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Bamboo shoots and their products are an important part of the human diet. However, the accumulation and accurate human health risk of heavy metal(loid)s in bamboo shoots are largely unknown. In this study, we determined the total and bioaccessible concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, and Cr in natural and processed bamboo shoot products from markets in southwest China. The health risk assessment and enterotoxicity after consumption of heavy metal(loid)s contaminated samples were further studied using a human colonic epithelial cell (Caco-2 cell) model. The results showed that the average concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, and Cr in the collected samples were 0.036, 0.056, 0.008, and 0.049 mg/kg, while Pb contents in 21 collected fresh bamboo shoot samples exceeded the allowable limit value of 0.1 mg/kg by 1.00–4.60 folds. Besides, As in 2 % fresh bamboo shoots exceeded the limit value of 0.50 mg/kg. The average bioaccessibility of heavy metal(loid)s in fresh bamboo shoots was as follows: Cr (47.20 %) > Pb (39.56 %) > Cd (15.64 %)> As (13.29 %). Estimated daily intake (EDI) of heavy metal(loid)s after intake of fresh bamboo shoots was higher in children than that in adults, the THQ of As is > 1 based on the total heavy metal(loid)s, indicating a potential non-carcinogenic risk for children. However, health risks assessment based on bioaccessibility were significantly decreased. Furthermore, intestinal digesta of high-risk samples did not trigger detrimental effects on Caco-2 cells, suggesting existing health risk assessment model may overestimate their health risks and should be adjusted by bioaccessibility and cellular toxicity validation to accurately reflect their health risk. Our data may provide a novel and scientific insight into the health risk assessment of bamboo shoots as well as their products and propose a more scientific approach to accurate health risk assessment for heavy metals polluted foods. [Display omitted] • The As, Cd, Pb, and Cr in bamboo shoots and their products were analyzed. • The As, Pb, Cd, and Cr in most bamboo shoot products did not exceed the limit. • The bioaccessibility of As, Pb, Cd, and Cr in bamboo shoot was 13.29–47.20 %. • The intestinal digesta of risk samples did not trigger cytotoxicity in Caco-2 cells. • Both bioaccessibility and toxicity should be involved in accurate risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The H7N9 virus epidemic was mainly concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta. • The epidemic had obvious seasonality: mostly in winter and spring. • The epidemic had a significant correlation with temperature and precipitation. • The agent-based model combined meteorological factors, time, and environmental factors. From 2013 to 2017, the avian influenza A (H7N9) virus frequently infected people in China, which seriously affected the public health of society. This study aimed to analyze the spatial characteristics of human infection with the H7N9 virus in China and assess the risk areas of the epidemic. Using kernel density estimation, standard deviation ellipse analysis, spatial and temporal scanning cluster analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis, the spatial characteristics and possible risk factors of the epidemic were studied. Meteorological factors, time (month), and environmental factors were combined to establish an epidemic risk assessment proxy model to assess the risk range of an epidemic. The epidemic situation was significantly correlated with atmospheric pressure, temperature, and daily precipitation (P < 0.05), and there were six temporal and spatial clusters. The fitting accuracy of the epidemic risk assessment agent-based model for lower-risk, low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk was 0.795, 0.672, 0.853, 0.825, respectively. This H7N9 epidemic was found to have more outbreaks in winter and spring. It gradually spread to the inland areas of China. This model reflects the risk areas of human infection with the H7N9 virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Spatio-temporal differences of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in 337 prefecture-level cities in China, as well as the social influencing factors (Baidu migration index, government response severity index) and natural influencing factors (meteorological factors, air pollutants) were analyzed. • The global and local spatial correlation characteristics (Moran's I) of the epidemic distribution were positively correlated, that is, the clustering trend was dominant. • Temporal and spatial clustering of the epidemic's distribution (i.e., areas with a high incidence of the epidemic and their corresponding high incidence time and risk), detected a total of six clusters. • Population migration, air pollution concentration, and low temperature played a positive role in the spread of COVID-19 in China. • Government response strictness index, that is, the formulation of relevant government policies has an inhibitory effect on the transmission of COVID-19, and the greater the intensity of government intervention, the fewer cases will occur. The purpose of this study was to explore the temporal and spatial characteristics of COVID-19 transmission and its influencing factors in China, from January to October 2020. About 81,000 COVID-19 confirmed case data, Baidu migration index data, air pollutants, meteorological data, and government response strictness index data were collected from 31 provincial-level regions (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) and 337 prefecture-level cities. The spatio-temporal characteristics of COVID-19 were explored using spatial autocorrelation, hot spot, and spatio-temporal scanning statistics. At the same time, Spearman rank correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to explore the relationship between influencing factors and confirmed COVID-19 cases. The distribution of COVID-19 in China tends to be stable over time, with spatial correlation and prominent clustering regions. Spatio-temporal scanning analysis showed that most COVID-19 high-incidence months were from January to March at the beginning of the epidemic, and the area with the highest aggregation risk was Hubei Province (RR = 491.57) which was 491.57 times the aggregation risk of other regions. Among the meteorological variables, the daily average temperature, wind speed, precipitation, and new COVID-19 cases were negatively correlated. The air pollution concentration and migration index were positively correlated with new confirmed cases, and the government response strict index was strongly negatively correlated with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Environmental temperature has a certain inhibitory effect on the transmission of COVID-19; the air pollution concentration and migration index have a certain promoting effect on the transmission of COVID-19. The strict government response index indicates that the greater the intensity of government intervention, the fewer COVID-19 cases will occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mushrooms are consumed worldwide as they constitute a part of traditional cuisine culture in many countries. However, chromium (Cr) accumulation in mushrooms may constitute a potential pathway for its chronical exposure to humans. In this work, the Cr contents, distribution and bioaccessibility in 140 cultivated mushrooms from 14 species in 10 top-producing provinces in China were examined. Total Cr contents were 0.09–4.71 mg·kg−1 dw (mean 0.74 mg kg−1), with 59% exceeding the 0.5 mg kg−1standard. Additionally, less Cr was accumulated in the caps than stipes, with Cr ratio in caps/stipes being 0.28–2.6, averaging 0.91. Based on the Solubility Bioaccessibility Research Consortium (SBRC) assay, the mean Cr bioaccessibility in the mushrooms was 24.8% and 50.1% in the gastric phase (GP) and intestinal phase (IP). However, samples from Guizhou show the lowest Cr bioaccessibility at 12.5% in GP and 24.8% in IP. Further, a negative correlation between total Cr contents and Cr bioaccessibility suggests that Cr bioaccessibility is critical for accurate assessment of Cr exposure. In addition, drying mushrooms increased their bioaccessibility in the gastric phase. This study shows a high Cr exceeding rate of cultivated mushrooms, which may indicate a potential exposure risk, with Cr contents and bioaccessibility showing species and regional variation. [Display omitted] • 140 mushrooms were from 14 species in 10 top-producing provinces in China. • Total Cr contents were 0.09–4.71 mg·kg−1, with 59% exceeding 0.5 mg kg−1 standard. • More Cr was concentrated in the stipes than caps (1.11 vs. 0.92 mg·kg−1). • Cr bioaccessibility negatively correlated with Cr contents via SBRC assay. • Greater Cr bioaccessibility in the gastric phase in dried mushrooms than in fresh samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate whether excised parenchymal mass (EPM) during partial nephrectomy (PN) correlates with functional decline and can serve as a surrogate for functional outcomes.Materials and Methods: All 215 patients managed with PN for unifocal renal mass with necessary studies to determine EPM and percent glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and parenchymal mass preserved (both global and specific to the operated kidney) were analyzed. EPM was estimated from the pathologic specimen by subtracting the tumor mass from the specimen mass, with both calculated using the elliptical formula. Vascularized parenchymal mass preserved was measured from computed tomography scans obtained <2 months prior and 3-12 months after surgery. All functional analyses were required to be within the same time frames, and patients with a contralateral kidney were also required to have nuclear renal scans.Results: The median tumor size was 3.5 cm and the median R.E.N.A.L. was 7. Warm and cold ischemia were utilized in 123 and 92 patients, respectively (median ischemia time = 23 minutes). The median global GFR preserved was 89%, the median total parenchymal mass preserved was 93%, and the median estimated EPM was 16 cm3. Whereas percent parenchymal mass preserved correlated strongly with global and ipsilateral GFR preserved (both P < .001), EPM failed to correlate with functional outcomes on both univariable and multivariable analyses.Conclusion: Our data suggest that parenchymal mass preserved with standard PN by experienced surgeons associates strongly with function preserved, whereas EPM fails to correlate with functional outcomes. Further study of the functional impact of EPM in other circumstances will be required, such as enucleation or PN performed by less-experienced surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are diverse, with their formation and expansion having various driving forces. Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) cities represent an emerging category in China's urban system. They have evolved into a special organisation integrating 'party, government, military, and enterprises' and are located in Xinjiang, the frontier region of north-western China. Investigation of such urban characteristics is helpful to enrich our diverse cognitions on cities. The purpose of this paper is to trace the growth history of XPCC cities and explore their evolution-related characteristics, modes, and driving mechanisms in terms of spatial morphology and landscapes in the process of urban expansion by utilising remote sensing interpretation data. This study led to four main conclusions. (1) The role of the XPCC in maintaining the long-term stability and prosperity of the frontier is increasingly valued across the nation, thus leading to a major increase in the quantity and quality of XPCC cities. (2) These cities have a unique spatial layout around two deserts and the border characterised by 'two rings and one line'; however, their distribution is relatively scattered. (3) The expansion of XPCC cities has become prominent along with the restructuring of land use, with wasteland reclaiming being a salient attribute of their built-up land expansion, while also protecting cultivated land. Most cities reveal a more complex and less compact morphology. (4) The external government's promotion and regulation, the basic shaping of the natural geographical environment, the internal boosting of economic increase and industrial restructuring, and the special reshaping of the XPCC-local relationship are key driving factors behind the urban temporal-spatial evolution. Overall, this study supplements current knowledge on frontier cities within the Chinese context and thus helps to improve understanding of the urban theoretical research of government behaviours and the multi-dynamics of urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The article summarizes the historical development of Urumqi, especially during the last 60years. Two thousand years ago it located just off the main Silk Routes, which contributed greatly in promoting Urumqi’s economic and cultural exchanges. Now its urban competitive strength has become at the leading position of the five capital cities of western China. While striving to become the new economic power house of western China, Urumqi is undergoing a profound restructuring of its economic and, more importantly, its physical form and appearance. To face the challenges, Urumqi has expanded its administrative boundary and taken a number of planning and infrastructure development initiatively to enhance the competitive strength in the future. This profile outlines the historical development, current conditions, the economic and physical structure of the city, and the main challenges that Urumqi faces in the future development. Field reconnaissance surveys, interviews and secondary sources are used in the presentation and discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the feasibility of reducing THM precursors and controlling bromate taste and odor in drinking water taken from the Yellow River by an ozonation combined system. Methods The appropriate ozone dosage was determined, and then the changes of TOC, UV254 and THM formation potential (THMFP) in the combined system were evaluated. Results One mgIL ozone could effectively remove taste and odor and meet the maximum allowable bromate level in drinking water. The pre-ozonation increased THMFP, but the conventional treatment system could effectively reduce the odor. The bio-ceramic filter could partly reduce CHCI3FP, but sometimes might increase CHCI2BrFP and CHCIBr2FP. The biological activated carbon (B AC) filter could effectively reduce CHC13FP and CHC12BrFP, but increase CHC1Br2FP. Compared with other filters, the fresh activated carbon (FAC) filter performed better in reducing THMFP and even reduced CHCIBr2FP. Conclusion The combined system can effectively reduce taste, odor, CHC13FP, and CHCI2BrFP and also bring bromate under control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese wet markets with live poultry trade have been considered as major sources of pathogen dissemination, and sites for horizontal transfer of bacterial and viral pathogens. In this study, the pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) in air samples collected at a typical Chinese wet market had been analysis and quantified. Corynebacterium minutissimum and other pathogenic bacteria accounted for 0.81–8.02% of the whole microbial community in different air samples. The four ARGs quantified in this study showed a comparable relative concentration (copies/ng_DNA) with municipal wastewater. Poultry manures were demonstrated to be important microbial contamination source in wet market, which was supported by both microbial composition based source tracking and the quantification of airborne microbial density. A series of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes indicators of poultry area contamination were successfully screened, which will be useful for the more convenient monitoring of airborne poultry area contamination. Our results indicate bioaerosols acted as important route for the transmissions of pathogens and ARGs. Continued surveillance of airborne microbial contamination is required in poultry trade wet market. Practical implications Urban live poultry markets are important sources of pathogen dissemination, and sites for horizontal transfer of viral and bacterial pathogens. In the present field-study, pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes were focused to provide quantitative information on the levels of microbial contaminations at the indoor air of wet markets. Results demonstrated that poultry manures were important microbial contamination source in wet market, and in the meanwhile bioaerosols were identified as important route for the transmissions of microbial contaminants. A series of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes indicators of poultry area contamination were successfully screened, which will be useful for the more convenient monitoring of airborne poultry area contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel nor-lupane triterpenoid, 3-oxo-29 α -hydroxy-17 β ,20-epoxy-28-norlupane ( 1 ), and two new guaiane sesquiterpenoids, schvenols A–B ( 2 – 3 ), has been isolated from leaves of Schefflera venulosa . Structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR techniques. And the structure of 1 was further confirmed by the X-ray diffraction analysis. None of the compounds showed inhibitory effects on NO release in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Caesalpinia sappan is a medicinal plant native to China popularly used to treat chronic pelvic inflammation, dysmenorrhea and hysteromyoma. Its main bioactive component is brazilin which had presented antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet aggregation activities. To establish a sensitive, selective, reproducible, and accurate high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the quantitative determination of brazilin in plasma, and study the pharmacokinetics of brazilin in rats after intravenous administration of brazilin. Materials and methods: Rats received intravenous injection of 25, 50 and 100mg/kg of brazilin. Concentrations of brazilin in plasma were determined by HPLC method at different time points and all pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated by non-compartmental analysis with WinNonLin 6.2 software. Results: After single intravenous doses of 25, 50 and 100mg/kg brazilin in rats, the main PK parameters were as follows: C max were 18.1±4.1, 46.7±8.7 and 82.2±9.6µg/mL; AUC0–24 were 20.4±4.3, 48.7±6.8 and 90.4±10.3µgh/mL; and t 1/2 were 5.4±1.5, 5.8±0.9 and 6.2±1.2h, respectively. Conclusion: It showed that the brazilin was eliminated moderately in rat by intravenous injection route with t 1/2 of 6h and showed a dose-dependence profile of C max and AUC0–24 at the doses of 25~100mg/kg of brazilin for injection in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]