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Oyster aquaculture helps mitigate coastal eutrophication by assimilating organic nitrogen for biomass and by denitrification in both the oyster digestive tract and sediment below. Efforts are needed in the quantitative assessment of oysters’ multiple nitrogen removal pathways at large-scale aquaculture sites, especially removal in oyster bodies, which has been much less quantified among these pathways. This study takes a subtropical estuary (Shenzhen Bay in South China) as a testbed to conduct laboratory rearing experiments and field investigation. The laboratory results show that an oyster individual of harvest size can remove 0.59 mg-N day−1 through denitrification within the body, which can be proportionally extrapolated to 4.6 kg-N km−2 day−1 in Shenzhen Bay. Assimilating field measurements into a “flux inventory model” yields the oyster-induced total nitrogen removal of Shenzhen Bay as 33.3 kg-N km−2 day−1, in which biomass harvest, denitrification in oysters, and sediment contributed 26%, 14%, and 60%, respectively. Additionally, the oyster’s filter-feeding lifestyle exports nitrogen from the water column to the sediment, which can contribute to ~3% of the daily nitrogen input into the bay. This study confirms the potential of oyster nitrogen removal, especially within the body, and provides a working framework for quantitative assessment of coastal nitrogen removal by the growing scale floating oyster aquaculture.

Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are a class of flavin enzymes that are mainly present in the outer membrane of mitochondria and play a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of monoamine neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Furthermore, expression of MAOs is associated with the functions of peripheral organs. Dysfunction of MAOs is relevant in a variety of diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, heart failure, metabolic disorders, and cancers. Monoamine oxidases have two isoenzymes, namely, monoamine oxidase A (MAO‐A) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO‐B). Therefore, the development of reliable and specific methods to detect these two isoenzymes is of great significance for the in‐depth understanding of their functions in biological systems, and for further promoting the clinical diagnosis and treatment of MAO‐related diseases. This review mainly focuses on the advances in small molecular probes for the specific imaging of MAO‐A and MAO‐B, including radiolabeled probes, fluorescent probes, and a 19F magnetic resonance imaging probe. In addition, applications of these probes for detecting MAO expression levels in cells, tissues, animal models, and patients are described. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of developing novel MAO imaging probes are also highlighted. Because of their close relationship with various diseases, monoamine oxidases have been recognized as key biomarkers in diagnosis and targets for therapies from a clinical perspective. The development of molecular probes for dynamic imaging of monoamine oxidases has greatly improved our understanding of their functions under physiological and pathological conditions. This manuscript systematically reviews the advances of small molecule probes for specific imaging of MAO‐A and MAO‐B, and we hope this review can be a useful resource for the design and construction of novel probes with improved properties and promising prospects for clinical applications (The graph was produced via Figdraw 2.0 online tools, https://www.figdraw.com, ID: TSYOT6cc36).

Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, diagnosed based on classic symptoms like motor dysfunction and cognitive impairments. With the development of various radioactive ligands, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging combined with specific radiolabelling probes has proven to be effective in aiding clinical PD diagnosis. Among these probes, 2β-Carbomethoxy-3β-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-(2-[ 18 F]-fluoroethyl) nortropane ([ 18 F]FECNT) has been utilized as a PET tracer to image dopamine transporter (DAT) integrity in striatal presynaptic dopaminergic terminals. However, the presence of brain-penetrant radioactive metabolites produced by [ 18 F]FECNT may impact the accuracy of PET imaging. In previous research, we developed 2β-Carbomethoxy-3β-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-(2-[ 18 F]-fluoroethyl-1,1,2,2-d4) nortropane ([ 18 F]FECNT-d 4 ), a deuterated derivative with enhanced stability in plasma and the striatum, along with a slower washout rate. In this study, we further investigated the potential of [ 18 F]FECNT-d 4 to detect dopaminergic neuron degeneration in Parkinson’s disease. This involved PET imaging in unilaterally-lesioned PD model rats and in vitro autoradiography conducted on postmortem brain sections. Results PET images revealed reduced specific uptake in the ipsilateral striatum of rats stereotactically injected with 6-hydroxydopamine hydrochloride (6-OHDA). Compared to the sham group, the ratio of standardized uptake value (SUV) in the ipsilateral to contralateral striatum decreased by 13%, 23%, and 63% in the mild, moderate, and severe lesioned groups, respectively. Dopaminergic denervation observed in PET imaging was further supported by behavioral assessments, immunostaining, and monoamine concentration tests. Moreover, the microPET results exhibited positive correlations with these measurements, except for the apomorphine-induced rotational behavior test, which showed a negative correlation. Additionally, [ 18 F]FECNT-d 4 uptake was approximately 40% lower in the postmortem striatal sections of a PD patient compared to a healthy subject. Furthermore, estimated human dosimetry (effective dose equivalent: 5.06 E-03 mSv/MBq), extrapolated from rat biodistribution data, remained below the current Food and Drug Administration limit for radiation exposure. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that [ 18 F]FECNT-d 4 accurately estimates levels of dopaminergic neuron degeneration in the 6-OHDA-induced PD rat model and effectively distinguishes between PD patients and healthy individuals. This highly sensitive and safe PET probe holds promising potential for clinical application in the diagnosis and monitoring of Parkinson’s disease.

Evidence has shown that small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) participate in the tumorigenesis in multiple cancers, including gallbladder cancer (GBC). Our results showed that SNORA38B level was increased in GBC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Thus, this research aimed to explore the role and molecular mechanisms of SNORA38B in GBC. SNORA38B level between normal and GBC tissues was evaluated by RT-qPCR. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were tested by EdU assay, TUNEL staining and transwell assay, respectively on human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells (HIBEpiCs) and the GBC cell lines, NOZ and GBC-SD. Expression of proteins in GBC cells was evaluated by immunofluorescence and Western blot assays. We found that, relative to normal tissues, SNORA38B level was notably elevated in GBC tissues. SNORA38B overexpression obviously enhanced GBC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), but weakened cell apoptosis. Conversely, SNORA38B downregulation strongly suppressed the proliferation and EMT of GBC cells and induced cell apoptosis and ferroptosis, whereas these phenomena were obviously reversed by TGF-β. Meanwhile, SNORA38B downregulation notably reduced the levels of phosphorylated-Smad2 and phosphorylated-Smad3 in GBC cells, whereas these levels were elevated by TGF-β. Collectively, downregulation of SNORA38B could inhibit GBC cell proliferation and EMT and induce ferroptosis via inactivating TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling. These findings showed that SNORA38B may be potential target for GBC treatment.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is one of the most common acquired immune-mediated bleeding disorders found in children. Prednisone is usually considered a first-line therapeutic agent for ITP in children. Yet, prolonged exposure to prednisone has been associated with certain side effects. This prospective randomized study comparatively assessed the efficacy and safety of short-course high-dose dexamethasone (HDD) and standard prednisone (PDN) as a first-line treatment for children with previously untreated primary ITP. Two hundred eleven children were randomized into the HDD (n = 110) and PDN (n = 101) groups. There was no difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups (p > 0.05). Early response rates were 92.7% and 93% (p = 0.923); initial response rates were 93.6% and 95% (p = 0.658) and durable response rates were 90% and 91% (p = 0.787) in the HDD and PDN groups, respectively. More remission patients in the HDD group compared with the PDN group (86.3% vs. 80.1%) at 12th month after treatment, yet no statistical difference was observed (p = 0.703). Bleeding events were 10.9% and 14.8% (p = 0.105), and bleeding score improvement rates were 78.2% and 76.2% (p = 0.284) in the HDD and PDN groups, respectively. Cushing’s disease, weight gain and infection rates were higher in the PDN group compared to the HDD group (80% vs. 10%, p = 0.001; 74.2% vs. 13.6%, p = 0.001; and 26% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.012) 1 month after treatment. HDD showed non-inferior efficacy and fewer glucocorticoid-related adverse effects compared with PDN. These findings indicated that HDD could be considered as a first-line treatment in children with previously untreated primary ITP, thus replacing standard PDN.

This book provides a brief history on how foreign debt has shaped and influenced the development of China in the past 170 years, discussing both government and non-government debt. In modern China, especially after the first Sino-Japanese War, the foreign debt problem was a huge burden and influenced China's approach to finance, the economy, politics, and diplomacy. The book examines this and also looks at the deeper historical influences of foreign debt on China. Today, there is an argument that lending to China was the means for foreign capitalists and imperialists to enslave China, to export capital to China, and to vie for spheres of influence. However, the book examines how governments of old China colluded with foreign capital to serve their own ends and finance their own often misguided policies. For those who are interested in the history of finance in China and the rise of China, the book provides an understanding of a phenomenon that has helped shape China since the 19th century. (Series: Economic History in China)

ObjectivesTo assess the efficacy and safety of 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT in diagnosing Parkinson’s disease (PD).Methods99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT imaging was performed in 34 healthy controls and 96 PD patients 2.5 h later after injection. The striatal image was evaluated visually and semi-quantitively. Sensitivity and specificity of 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT were analyzed according to Hoehn and Yahr scale (HYS). Based on HYS, the PD patients were divided into mild (HYS 1–2) and moderate (HYS 3–5) groups. The uptake ratios of striatum (ST) and cerebellum (CB) in contralateral, ipsilateral and bilateral striatum in different groups were calculated and analyzed. The safety was assessed.ResultsThe sensitivity and specificity of 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT to discriminate PD patients from healthy subjects were 98.96% and 94.12% and it has perfect agreement with HYS (κ = 0.94, p < 0.001). The sensitivity to diagnose mild and moderate PD was 43.42% and 95% separately. The uptake ratio in PD patients was significantly lower than that in healthy controls (1.37 ± 0.13 vs 1.68 ± 0.18, p < 0.001). And the uptake ratio in contralateral side was markedly reduced in unilateral PD patients as compared with the ipsilateral side (1.50 ± 0.20 vs 1.46 ± 0.21, p < 0.001). The striatal uptakes in affected striatum and bilateral striatum were reduced with increasing disease severity between healthy control versus mild stage versus moderate stage in the affected striatum and bilateral striatum in PD patients. No serious adverse events or death was observed after injecting 99mTc-TRODAT-1.ConclusionWe demonstrated that 99mTc-TRODAT-1 was a safety radiotracer which can be used in clinic to diagnose PD using SPECT.

ObjectivesTo study the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and injection doses of 99mTc-TRODAT-1 in healthy adults.MethodsThirty healthy individuals comprising 15 females and 15 males were randomly divided into three groups and the injection doses of 99mTc-TRODAT-1 of group 1, 2, and 3 were 370 MBq, 740 MBq, and 1110 MBq, respectively. Assessments of subjective symptoms and tests were performed before and after injection. Blood and urine collections and whole-body planar imaging were analyzed at various time points. Bilateral brain striatal SPECT images obtained at 3.5 h PI were assessed visually and semiquantitatively.ResultsNo serious adverse events or deaths were observed in our study. The pharmacokinetic analysis showed that 99mTc-TRODAT-1 was eliminated rapidly from the circulation, with just about 4% of the injected dose remaining in blood at 1 h post-injection. The mean cumulative urinary excretion over 24 h was just 2.96 ± 0.96%ID. The time-activity curve demonstrated that the radioactivity was mainly in liver and abdomen. The highest absorbed dose was in the dose-limiting organ, liver (20.88 ± 4.45 × 10−3 mSv/MBq). The average effective dose was 5.22 ± 1.05 × 10−3 mSv/MBq. The clarity of striatal images assessed visually in group 1 was worse than that in group 2 and 3. The semiquantitative analysis showed that there were no differences in striatum/cerebellum between the three groups (group 1: 1.77 ± 0.11, group 2: 1.62 ± 0.14, and group 3: 1.75 ± 0.20; P = 0.088).Conclusions99mTc-TRODAT-1 was safe to use in humans and showed the status of dopaminergic neurons specifically and clearly. The injection dose we suggested was 740 MBq.

This is a short history of finance in China, covering the development of native financial institutions and practices, the influx of foreign banks, the financial policies of governments in modern China, and the beginnings of the Chinese Communist Party financial system.