[Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastics Occurring in Surface Water of Terrestrial Water Systems across China].

To assess the ecological risk of microplastics (MPs) occurring in the surface water of terrestrial water systems across China, this study obtained relevant literature and data by searching keywords including microplastics, urban, and river on websites such as Science Direct and Web of Science. We constructed an evaluation method of ecological risk characterization ratio (RCR) based on chemical hazard data, as well as data of MPs abundance and polymer proportion originating in studies from 2017 to 2021 that covered 33 water bodies in 15 provinces. The results showed that the average abundance of MPs in natural water bodies in China reached (3604.2±5926.4) n·m-3, and the average abundance of MPs in urban water bodies was (7722.6±9505.7) n·m-3. The corresponding average RCR of natural water bodies was 22.09±45.2, and the average RCR of urban water bodies was 15.67±34.8. Therefore, according to the value of RCR, the ecological risk could be rated as four levels. Of these, no significant risk (RCR ≤ 1) was found in 17 water bodies, accounting for 42.5%; low ecological risks (RCR 1-10) were found in 12 water bodies (30%); medium ecological risks (RCR 10-100) were found in 9 water bodies (22.5%); and high ecological risks (RCR>100) were found in 2 water bodies (5%). Data analysis showed a significant correlation between MPs abundance and RCR values in natural water bodies (R2=0.875, P<0.01), though not in urban water bodies. This suggested that the high abundance of MPs could not precisely indicate a high degree of ecological risk in the area. In addition, RCR values were observed to be positively correlated with the watershed area (R2=0.864, P<0.01), and MPs abundance was correlated with GDP (R2=0.679, P<0.05) and watershed resident population (R2=0.922, P<0.05). This study provides baseline data for evaluating the ecological risk of MPs and a feasible method for evaluating the ecological risk of MPs in surface water of terrestrial water systems.

Ultrafast and field-based detection of methamphetamine in hair with Au nanocake-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

The disaster and devastation from abuse of Methamphetamine (MAMP) have a serious impact on people's mental and physical health. Developing a rapid and accurate method to screen drug suspects and thus control MAMP abuse is essential to social security. Hair analysis for MAMP detection is considered to be one of the most potential methods for monitoring drug abuse due to its convenient sample collection, easy for storage and long traceability period. However, the current accurate detection of MAMP in hair primarily utilizes hyphenated mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, but it is not suitable for field-based detection due to the bulky instrument. Hence, developing alternative portable detection techniques for rapid on-site detection of MAMP in hair is an urgent problem to be solved. Here, the high-performance Au nanocakes (Au NCs) were constructed as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates to detect MAMP in hair, realizing 5 min ultrafast and ultrasensitive detection utilizing a portable Raman spectrometer. Experiments and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations show that Au NCs have stronger enhancement than Au nanospheres (Au NPs), and 0.5 ppb (3.35 × 10-9 M) MAMP standard is stably detected by Au NCs as an enhanced substrate. A strategy of liquid-liquid microextraction was exploited to eliminate the interference of complex matrices in hair. This method exhibited excellent reproducibility and temporal stability across different drug addicts (relative standard deviation was 5.14% within 160 s). Our approach shows great promise in public safety, providing a rapid and accurate method to detect in hair by SERS.

Long-term safety and absorption assessment of a novel bioresorbable nitrided iron scaffold in porcine coronary artery.

This study aimed to investigate the long-term biocompatibility, safety, and degradation of the ultrathin nitrided iron bioresorbable scaffold (BRS) in vivo, encompassing the whole process of bioresorption in porcine coronary arteries. Fifty-two nitrided iron scaffolds (strut thickness of 70 µm) and 28 Vision Co-Cr stents were randomly implanted into coronary arteries of healthy mini-swine. The efficacy and safety of the nitrided iron scaffold were comparable with those of the Vision stentwithin 52 weeks after implantation. In addition, the long-term biocompatibility, safety, and bioresorption of the nitrided iron scaffold were evaluated by coronary angiography, optical coherence tomography, micro-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry and histopathological evaluations at 4, 12, 26, 52 weeks and even at 7 years after implantation. In particular, a large number of struts were almost completely absorbed in situ at 7 years follow-up, which were first illustrated in this study. The lymphatic drainage pathway might serve as the potential clearance way of iron and its corrosion products.

Cost-benefit analysis of hepatic resection, radiofrequency ablation and liver transplantation in small hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness ratio of surgical treatment options for small hepatocellular carcinoma (SHC) by using the decision tree model and providing a reference for the clinical therapeutic decisions for SHC. METHODS: The data of 719 cases with SHC in the BCLC 0-A who were treated in the past were collected. The survival duration and treatment cost of patients in each experimental group after hepatic resection (HR), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: For SHC with a diameter of less than 3.0 cm, HR, RFA, and OLT had similar cost-effectiveness ratios. OLT could achieve a longer life expectancy, but it was greatly affected by the dropout rate while waiting for the liver donor. RFA was preferred when the willingness to pay (WTP) < 2,5000 RMB/QALY, OLT was preferred when WTP > 75,000 RMB/QALY, and HR was preferred when WTP was between the two. EXPERT OPINION: HR in SHC with OLT had the longest life expectancy, but due to the limitations of organ sources, OLT was the preferred treatment option when the WTP was large enough.

Therapeutic assessment of fractions of Gastrodiae Rhizoma on chronic atrophic gastritis by 1H NMR-based metabolomics.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gastrodiae Rhizoma (GR), a well-known and commonly-used TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) for treating headache, dizziness, tetanus, epilepsy, and etc., has been proven to relieve chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG). Due to its complex ingredients, the active fractions responsible for the treatment of CAG remain largely unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore the underlying material and interpret its underlying mechanism, the therapeutic effect of extract from different polar parts of Gastrodiae Rhizoma on autoimmune CAG was studied based on the 1H NMR metabolomics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rat model of CAG was established by autoimmune method. The modeled CAG rats were then treated with 4 polar parts (T1-4 in descending polarity, corresponding to water, n-butanol, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extracts, respectively) of Gastrodiae Rhizoma for 21 consecutive days. The stomach and serum samples were collected and then subjected to histopathology observation, biochemical measurement (MDA, SOD, GSH, NO, XOD and pepsin), 1H NMR metabolic profiling and multivariate/univariate statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that T1 had the best therapeutic effect, T2 the second, and T3 and T4 the poorest with no obvious therapeutic effect, demonstrating that the effective components of Gastrodiae Rhizoma should be compounds of high polarity. T1 achieved good therapeutic effects due to the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities, and by rectifying the disturbed energy and amino acid metabolism in CAG model. CONCLUSION: This integrated metabolomics approach proved the validity of the therapeutic effect of extract from different polar parts of Gastrodiae Rhizoma on autoimmune CAG, providing new insights into the underlying mechanisms, and demonstrating the feasibility of metabolomics to evaluate efficacy of herbal drug, which is often difficult by traditional means.

Rapid and low-cost quantitative detection of creatinine in human urine with a portable Raman spectrometer.

The creatinine concentration of human urine is closely related to human kidney health and its rapid, quantitative, and low-cost detection has always been demanded. Herein, a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) method for rapid and cost-effective quantification of creatinine concentrations in human urine was developed. A Au nanoparticle solution (Au sol) was used as a SERS substrate and the influence of different agglomerating salts on its sensitivity toward detecting creatinine concentrations was studied and optimized, as well as the effect of both the salt and Au sol concentrations. The variation in creatinine spectra over time on different substrates was also examined, demonstrating reproducible quantitative analysis of creatinine concentrations in solution. By adjusting the pH, a simple liquid-liquid solvent extraction procedure, which extracted creatinine from human urine, was used to increase the SERS detection selectivity toward creatinine in complex matrices. The quantitative results were compared to those obtained with a clinically validated enzymatic "creatinine kit (CK)." The limit of detection (LOD) for the SERS technique was 1.45 mg L-1, compared with 3.4 mg L-1 for the CK method. Furthermore, cross-comparing the results from the two methods, the average difference was 5.84% and the whole SERS detection process could be completed within 2 min compared with 11 min for the CK, indicating the practicality of the quantitative SERS technique. This novel quantitative technique shows promises as a high-throughput platform for relevant clinical and forensic analysis.

Prostate volume does not provide additional predictive value to prostate health index for prostate cancer or clinically significant prostate cancer: results from a multicenter study in China.

To evaluate whether prostate volume (PV) would provide additional predictive utility to the prostate health index (phi) for predicting prostate cancer (PCa) or clinically significant prostate cancer, we designed a prospective, observational multicenter study in two prostate biopsy cohorts. Cohort 1 included 595 patients from three medical centers from 2012 to 2013, and Cohort 2 included 1025 patients from four medical centers from 2013 to 2014. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the predictive performance of PV-based derivatives and models. Linear regression analysis showed that both total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) and free PSA (fPSA) were significantly correlated with PV (all P < 0.05). [-2]proPSA (p2PSA) was significantly correlated with PV in Cohort 2 (P< 0.001) but not in Cohort 1 (P= 0.309), while no significant association was observed between phi and PV. When combining phi with PV, phi density (PHID) and another phi derivative (PHIV, calculated as phi/PV0.5) did not outperform phi for predicting PCa or clinically significant PCa in either Cohort 1 or Cohort 2. Logistic regression analysis also showed that phi and PV were independent predictors for both PCa and clinically significant PCa (all P < 0.05); however, PV did not provide additional predictive value to phi when combining these derivatives in a regression model (all models vs phi were not statistically significant, all P > 0.05). In conclusion, PV-based derivatives (both PHIV and PHID) and models incorporating PV did not improve the predictive abilities of phi for either PCa or clinically significant PCa.

Present and Future of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

The discovery of the enhancement of Raman scattering by molecules adsorbed on nanostructured metal surfaces is a landmark in the history of spectroscopic and analytical techniques. Significant experimental and theoretical effort has been directed toward understanding the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect and demonstrating its potential in various types of ultrasensitive sensing applications in a wide variety of fields. In the 45 years since its discovery, SERS has blossomed into a rich area of research and technology, but additional efforts are still needed before it can be routinely used analytically and in commercial products. In this Review, prominent authors from around the world joined together to summarize the state of the art in understanding and using SERS and to predict what can be expected in the near future in terms of research, applications, and technological development. This Review is dedicated to SERS pioneer and our coauthor, the late Prof. Richard Van Duyne, whom we lost during the preparation of this article.

Patient and provider factors associated with enrolment in the pre-end-stage renal disease pay-for-performance programme in Taiwan: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence and prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Taiwan have been ranked the highest worldwide. Therefore, the National Health Insurance Administration has implemented the pre-ESRD pay-for-performance (P4P) programme since November 2006, which had significantly reduced the incidence of dialysis and all-cause mortality. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with the enrolment in the pre-ESRD P4P programme. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The National Health Insurance research database 2007-2012 in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with prevalent pre-ESRD aged more than 18 years between January 2007 and December 2012 were enrolled. Patient demographics and hospital characteristics between P4P and non-P4P groups were compared. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the factors associated with P4P enrolment, and a generalised estimating equation was used to verify the results. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Enrolment in the pre-ESRD P4P programme. RESULTS: In total, 82 991 patients were enrolled in the programme, with a 45.6% participation rate. Patients who were males (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.89, 95% CI=0.86 to 0.91) and employed (AOR=0.95, 95% CI=0.92 to 0.97) had a significantly lower probability to be enrolled in the programme. Older patients (66-75 years old, AOR=1.23, 95% CI=1.14 to 1.33) and those with higher Charlson Comorbidities Index (CCI 5+, AOR=4.01, 95% CI=3.55 to 4.53) tended to be enrolled in the programme, while those in the 76+ years age group were not (AOR=1.03, 95% CI=0.95 to 1.13). Hospitals located in the central (AOR=1.48, 95% CI=1.05 to 2.08) and Kao-Ping regions (AOR=1.62, 95% CI=1.18 to 2.22) also tended to enrol patients in the pre-ESRD P4P programme. Enrolment rates increased over time. CONCLUSION: Pre-ESRD patients of the female gender, greater age and more comorbidities were more likely to be enrolled in the pre-ESRD P4P programme. Healthcare providers and health authorities should focus attention on patients who are male, younger and with less comorbidities to improve the healthcare quality and equality for all pre-ESRD patients.

Effect of national pre-ESRD care program on expenditures and mortality in incident dialysis patients: A population-based study.

Inadequate care of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and may be associated with adverse outcomes after dialysis. The nationwide pre-end-stage renal disease pay for performance program (P4P) has been implemented in Taiwan to improve quality of CKD care. However, the effectiveness of the P4P program in improving the outcomes of pre-dialysis care and dialysis is uncertain. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study. Patients who newly underwent long-term dialysis (≥3 mo) between 2007 and 2009 were identified from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Based on the patient enrolment of the P4P program, they were categorized into P4P or non-P4P groups. We analysed pre-dialysis care, healthcare expenditures, and mortality between two groups. Among the 26 588 patients, 25.5% participated in the P4P program. The P4P group received significantly better quality of care, including a higher frequency of glomerular filtration rate measurement and CKD complications survey, a higher rate of vascular access preparation, and more frequent use of arteriovenous fistulas than the non-P4P group did. The P4P group had a 68.4% reduction of the 4-year total healthcare expenditure (excluding dialysis fee), which is equivalent to US$345.7 million, and a significant 22% reduction in three-year mortality after dialysis (hazard ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.75-0.82, P < 0.001) compared with the non-P4P group. P4P program improves quality of pre-dialysis CKD care, and provide survival benefit and a long-term cost saving for dialysis patients.

High-quality assembly of the reference genome for scarlet sage, Salvia splendens, an economically important ornamental plant.

Background: Salvia splendens Ker-Gawler, scarlet or tropical sage, is a tender herbaceous perennial widely introduced and seen in public gardens all over the world. With few molecular resources, breeding is still restricted to traditional phenotypic selection, and the genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic variation remain unknown. Hence, a high-quality reference genome will be very valuable for marker-assisted breeding, genome editing, and molecular genetics. Findings: We generated 66 Gb and 37 Gb of raw DNA sequences, respectively, from whole-genome sequencing of a largely homozygous scarlet sage inbred line using Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time and Illumina HiSeq sequencing platforms. The PacBio de novo assembly yielded a final genome with a scaffold N50 size of 3.12 Mb and a total length of 808 Mb. The repetitive sequences identified accounted for 57.52% of the genome sequence, and 54,008 protein-coding genes were predicted collectively with ab initio and homology-based gene prediction from the masked genome. The divergence time between S. splendens and Salvia miltiorrhiza was estimated at 28.21 million years ago (Mya). Moreover, 3,797 species-specific genes and 1,187 expanded gene families were identified for the scarlet sage genome. Conclusions: We provide the first genome sequence and gene annotation for the scarlet sage. The availability of these resources will be of great importance for further breeding strategies, genome editing, and comparative genomics among related species.

Estimate of Health Burden on Smoking-associated Oral Cancer in Shanghai and its Surrounding Areas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the temporal trend of inpatients with smoking-associated oral cancer in Shanghai and its surrounding areas and to forecast the public health burden in the next decade. METHODS: Data of inpatients with oral cancer were retrieved from Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital during a 15-year period. The annual numbers of inpatients were compared by Chi-test. The hospitalization expenditures were compared by Student's t test. The trend analysis and inpatient forecasting were performed by exponential smoothing, regression models, and the forecasting function in Excel software. The financial burden of smoking-associated oral cancer was calculated by polynomial equation. RESULTS: The annual number of inpatients with oral cancer increased during the study period. Most male patients were reported to have a smoking habit. Among the three estimation methods, polynomial regression model was most fitted to the existing data. By a conservative estimation, the public health burden of smoking-associated oral cancer patients will be 120 million RMB by the year 2026, not including the cost by prevalent patients and the patients' family members. CONCLUSION: Smoking-associated oral cancer will cost a lot of public resource in the next decade. Efforts should be made to lower the amount of tobacco consumption.

Critical Care Resources in Guangdong Province of China: Three Surveys from 2005 to 2015.

OBJECTIVES: Data about the critical care resources in China remain scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variation and distribution of critical care resources in Guangdong province from 2005 to 2015. DESIGN: Data in regard to critical care resources were collected through questionnaires and visits every 5 years from 2005. SETTING: All hospitals in Guangdong province were screened and hospitals that provide critical care services were enrolled. INTERVENTION: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: One hundred eleven, 158, and 284 hospitals that provide critical care services were enrolled in the three consecutive surveys respectively. The number of ICUs, ICU beds, intensivists, and nurses increased to 324, 3,956, 2,470, and 7,695, respectively, by 2015. Adjusted by population, the number of ICU beds per 100,000 (100,000) population increased by 147.7% from 2005 to 2015, and the number of intensivists and nurses per 100,000 population increased by 35.3% and 55.1% from 2011 to 2015. However, the numbers in the Pearl River Delta, a richer area, were higher than those in the non-Pearl River Delta area (ICU beds: 4.64 vs 2.58; intensivists: 2.90 vs 1.61; nurses: 9.30 vs 4.71 in 2015). In terms of staff training, only 17.85% of intensivists and 14.29% of nurses have completed a formal accredited critical care training program by 2015. CONCLUSIONS: Our study was the first one to investigate the trend and distribution of critical care resources in China. The quantity of ICU beds and staff has been increasing rapidly, but professional training for staff was inadequate. The distribution of critical care resources was unbalanced. Our study can be beneficial for healthcare policymaking and the allocation of critical care resources in Guangdong province and other provinces in China.

Economic evaluation of a pre-ESRD pay-for-performance programme in advanced chronic kidney disease patients.

BACKGROUND: The National Health Insurance Administration in Taiwan initiated a nationwide pre-end-stage renal disease (ESRD) pay-for-performance (P4P) programme at the end of 2006 to improve quality of care for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. This study aimed to examine this programme's effect on patients' clinical outcomes and its cost-effectiveness among advanced CKD patients. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal observational matched cohort study using two nationwide population-based datasets. The major outcomes of interests were incidence of dialysis, all-cause mortality, direct medical costs, life years (LYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio comparing matched P4P and non-P4P advanced CKD patients. Competing-risk analysis, general linear regression and bootstrapping statistical methods were used for the analysis. RESULTS: Subdistribution hazard ratio (95% confidence intervals) for advanced CKD patients enrolled in the P4P programme, compared with those who did not enrol, were 0.845 (0.779-0.916) for incidence of dialysis and 0.792 (0.673-0.932) for all-cause mortality. LYs for P4P and non-P4P patients who initiated dialysis were 2.83 and 2.74, respectively. The adjusted incremental CKD-related costs and other-cause-related costs were NT$114 704 (US$3823) and NT$32 420 (US$1080) for P4P and non-P4P patients who initiated dialysis, respectively, and NT$-3434 (US$114) and NT$45 836 (US$1572) for P4P and non-P4P patients who did not initiate dialysis, respectively, during the 3-year follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: P4P patients had lower risks of both incidence of dialysis initiation and death. In addition, our empirical findings suggest that the P4P pre-ESRD programme in Taiwan provided a long-term cost-effective use of resources and cost savings for advanced CKD patients.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Cluster of Differentiation 34 for Assessment of Perioperative Bleeding Risk in Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels to supply nutrients to tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34) are important signaling proteins involved in angiogenesis. Many studies have demonstrated that VEGF and CD34 are related to tumor progression. This study focused on the relationship between VEGF, CD34, and perioperative hemorrhage in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: To observe the relationship between VEGF and CD34, we tracked 112 patients with advanced gastric cancer for 5 years to assess factors related to hemorrhage, using immunohistochemistry. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using a 2 × 2 contingency table, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) test. RESULTS: The concentrations of VEGF and CD34 were critically correlated with perioperative hemorrhage and neural invasion in patients with gastric cancer (P < 0.05). Expression of VEGF and CD34 was related (P < 0.05, χ2 = 6.834). VEGF and CD34 co-expression strongly increased the risk of preoperative bleeding (area under the ROC curve >0.7, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Expression of VEGF and CD34 was critically correlated with perioperative hemorrhage in gastric cancer patients. Co-expression of VEGF and CD34 could be an effective indicator for evaluating the risk of perioperative bleeding in gastric cancer patients.

Application of LA-ICP-AES to Distinguish the Different Turquoise Mines.

Currently, the technological development of non-destructive analysis and micro-damage analysis of turquoise is fast. LA-ICP-AES, an almost non-destructive analysis, has multiple advantages. This paper attempts to use this analysis method to examine sample turquoise from five places of origin on Mount East Qinling, including ancient turquoise ore in Laziya, in order to attain its major element and microelement data. Then the paper uses PCA to analyze and study its chemical elements in a comparative way. Three main elements are gained through analysis, and their cumulative variance contribution rate has reached 84.96%. The former two main elements' variance contribution rate is 72.289%. Therefore, the corresponding elements, including V2O5, NiO, B2O3, SrO, BaO, CaO, ZrO, MnO2, are the featured chemical elements of turquoise from different places of origin. Through comparative analysis and research on corresponding chemical elements, turquoise samples produced by different ores vary in terms of the content of some chemical element and chemical components. Two analysis methods combined together will basically realize the appreciation of turquoise in various places of origin. In addition, the research indicates that some chemical contents have positive or negative correlations. Such correlations can be regarded as features of producing area, and can also provide clues as to the cause of formation of turquoise ore. This study preliminarily indicates that LA-ICP-AES combined with PCA and comparative analysis of chemical composition and content has the function of distinguishing turquoise produced in different places of origin to a certain extent.

[Risk Assessment of Snail Output Via the Mud Balls of Transplanted Seedlings in a Nursery Stock Park in Middle Region of Zhejiang Province].

Objective: To investigate the distribution of snails in a nursery stock park in the middle region of Zhejiang Province and assess the risk of snail output via the mud balls of transplanted seedlings, to provide scientific data for making strategies for snail control. Methods: We selected three species of seedlings including Osmanthus fragrans (a large tree), Camellia sasanqua (a small tree), and Purpus privet (a type of shrub) in a nursery stock park in a snail-positive middle region of Zhejiang Province during 2014-2016 to calculate the areas of regions with snails and the density of living snails. In 30 trees of each species, the distribution of snails within the seedlings ground diameter (radius of investigation, 100 cm for Osmanthus fragrans; 30 cm for Camellia Sasanqua and Purpus Privet) and in different soil layers (surface and superficial layers, 0-3 cm; deep layer, 3-10 cm) was assessed. In addition, the presence of snails in mud balls of 50 trees of Photinia fraseri (a small tree with high density of snails) was investigated to assess the risk of snail output. Results: In the planting areas of Osmanthus fragrans（3 930 m2）, Camellia sasanqua（2 000 m2）, and Purpus privet （1 700 m2）, the areas of snail-positive regions were 200, 900 and 800 m2, respectively, with the density of living snails being 0.08, 0.56 and 0.55/0.1 m2. For Osmanthus fragrans, Camellia sasanqua and Purpus privet, 238, 654 and 645 snails were detected respectively within their seedlings ground diameter, including 159（66.8%）, 461（70.5%） and 376 （58.3%） snails in the surface layer, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the superficial and deep layers（P＜0.01）. Snails were found in all the 50 trees of Photinia fraseri（3 726 snails, 706 adult snails and 3 020 immature snails, 75 snails/tree on average）. Conclusion: There is a high density of snails in the nursery stock park in the middle region of Zhejiang Province. The snails are distributed mainly in the surface layer, suggesting a risk of snail output through mud balls.

[Risk assessment and analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface sediments of Xinglin Bay Suburb Rivers of Xiamen].

The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), declared as carcinogens by USEPA, were measured in the sediment samples (n = 19) collected along Xinglin Bay rivers/canals present in Xiamen. PAHs were extracted using accelerated solvent extraction system and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The possible sources of PAHs and their health risk were investigated. Among selected PAHs, 13 PAHs were detected in the surface sediments. Total concentrations of PAHs in the surface sediments ranged from 413.00 to 2748.81 ng x g(-1), with a mean value of 949.56 ng x g(-1). The mean concentration of highly carcinogenic compounds such as benzo [k] fluoranthene (BkF) and benzo [g, h, i] perylene (BghiP) were 69.15 ng x g(-1) and 49.86 ng x g(-1), respectively and counted for 73.68% out of the total samples. The dominant PAH compounds were 2, 3 and 4 rings and counted for 61.03% and 23.53% , respectively; while 5-6 rings containing PAHs were accounted for 15.82%. According to the results, 68.42% of samples were moderately contaminated, while 31.58% were highly contaminated with PAHs. Based on the ratios of Ant/(Ant + Phe) and Fla/(Fla + Pyr), it cleared that PAHs in surface sediments were mainly derived from fossil fuel and combustion products. Principal component analysis results and sediment quality benchmarks (mSQG-Q) were used for risk assessment of these PAH contaminated sediments. The risk SQG-Q of 16 PAHs were less than 0.50. Comprehensive content, composition and SQG-Q showed that a certain degree of ecological risks of PAH pollution existed in the surface sediments, particularly in the sites close to Xinglin Industrial Zone (2, 3, 5 and 9) and Gangtou(13), which need further research work and proper attentions.

Assessment of immune cells and function of the residual spleen after subtotal splenectomy due to splenomegaly in cirrhotic patients.

BACKGROUND: The spleen is thought to be central in regulating the immune system, a metabolic asset involved in endocrine function. Overwhelming postsplenectomy infection leads to a mortality rate of up to 50%. However, there is still controversy on performing subtotal splenectomy as treatment of splenomegaly due to portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. In the present study, immunocytes and the indexes of splenic size, hemodynamics, hematology and immunology in the residual spleen were analyzed to support subtotal splenectomy due to splenomegaly. RESULTS: In residual spleen, T lymphocytes mainly were focal aggregation in the periarterial lymphatic sheath. While B lymphocytes densely distributed in splenic corpuscle. In red pulp, macrophages were equally distributed in the xsplenic cord and adhered to the wall of splenic sinus with high density. The number of unit area T and B lymphocytes of splenic corpuscle and marginal zone as well as macrophages of red pulp were obviously increased in the residual spleen, while the number of macrophages didn't be changed among the three groups in white pulp. While there were some beneficial changes (i.e., Counts of platelet and leucocyte as well as serum proportion of CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells were increased markedly; serum levels of M-CSF and GM-CSF were decreased significantly; The proportion of granulocyte, erythrocyte, megakaryocyte in bone marrow were changed obviously; But serum IgA, IgM, IgG, Tuftsin level, there was no significant difference; splenic artery flow volume, portal venous diameter and portal venous flow volume, a significant difference was observed in residual spleen) in the clinical indices. CONCLUSION: After subtotal splenectomy with splenomegaly due to portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients, the number of unit area T and B lymphocytes, and MØ in red pulp of residual spleen increased significantly. However, whether increase of T, B lymphocytes and MØs in residual splenic tissue can enhance the immune function of the spleen, still need further research to confirm.

[Surveillance and risk assessment system of schistosomiasis in Jiangsu Province. I. Distribution of surveillance site and effectiveness of the system].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the surveillance and risk assessment system of schistosomiasis in Jiangsu Province, so as to provide technical support for timely understanding of the risk of schistosomiasis transmission and implementation of targeted control measures. METHODS: The surveillance sites of schistosomiasis were assigned according to the epidemic status and endemic type of schistosomiasis as well as the characteristics of the water system, and the prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum in humans and domestic animals, and snail status were investigated. In addition, the quality control of serum detection of S. japonicum infections was performed. The prevalence of human and animal S. japonicum infections, snail status and missing diagnosis of serum detection were analyzed and compared among regions. RESULTS: A total of 27 surveillance sites of schistosomiasis were set up in 26 counties of 10 cities, Jiangsu Province, including 14 sites in transmission-interrupted villages and 13 sites in transmission-controlled villages, and 15 sites in marshland and lake regions, 9 sites in plain regions with water network and 3 sites in mountainous region. In the 27 surveillance sites, a total of 16 617 residents were screened for S. japonicum infection by using dipstick dye immunoassay (DDIA), and 326 were sero-positive, with a sero-prevalence of 1.96% (2.17% for men and 1.8% for women). Of the 326 individuals undergoing parasitological examination, 2 positive cases were detected in the marshland and lake region, with a S. japonicum human prevalence of 0.01%. Of the 762 floating population detected, 10 were positive for blood test, with a sero-prevalence of 1.31%, and no egg-positive individuals were detected. No infection was found in the 476 domestic animals. Of the 746 settings surveyed, a total of 240.7 hm2 snail area was detected, with a mean snail density of 0.06 snails/0.1 m2, and no infected snails were found. There were 780 quality-control sera detected in 26 surveillance sites of schistosomiasis, and the gross coincidence rate was 95.13%, with misdiagnosis rate of 1.28% and missing diagnosis rate of 19.23%. CONCLUSION: The surveillance sites of schistosomiasis show reasonable distribution in Jiangsu Province, and the endemic situation of schistosomiasis appears a low level in the whole province.