Abundance, characteristics and ecological risks of microplastics from South Yellow Sea Mudflat.

Microplastic (MP) pollution in global marine environments has been extensively reported and attracted significant concerns, but MP distribution in mudflat has rarely been studied. In this paper, the abundance, features and ecological risk of MP in South Yellow Sea Mudflat were investigated comprehensively. MP were both detected in waters (5.4 ± 0.38-11.3 ± 0.78 items/L) and sediments (5.1 ± 0.36-10.1 ± 0.69 items/g) from South Yellow Sea Mudflat. There existed different MP abundance tendencies from sampling Group I (coastal estuary or port) and II (purely coastal mudflat), while MP abundance in water from Group II was lower than that from Group I generally, but MP abundance in sediment from Group I was lower than that from Group II generally. This suggested that MP abundance in mudflat water could be associated with frequent human activities significantly, and disturbance might not be beneficial to MP accumulation in sediments. Fragments, transparent, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) were major MP features in mudflat water and sediment, and maximum proportion of size of MP was 0.001-0.25 mm in both water and sediment. Furthermore, the primary risk assessment indicated that MP pollution load for mudflat was low level. However, potential MP ecological risk for mudflat could reach dangerous level to very dangerous level by calculating and evaluating polymer risk index (PRI) and potential ecological risk index (PERI), which could be caused by high proportions of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with high hazard score. For the first time, reference data about MP pollution from South Yellow Sea Mudflat were supplied in this paper, which would be helpful for management and control of MP in mudflat.

Preparation, typical structural characteristics and relieving effects on osteoarthritis of squid cartilage type II collagen peptides.

The promoting effects of collagen and its derivatives on bone health have been uncovered. However, the structure and effects of type II collagen peptides from squid cartilage (SCIIP) on osteoarthritis still need to be clarified. In this study, SCIIP was prepared from squid throat cartilage with pretreatment by 0.2 mol/L NaOH at a liquid-solid ratio of 10:1 for 18 h and hydrolyzation using alkaline protease and flavourzyme at 50 °C for 4 h. The structure of SCIIP was characterized as a molecular weight lower than 5 kDa (accounting for 87.7 %), a high glycine level of 35.0 %, typical FTIR and CD features of collagen peptides, and a repetitive sequence of Gly-X-Y. GP(Hyp)GPD and GPAGP(Hyp)GD were separated and identified from SCIIP, and their binding energies with TLR4/MD-2 were - 8.4 and - 8.0 kcal/mol, respectively. SCIIP effectively inhibited NO production in RAW264.7 macrophages and alleviated osteoarthritis in rats through the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. Therefore, SCIIP exhibited the potential for application as an anti-osteoarthritis supplement.

ZmNF-YA1 Contributes to Maize Thermotolerance by Regulating Heat Shock Response.

Zea mays (maize) is a staple food, feed, and industrial crop. Heat stress is one of the major stresses affecting maize production and is usually accompanied by other stresses, such as drought. Our previous study identified a heterotrimer complex, ZmNF-YA1-YB16-YC17, in maize. ZmNF-YA1 and ZmNF-YB16 were positive regulators of the drought stress response and were involved in maize root development. In this study, we investigated whether ZmNF-YA1 confers heat stress tolerance in maize. The nf-ya1 mutant and overexpression lines were used to test the role of ZmNF-YA1 in maize thermotolerance. The nf-ya1 mutant was more temperature-sensitive than the wild-type (WT), while the ZmNF-YA1 overexpression lines showed a thermotolerant phenotype. Higher malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation were observed in the mutant, followed by WT and overexpression lines after heat stress treatment, while an opposite trend was observed for chlorophyll content. RNA-seq was used to analyze transcriptome changes in nf-ya1 and its wild-type control W22 in response to heat stress. Based on their expression profiles, the heat stress response-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in nf-ya1 compared to WT were grouped into seven clusters via k-means clustering. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of the DEGs in different clades was performed to elucidate the roles of ZmNF-YA1-mediated transcriptional regulation and their contribution to maize thermotolerance. The loss function of ZmNF-YA1 led to the failure induction of DEGs in GO terms of protein refolding, protein stabilization, and GO terms for various stress responses. Thus, the contribution of ZmNF-YA1 to protein stabilization, refolding, and regulation of abscisic acid (ABA), ROS, and heat/temperature signaling may be the major reason why ZmNF-YA1 overexpression enhanced heat tolerance, and the mutant showed a heat-sensitive phenotype.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and erectile dysfunction: a causal relationship? Findings from a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level is associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) in observational studies. However, whether there is a causal association between them remains uncertain. Objective: Conduct a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal effect between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and ED risk. Method: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels comprising 6,896,093 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from 496,949 people of European ancestry were regarded as exposure for the MR analysis. Additional GWAS data involving 9,310,196 SNPs of 6,175 European ED cases and 217,630 controls were used as outcome data. The MR-Egger, inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode were employed to evaluate causal effects, among which IVW was the primary MR analysis method. The stability of the MR analysis results was confirmed by a heterogeneity test, a horizontal pleiotropy test, and the leave-one-out method. Result: There were 103 SNPs utilized as instrumental variables (p < 5 × 10-8). The results of MR analysis showed no causal effects of serum 25(OH) D concentration on ED risks (IVW; OR = 0.9516, 95% CI = 0.7994 to 1.1328, p = 0.5772). There was no heterogeneity and pleiotropy in the statistical models. Conclusion: The present MR study did not support a causal association for genetically predicted serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in the risk of ED in individuals of European descent.

Trade-offs between grain supply and soil conservation in the Grain for Green Program under changing climate: A case study in the Three Gorges Reservoir region.

Understanding the trade-offs between ecological benefits and cost of grain supply caused by ecosystem restoration is essential for decision-making. Nevertheless, due to climate change, the benefits of ecosystem restoration and cost of grain supply change across various spatial locations, thereby complicating the trade-offs. Taking one of China's largest scale ecosystem restorations, the Grain for Green Program (GGP), as an example, this study used the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) region as the case study area and combined the crop environment resource synthesis (CERES)-Crop model, future land-use simulation (FLUS), and the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) to simulate future grain supply and soil erosion during 2021-2050 under three climate change and socioeconomic development scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP5-8.5) in the TGR region. The results showed that: (1) Until 2050, the implementation of GGP would bring a large soil conservation benefit by reducing soil erosion of 2.47-5.68 million tons, at the cost of 130,277-660,279 tons decrease in grain production in the TGR region. (2) Under SSP5-8.5 climate change scenario with the highest rainfall in the future, the GGP would maintain the greatest soil conservation benefits, resulting in a total amount of soil erosion decrease by 2.55 to 5.68 million tons. (3) Trade-offs between benefit of reducing soil erosion and cost of grain supply vary considerably across income. Specifically, GGP benefits are greater under low-income and higher-emission scenarios, with significant gains in soil erosion control and less impact on grain supply. In contrast, in high-income and low-emission scenarios, the GGP results in less soil erosion control and greater impact on grain supply.

Research on distribution strategy of logistics enterprise alliance based on three-party evolution game.

Currently, collaborative distribution models have not reached the optimal state of carbon emissions. The cost of additional low-carbon expenditures and the problem of carbon data verification have led to the lack of motivation for reducing emissions among collaborative distribution enterprises. Therefore, how to incentivize them to adopt the low-carbon model is crucial for achieving low-carbon goal. By relying on a government-led digital platform, this paper designs a dual low-carbon incentive strategy to encourage enterprise-alliance to adopt a low-carbon distribution model. In this paper, we first construct an evolutionary game model of the government, enterprise-alliance and end-users; then we explore the conditions of the three-party equilibrium evolution strategy by solving the model and analyzing the stability; and finally, we conduct simulation validation and results analysis with the help of MATLAB. In summary, we found that government punishment is more effective at regulating enterprise-alliance than reward. End-users' behavior is affected by the costs they need to bear, and they no longer support enterprise-alliance to carry out collaborative low-carbon distribution above a certain threshold.

Detection of sulphur(II) of carbon dots synthesized from Gardenia residue.

The detection of anions using carbon dots (CDs) has received less attention compared to cations. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a fluorescence sensor based on carbon dots (CDs) capable of detecting S2- in real water samples. The CDs were successfully prepared from the residues of a traditional Chinese herb, Gardenia, which emitted green photoluminescence (PL) under ultraviolet light irradiation. The as-prepared CDs were quasi-spherical in shape and ranged in size from 10 to 30 nm. Different detailed analyses proved that the CDs had good morphology, various functional groups, high water solubility, great optical features, and excellent stability under diverse environmental conditions. The ion detection showed that only Ag+ had the strongest fluorescence quenching effect on the CDs, however, the addition of S2- could recover their fluorescence. Based on these results, an "off-on" fluorescence sensor was achieved to selectively detect the concentration of S2- in real water samples with a limit of detection (LOD) of 39 µM, which further expanded the application of residues from traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

Genome-wide identification of ATG genes and their expression profiles under biotic and abiotic stresses in Fenneropenaeus chinensis.

BACKGROUND: Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process in eukaryotes that contributes to cell survival in response to multiple stresses and is important for organism fitness. Extensive research has shown that autophagy plays a pivotal role in both viral infection and replication processes. Despite the increasing research dedicated to autophagy, investigations into shrimp autophagy are relatively scarce. RESULTS: Based on three different methods, a total of 20 members of the ATGs were identified from F. chinensis, all of which contained an autophagy domain. These genes were divided into 18 subfamilies based on their different C-terminal domains, and were found to be located on 16 chromosomes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that ATG genes were extensively distributed in all the tested tissues, with the highest expression levels were detected in muscle and eyestalk. To clarify the comprehensive roles of ATG genes upon biotic and abiotic stresses, we examined their expression patterns. The expression levels of multiple ATGs showed an initial increase followed by a decrease, with the highest expression levels observed at 6 h and/or 24 h after WSSV injection. The expression levels of three genes (ATG1, ATG3, and ATG4B) gradually increased until 60 h after injection. Under low-salt conditions, 12 ATG genes were significantly induced, and their transcription abundance peaked at 96 h after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that ATG genes may have significant roles in responding to various environmental stressors. Overall, this study provides a thorough characterization and expression analysis of ATG genes in F. chinensis, laying a strong foundation for further functional studies and promising potential in innate immunity.

Intermittent electrostimulation-modified direct interspecies electron transfer for enhanced methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion of sulfate-rich wastewater.

Methane recovery and organics removal in sulfate (SO42-)-rich wastewater anaerobic digestion are hindered by electron competition between methanogenesis and sulfidogenesis. Here, intermittently electrostimulated bioelectrodes were developed to facilitate direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET)-driven syntrophic methanogenesis, increasing substrate competition among methanogenic archaea (MA). By optimising the electrochemical environment, MA was able to employ electron transfer more efficiently than sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), resulting in significant methane accumulation (58.1 ± 1.0 mL-CH4/m3reactor) and COD removal (90.5 ± 0.5 %) at lower COD/SO42- ratio. Intermittent electrostimulation improved the metabolic pathway for electroactive bacteria to utilize acetate and direct electrons to electrotrophic MA, decreasing SRB abundance and affecting the sulfate reduction pathway. Intermittently electrostimulated biofilms significantly increased gene levels of key enzymes in electron transport for cytochrome and e-pili biosynthesis, crucial for DIET, demonstrating enhanced DIET-driven syntrophic methanogenesis. This study provides a strategic approach to optimize methanogenesis in sulfate-rich wastewater anaerobic digestion.

Frequency-modulated alternating current-driven bioelectrodes for enhanced mineralization of Alizarin Yellow R.

The alternating current (AC)-driven bioelectrochemical process, in-situ coupling cathodic reduction and anodic oxidation in a single electrode, offers a promising way for the mineralization of refractory aromatic pollutants (RAPs). Frequency modulation is vital for aligning reduction and oxidation phases in AC-driven bioelectrodes, potentially enhancing their capability to mineralize RAPs. Herein, a frequency-modulated AC-driven bioelectrode was developed to enhance RAP mineralization, exemplified by the degradation of Alizarin Yellow R (AYR). Optimal performance was achieved at a frequency of 1.67 mHz, resulting in the highest efficiency for AYR decolorization and subsequent mineralization of intermediates. Performance declined at both higher (3.33 and 8.30 mHz) and lower (0.83 mHz) frequencies. The bioelectrode exhibited superior electron utilization, bidirectional electron transfer, and redox bifunctionality, effectively aligning reduction and oxidation processes to enhance AYR mineralization. The 1.67 mHz frequency facilitated the assembly of a collaborative microbiome dedicated to AYR bio-mineralization, characterized by an increased abundance of functional consortia proficient in azo dye reduction (e.g., Stenotrophomonas and Shinella), aromatic intermediates oxidation (e.g., Sphingopyxis and Sphingomonas), and electron transfer (e.g., Geobacter and Pseudomonas). This study reveals the role of frequency modulation in AC-driven bioelectrodes for enhanced RAP mineralization, offering a novel and sustainable approach for treating RAP-bearing wastewater.

Temporal variation of microbial nutrient limitation in citrus plantations: Insights from soil enzyme stoichiometry.

Soil enzyme carbon (C): nitrogen (N): phosphorous (P) stoichiometry and their vector model has been widely used to elucidate the balance between microbial nutrient requirements and soil nutrient availability. However, limited knowledge is available on the dynamics of soil enzyme stoichiometry and microbial nutrient limitation following afforestation, especially in the economic forest. In this study, the effects of citrus plantation on C: N: P stoichiometry were assessed through a comparative study between cropland and citrus plantations with varying durations of afforestation (i.e., 3, 15, 25, and 35 years). It was found that the C, N, and P contents in the soil (SOC, STN, and STP), microbial biomass (MBC, MBN, and MBP), as well as the activities of C-, N-, and P-acquiring enzymes (BG, NAG, and AP), were 1.02-2.51 times higher than those in cropland. Additionally, C, N, and P contents in soil and microbial biomass increased consistently with increasing afforestation time. While the activities of C-, N-, and P-acquiring enzymes increased from 3 years to 25 years and then significantly decreased. In addition to NAG: AP, the stoichiometry of C, N, and P in soil (SOC: STN, SOC: STP, and STN: STP) and microbial biomass (MBC: MBN, MBC: MBP, and MBN: MBP), along with BG: NAG, exhibited a decline of 7.69-27.38% compared to cropland. Moreover, the majority of the C: N: P stoichiometry in soil, microbial biomass, and enzymes consistently decreased with increasing afforestation time, except for SOC: STN and NAG: AP, which exhibited an opposite trend. Furthermore, a significant decrease in microbial carbon limitation and an increase in microbial nitrogen limitation were observed with increasing afforestation time. Collectively, the dynamic of microbial nutrient limitation was primarily influenced by the interaction between soil nutrients and edaphic factors. The findings suggest that with the increasing duration of citrus plantation, it is crucial to focus on nitrogen (N) fertilization while maintaining a delicate balance between fertilization strategies and soil acidity levels.

Analysis of hepatitis B virus infection in 1424 patients with different pathological types of lymphoma (2018-2022): A real-world, retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have found a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), especially B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL). However, most studies did not classify it and analyze the correlation between HBV and its various subtypes. METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed 1424 patients with lymphoma. Differences in the prevalence of HBV infection in patients with different pathological types of lymphoma were analyzed. The clinical characteristics, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of HBV-positive and negative B-NHL subtypes were compared according to HBV infection. RESULTS: The HBV infection rate in NHL patients was 7.65%, which was higher than that in HL patients (2.59%, p < 0.05). The HBV infection rate in the B-NHL was higher than that in the T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (T-NHL) (8.14% vs. 4.95%). The HBV infection rate in the aggressive B-NHL was similar to that of the indolent B-NHL (8.30% vs. 7.88%), and the highest HBV infection rates were found in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, but no significant differences in clinical characteristics, PFS, and OS were seen between HBV-positive and negative patients in the two subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: There was an association between HBV infection and the development of NHL and HBV infection may play a role in the pathogenesis of B-NHL, but not T-NHL.

Correlation between small-cell lung cancer serum protein/peptides determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and chemotherapy efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Currently, no effective measures are available to predict the curative efficacy of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) chemotherapy. We expect to develop a method for effectively predicting the SCLC chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis in clinical practice in order to offer more pertinent therapeutic protocols for individual patients. METHODS: We adopted matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and ClinPro Tools system to detect serum samples from 154 SCLC patients with different curative efficacy of standard chemotherapy and analyze the different peptides/proteins of SCLC patients to discover predictive tumor markers related to chemotherapy efficacy. Ten peptide/protein peaks were significantly different in the two groups. RESULTS: A genetic algorithm model consisting of four peptides/proteins was developed from the training group to separate patients with different chemotherapy efficacies. Among them, three peptides/proteins (m/z 3323.35, 6649.03 and 6451.08) showed high expression in the disease progression group, whereas the peptide/protein at m/z 4283.18 was highly expressed in the disease response group. The classifier exhibited an accuracy of 91.4% (53/58) in the validation group. The survival analysis showed that the median progression-free survival (PFS) of 30 SCLC patients in disease response group was 9.0 months; in 28 cases in disease progression group, the median PFS was 3.0 months, a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 46.98, P < 0.001). The median overall survival (OS) of the two groups was 13.0 months and 7.0 months, a statistically significant difference (χ2 = 40.64, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These peptides/proteins may be used as potential biological markers for prediction of the curative efficacy and prognosis for SCLC patients treated with standard regimen chemotherapy.

Renal interstitial fibrotic assessment using non-Gaussian diffusion kurtosis imaging in a rat model of hyperuricemia.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the feasibility of Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) in assessing renal interstitial fibrosis induced by hyperuricemia. METHODS: A hyperuricemia rat model was established, and the rats were randomly split into the hyperuricemia (HUA), allopurinol (AP), and AP + empagliflozin (AP + EM) groups (n = 19 per group). Also, the normal rats were selected as controls (CON, n = 19). DKI was performed before treatment (baseline) and on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 days after treatment. The DKI indicators, including mean kurtosis (MK), fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) of the cortex (CO), outer stripe of the outer medulla (OS), and inner stripe of the outer medulla (IS) were acquired. Additionally, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Masson trichrome staining, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) immunostaining were used to reveal renal histopathological changes at baseline, 1, 5, and 9 days after treatment. RESULTS: The HUA, AP, and AP + EM group MKOS and MKIS values gradually increased during this study. The HUA group exhibited the highest MK value in outer medulla. Except for the CON group, all the groups showed a decreasing trend in the FA and MD values of outer medulla. The HUA group exhibited the lowest FA and MD values. The MKOS and MKIS values were positively correlated with Masson's trichrome staining results (r = 0.687, P < 0.001 and r = 0.604, P = 0.001, respectively). The MDOS and FAIS were negatively correlated with Masson's trichrome staining (r = -626, P < 0.0014 and r = -0.468, P = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: DKI may be a non-invasive method for monitoring renal interstitial fibrosis induced by hyperuricemia.

The whitening efficacy of a compound formula examined using an ultraviolet-induced skin melanization model.

BACKGROUND: In Eastern culture, a fair complexion is the standard of beauty, leading to appearance-related distress among women with darker skin or facial pigmentation. Women seek whitening cosmetics to enhance their skin tone or correct their pigmentation, but their safety and effectiveness are paramount factors to consider. In this study, we evaluated the safety and whitening effects of a compound formula denoted as TEST comprising astaxanthin, nicotinamide, arbutin, and tranexamic acid. METHODS: Primary skin irritation and skin-whitening efficacy were examined. Three qualified melanization areas were treated with TEST, 7% ascorbic acid, or a blank. Skin color, the individual type angle (ITA°), and the melanin index (MI) were compared among treatment areas. RESULTS: TEST did not induce a skin response and exhibited a significantly higher ITA° than the blank, while no significant difference was observed with that of 7% ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the MI of TEST was significantly reduced posttreatment. CONCLUSIONS: TEST could be integrated into spot-fading and skin-whitening cosmeceuticals or functional cosmetics.

Shenqi Fuzheng injection alleviates chemotherapy-induced cachexia by restoring glucocorticoid signaling in hypothalamus.

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Application of bedside HINTS, ABCD2 score and truncal ataxia to differentiate cerebellar-brainstem stroke from vestibular neuritis in the emergency room.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) typically manifests as isolated dizziness or vertigo with no apparent neurological impairments. However, distinguishing life-threatening stroke from innocuous peripheral vestibular lesions in the emergency room (ER) remains challenging. This study aimed to explore the ability of the head impulse-nystagmus-test of skew (HINTS) combined with truncal ataxia or ABCD2 score to differentiate stroke from peripheral vestibular disease in patients with AVS in the ER. METHODS: We prospectively recruited 121 patients with AVS from December 2022 to June 2023, 69 of whom presented with vestibular neuritis (VN) and the remaining with posterior circulation stroke (PCS). We analysed the HINTS results, truncal ataxia and ABCD2 score and compared the sensitivity and specificity among HINTS, truncal ataxia, ABCD2 score and their combinations using the McNemar test for paired samples. RESULTS: HINTS combined with grade 2-3 truncal ataxia achieved significantly higher sensitivity than that of isolated HINTS in differentiating PCS from VN (100% vs 88.5%, p=0.031). The specificity of HINTS plus grade 2-3 truncal ataxia did not significantly differ from that of isolated HINTS (p=0.125); however, the combination of ABCD2 score and HINTS did not improve the diagnostic accuracy. The sensitivity of ABCD2 score ≥4 plus grade 2-3 truncal ataxia was significantly higher than those of isolated ABCD2 score ≥4 or isolated grade 2-3 truncal ataxia (p=0.016 and p<0.001, respectively) and not significantly lower than that of isolated HINTS (p=0.508). CONCLUSION: Compared with the ABCD2 score, the truncal ataxia is of more valuable assistance to HINTS in differentiating PCS. Although the combination of ABCD2 score and truncal ataxia has a significant implication, it is not a replacement for HINTS.

Unveiling the biointerfaces characteristics and removal pathways of Cr(â ¥) in Bacillus cereus FNXJ1-2-3 for the Cr(â ¥)-to-Cr(0) conversion.

Although less toxic than hexavalent chromium, Cr (Ⅲ) species still pose a threat to human health. The Cr (Ⅵ) should be converted to Cr (0) instead of Cr (Ⅲ), which is still involved in biological detoxification filed. Herein, for the first time, it was found that Cr(Ⅵ) can be reduced into Cr(0) by Bacillus cereus FNXJ1-2-3, a way to completely harmless treatment of Cr(Ⅵ). The bacterial strain exhibited excellent performance in the reduction, sorption, and accumulation of Cr(Ⅵ) and Cr (Ⅲ). XPS etching characterization inferred that the transformation of Cr(Ⅵ) into Cr(0) followed a reduction pathway of Cr(Ⅵ)→Cr (Ⅲ)→metallic Cr(0), in which at least two secretory chromium reductases (ECrⅥ→Ⅲ and ECrⅢ→0) worked. Under the optimum condition, the yield ratio of Cr(0)/Cr (Ⅲ) reached 33.90%. In addition, the interfacial interactions, ion channels, chromium reductases, and external electron donors also contributed to the Cr(Ⅵ)/Cr(0) transformation. Findings of this study indicate that Bacillus cereus FNXJ1-2-3 is a promising bioremediation agent for Cr(Ⅵ) pollution control.

[Prenatal diagnosis and outcome of pregnancy for women with high risks by screening of fetal free DNA from peripheral blood samples].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of prenatal diagnosis and outcome of pregnancy for women with a high risk for fetal aneuploidies. METHODS: A total of 747 cases of prenatal diagnosis by amniocentesis due to high risks by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) were selected from January 2015 to March 2022 in the Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School. The amniotic fluid samples were subjected to chromosomal karyotyping and/or chromosomal microarray analysis. All cases were followed up by searching the birth information or telephone calls, and the results were recorded. 2 test or F test were used for comparing the difference between the groups. RESULTS: Among the 747 pregnant women with a high risk by NIPT, 387 were true positives, and the overall positive predictive value (PPV) was 51.81%. The PPVs for trisomy 21 (T21), trisomy 18 (T18), trisomy 13 (T13) and sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCA) were 80.24% (199/248), 60% (48/80), 14% (7/50) and 38.97% (106/272), respectively. The PPV for T21 was significantly higher than T18 and T13 (χ2 = 85.216, P < 0.0001). The PPV for other chromosomal aneuploidies and copy number variations (CNVs) were 11.11% (5/45) and 40.74% (22/52), respectively. The PPV for increased X chromosomes was significantly higher than X chromosome decreases (64.29% vs. 22.22%, χ2 = 5.530, P < 0.05). The overall PPV for elder women (≥ 35 years old) was significantly higher than younger women (69.35% vs. 42.39%, χ2 = 49.440, P < 0.0001). For T21 and T18, the PPV of Z ≥ 10 group was significantly higher than that for 3 ≤ Z < 5 group or 5 ≤ Z < 10 group (P < 0.05). Among 52 cases with a high risk for CNVs, the PPV for the ≤ 5 Mb group was significantly higher than the 5 Mb < CNVs < 10 Mb or > 10 Mb groups (60% vs. 30%60% vs. 23.53%, P < 0.05). Among the 387 true positive cases, 322 had opted for induced labor, 53 had delivered with no abnormal growth and development, and 12 were lost during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: The PPVs for common chromosomal aneuploidies are related to the age and Z value of the pregnant women, which were higher in the elder group and higher Z value group. In addition, the PPV is associated with high risk types. The PPV for T21 was higher than T18 and T13, and that for 45,X was lower than 47,XXX, 47,XYY or 47,XXY syndrome. NIPT therefore has relatively high PPVs for the identification of chromosomal CNVs.

Estimation of spatial distribution of soil moisture on steep hillslopes by state-space approach (SSA).

Soil moisture is a critical variable that quantifies precipitation, floods, droughts, irrigation, and other factors with regard to decision-making and risk evaluation. An accurate prediction of soil moisture dynamics is important for soil and environmental management. However, the complex topographic condition and land use in hilly and mountainous areas make it a challenge to monitor and predict soil moisture dynamics in these areas. In this study, the determinants of soil moisture variability were determined by structural equation modeling, and then an attempt was made to estimate the spatial distribution of soil moisture content on steep hillslope using the state-space method. Herein, soil moisture at different depths (0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm) was monitored by portable time-domain reflectometer (TDR) along this hillslope (100 m × 180 m). It showed that the spatial variability of soil moisture decreased with increasing soil wetness, primarily in the topsoil (0-10 cm). Soil moisture was correlated with elevation (r = 0.28, 0.50, and 0.28), capillary porosity (r = 0.06, 0.37, and 0.28), soil texture (r for Clay: 0.20, 0.24, and 0.16; r for Sand: -0.25, -0.18, and -0.28), organic carbon (r = -0.31, -0.08, and 0.10) and land use (r = -0.01, 0.28, and 0.24) under different conditions (dry, moderate, and wet). Among these determinants, elevation made direct contributions to soil moisture variation, especially under moderate conditions, while land use made its impacts by altering soil texture. It is encouraging that the state-space approach yielded precise and cost-effective predictions of soil moisture dynamics along this steep hillslope since it gives the minimum root-mean-square error (RMSE) and Akaike information criterion (AIC). Moreover, soil organic carbon (AIC = -4.497, RMSE = 0.104, R2 = 0.899), rock fragment contents (AIC = -4.366, RMSE = 0.111, R2 = 0.878), and elevation (AIC = -3.693, RMSE = 0.156, R2 = 0.629) effectively anticipated the spatial distribution of soil moisture under dry, moderate, and wet conditions, respectively. This study confirms the efficacy of the state-space approach as a valuable tool for soil moisture prediction in areas characterized by complex and spatially heterogeneous conditions.