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STUDY QUESTION Can exposure to palmitic acid (PA), a common saturated fatty acid, modulate autophagy in both human and mouse trophoblast cells through the regulation of acyl-coenzyme A-binding protein (ACBP)? SUMMARY ANSWER PA exposure before and during pregnancy impairs placental development through mechanisms involving placental autophagy and ACBP expression. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY High-fat diets, including PA, have been implicated in adverse effects on human placental and fetal development. Despite this recognition, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cell line HTR-8/SVneo and human trophoblast stem cell (hTSC)-derived EVT (hTSCs-EVT) were exposed to PA or vehicle control for 24 h. Female wild-type C57BL/6 mice were divided into PA and control groups (n = 10 per group) and subjected to a 12-week dietary intervention. Afterward, they were mated with male wild-type C57BL/6 mice and euthanized on Day 14 of gestation. Female ACBPflox/flox mice were also randomly assigned to control and PA-exposed groups (each with 10 mice), undergoing the same dietary intervention and mating with ACBPflox/floxELF5-Cre male mice, followed by euthanasia on Day 14 of gestation. The study assessed the effects of PA on mouse embryonic development and placental autophagy. Additionally, the role of ACBP in the pathogenesis of PA-induced placental toxicity was investigated. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The findings were validated using real-time PCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, and shRNA knockdown approaches. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Exposure to PA-upregulated ACBP expression in both human HTR-8/SVneo cells and hTSCs-EVT, as well as in mouse placenta. PA exposure also induced autophagic dysfunction in HTR-8/SVneo cells, hTSCs-EVT, and mouse placenta. Through studies on ACBP placental conditional knockout mice and ACBP knockdown human trophoblast cells, it was revealed that reduced ACBP expression led to trophoblast malfunction and affected the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3B-II and P62, thereby impacting embryonic development. Conversely, ACBP knockdown partially mitigated PA-induced impairment of placental trophoblast autophagy, observed both in vitro in human trophoblast cells and in vivo in mice. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Primary EVT cells from early pregnancy are fragile, limiting research use. Maintaining their viability is tough, affecting data reliability. The study lacks depth to explore PA diet cessation effects after 12 weeks. Without follow-up, understanding postdiet impacts on pregnancy stages is incomplete. Placental abnormalities linked to elevated PA diet in embryos lack confirmation due to absence of control groups. Clarifying if issues stem solely from PA exposure is difficult without proper controls. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Consuming a high-fat diet before and during pregnancy may result in complications or challenges in successfully carrying the pregnancy to term. It suggests that such dietary habits can have detrimental effects on the health of both the mother and the developing fetus. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82171664, 82301909) and the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipality of China (CSTB2022NS·CQ-LZX0062, cstc2019jcyj-msxmX0749, and cstc2021jcyj-msxmX0236). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defects. Assessment of the incidence, distribution, disease spectrum, and genetic deficits of fetal CHDs in China is urgently needed. Methods: A national echocardiography screening program for fetal CHDs was implemented in 92 prenatal screening–diagnostic centers in China. Findings: A total of 18,171 fetal CHD cases were identified from 2,452,249 pregnancies, resulting in 7·4/1,000 as the national incidence rate of fetal CHD. The incidences of fetal CHD in the six geographical regions, the southern, central, eastern, southwestern, northern, and northwestern, were 7·647 (CI: 7·383–7·915), 7·839 (CI: 7·680–8·000), 7·647 (CI: 7·383–7·915), 7·562 (CI: 7·225–7·907), 5·618 (CI: 5·337–5·906), and 4·716 (CI: 4·341–5·108), respectively, per 1,000 pregnancies. Overall, ventricular septal defect was the most common fetal CHD, accounting for 17.04% of screened pregnancies nationwide, and tetralogy of Fallot, the most common anomaly in the major defect of fetal CHD, was the second most common, accounting for 9.72%. A total of 76.24% cases of fetal CHD were found to be an isolated intracardiac single defect. The remaining 23.76% of cases of fetal CHD had multiple heart defects. Among all extracardiac malformations, the central nervous system (CNS) was the most common tissue with extracardiac anomalies associated with CHD, accounting for 22.89% of fetal CHD cases. Chromosomal karyotyping identified trisomy 18 as the most common chromosomal abnormality in fetal CHD. We also documented that CHD-containing syndromes could be identified with a comprehensive approach integrating prenatal ultrasound, MRI, pathological autopsy, and cytogenetics and molecular genetics. Conclusion: Implementation of prenatal echocardiography as a practically feasible platform to screen fetal CHD will reduce the financial and emotional burden of CHD, which may facilitate intrauterine and neonatal intervention of CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of different technological progress paths on firms' export product quality in China based on Fixed Effect and System GMM models. Using matched data from 2000 to 2010 from the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database, the Chinese Customs Database and the list of overseas investment enterprises, we find that the four paths (OFDI, FDI, import of intermediate goods, and R&D) can all significantly improve firms' export product quality; Among them, OFDI has the most significant effect, followed by import of intermediate goods, FDI, and R&D, in that order. The results remain robust after considering selectivity bias and sample endogeneity. The heterogeneity test shows that the path of technological progress is more significant in improving the quality of export products of private, eastern, labor-intensive and processing trade enterprises. The article suggests that Chinese enterprises should further expand OFDI levels, fully stimulate the innovation energy of private enterprises, and emphasize the key role of independent innovation in promoting the upgrading of export product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate assessment of human exposure to pollutants through the ingestion of dust and/or soil particles depends on a thorough understanding their rate of human ingestion. To this end, we investigated the load and size distribution patterns of dust/soil particles on the hands of three typical subpopulations, including preschoolers, college students, and security guards (outdoor workers). The geometric mean diameter of dust/soil particles on hands was observed to be 38.7 ± 11.2, 40.0 ± 12.1, and 36.8 ± 10.4 μm for preschoolers, college students, and security guards, respectively. The particle size distribution differed between subpopulations: Preschoolers were more exposed to fine particles, whereas security guards were exposed to more coarse particles. The geometric means of dust/soil particle loading on the hands were 0.126, 0.0163, and 0.0377 mg/cm2 for preschoolers, college students, and security guards, respectively. Males had statistically higher dust/soil particle loadings on hands than females, notably for preschoolers and college students; preschoolers with frequent hand contact with the bare ground had higher dust/soil particle loadings compared to those of peers in contact with commercial and residential grounds. The mean total dust/soil particle ingestion rate was estimated to be 245, 19.7, and 33.1 mg/day for preschoolers, college students, and security guards, respectively. Our estimates for college students and security guards are close to the consensus central-tendency values recommended by the U.S. EPA's Exposure Factor Handbook for American adults, whereas the estimates for children are much higher than the upper percentile values recommended for American children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picea asperata, a common tree species in the subalpine areas of Li County, Sichuan Province, China, is susceptible to Lophodermium piceae. Remote sensing has the advantages of large-scale, fast information acquisition, and low cost, which can overcome the shortcomings of ground survey. Hence, we used Landsat 8 satellite multi-spectral images and forest resource distribution data to investigate and analyze this forest disease at a large scale. Firstly, we extracted the spatial distribution information of Picea asperata and chose a temporal sequence indicator to establish a regression model and obtained a significantly negative correlation between the damage degree of plants and the change rate of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Accordingly, the investigation results of the disease have good consistency with the ground survey data in spatial distribution and damage degree. On this basis, a temporal regression analysis was performed by combining the remote sensing investigation results with climate variables, and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was utilized in the spatial comprehensive analysis of Lophodermium piceae with terrain, soil and forest stand factors. Conclusively, this study effectively coped with the difficulties in full investigation and analysis of Lophodermium piceae in ecologically fragile subalpine areas of Western Sichuan. It is of important reference value in the early warning and monitoring of this disease, and also provides objective and reliable information support for ecological restoration and management planning in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several Chinese universities are setting up systems to anticipate students' academic performance and to offer them academic early notifications to boost their students' performance effectively. Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools (CFCRS) is one of China's fastest-growing sectors of education. The academic achievement of CFCRS students is lower than that of students in noncooperatively organized programs. A realistic and timely academic prediction is critical to identifying students at risk of academic failure and providing them with the support they demand. A unique CNN-BiLSTM-AM approach will be used in this study to forecast the academic achievement of CFCRS learners more accurately and efficiently. Convolutional neural networks (CNN), bidirectional long-short-term memory (Bi-LSTM), and attention mechanism (AM) form the basis of this technique. The characteristics of the input information are extracted using a CNN. For good forecasting accuracy, AM is employed to obtain the contribution of characteristic levels on student results in various teaching methods. Initially, the Chinese students' datasets are gathered from the big data for this investigation and are partitioned into 4 different groups. Four teaching methods are provided in groups. The proposed approach is used to forecast the performance of the students. Finally, the performance of the proposed approach is examined and compared with certain existing approaches to obtain the proposed approach with maximum correctness. The findings of this research are indicated in chart formations by employing the Origin tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a convenient and efficient public transport system, high speed railway (HSR) was rapidly deployed in China. Since the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication system is commercially applied, it is necessary for mobile terminals antennas to cover multiple operating bands to be compatible with various communication systems. Here a HSR-mounted broadband and high-gain monopole antenna is proposed. By using the meander technology and introducing the tapered structure, the proposed antenna operates over a bandwidth of 694-960 MHz and 1350-5975 MHz (VSWR<1.8), which covers both 2G-5G mobile communication and WiFi frequency bands. The dimensions of the proposed antenna are 400 mm × 330 mm × 78 mm. The measured average gain is 6.11 dBi over the entire bandwidth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jian-pi-bu-xue-formula (JPBXF), a TCM formula composed of twelve Chinese medicinal herbs, has been used in clinic to ease patients' state of weakness and fatigue especially after receiving anti-tumor chemotherapy in China. The lack of the phytochemical characterization, detail therapeutic evaluation and mechanism of JPBXF remains the main limitation for its spreading. In this study, we systematically evaluated the effectiveness and underline mechanism of JPBXF on cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced myelosuppression and identified the main constituents of JPBXF aqueous extract. JPBXF treatments reversed CTX-induced myelosuppression through increasing the number of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and expression of C-kit in bone marrow cells. Simultaneously, JPBXF treatments alleviated CTX-induced blood cells reduction by increasing numbers of RBCs and WBCs and levels of GM-CSF, TPO and EPO in plasma. JPBXF treatments reduced CTX-induced immunosuppression by increasing expressions of CD3, CD4, and CD8a in PBMCs, and recovering structure damages of thymus and spleen. Moreover, JPBXF notably increased the expression of NRF2 compared with CTX group, and subsequently up-regulated HO1 and NQO1 both in mRNA and protein levels. In addition, eighteen compounds were recognized from JPBXF aqueous extract and the potential targets of the identified compounds were predicted. Overall, JPBXF can greatly reverse CTX-induced myelosuppression in C57BL/6 mice, especially in improving the blood and immune function through activating NRF2/HO1/NQO1 signaling pathway, which provides a reliable reference for JPBXF application in clinical. By recognizing eighteen compounds in JPBXF aqueous extract and predicting the underline mechanisms of the identified compounds, our study would provide theoretical guidance for further research of JPBXF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Three Gorges Reservoir region suffers from severe soil erosion that leads to serious soil degradation and eutrophication. Interrill erosion models are commonly used in developing soil erosion control measures. Laboratory simulation experiments were conducted to investigate the relationship between interrill erosion rate and three commonly hydraulic parameters (flow velocity V, shear stress τ and stream power W). The slope gradients ranged from 17.6% to 36.4%, and the rainfall intensities varied from 0.6 to 2.54 mm·min−1. The results showed that surface runoff volume and soil loss rates varied greatly with the change of slope and rainfall intensity. Surface runoff accounted for 67.2–85.4% of the precipitation on average. Soil loss rates increased with increases of rainfall intensity and slope gradient, Regression analysis showed that interrill erosion rate could be calculated by a linear function of V and W. Predictions based on V (R2 = 0.843, ME = 0.843) and W (R2 = 0.862, ME = 0.862) were powerful. τ (R2 = 0.721, ME = 0.721) did not seem to be a good predictor for interrill erosion rates. Five ordinarily interrill erosion models were analyzed, the accuracy of the models in predicting soil loss rate was: Model 3 (ME = 0.977) > Model 4 (ME = 0.966) > Model 5 (ME = 0.963) > Model 2 (ME = 0.923) > Model 1 (ME = 0.852). The interrill erodibility used in the model 3 (WEPP) was calculated as 0.332×106 kg·s·m−4. The results can improve the precision of interrill erosion estimation on purple soil slopes in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Chen, X.D.; Wang, J.; Zhang C.K.; Yu S.B.; Zhou J.J.; Zhang N.Y., and Feng, Q., 2018. Biological mediation of sediment erosion: Can we account for tidal effects?. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 421–425. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Sedimentology and geomorphology have no longer been seen as fields where only physical and chemical processes dominate. Changes in shear stress due to tidal effects may lead to repeated cycles of biofilm growth, erosion, and regrowth that produce conditions different from the steady-state ones often examined in the laboratory. Therefore, repeated cycles of laboratory-controlled experiments were conducted. Algal biofilm was initially developed on the sediment bed under low shear stress (0.06 Pa). After the biofilm reached a quasi-steady state (12 days of cultivation), the bio-bed was eroded with stepwise increment of shear forces, and then allowed to re-grow for only 5 days before being eroded again. The first cycle aimed to test whether the biological cohesion could recover during a relatively short calm period. After then, it was followed by six consecutive times of repeated procedure of 5-days-growth, erosion and regrowth (two under limited nutrients and four under rich nutrients), to investigate the responses of bio-beds under frequent disturbances and different nutrients abundance. The data showed that for the first cycle, the strength of the bio-bed surprisingly restored to the similar level of the bio-bed incubated for 12 days, within a relatively short recovery period of only 5 days after the disturbance. However, with nutrients limitation, the anti-erodibility declined dramatically that after two cycles, the bed stability rapidly reverted back to the non-cohesive condition. After four cycles under high nutrients, the biological cohesion rebuilt gradually but was hard to reach to the original strength. Different from the traditional assumption, our results indicate that in intertidal zones frequent disturbances cannot entirely inhibit the establishment of bio-sediment, and the biological mediation in sediment stability still occurs without nutrients limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal decompositions of Ca-bentonites (CaB) from Santai, Shichuan Province, China, over the temperature range of 30-1,100 °C were investigated by simultaneous thermal analyzer. Non-isothermal kinetic analysis was employed to study the thermal decomposition mechanism by using Netzsch Thermokinetics software. Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Friedman isoconversional methods were used to calculate the activation energy and analyze the reaction steps. The probable mechanism and the corresponding kinetic parameters were determined by multivariate non-linear regression program. The results show that the thermal decomposition process of CaB over the temperature range of 30-800 °C is a kind of six-step, competitive reaction ( F D F C F F model). The dehydration reaction is controlled by two consecutive mechanisms, nucleation and growth, followed by a diffusion-controlled reaction ( F D model), the first step: E = 61.68 kJ mol, log A = 6.75 s; the second step: E = 50.73 kJ mol, log A = 3.11 s. The dehydroxylation reaction is controlled by three-step competitive mechanisms, an autocatalytically activated, initial reaction followed by n-order competitive reaction ( C F F model), the first step: E = 124.74 kJ mol, log A = 5.67 s; the second step: E = 245.29 kJ mol, log A = 11.69 s; the third step : E = 261.73 kJ mol, log A = 11.23 s. A combination reaction of the dehydration and dehydroxylation is observed, and controlled by one n-order reaction ( F model), E = 8.99 kJ mol, log A = 1.91 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water environment has its unique charm as a part of traditional setdement space. This paper took water environment in Zhangguying Village, Yueyang Gty, Hunan Province for example, analyzed dot, linear and planar elements of village water environment, and water environment in courtyards[1], and tried to put forward valuable suggestions for the waterscape design of modern residential areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence and genotype of Toxoplasma gondii infection in dogs in Henan Province, Central China was investigated. A total of 125 blood samples were collected from pet dogs during April to June 2013, and all samples were examined by indirect hemagglutination antibody test (IHA) and nested PCR. The overall T. gondii prevalence in pet dogs was 24.0% (30/125), with 20.8% (26/125) in IHA and 10.4% (13/125) in PCR, respectively. No statistical associations were found between animal gender and age and the prevalence of T. gondii infection. Thirteen positive DNA samples were genotyped using 11 PCR-RFLP markers, including SAG1, (3'+5') SAG2, alt.SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico. Of these, only 2 samples were genotyped with complete data for all loci, and a novel genotype (type III at SAG3 and GRA6 loci, and type I at other loci) was identified. This is the first report of genetic characterization of T. gondii infection in dogs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands are one of the most important terrestrial ecosystems on the planet and have significant economic and ecological value. Accurate and rapid discrimination of grassland communities is critical to the conservation and utilization of grassland resources. Previous studies that explored grassland communities were mainly based on field surveys or airborne hyperspectral and high-resolution imagery. Limited by workload and cost, these methods are typically suitable for small areas. Spaceborne mid-resolution RS images (e.g., Sentinel, Landsat) have been widely used for large-scale vegetation observations owing to their large swath width. However, there still keep challenges in accurately distinguishing between different grassland communities using these images because of the strong spectral similarity of different communities and the suboptimal performance of models used for classification. To address this issue, this paper proposed a superpixel-based grassland community classification method using Genetic Programming (GP)-optimized classification model with Sentinel-2 multispectral bands, their derived vegetation indices (VIs) and textural features, and Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) bands and the derived textural features. The proposed method was evaluated in the Siziwang grassland of China. Our results showed that the addition of VIs and textures, as well as the use of GP-optimized classification models, can significantly contribute to distinguishing grassland communities, and the proposed approach classified the seven communities in Siziwang grassland with an overall accuracy of 84.21% and a kappa coefficient of 0.81. We concluded that the classification method proposed in this paper is capable of distinguishing grassland communities with high accuracy at a regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the swift progression and extensive use of electric vehicles, demands on lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO 4) batteries have surged, leading to an imminent scarcity of raw materials for battery manufacturing. This reality heightens the needs for effective battery recycling. This study outlines an integrated evaluation approach of combining laboratory-scale pilot experiment, Monte Carlo Simulations, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). An optimized recycling process for LiFePO 4 batteries was developed, aiming to salvage and retrieve valuable elements. The process involves lithium's selective leaching followed by subsequent lithium (Li) and iron (Fe) recovery, achieving efficient recovery rates for both Li and Fe. A novel evaluation, integrating economic and environmental aspects, was conducted by employing a direct costs/revenues approach, with the inclusion of stochastic uncertainties determined via Monte Carlo Simulation. Two scenarios are applied to the electric vehicles data of Guangzhou in 2022. The recycling strategy of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) within the Greater Bay Area of China (Scenario A) could potentially save 373.2 million US$, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 96,850 tons, compared to manufacturing batteries from mined raw materials and long-distance transportation (Scenario B). This demonstrates the importance of localized, efficient industrial automotive chain within the Greater Bay Area, which besides being cost-effective, offers profound environmental benefits. Other important factors for the result are the efficiency of the developed hydrometallurgical process, the price of the sellable material, and the transport distance. Scenario modeling results from the developed integrating evaluation clearly reveal the significant potential of battery recycling, and the innovative integrating approach has the potential for broader applicability beyond the specific context of our study. [Display omitted] • An environmentally and economically process for spent LiFePO 4 batteries recycling was designed. • The recycling process was evaluated by LCA and Monte Carlo simulation based on real-world resource. • Two scenarios are applied to the electric vehicles data of Guangzhou in 2022 and 50,000 MC simulation. • The developed scenarios reveals a highly probability of cost and CO 2 emission reduction. • Results reveal eco-friendly battery recycling is a crucial step in sustainable growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VOCs are an important precursor pollutant of ozone (O 3) and secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Vehicle evaporative emission is an essential source of VOCs in urban area, among which lack of localized tests of running loss process in China. This study tested all the evaporative emission processes of in-use light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs), including refueling, running loss, hot soak, and 48-h diurnal breathing loss (DBL) based on the variable temperature Sealed Housing for Evaporative Determination (VT-SHED) of REU (China 4, China 5) vehicles and REC (China 6, with Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery system) vehicles. The emission factors (EFs), species profiles, Ozone formation potential (OFP), and SOA formation potential (SOAP) of all evaporative emission processes of REU and REC vehicles were obtained. We found that the running loss emissions was less affected by the Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery (ORVR) system, the average running loss EFs of REU and REC vehicles was 9.386 mg/km; refueling and DBL EFs of REC vehicles was 1.491 mg/L and 0.179 g/day, respectively, 99.8% and 56.0% lower than those of REU vehicles, the hot soak EFs was 0.087 g/h in average. The refueling emissions process was dominated by alkanes (REU: 77.8%; REC: 75.4%), and C4 and C5 species dominated (REU: 75.6%; REC: 67.6%). Among the running loss, hot soak and DBL emissions, alkanes, oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) and aromatics were the dominant VOCs groups, OVOCs account for a higher proportion in REC vehicles than in REU vehicles. REC vehicles had higher proportion of C1–C3 than REU vehicles, it may be that ORVR has a better adsorption effect on species with large carbon numbers. Running loss VOCs species had a strong correlation with hot soak VOCs species. The OFP of running loss in REU and REC vehicles were 0.9–1.3 and 0.3–0.7 times higher than those of refueling and 48-h DBL, while the SOAP were 10.7–12.9 and both 1.1 times higher, respectively. These findings can provide valuable basis for emission estimation and characteristic analysis for evaporative process of LDGVs and support the development of appropriate pollution-control policy. • All the evaporation emission processes of in-use light-duty gasoline vehicles were tested, including running loss. • The running loss emissions was less affected by the ORVR system. • REC vehicles had higher proportion of OVOCs and C1–C3 species than REU vehicles. • There was a strong correlation between hot soak and running loss species. • The EFs, OFP, and SOAP of running loss were greater than those of hot soak and 48-h DBL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tectonic setting of the late Paleoproterozoic suite of anorthosite, mangerite, charnockite and alkali-feldspar granite (AMCG) on the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) is controversial. This paper reports on the petrology, geochronology and geochemistry of the Beibaiqi, Beipuzi and Shibalitai mangerites in the Longhua area and the Shinao mangerite in the Jianping area. Zircon U–Pb dating reveals that these mangerites formed 1768–1725 Ma, similar to the other lithologies (1753–1673 Ma) of the AMCG suite on the northern margin of the NCC. The mangerites have intermediate SiO 2 contents (57.2–66.8 wt.%) and high K 2 O (4.04–7.05 wt.%) and Na 2 O (3.75–5.50 wt.%) contents, which belong to alkaline series rocks. They are enriched in light rare-earth elements (REEs) and large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) of Rb, Ba and K, and they are depleted in heavy REEs and the high field-strength elements (HFSEs) of Th, U, Nb, Ta, Ti and P. The zircon ɛ Hf ( t ) values of these mangerites are negative (−8.3 to −1.7), with depleted mantle model ages ( T DM ) and average crustal two-stage modal ages ( T 2DM ) from 2250 Ma to 2533 Ma and 2573 Ma to 2959 Ma, respectively. These geochemical characteristics suggest that these mangerites originated from the early Precambrian lower crust of the NCC. Compared with the mangerites, the other lithologies of the AMCG suite display different evolutionary trends of their major elements and different distribution patterns of their REEs and trace elements, indicating that those lithologies were not formed through fractional crystallization by the same primary magma. The anorthosites share similar distribution patterns of REEs and trace elements and zircon Hf isotopic composition with associated norites. The data suggest that the anorthosites were formed by noritic magmas through fractional crystallization at the base of the lower crust. The alkali-granites and rapakivi granites display the geochemical features of A-type granites, and might have originated from partial melting of the mid-upper crust. Combined with regional geological data, these findings suggest that the AMCG suite occurred in a post-collisional/post-orogenic extensional setting rather than an anorogenic continental rift setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Zircon U–Pb dating and geochemical data are reported for the Jiefangyingzi and Yongshenghao granitic plutons from the Jiefangyingzi area to the northeast (NE) of Chifeng city, Inner Mongolia, with the objective of revealing the tectonic nature of the northern margin of the Sino-Korean paleoplate in early Mesozoic. Zircons from these granitic intrusions are euhedral and subeuhedral in shape with typical oscillatory zoning, indicating magmatic origin. The dating results indicate that these plutons formed in late middle Triassic (229±2Ma and 229±1Ma respectively), rather than in late Paleozoic, as previously thought. The Jiefangyingzi and Yongshegnhao granitic plutons are composed primarily of granodiorite and granite, with compositions of SiO2 =63.23–68.91wt.%, K2O=3.06–4.51wt.%, and A/CNK=0.94–0.99. Chemically, they belong to the high-K calc-alkaline series and meta-aluminous I-type granites. Zircon ε Hf(t) values of both plutons range from +2.1 to +5.0 and +1.4 to +3.9, respectively, whereas the whole-rock ε Nd(t) values of Yongshenghao pluton range from −1.2 to −0.7, indicating the participation of depleted mantle material in their magmatic source. The petrological and geochemical characteristics suggest that these plutons are post-collisional granitoids. Combined with regional geological data, we conclude that these late middle Triassic granitoids formed during the transitional period from the post-collision setting to the post-orogenic extension setting after the collision between the Siberian and Sino-Korean paleoplates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Matrine is a kind of alkaloid found in certain Sophora plants, which has been extensively used in China for the treatment of viral hepatitis, cancer, cardiac diseases and skin diseases (such as atopic dermatitis and eczema). It also has been confirmed that substance P (SP) and its receptor (neurokinin-1 receptor, NK-1R) are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin disorders. So the present study was designed to investigate the effect of matrine on the expression of NK-1R and cytokines production induced by SP in HaCaT cells (a human epidermal keratinocyte cell line) and dermal fibroblasts. In addition, cell viability was also evaluated. The results showed that matrine inhibited the expression of NK-1R in HaCaT cells and fibroblasts. SP induced the production of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-γ, and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 in both cell types. Matrine 5–100 μg/mL had little effect on cell viability. It inhibited SP-induced IL-1β, IL-8 and MCP-1 production in HaCaT cells and fibroblasts, while it increased the production of IFN-γ in HaCaT cells. Both SP and matrine had no effect on the secretion of IL-6. These findings suggest that matrine may have potential treatment function on SP related cutaneous inflammation by inhibition of the expression of substance P receptor and regulation of the production of inflammatory cytokines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vehicle emissions contribute to ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution directly via emissions of PM and indirectly by secondary aerosol formation, as a result of trace gas emissions. In this paper, we determined the emission factors of primary pollutants and estimated the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potential of a China V heavy-duty diesel engine tested under ETC (European Transient Cycle) and ESC (European Stationary Cycle) with different types of fuels using an engine dynamometer. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission factors were 55.7–121 mg/kwh, while primary PM emission factors were 15.0–26.8 mg/kwh. These values were substantially lower than those of older diesel vehicles that met pre-China V standards. Based on the SOA yields of the measured VOCs, the SOA formation potential of diesel engines were estimated to be 2.8–15.9 mg/kg fuel. The ratios of potential SOA/primary PM ranged from 0.07 to 0.16. We further showed that VOCs emission factors, SOA formation potential and the ratios of SOA/primary PM were highly dependent on the test cycle, whereas the primary PM emission factors on both test cycles and fuel quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fill the knowledge gaps regarding the global patterns of human exposure to flame retardants (FRs) (i.e., brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs)), data on the levels and distributions of FRs in external and internal exposure mediums, including indoor dust, indoor air, skin wipe, serum and urine, were summarized and analysed. Comparatively, FR levels were relatively higher in developed regions in all mediums, and significant positive correlations between FR contamination and economic development level were observed in indoor dust and air. Over time, the concentration of BFRs showed a slightly decreasing trend in all mediums worldwide, whereas OPFRs represented an upward tendency in some regions (e.g., the USA and China). The occurrence levels of FRs and their metabolites in all external and internal media were generally correlated, implying a mutual indicative role among them. Dermal absorption generally contributed >60% of the total exposure of most FR monomers, and dust ingestion was dominant for several low volatile compounds, while inhalation was found to be negligible. The high-risk FR monomers (BDE-47, BDE-99 and TCIPP) identified by external exposure assessment showed similarity to the major FRs or metabolites observed in internal exposure mediums, suggesting the feasibility of using these methods to characterize human exposure and the contribution of indoor exposure to the human burden of FRs. This review highlights the significant importance of exposure assessment based on multiple mediums for future studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Vehicle exhaust, an important source of air pollution, is affected by many factors, including driving conditions, combustion efficiencies, and the usage of emission control devices. In this study, the Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS) was used to test the emissions from China V and China VI heavy-duty diesel vehicles to evaluate the integrated effects of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), velocity, and air-fuel ratio on carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions. Our results reveal that the average distance-based CO 2 and CO emission factors at high velocities (50-90 km/h) are 25% and 61% lower than those at low velocities (less than 50 km/h). The use of SCR increases CO 2 emissions in the range of 70-90 km/h (an average increase of 10.9%). In addition, SCR leads to a 55% NO x emission reduction at low velocities and 89% at high velocities, with an overall average reduction of 84%. We also find that SCR leads to a significant reduction in the correlation between NO x emissions and air-fuel ratio (0.76 vs 0.47 for China V truck; 0.72 vs 0.05 for China VI truck), but it does not cause a drastic reduction in the correlation coefficients between CO 2 emissions and air-fuel ratio, which can be used to detect whether SCR is working effectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: In pancreatic cancer, acute pancreatitis (AP) is a serious morbidity, but its negative effect on long-term outcomes remains to be elucidated., Aim: To investigate the effects of AP on the tumor recurrence pattern of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and tumor-specific survival., Methods: The medical records of 219 patients with curative pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer at the Pancreatic Surgery Center of West China Hospital from July 2012 to December 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The severity of acute pancreatitis was classified according to the Atlanta classification of AP. The patient demographics and tumor characteristics were assessed. Early recurrence was defined as a relapse within 12 mo after surgery. Overall and disease-free survival and recurrence patterns were analyzed. Mild acute pancreatitis was excluded because its negative effects can be negligible., Results: Early recurrence in AP group was significantly higher than in non-AP group (71.4% vs 41.2%; P = 0.009). Multivariate analysis of postoperative early recurrence showed that moderate or severe AP was an independent risk factor for an early recurrence [odds ratio (OR): 4.13; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.41-12.10; P = 0.01]. The median time to recurrence was shorter in patients with AP than in those without (8.4 vs 12.8 mo; P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis identified AP as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival [relative risk (RR): 2.35; 95%CI: 1.45-3.83] and disease-free survival (RR: 2.24; 95%CI: 1.31-3.85) in patients with PDAC., Conclusion: Patients with moderate or severe acute pancreatitis developed recurrences earlier than those without. Moderate or severe AP is associated with shorter overall and disease-free survival of patients with PDAC., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this article., (©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

A novel allele HLA-C*08:80 differs from HLA-C*08:01:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution at position 142., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Metabolic uncouplers are widely used for the in-situ reduction of excess sludge from activated sludge systems. However, the interaction mechanism between the metabolic uncouplers and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of activated sludge is unknown yet. In this study, the interactions between a typical metabolic uncoupler, o-chlorophenol (oCP), and the EPS extracted from activated sludge were explored using a suite of spectral methods. The binding constants calculated for the four peaks of three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence were in a range of 1.24-1.76 × 10 3  L/mol, implying that the tyrosine protein-like substances governed the oCP-EPS interactions. Furthermore, the results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that the carboxyl, carbonyl, amine, and hydroxyl groups of EPS were the main functional groups involved in the formation of the oCP-EPS complex. The results of this study are useful for understanding the interactions between metabolic uncouplers and the EPS of activated sludge as well as their fates in biological wastewater treatment systems., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), endothelial function, and DNA methylation play roles in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension (EH); however, the mechanism by which HCMV predisposes patients to hypertension remain unclear. Our group previously demonstrated an association between EH and HCMV infection in Kazakh Chinese. Here, we investigated the relationship between HCMV infection and other clinicopathological features in 720 Kazakh individuals with or without hypertension ( n =360 each; age: 18-80). Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the associations between HCMV infection, clinical characteristics, and EH. Notably, patients with EH, particularly those with HCMV infection, exhibited a marked increase in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHDG) levels, but a decrease in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and renin levels. Similarly, elevated TNF-α and 8-OHDG levels were independent predictors of increased HCMV antibody titers, whereas eNOS and renin were negatively correlated with the latter. Moreover, serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (sACE, ACE ) methylation was increased, whereas 11-β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD11β2; HSD3B2 ) methylation was decreased in patients with EH who were also infected with HCMV. A positive correlation between HSD3B2 methylation and HCMV IgG titer and blood pressure was additionally observed, whereas angiotensin-converting enzyme ( ACE ) methylation was inversely correlated with blood pressure. Collectively, these data indicate that HCMV may contribute to EH development in the Kazakh Chinese by increasing TNF-α and 8-OHDG levels, suppressing eNOS and renin, and manipulating HSD3B2 and ACE methylation., (© 2018 The Author(s).)

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is associated with hypertension and has been linked with the pathogenesis of increased arterial blood pressure (BP). Currently, whether CMV infection is associated with the progression of hypertension and hypertensive target organ damage (TOD) remains to be identified. We aimed to examine the relationship between CMV infection and the progression of hypertension and hypertensive TOD, which could provide clues on the possible mediating mechanisms, in the Han Chinese population. A total of 372 patients with hypertension and 191 healthy controls (Han participants from Xinjiang, China) were included in the study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and qPCR were used to detect CMV infection. C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) titers were also analyzed using an ELISA kit. Moreover, cardiovascular disease markers were evaluated by echocardiography, carotid ultrasonography, and tomographic scans. Essential hypertension (EH) patients exhibited a marked increase in CMV IgG antibody, CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels. Higher grade of hypertension and hypertensive TOD had higher CMV IgG antibody and CRP levels. The CMV IgG antibody titers were positively correlated with arterial BP, greater grade of hypertension and hypertensive TOD, and CRP and IL-6 levels. The higher quartile of CMV IgG titer and CRP level were associated with the incidence of hypertension and the progression of hypertension and hypertensive TOD. In the Han Chinese population, high CMV IgG titers are associated with the progression of hypertension and hypertensive TOD. CMV IgG titer >4.25 U could be an independent predictor of hypertension and progression of hypertension, while that >4.85 U could be an independent risk factor for hypertensive TOD. The underlying mechanism may be largely mediated by chronic inflammation.

The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), remodeling of the vasculature, and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) play important roles in the development of essential hypertension (EH), which is defined as high blood pressure (BP) in which secondary causes, such as renovascular disease, are absent. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is involved in the regulation of BP. However, the underlying mechanisms by which the CaSR regulates BP are poorly understood. In the present study, the role of the CaSR in EH was investigated using male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and rat and human plasma samples. The percentages of medial wall thickness to external diameter (WT%), total vessel wall cross-sectional area to the total area (WA%) of thoracic arteries, as well as the percentage of wall area occupied by collagen to total vessel wall area (CA%) were determined. Tissue protein expression and plasma concentrations of the CaSR, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), renin, and angiotensin II (Ang II) were additionally assessed. WT%, WA%, and CA% were found to increase with increasing BP, whereas the plasma concentration of CaSR was found to decrease. With increasing BP, the levels of smooth muscle actin and calponin decreased, whereas those of osteopontin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen increased. The CaSR level negatively correlated with the levels of cAMP and Ang II, but positively correlated with those of renin. Our data suggest that reduced expression of the CaSR is correlated with activation of the RAS, which induces increased vascular remodeling and VSMC proliferation, and thereby associated with EH in the SHR model and in the Han Chinese population. Our findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis of EH.

Sporadic hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreaks and other infectious diseases in recent years have frequently been associated with certain human enterovirus (HEV) serotypes. This study explored the prevalences and genetic characteristics of non-HEV71 and non-coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) human enterovirus-associated HFMD infections in Shenzhen, China. A total of 2,411 clinical stool specimens were collected from hospital-based surveillance for HFMD from 2008 to 2012. The detection of HEV was performed by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and RT-seminested PCR, and spatiotemporal phylogenetic analysis was performed based on the VP1 genes. A total of 1,803 (74.8%) strains comprising 28 different serotypes were detected. In the past 5 years, the predominant serotypes were HEV71 (60.0%), followed by CV-A16 (21.2%) and two uncommon serotypes, CV-A6 (13.0%) and CV-A10 (3.3%). However, CV-A6 replaced CV-A16 as the second most common serotype between 2010 and 2012. As an emerging pathogen, CV-A6 became as common a causative agent of HFMD as HEV71 in Shenzhen in 2012. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that little variation occurred in the Chinese HEV71 and CV-A16 strains. The genetic characteristics of the Chinese CV-A6 and CV-A10 strains displayed geographic differences. The CV-A6 and CV-A10 strains circulating in Shenzhen likely originated in Europe. It was found that human enteroviruses have a high mutation rate due to evolutionary pressure and frequent recombination (3.2 × 10(-3) to 6.4 ×10(-3) substitutions per site per year for HEV71, CV-A6, CV-A16, and CV-A10). Since certain serotypes are potential threats to the public health, this study provides further insights into the significance of the epidemiological surveillance of HFMD.

A 2-year (2008-2010) field experiment was conducted to study the effects of basal dressing nitrogen, topdressing nitrogen, and ridge film furrow planting on the 0-2 m soil moisture status and the grain yield and water use efficiency of winter wheat in rain-fed area of South Shanxi Province. In all treatments, the soil moisture status during winter wheat growth period had the same change trend, being increased steadily from pre-sowing to revival stage and decreased sharply from revival stage to heading stage, and then increased gradually till maturity stage. From revival stage to heading stage, the soil water consumption was the most. Increasing nitrogen basal application rate or topdressing nitrogen increased the soil water consumption, widened the soil moisture active layer, and deepened the relatively stable layer. Topdressing nitrogen increased grain yield significantly; ridge film furrow planting decreased soil water consumption obviously. The water use efficiency under ridge film furrow planting was 23.4% and 39.1% higher than that under conventional planting system in 2009 and 2010 (P < 0.01). The grain yield under ridge film furrow planting plus top-dressing nitrogen was 3643 kg x hm(-2), which was significantly higher than that under single ridge film furrow planting or topdressing nitrogen, displaying a preferable water-fertilizer coupling effect.