Precise Control of Trypsin Immobilization by a Programmable DNA Tetrahedron Designed for Ultrafast Proteome Digestion and Accurate Protein Quantification.

In proteomics research, with advantages including short digestion times and reusable applications, immobilized enzyme reactors (IMERs) have been paid increasing attention. However, traditional IMERs ignore the reasonable spatial arrangement of trypsin on the supporting matrixes, resulting in the partial overlapping of the active domain on trypsin and reducing digesting efficiency. In this work, a DNA tetrahedron (DNA TET)-based IMER Fe3O4-GO-AuNPs-DNA TET-Trypsin was designed and prepared. The distance between vertices of DNA TETs effectively controls the distribution of trypsin on the nanomaterials; thus, highly efficient protein digestion and accurate quantitative results can be achieved. Compared to the in-solution digestion (12-16 h), the sequence coverage of bovine serum albumin was up to 91% after a 2-min digestion by the new IMER. In addition, 3328 proteins and 18,488 peptides can be identified from HeLa cell protein extract after a 20-min digestion. For the first time, human growth hormone reference material was rapidly and accurately quantified after a 4-h digestion by IMER. Therefore, this new IMER has great application potential in proteomics research and SI traceable quantification.

[Optimization of ethanol reflux extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen- Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus based on network pharmacology combined with response surface methodology].

The present study optimized the ethanol extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus drug pair by network pharmacology and Box-Behnken method. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to screen out and verify the potential active components of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus, and the process evaluation indexes were determined in light of the components of the content determination under Ziziphi Spinosae Semen and Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). The analytic hierarchy process(AHP) was used to determine the weight coefficient of each component, and the comprehensive score was calculated as the process evaluation index. The ethanol extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus was optimized by the Box-Behnken method. The core components of the Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus drug pair were screened out as spinosin, jujuboside A, jujuboside B, schisandrin, schisandrol, schisandrin A, and schisandrin B. The optimal extraction conditions obtained by using the Box-Behnken method were listed below: extraction time of 90 min, ethanol volume fraction of 85%, and two times of extraction. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking, the process evaluation indexes were determined, and the optimized process was stable, which could provide an experimental basis for the production of preparations containing Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus.

MicroRNA-Triggered Deconstruction of Field-Free Spherical Nucleic Acid as an Electrochemiluminescence Biosensing Switch.

Herein, a new field-free and highly ordered spherical nucleic acid (SNA) nanostructure was self-assembled directly by ferrocene (Fc)-labeled DNA tweezers and DNA linkers based on the Watson-Crick base pairing rule, which was employed as an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quenching switch with improved recognition efficiency due to the high local concentration of the ordered nanostructure. Moreover, with a collaborative strategy combined with the advantages of both self-accelerated approach and pore confinement-enhanced ECL effect, the mesoporous silica nanospheres (mSiO2 NSs) were prepared to be filled with rubrene (Rub) as ECL emitters and Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) as coreaction accelerators (Rub-Pt@mSiO2 NSs), which demonstrated high ECL response in the aqueous media (dissolved O2 as coreactant). When the SNA nanostructure was immobilized on the Rub-Pt@mSiO2 NSs-modified electrode, it presented a "signal off" state owing to the quenching effect of the Fc molecules. As a proof of concept, the SNA-based ECL switch platform was applied in the detection of microRNA let-7b (let-7b). Impressively, in the presence of the target let-7b, a deconstruction of the SNA nanostructure was actuated, causing the Fc to leave the electrode surface and achieved an extremely high ECL recovery ("signal on" state). Hence, a sensitive determination for let-7b was realized with a low detection limit of 1.8 aM ranging from 10 aM to 1 nM by employing the Rub-Pt@mSiO2 NSs-based ECL platform combined with the target-triggered SNA deconstruction, which also offered an ingenious method for the further applications of biomarker analyses.

Effects of phosphate on the transport of graphene oxide nanoparticles in saturated clean and iron oxide-coated sand columns.

In this study, transport behaviors of graphene oxide (GO) in saturated uncoated (i.e., clean sand) and goethite-coated sand porous media were examined as a function of the phosphate. We found that phosphate enhanced the transport of GO over a wide range of solution chemistry (i.e., pH 5.0-9.0 and the presence of 10 mmol/L Na+ or 0.5 mmol/L Ca2+). The results were mainly ascribed to the increase of electrostatic repulsion between nanoparticles and porous media. Meanwhile, deposition site competition induced by the retained phosphate was another important mechanism leading to promote GO transport. Interestingly, when the phosphate concentration increased from 0.1 to 1.0 mmol/L, the transport-enhancement effect of phosphate in goethite-coated sand was to a much larger extent than that in clean sand. The observations were primarily related to the difference in the total mass of retained phosphate between the iron oxide-coated sand and clean sand columns, which resulted in different degrees of the electrostatic repulsion and competitive effect of phosphate. When the background solution contained 0.5 mmol/L Ca2+, phosphate could be bind to sand/ goethite-coated sand surface by cation bridging; and consequently, promoted competition between phosphate and nanoparticles for deposition sites, which was an important mechanism for the enhanced effect of phosphate. Moreover, the DLVO theory was applicable to describe GO transport behaviors in porous media in the absence or presence of phosphate. Taken together, these findings highlight the important status and role of phosphate on the transport and fate of colloidal graphene oxide in the subsurface environment.

In Vitro Evaluation of the Antibacterial Properties of Tea Tree Oil on Planktonic and Biofilm-Forming Streptococcus mutans.

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is the principal etiologic agent in the occurrence of human dental caries and the formation of biofilms on the surface of teeth. Tea tree oil (TTO) has been demonstrated to exhibit a wide range of pharmacological actions that can effectively inhibit the activity of bacteria. In this context, we evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial effects of TTO on S. mutans both during planktonic growth and in biofilms compared with 0.2% CHX. We determined the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) using the microdilution method, the bacteriostatic rate using an MTT assay, and the antimicrobial time using a time-kill assay. Then, we explored the effects of TTO on acid production and cell integrity. Furthermore, the effects of TTO on the biomass and bacterial activity of S. mutans biofilms were studied. Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to investigate the structure and activity of biofilms. The MIC and MBC values were 0.125% and 0.25%, and the bacterial inhibition rate was concentration dependent. TTO can effectively inhibit bacterial acid production and destroy the integrity of the cell membrane. Electron micrographs revealed a reduction in bacterial aggregation, inhibited biofilm formation, and reduced biofilm thickness. The effect of TTO was the same as that of 0.2% CHX at a specific concentration. In summary, we suggest that TTO is a potential anticariogenic agent that can be used against S. mutans.

DesTrans: A medical image fusion method based on Transformer and improved DenseNet.

Medical image fusion can provide doctors with more detailed data and thus improve the accuracy of disease diagnosis. In recent years, deep learning has been widely used in the field of medical image fusion. The traditional method of medical image fusion is to operate by superimposing and other methods of pixels. The introduction of deep learning methods has improved the effectiveness of medical image fusion. However, these methods still have problems such as edge blurring and information redundancy. In this paper, we propose a deep learning network model based on Transformer and an improved DenseNet network module integration that can be applied to medical images and solve the above problems. At the same time, the method can be moved to natural images. The use of Transformer and dense concatenation enhances the feature extraction capability of the method by limiting the feature loss which reduces the risk of edge blurring. We compared several representative traditional methods and more advanced deep learning methods with this method. The experimental results show that the Transformer and the improved DenseNet network module have a strong capability of feature extraction. The method yields good results both in terms of visual quality and objective image evaluation metrics.

Three in one: An effective and universal vaccine expressing heterologous tandem RBD trimer by rabies virus vector protects mice against SARS-CoV-2.

The rapid emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, coupled with severe immune evasion and imprinting, has jeopardized the vaccine efficacy, necessitating urgent development of broad protective vaccines. Here, we propose a strategy employing recombinant rabies viruses (RABV) to create a universal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine expressing heterologous tandem receptor-binding domain (RBD) trimer from the SARS-CoV-2 Prototype, Delta, and Omicron strains (SRV-PDO). The results of mouse immunization indicated that SRV-PDO effectively induced cellular and humoral immune responses, and demonstrated higher immunogenicity and broader SARS-CoV-2 neutralization compared to the recombinant RABVs that only expressed RBD monomers. Moreover, SRV-PDO exhibited full protection against SARS-CoV-2 in the challenge assay. This study demonstrates that recombinant RABV expressing tandem RBD-heterotrimer as a multivalent immunogen could elicit a broad-spectrum immune response and potent protection against SARS-CoV-2, making it a promising candidate for future human or veterinary vaccines and offering a novel perspective in other vaccine design.

Further insights into the phylogeny of facultative parasitic ciliates associated with tetrahymenosis (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) based on multigene data.

Tetrahymenosis, caused by about 10 Tetrahymena species, is an emerging problem inflicting a significant economic loss on the aquaculture industry worldwide. However, in the order Tetrahymenida, there are many unresolved evolutionary relationships among taxa. Here we report 21 new sequences, including SSU-rRNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rRNA and LSU-rRNA, genes of 10 facultative parasitic Tetrahymena associated with tetrahymenosis, and conduct phylogenetic analyses based on each individual gene and a three-gene concatenated dataset. The main findings are: (1) All the parasitic and facultative parasitic species cluster in borealis group. (2) With the addition of new sequences, Tetrahymena is still divided into three groups, namely the "borealis group", the "australis group," and the "paravorax group." (3) the cluster pattern of all the newly sequenced facultative parasitic Tetrahymena species shows that members of the "borealis" group may be more susceptible to parasitism. (4) phylogeny based on concatenated genes show that T. pyriformis, T. setosa, and T. leucophrys have close relationship.

Rapid and Visual Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Based on Reverse Transcription-Recombinase Polymerase Amplification with Closed Vertical Flow Visualization Strip Assay.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was initially identified in 2019, after which it spread rapidly throughout the world. With the progression of the epidemic, new variants of SARS-CoV-2 with faster transmission speeds and higher infectivity have constantly emerged. The proportions of people asymptomatically infected or reinfected after vaccination have increased correspondingly, making the prevention and control of COVID-19 extremely difficult. There is therefore an urgent need for rapid, convenient, and inexpensive detection methods. In this paper, we established a nucleic acid visualization assay targeting the SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein (N) gene by combining reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification with closed vertical flow visualization strip (RT-RPA-VF). This method had high sensitivity, comparable to that of reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and the concordance between RT-RPA-VF and RT-qPCR methods was 100%. This detection method is highly specific and is not compatible with bat coronavirus HKU4, human coronaviruses 229E, OC43, and HKU1-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), or other respiratory pathogens. However, multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants are detectable within 25 min at 42°C using this visual method, including RNA transcripts of the Wuhan-Hu-1 strain at levels as low as 1 copy/µL, the Delta strain at 1 copy/µL, and the Omicron strain at 0.77 copies/µL. The RT-RPA-VF method is a simple operation for the rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 that is safe and free from aerosol contamination and could be an affordable and attractive choice for governments seeking to promote their emergency preparedness and better their responses to the continuing COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, this method also has great potential for early monitoring and warning of the epidemic situation at on-site-nursing points. IMPORTANCE The global COVID-19 epidemic, ongoing since the initial outbreak in 2019, has caused panic and huge economic losses worldwide. Due to the continuous emergence of new variants, COVID-19 has been responsible for a higher proportion of asymptomatic patients than the previously identified SARS and MERS, which makes early diagnosis and prevention more difficult. In this manuscript, we describe a rapid, sensitive, and specific detection tool, RT-RPA-VF. This tool provides a new alternative for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in a range as low as 1 to 0.77 copies/µL RNA transcripts. RT-RPA-VF has great potential to ease the pressure of medical diagnosis and the accurate identification of patients with suspected COVID-19 at point-of-care.

An inactivated recombinant rabies virus chimerically expressed RBD induces humoral and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and RABV.

Many studies suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect various animals and transmit among animals, and even to humans, posing a threat to humans and animals. There is an urgent need to develop inexpensive and efficient animal vaccines to prevent and control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in animals. Rabies virus (RABV) is another important zoonotic pathogen that infects almost all warm-blooded animals and poses a great public health threat. The present study constructed two recombinant chimeric viruses expressing the S1 and RBD proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan01 strain based on a reverse genetic system of the RABV SRV9 strain and evaluated their immunogenicity in mice, cats and dogs. The results showed that both inactivated recombinant viruses induced durable neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and RABV and a strong cellular immune response in mice. Notably, inactivated SRV-nCoV-RBD induced earlier antibody production than SRV-nCoV-S1, which was maintained at high levels for longer periods. Inactivated SRV-nCoV-RBD induced neutralizing antibodies against both SARS-CoV-2 and RABV in cats and dogs, with a relatively broad-spectrum cross-neutralization capability against the SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, showing potential to be used as a safe bivalent vaccine candidate against COVID-19 and rabies in animals.

Morphology and molecular phylogeny of three freshwater scuticociliates, with establishments of one new genus and three new species (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea).

The morphology and molecular phylogeny of three freshwater scuticociliates, Variuronema elegans gen. nov., spec. nov. (type species), V. similis spec. nov. and Uronema rigidum spec. nov., collected from Qixing River Wetland, northeastern China, were investigated using live observation and silver carbonate staining methods; the phylogenetic placements were inferred from the small subunit rRNA gene. Variuronema gen. nov., assigned to the family Uronematidae, is distinguished from the other genera mainly by its membranelles 1 and 2, each consisting of four longitudinal rows of kinetids, and the paroral membrane extending anteriorly to the front part of membranelle 3. The phylogenetic analyses indicate that: (1) Variuronema spp. form an independent, fully supported clade. However, its position among other uronematids is unresolved. (2) The family Uronematidae is not monophyletic based on the SSU rRNA gene, which is in accordance with previous studies.

Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of two new Blepharisma species (Ciliophora, Heterotrichea) from northeastern China.

The morphology and ciliary pattern of two new heterotrich ciliates, Blepharisma orientale n. sp. and B. sinicum n. sp., collected from Sanjiang Plain Wetland, northeastern China, were investigated using living observation and protargol staining. Blepharisma orientale n. sp. is characterized by the following combination of characteristics: limnetic; body in vivo 280-380 × 120-190 µm, slender to elongate, cortical granules dark pink, ventral margin somewhat sigmoid; buccal field about 55-60% of body length; 30-39 somatic kineties; 70-76 adoral membranelles, each comprising two long rows of basal bodies; paroral membrane consists of dikinetids with the posterior third obliquely arranged, both basal bodies in each dikinetid are ciliated. Blepharisma sinicum n. sp. is recognized by the combination of the following characters: limnetic; body 190-260 × 100-170 µm in size in vivo, irregularly sigmoid and slightly bilaterally flattened, dorsal margin curved; cortical granules pale pink in color; buccal field about 60-75% of body length; 25-29 somatic kineties; 53-82 adoral membranelles; paroral membrane consisting entirely of dikinetids. Phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequence data recovered the two new species as sister taxa, both the sister group of B. penardi.

A high selective colorimetric fluorescent probe for detection of silver ions in vitro and in vivo and its application on test strips.

To detect silver ions conveniently and rapidly in vitro and in vivo, a selective fluorescent probe with a wide measurement range, AgP, was developed. This probe exhibits a bright green fluorescence with an emission wavelength of 532 nm under 390 nm excitation, and its detection of Ag+ is stable in the pH range of 4-10 with a quench-type fluorescence response. Specially, the probe and its easily prepared test strips can be directly used for the colorimetric detection of Ag+ in aqueous samples with simple and convenient characteristics, the color change can be observed within a few seconds. The recovery rate of AgP detection water samples was between 117.6% and 98.3%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was between 0.41% and 2.06%. AgP is also suitable for in vivo imaging of Ag+ in the classical model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, and 50 µM Ag+ can completely quench its fluorescence, which will provide a new detection tool for studying the distribution of Ag+ in the environment and live plants.

Is Bilirubin Associated with the Severity of Ischemic Stroke? A Dose Response Meta-Analysis.

There is no consensus on the role of bilirubin in acute ischemic stroke. Higher levels of serum bilirubin may provide a treatment advantage in oxidative-stress-mediated diseases but also may simply reflect the strength of the oxidative stress. As of 28 February 2022, the relevant studies were selected from four databases (PubMed, Web of science, Cochrane, and CNKI) through a retrieval strategy, and strict literature screening and quality evaluation were carried out. The dose-response relationship was fitted with a restricted cubic splines function. We found that the serum total bilirubin level and the direct bilirubin level were positively correlated with the severity of ischemic stroke. The direct bilirubin level was linearly correlated with the severity of stroke (P for non-linearity = 0.55), and the direct bilirubin increase of 1 µmol/L may be related to the 1% increase in the possibility of having moderate or severe ischemic stroke. High bilirubin levels are associated with stroke severity in patients with ischemic stroke and may serve as a marker of the intensity of initial oxidative stress.

Comparing Clinical Outcomes on Oncology Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of cancer and non-cancer patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Methods: A computer-based search in PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, and Wanfang databases from their date of inception to October 2021, together with reference screening, was performed to identify eligible clinical trials. Two reviewers independently screened the articles, extracted data, and evaluated their quality. Review Manger 5.3 and Stata 12.0 software were used for meta-analysis. Results: The selected 11 cohort studies contained 182,645 patients, including 36,283 patients with cancer and 146,362 patients without cancer. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the 30-day mortality [OR = 0.68, 95%CI (0.63,0.74), I 2= 0, P < 0.00001] of patients with cancer in the AS group was lower than those in the non-cancer group; 1-year mortality [OR = 1.49, 95%CI(1.19,1.88), I 2= 58%, P = 0.0006] and late mortality [OR = 1.52, 95%CI(1.26,1.84), I 2= 55%, P < 0.0001] of patients with cancer in the AS group was higher than those in the non-cancer group. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the stroke [OR = 0.77, 95%CI (0.72, 0.82), I 2= 0, P < 0.00001] and the acute kidney injury [OR = 0.78, 95%CI (0.68, 0.90), I 2= 77%, P = 0.0005] of patients with cancer in the AS group was lower than those in the non-cancer group. The results of the meta-analysis showed no statistical difference in cardiovascular mortality, bleeding events, myocardial infarction, vascular complication, and device success rate. Conclusion: It is more effective and safer in patients with cancer with severe AS who were undergoing TAVI. However, compared with patients with no cancer, this is still high in terms of long-term mortality, and further study of the role of TAVI in patients with cancer with AS is necessary. Systematic Review Registration: Identifier [INPLASY CRD: 202220009].

Safety of Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Resectable Cancers: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Neoadjuvant immunotherapy has preliminarily been effective in multiple resectable cancers. However, its safety is still largely unknown. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library up to February 28th, 2021. Pooled incidence and risk ratio (RR) of adverse events were calculated using the R software. Results: Twenty-eight studies involving 2863 patients were included. First, the incidence for all-grade treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) was 94% (95% CI, 81%-98%), with 43% (95% CI, 24%-64%) for high-grade trAEs. For different treatment groups, neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus chemotherapy was associated with a higher incidence of all-grade [99% (95% CI, 98%-99%) vs. 76% (95% CI 47%-92%); P < 0.001] and high-grade [80% (58%-92%) vs. 15% (9%-24%); P < 0.001] trAEs compared with neoadjuvant ICIs alone. The most common high-grade trAEs were lipase increased (5%; 95% CI, 2%-10%), colitis (3%; 95% CI, 0-7%) and transaminitis (3%; 95% CI, 0-7%) for neoadjuvant ICIs, and neutropenia (53%; 95% CI, 31%-74%), anemia (8%; 95% CI, 3%-15%) and AST increased (4%; 95% CI, 2%-7%) for neoadjuvant ICIs plus chemotherapy. Furthermore, the incidence rates of progressive disease while on treatment, treatment-related surgical delays and deaths were 6% (95% CI, 4%-10%), 3.2% (12 of 377 patients) and 0.47% (5 of 1075 patients), respectively. Conclusion: Compared with neoadjuvant ICIs alone, neoadjuvant ICIs plus chemotherapy had a higher incidence of trAEs. In addition, neoadjuvant immunotherapy had a low rate of progressive diseases, surgical delays and deaths.

The Impact of Occupational Noise on Hypertension Risk: A Case-Control Study in Automobile Factory Personnel.

BACKGROUND: Many epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between occupational noise and hypertension, but with conflicting findings. This study aimed to assess the relationship between occupational noise exposure and the risk of hypertension. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted to explore hypertension predictors, and then sensitivity analysis was performed based on propensity score matching (PSM). Data were collected from participants' annual physical examinations and occupational noise exposure measurements. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression analysis. A restricted cubic spline (RCS) function was used to fit the dose-effect relationship. RESULTS: 500 cases and 4,356 controls were included in the study. Multivariate logistic regression showed that an increase in the level of occupational noise [range 68-102 dB(A)] of 1 dB(A), corresponded to an increase in hypertension risk of 8.3% (OR: 1.083, 95% CI: 1.058-1.109). Compared to the first quartile, the risk of hypertension in the fourth quartile was 1.742 (95% CI: 1.313-2.310). After applying PSM to minimize bias, we obtained a population of 500 cases and 1,000 controls. Noise level was significantly associated with the risk of hypertension. In addition, the RCS curve showed the risk of hypertension was relatively stable until a predicted noise level of around 80 dB(A) and then started to increase rapidly afterward (P nonlinear = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Occupational noise exposure was significantly associated with hypertension risk and there was a positively correlated dose-response relationship.

What Are the Effects of Electronic Cigarettes on Lung Function Compared to Non-Electronic Cigarettes? A Systematic Analysis.

Objective: The effects of e-cigarettes on lung function were compared between the e-cigarette and the non-e-cigarette group, as well as self-changes after inhaling e-cigarettes. Method: From March 1st, 2022, relevant literature was selected from four databases through a predefined retrieval strategy. Strict literature screening and quality evaluation were conducted. The study followed PRISMA guidelines. Results: Our results showed that CO (SMD: -1.48, 95%: -2.82-0.15) and FeNO (SMD: -0.66, 95%: -1.32, -0.01) were significantly decreased after e-cigarette usage. Only asthmatic smokers showed a statistically significant increase in flow resistance after inhaling e-cigarettes. Conversely, the decrease of FEV1/FVC% in the non-e-cigarette groups exceeded that in the e-cigarette group (SMD:1.18, 95%: 0.11-2.26). The degree of O2 saturation decrease was also less than that for the cigarette groups (SMD:0.32, 95%: 0.04-0.59), especially when compared to the conventional cigarette group (SMD:0.56, 95%: 0.04-1.08). Conclusion: The current findings indicate that short-term e-cigarette inhalation has a similar (but not significant) effect on lung function, as compared with non-e-cigarettes. More clinical studies are needed to explore the safety of inhaling e-cigarettes, especially in vulnerable populations.

A pH-applicative fluorescent probe with long measuring range for monitoring hydrazine in water samples and Arabidopsis thaliana.

In this work, a fluorescent probe, RhodCl-Hz, with pH-applicative capability and long measuring range, was developed to serve the topic on the enrichment process of hydrazine. It was practical due to the clear acid-base boundary and the sectioned linear ranges. With the excitation wavelength of 515 nm and the emission peak at 565 nm, the detecting system was steady. It exhibited a clear cut-off point at pH 7.0 and steady fluorescence signals within the range of 7.0-10.0. As a whole, the linear range of 10.0-500 µM (1.0-50.0 equivalent) was long. The Limit of Detection value was calculated as 0.64 µM. With high selectivity, RhodCl-Hz was applied to suit water samples and biological imaging in both Arabidopsis Thaliana root tips and living MCF-7 cells. The information here might be helpful for revealing the enrichment process of hydrazine.

Melanoleuca subgriseoflava and M. substridula-two new Melanoleuca species (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) described from China.

Two new Melanoleuca species, Melanoleuca subgriseoflava and M. substridula, are originally reported and described in China based on both morphological and molecular methods. Melanoleuca subgriseoflava, collected in Liaoning province, is mainly characterized by its greyish-brown to yellowish-grey pileus, creamy to light orange lamellae, greyish-yellow context, round and warted basidiospores and fusiform hymenial cystidia. Melanoleuca substridula, discovered in Sichuan province, is mainly characterized by its light brown to dark brown pileus, whitish lamellae, light brown to greyish-brown stipe, round and warted basidiospores and lack of any forms of cystidia. The phylogenetic relationships as well as divergence-time estimation were analyzed using the combined data set (ITS-nrLSU-RPB2), and the results showed that the two Melanoleuca species formed two distinct lineages. Based on the combination of morphological and molecular data, M. subgriseoflava and M. substridula are confirmed as two new species to science. A theoretical basis is provided for the species diversity of Melanoleuca.