Search

Fang Cheng,1,2 Qiang Li,1,2 Jinglin Wang,1,2 Zhendi Wang,3 Fang Zeng,1,2 Yu Zhang1,2 1Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China; 2Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Urology Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Fang Zeng; Yu Zhang, Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China, Email fancyzeng@126.com; zhangwkp@163.comBackground: Infection remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant patients. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors of bacterial infection during the perioperative period of transplantation and the effects of infection on long-term clinical outcomes.Methods: In total, 295 kidney transplantation recipients were included in this retrospective study and assigned to two groups: non-infected and infected. The tacrolimus concentration, pharmacogenomics, laboratory parameters, and clinical outcomes of both groups were evaluated.Results: A relatively low incidence of urinary tract infection was observed in our cohort, and lung was identified as the most frequent site of infection. Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, were the most common infecting strains in kidney transplant recipients. Patients with diabetes showed greater susceptibility to infection. Compared with the non-infected group, tacrolimus concentration was significantly lower on day 7 and 14 in the infected group. White blood cell count, neutrophil count, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the infected group were markedly higher post-transplantation, while albumin levels were lower relative to the non-infected group. ABCB1 (rs2032582) genotype showed clear associations with infection. Furthermore, the incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) and early acute rejection (AR) before infection was significantly greater in the infected group. Finally, early post-transplant infection was associated with a marked increase in the incidence of AR, post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM), and secondary infection.Conclusion: Pre-diabetes, longer duration of catheterization, lower albumin, higher CRP, tacrolimus concentration on the day 7 and 14, early AR before infection, and DGF were closely related to postoperative infection in kidney transplantation recipients. Moreover, bacterial infection during the perioperative period was closely associated with AR, PTDM and secondary infection.Keywords: kidney transplantation, immunotherapy, bacterial infection, risk factors, adverse reactions

The effectiveness of Air entraining agent (AEA) in concrete under low air pressure in the plateau area decreased. A type of new AEA, named MRE was synthesized to increase bubbles` stability in fresh concrete under low air pressure. The performance of MRE solution and concrete with MRE were tested under 60 kPa and 100 kPa compared with commercially gemini AEA (DCC). The test results showed that the foam volume of MRE and DCC solution under 60 kPa was reduced by 3% and 9% than under 100 kPa. The bubble liquid film strength of MRE is 63% higher than that of DCC. For concrete with MRE and DCC under 60 kPa, the air content was 2% and 16% lower, the relative dynamic modulus of concrete reduced by 6% and 15%, and the bubble spacing factor under 60 kPa increased by 17% and 39% respectively compared with that under 100 kPa. MRE can increase the freeze-thaw resistance of concrete under low air pressure without affecting concrete strength and is suitable for high altitude concrete.

Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 1 (NFE2L1) is a key transcription factor that regulates cellular adaptive responses to various stresses. Our previous studies revealed that adult adipocyte-specific Nfe2l1-knockout [Nfe2l1(f)-KO] mice show adipocyte hypertrophy and severe adipose inflammation, which can be worsened by rosiglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ agonist. To further assess the crucial roles of NFE2L1 in adipocytes, we investigated the effect of CL316243, a β3 adrenergic agonist that promotes lipolysis via a post-translational mechanism, on adipose inflammation in juvenile Nfe2l1(f)-KO mice. In contrast to adult mice, 4-week-old juvenile Nfe2l1(f)-KO mice displayed a normal fat distribution but reduced fasting plasma glycerol levels and elevated adipocyte hypertrophy and macrophage infiltration in inguinal and gonadal WAT. In addition, Nfe2l1(f)-KO mice had decreased expression of multiple lipolytic genes and reduced lipolytic activity in WAT. While 7 days of CL316243 treatment showed no significant effect on adipose inflammation in Nfe2l1-Floxed control mice, the same treatment dramatically alleviated macrophage infiltration and mRNA expression of inflammation and pyroptosis-related genes in WAT of Nfe2l1(f)-KO mice. Together with previous findings in adult mice, the current study highlights that NFE2L1 plays a fundamental regulatory role in lipolytic gene expression and thus might be an important target to improve adipose plasticity and lipid homeostasis.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel and lethal infectious disease, posing a threat to global health security. The number of cases has increased rapidly, but no data concerning kidney transplant (KTx) recipients infected with COVID-19 are available. To present the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of KTx recipients infected with COVID-19, we report on a case series of five patients who were confirmed as having COVID-19 through nucleic acid testing (NAT) from January 1, 2020 to February 28, 2020. The most common symptoms on admission to hospital were fever (five patients, 100%), cough (five patients, 100%), myalgia or fatigue (three patients, 60%), and sputum production (three patients, 60%); serum creatinine or urea nitrogen levels were slightly higher than those before symptom onset. Four patients received a reduced dose of maintenance immunosuppressive therapy during hospitalization. As of March 4, 2020 NAT was negative for COVID-19 in three patients twice in succession, and their computed tomography scans showed improved images. Although greater patient numbers and long-term follow-up data are needed, our series demonstrates that mild COVID-19 infection in KTx recipients can be managed using symptomatic support therapy combined with adjusted maintenance immunosuppressive therapy.

Fang Cheng,1,2 Qiang Li,1,2 Jinglin Wang,1,2 Min Hu,1,2 Fang Zeng,1,2 Zhendi Wang,3 Yu Zhang1,2 1Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China; 2Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhendi WangDepartment of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail wangzhendi@gmail.comYu ZhangDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail zhangwkp@163.comBackground: Tacrolimus is a key drug in kidney transplantation with a narrow therapeutic index. However, whether tacrolimus exposure variability affects clinical outcomes and adverse reactions remains unknown.Objective: Our study investigated the factors that influence tacrolimus exposure in kidney transplantation recipients and the relationship between tacrolimus concentration and clinical outcomes and adverse reactions.Settings and Methods: We examined the effect of tacrolimus concentration on clinical outcomes and adverse reactions in 201 kidney transplantation recipients, and identified clinical and pharmacogenetic factors that explain tacrolimus exposure.Results: The CYP3A5 genotype was clearly associated with dose-adjusted trough blood tacrolimus concentrations (C0/D), whereas no significant difference was observed in patients with the CYP3A4*1B, CYP3A4*22, ABCB1, ABCC2, POR*28 or PXR alleles. Clinical factors such as red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and albumin were the most useful influence factors affecting tacrolimus C0/D. Besides, Wuzhi capsule increased tacrolimus C0/D in kidney transplantation recipients. Furthermore, higher tacrolimus concentrations were associated with higher diarrhea and post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) risk but not with acute rejection and chronic allograft kidney dysfunction.Conclusion: Clinical factors, medication, and CYP-enzyme polymorphisms accounted for tacrolimus concentration variability in kidney transplantation recipients. Furthermore, higher tacrolimus concentrations were associated with higher diarrhea and PTDM risk.Keywords: kidney transplantation, tacrolimus, metabolism, pharmacogenetics, immunosuppression

Background: Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is the most common renal cell carcinoma types. This work aims to find potential diagnostic biomarkers and explore the biological functions related to the prognosis of KIRC. Method: First, Gene expression profiles of GSE15641, GSE72304, GSE71963, GSE53757, and GSE36895 from GEO database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by the limma package in R software. Next, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed. Then protein-protein interaction (PPI) and hub genes were visualized by Cytoscape with STRING database. Then, we evaluate the predictive potential of hub genes expressions in KIRC with TCGA data. In addition, the relevant biological functions were identified using GSEA. Finally, we examined the differences of hub genes expression between multiple tumor tissues and normal tissues.Results: A total of 141 DEGs (including 99 upregulated and 42 downregulated genes) were identified. GO analysis indicated that DEGs were mainly involved in oxidation-reduction process and response to hypoxia. The KEGG analysis primarily related to PPAR signaling pathway, and HIF-1 signaling pathway. Moreover, the PPI analysis revealed 5 hub genes (AOX1, ALDH6A1, ABAT, HADH, and PCCA). The 5 hub genes were significantly correlated with KIRC progression and might have prognostic significance for KIPC patients. And low expression of the hub genes associated biological pathways were enriched in the NF-KB activation, focal adhesion, and JAK-STAT signaling pathway, respectively. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that AOX1, ALDH6A1, ABAT, HADH, and PCCA can be used as prognostic biomarkers for KIRC.

Objective Oral sodium bicarbonate is often used to correct acid-base disturbance in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there is little evidence on patient-level benign outcomes to support the practice. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the efficacy and safety of oral sodium bicarbonate in CKD patients. A total of 1853 patients with chronic metabolic acidosis or those with low-normal serum bicarbonate (22–24 mEq/L) were performed to compare the efficacy and safety of oral sodium bicarbonate in patients with CKD. Results There was a significant increase in serum bicarbonate level (MD 2.37 mEq/L; 95% CI, 1.03 to 3.72) and slowed the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (MD −4.44 mL/min per 1.73 m2, 95% CI, −4.92 to −3.96) compared with the control groups. The sodium bicarbonate lowered T50-time, an indicator of vascular calcification (MD −20.74 min; 95% CI, −49.55 to 8.08); however, there was no significant difference between the two groups. In addition, oral sodium bicarbonate dramatically reduced systolic blood pressure (MD −2.97 mmHg; 95% CI, −5.04 to −0.90) and diastolic blood pressure (MD −1.26 mmHg; 95% CI, −2.33 to −0.19). There were no statistically significant body weight, urine pH and mean mid-arm muscle circumference. Conclusion Treatment of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate may slow the decline rate of kidney function and potentially significantly improve vascular endothelial function in patients with CKD. Prospero Registration Number CRD42020207185.

To study the effect of atmospheric pressure on the properties of fresh and hardened air-entrained concrete, three kinds of air entraining agents were used for preparing air-entrained concrete in the plateaus (Lhasa, 61 kPa) and the plains (Beijing, 101 kPa). Air content, slump, compressive strength and pore structure of the three air-entrained concretes were tested in these two places. It is found that the air content of concrete under low atmospheric pressure (LAP) is 4%-36% lower than that of concrete under normal atmospheric pressure (NAP), which explaines the decrease of slump for air-entrained concrete under LAP. Pore number of hardened concrete under LAP is reduced by 48%-69%. While, the proportion of big pores (pore diameter >1 200 μm) and air void spacing factor are increased by 1.5%-7.3% and 51%-92%, respectively. The deterioration of pore structure results in a 3%-9% reduction in the compressive strength of concrete. From the results we have obtained, it can be concluded that the increase of critical nucleation energy of air bubbles and the decrease of volumetric compressibility coefficient of air in the concrete are responsible for the variation of air content and pore structure of concrete under LAP.

Although epidemiologic studies show an association between long-term environmental inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure and various disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, the mechanisms of these ailments remain unclear. While white adipose tissue (WAT) essentially acts as a storage tissue for energy and is key to energy homeostasis, brown adipose tissue (BAT) consumes excess energy via uncoupling protein 1-mediated non-shivering thermogenesis in mitochondria and helps maintain the steady state of glucose and lipid metabolism. Our previous in vitro work found that iAs may inhibit adipogenesis and glucose uptake in adipocytes, leading us to hypothesize that chronic exposure to iAs in vivo may also affect the development and function of BAT, which plays a part in iAs-induced metabolic disorders. Thus, adult C57BL/6J female mice were provided drinking water containing 5 or 20 ppm of inorganic arsenicals (iAs3+ and iAs5+) for 17 weeks and control mice were given unaltered water. In these mice, iAs exposure induced cold intolerance and lipid accretion in BAT. In addition, iAs exposure impaired expression of various genes related to thermogenesis, mitochondrial function, adipocyte differentiation, as well as lipolysis in BAT of the exposed mice. These findings suggest a novel toxicity of iAs in BAT occurring via induction of BAT malfunction and impairment of thermogenesis. This novel toxicological linkage helps explain the mechanisms linking iAs exposure to increased risk of disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism.

Piezoresistive cement-based composites, as a type of self-sensing materials, are urgently needed for developing smart buildings. Herein the effect of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on the pore structure, microstructure, mechanical and piezoresistive properties of cement mortar was investigated. A four-probe method was used to quantitatively assess the piezoresistive properties of the GNP-modified cement mortars under cyclic compressions. Results show that appropriate incorporations of GNPs in cement mortars can densify the microstructure and enhance the mechanical properties. The changes in electric conductivity against GNP content follow a percolation regime. The extents and rates of piezoresistive reactions have no simple correlations with GNP contents and loading levels. The mechanisms of piezoresistive reaction are associated with the elastic deformation and interfacial conductance between GNPs and material matrix. However, the interfacial conductance only works in moderate GNP contents. The results and findings of this study may pave a wide path for the uses of cement-based piezoresistive composites in developing self-health monitoring buildings and infrastructures in the future.

The critical chloride content (Ccrit) of reinforcement corrosion in concrete is of great importance for the condition assessment of existing structures and for the service life design of new structures in chloride exposure environments. Here, we review the extensive body of literature on Ccrit published in Chinese since the 1960s. In agreement with earlier reviews considering European and North American literature, we find that Ccrit scatters widely and cannot be predicted on the basis of parameters such as w/b ratio, binder type, steel surface condition, etc. It appears that the stress state of the reinforcing steel may play a more important role than generally assumed. On the basis of this review, complementing earlier reviews, we conclude that the state-of-the-art on Ccrit has advanced negligibly over the last decades. The time is now to change the way corrosion initiation in concrete is scientifically addressed. Recommendations for further work are made.

Adipocytes play pivotal roles in maintaining energy homeostasis by storing lipids in adipose tissue (AT), regulating the flux of lipids between AT and the circulation in response to the body's energy requirements and secreting a variety of hormones, cytokines and other factors. Proper AT development and function ensure overall metabolic health. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 1 (NFE2L1, also known as NRF1) belongs to the CNC-bZIP family and plays critical roles in regulating a wide range of essential cellular functions and varies stress responses in many cells and tissues. Human and rodent Nfe2l1 genes can be transcribed into multiple splice variants resulting in various protein isoforms, which may be further modified by a variety of post-translational mechanisms. While the long isoforms of NFE2L1 have been established as master regulators of cellular adaptive antioxidant response and proteasome homeostasis, the exact tissue distribution and physiological function of NFE2L1 isoforms, the short isoforms in particular, are still under intense investigation. With regard to key roles of NFE2L1 in adipocytes, emerging data indicates that deficiency of Nfe2l1 results in aberrant adipogenesis and impaired AT functioning. Intriguingly, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the human NFE2L1 gene is associated with obesity. In this review, we summarize the most significant findings regarding the specific roles of the multiple isoforms of NFE2L1 in AT formation and function. We highlight that NFE2L1 plays a fundamental regulatory role in the expression of multiple genes that are crucial to AT metabolism and function and thus could be an important target to improve disease states involving aberrant adipose plasticity and lipid homeostasis.

Background Donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) is a potential noninvasive molecular marker of graft rejection after kidney transplant, whose diagnostic accuracy remains controversial. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dd-cfDNA. Relevant literature was searched from online databases, and the data on the diagnostic accuracy of discriminating main rejection episodes (MRE) and antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) were merged, respectively. Results Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis, of which 6 were focused on the diagnostic accuracy of dd-cfDNA for MRE, whose pooled sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), diagnostic odds ratio(DOR), overall positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) with 95% confidence intervals were 0.70(0.57-0.81), 0.78(0.70-0.84), 0.81(0.77-0.84), 8.18(5.11-13.09), 3.15(2.47-4.02), 0.39(0.27-0.55), respectively. 5 tests were focused on discriminating AMR, whose pooled indicators were 0.84(0.75-0.90), 0.80(0.74-0.84), 0.89(0.86-0.91), 20.48(10.76-38.99), 4.13(3.21-5.33), 0.20(0.12-0.33), respectively. Conclusions Donor-derived cell-free DNA can be a helpful marker for the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection among those recipients suspected of renal dysfunction. Its diagnostic accuracy on the main rejection episodes remains uncertain, which requires further prospective, large-scale, multicenter, and common population research.

Iliac atherosclerosis is common in renal transplant recipients. In severe cases, it affects intraoperative renal arterial anastomosis and increases the risk of postanastomosis complications. At present, safe and efficient vascular replacement methods are relatively limited. In the 2 renal transplant cases at our center, described here, the donors' iliac arteries were unavailable. We therefore attempted to replace the recipients' diseased external iliac artery with the donors' inferior vena cava and then performed an end-to-side grafting with the attachment in arterial reconstruction. One patient received a single kidney transplantation, while the other received a dual kidney transplantation. Antiplatelet/anticoagulation drug application was avoided, and both patients were observed for more than 6 months. Stable renal graft function was achieved without any vascular complications. During this study, all procedures were in compliance with the Helsinki Congress and the Declaration of Istanbul. For end-stage renal disease patients with severe iliac atherosclerosis who are waiting for kidney transplantation, a donor's vena cava graft could potentially be a promising replacement option to restore external iliac artery patency and reconstruct renal blood flow, without the necessity of harvesting a recipient's autologous vessels or looking for costly artificial ones.

With the rapid decline of conventional crude oil’s production and transportation, heavy crude oil, heavy oil, oil sands, oil shale and other unconventional oil have gradually become the main body of the marine oil spills. The used oil spill fingerprinting methods mainly for conventional oil are facing new challenges. According to the time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, concentration value is introduced as a new data dimension to the fluorescence spectra and the concentration-resolved-fluorescence spectroscopy (CRFS) is developed to express more PAHs information. Laboratory simulation experiments of weathering and distillation were carried out and the results demonstrate this method has strong anti-weathering and anti-interference ability. Oil source classification of close-related heavy crude oil samples under light weathering and seawater weathering lasting 120 d are studied. 96% of the correct rate for the closely related oil source samples is achieved by combining Gabor wavelet with supported vector machine (SVM). The obtained results suggest that the newly-developed method may become specifically applicable in spilled oils identification and also can be applied to other multi-fluorophoric systems such as in petroleum exploration, dissolved organic matter in environment monitoring and petroleum exploration.

In this paper, we studied the effect of fly ash and mix ratio on the compressive strength of air-tight concrete, the introduced fly ash would decrease the early compressive strength of concrete. With curing age increasing, the gape in the compressive strength between concrete without fly ash and concrete containing fly ash is decreasing. Moreover, concrete containing fly ash showed smaller air permeability, the introduced fly ash improved the airtightness of concrete.

With the quick development of transportation network construction, the tunnel construction has been an important part. During the tunnel construction process, especially in the gas zone, gas leaking has been a common problem. For avoiding gas leakage, it is necessary to enhance the air-tightness of the tunnel concrete, air-tight concrete is a kind of concrete with excellent air tightness performance. In this paper, we introduced the research progress of tunnel air-tight concrete, including the effect of mix ratio, composition on the air-tight performance of tunnel concrete and corresponding characterization methods.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), broke out in December 2019 in Wuhan and soon propagated rapidly to the whole world. Although several reports have addressed the clinical and pathologic abnormalities of the

The intrinsic permeability of porous medium is theoretically independent of percolating fluids. While concerning cementitious material, its water permeability is anomalously lower than that to many other fluids. To discover the responsible physical background, the permeability coefficients of two mature white cement mortars are measured using water, isopropanol and nitrogen gas. Their pore structures are also tested on specimens at various states through low-field NMR and MIP methods. It is found that the pore structures of water-saturated mortars are remarkably coarsen due to the contraction of C-S-H gel enforced by water removal through drying or isopropanol exchange. The coarsening of pore structure fundamentally increases the intrinsic permeability by 2–4 orders of magnitudes, which can be approximately quantified through the Katz-Thompson equation. The anomalous low water permeability is physically rooted in the swelling of C-S-H gel specific to water, which is intimately linked to the disjoining pressure of aqueous pore solution.

2017-336:Diluted bitumen (dilbit), an oil sands product, may present new response challenges differing from conventional crude oil in terms of its potential environmental impacts. Simple naphthenic acids (NAs), a complex group of monocarboxylic acids, with a general formula CnH2n+zO2, may be present in the source bitumen or may be created by photolytic weathering. Knowing the composition and concentrations of NAs created during the photo-degradation process of dilbit will help understand the fate, behavior and toxicity of dilbit.In the present study, two diluted bitumen products, Cold Lake Blend (CLB) and Access Western Blend (AWB), were mixed with saltwater and irradiated with natural solar light (Ottawa, Canada, 45.4°N) over winter and summer seasons, to assess the impact of sunlight on the chemical fate of the dilbit. For comparison, a light, sweet crude oil was exposed under similar conditions. The samples were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry to examine the molecular transformation of diluted bitumen by solar irradiation. The abundances of NAs in all three test oils increased significantly after 90 days of solar irradiation, strongly suggesting that polar NAs were formed by photolysis. Further, greater increases in NAs in the light crude were found than in the two dilbits. Similarly, the lighter oil had higher photolytic removal rates of petroleum hydrocarbons than the two dilbits.The concentrations of NAs in oils exposed during the summer were generally higher than those exposed in winter. During summer exposure, the abundance of total NAs increased up to the 30-day’s solar exposure, then fell again, indicating the transient nature of these compounds. However, net increases in polar NA compounds were observed for all the winter exposed samples. Greater increases were observed in the smaller NA compounds (average C-number decreased), also accompanied by an increase in saturation (average z-number decreased).These chemical changes strongly indicate the effect of sunlight on the potential behaviour, fate and effects of spilled oil, with creation of new resin group compounds and reduction of aromatics and saturates. These changes may affect the viscosity of the oil and its ability to uptake water. These chemical compositions also imply significant changes to the ecological effects of the oil following a spill when aged in sunlight.

International audience; The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of a short exposure to natural sediments within the Athabasca oil sand formation to critical stages of embryo-larval development in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Three different sediments were used: Ref sediment from the upper Steepbank River tested at 3 g/L (containing 12.2 ng/g ∑PAHs), and two bitumen-rich sediments tested at 1 and 3 g/L; one from the Ells River (Ells downstream, 6480 ng/g ∑PAHs) and one from the Steepbank River (Stp downstream, 4660 ng/g ∑PAHs). Eggs and larvae were exposed to sediments for 21 days, then transferred to clean water for a 5-month grow-out and recovery period. Larval fish had significantly decreased survival after exposure to 3 g/L sediment from Stp downstream, and decreased growth (length and weight at 16 days post hatch) in Ells and Stp downstream sediments at both 1 and 3 g/L. Decreased tail length was a sensitive endpoint in larval fish exposed to Ells and Stp downstream sediments for 21 days compared to Ref sediment. After the grow-out in clean water, all growth effects from the bitumen-containing sediments recovered, but adult fish from Stp downstream 3 g/L sediment had significant increases in jaw deformities. The study shows the potential for fish to recover from the decreased growth effects caused by sediments containing oil sands-related compounds, but that some effects of the early-life sediment exposure occur later on in adult fish.

Modified cement mortar was prepared by incorporating a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) with two kinds of dosing state, dry powdery SAP and swelled SAP (where the SAP has been pre-wetted in tap water), respectively. The mechanical properties, drying shrinkage and freeze&ndash, thaw resistance of the mortars were compared and analyzed with the variation of SAP content and entrained water-to-cement ratios. Additionally, the effect of SAP on the microstructure of mortar was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that agglomerative accumulation is formed in the voids of mortar after water desorption from SAP and there are abundant hydration products, most of which are C-S-H gels, around the SAP voids. The incorporation of the powdery SAP increases the 28 d compressive strength of the mortars by about 10% to 50%, while for the incorporation of swelled SAP, the 28 d compressive strength of the mortar can be increased by about &minus, 26% to 6%. At a dosage of 0.1% SAP and an entrained water&ndash, cement ratio of 0.06, the powdery SAP and the swelled SAP can reduce the mortar shrinkage rate by about 32.2% and 14.5%, respectively. Both the incorporation of powdery and swelled SAP has a positive effect on the freeze&ndash, thaw resistance of cement mortar. In particular, for powdery SAP with an entrained water-to-cement ratio of 0.06, the mass loss rate after 300 cycles is still lower than 5%.

Accumulating evidences suggest that circular RNAs play vital roles in human cancers. Previously, we found that circHIPK3 suppressed invasion of bladder cancer cells via sponging miR-558 and downregulating heparanase expression. In this study, we discovered that a circular RNA derived from NR3C1 (circNR3C1) was downregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines according to RNA-Seq data and qRT-PCR analysis. Functionally, we found that overexpression of circNR3C1 could significantly inhibit cell cycle progression and proliferation of bladder cancer cells in vitro, as well as suppress tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that circNR3C1 possessed four targeting sites of miR-27a-3p and could effectively sponge miR-27a-3p to suppress the expression of cyclin D1. Furthermore, we revealed that miR-27a-3p functioned as an oncogene through interacting with 5'UTR of cyclin D1 to enhance its expression, which led to promote cell cycle progression and proliferation in bladder cancer cells. Conclusively, our findings further confirm the hypothesis that circRNAs function as "microRNA sponges", and our data suggest that circNR3C1 and miR-27a-3p would be potential therapeutic targets for bladder cancer treatment.

The interface transition zone (ITZ) is widely recognized as the weakest phase in cement-based materials, and playing a critical role in the durability of concrete. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance difference and the diffusion of sulfate ions in cement matrix and ITZ under dry-wet cycles. Therefore, the three-dimensional structure of cement matrix and ITZ was reconstructed by CEMHYD3D and cellular automaton, which was used for exploring the formation and evolution law under the cycling conditions of corrosion. The unsteady diffusion equation of sulfate ions was established based on Fick’s second law and the impact factor ν of diffusion coefficient was introduced to analyze sulfate ions transportation. The simulation results were compared and discussed with the measured results. Results indicate that the porosity of ITZ is higher than cement matrix with the same water-cement ratio. Yet, the content difference of ettringite between cement matrix and ITZ hardly changed with the increase of water-cement ratio. The corrosion depth of sulfate ions in ITZ is approximately 2 mm deeper than cement matrix and the sulfate ions concentration in ITZ is greater than that of cement matrix at the same corrosion depth. Moreover, the diffusion rate of sulfate ions increases multiplying under dry-wet cycles and the increase of sodium sulfate concentration also accelerates the early corrosion rate. However, the influence of sodium sulfate concentration on the corrosion rate becomes insignificant as the water-cement ratio increases to 0.5. This study provides new insights in sulfate ions transportation about ITZ and cement matrix, the results of which are expected to provide a new direction for designing sulfate resistant concrete.

Prolonged treatment with rifampicin (RFP), a first-line antibacterial agent used in the treatment of drug-sensitive tuberculosis, may cause various side effects, including metabolic disorders. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NFE2L2, also known as NRF2) plays an essential regulatory role in cellular adaptive responses to stresses via the antioxidant response element (ARE). Our previous studies discovered that NRF2 regulates the expression of CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein β (Cebpb) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg) in the process of adipogenesis. Here, we found that prolonged RFP treatment in adult male mice fed a high-fat diet developed insulin resistance, but reduced fat accumulation and decreased expression of multiple adipogenic genes in white adipose tissues. In 3 T3-L1 preadipocytes, RFP reduced the induction of Cebpb, Pparg and Cebpa at mRNA and protein levels in the early and/or later stage of hormonal cocktail-induced adipogenesis. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that RFP inhibits NRF2-ARE luciferase reporter activity and expression of NRF2 downstream genes under normal culture condition and in the early stage of adipogenesis in 3 T3-L1 preadipocytes, suggesting that RFP can disturb adipogenic differentiation via NRF2-ARE interference. Taken together, we demonstrate a potential mechanism that RFP impairs adipose function by which RFP likely inhibits NRF2-ARE pathway and thereby interrupts its downstream adipogenic transcription network.

Two diluted bitumen, Cold Lake Blend (CLB), Accessed Western Blend (AWB), and Alberta Sweet Mixed Blend #5 crude oil (ASMB#5), were spiked into 3.3% NaCl aqueous solution, then exposed to natural sunlight for 90 days in the winter and summer in the Northern Hemisphere (Ottawa, Canada). The effects of temperature and solar intensity on the photolytic behavior of diluted bitumen were evaluated. Simultaneously, the photolytic similarities and differences between diluted bitumen and crude oil were compared. It was found that, in all test oils, the decrease of all total petroleum hydrocarbons followed a pseudo-first-order reaction kinetic with the exposure time regardless of seasons. Aromatic fractions had the highest apparent rate constants. Similarly, the chemical fingerprinting analysis of test oils demonstrated that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their alkylated homologues (APAHs) were the most photosensitive compounds among the identified targets, followed by n-alkanes, then terpanes, and steranes. The photolytic efficiencies of the target petroleum hydrocarbons in ASMB#5 were generally higher than the two diluted bitumen. Photolysis of APAHs occurred faster in summer than in winter; however, APAHs with different number of rings and degree of alkylation did not have obvious photolytic differences. These phenomena suggest that the photolytic similarities between dilbits and conventional crude oil depend on their similar chemical structure of petroleum hydrocarbons; their differences depend on the specific oil properties. The accumulated solar irradiation intensity and temperature are the main factors contributing to their photolytic differences for winter and summer exposed oils.

Concentration-synchronous-matrix-fluorescence (CSMF) spectroscopy was applied to discriminate the oil species by characterizing the concentration dependent fluorescence properties of petroleum related samples. Seven days weathering experiment of 3 crude oil samples from the Bohai Sea platforms of China was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions and showed that weathering had no significant effect on the CSMF spectra. While different feature extraction methods, such as PCA, PLS and Gabor wavelet analysis, were applied to extract discriminative patterns from CSMF spectra, classifications were made via SVM to compare their respective performance of oil species recognition. Ideal correct rates of oil species recognition of 100% for the different types of oil spill samples and 92% for the closely-related source oil samples were achieved by combining Gabor wavelet with SVM, which indicated its advantages to be developed to a rapid, cost-effective, and accurate forensic oil spill identification technique.