PVA enema ameliorates DSS-induced acute colitis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) represents a clinically challenging condition characterized by persistent damage to the colonic epithelial mucosa as the principal pathological feature. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution, primarily composed of glue, is a biodegradable polymer material that has found utility in the medical field. This research endeavors to investigate the therapeutic potential of PVA water solution in ameliorating UC in mice. METHODS: UC was induced in 48 C57BL/6 mice by administering 2.5% DSS in their diet for 6 days. Mice were treated with different concentrations of PVA (0.1 mg/ml PVA, 0.3 mg/ml PVA, 1 mg/ml PVA, 3 mg/ml PVA, 10 mg/ml PVA) enemas (n = 6). Disease Activity Index (DAI) and histologic score were evaluated for inflammation degree. Furthermore, mouse colon organoids were cultured, which were used to assess the effects of PVA on expansion in vitro. RESULTS: PVA aqueous solutions (1 mg/ml and 3 mg/ml) were able to alleviate the DAI in mice. By DAY 6, there was a significant 3/5-fold decrease in DAI within the 1 mg/ml PVA group (p = 0.02). Histopathology scores demonstrated improvements, while the levels of inflammatory factors in the intestinal mucosal tissue were reduced. Additionally, it was confirmed that PVA could promote the expansion of colonic organoids in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our investigation has yielded findings indicating that PVA holds the potential to ameliorate symptoms associated with colitis in murine subjects afflicted by DSS-induced colitis, primarily through its facilitation of intestinal stem cell expansion. This study might provide a new candidate for the clinical treatment of ulcerative colitis.

La-MOFs in situ loaded Al2O3 particles for effective removal of phosphate in water: characterization, application potential analysis, and mechanism.

Excessive phosphorus in water would cause eutrophication and deterioration of the ecological environment. Herein, the La-MOFs/Al2O3 composite was successfully prepared by the in situ hydrothermal synthesis method for granulation, which was conducive to exerting the phosphate adsorption capacity and facilitating practical application. The materials were characterized by SEM, EDX, XRD, BET, FTIR, and Zeta. In addition, the adsorption performance of La-MOFs/Al2O3 was evaluated through adsorption kinetics and isotherms, showing that the Langmuir adsorption capacity was 16.34 mgP·g-1 (25 °C) and increased with the water temperature. Moreover, the batch influence experiments of intimal pH, adsorbent dosage, coexisting ions, and stability tests were performed to analyze the potential for practical applications and verified through the natural micro-polluted water samples from Houxi River and Bailu Lake (China). The results indicated that the La-MOFs/Al2O3 was suited to a wide pH range of 4 to 10 and the phosphate removal efficiency remained above 70% after continuous use for four times, exhibiting excellent stability. It also had excellent selectivity in the presence of SO42-, Cl-, NO3-, and HCO3-, only decreased to 70.24% at high HCO3- ion concentration of 60 mg/L, respectively. And the La-MOFs/Al2O3 had excellent adsorption of total phosphorus, phosphate, and organic phosphorus in the actual river and lake water and completely removed dissolved phosphorus. Finally, a phosphate adsorption mechanism model involved in electrostatic interaction and ligand exchange was proposed. Therefore, La-MOFs/Al2O3 could be considered to be an excellent phosphorus adsorbent for application in the actual water environmental remediation.

Genomic Resequencing Unravels the Genetic Basis of Domestication, Expansion, and Trait Improvement in Morus Atropurpurea.

Mulberry is an economically important plant in the sericulture industry and traditional medicine. However, the genetic and evolutionary history of mulberry remains largely unknown. Here, this work presents the chromosome-level genome assembly of Morus atropurpurea (M. atropurpurea), originating from south China. Population genomic analysis using 425 mulberry accessions reveal that cultivated mulberry is classified into two species, M. atropurpurea and M. alba, which may have originated from two different mulberry progenitors and have independent and parallel domestication in north and south China, respectively. Extensive gene flow is revealed between different mulberry populations, contributing to genetic diversity in modern hybrid cultivars. This work also identifies the genetic architecture of the flowering time and leaf size. In addition, the genomic structure and evolution of sex-determining regions are identified. This study significantly advances the understanding of the genetic basis and domestication history of mulberry in the north and south, and provides valuable molecular markers of desirable traits for mulberry breeding.

Optimization of dropping process of Xuesaitong dropping pills based on quality by design concept and machine vision.

OBJECTIVE: The drooping process of the Xuesaitong dropping pills (XDPs) was optimized based on quality by design concept. Meanwhile, a machine vision (MV) technology was creatively introduced in this study to predict the critical quality attributes (CQAs) rapidly and accurately. SIGNIFICANCE: This study improves the understanding of dropping process, and has reference value for the guidance of pharmaceutical process research and industrial production. METHODS: The study mainly consisted of three stages: the first stage involved the prediction model to establish and evaluate the CQAs, and the second stage involved assessing the quantitative relationships between critical process parameters (CPPs) and CQAs by the mathematical models that were established through the Box-Behnken experimental design. Finally, a probability-based design space for the dropping process was calculated and verified according to the qualification criteria of each quality attribute. RESULTS: The results show that the prediction accuracy of the random forest (RF) model was high and met the analysis requirements, and the CQAs of dropping pills can meet the standard by running in the design space. CONCLUSION: The MV technology developed in this study can be applied to the optimization process of the XDPs. In addition, the operation in the design space can not only ensure the quality of XDPs to meet the criteria, but also help to improve the consistency of XDPs.

Quality by design-based capillary electrophoresis method development for the quantitative analysis of four iridoid compounds in Gentiana macrophylla Radix.

In this study, the capillary electrophoresis-photodiode array detector was employed for the analysis of four iridoid compounds in Gentiana macrophylla Radix (RGM), and the method was optimized based on the concept of analytical quality by design (AQbD). The peak areas relative standard deviation (n = 3) and resolution of the four analytes were selected as critical method attributes. Fractional factorial design test combined with Pareto analysis were employed to screen critical method parameters (buffer concentration, pH, sodium dodecyl sulfate [SDS] micelle concentration, temperature, and voltage). Subsequently, three main factors (buffer concentration, buffer pH, and SDS concentration) were selected by central composite design test for constructing the design space. The optimal separation conditions as follows: capillary column (50.2 cm × 50 µm, detection length 40 cm). Working background electrolyte consisted of 51 mmol/L borax solution (pH = 9.47) and 40 mmol/L SDS. The samples were injected by pressure (5 s at 0.5 psi) and the detection was performed at 254 nm. Applied voltage was 20 kV and column temperature was 23°C. The developed method is rapid and reliable for the quantitative analysis of four iridoid compounds in RGM, providing a reference for the application of AQbD concept in the analysis of natural products.

Visual analysis of research hotspots and trends of external therapies in traditional Chinese medicine for insomnia / 数字中医药（英文）

@#【Objective】 To explore the current status and development trend of research on external therapies in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for insomnia over the past 10 years through bibliometrics and visual analysis, to provide references for further research on the topic. 【Methods】 Literature relating to TCM external therapies for insomnia from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021 was retrieved from Chinese databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) for English articles. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Scimago Graphica, and NoteExpress software were used to analyze publication volumes of the papers and how they were distributed in different journals, as well as to visualize the data of the countries, authors, institutions, and keywords. 【Results】 A total of 6 085 papers were obtained, of which 5 592 were from the Chinese databases and 493 were from the English database, with their publication volumes growing steadily year on year. Approximately 45 countries and regions were found to have published research on the topic. In terms of Chinese publications, the author with the most papers published was CHEN Yunfei from Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The closest collaboration was between LIU Chengyong from the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and YUE Zenghui from Hunan University of Chinese Medicine. In terms of English publications, the author with the most papers published was MAO Junj from Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Center, USA, and LAO Lixing from the University of Hong Kong was his closest partner in collaboration. Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine was the institution with the most Chinese publications, and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was the one with the most English papers published. Studies on the topic were published in 386 Chinese journals and 205 English journals, respectively. Nowadays, the clinical application of TCM external treatments for insomnia, the selection of meridians and acupoints, therapies for insomnia and its related diseases are research hotspots. The combined use of different TCM external therapies is a trend in the treatment of insomnia and its concomitant diseases, especially in the fields of oncology, nursing, and psychiatric disorders. The exploration of mechanisms of TCM external therapies for insomnia is also a key direction for future research. In clinical practice, the commonly used external therapies for insomnia include acupuncture, ear-acupressure with beans, acupoint application, etc. The commonly selected acupoints are auricular points, Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shenmen (HT7), etc. The frequently studied meridians are Ren, Du, Qiao, etc. The insomnia concomitant diseases are depression, stroke, anxiety, etc. 【Conclusion】 A wealth of research results have been accumulated in the treatment of insomnia by TCM external therapies, but authoritative research results are not so many. Therefore, institutions in different countries should strengthen communications and cooperation, and researchers should be encouraged to make innovations and breakthroughs on the basis of inherited TCM external therapies, so as to produce more valuable research results and improve TCM external therapies for providing better treatments for patients with sleep disorders.

Quxie Capsule Alleviates Colitis-associated Colorectal Cancer Through Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Suppressing A. fumigatus-induced Aerobic Glycolysis.

AIM: Quxie capsule (QX), a compound of 21 kinds of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs, has been used to treat patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and could suppress the growth of colon cancer. However, the mechanisms of QX inhibiting colorectal cancer remain unclear. In current study, we attempted to determine the anti-colorectal cancer (CRC) effects of QX and the mechanisms of QX in alleviating colorectal cancer. METHODS: A colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC) model was established by intraperitoneally injecting mice with AOM followed by 3 cycles of 2% DSS in water. During establishment of CAC model, we orally gavaged mice with QX. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemistry were performed to assess lesion of the colonic tumors. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colonic tumors was measured by qPCR. The proportion of immune cells in colonic tumors was analyzed by flow cytometry. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and 16S rRNA gene sequencing were performed to detect intestinal microbiota. The expression of glycolytic related enzymes, lactate production, and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) were used to assess the level of aerobic glycolysis. RESULTS: QX markedly inhibited intestinal tumorigenesis by decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and increasing the proportion of CD8+ T cells in colon tumors. Fecal microbiota sequencing revealed that QX increased the relative abundances of intestinal symbiotic probiotics, such as, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium genera. What's more, opportunistic pathogens, Bacteroides genera and Aspergillus-Aspergillus fumigatus, exhibited remarkably reduced abundances in mice treated with QX compared with untreated CAC mice. Further experiments showed that QX significantly reduced glycolysis of colon tumor and suppressed A. fumigatus-induced glycolytic metabolism of colon cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: QX alleviates the development of CRC at least in part through modulating intestinal microbiota and reducing A. fumigatus-induced aerobic glycolysis of colon cancer cells.

[Determination of dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in plant-derived foods by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry].

Dazomet is a kind of crystal solid that is stable at room temperature and acts as a fumigant. It is commonly used to control soil fungi, as an insecticide, and in sterilization and weeding. It can effectively kill root-knot nematodes, soil pests, weeds, and many soil-borne disease-causing organisms, to provide clean and healthy soil. Dazomet slowly decomposes and releases methyl isothiocyanate, methylamine, carbon disulfide, and hydrogen sulfide in acidic soil, and diffuses upward through the spaces in the soil to kill contact organisms. When agricultural crops are planted in soil treated with cotton wool, the residues in the grown crop can cause harm to human body when consumed. To ensure the quality and safety of food crops, it is important to develop a detection method for dazomet and its metabolites in plant-derived foods. Hence, in this study, a rapid and simultaneous determination method was developed for dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in plant-derived foods by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The sample pretreatment and chromatographic conditions were optimized in the experiment. Subsequently, dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, tea, and spices were extracted with ethyl acetate, and purified using graphitized carbon, a primary-secondary amine, stearyl-bonded silica gel, and anhydrous magnesium sulfate as dispersive solid-phase extraction sorbents. After centrifugation and filtration, the target compounds were analyzed in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by GC-MS/MS, and quantified by matrix matching external standard method. The matrix effects of the samples were also evaluated. The matrix effect was found to be in the range of 2.5% to 13.6% for methyl isothiocyanate in 16 matrices. As this matrix effect was weak, there was no need for compensatory measures. In contrast, the matrix effect of dazomet in 16 matrices was in the range of 240.3% to 331.2%. This matrix effect was strong and required compensation. Finally, a matrix matching calibration method was used to compensate the matrix effects. The relative matrix effects of other tested substrates were analyzed using lettuce as the representative substrate; it was found that all showed weak matrix effects. Therefore, the use of lettuce as a representative matrix to prepare a matrix standard curve can effectively correct the matrix effects of dazomet and methyl isothiocyanate in other substrates. Under the optimal conditions, the calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.005-1 mg/L with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. Recovery tests were conducted by adding mixed standards to blank samples at four levels. The recoveries were in the range of 74.2%-117.2% with relative standard deviations (RSDs, n=6) of 2.8%-9.0%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) of dazomet and methyl isothiocyanate were 0.01 mg/kg. The accuracy and precision of this method met the requirements of pesticide residue determination. The established method was used to detect dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in six samples of Chinese cabbage, Chinese chives, cowpea, lettuce, eggplant, ginger, celery, potato, orange, kiwifruit, tomato, chili, rice, tea, almond, and Cuminum cyminum L. in the laboratory, and nothing was detected. The method is simple, rapid, and sensitive; overcomes the shortcomings of existing methods that require two pretreatment steps and two sets of equipment; and meets the requirements for the detection of dazomet and its metabolite methyl isothiocyanate residues in plant-derived foods.

On-line screening of natural antioxidants and the antioxidant activity prediction for the extracts from flowers of Chrysanthemum morifolium ramat.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. (Flos Chrysanthemi, FC) the most economically significant "food and drug dual-use" plants, with positive effects on relieving eye fatigue, and reduce internal heat, shows significant activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective, as well as alleviating diabetes effects. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was undertaken to a screening of natural antioxidants in five kinds of medicinal FC and development of an integrated quality control method based on the antioxidant activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A novel quality control method for FC was established by combining the on-line HPLC-DPPH, ESI-MS, and NIR spectra analysis. Firstly, the on-line HPLC-DPPH-MS system was employed to identify the antioxidants in FC extracts. Then, the relationship between the NIR spectra and antioxidant activities of FC samples was calibrated to evaluate the total antioxidant capacity of FC rapidly. RESULTS: The established antioxidant activity-fingerprints contain both chemical information and antioxidant activity characteristics of FC. A total of 16 antioxidants were identified by on-line HPLC-ESI-MS analysis. The results of heat map analysis and cluster analysis showed that the classification method based on antioxidants in FC can be used to identify different cultivars of FC. The optimal pretreatment of the NIR spectra was determined to be row center (RC) 1st der + multiple-scatter correction (MSC) with an optimal LV value of 11. The developed spectral-antioxidant activity model had the excellent predictive ability and was successfully used to evaluate new batches of FC samples, where Rcal = 0.9445 and Rval = 0.8821. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive strategy may prove to be a powerful technique for the rapid screening, identification, and activity prediction of antioxidants, which could be used for the quality control of FC, and can serve as reference for design of quality control of other herbs and foods samples.

An integration of UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and chemometrics analysis for the holistic quality evaluation of different geographical Paederia scandens.

RATIONALE: Due to the special geographical location and climate of China, there are large differences in the chemical composition and content of Paederia scandens (PS) from different origins, which will have a large impact on its efficacy. METHODS: An efficient quality control method for PS was established by combining ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analyses. First, a UPLC-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry system was employed to identify the chemical composition of PS from seven different origins. Then, the chemical variation in 73 batches of PS samples was subsequently investigated by quantitation of four marker compounds. RESULTS: A total of 15 common compounds were identified in the samples of PS from seven origins. And four of the marker compounds were chosen based on VIP values to characterize the differences between PS samples of different origins. The linearity ranged between 0.005 and 2.500 mg/mL; the correlation coefficients (r2 ) ranged from 0.999 to 1; the limits of detection ranged from 0.013 to 0.033 µg/mL; and the relative standard deviations for repeatability, precisions, and stabilities were below 0.2%, 1.6%, and 0.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results show that the method can be effective and comprehensive in evaluating the quality of PS from different origins. And this comprehensive strategy proved to be a powerful technique used to differentiate between different geographical herbs.

Dietary l-carnitine supplementation recovers the increased pH and hardness in fillets caused by high-fat diet in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The wide use of high-fat diet (HFD) causes negative effects on flesh quality in farmed fish. l-carnitine, a lipid-lowering additive, enhances mitochondrial fatty acid ß-oxidation. However its roles in alleviating the effects of HFD on flesh quality in fish are unknown. We fed Nile tilapia with medium-fat diet (MFD, 6% dietary lipid), high-fat diet (HFD, 12% dietary lipid) and HFCD supplemented with l-carnitine (HFCD + 400 mg/kg l-carnitine) for 10 weeks. The HFD-fed fish had higher fat deposition, pH value, myofiber density and flesh hardness than those fed on MFD. However, feeding the fish with the HFCD improved lipid catabolism, which increased significantly lactic acid content and myofiber diameter in muscle, thus reduced pH and hardness values. HFCD also reduced endoplasmic reticulum stress and myofiber apoptosis caused by HFD in the fish. Our study suggests that dietary l-carnitine supplementation alleviates the negative effects of HFD on flesh quality of farmed fish.

Soil properties, root morphology and physiological responses to cotton stalk biochar addition in two continuous cropping cotton field soils from Xinjiang, China.

Long-term and widespread cotton production in Xinjiang, China, has resulted in significant soil degradation, thereby leading to continuous cropping obstacles; cotton stalk biochar (CSB) addition may be an effective countermeasure to this issue, with effects that are felt immediately by root systems in direct contact with the soil. In this study, we assess the effects of different CSB application rates on soil nutrient contents, root morphology, and root physiology in two soil types commonly used for cotton production in the region. Compared with CK (no CSB addition), a 1% CSB addition increased total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and organic matter (OM) by 13.3%, 7.2%, and 50% in grey desert soil, respectively , and 36.5%, 19.9%, and 176.4%, respectively, in aeolian sandy soil. A 3% CSB addition increased TN, AP, and OM by 38.8%, 23.8%, and 208.1%, respectively, in grey desert soil, and 36%, 13%, and 183.2%, respectively, in aeolian sandy soil. Compared with the aeolian sandy soil, a 1% CSB addition increased TN, OM, and AP by 95%, 94.8%, and 33.3%, respectively, in the grey desert soil , while in the same soil 3% CSB addition increased TN, OM, and AP by 108%, 21.1%, and 73.9%, respectively. In the grey desert soil, compared with CK, a 1% CSB application increased the root length (RL) (34%), specific root length (SRL) (27.9%), and root volume (RV) (32.6%) during the bud stage, increased glutamine synthetase (GS) (13.9%) and nitrate reductase (NR) activities (237%), decreased the RV (34%) and average root diameter (ARD) (36.2%) during the harvesting stage. A 3% CSB addition increased the RL (44%), SRL (20%), and RV (41.2%) during the bud stage and decreased the RV (29%) and ARD (27%) during the harvesting stage. In the aeolian sandy soil, 1% CSB increased the RL (38.3%), SRL (73.7%), and RV (17%), while a 3% caused a greater increase in the RL (55%), SRL (89%), RV (28%), soluble sugar content (128%), and underground biomass (33.8%). Compared with the grey desert soil, a 1% CSB addition increased the RL (48.6%), SRL (58%), and RV (18.6%) in the aeolian sandy soil, while a 3% further increased the RL (54.8%), SRL (84.2%), RV (21.9%), and soluble sugar content (233%). The mechanisms by which CSB addition improves the two soils differ: root morphology changed from coarse and short to fine and long in the grey desert soil, and from fine and long to longer in the aeolian sandy soil. Overall, a 3% CSB addition may be a promising and sustainable strategy for maintaining cotton productivity in aeolian sandy soil in the Xinjiang region.

Integrative omics analysis reveals the protective role of vitamin C on perfluorooctanoic acid-induced hepatoxicity.

Introduction: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a compound used as an industrial surfactant in chemical processes worldwide. Population and cross-sectional studies have demonstrated positive correlations between PFOA levels and human health problems. Objectives: Many studies have focused on the hepatotoxicity and liver problems caused by PFOA, with little attention to remediation of these problems. As an antioxidant, vitamin C is frequently utilized as a supplement for hepatic detoxification. Methods: In this study, we use a mouse model to study the possible role of vitamin C in reducing PFOA-induced liver damage. Based on comparative transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis, we elucidate the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of vitamin C. Results: Our results show that vitamin C supplementation reduces signs of PFOA-induced liver damage including total cholesterol and triglyceride levels increase, liver damage markers aspartate, transaminase, and alanine aminotransferase elevation, and liver enlargement. Further, we show that the protective role of vitamin C is associated with signaling networks control, suppressing linoleic acid metabolism, reducing thiodiglycolic acid, and elevating glutathione in the liver. Conclusion: The findings in this study demonstrate, for the first time, the utility of vitamin C for preventing PFOA-induced hepatotoxicity.

Effect of intestinal microbiota transplantation on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in aged mice via inhibition of IL-17.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the effects and mechanisms of intestinal microbiota transplantation on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in aged mice. METHODS: We constructed a middle cerebral artery occlusion model after fecal microbiota transplantation from young C57 mice to aged C57 mice for 30 consecutive days via enema. The neurological deficit score, cerebral infarction volume, fecal flora composition, and IL-17 levels in the colon, brain, and serum were evaluated in young mice, aged mice, and aged mice that received fecal microbiota transplantation. Moreover, we administered rIL-17A through caudal vein injection to verify its effect on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in aged mice. RESULTS: We find that aged mice exhibited larger cerebral infarction volume and more severe neurological deficit than young mice after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Bacteroidetes increased and firmicutes decreased significantly in the feces of aged mice after microbiota transplantation. Furthermore, the transplanted mice showed improved neurological function and reduced infarction volume after middle cerebral artery occlusion compared with the control aged mice. We also find that the neuroprotective effect of the microbiota transplantation was reversed by pre-treatment of rIL-17A. CONCLUSION: In summary, intestinal microbiota transplantation can alleviate cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in aged mice by restoring their microbiota environment and inhibiting IL-17 in the gut, serum, and brain tissue.

Removal of fluoride from water using aluminum hydroxide-loaded zeolite synthesized from coal fly ash.

The removal of fluoride from wastewater is essential as the excess accumulation of fluoride in environment is harmful to the health of humans. In this study, the defluorination of water by aluminum hydroxide-coated zeolite (AHZ), which was synthesized from coal fly ash, was investigated in batches. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of fluoride by AHZ reached 18.12 mg/g. Aluminum hydroxide was shown to be the major component that adsorbed fluoride. More than 92% removal of fluoride was achieved within 2 h, and the fluoride adsorption kinetics were well fitted to a pseudo-second-order model. The point of zero charge (pHpzc) of the AHZ was determined to be 5.52. Fluoride adsorption by AHZ depended greatly on pH, and maximum performance was obtained at pH 5.5-6.5. The AHZ showed good selectivity for the adsorption of fluoride in the presence of chloride, nitrate, sulfate, bicarbonate, and acetate ions, and the fluoride was nearly exhausted at a sufficiently high dose. The release of OH- due to fluoride adsorption was confirmed. FTIR and XPS studies further illustrated that the adsorption mechanism of fluoride adsorption on AHZ was ligand exchange with hydroxyl groups and the formation of F-Al bonds.

Association between oil tea intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults: A cross-sectional study in Gongcheng, Guangxi, China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The associations between oil tea and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been little studied in the population. This study aimed to evaluate whether oil tea intake is related to the reduced risk of T2D in adults. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A rural-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi, southern China (2018-2019), with a total of 3178 population included in the final analysis. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the associations between the intake frequency, daily intake of oil tea and the risk of T2D. We further compared the association differences between the daily intake of oil tea and the risk of diabetes under different dietary patterns, which were generated from food frequency intake data using principal factor analysis. RESULTS: The differences in the frequency and daily intake of oil tea in both groups (diabetes group and the non-diabetes group) were statistically significant (p<0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), compared with non-oil tea drinkers, intake ≥3 times /d had an inverse association with T2D (OR=0.417; 95% CI: 0.205-0.848, p<0.05); while daily intake of more than 600 mL/d but less than 900 mL/d was significantly associated with reduced T2D risk (OR=0.492; 95% CI: 0.284-0.852, p=0.011). In the Chinese traditional dietary and the plant-based dietary model, compared with the non-oil tea drinkers, the fourth intake group had a lower risk of diabetes, with an OR (95%CI) value of 0.500 (0.291-0.854) and 0.505 (0.298-0.855), respectively, but no statistical significance (All p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that oil tea was associated with a reduced risk of T2D aged 30 years or older.

Effects of Salvianolic acid B on RNA expression and co-expression network of lncRNAs in brown adipose tissue of obese mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Salvianolic acid B (SalB) is a polyphenolic compound in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge ("Danshen"), which has been largely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, among others. AIM OF STUDY: This study was to investigate the effects of Salvianolic acid B (SalB) on mRNA, lncRNA and circRNA's expression profile in brown adipose tissue (BAT) of obese mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: High-fat-diet induced obese C57BL/6J mice were treated with SalB (100 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks. Then, BAT was harvested for RNA-Seq analysis. Differentially expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs were analyzed using the Illumina Hiseq 4000. Following this procedure, bioinformatic tools including Gene ontology (GO), KEGG pathway and lncRNA-mRNA co-network analysis were utilized. Finally, RT-qPCR was performed to validate the differentially expressed RNAs. RESULTS: Compared with control group, 2532 mRNAs, 774 lncRNAs and 25 circRNAs were differentially expressed in SalB group. Additionally, 40 upregulated and 109 downregulated gene-related pathways were identified in the SalB group. Among them, metabolic pathways showed the highest enrichment coefficient in upregulated genes. Moreover, 54 up-regulated and 626 down-regulated coding mRNAs associated with lncRNA-Hsd11b1 and lncRNA-Vmp1. CONCLUSIONS: SalB may play an anti-obesity role by adjusting the expression of mRNAs correlated with inflammatory response and energy metabolism through regulating the expression of lncRNA-Hsd11b1. The findings of this research provide new directions to study the mechanisms of SalB, and would open therapeutic avenues for the treatment of obesity.

Target Characteristics and Voltage Mapping of the Matrix in Idiopathic Premature Ventricular Contractions Originating from the Right Ventricular Outflow Tract.

BACKGROUND: The study was aimed at exploring the electrophysiological characteristics (EPS) of the optimal ablation site and its relationship with electroanatomic voltage mapping (EVM) in idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) originating from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). METHODS: A total of 28 patients with idiopathic RVOT PVCs underwent successful ablation and EVM using a 3D electroanatomical mapping (CARTO) system. RESULTS: Both bipolar and unipolar EVM showed a similar band-like lower-voltage area (LVA) under the pulmonary valve in all the patients; 21.4% of the targets were located in the band-like LVA. 42.9% of the targets were at the border of the band-like LVA on the bipolar voltage map, but unipolar mapping showed that 53.6% of the targets were located in the band-like LVA, and 35.7% of the targets at the border of the band-like LVA. A significant difference was found in both unipolar and bipolar voltage values between the regions within 0-5 mm above the optimal ablation site and the other regions. A similar difference was observed only in unipolar voltage values below the optimal ablation site. At the ablation site, there were frequent occurrences of a fragmented wave and voltage reversion in the bipolar electrograms, frustrated falling limbs, W bottom, and a QS configuration width > 150 ms in the unipolar electrograms. CONCLUSIONS: EVM showed that the band-like LVA was an interesting area for the search of the optimal ablation sites of idiopathic RVOT-PVCs, especially the border area. There was focal microscarring around the ablation targets; some characteristics of EPS proved significant for successful ablation.

Effect of algae on phosphorus immobilization by lanthanum-modified zeolite.

Phosphorus-inactivating agents (PIAs) as geoengineering tools in lakes have been investigated extensively, but PIA resuspension in the photic layer occurs frequently in shallow lakes and little is known about the influence of algae on PIA performance. Our results proved that algae increased the dissolved oxygen, pH and dissolved organic carbon concentration substantially. In the absence of sediment, lanthanum modified zeolite (LMZ) as a representative PIA and algae could deplete dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) from water but the former was faster than the latter. When LMZ and algae coexisted, the amount of phosphorus that was captured by LMZ was 3.1 times greater than that taken up by algae. An increase in pH or dissolved organic carbon increased the zero-equilibrium phosphorus concentration (EPC0) of the sediment but LMZ addition could lower the EPC0 and reduce the risk of phosphorus release during the algal blooming season. In the presence of sediment, LMZ reduced the DIP concentration more rapidly and yielded a lower final DIP concentration compared with algae. In conclusion, the influence of algae on the performance of LMZ by (i) taking up DIP to reduce the availability of DIP and convert DIP into a releasable phosphorus form and (ii) increasing the pH and dissolved organic carbon concentration to hinder the adsorption ability of DIP were recognized. The LMZ performed well, even in the presence of algae.

Effect of the Phytochemical Agents against the SARS-CoV and Some of them Selected for Application to COVID-19: A Mini-Review.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present review is to provide basic knowledge regarding the treatment of Coronavirus via medicinal plants. Coronavirus (COVID-19, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV) as a viral pneumonia causative agent, has infected thousands of people in China and worldwide. Currently, there is no specific medicine or vaccine available that can treat or prevent this virus and this has posed a severe threat to human health; therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a novel drug or anticoronavirus vaccine. However, natural compounds to treat coronaviruses are the most effective alternative and complementary therapies due to their diverse range of biological and therapeutic properties. METHODS: We performed an open-ended, English restricted search of Scopus database, Web of Science, and Pubmed for all available literature from Jan-March, 2020, using terms related to phytochemical compounds, medicinal plants and coronavirus. RESULTS: The view on anti-coronavirus (anti-CoV) activity in the plant-derived phytochemicals and medicinal plants gives a strong base to develop a novel treatment employing these compounds for coronavirus. Various phytochemicals and medicinal plant extracts have been revised and are considered as potential anti-CoV agents for effective control of the virus and future drug development. Herein, we discuss some important plants (Scutellaria baicalensis, Psorothamnus arborescens, Glycyrrhiza radix, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lycoris radiate, Phyllanthus emblica, Camellia sinensis, Hyptis atrorubens Poit, Fraxinus sieboldiana, Erigeron breviscapus, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Amaranthus tricolor, Phaseolus vulgaris, Rheum palmatum, Curcuma longa and Myrica cerifera) that have emerged to have broad-spectrum antiviral activity. CONCLUSION: Nigella sativa has potent anti-SARS-CoV activity and it might be a useful source for developing novel antiviral therapies for coronavirus.