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Purpose: Capillary Refill Time (CRT) measurement has gained increasing attention in the field of sepsis and septic shock. Recognizing pressure as a fundamental determinant in CRT measurement is crucial for establishing a standardized CRT measurement procedure. In this preliminary study, we elucidated the optimal pressing strength for CRT measurement by analyzing the CRTs measured under varying pressures. Method: Seventeen healthy individuals were enlisted to undergo CRT tests on their fingertips at various pressure levels. The applied force was initiated at 0.5N and incrementally increased by 0.5N until it reached 10.5N. An integrated Photoplethysmography (PPG) device was employed to capture fluctuations in light intensity. The CRT was automatically derived from the PPG signals via a specialized algorithm. The study included correlation assessment and reliability evaluation. Box plot and Bland-Altman plot were used to visualize the impact of pressure levels on CRTs. Results: A dataset of 1414 CRTs across 21 pressures showed significant differences (Kruskal-Wallis test, p

Redundant space transfer (RST) encryption can effectively enhance the security and embedding capacity of reversible data hiding in encrypted images. To demonstrate the security risks of RST encryption in the cloud environment, according to the known plaintext image and marked encrypted image(MEI) pairs, this paper proposes a known plaintext attack (KPA) based on hamming-weight of bit block. The proposed KPA method includes two stages. The first stage is to find the correct ciphertext image. For possible block sizes, all possible ciphertext images of MEI are reconstructed by deleting the embedded secret data. The Hamming weight image (HWI) of plaintext and all possible ciphertext images is calculated in m×8n domain (m, n is the image size). When the histogram distance between the plaintext HWI and a possible ciphertext HWI is the minimum, the correct ciphertext image is found. The second stage is to estimate the permutation keys. The bit block characteristic matrix (BBCM) is defined by using that the bit values of plaintext and ciphertext remain unchanged in the process of RST encryption. Based on the intersection of BBCM’s index set, the block permutation key is directly estimated. Then, the bit plane permutation key in each image block is further estimated. Experimental results show that for RST encryption, when the block size is not less than 3 × 3, the block permutation and bit plane permutation key can be estimated in less than 3 min by using one pair of plain–ciphertext. The estimation accuracy of block permutation key is more than 50%, and the estimation accuracy of bit plane permutation key is 10% for Qin’s RST algorithm, most of the content information of the ciphertext image is leaked.

Summary: Background: Severe eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (ECRSwNP) remains the most relapsed subtype of uncontrolled CRSwNP. CM310, a humanised anti-interleukin (IL)-4 receptor alpha monoclonal antibody, inhibits IL-4 and IL-13 signaling which underlying eosinophilic inflammation. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CM310 in patients with severe ECRSwNP. Methods: A multicentre, randomised, double-blind, and placebo-controlled phase 2 clinical trial was conducted. 56 eligible adult patients with severe ECRSwNP were randomised 1:1 to receive subcutaneously either CM310 (300 mg) or placebo every 2 weeks under the background therapy of mometasone furoate nasal spray (MFNS) for 16 weeks, with 8 weeks of follow-up. Coprimary endpoints included the changes from baseline in nasal polyp score (NPS) and nasal congestion score (NCS) at week 16. Key secondary endpoints included sinus Lund-Mackay CT score, change in sinus volume occupied by disease, University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test score, 22-item Sino-nasal Outcome Test score, and total symptom score. Safety, pharmacodynamics, and changes in type 2 inflammation biomarkers were assessed. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04805398. Findings: Between April 6, 2021, and March 18, 2022, 27 patients respectively in both the CM310 and placebo groups completed the study. Findings suggested that CM310 improved the coprimary efficacy endpoints of decreasing nasal polyp size and alleviating nasal congestion compared with the placebo. Least squares (LS) mean differences (CM310 vs placebo) of change from baseline in NPS and NCS at week 16 were −2.1 (95% CI −2.9, −1.4; p

Purpose: We evaluated the association between ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure and eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), and predicted the CRSwNP recurrence risk using machine learning algorithms. Methods: In total, 1,086 patients with CRSwNP were recruited from nine hospitals in China during 2014–2019. The average annual concentrations of ambient PMs before surgery were assessed using satellite-based daily concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 for a 1 × 1-km2 area. Linear regression and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations of PM exposure with eosinophilia and risks of eosinophilic CRSwNPs. In addition, mediation effect analysis was used to validate the interrelationships of the aforementioned factors. Finally, machine learning algorithms were used to predict the recurrence risks of CRSwNPs. Results: There was a significantly increased risk of eosinophilic CRSwNPs with each 10 μg/m3 increase in PMs, with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.039 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.007–1.073) for PM10 and 1.058 (95% CI = 1.007– 1.112) for PM2.5. Eosinophils had a significant mediation effect, which accounted for 52% and 35% of the relationships of CRSwNP recurrence with PM10 and PM2.5, respectively. Finally, we developed a naïve Bayesian model to predict the risk of CRSwNP recurrence based on PM exposure, inflammatory data, and patients’ demographic factors. Conclusions: Increased PM exposure is associated with an increased risk of eosinophilic CRSwNP in China. Therefore, patients with eosinophilic CRSwNP should reduce PM exposure to mitigate its harmful impacts.

Robust assays to quantify adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector expression and potency are essential for gene therapy development. These assays inform the efficacy, safety, and pharmacodynamic profiles of AAV development candidates. Additionally, for gene downregulation strategies such as RNAi, knockdown of endogenous genes reflects the mechanism of action of such development candidates. Therefore, a method to quantify target mRNA repression is necessary for measuring vector potency both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report the development of a one-step reverse-transcription droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) method to analyze expression of AAV vectors and the potency of AAV-RNAi vectors. This one-step RT-ddPCR method simplifies the workflow, allows for duplexing reactions, and enables absolute quantification of transcripts without standard materials. With a gene augmentation vector, we demonstrate the application of RT-ddPCR in quantifying vector expression in vitro and in non-human primate (NHP) samples. This novel method is demonstrated to be precise and linear within the range of 0.05–25 ng of RNA input. Using an AAV-RNAi vector, we further demonstrate the utility of this RT-ddPCR method in quantifying potency. Orthogonal potency assays, including ELISA and functional readout, correlate well with RT-ddPCR results. Therefore, one-step RT-ddPCR can be implemented in the analytical and pharmacological characterization of AAV vectors.

Background: For type A aortic dissection (TAAD), antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) was proposed as a more physiological method than retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) for intra-operative brain protection, but it is still debatable whether antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) or retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) is related to the better clinical outcome. The present study was undertaken to compare the results in our patients receiving surgery for TAAD with ACP or RCP. The primary aim of this study was focused on the incidence of and the factors associated with surgical mortality, post-operative neurological outcomes and long-term survival. Methods: From February 2001 to March 2019, there were 223 consecutive patients with TAAD treated surgically at our hospital. The median age at presentation was 56 years (range 29–88 years) and 70 patients (31.4%) over 65 years of age. There were 168 patients treated with RCP and 55 patients treated with ACP. The primary endpoints were surgical mortality and neurological outcome. Propensity score matching was used to compare the treatment results of surgeries with RCP or ACP. The long-term survival was also analyzed. Results: The overall in-hospital mortality rate and the overall 30-day mortality rate were 15.6% and 14.3% respectively. For the patients without pre-operative shock (n = 184), the in-hospital mortality rate was 10.3% and the 30-day mortality rate was 8.7% and higher long-term survival rates (88.3% for 5 years, 86.5% for 10 years, 86.5% for 15 years) were documented for this patient group. There was no significant difference on the surgical mortality between the ACP group and the RCP group. In the entire cohort, there were 23 patients (10.3%) who suffered from post-operative neurological deficits (PND) and there were less PND for the patients with RCP than the patients with ACP (7.7% vs 18.1%, p = 0.027). After propensity score matching, there was still higher incidence of PND in the ACP group than in the RCP group but without statistical significance (18.5% vs 11.1%, p = 0.279). Conclusions: Aortic surgery carries high risk for the patients with TAAD and PND is not an unusual post-operative morbidity. In our series, pre-operative shock, pre-operative CPR, CRI, past history with CAD are related to higher surgical mortality. The younger patients (

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is one of the main vectors used in gene therapy. An accurate genome titer is not only critical for clinical dosing, but also a prerequisite for many analytical assays for AAV product characterization. AAV genome titer is traditionally determined by qPCR; however, assay precision is not optimal despite extensive efforts. More recently, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) emerged as a powerful alternative that offers excellent accuracy and precision. However, currently ddPCR is not as widely available as qPCR and operates at a lower throughput and a higher cost. In this paper, we introduce an improved qPCR method with two major optimizations: (1) using an AAV reference material as qPCR standard instead of plasmid DNA and (2) implementing a “digestion-free” method by adding 5% Tween 20 to standard and sample preparations. The new method has been extensively tested with AAV of different serotypes, purification status, and transgenes encapsidated and was found to be highly accurate, precise, and robust. This significantly improved and simplified assay can be easily adopted by researchers in the gene therapy field and further automated for high-throughput applications.

Background: Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly, which necessitates surgical treatment. There are several surgical strategies for corrective repair of IAA, such as one-stage repair, rapid two-stage repair and two-stage repair. Here, we reported our surgical result of staged-repair policy for the patients with IAA. Method: From November 2003 to July 2015, there were 14 patients (8 boys, 6 girls) with IAA treated by us. Except one teenager patient, we routinely used intravenous infusion of prostaglandin E1 for all the infant patients (n = 13) to keep adequate end organ perfusion before the first surgical intervention. Surgical repair was performed after the perfusion of end organs recovered. Result: Two patients (1 teenager and 1 infant with one-stage surgery) were excluded from this study. At the time of the first surgery, we did the first-stage surgery with anastomosis in between aortic arch and descending aorta, division of patent ductus arteriosus and banding of pulmonary trunk through left thoracotomy. The overall surgical survival rate of the first surgery was 100% (12/12). At the time of the second surgery, corrective repair was done under cardiopulmonary bypass through median sternotomy. The surgical survival rate of the corrective surgery was also 100%. There is no late death during follow-up for 9 years (range 4.2–15.0 years). Conclusion: Out of several surgical strategies for the infants with IAA, staged repair still could be a treatment option to achieve satisfied surgical result.

Scurs is a horn phenotype that exhibits as small corneous structures on the skull due to the deformed development of horn tissues. Previous genome-wide association analysis of scurs in Soay sheep showed a significant association to the polled locus, relaxin-like receptor 2 (RXFP2). However, the molecular mechanism underlying the development of scurs remains largely unknown. In the present study, we performed an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of horn tissues from both scurs and normal two-horned and four-horned individuals among Altay sheep to identify the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) responsible for the scurs phenotype. In total, 232 proteins showed significant differential expression, and the most significant Gene ontology categories were the adhesion processes (biological adhesion (P=4.07×10–17) and cell adhesion (P=3.7×10–16)), multicellular organismal process (single-multicellular organism process (P=2.06x10–11) and multicellular organismal process (P=2.29×10–11)) and extracellular processes (extracellular matrix organization (P=4.77×10–16) and extracellular structure organization (P=4.93×10–16)). Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interactions and focal adhesion pathways were the most significant pathways. This finding is consistent with the reduced formation of extracellular matrix in scurs and the development of deformed horn tissues. Our study helps to elucidate the inheritance pattern of sheep horn traits from the perspectives of downstream expressed proteins.

In this study, effects of temperature, light and their interactions on allelopathic effects and the functional traits specific leaf area (SLA) and stem mass fraction (SMF) of different allelopathic potential rice accessions at different growth stages were analyzed. The main results were as follows: Allelopathic responses to temperature and light varied with different allelopathic potential rice accessions at different growth stages. With the rise of temperature and the extension of photoperiod, allelopathic effect increased firstly and then decreased at 2–3 leaf stage, but increased constantly at the 4–5 and 7–8 leaf stages in strong allelopathic rice accessions [O. longistaminata, F1 (O. longistaminata × RD23), F2 (RL159 and RL169)]. Temperature had significant impact on allelopathic effect without considering light factors, but light showed little effect on rice allelopathy at the same temperature conditions. The greatest allelopathic effect was attained with moderate temperature and long photoperiod at 2–3 leaf stage in strong allelopathic rice accessions, but all the rice accessions showed weak allelopathic effects at the low temperature condition (15 °C/10 °C), and the influence of different factors on allelopathy followed a general trend as temperature > leaf stage > light, indicating that among the multiple factors impacting rice allelopathy, temperature was the main factor. Allelopathic characteristics of F1 and F2 to various temperature and light were similar to O. longistaminata, showing that allelopathic genes from wild rice can be expressed in its descendants. Temperature and light also had significant effects on SLA and SMF, and rice allelopathy was closely correlative to SLA in strong allelopathic rice accessions at the 4–5 and 7–8 leaf stages, but there was no correlation between rice allelopathy and SMF at different growth stages. These results suggested that rice adjust the relationship between allelopathy and SLA and adapt to the varied environments, and that high temperature and long photoperiod can enhance rice allelopathic activity.

Objective: Clot embolism remains a concern due to flushing of clot and thrombolytic agent centrally in the process of percutaneous pharmacomechanical thrombolysis (PMT) for a thrombosed prosthetic arteriovenous access (PAVA), which might be reduced by a modified technique. Methods: We retrospectively review this modified technique that uses two balloon-catheters in crisscross fashion and occludes both ends of PAVA during thrombolysis. Underlying stenotic lesions were dilated simultaneously with balloon angioplasty when needed. Results: Among the 23 patients treated, 21 (91.3%), 10 (43.5%), and seven (30.4%) presented significant stenosis at the outflow, intragraft, and inflow segments of PAVA, respectively. The median duration of follow-up was 310.0 (range, 288.0–327.0) days. Anatomic success was achieved in 12 out of 23 (52.2%). Clinical success for successful dialysis was achieved in all patients. The median primary patency and secondary patency were 126.0 days (range, 7.0–316.0) days and 308.0 days (range, 84.0–327.0), respectively. Conclusion: We believe this method is safe and effective in dissolving PAVA thrombus as well as treating culprit stenosis. It may reduce concerns of flushing of clot and thrombolytic agent into the central circulation in the process of PMT.

Elevated ammonium (NH 4 -N) contents in groundwater are a global concern, yet the mobilization and enrichment mechanisms controlling NH 4 -N within riverside aquifers (RAS) remain poorly understood. RAS are important zones for nitrogen cycling and play a vital role in regulating groundwater NH 4 -N contents. This study conducted an integrated assessment of a hydrochemistry dataset using a combination of hydrochemical analyses and multivariate geostatistical methods to identify hydrochemical compositions and NH 4 -N distribution in the riverside aquifer within Central Yangtze River Basin, ultimately elucidating potential NH 4 -N sources and factors controlling NH 4 -N enrichment in groundwater ammonium hotspots. Compared to rivers, these hotspots exhibited extremely high levels of NH 4 -N (5.26 mg/L on average), which were mainly geogenic in origin. The results indicated that N-containing organic matter (OM) mineralization, strong reducing condition in groundwater and release of exchangeable NH 4 -N in sediment are main factors controlling these high concentrations of NH 4 -N. The Eh representing redox state was the dominant variable affecting NH 4 -N contents (50.17 % feature importance), with Fe 2+ and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) representing OM mineralization as secondary but important variables (26 % and 5.11 % feature importance, respectively). This study proposes a possible causative mechanism for the formation of these groundwater ammonium hotspots in RAS. Larger NH 4 -N sources through OM mineralization and greater NH 4 -N storage under strong reducing condition collectively drive NH 4 -N enrichment in the riverside aquifer. The evolution of depositional environment driven by palaeoclimate and the unique local environment within the RAS likely play vital roles in this process., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The utility of repeat ablation for premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) after prior ablation failure is not clear., Objective: To assess the outcomes of repeat ablation and the use of different techniques in patients who failed prior PVC ablation., Methods: We reviewed 239 consecutive patients who underwent PVC ablation. When standard endocardial ablation with normal or half normal saline failed, we considered an advanced ablation technique. Acute success was defined as abolition of the target PVC. Clinical and procedural findings, PVC origins and acute and follow-up outcomes were compared in those with and without a prior failed ablation procedure., Results: Of 239 patients, 75 (31%) patients had failed a prior ablation procedure and they more often had LVOT PVCs. Despite failing prior ablation repeat standard ablation was acutely successful in 59% of patients and 75% of these patients had long-term success. Acute standard ablation success rate was lower and long-term recurrence rate was higher compared to patients without prior ablation (59% vs 95%; P<0.001, 29% vs 17%; P<0.05, respectively). Of the 31 repeat standard procedures that again failed, advanced techniques were performed in 23 (16 Needle, 5 epicardial and 2 simultaneous ablation), and were acutely successful in 16 (70%) with long-term success in 14 (45%). Over all long-term success for patients with prior failed standard ablation was 71%., Conclusion: Although success is lower for patients with prior failed ablation, repeat ablation appears reasonable for many and the use of advanced techniques increased success to 71% in this group., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: Patients with ALK-positive NSCLC developing resistance to second-generation inhibitors have limited treatment options. Deulorlatinib is a highly brain-penetrant, new-generation ALK/ROS1 inhibitor. We evaluated the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of deulorlatinib in ALK-positive NSCLC., Methods: This 3-part (dose-escalation/dose-expansion/cohort-expansion), open-label, phase 1/1b trial was conducted at 22 sites in China (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05441956). Eligible patients had advanced ALK/ROS1-positive NSCLC. Patients enrolled into dose-escalation/dose-expansion parts were previously treated with ≥1 second-generation ALK inhibitors (ALK-positive) or crizotinib (ROS1-positive); received deulorlatinib 5-125mg once daily. Patients enrolled into cohort-expansion parts were either crizotinib-treated, second-generation TKI-treated or TKI-naïve; received deulorlatinib at recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Primary outcomes were safety and tolerability. Here, we report safety analysis in all patients and efficacy analysis in ALK-positive patients., Results: Between April 2021 and March 2023, 198 patients were enrolled (ALK-positive=171, ROS1-positive=27). Most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were hypercholesterolemia (79.3%), hypertriglyceridemia (77.3%) and weight gain (53.0%). 40.4% of patients had grade≥3 TRAEs. TRAE-associated dose interruptions, reduction and discontinuation occurred in 11.1%, 3.0% and 1.5% of patients, respectively. The RP2D was set at 60mg once daily. A total of 144 ALK-positive patients were treated at RP2D. For crizotinib-treated (n=14), second-generation TKI-treated (n=97) and TKI-naïve (n=33) patients, ORR to deulorlatinib at RP2D was 71.4%, 38.1%, and 87.9%, respectively. Intracranial ORR was 50%, 70.4%, and 75%. Median duration of response was 18.0 months for second-generation TKI-treated patients, and not reached for crizotinib-treated and TKI-naïve patients. Biomarker analyses identified undetectable ALK alterations at baseline and ALK ctDNA clearance at week 6 as potential predictive biomarkers., Conclusions: Deulorlatinib showed desirable tolerability and efficacy in ALK-positive NSCLC, demonstrating the potential to become a new treatment option in this population., (Copyright © 2024 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In order to understand the adaptation mechanism of Broussonetia papyrifera to heavy metal stress and then promote its remediation and utilization, in this study, a total of 24 GRAS transcription factors were identified from B. papyrifera transcriptomes. Their complete ORFs were 597-2250 bp in length with encoding proteins 22.40-84.13 kDa. The 24 BpGRASs were distributed across nine chromosomes and two scaffolds. Their promoters contained numerous cis-acting elements involving in plant development, environmental stimuli, and hormonal regulation. These BpGRAS genes were predominantly transcribed in flowers and fruits. The most prominent genes were BpSCL21b and BpDELLA1, whose expression levels in flowers were 4.11- and 4.56-fold higher than the minimal one in leaves. All BpGRASs were apparently induced by ABA and at least one treatment of Cd, Cu, Mn, and Zn. The expression of some BpGRAS genes (including BpSCL1d, BpSCL7, BpSCL27, BpSCL34, etc.) was significantly correlated with HM chelation and the non-protein thiols (NPT) accumulation, which was regarded as barriers to resist HM stress, under Cd, Cu, Mn, and Zn stress. Moreover, BpSCL15 and BpSCL21b transgenic yeast displayed significantly enhanced growth and viability (1.23--2.71-fold, 1.30--1.96-fold of control OD 600 , accordingly) and metal accumulation (1.81--3.58-fold, 1.91--3.17-fold of control, accordingly). These results suggested that BpGRASs, especial BpSCL15, BpSCL21b, and BpSCL34, are essential for B. papyrifera response to HM stress depending on ABA signaling. It's the first time to investigate the correlation of BpGRASs' expression with HM and NPT accumulation, which may benefit for revealing the HM adaptation mechanism of B. papyrifera and provide candidate genes for HM resistance breeding in woody plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All the authors declare that they have no competing of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

As nature-based solutions, urban park plant communities play a pivotal role in regulating urban carbon cycles, alleviating global climate change, and fostering sustainable urban development. However, the factors influencing the carbon sink efficiency of plant communities in urban parks within temperate monsoon climate zones have not been fully investigated. This study used multivariate heterogeneous data to evaluate plant communities' carbon storage (CS) and annual carbon sequestration (ACS) in 25 urban parks across different biotope types in Jinan, a city located in China's temperate monsoon climate zone. The driving mechanisms affecting carbon sink efficacy were revealed using Spearman correlation, regression, principal component analyses, and structural equation modeling. Results demonstrated that: 1) Closed broadleaf multi-layer green space has significant carbon sink potential compared to other vegetation structures. 2) The carbon sink efficiency of the plant communities negatively correlated with the sky view factor and planting layout density. Three-dimensional green quantity (3DGQ), the ratio of trees and shrubs, species richness, and vertical structures positively correlated with plant communities' carbon storage and sequestration. 3) Whether increasing 3DGQ, the ratio of trees and shrubs, or the total number of individuals of all species, there is a certain threshold bottleneck in enhancing the carbon sink benefits of plant communities. 4) Plant community structure, species composition, and species diversity influenced carbon sink efficiency, collectively forming the first principal component. The 3DGQ affected carbon sink efficiency as the second principal component. Synergistic effects existed among these driving factors, jointly explained 64.3 % and 90.1 % of the CS and ACS of plant communities, respectively. Optimization design strategies for different plant communities in urban parks were proposed., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Natural attenuation of naphthalene (NAP) in riverbank filtration zones is vital for maintaining water quality and is affected by dissolved organic matter (DOM) and iron minerals. However, the effects of DOM and iron minerals on the attenuation of NAP remain unclear. In this study, the attenuation mechanisms of NAP under the influence of DOM and iron minerals were explored in a riverside source area. Field dynamic monitoring data revealed that the NAP concentration in groundwater is mainly influenced by DOM, effective bound‑iron, and the intensity of river water infiltration recharge. Column experiments indicated that DOM with α-Fe 2 O 3 or α-FeO(OH) reduced medium permeability by 8.16 % or 6.85 %, respectively, increasing water retention time. However, they had different effects on the attenuation of NAP. The coexistence of α-Fe 2 O 3 and DOM enhanced NAP attenuation capacity by 9.13 %-45.91 %, while α-FeO(OH) and DOM reduced it by -13.25 % to -24.13 %. These effects were attributed to changes in the medium permeability, particle size, secondary mineral formation, and microbial community structure. Specifically, α-Fe 2 O 3 and DOM reduced medium permeability, increasing the adsorption and biodegradation reaction time of NAP, and promoted secondary mineral (FeCO 3 ) formation, increasing the adsorption capacity of medium for NAP, while α-FeO(OH) and DOM underwent cementation, resulting in larger particles and reduced adsorption capacity for NAP. Additionally, α-FeO(OH) and DOM promoted Shewanlla growth, inhibiting NAP attenuation by competing with NAP-degrading bacteria. These findings improve the understanding of the natural attenuation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in riverbank filtration, offering a basis for evaluating and controlling PAH pollution risks., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most common pregnancy-related complications worldwide and currently lacks an effective treatment. While trophoblast cell dysfunction has been identified as the fundamental cause of PE, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Bone morphogenetic protein 5 (BMP5) is a secreted glycoprotein highly expressed in the placenta that is involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, the role and mechanism of BMP5 glycosylation of trophoblast cell function remain unclear., Methods: The expression of BMP5 and N-glycosylation in preeclamptic placental tissues was investigated. We predicted and validated the N-glycosylation sites of BMP5. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of BMP5 N-glycosylation on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of human immortalized trophoblastic HTR-8/SVneo cells. Furthermore, the role of N-glycosylated BMP5 in activating the BMP5-SMAD1/5 signaling pathway and regulating trophoblastic cell functions was explored., Results: Our study reveals that PHA-E + L (recognizing branching N-glycans) reactive N-glycans and BMP5 expression levels are lower in preeclamptic villous tissues compared to normal placental tissues. Additionally, we demonstrated that BMP5 is an N-glycosylation-modified protein. Furthermore, N-glycosylated BMP5 promoted the functional trophoblastic cells (HTR-8/SVneo). We also revealed that N-glycosylation of BMP5 regulates multiple cell functions through the BMP5-SMAD1/5 signaling pathway., Conclusion: N-glycosylated BMP5 promotes trophoblast cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. This study provides mechanistic insight as to how N-glycosylation of BMP5 in trophoblast cells can contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and provides a new basis for its diagnosis and treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) is increasingly used for monitoring disease targets in wastewaters around the world. This study, performed in Ottawa, Canada, identifies a decrease in SARS-CoV-2 wastewater measurements during snowmelt-induced sewer flushing events. Observations first revealed a correlation between suppressed viral measurements and periods of increased sewage flowrates, air temperatures above 0 °C during winter months, and solids mass flux increases. These correlations suggest that high sewage flowrates from snowmelt events or intense precipitation events lead to the scouring of previously settled solids in sewers and the subsequent entrainment of these solids into the transported wastewaters. Collection of WBS samples during flushing events hence contains a heterogeneous mixture of solids, including resuspended solids with varying degrees of decay. Therefore flushing events can present a challenge for accurately measuring disease target viral signals when using solids-based analytical methods. This study demonstrates that resuspended solids entrained in the wastewaters during flushing events retain PMMoV signal while the SARS-CoV-2 signal is significantly reduced due to the slower decay rate of pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) compared to SARS-CoV-2 within wastewaters. Hence current normalization methods using PMMoV are shown to be ineffective in correcting for flushing events and the associated resuspension of settled solids, as the PMMoV signal of settled solids within sewers does not account for the differential decay rates experiences by SARS-CoV-2 signal in settled solids. Instead, this study identifies RNA to PMMoV correction factor as an effective approach to correct for flushing events and to realign SARS-CoV-2 signal with COVID-19 hospital admission rates within communities. As such, the study highlights the key physicochemical parameters necessary to identify flushing events that affect SARS-CoV-2 WBS measurements and introduces a novel RNA to PMMoV correction factor approach for solids-based analysis of SARS-CoV-2 during flushing events, enhancing the accuracy of WBS data for public health decision-making., 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 © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Dust storms have a profound impact on air quality, atmospheric chemistry, and human well-being by carrying vast amounts of particles over distances of thousands of kilometers. However, the overall characteristics of these dust events and their influence on secondary pollution in the northern China region are not yet well understood, due to a lack of long-term, comprehensive observations and objective identification techniques. Based on principal component analysis combined with high-time-resolution observations of particulate matter components, here we developed a robust method to identify dust storm events and identified 14 dust events in Beijing in 2019. We further classified these 14 events into two distinct types using Lagrangian particle dispersion models and backward trajectory analysis. The first type (Type I, 9 cases) is characterized by synoptic patterns in Mongolia, originating from the north and directly impacting the Beijing area. The second type (Type II, 5 cases) involves air masses from the north or northwest that temporarily pass through polluted regions south of Beijing before being carried back into the city. Consistently, during Type I dust events, we observed a sharp decrease in secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA) from 65 % to 7 %, as well as in the sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) and nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) (from 0.52 to 0.19, and 0.27 to 0.018 respectively). In contrast, during Type II dust events, SIA concentrations increased by 91 %, along with an increase in SOR (1.7 %), NOR (69 %), and f 44 /f 43 (3.0 %), suggesting an enhancement of secondary aerosol formation resulting from the interaction between dust aerosols and gaseous anthropogenic pollutants. Our results demonstrate that dust events and the sub-type of dust events can be identified in an objective manner using the protocol developed in this study and the dynamics should be considered when discussing impacts of dust events on atmospheric chemistry., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)