Combining LCA-MFA models to identify China's plastic value chain environmental impact mitigation pathways.

Characterizing material flows and environmental impacts of plastic value chain is crucial for sustainable plastic management. Here, we combine material flow analysis and life cycle assessment methods to map the flows of eight major plastics and investigate the multiple environmental impacts of China's plastic value chain. We find that packaging and textile sectors dominate plastic consumption and are responsible for the value chain environmental burdens, but with low recycling rates. Major environmental impacts are generated in plastic production and product manufacturing stages because of the consumption of coal-based feedstocks and electricity. We therefore set up six scenarios by considering carbon neutrality energy pathway, plastic recycling improvement, and technology updating, finding that the value chain environmental impact can be reduced by 14%-57% in 2060 under combined scenario. Particularly, carbon neutrality renewable energy pathway plays an important role. These findings provide valuable insights to identify key mitigation pathways for plastic value chain.

Machine learning based prediction for China's municipal solid waste under the shared socioeconomic pathways.

Reliable forecast of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation is crucial for sustainable and efficient waste management. Big data analysis is a novel method to forecast MSW more accurately. Thus, this study employs five kinds of supervised machine learning approaches including linear regression, polynomial regression, support vector machine, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) to examine their forecast performances. China's MSW generation from 2020 to 2060 under five shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) is further predicted and the mechanisms between MSW generation and socioeconomic features are explored. Results show that population and GDP are two dominant indicators in MSW prediction, and XGBoost model is proved to be effective in MSW forecast. MSW generation of China in 2060 is estimated to be 464-688 megatons under different SSPs scenarios, about four to six times of that in 2000. SSP3 that has the most population, least GDP and the highest climate change challenges is the only scenario showing a potential of MSW peak during the study period. The key for MSW increase is mainly the increase of per capita MSW caused by GDP. Finally, several policy recommendations are raised to reduce the overall MSW generation.

Mirt2 functions in synergy with miR-377 to participate in inflammatory pathophysiology of Sjögren's syndrome.

Background: The interaction of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs)-microRNAs (miRs) exerts crucial functions in mediating inflammatory reaction. It is still unclear whether myocardial infarction associated transcript 2 (Mirt2)-miR-377 mediates the inflammatory pathogenesis in Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Methods: The inflammatory lesion model was established by stimulating salivary gland epithelial cells (SGECs) by interferon gamma (IFN-γ). Mirt2- and/or miR-377-transfected SGECs, as well as their negative controls, were applied to investigate the biological functions in inflammation. Cell viability and apoptosis were examined using commercial kits. Western blot was applied to quantify protein level, and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) was used to value the secretion of cytokines. Results: The up-regulation of Mirt2 was observed in IFN-γ-treated SGECs. Mirt2 overexpression restored the expression of miR-377 which was repressed by IFN-γ. However, miR-377 silence abolished the protective effect on cell viability, inhibitory effect on apoptosis and prohibitive role in pro-inflammatory factors. Mirt2 diminished the phosphorylated expression of crucial regulators while miR-377 silence restored the phosphorylation in IFN-γ-treated SGECs. Conclusion: Mirt2 was elevated in IFN-γ-treated SGECs and then up-regulated miR-377 in response to inflammatory lesions. Mechanically, in synergy with miR-377 Mirt2 blocked IFN-γ-evoked activation of NF-κB and JAK/STAT signalling pathway.

Single nanoparticle detection using a photonic nanojet.

A novel method of detecting single nanoparticles (NPs) in a microfluidic channel directly using a photonic nanojet (PNJ) was investigated. The theoretical model comprised a plane wave-illuminated, liquid-filled hollow-microcylinder (LFHM) and a single Au NP. Relevant studies were implemented and demonstrated with a finite element method (FEM)-based numerical simulation and explained physically through a ray-optics theoretical analysis with the assistance of energy flow line shifts. When depicting the optical-field distribution by gradually altered contour lines for LFHMs with or without a single Au NP, the outward distances of the specific points on the right end of each contour line, for a LFHM with a single Au NP relative to a LFHM without a NP, increased exponentially with decreasing contour levels. By dividing the contour levels into ten levels, the detectable NP of size of a few nanometers can be reflected through the outward distance of the contour points. The key parameters of the PNJ (the maximum light intensity, decay length and lateral beam waist), combined with the electric field distribution and focal point offset, can provide information on NP location. This work showed the PNJ itself to be a powerful and promising tool for the detection and identification of single NPs.

Serum creatinine level and ESR values associated to clinical pathology types and prognosis of patients with renal injury caused by ANCA-associated vasculitis.

The correlation between serum creatinine and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values and clinical pathology and prognosis in patients with renal injury caused by anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis were analyzed. Eighty-six patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled in the study. Patients were assigned into an elderly group (n=45) or a non-elderly group (n=41) according to age. The serum creatinine (Scr) level was measured via the sarcosine oxidase method, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was measured using the full-automatic ESR analyzer; the relationship between Scr and ESR values and the pathology type of patients was statistically analyzed. The mean levels of Scr and ESR in the 86 patients were 406.87±12.37 µmol/l and 83.83±7.64 mm/1 h, respectively. Importantly, the levels of Scr and the ESR in the elderly group were significantly higher than those in the non-elderly group (P<0.05). In addition, patients with high levels of Scr and accelerated ESR presented mainly the crescentic and sclerotic pathological types, while in the same patients the numbers of focal and mixed types were lower (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the survival rate in the elderly group was significantly lower than that in the non-elderly group, and likewise patients with high levels of Scr and accelerated ESR had significantly lower survival rates than those with low levels of Scr and normal ESR (P<0.05). The AUC of the Scr level was 0.901, the sensitivity 90.2%, the specificity 89.5% and the cut-off value was 392.5 µmol/l; while the AUC of the ESR level was 0.864, the sensitivity 89.2%, the specificity 88.5% and the cut-off value 72.8 mm/1 h. Logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of Scr (OR=2.315, P<0.01) and ESR (OR=1.847, P<0.01) were independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients. Based on our findings, the seric Scr level and the ESR are closely related to the clinicopathological features of the disease in patients with renal injury caused by ANCA-associated vasculitis, and they can be used as prognosis and treatment evaluation markers.

Overstepping the upper refractive index limit to form ultra-narrow photonic nanojets.

In general, photonic nanojets (PNJs) occur only when the refractive index (Ri) difference between the microparticle and background media is less than 2. The minimum full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the PNJ is ~130 nm (approximately one-third of the illumination wavelength λ = 400 nm) formed within the evanescent field region. This paper proposes and studies a method to overstep the Ri upper bound and generate ultra-narrow PNJs. Finite element method based numerical investigations and ray-optics theoretical analyses have realized ultra-narrow PNJs with FWHM as small as 114.7 nm (0.287 λ) obtained from an edge-cut, length-reduced and parabolic-profiled microparticle with Ri = 2.5 beyond evanescent decay length. Using simple strain or compression operations, sub-diffraction-limited PNJs can be flexibly tuned on the order of several wavelengths. Such ultra-narrow PNJs offer great prospects for optical nonlinearity enhancements of greater enhancing effect, optical nanoscopy of higher spatial resolution, optical microprobes of smaller measurement accuracy, nano/micro-sized sample detections of higher sensing sensitivity, nanoscale objects of more accurate control, advanced manufactures of smaller processing size, optical-disk storage of larger data capacity and all-optical switching of lower energy consumption.

MiR-130a protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced glomerular cell injury by upregulation of Klotho.

AIMS: Lupus nephritis is a frequent and serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Therefore, better understanding regarding the underlying mechanism of renal tubular injury induced by SLE, is beneficial to develop different therapeutic strategies for lupus nephritis. The study aimed to investigate the role of miR-130a against lipopolysaccharide-induced glomerular cell injury. METHODS: HK-2 cells (human renal proximal tubule cells) were used for detecting miR-130a levels. Cells were divided into scramble, miR-130 mimic, siNC, si-miR-130a and si-Klotho groups apoptosis and CCK-8 assays were performed to investigate the cell apoptosis and proliferation rates. qRT-PCR, ELISA, and western blotting were performed to detect the proteins and their expressions. RESULTS: LPS induced inflammatory injury in HK-2 cells by inducing cell apoptosis (P < 0.01) and by expressing the inflammatory factors such as IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in HK-2 cells. LPS increased the expression of miR-130a compared to control group of cells (P < 0.01). miR-130a was highly expressed in HK-2 cells (P < 0.001). Overexpression of miR-130a reversed LPS-induced apoptosis (P < 0.05), increased expression of inflammatory mediators and decreased cell viability (P < 0.05), and miR-130a knockdown in HK-2 cells revealed to just the opposite effects upon treatment with LPS. Western blotting results showed that overexpression of miR-130a promoted the expression of Klotho and activated the PI3K/AKT pathway but inhibited Wnt and NF-κB pathways. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that miR-130a promoted PI3K/AKT pathway but inhibited Wnt and NF-κB pathways through upregulation of Klotho. Furthermore, miR-130a protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced glomerular cell injury by upregulating Klotho expression.

Adult Common Variable Immunodeficiency.

BACKGROUND: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia, defective antibody production and recurrent upper and lower respiratory tract infections. The diagnosis in adult patients is often thought to be rare, and thus misdiagnosis often occurs. A limited number of cases of adult-onset CVID have been reported in China, and the features of the syndrome remain unclear. The objective of this study was to describe the main characteristics of CVID, and evaluate the treatment of adult patients who present with CVID. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 8 patients with CVID from different departments in 1 center in China. Patients were diagnosed according to the diagnostic criteria of the European Society for Immunodeficiency Diseases. Demographics, clinical and immunological data from each patient were collected and a statistical analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 43 ± 13.7 years, whereas the mean duration of diagnostic delay was 10.5 years. The median total serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA and IgM at diagnosis were 2.5 ± 0.59, 0.23 ± 0.05 and 0.17 ± 0.05g/L, respectively. A total of 7 patients also had a low CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio. All patients presented with recurrent respiratory infections. Regular infusions of intravenous immunoglobulin every 3 weeks substantially reduced pneumonic episodes. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis is often delayed in adult CVID. Pulmonary infections and diseases were the most frequent presentations at onset of the disease. Regular intravenous immunoglobulin infusions were beneficial in controlling recurrent infections.

Polymorphisms of the IL27 gene in a Chinese Han population complicated with pre-eclampsia.

IL-27 could inhibit the development of Th17 cells, and the Th17/regulatory T-cell imbalance may reverse maternal tolerance in pre-eclampsia (PE). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between genetic polymorphisms in IL27 with PE. Three SNPs in IL27 (rs153109, rs17855750, and rs181206) were genotyped in a Chinese Han cohort of 1040 PE patients and 1247 normal pregnant women using the TaqMan allelic discrimination real-time PCR method. The CC genotypic distribution of rs153109 was significantly higher among cases than controls (19.1% versus 13.3%, odds ratio [OR]: 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-1.93, p < 0.001), and the CT genotype was found to be significantly lower in cases than controls (41.7% versus 49.0%, OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.63-0.88, p < 0.001), disputing existing reports indicating the allele frequency of rs153109 is not significantly different between PE patients and controls. Additionally, the CC genotype of rs153109 was significantly more prevalent in PE cases than controls using a recessive model (p < 0.001). The allelic and genotypic frequencies of rs17855750 and rs181206 were not significantly different between two groups. Our results reveal that IL27 polymorphisms may be involved in the development of PE in Chinese Han population.

Construction and identification of an RNA interference lentiviral vector targeting the mouse TNF-α gene.

The aim of this study was to construct RNA interference (RNAi) lentiviral vector particles targeting the mouse tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene. Three types of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the mouse TNF-α gene were designed, synthesized and transfected into RAW264.7 cells. Screening was performed to identify the siRNA sequence exhibiting the highest inhibition efficiency; based on this, recombinant lentiviral plasmids were constructed and co-transfected into 293T cells with packaging plasmids for the production of lentiviral particles. The screening results showed that the TNF-α mRNA expression levels of the three siRNA groups were significantly lower than those of the negative control group, with the highest inhibition rate in the siRNA2 group (83.09%). Similarly, the expression levels of TNF-α protein in the three siRNA groups were significantly lower than those of the negative control group, and the highest inhibition rate was found in the siRNA2 group (51.16%). The mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 showed no significant difference among the siRNA groups and the negative control. The recombinant lentiviral shuttle plasmid was constructed, and electrophoresis revealed the polymerase chain reaction product to be 343 bp, while that of the empty vector was 306 bp; DNA sequencing showed partial insertion. The virus titer was calculated to be 2×106 TU/µl. In conclusion, RNAi lentiviral vector particles targeting the mouse TNF-α gene were successfully obtained in the present study. This method may be used to produce lentiviral vector for the in vivo study of RNAi gene therapy targeting TNF-α.

Role of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-γ in pathogenesis of central nervous system neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematous.

We discussed the role of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-γ in the pathogenesis of central nervous system neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematous (CNS-NPSLE). Serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from CNS-NPSLE patients, non-CNS SLE patients, patients with intracranial infection and normal subjects. Levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-γ in serum and cerebrospinal fluid were detected by ELISA, and the results were compared across the groups. All subjects received cerebral MRI. The risk threshold for each cytokine in CNS-NPSLE group was set as 2.5%. The positive rates of cytokines for different lesions in cerebral MRI findings in CNS-NPSLE group were compared. The correlations between cytokine levels and cerebral MRI findings were analyzed. All groups did not show significant differences in age and gender (F=1.34, P>0.05; x (2)=2.05, P>0.05); The IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-γ levels of serum and cerebrospinal fluid in CNS-NPSLE group were obviously higher than those of the normal control (serum Z14 =6.22, 6.04, 6.22, 5.70; cerebrospinal fluid Z14 =6.38, 7.10, 6.97, 6.34, P<0.0083); IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 levels of cerebrospinal fluid of CNS-NPSLE group were higher than those of the non-CNS SLE group (Z12 =2.73, Z12 =3.18, Z12 =3.86; P<0.0083); IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-γ levels of cerebrospinal fluid of CNS-NPSLE group were higher than those of the serum (Z=3.19, 6.30, 5.44, 3.19, P<0.05); IL-6>20.0679 pg/ml and IL-8>87.1811 pg/ml in the cerebrospinal fluid predicted a higher risk of CNS-NPSLE (x (2)=11.98, P<0.05; x (2)=4.65, P<0.05); The positive rates of IL-1ß and IL-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid of CNS-NPSLE patients with demyelinating diseases were considerably higher than those of CNS-NPSLE patients with normal MRI findings (x (2)=10.89, P<0.005; x (2)=18.47, P<0.005). The positive rates of IL-6 and IFN-γ in the cerebrospinal fluid of CNS-NPSLE patients presenting with multiple ischemic foci were significantly higher than those with normal MRI findings (x (2)=5.56, P<0.005; x (2)=14.59, P<0.005). Some cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of CNS-NPSLE and correlated with cerebral MRI findings in CNS-NPSLE.