Implementing a completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite process using a novel umbrella basalt fiber carrier.

The completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process is significantly hindered by prolonged start-up periods and unstable nitrogen removal efficiency. In this study, a novel umbrella basalt fiber (BF) carrier with good biological affinity and adsorption performance was used to initiate the CANON process. The CANON process was initiated on day 64 in a sequencing batch reactor equipped with umbrella BF carriers. During this period, the influent NH4+-N concentration gradually increased from 100 to 200 mg·L-1, and the dissolved oxygen was controlled below 0.8 mg L-1. Consequently, an average ammonia nitrogen removal efficiency (ARE) and total nitrogen removal efficiency (TNRE) of ∼90 and 80% were achieved, respectively. After 130 days, ARE and TNRE remained stable at 92 and 81.1%, respectively. This indicates a reliable method for achieving rapid start-up and stable operation of the CANON process. Moreover, Candidatus Kuenenia and Candidatus Brocadia were identified as dominant anammox genera on the carrier. Nitrosomonas was the predominant genus among ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Spatial differences were observed in the microbial population of umbrella BF carriers. This arrangement facilitated autotrophic nitrogen removal in a single reactor. This study indicates that the novel umbrella BF carrier is a highly suitable biocarrier for the CANON process.

Risk factors of non-sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer with 1-2 sentinel lymph node macrometastases underwent total mastectomy: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The randomized trials which include ACOSOG Z0011 and IBCSG 23-01 had found that the survival rates were not different in patients with cT1/2N0 and 1-2 sentinel lymph node (SLN)-positive, macro/micrometastases who underwent breast-conserving therapy, and micrometastases who underwent total mastectomy (TM), when axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was omitted. However, for patients with cT1/2N0 and 1-2 SLN macrometastases who underwent TM; there was still insufficient evidence from clinical studies to support whether ALND can be exempted. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors of non-sentinel lymph node (nSLN) metastasis in breast cancer patients with 1-2 SLN macrometastases undergoing TM. METHODS: The clinicopathological data of 1491 breast cancer patients who underwent TM and SLNB from January 2017 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the risk factors for nSLN metastasis. RESULTS: A total of 273 patients with 1-2 SLN macrometastases who underwent TM were enrolled. Postoperative pathological data showed that 35.2% patients had nSLN metastasis. The results of multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size (TS) (P = 0.002; OR: 1.051; 95% CI: 1.019-1.084) and ratio of SLN macrometastases (P = 0.0001; OR: 12.597: 95% CI: 4.302-36.890) were the independent risk factors for nSLN metastasis in breast cancer patients with 1-2 SLN macrometastases that underwent TM. The ROC curve analysis suggested that when TS ≤22 mm and ratio of SLN macrometastases ≤0.33, the incidence of nSLN metastasis could be reduced to 17.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The breast cancer patients with cT1/2N0 stage, undergoing TM and 1-2 SLN macrometastases, when the TS ≤22 mm and macrometastatic SLN does not exceed 1/3 of the total number of detected SLN, the incidence of nSLN metastasis is significantly reduced, but whether ALND can be exempted needs further exploration.

Effects of Umbilical Cord Milking on Anemia in Preterm Infants: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether umbilical cord milking (UCM) prevents and controls anemia in preterm infants, as compared with immediate cord clamping (ICC). STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant women delivering at <34 weeks' gestation in four hospitals were randomly assigned to undergo UCM or ICC from July 2017 to June 2019. Hematological parameters and iron status were collected and analyzed as primary outcomes at 24 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 6 months after delivery. RESULTS: Neonates receiving UCM had significant higher levels of hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, and serum iron (p < 0.05). Lower prevalence of anemia and lower need for transfusions were noted in UCM group. Although UCM was associated with prolonged duration of phototherapy, the maximum levels of bilirubin were similar between two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: UCM is an effective intervention to help preterm infants experience less anemia with the potential to increase blood volume, as seen by higher Hb levels and more enhanced iron stores.

Rapid cultivation of anammox sludge based on Ca-alginate cell beads.

Current gel entrapment technology has certain advantages for the enrichment of anammox sludge. In this study, the optimal preparation conditions and cultivation equipment of Ca-alginate cell beads for the culturing anammox sludge were proposed. The preparation parameters of the Ca-alginate cell beads were as follows: 3% sodium alginate, 4% CaCl2, VSA:Vcell = 1:1, a drop height of 9 cm, stirring speed of 300 rpm, and cross-linking time of 24 h. The prepared cell beads were regular spheres with a uniform size and hard texture. Throughout the 9 days of cultivation, the number of anammox bacteria in the Ca-alginate cell beads was 4.3 times that of the initial sludge, and the color of the cell beads changed from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the SA gel beads had a good microporous structure. The fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results illustrated that the bacteria were mostly dispersed inside the Ca-alginate cell beads. Additionally, the qPCR results implied that only a relatively small amount of anammox biomass (2.74×106 copies/gel-bead) was required to quickly start the anammox process. The anammox bacteria in the Ca-alginate cell beads grew with a fast growth rate in a short period and exhibited high activity due to diffusion limitations. In addition, the anammox bacteria cultivated in the Ca-alginate cell beads could adapt to the increase in substrate concentration in a short period. The optimal incubation time of this gel entrapment method for anammox sludge was no more than 17 days under the experimental conditions of this work. Therefore, this simple and practicable gel entrapment method may serve as a suitable pre-culture means for the rapid enrichment of anammox bacteria.

AKR1C2 acts as a targetable oncogene in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

The aldo-keto reductases family 1 member C2 (AKR1C2) has critical roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of malignant tumours. However, it was also discovered to have ambiguous functions in multiple cancers and till present, its clinical significance and molecular mechanism in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has been unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the role of AKR1C2 in the tumorigenesis of ESCC. Here, we showed that AKR1C2 expression was found to be up-regulated in ESCC tissues and was significantly associated with pathological stage, lymph node metastasis and worse outcomes. Functional assays demonstrated that an ectopic expression of AKR1C2 in ESCC cells resulted in increased proliferation, migration and cisplatin resistance, while knockdown led to inversing effects. Bioinformation analyses and mechanistic studies demonstrated that AKR1C2 activated the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway, furthermore, the inhibitor of PI3K or the selective inhibitor of AKR1C2 enzyme activity could reverse the aggressiveness and showed synergistic antitumour effect when combined with cisplatin, both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, Our findings revealed that AKR1C2 could function as an oncogene by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway, as a novel prognostic biomarker and/or as a potential therapeutic target to ESCC.

A Bibliometric Analysis Using CiteSpace of Publications from 1999 to 2018 on Patient Rehabilitation After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND Following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), postoperative patient rehabilitation is important to achieve the optimal level of knee function and mobility. Clinical research in this field is growing, and bibliometric analysis of publication may provide direction for research clinicians and raise awareness of research trends, journal selection, and key topics. Therefore, this bibliometric study aimed to analyze the current status and trends during the past two decades, between 1999 and 2018, of publications on rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and used CiteSpace. MATERIAL AND METHODS The global literature was searched between 2018 to 2019 for publications related to rehabilitation after TKA. Publication data were identified using relevant search terms and the Web of Science Core Collection database. CiteSpace (5.3.R11) software was used to analyze the journals, authors, institutions, countries, cited references, and keywords using standard bibliometric indicators. RESULTS A total of 1,292 publications were retrieved between 1999 to 2018, and the most active journals, countries, authors, and institutions in the field of TKA rehabilitation were identified. Key areas of research included postoperative analgesia, muscle inhibition, range of motion, inhibitors, knee flexion, pain control, self-reporting, spectral analysis, in vivo forces, and rotator cuff repair. The emerging research topics included epidural analgesia, physiotherapy, postoperative analgesia, recovery, and the use of ropivacaine local analgesia. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this bibliometric study provided insight into trends in clinical research publications in the field of rehabilitation following TKA for the past 20 years, including global trends in emerging areas of research.

Identification of gene expression profiles and key genes in subchondral bone of osteoarthritis using weighted gene coexpression network analysis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) significantly influences the quality life of people around the world. It is urgent to find an effective way to understand the genetic etiology of OA. We used weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to explore the key genes involved in the subchondral bone pathological process of OA. Fifty gene expression profiles of GSE51588 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The OA-associated genes and gene ontologies were acquired from JuniorDoc. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was used to find disease-related networks based on 21756 gene expression correlation coefficients, hub-genes with the highest connectivity in each module were selected, and the correlation between module eigengene and clinical traits was calculated. The genes in the traits-related gene coexpression modules were subject to functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis using ClusterProfiler. A total of 73 gene modules were identified, of which, 12 modules were found with high connectivity with clinical traits. Five modules were found with enriched OA-associated genes. Moreover, 310 OA-associated genes were found, and 34 of them were among hub-genes in each module. Consequently, enrichment results indicated some key metabolic pathways, such as extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction (hsa04512), focal adhesion (hsa04510), the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway (PI3K-AKT) (hsa04151), transforming growth factor beta pathway, and Wnt pathway. We intended to identify some core genes, collagen (COL)6A3, COL6A1, ITGA11, BAMBI, and HCK, which could influence downstream signaling pathways once they were activated. In this study, we identified important genes within key coexpression modules, which associate with a pathological process of subchondral bone in OA. Functional analysis results could provide important information to understand the mechanism of OA.

An Elaborate Supramolecular Assembly for a Smart Nanodevice for Ratiometric Molecular Recognition and Logic Gates.

Ingenious approaches to supramolecular assembly for fabricating smart nanodevices is one of the more significant topics in nanomaterials research. Herein, by using surface quaternized cationic carbon dots (CDots) as the assembly and fluorescence platform, anionic sulfonatocalix[4]arene with modifiable lower and upper rims as a connector, as well as in situ coordination of Tb(3+) ions, we propose an elaborate supramolecular assembly strategy for the facile fabrication of a multifunctional nanodevice. The dynamic equilibrium characteristics of the supramolecular interaction can eventually endow this nanodevice with functions of fluorescent ratiometric molecular recognition and as a nano-logic gate with two output channels.

[Rapid determination of 15 N-nitrosamines in air-dried yak meat using one-step QuEChERS-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry].

A method based on gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) coupled with one-step QuEChERS technique was developed for the simultaneous determination of 15 N-nitrosamines in air-dried yak meat. The hydration volume, extraction solvent, extracting salt, and cleaning material were optimized according to the characteristics of the N-nitrosamines and sample matrix. The optimized conditions were as follows: 10 mL of purified water for sample hydration, acetonitrile as the extraction solvent for the sample after hydration, 4.0 g of anhydrous MgSO4 and 1.0 g of NaCl as extracting salts, 500 mg of MgSO4+25 mg of C18+50 mg of PSA as cleaning materials. Favorable recoveries of the 15 N-nitrosamines were obtained when the extraction solution was incompletely dried. Thus, the final extract was dried to below 0.5 mL under a mild nitrogen stream and then redissolved to 0.5 mL with acetonitrile. After filtration, 200 µL of the sample was transferred to an autosampler vial for GC-MS/MS analysis. The 15 N-nitrosamines were determined using GC-MS/MS on a DB-HeavyWAX column (30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 µm) with an electron impact ion source in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, and quantified using an external standard method. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the results showed that the calibration curves exhibited good linearities for the 15 N-nitrosamines, with correlation coefficients (r2) greater than 0.9990. The limits of detection (LODs) and the limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged from 0.05 to 0.20 µg/kg and from 0.10 to 0.50 µg/kg, respectively. At spiked levels of 1LOQ, 2LOQ, and 10LOQ, the average recoveries were 79.4%-102.1%, 80.6%-109.5%, and 83.0%-110.6%, respectively, and the relative standard deviations were in the range of 0.8%-16.0%. The low matrix effects of the 15 N-nitrosamines indicated the high sensitivity of the proposed method. The method was applied to detect representative commercial air-dried yak meat samples obtained using different processing techniques. Seven N-nitrosamines, including N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiisobutylamine, N-nitrosodibutylamine, N-methyl-N-phenylnitrous amide, N-ethyl-N-nitrosoaniline, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, and N-nitrosodiphenylamine were detected in all samples. The average contents of the seven N-nitrosamines was 0.08-20.18 µg/kg. The detection rates and average contents of the N-nitrosamines in cooked air-dried yak meat samples were higher than those in traditional raw air-dried yak meat samples. Compared with the manual QuEChERS method, the one-step QuEChERS method developed integrated the extraction and clean-up procedures into one single run, and the detection efficiency was considerably improved. The developed method is simple, rapid, highly sensitive, and insusceptible to human errors. Thus, it is useful for the determination of N-nitrosamines in air-dried yak meat and can be extended to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of N-nitrosamines in other meat products. It also provides method support and a data reference for the general determination of N-nitrosamines, which is of great significance for food safety.

Detection of Transdermal Drug Delivery Efficiency by Shock Wave.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to observe the drug distribution ex-vivo after transdermal drug delivery (TDD) by Shock Wave (SW) and to explore the different effects of the two types of shock waves. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: (i) control group; (ii) RESW group (0.35mJ/mm2, 2 Hz, 400 pulse); (iii) FESW group (0.16mJ/mm2, 2 Hz, 400 pulse). Micro positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) was used to observe the distribution of [18]F-NaF. Furthermore, 12 SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: (i) control group; (ii) FESW group 1 (0.03mJ/mm2, 2 Hz, 400 pulse); (iii) FESW group 2 (0.16mJ/mm2, 2 Hz, 400 pulse); (iv) FESW group 3 (0.35mJ/mm2, 2 Hz, 400 pulse). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tested diclofenac sodium and glucose percutaneously TDD by FESW. Statistical significance was conducted by analysis of variance of repeated measurement. RESULTS: The micro PET/CT observed FESW could penetrate [18]F-NaF through the skin, while RESW could not. The second study found the higher the energy of the FESW, the more diclofenac sodium and glucose penetration. Repeated measures analysis of variance found a within-subject effect (diclofenac sodium, F = 4.77, p = 0.03), (glucose, F = 8.95, p = 0.006), significant differences between the control group, FESW group 1, and FESW group 2 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study found that FESW can penetrate [18]F-NaF, sugar and diclofenac sodium into the rat body. FESW has a good indication of drug penetration, which provides new biological evidence for route administration.