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Through his phenomenological interpretation of Paul's letters, Martin Heidegger developed the Lutheran idea about Christian life experience as an experience of conversion, and argues that the Christian religiosity is rooted in the temporality of primordial Christian life experience as the expectation towards the Parousia. Heidegger also suggests that the Hellenic metaphysics are alien to primordial Christianity, therefore he is devoted to erasing Hellenic metaphysics from Christianity. Through his phenomenological interpretation of Saint Augustine, Heidegger deconstructs the value system and theology originated from Hellenic metaphysics by illustrating the existence of Dasein. In this article we will inspect Heidegger's religious phenomenon and propose our own views about the essence of Heidegger's primordial Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the global outbreak of COVID-19, it is important that vaccination be emphasized to build herd immunity. However, vaccine hesitancy is negatively associated. Religious views impact the interpretations and acceptance of medical and scientific evidence, leading to a variety of responses to vaccination, such as vaccine hesitancy. The aim of this study was to delve into the reluctance of religious individuals towards vaccines, particularly towards COVID-19. An integrative review was conducted using PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases to find articles from 2020 to 2023. Twenty articles were selected for review. The review found that religiosity is negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake across different religious groups. The article proposes a theoretical way to mitigate religious influence on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial information is important for human perception of speech and sound signals. However, this information is often either distorted or completely neglected in noise reduction because it is challenging, to say the least, to achieve optimal noise reduction and accurate spatial information preservation at the same time. This paper studies the problem of binaural speech enhancement. By jointly diagonalizing the speech and noise correlation matrices, we present a method to construct the noise reduction filter as a linear combination of different eigenvectors, which span a certain subspace of the entire space. A different dimension of the subspace gives a different trade-off between noise reduction and speech/noise spatial information preservation. On the one side, if the dimension is equal to 1, maximum noise reduction is achieved but at the price of significant spatial information distortion. On the other extreme, if the dimension of the subspace is equal to that of the entire space, spatial information is accurately preserved but at the cost of no noise reduction. Therefore, one can achieve different levels of compromises between the amount of noise reduction and the level of speech/noise spatial information preservation by adjusting the dimension of the used subspace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rhodamine B-based chromo-fluorogenic probe BOS is prepared with a good yield by condensating an o-diaminobenzene functionalized rhodamine derivative (RBO) and a large steric hindrance salicylaldehyde, and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy (IR), 1H and 13C NMR technology, and high resolution mass spectrum (HRMS). Spectroscopy experiments reveal that the probe can selectively and sensitively detect Al3+ from a variety of metal ions with a low detection limit of 1.855 μmol/L. Compared to traditional detection methods, BOS provides an inexpensive, rapid and straightforward way for Al3+ detection that can be distinguished by "naked eye". The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2- H - tetrazoliubromide) assays and cell imaging experiments demonstrate that the sensor is low toxic and amicable for Al3+ sensing in living cells. Image 1 • A novel rhodamine-based probe BOS is designed and synthesized. • BOS is able to high selectively and sensitively detect Al3+. • The detection process can be identified through naked eye. • BOS is capable of detecting Al3+ in complex biological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background and aims Intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is a predictable and preventable condition, but existing evidence concerning its risk factors has not been quantitatively assessed. The aim of this meta-analysis is to identify the non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors for ICAS. Methods PubMed and EMBASE were searched (1995–May 15, 2018) for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies exploring risk factors for ICAS. The risk estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in multivariate analysis were aggregated using random-effect models. Results Thirty-four studies comprising 59,736 subjects met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review involving thirty-one risk or protective factors. Seven factors were associated with ICAS, as suggested by the meta-analysis, including advanced age (odds ratio (OR) 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.08), metabolic syndrome (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.35–3.37), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.69–2.31), hypertension (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.69–2.31), dyslipidemia (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.04–1.59), high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00–1.12) and high levels of apolipoprotein A1 (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.15–0.75). The subgroup analysis for study populations indicated advanced age, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus and hypertension as an elevated risk of ICAS among community subjects and stroke patients; according to the subgroup analysis for ethnicity, similar associations remained in Asians, but only metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus were correlated with ICAS in Caucasians. Conclusions Individuals with advanced age, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia might have a higher risk of ICAS, whereas high levels of apolipoprotein A1 might protect against ICAS. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Seven factors suggested by meta-analyses were associated with the risk of Intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS). • Four well-established factors elevated risk of ICAS among community subjects and stroke patients. • The discrepancies of well-established risk factors were observed in diverse ethnic origins. • Further evidence is needed for less well-established factors revealed in the current review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug delivery carriers with a high drug loading capacity and biocompatibility, especially for controlled drug release, are urgently needed due to the side effects and frequent dose in the traditional therapeutic method. Guided by nanomaterials, we have successfully synthesized zirconium-based metal−organic frameworks, Zr-TCPP (TCPP: tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin), namely, PCN-222, which is synthesized by solvothermal method. And it has been designed as a drug delivery system (DDS) with a high drug loading of 38.77 wt%. In our work, PCN-222 has achieved pH-sensitive drug release and showed comprehensive SEM, TEM, PXRD, DSC, FTIR, and N2 adsorption-desorption. The low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility of PCN-222 were certificated by the in vitro results from an MTT assay, DAPI staining, and Annexin V/PI double-staining even cultivated L02 cells and HepG2 cells for 48h. Furthermore, Oridonin, a commonly used cancer chemotherapy drug, is adsorbed into PCN-222 via the solvent diffusion technique. Based on an analysis of the Oridonin release profile, results suggest that it can last for more than 7 days in vitro. And cumulative release rate of Ori at the 7 d was about 86.29% and 63.23% in PBS (pH 5.5 and pH 7.2, respectively) at 37°C. HepG2 cells were chosen to research the cytotoxicity of PCN-222@Ori and free Oridonin. The results demonstrated that the PCN-222@Ori nanocarrier shows higher cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells compared to Oridonin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.27, HPPD, a Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate dependent oxygenases), is a popular herbicide target. In this work, two pharmacophore models based on common molecular characteristics (HipHop) and receptor-ligand complex (CBP) were generated for virtual screening for HPPD inhibitors. About 1,000,000 molecules containing diketone structure from PubChem were filtered by Lipinski's rules to build a 3D database. Then the database was screened through combining HipHop model, CBP model, ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) prediction and molecular docking. Subsequently, based on the specific binding mode and affinity of HPPD inhibitors, 4 molecules with high -CDOCKER energy, good aqueous solubility and human safety predicative properties values were screened. From the screening results and combined with previous work, three novel HPPD inhibitors were designed and synthesized through fragment splicing and bioisosterism strategies. Compound IV-a exhibited similar inhibition of Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD (At HPPD) and herbicidal activity as mesotrione. Crop selectivity showed that compound IV-a had better crop safety than mesotrione. Comparing the molecular properties, ADMET and molecular docking studies indicated that compounds IV-a exhibited better properties than mesotrione, which could be further modified as novel HPPD inhibitor herbicides. [Display omitted] • Virtual screening based on pharmacophores, ADMET and molecular docking was performed. • Four molecules with good absorption and conduction prediction values were screened. • Compound IV-a was synthesized and displayed excellent At HPPD inhibitory and herbicidal activity. • The skeleton of compounds IV could be further modified as novel HPPD inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earthworm is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine. There are more than 40 prescriptions including earthworms in the “Compendium of Materia Medica”. TCM theory holds that earthworms exert antispasmodic and antipyretic effects through the liver meridian to calm the liver. However, the clinical effect of earthworms on liver injury has not been clearly demonstrated. We have previously established a method to extract the active ingredients from earthworms (hereinafter referred to as EWAs) [1] . In the present study, we observed protective effect of the EWAs on tunicamycin-induced ERS (endoplasmic reticulum stress) model in human hepatic L02 cells. The results showed that the EWAs promote proliferation and reduced apoptosis of ERS model in L02 cells ( P < 0.01). The up-regulation of ERS-related proteins, including PERK (protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase), eIF2a (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2a), ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4) and CHOP (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein), in L02 cell under ERS was inhibited by treatment of the EWAs ( P < 0.01). In summary, our data suggest the EWAs can significant attenuate ERS-induced hepatocyte injury via PERK-eIF2a-ATF4 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the apoptotic effect and molecular mechanisms of gecko peptides mixture (GPM) on the human liver carcinoma HepG2 cell line in vitro. The methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed to identify the dose- (0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25 and 0.30 mg/ml) and time-dependent (24, 48 and 72 h) inhibitory effect of GPM on HepG2 cells and their proliferation. Hoechst 33258 staining was carried out to detect the nuclear change coupled with apoptosis induced by GPM. Western blotting was used to evaluate apoptosis-related protein expression changes induced by GPM, including caspase, cytochrome c (Cyt c) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). MTT results showed that GPM significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Hoechst 33258 staining demonstrated that GPM induced typical apoptotic morphological changes, while western blotting analysis revealed that GPM increased caspase-3, caspase-9, Cyt c and AIF protein expression levels in HepG2 cells treated with 0.06 or 0.08 mg/ml for 24 h. In conclusion, GPM could induce apoptosis by activating the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptotic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to escalating environmental uncertainty, corporate executives typically adjust their business strategy between diversification and refocusing. This study examines the effect of environmental uncertainty on idiosyncratic risk, as well as the moderating impact of diversification on this relationship. Utilizing a sample of companies listed on the Chinese stock market from 2005 to 2019, the results suggest that a significant positive correlation exists between uncertainty and idiosyncratic risk. As environmental uncertainty escalates, corporate managers increasingly opt for diversification before eventually refocusing their business strategy. Furthermore, while moderate diversification can mitigate the impact of uncertainty on idiosyncratic risk, excessive diversification intensifies this correlation. This research holds considerable significance for understanding the influence mechanism of idiosyncratic risk and ensuring the stability of the capital market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question Do the three chosen species ( Caltha palustris, Veratrum nigrum and Stellera chamaejasme) in humid alpine meadows take up water from different depths? Do these species differ in their responsiveness to rainfall? Location Mt. Balang, China. Methods Rainwater, soil water and plant water were collected from three plots over a 15-day period during June-July 2006, and water isotopes analysed. The linear mixed models procedure was used to compare δD and δ18O values across soil depths, while three-factor ANOVA was performed to compare δD and δ18O values among the three species. The contributions of different soil depths to plant water sources were analysed using Mix Sir. A classic two-endmember linear mixed model was used to calculate the proportion of rainwater in plant stem water. Results Soil water showed substantial temporal shifts in isotopic profile from day to day, as influenced by rainwater input. The three plant species, C. palustris ( CP), V. nigrum ( VN) and S. chamaejasme ( SC), acquired water from different soil depths, with their reliance on deeper soil water increasing in the order of CP < VN < SC. Moreover, CP, VN and SC absorbed 69.18%, 35.50% and 13.46% of their stem water, respectively, from the 4 July rainwater, suggesting that their responsiveness to rain pulses significantly differed in the order of CP > VN > SC. Conclusions The isotopic profiles of soil water shifted dramatically in response to rainfall, suggesting rapid movement of soil water. There was separation of the plant water uptake depths among the three species, with SC depending less on surface soil and being associated with drier soil habitats compared with CP and VN. Moreover, CP absorbed rainwater before it percolated below the root zone, while VN and SC did not; the differential responsiveness to water pulses may be related to their different water requirements as a result of adaptation to different soil water conditions. Our study demonstrates inter-specific differentiation in plant water uptake in humid alpine meadows. Such information is important for species co-existence and plant community composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Can patterns of species similarity on ditch banks be explained by environmental and dispersal factors and, if so, to what extent? Does the pattern of distance decay differ among different species groups (all species versus target species of conservation interest; species of different dispersal type)? Location: Krimpenerwaard, the Netherlands. Methods: In 2006-2007, ditch bank vegetation data on 130 terrestrial herbaceous species were collected on 72 plots. Species similarity was measured and related to environmental distance (soil type and nutrient level) and dispersal distance (geographic distance and limitation of dispersal by water, wind and agricultural activities) as explanatory factors using multiple regression on distance matrices (MRM). Differences in rates of distance decay in species similarity among different subsets of data (species groups) were investigated using randomization tests. Results: In all species, patterns of similarity of composition are influenced mainly by variations in dispersal, while for target species these are due to combined effects of environmental and dispersal variation. Compared with species using other dispersal mechanisms, water-dispersed species had half the rate of distance decay. Conclusions: For all species considered here, dispersal limitation seems more responsible for the spatial variation in species composition than environmental determinism. Conservation management focused on plant species diversity would be more successful in areas adjacent to those where a similar management regime is already in force. For target species of conservation interest, besides dispersal limitation, environmental determinants like nutrient level are also important. As a means of conserving such target species, therefore, focusing on reducing nutrient levels and facilitating species dispersal will be more effective than current management practices, which mainly focus on reducing fertilizer inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke, characterized as a neurological deficit of cerebrovascular cause, is very common in older adults. Increasing evidence suggests stroke contributes to the risk and severity of cognitive impairment. People with cognitive impairment following stroke often face with quality-of-life issues and require ongoing support, which have a profound effect on caregivers and society. The high morbidity of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) demands effective management strategies, in which preventive strategies are more appealing, especially those targeting towards modifiable risk factors. In this review article, we attempt to summarize existing evidence and knowledge gaps on PSCI: elaborating on the heterogeneity in current definitions, reporting the inconsistent findings in PSCI prevalence in the literature, exploring established or less established predictors, outlining prevention and treatment strategies potentially effective or currently being tested, and proposing promising directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MIL series metal‒organic framework (MOF), MIL-100(Fe), was successfully synthesized at the nanoscale and fully characterized by TEM, TGA, XRD, FTIR, DLS, and BET. A toxicological assessment was performed using two different cell lines: human normal liver cells (HL-7702) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2). In vitro cytotoxicity of MIL-100(Fe) was evaluated by the MTT assay, LDH releasing rate assay, DAPI staining, and annexin V/PI double staining assay. The safe dose of MIL-100(Fe) was 80 μg/mL. It exhibited good biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and high cell survival rate (HL-7702 cells' viability >85.97%, HepG2 cells' viability >91.20%). Therefore, MIL-100(Fe) has a potential application as a drug carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustained-release preparation is a hot spot in antitumor drug research, where the first task is to select suitable drug carriers. Research has revealed that carboxylic acid iron metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), constructed from iron (Fe) ions and terephthalic acid, are nontoxic and biocompatible. Due to the breathing effect, the skeleton of this mesoporous material is flexible and can reversibly adapt its pore size through drug adsorption. Therefore, we chose one kind of Fe-MOF, MIL-53(Fe), as a carrier for the anticancer drug oridonin (Ori). In this work, we report the design and synthesis of MIL-53(Fe) and explore its ability as a transport vehicle to deliver Ori. MIL-53(Fe) is characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. A loading capacity of 56.25 wt % was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. This carrier was safe and nontoxic (cell viability > 95.27%), depending on the results of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)--2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays, lactate dehydrogenase assays, and Annexin V-fluoresce isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double-staining assays. After loading the drug, the structure of the MIL-53(Fe) was not destroyed, and Ori was amorphous in MIL-53(Fe). Based on an analysis of the Ori release profile, results suggest that it lasts for more than seven days in vitro. The cumulative release rate of Ori at the seventh day was about 82.23% and 91.75% in phosphate buffer saline solution at 37 °C under pH 7.2 and pH 5.5, respectively. HepG2 cells were chosen to study the cytotoxicity of Ori@MIL-53(Fe), and the results show that the anticancer ratio of Ori@MIL-53(Fe) system reaches 90.62%. Thus, MIL-53 can be used as a carrier for anticancer drugs and Ori@MIL-53(Fe) is a promising sustained-release drug delivery system for the cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the outcomes of refractory/relapsed cHL patients after high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in Beijing Cancer hospital and to identify the prognostic risk factors. We retrospectively analyzed 115 relapsed/refractory cHL patients who accepted HDCT and ASCT in our cancer center and had complete follow-up data from April 2000 to May 2017. Ages of these 115 patients at ASCT ranged from 14 to 63 (median age 28). Forty-four (38.3%) patients achieved CR and 50 (43.5%) patients achieved PR before ASCT. Thirty-seven (48.7%) patients of those 76 patients who did PET-CT before ASCT had negative PET-CT scans. The median follow-up time was 72 months. A total of 23 patients died in our study. The 5-year OS and PFS rates of all patients after ASCT were 78.7% and 53%, respectively. The 5-year OS rates after ASCT of patients who were in CR or PR or less than PR status before ASCT were 92.8%, 68.2%, and 76.2%, respectively (log-rank = 2.913, p = 0.233). And their 5-year PFS rates after ASCT were 69.2%, 54.2%, and 18.5%, respectively (log-rank = 13.615, p = 0.001). Univariate analysis revealed that ECOG (p = 0.010; hazard ratio = 1.578), disease status before ASCT (CR: p = 0.001; hazard ratio = 0.227) and after ASCT (CR: p < 0.001; hazard ratio = 0.154), and PET-CT results after ASCT (p = 0.023; hazard ratio = 0.438) significantly impact patients' PFS while number of pretransplant salvage chemotherapy (p = 0.037; hazard ratio = 2.521), radiotherapy (p = 0.046; hazard ratio = 0.423), and disease status after ASCT (CR: p = 0.010; hazard ratio = 0.197) significantly affected patients' OS. Multivariate analysis shown only disease status before ASCT (p = 0.002) had significant impact on PFS and disease status after ASCT (p = 0.021) had significant impact on OS. R/R HL patients can still obtain long-term PFS after HDCT and ASCT and disease status before ASCT was the most significant prognostic factor for PFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical application of spinel‐type lithium titanate Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) lithium‐ion batteries is hindered by its poor conductivity and relatively low capacity. To address these issues, an LTO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/SnO2 is synthesized via an in situ electrostatic self‐assembly and hydrothermal reduction process. Density function theory (DFT) simulations are conducted to understand the geometrical structures of these composites and the energy storage mechanisms. The DFT results confirm that the introduction of rGO and SnO2 to LTO increases the overall conductivity, improves the structure stability, and increases Li‐ion diffusion speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant invasion has been reported to modify ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling processes and pools. The aims of this work were to identify the consequences of plant invasion on C and N dynamics in soil organic matter (SOM) and its fractions following invasion chronosequence. In this study, we investigated the soil C and N contents and the δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of the SOM, free light fraction (LF), intra-aggregate particulate organic matter (iPOM) and mineral-associated organic matter (mSOM) in invasive 6-, 10-, 17- and 20-year-old Spartina alterniflora communities and compared with bare flat land in a coastal wetland of eastern China. S. alterniflora invasion significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil organic nitrogen (SON) contents in SOM fractions compared with the bare flat land. The SOC, iPOM-C and iPOM-N progressively increased, but the SON, mSOM-C and mSOM-N did not significantly change following S. alterniflora invasion chronosequence. The proportion of C in iPOM gradually increased, whereas that in mSOM decreased following S. alterniflora invasion chronosequence except for the 20-year-old S. alterniflora soil. The highest proportion of S. alterniflora -derived C in SOM and its fractions was found in 17-year-old soil covered by S. alterniflora . The decay rate of old C decreased and the mean residence time of C increased in SOM and its fractions following S. alterniflora invasion chronosequence. The δ 15 N values of soil under S. alterniflora were more enriched than were those in bare flat land, whereas the δ 15 N values depleted following invasion chronosequence. Our results show that S. alterniflora invasion significantly altered SOC dynamics following invasion chronosequence by changing C physical distribution in SOM, S. alterniflora -derived C input and C decomposition, ultimately having a greater impact on SOC incorporation relative to SON accumulation in a coastal wetland of eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of sea embankments is an increasingly common approach for controlling the spread of the exotic C 4 perennial grass Spartina alterniflora Loisel. in coastal wetlands of eastern China. However, the impact of sea embankment reclamation on the soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in salt marshes is not fully understood. In this study, we examined the stocks of the total, labile and recalcitrant organic C and N, the recalcitrant indices of C and N, and the concentrations of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and cumulative CO 2 -C mineralization (MINC) in sea embankment-reclaimed S. alterniflora and Suaeda salsa (Linn.) Pall. salt marshes through comparisons with adjacent unreclaimed S. alterniflora and S. salsa salt marshes in a coastal wetland of eastern China. Sea embankment reclamation significantly decreased plant biomass by 55.34%, soil salinity by 81.71%, soil moisture by 43.16%, soil total organic C by 50.60% and total organic N by 49.99%, and also lowered labile and recalcitrant organic C and N, WSOC, MBC and MINC in the invasive S. alterniflora salt marsh. However, sea embankment reclamation did not significantly affect the stocks of the soil organic total C and N, recalcitrant organic C and N, and soil organic C dynamics in the native S. salsa salt marsh, possibly because the total quantity of S. salsa materials entering the soil, soil salinity, moisture and bulk density were not affected by sea embankment reclamation. Our results suggest that the impact of sea embankment reclamation on soil organic C and N pools is much more profound in S. alterniflora salt marsh than in S. salsa salt marsh. Sea embankment reclamation could greatly weaken the C and N sinks of S. alterniflora salt marsh and potentially affect C and N sinks in the coastal wetlands of eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exposome characterizes all environmental exposures and their impact on a disease. To determine the causally-associated components of the exposome for cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), we performed mendelian randomization analysis of 5365 exposures on six clinical and subclinical CSVD measures. We found statistically significant evidence (FDR-corrected P < 0.05) that hypertension, high cholesterol, longer television-watching time, lower educational qualifications, younger age of first sexual intercourse, smoking, reduced pulmonary function, higher subjective overall health rating, and frequent tiredness were associated with increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage or small vessel stroke. Adiposity, diabetes, frequent alcoholic drinks, higher white blood cell count and neutrophil count were significantly associated with higher risk of non-lobar hemorrhage or small vessel stroke, but not lobar hemorrhage. Hypertension, higher arm or leg fat-free mass and higher sitting height were significantly associated with higher white matter hyperintensities. The results were robust to sensitivity analyses and showed no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy. We also identified 41 exposures suggestively associated (uncorrected P < 0.05) with multiple CSVD measures as the "the CSVD exposome". This exposome-wide association study provides insight into CSVD development and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The unprecedented efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell immunotherapy of CD19+ B-cell malignancies has opened a new and useful way for the treatment of malignant tumors. Nonetheless, there are still formidable challenges in the field of CAR-T cell therapy, such as the biodistribution of CAR-T cells in vivo.Methods: NALM-6, a human B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) cell line, was used as target cells. CAR-T cells were injected into a mice model with or without target cells. Then we measured the distribution of CAR-T cells in mice. In addition, an exploratory clinical trial was conducted in 13 r/r B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) patients, who received CAR-T cell infusion. The dynamic changes in patient blood parameters over time after infusion were detected by qPCR and flow cytometry.Results: CAR-T cells still proliferated over time after being infused into the mice without target cells within 2 weeks. However, CAR-T cells did not increase significantly in the presence of target cells within 2 weeks after infusion, but expanded at week 6. In the clinical trial, we found that CAR-T cells peaked at 7-21 days after infusion and lasted for 420 days in peripheral blood of patients. Simultaneously, mild side effects were observed, which could be effectively controlled within 2 months in these patients.Conclusions: CAR-T cells can expand themselves with or without target cells in mice, and persist for a long time in NHL patients without serious side effects.Trial Registration: The registration date of the clinical trial is May 17, 2018 and the trial registration numbers is NCT03528421 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known regarding the outcome of lymphoma patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) using inadequate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) doses. Fifty-six patients were enrolled in the study, and the cohort was subdivided into two groups according to the infusion dose: < 1 × 106/kg (poor HSC group) and 1–2 × 106/kg (unfavorable HSC group). Compared with the unfavorable group, the poor HSC group had a longer median time to neutrophil (13 vs. 11 days, p =.007) and platelet engraftment (17 vs. 13 days, p =.024). CD34+ cell infusion dose of < 1 × 106/kg was the only risk factor for neutrophil and platelet engraftment. The expected 3-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates for the whole cohort were 53% and 66%, and no statistical difference was observed between two groups. In conclusion, inadequate HSC infusion dose did not negatively impact AHSCT patient survival but significantly prolonged the time to hematopoietic engraftment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solvent-dependent probe based on rhodamine was designed, and the sensing behaviors were investigated by spectral properties. Especially, the probe exhibited highly sensitive and selective fluorescence enhancement upon addition of Pd2+ in ethanol/PBS (2:8, v/v) and ClO− in DMSO/PBS (1:9, v/v) at physiological range with two kinds of mechanisms. Furthermore, the probe was applied for biological imaging which confirmed that it could be used for monitoring Pd2+ and ClO− in living cells with satisfying results. Image 1 • A solvent-dependent fluorometric dual-mode probe for Pd2+ and ClO− was got. • The mechanisms of two recognition progresses were proposed by experiments and DFT calculations. • The probe exhibited excellent fluorescence imaging in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The treatment outcomes and prognosis of lymphoma are affected by various factors such as hospital types. This study was to describe the temporal trend in the survival of lymphoma in an academic center in China. Methods: A total of 3840 consecutive patients with lymphoma diagnosed between 1996 and 2015 were reviewed. Eighty patients were excluded, and finally, 3760 patients were analyzed in this study. The cohort was divided into four groups according to calendar periods at diagnosis: 1996‐2000, 2001‐2005, 2006‐2010, and 2010‐2015. The overall survival (OS) rates among the four groups were compared. Results: The 5‐ and 10‐year OS for the whole cohort were 62% and 52%, respectively. The 5‐year OS of patient with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), mature B‐cell lymphoma (BCL), and peripheral T‐cell lymphoma (PTCL) were 79%, 63%, and 50%, respectively. Among mature BCL, the 5‐year OS was highest in follicular lymphoma (77.8%), followed by Burkitt lymphoma (76.5%), marginal zone lymphoma (74.1%), diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (61.5%), small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia (55.1%), and mantle cell lymphoma (44.3%). Among PTCL, the 5‐year OS was highest in ALK+anaplastic large cell lymphoma (79.0%), followed by ALK−anaplastic large cell lymphoma (63.1%), natural killer/T‐cell lymphoma (57.7%), angioimmunoblastic T‐cell lymphoma (34.9%, and peripheral T‐cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (27.6%). Significant improvement in the survival of lymphoma was observed, with the 5‐year OS increasing from 48% in 1996‐2000 to 65% in 2011‐2015 (P <.001). The 5‐year OS of patients with cHL, mature BCL, and PTCL changed from 55%, 49%, and 41% in 1996‐2000 to 79%, 65%, and 51% in 2011‐2015, respectively (P values were.014,.002, and.592, respectively). Conclusion: The survival of most types of lymphoma such as cHL and mature BCL, rather than PTCL, was improved significantly during the past two decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of food web spatial heterogeneity is important for ecologists and lake managers to understand ecosystem complexity and lake management. Lake Taihu, a large shallow eutrophic lake in China, has two distinct zones: algae- and macrophyte-dominated. In this study, we assessed the spatial heterogeneity of food webs in the two lake zones using stable isotope analysis and isotope mixing model. The basal sources and consumers showed significant differences in δ13C and δ15N ratios between the two lake zones, except for the filter-feeding fishes. Overall, more δ13C-depleted and δ15N-enriched ratios were found in the algae- than the macrophyte-dominated zones for basal sources and consumers. Although the consumers in the algae-dominant zone had higher average δ15N values, the food web of the macrophyte-dominated zone had longer food chain length and more diverse trophic linkages. These spatial differences may have resulted from resource availability and environmental stress of Lake Taihu ecosystem. Factors associated with spatial trophic heterogeneity should be considered for the management and restoration of this shallow eutrophic lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Poor treatment of depression in older people remains a prominent problem. • Older people experience psychological problems regardless of cognitive condition. • Group reminiscence interventions are valuable resources for older adults. • The long-term effects of group reminiscence interventions need to be explored. Reminiscence interventions have been extensively used to improve the psychological health of people with dementia. However, there is uncertainty about the effectiveness of group reminiscence interventions for older adults with intact cognition and mild cognitive impairment. Based on the large number of older adults and strained health care resources in China, we conducted a systematic review of the evidence on the effectiveness of group reminiscence interventions for older adults with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairment. Five English databases were searched from inception to 21 August 2022. The quality of the included articles was assessed by using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Scale or Criteria (2020) and the Australian Evidence-Based Health Care Centre (2020). Data related to study and intervention characteristics were extracted. Twenty-four articles were included, of which eight were quasiexperimental studies and sixteen were randomized controlled studies. The overall study quality was high, but most studies did not blind the participants. Group reminiscence interventions were beneficial in improving depressive symptoms and life satisfaction in older adults with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairment, but no valid conclusions could be drawn about the effect on quality of life. Group reminiscence interventions are an effective type of psychological intervention to improve the psychological health of older people. In addition, group reminiscence interventions are simple and easy to implement and can be considered a routine care activity to meet the spiritual needs of cognitively intact and mildly cognitively impaired older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to severe disturbances caused by rapid urbanization and industrialization, river ecosystems have evolved into complex natural-social composite ecosystems. At present, there is no unified evaluation method for the effect of river restoration in China. The existing research fails to fully integrate the "natural-social" characteristics of rivers, and pays less attention to the river section scale, which is not conducive to the development of accurate pollution control work. In this paper, we first put forward the division method of river section type which conforms to the "nature-society" dual attribute characteristics of the river, and divides the river section into "ecological/service/dual" functional "urban/rural" river section. Then a method for evaluating the restoration effect of different river sections based on index weight optimization was proposed. Based on the type of river section, the weights of 17 indexes were optimized, and the common evaluation method of restoration effect—multi-index evaluation method was improved. In addition, the application and verification of the established method were carried out on the main stream of Qingyi River and its typical tributaries. The evaluation results show that only the restoration effect of Baling River decreased from average in 2019 to acceptable in 2021, and Δ H (the change of the mean score of the target factor after repair) decreased from 15.6% to 6.2%. It was found that for the river sections where the repair effect cannot be maintained stably (such as Baling River), the previous methods paid more attention to the overall effect and easily ignored the specific problems. The improved method can identify problems more easily and facilitate timely post-maintenance. To further optimize the repair effect of Qingyi River, it is suggested that the restoration effect should be strengthened from the aspects of pollution source control, water quality improvement, aquatic restoration, continuous monitoring and evaluation. The evaluation results can provide a reference for the design, operation, and maintenance of restoration projects in small and medium-sized rivers. • Proposed an evaluation method of restoration effect based on river sections. • Classify river reach types based on administrative location and dominant functions. • The improved method optimizes the index weight and evaluation criteria. • The improved method can find out the problems in the river section in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel near-infrared fluorescent off-on probe for H2S based on seminaphthorhodafluor fluorophore is designed and constructed, which could be used in detection with 121-fold (23-fold) fluorescent (absorbance) enhancement at 630 nm (572 nm), fast responsiveness (completed within 5 min), high sensitivity, and lower cellular autofluorescence interference. Based on these excellent optical properties, the probe was employed to monitor H2S in red wine samples with satisfactory results. Moreover, the probe was successfully applied for monitoring and imaging H2S quantitatively in Hela cells and live athymic nude mice, indicating its potential application in biological science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoma Paridis, a traditional Chinese medicine, has shown promise in cancer prevention and therapy. Polyphyllin II is one of the most significant saponins in Rhizoma Paridis and it has toxic effects on kinds of cancer cells. However, our results in this study proved that the polyphyllin II has hepatotoxicity in vitro through caspases activation and cell‐cycle arrest. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide results indicated polyphyllin II inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis in HepaRG cells and HL‐7702 cells and showed a concentration and time‐dependent. Then, we selected the innovative cell model‐HepaRG cells to explore the mechanism of hepatotoxicity. Our data showed the reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased and the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased in HepaRG cells after administration of polyphyllin II. Besides, with the increase of concentration, the release of lactate dehydrogenase increased and the S phase of the cell cycle was arrested. Nevertheless, when pretreatment with antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine, apoptotic cells decreased significantly, inhibited the production of ROS and improved the decrease of membrane potential in HepaRG cells. Moreover, polyphyllin II treatment increased levels of Fas, Bax, cytochrome c, activated caspase‐3, ‐8, ‐9, cleaved poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase and decreased Bcl‐2 expression levels. Finally, we identified two signal pathways of apoptosis induced by polyphyllin II including the death receptor pathway and the mitochondria pathway. This study confirmed the hepatotoxicity of the polyphyllin II in vitro, which has never been discovered and gave a wake‐up call for the clinical application of Rhizoma Paridis. This study confirmed the hepatotoxicity of the polyphyllin II in vitro, which has never been discovered and gave a wake‐up call for the clinical application of Rhizoma Paridis. Moreover, we identified two signaling pathways of apoptosis induced by polyphyllin II including death receptor pathway and the mitochondria pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rhodamine-based fluorescent probe for Cu 2+ and ATP has been designed. The fluorescence intensity/absorbance was significantly enhanced upon the addition of Cu 2+ owning to the opening of the spiro-ring of rhodamine, which quickly returned to the original level due to the reconstruction of the probe by the reacting with ATP. Cu 2+ /ATP-induced fluorescent intensity/aborbance changes showed a good linear relationship with the concentration of Cu 2+ /ATP in the range of 2–20 μM/0–10 μM with a detection limit of 0.1 μM/1.0 μM. The proposed method is simple in design and fast in operation, and is suitable for the reversible monitoring of Cu 2+ and ATP in bioanalytical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contamination with heavy metals and organic pollutants continues to cause major ecological damage and human health problems. Phytoremediation offers a highly promising technology for the recovery of sites contaminated with mixed pollutants. In this study, we performed a greenhouse experiment to investigate the individual and combined effects of cadmium (Cd) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination on the growth of Xanthium sibiricum, and also the ability of this species to accumulate and remove Cd and to reduce PAHs over a period of 75 days. Our results demonstrated that individual or combined contamination by Cd and PAHs showed no significant differences to the control treatment except in the high Cd treatment. The reduction of PAH concentration in the soil with the passage of time was similar in the presence or absence of plants. At higher levels of Cd, the removal of pyrene decreased in both planted and non-planted soils; however, this effect might be due to the higher Cd content. Soil dehydrogenase and polyphenol oxidase activities showed that soil contamination did not have a significant effect on the removal of PAHs. Overall, our results suggest that X. sibiricum might be a suitable species for use in the phytoremediation of contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to accelerating reclamation activities in the coastal wetland reserves, it is of great importance to analyze the effects of wetland reclamation on heavy metal pollution in these areas. Soil samples were collected from reclamation and natural habitats in Yancheng National Nature Reserve for Coastal Rare Birds in Jiangsu, China to investigate the effects of reclamation on the total amounts, availability, and vertical distribution of seven elemental heavy-metal pollutants. In general, the total amount and availability each element were relatively low in the two habitats and were classified as “no pollution”. Reclamation was found to significantly increase the total amount of As, Cu, and Zn as well as the pollution degrees of As, Cr, and Zn. The availability of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Cr can also be significantly affected by reclamation. Furthermore, surface-accumulation patterns of the total amounts of these heavy metals could be observed in both habitats, and the availabilities of these elements were higher in deeper soils. Reclamation also had significant impacts on the vertical distribution of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn. It is essential to properly monitor nearby aquacultural activities, freshwater irrigation, and traffic pollution during plant harvest to alleviate the negative effects of these human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems is a major environmental problem since their accumulation along the food chain poses a public health risk. In this study, we tried to find whether, and to what extent, native plant species along the Suoxu River, China, may be useful for phytostabilization. The concentration of several metal elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in sediment and plant samples collected from different sections of the Suoxu River, China was investigated. Results show that the concentrations of trace metals in the sediment and plants are similar and are found in the order of Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd. Standing stock concentration varied between plants groups and metals. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TrF) values were <1 for most of the trace metals, suggesting that the investigated species are no strong accumulators of trace metals, and that translocation from roots to shoots is low. Our study shows that native plant species growing on contaminated sites may have the potential for phytostabilization but not for phytoremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawalls have increasingly been constructed to control the invasion of an exotic perennial grass, Spartina alterniflora , in coastal wetlands of eastern China. We investigated soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), available and microbial C and N, soil microbial community composition and biomass in a seawall-reclaimed S. alterniflora salt marsh compared with an adjacent natural S. alterniflora salt marsh. Seawall reclamation in S. alterniflora salt marsh significantly decreased soil salinity, moisture, litter and root biomass, and strongly decreased soil total organic C by 57% and total organic N by 59%, and also lowered soil available C and N in S. alterniflora salt marsh. Seawall reclamation significantly decreased soil microbial biomass C and the quantities of the total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), and bacterial, fungal, gram-negative bacterial, gram-positive bacterial, saturated straight-chain, and monounsaturated PLFAs in deeper soil layers (10–30 cm). Our results suggested that seawall construction could greatly decrease soil C and N accumulation of S. alterniflora salt marsh by decreasing S. alterniflora residuals input into the soil and lowering soil salinity and moisture, which further decreased soil microbial biomass by lowering soil available C and N in S. alterniflora salt marsh. Changes in soil microbial community composition and biomass could in turn affect soil C and N accumulation in a seawall-reclaimed S. alterniflora salt marsh in eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although seed dispersal is a key process determining the regeneration and spread of invasive plant populations, few studies have explicitly addressed the link between dispersal vector behavior and seedling recruitment to gain insight into the invasion process within an urban garden context. We evaluated the role of bird vectors in the dispersal of pokeweed ( Phytolacca americana), a North American herb that is invasive in urban gardens in China. Fruiting P. americana attracted both generalist and specialist bird species that fed on and dispersed its seeds. The generalist species Pycnonotus sinensis and Urocissa erythrorhyncha were the most frequent dispersers. Seedling numbers of P. americana were strongly associated with the perching behavior of frugivorous birds. If newly recruited bird species use seedling-safe perching sites, the P. americana will regenerate faster, which would enhance its invasive potential. Based on our observations, we conclude that the 2 main bird vectors, P. sinensis and U. erythrorhyncha, provide potential effective dispersal agents for P. americana. Our results highlight the role of native birds in seed dispersal of invasive plants in urban gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of damming on river ecosystems has received increasing attention, but a comprehensive understanding of the occurrence, drivers and exposure risks of microplastic (MP) pollution in multigate dam-type rivers is lacking. We investigated the characteristics and abundance of MPs in water, sediment and biological tissues from samples collected in the vicinity of ten dams in the Shaying River basin and analyzed the effect of environmental and food web structural changes on MP accumulation in freshwater animals under the influence of dams. Dam construction affects the transportation, suspension, and deposition of MPs at different dam locations (upstream, reservoir, and downstream) by altering hydrodynamihas changed the migration process of MPs. The dams intercepted a large amount of MPs from upstream sediments in the reservoir but had no significant capturing effect on MPs in water. The structure of the food web in the reservoir was simplified and the animals in the reservoir had the highest risk of MP contamination. A high MP abundance (or high microplastic diversity integrated index (MDII) values) in the environment or simplification of the food web may have led to higher MP accumulation in animals. More effort is needed to monitor MP pollution in reservoirs and control it sources. [Display omitted] • Dam construction alters the distribution of microplastic communities in sediments. • The dams trap microplastics in the reservoir sediments rather than in the water. • The environment and animals in the reservoir face a higher risk of microplastics. • Both food web and environment have an impact on the pollution risk in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Plant invasion has been reported to alter ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling processes and pools. The mechanisms involved in how plant invasion affects the soil microbial community-the primary mediator of soil C and N cycling-remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate the effect of plant invasion on the soil microbial community in a coastal wetland of eastern China. Methods: We investigated the impact of an exotic C perennial grass, Spartina alterniflora, on the soil microbial community structure based on phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) analysis and chloroform fumigation-extraction by comparing it to that of bare flat and native C plants Suaeda salsa and Phragmites australis communities. Results: Spartina alterniflora invasion significantly increased soil microbial biomass C and the total and various types of PLFAs compared with bare flat, Suaeda salsa and Phragmites australis communities. Increased concentrations of soil moisture, electrical conductivity, water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC), and total, labile and recalcitrant soil organic C and N, and decreased soil pH in Spartina alterniflora community explained 65.9 % of the total variability in the PLFAs. WSOC and soil labile organic N were strongly correlated with PLFAs, whereas soil pH was negatively related to PLFAs. Conclusions: A 10-year Spartina alterniflora invasion significantly altered soil microbial biomass and community structure by increasing available substrate. The changes in soil microbial biomass and community structure may in turn enhance soil C and N sequestration in a coastal wetland of eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flumioxazin, a protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO; EC 1.3.3.4) inhibitor, has been used in soybean, cotton, grapes, and many other crops to control broad leaf weeds. Unfortunately, it can cause damage to cotton. To ameliorate phytotoxicity of flumioxazin to cotton, this work assessed the protective effects of diazabicyclo derivatives as potential safeners in cotton. A bioactivity assay proved that the phytotoxicity of flumioxazin on cotton was alleviated by some of the compounds. In particular, the activity of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) was significantly enhanced by Compound 32 , which showed good safening activity against flumioxazin injury. The physicochemical properties and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) predictions proved that the pharmacokinetic properties of Compound 32 are similar to those of the commercial safener BAS 145138. The present work demonstrated that diazabicyclo derivatives are potentially efficacious as herbicide safeners, meriting further investigation. [Display omitted] • Innovatively found that the phytotoxicity of flumioxazin in cotton was alleviated by diazabicyclo derivatives. • This work provides ideas for protecting cotton injured by pesticides. • This work provides guidance for expanding the scope of herbicide applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cascade dams cause downstream water quality to deteriorate during the dry season. • Environmental factors and dams had significant effects on the functional diversity. • The number of dams affects water quality and functional diversity. • Suggest reducing the storage time and pollution source input during the dry season. The construction of cascade dams has led to a lack of longitudinal connectivity in rivers, fragmentation of habitats, slowing of the spread of biota, and loss of biodiversity. Here, we examined the zooplankton functional diversity in a typical river with cascade dams and compared the differences between the upstream and downstream parts of the river during the dry and wet seasons. The findings were as follows: (1) during the dry season, the nutrient load in the lower reaches of the river increased, and the water quality deteriorated, while the conditions during the wet season did not change significantly; (2) during the dry season, the functional beta diversity of downstream zooplankton caused by cascade dams was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that upstream, but this phenomenon was not prominent during the wet season; (3) during the dry season, environmental factors and dam numbers significantly affected the functional diversity of zooplankton, and the number of dams directly impacted the formation of the distribution pattern of zooplankton functional traits. These findings highlight the effects of the hydrological regulation of cascade dams in different seasons on the functional diversity of zooplankton and suggest that: 1) water retention times and pollution source inputs should be reduced during the dry season, 2) dedicated biological channels should be established to reduce the harm caused by clustered pollution to zooplankton, and 3) thermal pollution and strong scouring caused by large-scale flood discharge simultaneously should be avoided during the rainy season. Zooplankton functional diversity is sensitive to dam hydrological regulation, and we advise it be included as a critical indicator during ecosystem assessment in the dam management process, along with additional biological indicators are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive anthropogenic activities, specifically, industrial and agricultural production, have resulted in heavy metal enrichment in lake sediment and threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Evaluating the potential ecological risk of heavy metals in lake sediment is essential for promoting appropriate lake management in aquatic ecosystems. Large-spatial scale risk evaluations of heavy metal pollution in lake sediment in densely populated countries such as China are lacking. We compiled sediment heavy metal (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, As, Hg, and Cd) data from 190 lakes distributed across five geographic zones in China published between 2000 and 2019, evaluated the potential ecological risk and identified heavy metal sources through positive matrix factorization. Five conclusions were drawn. (1) Regarding the eight collected heavy metals, 6.1–40.4% of 190 lakes exhibited higher concentrations than the Chinese soil background value, and the concentration in 6.2% of lakes exceeded the probable effect concentration. (2) Based on the potential ecological risk index (PERI) and sum of toxic units (STU), Cd and Hg were the major pollutants. (3) The PERI value notably decreased with increasing lake surface area, and small lakes (<10 km2) generally yielded high PERI values. Among the five Chinese geographic zones, the Eastern Plain Lake Zone and Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang Lake Zone exhibited higher potential ecological risk. Compared to natural lakes, urban lakes and reservoirs posed higher ecological risks, while freshwater lakes yielded higher PERI values than saltwater lakes and saline lakes. (4) In all lakes, lake sediment pollutants Cu and Zn mainly originated from traffic sources; Cd originated from agricultural activities; Pb and Hg were related to industrial activities; and Ni, Cr and As indicated mixed sources. (5) In the Eastern Plain Lake Zone, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau Lake Zone and Northeast Plain and Mountain Lake Zone, industry was the dominant source of heavy metals in lake sediment, while in the Tibetan Plateau Lake Zone and Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang Lake Zone, except for industrial sources, agricultural sources played an important role. Our national-scale integrated analysis provides valuable references for both macroscale policy formulation and polluted lake restoration. [Display omitted] • Chinese lake sediments exhibited moderate potential ecological risks. • Cd and Hg were the major pollutants, the toxicity of Pb was highest. • The ecological risk of heavy metals was notably decreased with the lake surface area. • Industrial sources were the dominant source of heavy metals in lake sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To investigate the anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of gecko crude peptides (GCPs) in vitro and in vivo. Methods. 3-(4,5)- dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay was applied to measure the effects of GCPs on the HepG2 cell viability. Fluorescence morphology was used to identify apoptotic cells. A xenograft H22 liver cancer model was established in Kunming mice. The tumor-bearing mice were treated with daily intraperitoneal injections of normal saline (NS group) or GCPs (80, 40 or 20 mg/kg) for 10 days, or once per two days with 2mg/kg doxorubicin (ADR group; n = 10 each). Serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 were quantified using ELISA assay. Results. GCPs significantly inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells and induced typical apoptotic morphological features through increasing bcl-2/bax ratio in a dose- and timedependent manner in vitro. The tumor weights of the ADR group, GCPs (H) group, GCPs (M) group, GCPs (L) group were smaller compared to the NS group. While the white blood cell count, thymus index, spleen index were higher in the high dose GCPs group than the NS group (P < 0.05), the VEGF expression in tumor tissue and serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the GCPs groups were lower than the NS group (P < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To investigate the anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of gecko crude peptides (GCPs) in vitro and in vivo. Methods. 3-(4,5)- dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay was applied to measure the effects of GCPs on the HepG2 cell viability. Fluorescence morphology was used to identify apoptotic cells. A xenograft H22 liver cancer model was established in Kunming mice. The tumor-bearing mice were treated with daily intraperitoneal injections of normal saline (NS group) or GCPs (80, 40 or 20 mg/kg) for 10 days, or once per two days with 2mg/kg doxorubicin (ADR group; n = 10 each). Serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 were quantified using ELISA assay. Results. GCPs significantly inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells and induced typical apoptotic morphological features through increasing bcl-2/bax ratio in a dose- and timedependent manner in vitro. The tumor weights of the ADR group, GCPs (H) group, GCPs (M) group, GCPs (L) group were smaller compared to the NS group. While the white blood cell count, thymus index, spleen index were higher in the high dose GCPs group than the NS group (P < 0.05), the VEGF expression in tumor tissue and serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the GCPs groups were lower than the NS group (P < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoxaflutole (IXF), a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor, causes injury to crops leading to reductions in grain yield. In order to solve the phytotoxicity caused by IXF, the present work evaluated the protective response of the substituted quinoxaline derivatives as potential safeners on Zea mays. The bioassay results showed that all of the test compounds displayed protection against IXF. In particular, safener I-6 exhibited excellent safener activity against IXF injury via enhancing glutathione (GSH) content, glutathione S transferases (GSTs) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450) activity. The tested compounds induced the activity of CYP450 and GSTs in Z. mays. The physicochemical properties and ADMET properties of safener I-6 , benoxacor and diketonitrile (DKN, IXF metabolite) were compared to predict pharmaceutical behavior. The present work demonstrates that the safener I-6 could be considered as a potential candidate for developing novel safeners in the future. [Display omitted] • A series of Quinoxaline Derivatives were used to protect crops from isoxaflutole injury. • Compound I-6 displayed excellent safener activity. • This work paves the way for expanding the weed control spectrum of isoxaflutole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimp Optimization Algorithm (ChOA), a novel meta-heuristic algorithm, has been proposed in recent years. It divides the population into four different levels for the purpose of hunting. However, there are still some defects that lead to the algorithm falling into the local optimum. To overcome these defects, an Enhanced Chimp Optimization Algorithm (EChOA) is developed in this paper. Highly Disruptive Polynomial Mutation (HDPM) is introduced to further explore the population space and increase the population diversity. Then, the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between the chimps with the highest fitness and the lowest fitness is calculated. In order to avoid the local optimization, the chimps with low fitness values are introduced with Beetle Antenna Search Algorithm (BAS) to obtain visual ability. Through the introduction of the above three strategies, the ability of population exploration and exploitation is enhanced. On this basis, this paper proposes an EChOA-SVM model, which can optimize parameters while selecting the features. Thus, the maximum classification accuracy can be achieved with as few features as possible. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, the proposed method is compared with seven common methods, including the original algorithm. Seventeen benchmark datasets from the UCI machine learning library are used to evaluate the accuracy, number of features, and fitness of these methods. Experimental results show that the classification accuracy of the proposed method is better than the other methods on most data sets, and the number of features required by the proposed method is also less than the other algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the changes of the endogenous phosphorylation of brainstem mitochondrial and synaptosomal proteins in adult hens dosed with tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) following the development of organophosphate-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN). Verapamil (7mg/(kgday), i.m.) was given for 4 days. A dose of TOCP (750mg/kg, p.o.) was administrated in second day after verapamil. Phosphorylation of the proteins from brainstem mitochondria and synaptosomes was assayed in vitro by using [γ-32P]ATP as phosphate donor. Radiolabeled proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE and visualized by autoradiography. The results showed that TOCP administration enhanced the phosphorylation of the cell organelle proteins (mitochondria: 60, 55, 45, and 20kDa; synaptosomes: 65, 60, and 20kDa), while verapamil abolished the enhancement induced by TOCP. Additionally, the reaction for the phosphorylation is catalyzed by the calcium/calmodulin protein kinase. Therefore, TOCP can enhance the phosphorylation of the brainstem mitochondrial and synaptosomal proteins from the hens with OPIDN; however, protection from the enhancement of the phosphorylation should be involved in the mechanisms of the amelioration of TOCP-induced delayed neurotoxicity by verapamil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effects of methamidophos and tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) on the endogenous phosphorylation of specific brain proteins were studied in Beijing white laying hens during the early stage of delayed neurotoxicity. Phosphorylation of mitochondrial and synaptosomal proteins was assayed in vitro by using [γ-32P]ATP as phosphate donor. Tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) administration enhanced the phosphorylation of synaptosomal proteins with molecular weight of 40 and 55 kDa by as much as 36% and 65%, respectively, and decreased the phosphorylation of mitochondrial protein (35 kDa) by 33%. A single dose of methamidophos enhanced the phosphorylation of 32-kDa synaptosomal protein by 44%; however, it had no effect on brain mitochondrial proteins. The activity of neuropathy target esterase (NTE) in dosed hens’ brain and spinal cord was assayed for the effects of methamidophos and TOCP. These results showed that methamidophos inhibited brain NTE by 41% compared with that of control after 7-day exposure, while TOCP inhibited brain NTE by 66%. Moreover, NTE activity from spinal cord in treated hens also exhibited a similar trend of activity inhibition. Together, these results suggested that methamidophos and TOCP induced changes of protein phosphorylation level from hen brain and resulted in different kinds of neurotoxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, we examined genetic variability of the moss Thuidium cymbifolium (Thuidiaceae) sampled from three types of spruce (Picea asperata) stands: an intact stand, naturally regenerated stands after clearcut harvests, and planted stands after clearcut harvests in the Miyaluo area, western Sichuan of China. Stands of the latter two types were of various age since the last clearcut. Results showed that the population of T. cymbifolium from the intact stand displayed the highest level of genetic diversity, and populations from the planted stands exhibited significantly higher levels than the naturally regenerated stands. In planted stands, genetic variation within populations increased over time. These findings indicated that habitat destruction by forest harvesting led to the reduction in genetic variation within populations, but that given time, artificial reforestation after clearcut was effective in promoting the recovery of genetic diversity in the recolonized moss species. Therefore, lengthening the normal felling rotation of plantations should be favored to restore and conserve genetic diversity in recolonized species. In addition, thinning young plantations via selective logging may provide heterogenous microhabitats similar to those in the old stands, and thereby facilitate the development of bryophyte communities and the increase of genetic variation of the recolonized mosses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carbamate esters are widely used as pesticides and can cause neurotoxicity in humans and animals; the exact mechanism is still unclear. In the present investigation, the effects of carbamates at sublethal concentration on neurite outgrowth and cytoskeleton as well as activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and neuropathy target esterase (NTE) in differentiating human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells were studied. The results showed that 50μM of either aldicarb or carbaryl significantly decreased neurite length in the retinoic acid-induced differentiation of the neuroblastoma cells, compared to cells treated with vehicle. Western blot analyses revealed that neither carbamate had significant effects on the levels of actin, or total neurofilament high molecular proteins (NF-H). However, increased NF-H phosphorylation was observed following carbamate treatment. These changes may represent a useful in vitro marker of carbamate neurotoxicity within a simple model of neuronal cell differentiation. Furthermore, activity of AChE, but not NTE, was significantly inhibited by aldicarb and carbaryl in differentiating cells, which suggested that cytoskeletal protein changes induced by carbamate esters in differentiating cells was associated with inhibition of AChE but not NTE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]