Source, preservation and re-suspension of 239,240Pu in a well dated peat core collected from northwest China.

Owning to the high radiotoxicity in high concentrations, as well as the irreplaceability in quantifying soil erosion rates, demarcating the Anthropocene, and dating of sediment, anthropogenic 239,240Pu have drawn high attention. However, the source in specific areas, preservation characteristics in different environment media, and re-distribution process after the cessation of atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, have not been fully understood, which obscures the exact start year, temporal variation, and deposition flux of 239,240Pu in sedimentary records, and hinders the wide application of 239,240Pu in environment study. A sediment core from the Yiwu peat bog with dominance of atmospheric deposition in the source material, simple sedimentary environment, and high dust deposition flux, was collected to examine the 239,240Pu, and explore the source, preservation, and re-distribution process. The double peaks of 239,240Pu in 1952 CE and 1963 CE, as well as 240Pu/239Pu ratios of 0.163-0.190 with an average of 0.177 ± 0.010 confirmed that the 239,240Pu source originated predominantly from global fallout. The minimal vertical migration of plutonium in the Yiwu peat core was attributed to the near-neutral pH condition. The high inventory of 128 ± 7 Bq m-2, as well as the atypical negative correlation between 239,240Pu concentrations and organic matter content (r = - 0.79, P < 0.01), was attributed to the contribution of 239,240Pu re-suspended with dust from the neighboring Gobi Desert, particularly in the cold and dry years. The total re-suspended 239,240Pu was estimated to be 77 Bq m-2, exceeding the direct fallout level of 51 Bq m-2 during 1945-2016 CE. In this study, the specified deposition pattern of 239,240Pu after the cessation of atmospheric nuclear weapons was established, providing an important standard for multiple environmental studies, and the re-suspended amount of 239,240Pu in a typical arid area was quantified for the first time.

Myasthenia gravis with tongue muscle atrophy: A case series.

Here, we presented 6 patients who were admitted to our institution and diagnosed as myasthenia gravis (MG) with tongue muscle atrophy. All these 6 patients developed symptoms of bulbar muscle weakness in acetylcholine receptor antibodies positive MG (AChR-MG) (3/6), muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase antibodies positive MG (MuSK-MG) (1/6), and sero-negative MG (2/6). Most of patients had "triple-furrowed" tongue except for patient 2 with irregular atrophy of tongue muscle. Tongue muscle atrophy occurs in patients with MuSK-MG, AChR-MG, and sero-negative MG. Atrophied tongue muscles of five patients with MG were reversible after immunotherapy.

Ionic Liquid Modified Fe-Porphyrinic Metal-Organic Frameworks as Efficient and Selective Photocatalysts for CO2 Reduction.

Porphyrin-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are ideal platforms for heterogeneous photocatalysts toward CO2 reduction. To further explore photocatalytic MOF systems, it is also necessary to consider their ability to fine-tune the microenvironments of the active sites, which affects their overall catalytic operation. Herein, a kind of ionic liquid (IL, here is 3-butyric acid-1-methyl imidazolium bromide, BAMeImBr) was anchored to iron-porphyrinic Zr-MOFs with different amounts to obtain ILx@MOF-526 (MOF-526 = Zr6O4(OH)4(FeTCBPP)3, FeTCBPP = iron 5,10,15,20-tetra[4-(4'-carboxyphenyl)phenyl]-porphyrin, x = 100, 200, and 400). ILx@MOF-526 series was designed to investigate the effects of the microenvironmental and electronic structural modification on the efficiency and selectivity of the photochemical reduction of CO2 after introducing IL fragments. Compared to parent MOF-526, the production and selectivity of CO were greatly improved in the absence of any photosensitizer under visible light by the ILx@MOF-526 series. Among them, the CO yield of IL200@MOF-526 was up to 14.0 mmol g-1 within 72 h with a remarkable CO selectivity of 97%, which is superior to that of MOF-526 without BAMeIm+ modification and other amounts of BAMeIm+ loaded. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations were performed to study the mechanism of the CO2 reduction.

Anti-phasic oscillatory development for speech and noise processing in cochlear implanted toddlers.

Human brain demonstrates amazing readiness for speech and language learning at birth, but the auditory development preceding such readiness remains unknown. Cochlear implanted (CI) children (n = 67; mean age 2.77 year ± 1.31 SD; 28 females) with prelingual deafness provide a unique opportunity to study this stage. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, it was revealed that the brain of CI children was irresponsive to sounds at CI hearing onset. With increasing CI experiences up to 32 months, the brain demonstrated function, region and hemisphere specific development. Most strikingly, the left anterior temporal lobe showed an oscillatory trajectory, changing in opposite phases for speech and noise. The study provides the first longitudinal brain imaging evidence for early auditory development preceding speech acquisition.

Impact of Geko Neuromuscular Stimulator on Preoperative Preparation in Ankle Fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of the Geko neuromuscular stimulator on preoperative preparation in patients with ankle fractures. STUDY DESIGN: Quasi-experiment study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery and Department of Orthopaedics, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China, between December 2020 and 2021. METHODOLOGY: This quasi-experiment study included patients with ankle fractures treated with Geko neuromuscular stimulator before surgical fixation. The primary outcome was limb swelling at 24, 48, and 72 hours (h) after admission, and the secondary outcomes were pain according to visual analogue scale (VAS) at 12, 24, and 48 hours after admission, preoperative waiting time, and comfort 4 and 72 h after admission. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients were included in the study; 30 in the conventional treatment group (mean age 41.16 ± 2.01 years) and 30 in the Geko group (mean age 40.22 ± 2.68 years). The limb swelling in patients was significantly different between the Geko and conventional treatment groups (p = 0.004). Besides, the swelling values at 48 (p < 0.001) and 72 (p < 0.001) hours were significantly lower than those at 24 hours. The pain in patients was significantly different between the Geko and conventional treatment groups (p = 0.007). Besides, the swelling values at 24 (p < 0.001) and 48 (p < 0.001) hours are significantly lower than those at 24 hours. Comfort was significantly higher at 4 h (69.54 ± 2.18 vs. 67.22 ± 3.14, p = 0.002) and 72 h [(88.50 (84.00 - 94.00) vs. 82.14 ± 3.08, p < 0.001)] after admission. The preoperative waiting time (3.52 ± 1.8 vs. 5.15 ± 2.1 hours, p = 0.002) was significantly shorter in the Geko group. CONCLUSION: The Geko neuromuscular stimulator is a useful option for preoperative preparation in patients with ankle fractures to reduce local swelling and pain and improve patients' comfort. KEY WORDS: Ankle fractures, Lower extremity, Neuromuscular stimulator, Peroneal nerve, Pain.

Sphingolipid profiling reveals differential functions of sphingolipid biosynthesis isozymes of C. elegans.

Multiple isozymes are encoded in the C. elegans genome for the various sphingolipid biosynthesis reactions, but the contributions of individual isozymes are characterized only in part. We developed a simple but effective reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (RPLC-MS/MS) method that enables simultaneous identification and quantification of ceramides (Cer), glucosylceramides (GlcCer), and sphingomyelins (SM), three important classes of sphingolipids from the same MS run. Validating this sphingolipid profiling method, we show that nearly all 47 quantifiable sphingolipid species found in young adult worms were reduced upon RNA interference (RNAi) of sptl-1 or elo-5, which are required for synthesis of the id17:1 sphingoid base. We also confirm that HYL-1 and HYL-2, but not LAGR-1, constitute the major ceramide synthase activity with different preference for fatty acid substrates, and that CGT-3, but not CGT-1 and CGT-2, plays a major role in producing glucosylceramides. Deletion of sms-5 hardly affects SM levels. RNAi of sms-1, -2, and -3 all lower the abundance of sphingomyelins with an odd number of carbon atoms (mostly C21 and C23, with or without hydroxylation) in the N-acyl chain, and only sms-1 RNAi does not elevate sphingomyelins containing even-numbered N-acyl chains. This suggests that sphingolipids containing even-numbered N-acyl chains could be regulated separately, sometimes in opposite directions, with those containing odd-numbered N-acyls, presumably monomethyl branched chain fatty acyls. We also find that ceramide levels are kept in balance with those of glucosylceramides and sphingomyelins.

Escape Rooms in Nursing Education: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Escape rooms (ERs) are being increasingly used in nursing education as an active and game-based learning method. PURPOSE: To conduct a systematic review to synthesize evidence on the current use of ERs in nursing education. METHODS: A mixed methods systematic review was performed to identify and synthesize existing literature. Five databases were searched in July 2023. Descriptive and thematic analysis were used to synthesize quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 333 studies were found after searching 5 databases. After 2 independent reviews, a total of 57 studies were identified across 5 countries. There were 16 qualitative studies, 34 quantitative studies, and 7 mixed methods studies. Four main themes were identified. CONCLUSIONS: ERs are widely used across different topics and settings in nursing education and are enjoyed by the majority of participants; however, more rigorous research is needed to confirm whether ERs improve learning outcomes.

Comparative analysis of two digestive tract reconstruction methods in total laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastric cancer has significantly increased in recent years. Surgical resection is the main treatment, but the method of digestive tract reconstruction after gastric cancer surgery remains controversial. In the current study, we sought to explore a reasonable method of digestive tract reconstruction and improve the quality of life and nutritional status of patients after surgery. To this end, we statistically analyzed the clinical results of patients with gastric cancer who underwent jejunal interposition double-tract reconstruction (DTR) and esophageal jejunum Roux-en-Y reconstruction (RY). AIM: To explore the application effect of DTR in total laparoscopic radical total gastrectomy (TLTG) and evaluate its safety and efficacy. METHODS: We collected the relevant data of 77 patients who underwent TLTG at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 2021 to January 2023. Among them, 35 cases were treated with DTR, and the remaining 42 cases were treated with traditional RY. After 1:1 propensity score matching, the cases were grouped into 31 cases per group, with evenly distributed data. The clinical characteristics and short- and long-term clinical outcomes of the two groups were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The two groups showed no significant differences in basic data, intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph node dissections, first defecation time after operation, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications, and laboratory examination results on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th days after operation. The operation time of the DTR group was longer than that of the RY group [(307.58 ± 65.14) min vs (272.45 ± 62.09) min, P = 0.016], but the first intake of liquid food in the DTR group was shorter than that in the RY group [(4.45 ± 1.18) d vs (6.0 ± 5.18) d, P = 0.028]. The incidence of reflux heartburn (Visick grade) and postoperative gallbladder disease in the DTR group was lower than that in the RY group (P = 0.033 and P = 0.038). Although there was no significant difference in body weight, hemoglobin, prealbumin, and albumin between the two groups at 1,3 and 6 months after surgery, the diet of patients in the DTR group was better than that in the RY group (P = 0.031). CONCLUSION: The clinical effect of DTR in TLTG is better than that of RY, indicating that it is a more valuable digestive tract reconstruction method in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.

Grifolin Induces Cell Death of Human Lung Cancer A549 Cell Line via Inhibiting KRAS-mediated Multiple Signaling Pathways.

In the current work, grifolin was obtained from the twigs and leaves of Daphne genkwa for the first time and displayed significant growth inhibition against human lung carcinoma A549 cells. Subsequent in vitro antitumor evaluation revealed that grifolin could induce remarkable cell apoptosis and G0/G1 phase arrest, as well as block cell migration and invasion. In addition, grifolin also disrupted cellular energy metabolism by inducing reactive oxygen species, reducing adenosine triphosphate and mitochondrial membrane potential, and damaging DNA synthesis. Further RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that treatment of grifolin on A549 cells led to gene enrichment in MAPK, PI3K/Akt and NF-kB signaling pathways, all of which were inhibited by grifolin according to immunoblotting experiments. Further mechanistical studies disclosed that the expression of a key upstream protein KRAS was also blocked, and the cell death triggered by grifolin could be rescued by a RAS activator ML-099. Moreover, pretreatment of ML-099 on A549 cells could reverse the grifolin-induced downregulation of key proteins in the three aforementioned pathways. These findings indicate that grifolin could induce cell death in A549 cell line by inhibiting KRAS-mediated multiple signaling pathways.

Quantitative estimation of dust transport in the desert region of northwest China by plutonium isotopes.

Dust is an important source of atmospheric pollution, and quantitative estimation of desert dust transport is crucial for air pollution control. In this study, five typical sandy soil profiles in the Tengger Desert were collected and analyzed for 239,240Pu concentration and 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratios in order to identify the source of 239,240Pu in this area and explore the sedimentary characteristics of dust in different profiles. The results revealed that the concentrations of 239,240Pu in the soil profiles were between 0.002 and 0.443 mBq/g with an exception of the deep layer soil at one site. The measured atomic ratios of 240Pu/239Pu are at the global atmospheric fallout level with a mean of 0.184 ± 0.020, indicating that global fallout is the dominant source of plutonium in this region. The total inventories of 239,240Pu in the reference sites in this area were estimated to be 39.2-44.6 Bq/m2, this is in agreement with the value from the global fallout of atmospheric nuclear weapon tests at the similar latitude (30-40 °N: 42 Bq/m2). The estimated erosion rate in the erosion profile utilizing soil erosion intensity mode is 2491 t/km2/yr and the soil erosion depth is 9.86 cm, While, the stacking rate of the accumulation profile is 1383 t/km2/yr, and the depth of accumulation is estimated to be 5.48 cm. The difference between the erosion and accumulation profiles indicated that approximately 1107 t/km2/yr of dust was exported from the Gobi landform area of the Tengger Desert, which might be transported long distance in the downwind direction.

Dapagliflozin Reduces Systemic Inflammation in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Without Known Heart Failure.

Objective: Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors significantly improve cardiovascular outcomes in diabetic patients; however, the mechanism is unclear. We hypothesized that dapagliflozin improves cardiac outcomes via beneficial effects on systemic and cardiac inflammation and cardiac fibrosis. Research and Design Methods: This randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled 62 adult patients (mean age 62, 17% female) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) without known heart failure. Subjects were randomized to 12 months of daily 10 mg dapagliflozin or placebo. For all patients, blood/plasma samples and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) were obtained at time of randomization and at the end of 12 months. Systemic inflammation was assessed by plasma IL-1B, TNFα, IL-6 and ketone levels and PBMC mitochondrial respiration, an emerging marker of sterile inflammation. Cardiac fibrosis was assessed by T1 mapping to calculate extracellular volume fraction (ECV); cardiac tissue inflammation was assessed by T2 mapping. Results: Between the baseline and 12-month time point, plasma IL-1B was reduced (-1.8 pg/mL, P=0.003) while ketones were increased (0.26 mM, P=0.0001) in patients randomized to dapagliflozin. PBMC maximal oxygen consumption rate (OCR) decreased over the 12-month period in the placebo group but did not change in patients receiving dapagliflozin (-158.9 pmole/min/106cells, P=0.0497 vs -45.2 pmole/min/106cells, P=0.41), a finding consistent with an anti-inflammatory effect of SGLT2i. ECV and T2 relaxation time did not change in both study groups. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that 12 months of dapagliflozin reduces IL-1B mediated systemic inflammation but affect cardiac fibrosis in T2D. Clinical Trialgov Registration: NCT03782259.

CHOP regulated by METTL14-m6A affects cell cycle arrest and regorafenib sensitivity in HCC cells.

BACKGROUND: Regorafenib, a multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, has been used in the treatment of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism of Regorafenib in HCC. METHODS: Regorafenib's impact on the sensitivity of HCC cells was assessed using CCK8. Differential gene expression analysis was performed by conducting mRNA sequencing after treatment with Regorafenib. The m6A methylation status of CHOP and differential expression of m6A methylation-related proteins were assessed by RIP and Western Blot. To explore the molecular mechanisms involved in the therapeutic effects of Regorafenib in HCC and the impact of METTL14 and CHOP on Regorafenib treatment, we employed shRNA/overexpression approaches to transfect METTL14 and CHOP genes, as well as conducted in vivo experiments. RESULTS: Treatment with Regorafenib led to a notable decrease in viability and proliferation of SK-Hep-1 and HCC-LM3 cells. The expression level of CHOP was upregulated after Regorafenib intervention, and CHOP underwent m6A methylation. Among the m6A methylation-related proteins, METTL14 exhibited the most significant downregulation. Mechanistic studies revealed that Regorafenib regulated the cell cycle arrest in HCC through METTL14-mediated modulation of CHOP, and the METTL14/CHOP axis affected the sensitivity of HCC to Regorafenib. In vivo, CHOP enhanced the anticancer effect of Regorafenib. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of HCC development by Regorafenib is attributed to its modulation of m6A expression of CHOP, mediated by METTL14, and the METTL14/CHOP axis enhances the sensitivity of HCC to Regorafenib. These findings provide insights into the treatment of HCC and the issue of drug resistance to Regorafenib.

Dietary vitamin intake and cancer risk in patients with chronic kidney disease: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2018).

PURPOSE: The relationship between vitamin intake and cancer risk in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population is unknown. For this reason, we investigated the relationship between dietary vitamin intake and cancer risk in CKD patients and looked for effective vitamin dietary patterns. METHODS: This study included 3518 CKD patients from 2007 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. All participants were categorized into four groups based on vitamin intake by K-mean clustering. The data were collected and analyzed from June 2023 to December 2023. RESULTS: A total of 3518 CKD patients with a mean age of (61.8 ± 16.3) years were included in the study. During a median follow-up of 7.3 years, 137 participants died of cancer. In the multivariate adjusted cox proportional hazards model for single vitamin intake, vitamin E Q4 intake (reference Q1) reduced cancer mortality (HR (95% CI) = 0.45 (0.24-0.87), P = 0.018). Further plotting of the restricted cubic spline curve revealed a linearly decreasing relationship between vitamin E intake and cancer mortality (Poverall = 0.010 Pnon-linear = 0.163). In the multivariate adjusted cox proportional hazards model for multivitamin co-intake, the vitamin C/K intake group reduced cancer mortality compared to the low vitamin intake group (HR (95% CI) = 0.42 (0.20-0.88), P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Increased vitamin C intake was independently associated with reduced cancer risk in CKD patients, and a vitamin dietary pattern with high vitamin C/K intake was also effective in reducing cancer risk.

Indigoferajintongpenensis (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae, Indigofereae), a new species from Yunnan, southwest China.

Indigoferajintongpenensis, a new species of the subfamily Papilionoideae of Fabaceae, is described and illustrated from Yunnan, southwest China. The new species is characterised by having a prostrate habit, flexible stems and branches, as well as spreading, sub-basifixed, asymmetrically 2-branched trichomes covering the entire plant, discoid calyx, and racemose inflorescences 6-8-flowered, short, 1-2 (-3.5) cm in length, apparently shorter than the leaf. A distribution map and comparison of morphological diagnostic characters with its morphologically similar species are provided. Additionally, a preliminary conservation assessment of I.jintongpenensis is proposed following IUCN criteria.

The LAT1 inhibitor JPH203 suppresses the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer through a CD24-mediated mechanism.

L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is specifically expressed in many malignancies, contributes to the transport of essential amino acids, such as leucine, and regulates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. We investigated the expression profile and functional role of LAT1 in prostate cancer using JPH203, a specific inhibitor of LAT1. LAT1 was highly expressed in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells, including C4-2 and PC-3 cells, but its expression level was low in castration-sensitive LNCaP cells. JPH203 significantly inhibited [14C] leucine uptake in CRPC cells but had no effect in LNCaP cells. JPH203 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRPC cells but not of LNCaP cells. In C4-2 cells, Cluster of differentiation (CD) 24 was identified by RNA sequencing as a novel downstream target of JPH203. CD24 was downregulated in a JPH203 concentration-dependent manner and suppressed activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, an in vivo study showed that JPH203 inhibited the proliferation of C4-2 cells in a castration environment. The results of this study indicate that JPH203 may exert its antitumor effect in CRPC cells via mTOR and CD24.

Multiplex proteomics identifies inflammation-related plasma biomarkers for aging and cardio-metabolic disorders.

BACKGROUND: Cardio-metabolic disorders (CMDs) are common in aging people and are pivotal risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of CVDs and aging, but the underlying inflammatory molecular phenotypes in CMDs and aging are still unknown. METHOD: We utilized multiple proteomics to detect 368 inflammatory proteins in the plasma of 30 subjects, including healthy young individuals, healthy elderly individuals, and elderly individuals with CMDs, by Proximity Extension Assay technology (PEA, O-link). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and functional modules were constructed to explore hub proteins in differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The correlation between proteins and clinical traits of CMDs was analyzed and diagnostic value for CMDs of proteins was evaluated by ROC curve analysis. RESULT: Our results revealed that there were 161 DEPs (adjusted p < 0.05) in normal aging and EGF was the most differentially expressed hub protein in normal aging. Twenty-eight DEPs were found in elderly individuals with CMDs and MMP1 was the most differentially expressed hub protein in CMDs. After the intersection of DEPs in aging and CMDs, there were 10 overlapping proteins: SHMT1, MVK, EGLN1, SLC39A5, NCF2, CXCL6, IRAK4, REG4, PTPN6, and PRDX5. These proteins were significantly correlated with the level of HDL-C, TG, or FPG in plasma. They were verified to have good diagnostic value for CMDs in aging with an AUC > 0.7. Among these, EGLN1, NCF2, REG4, and SLC39A2 were prominently increased both in normal aging and aging with CMDs. CONCLUSION: Our results could reveal molecular markers for normal aging and CMDs, which need to be further expanded the sample size and to be further investigated to predict their significance for CVDs.

Enhancing salt tolerance and crop growth in agricultural systems: the impact of magnetized-ionized water irrigation on soil properties, microbial communities, and cotton growth.

BACKGROUND: The development of agricultural practices requires an understanding of the improvement of salt tolerance and crop growth in agricultural systems through magnetized-ionized water irrigation. METHOD: This study examined the impacts of fresh water (F), brackish water (B), magnetized-ionized fresh water (MIF), and magnetized-ionized brackish water (MIB) on soil properties and the growth of cotton seedlings through microbial analysis during the cotton seedling period. RESULTS: The results revealed that magnetized-ionized water irrigation improved soil water retention and promoted salt leaching. In comparison with F irrigation, plant height, leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulation (DM), and chlorophyll content (SPAD) levels increased by 3.61%, 4.07%, 5.76%, and 1.33%, respectively, under MIF irrigation. Similarly, when compared with B irrigation, LAI, DM, and SPAD increased by 5.13%, 6.12%, and 3.12% under MIB irrigation. Magnetized-ionized water irrigation also led to a notable rise in the relative abundance of beneficial soil bacterial communities, particularly Pseudomonas and Azoarcus, as well as fungal communities like Trichoderma, while reducing the prevalence of pathogenic fungi, such as Lasionectria, Gibberella, and Alternaria. Notably, this irrigation approach induced alterations in soil properties, and partial least squares path modeling revealed significant links between soil properties and both cotton growth and fungal community structure (with path coefficients of -0.884 and 0.693, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study elucidated the distinct effects of soil properties and growth indices on cotton yield during the seedling period, providing a crucial scientific foundation for enhancing future agricultural production through the use of magnetized-ionized water irrigation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Characteristics, Sources Apportionment, and Health Risks of PM2.5-bound PAHs and Their Derivatives Before and After Heating in Zibo City].

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives are a global problem that influences the environment and threatens human health. To investigate the characteristics, sources, and health risk assessment of PM2.5-bound PAHs and their derivatives, PM2.5 were collected at an urban site in Zibo from November 5 to December 26, 2020, and the concentrations of 16 conventional PAHs, nine NPAHs, and five OPAHs in PM2.5 were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Source apportionment of PAHs and their derivatives was conducted using diagnostic ratios and a PMF model, and the health risks of PAHs and their derivatives to adult men and women were evaluated using the source-dependent incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) model. The results showed that the average concentrations of ∑16pPAHs, ∑9NPAHs, and ∑5OPAHs in PM2.5 of Zibo City during the sampling period were (41.61 ± 13.40), (6.38 ± 5.70), and (53.20 ± 53.47) ng·m-3, respectively. The concentrations of the three PAHs increased significantly after heating, which were 1.31, 2.04, and 5.24 times larger than those before heating. During the sampling period, Chr, BaP, and BaA were the dominant components of pPAHs; 9N-Ant and 2N-Flt + 3N-Flt were the dominant components of NPAHs; and ATQ and BZO were the dominant components of OPAHs. Source apportionment results showed that motor vehicles were the main source of PAHs and their derivatives in PM2.5 before heating, whereas after heating, the main sources were the mixed source of coal and biomass combustion and secondary formation. The total BaP equivalent (TEQ) was 14.5 ng·m-3 during the sampling period, and the TEQ increased significantly after heating, which was approximately 1.2 times of that before heating. Assisted by the individual PAH source apportionment results, the ILCR of PM2.5-boundPAHs and NPAHs in Zibo City had a certain potential carcinogenic risk for adult males (1.06 × 10-5) and females (9.32 × 10-6). Among them, the health risks of PAHs from gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles, and coal/biomass combustion were significantly higher than those from other emission sources.

CRISPR/Cas14 and G-Quadruplex DNAzyme-Driven Biosensor for Paper-Based Colorimetric Detection of African Swine Fever Virus.

The highly contagious nature and 100% fatality rate contribute to the ongoing and expanding impact of the African swine fever virus (ASFV), causing significant economic losses worldwide. Herein, we developed a cascaded colorimetric detection using the combination of a CRISPR/Cas14a system, G-quadruplex DNAzyme, and microfluidic paper-based analytical device. This CRISPR/Cas14a-G4 biosensor could detect ASFV as low as 5 copies/µL and differentiate the wild-type and mutated ASFV DNA with 2-nt difference. Moreover, this approach was employed to detect ASFV in porcine plasma. A broad linear detection range was observed, and the limit of detection in spiked porcine plasma was calculated to be as low as 42-85 copies/µL. Our results indicate that the developed paper platform exhibits the advantages of high sensitivity, excellent specificity, and low cost, making it promising for clinical applications in the field of DNA disease detection and suitable for popularization in low-resourced areas.

Construction and validation of somatic mutation-derived long non-coding RNAs signatures of genomic instability to predict prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been found to be a potential prognostic factor for cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Some LncRNAs have been confirmed as potential indicators to quantify genomic instability (GI). Nevertheless, GI-LncRNAs remain largely unexplored. This study established a GI-derived LncRNA signature (GILncSig) that can predict the prognosis of HCC patients. AIM: To establish a GILncSig that can predict the prognosis of HCC patients. METHODS: Identification of GI-LncRNAs was conducted by combining LncRNA expression and somatic mutation profiles. The GI-LncRNAs were then analyzed for functional enrichment. The GILncSig was established in the training set by Cox regression analysis, and its predictive ability was verified in the testing set and TCGA set. In addition, we explored the effects of the GILncSig and TP53 on prognosis. RESULTS: A total of 88 GI-LncRNAs were found, and functional enrichment analysis showed that their functions were mainly involved in small molecule metabolism and GI. The GILncSig was constructed by 5 LncRNAs (miR210HG, AC016735.1, AC116351.1, AC010643.1, LUCAT1). In the training set, the prognosis of high-risk patients was significantly worse than that of low-risk patients, and similar results were verified in the testing set and TCGA set. Multivariate Cox regression analysis and stratified analysis confirmed that the GILncSig could be used as an independent prognostic factor. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the GILncSig showed that the area under the curve (0.773) was higher than the two LncRNA signatures published recently. Furthermore, the GILncSig may have a better predictive performance than TP53 mutation status alone. CONCLUSION: We established a GILncSig that can predict the prognosis of HCC patients, which will help to guide prognostic evaluation and treatment decisions.