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BackgroundSelenium is an essential nutrient and trace element required for human health and plays an important role in antioxidative and anti-inflammatory processes. However, the long-term impact of selenium levels on the health of patients with chronic kidney disease remains unclear.MethodParticipants in this study were 3,063 CKD adults from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999–2000, 2003–2004, and 2011–2018). The mortality status and the cause of death of the study participants were obtained from the National Death Index records. For all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, the models employed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CI were Cox proportional hazard models and competing risk models, respectively.ResultDuring the follow-up period, 884 deaths occurred, including 336 heart-disease-associated deaths. The median (IQR) concentration of serum selenium was 181.7 (156.1, 201.5) μg/L. After full adjustment, serum selenium levels were associated with a decreased risk of mortality in patients with CKD, including all-cause and CVD mortality (P < 0.001). The multivariate-adjusted HRs (95%CI) were 0.684 (0.549–0.852) for all-cause mortality (Ptrend < 0.001) and 0.513 (0.356–0.739) for CVD mortality (Ptrend < 0.001) when selenium concentrations were compared according to the extreme quartiles. Selenium levels are inversely associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and CVD mortality. Similar results were observed in subgroup and sensitivity analyses.ConclusionHigher serum selenium concentration was independently associated with a decreased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality in patients with CKD.

BackgroundThe upregulation of amino acid metabolism is an essential form of metabolic reprogramming in cancer. Here, we developed an amino acid metabolism signature to predict prognosis and anti-PD-1 therapy response in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).MethodsAccording to the amino acid metabolism-associated gene sets contained in the Molecular Signature Database, consensus clustering was performed to divide patients into two clusters. An amino acid metabolism-associated signature was identified and verified. Immune cell infiltrates and their corresponding signature risk scores were investigated. Two independent cohorts of clinical trials were analyzed to explore the correspondence between the signature risk score and the immune therapy response.ResultsTwo clusters with different amino acid metabolic levels were identified by consensus clustering. The patients in the two clusters differed in overall survival, progression-free survival, amino acid metabolic status, and tumor microenvironment. We identified a signature containing eight amino acid metabolism-associated genes that could accurately predict the prognosis of patients with ccRCC. The signature risk score was positively correlated with infiltration of M1 macrophages, CD8+ T cells, and regulatory T cells, whereas it was negatively correlated with infiltration of neutrophils, NK cells, and CD4+ T cells. Patients with lower risk scores had better overall survival but worse responses to nivolumab.ConclusionAmino acid metabolic status is closely correlated with tumor microenvironment, response to checkpoint blockade therapy, and prognosis in patients with ccRCC. The established amino acid metabolism-associated gene signature can predict both survival and anti-PD-1 therapy response in patients with ccRCC.

In this study, an E. coli whole-cell microarray assay was used to evaluate the impact of sucralose (SUC) on 110 selected genes under different exposure concentrations. Furthermore, toxicity caused by SUC under five disinfection processes was explored. Our results revealed detailed transcriptional information for gaining insights into the toxicity mechanism. SUC at lower concentrations tends to induce more protein response, whereas greater DNA damage occurs at higher concentrations. In addition, SUC could induce changes in the expression of various genes, with the DNA damage exhibiting an obvious concentration dependence. As the exposure concentration of SUC increases, stress is transformed from a single-type level to the entire system, which could enhance cellular ability to resist damage and survive. Exposure–recovery tests show that long-term exposure (24 h) to SUC causes irreversible damage, and at SUC concentrations of 103–104 mg/L, short-term exposure (2 h) exerts the same effect. Furthermore, SUC toxicity is enhanced on disinfection, with ultraviolet light causing particularly serious DNA damage.

An important hidden source of soil heavy metal pollution was the discharge of wastewater and waste rock during mining production activities. Numerous processes could result in the buildup of heavy metals in soil, and exposure to these metals could irreversibly harm a person's health. The source, distribution and quantity of historical waste residue in a pyrite mining area were described, and the nature of the waste residue was determined based on the results of toxic leaching identification in this study. The study showed that the pH value of the leaching solution of the waste residues was less than 6. Therefore, these waste residues was the second category of general industrial solid waste. The soil around the waste residues was basically acidic. Also, the content of arsenic, cadmium and copper in farmland soil around the waste residues exceeded the screening value in the Soil Environmental Quality Standard Risk Control of Soil Pollution in Farmland (GB15618-2018). Therefore, the arsenic, cadmium and copper in the waste residue could migrate with rainwater and cause some pollution to the neighboring farmland soil. The surface water was acidic and the arsenic concentration in the surface water exceeded the standard limit. Therefore, surface water was affected by acidic wastewater. However, the impact of project wastewater on groundwater was not significant. Through the analysis of the pollution status, comprehensive treatment countermeasures and secondary pollution prevention measures for the waste residue were proposed, as well as the issues that need attention when formulating specific treatment plans, which could provide a reference for similar projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]