Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), used extensively as substitutes for polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. OPFR pollution in aquatic environments, the ...main sink of pollutants, has been studied extensively over the past decade. Here, we review the current knowledge on the consumption and applications of OPFRs, and on their ecotoxicity in aquatic environments worldwide. We also synthesize the available evidence on the occurrence of OPFRs in aquatic environments in China (wastewater treatment plant influent and effluent, surface water, sediment, aquatic biota, and drinking water). Across China, the measured concentrations of OPFRs differ by more than three orders of magnitude. Risk assessments based on these measurements indicate a low level of ecological risk from OPFRs in most aquatic environments in China, and a low risk to human health from drinking water and aquatic products. Finally, we identify gaps in the current knowledge and directions for further research on OPFRs in aquatic environments.
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•The ecotoxicity of OPFRs in aquatic environments were summarized.•Studies of OPFRs in aquatic environments in China were reviewed.•OPFRs were frequently detected in aquatic environments in China.•Ecological risk and human health risk of OPFRs in China's aquatic environments were low.•Knowledge gaps and research directions with OPFRs were identified.
Most patients including health care workers (HCWs) survived the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), however, knowledge about the sequelae of COVID-19 after discharge remains limited.
A prospectively ...observational 3-month follow-up study evaluated symptoms, dynamic changes of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) IgG and IgM, lung function, and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of survivors of COVID-19 after discharge at Wuhan Union Hospital, China.
Seventy-six survivors (55 females) with a mean age of 41.3 ± 13.8 years were enrolled, and 65 (86%) were HCWs. A total of 69 (91%) patients had returned to their original work at 3-months after discharge. Most of the survivors had symptoms including fever, sputum production, fatigue, diarrhea, dyspnea, cough, chest tightness on exertion and palpitations in the three months after discharge. The serum troponin-I levels during the acute illness showed high correlation with the symptom of fatigue after hospital discharge (
= 0.782;
= 0.008) and lymphopenia was correlated with the symptoms of chest tightness and palpitations on exertion of patients after hospital discharge (
= -.285,
= 0.027;
= -.363,
= 0.004, respectively). The mean values of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, total lung capacity and diffusion capacity were all normal (> 80% predicted) and lung HRCTs returned to normal in most of the patients (82%), however, 42% of survivors had mild pulmonary function abnormalities at 3-months after discharge. SARS-CoV-2 IgG turned negative in 11% (6 of 57 patients), 8% (4 of 52 patients) and 13% (7 of 55 patients), and SARS-CoV-2 IgM turned negative in 72% (41 of 57 patients), 85% (44 of 52 patients) and 87% (48 of 55 patients) at 1-month, 2-months and 3-months after discharge, respectively.
Infection by SARS-CoV-2 caused some mild impairments of survivors within the first three months of their discharge and the duration of SARS-CoV-2 antibody was limited, which indicates the necessity of long-term follow-up of survivors of COVID-19.
Several follow-up studies have found that COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) patients had persistent symptoms after discharge. Gut microbiota play an important role in human health and immune ...responses. Therefore, this study investigated the gut microbiota of recovered COVID-19 patients and the correlations between gut microbiota and persistent symptoms after discharge. Stool samples were collected from 15 recovered healthcare workers (HCWs) with COVID-19 at three months after discharge, in addition, stool samples were collected from 14 healthy controls (HCs) to perform 16S rRNA gene sequencing between May and July 2020. Compared with HCs, recovered HCWs had reduced bacterial diversity at three months after discharge, with a significantly higher relative abundance of opportunistic pathogens, and a significantly lower relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. In addition,
Escherichia unclassified
was positively correlated with persistent symptoms at three months after discharge, including fatigue (r = 0.567, p = 0.028), chest tightness after activity (r = 0.687, p = 0.005), and myalgia (r = 0.523, p = 0.045).
Intestinibacter bartlettii
was positively correlated with anorexia (r = 0.629, p = 0.012) and fatigue (r = 0.545, p = 0.036). However,
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii
was negatively correlated with chest tightness after activity (r = -0.591, p = 0.02), and
Intestinimonas butyriciproducens
was negatively correlated with cough (r = -0.635, p = 0.011). In conclusion, the gut microbiota of recovered HCWs with COVID-19 at three months after discharge was different from that of HCs, and altered gut microbiota was correlated with persistent symptoms after discharge, highlighting that gut microbiota may play an important role in the recovery of patients with COVID-19.
As more people are spending the majority of their daily lives indoors, indoor air quality has been acknowledged as an important factor influencing human health, with increasing research attention in ...recent decades. Indoor air pollutants (IAPs), such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), can cause acute irritation and chronic diseases. Photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) technology is an efficient approach for eliminating IAPs. In this review, the development of PCO technology was explained and discussed to promote future development of PCO technology for IAP elimination. First, the health effects and the measured concentrations of typical VOCs and SVOCs in indoor environments worldwide were briefly introduced. Subsequently, the development and limitations of some typical photocatalytic reactors (including packed-bed reactors, monolithic reactors, optical fiber reactors, and microreactors) were summarized and compared. Then, the influences of operating parameters (including initial concentration of contaminants, relative humidity, space velocity, light source and intensity, catalyst support materials, and immobilization method) and the degradation pathways as well as intermediates of PCO technology were elucidated. Finally, the possible challenges and future development directions regarding PCO technology for IAP elimination were critically proposed and addressed.
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•Semi-volatile organic compounds are common indoor air pollutants (IAPs).•Photocatalytic oxidation technology is an effective technology for IAPs elimination.•Development of photocatalytic reactors are summarized and compared.•Influence of operating parameters on photocatalytic oxidation efficiency is reviewed.•Intermediates and degradation pathways of IAPs are elucidated.
A readily available small molecular hole‐transporting material (HTM), OMe‐TATPyr, was synthesized and tested in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). OMe‐TATPyr is a two‐dimensional π‐conjugated molecule ...with a pyrene core and four phenyl‐thiophene bridged triarylamine groups. It can be readily synthesized in gram scale with a low lab cost of around US$ 50 g−1. The incorporation of the phenyl‐thiophene units in OMe‐TATPyr are beneficial for not only carrier transportation through improved charge delocalization and intermolecular stacking, but also potential trap passivation via Pb–S interaction as supported by depth‐profiling XPS, photoluminescence, and electrochemical impedance analysis. As a result, an impressive best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 20.6 % and an average PCE of 20.0 % with good stability has been achieved for mixed‐cation PSCs with OMe‐TATPyr with an area of 0.09 cm2. A device with an area of 1.08 cm2 based on OMe‐TATPyr demonstrates a PCE of 17.3 %.
A 2D hole‐transporting material with a pyrene core and four phenyl‐thiophene bridged triarylamine groups, OMe‐TATPyr, was readily synthesized at low cost on a gram scale. A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 20.6 % (average PCE 20.0 %) was achieved for mixed‐cation perovskite solar cells with OMe‐TATPyr, outperforming devices with Spiro‐OMeTAD.
The prognostic role of inflammation index like neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial. We conduct a meta‐analysis to determine the predictable value of ...NLR in the clinical outcome of CRC patients. The analysis was carried out based on the data from 16 studies (19 cohorts) to evaluate the association between NLR and overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) in patients with CRC. In addition, the relationship between NLR and clinicopathological parameters was assessed. Hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as the effect size estimate. Our analysis results indicated that elevated pretreatment NLR predicted poorer OS (HR: 1.813, 95% CI: 1.499–2.193) and PFS (HR: 2.102, 95% CI: 1.554–2.843) in patients with CRC. Increased NLR is also significantly associated with the poorer differentiation of the tumor (OR: 1.574, 95% CI: 1.226–2.022) and higher carcino‐embryonie antigen (CEA) level (OR: 1.493, 95% CI: 1.308–1.705). By these results, we conclude that NLR gains a prognostic value for patients with CRC. NLR should be monitored in CRC patients for rational stratification of the patients and adjusting the treatment strategy.
What's new?
Although correlated with the severity of disease course, the impact of neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on survival and tumor characteristics in cancer patients remains unclear. In the meta‐analysis presented here, elevated pre‐treatment NLR was found to predict poor overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer. NLR was also associated with unfavorable biologic behavior in colorectal cancer. The findings suggest that NLR, as an inexpensive and widely available index, should be routinely monitored in colorectal cancer patients.
Abstract
Background
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been rapidly spreading nationwide and ...abroad. A serologic test to identify antibody dynamics and response to SARS-CoV-2 was developed.
Methods
The antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on the recombinant nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 at 3–40 days after symptom onset. The gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis was nucleic acid testing for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). The serodiagnostic power of the specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was investigated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and consistency rate.
Results
The seroconversion of specific IgM and IgG antibodies were observed as early as the fourth day after symptom onset. In the patients with confirmed COVID-19, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and consistency rate of IgM were 77.3% (51/66), 100%, 100%, 80.0%, and 88.1%, respectively, and those of IgG were 83.3% (55/66), 95.0%, 94.8%, 83.8%, and 88.9%. In patients with suspected COVID-19, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and consistency rate of IgM were 87.5% (21/24), 100%, 100%, 95.2%, and 96.4%, respectively, and those of IgG were 70.8% (17/24), 96.6%, 85.0%, 89.1%, and 88.1%. Both antibodies performed well in serodiagnosis for COVID-19 and rely on great specificity.
Conclusions
The antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the middle and later stages of the illness. Antibody detection may play an important role in the diagnosis of COVID-19 as a complementary approach to viral nucleic acid assays.
Antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 can be detected in the middle and later stages of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Antibody detection may play an important role in the diagnosis of COVID-19 as a complementary approach to viral nucleic acid assays.
The novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), infected over 3300 healthcare workers in early 2020 in China. Little information is known about nosocomial ...infections of healthcare workers in the initial period. We analysed data from healthcare workers with nosocomial infections in Wuhan Union Hospital (Wuhan, China) and their family members.
We collected and analysed data on exposure history, illness timelines and epidemiological characteristics from 25 healthcare workers with laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and two healthcare workers in whom COVID-19 was highly suspected, as well as 10 of their family members with COVID-19, between 5 January and 12 February 2020. The demographics and clinical features of the 35 laboratory-confirmed cases were investigated and viral RNA of 12 cases was sequenced and analysed.
Nine clusters were found among the patients. All patients showed mild to moderate clinical manifestation and recovered without deterioration. The mean period of incubation was 4.5 days, the mean±sd clinical onset serial interval (COSI) was 5.2±3.2 days, and the median virus shedding time was 18.5 days. Complete genomic sequences of 12 different coronavirus strains demonstrated that the viral structure, with small irrelevant mutations, was stable in the transmission chains and showed remarkable traits of infectious traceability.
SARS-CoV-2 can be rapidly transmitted from person to person, regardless of whether they have symptoms, in both hospital settings and social activities, based on the short period of incubation and COSI. The public health service should take practical measures to curb the spread, including isolation of cases, tracing close contacts, and containment of severe epidemic areas. Besides this, healthcare workers should be alert during the epidemic and self-quarantine if self-suspected of infection.
The study on atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in China has regional and global significance to understand the large scale atmospheric transport of PAHs. In this study, 16 US EPA ...priority PAHs were analyzed in more than 500 pairs of gas and particle phases samples, which were collected on the same schedule on a weekly basis from August 2008 to July 2009 at 11 urban sites (6 northern cities and 5 southern cities) across China. The average concentration was 239 ± 329 ng/m3 and 165 ± 164 ng/m3 for the northern cities and the southern cities, respectively. Different seasonal variations of atmospheric PAHs were observed between northern cities and southern cities, which were mainly caused by the different temperature effects in winter. Identified by principal component analysis, coal combustion and vehicle exhaust were the major sources of atmospheric PAHs in northern and southern cities of China, respectively. The temperature dependences of atmospheric PAHs were also different, which were caused by the different influences of temperature on identified sources. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study to report the difference with concentrations, seasonal variations, sources and temperature dependences of atmospheric PAHs between northern cities and southern cities in China.
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•More than 500 pairs of gas and particle phases were collected for PAHs analysis.•3-ring and 4-ring PAHs were the predominate homologues in atmosphere.•Significant difference between northern and southern cities was found in winter.•Coal combustion and vehicle exhaust were major sources of atmospheric PAHs.•Temperatures dependences of atmospheric PAHs were influenced by sources.
CircRNAs are a novel class of RNA molecules with a unique closed continuous loop structure. CircRNAs are abundant in eukaryotic cells, have unique stability and tissue specificity, and can play a ...biological regulatory role at various levels, such as transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Numerous studies have indicated that circRNAs serve a crucial purpose in cancer biology. CircRNAs regulate tumor behavioral phenotypes such as proliferation and migration through various molecular mechanisms, such as miRNA sponging, transcriptional regulation, and protein interaction. Recently, several reports have demonstrated that they are also deeply involved in resistance to anticancer drugs, from traditional chemotherapeutic drugs to targeted and immunotherapeutic drugs. This review is the first to summarize the latest research on circRNAs in anticancer drug resistance based on drug classification and to discuss their potential clinical applications.
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