Spatiotemporal distribution patterns and coupling effects of aquatic environmental factors in the dry-wet season over a decade from the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea.

Since the 21st century, the Beibu Gulf area has been affected by increasing anthropogenic activities, which makes the coastal aquatic ecosystem extremely concerning. However, the comprehensive exploration and analysis of the long-term scale behavior change characteristics of various water quality environment factors is still limited. Through comprehensively detecting coastal surface water environmental behavior information from 33 locations in the Beibu Gulf from 2005 to 2015, we revealed and quantified mutual response characteristics and patterns of various environmental indicators. The main environmental pollution indicators (e.g., COD, NH4+, NO3-, and DIP) showed a gradual decrease in concentration from the coast to the offshore sea area, and significantly increases during the wet season. The semi-enclosed Maowei Sea exhibited the most prominent performance with significant differences compared to other regions in Beibu Gulf. The average Chlorophyll-a (Chla) content in the coastal area of the Beibu Gulf during the wet season was more than twice that of the dry season, yet the interaction pattern between Chla and environmental factors in the two seasons was opposite to its concentration behavior, accompanied by a closely significant relationship with thermohaline structure and the input of nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients. The multivariate statistical analysis results of total nutrient dynamics suggested that the Beibu Gulf was clearly divided into different regions in both dry and wet season clusters. The present study can provide a comprehensive perspective for the spatial and temporal migration patterns and transformation laws of coastal water environmental factor, which should contribute to improve the prevention countermeasure of nutrient pollution in coastal environment.

TsCl promoted deoxygenative phosphorothiolation of quinoline N-oxides towards S-quinolyl phosphorothioates.

A convenient, efficient and practical approach for the synthesis of S-quinolyl phosphorothioates via cheap TsCl promoted deoxygenative C2-H phosphorothiolation of quinoline N-oxides with readily available triethylammonium O,O-dialkylphosphorothioates was developed. The reaction performed well under transition-metal-free conditions at room temperature with a very short reaction time (10-20 min). Preliminary studies showed that the current transformation underwent a nucleophilic substitution process.

Exploration of the factors that influence total phosphorus in surface water and an evaluation of surface water vulnerability based on an advanced algorithm and traditional index method.

Due to the continuous influence of human activities, phosphorus pollution in surface water has become a persistent problem that needs to be addressed since phosphorous entails certain risks and degrees of damage to ecosystems and humans. The presence and accumulation of total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in surface waters is the result of a combined effect of many natural and anthropogenic factors, and it is often difficult to intuitively identify the individual importance of each factor in regard to the pollution of the aquatic environment. Considering these issues, this study provides a new methodology to better understand the vulnerability of surface water to TP pollution and the factors that influence TP pollution through the application of two modeling approaches. This includes the boosted regression tree (BRT), an advanced machine learning method, and the traditional comprehensive index method (CIM). Different factors, such as natural variables (including slope, soil texture, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), precipitation, and drainage density) and point and nonpoint source anthropogenic factors were included to model the vulnerability of surface water to TP pollution. Two methods were used to produce a vulnerability map of surface water to TP pollution. Pearson correlation analysis was used to validate the two vulnerability assessment methods. The results showed that BRT was more strongly correlated than CIM. In addition, the importance ranking results showed that slope, precipitation, NDVI, decentralized livestock farming and soil texture had a greater influence on TP pollution. Industrial activities, scale livestock farming and population density, which are all contributing sources of pollution, were all relatively less important. The introduced methodology can be used to quickly identify the area most vulnerable to TP pollution and to develop problem specific adaptive policies and measures to reduce the damage from TP pollution.

Myelitis: A Common Complication of Tuberculous Meningitis Predicting Poor Outcome.

Background: Myelitis is an important complication in patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM). However, a paucity of publications exists on the spectrum of neurological and MRI findings of TBM-related myelitis. The risk factors and prognosis of myelitis in patients with TBM are not fully understood. Therefore, this study aims to identify the risk factors, clinicoradiological features, and prognostic impact of myelitis for patients with TBM. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in our institution. Patients with TBM who were consecutively admitted during the period of August 2015 to December 2019 were included. We reviewed the demographic characteristics, clinical, laboratory and MRI findings, and clinical outcomes of all of the included patients. The diagnosis of myelitis was identified by a hyperintensity on T2-weighted images that were associated with cord edema, enlargement, and marginal or no enhancement on contrast-enhanced images. Results: A total of 114 patients were included. Myelitis occurred in 19 (16.7%) patients, five of whom paradoxically developed myelitis. The common clinical signs of myelitis were paraparesis (738.9%), quadriparesis (844.4%), urinary retention or constipation (1,477.8%), and paresthesias in the lower limbs (1,052.6%). In the MRI findings, the hyperintensities on T2-weighted images involved more than 3 spinal cord segments. Myelitis was often combined with other forms of spinal cord injury, including 10 patients (52.6%) with spinal meningeal enhancement, 7 patients (36.8%) with enlargement of the central canal of the spinal cord, 6 patients (31.6%) with tuberculoma, and 4 patients (21.1%) with arachnoiditis and 1 patient (5.3%) with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) loculations. None of the 5 patients with paradoxical myelitis were complicated with spinal meningeal enhancement and arachnoiditis, while 4 patients were complicated with enlargements of the central canal of the spinal cord. In multivariable analysis, a grade III disease severity on admission [p = 0.003, odds ratio (OR) = 8.131, 95% CI: 2.080-31.779] and high CSF protein (p = 0.033, OR = 1.698, 95% CI: 1.043-2.763) were independent risk factors for myelitis. After the 6 months follow-up, myelitis (p = 0.030, OR = 13.297, 95% CI: 1.283-137.812) and disturbance of consciousness (p = 0.042, OR = 12.625, 95% CI: 1.092-145.903) were independent risk factors for poor outcomes. Conclusion: Myelitis was a common complication of TBM and independently predicted a poor outcome. A grade III disease severity and high CSF protein on admission were independent risk factors for myelitis. Paradoxical myelitis was rarely complicated with spinal meningeal enhancements and arachnoiditis, indicating that the immune reaction may play a dominant role.

Exploration and preliminary clinical investigation of an adhesive approach for primary tooth restoration.

The current study aims to investigate a suitable adhesive for primary tooth enamel. Shear bond strength (SBS) of primary teeth and the length of resin protrusion were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple comparison tests after etching with 35% H 3PO 4. SBS and marginal microleakage tests were conducted with Single Bond Universal (SBU)/Single Bond 2 (SB2) adhesives with or without pre-etching using a nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Clinical investigations were performed to validate the adhesive for primary teeth restoration using Chi-square tests. Results showed that the SBS and length of resin protrusion increased significantly with the etching time. Teeth in the SBU with 35% H 3PO 4 pre-etching groups had higher bond strength and lower marginal microleakage than those in the SB2 groups. Mixed fractures were more common in the 35% H 3PO 4 etched 30 s + SB2/SBU groups. Clinical investigations showed significant differences between the two groups in cumulative retention rates at the 6-, 12- and 18-month follow-up evaluations, as well as in marginal adaptation, discoloration, and secondary caries at the 12- and 18-month follow-up assessments. Together, pre-etching primary teeth enamel for 30 s before SBU treatment improved clinical composite resin restoration, which can provide a suitable approach for restoration of primary teeth.

The Pollution Status of Heavy Metals in the Surface Seawater and Sediments of the Tianjin Coastal Area, North China.

Heavy metal pollution has become a great concern due to its adverse effects on the ecological system and human health. The present study investigated the concentrations of six common heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) in the Tianjin coastal area to understand their distribution, enrichment, sources, and potential ecological risk levels, focusing on the main contributors. The results showed that the concentration of Cu was high in the surface seawater (6.89 µg/L for the average), while Cd was the main contaminating metal in the sediments, with an average concentration of 0.77 mg/kg. The potential ecological risk index (RI) implied that the heavy metals in the sediments could cause considerable ecological risk, and Cd was the major contributor to ecological risk in this area. In particular, the field investigation showed that Cd contamination occurred as a result of anthropogenic activities, including port transportation, mariculture, and metal fabrication along the coastal area. Therefore, it is necessary to control Cd contamination in the future to improve the quality of the marine environment in Bohai Bay.

Decrease of both river flow and quality aggravates water crisis in North China: a typical example of the upper Yongding River watershed.

Due to unevenly distributed water resources, semi-arid regions are particularly prone to severe water shortage and quality degradation. In this study, based on long-term hydrological database (1935-2015), and the latest available water quality data sets (2011-2016), we analyzed the water crisis and its driving forces in the upper Yongding River watershed, a typical water shortage area in North China. The results showed that human induced excessive water consumption is responsible for the significantly decreased river flow over the past eight decades. Although the capacity of the watershed wastewater treatment has improved, current water quality does not meet the requirements of the national water management goals, because of the excessive nitrogen and CODCr (chemical oxygen demand), which mainly come from the wastewater and feedlots discharge. Due to the decreased river flow, current Yongding River is unable to dilute and assimilate pollutions. The analysis of river pollutant load illustrated that more than 60 % of the nitrogen in the river water system is diverted for reservoir storage, and more than 50 % of the CODCr and TP are diverted for irrigation, thereby, increasing the risk of reservoirs eutrophication and threatening food safety. Besides, the high Cl- (388.2 ± 322.5 mg/L) and SO42- (470.6 ± 357.7 mg/L) imply that the upper river water are not suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes, and a potential risk of salinization if the river flow continues to decrease. We conclude that water resources over extraction and quality degradation are the main driving factors of the Yongding River water crisis.

Integrative analysis of the RNA interference toolbox in two Salicaceae willow species, and their roles in stress response in poplar (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray).

Regulation of gene expression related to chromatin modification at the transcriptional silencing and RNA interference (RNAi) at the post-transcriptional level. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDR) and Argonaute (AGO), along with Dicer-like (DCL) from the core components of RNAi, play integral roles in these processes. Here, 14 PtAGOs, 5 PtDCLs, and 9 PtRDRs were identified in P. trichocarpa and compared them with those of another Salicaceae willow (Salix suchowensis Cheng). Maximum-likelihood trees revealed that each AGO, DCL, and RDR family members were divided into four subfamilies. Forty-three orthologous pairs were identified between the P. trichocarpa and S. suchowensis RNAi-toolbox genes. Sixteen collinear gene pairs were detected in highly microsynteny regions with containing more than ten pairs of conserved flanking-genes, indicated that they were considered to have evolved from the large-scale duplication events. Many of the RNAi-toolbox genes were up-regulated, suggesting P. trichocarpa should have evolved specialized regulatory mechanisms in response to cold, salt, drought and heat stresses. Some RNAi-toolbox genes were most highly expressed in stem, suggesting these genes may function in the regulation of small RNAs during P. trichocarpa stem development. Our results provided the integrative analysis and highlighted the function and duplication of the RNAi-toolbox genes in P. trichocarpa.

[Assessment on ecological integrity of typical lakes, reservoirs and wetlands in Tianjin, China]. / å¤©æ´¥å¸‚å ¸åž‹æ¹–åº“æ¹¿åœ°ç”Ÿæ€å®Œæ•´æ€§è¯„ä»·.

The ecological health assessment of lakes, reservoirs and wetlands can provide decision-making basis for ecosystem restoration and management. We selected 20 typical lakes, reservoirs and wetlands sampling points in Tianjin, based on physical, chemical, and biological community indicators data (zooplankton, phytoplankton, benthos, fish, large aquatic plants, riparian plants) obtained during the survey from August to September 2018. We constructed an index of ecological integrity (IEI) including physical integrity, chemical integrity, and biological integrity to evaluate their ecological health. The reference points were selected based on three aspects using standardized methods: habitat environmental quality index (QHEI), water quality status, and disturbance of human activities. The analytic hierarchy process was used to calculate the weight of the three indicators. The evaluation results of the ecological integrity of typical lakes, reservoirs and wetlands in Tianjin were finally obtained. The results showed that: 1) Among all the samples, "healthy" points accounted for 5.0%, "good" points accounted for 20.0%, "general" points accounted for 35.0%, "worse" points accounted for 30.0%, and "poor" points accounted for 10.0%. Ecological health status of typical lakes, reservoirs and wetlands in Tianjin was at a general level, with a trend that the west was better than the east with significant spatial differences. 2) Reference points were selected based on the combination of habitat score, water quality conditions, and human activity disturbance. Water quality indicators could reduce subjectivity when selecting reference points and promote the application of ecological integrity evaluation. 3) The applicability verification results showed that IEI could better characterize the health status of each point, and the discrimination efficiency was obvious, which was suitable for evaluating the ecological health of lakes, reservoirs and wetlands.

Phthalate Esters and Their Potential Risk in PET Bottled Water Stored under Common Conditions.

A great deal of attention has been paid lately to release of phthalate esters (PAEs) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into PET bottled drinking water due to their potential endocrine-disrupting effects. Three kinds of PAEs, including diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), were detected in 10 popular brands of PET bottles in Beijing, ranging from 101.97 µg/kg to 709.87 µg/kg. Meanwhile, six kinds of PAEs, including DEP, DMP, DBP, n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), were detected in PET bottled water, ranging from 0.19 µg/L to 0.98 µg/L, under an outdoor storage condition, while their concentrations ranged from 0.18 µg/L to 0.71 µg/L under an indoor storage condition. Furthermore, the concentrations of PAEs in brand D and E bottles were slightly increased when the storage time was prolonged. In addition, the concentrations of PAEs in commercial water contained in brand B and H bottles and pure water contained in brand E and G bottles were also slightly increased with the increase of storage temperature. Interestingly, DBP mainly contributed to the increased PAEs levels in simulation water. These results suggest that a part of the PAEs in PET bottled water originated from plastic bottles, which was related to the storage time and temperature. However, the PAEs in PET bottled water only pose a negligible risk to consumers if they follow the recommendations, such as storage at a common place (24 °C), away from sun and in a short period of time.

Associations of maternal, perinatal and postnatal factors with the eruption timing of the first primary tooth.

We recruited 1296 mothers in their first trimester from the Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between May 2014 and September 2015 to investigate the associations of maternal, perinatal and postnatal factors with the eruption timing of the first primary tooth (ETFPT) in a Chinese population. We collected maternal demographic information and clinical data during the perinatal and postnatal period, and oral examinations of the infants were performed by a doctor at 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify significant explanatory variables for ETFPT. The mean age at eruption of the first primary tooth for all the infants was 6.82 ± 1.90 months. After adjustment for confounders, higher maternal childbearing age (ß = 0.57; 95%CI = 0.13-1.02), female sex (ß = 0.26; 95%CI = 0.07-0.52), and low birth weight (ß = 0.98; 95%CI = 0.20-1.76) were significantly associated with delayed eruption of the first primary tooth, while macrosomia (ß = -0.79; 95%CI = -1.30--0.28) was significantly associated with earlier eruption of the first primary tooth. Maternal childbearing age, infant sex and infant birth weight were significant determinants of ETFPT.

Assessment of the water resource carrying capacity based on the ecological footprint: a case study in Zhangjiakou City, North China.

With the rapid economic development in the past decades, industrialization and urbanization in China has also rapidly developed and will continue in the next decades. However, the regional water shortage has posed great challenges for the sustainable development of big cities especially in north China. Here, we used the water ecological footprint model combined with the system dynamic model to assess the water resource carrying capacity and its sustainability in Zhangjiakou City, a typical water shortage city in north China. The calculated results showed that irrigation was the largest water consumer in Zhangjiakou. There existed a clear gap between water supply and water consumption in this city and such a gap is demonstrated by the high water resource pressure index. Our predicted results based on the water resource ecological footprint and the system dynamic model showed that although the improving water use efficiency has relieved the regional water shortage pressure, the efficiency gained would be to a large degree offset by increased water demands due to the increasing economic development. The annual average water shortage in Zhangjiakou in 2007-2050 would be up to 8.53 × 108 m3, nearly half of the total local average annual water resource. To deal with the severe water shortage over the next three decades, great attention should be paid to scientific water resource managements and water pollution control. This research provides a long-term view of water resource pressure and provides recommendations for a sustainable water use under the rapid regional socioeconomic development.

Small interfering RNA directed against microRNA-155 delivered by a lentiviral vector attenuates asthmatic features in a mouse model of allergic asthma.

Asthma is a chronic T helper type 2 (Th2) cell-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and airway inflammation. Although the majority of patients with asthma can achieve a good level of control with existing treatments, asthma runs a chronic course and the effectiveness of current treatment is not satisfactory for certain patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that suppress gene expression at the post-transcriptional level; their role in regulating allergic inflammation remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to explore the role of miRNA-155 in the pathogenesis of asthma and its potential as a target for treatment. The expression of miRNA-155 increased in ovalbumin-sensitized and challenged mice compared with control mice, and lentiviral vector-delivered small interfering (si)RNA targeting miRNA-155 resulted in reduced AHR, airway inflammation and Th2 cytokine production. The data from the present study indicate that miRNA-155 serves an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma, and that lentiviral vector-delivered siRNA targeting miRNA-155 may serve as a novel approach for the treatment of allergic asthma.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 promotes the proliferation and committed differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells through MAPK pathways.

OBJECTIVES: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a broad-spectrum growth-promoting factor that plays a key role in natural tooth development. Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are multipotent and can influence the reparative regeneration of dental pulp and dentin. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of IGF-1 on the proliferation and differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells. METHODS: HDPSCs were isolated and purified from human dental pulps. The proliferation and osteo/odontogenic differentiation of hDPSCs treated with 100ng/ml exogenous IGF-1 were subsequently investigated. RESULTS: MTT assays revealed that IGF-1 enhanced the proliferation of hDPSCs. ALP activity in IGF-1-treated group was obviously enhanced compared to the control group from days 3 to 9. Alizarin red staining revealed that the IGF-1-treated cells contained a greater number of mineralization nodules and had higher calcium concentrations. Moreover, western blot and qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated that the expression levels of several osteogenic genes (e.g., RUNX2, OSX, and OCN) and an odontoblast-specific marker (DSPP) were significantly up-regulated in IGF-1-treated hDPSCs as compared with untreated cells (P<0.01). Interestingly, the expression of phospho-ERK and phospho-p38 were also up-regulated, indicating that the MAPK signaling pathway is activated during the differentiation of hDPSCs. CONCLUSIONS: IGF-1 can promote the proliferation and osteo/odontogenic differentiation of hDPSCs by activating MAPK pathways.

CXCR4 inhibitor attenuates ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness by inhibiting Th17 and Tc17 cell immune response.

Accumulating evidence suggests that chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12) and its receptor chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) may contribute to the pathogenesis of allergic asthma. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be fully understood. T-helper 17 cells (Th17) and T-cytotoxic 17 cells (Tc17) have been implicated in the development of several allergic disorders, including asthma. The present study aimed to explore the association between CXCL12 signaling and Th17/Tc17 cells in the development of asthma. Ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized BALB/c mice were treated with AMD3100, a specific CXCR4 antagonist, prior to OVA challenge. Following the final allergen (OVA) challenge, airway responsiveness to methacholine, influx of inflammatory cells to the airway, and cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) and lung homogenate were assessed. Interleukin (IL)-17-expressing CD3+CD8- lymphocytes (Th17 cells) and IL-17+CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes (Tc17 cells) isolated from lung tissue samples were detected by flow cytometry. The results of the present study demonstrated that administration of AMD3100 significantly decreased airway responsiveness to methacholine, attenuated the influx of inflammatory cells to the airway and reduced the levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in the BALF. Furthermore, AMD3100 significantly reduced the increased number of lung Th17 and Tc17 cells as well as the levels of IL-17 in the lung homogenate induced by OVA challenge. In conclusion, the CXCR4 inhibitor suppresses the asthmatic response, which is associated with attenuation of the Th17 and Tc17 cell immune response.

CXCR4 inhibitor attenuates allergen-induced lung inflammation by down-regulating MMP-9 and ERK1/2.

Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12) and its receptor chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) have been recognized to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are yet to be fully addressed. In the present report we demonstrated that CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling mediates allergic airway inflammation through induction of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in a murine asthmatic model. We noted that administration of AMD3100, a specific CXCR4 antagonist, significantly attenuated OVA-induced asthmatic responses along with reduced epithelial MMP-9 expression. Our studies in a bronchial epithelial cell line, 16HBE cells, further revealed that CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling synergizes with IL-13 to enhance epithelial MMP-9 expression. Our mechanistic studies demonstrated that CXCL12/CXCR4 enhances epithelial MMP-9 expression by inducing ERK1/2 expression and activation. Together, these studies would bring novel insight into the understanding for the role of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling in asthmatic responses during the course of bronchial asthma development.

The hMLH1 promoter polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility in Asian populations: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: A variety of studies have evaluated the associations between polymorphisms in the promoter regions of the hMLH1 and cancer risk. However, the results remain inconclusive. To better understand the roles of the hMLH1 polymorphisms and cancer risk, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to investigate the association between the hMLH1 -93G/A and 1151T/A (Val384Asp) polymorphisms and cancer risk in Asian population. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis by conducting searches of the published studies in Pub Med, CNKI, CBM, ISI web of knowledge and Google scholar search databases. Finally, 12 studies were included into our meta-analysis. Overall and subgroup analyses were performed. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the associations between hMLH1 polymorphisms and cancer risk. Statistical analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.0. RESULTS: Twelve studies addressing two hMLH1 polymorphisms were analyzed among a total of 4128 cancer cases and 4678 controls. For hMLH1 -93G/A, there was no evidence that the hMLH1 -93G/A polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased cancer risk (P>0.05) in Asian populations (heterozygote comparison: OR=0.89 [95% CI (0.75, 1.060)] P=0.20; dominant model comparison: OR=0.98 [95% CI (0.83, 1.15)] P=0.79). In subgroup analysis based on cancer types and the sources of control, no associations were found in colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and "other cancers" under the any gene model except for lung cancer (recessive model comparison: OR=1.69 [95% CI (1.30, 2.19)] P<0.0001). For hMLH1 1151T/A, the polymorphism significantly associated with an increased cancer risk in Asians: OR=1.88 [95% CI (1.49, 2.25)], P<0.0001, and OR=1.87 [95% CI (1.49, 2.25)], P<0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: Our investigations demonstrated that the hMLH1 -93G/A polymorphism is not a candidate for susceptibility to overall cancers, and that the hMLH1 1151T/A polymorphism is significantly associated with higher cancer risk in Asian populations. Further studies with large sample size for hMLH1 should be conducted.