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Background. The relationship between malnutrition and diabetic retinopathy (DR) is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between malnutrition and DR in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 612 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Four malnutrition assessment tools: Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, controlling nutritional status (CONUT), nutritional risk index (NRI), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI), were applied to assess the nutritional status of the study population. The association between malnutrition and DR was examined using multivariable logistic regression and ordered logistic regression. Results. The proportion of malnutrition varied from 10.0% to 34.3% in total patients and from 16.3% to 45.1% in DR patients across the assessment tools. DR patients were more likely to be malnourished than patients without DR. The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for DR of malnutrition defined by different tools were 1.86 (1.01-3.14) for GLIM criteria, 1.67 (1.04-2.70) for NRI, and 2.24 (1.07-4.69) for PNI. The aOR and 95% CI for the severity of DR of malnutrition defined by different tools were 1.99 (1.12-3.51) for GLIM criteria, 1.65 (1.06-2.58) for NRI, and 2.51 (1.31-4.79) for PNI. Conclusions. Malnutrition was common in DR patients, and it was closely linked to the presence and severity of DR. Diabetic patients with DR should undergo nutritional assessment and early treatment of malnutrition to prevent the onset or progression of DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between obesity and diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains controversial, and the relationship between sarcopenic obesity and DR is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between obesity, sarcopenic obesity, and DR in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with T2DM. Obesity was assessed by body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), android fat mass, gynoid fat mass, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass. Sarcopenia was defined according to the criteria of Consensus of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS 2019). Sarcopenic obesity was defined as the coexistence of sarcopenia and obesity. The association between obesity, sarcopenic obesity, and DR was examined using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models. Results: A total of 367 patients with T2DM (mean age 58.3 years; 57.6% male) were involved in this study. The prevalence of DR was 28.3%. In total patients, significant adverse relationships between obesity and DR were observed when obesity was assessed by BMI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31 to 0.96, p = 0.036), FMI (aOR 0.49, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.85, p = 0.012), android fat mass (aOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.89, p = 0.019), gynoid fat mass (aOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.91, p = 0.021) or VAT mass (aOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.78, p = 0.005). In patients with T2DM and obesity, the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity was 14.8% (n = 23) when obesity was assessed by BMI, 30.6% (n = 56) when assessed by FMI, 27.9% (n = 51) when assessed by android fat mass, 28.4% (n = 52) when assessed by gynoid fat mass, and 30.6% (n = 56) when assessed by VAT mass. Sarcopenic obesity was associated with DR when obesity was assessed by BMI (aOR 2.61, 95% CI 1.07 to 6.37, p = 0.035), android fat mass (aOR 3.27, 95% CI 1.37 to 7.80, p = 0.007), or VAT mass (aOR 2.50, 95% CI 1.06 to 5.92, p = 0.037). Conclusions: Patients with T2DM showed a substantial inverse relationship between DR and obesity, and sarcopenic obesity was considerably favorably associated with DR. Detection of sarcopenia in patients with T2DM, especially in obese T2DM, is essential to guide clinical intervention in DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction of ammonia (NH 3 ) emission in agricultural systems is highly important from agronomic, ecologic, and economic standpoints. We studied NH 3 volatilization from surface applied urea and SuperU ® (urea containing urease and nitrification inhibitors) and its interaction with tillage system (conventional tillage and no-tillage) in a dryland arable soil. Agronomic efficiency of the fertilizers was also assessed by measuring yield, agronomic N-efficiency, and apparent N-use of camelina ( Camelina sativa L.). Results indicated significant variation between the field and laboratory experiments. Due to wet spell around the time of fertilization, cumulative volatilization was significantly lower in the field study. NH 3 emission associated with SuperU in the field study was about 45% lower than regular urea, which was attributed to a) activity of urease inhibitor delayed SuperU hydrolysis for about five days and b) a rainfall occurred four days after fertilization that likely carried more fertilizer into the soil from SuperU than urea. In the incubation study, NH 3 loss was notable and superiority of SuperU was not seen. The results suggest that just replacing urea with SuperU would not result in mitigation of NH 3 emission, but it provides a greater chance for N to enter the soil by one way or another (rainfall in our study). Our results did not show any appreciable interaction between N fertilizers and tillage systems. Application of SuperU in the first year of the study resulted in a significantly higher camelina yield and agronomic N-efficiency, but in the second year, due to unfavorable environmental condition, camelina did not grow well thus did not respond positively to N fertilization. The superiority of SuperU over urea in terms of NH 3 volatilization and agronomic efficiency may be achieved if farmers apply the fertilizer timely in accordance with weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current mechanism studies in plant heavy metal tolerance do not consider the effects of different phenolic acids on the bioavailability of heavy metals and the comparison with antioxidant enzyme system in the hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity. In present study, by a set of pot culture experiments with adding cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) to the sediments, the effects of different phenolic acids on the toxicity of Cd and Zn in Kandelia obovata and the dominant role in scavenging hydroxyl radicals were evaluated. The results showed that 100 mg kg−1 Zn treatment promoted the growth of plant under high concentrations of Cd and Zn stress. Under the stress of Cd and Zn, the phenolic acids were mainly metabolized by phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathways, supplemented by shikimate and monolignol pathways in K. obovata. Eleven phenolic acids with different abilities of scavenging free radicals were detected in the plant, including pyrogallic acid (Gal), coumaric acid (Cou), protocatechuic acid (Pro), chlorogenic acid (Chl), 4-hydroxy benzoic acid (Hyd), caffeic acid (Caf), vanillic acid (Van), ferulic acid (Fer), benzoic acid (Ben), and salicylic acid (Sal). By adding phenolic acids to the sediments, chlorogenic acid (Chl), pyrogallic acid (Gal), cinnamic acid (Cin), and coumaric acid (Cou) behave as more reactive in changing Cd or Zn into residual fractions than the others, and chlorogenic acid (Chl), pyrogallic acid (Gal), ferulic acid (Fer) and caffeic acid (Caf) have higher ability of scavenging hydroxyl radicals than the others. In summary, K. obovata tends to synthesize phenolic acids with strong scavenging ability of free radicals and changing the bioavailability of Cd and Zn under high concentration of Cd and Zn stress. Phenolic acids played a crucial role in the mitigative effect of heavy metal stress via scavenging free radicals and involving in the process of Cd and Zn uptake and tolerance. The results will provide important theoretical basis and method guidance for mangrove wetland conservation. Image 1 • Kandelia obovata phenolic acid metabolism is involved in alleviating the toxic process of cadmium and zinc. • Phenolic acids can remove hydroxyl radicals better than antioxidant enzymes. • Four phenolic metabolism pathways participate in alleviating the toxic of Cd and Zn. • Different phenolic acids have different ways to alleviate the oxidative damage caused by Cd and Zn stress. • Kandelia obovata is selective in the synthesis and secretion of phenolic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gap between serious soil heavy metals pollution and inefficient soil remediation threatens human health. This study proposed a method to improve the phytoremediation efficiency using bamboo vinegar (BV) solution and the potential mechanism was discussed. The results demonstrated that the application of BV increases the content of cadmium (Cd) in vacuole and cell wall hemicellulose 2 in leaves of Perilla frutescens. Simultaneously, it enhanced enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in leaves. Therefore, this process alleviated the damage of Cd to functional tissues of Perilla frutescens , thus improving the tolerance of plants to Cd. Moreover, the BV application reduced the Cd content bound by root cell wall pectin fractions and insoluble phosphate, subsequently improving the ability of oxalic acids to carry Cd to the aerial parts. Consequently, the aerial parts obtained a larger amount of Cd enrichment. Overall, the Transfer Factor of Cd from roots to stems and enrichment of Cd in Perilla frutescens were maximally increased by 57.70 % and 54.03 % with the application of 50-fold and 300-fold diluted BV under 2 mg·L−1 Cd stress, respectively. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the promotion of phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil treatment technology. [Display omitted] • BV treatment increased the transport factor (TF) of Cd from root to stem by 57.70 %. • The enrichment of Cd in Perilla frutescens was increased by 54.03 % by BV treatment. • BV treatment increased the contents of pectin-Cd and HC2-Cd in cell wall. • BV treatment changed the chemical species of Cd in Perilla frutescens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adropin, a newly‑identified energy homeostasis protein, has been implicated in the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. This study attempts to measure the association between serum adropin and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This cross‑sectional study was performed in 503 hospitalized patients with T2DM.Serum adropin level was measured by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The carotid atherosclerosis was assessed by color Doppler sonography. The association between adropin and carotid atherosclerotic plaque was tested by logistic regression model. The effect of adropin on carotid intimal-medial thickness (CIMT) was estimated using linear regression model. Results: Overall, 280 (55.7%) patients had carotid atherosclerotic plaque. The risk of carotid atherosclerotic plaque decreased with the increment of serum adropin level (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.90; 95%CI: 0.81–0.99) in patients with T2DM. Serum adropin (Standardized β = − 0.006, p = 0.028) was also independently protective factor for CIMT in patients with T2DM. Conclusion: In patients with T2DM, high serum adropin level was correlated with a decreased risk of carotid atherosclerosis in T2DM patients. Low circulating level of adropin may promote carotid atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and practical sensor of hydrogen peroxide (HO) was designed successfully. The mixture of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and chitosan (Chit) are effectively immobilized on the surface of poly-L-leucine/polydopamine modified glassy carbon electrode (PL-LEU/PDA/GCE). Under the optimum conditions, the biosensor based on HRP exhibits a fast amperometric response (within 3 s) to HO. The linear response range of the sensor is 0.5-952.0 μmol L, with the detection limit of 0.1 μmol L (S/N = 3) and the sensitivity of 0.23 A L moL cm. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant ( k ) of the biosensor is evaluated to be 0.12 mmol L, which suggests that the HRP-Chit/PL-LEU/PDA/GCE shows a higher affinity for HO. The sensor exhibits good sensitivity, selectivity, stability and reproducibility. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of HO in practical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly selective electrochemical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA) using a glassy carbon electrode modified by a poly( l -leucine)/DNA composite film. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to study the electrochemical properties of the modified electrode. The modified electrode shows an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of AA, DA and UA. The separations of anodic peak potentials for AA/DA, DA/UA and AA/UA are 220, 158 and 378 mV ( vs . Ag/AgCl) in DPV, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the linear response range for AA, DA and UA are 5.0–750.0 μmol L −1 , 0.1–100.0 μmol L −1 and 0.5–100.0 μmol L −1 , respectively. The detection limits are 2.0, 0.04 and 0.2 μmol L −1 (S/N = 3), respectively. The present method was applied to the determination of AA, DA and UA in human urine sample and satisfactory results were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, effective, and green ion chromatography method with conductivity detection was developed for the determination of benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, syringic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid in the root exudates of allelopathic rice. The analytes were well separated within 25 min in an anion exchange column (150 mm × 4.0 mm i.d., 5 µm particle size) with mixtures of 6.4 m mol L−1Na2CO3and 2.0 m mol L−1NaHCO3as the mobile phase at a flow-rate of 0.7 mL min−1. Detection limits of benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, syringic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid were 0.05, 0.20, 0.50, and 0.05 µg mL−1, respectively. Intra- and inter-day precision was ≤4.0% and 3.2%, respectively, and the intra- and inter-day accuracy, indicated by relative error, ranged from −8.0% to 9.0%. The developed method was successfully used to determine phenolic acids in the root exudates of allelopathic rice. The average recoveries of the analytes were between 90.7% and 103.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) pollution of paddy soils is one of the main concerns causing food security and environmental problems. Microbial bioremediation is an effective and eco-friendly measure that uses microbes to reduce Cd accumulation in crops. Additionally, rhizosphere bacterial communities also act essential roles in crop tolerance of heavy metals. However, the effects of inoculations with Cd resistant bacteria on crop rhizosphere bacterial communities under Cd exposure are largely unknown. In this study, we used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing technologies to explore the community structure and co-occurrence network of the rhizosphere bacterial communities associated with the rice crop under different Cd treatments and the application of Cd-tolerant strain Pseudomonas sp. TCd-1. We found that the strain TCd-1 both significantly reduced the rhizobacterial alpha diversity and changed the beta diversity. PERMANOVA and NMDS analysis showed that Cd stress and TCd-1 strain could act as strong environmental filters resulting in observable differentiation of rhizobacterial community composition among different groups. In addition, RDA results indicated that the rhizosphere pH, root Cd content, catalase (CAT), urease (URE), gibberellic acid (GA3) exert significant association with rhizosphere bacterial assembly. PICRUSt analysis revealed that the TCd-1 strain improved the metabolic capacity of rhizosphere bacteria under Cd stress. Furthermore, co-occurrence network topological features and keystone taxa also varied among different groups. This study could provide necessary insights into developing an efficient bioremediation and safe production of rice crops in Cd contaminated paddy fields with the application of Pseudomonas sp. TCd-1 strain, as well as advance our understanding of the principles of rhizosphere bacterial community assembly under Cd stress. [Display omitted] • Pseudomonas sp. TCd-1 altered the rhizosphere bacterial diversity and community composition. • The pH, root Cd content CAT, URE, GA3 significantly affected the rhizosphere bacterial assemblage. • Strain TCd-1 changed the rhizobacterial microbiome potential function and co-occurrence pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, rice contamination by heavy metals (HMs) has become a severe problem. Taking the Western Fujian region as an example in this study, a total of 1311 rice samples containing eight HMs were collected from 2015 to 2019, then used to explore their pollution characteristics, health risks, and Spatio-temporal variations, finally derive the target remediation areas of the key pollutants. The results showed that average concentrations of all the HMs had not reached the limits of the National Standards of Food Safety, but pollution indexes of As (0.783) and Cu (0.665) were at accumulation level (>0.6), which posed high pollution risks. Furthermore, locations of higher HMs concentrations coincided with those of higher pollution estimation probabilities. The non-carcinogenic risk (4.150, 2.434) and carcinogenic risk (4.96 × 10−3, 2.92 × 10−3) for children and adults cannot be negligible, As and Cd were the largest contributors. Children were more susceptible than adults due to the metal concentrations and rice intake rate. The spatio-temporal changes indicated that a decreasing trend in average concentrations of HMs (except Cr), but As (0.37%−0.88%) contents increased in the west and northeast parts, and so did Cd (1.92%−5.11%) in the central region during monitoring. For the target remediation, particular regions in the western and eastern were used as risky areas of As and Cd, respectively. Our results will provide theoretical support for the pollution management of HMs in rice. [Display omitted] • As and Cu posed higher pollution risks than other HMs in rice. • As and Cd were major contributors to probabilistic health risks. • The concentrations of HMs showed significantly spatio-temporal trends during 2015–2019. • Target remediations of As and Cd in the specific western and eastern areas were needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A polymerized film of 4-aminobutyric acid (P-4-ABA) was prepared on the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by electropolymerization. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), different pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to study the electrochemical properties of the modified electrode. The results indicate that the P-4-ABA film has excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The charge transfer coefficient, α, and the charge transfer rate constant, k s, for electron transfer between 4-ABA and GCE were also calculated as 0.53 and 25.70±0.59s−1, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the peak separations between AA and DA, DA and UA, AA and UA at modified electrode using DPV method were 208, 136 and 344mV, respectively. The linear response range for AA, DA and UA were 20.0–800.0μmolL−1, 5.0–100.0μmolL−1 and 1.0–80.0μmolL−1, respectively, and the detection limits were 5.0, 1.0 and 0.5μmolL−1 (S/N=3). The modified electrode was successfully used to simultaneously determine AA, DA and UA in human urine sample. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The potential threats of heavy metals in rice have attracted increasing attention worldwide. In this study, we assessed the pollution status and health risk of rice collected from Longyan in Fujian, China. Meanwhile, we explored the spatial pattern and hotspots of those metals. The results showed that the average concentrations of Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn in rice were 0.064, 0.002, 0.464, 0.072, 0.138, 0.106, 10.819, and 23.788 mg kg−1, respectively. Among them, As and Cu remarkably accumulated with the exceeding ratio of 50.30% and 55.12%, respectively. Furthermore, the values of the target hazard quotient in rice ranked as As > Cu > Zn > Cd > Pd > Ni > Hg > Cr, which As and Cu was greater than 1.0. And the carcinogenic risk values were in the order of As > Cd > Ni > Cr, which all exceeded the tolerance level (1 × 10−4). Risk assessment indicated that both children and adults were posed the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk from rice intake, and As had the largest contribution rate for them. Comparison found that the spatial patterns of heavy metals distribution were consistent with the hotspots. The hotspots for As and Zn located in the western part (Changting and Wuping), Cd and Cu in the eastern part (Xinluo and Yongding), Cr and Ni were simultaneously found in the northeast (Zhangping), while Hg and Pb were mainly located in the central region (Shanghang). Overall, combining the pollution status, risk assessment, and hotspot distribution in rice, the western region (Changting and Wuping) were identified as priority areas for remediation. Image 1 • The average concentration of As and Cu exceeded the standard value, which caused heavy accumulation and pollution. • Both children and adults had a potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk, and the largest contributor was As. • The western region (Changting and Wuping) were identified as priority areas for heavy metal remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) of type ZIF-67 via simple heat- treatment process was employed to prepare N-doped carbon nanotube frameworks (NCNTFs). Whereafter, an electroanalysis method using NCNTFs as the modify material was constructed for selective sensing of hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CC). Both HQ and CC can be independently determined in mixed solutions. The anodic peak currents of HQ increase linearly in two concentration ranges, one from 0.8 to 100 and another from 100 to 200 μM. Also, the anodic peak currents for CC increase linearly in the concentration ranges of 0.8–40 μM and 40–120 μM. The detection limits are 0.17 μM and 0.12 μM for HQ and CC, respectively. The sensor was used to detect these two isomers in spiked lake water, and recoveries for HQ and CC are 91.6–95.0% and 95.3–105.0%, respectively. Unlabelled Image • N-doped carbon nanotube frameworks (NCNTFs) can be obtained simply by heat- treatment with the precursor of ZIF-67. • NCNTFs/GCE exhibits excellent analytical performance in HQ and CC sensing. • NCNTFs/GCE has a broad application prospect in the determination of phenolic substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]