Robust, Efficient, and Recoverable Thermocells with Zwitterion-Boosted Hydrogel Electrolytes for Energy-Autonomous and Wearable Sensing

The rapid growth of flexible quasi-solid-state thermocells (TECs) provides a fresh way forward for wearable electronics. However, their insufficient mechanical strength and power output still hinder their further applications. This work demonstrates a one-stone-two-birds strategy to synergistically enhance the mechanical and thermoelectrochemical properties of the [Fe(CN)6]3-/4--based TECs. By introducing multiple non-covalent interactions via betaine zwitterions, the mechanical strength of the conventional brittle gelatin hydrogel electrolytes is substantially improved from 50 to 440 kPa, with a high stretchability approaching 250%. Meanwhile, the betaine zwitterions strongly affect the solvation structure of [Fe(CN)6]3- ions, thus enlarging the entropy difference and raising the thermoelectrochemical Seebeck coefficient from 1.47 to 2.2 mV K-1. The resultant quasi-solid-state TECs exhibit a superior normalized output power density of 0.48 mW m-2 K-2, showing a notable improvement in overall performance compared to their counterparts without zwitterion regulation. In addition, the intrinsic thermo-reversible property allows the TECs to repeatedly self-recover through sol-gel transformations, ensuring reliable energy output and even recycling of TECs in case of extreme mechanical damages. An energy-autonomous smart glove consisting of eighteen individual TECs is further designed, which can simultaneously monitor the temperature of different positions of any touched object, demonstrating high potential in wearable applications.

[Analysis of iodine nutritional status of children aged 8-10 years in Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2021]

Objective: To analyze the iodine nutrition status of children aged 8 to 10 years in Zhejiang Province from 2016 to 2021. Methods: A multi-stage stratified sampling method was used to select non-residential children aged 8 to 10 years from 90 counties in Zhejiang Province. A total of 114 103 children were included in the study from 2016 to 2021. Direct titration method and arsenic-cerium catalytic spectrophotometry were used to detect salt iodine content and urinary iodine level, respectively, to evaluate the iodine nutritional status of children. Ultrasound was used to detect thyroid volume and analyze the current prevalence of goiter in school-age children. Results: The age of 114 103 children was (9.04 ± 0.81) years old, with 50.0% of (57 083) boys. The median of iodine content M (Q1, Q3) in children's household salt was 23.00 (19.80, 25.20) mg/kg, including 17 242 non-iodized salt, 6 173 unqualified iodized salt, and 90 688 qualified iodized salt. The coverage rate of iodized salt was 84.89%, and the coverage rate of qualified iodized salt was 79.48%. The proportion of non-iodized salt increased from 11.85% in 2016 to 16.04% in 2021 (χ2trend=111.427, P<0.001). The median of urinary iodine concentration M (Q1, Q3) in children was 182.50 (121.00, 261.00) μg/L, among which the proportions of iodine deficiency, iodine suitability, iodine over suitability, and iodine excess were 17.25% (19 686 cases), 39.21% (44 745 cases), 26.85% (30 638 cases), and 16.68% (19 034 cases), respectively. The median of urinary iodine concentration in children in inland areas [M (Q1, Q3): 190.90 (128.80, 269.00) μg/L] was significantly higher than that in children in coastal areas [M (Q1, Q3): 173.00 (113.00, 250.30) μg/L] (P<0.001). From 2016 to 2021, a total of 39 134 ultrasound examinations were conducted, and 1 229 cases of thyroid enlargement were detected. The goiter rate was 3.14% (95%CI: 2.97%-3.32%). The incidence of goiter in children in coastal areas [3.45% (95%CI: 3.19%-3.72%), 641/18 604] was higher than that in children in inland areas [2.86% (95%CI: 2.64%-3.10%), 588/20 530] (P=0.001). Conclusion: From 2016 to 2021, the iodine nutrition level of children aged 8-10 years in Zhejiang Province is generally suitable, and the rate of goiter in children meets the limit of iodine deficiency disease elimination standards.

Identification and Automated Delineation of Radioresistant Biological Tumor Volume in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomics

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Widespread use of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has improved the tumor control rate of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, nearly 20% of the patients with local-advanced NPC would relapse after precise irradiation and 80% of the recurrent lesions occur within the high dose field, suggesting that there are radiation-resistant cancer cell subsets within the tumor. In this context, identification and contouring of radiation resistance region of NPC for dose escalation at primary IMRT could be advantageous. In this work, we proposed a two-step radiomics workflow to predict local relapse and the recurrent region of NPC before primary IMRT.

MATERIALS/METHODS

In this single-center, retrospective study, pre-treatment magnetic resonance (MR) sequences of T1-weighted imaging (T1-w) and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CET1-w) were collected from 800 patients of newly diagnosed and non-metastatic NPC between April 2009 and December 2015. The primary gross tumor volume (GTVp) of all patients and the actual recurrent lesion (GTVr) of patients who suffered from local recurrence were manually contoured for further analysis. A two-step complete radiomics workflow was designed to predict tumor recurrence and segment the region. First, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was utilized for radiomics features selection of GTVp and support vector machine (SVM) was adopted to predict the recurrence. If the model predicts a recurrence, then the workflow utilizes an improved 3D U-Net to segment the recurrent region. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of tumor recurrence prediction, and Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used to assess the consistence between the actual and predicted GTVr.

RESULTS

Of 800 NPC patients, 95 (11.9%) patients developed in-field local recurrence. For recurrence risk prediction, the SVM ensemble model (T1-w+CET1-w) was selected for further application with higher sensitivity. The average ROC-AUC, specificity, sensitivity of the SVM ensemble model in a 5-fold cross-validation and in the independent test set of 160 patients were 0.922, 0.922, 0.777 and 0.928, 0.915, 0.737, respectively. Moreover, for recurrent region segmentation, the multi-modality (T1-w+CET1-w) model was superior to the single-modality (T1-w or CET1-w) model. In an independent test set of 15 patients, the DSC, sensitivity and 95% Hausdorff Distance between actual and predicted GTVr was 0.549±0.176, 0.696±0.118 and 9.813±4.788 which was superior to 0.444±0.188, 0.497±0.218 and 12.047±5.361 of original 3D U-Net.

CONCLUSION

The proposed two-step radiomics workflow showed a good performance in predicting tumor recurrence of NPC. The predicted location of the recurrence lesion was all accurate, but there was still a certain difference between the volume of the automated delineated and actual GTVr, which needed to be further optimized to be used as biological tumor volume.

Prediction of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Combined with Pembrolizumab in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with CT/FDG PET Radiomic Signatures Based on Machine Learning Classification

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

PALACE-1 trial has confirm that the addition of pembrolizumab to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) improves the pathological complete response(pCR) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which might be a novel treatment strategy for ESCC. In the present study, we aim to establish a machine learning model to predict the local response to NCRT+ pembrolizumab for ESCC by using pretreatment 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) and contrast-enhanced plan CT images.

MATERIALS/METHODS

A total of 65 cases treated with NCRT+ pembrolizumab followed by surgery were prospectively enrolled for analysis from 2019-2022. Each patient contains a contrast-enhanced plan CT and FDG PET images. 52 patients were randomly divided into training set and 13 patients were used as test set. The Extraction of radiomics features was performed using an open-source Python library PyRadiomics automatically. Features were computed according to the radiologist-drawn ROIs on both CT and PET images. In the feature selection stage least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was utilized on CT features and PET features separately. Four different machine learning models were implemented: Support Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF) and XGBoost (XGB). The features selected by LASSO regression were used as model input and the output of the model is "pCR" or "non-pCR". To find the optimal parameter, the 5-fold cross-validation method was used in the training stage. In this study, we use accuracy, sensitivity and specificity as the metrics to evaluate the performance of the model on the testing cohort. The predictive performance of the model was assessed using the area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC).

RESULTS

Of the 65 cases treated with NCRT+pembrolizumab, 35 patients archived pCR (53.8%), and 30 archived non-pCR. 1684 radiomics features were extracted from each case, and half of them (842 features) were from CT and others were from PET. Among the machine learning models mentioned above SVM achieves the most promising performance on the evaluation metrics. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC score on test set were 0.692, 0.833, 0.571 and 0.786 for CT features and 0.615, 0.667, 0.571 and 0.762 for PET features, respectively. For CT+FDG PET fused features accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC score on test set were 0.769, 0.667, 0.857 and 0.833.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we performed several different machine learning models to predict the response to NCRT+ pembrolizumab among ESCC based on the extracted radiomics features from CT and FDG PET images. The best-performing model based on radiomics features of CT and PET images could identify non-pCR to NCRT + pembrolizumab in EC patients.

Swift Assembly of Adaptive Thermocell Arrays for Device-Level Healable and Energy-Autonomous Motion Sensors

The evolution of wearable technology has prompted the need for adaptive, self-healable, and energy-autonomous energy devices. This study innovatively addresses this challenge by introducing an MXene-boosted hydrogel electrolyte, which expedites the assembly process of flexible thermocell (TEC) arrays and thus circumvents the complicated fabrication of typical wearable electronics. Our findings underscore the hydrogel electrolyte's superior thermoelectrochemical performance under substantial deformations and repeated self-healing cycles. The resulting hydrogel-based TEC yields a maximum power output of 1032.1 nW under the ΔT of 20 K when being stretched to 500% for 1000 cycles, corresponding to 80% of its initial state; meanwhile, it sustains 1179.1 nW under the ΔT of 20 K even after 60 cut-healing cycles, approximately 92% of its initial state. The as-assembled TEC array exhibits device-level self-healing capability and high adaptability to human body. It is readily applied for touch-based encrypted communication where distinct voltage signals can be converted into alphabet letters; it is also employed as a self-powered sensor to in-situ monitor a variety of body motions for complex human actions. The swift assembly approach, combined with the versatile functionality of the TEC device, paves the way for future advancements in wearable electronics targeting at fitness monitoring and human-machine interfaces.

[VIPR1 promoter methylation promotes transcription factor AP-2α binding to inhibit VIPR1 expression and promote hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth in vitro]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the transcriptional regulation mechanism and biological function of low expression of vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 1 (VIPR1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

We constructed plasmids carrying wild-type VIPR1 promoter or two mutant VIPR1 promoter sequences for transfection of the HCC cell lines Hep3B and Huh7, and examined the effect of AP-2α expression on VIPR1 promoter activity using dual-luciferase reporter assay. Pyrosequencing was performed to detect the changes in VIPR1 promoter methylation level in HCC cells treated with a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor (DAC). Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to evaluate the binding ability of AP-2α to VIPR1 promoter. Western blotting was used to assess the effect of AP-2α knockdown on VIPR1 expression and examine the differential expression of VIPR1 in the two cell lines. The effects of VIPR1 overexpression and knockdown on the proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of HCC cells were analyzed using CCK8 assay and flow cytometry. We also observed the growth of HCC xenograft with lentivirus-mediated over-expression of VIPR1 in nude mice.

RESULTS

Compared with the wild-type VIPR1 promoter group, co-transfection with the vector carrying two promoter mutations and the AP-2α-over-expressing plasmid obviously restored the luciferase activity in HCC cells (P < 0.05). DAC treatment of the cells significantly decreased the methylation level of VIPR1 promoter and inhibited the binding of AP-2α to VIPR1 promoter (P < 0.01). The HCC cells with AP-2α knockdown showed increased VIPR1 expression, which was lower in Huh7 cells than in Hep3B cells. VIPR1 overexpression in HCC cells caused significant cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase (P < 0.01), promoted cell apoptosis (P < 0.001), and inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.001), while VIPR1 knockdown produced the opposite effects. In the tumor-bearing nude mice, VIPR1 overexpression in the HCC cells significantly suppressed the increase of tumor volume (P < 0.001) and weight (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

VIPR1 promoter methylation in HCC promotes the binding of AP-2α and inhibits VIPR1 expression, while VIPR1 overexpression causes cell cycle arrest, promotes cell apoptosis, and inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth.

Tower-based measurements of NMHCs and OVOCs in the Pearl River Delta: Vertical distribution, source analysis and chemical reactivity

Measurements of vertical distribution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have attracted wide attentions, which could help to understand atmospheric oxidation mechanism and provide implications for VOC control. This study measured the non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) simultaneously for the first time at three different heights, namely ground, 118 m and 488 m, in the Canton Tower located in the urban core of the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The results show that NMHCs decreased while some OVOC species such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde increased with increasing height. It was mainly attributed to the dilution and chemical loss of NMHCs but secondary production of OVOCs during vertical transport. Ratio analysis and receptor modeling indicate that vehicle exhausts (47%) and fuel evaporation (39%) were major sources of the total NMHCs. Interestingly, industry contributed much more at 118 m, probably affected by organic gas discharge from the high chimney of industrial factories. The chemical reactivities in terms of OH radical loss rate (L_OH), ozone formation potential (OFP) and secondary organic aerosol potential (SOAP) were lowest at 118 m, smaller than those influenced by high fresh NMHC emissions at ground and strong formation of secondary species (e.g. OVOCs) at 488 m. OH exposure estimated by isoprene and m,p-xylene/ethylbenzene was different depending on their time scale of vertical turbulent mixing and chemical loss. OVOC species measured at different heights were positively correlated with O_x (R = 0.48-0.87), indicating that OVOCs were largely contributed by secondary formation in photochemical process. The tower measurements of NMHCs and OVOCs provided a unique opportunity to investigate the VOC distribution and chemical behaviors, which could give important information for understanding O₃ and PM_2.5 pollution mechanism in the PRD region with fast developing urban setting and substantially changing air quality.

An observation approach in evaluation of ozone production to precursor changes during the COVID-19 lockdown

The increase of surface ozone during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown in China has aroused great concern. In this study, we combine 1.5 years of measurements for ozone, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and nitrogen oxide (NO_X) at four sites to investigate the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on surface ozone in Dongguan, an industrial city in southern China. We show that the average concentrations of NO_X and VOCs decreased by 70%-77% and 54%-68% during the lockdown compared to pre-lockdown, respectively. Based on the source apportionment of VOCs, the contribution of industrial solvent use reduced significantly (86%-94%) during the lockdown, and climbed back slowly along with the re-opening of the industry after lockdown. A slight increase in mean ozone concentration (3%-14%) was observed during the lockdown. The rise of ozone was the combined effect of substantial increase at night (58%-91%) and small reduction in the daytime (1%-17%). These conflicting observations in ozone response between day and night to emission change call for a more detailed approach to diagnostic ozone production response with precursor changes, rather than directly comparing absolute concentrations. We propose that the ratio of daily Ox (i.e. ozone + NO₂) enhancement to solar radiation can provide a diagnostic parameter for ozone production response during the lockdown period. Smaller ratio of daily O_X (ozone + NO₂) enhancement to solar radiation during the lockdown were observed from the long-term measurements in Dongguan, suggesting significantly weakened photochemistry during the lockdown successfully reduces local ozone production. Our proposed approach can provide an evaluation of ozone production response to precursor changes from restrictions of social activities during COVID-19 epidemic and also other regional air quality abatement measures (e.g. public mega-events) around the globe.

Quantifying the role of PM2.5 dropping in variations of ground-level ozone: Inter-comparison between Beijing and Los Angeles

In recent decade the ambient fine particle (PM_2.5) levels have shown a trend of distinct dropping in China, while ground-level ozone concentrations have been increasing in Beijing and many other Chinese mega-cities. The variation pattern in Los Angeles was markedly different, with PM_2.5 and ozone decreasing together over past decades. In this study, we utilize observation-based methods to establish the parametric relationship between PM_2.5 concentration and key aerosol physical properties (including aerosol optical depth and aerosol surface concentration), and an observation-based 1-D photochemical model to quantify the response of PM_2.5 decline in enhancing ground-level ozone pollution over a large PM_2.5 concentration range (10-120 μg m^-3). We find that the significance of ozone enhancement due to PM_2.5 dropping depends on both the PM_2.5 levels and optical properties of particles. Ozone formation increased by 37% in 2006-2016 due to PM_2.5 dropping in Beijing, while it becomes less important (7%) as PM_2.5 reaches below 40 μg/m³, similar to Los Angeles since 1980s. Therefore, the two cities show the convergence of air pollutant characteristics. Hence a control strategy prioritizing reactive volatile organic compound abatement is projected to yield simultaneous ozone and PM_2.5 reductions in Beijing, as experienced in Los Angeles.

Cell wall thickness and the molecular mechanism of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with reduced sensitivity to vancomycin (VAN) has caused many clinical cases of VAN treatment failure, but the molecular mechanism underlying the reduced sensitivity to VAN is still unclear. We isolated a heterogeneous VAN‐intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA), which was also a MRSA strain with reduced sensitivity to VAN. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the reduced sensitivity to VAN exhibited by the hVISA strain, we compared the hVISA strain with a VAN‐sensitive MRSA strain, known as the N315 strain. The images captured by transmission electron microscopy showed that the cell wall of the hVISA strain was significantly thicker than that of the N315 strain (36·72 ± 1·04 nm vs 28·15 ± 1·25 nm, P < 0·05), and the results of real‐time quantitative PCR analysis suggested that the expression levels of the cell wall thickness related genes (glmS, vraR/S, sgtB, murZ and PBP4) of the hVISA strain were significantly higher than those of the N315 strain (P < 0·05). In conclusion, this study indicated that the upregulation of the expression of the genes related to cell wall synthesis might be the molecular mechanism underlying the cell wall thickening of the hVISA strain and might be related to its resistance to VAN.

Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and health risk assessment in paint and coatings industry in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Solvent use and paint consumption are significant source sectors of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions in China. The occupational painters have high risk of health effect due to exposure to high VOCs concentration. However, the toxic components in coating environment have not been carefully identified, and the health risks of VOCs exposure have not been sufficiently assessed. This study collected air samples from nine workshops of three major coating sectors in the Yangtze River Delta of China, namely cargo container coating, ship equipment coating, and furniture coating, to evaluate the non-cancer and cancer risk of toxic VOCs exposure to occupational painters under a normal working condition. The results show that the container coating had highest cancer risk (2.29 × 10^-6-5.53 × 10^-6) exceeding the safe limit of 1.0 × 10^-6, while non-cancer risk of all workshops was lower than acceptable level of 1. Ethylbenzene and 1,2-dichloropropane should be targeted for priority removal during the container coating process in attempt to reduce adverse health effect on the occupational painters. This study helps better understand the health risk of VOCs exposure in coating workshops in China and provides information for policy-makers to formulate possible control of specific toxic compounds during coating process.

Near-field dynamics and plume dispersion after an on-road truck: Implication to remote sensing

Apart from the aerodynamic performance (efficiency and safety), the wake after an on-road vehicle substantially influences the tailpipe pollutant dispersion (environment). Remote sensing is the most practicable measures for large-scale emission control. Its reliability, however, is largely dictated by how well the complicated vehicular flows and instrumentation constraint are tackled. Specifically, the broad range of motion scales and the short sampling duration (less than 1 s) are the most prominent ones. Their impact on remote sensing has not been studied. Large-eddy simulation (LES) is thus employed in this paper to look into the dynamics and the plume dispersion after an on-road heavy-duty truck at speed U_∞ so as to elucidate the transport mechanism, examine the sampling uncertainty and develop the remedial measures. A major recirculation of size comparable to the truck height h is induced collectively by the roof-level prevailing flows, side entrainment and underbody wall jet. The tailpipe is enclosed by dividing streamlines so the plume is carried back to the truck right after emission. The recirculation augments the pollutant mixing, resulting in a more homogeneous pollutant distribution together with a rather high fluctuating concentration (over 20% of the time-averaged concentrations). The plume ascends mildly before being purged out of the major recirculation to the far field by turbulence, leading to a huge reduction in pollutant concentration (an order of magnitude) outside the near wake. In the far-field, the plume is higher than the tailpipe and disperses in a conventional Gaussian distribution manner. Under this circumstance, a sampling duration for remote sensing longer than h/U_∞ would be prone to underestimating the tailpipe emission.

Deriving emission fluxes of volatile organic compounds from tower observation in the Pearl River Delta, China

Accurate estimation of speciated emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is challenging due to the complexity of both species and sources. Evaluation of the bottom-up emission inventory (EI) by atmospheric observation is needed to better understand the VOC emissions and then to control air pollutions caused by VOCs. This study conducts vertical measurements of VOCs between November 3 and 11, 2018 at the Canton Tower in the urban core of Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. A mixed layer gradient (MLG) technique is applied to the tower observation data to derive emission fluxes for individual VOC. The results show that the measured VOCs concentrations at ground level were always higher than those at the heights of 118 m and 488 m. Obvious vertical gradients of concentrations were found for VOC species, such as benzene, toluene and isoprene. The emission flux was estimated to be largest for propane (3.29 mg m^-2 h^-1), followed by toluene (2.55 mg m^-2 h^-1), isoprene (2.24 mg m^-2 h^-1), n-butane (2.10 mg m^-2 h^-1) and iso-pentane (1.73 mg m^-2 h^-1). The total VOC emission fluxes were around 3 times larger than those in the EI, suggesting 1.5-2 times underestimations of ozone formation potential (OFP) and secondary organic aerosol potential (SOAP) by current EI. Substantial underestimations (3-20 times) were found for C₂-C₅ alkanes by current EI. Due to unmeasured input parameters, limited sample size and short sampling period, there are still large uncertainties (40%-117%) in the estimated emission fluxes for individual species. Whereas, this study shows that the tower observation and emission estimation using MLG method could provide useful information for better understanding vertical distributions and emission fluxes of VOCs, and pioneer in assessing the existing emission inventories at species-level and hour-level.

Global development and trend of wind tunnel research from 1991 to 2014: a bibliometric analysis

Development and trend of global wind tunnel research from 1991 to 2014 were evaluated by bibliometric analysis. Based on the statistical data from Science Citation Index Expanded from Web of Science, publication performance of wind tunnel research was analyzed from various aspects, including publication output, category distributions, journals, countries, institutions, leading articles, and words analysis. The results show that scientific articles associated with wind tunnel increased dramatically, with Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics as the most productive journal. The USA has been leading in publication output since 1991, while China has become a new-rising force of wind tunnel research. NASA was the dominant institution in wind tunnel field which published most single institution articles and nationally and internationally collaborative articles. The citation lifecycles of the leading articles exhibited different patterns of their trends, but all reached a plateau in certain years. Based on synthesized analysis of title words, abstract words, author keywords, and KeyWords Plus, computational fluid dynamic (CFD) was found to be a hot issue, which needs experimental validation by wind tunnels. Wind loads and wind turbine also caused increasing attentions while lepidoptera and sex pheromone were less studied. In the wind tunnel articles, numerical simulation of CFD was increasingly mentioned while field measurement showed minor change, suggesting the rapid developments of CFD.

Evaluation of biogenic isoprene emissions and their contribution to ozone formation by ground-based measurements in Beijing, China

This study employs a mass balance technique-box model to calculate the biogenic isoprene emissions based on the ground-level measurements between October 2009 and September 2010 in Beijing. The annual magnitude, monthly variations and diurnal patterns of isoprene emissions are estimated. The annual emissions of isoprene were estimated to be 23.2Gg with an uncertainty of 120%. This falls within the range of previous emission inventories (EI; 3.8Gg to 36.3Gg between 1990 and 2010). Strong isoprene emissions were observed between May and September. The biggest difference was the isoprene emissions in May, with contributions of 23.3% to total annual emissions using box model estimates compared with 3.7% in EI. The diurnal profiles of isoprene emissions estimated in this study were generally similar to those in the EI, with the highest emissions occurring during mid-day (11:00-13:00). However, obvious differences were found for the growth rates and decreasing rates of isoprene emissions in the morning and afternoon respectively. Compared to anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the isoprene emissions contributed half (49.5%) of the total ozone formation potential (OFP) at 13:00 in August, which highlights the importance of isoprene in ozone formation. This study helps bound the isoprene emissions estimated by EI despite the inherent large uncertainty.

Highly cited articles in wind tunnel-related research: a bibliometric analysis

Wind tunnels have been widely employed in aerodynamic research. To characterize the high impact research, a bibliometric analysis was conducted on highly cited articles related to wind tunnel based on the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) database from 1900 to 2014. Articles with at least 100 citations from the Web of Science Core Collection were selected and analyzed in terms of publication years, authors, institutions, countries/territories, journals, Web of Science categories, and citation life cycles. The results show that a total of 77 highly cited articles in 37 journals were published between 1959 and 2008. Journal of Fluid Mechanics published the most of highly cited articles. The USA was the most productive country and most frequent partner of internationally collaboration. The prolific institutions were mainly located in the USA and UK. The authors who were both first author and corresponding author published 88% of the articles. The Y index was also deployed to evaluate the publication characteristics of authors. Moreover, the articles with high citations in both history and the latest year with their citation life cycles were examined to provide insights for high impact research. The highly cited articles were almost earliest wind tunnel experimental data and reports on their own research specialty, and thus attracted high citations. It was revealed that classic works of wind tunnel research was frequently occurred in 1990s but much less in 2000s, probably due to the development of numerical models of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) in recent decades.

Genotype frequencies of human neutrophil antigen-3 in the Chinese Zhuang and Dong populations

Individuals with the human neutrophil antigen (HNA)-3b/3b type can produce HNA-3a antibodies, which have been reported to cause severe, sometimes fatal transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). Our study aimed to determine the genotype frequency of HNA-3a/3b which will be helpful to estimate the potential risk for forming anti-HNA-3a, the clinically relevant antibody linked to TRALI in two different ethnic groups of southern China. Five hundred unrelated and healthy blood donors (284 male, 216 female; 300 Zhuangs, 200 Dongs) from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were simultaneously typed for the HNA-3 allele using a polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) method. Genotype frequencies of HNA-3a/3a, HNA-3a/3b and HNA-3b/3b were 51.7%, 39.7% and 8.6% in the Zhuang population, and 44.0%, 49.0% and 7.0% in the Dong population, respectively. Homozygous HNA-3b/3b genotype frequency among the Zhuang population (8.6%) was significantly higher than previously reported in African Americans (0.4%), Brazilians (3.6%) and English Caucasians (2.9%) (p < .05). And the HNA-3b/3b genotype frequency among the Dong population was higher than African Americans (0.4%) (p < .05). This study showed Chinese Zhuang and Dong populations possessed a higher frequency of HNA-3b/3b genotype, suggesting that they may be at greater risk for developing anti-HNA-3a alloantibodies that may cause severe cases of TRALI. A molecular-based identification of the HNA-3b/3b genotype in all multiparous female blood donors was suggested to reduce the risk of TRALI following plasma and whole blood allogeneic transfusions.

Characterization of non-methane hydrocarbons and their sources in an industrialized coastal city, Yangtze River Delta, China

Ningbo is a highly industrialized city in the coastal area of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. Large emissions and transport of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) may contribute to regional ozone (O₃) and particulate matter (PM) pollution; however, the concentrations and sources of ambient NMHCs have not yet been investigated in Ningbo. In this study, ambient NMHCs were measured at two residential (SZ and CX) and two industrial (ZH and BL) sites and one suburban (XS) site over ten consecutive days in each season (10-20 December 2012 in winter, 14-23 April 2013 in spring, 15-24 July 2013 in summer, 22-31 October 2013, in autumn). A positive matrix factorization (PMF) model using multiple site data was deployed to explore the source contributions and their spatial and seasonal characteristics. The measurement results showed obvious seasonal variations in ambient NMHC concentrations (ranging from 17.89-28.48ppbv); chemical compositions were similar among the five sampling sites. PMF analysis showed that the petrochemical industry was the largest contributor (an average of 35.64%) to ambient NMHCs, while contributions of smaller sources (i.e., chemical and paint industries [14.34%], fuel and tank evaporation [16.02%], and residential solvent usage [7.24%]) showed spatial variations. Liquefied petroleum gas and fuel and tank evaporation contributed more in summer and autumn, while the contribution of the chemical and paint industries was greater in spring and winter. An evaluation of the ozone formation potential and secondary organic aerosol potential suggested that petrochemical and solvent-related sources were key parameters in mitigation of secondary pollutant formation. Seasonal variations in source contributions should be considered when formulating an effective NMHC abatement strategy.

The prevalence of and risk factors for prostatitis-like symptoms and its relation to erectile dysfunction in Chinese men

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of and risk factors for prostatitis-like symptoms and its relation to erectile dysfunction (ED) among southern Chinese men. Data were collected from 2790 men attending the Fangchenggang Area Male Healthy and Examination Survey from September 2009 to December 2009. The prostatitis-like symptoms were assessed by the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and ED was assessed using the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function. Lifestyle and demographic characteristics were obtained through a questionnaire. Prevalence of prostatitis-like symptoms was 12.4% among 2790 Chinese men aged 20-84 years. In smokers who smoked ≥20 cigarettes per day (age-adjusted OR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.00-1.66; p = 0.04), physical inactivity (age-adjusted OR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.03-1.66; p = 0.02) was a significant risk factor for prostatitis-like symptoms. Alcohol consumption (daily drinking) also was a risk factor for prostatitis-like symptoms, although the differences were not statistically significant (age-adjusted OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 0.96-1.92; p = 0.07). Those with diabetes may also be at higher risk for prostatitis-like symptoms (age-adjusted OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 0.85-2.21; p = 0.19). In addition, men with ED were more likely to have had prostatitis-like symptoms (age-adjusted OR = 1.86; 95% CI = 0.47-2.36; p < 0.0001), and the ORs increased with increasing severity of ED status (mild ED, mild to moderate ED, and moderate to severe ED were 1.57, 2.62, and 3.24, respectively. Test for trend, p = 0.0001). Our results show that prostatitis-like symptoms are prevalent in Southern China affecting men of all ages. Smoking, drinking, lack of physical activity, and elevated plasma glucose level were associated with an increased risk of prostatitis-like symptoms. In addition, our results reveal that ED accounted for a large proportion (61.5%) among men with prostatitis-like symptoms; we also confirm the magnitude of ED associated with prostatitis-like symptoms. Thus, interventions to evaluate and improve ED might help ameliorate prostatitis-like symptoms and vice versa.

Interleukin-17 promotes prostate cancer via MMP7-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Chronic inflammation has been associated with a variety of human cancers including prostate cancer. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a critical pro-inflammatory cytokine, which has been demonstrated to promote development of prostate cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and pancreas cancer. IL-17 promotes prostate adenocarcinoma with a concurrent increase of matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) expression in mouse prostate. Whether MMP7 mediates IL-17’s action and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We generated Mmp7 and Pten double knockout (Mmp7^−/− in abbreviation) mouse model and demonstrated that MMP7 promotes prostate adenocarcinoma through induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in Pten-null mice. MMP7 disrupted E-cadherin/β-catenin complex to up-regulate EMT transcription factors in mouse prostate tumors. IL-17 receptor C and Pten double knockout mice recapitulated the weak EMT characteristics observed in Mmp7^−/− mice. IL-17 induced MMP7 and EMT in human prostate cancer LNCaP, C4-2B, and PC-3 cell lines, while siRNA knockdown of MMP7 inhibited IL-17-induced EMT. Compound III, a selective MMP7 inhibitor, decreased development of invasive prostate cancer in Pten single knockout mice. In human normal prostates and prostate tumors, IL-17 mRNA levels were positively correlated with MMP7 mRNA levels. These findings demonstrate that MMP7 mediates IL-17’s function in promoting prostate carcinogenesis through induction of EMT, indicating IL-17-MMP7-EMT axis as potential targets for developing new strategies in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.

Process-specific emission characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from petrochemical facilities in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Process-specific emission characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from petrochemical facilities were investigated in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Source samples were collected from various process units in the petrochemical, basic chemical, and chlorinated chemical plants, and were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detection. The results showed that propane (19.9%), propene (11.7%), ethane (9.5%) and i-butane (9.2%) were the most abundant species in the petrochemical plant, with propene at much higher levels than in petrochemical profiles measured in other regions. Styrene (15.3%), toluene (10.3%) and 1,3-butadiene (7.5%) were the major species in the basic chemical industry, while halocarbons, especially dichloromethane (15.2%) and chloromethane (7.5%), were substantial in the chlorinated chemical plant. Composite profiles were calculated using a weight-average approach based on the VOC emission strength of various process units. Emission profiles for an entire petrochemical-related industry were found to be process-oriented and should be established considering the differences in VOC emissions from various manufacturing facilities. The VOC source reactivity and carcinogenic risk potential of each process unit were also calculated in this study, suggesting that process operations mainly producing alkenes should be targeted for possible controls with respect to reducing the ozone formation potential, while process units emitting 1,3-butadiene should be under priority control in terms of toxicity. This provides a basis for further measurements of process-specific VOC emissions from the entire petrochemical industry. Meanwhile, more representative samples should be collected to reduce the large uncertainties.

Industrial sector-based volatile organic compound (VOC) source profiles measured in manufacturing facilities in the Pearl River Delta, China

Industrial sector-based VOC source profiles are reported for the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China, based source samples (stack emissions and fugitive emissions) analyzed from sources operating under normal conditions. The industrial sectors considered are printing (letterpress, offset and gravure printing processes), wood furniture coating, shoemaking, paint manufacturing and metal surface coating. More than 250 VOC species were detected following US EPA methods TO-14 and TO-15. The results indicated that benzene and toluene were the major species associated with letterpress printing, while ethyl acetate and isopropyl alcohol were the most abundant compounds of other two printing processes. Acetone and 2-butanone were the major species observed in the shoemaking sector. The source profile patterns were found to be similar for the paint manufacturing, wood furniture coating, and metal surface coating sectors, with aromatics being the most abundant group and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) as the second largest contributor in the profiles. While OVOCs were one of the most significant VOC groups detected in these five industrial sectors in the PRD region, they have not been reported in most other source profile studies. Such comparisons with other studies show that there are differences in source profiles for different regions or countries, indicating the importance of developing local source profiles.

Formononetin-induced apoptosis of human prostate cancer cells through ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase inactivation

Formononetin is a main active component of red clover plants (Trifolium pratense L.), and is considered as a phytoestrogen. Our previous studies demonstrated that formononetin caused cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase by inactivating insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF1)/IGF1R-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in MCF-7 cells. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in the effect of formononetin on prostate cancer cells. Our results suggested that higher concentrations of formononetin inhibited the proliferation of prostate cancer cells (LNCaP and PC-3), while the most striking effect was observed in LNCaP cells. We further found that formononetin inactivated extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner, which resulted in increased the expression levels of BCL2-associated X (Bax) mRNA and protein, and induced apoptosis in LNCaP cells. Thus, we concluded that the induced apoptosis effect of formononetin on human prostate cancer cells was related to ERK1/2 MAPK-Bax pathway. Considering that red clover plants were widely used clinically, our results provided the foundation for future development of different concentrations formononetin for treatment of prostate cancer.

Mercury emission inventory and its spatial characteristics in the Pearl River Delta region, China

A 3 km × 3 km gridded mercury emission inventory in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region for 2008 was compiled from the best available emission factors and official statistical data. The inventory presented a comprehensive estimation of anthropogenic mercury sources and roughly estimated the emissions from natural sources. The total mercury emissions in the PRD region for the year of 2008 are estimated to be 17,244 kg, of which 85% released as Hg(0), 11% as Hg(2+), and 4% as Hg(P). Anthropogenic activities are dominant sources, accounting for 91% of the total emissions, while natural sources constitute the remaining emissions. Ranking by cities, Foshan produces the largest mercury emissions, followed by Dongguan, Guangzhou and Jiangmen. Coal combustion, municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration, fluorescent lamp and battery production are dominant contributors, responsible for 28%, 21%, 19% and 16% of the anthropogenic emissions, respectively. The high contribution of MSW incineration results from the rapid growth of MSW incineration in this region, reflecting a new trend of mercury emissions in China, especially in the fast developing regions. This implies the urgent need for further investigation of mercury emissions and the importance of controlling mercury emissions from MSW incineration.

Cetuximab-based therapy vs noncetuximab therapy in advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials

PURPOSE

A meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of cetuximab-based therapy vs noncetuximab therapy in advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer.

METHOD

A total of 4617 patients from seven randomized controlled trials were available for analysis, with 2305 patients in the cetuximab group and 2312 patients in the noncetuximab group. The efficacy data included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and overall response rate (ORR). The safety data that contained overall grade 3 and 4 adverse events (AEs), specific grade 3 and 4 toxicity such as acneiform rash, cetuximab-related skin toxicity, diarrhoea, fatigue, neutropenia, hypertension, nausea and hand-foot skin reaction are evaluated.

RESULT

There was a significant PFS benefit in favour of cetuximab-based therapy (HR = 0.68, 95%CI: 0.63 to 0.73) and OS benefit (HR = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.81 to 1.00). The ORR was significantly higher in the cetuximab-based arm (OR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.30 to 3.68). The incidence of overall grade 3-4 toxicity was significantly higher in the cetuximab arm compared with the noncetuximab arm (61.2%vs 43.0%, OR = 2.32, 95%CI: 1.59-3.39). This difference was mainly attributed to cetuximab-related skin toxicity (OR = 5.86, 95%CI: 1.38-24.88), especially acneiform rash (OR = 51.37, 95%CI: 22.75-116.02). In addition, cetuximab resulted in a significant increase in grade 3 and 4 diarrhoea, fatigue and neutropenia, except for hypertension, nausea and hand-foot skin reaction.

CONCLUSION

Cetuximab-based therapy improves PFS and OS resulting in better ORR vs noncetuximab therapy. Its most common and severe AE is skin toxicity that should be predictable and manageable.

Capecitabine plus oxaliplatin vs fluorouracil plus oxaliplatin as first line treatment for metastatic colorectal caner - meta-analysis of six randomized trials

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin vs fluorouracil (FU) plus oxaliplatin as first line treatment for metastatic or advanced colorectal cancer.

METHOD

A total of 2196 patients from six randomized controlled trials were available for analysis, which included 1105 patients in capecitabine plus oxaliplatin group and 1091 patients in FU plus oxaliplatin group. The efficacy data included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), time to treatment failure (TTF), overall response rate (ORR), and the safety data contained specific grade 3 and 4 toxicity such as anaemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, diarrhoea, nausea, asthenia, vomiting, abdominal pain, hand foot syndrome, neuropathy and stomatitis were evaluated.

RESULTS

Pooled analysis of OS (hazards ratio HR = 1.04, 95%CI: 0.95-1.14), PFS (1.08, 0.98-1.18), ORR (odds ratio OR = 0.87, 0.73-1.03) in the capecitabine plus oxaliplatin group shows no statistical significance when compared with those in the FU plus oxaliplatin group. The statistically significant differences in pooled estimates suggest a higher incidence of grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia (OR = 1.87, 1.24-2.81), grade 3/4 hand-foot syndrome (3.90, 2.13-7.12) in the capecitabine plus oxaliplatin group and grade 3/4 neutropenia (0.20, 0.07-0.53) in the FU plus oxaliplatin group. No statistically significant difference was noted in the incidence of grade 3/4 anaemia, asthenia, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, neuropathy and stomatitis.

CONCLUSION

The effect of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin regimen is similar to FU plus oxaliplatin regimen as first line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer, but it offers advantages of simplicity and convenience to administer.

The effect of aspirin in the recurrence of colorectal adenomas: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

PURPOSE

Colorectal adenomas are precursors of most colorectal cancers and are important targets for chemoprevention. Aspirin is thought to play an important role in chemoprevention. However, the role of aspirin in preventing recurrence of adenomas is controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of aspirin in preventing the recurrence of colorectal adenoma.

METHOD

Trials were located through Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). From 14 articles screened, three were identified as randomized controlled trials and were included for data extraction. Main outcome measures were the recurrence of any new adenoma and advanced adenoma. The meta-analysis was performed with the fixed-effects model.

RESULTS

A total of 2338 participants were enrolled in the three studies and 2175 of them completed the follow-up colonoscopy. We found that the relative risks of any adenoma (when compared with the placebo group) were 0.859 in the high dose of aspirin groups (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.756-0.976, P = 0.019), 0.826 in the low dose of aspirin groups (95% CI 0.706-0.965, P = 0.016) and 0.836 in the both aspirin combined groups (95% CI 0.746-0.937, P = 0.002). For the recurrence of advanced adenoma, the relative risk (when compared with the placebo group) was 0.655 (95% CI 0.513-0.837, P = 0.001) in the aspirin groups without considering the dose.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis suggests that aspirin prevents recurrent colorectal adenomas among patients with a history of colorectal adenomas.

Meta-analysis of endoscopic submucosal dissection versus endoscopic mucosal resection for tumors of the gastrointestinal tract

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been developed to overcome the limitations of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). We aimed to compare the outcomes of these two methods.

METHODS

Databases, including Pubmed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library, were searched to identify studies comparing ESD with EMR for premalignant and malignant lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In a meta-analysis, primary end points were the en bloc resection rate and the curative resection rate; secondary end points were operation time, and rates of bleeding, perforation, and local recurrence.

RESULTS

15 nonrandomized studies (seven full-text and eight abstracts) were identified. Meta-analysis showed higher en bloc and curative resection rates (odds ratio [OR] 13.87, 95 %CI 10.12 - 18.99; OR 3.53, 95 %CI 2.57 - 4.84) irrespective of lesion size. Subgroup analysis showed higher en bloc and curative resection rates with ESD for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal neoplasms, and for lesions of size < 10 mm, 10 mm < 20 mm, and > 20 mm. Local recurrence was lower with ESD (OR 0.09, 95 %CI 0.04 - 0.18). But ESD was more time-consuming than EMR (weighted mean difference [WMD] 1.76; 95 %CI 0.60 - 2.92), and showed high procedure-related bleeding and perforation rates (OR 2.20, 95 %CI 1.58 - 3.07; OR 4.09, 95 %CI 2.47 - 6.80).

CONCLUSIONS

ESD showed better en bloc and curative resection rates and local recurrence compared with EMR, but was more time-consuming and had higher rates of bleeding and perforation complications. These results need to be confirmed by high quality trials and further studies in the west.

Meta-analysis of holmium laser enucleation versus transurethral resection of the prostate for symptomatic prostatic obstruction

BACKGROUND

Holmium laser enucleation (HoLEP) is an alternative to transurethral resection (TURP) of the prostate for symptomatic prostatic obstruction.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials comparing HoLEP and TURP were identified systematically using Medline, Embase and The Cochrane Library. Primary outcomes were peak urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual volume, symptom score and quality of life. Secondary outcomes were duration of operation, hospital stay, blood loss, catheterization time and adverse events.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference between HoLEP and TURP in terms of Qmax at 6 and 12 months' follow-up. HoLEP was associated with significantly less blood loss, a shorter catheterization time and a shorter hospital stay. TURP was associated with reduced operating time. The techniques were similar in terms of urethral stricture, stress incontinence, transfusion requirement and rate of reintervention.

CONCLUSION

HoLEP and TURP provide a similar improvement in Qmax. HoLEP, however, has several advantages over TURP, despite requiring more operating time. It is at least as safe as TURP in terms of adverse events.

Effect of Brn-3a deficiency on primary nociceptors in the trigeminal ganglion

Immunohistochemistry for substance P, somatostatin and vanilloid receptor subtype 1 as well as receptors for somatostatin and opioids was performed on the trigeminal ganglion in wild-type and Brn-3a knockout mice at postnatal day 0. In wild-type mice, the trigeminal ganglion contained abundant substance P-, vanilloid receptor subtype 1-, sst2A receptor- and delta-opioid receptor-immunoreactive neurons, while the ganglion had only a few mu-opioid receptor-immunoreactive neurons. The Brn-3a deficiency had an effect on the cell size but not the number of substance P-immunoreactive neurons. In knockout mice, the proportion of small immunoreactive neurons markedly increased and that of medium- to large-sized immunoreactive ones correspondingly decreased (mean +/- S.D. = 54.7 +/- 29.1 microm2, range = 10.9-220.8 microm2) compared to wild-type mice (mean +/- S.D. = 116.6 +/- 58.6 microm2, range = 27.3-400.7 microm2). As for vanilloid receptor subtype 1-immunoreactive neurons, the number and cell size was barely affected by the deficiency. On the other hand, the loss of Brn-3a caused a decrease in the number of sst2A receptor- or delta-opioid receptor-immunoreactive neurons (more than 95% reduction) and an increase in the number of mu-opioid receptor-immunoreactive neurons (9.3-fold increase). Somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons were not detected in the trigeminal ganglion of wild-type or mutant mice at postnatal day 0. The present study suggests that Brn-3a deficiency may have effects on the survival of trigeminal nociceptors and their expression of some neurochemical substances.

Effect of Brn-3a deficiency on parvalbumin-immunoreactive primary sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion

Immunohistochemistry for parvalbumin, a marker for primary proprioceptors, was performed on the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of wildtype and knockout mice for Brn-3a at postnatal day 0 and embryonic day 18.5. The DRG contained many parvalbumin-immunoreactive (ir) neurons in wildtype (5.4%) and knockout mice (5.6%). Cell size analysis demonstrated that such neurons were mostly medium-sized to large in these mice. Therefore, it is unlikely that the survival of proprioceptors is dependent upon Brn-3a in the DRG. In the dorsal column and gray matter of the spinal cord of knockout mice, however, parvalbumin-ir nerve fibers were sparse compared to wildtype mice. The number of parvalbumin-ir varicosities around motoneurons decreased in the mutant. Thus, our data suggest that Brn-3a may play an important role in the central projection and terminal formation of DRG proprioceptors in the spinal cord.

The transportation, time-dependent distribution of heavy metals in paddy crops

Sixteen experimenmtal plots (5 m x 6 m = 30 m2) were designed with four different levels of heavy metals (HMs) concentration in soil. The concentrations of heavy metals in soils, and paddy plant during the different periods of growth were investigated. A relationship between the total HM content in plants and the HM level in soil was found for a wide range of concentrations. The exchangeable fraction of HMs extracted with 1 M MgCl2 solution according to Tessier's method increased correlation with the dosage of supplemented HMs, then decreased as time went on. The time-related variation of exchangeable HMs in soil demonstrated that the amount of effective HMs taken up by paddy differed at various growth phases. The amount of HMs accumulated in different parts of paddy followed the order of root > stem > grain, leaf. The transportation potential of the HMs in paddy in present study followed the order of Zn, Cr > Cd, Cu > Pb. The HM content in root, stem and leaf of paddy plant (dry weight) was low at time of seedling. The concentration in the root increased sharply at time of tillering, decreased thereafter. The concentrations in stem and leaf reached the highest at time of tillering, then decreased, while rose slightly at following time.

[Changes in calcium and magnesium levels of lymphocytes in patients with diabetes and hypertension]

To investigate the cellular basis linking non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus(NIDDM) and hypertension, we used the atomic absorption spectrometry to detect Ca2+ and Mg2+ levels of serum and lymphocytes in patients with the above diseases. The results were that serum Ca2+ and Mg2+ levels had no change, but lymphocyte Ca2+ level increased obviously and lymphocyte Mg2+ level decreased obviously in both diseases, compared with normal controls. There were no difference between hypertension and NIDDM with and without hypertension. Ca2+ and Mg2+ levels of lymphocytes in patients with hypertension correlated with the systolic pressure respectively(Ca2+, r = 0.4633, P < 0.05; Mg2+, r = -0.4412, P < 0.05), but their levels in patients with NIDDM were not correlated with the fasting blood glucose. The results suggest that there is an abnormal Ca2+ and Mg2+ metabolism in lymphocytes in patients with hypertension and NIDDM.

Effect of Brn-3a deficiency on parvalbumin-, calbindin D-28k-, calretinin- and calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive primary sensory neurons in the trigeminal ganglion

Immunohistochemistry for parvalbumin, calbindin D-28k, calretinin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was performed on the trigeminal ganglion and oro-facial tissues in Brn-3a wildtype and knockout mice at embryonic day 18.5 and postnatal day 0. In wildtype mice, the trigeminal ganglion contained abundant parvalbumin-, calbindin D-28k- and CGRP-immunoreactive neurons while the ganglion was almost devoid of calretinin-immunoreactive neurons. In Brn-3a knockout mice, a 63% decrease of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons was detected. In contrast, the absence of Brn-3a dramatically increased the number of calbindin D-28k-immunoreactive (3.5-fold increase) and calretinin-immunoreactive neurons (91-fold increase). The number of CGRP-immunoreactive neurons, however, was not altered by the Brn-3a deficiency. Cell size analysis indicated that loss of Brn-3a increased the proportions of small (<100 microm (2)) parvalbumin-, calbindin D-28k- and CGRP-immunoreactive neurons while it decreased those of large (>200 microm(2)) immunoreactive cells. Calretinin-immunoreactive neurons were either small or medium (100-200 microm (2)) in mutant mice. The oro-facial tissues contained parvalbumin-, calbindin D-28k- and CGRP-immunoreactive fibers, but not calretinin-immunoreactive ones in wildtype mice. In Brn-3a knockout mice, the number of parvalbumin-immunoreactive fibers markedly decreased in the infraorbital nerve and parvalbumin-immunoreactive endings disappeared in the vibrissa. In contrast, the number of calbindin D-28k-immunoreactive fibers increased significantly in the infraorbital and mental nerves. In addition, calbindin D-28k-immunoreactive endings appeared in the vibrissa. As well, some fibers showed calretinin-immunoreactivity in the infraorbital nerve of the mutant. However, no obvious change of CGRP-immunoreactive fibers was observed in the oro-facial region of knockout mice. Taken together, our data suggest that Brn-3a deficiency has effects on the expression of neurochemical substances in the trigeminal ganglion.

Effect of Brn-3a deficiency on nociceptors and low-threshold mechanoreceptors in the trigeminal ganglion

Immunohistochemistry for protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5, a neuron specific protein) and vanilloid receptor 1-like receptor (VRL-1, a marker for medium-sized to large primary nociceptors) were used to assess the effects of Brn-3a deficiency on neuronal innervation of oral tissues and neurons of the trigeminal ganglion (TG). In the knockout mouse, the number of PGP 9.5-immunoreactive (-ir) nerve fibers decreased in the facial cutaneous and oral mucous epithelia, as well as the incisor and molar tooth germs. The reduction of PGP 9.5-ir Merkel endings was also observed in some vibrissae. No obvious change was detected in other tissues. Cell size analysis demonstrated that the proportion of small neurons markedly increased while that of medium-sized and large neurons significantly decreased in the TG of the mutant. Moreover, Brn-3a deficiency caused the disappearance of TG neurons which were immunoreactive for VRL-1. Together, our data suggest that nociceptors and low-threshold mechanoreceptors with medium-sized to large cell bodies may be sensitive to the loss of Brn-3a.

Short-term responses of Oryzias latipes (Pisces: Adrianichthyidae) and Macrobrachium nipponense (Crustacea: Palaemonidae) to municipal and pharmaceutical waste water in Beijing, China: survival, behaviour, biochemical biomarkers

Whole effluent toxicity was assessed for the fish Oryzias latipes and the prawn Macrobrachium nipponense for 18 h in a dilution series (0-66%) of the inflow and effluent of a municipal waste water treatment plant as well as waste water from a teramycin producing pharmaceutical industry, before, during and after a pilot laboratory purification process. The waste waters caused acute toxicity as measured by inhibition of light emission in the luminiscent bacterium Vibrio qingaiensis sp. nov. (Q67). EROD and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity in in vitro carp liver-cells showed a dose-dependent toxic response to the municipal waste water. Behavioural responses and time-to-death of fish and prawn, recorded online with the "Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor" proved to be concentration- and time-dependent sensitive toxicity indicators in both types of waste water. Behaviour changed stepwise from normal activity to (increased or decreased) activity to more time spent on ventilation and finally to increased morbidity at higher concentration and time of exposure. The municipal waste water treatment plant managed to reduce toxicity to bacteria (Q67), prawn and fish. The pharmaceutical waste water treatment process still has to be improved, in order to reduce toxicity for fish and prawn.

[Regulation on the immunological effect of mogrosides in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the cellular immunological effect of mogrosides in mice.

METHODS

Mogrosides was administered to normal or CTX-induced immunosuppressive mice, and their macrophage function and T lymphocyte proliferation were detected.

RESULTS

Mogrosides could promote phagocytosis and T lymphocyte proliferation significantly in the CTX-induced immunosuppressive mice, but not in the normal mice.

CONCLUSION

The results suggested that mogrosides had certain up-regulation on cellular immunity in the CTX-induced immunosuppressive mice.