[Meta analysis of rock salt aerosol therapy for respiratory tract diseases].

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of rock salt aerosol in the treatment of respiratory tract diseases. Methods: In June 2021, the clinical randomized controlled trial literatures of rock salt aerosol therapy for respiratory tract diseases were searched from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Cochrane Library, PubMed database and EMBASE database. Cochrane risk bias evaluation tool was used to evaluate risk bias, Revman 5.4 and Stata16 were used to conduct meta-analysis, TSA 0.9 was used to conduct sequential analysis of trials, and gradepro was used to evaluate evidence quality. Results: A total of 21 literatures were included. According to whether the subjects received rock salt aerosol therapy, they were divided into the experimental group (1125 people) and the control group (973 people) . Compared with the control group, the total clinical effective rate (RR=1.22, 95%CI: 1.15~1.29, P<0.001) , forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) (WMD=0.20, 95%CI: 0.09~0.31, P<0.001) , percentage of FEV(1) in the predicted value (FEV(1)%) (WMD=5.06, 95%CI: 3.47~6.65, P<0.001) , forced vital capacity (FVC) (WMD=0.22, 95% CI: 0.16~0.27, P<0.001) , maximum expiratory flow (PEF) (WMD=21.312, 95%CI: 9.189~33.435, P=0.004) of experimental group were higher. TSA test shows that the difference conclusions of total effective rate, FEV(1), FEV(1)%, FVC and PEF were reliable, but the conclusion of FEV(1)% needs to be treated with caution; Three literatures reported the adverse reactions in the experimental group; GRADE evidence quality evaluation showed 3 very low-quality evidences and 2 low-quality evidences. Conclusion: Rock salt aerosol therapy combined with conventional therapy has a certain effect on the treatment of respiratory tract diseases, which needs to be further confirmed by high-quality evidence.

Identification of hepatosensitive region and their neural connections in the hippocampus of rats.

BACKGROUND: Visceral function localisation of the brain is very complex. For many years, people have been actively exploring the neural mechanism regulating visceral and substance metabolism, clarifying the complex relationship between the brain and peripheral nervous system related to the regulation of visceral activity, and analysing its complex neural pathways. The brain is the advanced centre of visceral function regulation. As an advanced centre for substance metabolism and visceral regulation, the hippocampus is crucial for regulating visceral function. The liver is the core organ of material metabolism, and its afferent signals are mainly projected to the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) through vagus nerve, and then they are projected to the hypothalamus and limbic system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We placed a stereotaxic instrument on the head of each rat and performed craniotomy to open a window above the left hippocampus. We used gold-plated tungsten electrodes to monitor hippocampal neuronal discharges. Grounding was achieved using screws and silver wire. We electrically stimulated the liver branch of the vagus nerve and observed changes in hippocampal neuron discharges using a biological method; in this way, we identified hepatosensitive hippocampal region. We injected FluoroGold into this region and related brain areas. After 3 days, the rats were sacrificed and perfused; the hippocampi were fixed, dehydated, frozen, sectioned, and subjected to fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: Nerve discharge frequency and amplitude significantly increased in the hippocampal CA3 region (AP: -4.9, ML: -5.1, DV: -5.0 mm). After FluoroGold was injected into the left hepatosensitive region in the hippocampus, labelled cells were found in the contralateral hippocampus, ipsilateral piriform cortex (PC), locus coeruleus (LC) and bilateral lateral hypothalamus (LHA); fluorescence in the ipsilateral hypothalamus was stronger than that of the contralateral hypothalamus. FluoroGold was injected into the LHA, PC, and LC; no labelled cells were found in the hippocampal CA3 region or in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The hippocampal CA3 area of rats may contain a hepatosensitive region that plays important roles in the regulation of liver and other organ function. This region may receive input from the LHA, PC, and LC.

Calcium propionate supplementation alters the ruminal bacterial and archaeal communities in pre- and postweaning calves.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of calcium propionate (CaP) on rumen microbiota, fermentation indicators, and weight gain in calves both pre- and postweaning. Twenty-four newborn calves were randomly divided into 4 groups (2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement): either pre- (90 d) or postweaning (160 d), and either without or with dietary CaP supplementation (5% dry matter). The CaP supplementation increased the body weight and rumen weight of the calves and lowered NH3-N concentration in the rumen. Microbiota composition was characterized by sequencing the amplicons of the bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes. The CaP supplementation decreased the relative abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes but tended to increase that of Proteobacteria. In addition, CaP supplementation decreased the diversity of bacteria and archaea in the rumen compared with the calves fed the control diet. Linear discriminant analysis of the rumen microbiota revealed that Succinivibrionaceae and Methanobrevibacter were enriched in the CaP group postweaning. A correlation was also present between the acetate to propionate ratio and the species that acted as co-occurrence network hubs, including Succiniclasticum, Treponema, and Megasphaera. In conclusion, CaP supplementation can improve body weight gain and rumen growth and alter the ruminal microbiota in calves both pre- and postweaning.

Effects of Preparatory Coaching and Home Practice for Deep Inspiration Breath Hold on Cardiac Dose for Left Breast Radiation Therapy.

AIMS: Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) reduces cardiac radiation exposure by creating cardiac-chest wall separation in breast cancer radiotherapy. DIBH requires sustaining chest wall expansion for up to 40 s and involves complex co-ordination of thoraco-abdominal muscles, which may not be intuitive to patients. We investigated the effect of in-advance preparatory DIBH coaching and home practice on cardiac doses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Successive patients from 1 February 2015 to 31 December 2016 with left-sided breast cancer who underwent tangential field radiotherapy utilising the DIBH technique were included. The study cohort consisted of patients treated by a physician who routinely provided DIBH coaching and home practice instructions at least 5 days before simulation. The control group included non-coached patients under another physician's care. Minimum, maximum and mean cardiac doses and V5, V10 and V30 from DIBH and free breathing simulation computed tomography scans were obtained from the planning system. DIBH and free breathing cardiac doses and volume exposures were compared between the coached and non-coached groups using the two-sample t-test, Fisher's exact test and the Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: Twenty-seven coached and 42 non-coached patients were identified. The DIBH maximum cardiac dose was lower in coached patients at 13.1 Gy compared with 19.4 Gy without coaching (P = 0.004). The percentage cardiac volume exposure in DIBH was lower in coached patients; the DIBH V10 was 0.5% without coaching and 0.1% with coaching (P = 0.005). There was also a trend towards lower DIBH V5 in the coached group compared with the non-coached group (1.2% versus 1.9%, P = 0.071). No significant differences in patient cardiopulmonary comorbidity factors that might influence cardiac doses were found between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that cardiac dose sparing can potentially be further improved with a 5 day regimen of preparatory DIBH coaching and in-advance home practice before simulation. These hypothesis-generating findings should be confirmed in a larger study.

Chemoradiation combined with regional hyperthermia for advanced oesophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Hyperthermia is an effective treatment modality that augments the anticancer effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Hyperthermia-chemo-radiotherapy (HCRT) is a combination therapy that can strengthen anticancer effects through a synergistic interaction between heat, chemotherapy and radiation. Here, we carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of chemoradiation combined with regional hyperthermia (HCRT) for oesophageal carcinoma. METHODS: We conducted computer searches of foreign databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Chinese databases, including CBM, CNKI and WanFang; we also retrieved other sources as supplement. All relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were collected to compare HCRT and other therapies, including chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy (CRT) and radiotherapy alone (RT). After literature screening, data extraction and quality evaluation performed by appropriate criteria, the meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.1 software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Nineteen RCTs were included, comprising 1519 patients. Meta-analysis showed that the 1-, 3-, 5- and 7-year survival, complete response and total effective rates of the HCRT group were higher than those of the CRT group; the rates of gastrointestinal reaction, leucocytopenia and radiation oesophagitis in the HCRT group were lower than those of the CRT group, indicating significant differences (P < 0·05). The 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year survival, complete response and total effective rates of the HCRT group were higher than those of the RT group, the recurrence and distant metastasis rates of the HCRT group were lower than those of the RT group, and there were significant differences in all of the indicators (P < 0·05). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS: This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate HCRT for oesophageal carcinoma. Compared with CRT or RT, HCRT can improve long-term and short-term curative effects; it is also safe and feasible. Additional high-quality and large sample size RCTs will be necessary to further demonstrate the long-term survival benefits and comprehensive safety profile of HCRT.

Solid-state fermentation with Aspergillus niger for cellobiase production.

Aspergillus niger NRRL3 was cultivated in a moist wheat bran and ground corncob solid medium supplemented with inorganic minerals for the production of cellobiase (beta-1,4-glucosidase, EC 3.2.1.21). With this method, A. niger NRRL3 was able to produce a high concentration of cellobiase (215 IU/g of solid substrate) after 96 h of incubation. Temperature and moisture content affected final cellobiase titers. The best conditions for cellobiase production from solid substrate by A. niger NRRL3 were determined to be 70% moisture and 35 degrees C.

Simultaneous Production and Recovery of Fumaric Acid from Immobilized Rhizopus oryzae with a Rotary Biofilm Contactor and an Adsorption Column.

An integrated system of simultaneous fermentation-adsorption for the production and recovery of fumaric acid from glucose by Rhizopus oryzae was investigated. The system was constructed such that growing Rhizopus mycelia were self-immobilized on the plastic discs of a rotary biofilm contactor during the nitrogen-rich growth phase. During the nongrowth, production phase, the biofilm was alternately exposed to liquid medium and air upon rotation of the discs in the horizontal fermentation vessel. The product of fermentation, fumaric acid, was removed simultaneously and continuously by a coupled adsorption column, thereby moderating inhibition, enhancing the fermentation rate, and sustaining cell viability. Another beneficial effect of the removal of fumaric acid is release of hydroxyl ions from a polyvinyl pyridine adsorbent into the circulating fermentation broth. This moderates the decrease in pH that would otherwise occur. Polyvinyl pyridine and IRA-900 gave the highest loading for this type of fermentation. This fermentation system is capable of producing fumaric acid with an average yield of 85 g/liter from 100 g of glucose per liter within 20 h under repetitive fed-batch cycles. On a weight yield basis, 91% of the theoretical maximum was obtained with a productivity of 4.25 g/liter/h. This is in contrast to stirred-tank fermentation supplemented with calcium carbonate, whose average weight yield was 65% after 72 h with a productivity of 0.9 g/liter/h. The immobilized reactor was operated repetitively for 2 weeks without loss of biological activity.