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With new sulphur oxides emission limits carried out in 2020, multiple desulphurisation methods have been proposed. The main desulphurisation scrubber systems were chosen and investigated using life cycle assessment. The whole system life is divided into the construction and operational phases. Three different systems classified by desulphurisers, namely, seawater, NaOH, and Mg-based systems, were modelled in GaBi software. Moreover, environmental, economic and energy aspects (3E model) were introduced for further analysis. Through this study, some conclusions have been drawn. As for the environmental aspect, the seawater system has the most pleasing performance since the primary emissions come from 1.24E+03 kg CO2 and 1.48E+01 kg chloride. The NaOH system causes 1000 times more emissions than the seawater. The Mg-based system has less pollution than the NaOH system, with 5.86E+06kg CO2 and 3.86E+03 kg chloride. The economic aspect is divided into capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx) to estimate disbursement. The seawater system also has the most favourable cost appearance, which takes 1.7 million dollars without extra desulphuriser expenses, based on 10MW engine flue gas treatment. The next is the Mg-based system, which cost 2 million dollars in CapEx and $ 1200/year in OpEx for the desulphuriser. NaOH uses about 2.5 million dollars for construction and $ 30000/year in desulphuriser. As for the energy aspect, the seawater and Mg-based systems use less non-renewable energy than the NaOH system in the construction phase. In conclusion, the seawater system shows the best performance and could be an alternative in SOx control technologies. This study sheds light on the comprehensive evaluation of marine environmental protection technologies for further optimisation.

BackgroundHookworm disease is endemic in China and is widespread globally. The disease burden to humans is great.MethodsThe study described the national surveillance of hookworm implemented in 31 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities (P/A/Ms) of China in 2019. Each P/A/M determined the number and location of surveillance spots (counties). A unified sampling method was employed, and at least 1000 subjects were investigated in each surveillance spot. The modified Kato-Katz thick smear method was employed for stool examination. Fifty samples positive with hookworm eggs were cultured in each surveillance spot to discriminate species between A. duodenale and N. americanus. Twenty-five soil samples were collected from each surveillance spot and examined for hookworm larva. The 2019 surveillance results were analyzed and compared with that of 2016-2018.ResultsA total of 424766 subjects were investigated in 31 P/A/Ms of China in 2019, and the overall hookworm infection rate was 0.85% (3580/424766). The weighted infection and standard infection rates were 0.66% (4288357/648063870) and 0.67% (4343844/648063870), respectively. Sichuan province had the highest standard infection rate (4.75%) in 2019, followed by Chongqing (2.54%) and Hainan (2.44%). The standard infection rates of other P/A/Ms were all below 1%, with no hookworm detected in 15 P/A/Ms. The standard hookworm infection rate in the males and the females were 0.61% (2021216/330728900) and 0.71% (2267141/317334970), respectively, with a significant difference between different genders ([Formula: see text] = 17.23, PConclusionThe national surveillance showed that the hookworm infection rate has been decreasing annually from 2016 to 2019, and it is now below 1%. China has made significant progress in controlling hookworm. The national surveillance system is an important way to understand the endemic status and provide important information in this process and thus needs to be continually optimized.

Author(s): Zhaokui Cai [sup.1] [sup.2] , Changchang Cao [sup.1] , Lei Ji [sup.1] , Rong Ye [sup.1] [sup.2] , Di Wang [sup.1] [sup.2] , Cong Xia [sup.3] , Sui Wang [...], Highly structured RNA molecules usually interact with each other, and associate with various RNA-binding proteins, to regulate critical biological processes. However, RNA structures and interactions in intact cells remain largely unknown. Here, by coupling proximity ligation mediated by RNA-binding proteins with deep sequencing, we report an RNA in situ conformation sequencing (RIC-seq) technology for the global profiling of intra- and intermolecular RNA-RNA interactions. This technique not only recapitulates known RNA secondary structures and tertiary interactions, but also facilitates the generation of three-dimensional (3D) interaction maps of RNA in human cells. Using these maps, we identify noncoding RNA targets globally, and discern RNA topological domains and trans-interacting hubs. We reveal that the functional connectivity of enhancers and promoters can be assigned using their pairwise-interacting RNAs. Furthermore, we show that CCAT1-5L--a super-enhancer hub RNA--interacts with the RNA-binding protein hnRNPK, as well as RNA derived from the MYC promoter and enhancer, to boost MYC transcription by modulating chromatin looping. Our study demonstrates the power and applicability of RIC-seq in discovering the 3D structures, interactions and regulatory roles of RNA. RNA in situ conformation sequencing (RIC-seq) enables the generation of three-dimensional interaction maps of RNA in cells, which sheds light on the interactions and regulatory functions of RNA.

Increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disorders demands a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying its multifactorial aetiology. Here we demonstrate that mice deficient for REGγ, a proteasome activator, show significantly attenuated intestinal inflammation and colitis-associated cancer in dextran sodium sulfate model. Bone marrow transplantation experiments suggest that REGγ's function in non-haematopoietic cells primarily contributes to the phenotype. Elevated expression of REGγ exacerbates local inflammation and promotes a reciprocal regulatory loop with NFκB involving ubiquitin-independent degradation of IκBɛ. Additional deletion of IκBɛ restored colitis phenotypes and inflammatory gene expression in REGγ-deficient mice. In sum, this study identifies REGγ-mediated control of IκBɛ as a molecular mechanism that contributes to NFκB activation and promotes bowel inflammation and associated tumour formation in response to chronic injury.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the world’s leading cause of death despite the best available healthcare and therapy. Emerging as a key mediator of intercellular and inter-organ communication in CVD pathogenesis, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous group of membrane-enclosed nano-sized vesicles released by virtually all cells, of which their RNA cargo, especially non-coding RNAs (ncRNA), has been increasingly recognized as a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target. Recent evidence shows that ncRNAs, such as small ncRNAs, circular RNAs, and long ncRNAs, can be selectively sorted into EVs or other non-vesicular carriers and modulate various biological processes in recipient cells. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the literature regarding the origin, extracellular carrier, and functional mechanisms of extracellular ncRNAs with a focus on small ncRNAs, circular RNAs, and long ncRNAs. The pathophysiological roles of extracellular ncRNAs in various CVDs, including atherosclerosis, ischemic heart diseases, hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, and heart failure, are extensively discussed. We also provide an update on recent developments and challenges in using extracellular ncRNAs as biomarkers or therapeutical targets in these CVDs.

BackgroundBased on two national surveys, the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) in China had decreased from 53.58% in 1988-1992 to 19.56% in 2001-2004. To update the epidemiology and characteristics of STH in China, a third national survey was implemented in 2014-2015.Methodology/principal findingsThis survey covered rural areas in 31 provinces in mainland of China. Multiple-stage stratified cluster sampling was employed, which included three levels (provinces, ecozones and economical levels). Stool samples were collected and the Kato-Katz method was applied for helminth eggs detection. Samples with hookworm eggs were selected and hatched to differentiate the species based on larval morphology. Between June 2014 and May 2015, a total of 484,210 participants from 604 counties were enrolled. The weighted prevalence of STH overall was 4.49% (95% confidential interval (CI): 2.45%-6.53%), including 2.62% (95% CI: 0.86%-4.38%) hookworm infections, 1.36% (95% CI: 0.49%-2.23%) ascariasis, and 1.02% (95% CI: 0.15%-1.89%) trichuriasis. The estimated population infected was 29.12 million (95% CI: 15.88 million-42.32 million) for all STH; 16.97 million (95% CI: 5.57 million-28.39 million) for hookworm infections; 8.83 million (95% CI: 3.18 million-14.45 million) for ascariasis; and 6.60 million (95% CI: 0.97 million-12.25 million) for trichuriasis. Overall, the prevalence of ascariasis and trichuriasis was relatively high in children, while hookworm infections were more common in the older population, especially those over 60. STH was highly prevalent in western China, and moderately in central areas, but low in eastern and northern regions. Out of 3,579 hookworm cases with species differentiation, 479 cases (13.38%) were infected with only Ancylostoma spp., 2,808 cases (78.46%) with only Necator americanus, and another 292 cases (8.16%) with both species.Conclusions/significanceThis survey demonstrated the continuous decrease of STH in rural China. However, endemicity still prevails in the western areas of the country. Hookworm, especially N. americanus, is becoming the predominant species. Older farmers in western China should be prioritized for control due to the high prevalence of hookworm.

Abstract. Background:. Traditional tissue engineering methods to fabricate urinary tract patch have some drawbacks such as compromised cell viability and uneven cell distribution within scaffold. In this study, we combined three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting and tissue engineering method to form a tissue-engineered urinary tract patch, which could be employed for the application on Beagles urinary tract defect mode to verify its effectiveness on urinary tract reconstruction. Methods:. Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) were dropped into smooth muscle differentiation medium to generate induced microtissues (ID-MTs), flow cytometry was utilized to detect the positive percentage for CD44, CD105, CD45, and CD34 of hADSCs. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) in hADSCs and MTs were identified by Western blotting. Then the ID-MTs were employed for 3D bioprinting. The bioprinted structure was encapsulated by transplantation into the subcutaneous tissue of nude mice for 1 week. After retrieval of the encapsulated structure, hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to demonstrate the morphology and reveal collagen and smooth muscle fibers, integral optical density (IOD) and area of interest were calculated for further semi-quantitative analysis. Immunofluorescent double staining of CD31 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were used to reveal vascularization of the encapsulated structure. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2), α-SMA, and smoothelin of the MTs in the implanted structure. Afterward, the encapsulated structure was seeded with human urothelial cells. Immunofluorescent staining of cytokeratins AE1/AE3 was applied to inspect the morphology of seeded encapsulated structure. Results:. The semi-quantitative assay showed that the relative protein expression of VEGFA was 0.355 ± 0.038 in the hADSCs vs. 0.649 ± 0.150 in the MTs (t = 3.291, P = 0.030), while TSG-6 expression was 0.492 ± 0.092 in the hADSCs vs. 1.256 ± 0.401 in the MTs (t = 3.216, P = 0.032). The semi-quantitative analysis showed that the mean IOD of IL-2 in the MT group was 7.67 ± 1.26, while 12.6 ± 4.79 in the hADSCs group, but semi-quantitative analysis showed that there was no statistical significance in the difference between the two groups (t = 1.724, P = 0.16). The semi-quantitative analysis showed that IOD was 71.7 ± 14.2 in non-induced MTs (NI-MTs) vs. 35.7 ± 11.4 in ID-MTs for collagen fibers (t = 3.428, P = 0.027) and 12.8 ± 1.9 in NI-MTs vs. 30.6 ± 8.9 in ID-MTs for smooth muscle fibers (t = 3.369, P = 0.028); furthermore, the mean IOD was 0.0613 ± 0.0172 in ID-MTs vs. 0.0017 ± 0.0009 in NI-MTs for α-SMA (t = 5.994, P = 0.027), while 0.0355 ± 0.0128 in ID-MTs vs. 0.0035 ± 0.0022 in NI-MTs for smoothelin (t = 4.268, P = 0.013), which indicate that 3D bioprinted structure containing ID-MTs could mimic the smooth muscle layer of native urinary tract. After encapsulation of the urinary tract patch for additional cell adhesion, urothelial cells were seeded onto the encapsulated structures, and a monolayer urothelial cell was observed. Conclusion:. Through 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering methods, we provided a promising way to fabricate tissue-engineered urinary tract patch for further investigation.