[Association of metal/metalloids exposure with abnormal liver function among occupational population in a mining area of Hunan Province:a prospective study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of metals/metalloids exposure with risk of liver disfunction among occupational population in Hunan Province, and to explore the potential dose-response relationship. METHODS: In 2017, a mining area in Hunan Province was chosen as the research site, and eligible workers were recruited as study subjects. General demographic characteristics, levels of 23 metals/metalloids in plasma and urine, and liver function index(total bilirubin(TBIL), alanine amino transferase(ALT), globulin(GLB) and γ-glutamyl transferase(GGT)) were obtained by questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory tests. Participants were followed up in 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. Cox proportional risk model was used to evaluate the relationship between metal/metalloids exposure and risk of liver disfunction, and dose-response relationship curves were plotted by using the restricted cubic spline function. RESULTS: A total of 891 employees were recruited in the study, 576(65.0%)were aged ≤45 years, 832(93.4%) were male and 530(59.5%) worked as smelters. After adjusting various factors such as age, gender, BMI, type of work, education, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, stress, medical history, exercise and tea consumption, positive correlations were found between plasma tungsten(HR=4.90, 95%CI 1.17-20.48) and urinary barium(HR=1.07, 95%CI 1.02-1.12) levels with abnormally elevated TBIL levels. Additionally, a significant association was observed between plasma thallium and the risk of elevated ALT levels(HR=11.15, 95%CI 1.97-63.29). CONCLUSION: Plasma tungsten and thallium, along with barium found in urine, are risk factors for the development of abnormally elevated liver function indices in occupational groups.

Exposure to ambient air pollutants is associated with an increased incidence of hyperuricemia: A longitudinal cohort study among Chinese government employees.

BACKGROUND: It is widely recognized that ambient air pollution can induce various detrimental health outcomes. However, evidence linking ambient air pollutants and hyperuricemia incidence is scarce. OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between long-term air pollution exposure and the risk of hyperuricemia. METHODS: In this study, a total of 5854 government employees without hyperuricemia were recruited and followed up from January 2018 to June 2021 in Hunan Province, China. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid (SUA) level of >420 µmol/L for men and >360 µmol/L for women or use of SUA-lowering medication or diagnosed as hyperuricemia during follow-up. Data from local air quality monitoring stations were used to calculate individual exposure levels of PM10, PM2.5, SO2 and NO2 by inverse distance weightingn (IDW) method. Cox proportional hazard model was applied to evaluate the causal relationships between air pollutant exposures and the risk of hyperuricemia occurrence after adjustment for potential confounders and meanwhile, restricted cubic spline was used to explore the dose-response relationships. RESULTS: The results indicated that exposures to PM10 (hazard ratio, HR = 1.042, 95% conficence interal, 95% CI: 1.028, 1.057), PM2.5 (HR = 1.204, 95% CI: 1.141, 1.271) and NO2 (HR = 1.178, 95% CI: 1.125,1.233) were associated with an increased HR of hyperuricemia. In addition, a nonlinear dose-response relationship was found between PM10 exposure level and the HR of hyperuricemia (p for nonlinearity = 0.158) with a potential threshold of 50.11 µg/m3. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that participants usually waking up at night and using natural ventilation were more vulnerable to the exposures of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and SO2. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposures to ambient PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 are associated with an increased incidence of hyperuricemia among Chinese government employees.

Emerging Signaling Regulation of Sinoatrial Node Dysfunction.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The sinoatrial node (SAN), the natural pacemaker of the heart, is responsible for generating electrical impulses and initiating each heartbeat. Sinoatrial node dysfunction (SND) causes various arrhythmias such as sinus arrest, SAN block, and tachycardia/bradycardia syndrome. Unraveling the underlying mechanisms of SND is of paramount importance in the pursuit of developing effective therapeutic strategies for patients with SND. This review provides a concise summary of the most recent progress in the signaling regulation of SND. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies indicate that SND can be caused by abnormal intercellular and intracellular signaling, various forms of heart failure (HF), and diabetes. These discoveries provide novel insights into the underlying mechanisms SND, advancing our understanding of its pathogenesis. SND can cause severe cardiac arrhythmias associated with syncope and an increased risk of sudden death. In addition to ion channels, the SAN is susceptible to the influence of various signalings including Hippo, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), mechanical force, and natriuretic peptide receptors. New cellular and molecular mechanisms related to SND are also deciphered in systemic diseases such as HF and diabetes. Progress in these studies contributes to the development of potential therapeutics for SND.

[Associations of plasma metals/metalloids with arrhythmia among occupational population: a prospective study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between levels of twenty-three plasma metals/metalloids and the risk of arrhythmia among occupational population. METHODS: In 2017, a total of 765 workers aged 18 and above were recruited from a non-ferrous metal factory. The general demographic characteristics were obtained by using questionnaire. Plasma metal/metalloid levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS). Participants were followed up in 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. After the elements that may affect the incidence of arrhythmia were screened out by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO) regression, Cox regression model was used to analyze the relationship between levels of selected elements and risk of arrhythmia occurrence, Quantile g-computation model was used to analyze the effect of element mixture exposure on arrhythmia, and the dose-response curve was estimated by using restricted cubic spline(RCS) function. RESULTS: Of all the research subjects, 386(50.5%) were ≤45 years old; 401(52.4%) had 20 years or more of work experience; 712(93.1%) subjects were male workers. The incidence of arrhythmia was 17.6%. After adjusting for age, seniority, gender, body mass index(BMI), marital status, education level, smoking, drinking, drinking tea, regular exercise, chronic diseases(hypertension, hyperlipidemia), sleep quality and psychological stress, chromium, molybdenum and antimony increased the risk of arrhythmia with HR(95%CI) values of 1.22(1.11-1.34), 1.51(1.20-1.90) and 2.38(1.03-5.49), respectively, while barium reduced the risk of arrhythmia with HR(95%CI) value of 0.98(0.95-1.00). CONCLUSION: Chromium, molybdenum and antimony are the risk factors while barium is the protective factor for arrhythmia.

Malus asiatica as a natural host of apple scar skin viroid in China.

Malus asiatica (Rosaceae, Malus) is a small deciduous tree, which has been cultivated in China more than 450 years (Jin, 2019). M. asiatica is deeply favored by consumers because of its sweet taste and high nutritional attributes, rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber (Xue et al, 2013). Although the M. asiatica annual output is nearly 30 000 kg, it still cannot meet the market demand in China (Jin, 2019). In August 2021, the virus-like symptom such as colored spots on fruit epidermis of M. asiatica were observed in an orchard of Langfang (38°42'16.88″N, 116°39'15.23″E) of Hebei province, China. To investigate whether this symptom is related to virus infection, the symptomatic sample was subjected to small RNA sequencing. Total RNA was extracted from branch bark of a symptomatic tree using an RNAprep Pure Plant Kit (TianGen, China), The extracted RNA was used to construct a small RNA library using NEBNext® Multiplex Small RNA Library Prep Set for Illumina® (Set 1), (NEB, USA), then the resulting library was sequenced using Illumina novoseq 6000 (Illumina, USA) at Tianjin Novogene company (China). A total of 14,685,616 sequence reads were obtained. After filtering the low-quality reads, polyA, adaptor contaminants, fragments < 18 nt and > 26 nt, and reads matching apple genome, the number of reads reduced to 392,883. Finally, assembly of these clean reads generated 225 non-redundant contigs with Velvet software and 55 assembled contigs were aligned to Refseq viral database of NCBI by Bowtie software. One viral contig with length of 329 nt showed 98.48% significant similarity to genome sequences of Hohhot isolate of ASSVd (ASSVd-Hohhot) (GenBank Accession No. MZ476527.1) (Yuan et al, 2022). We then used a specific primer pair (ASSVd-F: 5'-G G T A A A C A C C G T G C G G T T C C-3'; ASSVd-R: 5'-G G G A A A C A C C A A T T G T G T T T T A-3') for reverse transcription (RT)-PCR to amplify the genome sequence of ASSVd. A 330 bp amplified product was cloned into the pGEM-T easy vector (Promega, USA), then sequenced by Sanger sequencing using T7 primer by Sangon Biotech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in China. The sequence of ASSVd has been deposited in the GenBank datebase (GenBank Accession No. ON093255). Blast analysis showed that the sequence had highest identity (326/330, 98.79%) with ASSVd-Hohhot (GenBank Accession No. MZ476527.1) (Yuan et al, 2022). To confirm the pathogenicity of ASSVd, fifteen healthy cucumber seedlings were inoculated mechanically with the extracts of ASSVd-infected branch bark of M. asiatica. There were no obvious symptoms were observed at 14 days post inoculation (dpi), however, the result of RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing showed four cucumber samples were positive for ASSVd. In addition, another 19 randomly collected M. asiatica samples with or without clear symptoms from Langfang were detected by RT-PCR, and ten (52.6%) of them were confirmed the presence of ASSVd. And all ten positive samples were symptomatic, while nine nonsymptomatic M. asiatica samples tested negative. The positive amplicons were cloned into the pGEM-T easy vector and sequenced using T7 primer by Sanger sequencing. All of the sequences were essentially identical to one another (GenBank Accession No. ON093255), which indicates that the positive samples are indeed ASSVd infected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of ASSVd infection in M. asiatica, which expands our understanding of the host range of ASSVd.

Ticagrelor alleviates sepsis-induced myocardial injury via an adenosine-dependent pathway in a mouse sepsis model.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether ticagrelor, a classic anti-platelet drug, has a therapeutic effect on sepsis-induced myocardial injury. METHODS: The C57BL6J mice received oral ticagrelor (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg) for seven days after which cecum ligation and puncture (CLP) were performed. An adenosine-receptor antagonist (CGS15943) was administered two hours before CLP. After 24 h, cardiac function was measured using cardiac echocardiography, then the heart and blood were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL staining) were used to observe pathological changes and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Plasma concentration of TNF-α, IL-6 and adenosine and myocardial tissue levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were determined. Survival analysis was performed. Western blot was used to determine the expression of a signalling protein in the myocardial tissue. RESULTS: The HE and TUNEL staining showed less inflammatory cell infiltration and less cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the ticagrelor group. Cardiac echocardiography showed preserved heart function in the ticagrelor group. Plasma TNF-α, IL-6 and relative expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in myocardial tissue were significantly lower in the ticagrelor group. Plasma adenosine levels were significantly higher in the ticagrelor group. Adenosine-receptor antagonists significantly blocked the protective effect of ticagrelor. Ticagrelor reduced the mortality of sepsis mice, and this reduction was blocked by the adenosine-receptor antagonist. Western blot showed that ticagrelor activated the phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR. Adenosine-receptor antagonists inhibited the activation of AKT and mTOR. CONCLUSION: The protective effect of ticagrelor was dependent on adenosine-receptor activation, with downstream upregulation of phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR.

Role of spleen-derived CD11b+Gr-1+ cells in sepsis-induced acute kidney injury.

PURPOSE: CD11b+Gr-1+ cells play a key role in inflammation and the purpose of this study was to determine whether splenic CD11b+Gr-1+ cells are mobilized to the kidney and lead to acute kidney injury during sepsis. METHODS: The sepsis model was generated via cecum ligation and puncture (CLP). The mice were randomly distributed into control, sham operated, CLP and CLP+splenectomy (CLPS) groups (n=5-10/group). The percentage of CD11b+Gr-1+ cells in circulating, bone marrow and spleen were determined. Plasma concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-1ß, creatinine (Cr) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin were measured. CD11b+Gr-1+ cells were detected by immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) were performed. Expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and cleaved caspase-3 was measured. RESULTS: The percentage of CD11b+Gr-1+ cells in blood was significantly higher in the CLP group and lower in CLPS group. CD11b+Gr-1+ cells in the spleen were significantly lower in the CLP group. In the CLP group, the plasma concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-1ß, Cr and neutrophil gelatinaseassociated lipocalin were higher. The expression of Gr-1 and CD11b were higher in CLP. The CD11b+Gr-1+ cells were detected in the kidneys of the CLP group. HE, PAS and TUNEL showed inflammatory cell infiltration and cell apoptosis in CLP. Western blot indicated dephosphorylation of mTOR, down-expression of HIF-1α and increased expression of cleaved caspase-3 in sepsis kidney. CONCLUSION: Splenic CD11b+Gr-1+ cells migrated to the kidney in sepsis, which led to acute kidney injury via the inhibition of mTOR/HIF-1α.

Bradykinin protects cardiac c-kit positive cells from high-glucose-induced senescence through B2 receptor signaling pathway.

Cardiac c-kit positive cells are cardiac-derived cells that exist within the heart and have a great many protective effects. The senescence of cardiac c-kit positive cells probably leads to cell dysfunction. Bradykinin plays a key role in cell protection. However, whether bradykinin prevents cardiac c-kit positive cells from high-glucose-induced senescence is unknown. Here, we found that glucose treatment causes the premature senescence of cardiac c-kit positive cells. Bradykinin B2 receptor (B2R) expression was declined by glucose-induced senescence. Bradykinin treatment inhibited senescence and reduced intracellular oxygen radicals according to senescence-associated ß-galactosidase staining and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining. Moreover, the mitochondrial membrane potential was damaged, as measured by JC-1 staining. The mitochondrial membrane potential was preserved under bradykinin treatment. The concentration of superoxide was decreased, and the concentration of intracellular adenosine triphosphate was increased after bradykinin treatment. Western blot showed that bradykinin leads to AKT and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) phosphorylation and decreased levels of P53 and P16 when compared with glucose treatment alone. Antagonists of B2R, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), mTOR, and B2R small interfering RNA prevented the protective effect of bradykinin. P53 antagonist also inhibited the glucose-induced senescence of cardiac c-kit positive cells. In conclusion, bradykinin prevents the glucose-induced premature senescence of cardiac c-kit positive cells through the B2R/PI3K/AKT/mTOR/P53 signal pathways.

Urinary vimentin mRNA as a potential novel biomarker of renal fibrosis.

Renal fibrosis is a histological outcome of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. However, the noninvasive detection of renal fibrosis remains a challenge. Here we constructed a renal fibrosis target mRNA array and used it to detect urinary mRNAs of CKD patients for investigating potential noninvasive biomarkers of renal fibrosis. We collected urine samples from 39 biopsy-proven CKD patients and 11 healthy controls in the training set. Urinary mRNA profiles of 86 genes showed a total of 21 mRNAs that were differentially expressed between CKD patients and controls (P < 0.05), and vimentin (VIM) mRNA demonstrated the highest change fold of 9.99 in CKD vs. controls with robust correlations with decline of renal function and severity of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Additionally, VIM mRNA further differentiated patients with moderate-to-severe fibrosis from none-to-mild fibrosis group with an area of the curve of 0.796 (P = 0.008). A verification of VIM mRNA in the urine of an additional 96 patients and 20 controls showed that VIM is not only well correlated with renal function parameters but also correlated with proteinuria and renal fibrosis scores. Multiple logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristics analysis further showed that urine VIM mRNA is the best predictive parameter of renal fibrosis compared with estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. In addition, there is no improved predictive performance for the composite biomarkers to predict renal fibrosis severity compared with a single gene of VIM. Overall, urinary VIM mRNA might serve as a novel independent noninvasive biomarker to monitor the progression of kidney fibrosis.

The miR-17-92 cluster in cardiac health and disease.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are small noncoding RNAs that play important roles in both physiological and pathological processes through post-transcriptional regulation. The miR-17-92 cluster includes six individual members: miR-17, miR-18a, miR-19a, miR-19b-1, miR-20a, and miR-92a-1. The miR-17-92 cluster has been extensively studied and reported to broadly function in cancer biology, immunology, neurology, pulmonology, and cardiology. This review focuses on its roles in heart development and cardiac diseases. We briefly introduce the nature of the miR-17-92 cluster and its crucial roles in both normal development and the pathogenesis of various diseases. We summarize the recent progress in understanding the versatile roles of miR-17-92 during cardiac development, regeneration, and aging. Additionally, we highlight the indispensable roles of the miR-17-92 cluster in pathogenesis and therapeutic potential in cardiac birth defects and adult cardiac diseases.

Ticagrelor regulates the differentiation of MDSCs after acute myocardial infarction to reduce cardiac injury.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are important participants after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but the role of their different subtypes in AMI remains controversial. The anti-inflammatory effect of ticagrelor in AMI has been discovered. However, the detailed anti-inflammatory mechanism has not been fully demonstrated. In this study, we aimed to determine whether ticagrelor can regulate the differentiation of MDSCs into anti-inflammatory subgroups to exert anti-inflammatory effects after AMI. In vitro experiments revealed no difference in the mRNA and protein expression of P2Y12 receptors on MDSCs and macrophages. Ticagrelor promotes the differentiation of in vitro cultured MDSCs to monocytic-MDSCs (M-MDSCs). A mouse AMI model was established to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of ticagrelor in vivo after AMI by interfering with the differentiation of MDSCs. On the first day after AMI, spleen-derived polymorphonuclear-MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs) were predominant in the circulation and infarcted heart. Ticagrelor increased the percentage of M-MDSCs in the circulation and infarcted heart of AMI mice in a dose-dependent manner, attenuated cardiac inflammation and increased cardiac contractile function. M-MDSC injection significantly decreased cardiac inflammation levels and improved cardiac function in splenectomized AMI mice compared with PMN-MDSC injection. These data point to a novel anti-inflammatory role for ticagrelor after AMI by interfering with the differentiation of MDSCs.

Molecular-level insights into the temperature-dependent formation dynamics and mechanism of water-soluble dissolved organic carbon derived from biomass pyrolysis smoke.

Water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) derived from biomass pyrolytic smoke is deposited through atmospheric aerosols, negatively affecting aquatic ecological quality and safety. However, the temperature-dependent molecular diversity and dynamic formation of smoke-derived WSOC remain poorly understood in water. Herein, we explored the molecular-level formation mechanism of pyrolytic smoke-derived WSOC in water to explain the evolution, heterogeneous correlations, and sequential responses of molecules and functional groups to increasing pyrolysis temperature. Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy was used to innovatively establish the characteristic correlations between spectroscopy and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Temperature-dependent formation of WSOC exhibited diversity in absorbance/fluorescent components, unique/common molecules, and their chemical parameters, showing the simultaneous formation and degradation reactions. The common WSOC molecules with lower and higher degrees of oxidation showed significant positive and negative correlations with the fluorescent components, respectively. The primary sequential response of WSOC molecules to increasing pyrolysis temperature (lignin-like molecules â†’ unsaturated hydrocarbons, condensed aromatic molecules â†’ lipid-like/aliphatic-/peptide-like molecules) corresponded to the temperature response of functional groups (carboxylic/alcoholic â†’ polysaccharides â†’ aromatics/amides/phenolic/aliphatic groups), demonstrating well synergistic relationships between them. These novel findings will contribute to the comprehensive understanding and assessments of potential environmental behavior or risks of WSOC in aquatic ecosystems.

Exposure risks of lead and other metals to humans: A consideration of specific size fraction and methodology.

Particle size is a critical influencing factor in assessing human exposure risk as fine particles are generally more hazardous than larger coarse particles. However, how particle composition influences human health risk is only poorly understood as different studies have different utilised different definitions and as a consequence there is no consensus. Here, with a new methodology taking insights of each size fraction load (%GSFload), metal bioaccessibility, we classify which specific particle size can reliably estimate the human exposure risk of lead and other metals. We then validate these by correlating the metals in each size fraction with those in human blood, hair, crop grain and different anthropogenic sources. Although increasing health risks are linked to metal concentration these increase as particle size decrease, the adjusted-risk for each size fraction differs when %GSFload is introduced to the risk assessment program. When using a single size fraction (250-50 µm, 50-5 µm, 5-1 µm, and < 1 µm) for comparison, the risk may be either over- or under-estimated. However, by considering bulk and adjusting the risk, it would be possible to obtain results that are closer to the real scenarios, which have been validated through human responses and evidence from crops. Fine particle size fractions (< 5 µm) bearing the mineral crystalline or aggregates (CaCO3, Fe3O4, Fe2O3, CaHPO4, Pb5(PO4)3Cl) alter the accumulation, chemical speciation, and fate of metals in soil/dust/sediment from the different sources. Loaded lead in the size fraction of < 50 µm has a significantly higher positive association with the risk-receptor biomarkers (BLLs, Hair Pb, Corn Pb, and Crop Pb) than other size fractions (bulk and 50-250 µm). Thus, we conclude that the < 50 µm fraction would be likely to be recommended as a reliable fraction to include in a risk assessment program. This methodology acts as a valuable instrument for future research undertakings, highlighting the importance of choosing suitable size fractions and attaining improved accuracy in risk assessment results that can be effectively compared.

MicroRNA-29c in urinary exosome/microvesicle as a biomarker of renal fibrosis.

Micro (mi)RNAs are frequently dysregulated in the development of renal fibrosis. Exosomes are small membrane vesicles that could be isolated from urine secreted from all nephron segments. Here we sought to observe for the first time whether miRNA in urine exosome could serve as a potential biomarker of renal fibrosis. Urine samples were collected from 32 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients who underwent kidney biopsy and 7 controls. Exosome was isolated and confirmed by immunogold staining of exosome marker. Members of miR-29, miR-200, and RNU6B as endogenous control were detected by RT quantitative PCR. Electronic microscopy verified a typical shape of exosome with average size of 65.1 nm and labeled it with anti-CD9 and anti-aquaporin 2 antibody. Members of miR-29 and miR-200 are readily measured with reduced levels compared with controls (P < 0.05) and can robustly distinguish CKD from controls [area under the curve (AUC) varied from 0.902 to 1 by receiver operating characteristics analysis]. miR-29c correlated with both estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = 0.362; P < 0.05) and degree of tubulointerstitial fibrosis (r = -0.359; P < 0.05) for CKD patients. Moreover, miRNA in exosome was decreased in mild fibrosis group compared with moderated to severe group. miR-29a and miR-29c could predict degree of tubulointerstitial fibrosis with AUC of 0.883 and 0.738 (P < 0.05). The sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing mild from moderate to severe fibrosis were 93.8 and 81.3% with the use of miR-29a and 68.8 and 81.3% for miR-29c. Overall, miR-29c in urinary exosome correlates with both renal function and degree of histological fibrosis, suggesting it as a novel, noninvasive marker for renal fibrosis.

Achieving carbon neutrality: the effect of China pilot Free Trade Zone policy on green technology innovation.

Evaluating the effect of China pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) policy on green technology innovation is important for achieving China's carbon neutrality targets. Based on the panel data of 30 provincial administrative regions in China from 2009 to 2019, this study investigates the effect of the pilot FTZ policy on green technology innovation by using the difference-in-differences method. The study's findings indicate the following: (1) The pilot FTZ policy promotes the development of green technology innovation, and there is a policy lag in a few pilot regions. (2) The mediation effect analysis shows that the pilot FTZ policy promotes the development of green technology innovation by improving the marketization process and enhancing innovative talent gathering. (3) The heterogeneity analysis shows that the pilot FTZ policy is more effective in promoting green technology innovation when implemented in regions with developed economies or higher levels of human capital. Moreover, the pilot FTZ policy mainly has a significant promoting effect on green utility model patents. Based on these results, policy recommendations are proposed to promote the development of green technology innovation and the achievement of China's carbon neutrality targets.

The association between urinary phthalate metabolites and serum thyroid function in US adolescents.

The aim was to investigate the association between mixed exposure to phthalates and serum thyroid function among US adolescents. The study used 2007-2008 survey data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Data on urinary phthalates metabolites and serum thyroid function indicators were collected. The weighted multivariable linear regression models and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) analyses were used to analyze the relationship between phthalates metabolites and thyroid function. A total of 356 adolescents aged 12-19 years were included in the analysis. Linear regression models showed that mono-(carboxyisoctyl) phthalate (MCOP) was positively correlated with total triiodothyronine (TT3) (ß = 0.045, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.022, 0.068) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (ß = 0.1461, 95% CI 0.059, 0.232), while mono-(carboxyisononyl) phthalate (MCNP) was negatively correlated with TSH (ß = - 0.119, 95% CI - 0.196, - 0.042). BKMR analyses showed phthalate metabolites mixtures have significantly positive overall effect on TT3. Exposure to phthalate mixtures might be positively correlated with increased TT3 serum level in US adolescents. The study provided evidence for the association between mixed phthalates exposure and thyroid health in adolescent population.

Association of urine phthalate metabolites levels with kidney function in 1610 US adolescents.

Phthalates are widely used as plasticizer or fragrance ingredients in various consumer products worldwide. However, evidence for the overall effects of mixed exposure to phthalate on kidney function has not been widely investigated. The purpose of this article was to assess the association of urine phthalate metabolite levels and kidney injury parameters in adolescents. We used data from the combined 2007-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We fitted weighted linear regressions and Bayesian kernel machine regressions (BKMR) models to explore the association of urinary phthalate metabolites with four parameters of kidney function after adjusting for covariates. Weighted linear regression models showed that MiBP (ß = 8.057; PFDR = 0.016) was significantly positively associated with eGFR and MEP (ß = -0.799; PFDR < 0.001) was significantly negatively correlated with BUN. BKMR analysis showed that the higher the concentration of phthalate metabolite mixture, the higher eGFR in adolescents. Based on the results of these two models, our findings revealed that mixed exposure to phthalates was associated with elevated eGFR in adolescents. However, as the study is cross-sectional, reverse causality is possible, and altered kidney function may impact the concentration of phthalate metabolites in urine.

Molecular-level insights into the heterogeneous variations and dynamic formation mechanism of leached dissolved organic matter during the photoaging of polystyrene microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs) and their derivatives have received worldwide attention owing to their adverse effects on ecosystems. However, molecular diversity and dynamic formation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during the photoaging of MPs remain unclear. Herein, we explored a molecular‒level formation mechanism for polystyrene MP (MPPS)‒derived DOM (PSDOM) during the photoaging of MPs to explain the evolution, heterogeneity, and sequential response of molecules to irradiation. Two‒dimensional correlation spectroscopy was applied to correlate the variations of PSDOM molecules detected by Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry with those of MPPS functional groups detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Irradiation‒induced PSDOM contained the most highly unsaturated structures with oxygen, but showed fewer aromatic structures than natural aquatic DOM. Photochemical transformations occurred between saturated‒reduced and oxidized molecules during PSDOM leaching, with the low‒oxidized and high‒oxidized molecules undergoing considerable changes in the normal carbon oxidation state and molecular number, respectively. The primary sequential response of PSDOM molecules to increasing irradiation time [low‒oxidized/high‒weight (450

Effect of lead, calcium, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium on anemia in children with BLLs ≥ 100 µg/L.

OBJECTIVE: Adverse effects of lead exposure on children's health have been demonstrated. While studies have examined the relationship between iron status and low-level lead exposure in children with blood lead levels (BLLs) < 100 µg/L, few have investigated the association between blood lead and other trace elements and anemia in children with BLLs ≥ 100 µg/L. This study aimed to assess the levels of lead, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, and calcium in children aged 0-14 with BLLs≥ 100 µg/L between 2009 and 2021, and to examine the relationship between blood lead, trace elements and anemia. METHODS: A total of 11,541 children with BLLs ≥ 100 µg/L were included in this study. Venous blood samples were collected to measure blood lead levels, hemoglobin levels, and trace element levels. According to the World Health Organization standard, outpatients with hemoglobin levels < 110 g / L were defined as having anemia. RESULTS: The study results found that high BLLs and blood calcium had a negative influence on Hb with odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of 1.411(1.208, 1.649) and 1.219(1.043, 1.424). High blood iron had a positive influence on Hb with odds ratios of 0.421(0.355, 0.499). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the risk of anemia rose significantly with higher BLLs, blood copper, and blood calcium levels, and decreases considerably with higher blood iron levels.

Shaddock peels derived multilayer biochar with embedded CoO@Co nanoparticles for peroxymonosulfate based wastewater treatment.

The utilization of bio-wastes, such as shaddock peels, is of great significance for sustainable development. Combined with the potential of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) based advanced oxidation process (AOP) in wastewater treatment, a highly efficient functional catalyst, derived from shaddock peels biochar (SPC) and embedded with CoO@Co nanoparticles, i.e. Co-SPC-x(y), was prepared using a facile impregnation-calcination method and used for refractory organics degradation with PMS. The decoration amount of Co and annealing temperature were optimized, and the effects of various reaction factors were investigated. The results indicated that the optimized sample of Co-SPC-10 (900) consisted of multilayer biochar with curly edges and highly dispersed CoO@Co nanoparticles in the range of 20-200 nm, which is in cubic metallic Co and CoO. Moreover, it also possessed a specific surface area of 248.6 m2/g, and exhibited excellent PMS activation ability with ∼100% chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CTC) removal ratio within only 12 min of operation. The Co-SPC-10 (900)/PMS system showed relatively high tolerance for HPO42-, NO3- and SO42-, while the Cl- and HA had considerable effects on it. Mechanism exploration results revealed that both radical and non-radical pathways existed in the Co-SPC-10 (900)/PMS system, in which the multilayered biochar functioned as an electron transfer carrier to facilitate the continuous cycle of Co2+/Co3+ in the CoO@Co nanoparticles by reacting with the absorbed CTC and PMS, resulting in the production of •OH, SO4•-, O2•- and 1O2. Additionally, the Co-SPC-10 (900) also showed good stability and catalytic oxidation performance for various refractory organics.