Non-targeted screening and photolysis transformation of tire-related compounds in roadway runoff.

Roadway runoff serves as a crucial pathway for transporting contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) from urban environments to receiving water bodies. Tire-related compounds originating from tire wear particles (TWPs) have been frequently detected, posing a potential ecological threat. Yet, the photolysis of tire-related compounds within roadway runoff remains inadequately acknowledged. Addressing this deficit, our study utilized high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to characterize the chemical profile of roadway runoff across eight strategically selected sites in Guangzhou, China. 219 chemicals were identified or detected within different confidence levels. Among them, 29 tire-related contaminants were validated with reference standards, including hexa(methoxymethyl)melamine (HMMM), 1,3-diphenylguanidine (DPG), dicyclohexylurea (DCU), and N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazol-amine (DCMA). HMMM exhibited with the abundance ranging from 2.30 × 104-3.10 × 106, followed by DPG, 1.69 × 104-8.34 × 106. Runoff sample were exposed to irradiation of 500 W mercury lamp for photodegradation experiment. Photolysis results indicated that tire-related compounds with a low photolysis rate, notably DCU, DCMA, and DPG, are more likely to persist within the runoff. The photolytic rates were significantly correlated with the spatial distribution patterns of these contaminants. Our findings underscore TWPs as a significant source of pollution in water bodies, emphasizing the need for enhanced environmental monitoring and assessment strategies.

From organic fertilizer to the soils: What happens to the microplastics? A critical review.

In recent, soil microplastic pollution arising from organic fertilizers has been of a great increasing concern. In response to this concern, this review presents a comprehensive analysis of the occurrence and evolution of microplastics in organic fertilizers, their ingress into the soil, and the subsequent impacts. Organic fertilizers are primarily derived from solid organic waste generated by anthropocentric activities including urban (daily-life, municipal wastes and sludge), agricultural (manure, straw), and industrial (like food industrial waste etc.) processes. In order to produce organic fertilizer, the organic solid wastes are generally treated by aerobic composting or anaerobic digestion. Currently, microplastics have been widely detected in the raw materials and products of organic fertilizer. During the process of converting organic solid waste materials into fertilizer, intense oxidation, hydrolysis, and microbial actions significantly alter the physical, chemical, and surface biofilm properties of the plastics. After the organic fertilizer application, the abundances of microplastics significantly increased in the soil. Additionally, the degradation of these microplastics often promotes the adsorption of organic pollutants and affects their retention time in the soil. These microplastics, covered by biofilms, also significantly alter soil ecology due to the unique properties of the biofilm. Furthermore, the biofilms also play a role in the degradation of microplastics in the soil environment. This review offers a new perspective on the soil environmental processes involving microplastics from organic fertilizer sources and highlights the challenges associated with further research on organic fertilizers and microplastics.

A deep-learning-based framework for identifying and localizing multiple abnormalities and assessing cardiomegaly in chest X-ray.

Accurate identification and localization of multiple abnormalities are crucial steps in the interpretation of chest X-rays (CXRs); however, the lack of a large CXR dataset with bounding boxes severely constrains accurate localization research based on deep learning. We created a large CXR dataset named CXR-AL14, containing 165,988 CXRs and 253,844 bounding boxes. On the basis of this dataset, a deep-learning-based framework was developed to identify and localize 14 common abnormalities and calculate the cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) simultaneously. The mean average precision values obtained by the model for 14 abnormalities reached 0.572-0.631 with an intersection-over-union threshold of 0.5, and the intraclass correlation coefficient of the CTR algorithm exceeded 0.95 on the held-out, multicentre and prospective test datasets. This framework shows an excellent performance, good generalization ability and strong clinical applicability, which is superior to senior radiologists and suitable for routine clinical settings.

Fossil-Fuel and Food Systems Equally Dominate Anthropogenic Methane Emissions in China.

Understanding fossil-fuel/food production and consumption patterns is the first step toward reducing the climate impacts of associated methane (CH4) emissions but remains unclear in China. Here, based on the bottom-up method, whole-industrial-chain CH4 emission in China (CH4-CHINA) is developed to track CH4 emissions from production to use and finally to disposal. The estimated Chinese national CH4 emissions in 2020 are 39288.3 Gg (25,230.8-53,345.7 Gg), with 50.4 and 49.6% emissions generated from fossil-fuel and food systems, respectively. ∼130,000 point sources are included to achieve a highly resolved inventory of CH4 emissions, which account for ∼53.5% of the total anthropogenic CH4 emissions in 2020. Our estimate is 36% lower than the Chinese inventory reported to the UNFCCC and 40% lower than EDGAR v6.0, mainly driven by lower emissions from rice cultivation, waste management, and coal supply chain in this study. Based on the emission flow, we observe that previous studies ignored the emissions from natural gas vehicles and residential appliances, coke production, municipal solid waste predisposal, septic tanks, biogas digesters, and food sewage treatment, which totally contribute ∼12.4% of the national anthropogenic CH4 emissions. The results discussed in this study provide critical insights to design and formulate effective CH4 emission mitigation strategies.

Combined Photodynamic and Photothermal Therapy and Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment: A Review.

Photoactivation therapy based on photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) has been identified as a tumour ablation modality for numerous cancer indications, with photosensitisers and photothermal conversion agents playing important roles in the phototherapy process, especially in recent decades. In addition, the iteration of nanotechnology has strongly promoted the development of phototherapy in tumour treatment. PDT can increase the sensitivity of tumour cells to PTT by interfering with the tumour microenvironment, whereas the heat generated by PTT can increase blood flow, improve oxygen supply and enhance the PDT therapeutic effect. In addition, tumour cell debris generated by phototherapy can serve as tumour-associated antigens, evoking antitumor immune responses. In this review, the research progress of phototherapy, and its research effects in combination with immunotherapy on the treatment of tumours are mainly outlined, and issues that may need continued attention in the future are raised.

Deep learning-based computed tomography image segmentation and volume measurement of intracerebral hemorrhage.

The study aims to enhance the accuracy and practicability of CT image segmentation and volume measurement of ICH by using deep learning technology. A dataset including the brain CT images and clinical data of 1,027 patients with spontaneous ICHs treated from January 2010 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and a deep segmentation network (AttFocusNet) integrating the focus structure and the attention gate (AG) mechanism is proposed to enable automatic, accurate CT image segmentation and volume measurement of ICHs. In internal validation set, experimental results showed that AttFocusNet achieved a Dice coefficient of 0.908, an intersection-over-union (IoU) of 0.874, a sensitivity of 0.913, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.957, and a 95% Hausdorff distance (HD95) (mm) of 5.960. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the ICH volume measurement between AttFocusNet and the ground truth was 0.997. The average time of per case achieved by AttFocusNet, Coniglobus formula and manual segmentation is 5.6, 47.7, and 170.1 s. In the two external validation sets, AttFocusNet achieved a Dice coefficient of 0.889 and 0.911, respectively, an IoU of 0.800 and 0.836, respectively, a sensitivity of 0.817 and 0.849, respectively, a PPV of 0.976 and 0.981, respectively, and a HD95 of 5.331 and 4.220, respectively. The ICC of the ICH volume measurement between AttFocusNet and the ground truth were 0.939 and 0.956, respectively. The proposed segmentation network AttFocusNet significantly outperforms the Coniglobus formula in terms of ICH segmentation and volume measurement by acquiring measurement results closer to the true ICH volume and significantly reducing the clinical workload.

[Comparison of different obesity indicators with dyslipidemia and hypertension in adults of Guangxi Yao ethnic group].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between obesity indicators and dyslipidemia and hypertension in the Yao population of Guangxi. METHODS: In 2015, we examined the body composition data of 784 Yao residents aged 18 years or older in Guangxi using a multi-stage whole-group random sampling method, analyzed the association between 10 indicators responding to the degree of obesity and dyslipidemia and hypertension, and analyzed the predictive value of each obesity indicator for dyslipidemia and hypertension by receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves. RESULTS: There were 58.80% of Yao adults with dyslipidemia, with no difference between men and women(χ~2=0.24, P>0.05); 15.94% of Yao adults had hypertension, with a higher prevalence in men than in women(χ~2=4.76, P<0.05). ROC curves plotted with dyslipidemia as the dependent variable showed that the best predictor of risk of dyslipidemia prevalence in the Yao adult population was waist-to-hip ratio(WHR)(AUC=0.62, 95% CI 0.56-0.68) with a cut point of 0.86 in men and waist circumference(AUC=0.64, 95% CI 0.59-0.69) with a cut point of 75.50 cm in women. The ROC curves were plotted with hypertension as the dependent variable, and the result showed that the best predictor of risk of hypertension in the Yao adult population was: visceral fat content(AUC=0.62, 95% CI 0.56-0.68) with a cut point of 0.65 kg in men and WHR(AUC=0.67, 95% CI 0.62-0.72) with a cut point of 0.82 in women. CONCLUSION: Compared with indicators reflecting general obesity such as body mass index and percentage of body fat, indicators reflecting abdominal obesity such as waist circumference, WHR and visceral fat content are more closely related to two metabolic diseases such as dyslipidemia and hypertension in the Yao population.

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in organic fertilizers in China.

The use of organic fertilizers is becoming a routine measure of soil improvement in China, and therefore organic fertilizers are considered an emerging contributor to microplastic accumulation in farmland soils. However, little is known regarding the microplastic contents in organic fertilizers used across China. Here, we investigated the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in 102 organic fertilizer samples across 22 provincial administrative regions of China to serve as a basis for the development of better microplastic management strategies. Organic fertilizers are made of a wide variety of feedstocks, including livestock manure (chicken, cow, goat, and pig manure) and bacterial residues etc., and are mainly produced via aerobic composting. In present study, microplastics within a 0.1-5 mm range in different types of organic fertilizers were separated using a general sequential density flotation method. Microplastic abundances ranged from undetectable to 2550 items/kg, with an average value of 325 ± 511 items/kg and a detection frequency of 80.4 %. The highest microplastic abundances were detected in Beijing City (758 items/kg) and in compound organic fertilizers (average of 386 items/kg). The microplastics in organic fertilizer were primarily white/transparent (75.9 %), 1-3 mm in size (55 %), and film-shaped (39 %). Interestingly, microplastics were not detected in cow dung fertilizer, suggesting that cow dung-based fertilizers might generally contain lower microplastic levels. Moreover, organic fertilizer microplastics tended to be concentrated in provincial areas with intensive agriculture, and the input flux of microplastics from organic fertilizer into fertilized soils reached an average of 5.07 × 1012 items per year. Collectively, our findings provide key insights into the current state of microplastic levels in organic fertilizers in China and serve as a basis for the creation of novel microplastic mitigation strategies in farmland soils.

Uptake and transport of steroid estrogens in soil-plant systems and their dissipation in rhizosphere: Influence factors and mechanisms.

Residual steroid estrogens (SEs) in soil may be absorbed by plants, and subsequently threaten human health via food chains. However, the environmental behavior of SEs in soil-plant systems remains unclear. In this study, a wheat pot experiment using rhizosphere bags was performed to investigate the uptake and dissipation of target SEs (17 beta-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1)) in different soils. The results indicated that soils with higher organic matter and silt and clay reduced the plant uptake of estrogens. Compared with E1, E2 was less accumulated in plants, which was mainly correlated with its higher hydrophobicity and shorter half-life. Estrogens tended to concentrate in the plant roots instead of translocating to the shoots. In addition, plant cultivation enhanced estrogen dissipation in the rhizosphere with an improvement of 10-21%. This improvement mainly resulted from stimulating the activities of estrogen-degrading enzymes, increasing the total bacterial populations, and promoting the development of estrogen degraders. Furthermore, this promotion effect will increase with plant growth. These findings will help us understand the characteristics of SEs taken up by plants and the role of the rhizosphere in SEs elimination, and provide theoretical insights into reducing the pollution risk of SEs in agricultural soils.

Association of laboratory parameters and genetic polymorphisms with ischemic stroke in Chinese Han population.

Numerous genetic polymorphisms and clinical laboratory parameters are associated with ischemic stroke (IS). However, the results of such studies have frequently been inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to evaluate associations between clinical laboratory parameters with genetic polymorphisms that influence the risk of IS in a Chinese Han population. Clinical laboratory parameters were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Genotype and allele frequencies of the polymorphisms angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) D/I, methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and ß-fibrinogen (ß-Fg) A/G, 455/148T/C were characterized by restriction fragment length polymorphism-PCR. Furthermore, the gene polymorphisms plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1-4G/5G and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε2,3,4 were characterized by allele-specific PCR. The associations of genotype and allele frequencies of the six risk genes in different groups with clinical laboratory parameters were analyzed by chi-square tests. The distribution maps of the polymorphisms of the six genes and clinical laboratory parameters were compared between a control group of 336 healthy individuals and 762 patients with IS. Certain laboratory parameters were associated with ACE I/D, ß-Fg-455 A/G and PAI-1 4G/5G. The D allele of ACE I/D was associated with high levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Furthermore, high levels of fasting blood glucose, triglyceride and LDL-C were risk factors for IS. There were significant differences in the genotype frequencies of ACE I/D, ß-Fg-455 A/G and ß-Fg-148 T/C between the IS and the control group. In conclusion, clinical laboratory parameters were associated with the risk of polymorphisms of IS-related genes. The present results support the determination of a range of control values of clinical laboratory parameters for common genotypes in patients with diabetes and hyperlipidemia as a strategy for the early prevention of IS.

Effects of miRNA-140 on the Growth and Clinical Prognosis of SMMC-7721 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of studies have suggested that microRNAs exert an essential role in the development and occurrence of multiple tumours and act as crucial regulators in various biological processes. However, the expression and function of miRNA-140 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are not yet adequately identified and manifested. METHODS: The expression of miRNA-140 was determined in HCC tissues and adjacent nontumour tissues by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to explore the correlation between miRNA-140 expression level and the survival rate of patients with HCC. Additionally, overexpression experiments were conducted to investigate the biological role of miRNA-140 in HCC cells. Bioinformatics was used to predict the related target genes and pathways of miRNA-140. RESULTS: QRT-PCR results signified that the expression level of miRNA-140 in HCC was lower than that of adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.0001). Compared with the control group, the SMMC-7721 HCC cells in the miRNA-140 mimic group had a decrease in proliferation, migration, and invasion (P < 0.05), whereas those in the miRNA-140 inhibitor group had an increase in proliferation, migration, and invasion (P < 0.05). Cell cycle arrest occurred in the G0/1 phase. Prognosis analysis showed that the expression level of miRNA-140 was not related to the prognosis of HCC. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier test revealed that patients with lower miRNA-140 expression levels in liver cancer tissue had significantly shorter disease-free survival (DFS, P = 0.004) and overall survival (OS) times (P = 0.010) after hepatectomy. Cox regression analysis further indicated that miRNA-140 was an independent risk factor that may affect the DFS (P = 0.004) and OS times (P = 0.014) of patients after hepatectomy. Our results suggested that miRNA-140 might be a crucial regulator involved in the HCC progression and is thus considered a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.

Uptake, accumulation, and translocation mechanisms of steroid estrogens in plants.

Applying sewage sludge or animal manure onto agricultural land can result in estrogen pollution, which increases the risk of human exposure to steroid estrogens (SEs) via the food chain. However, the uptake and accumulation mechanism of SEs by plants is still unclear. In this study, the uptake, accumulation, and translocation of 17ß-E2, a representative SE, were investigated through a series of wheat hydroponic experiments. Various inhibitors were applied to explore the uptake pathways of 17ß-E2 by wheat. In addition, the effects of exposure concentrations, coexisting 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and plant properties on the uptake of 17ß-E2 were examined. The results indicated that the accumulation of 17ß-E2 in wheat roots mainly resulted from adsorption and active uptake that involved aquaporins and anion channels transport. The chlorophyll and protein contents of plants were positively correlated with the uptake of 17ß-E2, whereas competitive inhibition occurred when 17ß-E2 and EE2 coexisted in the same solution. Nevertheless, the results of a split-root experiment showed that 17ß-E2 absorbed by wheat could further migrate in plant via long-distance transport and ultimately was discharged from plants, suggesting that 17ß-E2 was still at risk of being released even though it had been absorbed by plants. These results could provide valuable insights into the risk assessment and risk control of the uptake of SEs by plants.

Influence of microplastics occurrence on the adsorption of 17ß-estradiol in soil.

High levels of steroid estrogens are continuously detected in the soil environment, and even the concentration in vegetables and fruits has reached levels that have an impact on children's health, which has attracted growing attention. Moreover, microplastics (MPs) in the soil system are also of increasing concern worldwide. The effects of MPs on the adsorption of organic pollutants in soil systems, however, remain largely unexplored. In this study, MPs common in greenhouse vegetable soil (polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene) were selected to investigate the effect of MPs occurrence on the adsorption of 17ß­estradiol (E2) in soil under various conditions. The experimental results showed that the adsorption capacity of MPs to E2 is stronger than that of soil. Moreover, the occurrence of MPs in soil increased the adsorption capacity for E2, and the addition amount and aging of MPs enhanced the promotion effect. This enhancement indicated that the input of MPs into soil might reduce the mobility of E2 by improving the adsorption capacity of the soil. These results deepen the understanding of the adsorption behavior of E2 in the coexisting system of MPs and soil and provide a theoretical basis for E2 pollution control.

Associations between hepatocellular carcinoma risk and rs3212227 and rs568408 polymorphisms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is considered to be a risk factor for cancer; however, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. This study aimed to explore the impacts of the IL-12 rs3212227 and rs568408 gene polymorphisms on HCC. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Chinese Knowledge Infrastructure databases for studies on the associations between HCC and IL-12 rs568408 and rs3212227 polymorphisms published prior to 1 May 2020. The effects of the polymorphisms on HCC susceptibility were presented as odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Seven studies were ultimately included, including 2375 cases and 3445 controls. The rs3212227 polymorphism was significantly associated with the risk of HCC in both the dominant model (CC+AC vs. AA, OR=1.22) and the allele model (C vs. A, OR=1.12). Combined analysis of rs568408 yielded a significant relative risk for HCC in the dominant (AA+AG vs. GG, OR=1.13), recessive (AA vs. AG+GG, OR=1.72), allele (A vs. G, OR=1.29), heterozygote (AG vs. GG, OR=1.27), and homozygote models (AA vs. GG, OR 1.17). CONCLUSION: The IL-12 rs3212227 and rs568408 gene polymorphisms are associated with an increased risk of HCC.

Comparison of 17ß-estradiol adsorption on soil organic components and soil remediation agent-biochar.

Steroid estrogen residues (SEs) in the soil have attracted growing attention because of their potential for endocrine disruption. Soil organic matter (SOM) and soil remediation agent-biochar, both have important influences on the fate of SEs in the soil environment. This study compared the adsorption of 17ß-estradiol (E2) on wheat straw biochar (W-BC) and cow manure biochar (C-BC) with main SOM components including biomacromolecules (cellulose, collagen and lignin) and humic acids (HA). The impact of pyrolysis temperature (350 °C, 550 °C, and 700 °C) on the adsorption capacity of biochar and different concentrations NaClO oxidation on the adsorption capacity of HA were also investigated. The experimental results showed that the adsorption of E2 by biomolecules conformed to the linear isotherm (R2 > 0.88), and the adsorption of E2 on biochars and HA were well described by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm (R2 > 0.94). Meanwhile, the order of the E2 adsorption capacity of sorbents was W-BC > C-BC > HA > lignin > collagen > cellulose. The adsorption capacity of biochar and SOM for E2 increased with the enhancement of aromaticity and hydrophobicity and the reduction of polarity. In addition, the increase of pyrolysis temperature of biochars also promoted the adsorption capacity of E2, while oxidation treatment with NaClO reduced the adsorption capacity of HA to E2. These results deepened the understanding of the adsorption behaviour of E2 on SOM and biochar, and expanded the understanding of the behaviour of SEs in the soil environment.

Effects of freeze-thaw cycles on distribution and speciation of heavy metals in pig manure.

To understand the potential environmental influence of animal manure under freeze-thaw cycles, pig manure was used to conduct a simulation experiment to explore the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on heavy metal distribution and form transformation. Thirty cycles of freezing and thawing were performed alternately by freezing at - 18 ± 2 °C for 24 h and thawing at 20 ± 2 °C for 24 h. By a serial wet sieving procedure, manure samples were separated into different sizes of 1000, 250, 75, 38, and < 38 µm. Solid samples were collected from the dry matter at each stage of sieve; then the washing waters were collected as liquid samples accordingly. The concentrations of heavy metals in solid/liquid samples and their five forms were analyzed. It showed that the concentrations of heavy metals in the solid and liquid samples gradually increased because of organic matter degradation during freezing and thawing cycles. The distribution of heavy metals on particles of different sizes was also affected by the degradation and breakup of pig manure; the metals showed a tendency to aggregate in small particles (< 38 µm). Among them, the percentage of Cu and Zn on < 38 µm particles increased by 162.3% and 554.1%, respectively. After several freeze-thaw cycles, the concentrations of EXCH-X (metals of exchangeable form) increased significantly, those of CARB-X (carbonate-bound form) and Fe/Mn-X (Fe/Mn oxide-bound form) decreased accordingly. These form transformations may be largely influenced by the enhancement of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the reduction of pH value. Therefore, frequent freeze-thaw cycles may promote the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals in pig manure. The results are significant for understanding the pollution risk of pig manure in the freeze-thaw regions.

Function of agricultural waste montmorillonite-biochars for sorptive removal of 17ß-estradiol.

Agricultural wastes of cow manure and wheat straw were used to prepare montmorillonite (Mt)-biochars (CMt and WMt) for sorptive removal of 17ß-estradiol (E2) from aqueous solution. The E2 adsorption performance of the two Mt-biochars was investigated using systematic adsorption kinetics and isotherms. The results exhibited that the maximum E2 adsorption amount of CMt was 41.02 mg/g, while it was 62.89 mg/g for WMt. Meanwhile, intraparticle diffusion model demonstrated that intraparticle diffusion was not the only rate-limiting step, both film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion were involved in the diffusion process. Higher pH levels (>10) decreased the adsorption capacities of Mt-biochars for E2. However, the ionic strength and the background electrolytes did not significantly affect adsorption process. Moreover, the two Mt-biochars both exhibited excellent regeneration and reusability. These results provided a potential solution to the recycling of agricultural wastes and the problem of estrogen contaminant.

Association between osteosarcopenic obesity and hypertension among four minority populations in China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Osteosarcopenic obesity (OSO) may be associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension. The aim of this study was to examine the difference in the prevalence of OSO and hypertension among four minority populations in China and explore the relationship between OSO and hypertension by sex. DESIGN: This study adopted a cross-sectional design. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 1939 participants aged ≥50 years, including 459 Jing, 514 Maonan, 535 Hmong and 431 Yao participants from Guangxi Province, China, were included using stratified cluster random sampling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The body composition, bone mineral density and blood pressure were measured by an MC-180 body composition analyser, Achilles Express ultrasound bone densitometer and OMRON HEM-1000 electronic sphygmomanometer, respectively. RESULTS: The results showed that 65.77% of Hmong men, 58.79% of Hmong women, 54.82% of Maonan men, 50.00% of Maonan women, 41.92% of Jing men, 45.21% of Jing women, 53.66% of Yao men and 42.32% of Yao women suffered from hypertension. Compared with those among the normal group, the adjusted OR and 95% CI of age among the women with OSO was 3.15 (1.13 to 8.78). After adjusting for age, ethnicity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity and menopausal status, the women with OSO also had a higher OR (OR=3.18, 95% CI 1.14 to 8.88) for hypertension than those in the normal group. However, the ORs (95% CI) for hypertension in men with one or more components were not significant after adjusting for age and ethnicity. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that OSO is a risk factor for hypertension, especially in women. Furthermore, the prevalence of OSO and hypertension in the present study displayed sex-specific and ethnic-specific differences among the four minority populations.

Adsorption of 17ß-estradiol onto humic-mineral complexes and effects of temperature, pH, and bisphenol A on the adsorption process.

The long-term use of animal manure in agriculture has resulted in estrogen pollution, which poses risks to facility vegetable soils. Owing to the complex soil composition, estrogen may exhibit a variety of behaviors at the water/soil interface. This study demonstrated the role of humic acid (HA) on the 17ß-estradiol (E2) adsorption by clay minerals (montmorillonite, kaolinite, and hematite). The interfacial behaviors were investigated using adsorption kinetics and isotherms data. Then, the effects of temperature, pH, and bisphenol A (BPA) on the interactions between humic-mineral complexes and E2 were explored. The adsorption of E2 is an exothermic and spontaneous process, and the addition of HA to minerals significantly promoted their E2 adsorption capacities. Higher pH levels (>10) and the presence of BPA decreased the adsorption capacities of minerals and mineral complexes for E2. Moreover, intercalation, hydrophobic partitioning, π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding could dominate the E2 adsorption onto complexes. These results provided insight into the interfacial behaviors of E2 on the surfaces of humic-mineral complexes and promoted the understanding of the migration and transport of estrogens in soils.

Effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the physicochemical characteristics of animal manure and its phosphorus forms.

The variations of phosphorus (P) in animal manure during freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) profoundly influence on non-point source P loss in winter. Therefore, understanding how FTCs influence the physicochemical properties of animal manure and its P availability is crucial. In this study, the freeze-thaw treatment was performed by incubating the pig manure at -20 °C for 12 h and at 18 °C for 12 h. The freeze-only treatment was maintained at -20 °C as a control. In addition, the pig manure was kept at two moisture levels during the FTCs and sampled every five cycles. Six forms of P in the manure were extracted and analyzed. After 30 cycles, the dissolved organic carbon had increased from 10.49 to 13.56 g/kg, and the pH had decreased from 6.25 to 5.77. The particles originally >1000 µm were broken into particles <250 µm. The forms of P in manure shifted from Ca-P, occluded P, and residual P towards NH4Cl-P, Al-P and Fe-P, resulting in a 23% increase in bioavailable P. These variations were highly coincident with the increase in moisture content and FTC frequency. The proportion of particles <38 µm increased by more than 2% after the FTCs, and the manure P was mainly concentrated in these particles, which might be readily washed away by the melt water. Overall, the study indicated that FTCs could enhance the bioavailability of P in pig manure and the mobility of particle-associated P. These findings are significant for reducing animal manure pollution in freeze-thaw season.