Efficient and selective capture of various mercury species from water using an exfoliated thiocellulose.

The primary challenge in mercury (Hg) adsorbents for large-scale practical applications is to achieve the balance between performance and economy. This work attempts to address this issue by synthesizing an exfoliated thiocellulose (CU-SH) with high thiol density and hierarchical porosity using in-situ ligands grafting combined with chemical stripping. The prepared CU-SH shows remarkable physical stability and chemical resistance, and the micron sized fiber is conducive to separation from water. Hg(II) adsorption tests in water demonstrate that CU-SH has broad working pH range (1-12), fast kinetics (0.64 g/(mg‧min)), high adsorption capacity (652.9 mg/g), outstanding selectivity (Kd = 6.2 × 106 mg/L), and excellent reusability (R > 95 % after 20 cycles). Importantly, CU-SH exhibits good resistance to various coexisting ions and organic matter, and can efficiently remove Hg(II) from different real water. CU-SH can be made into a Point of Use (POU) device for continuous and efficient removal of Hg(II) from drinking water. 0.1 g CU-SH filled device can purify 3.2 L of Hg(II) (0.5 ppm) contaminated tap water before the breakthrough point of 2 ppb. Moreover, CU-SH also reveals good adsorption affinity for Hg-dissolved organic matter complexes (Hg(II)-DOM) in water, chloro(phenyl)mercury (PMC) in organic media and Hg0 vapor in air, suggesting the great practical potential of CU-SH.

Washed microbiota transplantation: a case report of clinical success with skin and gut microbiota improvement in an adolescent boy with atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease characterized by itching. The gut microbiome can help maintain skin immune homeostasis by regulating innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we report a case of AD in a 15-year-old adolescent boy who benefited from washed microbiota transplantation (WMT). WMT was performed for three courses, with each course lasting for three consecutive days and an interval of one month between two courses. Clinical assessments were conducted at each WMT course, and skin, blood, and stool samples were collected for microbial analysis. After three months of WMT treatment, the boy's itchiness was effectively controlled: his skin showed noticeable improvement, with reduced Staphylococcus aureus in the skin lesions. The scores of SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis), EASI (Eczema Area and Severity Index), NRS (Numerical Rating Scale), and DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index) significantly decreased compared to the baseline. Serum levels of eosinophil ratio, tumor necrotic factor-α, and interleukin-6 also reduced to the normal levels. There was a significant decrease in S. aureus in the skin lesions. Additionally, the intestinal flora became more diverse, and the abundance of Bifidobacterium species, significantly increased after WMT. No adverse events were reported during the treatment and the 1-year follow-up period. This case report provides direct clinical evidence for WMT as a novel promising treatment strategy for AD, and preliminary experimental data suggests the existence of an intestinal-skin axis in terms of the gut microbiota and the skin immune homeostasis.

Respiratory training combined with core training improves lower limb function in patients with ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of respiratory training combined with core training on lower limb function and quality of life in patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS: Data of 88 patients with hemiplegia after stroke admitted to Affiliated Sichuan Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM from January 2019 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Quality of life and lower limb function were evaluated in the control group (conventional rehabilitation training, n = 40) and the research group (respiratory training combined with core stabilization training, n = 48) using Short Form-36 (SF-36) and with Wisconsin Gait Scale (WGS), respectively. According to the mean value of life quality after treatment, patients were divided into a low quality of life group and a high quality of life group. Logistics regression was used to analyze the risk factors affecting patients' quality of life. Changes in pulmonary function parameters (including forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC)) were observed before and after treatment. Patients' balance ability was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the research group had evidently higher SF-36 score (P < 0.001), markedly lower WGS score (P < 0.001) and much better FEV1 and FVC (P < 0.001). After treatment, the BBS score of the research group increased evidently compared with that of the control group (P < 0.001). Logistics regression revealed that the duration of education, national institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS) score at admission and rehabilitation program were independent risk factors affecting the quality of life of patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Breathing training combined with core muscle training can effectively improve lower limb function and daily living activities in stroke patients. In addition, duration of education, NIHSS score at admission and rehabilitation program were identified as independent risk factors affecting the life quality of stroke patients.

Effect of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty combined with arthroscopic debridement on knee osteoarthritis and analysis of risk factors of deep venous thrombosis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical effect of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty combined with arthroscopic debridement on knee osteoarthritis and the risk factors leading to deep venous thrombosis (DVT). METHODS: Data of 110 patients with knee osteoarthritis admitted to The People's Hospital of Wenjiang Chengdu for surgical treatment from February 2019 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the surgical treatment methods, 58 patients treated with unicompartmental knee arthroplasty were included in the control group. The remaining 52 patients with combined treatment of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and arthroscopic knee debridement were included in the observation group. The therapeutic effect, knee joint function score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, time required for knee flexion of 90°, length of hospital stay, and incidence of postoperative DVT were compared between the two groups 1 month after the operation. Risk factors leading to the development of DVT were analyzed. RESULTS: One month after the operation, the overall response rate, knee joint function score, and VAS score in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group. The time required for knee flexion of 90° and length of hospital stay were shorter and the incidence of DVT was lower in the observation group than those in the control group. According to the occurrence of DVT, patients were divided into a DVT group and a non-DVT group. The univariate analysis revealed that age, body mass index, history of diabetes, coagulation parameters, and surgical methods were related to the occurrence of DVT. The logistics regression analysis revealed that age, body mass index, coagulation parameters, and surgical methods were independent risk factors affecting the occurrence of postoperative DVT. CONCLUSION: The combined treatment of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty and arthroscopic debridement can significantly improve knee joint function and bone metabolism and reduce the incidence of postoperative DVT of patients with knee osteoarthritis, achieving a more satisfactory therapeutic effect.

K-Space Data Reconstruction Algorithm-Based MRI Diagnosis and Influencing Factors of Knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury.

This study was aimed at investigating the diagnostic value of MRI based on K-space data reconstruction algorithm for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury of knee joint and the influencing factors of ligament injury. 96 patients with ACL injury of knee joint were selected, and they were randomly divided into two groups: group A (arthroscopy) and group B (MRI examination), and another 96 healthy volunteers in the same period were selected as the control group. The test results of each indicator were compared. The results showed that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of SMASH algorithm was higher than that of sum of squares (SOS) algorithm. In group A, there were 66 positive and 30 negative tests, and in group B, there were 56 positive and 40 negative tests (P < 0.05). The intercondylar fossa width, the intercondylar fossa width index, and the ratio of tibial intercondylar eminence width to intercondylar fossa width in group B were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the traditional SOS algorithm, SMASH algorithm can improve the image quality, reduce the impact of damage data on the final synthesis image, and improve the image SNR. In clinical work, the ratio of the width of tibial intercondylar eminence to the width of femoral intercondylar fossa can be measured by imaging data to evaluate the matching between tibial intercondylar eminence and femoral intercondylar fossa, so as to evaluate the risk of ACL rupture.

MELK predicts poor prognosis and promotes metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via activating the NF­κB pathway.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with a low 5­year survival rate due to the lack of effective therapeutic strategies. Accumulating evidence has indicated that maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is highly expressed in several tumors and associated with tumor development. However, the biological effects of MELK in ESCC remain unknown. In the present study, cell phenotypical experiments and animal metastasis assays were performed to detect the influence of MELK knockdown in vitro and in vivo. The potential molecular mechanism of MELK­mediated ESCC metastasis was further investigated by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. The results revealed that the expression of MELK in human ESCC tissues was higher than that in adjacent normal tissues and was positively associated with the poor prognosis of patients. Reducing MELK expression resulted in growth inhibition and suppression of the invasive ability of ESCC cells in vitro and in vivo. MELK inhibition induced alterations of epithelial­mesenchymal transition­associated proteins. Mechanistically, MELK interacted with IκB kinase (IKK) and promoted the phosphorylation of IKK, by which MELK regulated activation of the NF­κB pathway. Collectively, the present study revealed the function and mechanism of MELK in the cell metastasis of ESCC, which may be a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.

Development and Validation of a Ferroptosis-Related Gene Signature and Nomogram for Predicting the Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignant tumor with high mortality and poor prognosis. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of cell death induced by iron-catalyzed excessive peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). However, the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) for ESCC remains unclear. Based on the ESCC dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we identified 39 prognostic FRGs through univariate Cox regression analysis. After LASSO regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses, a multigene signature based on 10 prognostic FRGs was constructed and successfully divided ESCC patients into two risk groups. Patients in the low-risk group showed a significantly better prognosis than patients in the high-risk group. In addition, we combined the risk score with clinical predictors to construct a nomogram for ESCC. The predictive ability of the nomogram was further verified by ROC curves and calibration plots in both the training and validation sets. The predictive power of the nomogram was demonstrated to be better than that of either the risk score or clinical variable alone. Furthermore, functional analysis revealed that the 10-FRG signature was mainly associated with ferroptosis, differentiation and immune response. Connectivity map analysis identified potential compounds capable of targeting FRGs in ESCC. Finally, we demonstrated the prognostic value of SRC gene in ESCC using the clinical samples and found that SRC inhibition sensitized ESCC cells to ferroptosis inducers by in vitro experiments. In conclusion, we identified and verified a 10-FRG prognostic signature and a nomogram, which provide individualized prognosis prediction and provide insight into potential therapeutic targets for ESCC.

Bushen Yijing Decoction (BSYJ) exerts an anti-systemic sclerosis effect via regulating MicroRNA-26a /FLI1 axis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) refers to a group of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Bushen Yijing decoction (BSYJ) is used for treating SSc. However, its underlying mechanism remains unknown. The present study aims to investigate potential roles of Friend leukemia integration factor 1 (FLI1) and microRNA in the beneficial effects of BSYJ on SSc. Primary skin fibroblasts were isolated from healthy individuals and SSc patients through tissue-explant technique and validated by immunocytochemistry. mRNA and microRNA levels were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. Protein expression was measured by western blotting. MiR-26a mimics or inhibitor were transfected to induce miR-26a overexpression or knockdown in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Histological changes of skin tissues from SSc mouse were evaluated by H&E and Masson trichrome staining. Results showed that FLI1 expression significantly decreased in primary skin fibroblasts of SSc patients. MiR-26a was predicted to target FLI1 untranslated region. Transfection of miR-26 mimics in SSc skin fibroblasts (SFB) leads to decrease in FLI1 expression and increase in collagen I gene expression and fibronectin accumulation. On the other hand, miR-26a knockdown increased FLI1 expression and decreased collagen I and fibronectin expression in SFB. In addition, BSYJ-containing rat serum suppressed miR-26a expression, while it elevated FLI1 expression and inhibited fibronectin and collagen I accumulation in SFB. In the mouse SSc model, BSYJ-containing serum inhibited dermal fibrosis by suppressing miR-26a expression and restoring FLI1 protein levels. Overall, our study demonstrates that BSYJ decoction exerts anti-dermal fibrosis in SSc patients via suppressing miR-26a level and thus to increase FLI1 expression in fibroblasts.

Value of combination of 25-(OH)-D3, IL-6, and cyclic peptide containing citrulline antibodies in different stages of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the value of a combination of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-(OH)-D3), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and cyclic peptide containing citrulline (CCP) antibodies in the acute stage and remission stage of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made on 80 RA patients who received treatment in Wenjiang District People's Hospital of Chengdu from February 2017 to February 2020. According to their condition, they were identified as acute-stage patients (n=48) or remission-stage patients (n=32). In addition, 40 healthy individuals who received physical examination in our hospital during the same period were enrolled in a control group. Serum 25-(OH)-D3, IL-6, and CCP antibodies in all enrolled participants were quantified, and their levels were compared between RA patients at the acute stage and those at the remission stage before therapy, and also between patients with different efficacy after 3 months of therapy. The correlations of serum 25-(OH)-D3, IL-6, and CCP antibodies with disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS-28) were analyzed. A corresponding joint receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the diagnostic value of the combination of 25-(OH)-D3, IL-6, and CCP antibodies in the staging of RA patients, and logistic regression was used to establish an efficacy risk model. RESULTS: The highest serum 25-(OH)-D3 level was found in the control group, followed by the remission-stage patients and then acute-stage patients from high to low (all P<0.05), and the lowest levels of serum IL-6 and CCP antibodies were also found in the control group, followed by the remission-stage patients and then the acute-stage patients from low to high (all P<0.05). The Pearson's test revealed a negative correlation of 25-(OH)-D3 with DAS-28 and a positive correlation of IL-6 and CCP antibodies with DAS-28. According to ROC curve-based analysis, the area under the joint curve of 25-(OH)-D3, IL-6, and CCP antibodies was >0.9. After therapy, patients showed an increase in 25-(OH)-D3 and decreases in IL-6 and CCP antibodies (all P<0.05). The logistic model confirmed that the area under the ROC curve of RA affecting the efficacy on patients was >0.8. CONCLUSION: A combination of 25-(OH)-D3, IL-6, and CCP antibodies can be adopted as a diagnostic indicator in acute and remission stages of RA. A risk factor model of clinical efficacy in RA patients can help us effectively identify high-risk patients before therapy and take intervention measures early.

Vasorin stimulates malignant progression and angiogenesis in glioma.

Glioma, the most common human primary brain tumor, is characterized by invasive capabilities and angiogenesis. Vasorin (VASN), a transmembrane protein, is reported to be associated with vascular injury repair and is overexpressed in some human tumors. However, its role in tumor progression and angiogenesis in glioma is unknown. In this study, VASN was shown to be overexpressed in high-grade gliomas, and the expression level correlated with tumor grade and microvessel density in glioma specimens. Glioma patients with high VASN expression had a shorter overall survival time. Knockdown of VASN in glioma cells by shRNA significantly inhibited the malignancy of glioma, including cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and sphere formation. Ectopic expression of VASN increased glioma progression in vitro. The expression of VASN correlated with the mesenchymal type of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) subtyped by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Our results showed that the concentration of VASN was increased in the conditioned medium (CM) from glioma cells with VASN overexpression, and the CM from glioma cells with knockdown or overexpressed VASN inhibited or promoted HUVEC migration and tubulogenesis in vitro, respectively. Glioma growth and angiogenesis were stimulated upon ectopic expression of VASN in vivo. The STAT3 and NOTCH pathways were found to be activated and inhibited by VASN overexpression. Our findings suggest that VASN stimulates tumor progression and angiogenesis in glioma, and, as such, represents a novel therapeutic target for glioma.

Sexual health policies in stroke rehabilitation: A multi national study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and explore sexual health policies at specialized stroke rehabilitation centres in relation to the perspectives of healthcare personnel concerning sexual health. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: Nine specialized rehabilitation centres representing 7 countries, and healthcare personnel (n = 323) working with stroke rehabilitation at the 9 centres were included in the study. METHODS: Two structured questionnaires were used: (i) an organizational-audit on sexual health policies; (ii) an anonymous web-questionnaire assessing the perspectives of healthcare personnel concerning sexual health. RESULTS: Of the 9 centres, 5 scored high on having sexual health policy in stroke rehabilitation and 4 scored low. Healthcare personnel working at centres with high scores reported higher levels of knowledge and comfort in working with sexual health, and looked more positively on the workplace sexual health policies, than personnel working at centres scoring low on these factors. Most personnel expressed a need for knowledge on the topic. Being comfortable about addressing sexuality was significantly associated with higher levels of knowledge about sexuality and working at centres having sexual health policies. CONCLUSION: A lack of sexual health policy represents a barrier to evidence-based practice in stroke rehabilitation. Such protocols need to be implemented in standard care in order to meet the sexual rehabilitation needs of stroke patients and partners.

A Mechanistic Study of the Association Between Symbolic Approximate Arithmetic Performance and Basic Number Magnitude Processing Based on Task Difficulty.

Two types of number magnitude processing - semantic and spatial - are significantly correlated with children's arithmetic performance. However, it remains unclear whether these abilities are independent predictors of symbolic approximate arithmetic performance. The current study addressed this question by assessing 86 kindergartners (mean age of 5 years and 7 months) on semantic number processing (number comparison task), spatial number processing (number line estimation task), and symbolic approximate arithmetic performance with different levels of difficulty. The results showed that performance on both tasks of number magnitude processing was significantly correlated with symbolic approximate arithmetic performance, but the strength of these correlations was moderated by the difficulty level of the arithmetic task. The simple symbolic approximate arithmetic task was equally related to both tasks. In contrast, for more difficult symbolic approximate arithmetic tasks, the contribution of number comparison ability was smaller than that of the number line estimation ability. These results indicate that the strength of contribution of the different types of numerical processing depends on the difficulty of the symbolic approximate arithmetic task.