Temporal Variability of Groundwater Chemistry and Relationship with Water-table Fluctuation in the Jianghan Plain, Central China

AbstractSamples were collected every month from 39 monitoring wells over a period of 1 year and three months (from Jan 2013 to Mar 2014) in the Jianghan alluvial plain in the middle reaches of the Yangtze river, central China, to evaluate the temporal variability of groundwater composition for As and other constituents. The concentrations of K,Na,Ca,Mg in groundwater generally varied less than 30%, whereas concentrations of the redox-sensitive components (Fe,NH4-N,S and As) varied greater over time. In wells tapping the confined aquifers with depth of 25m, concentrations of groundwater As were much higher and ranged up to760 ±320μg/L seasonally. Higher As concentration were associated with an increasing percentage of As(III) in rainy season and a decrease towards the end of dry season, indicating a reductive mobilization responding to groundwater level fluctuation

Comparisons of CO₂ emission performance between secondary and service industries in Yangtze River Delta cities

To put the brakes on global climate change, China, the world's top emitter, has established ambitious CO2 emissions reduction targets. Industry-level emissions analysis can help policymakers determine better ways to achieve mitigation targets. This study is the first to target the total-factor carbon emission performance (TCPI) of secondary and service industries. We first compile industry-level CO2 emission inventories of 25 Yangtze River Delta cities during 2007–2016. The TCPI of secondary and service industries is then estimated by the non-radial directional distance function. We then compare the TCPI of the two industries across levels, dynamics, and inequalities using a global metafrontier approach. The results show the TCPI of the service industry (0.563 in 2016) was significantly higher than that of secondary industry (0.256 in 2016), suggesting that the service industry was more carbon-friendly. The TCPI gap between the secondary and service industries narrowed over the study period. The TCPI of secondary industry showed a promising increase during 2007–2016 with an annual growth rate of 2.30%, reflecting the positive effects of the government's reforms and environmental regulations. By contrast, the service industry saw a downward trend in TCPI, decreasing by 1.68% annually, primarily because it is a newcomer to low-carbon development. TCPI inequality in secondary industry was much larger than in the service industry, suggesting that significant heterogeneity exists in secondary industry. Therefore, policymakers should implement targeted mitigation policies for secondary industry, and place decarbonising the service industry on the agenda to reverse its decreasing TCPI

CO2 emission patterns in shrinking and growing cities:A case study of Northeast China and the Yangtze River Delta

The implementation of CO2 emission mitigation policies in cities is the key to China achieving its national emission mitigation targets. China is experiencing rapid urbanization and facing huge inequality in regional development and then shrinking cities generate. This study, for the first time, discusses long-term CO2 emission patterns of shrinking cities with comparisons of growing cities. 55 cities in Northeast China and the Yangtze River Delta are selected as cases. We first categorize these cities into three groups of shrinking cities and three groups of growing cities with a population index. Each group's emission patterns in terms of energy, employment and industry structures are then examined. We find that CO2 emissions in the rapidly shrinking group presented a continuously increasing trend, while the other five groups reached their emission peaks in 2011-2013. For slightly and moderately shrinking groups, CO2 emission mitigation was a positive sign but occurred with the decline of secondary industry, especially for resource-based or heavy manufacturing cities, such as Daqing and Anshan in Northeast China. In the case of three types of growing cities, cities were capable of mitigating CO2 emissions and maintaining economic growth. The slightly growing group was the optimal type among these six groups. Its CO2 emissions experienced a decline with an annual rate of -1.47% during 2013-2015, while the economy still soared (increased by 7.27% annually). New economic growth points should be fostered to mitigate further shrinkage and achieve sustainable development for shrinking cities. The cities' categorization rules, research thinking, and results offered in this study could provide a reference for other cities or developing countries at similar industrialization/urbanization phases to abbreviate their path towards a low-carbon economy

Hatchery-reared enhancement program for silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in the middle Yangtze River: monitoring the effectiveness based on parentage analysis

Introduction A hatchery-reared silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) program has been intensively carried out since 2010 to enhance the rapidly declining fisheries production in the middle Yangtze River. However, only a little information regarding the effectiveness of the enhancement program has been reported. In this context, this study investigates on an enhancement program through monitoring the efficacy based on parentage analysis. Methods A total of 1,529 hatchery-reared fish and 869 larvae were sampled from the middle Yangtze River in 2016 and 2017 and were genotyped by thirteen microsatellite loci. Based on the results of parentage analysis the larvae were divided into three populations: (1) larvae population with both parents being hatchery-reared fish (=R), (2) larvae population with only a male or a female parent being hatchery-reared fish (=H), and (3) larvae population with no hatchery-reared fish parent (=W). The following analyses were also carried out: (1) assessing the contribution of hatchery-reared offspring to larval resources, and (2) evaluating the genetic effect of stock enhancement on the wild population. Results In total, 10.37% and 11.56% of larvae were identified as the offspring produced by hatchery-reared fish released in 2016 and 2017, respectively. In 2017, some of the larvae were assigned unambiguously to hatchery-reared fish released in 2016. In terms of the number of offspring produced, the hatchery-reared fish have shown significant variations. No significant differences were found among all the larvae populations concerning genetic parameters for diversity. High levels of genetic diversity of all larvae populations were obtained. Low FSTvalues obtained from pairwise FST analysis, as well as the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), revealed high genetic structural similarity among all the larvae populations. The genetic composition of the W larvae population in 2017 was different from that of all other larvae populations (all larvae populations in 2016, and R and H larvae populations in 2017), as demonstrated from the results of STRUCTURE and PCA analyses. Conclusion It was demonstrated that hatchery-reared fish are successful in producing the offspring in the natural environment during multiple years, which might assist in increasing the abundance of larvae. The hatchery-reared fish had variations in terms of the success rates on reproduction. Also, the hatchery-reared enhancement program had no significant effect on the genetic diversity or the genetic structure of wild populations. However, the genetic component of the W larvae population in 2017 was changed as compared to 2016, which was not due to the hatchery-reared enhancement program for silver carp. This could be due to flooding, but the specific causes need further studies. Our results clearly show the necessity to continuously inspect the genetic impact of the enhancement program so that historical information can be utilized for further research

Clinical features and therapeutic outcomes of GH/TSH cosecreting pituitary adenomas: experience of a single pituitary center

BackgroundGrowth hormone (GH)/thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) cosecreting pituitary adenoma (PA) is an exceedingly rare kind of bihormonal pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs). Its clinical characteristics have rarely been reported.ObjectivesThis study aimed to summarize the clinical characteristics and experience of diagnosis and treatment among patients with mixed GH/TSH PAs from a single center.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed GH/TSH cosecreting PAs from 2063 patients diagnosed with GH-secreting PAs admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1st, 2010, and August 30th, 2022, to investigate the clinical characteristics, hormone detection, imaging findings, treatment patterns and outcomes of follow-up. We further compared these mixed adenomas with age- and sex-matched cases of GH mono-secreting PAs (GHPAs). The data of the included subjects were collected using electronic records from the hospital’s information system.ResultsBased on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 GH/TSH cosecreting PAs were included. The average age of symptom onset was 41.6 ± 14.9 years old, and delayed diagnosis occurred in 57.1% (12/21) of patients. Thyrotoxicosis was the most common complaint (10/21, 47.6%). The median inhibition rates of GH and TSH in octreotide suppression tests were 79.1% [68.8%, 82.0%] and 94.7% [88.2%, 97.0%], respectively. All these mixed PAs were macroadenomas, and 23.8% (5/21) of them were giant adenomas. Comprehensive treatment strategies comprised of two or more therapy methods were applied in 66.7% (14/21) of patients. Complete remission of both GH and TSH was accomplished in one-third of cases. In the comparison with the matched GHPA subjects, the mixed GH/TSH group presented with a higher maximum diameter of the tumor (24.0 [15.0, 36.0] mm vs. 14.7 [10.8, 23.0] mm, P = 0.005), a greater incidence of cavernous sinus invasion (57.1% vs. 23.8%, P = 0.009) and a greater difficulty of long-term remission (28.6% vs. 71.4%, P <0.001). In addition, higher occurrence rates of arrhythmia (28.6% vs. 2.4%, P = 0.004), heart enlargement (33.3% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.005) and osteopenia/osteoporosis (33.3% vs. 2.4%, P = 0.001) were observed in the mixed PA group.ConclusionThere are great challenges in the treatment and management of GH/TSH cosecreting PA. Early diagnosis, multidisciplinary therapy and careful follow-up are required to improve the prognosis of this bihormonal PA

Alterations in brain structure and function associated with pediatric growth hormone deficiency: A multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging study

IntroductionPediatric growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a disease resulting from impaired growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis but the effects of GHD on children’s cognitive function, brain structure and brain function were not yet fully illustrated.MethodsFull Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, structural imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were assessed in 11 children with GHD and 10 matched healthy controls.Results(1) The GHD group showed moderate cognitive impairment, and a positive correlation existed between IGF-1 levels and cognitive indices. (2) Mean diffusivity was significantly increased in both corticospinal tracts in GHD group. (3) There were significant positive correlations between IGF-1 levels and volume metrics of left thalamus, left pallidum and right putamen but a negative correlation between IGF-1 levels and cortical thickness of the occipital lobe. And IGF-1 levels negatively correlated with fractional anisotropy in the superior longitudinal fasciculus and right corticospinal tract. (4) Regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the left hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus was negatively correlated with IGF-1 levels; the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and ReHo in the paracentral lobe, postcentral gyrus and precentral gyrus were also negatively correlated with IGF-1 levels, in which region ALFF fully mediates the effect of IGF-1 on working memory index.ConclusionMultiple subcortical, cortical structures, and regional neural activities might be influenced by serum IGF-1 levels. Thereinto, ALFF in the paracentral lobe, postcentral gyrus and precentral gyrus fully mediates the effect of IGF-1 on the working memory index

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D as a predictive biomarker of clinical outcomes in patients with primary membranous nephropathy

BackgroundPrimary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is an immune-related disease with increased morbidity and the most common cause of adult nephrotic syndrome (NS). The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D)], a biomarker of vitamin D (VD) status, tends to decline in patients with kidney disease. However, the relationship between 25(OH)D and PMN is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the association between 25(OH)D and disease severity and therapy response of PMN.MethodsA total of 490 participants diagnosed with PMN by biopsy from January 2017 to April 2022 were recruited at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The correlations between baseline 25(OH)D and manifestations of nephrotic syndrome (NS) or seropositivity of anti-PLA2R Ab were confirmed by univariate and multivariate logistic analyses. Spearman’s correlations were used to examine the associations between baseline 25(OH)D and other clinical parameters. In the follow-up cohort, Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess remission outcomes among groups with low, medium, and high levels of 25(OH)D. Furthermore, the independent risk factors for non-remission (NR) were explored by COX regression analysis.ResultsAt baseline, 25(OH)D was negatively related to 24-h urinary protein and serum anti-PLA2R Ab. The lower level of baseline 25(OH)D was associated with an increased risk for the incidence of NS in PMN (model 2, OR 6.8, 95% CI 4.4, 10.7, P < 0.001) and seropositivity of anti-PLA2R Ab (model 2, OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.6, 3.7, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the lower level of 25(OH)D during follow-up was demonstrated as an independent risk factor for NR even after adjusting age, gender, MBP, 24 h UP, serum anti-PLA2R Ab, serum albumin, and serum C3 [25(OH)D (39.2–62.3 nmol/L): HR 4.90, 95% CI 1.02, 23.53 P = 0.047; 25(OH)D < 39.2 nmol/L: HR 17.52, 95% CI 4.04, 76.03 P < 0.001); vs. 25(OH)D ≥ 62.3 nmol/L]. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis also demonstrated that the higher level of follow-up 25(OH)D had a higher possibility of remission than the lower one (log-rank test, P < 0.001).ConclusionBaseline 25(OH)D was significantly correlated with nephrotic proteinuria and seropositivity of anti-PLA2R Ab in PMN. As an independent risk factor for NR, a low level of 25(OH)D during follow-up might serve as a prognostic tool for sensitively identifying cases with a high probability of poor treatment response

A Functional Variant in MicroRNA-146a Promoter Modulates Its Expression and Confers Disease Risk for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with a strong genetic predisposition, characterized by an upregulated type I interferon pathway. MicroRNAs are important regulators of immune homeostasis, and aberrant microRNA expression has been demonstrated in patients with autoimmune diseases. We recently identified miR-146a as a negative regulator of the interferon pathway and linked the abnormal activation of this pathway to the underexpression of miR-146a in SLE patients. To explore why the expression of miR-146a is reduced in SLE patients, we conducted short parallel sequencing of potentially regulatory regions of miR-146a and identified a novel genetic variant (rs57095329) in the promoter region exhibiting evidence for association with SLE that was replicated independently in 7,182 Asians (Pmeta = 2.74×10−8, odds ratio = 1.29 [1.18–1.40]). The risk-associated G allele was linked to reduced expression of miR-146a in the peripheral blood leukocytes of the controls. Combined functional assays showed that the risk-associated G allele reduced the protein-binding affinity and activity of the promoter compared with those of the promoter containing the protective A allele. Transcription factor Ets-1, encoded by the lupus-susceptibility gene ETS1, identified in recent genome-wide association studies, binds near this variant. The manipulation of Ets-1 levels strongly affected miR-146a promoter activity in vitro; and the knockdown of Ets-1, mimicking its reduced expression in SLE, directly impaired the induction of miR-146a. We also observed additive effects of the risk alleles of miR-146a and ETS1. Our data identified and confirmed an association between a functional promoter variant of miR-146a and SLE. This risk allele had decreased binding to transcription factor Ets-1, contributing to reduced levels of miR-146a in SLE patients