Screening and validation of differentially expressed genes in adipose tissue of patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

White adipose tissue (WAT) plays a pivotal role in the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Despite its significance the underlying pathogenesis and key genes associated with it remain elusive. In our study, we screened the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in intra-abdominal WAT of T2DM patients with obesity, as well as those with simple obesity, aiming to lay a foundational theory for an in-depth investigation of T2DM pathogenesis and the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Gene expression datasets (GSE16415 and GSE71416) were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We employed R for screening DEGs and conducted a functional enrichment analysis using the Metascape database. Combined Lasso regression and Boruta feature selection algorithms were used to identify key DEGs. Subsequently, these were cross-verified using the GSE29231 dataset. Samples and medical records were collected from clinical study participants. The mRNA and protein expressions of the key DEGs were verified using qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. We discerned a total of 130 DEGs, with 40 being upregulated and 90 downregulated. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses illuminated that these genes are instrumental in mediating metabolite and energy production, neutrophil-mediated immunity, and other associated biological processes. This includes their involvement in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, and other signalling pathways. Two genes, CIDEA and FSCN1 emerged as key DEGs. The low expression of CIDEA and high expression of FSCN1 in the T2DM and obesity group were verified in clinical samples (P < 0.05). We established that CIDEA and FSCN1 manifest significant differential expression in T2DM patients who are obese. This suggests their potential as risk assessment markers and therapeutic targets for T2DM.

Downregulation of estrogen receptor-α36 expression attenuates metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

This study aimed to examine the role of estrogen receptor (ER)-α36 in the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). HCC HepG2 and Huh7 cells with the knocked-down level of ER-α36 expression were established. Cell growth and migration of the HepG2 and Huh7 cell variants were studied using MTS, transwell, and wound-healing assays, and the metastatic abilities of HepG2 cell variants were examined using a tail-vein injection model in nude mice. Levels of EMT markers, Src phosphorylation in HepG2 and Huh7 cell variants, and tumors formed by HepG2 cell variants in the nude mice were examined using Western blot and immunohistochemistry. We found that the growth and metastatic abilities of HepG2 and Huh7 cells with the knocked-down level of ER-α36 expression (HepG2/Si36 and Huh7/Si36) were significantly reduced, with increased levels of cytokeratin and E-Cadherin expression, and decreased levels of Vimentin, Snail, Slug and the Src phosphorylation, compared to the HCC cells transfected with an empty vector (HepG2/Vector and Huh7/Vector). We also found ER-α36 knockdown suppressed the lung metastasis of HepG2 cells with the involvement of EMT and the Src pathway in vivo. The Src inhibitor PP2 suppressed the growth and migration of HepG2/Vector and Huh7/Vector cells with decreased Vimentin, Snail, and Slug and increased cytokeratin and E-Cadherin expressions, but failed to induce the migration and the EMT markers in HepG2/Si36 and Huh7/Si36 cells. ER-α36 is involved in the metastasis of HCC cells through the regulation of EMT and the Src signaling pathway.

Clogging and Water Quality Change Effects of Typical Metal Pollutants under Intermittent Managed Aquifer Recharge Using Urban Stormwater.

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) using urban stormwater facilitates relieving water supply pressure, restoring the ecological environment, and developing sustainable water resources. However, compared to conventional water sources, such as river water and lake water, MAR using urban stormwater is a typically intermittent recharge mode. In order to study the clogging and water quality change effects of Fe, Zn, and Pb, the typical mental pollutants in urban stormwater, a series of intermittent MAR column experiments were performed. The results show that the type of pollutant, the particle size of the medium and the intermittent recharge mode have significant impacts on the pollutant retention and release, which has led to different clogging and water quality change effects. The metals that are easily retained in porous media have greater potential for clogging and less potential for groundwater pollution. The fine medium easily becomes clogged, but it is beneficial in preventing groundwater contamination. There is a higher risk of groundwater contamination for a shallow buried aquifer under intermittent MAR than continuous MAR, mainly because of the de-clogging effect of porous media during the intermittent period.

Analysis of Potential Risks Associated with Urban Stormwater Quality for Managed Aquifer Recharge.

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) can be used to increase storage and availability of groundwater resources, but water resources available for recharge are constrained due to a surface water shortage. Alternative resources, like stormwater, are receiving increasing attention as sustainable resources for reuse in MAR. However, pollutants in stormwater can impact groundwater quality, and cause clogging of the infiltration system. Based on the stormwater data in the literature, the physicochemical stormwater properties of data were analyzed. The results showed that concentrations of pollutants from different underlying surfaces varied widely. The main pollutants of stormwater were as follows: Total suspended particles (TSSs), organic matter represented by the chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients (total nitrogen, TN; total phosphorus, TP; and NH3-N), and metals (Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Fe, and Mn). Based on the simulation of TOUGHREACT, the contamination risk of pollutants for each type of stormwater was assessed. The risk of contamination was divided into four categories due to the different migration times of ions through the sand column. The iron ion has the highest risk of contamination, followed by Zn and Mn, and the contamination risk of nutrients and other metals (Pb, Cu, and Cd) are relatively low. Besides, the physical, biological, and chemical clogging risk were evaluated. The physical clogging potential of all types of stormwater is very high because of the high concentration of TSS. According to the concentration of TN that can spur the growth of bacteria and algae, the relative risk of biological clogging for stormwater is greenbelt stormwater < road stormwater < roof stormwater. However, only road stormwater has high chemical clogging due to the existence of iron, which can generate precipitation that blocks the pore volume.

Mechanism of Suspended Kaolinite Particle Clogging in Porous Media During Managed Aquifer Recharge.

Managed aquifer recharge is an effective strategy for urban stormwater management. Chemical ions are normally retained in stormwater and groundwater and may accelerate clogging during the recharge process. However, the effect of water chemistry on physical clogging has not previously been investigated. In this study, we investigated the hydrogeochemical mechanism of saturated porous media clogging in a series of column experiments. The column was packed with river sand and added suspensions of kaolinite particles. Calcium chloride and sodium chloride are used as representative ions to study chemical effects. We found that an increase in ionic strength resulted in retention of kaolinite solids in the column, with a breakthrough peak of C/C0 value of 1 to 0.2. The corresponding hydraulic conductivity decreased with increased solids clogging. Divalent cations were also found to have a greater influence on kaolinite particle clogging than monovalent cations. The enhanced hydrochemical-related clogging was caused by kaolinite solids flocculating and increasing the deposition rate coefficient by 1 to 2 times in high ionic strength conditions. Three clogging mechanisms of kaolinite solids are proposed: surface filtration, inner blocking, and attachment. This study further deepens the understanding of the mechanisms of solids clogging during aquifer recharge and demonstrates the significance of ionic strength on recharge clogging risk assessments.

Identification of key influence factors and an empirical formula for spring snowmelt-runoff: A case study in mid-temperate zone of northeast China.

Because of the unique climate characteristics, the runoff law in mid-temperate zone is very different from other regions in spring. Accurate runoff simulation and forecasting is of great importance to spring flood control and efficient use of water resources. Baishan reservoir is located in the upper Second Songhua River Basin in Northeast China, where snowmelt is an important source of runoff that contributes to the water supply. This study utilized long-term hydrometeorological data, in the contributing area of Bashan reservoir, to investigate factors and time-lag effects on spring snowmelt and to establish a snowmelt-runoff model. Daily precipitation, temperature, and wind data were collected from three meteorological stations in this region from 1987-2016. Daily runoff into the Baishan reservoir was selected for the same period. The snowmelt period was identified from March 23 to May 4 through baseflow segmentation with the Eckhardt recursive digital filtering method combined with statistical analyses. A global sensitivity analysis, based on the back propagation neural network method, was used to identify daily radiation, wind speed, mean temperature, and precipitation as the main factors affecting snowmelt runoff. Daily radiation, precipitation, and mean temperature factors had a two-day lag effect. Based on these factors, an empirical snowmelt runoff model was established by genetic algorithm (GAS) to estimate the snowmelt runoff in this area. The model showed an acceptable performance with coefficient of determination (R2) of 73.6%, relative error (Re) of 25.10%, and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) of 66.2% in the calibration period of 1987-2010, while reasonable performance with R2 of 62.3%, Re of 27.2%, and NSE of 46.0% was also achieved during the 2011-2016 validation period.

[Research Progress on the Sources of Inorganic Nitrogen Pollution in Groundwater and Identification Methods].

The identification of the main inorganic nitrogen (MIN, referring to NH4+-N, NO3--N, and NO2--N) pollution sources in groundwater is of great significance to its control and repair. A review of the MIN sources in groundwater and the main identification methods was conducted. The main sources of MIN pollution in groundwater (atmospheric nitrogen deposition, soil natural organic nitrogen mineralization, nitrogen from streams, and nitrogen emission from human activity), and its distribution in China were expounded. The common methods for tracing MIN sources include hydrochemical analysis, statistical estimation, regional nitrogen balance evaluation, stable isotopes tracer, and new types of tracers. Because of the variety of nitrogen sources and the complexity of the MIN pollution formation mechanism, the single identification methods shared limitations in application, whereas more comprehensive ones, especially the stable isotope tracer integrated with other methods, were mainstream. Furthermore, future research prospects, including the development of new types of tracing methods, the optimization of quantification methods, the integration of research on pollution source identification, transformation mechanism, groundwater recharge and discharge condition, and groundwater-surface water conversion, have been put forward.

Unraveling the complexities of the velocity dependency of E. coli retention and release parameters in saturated porous media.

Escherichia coli transport and release experiments were conducted to investigate the pore-water velocity (v) dependency of the sticking efficiency (α), the fraction of the solid surface area that contributed to retention (Sf), the percentage of injected cells that were irreversibly retained (Mirr), and cell release under different (10-300mM) ionic strength (IS) conditions. Values of α, Sf, and Mirr increased with increasing IS and decreasing v, but the dependency on v was greatest at intermediate IS (30 and 50mM). Following the retention phase, successive increases in v up to 100 or 150mday-1 and flow interruption of 24h produced negligible amounts of cell release. However, excavation of the sand from the columns in excess electrolyte solution resulted in the release of >80% of the retained bacteria. These observations were explained by: (i) extended interaction energy calculations on a heterogeneous sand collector; (ii) an increase in adhesive strength with the residence time; and (iii) torque balance consideration on rough surfaces. In particular, α, Sf, and Mirr increased with IS due to lower energy barriers and stronger primary minima. The values of α, Sf, and Mirr also increased with decreasing v because the adhesive strength increased with the residence time (e.g., an increased probability to diffuse over the energy barrier) and lower hydrodynamic forces diminished cell removal. The controlling influence of lever arms at microscopic roughness locations and grain-grain contacts were used to explain negligible cell removal with large increases in v and large amounts of cell recovery following sand excavation. Results reveal the underlying causes (interaction energy, torque balance, and residence time) of the velocity dependency of E. coli retention and release parameters (ksw, α, and Sf) that are not accounted for in colloid filtration theory.

Surface clogging process modeling of suspended solids during urban stormwater aquifer recharge.

Aquifer recharge, which uses urban stormwater, is an effective technique to control the negative effects of groundwater over-exploitation, while clogging problems in infiltration systems remain the key restricting factor in broadening its practice. Quantitative understanding of the clogging process is still very poor. A laboratory study was conducted to understand surface physical clogging processes, with the primary aim of developing a model for predicting suspended solid clogging processes before aquifer recharge projects start. The experiments investigated the clogging characteristics of different suspended solid sizes in recharge water by using a series of one-dimensional fine quartz sand columns. The results showed that the smaller the suspended particles in recharge water, the farther the distance of movement and the larger the scope of clogging in porous media. Clogging extents in fine sand were 1 cm, for suspended particle size ranging from 0.075 to 0.0385 mm, and 2 cm, for particles less than 0.0385 mm. In addition, clogging development occurred more rapidly for smaller suspended solid particles. It took 48, 42, and 36 hr respectively, for large-, medium-, and small-sized particles to reach pre-determined clogging standards. An empirical formula and iteration model for the surface clogging evolution process were derived. The verification results obtained from stormwater recharge into fine sand demonstrated that the model could reflect the real laws of the surface clogging process.