Pure testicular choriocarcinoma, a rare and highly malignant subtype with challenging treatment: A case report and review of the literature.

Testicular choriocarcinoma (CC) is the rarest subtype of germ cell tumours (GCTs) of the testis, with a high malignant potential and early haematogenous metastasis. Radical surgical resection should be performed primarily for histological diagnosis, while chemotherapy remains the mainstay of therapy for advanced disease. In the present study, the case of a 65-year-old male patient diagnosed with metastatic testicular CC, who did not fully respond to chemotherapy is reported. This patient underwent surgical removal of the testicular tumour, chemotherapy with etoposide and cisplatin, and radiotherapy of the intracranial lesions. Although the serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels of the patient and most of the metastases continued decreasing during chemotherapy, complete response was not achieved after six cycles of chemotherapy. The patient refused high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation due to severe side effects, and eventually developed respiratory failure on maintenance therapy with oral etoposide. A literature review was then performed, aiming to summarize the characteristics and therapeutic principles of testicular CC. In addition, the emerging therapeutic agents that could be used in maintenance therapy for GCTs, particularly for testicular CC, were also discussed. The limited clinical trials of targeted treatments showed potential benefit for long survival of patients with selected GCTs with fewer side effects. In particular, immunotherapy showed unique potential for testicular CC in preclinical studies, offering new approaches of maintenance therapy for advanced disease. Further studies should shed light on the identification of prognostic factors that predict the response to immune-based therapy in GCTs.

The effects of pharmaceutical interventions on potentially inappropriate medications in older patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) is a particular concern in older patients and is associated with negative health outcomes. As various interventions have been developed to manage it, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of pharmaceutical interventions on outcomes of PIMs in older patients. Methods: Meta-analysis of eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to report the outcomes of pharmaceutical interventions in older patients searching from the databases of Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Clinicaltrials.gov, SinoMed and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR). The PRISMA guidelines were followed and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42019134754). Cochrane bias risk assessment tool and the modified Jadad scale were used to assess the risk bias. RevMan software was used for data processing, analysis and graphical plotting. Results: Sixty-five thousand, nine hundred seventy-one patients in 14 RCTs were included. Of the primary outcomes, pharmaceutical interventions could significantly reduce the incidence of PIMs in older patients (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.62; p < 0.001), and the number of PIMs per person (MD = -0.41, 95%CI: -0.51, -0.31; p < 0.001), accompanying by a low heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis showed that the application of computer-based clinical decision support for pharmacological interventions could remarkably decrease the incidence of PIMs and two assessment tools were more effective. Of the secondary outcomes, the meta-analysis showed that pharmacological interventions could reduce the number of drugs used per person (MD = -0.94, 95%CI: -1.51, -0.36; p = 0.001) and 30-day readmission rate (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.36, 0.92; p = 0.02), accompanying by a low heterogeneity. However, the pharmaceutical interventions demonstrated no significant improvement on all-cause mortality and the number of falls. Conclusion: Our findings supported the efficacy of pharmaceutical interventions to optimize the use and management of drugs in older patients. Systematic review registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/, CRD42019134754.

Population pharmacokinetic analysis and dosing regimen optimization of teicoplanin in critically ill patients with sepsis.

Objectives: Teicoplanin has been extensively used in the treatment for infections caused by gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, current teicoplanin treatment is challenging due to relatively low and variable concentrations under standard dosage regimens. This study aimed to investigate the population pharmacokinetics (PPK) characteristics of teicoplanin in adult sepsis patients and provide recommendations for optimal teicoplanin dosing regimens. Methods: A total of 249 serum concentration samples from 59 septic patients were prospectively collected in the intensive care unit (ICU). Teicoplanin concentrations were detected, and patients' clinical data were recorded. PPK analysis was performed using a non-linear, mixed-effect modeling approach. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to evaluate currently recommended dosing and other dosage regimens. The optimal dosing regimens were defined and compared by different pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic parameters, including trough concentration (Cmin), the ratio of 24-h area under the concentration-time curve to the minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC0-24/MIC), as well as the probability of target attainment (PTA) and the cumulative fraction of response (CFR) against MRSA. Results: A two-compartment model adequately described the data. The final model parameter estimates for clearance, central compartment volume of distribution, intercompartmental clearance and peripheral compartment volume were 1.03 L/h, 20.1 L, 3.12 L/h and 101 L, respectively. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was the only covariate that significantly affected teicoplanin clearance. Model-based simulations revealed that 3 or 5 loading doses of 12/15 mg/kg every 12 h followed by a maintenance dose of 12/15 mg/kg every 24 h-72 h for patients with different renal functions were required to achieve a target Cmin of 15 mg/L and a target AUC0-24/MIC of 610. For MRSA infections, PTAs and CFRs were not satisfactory for simulated regimens. Prolonging the dosing interval may be easier to achieve the target AUC0-24/MIC than reducing the unit dose for renal insufficient patients. Conclusion: A PPK model for teicoplanin in adult septic patients was successfully developed. Model-based simulations revealed that current standard doses may result in undertherapeutic Cmin and AUC, and a single dose of at least 12 mg/kg may be needed. AUC0-24/MIC should be preferred as the PK/PD indicator of teicoplanin, if AUC estimation is unavailable, in addition to routine detection of teicoplanin Cmin on Day 4, follow-up therapeutic drug monitoring at steady-state is recommended.

Plastic waste discharge to the global ocean constrained by seawater observations.

Marine plastic pollution poses a potential threat to the ecosystem, but the sources and their magnitudes remain largely unclear. Existing bottom-up emission inventories vary among studies for two to three orders of magnitudes (OMs). Here, we adopt a top-down approach that uses observed dataset of sea surface plastic concentrations and an ensemble of ocean transport models to reduce the uncertainty of global plastic discharge. The optimal estimation of plastic emissions in this study varies about 1.5 OMs: 0.70 (0.13-3.8 as a 95% confidence interval) million metric tons yr-1 at the present day. We find that the variability of surface plastic abundance caused by different emission inventories is higher than that caused by model parameters. We suggest that more accurate emission inventories, more data for the abundance in the seawater and other compartments, and more accurate model parameters are required to further reduce the uncertainty of our estimate.

Association of Dietary and Supplement Intake of Antioxidants with Risk of Dementia: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a neuropsychiatric disorder with cognitive decline due to multiple factors. With the arrival of the aging population, the incidence of dementia has gradually increased. There is still no effective treatment for dementia, and therefore, the prevention of dementia has become crucial. Oxidative stress is considered to be one of the pathogenesis of dementia; therefore, antioxidant therapy and prevention of dementia have been gradually proposed. OBJECTIVE: Our meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association of antioxidants with risk of dementia. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for articles on antioxidants associated with dementia risk, and those containing cohort studies with high-dose versus low-dose controls were included in our meta-analysis. The resulting risk ratios (RR) and hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals were statistically analyzed using Stata12.0 free software. RESULTS: A total of 17 articles were included in this meta-analysis. Of 98,264 participants, 7,425 had dementia after 3-23 years of follow-up. The results of the meta-analysis showed a trend towards a lower incidence of dementia with high intake of antioxidants (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.77-1.19 I2 = 54.6%), but this was not statistically significant. High antioxidant intake significantly reduced the incidence of Alzheimer 's disease (RR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.79-0.92 I2 = 45.5%), and we additionally carried out subgroup analyses by nutrient type, diet or supplement, region, and study quality score. CONCLUSION: Dietary intake of antioxidants or supplements reduces both the risk of dementia and the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Drug-induced fall risk in older patients: A pharmacovigilance study of FDA adverse event reporting system database.

Objectives: As fall events and injuries have become a growing public health problem in older patients and the causes of falls are complex, there is an emerging need to identify the risk of drug-induced falls. Methods: To mine and analyze the risk signals of drug-induced falls in older patients to provide evidence for drug safety. The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System was used to collect drug-induced fall events among older patients. Disproportionality analyses of odds ratio (ROR) and proportional reported ratio were performed to detect the adverse effects signal. Results: A total of 208,849 reports (34,840 fall events and 1,898 drugs) were considered. The average age of the included patients was 76.95 ± 7.60 years, and there were more females (64.47%) than males. A total of 258 drugs with positive signals were detected to be associated with drug-induced fall incidence in older patients. The neurological drugs (104, 44.1%) with the largest number of positive detected signals mainly included antipsychotics, antidepressants, antiparkinsonian drugs, central nervous system drugs, anticonvulsants and hypnotic sedatives. Other systems mainly included the circulatory system (25, 10.6%), digestive system (15, 6.4%), and motor system (12, 5.1%). Conclusion: Many drugs were associated with a high risk of falls in older patients. The drug is one of the critical and preventable factors for fall control, and the risk level of drug-induced falls should be considered to optimize drug therapy in clinical practice.

Influence of exercise on patients with coronary heart disease / A influência do exercício em pacientes com doença arterial coronariana / La influencia del ejercicio en pacientes con enfermedad arterial coronaria

ABSTRACT Introduction: Coronary heart disease refers to coronary atherosclerosis caused by various reasons. Objective: To study the effect of acupuncture combined with exercise on patients with coronary heart disease after PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention). Methods: 50 patients with high blood pressure were selected. Patients in group A received regular medication and health education. Patients in group B received acupuncture and exercise. Results: After 12 weeks of exercise and therapy, the patient's physical parameters improved. The CPET index increased, but the peak value of VE/VCO2 decreased. The difference was statistically significant (ALL P<0.05). Conclusion: Compared with simple exercise training, combining acupuncture and exercise training can improve the cardiopulmonary function and exercise ability of middle-aged and elderly patients with coronary heart disease after PCI. It has a better effect on improving patients› physical pain, energy, emotional function, and mental health than simple exercise training. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

RESUMO Introdução: A expressão doença arterial coronariana se refere à arteriosclerose coronariana, que tem diversas etiologias possíveis. Objetivo: Estudar o efeito da acupuntura combinada com exercícios em pacientes com doença arterial coronariana depois de IPC (intervenção percutânea coronariana). Métodos: 50 pacientes com pressão sanguínea alta foram selecionados e divididos em dois grupos. Pacientes do Grupo A receberam medicação típica e ensino voltado à saúde. Pacientes do Grupo B receberam acupuntura combinada com exercícios. Resultados: Depois de 12 semanas de atividade física e terapia, houve melhora nos parâmetros físicos dos pacientes. O índice CPET aumentou, mas o valor máximo de VE/VCO2 diminuiu. A diferença foi estatisticamente significativa para todos (p<0,05). Conclusão: Comparado ao treino que incluía apenas atividades físicas, a combinação desse tipo de treino com acupuntura pode melhorar a função cardiopulmonar e a capacidade física de pacientes idosos ou de meia idade com doença coronariana depois de uma IPC. Seu efeito benéfico é maior que o efeito da atividade física isolada em relação a dor física, energia, função emocional e saúde mental. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação do resultado de tratamentos.

RESUMEN Introducción: La expresión enfermedad arterial coronaria se refiere a la arteriosclerosis coronaria, que tiene diversas etiologías posibles. Objetivo: Estudiar el efecto de la acupuntura combinada con ejercicios en pacientes con enfermedad arterial coronaria después de IPC (intervención percutánea coronaria). Métodos: Fueron seleccionados y divididos en dos grupos 50 pacientes con presión sanguínea alta. Los pacientes del Grupo A recibieron medicación típica y enseñanza dirigida a la salud. Los pacientes del Grupo B recibieron acupuntura combinada con ejercicios. Resultados: Después de 12 semanas de actividad física y terapia, hubo mejora en los parámetros físicos de los pacientes. El índice CPET aumentó, pero el valor máximo de VE/VCO2 disminuyó. La diferencia fue estadísticamente significativa para todos (p<0,05). Conclusión: Comparado al entrenamiento que incluía solo actividades físicas, la combinación de este tipo de entrenamiento con acupuntura puede mejorar la función cardiopulmonar y la capacidad física de pacientes ancianos o de media edad con enfermedad coronaria después de una IPC. Su efecto benéfico es mayor que el efecto de la actividad física aislada en relación al dolor físico, energía, función emocional y salud mental. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación del resultado de tratamientos.

LncRNA CRART16/miR-122-5p/FOS axis promotes angiogenesis of gastric cancer by upregulating VEGFD expression.

BACKGROUND: We previously identified a novel lncRNA, CRART16, that could induce cetuximab resistance in colorectal cancer cells. This study explored the relationship of CRART16 expression to gastric cancer progression and the molecular mechanisms involved. METHODS: We evaluated CRART16 expression in gastric cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues from the TCGA database and our hospital. Besides, we assessed its relationship with the overall survival (OS) of patients with gastric cancer. The effects of CRART16 on gastric cancer angiogenesis were determined by endothelial tube formation assay, spheroid sprouting assay, HUVEC invasion assay, and chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The involvement of the lncRNA CRART16/miR-122-5p/FOS axis was analyzed by western blotting and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The functions of CRART16 were confirmed in xenograft mouse models. RESULTS: We found that CRART16 was substantially overexpressed in gastric cancer tissues compared with normal tissues, based on the TCGA database and our clinical samples. High expression of CRART16 correlated with more advanced tumor stages and poor prognosis. Overexpression of CRART16 in gastric cancer cells promoted proliferation, colony formation, angiogenesis, and bevacizumab resistance in vitro, and it promoted tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo, and vice versa. CRART16 was found to downregulate miR-122-5p by acting as a sponge, upregulating the target oncogene FOS. Afterward, the increased FOS expression led to the upregulation of VEGFD. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that CRART16 promotes angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, and CRART16 is a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in gastric cancer.

The intercropping and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus decrease Cd accumulation in upland rice and improve phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil by Sphagneticola calendulacea (L.) Pruski.

Little is known about the impact of the combined application of intercropping and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) on the plant growth and Cd accumulation in the two intercropped plants. A greenhouse pot experiment was performed to investigate the effects of intercropping (IC) and AMF-Glomus versiforme (GV) on the growth, photosynthesis, Cd accumulation and antioxidant activities in the two intercropped plants-upland rice and Cd hyperaccumulator Sphagneticola calendulacea (L.) Pruski in the soils added with 5 mg Cd kg-1. It was found that the GV inoculation and the combined treatment of IC and GV (IC + GV) significantly (p < 0.05) increased the biomasses and the P contents of upland rice and S. calendulacea. In addition, the Cd concentrations and uptakes of plants in IC, GV and IC + GV treatments were significantly (p < 0.05) dropped in upland rice but increased in S. calendulacea compared with the monocropping control, and the compound treatment showed better effect on decreasing Cd accumulation in upland rice (especially grains) and increasing Cd uptake by S. calendulacea compared with the single intercropping or AMF treatment. Moreover, IC, GV and IC + GV treatments significantly (p < 0.05) improved the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of the two intercropped plants. Finally, IC, GV and IC + GV treatments all significantly increased the catalase activities and total antioxidant capacities, while decreased the malondialdehyde contents in upland rice and S. calendulacea. The present work could provide a feasible strategy for safe production of upland rice and phytoremediation of Cd contaminated soils.

MiR-205-5p suppresses angiogenesis in gastric cancer by downregulating the expression of VEGFA and FGF1.

Anti-angiogenic therapy represents one of the most promising treatment modalities for human cancers. However, the response to antiangiogenic therapy in gastric cancer (GC) remains dismal. To help identify new strategies for antiangiogenic therapy in GC, we evaluated miR-205-5p expression in GC tissues from TCGA database and our hospital, and its functions in angiogenesis were explored in vitro and in vivo. We investigated miR-205-5p expression and microvessel densities (MVDs) in GC tissues and liver metastases from patients. The function and mechanisms of miR-205-5p were examined in human cell lines and in xenograft mouse models. Associations between miR-205-5p expression and clinical characteristics were analyzed using either Pearson's χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. Differences in overall survival (OS) distributions were evaluated using the log-rank test. Differences in measurement data were compared using Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA. We found that miR-205-5p expression was downregulated in GC tissues and was negatively correlated with CD31 expression in both TCGA and our clinical samples. GC cell lines expressed low levels of miR-205-5p, and miR-205-5p upregulation significantly impaired the proliferation and angiogenesis of GC cells. Moreover, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) expression and activation of extracellular-related kinase (ERK) signaling were suppressed by miR-205-5p. MiR-205-5p inhibition promoted malignant phenotypes by enhancing VEGFA and FGF1 expression, as well as the activation of ERK signaling. Angiogenesis and ERK signaling were decreased in response to VEGFA and FGF1 downregulation induced by miR-205-5p overexpression. The dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that VEGFA and FGF1 were direct targets of miR-205-5p. Xenograft mouse models revealed that miR-205-5p suppressed tumor growth by inhibiting neovascularization. Altogether, these results demonstrate that miR-205-5p suppresses angiogenesis in GC by attenuating the expression of VEGFA and FGF1, indicating that upregulation of miR-205-5p may represent as an antiangiogenic therapy for GC.

Assessment of dissolved organic carbon and iron effects on water color between a forest and pasture-dominated fine-scale catchment in a Central Appalachian region, West Virginia.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and iron (Fe) have been observed to be the important contributors to surface water brownification. Additionally, the DOC quality influences water color by forming Fe-DOC complexes that provide additive effects and is influenced by dominant land use type within watersheds. However, the influence of quantity and quality of DOC on Fe and water color is poorly understood in headwater streams. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of DOC and Fe on water color in forest (FC) and pasture (GFC) fine-scale watersheds to remove the confounding effects of climate and soil parent material. Significant differences of DOC, Fe, and water absorbance at 420 nm (a420) between FC and GFC were found (p < 0.05). A dominant contribution to water color was from DOC (95.5 - 63.7%) with a decreasing trend when Fe increased from 0.011 to 0.258 mg L-1. There were no significant interactions between FC and GFC and Fe on either a420/DOC (p = 0.06) or specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254) (p = 0.30). Increasing values of a420/DOC and SUVA254 were significantly associated with increasing Fe concentration (p < 0.01). Significant interactions were found between FC and GFC and Fe on spectral slope ratio (S ratio) (p < 0.01). The response rate of S ratio with increasing Fe per unit was 0.235 for GFC while it was - 11.043 for FC. These differences indicate that land use may change the quality of DOC, influence Fe-DOC interactions, and thus affect water color. Linking the effects of soil Fe and DOC and headwater Fe and DOC may help identify optimal management practice to mitigate surface water brownification.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Eucommia ulmoides leaf.

Eucommia ulmoides is valuable medicinal plant in China. In this study, ultrasonic technology was used to extract polysaccharides and orthogonal design was applied to choose the optimal extraction conditions. The optimal extraction conditions of E. ulmoides polysaccharides were made up of the ratio of water to raw 30, extraction time 80 min, extraction temperature 60°C and extraction power 200 W. Under these conditions, the extraction polysaccharides content reached 164.95 mg/g. In addition, the potential antioxidant activity of crude polysaccharides (Cp) and pure polysaccharides (Pp) was demonstrated by evaluating reducing power assay, DPPH radical-scavenging assay, OH radical-scavenging assay and ABTS radical-scavenging assay. The results showed that E. ulmoides polysaccharides had significantly impact on the scavenging of DPPH radicals, OH radicals and ABTS radicals, expecially in DPPH radicals with an IC50 values of 0.005 mg/mL and 0.011 mg/mL in Cp and Pp, respectively. However, they were less effective in reducing power assay with low IC50 values of 1.091 mg/mL and 1.041 mg/mL separately. These results indicated that polysaccharides from E. ulmoides leaf could be applied as potential antioxidant.

Evaluation of Assays to Measure Aminoglycosides in Serum: Comparison of Accuracy and Precision Based on External Quality Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Aminoglycosides require highly accurate therapeutic drug monitoring owing to their narrow therapeutic windows and toxic side effects. Therapeutic drug monitoring varies in different laboratories, and this difference is mainly due to the use of different analytical techniques. This study aimed to compare the accuracy and precision of immunoassays for the measurement of gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin in serum. METHODS: Human plasma samples were spiked with known concentrations of amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin and dispatched to laboratories worldwide. The percentage deviation and coefficient of variation were calculated to compare the accuracy and precision among immunoassays and among antibiotics. RESULTS: We analyzed 273, 534, and 207 amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin measurement results, obtained satisfactory rates of 83.9%, 86.3%, and 93.7%, and coefficients of variation ranging from 1.1% to 15.6%, 2.9% to 25.2%, and 1.8% to 27.0%, respectively. The percentage deviation ranged from -7.5% to 6.6%, -20.8% to 18.7%, and -33.2% to 41.5% for amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin, respectively. Significant differences were observed in accuracy and precision among assays for all antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated high variations in results obtained from antibiotic assays conducted at different laboratories worldwide.

The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and biochar on the growth and Cd/Pb accumulation in Zea mays.

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to assess the effects of biochar (BC) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF)-Funneliformis mosseae (Fm), Glomus versiforme (Gv) and Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri) on the plant growth and Cd/Pb accumulation by corn grown in the soils artificially contaminated with 5 mg Cd and 300 mg Pb kg-1 soil. The single AMF inoculation and combined usage of AMF and BC evidently improved the P contents of maize. Furthermore, the combined use of AMF and BC produced pronounced positive effect on corn growth, and the shoot biomass in Gv + BC group was 9.85-fold higher than that of the control. Meanwhile, the single BC addition and combined utilization of AMF and BC significantly reduced Cd and Pb concentrations in maize, and the greater reduces were found in the combined utilization, and the lowest Cd concentration of shoot was appeared in Gv + BC group. The single BC addition and combined application of AMF and BC significantly increased soil pH, and reduced soil diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable Cd/Pb. This study demonstrated a synergistic effect between AMF (Gv, Fm, Ri) and BC on improving maize growth and decreasing Cd/Pb accumulation in maize, and the combined use of Gv and BC brought the most pronounced effect, which could provide a feasible strategy for safe production of maize from Cd/Pb-polluted soils.

Mechanism Investigation of Hydrocarbon Emissions from the In-Cylinder Post-Injection Effect on NO Oxidation over a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst.

The purpose of this study was to investigate hydrocarbon emissions from the in-cylinder post-injection effect on NO oxidation over a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) with various feed mixtures. In the temperature ramp experiments with varying C3H6 concentrations in NO/O2 and NO/O2/H2 mixtures, addition of C3H6 was observed to inhibit NO oxidation by delaying the ignition temperature of NO. Furthermore, NO2 production was decreased with an increase in the feed C3H6 concentration. NO was able to reduce platinum oxide and produce NO2 at 200 °C. Experimental results with C3H6 switching in/out at 350 °C indicated that the introduction of 1.1% C3H6 clearly increased the catalyst temperature and decreased the NO2 field. Feeding in H2 led to a higher NO2 field and a lower NO2 field drop. The decline in the NO2 concentration can be attributed to platinum passivation caused by H2 in the NO/O2/H2 mixture.

Combined application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and steel slag improves plant growth and reduces Cd, Pb accumulation in Zea mays.

Little attention has been paid to the combined use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) and steel slag (SS) for ameliorating heavy metal polluted soils. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of SS and AMF-Funneliformis mosseae (Fm), Glomus versiforme (Gv) and Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri) on plant growth and Cd, Pb uptake by maize grown in soils added with 5 mg Cd kg-1 and 300 mg Pb kg-1 soil. The combined usage of AMF and SS (AMF + SS) promoted maize growth, and Gv + SS had the most obvious effect. Meanwhile, single SS addition and AMF + SS decreased Cd, Pb concentrations in maize, and the greater reductions were found in combined utilization, and the lowest Cd, Pb concentrations of maize appeared in Gv + SS. Single SS amendment and AMF + SS enhanced soil pH and decreased soil diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable Cd, Pb concentrations. Furthermore, alone and combined usage of AMF and SS increased contents of soil total glomalin. Our research indicated a synergistic effect between AMF and SS on enhancing plant growth and reducing Cd, Pb accumulation in maize, and Gv + SS exerted the most pronounced effect. This work suggests that AMF inoculation in combination with SS addition may be a potential method for not only phytostabilization of Pb-Cd-contaminated soil but maize safety production.

Mutation of hop-1 and pink-1 attenuates vulnerability of neurotoxicity in C. elegans: the role of mitochondria-associated membrane proteins in Parkinsonism.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered as a critical mechanism in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Increasing evidence supports the notion of mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs) in mitochondrial dysfunction; yet little is known about the role of MAMs-related proteins in the pathogenesis of PD. Herein we exposed the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to 0.5-10.0 µM rotenone (RO) or 0.2-1.6 mM paraquat (PQ) for 3 days. Our results showed that both RO and PQ induced similar Parkinsonism including motor deficits and dopaminergic degeneration. RO/PQ caused mitochondrial damages characterized by the increase of vacuole areas and autophagy vesicles, but the decrease of mitochondrial cristae. RO/PQ-impacted mitochondrial function was also demonstrated by the decrease of ATP level and mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, the attachment or surrounding of endoplasmic reticulum to the damaged mitochondria indicates ultrastructural alterations in MAMs. Using fluorescently labeled transgenic nematodes, we further found that the expression of tomm-7 and genes of Complex I, II and III was reduced, whereas the expression of pink-1 was increased in the exposed animals. To determine MAMs in toxicity toward PD, we investigated the mutants of hop-1 and pink-1, encoding presenilin and PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) in mitochondria-associated membranes, respectively. Results demonstrated that the mutation of both hop-1 and pink-1 reduced the vulnerability of lethal, behavioral, and mitochondrial toxicity induced by RO/PQ. These findings suggest that presenilin and PINK1 play important roles in the RO/PQ-induced neurotoxicity through the mechanisms involved in mitochondria-associated membranes.

Microplastic and mesoplastic pollution in farmland soils in suburbs of Shanghai, China.

Microplastics are emerging pollutants which have been extensively detected in water environments. However, little is known about microplastic pollution in soil environments. In this study, we investigated microplastics and mesoplastics in farmland soils from twenty vegetable fields around the suburbs of Shanghai. In each site, three duplicate soil samples were collected from shallow (0-3 cm) and deep soils (3-6 cm), respectively. Microplastics (sizes of 20 µm - 5 mm) and mesoplastics (5 mm - 2 cm) were detected using methods of density extraction, 30% H2O2 digestion and micro-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The abundance of microplastics was 78.00 ±â€¯12.91 and 62.50 ±â€¯12.97 items kg-1 in shallow and deep soils, respectively. While, mesoplastics were found with abundance of 6.75 ±â€¯1.51 and 3.25 ±â€¯1.04 items kg-1 in shallow and deep soils. Among these micro(meso)plastics, 48.79% and 59.81% were in size of <1 mm in shallow and deep soils. The main morphotypes of microplastics included fiber, fragment and film, mostly in color of black or transparent. Moreover, we found that topsoil contained higher concentrations and larger sizes of micro(meso)plastics than deep soil. In addition, the vast majority of micro(meso)plastics were polypropylene (50.51%) and polyethylene (43.43%). This study reveals occurrence and characteristics of microplastic pollution in typical farmland soils. It provides important data for subsequent research on microplatics in the terrestrial ecosystem.