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To enhance the drying quality of potato slices, this investigation employed a microwave heating (MH) combined with ethanol osmotic dehydration (EOD) pretreatment strategy to improve the quality of explosion puffing drying (EPD). This paper systematically investigated the effects of different pretreatment methods (no treatment, HAD, MH, EOD, MH+EOD) on the quality and physicochemical properties of potato slices subjected to CO2-EPD. The results showed that after MH and EOD pretreatments, the internal pores of the potato slices exhibited a uniform porous structure. The MH+EOD+CO2-EPD treatment demonstrated superior expansion, crispness, hardness, and color, with higher retention rates of vitamin C and protein. The measurements were an expansion ratio of 2.15, hardness of 1290.01 g, crispness of 745.94 g, ΔE of 6.54, protein content of 1.99 g/100 g, and VC content of 17.33 mg/100 g. Additionally, the study explored the effects of microwave power, microwave drying time, ethanol concentration, and ethanol soaking time on the expansion ratio, hardness, crispness, protein content, VC content, and color. MH+EOD+CO2-EPD is an environmentally sustainable and efficient solution with potential for widespread industrial application to enhance processing quality and economic benefits.
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Dióxido de Carbono , Desecación , Etanol , Manipulación de Alimentos , Microondas , Solanum tuberosum , Solanum tuberosum/química , Dióxido de Carbono/análisis , Desecación/métodos , Manipulación de Alimentos/métodos , Color , Ácido Ascórbico/análisis , Dureza , Tubérculos de la Planta/química , Tubérculos de la Planta/efectos de la radiaciónRESUMEN
To understand the soil toxic and hazardous elements content, pollution level, and ecological risk status in the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, we collected and analyzed 8273 sets of surface soil samples. Evaluations were conducted using the single-factor pollution index, geo-accumulation, pollution load, and potential ecological risk indices, and source identification correlation and principal component analysis. The results revealed that, compared with the background levels in China, the accumulation of soil arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and chromium was greater in the surface soil of the study area. Additionally, in comparison with Qinghai Province, more mercury accumulated in the surface soil of the study area and owing to the influence of anthropogenic activities. Benchmarking against soil environmental quality standards, the study area exhibited pollution control zones primarily dominated by arsenic and cadmium (3.9%). The spatial distribution revealed distinct zones: a ridge mountain type characterized by arsenic-cadmium-chromium-nickel, a Daban mountain type with solely cadmium presence, and a Longyangxia-Jianzha South type dominated by arsenic. Compared with the Qinghai Province soil background values, evaluations using the Pollution loading index, Geological Cumulative Index, and Potential Ecological Risk Index methods revealed varying degrees of potentially toxic element content exceedance. From an ecological risk perspective, the individual element with the highest potential ecological risk coefficients were mercury, followed by cadmium and arsenic; however, the region's overall ecological risk index was classified as low. Three distinct sources were identified: natural sources leading to high background levels of chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, and mercury; mixed natural and industrial/agricultural sources contributing to elevated cadmium levels; and human activity-related mercury enrichment. Based on the evaluation results, synergistic monitoring of soil and biota in naturally occurring risk zones is recommended to ensure the safety of agricultural and pastoral products. Additionally, ecological impact assessments and pollution source mitigation studies should be conducted in regions influenced by human activities to curb the further degradation of soil ecological quality.
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Monitoreo del Ambiente , Contaminantes del Suelo , Suelo , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisis , Tibet , Medición de Riesgo , Suelo/química , Metales Pesados/análisis , Arsénico/análisisRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: With the widespread clinical application of prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there has been an increasing demand for lesion detection and accurate diagnosis in prostate MR, which relies heavily on satisfactory image quality. Focusing on the primary sequences involved in Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS), this study have evaluated common quality issues in clinical practice (such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), artifacts, boundaries, and enhancement). The aim of the study was to determine the impact of image quality on clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) detection, positive predictive value (PPV) and radiologist's diagnosis in different sequences and prostate zones. METHODS: This retrospective study included 306 patients who underwent prostate MRI with definitive pathological reports from February 2021 to December 2022. All histopathological specimens were evaluated according to the recommendations of the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP). An ISUP Grade Group ≥ 2 was considered as csPCa. Three radiologists from different centers respectively performed a binary classification assessment of image quality in the following ten aspects: (1) T2WI in the axial plane: SNR, prostate boundary conditions, the presence of artifacts; (2) T2WI in the sagittal or coronal plane: prostate boundary conditions; (3) DWI: SNR, delineation between the peripheral and transition zone, the presence of artifacts, the matching of DWI and T2WI images; (4) DCE: the evaluation of obturator artery enhancement, the evaluation of dynamic contrast enhancement. Fleiss' Kappa was used to determine the inter-reader agreement. Wilson's 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to calculate PPV. Chi-square test was used to calculate statistical significance. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: High-quality images had a higher csPCa detection rate (56.5% to 64.3%) in axial T2WI, DWI, and DCE, with significant statistical differences in SNR in axial T2WI (p 0.002), the presence of artifacts in axial T2WI (p 0.044), the presence of artifacts in DWI (p < 0.001), and the matching of DWI and T2WI images (p < 0.001). High-quality images had a higher PPV (72.5% to 78.8%) and showed significant statistical significance in axial T2WI, DWI, and DCE. Additionally, we found that PI-RADS 3 (24.0% to 52.9%) contained more low-quality images compared to PI-RADS 4-5 (20.6% to 39.3%), with significant statistical differences in the prostate boundary conditions in axial T2WI (p 0.048) and the presence of artifacts in DWI (p 0.001). Regarding the relationship between csPCa detection and image quality in different prostate zones, this study found that significant statistical differences were only observed between high- (63.5% to 75.7%) and low-quality (30.0% to 50.0%) images in the peripheral zone (PZ). CONCLUSION: Prostate MRI quality may have an impact on the diagnostic performance. The poorer image quality is associated with lower csPCa detection rates and PPV, which can lead to an increase in radiologist's ambiguous diagnosis (PI-RADS 3), especially for the lesions located at PZ.
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BACKGROUND: Leucine, a branched-chain amino acid, participates in the regulation of lipid metabolism and the composition of the intestinal microbiota. However, the related mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: Here, we aimed to reveal the potential mechanisms by which hepatic CYP7A1 (a rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid [BA] synthesis) and gut microbiota coregulate BA synthesis under leucine deprivation. METHODS: To this end, 8-wk-old C57BL/6J mice were fed with either regular diets or leucine-free diets for 1 wk. Then, we investigated whether secondary BAs were synthesized by Turicibacter sanguinis in 7-wk-old C57BL/6J germ-free mice gavaged with T. sanguinis for 2 wk by determining BA concentrations in the plasma, liver, and cecum contents using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The results showed that leucine deprivation resulted in a significant increase in total BA concentration in the plasma and an increase in the liver, but no difference in total BA was observed in the cecum contents before and after leucine deprivation. Furthermore, leucine deprivation significantly altered BA profiles such as taurocholic acid and ω-muricholic acid in the plasma, liver, and cecum contents. CYP7A1 expression was significantly upregulated in the liver under leucine deprivation. Leucine deprivation also regulated the composition of the gut microbiota; specifically, it significantly upregulated the relative abundance of T. sanguinis, thus enhancing the conversion of primary BAs into secondary BAs by intestinal T. sanguinis in mice. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, leucine deprivation regulated BA profiles in enterohepatic circulation by upregulating hepatic CYP7A1 expression and increasing intestinal T. sanguinis abundance. Our findings reveal the contribution of gut microbiota to BA metabolism under dietary leucine deprivation.
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Ácidos y Sales Biliares , Colesterol 7-alfa-Hidroxilasa , Microbioma Gastrointestinal , Leucina , Hígado , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Regulación hacia Arriba , Animales , Colesterol 7-alfa-Hidroxilasa/metabolismo , Colesterol 7-alfa-Hidroxilasa/genética , Ácidos y Sales Biliares/metabolismo , Leucina/metabolismo , Hígado/metabolismo , Ratones , Masculino , Actinobacteria/metabolismo , MultiómicaRESUMEN
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has low anthropogenic carbon emissions and large carbon stock in its ecosystems. As a crucial region in terrestrial ecosystems responding to climate change, an accurate understanding of the distribution characteristics of soil carbon density holds significance in estimating the soil carbon storage capacity in forests and grasslands. It performs a crucial role in achieving carbon neutrality goals in China. The distribution characteristics of carbon and carbon density in the surface, middle, and deep soil layers are calculated, and the main influencing factors of soil carbon density changes are analyzed. The carbon density in the surface soil ranges from a minimum of 1.62 kg/m2 to a maximum of 52.93 kg/m2. The coefficient of variation for carbon is 46%, indicating a considerable variability in carbon distribution across different regions. There are substantial disparities, with geological background, land use types, and soil types significantly influencing soil organic carbon density. Alpine meadow soil has the highest carbon density compared with other soil types. The distribution of soil organic carbon density at three different depths is as follows: grassland > bare land > forestland > water area. The grassland systems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have considerable soil carbon sink and storage potential; however, they are confronted with the risk of grassland degradation. The grassland ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau harbor substantial soil carbon sinks and storage potential. However, they are at risk of grassland degradation. It is imperative to enhance grassland management, implement sustainable grazing practices, and prevent the deterioration of the grassland carbon reservoirs to mitigate the exacerbation of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. This highlights the urgency of implementing more studies to uncover the potential of existing grassland ecological engineering projects for carbon sequestration.
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Ecosistema , Suelo , Tibet , Carbono/análisis , PraderaRESUMEN
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, located at the Third Pole and known as the "Asian water tower," serves as a crucial ecological barrier for China. Grasping the soil quality on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau holds paramount importance for the rational and scientific exploitation of soil resources within the region and is essential for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction. This study, conducted in Maqin County, Qinghai Province, collected 1647 soil samples (0-20 cm) within a study area of 6300 km2. Sixteen soil indicators were selected that were split into beneficial (N, P, S, and B), harmful (Cr, Hg, As, Pb, Ni, and Cd), and essential (Cu, Zn, Se, Ga, K, and Ca) elements. The Soil Quality Index (SQI) was computed to assess soil quality across diverse geological contexts, land cover classifications, and soil profiles. The results indicate that the overall SQI in the study area was comparatively high, with most regions having an SQI between 0.4 and 0.6, categorized as moderately to highly satisfactory. Among the different geological backgrounds, the highest SQI was found in the Quaternary alluvium (0.555) and the lowest in the Precambrian Jinshuikou Formation (0.481). Regarding different land-use types, the highest SQI was observed in glacier- and snow-covered areas (0.582) and the lowest in other types of grassland (0.461). The highest SQI was recorded in typical alpine meadow soil (0.521) and the lowest in leached brown soil (0.460). The evaluation results have significant reference value for the sustainable utilization and management of soil in Maqin County, Qinghai Province, China.
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Mercurio , Suelo , Humanos , Tibet , China , Actividades HumanasRESUMEN
Efficient degradation of organic pollutants in complex media via advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) is still critical and challenging. Herein, nitrogen (N)-doped coal gangue (CG) catalysts (N-CG) with economic competitiveness and environmental friendliness were successfully synthesized to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS), exhibiting ultrafast degradation performance toward benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) with 100.00 % and 93.21 % in contaminated solution and soil under optimized condition, respectively. In addition, 0.4 N-CG possessed excellent reusability toward BaP degradation with over 80.00 % after five cycles. However, BaP removal efficiency was significantly affected by some co-existing anions (HCO3- and SO42-) and humic acid (HA) in solution and soil, as well as inhibited under alkaline conditions, especially pH ≥ 9. According to the characterizations, N-doping could promote the generation of pyridinic N and graphitic N in N-CG via high-temperature calcination, which was conducive to produce hydroxyl radical (â¢OH), sulfate radical (SO4â¢-), superoxide radical (â¢O2-) and single oxygen (1O2). In 0.4 N-CG/PMS system, 1O2 and â¢O2- were proved to be the predominant reactive oxygen species (ROSs) in BaP degradation, as well as â¢OH and SO4â¢- made certain contributions. To sum up, this work provided a promising strategy for synthesis of CG-based catalysts by chemical inertness conversion of carbon fracture via N-doping for PMS activation and opened a novel perspective for environmental remediation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic contaminants pollution.
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Solid-state sodium batteries represent a highly promising option for future electrochemical energy storage applications. The ionic conductivity of solid-state electrolytes is one of the significant factors limiting the development of solid-state batteries. In this study, we establish that Sm3+ doping effectively boosts the ionic conductivity of Na3Zr2Si2PO12 (NZSP). The optimal composition, Na3.2Zr1.8Sm0.2Si2-PO12 (NZSP-S20), exhibits a total conductivity of 1.87 mS cm-1 at 23 °C. Structural and microscopic morphology analyses reveal that Sm3+ doping enhances the ionic conductivity of NZSP through structural modulation, phase fraction adjustment, and grain size reduction. High-frequency impedance spectroscopy (40 Hz to 110 MHz) demonstrates that bulk and grain boundaries contribute 49.4 and 50.6%, respectively, to the total conductivity. The structural and microscopic morphology analyses reveal that Sm3+ doping enhances the ionic conductivity of NZSP. Furthermore, the critical current density (CCD) attained in the symmetric cell, assembled by using NZSP-S20 as the solid-state electrolyte and NaSn alloy as the electrode, reaches 2.2 mA cm-1. These results furnish a theoretical foundation for comprehending the modification of solid-state electrolytes.
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Elucidating material sources and investigating the impact of various environmental factors on material source accumulation are important for the environmental restoration of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This study was conducted within the Borhan Buda Mountain Range of Dulan County, Qinghai Province, China, where 6274 surface soil samples were collected. The geoaccumulation index was employed to assess the levels of heavy metals, including As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn, in the soil. A comprehensive approach combining principal component analysis (PCA) and geodetector analysis was employed to assess the spatial variation in soil heavy metal origins and the factors that influence them. The findings indicate that the mean concentrations of Pb exceed the background values for the soil in Qinghai Province, with Hg exhibiting low pollution, whereas the other elements showed no contamination. PCA indicated that the soil elements in the Borhan Buda Mountain Range were influenced by four sources, all attributed to the geological background. Geodetector analysis of the factor contributions suggested that geological factors had the strongest explanatory power for the four material sources. Furthermore, the risk detection results demonstrated significant variations in the material source contributions among most subregions when considering three environmental factors in pairs. Interaction detection revealed that the combined influence of two environmental factors on material source contributions was greater than that of the individual factors. Additionally, ecological detection demonstrated significant differences in material source contributions one, two, and three between land cover types and geological backgrounds, whereas no significant differences were observed in material source four between land cover types and geological backgrounds. This study offers valuable insights into the sources of soil elements in Dulan County and the influence of environmental factors on these sources, thereby contributing an essential knowledge base for the protection and management of soil heavy metals in the region.
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Mercurio , Metales Pesados , Contaminantes del Suelo , Suelo , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Plomo/análisis , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisis , Medición de Riesgo , Metales Pesados/análisis , China , Mercurio/análisisRESUMEN
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau stands as the loftiest geographical area on our planet, frequently denoted as the "Crown of the Globe." To acquire an exhaustive comprehension of the heavy metal contamination situation in the topsoil of Maqin County, Qinghai Province, a total of 1616 surface soil specimens were gathered across a 6300 km2 area. An examination was carried out on 12 metallic elements to investigate the impact of diverse geological contexts, soil categorizations, and land utilization practices on the levels of heavy metals. Additionally, the fundamental factors contributing to these trends were probed. The findings unveiled that the mean levels of the 12 metallic elements in the topsoil of Maqin County surpassed or equaled the baseline values of soil heavy metal concentrations within the research region. The coefficients of variation (CV) values for Hg, Sb, Ni, and Pb exceeded 30%, with Hg showing strong variation. The overall pollution level in the study area was classified as mild, posing a moderate ecological risk. In this study, we performed a multi-factor analysis of the significant differences in heavy metal concentrations among different geological backgrounds, soil types, and land-use types. The results showed that geological background had extremely significant impacts on elements such as Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Sb, Tl, and Zn (p < 0.01). Soil type had an extremely significant influence on Be, Cd, Cu, and Zn (p < 0.01), as well as a significant influence on Ba (p < 0.05). Land-use type had an extremely significant impact on Ba (p < 0.01) and a significant impact on Cd (p < 0.05). Building upon the amalgamation of the outcomes from the Pearson correlation analysis, it was inferred that the main source of heavy metals in Maqin County, Qinghai Province, was the geological background.
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Mercurio , Metales Pesados , Contaminantes del Suelo , Cadmio/análisis , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisis , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Medición de Riesgo , China , Metales Pesados/análisis , Suelo , Mercurio/análisis , Contaminación Ambiental/análisisRESUMEN
In order to further improve the drying quality of potato slices, this study investigated the effects of EPD (CO2), HAD + EPD (CO2), EH + EPD (CO2), and FD on the quality and physicochemical properties of potato slices. The changes in solid loss (SL), obtained ethanol (OE), water loss (WL), and moisture content under different ethanol concentrations and soaking times were studied. The effects of WL, SL, OE, and moisture on puffing characteristics were also studied. The results show that in the EH + EPD (CO2) process, the use of ethanol and CO2 as the puffing media improves the puffing power. WL and OE have significant effects on hardness, crispness, expansion ratio, and ascorbic acid. The quality of potato slices puffed and dried by ethanol osmotic dehydration is better, which provides a new method for potato slice processing.
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The sluggish reaction kinetics and unfavorable shuttling effect are regarded as obstacles to the practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To resolve these inherent drawbacks, we synthesized novel multifunctional Co3O4@NHCP/CNT as the cathode materials consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-grafted N-doped hollow carbon polyhedrons (NHCP) embedded with cobalt (II, III) oxide (Co3O4) nanoparticles. The results indicate that the NHCP and interconnected CNTs could provide favorable channels for electron/ion transport and physically restrict the diffusion of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Furthermore, N doping and in-situ Co3O4 embedding could endow the carbon matrix with strong chemisorption and effective electrocatalytic activity toward LiPSs, thus prominently promoting the sulfur redox reaction. Benefiting from these synergistic effects, the Co3O4@NHCP/CNT electrode exhibits a high initial capacity of 1322.1 mAh/g at 0.1 C, and a capacity retention of 710.4 mAh/g after 500 cycles at 1 C. Impressively, even at a relatively high current density of 4 C, the Co3O4@NHCP/CNT electrode achieves a high capacity of 653.4 mAh/g and outstanding long-term cycle stability for 1000 cycles with a low decay rate of 0.035% per cycle. Hence, the design of N-doped CNTs-grafted hollow carbon polyhedrons coupled with transition metal oxides would provide effective promising perspective for developing high-performance Li-S batteries.
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The gamma-aminobutyric acid type B (GABAB) receptor may participate in the development of diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP). BHF177 serves as a positive allosteric modulator of the GABAB receptor. In the current study, we sought to study the role of the BHF177-GABAB receptor in DNP and its underlying mechanism. Streptozotocin was adopted to induce a rat model of DNP, followed by determination of the paw withdrawal threshold (PWT), paw withdrawal latency (PWL), and glucose level. The effect of BHF177 on DNP by regulating the GABAB receptor in vivo was determined by the injection of BHF177 and/or CGP46381 (a GABAB receptor antagonist) into rat models of DNP. Hippocampal neuronal cells were isolated and cultured, and the neurons and DNP model rats were treated with activators of PKC (PMA), CaMKII (CaCl2), or ERK1/2 (EGF) to study the role of GABAB receptors in DNP via regulation of the NR2B-PKC-CaMKII-ERK-CREB pathway. BHF177 suppressed DNP symptoms by activating the GABAB receptors, as evidenced by increased PWT and PWL of DNP rats and the increased number of neurons expressing the GABAB receptor, but this effect was reversed by CGP46381 treatment. BHF177 treatment markedly repressed PKC, CaMKII, p-ERK1/2, and p-CREB expressions in the rat DNP model, but these suppressive effects were abrogated by treatments with PMA, CaCl2, or EGF treatment, respectively. To sum up, BHF177 suppresses DNP symptoms by blocking the PKC/CaMKII/ERK1/2/CREB signaling pathway to activate the GABAB receptors.
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Diabetes Mellitus , Neuropatías Diabéticas , Neuralgia , Ratas , Animales , Proteína Quinasa Tipo 2 Dependiente de Calcio Calmodulina , Receptores de GABA-B , Sistema de Señalización de MAP Quinasas , Cloruro de Calcio , Factor de Crecimiento Epidérmico , Transducción de Señal , Neuropatías Diabéticas/tratamiento farmacológico , Ácido gamma-AminobutíricoRESUMEN
The magnetic field can alter the hydrogen-bond structure and polarity characteristics of water; therefore, we hypothesize that magnetized water can affect plant physiological functions, including metal detoxification and excretion. In this study, the amount of Cd excreted on the leaves of Festuca arundinacea was estimated using magnetized water and normal water irrigation patterns. Irrigation with magnetized water improved the shoot dry weight and Cd content in F. arundinacea by 13.6% and 52.8%, respectively, compared to the control. Magnetized water irrigation also increased antioxidant enzyme activities in plant leaves, thereby alleviating the oxidative damage. The concentration of ferritin was 0.91 folds higher than that of the control, increasing the Fe sequestration and detoxification capacity of F. arundinacea. The amount of Cd excreted was significantly higher under magnetized water irrigation, thereby increasing the annual Cd removal by 109.7% from soil by leaf washing compared with that of the control. In contrast, F. arundinacea irrigated with magnetized water excreted 38.1% less Fe owing to the increase in ferritin levels, compared with that of the control. This study suggests a novel pathway of Cd phytoremediation by rinsing excreted Cd from the leaf surface without harvesting and replanting F. arundinacea.
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Festuca , Lolium , Contaminantes del Suelo , Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Biodegradación Ambiental , Cadmio/metabolismo , Ferritinas/metabolismo , Festuca/metabolismo , Lolium/metabolismo , Contaminantes del Suelo/metabolismo , AguaRESUMEN
CONTEXT: 17α-Hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency (17OHD) is caused by a human CYP17A1 gene mutation and has the classical phenotype of hypertension, hypokalemia, sexual infantilism, and primary amenorrhea in females (46,XX) and disorders of sexual development in males (46,XY). To date, few cases of 17OHD have been reported, and the likelihood of pregnancy has rarely been explored. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical characteristics, phenotype heterogeneity, genotyping, and the likelihood of pregnancy of patients with 17OHD. DESIGN: Genotype analysis was performed by direct sequencing of the CYP17A1 gene and next-generation sequencing in nonclassical patients. In vitro enzyme activity assays and 3-dimensional structure observations were used to assess the function of 3 missense mutations of the CYP17A1 gene. Progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) was chosen for ovulation induction in 2 patients. RESULTS: Eight mutations were identified from 13 patients, including the homozygous mutations p. N395D and p. R496C and compound heterozygous mutations p. Y329fs/p. A421A and p. I332T/p. D487_F489del in 4 nonclassical patients. For the 3 missense mutations, an in vitro functional study showed mild impairment of 17α-hydroxylase activities 15.3-25.0% but residual 17,20-lyase activities 6.6%-9.4%. Two 46,XX females succeeded in pregnancy and delivery by combined PPOS, in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET), and the use of low-dose glucocorticoids. CONCLUSIONS: Partial 17OHD present nonclassical clinical features, without hypertension and hypokalemia. Successful pregnancy in such 46,XX patients could be attained by the appropriate choice of ovulation induction regimen, precise dose of glucocorticoid to reduce progesterone levels, and the use of IVF-ET.
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Hiperplasia Suprarrenal Congénita , Hipertensión , Hipopotasemia , Hiperplasia Suprarrenal Congénita/genética , Femenino , Fertilidad , Humanos , Masculino , Oxigenasas de Función Mixta , Mutación , Fenotipo , Esteroide 17-alfa-Hidroxilasa/genéticaRESUMEN
It has been observed that suitable light irradiation can improve the phytoremediation efficiency of various plants by enhancing their growth rate and metal uptake capacity. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of light irradiation on metal mobilization and translocation in soils have rarely been reported. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the variation in dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the rhizosphere of Noccaea caerulescens (formerly Thlaspi caerulescens J. & C. Presl) when irradiated with different combinations of red (0, 25, 50, 90, and 100% red) and blue light. N. caerulescens was induced to secrete significantly more DOM, relative to the control, into its rhizosphere after being irradiated with pure red light and other red light combinations; this increased the bioavailability of soil Cd. Moreover, the concentrations and proportions of the hydrophilic DOM fractions, particularly hydrophilic acid, which exhibited a high affinity for Cd, increased with increasing ratios of the red light. Furthermore, DOM secreted because of the light irradiation treatments exhibited a significantly higher Cd extraction ability compared with that of the untreated control; this consequently increased the Cd uptake capacity of N. caerulescens. The results demonstrated that the secretion of more DOM, particularly hydrophilic acid, plays a pivotal role in improving the phytoremediation efficiency of N. caerulescens.
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Contaminantes del Suelo , Suelo , Biodegradación Ambiental , Cadmio/análisis , Materia Orgánica Disuelta , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisisRESUMEN
Taxonomic review of the genus Assamacris Uvarov, 1942 is given. The genus Traulitonkinacris You Bi, 1983 is synonymized with Assamacris. Traulitonkinacris bifurcatus You Bi, 1983 is transferred to Assamacris as a new combination. Assamacris splendida sp. nov. is described as new species. A newly discovered female of A. curticerca (Huang, 1981) is introduced. A key to the species is updated.
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Saltamontes/clasificación , Animales , FemeninoRESUMEN
Parabens are widely employed in toothpaste, cosmetics, textiles, beverages, and preservatives, causing a serious environmental concern because they are endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). As one of the highly reactive oxidants, ozone has a great effect on EDC removal. To understand the degradation and transformation of parabens in the aquatic environment and their toxicity to aquatic organisms, the degradation reaction of parabens initiated by O3 was studied meticulously using quantum chemical calculations. The degradation process includes multiple initial reaction channels and consequent degradation pathways of the Criegee intermediates. Through thermodynamic data, the rate constants were computed using the transition state theory (TST). At a temperature of 298 K and a pressure of 1 atm, the calculated rate constants were 3.92 and 3.94 M-1 s-1 for methylparaben (MPB) and ethylparaben (EPB), respectively. The rate constants increased as the temperature increased or as the length of the alkyl chain on the benzene ring increased. Through the ecotoxicity assessment procedure, the ecotoxicity of parabens and the products in the degradation process can be assessed. Most degradation byproducts are either less toxic or nontoxic. Some byproducts are still harmful, such as oxalaldehyde (P2) and ethyl 2,3-dioxopropanoate (P10). Furthermore, the ecological toxicity of parabens increased with augmentation of the alkyl chain on the benzene ring. The effect of the alkyl chain length on the benzene ring in the compound cannot be ignored.
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The New Guinea flatworm (Platydemus manokwari) caused extinction of the native land snails on several Pacific island in past decades, and therefore it has been listed among the top 100 of the world's worst invasive alien species. Using morphological and molecular methods, New Guinea flatworms were discovered and identified for the first time in Hong Kong Island during a field investigation in July and August 2018. The flatworms were 32-60 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, and 1-2 mm thick. The dorsal side of the flatworm was dark brown with a thin yellow central line, and its ventral side appeared pale grey. To further verify this species, both 18S rDNA and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COX1) obtained from three specimens of P. manokwari were sequenced and analysed. While comparing these sequences with those previously deposited in GenBank, these 18S rDNA sequences shared 100% identity with the single available 18S rDNA sequence of P. manokwari; and the obtained COX1 sequences were identical to those of P. manokwari world genotype. Two native snails, Criptosoma imperator and Bradybaena similaris, have been found to be the prey of this predator during this investigation. Therefore, the invasive New Guinea flatworm certainly will cause a serious impact on the biodiversity of native snail populations, and an economic and environmental risk assessment for P. manokwari need to be completed in the near future in Hong Kong.
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In line with open-source genetics, we report a novel linear regression technique for genome-wide association studies (GWAS), called Open GWAS algoriTHm (OATH). When individual-level data are not available, OATH can not only completely reproduce reported results from an experimental model, but also recover underreported results from other alternative models with a different combination of nuisance parameters using naïve summary statistics (NSS). OATH can also reliably evaluate all reported results in-depth (e.g., p-value variance analysis), as demonstrated for 42 Arabidopsis phenotypes under three magnesium (Mg) conditions. In addition, OATH can be used for consortium-driven genome-wide association meta-analyses (GWAMA), and can greatly improve the flexibility of GWAMA. A prototype of OATH is available in the Genetic Analysis Repository (https://github.com/gc5k/GEAR).