The management pattern and outcomes of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: rationale and design for a Chinese real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a progressive pulmonary vascular disorder with substantial morbidity and mortality, also a disease underdiagnosed and undertreated. It is potentially curable by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) in patients with surgically accessible thrombi. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) and targeted medical therapy are options for patients with distal lesions or persistent/recurrent pulmonary hypertension after PEA. There is an urgent need to increase the awareness of CTEPH. Qualified CTEPH centers are still quite limited. Baseline characteristics, management pattern and clinical outcome of CTEPH in China needs to be reported. METHODS AND DESIGN: The CHinese reAl-world study to iNvestigate the manaGEment pattern and outcomes of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CHANGE) study is designed to provide the multimodality treatment pattern and clinical outcomes of CTEPH in China. Consecutive patients who are ≥ 14 year-old and diagnosed with CTEPH are enrolled. The diagnosis of CTEPH is confirmed in right heart catheterization and imaging examinations. The multimodality therapeutic strategy, which consists of PEA, BPA and targeted medical therapy, is made by a multidisciplinary team. The blood sample and tissue from PEA are stored in the central biobank for further research. The patients receive regular follow-up every 3 or 6 months for at least 3 years. The primary outcomes include all-cause mortality and changes in functional and hemodynamic parameters from baseline. The secondary outcomes include the proportion of patients experiencing lung transplantation, the proportion of patients experiencing heart and lung transplantation, and changes in health-related quality of life. Up to 31 December 2023, the study has enrolled 1500 eligible patients from 18 expert centers. CONCLUSIONS: As a real-world study, the CHANGE study is expected to increase our understanding of CTEPH, and to fill the gap between guidelines and the clinical practice in the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of patients with CTEPH. REGISTRATION NUMBER IN CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT05311072.

Simultaneously Selective Separation of Zearalenone and Four Aflatoxins From Rice Samples Using Co-Pseudo-Template Imprinted Polymers With MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 as Core.

A novel approach for the simultaneous separation of zearalenone (ZEN) and four types of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) from rice samples was presented. This approach utilized modified MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 as core, with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) serving as the shell. The MIL-101(Cr)-NH2 was prepared via ring-opening reaction, while the imprinted polymers were synthesized using warfarin and 4-methylumbelliferyl acetate as co-pseudo template, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker and azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The resulting co-pseudo-template-MIPs (CPT-MIPs) were thoroughly characterized and evaluated. Adsorption studies demonstrate that the adsorption process of CPT-MIPs follows a chemical monolayer adsorption mechanism, with imprinted factors ranging from 1.24 to 1.52 and selective factors ranging from 1.29 to 1.52. Self-made columns were prepared, and the method for separation was developed and validated. The limit of detections ranged from 0.12 to 2.09 µg/kg, and the limit of qualifications ranged from 1.2 to 6.25 µg/kg. To assess the reliability of the method, ZEN and AFs were spiked at three different levels, and the recoveries ranged from 79.53 to 94.58%, with relative standard deviations of 2.90-5.78%.

Hybrid Surface Modification and Bulk Doping Enable Spent LiCoO2 Cathodes for High-Voltage Operation.

The emerging market demand for high-energy-density of energy storage devices is pushing the disposal of end-of-life LiCoO2 (LCO) to shift toward sustainable upgrading into structurally stable high-voltage cathode materials. Herein, an integrated bulk and surface commodification strategy is proposed to render spent LCO (S-LCO) to operate at high voltages, involving bulk Mn doping, near surface P gradient doping, and Li3PO4/CoP (LPO/CP) coating on the LCO surface to yield upcycled LCO (defined as MP-LCO@LPO/CP). Benefiting from hybrid surface coating with Li+-conductive Li3PO4 (LPO) and electron conductive CoP (CP) coupled with Mn and P co-doping, the optimized MP-LCO@LPO/CP cathode exhibits enhanced high-voltage performance, delivering an initial discharge capacity of 218.8 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C with excellent capacity retention of 80.9% (0.5 C) after 200 cycles at a cut-off voltage of 4.6 V, along with 96.3% of capacity retention over 100 cycles at 4.5 V. These findings may afford meaningful construction for the upcycling of commercial S-LCO into next-generation upmarket cathode materials through the elaborate surface and bulk modification design.

A new integrative analysis of histopathology and single cell RNA-seq reveals the CCL5 mediated T and NK cell interaction with vascular cells in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation and dysregulated immunity play vital roles in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), while the mechanisms that initiate and promote these processes are unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic data of lung tissues from IPAH patients and controls were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), differential expression analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) and functional enrichment analysis were combined with a hemodynamically-related histopathological score to identify inflammation-associated hub genes in IPAH. The monocrotaline-induced rat model of pulmonary hypertension was utilized to confirm the expression pattern of these hub genes. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data were used to identify the hub gene-expressing cell types and their intercellular interactions. RESULTS: Through an extensive bioinformatics analysis, CXCL9, CCL5, GZMA and GZMK were identified as hub genes that distinguished IPAH patients from controls. Among these genes, pulmonary expression levels of Cxcl9, Ccl5 and Gzma were elevated in monocrotaline-exposed rats. Further investigation revealed that only CCL5 and GZMA were highly expressed in T and NK cells, where CCL5 mediated T and NK cell interaction with endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts through multiple receptors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified a new inflammatory pathway in IPAH, where T and NK cells drove heightened inflammation predominantly via the upregulation of CCL5, providing groundwork for the development of targeted therapeutics.

Interaction between Dietary Lactoferrin and Gut Microbiota in Host Health.

The gut microbiota are known to play an important role in host health and disease. Alterations in the gut microbiota composition can disrupt the stability of the gut ecosystem, which may result in noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCCDs). Remodeling the gut microbiota through personalized nutrition is a novel therapeutic avenue for both disease control and prevention. However, whether there are commonly used gut microbiota-targeted diets and how gut microbiota-diet interactions combat NCCDs and improve health remain questions to be addressed. Lactoferrin (LF), which is broadly used in dietary supplements, acts not only as an antimicrobial in the defense against enteropathogenic bacteria but also as a prebiotic to propagate certain probiotics. Thus, LF-induced gut microbiota alterations can be harnessed to induce changes in host physiology, and the underpinnings of their relationships and mechanisms are beginning to unravel in studies involving humans and animal models.

[Le miR-224-5p régulé sert de biomarqueur pour l'insuffisance hépatique aiguë pédiatrique et régule l'inflammation en modulant ZBTB20]. / Upregulated miR-224-5p served as a biomarker for pediatric acute liver failure and regulate inflammation by modulating ZBTB20.

Pediatric acute liver failure (PALF) is a severe liver dysfunction with complex pathological mechanisms and rapid development. MiRNAs have been identified as promising biomarkers for human disease screening and monitoring. This study focused on evaluating the clinical significance of miR-224-5p in PALF and revealing its potential molecular mechanism in regulating liver cell injury. This study enrolled 103 children with PALF and 55 healthy children without liver diseases. Serum miR-224-5p levels were compared between the two groups, and their clinical significance was estimated by analyzing the correlation with clinicopathological features and outcomes of PALF children. In vitro, a normal liver cell was treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and cell growth and inflammation were assessed by CCK8 and ELISA assay. Upregulated miR-224-5p in PALF showed significance in screening PALF children from healthy children with the sensitivity and specificity of 78.64% and 84.47%, respectively. Increasing serum miR-224-5p in PALF children was closely associated with increasing prothrombin time, alanine transaminase, international normalized ratio, total bilirubin, ammonia, and aspartic transaminase and decreasing albumin of PALF children. MiR-224-5p was also identified as a risk factor for adverse outcomes in children with PALF. In LPS-treated liver cells, miR-224-5p could negatively regulate ZBTB20, and silencing miR-224-5p could alleviate the inhibited cell growth and promoted inflammation by LPS, which was reversed by ZBTB20 knockdown. Increasing miR-224-5p distinguished PALF children, predict severe disease development and risk of adverse prognosis. miR-224-5p also reguled LPS-induced liver cell injury via negatively regulating ZBTB20.

Selection signatures and landscape genomics analysis to reveal climate adaptation of goat breeds.

Goats have achieved global prominence as essential livestock since their initial domestication, primarily owing to their remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental and production systems. Differential selection pressures influenced by climate have led to variations in their physical attributes, leaving genetic imprints within the genomes of goat breeds raised in diverse agroecological settings. In light of this, our study pursued a comprehensive analysis, merging environmental data with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations, to unearth indications of selection shaped by climate-mediated forces in goats. Through the examination of 43,300 SNPs from 51 indigenous goat breeds adapting to different climatic conditions using four analytical methods: latent factor mixed models (LFMM), F-statistics (Fst), Extended haplotype homozygosity across populations (XPEHH), and spatial analysis method (SAM), A total of 74 genes were revealed to display clear signs of selection, which are believed to be influenced by climatic conditions. Among these genes, 32 were consistently identified by at least two of the applied methods, and three genes (DENND1A, PLCB1, and ITPR2) were confirmed by all four approaches. Moreover, our investigation yielded 148 Gene Ontology (GO) terms based on these 74 genes, underlining pivotal biological pathways crucial for environmental adaptation. These pathways encompass functions like vascular smooth muscle contraction, cellular response to heat, GTPase regulator activity, rhythmic processes, and responses to temperature stimuli. Of significance, GO terms about endocrine regulation and energy metabolic responses, key for local adaptation were also uncovered, including biological processes, such as cell differentiation, regulation of peptide hormone secretion, and lipid metabolism. These findings contribute to our knowledge of the genetic structure of climate-triggered adaptation across the goat genome and have practical implications for marker-assisted breeding in goats.

Lead-Free Perovskite Single Crystal Linear Array Detector for High-Resolution X-Ray Imaging.

0D Bi-based 329-type halide perovskite is demonstrated as a promising semiconductor for X-ray detection due to its strong X-ray absorption, superior stability, availability of large single crystals (SCs) and solution processibility at low temperature. However, its low mobility-lifetime product (µτ) limits its further improvement in detection sensitivity. Based on the first-principles calculations, this work designs a new 2D Bi-based 329-type halide perovskite using a mixed-halide-induced structural dimension regulation strategy. By using a continuous supply of a precursor solution, this work successfully grows inch-sized high-quality SCs. These SCs exhibit large µτ product, high resistivity, and low ion migration. The detectors fabricated using the SCs show X-ray detection sensitivity as high as 24,509 µC Gyair -1 cm-2, short response time of 315 µs, low detection limit of 4.3 nGy s-1, and superior stability. These properties are the best among all lead-free perovskite detectors and are comparable to those of the best lead-based perovskite detectors. The linear array detector assembled on the SCs for the first time also shows a high spatial resolution of 10.6 lp mm-1 during X-ray imaging. The high performance combined with superior stability of these new 329-type lead-free halide perovskite SCs is expected to promote a new generation of X-ray detection technologies.

Effect of Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu recipe on inflammatory factors and oxidative stress on viral myocarditis in children.

OBJECTIVE: This observation purposed to investigate the effect of the Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu formula on children with viral myocarditis and its effect on inflammatory factors and oxidative response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 121 children with viral myocarditis were randomly divided into two groups, namely the control group (N = 60) and the traditional Chinese medicine group (N = 61). The control group was mainly treated with routine therapy, while the traditional Chinese medicine group was treated with Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu recipes based on the control group. The creatine kinase, creatine kinase myocardial isoenzyme, aspartate aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, cardiac troponin I, brain natriuretic peptide, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde in viral myocarditis patients were tested to estimate the myocardial function, inflammation, and oxidative situation. RESULTS: After Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu treatment, 15 cases were recovered, 20 were excellent, and 21 were effective, which had a significant difference from the control group. The concentration of creatine kinase, creatine kinase myocardial isoenzyme, aspartate aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, cardiac troponin I and brain natriuretic peptide was decreased in the traditional Chinese medicine group. The levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in the traditional Chinese medicine group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Superoxide dismutase was higher and malondialdehyde was lower than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: The use of Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu in the treatment of viral myocarditis has a definite clinical effect, which could improve myocardial function, reduce body inflammation, and promote oxidative recovery.

Comprehensive analysis of the prognostic value and immunological role of IDO1 gene in pan-cancer.

OBJECTIVE: It has been demonstrated that IDO1, a target of immune checkpoint inhibition, functions as an oncogene in the majority of human malignancies. IDO1's function in human pan-cancers hasn't been thoroughly studied, though. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Kaplan-Meier (K-M) and COX analyses were applied to the survival analysis. Furthermore, we used Spearman's correlation analysis to examine the associations between IDO1 and microsatellite instability (MSI), DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), tumor mutational burden (TMB), the associated genes of mismatch repair (MMR), and immune checkpoint biomarkers. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis and qRT-PCR were used to evaluate IDO1's expression in pan-cancer cells. RESULTS: The findings of this study reveal that IDO1 has abnormal expression in a number of malignancies and is related to the prognosis for UVM, LGG, KIRP, GBM, LAML, OV, READ, MESO, SARC, SKCM, and HNSC. Furthermore, the aberrant IDO1 expression was connected to the TMB, MSI, MMR, drug sensitivity, immune cells infiltrating, and tumor immune microenvironment across a variety of cancer types. The PCR results showed that in contrast to normal cells, IDO1 was found to be significantly highly expressed in breast cancer cells and hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and significantly lowly expressed in gastric cancer cells. CONCLUSION: The clinical treatment of IDO1 is now better supported by a theoretical basis and guidelines provided by our study.

[Provincial-scale Soil As Migration and Transformation and Rice Safe Planting Zoning: A Case Study of Guizhou Province].

To explore the distribution characteristics of paddy soil and rice AS content, as well as the health risks of rice consumption, and to evaluate the safe planting ability of rice, 209 paddy soil samples and 1 567 groups of paddy soil-rice samples were collected, their As content and basic soil physical and chemical properties were determined, and the single-factor pollution index method was used to evaluate the pollution degree of the samples. The results showed that:① the soil of paddy fields in Guizhou Province was mainly neutral, and its fertilizer retention capacity and organic matter content were above the medium level, and the soil was relatively fertile. The range of ω(As) in paddy soil was 0.042-91.75 mg·kg-1, the geometric mean was 10.03 mg·kg-1, and the cumulative effect of paddy soil As was lower than that of natural soil As (P<0.05) by independent sample T. Compared with the screening value (0.2 mg·kg-1) of the Soil Pollution Risk Management and Control Standard for Agricultural Land (GB 15618-2018), the excess rate of soil samples was 15.37%. ② The ω (As) range of rice grain samples was 0.001-0.937 mg·kg-1, the geometric average value was 0.108 mg·kg-1, 10.21% of the rice grain samples exceeded the limit value of "Limit of Contaminants in Food (trial)" (GB 2762-2022), and the locations where the exceedances are mainly found are in the central and northern parts of Qiannan Prefecture, as well as around industrial and mining activity zones in the southern counties and districts of Zunyi. ③ As ingested through rice posed non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk for adults and children, and the impact on children was greater than that of adults. There is no strict control area for safe rice planting in Guizhou Province, and rice can be safely planted.

Serum proteome profiling reveals heparanase as a candidate biomarker for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Determining novel biomarkers for early identification of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) could improve patient outcomes. We used the isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation approach to compare the serum protein profiles between CTEPH patients and the controls. Bioinformatics analyses and ELISA were also performed. We identified three proteins including heparanase (HPSE), gelsolin (GSN), and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) had significant changes in CTEPH. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve of HPSE in CTEPH diagnosis were 0.988. Furthermore, HPSE was correlated with multiple parameters of right ventricular function. HPSE concentrations were significantly higher in patients with a low TAPSE/sPAP ratio (≤0.31 mm/mmHg) (65.4 [60.5,68.0] vs. 59.9 [35.9,63.2] ng/mL, p < 0.05). The CTEPH patients treated by balloon pulmonary angioplasty had significantly lower HPSE levels. The study demonstrates that HPSE may be a promising biomarker for noninvasive detection of CTEPH.

Na2MnSiO4/C as hybrid capacitive deionization electrode material to enhance desalination performance.

The utilization of Na2MnSiO4 as a Faraday electrode in hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI) is investigated to achieve efficient desalination. The Na2MnSiO4/C (NMSO) materials were fabricated via a simple sol-gel method, in which the synthesis process was modulated by adjusting the volume ratio of ethanol to water. When maintaining the volume ratio of water to ethanol at 3:1, the resultant NMSO-3/1 exhibited expected salt adsorption capacity of 31.06 mg g-1 and salt adsorption rate of 20.43 mg g-1 min-1. This distinguished desalination performance was mainly attributed to its inherent multiple redox pairs, as well as the integration of ethanol, which enhanced both specific capacitance and hydrophilicity of the material. This study opens a new perspective for the development of highly efficient materials in HCDI.

Clinical characteristics and mortality predictors among very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism: a multicenter study report.

BACKGROUND: Clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary thromboembolism have been described in previous studies. Although very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism are a special group based on comorbidities and age, they do not receive special attention. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the clinical characteristics and mortality predictors among very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism in a relatively large population. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: The study included a total of 7438 patients from a national, multicenter, registry study, the China pUlmonary thromboembolism REgistry Study (CURES). Consecutive patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism were enrolled and were divided into three groups. Comparisons were performed between these three groups in terms of clinical characteristics, comorbidities and in-hospital prognosis. Mortality predictors were analyzed in very old patients with pulmonary embolism. KEY RESULTS: In 7,438 patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism, 609 patients aged equal to or greater than 80 years (male 354 (58.1%)). There were 2743 patients aged between 65 and 79 years (male 1313 (48%)) and 4095 patients aged younger than 65 years (male 2272 (55.5%)). Patients with advanced age had significantly more comorbidities and worse condition, however, some predisposing factors were more obvious in younger patients with pulmonary thromboembolism. PaO2 < 60 mmHg, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2, malignancy, anticoagulation as first therapy were mortality predictors for all-cause death in very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism. The analysis found that younger patients were more likely to have chest pain, hemoptysis (the difference was statistically significant) and dyspnea triad. CONCLUSION: In very old population diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism, worse laboratory results, atypical symptoms and physical signs were common. Mortality was very high and comorbid conditions were their features compared to younger patients. PaO2 < 60 mmHg, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73m2 and malignancy were positive mortality predictors for all-cause death in very old patients with pulmonary thromboembolism while anticoagulation as first therapy was negative mortality predictors.

Clot ratio, new clot burden score with deep learning, correlates with the risk stratification of patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

Background: Risk stratification for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is significantly important for treatment and prognosis evaluation. We aimed to develop a novel clot burden score on computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) based on deep learning (DL) algorithm for risk stratification of APE. Methods: The study retrospectively enrolled patients newly diagnosed with APE in China-Japan Friendship Hospital consecutively. We collected baseline data and CTPA parameters, and calculated four different clot burden scores, including Qanadli score, Mastora score, clot volume and clot ratio. The former two were calculated by two radiologists separately, while clot volume and clot ratio were based on the DL algorithm. The area under the curve (AUC) of four clot burden scores were analyzed. Results: Seventy patients were enrolled, including 17 in high-/intermediate-high risk and 53 in low-/intermediate-low risk. Clot burden was related to the risk stratification of APE. Among four clot burden scores, clot ratio had the highest AUC (0.719, 95% CI: 0.569-0.868) to predict patients with higher risk. In the patients with hemodynamically stable APE, only clot ratio presented statistical difference (P=0.046). Conclusions: Clot ratio is a new imaging marker of clot burden which correlates with the risk stratification of patients with APE. Higher clot ratio may indicate higher risk and acute right ventricular dysfunction in patients with hemodynamically stable status.

Benzofuran Derivatives from Cortex Mori Radicis and Their Cholinesterase-Inhibitory Activity.

The phytochemical investigation of Cortex Mori Radicis led to the isolation and identification of a new prenylated benzofuranone (1) and four ring-opening derivatives (2-5) named albaphenol A-E, as well as nigranol A (6), together with ten 2-arylbenzofuran derivatives (7-16). The characterization of the structures of the new compounds and the structural revision of nigranol A (6) were conducted using the comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data (1D/2D NMR, HRESIMS, CD, and XRD). Compounds 1-16 were tested for their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Compounds 1 and 4 showed weak BChE-inhibitory activity (IC50 45.5 and 61.0 µM); six 2-arylbenzofuran derivatives showed more-potent BChE-inhibitory activity (IC50 2.5-32.8 µM) than the positive control galantamine (IC50 35.3 µM), while being inactive or weakly inhibitory toward AChE. Cathafuran C (14) exhibited the most potent and selective inhibitory activity against BChE in a competitive manner, with a Ki value of 1.7 µM. The structure-activity relationships of the benzofuran-type stilbenes were discussed. Furthermore, molecular docking and dynamic simulations were performed to clarify the interactions of the inhibitor-enzyme complex.

Thallium content in vegetables and derivation of threshold for safe food production in soil: A meta-analysis.

Soil thallium (Tl) pollution is a serious environmental problem, and vegetables are the primary pathway for human exposure to Tl. Therefore, it is important to investigate the characteristics of soil Tl uptake by vegetables. In this study, the meta-analysis approach was first applied to explore the relationship between Tl content in vegetables and soil environment, as well as key factors influencing soil physical-chemical properties, and to derive soil thresholds for Tl. The results indicated that various types of vegetables have different capabilities for Tl accumulation. Vegetables from contaminated areas showed high Tl accumulation, and the geomean Tl content in different types of vegetables was in the following order: leafy > root-stalk > solanaceous vegetables. Taro and kale had significantly higher capability to accumulate soil Tl among the 35 species studied, with Tl bioconcentration factor values of 0.060 and 0.133, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis and meta-analysis revealed that the Tl content in vegetables was significantly correlated with soil pH and Tl content in soil. The linear predictive model for Tl accumulation in vegetables based on soil Tl content described the data well, and the fitting coefficient R2 increased with soil pH value. According to potential dietary toxicity, the derived soil Tl thresholds for all, leafy and root-stalk vegetables increased with an increase in soil pH, and were in the range of 1.46-6.72, 1.74-5.26 and 0.92-6.06 mg/kg, respectively. The soil Tl thresholds for kale, lettuce and carrot were in the range of 0.24-4.89, 2.94-3.32 and 3.77-14.43 mg/kg, respectively. Ingestion of kale, beet, sweet potato, potato, taro, pepper, turnip, Chinese cabbage, eggplant and carrot poses potential health risks. The study provides scientific guidance for vegetable production in Tl-contaminated areas and can help with the selection of vegetable species suitable for avoiding the absorption of Tl from contaminated soil.

Trends in gastric cancer incidence and mortality in Asia and association analysis with human development index, 1990-2019.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiological time trends and gender, age and regional differences of gastric cancer in Asia during 1990-2019, and to analyze the association between the human development index (HDI) and the statistical indicators of the burden of disease. METHODS: Describing trends in age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) in Asia from 1990 to 2019 based on GBD-reported population-based surveillance of gastric cancer in Asia. Obtained ASIR, ASMR, and mortality to incidence ratios (MIR) for gastric cancer in different countries in 2019, with association analysis by Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test. RESULTS: The annual percentage change in ASIR and ASMR in Asia from 1990 to 2019 was - 1.20% and - 1.91%. Male gastric cancer patients have higher ASIR and ASMR than female gastric cancer patients. Decreasing trends in ASIR and ASMR for the total population in five Asian regions. From 1990 to 2019, the average annual change in ASMR was - 2.45%, - 1.43%, - 0.53%, - 0.62%, and - 0.27% for Central Asia, East Asia, high-income Asia-Pacific, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, respectively (p < 0.05). Both incidence and mortality were concentrated in the age groups of 85-89 and 89-94 years. Classifying Asian countries into different levels of HDI, only MIR was associated with HDI levels. CONCLUSION: ASIR and ASMR of gastric cancer in the total population, different regions, and countries in Asia from 1990 to 2019 showed an overall decreasing trend. The MIR index is suggestive of survival rates and the role of cancer care in individual countries. Asian countries should develop different strategies for gastric cancer screening and prevention according to high-risk age, high-risk gender and HDI.

Cancer stem cells and their niche in cancer progression and therapy.

High recurrence and metastasis rates and poor prognoses are the major challenges of current cancer therapy. Mounting evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in cancer development, chemoradiotherapy resistance, recurrence, and metastasis. Therefore, targeted CSC therapy has become a new strategy for solving the problems of cancer metastasis and recurrence. Since the properties of CSCs are regulated by the specific tumour microenvironment, the so-called CSC niche, which targets crosstalk between CSCs and their niches, is vital in our pursuit of new therapeutic opportunities to prevent cancer from recurring. In this review, we aim to highlight the factors within the CSC niche that have important roles in regulating CSC properties, including the extracellular matrix (ECM), stromal cells (e.g., associated macrophages (TAMs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)), and physiological changes (e.g., inflammation, hypoxia, and angiogenesis). We also discuss recent progress regarding therapies targeting CSCs and their niche to elucidate developments of more effective therapeutic strategies to eliminate cancer.

Oxygen-Coordinated Single Mn Sites for Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia.

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction has attracted increasing attention due to its goal of low carbon emission and environmental protection. Here, we report an efficient NitRR catalyst composed of single Mn sites with atomically dispersed oxygen (O) coordination on bacterial cellulose-converted graphitic carbon (Mn-O-C). Evidence of the atomically dispersed Mn-(O-C2)4 moieties embedding in the exposed basal plane of carbon surface is confirmed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. As a result, the as-synthesized Mn-O-C catalyst exhibits superior NitRR activity with an NH3 yield rate (RNH3) of 1476.9 ± 62.6 µg h-1 cm-2 at - 0.7 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) and a faradaic efficiency (FE) of 89.0 ± 3.8% at - 0.5 V (vs. RHE) under ambient conditions. Further, when evaluated with a practical flow cell, Mn-O-C shows a high RNH3 of 3706.7 ± 552.0 µg h-1 cm-2 at a current density of 100 mA cm-2, 2.5 times of that in the H cell. The in situ FT-IR and Raman spectroscopic studies combined with theoretical calculations indicate that the Mn-(O-C2)4 sites not only effectively inhibit the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction, but also greatly promote the adsorption and activation of nitrate (NO3-), thus boosting both the FE and selectivity of NH3 over Mn-(O-C2)4 sites.