Intratumoral delivery of a highly active form of XCL1 enhances antitumor CTL responses through recruitment of CXCL9-expressing conventional type-1 dendritic cells.

Conventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) play a crucial role in antitumor immunity through the induction and activation of tumor-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (CTLs). The chemokine XCL1 is a major chemotactic factor for cDC1s and its receptor XCR1 is selectively expressed on cDC1s. Here, we investigated the effect of intratumoral delivery of a highly active form of murine XCL1 (mXCL1-V21C/A59C) on cDC1-mediated antitumor immunity using a hydrophilic gel patch. The hydrophilic gel patch containing mXCL1-V21C/A59C increased cDC1 accumulation in the tumor masses and promoted their migration to the regional lymph nodes, resulting in enhanced induction of tumor-specific CTLs. Tumor-infiltrating cDC1s not only expressed XCR1 but also produced CXCL9, a ligand for CXCR3 which is highly expressed on CTLs and NK cells. Consequently, CTLs and NK cells were increased in the tumor masses of mice treated with mXCL1-V21C/A59C, while immunosuppressive cells such as monocyte-derived suppressive cells and regulatory T cells were decreased. We also confirmed that anti-CXCL9 treatment decreased the tumor infiltration of CTLs. The intratumoral delivery of mXCL1-V21C/A59C significantly decreased tumor growth and prolonged survival in E.G7-OVA and B16-F10 tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, the antitumor effect of mXCL1-V21CA59C was enhanced in combination with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 treatment. Finally, using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, we found that XCL1 expression was positively correlated with tumor-infiltrating cDC1s and a better prognosis in melanoma patients. Collectively, our findings provide a novel therapeutic approach to enhance tumor-specific CTL responses through the selective recruitment of CXCL9-expressing cDC1s into the tumor masses.

Ciceribacter sichuanensis sp. nov., a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium isolated from root nodules of soybean in Sichuan, China.

The fast-growing rhizobia-like strains S101T and S153, isolated from root nodules of soybean (Glycine max) in Sichuan, People's Republic of China, underwent characterization using a polyphasic taxonomy approach. The strains exhibited growth at 20-40 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 4.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and up to 2.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0.01%) on Yeast Mannitol Agar plates. The 16S rRNA gene of strain S101T showed 98.4% sequence similarity to the closest type strain, Ciceribacter daejeonense L61T. Major cellular fatty acids in strain S101T included summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c) and C19:0 cyclo ω8c. The predominant quinone was ubiquinone-10. The polar lipids of strain S101T included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, amino phospholipid, unidentified phosphoglycolipid and unidentified amino-containing lipids. The DNA G + C contents of S101T and S153 were 61.1 and 61.3 mol%, respectively. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization relatedness and average nucleotide identity values between S101T and C. daejeonense L61T were 46.2% and 91.4-92.2%, respectively. In addition, strain S101T promoted the growth of soybean and carried nitrogen fixation genes in its genome, hinting at potential applications in sustainable agriculture. We propose that strains S101T and S153 represent a novel species, named Ciceribacter sichuanensis sp. nov., with strain S101T as the type strain (= CGMCC 1.61309 T = JCM 35649 T).

Remote Ischemic Conditioning and Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke With Versus Without Large Artery Atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: RICAMIS trial (The Remote Ischemic Conditioning for Acute Moderate Ischemic Stroke) has demonstrated efficacy of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) in acute ischemic stroke. We conducted a post hoc analysis of RICAMIS to investigate whether large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) subtype contributed to the outcomes. METHODS: This is a post hoc analysis of the RICAMIS trial. Patients randomized to RIC group and Control group in full analysis set of RICAMIS were classified into LAA and non-LAA subtypes. The primary outcome was excellent functional outcome at 90 days, defined as modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 1. Compared with patients receiving usual care, we investigated the association of RIC effect with outcomes in stroke subtypes and the interaction between RIC effect and stroke subtypes. The primary analysis was adjusted analysis. RESULTS: Among 1773 patients, 516 were assigned to LAA subtype (229 in the RIC group and 287 in the control group) and 1257 to non-LAA subtype (633 in the RIC group and 624 in the control group). Median age was 65 years, and 34.2% were women. A higher proportion of primary outcome was found to be associated with RIC treatment in LAA subtype (adjusted risk difference, 11.4% [95% CI, 3.6%-19.2%]; P=0.004), but not in non-LAA subtype (adjusted risk difference, 4.1% [95% CI, -1.1% to 9.3%]; P=0.12). There was no significant interaction between RIC effect and stroke subtypes (P=0.12). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with LAA subtype may benefit from RIC after stroke with respect to excellent functional outcome at 90 days. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03740971.

Development, Evaluation, and Application of Machine Learning Models for Accurate Prediction of Root Uptake of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.

Machine learning (ML) models were developed for understanding the root uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) under complex PFAS-crop-soil interactions. Three hundred root concentration factor (RCF) data points and 26 features associated with PFAS structures, crop properties, soil properties, and cultivation conditions were used for the model development. The optimal ML model, obtained by stratified sampling, Bayesian optimization, and 5-fold cross-validation, was explained by permutation feature importance, individual conditional expectation plot, and 3D interaction plot. The results showed that soil organic carbon contents, pH, chemical logP, soil PFAS concentration, root protein contents, and exposure time greatly affected the root uptake of PFASs with 0.43, 0.25, 0.10, 0.05, 0.05, and 0.05 of relative importance, respectively. Furthermore, these factors presented the key threshold ranges in favor of the PFAS uptake. Carbon-chain length was identified as the critical molecular structure affecting root uptake of PFASs with 0.12 of relative importance, based on the extended connectivity fingerprints. A user-friendly model was established with symbolic regression for accurately predicting RCF values of the PFASs (including branched PFAS isomerides). The present study provides a novel approach for profound insight into the uptake of PFASs by crops under complex PFAS-crop-soil interactions, aiming to ensure food safety and human health.

Mechanism and Association between Microbial Nitrogen Transformation in Rhizosphere and Accumulation of Ciprofloxacin in Choysum (Brassica parachinensis).

Rhizosphere microbiota are an important factor impacting plant uptake of pollutants. However, little is known about how microbial nitrogen (N) transformation in the rhizosphere affects the uptake and accumulation of antibiotics in plants. Here, we determined recruitment of N transformation functional bacteria upon ciprofloxacin (CIP) exposure, by comparing differences in assembly processes of both rhizospheric bacterial communities and N transformation between two choysum (Brassica parachinensis) varieties differing in CIP accumulation. The low accumulation variety (LAV) of CIP recruited more host bacteria (e.g., Nitrospiria and Nitrolancea) carrying nitrification genes (mainly nxrA) but fewer host bacteria carrying denitrification genes, especially narG, relative to the high accumulation variety (HAV) of CIP. The nxrA and narG abundance in the LAV rhizosphere were, respectively, 1.6-7.8 fold higher and 1.4-3.4 fold lower than those in the HAV rhizosphere. Considering that nitrate can decrease CIP uptake into choysum through competing for the proton motive force and energy, such specific bacteria recruitment in LAV favored the production and utilization of nitrate in its rhizosphere, thus limiting its CIP accumulation with 1.6-2.4 fold lower than the HAV. The findings give insight into the mechanism underlying low pollutant accumulation, filling the knowledge gap regarding the profound effects of rhizosphere microflora and N transformation processes on antibiotic accumulation in crops.

Mdivi1 ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by inhibiting JNK/MFF signaling.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a crucial role in the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Mitochondrial division inhibitor 1 (Mdivi1) is a potential inhibitor of dynamin-related protein (Drp1) and mitochondrial fission. However, the therapeutic effect of Mdivi1 against NASH and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. METHODS: In this study, we established mouse models of NASH by inducing high-fat/high-cholesterol (HFHC) or methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diets and treated the animals with 5 mg/kg/day Mdivi1 or placebo. RESULTS: Treatment with Mdivi1 significantly alleviated diet-induced fatty liver phenotypes, including increased liver weight/body weight ratio, insulin resistance, hepatic lipid accumulation, steatohepatitis, and liver injury. Furthermore, Mdivi1 treatment suppressed HFHC or MCD diet-induced changes in the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, Mdivi1 reduced macrophage infiltration in the injured liver and promoted polarization of macrophages towards the M1 phenotype. At the molecular level, Mdivi1 attenuated mitochondrial fission by reducing Drp1 activation and expression, thereby decreasing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species accumulation and mitochondrial DNA damage. Moreover, Mdivi1-treated mice exhibited elevated levels of phosphorylated-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), mitochondrial fission factor (MFF), cleaved caspase 3 protein, and TUNEL-positive cell expression in the liver, suggesting that Mdivi1 might ameliorate mitochondrial dysfunction and reduce hepatocyte apoptosis by inhibiting the JNK/MFF pathway. CONCLUSION: Collectively, Mdivi1 protected against diet-induced NASH by restoring mitochondrial homeostasis and function, potentially through its inhibitory effect on the JNK/MFF pathway. Consequently, further investigation of Mdivi1 as a promising drug for NASH treatment is warranted.

Levels of heavy metal in soil and vegetable and associated health risk in peri-urban areas across China.

Peri-urban vegetable field plays an essential role in providing vegetables for local residents. Because of its particularity, it is affected by both industrial and agricultural activities which have led to the accumulations of heavy metal in soil. So far, information on heavy metal pollution status, spatial features, and human health risks in peri-urban vegetable areas across China is still scarce. To fill this gap, we systematically compiled soil and vegetable data collected from 123 articles published between 2010 and 2022 at a national level. The pollution status of heavy metals (i.e., cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn)) in peri-urban vegetable soils and vegetables were investigated. To evaluate the levels of heavy metal pollution in soil and human health risks, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and target hazard quotient (HQ) were calculated. The results showed that mean concentrations of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in peri-urban vegetable soils were 0.50, 0.53, 12.03, 41.97, 55.56, 37.69, 28.55, and 75.38 mg kg-1, respectively. The main pollutants in peri-urban vegetable soil were Cd and Hg, and 85.25% and 92.86% of the soil samples had Igeo > 1, respectively. The mean Igeo values of this regions followed the order of northwest > central > south > north > east > southwest > northeast for Cd and northeast > northwest > north > southwest > east > central > south for Hg. The mean Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn concentrations in vegetables were 0.30, 0.26, 0.37, 0.54, 1.17, 6.17, 1.96, and 18.56 mg kg-1, respectively. Approximately 87.01% (Cd), 71.43% (Hg), 20% (As), 65.15% (Pb), 27.08% (Cr) of the vegetable samples exceeded the safety requirement values. The vegetables grown in central, northwest, and northern China accumulated much more heavy metals than those grown in other regions. As the HQ values for adults, 53.25% (Cd), 71.43% (Hg), 84.00% (As), and 58.33% (Cr) of the sampled vegetables were higher than 1. For children, the HQ values were higher than 1 for 66.23% (Cd), 73.81% (Hg), 86.00% (As), and 87.50% (Cr) of the sampled vegetables. The findings of this study demonstrate that the situation of heavy metal pollution in peri-urban vegetable areas across China are not optimistic and residents who consume the vegetables are at high risk of health issues. To ensure soil quality and human health, strategies should be taken to guide vegetable production and remedy soil pollution in peri-urban areas with the rapidly urbanizing China.

Long-term atorvastatin improves cognitive decline by regulating gut function in naturally ageing rats.

BACKGROUND: Statins have been widely used to prevent cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly populations; however, the effect of long-term treatment on cognitive function is controversial. To simulate clinical conditions, middle-aged rats were given atorvastatin for 9 consecutive months to investigate the effect on natural cognitive decline and the possible mechanisms. RESULTS: The results showed that compared with the control group, long-term atorvastatin treatment naturally improved cognitive decline. Furthermore, long-term treatment regulated intestinal retinoic acid (RA) metabolism and storage by altering retinol dehydrogenase 7 (Rdh7) expression in the intestine, while RA metabolism affected the proliferation of intestinal Treg cells and inhibited IL-17+γδ T-cell function. In addition, long-term atorvastatin increased intestinal flora richness and decreased IL-17 expression in hippocampal tissue. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these findings provide the first evidence that long-term atorvastatin intervention may prevent cognitive decline in naturally ageing rats by inhibiting neuroinflammation via the gut-brain axis.

Variety-Selective Rhizospheric Activation, Uptake, and Subcellular Distribution of Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) as an accumulative emerging persistent organic pollutant in crops poses severe threats to human health. Lettuce varieties that accumulate a lower amount of PFOS (low-accumulating crop variety, LACV) have been identified, but the regarding mechanisms remain unsolved. Here, rhizospheric activation, uptake, translocation, and compartmentalization of PFOS in LACV were investigated in comparison with those of high-accumulating crop variety (HACV) in terms of rhizospheric forms, transporters, and subcellular distributions of PFOS. The enhanced PFOS desorption from the rhizosphere soils by dissolved organic matter from root exudates was observed with weaker effect in LACV than in HACV. PFOS root uptake was controlled by a transporter-mediated passive process in which low activities of aquaporins and rapid-type anion channels were corrected with low expression levels of PIPs (PIP1-1 and PIP2-2) and ALMTs (ALMT10 and ALMT13) genes in LACV roots. Higher PFOS proportions in root cell walls and trophoplasts caused lower root-to-shoot transport in LACV. The ability to cope with PFOS toxicity to shoot cells was poorer in LACV relative to HACV since PFOS proportions were higher in chloroplasts but lower in vacuoles. Our findings provide novel insights into PFOS accumulation in lettuce and further understanding of multiprocess mechanisms of LACV.

Do freeze-thaw cycles affect the cadmium accumulation, subcellular distribution, and chemical forms in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)?

To date, although there are many studies investigating the toxicity of heavy metal to plant, little research exists in the seasonal freeze-thaw (FT) regions where FT cycles often happen during the plant growing process. To reveal the adaptive mechanisms of plants to the combination stresses of cadmium (Cd) and FT, the Cd accumulation, subcellular distribution, chemical forms, and antioxidant enzyme activity (peroxidase (POD)) were investigated in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) growing under different soil Cd levels (i.e., 0.10 mg Cd kg-1 soil (low), 1.21 mg Cd kg-1 soil (medium), and 2.57 mg Cd kg-1 soil (high)). Compared to the non-freeze-thaw (NFT) treatments, higher Cd concentrations in the root and lower translocation factors from root to leaf were found for the plants experiencing FT cycles. FT significantly decreased the Cd concentrations in the leaves under the low- and medium-Cd treatments, while similar values were found for the high-Cd treatments. Generally, FT could decrease the concentrations and proportions of Cd stored in the cell wall and soluble fractions and increase them in the organelle fractions for the medium- and high-Cd treatments, while opposite tendency was found for the low-Cd treatments. Moreover, larger Cd amounts in the inorganic and water-soluble forms were found for the low- and medium-Cd treated plants under FT, while lower values were found for the high-Cd treatments. Additionally, POD, which presented higher activities at the low- and medium-Cd treatments and lower activities at the high-Cd treatments under FT, were also significantly influenced by the Cd × FT interaction. This study indicated that FT could significantly change the accumulations of Cd in plant, and it provided a new insight into the Cd accumulation by plants in the seasonal FT region.

Interoperable Nanoparticle Sensor Capable of Strain and Vibration Measurement for Rotor Blade Monitoring.

Recent advances in nanomaterials technology create the new possibility to fabricate high performance sensors. However, there has been limitations in terms of multivariate measurable and interoperable sensors. In this study, we fabricated an interoperable silver nanoparticle sensor fabricated by an aerodynamically focused nanomaterial (AFN) printing system which is a direct printing technique for inorganic nanomaterials onto a flexible substrate. The printed sensor exhibited the maximum measurable frequency of 850 Hz, and a gauge factor of 290.62. Using a fabricated sensor, we evaluated the sensing performance and demonstrated the measurement independency of strain and vibration sensing. Furthermore, using the proposed signal separation algorithm based on the Kalman filter, strain and vibration were each measured in real time. Finally, we applied the printed sensor to quadrotor condition monitoring to predict the motion of a quadrotor.

Immunogenicity of Milk Protein-Containing Hydrophilic Gel Patch for Epicutaneous Immunotherapy for Milk Allergy.

PURPOSE: Epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) involving the skin's immune system is easy to use, painless and has a low risk of systemic side effects; it can be applied to food allergies that have a high morbidity rate in children. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of hydrophilic gel patch (HG) for EPIT. METHODS: Milk protein concentrate (MPC)-containing HG was applied to the skin that maintained a barrier function or formed puncture holes with microneedle, and MPC-specific antibodies were measured. The clinical study was conducted involving patients with severe milk allergy. RESULTS: No specific immune response was induced when immunizing to intact skin, and antibody production was observed by forming puncture holes. It was suggested that MPC contained in HG has immunogenicity and a very small amount of MPC was delivered to intact skin. In the clinical study, the symptom induction threshold increased in four of eight subjects, allowing them to consume milk and switch to oral immunotherapy. Although local skin reactions and temporary elevation of specific IgE antibodies were observed, no systemic side effects appeared throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: EPIT using HG is a safe method to enable oral administration even in patients with severe milk allergies.

Oxalic Acid in Root Exudates Enhances Accumulation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid in Lettuce.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is bioaccumulative in crops. PFOA bioaccumulation potential varies largely among crop varieties. Root exudates are found to be associated with such variations. Concentrations of low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) in root exudates from a PFOA-high-accumulation lettuce variety are observed significantly higher than those from PFOA-low-accumulation lettuce variety (p < 0.05). Root exudates and their LMWOAs components exert great influences on the linear sorption-desorption isotherms of PFOA in soils, thus activating PFOA and enhancing its bioavailability. Among root exudate components, oxalic acid is identified to play a key role in activating PFOA uptake, with >80% attribution. Oxalic acid at rhizospheric concentrations (0.02-0.5 mM) can effectively inhibit PFOA sorption to soils by decreasing hydrophobic force, electrostatic attraction, ligand exchange, and cation-bridge effect. Oxalic acid enhances dissolution of metallic ions, iron/aluminum oxides, and organic matters from soils and forms oxalate-metal complexes, based on nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, ultraviolet spectra, and analyses of metal ions, iron/aluminum organometallic complexes, and dissolved organic carbon. The findings not only reveal the activation process of PFOA in soils by root exudates, particularly oxalic acid at rhizospheric concentrations, but also give an insight into the mechanism of enhancing PFOA accumulation in lettuce varieties.

Rice root exudates enhance desorption and bioavailability of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in soil associating with cultivar variation in PAE accumulation.

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) is a class of prevalent pollutants in agricultural soil, threating food safety through crop uptake and accumulation of PAEs. Accumulation of PAEs varies largely among crop species and cultivars. Nevertheless, how root exudates affect PAE bioavailability, dissipation, uptake and accumulation is still not well understood. In the present study, desorption and pot experiments were designed to investigate how root exudates from high-(Peizataifeng) and low-(Fengyousimiao) PAE accumulating rice cultivars affect soil PAE bioavailability, dissipation, and accumulation variation. Rice root exudates including low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) of Peizataifeng and Fengyousimiao could enhance desorption of two typical PAE compounds, di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), from aged soil to their available fractions by increasing soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), thus improving their bioavailability in soil. Peizataifeng produced twice higher amounts of oxalic acid, critic acid and malonic acid in root exudates, and exhibited stronger effects on enhancing desorption and bioavailability of DBP and DEHP than Fengyousimiao. Higher (by about 50%) total organic carbon contents of root exudates from Peizataifeng led to higher (by 10-30%) soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen than Fengyousimiao, and thus promoted more PAE dissipation from soil than Fengyousimiao. Nevertheless, higher (by 20-50%) soil DOC and significantly higher PAE bioavailability in the soils planted Peizataifeng resulted in greater (by 53-93%) PAE accumulation in roots and shoots of Peizataifeng than Fengyousimiao, confirming by higher (by 1.82-3.48 folds) shoot and root bioconcentration factors of Peizataifeng than Fengyousimiao. This study reveals that the difference in root exudate extent and LMWOAs between Peizataifeng and Fengyousimiao differentiates PAE accumulation.

Dynamics, thermodynamics, and mechanism of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) sorption to various soil particle-size fractions of paddy soil.

Soil is an important sink for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) that is a typical persistent organic pollutant with high toxicity. Understanding of PFOS sorption to various particle-size fractions of soil provides an insight into the mobility and bioavailability of PFOS in soil. This study evaluated kinetics, isotherms, and mechanisms of PFOS sorption to six soil particle-size fractions of paddy soil at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.01-1 µg/mL). The used soil particle-size fractions included coarse sand (120.4-724.4 mm), fine sand (45.7-316.2 mm), coarse silt (17.3-79.4 mm), fine silt (1.9-39.8 mm), clay (0.5-4.4 mm), and humic acid fractions (8.2-83.7 mm) labeled as F1~F6, respectively. PFOS sorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics related to film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion, with speed-limiting phase acted by the latter. PFOS sorption isotherm data followed Freundlich model, with generally convex isotherms in larger size fractions (F1~F3) but concave isotherms in smaller size fractions (F4 and F5) and humic acid fraction (F6). Increasing organic matter content, Brunner-Emmet-Teller surface area, and smaller size fractions were conducive to PFOS sorption. Hydrophobic force, divalent metal ion-bridging effect, ligand exchange, hydrogen bonding, and protein-like interaction played roles in PFOS sorption. But hydrophobic force controlled the PFOS sorption, because its relevant organic matter governed the contribution of the soil fractions to the overall PFOS sorption. The larger size fractions dominated the PFOS sorption to the original soil because of their high mass percentages (~80%). This likely caused greater potential risks of PFOS migration into groundwater and bioaccumulation in crops at higher temperatures and ce values, based on their convex isotherms with an exothermic physical process.

AM fungi increase uptake of Cd and BDE-209 and activities of dismutase and catalase in amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.) in two contaminants spiked soil.

Soil co-contaminated with cadmium (Cd) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) is a widespread environmental problem, especially in electronic waste contaminated surroundings. Accumulation of Cd and BDE-209 in crops has possibly harmful effects on local human health. In order to assess the potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.) in remediation of soil co-contaminated with Cd and BDE-209, pot trials were performed to investigate interactive effects of AM fungi, Cd and BDE-209 on growth of amaranth, uptake of Cd and BDE-209, distribution of chemical forms of Cd and activities of antioxidant enzymes in shoots and dissipation of BDE-209 in soil. The present results showed that shoot biomass of non-mycorrhizal plants was significantly inhibited by increasing of Cd addition (5-15 mg kg-1), but were only slightly declined with BDE-209 addition (5 mg kg-1). The interaction of Cd and BDE-209 reduced the proportions of ethanol- and d-H2O-extractable Cd in shoots, consequently alleviated Cd toxicity to plants and enhanced root uptake of Cd and BDE-209. Inoculation of AM fungi resulted in significantly greater shoot biomass as well as higher concentrations of Cd and BDE-209 compared with non-mycorrhizal treatment. Moreover, AM fungi played a beneficial role in relieving oxidative stress on amaranth by increasing the activities of dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in shoots and significantly improved the dissipation of BDE-209 in soil. The present study suggested that combination of AM fungi and amaranth may be a potential option for remediation of Cd and BDE-209 co-contaminated soils.

The Feasibility of Modelling the Crown Profile of Larix olgensis Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Laser Scanning Data.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) laser scanning, as an emerging form of near-ground light detection and ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing technology, is widely used for crown structure extraction due to its flexibility, convenience, and high point density. Herein, we evaluated the feasibility of using a low-cost UAV-LiDAR system to extract the fine-scale crown profile of Larix olgensis. Specifically, individual trees were isolated from LiDAR point clouds and then stratified from the point clouds of segmented individual tree crowns at 0.5 m intervals to obtain the width percentiles of each layer as profile points. Four equations (the parabola, Mitscherlich, power, and modified beta equations) were then applied to model the profiles of the entire and upper crown. The results showed that a region-based hierarchical cross-section analysis algorithm can successfully delineate 77.4% of the field-measured trees in high-density (>2400 trees/ha) forest stands. The crown profile generated with the 95th width percentile was adequate when compared with the predicted value of the existing field-based crown profile model (the Pearson correlation coefficient (ρ) was 0.864, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.3354 m). The modified beta equation yielded slightly better results than the other equations for crown profile fitting and explained 85.9% of the variability in the crown radius for the entire crown and 87.8% of this variability for the upper crown. Compared with the cone and 3D convex hull volumes, the crown volumes predicted by our profile models had significantly smaller errors. The results revealed that the crown profile can be well described by using UAV-LiDAR, providing a novel way to obtain crown profile information without destructive sampling and showing the potential of the use of UAV-LiDAR in future forestry investigations and monitoring.

ZNF281 Regulates Cell Proliferation, Migration and Invasion in Colorectal Cancer through Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Zinc Finger Protein 281 (ZNF281) was recently identified as a novel oncogene in several human carcinomas. However, the clinical significance of ZNF281 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the molecular mechanisms by which ZNF281 promotes the growth and metastasis of CRC remain unknown. METHODS: ZNF281 expression in CRC tissues was assessed, and the outcomes were analyzed to determine the clinical importance of ZNF281 expression. Cell Transwell assays and a wound healing assay were performed to assess the effects of ZNF281 on CRC cell migration and invasion in vitro. Western blotting was applied to analyze the potential mechanisms. RESULTS: ZNF281 mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased in CRC tissues compared with normal colon tissues, and high ZNF281 expression was associated with advanced T stage, N stage, TNM stage and differentiation. Therefore, ZNF281 expression might be an independent prognostic indicator in CRC patients. Moreover, knockdown of ZNF281 expression suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion by inhibiting the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that ZNF281 plays a critical role in the progression and metastasis of CRC and could represent a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

Distribution, diastereomer-specific accumulation and associated health risks of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in soil-vegetable system of the Pearl River Delta region, South China.

The distribution and diastereomeric profiles of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs, identified as persistent organic pollutants) in soil-vegetable system of open fields remain unknown. In this study, three main HBCD diastereoisomers (α-, ß-, and γ-HBCDs) were analyzed in paired soil and vegetable samples from vegetable farms in four cities (Guangzhou, Jiangmen, Huizhou, Foshan) of the Pearl River Delta region, Southern China. The sum concentrations of the three diastereoisomers (∑HBCDs) in soils varied from 0.99 to 18.4 ng/g (dry weight) with a mean of 5.77 ng/g, decreasing in the order of Jiangmen > Guangzhou > Huizhou > Foshan. The distributions of HBCDs in both soil and vegetable were diastereomer-specific, with γ-HBCD being predominant. The ∑HBCDs in vegetables ranged from 0.87 to 32.7 ng/g (dry weight) with a mean of 16.6 ng/g, generally higher than those of the corresponding soils. Thus bioconcentration factors (BCFs, the ratio of contaminant concentration in vegetable to that in soil) of HBCDs were generally greater than 1.0, implying higher accumulation in vegetable. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of ΣHBCDs via consumption of vegetables varied from 0.26 to 9.35 ng/kg bw/day with a mean of 3.60 ng/kg bw/day for adults and from 0.32 to 11.5 ng/kg bw/day with a mean of 4.41 ng/kg bw/day for Children, far lower than the oral reference dose (RfD, 2 × 105 ng/kg bw/day) proposed by US National Research Council. These results suggest that HBCD in the vegetables posed low health risk for the local population. These data are the first report on HBCD occurrence and health risk in soil-vegetable system of open fields.

Soil contamination and sources of phthalates and its health risk in China: A review.

Phthalates (PAEs) are extensively used as plasticizers and constitute one of the most frequently detected organic contaminants in the environment. With the deterioration of eco-environment in China during the past three decades, many studies on PAE occurrence in soils and their risk assessments have been conducted which allow us to carry out a fairly comprehensive assessment of soil PAE contamination on a nation-wide scale. This review combines the updated information available associated with PAE current levels, distribution patterns (including urban soil, rural or agricultural soil, seasonal and vertical variations), potential sources, and human health exposure. The levels of PAEs in soils of China are generally at the high end of the global range, and higher than the grade II limits of the Environmental Quality Standard for soil in China. The most abundant compounds, di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), display obvious spatial distribution in different provinces. It is noted that urbanization and industrialization, application of plastic film (especially plastic film mulching in agricultural soil) and fertilizer are the major sources of PAEs in soil. Uptake of PAEs by crops, and human exposure to PAEs via ingestion of soil and vegetables are reviewed, with scientific gaps highlighted.