Attempted retrieval of guidewire fragment using the twisting wire technique causes coronary perfusion: Case report.

RATIONALE: Guidewire fracture is one of the biggest risks of percutaneous coronary intervention, twisting wire technique is very useful for retrieving the fractured wire, but the potential risks have been inadequately reported. Herein, we present a case of retrieval of guidewire fragments using the twisting wire technique that causes coronary perfusion. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 37-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital for elective percutaneous coronary intervention of the left circumflex coronary artery. CLINICAL FINDINGS: For chronic total occlusion of the distal left circumflex coronary artery, antegrade recanalization by wire escalation, and parallel wire techniques were attempted. However, we shockingly found that the BMW guidewire, anchored in the right coronary artery, spontaneously fractured from the proximal right coronary artery, and a lengthy fragment of the guidewire remained in the coronary. DIAGNOSES, INTERVENTIONS, AND OUTCOMES: Many attempts were made to retrieve the remnant guidewire including the twisting wire technique, which leads to the perforation of the coronary. OUTCOMES: Finally, percutaneous retrieving procedures were stopped in favor of surgical extraction via a small coronary arteriotomy. This procedure was successful. LESSONS: To the best of our knowledge, the present case is the first reported spontaneous fracture of the guidewire. Leaving such a lengthy remnant guidewire in the artery, or leaving stenting over the wire, would impose a high risk of coronary thrombosis, perforation, and embolization. Yet, the perforation of the artery that occurred in this case, which could have had life-threatening consequences, resulted from our attempts to retrieve the guidewire using the twisting wire technique.

[Retracted] MicroRNA­202 inhibits endometrial stromal cell migration and invasion by suppressing the K­Ras/Raf1/MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain of the Transwell invasion assay data shown in Figs. 2C and 4B were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in a paper by different authors at a different research institute that had already been submitted for publication. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been submitted for publication prior to its submission to International Journal of Molecular Medicine, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a satisfactory reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [International Journal of Molecular Medicine 46: 2078­2088, 2020; DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4749].

Fe-Cu bimetal metal-organic framework for efficient decontamination via Fenton-like process: Synthesis, performance and mechanism.

Constructing Fe-Cu bimetal catalysts is an efficient strategy to promote Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle, whereas there is still a long way to go before fully understanding the role of the Cu in the catalysts. Herein, a new Fe-MOF namely BUC-96(Fe) was fabricated from FeSO4·7H2O, 4,4'-bipyridine (bpy) and 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (H4dhtp) by both hydrothermal reaction and microwave-assisted method. Also, bimetal BUC-96(FeCu-x) were obtained when the CuSO4 was added into the system identical to the synthesis process of BUC-96(Fe). Series BUC-96 MOFs showed good organics elimination performance via Fenton-like process, where 88.1% (k = 0.0672 min-1) of chloroquine phosphate (CQ, 20 mg/L) was decomposed over pristine BUC-96(Fe) within 30 min. Interestingly, nearly 100% CQ was degraded over BUC-96(FeCu-5) as catalyst under the identical conditions within 5 min, whose reaction rate (1.3527 min-1) was 20.1-fold higher than that of BUC-96. Additionally, BUC-96(FeCu-5) exhibited excellent Fenton-like oxidation degradation performance for 10 selected emerging organic pollutants. The reaction mechanism was studied in detail by experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The results revealed that the introduced Cu not only accelerated Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycles, hydroxyl radical (·OH) generation, electron transfer, but also lowered H2O2 dissociated energy barrier. This work advanced the bimetal MOFs construction and application in wastewater treatment via Fenton-like process.

The self-medication behaviors of residents and the factors related to the consideration of drug efficacy and safety-A cross-sectional study in China.

Background: Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs facilitates residents self-medication. However, inappropriate self-medications have become a serious problem in China and even all over the world. Objectives: To make an investigation on the current status of Chinese residents' self-medication behaviors and important considerations, and to explore the factors related to the considerations of drug efficacy and safety. Design: A quantitative, cross-sectional study. Methods: Multi-stage sampling was used to conduct a cross-sectional investigation in China 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government. State that an interviewer-administrated questionnaire, was used for data collection. The questionnaire that was used in the investigation included demographic sociological characteristics, health literacy scale-short form (HLS-SF), the 10-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), the EuroQol-5D visual analogue scale (EQ-5D VAS), self-medication status and important considerations when self-medicating. Descriptive statistics were performed, and the Chi-square test was used for univariate analysis. Log-binomial regression was used for multivariate analysis on whether residents regard drug efficacy or safety as an important consideration. Results: 9256 respondents were included in the data analysis. The self-medication rate of Chinese adults was as high as 99.1%. Paracetamol and other analgesics were the most common types of OTC medication that respondents purchased, followed by vitamins/minerals. Medical staff recommendations, drug safety and efficacy were the top three important considerations. The residents in the east, central and western regions who consider safety is 63.5%, 61.5%, and 66.8% respectively. The proportion of curative effect was 60.2%, 55.7%, and 61.4% respectively. Log-binomial regression showed that western respondents, retired people, those who mainly used ways including basic medical insurance for employees, commercial medical insurance, free medical treatment to cover their medical cost, respondents with high neuroticism, high health literacy were more likely to consider drug safety as an important factor (p < 0.05). Eastern respondents, employed, main way of medical expenses borne was Out-of-pocket Payment, those with chronic disease were more likely to consider drug efficacy as an important factor (p < 0.05). Female, respondents with high levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and self-rated health status were more likely to regard both drug safety and efficacy as important considerations (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Self-medication is practiced by most Chinese adults. Whether Chinese adults take drug efficacy or safety as an important consideration is related to their demographic and sociological characteristics, Big Five personality characteristics, health literacy and self-assessed health status. There is a need to strengthen the management of OTC drugs and public education about self-medication.

BAFF Promotes FLS Activation Through BAFFR-Mediated Non-canonical NF-κB Pathway and the Effects of CP-25.

B cell activating factor (BAFF) has been shown to play a key role in regulating B cell function, but little is known about whether BAFF affects the function of fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS), an effector cell of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). CP-25, a new ester derivative of paeoniflorin, could alleviate the arthritis symptoms of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice by inhibiting BAFF-mediated abnormal activation of B cells. In this study, we aimed to understand the mechanism by which BAFF activates FLS and the effect of CP-25 on FLS function. Therefore, the proliferation and migration abilities of FLS and key proteins on the non-canonical NF-κB pathway were examined. The results showed that compared with the FLS of normal rats/OA patients, the expression of BAFF-R, TRAF2, NIK, p-IKKα, P100, and P52 was higher in the FLS of AA rats/RA patients, while the expression of TRAF3 was lower. And, BAFF promotes FLS activation by activating the non-canonical NF-κB signaling pathway. Meanwhile, BAFFR-siRNA inhibited the proliferation of FLS and the activation of non-canonical NF-κB signaling in FLS induced by BAFF. Additionally, CP-25 could inhibit abnormal proliferation and migration of FLS by regulating non-canonical NF-κB signaling. We concluded that BAFF may act as an important role in facilitating the function of FLS through the BAFFR-mediated non-canonical NF-κB pathway, which would be useful for revealing the pathological mechanism of RA. And CP-25 may become a potential new drug for the treatment of RA, providing a scientific basis for the development of new drugs to treat RA.

Design, Synthesis, Insecticidal Activities and Molecular Docking of Sulfonamide Derivatives Containing Propargyloxy or Pyridine Groups.

The discovery of new highly active molecules from natural products is a common method to create new pesticides. Celangulin V targeting Mythimna separate (M. separate) midgut V-ATPase  H subunit, has received considerable attention for its excellent insecticidal activity and unique mechanism of action. Therefore, combined with our preliminary work, thirty-seven sulfonamide derivatives bearing propargyloxy or pyridine groups were systematically synthesized to search for insecticidal candidate compounds with low cost and high efficiency on the  H subunit of V-ATPase. Bioactive results showed that compounds A2-A4 and A6-A7 exhibited a better bioactivity with median effective concentration (LC50 ) values (2.78, 3.11, 3.34, 3.54 and 2.48 mg/mL, respectively) against third-instar larvae of M. separate than Celangulin V (LC50 =18.1 mg/mL). Additionally, molecular docking experiments indicated that these molecules may act on the H subunit of V-ATPase. Based on the above results, these compounds provide new ideas for the discovery of insecticides.

Impaired Cognitive Function in Patients With Autonomous Cortisol Secretion in Adrenal Incidentalomas.

CONTEXT: Glucocorticoids have potent effects on the central nervous system. However, while patients with Cushing syndrome frequently report impairments in cognitive function, studies investigating cognitive function in patients with autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) in adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) are scarce. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate neurocognitive function in patients with ACS. METHODS: We prospectively recruited 63 patients with AI, 36 patients with nonfunctional adrenal adenoma (NFA) (46.5 ± 10.5 years), and 27 patients with ACS (48.6 ± 9.1 years); these patients underwent a battery of validated neuropsychological tests. ACS was diagnosed when serum cortisol levels after a 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (cortisol1 mg DST) ≥ 50 nmol/L. RESULTS: Patients with ACS had higher frequency of subjective memory complaints (40.7% vs 13.9%, P < 0.05) and higher proportion of mild cognitive impairment (22.2% vs 2.8%, P < 0.05) than patients with NFA. Furthermore, patients with ACS had worse performance on working memory and the visuospatial/constructional domain than patients with NFA (all P < 0.05). Serum cortisol1 mg DST was negatively correlated with working memory and visuospatial/constructional domains (r = -0.307 and -0.306, respectively, all P < 0.05). Performance on working memory and visuospatial/constructional domains gradually deteriorated with increases in serum cortisol1 mg DST (all P values for trend < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that serum cortisol1 mg DST was a significant risk factor for impairment of working memory and visuospatial/constructional domains (B = -0.006 and -0.043, respectively, all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study is the first to report that ACS is accompanied by impaired cognitive function. Consequently, cognitive function assessment should be incorporated into the clinical evaluation of patients with ACS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05357456.

Design, synthesis and insecticidal activities of 4-propargyloxybenzene sulfonamide derivatives substituted with amino acids.

Sixty-nine 4-propargyloxybenzene sulfonamide derivatives with different amino acids as amino substituent were synthesized and evaluated for their insecticidal activity against third-instar Mythimna separate. The bioassay results revealed that some derivatives bearing amino acid ester group performed good insecticidal activity against third-instar M.separata, such as the LC50 values of D18 and D19 were 4.28 and 2.96 mg/ml after 48 h, in particular, the LC50 of D16 was 2.38 mg/ml and the activity was improved by 14 times compared to celangulin V (34.48 mg/ml). The above results provided theoretical and experimental basis for the discovery of novel insecticidal active compounds.

Target Metabolome and Transcriptome Analysis Reveal Molecular Mechanism Associated with Changes of Tea Quality at Different Development Stages.

This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential quality of tea made from leaves at different development stages. Fresh Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze "Sichuan Colonial" leaves of various development stages, from buds to old leaves, were subjected to transcriptome sequencing and metabolome analysis, and the DESeq package was used for differential expression analysis, followed by functional enrichment analyses and protein interaction analysis. Target metabolome analysis indicated that the contents of most compounds, including theobromine and epicatechin gallate, were lowest in old leaves, and transcriptome analysis revealed that DEGs were significantly involved in extracellular regions and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis-related pathways, and the oleuropein steroid biosynthesis pathway. Protein-protein interaction analysis identified LOC114256852 as a hub gene. Caffeine, theobromine, L-theanine, and catechins were the main metabolites of the tea leaves, and the contents of all four main metabolites were the lowest in old leaves. Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and brassinosteroid biosynthesis may be important targets for breeding efforts to improve tea quality.

Design, synthesis and insecticidal activity of benzenesulfonamide derivatives containing various alkynyl, alkenyl and cyclopropyl groups in para position.

Celangulin V is a natural ß-dihydrofuran sesquiterpene polyester with anti Mythimna separate activity and unique mechanism of action. Further study showed that its target was the H subunit of V-ATPase in the midgut of M. separate. Thus, combined with the previous work, thirty-two benzene sulfonamide derivatives were systematically synthesised to discover efficient and low-budget insecticidal candidates for the H subunit of V-ATPase. Screening results showed that compounds C2, C4, C5, C6 and C8 could significantly cause death of tested third-instar larvae of M. separate, and provided the corresponding LC50 values of 0.844, 0.953, 0.705, 0.599 and 0.887 mg/mL, which were extremely better than Celangulin V (LC50 = 11.5 mg/mL). The docking results indicated that this novel framework might target H subunit of V-ATPase. Given these excellent bioactivity results, this kind of sulfonamide framework could provide a suitable point for exploring highly efficient insecticidal agents.

[The effects of cold exposure on the ileum mechanical barrier in mice and its mechanisms].

Objective: To study the mechanisms of cold exposure mediated ileum mechanical barrier injury in mice. Methods: Twenty mice were randomly divided into the control and cold exposure groups. Both the control and cold exposure groups were placed in the climate room with (24±2)℃ and 40% humidity. The mice in the cold exposure group were moved to the climate room at (4±2)℃ every day for 3 hours for three consecutive weeks. Three weeks later, the ileum tissues of mice were collected. Changes in ileum tissue structure were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining. The related protein expression levels of the tight junction, inflammatory cytokines, and the NF-κB pathway were detected by Western blot. Results: Compared with the control group, the circular muscle layer of the ileum in cold exposed mice became thin, a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated, the length of villi became short, the depth of recess was increased, and tissue fibrosis appeared. The expression levels of ideal tight junction-associated proteins in cold exposed mice were decreased significantly (P＜0.05), while the protein expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and phosphorescent p65 were increased significantly (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Cold exposure can damage the tight junction of the mouse ileum, destroy the integrity of the mechanical barrier and activate the NF-κB signaling pathway to promote the occurrence of the inflammatory response.

Comparison of disinfection-residual-bacteria (DRB) after seven different kinds of disinfection: Biofilm formation, membrane fouling and mechanisms.

Membrane fouling is the Achilles' heel of the reverse osmosis (RO) system for high-quality reclaimed water production. Previous studies have found that after the significant selection effect of traditional disinfection, the remaining disinfection-residual bacteria (DRB) may possess more severe biofouling potentials. To provide more constructive advice for the prevention of biofouling, we compared the RO membrane fouling characteristics of DRB after using five commonly used disinfection methods (NaClO, NH2Cl, ClO2, UV, and O3) and two novel disinfection methods (K2FeO4 and the flow-through electrode system (FES)). Compared with the control group (undisinfected, 21.1 % flux drop), the UV-DRB biofilm aggravated biofouling of the RO membrane (23.4 % flux drop), while the FES, K2FeO4, and NH2Cl treatments showed less severe biofouling, with final flux drops of 6.9 %, 8.1 %, and 8.1 %, respectively. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was found to be a capable indicator for predicting the biofouling potential of DRB. Systematic analysis showed that the thickness and density of the DRB biofilms were most closely related to the different fouling degree of RO membranes. Moreover, the relative abundance of bacteria with higher extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) secretion levels, such as Pseudomonas and Sphingomonas, was found closely related with the biofouling degree of RO membranes.

Comparison of the disinfection efficacy between ferrate(VI) and chlorine in secondary effluent.

Disinfection is essential for the microbial safety of reclaimed water. Traditional chlorine disinfection leads to secondary problems such as disinfection by-products and chlorine-resistant bacteria. Ferrate (Fe(VI)) is a novel green disinfectant. However, research on the disinfection characteristics of Fe(VI) remains insufficient. This study compared the disinfection efficacy between Fe(VI) and chlorine in secondary effluent, including the inactivation efficiency of coliforms and heterotrophic bacteria and the control effect on typical chlorine-resistant bacteria. The results showed that Fe(VI) was more effective than chlorine in inactivating Escherichia coli and total coliforms at low doses, whereas chlorine was more effective than Fe(VI) in inactivating heterotrophic bacteria. A severe trailing phenomenon was observed in Fe(VI) disinfection. Based on bacterial community structure analysis, Fe(VI) was also found to be capable of controlling the relative abundance of some chlorine-resistant bacteria such as Sphingomonas, Bacillus, Mycobacterium and Legionella except for Pseudomonas. The results of this study could have implications in evaluating Fe(VI) disinfection ability and optimizing Fe(VI) dosing for disinfection.

Jianpi Qingchang Bushen decoction improves inflammatory response and metabolic bone disorder in inflammatory bowel disease-induced bone loss.

BACKGROUND: Bone loss and osteoporosis are commonly described as extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Jianpi Qingchang Bushen decoction (JQBD) is a prescription used in clinical practice. However, further studies are needed to determine whether JQBD regulates the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) (RANK)/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)/ osteoprotegerin (OPG) pathways and could play a role in treating IBD-induced bone loss. AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of JQBD in IBD-induced bone loss and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: An IBD-induced bone loss model was constructed by feeding 12 6-to-8-wk-old interleukin-10 (IL-10)-knockout mice with piroxicam for 10 d. The mice were randomly divided into model and JQBD groups. We used wild-type mice as a control. The JQBD group was administered the JQBD suspension for 2 wk by gavage, while the control and model groups were given normal saline at the corresponding time points. All mice were killed after the intervention. The effect of JQBD on body weight, disease activity index (DAI), and colon length was analyzed. Histopathological examination, colon ultrastructure observation, and micro-computed tomographic scanning of the lumbar vertebrae were performed. The gene expression of NF-κB, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-8 in the colon was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Colon samples were assessed by Western blot for the expression of RANKL, OPG, RANK, and NF-κB proteins. RESULTS: The model group lost body weight, had a shorter colon, and showed a dramatic increase in DAI score, whereas JQBD had protective and therapeutic effects. Treatment with JQBD significantly improved inflammatory cell infiltration and reduced crypt abscess and ulcer formation. Three-dimensional imaging of the vertebral centrum in the model group revealed a lower bone mass, loose trabeculae, and "rod-shaped" changes in the structure compared to the control group and JQBD groups. The bone volume/total volume ratio and bone mineral density were significantly lower in the model group than in the control group. JQBD intervention downregulated the NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-8 mRNA expression levels. The RANKL and OPG protein levels were also improved. CONCLUSION: JQBD reduces inflammation of the colonic mucosa and inhibits activation of the RANK/ RANKL/OPG signaling pathway, thereby reducing osteoclast activation and bone resorption and improving bone metabolism.

Population-specific cut-off points of fatty liver index: a study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.

BACKGROUND: Fatty liver index (FLI) is the most recognized blood biomarker for diagnosis of hepatic steatosis (HS), but lacks the reliable specific cut-off points (COPs). Therefore, we aim to investigate the population-specific COPs of FLI based on the results of liver ultrasound transient elastography (LUTE) and conventional ultrasonography in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). METHODS: 5948 participants who underwent LUTE from the NHANES 2017-2018 and 14,797 participants who underwent conventional ultrasonography from the Third NHANES (NHANES III) were recruited. FLI was calculated by using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), triglyceride, and gamma-glutamyl transferase, and its optimal COPs in a specific population (stratified by sex, BMI, and WC) were obtained from receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve with ultrasonic-diagnosed HS as the reference standard. RESULTS: Based on LUTE in NHANES 2017-2018, the prevalence of HS and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) were 58.7% and 56.2%, respectively, and the optimal COP of FLI for HS diagnosis in the overall population was 45.60, with an area under ROC curve (AUROC) of 0.833 (0.822-0.844). Based on conventional ultrasonography in NHANES III, the prevalence of HS and MAFLD were 34.4% and 27. 9%, respectively, and the optimal COP of FLI for HS was 59.5, with an AUROC of 0.681 (0.671-0.691). With the increase of BMI and WC, the COPs increased gradually with significant differences between different groups. Compared with conventional ultrasonography, the COPs of FLI based on LUTE were much more precise, with higher diagnostic ability. The population-specific COPs of FLI stratified by gender, WC, and BMI were tabulated. CONCLUSION: In the United States, the incidences of HS and MAFLD were high, especially when assessed by LUTE. The FLI based on LUTE is well capable of predicting HS when stratified by gender, WC, and BMI.

Ultrafiltration significantly increased the scaling potential of municipal secondary effluent on reverse osmosis membranes.

Ultrafiltration (UF) was often used as pretreatment in front of reverse osmosis (RO) unit because of its high rejection efficiency of microbes and particles. However, in some cases UF pretreatment might show adverse effects on the RO membrane flux. In this study, the effects of UF pretreatment on secondary effluent water quality and its RO membrane fouling characteristics were explored. There was almost no change of water quality after UF with different molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membranes (100, 30 and 10 kDa), including total dissolved solid (TDS), alkalinity, conductivity, ion concentrations, etc., while pH increased a little and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) declined by about 1 mg/L. On the contrary, the RO membrane flux of UF permeates presented clear decline in comparison to the secondary effluent. The membrane fouling velocity and steady-state flux of secondary effluent was 0.052 and 0.656, while fouling velocity increased (0.077, 0.071, 0.067) and steady-state flux decreased significantly (0.397, 0.416, 0.448) after 100, 30, 10 kDa UF membrane pretreatment. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed many crystals on the fouled membrane surfaces, which turned out to be CaCO3 by Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analysis and precipitation calculation. After the addition of UF retentates to UF permeates, scaling was prevented and crystals on the RO membrane almost disappeared, which implied the anti-scaling effect of the UF retentates with low concentration. According to anti-scaling performance experiments, the anti-scaling performance of 100 k, 30 k, 10 k retentates was 2.7%, 4.0% and 7.3%, respectively. Excitation emission matrix (EEM) and fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) results showed that these retentates retained by different MWCO membranes were similar and composed of protein-like substances and soluble microbial products. The effect of key minority components in RO system deserved further exploration.

Jianpi Qingchang Decoction Ameliorates Chronic Colitis in Piroxicam-Induced IL-10 Knockout Mice by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

BACKGROUND: Excessive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) may lead to impaired intestinal mucosal barrier function and then participate in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). Jianpi Qingchang decoction (JPQCD) has been shown to have protective effects on UC. However, further studies are needed to determine whether JPQCD regulates PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathways to play a role in treating UC. METHODS: IL-10 -/- mice were randomly assigned into five groups: control, model, low-dose JPQCD (JPQCD L), middle-dose JPQCD (JPQCD M), and high-dose JPQCD (JPQCD H). All groups except for the control group were given model feed containing 200 ppm piroxicam for 10 d to induce colitis. As a comparison, we used wild-type mice that were the progeny of IL-10 +/- matings, bred in the same facility. The control group and wild-type mice were fed with common feed. At the same time, mice in each group were given corresponding drugs by gavage for 14 d. The disease activity index of mice in each group was evaluated daily. Colon tissues of mice were collected, colon length was measured, and pathological changes and ultrastructure of colon epithelial cells were observed. The effects of JPQCD on the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathways were evaluated by western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of CHOP in colon tissue was detected by tissue immunofluorescence assay. The expression of NF-κB, p-NF-κB p65 protein was analyzed by western blotting; the level of IL-17 in colon tissue was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and verified by examining NF-κB and IL-17 mRNA levels by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the model group showed significant colitis symptoms and severe colonic tissue damage. The results showed that JPQCD significantly reduced body weight loss, ameliorated disease activity index, and restored colon length in IL-10 -/- mice with piroxicam-induced colitis. Western blotting and RT-PCR showed that the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway was activated in colon tissue of model mice, suggesting that the pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) and could become a potential therapeutic target. The JPQCD treatment inhibited the activation of the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway, alleviated the ER stress, and played a role in preventing and treating UC. In addition, JPQCD can also downregulate the protein of NF-κB, p-NF-κB p65, downregulate the mRNA expression of NF-κB, and reduce the content of IL-17 and its mRNA expression in colon tissues. CONCLUSION: JPQCD may play a protective role in UC by regulating the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway and relieving endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Performance of DHEAS as a Screening Test for Autonomous Cortisol Secretion in Adrenal Incidentalomas: A Prospective Study.

CONTEXT: Autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) affects up to 30% of patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AIs). The current guidelines for ACS diagnosis are not decisive. A lower dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) level is a potential biomarker, but the evidence is conflicting. OBJECTIVE: This prospective study aimed to evaluate and validate the ACS screening and diagnostic accuracy of DHEAS. METHODS AND PATIENTS: Recruited patients with AI were screened for adrenal medullary and cortisol hypersecretion. The diagnosis of ACS was based on a serum cortisol level ≥ 50 nmol/L following a 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and a low-dose DST. Age- and sex-specific DHEAS ratios were also calculated. RESULTS: In the development cohort (45 ACS and 242 non-ACS patients), the areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUCs) of DHEAS and the DHEAS ratio were 0.869 (95% CI 0.824-0.906) and 0.799 (95% CI 0.748-0.844), respectively. The optimal DHEAS cutoff for diagnosing ACS was 60 µg/dL, with a sensitivity of 75.6% (95% CI 60.5-87.1) and a specificity of 81.4% (95% CI 76.4-86.5). The midnight serum cortisol level had moderate diagnostic accuracy [AUC 0.875 (95% CI 0.831-0.911)]. Suppressed adrenocorticotropic hormone (≤2.2 pmol/L) had a lower sensitivity (55.6%), and the 24-hour urinary free cortisol lacked sensitivity and specificity [AUC 0.633 (95% CI 0.603-0.721)]. In the validation cohort (14 ACS and 45 non-ACS patients), the sensitivity and specificity of the optimized DHEAS cutoff were 71.4% (95% CI 41.9-91.6) and 82.2% (95% CI 68.0-92.0), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A single basal measurement of DHEAS is valuable for identifying ACS. Because of its stability and ease of use, the DHEAS level could be used as an ACS screening test.

[Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Aerobic Denitrification Bacterial Community in Sediments of Gangnan Reservoir].

In order to study the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of aerobic denitrification bacteria in the sediments of Gangnan Reservoir, the aerobic denitrification bacterial community was analyzed using a MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technique based on the napA gene. Moreover, the composition, diversity, difference, and network analysis of the aerobic denitrification bacterial community were investigated. The results showed higher α-diversity (Chao1 index, Observed species index, and Shannon index) in autumn and winter than that in spring and summer; that is, the richness and diversity of sampling sites in autumn and winter were higher. In terms of spatial distribution, the Chao1 index, Observed species index, Shannon index, and Simpson index of the bacterial community in the sampling sites in the transition zone were higher than those in the sampling sites in the inflow area and the main reservoir area, indicating that the richness and diversity of the bacterial community in the sampling sites in the transition zone were the highest. The aerobic denitrifying bacteria in the sediments of Gangnan Reservoir mainly belong to Protebacteria. The first dominant class was ß-Proteobacteria, and the first dominant genus was Thauera. A Venn diagram analysis indicated that the community of aerobic denitrification bacteria exhibited significant spatial and temporal differences. At the spatial level, there were higher numbers of different species based on LEfSe analysis than that at the seasonal level. Among the marker species screened by random forest analysis, Comamonas had the highest contribution in all spatial sampling sites, whereas Pectobacterium had the highest contribution in all seasonal sampling sites. Network analysis showed that there were nine modules, including 565 edges of 297 nodes; 47 keystone species were obtained based on the indicator OTUs analysis and network analysis. The principal co-ordinates analysis revealed that keystone species in the spatial distribution exhibited significant differences (Adonis, P<0.001). The results of this study provide scientific basis for the separation and identification of efficient aerobic denitrifying bacteria.

[Temporal and Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Denitrification Bacterial Community Structure from Landscape Water in Hebei Province: Taking Shijiazhuang as Example].

Landscape water is an important part of urban water systems, and excessive nitrogen affects its ecological functions. This study aimed to investigate the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics and driving factors of the community structure of denitrifying bacteria from landscape water. The functional gene nirS was used as a functional marker to explore the community of denitrifying bacteria in the water and sediment of landscape water. Based on parameters of the water and sediment, the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics and driving factors of the community of denitrifying bacteria were studied. The results showed significant seasonal differences in water parameters and spatial differences in sediment nitrogen (P<0.001). No significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in α-diversity; the EC and SOEF-NH4+-N were important factors affecting the α-diversity of the water and sediment. Denitrifying bacteria mainly belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria and the genera Dechloromonas, Rhodocyclaceae, Pseudomonas, Rhodobacter, and Thauera. Principal coordinate analysis revealed that the community of denitrifying bacteria in the water and sediment exhibited significant spatial differences (P<0.001); keystone denitrifying bacteria in the water also exhibited significant spatial differences (P<0.001). RDA and RF analysis showed that the permanganate index and TP were the main environmental factors affecting the total and keystone denitrifying bacteria in the water; SOEF-NH4+-N, IEF-NH4+-N, and WAEF-NO3--N were the main environmental factors affecting the total and keystone denitrifying bacteria in the sediment. These findings could serve as a reference to understand the interaction mechanism between nitrogen and denitrification bacterial communities in landscape water.