Biomedical potency and mechanisms of marine polysaccharides and oligosaccharides: A review.

Derived from bountiful marine organisms (predominantly algae, fauna, and microorganisms), marine polysaccharides and marine oligosaccharides are intricate macromolecules that play a significant role in the growth and development of marine life. Recently, considerable attention has been paid to marine polysaccharides and marine oligosaccharides as auspicious natural products due to their promising biological attributes. Herein, we provide an overview of recent advances in the miscellaneous biological activities of marine polysaccharides and marine oligosaccharides that encompasses their anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-diabetes mellitus, and anticoagulant properties. Furthermore, we furnish a concise summary of the underlying mechanisms governing the behavior of these biological macromolecules. We hope that this review inspires research on marine polysaccharides and marine oligosaccharides in medicinal applications while offering fresh perspectives on their broader facets.

Metal oxide nanomaterials based electrochemical and optical biosensors for biomedical applications: Recent advances and future prospectives.

The amalgamation of nanostructures with modern electrochemical and optical techniques gave rise to interesting devices, so-called biosensors. A biosensor is an analytical tool that incorporates various biomolecules with an appropriate physicochemical transducer. Over the past few years, metal oxide nanomaterials (MONMs) have significantly stimulated biosensing research due to their desired functionalities, versatile chemical stability, and low cost along with their unique optical, catalytic, electrical, and adsorption properties that provide an attractive platform for linking the biomolecules, for example, antibodies, nucleic acids, enzymes, and receptor proteins as sensing elements with the transducer for the detection of signals or signal amplifications. The signals to be measured are in direct proportionate to the concentration of the bioanalyte. Because of their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, portability, quick analysis, higher sensitivity, and selectivity against a broad range of biosamples, MONMs-based electrochemical and optical biosensing platforms are exhaustively explored as powerful early-diagnosis tools for point of care applications. Herein, we made a bibliometric analysis of past twenty years (2004-2023) on the application of MONMs as electrochemical and optical biosensing units using Web of Science database and the results of which clearly reveal the increasing number of publications since 2004. Geographical area distribution analysis of these publications shows that China tops the list followed by the United States of America and India. In this review, we first describe the electrochemical and optical properties of MONMs that are crucial for the creation of extremely stable, specific, and sensitive sensors with desirable characteristics. Then, the biomedical applications of MONMs-based bare and hybrid electrochemical and optical biosensing frameworks are highlighted in the light of recent literature. Finally, current limitations and future challenges in the field of biosensing technology are addressed.

The Research Progress on Immortalization of Human B Cells.

Human B cell immortalization that maintains the constant growth characteristics and antibody expression of B cells in vitro is very critical for the development of antibody drugs and products for the diagnosis and bio-therapeutics of human diseases. Human B cell immortalization methods include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transformation, Simian virus 40 (SV40) virus infection, in vitro genetic modification, and activating CD40, etc. Immortalized human B cells produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) very efficiently, and the antibodies produced in this way can overcome the immune rejection caused by heterologous antibodies. It is an effective way to prepare mAbs and an important method for developing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Currently, the US FDA has approved more than 100 mAbs against a wide range of illnesses such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and neurological disorders. This paper reviews the research progress of human B cell immortalization, its methods, and future directions as it is a powerful tool for the development of monoclonal antibody preparation technology.

Preparation of CH3NH3PbBr3 Perovskites Encapsulated in ZIF-8 with Improved Stability and Their Application in Fluorimetry and Information Encryption.

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have been promising functional materials for developing solar cells, lasers, photodetectors, and sensors due to their outstanding optical and electrical characteristics. However, they suffer from very poor stability for their high sensitivity to some environmental factors such as temperature, UV irradiation, pH, and polar solvent, which limits their extensive practical applications. Herein, a derived metal organic framework material, Pb-ZIF-8, was prepared as a precursor via a doping protocol. Then, CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskites encapsulated in ZIF-8 (CH3NH3PbBr3@ZIF-8) with green fluorescent (FL) emission were synthesized via a facile in situ protocol by using the derived metal organic frameworks material as a source of Pb element. With the protection of encapsulated ZIF-8, the perovskites material shows good FL properties under various harsh environmental conditions, which facilitates facile application in various fields. To verify the practical application potential of CH3NH3PbBr3@ZIF-8, we utilized them as FL probes to establish a highly sensitive method for detecting glutathione. Furthermore, the rapid conversion process from non-FL Pb-ZIF-8 to FL CH3NH3PbBr3@ZIF-8 was utilized to realize encryption and decryption of confidential information. This work opens an avenue to the development of perovskites-based devices with greatly improved stability in harsh external environments.

Combined pollution of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the soil in Shenfu Region, China: a case of three different cities.

It is a challenging issue to investigate the combined pollution of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils. The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of these two pollutants in soils in Shenyang, Fushun, and Fushun New District, to analyze their distribution, their interaction, and co-contamination levels. The concentrations of heavy metals were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), while the concentrations of 21 kinds of PAH were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Based on the analysis of pollution concentrations and distribution patterns, the intrinsic links between heavy metals and PAHs in three different cities were assessed using a variety of multivariate analysis methods. Compared to Shenfu New District, the concentration of pollutants in Shenyang and Fushun shows a higher level. Moreover, the results of redundancy analysis (RDA) of samples may quantify the possibility of combined pollution of different heavy metal elements and PAHs. This study also affirms the important role of multivariate analysis in being used to reveal the complex interactions and spatial distribution of different pollutants.

Role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism and therapeutic strategies for metabolic liver disease.

The endoplasmic reticulum is the most abundant membrane organelle in eukaryotic cells. It is an important site of membrane and secretory protein folding and glycolipid synthesis and transport, and it is responsible for regulating intracellular calcium homeostasis. When the load of protein synthesis and folding exceeds the processing capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum, the excessive accumulation of misfolded proteins leads to endoplasmic reticulum stress and activates the cellular unfolded protein response. Hepatocytes contain an abundance of smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, which can sense changes in various nutritional metabolic and external stimuli and mediate the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism by activating the unfolded protein response signaling pathways. Endoplasmic reticulum stress plays a very important role in metabolic regulation and in the occurrence and development of liver diseases. This review summarizes the recent research progress on the unfolded protein response and hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism and discusses the mechanism linking endoplasmic reticulum stress with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders and related metabolic liver diseases to improve the understanding of the molecular pathological basis of major chronic diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

MEX3A promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression via the miR-3163/SCIN axis by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway.

Mex-3 RNA Binding Family Member A (MEX3A) is an RNA-binding protein that plays complex and diverse roles in the development of various malignancies. However, its role and mechanism in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain undefined and were therefore evaluated in this study. By analyzing Gene Expression Omnibus data and using tissue microarrays, we found that MEX3A is significantly upregulated in NPC and negatively associated with prognosis. Notably, MEX3A depletion led to decreased cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, but increased apoptosis in NPC cells in vitro, while inhibiting tumor growth in vivo. Using whole-transcript expression arrays and bioinformatic analysis, we identified scinderin (SCIN) and miR-3163 as potential downstream targets of MEX3A in NPC. The regulatory mechanisms of MEX3A, SCIN and miR-3163 were further investigated using rescue experiments. Importantly, SCIN depletion and miR-3163 inhibition reversed and rescued the oncogenic effects of MEX3A, respectively. Moreover, NF-κB signaling inhibition reversed the oncogenic effects of both SCIN and MEX3A. In summary, our results demonstrate that MEX3A may promote NPC development and progression via the miR-3163/SCIN axis by regulating NF-κB signaling, thus providing a potential target for NPC treatment.

Serum level of free thyroxine is an independent risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in euthyroid people.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major public health problem concern in recent decades. The specific mechanism of NAFLD is still not clear. Previous studies had shown the correlation between NAFLD and thyroid dysfunction. The correlation between thyroid hormones within the euthyroid range and NAFLD has not yet been clarified. This study sought to investigate the association between NAFLD and thyroid hormones in euthyroid patients. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Beijing Tiantan Hospital from January 1, 2019, to October 1, 2021. Eighty-one NAFLD patients with normal thyroid function and 34 healthy individuals were enrolled. Participants' demographic information, biochemical parameters, and thyroid hormone levels were collected. The severity of NAFLD was assessed by abdominal computed tomography (CT). The association between NAFLD and thyroid hormones was analyzed. RESULTS: Patients in the NAFLD group were older and more likely to be female than those in the healthy control group (P<0.05). Compared to the healthy control group, the serum levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), alanine transaminase (ALT), plasma aspartate transaminase (AST), triglyceride, gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT), and uric acid (UA) were higher, but the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and free thyroxine (FT4) were lower in the NAFLD group (P<0.05). NAFLD is more severe in females than males (P<0.05). ALT, AST, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), γ-GT, tetraiodothyronine, and free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels increased significantly as the severity of NAFLD increased (P<0.05). The results of the Spearman correlation analysis indicated that the severity of NAFLD was positively correlated with ALT (r=0.376, P=0.001), AST (r=0.275, P=0.015), and LDL (r=0.313, P=0.007). The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio (OR) =1.071; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.010-1.136, P=0.021], ALT (OR =1.091; 95% CI: 1.034-1.150, P=0.001), HDL-C (OR =0.085; 95% CI: 0.010-0.690, P=0.021), and FT4 (OR =0.738; 95% CI: 0.545-1.001, P=0.046) were independently related to the risk of NAFLD in patients with normal thyroid function. CONCLUSIONS: FT4 within the normal range was lower in the NAFLD group compared to the healthy control group. The serum level of FT4 is an independent risk factor of NAFLD in euthyroid people.

MBTPS2 exacerbates albuminuria in streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic nephropathy by promoting endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated renal damage.

BACKGROUND: The membrane-bound transcription factor protease site 2 (MBTPS2) is an intramembranous metalloprotease involved in the regulation of ER stress response, however, whether it is associated with DN is unknown. RESULTS: We report that MBTPS2 expression is upregulated in the renal cortex of diabetic mice induced by streptozotocin (STZ), a murine model of insulinopenic type 1 DN. Functionally, in vivo, MBTPS2 overexpression exacerbates and its knockdown attenuates albuminuria, which indicate a detrimental role of MBTPS2 played in albuminuria development in DN mice. We further show that MBTPS2 promotes ER stress and renal damage in DN mice, and that reducing ER stress via a chemical chaperone 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) markedly rescues MBTPS2-exacerbated renal damage and albuminuria severity. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our study associates the function of MBTPS2 in DN albuminuria with ER stress regulation, thus underscoring the notorious role of maladaptive ER response in influencing DN albuminuria.

Effects of Des-acyl Ghrelin on Insulin Sensitivity and Macrophage Polarization in Adipose Tissue.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Obesity is the accumulation of adipose tissue caused by excess energy in the body, accompanied by long-term chronic low-grade inflammation of adipose tissue. More than 50% of interstitial cells in adipose tissue are macrophages, which produce cytokines closely related to insulin resistance. Macrophage biology is driven by two polarization phenotypes, M1 (proinflammatory) and M2 (anti-inflammatory). This study aimed to investigate the effect of gastric hormone des-acyl ghrelin (DAG) on the polarization phenotype of macrophages and elucidate the role of macrophages in adipose tissue inflammation and insulin sensitivity and its molecular mechanism. METHODS: Mice were subcutaneously administrated with DAG in osmotic minipumps. The mice were fed a normal diet or a high-fat diet (HFD). Different macrophage markers were detected by real-time revere transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Exogenous administration of DAG significantly inhibited the increase of adipocyte volume caused by HFD and reduced the number of rosette-like structures in adipose tissue. HFD in the control group significantly increased M1 macrophage markers, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and inducible NO synthase (iNOS). However, these increases were reduced or even reversed after DAG administration in vitro. The M2 markers, macrophage galactose type C-type Lectin-1 (MGL1), arginase 1 (Arg1), and macrophage mannose receptor 1 (MRC1) were decreased by HFD, and the downward trend was inhibited or reversed after DAG administration. Although Arg1 was elevated after HFD, the fold increase after DAG administration in vitro was much greater than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: DAG inhibits adipose tissue inflammation caused by HFD, reduces infiltration of macrophages in adipose tissue, and promotes polarization of macrophages to M2, thus alleviating obesity and improving insulin sensitivity.

Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling Pathway Regulates Mitochondrial Quality Control of Brown Adipocytes in Mice.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an important protein kinase that senses changes in extracellular and intracellular energy levels and plays a key role in regulating energy metabolism. Brown adipose tissue, which can be converted to white adipose tissue, contains a large number of mitochondria and regulates energy expenditure through thermogenesis. Because obesity is a process of fat accumulation due to chronic excessive energy intake, we attempted to determine whether the mTOR signaling pathway can affect the mitochondrial quality control of brown adipocytes through sensing energy status, thereby regulating brown/white adipocyte transformation. In the present study, through activation or inhibition of mTOR signaling, we detected mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, and autophagy-related markers in brown adipocytes. We found that activation of mTOR signaling downregulated the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, and autophagy-relevant markers and inhibited the mitochondrial quality control of brown adipocytes, indicating a phenotypic transformation of brown to white adipocytes. In contrast, inhibition of mTOR signaling upregulated the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, and mitophagy-relevant markers and strengthened mitochondrial quality control, suggesting an inhibition of the phenotypic transformation of brown to white adipocytes. In conclusion, the mTOR signaling pathway plays an important role in modulating the transformation of adipocytes by regulating mitochondrial quality control.

CircRNA hsa_circ_0008500 Acts as a miR-1301-3p Sponge to Promote Osteoblast Mineralization by Upregulating PADI4.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are regarded as pivotal regulators in bone metabolism. However, the role of circRNAs in osteoblast mineralization remains largely unknown. Herein, we explored the expression profiles of circRNAs in 4 groups of osteoblasts with varying mineralization processes. Hsa_circ_0008500 (circ8500), which is upregulated in the RNA-seq data, is sifted through 194 candidate circRNAs in osteoblasts during mineralization. We characterize the features of novel circRNAs and find that the elevated expression of circ8500 promotes osteoblast mineralization. Mechanistically, circ8500 contains a critical binding site for miR-1301-3p. We further show that circ8500 competitively binds miR-1301-3p to abolish its suppressive effect on peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PADI4). PADI4 works as a binding partner of RUNX2 and stabilizes its protein expression levels by inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. This work provides new insights on the circRNA patterns in osteoblasts and the role of PADI4 in matrix mineralization.

TIPE1-mediated autophagy suppression promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation via the AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway.

Recent studies have shown that tumour necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 like-1(TIPE1) plays distinct roles in different cancers. TIPE1 inhibits tumour proliferation and metastasis in a variety of tumours but acts as an oncogene in cervical cancer. The role of TIPE1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unknown. Interestingly, TIPE1 expression was remarkably increased in NPC tissue samples compared to adjacent normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue samples in our study. TIPE1 expression was positively correlated with that of the proliferation marker Ki67 and negatively correlated with patient lifespan. In vitro, TIPE1 inhibited autophagy and induced cell proliferation in TIPE1-overexpressing CNE-1 and CNE-2Z cells. In addition, knocking down TIPE1 expression promoted autophagy and decreased proliferation, whereas overexpressing TIPE1 increased the levels of pmTOR, pS6 and P62 and decreased the level of pAMPK and the LC3B. Furthermore, the decrease in autophagy was remarkably rescued in TIPE1-overexpressing CNE-1 and CNE-2Z cells treated with the AMPK activator AICAR. In addition, TIPE1 promoted tumour growth in BALB/c nude mice. Taken together, results indicate that TIPE1 promotes NPC progression by inhibiting autophagy and inducing cell proliferation via the AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway. Thus, TIPE1 could potentially be used as a valuable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for NPC.

PADI4 modulates the invasion and migration of osteosarcoma cells by down-regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common type of primary bone malignancy with high recurrence and metastasis. Peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PADI4), as an important protein post-translational modification enzyme, has been identified as a potential regulator in the invasion and migration in several types of tumors. The role of PADI4 in osteosarcoma metastasis remains unknown. In this study, we revealed significant positive correlation between PADI4 and pulmonary metastasis of osteosarcoma. Wound-healing and transwell assay indicated that PADI4 induced invasion and migration of osteosarcoma cell in vitro while PADI4 inhibitor has repressive effect. PADI4 mutation with no deimination activity exhibited no significant effect on invasion and migration of osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, we evaluated the effect of PADI4 on expression of the markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and results showed that PADI4 promoted EMT while PADI4 inhibitor suppressed EMT in osteosarcoma cells. We also detected the expression of PADI4 and E-Cadherin in the tissues of osteosarcoma patients with or without pulmonary metastasis. Results showed positive relationship between the expression of PADI4 and osteosarcoma metastasis. In contrast, the expression of E-Cadherin exhibited negative correlation with PADI4 and osteosarcoma metastasis. Our research offered a novel link between PADI4 and osteosarcoma metastasis and demonstrated PADI4 as a promising target for treatment of osteosarcoma metastasis.

Plastin 1 promotes osteoblast differentiation by regulating intracellular Ca2.

Osteoblast differentiation is a key process in bone homeostasis. Mutations in plastin 3 have been reported to be responsible for X-linked osteoporosis. Plastin 3 and plastin 2 act synergistically to regulate osteoblast differentiation. However, the bone-related function of plastin 1, another family member of plastins, has not been assessed. In this study, we addressed the functional importance of plastin 1 in osteoblasts. We characterized the expression patterns of plastin 1 during osteoblast differentiation and revealed its important role in this process. In both HEK 293T and hFOB1.19 cells, plastin 1 was demonstrated to regulate intracellular Ca2+. Accordingly, we revealed that higher Ca2+ concentration promotes osteoblast differentiation. Finally, we found that plastin 1 may play a compensatory role in osteoporosis patients with plastin 3 deficiency. Together, our results indicate that plastin 1 promotes osteoblast differentiation by regulating intracellular Ca2+. Our work sheds new light on the role played by plastins in bone homeostasis.

Direct C-H difluoromethylation of heterocycles via organic photoredox catalysis.

The discovery of modern medicine relies on the sustainable development of synthetic methodologies to meet the needs associated with drug molecular design. Heterocycles containing difluoromethyl groups are an emerging but scarcely investigated class of organofluoro molecules with potential applications in pharmaceutical, agricultural and material science. Herein, we developed an organophotocatalytic direct difluoromethylation of heterocycles using O2 as a green oxidant. The C-H oxidative difluoromethylation obviates the need for pre-functionalization of the substrates, metals and additives. The operationally straightforward method enriches the efficient synthesis of many difluoromethylated heterocycles in moderate to excellent yields. The direct difluoromethylation of pharmaceutical moleculars demonstrates the practicability of this methodology to late-stage drug development. Moreover, 2'-deoxy-5-difluoromethyluridine (F2TDR) exhibits promising activity against some cancer cell lines, indicating that the difluoromethylation methodology might provide assistance for drug discovery.

A novel nonsense variant in PLS3 causes X-linked osteoporosis in a Chinese family.

Osteoporosis is a complex bone metabolic disorder. Genetic factors play an important role in the development of osteoporosis. Mutations in more than 15 genes have been identified to be responsible for osteoporosis to date. Most recently, the gene PLS3 encoding plastin 3 was recognized to be involved in X-linked osteoporosis. Here, we recruited a four-generation Chinese family with X-linked osteoporosis, which had its onset in childhood and was characterized by peripheral fractures and low bone mineral density. All affected individuals shared a nonsense variant (c.244C > T) in exon 4 of PLS3 on Xq23. The variant in affected individuals segregated with the osteoporosis phenotype. By restriction analysis using Dra I, this variant was confirmed in all affected individuals but was not detected in unaffected family members or in 100 unrelated Chinese male controls. The variant was predicted to cause a premature termination of messenger RNA (mRNA) translation (p.Gln82*). The mutant mRNA degraded via the mechanism of "nonsense-mediated mRNA decay." In the present study, we identified a novel nonsense variant of PLS3 in early-onset X-linked osteoporosis and provided a novel insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.

Circular RNA circFOXO3 promotes prostate cancer progression through sponging miR-29a-3p.

Circular RNA FOXO3 (CircFOXO3, also termed as Hsa_circ_0006404) is derived from exon 2 of forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) gene, and abnormal expression is shown in different diseases. However, whether circFOXO3 plays important roles in tumorigenesis and progression of prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. In this study, we found that circFOXO3 was up-regulated in both PCa tissues and serum samples. Moreover, circFOXO3 was positively correlated with the Gleason score in PCa samples. CircFOXO3 was observed to be up-regulated in Gleason score > 6 PCa samples compared with Gleason score = 6 PCa samples. Knock-down circFOXO3 could remarkably inhibit PCa cell cycle, proliferation and promote cell apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, we demonstrated circFOXO3 could act as miR-29a-3p sponge to up-regulate SLC25A15 expression by bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assays and biotinylated RNA pull-down assays. SLC25A15 could reverse the tumour suppressing roles of knock-down circFOXO3 in PCa. Of note, we found that miR-29a-3p was down-regulated; however, SLC25A15 was overexpressed in PCa samples compared with normal tissues. In conclusion, circFOXO3 acts as a miR-29a-3p sponge to exhibit oncogenic activity that affects the cell cycle and cell apoptosis in PCa through transcriptional up-regulation of SLC25A15. Our analysis suggests circFOXO3 could act as promising prostate cancer biomarkers.

[Occurrence, Distribution, Source, and Health Risk Assessment of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Surface Soil from the Shen-Fu Region, Northeast China].

The Shen-Fu region is an important urban area in northeast China. We report on a study of the distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in representative topsoil from this region. In the summer of 2016, 72 soil samples from three cities (Shenyang, Fushun, and Shen-Fu New City) were collected, which covered four land use types:urban, rural residential, cultivated, and woodland. We report on the concentrations, compositions, and distributions of 14 PBDEs in soil and explore their sources, and additionally undertake human exposure analysis and health risk assessments. The results showed that the concentration of ∑14PBDEs in the topsoil ranged from 0.279-50.719 ng·g-1(dry weight), with a mean of (10.466±9.246) ng·g-1. The concentrations of PBDEs was ranked for the cities as:Fushun > Shenyang > Shen-Fu New City > background, and for different land use types as:urban land > rural residential land > cultivated land > forest. Deca-PBDE had the highest proportion of all congeners, accounting for 81.25%-89.23% of all PBDEs. Source analysis indicated that commercial Deca-PBDE was the main source, contributing 66.06% of the total Deca-PBDE according to principal component analysis/multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR). Among five different age groups assessed for exposure, children in Fushun had the highest exposure dose:(20.98±25.01) ng·(kg·d)-1. In terms of different land types, the highest exposure dose was for children living in urban areas:(18.54±20.27) ng·(kg·d)-1. The non-oncogenic health risks in the Shen-Fu region are of a relatively low level.

[Vertical Distribution Characteristics of PAHs in Soils with Different Land Use Types During Rapid Urbanization].

To study the vertical distribution characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soils from different land use types during urbanization, three land use types (urban land, cultivated land, and woodland) were selected in the eastern part of Shenyang, where urbanization is occurring rapidly. In each case, five soil samples were obtained from different depths (0-1 m). Change in the concentrations of PAHs, vertical migration factors, and the distribution and sources of PAHs were analyzed in the vertical soil profiles. Total concentrations of PAHs in the different soil type were ordered as follows:city 1 (513.19-12689.04 µg·kg-1); dry field (36.18-7196.10 µg·kg-1); paddy field (70.92-747.53 µg·kg-1); city 2 (19.39-636.47 µg·kg-1); and woodland (4.79-349.24 µg·kg-1). PAHs were mainly trapped in shallow soils in urban and forest land, but can migrate deeper into the soil profile in cultivated land. High-ring PAHs were abundant at depths of 0-30 cm, while low-ring PAHs were abundant deeper in the soil profiles. SOM had a significant effect on the vertical distribution of PAHs, and the physical and chemical properties of PAHs had a significant influence on their migration ability. However, combustion sources from industrial activities and transportation in the region are still considered the main sources of PAHs despite the fact that some low-ring PAHs derive from petroleum product inputs.