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The clinical application of conventional doxorubicin (CDOX) was constrained by its side effects. Liposomal doxorubicin was developed to mitigate these limitations, showing improved toxicity profiles. However, the adverse events associated with liposomal doxorubicin and CDOX have not yet been comprehensively evaluated in clinical settings. The FAERS data from January 2004 to December 2022 were collected to analyze the adverse events of liposomal doxorubicin and CDOX. Disproportionate analysis and Bayesian analysis were employed to quantify this association. Our analysis incorporated 68,803 adverse event reports related to Doxil/Caelyx, Myocet and CDOX. The relative odds ratios (RORs, 95%CI) for febrile neutropenia associated with CDOX, Doxil/Caelyx, and Myocet were 42.45 (41.44; 43.48), 17.53 (16.02; 19.20), and 34.68 (26.63; 45.15) respectively. For cardiotoxicity, they were 38.87(36.41;41.49), 17.96 (14.10; 22.86), and 37.36 (19.34; 72.17). For Palmar-Plantar Erythrodysesthesia (PPE), the RORs were 6.16 (5.69; 6.68), 36.13 (32.60; 40.06), and 19.69 (11.59; 33.44). Regarding onset time, significant differences adverse events including neutropenia, PPE, pneumonia and malignant neoplasm progression. This study indicates that clinical monitoring for symptoms of cardiotoxicity of CDOX and Myocet, and PPE and interstitial lung disease of Doxil should be performed. Additionally, the onset time of febrile neutropenia, malignant neoplasm progression, and pneumonia associated with Doxil and Myocet merits particular attention. Continuous surveillance, risk evaluations, and additional comparative studies between liposomal doxorubicin and CDOX were recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the environmental fate and risk of mercury (Hg) have been mostly focused on total mercury and a very toxic species methylmercury (MeHg). However, another organic Hg species, ethylmercury (EtHg), has long been neglected, partly due to the analytical limitations. The generally used aqueous ethylation for analyzing MeHg converts both Hg2+ and EtHg into diethylmercury, making it impossible to distinguish EtHg from Hg2+. Thanks to the emerging methods other than ethylation derivatization, EtHg has been identified in soils and sediments from a variety of sites, with a similar concentration to MeHg in some cases (e.g., the Florida Everglades). More importantly, results from recent studies also suggested that EtHg in the environment is derived not only from anthropogenic input (as bactericide, etc.), but also possibly from unknown natural formation pathways. Unfortunately, the environmental aspects, including formation, transport, transformation, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of EtHg, are still not well understood, limiting our understanding of this "new" organic Hg species. In this review, the current analytical methods focusing on gas/liquid chromatography coupled with atomic spectrometer for EtHg are summarized. Then, the occurrence of EtHg and its possible natural sources in the environment are discussed. Finally, the environmental transport, degradation, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of EtHg are discussed. It is expected that this review would provide comprehensive background and important clues to understand the natural occurrence and fate of EtHg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the environmental fate and risk of mercury (Hg) have been mostly focused on total mercury and a very toxic species methylmercury (MeHg). However, another organic Hg species, ethylmercury (EtHg), has long been neglected, partly due to the analytical limitations. The generally used aqueous ethylation for analyzing MeHg converts both Hg2+ and EtHg into diethylmercury, making it impossible to distinguish EtHg from Hg2+. Thanks to the emerging methods other than ethylation derivatization, EtHg has been identified in soils and sediments from a variety of sites, with a similar concentration to MeHg in some cases (e.g., the Florida Everglades). More importantly, results from recent studies also suggested that EtHg in the environment is derived not only from anthropogenic input (as bactericide, etc.), but also possibly from unknown natural formation pathways. Unfortunately, the environmental aspects, including formation, transport, transformation, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of EtHg, are still not well understood, limiting our understanding of this "new" organic Hg species. In this review, the current analytical methods focusing on gas/liquid chromatography coupled with atomic spectrometer for EtHg are summarized. Then, the occurrence of EtHg and its possible natural sources in the environment are discussed. Finally, the environmental transport, degradation, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of EtHg are discussed. It is expected that this review would provide comprehensive background and important clues to understand the natural occurrence and fate of EtHg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been the leading cause of irreversible blindness in industrialized countries. Emerging data suggest that serum vitamin D levels may be associated with AMD but show mixed results. National-level population data on the relationship between vitamin D and AMD severities are still lacking. Methods: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005 to 2008. Retinal photographs were taken and graded for AMD stage. The odds ratio (OR) of AMD and its subtype was calculated after adjusting for confounding factors. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to explore potential non-linear relations. Results: A total of 5041 participants with a mean age of 59.6 years were included. After adjusting for covariates, participants with higher level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] had significantly greater odds of early AMD (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.08–2.51) and decreased risk of late AMD (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.09–0.88). When stratified by age, a positive association between the level of serum 25(OH)D and early AMD was present in the <60 years group (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.08–7.29), whereas a negative relation between the level of serum 25(OH)D and late AMD was detected in the ≥60 years group (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.08–0.76). Conclusions: A higher level of serum 25(OH)D was related to increased risk of early AMD in those <60 years and decreased risk of late AMD in those ≥60 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyzed how much bidders in the record-breaking C-Band spectrum (3.7–4.2 GHz) auction were willing to pay for earlier access to frequency rights and the policy implications of the incentive system employed by the Federal Communications Commission to clear the band on an accelerated timeline. The analysis found that bidders paid 20.7 percent more on average for licenses available two years earlier with no subsequent legal challenges. Even though it did not follow traditional price discovery, Auction 107 laid the groundwork for accelerating the transition of wide swaths of the spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study evaluated the long-term outcomes of endoscopic suturing and knotting-dacryocystorhinostomy (eSK-DCR) without the use of a stent or mitomycin C. Methods: A prospective interventional case series was performed on patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) who underwent eSK-DCR at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center from October 2019 to December 2019. The surgeon sutured the lacrimal sac mucosa with the nasal mucosa by tying knots under endoscopic DCR. Subject demographics, preoperative data and postoperative data were collected, including clinical presentation, Munk score for epiphora, surgical indications, operation time, duration of knotting, number of knots, endoscopic ostium size, complications, and anatomical and functional success. Anatomic success was defined as patent ostium on lacrimal irrigation, and functional success was defined as subjective improvement in symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed by IBM SPSS software (Version 20.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: A total of 60 patients (71 eyes) underwent pure eSK-DCR. Of these, 95.0% (57/60) were females. The mean age of the patients was 54.7 years. The mean surgical time was 37.60 min, and the average time for each knotting was 2.86 min. Endoscopic evidence found that all patients showed patent ostium and normal healing of the flaps after 4 weeks. The Munk scores dropped significantly at 6 months postoperatively compared to preoperative scores (P < 0.0001). Although 4 patients (7 eyes) were lost to follow-up at the end of the 2-year period, the anatomical and functional success remained stable during the 2-year follow-up period (anatomical, 100%; functional, 87.5%). No serious complications were detected during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Pure eSK-DCR is a simple and reliable therapeutic method for the management of NLDO. The surgical outcomes were good and remained stable beyond 6 months postoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Although it can be controlled locally, half of the patients still develop metastases. To date, there have been no standard therapeutic strategies for the prevention or treatment of metastases. Existing therapies, such as chemotherapy and targeted therapies, induce only minimal responses. This review focuses on newly published research on immunotherapy. We highlight expanding treatments and their clinical outcomes, as well as propose promising new treatments and feasible checkpoints. Based on these findings, we provide innovative insights into feasible strategies for the treatment of patients with uveal melanoma. Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Compared to cutaneous melanoma (CM), which mainly harbors BRAF or NRAS mutations, UM predominantly harbors GNAQ or GNA11 mutations. Although primary UM can be controlled locally, approximately 50% of patients still develop metastases. To date, there have been no standard therapeutic strategies for the prevention or treatment of metastases. Unfortunately, chemotherapy and targeted therapies only induce minimal responses in patients with metastatic UM, with a median survival time of only 4–5 months after metastasis detection. Immunotherapy agents, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, have achieved pioneering outcomes in CM but have shown limited effects in UM. Researchers have explored several feasible checkpoints to identify options for future therapies. Cancer vaccines have shown little in the way of therapeutic benefit in patients with UM, and there are few ongoing trials providing favorable evidence, but adoptive cell transfer-related therapies seem promising and deserve further investigation. More recently, the immune-mobilizing monoclonal T-cell receptor against the cancer molecule tebentafusp showed impressive antitumor effects. Meanwhile, oncolytic viruses and small molecule inhibitors have also gained ground. This review highlights recent progress in burgeoning treatments and provides innovative insights on feasible strategies for the treatment of UM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to more efficiently mine the features of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) and establish a more appropriate classification model, this article proposes an improved convolutional autoencoder (ICAE) based on texture feature fusion (TFF-ICAE) for PolSAR terrain classification. First, TFF-ICAE specifically designs a multi-indicator squeeze-and-excitation (MI-SE) block and incorporates it into the CAE network. MI-SE can enhance the essential feature information while suppressing the interference information as much as possible, and it can effectively increase the between-class distance while reducing the within-class distance. Then, TFF-ICAE uses gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) to capture the texture features, and it optimally fuses these texture features and the deep features extracted by ICAE to complete the multilevel feature fusion, elevating the feature representation completeness of the terrain. That is, TFF-ICAE effectively enhances the feature separation capability of different categories while greatly elevating the feature representation completeness. Experiments on the datasets of San Francisco, Oberpfaffenhofen, and Flevoland show that the proposed TFF-ICAE, respectively, achieves overall accuracies of 93.44%, 97.61%, and 97.78%, which are at least 0.92%, 1.52%, and 0.97% higher than other algorithms. Undoubtedly, the superiority of TFF-ICAE is verified on these datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kernel moisture content at the harvest stage (KMC) is an important trait that affects the mechanical harvesting of maize grain, and the identification of genetic loci for KMC is beneficial for maize molecular breeding. In this study, we performed a multi-locus genome-wide association study (ML-GWAS) to identify quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) for KMC using an association mapping panel of 251 maize inbred lines that were genotyped with an Affymetrix CGMB56K SNP Array and phenotypically evaluated in three environments. Ninety-eight QTNs for KMC were detected using six ML-GWAS models (mrMLM, FASTmrMLM, FASTmrEMMA, PLARmEB, PKWmEB, and ISIS EM-BLASSO). Eleven of these QTNs were considered to be stable, as they were detected by at least four ML-GWAS models under a uniformed environment or in at least two environments and BLUP using the same ML-GWAS model. With qKMC5.6 removed, the remaining 10 stable QTNs explained <10% of the phenotypic variation, suggesting that KMC is mainly controlled by multiple minor-effect genetic loci. A total of 63 candidate genes were predicted from the 11 stable QTNs, and 10 candidate genes were highly expressed in the kernel at different time points after pollination. High prediction accuracy was achieved when the KMC-associated QTNs were included as fixed effects in genomic selection, and the best strategy was to integrate all KMC QTNs identified by all six ML-GWAS models. These results further our understanding of the genetic architecture of KMC and highlight the potential of genomic selection for KMC in maize breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewage sludge (SS) production in China has increased rapidly, accompanying the fast expansion of its sewage treatment capacity. Heavy metals (HMs) in SS have been a great concern, hampering the utilization and disposal of SS. In this study, heavy metal (HM) contents in SS from throughout China were determined. The median values of HMs in SS decreased in the order Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > As > Hg > Cd. The general attainment rates of HMs in SS are satisfying (> 90%). Combining the present data with those obtained from references, spatial distributions and temporal trends of HMs in SS were analyzed. Depending on the specific HM element, the spatial variation trend might be decreasing trends from south to north and from east to west of China. The element-specific hot spots of SS with relatively high HM contents were identified. Analysis of the historical data in different time intervals reviewed obvious decreasing trends in HM contents of SS in China, indicating the well implementation of more and more stringent environmental regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI) is a disfiguring and vision-threatening fibroinflammatory disorder. The pathogenesis of IOI has not been elucidated. We sought to clarify the regulatory T cell (Treg) distribution and function in patients with IOI. Methods: The frequency, phenotype and function of Tregs were identified by multicolor flow cytometry and in vitro cell functional assays. Plasma and tissue samples were obtained to investigate cytokines, chemokines and their receptors of interest by relative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Luminex assays. Results: Compared with healthy subjects, patients with IOI exhibited obvious increases of Tregs in peripheral blood and affected orbital tissues. Circulating Tregs from patients with IOI were significantly more polarized to a Th17-like phenotype with defective regulatory function, whereas orbit-derived Tregs were polarized to a Th2-like phenotype. Furthermore, ST2 expression levels in circulating Tregs and interleukin (IL)-33 mRNA levels in orbital tissues were decreased in IOI. IL-33 restored the suppressive function of Tregs, reduced interferon (IFN)-γ production by Tregs and decreased the activation of orbital fibroblasts (OFs) cocultured with Tregs in IOI. Conclusion: Increased Tregs with proinflammatory and profibrotic polarization were first identified in IOI, suggesting that Treg plasticity and heterogeneity plays an essential role in IOI pathogenesis. Additionally, our study identified a regulatory effect of IL-33 on inflammation and fibrosis in IOI. Reversing the plastic Tregs via IL-33 might be a potential option for IOI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Maize is frequently subjected to simultaneous water (drought or waterlogging) and heat (HS) stresses during grain formation in southern China. This work examined the effect of high temperature combined with drought (HD) or waterlogging (HW) during grain formation on the starch physicochemical properties of two waxy maize hybrids, namely Suyunnuo5 (SYN5) and Yunuo7 (YN7). RESULTS: Heat stress enlarged the starch granule size, and water stresses aggravated this effect. Heat stress reduced the ratio of small molecular weight fractions for both hybrids, and HD aggravated this reduction only in SYN5. Relative crystallinity in SYN5 was increased by stresses but in YN7 it was unaffected by HD, reduced by HS, and increased by HW. Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry results showed that the 1045/1022 cm−1 ratio in SYN5 was not influenced by HW but was increased by other stresses, and that in YN7 it was increased by all stresses, with the highest value induced by HW. Peak viscosity was decreased, whereas gelatinization temperatures and retrogradation percentage were increased by all of these stresses. These effects were exacerbated by combined heat and water stresses. The maximum decomposition rate was severely increased by HW. CONCLUSION: Drought or waterlogging at grain formation stage aggravated the detrimental effects of HS on the starch physicochemical properties of waxy maize. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To characterize the phenotypic abnormalities of peripheral B cells in patients with Graves' orbitopathy (GO) and explore the role of chemokine CXC ligand 13 and its receptor type 5 (CXCL13/CXCR5) in relation to B-cell homeostasis using specific neutralizing antibodies. Adults with active GO (n = 22), inactive GO (n = 28), and healthy control subjects (n = 28) were included in the study. Peripheral B cells and B-cell subsets were quantified and analyzed for CXCR5 expression by flow cytometry. The serum CXCL13 concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. For chemotactic experiments, Transwell plates were used, and migrating B cells were further analyzed by flow cytometry. Compared to healthy subjects, patients with active GO had a significantly higher number of CD19+ B cells and the CD19+CD27+ memory B-cell subset (P =.041 and P =.019, respectively), whereas a marginal increase in the number of these cells was found in patients with inactive GO (P =.062 and P =.087, respectively). Serum CXCL13 levels were significantly higher in patients with active GO (86.9 ± 30.4 pg/mL) than in those with inactive GO (41.7 ± 18.1 pg/mL; P <.001) and in healthy subjects (36.2 ± 7.8 pg/mL; P <.001). The increased CXCL13 concentration was positively and significantly correlated with the clinical activity score (r = 0.757, P <.001). Finally, serum from patients with active GO exerted a stronger chemotactic activity towards B cells and the CD19+CD27+ memory B-cell subset. Blocking CXCL13 or CXCR5 with neutralizing antibodies reduced B-cell migration by a mean of 20%. Our data suggest that aberrant CXCL13/CXCR5 expression may contribute to the deficits in B-lymphocyte homeostasis observed in active GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell cycle deregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of many cancers and is often associated with protein kinase aberrations, including the polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1). We used retinoblastoma, an intraocular malignancy that lacks targeted therapy, as a disease model and set out to reveal targetability of PLK1 with a small molecular inhibitor ON-01910.Na. First, transcriptomic analysis on patient retinoblastoma tissues suggested that cell cycle progression was deregulated and confirmed that PLK1 pathway was upregulated. Next, antitumor activity of ON-01910.Na was investigated in both cellular and animal levels. Cytotoxicity induced by ON-01910.Na was tumor specific and dose dependent in retinoblastoma cells, while nontumor cells were minimally affected. In three-dimensional culture, ON-01910.Na demonstrated efficient drug penetrability with multilayer cell death. Posttreatment transcriptomic findings revealed that cell cycle arrest and MAPK cascade activation were induced following PLK1 inhibition and eventually resulted in apoptotic cell death. In Balb/c nude mice, a safe threshold of 0.8 nmol intravitreal dosage of ON-01910.Na was established for intraocular safety, which was demonstrated by structural integrity and functional preservation. Furthermore, intraocular and subcutaneous xenograft were significantly reduced with ON-01910.Na treatments. For the first time, we demonstrated targetability of PLK1 in retinoblastoma by efficiently causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Our study is supportive that local treatment of ON-01910.Na may be a novel, effective modality benefiting patients with PLK1-aberrant tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: It remains an open question if the long‐term application of single chemical herbicides would inevitably lead to increased weed populations and result in out‐of‐control weeds. The annual dynamics of weed seed bank responses to different weeding measures (chemical herbicide, hand weeding and no weeding) in rice–wheat cropping systems were compared to observe the succession of weed communities under different weed selection pressures for 17 years. RESULTS: In unweeded rice–wheat cropping plots, the initially dominant broadleaf weeds were overtaken by grasses and eventually by sedges, while in plots subjected to chemical herbicide or hand weeding, broadleaf weeds remained dominant followed by grasses. The rice–wheat cropping system favoured the spread of paddy weed species; weeding had little effect on the composition of the dominant rice weeds but greatly influenced that of wheat weeds. Total seed density tended to decrease in both weeded and unweeded plots, but the species density and composition of the seed banks differed among plots treated differently. Weeding slightly increased weed species diversity and decreased weed community evenness and dominance in the first several years, but this scenario could have negative consequences in the long term; however, without weeding, stronger interspecific competition led to a decrease in weed species diversity whereas weed community evenness and dominance increased. CONCLUSION: Long‐term and repeated application of pre‐emergence chemical herbicides and hand weeding had similar effects on the weed community dynamics, indicating that exclusive application of pre‐emergence herbicide could maintain the weed community at a durable relatively low infestation level. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To evaluate parent knowledge of screening and genetic testing for retinoblastoma and its potential correlation with demographics, clinical features, and socioeconomical factors. Methods. It was a cross-sectional study conducted at the ocular oncology unit of a tertiary ophthalmic center in Southern China. A face-to-face interview was administered to parents of retinoblastoma children during hospitalization. Parent knowledge was assessed using the sum score of a 7-item questionnaire. Demographics and socioeconomic status were collected from the interview, and clinical data were retrieved from the medical records. Results. A total of 126 parents of retinoblastoma children were included. Parents accurately answered 66.7% to 84.9% of each item in the questionnaire. Only 37 (29.4%) parents correctly answered all 7 questions. Parent knowledge was positively correlated with education, but it was not associated with patients' laterality, sex, or household income. Physicians and the Internet were the major sources of parental health-related information. During the median follow-up of 492 days, 13 (61.9%) of 21 patients in the full-score group without genetic testing at baseline actually conducted testing during follow-up compared to 29 of 67 (43.3%) in the less-than-full-score group (P = 0.136). Conclusion. Overall parent knowledge about retinoblastoma screening and genetic testing was moderate. Higher education was associated with greater parent knowledge. Future studies should validate our findings in other populations, especially in those with different cultural background and healthcare systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Posterior capsule opacification (PCO), a complication of extracapsular lens extraction surgery that causes visual impairment, is characterized by aberrant proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lens epithelial cells (LECs). Curcumin, exerting inhibitive effects on cell proliferation and EMT in cancer, serves as a possible antidote towards PCO. Methods. Cellular proliferation of LECs after treatment of curcumin was measured with MTT assay and flow cytometry. The transcriptional and expressional levels of proteins related to proliferation and EMT of LECs were quantified by western blotting and real-time PCR. Results. Curcumin was found to suppress the proliferation of LECs by inducing G2/M arrest via possible inhibition of cell cycle-related proteins including CDK1, cyclin B1, and CDC25C. It had also inactivated proliferation pathways involving ERK1/2 and Akt pathways in LECs. On the other hand, curcumin downregulated the EMT of LECs through blocking the TGF-β/Smad pathway and interfering Notch pathway which play important roles in PCO. Conclusions. This study shows that curcumin could suppress the proliferation and EMT in LECs, and it might be a potential therapeutic protection against visual loss induced by PCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Aim: To determine the associations among socioeconomic factors, delay in management, and high-risk histopathologic features in eyes primarily enucleated for retinoblastoma. Materials and Methods: A single-site survey was conducted from January 2016 through January 2018. Eyes primarily enucleated for unilateral retinoblastoma were reviewed for the presence of high-risk histopathologic features. Information on clinical characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and lag time were collected during hospitalization. Results: Of the 138 children analyzed, 60 (43.5%) carried high-risk histopathologic features. Compared to children with a standard risk, those with a high risk had a longer median lag time before treatment (21.5 vs 15.0 days, P =.007), but their overall lag time (54.0 vs 50.0 days, P =.062) and delay in the initial visit (7.0 vs 10.0 days, P =.782) were comparable. Logistic regression analysis showed that children with a lag time ≥ 30 days were at a significantly higher risk of extraocular invasion (odds ratio [OR] = 2.38 and 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08–5.37 for treatment delay; OR = 2.12 and 95% CI = 1.01–4.62 for overall delay). Neither high-risk histopathologic features nor lag time was associated with any demographic or major socioeconomic factors, including sex, age at diagnosis or enucleation, ethnicity, household income, parents' education level, medical insurance coverage, and left-behind status. Conclusions: For children with advanced unilateral retinoblastoma, there is no statistical difference in overall lag time between standard and high-risk groups. Major socioeconomic parameters have little impact on the delay and histopathologic outcomes, thus implying that children with varied socioeconomic status may be at a similar risk of advanced tumor invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wide occurrence of mercury species, including the highly toxic and readily bioaccumulative methylmercury (MeHg), in municipal sewage (MS) and sewage sludge (SS) has been evidenced in recent studies. Considering that vast amounts of MS and SS are produced globally each year and the majority of MS is discharged into aqueous environments, i.e., the main sites for MeHg bioaccumulation, special attention should be paid on the source and environmental behaviors of sewage-borne and sludge-borne mercury species. This review aims to summarize the findings on the occurrence of mercury species in MS and SS, their transport and transformation in MS treatment plants, as well as their fate and environmental implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) in sewage sludge (SS) has been a concern for decades. Sludge-borne P could exacerbate eutrophication problems once released to aquatic environments. Meanwhile, sludge-borne P would be a valuable alternative source to P minerals. A comprehensive understanding of the occurrence forms and fate of P in SS is required prior to the assessment of environmental implications of sludge-borne P. In the present study, we conducted a nationwide survey on speciation of phosphorus in the SS of China. The average concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in SS was 17.3 ± 5.1 g· kg−1, of which 67.1 ± 8.9% occurred as inorganic forms. Non-apatite inorganic phosphorus constituted the major component (77.6 ± 11.4%) of inorganic phosphorus, with the rest minor portion occurring as apatite phosphorus. Organic P accounted for 26.8 ± 7.9% of TP in SS, showing an average concentration of 4.5 ± 4.2 g· kg−1. Majority of phosphorus in the SS of China occurs as labile forms, suggesting that the environmental implications of SS disposal approaches should be assessed seriously. Sewage sludge produced by China contained 1.1 × 105 t of TP in 2016, and the amount accumulated to 1.0 × 106 t since 2001. Landfill sites are the single most important fate, receiving 8.1 × 105 t of sludge-borne TP since 2001. Land application and building materials are the other two fates of sludge-borne phosphorus. Spatial-temporal variations of phosphorus in the SS of China were also discussed.Graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occurrence and fate of sewage- and sludge-borne total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) have received little attention, although they might be an important component of the global Hg inventory. To address the knowledge gap, sewage and sewage sludge (SS) samples were collected from a secondary municipal sewage treatment plant (MSTP) located in Jiaozuo, China. Total Hg in the raw sewage varied between 95.3 ng/L and 1.2 × 103 ng/L, while MeHg occurred in the sewage within ranges of 2.7-21.3 ng/L. On average, 93.4% of THg and 89.1% of MeHg were removed from the raw sewage by the MSTP. Around 80% of net THg input into the MSTP was transported to the SS, while 80% of net MeHg input was decomposed during the treatment processes. Thus, MSTPs would be regarded as an important sink of sewage-borne THg and MeHg. On the other hand, MeHg widely occurred in the SS, with concentrations between 7.2 and 10.2 ng/g, accounting for 0.2% of the corresponding THg contents in the SS. Occurrence of THg and MeHg in the SS indicated that SS would be a significant source of MeHg and THg to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate patient pain and discomfort following oculoplastic surgery performed under general anesthesia and to assess key factors associated with postoperative pain and discomfort. Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was conducted among 212 consecutive patients who underwent oculoplastic surgery performed under general anesthesia. The patients were assessed according to quantified levels of pain and discomfort postoperatively. Analgesic requests were recorded, and responses were statistically analyzed. Results: Pain and discomfort after oculoplastic surgery under general anesthesia were reported by 32.1% and 28.3% of the patients, respectively; 2.8% of the patients requested analgesic medication within 18 hours after surgery. The patients who underwent orbital decompression, secondary orbital implantation, and orbital fracture repair were more likely to develop significant postoperative pain and discomfort (P<0.001), and the patients who underwent enucleation/evisceration during orbital implantation were more likely to develop postoperative discomfort (P<0.001). The predictors of pain were smoking history, prior surgery on the operative eye, and anxiety (P<0.05), and the predictor of discomfort was anxiety (P<0.05). Conclusion: Patients undergoing oculoplastic surgery tend to experience postoperative pain and discomfort. Anxiety is a risk factor for both postoperative pain and discomfort, while smoking history and prior surgery on the operative eye may be associated with postoperative pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Singlet oxygen (O) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) play an important role in the degradation of pollutants in surface waters. However, the mechanism underlying the photochemical generation of O and ·OH in wastewaters is poorly known. Here we studied the photo-induced generation of O and ·OH in different sewage treatment plant units. The correlation between the generation of O and ·OH and the water constituents was discussed. Our results show that in sewage units the O formation rate ranges from 2.19 × 10 to 6.74 × 10 mol L s, and the ·OH formation rate ranges from 1.7 × 10 to 3.06 × 10 mol L s. The average O formation rates in the various sewage units are similar to those in wetland and estuarine waters containing rich dissolved organic matter and 2-4 times higher than those in lake and seawater samples. The average ·OH formation rates of the sewage units are 5-50 times higher than for other water samples reported. The ·OH generation rate increased with the iron content with a correlation coefficient of 0.85, which indicates that the photo-Fenton reaction plays a dominant role in ·OH generation in sewage wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch paste viscosity properties are widely used as important indicators for quality estimation in waxy maize. To elucidate the genetic basis of paste viscosity characteristics of waxy maize, seven parameters from the rapid visco analyzer (RVA) profile were analyzed for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in this study, using a recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between the inbred lines Tongxi5 and Hengbai522. A high-density linkage map was constructed using 2703 bin markers, covering 1876.20 cM of the whole genome with an average genetic distance of 0.73 cM between adjacent bin markers. Seventy-two QTLs were detected for RVA parameters across 3 years, of which 17 could be identified in 2 years, and 6 identified in all 3 years. Eight QTL clusters were observed to be co-associated with two or more RVA parameters. Three major QTLs, qPV4-1, qTV4-1, and qFV5-2, which explained over 10% of the phenotypic variation, were stably mapped to the chromosomes 4 or 5 in all years. Based on functional annotations, two genes were considered as potential candidate genes for the identified major QTLs. The QTLs and candidate genes identified in this study will be useful for further understanding of the genetic architecture of starch paste viscosity characteristics in waxy maize, and may facilitate molecular breeding for grain quality improvement in breeding programs, and simultaneously provide a basis for cloning of the genes underlying these QTLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the clinical effects of different cycles of carboplatin, etoposide, and vincristine (CEV) regimens of adjuvant chemotherapy in postenucleation high-risk patients with IRSS Stage I retinoblastoma (RB). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 53 RB patients hospitalized in the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University was performed. All patients had unilateral involvement, received enucleation treatment, were diagnosed as RB by pathology, and had high-risk pathological factors. Patients either refused postoperative chemotherapy or received three or six cycles of CEV regimen chemotherapy. The clinical information, treatment, and results of patients in all groups were compared. Results: A total of 19 cases refused postenucleation chemotherapy, 18 cases received three cycles, and 16 cases received six cycles of the CEV regimen chemotherapy. The 5-year disease-free survival rate and the overall survival (OS) rate in the chemotherapy group were higher than those in the non-chemotherapy group (97.1% vs. 63.2%, p = 0.001) and were not different between the three-cycle chemotherapy group and the six-cycle chemotherapy group (94.4% vs. 100%, p = 0.35). Conclusion: After eye enucleation for patients with high-risk unilateral RB, the CEV regimen chemotherapy was associated with a higher survival rate. The three-cycle CEV regimen adjuvant chemotherapy was effective and is expected to replace the six-cycle CEV regimen chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize husk number and weight are two vital traits, influencing the grain drying rate after physiological maturity, shattering and breakage rate in the progress of combine harvesting, in breeding varieties suitable for mechanized harvest. Unveiling the genetic basis of the husk number and weight would be useful for guiding maize genetic improvement of mechanical harvesting. The present study is the first to conduct a genome-wide association study of the husk number and weight. In this study, 253 maize inbred lines were evaluated in three environments to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the husk number and weight using the Maize SNP3 K Beadchip. Based on the mixed linear model, 24 associated SNPs for husk number and 29 associated SNPs for husk weight were detected with P < 0.001 in different environments as well as the best linear unbiased predictions over all environments. Eight and nine stable SNPs for husk number and weight were detected in all environments, respectively. Based on the phenotypic effects of the alleles of these stable SNPs, the favorable alleles were mined. Several typical accessions harboring favorable alleles with elite phenotypic performance of husk number and weight were identified, such as T53, BJT4, Zong3, A489, and BJT6. Five elite parental combinations were predicted for reducing maize husk number and weight. These results might serve as a basis for quantitative trait loci fine mapping and the genetic improvement of maize husk number and weight through molecular marker-assisted approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waxy maize (Zea mays L. var. ceratina) is an important vegetable and economic crop that is thought to have originated from cultivated flint maize and most recently underwent divergence from common maize. In this study, a total of 110 waxy and 110 common maize inbred lines were genotyped with 3072 SNPs to evaluate the genetic diversity, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium decay as well as identify putative loci that are under positive selection. The results revealed abundant genetic diversity in the studied panel and that genetic diversity was much higher in common than in waxy maize germplasms. Principal coordinate analysis and neighbor-joining cluster analysis consistently classified the 220 accessions into two major groups and a mixed group with mixed ancestry. Subpopulation structure in both waxy and common maize sets were associated with the germplasm origin and corresponding heterotic groups. The LD decay distance (1500–2000 kb) in waxy maize was lower than that in common maize. Fourteen candidate loci were identified as under positive selection between waxy and common maize at the 99% confidence level. The information from this study can assist waxy maize breeders by enhancing parental line selection and breeding program design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To study the efficacy and safety of subantimicrobial dose (SD) doxycycline(50 mg/d) in patients with active and moderate-to-severe Graves’ orbitopathy (GO). Methods. Thirteen patients with active and moderate-to-severe GO received once daily oral doxycycline (50 mg/d) for 12 wk. Treatment response at 24 wk was used as the primary outcome, measured by a composite of improvement in Clinical Activity Score (CAS), diplopia, motility, soft tissue swelling, proptosis, and eyelid aperture. Secondary outcome was the change of quality of life score (QoL, including visual functioning subscale and appearance subscale). Adverse events were also recorded. Results. Overall improvement was noted in eight out of 13 patients (61.5%, 95% CI 31.6%–86.1%). Both CAS and soft tissue swelling significantly ameliorated in eight patients at 24 wk. Five patients (38.5%) had improvement in ocular motility of ≥8 degrees. Eyelid aperture (46.2%) also decreased remarkably. For QoL, a significant improvement in appearance subscale (P=0.008) was noted during the study, whereas no difference was observed in visual functioning subscale (P=0.21). Two patients reported mild stomachache at 12 wk. Conclusions. SD doxycycline appears to be effective and safe for the treatment of active and moderate-to-severe GO. It might serve as a new promising therapeutic strategy for GO. This trial is registered with NCT01727973. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize rough dwarf disease (MRDD) is a devastating viral disease that causes considerable yield losses in maize worldwide. Identifying quantitative trait loci underlying resistance to MRDD is important for genetic improvement of maize. In this study, 184 elite maize inbred lines from modern breeding programs were evaluated in three years to identify QTLs for MRDD resistance using 3072 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) via genome-wide association analysis. The analysis revealed abundant phenotypic diversity in the studied population. All tested maize inbred lines were divided into two subpopulations based on a Bayesian model, and the linkage disequilibrium (LD) level differed among chromosomes, with an intra-chromosomal average of 1,000-1,500 kb. After correction for multiple testing, 21 SNPs were identified for MRDD resistance in different years as well as for BLUPs (the best linear unbiased predictions) of MRDD resistance based on the MLM model, one SNP of PZE-101245575 was stably possessed the most promising association. Several SNPs were located in or close to previously reported quantitative trait loci for MRDD resistance. The significant SNPs identified in this study will be helpful for further understanding the genetic basis of MRDD resistance, and might facilitate the pyramiding of favorable alleles for high resistance to MRDD in future marker-assisted selection schemes in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by observing the changes in CD4 T-lymphocyte cell count of 110 cases with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) treated continuously with TCM for 84 months. Information of 110 HIV/AIDS patients from 19 provinces and cities treated with TCM from 2004 to 2013 was collected. Changes in the indexes of CD4 counts ( ⩽ 200, 201-350, 351-500 and > 500 cells/mm) at five time points (0, 12, 36, 60 and 84 months) and different treatments [TCM and TCM plus antiretroviral therapy (ART)] were compared. Repeated measures test indicated no interaction between group and time (P > 0.05). Degrees of increasing and decreasing CD4 count of the two groups at four different frames were statistically significant compared with the baseline. The CD4 count between the two groups was not statistically significant. For CD4 count of ⩽ 200 cells/mm, the mean CD4 count changes were 21 and 28 cells/mm per year for the TCM group and TCM plus ART group, respectively. For CD4 count of 201-350 cells/mm, the mean CD4 count changes were 6 and 25 cells/mm per year for the TCM group and TCM plus ART group, respectively. For CD4 count of 351-500 cells/mm, the mean CD4 count changes were −13 and −7 cells/mm per year for the TCM group and TCM plus ART group, respectively. For CD4 count of > 500 cells/mm, the mean CD4 count changes were −34 and −17 cells/mm per year for the TCM group and TCM plus ART group, respectively. Long-term use of TCM could maintain or slow the pace of declining CD4 counts in patients with HIV/AIDS, and may achieve lasting effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batch experiments were conducted to study the short-term biological effects of rare earth ions (La3+, Ce3+) and their mixture on the nitrogen removal in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The data showed that higher NH4 +-N removal rate, total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency, and denitrification efficiency were achieved at lower concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) (<1 mg/L). In the first hour of the aeration stage of SBR, the presence of REEs increased the total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency and NH4 +-N removal efficiency by 15.7% and 10%–15%, respectively. When the concentrations of REEs were higher than 1 mg/L, the total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency decreased, and nitrate was found to accumulate in the effluent. When the concentrations of REEs was up to 50.0 mg/L, the total inorganic nitrogen removal efficiency was less than 30% of the control efficiency with a high level of nitrate. Lower concentrations of REEs were found to accelerate the nitrogen conversion and removal in SBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity of pentachlorophenol (PCP) onChlorella pyrenidosa algae was investigated with specific attention given to possible variation of toxic effects with time. A concentration-effect relationship was observed in which there was significant inhibition of PCP on cell density and chlorophyll A content. The inhibition rate of (PCP on cell density was dependent on exposure time. The IC[SUB50] values after exposure times of 2, 4 and 6 days for cell growth were 4.18 ± 0.49, 3.49 ± 0.40 and 3.30 ± 0.26 mg/L, respectively. There was also inhibition of chlorophyll A production, which appeared to increase marginally with exposure time for a given concentration of PCP. The corresponding IC[SUB50] values on day 2, 4 and 6 were 2.30 ± 0.12, 2.63 ± 0.38 and 3.30 ± 0.34 mg/L, respectively. The effect of PCP on nitrate reductase (NR), was first stimulation followed by an inhibition phase. It is postulated that the observed temporal changes in the activity of nitrate reductase (NR) may occur through the addition or loss of phosphorus in the NR protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of p53 rs1042522, MDM2 rs2279744 and p21 rs1801270, all in the p53 pathway, which plays a crucial role in DNA damage and genomic instability, were reported to be associated with cancer risk and pathologic characteristics. This case-control study was designed to analyse the association between these SNPs and retinoblastoma (RB) in a Chinese Han population. These SNPs in 168 RB patients and 185 adult controls were genotyped using genomic DNA from venous blood. No significant difference was observed in allele or genotypic frequencies of these SNPs between Chinese RB patients and controls (all P > 0.05). However, the rs1042522 GC genotype showed a protective effect against RB invasion, as demonstrated by event-free survival (HR = 0.53, P = 0.007 for GC versus GG/CC). This effect was significant for patients with a lag time >1 month and no pre-enucleation treatment (P = 0.007 and P = 0.010, respectively), indicating an interaction between p53 rs1042522 and clinical characteristics, including lag time and pre-enucleation treatment status. Thus, the rs1042522 SNP may be associated with RB invasion in the Han Chinese population; however, further large and functional studies are needed to assess the validity of this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]