Photothermal therapy of xenografted tumor by carbon nanoparticles-Fe(II) complex.

Due to the unique structure, carbon nanomaterials could convert near-infrared (NIR) light into heat efficiently in tumor ablation using photothermal therapy (PTT). However, none of them has been applied in clinical treatment, because they have not been approved for clinical evaluations and the precise temperature control facility is scarce. In this study, we designed a temperature-responsive controller for PTT and used carbon nanoparticles-Fe(II) complex (CNSI-Fe) as photothermal conversion agent (PTA) for PTT of tumor in vitro and in vivo. CNSI-Fe was an innovative drug under the evaluations in clinical trials. CNSI-Fe showed excellent photothermal conversion ability in water to increase the water temperature by 40 °C within 5 min under irradiation of 808 nm laser at 0.5 W/cm2. The temperature was precisely controlled at 52 °C for both in vitro and in vivo tumor inhibition. CNSI-Fe with NIR irradiation showed higher tumor cell inhibition than CNSI. In tumor bearing mice, CNSI-Fe with NIR irradiation achieved an inhibition rate of 84.7 % and 71.4 % of them were completely cured. Mechanistically, CNSI-Fe under NIR irradiation induced the radical generation, oxidative damage and ferroptosis to kill tumor. In addition, CNSI-Fe showed good biosafety during PTT according to hematological, serum biological and histopathological examinations. These results indicated that the combination of chemotherapy and PTT provided higher antitumor efficiency using CNSI-Fe as PTA.

Effect of Evaluation of Various Emission Control Policies on PM2.5 Reduction.

In previous work, a methodology was developed to discuss the influence of meteorological factors, policies, and surrounding cities on PM2.5 concentrations in a city. Two models were constructed using Zibo City, Shandong Province, as the target city. Initially, we improved the established PM2.5-Meteorological-Policy (PMP) model and applied it to six other target cities in Shandong Province. Concurrently, a novel model named the PM2.5-Interregional (PI) model was further developed in each city to directly express the influence of surrounding cities on the target cities. The model construction period was from January 2014 to August 2022, with the extended prediction period until November 2022. The results confirmed that disparities in the spatial distribution in seasons became smaller after the implementation of environmental policies. Moreover, two models in each city revealed good interpretation with high adjusted R2 values (>0.7) and lower MAPE and RMSE values (the lowest was 5.53% and 2.57), suggesting reasonable short-term prediction. Additionally, meteorological factors and the combined implementation of different policy types played crucial roles in reducing PM2.5 concentrations in all cities. Specifically, the temperature and wind speed were negatively correlated with PM2.5 concentrations in all models, with temperature having a stronger influence. The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution (LAPAP), implemented in 2016, had a clear influence on reducing PM2.5 concentrations, with the highest absolute fitted coefficient in most cities (-0.166 to -0.344). On the contrary, the influence of temperature seemed to be more significant compared to policies, due to the larger standardized coefficient in each city (-0.606 to -0.864).

Comparative secretome analysis reveals cross-talk between type III secretion system and flagella assembly in Pseudomonas plecoglossicida.

The Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas plecoglossicida has caused visceral granulomas disease in several farmed fish species, including large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea), which results in severe economic losses. Type III secretion systems (T3SS) are protein secretion and translocation nanomachines widely employed by many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens for infection and pathogenicity. However, the exact role of T3SS in the pathogenesis of P. plecoglossicida infection is still unclear. In this study, a T3SS translocators deletion strain (△popBD) of P. plecoglossicida was constructed to investigate the function of T3SS. Then comparative secretome analysis of the P. plecoglossicida wild-type (WT) and △popBD mutant strains was conducted by label-free quantitation (LFQ) mass spectrometry. The results show that knockout of T3SS translocators popB and popD has an adverse effect on the effector protein ExoU secretion, flagella assembly, and biofilm formation. Further experimental validations also confirmed that popB-popD deletion could affect the P. plecoglossicida flagella morphology/formation, adherence, mobility, and biofilm formation. These data indicate that a cross-talk exists between the P. plecoglossicida T3SS and the flagella system. Our results, therefore, will facilitate the further under-standing of the pathogenic mechanisms leading to visceral granulomas disease caused by P. plecoglossicida.

A characteristic bacterial SERS marker for direct identification of Salmonella in real samples assisted by a high-performance SERS chip and a selective culture medium.

Salmonella should be absent in pharmaceutical preparations and foods according to the regulations. However, up to now, rapid and convenient identification of Salmonella is still full of challenge. Herein, we reported a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method for direct identification of Salmonella spiked in drug samples based on a characteristic bacterial SERS marker assisted by a high-performance SERS chip and a selective culture medium. The SERS chip being fabricated through in situ growth of bimetallic Au-Ag nanocomposites on silicon wafer within 2 h, featured a high SERS activity (EF > 107), good uniformity and batch-to-batch consistency (RSD < 10 %), and satisfactory chemical stability. The directly-visualized SERS marker at 1222 cm-1 originated from bacterial metabolite hypoxanthine was robust and exclusive for discrimination of Salmonella with other bacterial species. Moreover, the method was successfully used for direct discrimination of Salmonella in mixed pathogens by using a selective culture medium, and could identify Salmonella contaminant at ∼1 CFU spiked level in a real sample (Wenxin granule, a botanical drug) after 12 h of enrichment. The combined results showed that developed SERS method is practical and reliable, and could be a promising alternative for rapid identification of Salmonella contamination in pharmaceutical and foods industries.

Fractional flow reserve measured via left internal mammary artery after coronary artery bypass grafting: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: The fractional flow reserve (FFR) has made the treatment of coronary heart disease more precise. However, there are few reports on the measurement of FFR via the left internal mammary artery (LIMA). Herein, we described the determination of further treatments by measuring FFR via the LIMA in 2 cases after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). CASE SUMMARY: Case 1 was a 66-year-old male who was admitted due to "chest tightness after CABG." The patient underwent CABG 7 years prior due to coronary heart disease. Coronary artery angiography showed complete occlusion of the left anterior descending artery (LAD), and subtotal occlusion of the third segment of the right coronary artery. On arterial angiography, there was 85% stenosis at the distal end of the anastomosis of the LIMA-LAD graft. FFR via LIMA was determined at 0.75. Thus, balloon dilation was performed in Case 1. FFR after balloon dilation was 0.94. Case 2 was a 60-year-old male who was admitted due to "chest tightness after CABG." The patient underwent CABG 6 years prior due to coronary heart disease. There was 60% segmental stenosis in the middle segment of LAD and 75% anastomotic stenosis. FFR measured via LIMA was 0.83 (negative); thus the intervention was not performed. Case 2 was given drug treatments. At the 3-mo follow-up, there was no recurrence of chest tightness or shortness of breath in both cases. They are currently under continual follow-up. CONCLUSION: We provided evidence that FFR measurement via grafted blood vessels, especially LIMA, after CABG is a good method to determine the intervention course.

Carbon dots with aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) for detection of Zr4+/ Hf4+ and PTP1B activity.

The frequent use of Zirconium (Zr) and Hafnium (Hf) in modern industries may result in serious environment issues, and thus developing analytical methods to facilitate the control of these two resembled metal elements is urgently needed. However, up to now, rapidly and conveniently detecting Zr4+ and Hf4+ is still full of challenge. In this study, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (N, S-Cdots) with aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) were prepared and used for turn-on detection of Zr4+ and Hf4+ within 10 min. The photoluminescent intensity of N, S-Cdots showed a good linear correlation with Zr4+ and Hf4+concentrations ranging from 0 to 30 µM with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.47 and 0.53 µM, respectively. Furthermore, this fluorometric assay was successfully used for quantitative analysis of Zr4+ and Hf4+ in real water samples with satisfactory recoveries in the range of 91.16-108.50% and 90.28-106.49%, respectively. Finally, the developed N, S-Cdots sensing system was used for assay PTP1B activity and screening its inhibitor with Zr4+ as the medium. Our work demonstrated that the as-prepared N, S-Cdots with AIEE can offer a simple and reliable alternative for rapid detection of Zr4+ and Hf4+ in water samples, in addition to being potential useful in phosphatase analysis and drug discovery.

Erratum to "miR-223 Inhibits the Polarization and Recruitment of Macrophages via NLRP3/IL-1ß Pathway to Meliorate Neuropathic Pain".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2021/6674028.].

Bardoxolone methyl ameliorates osteoarthritis by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and protecting the extracellular matrix against degradation.

Inflammation and oxidative damage are closely related to the development of osteoarthritis. Bardoxolone methyl (CDDO-Me), a semisynthetic oleanane triterpenoid, plays a strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant role. The purpose of our research was to explore fundamental mechanisms of CDDO-Me in orthopaedics development. The results showed that CDDO-Me inhibited nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast formation and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways and inhibiting NF-κB pathway activation and excess ROS production. In vivo, CDDO-Me significantly attenuated articular cartilage proteoglycan loss and the number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts in a destabilized medial meniscus (DMM) mouse model of OA. Taken together, these data demonstrate that CDDO-Me inhibits osteoclastogenesis and ECM degradation, underscoring its potential therapeutic value in treating OA.

Antimicrobial Resistance of Helicobacter Pylori Among Low-resource Chinese Minorities.

Context: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has become a global public-health problem, and people living in low-resource settings may be more likely to be infected because of unhealthy life habits, poor sanitary conditions, and overuse of antibiotics without a prescription. Objectives: The study intended to assess the susceptibility of H. pylori to nine antibiotics commonly prescribed for eradication of H. pylori infections among minority people in Yunnan province, China, to provide updated recommendations for H. pylori eradication therapy among adults. Design: The research team designed a cross-sectional observational study. Setting: The study took place in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Province. Participants: Participants were 276 people in the Mosuo or Pumi minority population who had lived on the shores of Lugu Lake in Ninglang county, Yunnan province in China for generations. Outcome Measures: After completing a questionnaire, all participants underwent 13C-urea breath test, and those with a positive result participated in an antimicrobial-susceptibility test. For each H. pylori isolate, the research team tested the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of nine commonly used antibiotics: amoxicillin, azithromycin, levofloxacin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline, rifampicin, gentamicin, and moxifloxacin. Results: The research team confirmed that 276 participants were resistant to at least one antibiotic. The resistances rates for moxifloxacin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin were the highest, while that for amoxicillin was the lowest, and no isolates were resistant to gentamicin. Double resistance (33.20%) had the highest proportion of all multiple-resistance patterns. Moreover, the metronidazole resistance rate was higher in females than in males and in nonsmokers than in smokers, and rifampicin resistance was higher in nondrinkers than in drinkers, suggesting that smoking and drinking might be protective against metronidazole and rifampicin resistance. Conclusions: Most of the Mosuo and Pumi people in Yunnan were resistant to antibiotics. Moxifloxacin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin should no longer be the main medicines for H. pylori, whereas amoxicillin and gentamicin should be recommended to be the first-line clinical therapy for H. pylori eradication regimens.

Suppressive role of lovastatin in intracerebral hemorrhage through repression of autophagy.

Statins possess critical function in the brain. Here, we intended to investigate the role of lovastatin in brain damage after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). A collagenase-induced ICH rat model was established followed by lovastatin treatment. Then, the effect of lovastatin on ICH-induced brain damage was explored with cognitive function, learning and memory abilities, and neurological damage of rats analyzed. Besides, brain water content, number of degenerate neurons, Nissl's body, and apoptosis of neurons were detected. Oxidative stress levels, inflammation, and autophagy levels in ICH were measured after treatment of lovastatin. Lovastatin improved the cognitive impairment of rats, enhanced their spatial learning and memory abilities, reduced nervous system damage, lesion area, and brain water content after ICH. Lovastatin was capable of reducing the number of degenerated neurons, the apoptosis level, autophagy level, and increasing the number of Nissl's body. Lovastatin inhibited the oxidative stress response and inflammatory factors in the brain tissue after ICH, and increased the expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. Lovastatin inhibited AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway after ICH. Our study highlighted the suppressive role of lovastatin in ICH-induced brain damage.

The effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR) based mindfulness training on improvement mental-health in adults: A narrative systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, digital techniques, such as virtual reality (VR) has been employed in tandem with more traditional psychological interventions. The aim of this study is to investigate whether VR-based mindfulness training can improve mental health outcomes, and notably mindfulness levels amongst adults. In addition, this review seeks to summarise the various designed VR scenarios, as well as those elements around VR that may assist people in practising mindfulness and meditation. METHODS: The search for eligible studies for inclusion was conducted via the following databases: the Applied Social Science Index & Abstract (ASSIA), PsychINFO, Medline, EMBASE, and the Web-of-Science Core Collection. Only experimental studies were eligible for inclusion, and specifically, those that compared the effectiveness of mindfulness training using immersive VR (on the one hand) with a control condition. RESULTS: This search generated 2523 articles published between 2016 and 2022, and of these, 106 were assessed for eligibility. This review included seven studies, with a collective total of 798 participants. VR-based mindfulness training has been shown to be more effective than conventional mindfulness - it improves levels of mindfulness and meditation experience; but also shown to reduce anxiety, depression, improve sleep quality, emotion regulation, and generate mood improvement. VR-based mindfulness training frequently contains natural 'environmentally relevant' elements, such as forest, grassland, caves, sea, etc. CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests that using VR to assist mindfulness training is an effective and innovative way to improve mental health conditions within the adult population. Further directions and limitations are discussed.

A preliminary study of the chemical composition and bioactivity of Bombax ceiba L. flower and its potential mechanism in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus using ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-flight mass spectrometry and network pharmacology analysis.

This study aimed to preliminary investigate the phytochemistry, bioactivity, hypoglycemic potential, and mechanism of action of Bombax ceiba L. flower (BCF), a wild edible and food plant in China. By using methanol extraction and liquid-liquid extraction, the crude extract (CE) of BCF and its petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH), and aqueous (AQ) fractions were obtained, and their chemical components and biological activities were evaluated. Further high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was carried out to identify and quantify the active constituents of BFC and its five fractions, and the phytochemical composition of the best-performing fraction was then analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS). Finally, a network pharmacology strategy based on the chemical profile of this fraction was applied to speculate its main hypoglycemic mechanism. Results revealed the excellent biological activities of BCF, especially the EtOAc fraction. In addition to the highest total flavonoid content (TFC) (367.72 µg RE/mg E) and total phenolics content (TPC) (47.97 µg GAE/mg E), EtOAc showed the strongest DPPH⋅ scavenging ability (IC50 value = 29.56 µg/mL), ABTS⋅+ scavenging ability (IC50 value = 84.60 µg/mL), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (889.62 µg FeSO4/mg E), which were stronger than the positive control BHT. EtOAc also exhibited the second-best α-glucosidase inhibitory capacity and second-best acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory capacity with the IC50 values of 2.85 and 3.27 mg/mL, respectively. Also, EtOAc inhibited HepG2, MCF-7, Raw264.7, and A549 cell with IC50 values of 1.08, 1.62, 0.77, and 0.87 mg/mL, which were the second or third strongest in all fractions. Additionally, HPLC analysis revealed significant differences in the compounds' abundance between different fractions. Among them, EtOAc had the most detected compounds and the highest content. According to the results of UPLC/Q-TOF-MS, 38 compounds were identified in EtOAc, including 24 phenolic acids and 6 flavonoids. Network pharmacological analysis further confirmed 41 potential targets of EtOAc in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and intracellular receptor signaling pathways, unsaturated fatty acid, and DNA transcription pathways were the most possible mechanisms. These findings suggested that BCF was worthwhile to be developed as an antioxidant and anti-diabetic food/drug.

Current Progress in Natural Degradation and Enhanced Removal Techniques of Antibiotics in the Environment: A Review.

Antibiotics are used extensively throughout the world and their presence in the environment has caused serious pollution. This review summarizes natural methods and enhanced technologies that have been developed for antibiotic degradation. In the natural environment, antibiotics can be degraded by photolysis, hydrolysis, and biodegradation, but the rate and extent of degradation are limited. Recently, developed enhanced techniques utilize biological, chemical, or physicochemical principles for antibiotic removal. These techniques include traditional biological methods, adsorption methods, membrane treatment, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), constructed wetlands (CWs), microalgae treatment, and microbial electrochemical systems (such as microbial fuel cells, MFCs). These techniques have both advantages and disadvantages and, to overcome disadvantages associated with individual techniques, hybrid techniques have been developed and have shown significant potential for antibiotic removal. Hybrids include combinations of the electrochemical method with AOPs, CWs with MFCs, microalgal treatment with activated sludge, and AOPs with MFCs. Considering the complexity of antibiotic pollution and the characteristics of currently used removal technologies, it is apparent that hybrid methods are better choices for dealing with antibiotic contaminants.

Group cognitive behavioral therapy as an effective approach for patients with alcohol dependence: A perspective study.

Alcohol dependence (AD) syndrome refers to a strong addiction to alcohol and high tolerance physiologically or psychologically, due to the repeated consumption of alcohol-based substances. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) on patients with AD. A total of 128 patients with AD were randomly assigned to the GCBT or control group. Patients in the GCBT group underwent an 8-week GCBT in addition to conventional treatment, and patients in the control group only received conventional treatment. The insight and treatment attitude questionnaire (ITAQ) score, chronic disease self-cognition evaluation score (CDSCES), treatment adherence, and relapse rate at 6 and 12 months were compared among the 2 groups. The ITAQ scores of the GCBT group, after treatment, increased significantly compared to those of the control group (19.69% vs 13.26%, P < .001). The CDSCES in the GCBT group increased significantly compared to those in the control group after treatment (3.98 vs 2.18, P = .001 for problem-solving ability; 8.08 vs 5.08, P = .001 for self-management efficacy; 4.29 vs 3.30, P = .005 for a positive response, and 4.84 vs 3.44, P = .008 for a social function, respectively). After treatment, the percentage of patients with AD with full compliance in the GCBT group was much higher than in the control group (93.8% vs 65.6%, P < .001). Contrastingly, the percentage of patients with AD with partial compliance in the GCBT group was much lower than that in the control group (3.2% vs 34.4%, P < .001). The relapse rate (%) of drinking in patients with AD in the GCBT group was much lower than that in the control group (1.56% vs 21.8%, P = .001 for 6 months and 4.7% vs 51.6%, P < .001 for 12 months). The results suggest that GCBT for 8 weeks is an effective approach for patients with AD, improving problem-solving ability, self-management efficacy, positive response, and social function, leading to increase in treatment compliance, and reducing relapse rate.

Long Non-Coding RNA and mRNA Profiles in the Spinal Cord of Rats with Resiniferatoxin-Induced Neuropathic Pain.

Purpose: The ultrapotent transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) agonist resiniferatoxin (RTX) induces small-fiber sensory neuropathy, which has been widely used model of postherpetic neuralgia to study mechanisms of neuropathic pain and new analgesics. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA expression profiles in spinal dorsal horn tissues of rats six weeks after RTX injection to identify new RNAs related to neuropathic pain. Methods: Microarray technology was applied to determine lncRNA expressions in spinal dorsal horn samples of adult rats 6 weeks after treatment with RTX or vehicle. The lncNA/mRNA co-expression network was constructed, and differential expression patterns of lncRNA and mRNA in RTX-treated rats were identified. Differential expressions of lncRNAs and mRNAs between RTX-treated samples and control samples were examined by RT-qPCR. Results: Microarray analyses showed that 745 mRNA and 139 lncRNAs were upregulated, whereas 590 mRNA and 140 lncRNAs were downregulated in spinal dorsal horn tissues after RTX exposure. TargetScan was used to predict mRNA targets for these lncRNAs, which showed that the transcripts with multiple predicted target sites were related to neurologically important pathways. In addition, differential expressions of lncRNA (ENSRNOG00000022535, ENSRNOG00000042027, NR_027478, NR_030675) and Apobec3b mRNA in spinal cord tissue samples were validated, which confirmed the microarray data. The association between NR_030675 and Apobec3b levels was confirmed, which may be related to neuropathic pain. Conclusion: Our study reveals lncRNA and mRNA of molecule targets that are enriched in the spinal cord dorsal horn and provides new information for further investigation on the mechanisms and therapeutics of neuropathic pain.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Mechanism of Natural Ovarian Ageing.

Background: The decline in the quantity and quality of oocytes due to ovarian ageing in women is now a significant threat to reproductive health today as the concept of delayed fertility becomes widespread. However, the molecular mechanisms of natural ovarian ageing have not been fully elucidated. Method: Here, we used transcriptomic data from 180 normal ovarian tissues from GTEx V8 to analyze the expression profile of ovarian tissues from women with age segments of 20-29 (22 individuals), 30-39 (14 individuals), 40-49 (37 individuals), 50-59 (61 individuals), 60-69 (42 individuals), and 70-79 (4 individuals), respectively. XCELL was used to assess the infiltration score of 64 cell types of the ovary. WGCNA was used to characterize the co-expression network during the natural aging of the ovary. ClusterprofileR was used for functional enrichment analysis of co-expression modules. MsViper was used for master regulator analysis. Results: The infiltration score of endothelial cells and activated antigen-presenting cells during natural ovarian ageing increased significantly at ages 30-39, 40-49, and then decreased, whereas CD4+ Tcm increased with age. WGCNA identified six co-expression modules from ovarian tissue transcriptomic data species. The red module was significantly and positively correlated with senescence and CD4+ Tcm, and the turquoise module was significantly and positively correlated with Endothelial Cells. We further explored ovarian tissue for women aged 20-29 and 30-39 years. The GSEA results showed that the Chemokine signaling pathway was significantly activated in the 30-39-year-old group, while Oocyte meiosis was significantly inhibited. Finally, the results of msviper found that transcription factors such as KDM1A, PRDM5, ZNF726, PPARG, FOXJ2, and GLI2 were mainly activated in the 20-29 years group, while VAV1, RUNX3, ZC3H12D, MYCL, and IRF5 were mainly activated in the 30-39 years group and that these transcription factor activities were diagnostic of natural ovarian ageing (AUC: 0.65-0.71). Conclusion: Natural ageing of the ovary is significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration and activation of inflammation-related signaling pathways, with inflammation levels reaching a maximum during early ovarian ageing (30-39, 40-49) and then gradually decreasing after that. These studies provide a research basis for exploring the mechanisms of natural ovarian ageing.

Optimization of Experimental Procedure for Determining Azelaic Acid in Cosmetics by Gas Chromatography Derivatized through Ethanol.

The quantitative evaluation of azelaic acid is becoming critical in the development of new medicinal products and in environment. A feasible method for the determination of azelaic acid in cosmetics by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometer detector (GC-MS) with derivation was developed and optimized. The derivative effect was good, when azelaic acid was derivatized through ethanol at room temperature for 10 min with 800 µL of sulfuric acid as a catalyst. A good linear relationship of azelaic acid derivative was present from 10 to 1000 mg L-1 (R 2 = 0.9997). Detection limit and quantitative limit of GC was 15 and 50 mg kg-1, respectively. The recovery rate was in the range from 87.7% to 101% with all relative standard deviation (RSD) values less than 4%, denoting the method meeting the requirement of the analysis. Therefore, this method has the advantages of strong anti-interference ability and accurate results. Among the eight samples nominally azelaic acid, only three were detected. The respective content was 78 133, 16 710, and 2431 mg kg-1. The results showed that the actual addition of the azelaic acid in the market was quite different with label identification, being worthy of further attention. Further, it also provided a favorable experience for the monitoring of azelaic acid in the environment.

Trimester-specific prenatal heavy metal exposures and sex-specific postpartum size and growth.

BACKGROUND: There has been limited research considering the effects of prenatal exposure to multiple heavy metals on early childhood size and growth. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated prenatal exposures to 15 heavy metals in association with measures of weight, length, and head circumference (HC) measured at birth, and 1, 3 and 6 months of age in a study of 358 mother-child pairs. METHODS: Urinary concentrations were measured in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy and examined, using sex-stratified general linear models, in association with average standardized size and changes in size (growth) over the first 6 months of life. Confounding effects among metals were explored. RESULTS: Increased first trimester Hg and V were associated with decreased average HC among males and weight among females, respectively. Increased first trimester V was associated with a decline in weight among females over time. Increased third trimester Cs, Rb and Tl were associated with increased average weight and HC among males. Increased third trimester Se was associated with increased HC among females over time. Evidence for confounding was observed between Cs, Rb and Tl in association with weight and HC. SIGNIFICANCE: We observed multiple biologically plausible associations between prenatal heavy metal exposures and postnatal size and growth. IMPACT: We have taken a comprehensive and novel approach to evaluating the impacts of prenatal heavy metal exposures on size and growth during early childhood. Our detailed analyses consider exposures to 15 different heavy metals at two time points during pregnancy, as well as multiple metrics of size and growth collected at birth and 1, 3 and 6 months of age.

Dynamic Optical Visualization of Proton Transport Pathways at Water-Solid Interfaces.

Probing proton transport is of vital importance for understanding cellular transport, surface catalysis and fuel cells. Conventional proton transport measurements rely on the use of electrochemical conductivity and do not allow for the direct visualization of proton transport pathways. The development of novel experimental techniques to spatiotemporally resolve proton transport is in high demand. Here, building upon the general conversion of aqueous proton flux into spatially resolved fluorescence signals, we optically visualize proton transport through nanopores and along hydrophilic interfaces. We observed that the fluorescence intensity increased at negative voltage due to lateral transport. Thanks to the temporal resolution of optical imaging, our technique further empowers the analysis of proton transport dynamics.

African Swine Fever Virus Bearing an I226R Gene Deletion Elicits Robust Immunity in Pigs to African Swine Fever.

African swine fever (ASF) is a severe hemorrhagic infectious disease in pigs caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV), leading to devastating economic losses in epidemic regions. Its control currently depends on thorough culling and clearance of the diseased and surrounding suspected pigs. An ASF vaccine has been extensively explored for years worldwide, especially in hog-intensive areas where it is highly desired, but it is still unavailable for numerous reasons. Here, we report another ASF vaccine candidate, named SY18ΔI226R, bearing a deletion of the I226R gene with a replacement of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression cassette at the right end of the viral genome. This deletion results in the complete loss of virulence of SY18 as the gene-deleted strain does not cause any clinical symptoms in all pigs inoculated with a dosage of either 104.0 or 107.0 50% tissue culture infective doses (TCID50). Apparent viremia with a gradual decline was monitored, while virus shedding was detected only occasionally in oral or anal swabs. ASFV-specific antibody appeared at 9 days postinoculation. After intramuscular challenge with its parental strain ASFV SY18 at 21 days postinoculation, all the challenged pigs survived, without obvious febrile or abnormal clinical signs. No viral DNA could be detected upon the dissection of any tissue when viremia disappeared. These results indicated that SY18ΔI226R is safe in swine and elicits robust immunity to virulent ASFV infection. IMPORTANCE Outbreaks of African swine fever have resulted in devastating losses to the swine industry worldwide, but there is currently no commercial vaccine available. Although several vaccine candidates have been reported, none has been approved for use for several reasons, especially ones concerning biosafety. Here, we identified a new undescribed functional gene, I226R. When deleted from the ASFV genome, the virus completely loses its virulence in swine. Importantly, pigs infected with this gene-deleted virus were resistant to infection by intramuscular challenge with 102.5 or 104.0 TCID50 of its virulent parental virus. Furthermore, the nucleic acid of the gene-deleted virus and its virulent parental virus was rarely detected from oral or anal swabs. Viruses could not be detected in any tissues after necropsy when viremia became negative, indicating that robust immunity was achieved. Therefore, SY18ΔI226R is a novel, ideal, and efficacious vaccine candidate for genotype II ASF.