Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cardiovascular risk factors: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

OBJECTIVE: Reviews have shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) were effective in improving cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), but the results were contradictory. This umbrella review aimed to summarize and grade the existing reviews on CVRFs associated with MBIs. METHODS: The protocol of this umbrella review had been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022356812). PubMed, Web of science, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched from database inception to 20 July 2022. The quality of evidence was assessed through GRADE. RESULTS: Twenty-seven reviews with 14,923 participants were included. Overall, 45% of reviews had low heterogeneity (I2 < 25%). For the quality of evidence, 31% were rated very low, 42% were rated low, 17% were rated moderate and 10% were rated high. MBIs significantly improved systolic blood pressure [SMD -5.53 mmHg (95% CI -7.81, -3.25)], diastolic blood pressure [SMD -2.13 mmHg (95% CI -2.97, -1.30)], smoking [Cohen's d 0.42 (95% CI 0.20, 0.64)], glycosylated hemoglobin [MD 0.01 (95% CI -0.43, -0.07)], binge eating behavior [SMD -6.49 (95% CI -10.80, -2.18)], depression [SMD -0.72 (95% CI -1.23, -0.21)] and stress [SMD -0.67 (95% CI -1.00, -0.34)]. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this umbrella review provided evidence for the role of MBIs in the improvement of CVRFs.

In situ assembled titanium carbide-based heterojunctions for the synergistic enhancement of NIR-II photothermal/photodynamic therapy against breast cancer.

The combined use of photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) could circumvent the drawbacks of each individual therapeutic strategy, resulting in an enhanced antitumor effect. However, the lack of highly effective photo-agents that are irradiation-safe in the biologically transparent window hinder the advancement of phototherapy clinically. Hence, in this study, a charge separation engineering strategy was adopted to fabricate a nanoplatform with heterojunctions, namely, in situ TiO2-loaded MXene (Ti3C2/TiO2 heterojunctions). This nanoplatform exhibited reduced bandgap (1.68 eV), enhanced NIR-II photothermal conversion efficiency (44.98%), and extended absorption edge compared to pristine TiO2 for enhanced photodynamic effect. More importantly, the proliferation of tumor cells could be efficiently inhibited at a 5 mm chicken breast depth after 1064 nm laser irradiation, and the intracellular ROS production significantly increased under 660 nm or even 1064 nm laser irradiation with heterojunctions (HJs) compared with that of TiO2. Moreover, the in vivo data further confirmed that the as-prepared heterojunctions could efficiently eradicate tumors efficiently via improved photothermal effect with NIR-II laser irradiation and upregulated ROS production. Collectively, the reported HJs strategy provides an opportunity for the success of combinational PTT and PDT therapy in tumor treatment.

Conquering Cancer Multi-Drug Resistance Using Curcumin and Cisplatin Prodrug-Encapsulated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Synergistic Chemo- and Photodynamic Therapies.

Recently, the development of anti-cancer approaches using different physical or chemical pathways has shifted from monotherapy to synergistic therapy, which can enhance therapeutic effects. As a result, enormous efforts have been devoted to developing various delivery systems encapsulated with dual agents for synergistic effects and to combat cancer cells acquired drug resistance. In this study, we show how to make Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN)-1-based mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for multifunctional drug delivery to overcome drug resistance cancer therapy. Initially, curcumin (Cur)-embedded IBN-1 nanocomposites (IBN-1-Cur) are synthesized in a simple one-pot co-condensation and then immobilized with the prodrug of Cisplatin (CP) on the carboxylate-modified surface (IBN-1-Cur-CP) to achieve photodynamic therapy (PDT) and chemotherapy in one platform, respectively, in the fight against multidrug resistance (MDR) of MES-SA/DX5 cancer cells. The Pluronic F127 triblock copolymer, as the structure-directing agent, in nanoparticles acts as a p-glycoprotein (p-gp) inhibitor. These designed hybrid nanocomposites with excellent structural properties are efficiently internalized by the endocytosis and successfully deliver Cur and CP molecules into the cytosol. Furthermore, the presence of Cur photosensitizer in the nanochannels of MSNs resulted in increased levels of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) under light irradiation. Thus, IBN-1-Cur-CP showed excellent anti-cancer therapy in the face of MES-SA/DX5 resistance cancer cells, owing to the synergistic effects of chemo- and photodynamic treatment.

Emergence of ceftazidime-avibactam resistance due to a novel blaKPC-2 mutation during treatment of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections.

OBJECTIVE: Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K.pneumoniae has represented a serious health problem in worldwide. The resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) began to emerge since its approval in 2015. We aim to explore the resistance mechanism of CAZ-AVI. METHODS: Phenotypic test and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis were performed in KP-HX0917 and KP-HX1016 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, collected from the same patient following treatment with CAZ-AVI. RESULTS: We report a case of emergence of CAZ-AVI resistance in ST 11 KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae (KP-HX1016) during 14 days of exposure with CZA-AVI. Molecular analysis highlighted the A533C mutation in the blaKPC-2 gene, resulting a D179A substitution in protein sequence, which restored the hydrolysis ability of imipenem and meropenem, but not for ertapenem, and the result of phenotypic test was negative. However, KP-HX0917 produced serine-carbapenemase by phenotypic detection and lost its capacity of hydrolyzing carbapenems. CONCLUSION: The emergence of CAZ-AVI resistance should arouse our attention, the susceptibility testing should be followed by a combination of phenotypic and molecular methods, to make sure that no potential carbapenemase-producing bacteria are missed.

Glycyrrhizin alleviates sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome via suppressing of HMGB1/TLR9 pathways and neutrophils extracellular traps formation.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are involved in the development of sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Glycyrrhizin (GL), the main active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhiza glabra, has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and immunomodulatory effects. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to explore the efficacy and potential mechanism of GL on sepsis-induced ARDS in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: Control, CLP, and GL + CLP. Mice sepsis ARDS model was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) followed by intraperitoneal GL treatment. Then, the 7-day survival rate of mice was recorded. The lung function of mice was determined by whole-body plethysmography. Lung pathology and scores were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The wet/dry ratio (W/D) of the lung was measured by weighing method. The protein concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was measured by the BCA method. NETs formation in lung tissue was detected by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, HMGB1、TLR9、MyD88 and IL6 expression in lung tissue were detected by western blot and by quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS: The results showed that GL improved the survival rate, attenuated lung tissue injury and reduced the expression of inflammatory factors in mice with CLP-induced sepsis. Meanwhile, we confirmed that GL could inhibit TLR9 / MyD88 activation from reducing NETs formation by decreasing HMGB1 expression. The formation of NETs is regulated by HMGB1 / TLR9 / MyD88. In addition, GL improved lung function in mice with sepsis-induced ARDS. Lung function suggested that GL increased alveolar ventilation, alleviated ventilator fatigue and reduced airway resistance in mice with ARDS induced by sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: GL ameliorated sepsis-induced ARDS and reduced the NETs formation in lung tissues, which may be associated with the inhibition of the HMGB1 / TLR9 pathway.

Flavonoid constituents of Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemarie and their antioxidant and antidiabetic effects in diabetic rats - in vitro and in vivo studies.

Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemarie (A. tsao-ko) is a well-known dietary spice and traditional Chinese medicine. This study aimed to identify the flavonoids in A. tsao-ko and evaluate their antioxidant and antidiabetic activities in in vitro and in vivo studies. A. tsao-ko methanol extracts possessed a high flavonoid content (1.21 mg QE per g DW) and a total of 29 flavonoids were identified by employing UPLC-MS/MS. In vitro, A. tsao-ko demonstrated antioxidant activity (ORAC value of 34276.57 µM TE/100 g DW, IC50 of ABTS of 3.49 mg mL-1 and FRAP value of 207.42 µM Fe2+ per g DW) and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory ability with IC50 values of 14.23 and 1.76 mg mL-1, respectively. In vivo, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) models were induced by a combined high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) injection in rats. Treatment with the A. tsao-ko extract (100 mg freeze-dried powder per kg bw) for 6 weeks could significantly improve impaired glucose tolerance, decrease the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increase the superoxide dismutase (SOD) level. Histopathology revealed that the A. tsao-ko extract preserved the architecture and function of the pancreas. In conclusion, the flavonoid composition of A. tsao-ko exhibits excellent antioxidant and antidiabetic activity in vitro and in vivo. A. tsao-ko could be a novel natural material and developed as a related functional food and medicine in T2DM management.

Effect of L-carnitine supplementation on renal anemia in patients on hemodialysis: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: L-carnitine is an amino acid derivative that is thought to be helpful for treating renal anemia in hemodialysis patients. However, the mechanism remains to be fully elucidated. METHODS: A literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and conduct a meta-analysis for investigating the effect of L-carnitine in the treatment of renal anemia in participants receiving hemodialysis. RESULTS: A total of 18 eligible trials with 1090 participants were included in this study. L-carnitine can significantly increase plasma free L-carnitine levels (mean difference [MD]: 140.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 102.22-178.85; P < 0.00001), decrease the erythropoietin responsiveness index (ERI; MD: -2.72, 95% CI -3.20 to -2.24; P < 0.00001) and the required erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) doses (MD: -1.70, 95% CI -2.04 to -1.36; P < 0.00001). However, the use of L-carnitine was not associated with a higher hemoglobin level (MD: 0.18, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.55; P = 0.35) and hematocrit level (MD: 1.07, 95% CI -0.73 to 2.87; P = 0.24). In subgroup analyses, the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on renal anemia in patients on hemodialysis were independent of the treatment duration and intervention routes. CONCLUSION: The present meta-analysis indicated that L-carnitine therapy significantly increased plasma L-carnitine concentrations, improved the response to ESA, decreased the required ESA doses in patients receiving hemodialysis, and maintained hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. L-carnitine supplementation should be supported in hemodialysis patients. However, the relationship between L-carnitine treatment and long-term outcomes is still unclear. Further high-quality RCTs are needed to verify our findings.

Seed-Associated Fungal Diversity and the Molecular Identification of Fusarium with Potential Threat to Ginseng (Panax ginseng) in China.

The utility of traditional methods for detecting seed-borne fungi is limited by the fact some fungi are unculturable or difficult to isolate. The seed-borne pathogens affecting Panax ginseng cultivation have not been fully characterized. Seed-borne fungi can be identified based on the high-throughput sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplicons. A hierarchical clustering tree diagram analysis based on operational taxonomic units revealed a relationship between the seed-borne fungi and the region from which the seeds were collected. This study analyzed the fungal diversity on 30 ginseng seed samples from the main ginseng-producing areas of China. The 50 most abundant genera were identified including those responsible for ginseng diseases, Fusarium, Alternaria, Nectria, Coniothyrium, Verticillium, Phoma, and Rhizoctonia. Fusarium species, which are the primary causes of root rot, were detected in all seed samples. The results of a phylogenetic analysis indicated that the seed-borne fungal species originating from the same region were closely related. Fungi on ginseng seeds from eight different regions were divided into eight clades, suggesting they were correlated with the local storage medium. A total of 518 Fusarium isolates were obtained and 10 species identified, all of which can be detrimental to ginseng production. Pathogenicity tests proved that seed-borne Fusarium species can infect ginseng seedlings and 2-year-old ginseng root, with potentially adverse effects on ginseng yield and quality.

Removal of phthalic acid esters from sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) pulp oil by steam distillation and molecular distillation.

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) pulp oils (SPOs) are rich in a variety of beneficial bioactive ingredients. Nevertheless, SPOs would be exposed to plastic equipment during processing, resulted in increasing phthalates contents and edible risk, as well as affecting oil quality. For these reasons, the effects of two stages steam distillation (SD2) and two stages molecular distillation (MD2) on phthalic acid esters (PAEs) content were investigated and compared in the present work. Compared with SD2, MD2 showed higher removal rates of seven selected PAEs from the SPO. Even if the initial concentration of DBP and DEHP in R-SPO were 1.626 and 10.933 mg/kg respectively, the concentration of DBP and DINP could be reduced below the limit set by China government after treated with MD2. Besides that, there was no trans-fatty acids generated in SPO during the distillation process.

The Efficacy and Safety of Prophylactic Intravenous Tranexamic Acid on Perioperative Blood Loss in Patients Treated with Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a prophylactic intravenous administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) 30 minutes before skin incision on perioperative blood loss in patients treated with posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). METHODS: A total of 63 patients who underwent PLIF were recruited and divided into a TXA group (n = 26) and a control group (n = 37). Intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood loss, duration of tube drainage, hospitalization time, blood transfusion rate, and incidence of complications were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the demographic characteristics and laboratory results between the 2 groups. The intraoperative blood loss, 24-hour postoperative drainage volume, 24-hour postoperative hidden blood loss, perioperative overt blood loss, hospitalization time, and postoperative duration of tube drainage were significantly reduced in the TXA group compared with the control group. In addition, the perioperative blood transfusion rate was lower in the TXA group (7.7%) than in the control group (16.22%), but the difference was not statistically significant. During a 3-month follow-up period, no pulmonary embolism, liver failure, or renal dysfunction was observed in the 2 groups. Likewise, the incidence of deep venous thrombosis was not found in the TXA group compared with 1 case in the control group, hence the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: A prophylactic intravenous administration of TXA 30 minutes before skin incision effectively reduces the perioperative blood loss, duration of tube drainage, and hospitalization time, and it does not increase the risk of complications. However, TXA may not be able to decrease the rate of blood transfusion.

Nitrate improves ammonia incorporation into rumen microbial protein in lactating dairy cows fed a low-protein diet.

Generation of ammonia from nitrate reduction is slower compared with urea hydrolysis and may be more efficiently incorporated into ruminal microbial protein. We hypothesized that nitrate supplementation could increase ammonia incorporation into microbial protein in the rumen compared with urea supplementation of a low-protein diet fed to lactating dairy cows. Eight multiparous Chinese Holstein dairy cows were used in a crossover design to investigate the effect of nitrate or an isonitrogenous urea inclusion in the basal low-protein diet on rumen fermentation, milk yield, and ruminal microbial community in dairy cows fed a low-protein diet in comparison with an isonitrogenous urea control. Eight lactating cows were blocked in 4 pairs according to days in milk, parity, and milk yield and allocated to urea (7.0 g urea/kg of dry matter of basal diet) or nitrate (14.6 g of NO3-/kg of dry matter of basal diet, supplemented as sodium nitrate) treatments, which were formulated on 75% of metabolizable protein requirements. Nitrate supplementation decreased ammonia concentration in the rumen liquids (-33.1%) and plasma (-30.6%) as well as methane emissions (-15.0%) and increased dissolved hydrogen concentration (102%), microbial N (22.8%), propionate molar percentage, milk yield, and 16S rRNA gene copies of Selenomonas ruminantium. Ruminal dissolved hydrogen was positively correlated with the molar proportion of propionate (r = 0.57), and negatively correlated with acetate-to-propionate ratio (r = -0.57) and estimated net metabolic hydrogen production relative to total VFA produced (r = -0.58). Nitrate reduction to ammonia redirected metabolic hydrogen away from methanogenesis, enhanced ammonia incorporation into rumen microbial protein, and shifted fermentation from acetate to propionate, along with increasing S. ruminantium 16S rRNA gene copies, likely leading to the increased milk yield.

Phototherapeutic spectrum expansion through synergistic effect of mesoporous silica trio-nanohybrids against antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacterium.

The extensive impact of antibiotic resistance has led to the exploration of new anti-bacterial modalities. We designed copper impregnated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Cu-MSN) with immobilizing silver nanoparticles (SNPs) to apply photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of antibiotic-resistant E. coli. SNPs were decorated over the Cu-MSN surfaces by coordination of silver ions on diamine-functionalized Cu-MSN and further reduced to silver nanoparticles with formalin. We demonstrate that silver is capable of sensitizing the gram-negative bacteria E. coli to a gram-positive specific phototherapeutic agent in vitro; thereby expanding curcumin's phototherapeutic spectrum. The mesoporous structure of Cu-MSN remains intact after the exterior decoration with silver nanoparticles and subsequent curcumin loading through an enhanced effect from copper metal-curcumin affinity interaction. The synthesis, as well as successful assembly of the functional nanomaterials, was confirmed by various physical characterization techniques. Curcumin is capable of producing high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under light irradiation, which can further improve the silver ion release kinetics for antibacterial activity. In addition, the positive charged modified surfaces of Cu-MSN facilitate antimicrobial response through electrostatic attractions towards negatively charged bacterial cell membranes. The antibacterial action of the synthesized nanocomposites can be activated through a synergistic mechanism of energy transfer of the absorbed light from SNP to curcumin.

Calcitriol in the treatment of IgA nephropathy with non-nephrotic range proteinuria: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of calcitriol for treating Chinese patients with IgA nephropathy presenting as non-nephrotic range proteinuria, and a comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted using the related randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: We searched for RCTs of calcitriol for the treatment of IgA nephropathy in the CNKI, CBM, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PUBMED, and EMBASE databases. The studies included in our meta-analysis were strictly determined according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We evaluated the quality of the included studies using the Jadad score sheet and performed the meta-analysis using RevMan software (version 5.30). RESULTS: Our meta-analysis, which included 7 RCTs involving 310 Chinese participants, showed that calcitriol contributed to a decrease in proteinuria standard mean difference (SMD) -1.49, 95% CI (-2.37, -0.62); p = 0.0008). No significant differences were observed in serum creatinine (SMD -0.13, 95% CI (-0.53, 0.27); p = 0.52), serum calcium (SMD 0.28, 95% CI (-0.08, 0.65); p = 0.13), or serum phosphorus (SMD 0.03, 95% CI (-0.07, 0.14); p = 0.57) levels. All of the adverse reactions mentioned in these studies were mild. CONCLUSION: These data indicated that calcitriol is a promising treatment to reduce proteinuria in Chinese patients with IgA nephropathy presenting as non-nephrotic range proteinuria, and it has only mild side effects.
.

Xuebijing for paraquat poisoning.

BACKGROUND: At present, there is a lack of effective treatments for paraquat poisoning. Xuebijing injection is a complex traditional Chinese prescription consisting of Flos Carthami, Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae and Radix Angelicae Sinensis. Although clinical experience suggests that Xuebijing injection might have potential in the management of paraquat poisoning, there is no conclusion on the effectiveness of this treatment. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of Xuebijing injection in patients with paraquat poisoning. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group's Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE (OvidSP), EMBASE (OvidSP), CINAHL (EBSCO), ISI Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded, ISI Web of Science: Conference Proceedings Citation Index-Science, Chinese bio-medical literature and retrieval system (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Database. The search was run on the 29th May 2013. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Xuebijing injection combined with conventional care against conventional care alone. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two or three authors independently selected studies, assessed study quality and extracted data. We calculated the mortality risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Data on all-cause mortality at the end of follow-up were summarised in a meta-analysis. MAIN RESULTS: We identified two trials including 84 people. Although there were fewer deaths in people treated with Xuebijing injection, meta-analysis showed that it did not provide a statistically significant benefit in reducing all-cause mortality in people with paraquat poisoning as compared to control (RR 0.71; 95% CI 0.48 to 1.04; P = 0.08). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of two small RCTs, Xuebijing injection did not have a statistically significant benefit on reducing all-cause mortality in people with paraquat poisoning. However, both included studies involved small numbers of participants and were considered to be of poor methodological quality. The results are imprecise and easily compatible with the play of chance. Xuebijing injection may be effective for people with paraquat poisoning; however, this needs to be proven by further high-quality evidence.

[Analysis of volatile oil from Gerbera piloselloides by GC-MS].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the chemical components of volatile oil from Gerbera piloselloides. METHODS: Volatile oil was extracted from Gerbera piloselloides by steam distillation, and its chemical components were identified by GC-MS. RESULTS: 22 peaks were detected, among which 17 compounds were identified, accounting for 86.18% of total peak area. CONCLUSION: In the total volatile oil from Gerbera piloselloides, Neryl(s)-2-methylbutanoate (35.99%), 4-hydroxy-3-methylacetophenone (8.74%) and n-Hexadecanoic acid (7.48%) are the main components.

Sonographically guided hand kneading and compression for treatment of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sonographically guided hand kneading and compression for the treatment of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms after percutaneous intervention. METHODS: Twenty-four patients who had post-percutaneous intervention femoral artery pseudoaneurysms treated with sonographically guided compression from 2001 to 2004 and 2008 to 2009 were compared with 25 patients who had postintervention pseudoaneurysms treated with sonographically guided hand kneading and compression from 2005 to 2009. RESULTS: All 25 patients (100%) treated with 1-stage sonographically guided hand kneading and compression had pseudoaneurysm occlusion; the median treatment time was 10 minutes. Twenty-two of the 24 patients (91.7%) treated with conventional sonographically guided compression had pseudoaneurysm occlusion. One-stage compression was successful in 10 patients; 9 and 3 patients had pseudoaneurysm occlusion after 2 and 3 compression treatments, respectively. Two other patients who underwent compression treatment 3 and 4 times did not have pseudoaneurysm occlusion and required surgery. The median treatment time for sonographically guided compression was 30 minutes. The treatment time was significantly shorter for the hand-kneading and compression technique (P < .001), and significantly fewer procedures were needed (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Sonographically guided hand kneading and compression is as effective as sonographically guided compression alone for pseudoaneurysm occlusion after femoral artery percutaneous intervention and requires significantly less time to perform.

Effect of statins on chronic inflammation and nutrition status in renal dialysis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) may have an adjunctive effect on chronic inflammation and nutrition status in renal dialysis patients. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials to assess the effect of statins on chronic inflammation and nutrition status in dialysis patients. METHODS: The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of statins versus placebo or no treatment for renal dialysis patients were searched from PubMed, EMbase and Cochran Central Register of Controlled Trials. We screened relevant studies according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluated the quality of the included studies, and performed meta-analyses by using the Cochrane Collaboration's Revman 5.1 software. RESULTS: We identified nine trials including 3098 patients. Meta-analysis showed statins can significantly decrease the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD, -0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), -1.04 to -0.05; P = 0.03) and high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) level (SMD, -0.72; 95% CI, -1.14 to -0.31; P = 0.0007) of dialysis patients compared with that of the control group. However, statins did not differ significantly from the control group in increasing the serum Alb level (SMD, -0.13; 95% CI, -0.42 to 0.15; P = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Statins can improve the chronic inflammation status reflected by the decreasing of serum CRP and hs-CRP levels, whereas there is no conclusive evidence that it can improve the nutrition status. However, this result needs to be further confirmed in more high-quality randomized clinical trials.

[Diagnosis study of rice leaf under phosphorus insufficiency based on spectral features of scan image and pattern recognition].

Insufficiency of phosphorus could greatly effect rice production, thus it is significant to adopt quick and nondestructive diagnosis of phosphorus content. The present paper focused on first expanded leaves with different phosphorus fertilization levels, comprehensively extracted 26 features' spectral information such as color, texture and shape etc. Single feature index analysis was conducted. Then features were collected to integrate CfsSubsetEval + Scattersearch method for optimizing, evaluation and choosing. Based on the feature selection for different leave positions, leaves in different phosphorus fertilization levels were finally classified into three grades (extremly insufficient, significant insufficient and normal) according to rough set theory. Results showed that the accuracy of recognition was very high while few phosphorus contained in the leaves. Moreover, the third expanded leaf is the best part for phosphorus-nutrient diagnosis.

[Application of mutual information to variable selection in diagnosis of phosphorus nutrition in rice].

The present study obtained data of rice canopy spectrum, and P and chlorophyll content at typical growth stages with different rates of P supply by means of solution experiment. The effects of P treatments on leaf P and chlorophyll content were analyzed statistically using LSD's multiple comparison at a probability of 0.05; By mutual information (MI) variable selection procedure, the optimal spectral variables were identified at 536, 630, 1040, 551 and 656 nm, and their corresponding mutual information values were 1.0575, 1.1039, 1.135 3, 1.1417 and 1.1494 respectively; based on these sensitive bands, the built feed-forward artificial neural network model (ANN) had higher precision for P content estimation than the multiple linear regression model (MLR). Its RMSE of cross-validation and R were 0.038 8 and 0.9882, respectively, for the calibration data set, and the RMSE of prediction and R were 0.0505 and 0.9892, respectively, for the test data set. Therefore, it was suggested that MI was encouraged for quantitative prediction of leaf P content in rice with visible/near infrared hyperspectral information without assumption on the relationship between independent and dependent variables. But more work is needed to explain why these bands are sensitive to leaf P content in rice.