Identification of Omitted Pollutants in Environmental Water via In Situ Thin-Film Microextraction.

Sample preparation is an inevitable step in the screening workflow for the identification of unknown pollutants in the aquatic environment. However, the possible loss of pollutants during sample preparation has aroused serious concern but remains not effectively resolved. This study shows that high-risk pollutants omitted in solid-phase extraction (SPE) can be identified via in situ thin-film microextraction (TFME) coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. It was observed that a total of 541 features showed higher mass spectrometry signal intensity by using in situ TFME in comparison with SPE. Subsequently, 28 compounds were identified from the features with higher intensity by comparing the recorded tandem mass spectra with the online database and validating with standards. Notably, six out of these compounds were completely omitted using SPE, including a dye, drug, and industrial product. It was confirmed that the lower extraction efficiencies of SPE were attributed to the limited sample volumes, the losses of compounds during sample transportation and storage, and the entrapment of compounds in SPE columns. This study demonstrates that in situ TFME should be used as a supplementary technique to SPE for extending the coverage of pollutants in the screening workflows.

Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Edema by MR T2 Mapping in Children With Kawasaki Disease.

BACKGROUND: Few studies assessed myocardial inflammation using Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. PURPOSE: To quantify myocardial edema in KD patients using T2 mapping and explore the independent predictors of T2 values. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: Ninety KD patients including 40 in acute phase (26 males, 65.0%) and 50 in chronic phase (34 males, 68.0%). Thirty-one healthy volunteers (21 males, 70.0%). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T T2-weighted Turbo Spin Echo-Short Time of Inversion Recovery sequence, True fast imaging with steady precession flash sequence and fast low-angle shot 3D spoiled gradient echo sequence. ASSESSMENT: T2 values were compared among KD groups and controls. STATISTICAL TEST: Student's t test and Fisher's exact test; One-way analysis of variance; Pearson correlation analysis; Receiver operating curve analysis; Multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: Global T2 value of KD patients in acute phase was the highest, followed by those of chronic-phase patients and controls (38.83 ± 2.41 msec vs. 37.55 ± 2.28 msec vs. 36.05 ± 1.64 msec). Regional T2 values showed a same trend. There were no significant differences in global and regional T2 values between KD patients with and without coronary artery (CA) dilation, no matter in acute or chronic phase (all KD patients: P = 0.51, 0.51, 0.53, 0.72; acute KD: P = 0.61, 0.37, 0.33, 0.83; chronic KD: P = 0.65, 0.79, 0.62, 0.79). No significant difference was observed in global T2 values between KD patients with Z score > 5.0 and 2.0 < Z score ≤ 5.0 (P = 0.65). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that stage of disease (ß = -0.123) and heart rate (ß = 0.280) were independently associated with global T2 values. DATA CONCLUSION: The degree of myocardial edema was more severe in acute-phase than in chronic-phase KD patients. Myocardial edema persists in patients regardless of the existence or degree of CA dilation. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Clinical outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial esophageal neoplasia in close proximity to esophageal varices: a multicenter international experience.

BACKGROUND : There are limited data on the feasibility of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for superficial esophageal neoplasia (SEN) located at or adjacent to esophageal varices. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of ESD in these patients. METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study included cirrhotic patients with a history of esophageal varices with SEN located at or adjacent to the esophageal varices who underwent ESD. RESULTS: 23 patients with SEN (median lesion size 30 mm; 16 squamous cell neoplasia and seven Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia) were included. The majority were Child-Pugh B (57 %) and had small esophageal varices (87 %). En bloc, R0, and curative resections were achieved in 22 (96 %), 21 (91 %), and 19 (83 %) of patients, respectively. Severe intraprocedural bleeding (n = 1) and delayed bleeding (n = 1) were successfully treated endoscopically. No delayed perforation, hepatic decompensation, or deaths were observed. During a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 36 (22-55) months, one case of local recurrence occurred after noncurative resection. CONCLUSION: ESD is feasible and effective for SEN located at or adjacent to esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients. Albeit, the majority of the esophageal varices in our study were small in size, when expertise is available, ESD should be considered as a viable option for such patients.

Influence of surface nanostructure-induced innermost ion structuring on capacitance of carbon/ionic liquid double layers.

Ionic liquids have drawn great interest as electrolytes for energy storage applications in which they form characteristic electrical double layers at electrode interfaces. For ionic liquids at carbon electrode interfaces, their double layers are subject to nanoscale structuring of the electrode surface, involving altered ion structure and interactions that significantly influence the double layer capacitance. In this regard, we investigate the modulation of ionic liquid double layers by electrode surface roughness and the resulting effects on the ion structure, interaction, and capacitance. We performed fixed voltage molecular dynamics simulations to compute the differential capacitance profiles for the ionic liquids [BMIm+][TFSI-] and [BMIm+][FSI-] at model carbon electrode interfaces with the surface channel width at subnanometer and nanometer scales. We find that both [BMIm+][TFSI-] and [BMIm+][FSI-] exhibit enhanced differential capacitance for the electrode surface with a subnanometer channel width relative to the flat graphene surface, but the most pronounced enhancements for these two ionic liquids unexpectedly appear at different applied potential regimes. For [BMIm+][TFSI-], the nanostructured electrode shows significant enhancement of capacitance at high positive potential. For [BMIm+][FSI-], on the other hand, this enhancement is small at positive polarization but noticeable at low negative potential. We demonstrate that differences in these capacitance trends is due to differences in ion correlation that arise from a steric constraint of nanostructured electrode surface on the voltage-mediated restructuring of ions closest to the electrode interface. For example, the TFSI- and FSI- anions tend to structure with their charged and nonpolar groups in contact with the positive electrode surface when the constraint on these close-contact anions is relaxed. This anion structuring largely retains the cation association near the nanostructured electrode, resulting in only a slight increase in capacitance at positive polarization. Our simulations highlight the sensitive dependence of the innermost ion structure on the electrode surface nanostructure and applied voltage and the resulting influence on ion correlation and capacitance of ionic liquid double layers.

Sustainability of exercise-induced benefits on circulating MicroRNAs and physical fitness in community-dwelling older adults: a randomized controlled trial with follow up.

BACKGROUND: Circulating miRNAs (c-miR) have been shown to be potential biomarkers in sarcopenia, but the miRNAs response to aerobic exercise in older people remains inconclusive. We sought to examine the exercise benefits on physical fitness and miRNAs, and to explore the mediating effect of miRNAs on training-induced fitness changes. METHODS: This controlled trial recruited 58 community-dwelling older adults and randomized them into exercise group (EX) and control group (CON). EX received 8-week supervised moderate intensity cycling training 3x/week. C-miR expression (c-miR-21, c-miR-126, c-miR-146a, c-miR-222), physical fitness (body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness) and physical activity level (PAL, measured as in daily step counts) were evaluated at baseline, post-training, and post-16-week follow-up. The mediating effect of miRNA expression onto exercise-induced physical fitness change was determined by causal mediation analysis (CMA). RESULTS: Exercise significantly improved body fat and cardiorespiratory fitness in older people while maintaining muscle mass and strength, and augmented expression of c-miR-126, c-miR-146a, and c-miR-222 for up to 16 weeks post-training. Notably, older people in EX had substantially higher daily step counts than CON throughout the study even after the active training period. However, CMA revealed no significant indirect effect but a potential mediating effect of c-miR-21, but not the rest, onto the body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and lower limb strength. CONCLUSION: An eight-week supervised MICT program promoted a higher level of physical activity up to 16 weeks post-training, which induces better cardiorespiratory fitness and resists decline in muscular measures. C-miRNA, especially c-miR-21, potentially mediates the training effect upon fitness.

Mechanism of chromosomal mosaicism in preimplantation embryos and its effect on embryo development.

Aneuploidy is one of the main causes of miscarriage and in vitro fertilization failure. Mitotic abnormalities in preimplantation embryos are the main cause of mosaicism, which may be influenced by several endogenous factors such as relaxation of cell cycle control mechanisms, defects in chromosome cohesion, centrosome aberrations and abnormal spindle assembly, and DNA replication stress. In addition, incomplete trisomy rescue is a rare cause of mosaicism. However, there may be a self-correcting mechanism in mosaic embryos, which allows some mosaicisms to potentially develop into normal embryos. At present, it is difficult to accurately diagnose mosaicism using preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. Therefore, in clinical practice, embryos diagnosed as mosaic should be considered comprehensively based on the specific situation of the patient.

[The involvement and underlying mechanism of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in the impairment of male mammalian fertility induced by environmental pollutants].

In recent decades, there has been a consistent decline in semen quality across the globe, with environmental pollution emerging as the predominant factor. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have garnered considerable attention due to their potent biological toxicity and resistance to natural degradation. Within this class of pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) have been identified as detrimental agents that can disrupt cellular physiological functions by activating aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). However, the precise role of AhR in the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on male mammalian fertility remains incompletely understood. This article provides a comprehensive review of the impact of various environmental pollutants, specifically PAHs such as benzo[a]pyrene, 3-methylcholanthrene, and 7,12-dimethylbenzo[a]anthracene, HAHs including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and the pollutant complex PM2.5, as well as cigarette smoke condensates, on male mammalian reproductive function. Additionally, this review focuses on the role of the AhR in mediating these effects. The objective of this review is to elucidate the involvement of AhR in the regulation of male mammalian fertility, thereby offering insights for prospective investigations into the interplay between AhR and male reproductive function, as well as the etiology of idiopathic male infertility in clinic.

(E,Z)-1,1,1,4,4,4-Hexafluorobut-2-enes: hydrofluoroolefins halogenation/dehydrohalogenation cascade to reach new fluorinated allene.

A series of 2,3-dihalo-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutanes and 2-halo-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobut-2-enes were prepared from commercially available hydrofluoroolefins 1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobut-2-enes and their 1H, 19F and 13C chemical shifts measured. Some reactions of synthesized 2-halo-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobut-2-enes have been investigated. A simple, one-pot procedure for the preparation of a new allene (1,1,4,4,4-pentafluorobuta-1,2-diene) and some of its transformations is presented.

Regulatory effects of noncoding RNAs on the interplay of oxidative stress and autophagy in cancer malignancy and therapy.

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) regulation of various diseases including cancer has been extensively studied. Reactive oxidative species (ROS) elevated by oxidative stress are associated with cancer progression and drug resistance, while autophagy serves as an ROS scavenger in cancer cells. However, the regulatory effects of ncRNAs on autophagy and ROS in various cancer cells remains complex. Here, we explore how currently investigated ncRNAs, mainly miRNAs and lncRNAs, are involved in ROS production through modulating antioxidant genes. The regulatory effects of miRNAs and lncRNAs on autophagy-related (ATG) proteins to control autophagy activity in cancer cells are discussed. Moreover, differential expression of ncRNAs in tumor and normal tissues of cancer patients are further analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. This review hypothesizes links between ATG genes- or antioxidant genes-modulated ncRNAs and ROS production, which might result in tumorigenesis, malignancy, and cancer recurrence. A better understanding of the regulation of ROS and autophagy by ncRNAs might advance the use of ncRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as therapeutic targets in cancer therapy.

Associations of early pregnancy serum uric acid levels with risk of gestational diabetes and birth outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous evidence suggests that higher blood uric acid (UA) levels are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes during pregnancy and subsequent birth outcomes. However, it has been relatively unclear whether these associations persist in normotensive pregnant women. METHODS: The study was based on a retrospective analysis of 18,250 mother-infant pairs in a large obstetric center in China. Serum UA concentrations in early pregnancy (median: 17.6, IQR: 16.3, 18.6 gestational weeks) were assessed. Hyperuricemia was defined as ≥ one standard deviation (SD) of the reference value for the corresponding gestational age. Outcomes of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preterm birth (PB), low birth weight (LBW), macrosomia, small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) were extracted from the medical records. RESULTS: The mean maternal UA level was 0.22 ± 0.05 mmol/L, and 2,896 (15.9%) subjects had hyperuricemia. After adjustment for several covariates, UA was associated with several adverse outcomes. The ORs (95%CI) per one SD increase in serum UA concentration were 1.250 (1.136, 1.277) for GDM, 1.137 (1.060, 1.221) for PB, 1.134 (1.051, 1.223) for LBW, and 1.077 (1.020, 1.137) for SGA, respectively. Similar adverse associations were found between hyperuricemia and GDM, PB (ORs: 1.394 and 1.385, P < 0.001), but not for LBW, macrosomia, SGA, and LGA. Adverse associations tended to be more pronounced in subjects with higher BMI for outcomes including PB, LBW, and SGA (P interaction = 0.001-0.028). CONCLUSION: Higher UA levels in early pregnancy were associated with higher risk of GDM, PB, LBW, and SGA in normotensive Chinese women.