Inhibiting the Formation of Toxic HCN Induced by C3H6 Coexistence and Enhancing C3H6 Resistance of Cu-Zeolite in the NH3-SCR Reaction.

The presence of light hydrocarbons (HCs) in diesel exhaust, specifically C3H6, significantly affects the performance of the state-of-the-art Cu-SSZ-13 zeolite NH3-SCR catalysts. It also leads to the formation of highly toxic HCN, posing risks to the environment and human health. In this work, the highly toxic HCN formation is inhibited, and the C3H6 resistance of Cu-SSZ-13 is improved by secondary metal modification via doping with rare earth/transition metal elements. Upon introduction of C3H6, the activity of Cu-SSZ-13 significantly decreases at medium-high temperatures. This is primarily due to the competitive reaction between C3H6 and NH3, which compete for the NH3 reductant required in the NH3-SCR reaction, resulting in the production of HCN. The unfavorable effect is alleviated on the modified catalysts due to their enhanced oxidation capabilities toward C3H6 and the HCHO intermediate, facilitating the complete oxidation of C3H6 to COx. This inhibits the undesirable partial oxidation reaction between C3H6 and NH3, thereby improving the activity of Cu-SSZ-13 at medium to high temperatures and significantly reducing the formation of highly toxic HCN.

Ecological impacts and supply demand evolution of the Yangtze to Huaihe water transfer project in Anhui section.

Human activities have profound impacts on land use and the supply-demand balance of ecosystem services (ESs). Various activities, such as urban construction, urban and rural planning, and inter-basin water transfer projects, continuously reshape land use patterns. This is a case study of the Anhui section of the Yangtze-Huaihe Water Diversion Project. Data from 2000, 2010, and 2020 is analyzed. Additionally, the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model is utilized to quantify the specific impacts of the water diversion project construction on the supply and demand of ESs. The results indicate that the comprehensive dynamic attitude of land use during the project construction period significantly increased, rising from 0.16 to 13.79%, and mainly affected forest, water areas, construction land, and unused land. Specifically, the construction of the project led to significant changes in water purification, biodiversity, and, especially, hydrological regulation services. Additionally, the migration of residents significantly impacted the demand for ESs. The study also found a significant correlation between land use changes and the balance of ES supply and demand: the proportion of cultivated land and construction land is positively correlated with the balance, while the proportion of forest, grassland, and water areas is negatively correlated. This study provides empirical data for understanding the environmental and socio-economic impacts of large-scale water diversion projects and offers a scientific basis for local mitigation and control of adverse impacts. Through quantitative analysis and model prediction, this research effectively bridges the gap between theory and practice, providing important references for sustainable regional development.

[Association of serum irisin levels with glucose and lipid metabolism among adolescents in Yinchuan City from 2017 to 2020].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between serum irisin levels and glucose and lipid metabolism among adolescents in Yinchuan City. METHODS: From 2017 to 2020, a conbination of convenient sampling and stratified cluster random sampling method were used to select 1219 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years old in Yinchuan City as research subjects. The height and weight were measured using the height and sitting height meter and the bioelectrical impedance analyzer. Blood indicators such as fasting plasma glucose(FPG), totalcholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) were measured using fully automatic biochemical analyzer. Serum irisin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between irisin and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. RESULTS: The FPG, TC, HDL-C and LDL-C levels of subjects in the highest tertile of irisin levels were significantly lower than those of subjects in the lowest tertile of irisin levels(F values were 5.13, 3.15, 3.07 and 5.01, P<0.05), and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). The serum irisin levels in the hyperglycemia group(t=2.87, P<0.01), hypercholesterolemia group(t=2.36, P=0.02) and hyperLDL-Cemia group(t=2.34, P=0.02) were significantly lower than those in the normoglycemia group, normal TC group and normal LDL-C group. Meanwhile, the irisin level in the low HDL-Cemia group(t=-2.57, P=0.01) was significantly higher than that in the normal HDL-C group, and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). Participants in the highest tertile of irisin had 0.51, 0.49 and 0.50 times the risk of hyperglycemia(OR=0.51, 95%CI 0.29-0.87), hypercholesterolemia(OR=0.49, 95%CI 0.27-0.89) and hyperLDL-cemia(OR=0.50, 95%CI 0.25-0.99) compared with those in the lowest tertile. CONCLUSION: Low levels of irisin are associated with the occurrence of hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperLDL-Cemia in adolescents.

Twin fetuses associated with double amniotic sacs diagnosed using transvaginal ultrasonography: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Conjoined twins are a rare twin malformation commonly presenting as single amniotic sac twinning, with double amniotic sac twinning being extremely rare and poorly reported. Most conjoined twins are females. CASE SUMMARY: A woman of childbearing age conceived naturally, and at 8 wk of gestation, transvaginal ultrasonography showed an embryo and cardiac tube pulsation in both amniotic sacs. On dynamic observation, the two embryos were connected in the lower abdomen, with restricted movement. A repeat transvaginal ultrasound at 11 wk showed that the intestinal tubes of both fetuses were connected in the lower abdomen. The pregnancy was terminated and labor was induced. CONCLUSION: Transvaginal ultrasound may detect conjoined twin malformations in an early stage. Our case provides diagnostic insights for ultrasonographers and can help develop early therapeutic interventions.

Fine and combinatorial regulation of key metabolic pathway for enhanced ß-alanine biosynthesis with non-inducible Escherichia coli.

ß-Alanine is the only ß-amino acid in nature and one of the most important three-carbon chemicals. This work was aimed to construct a non-inducible ß-alanine producer with enhanced metabolic flux towards ß-alanine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. First of all, the assembled E. coli endogenous promoters and 5'-untranslated regions (PUTR) were screened to finely regulate the combinatorial expression of genes panDBS and aspBCG for an optimal flux match between two key pathways. Subsequently, additional copies of key genes (panDBS K104S and ppc) were chromosomally introduced into the host A1. On these bases, dynamical regulation of the gene thrA was performed to reduce the carbon flux directed in the competitive pathway. Finally, the ß-alanine titer reached 10.25 g/L by strain A14-R15, 361.7% higher than that of the original strain. Under fed-batch fermentation in a 5-L fermentor, a titer of 57.13 g/L ß-alanine was achieved at 80 h. This is the highest titer of ß-alanine production ever reported using non-inducible engineered E. coli. This metabolic modification strategy for optimal carbon flux distribution developed in this work could also be used for the production of various metabolic products.

Impact of high fat and low lean mass phenotype on bone mineral content: A cross-sectional study of Chinese adolescent population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Research on body composition phenotypes and bone health in adolescents is limited. Hence, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between different body composition phenotypes, bone mineral content, and bone metabolism markers in Chinese adolescents. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1852 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years were selected from six schools in Yinchuan City between 2017 and 2020 using stratified cluster random sampling. The participant's body composition and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Serum bone metabolic markers (OC, CTX, and Ca) were measured. Based on their FMI and LMI, individuals were categorized into four body composition phenotypes: low fat mass-low lean mass (LFMI-LLMI), low fat mass-high lean mass (LFMI-HLMI), high fat mass-high lean mass (HFMI-HLMI), high fat mass-low lean mass (HFMI-LLMI). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the four different body composition phenotypes with BMC, CTX and Ca in boys (all P < 0.05), similar conclusions were found in girls, except the OC and CTX. After adjusting for age, gender, smoking, drinking, and others, compared with the LFMI-HLMI reference group, the two high FMI groups (HFMI-LLMI and HFMI-HLMI) had a greater negative correlation with BMC, while the low BMC risk of the HFMI-LLMI group was the highest (OR = 33.28; 95%CI: 11.12-99.63; P < 0.001). The correlation between BMC of different body composition phenotypes in boys was greater than that in girls. HFMI-HLMI is a risk phenotype negatively associated with Ca content (ß = -0.12; 95%CI: -0.19 to -0.04; P < 0.05). Regardless of body composition level, BMC was always negatively correlated with fat mass (LLMI: ß = -0.27; 95%CI: -0.32-0.21; HLMI: ß = -0.52, 95%CI: -0.65-0.40) and positively correlated with lean mass (LFMI: ß =0.24; 95%CI: 0.20-0.28; HFMI: ß =0.23, 95%CI:0.13-0.33) (all P < 0.001). The fat mass showed different correlations with OC and CTX in girls and boys based on LLMI or HLMI (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HFMI-LLMI is a risk phenotype of low BMC in Chinese adolescents, and the relationship between fat mass and bone metabolism markers is affected by lean body mass and gender.

Spatial Distribution of Brønsted Acid Sites Determines the Mobility of Reactive Cu Ions in the Cu-SSZ-13 Catalyst during the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3.

The formation of dimer-Cu species, which serve as the active sites of the low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR), relies on the mobility of CuI species in the channels of the Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts. Herein, the key role of framework Brønsted acid sites in the mobility of reactive Cu ions was elucidated via a combination of density functional theory calculations, in situ impedance spectroscopy, and in situ diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. When the number of framework Al sites decreases, the Brønsted acid sites decrease, leading to a systematic increase in the diffusion barrier for [Cu(NH3)2]+ and less formation of highly reactive dimer-Cu species, which inhibits the low-temperature NH3-SCR reactivity and vice versa. When the spatial distribution of Al sites is uneven, the [Cu(NH3)2]+ complexes tend to migrate from an Al-poor cage to an Al-rich cage (e.g., cage with paired Al sites), which effectively accelerates the formation of dimer-Cu species and hence promotes the SCR reaction. These findings unveil the mechanism by which framework Brønsted acid sites influence the intercage diffusion and reactivity of [Cu(NH3)2]+ complexes in Cu-SSZ-13 catalysts and provide new insights for the development of zeolite-based catalysts with excellent SCR activity by regulating the microscopic spatial distribution of framework Brønsted acid sites.

[Relationship of triglyceride-glucose index and its derivatives with blood pressure abnormalities in adolescents: an analysis based on a restricted cubic spline model]. / åŸºäºŽé™åˆ¶æ€§ç«‹æ–¹æ ·æ¡æ¨¡åž‹åˆ†æžé’å°‘å¹´ä¸‰é °ç”˜æ²¹-è‘¡è„ç³–æŒ‡æ•°åŠå ¶è¡ç”ŸæŒ‡æ•°ä¸Žè¡€åŽ‹å¼‚å¸¸çš„å ³ç³».

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship of triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), triglyceride-glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI), and triglyceride-glucose-waist circumference index (TyG-WC) with blood pressure abnormalities in adolescents, providing theoretical basis for the prevention and control of hypertension in adolescents. METHODS: A stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 1 572 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years in Yinchuan City for questionnaire surveys, physical measurements, and laboratory tests. Logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic spline analysis were employed to examine the relationship of TyG, TyG-BMI, and TyG-WC with blood pressure abnormalities in adolescents. RESULTS: Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for confounding factors, the groups with the highest quartile of TyG, TyG-BMI, and TyG-WC had 1.48 times (95%CI: 1.07-2.04), 3.71 times (95%CI: 2.67-5.15), and 4.07 times (95%CI: 2.89-5.73) higher risks of blood pressure abnormalities compared to the groups with the lowest quartile, respectively. Moreover, as the levels of TyG, TyG-BMI, and TyG-WC increased, the risk of blood pressure abnormalities gradually increased (P<0.05). A non-linear dose-response relationship was observed between TyG-BMI and the risk of blood pressure abnormalities (P overall trend<0.001, P non-linearity=0.002). Linear dose-response relationships were found between TyG and the risk of blood pressure abnormalities (P overall trend<0.001, P non-linearit =0.232), and between TyG-WC and the risk of blood pressure abnormalities (P overall trend<0.001, P non-linearity=0.224). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of TyG and its derivatives are associated with an increased risk of blood pressure abnormalities in adolescents, with linear or non-linear dose-response relationships.

Relationship between new surrogate marks of insulin resistance and bone mineral content in adolescents / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze the relationship between new surrogate marks of insulin resistance (IR) and bone mineral content (BMC) in adolescents, and predictive value of the new surrogate marks on low bone mass, so as to provide scientific basis for early identification and prevention of skeletal related diseases in adolescents.@*Methods@#A total of 1 594 adolescents aged 12-18 years in Yinchuan City were selected by convenience sampling and stratified cluster random sampling from September 2017 to September 2020, and triglyceride and glucose index (TyG), triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) and triglyceride/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) were calculated as new simplified IR index. The correlation between different simplified IR indexes and BMC level was analyzed by partial correlation. Binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between IR index and low bone mass, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to analyze its evaluation effect on low bone mass.@*Results@#After adjusting for confounding factors such as gender, age, smoking, drinking, family history of hypertension, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), the new surrogate marks of IR were positively correlated with BMC level (TyG: r =0.11, TyG-BMI: r =0.58, TG/HDL-C: r =0.21, P <0.01). After further adjustment of body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM), the relationship between IR indexes and BMC turned into negative correlation (TyG: r =-0.20, TyG-BMI: r =-0.18, TG/HDL-C: r=-0.14, P <0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors such as gender, age, smoking, drinking, family history of hypertension, SBP and DBP, Logistic regression results showed that the increase of TyG, TyG-BMI and TG/HDL-C levels reduced the possibility of low bone mass in adolescents (TyG: OR=0.63, 95%CI = 0.40-0.98, TyG-BMI: OR=0.94, 95%CI =0.93-0.96, TG/HDL-C: OR=0.31, 95%CI=0.17-0.58, P <0.01). After adjusting BMI, FM and LM, the above results were completely reversed. Girls with high TyG and TG/HDL-C levels were 4.95 and 4.38 times more likely to have low bone mass than those with low TyG and TG/HDL-C levels (TyG: OR=4.95, 95%CI =1.29- 18.95 , TG/HDL-C: OR=4.38, 95%CI=1.04-18.50, P <0.05). ROC curve showed that TyG-BMI had the best predictive value on low bone mass (AUC=0.80, 95% CI=0.77-0.83, P <0.01).@*Conclusion@#The new surrogate marks of IR in adolescents are negatively correlated with adolescent BMC, of which TyG-BMI is the best for assessing of low bone mass and can serving as a reliable indicator for early identification of low bone mass.

3D-Printed MOFs/Polymer Composite as a Separatable Adsorbent for the Removal of Phenylarsenic Acid in the Aqueous Solution.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as advanced nanoporous materials to remove phenylarsenic acid, p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA), and roxarsone (ROX) in the aqueous solution, while MOFs are often present as powder state and encounter difficulties in recovery after adsorption, which greatly limit their practical application in the aqueous environments. Herein, MIL-101 (Fe), a typical MOF, was mixed with sodium alginate and gelatin to prepare MIL-101@CAGE by three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, which was then used as a separatable adsorbent to remove phenylarsenic acid in the aqueous solution. The structure of 3D-printed MIL-101@CAGE was first characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry (TG-DTG). The octahedral morphology of MIL-101 (Fe) was found unchanged during the 3D printing process. Then, the adsorption process of MIL-101@CAGE on phenylarsenic acids was systematically investigated by adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, adsorption thermodynamics, condition experiments, and cyclic regeneration experiments. Finally, the adsorption mechanism between MIL-101@CAGE and phenylarsenic acid was further investigated. The results showed that the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms were well fit, and according to the Langmuir fitting results, the maximum adsorption amounts of MIL-101@CAGE on p-ASA and ROX at 25 °C were 106.98 and 120.28 mg/g, respectively. The removal of p-ASA and ROX by MIL-101@CAGE remained stable over a wide pH range and in the presence of various coexisting ions. The regeneration experiments showed that the 3D-printed MIL-101@CAGE could still maintain a more than 90% removal rate after five cycles. The adsorption mechanism of this system might include π-π stacking interactions between the benzene ring on the phenylarsenic acids and the organic ligands in MIL-101@CAGE, hydrogen-bonding, and ligand-bonding interactions (Fe-O-As). This study provides a new idea for the scale preparation of a separatable and recyclable adsorbent based on MOF material for the efficient removal of phenylarsenic acid in the aqueous solution.

Current advances in the detection and removal of organic arsenic by metal-organic frameworks.

Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic heavy metal and has been widely concerned for its hazardous environmental impact. Aromatic organic arsenic (AOCs) has been frequently used as an animal supplement to enhance feed utilization and prevent dysentery. The majority of organic arsenic could be discharged from the body and evolve as highly toxic inorganic arsenic that is hazardous to the environment and human health via biological conversion, photodegradation, and photo-oxidation. Current environmental issues necessitate the development and application of multifunctional porous materials in environmental remediation. Compared to the conventional adsorbent, such as activated carbon and zeolite, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit a number of advantages, including simple synthesis, wide variety, simple modulation of pore size, large specific surface area, excellent chemical stability, and easy modification. In recent years, numerous scientists have investigated MOFs related materials involved with organic arsenic. These studies can be divided into three categories: detection of organic arsenic by MOFs, adsorption to remove organic arsenic by MOFs, and catalytic removal of organic arsenic by MOFs. Here, we conduct a critical analysis of current research findings and knowledge pertaining to the structural characteristics, application methods, removal properties, interaction mechanisms, and spectral analysis of MOFs. We summarized the application of MOFs in organic arsenic detection, adsorption, and catalytic degradation. Other arsenic removal technologies and conventional substances are also being investigated. This review will provide relevant scientific researchers with references.

A multicomponent index method to evaluate the relationship between urban environment and CHD prevalence.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, coronary heart disease (CHD) is the main category of it. It has been shown that the urban built environment affects the occurrence of CHD, but most focus on single environmental factors. This study developed two multicomponent Urban Heart Health Environment (UHHE) Indexes (unweighted index and weighted index), which were based on the four main behavioral risk factors for CHD (unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, and drinking). And we examined the relationship between the indexes and the prevalence of CHD. The prevalence calculation is based on the database of F Hospital patients, who have had coronary stent implantation (CSI). Furthermore, these single-center data were corrected to reduce underestimation of prevalence. We performed global (Ordinal Least Square) and local (Geographically Weighed Regression) regression analyses to assess the relationship between the two UHHE indexes and CHD prevalence. Both indexes showed a significant negative relationship with CHD prevalence. In its spatial relationship, a non-stationary was discovered. The UHHE indexes may help identify and prioritize geographical areas for CHD prevention and may be beneficial to urban design in China.

[Relationship between skeletal muscle mass index and metabolic phenotypes of obesity in adolescents]. / é’å°‘å¹´éª¨éª¼è‚Œè´¨é‡æŒ‡æ•°ä¸Žè‚¥èƒ–ä»£è°¢è¡¨åž‹çš„å ³ç³».

OBJECTIVES: To study the relationship between skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and metabolic phenotypes of obesity in adolescents, and to provide a basis for the prevention and control of adolescent obesity and related metabolic diseases. METHODS: A total of 1 352 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years were randomly selected by stratified cluster sampling in Yinchuan City from October 2017 to September 2020, and they were surveyed using questionnaires, physical measurements, body composition measurements, and laboratory tests. According to the diagnostic criteria for metabolic abnormalities and the definition of obesity based on the body mass index, the subjects were divided into four metabolic phenotypes: metabolically healthy normal weight, metabolically healthy obesity, metabolically unhealthy normal weight, and metabolically unhealthy obesity. The association between SMI and the metabolic phenotypes was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: The SMI level in the metabolically unhealthy normal weight, metabolically healthy obesity, and metabolically unhealthy obesity groups was lower than that in the metabolically healthy normal weight group (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for gender and age, a higher SMI level was a protective factors for adolescents to develop metabolic unhealthy normal weight, metabolically healthy obesity, and metabolically unhealthy obesity phenotypes (OR=0.74, 0.60, and 0.54, respectively; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing SMI can reduce the risk of the development of metabolic unhealthy/obesity.

Metabolome Profiling and Pathway Analysis in Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obesity among Chinese Adolescents Aged 11-18 Years.

The underlying mechanisms of the development of unhealthy metabolic phenotypes in obese children and adolescents remain unclear. We aimed to screen the metabolomes of individuals with the unhealthy obesity phenotype and identify the potential metabolic pathways that could regulate various metabolic profiles of obesity in Chinese adolescents. A total of 127 adolescents aged 11-18 years old from China were investigated using a cross-sectional study. The participants were classified as having metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) or metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) based on the presence/absence of metabolic abnormalities defined by metabolic syndrome (MetS) and body mass index (BMI). Serum-based metabolomic profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was undertaken on 67 MHO and 60 MUO individuals. ROC analyses showed that palmitic acid, stearic acid, and phosphate could predict MUO, and that glycolic acid, alanine, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and 2-hydroxypentanoic acid could predict MHO (all p < 0.05) from selected samples. Five metabolites predicted MUO, 12 metabolites predicted MHO in boys, and only two metabolites predicted MUO in girls. Moreover, several metabolic pathways may be relevant in distinguishing the MHO and MUO groups, including the fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid elongation in mitochondria, propanoate metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism pathways. Similar results were observed for boys except for phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, which had a high impact [0.098]. The identified metabolites and pathways could be efficacious for investigating the underlying mechanisms of the development of different metabolic phenotypes in obese Chinese adolescents.

Hydrothermal Aging Alleviates the Phosphorus Poisoning of Cu-SSZ-39 Catalysts for NH3-SCR Reaction.

As a new type of catalyst with the potential for commercial application in NOx removal from diesel engine exhausts, Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts must have excellent resistance to complex and harsh conditions. In this paper, the effects of phosphorus on Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts before and after hydrothermal aging treatment were investigated. Compared with fresh Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts, phosphorus poisoning significantly decreased the low-temperature NH3-SCR catalytic activity. However, such activity loss was alleviated by further hydrothermal aging treatment. To reveal the reason for this interesting result, a variety of characterization techniques including NMR, H2-TPR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, NH3-TPD, and in situ DRIFTS measurements were employed. It was found that Cu-P species produced by phosphorus poisoning decreased the redox ability of active copper species, resulting in the observed low-temperature deactivation. After hydrothermal aging treatment, however, Cu-P species partly decomposed with the formation of active CuOx species and a release of active copper species. As a result, the low-temperature NH3-SCR catalytic activity of Cu-SSZ-39 catalysts was recovered.

The relationship between different metabolic phenotypes and bone indices in Chinese children and adolescents aged 12-18 years old.

Data regarding different metabolic phenotypes and bone markers including bone mineral content (BMC) and osteocalcin (OCN) among children and adolescents are very limited. Hence, the purpose of this investigation was to explore the relationship between different metabolic phenotypes and BMC or OCN among Chinese children and adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 1,328 children and adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years who were selected from four schools in Yinchuan city from 2018 to 2020 by stratified cluster random sampling. Subjects were divided into four groups according to BMI and metabolic status, as follows: metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW), and metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW). The MHNW, MUNW, MHO, and MUO phenotypes in boys were 48.4%, 30.5%, 6.7%, and 14.4%, respectively, and were 47.8%, 33.6%, 6.6%, and 12.1% in girls, respectively. The MHO and MUO phenotypes had higher BMC than the MHNW or MUNW phenotype (all p < 0.05), and the MUO phenotype with BMC was significantly higher than MHO group in boys (p < 0.05). We discovered a significant positive correlation between BMC and the MHO (OR = 8.82, 95% CI = 2.04-38.16), MUO phenotypes (OR = 13.53, 95% CI = 4.10-44.70), while no association was found between OCN and metabolic phenotypes in neither boys nor girls. Overweight/obese children and adolescents had higher BMC, and there existed sex differences in the effect of metabolic status on BMC among them. OCN was not supposed to be an index of bone health in this study.

α-Pinene inhibits the growth of cervical cancer cells through its proapoptotic activity by regulating the miR-34a-5p/Bcl-2 signaling axis.

Among gynecological tumors, cervical cancer (CC) has the second-highest prevalence and mortality rate. α-Pinene is a bicyclic monoterpenoid compound extracted from pine needles that carried promising anticancer properties. Nevertheless, its effect on CC and the underlying mechanism has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the effect of α-Pinene on apoptosis in CC via in vitro assays of flow cytometry (FCW), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and Western blot. Following that, we detected the proapoptotic function of α-Pinene on HeLa cells in vivo by TUNEL assay and immunofluorescence staining. Our results displayed that the α-Pinene inhibited the growth of HeLa cells and stalled the cells in the G0/G1 phase. Interestingly, we also detected that α-Pinene induced HeLa cells to apoptosis. The results investigated that α-Pinene induced HeLa cells apoptosis along with up-regulating the expression of Bax, Bid, caspase-9, caspase-3, miR-34a-5p, and down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 in vitro. At the same time, the expression levels of target genes in vivo were consistent with those in vitro. Our experiment proved that α-Pinene promoted apoptosis, which will be used to hopefully maximize the therapeutic strategies in clinical studies in CC.

Hypertriglyceridemic-waist phenotype is strongly associated with cardiovascular risk factor clustering in Chinese adolescents.

The early identification of predictors related to cardiovascular risk factor clustering (CVRFC) in adolescents can help prevent Cardiovascular disease. The hypertriglyceridemic-waist circumference (HTW) phenotype is considered a simple and useful indicator to identify cardiovascular disease. However, there is limited research on the relationship between the HTW phenotype and (CVRFC) in adolescents. It is unclear whether the HTW phenotype can identify early the risk of developing CVRFC in adolescents. The study aimed to examine the association of the HTW phenotype with CVRFC in adolescents. A total of 1478 adolescents aged 12-18 years were classified into normal waist circumference (WC) and normal triglyceride (TG) (NWNT, 66.4%), normal WC and high TG (HTG, 5.5%), enlarged WC and normal TG (EW, 22.2%) and enlarged WC and high TG (HTW, 5.8%). High TG was defined as TG ≥ 1.47 mmol/L and enlarged WC ≥ 90th percentile by gender and age. CVRFs in this study included elevated blood pressure (BP), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), high total cholesterol (TC), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). CVRFC ≥ 2 or CVRFC ≥ 3 were defined as the presence of at least two or three cardiovascular risk factors. After adjustment for BMI, gender and age, the HTW phenotype increased the risk of CVRFC ≥ 2 and CVRFC ≥ 3 compared to the NTNW phenotype, OR and 95%CI were 2.40 (1.23-4.58) and 3.63 (1.49-8.86), respectively. After stratification by gender, similar results were found in boys, however, girls with the EW phenotype had a lower risk of CVRFC ≥ 2 and CVRFC ≥ 3 compared with the NTNW phenotype after adjustment for BMI and age. The area under the ROC curve was 0.698 (0.661-0.736) and 0.782 (0.725-0.840) when TG was combined with WC to detect cardiovascular risk factors clustering, which was better than BMI, WHtR, TG or WC alone. And similar results were obtained for both boys and girls when stratified by gender. These results revealed that different combinations of TG and WC levels are closely associated with cardiovascular risk factors clustering in both boys and girls, and TG combining WC performed better than BMI, WHtR, TG or WC alone in detecting cardiovascular risk factor clustering in adolescents.

Construction of Ecological Network of Yangtze Huaihe River Diversion Project (Anhui) Based on Landscape Connectivity Index.

The interbasin water transfer project has realized the optimal allocation of water resources, improved economic benefits, improved people's life and welfare, and had an impact on the ecology. Taking Anhui Jianghuai water transfer project as an example, this study uses morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) to identify the core area, selects the patches in the core area, identifies the source according to the patch importance index, constructs the basic resistance surface according to the resistance factor, modifies the basic resistance surface by using the landscape connectivity index, and constructs the ecological corridor by combining the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and the loop model (curve) to build the ecological network of the completed Huaihe River Water Transfer Project (Anhui). The results show that there are 83 sources, 197 potential ecological corridors, and 80 ecological nodes in the ecological network of Anhui Jianghuai project. Ecological network optimization strategies and protection suggestions are put forward for ecological sources, ecological corridors, and ecological nodes, respectively, so as to provide scientific reference and basis for the ecological environment protection and high-quality development of Anhui Jianghuai water transfer project.

Association of the triglyceride-glucose index with weight-adjusted appendicular lean mass in Chinese adolescents aged 12-18 years old.

There is no study exploring the association between triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and skeletal muscle mass in Chinese adolescents. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the association between TyG index and appendicular lean mass (ALM) in Chinese adolescents. In this study, 1336 adolescents (805 boys, 60.25%) aged 12-18 years in China were randomly selected through a stratified cluster sampling. According to the tertiles of TyG index, we separated all participants into three groups, and LM was measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. The TyG index was negatively related to ALM/weight in Chinese adolescents whether stratified by gender (boys: ß = - 0.293; girls: ß = - 0.195; all P < 0.001). After adjusting for age and BMI, a significant correlation between the TyG index and ALM/weight was observed only in boys (ß = - 0.169, P = 0.001). The highest TyG index tertile was significantly associated with low ALM/weight after adjusting for all covariates in the full sample (OR = 3.04, 95% CI 1.12-8.26, P = 0.029) and boys (OR = 4.68, 95% CI 1.22-17.95, P = 0.025) only in overweight/obese group. Our findings suggested elevated levels of TyG index may be a risk factor of low ALM/weight in Chinese adolescents, especially in boys.