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Research on state anxiety has long been dominated by the traditional psychometric approach that assumes anxiety symptoms have a common cause. Yet state anxiety can be conceptualized as a network system. In this study, we utilized data from the COVID-Dynamic dataset from waves 7 to 13, collected at three-week intervals from June 6, 2020, to October 13, 2020, and included 1,042 valid participants to characterize the internal dynamics of state anxiety. Using the Gaussian graphical model along with strength centrality, we estimated three network models of state anxiety. The between-subjects and contemporaneous network showed numerous positive relations between items and some unexpected negative relations. Three communities were identified in the between-subjects network, and two communities were identified in the contemporaneous network. The temporal network showed the coexistence of positive and negative predictions between items after three weeks. Several items exhibited significant positive autocorrelations after three weeks. These findings have implications for anxiety theory and clinical interventions at between-subjects and within-subjects levels., (© 2024 International Association of Applied Psychology.)

Background: Chronic heart failure has become a serious threat to the health of the global population, and self-management is key to treating chronic heart failure. The emergence of mobile health (mHealth) provides new ideas for the self-management of chronic heart failure in which the informal caregiver plays an important role. Current research has mainly studied the experiences with using mHealth among patients with chronic heart failure from the perspective of individual patients, and there is a lack of research from the dichotomous perspective., Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences with mHealth use among patients with chronic heart failure and their informal caregivers from a dichotomous perspective., Methods: This descriptive phenomenological study from a post-positivist perspective used a dyadic interview method, and face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with patients with chronic heart failure and their informal caregivers. Data were collected and managed using NVivo 12 software, and data analysis used thematic analysis to identify and interpret participants' experiences and perspectives. The thematic analysis included familiarizing ourselves with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the report., Results: A total of 14 dyads of patients with chronic heart failure and their informal caregivers (13 men and 15 women) participated in this study, including 3 couples and 11 parent-child pairs. We constructed 4 key themes and their subthemes related to the experiences with mHealth use: (1) opposing experiences with mHealth as human interaction or trauma (great experience with mHealth use; trauma), (2) supplement instead of replacement (it is useful but better as a reference; offline is unavoidable sometimes), (3) both agreement and disagreement over who should be the adopter of mHealth (achieving consensus regarding who should adopt mHealth; conflict occurs when considering patients as the adopter of mHealth), (4) for better mHealth (applying mHealth with caution; suggestions for improved mHealth)., Conclusions: This study reported that the experiences with mHealth use among patients with chronic heart failure and their informal caregivers were mixed, and it highlighted the human touch of mHealth and the importance of network security. These results featured mHealth as a complement to offline hospitals rather than a replacement. In the context of modern or changing Chinese culture, we encourage patients to use mHealth by themselves and their informal caregivers to provide help when necessary. In addition, we need to use mHealth carefully, and future mHealth designs should focus more on ease of use and be oriented more toward older adults., (©Xiaorong Jin, Yimei Zhang, Min Zhou, Xiong Zhang, Qian Mei, Yangjuan Bai, Wei Wei, Fang Ma. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 31.10.2024.)

Background: : Family coping, as an essential part of family management of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), is an important component of CHF interventions, affecting the health of patients, family members, and the whole family. It is necessary to understand the current situation of family coping in patients with CHF to facilitate the development of family interventions for patients with CHF. This study aims to develop and validate a tool for assessing the family coping scale for patients with CHF., Methods: The semi-structured interviews, expert consensus meetings, expert consultations, and item analysis were used to develop the initial scale. We employed classical test theory and exploratory factor analysis to scrutinize and refine the items in the scale. To validate the scale, we used confirmatory factor analysis to assess structural validity. We assessed internal consistency, and split-half reliability to ensure the scale's robustness and accuracy., Results: The FCS-CHF consisted of 24 items, including six dimensions: strategies for better management of CHF, psychological coping, substantial support by family members, emergency coping, overall heart failure awareness, and patients' health behavior. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale fitted the data with well construct validity. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis for the overall goodness of fit indices for the fitted model were found to be acceptable for the scale. The scale demonstrates good reliability and validity, meeting the requirements of psychometrics., Conclusions: The FCS-CHF developed in this study is considered reliable and valid, which can measure family coping in patients with CHF and provide a basis for developing family coping enhancement strategies., Competing Interests: We declare that we have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Zhang et al.)

Regenerating inflamed bone defects represents a severe clinical challenge due to the undesirable inflammatory microenvironment. The inflammatory stimulus poses a weighty threat to the regenerative capacity of endogenously derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are mainly responsible for osteogenic differentiation, thereby resulting in compromised endogenous bone formation. Consequently, alleviating the biological characteristics of inflammatory-impaired MSCs is crucial for promoting inflamed bone regeneration. Nano-sized small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have emerged as promising therapeutic tools to orchestrate MSCs fate due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and encapsulated bioactive contents. In the present study, we extracted sEVs from youthful and adult dental pulp MSCs and explored their ability to recover inflammation-compromised periodontal ligament stem cells (IPDLSCs). The results indicated that both types of sEVs were capable of facilitating IPDLSCs osteogenesis. However, young sEVs exhibited a more robust potential at a lower concentration compared to adult sEVs. Mechanically, young sEVs enhanced the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) via delivering the protein Biglycan, which correspondingly promoted the osteogenic capability of IPDLSCs. Collectively, our findings emphasized that young sEVs hold enormous potential to rescue the inherent function and regenerative competence of inflammation-impaired MSCs, shedding light on their promising therapeutic prospects for infected bone regeneration., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model combined with an EGFR occupancy (EO) model for osimertinib (OSI) to predict plasma trough concentration (C trough ) and the intracranial time-course of EGFR (T790M and L858R mutants) engagement in patient populations. The PBPK model was also used to investigate the key factors affecting OSI pharmacokinetics (PK) and intracranial EGFR engagement, analyze resistance to the target mutation C797S, and determine optimal dosing regimens when used alone and in drug-drug interactions (DDIs). A population PBPK-EO model of OSI was developed using physicochemical, biochemical, binding kinetic, and physiological properties, and then validated using nine clinical PK studies, observed EO study, and two clinical DDI studies. The PBPK-EO model demonstrated good consistency with observed data, with most prediction-to-observation ratios falling within the range of 0.7 to 1.3 for plasma AUC, C max , C trough and intracranial free concentration. The simulated time-course of C797S occupancy by the PBPK model was much lower than T790M and L858R occupancy, providing an explanation for OSI on-target resistance to the C797S mutation. The PBPK model identified ABCB1 CL int,u , albumin level, and EGFR expression as key factors affecting plasma C trough and intracranial EO for OSI. Additionally, PBPK-EO simulations indicated that the optimal dosing regimen for OSI in patients with brain metastases is either 80 mg once daily (OD) or 160 mg OD, or 40 mg or 80 mg twice daily (BID). When used concomitantly with CYP enzyme perpetrators, the PBPK-EO model suggested appropriate dosing regimens of 80 mg OD with fluvoxamine (FLUV) itraconazole (ITR) or fluvoxamine (FLUC) for co-administration and an increase to 160 mg OD with rifampicin (RIF) or efavirenz (EFA). In conclusion, the PBPK-EO model has been shown to be capable of simulating the pharmacokinetic concentration-time profiles and the time-course of EGFR engagement for OSI, as well as determining the optimum dosing in various clinical situations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Observational studies have suggested associations between functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and variations in the cerebral cortex. However, the causality of these relationships remains unclear, confounded by anxiety and depression. To clarify these causal relationships and explore the mediating roles of anxiety and depression, we applied univariate, multivariable, and mediation Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses., Method: We utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data from the FinnGen database and the ENIGMA consortium, identifying genetic variants associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia (FD), and cerebral cortex structures. Data on anxiety and depression came from FinnGen and a large meta-analysis. Utilizing a bidirectional univariate MR approach, we explored correlations between FD, IBS, and cortex variations. Then, independent effects were assessed through multivariable MR. A meta-analysis of these results, incorporating data from two cohorts, aimed to increase precision. We also explored the potential mediating roles of anxiety and depression., Results: Our findings indicate a negative causal correlation between FD and the thickness of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) across both global and regional adjustments (β = -0.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.209 to-0.074, P.FDR  = 0.004; β = -0.112, 95%CI: -0.163 to-0.006, P.FDR  = 0.003) and a positive causal correlation with the globally adjusted thickness of the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) (β = 0.107, 95%CI: 0.062 to 0.153, P.FDR  = 0.001). The causal correlation with the rACC persisted after multiple variable adjustments (β = -0.137, 95% CI: -0.187 to-0.087, P.FDR  = 1.81 × 10 -5 ; β = -0.109, 95%CI: -0.158 to-0.06, P.FDR  = 0.002). A significant causal association was found between globally adjusted surface area of the caudal anterior cingulate cortex (cACC) and IBS (odds ratio = 1.267, 95%CI: 1.128 to 1.424, P.FDR  = 0.02). The analysis showed that neither anxiety nor depression mediated the relationship between FGIDs and cerebral cortex structures., Conclusion: Our research provides significant MR evidence of a bidirectional causal relationship between FGIDs and the cerebral cortex structures. This evidence not only confirms the two-way communication along the brain-gut axis but also illuminates the underlying pathophysiology, paving the way for identifying potential therapeutic approaches., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xu, Ning, Zhang, Wang, Zhang, Guo and Jia.)

Background: The overall survival rate is notably low for esophageal cancer patients with lung metastases (LM), presenting significant challenges in their treatment. Methods: Through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, individuals diagnosed with esophageal cancer between 2010 and 2015 were enrolled. Based on whether esophageal cancer metastasized to the lungs, we used propensity score matching (PSM) to balance correlated variables. Propensity score matching was a critical step in our study that helped to minimize the impact of possible confounders on the study results. We balanced variables related to lung metastases using the PSM method to ensure more accurate comparisons between the study and control groups. Specifically, we performed PSM in the following steps. First, we performed a univariate logistic regression analysis to screen for variables associated with lung metastasis. For each patient, we calculated their propensity scores using a logistic regression model, taking into account several factors, including gender, T-stage, N-stage, surgical history, radiotherapy history, chemotherapy history, and bone/brain/liver metastases. We used a 1:1 matching ratio based on the propensity score to ensure more balanced baseline characteristics between the study and control groups after matching. After matching, we validated the balance of baseline characteristics to ensure that the effect of confounders was minimized. We used logistic regression to identify risk variables for LM, while Cox regression was used to find independent prognostic factors. We then created nomograms and assessed their accuracy using the calibration curve, receiver operating curves (ROC), and C index. Results: In the post-PSM cohort, individuals diagnosed with LM experienced a median overall survival (OS) of 5.0 months (95% confidence interval [ CI ] 4.3-5.7), which was significantly lower than those without LM ( P <0.001). LM has been associated to sex, T stage, N stage, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and bone/brain/liver metastases. LM survival was affected by radiation, chemotherapy, and bone/liver metastases. The nomograms' predictive power was proved using the ROC curve, C-index, and validation curve. Conclusion: Patients with LM have a worse chance of surviving esophageal cancer. The nomograms can effectively predict the risk and prognosis of lung metastases from esophageal cancer., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as important components of lipids, play indispensable roles in the development of all organisms. ∆12 fatty acid desaturase ( FAD12 ) is a speed-determining step in the biosynthesis of PUFAs. Here, we report the characterization of FAD12 in Fusarium graminearum, which is the prevalent agent of Fusarium head blight, a destructive plant disease worldwide. The results demonstrated that deletion of the FgFAD12 gene resulted in defects in vegetative growth, conidial germination and plant pathogenesis but not sexual reproduction. A fatty acid analysis further proved that the deletion of FgFAD12 restrained the reaction of oleic acid to linoleic acid, and a large amount of oleic acid was detected in the cells. Moreover, the ∆ Fgfad12 mutant showed increased resistance to osmotic stress and reduced tolerance to oxidative stress. The expression of FgFAD12 did show a temperature-dependent manner, which was not affected at a low temperature of 10 °C when compared to 25 °C. RNA-seq analysis further demonstrated that most genes enriched in fatty acid metabolism, the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation, steroid biosynthesis and fatty acid elongation pathways were significantly up-regulated in the ∆ Fgfad12 mutants. Overall, our results indicate that FgFAD12 is essential for linoleic acid biosynthesis and plays an important role in the infection process of F. graminearum .

Purpose: Studies had reported some influencing factors of health behavior among patients with coronary heart disease(CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI). However, considering that human perceptions are complex, unrestricted and dynamically changing. A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted to explore the determinants of health-related behaviors of patients after PCI and dynamic changes of these determinants at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months., Patients and Methods: Using purposive sampling, 18 patients undergoing PCI were interviewed. The conventional content analysis method was used to identify categories and subcategories. Semi-structured, face-to-face or telephone in-depth interviews were conducted at the cardiology unit of a tertiary referral hospital in Yunnan Province, China from March 2022 to January 2023., Results: Seven categories with some subcategories were constructed from the data, categorized into three domains. Firstly, individual factors include (i) Personal coping with healthy lifestyle requirements (tried but failed; I can do it), (ii) individual perception and feeling toward disease (knowing about the disease; belief of cure; fears of relapse), and (iii) personal benefits (improved health; meaning of life). Secondly, social factors include (i) social facilitators (family resources; healthcare support), (ii) social barriers (inconvenient medical care service; conflicting information). Finally, cultural factors include (i) way of living (dietary habits; key roles of yan (cigarette) and jiu (alcohol) in Chinese society), (ii) way of thinking (fatalism and Confucian familism)., Conclusion: The determinants of health-related behaviors of patients after PCI are multifaceted and dynamic. Different interventions should be formulated to promote patients' adherence to health behaviors. Moreover, priority should be given to the impact of traditional Chinese philosophy on the health behaviors of patients after PCI, and the health promotion program for these patients should be culturally sensitive. In addition, future research should further explore the determinants of health behaviors among diverse ethnic minorities after PCI, which has not been fully inquired in this study., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Su et al.)

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for osimertinib (OSI) to predict plasma trough concentration (C trough ) and pulmonary EGFRm + (T790M and L858R mutants) inhibition in Caucasian, Japanese, and Chinese populations. The PBPK model was also utilized to investigate inter-ethnic and inter-patient differences in OSI pharmacokinetics (PK) and determine optimal dosing regimens. Methods: Population PBPK models of OSI for healthy and disease populations were developed using physicochemical and biochemical properties of OSI and physiological parameters of different groups. And then the PBPK models were validated using the multiple clinical PK and drug-drug interaction (DDI) study data. Results: The model demonstrated good consistency with the observed data, with most of prediction-to-observation ratios of 0.8-1.25 for AUC, C max , and C trough . The PBPK model revealed that plasma exposure of OSI was approximately 2-fold higher in patients compared to healthy individuals, and higher exposure observed in Caucasians compared to other ethnic groups. This was primarily attributed to a lower CL/F of OSI in patients and Caucasian. The PBPK model displayed that key factors influencing PK and EGFRm + inhibition differences included genetic polymorphism of CYP3A4, CYP1A2 expression, plasma free concentration (f up ), albumin level, and auto-inhibition/induction on CYP3A4. Inter-patient PK variability was most influenced by CYP3A4 variants, f up , and albumin level. The PBPK simulations indicated that the optimal dosing regimen for patients across the three populations of European, Japanese, and Chinese ancestry was OSI 80 mg once daily (OD) to achieve the desired range of plasma C trough (328-677 nmol/L), as well as 80 mg and 160 mg OD for desirable pulmonary EGFRm + inhibition (>80%). Conclusion : In conclusion, this study's PBPK simulations highlighted potential ethnic and inter-patient variability in OSI PK and EGFRm + inhibition between Caucasian, Japanese, and Chinese populations, while also providing insights into optimal dosing regimens of OSI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liang, Zhang, Xue and Yao.)

Polymer waveguide devices have attracted increasing interest in several rapidly developing areas of broadband communications since they are easily adaptable to on-chip integration and promise low propagation losses. As a key member of the waveguide gain medium, lanthanide doped nanoparticles have been intensively studied to improve the downconversion luminescence. However, current research efforts are almost confined to erbium-doped nanoparticles and amplifiers operating at the C-band; boosting the downconversion luminescence of Tm 3+ for S-band optical amplification still remains a challenge. Here we report a Tb 3+ -induced deactivation control to enhance Tm 3+ downconversion luminescence in a stoichiometric Yb lattice without suffering from concentration quenching. We also demonstrate their potential application in an S-band waveguide amplifier and record a maximum optical gain of 18 dB at 1464 nm. Our findings provide valuable insights into the fundamental understanding of deactivation-controlled luminescence enhancement and open up a new avenue toward the development of an S-band polymer waveguide amplifier with high gain.

Background: Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) has proven to be an invaluable tool in the practice of cardiology. Patients who have undergone CIED surgery with local anesthesia may result in fear, insecurity and suffering. Some studies have put efforts on ways to improve intraoperative experience of patients with local anesthesia, but researches concerning experiences of CIED patients during surgery is in its infancy., Methods: Based on semi-structured and in-depth interviews, a qualitative design was conducted in a tertiary general hospital in China from May 2022 to July 2023.Purposeful sampling of 17 patients received CIED surgery and 20 medical staff were interviewed. Thematic analysis with an inductive approach was used to identify dominant themes., Results: Four themes emerged from the data: (1) Safety and success is priority; (2) Humanistic Caring is a must yet be lacking; (3) Paradox of surgery information given; (4) Ways to improve surgery experiences in the operation., Conclusions: Intraoperative care is significant for CIED surgery. To improve care experience during surgery, healthcare professionals should pay attention to patients' safety and the factors that affecting humanistic caring in clinical practice. In addition, information support should consider information-seeking styles and personal needs. Besides, the four approaches presented in this study are effective to improve the intraoperative care experience., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A fluorescent Fe 3+ probe ((C 10 H 7 NO 2 ) 2 B 18 H 20 , M1) by introducing two isoquinoline-1-carboxylic acid group into the 6,9-position of anti-B 18 H 22 was designed and synthesized. The structure of M1 was investigated by 1 H NMR, MS, FT-IR and theoretical calculation, and its optical properties were characterized with UV-Vis and PL. M1 showed aggregation induced emission enhancement (AIEE) properties in THF/H 2 O solution, and exhibited an excellent selectivity toward Fe 3+ in THF/H 2 O (v/v, ƒw = 95%) solution with a detection limit of 1.93 × 10 -5  M. The interaction mechanism of probe for detecting Fe 3+ is attributed to the involvement of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process. Furthermore, a optical fiber fluorescent Fe 3+ sensor based on M1 sensing film was developed, the detection limit of the optical fiber Fe 3+ fluorescent sensor could be improved to13.8 pM, the ultra-low detection limit is superior to most reported fluorescent probes (or sensors) towards Fe 3+ . This method has the advantages of high sensitivity, anti-interference and easy to operate, and has great potential in the field of the analysis of environmental and biological samples., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective noninvasive therapeutic strategy that has been widely used for anti-tumor therapy by the generation of excessive highly cytotoxic ROS. However, the poor water solubility of the photosensitizer, reactive oxygen species (ROS) depleting by high concentrations of glutathione (GSH) in the tumor microenvironment and the activation of DNA repair pathways to combat the oxidative damage, will significantly limit the therapeutic effect of PDT. Herein, we developed a photosensitizer prodrug (CSP) by conjugating the photosensitizer pyropheophorbide a (PPa) and the DNA-damaging agent Chlorambucil (Cb) with a GSH-responsive disulfide linkage and demonstrated a multifunctional co-delivery nanoplatform ( CSP/Ola nanoparticles (NPs)) together with DSPE-PEG 2000 and PARP inhibitor Olaparib (Ola). The CSP/Ola NPs features excellent physiological stability, efficient loading capacity, much better cellular uptake behavior and photodynamic performance. Specifically, the nanoplatform could induce elevated intracellular ROS levels upon the in situ generation of ROS during PDT, and decrease ROS consumption by reducing intracellular GSH level. Moreover, the CSP/Ola NPs could amplify DNA damage by released Cb and inhibit the activation of Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), promote the upregulation of γ-H2AX, thereby blocking the DNA repair pathway to sensitize tumor cells for PDT. In vitro investigations revealed that CSP/Ola NPs showed excellent phototoxicity and the IC 50 values of CSP/Ola NPs against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were as low as 0.05-01 μM after PDT. As a consequence, the co-delivery nanoplatform greatly promotes the tumor cell apoptosis and shows a high antitumor performance with combinational chemotherapy and PDT. Overall, this work provides a potential alternative to improve the therapeutic efficiency of triple negative breast cancer cell (TNBC) treatment by synergistically enhancing DNA damage and disrupting DNA damage repair.

Due to the high dependence on the pH of influent water and the level of ferrous species, the applicability of the electro-Fenton (EF) system is poor. A highly applicable dual-cathode (DC) EF system with self-adjusting pH and ferrous species is proposed: gas diffusion electrode (GDE) for generation H 2 O 2 and Fe/S doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Fe/S-MWCNT) modification active cathode (AC) for adjusting pH and iron species. The strong synergistic enhancement effect between two cathodes (synergy factor up to 90.3%) improves the catalytic activity of this composite system about 12.4 times higher than that of cathode alone. Impressively, AC has the ability of self-regulate to shift towards the optimal Fenton pH (around 3.0) without adding reagents. Even pH can be adjusted from 9.0 to 3.4 within 60 min. This characteristic gives the system a wide range of pH applications, while avoiding the disadvantage of the high cost of traditional EF in pre-acidification. Furthermore, DC has a high and stable ferrous species supply, and the iron leaching amount is about twice less than that of heterogeneous EF system. Long-term stability of the DC system and its easy activity regeneration exhibit the potential of environmental remediation in industrial application., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Nitrogen-doped graphene as a perfectly-efficient and environmentally compatible electrocatalyst won widespread attention in electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOP). However, the relationship between surface structure regulation and activity of catalysts is still lacking in systematic scientific guidance. Herein, nitrogen-doped graphene aerogel (NGA) was conveniently prepared through hydrothermal treatment, and then utilized to fabricate the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) as the cathode for tetracycline (TC) removal. High free radical yield (81.2 μM) and fast reaction rate (0.1469 min -1 ) were found in NGA system. The molecular dynamics simulation (MD) results showed that the interaction energy of NGA was greater than the raw graphene aerogel (GA). The adsorption activation of H 2 O 2 and the degradation of TC occurred in the first adsorption layer of catalysts, and both processes turned more orderly after nitrogen doping. Moreover, the van der Waals interaction was stronger than the electrostatic interaction. Density function theory (DFT) revealed that the adsorption energy of H 2 O 2 at graphitic N, pyridinic N, and pyrrolic N sites was -0.03 eV, -0.39 eV, and -0.30 eV, respectively. Pyridinic N sites were inferred as the main functional regions of in-situ activation •OH, there were more likely to occur ectopic reaction in pyrrolic N, and graphitic N were responsible for improving H 2 O 2 production. By revealing the microstructure and activation characteristics of NGA, an experiment-simulation complementary strategy is provided in the EAOP to discover or to optimize new catalysts., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

B-doped graphene, as an efficient and environmental-friendly metal-free catalyst, has aroused much attention in the electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP), but the bottleneck in this field is to determine the relationship between the surface structure regulation and activity of catalysts. Herein, the B-doped graphene aerogel (BGA) fabricated gas diffusion electrode was prepared and used as a cathode for EAOP to remove tetracycline (TC). Higher free radical yield (169.59 μM), faster reaction speed (0.35 min -1 ) and higher TC removal rate (99.93%) were found in the BGA system. Molecular dynamics simulation unveiled the interaction energy of BGA was greater than the raw graphene aerogel (GA). The adsorption-activation process of H 2 O 2 and the degradation process of TC occurred in the first adsorption layer of catalysts. And both processes turned more orderly after B doping, which accelerated the reaction efficiency. Results of density functional theory displayed the contribution of three B-doped structures to improve the binding strength between H 2 O 2 and BGA was: - BCO 2 (-0.23 eV) > - BC 2 O (-0.16 eV) > - BC 3 (-0.09 eV). -BCO 2 was inferred to be the main functional region of H 2 O 2 in-situ activation to hydroxyl radical (•OH), while -BC 2 O and -BC 3 were responsible for improving H 2 O 2 production., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rationale: Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is very rare to find lymphoma in immune -privileged sitesat the same time. We report a case of rapidly progressing DLBCL involving multiple sites in the central nervous system, testis, and orbit., Patient Concerns: A 57-years-old man developed diplopia 1 month ago with severe right periorbital pain and right eyelid ptosis. He developed dysphagia 1 week ago and hoarseness 5 days ago., Diagnoses: The pathology of the left testicle confirmed DLBCL. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that CD20, CD79α, multiple myeloma oncogene-1, BCL2, BCL6 atypical lymphocyte aggregation was positive. Positron emission tomography reveals DLBCL involving the central nervous system, testes, eyes, and other parts of the body., Interventions: We administered glucocorticoids for pre-chemotherapy treatment, but the patient's condition progressed quickly and was generally poor. The patient's family decided to discharge automatically., Outcomes: Two weeks after he was discharged, we called for a follow-up visit and were told the patient had died., Lessons: Atypical clinical symptoms of the disease often confuse the doctor's diagnosis. Adequate examination should be performed before glucocorticoid treatment in order to avoid obscuring the true condition. In some rare diseases, early use of PET-CT may lead to early detection., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Palbociclib is the world's first CDK4/6 kinase inhibitor to be marketed. However, it is not effective in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) due to the loss of retinoblastoma protein expression. Thus, combinatorial chemotherapy is indispensable for TNBC treatment. Herein, a carrier-free nanomedicine self-assembled from palbociclib dimers and Ce6 for enhanced combined chemo-photodynamic therapy of breast cancer is reported. The dimeric prodrug (Palb-TK-Palb) was synthesized by conjugating two palbociclib molecules to the connecting skeleton containing a ROS-responsive cleavable thioketal bond. The Palb-TK-Palb/Ce6 NP co-delivery nanoplatform was prepared through the self-assembly of Palb-TK-Palb, Ce6 and DSPE-PEG2000. This novel carrier-free formulation as an efficient therapeutic agent showed efficient therapeutic agent loading capacity, high cellular uptake and huge therapeutic performance against breast cancer cells. The results of in vitro antitumor activity and cell apoptosis demonstrated that Palb-TK-Palb/Ce6 NPs presented a better inhibitory effect on the growth of cancer cells due to the palbociclib and Ce6 co-delivery nanomedicine-mediated synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy. The IC 50 values of Palb-TK-Palb/Ce6 NPs in MDA-MB-231 cells were around 1-2 μM and 2 μM and the Palb-TK-Palb/Ce6 NPs showed an increase in apoptosis up to 91.9%. In general, the carrier-free nanomedicine self-assembled from palbociclib dimers and Ce6 provides options for combinatorial chemo-photodynamic therapy., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Copper-based metal-organic frameworks (MOF) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (HKUST-1-MWCNTs) composite were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method, and PDA-enzyme-HKUST-1-MWCNTs composite was prepared by one-pot method for the construction of glucose biosensors, which realized the sensitive amperometric detection of glucose at 0.7 V (vs. SCE). The sensitivity of the sensor for glucose detection was 178 μA mM -1 cm -2 in the wide linear range of 0.005 ~ 7.05 mM, the detection limit was 0.12 μM and the corresponding RSD was 3.8%. Its high performance is mainly benefitted from the high porosity and large specific surface area of HKUST-1, the good conductivity of MWCNTs, and the excellent adhesion and dispersion of PDA. The strategy of combining PDA and MWCNTs to improve the dispersion and conductivity of MOF is expected to achieve a wider application of MOF-based materials in the electrochemical biosensing field., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: Small extracellular vesicles (EVs) from human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) are closely associated with periodontal homeostasis. Far less is known about EVs association with orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). This study aimed to explore the role of small EVs originated from hPDLCs during OTM., Materials and Methods: Adult C57BL/6 mice were used. Springs were bonded to the upper first molars of mice for 7 days to induce OTM in vivo. To block small EVs release, GW4869 was intraperitoneally injected and the efficacy of small EVs inhibition in periodontal ligament was verified by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Tooth movement distance and osteoclastic activity were studied. In vitro, hPDLCs were isolated and administered compressive force in the EV-free culture media. The cell morphologies and CD63 expression of hPDLCs were studied. Small EVs were purified and characterized using a scanning electron microscope, TEM, western blot, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. The expression of proteins in the small EVs was further processed and validated using a human immuno-regulated cytokines array and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: The small EV depletion significantly decreased the distance and osteoclastic activity of OTM in the mice. The hPDLCs displayed different morphologies under force compression and CD63 expression level decreased verified by western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Small EVs purified from supernatants of the hPDLCs showed features with <200 nm diameter, the positive EVs marker CD63, and the negative Golgi body marker GM130. The number of small EVs particles increased in hPDLCs suffering force stimuli. According to the proteome array, the level of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) displayed the most significant fold change in small EVs under compressive force and this was further confirmed using an ELISA., Limitations: Further mechanism studies are warranted to validate the hPDLC-originated small EVs function in OTM through proteins delivery., Conclusions: The notable decrease in the OTM distance after small EV blocking and the significant alteration of the sICAM-1 level in the hPDLC-originated small EVs under compression provide a new vista into small EV-related OTM biology., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Orthodontic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Most microbial fuel cell (MFC) sensors only focus on the detection of mixed solutions with respect to the chemical oxygen demand (COD) or toxicity; however, the concentrations of the individual analytes in a mixed solution have rarely been studied. Herein, we developed two types of MFC sensors, adapted with sodium acetate (MFC-A) and glucose (MFC-B) as organic substrates in the startup period. An evident difference in the sensor sensitivities (the slope value of the linear-regression curve) was observed between MFC-A and MFC-B. MFC-A exhibited a superior performance compared with MFC-B in the detection of sodium acetate (4868.9 vs. 2202 mV/(g/L), respectively) and glucose (3895.5 vs. 3192.9 mV/(g/L), respectively). To further compare these two MFC sensors, the electrochemical performances were evaluated, and MFC-A exhibited a higher output voltage and power density (593.76 mV and 129.81 ± 4.10 mW/m 2 , respectively) than MFC-B (484.08 mV and 116.21 ± 1.81 mW/m 2 , respectively). Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and microbial-community analysis were also performed, and the results showed a richer anode biomass of MFC-A in comparison with MFC-B. By utilizing the different sensitivities of the two MFC sensors towards sodium acetate and glucose, we proposed and verified a novel method for a simultaneous test on the individual concentrations of sodium acetate and glucose in a mixed solution. Linear equations of the two variables (concentrations of sodium acetate and glucose) were formulated. The linear equations were solved according to the output voltages of the two MFC sensors, and the solutions showed a satisfactory accuracy with regard to sodium acetate and glucose (relative error less than 20%).

Existing receptor-model-based source apportionment methods failed to derive source contributions to accumulation of soil heavy metals (SHMs). In this research, a dynamics-simulation-based source apportionment approach (DSSA) was developed by integrating mathematical models of source release, diffusion and deposition pathway, and receptor accumulation, to quantify accumulative contributions of SHMs. The case study was carried out in a complex industrialized region in southeast China to investigate pollution situation of SHMs (Zn, Pb, Ni, As, Cd, and Cr). The results showed that SHMs distributions were affected by seasonal variation and near-surface meteorology, which could be sequenced by correlation coefficient as temperature (0.968) > humidity (0.552) > precipitation (0.389) > wind speed (0.386). The source categories and corresponding contribution rates were identified as: i) battery plant to Zn (72.32%) and Pb (71.73%), ii) traffic to Ni (64.55%), iii) traffic and agriculture to Cd (43.26%, 41.63%), iv) agriculture to As (75.30%) and Cr (60.05%), which was similar to the results of positive matrix factorization (PMF). Furthermore, DSSA could illustrate SHMs migration process from source to receptor. The uncertainty analysis further proved the distinct advantages of DSSA. The results of this research could predict pollutant enrichment and could provide new perspective for environment and public health management., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome. We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us. We confirm that we have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. In so doing we confirm that we have followed the regulations of our institutions concerning intellectual property. We understand that the Corresponding Author is the sole contact for the Editorial process (including Editorial Manager and direct communications with the office). She is responsible for communicating with the other authors about progress, submissions of revisions and final approval of proofs. We confirm that we have provided a current, correct email address which is accessible by the Corresponding Author and which has been configured to accept email from (zhangym@ncepu.edu.cn)., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The recently recognized adverse environmental and toxic effects of neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) on non-target organisms are alarming. A comprehensive design, screening, and regulatory system was developed to generate NNI derivatives and mutant receptors with selective-ecotoxicological effects to overcome such adverse effects. For ligand design, taking ACE-09 derivative as an example, the toxicity on non-target animals (aboveground: bees; underground: earthworms), plant absorption, and soil absorption decreased by 4.80% and 13.7%, 10.0%, and 121%, while the toxicity on target animals (aboveground: aphids; underground: B. odoriphagas), plant metabolism, and soil degradation increased by 70.2% and 51.7%, 5.08%, and 8.28%. For receptor modification, the ability of mutants to absorb ACE-09 derivative decreased by 31.0%, while the ability of mutants to metabolize ACE-09 derivative increased by 28.0% in scenario 2 (mainly plant selectivity); the ability of mutants to degrade ACE-09 derivative increased by 11.6% in scenario 3 (mainly soil selectivity). The above results indicated that the selective-ecotoxicological effects of ligand design and receptor modification were both improved. Additionally, the combined effects of the ACE-09 derivative on plant absorption and metabolic mutants improved by 31.1% and 31.4% in scenario 2, respectively, while the effect on microbial degradation mutant improved by 14.9%, indicating that there was a synergistic effect between ligand design and receptor modification. Finally, based on the interaction between the ACE-09 derivative and mutants, the optimal environmental factors that improved the selectivity of their ecotoxicological effects were determined. For example, alternate application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers effectively reduced the oxidative damage to plants caused by NNI residues. The novel ligand-receptor joint modification method, combined with the regulation of environmental factors under multiple scenarios, can biochemically address the ecotoxicological concern and highlight the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment and non-target organisms., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Soil heavy metal pollution has become a global issue involving environmental safety and human health risks. This paper quantified the sources of heavy metals by positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and explored the spatial distribution of heavy metals by means of grid scales, with an industrial site as the study area in Suzhou. The PMF identified four pollution sources of heavy metal in soil, and the quantitative results revealed that industrial activities (33.5%) contributed the most to heavy metals, followed by soil parent materials (30.8%) and agricultural activities (19.7%). Zinc (Zn) was screened out as the targeted metal (TM) through the potential ecological risk assessment, the metal species of which was simulated by the geochemical software PHREEQC. This research aimed to determine the dominant metal species of TM with high-risk levels to realize the transformation of toxic metal species. Herein, according to the morphological evolution of metal species, the activity and concentration of the Zn ion species were obtained for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment. The evaluation of the optimized human health risk demonstrated that the associated health risk of Zn (II) ions depended predominantly on its metal speciation. Overall, the optimized carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk value of Zn 2 S 3 2- for adults was 2.01E-04 and for children was 1.31, resulting in corresponding hazardous risk to humans, which accounted for high-risk levels of 61.5% and 58.5% for adults and children, respectively. The OHRA method can provide a reference for the decision-making of soil heavy metal pollution and remediation for specific heavy metals in polluted areas., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Clinical occult lymph node metastasis (cOLNM) means that the lymph node is negatively diagnosed by preoperative computed tomography (CT), but has been proven to be positive by postoperative pathology. The aim of this study was to establish and validate a nomogram based on radiomics features for the preoperative prediction of cOLNM in early-stage solid lung adenocarcinoma patients., Methods: A total of 244 patients with clinical T1-2N0M0 solid lung adenocarcinoma who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced chest CT were divided into a primary group (n = 160) and an independent validation group from another hospital (n = 84). The records of 851 radiomics features of each primary tumor were extracted. LASSO analysis was used to reduce the data dimensionality and select features. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to identify independent predictors of cOLNM and develop a predictive nomogram. The performance of the predictive model was assessed by its calibration and discrimination. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was performed to estimate the clinical usefulness of the nomogram., Results: The predictive model consisted of a clinical factor (CT-reported tumor size) and a radiomics feature (Rad-score). The nomogram presented good discrimination, with a C-index of 0.782 (95% CI, 0.768-0.796) in the primary cohort and 0.813 (95% CI, 0.787-0.839) in the validation cohort, and good calibration. DCA showed that the radiomics nomogram was clinically useful., Conclusion: This study develops and validates a nomogram that incorporates clinical and radiomics factors. It can be tailored for the individualized preoperative prediction of cOLNM in early-stage solid lung adenocarcinoma patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2021 Zhang et al.)

A comprehensive human health risk assessment methodology based on major hazard element screening and morphological evolution simulation is proposed. The primary targeted metal (PTM) screened by classical health risk assessment was introduced into chemical balance simulation to obtain speciation distribution and corresponding risk. According to the results of risk assessment of morphological evolution of primary targeted metal (PTM), a potential methodology for the remediation is proposed, which could reduce the risk level efficiently and quickly by changing the pH of soil environment with additional acid and alkali substances. A case study was performed in a dye factory in Suzhou city, Jiangsu Province, China. The results of classical health risk assessment showed that the regional health risk index for children exceeded tolerance value of 1, in which Cr accounted for high risk level of 61%. Chemical balance simulation results showed that CrO 4 2- and CaCrO 4 had the highest risk index, and the change of pH value would affect the proportion of CrO 4 2- and CaCrO 4 in Cr 6+ ionic speciation, which may indirectly change the risk level. It is recommended to adjust the pH of the soil environment to quickly reduce regional human health risk. This study will provide a theoretical basis for public health protection and site restoration management., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Herein, the novel polyaniline@nano hollow carbon sphere (PANI@NHCS) adsorbents with different mass of NHCS were prepared by in-situ polymerization method. The microstructure of obtained PANI@NHCS-10, PANI@NHCS-20, PANI@NHCS-30 and PANI@NHCS-40 samples were observed through both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which showed that the PANI@NHCS-30 possessed hollow structure like lappaceum shell. Then, the performance of obtained PANI@NHCS-30 was studied for removing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from waste water. With the help of unique hollow structure and reduction ability of PANI@NHCS-30, the Cr(VI) was fleetly adsorbed and then reduced to less toxic Cr(III). The maximum adsorption capacity was 250.0 mg/g for PANI@NHCS-30 under the optimal condition. Moreover, the effects of initial Cr(VI) concentration, solution pH and different ions on the adsorption performance were investigated in detail. Importantly, the PANI@NHCS-30 still shows superb adsorption ability after five cycles, which suggests its satisfactory reusability ability. The accumulated data revealed the crucial role of PANI and hollow structure co-promoting effect on Cr(VI) reduction reactions over PANI@NHCS-30, which could be applied to the practical use., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The anatomical and functional imbalances of sympathetic nerves are associated with cardiovascular disease progression. Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang (XQLT), an ancient Chinese herbal formula, has been used to treat cardiovascular diseases in eastern Asia for thousands of years. We determined the effect of XQLT in maintaining cardiac function during heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) with respect to its neurobiological effects in salt-sensitive rats., Methods: Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats were fed a high-salt diet to establish an HFrEF model and were divided into model (DS, administered normal saline) and XQL groups (administrated XQLT) randomly, with SS-13BN rats being used as the control. The bodyweight and blood pressure of rats were observed regularly. Electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were determined to assess cardiac function. The sympathetic tune and myocardial morphological changes were evaluated. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to assay the expression of the nerve growth factor (NGF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), choline acetyltransferase (CHAT), and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) were assayed to confirm sympathetic remodeling. The micromorphological changes in cardiac sympathetic nerve endings were observed by transmission electron microscopy., Results: Four weeks after XQLT treatment, cardiac function and bodyweight were higher and blood pressure was lower than that of the DS group. Myocardial noradrenaline (NA) increased, while the plasma NA level decreased significantly. The morphology demonstrated that XQLT significantly alleviated myocardial damage. XQLT decreased the expression of LIF, increased the expression of NGF, enhanced the TH+/GAP43+ and TH+/CHAT + positive nerve fiber density, and improved the TH and GAP43 protein expression, but had no effect on CHAT. Moreover, XQLT improved the micromorphology of sympathetic nerve endings in the myocardium., Conclusion: XQLT maintains cardiac function during HFrEF in salt-sensitive rats, in part, by regulating the imbalance of cardiac sympathetic innervation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Zhaoyu Li et al.)

Gait disturbances are important clinical features of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) that increase the risk of falls and disability. Brain structural alterations and gait disturbances in CSVD patients have been well demonstrated. However, intrinsic resting cerebral function patterns in CSVD patients with gait disorders remain largely unknown. Fifty-eight CSVD patients were enrolled in our studies and categorized into the gait disorder group (CSVD-GD, n = 29) and no-gait disorder group (CSVD-NGD, n = 29) based on a gait examination. Gait was quantitatively assessed with the Timed Up and Go test and the intelligent device for energy expenditure and activity (IDEEA). Functional MRI and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) analyses were employed to explore local intrinsic neural oscillation alterations. Functional connectivity based on fALFF results was calculated to detect the potential changes in remote connectivity. Compared with the CSVD-NGD group, the CSVD-GD group showed decreased fALFF in regions mainly located in the sensorimotor network and frontoparietal network, such as the left supplementary motor area (SMA.L) and the left superior parietal gyrus, and increased fALFF in the right inferior frontal gyrus (orbital part), the left caudate, and the left precuneus. Moreover, the CSVD-GD patients exhibited lower connectivity between the SMA.L and temporal lobe, which was related to gait speed. The fALFF value of the SMA.L was associated with cadence. This study highlights the regional and network interaction abnormalities of the SMA in CSVD patients with gait disturbances. These findings could provide further insight into the neural mechanisms of gait disturbances in CSVD., (Copyright © 2020 Zhou, Zhang, Li, Zhang, Zhang, Yin, Yu, Zhu, Qian and Sun.)

Cell-free based therapy is an effective strategy in regenerative medicine as it avoids controversial issues, such as immunomodulation and stability. Recently, exosomes have been explored as a favorable substitution for stem cell therapy as they exhibit multiple advantages, such as the ability to be endocytosed and innate biocompatibility. This study aimed to investigate the effects of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED)-derived exosomes (SHED-Exo) on bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) osteogenesis and bone recovery. SHED-Exo were isolated, characterized, and applied to the bone loss area caused by periodontitis in a mouse model. We found that the injection of SHED-Exo restored bone loss to the same extent as original stem cells. Without affecting BMSCs proliferation, SHED-Exo mildly inhibited apoptosis. Moreover, SHED-Exo specifically promoted BMSCs osteogenesis and inhibited adipogenesis compared with SHED-derived conditioned medium. The expression of osteogenic marker genes, alkaline phosphatase activity, and Alizarin Red S staining of BMSCs was significantly increased by co-culturing with SHED-Exo. Moreover, Western blot analysis showed that Runx2, a key transcriptional factor in osteogenic differentiation, and p-Smad5 were upregulated upon SHED-Exo stimulation. Expression of the adipogenic marker PPARγ and the amount of lipid droplets decreased when exosomes were present. Low doses of exosomes inhibited the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. In conclusion, SHED-Exo directly promoted BMSCs osteogenesis, differentiation, and bone formation. Therefore, exosomes have the potential to be utilized in the treatment of periodontitis and other bone diseases.

Herein, a novel three-dimensional (3D) heterogeneous Electro-Fenton (EF) system with improved gas diffusion electrode (GDE) as cathode and magnetic nitrogen doped/reduced graphene oxide (Fe 3 O 4 /N-rGO) as catalytic particle electrodes (CPEs) was built for Bisphenol A (BPA) removal. The Fe 3 O 4 /N-rGO served as both particle electrodes and heterogeneous catalyst. The study concluded that BPA could be effectively removed via this hybrid system. The synergistic effect between the 3D electrode and EF system was discussed by comparing the performance of different functional particle electrodes. The 3D electrode system exhibited a larger specific surface area electrode, which improved the mass transfer of pollutants to electrode, and also accelerated the regeneration of Fe Ⅱ due to faster electron transfer, thereby enhancing the efficiency of EF catalysis. The EF process promotes the regeneration rate of particle electrodes and thus accelerates the 3D electrode reaction course. The parameters affecting degradation behavior of BPA were optimized. As a result, optimal removal rate of BPA and TOC was 93% and 60.5%, respectively within 90 min. The CPEs showed high catalytic performance (86.5% for BPA and 50.3% for TOC) and low catalyst loss (less than 9.5%) after 5 cycles, indicating its excellent stability and reusability. The possible mechanism of 3D heterogeneous EF was investigated by comparing the catalytic activity and •OH production capacity of homogeneous EF and Fenton-like. Built on the analysis of intermediates, a possible decomposition pathway of BPA was proposed., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Serine/arginine (SR) proteins play significant roles in pre-mRNA splicing in eukaryotes. To investigate how gene expression influences fungal development and pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum, a causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat and barley, our previous study identified a SR protein FgSrp1 in F. graminearum, and showed that it is important for conidiation, plant infection and pre-mRNA processing. In this study, we identified another SR protein FgSrp2 in F. graminearum, which is orthologous to Schizosaccharomyces pombe Srp2. Our data showed that, whereas yeast Srp2 is essential for growth, deletion of FgSRP2 resulted in only slight defects in vegetative growth and perithecia melanization. FgSrp2 localized to the nucleus and both its N- and C-terminal regions were important for the localization to the nucleus. FgSrp2 interacted with FgSrp1 to form a complex in vivo. Double deletion of FgSRP1 and FgSRP2 revealed that they had overlapping functions in vegetative growth and sexual reproduction. RNA-seq analysis revealed that, although deletion of FgSRP2 alone had minimal effects, deletion of both FgSRP1 and FgSRP2 caused significant changes in gene transcription and RNA splicing. Overall, our results indicated that FgSrp2 regulates vegetative growth, sexual reproduction and pre-mRNA processing by interacting with FgSrp1.

The basal ascomycetes in genus Taphrina have strict host specificity and coevolution with their host plants, making them appealing models for studying the genomic basis of ecological divergence and host adaption. We therefore performed genome sequencing and comparative genomics of different Taphrina species with distinct host ranges to reveal their evolution. We identified frequent chromosomal rearrangements and highly dynamic lineage-specific (LS) genomic regions in Taphrina genomes. The LS regions occur at the flanking regions of chromosomal breakpoints, and are greatly enriched for DNA repeats, non-core genes, and in planta up-regulated genes. Furthermore, we identified hundreds of candidate secreted effector proteins (CSEPs) that are commonly organized in gene clusters that form distinct AT-rich isochore-like regions. Nearly half of the CSEPs constitute two novel superfamilies with modular structures unique to Taphrina. These CSEPs are commonly up-regulated during infection, enriched in the LS regions, evolved faster, and underwent extensive gene gain and loss in different species. In addition to displaying signatures of positive selection, functional characterization of selected CSEP genes confirmed their roles in suppression of plant defence responses. Overall, our results showed that extensive chromosomal rearrangements and rapidly evolving CSEP superfamilies play important roles in speciation and host adaptation in the early-branching ascomycetous fungi., (© 2020 The Authors. Molecular Plant Pathology published by British Society for Plant Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In China groundwater contamination has become a serious problem. The assessment and remediation of contaminated sites are greatly important. Moreover, only few studies deal with the influence of metal speciation on human health risk assessment. This paper proposed a comprehensive assessment methodology combined human health risk assessment and groundwater vulnerability assessment for contaminated area, exploring a more reasonable model for the Cd morphology simulation, and utilizing accurate method to calculate the average daily dose by the weight analysis. PHREEQC and Visual MINTEQ were applied and compared to the morphology simulation, the modified of average daily dose and non-modified of average daily dose was investigated, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were calculated subsequently. The groundwater vulnerability was assessed by the DRASTIC model, the DRASTIC index as the indicator of groundwater vulnerability. The morphology simulation results showed 20 and 13 metal species which were simulated by PHREEQC and Visual MINTEQ, respectively. Cd 2+ and CdCl + were the primary species of Cd in groundwater. The modified average daily dose showed less than the average daily dose in results. The carcinogenic risks showed the species of Cd 2+ and CdCl + were simulated by PHREEQC which were harmful to human health. The DRASTIC index was ranged from 109 to 134 in the studied area, which showed that the area was susceptible to pollution. This method provided a more effective risk assessment model and supplied a fundamental advice for government policy-making and site remediation., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Assessing human health risk using spatiotemporal migration and geochemical evolution concurrently in an area where the groundwater is contaminated with heavy metals can provide more instructive information to protect specific potential negative impacts on human health. In this research, we established a model of long-term assessment of human health risk for metal contaminated groundwater by coupling two models: the geochemical (based on the law of chemical mass balance) model and the hydrodynamics module. The hydrodynamics module is used to initially identify the total temporal concentration of various elements, and the chemical mass balance module is used to gain the concentration and ionic activity of various toxic elements according to the range of environmental pH. Effective concentrations calculated using activity weight (based on speciation and ionic activity) were introduced into the formula for risk analysis. The results of the study show that, with the exploitation and recharge of groundwater, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks cannot be reduced to acceptable levels until 18 and 22 years, respectively. The calculated risk values of using the coupling model are lower than that of statistics or single hydrokinetics. The sensitivity analysis results show that this model is reliable. The recharge, pH and the permeability coefficient are defined as the most sensitive factors., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), once thought to be transcriptional noise, have been recently shown to regulate a variety of biological processes. However, their roles in the inflammatory response are largely unexplored. In this study, we performed high-throughput sequencing to identify the profiles of mRNA and lncRNA transcriptomes in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, followed by a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. We found a total of 325 lncRNAs and 1,187 mRNAs to be significantly dysregulated in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with LPS (fold change >4.0 or <0.25, false discovery rate <0.01). Further validation with qRT-PCR demonstrated that Cd40 and Traf1 mRNAs were significantly upregulated, whereas Slc43a2 and Ccnd1 were downregulated in RAW264.7 cells treated with LPS. Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that the altered mRNAs and lncRNAs were mainly involved in the immune response, inflammation response, chemokine receptor binding, protein binding, and regulation of cytokine production. KEGG pathway analysis showed that altered lncRNAs and mRNAs were significantly enriched in immune- and inflammation-related signaling pathways, such as Herpes simplex infection, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and TNF, PI3K-Akt, MAPK, NF-κB, and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. lncRNA-mRNA network analysis showed that the coexpression network profile for mRNAs and lncRNAs from the immune category consisted of 93 network nodes and 145 connections among 70 differentially expressed mRNAs and 23 dysregulated lncRNAs, suggesting that lncRNAs play an important role in the regulation of functional mRNA expression in LPS-induced inflammation.

In this study, MnO 2 /MWCNT hybrids, prepared using a solvothermal method, were coated onto Ni foam and then used as a cathode for tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) degradation. The reaction was confirmed to exhibit the pseudo first-order kinetics. Compared with the original Ni foam cathode, the fabricated electrode exhibited higher catalytic activity, attributed to its strong cross-linking and ability to produce catalytic free radicals. Radical scavenger experiments revealed that O 2 - and OH were involved in the decomposition of TBBPA. The effects of current density, pH, catalyst dosage, and initial TBBPA concentration on removal efficiency were further studied. An optimal removal rate of 98.3% was achieved while the rate constant reached values up to 0.07293 min -1 and the debromination rate was more than 75.4% within 60 min. The electrode showed high catalytic performance and low catalyst loss after 10 cycles, indicating its excellent stability and reusability. The probable mechanism and pathway of TBBPA degradation were suggested based on the analysis of intermediate products. It could be inferred that the decomposition of TBBPA involved CC bond breaks (oxidation) and debromination (reduction). The MnO 2 /MWCNT-Ni foam could be a promising cathode material for electrochemical degradation of halogenated organic compounds., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Enriched and bio-refractory soil heavy metals (SHMs) originate from the underground mineral, which supplies energy and materials for the development of economy and industry. Investigating soil metal contents and their adverse health impacts is the principal concern associated metal contaminated industrial areas, including both current assessments and future projections. In this research, we create a novel spatiotemporal model of SHMs prediction and risk characterization for future by citing a rigorous theory of industrial economics, and time series of activity intensity changes of various pollution sources are forecasted. The dynamic change of source contributions is quantitatively resolved and the mean SHMs concentrations are estimated by classical formulas for heavy metal accumulation. Human health risk in the future is described in a manner of time series. The results of the case study show that contribution rates of the five sources of the six metals change continuously over time. Pb, Cd and As assume the highest growth rates (400%, 500% and 165%), while Zn, Ni, Cr possesses relatively lower growth (< 130%), compared to their corresponding background values. Health risk of local sensitive population (children) is estimated at exceeding threshold in 2022 (non-carcinogenic) and 2012 (carcinogenic), and the upward trend will continue. Traffic emission, agriculture and household garbage are identified as major risky sources in the coming decades at the studied area, and improvement measures are recommended. Although a degree of uncertainties exists, the overall tendency is a conservative bias for chemical risk. Additionally, this paper is the first to explore a methodology of predicting future SHMs and associated human health risk, based on industrial economics and temporal source apportionment., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In this study, a multi-component catalyst, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) co-modified Fe 3 O 4 , was fabricated via one-pot solvothermal method and used as a synergistic catalyzer for Bisphenol A (BPA) removal. The study found that catalytic reactions of BPA followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics model, and the correlation rate constants (k obs ) were calculated. Compared with Fe 3 O 4 @β-CD (0.02173 min -1 ), Fe 3 O 4 /rGO (0.09735 min -1 ) and Fe 3 O 4 (0.01666 min -1 ), the composite (0.15733 min -1 ) exhibited stronger catalytic ability to remove BPA from aqueous solution under the same conditions, which were attributed to the synergistic enhancement effect among the components. The introduction of rGO in the composites was beneficial to the generation of •OH, and the role of β-CD might enhance the utilization of •OH. A possible three-element catalytic schematic diagram was described. The effects of pH, dosage of the catalyst, initial H 2 O 2 and NH 2 OH concentrations on the removal efficiency were further investigated. The removal of BPA and TOC retained 78.2 ± 2.4% and 52.9 ± 2.5% after five cycles, indicating its excellent stability and reusability. Furthermore, a probable reaction pathway of BPA removal was suggested by analyzing the intermediate products. All results indicated that the composite had high and stable catalytic performance, which made it have potential application on the industrial treatment of wastewater., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An improved method was proposed which integrates the distribution of metal speciation simulated by chemical equilibrium model, different exposure models and average daily intake dose modified by analytic hierarchy process for human health risk assessment of metal species (MS). With the rapid development of economic and urbanization, the metals pollution had become more serious in industrial areas. Adverse effects of soil contaminants on human health in typical industrial area should be assessed to evaluate the risks of soils in these areas. The method was applied to study nickel (Ni) species health risks in soil of industrial areas. The pH possessed significant impact to determine distribution/existence and solubility of Ni species, followed by DOC. The non-carcinogenic risk (HQ) of Ni species were less than 1 in each sampling points, except Ni 2+ . In addition, the carcinogenic risk (CR) of different Ni species were less than 10 -6 , except for FANi and Ni 2+ ., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

A Gram-stain-negative bacterium, strain BH-SD19 T , that was isolated from a marine sediment sample collected from the Bohai Sea, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Cells of BH-SD19 T are non-flagellated, non-gliding, oval-shaped rods, 0.5-1.0 µm wide and 1.0-2.0 µm long. BH-SD19 T is strictly aerobic, and oxidase- and catalase-positive. Growth occurs at 15-40 °C (optimum 35 °C), at pH 6.0-8.5 (optimum 7.0-7.5) and with 1-10 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 2 %). The predominant fatty acids are C19 : 0cyclo ω8c (46.5 %), C16 : 0 (20.3 %) and C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c (10.6 %). The major respiratory quinone is Q-10. The major polar lipids are phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified phospholipid. The DNA G+C content is 64.0 mol%. BH-SD19 T shows the highest 16S rRNA sequence similarity to Pontibaca methylaminivorans (95.2 %) and strains of species of the genus Roseovarius(93.4-95.2 %). Sequence similarity values between BH-SD19 T and other phylogenetically related species are all below 95.0 %. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicate that BH-SD19 T forms a distinct lineage and does not join any known genera in the trees. Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data indicate that BH-SD19 T represents a novel genus and species in the family Rhodobacteraceae, for which the name Pelagivirga sediminicola gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH-SD19 T (=CCTCC AB 2017074 T =KCTC 62202 T ).

In this research, a novel efficiency MnO 2 @Nano hollow carbon sphere (MnO 2 @NHCS) nanocomposite was prepared by one-pot hydrothermal reaction with KMnO 4 solution. The adsorption and oxidization performance of MnO 2 @NHCS were assessed by degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) at different conditions. The effect of dosage of MnO 2 @NHCS, pH, initial concentration of BPA, temperature and humic acid were investigated systematically. Moreover, the characterizations of MnO 2 @NHCS were measured by a series of techniques, such as XRD, FESEM, HRTEM, TGA and XPS. Notably, hollow structure of nano carbon sphere was still retained with uniform MnO 2 nanosheets covered. The results show that the removal rate of BPA was 95.3% within 10 min and BPA can be almost decomposed in 30 min under the optimal conditions. Additionally, the MnO 2 @NHCS remained stable and had a high regeneration efficiency (more than 85%) after 3 cycles (360 min). The reaction intermediates/products of oxidation of BPA were analyzed and the possible degradation pathways of BPA were proposed. These research results demonstrate that the MnO 2 @NHCS is a fleet and efficient material for BPA degradation in aqueous environment., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The conventional risk assessment methods may be defective for more effective health risk assessment due to ignoring heavy metal species and the accuracy and integrity of sampling and analysis results. Using the accurate and integral data to quantify the human health effects of metal species can provide great support for more effective health risk assessment. This study presents a new methodology to optimize sampling and analysis results for implementing the spatial human health risk of heavy metal species in contaminated sites. The method integrated Entropy method and Inverse Distance to a Power (IDW) for obtaining the effective risk, and mapping the visual risk distribution of metal species. The results of its application with ingesting arsenic via oral route on adults showed that carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of As were influenced by its species. The risk of HAsO 4 -2 , H 3 AsO 3 , H 2 AsO 4 - , H 2 AsO 3 - and AsS(OH)HS - exceeded threshold that was significantly harmful to human health in study area. This method broadened the scope of human health risk assessment and provided a basis for government policy-making and site remediation., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A method was proposed to evaluate comprehensive effects of pHs and total metal concentration (TMC) variation for metal speciation human health risk in groundwater. The method used for the health assessment considered comprehensive and mutative effects caused by oral ingestion of groundwater based on human health risk assessment model and MINTEQ simulation. The results demonstrated that the dissolution rate of Ni 2+ was affected by pH and Ni total concentration (total-Ni). With the increase of pH, the Ni 2+ dissolved rate was smaller in the higher total-Ni at same pH. Ni 2+ was dominant components contributed to health risk in groundwater. With the increase of pH in various total-Ni, HI Ni keep constant at first, and then decreased gradually. The HI Ni values of Ni speciation above acceptable level only in high total-Ni with alkaline conditions. The obtained results to verify that metals speciation were determined in health risk, and variation factors (pH and metal total concentration) played important role in risk estimation. These results provide basic information of heavy metal pollution control as well as remediation management., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Toxicity of heavy metals from industrialization poses critical concern, and analysis of sources associated with potential human health risks is of unique significance. Assessing human health risk of pollution sources (factored health risk) concurrently in the whole and the sub region can provide more instructive information to protect specific potential victims. In this research, we establish a new expression model of human health risk based on quantitative analysis of sources contribution in different spatial scales. The larger scale grids and their spatial codes are used to initially identify the level of pollution risk, the type of pollution source and the sensitive population at high risk. The smaller scale grids and their spatial codes are used to identify the contribution of various sources of pollution to each sub region (larger grid) and to assess the health risks posed by each source for each sub region. The results of case study show that, for children (sensitive populations, taking school and residential area as major region of activity), the major pollution source is from the abandoned lead-acid battery plant (ALP), traffic emission and agricultural activity. The new models and results of this research present effective spatial information and useful model for quantifying the hazards of source categories and human health a t complex industrial system in the future., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The interplay between mechanoresponses and a broad range of fundamental biological processes, such as cell cycle progression, growth and differentiation, has been extensively investigated. However, metabolic regulation in mechanobiology remains largely unexplored. Here, we identified glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1)-the primary glucose transporter in various cells-as a novel mechanosensitive gene in orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). Using an in vivo rat OTM model, we demonstrated the specific induction of Glut1 proteins on the compressive side of a physically strained periodontal ligament. This transcriptional activation could be recapitulated in in vitro cultured human periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs), showing a time- and dose-dependent mechanoresponse. Importantly, application of GLUT1 specific inhibitor WZB117 greatly suppressed the efficiency of orthodontic tooth movement in a mouse OTM model, and this reduction was associated with a decline in osteoclastic activities. A mechanistic study suggested that GLUT1 inhibition affected the receptor activator for nuclear factor-κ B Ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) system by impairing compressive force-mediated RANKL upregulation. Consistently, pretreatment of PDLCs with WZB117 severely impeded the osteoclastic differentiation of co-cultured RAW264.7 cells. Further biochemical analysis indicated mutual regulation between GLUT1 and the MEK/ERK cascade to relay potential communication between glucose uptake and mechanical stress response. Together, these cross-species experiments revealed the transcriptional activation of GLUT1 as a novel and conserved linkage between metabolism and bone remodelling.

Deletion of Prp4, the only kinase among spliceosome components, is not lethal in Fusarium graminearum but Fgprp4 mutants have severe growth defects and produced spontaneous suppressors. To identify novel suppressor mutations of Fgprp4, we sequenced the genome of suppressor S37 that was normal in growth but only partially recovered for intron splicing and identified a tandem duplication of 9-aa in the tri-snRNP component FgSNU66. Among the 19 additional suppressor strains found to have mutations in FgSNU66 (out of 260 screened), five had the same 9-aa duplication event with S37 and another five had the R477H/C mutation. The rest had nonsense or G-to-D mutations in the C-terminal 27-aa (CT27) region of FgSnu66, which is absent in its yeast ortholog. Truncation of this C-terminal region reduced the interaction of FgSnu66 with FgHub1 but increased its interaction with FgPrp8 and FgPrp6. Five phosphorylation sites were identified in FgSnu66 by phosphoproteomic analysis and the T418A-S420A-S422A mutation was shown to reduce virulence. Overall, our results showed that mutations in FgSNU66 can suppress deletion of Fgprp4, which has not been reported in other organisms, and the C-terminal tail of FgSnu66 plays a role in its interaction with key tri-snRNP components during spliceosome activation., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In China, potential heavy metal hazard around abandoned lead-acid battery plant (ALBP) area has been a great concern but without detailed report. The distribution and sources of heavy metals in soils and so by risk assessment associated with ALBP are conducted in this contribution, based on geographies and statistics. Pb and Zn are quantitively identified to be still emitted from ALBP soil, and Cd as well As are from agricultural activity. We investigate vertical metal distribution, and fortunately find that metals migrate within limit of 40 cm below topsoil, which is higher than groundwater table. The visualized stable depths are Zn 40 cm, Pb, As 20 cm, and Cd 40 cm. The mapped pollution load index (PLI) suggests a high pollution level exists in ALBP soil. The estimation of potential ecological risk index (PERI) indicates a light ecological risk in studied area, while As and Cd mainly from agricultural activity possess 54% of total E ri . Health risk index (THI) is 0.178 for children, indicating non-cancer risks may be ignored in observed area. Though calculated risk is temporarily affordable, soil remediation and reduction of agricultural chemical reagents are recommended for preventing potential cumulative risk from further bioconcentration of heavy metals., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)