Emerging activated tungsten dust: Source, environmental behaviors, and health effects.

Fusion energy investigation has stepped to a new stage adopting deuterium and tritium as fuels from the previous stage concentrating hydrogen plasma physics. Special radiation safety issues would be introduced during this stage. In addition to industrial and military uses, tungsten is also regarded as the most promising plasma facing material for fusion reactors. During the operation of fusion reactors, tungsten-based plasma facing materials can be activated via neutron nuclear reaction. Meanwhile, activated tungsten dust can be produced when high-energy plasma interacts with the tungsten-based plasma facing materials, namely plasma wall interaction. Activated tungsten dust would be an emerging environmental pollutant with radiation toxicity containing various radionuclides in addition to the chemical toxicity of tungsten itself. Nonetheless, the historical underestimation of its environmental availability has led to limited research on tungsten compared to other environmental contaminants. This paper presents the first systematic review on the safety issue of emerging activated tungsten dust, encompassing source terms, environmental behaviors, and health effects. The key contents are as follows: 1) to detail the source terms of activated tungsten dust from aspects of tungsten basic properties, generation mechanism, physical morphology and chemical component, radioactivity, as well as potential release pathways, 2) to illustrate the environmental behaviors from aspects of atmospheric dispersion and deposition, transformation and migration in soil, as well as plant absorption and distribution, 3) to identify the toxicity and health effects from aspects of toxicity to plants, distribution in human body, as well as health effects by radiation and chemical toxicity, 4) based on the research progress, research and development issues needed are also pointed out to better knowledge of safety issue of activated tungsten dust, which would be beneficial to the area of fusion energy and ecological impact caused by the routine tungsten related industrial and military applications.

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Metabolic Characteristics of Metabolically Healthy Obesity in Patients Seeking Bariatric Surgery: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for morbid obesity. However, a subset of individuals seeking bariatric surgery may exhibit a metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) phenotype, suggesting that they may not experience metabolic complications despite being overweight. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and metabolic features of MHO in a population undergoing bariatric surgery. METHODS: A representative sample of 665 participants aged 14 or older who underwent bariatric surgery at our center from January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2020 was included in this cohort study. MHO was defined based on specific criteria, including blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, and absence of diabetes. RESULTS: Among the 665 participants, 80 individuals (12.0%) met the criteria for MHO. Female gender (P = .021) and younger age (P < .001) were associated with a higher likelihood of MHO. Smaller weight and BMI were observed in individuals with MHO. However, a considerable proportion of those with MHO exhibited other metabolic abnormalities, such as fatty liver (68.6%), hyperuricemia (55.3%), elevated lipid levels (58.7%), and abnormal lipoprotein levels (88%). CONCLUSION: Approximately 1 in 8 individuals referred for bariatric surgery displayed the phenotype of MHO. Despite being metabolically healthy based on certain criteria, a significant proportion of individuals with MHO still exhibited metabolic abnormalities, such as fatty liver, hyperuricemia, elevated lipid levels, and abnormal lipoprotein levels, highlighting the importance of thorough metabolic evaluation in this population.

An integrated high-flux cold atomic beam source for strontium.

We present the design, construction, and characterization of an integrated cold atomic beam source for strontium (Sr), which is based on a compact Zeeman slower for slowing the thermal atomic beam and an atomic deflector for selecting the cold flux. By adopting arrays of permanent magnets to produce the magnetic fields of the slower and the deflector, we effectively reduce the system size and power compared to traditional systems with magnetic coils. After the slower cooling, one can employ additional transverse cooling in the radial direction and improve the atom collimation. The atomic deflectors employ two stages of two-dimensional magnetic-optical trapping (MOT) to deflect the cold flux, whose atomic speed is lower than 50 m/s, by 20° from the thermal atomic beam. We characterize the cold atomic beam flux of the source by measuring the loading rate of a three-dimensional MOT. The loading rates reach up to 109 atoms/s. The setup is compact, highly tunable, lightweight, and requires low electrical power, which addresses the challenge of reducing the complexity of building optical atomic clocks and quantum simulation devices based on Sr.

Celastrol alleviated acute kidney injury by inhibition of ferroptosis through Nrf2/GPX4 pathway.

Ferroptosis is an important pathological process in acute kidney injury (AKI) which could lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). As an active ingredient of Chinese medicine Tripterygium wilfordii, celastrol has been reported to alleviate inflammation and preclinical studies have confirmed its anticancer effect. In the present study, we investigated the renal protective effects of celastrol against cisplatin induced AKI. Mice were administrated cisplatin by intraperitoneal injection and we found that celastrol reduced serum levels of BUN and creatinine, inhibited renal dysfunction, inflammation and oxidative stress. In addition, renal iron accumulation and ferroptosis were significantly reduced by celastrol treatment. Further mechanistic analyses suggested that Nrf2 is essential for celastrol upregulated GPX4 to alleviate ferroptosis and reduction of LDH release, intracellular iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. These findings expand the potential uses of celastrol for treatment of various kinds of AKI associated with ferroptosis.

Improved Gaussian plume model for atmospheric dispersion considering buoyancy and gravitational deposition: The case of multi-form tritium.

Various types of radionuclides have different atmospheric dispersion characteristics, such as buoyancy and gravitational deposition phenomenon of light gas and heavy particles, respectively. Gaussian plume model was widely used to describe atmospheric dispersion behaviors of radioactive effluents, particularly for the purpose of engineering environmental impact assessment or nuclear emergency support. Nonetheless, buoyancy and gravitational deposition were rarely reported in previous work for tritium in particular, which might cause a deviation in evaluating near-surface concentration distribution and radiation dose to the public. Based on the multi-form tritium case, we made a quantitative description for the buoyancy and gravitational deposition phenomenon and discussed the feasibility of developing an improved Gaussian plume model to predict near-surface concentration distribution. Firstly, tritium concentration distribution near to the surface was predicted by using computational fluid dynamics method (CFD) and standard Gaussian plume model to reach consistency without consideration of buoyancy and gravitational deposition effects. Secondly, effects of buoyancy and gravitational deposition were identified by species transport model for gaseous tritium and discrete phase model for droplet tritium with integrating the buoyancy force caused by density variation of gaseous tritium and gravitational force of droplet tritium with enough size. Thirdly, buoyancy and gravitational deposition correction factors were obtained to modify the standard Gaussian plume model. Lastly, predictive results by improved Gaussian plume model were compared with CFD method. It was proved the improved correction method enables higher accuracy in predicting the atmospheric concentration distribution of gaseous pollutants with density variation or particles with gravitational deposition properties.

Sustained remission of type 2 diabetes in rodents by centrally administered fibroblast growth factor 4.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major health and economic burden worldwide. Despite the availability of multiple drugs for short-term management, sustained remission of T2D is currently not achievable pharmacologically. Intracerebroventricular administration of fibroblast growth factor 1 (icvFGF1) induces sustained remission in T2D rodents, propelling intense research efforts to understand its mechanism of action. Whether other FGFs possess similar therapeutic benefits is currently unknown. Here, we show that icvFGF4 also elicits a sustained antidiabetic effect in both male db/db mice and diet-induced obese mice by activating FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) expressed in glucose-sensing neurons within the mediobasal hypothalamus. Specifically, FGF4 excites glucose-excited (GE) neurons while inhibiting glucose-inhibited (GI) neurons. Moreover, icvFGF4 restores the percentage of GI neurons in db/db mice. Importantly, intranasal delivery of FGF4 alleviates hyperglycemia in db/db mice, paving the way for non-invasive therapy. We conclude that icvFGF4 holds significant therapeutic potential for achieving sustained remission of T2D.

Contrasting effects of different light regimes on the photoreactivities of allochthonous and autochthonous chromophoric dissolved organic matter.

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) plays an important role in ultraviolet (UV) light absorption in the ocean. CDOM is known to originate from either an allochthonous or autochthonous source and has varying compositions and levels of reactivity; however, the effects of individual radiation treatments and the combined effects of UVA and UVB on allochthonous and autochthonous CDOM remain poorly understood. Thus, here, we measured changes in the common optical properties of CDOM collected from China's marginal seas and the Northwest Pacific, using full-spectrum, UVA (315-400 nm), and UVB (280-315 nm) irradiation to induce photodegradation over the same time period (60 h). Excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) identified four components: marine humic-like C1, terrestrial humic-like C2, soil fulvic-like C3, and tryptophan-like C4. Although the behaviours of these components during full-spectrum irradiation exhibited similar decreasing tendencies, three components (C1, C3, and C4) underwent direct photodegradation under UVB exposure, whereas C2 was more susceptible to UVA degradation. The diverse photoreactivities of the source-dependent components to different light treatments led to differing photochemical behaviours of other optical indices [aCDOM(355), aCDOM(254), SR, HIX, and BIX]. The results indicate that irradiation preferentially reduced the high humification degree or humic substance content of allochthonous DOM, and promoted the transformation from the allochthonous humic DOM components to recently produced components. Although values for the samples from different sources overlapped frequently, principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the overall optical signatures could be linked to the original CDOM source features. The degradation of CDOM humification, aromaticity, molecular weight, and autochthonous fractions under exposure can drive the CDOM biogeochemical cycle in marine environments. These findings can aid in a better understanding of the effects of different combinations of light treatments and CDOM characteristics on CDOM photochemical processes.

Molecular characterization, structural and expression analysis of twelve CXC chemokines and eight CXC chemokine receptors in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).

The chemokine-receptor system plays important roles in the leukocyte trafficking, inflammation, immune cell differentiation, cancer and other biological processes. In the present study, the sequence features, structures and expression patterns of twelve CXC chemokine ligands (CXCL8a.1, CXCL8a.2, CXCL8b.1, CXCL8b.2, CXCL12a, CXCL12b, CXCL13.1, CXCL13.2, CXCL14, CXCL18a, CXCL18b and CXCL19) and eight CXC chemokine receptors (CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCR3.1, CXCR3.2, CXCR3.3, CXCR4a, CXCR4b and CXCR5) of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were analyzed. All the CXCLs and CXCRs of largemouth bass shared high sequence identities with their teleost counterparts and possessed conserved motifs and structures of CXCLs and CXCRs family. Realtime qPCR revealed that these CXCLs and CXCRs were ubiquitously expressed in all examined tissues, with high expression levels in the immune-related tissues (spleen, head kidney, and gill). Following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) stimulations, most of these CXCLs and CXCRs were significantly up-regulated in spleen. In addition, the potential interacted molecules of these CXCLs and CXCRs were analyzed by protein-protein interaction network analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that in detail analyzes the CXCLs and CXCRs of largemouth bass. Our results provide valuable basis for study the function and mechanism of chemokine-receptor system in largemouth bass.

Long-term weight loss outcome of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass predicted by weight loss at 6 months in Chinese patients with BMI ≥ 32.5 kg/m2.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is classic bariatric procedure with long-term safety and efficacy. However, no studies have focused on predicting long-term weight loss after LRYGB in Chinese patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 32.5 kg/m2. To explore the relationship between initial and long-term weight loss after LRYGB in patients with BMI ≥ 32.5 kg/m2. All patients were followed-up to evaluate BMI, percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL), and comorbidities. Linear and logistic regression were performed to assess the relationship between initial and long-term weight loss. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine optimal cutoff value. We enrolled 104 patients. The median preoperative BMI was 41.44 (37.92-47.53) kg/m2. %EWL ≥ 50% at 5 years was considered as successful weight loss, and 75.00% of the patients successfully lost weight. The cure rates of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus at 1 year were 84.38%, 33.93%, and 60.82%, respectively. %EWL at 6 months and 5 years were positively correlated and its relationship could be described by following linear equation: %EWL5 years = 43.934 + 0.356 × %EWL6 months (P < .001; r2 = 0.166). The best cutoff %EWL at 6 months after LRYGB to predict 5-year successful weight loss was 63.93% (sensitivity, 53.85%; specificity, 84.62%; area under the curve (AUC) = 0.671). In Chinese patients with BMI ≥ 32.5 kg/m2, %EWL at 6 months and 5 years were positively correlated and %EWL at 5 years could be calculated by following linear equation: %EWL5 years = 43.934 + 0.356 × %EWL6 months.

rFGF4 alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious and common clinical disease. Despite significant progress in ALI treatment, the morbidity and mortality rates remain high. However, no effective drug has been discovered for ALI. FGF4, a member of the FGF family, plays an important role in the regulation of various physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to study the protective effects of FGF4 against LPS-induced lung injury in vivo and in vitro. We found that rFGF4 treatment improved the lung W/D weight ratio, the survival rate, immune cell infiltration and protein concentrations in mice with LPS-induced ALI. Histological analysis revealed that rFGF4 significantly attenuated lung tissue injury and cell apoptosis. Furthermore, rFGF4 inhibited the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in LPS-injured lung tissues, murine alveolar macrophages (MH-S) and murine pulmonary epithelial (MLE-12) cells. The results of cell experiments further verified that rFGF4 inhibited the production of inflammatory mediators in MH-S cells and MLE-12 cells by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. These results revealed that rFGF4 protected lung tissues and inhibited inflammatory mediators in mice with LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in MH-S and MLE-12 cells.

Transcriptome analysis of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) challenged with LPS and polyI:C.

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a worldwide commercially important aquatic species. In recent years, pathogenic diseases cause great economic losses and hinder the industry of largemouth bass. To further understand the immune response against pathogens in largemouth bass, splenic transcriptome libraries of largemouth bass were respectively constructed at 12 h post-challenged with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (polyI:C) by using RNA sequencing technology (RNA-seq). RNA libraries were constructed using 9 RNA splenic samples isolated from three biological replicates of the three groups and sequenced on the DNBSEQ platform. A total number of 86,306 unigenes were obtained. Through pairwise comparisons among the three groups, we identified 11,295 different expression genes (DEGs) exhibiting significant differences at the transcript level. There were 7, 7, and 13 signal pathways were significantly enriched in LPS-PBS comparison, polyI:C-PBS comparison, and LPS-polyI:C comparison, respectively, indicating that the immune response to different pathogens was distinct in largemouth bass. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the immune response of largemouth bass against different pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) stimuli using transcriptomic analysis. Our results provide a valuable resource and new insights to understanding the immune characteristics of largemouth bass against different pathogens.

Insights into near-surface distribution characteristics of multi-form tritium with consideration of atmospheric buoyancy and gravitational deposition.

Tritium contributes majority to the total airborne radioactive effluents from the nuclear facility because of its considerable production and difficulty in separation. Tritium inventory in the fusion reactor would reach an unprecedented magnitude which brings new safety concern. After being released into the atmosphere, inconsistent atmospheric dispersion behaviors might appear regarding different physicochemical forms such as gaseous state HT, gaseous-aerosol-droplet state HTO. In this study, atmospheric dispersion characteristics of multi-form tritium were investigated based on the computational fluid dynamics method validated by multi-fan type wind tunnel experiments. Species transport model and discrete phase model were used to describe atmospheric dispersion of gaseous and aerosol-droplet state tritium, respectively. Deposition velocity was predicted for gaseous and aerosol-droplet state tritium with different particle sizes. Conditions for describing the changes of particle diameter and its influencing on near-surface tritium distribution due to condensation were provided. The results show that buoyancy effect would strengthen along with the increasing gaseous tritium mass fraction in the airborne effluents. We also indicated that obvious gravitational deposition would appear once gaseous HTO was transformed into droplet state HTO with the particle diameter larger than 20 µm. Both the atmospheric buoyancy and deposition phenomenon would result in a quite different near-surface tritium distribution.

Combination of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Preoperative Body Mass Index to Predict Weight Loss After Laproscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in Chinese Patients with Body Mass Index ≥ 32.5 kg/m2.

BACKGROUND: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with obesity predict laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS) for weight loss with good efficiency. However, prediction of weight loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy using SNPs has not been well investigated. OBJECTIVES: To predict weight loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy using obesity-related SNPs and clinical variants in Chinese patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 32.5 kg/m2. METHODS: We detected 29 SNPs. Binary logistic regression was used to screen SNPs and clinical variables with predictive value. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for clinical variables, SNPs, and their combination, and areas under the ROC curve (AUC) were compared. Internal and external validation tests were performed. RESULTS: rs12535708, rs651821, and rs5082 were constructed as the genetic risk score (GRS). Preoperative BMI was constructed as the clinical risk score (CRS). Preoperative BMI and SNPs were constructed as the cumulative genetic risk score (CGRS). ROC curves of GRS, CRS, and CGRS showed that the optimal cutoffs were 0.831 (AUC = 0.840; sensitivity, 92.96%; specificity, 64.29%), 43.46 kg/m2 (AUC = 0.830; sensitivity, 76.06%; specificity, 85.71%), and 0.921 (AUC = 0.931; sensitivity, 77.46%; specificity, 92.86%), respectively. The AUC of CGRS was significantly greater than that of CRS (P < 0.05) and greater than GRS without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: In Chinese patients with BMI ≥ 32.5 kg/m2, GRS and CRS could predict weight loss success. However, CGRS was superior to GRS or CRS alone.

Long-Term Weight Loss Outcome of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Predicted by the Percentage of Excess Weight Loss at 6 Months in Chinese Patients with Body Mass Index ≥ 32.5 Kg/m2.

Purpose: To evaluate the predictive effect of the initial weight loss on the long-term weight loss in Chinese patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 32.5 kg/m2 who underwent LSG. Patients and Methods: The follow-up was completed via phone or WeChat for outpatients and at the hospital for inpatients. We evaluated the BMI, percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL), and type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia statuses. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed on the relationship between the initial and long-term weight loss. The optimal cut-off value was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: We enrolled 307 patients, with a median preoperative BMI of 39.68 (35.68, 45.47) kg/m2. %EWL ≥ 50% was regarded as successful weight loss, and 76.55% of the patients lost their weight successfully. (Reviewer #1, comment #4) %EWL at 6 months and 5 years were positively correlated (P < 0.001). Further, the following linear equation could express the relationship: (%EWL5 years = 29.193 + 0.526 × %EWL6 months). %EWL ≥ 58.57% at 6 months was the best predictor of successful weight loss at 5 years after LSG (Reviewer #1, comment #5) (sensitivity, 73.62%; specificity, 73.61%; AUC value, 0.780). Internal verification of the prediction model revealed satisfactory results in terms of discrimination and calibration. Conclusion: In Chinese patients with BMI ≥ 32.5 kg/m2 who underwent LSG, %EWL at 6 months and 5 years were correlated. %EWL ≥ 58.57% at 6 months was a predictor of successful long-term weight loss.

Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Haikou Bay and Adjacent Seas.

Heavy metal contamination in coastal waters may pose a serious threat to aquatic products and human health. This study aimed to gain a better understanding of the pollution-induced by heavy metals in Haikou Bay and adjacent seas and assessed the potential ecological risk. The spatial distributions of heavy metals including Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, and As were analyzed in the surface and bottom water, surface sediment, and five species of fish collected from Haikou Bay and adjacent seas. For seawater, the results showed that the horizontal distribution of the seven heavy metal elements in the study area had no uniform pattern due to the influence of complex factors, such as land-based runoff, port shipping, and ocean current movement. In contrast, the vertical distribution of these heavy metal elements, except for Zn and Cd, showed high concentrations in the surface water and low concentrations in the bottom water. Due to the symbiotic relationship between Zn and Cd, the distributions of these two elements were similar in the study areas. Different from the complex distribution of heavy metals in water, the highest concentrations of these elements in surface sediment all occurred at station 11 except for Pb. Our study revealed that organic carbon and sulfide are important factors affecting the heavy metal concentrations in the surface sediments. Heavy metals in waters and surface sediment were lower than the quality standard of class I according to the China National Standard for Seawater Quality and the sediment quality, except for Zn in water, suggesting that the seawater and surface sediment in Haikou Bay and adjacent seas has not been polluted by heavy metals. Additionally, the heavy metal As was the main element affecting the quality of fish in this study area, and attention should be paid in the future. The target hazard quotient (THQ) values of seven heavy metal elements in fish were all lower than 1.0, indicating that eating fish in this area will not pose a risk to human health. These results provide valuable information for further understanding the status of heavy metal pollution in Haikou Bay and adjacent seas and the development of targeted conversation measures for the environment and fish consumers.

Transmission reconstruction algorithm by combining maximum-likelihood expectation maximization and a convolutional neural network for radioactive drum characterization.

One of the most critical factors that affect reconstructions of the activity of a radioactive drum is the accuracy of tomographic gamma scanning transmission reconstruction. The traditional algorithms applied for reconstructing the density map, such as maximum-likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM), algebraic reconstruction technique, or filtered back-projection, produce a grid distribution with severe grid artifacts and a high level of noise, which significantly degrade the detail of the transmission image, thereby increasing the reconstruction error for both the density map and the activity. Thus, we propose a novel algorithm for transmission reconstruction by combining MLEM and a deep convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN is trained using a supervised learning approach with image pairs obtained from the drum's ground truth (target) and the result constructed using MLEM (input). Our experimental results indicate that the proposed reconstruction algorithm can significantly improve the spatial resolution while also removing grid artifacts. In addition, the algorithm is sufficiently robust when dealing with a noisy input image. When the input image contained 20% noise, the mean squared error of the output image decreased by 78.51% compared with the conventional reconstruction method, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio and structural similarity index measure for the output image improved by 81.19% and 71.74%, respectively. The new algorithm improves the accuracy of the radioactive drum density map reconstruction as well as decreasing the measurement time required. We consider that the proposed algorithm is an effective new method for use in the field of radioactive waste drum transmission image reconstruction.

Discovery of 2H-chromone-4-one based sulfonamide derivatives as potent retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γt inverse agonists.

Retinoic acid receptor related orphan receptor γt (RORγt), identified as the essential functional regulator of IL-17 producing Th17 cells, is an attractive drug target for treating autoimmune diseases. Starting from the reported GSK2981278 (Phase II), we structurally modified and synthesized a series of 2H-chromone-4-one based sulfonamide derivatives as novel RORγt inverse agonists, which significantly improved their human metabolic stabilities while maintaining a potent RORγt inverse agonist profile. Efforts in reducing the lipophilicity and improving the LLE values led to the discovery of c9, which demonstrated potent RORγt inverse agonistic activity and consistent metabolic stability. During in vivo studies, oral administration of compound c9 exhibited a robust and dose-dependent inhibition of IL-17A cytokine expression and significantly lessened the skin inflammatory symptoms in the mouse imiquimod-induced skin inflammation model. Docking analysis of the binding mode revealed that c9 can suitably occupy the active pocket, and the introduction of the morpholine pyridine group can interact with Leu396, His479, and Cys393. Thus, compound c9 was selected as a preclinical compound for treating Th17-driven autoimmune diseases.

Quantitative prediction of dynamic HTO migration behavior in the soil and non-negligible evapotranspiration effect.

Tritium is mainly produced from nuclear facilities apart from nuclear tests. After being released to the environment, tritium would cause water & food contamination due to its radioactivity and mobility. This study investigated dynamic characteristics of tritiated water (HTO) migration in the soil and evapotranspiration effect based on realistic environmental conditions. The influences of soil types and time-varying environmental factors such as precipitation and evapotranspiration on tritium migration behaviors were specially discussed under normal continuous and accidental short-term release conditions. Radiation dose caused by dynamic tritium evapotranspiration was evaluated. The results show that tritium migration velocity in the soil is much higher than other particles such as cesium due to negligible adsorption of tritium by the soil. Tritium migration in the soil from up to down is attributed to precipitation. On the contrary, evapotranspiration factor would carry tritium movement along the opposite direction. A considerable fraction approximately 55% of tritium deposited in the soil would be reemitted into the air from bare soil and plant leaves due to evapotranspiration effect. Subsequently, the radiation dose caused by second plume due to evapotranspiration effect might be higher than the first plume due to direct release from the nuclear facility under routine discharge.

Comparison of Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Metformin Sustained-Release Tablet (II) (Dulening) and Metformin Tablet (Glucophage) in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objectives: This study investigated the clinical efficacy and safety of metformin hydrochloride sustained-release (SR) tablet (II) produced by Dulening and the original metformin hydrochloride tablet produced by Glucophage in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This randomized, open and parallel controlled clinical trial consecutively recruited a total of 886 patients with T2DM in 40 clinical centers between May 2016 and December 2018. These patients were randomly assigned to the Dulening group (n=446), in which patients were treated with Dulening metformin SR tablets, and the Glucophage group (n=440), in which patients were treated with Glucophage metformin tablets, for 16 weeks. The changes in the levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbAc1) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) as well as weight loss were compared between these two groups. Also, the overall incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and the incidence of ADR of the gastrointestinal system observed in patients of these two groups were also compared. Results: There were no significant differences in demographic and basal clinical characteristics between these two groups. The Dulening and Glucophage groups showed comparable levels of decrease in HbA1c levels, FBG and weight loss after 12-week treatment (all p>0.05). The Dulening group had a significantly lower overall incidence of ADRs as well as gastrointestinal ADR than the Glucophage group. Conclusions: Metformin SR tablets (II) and the original metformin tablets exhibit similar therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of T2DM, but metformin SR tablets (II) has the significantly lower incidence of ADRs than the original metformin tablets.