New insights into changes in phosphorus profile at sediment-water interface by microplastics: Role of benthic bioturbation.

Microplastics (MPs) have attracted increasing attention due to their ubiquitous occurrence in freshwater sediments and the detrimental effects on benthic invertebrates. However, a clear understanding of their downstream impacts on ecosystem services is still lacking. This study examines the effects of bio-based polylactic acid (PLA), fuel-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and biofilm-covered PET (BPET) MPs on the bioturbator chironomid larvae (Tanypus chinensis), and the influence on phosphorus (P) profiles in microcosms. The changes in biochemical responses and metabolic pathways indicated that MPs disrupted energy synthesis by causing intestinal blockage and oxidative stress in T. chinensis, leading to energy depletion and impaired bioturbation activity. The impairment further resulted in enhanced sedimentary P immobilization. For larval treatments, the internal-P loadings were respectively 11.4%, 8.6%, and 9.0% higher in the PLA, PET, and BPET groups compared to the non-MP control. Furthermore, the influence of bioturbation on P profiles was MP-type dependent. Both BPET and PLA treatments displayed more obvious impacts on P profiles compared to PET due to the changes in MP bioavailability or sediment microenvironment. This study connects individual physiological responses to broader ecosystem services, showing that MPs alter P biogeochemical processes by disrupting the bioturbation activities of chironomid larvae.

Incentive strategy of dual innovation balance in green manufacturing innovation ecosystem: Based on hierarchical structure of innovation subject.

Exploratory innovation is a pivotal way to seize future opportunities in green manufacturing innovation ecosystems, and exploitative innovation is conducive to expanding existing markets and resources, so it is essential to discuss the balanced incentive strategy of dual innovation for the sustainable development of ecosystems. Based on the hierarchical structure, this paper divides the core subjects in the green manufacturing innovation ecosystem into the application layer, the support layer, and the scientific research layer, constructs the differential game model of the no-incentive scenario, the cost-sharing scenario, and the collaborative scenario, and discusses the incentive strategies of the three types of subjects and the ecosystem in the evolution process of the dual innovation balance. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The level of dual innovation balance effort of the three types of subjects decreases with the increase of resource costs and environmental construction costs and increases with the increase of innovation balance capacity; (2) Cost sharing from the application layer to the support layer and the scientific research layer can enhance the effort level of both, which in turn enhances the optimal benefits for the three types of subjects and the ecosystem as a whole; (3) In the collaborative scenario, the level of effort and total ecosystem benefits of the innovation balance of the three types of subjects are strictly better than in the no incentive scenario, and the Pareto-optimality of the three subjects and the ecosystem will be realized after the coefficients of the distribution of benefits among the three types of subjects are determined. Based on this, this paper puts forward specific suggestions for the optimization of the structural relationship of the innovation body hierarchy, the exploitation of green manufacturing resources, and the macro-planning of the management department.

Crosstalk between in situ root exudates and rhizobacteria to promote rice growth by selenium nanomaterials.

Maximizing the potential of plant-microbe systems offers great opportunities to confront sustainability issues in agroecosystems. However, the dialog between root exudates and rhizobacteria remains largely unknown. As a novel nanofertilizer, nanomaterials (NMs) have significant potential to improve agricultural productivity due to their unique properties. Here, soil amendment with 0.1 mg·kg-1 selenium (Se) NMs (30-50 nm) significantly promoted rice seedling growth. Differences in root exudates and rhizobacteria were evident. At an earlier time point (3rd week), Se NMs increased the relative content of malic and citric acid by 15.4- and 8.1-fold, respectively. Meanwhile, the relative abundances of Streptomyces and Sphingomonas were increased by 164.6 % and 38.3 %, respectively. As the exposure time increased, succinic acid (40.5-fold) at the 4th week and salicylic acid (4.7-fold) and indole-3-acetic (7.0-fold) at the 5th week were enhanced, while Pseudomonas and Bacillus increased at the 4th (112.3 % and 50.2 %) and 5th weeks (190.8 % and 53.1 %), respectively. Further analysis indicated that (1) Se NMs directly enhanced the synthesis and secretion of malic and citric acids by upregulating their biosynthesis and transporter genes and then recruited Bacillus and Pseudomonas; (2) Se NMs upregulated the chemotaxis and flagellar genes of Sphingomonas for more interaction with rice plants, thereby promoting rice growth and stimulating root exudate secretion. This crosstalk of root exudates and rhizobacteria enhanced nutrient uptake, resulting in promoted rice growth. Our study offers insights into the crosstalk between root exudates and rhizobacteria by NMs and provides new insights into rhizosphere regulation in nano-enabled agriculture.

Effects of plastisphere on phosphorus availability in freshwater system: Critical roles of polymer type and colonizing habitat.

Biofilm covered microplastics (BMPs) can act as vectors for the transport of exogenous microbial groups to aquatic ecosystem. However, a consensus regarding the formation and development of BMPs and their effect on phosphorus (P) availability has not been reached. Herein, plastic particles made of fuel-based (PET) and biobased polymers (PLA) were deployed in water and hyporheic zones of an urban river for biofilm colonization. Then, BMPs were transferred to lab incubation to study their effects on the P availability. The results showed that different microplastic biofilms had various bacteria and phytoplankton compositions. Additionally, BMPs induced a shift in the microbial co-occurrence patterns co-differentiated by polymer type and colonizing habitats. Network analyses revealed that the structure of PLA BMPs was more robust, while PET colonized in the hyporheic zone reduced network complexity with looser connections between species, and stronger negatively correlated interactions. However, PET formed denser biofilms by the excretion of extracellular polymeric substances from microalgae, which contributed to the better capacity of P utilization. PET colonized in the water/hyporheic zone significantly decreased soluble reactive phosphate by 42.5 % and 30.8 %, respectively. The abovementioned results indicated that BMPs have the potential to disrupt nutrient availability. This study broadens our perspectives for the ecological effects of BMPs in the aquatic environment.

Pollutant impacts on bacteria in surface water and sediment: Conventional versus emerging pollutants in Taihu Lake, China.

Bacteria play a critical role in biogeochemical cycling, self-purification, and food web fueling in surface freshwater ecosystems. However, the comparison between the impacts of conventional and emerging pollutants on the bacteria in surface water and sediment remains unclear and requires for an in-depth understanding to assess ecological risk and select associated bioindicators. Taihu Lake, a typical shallow lake in China, was divided into pollutant impacted and less-impacted zones for sampling. Spatial distributions of conventional pollutants, emerging pharmaceuticals, and bacterial communities were investigated in surface water and sediment. The correlations of pollutants with bacterial communities and the variations in bacterial functions were analyzed to help assess the pollutant influences on bacteria. The results showed that the water quality index and trophic level index across the whole lake were at medium to good, and mesotropher to light eutropher grades, respectively, indicating a relatively good control on conventional pollutants in water. Target pharmaceuticals were at much higher concentrations in water of the impacted zone compared to the less-impacted zone, exhibiting close positive relationships with the bacterial phyla in the impacted water. The ratio of Firmicutes to Proteobacteria in surface water is suggested as a plausible bioindicator to evaluate the level of inflow pharmaceutical contamination and the risk of relevant bacterial resistance in the outflow. In sediment, no significant difference was observed for pharmaceuticals between the two zones, whereas total phosphorus and orthophosphate were substantially higher in the impacted zone. Phosphorus pollutants were tightly associated with the bacterial genera in the impacted sediment, likely relating to the increase in iron- or sulfate-reducing bacteria which implies the potential risk of phosphorus releasing from sediment to water.

Transport and retention of nano emulsified vegetable oil in porous media: Effect of pore straining, roughness wedging, and interfacial effects.

Emulsified vegetable oil (EVO), as one of the novel green substrates, has been widely used in subsurface remediation. In these applications, the retention behavior of EVO presents a challenge to remediation efficiency as mechanism insights into the retention of EVO is limited. Herein, Brinell funnels experiments with X-ray microtomography (XMT) were conducted to examine the drainage and retention of nanoscale EVO in porous media, with a specific focus on investigating the impact of pore straining, grain surface roughness, and interfacial effects on Nano-EVO (NEVO) retention. This study demonstrated that the retention of NEVO in porous media is the synergistic result of pore straining, roughness wedging, and interface attachment. With the action of these effects, three residual states of NEVO, incorporating retention at porous ganglia, grain-grain contacts, and grain surface, were identified by XMT in porous media. After multiple periods of drainage and imbibition, the NEVO arrived at stable retention proportions of 46.3%, 72.2%, and 85.9% in three independent systems with coarse, medium, and fine sand as porous media, respectively. The interfacial effects, including the attachment of solid-phase and air-liquid interface, are confirmed as the dominant factors for the retention of NEVO in porous media, which contributed 35.63-47.33% of total retention for the conditions employed. Correspondingly, the contributions of pore straining and roughness wedging only ranged 3.78-24.06% and 3.87-9.94%, respectively. The consistency of the contributions between the actual measurement of XMT and computational evaluation further confirmed the rationality and reliability of the results. In such the dominant factor, interfacial tension, contact angle, and capillary radius play an essential role in NEVO retention, which could be reflected by capillary rise height. These findings advance our understanding on NEVO retention caused by substrate-media interaction and also offer a promising direction for subsurface remediation.

Geiparvarin Inhibits OS Metastasis through Upregulation of ANGPTL4 Expression by Inhibiting miRNA-3912-3p Expression.

Background: Geiparvarin (GN) is a natural compound with anticancer activity. However, the effect of GN on osteosarcoma (OS) and the anticancer mechanism of GN are still unclear. Methods: Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Invasion and migration were measured by transwell assay. The miRNAs, genes, and signaling pathways affected by GN were confirmed by whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. The expression level of mRNA and protein was measured by qRT-PCR and western blot. Animal experiment was performed for confirming the GN anticancer effect and side effect in vivo. Results: Our results show that GN significantly inhibits OS cell growth and metastasis in vitro. In vivo experiment also showed that GN dramatically suppressed OS lung metastasis and no side effects were found. GN treatment inhibited OS metastasis through upregulating the ANGPTL4 expression. In addition, GN inhibited the expression of miR-3912-3p, which targets ANGPTL4. Conclusion: Our data clearly indicate that GN is a candidate drug for OS treatment, and GN plays its role through miR-3912-3p/ANGPTL4 in OS.

Clinical and psychobehavioral features of outpatients with somatic symptom disorder in otorhinolaryngology clinics.

OBJECTIVE: In the Otorhinolaryngology Department, patients exhibiting somatic symptoms without a medical cause are frequently neglected and left untreated. The aim of this study was to characterize the psychosomatic features of outpatients with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) to better identify patients needing treatment. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 883 consecutive patients with medically unexplained symptoms. A semistructured clinical interview was employed to confirm the diagnosis of SSD. Data, including sociodemographic and clinical measures, were collected. The Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and Somatic Symptom Scale-China (SSS-CN) were used to assess the severity of somatic symptoms; the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression; the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was used to assess anxiety; and the 12-item Short-form Health Survey (SF-12) was used to assess quality of life (QoL). RESULTS: Based on the DSM-5 criteria, 641 patients were placed in the SSD group, and 212 were placed in the normal group. Compared with the normal group, the SSD group had significantly more doctor visits, longer symptom durations, higher GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores, and lower physical composite scores (PCSs) and mental composite scores (MCSs). Spearman's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analyses showed that the SSS-CN score, PHQ-15 score and the patient's subjective feeling that his or her daily life was affected by the disorder were significant risk factors for low PCSs; the SSS-CN, PHQ-15, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scores were independent risk factors for low MCSs. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that SSD patients are not rare in otorhinolaryngology clinics in China and that their QoL is significantly affected by SSD. Otolaryngologists should thoroughly evaluate these patients from the perspective of psychosomatic medicine.

Simulating chlorophyll-a fluorescence changing rate and phycocyanin fluorescence by using a multi-sensor system in Lake Taihu, China.

Algal pollution in water sources has posed a serious problem. Estimating algal concentration in advance saves time for drinking water plants to take measures and helps us to understand causal chains of algal dynamics. This paper explores the possibility of building a short-term algal early warning model with online monitoring systems. In this study, we collected high-frequency data for water quality and weather conditions in shallow and eutrophic Lake Taihu by an in situ multi-sensor system (BIOLIFT) combined with a weather station. Extracted chlorophyll-a from water samples and chlorophyll-a fluorescence differentiated according to different algal classeses verified that chlorophyll-a fluorescence continuously measured by BIOLIFT only represent chlorophyll-a of green algae and diatoms. Stepwise linear regression was used to simulate the chlorophyll-a fluorescence changing rate of green algae and diatoms together (ΔChla-f%) and phycocyanin fluorescence concentration (blue-green algae) on the water surface layer (CyanoS). The results show that nutrients (total N, NO3-N, NH4-N, total P) were not necessary parameters for short-term algal models. ΔChla-f % is greatly influenced by the seasons, so seasonal partition of data before modeling is highly recommended. CyanoSmax and ΔChla-f% were simulated by only using multi-sensor and meteorological data (R2 = 0.73; 0.75). All the independent variables (wave, water temperature, relative humidity, depth, cloud cover) used in the model were measured online and predictable. Wave height is the most important independent variable in the shallow lake. This paper offers a new approach to simulate and predict the algal dynamics, which also can be applied in other surface water.

Pore-scale identification of residual morphology and genetic mechanisms of nano emulsified vegetable oil in porous media using 3D X-ray microtomography.

The application of emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) has attracted widespread attention in environmental remediation. Residual morphology is an important factor affecting its migration and mass transfer. However, proper identification of the EVO residual morphology at pore-scale has still remained a challenging task. Hence, this study aimed to identify the residual morphology of nanoscale EVO (NEVO) through developing a method combining natural breaks with 3D X-ray microtomography, then further explore the genetic mechanism of each residual morphology to verify the rationality of this method. The results showed that the natural breaks method can effectively classify the residual morphology of NEVO. Four morphologies including cluster, throat, corner, and membrane state were obtained from coarse, medium, and fine sands with a total proportion of 18.3%, 26.2%, and 30.8%. The cluster state was the main residual morphology, accounting for 10.0- 16.2%, then followed by corner-throat state and membrane state. Pore radius, throat radius, and length were confirmed providing sufficient evidences for cluster residues, because these factors determined the connectivity of porous media for the trapping of droplets. Comparison of the theoretical and actual results implied that capillarity coupling pore-throat shape jointly controlled corner and throat residues. Grain surface roughness and specific surface area were the main factors of membrane residue. The different residual morphologies of NEVO identified by the natural breaks method can reasonably explain their magnitude and controlling mechanisms, which in turn confirms the rationality of this method. Although the proportions of each form are related to the experimental conditions, the classification method and mechanism are of great significance for understanding NEVO residues.

Imaging and therapeutic applications of Zn(ii)-cryptolepine-curcumin molecular probes in cell apoptosis detection and photodynamic therapy.

Novel red Zn(ii) complex-based fluorescent probes featuring cryptolepine-curcumin derivatives, namely, [Zn(BQ)Cl2] (BQ-Zn) and [Zn(BQ)(Cur)]Cl (BQCur-Zn), were developed for the simple and fluorescent label-free detection of apoptosis, an important biological process. The probes could synergistically promote mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis and enhance tumor therapeutic effects in vitro and vivo.

Toxicological and ecotoxicological evaluation of the water quality in a large and eutrophic freshwater lake of China.

Effect-based methods (EBMs) are recommended as holistic approach for diagnosis and monitoring of water quality; however, the application of EBMs is still scare in China. In the present study, water quality of the freshwater lake Taihu (China) was investigated by EBMs. Different types of water samples were collected from three bays of the lake during 2015, 2016 and 2017. A battery of seven effect-based bioassays, including both specific and non-specific toxicity assays, was used. The bioassay battery was recently suggested based on joint activities of the EU project SOLUTIONS and the NORMAN network on emerging pollutants and is also under discussion for being implemented into monitoring activities in the context of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Adverse effects were observed towards the primary producer, primary consumer and fish, indicating the potential ecotoxicity of water in Taihu Lake. Mutagenic and estrogenic effects were found in the Ames fluctuation assay and ERα CALUX (Chemically Activated Luciferase Gene-eXpression) assay, respectively, highlighting the potential risks on human health. Algal growth inhibition and mutagenic effects can be observed during each of the three years. Acute toxicity towards Daphnia magna and estrogen receptor agonistic effects were found in at least one of the samples collected in 2016 and 2017, but not in 2015. The endpoints for fish toxicity in the Danio rerio fish embryo test included both lethal and additionally several sublethal effects (only for samples from 2017) and were not compared between years. Algal growth inhibition, fish embryo toxicity, mutagenic effect and estrogenicity were observed in each of the three bays, while Daphnia acute toxicity was only found in Zhushan Bay. Taking together, this study provides a big picture on the water quality of Taihu Lake. The battery of effect-based tools is promising to be a routine for water quality monitoring in China.

Dietary supplements during the cold season increase rumen microbial abundance and improve rumen epithelium development in Tibetan sheep.

Livestock on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are faced with extreme harsh winters and are often in negative energy balance during this period. Dietary supplementation can improve growth performance of Tibetan sheep and, consequently, we hypothesized that it would also increase microbial abundance and rumen epithelium development. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of feed supplementation during the cold season on rumen microbes, fermentation, epithelium development, and absorptive capability in Tibetan sheep. Eighteen 1-yr-old ewes (BW = 29.4 ± 1.79, kg) were offered oat hay ad libitum for 60 d and divided randomly into three groups: 1) no supplement; control group (CON); 2) urea-molasses lick block supplement (BS); and 3) concentrate feed supplement (CS). The ADG of CS ewes (143.3, g/d) was greater (P < 0.05) than BS ewes (87.9, g/d), which was greater (P < 0.05) than CON ewes (44.5, g/d). Serum concentrations of GH, IGF-1, and IGF-2 in the CS and BS groups were greater than in the CON group (P < 0.05). Greater relative abundance of protozoa, Ruminococcus albus, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Streptococcus bovis, and Ruminobacter amylophilus was observed in the CS and BS groups than in the CON group (P < 0.05), and relative abundances of rumen fungi, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and Prevotella ruminicola in the CS group were greater than in the BS and CON groups (P < 0.05). Ruminal total VFA, ammonia, and microbial protein concentrations in the CS and BS groups were greater than in the CON group (P < 0.05), and in the CS group were greater than in the BS group (P < 0.05). Ruminal papillae width and surface area in the CS and BS groups were greater than in the CON group (P < 0.05), while in the CS group were greater than in the BS group (P < 0.05). The mRNA expressions of IGFBP5, NHE1 (sodium/hydrogen antiporter, isoform 1), DRA (downregulated in adenoma), and Na+/K+-ATPase (sodium/potassium ATPase pump) in ruminal epithelium were greater in the CS and BS groups than in the CON group (P < 0.05), and in the CS group was greater than in the BS group (P < 0.05), while NHE3 (sodium/hydrogen antiporter, isoform 3), MCT1 (monocarboxylate transporter 1), and MCT4 (monocarboxylate transporter 4) mRNA expressions in the CS group were greater than in the BS and CON groups (P < 0.05). It was concluded that supplementing Tibetan sheep during the cold season increases rumen microbial abundance and improves fermentation parameters, rumen epithelium development, and absorptive capability.

[Nutrients Input Characteristics of the Yangtze River and Wangyu River During the "Water Transfers on Lake Taihu from the Yangtze River"].

Overall 20 surface water samples were collected from the Yangtze River, the Wangyu River and the Gonghu Bay (Lake Taihu) to clarify the pollution characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus during 2 sample stages of "Water Transfers on Lake Taihu from the Yangtze River" in August and December of 2013 respectively. The results showed that the mass concentrations of NO2- -N, NO3- -N, NH4+ -N and TN in the Gonghu Bay were lower than those of the Yangtze River and Wangyu River during the 2 water transfer processes. However, there was higher level of DON content in the Gonghu Bay than that of the Yangtze River and Wangyu River. The percentages of various N species showed that NO3- -N was the major N species in the Yangtze River and Wangyu River during the 2 water transfer processes. TP contents in samples collected from the Yangtze River displayed a constant trend compared with the Wangyu River. However, the percentages of various P species were different with each other during the 2 water transfer processes. Mass concentrations of DON and TP in surface water in August were higher than those in December and the contents of NO3- -N and TDP were lower in August than those in December. In general, NO3- -N and TPP were the main N and P species in Wangyu River from the Yangtze River. NO3- -N, PO4(3-) -P and TPP were the main N and P species in Gonghu Bay from Wangyu River during the 2 water transfer processes.

Workplace exposure to airborne alumina nanoparticles associated with separation and packaging processes in a pilot factory.

Workplace exposure to airborne Al2O3 nanoparticles in a pilot factory was characterised by particle concentrations, size distribution, morphology and chemical composition, compared with background particles. Real-time variations in number concentration (NC20-1000 nm), respirable mass concentration (MC100-1000 nm), active surface area concentration (SAC10-1000 nm) and particle size were measured at production locations involved in separation and packaging activities. Measurements during stable production periods showed significant increases in the various concentrations of agglomerated Al2O3 nanoparticles (about 305 nm) at separation locations, compared to those of background particles (p < 0.01). The size distribution model for separation processes might switch to primary nanoparticles (21-26 nm) during periods of unstable production. Packaging activities also caused significant increases in different concentrations of Al2O3 nanoparticles (about 90 nm) compared to background particles (p < 0.01). These particles exhibited a bimodal size distribution and floccus or cloudy-like agglomerates of primary nanoparticles. NC20-1000 nm and active SAC10-1000 nm variations showed the same trend, and were temporally consistent with particle emission scenarios or worker activities, but differed from that for respirable MC100-1000 nm. There was strong correlation between active SAC10-1000 nm and NC20-1000 nm (r = 0.823), moderate correlation between active SAC10-1000 nm and respirable MC100-1000 nm (r = 0.666) and relatively weak correlation between NC20-1000 nm and respirable MC100-1000 nm (r = 0.361). These findings from the pilot factory suggest significant exposure to Al2O3 nanoparticles or their agglomerates, associated with separation and packaging processes. The number and active surface area concentrations may be distinct from mass concentration and might be more appropriate for characterizing exposure to airborne nanoparticles.

Efficacy and safety of chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors combined with bevacizumab versus chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors alone in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors combined with bevacizumab versus chemotherapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitors alone in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The PubMed/MEDLINE, Ovid, Web of Science, CNKI, and the Cochrane Library database were searched for eligible randomized controlled trials comparing the combination of chemotherapy or epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) with bevacizumab to chemotherapy or EGFR-TKI alone. Main outcome measures were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and adverse effects. The pooled data were analyzed by STATA 12.0 and expressed as hazard ratio (HR) or risk ratio (RR), with their corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI). Nine eligible trials comprising 3,547 patients (1,779 for bevacizumab and 1,768 for controls) were included in the study. Chemotherapy or TKIs in combination with bevacizumab significantly prolonged PFS (HRpfs 0.72, 95 % CIpfs 0.66-0.79, P pfs < 0.001) and OS (HRos 0.90, 95 % CIos 0.82-0.99, P os = 0.029) as first-line treatment for NSCLC compared with chemotherapy or TKIs alone. Bevacizumab combination regimens significantly prolonged PFS (HR 0.62, 95 % CI 0.52-0.74, P < 0.001) as second-line treatment; however, no benefit regarding OS was observed with the addition of bevacizumab (HR 0.94, 95 % CI 0.78-1.12, P = 0.479). The bevacizumab group showed increased ORR in both first- and second-line treatments. The high-dose bevacizumab subgroup in combination with chemotherapy showed a statistically significant improvement in OS, PFS, and ORR (HRos 0.89, 95 % CIos 0.80-0.99, P os 0.037; HRpfs 0.71, 95 % CIpfs 0.64-0.79, P pfs < 0.01, RRorr 1.85, 95 % CIorr 1.59-2.15, P orr < 0.001, respectively); however, the low-dose bevacizumab subgroup did not show enhanced OS (HRos 0.91, 95 % CIos 0.77-1.07, P os = 0.263), and a moderate improvement of PFS and ORR (HRpfs 0.85, 95 % CIpfs 0.72-1.00, P pfs = 0.049; RRorr 1.60, 95 % CIorr 1.28-2.0, P orr < 0.001). Erlotinib in combination with bevacizumab significantly prolonged PFS (HR 0.60, P < 0.001, 95 % CI 0.51-0.71) and increased ORR (RR 1.21, 95 % CI 0.98-1.49, P = 0.067) compared with erlotinib alone. A higher incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events such as proteinuria, hypertension, and hemorrhage was observed in the bevacizumab combination group than in the control group without bevacizumab (P all < 0.05). The addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy or erlotinib can significantly improve PFS and ORR both in first- and second-line treatments of advanced NSCLC, with an acceptable risk of bleeding events, hypertension, proteinuria, and rash. Combination therapy with bevacizumab and chemotherapy is beneficial regarding OS; however, whether bevacizumab plus erlotinib can prolong OS need further validation.

Two types of lanthanide selenidostannates(IV) first prepared under the same solvothermal conditions.

Two types of lanthanide selenidostannates(iv) [Ln2(tepa)2(µ-OH)2Sn2Se6] {Ln = Y(), Pr (), Dy (), Er (), Tm (); tepa = tetraethylenepentamine} and [Ln2(tepa)2(µ2-OH)2Cl2]2[Sn4Se10]·4H2O {Ln = Y (), Dy (), Er (), Tm ()} have been synthesized under identical solvothermal conditions and characterized structurally. Type I (, , , and ) displays 1-D neutral chains [Ln2(tepa)2(µ-OH)2Sn2Se6]n, while type II (, , and ) contains discrete adamantane-like [Sn4Se10](4-) ions with binuclear lanthanide complex [Ln2(tepa)2(µ-OH)2Cl2](2+) ions as counterions. Although the solvothermal synthetic methods could result in the formation of various transition-metal chalcogenidometalates, such identical experimental conditions usually result in the only stable phases of lanthanide chalcogenidometalates. Hence, two different lanthanide selenidostannates(iv), obtained under same solvothermal conditions and starting materials, have been first observed in this work. The optical properties of all the compounds have been investigated by UV-vis spectra.

Effects of different levels of protein supplementary diet on gene expressions related to intramuscular deposition in early-weaned yaks.

This study was conducted to estimate different levels of protein supplementary diet on gene expressions related to intramuscular deposition in early-weaned yaks. Results showed that supplementary dietary protein significantly increased final weight, average daily gain (ADG), intramuscular fat (IMF), serum free fatty acid (FFA), total triglycerides, total cholesterol (Ch), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) content. There was a quadratic response of ADG, IMF, FFA, Ch, HDL and LDL to dietary crude protein (CP) level. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) enzyme activities were significantly increased by supplementary dietary CP, while hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) activities were significantly decreased. LPL, ACC and FAS enzyme activities showed quadratic increase as dietary CP increased. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), LPL, FAS, sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), ACC, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) and heart fatty-acid binding protein (H-FABP) gene expression were significantly increased by supplementary dietary CP, while HSL and CPT-1 gene expression were significantly decreased. PPARγ, LPL, SREBP-1, ACC and H-FABP gene expression showed quadratic increase as dietary CP increased. These results indicated that supplementary dietary protein increased IMF accumulation mainly to increased intramuscular lipogenic gene expression and decreased lipolytic gene expression.

[Identification of yougui and jisheng shenqi pills with FTIR and EDS fingerprint spectra by new visual comparison].

FTIR combined with EDS fingerprint spectra was first applied to the identification of two kind of traditional Chinese compound formulae-Yougui pill and Jisheng shenqi pills, which have the similar composition The IR FPS of extraction of two kinds of pills extracted with chloroform were measured by liquid membrane method. The exclusively characteristic peak groups of these two kinds of formulae were theoretically established based on the Shapiro-Wilk W testing method,and the characteristic radicals and compound species corresponding to each characteristic peak were determined. Meanwhile, EDS fingerprint spectra of the two kinds of original powders were also measured which can reflect the element species and content information. Based on the three kinds of information (characteristic peak groups, radicals and compound species, different elements), Yougui and Jisheng shenqi pills were identified quickly, precisely and reliably. In this method, infrared fingerprint spectra possess the similar ability with chromatograph fingerprint spectra in identification of traditional Chinese compound formulae. The results show that the new visual comparison method is suitable for identifying traditional Chinese compound formulae with the same dosage-form and similar composition.

Heparin for patients with growth restricted fetus: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Heparin was hypothesized to facilitate the growth of the growth-restricted fetus. Our study was to assess the efficiency of heparin in treating fetus with growth restriction and to explore the possible mechanisms. METHODS: Seventy-three pregnant women were selected in this study. Based on regular treatments, patients randomly received either heparin or dan-shen combined with low-molecular weight dextrose. A serial ultrasonography and hematological measurements were performed on each patient at the enrolment and 7 days after the first treatment. Neonatal birth weight, 1-min Apgar score and gestational age were recorded. Placentas were collected for apoptotic indices. RESULTS: Heparin significantly improved maternal hemorrheological indices, fetal growth velocities and neonatal outcomes. It also reduced apoptosis in trophoblasts. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide evidence that heparin significantly improves the growth of the growth-restricted fetus. The growth improvement is probably achieved by the changes in maternal hemorrheology and the attenuated apoptosis in trophoblasts.