Heterojunction polarization enhancement and shielding for AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet avalanche detectors.

AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet avalanche detectors have huge potentials in the fields of corona discharge monitoring, biological imaging, etc. Here, we study the impact of the heterojunction polarization-related effects on the AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet avalanche detectors. Our work confirms that the polarization heterojunction is beneficial to reducing avalanche bias and lifting avalanche gain by improving the electric field in the depletion region, while the polarization-induced fixed charges will lead to a redistribution of the electrons, in turn shielding the charges and weakening the electric field enhancement effect. This shielding effect will need external bias to eliminate, and that is why the polarization heterojunction cannot work at relatively low bias but has an enhancement effect at high bias. Controlling the doping level between the hetero-interface can affect the shielding effect. An unintentionally doped polarization heterojunction can effectively reduce the shielding effect, thus reducing the avalanche bias. The conclusions also hold true for the negative polarization regime. We believe our findings can provide some useful insights for the design of the AlGaN-based solar-blind ultraviolet detectors.

Conformal thyroidectomy is a feasible option in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: a retrospective cohort study with 10-year follow-up results.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been an increasing prevalence of patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) without lymph node involvement in medical centers worldwide. For patients who are unable to undergo active surveillance (AS) and are afraid of postoperative complications, conformal thyroidectomy may be a suitable option to ensure both preservation of function and complete removal of the tumor. METHODS: The patients in the cohort during 2010 to 2015 were retrospectively enrolled strictly following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The observation and control groups were defined based on the surgical approach, with patients in the observation group undergoing conformal thyroidectomy and patients in the control group undergoing lobectomy. Event-free survival (EFS), the interval from initial surgery to the detection of recurrent or metastatic disease, was defined as the primary observation endpoint. RESULTS: A total of 319 patients were included in the study, with 124 patients undergoing conformal thyroidectomy and 195 patients undergoing lobectomy. When compared to lobectomy, conformal thyroidectomy demonstrated reduced hospital stays, shorter operative times, and lower rates of vocal cord paralysis and hypoparathyroidism. Furthermore, the mean bleeding volume during the operation and the rate of permanent hypothyroidism were also lower in the conformal thyroidectomy group than in the lobectomy group. However, there was no statistically significant difference observed in the 5- and 10-year EFS between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Conformal thyroidectomy had advantages in perioperative management and short-term complication rates, with an EFS that was not inferior to that of lobectomy. Thus, conformal thyroidectomy is a feasible option for low-risk PTMC patients.

Tactile discrimination as a diagnostic indicator of cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A narrative review.

Background: Tactile discrimination, a cognitive task reliant on fingertip touch for stimulus discrimination, encompasses the somatosensory system and working memory, with its acuity diminishing with advancing age. Presently, the evaluation of cognitive capacity to differentiate between individuals with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) and typical older adults predominantly relies on visual or auditory tasks, yet the efficacy of discrimination remains constrained. Aims: To review the existing tactile cognitive tasks and explore the interaction between tactile perception and the pathological process of Alzheimer's disease. The tactile discrimination task may be used as a reference index of cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment and provide a new method for clinical evaluation. Methods: We searched four databases (Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Google scholar). The reference coverage was from 1936 to 2023. The search terms included "Alzheimer disease" "mild cognitive impairment" "tactile" "tactile discrimination" "tactile test" and so on. Reviews and experimental reports in the field were examined and the effectiveness of different types of tactile tasks was compared. Main results: Individuals in the initial phases of Alzheimer's spectrum disease, specifically those in the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), exhibit notable impairments in tasks involving tactile discrimination. These tasks possess certain merits, such as their quick and straightforward comparability, independence from educational background, and ability to circumvent the limitations associated with conventional cognitive assessment scales. Furthermore, tactile discrimination tasks offer enhanced accuracy compared to cognitive tasks that employ visual or auditory stimuli. Conclusions: Tactile discrimination has the potential to serve as an innovative reference indicator for the swift diagnosis of clinical MCI patients, thereby assisting in the screening process on a clinical scale.

Relationships among Sleep Time, Physical Activity Time, Screen Time, and Nutrition Literacy of Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chongqing, China.

Background: Unhealthy lifestyles among adolescents are reaching alarming levels and have become a major public health problem. This study aimed to assess the relationship between sleep time, physical activity (PA) time, screen time (ST), and nutritional literacy (NL). Methods: This cross-sectional online study involving adolescents aged 10-18 years was conducted in September 2020 in 239 schools in Chongqing, China. NL was measured using the "Nutrition Literacy Scale for middle school students in Chongqing (CM-NLS)". According to the recommended by the Chinese dietary guidelines (2022), we divided the sleep time of junior high school students into <9 h and ≥9 h, high school students into <8 h and ≥8 h, divided the workdays into weekend PA time < 1 h and ≥1 h, and divided the workdays into weekend ST < 2 h and ≥2 h. The multinomial logistic regression model was used to examine the association. Results: A total of 18,660 adolescents (50.2% males) were included. The proportion of participants that were junior high school students and attended boarding schools was 57.2% and 65.3%, respectively. Compared with senior high school students, junior high school students had a higher level of NL. Whether on workdays or weekends, participants with sleep time ≥ 8/9 h, PA time ≥ 1 h, and ST < 2 h per day had higher levels of NL. On weekdays, participants who met the sleep time ≥ 8 h/9 h (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.36, 1.62) and PA time ≥ 1 h (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.59, 1.81) had higher reporting of NL levels. Conclusions: Sleep time, PA time, and ST were positively correlated with NL among adolescents, especially junior high school students.

ZDHHC20-mediated S-palmitoylation of YTHDF3 stabilizes MYC mRNA to promote pancreatic cancer progression.

Post-translational modifications of proteins in malignant transformation and tumor maintenance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in the context of KRAS signaling remain poorly understood. Here, we use the KPC mouse model to examine the effect of palmitoylation on pancreatic cancer progression. ZDHHC20, upregulated by KRAS, is abnormally overexpressed and associated with poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer. Dysregulation of ZDHHC20 promotes pancreatic cancer progression in a palmitoylation-dependent manner. ZDHHC20 inhibits the chaperone-mediated autophagic degradation of YTHDF3 through S-palmitoylation of Cys474, which can result in abnormal accumulation of the oncogenic product MYC and thereby promote the malignant phenotypes of cancer cells. Further, we design a biologically active YTHDF3-derived peptide to competitively inhibit YTHDF3 palmitoylation mediated by ZDHHC20, which in turn downregulates MYC expression and inhibits the progression of KRAS mutant pancreatic cancer. Thus, these findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting the ZDHHC20-YTHDF3-MYC signaling axis in pancreatic cancer.

Omics analysis of 'Shine Muscat' grape grafted on different rootstocks in response to cadmium stress.

Cadmium (Cd) is detrimental to grape growth, development, and fruit quality. Grafting is considered to be a useful method to improve plant adaptability to Cd stress in grape production. However, little information is available on how Cd stress affects grafted grapes. In this study, the effects of Cd on Shine Muscat grapes (Vitis vinifera L. cv. 'Shine Muscat') were studied under different "Cd treatments" concentrations (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2 mg kg-1) and "rootstock treatments" (SO4, 5BB, and 3309C). The results showed that low levels of Cd had hormesis effect and activated the grape antioxidant system to eliminate the ROS induced by Cd stress. The antioxidant capacity of the SM/3309C rootstock combination was stronger than that of the other two groups under low-concentration Cd stress. Moreover, the rootstock effectively sequestered a substantial amount of Cd, consequently mitigating the upward translocation of Cd to the aboveground portions. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed several important pathways enriched in ABC transporters, flavonoid biosynthesis, Plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism under Cd stress. WGCNA analysis identified a hub gene, R2R3-MYB15, which could promote the expression of several genes (PAL, 4CL, CYP73A, ST, CHS, and COMT), and alleviate the damage caused by Cd toxicity. These findings might shed light on the mechanism of hormesis triggered by low Cd stress in grapes at the transcriptional and metabolic levels.

Feasibility of Artificial Intelligence Constrained Compressed SENSE Accelerated 3D Isotropic T1 VISTA Sequence For Vessel Wall MR Imaging: Exploring the Potential of Higher Acceleration Factors Compared to Traditional Compressed SENSE.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Investigate the feasibility of using deep learning-based accelerated 3D T1-weighted volumetric isotropic turbo spin-echo acquisition (VISTA) for vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (VW-MRI), compared to traditional Compressed SENSE and optimize acceleration factor (AF) to obtain high-quality clinical images. METHODS: 40 patients with atherosclerotic plaques in the intracranial or carotid artery were prospectively enrolled in our study from October 1, 2022 to October 31, 2023 underwent high-resolution vessel wall imaging on a 3.0 T MR system using variable Compressed SENSE (CS) AFs and reconstructed by an optimized artificial intelligence constrained Compressed SENSE (CS-AI). Images were reconstructed through both traditional CS and optimized CS-AI. Two radiologists qualitatively assessed the image quality scores of CS and CS-AI across different segments and quantitatively evaluated SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) and CNR (contrast-to-noise ratio) metrics. Paired t-tests, ANOVA, and Friedman tests analyzed image quality metrics. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients in this study. RESULTS: CS-AI groups demonstrated good image quality scores compared to reference scans until AF up to 12 (P < 0.05). The CS-AI 10 protocol provided the best images in the lumen of both normal and lesion sites (P < 0.05). The plaque SNR was significantly higher in CS-AI groups compared to CS groups until the AF increased to 12 (P < 0.05). CS-AI protocols had higher CNR compared to CS with whichever AF on both pre-and post-contrast T1WI (P < 0.05), The CNR was highest in the CS-AI 10 protocol on pre-contrast T1WI and in CS-AI 12 on post-contrast T1WI (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the feasibility of using CS-AI technology to diagnose arteriosclerotic vascular disease with 3D T1 VISTA sequences. The image quality and diagnostic efficiency of CS-AI images were comparable or better than traditional CS images. Higher AFs are feasible and have potential for use in VW-MRI. The determination of standardized AFs for clinical scanning protocol is expected to help for empirical evaluation of new imaging technology.

[Effects of Land Use Change on Soil Aggregate Stability and Soil Aggregate Organic Carbon in Karst Area of Southwest China].

Investigating the relationship of soil aggregate stability with the organic carbon in the aggregate and its response to land use change is conducive to the estimation of soil carbon sink potential, improvement of rocky desertification, and rational land use in karst areas of Southwest China. In order to explore the effects of land use change on the composition and stability of soil aggregate stability as well as the content of aggregate organic carbon, the soil (0-30 cm) of five land use types (secondary forest, pomelo forest, paddy field, pepper forest, and dry land) was selected as the research object. The characteristics and correlation of soil aggregate components and organic carbon under different land use patterns were obtained, and the contribution of soil aggregates to the change in organic carbon after land use change was calculated. The results showed that the macroaggregates in the surface soil (0-15 cm) of the secondary forest, pomelo forest, and paddy field were 63.32%, 52.38%, and 47.77%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of dry land (23.70%), as was also seen in the lower layer (15-30 cm). The geometric mean diameter (GMD) and mean weight diameter (MWD) of soil aggregates in the secondary forest, pomelo forest, and paddy field were significantly higher than those in dry land. In the surface soil, the organic carbon of the secondary forest and paddy field was significantly higher than that of other land use patterns. By contrast, in the lower soil layer, only the organic carbon of the paddy field was significantly higher than that of the others. Under different land use patterns, the organic carbon content of aggregates followed the same order of macroaggregates > microaggregates > silt and clay, indicating that macroaggregates allowed soil organic carbon to accumulate, whereas silt and clay did the opposite. According to correlation analysis, the content of soil macroaggregates was significantly positively correlated with GMD, MWD, and soil aggregate organic carbon, suggesting that the increase in soil macroaggregates could improve the stability of soil aggregates and store more soil organic carbon. Further, as land use change may have significantly affected the soil aggregate, moderate development of forestry and paddy cultivation is suggested to improve the soil carbon sequestration potential in the karst area of Southwest China.

Median Effective Dose of Ciprofol Combined With Sufentanil for Inhibiting the Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Placement Reaction in Elderly Patients.

Objective: Ciprofol is a new sedative anesthetic drug that can be used for gastrointestinal endoscopy and induction of general anesthesia, but the appropriate dosage for use in elderly patients has not been determined. Sufentanil is a commonly used opioid in clinical practice, and this study was designed to induce anesthesia in elderly patients using sufentanil in combination with ciprofol. However, the optimal dosage of ciprofol when it is co-administered with sufentanil has not yet been established. This study was designed to find the median effective dose (ED50) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of ciprofol for intravenous anesthesia when combined with sufentanil. Methods: We studied 57 patients who were scheduled to undergo a diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. According to age, it was divided into two groups: 65∼74 years old (group A) and over 75 years old (group B). Using the modified Dixon sequence test method, intravenous bolus of 0.1 µg/kg sufentanil was given 3 min before ciprofol is administered, the initial dose of ciprofol was 0.4 mg/kg, the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was placed after reaching the depth of sedation, and vital signs and adverse events were recorded at each perioperative time point (T0-T7). Results: In the group A, when combined with 0.1 µg/kg sufentanil, the ED50 of ciprofol to inhibiting responses to insertion of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was 0.23 mg/kg, and the 95% CI was 0.09∼0.30 mg/kg; in the group B, the ED50 was 0.18 mg/kg, and the 95% CI was 0.13∼0.22 mg/kg. Conclusion: The ED50 of ciprofol in combination with sufentanil (0.1 µg/kg) for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in elderly patients: 0.23 mg/kg in group A and 0.18 mg/kg in group B.

Variation of the Start Date of the Vegetation Growing Season (SOS) and Its Climatic Drivers in the Tibetan Plateau.

Climate change inevitably affects vegetation growth in the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Understanding the dynamics of vegetation phenology and the responses of vegetation phenology to climate change are crucial for evaluating the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. Despite many relevant studies conducted in the past, there still remain research gaps concerning the dominant factors that induce changes in the start date of the vegetation growing season (SOS). In this study, the spatial and temporal variations of the SOS were investigated by using a long-term series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) spanning from 2001 to 2020, and the response of the SOS to climate change and the predominant climatic factors (air temperature, LST or precipitation) affecting the SOS were explored. The main findings were as follows: the annual mean SOS concentrated on 100 DOY-170 DOY (day of a year), with a delay from east to west. Although the SOS across the entire region exhibited an advancing trend at a rate of 0.261 days/year, there were notable differences in the advancement trends of SOS among different vegetation types. In contrast to the current advancing SOS, the trend of future SOS changes shows a delayed trend. For the impacts of climate change on the SOS, winter Tmax (maximum temperature) played the dominant role in the temporal shifting of spring phenology across the TP, and its effect on SOS was negative, meaning that an increase in winter Tmax led to an earlier SOS. Considering the different conditions required for the growth of various types of vegetation, the leading factor was different for the four vegetation types. This study contributes to the understanding of the mechanism of SOS variation in the TP.

Changes in soil aggregate stability and aggregate-associated carbon under different slope positions in a karst region of Southwest China.

Soil aggregates are crucial for reducing soil erosion and enhancing soil organic carbon sequestration. However, knowledge regarding influences of different slope positions on compositions and carbon content for different soil aggregates is limited. Soil samples were collected from various slope positions including dip slope, anti-dip slope and valley depression in the Longtan karst valley of Southwest China. Contents of macroaggregate (> 0.25 mm), microaggregate (0.053-0.25 mm) and silt and clay fraction (< 0.053 mm), and aggregate-associated carbon contents under the three slope positions were measured. Compared to the anti-dip slope, the mean weight diameter under the dip slope and valley depression decreased by 28.48 % and 58.79 %, respectively, while the geometric mean diameter decreased by 39.01 % and 62.57 %, respectively. The mean carbon content in silt and clay fraction was 27.59 % and 21.00 % lower than the macroaggregate- and microaggregate-associated carbon content, respectively. Under the valley depression and dip slope, soil organic carbon contents in bulk soil (37.67 % and 10.36 %, respectively), microaggregate (37.56 % and 4.95 %), and silt and clay fraction (39.99 % and 12.84 %, respectively) were significantly lower than those under the anti-dip slope. However, the difference in macroaggregate-associated carbon content among the three slope positions was not significant. The silt and clay fraction was the major contributor to soil carbon pool in bulk soil in the study area because of its high content. Compared to the anti-dip slope, contribution of macroaggregates to soil carbon pool under the dip slope and valley depression decreased by 25.53 % and 47.95 %, respectively, whereas the contribution of silt and clay fraction increased by 22.68 % and 42.66 %, respectively. These results suggested that the anti-dip slope surpassed both the dip slope and valley depression in carbon sequestration and soil and water conservation in karst regions.

Hidden hotspots of amphibian biodiversity in China.

Identifying and protecting hotspots of endemism and species richness is crucial for mitigating the global biodiversity crisis. However, our understanding of spatial diversity patterns is far from complete, which severely limits our ability to conserve biodiversity hotspots. Here, we report a comprehensive analysis of amphibian species diversity in China, one of the most species-rich countries on Earth. Our study combines 20 y of field surveys with new molecular analyses of 521 described species and also identifies 100 potential cryptic species. We identify 10 hotspots of amphibian diversity in China, each with exceptional species richness and endemism and with exceptional phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic endemism (based on a new time-calibrated, species-level phylogeny for Chinese amphibians). These 10 hotspots encompass 59.6% of China's described amphibian species, 49.0% of cryptic species, and 55.6% of species endemic to China. Only four of these 10 hotspots correspond to previously recognized biodiversity hotspots. The six new hotspots include the Nanling Mountains and other mountain ranges in South China. Among the 186 species in the six new hotspots, only 9.7% are well covered by protected areas and most (88.2%) are exposed to high human impacts. Five of the six new hotspots are under very high human pressure and are in urgent need of protection. We also find that patterns of richness in cryptic species are significantly related to those in described species but are not identical.

In-Situ Cyclized Polyacrylonitrile as an Electron Selective Layer for n-i-p Perovskite Solar Cell with Enhanced Efficiency and Stability.

In situ cyclized polyacrylonitrile (CPAN) is developed to replace n-type metal oxide semiconductors (TiO2 or SnO2) as an electron selective layer (ESL) for highly efficient and stable n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The CPAN layer is fabricated via facile in situ cyclization reaction of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) coated on a conducting glass substrate. The CPAN layer is robust and insoluble in common solvents, and possesses n-type semiconductor properties with a high electron mobility of 4.13×10-3 cm2 V-1 s-1. With the CPAN as an ESL, the PSC affords a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.12 %, which is the highest for the n-i-p PSCs with organic ESLs. Moreover, the device with the CPAN layer holds superior operational stability, maintaining over 90 % of their initial efficiency after 500 h continuous light soaking. These results confirm that the CPAN layer would be a desirable low-cost and efficient ESL for n-i-p PSCs and other photoelectronic devices with high performance and stability.

Ortho-ester-substituted diaryliodonium salts enabled regioselective arylocyclization of naphthols toward 3,4-benzocoumarins.

Cyclic annulation involving diaryliodonium salts is an efficient tool for the construction of two or more chemical bonds in a one-pot process. Ortho-functionalized diaryliodonium salts have showcased distinct reactivity in the exploration of benzocyclization or arylocyclization. With this strategy of ortho-ester-substituted diaryliodonium salts, herein, we utilized a copper catalyst to activate the C-I bond of diaryliodonium salts in the generation of aryl radicals, thus resulting in an annulation reaction with naphthols and substituted phenols. This approach yielded a diverse array of 3,4-benzocoumarin derivatives bearing various substituents.

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in industrial soils from northwestern of China: occurrence, distribution, exposure risk, and implications on risk-based controls.

Some Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (PACs) such as nitrated-PAHs (NPAHs), oxygenated-PAHs (OPAHs) and methyl-PAHs (MPAHs) have attracted significant concern due to derivatives have greater potential to be more toxic at low environmental concentrations compared to their PPAHs, particularly in petrochemical industrial region and its surrounding areas surface soils in China. Hence, this article provides an insight into the fate, sources, impacts, and relevance to the external environment of PAH-derivatives based on important emissions source. Moreover, prospective health risk due to their exposure has also been discussed. In this study, the concentration (10-3 ng/g) of Æ©18PPAHs, Æ©11MPAHs, Æ©12NPAHs, and Æ©4OPAHs in the park were 9.67 ± 1.40, 3.24 ± 0.54, 0.03 ± 0.02 and 0.19 ± 0.65, respectively, which were 4.47, 3.89, 2.04 and 1.17 times than of them surrounding the region. A decreasing trend of the low molecular weight (2-4Rings) contribution to the total amount of PAHs, while the fraction of high molecular weight (5-6Rings) species showed the opposite trend. According to the principal component analysis (PCA) and diagnostic ratios indicated PAHs in the soil samples have mixed sources from industrial activities, solid fuel combustion, and heavy traffic. Despite the high concentrations of MPAHs and OPAHs, the toxicity equivalency quotients (TEQs) of them were not calculated due to the lack of toxic equivalent factors (TEF), thus current studies on PAH and derivatives could have underestimated their exposure risks. The quality and sustainable management of soils are crucial for human health and sustainable development, while there is lack of public awareness of the severe issue of soil pollution. It is recommended to conduct more intensive monitoring and regional assessments in the future.

Healthy Diet-Related Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) and Related Socio-Demographic Characteristics among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Southwest China.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the current status and influencing factors of healthy diet knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among middle-aged and older adults aged 45-75 in Southwest China. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among 1822 middle-aged and older adults in Southwest China (including Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Chongqing) from February to May 2021. Results The average score of healthy diet knowledge was (4.82 ± 2.98), with a passing rate of 7.6%. The mean score of healthy diet attitude was (21.26 ± 4.18), with a passing rate of 69.5%. The average score of healthy diet practice was (13.76 ± 2.84), with a passing rate of 55.5%. The score for healthy diet KAP was (39.85 ± 7.21), with a passing rate of 41.2%. Univariate analysis showed that the scores of healthy diet KAP were significantly different among participants of different ages, genders, ethnicities, residences, education levels, monthly household incomes, and regions, as well as varying according to whether several generations have lived in the same area (p < 0.05). The results of multiple linear regression showed that the healthy diet KAP of participants was influenced by age, gender, residence, education level, monthly household income, and region (p < 0.05). Conclusion The healthy diet KAP of middle-aged and older adults aged 45-75 in Southwest China shows room for improvement. The knowledge regarding healthy diet was relatively low, and certain specific healthy diet practices were not up to the standard. However, there was a positive trend in the attitude towards a healthy diet. Healthy diet education should be promoted for middle-aged and older adults.

Household fuel and direct carbon emission disparity in rural China.

Universal access to clean fuels in household use is one explicit indicator of sustainable development while currently still billions of people rely on solid fuels for daily cooking. Despite of the recognized clean transition trend in general, disparities in household energy mix in different activities (e.g. cooking and heating) and historical trends remain to be elucidated. In this study, we revealed the historical changing trend of the disparity in household cooking and heating activities and associated carbon emissions in rural China. The study found that the poor had higher total direct energy consumption but used less modern energy, especially in cooking activities, in which the poor consumed 60 % more energy than the rich. The disparity in modern household energy use decreased over time, but conversely the disparity in total residential energy consumption increased due to the different energy elasticities as income increases. Though per-capita household CO2 and Black Carbon (BC) emissions were decreasing under switching to modern energies, the disparity in household CO2 and BC deepened over time, and the low-income groups emitted âˆ¼ 10 kg CO2 more compared to the high-income population. Relying solely on spontaneous clean cooking transition had limited impacts in reducing disparities in household energy and carbon emissions, whereas improving access to modern energy had substantial potential to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions and its disparity. Differentiated energy-related policies to promote high-efficiency modern heating energies affordable for the low-income population should be developed to reduce the disparity, and consequently benefit human health and climate change equally.

Pollution Characteristics and Health Risks of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (PACs) in Soils of a Coking Plant.

Coke production is an important source of environmental polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), including parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives. The focus near coking plants has primarily been on parent-PAH contamination, with less attention given to highly toxic derivatives. In this study, soil samples were collected from both within and outside of a coking plant. The concentrations of parent-PAHs and their derivatives, including methylated-PAHs, oxygenated-PAHs, and nitrated-PAHs, were examined. Spatial interpolation was employed to determine their spatial distribution patterns. Methods for identifying potential sources and conducting incremental lifetime cancer risk analysis were used. This could achieve a comprehensive understanding of the status of PAC pollution and the associated health risks caused by coke production. The concentrations of total PACs inside the plant ranged from 7.4 to 115.8 mg/kg, higher than those outside (in the range of 0.2 to 65.7 mg/kg). The spatial distribution of parent-PAH concentration and their derivatives consistently decreased with increasing distance from the plant. A significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) among parent-PAHs and their derivatives was observed, indicating relatively consistent sources. Based on diagnostic ratios, the potential emission sources of soil PACs could be attributed to coal combustion and vehicle emissions, while principal component analysis-multiple linear regression further indicated that primary emissions and secondary formation jointly influenced the PAC content, accounting for 60.4% and 39.6%, respectively. The exposure risk of soil PACs was dominated by 16 priority control PAHs; the non-priority PAHs' contribution to the exposure risk was only 6.4%.

Integrating network pharmacology with microRNA microarray analysis to identify the role of miRNAs in thrombosis treated by the Dahuang Zhechong pill.

BACKGROUND: Thrombotic diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide, urging for improvements in treatment strategies. Dahuang Zhechong pill (DHZCP) is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used for treating thrombotic diseases; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of DHZCP in treating thrombosis with a focus on bioinformatics and miRNAs. METHODS: We used network pharmacology to explore the targets of thrombosis treated with DHZCP and performed microarray analysis to acquire miRNA profiles and predict the target genes in thrombin-stimulated MEG-01 cells treated with DHZCP. Based on the overlapping of targets, we carried out a component-target-miRNA network and enrichment analysis and validated the selected miRNAs and mRNAs using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Our data showed 850 targets of 230 active ingredients of DHZCP and 1214 thrombosis-related genes; 235 targets were common. We identified 32 miRNAs that were regulated by thrombin stimulation but regulated reversely by DHZCP treatment in MEG-01 cells, and predicted 1846 targets with function annotation. We analyzed conjointly 23 integrating targets from network pharmacology and microarray. HIF1A, PIK3CA, MAPK1 and BCL2L1 emerged as key nodes in the network diagrams. We confirmed the differential expression of seven miRNAs, one mRNA (BCL2L1) and platelet surface protein. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that miRNAs and their targets, such as BCL2L1, played crucial roles in platelet activation during DHZCP intervention in thrombosis, highlighting their potential to alleviate platelet activation and increase cell apoptosis. The study's findings could help develop new strategies for improving thrombosis treatment.