Prediction of adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma based on CT perfusion parameters of brain metastases from lung cancer: a pilot study.

Objectives: Predicting pathological types in patients with adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma using CT perfusion imaging parameters based on brain metastasis lesions from lung cancer. Methods: We retrospectively studied adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma patients with brain metastases who received treatment and had been pathologically tested in our hospital from 2019 to 2021. CT perfusion images of the brain were used to segment enhancing tumors and peritumoral edema and to extract CT perfusion parameters. The most relevant perfusion parameters were identified to classify the pathological types. Of the 45 patients in the study cohort (mean age 65.64 ± 10.08 years; M:F = 24:21), 16 were found to have squamous cell carcinoma. Twenty patients were with brain metastases only, and 25 patients were found to have multiple organ metastases in addition to brain metastases. After admission, all patients were subjected to the CT perfusion imaging examination. Differences in CT perfusion parameters between adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict the types of pathology of the patients. Results: Among the perfusion parameters, cerebral blood flow (CBF) and mean transit time (MTT) were significantly different between the two lung cancers (adenocarcinoma vs. squamous cell carcinoma: p < 0.001, p = 0.012.). Gender and tumor location were identified as the clinical predictive factors. For the classification of adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma, the model combined with CBF and clinical predictive factors showed better performance [area under the curve (AUC): 0.918, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.797-0.979). The multiple organ metastasis model showed better performance than the brain metastasis alone model in subgroup analyses (AUC: 0.958, 95% CI: 0.794-0.999). Conclusion: CT perfusion parameter analysis of brain metastases in patients with primary lung cancer could be used to classify adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma.

Intra- and peritumoral radiomics for predicting malignant BiRADS category 4 breast lesions on contrast-enhanced spectral mammography: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To construct and test a nomogram based on intra- and peritumoral radiomics and clinical factors for predicting malignant BiRADS 4 lesions on contrast-enhanced spectral mammography. METHODS: A total of 884 patients with BiRADS 4 lesions were enrolled from two centers. For each lesion, five ROIs were defined using the intratumoral region (ITR), peritumoral regions (PTRs) of 5 and 10 mm around the tumor, and ITR plus PTRs of 5 mm and 10 mm. Five radiomics signatures were established by LASSO after selecting features. A nomogram was built using selected signatures and clinical factors by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The performance of the nomogram was assessed with the AUC, decision curve analysis, and calibration curves, and also compared with the radiomics model, clinical model, and radiologists. RESULTS: The nomogram built by three radiomics signatures (constructed from ITR, 5 mm PTR, and ITR + 10 mm PTR) and two clinical factors (age and BiRADS category) showed powerful predictive ability in internal and external test sets with AUCs of 0.907 and 0.904, respectively. The calibration curves, decision curve analysis, showed favorable predictive performance of the nomogram. In addition, radiologists improved the diagnostic performance with the help of nomogram. CONCLUSION: The nomogram established via intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics features and clinical risk factors had the best performance in distinguishing benign and malignant BiRADS 4 lesions, which could help radiologists improve diagnostic capabilities. KEY POINTS: • Radiomics features from peritumoral regions in contrast-enhanced spectral mammography images may provide valuable information for the diagnosis of benign and malignant breast imaging reporting and data system category 4 breast lesions. • The nomogram incorporated intra- and peritumoral radiomics features and clinical variables have good application prospects in assisting clinical decision-makers.

Effects of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and biochar on plant growth and fruit quality of muskmelon under cadmium stress.

Cadmium pollution in farmland has become a global environmental problem, threatening ecological security and human health. Biochar is effective in remediation of soil pollution. However, high concentrations of biochar can inhibit plant growth, and low concentrations of biochar have limited mitigation effect on cadmium toxicity. Therefore, the combination of low-concentration biochar and other amendments is a promising approach to alleviate cadmium toxicity in plants and improve the safety of edible parts. In this study, muskmelon was selected as the research object, and different concentrations of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were used alone or combined with biochar to explore the effects of different treatments on muskmelon plants in cadmium-contaminated soil. The results showed that the combined application of 250 mg/kg α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and biochar had a good effect on the repair of cadmium toxicity in muskmelon plants. Compared with cadmium treatment, its application increased plant height by 32.53%, cadmium transport factor from root to stem decreased by 32.95%, chlorophyll content of muskmelon plants increased by 14.27%, and cadmium content in muskmelon flesh decreased by 18.83%. Moreover, after plant harvest, soil available cadmium content in 250 mg/kg α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and biochar combined treatment decreased by 31.18% compared with cadmium treatment. The results of this study provide an effective reference for the composite application of different exogenous amendments and a feasible idea for soil heavy metal remediation and mitigation of cadmium pollution in farmland.

Biochar and nano-ferric oxide synergistically alleviate cadmium toxicity of muskmelon.

Cadmium is toxic to plants. The accumulation of cadmium in edible plants such as muskmelon may affect the safe production of crops and result in human health problem. Thus effective measures are urgently needed for soil remediation. This work aims to investigate the effects of nano-ferric oxide and biochar alone or mixture on muskmelon under cadmium stress. The results of growth and physiological indexes showed that compared with the application of cadmium alone, the composite treatment (biochar and nano-ferric oxide) decreased malondialdehyde content by 59.12% and ascorbate peroxidase activity increased by 276.6%. Their addition can increase the stress resistance of plants. The results of soil analysis and cadmium content determination in plants showed that the composite treatment was beneficial to reduce the cadmium content in various parts of muskmelon. In the presence of high concentration of cadmium, the Target Hazard Quotient value of peel and flesh of muskmelon in the composite treatment was less than 1, which means the edible risk was greatly reduced. Furthermore, the addition of composite treatment increased the content of effective components; the contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, and saponins in the flesh of the compound treatment were increased by 99.73%, 143.07%, and 18.78% compared with the cadmium treatment. The results provide a technical reference for the further application of biochar combined with nano-ferric oxide in the field of soil heavy metal remediation, and provide a theoretical basis for further research on reducing the toxicity of cadmium to plants and improving the edible quality of crops.

Transcriptome studies on cadmium tolerance and biochar mitigating cadmium stress in muskmelon.

Cadmium pollution in agricultural soil is a great threat to crop growth and human health. In this research, with 1%, 3% and 5% biochar applied to control soil cadmium pollution, melon was selected to be the experimental object for physiological detection and transcriptome analysis, through which we explored the mechanism of cadmium tolerance and biochar mitigating cadmium stress in muskmelon. Three set concentrations of biochar have a mitigative effect on muskmelon cadmium stress, and 5% biochar and 3% biochar respectively have the best and the worst alleviative effect. The alleviation of biochar to cadmium stress on muskmelon is primarily in the manner of inhibiting cadmium transfer, while the resistance of muskmelon to cadmium stress is through activating phenylpropanoid pathway and overexpressing stress related genes. Under cadmium treatment, 11 genes of the phenylpropane pathway and 19 stress-related genes including cytochrome P450 family protein genes and WRKY transcription factor genes were up-regulated, while 1%, 3%, 5% biochar addition significantly downregulated 3, 0, 7 phenylpropane pathway genes and 17, 5, 16 stress-related genes, respectively. Genes such as cytochrome P450 protein family genes, WRKY transcription factor genes, and annexin genes may play a key role in muskmelon's resistance to cadmium stress. The results show the key pathways and genes of cadmium stress resistance and the effect of different concentrations of biochar in alleviating cadmium stress, which provide a reference for the research of cadmium stress resistance in crops and the application of biochar in cadmium pollution in agricultural soil.

Effects of Cadmium on Physiochemistry and Bioactive Substances of Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.).

Muskmelon pedicel is the fruit stalk of muskmelon and one of the traditional Chinese medicines, which can be used to treat jaundice, diabetes and neuropathy. However, in recent years, agricultural soil heavy metal cadmium (Cd) pollution has become serious, coupled with the imperfect sales management of herbal medicine, increasing the potential health risk of contaminated herbal medicine in the human body. In this paper, the comprehensive quality of contaminated muskmelon was tested. The results showed that Cd stress significantly inhibited the growth of muskmelon plants, reduced the anthocyanin and chlorophyll contents, and increased the fruit size and sweetness of muskmelon. In addition, heavy metal Cd can also cause oxidative stress in plants, resulting in a series of changes in antioxidant enzyme activities. In the experimental group, the content of polyphenols and saponins increased by 27.02% and 23.92%, respectively, after high-concentration Cd treatment, which may be a mechanism of plant resistance to stress. This paper reveals that the content of bioactive substances in Chinese herbal medicine is high, but the harm in heavy metals cannot be underestimated, which should be paid attention to by relevant departments.

Physiological of biochar and α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles as amendments of Cd accumulation and toxicity toward muskmelon grown in pots.

BACKGROUND: Due to the severe cadmium (Cd) pollution of farmland soil, effective measures need to be taken to reduce the Cd content in agricultural products. In this study, we added α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) and biochar into Cd-contaminated soil to investigate physiological responses of muskmelon in the whole life cycle. RESULTS: The results showed that Cd caused adverse impacts on muskmelon (Cucumis melo) plants. For instance, the chlorophyll of muskmelon leaves in the Cd alone treatment was reduced by 8.07-32.34% in the four periods, relative to the control. The treatments with single amendment, α-Fe2O3 NPs or 1% biochar or 5% biochar, significantly reduced the soil available Cd content, but the co-exposure treatments (α-Fe2O3 NPs and biochar) had no impact on the soil available Cd content. All treatments could reduce the Cd content by 47.64-74.60% and increase the Fe content by 15.15-95.27% in fruits as compared to the Cd alone treatment. The KEGG enrichment results of different genes in different treatments indicated that single treatments could regulate genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism and MAPK signal transduction pathways to reduce the Cd toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Overall the combination of biochar and α-Fe2O3 NPs can alleviate Cd toxicity in muskmelon. The present study could provide new insights into Cd remediation in soil using α-Fe2O3 NPs and biochar as amendments.

Psychometric investigation of the Chinese version of the Habit, Reward and Fear Scale (HRFS).

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is one of the most important risk factors for health, and China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world. Monitoring and controlling the tobacco epidemic is an important issue. However, the motivation underlying smoking behavior is complex and specific to the individual. The Habit, Reward and Fear Scale (HRFS) is a feasible tool to evaluate this complex motivation. OBJECTIVES: To validate the psychometric properties of the HRFS Chinese version (HRFS-C) and to assess the relationship between motivation and smoking behavior. METHOD: We recruited 967 participants through social media and assessed their smoking behavior with three instruments: the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence-Chinese version (FTND-C), the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges-Brief Scale-Chinese version (QSU-brief-C), and the HRFS-C. Ultimately, we retained 700 valid data points. Cronbach's α and split-half tests were used to evaluate the reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson's r and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate the validity. In addition, linear regression was used to explore the relationship among the three instruments. The HRFS-C showed good homogeneity (α = 0.965), concurrent validity, and discriminant validity. A significant linear relationship was observed among the FTND-C, QSU-brief-C, and HRFS-C (p < .001). CONCLUSION: The motivation measured by the HRFS-C can significantly predict nicotine dependence and craving in the smoking population. The HRFS-C can be used to carry out targeted interventions for addicted patients (e.g., motivational enhancement therapy).

A study on the mixture repairing effect of biochar and nano iron oxide on toxicity of Cd toward muskmelon.

Soil contamination with cadmium (Cd) has become a serious problem, adversely affecting food safety and human health. Effective methods are urgently needed to alleviate toxicity of Cd in plants. In this study, a nine-week continuous pot experiments was conducted to explore the effectiveness of the different nano iron oxide (α-Fe2O3, γ-Fe2O3, Fe3O4) alone and combined with biochar in muskmelon grown on a Cd-contaminated soil. The antioxidant system, chlorophyll, soluble protein, other physiological indexes of muskmelon leaves and the distribution of Cd in matrix soil, leaves and fruit were detected. The results showed that Cd was readily absorbed by plants and caused oxidative stress on plants, while biochar, α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) and their mixture group (BFe1 group) could significantly improve it. Specifically, the three treatments reduced the Cd content of the fruit by 19.51-78.86%, reduced the Cd content of leaves by 15.44-36.23% and 22.36-31.77% in weeks 3 and 5, respectively. For the activity of enzymes, three treatments decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and catalase (CAT) activity by 3.41-38.57% and 24.27-30.33% in week 7, respectively. So BFe1 group application immobilized Cd in soil and reduced Cd partitioning in the aboveground tissues. Overall the combination of biochar and α-Fe2O3 NPs can alleviate Cd toxicity in muskmelon and can protect human beings from Cd exposure.

Applications of carbon quantum dots to alleviate Cd2+ phytotoxicity in Citrus maxima seedlings.

Heavy metal pollution may affect plant growth. The focus of this study was to explore remediation agents that alleviate cadmium toxicity in plants. The Citrus maxima (grapefruit) seedlings were cultivated for 10 days under hydroponic conditions amended with different concentrations of Cd2+ (50 and 200 mg/L) and CDs (600 and 900 mg/L). Our observations on roots and leaves showed that, the plant exposed to 200 mg/L Cd2+ alone was damaged, supported by the changes in anthocyanin contents, activity of antioxidant enzymes and cell membrane peroxidation damage (up to 35.8-45%). However, the physiological properties of the plant were improved upon exposed to 200 mg/L Cd2+ plus 900 mg/L CDs; it can be ascribed to Cd2+ sorption to the co-exposed CDs which reduced its freely dissolved concentration by more than 22.5%, thus significantly reducing the amount of Cd2+ entered the plant roots by 50.7-89.4%. Due to the oxidative stress induced by Cd2+ exposure at 200 mg/L, expression of glutathione-producing genes was up-regulated by 30-360% relative to the control, while the genes expression upon exposure to 200 mg/L Cd2+ and 900 mg/L CDs was reduced by 48.4-91.5% relative to that exposed to 200 mg/L Cd2+ alone. However, detoxification of CDs on plant leaves at 600 mg/L was insignificant, because a portion of Cd2+ taken up by roots can be transported to leaves associated with the internalized CDs. Therefore, CDs can be utilized as a repair agent to mitigate toxicity of Cd2+ to plant especially at a high amendment level (900 mg/L).

Compound repair effect of carbon dots and Fe2+ on iron deficiency in Cucumis melon L.

Iron-deficiency is one of the most widespread micronutrient deficiency faced by plants, and proper iron supplementation is essential for the growth of crops and for people to obtain iron from food. In order to explore new methods of iron supplementation, we studied the repair effect of CDs on iron-deficient (Cucumis melo L.) muskmelon. Iron-deficient muskmelons were treated with different concentrations of Fe2+, CDs and their complexes. The results showed that CDs significantly increased the iron transport rate and it is noteworthy that 75 mg/L CDs increased the iron transport rate of 0.7 mg/L Fe2+ by 134%. The compound treatment reduced the oxidative stress caused by iron deficiency, such as the CAT activity in the leaves of the compound treatment group was 10%-50% lower than that of the iron supplementation alone. Fluorescent imaging results of melon proved that CDs entered into the muskmelon seedlings. In combination with the above results and the adsorption of CDs, we speculated that the way CDs promoted iron absorption and transport was most likely to combine with Fe2+ and co-transport in melon, which changed the content of reactive oxygen species and other free radicals, thus causing changes of physiological state of melon. This study confirmed that CDs had a positive effect on the iron deficiency of muskmelon, and improved the growth of muskmelon under the condition of iron deficiency, which has a certain reference value for further optimization of iron supplementation solution.

Analysis of Association Between MGMT and p53 Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Laryngeal Cancer.

AIM: To investigate the p53 and O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT)5' upstream sequence gene promoter regions for single nucleotide polymorphisms and explore the p53 gene 5' upstream sequence consisting of two haplotypes to provide a genetic marker for the incidence of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 96 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 102 controls. We used SNaPshot micro-sequencing analysis of the MGMT promoter region for four single nucleotide polymorphisms and p53 gene 5' upstream sequence loci (rs1625649, rs2287499, rs2287498, rs228749) genotypes. We calculated and compared two groups for genotypic and allelic frequencies, applied HaploView4.2 for computing rs2287499, rs2287498, rs228749 values and haplotype frequencies and tested control loci and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. All the experimental data were statistically evaluated using SPSS17.0. The Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis with p<0.05 indicating statistical significance. RESULTS: 5'Upstream single nucleotide polymorphisms rs1625649, rs2287499, rs2287498, rs228749 of p53 were polymorphic in both patient and control groups. There was no statistical significance in frequency distributions for the four loci genotypes when comparing patients and healthy controls (Chi-square values were 4.47, 0.98, 1.67, 4.68, respectively; p>0.05). However, allelic frequencies of the MGMT promoter region locus rs1625649 between patients and healthy control groups were statistically significantly different (chi-square value of 5.77; p<0.05). Differences between allelic frequencies for the p53 gene 5' upstream sequence loci rs2287499, rs2287498 and rs228749 between patients and the healthy control group were not statistically significant (Chi-square values were 1.11,1.56,3.36; p>0.05). Nor were those for the two haplotypes of rs2287499, rs2287498 and rs228749 between patients and the healthy control group were not statistically significant (Chi-square value 1.46, p>0.05). CONCLUSION: MGMT gene polymorphism appears to be associated with the incidence of laryngeal cancer.

Application of Ultrasound-guided Core Needle Biopsy in the Diagnosis of T3 or T4 Stage Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer.

AIM: To study the value of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) in the diagnosis of T3 or T4 stage laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer, which is difficult by routine methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nineteen cases of T3 or T4 stage laryngeal or hypopharyngeal carcinoma with abnormal pharyngeal sensitivity, severe dyspnea, submucous cancer recurrence, cardiovascular and pulmonary dysfunction were reviewed retrospectively from October 2012 to October 2014 in the Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University. Ultrasound-guided coarse needle biopsies were used on primary lesions after assessing the patients with neck-enhanced computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan(s). The clinical value of ultrasound-guided CNB in the diagnosis of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer was analyzed. RESULTS: All patients underwent successful pathological diagnosis by ultrasound-guided CNB without any serious complications. Dyspnea, cardiovascular and pulmonary dysfunction did not deteriorate. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided CNB is a highly safe and efficient method for the pathological diagnosis of T3 or T4 stage laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. It should be used especially when the fiberoptic or laryngoscope biopsy are of high risk.

Comparative impacts of iron oxide nanoparticles and ferric ions on the growth of Citrus maxima.

The impacts of iron oxide nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3 NPs) and ferric ions (Fe3+) on plant growth and molecular responses associated with the transformation and transport of Fe2+ were poorly understood. This study comprehensively compared and evaluated the physiological and molecular changes of Citrus maxima plants as affected by different levels of γ-Fe2O3 NPs and Fe3+. We found that γ-Fe2O3 NPs could enter plant roots but no translocation from roots to shoots was observed. 20 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs had no impact on plant growth. 50 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs significantly enhanced chlorophyll content by 23.2% and root activity by 23.8% as compared with control. However, 100 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs notably increased MDA formation, decreased chlorophyll content and root activity. Although Fe3+ ions could be used by plants and promoted the synthesis of chlorophyll, they appeared to be more toxic than γ-Fe2O3 NPs, especially for 100 mg/L Fe3+. The impacts caused by γ-Fe2O3 NPs and Fe3+ were concentration-dependent. Physiological results showed that γ-Fe2O3 NPs at proper concentrations had the potential to be an effective iron nanofertilizer for plant growth. RT-PCR analysis showed that γ-Fe2O3 NPs had no impact on AHA gene expression. 50 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs and Fe3+ significantly increased expression levels of FRO2 gene and correspondingly had a higher ferric reductase activity compared to both control and Fe(II)-EDTA exposure, thus promoting the iron transformation and enhancing the tolerance of plants to iron deficiency. Relative levels of Nramp3 gene expression exposed to γ-Fe2O3 NPs and Fe3+ were significantly lower than control, indicating that all γ-Fe2O3 NPs and Fe3+ treatments could supply iron to C. maxima seedlings. Overall, plants can modify the speciation and transport of γ-Fe2O3 NPs or Fe3+ for self-protection and development by activating many physiological and molecular processes.

In vitro assessment of physiological changes of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) upon iron oxide nanoparticles exposure.

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, developing nano iron fertilizer is an important strategy to alleviate Fe deficiency and elevate Fe fertilization effect in agricultural applications. In this study, watermelon seedlings were grown in soil amended with iron oxide nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3 NPs) at different concentrations (0, 20, 50, 100 mg/L). The content of soluble sugar and protein, content of chlorophyll and malondialdehyde (MDA), and activity of antioxidant enzymes of watermelon leaves were determined in five successive weeks to evaluate the physiological changes of watermelon plants after γ-Fe2O3 NPs exposure. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations indicated that γ-Fe2O3 NPs could enter root cell of watermelon. Results showed that 20 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs didn't cause any oxidative stress on watermelon and 50 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs could increase soluble sugar, soluble protein and chlorophyll content in the growth of plants. In addition, 50 and 100 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs caused oxidative stress on watermelon leaves, but this NP-induced stress was removed with the growth of watermelon. It is noteworthy that we found γ-Fe2O3 NPs might possess an intrinsic peroxidase-like activity. The variation trend of physiological parameters was correlated with the nutritional requirements of plants. It can be concluded that γ-Fe2O3 NPs at proper concentrations have the ability to improve iron deficiency chlorosis and promote the growth of watermelon plants. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first holistic study focusing on the impact of γ-Fe2O3 NPs in long-term experiment of watermelon plants.

Uptake, translocation and physiological effects of magnetic iron oxide (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles in corn (Zea mays L.).

Iron oxide nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3 NPs) have emerged as an innovative and promising method of iron application in agricultural systems. However, the possible toxicity of γ-Fe2O3 NPs and its uptake and translocation require further study prior to large-scale field application. In this study, we investigated uptake and distribution of γ-Fe2O3 NPs in corn (Zea mays L.) and its impacts on seed germination, antioxidant enzyme activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and chlorophyll content were determined. 20 mg/L of γ-Fe2O3 NPs significantly promoted root elongation by 11.5%, and increased germination index and vigor index by 27.2% and 39.6%, respectively. However, 50 and 100 mg/L γ-Fe2O3 NPs remarkably decreased root length by 13.5% and 12.5%, respectively. Additionally, evidence for γ-Fe2O3 NPs induced oxidative stress was exclusively found in the root. Exposures of different concentrations of NPs induced notably high levels of MDA in corn roots, and the MDA levels of corn roots treated by γ-Fe2O3 NPs (20-100 mg/L) were 5-7-fold higher than that observed in the control plants. Meanwhile, the chlorophyll contents were decreased by 11.6%, 39.9% and 19.6%, respectively, upon NPs treatment relative to the control group. Images from fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that γ-Fe2O3 NPs could enter plant roots and migrate apoplastically from the epidermis to the endodermis and accumulate the vacuole. Furthermore, we found that NPs mostly existed around the epidermis of root and no translocation of NPs from roots to shoots was observed. Our results will be highly meaningful on understanding the fate and physiological effects of γ-Fe2O3 NPs in plants.

Endoscopic Resection of Giant Ethmoid Osteomas with the Assistance of an Image-guidance System.

AIM: To investigate the minimally invasive ablation of giant osteoma of the ethmoid sinuses endonasally with the assistance of an image-guidance system. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out on 12 patients with osteomas of ethmoid sinuses treated by endoscopic surgery with the help of a navigation system from April 2005 to October 2013. RESULTS: Osteomas in all 12 patients were giant and connected extensively with the anterior skull base, lamina papyracea, or orbital apex, and were removed successfully with the help of an endoscope and image navigation system under general anaesthesia. In two cases (one through superciliary arch incision and the other one through labiogingival incision), the procedure was combined with an external procedure to remove osteomas. All patients were followed-up for 8 to 64 months. No recurrences were found. All symptoms gradually vanished or reduced dramatically after surgery. One case of frontal mucocele was observed and was successfully removed 5 years after removal of the osteoma. Anosmia occurred in both patients who underwent crista galli resection, and no recovery was noted 9 and 26 months later. Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was found in one case during surgery and was repaired with mucosa of inferior nasal concha immediately, and primary healing was successful. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic ablation of giant osteomas of the ethmoid sinuses with the guidance of a navigation system is an accurate, secure, minimally invasive procedure. A careful study of the preoperative computed tomographic scan is necessary for the success of the operation. If the lesion extensively affects the frontal sinus and maxillary sinus, a combination of superciliary arch incision and labiogingval groove incision is a simple, easy and elegant option.

Clinical data analysis of 19 cases of community-acquired adenovirus pneumonia in immunocompetent adults.

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of clinical manifestations, laboratory tests and imaging changes of community-acquired adenovirus pneumonia in immunocompetent adults. A retrospective study was performed on 19 adult community-acquired adenovirus pneumonia cases in Yantai, whereby the clinical data were collected and analyzed. Of 19 cases, 14 (73.68%) had fever and 17 (89.47%) had cough symptoms. Moreover, 14 cases (73.68%) had normal white blood cell counts, while 11 cases (57.89%) exhibited a reduction in lymphocyte proportion. Among the 19 cases, 17 cases exhibited lesions in a single lung, while 2 cases involved bilateral lungs. The lesions predominantly exhibited ground glass-like changes. The clinical manifestations of adult community-acquired adenovirus pneumonia patients with normal immune functions were mild, with such presenting symptoms as fever, cough, and sputum; most patients did not exhibit high levels of white blood cells or low lymphocyte counts, and the imaging features (ground glass-like effusion) were indicative of single-lung involvement.

Physiological effects of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles towards watermelon.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been exploited in a diverse range of products in the past decade or so. However, the biosafety/environmental impact or legislation pertaining to this newly created, highly functional composites containing NPs (otherwise called nanomaterials) is generally lagging behind their technological innovation. To advance the agenda in this area, our current primary interest is focused on using crops as model systems as they have very close relationship with us. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the biological effects of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles towards watermelon seedlings. We have systematically studied the physiological effects of Fe2O3 nanoparticles (nano-Fe2O3) on watermelon, and present the first evidence that a significant amount of Fe2O3 nanoparticles suspended in a liquid medium can be taken up by watermelon plants and translocated throughout the plant tissues. Changes in important physiological indicators, such as root activity, activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), chlorophyll and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content were clearly presented. Different concentrations of nano-Fe2O3 all increased seed germination, seedling growth, and enhanced physiological function to some degree; and the positive effects increased quickly and then slowed with an increase in the treatment concentrations. Changes in CAT, SOD and POD activities due to nano-Fe2O3 were significantly larger than that of the control. The 20 mg/L treatment had the most obvious effect on the increase of root activity. Ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content, and watermelon biomass were significantly affected by exposure to nano-Fe2O3. Results of statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in all the above indexes between the treatment at optimal concentration and the control. This proved that the proper concentration of nano-Fe2O3 could not only increase seed germination and seedling growth, but also ultimately improve physiological function and resistance to environmental stresses of watermelon.