amisulpride were randomly divided into placebo (n = 20) and PGD groups (n = 21). Maintaining the original Amisulpride dose, the two groups were given placebo and PGD, respectively. The levels of Prolactin (PRL) and other hormones were measured on the initial day and at weeks 4 and 8 after treatment. Changes of clinical symptoms in patients with hyperprolactinemia were observed. The PANSS scores were recorded to assess the psychotic symptoms. RESULTS: Compared with placebo group, level of PRL decreased while Progesterone increased remarkably in the PGD group at weeks 4 and 8 (p < 0.01), and level of Estradiol in the PGD group increased significantly at week 8 (p < 0.05). There were no differences in PANSS scores and biochemical indexes between two groups at weeks 4 and 8. CONCLUSION: PGD can improve symptoms of hyperprolactinemia and hormone levels in women with schizophrenia caused by Amisulpride, without affecting their mental symptoms and biochemical indexes.

[Transurethral diode laser enucleation versus transurethral electrovaporization resection of the prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia with different prostate volumes].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect of diode laser enucleation of the prostate (DIOD) with that of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) on benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) with different prostate volumes. METHODS: This retrospective study included 256 BPH patients treated by DIOD (n = 141) or TURP (n = 115) from March 2012 to August 2015. According to the prostate volume, we divided the patients into three groups: <60 ml (42 for DIOD and 31 for TURP), 60－80 ml (51 for DIOD and 45 for TURP), and >80 ml (48 for DIOD and 39 for TURP). We obtained the relevant data from the patients before, during and at 6 months after surgery, and compared the two surgical strategies in operation time, perioperative levels of hemoglobin and sodium ion, post-operative urethral catheterization time and bladder irrigation time, pre- and post-operative serum PSA levels, International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS), post-void residual urine (PVR) volume and maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and incidence of post-operative complications among different groups. RESULTS: In the <60 ml group, there were no remarkable differences in the peri- and post-operative parameters between the two surgical strategies. In the 60－80 ml group, DIOD exhibited a significant superiority over TURP in the perioperative levels of hemoglobin (ï¼»3.25 ± 1.53ï¼½ g/L vs ï¼»4.77 ± 1.67ï¼½ g/L, P <0.05) and Na+ (ï¼»3.58 ± 1.27ï¼½mmol/L vs ï¼»9.67 ± 2.67ï¼½ mmol/L, P <0.01), bladder irrigation time (ï¼»30.06 ± 6.22ï¼½h vs ï¼»58.32 ± 10.25ï¼½ h, P <0.01), and urethral catheterization time (ï¼»47.61 ± 13.55ï¼½ h vs ï¼»68.01 ± 9.69ï¼½ h, P <0.01), but a more significant decline than the latter in the postoperative PSA level (ï¼»2.34 ± 1.29ï¼½ ng/ml vs ï¼»1.09 ± 0.72ï¼½ ng/ml, P <0.05), and similar decline was also seen in the >80 ml group (ï¼»3.35 ± 1.39ï¼½ ng/ml vs ï¼»1.76 ± 0.91ï¼½ ng/ml, P <0.05). No blood transfusion was necessitated and nor postoperative transurethral resection syndrome or urethral stricture observed in DIOD. However, the incidence rate of postoperative pseudo-urinary incontinence was significantly higher in the DIOD (22.7%, 32/141) than in the TURP group (7.83%, 9/115) (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DIOD, with its obvious advantages of less blood loss, higher safety, faster recovery, and more definite short-term effectiveness, is better than TURP in the treatment of BPH with medium or large prostate volume and similar to the latter with small prostate volume.

Galla chinensis Compounds Remineralize Enamel Caries Lesions in a Rat Model.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of Galla chinensis chemical compounds on enamel caries remineralization in rats. METHODS: A total of 40 rats were inoculated with Streptococcus sobrinus 6715 and fed a cariogenic diet (Keyes 2000). The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups and treated topically twice a day with each of the following extracts (or control) for 5 weeks: distilled and deionized water (DDW, negative control); 1,000 ppm NaF (positive control); 4,000 ppm G. chinensis crude aqueous extract (GCE), or 4,000 ppm gallic acid (GA). After the experimental period, Keyes' caries diagnosis and scoring technique was applied as a preliminary evaluation on the molar teeth. For more accurate remineralization data, the residual enamel volume of the first molar and the mineral density (MD) of the enamel were further analyzed by micro-CT. RESULTS: The severity of molar enamel caries decreased in the following order of treatment groups: DDW > GA > GCE > NaF (p < 0.05). In addition, the residual first molar enamel volume and MD values increased in the order of DDW, GA, GCE and NaF treatment groups (p < 0.05). In most molars, remineralization layers were observed on the surface of lesions. CONCLUSION: G. chinensis compounds remineralize enamel caries lesions in a rat model.

Preventive effects of dentifrice containing 5000ppm fluoride against dental erosion in situ.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a dentifrice with 5000ppm fluoride in preventing dental erosion by orange juice in situ in comparison to a control dentifrice with 1450ppm fluoride. METHODS: This was a double-blind and randomized clinical study with a cross-over design. Sixteen subjects wore an intra-oral appliance containing two enamel disks with an exposed surface of approximately 2mm×5mm. Enamel disks in the study group were treated with a dentifrice with 5000ppm fluoride and in the control group with 1450ppm fluoride. The subjects rinsed with slurries of study dentifrices for one minute before immersing the enamel disks in 250ml orange Juice four times in an 8-h period daily. The treatment procedure was repeated for three 5-day phases for each dentifrice. Enamel erosion was measured after each 5-day treatment phase using a focus-variation 3D scanning microscopy. Medians and inter-quartile ranges (IQR) of mean erosion depth were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The mean erosion depths of enamel varied greatly amongst the subjects. Enamel treated with 5000ppm fluoride had less erosion (median 5.7µm, IQR 4.5µm) as compared to the control (median 12.6µm, IQR 12.3µm) after 15 days of fluoride treatment and erosive challenge cycles (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Enamel treated with 5000ppm fluoride had significantly improved resistance to erosion by orange juice. Periodic application of 5000ppm fluoride may be beneficial in individuals at risk of acidic erosion associated with soft drink consumptions.

Model study on transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel with methanol using solid base catalyst.

Modeling of the transesterification of vegetable oils to biodiesel using a solid base as a catalyst is very important because the mutual solubilities of oil and methanol will increase with the increasing biodiesel yield. The heterogeneous liquid-liquid-solid reaction system would become a liquid-solid system when the biodiesel reaches a certain content. In this work, we adopted a two-film theory and a steady state approximation assumption, then established a heterogeneous liquid-liquid-solid model in the first stage. After the diffusion coefficients on the liquid-liquid interface and the liquid-solid interface were calculated on the basis of the properties of the system, the theoretical value of biodiesel productivity changing with time was obtained. The predicted values were very near the experimental data, which indicated that the proposed models were suitable for the transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel when solid bases were used as catalysts. Meanwhile, the model indicated that the transesterification reaction was controlled by both mass transfer and reaction. The total resistance will decrease with the increase in biodiesel yield in the liquid-liquid-solid stage. The solid base catalyst exhibited an activation energy range of 9-20 kcal/mol, which was consistent with the reported activation energy range of homogeneous catalysts.

Differentiation of Nostoc flagelliforme and its neighboring species using fatty-acid profiling as a chemotaxonomic tool.

In this study, fatty-acid content and patterns were analyzed in order to distinguish Nostoc flagelliforme, an edible terrestrial cyanobacterium, from other Nostoc species and representatives typical of its close neighbors (genera Anabaena, Microcystis, and Synechococcus). According to the Kenyon-Murata classification system, all the Nostoc species were assigned to Group II due to the presence of C18:2n3 and C18:3n3, and the absence of C18:3n6. Hierarchical cluster analysis was also employed to separate N. flagelliforme and other Nostoc species or strains. A dendrogram calculation of all fatty-acid components manifested phenetic characteristics, showing that the degree of relatedness of two strains of N. flagelliforme aggregated them within a small subgroup. Another dendrogram, calculated from seven comprehensive parameters (including ratios of different fatty-acid categories, degree of fatty-acid unsaturation, etc.), also clearly delimited the minute difference in fatty-acid profiles between the tested organisms. Our results suggest that profiling fatty acids could be a useful approach in the taxonomic or phylogenetic study of the genus Nostoc and might serve as a valuable supplement to the current morphology-based classification system.