An in vitro study on the stimulatory effects of extracellular glutamate on astrocytes.

BACKGROUND: In our previous research, it was found that the cerebrospinal fluid had higher levels of glutamate, astrocytes were stimulated and released pro-inflammatory factors in a subarachnoid hemorrhage model. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter produced in abundance by excitatory neurons in the central nervous system, residual glutamate can cause neurotoxicity. Recent studies indicate that most glutamate is absorbed by astrocytes, to optimize neurological functions and prevent excitotoxicity. However, it is still unclear if astrocytes could be stimulated by glutamate, and the concentration range of glutamate transportable by astrocytes. Thus, further research is necessary. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study aimed to clarify these scientific questions by stimulating primary astrocytes at different glutamate concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 100 µM) for 24 h. The results showed that glutamate induced an increased response in astrocytes, the protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) were upregulated in treatment groups with 50 and 100 µM. Additionally, the protein expression of complement component 3 (C3) significantly increased following glutamate stimulation (50 and 100 µM) for 24 h. Furthermore, the supernatant of the 100 µM treatment group significantly decreased the viability of HT-22 (an immortalized mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our results indicate that increased extracellular glutamate levels can activate astrocytes and promote pro-inflammatory factor production. Moreover, the concentration range of glutamate transported by astrocytes is approximately less than 50-100 µM. Therefore, our study suggests that experimental antagonization of glutamate excitotoxicity is feasible.

Assembly of functional microbial communities in paddy soil with long-term application of pig manure under rice-rape cropping system.

Organic farming is considered an efficient approach to improve soil fertility for sustainable agriculture. However, its soil micro-ecological effects and functions in intensive rice cropping systems are still obscure. Twelve soil samples were collected from a field experiment with four treatments such as M0 (no pig manure), M1 (1.6 t ha-1 pig manure), M2 (3.2 t ha-1 pig manure) and M3 (4.8 t ha-1 pig manure) after eight rice-oilseed rape rotation. Soil chemical property, enzyme activity and abundant/rare bacterial or fungal communities were analyzed to investigate the effect of conversion to organic farming with continuous pig manure application on soil microbiota. Stochastic processes controlled the assembly of abundant taxa, and deterministic processes dominated rare taxa. The composition and network construction of bacterial and fungal communities were significantly affected by pig manure, with changes in soil property and enzyme activity. Based on partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM), pig manure application affected bacteria construction and enzyme activities by increasing soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). In summary, long-term pig manure application promotes specific microbial associations known to be involved in degrading complex organic compounds, and improving soil fertility such as soil enzyme activities. This research provides insight into understanding the processes behind changes in bacterial and fungal communities in paddy soil after conversion to organic farming.

Adenovirus diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 228 case reports.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical characteristics of various adenovirus (ADV) infection are underexplored up till now. To investigate the risk factors, manifestation, current status of ADV species, treatment and prognosis of this disease. METHODS: We performed a Pubmed and Embase systematic review for case report reporting the ADV infection to analyze the clinical characteristics of disease. RESULTS: Initial database searched identified articles of which 168 (228 cases) were included in the final analysis. Previous solid organ transplantation [odds ratio (OR) = 3.45, 95% CI 1.31-9.08, P = 0.01], hematopoietic stem cell transplant (OR = 4.24, 95% CI 1.33-13.51, P = 0.01) and hematological malignancy (OR = 4.78, 95% CI 1.70-13.46, P = 0.01) were associated with increased risk of disseminated ADV infection. Use of corticosteroids (OR = 3.86, 95% CI 1.21-12.24, P = 0.02) was a significant risk factor for acquiring urinary tract infections. A total of six species (21 types) of ADV infection have been identified in 100/228 (43.9%) cases. ADV B was the most common species. ADV B species (26/60, 52.0% or 5/41, 12.2% P = 0.001) were more isolated in patients with ADV pneumonia. ADV C (13/15, 86.7% versus 35/86, 40.7% P = 0.001) species were more identified in patients with disseminated disease. The species associated with keratoconjunctivitis is only ADV D in our analysis. Urinary tract ADV infections were observed in ADV A/B/D species. Cidofovir (CDV) (82/228, 36.0%) remained the most commonly antiviral therapy in our cases, followed by ribavirin (15/228, 6.6%), ganciclovir (18/228, 7.9%), and brincidofovir (12/228, 5.3%). Brincidofovir was administered as salvage therapy in 10 cases. Death was reported in 81/228 (35.5%) patients. Mortality rate was higher among patients with gastrointestinal (GI) ADV infection (5/10, 50.0%), ADV pneumonia (20/45, 44.4%) and disseminated ADV infection (53/122, 43.4%). CONCLUSION: Previous solid organ transplantation, hematopoietic stem cell transplant and hematological malignancy were risk factors for disseminated ADV infection. Use of corticosteroids was significant for urinary tract ADV infection. Different species correlated with different clinical manifestations of infection. Mortality rate was higher among patients with GI disease, pneumonia and disseminated disease. Our review clarified the current treatment of ADV infections, and more treatment required further investigation.

Weakened Effective Connectivity Related to Electroacupuncture in Stroke Patients with Prolonged Flaccid Paralysis: An EEG Pilot Study.

Flaccid paralysis in the upper extremity is a severe motor impairment after stroke, which exists for weeks, months, or even years. Electroacupuncture treatment is one of the most widely used TCM therapeutic interventions for poststroke flaccid paralysis. However, the response to electroacupuncture in different durations of flaccid stage poststroke as well as in the topological configuration of the cortical network remains unclear. The objectives of this study are to explore the disruption of the cortical network in patients in different durations of flaccid stage and observe dynamic network reorganization during and after electroacupuncture. Resting-state networks were constructed from 18 subjects with flaccid upper extremity by partial directed coherence (PDC) analysis of multichannel EEG. They were allocated to three groups according to time after flaccid paralysis: the short-duration group (those with flaccidity for less than two months), the medium-duration group (those with flaccidity between two months and six months), and the long-duration group (those with flaccidity over six months). Compared with short-duration flaccid subjects, weakened effective connectivity was presented in medium-duration and long-duration groups before electroacupuncture. The long-duration group has no response in the cortical network during electroacupuncture. The global network measures of EEG data (sPDC, mPDC, and N) indicated that there was no significant difference among the three groups. These results suggested that the network connectivity reduced and weakly responded to electroacupuncture in patients with flaccid paralysis for over six months. These findings may help us to modulate the formulation of electroacupuncture treatment according to different durations of the flaccid upper extremity.

First report of Pythium aphanidermatum causing root rot of head lettuce in China.

Head lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is an important crop for fresh consumption in China. In Shandong Province, head lettuce is planted in spring and in autumn each year. Because of the on-and-off rain for three weeks, head lettuce plants planted directly into the field in Jiyang City, in July 2017, 20% of the plants rapidly showed symptoms of rotting, water-soaked lesions on roots and stem bases, and then death. The diseased plants first appeared in low-lying areas prone to water accumulation. One-millimeter pieces were excised from water-soaked roots and stem bases, dipped in a 0.2% calcium hypochlorite solution for 10 min, then placed on V8 medium, and incubated in the dark at 28°C for 5 d. Two Pythium-like strains were isolated from the roots and stems. The isolates transferred to CMA and grown for 7 d, and the morphological characteristics of the two isolates on corn meal agar (CMA) were white with dense, cottony, aerial and well-branched mycelia. The two isolates produced sporangia, oogonia, antheridia and oospores. Most of the sporangia were lobate. The oogonia were smooth, nearly globose and terminal. Oospores were globose, smooth and aplerotic. The average dimensions of 50 oogonia and oospores respectively ranged from 19.5 to 25.2 (av. 23.1) µm and 17.8 to 22.3 (av. 19.9) µm. The antheridia were broadly sac-shaped. The isolates morphological characteristics were consistent with P. aphanidermatum (van der Plaats-Niterink, 1981). The COI gene and ITS region of the rDNA were amplified and sequenced using primers FM55/FM52R (Long et al. 2012) and ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), respectively. The two aligned COI sequences were identical for both isolates, as were the two ITS sequences. BLASTn analysis of the 1,133-bp COI sequence (accession no. MT952703) resulted in a 100% identity with accession number AY129164 from Lactuca sativa, which belongs to P. aphanidermatum, and the 808-bp ITS sequence (accession no. MT921597) showed a 99% identity with Genbank accession number HQ643442 belonging to P. aphanidermatum. Koch's postulates were conducted by first soaking corn kernels for 24 h in water, and then autoclaving for 2 h at 121˚C. Isolate SDHL-1 was grown on CMA for 10 days, after which agar plugs were transferred to the sterilized corn kernels and incubated at 28℃ for approximately 15 d, until the corn kernels were covered in white hyphae. Ten healthy head lettuce plants were transplanted into a sterilized loam potting soil artificially infested with the corn inoculum (3 g inoculum per 100 g loam mixture). Inoculated plants and noninoculated controls were maintained in a greenhouse at 28°C and 100% relative humidity with a 12-h photoperiod; the experiment was repeated once. All twenty inoculated plants exhibited symptoms within one week similar to those observed. Pythium aphanidermatum was recovered only from the water-soaked roots and stem bases of inoculated plants and the re-isolated cultures again identified based on morphological characteristics and sequencing of the ITS and COI genes. No symptoms were observed on the control plants. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is reported to cause stem base rot of L. sativa in China (Zhou et al. 2011). To our knowledge, however, this is the first report of root rot of head lettuce caused by Pythium aphanidermatum. Identification of the pathogen will assist in devising strategies to reduce yield loss.

Important roles of glycinebetaine in stabilizing the structure and function of the photosystem II complex under abiotic stresses.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The molecular and physiological mechanisms of glycinebetaine stabilizing photosystem II complex under abiotic stresses are discussed, helping to address food shortage problems threatening the survival of growing population. In the backdrop of climate change, the frequency, dimensions and duration of extreme events have increased sharply, which may have unintended consequences for agricultural. The acclimation of plants to a constantly changing environment involves the accumulation of compatible solutes. Various compatible solutes enable plants to tolerate abiotic stresses, and glycinebetaine (GB) is one of the most-studied. The biosynthesis and accumulation of GB appear in numerous plant species, especially under environmental stresses. The exogenous application of GB and GB-accumulating transgenic plants have been proven to further promote plant development under stresses. Early research on GB focused on the maintenance of osmotic potential in plants. Subsequent experimental evidence demonstrated that it also protects proteins including the photosystem II complex (PSII) from denaturation and deactivation. As reviewed here, multiple experimental evidences have indicated considerable progress in the roles of GB in stabilizing PSII under abiotic stresses. Based on these advances, we've concluded two effects of GB on PSII: (1) it stabilizes the structure of PSII by protecting extrinsic proteins from dissociation or by promoting protein synthesize; (2) it enhances the oxygen-evolving activity of PSII or promotes the repair of the photosynthetic damage of PSII.

First Report of Root and Crown Rot of American Ginseng Caused by Pythium spinosum in China.

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a perennial herb whose dried roots are used for health care products, medicine, and food in China (Yuan et al. 2010). Shandong Province is the main area growing American ginseng and contributes more than 50% of the production in China. Wendeng city, located in the east of Shandong Peninsula, is the primary production area of American ginseng in Shandong Province since it has four distinct seasons, sufficient light, loose soil (pH 5.5～7.0), and with thus a similar geographical environment and climate conditions to the American ginseng production area of the United States and Canada. In March 2016, 2-year old American ginseng plants that were planted directly into the ground in the greenhouses in Wendeng city, contained up to 6-10% stunted plants. Water-soaked lesions were observed on the crowns and the tips of fine roots. The leaves of the infected plants became scalded, dark green starting at the top of the plants and gradually move downward. Moreover, the leaves and petioles gradually curled withered and drooped, and the whole plant collapsed. Tissue samples, 10 mm in size, were excised from the water-soaked roots and crowns of diseased plants, rinsed under running water for 24 hours, dipped in a 0.2% calcium hypochlorite solution for 10 minutes, placed on sterile filter paper to dry and then placed on V8 medium (200 mL V8 Campbell Soup, 15 g agar, 0.2 g CaCO3, and 1 L distilled water) and incubated in the dark at 28 °C for 5 days. Five Pythium-like isolates which were arachnoid-cottony on cornmeal agar were isolated and they all produced hyphal swellings, oogonia, antheridia and oospores. Oospores were globose, smooth and plerotic, with some being aplerotic. The dimensions of hyphal swellings, oogonia and oospores respectively ranged from 9.0 to 21.3 (average 14.1) µm, 12.9 to 22.5 (average 18.2) µm, and 12.5 to 20.5 (average 16.7) µm. Finger-like projections were uniformly distributed on the walls of the oogonia and the antheridia were curved rods. The five Pythium-like isolates were identified as P. spinosum based on morphological characteristics (van der Plaats-Niterink, 1981). Genomic DNA was extracted from the isolates of the Pythium sp. using a DNA extraction kit (OMEGA, U.S.A.). The cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region rDNA were amplified and sequenced using primers FM55/FM52R (Long et al. 2012) and ITS1/ITS4, respectively (White et al.1990). The five COI sequences were aligned and were identical for all five isolates, as well as the five ITS sequences. BLASTn analysis of the 538-bp COI sequence (accession no. MT822775) resulted in a 99% identity with that of the P. spinosum strain CBS122663 (accession no. HQ708832.1), and the 916-bp ITS sequence (accession no. MN847595) showed 100% identity with Genbank accession number AB217665 belonging to P. spinosum. Koch's postulates were confirmed. Corn kernels that had been soaked in water for 24 hours in water, autoclaved for 2 hours at 121˚C and allowed to cool were inoculated with agar plugs of P. spinosum grown on corn meal agar medium (CMA) for 10 days. The inoculated corn kernels were incubated at 28 ℃ for 13～15 days, until the corn kernels were covered with white hypha of P. spinosum. Ten healthy approximately 2-years old American ginseng plants growing in Wengdeng greenhouses were transplanted into a sterilized potting soil that was artificially infested with the corn inoculum (3 g inoculum per 100 g loam mixture). Inoculated and non-inoculated control plants were maintained in a greenhouse with a roof covered with sunshade net at 28 °C and 100% relative humidity. The experiment was repeated once. Four days after inoculation (DAI), the crown of inoculated plants developed water-soaked symptoms similar to those observed in field. No symptoms developed on the control plants. By 7 DAI, the inoculated fine roots and crowns showed water-soaked lesions identical to those observed in field, whereas control plants remained symptomless. The re-isolated isolate of P. spinosum was identical morphologically and by DNA sequence analysis to the original isolate. To our knowledge, this is the first report of root rot on American ginseng caused by P. spinosum in China and worldwide. Identification of the pathogen will assist in devising strategies to protect this important medicine plant from the pathogen, and to prevent yield losses.

The mechanism of Arhalofenate in alleviating hyperuricemia-Activating PPARγ thereby reducing caspase-1 activity.

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is an important risk factor for renal diseases and contributes to gout. Arhalofenate (Arha) has been proved to have uricosuric activity as an inhibitor of URAT1, organic anion transporter 4 (OAT4) and OAT10. However, the effects of Arha on HUA remain unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate whether Arha could alleviate HUA and uncovered the underlying mechanism in vitro. HK-2 cells were exposed to uric acid (UA) to simulate HUA in vitro. Then cells were treated with Arha, caspase-1 inhibitor Belnacasan (Beln), caspase-11 inhibitor Wedelolactone (Wede) and PPARγ inhibitor Mifobate, respectively. The alteration of cell proliferation, inflammation, pyroptosis and expression of related proteins were detected. Results showed that UA exposure inhibited cell viability and increased IL-1ß and IL-18 generation in a concentration dependent manner. Meanwhile, UA activated the cleavage of gasdermin D (GSDMD), enhanced the protein expression of URAT1, OAT4, TLR4, caspase-1, and caspase-11 and reduced PPARγ expression. While the presence of Arha or Beln enhanced cell viability and inhibited cleavage of GSDMD. Wede slightly increased cell viability but failed to prevent GSDMD cleavage. The expression of related proteins except caspase-11was also recovered by Arha. Beln and Wede partially rescued related proteins level except PPARγ compared with model group. Besides, the co-treatment of Mifobate blunted the effects of Arha on cell viability and expression of GSDMD, TLR4, and caspase-1. In conclusion, Arha inhibited UA transport as well as preventing inflammation and pyroptosis via activating PPARγ thereby blocking caspase-1 activation of HUA in vitro.

Differential proteomic profiling of endometrium and plasma indicate the importance of hydrolysis in bovine endometritis.

Endometritis is an important disease of dairy cows that leads to significant economic losses in the dairy cattle industry. To investigate the alteration of proteins associated with endometritis in the dairy cow, the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technique was applied to quantitatively identify differentially expressed proteins (DEP) in the endometrium and peripheral plasma of Chinese Holstein cows with endometritis. Compared with the normal (control) group, 159 DEP in the endometrium and 137 DEP in the plasma were identified in cows with endometritis. Gene ontology analysis demonstrated that the predominant endometrial DEP were primarily involved in responses to stimulus and stress processes and mainly played a role in hydrolysis in the extracellular region. The predominant plasma DEP were mainly components of the cytosol and non-membrane-bound organelles, and they were involved in the response to stress and regulation of enzyme activity. Protein-protein interaction of tissue DEP revealed that some core seed proteins, such as RAC2, ITGB2, and CDH1 in the same network as CD14, MMP3, and MMP9, had important functions in the cross-talk of pathways related to extracellular proteolysis. In summary, significant enzymatic hydrolase activity in the extracellular region is proposed as a molecular mechanism by which altered proteins may promote inflammation and hence endometritis.

Fine-tuning ADAS algorithm parameters for optimizing traffic safety and mobility in connected vehicle environment.

Under the Connected Vehicle environment where vehicles and road-side infrastructure can communicate wirelessly, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can be adopted as an actuator for achieving traffic safety and mobility optimization at highway facilities. In this regard, the traffic management centers need to identify the optimal ADAS algorithm parameter set that leads to the optimization of the traffic safety and mobility performance, and broadcast the optimal parameter set wirelessly to individual ADAS-equipped vehicles. Once the ADAS-equipped drivers implement the optimal parameter set, they become active agents that work cooperatively to prevent traffic conflicts, and suppress the development of traffic oscillations into heavy traffic jams. Measuring systematic effectiveness of this traffic management requires am analytic capability to capture the quantified impact of the ADAS on individual drivers' behaviors and the aggregated traffic safety and mobility improvement due to such an impact. To this end, this research proposes a synthetic methodology that incorporates the ADAS-affected driving behavior modeling and state-of-the-art microscopic traffic flow modeling into a virtually simulated environment. Building on such an environment, the optimal ADAS algorithm parameter set is identified through a multi-objective optimization approach that uses the Genetic Algorithm. The developed methodology is tested at a freeway facility under low, medium and high ADAS market penetration rate scenarios. The case study reveals that fine-tuning the ADAS algorithm parameter can significantly improve the throughput and reduce the traffic delay and conflicts at the study site in the medium and high penetration scenarios. In these scenarios, the ADAS algorithm parameter optimization is necessary. Otherwise the ADAS will intensify the behavior heterogeneity among drivers, resulting in little traffic safety improvement and negative mobility impact. In the high penetration rate scenario, the identified optimal ADAS algorithm parameter set can be used to support different control objectives (e.g., safety improvement has priority vs. mobility improvement has priority).

Comparative proteomics analysis provide novel insight into laminitis in Chinese Holstein cows.

BACKGROUND: Laminitis is considered as the most important cause of hoof lameness in dairy cows, which causes abundant economic losses in husbandry. Through intense efforts in past decades, the etiology of laminitis is preliminarily considered to be subacute ruminal acidosis; however, the pathogenesis of laminitis needs further research. The differentially expressed proteins (DEP) were detected in plasma of healthy cows and clinical laminitis cows by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Nineteen protein spots were differentially expressed, and 16 kinds of proteins were identified after peptide mass fingerprint search and bioinformatics analysis. Of these, 12 proteins were differentially up-regulated and 4 down-regulated. Overall, these differential proteins were involved in carbohydrate metabolism, lipids metabolism, molecular transport, immune regulation, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and so on. CONCLUSIONS: The DEPs were closely related to the occurrence and development of laminitis and the lipid metabolic disturbance may be a new pathway to cause laminitis in dairy cows. The results provide the theory foundation for further revealing the mechanism of laminitis and screening the early diagnostic proteins and therapeutic target.

Optimization of paeonol-loaded microparticle formulation by response surface methodology.

In this study, a central composite rotatable design based on response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to design and formulate an appropriate paeonol microparticle formulation. Five levels of a three-factor, rotatable, central composite design were used to evaluate the critical formulation variables. The optimum conditions for preparing paeonol-loaded microparticles were predicted to be: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) content (2.84%), the ratio of drug to polymer (6.88) and the stirring rate (1007.59 rpm). The optimized responses for production yield and loading efficiency were found to be 68.86% and 55.90%, respectively, and the particle size were 23.27 ± 0.76 µm and the sorting coefficient (σ) was 0.732. Furthermore, in vitro release study suggested that microparticle could be a suitable delivery system in treating skin disease for its sustained release of drug. In conclusion, RSM can be successfully used to optimize the effect of formulation variables.

Incidence and mortality of liver cancer in China in 2011.

BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is a common cancer with poor prognosis in China. In this study, the national population-based cancer registration data were used to evaluate and analyze liver cancer incidence and mortality in China in 2011 and provide a reference for liver cancer prevention and control. METHODS: We collected and evaluated the incidence and mortality data of liver cancer in 2011 from 177 cancer registries with qualified data. These data were used in the final analysis including calculating crude, standardized, and truncated incidences and mortalities, and estimated new liver cancer cases and deaths using age-specific rates and the corresponding populations. The national census in 2000 and Segi's population were used for age-standardized rates. RESULTS: The estimates of new liver cancer cases and deaths were 355,595 and 322,416, respectively, in China in 2011. The crude incidence, age-standardized rate of incidence by Chinese standard population (ASRIC), and age-standardized rate of incidence by world standard population (ASRIW) of liver cancer were 26.39/100,000, 19.48/100,000, and 19.10/100,000, respectively; the crude mortality, age-standardized rate of mortality by Chinese standard population (ASRMC), and age-standardized rate of mortality by world standard population (ASRMW) of liver cancer were 23.93/100,000,17.48/100,000, and 17.17/100,000, respectively. The incidence and mortality were higher in rural areas than in urban areas and higher in males than in females. The age-specific incidence and mortality of liver cancer increased greatly with age, particularly after 30 years and peaked at 80-84 or 85+ years. CONCLUSIONS: Liver cancer is a common cancer in China, particularly for males and residents in rural areas. Targeted prevention, early detection, and treatment programs should be carried out.

[Clinical study on aconite prescriptions with incompatible herbs in different areas based on association rules and analysis on compatibility features].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the current application and features of Aconite prescriptions with incompatible herbs in grade A class three hospitals in east China and central China through a clinical study and comparative analysis. METHOD: Clinical prescriptions containing Aconite with incompatible herbs were collected. Association rules were utilized to analyze the compatible features of these herbs. RESULT: This analysis found that the frequently used incompatible herba; pairs are Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma, with the support rate of 44.45%, occupying nearly half of the surveyed prescriptions; Pinelliae Rhizoma is the most frequently used herb in the two areas, with support rate up to 76.24%. Among the top 10 herbal pairs in the support rate, except for Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and Pinelliae Rhizoma, the top 10 herbs in Central China were mostly for warming the middle jiao and tonifying qi, such as Zingiberis Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Codonopsis Radix; Whereas those in east China were mostly for activating and nourishing blood, such as Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. Among the top 10 herbal pairs in the support rate, except for Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma, the core herbal pairs applied in central China were mainly for resolving phlegm and warming the middle jiao, such as Pinelliae Rhizoma-Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Pinelliae Rhizoma-Zingiberis Rhizoma; Whereas those in east China were principally for activating blood and tonifying qi, like Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Pinelliae Rhizoma. Among the core herbal groups in the two areas, the most frequently used herbal groups in the two areas are Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma with the support rate of 59.73%, accounting for the highest proportion among all of herbal groups. CONCLUSION: There are the combined clinical application of Aconite with incompatible herbs, mostly with Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma, but with differences in the combined application in east China and central China.

Adsorption properties of cellulose-derived hydrogel and magnetic hydrogels from Sophora flavescens on Cu2+ and Congo red.

This study synthesized a robust, magnetically responsive hydrogel from Sophora flavescens-modified cellulose and chitosan, employing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and DTG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to confirm the preservation of cellulose's intrinsic properties and the hydrogel's remarkable elasticity, toughness, and porosity. These hydrogels integrate cellulose's structural backbone with functional moieties from chitosan, enhancing adsorption capabilities for Cu2+ ions and Congo red (CR) dye. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses reveal that adsorption is spontaneous and endothermic, following a pseudo-second-order model and the Freundlich isotherm. Notably, Cu2+ adsorption capacity increases with pH, while CR adsorption initially decreases before rising, demonstrating the hydrogels' potential as effective, sustainable adsorbents for removing pollutants from water.

Risk factors investigation for different outcomes between unilateral and bilateral chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps patients.

BACKGROUND: Studies involving chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) have mostly focused on bilateral cases, making unilateral CRSwNP inadequately recognized. This study examined the differences in clinical characteristics, outcomes, and risk factors for poor outcomes between unilateral and bilateral CRSwNP to facilitate a better assessment in the two groups. METHODS: Demographic information, tissue and blood cells, endoscopic scores, Lund-Mackay scores, recurrence rates, and disease control conditions were compared between 310 unilateral and 596 bilateral CRSwNP patients. Furthermore, the stepwise regression multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were performed to generate risk factors for poor outcomes in the two groups. RESULTS: Bilateral cases exhibited higher rates of smoking, AR, and asthma comorbidities, along with higher numbers of tissue eosinophils and blood inflammatory cells when compared to unilateral patients. Endoscopic nasal polyp score, total computed tomography (CT) score (with scores for each sinus cavity), and adjusted CT scores were significantly higher in the bilateral group, except for a markedly higher adjusted maxillary score in the unilateral group. Furthermore, significantly higher proportions of bilateral patients experienced nasal polyp recurrence, uncontrolled status, and most disease control-related symptoms at follow-up. The primary risk factors for poor outcomes were asthma, tissue eosinophils, and total CT score in the bilateral group and blood basophils in the unilateral group. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral CRSwNP patients experience worse disease severity and outcomes than their unilateral counterparts. Primarily, asthma, tissue eosinophils, and total CT score were risk factors for poor outcomes in bilateral CRSwNP patients, with blood basophils in unilateral cases.

Study on dynamic response characteristics of impact of freeze-thaw saturated marble in plateau area.

To study the effects that the perennial freeze-thaw environment exerts on the dynamic mechanical properties of marble, which characterizes the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, impact tests were conducted, and saturated marble was utilized; thus, we analyzed the effect of different loading rates on its dynamic compressive strength, fragmentation pattern, and energy-absorbing density. The results indicate the following: (1) When 42.02s-1 ≤[Formula: see text]≤ 49.20s-1, the degree of fragmentation and the fractal dimension of saturated state marble is greater than that of the dry state marble; when [Formula: see text]<42.02s-1 or [Formula: see text]>49.20s-1, the dry state marble exhibits greater fragmentation than the saturated marble; (2) When the saturated state marble is subjected to a specific fractal dimension, the energy-absorbing density of the marble that characterizes the saturated state is great compared with the dry state, and when the fractal dimension increases, the energy-absorbing densities that characterize the two states gradually converge. (3) The effect of water on the mechanical properties of marble has an obvious rate dependence, showing a weakening effect at low strain rates and a strengthening effect at high strain rates. In regard to the analysis pertaining to the dynamic fracture mechanism of marble under the influence of the freeze-thaw environment that characterizes the plateau, the aforementioned experimental results exhibit considerable significance.

Luteolin Relieved DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice via HMGB1-TLR-NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of luteolin (Lu) on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Mice spleen was weighed. The length of colon was measured. H&E staining was used to observe the pathological changes of colon in mice. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and intestine of mice were detected by commercial kits. Serum and intestinal cytokines were detected by ELISA kits. The expression of HMGB1 mRNA was detected by real-time PCR. The expression of HMGB1-TLR-NF-κB pathway was detected by Western blot. The level of HMGB1 was detected by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that Lu significantly increased the colon length/body weight ratio and significantly decreased the spleen weight/body weight ratio. Lu significantly increased serum and intestinal SOD levels and decreased MDA levels. Lu significantly increased serum and intestinal cytokine levels in mice. qPCR and immunohistochemistry results showed that Lu significantly reduced HMGB1 mRNA level and protein level. In addition, Lu significantly reduced the expression of HMGB1-TLR-NF-κB signaling pathway protein of intestine in mice. In conclusion, Lu significantly reduced and alleviated DSS-induced colitis in mice, and the mechanism was related to the regulation of intestinal HMGB1-TLR-NF-κB signaling pathway in mice.

Ceftazidime-avibactam in the treatment of infections from carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: Ceftazidime-avibactam against CR-KP infections.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical experience with ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KP) infections is not well evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess its efficacy in a single-centre cohort of patients infected with CR-KP. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of consecutive patients treated for >72 h with CAZ-AVI or other active antibiotics (OAAs) for CR-KP infections. The primary outcome was 30-d mortality. The secondary outcomes were 14-d clinical failure and 14-d microbiological failure. Multivariate regression and propensity score matching were used to evaluate the relationship between CAZ-AVI treatment and outcomes. RESULTS: Ninety infections caused by CR-KP were documented in our study. Forty-two patients were treated with CAZ-AVI and 48 with OAAs. The crude 30-d mortality (8/42 vs. 22/48, P=0.007), 14-d clinical failure (14/42 vs. 24/48, P=0.046) and 14-d microbiological failure (11/42 vs. 15/48, P=0.034) were significantly lower in patients with CAZ-AVI treatment. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves of 30-d mortality confirmed the findings (logrank=0.004). In the multivariable models, the odds ratio (OR) of 30-d mortality (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.10-0.51, P<0.000), 14-d clinical failure (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.14-0.95, P=0.039) and 14-d microbiological failure (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.08-0.93, P=0.038) remain consistently significant. In the subgroup analysis, CAZ-AVI was associated with decreased 30-d mortality in the positive blood culture (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.08-0.63, P=0.004), septic shock (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.78, P=0.019), SOFA score (>5, OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.36, P<0.000), mechanical ventilation (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.36, p<0.000) and Charlson comorbidity index (>3, OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.04-0.55, P=0.004). After propensity score matching, 29 cases from each group were well matched. The 30-d mortality remained significantly lower in the CAZ-AVI group (6/29 vs. 13/29, P=0.05). CONCLUSION: CAZ-AVI may be a more valuable therapeutic option for severe CR-KP infections than for mild cases and further randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy.

Improving Albino Tea Quality by Foliar Application of Glycinebetaine as a Green Regulator under Lower Temperature Conditions.

White leaf No.1 (WL-1) is a low temperature-induced albino tea cultivar, which sticks out from tea plants with rich amino acids. Because harmonization of chloroplast ultrastructure integrity and lower chlorophyll contents during the albinism processes is much crucial for WL-1 production under extreme weather conditions, we carried out a field experiment to investigate the regulating effects of exogenous glycinebetaine (GB) on the chloroplast ultrastructure and quality constituents in young leaves of WL-1 at different albinism stages. The internal structure of chloroplasts degenerated at the albinistic stage, and chlorophyll contents were significantly lower than those at pre-albinistic and regreening stages. Spraying GB regulated etioplast-chloroplast transition, significantly increased epigallocatechin gallate, theanine, and caffeine contents, and lowered chlorophyll content in albinistic young leaves of WL-1, thus improving its quality in some aspects, maintaining special leaf color, exerting flavor and umami, and improving antioxidant and refreshing effects. Foliar application of GB is an efficient technical measure in practice.