[Provincial-scale Soil As Migration and Transformation and Rice Safe Planting Zoning: A Case Study of Guizhou Province].

To explore the distribution characteristics of paddy soil and rice AS content, as well as the health risks of rice consumption, and to evaluate the safe planting ability of rice, 209 paddy soil samples and 1 567 groups of paddy soil-rice samples were collected, their As content and basic soil physical and chemical properties were determined, and the single-factor pollution index method was used to evaluate the pollution degree of the samples. The results showed that:① the soil of paddy fields in Guizhou Province was mainly neutral, and its fertilizer retention capacity and organic matter content were above the medium level, and the soil was relatively fertile. The range of ω(As) in paddy soil was 0.042-91.75 mg·kg-1, the geometric mean was 10.03 mg·kg-1, and the cumulative effect of paddy soil As was lower than that of natural soil As (P<0.05) by independent sample T. Compared with the screening value (0.2 mg·kg-1) of the Soil Pollution Risk Management and Control Standard for Agricultural Land (GB 15618-2018), the excess rate of soil samples was 15.37%. ② The ω (As) range of rice grain samples was 0.001-0.937 mg·kg-1, the geometric average value was 0.108 mg·kg-1, 10.21% of the rice grain samples exceeded the limit value of "Limit of Contaminants in Food (trial)" (GB 2762-2022), and the locations where the exceedances are mainly found are in the central and northern parts of Qiannan Prefecture, as well as around industrial and mining activity zones in the southern counties and districts of Zunyi. ③ As ingested through rice posed non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk for adults and children, and the impact on children was greater than that of adults. There is no strict control area for safe rice planting in Guizhou Province, and rice can be safely planted.

An integrated bioinformatics approach to identify key biomarkers in the tubulointerstitium of patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and construction of mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA/circRNA networks.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify potential biomarkers in the tubulointerstitium of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and comprehensively analyze its mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA/circRNA network. METHODS: The expression data (GSE108112 and GSE200818) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/). Identification and enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed. the PPI networks of the DEGs were constructed and classified using the Cytoscape molecular complex detection (MCODE) plugin. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify critical gene modules. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis were used to screen for key biomarkers of the tubulointerstitium in FSGS, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine their diagnostic accuracy. The screening results were verified by quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. The transcription factors (TFs) affecting the hub genes were identified by Cytoscape iRegulon. The mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA/circRNA network for identifying potential biomarkers was based on the starBase database. RESULTS: A total of 535 DEGs were identified. MCODE obtained eight modules. The green module of WGCNA had the greatest association with the tubulointerstitium in FSGS. PPARG coactivator 1 alpha (PPARGC1A) was screened as a potential tubulointerstitial biomarker for FSGS and verified by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The TFs FOXO4 and FOXO1 had a regulatory effect on PPARGC1A. The ceRNA network yielded 17 miRNAs, 32 lncRNAs, and 50 circRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: PPARGC1A may be a potential biomarker in the tubulointerstitium of FSGS. The ceRNA network contributes to the comprehensive elucidation of the mechanisms of tubulointerstitial lesions in FSGS.

[Mercury Pollution in Dryland Soil and Evaluation of Maize Safety Production in Guizhou Province].

Guizhou Province is the province with the largest Hg production and reserves in China, and maize is the second largest grain crop in Guizhou Province. It is necessary to identify the status of soil Hg content in Guizhou Province and evaluate the safety of maize production. A total of 990 soil-maize samples and 270 single soil samples were collected in the main maize-producing areas to determine soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and organic matter content (SOM), as well as Hg content in soil and maize. The results showed that the pH of dryland soil in Guizhou Province ranged from 3.93 to 9.82, the geometric mean of ω(SOM) was 27.5 g·kg-1, and the geometric mean of CEC was 11.7 cmol·kg-1. Soil ω(Hg) ranged from 0.005 to 686 mg·kg-1, the geometric mean was 0.632 mg·kg-1, and the over-standard rate was 7.22%. Among them, the soil Hg pollution in Tongren was the most prominent, with the exceedance rate of 21.3%. At the county level, Danzhai County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, and Tongren City Wanshan District and Bijiang District had high exceedance rates of Hg. According to the Limit of Pollutants in Food according to National Standards for Food Safety (GB 2762-2017), the exceedance rate of Hg content in maize grains was 1.11%, and the exceedance points were mainly distributed around industrial and mining activity areas such as Wanshan District in Tongren City and Xixiu District in Anshun City. According to the results, there was serious soil Hg pollution in Guizhou Province. On the whole, maize can be safely planted, but it is necessary to pay close attention to the Hg content in grains and the Hg exposure risk of residents around industrial and mining areas.

Identification of key biomarkers of the glomerulus in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and their relationship with immune cell infiltration based on WGCNA and the LASSO algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to identify key biomarkers of glomeruli in focal glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and analyze their relationship with the infiltration of immune cells. METHODS: The expression profiles (GSE108109 and GSE200828) were obtained from the GEO database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered and analyzed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). MCODE module was constructed. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to obtain the core gene modules. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was applied to identify key genes. ROC curves were employed to explore their diagnostic accuracy. Transcription factor prediction of the key biomarkers was performed using the Cytoscape plugin IRegulon. The analysis of the infiltration of 28 immune cells and their correlation with the key biomarkers were performed. RESULTS: A total of 1474 DEGs were identified. Their functions were mostly related to immune-related diseases and signaling pathways. MCODE identified five modules. The turquoise module of WGCNA had significant relevance to the glomerulus in FSGS. TGFB1 and NOTCH1 were identified as potential key glomerular biomarkers in FSGS. Eighteen transcription factors were obtained from the two hub genes. Immune infiltration showed significant correlations with T cells. The results of immune cell infiltration and their relationship with key biomarkers implied that NOTCH1 and TGFB1 were enhanced in immune-related pathways. CONCLUSION: TGFB1 and NOTCH1 may be strongly correlated with the pathogenesis of the glomerulus in FSGS and are new candidate key biomarkers. T-cell infiltration plays an essential role in the FSGS lesion process.

[Characteristics and Planting Safety Assessment of As Content in Dryland Soil and Maize in Guizhou Province].

In order to understand the distribution characteristics of As content in dryland soils and maize seeds in Guizhou province and to evaluate the safety of maize cultivation, 468 natural soil samples, 1260 dryland surface soil samples, and 980 corresponding maize seed samples were systematically collected to determine their As content and basic physicochemical properties. The degree of contamination of the samples was evaluated by using the single-factor contamination index method. The results showed that: ① the range of ω(As) in dryland soil was 0.35-758.53 mg·kg-1, with a geometric mean of 23.28 mg·kg-1. The independent sample T-test showed that the As content of dryland soil in Guizhou province was significantly higher than that of natural soil ω(As) 21.29 mg·kg-1 (P<0.01), indicating the existence of arsenic accumulation effects in dryland soil; compared with the screening value of the "Agricultural Land Soil Pollution Risk Management and Control Standard" (GB 15618-2018), the excess rate of soil samples was 33.81%. ② Corn seed ω(As) ranged from 0.001 to 0.868 mg·kg-1, with a mean value of 0.064 mg·kg-1, and 0.61% of the corn seed samples exceeded the limit value of "Limits of Contaminants in Foods" (GB 2762-2017), with the exceeding points distributed in Bijie City, Qianxinan Prefecture, and Tongren City. ③ When corn seeds were used as feed and grain, maize could be safely grown in dryland soils in Guizhou province. This study showed that the soil As pollution in the dryland of Guizhou province was relatively serious, and overall safe maize cultivation can be achieved; however, the cultivation of maize around the As-related non-ferrous metal mining areas is still of concern.

Observations of linear aggregation behavior in rotifers (Brachionus calyciflorus).

Linear aggregation is present in some animals, such as the coordinated movement of ants and the migration of caterpillars and spinylobsters, but none has been reported on rotifers. The rotifers were collected and clone cultured in the laboratory at 25 ± 1°C, under natural light (light intensity ~130 lx, L:D = 14:10). The culture medium(pH = 7.3) was formulated as described by Suga et al., and rotifers were fed on the micro algae Scenedesmus obliquus grown in HB-4 medium to the exponential growth stage. When density was high (150 individuals ml-1), the behavior of rotifers was observed using a stereo microscope (Motic ES-18TZLED). In this paper, linear aggregation in Brachionus calyciflorus was found for the first time, and experiments were carried out to verify the correlation between linear aggregation and culture density of B. calyciflorus. With the increase of density, the number of aggregations increase, the number of individuals in the aggregation increased, and the maintenance time of the aggregation was also increased. Therefore, we speculate that the formation of aggregates is related to density and may be a behavioral signal of density increase, which may transmit information between density increase and formation of dormant eggs.

[Spatiotemporal variations of ecosystem service values and landscape ecological risk and their correlation in forest area of Loess Plateau, China:A case study of Ziwuling region.] / é»„åœŸé«˜åŽŸæž—åŒºç”Ÿæ€ç³»ç»ŸæœåŠ¡ä»·å€¼ä¸Žæ™¯è§‚ç”Ÿæ€é£Žé™©æ—¶ç©ºå˜åŒ–åŠå ¶å ³è”æ€§­­ä»¥å­åˆå²­åŒºä¸ºä¾‹.

Although the awareness of ecosystem services provided by natural landscape is increa-sing, few studies integrate ecosystem services value (ESV) into ecological risk management and its control. With Ziwuling region as an example, we carried out the gridding resampling of landscape pattern types in the forest area of Ziwuling region in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2017. We quantified the ESV and landscape ecological risk and their spatiotemporal variations, based on the 2.5 km×2.5 km grid. The spatial correlation between the ESV and landscape ecological risk was examined. The results showed that the ESV decreased from the center to the outside of Ziwuling region, which increased from 12.345 to 12.633 billion yuan from 1980 to 2017. The landscape ecological risk increased from the center to the outside edge of Ziwuling region, indicating that the landscape ecological risk of Ziwuling region was reduced and the overall ecological situation was improved. There was a significant negative correlation and negative spatial correlation between ESV and landscape ecological risk in this area. The high value-low risk area was mainly located in Ziwu-ling forest area, while the ESV might be maintained in the future.

[Potential of Accumulation and Application of Dominant Plants in Lanping Lead-zinc Mine, Yunnan Province].

A field investigation in the abandoned lead-zinc mines in Yunan Province was conducted to assess the accumulation potential of dominant plant species and six heavy metals in mine soils. Eighteen types of plants were selected for the analysis. Local plants and soil were sampled and analyzed for cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and Zn (zinc) concentrations. Bioconcentration and translocation factors were calculated. Cluster analysis was performed to calculate the accumulation potential. The results showed that all dominant plants (18 species and 13 families) were herbaceous plants. The content of heavy metals in these plants was higher than their normal content in plants. The above-ground Cd content of Corydalis yanhusuo, Carum bretschneideri, and Picris hieracioides reached 62.29, 76.49, and 85.09 mg ·kg-1. The bioconcentration factors of Cd in these three plants were 0.57, 0.58, and 0.66, and the translocation factors were 0.89, 0.45, and 1.48, respectively. These plants have a strong ability to absorb and transfer Cd in soil; hence, they have the potential to remediate the Cd-contaminated soil. The above-ground Cd content of Euphorbia fischeriana and Cynoglossum amabile were 0.46 mg ·kg-1and 0.23 mg ·kg-1, respectively, and the bioconcentration factors were less than 0.01. These two plants accumulate low levels of heavy metals and thus, are suitable for growth in high altitude areas of Southwest China. They are considered economic plants for safe use in Cd-contaminated farmlands and have high application value. To protect the ecological environment of the mining areas, the other 13 plants having good tolerance to heavy metal pollution can be used as vegetation restoration plants in mining areas.

Corrigendum: Physical Organohydrogels With Extreme Strength and Temperature Tolerance.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.00102.].

Physical Organohydrogels With Extreme Strength and Temperature Tolerance.

Tough gel with extreme temperature tolerance is a class of soft materials having potential applications in the specific fields that require excellent integrated properties under subzero temperature. Herein, physically crosslinked Europium (Eu)-alginate/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) organohydrogels that do not freeze at far below 0°C, while retention of high stress and stretchability is demonstrated. These organohydrogels are synthesized through displacement of water swollen in polymer networks of hydrogel to cryoprotectants (e.g., ethylene glycol, glycerol, and d-sorbitol). The organohydrogels swollen water-cryoprotectant binary systems can be recovered to their original shapes when be bent, folded and even twisted after being cooled down to a temperature as low as -20 and -45°C, due to lower vapor pressure and ice-inhibition of cryoprotectants. The physical organohydrogels exhibit the maximum stress (5.62 ± 0.41 MPa) and strain (7.63 ± 0.02), which is about 10 and 2 times of their original hydrogel, due to the synergistic effect of multiple hydrogen bonds, coordination bonds and dense polymer networks. Based on these features, such physically crosslinked organohydrogels with extreme toughness and wide temperature tolerance is a promising soft material expanding the applications of gels in more specific and harsh conditions.

Cough maneuver is superior to Valsalva maneuver for detecting mild-extent right-to-left shunt.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the different provocative maneuvers in detecting right-to-left shunt during contrast transthoracic echocardiography (cTTE). Methods: We evaluated 378 patients for right-to-left shunt detection by cTTE at the quiet respiration, during Valsalva maneuver (blowing into a face mask connected to a sphygmomanometer at 40 mmHg for 10 s), and during cough maneuver, performed in random order, and the degree of right-to-left shunt as the number of microbubbles in the left atrium per frame after each provocative maneuver was recorded. Results: The detection rates of right-to-left shunt for quiet respiration, Valsalva maneuver, and cough maneuver were 16%, 33%, and 38%, respectively (p < .001). The detection rate for cough maneuver was significantly higher than that for Valsalva maneuver (p < .001). There was no significant difference between Valsalva maneuver and cough maneuver in terms of detecting moderate- or severe-extent right-to-left shunt (p > .05), but cough maneuver was significantly better than Valsalva maneuver at detecting mild-extent right-to-left shunt (p = .001). Conclusions: Cough maneuver is an effective alternative to Valsalva maneuver, with a higher detection rate for mild-extent right-to-left shunt during cTTE, maybe due to its own mechanical characteristics.

[Remediation Potential of Ageratum conyzoides L. on Cadmium Contaminated Farmland].

To evaluate the remediation potential of Ageratum conyzoides L. on cadmium (Cd) contaminated farmland soil, the Cd-containing plants and root were collected and analyzed by field investigation, original pot experiment, and field experiment. The enrichment factor and removal rate of Ageratum conyzoides L. was calculated. The results showed that the maximum Cd content in the leaves of Ageratum conyzoides L. growing in soil of different lead-zinc mines was 77.01 mg·kg-1. In the high-concentration Cd soil treatment (T2), Cd content of the above-ground of Ageratum conyzoides L. was 69.71mg·kg-1, and Cd enrichment coefficient was 6.09. In the low-concentration Cd soil treatment (T1), the enrichment characteristics of Cd (Ageratum conyzoides L.) are consistent with the enrichment characteristics of Cd under high concentration conditions. Ageratum conyzoides L. exhibits stable accumulation characteristics for Cd. In the field experiment, the average Cd content of Ageratum conyzoides L. was 21.13 mg·kg-1, and the enrichment coefficient was 6.93. The removal rate of the three planting Ageratum conyzoides L. per mu of soil using the Ageratum conyzoides L. to repair Cd contaminated soil was 13.2%-15.6%. The use of Ageratum conyzoides L. to repair Cd pollution in farmland has a good prospect for engineering application.

Awareness and management of pulmonary embolism among physicians in China: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality. We intended to evaluate the awareness and management status of PE among Chinese physicians and provide the basis for establishing Chinese clinical guidelines on PE. We designed a nationwide survey to collect data on physicians' awareness of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up on PE. The questionnaires were distributed to physicians during offline academic meetings and by the online platforms from August 2016 to October 2016. Also, results were sub-grouped by age, hospital grades, departments and trained or not. A total of 2954 valid questionnaires were collected. We observed that there were several defects in the management of PE among Chinese physicians. First, a considerable proportion of physicians chose the incorrect clinical prediction rules for acute PE. Second, a considerable percentage of hospitals could not carry out computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (22.4%) or ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy (65.2%). Third, only a few physicians knew the use of new oral anticoagulants clearly (33.4%). Fourth, only 49% of physicians achieved follow-up management in over half of their patients. Additionally, physicians in the tertiary hospitals, aged > 35 years, trained and from respiratory department have a better knowledge of the management of PE. In conclusion, our survey demonstrates the enhancement of PE-related trainings, especially for physicians in lower-level hospitals, aged ≤ 35 years and from non-respiratory department, can help to improve the management of PE in Chinese physicians. And our study also highlights the need for the establishment of national guidelines for the management of PE in China.

Terretonin D1, a new meroterpenoid from marine-derived Aspergillus terreus ML-44.

A new meroterpenoid, named terretonin D1 (1), and three known ones, terretonin (2), terretonin A (3), and terretonin D (4), were isolated from marine-derived fungus Aspergillus terreus ML-44. The structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and the absolute configuration was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The anti-inflammation activity of 1-4 was preliminarily tested, and all of them weakly inhibited the nitric oxide (NO) production of RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), with inhibitory rates of 22-34% at 50 µg/mL.

[Analysis of Characteristics and Sources of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils in the Xijiang River Draining of Guangxi].

In order to determine the distribution characteristics of heavy metal pollution in farmland soils and related influencing factors in the Xijiang River Basin, 2187 farmland soil samples were collected and their heavy metal contents were tested. The spatial structure and distribution characteristics of heavy metal elements were studied using a combination of geostatistics theory and GIS spatial interpolation. The potential ecological risk index was employed for risk assessment. Multivariate statistical methods, such as correlation analysis and principal component analysis, were used to analyze heavy metal sources. Results showed that farmland soils in the Basin were enriched with seven kinds of heavy metal to some extent, with Cd accumulation being the most evident. T-test independent samples results showed significant differences in heavy metal content between dry and field paddy soils (P<0.05). Cd content in paddy soils was significantly higher than in corresponding dry land soils. Cd in farmland soils in Xijiang River exhibited higher potential ecological risk. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis showed that enrichment of Pb, Zn, As, Cd, and Cu in soil was due to anthropogenic factors such as mining activities, traffic, and sewage irrigation, while Ni and Cr were influenced by natural factors, such as soil parent material. High-content areas of As, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu in the upper reaches of the basin are all distributed in the Diaojiang River basin and the Dahuanjiang River basin. Cd was most widely distributed. The most intensive sampling sites indicated that mining activities have caused some degree of heavy metal pollution in local farmland soils.

[Spatial Variability and Contamination of Arsenic in Soils of Xijiang River Basin].

In this study, 2585 soil samples were collected in the Xijiang River Basin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the spatial variability and contamination of Arsenic in soils were evaluated using geostatistical and GIS tools. The results showed that the concentrations of As in surface soils (23.82 mg·kg-1) were higher than the background values of the Guangxi and Xijiang Rivers in natural soils; the upstream values (Diaojiang River and Huanjiang River) (30.22 mg·kg-1) were significantly higher than those in other regions. Concentrations of As in soil samples were in the order of soil in mining areas > soil in dryland > natural soil > paddy soil. As in mining areas were significantly higher than in other areas; high As concentrations were measured in the upstream of the Diaojiang River basin and the downstream of the Huanjiang River Basin. Low concentration clusters were in the six villages of Nandan, which are far from the mine, and in the upper reaches of the Dahuanjiang River and Xiaohuanjiang River Basin. Spatial autocorrelations of arsenic in the watershed soil were evident and the structural variability was dominant. The concentration of As in the upper reaches decreased from the northwest to the southeast. High As concentrations were distributed naturally along the river basin; concentrations in the middle and lower reaches of the basin were between 0.44 mg·kg-1 and 40 mg·kg-1. The concentration levels of As in total soil samples ranged from no-pollution to slight pollution, and the pollution was mainly distributed in the administrative areas of the city and the intensive areas of mining activities, among which the soil pollution in Jinchengjiang River and Nandan counties was more prominent. Effective measures should be taken to strengthen the safety level of tailings reservoirs during the rainy season, so as to maintain the production levels while protecting living standards of local residents.

[Accumulation of Cd and Its Risks in the Soils of the Xijiang River Drainage Basin in Guangxi].

To understand the distribution and risk of soil cadmium (Cd) in the Xijiang River drainage basin in Guangxi, a total of 2512 soil samples were collected nonferrous metal mining area, farmland (paddy soils and dryland soils) and the background soils, in the Xijiang River drainage basin in Guangxi.The results showed that Cd concentration was 0.514 mg·kg-1 in background soils significantly higher than previously resulted(0.148 mg·kg-1)and that in Guangxi background soil(0.267 mg·kg-1). The geometric average concentration of Cd in dryland soils, paddysoils and mining soils was 0.559, 0.787, 5.71 mg·kg-1, respectively, which were significantly higher than background soils. The Cd concentration exceeded the background soils and baseline by 51.2% and 35.2% in dryland soil, 66.7% and 39.6% in paddy soil, 77.8% and 71.4% in mining soil, high Cd concentration occurred in the Nandan County, Dahua County, Duan County, Huanjiang County and Yizhou City, as well as Liujiang County, These regions have developed severe and even extremely serious pollution, medium-high pollution accumulation and higher-extremely high potential ecological risks. The Cd-pollution in soils in agricultural and mining soils in upstream of Xijiang River in Guangxi is serious, due to mining activities and high Cd geological background. People in the mining area and surrounding areas who live on local crops, vegetables, may expose to the Cd-pollution. It is recommended to further develop a Cd risk assessment through a soil-plant-human system, taking appropriate measures to control risk.

[Spatial Distribution Study and Pollution Assessment of Pb in Soils in the Xijiang River Drainage of Guangxi].

To obtain data for the accumulation of Pb and its risk in soils in the Xijiang River drainage of Guangxi, 2594 samples were collected from nonferrous metal mining soils, farmland soils (paddy soils and dryland soils), and the background soils in the drainage area. Geostatistical analysis combined with GIS was used to study the soil spatial distribution characteristics and pollution distribution of the soil Pb content. The results showed that the Pb background value of the soil was 51.84 mg ·kg-1 in the Xijiang River Basin, and the results of the single sample T test showed that the soil background value was significantly higher than that of a previous study (22.08 mg ·kg-1) and the soil background value (20.50 mg ·kg-1) in Guangxi province. The geometric mean concentration of Pb in the mining soils, dryland soils, and paddy soils were 655.9, 116.7, and 40.63mg ·kg-1, respectively, significantly higher than that in other soils. Using GB 15618-1995 and the baseline as the limiting value, the corresponding exceedance rate of the mining soils, dryland soils, and paddy soils were 57.69%, 16.40%, and 8.92% and 54.95%, 8.09%, and 2.03%. The mining soils and farmland soils had an obvious lead accumulation trend. There was an obvious spatial autocorrelation of Pb in the soil, and the structural variation was dominant. The content of Pb in the upper reaches of the Xijiang River reached the middle and lower reaches of the Xijiang River, and the soil Pb was characterized by an obvious decrease. The accumulation of high Pb content in the upper reaches of Diaojiang River is much larger than that in the lower reaches of Diaojiang River. The content of Pb in soil samples in the Xijiang River Basin was mainly rated between mild pollution and moderate pollution, and the pollution was concentrated in the municipal administrative area and the mining activity area. The pollution of the soil in Jinchengjiang and Nandan counties was closely related to the frequent local mining activities.

Association between tobacco smoking and drug-resistant tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for tuberculosis but little is known about the relationship between tobacco smoking and drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the association between DR-TB and tobacco smoking. METHODS: We searched for relevant studies in the Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WANFANG, and WEIPU data-bases from inception to September 1, 2017. Results were expressed as odds ratios (ORs) with accompanying 95% CIs, and subgroup analyses were performed by study design, smoking type, DR-TB type, and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-three studies related to tobacco smoking and DR-TB were included. We found substantial evidence that tobacco smoking is associated with an increased risk of DR-TB (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.33-1.86). Associations were also found in subgroup analyses: for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.19-1.86) and for any DR-TB (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.3-2.23); the pooled OR was 1.45 (95% CI 1.11-1.90) for current smoking, 2.25 (95% CI 1.46-3.47) for past smoking, and 1.56 (95% CI 1.22-1.98) for smoking history; and similar ORs were also observed in study design and multivariate analysis subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that tobacco smoking is an independent risk factor for DR-TB.

Identification of haptoglobin as a potential diagnostic biomarker of acute pulmonary embolism.

: Acute pulmonary embolism is a common disease, which is associated with high mortality and morbidity. There is significant relationship between haptoglobin and pulmonary embolism, however, the usefulness of haptoglobin as a biomarker for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism remains poorly defined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the change and clinical diagnostic value of haptoglobin in pulmonary embolism. A comparative proteomic analysis was used for clinical screening of serum proteins in 18 patients (9 patients with pulmonary embolism and 9 controls). ELISA was used to validate the dysregulated proteins in 48 patients (24 patients with pulmonary embolism and 24 controls). Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of haptoglobin in pulmonary artery of both groups. The diagnostic value of the differential protein and its association with the severity of pulmonary embolism were evaluated. Eight proteins showed significant changes in serum of pulmonary embolism patients. Haptoglobin, as one of the eight differential proteins, was significantly overexpressed in the serum of pulmonary embolism patients. In accordance, the expression of haptoglobin was increased in pulmonary artery of pulmonary embolism patients. The ROC curve showed that serum haptoglobin was a specific parameter in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism with an area under the curve of 0.764 (95% confidence interval, 0.622-0.906; P < 0.01); in particular, the haptoglobin level at least 256.74 mg/l was the most useful cut-off value, with the sensitivity of 62% and specificity of 83%. Increased haptoglobin level may be an acceptable diagnostic parameter for pulmonary embolism.