Comparison of Prognosis for Lung Transplantation between Older and Younger Donors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on Cohort Studies.

PURPOSE: This meta-analysis aimed to compare the prognosis of lung transplantation recipients based on donor age. METHODS: A detailed search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for cohort studies on lung transplantation. The prognosis of lung transplant recipients was investigated based on the donor age, with the primary outcomes being 1-year overall survival (OS), 3-year OS, 5-year OS, and 5-year chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD)-free survival. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 10 cohort studies. Among the short-term outcomes, the older donor group demonstrated no significant difference from the young donor group in primary graft dysfunction within 72 hours, use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, length of ventilator use, and intensive care unit hours. However, a longer hospital stay was associated with the older donor group. In terms of long-term outcomes, no difference was found between the two groups in 1-year OS, 3-year OS, and 5-year OS. Notably, patients with older donors exhibited a superior 5-year CLAD-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis indicate that older donors are not inferior to younger donors in terms of long-term and short-term recipient outcomes. Lung transplantation using older donors is a potential therapeutic option after rigorous evaluation.

Functional activities of three Rehmannia glutinosa enzymes: Elucidation of the Rehmannia glutinosa salidroside biosynthesis pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Rehmannia glutinosa produces many phenylethanoid glycoside (PhG) compounds, including salidroside, which not only possesses various biological activities but also is a core precursor of some medicinal PhGs, so it is very important to elucidate the species' salidroside biosynthesis pathway to enhance the production of salidroside and its derivations. Although some plant copper-containing amine oxidases (CuAOs), phenylacetaldehyde reductases (PARs) and UDP-glucose glucosyltransferases (UGTs) are thought to be vital catalytic enzymes involved in the downstream salidroside biosynthesis pathways, to date, none of these proteins or the associated genes in R. glutinosa have been characterized. To verify a postulated R. glutinosa salidroside biosynthetic pathway starting from tyrosine, this study identified and characterized a set of R. glutinosa genes encoding RgCuAO, RgPAR and RgUGT enzymes for salidroside biosynthesis. The functional activities of these proteins were tested in vitro by heterologous expression of these genes in Escherichia coli, confirming these catalytic abilities in these corresponding reaction steps of the biosynthetic pathway. Importantly, four enzyme-encoding genes (including the previously reported RgTyDC2 encoding tyrosine decarboxylase and the RgCuAO1, RgPAR1 and RgUGT2 genes) were cointegrated into Saccharomyces cerevisiae to reconstitute the R. glutinosa salidroside biosynthetic pathway, achieving an engineered strain that produced salidroside and validating these enzymes' catalytic functions. This study elucidates the complete R. glutinosa salidroside biosynthesis pathway from tyrosine metabolism in S. cerevisiae, establishing a basic platform for the efficient production of salidroside and its derivatives.

Study on the relationship between net primary productivity and site quality in Japanese larch plantations in mountainous areas of eastern Liaoning.

Plantation forests enhance carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems in China. Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carrière (Lamb.) (Larix olgensis Henry) is the main species for afforestation in the eastern Liaoning Province. Therefore, it is important to understand the correlation between the site class and carbon sink potential of Larix kaempferi plantations in Liaoning Province for afforestation and carbon sink in this area. The model was fitted using three classical theoretical growth equations: the Richards model, the Korf model, and the Hossfeld model. This study used the forest resource inventory data for management in Liaoning Province in 2011 to build six dynamic height-age models for a Larix kaempferi plantation in Dandong City regardless of base-age. The optimal model derived by the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) method was compared with the model derived by the algebraic difference approach (ADA) method. The superiority of GADA was demonstrated by comparison. The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was used to fit the model. The statistical and biological characteristics were considered synthetically when comparing the models. The best model was screened out by statistical analysis and graphic analysis. The results show that the differential height-age model derived from Richards equation can well explain the growth process of Larix kaempferi in Dandong City, Liaoning Province under different conditions. The site index model based on Richards equation and derived by GADA was used to calculate the site class of a Larix kaempferi plantation in Dandong City. The net primary productivity (NPP) value from the past ten years was extracted from the MOD17A3HGF data set. Spearman correlation analysis and Kendall correlation analysis were used to show that there is a significant positive correlation between NPP value and site class of Larix kaempferi plantation in Dandong City. Among them, the highest growth occurred in 2016; NPP increased by about 3.914 gC/m2/year for every two increases in height-age grade; the lowest increase in NPP was in 2014; NPP increased by about 2.113 gC/m2/year for every two increases in height-age grade; and for every two increases in height-age grade in the recent ten years, the average NPP value increased by about 2.731 gC/m2/year.

Efficient Adsorption of Azo Dye Acid Brilliant Red on Graphite Carbon Nitride in Aqueous Solution.

In this study, two types of graphite carbon nitrides were prepared by directly calcinating urea (U-g-C3N4) and melamine (M-g-C3N4) in a muffle furnace. Their adsorption performances on acid brilliant red (ABR) from aqueous solution were examined and compared. Results showed that, at the optimum calcination temperature of 580 °C, both the adsorption capacity of U-g-C3N4 and that of M-g-C3N4 increased strongly with decreasing solution pH. U-g-C3N4 exhibits higher adsorption capacity than M-g-C3N4 at an initial pH > 2.0. However, at an initial pH of 1.0, M-g-C3N4 displayed a much higher adsorption capacity than U-g-C3N4, where the maximum adsorption capacity of M-g-C3N4 can reach 25 635.64 mg g-1, being the highest reported to date. Adsorptions of both adsorbents followed pseudo-second-order kinetic models and the Langmuir adsorption isothermal models. The adsorption is spontaneous and exothermic and occurs mainly through electrostatic attraction between the protonated g-C3N4 and the negatively charged ABR. In addition, the used U-g-C3N4 can be easily regenerated with ethanol and the renewed U-g-C3N4 possesses comparable adsorption capability of its original form, showing its superior recyclability and broad industrial application prospects.

Shrimp hemocyanin elicits a potent humoral response in mammals and is favorable to hapten conjugation.

Conjugation to a carrier protein is essential to give rise to the antigenicity of hapten. Three carrier proteins e.g. KLH (Keyhole Limpet hemocyanin), BSA (bovine serum albumin), and OVA (Ovalbumin) were used mostly. KLH is advantageous to the others, majorly owing to its strong immunogenicity and limited usage in other biological assays. However, the cost of obtaining Keyhole Limpet is high and the solubility of KLH is not as well as the other carriers, especially after hapten conjugation. Here, we extracted the shrimp hemocyanin (SHC) from Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei), which is a commonly sea product worldwide. The high pure SHC could be acquired by two-step purification, with a production yield of > 1 g proteins (98% pure) per 1 kg shrimp. Compared to KLH, the peptide-SHC conjugates exhibit higher solubility after hapten conjugation. Meanwhile, compared with KLH, SHC induces comparable antibody production efficiency in mammals, with or without conjugation. Furthermore, rabbit polyclonal antibodies or mouse monoclonal antibodies were generated by immunizing SHC-peptide conjugates, and the subsequent antibodies were confirmed to be used in western blot, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Therefore, we demonstrated that SHC may be used as a substitute for KLH in future antibody and vaccine development.

Channel erosion and its impact on environmental flow of riparian habitat in the Middle Yangtze River.

Evaluating environmental flow (EF) is pivotal for conserving and restoring riverine ecosystems. Yet, prevalent EF evaluations presume that a river reach's hydraulic conditions are exclusively governed by inflow discharge, presupposing a state of equilibrium in the river channel. This presumption narrows the scope of EF evaluations in expansive alluvial rivers like the Middle Yangtze River (MYR), characterized by marked channel alterations. Here we show the profound channel erosion process and its impact on EF requirements for riparian habitats within the MYR. Our research unveils that: (i) pronounced erosion has led to a mean reduction of 1.0-2.7 m in the riverbed across four sub-reaches of the MYR; (ii) notwithstanding a 37-107% increase in minimal discharges post the Three Gorges Project, the lowest river stages at some hydrometric stations diminished owing to bed erosion, signifying a notable transformation in MYR's hydraulic dynamics; (iii) a discernible rightward shift in the correlation curve between the weighted useable area and discharge from 2002 to 2020 in a specific sub-reach of the MYR, instigated by alterations in hydraulic conditions, necessitated an increase of 1500-2600 m³ s-1 in the required EF for the sub-reach; (iv) it is deduced that macroinvertebrate biomass rapidly decreases as the flow entrains the riverbed substrate, with the maximum survivable velocity for macroinvertebrates being contingent on their entrainment threshold. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating channel morphological changes in devising conservation strategies for the MYR ecosystem.

Atomic Insights into the Relationship between Molecular Structure and Dispersion Performance of Phenyl Polymer on Graphene Oxide.

The adsorption of organic polymers onto the surface of graphene oxide is known to improve its dispersibility in cement-based materials. However, the mechanism of this improvement at the atomic level is not yet fully understood. In this study, we employ a combination of DFT static calculation and umbrella sampling to explore the reactivity of polymers and investigate the effects of varying amounts of phenyl groups on their adsorption capacity on the surface of graphene oxide. Quantitative analysis is utilized to study the structural reconstruction and charge transfer caused by polymers from multiple perspectives. The interfacial reaction between the polymer and graphene oxide surface is further clarified, indicating that the adsorption process is promoted by hydrogen bond interactions and π-π stacking effects. This study sheds light on the adsorption mechanism of polymer-graphene oxide systems and has important implications for the design of more effective graphene oxide dispersants at the atomic level.