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This study aimed to identify differentially methylated genes (DMGs) associated with natural killer cells in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), focusing on the influence of varying water iodine exposure levels. Participants were divided into categories based on median water iodine (MWI) concentrations: iodine-fortified areas (IFA, MWI < 10 μg/L), iodine-adequate areas (IAA, 40 ≤ MWI ≤ 100 μg/L), and iodine-excessive areas (IEA, MWI > 300 μg/L). A total of 176 matched AIT cases and controls were recruited and divided into 89, 40, and 47 pairs for IFA, IAA, and IEA, respectively. DMGs were identified using 850K BeadChip analysis for 10/10 paired samples. Validation of DNA methylation and mRNA expression levels of the DMGs was conducted using MethylTarget™ and QRT-PCR for 176/176 paired samples. KLRC1 , KLRC3 , and SH2D1B were identified as significant DMGs. Validation revealed that KLRC1 was hypomethylated and highly expressed, whereas KLRC3 was hypermethylated and highly expressed in individuals with AIT. Furthermore, KLRC1 was hypomethylated and highly expressed in both IFA and IEA. The DNA methylation status of KLRC1 and KLRC3 may play crucial roles in AIT pathogenesis. Additionally, DNA methylation of KLRC1 seems to be influenced by different iodine concentrations in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation on eutrophicated ecosystems has received growing research interest, and macrophytes and eutrophic gradients are considered as key influencing factors. This study used Vallisneria natans , Iris pseudacorus , and their mixed plantings in aquatic ecosystems (9 m × 2 m × 0.5 m, L × W × D) receiving increased eutrophic nitrogen and phosphorus gradients (4, 40, 80 mg/L of nitrogen and 0.4, 4, 8 mg/L of phosphorus), to unveil phytoremediation effects and corresponding microbial mechanisms. Different phytoremediations could effectively improve water quality with removal efficiencies of 57.4%–98.7% on ammonium, 45.7%–93.7% on total nitrogen, 46.7%–100% on available phosphorus, and 38.4%–95.2% on total phosphorus, respectively. Macrophytes and eutrophic gradients jointly affected diversities, compositions, structures, interactions, and functions of sedimental bacterial and archaeal communities. Microbial diversities increased with macrophytes presence and increased eutrophic gradients. Principal component analysis demonstrated that different macrophytes diverged microbial community structures, and increment of eutrophic gradients reduced structural dissimilarities. Dominant compositional communities, including Chloroflexi , Firmicutes , Proteobacteria , Anaerolineae , and Nitrososphaeria , were also keystone taxa of community co-occurrence networks in phytoremediations. Increased eutrophic gradients enhanced microbial cooperative interactions, whilst V. natans fostered bacterial interactions, and I. pseudacorus and mixed plantings strengthened archaeal interactions. Functional prediction indicated that bacterial "phosphate transferase" and archaeal "methanogenesis" were significantly reduced, whilst archaeal "nitrification", "denitrification", "comammox", and "methane oxidation" were elevated by macrophytes and eutrophic gradients, indicating likely mechanisms for nutrient and GHGs metabolisms. This study extended our knowledge on microbial mechanisms of phytoremediations with different macrophytes treating eutrophicated waters of increased gradients, therefore providing references for further developing phytoremediation technologies. [Display omitted] • Phytoremediation effectively improved quality of varied levels of eutrophic waters. • Macrophytes and eutrophic gradients increased bacterial and archaeal diversity. • Eutrophic gradient was more decisive on microbial community structural difference. • Phytoremediations showed more complex and positive inter-community interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] By optimizing the reaction conditions, a zirconium-based adsorbent Zr-PzDC with pyrazine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid as the ligand was synthesized for the treatment of lead ions in an aqueous solution. SEM, EDS-Mapping, XRS and FT-IR characterization confirmed the synthesis of Zr-PzDC. Meanwhile, BET results show that Zr-PzDC is a typical mesoporous material. The analysis of the binding process of Zr-PzDC with Pb(II) in water shows that the adsorption kinetics conform to the pseudo-second-order model; The adsorption isotherm data fits well with the Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacity of Pb(II) is 298.39 mg/g; The thermodynamic parameters show that the adsorption of Pb(II) in water is a spontaneous endothermic process. Combined with the XPS spectral results, physical adsorption is the main binding mode, and single-layer chemisorption is the limiting step in the adsorption process. The results of both static and dynamic column adsorption experiments show that Zr-PzDC can treat lead ions quickly and efficiently, and has excellent reusable performance, which makes Zr-PzDC have good application potential in treating lead-containing wastewater of the battery production process. • The maximum adsorption capacity of Zr-PzDC for Pb(II) is 298.39 mg/g. • The adsorption of Pb(II) reach 90% of the maximum adsorption amount in 1 min. • Zr-PzDC exhibits excellent stability, pH suitability and reusability. • Physical adsorption is the main form; chemisorption is the rate-limiting step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroglobulin (Tg) is considered a sensitive indicator of iodine deficiency. However, the usefulness of Tg as a biomarker of excess iodine is uncertain. The present study aimed to determine the influence of different iodine intake on serum Tg levels, evaluate the influence of thyroid diseases on the distribution of Tg, and identify the factors that may affect Tg levels. A cross-sectional survey with a total of 1208 adults was conducted in different water iodine areas in China. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC), water iodine concentration (WIC), serum Tg, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroid antibodies were measured. The thyroid volumes and nodules were measured by B-scan ultrasound. Based on the WIC data, subjects were divided into three groups. Based on the median urinary iodine concentration (MUIC) data, the iodine levels were adequate, more than adequate, and excess for the WIC < 10 μg/L group, 10 μg/L ≤ WIC ≤ 100 μg/L g, and WIC > 100 μg/L groups, respectively. The median Tg was significantly higher in the excess iodine group than in the adequate iodine group and the more than adequate iodine group (14.6 μg/L vs.12.7 μg/L, P = 0.042; 14.6 μg/L vs.12.5 μg/L, P = 0.004). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that excess iodine intake, goitre, thyroid nodules, and hypothyroidism were significantly related to higher serum Tg levels. Serum Tg level can be a promising biomarker of excessive iodine intake, but other factors, especially the presence of thyroid disease, should be considered when using this parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and impact of chronic endometritis (CE) in patients with intrauterine adhesions (IUAs).Design: Prospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).Setting: University-affiliated hospital.Patients: Eighty-two women with moderate to severe IUAs.Interventions: Transcervical resection of adhesions (TCRA) and endometrial biopsy were performed in all patients. According to results of the endometrial biopsy, participants were classified into 2 groups: 29 patients with CE (CE group) and 53 women without CE (NCE group). Second-look hysteroscopy assessed the impact of TCRA using the American Fertility Society classification system.Measurements and Main Results: Prevalence of CE, reformation of adhesions, and reduction of adhesion score were studied. Thirty-one women (37.8%) presented with visual signs of CE at hysteroscopy, confirmed by histology in 29 of 82 patients (35.4%). In hysteroscopic diagnosis of CE, sensitivity and specificity were 79.3% (23/29) and 84.9% (45/53), respectively. At second-look hysteroscopy, the recurrence of adhesions in the CE group was significantly higher than in the NCE group (44.8% vs 20.8%, respectively; p = .022). The median reduction of adhesion score was significantly greater in the NCE group (median, 8; range, 0-12) than in the CE group (median, 5; range, 0-10).Conclusion: CE in women with IUAs may be a contributing factor in higher adhesion recurrence, indicating chronic inflammation may play a role in IUA recurrence. (Clinical Trial Registration No.: NCT02744807.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Hollow NiO nanotubular materials are synthesized using bio-template method. [•] The prepared nanotube is composed of nanosized NiO with sizes smaller than 20nm. [•] It exhibits a stable reversible capacity of 620mAhg−1 and good rate performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The total polyphenol content and the antioxidant activity of kudingcha made from Ilex kudingcha C.J. Tseng were determined by Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, and DPPH, FRAP, and TEAC methods, respectively. The crude extract (CE) of kudingcha and its four fractions of chloroform (CfF), ethyl acetate (EaF), n-butanol (nBF), and water (WtF) were prepared and subjected to antioxidant evaluation and analysis by high performance liquid chromatography. The extracts of kudingcha contained large amounts of caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives, including 3-CQA, 5-CQA, 3,4-diCQA, 3,5-diCQA, and 4,5-diCQA, and showed potent antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activities of CE and its fractions decreased in the order of EaF>nBF>CE>WtF>CfF, according to the DPPH assay and FRAP assay, which were the same, with the exception of the rank order of CfF and WtF, as the TEAC assay. Furthermore, a satisfactory correlation between total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity was observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Broad-spectrum detection and large-scale integration are the inevitable trends in the current evolution of infrared photodetectors. New materials were integrated with existing platforms to further improve the performance of infrared photodetectors. Here, we reported a defective macro-assembled graphene nanofilm (D-nMAG)/Silicon (Si) photodetector using trap-assisted gain to optimize the photoelectric response. This wafer-scale environmentally friendly carbon material can be easily compatible with the complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technical. Noteworthy, the defective states in D-nMAG trap carriers and then enter the conduction (CB) and valence band (VB) again to be thermalized, generating a gain in photocurrent. Thus, our D-nMAG-based line array image sensor exhibits high-resolution infrared imaging of the target. This device displays a high responsivity at room temperature within a broad-spectrum region, i.e. , 0.156 A/W @ 900 nm in the near-infrared (NIR) region and 3.7 mA/W @ 4 μm in the mid-infrared (MIR) region. Our work provides a carbon nanofilm for IR detection at a broad-spectrum region, with tunable defective structure, uniform thickness, and wafer-scale production. [Display omitted] • Wafer-scale D-nMAG with features of low-cost, 45% light absorption and compatibility with CMOS technology was fabricated. • ns)The responsivities of D-nMAG/Si can achieve 0.156 A/W @ 900 nm and 3.7 mA/W @ 4 μm with ultra-fast response (132 ns). • D-nMAG-based line array imaging sensor exhibits high-resolution infrared imaging of the target at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the effect of chronic endometritis (CE) diagnosed by CD138 immunohistochemical (IHC) staining on endometrial fibrosis and reproductive prognosis in patients with moderate or severe intrauterine adhesions (IUAs).Design: Prospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).Setting: University-affiliated hospital.Patient(s): One hundred sixty-seven women with moderate to severe IUAs.Intervention(s): Transcervical resection of adhesions (TCRA) and endometrial biopsy were performed in all patients. According to results of IHC staining with anti-syndecan-1 antibodies to identify CD138 cells, participants were classified into two groups: 78 patients with CE (CE group) and 89 women without CE (NCE group). IHC staining for fibrosis markers transforming growth factor beta 1, anti-fibrosis markers matrix metalloproteinase 9, and endometrial receptivity marker integrin alpha v beta 3 was later applied to all tissue samples.Main Outcome Measure(s): Endometrial fibrosis, endometrial receptivity, and reproductive prognosis.Result(s): CE diagnosed by CD138 IHC staining has a high incidence, 46%, in moderate and severe IUAs. In the CE group, the expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 was higher than that in the NCE group, and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and alpha v beta 3 was lower than that in the NCE group. The pregnancy rate and live birth rate in the NCE group were higher than those in the CE group (42.7% vs. 31.5%, 26.9% vs. 17.9%).Conclusion(s): CE may affect the endometrial fibrosis homeostasis in IUAs. Women with CE were more likely to experience recurrence of adhesions and had poorer reproductive outcomes.Clinical Trial Registration No: NCT02744807. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An effective strategy by combination of alcoholysis, solid-state reaction and coating techniques is employed to prepare Au@Li4Ti5O12 nanorod aggregates as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. The lithium diffusion coefficient of resulting Au@Li4Ti5O12 is 7.32 × 10−10 cm2 s−1, and its stable reversible capacity is 169 mAh g−1 with the retention of 91.1% after 100 cycles at 5 C. Moreover, it also exhibits excellent rate-capability performance. The superior cycling performance can be attributed to the unique nanorod characteristics, structural stability, and the improved ionic and electronic conduction in the electrode due to the uniform nano coating of Au. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previous studies have shown that the Copenhagen 2331 (COP) and Dark Agouti (DA) rats have significant differences in bone structure and strength despite their similar body mass. Thus, these inbred rat strains may provide a unique resource to identify the genetics underlying the phenotypic variation in bone fragility. A sample of 828 (405 males and 423 females) COP×DA F2 progeny had extensive phenotyping for bone structure measures including cortical bone area and polar moment of inertia at the femur midshaft and total, cortical and trabecular bone areas, for the lumbar vertebra 5 (L5). Bone strength phenotypes included ultimate force, stiffness and work to failure of femur and L5. These skeletal phenotypes were measured using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and mechanical testing. A whole-genome screen was conducted in the F2 rats, using microsatellite markers spaced at approximately 20 cM intervals. Genetic marker maps were generated from the F2 data and used for genome-wide linkage analyses to detect linkage to the bone structure and strength phenotypes. Permutation testing was employed to obtain the thresholds for genome-wide significance (p <0.01). Significant QTL for femur structure and strength were identified on chromosome (Chr) 1 with a maximum LOD score of 33.5; evidence of linkage was found in both the male and female rats. In addition, Chrs 6, 7, 10, 13, 15 and 18 were linked to femur midshaft structure. QTL linked to femur strength were identified on Chrs 5 and 10. For L5 vertebrae, Chrs 2, 16, and 18 harbored QTL for cortical structure and trabecular structure for L5 was linked to Chrs 1, 7, 12, and 18. One female-specific QTL for femur ultimate force was identified on Chr 5, and two male-specific QTL for L5 cortical area were found on Chrs 2 and 18. Our study demonstrates strong evidence of linkage for bone structure and strength to multiple rat chromosomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]