Intradermal acupuncture in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with liver and kidney deficiency syndrome - A sham-controlled, randomized, clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is called "immortal cancer", and it affects the quality of life, disability rate and even the survival of patients. This study aimed to observe the clinical efficacy, and adverse reactions of intradermal acupuncture (IA) in the treatment of RA patients with liver and kidney deficiency syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 132 RA patients were split into an IA group and a sham IA group at a 1:1 ratio. Both groups were assessed before and after the intervention with the assessments: a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome evaluation, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) and serum C-reactive protein (CRP). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in TCM syndrome evaluation, HAQ, DAS28, and CRP between both groups before and after treatment (P < 0.01). The improvement of TCM syndrome evaluation (95% CI [1.14(0.38-1.89)]; P = 0.001), HAQ (95% CI [2.00(1.00-3.00)]; P = 0.003), and DAS28 (95% CI [0.11(0.02-0.20)]; P = 0.021) in the IA group was more obvious than that in the sham IA group (P < 0.05), except for CRP (95% CI [0.50(- 2.09 to 7.08)], P = 0.786). The difference in CRP outcome changes between the two groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Both groups had comparable results in the implementation of RA in the upper and lower extremity acupoints and did not differ due to different sites (IA group: P = 0.852; sham IA group: P = 0.861). The comparison of effective rate of the upper limb as well as that of the lower limb was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Besides, patients reported no adverse effects. CONCLUSION: The IA intervention was associated with a promising effect on the decrease in RA disease activity and delayed overall disease progression.

A surface-independent bioglue using photo-crosslinkable benzophenone moiety.

Surface coating technology is broadly demanded across various fields, including marine and biomedical materials; therefore, a facile and versatile approach is desired. This study proposed an attractive surface coating strategy using photo-crosslinkable benzophenone (BP) moiety for biomaterials application. BP-containing "bioglue" polymer can effectively crosslink with all kinds of surfaces and biomolecules. Upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, free radical reaction from the BP glue facilitates the immobilization of diverse molecules onto different substrates in a straightforward and user-friendly manner. Through either one-step, mixing the bioglue with targeted biomolecules, or two-step methods, pre-coating the bioglue and then adding targeted biomolecules, polyacrylic acid (PAA), cyclic RGD-containing peptides, and proteins (gelatin, collagen, and fibronectin) were successfully immobilized on substrates. After drying the bioglue, targeted biomolecules can still be immobilized on the surfaces preserving their bioactivity. Cell culture on biomolecule-immobilized surfaces using NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) showed significant improvement of cell adhesion and activity compared to the unmodified control in serum-free media after 24 hours. Furthermore, hBMSCs on the fibronectin-immobilized surface showed an increased calcium deposition after 21 days of osteogenic differentiation, suggesting that the immobilized fibronectin is highly bioactive. Given the straightforward protocol and substrate-independent bioglue, the proposed coating strategy is promising in broad-range fields.

New role of cardiomyocyte Bmal1 in the regulation of sex-specific heart transcriptomes.

It has been well established that cardiovascular diseases exhibit significant differences between sexes in both preclinical models and humans. In addition, there is growing recognition that disrupted circadian rhythms can contribute to the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about sex differences between the cardiac circadian clock and circadian transcriptomes in mice. Here, we show that the the core clock genes are expressed in common in both sexes but the circadian transcriptome of the mouse heart is very sex-specific. Hearts from female mice expressed significantly more rhythmically expressed genes (REGs) than male hearts and the temporal pattern of REGs was distinctly different between sexes. We next used a cardiomyocyte-specific knock out of the core clock gene, Bmal1, to investigate its role in sex-specific gene expression in the heart. All sex differences in the circadian transcriptomes were significantly diminished with cardiomyocyte-specific loss of Bmal1. Surprisingly, loss of cardiomyocyte Bmal1 also resulted in a roughly 8-fold reduction in the number of all the differentially expressed genes between male and female hearts. We conclude that cardiomyocyte-specific Bmal1, and potentially the core clock mechanism, is vital in conferring sex-specific gene expression in the adult mouse heart.

Study on the High-Temperature Interaction between Coke and Iron Ores with Different Layer Thicknesses.

Coke plays a key role as the skeleton of the charge column in BF. The gas path formed by the coke layer in the BF has a decisive influence on gas permeability. At high temperatures, the interface between coke and ore undergoes a melting reaction of coke and a reduction reaction of ore. The better the reducibility of the ore, the more conducive it is to the coupling reaction of ore and coke. The melting loss reaction of coke becomes more intense, and the corresponding strength of coke will decrease, which will affect the permeability of the blast furnace and is not conducive to the smooth operation of the blast furnace. Especially with a deterioration in iron ore quality, BF operation faces severe challenges, which makes it necessary to find an effective way to strengthen BF operation. In this study, a melting-dropping furnace was used to develop and clarify the high-temperature interaction between coke and iron ores with different layer thicknesses. The influencing factors were studied by establishing a gas permeability mathematical model and observing the metallographic microscope images of samples after the coke solution loss reaction. The relationships between coke layer thickness, distribution of gas flow, and pressure drop were obtained. The results showed that, under certain conditions, the gas permeability property of a furnace burden has been improved after the coke layer thickness increased. Upon observing the size of coke particles at the interface reaction site, the degree of melting loss reaction can be determined. A smaller particle size indicates more melting loss reaction. A dripping eigenvalue for molten metal was introduced to evaluate the dynamic changes in the comprehensive dripping properties of molten metal of furnace burden, which showed that the dripping eigenvalue for the molten metal could deteriorate because of the unruly thickness and the coke layer thickness should be limited through considering the operational indicators of the blast furnace.

Changes in coal waste DOM chemodiversity and Fe/Al oxides during weathering drive the fraction conversion of heavy metals.

The long-term accumulation of coal waste on the surface during natural weathering leads to the inevitable migration of heavy metals contained in the coal waste, which increases the likelihood of environmental contamination and health risks. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) and Fe/Al oxides play crucial roles in the transformation and bioavailability of heavy metals. Thus, we analyzed the Fe/Al oxide content and DOM molecular composition in coal waste with different degrees of weathering and explored the influence of DOM chemical diversity and Fe/Al oxides on the potential mobility of heavy metals. Results showed that weathering-driven decrease in Fe oxides (Fed, FeO, and Fep decreased from 82.4, 37.5, and 3.6 mg∙L-1 to 41.3, 24.7, and 2.3 mg∙L-1, respectively) led to decreases in the reducible fractions of V and Cr. The potential environmental risks of more toxic metals of Cd and As, also increased as a result of the residual fractions decreased to 32.6 % and 41.3 %, respectively. Weathering caused an increase in oxygen-to­carbon ratio, double-bond equivalent, modified aromaticity index, nominal oxidation state of carbon, and molecular diversity and a decrease in (m/z)w and (H/C)w, suggesting that the DOM of highly weathered coal waste possessed high unsaturation, aromatic structures, hydrophilicity, and strong oxidative characteristics. Additionally, although VMF and CrMF showed significant negative correlations with O/C ratio, polyphenolic, carbohydrates, and condensed aromatics, pH remained a key environmental factor determining the potential environmental risks of V and Cr by changing the residual fractions. The mobilities of Cd and As were significantly negatively correlated with those of Fe/Al oxides, particularly Fed, FeO, Fep, and Alp. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the impact of weathering on the geochemical cycling of different coal waste components, providing priority options for environmental risk prevention and control in coal mining areas.

[Health Risk Assessment for an Arsenic-contaminated Site Based on Monte Carlo Simulation and Parameters Optimization].

Risk assessment is a critical part of risk management for contaminated sites. However， in the specific management practice of As-contaminated sites， it is difficult to obtain realistic health risks for contaminated sites based on the total amount of pollutants and determined values of the model， thus preventing the control requirements of later remediation to be met. An increasing number of studies have recently been conducting risk assessments by considering bioavailability， modification parameters， and combined probabilistic models. To improve the accuracy of risk assessment results， taking a large As-contaminated site as a case， 432 sampling sites were set up and collected at different depths to analyze the level and distribution characteristics of As pollution， and probabilistic risk assessment was conducted with the modification of model parameters through literature research and Monte Carlo simulation. Then， the impact of traditional methods and probabilistic methods on health risk assessment was explored in comparison. The results indicated that ω（As） in the top soil of the study area ranged from 2.70-97.0 mg·kg-1， with a spatial variation coefficient of 0.61 and weaker spatial continuity. The carcinogenic risk and hazard index obtained by the traditional risk assessment method were 2.12E-4 and 8.36， respectively， which obviously overestimated the actual risk level and were not conductive to the refined management of As-contaminated sites. Combined with modification of model parameters and probabilistic risk assessment， the non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children was found to be at an acceptable level， and the carcinogenic risk was reduced by nearly an order of magnitude compared to that in the conventional method. Considering the relative biological effectiveness （RBA） of As， the 95% quantile of the total carcinogenic risk was 1.24E-5， a reduction of up to 36.41% compared to the uncorrected corresponding risk value of 1.95E-5. The carcinogenic risk of soil As for adults and children in the study area exceeded acceptable risk levels 1E-6， with oral ingestion of soil being the primary route of exposure. In addition， the results of the sensitivity analysis of the parameters showed that As concentration， daily oral ingestion rate of soils， and exposure duration of children had relatively larger effects for health risks. This work will provide a methodological and theoretical basis for achieving accurate risk assessment of As-contaminated sites and provide concepts for refined risk management.

Association between uric acid and cardiac outcomes mediated by neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension.

To evaluate the association of uric acid (UA) with adverse outcomes and its potential mediator in patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH). We retrospectively analyzed 234 patients with LVDD and PH. The baseline characteristics of patients with low UA (≤ 330 µmol/L) group were compared with high UA (> 330 µmol/L) group. Adverse outcomes included all-cause mortality, cardiac death and heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Their association with UA and the mediator were evaluated using Cox regression and mediation analysis. The mediation proportion was further quantified by the R mediation package. During a mean follow-up of 50 ± 18 months, there were 27 all-cause deaths, 18 cardiovascular deaths and 41 incidents of HF hospitalization. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed UA was an independent risk factor of adverse outcomes in LVDD and PH patients, even after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, medical histories, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, eGFR, BNP and medications. The hazard ratios (HRs) for UA (per 10 µmol/L increase) were as below: for all-cause mortality, HR 1.143, 95% CI 1.069-1.221, P < 0.001; for cardiac death, HR 1.168, 95% CI 1.064-1.282, P = 0.001; for HF hospitalization, HR 1.093, 95% CI 1.035-1.155, P = 0.001. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) played a partial mediation role in the association, and the mediation proportion for NLR on the UA-adverse outcomes were 21%, 19% and 17%, respectively. In patients of LVDD with PH, higher UA level was independently correlated with adverse outcomes. Furthermore, NLR partially mediated the effect of UA on the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiac death and HF hospitalization.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of perfluoropropane after intra-venous bolus injection of perflutren lipid microsphere injection (DEFINITY®) in healthy Chinese volunteers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Definity is an ultrasound contrast agent consisting of phospholipids-encapsulated perfluoropropane (PFP), also known as perflutren, microspheres, which is initially designed to enhance echocardiographic ultrasound images. With no pharmacologic action, Definity can increase the backscatter of ultrasound resulting enhanced ultrasound signals. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics (PKs), Pharmacodynamics (PDs) and safety of Definity in healthy male and female Chinese volunteers. METHODS: A simple GC-MS method was developed and applied to simultaneously quantify PFP both in human whole blood and in expired air using Perfluorobutane (PFB) as internal standard. Meanwhile, the blood microbubble Doppler intensities were continuously monitored as companion PDs by a Doppler ultrasonography system using a non-imaging method. RESULTS: After intravenous infusion of 10 µL/kg of PFP within 30 seconds, the mean AUClast of the pharmacokinetic analysis set was 0.000653 (uL/mL)*min, the average AUC∞ was 0.001051 (uL/mL)*min. The main coefficient of variation of parameters were within 30%. In this trial, the blood drug concentration of female subjects was lower than that of males. Female Cmax, AUClast and AUC∞ were lower than males', Tmax and t1/2 was close to males', Vss and CL were slightly higher than males'. The concentration of PFP in the expired air of the subject reached the maximum value 1-2 min after administration and the PFP accumulation curve in the expired air began to become flat at 9.5-11 min after administration. The PFP in the expired air at the last sampling point of most subjects was still measurable. The results of the analysis showed that female subjects had slightly more and faster PFP excretion via the lungs than males. The change of blood drug concentration in this trial was related to the change process of Doppler signal intensity. The trend of the two was close, but the peak time of blood drug concentration was slightly delayed compared with the peak time of the Doppler signal intensity. The results showed that female tmax-pd, t10 was earlier than male, and women have lower AUCpd than men. CONCLUSION: The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Definity in blood and expired air were systematically evaluated for the first time in this study. The PK/PD analysis results of this trial showed that the change of blood concentration was related to the change process of Doppler signal intensity, the trend of the two was close and expired air are the main excretion pathways of Definity. Definity was well tolerated by all subjects in the trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on 08 December 2017 at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (CTR20171087).

Formaldehyde aggravates airway inflammation through induction of glycolysis in an experimental model of asthma exacerbated by lipopolysaccharide.

Formaldehyde (FA) exposure has been reported to induce or aggravate allergic asthma. Infection is also a potential risk factor for the onset and aggravation of asthma. However, no study has addressed the effects of FA exposure on asthmatic patients with respiratory infection. FA is ubiquitous in environment and respiratory infections are common in clinics. Therefore, it is necessary to explore whether FA exposure leads to the further worsening of symptoms in asthma patients with existing respiratory infection. In the present study, ovalbumin (OVA) was used to establish the murine asthma model. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was intratracheal administrated to mimic asthma with respiratory infection. The mice were exposed to 0.5 mg/m3 FA. FA exposure did not induce a significant aggravation on OVA induced allergic asthma. However, the lung function of specific airway resistance (sRaw), histological changes and cytokines production were greatly aggravated by FA exposure in OVA/LPS induced murine asthma model. Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) were isolated from asthmatic patients. Exposure of MDMs to FA and LPS resulted in increased TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, and nitric oxide (NO) production. Lactate produciton and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) expression were found to be upregulated by FA in OVA/LPS induced asthmatic mice and LPS stimulated MDMs. Furthermore, glycolysis inhibitor 2-Deoxy-d-glucose attenuated FA and LPS induced TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, and NO production. We conclude that FA exposure can lead to the aggravation of allergic asthma with infection through induction of glycolysis. This study could offer some new insight into how FA promotes asthma development.

A Study on the Effect of Precise Rehabilitation Therapy Guided by Three-dimensional-computed Tomography Reconstruction Technology in Hip Fracture Surgery Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of precise rehabilitation therapy guided by three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) reconstruction technology in hip fracture patients through a retrospective cohort study. METHOD: Data were retrospectively collected from 60 patients aged over 60 who had undergone hip fracture surgery. They were divided into two groups based on their chosen rehabilitation method: a control group and a test group. The study collected demographic data, fracture characteristics, and quality of life indicators to assess the impact of rehabilitation on economic indicators and daily living activities (ADL). Additionally, it included assessments of muscle strength, joint mobility, hip function, postoperative complications, and records of hospitalization information and costs. Cognitive function was also assessed postoperatively. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in demographic data, fracture characteristics, ADL, or Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) between the two groups. However, the test group exhibited significantly higher post-surgery muscle strength recovery and hip mobility compared to the control group (P<0.05). Additionally, the test group had significantly fewer hospitalization days and lower hospitalization costs than the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Precise rehabilitation therapy guided by 3D-CT reconstruction technology for hip fracture surgery patients can enhance early muscle strength recovery, improve mobility of the affected limb, reduce hospitalization duration and costs, and enhance overall patient recovery outcomes.

214.7 Tbit/s S, C, and L-band transmission over 50†km SSMF based on silicon photonic integrated transceivers.

We experimentally demonstrate a 214.7 Tbit/s generalized mutual information (GMI) estimated throughput by ultra-wideband wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission in standard single-mode fiber (SSMF). With 50-GHz grid, 396 transmission channels are used to deliver 49 GBaud probabilistically constellation-shaped (PCS) 256 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and PCS-64QAM signals. Silicon photonic integrated transceiver is employed to complete electro-optic and optic-electro conversion of the modulated signals. S, C, and L-band rare-earth-doped amplifiers enable the 19.8 THz bandwidth WDM transmission without the assistance of distributed Raman amplification. The measured data rate shows great potential for Silicon photonic devices deployed in ultra-wideband WDM transmission.

Fear of childbirth and sleep quality among pregnant women: a generalized additive model and moderated mediation analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the associations among fear of childbirth, psychological distress, resilience, and sleep quality among Chinese pregnant women. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out between January 2022 to March 2022 among pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria and sought healthcare services at The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in Guangdong Province, Southern China. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, childbirth attitudes questionnaires (CAQ), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC), and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). A generalized additive model and moderated mediation analysis were employed for data analysis. RESULTS: A non-linear and negative association between fear of childbirth and sleep quality was found in the second trimester and antenatal period. Psychological distress significantly mediated the relationship between fear of childbirth and sleep quality (first trimester: ß = 0.044, 95%CI:0.022-0.071; second trimester: ß = 0.029, 95%CI:0.009-0.056; third trimester: ß = 0.064, 95%CI:0.046-0.088; antenatal period: ß = 0.050, 95%CI:0.037-0.063). The moderating role of resilience between fear of childbirth and sleep quality was significant (second trimester: ß=-0.006, 95%CI:-0.012-0.001, P = 0.025; antenatal period: ß=-0.004, 95%CI:-0.007--0.001, P = 0.014), as well as between fear of childbirth and psychological distress (first trimester: ß=-0.016, 95%CI:-0.026--0.005, P = 0.004; antenatal period: ß=-0.005, 95%CI:-0.009--0.001, P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Fear of childbirth, psychological distress, and resilience are three important factors affecting sleep quality in Chinese pregnant women.

N7-methylguanosine-related miRNAs predict hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis and immune therapy.

N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification has been notably linked with the development of many tumors. However, no investigations have been conducted on whether m7G-related miRNA (m7G-miRNA) is a prognostic index of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, this investigation aimed to establish a predictive m7G-miRNA signature for efficient HCC prognosis and elucidate the associated immune cell infiltration (ICI) and functions in the tumor microenvironment. RNA sequencing and clinical data on 375 HCC and 50 healthy tissue samples were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The m7G-miRNA regulators methyltransferase-like 1 and WD repeat domain 4 were acquired from the TargetScan database. Univariate Cox regression analysis was conducted on the 63 differentially expressed m7G-miRNAs identified. A prognostic signature that consisted of seven miRNAs was identified. According to their risk scores, individuals with HCC were divided into high-risk (HR) and low-risk (LR) cohorts. A Kaplan-Meier test revealed that survival in the HR HCC patients was poorer than in the LR cohort (p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival were 0.706, 0.695, and 0.715, respectively. A nomogram of sex, risk score, age, and stage indicated the HCC patients' overall survival. Furthermore, it was indicated that the HR and LR patients had different degrees of ICI and immune function. A pathway enrichment analysis revealed the association of several immunity-linked pathways with the risk model. In conclusion, the signature established has great prognostic value and could be used as a new immunotherapy target for individuals with HCC.

Effects of sirtuin 1 deficiency on trophoblasts and its implications in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is mainly localised in syncytiotrophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts, and is involved in pregnancy regulation. However, data on the association between SIRT1 and pre-eclampsia (PE) remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the role of SIRT1 in PE pathophysiology. METHODS: Placental SIRT1 expression, as well as serum SIRT1, placental growth factor (PlGF), and soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) levels, were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 40 healthy pregnant women (NP group) and 40 women with severe PE (PE group). Additionally, the effects of SIRT1 on the migration, invasion, PlGF, and sFlt-1 secretion of HTR-8/SVneo cells were analysed. RESULTS: SIRT1 expression was significantly reduced in the placenta of patients with severe PE compared with that in healthy pregnant women. Compared with the NP group, serum SIRT1 and PlGF expression was significantly lower in the PE group; however, the expression of serum sFlt-1 was significantly higher in the PE group. Correlation analysis showed that in the PE group, placental SIRT1 protein levels positively correlated with serum PlGF levels (r = 0.468, P = .002) and negatively correlated with serum sFlt-1 levels (r = -0.542, P < .001). Cells with downregulated SIRT1 had a significantly shorter migration distance and a prominently reduced number of invasive cells compared with the corresponding negative control group, suggesting that SIRT1 deficiency may inhibit the migration and invasive ability of HTR-8/SVneo cells. The opposite results were observed after transfection with lentivirus overexpressing SIRT1. Compared with the corresponding controls, cells with downregulated SIRT1 had significantly reduced PlGF levels and significantly increased sFlt-1 levels in the cell culture supernatants, whereas SIRT1 overexpression produced the opposite results. CONCLUSIONS: SIRT1 deficiency may contribute to the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia by reducing trophoblastic migration, invasion, and PlGF secretion and increasing sFlt-1 secretion.

Pre-eclampsia is a serious obstetric disorder that begins in the placenta and can occur midway through pregnancy. However, its exact disease process remains unknown. During early pregnancy, trophoblasts (cells that differentiate from fertilised eggs) evolve into new blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the placenta and maintain placental formation. In people with pre-eclampsia, problematic trophoblasts lead to abnormal placental formation and release of sFlt-1 and PlGF into the mother's blood, damaging blood vessels. Experts reported that the intracellular enzyme SIRT1 might be associated with developing pre-eclampsia. SIRT1 expression in the placenta of pregnant women with pre-eclampsia was lower than normal, and the decrease in SIRT1 levels in HTR-8/Svneo trophoblasts prevented their ability to form blood vessels and altered sFlt-1 and PlGF secretion. Hence, our findings suggest that reduced SIRT1 in trophoblasts may lead to pre-eclampsia by affecting their ability to form placental blood vessels and altering enzyme secretion.

Vertical variation of bacterial production and potential role in oxygen loss in the southern Bay of Bengal.

Marine environments wherein long-term microbial oxygen consumption exceeds oxygen replenishment can be associated with oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). The Bay of Bengal OMZ (BOB-OMZ) is one of the most intense OMZs globally. To assess the contribution of bacterial oxygen consumption to oxygen loss in BOB-OMZ, we measured bacterial production (BP), temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) in the whole water column. We then compared the estimated bacterial oxygen demand (BOD) with diapycnal oxygen supply (DOS) at depths of 50-200 m in the southern BOB in January 2020. The average BP was 3.53 ± 3.15 µmol C m-3 h-1 in the upper 200 m of four stations, which was lower than those reported in other tropical waters. The vertical distribution of BP differed between the open ocean and nearshore areas. In the open ocean, temperature and DO were the most important predictors for BP in the whole water column. In the nearshore areas, when DO increased sharply from the suboxic state, extremely high BP occurred at 200 m. The average estimated BOD/DOS could reach up to 153% at depths of 50-200 m, indicating advection and anticyclonic eddies probably are important DO replenishment pathways in the BOB.

Impact of NLRP3 gene polymorphisms (rs10754558 and rs10733113) on HPV infection and cervical cancer in southern Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: Mutations in the NLRP3gene have previously been linked to certain forms of cancer, but there have not been any specific studies examining the association between NLRP3 polymorphisms and cervical cancer (CC). This study was therefore designed to investigate the effect of NLRP3 gene polymorphisms on HPV infection and cervical cancer in southern Chinese population. METHODS: Multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing approaches were used to assess the NLRP3 rs10754558 and rs10733113 polymorphisms in 404 cervical lesion patients, including 227 diagnosed with CC and 177 diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN), with 419 healthy female controls being included for comparison. Correlations between the rs10754558 and rs10733113 genotypes and alleles in these patients and CC and CIN were then analyzed. RESULTS: No correlations were found between NLRP3 rs10754558 and rs10733113 and human papillomavirus(HPV) infection status. Relative to the healthy control group, the NLRP3 rs10754558 GG genotype, CG + GG genotype, and G allele frequencies were significantly increased among patients with cervical lesions (CC and CIN) (OR = 1.815,P = 0.013;OR = 1.383, P = 0.026; OR = 1.284, P = 0.014,respectively), whereas no such differences were observed for rs10733113. A higher cervical lesion risk was detected for patients over the age of 45 exhibiting the rs10754558 GG genotype (OR = 1.848, P = 0.040). Additionally, the risk of CC was elevated in patients with the rs10754558 GG genotype or the G allele relative to patients with the CC genotype or the C allele(OR = 1.830, P = 0.029; OR = 1.281, P = 0.039). The rs10733113 genotypes or alleles were not significantly associated with CC risk (P > 0.05). No association between rs10754558 and rs10733113 genotypes and CC patient clinicopathological features were observed (P > 0.05). Serum NLRP3, IL-1ß, and IL-18 levels were significantly elevated in CC patients relative to healthy controls(P < 0.05). Relative to the CC genotype, CC patients harboring the rs10754558 GG genotype exhibited significantly elevated IL-1ß and IL-18 levels(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The rs10754558 polymorphism in the NLRP3 gene may contribute to an elevated risk of CC, although it is not significantly correlated with HPV infection and CC progression.

Medicinal Value, Biological Characteristics, and Domestication of the Wild Mushroom Pholiota adiposa (Agaricomycetes).

Pholiota adiposa is an important edible and medicinal mushroom with high nutritional and medicinal effects. The fruiting body of wild fungi collected from Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province, was identified by morphological description and molecular identification, the biological characteristics and domestication of the fungus was determined by single factor and orthogonal tests. The wild strain isolated was determined to be Ph. adiposa based on morphological characteristics, sequence alignment between ITS and nLSU, and phylogenetic relationship analysis. The single factor results revealed that the optimal carbon source, nitrogen source, culture temperature, and pH for the mycelia growth of Ph. adiposa were glucose, yeast paste, 25°C, and pH 6.5-7.0, respectively. Orthogonal test showed that the optimal formula for mycelia culture was fructose 20 g/L, yeast extract 6 g/L, KH2PO4 1 g/L and MgSO4 2.5 g/L. The highest single bag yield of the fruiting body of Ph. adiposa was 24.96 g in the culture medium formula of sawdust (20%), wheat bran (10%), soybean powder (1%), and quicklime powder (1%). The results will provide basic information for the protection, utilization and domestication of the resources of Ph. adiposa.

Unveiling glutamic acid-functionalized LDHs: understanding the Cr(VI) removal mechanism from microscopic and macroscopic view points.

Interlayer functionalization modulation is essential for modifying LDHs and improving their selectivity and adsorption capacity for target pollutants. In this work, Glu@NiFe-LDH was synthesized using a simple one-step hydrothermal method and tested for its ability to remove CrO42- from wastewater. The modification significantly increased the composite material's removal ability by 2-3 times, up to 98.36 mg g-1. The behavior of CrO42- adsorption on Glu@NiFe-LDH was further studied by adjusting the affecting factors (i.e., temperature, pH, contact time, initial concentration, and interfering substance), and the adsorption behavior was confirmed as a spontaneous and chemisorption process. And the result was that Glu@NiFe-LDH demonstrated high capacity, efficiency, stability, and selectivity for the adsorption of CrO42- in a single electrolyte and natural water containing competing anions. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations (NVT ensemble) were employed to further reveal the mechanism of glutamic acid modification on LDH at the microscopic scale. Additionally, the IRI analysis method revealed the mechanism of weak interaction between glutamic acid molecules and CrO42-. This study provides a detailed understanding of the intercalation mechanism involved in the amino acid modification of LDHs. It explains the adsorption mechanism of metal oxo-acid radicals by amino acid-modified LDHs from a theoretical perspective. The findings offer experiments and a theoretical basis for designing targeted adsorbents in the future.

Halophyte Elymus dahuricus colonization regulates microbial community succession by mediating saline-alkaline and biogenic organic matter in bauxite residue.

Alkalinity regulation and nutrient accumulation are critical factors in the construction of plant and microbial communities and soil formation in bauxite residue, and are extremely important for sustainable vegetation restoration in bauxite residue disposal areas. However, the establishment and succession of microbial communities driven by plant colonization-mediated improvements in the physicochemical properties of bauxite residues remain poorly understood. Thus, in this study, we determined the saline-alkali properties and dissolved organic matter (DOM) components under plant growth conditions and explored the microbial community diversity and structure using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. The planting of Elymus dahuricus (E. dahuricus) in the bauxite residue resulted in a significant decrease in total alkalinity (TA), exchangeable Na, and electrical conductivity (EC) as well as the release of more tryptophan-like protein compounds and low-molecular-weight humic substances associated with biological activities into the bauxite residue substrate. Taxonomical analysis revealed an initial-stage bacterial and fungal community dominated by alkaline-tolerant Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and Ascomycota, and an increase in the relative abundances of the phyla Bacteroidota, Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Gemmatimonadota. The biological activities of phylum Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Gemmatimonadota were significantly associated with protein-like and UVA-like humic substances. As eutrophic bacteria, Proteobacteria participate in the transformation of humic substances and can not only utilize small molecules of organic matter and convert them into humic substances but also promote the gradual conversion of humic acids into simple molecular compounds. Our results suggest that plant roots secrete organic matter and microbial metabolites as the main biogenic organic matter that participates in the establishment and succession of the microbial community in bauxite residues. Root length affects bacterial and fungal diversity by mediating the production of protein-like substances.

Changed mercury speciation in clouds driven by changing cloud water chemistry and impacts on photoreduction: Field evidence at Mt. Tai in eastern China.

Chemical speciation of mercury (Hg) in clouds largely determines the photochemistry of Hg in the atmosphere and consequently influences Hg deposition on the surface through precipitation. Cloud water chemistry has notably changed over the last decade in response to global changes, however, the effects on Hg speciation remain poorly understood. During summer 2021, we collected sixty cloud water samples at Mt. Tai in eastern China and compared the cloud chemistry and Hg speciation with our previous findings during summer 2015. The results showed that although there were no statistically significant differences in the concentrations of total Hg (THg), dissolved Hg (DHg), and particulate Hg (PHg), there was a distinct shift in DHg species from the predominated Hg-DOM (78.6% in 2015 campaign) to the more homogeneously distributed Hg(OH)2 (28.4% in 2021 campaign), HgBr2 (26.5%), Hg-DOM (17.3%) and HgBrOH (17.0%). Changes in cloud water chemistry, particularly the significant increase in pH values to 6.49 ± 0.27 and unexpectedly high levels of bromide ions (Br-, 0.19 ± 0.22 mg L-1), were found to drive the changing of Hg speciation by enhancing Hg(II) hydrolysis and binding by Br-. Elevated Br- originating primarily from the continent likely caused noticeable differences in the dominating DHg species between cloud water sourced from marine and continental regions. The changes in chemical speciation of DHg were estimated to result in a 2.6-fold decrease in Hg(II) photoreduction rate between 2015 and 2021 campaigns (0.178 ± 0.054 h-1 vs. 0.067 ± 0.027 h-1), implying a shortened lifetime of atmospheric Hg and increased ecological risks associated with Hg wet deposition.