Sediments nitrogen cycling influenced by submerged macrophytes growing in winter.

Restoration of submerged macrophytes is one of the important measures for ecological treatment of eutrophic lakes. The changes in physical and chemical conditions caused by submerged macrophytes also affect the process of benthic nitrogen cycling. The growth period of Potamogeton crispus is mainly in winter. In order to understand the effect of submerged macrophytes growing in winter on nitrification rate and denitrification rate in the process of nitrogen cycling, experiments were carried out from winter to summer with vegetated and non-vegetated treatments. The results showed that the effect of submerged macrophytes on water temperature was not significant in winter. The nitrogen cycling was mainly affected by variables, which were inorganic nitrogen and dissolved oxygen. Submerged macrophytes had little effect on nitrification rate, but had a certain inhibition on denitrification rate by providing oxygen from photosynthesis. In total, submerged macrophytes growing in winter have little effect on nitrogen cycling in sediment. However, submerged macrophytes growing in winter can increase the attachment surface of microbes and inhibit resuspension of sediment, which play a complementary role to submerged macrophytes growing in summer for maintaining stability of eutrophic lakes.

[Quality control of Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma based on fingerprint and quantitative analysis].

Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma, the dried rhizoma of Dioscorea nipponica, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicines. According to the different of the growth and cultivation patterns, Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma can be divided into two species, the wild Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma and the cultivated Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma. In this paper, an accurate and reliable fingerprint of Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma was established based on HPLC coupled with evaporative light scattering detector(ELSD). A total of 6 common peaks were marked, and the similarity of the Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma samples was above 0.950. The results indicated that the established fingerprint could be used for quality evaluation of Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma. Moreover, an HPLC coupled with ELSD method was developed for simultaneous quantitative analysis of six steroidal saponins, including protodioscin, protogracillin, methyl protodioscin, pseudoprotodioscin, dioscin and gracillin in wild Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma and cultivated Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma samples. Furthermore, chemometrics analysis such as principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were performed to compare and discriminate wild Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma and cultivated Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma samples based on the quantitative data. The results indicated that the contents of steroidal saponins were notably different between the wild and cultivated Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma, and protodioscin and protogracillin were significant to effectively discriminate the wild and cultivated Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma samples, and these two compounds could be recognized as chemical markers. In conclusion, this present study might provide useful data and acceptable analysis method for identification and quality evaluation of Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma.

[Comparative study on changes of ginsenosides and activities of American ginseng before and after steaming].

The chemical fingerprints of American ginseng were established by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) coupled with similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditionanl Chinese medicine. The results were analyzed with use of stoichiometry methods(cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis), and meanwhile, a preliminary study on the antioxidant and anti-proliferation activity of colorectal cancer cells was conducted. By comparing the fingerprints of American ginseng before and after processing, the contents of five components in the eight ginseno-sides quantified in this paper increased, including ginsenoside Rc, Rg_2, Rb_2, Rb_3 and Rd, respectively, and a new component was produced after steaming. The activity study showed that steamed American ginseng had better antioxidant activity and anti-proliferation activity of colorectal cancer cells than raw American ginseng. The research results show that the steaming method of American ginseng used in this experiment has good stability and reproducibility, and the steaming of American ginseng produces similar changes as artificial red ginseng, which provides a certain reference for expanding the application range of American ginseng.

[Analysis of potential pharmacodynamic material basis of Euonymus alatus in treatment of nephritis based on integrated chemomics and network biology].

This paper was aimed to explore the potential pharmacodynamics effect of Euonymus alatus in the treatment of nephritis based on integrated chemomics and network biology. The chemical constituent database of E. alatus was constructed by consulting litera-ture and using online database. The chemical constituents were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF/HRMS~E and UNIFI software. On this basis, a series of comparisons, molecular docking studies and in-depth analysis of the chemical constituents and nephritis disease targets were carried out with use of network biology method, and the potential pharmacodynamic effect of E. alatus for the treatment of nephritis was investigated by reviewing the existing. In this study, 62 chemical constituents were collected in the database of chemical consti-tuents of E. alatus, and 24 chemical constituents were identified by mass spectrum. Subsequently, based on the network biology me-thod, 22 important chemical constituents and 5 key targets were obtained by reverse screening. Molecular docking study showed that a total of 11 chemical constituents such as quercetin, kaempferol, and catechinmay be the potential material basis for E. alatus in the treatment of nephritis. Starting with chemomics and using the technology of network biology, we established a network interaction model between drug components and disease targets in this study. Through the interaction between targets in complex networks, we can find the key targets easily and quickly. By docking the key targets with small drug molecules, we can screen out the potential pharmacodynamic components, providing a reference for the follow-up study of active ingredients.

Thirty-Day Readmission After Radical Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Readmission is a commonly accepted parameter to evaluate surgical quality, but previous studies reported inconsistent results in radical gastrectomy. The purpose of our study is to clarify the prevalence, potential causes, and risk factors of 30-d readmission after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. METHODS: PubMed and Embase were systematically searched from inception to September 2018 for any possible inclusion. Prevalence, potential causes, and risk factors of 30-d readmission in included studies were extracted using a standardized EXCEL table. The overall 30-d readmission rate was pooled using a random-effects model. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to estimate potential risk factors for 30-d readmission. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and statistical tests. RESULTS: A total of nine studies with 16,581 patients were included in the current meta-analysis. The pooled 30-d readmission rate after radical gastrectomy was 8% (95% confidence interval, 0.04-0.12). Nutritional difficulty and surgical site infections were the main causes for 30-d readmission. Cardiovascular comorbidity, total gastrectomy, nutritional risk screening 2002 score ≥3, any complications, laparoscopic gastrectomy, and C-reactive protein on postoperative day 3 ≥12 were strong predictors for 30-d readmission, whereas combined multiorgan resection was a weaker predictor. No significant publication bias was identified through the funnel plot and statistical tests. CONCLUSIONS: The 30-d readmission rate after radical gastrectomy ranges from 4% to 12% and can mainly result from nutritional difficulty and surgical site infections. Nutritional risk screening 2002 score ≥3, cardiovascular comorbidity, total gastrectomy, any complications, and laparoscopic gastrectomy were potential risk factors for 30-d readmission.

Electrodeposition of Biocomposite Film Onto ZnO Nanoparticles Modified Electrode for Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery.

In this study, glucose responsive bioinorganic composite (BIM) was prepared through chitosan microparticles coupling concanavalin A, enzymes and dextran-insulin via specific affinity. The drug-delivery device was fabricated by electrodeposition of BIM onto the nanostructured ZnO on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. The release profiles of device revealed that the insulin release was in response to the glucose concentration in vitro experiment. The released insulin still remained the activity after running the whole process and the device showed the capability for glucose sensing continuously. All these results suggest that the device may be a promising system for self-regulated insulin delivery and glucose monitoring.

Pregnancy outcome following loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at assessing the association of the relative risk (RR) of adverse pregnancy outcomes with previous treatment of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for the management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). METHODS: Data sources were from MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SCI citation tracking. SELECTION CRITERIA: The eligible studies had data on pregnancy outcomes of women with or without previous treatment for CIN. Considered outcomes were severe preterm delivery (<34/32 weeks), extreme preterm delivery (<28 weeks), low birth weight (<2,500 g), stillbirth, preterm spontaneous rupture of membranes, perinatal mortality, and neonatal mortality and induction. RESULTS: 36,954 cases and 1,794,174 controls in 4 prospective cohort and 22 retrospective studies were included in this meta-analysis. LEEP was associated with a higher risk of severe preterm delivery (<32 weeks, relative risk 1.98, 95% CI [1.31, 2.98] 159/11,337 vs. 7,830/860,883), extreme preterm delivery (<28 weeks, RR, 2.33, 95% CI [1.84, 2.94] 97/9,611 vs. 1,559/618,332), preterm premature rupture of the membranes (RR, 1.88, 95% CI [1.54, 2.29] 126/2,837 vs. 7,899/313,094), and low birth weight (<2,500 g, RR, 2.48, 95% CI [1.75, 3.51] 110/1,451 vs. 55/1,742). A cervical length of less than 3 cm was significantly increased in LEEP as compared with that of control group (RR, 4.88, 95% CI [1.56, 15.25]), but increasing LEEP volume or depth was not associated with an increased rate of preterm birth <37 weeks. And LEEP was not associated with a significantly increased risk of perinatal mortality, cesarean section, stillbirth mortality, neonatal mortality, induction, and neonatal intensive care unit admission. CONCLUSIONS: LEEP is associated with an increased risk of subsequent preterm delivery (<32/34, <28 weeks) and other serious pregnancy outcomes. But increasing LEEP volume or depth is not associated with an increased rate of preterm birth.

Intra-operative hydrotubation improves fertility of women with distal tubal occlusion after reproductive surgery.

PURPOSE: Hydrotubation has been considered to be a complimentary procedure to reproductive surgery, usually being conducted after surgery. The objective of this work was to assess the potential value of intra-operative hydrotubation in improving fertility of tubal infertile women. METHODS: 180 tubal infertile women were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: intra-operative hydrotubation (IH), post-operative hydrotubation (PH) or control group. In IH group, the hydrotubation was performed immediately after adhesiolysis during the surgery process, while in PH group it was performed within 3-7 days after the first post-operative menstruation. The incidence of post-operative pelvic infection and average hospitalization length were recorded. The post-operative pregnancy outcomes, including intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) rate and incidence of ectopic pregnancy, were recorded at 2 years follow-up. RESULTS: No significant difference was found among the three groups, either in the incidence of pelvic infection (P = 0.877) or in the average hospitalization length (P = 0.596). At 2 years of follow-up, the rate of IUP in IH group was significantly higher than that in either PH or control group (P = 0.017 and 0.039, respectively), but no difference was observed between PH and control group (P = 0.752). No significant difference in the incidence of ectopic pregnancy was showed among three groups (P = 0.947). CONCLUSIONS: The appropriate use of intra-operative hydrotubation can improve the post-operative IUP rate, serving as a complementary procedure for the surgical treatment of fertility reversal.

Clinical characteristics and pathogen analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid pathogens in elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: This was a retrospective observational epidemiological study using that elderly cases diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia receiving treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Technology, Tangshan Hongci Hospital and Tangshan Fengnan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A total of 92 cases were divided into two groups according to age. There were 44 patients over 75-year-old and 48 patients between 65 and 74-year-old. RESULTS: Compared with the elderly 65 to 74-year-old, the elderly over 75-year-old with diabetes are more likely to suffer from CAP (35.42% vs. 63.64%, p = 0.007) and are more likely to have mixed infections (6.25% vs. 22.73%, p = 0.023) or larger lesions (45.83% vs. 68.18%, p = 0.031). Their hospital stays will also be extended (39.58% vs. 63.64%, p = 0.020), and the albumin level (37.51 ± 8.92 vs. 30.93 ± 6.58, p = 0.000), the neutrophils level (9.09(6.26-10.63) vs. 7.18(5.35-9.17),p = 0.026) is significantly lower and the d-dimer (505.42 ± 197.12 vs. 611.82 ± 195.85, p = 0.011), PCT (0.08 ± 0.04 vs. 0.12 ± 0.07, p = 0.001) levels are significantly higher. CONCLUSION: The clinical symptoms and signs of elderly CAP patients are not so typical, and the infection is more serious. Attention should therefore be paid to elderly patients. Hypoalbuminemia and high d-dimer can predict the prognosis of patients.

The translation and validation of the Organ Transplant Symptom and Well-Being Instrument in China.

To translate the Organ Transplant Symptom and Well-Being instrument (OTSWI) into Chinese and test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version. A total of 259 patients with organ transplants were recruited from The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang, from November 2020 to January 2021. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability were assessed using test-retest reliability and internal consistency. The Cronbach's α of the Chinese version of the Organ Transplant Symptom and Well-being instrument was 0.93. EFA demonstrated that 80.785% of the total variance was explained by a seven-factor solution. The criterion validity of the SF-36 was -0.460 (p < .01), while the test-retest reliability was 0.710. The Chinese version of the OTSWI questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the quality of life of organ transplant patients for symptoms and well-being in China.

ALCAM regulates multiple myeloma chemoresistant side population.

Drug-resistance is a major problem preventing a cure in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Previously, we demonstrated that activated-leukocyte-cell-adhesion-molecule (ALCAM) is a prognostic factor in MM and inhibits EGF/EGFR-initiated MM clonogenicity. In this study, we further showed that the ALCAM-EGF/EGFR axis regulated the MM side population (SP)-mediated drug-resistance. ALCAM-knockdown MM cells displayed an enhanced ratio of SP cells in the presence of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) or with the supplement of recombinant EGF. SP MM cells were resistant to chemotherapeutics melphalan or bortezomib. Drug treatment stimulated SP-genesis. Mechanistically, EGFR, primed with EGF, activated the hedgehog pathway and promoted the SP ratio; meanwhile, ALCAM inhibited EGFR downstream pro-MM cell signaling. Further, SP MM cells exhibited an increased number of mitochondria compared to the main population. Interference of the mitochondria function strongly inhibited SP-genesis. Animal studies showed that combination therapy with both an anti-MM agent and EGFR inhibitor gefitinib achieved prolonged MM-bearing mice survival. Hence, our work identifies ALCAM as a novel negative regulator of MM drug-resistance, and EGFR inhibitors may be used to improve MM therapeutic efficacy.

Effects of Hyperoxia on Mitochondrial Homeostasis: Are Mitochondria the Hub for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia?

Mitochondria are involved in energy metabolism and redox reactions in the cell. Emerging data indicate that mitochondria play an essential role in physiological and pathological processes of neonatal lung development. Mitochondrial damage due to exposure to high concentrations of oxygen is an indeed important factor for simplification of lung structure and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), as reported in humans and rodent models. Here, we comprehensively review research that have determined the effects of oxygen environment on alveolar development and morphology, summarize changes in mitochondria under high oxygen concentrations, and discuss several mitochondrial mechanisms that may affect cell plasticity and their effects on BPD. Thus, the pathophysiological effects of mitochondria may provide insights into targeted mitochondrial and BPD therapy.

The power and the promise of organoid models for cancer precision medicine with next-generation functional diagnostics and pharmaceutical exploitation.

As organ-specific three-dimensional cell clusters derived from cancer tissue or cancer-specific stem cells, cancer-derived organoids are organized in the same manner of the cell sorting and spatial lineage restriction in vivo, making them ideal for simulating the characteristics of cancer and the heterogeneity of cancer cells in vivo. Besides the applications as a new in vitro model to study the physiological characteristics of normal tissues and organs, organoids are also used for in vivo cancer cell characterization, anti-cancer drug screening, and precision medicine. However, organoid cultures are not without limitations, i.e., the lack of nerves, blood vessels, and immune cells. As a result, organoids could not fully replicate the characteristics of organs but partially simulate the disease process. This review attempts to provide insights into the organoid models for cancer precision medicine.

Implant stability and survival rates of a hydrophilic versus a conventional sandblasted, acid-etched implant surface: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Modifying the implant surface via enhancing the wettability (hydrophilicity) improves osseointegration, reducing the healing period. In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate the stability and survival rates of implants with a hydrophilic surface compared with those with a sandblasted, acid-etched surface. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The included studies (randomized controlled trials) were identified through searches of PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library databases without date of publication restrictions. Quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. For primary outcome, confidence intervals were set at 95%; weighted means across the studies were calculated using a fixed-effects model or risk ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for secondary outcome. RESULTS: The authors included 5 randomized controlled trials (246 dental implants) in the systematic review, which compared a hydrophilic with conventional sandblasted, acid-etched implant surface. The implant stability (primary outcome) was measured at baseline and 3, 6, and 8 weeks, and implant survival rates were measured as a secondary outcome. Overall, compared with the control groups, no clinically significant differences in implant stability or survival rates were identified for the hydrophilic surface groups. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results did not show any clinically significant effect of a hydrophilic surface on improving implant stability or survival rates. However, these findings must be analyzed carefully owing to the limitations of this review, such as the small samples size and some differences among the included studies.

Fe3O4 and metal-organic framework MIL-101(Fe) composites catalyze luminol chemiluminescence for sensitively sensing hydrogen peroxide and glucose.

In this work, Fe3O4 and metal-organic framework MIL-101(Fe) composites (Fe3O4/MIL-101(Fe)) was demonstrated to possess excellent catalytic property to directly catalyze luminol chemiluminescence without extra oxidants. We utilized Fe3O4/MIL-101(Fe) to develop a ultra-sensitive quantitative analytical method for H2O2 and glucose. The possible mechanism of the chemiluminescence reaction had been investigated. Under optimal conditions, the relative chemiluminescence intensity was linearly proportional to the logarithm of H2O2 concentration in the range of 5-150nM with a limit of detection of 3.7nM (signal-to-noise ratio = 3), and glucose could be linearly detected in the range from 5 to 100nM and the detection limit was 4.9nM (signal-to-noise ratio = 3). Furthermore, the present approach was successfully applied to quantitative determination of H2O2 in medical disinfectant and glucose in human serum samples.

Energy-Efficient Distributed Filtering in Sensor Networks: A Unified Switched System Approach.

This paper is concerned with the energy-efficient distributed filtering in sensor networks, and a unified switched system approach is proposed to achieve this goal. For the system under study, the measurement is first sampled under nonuniform sampling periods, then the local measurement elements are selected and quantized for transmission. Then, the transmission rate is further reduced to save constrained power in sensors. Based on the switched system approach, a unified model is presented to capture the nonuniform sampling, the measurement size reduction, the transmission rate reduction, the signal quantization, and the measurement missing phenomena. Sufficient conditions are obtained such that the filtering error system is exponentially stable in the mean-square sense with a prescribed H∞ performance level. Both simulation and experiment studies are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed new design technique.

Increased heat shock protein 70 levels in induced sputum and plasma correlate with severity of asthma patients.

Damage-associated molecular pattern molecules such as high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. The aim of our study was to examine the induced sputum and plasma concentrations of HSP70 in asthmatic patients to determine their relationship with airway obstruction. Thirty-four healthy controls and 56 patients with persistent bronchial asthma matched for gender and age were enrolled in this study. Spirometry measurements were performed before sputum induction. HSP70 levels in induced sputum and plasma were measured using the ELISA Kit. Sputum and plasma concentrations of HSP70 in asthmatics patients were significantly higher than that in control subjects (sputum, (0.88 ng/ml (0.27-1.88 ng/ml) versus 0.42 ng/ml (0.18-0.85 ng/ml), p < 0.001); plasma, (0.46 ng/ml (0.20-0.98 ng/ml) versus 0.14 ng/ml (0.11-0.37 ng/ml), p < 0.001) and were significantly negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1 (percent predicted), and FEV1/FVC in all 90 participants and 56 patients with asthma. There were no significant differences in HSP70 levels between patients with eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic asthma. HSP70 levels in plasma were positively correlated with neutrophil count, and HSP70 levels in induced sputum were positively correlated with lymphocyte count. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of sputum HSP70 were diseases and disease severity but not smoking, age, or gender, and independent predictors of plasma HSP70 were also diseases and disease severity. In conclusion, this study indicates that induced sputum and plasma HSP70 could serve as a useful marker for assessing the degree of airway obstruction in patients with asthma. However, further investigation is needed to establish the role of circulating and sputum HSP70 in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Hoxd-13 expression in the development of hindgut in ethylenethiourea-exposed fetal rats.

PURPOSE: Hoxd-13, as one of the most posterior genes among Hox genes, was reported to play a critical role in the development of the most posterior alimentary canal in vertebrates. This study investigated the expression pattern of Hoxd-13 in the hindgut development of the normal and ethylenethiourea (ETU)-exposed rat embryos with anorectal malformations (ARMs) to find out the possible role of Hoxd-13 in the hindgut development and anorectal morphogenesis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The ETU murine model of ARMs was used via ETU 1% (125 mg/kg) on gestational day (gD) 10. Embryos were harvested via cesarean delivery on gD13 to gD21. Temporal and spatial expression of Hoxd-13 was evaluated in the normal fetal rats (n = 215) and ARMs rats (n = 218) using immunohistochemistry staining, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry staining revealed that Hoxd-13 expression was confined to the epithelium of the hindgut, cloacal membrane, and urogenital sinus as well as the mesenchyme of the urorectal septum at all gestations in the normal group; however, in the ARMs group, the signal specific for Hoxd-13 was weak in the epithelium of the hindgut and cloacal membrane as well as the mesenchyme of the urorectal septum. Western blot analysis and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction revealed that the level of Hoxd-13 expression was significantly decreased in the ARMs embryos compared with that in the normal embryos on gD13 to gD16 (P < .05) rather than on gD18 to gD21. CONCLUSIONS: The aberrations in spatiotemporal expression pattern of Hoxd-13 on gD13 to gD16 suggested that Hoxd-13 may be an essential inductive signal for normal development of the hindgut, and altered expression may contribute to the abnormal development of the hindgut and accordingly lead to ARMs.