[Discussion on the standard of clinical genetic testing report and the consensus of gene testing industry].

The widespread application of next generation sequencing (NGS) in clinical settings has enabled testing, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of genetic diseases. However, many issues have arisen in the meanwhile. One of the most pressing issues is the lack of standards for reporting genetic test results across different service providers. The First Forum on Standards and Specifications for Clinical Genetic Testing was held to address the issue in Shenzhen, China, on October 28, 2017. Participants, including geneticists, clinicians, and representatives of genetic testing service providers, discussed problems of clinical genetic testing services across in China and shared opinions on principles, challenges, and standards for reporting clinical genetic test results. Here we summarize expert opinions presented at the seminar and report the consensus, which will serve as a basis for the development of standards and guidelines for reporting of clinical genetic testing results, in order to promote the standardization and regulation of genetic testing services in China.

Preparation and characterization of ß-elemene-loaded microemulsion.

Intravenously injectable emulsion of ß-elemene was studied in detail. Both blank and ß-elemene-loaded microemulsions were prepared using a simple water titration method. The pseudoternary phase diagram was constructed for the optimization of microemulsion. The loading capacity test, dilutability test, and especially the influence of antioxidants were conducted for further optimization of ß-elemene-loaded microemulsion. Transmission electron microscope showed intact and spherical microemulsion droplets. Conductivity and viscosity measurements were used to study the phase behaviors of ß-elemene-loaded microemulsions, providing convincing explanation. In vitro release study showed that ß-elemene was steadily released until 12 h, which most fitted the first order.

Study on Ecosystem Service Value (ESV) Spatial Transfer in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration in the Yellow River Basin, China.

Urban agglomeration is the key area to realizing regional sustainable development. Timely and accurate assessment of its ESV spatial transfer can provide a scientific basis for intercity environmental cooperation to solve transboundary environmental problems. The ESV and its spatial transfer characteristics in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration in 2000 and 2018 were quantified by introducing the breaking point model. The findings were as follows: Firstly, taking the central city of Zhengzhou as the transferred-in area, ESV spatial transfer distributions and changes presented a trend of hinterland > metropolitan area. Secondly, the ESV spatial transfer intensity from the metropolitan area to the central city presented an increase trend, with an increase of RMB 498,400-1,053,000/km2, and the ESV spatial transfer intensity from the hinterland to the central city presented a decrease trend, with a decrease of RMB 15,200-814,000/km2 in contrast. Thirdly, a total of RMB 294.763-331.471 billion worth of ESV has been transferred, and only that worth RMB 0.534-1.716 billion reached the central city, accounting for 0.181-0.518% of the total ESV transferred and 2.760-17.482% of the central city's ESV. Fourthly, the ESV spatial transfer radius of each city was 25.47-214.17 km, but the ESV spatial transfer range of a few cities could reach the central city. Lastly, there was inefficiency in the ESV spatial transfer only in the natural driving spatial transfer pattern due to the spatial heterogeneity of ESV distribution, and there was potential for strengthening the ecological interactions based on space guidance provided by ESV spatial transfer.

Spatial-Temporal Changes and Associated Determinants of Global Heating Degree Days.

The heating degree days (HDDs) could indicate the climate impact on energy consumption and thermal environment conditions effectively during the winter season. Nevertheless, studies on the spatial-temporal changes in global HDDs and their determinants are scarce. This study used multi-source data and several methods to explore the rules of the spatial distribution of global HDDs and their interannual changes over the past 49 years and some critical determinants. The results show that global HDDs generally became larger in regions with higher latitudes and altitudes. Most global change rates of HDDs were negative (p < 0.10) and decreased to a greater extent in areas with higher latitudes. Most global HDDs showed sustainability trends in the future. Both the HDDs and their change rates were significantly partially correlated with latitude, altitude, mean albedo, and EVI during winter, annual mean PM2.5 concentration, and nighttime light intensity (p = 0.000). The HDDs and their change rates could be simulated well by the machine learning method. Their RMSEs were 564.08 °C * days and 3.59 °C * days * year-1, respectively. Our findings could support the scientific response to climate warming, the construction of living environments, sustainable development, etc.

Performance and toxicity assessment of nanoscale zero valent iron particles in the remediation of contaminated soil: A review.

Nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) particles have been studied in recent years as a promising technology for the remediation of contaminated soil. Although the potential benefits of nZVI are considerable, there is a distinct need to identify possible risks after environmental exposure to nZVI. This work firstly introduced the remediation of nZVI for heavy metals and chlorinated organic compounds in contaminated soil. And the corresponding stabilization mechanisms were discussed. We also highlighted the factors affecting nZVI reactivity, including nZVI surface area, nZVI stabilizers, soil pH, soil organic matter and soil types. In addition, this review shows a critical overview of the current understanding of toxicity of nZVI particles to soil bacteria and fungi. The toxicity mechanisms, cellular defenses behaviors and the factors affecting the toxicity of nZVI were summarized. Finally, the remaining barriers to be overcome in materials development for environment application are also discussed.

Combination of Fenton processes and biotreatment for wastewater treatment and soil remediation.

There is a continuously increasing worldwide concern for the development of wastewater and contaminated soil treatment technologies. Fenton processes and biological treatments have long been used as common technologies for treating wastewater and polluted soil but they still need to be modified because of some defects (high costs of Fenton process and long remediation time of biotreatments). This work first briefly introduced the Fenton technology and biotreatment, and then discussed the main considerations in the construction of a combined system. This review shows a critical overview of recent researches combining Fenton processes (as pre-treatment or post-treatment) with bioremediation for treatment of wastewater or polluted soil. We concluded that the combined treatment can be regarded as a novel and competitive technology. Furthermore, the outlook for potential applications of this combination in different polluted soil and wastewater, as well as the mechanism of combination was also discussed.

pH-sensitive chitosan-derived nanoparticles as doxorubicin carriers for effective anti-tumor activity: preparation and in vitro evaluation.

pH-sensitive self-aggregated nanoparticles (SNPs), based on amphiphilic deoxycholic acid (DOCA) modified carboxymethyl chitosan (DCMC), were prepared for delivery of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). DCMCs with different degrees of substitution (DS) of DOCA were initially synthesized and characterized. Based on self-aggregation, DCMC formed nanoparticles with size ranging from 87 to 174 nm. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) decreased on increasing the DS of DOCA. Moreover, the DCMC SNPs showed an acidic pH-induced aggregation and deformation behavior. The DOX-loaded SNPs ([D]NP) exhibited a sustained drug release manner, which could be accelerated by an acidic pH, but delayed by a higher DS of DOCA. Antitumor efficacy results showed that [D]NP could suppress both sensitive and resistant MCF-7 cells effectively in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The enhanced cellular uptake and greater retention of [D]NP in drug-resistant cells, as evidenced by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, contributed to a superior efficacy of [D]NP over free DOX. These results suggest the potential of DCMC SNPs as carriers for the hydrophobic drug DOX for effective cancer therapy against drug-resistant tumors.

[Soil organic carbon fractionation methods and their applications in farmland ecosystem research: a review].

Soil organic carbon is of heterogeneity in components. The active components are sensitive to agricultural management, while the inert components play an important role in carbon fixation. Soil organic carbon fractionation mainly includes physical, chemical, and biological fractionations. Physical fractionation is to separate the organic carbon into active and inert components based on the density, particle size, and its spatial distribution; chemical fractionation is to separate the organic carbon into various components based on the solubility, hydrolizability, and chemical reactivity of organic carbon in a variety of extracting agents. In chemical fractionation, the dissolved organic carbon is bio-available, including organic acids, phenols, and carbohydrates, and the acid-hydrolyzed organic carbon can be divided into active and inert organic carbons. Simulated enzymatic oxidation by using KMnO4 can separate organic carbon into active and non-active carbon. Biological fractionation can differentiate microbial biomass carbon and potential mineralizable carbon. Under different farmland management practices, the chemical composition and pool capacity of soil organic carbon fractions will have different variations, giving different effects on soil quality. To identify the qualitative or quantitative relationships between soil organic carbon components and carbon deposition, we should strengthen the standardization study of various fractionation methods, explore the integrated application of different fractionation methods, and sum up the most appropriate organic carbon fractionation method or the appropriate combined fractionation methods for different farmland management practices.

[Effects of vegetation restoration on soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in hilly areas of Loess Plateau].

Aimed to explore the effects of different vegetations and of the years of vegetation restoration on soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, a comparative study was conducted, with the 5 year old Robinia pseudoacacia, Hippophae reamnoide and Prunus armeniaca plantations and the 5, 15 and 25 years old R. pseudoacacia plantation in the Yangjuangou catchment of Yanan City of Shaanxi Province, a typical hilly area of the Loess Plateau, as test objects. The results showed that among the three 5-year old plantations, H. reamnoides plantation had the highest soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents, while R. pseudoacacia plantation had the highest soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) (99.56 mg x kg(-1)) and nitrogen (MBN) (28.81 mg x kg(-1)). The MBC was in the order of R. pseudoacacia > H. reamnoides > P. armeniaca, and that of MBN was of R. pseudoacacia > P. armeniaca > H. reamnoides. The MBC/SOC was in the order of R. pseudoacacia > H. reamnoides > P. armeniaca, and that of MBN/TN was of R. pseudoacacia > P. armeniaca > H. reamnoides, with the differences being significant (P < 0.05). With the increasing years of vegetation restoration, the soil pH in R. pseudoacacia plantation decreased, while the SOC, TN, electricity conductance (EC), MBC, and MBN all had an increasing trend, which illustrated that in the hilly area of Loess Plateau, planting R. pseudoacacia was more beneficial to the increase of soil MBC and MBN, and, with the increasing years of this planting, soil MBC, MBN, SOC and TN tended to be increasing.

Optimized preparation of in situ forming microparticles for the parenteral delivery of vinpocetine.

A spherical symmetric design-response surface methodology was applied to optimize the preparation of vinpocetine-loaded poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) PLGA in situ forming microparticles (ISM system). The influence of the ratio of PLGA to vinpocetine (w/w), the concentration of Tween 80 (w/v) and the volume of propylene glycol on the burst release, medium particle diameter and size distribution was evaluated. Scan electron microscopy of the optimized in situ microparticles exhibited spherical shape, and vinpocetine-loading mainly inside the microparticles. The data showed that the release of vinpocetine from in situ microparticles in vitro and in vivo lasted about 40 d. In vivo pharmacokinetic characteristics of the optimized in situ microparticles was assessed after they were intramuscularly injected into rats. HPLC method was used to determine the plasma concentration of vinpocetine. The absolute bioavailability of vinpocetine in the microparticles was 27.6% in rats, which suggested that PLGA in situ microparticles were a valuable system for the delivery of vinpocetine.