The Micron-Droplet-Confined Continuous-Flow Synthesis of Freestanding High-Entropy-Alloy Nanoparticles by Flame Spray Pyrolysis.

Alloying multiple immiscible elements into a nanoparticle with single-phase solid solution structure (high-entropy-alloy nanoparticles, HEA-NPs) merits great potential. To date, various kinds of synthesis techniques of HEA-NPs are developed; however, a continuous-flow synthesis of freestanding HEA-NPs remains a challenge. Here a micron-droplet-confined strategy by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) to achieve the continuous-flow synthesis of freestanding HEA-NPs, is proposed. The continuous precursor solution undergoes gas shearing and micro-explosion to form nano droplets which act as the micron-droplet-confined reactors. The ultrafast evolution (<5 ms) from droplets to <10 nm nanoparticles of binary to septenary alloys is achieved through thermodynamic and kinetic control (high temperature and ultrafast colling). Among them, the AuPtPdRuIr HEA-NPs exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction with 23 mV overpotential to achieve 10 mA cm-2, which is twofold better than that of the commercial Pt/C. It is anticipated that the continuous-flow synthesis by FSP can introduce a new way for the continuous synthesis of freestanding HEA-NP with a high productivity rate.

Improving the predictive accuracy of efficacy evaluation using tumor orthotopic transplant and resection model.

Preclinical efficacy evaluation and tumor drug sensitivity analysis are two main applications of efficacy evaluation. Preclinical efficacy evaluation is to predict whether candidate drugs or therapies may improve patient outcomes in clinical trials. Tumor drug sensitivity analysis is an approach for the personalized evaluation and optimization of approved anti-cancer drugs and treatment regimens. Overall survival (OS) is the gold standard to evaluate the outcome of drugs or therapies in both clinical trials and clinical treatment. Many efficacy evaluation models, such as cell model, tumor cell-line transplant model, patient-derived tumor xenograft model, tumor organoid model, have been developed to assess the inhibitory effect of tested drugs or therapies on tumor growth. In fact, many treatments may also lead to malignant progression of tumors, such as chemotherapy, which can lead to metastasis. Therefore, tumor growth inhibition does not necessarily predict OS benefit. Whether it can prevent or inhibit tumor recurrence and metastasis is the key to whether drugs and therapies can improve patient outcomes. In this perspective, we summarize the current understanding of the pathological progression of tumor recurrence and metastasis, point out the shortcomings of existing tumor transplant models for simulating the clinical scenario of malignant progression of tumors, and propose five improved indicators for comprehensive efficacy evaluation to predict OS benefit using tumor orthotopic transplant and resection model. Improvement in the accuracy of efficacy evaluation will accelerate the development process of anti-cancer drugs or therapies, optimize treatment regimens to improve OS benefit, and reduce drug development and cancer treatment costs.

Q-space imaging based on Gaussian radial basis function with Laplace regularization.

PURPOSE: To introduce the diffusion signal characteristics presented by spherical harmonics (SH) basis into the q-space imaging method based on Gaussian radial basis function (GRBF) to robustly reconstruct ensemble average diffusion propagator (EAP) in diffusion MRI (dMRI). METHODS: We introduced the Laplacian regularization of the signal into the dMRI imaging method based on GRBF, and derived the relevant indicators of microstructure imaging and the orientation distribution function (ODF) providing fiber bundle direction information based on EAP. In addition, this method is combined with a multi-compartment model to calculate the diameter of fiber bundle axons. The evaluation of the results included qualitative comparisons and quantitative assessments of the signal fitting. RESULTS: The results show that the proposed method achieves the more significant accuracy improvement in reconstructing signal. Meanwhile, ODFs estimated by the proposed method show the sharper profiles and less spurious peaks, even under the sparse and noisy conditions. In the 36 sets of axon diameter estimation experiments, 34 and 30 sets of results showed that the proposed method reduced the mean and SD of axon diameter estimates, respectively. Moreover, compared with the current state-of-the-art method, the mean and SD of axon diameter estimated by the proposed method are mostly lower, with 32 and 29 of 36 groups. CONCLUSION: The proposed method outperforms the GRBF regarding signal fitting and the estimation of the EAP and ODF with multi-shell sparse samples. Moreover, it shows the potential to recover important features of microstructures with less uncertainty by using proposed method together with multi-compartment models.

Highly reusable Bi2O3/electron-Cu-shuttle in-situ immobilized polyacrylonitrile fibrous mat for efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B dyes.

Organic semiconductor-based photocatalysts have been alluring due to their edge over inorganic photocatalysts. In this study, a reusable copper-bismuth oxide/polyacrylonitrile (Cu-Bi2O3/PAN) fibrous mat was prepared by fast-process flame spray pyrolysis and electrospinning for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) dyes. The results confirmed a well-defined morphology of Cu-Bi2O3/PAN fibers and good coordination of flame-made Cu-Bi2O3 particles with the functional groups of PAN. The Cu-Bi2O3/PAN fibrous mat exhibits remarkable photocatalytic performance of 96.2% MB and 98.6% RhB degradation, with a reaction rate as high as about 4.5- and 10.2-times than that of flame-made Cu-Bi2O3 particles and PAN under neutral condition, even after 10 cycles. The Cu-Bi2O3/PAN exhibits complete degradation of MB and RhB in 90 and 150 min under alkaline and slightly acidic conditions, respectively. The synergistic effect of Cu-Bi2O3 and coordination bond between particles and functional groups of PAN promoted carrier migration, suppressed recombination of carriers and provided abundant radicals on the surface of the mat. Superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were the major active species involved in the degradation of RhB and MB, respectively. This work provides an insight into designing the Cu-metal-shuttle based photocatalysts to optimize fibrous mat application in water remediation.

Associations of oxidative balance score with total abdominal fat mass and visceral adipose tissue mass percentages among young and middle-aged adults: findings from NHANES 2011-2018.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the association of the oxidative balance score (OBS) with total abdominal fat mass (TAFM) and visceral adipose tissue mass (VATM) percentages among young and middle-aged U.S. adults. Methods: Young and middle-aged adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018 were included. Analysis of variance and Rao-Scott adjusted chi-square tests were used to compare the characteristics across quartiles of OBS. Univariate and multivariate weighted logistic regression models were employed to explore the relationship between OBS and the risks of high TAFM or high VATM percentage in the general population and subgroups, while the interaction effects were tested with a likelihood test. Weighted restricted cubic spline analyses were utilized to assess the non-linear association of OBS with TAFM and VATM percentages. Results: The final sample included 8,734 young and middle-aged non-institutionalized U.S. adults representing 134.7 million adults. Compared with adults in the first quartile of OBS, those with higher OBS were less likely to have a high TAFM percentage; the ORs and 95% CI for adults in the second, third, and highest quartiles of OBS were 0.70 (0.53-0.94), 0.49 (0.36-0.60), and 0.25 (0.18-0.36), respectively. Similar trends were observed in the association between OBS and VATM percentages. Moreover, similar effects were confirmed in the sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses according to demographic characteristics. Regarding the OBS subclass, higher dietary OBS and lifestyle OBS were also correlated with decreased ORs of high TAFM and VATM percentages. Conclusion: This study strongly suggests that higher OBS, as well as higher dietary OBS and lifestyle OBS, are significantly correlated with lower risks of abdominal obesity and visceral fat accumulation. The findings highlight the importance of an antioxidant-rich diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in reducing the risks.

Interfacial Manipulation via In Situ Constructed Fast Ion Transport Channels toward an Ultrahigh Rate and Practical Li Metal Anode.

The successful substitution of Li metal for the conventional intercalation anode can promote a significant increase in the cell energy density. However, the practical application of the Li metal anode has long been fettered by the unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer on the Li metal surface and notorious dendritic Li growth. Herein, a stabilized SEI layer with in situ constructed fast ion transport channels has successfully been achieved by a robust In2S3-cemented poly(vinyl alcohol) coating. The modified Li metal demonstrates significantly enhanced Coulombic efficiency, high rate performance (10 mA cm-2), and ultralong life cycling stability (∼4900 cycles). The Li|LiCoO2 (LCO) cell presents an ultralong-term stable operation over 500 cycles at 1 C with an extremely low capacity decay rate (∼0.018% per cycle). And the Li|LCO full cell with the ultrahigh loading cathode (∼25 mg cm-2) and ultrathin Li foil (∼40 µm) also reveals a prolonged cycling performance under the low negative-to-positive capacity ratio of 2.2. Furthermore, the Li|LCO pouch cell with a commercial cathode and ultrathin Li foil still manifests excellent cycling performance even under the harsh conditions of limited Li metal and lean electrolyte. This work provides a cost-effective and scalable strategy toward high performance practical Li metal batteries.

Establishment of a primary renal lymphoma model and its clinical relevance.

Extranodal dissemination is an important feature of aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Owing to the lack of available animal models, the study on extranodal dissemination of lymphoma is greatly limited. Here, we identified a novel cell line, named MA-K, which originated from the Eµ-Myc;Cdkn2a-/- cell line, named MA-LN in this study. Compared to MA-LN, MA-K tended to disseminate in the kidney rather than the lymph nodes in the lymphoma transplantation model, resembling human primary renal lymphoma. The transcriptome analysis revealed that MA-K had undergone transcriptional evolution during the culture. The specialized transcriptional pattern analysis we proposed in this study identified that the FOXO1-BTG1-MYD88 pattern was formed in MA-K. Further analysis found that the translation pathway was the most enriched pathway in specially expressed genes (SEGs) in MA-K. Among the SEGs, three upregulated genes, RPLP2, RPS16, and MRPS16, and five downregulated genes, SSPN, CD52, ANKRD37, CCDC82, and VPREB3, in MA-K were identified as promising biomarkers to predict the clinical outcomes of human DLBCL. Moreover, the joint expression of the five-gene signature could effectively predict clinical outcomes of human DLBCL in three groups. These findings suggested that the MA-K cell line had strong clinical relevance with human aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Moreover, the MA-K primary renal lymphoma model, as a novel syngenetic mouse model, will be greatly useful for both basic research on lymphoma dissemination and preclinical efficacy evaluation of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

ZCCHC4 Promotes Osteosarcoma Progression by Upregulating ITGB1.

Zinc finger CCHC-type containing 4 (ZCCHC4), RNA binding protein, has been reported to mediate rRNA methylation and affect tumor cell proliferation. However, the role of ZCCHC4 in the regulation of osteosarcoma (OS) remains unknown. ZCCHC4 was highly expressed in OS tissues and cell lines. Overexpression or silencing of ZCCHC4 promoted or inhibited cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and motility. Additionally, we proved that ZCCHC4 facilitates OS progression through upregulating integrin ß1 (ITGB1). In the animal model, ZCCHC4 knockdown reduced OS tumor growth and metastases in vivo. Our findings showed that ZCCHC4 promoted the progression of OS through upregulating ITGB1 and suggested that inhibition of ZCCHC4 could be a novel therapeutic strategy for OS.

Risk factors for cardiovascular adverse events from immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including skin injury, liver and kidney injury, colitis, as well as cardiovascular adverse events, are a series of complications arising during the treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Cardiovascular events are the most urgent and the most critical, as they can end life in a short period of time. With the widespread use of ICIs, the number of immune-related cardiovascular adverse events (irACEs) induced by ICIs has increased. More attention has been paid to irACEs, especially regarding cardiotoxicity, the pathogenic mechanism, diagnosis and treatment. This review aims to assess the risk factors for irACEs, to raise awareness and help with the risk assessment of irACEs at an early stage.

Knockdown of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 alleviates LPS-induced myocardial dysfunction through the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway.

Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction is primarily accompanied by severe sepsis, which is associated with high morbidity and mortality. 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1), encoded by Hsd11b1, is a reductase that can convert inactive cortisone into metabolically active cortisol, but the role of 11ß-HSD1 in sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction remains poorly understood. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of 11ß-HSD1 on a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model, in which LPS (10 mg/kg) was administered to wild-type C57BL/6J mice and 11ß-HSD1 global knockout mice. We asscessed cardiac function by echocardiography, performed transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemical staining to analyze myocardial mitochondrial injury and histological changes, and determined the levels of reactive oxygen species and biomarkers of oxidative stress. We also employed polymerase chain reaction analysis, Western blotting, and immunofluorescent staining to determine the expression of related genes and proteins. To investigate the role of 11ß-HSD1 in sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction, we used LPS to induce lentivirus-infected neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. We found that knockdown of 11ß-HSD1 alleviated LPS-induced myocardial mitochondrial injury, oxidative stress, and inflammation, along with an improved myocardial function; furthermore, the depletion of 11ß-HSD1 promoted the phosphorylation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), and silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) protein levels both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, the suppression of 11ß-HSD1 may be a viable strategy to improve cardiac function against endotoxemia challenges.

11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 amplifies inflammation in LPS-induced THP-1 cells.

Objectives: The role of glucocorticoids as anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulatory drugs has been widely reported. However, the role of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1), which catalyzes the conversion of inactive cortisone into active cortisol, in inflammation remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the mechanism of actions of 11ß-HSD1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced THP-1 cells. Materials and Methods: The gene expression of 11ß-HSD1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines was detected via RT-PCR. The protein expression of IL-1ß in cell supernatants was detected via ELISA. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed using a reactive oxygen species (ROS) kit and a mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) kit, respectively. The expression of Nuclear Factor- Kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was detected via western blotting. Results: Elevated levels of 11ß-HSD1 contributed to the expression of inflammatory cytokines, whereas BVT.2733, a selective 11ß-HSD1 inhibitor, ameliorated inflammatory responses, ROS, and mitochondrial damage in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells. Furthermore, cortisone and cortisol, which are the substrate and product of 11ß-HSD1, respectively, showed biphasic responses and induced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines at a low concentration in both LPS-stimulated or untreated THP-1 cells. The enhanced inflammation was attenuated by co-treatment with BVT.2733 and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist RU486, but not in those treated with the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist spironolactone. Overall, the results indicate that 11ß-HSD1 amplifies inflammatory responses by activating the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Conclusion: Inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target against the excessive activation of inflammation.

Sarcopenia as a risk factor of progression-free survival in patients with metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis of cancer causes more than 90% of cancer deaths and is severely damaging to human health. In recent years, several studies have linked sarcopenia to shorter survival in patients with metastatic cancer. Several predictive models exist to predict mortality in patients with metastatic cancer, but have reported limited accuracy. METHODS: We systematically searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for articles published on or before October 14, 2022. Pooled Hazard Ratio (HR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random effects model. The primary outcome was an increased risk of death or tumor progression in patients with metastatic cancer, which is expressed as progression-free survival (PFS). In addition, we performed subgroup analyses and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses to explore the main sources of heterogeneity and the stability of the results. RESULTS: Sixteen retrospective cohort studies with 1,675 patients were included in the 888 papers screened. The results showed that sarcopenia was associated with lower progression-free survival (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.19-2.03, I2 = 76.3%, P < 0.001). This result was further confirmed by trim-and-fill procedures and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that sarcopenia may be a risk factor for reduced progression-free survival in patients with metastatic cancer. Further studies are still needed to explain the reason for this high heterogeneity in outcome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CRD42022325910.

Colorimetric Chemosensor Based on Fe3O4 Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Nanoparticles for Highly Selective and Sensitive Detection of Norfloxacin in Milk.

Long-term use of norfloxacin (NOR) will cause NOR residues in foods and harm human bodies. The determination of NOR residues is important for guaranteeing food safety. In this study, a simple, selective, and label-free colorimetric chemosensor for in situ NOR detection was developed based on Fe3O4 magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (Fe3O4 MMIP NPs). The Fe3O4 MMIP NPs showed good peroxidase-like catalytic activity to 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and selective adsorption ability to NOR. The colorimetric chemosensor was constructed based on the Fe3O4 MMIP NPs-H2O2-TMB reaction system. The absorbance differences were proportional to the concentrations of NOR in the range of 10-300 ng/mL with a limit of detection at 9 ng/mL. The colorimetric chemosensor was successfully applied to detect NOR residue in milk. The recovery range was 78.2-95.81%, with a relative standard deviation of 2.1-9.88%. Together, the proposed colorimetric chemosensor provides a reliable strategy for the detection of NOR residues in foods.

In Situ Construction of Efficient Interface Layer with Lithiophilic Nanoseeds toward Dendrite-Free and Low N/P Ratio Li Metal Batteries.

Li metal is considered as one of the most promising candidates for constructing advanced high-energy energy storage due to its ultrahigh theoretical capacity and lowest electrochemical potential. However, its practical commercialization is seriously hindered by the challenges of Li dendrite growth, low Coulombic efficiency, and huge volumetric variation. Herein, an efficient in situ generated Li2 S-rich interface layer joint with preplanted Sb nano active sites in hosted Li metal anode is easily achieved with the nanosized Sb2 S3 decorated carbonaceous network. The yielded CC@Sb2 S3 @Li anode demonstrates uniform Li deposition, high Coulombic efficiency, and alleviated volumetric variation. Therefore, the Li symmetric cells show ultralong lifespan stable cycling over 3200 cycles with a very low voltage hysteresis (≈18 mV) at 5 mA cm-2 . Impressively, the Li|LiFePO4 full cell delivers an exceptionally prolonged cycling over 180 cycles with a superior capacity retention as high as ≈90% even under the harsh condition of an extremely low negative to positive capacity ratio of ≈0.44 with lean electrolyte (4.4 µL mAh-1 ). Moreover, the Li|LiNi0.5 Co0.2 Mn0.3 O2 full cell also maintains an excellent cycling performance under the more realistic harsh conditions. This work provides a new avenue and significant step paving the Li metal toward the practical application.

Analysis of children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura secondary to infection.

OBJECTIVES: Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is the most common childhood vasculitis, infection is the most essential inducement. We hypothesized that infection could impact the blood routine characteristics and/or outcome of vasculitis. Thus, we aim to find the most common infectious agent in HSP patients and identify convenient indicators to predict renal involvement in HSP patients with infection. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective study of 208 HSP children and 98 healthy children. Clinical parameters were compared in those cases. RESULTS: A total of 68.75% of patients were infected with various pathogens. The mean platelet volume (MPV) (P < 0.02) was lower in HSP patients with infection than patients without infection. Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection accounted for the largest proportion (45.77%). MPV in HSP nephritis (HSPN) group was lower than in HSP patients (excluded renal involvement) in patients with MP infection. Logistic regression analysis found that age and MPV were risk factors for the occurrence of MP-infected HSPN. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that the combination of MPV with the onset age at the optimal cut-off point had 81% sensitivity in predicting whether HSP patients with MP infection would develop into HSPN. CONCLUSIONS: Our research revealed that MP was the most commonly infected pathogen of children's HSP. MPV was an essential predictor of nephritis in HSP patients with MP infection. This discovery can prompt clinical treatments as well as reduce costs. Key Points • Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) accounts for the largest proportion in HSP children with infection. • MPV can be used as a predictor for the development of MP-triggered HSP to HSPN.

Anti-Adhesion Effects of Lactobacillus Strains on Caco-2 Cells Against Escherichia Coli and Their Application in Ameliorating the Symptoms of Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis in Mice.

The beneficial effects of probiotics on ameliorating ulcerative colitis (UC) have attracted much attention in recent years. Nevertheless, the number of these identified probiotics is still limited. In addition, the adhesion abilities of probiotics are considered to be a key determinant for probiotic efficacy. However, the relationship between the adhesion abilities of probiotics and their role in ameliorating UC has been poorly studied to date. This study measured the adhesion abilities of four Lactobacillus strains to Caco-2 cells and their anti-adhesion effects on Caco-2 cells against pathogenic bacteria, as well as their application in ameliorating the symptoms of dextran sulfate sodium-induced UC, and further illustrated the relationship between these two potential probiotic properties of probiotics and their beneficial effects on UC. Results suggested that the adhesion abilities of the four tested Lactobacillus strains exists highly strain-specific and the mechanisms of their anti-adhesion effect on Caco-2 cells against Escherichia coli may be different. Moreover, all these strains had promising effects on ameliorating UC by reducing inflammatory response and improving the intestinal mucosal barrier function, as well as promoting the production of SCFAs. In conclusion, the four tested Lactobacillus strains can be considered as alternative dietary supplements in alleviating UC. In addition, it could be concluded that there is no significant correlation between the adhesion abilities of probiotics and their role in ameliorating UC, which further illustrated that the adhesion properties of probiotics in vitro may not be suitable as the key criterion for screening potential strains with UC-alleviating effects.

Rapid and selective extraction of norfloxacin from milk using magnetic molecular imprinting polymers nanoparticles.

The magnetic molecular imprinting polymers nanoparticles (MMIPs NPs) for the extraction of norfloxacin (NOR) were prepared by self-polymerization of dopamine onto the surface of (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES)-modified Fe3O4 NPs. The MMIPs NPs were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, VSM and TEM. The characterization results show that the MMIPs NPs possess superparamagnetic characteristic with the saturated magnetization value of 38.6 emu/g, and the average particle size of about 14.3 nm. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of the MMIPs NPs was evaluated by the static, dynamic, selective adsorption and reusability experiments. The adsorption capacity of MMINs NPs for NOR is 14.2 mg/g with an imprinted factor of 2.1. About 82.4-102.4% of the added NOR (20, 40, 60 µg/mL) were recovered from fortified milk samples with MMIPs NPs as sorbent. Moreover, the MMIPs NPs can be reused for at least six times.

Long-term follow-up in patients with Brugada Syndrome in South China.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of Brugada electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern, clinical characteristics, treatment, and long-term prognosis of Brugada syndrome in southern Chinese population. METHODS: This prospective study consisted of a consecutive series of patients with diagnostic coved type I Brugada ECG pattern at baseline between January 2007 and February 2020. Histories of symptoms including ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) episode, syncope, and family history of Brugada Syndrome (BrS) or unexplained sudden cardiac death were collected. Electrophysiological study and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) were performed. All patients included in this study were followed up in the outpatient department every 6 months after baseline evaluation. Occurrences of syncope, VF, and sudden death were independently analyzed by two cardiologists. RESULTS: 45 (56.3%) patients were diagnosed with BrS. During a mean follow-up of 7.9 ± 3.6 years, six patients had experienced documented VF/sudden cardiac death (SCD) or recurrent syncope. Two patients experienced episodes of syncope more than once. Two patients experienced onset of electrical storm with a total of 11 episodes of VF. There were 50% of these events occurring in fever status. One of patient with BrS died of SCD. CONCLUSION: There was a very low prevalence of Brugada syndrome in southern Chinese population. The risk of arrhythmic events was low in asymptomatic patients. ICD was high effective in preventing SCD without adverse device outcome in long-term follow-up. Fever can lead to predispose to malignant arrhythmia, and aggressive treatment of febrile state in Brugada syndrome was recommended.

Mining, heterologous expression, purification, antibactericidal mechanism, and application of bacteriocins: A review.

Bacteriocins are generally considered as low-molecular-weight ribosomal peptides or proteins synthesized by G+ and G- bacteria that inhibit or kill other related or unrelated microorganisms. However, low yield is an important factor restricting the application of bacteriocins. This paper reviews mining methods, heterologous expression in different systems, the purification technologies applied to bacteriocins, and identification methods, as well as the antibacterial mechanism and applications in three different food systems. Bioinformatics improves the efficiency of bacteriocins mining. Bacteriocins can be heterologously expressed in different expression systems (e.g., Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus, and yeast). Ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis membrane, pH-mediated cell adsorption/desorption, solvent extraction, macroporous resin column, and chromatography are always used as purification methods for bacteriocins. The bacteriocins are identified through electrophoresis and mass spectrum. Cell envelope (e.g., cell permeabilization and pore formation) and inhibition of gene expression are common antibacterial mechanisms of bacteriocins. Bacteriocins can be added to protect meat products (e.g., beef and sausages), dairy products (e.g., cheese, milk, and yogurt), and vegetables and fruits (e.g., salad, apple juice, and soybean sprouts). The future research directions are also prospected.