Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons emissions from biomass-fueled boilers in China.

Biomass serves as a sustainable energy source; however, the environmental risks associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from industrial biomass-fueled boilers are not well understood. This study analyzed 16 priority PAHs in both particulate and gaseous phases from 13 representative real-world industrial biomass-fueled boilers. Flue gas samples were collected from the stacks and analyzed using advanced techniques. Total PAHs concentrations ranged from 1.36 to 8870 µg m-3 (9 % O2 v/v), with benzo[a]pyrene emissions from certain boilers exceeding the allowable emissions standards for the coking chemical and petroleum refining industries in China. PAHs were predominantly found in the gaseous phase, with both gas and particle phases exhibiting similar toxicity. The average emission factor (EFmass) was 9.23 mg kg-1, while the toxicity-equivalent emission factors (EFCEQ, EFMEQ, and EFTEQ) were 1.96 × 10-2, 1.39 × 10-2 and 7.61 × 10-4 mg kg-1, respectively. It is estimated that annual PAH emissions from 2020 to 2050 will significantly decrease if biomass is used as industrial fuel in boilers (0.61 to 1.32 Gg y-1) instead of being openly burned in the field (3.39 to 7.21 Gg y-1). Overall, this study provides a comprehensive evaluation of PAH emissions from industrial biomass combustion, offering valuable data for future research and policy-making.

CD206 accelerates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating the tumour immune microenvironment and increasing M2-type polarisation of tumour-associated macrophages and inflammation factor expression.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effect of CD206 on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the regulation of the tumour immune microenvironment. METHODS: A subcutaneous mouse model of HCC was established and treated with CD206-overexpressing adenovirus by tail vein injection or CD206 antibody C068C2 by intratumoral injection. The hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice were divided into four groups (IgG+ tail vein adenovirus group, IgG group, C068C2+ tail vein adenovirus group and C068C2 group) to observe the changes in tumour weight and volume with different expression levels of CD206. The proportion of M2-type tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) was detected by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. The apoptosis of tumour cells was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) staining, and inflammatory factors in serum and tissues were detected using the ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY. RESULTS: Compared with the mice with low CD206 expression, the hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice with high CD206 expression in HCC exhibited faster tumour growth and more aggressive progression. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining revealed that the expression level of CD206-positive M2-type TAMs was highest in the IgG + adenovirus group and lowest in the C068C2 group (p < 0.001). Compared with the IgG + adenovirus group, the proportion of TUNEL-positive cells in tumour cells was significantly reduced in the C068C2 group. The IgG + adenovirus group had the highest concentrations of transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in both serum and tumour tissues. CONCLUSION: The overexpression of CD206 accelerates the progression of HCC and changes the tumour immune microenvironment. The high expression of CD206 in HCC increases the M2-type polarisation of TAMs and induces the expression of both TGF-ß and IL-6 in tumour tissues and serum, thereby promoting HCC progression.

CB11S3+: A Triangular Boron-Based Cluster with One Planar Tetracoordinate Carbon at Its Edge.

Boron-based clusters containing planar tetracoordinate carbon (ptC) are unique and scarce. Isoelectronic-replacing after proper vulcanization is an effective strategy to obtain the ptC based on the B12 cluster. Herein we report computational evidence for a ternary CB11S3+ (C2v, 1A1) cluster, which possesses a concentric double-triangle structure containing one ptC atom at the peripheral edge. The unbiased structural explorations of potential energy surfaces and high-level CCSD(T) calculations indicate that the ptC CB11S3+ cluster is a true global minimum. Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) simulations reveal that it is dynamically stable against isomerization and decomposition. Chemical bonding analysis reveals that three delocalized π bonds endow the π aromaticity to the CB11 unit of CB11S3+. In addition, the strong S → B π back-bonding is also conducive to the stability of CB11S3+. The current findings offer opportunities for further boron-based ptC clusters.

Unveiling the formation and influence mechanisms of PCDD/F memory effect in wet scrubbers: Fundamental research and field verification.

The "memory effect" of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in wet scrubber (WS) has become a frequent negative phenomenon in waste incineration field. This work focuses on studying the major influence factors and pathways of memory effect of PCDD/Fs in WS from the aspects of PCDD/F carriers and operating conditions. The PCDD/F contents of fillings used for over three years is 0.098 ng I-TEQ/g, which performs as a stable source of PCDD/Fs for thousands of hours with PCDD/F desorption rates ranged in 0.023-0.116 pg I-TEQ/g·h at 65 °C-93 °C. On the one hand, the filling layer has been the biggest PCDD/F storage part in WS (6845.1 µg). On the other hand, the generated yellow wrapping layer in long-term operation can limit the desorption of inner PCDD/Fs. The solubility of PCDD/Fs in scrubbing water (SW) performs a positive correlation with the content of suspended substances, and the increased temperature and pH value of SW both lead to a higher toxic concentration of PCDD/Fs dissolved from the fly ash to solutions. In addition, the built mass balance of PCDD/Fs around WS suggests the incomplete SW refreshing and sludge cleaning also contribute to the memory effect of PCDD/Fs through enhancing the liquid-phase PCDD/Fs in flue gas from SW. Based on this study, three suggestions are propounded on the operation of WS. The results of this study will provide essential evidence and guidelines for optimizing operation and inhibiting the PCDD/F memory effect in WS.

Phase I-II study of OBI-888, a humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody against the tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen Globo H, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: OBI-888 is a humanized, monoclonal IgG1 antibody specific to the tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen Globo H. We conducted a phase I-II study of OBI-888 in patients with advanced cancer. METHODS: Patients were treated with OBI-888 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg IV weekly in Part A ("3 + 3" design) and 20 mg/kg IV weekly in Part B (Simon's 2-stage design) (1 cycle = 28 days). RESULTS: Overall, 54 patients were treated (Part A, n = 14; Part B, n = 40). OBI-888 was safe and well tolerated across the doses studied, with a low incidence of OBI-888-related treatment emergent adverse events. The maximum tolerated dose of OBI-888 was not reached. No dose-limiting toxicities were noted up to the 20 mg/kg dose level (recommended phase 2 dose). Stable disease (SD) was noted in 28.6% and 20% of Parts A and B, respectively, including three patients with SD for 6+, 7+, and 9 months. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) was induced after each OBI-888 treatment (average increase, 3.8-fold and 4.7-fold in Parts A and B, respectively), suggesting that ADCC induction is a potential mechanism of action of OBI-888. CONCLUSIONS: OBI-888 was well tolerated. Prolonged SD was noted in three patients. ADCC was induced after each OBI-888 treatment.

Analysis of ZNF208 Polymorphisms on the Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Asian Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a major form of liver cancer, is characterized by high lethality and a multifactorial etiology that includes hepatitis virus infections, lifestyle factors, and genetic predispositions. This study aimed to explore the impact of ZNF208 gene polymorphisms on the clinicopathological features of Taiwanese HCC patients, focusing on three specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs2188971, rs2188972, and rs8105767. Our cohort consisted of 438 HCC patients and 1193 control individuals. Clinical staging was determined using the tumor/node/metastasis (TNM) system, and various clinical indicators were collected. Our analysis revealed a statistically significant increase in ZNF208 expression in HCC patients compared to controls, indicating a potential role in HCC progression. Although no substantial association was observed between ZNF208 SNPs and increased HCC risk, specific clinical features such as distant metastasis and vascular invasion showed significant associations with these SNPs, suggesting their influence on disease aggressiveness. Demographic analyses highlighted the importance of factors like alcohol consumption and viral hepatitis markers in HCC. Our study underscores the complexity of genetic influences on HCC, with ZNF208 polymorphisms potentially affecting tumor progression and patient outcomes.

Diterpenoids of Caryopteris trichosphaera W. W. Sm. inhibiting MRSA and VRE in vitro and in vivo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Caryopteris trichosphaera W. W. Sm., a traditional ethnic medicine, was recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica for treating wound infection by pathogenic infection. However, its antibacterial potential and bioactive compositions against drug-resistant bacteria need to be validated. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the chemical constituents of C. trichosphaera and explore its anti-MRSA component in vitro and in vivo, together with the antibacterial mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bioactive constituents investigation was carried out by phytochemical method and antibacterial screening. The antibacterial mechanism was predicted by network pharmacology, which was further validated by time-kill analysis, membrane function tests, multigenerational resistance induction assay and biofilm test, and metabolomics analysis in vitro. In addition, MRSA-induced epidermal infection in mice was selected to evaluate its pharmacological effect in vivo. RESULTS: Six antibacterial diterpenoids against MRSA and VRE with MIC values 4-32 µg/mL from C. trichosphaera were reported for the first time, in which the major compound cativic acid (1) disrupted MRSA cell membranes by modulating permeability, depolarization, and fluidity while increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. It also displayed remarkable anti-biofilm activity without inducing bacterial resistance or cytotoxicity. Moreover, cativic acid affected MRSA biosynthesis of cofactors, amino acid biosynthesis, nucleotide metabolism by metabolomics analysis. Furthermore, cativic acid accelerated wound healing in MRSA-infected mouse skin wounds, even better than vancomycin. CONCLUSIONS: The results supported the traditional use of C. trichosphaera, and presented unreported anti-MRSA agent, cativic acid, as a plant-derived bactericide in vitro and in vivo for the first time.

A new therapeutic strategy for infectious diseases against intracellular multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Bacterial infections result in 7,700,000 deaths per year globally, with intracellular bacteria causing repeated and resistant infection. No drug is currently licenced for the treatment of intracellular bacteria. A new screening platform mimicking the host milieu has been established to explore phytochemical antibiotic adjuvants. Previously neglected isoprenylated flavonoids were found to be effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Specifically, the synergistic effect between glabrol and streptomycin against intracellular bacteria was observed for the first time. The glabrol-streptomycin combination targets bacterial inner membrane phospholipids, disrupts arginine biosynthesis, inhibits cell wall proteins and biofilm formation genes (agrA/B/C/D), and promotes ROS production, causing subsequent membrane and wall damage. To enhance the selective uptake of combination drug into infected cells, hyaluronic acid-streptomycin-lipoic acid-glabrol nanoparticles (HSLGS-S) were designed and synthesized to trigger the intracellular delivery of the glabrol-streptomycin combination. Thus, the treatment can be transported into the infected intracellular region and selectively release the glabrol-streptomycin combination to the bacterial at site. The bioactivity of HSLGS-S in clearing intracellular bacteria was 20-fold higher than that of the glabrol-streptomycin combination alone in vitro and 2- to 10-fold higher in vivo.

The prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms and correlation with MRI findings in CADASIL patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence, timing, and functional impact of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) and to assess whether these neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of the patients. METHODS: Our study included a total of 78 patients with CADASIL. To assess neuropsychiatric symptoms, we evaluated the caregivers using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Patients were considered to have an irritability, depression, apathy, aggression, or anxiety disorder if they scored ≥1 in the NPI. Subsequently, we conducted a more detailed assessment of irritability, depression, apathy, aggression, and anxiety. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to analyze the relationships between neuropsychiatric symptoms and clinical/MRI features in the patients. RESULTS: Overall, 57.69% of patients with CADASIL experienced neuropsychiatric symptoms. Among these symptoms, irritability was the most prevalent (52.56%), followed by depression (19.23%), apathy (17.95%), aggression (7.69%), and anxiety (6.41%). The mean age of onset for irritability was the youngest, followed by anxiety, apathy, aggression, and depression. Among patients with both stroke/TIA and neuropsychiatric symptoms, 31.03% reported experiencing neuropsychiatric symptoms prior to stroke/TIA. Furthermore, both irritability and apathy had a negative impact on the patients' daily functioning. Additionally, there was a correlation between the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms and the patients' MRI lesion burden. INTERPRETATION: Our study has discovered that neuropsychiatric symptoms are highly prevalent in patients with CADASIL and may occur before cerebrovascular events, suggesting that neuropsychiatric symptoms of CADASIL deserve more attention and earlier exploration.

[Research progress on T-cell immunoglobulin mucin 3/galectin 9 (TIM-3/galectin-9) in tumour immunity].

With the ongoing advancement of immune checkpoint research, targeting tumors through immune checkpoint blockade has emerged as a crucial approach in cancer therapy. T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing protein 3 (TIM-3) functions as a negative immune checkpoint. It has been demonstrated that the interaction of TIM-3 with its ligand galectin-9 (Gal-9) can promote immune escape in a variety of cancers. In hematologic, digestive, and respiratory tumors, it affects different signaling pathways by blocking TIM-3/Gal-9 interaction, thereby regulating the growth of T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, NK cells, and monocytes/macrophages, and inhibiting regulatory T cells to exert anti-tumor effects. TIM-3 antibodies have potential therapeutic value as immune checkpoint inhibitors in molecularly-targeted anti-tumor therapy. This article reviews the mechanisms of anti-tumor effects of TIM-3/Gal-9 in the tumor microenvironment of various cancers.

Real-World Study of Lanreotide Autogel in Routine Practice in Patients with Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (GEP-NETs) in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

INTRODUCTION: There is a lack of data on the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of lanreotide autogel in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) of Chinese ethnicity. This noninterventional, retrospective study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of lanreotide autogel in patients of Chinese ethnicity with GEP-NETs in clinical practice. METHODS: Patients' charts were abstracted from five hospitals in Hong Kong and Taiwan (July-September 2021), where lanreotide autogel is approved for treating GEP-NETs. Included patients were adults with unresectable, metastatic, or locally advanced GEP-NETs who received a first injection (index) of lanreotide autogel 120 mg between 01 January 2017 and 30 June 2020 (planned sample size: N = 30). Follow-up ran from index to a maximum of 48 (± 4) weeks or until disease progression, start of new antitumor treatment, or death. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) rate at week 48 (±4), and secondary endpoints included PFS rate at week 24 (±4), estimated using Kaplan-Meier analyses. All analyses were descriptive. RESULTS: Of 27 patients enrolled, 22 (81.5%) had 48 weeks of follow-up. Tumors of pancreatic origin were the most common (73.9%). PFS rate was 0.96 (95% confidence interval: 0.72 - 0.99) at 24 weeks and 0.82 (0.53-0.94) at 48 weeks. Overall, 74.1% patients experienced ≥ 1 treatment-emergent adverse event; none were serious. No deaths were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Lanreotide autogel was well tolerated and showed good tumor control rate in a real-world setting. These findings align with results from previous studies in Caucasian, Japanese, and Korean patients, thus supporting lanreotide autogel for treating patients with GEP-NETs of Chinese ethnicity.

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare cancers that develop in the stomach, intestines, or pancreas. Lanreotide autogel is used to treat GEP-NETs in patients whose tumors cannot be removed by surgery or have spread to other body parts. At the time of the study, lanreotide autogel was not approved in mainland China for treating patients with GEP-NETs. Most clinical trials of lanreotide autogel were conducted in Caucasian patients, so more information is needed on whether lanreotide autogel is effective and well tolerated for treating GEP-NETs in patients of Chinese ethnicity. We performed this study to gain this information. In this study, we retrieved data from the medical records of patients of Chinese ethnicity with GEP-NETs who were treated with lanreotide autogel in Hong Kong and Taiwan. We examined the medical records to understand how these patients responded to lanreotide autogel. The results from this study showed that after 24 weeks of lanreotide autogel treatment, 22 of 23 patients had GEP-NETs that did not worsen. After 48 weeks of treatment, two of these patients had GEP-NETs that grew or spread, resulting in 20 patients with GEP-NETs that did not worsen at the end of the study. No patients had serious side effects related to lanreotide autogel. In conclusion, this study showed that lanreotide autogel is well tolerated and effective for treating patients of Chinese ethnicity with GEP-NETs in the real world, which is consistent with results from earlier studies in Caucasian patients. These results support the use of lanreotide autogel in these patients.

6-Methoxyldihydrochelerythrine Chloride Inhibiting Intra and Extracellular Drug-Resistant Bacteria.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) is a major nosocomial pathogen that exhibits enhanced infectivity due to its robust virulence and biofilm-forming capabilities. In this study, 6-methoxyldihydrochelerythrine chloride (6-MDC) inhibited the growth of exponential-phase VRE and restored VRE's sensitivity to vancomycin. 6-MDC predominantly suppressed the de novo biosynthetic pathway of pyrimidine and purine in VRE by the RNA-Seq analysis, resulting in obstructed DNA synthesis, which subsequently weakened bacterial virulence and impeded intracellular survival. Furthermore, 6-MDC inhibited biofilm formation, eradicated established biofilms, reduced virulence, and enhanced the host immune response to prevent intracellular survival and replication of VRE. Finally, 6-MDC reduced the VRE load in peritoneal fluid and cells significantly in a murine peritoneal infection model. This paper provides insight into the potential antimicrobial target of benzophenanthridine alkaloids for the first time.

Adaptive evolution of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in the urinary tract of a single patient.

The emergence of carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKp) is a growing concern due to its high mortality and limited treatment options. Although hypermucoviscosity is crucial for CR-hvKp infection, the role of changes in bacterial mucoviscosity in the host colonization and persistence of CR-hvKp is not clearly defined. Herein, we observed a phenotypic switch of CR-hvKp from a hypermucoviscous to a hypomucoviscous state in a patient with scrotal abscess and urinary tract infection (UTI). This switch was attributed to decreased expression of rmpADC, the regulator of mucoid phenotype, caused by deletion of the upstream insertion sequence ISKpn26. Postswitching, the hypomucoid variant showed a 9.0-fold decrease in mice sepsis mortality, a >170.0-fold reduction in the ability to evade macrophage phagocytosis in vitro, and an 11.2- to 40.9-fold drop in growth rate in normal mouse serum. Conversely, it exhibited an increased residence time in the mouse urinary tract (21 vs. 6 d), as well as a 216.4-fold boost in adhesion to bladder epithelial cells and a 48.7% enhancement in biofilm production. Notably, the CR-hvKp mucoid switch was reproduced in an antibiotic-free mouse UTI model. The in vivo generation of hypomucoid variants was primarily associated with defective or low expression of rmpADC or capsule synthesis gene wcaJ, mediated by ISKpn26 insertion/deletion or base-pair insertion. The spontaneous hypomucoid variants also outcompeted hypermucoid bacteria in the mouse urinary tract. Collectively, the ISKpn26-associated mucoid switch in CR-hvKp signifies the antibiotic-independent host adaptive evolution, providing insights into the role of mucoid switch in the persistence of CR-hvKp.

Nivolumab plus chemotherapy in patients with HER2-negative, previously untreated, unresectable, advanced, or recurrent gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer: 3-year follow-up of the ATTRACTION-4 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Nivolumab + chemotherapy is now a standard of care for HER2-negative, previously untreated, unresectable or recurrent gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer (advanced gastric cancer), but long-term follow-up data of clinical trials are limited. METHODS: ATTRACTON-4 was a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Patients were randomized to either nivolumab or placebo, both combined with the physician's choice of SOX (oral S-1 [tegafur-gimeracil-oteracil potassium] + oxaliplatin) or CAPOX (capecitabine + oxaliplatin). We report the primary endpoints-centrally assessed progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)-and landmark analyses of OS among patients alive using 3-year follow-up data. RESULTS: At the cutoff date (May 10, 2021), 17/359 patients in the nivolumab + chemotherapy group and 6/358 in the placebo + chemotherapy group were continuing study treatment. PFS (centrally assessed) was longer in the nivolumab + chemotherapy group (median 10.94 vs. 8.48 months; hazard ratio [HR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.82). Although OS did not differ between the two groups (median 17.45 vs. 17.15 months; HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.75-1.05), the landmark analysis of OS, calculating HRs at each landmark time point (every month), was getting numerically better in the nivolumab + chemotherapy group over time. Approximately 80% of patients who achieved complete response in the nivolumab + chemotherapy group were alive at 3 years. No new safety signals or major late-onset select treatment-related adverse events were observed for nivolumab + chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: This 3-year follow-up of ATTRACTION-4 confirmed the long-term clinical benefit and manageable safety of nivolumab + chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated advanced gastric cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02746796.

Cl©Li5Cl5-: A Star-like Superhalogen Anion Featuring a Planar Pentacoordinate Chlorine at the Center.

Among the known planar pentacoordinate atoms, chlorine is missing due to its large radius and high electronegativity. Herein, we report the first star-like superhalogen anion D5h Cl©Li5Cl5- (1), which contains a planar pentacoordinate chlorine (ppCl) at the center. Computer structural searches and high-level calculations reveal that 1 is a true global minimum (GM) on the potential energy surfaces. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate it is kinetically stable against isomerization or decomposition. Although detailed chemical bonding analyses reveal one delocalized 6c-2e σ bond over the Cl©Li5 central unit and five delocalized 3c-2e σ bonds along the periphery, while aromaticity has very little beneficial effect on stability, instead, ionic interaction dominates the stability of the system. More encouragingly, with the large HOMO-LUMO energy gap of 7.66 eV and vertical detachment energy of 7.87 eV, the highly chemically inert 1 can be viewed as a typical superhalogen anion and is possible to be synthesized and characterized in future experiments.

Review of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollution characteristics and carcinogenic risk assessment in global cooking environments.

In recent years, research on air pollution in cooking environments has gained increasing attention, particularly studies related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution. Hence, it is crucial and urgent to conduct a comprehensive review of research findings and further evaluate their carcinogenic risks. This study adopts a comprehensive literature review approach, systematically integrating and deeply analyzing the conclusions and data from 62 selected relevant studies. It focuses on the impact of different factors on PAHs concentrations, considers the indoor-outdoor PAHs concentration ratio, and conducts carcinogenic risk assessments for PAHs. The results show that Africa has the highest average PAHs pollution concentration globally at 14.74 µg/m³, exceeding that of other continents by 1.5-160.9 times. Among various influencing factors, fuel type has the most significant impact on PAHs concentrations. Existing research data indicate that cooking with charcoal as fuel produces the highest PAHs concentration at 223.52 µg/m³, with high molecular weight PAHs accounting for 58.16%, significantly higher than when using clean energy. Furthermore, efficient ventilation systems have been proven to substantially reduce PAHs concentrations, with a reduction rate of up to 88.1%. However, cooking methods and food types also have a small but non-negligible impact on PAHs production. Using mild cooking methods such as steaming and selecting low-fat foods can also reduce PAHs to some extent. Additionally, through the analysis of the Indoor/Outdoor ratio, it was found that cooking is the primary source of indoor pollution, and the average concentration of PAHs in cooking environments in Asia and Africa is much higher than in Europe and America. The Total Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (TILCR) exceeds 10⁻4, indicating a high level of carcinogenic risk.

Comparative physiology and morphology of BLA-projecting NBM/SI cholinergic neurons in mouse and macaque.

Cholinergic projection neurons of the nucleus basalis and substantia innominata (NBM/SI) densely innervate the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and have been shown to contribute to the encoding of fundamental and life-threatening experiences. Given the vital importance of these circuits in the acquisition and retention of memories that are essential for survival in a changing environment, it is not surprising that the basic anatomical organization of the NBM/SI is well conserved across animal classes as diverse as teleost and mammal. What is not known is the extent to which the physiology and morphology of NBM/SI neurons have also been conserved. To address this issue, we made patch-clamp recordings from NBM/SI neurons in ex vivo slices of two widely divergent mammalian species, mouse and rhesus macaque, focusing our efforts on cholinergic neurons that project to the BLA. We then reconstructed most of these recorded neurons post hoc to characterize neuronal morphology. We found that rhesus macaque BLA-projecting cholinergic neurons were both more intrinsically excitable and less morphologically compact than their mouse homologs. Combining measurements of 18 physiological features and 13 morphological features, we illustrate the extent of the separation. Although macaque and mouse neurons both exhibited considerable within-group diversity and overlapped with each other on multiple individual metrics, a combined morpho-electric analysis demonstrates that they form two distinct neuronal classes. Given the shared purpose of the circuits in which these neurons participate, this finding raises questions about (and offers constraints on) how these distinct classes result in similar behavior.

Antibiotic Resistance and Genomic Analysis of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from Dairy Cattle, Raw Milk, and Farm Environment in Shaanxi Province, China.

To investigate the epidemiology of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in dairy cattle, 975 samples (185 feces, 34 silage, 36 cattle drinking water, 360 raw milk, and 360 teat skin swabs) were collected from two dairy farms in Baoji and Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China, and were screened for STEC. Whole-genome sequencing was used to analyze the genomic characteristics and potential transmission of STEC isolates. A total of 32 samples were contaminated with STEC, including 4.0% (19/479) in Farm A and 2.6% (13/496) in Farm B. Compared with adult cows (4.5%), nonadult cows had a higher rate (21.3%) of STEC colonization. A total of 14 serotypes and 11 multilocus sequence typing were identified in 32 STEC isolates, among which O55:H12 (25.0%) and ST101 (31.3%) were the most predominant, respectively. Six stx subtypes/combinations were identified, including stx1a (53.1%), stx2g (15.6%), stx2d, stx2a+stx2d, stx1a+stx2a (6.3%, for each), and stx2a (3.1%). Of 32 STEC isolates, 159 virulence genes and 27 antibiotic resistance genes were detected. Overall, STEC isolates showed low levels of resistance to the 16 antibiotics tested (0-40.6%), with most common resistance to ampicillin (40.6%). The phylogenetic analysis confirmed that STEC in the gut of cattle can be transmitted through feces. The results of this study help to improve our understanding of the epidemiological aspects of STEC in dairy cattle and provide early warning and control of the prevalence and spread of the bacterium.