[Personal nitrogen oxides exposure levels and related influencing factors in adults over 35 years old in Tianjin and Shanghai].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate personal exposures to nitrogen oxides (NOX) and nitrogen di-oxide (NO2) and the influence of baseline personal characteristics, living environment and daily activity patterns of the participants on the exposures among adults over 35 in Tianjin and Shanghai. METHODS: In this panel study, 91 healthy nonsmoking adults aged over 35 from Tianjin and Shanghai participated in our study. The study was conducted in summer and winter. The participants were followed for three times with an interval of at least two weeks. Only participants in Shanghai were followed once in winter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-seven participants completed follow-up visits in both seasons. We measured their 24 h personal exposures to NOX and NO2and collected their baseline and time-activity information through questionnaire/diary. The linear mixed model was used to analyze the associations between potential influencing factors and personal NOX and NO2 exposure levels. RESULTS: There were 349 follow-up visits with valid 24 h personal NO2 and NOX exposure measurements in the two cities. The ave-rage 24 h personal exposures to NO2 and NOX (volume fraction) in Tianjin participants were 18.0×10-9 and 26.2×10-9 in summer, and 31.0×10-9 and 54.9×10-9 in winter, respectively; and the average 24 h personal exposures to NO2 and NOX in Shanghai participants were 38.7×10-9 and 100.0×10-9 in summer, and 45.5×10-9 and 139.2×10-9 in winter, respectively. The results of univariate regression analysis showed that their personal NOX exposure levels were significantly associated with city, season, gender, average daily cooking times, and ambient NO2 concentrations measured at fixed-site monitoring stations. In addition to the above factors, the personal NOX exposure levels were also significantly associated with educational level and the personal NO2 exposure levels were also significantly associated with passive smoking, average daily home time, cooking energy type, residential distance from main traffic road, and use of kitchen ventilators. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the personal exposure levels of NO2 and NOX were significantly lower in Tianjin than that in Shanghai, were significantly lower in summer than that in winter, and were significantly and positively associated with ambient NO2 concentrations measured at fixed-site monitoring stations. In addition, personal NOX exposure levels were significantly lower in females than in males, and personal NO2 exposure levels were significantly positively associated with average daily cooking times and significantly inversely associated with average daily home time. For every interquartile range (IQR) increase (12.7×10-9) in ambient NO2, the personal NO2 exposure levels increased by 27.5% (95%CI: 17.0%-38.9%), and personal NOX exposure levels increased by 16.1% (95%CI: 7.1%-25.8%). CONCLUSION: Season, city and ambient NO2 concentrations are significant influencing factors of personal exposure levels of NO2and NOX. At the same time, the personal exposures levels of NO2are also affected by lifestyle factors. Our study provides scientific evidence for making precise air pollution control decisions and reducing the exposure levels of NOX in the population.

Individual and joint associations of long-term exposure to air pollutants and cardiopulmonary mortality: a 22-year cohort study in Northern China.

Background: Evidence on the associations between long-term exposure to multiple air pollutants and cardiopulmonary mortality is limited, especially for developing regions with higher pollutant levels. We aimed to characterise the individual and joint (multi-pollutant) associations of long-term exposure to air pollutants with cardiopulmonary mortality, and to identify air pollutant that primarily contributes to the mortality risk. Methods: We followed 37,442 participants with a mean age of 43.5 years in four cities in northern China (Tianjin, Shenyang, Taiyuan, and Rizhao) from January 1998 to December 2019. Annual particulate matter (PM) with diameters ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), ≤10 µm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were estimated using daily average values from satellite-derived machine learning models and monitoring stations. Time-varying Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the individual association between air pollutants and mortality from non-accidental causes, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), non-malignant respiratory diseases (RDs) and lung cancer, accounting for demographic and socioeconomic factors. Effect modifications by age, sex, income and education level were also examined. Quantile-based g-Computation integrated with time-to-event data was additionally applied to evaluate the co-effects and the relative weight of contributions for air pollutants. Findings: During 785,807 person-years of follow-up, 5812 (15.5%) died from non-accidental causes, among which 2932 (7.8%) were from all CVDs, 479 (1.3%) from non-malignant RDs, and 552 (1.4%) from lung cancer. Long-term exposure to PM10 (mean [baseline]: 136.5 µg/m3), PM2.5 (mean [baseline]: 70.2 µg/m3), SO2 (mean [baseline]: 113.0 µg/m3) and NO2 (mean [baseline]: 39.2 µg/m3) were adversely and consistently associated with all mortality outcomes. A 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with higher mortality from non-accidental causes (hazard ratio 1.20; 95% confidence interval 1.17-1.23), CVDs (1.23; 1.19-1.28), non-malignant RDs (1.37; 1.25-1.49) and lung cancer (1.14; 1.05-1.23). A monotonically increasing curve with linear or supra-linear shape with no evidence of a threshold was observed for the exposure-response relationship of mortality with individual or joint exposure to air pollutants. PM2.5 consistently contributed most to the elevated mortality risks related to air pollutant mixture, followed by SO2 or PM10. Interpretation: There was a strong and positive association of long-term individual and joint exposure to PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 with mortalities from non-accidental causes, CVDs, non-malignant RDs and lung cancer in high-exposure settings, with PM2.5 potentially being the main contributor. The shapes of associations were consistent with a linear or supra-linear exposure-response relationship, with no lower threshold observed within the range of concentrations in this study. Funding: National Key Research and Development Program of China, the China Scholarship Council, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province.

Impacts of heatwaves and cold spells on glaucoma in rural China: a national cross-sectional study.

China faces increasing health risks from climate change. The structure and function of the eye and vision were affected by extreme heat and cold. The study aimed to evaluate the impacts of heatwaves and cold spells on glaucoma. A national cross-sectional study of the Rural Epidemiology for Glaucoma (REG-China) was conducted in ten provinces of China, and 36,081 adults aged 40 years or more were included. Glaucoma signs were assessed via a standard examination. A total of 15 heatwave definitions, based on intensity (95th to 99th percentiles of temperature distribution) and duration (≥2 days, 3 days, and 4 days), were used to quantify heatwave effects, and 6 cold spell definitions were defined based on threshold temperature percentile (5th and 10th) and duration (3 days, 5 days, and 9 days). Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models paired with interaction analysis were performed to investigate the impacts of heatwaves and cold spells on glaucoma, and the dose-response relationships were assessed using a restricted cubic spline (RCS) model. Subgroup analysis was conducted stratified by gender, age, smoking status, occupation, and family history of glaucoma. The overall prevalence of glaucoma was 2.1% (95% CI 1.94-2.25%). Higher heatwaves were significantly correlated with higher OR of glaucoma, with the OR (95% CI) ranging from 1.014 (1.009, 1.018) to 1.090 (1.065, 1.115) by different definitions. Glaucoma was affected by heatwaves more strongly than by cold spells. The effects of both heatwaves and cold spells were higher in males than females and in smokers than nonsmokers. These results of the present study evoked the attention of prospective research to elucidate the relationship between extreme temperatures and eye diseases.

Trade-offs between fertilizer-N availability and Cd pollution potential under crop straw incorporation by 15 N stable isotopes in rice.

Application of crop residues and chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer is a conventional practice for achieving high yield in a rice system. However, the fallacious combination of N fertilizers with crop straw not only significantly reduces the N use efficiencies (NUEs) but also leads to serious environmental problems. The present study employed five treatments including no N fertilization and no straw incorporation (ck), N fertilization incorporation only (S0), N fertilization with 40% straw (S40), N fertilization with 60% straw (S60), and N fertilization with 100% straw (S100) to improve N use efficiency as well as reduced Cd distribution in rice. The crop yields were largely enhanced by fertilization ranging from 13 to 52% over the straw addition treatments. Compared with ck, N fertilizer input significantly decreased soil pH, while DOC contents were raised in response to straw amendment, reaching the highest in S60 and S100 treatments, respectively. Moreover, straw addition substantially impacted the Cd accumulation and altered the bacterial community structure. The soil NH4+-N concentration under S0 performed the maximum in yellow soil, while the minimum in black soil compared to straw-incorporated pots. In addition, the soil NO3--N concentration in straw-incorporated plots tended to be higher than that in straw-removed plots in both soils, indicating that crop straw triggering the N mineralization was associated with native soil N condition. Furthermore, the NUE increased with 15 N uptake in the plant, and the residual 15 N in soil was increased by 26.8% with straw addition across four straw application rates. Overall, our study highlights the trade-offs between straw incorporation with N fertilizer in eliminating potential Cd toxicity, increasing fertilizer-N use efficiencies and help to provide a feasible agricultural management.

Cadmium mobility and health risk assessment in the soil-rice-human system using in vitro biaccessibility and in vivo bioavailability assay: Two year field experiment.

Humans are mainly exposed to cadmium (Cd) due to the rice consumption, however there exist considerable differences across rice cultivars in terms of Cd absorption and accumulation in the grains, and subsequent release after digestion (bioaccessibility), as well as uptake by Caco-2 cells of humans (bioavailability). This study comprised of field and lab simulation trials where in the field, firstly 39 mid-rice cultivars were screened for their phytoremediation potential coupled with safe production in relation to uptake and translocation of Cd. Lower Cd concentrations (˂0.2 mg kg-1) in polished rice of 74 % cultivars were ascribed to the increased root to straw translocation indicating that straw may acquire higher accumulation of Cd. Furthermore, the ionomic profile demonstrated that the spatial distribution of metals in different rice organs corresponds to the plant growth morphology. In the second year, in vitro-in vivo assay model was employed to assess the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Cd in polished rice and to further estimate the daily Cd intake by humans through rice grains. The results of bioaccessibility and bioavailability assays and daily estimated Cd intake presented the corresponding values of 39.02-59.76 %, 8.69-24.26 %, and 0.0185-0.9713 µg kg-1 body weight day-1, respectively. There exists a strong connection between total Cd and bioaccessible Cd to humans (R2 = 0.94, P < 0.01). Polynomial fitting (R2 = 0.91, P < 0.01) showed a better statistically significant correlation between total Cd contents and bioavailable levels, suggesting that in vitro-in vivo assays should be considered in future studies. The results of field experiments and in vitro-in vivo assays recommended the Tianyouhuazhan (MR-29), Heliangyou1hao (MR-17), and Yongyou15 (MR-1) as suitable mid-rice cultivars for the phytoremediation of slightly Cd contaminated soils coupled with rice agro-production due to their high nutritional value and low total and bioavailable Cd for human.

Fluorine in 20 vegetable species and 25 lettuce cultivars grown on a contaminated field adjacent to a brick kiln.

Crops grown in areas contaminated by industrial and agricultural fluorine (F) have gained increasing attention, however F levels in different vegetables and lettuce cultivars are rarely reported. In situ-field experiment was designed to investigate the concentration, translocation, and health risks of F in 20 vegetable species and 25 lettuce cultivars. After the growth of 150 d for vegetables and 60 d for lettuce, F concentration (12.83-138.07 mg kg-1), translocation factor (0.16-6.32), and bio-concentration factor (1.90-13.73) varied significantly between vegetable species and lettuce cultivars. According to the hazard quotient values (based on the reference dose of F), all the vegetable species appears to pose no risk to human health, while 60% of the lettuce cultivars present potential health risks to children. Therefore, the limit value of F in vegetables for adults and children should be enacted in the future. Moreover, cabbage, green radish, spinach, leaf mustard, and Frisee lettuce (Huayu) were considered as a safe dietary product. These findings contributed to the safe cultivation of vegetables and the control of fluorosis in the areas contaminated by industrial and agricultural activities.

Shift work and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease incidence among Chinese rail workers: a 4-year longitudinal cohort study.

PURPOSE: Occupational harmful factors, such as shift work, are attracting increasing attention as a potential cause of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we aimed to identify the association between shift work and NAFLD incidence in Chinese rail population. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted among 14,112 rail workers for 4-year follow-up. Shift work frequency and other potential variables were recorded by questionnaires, including demographic, lifestyle, and occupation information. Besides, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase were measured by anthropometric measurement and blood test. Diagnosis of new NAFLD case was based on abdominal ultrasonography. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to determine whether shift work has effect on occurrence of NAFLD. RESULTS: The incidence of NAFLD was 30.43% in total subjects. After adjustment for possible confounders, the RRs of NAFLD were 1.069 (95% CI 0.998-1.146) and 1.179 (95% CI 1.059-1.312) in occasionally shift work group and frequently shift work group respectively, compared to the seldom shift work group. In stratified analyses, the RRs of NAFLD incidence linked to shift work exposure seems increase among female and elder. The results of three sensitivity analyses were similar with main analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This research provided further evidence of positive harmful effect of shift work on NAFLD incidence in Chinese rail workers, particularly in frequently shift work population. The risk estimate of shift work on NAFLD was higher in female and elder.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) as risk factors for breast cancer: a case-control study in Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large family of synthetic chemicals, some of which are mammary toxicants and endocrine disruptors. Recent studies have implicated exposure to PFASs as a risk factor for breast cancer in Europe and America. Little is known about the role of PFASs with respect to breast cancer in the Chinese population. METHODS: Participants who were initially diagnosed with breast cancer at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between 2012 and 2016 were recruited as cases. The controls were randomly selected from the participants with available blood samples in the Chinese National Breast Cancer Screening Program (CNBCSP) cohort. Ultimately, we enrolled 373 breast cancer patients and 657 controls. Plasma PFASs were measured by an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) system coupled to a 5500 Q-Trap triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. A logistic regression model with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regularization was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the relationships between PFASs and breast cancer. The three most predictive variables in the LASSO model were selected from 17 PFASs, which was based on the optimal penalty coefficient (λ = 0.0218) identified with the minimum criterion. Additionally, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation models were applied to evaluate the associations between separate and mixed exposure to PFASs and breast cancer. RESULTS: Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) exhibited the highest concentration in both the cases and controls. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (PFDA) were positively associated with breast cancer, and perfluoro-n-tridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) was negatively associated with breast cancer according to both the continuous-PFASs and the quartile-PFASs logistic regression models. Of note, PFOA was associated with the occurrence of estrogen receptor (ER)-, progesterone receptor (PR)-, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (ORER+ = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.80; ORPR+ = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.69; ORHER2 = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.21). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we observed that PFASs were associated with breast cancer in Chinese women. Prospective cohort studies and mechanistic experiments are warranted to elucidate whether these associations are causal.

Long-term PM2.5 exposure in association with chronic respiratory diseases morbidity: A cohort study in Northern China.

Several literatures have examined the risk of chronic respiratory diseases in association with short-term ambient PM2.5 exposure in China. However, little evidence has examined the chronic impacts of PM2.5 exposure on morbidity of chronic respiratory diseases in cohorts from high pollution countries. Our study aims to investigate the associations. Based on a retrospective cohort among adults in northern China, a Cox regression model with time-varying PM2.5 exposure and a concentration-response (C-R) curve model were performed to access the relationships between incidence of chronic respiratory diseases and long-term PM2.5 exposure during a mean follow-up time of 9.8 years. Individual annual average PM2.5 estimates were obtained from a satellite-based model with high resolution. The incident date of a chronic respiratory disease was identified according to self-reported physician diagnosis time and/or intake of medication for treatment. Among 38,047 urban subjects analyzed in all-cause chronic respiratory disease cohort, 482 developed new cases. In CB (38,369), asthma (38,783), and COPD (38,921) cohorts, the onsets were 276, 89, and 14, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for morbidity of all-cause chronic respiratory disease, CB, asthma, and COPD were 1.15 (1.01, 1.31), 1.20 (1.00, 1.42), 0.76 (0.55, 1.04), and 0.66 (0.29, 1.47) with each 10 µg/m3 increment in PM2.5, respectively. Stronger effect estimates were suggested in alcohol drinkers across stratified analyses. Additionally, the shape of C-R curve showed an increasing linear relationship before 75.00 µg/m3 concentrations of PM2.5 for new-onset all-cause chronic respiratory disease, and leveled off at higher levels. These findings indicated that long-term exposure to high-level PM2.5 increased the risks of incident chronic respiratory diseases in China. Further evidence of C-R curves is warranted to clarify the associations of adverse chronic respiratory outcomes involving air pollution.

Combined cadmium and fluorine inhibit lettuce growth through reducing root elongation, photosynthesis, and nutrient absorption.

Cadmium (Cd) and fluorine (F) often coexist in environment and are toxic to organisms; however, their combined effects on plants are still not well documented. In this study, the co-effects of Cd and F on germination, biomass, photosynthesis, and nutrients uptake of lettuce were carried out in hydroponic culture. The results showed that the seed germination and seedling biomass decreased with an increase in Cd and F supplementation. The root morphology verified these effects as excess combined Cd and F diminished the root tips and surface area of lettuce, while single Cd and F inhibited the growth by decreasing root length and average diameter, respectively. These effects were also consistence with a reduction in photosynthesis which was mainly regulated by reducing the quantum yield of PS II, electron transport activity, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, and transpiration rate in response to the pollutants. Moreover, when lettuce exposed to Cd and F stress, the accumulation of several essential elements in shoot decreased. In a sum, the synergistic negative effects of Cd and F on the seed germination and seedling growth of lettuce were observed, and these might be owed to nutrient absorption and translocation in the plant. These findings aid in understanding the harmful effects and specific mechanisms of action of Cd and F on plants.

Renal Denervation Attenuates Adverse Remodeling and Intramyocardial Inflammation in Acute Myocardial Infarction With Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background: Inhibition of sympathetic activity and renin-angiotensin system with renal denervation (RDN) was proved to be effective in managing refractory hypertension, and improving left ventricular (LV) performance in chronic heart failure. The inhibition of sustained sympathetic activation prevents or delays the development of cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction that occurs after myocardial infarction and ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. The translational efficiency of RDN remains to be defined in preclinical animal studies. Objectives: This study investigated the therapeutic role of RDN in adverse remodeling and intramyocardial inflammation in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Methods: Herein, 15 minipigs were subjected to 90-min percutaneous occlusion of the left anterior descending artery followed by reperfusion. Eight animals received simultaneous RDN using catheter-based radiofrequency ablation (MI/R-RDN). Cardiac function and infarct volume were measured in vivo, followed by histological and biochemical analyses. Results: The infarct volume in I/R-RDN pigs reduced at 30 days postreperfusion, compared to I/R-Sham animals. The levels of catecholamine and cytokines in the serum, kidney cortex, the border, and infarcted regions of the heart were significantly reduced in I/R-RDN group. Moreover, the gene expression of collagen and the protein expression of adrenergic receptor beta 1 in heart were also decreased in I/R-RDN mice. Additionally, RDN therapy alleviated myocardial oxidative stress. Conclusion: RDN is an effective therapeutic strategy for counteracting postreperfusion myocardial injury and dysfunction, and the application of RDN holds promising prospects in clinical practice.

The modifying effect of trait anxiety on the association of fine particulate matter with heart rate variability variables.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that exposures to ambient particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5) and stress are associated with adverse cardiovascular health effects. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the potential modifying effect of trait anxiety on the association between short-term exposures to PM2.5 and HRV variables. METHODS: A panel of 92 middle-aged and elderly adults in Tianjin and Shanghai were recruited for repeated follow-ups with measurements of 24-h personal exposures to air pollutants and Holter ECG monitoring. Heart rate variability (HRV) variables calculated over 5-minute segments during the 24 h, including low frequency power (LF), high frequency power (HF), standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) and root mean square of successive differences (rMSSD), were included in the analysis. The Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to investigate the long-term general anxiety level of the participants. Generalized linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze the association between exposure factors and HRV variables, and potential effect modification by trait anxiety. RESULTS: Data on 87 participants were included in final analysis after exclusions. Higher exposure to PM2.5 was associated with lower levels of LF, HF, SDNN and rMSSD, and the largest decreases in LF, HF, SDNN and rMSSD were found at 3-h moving average. Trait anxiety significantly modified the associations of PM2.5 with LF, HF, SDNN and rMSSD, with stronger inverse associations found in high trait anxiety group than in low trait anxiety group. For an IQR (27.3 µg/m³) increase in PM2.5 at 3-h moving average, there were decreases of 3.50% (95% CI: -4.46%, -2.54%) and 3.50% (95% CI: -4.49%, -2.50%) in the high trait anxiety group, and decreases of 0.81% (95% CI: -1.22%, -0.40%) and 0.65% (95% CI: -1.07%, -0.23%) in the low trait anxiety group in HF and rMSSD, respectively (both p for interaction<0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that trait anxiety could modify the association of short-term exposure to PM2.5 with HRV variables, indicating that higher trait anxiety may increase the cardiac susceptibility to air pollution in the study participants.

Ambient particulate air pollution, blood cell parameters, and effect modification by psychosocial stress: Findings from two studies in three major Chinese cities.

The associations between particulate matter (PM) exposure, psychosocial stress and blood cell parameters are bringing novel insights to characterize the early damage of multiple diseases. Based on two studies conducted in three Chinses cities using cross-sectional (Beijing, 425 participants) and panel study (Tianjin and Shanghai, 92 participants with 361 repeated measurements) designs, this study explored the associations between short-term exposure to ambient PM and blood cell parameters, and the effect modification by psychosocial stress. Increasing PM2.5 exposure was significantly associated with decreases in red blood cell (RBC) count and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and increases in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), platelets count (PLT) and platelet hematocrit (PCT) in both studies. For instance, a 10 µg/m3 increment in PM2.5 concentration was associated with a 1.04% (95%CI: 0.16%, 1.92%) increase in PLT (4-d) and a 1.09% (95%CI: 0.31%, 1.87%) increase in PCT (4-d) in the cross-sectional study, and a 0.64% (95%CI: 0.06%, 1.22%) increase in PLT (1-d) and a 0.72% (95%CI: 0.33%, 1.11%) increase in PCT (1-d) in the panel study, respectively. In addition, stronger increases in MCV, PLT, and PCT associated with PM2.5 exposure were found in higher psychosocial stress group compared to lower psychosocial stress group (p for interaction <0.10), indicating that blood cell parameters of individuals with higher psychosocial stress might be more susceptible to the early damages of PM2.5 exposure.

Soil fungal communities affect the chemical quality of flue-cured tobacco leaves in Bijie, Southwest China.

Soil microorganisms could affect the quality of tobacco leaves, however, little is known about the association of tobacco chemical components and soil fungal communities. In the present study, the relationship between soil fungi and tobacco quality based on chemical components in Bijie was investigated. The results showed that the total harmony scores (THS) of the analyzed tobacco leaves ranged from 46.55 ± 3.5 to 91.55 ± 2.25. Analyses of chemical components revealed that high contents of nicotine (≥ 1.06%) and sugar (total sugar: ≥ 22.96%, reducing sugar: ≥ 19.62%), as well as low potassium level (≤ 2.68%) were the main factors limiting the quality of flue-cured tobacco leaves. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that soil nitrate, available potassium/phosphorous, and organic matter significantly correlated with tobacco nicotine, potassium, and chloride levels (p < 0.05). Besides, the analysis of alpha- and beta-diversity of soil fungal communities implied that fungal structure rather than the richness affected the chemical quality of tobacco. In detail, the relative abundance of Humicola olivacea species in soils was positively correlated with the THS of tobaccos (r = 0.52, p < 0.05). Moreover, the species including Mortierella alpina, Mortierella hyalina, Tausonia pullulan, and Humicola olivacea were negatively correlated with tobacco sugar (r ≤ - 0.45, p < 0.05) while, Codinaea acaciae and Saitozyma podzolica species were negatively correlated with tobacco nicotine (r ≤ - 0.51, p < 0.05). The present study provides a preliminary basis for utilizing fungal species in soils to improve the chemical quality of tobacco in the studied area.

Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Long-Term PM2.5 Exposure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.

BACKGROUND: Established evidence suggests risks of developing cardiovascular disease are different by sex. However, it remains unclear whether associations of PM2.5 with cardiovascular risk are comparable between women and men. The meta-analysis aimed to examine sex differences in associations of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke with long-term PM2.5 exposure. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were searched until May 2, 2021. We included cohort studies reporting sex-specific associations of long-term PM2.5 exposure (e.g., ≥1 year) with IHD and stroke. The primary analysis was to estimate relative risk (RR) of PM2.5-outcome in women and men separately, and the additional women-to-men ratio of RR (RRR) was explored to compare sex differences, using random-effect models. RESULTS: We identified 25 eligible studies with 3.6 million IHD and 1.3 million stroke cases among 63.7 million participants. A higher level of PM2.5 exposure was significantly associated with increased risk of IHD in both women (RR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.15-1.27) and men (RR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.17). The women-to-men RRR of IHD was 1.05 (95% CI, 1.02-1.08) per 10 µg/m3 increment in PM2.5 exposure, indicating significant excess risk of IHD in women. The significant risks of stroke associated with PM2.5 were obtained in both women (RR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.08-1.13) and men (RR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.14), but no significant women-to-men RRR was observed in stroke (RRR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.96-1.04). CONCLUSIONS: The study identified excess risk of IHD associated with long-term PM2.5 exposure in women. The findings would not only have repercussions on efforts to precisely evaluate the burden of IHD attributable to PM2.5, but would also provide novel clues for cardiovascular risk prevention accounting for sex-based differences.

High fiber diet attenuate the inflammation and adverse remodeling of myocardial infarction via modulation of gut microbiota and metabolites.

Introduction: High intake of dietary fiber is associated with lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Dietary fiber, functions as a prebiotic, has a significant impact on intestinal bacteria composition and diversity. The intestinal flora and metabolites generated by fermentation of dietary fiber not only affect the health of intestine but also play a role in many extra-intestinal diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis. However, the role and the mechanism by which a high fiber diet contributes to the development of myocardial infarction is still unclear. Methods and results: Here we used an in vivo mouse model to investigate whether dietary fiber intake could protect against myocardial infarction. Our study demonstrated high fiber diet significantly improved cardiac function, reduced infarct size and prevented adverse remodeling following myocardial infarction. The protective effects of high fiber diet had a strong relation with its attenuation of inflammation. Moreover, we observed that high fiber diet could modulate the composition of intestinal flora and differentially impacted metabolites production, including the biosynthesis of bile acids and linoleic acid metabolism. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of this study provided mechanistic insights into the curative effect of dietary fiber on myocardial infarction with a specific emphasis on the potential role of microbiota-metabolism-immunity interactions.

Cadmium accumulation in rice straws and derived biochars as affected by metal exposure, soil types and rice genotypes.

Straw residues, as one of the conservation farming practices, are being strongly encouraged in China, including some cadmium-polluted areas. Nowadays, a portion of this plant residue is promoted to be removed for reducing excess metal(loid) in the soil and to be used for bioenergy production. Nevertheless, the possible influences of contaminated straw or the burial of its derived biochars on Cd accumulation in soil and data based on health risk assessment associated with different status and extent of soil contamination were relatively unknown. Thus it is important to provide a more systematical understanding of contaminated straw burial at specific contamination zones, which may provide useful guidance for straw utilization. In this study, we harvested two genotypes of rice straw from 6 contaminated levels among three soil types to comprehensively study the total Cd contents in straws and its derived biochars and correlate the sets of straw characteristics and Cd contents in three different contamination zones. The total Cd concentration in straws grew at a steady rate relatively with increasing soil Cd contamination levels, compared to those in biochars which performed more fluctuate due to the strong burning. According to correlational analyses, three-way ANOVA showed that the moisture, ash, volatile and fixed carbon were all significantly affected by straw CdTotal contents (p < 0.001). Such relationships were attributed to guide straw removal portions for gasification. Meanwhile, there was a significant correlation between straw Cd concentration and soil types (p < 0.001), confirming that it might be worth determining soil remediation by straw removal according to site-specific farmland conditions. This work will help to assess efforts toward predicting Cd concentration in the paddy soils related to kinds of contamination status and would also give useful guidance to make sustainable management strategies for crop straws in polluted regions.Novelty statement This work provided data on how much rice straw is needed to remove to ensure the minimal amount to control soil contamination and reduce costs according to site-specific conditions and soil Cd contamination status. It also explains the correlations between straw characteristics related to bioenergy use and soil conditions which would give guidance to balance using crop straw for increased bioenergy production and the need to also protect, preserve, and enhance soil resources.

The association between long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and glaucoma: A nation-wide epidemiological study among Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of evidence has confirmed the association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ocular diseases, but little is known on the effect of long-term PM2.5 exposure on glaucoma. METHODS: A national cross-sectional study of the Rural Epidemiology for Glaucoma was conducted in 10 provinces of China, and 33,701 adults aged 40 years or more were included. A satellite-based model at 1-km resolution level was used to estimate PM2.5 concentrations which were assigned to each participant according to geocoded home addresses. Logistic regression model was performed to investigate associations of long-term PM2.5 exposure with glaucoma and its subtypes. RESULTS: Estimated PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 28.0 to 96.4 µg/m3. For each 10 µg/m3 increment in PM2.5, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 1.07 (95% CI: 1.00-1.15) and 1.14 (95% CI: 1.02-1.26) for glaucoma and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), respectively. A positive but non-significant association (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.92-1.18) was detected between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and odds of primary open-angle glaucoma. The middle aged residents and non-smokers were more sensitive to the adverse effects of PM2.5. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with glaucoma and PACG in Chinese adults, which provided new insights on adverse ophthalmic effect of PM2.5.

Effects of straw return with N fertilizer reduction on crop yield, plant diseases and pests and potential heavy metal risk in a Chinese rice paddy: A field study of 2 consecutive wheat-rice cycles.

Understanding the comprehensive effect on crop production and quality, soil acidification, and Cd accumulation and distribution for wheat-rice rotation under N fertilization and continuous straw return is important for proper contaminated agricultural soil management. A 2-year paddy field experiment was conducted to study the effects of above factors change in the Zhejiang province, China. Fertilization treatments included: conventional N fertilizer application (N3), 20% reduction of N application (N2), 40% reduction of N application (N1), combined with three portions of straw incorporation: all straws retention (N3), half of the straws into the fields (S2), 20% straws retention(S1). The N1 treatments significantly decreased crop yields compared to N2 and N3 treatments. Except for C2-wheat, soil pH generally decreased with increasing N fertilizer input in the order of N1>N2>N3, regardless of how many straws was amended. Moreover, we found that straw addition plus N fertilization had a intersystem impacts on Cd accumulation, distribution and availability. Although total Cd had different trends among 4 experimental seasons, when the N reduced 20% applied, the DTPA-Cd contents were lowest among 3 out of four experimental seasons, except for that of C2-wheat, where N2 treatments ranked the second lower contents. For most seasons, Cd contents in straws were higher than soils and lowest in grains, and S2N2 treatment performed an intermediate value among all treatments. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that S2 or N2 treatments or S2N2 reduced the potential risk of plant diseases and pests with lower disease index, disease cluster rate. Notably, the relative outbreak of pests was remarkably suppressed under S2 treatments, especially S2N2. Thus, these findings demonstrated that in wheat-rice rotation reducing 20% N fertilization with 50% straw returning may be a win-win practice in this region for the equilibrium between agricultural productivity, quality and low Cd polluted risk.