Mechanosensitive protein polycystin-1 promotes periosteal stem/progenitor cells osteochondral differentiation in fracture healing.

Background: Mechanical forces are indispensable for bone healing, disruption of which is recognized as a contributing cause to nonunion or delayed union. However, the underlying mechanism of mechanical regulation of fracture healing is elusive. Methods: We used the lineage-tracing mouse model, conditional knockout depletion mouse model, hindlimb unloading model and single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze the crucial roles of mechanosensitive protein polycystin-1 (PC1, Pkd1) promotes periosteal stem/progenitor cells (PSPCs) osteochondral differentiation in fracture healing. Results: Our results showed that cathepsin (Ctsk)-positive PSPCs are fracture-responsive and mechanosensitive and can differentiate into osteoblasts and chondrocytes during fracture repair. We found that polycystin-1 declines markedly in PSPCs with mechanical unloading while increasing in response to mechanical stimulus. Mice with conditional depletion of Pkd1 in Ctsk+ PSPCs show impaired osteochondrogenesis, reduced cortical bone formation, delayed fracture healing, and diminished responsiveness to mechanical unloading. Mechanistically, PC1 facilitates nuclear translocation of transcriptional coactivator TAZ via PC1 C-terminal tail cleavage, enhancing osteochondral differentiation potential of PSPCs. Pharmacological intervention of the PC1-TAZ axis and promotion of TAZ nuclear translocation using Zinc01442821 enhances fracture healing and alleviates delayed union or nonunion induced by mechanical unloading. Conclusion: Our study reveals that Ctsk+ PSPCs within the callus can sense mechanical forces through the PC1-TAZ axis, targeting which represents great therapeutic potential for delayed fracture union or nonunion.

Age-related secretion of grancalcin by macrophages induces skeletal stem/progenitor cell senescence during fracture healing.

Skeletal stem/progenitor cell (SSPC) senescence is a major cause of decreased bone regenerative potential with aging, but the causes of SSPC senescence remain unclear. In this study, we revealed that macrophages in calluses secrete prosenescent factors, including grancalcin (GCA), during aging, which triggers SSPC senescence and impairs fracture healing. Local injection of human rGCA in young mice induced SSPC senescence and delayed fracture repair. Genetic deletion of Gca in monocytes/macrophages was sufficient to rejuvenate fracture repair in aged mice and alleviate SSPC senescence. Mechanistically, GCA binds to the plexin-B2 receptor and activates Arg2-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in cellular senescence. Depletion of Plxnb2 in SSPCs impaired fracture healing. Administration of GCA-neutralizing antibody enhanced fracture healing in aged mice. Thus, our study revealed that senescent macrophages within calluses secrete GCA to trigger SSPC secondary senescence, and GCA neutralization represents a promising therapy for nonunion or delayed union in elderly individuals.

Residue dissipation dynamics and dietary risk assessment of emamectin benzoate, chlorantraniliprole, chlorfenapyr, and lufenuron in cabbage.

Emamectin benzoate (EB), chlorantraniliprole (CTP), chlorfenapyr (CFP), and lufenuron (LFR) are widely used to control Spodoptera exigua on cabbage. This study is aimed at establishing a universal, sensitive, accurate, and efficient method for the determination of these pesticide residues in cabbage using QuEChERS pretreatment combined with ultra-performance liquid chromatography or gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‒MS/MS or GC‒MS/MS). The recoveries of these pesticides (containing metabolites) in cabbage detected by the optimized method ranged between 80.9% and 99.9%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 0.164-12.5%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the four pesticides was determined to be 0.01 mg/kg. The standard curve, accuracy, precision, and LOQ of the analysis method all met the requirements of pesticide residue detection. The optimized method was used to detect the dissipation dynamics and terminal residues in 12 regions. The dissipation half-lives of CTP, CFP, and LFR were 3.35-7.01 d, 2.29-4.75 d, and 3.24-6.80 d, respectively. The terminal residues of all these pesticides were below the maximum residue limits (MRLs). The dietary risk assessment indicated that the dietary risk probabilities for EB, CTP, CFP, and LFR were all less than 1 and were within the acceptable range. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the residues and dietary risks of EB, CTP, CFP, and LFR for the scientific use of pesticides.

Exogenous tannic acid relieves imidacloprid-induced oxidative stress in tea tree by activating antioxidant responses and the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway.

Pesticide stress on plants is receiving increased scrutiny due to its effect on plant secondary metabolism and nutritional quality. Tannic acid (TA) is a natural polyphenolic compound showing excellent antioxidant properties and is involved in alleviating stress. The present study thoroughly investigated the effects and mechanism of exogenous TA on relieving imidacloprid (IMI) stress in tea plants. Our research found that TA(10 mg/L) activated the antioxidant defense system, enhanced the antioxidant ability, reduced the accumulation of ROS and membrane peroxidation, and notably promoted tea plant tolerance to imidacloprid stress. Additionally, TA boosted photosynthetic capacity, strengthened the accumulation of nutrients. regulated detoxification metabolism, and accelerated the digestion and metabolism of imidacloprid in tea plants. Furthermore, TA induced significant changes in 90 important metabolites in tea, targeting 17 metabolic pathways through extensively targeted metabolomics. Specifically, TA activated the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, resulting in a 1.3- to 3.1-fold increase in the levels of 17 compounds and a 1.5- to 63.8-fold increase in the transcript level of related genes, such as ANR, LAR and CHS in this pathway. As a potential tea health activator, TA alleviates the oxidative damage caused by imidacloprid and improves the yield and quality of tea under pesticide stress.

Residue behavior and efficacy of benzothiazole in grains under different fumigation conditions.

BACKGROUND: Benzothiazole is a potential grain fumigant for Tribolium castaneum. However, its safety profile and suitable fumigation conditions remain unknown. We therefore investigated the insecticidal efficacy, accumulation and dissipation of benzothiazole in grains (wheat, corn and rice) under different temperatures. RESULTS: We established a universal detection method (modified QuEChERS coupled with GC-MS/MS) of benzothiazole residues in three grains, which provided high linearity (R2 > 0.999), sensitivity (limits of detection = 0.001 mg/kg, limits of quantification = 0.002-0.005 mg/kg), accuracy (recoveries = 88.18-118.75%) and precision (relative standard deviations < 4.78%). The insecticidal efficacy order of benzothiazole was 30 ≥ 10 > 20 °C and corn > wheat > rice. Temperature positively affected the accumulation/dissipation rate of benzothiazole. Rice was the most easily accumulated and dissipated grain for benzothiazole residues, while corn accumulated benzothiazole more than wheat but less than rice, with dissipation slower than wheat and rice. CONCLUSION: Our results provide important references for the application of benzothiazole and other fumigants. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Amphiphilicity-Driven Small Alcohols Regulate the Flexibility of Pesticide-Loaded Microcapsules for Better Foliar Adhesion and Utilization.

The foliar loss of pesticides causes serious utilization decline and environmental risk. On the basis of biomimetics, pesticide-loaded microcapsules (MCs) with spontaneous deformation on foliar micro/nanostructures, like the snail suction cup, are prepared by interfacial polymerization. By controlling the usage or types of small alcohols in the MC preparation system, the flexibility of MCs is tunable. Through the investigation of emulsions and MC structures, we discover that the migration and distribution of small alcohols driven by amphiphilicity affect the process of interfacial polymerization between polyethylene glycol and 4,4-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate. By hydrophobic modification of the polymer and competition for oil monomers of small alcohols, the thickness and compactness of shells are reduced, whereas the density of the core is increased. As a result of the regulation in structures, the flexibility of MCs is improved significantly. In particularly, the MCs-N-pentanol (0.1 mol kg-1) with the best flexibility show strong scouring resistance on varied foliar structures, sustained release property on the air/solid interface, and persistent control effect against foliar diseases. The pesticide-loaded soft MCs provide an effective way to improve pesticide foliar utilization.

Residue Levels and Dietary Intake Risk Assessments of 139 Pesticides in Agricultural Produce Using the m-PFC Method Based on SBA-15-C18 with GC-MS/MS.

A survey was designed to investigate the pesticide residues in agricultural produce and to estimate their potential intake risks to inhabitants. A total of 314 samples of nine types of fruits and vegetables were collected from the supermarkets and vegetable markets of Shandong Province (China) from October 2020 to February 2022. An accurate and reliable multi-residue method, based on GC-MS/MS detection, as well as the multiplug filtration cleanup method, based on SBA-15-C18, was prepared by a solution chemical reaction. Additionally, an in situ co-condensation method was established for the quantification of 139 pesticide residues. Residues that contained no pesticides were detected in 66.5% of the 314 samples. Moreover, of the samples, 30.6% were at or below the MRLs, and 2.9% were above the MRLs. Residues of procymidone were found to be the one that most often exceeded the MRLs (1.3% of the samples). Tebuconazole was found most frequently in 22.0% of the samples analyzed. Consumer exposure to the 139 pesticides did not exceed 100% ADI and ARfD. This led to a consideration that these pesticide residues in the nine commodities may not raise the health risk of the consumers in the long and short term. The highest value of chronic dietary intake was obtained from spirodiclofen, which resulted in a 24.1% of ADI. Furthermore, the highest exposure levels in the short term were obtained from the consumption of leeks with procymidone (58.3% ARfD).

Isoliquiritigenin alleviates the development of alcoholic liver fibrosis by inhibiting ANXA2.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of isoliquiritigenin (ISL) on model of alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF). C57BL/6 mice were used to establish animal model of ALF, HSC-T6 cells were used to establish alcohol-activated cell model, and tandem mass tag (TMT) assays were used to analyze the proteome. The results showed that ISL obviously alleviated hepatic fibrosis in model mice. ISL visually improved the area of liver pathological stasis and deposition of fibrillar collagen (Sirius Red staining, Masson staining), inhibited the mRNA expression levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) in liver tissues. ISL down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and transforming growth factor-ß1(TGF-ß1) in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). And ISL significantly reduced annexin A2 (ANXA2) in vitro detected by TMT proteomics technology. Interestingly, it was found for the first time that ISL could inhibit ANXA2 expression both in vivo and in vitro, block the sphingosine kinases (SPHKs)/sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)/interleukin 17 (IL-17) signaling pathway and regulate the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) by inhibiting the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) at the downstream signal to finally reverse HSCs activation and hepatic fibrosis. Thus, we demonstrated that ISL is a drug monomer with notable anti-hepatic fibrosis activity.

Residual analysis of QoI fungicides in multiple (six) types of aquatic organisms by UPLC-MS/MS under acutely toxic conditions.

In view of the significance of food safety and the possible relationship between residual enrichment and acute toxicity for pesticides in different aquatic organisms, it is essential to establish a sensitive and reliable determination method for pesticides in different aquatic organisms to analyze the enrichment levels. Quinone outside inhibitor fungicides (QoIs) are lipophilic fungicides that pose environmental threats to aquatic organisms. Previous research has mainly focused on QoI residues in aquatic organisms under chronic toxicity, whereas less is known about how pesticide residues differ among aquatic organism under acutely toxic conditions. In the present study, the residues of QoIs in aquatic organisms (Danio rerio, Rana pipiens, Cherax quadricarinatus, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, Corbicula fluminea, and Ampullaria gigas) were analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) coupled with a proposed QuEChERS method. The proposed method was validated in terms of linearity (coefficients of determination of 0.9980-0.9999), the limits of quantification (0.01 µg·kg-1), the relative standard deviation (0.6-4.4%), and recovery (70.12-118.15%). The results demonstrated that the proposed method fulfilled the requirements for pesticide analysis in all tested aquatic organisms. The residues of QoIs in the same aquatic organism exposed to QoI concentrations of 5 and 500 µg L-1 decreased in the order pyraoxystrobin > pyraclostrobin > triclopyricarb > picoxystrobin > azoxystrobin > fluoxastrobin. Furthermore, the acute toxicity was strongly correlated with the enrichment level of the QoIs in aquatic organisms. This study provides the first documentation of a correlation between the enrichment level of QoIs and acute toxicity in aquatic organisms, which provides a basis for the management of agrochemicals considering aquatic ecological risks.

Evaluation of College Students' IPE Environment Based on User Rating Sparsity and Big Data Technology.

Big data improves opportunities for enhancing and improving university students' IPE. In order to improve the accessibility of IPE for university students, this study integrates big-data techniques into the IPE (Ideological and Political Education) model of university students and builds the IPE platform. This study presents the idea of user rating sparsity and employs a two-step training strategy to address the issues of user cold start and sparse data in light of the drawbacks of conventional methods. This algorithm produces a very small data structure, which saves a lot of storage space. This study also uses hybrid recommendation technology, which effectively enables platform users to select customized update resources based on their interest information. According to test results, this method's suggestion accuracy can reach 95.69%, and it has a high user rating. This demonstrates that the method is reliable and accomplishes the desired result. This paper fully utilizes mega data to improve the accessibility of IPE for university students.

Understanding the risks of mercury sulfide nanoparticles in the environment: Formation, presence, and environmental behaviors.

Mercury (Hg) could be microbially methylated to the bioaccumulative neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg), raising health concerns. Understanding the methylation of various Hg species is thus critical in predicting the MeHg risk. Among the known Hg species, mercury sulfide (HgS) is the largest Hg reservoir in the lithosphere and has long been considered to be highly inert. However, with advances in the analytical methods of nanoparticles, HgS nanoparticles (HgS NPs) have recently been detected in various environmental matrices or organisms. Furthermore, pioneering laboratory studies have reported the high bioavailability of HgS NPs. The formation, presence, and transformation (e.g., methylation) of HgS NPs are intricately related to several environmental factors, especially dissolved organic matter (DOM). The complexity of the behavior of HgS NPs and the heterogeneity of DOM prevent us from comprehensively understanding and predicting the risk of HgS NPs. To reveal the role of HgS NPs in Hg biogeochemical cycling, research needs should focus on the following aspects: the formation pathways, the presence, and the environmental behaviors of HgS NPs impacted by the dominant influential factor of DOM. We thus summarized the latest progress in these aspects and proposed future research priorities, e.g., developing the detection techniques of HgS NPs and probing HgS NPs in various matrices, further exploring the interactions between DOM and HgS NPs. Besides, as most of the previous studies were conducted in laboratories, our current knowledge should be further refreshed through field observations, which would help to gain better insights into predicting the Hg risks in natural environment.

Cohort study of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome: etiological analysis and treatment of corticosteroids.

BACKGROUND: Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) is the most common type of severe epilepsy in infants. However, etiological frequency and optimized therapy, particularly corticosteroid regimen and dose, remain unknown. METHODS: An ambispective study of an IESS-diagnosed cohort was conducted. Etiologies were evaluated based on the 2017 International League Against Epilepsy classification system. Patients received intravenous dexamethasone or methylprednisolone for 3-5 consecutive days, followed by usual-dose (2 mg/kg/d) oral prednisone for 60-90 days with tapering doses for 1-2 months or high-dose (4 mg/kg/d) oral prednisone for 9-11 days with tapering doses for 2-4 weeks. Treatment responses were compared between the usual and high-dose prednisone groups after propensity score matching. Correlation analysis between treatment responses and underlying etiology was performed. RESULTS: Of the 441 included participants, 218 (49.4%) cases had proven etiologies. The most common etiology of IESS was acquired-structural (23.6%), followed by genetic (15.4%) and congenital-structural (7.0%). Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (55, 52.8%) was the most common acquired-structural etiology. Among the 242 patients administered corticosteroids, 95 received usual-dose oral prednisone and 147 received high-dose oral prednisone. After propensity score matching, 54 patients were included in the usual-dose and high-dose groups, respectively, and treatment effectiveness was compared. There were no significant differences in seizure freedom at days 13-14 (55.6% vs. 51.9%, p = 0.700) and continued seizure freedom between days 14-42 (29.6% vs. 38.9%, p = 0.311) post corticosteroid administration between the usual- and high-dose prednisone groups. The proportion of children achieving seizure cessation at days 13-14 (χ2 = 1.470, p = 0.698) and days 14-42 (χ2 = 0.928, p = 0.836) was similar in the different etiological subgroups. Unknown etiological group showed significantly higher resolution of hypsarrhythmia than other etiological groups (χ2 = 10.761, p = 0.009). Both usual-dose and high-dose group showed tolerance to full-dose corticosteroids and similar adverse events over the observation period. CONCLUSION: IESS etiology was primarily related to structural causes. Clinical response in short-term follow-up was independent of prednisone dosage and underlying etiology. Better EEG responses may occur in patients with unknown etiology.

Toxicological differences of trifloxystrobin and kresoxim-methyl on zebrafish in various levels of exposure routes, organs, cells and biochemical indicators.

Trifloxystrobin (TRI) and kresoxim-methyl (KRE), as quinone outside inhibitor fungicides (QoIs), have broad applications due to their effective activity against fungi. Excessive usages of agrochemicals trigger environmental risks, such as aquatic organisms (fish). Research performed in recent years has focused on the ecotoxicology of TRI and KRE in fish containing histologic morphology, enzyme activity, protein and gene expression under chronic toxicity conditions, whereas less is known about the underlying mechanisms of toxicity and differences between TRI and KRE in fish under acute toxicity conditions. In the present study, in comparison to different exposure routes [whole-body exposure (WBE), head exposure (HE), trunk exposure (TE), and Oral administration (OA)], the external substances TRI and KRE entered the fish body mainly via gill organs and led to fish toxicity. Furthermore, gill organs and gill cells were vulnerable to TRI and KRE exposure, which indicated that the gill is a vital impaired organ. The 96 h-LC50 (sublethal concentration) value of KRE was 289.8 µg L-1 (R2 = 0.9855) with an approximate 10-fold difference in TRI toxicity. The cytotoxicity exposed to TRI was higher than that in KRE at the same concentration. The potential mechanisms of toxic differences could be various toxic effects in terms of MCIII (mitochondrial complex III) activity, ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) content, MA (mitochondrial activity), ROS (reactive oxygen species) levels, and cellular respiration. Furthermore, the disorder in MCIII activity was probably the main potential mechanisms of toxic differences. To some extent, this research provides not only new insight into the underlying toxic mechanism of TRI and KRE in fish but also a basis for the guidance of agrochemicals considering aquatic risks.

Determination of Market, Field Samples, and Dietary Risk Assessment of Chlorfenapyr and Tralopyril in 16 Crops.

The frequent and massive use of chlorfenapyr has led to pesticide residues in crops, threatening food safety and human health. However, there is limited research on the detection of tralopyril, which is the major metabolite of chlorfenapyr with high toxicity. This study aimed to develop a novel, sensitive, and highly efficient method for the determination of chlorfenapyr and tralopyril residues in 16 crops. The optimized purification procedure provided satisfactory recovery of 76.6-110%, with relative standard deviations of 1.3-11.1%. The quantification values of pesticides in crop matrixes were all 0.01 µg kg-1. The optimal method was adopted to determine the chlorfenapyr and tralopyril residues in field trials in 12 regions in China and monitor their residues in 16 agricultural products. The results of the dissipation and terminal residue experiments show that the final residue of chlorfenapyr was less than MRL (maximum residue limit) and no tralopyril was detected in the field samples. Moreover, the qualification proportion of these residues in market samples were up to 99.5%. The RQ (risk quotient) values of chlorfenapyr and chlorfenapyr with consideration of tralopyril were both apparently lower than an RQ of 100%, indicating an acceptable level. This research provides a thorough long-term dietary risk evaluation on chlorfenapyr and tralopyril and would provide reference for their scientific and safe utilization.

Machine Learning Models for Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease Using Multiple Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop machine learning models for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) using multiple structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and validate their performance. Methods: Brain structural MRI scans of 60 patients with PD and 56 normal controls (NCs) were enrolled as development dataset and 69 patients with PD and 71 NCs from Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) dataset as independent test dataset. First, multiple structural MRI features were extracted from cerebellar, subcortical, and cortical regions of the brain. Then, the Pearson's correlation test and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select the most discriminating features. Finally, using logistic regression (LR) classifier with the 5-fold cross-validation scheme in the development dataset, the cerebellar, subcortical, cortical, and a combined model based on all features were constructed separately. The diagnostic performance and clinical net benefit of each model were evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the decision curve analysis (DCA) in both datasets. Results: After feature selection, 5 cerebellar (absolute value of left lobule crus II cortical thickness (CT) and right lobule IV volume, relative value of right lobule VIIIA CT and lobule VI/VIIIA gray matter volume), 3 subcortical (asymmetry index of caudate volume, relative value of left caudate volume, and absolute value of right lateral ventricle), and 4 cortical features (local gyrification index of right anterior circular insular sulcus and anterior agranular insula complex, local fractal dimension of right middle insular area, and CT of left supplementary and cingulate eye field) were selected as the most distinguishing features. The area under the curve (AUC) values of the cerebellar, subcortical, cortical, and combined models were 0.679, 0.555, 0.767, and 0.781, respectively, for the development dataset and 0.646, 0.632, 0.690, and 0.756, respectively, for the independent test dataset, respectively. The combined model showed higher performance than the other models (Delong's test, all p-values < 0.05). All models showed good calibration, and the DCA demonstrated that the combined model has a higher net benefit than other models. Conclusion: The combined model showed favorable diagnostic performance and clinical net benefit and had the potential to be used as a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of PD.

Effects of nitrogen input on soil bacterial community structure and soil nitrogen cycling in the rhizosphere soil of Lycium barbarum L.

Lycium barbarum L., goji berry, is a precious traditional Chinese medicine and it is homology of medicine and food. Its growth is heavily dependent on nitrogen. The use of chemical fertilizers has significantly promoted the yield of goji berry and the development of the L. barbarum L. industry. However, crop plants are inefficient in the acquisition and utilization of applied nitrogen, it often leads to excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers by producers, which cause negatively impact to the environment ultimately. The exploration of an interaction model which deals with crops, chemical fertilizers, and rhizosphere microbes to improve nitrogen use efficiency, is, therefore, an important research objective to achieve sustainable development of agriculture greatly. In our study, we explored the effects of nitrogen input on soil microbial community structure, soil nitrogen cycling, and the contents of nutrients in L. barbarum fruits. The structure and composition of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere soil of L. barbarum were significantly different under different nitrogen supply conditions, and high nitrogen addition inhibited the diversity and stability of bacterial communities. Low nitrogen input stimulated the relative abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), such as Nitrosospira, catalyzing the first step of the ammonia oxidation process. The results of the GLMM model showed that the level of nitrogen fertilizer (urea) input, the relative abundance of AOB, the relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium, and their combinations had significant effects on the soil nitrogen cycling and contents of nutrients in L. barbarum fruits. Therefore, we believe that moderately reducing the use of urea and other nitrogen fertilizers is more conducive to improving soil nitrogen use efficiency and Goji berry fruit quality by increasing the nitrogen cycling potential of soil microorganisms.

Simultaneous detection of ten kinds of insecticide residues in honey and pollen using UPLC-MS/MS with graphene and carbon nanotubes as adsorption and purification materials.

An analytical method of simultaneous detection of ten insecticide residues in honey and pollen was established. The samples were purified with QuEChERS approach using new adsorbents and analyzed with UPLC-MS/MS. The results showed that both of graphene and carbon nanotubes were highly efficient adsorbents for the dSPE clean up to eliminate coextractives in the samples, and graphene was superior to carbon nanotubes for the detection of pesticide residues in honey and pollen samples. The proposed method was used to detect pesticide residues in 25 honey samples and 30 pollen samples which were randomly collected from more than ten provinces in China. All honey samples contain 1-27 µg/kg of chlorpyrifos residues. Only 4% of the honey samples were detected containing acetamiprid and imidacloprid, while the other seven pesticides were not detected. Chlorpyrifos residues were found in all pollen samples (5-66 µg/kg), among which twenty percent exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs, 50 µg/kg, European Commission Regulation). Most of the pollen samples containing pesticide concentrations higher than MRLs were collected from rape, followed by lotus, camellia, and rose. Besides, 36.7% and 33.3% of the pollen samples had imidacloprid and flupyradifurone higher than 5 µg/kg. A total of 26.7% pollen samples were detected containing bifenthrin, while none of the other six pesticides were detected in pollen samples.

Utilizing a Rapid Multi-Plug Filtration Cleanup Method for 72 Pesticide Residues in Grape Wines Followed by Detection with Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

A convenient and fast multi-residue method for the efficient identification and quantification of 72 pesticides belonging to different chemical classes in red and white grape wines has been developed. The analysis was based on gas chromatography tandem quadrupole mass spectrometric determination (GC-MS/MS). The optimization strategy involved the selection of the amount of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and the number of cleanup procedure cycles for multi-plug filtration cleanup (m-PFC) to achieve ideal recoveries and reduce the sample matrix compounds in the final extracts. The optimized procedure obtained consistent recoveries between 70.2 and 108.8% (70.2 and 108.8% for white wine, and 72.3 and 108.4% for red wine), with relative standard deviations (RSDs) that were generally lower than 9.2% at the three spiking levels of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg. The linearity was studied in the range between 0.002 and 0.1 mg/kg using pesticide standards prepared both in pure solvent and in the presence of the matrix, showing coefficients of determination (R2) higher than 0.9495 for all the pesticides. To improve accuracy, matrix-matched calibration curves were used for calculating the quantification results. Finally, the method was used successfully for detecting pesticide residues in commercial grape wines.

Clothianidin loaded TA/Fe (III) controlled-release granules: improve pesticide bioavailability and alleviate oxidative stress.

Neonicotinoid insecticides have been widely used due to their excellent systemic activity and high insecticidal activity, but the problems of low utilization rate and environmental risk have attracted widespread attention. Controlled-release technology is an approach to realize the efficient utilization of pesticides and reduce environmental pressure. In this study, clothianidin (CLO) controlled-release granules (CLO@GR- TA (tannic acid)/Fe (III)) were prepared with TA/Fe (III) coordination chelate as the coating material. These granules exhibited the core-shell structure with 500-1200 µm of particle size, and had obvious release performance and hydrolysis behavior of coating materials. Pot experiments by root application showed that the CLO@GR-TA/Fe (III) showed balanced and lasting control efficacy to broad bean aphids. The plants have a stronger capacity for absorption and enrichment and a higher utilization rate of CLO for CLO@GR-TA/Fe (III), than those for 10% suspension concentrate (SC). One of the hydrolysates of coating materials, TA, a polyphenolic antioxidant, could improve the bioaccumulation amount and alleviating the oxidative stress response of CLO in plants. Our study illustrates that the controlled-release granules base on TA have efficient controlled-release properties and free radical scavenging performance that may eventually be used as pesticide carriers and antioxidants in the field of plant protection.

Effect of hemoglobin content on cerebral oxygen saturation during surgery for scoliosis in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Although regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) monitoring has been widely used in clinical practice, the relationship between hemoglobin (dHB) content and rScO2 is incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of hemoglobin content on rScO2 in pediatric patients undergoing general anesthesia for correction of scoliosis. METHODS: Ninety-two pediatric patients aged 3 to 14 years undergoing scoliosis correction surgery were enrolled. Continuous monitoring of bilateral regional cerebral oxygen saturation by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS, CASMED, USA) was performed after entering the operation room. rScO2 was recorded when the patients entered the operating room (T0, baseline), after anesthesia induced intubation (T1), and after radial artery puncture (T2). The lowest value of rScO2 during surgery was also recorded. The arterial blood pressure (ABP), heart rate (HR), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), end tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure (PetCO2) were continuously recorded. Patients were classified as low rScO2 or high rScO2 group according to whether the lowest intraoperative rScO2 was 15% lower than the baseline value. An analysis and comparison of differences in hemoglobin content in these two groups was carried out. RESULTS: The preoperative hemoglobin-postoperative hemoglobin of patients in the high rScO2 group was significantly lower than that in the low rScO2 group (t = - 7.86, p < 0.01), the amount of bleeding during the operation was also less than that in the low rScO2 group (t = - 6.05, p < 0.01), and the systolic pressure of patients was higher than that in the low rScO2 group (t = 4.27, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in hemoglobin level which occurs during surgery leads to a decrease in cerebral oxygen saturation. In order to ensure patient safety during surgery, it is necessary to carry out volume management and appropriate transfusion and fluid replacement in a timely manner. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800016359 . Registered 28 May 2018.