On using an aerosol thermodynamic model to calculate aerosol acidity of coarse particles.

Thermodynamic modeling is still the most widely used method to characterize aerosol acidity, a critical physicochemical property of atmospheric aerosols. However, it remains unclear whether gas-aerosol partitioning should be incorporated when thermodynamic models are employed to estimate the acidity of coarse particles. In this work, field measurements were conducted at a coastal city in northern China across three seasons, and covered wide ranges of temperature, relative humidity and NH3 concentrations. We examined the performance of different modes of ISORROPIA-II (a widely used aerosol thermodynamic model) in estimating aerosol acidity of coarse and fine particles. The M0 mode, which incorporates gas-phase data and runs the model in the forward mode, provided reasonable estimation of aerosol acidity for coarse and fine particles. Compared to M0, the M1 mode, which runs the model in the forward mode but does not include gas-phase data, may capture the general trend of aerosol acidity but underestimates pH for both coarse and fine particles; M2, which runs the model in the reverse mode, results in large errors in estimated aerosol pH for both coarse and fine particles and should not be used for aerosol acidity calculations. However, M1 significantly underestimates liquid water contents for both fine and coarse particles, while M2 provides reliable estimation of liquid water contents. In summary, our work highlights the importance of incorporating gas-aerosol partitioning when estimating coarse particle acidity, and thus may help improve our understanding of acidity of coarse particles.

Unveiling the overlooked direct emissions of particulate organic nitrates from ship.

Particulate organic nitrates (pONs) have drawn growing interests due to their effects on nitrogen cycling, air pollution, and regional climate. While secondary formation is typically considered as the major source of pONs, direct emissions from various sources remain poorly explored. Ship exhausts have been known as an important source of reactive nitrogen species, yet pONs emissions from ship have been rarely characterized. In this study, we conducted atmospheric measurement of pONs during a ship-based cruise measurement campaign in the East China Sea and also emission measurement of pONs from ship exhausts. During the ship-based cruise, total five typical kinds of pONs were determined and the average total concentrations of five pONs were 479 ± 193 and 250 ± 139 ng m-3 when sampling was influenced by ship emissions or not, respectively, indicating the notable impact of ship exhaust plumes on ambient pONs. Further, five typical pONs were successfully identified and quantified from ship exhausts, with the average total concentration of 1123 ± 406 µg m-3. The much higher pONs levels in ship exhausts than in ambient particulate matters demonstrated ship emission as an important source for pONs. Additionally, their emission factors from ship exhausts were determined as at a range of 0.1-12.6 mg kWh-1. The chemical transport model simulations indicate that direct pONs emissions from ship exert a significant contribution to atmospheric pONs, especially in the clean marine atmosphere. These findings provide compelling evidence for direct emission of pONs from ship and its considerable effects. We call for further studies to better characterize the direct pONs emissions from ship and other potential sources, which should be incorporated into global and regional models.

Arbidol increases the survival rate by mitigating inflammation in suckling mice infected with human coronavirus OC43 virus.

Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) often causes common cold and is able to neuroinvasive, but it can also induce lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) especially in children and the elderly adults with underlying diseases. HCoV-OC43 infections currently have no approved antiviral treatment. Arbidol (ARB) is a broad-spectrum antiviral and is an antiviral medication for the treatment of influenza used in Russia and China. Due to its multiple mechanisms of action, such as inhibition of viral fusion and entry, immunomodulation, and modulation of host cell signaling pathways, ARB has the potential to be an effective treatment option for viral infections. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the activities of ARB against HCoV-OC43 infections. Suckling mice were infected with HCoV-OC43 and treated with ARB (50, 25 and 12.5 mg/kg/d) by gavage once daily for 4 days. the survival rates and body weight were recorded, the viral titer was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, cytokine levels were measured by Bio-Plex assays. Histopathological changes of the lungs and brain were analyzed. Our results show ARB increased the survival rate, reduced viral copy numbers in the lung, mitigated pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and improved brain and lung histopathology significantly without any significant toxicity or side effects in vivo. Our results suggest ARB could be a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of HCoV-OC43 while further studies are needed to address these possibilities and the underlying mechanism.

Association of genetic polymorphisms in the C19orf66 gene and biochemical indices of HBV infected individuals in Yunnan.

Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection causes serious liver diseases and is a healthy problem worldwide. Although vaccines are administered to infants after birth, there is no effective medicine for HBV infection. The interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) are important factors in the host that can aid in restraining the virus, and the C19orf66 gene has a wide-antiviral spectrum. Methods: In this study, three SNPs in the C19orf66 gene were sequenced and genotyped, and their potential function were predicted and further verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results: Although no significant difference of genotype and allele frequency was observed between HBV patients and the controls, the genotype and allele frequency showed significant difference between HBV patients with HBsAg-positive and HBV patients with HBsAg-negative or controls. Genotype AA (P= 0.009) and AT (P= 0.019) of rs77076061 showed higher and lower frequency in HBV patients with HBsAg-positive than in patients with HBsAg-negative, respectively. Genotype AG of rs1979262 played a risk role in HBV patients with HBsAg-positive (13.22%) than in patients with HBsAg-negative (7.53%, P= 0.036) or controls (8.48%, P= 0.033). The frequency of allele A of rs1979262 was higher in patients with HBsAg-positive (6.61%) than in patients with HBsAg-negative (3.77%, P= 0.042), while it was the opposite for the allele G. Moreover, the associations between genotypes of SNPs in the C19orf66 gene and the ALT, AST, and DBIL level were also identified. The functional assay suggested that the SNPs might influence the C19orf66 expression by changing the connection of transcriptional factors. Conclusion: In summary, the association between genetic polymorphisms in the C19orf66 gene and HBV infection/biochemical indices of patients was firstly identified in Yunnan Province.

Orthogonal dual reporter-based gain-of-signal assay for probing SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease activity in living cells: inhibitor identification and mutation investigation.

ABSTRACTThe main protease (3-chymotrypsin-like protease, 3CLpro) of SARS-CoV-2 has become a focus of anti-coronavirus research. Despite efforts, drug development targeting 3CLpro has been hampered by limitations in the currently available activity assays. Additionally, the emergence of 3CLpro mutations in circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants has raised concerns about potential resistance. Both emphasize the need for a more reliable, sensitive, and facile 3CLpro assay. Here, we report an orthogonal dual reporter-based gain-of-signal assay for measuring 3CLpro activity in living cells. It builds on the finding that 3CLpro induces cytotoxicity and reporter expression suppression, which can be rescued by its inhibitor or mutation. This assay circumvents most limitations in previously reported assays, especially false positives caused by nonspecific compounds and signal interference from test compounds. It is also convenient and robust for high throughput screening of compounds and comparing the drug susceptibilities of mutants. Using this assay, we screened 1789 compounds, including natural products and protease inhibitors, with 45 compounds that have been reported to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro among them. Except for the approved drug PF-07321332, only five of these inhibit 3CLpro in our assays: GC376; PF-00835231; S-217622; Boceprevir; and Z-FA-FMK. The susceptibilities of seven 3CLpro mutants prevalent in circulating variants to PF-07321332, S-217622, and GC376 were also assessed. Three mutants were identified as being less susceptible to PF-07321322 (P132H) and S-217622 (G15S, T21I). This assay should greatly facilitate the development of novel 3CLpro-targeted drugs and the monitoring of the susceptibility of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants to 3CLpro inhibitors.

Research progress on the effect of traditional Chinese medicine on the activation of PRRs-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit influenza pneumonia.

Influenza pneumonia has challenged public health and social development. One of the hallmarks of severe influenza pneumonia is overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which result from the continuous activation of intracellular signaling pathways, such as the NF-κB pathway, mediated by the interplay between viruses and host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). It has been reported that traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) can not only inhibit viral replication and inflammatory responses but also affect the expression of key components of PRRs and NF-κB signaling pathways. However, whether the antiviral and anti-inflammatory roles of TCM are related with its effects on NF-κB signaling pathway activated by PRRs remains unclear. Here, we reviewed the mechanism of PRRs-mediated activation of NF-κB signaling pathway following influenza virus infection and summarized the influence of anti-influenza TCMs on inflammatory responses and the PRRs/NF-κB signaling pathway, so as to provide better understanding of the mode of action of TCMs in the treatment of influenza pneumonia.

A Mouse-Adapted Model of HCoV-OC43 and Its Usage to the Evaluation of Antiviral Drugs.

The human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is one of the most common causes of common cold but can lead to fatal pneumonia in children and elderly. However, the available animal models of HCoV-OC43 did not show respiratory symptoms that are insufficient to assist in screening antiviral agents for respiratory diseases. In this study, we adapted the HCoV-OC43 VR-1558 strain by serial passage in suckling C57BL/6 mice and the resulting mouse-adapted virus at passage 9 (P9) contained 8 coding mutations in polyprotein 1ab, spike (S) protein, and nucleocapsid (N) protein. Pups infected with the P9 virus significantly lost body weight and died within 5 dpi. In cerebral and pulmonary tissues, the P9 virus replication induced the production of G-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-6, CXCL1, MCP-1, MIP-1α, RANTES, IP-10, MIP-1ß, and TNF-α, as well as pathological alterations including reduction of neuronal cells and typical symptoms of viral pneumonia. We found that the treatment of arbidol hydrochloride (ARB) or Qingwenjiere Mixture (QJM) efficiently improved the symptoms and decreased n gene expression, inflammatory response, and pathological changes. Furthermore, treating with QJM or ARB raised the P9-infected mice's survival rate within a 15 day observation period. These findings suggested that the new mouse-adapted HCoV-OC43 model is applicable and reproducible for antiviral studies of HCoV-OC43.

Transcriptome Analysis of Leaf Senescence Regulation Under Alkaline Stress in Medicago truncatula.

In plants, the leaf is an essential photosynthetic organ, and is the primary harvest in forage crops such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Premature leaf senescence caused by environmental stress can result in significant yield loss and quality reduction. Therefore, the stay-green trait is important for improving the economic value of forage crops. Alkaline stress can severely damage leaf cells and, consequently, cause leaf senescence. To understand the molecular regulatory mechanisms and identify vital senescence-associated genes under alkaline stress, we used high-throughput sequencing to study transcriptional changes in Medicago truncatula, a model plant for forage crops. We identified 2,165 differentially expressed genes, 985 of which were identical to those in the dark-induced leaf senescence group. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses showed that the 985 genes were mainly enriched in nutrient cycling processes such as cellular amino acid metabolic processes and organic substance catabolic processes, indicating nutrient redistribution. The other 1,180 differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in the oxidoreductase complex, aerobic respiration, and ion transport. Our analysis showed the two gene sets guiding the coupled physiological and biochemical alterations play different roles under alkaline stress with a coordinated and integrated way. Many transcription factor families were identified from these differentially expressed genes, including MYB, WRKY, bHLH, and NAC which have particular preference involved in stress resistance and regulation of senescence. Our results contribute to the exploration of the molecular regulatory mechanisms of leaf senescence in M. truncatula under alkaline stress and provide new candidate genes for future breeding to improve the biomass and quality of forage crops.

Mass fractions, solubility, speciation and isotopic compositions of iron in coal and municipal waste fly ash.

Deposition of anthropogenic aerosols may contribute significantly to dissolved Fe in the open ocean, affecting marine primary production and biogeochemical cycles; however, fractional solubility of Fe is not well understood for anthropogenic aerosols. This work investigated mass fractions, solubility, speciation and isotopic compositions of Fe in coal and municipal waste fly ash. Compared to desert dust (3.1 ± 1.1%), the average mass fraction of Fe was higher in coal fly ash (6.2 ± 2.7%) and lower in municipal waste fly ash (2.6 ± 0.4%), and the average Fe/Al ratios were rather similar for the three types of particles. Municipal waste fly ash showed highest Fe solubility (1.98 ± 0.43%) in acetate buffer (pH: 4.3), followed by desert dust (0.43 ± 0.30%) and coal fly ash (0.24 ± 0.28%), suggesting that not all the anthropogenic aerosols showed higher Fe solubility than desert dust. For the samples examined in our work, amorphous Fe appeared to be an important controlling factor for Fe solubility, which was not correlated with particle size or BET surface area. Compared to desert dust (-0.05‰ to 0.21‰), coal and municipal waste fly ash showed similar or even higher δ56Fe values for total Fe (range: 0.05‰ to 0.75‰), implying that the presence of coal or municipal waste fly ash may not be able to explain significantly smaller δ56Fe values reported for total Fe in ambient aerosols affected by anthropogenic sources.

Broad antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity of Qingwenjiere mixture against SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronavirus infections.

BACKGROUND: Qingwenjiere Mixture (QJM) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been shown to have remarkable clinical efficacy against COVID-19. However, little is known about the antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities of QJM against a wider range of human coronavirus (HCoV) strains. PURPOSE: The study aims to investigate the antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities of QJM, as well as the underlying mechanisms against HCoV infections. METHODS: The chemical compositions from QJM were analyzed by LC-MS. The inhibitory effect of QJM on infections of HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, and SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated in HRT-18 cells, Huh7 cells, LLC-MK2 cells, and Vero-E6 cells, respectively, by using cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition assay or RT-qPCR detection of viral n, s, or RdRp/Hel genes. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, and SARS-CoV-2, as well as the host ace2 gene was also determined by RT-qPCR assay. Furthermore, the expression of key molecules in the NF-κB/MAPKs signaling pathways was determined by western blot. RESULTS: In alcohol-extraction groups of QJM and reference decoction pieces, 53 similar ion peaks were identified, the majority of which were phenylpropanoids, iridoids, and flavonoids. In addition, QJM reduced CPE caused by HCoVs and the expression of viral n genes or N protein. Pretreatment with QJM also exerted inhibitory effect on viral n gene expression. QJM also inhibited the expression of RdRp/Hel and s genes of SARS-CoV-2, as well as the host ace2 gene. Besides, QJM markedly reduced virus-induced mRNA expression of a panel of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, CXCL-8/IL-8, CXCL-10/IP-10, CCL-5/RANTES, TNF-α, IFN-α, CCL-2/MCP-1, CXCL-9/MIG, and IL1-α. We further showed that QJM inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65, and JNK, ERK 1/2, and p38 MAPKs in HCoV-OC43-infected HRT-18 cells. CONCLUSIONS: QJM has broad antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity against both common and newly emerged HCoVs possibly by inhibiting the activation of key components in NF-κB/MAPKs signaling pathway. QJM also has a prevention effect against HCoV infections and inhibits the host receptor required for virus entry. These results indicate that QJM may have the therapeutic potential in the treatment of diseases caused by a broad range of HCoVs.

Melatonin functions in priming of stomatal immunity in Panax notoginseng and Arabidopsis thaliana.

Melatonin (MT) plays important roles in plant disease response, but the mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we show that MT functions in stomatal immunity in Panax notoginseng and Arabidopsis thaliana. Biochemical analyses showed that MT-induced stomatal closure plays a prominent role in preventing invasion of bacteria Pseudomonas syringe pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NADPH oxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species production in P. notoginseng. The first putative phytomelatonin receptor 1 (PMTR1) is a plasma membrane protein required for perceiving MT signaling in stomatal closure and activation of MAPK. Biochemical and genetic tests found PMTR1 is essential for flg22- and MT-induced MAPK activation in a heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein Gα subunit GPA1-independent manner. GPA1 functions in the same genetic pathways of FLS2/BAK1 (Flagellin Sensing 2/Brassinosteroid Insensitive 1-associated kinase 1)- as well as PMTR1-mediated flg22 and MT signaling in stomatal closure. The stomata in pmtr1 are insensitive to MT and flg22, but the application of MT induces stomatal closure and reduces the bacterial growth in fls2 and bak1 plants, indicating that PMTR1 might be a downstream signaling component in FLS2- and BAK1-mediated stomatal immunity. In summary, our results (i) demonstrate that phytomelatonin functions in the priming of stomatal immunity and (ii) provide insights into the phytomelatonin signaling transduction pathway.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Salt Stress-Induced Leaf Senescence in Medicago truncatula.

Leaves are the most critical portion of forage crops such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Leaf senescence caused by environmental stresses significantly impacts the biomass and quality of forages. To understand the molecular mechanisms and identify the key regulator of the salt stress-induced leaf senescence process, we conducted a simple and effective salt stress-induced leaf senescence assay in Medicago truncatula, which was followed by RNA-Seq analysis coupled with physiological and biochemical characterization. By comparing the observed expression data with that derived from dark-induced leaf senescence at different time points, we identified 3,001, 3,787, and 4,419 senescence-associated genes (SAGs) for salt stress-induced leaf senescence on day 2, 4, and 6, respectively. There were 1546 SAGs shared by dark and salt stress treatment across the three time points. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses showed that the 1546 SAGs were mainly related to protein and amino acids metabolism, photosynthesis, chlorophyll metabolism, and hormone signaling during leaf senescence. Strikingly, many different transcription factors (TFs) families out of the 1546 SAGs, including NAC, bHLH, MYB, and ERF, were associated with salt stress-induced leaf senescence processes. Using the transient expression system in Nicotiana benthamiana, we verified that three functional NAC TF genes from the 1546 SAGs were related to leaf senescence. These results clarify SAGs under salt stress in M. truncatula and provide new insights and additional genetic resources for further forage crop breeding.

Unusual matrine-adenine hybrids isolated from Sophora davidii and their inhibitory effects on human cytomegalovirus.

A phytochemical investigation on the flowers of Sophora davidii resulted in the isolation of three unusual matrine-adenine hybrids, sophovicines A-C, together with biogenetically related analogue sophocarpine. Their structures and absolute configurations were determined by NMR analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Since sophovicines represent the first example of matrine-adenine hybrids, a putative biosynthetic pathway toward sophovicines A-C was proposed. In addition, computational molecular modeling suggested that compounds sophovicines B and C may have potent activities against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). So, the inhibit effects of isolates on HCMV were evaluated. The results show that sophovicines B and C can inhibit HCMV replication effectively with IC50 values of 7.12 and 7.32 µM, respectively.

Deletion mutation within the goat PPP3CA gene identified by GWAS significantly affects litter size.

The protein phosphatase 3 catalytic subunit α (PPP3CA) gene is a high reproduction traits candidate gene for goats as revealed by a genome-wide association study. The aim of this work was to explore the genetic variations of the goat PPP3CA as well as to evaluate the genetic effects on litter size. Three novel insertions/deletions (indels) within the goat PPP3CA were found and their minor allelic frequencies (MAF) were 0.105, 0.066, and 0.042, respectively. The results showed that only the 20bp indel polymorphism was significantly associated with litter size in Shaanbei white cashmere goats (P<0.05) and individuals with deletion/deletion (DD) genotypes demonstrated the junior phenotypes when compared with those with other genotypes. These findings suggested that the 20bp indel is a potential DNA marker for selecting superior individuals in marker-assisted selection for breeding concerning fecundity in goats.

Substantial emissions of nitrated aromatic compounds in the particle and gas phases in the waste gases from eight industries.

Nitrated aromatic compounds, the ubiquitous nitrogen-containing organic pollutants, impact the environment and organisms adversely. As industrial raw materials and intermediates, nitrated aromatic compounds and their aromatic precursors are widely employed in the industrial production activities. Nevertheless, their emission from industrial waste gases has so far not been studied extensively. In this study, the concentrations of 12 nitrated aromatic compounds in the particle and gas phases downwind of 16 factories encompassing eight industries (i.e., pharmaceutical, weaving and dyeing, herbicide, explosive, painting, phenolic resin, paper pulp and polystyrene foam industries), were determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Their concentrations in the particle and gas phases from different factories ranged from 114.7 ± 63.5 to 296.6 ± 62.5 ng m-3 and 148.7 ± 7.4 to 309.8 ± 26.2 ng m-3, respectively, thus, exhibiting significantly high concentrations as compared to the background sites. Among the 12 detected species, 4-nitrophenol, 5-nitrosalicylic acid, 3-nitrosalicylic acid and 4-methyl-2,6-dinitrophenol were observed to be the predominant species, with total fractions up to 47.9-72.3% and 63.1-70.3% in the particle and gas phases, respectively. Their emission profiles with respect to the industrial activities exhibited large discrepancies as compared to the combustion sources, thus, indicating different formation mechanisms. The emission ratios of particulate nitrated aromatic compounds owing to the industrial activities were estimated between 0.5 ± 0.2 and 4.3 ± 1.5 ng µg-1, which were higher than or comparable to those from various combustion sources. The findings from this study confirm the industrial emission to be an important source of nitrated aromatic compounds in the atmosphere. The substantial emissions of nitrated aromatic compounds from various industries reported in this study provide the fundamental basis for further emission estimation and pollution control.

Comprehensive analysis of coding sequence architecture features and gene expression in Arachis duranensis.

Coding sequence (CDS) architecture affects gene expression levels in organisms. Codon optimization can increase the gene expression level. Therefore, understanding codon usage patterns has important implications for research on genetic engineering and exogenous gene expression. To date, the codon usage patterns of many model plants have been analyzed. However, the relationship between CDS architecture and gene expression in Arachis duranensis remains poorly understood. According to the results of genome sequencing, A. duranensis has many resistant genes that can be used to improve the cultivated peanut. In this study, bioinformatic approaches were used to estimate A. duranensis CDS architectures, including frequency of the optimal codon (Fop), polypeptide length and GC contents at the first (GC1), second (GC2) and third (GC3) codon positions. In addition, Arachis RNA-seq datasets were downloaded from PeanutBase. The relationships between gene expression and CDS architecture were assessed both under normal growth as well as nematode and drought stress conditions. A total of 26 codons with high frequency were identified, which preferentially ended with A or T in A. duranensis CDSs under the above-mentioned three conditions. A similar CDS architecture was found in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under nematode and drought stresses. The GC1 content differed between DEGs and non-differentially expressed genes (NDEGs) under both drought and nematode stresses. The expression levels of DEGs were affected by different CDS architectures compared with NDEGs under drought stress. In addition, no correlation was found between differential gene expression and CDS architecture neither under nematode nor under drought stress. These results aid the understanding of gene expression in A. duranensis.

Size distributions of nitrated phenols in winter at a coastal site in north China and the impacts from primary sources and secondary formation.

Nitrated phenols in particulate matters are among the major components of brown carbon, harm plant growth and human health. To understand the size distributions of nitrated phenols in the polluted coastal region and the factors influencing these distributions, size-resolved particulate matters were collected from a rural site in the coastal city of Qingdao, China, in January 2019, and analyzed for the presence of 11 nitrated phenols. The average concentrations of total nitrated phenols in fine- and coarse-mode particles were 123.6 and 37.2 ng m-3, respectively. 4-Nitrophenol was found to be the dominant nitrated phenol, followed by 3-methyl-6-nitrocatechol, 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, and 4-nitrocatechol. On average, maximum concentrations of nitrated phenols were in condensation-mode particles, whereas a minor concentration peak of nitro-salicylic acids was present in droplet-mode particles. In addition, a minor concentration peak of 4-methyl-2,6-dinitrophenol was noticed in coarse-mode particles. Comparisons of the size distributions under different situations confirmed that both primary emissions and secondary formation had significant effects on the abundances and particle-sizes of nitrated phenols. Coal combustion in residential villages and firework burning during a festival led to a sharp increase of nitrated phenols in condensation-mode particles, whereas dust promoted their heterogeneous formation in coarse-mode particles, and high humidity in the coastal area facilitated their aqueous formation in droplet-mode particles.

Nitrated phenols and the phenolic precursors in the atmosphere in urban Jinan, China.

Nitrated phenols are a major class of brown carbon in the atmosphere and have adverse effects on human and plants health. They are emitted from combustion sources or produced by oxidation of phenolic precursors. In this study, fine particulates, total suspended particulates, and gas-phase samples were collected in urban Jinan in winter, spring, and summer, and UHPLC-MS analysis was used to determine 8 phenolic compounds and 12 nitrated phenols in these samples. The seasonal average concentrations of total phenolic compounds and total nitrated phenols were in the ranges of 2.6-18.7 ng m-3 and 13.5-105.4 ng m-3, respectively. The concentrations of phenolic compounds and nitrated phenols were highest in winter, followed (in decreasing order) by spring, and summer. Phenol and salicylic acid were the most abundant phenolic species in both gaseous and particulate samples. 4-Nitrophenol was the most abundant nitrated phenols in particulate matters, followed by 4-nitrocatechol and 5-nitrosalicylic acid, while 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol were the dominant species in the gas phase. The distributions of phenolic compounds and nitrated phenols in fine and coarse particles and in gas and particle phases were largely dependent on the aerosol size distribution, the ambient temperature, and the compound volatility. More of them were distributed in fine particles and gas-phase in summer than in spring. It was found that phenol, catechol, methyl-catechols, 4-nitrophenol, and methyl-nitrophenols mainly derived from coal combustion, while biomass burning was the main source of cresols, 2,6-dimethyl-4-nitrophenol, 4-nitrocatechol, and methyl-nitrocatechols. In addition, secondary formation contributed the largest fraction of nitrosalicylic acids and vehicle exhaust was the major source of cresols, 2,6-dimethyl-4-nitrophenol, and 4-methyl-2,6-dinitrophenol. Further correlation analysis revealed positive correlations between nitrated phenols and corresponding phenolic precursors, indicating the important roles that phenolic precursors played in the secondary formation and abundance of nitrated phenols in the atmosphere.

Emissions of fine particulate nitrated phenols from various on-road vehicles in China.

Nitrated phenols are receiving increasing attention due to their adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Previous measurements have revealed the non-ignorable contribution of vehicle exhaust to atmospheric nitrated phenols in urban areas. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the emission characteristics and the total emission of nitrated phenols from current on-road traffic. This study investigated the emissions from eight passenger vehicles, eight trucks, and two taxis, with fuel types including diesel, gasoline, and compressed natural gas. Exhaust emissions were collected and measured using a mobile measurement system on two testing routes. Twelve nitrated phenols in the collected fine particulate matter were detected using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Overall, the emission profiles of fine particulate nitrated phenols varied with vehicle load and fuel type. The 4-nitrophenol and its methyl derivatives were dominant nitrated phenol species emitted by the vehicles with proportions of 38.4%-68.0%, which is significantly different from the proportions of nitrated phenols emitted from biomass burning and coal combustion. The emission factors also exhibited large variations across vehicle type, fuel type, and emission standards, with relatively low values for gasoline vehicles and taxis fueled by compressed natural gas and high values for diesel vehicles. Based on the emission factors of nitrated phenols from different vehicles, the estimated total emission of nitrated phenols from on-road vehicles in China was 58.9 Mg (-86%-85% within 95% confidence interval), with diesel trucks contributing the most substantial fractions. This work highlights the very high level of emissions of nitrated phenols from diesel vehicles and provides an essential basis for atmospheric modeling and effective pollution control.

Relationship between SNPs of POU1F1 Gene and Litter Size and Growth Traits in Shaanbei White Cashmere Goats.

POU (Pit-Oct-Unc) class 1 homeobox 1 (POU1F1, or Pit-1) is a transcription factor that directly regulates pituitary hormone-related genes, as well as affects the reproduction and growth in mammals. Thus, POU1F1 gene was investigated as a candidate gene for litter size and growth performance in goats. In the current study, using direct DNA sequencing, c.682G > T, c.723T > G and c.837T > C loci were genotyped in Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC) goats (n = 609), but c.876 + 110T > C was monomorphic. Besides, the c.682G > T locus was first identified by HinfI (Haemophilus influenzae Rf) restriction endonuclease. Association analysis results showed that the c.682G > T, c.837T > C loci and diplotypes were significantly associated with goat litter size (p < 0.05). The positive genotypes were GT and TT for the two SNPs, respectively, and the optimal diplotype was H3H7 (GTTT-TTTT). On the other hand, the c.682G > T, c.723T > G and c.837T > C strongly affected growth traits and body measurement indexes in SBWC goats (p < 0.05). The positive genotypes or allele of these SNPs were GT, G and TT, respectively. Additionally, the goats with H3H7 diplotype also had a greater growth status than others (p < 0.05). Here, individuals with same genotype had both a better litter size and growth traits, showing a positive correlation between these economic traits. Meanwhile, the positive genotypes of four SNPs were combined to obtain the optimal diplotype, which was also H3H7. These SNPs, especially the diplotype, could be used for the genomic selection of excellent individuals with a greater litter size and better growth status in goat breeding.