Search

Learning experiences can affect students' interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. Applying the social cognitive career theory, this study tested and compared the effect size and effect mechanism of formal learning experiences (FLE) and informal learning experiences (ILE) on 1133 tenth-grade students' interest in STEM careers (ISC) through a paper questionnaire survey. The results of structural equation model analysis showed that: 1) The total effect of ILE on students' ISC is much greater than that of FLE; 2) ILE, STEM self-efficacy (SSE) and STEM careers perceptions (SCP) can directly affect students' ISC; FLE and ILE can also indirectly affect students' ISC through the mediating role of SSE and SCP. The analyses suggest that in order to improve students' ISC, STEM education (especially informal STEM education) should be strengthened, both formal and informal education should pay attention to the cultivation of students' SSE and SCP.

Background: Females are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields all over the world. To encourage more girls to choose STEM majors and careers, it is critical to increase their interest in STEM careers. Many studies have investigated the factors that influence females' entry into STEM fields, but few studies have explored the gender differences in the relationships between these factors. Therefore, based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory, this study explored the gender differences in the effects of environmental factors (school education, informal education, social support, and media) on high school students' interest in STEM careers through the mediating roles of STEM self-efficacy and STEM careers perceptions. Results: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 1240 high school students in Hunan Province, China, and the results of t-test, regression analysis, and structural equation model multi-group comparison showed that: Firstly, the scores of male students in all the dimensions except for STEM career perception were significantly higher than those of female students. Secondly, the environmental factor that had the greatest effect on male and female students' interest in STEM careers was different. Finally, there were gender differences in the mediating roles of STEM self-efficacy and STEM careers perceptions between environmental factors and interest in STEM careers. Conclusions: This study revealed the influence mechanisms and gender differences in male and female students' interest in STEM careers in the context of Chinese Confucian culture, and the conclusions are as follows: (1) Male students' interest in STEM careers was significantly higher than that of female students; (2) The environmental factors that had the greatest effect on male and female students' interest in STEM careers were social support and media, respectively; and (3) Environmental factors could affect male students' interest in STEM careers through the mediating roles of STEM self-efficacy and STEM career perception, while environmental factors could affect female students' interest in STEM careers through the mediating role of STEM self-efficacy. Finally, the mediating mechanisms of STEM self-efficacy and STEM career perception between environmental factors and interest in STEM careers, and the importance of STEM self-efficacy for female students were discussed.

The radiance of sky brightness differs principally with wavelength passband. Atmospheric scattering of sunlight causes the radiation in the near-infrared band. The Antarctic is a singular area of the planet, marked by an unparalleled climate and geographical conditions, including the coldest temperatures and driest climate on Earth, which leads it to be the best candidate site for observing in infrared bands. At present, there are still no measurements of night-sky brightness at DOME A. We have developed the Near-Infrared Sky Brightness Monitor (NISBM) in the J ,  H , and K s bands for measurements at DOME A. The instruments were installed at DOME A in 2019 and early results of NIR sky brightness from 2019 January–April have been obtained. The variation of sky background brightness with solar elevation and scanning angle is analysed. The zenith sky flux intensity for the early night at DOME A in the J band is in the 600–1100 μJy arcsec−2 range, that in the H band is between 1100 and 2600 μJy arcsec−2, and that in the K s band is in the range ∼200–900 μJy arcsec−2. This result shows that the sky brightness in J and H bands is close to that of Ali in China and Mauna Kea in the USA. The sky brightness in the K s band is much better than that in Ali, China and Mauna Kea, USA. This shows that, from our early results, DOME A is a good site for astronomical observation in the K s band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to characterize the chromosome and plasmid sequences, and determine the transferability of plasmids in carbapenem‐resistance Acinetobacter baumannii DD520 and Klebsiella pneumoniae DD521 isolates from the same patient who was co‐infected in a hospital in China. Methods and Results: Both isolates DD520 and DD521 exhibited multidrug resistance phenotype, especially the former isolate which was resistant to nine classes of antimicrobials including carbapenems, quinolones, penicillins, cephalosporins, tetracyclines, phenicols, fosfomycins, sulfanilamides and aminoglycosides. Carbapenem resistance genes of blaOXA‐23 and blaOXA‐66 were identified on the chromosome of A. baumannii DD520, and blaKPC‐2 was found in the plasmid pDD521.2 from K. pneumoniae DD521. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that A. baumannii DD520 belonged to the ST540 clone, and K. pneumoniae DD521 belonged to the ST2237 clone. Plasmid analysis suggested that blaKPC‐2 was embedded into plasmid pDD521.2, which might be resulted from IS26‐ and Tn1721‐mediated transposition. Plasmid pDD521.2 carrying blaKPC‐2 successfully transferred from K. pneumoniae DD521 into Escherichia coli C600, and carbapenems resistance also transferred in the conjugation. Conclusions: To our knowledge, it was the first report of A. baumannii ST540 and K. pneumoniae ST2237 in the same patient in China. Both these two isolates exhibited resistance to carbapenem, which was likely to have resulted from carbapenem‐resistance genes blaOXA‐23‐blaOXA‐66 on the chromosome of A. baumannii ST540, and blaKPC‐2 in the plasmid of K. pneumoniae ST2237. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our study highlighted that effective measures were urgent to prevent and control the co‐infection caused by two or more carbapenem‐resistance pathogens in the same patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze compensatory ability of the cerebral collateral circulation and relevant factors affecting cerebral ischemic tolerance for internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion by Balloon Test Occlusion (BTO), providing reference basis for the selection of treatment methods in tumors or complicated aneurysms with ICA involved. Methods The clinical data of 87 cases BTO (85 patients, two of whom underwent bilateral BTO) of ICA in Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from June 2016 to September 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The integrity of anterior or posterior of circulation structure, collateral compensatory capacity, tolerance to ICA occlusion and its influencing factors were analyzed. Results There were 8 [9.20% (8/87)] BTO positive cases. The positive rate was of cases with incomplete anterior communicating artery was higher than those with complete anterior communicating artery [3/5 vs. 6.10% (5/82); Fisher's exact probability: P = 0.005]. The positive rate of cases with complete fetal posterior cerebral artery (fPCA) which was higher than those without complete fPCA [3/7 vs. 6.25% (5/80); Fisher's exact probability: P = 0.015]. The positive rate of cases with non-open anterior circulation which was higher than those cases with open anterior circulation [3/6 vs. 6.17% (5/81); Fisher's exact probability: P = 0.009]. The positive rate of cases with non - open posterior circulation which was higher than those cases with open posterior circulation [20% (5/25) vs. 0 (0/59); Fisher's exact probability: P = 0.002]. Only the positive rate of patients with anterior circulation opening was higher than that of patients with open anterior circulation and open posterior circulation [13.04% (3/23) vs. 0 (0/3); Fisher's exact probability: P = 0.022], neither anterior nor posterior circulation opening were significantly higher than those with only anterior circulation opening [2/2 vs. 13.04% (3/23); Fisher's exact probability: P = 0.033] and both anterior and posterior circulation opening [2/2 vs. 0 (0/56); Fisher's exact probability: P = 0.001]. Once the ICA occluded, the anterior circulation, the posterior circulation, both of anterior and posterior circulation could provide anterior cerebral artery (ACA) supplied area with compensatory blood flow for 88.10% (74/84), 3.57% (3/84), 5.95% (5/84) cases, respectively. The anterior circulation, the posterior circulation, both anterior and posterior circulation could provide middle cerebral artery (MCA) supplied area with compensatory blood flow for 27.38% (23/84), 16.67% (14/84), 53.57% (45/84) cases, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the compensatory capacity between ACA (χ² = 53.000, P = 0.000) and MCA (χ² = 54.244, P = 0.000). The combined compensatory capacity of both anterior and posterior circulation was higher than that of single anterior circulation (Z = 6.754, P = 0.000; Z = 6.180, P = 0.000), single posterior circulation (Z = 2.277, P = 0.023; Z = 5.065, P = 0.000) and neither anterior nor posterior circulation (Z = 1.991, P = 0.047; Z = 2.478, P = 0.013). Conclusions The anterior circle is functionally much more important than the posterior circle. Non-open anterior circulation, especial absence of anterior communicating artery, complete fPCA, neither anterior nor posterior circulation were highly predictive for intolerance to ICA occlusion. For these cases, attention should be paid to the protection of ICA or active blood flow reconstruction technology to reduce the occurrence of cerebral ischemia. Those cases with both opened anterior circulation and opened posterior circulation provided higher compensatory ability than those with single circulation. For those cases, the ICA of could be sacrificed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol analogues (BPs) including bisphenol a (BPA) have been broadly utilized as industrial feedstocks and unavoidably discharged into water bodies. However, there is little published data on the occurrence, distribution, and environmental risks of other BPs in surface water. In this study, ten BPs besides BPA were analyzed in surface water from the Pearl River, South China. Among these detected BPs, BPA, bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol AF (BPAF), and bisphenol S (BPS) were the most frequently detected compounds. The median concentrations of the measured BPs were ranked in the order of BPA (34.9 ng/L) > BPS (24.8 ng/L) > BPAF (10.1 ng/L) > bisphenol F (BPF) (9.0 ng/L) > bisphenol B (BPB) (7.6 ng/L) > bisphenol C (BPC) (1.2 ng/L). Among them, BPA and BPS were predominant BPs, contributing 68% of the total ten BPs in surface water of the Pearl River. These results demonstrated that BPA and BPS were the most extensively utilized and manufactured BPs in this region. The source analysis of BPs suggested that the BPs may be originated from domestic wastewater, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, and the leaching of microplastic in surface water of the Pearl River. The calculated BP-derived estrogenic activity exhibited low to medium risks in surface water, but their combined estrogenic effects with other endocrine disrupting compounds should not be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syzygium acuminatissimum is a valuable hard wood species in southern China. In this study, we sequenced, assembled and annotated the complete chloroplast genome of S. acuminatissimum. The complete cp genome of S. acuminatissimum was 159,352 bp in length, with a total of 109 unique annotated genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 27 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that S. acuminatissimum was closely related to its congener S. aromaticum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalate esters (PAEs) were examined in indoor and outdoor dust samples from the subtropical city of Guangzhou, China. The ∑PAEs concentrations ranged from 121 to 3,223 μg g dust, with the median concentration of 840 μg g dust. Significantly higher concentrations of PAEs in dust samples were found in offices where electrical and electronic devices, carpet pads, and office furniture were widely used. Of the 16 PAEs, diisobutyl phthalate (D iBP), di- n-butyl phthalate (D nBP), and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) dominated the PAEs in indoor and outdoor dust samples, and accounted for >96.8% and >93.1% of the ∑PAEs concentrations, respectively. The median daily inhalation exposure of ∑PAEs were 3.53 and 0.247 μg kg body weight day, and at the 95 percentile were 7.62 and 0.530 μg kg body weight day, up on the measured concentrations and estimated dust ingestion rates, respectively, for toddles and adults. The ubiquitous distribution of PAEs as noted in this study suggests the need for detailed assessment of PAEs concentrations using more sites and to further investigate the factors influencing PAEs exposure in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2002 a severe root and stem disease of Dendrobium has occurred periodically each year in the plantations of Simao City, Yunnan Province, China. Symptoms included water-soaked and brown lesions, and rot of tissues. Based on the morphological characteristics and the internal transcribed spacer-1, 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, and internal transcribed spacer 2 and β-tubulin gene sequences, the pathogen was identified as Pythium vexans de Bary. The pathogenicity of the fungus was confirmed by satisfying Koch's postulates. This is the first world record of stem rot of Dendrobium caused by P. vexans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In Chinese cities, air pollution has become a serious and aggravating environmental problem undermining the sustainability of urban ecosystems and the quality of urban life. Bulk atmospheric deposition samples were collected two-weekly, from February 2007 to January 2008, at three representative areas, one suburban and two urbanized, in the subtropical city, Guangzhou, China, to assess the deposition fluxes and seasonal variations of phthalate esters (PAEs). Sixteen PAE congeners in bulk deposition samples were measured and the depositional fluxes of ∑16PAEs ranged from 3.41 to 190 μg m−2 day−1, and were highly affected by local anthropogenic activities. The significant relationship between PAEs and particulate depositional fluxes (correlation coefficient R 2 = 0.72, P < 0.001) showed PAEs are associated primarily with particles. Temporal flux variations of PAEs were influenced by seasonal changes in meteorological parameters, and the deposition fluxes of PAEs were obviously higher in wet season than in dry season. Diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) dominated the PAE pattern in bulk depositions, which is consistent with a high consumption of the plasticizer market in China. PAE profiles in bulk deposition showed similarities exhibited in both time and space, and a weak increase of high molecular weight PAE (HMW PAE) contribution in the wet season compared to those in the dry season. Average atmospheric deposition fluxes of PAEs in the present study were significantly higher than those from other studies, reflecting strong anthropogenic inputs as a consequence of rapid industrial and urban development in the region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Urban lakes are vulnerable to the accumulation of toxic and/or potentially toxic contaminants, such as phthalate esters (PAEs) from urban stormwater runoff, atmospheric deposition, as well as untreated discharge of industrial wastewater and municipal sewage. The concentrations of 16 PAEs in surface water from 15 urban lakes in the subtropical city, Guangzhou, were measured, respectively in spring, summer and winter 2006, to elucidate the effect of the seasonal variation in climate conditions on the distribution of PAEs. Seasonal variations of the Σ16PAEs concentrations, ranging, respectively from 0.47 to 6.19μgL−1 and from 24.9 to 221μgg−1, were measured in the dissolved and suspended particulate matter (SPM) phases. The highest concentrations of PAEs were present in summer. The spatial distribution of PAEs was site-specific. Of the 16 PAEs, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di(4-methyl-2-pentyl) phthalate (DMPP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were present in all the samples analyzed, and dominated by DnBP, DiBP and DEHP. Composition profile of PAEs indicated that the application of DnBP/DiBP is relatively high in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). Longer/branching alkyl PAEs likely adsorb to SPM in aquatic environments. Normalized partition coefficient (K OC) between the dissolved water and SPM was correlated with n-octanol/water partition coefficient (K OW) to understand the environmental behavior of PAEs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Surface soils from 37 sampling sites including roadsides (RS), parks (PA) and residential areas (RE) of the Subtropical City, Guangzhou, were collected in December of 2005 and analyzed for 16 phthalate esters (PAEs). PAEs were detected in all surface soils analyzed, which indicate that PAEs are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The concentrations ranged from 1.67 to 322μgg−1-dry weight (dw), with the median concentration of 17.7μgg−1-dw, mainly originating from municipal solid waste leachate, discarded plastic effusion, municipal sewage and atmospheric depositions. Concentrations of PAEs were poorly correlated with soil organic carbon content, suggesting mixing process between local and on-going sources. Of the 16 PAEs, diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) dominated the PAEs, with the median concentrations of 1.63μgg−1-dw, 1.80μgg−1-dw and 14.8μgg−1-dw, respectively, and accounted for 74.2–99.8% of the concentrations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to the distribution patterns of PAEs in the urban soils. Significant correlations existed among DiBP, DnBP, and DEHP, and between dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP). No significant differences of PAE congeneric profiles were observed between this and studies conducted elsewhere, which is consistent with the application of similar commercial PAEs around the world. As compared to the results from other studies, the urban soils of Guangzhou city were severely contaminated with PAEs. The environmental and human health risks posed by PAEs in the urban soils of Guangzhou city may deserve further attention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are widespread organic pollutants that could be detected in various environmental matrices. In this study, a sample pretreatment method was developed for the determination of 9 OPEs by automatic hollow fiber-liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). High sensitivity of OPEs could be achieved after optimization of several important parameters with the limits of detection (LODs) ranging from 2.6 to 120ngL−1 for different individual OPEs, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranged from 2.1% to 10.4%. Acceptable recoveries were observed and the proposed method was then successfully applied to determine OPEs in seawaters collected from 23 sampling sites of the Pearl River Estuaries in dry and wet seasons, respectively. All of the OPEs could be detected, except tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP). The total concentrations of 9 OPEs in seawaters were ranging from 2.04 (Hemen) to 3.12 (Humen) μgL−1 in the dry season and from 1.08 (Hemen) to 2.50 (Jitimen) μgL−1 in the wet season. By using spatial interpolation method of ordinary kriging, the most polluted area of ΣOPEs was found in Humen in the dry season, while it was Jitimen in the wet season. Moreover, the annual input of ΣOPEs discharged via eight estuaries ranged from 384tons (Jitimen) to 1225tons (Modaomen), and the total annual input was 5694tons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bisphenol analogues (BPs) are heavily used and negatively affect the health of human beings, however, there is little knowledge regarding human exposure to BPs other than BPA. This study aims to assess human exposure to BPs through investigating pooled urine and wastewater samples. Twenty-four pooled urine samples were prepared from 960 specimens (classified by age and gender). Wastewater samples were collected from six major wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Guangzhou, South of China. BPA, BPS, and BPAF were widely detected in urine samples, with a median concentration of 0.96, 0.42, and 0.15 μg/L, respectively. Median urinary levels of BPA and BPS were higher in males than females (p > 0.05). In addition, BPA and BPS urinary levels in young adults (15–30 years old) were greater than those in children (0–15 years old) (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, most of the BPs were detected in wastewater samples, of which BPA and BPS were predominant BPs, with a median concentration of 1.0 and 0.29 μg/L. The average per capital mass loads of Σ BPs on the weekdays of mix typed WWTP was much higher than those of the weekends. Nonetheless, the average loads of Σ BPs on the weekdays of domestic WWTP was slightly lower than those of the weekends. This indicated that important sources of BPs might include industrial wastewater and household cleaning products. Urinary BPA, BPS, and BPAF accounted for less than 5% per capital mass loads in wastewater, suggesting that much of the BPA, BPS, and BPAF in municipal wastewater originate non-human excretion. Hence, the wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) approach based on parent compounds is not available for assessing human exposure to BPs, neither for other industrial chemicals with diverse sources in municipal wastewater. These results contributes to the development of an efficient surveillance system which can provide insight in the trends of human exposure of BPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), the selection of appropriate biomarkers presents a significant challenge. Recently, sulfated bisphenols have garnered attention as potential WBE biomarkers due to their increased stability in wastewater compared to glucuronide conjugates. This study aims to comprehensively assess the feasibility of employing sulfated BPA and BPS as WBE biomarkers by analyzing both WBE and human biomonitoring data. To conduct this research, wastewater samples were collected from six domestic wastewater treatment plants in Guangzhou, China, and urinary concentration of BPA and BPS were obtained from peer-reviewed literature. The results revealed that mean urinary concentrations of BPA and BPS, calculated using Monte Carlo simulations, significantly exceeded those reported in human biomonitoring studies. Furthermore, the per capita mass load ratio of sulfated BPA and BPS in human urine to the mass load in wastewater was found to be below 10 %. This outcome suggests that the excretion of BPA-S and BPS-S in urine does not make a substantial contribution to wastewater, hinting at the existence of other notable sources. Consequently, our study concludes that sulfated BPA-S and BPS-S are not suitable candidates as WBE biomarkers. This work provides a referenceable analytical framework for evaluating the feasibility of WBE biomarkers and emphasizes the necessity for caution when utilizing WBE to assess human exposure to chemicals., 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.)

Bisphenol analogues (BPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and have gained significant attention regarding their associated health risks. However, there is a lack of comprehensive biomonitoring data on BPs and their metabolites in human urine. To address this, we conducted a study evaluate the exposure to BPs in the general population of Guangzhou, China. A total of 1440 urine samples were collected from volunteers and analyzed for the presence of BPs and their metabolites after being pooled into 36 groups based on age and gender. The findings revealed the common detection of ten free-form BPs, as well as the urinary metabolites of BPA and BPS, in the pooled urine samples. BPA was the predominant free-form compound, constituting 50% of the total BPs. The primary urinary metabolites of BPA and BPS are BPA-G and BPS-G, respectively, indicating glucuronidation as their primary metabolic pathway. The composition of urinary metabolites of BPA and BPS varied by age and sex, while the concentration of total BPs in urine was not significantly associated with age and sex. Enzymatic hydrolysis yielded a mean amplification of individual BPs concentrations in urine samples ranging from 1.8 times (BPA) to 4.6 times (BPS). Based on the outcomes, it was estimated that conjugated forms accounted for 96.9%, 96.2%, 94.7%, 94.1%, 92.6%, 89.1%, 87.3%, 87.2%, 87.1% and 85.8% of BPP, BPAF, BPZ, BPE, BPAP, BPF, BPA, BPC, BPS and BPF, respectively, in the pooled urine samples. Preliminary risk assessments indicated that the estimated daily intake of BPA was much higher than the latest proposed tolerable daily intake. Due to the unavailability of health-based guideline values for alternative BPs, some of them exhibit daily intakes comparable to BPA, implying that greater attention should be paid to health risks associated with exposure to BPs., 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 Ltd.)

Human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) has garnered considerable global health concerns. In this paper, the daily intake (DI) of BPA and BPS in the general population of Guangzhou, China, were back-calculated using the biomarkers BPA glucuronides (BPA-G) and BPS glucuronides (BPS-G), respectively. The biomarkers are preferable to total BPA and BPS measurements because they are not susceptible to external contamination. A total of 1440 urine samples were gathered from the general population in Guangzhou, China, which were classified by age and sex into 36 pooled urine samples. 100% and 98% of pooled urine samples contained BPA-G and BPS-G at median values of 1.57 and 0.38 ng/mL, respectively. Based on urinary BPA-G and BPS-G concentrations, we determined the median DI of BPA and BPS to be 31.07 and 7.37 ng/(kg bw*d), respectively, and the highest values to be 106.77 ng/(kg bw*d) and 18.19 ng/(kg bw*d), respectively. Furthermore, our results showed that for the entire dataset, the DI of BPA and BPS were considerably greater in males than in females (p < 0.01)and declined significantly with age (p < 0.05). For risk assessment, the estimated DIs of BPA and BPS were much lower than the European Food Safety Authority ' s (EFSA) the temporary acceptable reference dose of 4 μg/(kg bw*d) advised for BPA, suggesting that the exposure risk of BPA and BPS for Guangzhou population is within a controllable safety range. This is the first study to investigate BPA and BPS exposure in the general population of Guangzhou, China, on the basis of urinary metabolites., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Taiyangshan Wetland, a valuable wetland resource in the arid zone of central Ningxia, is critical for flood storage and drought resistance, climate regulation, and biodiversity protection. Nevertheless, the community structure and diversity of bacterioplankton in the Taiyangshan Wetland remains unclear. High-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the differences in bacterioplankton structure and major determinants in the Taiyangshan Wetland from April to October 2020. The composition and diversity of the bacterioplankton community varied significantly in different sampling periods but showed negligible differences across lake regions. Meanwhile, the relative abundances of bacterioplankton Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Tenericutes, Epsilonbacteraeota, and Patescibacteria were significantly different in different sampling periods, while the relative abundances of Cyanobacteria in different lake regions were quite different. Network analysis revealed that the topological attributes of co-occurrence pattern networks of bacterioplankton were high, and bacterioplankton community compositions were complicated in the month of July. A mantel test revealed that the bacterioplankton community in the entire wetland was affected by water temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, salinity, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, fluoride, and sulfate. The bacterioplankton community structure was affected by ten environmental parameters (e.g., water temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and permanganate index) in April, while the bacterioplankton community was only related to 1~2 environmental parameters in July and October. The bacterioplankton community structure in Lake Region IV was related to seven environmental parameters, including dissolved oxygen, pH, total nitrogen, and chemical oxygen demand, whereas the bacterioplankton community structures in the other three lake regions were related to two environmental parameters. This study facilitates the understanding of the bacterioplankton community in wetlands in arid areas and provides references to the evaluation of aquatic ecological management of the Taiyangshan Wetland.

Objective: To analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic variant in a Chinese pedigree affected with benign familial neonatal convulsion (BFNC)., Methods: Clinical data and peripheral blood samples of the pedigree were obtained with informed consent. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out for the proband. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing., Results: The pedigree comprised 9 individuals, among whom 4 were affected, including 3 males and 1 female. All patients had developed seizures during the neonatal period, which had ceased in 4 to 6 months. One patient had recurrence in between 1 and 2 years old. Genetic testing has identified a novel nonsense c.810G>A (p.W270X) variant in exon 5 of the KCNQ2 gene, which has co-separated with the BFNC phenotype in the pedigree., Conclusion: The patients from this pedigree have conformed to the diagnosis of BFNC with good prognosis, which was in keeping with previously reported cases. The heterozygous c.810G>A (p.W270X) nonsense variant of the KCNQ2 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis of BFNC in this pedigree, which has expanded the mutational spectrum of the disease.

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of 8 microelements (Zn, Fe, Cu, Ca, Mn, Mg, Cd, Pb) and the health status test of 184 female nursing students at a college in Zhaoqing, China, and to get the relevant data of nursing students in a Zhaoqing University. The relationship between microelements and physical health status was investigated. There were significant differences in the levels of Ca, Mg, Mn, and Pb between grade 1 and grade 2 students (all, P < 0.01). In grade 1 students, Mn level was negatively correlated with height (P = 0.006, r s  = - 0.283) and was significantly positively correlated with 1-min sit-ups (P = 0.010, r s  = 0.268). Cd level was positively correlated with 50 m sprint time (P = 0.023, r s  = 0.237). In grade 2 students, Mn level was negatively correlated with 1-min sit-ups (P = 0.016, r s  = - 0.250), Fe level was positively correlated with 800 m running time (P = 0.036, r s  = 0.219), Zn level was positively correlated with 50 m sprint time (P = 0.050, r s  = 0.205), and Cd level was negatively correlated with sit and reach (P = 0.020, r s  = - 0.239). Microelement levels have certain effects on the physical health status of female nursing students. Among them, Zn, Fe, and Mg have the most significant effect.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been suspected to act as endocrine disruptors and adversely affect human reproductive health. We aimed to investigate the association between PFAAs in blood and semen, explore a potential link between PFAAs exposure and semen quality in the population of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in China, one of the "world factories". The monitoring results demonstrated that the population (103 male participants) from the PRD region in this study had higher PFAAs levels in blood and semen than some other areas in China. PFOS was found at the highest mean concentrations of 118.16 ng/mL in blood and 5.31 ng/mL in semen among the nine PFAAs. Significant associations were found between concentrations of several analytes in blood and semen, including Σ 9 PFAAs (r = 0.475, P < .01), PFOA (r = 0.215, P = .029), PFHS (r = 0.458, P < .01) and PFOS (r = 0.981, P < .01). BMI was the most important factor to PFAAs, but there was no significant difference in PFAAs concentrations in blood and semen collected from participants with different smoking and drinking habits, education background and occupations. Negative correlations were significantly observed between sperm motility and PFBA, PFPeA, PFHxA, PFBS, PFOA, PFHS, PFOS and Σ 9 PFAAs in semen. Therefore, exposure to PFAAs may result in a decline in semen mobility in participants from the PRD region., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The urinary, psychosocial, organ-specific, infection, neurological/systemic and tenderness (UPOINT) phenotype system has been validated to be an effective phenotype system in classifying patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in western populations. To validate the utility of the UPOINT system and evaluate the effect of multimodal therapy based on the UPOINT system in Chinese patients with CP/CPPS, we performed this study. Chinese patients with CP/CPPS were prospectively offered multimodal therapy using the UPOINT system and re-examined after 6 months. A minimum 6-point drop in National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptoms Index (NIH-CPSI) was set to be the primary endpoint. Finally, 140 patients were enrolled in the study. The percentage of patients with each domain was 59.3%, 45.0%, 49.3%, 22.1%, 37.9%, and 56.4% for the UPOINT, respectively. The number of positive domains significantly correlated with symptom severity, which is measured by total NIH-CPSI scores (r = 0.796, P< 0.001). Symptom duration was associated with a greater number of positive domains (r = 0.589, P< 0.001). With 6 months follow-up at least, 75.0% (105/140) had at least a 6-point improvement in NIH-CPSI after taking the therapy. All NIH-CPSI scores were significantly improved from original ones: pain 10.14 ± 4.26 to 6.60 ± 3.39, urinary 6.29 ± 2.42 to 3.63 ± 1.52, quality of life 6.56 ± 2.44 to 4.06 ± 1.98, and total 22.99 ± 7.28 to 14.29 ± 5.70 (all P< 0.0001). Our study indicates that the UPOINT system is clinically feasible in classifying Chinese patients with CP/CPPS and directing therapy.

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method with multiple reaction monitoring was established for simultaneous quantification of 18 bioactive constituents from the stem and root of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. collected from different places in China and various commercial preparations. The chromatographic separations were achieved on an Agilent Poroshell SB-C₁₈ column (150 × 4.6 mm, 3.5 µm) with gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.03 % formic acid aqueous solution in 45 min. Detection was performed in the positive ionization mode by monitoring the precursor-product combination. The validation of the method included tests of linearity, sensitivity, precision, repeatability, stability, and accuracy. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r > 0.9990) within the test range. The established method showed good precision and accuracy with intraday and interday variations of 2-5 % and 1-4 %, respectively, and recoveries of 95.5-104.5 %., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

This study was aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms for para-Bombay blood type individual in Fujian Province of China. The para-Bombay blood type of this individual was identified by routine serological techniques. The full coding region of alpha (1,2) fucosyltransferase (FUT1) gene of this individual was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), then the PCR product was cloned into T vector. The mutation in coding region of fut1 gene was identified by TA cloning, so as to explore the molecular mechanisms for para-Bombay blood type individual. The results indicated that the full coding region of fut1 gene was successfully amplified by PCR. AG deletion at position 547-552 on 2 homologous chromosomes was detected by TA cloning method, leading to a reading frame shift and a premature stop codon. It is concluded that genetic mutation of fut1 gene in this para-bombay blood type individual was h1h1 homozygotic type.

Extensive use of phthalate esters (PAEs) in both industrial processes and consumer products has resulted in the ubiquitous presence of these chemicals in the environment. This study reports the first data on the concentrations of 16 phthalate esters (PAEs) in water and sediments of the urban lakes in Guangzhou City. PAEs were detected in all samples analyzed, mainly originating from urban stormwater runoff, atmospheric deposition, as well as untreated discharge of industrial wastewater and municipal sewage. The Sigma(16)PAEs concentrations in water and sediments ranged from 1.69 to 4.72 microg L(-1) and 2.27 to 74.94 microg g(-1)-dry weight (dw), with the mean concentrations of 2.91 microg L(-1) and 20.85 microg g(-1)-dw, respectively, which indicates that sediment is a significant sink for PAEs. Variability of the Sigma 16PAEs concentrations in water and sediment in the urban lakes was almost consistent. The spatial distribution of PAEs was site-specific. Of the 16 PAEs, DMP, DEP, DnBP, DiBP, DMPP, and DEHP were present in all water and sediment samples. DnBP was abundant in water (53.0-81.2%), while no single dominant congener was found in sediments. The abundances of DiBP were similar to those of DEHP, and DiBP and DEHP collectively accounted for 77.2-97.6% of the Sigma 16PAEs concentrations. Congener specific analysis confirmed that DnBP was a predictive indicator for the dissolved summation operator16 PAEs concentration (correlation coefficient r=0.968, p<0.01), and that DiBP was a predictive indicator for the sediment summation operator16 PAEs concentration (r=0.975, p<0.01). As compared to the results for other studies, the urban lakes of Guangzhou were moderately polluted by PAEs.

Mining activities in the Dabaoshan area in the upper reach of the Hengshihe River have caused severe environmental changes, the waste water of milling and refining drained directly into the Hengshihe River, which contaminated the soils along the river severely. It is shown that Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu have contaminated the soil, the Cd contamination was more severe, and the contaminated level of Pb, Zn reached moderately to strongly polluted. The pH value of river and soil affected directly the heavy metals concentration of total and exchangeable ions, and presented negative pertinences. The levels of Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd in the surface soil of Shangbacun village in the lower reach of the river were found as high as 257.762, 350.235, 5.083 and 186.901 mg x kg(-1) respectively, which were relatively higher than those of the background values of soil 1.03, 1.75, 16.9 and 3.7 times respectively, and the result on the soil profiles showed that the contaminations have infiltrated into lower layer soil, ecological environment was harmed severely.