Selenium nanomaterials improve the quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by modulating root growth, nutrient availability, and photosynthesis.

Macro- or micro-nutrients are essential for crop yield and nutritional quality. In this work, selenium engineering nanomaterials (Se ENMs, 0.5 mg‧kg-1) significantly increased the yield and nutritional quality of lettuce, which was better than that of selenite (Na2SeO3). Under the treatment of Se ENMs, macro-nutrients including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were increased by 15.8%, 98.5%, 42.8%, 146.9%, and 62.5%, respectively, and micro-nutrients including manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) were also increased by 87.4%, 78.0%, 61.1%, and 56.1%, respectively. As a result, the improved nutritional status of lettuce leaves increased photosynthesis (59.2%) and yield (37.6%). Root diameters and root tips of lettuce were increased by 23.9% and 18.6%, respectively, upon exposure to Se ENMs, which may be responsible for facilitating the absorption of macro and micro nutrients from the soil. These effects were significantly better than SeO32- treated group. Metabolome results indicated that Se ENMs could improve the shikimic acid, phenylalanine, and tyrosine pathway, resulting in an enhancement of the beneficial compounds, including quercetin, rutin, and coumarin, by 2.9, 2.7, and 2.4-fold, respectively. Besides, pyruvic acid and TCA cycle were also improved by Se ENMs. These results provide new insight into the positive effect of Se ENMs on crop yield and nutritional quality, which demonstrate that the Se ENMs-enabled agriculture practices have a promising prospect as a sustainable crop strategy.

Multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatic cancer: a case report.

Background: Carcinoma of the head of pancreas has a high malignant degree and the 5-year survival rate at 5%. For unresectable pancreatic cancer, the 5-year survival rate is even lower. The clinical diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is difficult, and surgical indications are difficult to grasp. Moreover, perioperative and postoperative management is complex, and patients with different conditions need more attention to implement a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment strategy. In the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer and even other cancers, multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment can provide reasonable, personalized and more effective plans for patients so that cancer patients can receive better treatment and improve their quality of life. The multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment model can respond to the complex needs to individual patients. Case Description: This model is designed according to each patient's comprehensive situation, including their clinical symptoms, biochemical indicators, body mass index, and psychological status, and the tumor position, pathological tissue typing, and invasion scope. Complications of tumors can be reduced if treatment is controlled and if radical treatments are used within a broader comprehensive care model, thereby improving the quality of life of patients to prolong their survival. In our case report, the overall survival is much longer than un-resectable pancreatic cancer (median overall survival 6-9 months. The female patient was 53 years old. Her chief complaints were yellow skin, yellow urine, and absorption emaciation for 1 month. The preliminary diagnosis was postoperative pancreatic cancer. CT reexamination suggested portal vein liver metastasis. Repeated gastrointestinal bleeding occurs over the course of the disease. Postoperative review suggested recurrence, and she was admitted to First Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University. During the treatment, the disease progressed to gastrointestinal bleeding, ascites, and jaundice. Conclusions: After multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) discussion, targeted treatment strategies were developed to improve the symptoms and improve the quality of life of the patients.

Bionanofiber Assisted Decoration of Few-Layered MoSe2 Nanosheets on 3D Conductive Networks for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution.

Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2 ) has emerged as a promising electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, its properties are still confined due to the limited active sites and poor conductivity. Thus, it remains a great challenge to synergistically achieve structural and electronic modulations for MoSe2 -based HER catalysts because of the contradictory relationship between these two characteristics. Herein, bacterial cellulose-derived carbon nanofibers are used to assist the uniform growth of few-layered MoSe2 nanosheets, which effectively increase the active sites of MoSe2 for hydrogen atom adsorption. Meanwhile, carbonized bacterial cellulose (CBC) nanofibers provide a 3D network for electrolyte penetration into the inner space and accelerate electron transfer as well, thus leading to the dramatically increased HER activity. In acidic media, the CBC/MoSe2 hybrid catalyst exhibits fast hydrogen evolution kinetics with onset overpotential of 91 mV and Tafel slope of 55 mV dec-1 , which is much more outstanding than both bulk MoSe2 aggregates and CBC nanofibers. Furthermore, the fast HER kinetics are well supported by theoretical calculations of density-functional-theory analysis with a low activation barrier of 0.08 eV for H2 generation. Hence, this work highlights an efficient solution to develop high-performance HER catalysts by incorporating biotemplate materials, to simultaneously achieve increased active sites and conductivity.

[Correlation Study on Pathological Characteristics of Target Organs and Excess Evil Syndrome in IgA Nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between pathological characteristics of target organs and excess evil syndrome in IgA nephropathy. METHODS: Data were collected in multicenter cooperation. Totally 266 IgA nephropathy patients were typed into exogenous wind-heat affection syndrome (49 cases), lower energizer damp-heat syndrome (100 cases), damp-phlegm syndrome (43 cases), and blood stasis syndrome (74 cases). Meanwhile, percutaneous renal biopsy was performed in all patients for Hass classification, Oxford classification, Katafuchi integral, and Jiang's classification methods. The correlation between excess evil syndrome and pathological index was analyzed. RESULTS: Four syndrome types were correlated with their Hass levels (r = 0. 341, P <0. 01). Affection of exogenous wind-heat syndrome was correlated with segmental proliferation of endothelial cells and damaged active lesions of segmental capillary loops. Lower-energizer damp-heat syndrome was associated with Hass III level, destroying active lesions of capillary loops, segmental proliferation of endothelial cells, glomerular segmental lesions, focal interstitial infiltration of inflammatory cells, focal interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Blood stasis syndrome was associated with Hass IV level, glomerular sclerosis, segmental glomerulosclerosis (S)/adhesion, mesangial hypercellularity (M), angiohyalinosis, multi-foci interstitial infiltration of inflammatory cells, multi-foci interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Phlegm-damp syndrome had higher proportions of Hass I and III levels, but with no association with other pathological parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Excess evil syndrome was associated with partial pathological characteristics of IgA nephropathy. It could reflect pathological damage degree of target organs, activities, chronic lesions, and prognosis of IgA nephropathy to certain extent. Correlated pathological characteristics and its evolution could indicate excess evil syndrome types and their evolution rules.

Anti-hyperuricemic and nephroprotective effects of Rhizoma Dioscoreae septemlobae extracts and its main component dioscin via regulation of mOAT1, mURAT1 and mOCT2 in hypertensive mice.

Rhizoma Dioscoreae septemlobae (RDSE) has been widely used for the treatment of hyperuricemia in China. However, the therapeutic mechanism has been unknown. This study investigated the antihyperuricemic mechanisms of the extracts obtained from RDSE and its main component dioscin (DIS) in hyperuricemic mice. Hyperuricemic mice were induced by potassium oxonate (250 mg/kg). RDSE or DIS was orally administered to hyperuricemic mice at dosages of 319.22, 638.43, 1276.86 mg/kg/day for 10 days, respectively. Uric acid or creatinine in serum and urine was determined by HPLC or HPLC-MS/MS, respectively. The xanthine oxidase (XO) activities in mice liver were examined in vitro. Protein levels of organic anion transporter 1 (mOAT1), urate transporter 1 (mURAT1) and organic cation transporter 2 (mOCT2) in the kidney were analyzed by western blotting. The results indicated that uric acid and creatinine in serum were significantly increased by potassium oxonate, as compared to that of control mice. Compared saline-treated group, after RDSE treatment in the high and middle dose, the expression of mOAT1 increased 47.98 and 54.48 %, respectively, which accompanied with the decreased expression of mURAT1 (47.63 %) in high dose. After DIS treatment in high, middle and low dose, the expression of mOAT1 increased 23.93, 32.80 and 25.28 % compared to saline-treated group, respectively, which accompanied with the decreased expression of mURAT1 (51.07, 51.42 and 51.35 %). However, RDSE and DIS displayed a weak XO inhibition activity compared with allopurinol. Therefore, RDSE and DIS processed uricosuric and nephroprotective actions by regulation of mOAT1, mURAT1 and mOCT2.

[Study on effect of fushenkeli on expression of TAK1 in human renal tubular epithelial cells and its possible mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of fushenkeli on the expression of TAK1 in the proliferation of the renal tubular epithelial cells induced by TGF-beta1 and its possible mechanism. METHOD: Human renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells were divided into five groups:blank control group, TGF-beta1 group (5 microg x L(-1)), intervention group 1 (5 microg x L(-1) of TGF-beta1 + 100 mg x L(-1) of fushenkeli), intervention group 2 (5 microg x L(-1) of TGF-beta1 + 500 mg x L(-1) of fushenkeli) and intervention group 3 (5 microg x L(-1) of TGF-beta1 + 1 g x L(-1) of fushenkeli). HK-2 proliferation was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Type IV collagen in the supernatants of the cultured HK-2 was detected by ELISA at 12, 24, 48 hours respectively. The protein and mRNA expressions of TAK1 was measured by Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR. RESULT: 1) The cell proliferation and the expression of type IV collagen were increased compared with the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01), but they were decreased in intervention group. 2) The expressions of protein and mRNA of TAK1 in TGF-beta1 group were upregulating significantly compared with control group (P<0.01), but they were downregulating in intervention group, especially in intervention group 3. CONCLUSION: Fushenkeli could inhibits TAK1 expression induced by TGF-beta1 in the proliferation of HK-2 cell.

[Effect of combined therapy with hypha Cordyceps and ginkgo leaf tablet on micro-inflammation in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the status of the micro-inflammation in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis and the effect of combined therapy with hypha cordyceps and ginkgo leaf tablet for its prevention and treatment. METHODS: Sixty-five patients undergoing long-term maintenance hemodialysis were randomly assigned to the treated group (33 patients) and the control group (32 patients). Patients in both groups underwent hemodialysis regularly, meanwhile, 3 capsules of Jinshuibao (each capsule containing hypha cordyceps 0.33 g) and 1 tablet of ginkgo leaf tablet (0.23 g/tablet) were additiolally given to the patients in the treated group orally, 3 times per day, and 3 months as 1 treatment course. Their serum inflammatory factors, such as high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), which could reveal the state of microinflammation, were determined before and after treatment. And the same index was also determined in 30 healthy persons allocated in a normal control group. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the serum levels of hs-CRP (4.94 +/- 2.21 mg/L), IL-6 (0.472 +/- 0.220 microg/L) and TNF-alpha (1.748 +/- 0.724 microg/L) in the treated group were higher before treatment, these indexes decreased markedly after treatment (3.28 +/- 1.28 mg/L, 0.379 +/- 0.163 microg/L, and 1.330 +/- 0.458 microg/L, respectively, all P < 0.01), but without significant change in the control group. CONCLUSION: Micro-inflammation reaction exists popularly in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, and the combined therapy with hypha cordyceps and ginkgo leaf tablet could effectively improve this kind of micro-inflammation reaction.