Mapping Blood Lead Levels in China during 1980-2040 with Machine Learning.

Lead poisoning is globally concerning, yet limited testing hinders effective interventions in most countries. We aimed to create annual maps of county-specific blood lead levels in China from 1980 to 2040 using a machine learning model. Blood lead data from China were sourced from 1180 surveys published between 1980 and 2022. Additionally, regional statistical figures for 15 natural and socioeconomic variables were obtained or estimated as predictors. A machine learning model, using the random forest algorithm and 2973 generated samples, was created to predict county-specific blood lead levels in China from 1980 to 2040. Geometric mean blood lead levels in children (i.e., age 14 and under) decreased significantly from 104.4 µg/L in 1993 to an anticipated 40.3 µg/L by 2040. The number exceeding 100 µg/L declined dramatically, yet South Central China remains a hotspot. Lead exposure is similar among different groups, but overall adults and adolescents (i.e., age over 14), females, and rural residents exhibit slightly lower exposure compared to that of children, males, and urban residents, respectively. Our predictions indicated that despite the general reduction, one-fourth of Chinese counties rebounded during 2015-2020. This slower decline might be due to emerging lead sources like smelting and coal combustion; however, the primary factor driving the decline should be the reduction of a persistent source, legacy gasoline-derived lead. Our approach innovatively maps lead exposure without comprehensive surveys.

Urinary cadmium levels in China (1982-2021): Regional trends and influential factors.

Despite the significant threat of cadmium exposure in China, a national-level assessment has been conspicuously absent. This study bridges this critical gap by collecting, geospatial analyzing and multivariable regression analyzing published studies on urinary cadmium levels in Chinese from 1982 to 2021. Our research reveals a notable decline trend in cadmium exposure among Chinese populations. However, this trend varies by region, age and gender group, higher levels are seen in the South (1.04 µg/g cr) compared to the North (0.48 µg/g cr), and in adults (1.08 µg/g cr) relative to children (0.33 µg/g cr), with higher levels being more pronounced in females (6.17 µg/g cr). Urinary cadmium is significantly correlated with rice consumption (P < 0.001), while mining activities have been identified as the dominant factor for cadmium exposure in most regions of China, a trend that is evident both in past decades and is expected to continue into the next decade. These findings underscore the need for region-specific environmental and public health strategies, designed to effectively address the distinct cadmium exposure risks in various regions and among different population groups, thus enhancing protection against the adverse effects of cadmium.

High-efficiency fiber-cladding power stripper based on all-dielectric optical thin films.

Although conventional fiber-cladding power strippers (CPSs) based on the techniques of high-index adhesive or corrosive liquids onto fiber inner cladding have been well developed, they are still facing challenges in special applications such as spaceborne or radiation-environment fiber lasers and amplifiers. In this paper, we propose and fabricate high-efficiency CPSs based on all-dielectric optical thin films. By numerically analyzing the propagation characteristics of cladding light at the thin film interface, we design a high-index T a 2 O 5 CPS and A l 2 O 3 CPS with single- and cascaded-layer films coated onto the fiber inner cladding, respectively. In our experiment, the CPSs are successfully fabricated onto the inner-cladding surface of 10/125 double-clad fiber based on ion-beam-assisted deposition technology. The stripping efficiency for the 976 nm residual cladding power was measured up to 99.38%, and the stripping power of the fiber CPS without active cooling can be 24 W at least. Such CPS could be advantageous for applications in spaceborne-based fiber lasers or amplifiers (e.g., gravitational wave detection, spaceborne lidar).

Toripalimab combined with definitive chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (EC-CRT-001): a single-arm, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Toripalimab is a PD-1 inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but its efficacy in locally advanced disease is unclear. We administered toripalimab with definitive chemoradiotherapy to patients with unresectable locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and aimed to investigate the activity and safety of this regimen, and potential biomarkers. METHODS: EC-CRT-001 was a single-arm, phase 2 trial done at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou, China). Patients aged 18-70 years with untreated, unresectable, stage I-IVA oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, with an ECOG performance status of 0-2, and adequate organ and bone marrow function were eligible for inclusion. Patients received concurrent thoracic radiotherapy (50·4 Gy in 28 fractions), chemotherapy (five cycles of weekly intravenous paclitaxel [50 mg/m2] and cisplatin [25 mg/m2]), and toripalimab (240 mg intravenously every 3 weeks for up to 1 year, or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity). The primary endpoint was the complete response rate at 3 months after radiotherapy by investigator assessment. Secondary endpoints were overall survival, progression-free survival, duration of response, quality of life (not reported here), and safety. All enrolled patients were included in the activity and safety analyses. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04005170; enrolment is completed and follow-up is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Nov 12, 2019, and Jan 25, 2021, 42 patients were enrolled. The median age was 56 years (IQR 53-63), 39 (93%) of 42 patients had stage III or IVA disease, and 32 (76%) patients were male and 10 (24%) were female. 40 (95%) of 42 patients completed the planned chemoradiotherapy and 26 (62%; 95% CI 46-76) of 42 had a complete response. The median duration of response was 12·1 months (95% CI 5·9-18·2). After a median follow-up of 14·9 months (IQR 11·9-18·4), 1-year overall survival was 78·4% (95% CI 66·9-92·0) and 1-year progression-free survival was 54·5% (41·3-72·0). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse event was lymphopenia (36 [86%] of 42). One (2%) patient died from treatment-related pneumonitis. INTERPRETATION: Combining toripalimab with definitive chemoradiotherapy provided encouraging activity and acceptable toxicity in patients with locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and this regimen warrants further investigation. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China and Sci-Tech Project Foundation of Guangzhou. TRANSLATION: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Efficacy and Dose-Response Relationship of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Abdominal Lymph Node Metastases from Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and evaluate the influence of radiation dose on local control and survival in patients with abdominal lymph node metastases (LNM) from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2010 and 2020, data of 148 patients with HCC with abdominal LNM, including 114 who underwent SBRT and 34 who received conventional fractionation radiation therapy (CFRT), were collected. A total radiation dose of 28-60 Gy was delivered in 3-30 fractions, with a median biologic effective dose (BED) of 60 Gy (range, 39-105 Gy). Freedom from local progression (FFLP) and overall survival (OS) rates were analyzed. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 13.6 months (range, 0.4-96.0 months), the 2-year FFLP and OS rates of the entire cohort were 70.6% and 49.7%, respectively. Median OS of the SBRT group was longer than the CFRT group (29.7 vs. 9.9 months, P = .007). A dose-response relationship was observed between local control and BED in either the entire cohort or the SBRT subgroup. Patients who received SBRT with a BED ≥60 Gy had significantly higher 2-year FFLP and OS rates than those who received a BED <60 Gy (80.1% vs. 63.4%, P = .004; 68.3% vs. 33.0%, P < .001). On multivariate analysis, BED was an independent prognostic factor for both FFLP and OS. CONCLUSIONS: SBRT achieved satisfactory local control and survival with feasible toxicities in patients with HCC with abdominal LNM. Moreover, the findings of this large series suggest a dose-response relationship between local control and BED.

1.3/1.4 µm dual-wave band dissipative soliton resonance in a passively mode-locked Bi-doped phosphosilicate fiber laser.

We report the 1.3/1.4 µm dual-wave band dissipative soliton resonance (DSR) in a passively mode-locked bismuth-doped phosphosilicate fiber (Bi-PSF) laser. The low-water-peak Bi-PSF with two bismuth active centers associated with silicon and phosphorus supports the O+E-band gain. Using a 1239 nm home-made Raman fiber laser as pump source and nonlinear amplifying loop mirror for initiating mode-locking, stable DSR operation at 1343 and 1406 nm is achieved with the spectral bandwidth of 12 and 16 nm. The pulse duration with the pump power increases from 62 to 270 ps with a repetition frequency of 4.069 MHz. The average power is 11.05 mW corresponding to the maximum energy of 2.7 nJ. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of a mode-locked fiber laser in the ∼1.38 µm water absorption band and the O+E dual-wave band operation for applications in all-spectral-band communications, bio-medical imaging, and terahertz difference frequency generation.

Serum albumin acted as an effective carrier to improve the stability of bioactive flavonoid.

The health-improving functions of bioactive flavonoids in vitro and in vivo are often limited by their low stability, which could be counteracted by the application of proteins as carriers of flavonoids. Clarification of the mechanism of protein-ligand interaction is crucial for the encapsulation of bioactive components. Herein, common plasma proteins [i.e., bovine serum albumin (BSA), human serum albumin (HSA), human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and fibrinogen (FG)] were compared for their binding characteristics to quercetin, the main component of flavonoids in human diet, in the absence and presence of free Cu2+ (an accelerator for flavonoids' instability) using multi-spectroscopic and computational methods. As a flexible open structure of proteins, both BSA and HSA were found to be the most promising carriers for quercetin and Cu2+ with an affinity on the order of 104 M-1. HSA-diligand complex (i.e., HSA-quercetin-Cu2+) was successfully generated when both quercetin and Cu2+ were added to the HSA solution. The stability and free radical scavenging activity of bioactive quercetin during incubation was promoted in the HSA-diligand complex relative to quercetin-Cu2+ complex. Quercetin/Cu2+ system could induce the formation of reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxide radical (·OH), which were significantly suppressed upon HSA binding. Consistently, the cytotoxicity of the quercetin/Cu2+ system to endothelial cells was reduced in the HSA-diligand complex. These results demonstrate the possibility of developing serum albumin-based carriers for the protection of bioactive flavonoids in their nutritional application.

Divergent white matter changes in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma post-radiotherapy with different outcomes: a potential biomarker for prediction of radiation necrosis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of standard radiotherapy on temporal white matter (WM) and its relationship with radiation necrosis (RN) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and to determine the predictive value of WM volume alterations at the early stage for RN occurrence at the late-delay stage. METHODS: Seventy-four treatment-naive NPC patients treated with standard radiotherapy were longitudinally followed up for 36 months. Structural MRIs were collected at multiple time points during the first year post-radiotherapy. Longitudinal structural images were processed using FreeSurfer. Linear mixed models were used to delineate divergent trajectories of temporal WM changes between patients who developed RN and who did not. Four machine learning methods were used to construct predictive models for RN with temporal WM volume alterations at early-stage. RESULTS: The superior temporal gyrus (STG) had divergent atrophy trajectories in NPC patients with different outcomes (RN vs. NRN) post-radiotherapy. Patients with RN showed more rapid atrophy than those with NRN. A predictive model constructed with temporal WM volume alterations at early-stage post-radiotherapy had good performance for RN; the areas under the curve (AUC) were 0.879 and 0.806 at 1-3 months and 6 months post-radiotherapy, respectively. Moreover, the predictive model constructed with absolute temporal volume at 1-3 months post-radiotherapy also presented good performance; the AUC was 0.842, which was verified by another independent dataset (AUC = 0.773). CONCLUSIONS: NPC patients with RN had more sharp atrophy in the STG than those with NRN. Temporal WM volume at early-stage post-radiotherapy may serve as an in vivo biomarker to identify and predict RN occurrence. KEY POINTS: • The STG had divergent atrophy trajectories in NPC patients with different outcomes (RN vs. NRN) post-radiotherapy. • Although both groups exhibited time-dependent atrophy in the STG, the patients with RN showed a more rapid volume decrease than those with NRN. • Temporal WM volume alteration (or absolute volume) at the early stage could predict RN occurrence at the late-delay stage after radiotherapy.

Risk factors and prognosis for esophageal fistula in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma during radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To determine risk factors, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors for esophageal fistula (EF) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) during radiotherapy. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2018, 109 patients with EF during radiotherapy were retrospectively collected. A controlled cohort including 416 patients who received definitive chemoradiotherapy without EF was used to compare risk factors and survival outcomes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of EF. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to adjust for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis demonstrated that sex, body mass index, alcohol history, esophageal ulceration, primary tumor length, T stage, and absolute lymphocyte count were independent risk factors for EF. After PSM, patients with EF showed remarkably worse prognosis than those without EF (median overall survival: 13.0 versus 20.5 months; P = 0.009). For patients with EF, serum albumin level (≥ 35 g/L), subsequent radiotherapy, and fistula closure were associated with significantly prolonged survival. In addition, esophageal-mediastinum fistula and subsequent radiotherapy were positive predictors for fistula closure. CONCLUSIONS: We identified risk factors for radiotherapy-related EF and its unfavorable prognosis in patients with ESCC. Of them, patients with serum albumin level of ≥ 35 g/L, subsequent radiotherapy after EF, and fistula closure had a more favorable survival.

Modeling the risk of radiation pneumonitis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: To develop and validate a nomogram for the prediction of symptomatic radiation pneumonitis (RP) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who received definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: Clinical factors, dose-volume histogram parameters, and pulmonary function parameters were collected from 402 ESCC patients between 2010 and 2017, including 321 patients in the primary cohort and 81 in the validation cohort. The end-point was the occurrence of symptomatic RP (grade ≥ 2) within the first 12 months after radiotherapy. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to evaluate the predictive value of each factor for RP. A prediction model was generated in the primary cohort, which was internally validated to assess its performance. RESULTS: In the primary cohort, 31 patients (9.7%) experienced symptomatic RP. Based on logistic regression model, patients with larger planning target volumes (PTVs) or higher lung V20 had a higher predictive risk of RP, whereas the overall risk was substantially higher for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) than intensity-modulated radiotherapy. On multivariate analysis, independent predictive factors for RP were smoking history (P = 0.035), radiotherapy modality (P < 0.001), PTV (P = 0.039), and lung V20 (P < 0.001), which were incorporated into the nomogram. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram in the primary and validation cohorts were 0.772 and 0.900, respectively, which were superior to each predictor alone. CONCLUSIONS: Non-smoking status, 3DCRT, lung V20 (> 27.5%), and PTV (≥ 713.0 cc) were significantly associated with a higher risk of RP. A nomogram was built with satisfactory prediction ability.

Dual-energy spectral CT quantitative parameters for the differentiation of Glioma recurrence from treatment-related changes: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Differentiating glioma recurrence from treatment-related changes can be challenging on conventional imaging. We evaluated the efficacy of quantitative parameters measured by dual-energy spectral computed tomographic (CT) for this differentiation. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were examined by dual-energy spectral CT. The effective and normalized atomic number (Zeff and Zeff-N, respectively); spectral Hounsfield unit curve (λHU) slope; and iodine and normalized iodine concentration (IC and ICN, respectively) in the post-treatment enhanced areas were calculated. Pathological results or clinicoradiologic follow-up of ≥2 months were used for final diagnosis. Nonparametric and t-tests were used to compare quantitative parameters between glioma recurrence and treatment-related changes. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV, respectively), and accuracy were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Predictive probabilities were used to generate ROC curves to determine the diagnostic value. RESULTS: Examination of pre-contrast λHU, Zeff, Zeff-N, IC, ICN, and venous phase ICN showed no significant differences in quantitative parameters (P > 0.05). Venous phase λHU, Zeff, Zeff-N, and IC in glioma recurrence were higher than in treatment-related changes (P < 0.001). The optimal venous phase threshold was 1.03, 7.75, 1.04, and 2.85 mg/cm3, achieving 66.7, 91.7, 83.3, and 91.7% sensitivity; 100.0, 77.8, 88.9, and 77.8% specificity; 100.0, 73.3, 83.3, and 73.3% PPV; 81.8, 93.3, 88.9, and 93.3% NPV; and 86.7, 83.3, 86.7, and 83.3% accuracy, respectively. The respective areas under the curve (AUCs) were 0.912, 0.912, 0.931, and 0.910 in glioma recurrence and treatment-related changes. CONCLUSIONS: Glioma recurrence could be potentially differentiated from treatment-related changes based on quantitative values measured by dual-energy spectral CT imaging.

Multi-institutional Analysis of Recurrence and Survival After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy of Esophageal Cancer: Impact of Histology on Recurrence Patterns and Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of histology on pathologic response, survival outcomes, and recurrence patterns in patients with esophageal cancer (EC) who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There is a paucity of data regarding comparative outcomes after neoadjuvant CRT between esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Between 2002 and 2015, 895 EC patients who underwent neoadjuvant CRT followed by esophagectomy at 3 academic institutions were retrospectively reviewed, including 207 patients with SCC (23.1%) and 688 patients with adenocarcinoma (76.9%). Pathologic response, survival, recurrence pattern, and potential prognostic factors were compared. RESULTS: Pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was significantly higher for SCC compared with adenocarcinoma (44.9% vs 25.9%, P < 0.001). After a median follow-up of 52.9 months, 71 patients (34.3%) with SCC versus 297 patients (43.2%) with adenocarcinoma had recurrent disease (P = 0.023). For patients who achieved a pCR, no significant differences were found in recurrence pattern, sites, or survival end-points between the 2 histology groups. For non-pCR patients, the SCC group demonstrated significantly higher regional and supraclavicular recurrence rates but a lower hematogenous metastasis rate than adenocarcinoma patients, whereas the adenocarcinoma patients had a more favorable locoregional failure-free survival (P = 0.005) and worse distant metastasis-free survival (P = 0.024). No differences were found in overall survival (P = 0.772) or recurrence-free survival (P = 0.696) between groups. CONCLUSIONS: SCC was associated with a significantly higher pCR rate than adenocarcinoma. Recurrence pattern and survival outcomes were significantly different between the 2 histology subtypes in non-pCR patients.

Dynamic imaging and pathological changes in pig liver after MR-guided microwave ablation.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance (MR)-guided microwave ablation is a well-developed technique for the treatment of tumors, especially hepatic carcinomas. However, there are no detailed reports on the changes in the MR images and histology observed after the ablation. This study aimed to dynamically map the pathological changes after ablation and the changes occurring on MR images. METHODS: We performed MR-guided microwave ablation in 10 Wuzhishan pigs and obtained an MR scan immediately after ablation (0 weeks) and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after ablation. We compared the ablation assessed on MR images to tissue specimens obtained during follow-up. RESULTS: We found no significant difference in the ablation size between MR images and tissue specimens; the mean length and width of the ablated zone were 4.27 cm and 2.42 cm, respectively, on MR images and 4.26 cm and 2.45 cm, respectively, on specimens (P > 0.05). Immediately after ablation, carbonization and cavities were observed in the center of the ablation zone. Surrounding layer cells were necrotic but maintained their original shapes. The outermost layer was inflamed, but gradually showed fibrotic characteristics. The MR images accurately reflected the exact histological tissue changes after the ablation procedure. CONCLUSION: The dynamic imaging and pathological features of liver ablation outlined in this study will provide a useful reference for patient follow-up after MR-guided microwave ablation.

Comparing docetaxel plus cisplatin versus fluorouracil plus cisplatin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) regimen in esophageal cancer has not yet been defined. This study was aimed to compare the differences in pathologic response and survival between docetaxel/cisplatin and fluorouracil/cisplatin as neoadjuvant CRT in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with thoracic esophageal SCC who received neoadjuvant CRT followed by esophagectomy from 2000 to 2014. After adjusting for sex, age, performance status, tumor length, tumor location and clinical TNM stage, 32 docetaxel/cisplatin-treated patients were matched to 62 patients who received fluorouracil/cisplatin at a ratio of 1:2. Treatment toxicity, pathologic complete response (pCR) and survival outcomes were compared between groups. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were well balanced between groups. The pCR rate in the docetaxel/cisplatin group was higher than that in the fluorouracil/cisplatin group but without significant difference (40.6% vs. 30.6%, P = 0.333). The 3-year overall survival rate in the docetaxel/cisplatin group was 64.9% versus 46.0% in the fluorouracil/cisplatin group (P = 0.039). There were no significant differences in incidence of treatment toxicity during CRT or surgical complications between groups, with the exception of Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity (37.5% vs. 17.7%, P = 0.035), which was more frequent in the docetaxel/cisplatin group. CONCLUSIONS: Docetaxel/cisplatin might be associated with more favorable survival than fluorouracil/cisplatin in esophageal SCC treated with neoadjuvant CRT. Prospective validation is warranted.

Is There a Correlation Between Clinical Complete Response and Pathological Complete Response After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between clinical complete response (cCR) and pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). METHODS: Between May 2001 and April 2013, a total of 158 patients with thoracic ESCC treated with neoadjuvant CRT followed by surgery were analyzed. Of these patients, 31 had stage IIb disease and 127 had stage III disease. All patients received concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy with conformal radiotherapy (40 Gy in 20 fractions, five fractions per week for 4 weeks). RESULTS: A total of 65 patients (41.1 %) achieved pCR. Of 44 patients (27.8 %) who achieved cCR after neoadjuvant CRT, 32 (72.7 %) also achieved pCR. On the other hand, only 33 (28.9 %) of 114 patients with non-cCR had pCR. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of cCR for predicting pCR was 87.1, 49.2, 71.1, and 72.7 %, respectively. The median follow-up period was 28.9 months, and overall survival (OS) for the entire group was 38.1 months. Patients who achieved cCR had significantly better 3-year OS than those with non-cCR (71.6 % vs. 46.9 %; p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that cCR after neoadjuvant CRT is significantly correlated with pCR and survival of patients with ESCC. Further studies are required to confirm the prognostic value of cCR after neoadjuvant CRT.

The interaction of perfluorooctane sulfonate with hemoproteins and its relevance to molecular toxicology.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a representative of perfluorinated compounds in industrial and commercial products, has posed a great threat to animals and humans via environmental exposure and dietary consumption. Herein, we investigated the effects of PFOS binding on the redox state and stability of two hemoproteins (hemoglobin (Hb) and myoglobin (Mb)). Fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy demonstrated that PFOS could induce the conformational changes of proteins along with the exposure of heme cavity and generation of hemichrome, which resulted in the increased release of free hemin. After that, free hemin liberated from hemoproteins led to reactive oxygen species formation, lipid peroxidation, cell membrane damage and loss of cell viability in vascular endothelial cells, while neither Hb nor Mb did show cytotoxicity. Chemical inhibitors of ferroptosis effectively mitigated hemin-caused toxicity, identifying the hemin-dependent ferroptotic cell death mechanisms. These data demonstrated that PFOS posed a potential threat of toxicity through a mechanism which involved its binding to hemoproteins, decreased oxygen transporting capacity, and increased hemin release. Altogether, our findings elucidate the binding mechanisms of PFOS with two hemoproteins, as well as possible risks on vascular endothelial cells, which would have important implications for the human and environmental toxicity of PFOS.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma with brain metastasis: A retrospective, single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastasis is rare in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), with only anecdotal cases reported. Conducting a systematic study is crucial for improving the management of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with brain metastasis were retrospectively included between February 2000 and February 2023. The clinical characteristics and treatment information of patients were analyzed. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to explore prognostic factors. RESULTS: The median OS for patients was 11.2 months, with a 3-year OS rate of 16.3%. The number of extracranial metastatic organs (HR = 5.533, P = 0.041) and the response of extracranial tumors to treatment (HR = 0.079, P = 0.003) were independent prognostic factors in the cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Brain metastasis in NPC is a devastating condition that commonly occurs through hematogenous dissemination. Systemic therapy remains fundamental treatment, while local therapy for brain metastases may further improve survival in selected patients.

Spatial - temporal mapping of urine cadmium levels in China during 1980 - 2040: Dietary improvements lower exposure amid rising pollution.

Persistent cadmium exposure poses significant health risks to the Chinese population, underscored by its prevalence as an environmental contaminant. This study leverages a machine-learning model, fed with a comprehensive dataset of environmental and socio-economic factors, to delineate trends in cadmium exposure from 1980 to 2040. We uncovered that urinary cadmium levels peaked at 1.09 µg/g Cr in the mid-2000 s. Encouragingly, a decline is projected to 0.92 µg/g Cr by 2025, tapering further to 0.87 µg/g Cr by 2040. Despite this trend, regions heavily influenced by industrialization, such as Hunan and Guizhou, as well as industrial counties in Jilin, report stubbornly high levels of exposure. Our demographic analysis reveals a higher vulnerability among adults & adolescents over 14, with males displaying elevated cadmium concentrations. Alarmingly, the projected data suggests that by 2040, an estimated 41% of the population will endure exposure beyond the safety threshold set by the European Food Safety Authority. Our research indicates disproportionate cadmium exposure impacts, necessitating targeted interventions and policy reforms to protect vulnerable groups and public health in China.

Clonal growth characteristics and diversity patterns of different Clintonia udensis (Liliaceae) diploid and tetraploid cytotypes in the Hualongshan Mountains.

Polyploidization plays an important role in plant evolution and biodiversity. However, intraspecific polyploidy compared to interspecific polyploidy received less attention. Clintonia udensis (Liliaceae) possess diploid (2n = 2x = 14) and autotetraploid (2n = 4x = 28) cytotypes. In the Hualongshan Mountains, the autotetraploids grew on the northern slope, while the diploids grew on the southern slopes. The clonal growth characteristics and clonal architecture were measured and analyzed by field observations and morphological methods. The diversity level and differentiation patterns for two different cytotypes were investigated using SSR markers. The results showed that the clonal growth parameters, such as the bud numbers of each rhizome node and the ratio of rhizome branches in the autotetraploids were higher than those in the diploids. Both the diploids and autotetraploids appeared phalanx clonal architectures with short internodes between ramets. However, the ramets or genets of the diploids had a relatively scattered distribution, while those of the autotetraploids were relatively clumping. The diploids and autotetraploids all allocated more biomass to their vegetative growth. The diploids had a higher allocation to reproductive organs than that of autotetraploids, which indicated that the tetraploids invested more resources in clonal reproduction than diploids. The clone diversity and genetic diversity of the autotetraploids were higher than that of the diploids. Significant genetic differentiation between two different cytotypes was observed (P < 0.01). During establishment and evolution, C. udensis autotetraploids employed more clumping phalanx clonal architecture and exhibited more genetic variation than the diploids.