Differences in microbial community composition and factors affecting different particulate matter during autumn in three cities of Xinjiang, China.

Environmental pollution has become an issue of increasing concern in China, owing to the country's rapid economic development. Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is known to be an important parameter in air quality monitoring; further, bioaerosol forms a crucial component of PM. As the climatic environments in the north and south of Xinjiang, China, are significantly different, here, atmospheric PM samples collected from three cities, Shihezi, Yining, and Tumushuk, located in different directions, were analysed for a better understanding of the spatial distribution patterns of microbial community composition of Xinjiang. The16s rDNA and 18 s rDNA were used to locate bacteria and fungi in PM2.5, PM10, and total suspended particulate matter (TSP) at the species level and genus level, and the microbial communities with the top 15 abundances were selected for analysis. The reports indicate that the most abundant group in Shihezi and Yining was Cenchrus_americanus, which belongs to Proteobacteria. The remaining 14 dominant species had their own distribution pattern in each city. The most dominant strain in Tumushuk was Bacillus_taeanensis, but this strain was not detected in Yining and Shihezi. Similarly, the most predominant fungus in Tumushuk (Microdorylaimus_miser under Myriophyllum) was not detected in the other two cities. The analysis of the effect of environmental impact factors on bacteria and fungi revealed that the impact factors such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed had a greater effect on microorganisms, while O3 had a negative correlation with most microorganisms, owing to its toxicity. Overall, the results of this study show that short-range transported air masses have a greater impact on local pollutants and microorganisms.

Antiviral activity against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus of Pogostemon cablin polysaccharide.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The dry overground parts of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. is widely used in China as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and fever. Polysaccharide is an important component of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. but has not been studied. Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. is used to treat porcine epidemic diarrhea. But it is not known whether Pogostemon cablin polysaccharides (PCPs) has the antiviral activities against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of present study is to investigate the structural characterization and the anti-PEDV activities of PCPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PCPs were prepared by water extraction and alcohol precipitation method and purified with DEAE-52 cellulose column and Sephadex G-100 column. Then, the structural characterization of the polysaccharides including the infrared spectrum, molecular weight and monosaccharide composition were analyzed. Afterwards, the antiviral effect of PCPs against PEDV on IPEC-J2 cells was studied by MTT method and real-time PCR method. Additionally, the effects of PCPs on PEDV adsorption, penetration and replication were analyzed by real-time PCR method. Furthermore, we also investigate whether the anti-oxidative effects of PCPs were important to the anti-PEDV activities. RESULTS: Four polysaccharides were obtained and named as PCP1.1 (31.3 kDa), PCP1.2 (3.5 kDa), PCP2.1 (9.1 kDa) and PCP2.2 (8.3 kDa). PCP1.1, PCP1.2 and PCP2.1 were composed of fucose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid; and PCP2.2 was composed of arabinose, galactose, glucose, galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid. All PCPs showed anti-PEDV activities. PCP1.1 and PCP1.2 inhibited PEDV replication, while PCP2.1 and PCP2.2 inhibited PEDV penetration and replication. All PCPs showed anti-oxidative effects, which were important to the anti-PEDV activities. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment effect of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. on porcine epidemic diarrhea might be related to the anti-PEDV effect of PCPs. Furthermore, the anti-oxidative effects of PCPs play important roles in their antiviral activities against PEDV.

Pollution levels and risk assessment of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in beef muscle and liver from southern Xinjiang.

The presence of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in animal foods is worldwide, and their fate and spatial distribution in Xinjiang are not well understood. In this study, beef muscle and liver collected from five major cities in southern Xinjiang were analyzed (n = 70) for 13 PFAAs using an ion-pairing method combined with HPLC-MS/MS. Overall, PFAA contamination was widespread, exceeding 50% of samples with concentrations ranged from below the limits of detection to 6.118 ng/g. Perfluorooctane sulfonate, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluoroundecanoic acid were the predominant PFAAs of ten detected compounds, with maximum concentrations in Korla liver samples of 2.543, 0.856, and 1.386 ng/g, respectively. When comparing the five cities, the highest levels and detection frequencies were observed in samples from Korla (muscle, 0.013 ng/g; liver, 3.336 ng/g), followed by Yanqi, Akesu, Kashgar, and Hotan. The different pollution patterns and distribution profiles of PFAAs among cities were significantly related to local economy and geographical conditions. In addition, the dietary intake assessments for PFAAs showed that samples originating from Korla had the greatest impact on human health, but the total hazard ratio was 0.814 × 10-3, which is far less than 1, indicating that consumption of beef muscle and liver poses no immediate harm to local residents.

Synthesis of Magnetic Microspheres with Sodium Alginate and Activated Carbon for Removal of Methylene Blue.

Based on the adsorption performance of composite microspheres with activated carbon (AC) and sodium alginate (SA), as well as the magnetic property of Fe3O4, we designed and explored an efficient strategy to prepare a unique, multifunctional Fe3O4/AC/SA composite absorbent (MSA-AC) that extracted dye from aqueous solution. The composite exhibited the following advantages: rapid and simple to prepare, environmentally friendly process, low-cost, recyclability, and multi-functionality. The physicochemical properties of the prepared magnetic microspheres were measured, and methylene blue (MB) was selected to investigate the performance of the magnetic absorbent. The results showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 222.3 mg/g for MB. Adsorption studies revealed that the data of adsorption isotherms and kinetics fit the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model.

Occurrence, Distribution, and Risk Assessment of Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in Muscle and Liver of Cattle in Xinjiang, China.

Despite risks associated with perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in many regions, little is known about their prevalence in Xinjiang. We determined the presence of 13 PFAAs in 293 beef muscle and liver samples collected in 22 cities covering northern, southern, and eastern Xinjiang using liquid chromatography, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Overall, the average values for PFAAs were relatively low compared with previous studies. Liver presented higher mean levels of total PFAAs at 1.632 ng/g, which was over 60-fold higher than in muscle (0.026 ng/g). Among the PFAAs analyzed, medium-chain compounds were dominant, accounting for more than 70% of the total. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was highly prevalent in the liver with the highest mean concentration (0.617 ng/g) and detection frequency (80%). When comparing the three regions of Xinjiang, we found differences in PFAA profiles, with the northern region showing the highest levels. Furthermore, the average daily intake and hazard ratios of PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid varied by region, urban/rural environment, gender, ethnicity, and age. The highest risk value of 13 PFAAs was estimated to be 0.837 × 10-3, which is far below 1, indicating that there is no health risk posed by eating beef muscle and liver in Xinjiang.

Occurrence of Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate in Milk and Yogurt and Their Risk Assessment.

Although perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have been identified in milk and dairy products in many regions, knowledge on their occurrence in Xinjiang (China) is rare. This study was conducted to measure the levels of PFOA and PFOS in milk and yogurt from Xinjiang and to investigate the average daily intake (ADI) of these two compounds. PFOA and PFOS levels were analyzed using ultrasonic extraction with methanol and solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Retail milk and yogurt samples present higher detection rates (39.6% and 48.1%) and mean concentrations (24.5 and 31.8 ng/L) of PFOS than those of PFOA (33.0% and 37.0%; 16.2 and 22.6 ng/L, respectively). For raw milk samples, only PFOS was detected. The differences in the levels of the two compounds between samples from the north and south regions were observed, and northern regions showed higher pollution levels than southern regions. On the basis of the retail milk measurements and consumption data, the ADIs of PFOA and PFOS for Xinjiang adults were calculated to be 0.0211 and 0.0318 ng/kg/day, respectively. Furthermore, the estimated intakes of PFOA and PFOS varied among different groupings (age, area, gender, and race) and increased with increasing age. Relevant hazard ratios were found to be far less than 1.0, and this finding suggested that no imminent health damages were produced by PFOA and PFOS intake via milk and yogurt consumption in the Xinjiang population.

Assessment of microbial communities in PM1 and PM10 of Urumqi during winter.

Recently, inhalable particulate matter has been reported to carry microorganisms responsible for human allergy and respiratory disease. The unique geographical environment and adverse weather conditions of Urumqi cause double pollution of dust and smog, but research on the microbial content of the atmosphere has not been commenced. In this study, 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing were conducted to investigate the microbial composition of Urumqi's PM1 and PM10 pollutants in winter. Results showed that the bacterial community is mainly composed of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria accounted for the most proportion which was significant difference in some aforementioned studies. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota constitute the main part of the fungal microbial community. The difference of bacterial relative abundance in sample point is greater than in particle sizes. The sequences of several pathogenic bacteria and opportunistic pathogens were also detected, such as Acinetobacter, Delftia, Serratia, Chryseobacterium, which may impact on immunocompromised populations (elderly, children and postoperative convalescence patients), and some fungal genera may cause several plant diseases. Our findings may serve an important reference value in the global air microbial propagation and air microbial research in desert.

Distribution and factors affecting adsorption of sterols in the surface sediments of Bosten Lake and Manas Lake, Xinjiang.

This study investigated the concentrations and distribution of eight sterol compounds in the surface sediments of Bosten Lake and Manas Lake, Xinjiang, China. The ratios of sterols as diagnostic indices were used to identify pollution sources. The sediment of the two lakes was selected as an adsorbent to investigate the adsorption behaviour of sterols. Results showed that the sterols were widely distributed in the sediments of the lakes in the study areas. The total concentrations of the detected sterols in Bosten Lake and in Manas Lake were 1.584-27.897 and 2.048-18.373 µg g(-1)∙dw, respectively. In all of the sampling sites, the amount of faecal sterols was less than that of plant sterols. ß-sitosterol was the dominant plant sterol with a mean concentration of 2.378 ± 2.234 µg g(-1)∙dw; cholesterol was the most abundant faecal sterol with a mean concentration of 1.060 ± 1.402 µg g(-1)∙dw. The pollution level was higher in Bosten Lake than in Manas Lake. Majority of the ratios clearly demonstrated that the contamination by human faecal sources was occurring at stations which are adjacent to residential areas and water inlets. The adsorption behaviour of sterols to sediment suggested that the sterol adsorption coefficients were reduced as temperature increased. As salinity increased, the adsorption quantity also increased. As pH increased, the sediment adsorption of sterol slightly increased because the strong alkaline solution is not conducive to the adsorption of sterols. The ratios between sterols did not change largely with the change in external factors.

Expression and purification of recombinant human neuritin from Pichia pastoris and a partial analysis of its neurobiological activity in vitro.

Neuritin (also known as candidate plasticity gene 15 (cpg15)) is a neurotrophic factor that was recently discovered in a screen aimed at identifying genes involved in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Neuritin plays multiple roles in both neural development (Chen et al. Zhonghua Yan Ke Za Zhi 46:978-983 2010; Corriveau et al. J Neurosci 19:7999-8008 1999; Lee and Nedivi J Neurosci 22:1807-1815 2002) and synaptic plasticity (Fujino et al. Gene Dev 25:2674-2685 2011; Leslie and Nedivi Prog 14 Neurobiol 94:223-237 2011; Loebrich and Nedivi Physiol Rev 89:1079 2009). In this study, to produce bioactive, soluble recombinant human neuritin protein, a portion of NRN1 was cloned into the Pichia pastoris expression vector pPIC9K. The recombinant vector was then transformed into the methylotrophic yeast strain P. pastoris GS115, and a shaking flask method and His-tag purification strategy were utilized to express and purify neuritin protein. The resulting protein had a molecular mass of approximately 11 kDa, and subsequent functional analyses indicated that the purified neuritin promoted neurite outgrowth from embryonic chicken dorsal root ganglions, while also prolonging the survival of these ganglions, and from PC12 cells. These findings suggest that neuritin was expressed effectively in vitro and that this protein may play a role in stimulating neurite outgrowth of both dorsal root ganglions and PC12 cells. This study provides a novel strategy for the large-scale production of bioactive neuritin, which will enable further study of the biological function of this protein.

Concentration and distribution of antibiotics in water-sediment system of Bosten Lake, Xinjiang.

This study investigated the residues of four sulfonamides, four quinolones, and four tetracyclines in surface water as well as surficial sediment samples, of Bosten Lake, in Xinjiang, China. The results showed the presence of 10 out of the 12 selected antibiotics in both water and sediment. Lomefloxacin was not detected in any of the samples. Among the 12 antibiotics considered, ciprofloxacin, with median concentrations of 39.22 ng L(-1) in surface water and 76.51 µg kg(-1) in surficial sediment, was the dominant antibiotic in all samples. The sorption coefficient values presented higher sorption capacities of tetracycline and chlortetracycline than the other antibiotics. The cluster analysis revealed elevated levels of pollution in sampling sites 1, 2, and 3, which were situated in a nearby urban area and in the estuary of Kaidu River. This study demonstrates the necessity of regulating the use of antibiotics and improving the management and treatment of their release.

Distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in Bosten Lake, Xinjiang, China.

The occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant bacteria was quantified in 17 water samples collected across Bosten Lake, Xinjiang, China. The heterotrophic plate count method was used to detect the levels of sulfonamide- and tetracycline-resistant bacteria, which have mean concentrations of 2.50×10(5) and 4.63×10(3) CFU/mL, respectively. The resistance genes of sulfonamide (sul1, sul2) and tetracycline (tetM, tetO and tetW) were detected, and results showed that all other ARGs except the tetO gene were obtained from all samples. Four of the obtained ARGs were further quantified, and results showed that the sulfonamide resistance genes were prevalent. The relative abundance was in the range of 2.81×10(-5) to 3.33×10(-3) for the sul1/16s-rRNA and 1.04×10(-5) to 3.80×10(-3) for the sul2/16s-rRNA. For the tet genes, the relative concentrations of tetM/16s-rRNA and tetW16s-rRNA ranged from 1.18×10(-5) to 2.46×10(-4) and 1.58×10(-6) to 4.19×10(-4), respectively. The concentration divergence among ARGs may be related to the different characteristics of each gene. This study validated that Bosten Lake was affected by ARGs and resistant bacteria, thus turning the lake into an important reservoir for the transfer of ARGs and resistant bacteria.