[Dislocation into the anterior chamber and spontaneous repositioning of a dexamethasone intravitreal implant: a case report]

A 61-year-old male patient presented with blurred vision in the right eye for 1 day. The patient had previously undergone phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation (10 years ago) and intravitreal implantation of dexamethasone (due to uveitis) in the eye. There was edema in the inferior cornea, along with Descemet membrane folds. The rod-shaped dexamethasone implant was visible in the inferior anterior chamber. Without pupil dilation, the patient was asked to keep a supine position and avoid head tilting for 1 day. The implant spontaneously relocated into the vitreous cavity, resulting in a reduction of corneal edema. This suggests that the dislocation of the intravitreal implant into the anterior chamber may be caused by a local zonular abnormality, and the dislocated implant has the potential to reposition itself spontaneously.

[Quality of life and risk factors in patients with herpes zoster]

Objective: To evaluate the quality of life and influencing factors of patients with herpes zoster (HZ) seen in hospitals. Methods: Based on Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI) and Five-level EuroQol Five-dimensional Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), a cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the pain severity and quality of life of 332 HZ cases seen in 22 hospitals of Lu'an City (Anhui Province), Zibo City (Shandong Province) and Tongchuan City (Shaanxi Province) from October to December 2021. The censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) model was used to analyze the related factors affecting the changes of patients' health utility values. Results: The 45.5% of 332 HZ cases were male. The median (Q₁,Q₃) age was 59 (50, 68) years. 59.64% of them assessed by ZBPI had moderate to severe pain in the past 24 hours (worst pain score≥5), and that of PHN cases was 84.8%(39/46). 77.7% (258/332), 77.4% (257/332) and 74.1% (246/332) of all patients reported that pain interfered with sleep, mood and general activities, respectively. Aging [β_40-49y (95%CI)=-0.11 (-0.15, -0.08); β_50-59y (95%CI)=-0.03 (-0.05, 0.00); β_60-69y (95%CI)=-0.09 (-0.12, -0.06); β_70-90y(95%CI)=-0.16 (-0.19, -0.12)], working status (unemployed) [β_farmer (95%CI)=0.15 (0.13, 0.18); β_retirees(95%CI)=0.21 (0.18, 0.24); β_employee (95%CI)=0.13 (0.10, 0.16) ], complications[β_PHN (95%CI)=-0.08 (-0.13, -0.04); β_{other complications} (95%CI)=-0.12 (-0.15, -0.08)], within 30 days after onset [β(95%CI)=-0.01 (-0.03, 0.01)] and treatment [β_{other complications} (95%CI)=-0.09 (-0.11, -0.06)] were related factors for the decline of health utility value (all P values <0.05). Conclusions: More than half of the patients with HZ had moderate to severe pain in the past 24 hours, which had a serious negative impact on the physical and mental health of the patients. Elderly patients, acute patients and patients with complications had lower health utility values and worse health status. We suggest that eligible people be vaccinated with HZ vaccine as soon as possible.

[Clinical and StAR genetic characteristics of 33 children with congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia]

Objective: To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of 33 children with congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia (CLAH) caused by StAR gene defects. Methods: The clinical, biochemical, genetic, and follow-up (until December 2021) data of 33 children diagnosed with CLAH from 2006 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed in Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Results: Of the 33 children with CLAH, 17 had a karyotype of 46, XX and 16 had a karyotype of 46, XY; 31 were female and 2 were male by social gender. Classic type and non-classic type were found in 30 and 3 children respectively. The age at diagnosis was 9.0 (3.0, 34.5) months. All the 30 cases with classic CLAH presented within the first year of life with skin hyperpigmentation (28 cases, 93%), vomiting and(or) diarrhea (19 cases, 63%), no increase in body weight (8 cases, 27%), elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone levels (21cases (70%)>275 pmol/L), decreased cortisol levels (47 (31,126) nmol/L), hyponatremia ((126±13) mmol/L), hyperkalemia ((5.7±1.1) mmol/L), and normal 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels (30 cases, 100%). All these with classic CLAH exhibited female external genitalia. Three children with non-classic CLAH (including 2 cases of 46, XY and 1 case of 46, XX) also showed signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, but 2 of them had an age of onset later than 1 year of age, including 1 case of 46, XY with male external genitalia and 1 case of 46, XX with female external genitalia. The other 46, XY patient with non-classic CLAH presented with adrenal insufficiency at 2 months of age, showing micropenis and hypospadias. In the 17 females with 46, XX, 4 older than 10 years of age showed spontaneous pubertal development. A total of 25 StAR gene pathogenic variants were identified in 33 patients, with p.Q258* (18/66, 27%), p.K236Tfs*47 (8/66, 12%) and p.Q77* (6/66, 9%) being the common variantion. Six novel variants were found, including c.358T>G, c.713_714del, c.125del, c.745-1G>A, c.179-2A>C, and exon 1 deletion. Conclusions: Patients with classic CLAH typically present with signs and symptoms of primary adrenal insufficiency in the early infancy period and female external genitalia. p.Q258*, p.K236Tfs*47 and p.Q77* are common variants in CLAH patients.

[Clinical features and gene mutations of 6 patients with carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A deficiency]

The clinical and biochemical data and gene sequencing results of patients with carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A deficiency were analyzed, in order to improve the understanding of the disease. Six patients (5 males and 1 female, aged from 1 to 8 years old) with carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A deficiency from Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Genetic Metabolism, Xinhua Hospital between 2008 and 2019 were included. Two cases were detected by neonatal screening and had no clinical symptoms. The remaining 4 cases all showed seizures induced by fever, vomiting or diarrhea. All the 6 patients showed increased serum free carnitine (C0), decreased hexadecanoylcarnitine (C16) and octadecanoylcarnitine (C18), and increased C0/(C16+C18). Meanwhile, compound heterozygous mutations of CPT1A gene were detected in all 6 patients, of which 2 were reported mutations (c.281+1G>A and c.968-8C>T), and 10 were new mutations. The new mutations included 6 missense mutations, 1 nonsense mutation, 1 deletion mutation and 2 splicing mutations. Detection of free carnitine and acyl carnitine by tandem mass spectrometry is helpful for early screening and diagnosis of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A deficiency.

[A prospective multi-center clinical investigation of HIV-negative pulmonary cryptococcosis in China]

Objective: To investigate the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary cryptococcosis in respiratory medicine and improve the understanding of the clinical characteristics of HIV-negative pulmonary cryptococcosis in China. Methods: A prospective multi-center open cohort study was designed to screen for pulmonary cryptococcosis in the general wards and intensive care units of the Department of Respiratory Diseases in 22 hospitals. The HIV-negative patients with positive cryptococcal etiological diagnosis based on smear culture, antigen detection and histopathology were enrolled in the study. The clinical data of enrolled patients were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 457 cases of pulmonary cryptococcosis were enrolled, among which 3.28% (15/457) were disseminated infections. The case fatality rate was 0.88% (4/457). The majority of the cases were diagnosed by histopathological examinations (74.40%, 340/457) and cryptococcus antigen detection (37.64%, 172/457). Patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis accounted for 2.04‰ (457/223 748) of the total hospitalized patients in the Department of Respiratory Diseases during the same period, and the ratio was the highest in south and east China. Meanwhile, 70.24% (321/457) of the patients had no underlying diseases, while 87.75% (401/457) were found to have immunocompetent status. Cough and expectoration were the most common clinical symptoms in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis. However, 25.16% (115/457) of the patients had no clinical symptom or physical signs. In terms of imaging features on pulmonary CT, multiple pulmonary lesions were more common than isolated lesions, and there were more subpleural lesions than perihilar or medial lesions. Morphologically, most of the lesions were middle-sized nodules (1-5 cm) or small-sized nodules (3 mm to 1 cm). The sensitivity of serum cryptococcus antigen test was 71.99% (203/282). Moreover, antigen-positive patients differed from antigen-negative patients in terms of basic immune status, clinical symptoms, imaging features and infection types. Meanwhile, immunocompromised patients differed from immunocompetent patients in terms of clinical symptoms, physical signs, infection-related inflammation indicator levels, imaging features, serum cryptococcus antigen positive rate and prognosis. Conclusions: The majority of cases of HIV-negative pulmonary cryptococcosis in China had no underlying disease or immunocompromised status, and the overrall prognosis was favorable. However, early diagnosis of HIV-negative pulmonary cryptococcosis remains challenging due to the complicated manifestations of the disease.

How close are we to the temperature tipping point of the terrestrial biosphere?

The temperature dependence of global photosynthesis and respiration determine land carbon sink strength. While the land sink currently mitigates ~30% of anthropogenic carbon emissions, it is unclear whether this ecosystem service will persist and, more specifically, what hard temperature limits, if any, regulate carbon uptake. Here, we use the largest continuous carbon flux monitoring network to construct the first observationally derived temperature response curves for global land carbon uptake. We show that the mean temperature of the warmest quarter (3-month period) passed the thermal maximum for photosynthesis during the past decade. At higher temperatures, respiration rates continue to rise in contrast to sharply declining rates of photosynthesis. Under business-as-usual emissions, this divergence elicits a near halving of the land sink strength by as early as 2040.

Synthetic chimeric nucleases function for efficient genome editing

CRISPR-Cas systems have revolutionized genome editing across a broad range of biotechnological endeavors. Many CRISPR-Cas nucleases have been identified and engineered for improved capabilities. Given the modular structure of such enzymes, we hypothesized that engineering chimeric sequences would generate non-natural variants that span the kinetic parameter landscape, and thus provide for the rapid selection of nucleases fit for a particular editing system. Here, we design a chimeric Cas12a-type library with approximately 560 synthetic chimeras, and select several functional variants. We demonstrate that certain nuclease domains can be recombined across distantly related nuclease templates to produce variants that function in bacteria, yeast, and human cell lines. We further characterize selected chimeric nucleases and find that they have different protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) preferences and the M44 chimera has higher specificity relative to wild-type (WT) sequences. This demonstration opens up the possibility of generating nuclease sequences with implications across biotechnology.

Effects of landscape plant species and concentration of sewage sludge compost on plant growth, nutrient uptake, and heavy metal removal

Landscape plants have great potentials in heavy metals (HMs) removal as sewage sludge compost (SSC) is increasingly used in urban forestry. We hypothesize that woody plants might perform better in HMs phytoremediation because they have greater biomass and deeper roots than herbaceous plants. We tested the differences in growth responses and HMs phytoremediation among several herbaceous and woody species growing under different SSC concentrations through pot experiments. The mixing percentage of SSC with soil at 0%, 15%, 30%, 60, and 100% were used as growth substrate for three woody (Ficus altissima Bl., Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser, and Bischofia javanica Bl.) and two herbaceous (Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) G. Don and Dianella ensifolia (L.) DC) plants. Results showed that the biomass, relative growth rate, and nutrient uptake for all plants increased significantly at each SSC concentration compared to the control; woody plants had higher biomass and nutrient use efficiency than herbaceous plants. All plants growing in SSC-amended soils accumulated appreciable amounts of HMs and reduced the contents of HMs present in the substrates. The woody plants were generally more effective than herbaceous plants in potentials of HMs phytoextraction, but A. macrorrhiza showed higher bioconcentration and translocation of Cu and Zn and D. ensifolia had higher bioconcentration and translocation of Cd than woody plants. The optimal application concentrations were 30% or less for woody plants and 15% for herbaceous plants for plant growth and ecological risk control, respectively. Intercropping suitable woody and herbaceous landscape plants in urban forestry might have promising potentials to minimize the ecological risks in the phytoremediation of SSC.

Summer dry-down modulates the isotopic composition of soil CO2 production in snow-dominated landscapes

In mountainous landscapes, soil moisture is highly dynamic due to the effects of topography and the temporal variability imposed by seasonal precipitation, including rainfall and snow. Soil moisture is known to affect ecosystem carbon exchange both aboveground and belowground, as well as the stable isotopic composition of exchanged CO₂. In this study we used an extensive suite of measurements to examine the effects of seasonal changes in soil moisture on the isotopic composition of soil CO₂ production at the landscape level. We show that the seasonal decline in soil moisture (i.e., summer dry-down) appeared to impose a trend in the δ¹³C of soil CO₂ production (δ_P) with more negative δ_P early in the growing season when soils were wet, and more positive δ_P as the growing season progressed and soils dried out. This seemingly generalizable pattern for a snow-dominated watershed is likely to represent the variability of recently assimilated C, tracked through the plant-soil system and imprinted in the respired CO₂. Thus, our observations suggest that, at least for mountainous environments, seasonal changes in δ_P are largely mediated by soil moisture and their spatial variability is partially organized by topography.

Macromolecular rate theory (MMRT) provides a thermodynamics rationale to underpin the convergent temperature response in plant leaf respiration

Temperature is a crucial factor in determining the rates of ecosystem processes, for example, leaf respiration (R) - the flux of plant respired CO₂ from leaves to the atmosphere. Generally, R increases exponentially with temperature and formulations such as the Arrhenius equation are widely used in earth system models. However, experimental observations have shown a consequential and consistent departure from an exponential increase in R. What are the principles that underlie these observed patterns? Here, we demonstrate that macromolecular rate theory (MMRT), based on transition state theory (TST) for enzyme-catalyzed kinetics, provides a thermodynamic explanation for the observed departure and the convergent temperature response of R using a global database. Three meaningful parameters emerge from MMRT analysis: the temperature at which the rate of respiration would theoretically reach a maximum (the optimum temperature, T_opt ), the temperature at which the respiration rate is most sensitive to changes in temperature (the inflection temperature, T_inf ) and the overall curvature of the log(rate) versus temperature plot (the change in heat capacity for the system, ΔCP‡). On average, the highest potential enzyme-catalyzed rates of respiratory enzymes for R are predicted to occur at 67.0 ± 1.2°C and the maximum temperature sensitivity at 41.4 ± 0.7°C from MMRT. The average curvature (average negative ΔCP‡) was -1.2 ± 0.1 kJ mol^-1  K^-1 . Interestingly, T_opt , T_inf and ΔCP‡ appear insignificantly different across biomes and plant functional types, suggesting that thermal response of respiratory enzymes in leaves could be conserved. The derived parameters from MMRT can serve as thermal traits for plant leaves that represent the collective temperature response of metabolic respiratory enzymes and could be useful to understand regulations of R under a warmer climate. MMRT extends the classic TST to enzyme-catalyzed reactions and provides an accurate and mechanistic model for the short-term temperature response of R around the globe.

Municipal sewage sludge compost promotes Mangifera persiciforma tree growth with no risk of heavy metal contamination of soil

Application of sewage sludge compost (SSC) as a fertilizer on landscaping provides a potential way for the effective disposal of sludge. However, the response of landscape trees to SSC application and the impacts of heavy metals from SSC on soil are poorly understood. We conducted a pot experiment to investigate the effects of SSC addition on Mangifera persiciforma growth and quantified its uptake of heavy metals from SSC by setting five treatments with mass ratios of SSC to lateritic soil as 0%:100% (CK), 15%:85% (S15), 30%:70% (S30), 60%:40% (S60), and 100%:0% (S100). As expected, the fertility and heavy metal concentrations (Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) in substrate significantly increased with SSC addition. The best performance in terms of plant height, ground diameter, biomass and N, P, K uptake were found in S30, implying a reasonable amount of SSC could benefit the growth of M. persiciforma. The concentrations of Cu, Pb and Cd in S30 were insignificantly different from CK after harvest, indicating that M. persiciforma reduced the risk of heavy metal contamination of soil arising from SSC application. This study suggests that a reasonable rate of SSC addition can enhance M. persiciforma growth without causing the contamination of landscaping soil by heavy metals.

A complete thermodynamic analysis of enzyme turnover links the free energy landscape to enzyme catalysis

Our understanding of how enzymes work is coloured by static structure depictions where the enzyme scaffold is presented as either immobile, or in equilibrium between well-defined static conformations. Proteins, however, exhibit a large degree of motion over a broad range of timescales and magnitudes and this is defined thermodynamically by the enzyme free energy landscape (FEL). The role and importance of enzyme motion is extremely contentious. Much of the challenge is in the experimental detection of so called 'conformational sampling' involved in enzyme turnover. Herein we apply combined pressure and temperature kinetics studies to elucidate the full suite of thermodynamic parameters defining an enzyme FEL as it relates to enzyme turnover. We find that the key thermodynamic parameters governing vibrational modes related to enzyme turnover are the isobaric expansivity term and the change in heat capacity for enzyme catalysis. Variation in the enzyme FEL affects these terms. Our analysis is supported by a range of biophysical and computational approaches that specifically capture information on protein vibrational modes and the FEL (all atom flexibility calculations, red edge excitation shift spectroscopy and viscosity studies) that provide independent evidence for our findings. Our data suggest that restricting the enzyme FEL may be a powerful strategy when attempting to rationally engineer enzymes, particularly to alter thermal activity. Moreover, we demonstrate how rational predictions can be made with a rapid computational approach.

[Clinical and gene mutation analysis of three children with late-onset glycogen storage disease type Ⅱ with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]

Objective: To investigate the clinical and laboratory features of three children with late-onset type Ⅱ glycogen storage disease(GSD) who presented with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and to analyze the effect of five mutations identified on the acid-α-glucosidase (GAA) activity and stability. Method: Three cases of children with muscle weakness were included in this study.GAA activity was analyzed in Dried Blood Spot of the patients.DNA was extracted from peripheral blood in all the patients and their parents and subjected to polymerase chain reaction and directly sequencing of GAA gene.Five mutant pcDNA3.1-myc-his-GAA expression plasmids(p.G478R, p.P361L, p.P266S, p.Q323X, p.R672Q) were constructed and transient instantaneously transfected into 293T cells to analyze the enzyme activity and stability of GAA. Result: All the three children had the onset of disease at 3 years or 1.5 years of age.They presented with developmental delay, muscle weakness and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.GAA activity of 3 patients was 2.65, 3.55 and 1.51 pmol(punch·h)(8.00-98.02)respectively. Genetic analysis found 5 mutations (p.G478R, p. P361L, p. P266S, p. Q323X, p. R672Q), and all of these 3 cases had clinical manifestations and were diagnosed as late-onset type Ⅱ glycogen storage disease.Five mutant pcDNA3.1-myc-his-GAA expression plasmids were transfected into 293T cells.Five mutant enzyme activities were found to be only 9.9%-22.5% of the wild-type enzyme activity and the protein expression of the five mutants was 32.0%-63.9% compared with the wild type. Conclusion: This study reports 3 children with late-onset GSD Ⅱ accompanied by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and compensatory stage of cardiac function in addition to limb muscle weakness.Five pathogenic mutations were identified, and these 5 mutations result in decreased GAA activity and GAA expression by in vitro functional analysis.

Variation in the urban vegetation, surface temperature, air temperature nexus

Our study examines the urban vegetation - air temperature (T_a) - land surface temperature (LST) nexus at micro- and regional-scales to better understand urban climate dynamics and the uncertainty in using satellite-based LST for characterizing T_a. While vegetated cooling has been repeatedly linked to reductions in urban LST, the effects of vegetation on T_a, the quantity often used to characterize urban heat islands and global warming, and on the interactions between LST and T_a are less well characterized. To address this need we quantified summer temporal and spatial variation in T_a through a network of 300 air temperature sensors in three sub-regions of greater Los Angeles, CA, which spans a coastal to desert climate gradient. Additional sensors were placed within the inland sub-region at two heights (0.1m and 2m) within three groundcover types: bare soil, irrigated grass, and underneath citrus canopy. For the entire study region, we acquired new imagery data, which allowed calculation of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and LST. At the microscale, daytime T_a measured along a vertical gradient, ranged from 6 to 3°C cooler at 0.1 and 2m, underneath tall canopy compared to bare ground respectively. At the regional scale NDVI and LST were negatively correlated (p<0.001). Relationships between diel variation in T_a and daytime LST at the regional scale were progressively weaker moving away from the coast and were generally limited to evening and nighttime hours. Relationships between NDVI and T_a were stronger during nighttime hours, yet effectiveness of mid-day vegetated cooling increased substantially at the most arid region. The effectiveness of vegetated T_a cooling increased during heat waves throughout the region. Our findings suggest an important but complex role of vegetation on LST and T_a and that vegetation may provide a negative feedback to urban climate warming.

[Applying multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification in the diagnosis of 5 cases with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency]

OBJECTIVE

To detect large genomic deletions or duplications of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) gene by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA).

METHOD

Thirty cases of suspected OTC deficiency (OTCD) patients based on tandem-mass spectrum results were recruited in Xinhua Hospital from 2012 to 2014, among whom 13 were male and 17 were female. Sanger sequencing of OTC gene revealed mutations in 23 cases. MLPA was performed in the patients whose previous Sanger sequencing failed to detect any disease-causing mutation. The samples were treated via the steps of DNA degeneration, the probe hybridization, connecting the hybridization probe, PCR amplification and capillary electrophoresis. The data were analyzed using Coffalyser software.

RESULT

Abnormal MLPA results were found in 5 patients without mutation detected in previous Sanger sequencing. Patient 1, a 9-year old girl, had a heterozygous deletion of Exon 2-4. Patient 2, a male newborn, died 10 days after birth. The examination of the mother's sample by MLPA revealed a heterozygous duplication of exon 2-6. Patient 3, a 10-day old boy, was found to harbor a hemizygous deletion of exon 7-10. Patient 4, a 2-year old girl, harbored a heterozygous deletion of exon 1-4. The fifth patient died at the age of 6 years, and his mother carried a heterozygous duplication of exon 1-4.

CONCLUSION

MLPA can be helpful in detecting the OTC gene defects, particularly for OTCD patients without mutation detected by Sanger sequencing.

[Clinical and genetic analysis of an infant with isolated 17, 20-lyase deficiency]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of an infant with isolated 17, 20-lyase deficiency.

METHOD

The clinical, biochemical and genetic characteristics were analyzed in an 8-month-old infant with 46, XY gonadal dysgenesis who presented predominantly the female external genitalia.

RESULT

The infant was referred because of"masses in bilateral inguinal region and 46, XY gonadal dysgenesis". He was normotensive. Laboratory tests revealed elevated levels of progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone. The detailed parameters are as follows: progesterone 29.35(reference range 0.09-1.0)nmol/L, 17-hydroxyprogesterone 10.9(reference range 0.6-2.6)nmol/L, testosterone 0.7(reference range 0.1-3.1)nmol/L, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate <0.15(reference range 0.80-5.6)mg/L, androstenedione <0.3 (reference range 0.6-3.1) μg/L, luteinizing hormone 6.6(reference range 0.6-1.7)U/L, follicle stimulating hormone 1.8 (reference range 0.5-3.7)U/L, estradiol 37.66(reference range 73.4-146.8)pmol/L. The patient had normal levels of serum sodium, potassium, corticosteroid and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone. Genomic DNA was extracted from the leukocytes of peripheral blood of the patient and subjected to next generation sequencing (NGS) for testing more than 200 sexual development related genes. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the results of NGS. Genetic analysis revealed that the patient harbored compound heterozygous mutations of c. 1226C>G (p.Pro409Arg, P409R) and c. 707T>G (p.Val236Gly, V236G) in CYP17A1 gene derived from paternal and maternal allele. V236G was a novel mutation predicted to be pathogenic. The infant was diagnosed as isolated 17, 20-lyase deficiency combined with clinical and molecular characteristics of CYP17A1 gene.

CONCLUSION

We have identified the compound heterozygous mutations of P409R and V236G in the CYP17A1 gene in one infant with isolated 17, 20-lyase deficiency. He presented with 46, XY gonadal dysgenesis, normal blood pressure and elevated concentration of progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone.

Multivariate regulation of soil CO2 and N2 O pulse emissions from agricultural soils

Climate and land-use models project increasing occurrence of high temperature and water deficit in both agricultural production systems and terrestrial ecosystems. Episodic soil wetting and subsequent drying may increase the occurrence and magnitude of pulsed biogeochemical activity, affecting carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles and influencing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this study, we provide the first data to explore the responses of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and nitrous oxide (N2 O) fluxes to (i) temperature, (ii) soil water content as percent water holding capacity (%WHC), (iii) substrate availability throughout, and (iv) multiple soil drying and rewetting (DW) events. Each of these factors and their interactions exerted effects on GHG emissions over a range of four (CO2 ) and six (N2 O) orders of magnitude. Maximal CO2 and N2 O fluxes were observed in environments combining intermediate %WHC, elevated temperature, and sufficient substrate availability. Amendments of C and N and their interactions significantly affected CO2 and N2 O fluxes and altered their temperature sensitivities (Q10 ) over successive DW cycles. C amendments significantly enhanced CO2 flux, reduced N2 O flux, and decreased the Q10 of both. N amendments had no effect on CO2 flux and increased N2 O flux, while significantly depressing the Q10 for CO2 , and having no effect on the Q10 for N2 O. The dynamics across DW cycles could be attributed to changes in soil microbial communities as the different responses to wetting events in specific group of microorganisms, to the altered substrate availabilities, or to both. The complex interactions among parameters influencing trace gas fluxes should be incorporated into next generation earth system models to improve estimation of GHG emissions.

Unusually high soil nitrogen oxide emissions influence air quality in a high-temperature agricultural region

Fertilized soils have large potential for production of soil nitrogen oxide (NO_x=NO+NO₂), however these emissions are difficult to predict in high-temperature environments. Understanding these emissions may improve air quality modelling as NO_x contributes to formation of tropospheric ozone (O₃), a powerful air pollutant. Here we identify the environmental and management factors that regulate soil NO_x emissions in a high-temperature agricultural region of California. We also investigate whether soil NO_x emissions are capable of influencing regional air quality. We report some of the highest soil NO_x emissions ever observed. Emissions vary nonlinearly with fertilization, temperature and soil moisture. We find that a regional air chemistry model often underestimates soil NO_x emissions and NO_x at the surface and in the troposphere. Adjusting the model to match NO_x observations leads to elevated tropospheric O₃. Our results suggest management can greatly reduce soil NO_x emissions, thereby improving air quality.

Soil NO_x emissions can significantly impact air quality in agricultural regions, particularly high temperature fertilized systems. Here, the authors investigate NO_x emissions in one such system in California and suggest that the NO_x emissions are the highest ever observed, with implications for air quality.

Evaluation of urinary pseudouridine as a tumor marker in lung cancer

The urinary concentration of pseudouridine, primarily a breakdown product of tRNA, was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography in 33 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), 18 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 18 patients with benign pulmonary diseases (eg, TB, COPD), and 16 healthy controls. The mean urinary pseudouridine concentration levels of the patients with SCLC, NSCLC, benign pulmonary disease and the healthy controls were 22.7 +/- 11.8, 15.6 +/- 6.0, 13.4 +/- 3.6, 12.1 +/- 3.2 nmol/mumol creatinine (mean +/- SD), respectively. The mean urinary pseudouridine concentration was significantly higher in patients with SCLC than that in patients with NSCLC, benign pulmonary disease and in the healthy controls. There was no significant difference in the urinary pseudouridine levels of patients with NSCLC and healthy controls or patients with benign pulmonary disease. Urinary pseudouridine levels above 18.5 nmol/mumol creatinine (mean value +/- 2SD for healthy controls) were noted in 54.5% of patients with SCLC, including 11 of 17 (64.7%) in extensive stage and seven of 16 (43.8%) in limited stage, and 27.8% of the patients with NSCLC. Of the 12 patients with SCLC who had follow-up urinary samples taken in series during chemotherapy courses, there was considerable urinary pseudouridine level change which paralleled the change in clinical response. Although urinary pseudouridine is not a specific marker for SCLC, it represents the tumor burden and reflects the clinical status. These findings indicate that urinary pseudouridine may be a useful tumor marker in patients with SCLC.

Ethacrynic acid increases facility of outflow in the human eye in vitro

Anterior segments of human donor eyes were perfused with culture medium at a perfusion pressure of 15 mm Hg in a 5% carbon dioxide environment at 37 degrees C. After determination of a baseline facility of outflow, the perfusion chamber contents were exchanged with either drug vehicle or ethacrynic acid, at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.25 mmol/L, after which postdrug facility was measured in the continuous presence of drug vehicle or ethacrynic acid. Ethacrynic acid increased facility of outflow from 28% to 105% at ethacrynic acid concentrations of 0.01 to 0.25 mmol/L, respectively. No morphologic correlate of the facility increase was observed with 0.01-mmol/L ethacrynic acid, nor were there any signs of cellular toxic effects. At 0.1 mmol/L, separations between trabecular meshwork cells and breaks between inner-wall cells were observed. At 0.25 mmol/L, focal areas of cell swelling and necrosis were noted. This study demonstrated that ethacrynic acid increases outflow facility in the aged human eye at concentrations that produce no apparent toxic effects. Therefore, ethacrynic acid may potentially prove useful in the treatment of glaucoma.