Prognostic model on pregnancy outcomes for women with recurrent spontaneous abortions treated with cyclosporin A: A single-institution experience.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify prognostic factors for pregnancy outcomes and construct a prognostic model for pregnancy outcomes in women with Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions (RSA) treated with cyclosporin A. METHODS: A total of 154 RSA patients treated with cyclosporin A between October 2016 and October 2018 were retrospectively recruited. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify the prognostic factors for pregnancy success in RSA women treated with cyclosporin A. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to construct prognostic value, and the prognostic performance was assessed using area under the ROC. RESULTS: After adjusting potential confounding factors, the authors noted increased age (OR = 0.771; 95 % CI 0.693‒0.858; p < 0.001) and positive antinuclear antibodies (OR = 0.204; 95 % CI 0.079‒0.526; p = 0.001) were associated with a reduced incidence of pregnancy success, while positive anti-ß2 glycoprotein-I-antibody (OR = 21.941; 95 % CI 1.176‒409.281; p = 0.039) was associated with an increased incidence of pregnancy success after treated with cyclosporin A. The AUC of combining these variables for predicting pregnancy failure was 0.809 (95 % CI 0.735‒0.880). CONCLUSIONS: This study systematically identified the prognostic factors for pregnancy success in women treated with cyclosporin A, and the constructed prognostic model based on these factors with relatively higher prognostic value. Further large-scale prospective studies should be performed to validate the prognostic value of the constructed model.

High-throughput analytical methodology of monoalkyl phthalate esters and the composite risk assessment with their parent phthalate esters in aquatic organisms and seawater.

A sensitive, robust, and highly efficient analytical methodology involving solid phase extraction coupled to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was successfully established to detect 13 monoalkyl phthalate esters (MPAEs) in aquatic organisms and seawater. After the organisms were preprocessed using enzymatic deconjugation with ß-glucuronidase, extraction, purification, and qualitative and quantitative optimization procedures were performed. Under optimal conditions, the limits of detection varied from 0.07 to 0.88 µg/kg (wet weight) and 0.04-1.96 ng/L in organisms and seawater, respectively. Collectively, MPAEs achieved acceptable recovery values (91.0-102.7%) with relative standard deviations less than 10.4% and matrix effects ranging from 0.93 to 1.07 in the above matrix. Furthermore, MPAEs and phthalate esters were detected by the developed methodology and gas chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer in practical samples, respectively. Mono-n-butyl phthalate and mono-iso-butyl phthalate were the most predominant congeners, accounting for 24.8-35.2% in aquatic organisms and seawater. Comprehensive health and ecological risks were higher after the MPAEs were incorporated than when phthalate esters were considered separately, and greater than their risk threshold. Therefore, the risks caused by substances and their metabolites in multiple media, with analogous structure-activity relationships, should be considered to ensure the safety of aquatic organisms and consumers.

Transcriptome sequencing and metabolite analysis reveal the single and combined effects of microplastics and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on Peneaus vannamei.

Due to the rising usage of plastics, plastic debris are present throughout marine ecosystems and detrimentally affects marine biota. Additionally, plastics likely result in elusive toxicity effects due to addition of plasticizers. The aim of the present study was to reveal the potential effects and mechanism of microplastics (MPs), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and copollution of MPs and DEHP (MPs-DEHP) on Peneaus vannamei (P. vannamei) juveniles regarding oxidative stress, transcriptomics and metabolomics. MPs, DEHP and MPs-DEHP significantly induced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT); MPs and DEHP have an antagonistic effect for malondialdehyde (MDA); suggesting that disorders of the antioxidant defence systems. 13, 133 and 58 differentially expressed genes and 21, 82 and 39 differentially expressed metabolites were responsible for the distinction of MPs, DEHP and MPs-DEHP groups, respectively. The combination of transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses showed that MPs, DEHP and MPs-DEHP exposure disturbed amino acid and lipid metabolism, and further induced inflammatory responses and dysfunction of purine metabolism. Furthermore, the presence of MPs might alleviate the biotoxicity of DEHP in P. vannamei. These findings provide new insights into the single and combined toxicological effects of MPs and additives for marine biota.

Development and application of tricolor ratiometric fluorescence sensor based on molecularly imprinted nanoparticles for visual detection of dibutyl phthalate in seawater and fish samples.

A tricolor ratiometric fluorescence sensor was fabricated by mixing blue- and red-emission molecularly imprinted quantum dots (MIP-QDs) with green-emission quantum dots at the optimal ratio. The MIP-QDs were synthesized by coating CdSe/ZnS QDs in polymer by inverse microemulsion method. Compared with single-emission or dual-emission sensors, the tricolor ratiometric fluorescence sensor provided a wider range of color variations for visual DBP detection. The ratio fluorescence value I530/(I450 + I630) of the tricolor ratiometric fluorescence sensor linearly changed within the concentration of 2.0-20.0 × 103 µg/L DBP. The correlation coefficient was 0.9910, and the limits of detection were 1.0 µg/kg and 0.65 µg/L in fish and seawater, respectively. Meanwhile, the fluorescence color gradually changed from purple to plum to pink to salmon to yellowish green and finally to green. The recoveries of DBP in fish and seawater were 84.3 %-91.4 % and 88.3 %-110.3 %, respectively. Moreover, no obvious differences were observed between the detection results of the tricolor ratiometric fluorescence sensor and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The tricolor ratiometric fluorescence sensor constructed herein provides an ideal choice for rapid and intuitive DBP detection in environmental and aquatic products.

Organophosphate esters in the mariculture ecosystem: Environmental occurrence and risk assessments.

Most investigations on organophosphate esters (OPEs) are conducted predominantly in a separate biological or abiotic medium, and few joint analyses have been performed in the mariculture ecosystem based on yearly sampling. Herein, we investigated the occurrence, load estimation, phase distribution, source diagnostics, and risks of 20 OPEs in seawater, sediment, and aquaculture organisms from a typical mariculture area in China. The total of these OPEs (∑OPEs) ranged within 3.97-1068 ng/L, 0.39-65.5 ng/g (dw), and 4.09-16.3 ng/g (ww) in seawater, sediment and organisms, respectively. Chlorinated OPEs were the predominant congeners detected in seawater, whereas alkyl-OPEs were the leading contributors in sediment and biological samples. Seasonal variations of ∑OPEs in seawater were more distinct than those in sedimentary environments. Load estimation indicated that approximately 70% of the OPEs in the study area existed in the water bodies. Source identification performed using the U.S. EPA positive matrix factorization indicated that polyurethane foam/plastics and hydraulic oil made the greatest contributions in seawater, whereas chemical production was the predominant source in sediment. Indices of ecological and health risks of OPEs were lower than their risk threshold, indicating that the OPEs detected in this study posed a low risk to the aquatic environment and human health.

Highly selective molecularly imprinted-electrochemiluminescence sensor based on perovskite/Ru(bpy)32+ for simazine detection in aquatic products.

A novel molecularly imprinted electrochemiluminescence (MIECL) sensor based on the luminescence of molecularly imprinted polymer-perovskite (MIP-CsPbBr3) layer and Ru(bpy)32+ was fabricated for simazine detection. MIP-CsPbBr3 layers were immobilized onto the surface of glassy carbon electrode as the capture and signal amplification probe, and Ru(bpy)32+ and co-reactant tripropylamine exhibited stronger electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emission. Under optimal conditions, the ECL signal of the MIECL sensor was linearly quenched, with the logarithm of simazine concentration ranging from 0.1 µg/L to 500.0 µg/L, correlation coefficient of 0.9947, and limit of detection of 0.06 µg/L. The practicality of the developed MIECL sensor method for simazine determination in aquatic samples was validated. Excellent recoveries of 86.5 %-103.9 % with relative standard deviation below 1.6 % were obtained for fish and shrimp samples at three different spiked concentrations. The MIECL sensor exhibited excellent selectivity, sensitivity, reproducibility, accuracy, and precision for simazine determination in actual aquatic samples.

Ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence sensor based on perovskite quantum dots coated with molecularly imprinted polymer for prometryn determination.

A highly effective molecularly imprinted electrochemiluminescence sensor was constructed for prometryn determination in environmental and biological samples by using perovskite quantum dots coated with a molecularly imprinted silica layer (MIP/CsPbBr3-QDs) as the recognition and response element. MIP/CsPbBr3-QDs were immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) through electropolymerization, and the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) response of MIP/CsPbBr3-QDs could be motivated under the condition of H2O2 as co-reactant. ECL signal was selectively quenched with prometryn by hindering electron transfer and directly proportional to the logarithm of prometryn concentration (0.10-500.0 µg/L) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9960. Limits of detection in fish and seawater samples were 0.010 µg/kg and 0.050 µg/L, respectively. Excellent recoveries of 88.0%-106.0% were acquired for fish and seawater samples with a relative standard deviation below 4.2%. The constructed MIECL sensor based on MIP/CsPbBr3-QDs showed good stability, accuracy, and precision for sensitive detection of prometryn in aquaculture products and environmental samples.

Transcriptomics Analysis Identifies the Presence of Upregulated Ribosomal Housekeeping Genes in the Alveolar Macrophages of Patients with Smoking-Induced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Alveolar macrophages (AM) play a crucial role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The role that AM plays in the molecular pathways and clinical phenotypes associated with tobacco-related emphysema remain poorly understood. Thus, we investigated the transcriptomic profile of AM in COPD patients with a history of smoking and explored the molecular mechanisms associated with enriched pathways and hub genes. METHODS: Four data sets (GSE2125, GSE8823, GSE13896 and GSE130928) were retrieved from the GEO Database. A total of 203 GEO samples (GSM) were collated for this study. About 125 of these cases were classified as smokers (91 as healthy non-COPD smokers and 34 as COPD smokers). Based on the bioinformatics obtained using the R3.6.1 program, the data were successively adopted for differential genetic expression analysis, enrichment analysis (EA), and then protein-protein interaction analysis (PPI) in a STRING database. Finally, Cytoscape 3.8 software was used to screen the hub genes. A further data analysis was performed using a set of 154 cases, classified as 64 healthy non-smokers and 91 as healthy smokers. The same procedures were used as for the COPD dataset. RESULTS: When comparing the data pertaining to COPD-smokers and non-COPD smokers, the top ten genes with the greatest transcriptional differences were found to be NADK, DRAP1, DEDD, NONO, KLHL12, PRKAR1A, ITGAL, GLE1, SLC8A1, SVIL. A GSEA (Gene Set Enrichment Analysis) revealed that these genes manifested an up-regulated ribosomal pathway in contrast with other genes that exhibited an extensive down-regulated pathway. The hub genes were mainly genes encoding ribosomal subunits through PPI. Furthermore, it was found that there is a narrow transcriptional difference between healthy non-smokers and non-COPD smokers and the hub genes identified here are mainly members of the chemokines, including CCL5, CCR5, CXCL9 and CXCL11. CONCLUSION: An elevated activity of the ribosome pathway in addition to the increased expression of ribosomal housekeeping genes (also known as hub genes) were identified with COPD-smokers, and these have the potential to cause a wide range of downstream pathogenetic effects. As for the preclinical phase, non-COPD smokers were found to be characterized by enriched pathways of several chemokines in AM.

Probing the contamination characteristics, mobility, and risk assessments of typical plastic additive-phthalate esters from a typical coastal aquaculture area, China.

Contamination characteristics, equilibrium partitioning and risk assessment of phthalate esters (PAEs) were investigated in seawater, sediment and biological samples collected from the Xiangshan Bay area during an annual investigation between January and November 2019. PAE concentrations detected in the mariculture environment in surface seawater, sediment, and biological samples were 172-3365 ng/L, 190-2430 µg/kg (dry weight [dw]), and 820-4926 µg/kg (dw), respectively. The dominant congeners in different media included di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). The inner bay and the bay mouth were the gathering area of PAEs and heavily influenced by the mariculture activities, river inputs, and anthropogenic activities. The bioaccumulation of PAEs demonstrated benthic feeding fishes with relatively high trophic levels concentrated high levels of phthalates. The mobility of PAEs in sediment-seawater showed that the transfer tendency of low-molecular weight species was from the sediment to the water, which was in contrast with those of high-molecular weight PAEs. DEHP, DiBP and DnBP had various degrees of ecological risks in the aquatic environment, whereas only the DiBP posed potential risks in sediments. The current assessment of carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks posed by fish consumption were within acceptable limits for humans.

A comprehensive study of the effects of phthalates on marine mussels: Bioconcentration, enzymatic activities and metabolomics.

In this study, marine mussels (Mytilus coruscus) were exposed to three typical PAEs (dimethyl phthalate [DMP], dibutyl phthalate [DBP] and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [DEHP]) at a range of doses for different times to investigate the ecotoxicological effects. The accumulation of the three PAE congeners in M. coruscus exhibited the following trend: DEHP > DBP > DMP. The antioxidant response of mussel gonadal tissue was enhanced with increasing concentrations of PAEs. For the DBP and DEHP treatment groups, glutathione (GSH) worked in concert with antioxidant enzymes to protect cells against reactive oxygen species (ROS), while GSH played a prominent antioxidant role in the DMP-treated group. The metabolomics results revealed that PAE exposure disrupted the metabolic balance of mussels. Overall, PAEs affect the amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, osmoregulation and nerve activities of mussels. Our results provide further insight into the toxicological effects of PAEs on marine organisms.

Comparative evaluation of high-density polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics pollutants: Uptake, elimination and effects in mussel.

The high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and the polystyrene (PS), which are typical microplastic contaminants, are frequently detected in the environment and have potential hazard to environmental health. In this study, the accumulation, elimination, tissue distribution and potential effects of the HDPE and the PS in the mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were evaluated. The HDPE and the PS were found in various tissues (digestive gland > gill > gonad ≈ muscle) with no difference in distribution patterns. The accumulation of the HDPE and the PS rapidly increased in the first 48 h exposure, and the accumulation of HDPE was higher than that of PS. After 144 h of elimination, most of the HDPE and the PS were cleared by mussels. In addition, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and the content of oxidized glutathione considerably increased, indicating that the HDPE and the PS induced oxidative stress and prevented oxidative damage in elimination. The metabolomic analysis suggested that exposure to HDPE and PS induced alterations in the metabolic profiles of mussel. Differential metabolites were involved in energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle and neurotoxic response., and Meanwhile, the PS had a lower effect on mussel metabolism during elimination, but the effect of HDPE was increased. Overall, this study elucidated that the HDPE and the PS caused adverse effects on the mussels and provided insights toward understanding the hazard of different microplastics on aquatic organisms.

Contaminant occurrence, mobility and ecological risk assessment of phthalate esters in the sediment-water system of the Hangzhou Bay.

The pollution characteristics, spatiotemporal variation, sediment-water partitioning, and potential ecological risk assessment of phthalate esters (PAEs) in the sediment-seawater system of the Hangzhou Bay (HZB) in summer and autumn were researched. The sum of the concentrations of the 10 PAEs in seawater ranges from 7305 ng/L to 22,861 ng/L in summer and from 8100 ng/L to 33,329 ng/L in autumn, with mean values of 15,567 ± 4390 and 17,884 ± 6850 ng/L, respectively. The Σ16PAEs in the sediments are between 118 and 5888 µg/kg and 145 and 4746 µg/kg in summer and autumn, respectively. The level of PAEs in seawater varies with the seasons, but it is relatively stable in the sediments. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) are the predominant PAE congeners in the HZB. The DnBP and DiBP concentrations in seawater are greater than the DEHP concentration, which is the opposite in the sediments. The sediment-seawater equilibrium distribution study indicates that the PAEs with medium molecular weights, such as DiBP, butyl benzyl phthalate, and DnBP, are near dynamic equilibrium in the sediment-seawater system; PAEs with high molecular weights (e.g., di-n-octyl phthalate and DEHP) tend to transfer from water to the sediments; and PAEs with low molecular weights (e.g., dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, and diamyl phthalate) tend to spread to seawater. The risk assessment results in seawater indicate that DEHP and DiBP might pose high potential risks to sensitive organisms, and DnBP might exhibit medium ecological risks. In the sediment, DiBP might display a high potential risk to fish, and the potential risk of DEHP is high in several sites.

Aquaculture-derived distribution, partitioning, migration, and transformation of atrazine and its metabolites in seawater, sediment, and organisms from a typical semi-closed mariculture bay.

Atrazine (ATR) is one of the most commonly used herbicides that could directly impair the growth and health of organisms in mariculture areas and adversely affect human health through the food chain. This study investigated the contaminant occurrence, migration, and transformation of ATR and three of its chlorinated metabolites, namely deethylatrazine (DEA), deisopropylatrazine (DIA), and didealkylatrazine (DDA), in surface seawater, sediment, and aquatic organisms from the Xiangshan Harbor. ATR was detected in all samples, while DIA and DDA were only respectively detected in aquatic and seawater samples. The distribution of ATR and its metabolites presented different patterns depending on the geographic location and showed a higher level in the aquaculture area than that in the non-aquaculture area. The bioaccumulation of ATR in aquaculture organisms showed that benthic organisms, such as Ditrema, and Sinonovacula constricta (Sin), had increased levels. The ecological risks indicated that ATR posed medium or high risks to algae in the water phase of the study area. The microcosm experiment showed that the main fate of ATR in the simulated microenvironment was sedimentation, which followed the first-order kinetic equation. The ATR in the sediment could be enriched 3-5 times in Sin, and its major metabolites were DEA and DIA.

Pollution characteristics, spatial variation, and potential risks of phthalate esters in the water-sediment system of the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent East China Sea.

Spatiotemporal variability in seawater, spatial variation in sediment, pollution characteristics, and risks related to 16 phthalate esters (PAEs) were investigated in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent East China Sea. The total concentrations of ΣPAEs in surface water were 0.588-17.7 µg L-1 in summer, 2.63-22.9 µg L-1 in winter, and 1.93-20.7 µg L-1 in spring, with average values of 2.05, 10.2, and 4.89 µg L-1, respectively. PAE concentrations exhibited notable seasonal variations with the highest value in winter and the lowest value in summer. The seasonal variation in PAE concentrations may be influenced by runoff and diluted water from the Yangtze River. The chemical composition of PAEs showed that di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) had significantly higher (p < 0.05) concentrations than the other congeners and were the most abundant PAE species in sediment and seawater in all three seasons. In addition, DnBP and DiBP were the two main congeners in seawater, and DEHP concentrations were higher in sediment than in seawater. DEHP had higher potential risks to sensitive organisms in water environment than DnBP and DiBP, and DiBP and DnBP which presented high levels of risk in sedimentary environment. DMP and DEP in watery and sedimentary environments and DEHP in sedimentary environment showed no or low risks to sensitive organisms.

Chest computed tomography semi-quantitative pleural effusion and pulmonary consolidation are early predictors of acute pancreatitis severity.

BACKGROUND: To study the predictive value of semi-quantitative pleural effusion and pulmonary consolidation for acute pancreatitis (AP) severity. METHODS: Thorax-abdominal computed tomography (CT) examinations were performed on 309 consecutive AP patients in a single center. Among them, 196 were male, and 113 were female, and the average age was 50±16 years. The etiology of AP was biliary in 43.7% (n=135), hyperlipidemia in 22.0% (n=68), alcoholic in 7.4% (n=23), trauma in 0.6% (n=2), and postoperative status in 1.6% (n=5) cases; 24.6% (n=76) of patients did not have specified etiologies. The prevalence of pleural effusion and pulmonary consolidation was noted. The pleural effusion volume was quantitatively derived from a CT volume evaluation software tool. The pulmonary consolidation score was based on the number of lobes involved in AP. Each patient's CT severity index (CTSI), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system, and bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) scores were obtained. The semi-quantitative pleural effusion and pulmonary consolidation were compared to these scores and clinical outcomes by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) analysis. RESULTS: In the 309 patients, 39.8% had pleural effusion, and 47.9% had pulmonary consolidation. The mean pleural effusion volume was 41.7±38.0 mL. The mean pulmonary consolidation score was 1.0±1.2 points. The mean CTSI was 3.7±1.8 points, the mean APACHE II score was 5.8±5.1 points, and the mean BISAP score was 1.3±1.0 points; 5.5% of patients developed severe AP, and 13.9% of patients developed organ failure. Pleural effusion volume and pulmonary consolidation scores correlated to the scores for the severity of AP. In predicting severe AP, the accuracy (AUC 0.839) of pleural effusion volume was similar to that of the CTSI score (P=0.961), APACHE II score (P=0.757), and BISAP score (P=0.906). The accuracy (AUC 0.805) of the pulmonary consolidation score was also similar to that of the CTSI score (P=0.503), APACHE II score (P=0.343), and BISAP score (P=0.669). In predicting organ failure, the accuracy (AUC 0.783) of pleural effusion volume was similar to that of the CTSI score (P=0.473), APACHE II score (P=0.119), and BISAP score (P=0.980), and the accuracy (AUC 0.808) of the pulmonary consolidation score was also similar to that of the CTSI score (P=0.236), APACHE II score (P=0.293), and BISAP score (P=0.612). CONCLUSIONS: Pleural effusion and pulmonary consolidation are common in AP and correlated to the severity of AP. Furthermore, the pleural effusion volume and pulmonary consolidation lobes can provide early prediction of severe AP and organ failure.

Phthalic acid esters in the sea-surface microlayer, seawater and sediments of the East China Sea: Spatiotemporal variation and ecological risk assessment.

The spatial and temporal distribution, congener profiles and ecological risk of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were investigated in the seawater and sediment samples from the East China Sea in spring and autumn. The average concentrations of ΣPAEs in water samples were 3.16 ± 2.16 µg L-1 in autumn and 1.63 ± 1.20 µg L-1 in spring. The ΣPAEs in sediment was much higher than that in seawater, with an average value of 7.36 ± 6.70 mg kg-1 (dw). PAEs levels in the sea-surface microlayer (SML) in spring were 3.61 ± 3.36 µg L-1, indicating that the PAEs were noticeably concentrated in the SML, with an average enrichment factor of 2.10. Among the 16 PAE congeners, di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were the preponderant PAEs in both sediment and seawater samples. Additionally, PAE concentrations in autumn were higher than those in spring, and this difference resulted mainly from the terrigenous input and marine transportation. The horizontal distributions of PAEs showed an opposite distribution pattern to salinity and temperature, a pattern which might be influenced by the inputs of fresh water. The vertical distributions of ΣPAEs were characterized by high concentrations in the surface waters, with a slight decrease with depth, and then an increase close to the seabed. The results of ecological risk in the water-phase showed that the level of potential risk followed the order of DEHP > DiBP and DnBP > DMP and DEP, which posed a high (DEHP), medium (DiBP and DnBP) and low (DMP and DEP) risk to the sensitive organisms, respectively. For the sediment-phase, DiBP and DnBP represented a high risk to the sensitive organisms, whereas DMP, DEP and DEHP had only a low risk.

Effective removal matrix interferences by a modified QuEChERS based on the molecularly imprinted polymers for determination of 84 polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in shellfish samples.

A modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) procedure combined with GC-MS/MS detection approach using a dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (DMRM) mode was successfully applied for the simultaneous analysis of 84 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in shellfish samples. The novel molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized by precipitation polymerization and characterized by Scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, Fourier transform infrared spectra and adsorption experiment. The MIPs exhibited good adsorption capability to pigment coextractives in shellfish samples without the loss of analytes compared with other sorbents. Under optimal conditions, spiked experiments in sinonovacula, mussel, and clam at 10.0-100.0 µg/kg concentrations showed excellent recoveries ranging from 70% to 120% for all analytes with the relative standard deviations of <10%. The developed method showed good linearity with the correlation coefficient above 0.9980, and the limits of quantification were in the range of 0.01-9.02 µg/kg. The developed QuEChERS procedure combined with GC-MS/MS was successfully applied to 84 PCBs and OCPs residues detection in shellfish samples.

Development and application of fluorescence sensor and test strip based on molecularly imprinted quantum dots for the selective and sensitive detection of propanil in fish and seawater samples.

Molecularly imprinted quantum dots (MIP-QDs) were successfully synthesized via reversed-phase microemulsion and used as the specific recognition element and signal probe of a fluorescence sensor or test strip to achieve the highly sensitive detection of propanil. The physical-chemical characteristics and excellent selectivity of MIP-QDs were elucidated. Under optimized parameters, the MIP-QDs had good linearity at the propanil concentration range of 1.0 µg/L to 20.0 × 103 µg/L by fluorescence quenching. The developed MIP-QD-based fluorescence sensor showed good recoveries ranging from 87.2 % to 112.2 %, and the relative standard deviation was below 6.0 % for the fish and seawater samples. In addition, the limits of detection (LODs) for fish and seawater were 0.42 µg/kg and 0.38 µg/L, respectively. The fluorescence test strip developed on the basis of the MIP-QDs also displayed satisfactory recoveries of 90.1 %-111.1 %, and the LOD for propanil in the seawater sample was 0.6 µg/L. The proposed fluorescence sensor and test strip were successfully used in propanil determination in environment and aquatic products.

Protective effects of the suppressed NF-κB/TLR4 signaling pathway on oxidative stress of lung tissue in rat with acute lung injury.

The pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by lung inflammation and lung oxidative stress. The study was conducted in order to investigate the effect toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) exhibited on oxidative stress in ALI. After the rats had been assigned into different groups, arterial blood, white blood cell (WBC), lung permeability index (LPI), wet/dry (W/D) ratio, TLR4 and NF-κB expression and superoxide dismutase (SOD), myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were examined. Afterward, the correlation between the levels of TLR4 and NF-κB was determined. Decreased levels of PaO2 , SOD, MPO, and GSH accompanied by increased levels of PaCO2 , WBC number, LPI and W/D ratio, MDA and ROS, as well as TLR4 and NF-κB expressions in the ALI, ALI + NF-κB inhibitor, and ALI + phosphate buffer saline groups were found. Inhibition of NF-κB resulted in increased PaO2 and decreased PaCO2 levels, WBC number, and LPI and W/D ratio. Decreased expression of NF-κB increased SOD, GSH, and MPO, but decreased MDA and ROS. We also found that NF-κB inhibition resulted in the improvement of ALI in rats. TLR4 and NF-κB expressions were negatively correlated with levels of SOD, MPO, and GSH, and positively correlated with MDA and ROS levels. In summary, our findings provided evidence that inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway decreases oxidative stress, thereby improving ALI. As a result, NF-κB signaling pathway has shown potential as a therapeutic target in ALI therapy.

Distribution and ecotoxicological state of phthalate esters in the sea-surface microlayer, seawater and sediment of the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea.

The spatial distribution, chemical composition and ecological risk of 16 phthalate esters (PAEs) were investigated in the sea-surface microlayer (SML), seawater and sediment samples of the Bohai Sea (BS) and the Yellow Sea (YS). The concentration levels of the ΣPAEs spanned a range of 449-13441 ng L-1 in the SML, 453-5108 ng L-1 in seawater, and 1.24-15.8 mg kg-1 in the sediment samples, respectively, with diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) as the dominant PAEs in both the water and sediment samples. The concentrations of ΣPAEs in the BS were higher than those in the YS. The vertical distribution of ΣPAEs in the water column showed that the concentrations were higher in the surface waters, but decreased slightly with depth, and started to increase at the bottom. Additionally, PAEs were significantly enriched in the SML, with an average enrichment factor of 1.46. The ecological risk of the PAEs was evaluated by the risk quotient (RQ) method, which indicated that DEHP posed a high risk to aquatic organisms in the whole water-phase, while the RQ values of DBP and DiBP reached a high risk levels in sedimentary environment.