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Hematologic parameters are important indicators for monitoring the physiological changes and human health. Neonicotinoids (NEOs) exhibit toxic effects and can affect hematologic parameters. However, the effects of exposure to NEOs metabolites on hematologic parameters in the general population remain unknown. We examined the relationship between NEOs metabolites and hematologic parameters using a cross-sectional study design in 1397 adults of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016. The levels of NEOs metabolites in urine and hematologic makers were measured. Multivariate linear regression models were performed to examine the relationship between exposure to NEOs metabolites and hematologic parameters. Detectable urine levels of clothianidin (CLO) was inversely associated with hematocrit (β = - 0.689; 95% CI: - 1.335, - 0.042). Detectability of 5-hydroxy-imidacloprid (HIMI) was inversely correlated with basophil percentage (β = - 0.093; 95% CI: - 0.180, - 0.007). N-Desmethyl-acetamiprid (NDE) was related to reduced white blood cells (WBC) (β = - 0.419; 95% CI: - 0.764, - 0.074) and neutrophil counts (β = - 0.349; 95% CI: - 0.623, - 0.074). Imidacloprid-equivalent total neonicotinoids (IMIeq) was negatively related to red blood cells (RBC) (β = - 0.058; 95% CI: - 0.097, - 0.020), hemoglobin (β = - 0.149; 95% CI: - 0.282, - 0.015), and hematocrit (β = - 0.484; 95% CI: - 0.855, - 0.113). We also observed that exposure to NEOs metabolites was sex specifically related to hematologic alterations. For example, IMIeq was associated with reduced basophil counts (β = - 0.016; 95% CI: - 0.028, - 0.003), basophil percentage (β = - 0.092; 95% CI: - 0.169, - 0.016), RBC (β = - 0.097; 95% CI: - 0.156, - 0.038), hemoglobin (β = - 0.200; 95% CI: - 0.355, - 0.045), and hematocrit (β = - 0.605; 95% CI: - 1.111, - 0.098) only in males. These results provide the first evidence that exposure to NEOs metabolites can disturb hematologic homeostasis in the general population, and the effects may be sex specific.

This study was to compare the Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression profiles, their related biological functions, and pathways in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with mild and severe influenza associated pneumonia (IAP). Initially,10 mild and 10 severe IAP patients were enrolled. RNA samples were extracted from the PBMCs of those patients and comprehensive lncRNA and mRNA profiles were examined using Clariom™ D microarrays. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) analysis were used to predict the function and signaling pathways affected by the differentially expressed mRNA. LncRNA-mRNA interaction network was performed to explore the synergistic effect of differentially expressed lncRNAs and their function-related mRNAs. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out to verify the microarray results. A total of 40 upregulated and 40 downregulated lncRNAs and 120 upregulated and 60 downregulated mRNAs were identified using microarray analysis. A total of 23 GO items were significantly associated with related differential expressed mRNA. KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that nuclear factor-κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathway, mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway were significantly related to those differentially expressed mRNAs. LncRNA-mRNA network analysis identified several key lncRNAs and mRNAs including NONHSAT105043, SBDSP1, CA5BP1, DDX3X, and IL-4R. Altogether, our data signify that the differently expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs identified in the current study as well as the related signaling pathways may provide systematic information for understanding the pathogenesis of IAP.

Bisphenols have endocrine-disrupting effects, which may disrupt hemoglobin (Hb) homeostasis and lead to anemia. However, the effects of bisphenols on anemia remain unknown. Therefore, we assessed the effects of single- and multiple-exposure to bisphenols on Hb levels and anemia of pregnant women.The study involved 2035 pregnant women from Guangxi Zhuang Birth Cohort in China. Generalized linear regression, principal component analysis (PCA), quantile g-computation (Qgcomp), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were performed to examine the effects of serum bisphenols on Hb levels and the risk of anemia.After adjustment, elevated bisphenol A (BPA) levels were correlated with decreased Hb concentrations (β = -0.51; 95%CI: -0.92, -0.10) in the first trimester, and these correlations were more sensitive in mothers of males. Compared with the low-exposure group, bisphenol B (BPB) levels in the high-exposure group led to a 1.52 g/L (95%CI: -3.01, -0.03) decrease in Hb levels in the second trimester; tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) levels in the high-exposure group led to a higher the risk of anemia in the third trimester (OR = 1.46; 95%CI: 1.07, 1.99); bisphenol F (BPF) in the high-exposure group led to lower Hb levels (β = -2.42; 95%CI:-4.69, -0.14) in mothers of male fetuses in the third trimester. Qgcomp showed that elevated levels of bisphenol mixture was correlated with (β = -1.42; 95%CI: -2.61, -0.24) decrease in Hb levels in the second trimester. PCA revealed a negative association between PC2 and Hb levels in the first trimester (β = -0.89; 95%CI: -1.61, -0.17). Similarly, a negative relationship was observed between PC1 and Hb levels in the third trimester among mothers with male fetuses (β = -1.00; 95%CI: -1.94, -0.06).Prenatal exposure to single and mixed bisphenols may decrease Hb levels and increase the risk of anemia during pregnancy, the associations may be greater in mothers with male fetuses than those with female fetuses.

Solitary plasmacytoma (SP) is a rare plasma cell disorder characterized by localized neoplastic proliferation of monoclonal plasma cell. Due to its rarity, further understanding of the spectrum of its clinicopathologic features is needed.A retrospective analysis of cases from a single institution was conducted. Clinical characteristics of the patients were collected; histopathological and semi-quantitative immunohistochemical analyses were performed.Thirteen cases were identified from our pathology archives, including 4 cases of solitary plasmacytoma of bone (SPB) (30.8%) and 9 extraosseous plasmacytoma (EP) (69.2%). The mean age of EP is a decade older than SPB. There is no gender disparity. The most common sites involved are the vertebrae and nasopharynx. Histologically, the tumors can be classified into two grades based on degree of differentiation. Immunohistochemically the tumor cells express CD38, CD138, MUM-1, and exhibit light chain restriction. Ki-67 proliferation index is 30%. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNAs (EBER) is negative in six cases tested. Semi-quantitative immunohistochemical analysis showed decreased integrated optical density (IOD) of CD38 in neoplastic cells. IgH gene rearrangement was identified in two cases.SP is a rare plasmacytoid neoplasm that occurs more frequently in older patients. Diagnosis requires a systematic clinical approach combined with the pathological characteristics of plasmacytoid morphology, immunophenotype and light chain restriction. There are more cases of EP than SPB in our series, which is in contrast to that reported in literature. Results from this study suggest that CD38 is a potential immunohistochemical marker associated with prognosis of SP. Further studies with more cases and longer term follow-up may provide more definitive information on risk of progression from SP to multiple myeloma (MM).

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Hence, for a better understanding of tumor microenvironment and to seek for novel molecular targets for esophageal cancer, we performed related studies on two histopathological subtypes of esophageal cancer: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Bioinformatic analyses were conducted based on the RNA-seq, genomic mutation, and clinical data from TCGA and GEO cohorts. We clustered patients into high-immunity and low-immunity groups through the ssGSEA results. The ESTIMATE algorithm was used to evaluate the tumor microenvironment. Patients with high immunity in both ESCC and EAC had lower tumor purity and poor survival. Subsequently, CIBERSORT was performed to learn about the detailed difference of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) between high- and low-immunity patients. Specific increase of M2 macrophages and decrease of activated dendric cells can be observed in ESCC and EAC, respectively. The most enriched functions and pathways of high-immunity patients were immunoglobulin complex, MHC class II protein complex, and allograft rejection according to the GO terms and KEGG. Two prognostic immune-related multi-lncRNA risk models were constructed and validated by ROC curve and PCA in ESCC and EAC. High-risk patients in both subtypes had poor survival, advanced clinical characteristics, and higher drug susceptibility except cisplatin and sorafenib. In addition, the tumor mutation burden (TMB) was positively correlated with the risk level in the ESCC and EAC and showed distinct differences between the two subtypes. In summary, we comprehensively analyzed the tumor microenvironment for two subtypes of esophageal cancer, identified two multi-lncRNA signatures predictive for the prognosis, and explored the possibility of the signatures to forecast drug susceptibility as well as TMB for the first time. The findings may serve as a conceptual basis for innovative strategy of individualized immunotherapy for esophageal cancer.

Background Singlet oxygen (1O2) is highly reactive to biological components such as lipids, proteins and DNA, which induces oxidative damage to cells and tissues. Natural antioxidants may function as 1O2 quencher to prevent 1O2 involved photosensitized oxidation in biological system. Methods Time-resolved measurement of 1O2 luminescence was employed to evaluate the 1O2 quenching abilities of natural antioxidants in air-statured phosphate buffered saline (PBS), including (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), Proanthocyanidins, L-carnosine and Vitamin C. The 1O2 quenching effects and rate constant of EGCG were investigated by detecting the absorption, fluorescence and 1H-NMR spectroscopy and 1O2 luminescence decay curves, respectively. In addition, the protective activity of EGCG against 1O2 oxidative damage caused by Ce6-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) was verified in cells. Results EGCG, proanthocyanidins, L-carnosine and Vitamin C efficiently quenched 1O2 luminescence at 1270 nm. The triplet-state quenching rate constants of EGCG for Rose Bengal (RB), Chlorin e6, AlPcS and HiPorfin are 2.21 × 109, 4.90 × 108, 3.30 × 108, 1.78 × 109 M−1s−1, while the 1O2 quenching rate constants are 2.80 × 108, 1.50 × 108, 1.30 × 108, 1.70 × 108 M−1s−1, respectively. Furthermore, EGCG could effectively quench 1O2 production to prevent NIH/3T3 cells oxidative damage induced by Ce6-mediated PDT. Conclusions EGCG is an efficient quencher for both triplet-state photosensitizers and 1O2. The quenching ability of EGCG during photosensitization for selected photosensitizers is: RB > HiPorfin > Ce6 > AlPcS. EGCG could be used to protect normal cells and tissue against oxidative damage.

Telomere length (TL) at birth is related to future diseases and long-term health. Bisphenols exhibit toxic effects and can cross the placenta barrier. However, the effect of prenatal exposure to bisphenols on newborn TL remains unknown. We aimed to explore the effects of prenatal exposure to bisphenols (i.e., bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol S (BPS), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)) on relative TL in newborns. A total of 801 mother–infant pairs were extracted from the Guangxi Zhuang Birth Cohort (GZBC). The relationships between bisphenol levels in maternal serum and relative TL in cord blood were examined by generalized linear models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models. After adjusting for confounders, we observed a 3.19% (95% CI: -6.08%, -0.21%) reduction in relative cord blood TL among mothers ≥ 28 years with each 1-fold increase of BPS. However, each 1-fold increase of TBBPA, a 3.31% (95% CI: 0.67%, 6.01%) increased in relative cord blood TL among mothers 0.05). This is the first study to show a positive association between serum TBBPA levels and newborn relative TL among younger mothers. However, BPS levels were inversely correlated with TL in fetus born to older mothers. The results suggest fetuses of older pregnant women are more sensitivity to BPS exposure and accelerated aging or BPS-related diseases in later life may stem from early-life exposure.

Background Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), derived from renal tubular epithelial cells, is the most common malignant tumor of the kidney. The study of key genes related to the pathogenesis of ccRCC has become important for gene target therapy. Methods Bioinformatics analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, USUC Xena database, cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics, and MethSurv were performed to examine the aberrant genetic pattern and prognostic significance of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) expression and its relationship to clinical parameters. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to verify LRRK2 expression. The regulation of ccRCC tumor cell lines proliferation by LRRK2 was examined by CCK8 assay. Results Bioinformatics analysis showed that LRRK2 expression was up-regulated and largely correlated with DNA methylation in ccRCC. The up-regulation of LRRK2 was confirmed in ccRCC tissue immunohistochemically and by protein analysis. The level of expression was related to gender, pathological grade, stage, and metastatic status of ccRCC patients. Meanwhile, Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that high expression of LRRK2 correlates to a better prognosis; knockdown of LRRK2 expression attenuated the proliferation ability of ccRCC tumor cell lines; protein–protein interaction network analysis showed that LRRK2 interacts with HIF1A and EGFR. Conclusion We found that LRRK2 may play an important role in the tumorigenesis and progression of ccRCC. Our findings provided a potential predictor and therapeutic target in ccRCC.

Background: Solitary plasmacytoma (SP), accounting for less than 5% of all plasma cell dyscrasias, is a rare disorder with localized proliferation of neoplastic monoclonal plasma cell. Due to the rarity of SP, further understanding of the spectrum of clinicopathologic features is needed. Methods: A 5-year retrospective analysis of cases from a single institution was conducted. Specifically, clinical characteristics of all SP patients were collected, and quantitative immunohistochemical analysis on tissue microarray was performed. Findings: Thirteen cases were identified from our pathology archives, with solitary plasmacytoma of bone (SPB) accounting for 30.8% and extraosseous plasmacytoma (EP) for 69.2% of the cases. The mean age of EP is one decade older than SPB. No gender disparity is identified. The most common sites involved are the vertebrae and nasopharynx. Histologically, the tumors consist of plasmacytoid cells diffusely infiltrating the involved tissue, and can be classified into two grades based on the degree of differentiation. Immunohistochemically the tumor cells are positive for CD38, CD138, MUM-1, and exhibit light chain restriction. Ki-67 proliferation index averages at 30%. Quantitative immunohistochemistry stain analysis showed the neoplastic cells exhibiting decreased CD38 in integrated optical density (IOD). Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNAs (EBER) was negative in all six cases tested. Two cases were positive for IgH gene rearrangement. Interpretation: SP is a rare plasmacytoid tumor that occurs more frequently in older patients. Diagnosis requires a systematic approach, combined with the pathological characteristics of plasmacytoid morphology, immunophenotype and the light chain restriction. Furthermore In our study the data shows that the cases of EP is more than SPB, Which is opposite from the litterature. Further studies with more patients and long-time follow-up may provide more information to understand risk of recurrence and progression from SP to multiple myeloma (MM). Funding: Department of Science and Technology, Hubei Provincial People's Government (2020CFB343). Declaration of Interest: None to declare. Ethical Approval: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhongnan Hospital for discarded diagnostic material (no consent required).

Objective To investigate the effects of CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN) on the proliferation and migration of macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its mechanism. Methods In vitro inflammatory cell model was established by 1 mg/L LPS added into the culture medium of mouse RAW264.7 macrophages. CCK-8 assay was performed to assess the effect of CpG ODN (500 nmol/L) on the proliferation of macrophages induced by LPS; Transwell

Background Several reports on epidemiological and clinical features of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been published. However, mortality and morbidity analyses, important for better understanding the pathogenesis of this disease, are scarce. We examine the clinical and laboratory features of 14 patients who died of COVID-19. Methods The cohort consisted of 11 male and 3 female patients, with 9 patients aged 70 years or above, and nearly all had underlying diseases. Results Fever with bilateral pneumonia was the main manifestation. Most patients had consolidations combined with ground glass opacity (GGO) on chest computed tomography scan. Laboratory tests showed lymphocytopenia in 10 patients, high blood glucose in 11, GGT in 5 of the 14 patients, and high LDH in 5 of 6 patients tested. In addition, this cohort had high level of cytokines such as interleukin-6 in all 8 patients tested. Conclusions The clinical and laboratory parameters in the cohort of fatal cases may be incorporated into future clinical prognosis models and will be of help in understanding the pathogenesis of this disease.

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are related to disease pathogenesis. Oligodeoxynucleotide containing CpG motifs (CpG ODN) demonstrate possibilities for immunotherapy applications. The aim of the present work is to explore the underlying mechanism of the cytoprotective function of CpG ODN by employing the oxidative stress modulation in immune cells. We used the imaging flow cytometry to demonstrate that tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and ROS production in RAW264.7 cells. After pretreatment with CpG ODN, the percentage of apoptotic cells and ROS production was both markedly reduced. The decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) induced by t-BHP was partially reversed by CpG ODN. The t-BHP induced upregulation of the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 9, cleaved-PARP, and bax) was notably decreased in the presence of CpG ODN. Furthermore, we found that CpG ODN enhanced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt to inhibit ROS production. In conclusion, the protective effect of CpG ODN in mitigation of t-BHP-induced apoptosis is dependent on the reduction of ROS.

Preterm birth (PTB), a serious adverse birth outcome, is the leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Bisphenols induce endocrine disruption that spreads across the placenta, which may affect fetal growth and development. However, the effects of bisphenols on PTB, particularly their combined effects, remain unknown. This study investigated the association between prenatal bisphenol exposure and PTB. Study participants were 2023 mother-infant pairs that were selected from the Guangxi Zhuang Birth Cohort. Maternal serum bisphenol levels were measured using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and pregnancy outcomes were obtained from medical records. Multivariate logistic regression, restricted cubic spline, principal component analysis (PCA), quantile g-computation (Qgcomp), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to examine the association between serum bisphenol levels and PTB. Ln-transformed BPA concentrations were associated with an increased risk of PTB only in female infants (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.64). Ln-transformed bisphenol F (BPF) concentrations were positively associated with the risk of PTB (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.55). Inverse U-shaped relationships were observed between bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol S (BPS), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) levels and the risk of PTB (P-overall < 0.05, P-non-linear < 0.05). After sex stratification, the association between BPA analogs and PTB was only observed in males. In Qgcomp analysis, bisphenol mixtures were related to an increased risk of PTB (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.21), with BPF (43.7%), BPS (29.6%) and BPA (26.8%) having the greatest positive contribution. Results indicate that prenatal exposure to bisphenol mixtures might increase the risk of PTB, which might be primarily driven by BPA, BPF and BPS. There may also be sex-specific and nonmonotonic dose-dependent effects.

Background: CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells therapy has shown great success in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). To reduce the possibility of relapse due to CD19 antigen loss, sequential CD19/CD22 and tandem CD19/CD22 dual targets CAR-T cells have been developed. However, the optimal combination strategy of target antigens for CAR-T cells is still uncertain. This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of single CD19, tandem CD19/CD22 and sequential CD19/CD22 CAR-T cells therapies in relapsed/refractory(R/R) B-ALL patients. Methods: Between March 2016 and August 2020, a total of 200 patients with R/R B-ALL successfully received 230 CAR-T treatments (30 patients received the second CAR-T therapy and 8 patients received the third CAR-T therapy) were screened in this study. Among them, 168 patients received single CD19 CAR-T therapy, 49 patients received tandem CD19/CD22 CAR-T therapy, and 13 patients received sequential CD19/CD22 CAR-T therapy. ALL patients enrolled in the CD19 CAR-T clinical trials (NCT03919240) or CD19/CD22 CAR-T clinical trials (NCT03614858). Results: The baseline characteristics of patients were similar among the three groups. The complete remission (CR) rates were 82.7% (139/168) in patients who received CD19 CAR-T therapy, 95.9% (47/49) in patients who received tandem CD19/CD22 CAR-T therapy, and 69.2% (9/13) in patients who received sequential CD19/CD22 CAR-T therapy (P=0.012). Tandem CD19/CD22 CAR-T therapy remained one of the significant favorable factors in multivariate logistic regression analysis of CR rate in all patients (hazard ratio, 0.081; 95% CI, 0.010-0.671). Furthermore, minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative CR rates were 66.7%, 81.6% and 61.5%, respectively (P=0.092). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events among the three groups. Severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS, Grade ≥ 3) occurred in 25.0% of patients in CD19 group, 18.4% of patients in tandem CD19/CD22 group, and 23.1% in sequential CD19/CD22 group (P=0.641). There was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) among three groups (6-month OS: 83.1%, 90.0% and 88.9%, respectively, P=0.1620; 6-month LFS: 76.2%, 76.2% and 88.9%, respectively, P=0.8179). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that a better LFS related to less frequencies of relapse, lower tumor burden, MRD-negative CR and bridging allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Conclusions: Tandem CD19/CD22 dual targets CAR-T cells therapy obtains superior CR rate than single CD19 and sequential CD19/CD22 CAR-T cells therapy. This provides an effective treatment option for R/R B-ALL patients with chemotherapy resistance. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Maladapted vascular endothelial metabolism in the context of endothelial function differing in phenotype remains unknown, which limits our understanding of the heterogeneous pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to profile serum metabolic alterations of different vascular endothelial function phenotypes in asymptomatic adults at extreme cardiovascular risk. In addition to 12 CVD patients, 103 individuals free of CVD were categorized as having normal endothelial function (NEF) (n = 30), cardiovascular risk-promoting endothelial function (PEF) (n = 18), cardiovascular risk-resistant endothelial function (REF) (n = 25), and vulnerable endothelial function (VEF) (n = 30). Serum metabolic profiles were detected using gas chromatography time-of-flight/mass spectrometry and multivariate statistics. Compared to the NEF group, a total of 17, 17, 22, and 13 differential metabolites were identified in the PEF, REF, VEF, and CVD groups, respectively. Of the altered metabolic pathways, multiple pathways were consistent between the PEF and CVD groups, including pyrimidine metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism, and D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism. Notably, a relative increase in low-calorie sugar in galactose metabolism was exclusively found in the REF group, and a relative increase in the ratio of acetyl-CoA to CoA was suggested in the VEF group based on elevated butanoate metabolism and reduced pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis. Our findings clearly indicate distinct metabolic patterns across groups with heterogeneous vascular endothelial function in the context of extreme cardiovascular risk, and improve our understanding of the pathogenic heterogeneity of early CVD in asymptomatic populations.

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogues can affect fetal growth and development. However, epidemiologic findings were inconsistent and there was a lack of study for BPA analogues. We aimed to examine the associations between prenatal exposure to BPA, bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol S (BPS), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and birth size. 2023 mother-infant pairs were included in this study. The associations between serum bisphenol levels and birth size were analyzed by multivariate linear regression models. After adjusting for covariates, one log10-unit increase in serum BPA was correlated with a 32.10 g (95% CI: −61.10, −3.10) decrease in birth weight for all infants, and the inverse association was only observed in males when stratified analysis by gender. Additionally, higher BPF concentrations were associated with decreasing birth weight (P for trend = 0.031), ponderal index (P for trend = 0.021), and birth weight Z-scores (P for trend = 0.039) in all infants, and the inverse associations were also only observed in males when stratified analysis by gender. Similarly, higher TBBPA levels were also correlated with decreased birth weight (P for trend = 0.023). However, after gender stratification, higher TBBPA concentrations were associated with a decrease in birth weight (P for trend = 0.007), birth length (P for trend = 0.026), and birth weight Z-scores (P for trend = 0.039) in males. Our data suggested an inverse association of prenatal exposure to BPA, BPF, and TBBPA and birth size, which may be more pronounced in male infants.

Redundancy of emergency logistics' evaluation indexes has a big influence on the evaluation result of emergency plans. So, the authors choose a scientific method which can eliminate redundant indexes to establish a reasonable evaluation indexes system of an emergency logistics plan's emergency capability. At the same time, this adjustment makes the index system more reliable. First, based on expert advice, this paper builds an initial subjective evaluation index system of emergency logistics and classifies indexes by fuzzy clustering analysis. Then, the indexes are screened by the theory of grey relation degree. Finally, the evaluation indexes system is obtained after redundant indexes are eliminated. The effectiveness and practicability of the proposed index system is then verified by a calculation example.

The Notch signaling pathway has been shown to be involved in the progression of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exogenous Notch2 overexpression on cell proliferation and possible mechanisms in the human CML cell line K562. When exogenous intracellular fragment of Notch2 (ICN2) was transfected into K562 cells with Lipofectamine™ 2000, the expression of Notch2 mRNA and protein were upregulated. Cell numbers decreased and the proliferation was inhibited significantly after transfection with ICN2. G1 phase cells increased and S phase cells decreased 48 h after transfection. Finally, the expression of Numb, Bcl-2, NF-κB and TGF-β1 was detected. It was found that the expression of NF-κB and TGF-β1 mRNA was increased, while Bcl-2 was downregulated, with Numb expression unchanged. Our study indicates that the Notch pathway is activated in K562 cells after ICN2 transfection. It inhibited the proliferation of K562 cells, likely by upregulating the expression of NF-κB and TGF-β1 mRNA and downregulating the expression of Bcl-2.