Tetrachlorobisphenol A (TCBPA) is used as flame retardant, and it has been widely detected in the environmental and human samples. TCBPA is an endocrine disrupting chemical, but its effects on the ...immune system remains poorly understood. Here the effects of TCBPA on immune system were studied using combined in vivo and in vitro assays. Results showed that TCBPA could suppress the immune response in BALB/c mice via reducing the ratio of CD3+ T lymphocytes to regulatory T cells. Moreover, TCBPA exposure significantly induced the increasing secretion of four pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-12, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) and four anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, GM-CSF) in mice serum. Interestingly, uterine edema was observed in over 80% TCBPA-treated mice after 14- day exposure. TCBPA was detected in 18.6% serum samples of 150 female volunteers in this study. Therefore, our findings provided evidence that TCBPA exposure may cause adverse outcomes on immune system and uterus, suggesting that environmental exposure of TCBPA, as well as its adverse effects on human health should be of concern.
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•TCBPA exposure reduces the ratio of CD3+ T lymphocytes to regulatory T cells in mice.•TCBPA exposure increases the secretion of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.•Uterine edema was observed in over 80% TCBPA-treated mice.•TCBPA was detected in 18.6% serum samples of 150 female volunteers.
Keratin 15 (KRT15) overexpression links with tumor initiation, metastasis, and poor survival in several solid carcinomas. While its clinical relevance is scarcely reported in endometrial cancer (EC). ...Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the abnormal expression of KRT15 and its correlation with clinical characteristics, survival in EC patients. Totally, 135 surgical EC patients were enrolled. KRT15 protein expression in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor and adjuvant tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining; meanwhile, KRT15 mRNA expression in fresh-frozen tumor and adjacent tissues was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. KRT15 protein and mRNA expressions were higher in tumor tissue compared with adjacent tissue (both P < .001). Elevated KRT15 protein expression was correlated with the occurrence of lymphovascular invasion (P = .010) and more advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P = .018); meanwhile, elevated KRT15 mRNA expression was linked with more advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P = .038) and marginally associated with the occurrence of stromal cervical invasion (P = .052). Besides, KRT15 protein and mRNA expressions were not correlated with other clinical features (all P > .05). KRT15 protein high was marginally correlated with poor accumulating disease-free survival (DFS) (P = .091) and overall survival (OS) (P = .059); meanwhile, the correlation of KRT15 mRNA expression with accumulating DFS (P = .212) and OS (P = .092) was even weaker. However, multivariate Cox's regressions showed that tumor KRT15 protein (high vs low) was independently correlated with poor DFS (P = .045) and OS (P = .043). KRT15 is abnormally increased in EC tissue, meanwhile, its upregulation links to the occurrence of lymphovascular invasion, stromal cervical invasion, and poor prognosis in EC patients.
Synthetic dyes are prone to water pollution during use, jeopardizing biodiversity and human health. This study aimed to investigate the adsorption and photocatalytic assist potential of sodium ...lignosulfonate (LS) in in situ reduced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and chitosan (CS)-loaded silver nanoparticles (CS-LS/AgNPs) as adsorbents for Rhodamine B (RhB). The AgNPs were synthesized by doping LS on the surface of chitosan for modification. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to confirm the synthesis of nanomaterials. The adsorption and photocatalytic removal experiments of RhB were carried out under optimal conditions (initial dye concentration of 20 mg/L, adsorbent dosage of 0.02 g, time of 60 min, and UV power of 250 W), and the kinetics of dye degradation was also investigated, which showed that the removal rate of RhB by AgNPs photocatalysis can reach 55%. The results indicated that LS was highly effective as a reducing agent for the large-scale production of metal nanoparticles and can be used for dye decolorization. This work provides a new catalyst for the effective removal of dye from wastewater, and can achieve high-value applications of chitosan and lignin.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are widely used as mobile information collectors for sensors to prolong the network time in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) due to their flexible deployment, high ...mobility, and low cost. This paper focuses on the scenario where rotary-wing UAVs complete information collection mission cooperatively. For the first time, we study the problem of minimizing the mission completion time for a multi-UAV system in a monitoring scenario when considering the information collection quality. The mission completion time includes flying time and hovering time. By optimizing the trajectories of all UAVs, we minimize the mission completion time while ensuring that the information of each sensor is collected. This problem can be formulated as a mixed-integer non-convex one which has been proved to be NP-hard. To solve the formulated problem, we first propose a hovering point selection algorithm to select appropriate hovering points where the UAVs can sequentially collect the information from multiple sensors. We model this problem as a BS coverage problem with the information collection quality in consideration. Then, we use a min-max cycle cover algorithm to assign these hovering points and get the trajectory of each UAV. Finally, with the obtained UAVs trajectories, we further consider the UAVs can also collect information when flying and optimize the time allocations. The performance of our algorithm is verified by simulations, which show that the mission completion time is minimum compared with state-of-the-art algorithms.
•The workflow of metabolome-wide association analysis on PFASs exposure was proposed.•Recursive annotation based on pathway increased the number of identified metabolites.•PFAS-associated metabolism ...in fetuses were distinct from those in pregnant women.•More PFAS related metabolites in steroid hormone biosynthesis were found in fetuses.
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) exist extensively and several of these have been verified to be toxic. Prenatal exposure to PFASs has attracted much attention. Metabolome-wide association analyses can be used to explore the toxicity mechanisms of PFASs by identifying associated biomarkers.
To evaluate associations between the metabolites in maternal and cord serum and internal exposure to several common PFASs.
Paired maternal and cord serum samples were collected from 84 pregnant women who gave birth between 2015 and 2016. Seven legacy and two novel PFASs were measured. A nontarget metabolomic method and an iterative metabolite annotation based on metabolic pathways were applied to characterize the metabolic profiles. Linear regression adjusted with the false discovery rate and covariates was used to indicate the associations.
A total of 279 features in maternal serum and 338 features in cord serum were identified as metabolites associated with PFAS exposure. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) were two PFASs associated with more metabolites, while the two novel chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonic acids (Cl-PFESAs) showed less relevance to the metabolome. With pathway enrichment analysis, we found that three fatty acid metabolisms and retinol metabolism were correlated with PFAS exposure in maternal blood, and that sterol metabolism showed the correlation in both maternal serum and cord serum.
We identified metabolites and pathways in pregnant women and fetuses associated with the exposure to several PFAS, indicating a promising application for metabolome-wide association studies. Additional research is needed to confirm causation.
Krüppel-like factor 1 (KLF1), a crucial erythroid transcription factor, plays a significant role in various erythroid changes and haemolytic diseases. The rare erythrocyte Lutheran inhibitor (In(Lu)) ...blood group phenotype serves as an effective model for identifying KLF1 hypomorphic and loss-of-function variants. In this study, we aimed to analyse the genetic background of the In(Lu) phenotype in a population-based sample group by high-throughput technologies to find potentially clinically significant KLF1 variants.
We included 62 samples with In(Lu) phenotype, screened from over 300,000 Chinese blood donors. Among them, 36 samples were sequenced using targeted Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), whereas 19 samples were sequenced using High Fidelity (HiFi) technology. In addition, seven samples were simply sequenced using Sanger sequencing. A total of 29 hypomorphic or loss-of-function variants of KLF1 were identified, 21 of which were newly discovered. All new variants discovered by targeted NGS or HiFi sequencing were validated through Sanger sequencing, and the obtained results were found to be consistent. The KLF1 haplotypes of all new variants were further confirmed using clone sequencing or HiFi sequencing. The lack of functional KLF1 variants detected in the four samples indicates the presence of additional regulatory mechanisms. In addition, some samples exhibited BCAM polymorphisms, which encodes antigens of the Lutheran (LU) blood group system. However, no BCAM mutations which leads to the absence of LU proteins were detected.
High-throughput sequencing methods, particularly HiFi sequencing, were introduced for the first time into genetic analysis of the In(Lu) phenotype. Targeted NGS and HiFi sequencing demonstrated the accuracy of the results, providing additional advantages such as simultaneous analysis of other blood group genes and clarification of haplotypes. Using the In(Lu) phenotype, a powerful model for identifying hypomorphic or loss-of-function KLF1 variants, numerous novel variants have been detected, which have contributed to the comprehensive understanding of KLF1. These clinically significant KLF1 mutations can serve as a valuable reference for the diagnosis of related blood cell diseases.
Pararaucaria, a genus of the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae, was previously identified from permineralized fossils. This genus reflects important changes in the phylogeny and evolutionary ...biology of Cheirolepidiaceae. We describe a new species of Pararaucaria (Pararaucaria laiyangensis) from the Lower Cretaceous of the Laiyang Formation in Shandong Province, eastern China using standard paleobotanical descriptions and micro-computed tomography techniques. P. laiyangensis consists of small seed cones with helically arranged bract-scale complexes, isolated ovuliferous scales, and associated scale-leaf foliage with obvious cuticle structures. Bract-scale complexes consist of separated bracts and ovuliferous scales with one seed and three distal lobes. Cuticles consist of haplocheilic and monocyclic stomata arranged in longitudinal rows all over the surface. We assigned the phylogenetic relationship of P. laiyangensis within Cheirolepidiaceae based on the parsimony analyses, and highlight the homology of ovuliferous scales in Pararaucaria and Araucaria according to the comparison with ovuliferous scale structures of all major conifers. Moreover, this species increases our understanding of the dominant tree element of the Laiyang fossil forest, providing the first evidence for ovulate cheirolepidiaceous cones in Asia based on the global distribution of Cheirolepidiaceae reproductive organs.
•A new species of Pararaucaria was described from the Early Cretaceous of the Laiyang Formation in eastern China.•The homology of ovuliferous scales in Pararaucaria and Araucaria was highlighted.•This species provides the first evidence for ovulate cheirolepidiaceous cones in Asia based on the global distribution.
The occurrence of palaeowildfires in terrestrial ecosystems coincides with the colonization of plants, rendering it one of the most significant geological events and holding paramount importance for ...comprehending paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental changes. This study provides strong evidence of persistent palaeowildfire occurrences in the Jiuxi Basin, Northwestern China, during the Aptian to Albian period, considering the abundant, continuous, sedimentary charcoal fossils from the uppermost Chijinbao, Xiagou, and Zhonggou Formations of the Hanxia Section. Micromorphological studies based on the scanning electron microscopy indicate that substantial portion of the charcoal fossils originated from conifers. The fusinite reflectance values of the charcoal fossils range from 1.32% to 4.32%, indicating that the palaeowildfire temperatures may have been 330 °C to 700 °C, and can be divided into three stages, evolving from ground fires to surface fires and crown fires, and finally developing to ground fires. Furthermore, high atmospheric oxygen and seasonally dry climate promoted the frequent palaeowildfire environment in the Jiuxi Basin during the late Early Cretaceous. However, the persistent and repeated wildfires may have effected the palaeoecosystem of the Jiuxi Basin during the late Early Cretaceous, which is evidenced by the decline of coniferous trees and the increase of the early herbaceous angiosperms.
•Charcoal fossils from the Lower Cretaceous of Jiuxi Basin prove long-term wildfires.•The micro-structures of the charcoal fossils suggest a diverse coniferous origin.•The Ro values are 1.32% to 4.32%, and the fire temperatures are 330 °C to 700 °C.•Wildfires effected the ecosystem of Jiuxi Basin during the late Early Cretaceous.
Urtica laetevirens Maxim. is used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for its potent antioxidative properties. In this study, three antioxidants were purified from U. laetevirens. using ...HSCCC guided by online DPPH-HPLC analysis. Firstly, the online DPPH-HPLC analysis was performed to profile out the antioxidant active molecules in U. laetevirens. The ultrasonic-assisted extraction conditions were optimized by response surface methodology and the results showed the targeted antioxidant active molecules could be well enriched under the optimized extraction conditions. Then, the antioxidant active molecules were separated by high-speed countercurrent chromatography ethyl acetate/n-butanol/water (2:3:5, v/v/v) as the solvent system. Finally, the three targets including 16.8 mg of Isovitexin, 9.8 mg of Isoorientin, and 26.7 mg of Apigenin-6,8-di-C-β-d-glucopyranoside were obtained from 100 mg of sample. Their structures were identified by 1H NMR spectroscopy.
The separation of polar compounds is challenging work due to poor retention and insufficient selectivity. In the present study, an efficient strategy for large‐scale preparation of five polar ...polyphenols including three isomers from Phyllanthus emblica Linn has been established by preparative high‐speed counter‐current chromatography. Macroporous resin column chromatography was used for the enrichment of the polar polyphenols. However, sugar and other ultra‐polar impurities were co‐washed out with the targets. Liquid‐liquid extraction with ethyl acetate/water (1/1, v/v) solvent system was developed to remove the ultra‐polar impurities with a clearance rate of 95%. Finally, the targets were introduced to preparative high‐speed counter‐current chromatography for separation using ethyl acetate/n‐butanol/acetic acid/water (2/7/1/10, v/v/v/v) solvent system. As a result, 191 mg of Mucic acid 1,4‐lactone 5‐O‐gallate, 370 mg of β‐Glucogallin, 301 mg of Gallic acid, 195 mg of Mucic acid 1,4‐lactone 3‐O‐gallate and 176 mg of Mucic acid 1,4‐lactone 2‐O‐gallate with purity higher than 98% were obtained from 1.5 g of sample. Mucic acid 1,4‐lactone 3‐O‐gallate, Mucic acid 1,4‐lactone 3‐O‐gallate, and Mucic acid 1,4‐lactone 2‐O‐gallate are isomers. The results showed that high‐speed counter‐current chromatography could be well developed for the separation of polar compounds from natural products.
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