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Background and aims: Uncertainty persists over the effects of blood pressure (BP) lowering in acute stroke. The INTEnsive ambulance-delivered blood pressure Reduction in hyper-Acute stroke Trial (INTERACT4) aims to determine efficacy and safety of hyperacute intensive BP lowering in patients with suspected acute stroke. Given concerns over the safety of this treatment in the pre-hospital setting, particularly in relation to patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, we provide an update on progress of the study and profile of participants to date. Methods: INTERACT4 is an ongoing multicentre, ambulance-delivered, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint trial of pre-hospital BP lowering in patients with suspected acute stroke and elevated BP in China. Patients are randomized via a mobile phone digital system to intensive (target systolic BP [SBP] <140mmHg within 30 min) or guideline-recommended BP management. Primary outcome is an ordinal analysis of the full range of scores on the modified Rankin scale scores at 90 days. Results: Between March 2020 and April 2023, 2053 patients (mean age 70 years, female 39%) were recruited with a mean BP 178/98 mmHg in whom 45% have a diagnosis of primary intracerebral hemorrhage upon arrival at hospital. At the time of presentation to hospital, the mean SBP was 160 and 170mmHg in the intensive and control groups (Δ10 mmHg), respectively. The independent data and safety monitoring board has not identified any safety concerns and recommended continuation of the trial. The sample size was reduced from 3116 to 2320 after meetings in August 2022 as the stroke mimic rate was persistently lower than initially estimated (6% vs 30%). The study is expected to be completed in late 2023 and the results announced in May 2024. Conclusions: INTERACT4 is on track to provide reliable evidence of the effectiveness of ambulance-delivered intensive BP lowering in patients with suspected acute stroke. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03790800; registered on 2 January 2019. Chinese Trial Registry ChCTR1900020534, registered on 7 January 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics in marine environments are becoming a hot topic since they can be transferred through the marine food web and may finally be consumed by humans. Here, we investigate the distribution characteristics of microplastics in marine organisms at different trophic levels through their digestive tracts (entire organisms for zooplankton and zoobenthos). A total of 124 fish and 22 crustaceans from 10 fish and 3 crustacean species, as well as a few zooplankton and zoobenthos, were captured from the Zhoushan fishing ground, i.e., China's largest ocean fishing ground. The abundance of microplastics ranged from 0.74 ± 1.29 to 4.71 ± 2.19 items per sample in fish species and from 0.83 ± 1.07 to 1.00 ± 0.93 items per sample in crustacean species. Among the detected microplastics, fiber was the most dominant type (i.e., 67%), transparent microplastics were the most frequently detected (i.e., 49%), and the majority of the microplastics were identified as natural particles (cellulose). The abundance of microplastics was positively correlated with the trophic level (correlation coefficient = 0.717; p < 0.05). Our results show that microplastics are widespread in the marine organisms of the Zhoushan fishing ground, and they might accumulate in marine organisms at higher trophic levels of the marine food chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early pre-hospital initiation of blood pressure (BP) lowering could improve outcomes for patients with acute stroke, by reducing hematoma expansion in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and time to reperfusion treatment and risk of intracranial hemorrhage in ischemic stroke (IS). We present the design of the fourth INTEnsive ambulance-delivered blood pressure Reduction in hyper-ACute stroke Trial (INTERACT4).Methods: A multi-center, ambulance-delivered, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint (PROBE) assessed trial of pre-hospital BP lowering in 3116 hypertensive patients with suspected acute stroke at 50+ sites in China. Patients are randomized through a mobile phone digital system to intensive BP lowering to a target systolic BP of < 140 mmHg within 30 min, or guideline-recommended BP management according to local protocols. After the collection of in-hospital clinical and management data and 7-day outcomes, trained blinded assessors conduct telephone or face-to-face assessments of physical function and health-related quality of life in participants at 90 days. The primary outcome is the physical function on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days, analyzed as an ordinal outcome with 7 categories. The sample size was estimated to provide 90% power (α = 0.05) to detect a 22% reduction in the odds of a worse functional outcome using ordinal logistic regression.Discussion: INTERACT4 is a pragmatic clinical trial to provide reliable evidence on the effectiveness and safety of ambulance-delivered hyperacute BP lowering in patients with suspected acute stroke.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03790800. Registered on 2 January 2019; Chinese Trial Registry ChiCTR1900020534. Registered on 7 January 2019. All items can be found in this protocol paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural attenuation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by indigenous bacteria is an effective remediation strategy for polluted marine sediments. This study investigated the relationships between PCB concentrations in sediment pore water, humin electron transfer capacity, and potential PCB dechlorinators at eight sediment sampling sites in the southern Yellow Sea, China, with differential PCB contamination. Station A2 showed the highest PCB concentration (453.16 ng L−1 for seven indicator PCBs), especially of less chlorinated PCB congeners (≤5 Cl atoms), humin redox activity, and Dehalococcoides abundance (p < 0.05). Statistical analyses revealed a highly positive correlation between Dehalococcoides abundance and PCB concentration (r = 0.836, p < 0.05) and the electron shuttling ability of humins (r = 0.952, p < 0.01), whereas this was not observed for total bacteria and other potential PCB dechlorinators, e.g., Dehalobacter and Dehalogenimonas. Based on these results, Dehalococcoides might play an important role in the in situ reductive dechlorination of PCBs involving humins in marine sediments, and the natural microbial PCB attenuation capacity at station A2 was high. Chemical characterizations, electrochemical properties, and Fourier transform infrared analysis suggested that humins at station A2 had the highest electron transfer capacity. Furthermore, quinones are likely to be the functional groups that shuttle electrons during PCB dechlorination. Overall, this study provides a useful foundation for evaluating the natural microbial attenuation potential and fates of PCBs in marine sediments and for determining the role of humins as redox mediators in in situ PCB dechlorination by putative indigenous dechlorinators. Graphical abstract for Environmental Pollution. Image 1 • Redox characteristics of humins in southern Yellow Sea sediments were explored. • Dehalococcoides positively correlated with PCB concentration and humin ETC. • Dehalococcoides plays a vital role in PCB dechlorination in marine sediments. • The natural bioremediation potential of PCBs at station A2 might be high. • This study improves knowledge on the in situ bioremediation potential of PCBs. The mutual relationships between the redox characteristics of humins and potential PCB dechlorinators in southern Yellow Sea sediments were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the post-partum recovery of blood pressure (BP) in women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and to evaluate HDP risk factors. Methods A total of 124 patients with gestational hypertension ( n = 63) or pre-eclampsia ( n = 61) who gave birth at Peking University People's Hospital between January and December 2013 were included in this study. The recorded clinical and laboratory parameters included the patients' general information, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, gestational age at onset and delivery, delivery mode and time taken for BP to return to normal level. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of various risk factors on post-partum BP recovery. Results The mean interval for BP normalization was 24.1 ± 22.8 days (median, 7 days). Forty-six percent of the patients recovered from hypertension within three days, and 75% recovered within six weeks of delivery. About 90% of the patients required 60 days for BP to normalize after delivery. After adjusting for confounding factors, post-partum recovery from hypertension was found to be influenced by hypertension severity, maternal serum albumin level, a family history of hypertension and gestational week at delivery. Conclusions The BP of the majority of the patients with gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia returned to normal within 60 days of delivery. Hypertension severity, maternal serum albumin level, a family history of family hypertension and gestational week at delivery influenced the time required for BP normalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization has dramatic effects on riparian ecosystem functioning. China implemented ecological restoration through the landscape construction of riverside green spaces. Soil microbiome restoration is key to the recovery of riverside ecosystem functioning. However, it remains unknown how restoration strategies affect biodiversity-function relationship. Here we examined bacterial communities and functional profiles using high-throughput sequencing, quantitative polymerase chain reaction in adjacent pairs of landscaped and undeveloped riparian green spaces. We also explored how soil properties, bacterial communities, and functions interact using structural equation modeling. Results showed that the landscaped system had higher soil nutrients and moisture, and more uniform bacterial alpha and beta diversity than the undeveloped system. Landscaped systems harbored more abundant denitrification genes, while undeveloped systems had more abundant nitrification genes. In the landscaped system, bacterial alpha diversity is independent of soil factors and negatively correlated with multiple nitrogen-cycling processes. In resource-limited undeveloped system, bacterial alpha diversity negatively responded to soil nutrients, but positively affected nitrification. Moreover, soil nutrients negatively and positively impacted denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), respectively in the undeveloped system. In the landscaped system, high soil moisture promoted denitrification and anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation), which contributed to nitrogen loss. Collectively, landscape management influenced bacterial diversity, function, and their relationship by altering soil resource. [Display omitted] • Landscaped system (E) increased soil resource and homogenized bacterial diversity. • Soil nutrients negatively affected bacterial α diversity in undeveloped system (NE). • E and NE had abundant denitrification and nitrification genes, respectively. • E and NE showed opposite relationship between bacterial α diversity and N function. • Soil moisture and nutrients mainly affected N function in E and NE, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediments are considered to be important sinks of microplastics, but the enrichment process of microplastics by blue carbon ecosystems is poorly studied. This study analyzed the spatial distribution and temporal changes, assessed the polymer types and morphological characteristics of microplastics in sediments of five ecosystems, i.e. forests, paddy fields, mangroves, saltmarshes and bare beaches on Ximen Island, Yueqing Bay, China. The trapping effect of blue carbon (mangrove and saltmarsh) sediments on microplastic was further explored. Temporal trends in microplastic abundance showed a significant increase over the last 20 years, with the enrichment of microplastics in mangrove and saltmarsh sediments being 1.7 times as high as that in bare beach, exhibiting blue carbon vegetations have strong enrichment effect on microplastics. The dominant color, shape, size, and polymer type of microplastics in sediments were transparent, fibers and fragments, <1 mm, and polyethylene, respectively. Significant differences in the abundance and characteristics of microplastics between intertidal sediments and terrestrial soils reveal that runoff input is the main source of microplastics. This study provided the evidence of blue carbon habitats as traps of microplastics. • The main source of microplastics in the study area is the input of runoff. • The microplastic abundance increases significantly over the last 20 years. • Microplastics enrichment in blue carbon sediment is 1.7 times as high as that in bare beach. • The types of microplastics with the largest content were PE (27.2 %) and PVC (22.8 %). • Dominance of fibers and fragments, as well as microplastic smaller than 1 mm [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of physical activity are well known, but little is known about the views of elderly Chinese people regarding physical activity, and what factors affect this. This qualitative study aims to explore the experiences and perceptions of the elderly community regarding physical activity and to gain a better understanding of these. A qualitative study of 12 elderly Chinese people was undertaken using the Colaizzi phenomenological approach and using semi-structured interviews to gather data. Three key themes emerged relating to current physical activity status, beliefs about physical activity and factors influencing physical activity. This study provides new knowledge about the elderly community's experiences and perceptions of physical activity. By understanding these, we may show that promoting active lifestyles and building physical activity into and around day-to-day activities are important strategies in increasing levels of activity. Furthermore, the need for appropriate activity facilities, available space, peer motivation and general social support could promote activity beliefs and subsequent adherence among the elderly community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultra-deep exploration well has been drilled in the Tarim Basin, northwest of China, with an Ordovician target zone is at a depth of over 7500 m. The Ordovician formation is within a graben structure. Extensive bedding planes and natural fractures develop in the target formation according to seismic analysis and image logging data from several reference wells, indicating a high risk of borehole instability or other complications while drilling through the fragmentized Ordovician zone. To mitigate potential borehole instability problems and associated nonproductive time during drilling the well, an integrated geomechanical study is conducted that combines geological, seismic, logging, and drilling data. The pore pressure, collapse pressure, and fracture pressure of the well are estimated and a safe mud window is provided to guide drilling operations in the Ordovician graben formation. A fracture development index is also calculated to locate the fracture distribution zones. The factors affecting wellbore stability are analyzed by establishing a discrete element model. With the guidance of this study, the well was successfully drilled and the stability of the wellbore was well controlled during drilling in the fractured formation. • An integrated geomechanics approach was used to evaluate wellbore stability in a graben formation. • Key factors affecting wellbore stability are identified. • Recommendations for drilling in graben are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In agroecosystem, rational cropping pattern is crucial for maintaining soil fertility and improving soil function. Microbial life history strategies determine their responses to soil resource availability, thereby affecting soil nutrient cycling. However, our knowledge about microbial strategies under different management practices is limited. The objective of this study was to explore how microbial functional traits and life history strategies respond to different cropping patterns. We analyzed bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities as well as their functional traits under different cropping patterns in representative soybean (Glycine max) planting regions across China using high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR data. Results showed that intercropping increased soil carbon and nitrogen pools, while rotation reduced soil carbon pool. By analyzing the shared species between keystones and indicators (keystone indicators), the selection of microbial communities by cropping patterns was observed at both taxonomic and functional levels. Intercropping harbored more bacterial and fewer fungal keystone indicators than rotation, which were characterized by special substrate preference in the two systems. Moreover, soil properties oppositely influenced bacterial and archaeal core functional traits, but did not limit fungal core functional traits. The ecological associations between soil properties and microbial functional traits illustrated that bacterial and archaeal life history strategies were affiliated to resource acquisition, while fungi adopted high yield strategy. Taken together, the results indicated that different soybean cropping patterns impacted trait-based microbial life history strategies by changing soil nutrients. • Intercropping systems had higher soil nutrition especially than rotation systems. • Bacteria and archaea adopted resource acquisition strategies in the farmland soil. • Fungal communities displayed high yield strategy in the farmland soil. • Cropping pattern selected keystone indicators via soil resource availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep and even ultra-deep petroleum resources play a gradually increasing and important role with the worldwide continuous advancement of oil and gas exploration and development. In China, the deep carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin are regarded as the key development areas due to their huge reserves. However, due to the unreasonable design of production pressure differential, some production wells suffered from severe borehole collapse and tubing blockage. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to optimize a more practical method for predicting the critical production pressure differential. The commonly used analytical methods with different failure criteria for predicting production pressure differential were summarized. Furthermore, their advantages and disadvantages were analyzed. A new numerical model is established based on the finite element theory in order to make the prediction of production pressure differential more accurate. Additionally, both analytical and numerical methods were applied to evaluating the production pressure differential of deep carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin, and the results were discussed compared with field data. In addition, a series of laboratory tests, including porosity and permeability measurements, electron microscope scanning, XRD for mineral analysis, uniaxial and triaxial compressive strength test, etc., were carried out by using the collected carbonate cores from formations deeper than 7000 m to obtain the input parameters of the simulation such as the rock properties. The experimental results showed that the carbonate rocks exhibited a remarkable brittleness and post-peak strain softening. The calculation results revealed that the Mogi-Coulomb criterion is slightly conservative; however, it is more suitable than other criteria to evaluate pressure differential. Furthermore, it has been confirmed by the field data that the finite element numerical method can not only reveal the instability mechanism of the wellbore but also predict the critical production pressure differential accurately. Unfortunately, the on-site operators sometimes require a more convenient way, such as an analytical method, to figure out the pressure differential, even though the evaluation of the numerical method is more accurate. Therefore, the discussion in this paper can provide a basis for the operators to determine the production pressure differential flexibly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in water, sediment, and crayfish samples within pond and rice-crayfish co-culture breeding modes in Jianli prefecture, China. Microplastics in environmental and biological samples were systematically extracted by CaCl 2 solution, digested by H 2 O 2 and KOH, and identified by μ-FTIR. A cleansing treatment for crayfish was performed in pure water before dissection and microplastic accumulation in different tissues (gill, stomach, gut, and flesh) of non-cleansed and cleansed crayfish were compared. The average microplastic abundances were 1.3 ± 0.1–2.5 ± 0.1 particles/L, 0.03 ± 0.01–0.04 ± 0.02 particles/g, and 0.17 ± 0.07–0.92 ± 0.19 particles/individual in water, sediment, and crayfish samples, respectively. Microplastics were detected in all studied crayfish tissues, except the flesh. There were no significant differences in microplastic abundances in water (P = 0.82), sediment (P = 0.90), and crayfish (P = 0.47 for non-cleansed samples; P = 0.30 for cleansed samples) between two breeding modes despite the detection of relatively higher microplastic abundances in the samples from the pond breeding mode. Microplastic accumulation in non-cleansed crayfish stomachs and guts (0.71 ± 0.18 particles/individual) was higher (P < 0.01) than that recorded in their gills (0.13 ± 0.06 particles/individual). Moreover, microplastics present in the stomachs and guts of cleansed crayfish were significantly less abundant (P < 0.01) than in non-cleansed crayfish, although this was not observed in the gills (P = 0.99). The majority of microplastic particles in this study had fiber-like shapes, blue and transparent colors, a size smaller than 1 mm, and polymer types of PP:PE and PE. The results demonstrate that microplastics in the environment can accumulate in the internal tissues of crayfish, which may pose a potential risk to humans through food consumption without the removal of the gills, stomach, and guts. This study provides valuable information for understanding microplastic accumulation in the different tissues of crayfish and the potential risk of human exposure to microplastics from crayfish as a food supplement. Image 1 • Microplastic pollution was studied in two different crayfish breeding modes. • Microplastics were detected in water, sediment, and tissues of crayfish. • Microplastic abundance differences between two breeding modes were not significant. • Microplastic accumulation in digestive tissues of crayfish was higher than gills. • More microplastics were found in non-cleansed crayfish than in cleansed specimens. Microplastics accumulated mainly in the stomachs and guts of non-cleansed crayfish and were more abundant than in cleansed crayfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment of acute stroke, before a distinction can be made between ischemic and hemorrhagic types, is challenging. Whether very early blood-pressure control in the ambulance improves outcomes among patients with undifferentiated acute stroke is uncertain., Methods: We randomly assigned patients with suspected acute stroke that caused a motor deficit and with elevated systolic blood pressure (≥150 mm Hg), who were assessed in the ambulance within 2 hours after the onset of symptoms, to receive immediate treatment to lower the systolic blood pressure (target range, 130 to 140 mm Hg) (intervention group) or usual blood-pressure management (usual-care group). The primary efficacy outcome was functional status as assessed by the score on the modified Rankin scale (range, 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]) at 90 days after randomization. The primary safety outcome was any serious adverse event., Results: A total of 2404 patients (mean age, 70 years) in China underwent randomization and provided consent for the trial: 1205 in the intervention group and 1199 in the usual-care group. The median time between symptom onset and randomization was 61 minutes (interquartile range, 41 to 93), and the mean blood pressure at randomization was 178/98 mm Hg. Stroke was subsequently confirmed by imaging in 2240 patients, of whom 1041 (46.5%) had a hemorrhagic stroke. At the time of patients' arrival at the hospital, the mean systolic blood pressure in the intervention group was 159 mm Hg, as compared with 170 mm Hg in the usual-care group. Overall, there was no difference in functional outcome between the two groups (common odds ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87 to 1.15), and the incidence of serious adverse events was similar in the two groups. Prehospital reduction of blood pressure was associated with a decrease in the odds of a poor functional outcome among patients with hemorrhagic stroke (common odds ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.92) but an increase among patients with cerebral ischemia (common odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.60)., Conclusions: In this trial, prehospital blood-pressure reduction did not improve functional outcomes in a cohort of patients with undifferentiated acute stroke, of whom 46.5% subsequently received a diagnosis of hemorrhagic stroke. (Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and others; INTERACT4 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03790800; Chinese Trial Registry number, ChiCTR1900020534.)., (Copyright © 2024 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

A total of 13 surface sediments were collected from Hangzhou Bay (HZB) for an investigation into the distribution and influencing factors of anammox bacterial community. The anammox bacterial 16S rRNA and hzo genes ranged between 2.34 × 10 5 to 9.22 × 10 5 copies/g and 3.68 × 10 5 to 1.70 × 10 6 copies/g, respectively. The results of high throughput sequencing (HTS) revealed that the obtained OTUs were affiliated with five known genera, named Ca. Scalindua, Ca. Jettenia, Ca. Brocadia, Ca. Kuenenia and Ca. Anammoxoglobus. RDA analysis indicated that salinity, pH, and water depth influenced the anammox bacterial community. Furthermore, network analysis identified Ca. Scalindua as a key genus. Neutral community model (NCM) and modified stochasticity ratio (MST) indicated that the deterministic process dominated the anammox bacterial community assembly. Overall, this study offers a more comprehensive understanding of the abundance and community of anammox bacteria in the sediments of HZB., 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 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sediments of blue carbon vegetation are becoming a sink of natural and anthropogenic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, the extent to which PAHs are accumulated and varied in blue carbon sediments, and the impact of blue carbon vegetation on the accumulation and retention capacity of PAHs, have been poorly explored. This study examines the sedimentary records of PAHs in profiles from mangrove plantation, saltmarsh, and mudflat in Ximen Island and Maoyan Island of Yueqing Bay, China. The existence of blue carbon vegetation provides a sheltered environment for the accelerated burial of sediment and OC. Decadal PAH sedimentation records show staged changes characterized by the emission of PAHs and colonization of blue carbon vegetation, reflecting the accelerated burial of PAHs in sediments by blue carbon vegetation colonization. In addition, the colonization of blue carbon vegetation contributes to the shift of PAH compositions in sediments. This study provides new insights into the underestimated PAH accumulation potential and retention capacity of blue carbon vegetation and the corresponding underlying sediments, supporting the environmental benefits of blue carbon vegetation., 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.)

Unraveling the succession of microbial communities is a core ecological research topic. Yet few studies have focused on how long-term secondary succession affects the functional profiles and ecological processes of abundant and rare microbial subcommunities. Here, we used amplicon sequencing and GeoChip analysis to explore the ecological functions of abundant and rare biospheres and their correlation with soil multinutrient cycling. Samples for this study were collected from a well-established secondary succession chronosequence that spans >30 years of dryland ecosystem development on the Loess Plateau of China. Although both abundant and rare subcommunities shifted with succession, the changing of beta-diversity of the microbial communities was primarily driven by species replacement of the rare biosphere. Phylogenetic changes of abundant and rare taxa were associated with their functional traits, which dominated the diversity-related selection along all succession ages. Neutral theory analysis indicated that the assemblage of abundant taxa over all successional ages was regulated by dispersal homogenizing and ecological drift. The null model revealed that homogeneous and variable selection were the dominant assembly processes for rare subcommunities compared with abundant species. pH and nitrogen content were the paramount drivers determining the assembly of microbial communities and functional genes, consistent with the importance of environmental filtering. Furthermore, the rare biosphere had a paramount role in the entire ecological network and was the major driver for most soil processes such as C, N, and S cycling. Nonetheless, a significant portion of soil P cycling was regulated by abundant taxa. Collectively, our study provides insight into the mechanisms underlying microbial community assembly and soil microbe-driven functional changes in biogeochemical processes during secondary succession., 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 © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sediments were sampled from Hangzhou Bay (HB), the South China Sea (SCS), and Antarctica (AZ) to better understand the distribution characteristics and environmental fate of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at different latitudes. Numerous PCB congeners (68) were detected among the sampling sites, supporting the ubiquity of PCB congeners. High and low chlorinated congeners dominated the PCB profiles of AZ and SCS, respectively, whereas the PCB homologues were evenly distributed in the HB. As a fraction of low chlorinated PCBs originates from an exogenous input, the low mean ratios of ∑Tetra-CBs to ∑PCBs and ∑Tetra-CBs to the sum of ∑Tri- and ∑Di-CBs suggest that microbial transformation of PCBs is weak in marine surface sediments, if any occurs at all. Furthermore, PCB contamination levels in marine sediments may be primarily influenced by latitude rather than pollution sources. Thus, the findings of this study suggest that Antarctica is becoming a prospective hotspot for PCBs., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigates the influence of marine habitats (i.e., the intertidal zone, supralittoral zone, and seawater), and polymer types (i.e., polyethylene, PE; polyethylene terephthalate, PET) on the diversity and structure of bacterial communities in marine microplastics. A three-month exposure experiment was conducted in Zhairuoshan Island, Zhoushan, China, a typical caldera volcanic island with minor anthropogenic disturbances. At the end of the exposure period, the transition for peaks corresponding to oxidized groups was observed using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Damages, including pits and cracks, and microorganisms were observed on the surfaces of the PE and PET pellets using scanning electron microscopy. Next-generation amplicon sequencing of the bacterial communities that had colonized the microplastics revealed that bacterial composition significantly varied depending on marine habitats and exposure times, rather than polymer type. Plastic debris in the intertidal zone exhibited the highest bacterial richness and diversity, and Bacillus was considered a potential degrader of plastic debris. The findings demonstrate that bacterial communities that colonize on microplastics are more potentially shaped by marine habitat and exposure time, and this would deepen our understanding of the ecological niche of microplastics surface., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rivers are important routes for sea-bound microplastics. Thus, this study investigated the occurrences and distributions of microplastics and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment samples from the Qiantang River (QR) and Hangzhou Bay (HZ) and analyzed the correlation between microplastics and PCBs. A total of 15 sampling sites were selected, including eight from the QR (i.e., four in the Tonglu area and four in the Fuyang area), two from the Andong salt marsh (ASM; located in a hydrodynamic turning point of the HZ), and five from HZ. The mean microplastic abundance was highest in the QR, followed by HZ and ASM, with 0.23 ± 0.06, 0.18 ± 0.05, and 0.15 ± 0.03 particles/g sediment, respectively. Cluster analysis demonstrated that fragments and fibers may have originated from domestic sewage inputs to the QR. Spatially, mean PCB concentrations from Tonglu, Fuyang, and HZ were 1.47 ± 0.10, 1.65 ± 0.10, and 1.65 ± 0.09 ng/g sediment, respectively, which were higher than that from the ASM (1.13 ± 0.09 ng/g sediment). The vertical distributions (0-5 cm, 5-10 cm, and 10-15 cm) of microplastics in the sediments at Tonglu and Fuyang decreased with increasing depth, which was opposite to the depth trend of PCB concentrations. Micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis suggested that polyethylene was typically the dominant polymer, accounting for 60 ± 0.08% of the total suspected plastic particles. Microbeads and films showed considerable correlations with both highly and lesser chlorinated PCBs. Overall, our findings highlight the need for routine monitoring of microplastics in China in addition to measures for controlling plastic pollution on a national scale. Further study should ascertain specific sources of microplastics and analyze their adsorption capacity to organic pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In this study, the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in artificial reefs around the Ma'an Archipelago, a national marine ranching area in China, were investigated. The abundance of microplastics ranged from 0.2 ± 0.1 to 0.6 ± 0.2 items L -1 in surface water, 30.0 ± 0.0 to 80.0 ± 14.1 items kg -1 dry weight in the sediment, and 2.3 ± 1.5 to 7.3 ± 3.5 items individual -1 in fish. Most of the detected microplastics were fiber-shaped, blue or transparent, and smaller than 1 mm. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(ethylene:propylene:diene) copolymer were the most abundant polymer types in the surface water samples, whereas cellophane was dominant in the sediment and fish. The appearance of microplastic pollution around the artificial reefs could be attributed mainly to the activities of the fisheries in the area, whereas the microplastic ingestion by fish was affected by the extent of microplastic contamination of the sediment. The results highlight the widespread presence of microplastics in the water, sediment, and biota of the artificial reefs around the Ma'an Archipelago, thereby improving understanding of the environmental risks posed by microplastics to marine artificial reef ecosystems and fisheries in general., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microplastic particles are a global concern due to their widespread and growing threat to marine and coastal environments. To improve knowledge of microplastic pollution in China, we investigated 25 sediment samples collected with a box corer in the Southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea off the coast of China. The microplastics were extracted from sediments via density separation, after which they were observed under a microscope and characterized according to shape, color, and size, while polymer type identification was performed using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The abundance of microplastics in the offshore region of the Southern Yellow Sea and East China Sea was mapped. The mean concentration of microplastics at the 25 sites was 13.4 ± 0.6 particles 100 g -1 dry weight (range: 6.0-24.0 particles 100 g -1 dry weight). Based on the categorization according to shape, color, and size, fiber (77%) was the most abundant shape, while blue (35%) and transparent (29%) were the most prevalent colors. In addition, the dominant size of microplastics was smaller than 1000 μm which accounted for 89%. Finally, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylic, polyester, cellulose, and cellophane were the most abundant types of microplastics identified. Our result highlighted the presence of microplastics in offshore sediments from the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, and provided useful information for evaluating the environmental risks posed by microplastics in China., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Currently, there is no cost-effective tool available to diagnose laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) in the developing country of China. The aim of this study was to achieve a linguistic adaptation of the Chinese version of the Reflux Symptom Index (RSI-CH)., Study Design: A nonrandomized, controlled, prospective trial., Methods: A total of 107 patients at the outpatient clinic of Peking University People's Hospital were enrolled. They were asked to fill out the RSI-CH and underwent fiber-optic laryngoscopy to complete the Reflux Finding Score (RFS). Patients underwent pH monitoring if the RSI-CH was greater than 13 or if the RFS was not less than 7. Patients were treated with Omeprazole 20 mg twice a day for 3 months if the pH monitoring was positive. The reliability (Cronbach alpha coefficient and Spearman correlation analysis), validity (sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values), and responsivity of RSI-CH were determined., Results: RSI-CH had a good reliability (Cronbach alpha coefficient was greater than .7, whereas the test-retest validity for the total score and for each item were 0.750-0.971. The scale had a good criterion validity. The consistency (66.7%), sensitivity (61.76%), and specificity (75%), and the positive and negative predictive values (80.8% and 53.6%) were considered good. The RSI-CH scores changed from 15 to 7 after treatment, and the average score of the controlled group was 6.5., Conclusions: The RSI-CH developed and validated by this study can be used as an effective diagnostic tool in identifying differentiating LPR diseases in patients whose native language is Chinese., (Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate whether 11 variants in complement factor H gene contributed differently in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) of Chinese descent., Methods: We performed a case-control study in a group of Chinese patients with nAMD (n = 344) or PCV (n = 368) and contrasted the results against an independent control group comprising 511 mild cataract patients without any evidence of age-related maculopathy. Association analysis of allele and genotype frequencies was performed for 11 haplotype-tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the CFH locus (rs1061170, rs1329428, rs1410996, rs2284664, rs375396, rs529825, rs551397, rs7540032, rs800292, rs2274700, and rs1065489). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate and compare the effect of these 11 CFH polymorphisms on AMD and PCV, using the wild-type genotype as reference. Differences in the observed genotypic distributions between cases and controls were tested by using χ(2) tests, with age and sex adjusted for using logistic regression., Results: CFH rs1065489 was not significantly associated with the nAMD phenotype in Chinese collections either on univariate or multivariate analysis (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). The other 10 SNPs of CFH were significantly associated with the nAMD phenotype. As for PCV, all 11 SNP markers were significantly associated with risk of PCV before or after correction for age and sex differences. Eight of the 11 SNP markers showed significant evidence of heterogeneity between AMD and PCV (P < 0.05 for all comparisons)., Conclusions: Our data suggest that the genetic architecture at the CFH locus is complex with some markers showing significant skewing of the genotypes toward nAMD or PCV in Asians. This further supports the clinical observation that nAMD and PCV could have distinct pathogenesis mechanisms, which will require larger studies to accurately dissect.

Purpose: rs1999930 and rs4711751 have recently been identified as novel variants associated with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in populations of European ancestry. We aimed to investigate whether these two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with neovascular AMD (nAMD) or with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), a variant of AMD in Asians, using a Chinese case-control study., Methods: A total of 900 subjects, including 300 controls, 300 cases with nAMD and 300 cases with PCV, were included in the present study. Genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood leukocytes. The allelic variants of rs1999930 and rs4711751 were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The differences in allele distribution between cases and controls were tested by a χ(2) test, with additional adjustments for age and gender using logistic regression. The statistical power was also calculated. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant., Results: No statistically significant association was observed between the two polymorphisms of nAMD or PCV phenotype (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). The difference remained insignificant after correction for age and gender (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). The statistical powers to detect the association between these two SNPs and nAMD or PCV range from 0.05 to 0.36, assuming conventional levels of statistical significance., Conclusions: In the present study, we could not replicate the reported association of these two SNPs and either nAMD or PCV in a Chinese population, suggesting that they are unlikely to be a major AMD and PCV susceptibility gene locus in the Chinese population. Considering the low power value, a large sample size is required to draw more reliable conclusions., (© 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Purpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Alzheimer disease (AD) are age-related neurodegenerative diseases that share similar environmental risk factors, cellular pathologies, and genetic backgrounds. Recently, the rs2075650 single nucleotide polymorphism in the translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40 homolog (TOMM40) gene was identified as a risk factor for AMD and Alzheimer disease. We aimed to examine the associations between the TOMM40 rs2075650 polymorphism and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in a Chinese population., Methods: The study consisted of 900 subjects, including 300 controls, 300 cases with nAMD, and 300 cases with PCV. Genomic DNA was extracted from venous blood leukocytes. The allelic variant of rs2075650 was determined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Differences in the observed genotypic distributions between the case and control groups were tested using chi-square tests, with age and gender adjusted using logistic regression analysis., Results: The TOMM40 rs2075650 polymorphism was not statistically significantly associated with the nAMD or PCV phenotype (p>0.05). The difference remained insignificant after correction for age and gender differences based on the logistic regression models (p>0.05)., Conclusions: Our data provide no evidence to support an association of rs2075650 in TOMM40 with nAMD or PCV, suggesting that this gene is unlikely to be a major AMD and PCV susceptibility gene locus in the Chinese population.

Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) and other lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and their association with occupational stress in female nurses in China., Methods: From September 2010 to March 2011, 1,135 registered female nurses with one or more years of nursing experience, were cluster-sampled. The participants completed questionnaires on LUTS-related symptoms and Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (OSI-R) tests. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the independent impact of perceived occupational stress on OAB and other LUTS, adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), and history of childbearing and pelvic surgery., Results: 1,070 valid responses to questionnaires were obtained. The prevalence of OAB was 27.57% (95% CI: 24.89-30.25%). LUTS of any types occured in 89.63% of nurses, with 64.39% reporting urgency, 27.10% reporting increased daytime frequency, 17.88% reporting nocturia and 21.03% reporting urge incontinence. The occupational stress and psychological strain levels of nurses were higher than those of normative populations, while their coping resources were lower. Most of the sub-scales of occupational stress and psychological strain showed higher results for nurses with OAB than for those OAB-free, while coping resources were not found to make any statistically significant differences. After adjusting age, BMI, and childbearing and pelvic surgery history, each sub-scale of OSI-R was found to be associated with at least one type of LUTS., Conclusions: The prevalence of OAB and other LUTS is high among female nurses in China, and occupational stress may be a contributing factor., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2(ARMS2) was suggested to be associated with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in multiple genetic studies in Caucasians and Japanese. To date, no biological properties have been attributed to the putative protein in nAMD and PCV. The complete genes of ARMS2 and HTRA1 including all exons and the promoter region were assessed using direct sequencing technology in 284 unrelated mainland northern Chinese individuals: 96 nAMD patients, 92 PCV patients and 96 controls. Significant associations with both nAMD and PCV were observed in 2 polymorphisms of ARMS2 and HTRA1 rs11200638, with different genotypic distributions between nAMD and PCV (p<0.001). After adjusting for rs11200638, ARMS2 rs10490924 remained significantly associated with nAMD and PCV (p<0.001). Then we overexpressed wild-type ARMS2 and ARMS2 A69S mutation (rs10490924) in RF/6A cells and RPE cells as in vitro study model. Cell proliferation, attachment, migration and tube formation were analyzed for the first time. Compare with wild-type ARMS2, A69S mutation resulted in a significant increase in proliferation and attachment but inhibited cell migration. Moreover, neither wild-type ARMS2 nor A69S mutation affected tube formation of RF/6A cells. There is a strong and consistent association of the ARMS2/HTRA1 locus with both nAMD and PCV, suggesting the two disorders share, at least partially, similar molecular mechanisms. Neither wild-type ARMS2 nor A69S mutation had direct association with neovascularisation in the pathogenesis of AMD.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence, risk factors of nocturia and nocturia-related quality of life., Methods: Age, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), alcohol abuse and smoking were analyzed using logistic analysis. Multiple linear-regression analysis was used to identify factors predicting the score on the Nocturia Quality of Life (N-QOL) questionnaire., Results: 1,198 adults completed this study. 411 individuals (34.3%) answered that they arose for urination at least twice during the night. The incidence of nocturia increased with age from 8.6% in individuals younger than 40 to 67.7% in those older than 70. Hypertension [odds ratio (OR) 2.322; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.387-3.887] and diabetes (OR 2.298; 95% CI: 1.066-4.954) were possible risk factors for nocturia. In male individuals, BPH (OR 3.900; 95% CI: 1.890-8.049) was another risk factor. Gender was not found to be associated with nocturia. Increasing episodes of nocturia (regression coefficient: -2.564; 95% CI: -3.08 to -2.049) and decreasing total sleeping hours (regression coefficient: 1.738; 95% CI: 0.948-2.527) were independent factors predicting a significantly lower N-QOL score., Conclusions: Hypertension, diabetes and BPH are associated with nocturia, suggesting that multiple approaches are needed when treating patients with nocturia. Nocturia has a significant impact on the nocturia-related quality of life when the patient has 2 or more episodes per night., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)