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The particle size and components of soil aggregates have played important roles in the migration and transformation of heavy metals. The present study focused on the adsorption behavior and aging characteristics of cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) in various granular aggregates and soil components, which were studied by analyzing the adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics, and heavy metal speciation distribution. The results showed that, compared with other aggregates, clay aggregates (0-0.002 mm) had the strongest adsorption effect on Cd and Cr and that there was no significant positive correlation between the adsorption amount and the particle size of aggregates for Cd and Cr. In general, the influence of three components on Cd was organic matter amorphous iron free iron oxide, and the influence on Cr was free iron oxide amorphous iron organic matter. The adsorption isotherm showed that the correlation coefficient of the Langmuir model (R

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the relationship between liver transplantation and kidney cancer. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. PubMed, the Web of Science, and the Cochrane databases were searched for peer-reviewed cohort studies in which standardized incidence of kidney cancer post-transplant was compared to the general population by means of standardized incidence ratio (SIR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). No limits were placed on language or year of publication. A fixed-effects model was used for pooling the data. Of the 937 citations identified from the electronic databases, we included nine cohort studies with 53913 liver transplant patients, a male percentage of 56.8% and a minimum follow-up of 12.4 months and more. The meta-analysis revealed that liver transplant recipients faced a significantly higher risk of developing kidney cancer than the general population with the pooled SIR of 2.02 (95% CI, 1.64-2.50; P < 0.001). No significant between-study heterogeneity was observed (I = 0, Phet = 0.553). On sensitivity analysis after removing the study by Engles et al. with the largest sample size (37 888 liver transplant recipients), the SIR remained stable (SIR 2.75; 95% CI, 1.85-4.10; P < 0.001). Overall, our synthesis of the literature indicates that an increased risk of kidney cancer exists after liver transplantation. Future studies should evaluate the potential risk factors associated with kidney cancer.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) entering the environment will cause long-term environmental pollution and ecological damage, the treatment or remediation for which has become a difficult worldwide problem. To control AMD at the source, a novel composite coating, hydroxyapatite (HA) as the filler embedded in a γ-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (PropS-SH) coating, was introduced in this study. The performance and mechanisms of PropS-SH/HA coatings in the inhibition of pyrite oxidation were investigated by chemical leaching testing and material structure characterization. The results of the investigations revealed that the addition of an appropriate amount of HA can enhance the passivation efficiency of the PropS-SH coating. The best coating was obtained from 3% (v/v) of PropS-SH solution with 16 wt % HA, as this coating decreased pyrite oxidation by 78.7% (based on total Fe release). The main mechanism of PropS-SH/HA for the inhibition of pyrite oxidation involved the generation of a PropS-SH network through a polycondensation reaction. The addition of HA increased the stability of the passivation film composed of PropS-SH as well as the combining capacity of PropS-SH/HA through the formation of Si–O–Si and Fe–O–Si bonds, respectively.

Small nucleolar RNA host gene 15 (SNHG15) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), which promotes progression of multiple cancers. Its specific function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, is uncertain. The aims of our study were, therefore, to explore the role of SNHG15 in HCC. SNHG15 and miR-141-3p expression were assessed via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in 58 paired HCC samples and adjacent matched adjacent normal tissues. CCK-8 assay, flow cytometric examination, and wound healing/invasion assays were used to respectively assess how SNHG15 influences cell proliferation, the cell cycle, and the migratory and invasive potential of HCC cells. MicroRNA (miRNAs) that targeted SNHG15 was screened by Starbase2.0 and identified by RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. SNHG15 expression was markedly increased, whereas miR-141-3p expression was substantially reduced in HCC cells and tissue samples relative to normal controls. When SNHG15 was knocked down, this resulted in a significant disruption to the proliferation, as well as the invasive and migratory ability of these HCC cells. miR-141-3p was also found to be an SNHG15 target in HCC cells. Furthermore, miR-141-3p inhibitor partially reversed the observed SNHG15 depletion-mediated reduction in HCC proliferation, migration, and invasion. By repressing miR-141-3p, SNHG15 could modulate zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) and E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) expression, both of which are miR-141-3p targets. These finding suggested that SNHG15 promoted HCC progression via negative regulation of miR-141-3p, thus identifying a potential novel HCC treatment pathway.

Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-2-tct-10.1177_1533033821990046 for XPD Polymorphisms and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis by Qiang Zhou, Yu Fu, Lijia Wen, Yu Deng, Junhong Chen and Kai Liu in Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment

Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-1-tct-10.1177_1533033821990046 for XPD Polymorphisms and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis by Qiang Zhou, Yu Fu, Lijia Wen, Yu Deng, Junhong Chen and Kai Liu in Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment

BACKGROUND Mixed neuroendocrine nonneuroendocrine neoplasms (MiNENs) originating from the biliary system (gallbladder, biliary tract, or ampulla of Vater) are extremely rare and have not been discussed in detail or systematically. We aimed to present the demographics, clinicopathological characteristics, management, and prognostic factors of biliary MiNENs. METHODS A systematic search of electronic biomedical databases (Web of Science, PUBMED, and Embase) was performed to identify eligible studies. Survival was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank tests were used to evaluate the differences between groups, and the effects of various clinical and histopathological features on prognosis were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression. RESULTS Fifty-three publications (patients, n = 67) were included. The median overall survival time was 21.0 months. Fifty-one patients (76.1%) underwent radical surgery and median survival for 41 months (P

Background: Biliary strictures are frequently encountered in clinical practice. The determination of their nature is often difficult. This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of the second generation of digital single-operator cholangioscopy (SpyGlass DS, DSOC) in indeterminate biliary strictures (IBDS) through biopsies. Methods: All relative studies published in Medline, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and EMBASE were included. The diagnostic tests for IBDS were compared to the surgical histology, autopsy, or long-term clinical follow-up. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated by the Quality Assessment of Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy Included in Systematic Reviews (QUADAS-2). Results: A total of 11 studies, which involved 356 patients diagnosed through biopsies, were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.74 (95% CI: 0.67–0.80), 0.98 (95% CI: 0.95–1.00), 10.52 (95% CI: 5.45–20.32), 0.31 (95% CI: 0.23–0.41), and 65.18 (95% CI: 26.79–158.61), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.9479, and the pooled adverse event rate was 7%. The sensitivity and specificity in the heterogeneity analysis were I2 = 48.1% and I2 = 25.4%, respectively. Conclusion: SpyGlass DS is a safe and effective technique for IBDS. However, future randomized trials are needed to determine optimal number of biopsies.

Castleman disease (CD) rarely presents with obstructive jaundice, which poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the management of the disease. A 40-year-old man was referred to our hospital for emergent management of upper abdominal pain. An abdominal mass was removed, and the postoperative pathology showed retroperitoneum CD, which was subsequently managed by adjuvant therapy of combination chemotherapy and steroids. One month later, a biliary metal stent was placed due to the presentation of obstructive jaundice. After approximately 3 months, the patient experienced another episode of obstructive jaundice, and SpyGlass DS cholangioscopy (Boston Scientific, Natick, Mass, USA) was performed via the biliary track for biopsy, which pathologically showed biliary malignancies. Radiofrequency ablation was performed with a probe (EMcision, Montreal, Canada), and another uncovered metal stent was placed within the existing metal stent. No stent occlusion occurred during a 6-month follow-up period. In conclusion, CD rarely presents with obstructive jaundice, and a combination of radiofrequency ablation with metal stent implantation under cholangioscopy can prolong the stent patency time and the survival time of patients.

Ongoing global climate change greatly alters the distribution of species, and such impacts are even amplified on the Tibetan Plateau. The black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) is perceived as an environmental indicator and flagship species in the alpine wetland ecosystems. However, scientifically, sound knowledge about global change impact on its breeding habitats is still lacking. Therefore, based on the best available species data further linked with powerful machine learning methods (ensemble random forest model), we predicted the breeding distribution of the black-necked crane under 2070 climate scenarios and provided associated conservation solutions. Our models for 2070 showed that its breeding range would expand in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau, with the current breeding habitats slightly shrinking from exterior margins, and in 2070, the overall habitat suitability would be jeopardized by the dwindling high-suitability habitats. Furthermore, conservation prioritization analyses indicated that global change would impact future-focused conservation and management, whereas the conservation effectiveness of the existing reserve networks would be instead improved with aggravating climate change and that the missing high conservation value areas are also spatially consistent on the Tibetan Plateau. Consequently, one elaborately designed reserve network could be feasible to secure this unique alpine crane lineage as well as the overwhelming majority of water birds on the Tibetan Plateau, despite the serious climate change impacts in the next realizable 50 years.

Natural chalcopyrite (NCP) was used as a low-cost and efficient activator of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to repair groundwater polluted by aged landfill leachate. The optimal remediation effect of polluted groundwater was achieved at pH 8, PMS concentration 25 mM and NCP dosage 10 g/L via response surface method. The excellent performance of NCP was mainly Fe3+/Fe2+ and Cu2+/Cu+ cycles promoted by sulfur species, which was investigated via XPS analysis. Furthermore, the transformation of SO4•─, •OH and O2•─ were clarified by quenching experiments and ESR. The conversion of organics was revealed by UV–vis spectra and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra. Moreover, the toxicity of polluted groundwater after remediation was significantly reduced through the growth of Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Finally, the flowing experiment using NCP/sand column showed that NCP could effectively activate PMS and thereby restore polluted groundwater.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Database search strategy.

The introduction of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has revolutionized the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, in the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of a newly found lncRNA, LINC00160, on autophagy and drug resistance of HCC. Interaction among LINC00160, miR-132 and PIK3R3 was verified by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Loss- and gain-of function experiments were conducted in HCC cells to explore the roles of LINC00160, miR-132 and PIK3R3 in HCC by determining cell viability, autophagy and apoptosis. Finally, tumorigenicity in nude mice was established to confirm the in vitro findings. LINC00160 and PIK3R3 were up-regulated but miR-132 was down-regulated in HCC tissues and cells. LINC00160 may regulate miR-132 and PIK3R3 was the target gene of miR-132. LINC00160 increased the expression of LC3I/LC3II and Atg5 but decreased the p62 expression, while silencing of LINC00160 or over-expression of miR-132 suppressed HCC cell viability, autophagy, drug-resistance and tumorigenicity in nude mice but promoted HCC cell apoptosis by inhibiting the PIK3R3 expression. Taken together, silencing of LINC00160 suppresses autophagy and drug resistance in HCC by regulating miR-132-targeted PIK3R3.

Macrobenthos are a key constituent of coastal salt marsh ecosystems and have often been used as sensitive indicators of the environment quality. In this study, field investigations in vegetated regions and adjacent bare patches of low, middle and high marshes were conducted to explore whether and how vegetation influence the macrobenthos distribution in different saltmarsh zones along coastal topographic gradients. Results showed that vegetation positively or negatively influenced macrobenthos mainly by changing their environment in different saltmarsh zones, as there were different degrees of physical stresses and food supply for the macrobenthos from the low to the high marsh. In the low marsh, no major differences in macrobenthos indices between the bare and vegetated sediments were found, yet density and biomass of the molluscs were higher in the bare patches. In the middle marsh, vegetation promoted the biomass and diversity indices but not the density and species richness of the macrobenthos, and vegetation was beneficial for some types of crustaceans but was detrimental for some types of polychaetes. In the high marsh, vegetation promoted the biomass, density, and species richness of the macrobenthos compared to those of adjacent bare patches. Coastal topographic gradients also had effects on macrobenthos distribution consistently with different habitat preferences and ecological niches, and the low marsh had the highest species richness, Shannon diversity, Pielou evenness and Margalef richness. This study also provided scientific implications for the management and restoration of the ecosystems in different intertidal saltmarsh zones.

The black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) is the only alpine crane species and is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. The breeding habitats of this species are poorly understood, which greatly hampers practical research and conservation work. Using machine learning methods and the best-available data from our 7,000-kilometer mega-transect survey and open access data, we built the first species distribution model (SDM) to analyze the black-necked crane’s breeding habitats. Our model showed that current conservation gaps account for 26.7% of its predicted breeding habitats. Specifically, the northern parts of the Hengduan Mountains and the southeastern Tibet Valley, the northern side of the middle Kunlun Mountains, parts of the Pamir Plateau, the northern Pakistan Highlands and the western Hindu Kush should be considered as its main potential breeding areas. Additionally, our model suggested that the crane prefers to breed in alpine meadows at an elevation over 2,800 m, a maximum temperature of the warmest month below 20.5 °C, and a temperature seasonality above 7,800 units. The identified conservation gaps and potential breeding areas can aid in clearly prioritizing future conservation and research, but more attention and study should be directed to the unassessed Western Development of China to secure this endangered crane lineage and other wildlife on the Tibetan Plateau.

Species distribution models (SDMs) have become an essential tool in ecology, biogeography, evolution, and more recently, in conservation biology. How to generalize species distributions in large undersampled areas, especially with few samples, is a fundamental issue of SDMs. In order to explore this issue, we used the best available presence records for the Hooded Crane (Grus monacha, n=33), White-naped Crane (Grus vipio, n=40), and Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis, n=75) in China as three case studies, employing four powerful and commonly used machine learning algorithms to map the breeding distributions of the three species: TreeNet (Stochastic Gradient Boosting, Boosted Regression Tree Model), Random Forest, CART (Classification and Regression Tree) and Maxent (Maximum Entropy Models) Besides, we developed an ensemble forecast by averaging predicted probability of above four models results. Commonly-used model performance metrics (Area under ROC (AUC) and true skill statistic (TSS)) were employed to evaluate model accuracy. Latest satellite tracking data and compiled literature data were used as two independent testing datasets to confront model predictions. We found Random Forest demonstrated the best performance for the most assessment method, provided a better model fit to the testing data, and achieved better species range maps for each crane species in undersampled areas. Random Forest has been generally available for more than 20 years, and by now, has been known to perform extremely well in ecological predictions. However, while increasingly on the rise its potential is still widely underused in conservation, (spatial) ecological applications and for inference. Our results show that it informs ecological and biogeographical theories as well as being suitable for conservation applications, specifically when the study area is undersampled. This method helps to save model-selection time and effort, and it allows robust and rapid assessments and decisions for efficient conservation.

Species distribution models (SDMs) have become an essential tool in ecology, biogeography, evolution and, more recently, in conservation biology. How to generalize species distributions in large undersampled areas, especially with few samples, is a fundamental issue of SDMs. In order to explore this issue, we used the best available presence records for the Hooded Crane (Grus monacha,n = 33), White-naped Crane (Grus vipio,n = 40), and Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis,n = 75) in China as three case studies, employing four powerful and commonly used machine learning algorithms to map the breeding distributions of the three species: TreeNet (Stochastic Gradient Boosting, Boosted Regression Tree Model), Random Forest, CART (Classification and Regression Tree) and Maxent (Maximum Entropy Models). In addition, we developed an ensemble forecast by averaging predicted probability of the above four models results. Commonly used model performance metrics (Area under ROC (AUC) and true skill statistic (TSS)) were employed to evaluate model accuracy. The latest satellite tracking data and compiled literature data were used as two independent testing datasets to confront model predictions. We found Random Forest demonstrated the best performance for the most assessment method, provided a better model fit to the testing data, and achieved better species range maps for each crane species in undersampled areas. Random Forest has been generally available for more than 20 years and has been known to perform extremely well in ecological predictions. However, while increasingly on the rise, its potential is still widely underused in conservation, (spatial) ecological applications and for inference. Our results show that it informs ecological and biogeographical theories as well as being suitable for conservation applications, specifically when the study area is undersampled. This method helps to save model-selection time and effort, and allows robust and rapid assessments and decisions for efficient conservation.