The prognostic value of lymphatic metastatic size in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic metastatic size was proved to predict prognosis in different types of carcinomas, except in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) located in hypopharynx, oropharynx and supraglottic region et al. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of lymphatic metastatic size in HNSCC, which may guide clinical decision-making in practice. METHODS: From 2008 to 2022, 171 patients, who were diagnosed as HNSCC in our center, were included. The demographic data, clinicopathological characteristics and lymphatic metastatic size were recorded and analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Among 171 patients, 107 cases were hypopharyngeal cancer, 38 cases supraglottic cancer and 26 cases oropharyngeal cancer. The median of lymphatic metastatic size was 8 mm (range 0-46). According to lymphatic metastatic size, the patients were assigned to three subgroups: Group I (0 mm), Group II ( ≤ 10 mm) and Group III (> 10 mm). Kaplan-Meier analysis with log rank test revealed that Group I and Group II had similar locoregional control rate, distant metastasis free probability, disease-free survival and overall survival (all p > 0.05), whereas Group III had significant worse prognosis. Adjusted for demographic and other clinicopathological characteristics, lymphatic metastatic size was an independent predictor of disease-free survival and overall survival in HNSCC. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphatic metastatic size was an independently prognostic factor in HNSCC, which may assist in postoperative adjuvant treatment decisions.

The effect of tomato and lycopene on clinical characteristics and molecular markers of UV-induced skin deterioration: A systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention trials.

Lycopene as a natural antioxidant that have been studied for ultraviolet radiation (UVR) photo protection and is one of the most effective carotenoids to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). This review aims to summarize the protective effect of tomato and lycopene on skin photo damage and skin photoaging in healthy subjects by reviewing the existing population intervention experiments. A total of five electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched from inceptions to January 2021 without any restriction. Out of 19336 publications identified, 21 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were meta-analysis. Overall, interventions supplementing tomato and lycopene were associated with significant reductions in Δa*, MMP-1, ICAM-1 and skin pigmentation; while tomato and lycopene supplementation were associated with significant increase in MED, skin thickness and skin density. Based on the results of this systematic review and meta-analysis, supplementation with tomato and lycopene could reduce skin erythema formation and improve the appearance and pigmentation of the skin, thereby preventing light-induced skin photodamage and skin photoaging. Lycopene-rich products could be used as endogenous sun protection and may be a potential nutraceutical for sun protection.

Fermented foods and metabolic outcomes in diabetes and prediabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated the effects of fermented foods on metabolic outcomes in adult patients suffering from diabetes and prediabetes. However, the results of these RCTs are conflicting. This systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out on data from RCTs to evaluate the effects of fermented foods in patients with diabetes and prediabetes. The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library and Scopus databases were searched up to 21 June, 2022. English-language RCTs of fermented foods consumption were included which gave metabolic outcomes on body composition, glucose control, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, as well as blood pressure. Eighteen RCTs met the inclusion criteria and 843 participants were included in the final analysis. The pooled results showed a significant reduction of fasting blood glucose (FBG), the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipid cholesterol (LDL-C) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the intervention group versus the control group. The results of this research showed that fermented foods have the potential to improve some metabolic outcomes, including FBG, HOMA-IR, TC, LDL-C, and DBP in patients with diabetes and prediabetes.

Effects of fermented dairy products on inflammatory biomarkers: A meta-analysis.

AIM: Fermented dairy products (FDPs) are made from raw milk under the action of specific microorganisms by lactic acid bacteria fermentation or co-fermentation of lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and yeast. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of FDPs on inflammatory biomarkers. DATA SYNTHESIS: A comprehensive search was conducted on four electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Finally, fourteen trials (15 arms) were included in this meta-analysis: yogurt (n = 9), fermented milk (n = 4), and kefir (n = 2). Additionally, the random effects model or fixed-effects model was used to pool the study results. Firstly, the analysis indicated that FDPs' supplementation decreased the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD = -0.21; 95% CI: -0.40, -0.02; P = 0.033) and increased interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (SMD = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.23; P = 0.033). Furthermore, we obtained some statistically significant results in the following subgroups: CRP decreased in participants with metabolic diseases. IFN-γ increased in the intervention that lasted ≥12 weeks, Asian, yogurt, and healthy population. Finally, there was no significant effect on tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and IL-2. CONCLUSIONS: FDPs reduced CRP and increased IFN-γ, but they had no effect on other inflammatory markers. The results showed that the consumption of FDPs was slightly associated with reduced inflammation, but because of the limited literature, these results should be interpreted with caution.

Experimental Study on Electrochemical Desulfurization of Coal Liquefaction Residue.

The occurrence of sulfur in coal direct liquefaction residue affects its further high quality and high value utilization. Electrochemical desulfurization is characterized by mild reaction conditions, simple operation, easy separation of sulfur conversion products and little influence on the properties of the liquefied residue. An anodic electrolytic oxidation desulphurization experiment was carried out on the liquefaction residue of the by-product of a coal-to-liquid enterprise in the slurry state. An electrochemical test and material characterization of raw materials before and after electrolysis showed that electrolytic oxidation can desulfurize the liquefaction residue under an alkaline condition. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) was used for the electrolysis experiments to obtain the optimal slurry concentration of 60 g/L. On this basis, the reaction kinetics were calculated, and the minimum activation energy in the interval at 0.9 (V vs. Hg/HgO) was 19.71 kJ/mol. The relationship between the electrolytic desulfurization of the liquefied residue and energy consumption was studied by the potentiostatic method. The influence of anodic potential and electrolytic temperature on the current density, cell voltage, desulfurization rate and energy consumption was investigated. The experimental results showed that the desulfurization rate and total energy consumption increase positively with the increase in reaction temperature and electrolytic potential in a certain range. The influence of the reaction temperature on the desulfurization rate and total energy consumption is more prominent than that of electrolytic potential, but the energy consumption of sulfur removal per unit mass does not show a positive correlation. Therefore, with the energy consumption per unit mass of sulfur removal as the efficiency index, the optimal experimental results were obtained: under the conditions of 0.8 (V vs. Hg/HgO) anode potential, 50 °C electrolytic temperature, 60 g/L slurry concentration and 14,400 s electrolytic time, the desulfurization rate was 18.85%, and the power consumption per unit mass of sulfur removal was 5585.74 W·s/g. The results of XPS, SEM, BET and IC showed that both inorganic and organic sulfur were removed by electrolytic oxidation, and the morphology, pore structure and chemical bond of the liquefied residue were affected by electrolytic oxidation. The research method provides a new idea and reference for the efficiency evaluation of desulfurization and hydrogen production from coal liquefaction residue.

Zingiberaceae plants/curcumin consumption and multiple health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials in humans.

This umbrella review is to recapitulate and grade the available evidence of associations between consumption of Zingiberaceae plants/curcumin (Cur) and multiple health-related outcomes. This study included 161 meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials in 76 articles with 67 unique health outcomes. Data on heterogeneity and publication bias are considered to assess the quality of evidence. Based on the different impact of Zingiberaceae plants/Cur on human health, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Zingiberaceae plants/Cur can mainly improve metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and some chronic inflammatory diseases, likewise, obviously relief the pain of osteoarthritis and related diseases. Ginger supplements have been shown to improve vomiting during pregnancy and to relieve nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and surgery. The surgery is any type of surgery, including laparoscopic surgery, gynecological surgery and mixed surgery. Beneficial associations were found with Cur intervention in gastrointestinal, neurological and oral diseases. Zingiberaceae plants/Cur are generally safe and favorable for multiple health outcomes in humans. High-quality research is further needed to prove the observed associations.

In Situ Fabrication of N-Doped ZnS/ZnO Composition for Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic H2 Evolution Activity.

For achieving the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, developing hydrogen energy, the green and clean energy, shows a promising perspective for solving the energy and ecological issues. Herein, firstly, we used the hydrothermal method to synthesize the ZnS(en)0.5 as the precursor. Then, ZnS/ZnO composite was obtained by the in situ transformation of ZnS(en)0.5 with heat treatment under air atmosphere. The composition, optical property, morphology, and structural properties of the composite were characterized by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra (Uv-vis Abs), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy image (TEM). Moreover, the content of ZnO in ZnS/ZnO was controlled via adjustment of the calcination times. The visible-light response of ZnS/ZnO originated from the in situ doping of N during the transformation of ZnS(en)0.5 to ZnS/ZnO under heat treatment, which was verified well by XPS. Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution experiments demonstrated that the sample of ZnS/ZnO-0.5 h with 6.9 wt% of ZnO had the best H2 evolution activity (1790 µmol/h/g) under visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm), about 7.0 and 12.3 times that of the pure ZnS and ZnO, respectively. The enhanced activities of the ZnS/ZnO composites were ascribed to the intimated hetero-interface between components and efficient transfer of photo-generated electrons from ZnS to ZnO.

Clinical effects and gut microbiota changes of using probiotics, prebiotics or synbiotics in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Probiotics have been reported to be beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the types, number of strains, dosage, and intervention time of probiotics used remain controversial. Furthermore, the changes of gut microbiota in IBD's patients are also intriguing. Thus, this meta-analysis was to explore the clinical effects and gut microbiota changes of using probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics in IBD. METHODS: The search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane library from inception to April 2020. Qualified randomized controlled trials were included. IBD's remission rate, disease activity index and recurrence rate were extracted and analyzed. Changes in the gut microbiota of patients with IBD are comprehensively described. RESULTS: Thirty-eight articles were included. Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics can induce/maintain IBD's remission and reduce ulcerative colitis (UC) disease activity index (RR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.02, 1.26, P < 0.05; SMD = 1.00, 95% CI 0.27, 1.73, P < 0.05). In subgroup analyses of IBD remission rate and UC disease activity index, we obtained some statistically significant results in some subgroup (P < 0.05). To some extent, probiotic supplements can increase the number of beneficial bacteria (especially Bifidobacteria) in the intestinal tract of patients with IBD. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the treatment of IBD (especially UC) with pro/pre/synbiotics, and synbiotics are more effective. Probiotic supplements that are based on Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium or more than one strain are more likely to be beneficial for IBD remission. The dose of 1010-1012 CFU/day may be a reference range for using probiotics to relieve IBD.

Association of whole grains intake and the risk of digestive tract cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several epidemiological studies have investigated the association between whole grains intake and digestive tract cancer risk; however, the results are still controversial. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the association. METHODS: Studies published before March 2020 were searched in database and other sources. The risk ratio (RR) with the 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled using fix or random-effects models. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 34 articles reporting 35 studies, 18 studies of colorectal cancer, 11 studies of gastric cancer and 6 studies of esophagus cancer, involving 2,663,278 participants and 28,921 cases. Comparing the highest-intake participants with the lowest-intake participants for whole grains, we found that the intake of whole grains were inversely related to colorectal cancer (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84-0.93, P < 0.001), gastric cancer (RR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.53-0.79, P < 0.001), esophagus cancer (RR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.44-0.67, P < 0.001), respectively. However, subgroup analysis of colorectal cancer found no significant association in the case-control studies and studies of sample size < 500, and subgroup analysis of gastric cancer found no significant association in the cohort studies and studies of American population. No study significantly affected the findings in the sensitivity analysis. No publication bias was found in the studies for colorectal cancer and esophagus cancer except in the studies for gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provides further evidence that whole grains intake was associated with a reduced risk of digestive tract cancer. Our result supports the dietary guidelines that increase whole grains intake to reduce the risk of digestive tract cancer.

Accurate Control of Initial Coulombic Efficiency for Lithium-rich Manganese-based Layered Oxides by Surface Multicomponent Integration.

Low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) is an obstacle for practical application of Li-rich Mn-based layered oxides (LLOs), which is closely related with the irreversible oxygen evolution owing to the overoxidized reaction of surface labile oxygen. Here we report a NH4 F-assisted surface multicomponent integration technology to accurately control the ICE, by which oxygen vacancies, spinel-layered coherent structure, and F-doping are skillfully integrated on the surface of treated LLOs microspheres. Though the regulation on the removed amount of labile oxygen by surface integrated structure, the ICE of LLOs cathodes can adjust from starting value to 100 %. X-ray absorption spectroscopy, refined X-ray diffraction, and scanning transmission electron microscopy show that the removed labile oxygen mainly comes from Li2 MnO3 -like structure. Even operating at a high cut-off voltage of 5 V, the capacity retention of integrated sample at 200 mA g-1 is still larger than 98 % after 100 cycles.

Heat-Treatment-Assisted Molten-Salt Strategy to Enhance Electrochemical Performances of Li-Rich Assembled Microspheres by Tailoring Their Surface Features.

Constructing Li-rich Mn-based layered oxide (LMRO) assembled microspheres with fast kinetics and a stable surface will significantly improve discharge capacity and cyclic stability. In this work, a heat-treatment-assisted (HA) molten-salt (MS) strategy has been designed to prepare LMRO assembled microspheres HA-MS-LMRO (LMRO with heat-treatment-assisted molten-salt process). Electrochemical measurements demonstrate that HA-MS-LMRO possesses superior performance as a cathode for lithium-ion batteries. It delivers an initial discharge capacity of 181 mA h g-1 at 200 mA g-1 , which is much higher than that of the LMRO (145 mA h g-1 ). After 100 cycles, the capacity retention ratio for HA-MS-LMRO is 74.69 %, which is far larger than that of LMRO (23.06 %). Detailed analysis of the structure, valence state, and electrochemical impedance spectra shows that the heat-treatment-assisted molten-salt process plays an important role in the excellent performance of HA-MS-LMRO. The HA process enables the transition-metal ions in the synthesized samples to have stable surface valence states, which is conducive to maintaining structural stability and improving cycling performance. The following MS process facilitates the movement of lithium salt into the interior of the assembled microsphere precursors to prohibit the formation of lithium-containing amorphous compounds on the surface during the lithiation process, thus enhancing the Li-ion kinetics and increasing the initial discharge capacity. The current work provides guidance to promote the electrochemical performances of assembled microsphere cathode materials.

In Situ Synthesis of Mn3 O4 Nanoparticles on Hollow Carbon Nanofiber as High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Anode.

The practical applications of Mn3 O4 in lithium-ion batteries are greatly hindered by fast capacity decay and poor rate performance as a result of significant volume changes and low electrical conductivity. It is believed that the synthesis of nanoscale Mn3 O4 combined with carbonaceous matrix will lead to a better electrochemical performance. Herein, a convenient route for the synthesis of Mn3 O4 nanoparticles grown in situ on hollow carbon nanofiber (denoted as HCF/Mn3 O4 ) is reported. The small size of Mn3 O4 particles combined with HCF can significantly alleviate volume changes and electrical conductivity; the strong chemical interactions between HCF and Mn3 O4 would improve the reversibility of the conversion reaction for MnO into Mn3 O4 and accelerate charge transfer. These features endow the HCF/Mn3 O4 composite with superior cycling stability and rate performance if used as the anode for lithium-ion batteries. The composite delivers a high discharge capacity of 835 mA h g-1 after 100 cycles at 200 mA g-1 , and 652 mA h g-1 after 240 cycles at 1000 mA g-1 . Even at 2000 mA g-1 , it still shows a high capacity of 528 mA h g-1 . The facile synthetic method and outstanding electrochemical performance of the as-prepared HCF/Mn3 O4 composite make it a promising candidate for a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Smart Solution Chemistry to Sn-Containing Intermetallic Compounds through a Self-Disproportionation Process.

Developing new methods to synthesize intermetallics is one of the most critical issues for the discovery and application of multifunctional metal materials; however, the synthesis of Sn-containing intermetallics is challenging. In this work, we demonstrated for the first time that a self-disproportionation-induced in situ process produces cavernous Sn-Cu intermetallics (Cu3 Sn and Cu6 Sn5 ). The successful synthesis is realized by introducing inorganic metal salts (SnCl2 ⋅2 H2 O) to NaOH aqueous solution to form an intermediate product of reductant (Na2 SnO2 ) and by employing steam pressures that enhance the reduction ability. Distinct from the traditional in situ reduction, the current reduction process avoided the uncontrolled phase composition and excessive use of organic regents. An insight into the mechanism was revealed for the Sn-Cu case. Moreover, this method could be extended to other Sn-containing materials (Sn-Co, Sn-Ni). All these intermetallics were attempted in the catalytic effect on thermal decompositions of ammonium perchlorate. It is demonstrated that Cu3 Sn showed an outstanding catalytic performance. The superior property might be primarily originated from the intrinsic chemical compositions and cavernous morphology as well. We supposed that this smart solution reduction methodology reported here would provide a new recognition for the reduction reaction, and its modified strategy may be applied to the synthesis of other metals, intermetallics as well as some unknown materials.

Cardamom consumption may improve cardiovascular metabolic biomarkers in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The bioactive compounds in cardamom have been found to enhance cardiovascular health by improving blood lipids and inflammation. We hypothesized that cardamom consumption might ameliorate cardiovascular metabolic biomarkers in adults; however, there is still debate regarding its impact on cardiac metabolism. This research was therefore designed to determine if cardamom consumption had a favorable impact on lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress indices as they related to cardiovascular diseases. A comprehensive search was conducted through PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library on July 4, 2023. Using a random-effects model pooled the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The final 12 trials containing 989 participants were included. The results illustrated that cardamom consumption could improve total cholesterol (WMD = -8.56 mg/dL; 95% CI, -14.90 to -2.22), triglycerides (WMD = -14.09 mg/dL; 95% CI, -24.01 to -4.17), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (WMD = -1.01 ng/mL; 95% CI, -1.81 to -0.22), and interleukin-6 (WMD = -1.81 pg/mL; 95% CI, -3.06 to -0.56). However, it did not have significant influences on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and some indicators of oxidative stress. In conclusion, cardamom consumption can improve specific cardiovascular metabolic biomarkers and potentially confer protective effects on cardiovascular health. However, more large-scale clinical research with better designs would further validate the findings, which will offer substantial evidence of cardamom as nutritional and functional products.

The effect of mindfulness-based interventions on mental health outcomes and wellbeing of informal caregivers of people with mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The increasing prevalence of mental illness has resulted in a growing burden on informal caregivers. Mindfulness-based interventions, as a form of psychotherapy, have shown efficacy in alleviating psychological stress and enhancing emotional and physical well-being. However, the utilisation of mindfulness-based interventions for informal caregivers of individuals with mental illness remains limited. The aim of the meta-analysis is to evaluate the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on the mental health and well-being among informal caregivers of people with mental illness. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across seven electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, APA PsycINFO and CINAHL Ultimate) from the inception of these databases until 20 July 2023. Two authors independently screened the studies and extracted the relevant data. The meta-analysis was performed by using Stata 12.0 software, and the effect sizes were calculated utilising standardised mean difference (SMD) along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). The meta-analysis included 13 studies with 1007 participants, and the results demonstrated that mindfulness-based interventions were efficacious in reducing stress (SMD = -0.80, 95% CI [-1.33, -0.28], p = 0.003), depression (SMD = -0.43, 95% CI [-0.62, -0.24], p < 0.001) and caregiver burden (SMD = -0.21, 95% CI [-0.40, -0.01], p = 0.038), and enhancing the mindfulness level (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI [0.09, 0.65], P = 0.010) and quality of life (SMD = 0.22, 95% CI [0.04, 0.39], p = 0.015) among informal caregivers of people with mental illness, but not on anxiety reduction (SMD = -0.19, 95% CI [-0.49, 0.10], p = 0.198). Furthermore, future research should aim to employ more rigorous methodologies to confirm the effectiveness.

IgG4-related disease with nasopharyngeal malignancy-like manifestations.

Background: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) was characterized by single or multiple masses in organs, which may mimic various inflammatory and malignant diseases. Here, we summarize 4 patients with aggressive manifestations of IgG4-RD that mimic nasopharynx cancer to provide some new sights for the diagnosis of IgG4-RD. Case summary: Four patients were included in our series. The age ranged from 53 to 64 years old, and the duration of the disease ranged from 4 to 6 months. The chief complaints included headache, rhinorrhea, or diplopia. All patients had more than 10 IgG4+ plasma cells/HPF in immunohistochemistry with plasma lgG4 levels ranging from 218 mg/dL to 765 mg/dL. All of them met the diagnostic criteria of lgG4-RD. Conclusion: The described case is highly similar to the clinical manifestations of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Although pathology is the gold standard, there are still limitations. Serological IgG4 can help confirm the diagnosis. Timely diagnosis of IgG4-RD is of great significance in preventing secondary organ damage in patients with active diseases.

Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cardiovascular risk factors: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

OBJECTIVE: Reviews have shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) were effective in improving cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), but the results were contradictory. This umbrella review aimed to summarize and grade the existing reviews on CVRFs associated with MBIs. METHODS: The protocol of this umbrella review had been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022356812). PubMed, Web of science, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched from database inception to 20 July 2022. The quality of evidence was assessed through GRADE. RESULTS: Twenty-seven reviews with 14,923 participants were included. Overall, 45% of reviews had low heterogeneity (I2 < 25%). For the quality of evidence, 31% were rated very low, 42% were rated low, 17% were rated moderate and 10% were rated high. MBIs significantly improved systolic blood pressure [SMD -5.53 mmHg (95% CI -7.81, -3.25)], diastolic blood pressure [SMD -2.13 mmHg (95% CI -2.97, -1.30)], smoking [Cohen's d 0.42 (95% CI 0.20, 0.64)], glycosylated hemoglobin [MD 0.01 (95% CI -0.43, -0.07)], binge eating behavior [SMD -6.49 (95% CI -10.80, -2.18)], depression [SMD -0.72 (95% CI -1.23, -0.21)] and stress [SMD -0.67 (95% CI -1.00, -0.34)]. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this umbrella review provided evidence for the role of MBIs in the improvement of CVRFs.

Molecular characterization of Japanese encephalitis viruses circulating in pigs and mosquitoes on pig farms in the Chinese province of Henan.

Since the first Chinese case report of Japanese encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has circulated in China for at least 60 years. Even though pigs play a critical role in the JEV transmission cycle information on the prevalence of JEV in pigs has not been investigated in China. As the central Chinese province of Henan has the largest human population in China, a history of serious JEV and is the largest pig producing province it was chosen for this study. We have found that currently natural infection with JEV in pigs and mosquitoes is prevalent and both genotypes 1 and 3 co-circulate in pigs and mosquitoes in central China. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all of the newly obtained pig-derived JEV isolates are more closely related to isolates from the 1950s to 1960s than to those recently isolated from humans and mosquitoes. Further analyses based on all the previous reported Chinese isolates indicates that presently genotype 3 JEV is the predominant genotype in pigs but genotype 1 JEV is emerging and spreading rapidly in recent years. Our study provides information for understanding the current epidemiology of JEV in China and suggests possible measures applicable to the further control of JEV.

Optimization of production system of shale oil development in Ordos basin, China.

In this paper, production system (PS) of shale oil is optimized according to production data and indoor experiments, including core and fluid tests. Results showed that: ① Pressure drop rate at wellhead is a reasonable reference for the determination of post-fracture shut-in duration (PFSID). When pressure at a wellhead of horizontal well is relatively stable and the pressure drop less than 0.1 MPa per day for three consecutive days, PFSID ends; ② Flowback intensity of fracturing fluid affects the effectiveness of proppant underground, thus flowback intensity can be determined by the critical flow rate and safety factor of each proppant; ③ Flowback intensity should be varied during different development stages, which could be divided into four according to production gas and oil ratio(GOR) of a shale oil horizontal well: low, medium-high, high and high-low production GOR. During the stage of low production GOR, ratio of flow pressure and saturation pressure should be maintained greater than 1.0, and the initial daily liquid productivity for a hundred-meter oil-bearing lateral length in a horizontal well is 2.4 ~ 2.9 m3/d; and during the medium-high production GOR, high production GOR and high-low production GOR stages, the responding initial daily liquid productivity should be maintained between 0.8 ~ 1.0 or less than 0.8 respectively.