Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a wastewater treatment plant with Bacillus bio-reactor treatment.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have attracted wide attention due to their environmental impacts and health risks. PPCPs released through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are estimated to be 80 %. Nevertheless, the occurrence of PPCPs in the WWTPs equipped with Bacillus spec.-based bioreactors (BBR) treatment system remains unclear. In this study, sludge and waste water samples were collected during separate winter and summer sampling campaigns from a typical BBR treatment system. The results indicate that out of 58 target PPCPs, 27 compounds were detected in the waste water (0.06-1900 ng/L), and 23 were found in the sludge (0.6-7755 ng/g dw). Paraxanthine was the chemical of the highest abundance in the influent due to the high consumption of the parent compounds caffeine and theobromine. The profile for PPCPs in the wastewater and sludge exhibited no seasonal variation. Overall, the removal of target PPCPs in summer is more effective than the winter. In the BBR bio-reactor, it was found that selected PPCPs (at ng/L level) can be completely removed. The efficiency for individual PPCP removal was increased from 1.0 % to 50 % in this unit, after target specific adjustments of the process. The effective removal of selected PPCPs by the BBR treatment system is explained by combined sorption and biodegradation processing. The re-occurrence of PPCPs in the wastewater was monitored. Negative removal efficiency was explained by the cleavage of Phase II metabolites after the biotransformation process, and the lack of equilibrium for PPCPs in the sludge of the second clarifier. A compound specific risk quotient (RQ) was calculated and applied for studying the potential environmental risks. Diphenhydramine is found with the highest environmental risk in wastewater, and 15 other PPCPs show negligible risks in sewage sludge.

Ni and Co Active Site Transition and Competition in Fluorine-Doped NiCo(OH)2 LDH Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of NiCo LDH electrocatalysts can be improved through fluorine doping. The roles of Ni and Co active sites in such catalysts remain ambiguous and controversial. In addressing the issue, this study draws upon the molecular orbital theory and proposes the active center competitive mechanism between Ni and Co. The doped F-atoms can directly impact the valence state of metal atoms or exert an indirect influence through the dehydrogenation, thereby modulating the active center. As the F-atoms are progressively aggregate, the eg orbitals of Ni and Co transition from e2 g to e1 g , and subsequently to e0 g . The corresponding valence state elevates from +2 to +3, and then to +4, signifying an initial increase followed by a subsequent decrease in the electrocatalytic performance. Furthermore, a series of F-NiCo LDH catalysts are synthesized to verify the eg orbital occupancy analysis, and the catalytic OER overpotentials are 303, 243, 240, and 246 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm-2 , respectively, which coincides well with the theoretical prediction. This investigation not only provides novel mechanistic insights into the transition and competition of Ni and Co in F-NiCo LDH catalysts but also establishes a foundation for the design of high-performance catalysts.

Prognostic significance of the systemic inflammation response index in gastrointestinal malignancy patients: a pooled analysis of 10,091 participants.

Background: We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association of the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) with long-term survival outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal malignancy. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were searched for relevant studies evaluating the prognostic significance of the SIRI in gastrointestinal malignancies until May 2023. Results: 30 studies with 10,091 patients were included. The pooled results identified that patients in the high SIRI group had a worse overall survival and disease-free survival, which was observed across various tumor types, tumor stages and primary treatments. Conclusion: An elevated SIRI is negatively associated with worse survival outcomes of gastrointestinal malignancy patients and can be used as a risk stratification index for gastrointestinal malignancies.

Characteristics and molecular mechanism of drug-tolerant cells in cancer: a review.

Drug resistance in tumours has seriously hindered the therapeutic effect. Tumour drug resistance is divided into primary resistance and acquired resistance, and the recent study has found that a significant proportion of cancer cells can acquire stable drug resistance from scratch. This group of cells first enters the drug tolerance state (DT state) under drug pressure, and gradually acquires stable drug resistance through adaptive mutations in this state. Although the specific mechanisms underlying the formation of drug tolerant cells (DTCs) remain unclear, various proteins and signalling pathways have been identified as being involved in the formation of DTCs. In the current review, we summarize the characteristics, molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of DTCs in detail.

A review of deubiquitinases and thier roles in tumorigenesis and development.

Ubiquitin is a small protein that can be added onto target protein for inducing target degradation, thereby modulating the activity and stability of protein. Relatively, deubiquitinases (DUBs), a class catalase that can remove ubiquitin from substrate protein, provide a positive regulation of the protein amount at transcription level, post-translational modification, protein interaction, etc. The reversible and dynamic ubiquitination-deubiquitination process plays an essential role in maintaining protein homeostasis, which is critical to almost all the biological processes. Therefore, the metabolic dysregulation of deubiquitinases often lead to serious consequences, including the growth and metastasis of tumors. Accordingly, deubiquitinases can be served as key drug targets for the treatment of tumors. The small molecule inhibitors targeting deubiquitinases has become one of the hot spots of anti-tumor drug research areas. This review concentrated on the function and mechanism of deubiquitinase system in the proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis and autophagy of tumor cells. The research status of small molecule inhibitors of specific deubiquitinases in tumor treatment is introduced, aiming to provide reference for the development of clinical targeted drugs.

Determination of 123 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives in atmospheric samples.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of toxic organic pollutants. Until now, they have been detected in many regions and various environmental matrix. However, not all PAHs are usually detected by researchers, and no methods is established to analyze systematically hundreds of PAHs. In this study, 123 PAHs were identified and quantified using gas chromatography-tandem triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), which were divided into 3 groups: 32 regular PAHs (R-PAHs), 50 methyl-PAHs (Me-PAHs), 30 Nitro-PAHs (N-PAHs) and 11 hydroxyl-PAHs (OH-PAHs). The developed method was applied to detect the target PAHs in 6 marine gaseous samples and 6 particulate samples collected on board the research vessel Snow Dragon. Limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were determined from 0.009 to 2.50 and 0.03-8.33 pg/m3, respectively. Recoveries of the internal standards in atmosphere were from 88% to 112%, 70%-104%, and 72%-102% for R-PAHs、Me-PAHs、N-PAHs and OH-PAHs, respectively, which showed the reliability of the experimental method. The total concentrations of 123 PAHs in marine air and particle samples were from 1532 to 7877 and 206-1022 pg/m3, respectively.

[Anatomical study on the feasibility of a new self-guided pedicle tap].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement using a new self-guided pedicle tap. METHODS: According to the anatomical characteristics of the pedicle, a new self-guided pedicle tap was developed. Six adult spinal specimens including 4 males and 2 females were selected and tapped thread on the right and left sides of each pair of pedicles from the same segment T1 to L5 with traditional taps (control group) and new self-guided pedicle taps (experimental group), respectively. And the pedicle screws were placed. The screwing time was recorded and compared between two groups. CT scanning was completed to observe the accuracy and safety of the screw placement according to the Heary classification of imaging results. RESULTS: The screwing time of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in the experimental group were (5.87±1.25) min and(5.45±1.67) min, respectively. While those in the control group were (6.12±1.69) min and (6.22±2.13) min, respectively. Then there was no significant difference in screwing time of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae between two groups (P>0.05). The Heary grade of the pedicle screw showed that Heary gradeⅠand Heary gradeⅠ+Ⅱwere respectively 86 (84.31%) and 96 (94.12%) in the experimental group, 72 (71.29%) and 84 (83.17%) in control group, and the difference between two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The new self-guided pedicle tap can accurately and safely insert the thoracolumbar pedicle screw, with low cost, easy operation, and good clinical application value.

[Study on the correlation between the arc height of cervical endplate and osteophyte in posterior margin of intervertebral space].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation and clinical value of the arc height of upper and lower endplates, the height of intervertebral space and osteophyte of posterior edge of intervertebral space in patients with cervical spondylosis. METHODS: A total of 108 patients with cervical spondylosis who underwent cervical spondylosis surgery from September 2017 to September 2018 were included in the study. Including 48 males with an average age of 52 years (30 to 72) and 60 females with an average age of 54 years (37 to 79). Among them, C2,3 of 6 cases, C3,4 of 15 cases, C4,5 of 32 cases, C5,6 of 42 cases, C6,7 of 13 cases. X-ray films of cervical spine were taken before and after operation. The images were accessed by PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) system. The lower and upper endplate arc heights (L1, L2), intervertebral space height (L3), and posterior osteophyte width (L4) were measured. Spearman was used to analyze the correlation between them. RESULTS: L1 was negatively correlated with L4 (r=-0.34, P<0.05), L3 was negatively correlated with L4 (r=-0.36, P<0.05). L1 was positively correlated with L3 (r=0.38, P<0.05), L2 was positively correlated with L3 (r=0.48, P<0.05). There was no significant difference between L 1 and L2 (P>0.05), L2 and L4 (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The arc height of the lower endplate is negatively correlated with the width of osteophyte in the posterior margin of the intervertebral space. The cervical degeneration degree can be determined by measuring the arc height of the lower endplate, which has guiding significance for the early prevention and treatment of cervical spondylosis.

Identification of immune subtypes and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma based on immune checkpoint gene expression profile.

The significant response of immunotherapy is currently limited to a small number of patients, which has a high degree of selectivity. Therefore, distinguishing the immune subtypes of the tumor is necessary for patients who may benefit from immune checkpoint therapy. Clinical data and RNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GENE EXPRESSION OMNIBUS (GEO) databases were used to study the relationship of immune regulatory pathways with immune subtypes, and the effects on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Eight immune checkpoint coding genes (ICGs) were obtained that closely related to prognosis. Adaptive immune pathway genes (CD8A, CD68, GZMB, and NOS2) show significant positive correlation with most of ICGs. Therefore, adaptive immune pathway genes may play a certain regulatory role in the expression of ICGs. Among the four immune subtypes, the group with low expression level of PD-L1, IDO1 and CTLA4, and high expression of CD8A had showed the best prognosis. The prognosis was the worst in the group with low expression of PD-L1, IDO1 and CTLA4, and showed low expression of CD8A. This research proposed a method to analyze the gene expression profile of immune checkpoints. The present method can be applied to identify the relationship between immune subtype of HCC and the prognosis, providing basis for gene immunotherapy in HCC patients.

Rifampicin attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inhibiting pathogenic Th17 cells responses.

Rifampicin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, has neuroprotective, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of rifampicin on autoimmune disorders of the nervous system is not clear. In this study, we investigated whether rifampicin was beneficial to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOG33-35 )-induced female C57BL/6 experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice, the well-established animal model of multiple sclerosis. Rifampicin treatment (daily from the first day after EAE immunization) remarkably attenuated clinical signs and loss of body weight, which are associated with suppression of inflammatory infiltration and demyelination in spinal cords of EAE mice. Furthermore, rifampicin dramatically reduced the disruption of blood-brain barrier integrity, down-regulated serum concentration of IL-6 and IL-17A, inhibited pathological Th17 cell differentiation, and modulated the expression of p-STAT3 and p-p65. These results suggest that rifampicin is effective for attenuating the clinical severity of EAE mice, which may be related to its inhibitive ability in differentiation of Th17 cell and secretion of its key effector molecule IL-17A via regulation of excessive activation of the key signaling molecules of JAK/STAT pathway. Our findings may be helpful for developing therapeutic and preventive strategies for multiple sclerosis.

Temporal bone osteomyelitis: the relationship with malignant otitis externa, the diagnostic dilemma, and changing trends.

Fifty-five patients hospitalized for osteomyelitis of the temporal bone between 1990 and 2011 were divided into two study groups: group 1 was patients collected from 1990 to 2001 and group 2 was composed of patients between 2002 and 2011. Clinical diagnostic criteria and epidemiologic data were analyzed to illustrate the altering features of osteomyelitis of the temporal bone. Group 1 patients were characterized by high prevalence of diabetes and more commonly suffered from otalgia, otitis externa and granulation tissue in the external auditory canal and higher positive culture for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Noticeable changing trends were found between both groups, including declining prevalence of diabetes, fewer patients complaining of pain or presenting with otitis externa, and canal granulation, and increased variety of pathogens in group 2. We should highlight the index of clinical suspicion for osteomyelitis of the temporal bone, even in nondiabetic or immunocompetent patients. Painless otorrhea patients were also at risk of osteomyelitis of the temporal bone, especially patients with previous otologic operation. Increased multiplicity of pathogens amplified the difficulty of diagnosis for osteomyelitis of the temporal bone.

The significance of computed tomographic findings in the diagnosis of fungus ball in the paranasal sinuses.

BACKGROUND: Sinus fungus ball (SFB), previously termed mycetoma of the paranasal sinus is a type of noninvasive fungal rhinosinusitis and the treatment of choice for this condition is functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Predicting the possibility of SFB by performing preoperative computed tomography (CT) is important to ensure appropriate treatment. Various studies have reported the CT findings of SFB. We aimed to investigate the relationship between CT features and SFB to increase the preoperative diagnostic accuracy of CT. METHODS: Based on a literature review, we selected six CT features of SFB including calcification, erosion of the inner wall of the sinus, sclerosis of sinus lateral wall, heterogeneous opacification of sinus, absence of an air-fluid level, and sinus mucosal thickening. From January 2004 to February 2010, 96 SFB patients and 72 unilateral chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients were enrolled in this study. Preoperative CT images of all of the patients were interpreted by a radiologist and an otolaryngologist. RESULTS: All of the CT features except mucosal thickening showed statistically significant differences between SFB and CRS group patients. After adjusting for these CT features in a multiple logistic regression model, only the two features, viz., calcification and erosion of the inner wall of the sinus, were found to have a significant positive association with SFB. CONCLUSION: We found that five CT features, particularly calcification and erosion of the inner wall of the sinus, increase the diagnostic accuracy of CT for SFB, and this ensures that the patient receives appropriate treatment.