Epidemiological survey and risk factor analysis of high-risk human papillomavirus in women in Longgang District, Shenzhen.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection in married women in Longgang District, Shenzhen, and to analyze the distribution of HPV subtypes across different age groups while identifying risk factors associated with HPV infection. Methods: 1. From January 2018 to December 2020, 209,627 married women in Longgang District were selected as study subjects, using high-risk HPV testing as the primary screening means. HPV 16 or 18 positive directly referred to colposcopy, other types positive continued liquid-based thin-layer cytology (TCT) examination, if ≥ ASCUS, referred to colposcopy, and biopsy if necessary. 2. 210 female patients who came to our hospital for HPV testing from January 2018 to December 2020 were used for the study, including 130 HPV-positive patients and 80 HPV-negative patients. The risk factors of HPV infection were studied by questionnaire. Results: The HPV infection rate in 2018 was 13.17%, including LSIL 6.87%, HSIL 3.57%, the single type infection rate was 79.83%, top5 monotypes were 52, 53, 16, 58, 81, multiple types infection rate was 20.17%, top5 multiple types were 52/ 53, 52/68, 16/52 52/58, 52/81; 2019 HPV positivity rate was 10.23%, including LSIL 5.98%, HSIL 5.81%, the monotypic infection rate was 82.5%, top5 monotypic were: 52, 16, 58, 51, 53, multi heavy sex infection rate was 17.5%, top5 multi typic were: 52/53, 52/58, 52/68, 16/52, 51/52; HPV positive rate in 2020 was 11.28%, including LSIL 6 %, HSIL 4.84%, monotypic infection rate was 79.89%, top5 monotypic were: 52, 16, 53, 58, 51, multiheavy category infection rate was 20.11%, top5 multitypic were: 52/58, 16/52, 52/68, 52/53, 51/52. 30-50 years old is the high prevalence age of HPV susceptibility, followed by 50-60 years old, and HPV52 is the most common type. 2. 210 female patients were surveyed by filling out questionnaires: Smoking history, age at first sex, age at first pregnancy, abortion, number of sexual partners, contraceptive method, bleeding during intercourse, cervicitis, vaginitis, sleeping habits, and mental status totaling 11 factors were significant between infected and control (P < .05). Dichotomous logistic regression analysis with these 11 factors as independent variables and HPV infection as dependent variable revealed that abortion (OR=2.117, 95% CI: 1.337-3.354), number of sexual partners (OR=2.562, 95% CI: 1.222-5.373), cervicitis (OR=2.873, 95% CI: 1.407-5.868), vaginitis (OR=2.413, 95% CI: 1.158-5.026) staying up late (OR=2.408, 95% CI: 1.134-5.115) and mental status (OR=3.139, 95% CI: 1.470-6.703) were six factors that were risk factors for HPV infection. Conclusion: The common HPV infection types among women in Longgang district were mainly 52, 16, 58, 53, and 51, with a predominance of a single type of infection. The positive rate and pathogenicity of HPV 52 were higher than HPV 16. Women aged 30-60 years should be included in priority screening for cervical lesions. The six factors of miscarriage, number of sexual partners, cervicitis, vaginitis, staying up late, and mental status were risk factors for HPV infection occurrence.

Perioperative Toripalimab Plus Chemotherapy for Patients With Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The Neotorch Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapy have improved clinical outcomes for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the optimal combination of checkpoint inhibition with chemotherapy remains unknown. Objective: To determine whether toripalimab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy will improve event-free survival and major pathological response in patients with stage II or III resectable NSCLC compared with chemotherapy alone. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with stage II or III resectable NSCLC (without EGFR or ALK alterations for nonsquamous NSCLC) from March 12, 2020, to June 19, 2023, at 50 participating hospitals in China. The data cutoff date for this interim analysis was November 30, 2022. Interventions: Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive 240 mg of toripalimab or placebo once every 3 weeks combined with platinum-based chemotherapy for 3 cycles before surgery and 1 cycle after surgery, followed by toripalimab only (240 mg) or placebo once every 3 weeks for up to 13 cycles. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were event-free survival (assessed by the investigators) and the major pathological response rate (assessed by blinded, independent pathological review). The secondary outcomes included the pathological complete response rate (assessed by blinded, independent pathological review) and adverse events. Results: Of the 501 patients randomized, 404 had stage III NSCLC (202 in the toripalimab + chemotherapy group and 202 in the placebo + chemotherapy group) and 97 had stage II NSCLC and were excluded from this interim analysis. The median age was 62 years (IQR, 56-65 years), 92% of patients were male, and the median follow-up was 18.3 months (IQR, 12.7-22.5 months). For the primary outcome of event-free survival, the median length was not estimable (95% CI, 24.4 months-not estimable) in the toripalimab group compared with 15.1 months (95% CI, 10.6-21.9 months) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.28-0.57], P < .001). The major pathological response rate (another primary outcome) was 48.5% (95% CI, 41.4%-55.6%) in the toripalimab group compared with 8.4% (95% CI, 5.0%-13.1%) in the placebo group (between-group difference, 40.2% [95% CI, 32.2%-48.1%], P < .001). The pathological complete response rate (secondary outcome) was 24.8% (95% CI, 19.0%-31.3%) in the toripalimab group compared with 1.0% (95% CI, 0.1%-3.5%) in the placebo group (between-group difference, 23.7% [95% CI, 17.6%-29.8%]). The incidence of immune-related adverse events occurred more frequently in the toripalimab group. No unexpected treatment-related toxic effects were identified. The incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse events, fatal adverse events, and adverse events leading to discontinuation of treatment were comparable between the groups. Conclusions and Relevance: The addition of toripalimab to perioperative chemotherapy led to a significant improvement in event-free survival for patients with resectable stage III NSCLC and this treatment strategy had a manageable safety profile. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04158440.

Diagnostic performance analysis of the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) screening tool for identifying decline in intrinsic capacity.

BACKGROUND: Intrinsic capacity (IC) is a comprehensive indicator of an individual's positive attributes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a two-step approach to assess IC decline among older people. The first step involves the used of the integrated care for older people (ICOPE) screening tool to identify potential issues, and the second step involves using detailed assessments for confirmation. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of the ICOPE screening tool as a simple preliminary screening to identify IC decline among community-dwelling older people, which has been rarely reported in China. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 228 community-dwelling older individuals aged ≥ 75 (mean age, 84.0 ± 4.4 years; 131 [57.5%] females) who completed the IC evaluation according to the WHO IC assessment pathway. The diagnostic performance of the ICOPE screening tool was calculated using a 2 × 2 table and a receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: The proportion of possible IC decline identified by the ICOPE screening tool was 79.4%, whereas the actual IC decline assessed by the detailed assessment was 73.2%, mainly in locomotion. The ICOPE screening tool showed sensitivity and specificity of 94.6% and 62.3%, respectively, with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 86.0%. The diagnostic effectiveness of the ICOPE screening tool was 0.91 (95% confidence interval: 0.87-0.95, p = 0.020). Except for the sensory dimension, the sensitivity of the ICOPE screening tool for diagnosing impairments in each dimension of the IC was the highest in the cognition domain (100%) and the lowest in the vitality domain (51.3%), whereas the specificity was the highest in vitality (94.7%) and the lowest in cognition (55.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The ICOPE screening tool exhibits high sensitivity and can be used as an IC screening tool in community-dwelling older people. However, further improvements are needed in the vitality dimension of the ICOPE screening tool to enhance its sensitivity in identifying individuals at risk of malnutrition.

Mechanism of Procyanidin B2 in the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Based on Integrating Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pharmacological mechanism of procyanidin B2 (PCB2) on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by integrating network pharmacological methods systematically. METHODS: Firstly, the potential target genes of PCB2 were predicted by the pharmacological database and analysis platform (TCMSP and Pharmmapper). Meanwhile, the relevant target genes of CML were collected from GeneCards and DisGene. Pooled data were collected to screen for common target genes. Furthermore, the above intersection genes were imported into the String website to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway were further analyzed. Besides, molecular docking was performed to verify the possible binding conformation between PCB2 and candidate targets. Finally, MTT and RT-PCR experiments of K562 cells were performed to verify the above results of network pharmacology. RESULTS: A total of 229 PCB2 target genes were retrieved, among which 186 target genes had interaction with CML. The pharmacological effects of PCB2 on CML were related to some important oncogenes and signaling pathways. The top ten core targets predicted by Network Analysis were as follows: AKT1, EGFR, ESR1, CASP3, SRC, VEGFA, HIF1A, ERBB2, MTOR, and IGF1. Molecular docking studies confirmed that hydrogen bonding was the main interaction force of PCB2 binding targets. According to the molecular docking score, the following three target proteins were most likely to bind to PCB2: VEGFA (-5.5 kcal/mol), SRC (-5.1 kcal/mol), and EGFR (-4.6 kcal/mol). After treatment of PCB2 for 24h, mRNA expression levels of VEGFA and HIF1A decreased significantly in K562 cells. CONCLUSION: Through integrating network pharmacology combined with molecular docking, the study revealed the potential mechanism of PCB2 anti-chronic myeloid leukemia.

Combined application of moist exposed burn ointment and maggot therapy in wound healing.

OBJECTIVE: Hard-to-heal wounds are a global health challenge, and effective treatments are still lacking. Moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO) and maggots are traditional treatments for promoting wound healing. This study was a preliminary exploration of combined maggot therapy and MEBO in the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds. METHOD: A coexistence experiment was conducted to determine the survival rates of maggots in MEBO. The maggots were placed in two different existence conditions: one set in MEBO (MEBO group), and another set as the control group (no MEBO) to compare survival rates. Case reports describe the use of the combined application of MEBO and maggots in the treatment of patients with hard-to-heal wounds. RESULTS: The coexistence experiment indicated that maggots in the MEBO group had a higher survival rate. From the therapeutic effect of the clinical cases (n=7), the combined application was safe and effective, with all the reported wounds eventually healing. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, we believe the combined application of MEBO and maggots is a promising way of promoting wound healing. Further studies and clinical trials are needed to elucidate the mechanism of the combined application in promoting wound healing and to more persuasively clarify the therapeutic effect.

TNKPVI, a Putative Bioaccessible Pharmacophore of Anti-Inflammatory Potato Patatin-Derived Decapeptide DIKTNKPVIF.

Potato protein-derived decapeptide DIKTNKPVIF exerted anti-inflammatory activity in animal models when delivered via intragastric gavage and intraperitoneal injection. However, DIKTNKPVIF is susceptible to hydrolysis in the digestive tract, which will decrease its bioaccessibility and possibly bioactivity. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity of fragments generated from in silico gastrointestinal enzymatic hydrolysis of DIKTNKPVIF was investigated using the human monocytic (THP-1) cell line. The simulated digestion by pepsin and trypsin released four fragments, DIKTNKPVI, TNKPVIF, DIK and TNKPVI. The peptides lacked the cleavage sites of chymotrypsin. All five peptides were predicted to be non-toxic, which was validated using cytotoxicity assay at 0.25-1 mM peptide concentration. However, the peptides were predicted to possess poor pharmacokinetic profiles, including low passive gastrointestinal absorption and blood-brain barrier permeability. TNKPVIF, DIK and TNKPVI significantly reduced the amount of pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor in lipopolysaccharide-activated THP-1 cells. Notably, the anti-inflammatory activity of fragment TNKPVI was comparable to that of the parent decapeptide while peptide fragment DIKTNKPVI had no apparent effect on the pro-inflammatory cytokines. This highlights the important role of the C-terminal phenylalanine residue of the parent peptide in the bioactivity. Furthermore, given its activity and the absence of cleavage sites of major digestive proteases, TNKPVI could be the biostable and bioaccessible pharmacophore of potato patatin-derived anti-inflammatory decapeptide DIKTNKPVIF.

Paeoniflorin Ameliorates Hyperprolactinemia-Induced Inhibition of Osteoblastogenesis by Suppressing the NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Hyperprolactinemia is a common endocrine disease in women of reproductive age. Research has shown that patients with hyperprolactinemia often have decreased bone mineral density and an increased risk of fractures. However, there is still a lack of effective treatments. Paeoniflorin, one of the primary bioactive components in peony, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Research has shown that paeoniflorin promotes osteoblast differentiation. However, whether paeoniflorin plays a role in hyperprolactinemia-induced osteoblastogenesis inhibition is not yet clear. In this study, we investigated the effect of paeoniflorin on prolactin (PRL)-mediated inhibition of osteoblast function. Our results showed that prolactin significantly reduced the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Osterix, and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) in MC3T3-E1 cells cultured in an osteoblast differentiation medium, suggesting that prolactin inhibited osteoblast function. After treatment with paeoniflorin (PF), the expression of these osteoblast markers was upregulated. In addition, our findings proved that paeoniflorin increased the absorbance values of ALP-positive cells and the areas of alizarin red S (ARS) deposition compared to those in the prolactin group, suggesting that paeoniflorin reversed the PRL-induced reduction in osteoblast differentiation. The PRL-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) was significantly reversed by paeoniflorin, indicating that paeoniflorin promoted osteoblast function by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. In summary, these results showed that paeoniflorin alleviated the inhibitory effect of prolactin on osteoblastogenesis by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Magnetic Resonance/Infrared Dual-Modal Imaging-Guided Synergistic Photothermal/Photodynamic Therapy Nanoplatform Based on Cu1.96S-Gd@FA for Precision Cancer Theranostics.

Developing new nanoplatforms for dynamically and quantitatively visualizing drug accumulation and targeting within tumors is crucial for precision cancer theranostic. However, achieving efficient tumor therapy via synergistic photothermal/photodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT) using a single excitation light source, remains a challenge. In this work, we designed Gd-surface functionalized copper sulfide nanoparticles that were modified with folic acid (FA) (Cu1.96S-Gd@FA) to overcome the above limitations and promote PTT/PDT therapeutics. Here, Cu1.96S-Gd nanoparticles were synthesized via a coprecipitation method. All samples exhibited high longitudinal relaxivity (up to 12.9 mM-1 s-1) and strong photothermal conversion efficiency (50.6%). Furthermore, the Gd ions promoted electron-hole segregation, inducing the Cu1.96S-Gd nanoparticles to generate more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than pure Cu1.96S nanoparticles. The Cu1.96S-Gd@FA enabled the targeting of folate receptor (FR) and promoted cellular uptake, consequently enhancing oncotherapy efficacy. Compared to non-targeted Cu1.96S-Gd, a higher signal enhancement for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in vivo by Cu1.96S-Gd@FA was recorded. Given photothermal ability, the nanoparticles also could be visualized in infrared (IR) imaging. Furthermore, the nanoparticles exhibited biodegradation behavior and achieved good drug elimination performance via renal clearance. Our strategy, integrating Cu1.96S-Gd@FA nanoparticles, MR/IR dual-modal imaging, and PTT/PDT into one nanoplatform, demonstrated great potential for anti-breast cancer therapy by effectively targeting FR overexpressed breast cancer cells.

The distribution of phosphorus, carotenoids and tocochromanols in grains of four Chinese maize (Zea mays L.) varieties.

Grains of three specialty maize varieties and one conventional maize variety cultivated in China were collected and dissected to obtain the germ, endosperm, and pericarp fraction, and the distribution pattern of phosphorus, carotenoids, and tocochromanols was determined. The results showed that phytochemical contents varied significantly among different maize fractions. The germ fraction accounted for 78.3 to 86.5% of the total phosphorus present in the maize kernels. Over 86.9% of carotenoids were located in the endosperm. Except for waxy maize, 64.5 to 74.8% of the tocochromanols were contributed by the germ. Considerable differences in phytochemical contents were observed between the genotypes. Waxy maize contained the highest content of tocopherols, tocotrienols and tocochromanols meanwhile waxy maize had the lowest carotenoid and phytate phosphorus content. High lysine maize contained the highest levels in carotenoids and lowest tocochromanols. Over all, total carotenoids were significantly inversely associated with total tocochromanols.

Nano-silica embedded polydimethylsiloxane on interdigitated sensor as adhesive polymer for detecting lung cancer mutation.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) incited by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation makes up ∼85% of lung cancer diagnosed and death cases worldwide. The presented study introduced an alternative approach in detecting EGFR mutation using nano-silica integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer on interdigitated electrode (IDE) sensor. A 400 µm gap-sized aluminum IDE was modified with nano-polymer layer, which was made up of silica nanoparticles and PDMS polymer. IDE and PDMS-coated IDE (PDMS/IDE) were imaged using electron microscopes that reveals its smooth and ideal sensor morphology. The nano-silica-integrated PDMS/IDE surface was immobilized with EGFR probe and target to specify the lung cancer detection. The sensor specificity was justified through the insignificant current readouts with one-base mismatch and noncomplementary targets. The sensitivity of nano-silica-integrated PDMS/IDE was examined with mutant target spiked in human serum, where the resulting current affirms the detection of EGFR mutation. Based on the slope of the calibration curve, the sensitivity of nano-silica-integrated PDMS/IDE was 2.24E-9 A M-1 . The sensor recognizes EGFR mutation lowest at 1 aM complementary mutant target; however, the detection limit obtained based on 3σ calculation is 10 aM with regression value of 0.97.

Seasonal and spatial variations in nutrients under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors in coastal waters of the northern Yellow Sea, China.

Analysis of the common and most influential natural and anthropogenic activities on the spatiotemporal variation in nutrients at a multiannual scale is important. Eleven cruises from 2015 to 2017 were carried out to better elucidate the seasonal and spatial variations in nutrients, as well as the impact factors on dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phosphorus (DIP) and silicate (DSi). Both nutrient concentrations and forms showed similar and significant seasonal variations over the 3 years, and were closely related to the biomass and species of phytoplankton. Terrestrial inputs had significant effects on the spatial distribution of nutrients throughout the year, especially in the surface water, which showed DIN > DIP>DSi. In summer, shellfish aquaculture and hypoxia jointly affected the spatial distribution of nutrients. The bottom water nutrient concentrations in the aquaculture area were 1.1-2.3 times higher than those outside of the aquaculture area. Seasonal hypoxia can increase the release of DSi and NH4+ from the sediment to the water. In summary, anthropogenic activities and physical conditions jointly influenced the nutrient distributions.

Confocal hyperspectral microscopic imager for the detection and classification of individual microalgae.

We propose a confocal hyperspectral microscopic imager (CHMI) that can measure both transmission and fluorescent spectra of individual microalgae, as well as obtain classical transmission images and corresponding fluorescent hyperspectral images with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Thus, the system can realize precise identification, classification, and location of microalgae in a free or symbiosis state. The CHMI works in a staring state, with two imaging modes, a confocal fluorescence hyperspectral imaging (CFHI) mode and a transmission hyperspectral imaging (THI) mode. The imaging modes share the main light path, and thus obtained fluorescence and transmission hyperspectral images have point-to-point correspondence. In the CFHI mode, a confocal technology to eliminate image blurring caused by interference of axial points is included. The CHMI has excellent performance with spectral and spatial resolutions of 3 nm and 2 µm, respectively (using a 10× microscope objective magnification). To demonstrate the capacity and versatility of the CHMI, we report on demonstration experiments on four species of microalgae in free form as well as three species of jellyfish with symbiotic microalgae. In the microalgae species classification experiments, transmission and fluorescence spectra collected by the CHMI were preprocessed using principal component analysis (PCA), and a support vector machine (SVM) model or deep learning was then used for classification. The accuracy of the SVM model and deep learning method to distinguish one species of individual microalgae from another was found to be 96.25% and 98.34%, respectively. Also, the ability of the CHMI to analyze the concentration, species, and distribution differences of symbiotic microalgae in symbionts is furthermore demonstrated.

Fermentation quality of herbal tea residue and its application in fattening cattle under heat stress.

BACKGROUND: Herbal tea residue (HTR) is generally considered to be the waste of herbal tea beverage production while it still retains rich nutrients and active substances. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of fermentation technology on improving the quality of HTRs, and focus on the fermented HTR-induced alleviation of summer heat stress in fattening cattle. RESULTS: In this study, the waste HTR was fermented and then fed to a total of 45 fattening cattle that were divided into 3 groups (fermented HTR replaced 0, 15, 30% of the forage component of the diet), and the feeding experiment was lasted for 40 days. The physiological indexes, growth performance and fecal microbiota of fattening cattle were evaluated and results showed that fermented HTR could effectively reduce the respiratory rate and rectal temperature of fattening cattle under heat stress, increase the daily feed intake and daily gain, and improve the antioxidant content and blood immune index. In addition, we studied the fecal microbiota composition of 6 fattening cattle in control and 30% HTR substitution groups and found fermented HTR significantly changed the composition of fecal microbiota and increased microbial diversity, and correlation analysis suggested that the bacteria were closely related to fecal SCFA levels of fattening cattle under heat stress. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, fermented HTR replaced 30% of the forage component of the diet that can change the intestine microorganisms, maintain health and alleviate the heat stress of fattening cattle.

Supplementation of Kiwifruit Polyphenol Extract Attenuates High Fat Diet Induced Intestinal Barrier Damage and Inflammation via Reshaping Gut Microbiome.

Background: Impaired intestinal integrity and barrier function is associated with various diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome. In recent years, plant-derived polyphenols have attracted much attention on regulating intestinal barrier function. Kiwifruit was recorded as a traditional Chinese medicine which can treat gastrointestinal diseases, but the mechanism was still unclear. In this study we investigated the effects of kiwifruit polyphenol extracts (KPE) on high fat diet induced intestinal permeability and its possible mechanism. Results: Dietary supplementation of KPE with 50 or 100 mg/kg bw could inhibit the increase of intestinal permeability caused by HFD and promote the expression of tight junction protein (Claudin-1, Occludin and ZO-1). From microbial diversity and RT-PCR, KPE administration reshaping gut microbiome, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium were increased, and the relative abundance of Clostridium and Desulfovibrionaceae were decreased. The changes in microbe may influence intestinal inflammatory status. Then the expression of TLRs and cytokines were detected. KPE supplementation showed anti-inflammatory effect, the expression of IL-10 was increased and the expression of TLR-2, TLR-4, TNF-α and IL-1ß were decreased. Correlation analysis indicated that the expression of tight junction protein was negative correlation with TLR-2, TLR-4, TNF-α and IL-1ß expression, but positively correlated with Bacteroidete, Bifidobacterium and IL-10 expression; the expression of Bacteroidete, Lactobacillusand and Bifidobacterium were negative correlation with TLR4, TNF-α, and IL-1ß expression. Conclusion: KPE treatment relieve the intestinal damage caused by HFD, which was related to the regulation of Bacteroidete, Lactobacillusand, and Bifidobacterium expression and inhibit intestinal inflammation. KPE could be a functional component for preventing gut damage and its related disease.

Modified Xiaochaihu Decoction for gastroesophageal reflux disease: A randomized double-simulation controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has a high prevalence worldwide, and its incidence is increasing annually. Modified Xiaochaihu Decoction (MXD) could relieve the symptoms of GERD, but the effects of MXD on GERD manifestations and relapse prevention need to be further explained. Therefore, we performed a prospective, double-blind, and double-simulation study. AIM: To verify the efficacy of MXD for GERD and its effect on esophageal motility. METHODS: Using randomization, double-blinding, and a simulation design, 288 participants with GERD were randomized to the treatment group and control group and received herbs (MXD) plus omeprazole simulation and omeprazole plus herbs simulation, respectively, for 4 wk. The GERD-Q scale score and esophageal manometry were measured at baseline, after treatment, and at 1 mo and 3 mo follow-up visits when medication was complete to evaluate recurrence indicators. RESULTS: The GERD-Q scale score in both groups decreased significantly compared to those before treatment (P < 0.01). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). Esophageal manometry showed that participants with lower esophageal sphincter pressure reduction and the proportion of ineffective swallowing (more than 50%) improved in both groups from baseline (P < 0.01), especially in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The percentage of small intermittent contractions, large intermittent contractions, and increased pre-phase contractions in the treatment group significantly improved compared with baseline (P < 0.05) but did not improve in the control group (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups after treatment (P > 0.05). The percentage of weak esophageal contractility (distal contractile integral < 450 mmHg·s·cm), improved in both groups (P < 0.01), but no significant difference was observed between the groups after treatment (P > 0.05). The relapse rate in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group at the 1 mo (P < 0.01) and 3 mo follow-up (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: MXD has a similar therapeutic effect to omeprazole in mild-to-moderate GERD. The therapeutic effect may be related to increased pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter and reduced ineffective swallowing.

Effects of Herbal Tea Residue on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Muscle Metabolome, and Rumen Microbiota Characteristics in Finishing Steers.

Herbal tea residue (HTR) contains various medicinal and nutritional components and is a potential high-quality unconventional source of roughage. In this study, a total of 30 healthy Simmental crossbred finishing steers were equally divided into two groups: CN (fed with a basic diet) and RE (HTR partly replaced Pennisetum purpureum). HTR did not alter the growth performance of steers but increased the net meat rate, tenderness, and water-holding capacity and increased the moisture content and oleic acid and linoleic acid concentrations in longissimus dorsi. It altered muscle metabolic pathways and improved rumen fermentation by increasing the propionic acid concentration and propionic acid-to-acetic acid ratio. We studied the steers' rumen microbial community composition and determined their correlation with the tested parameters. Certain rumen microorganisms were closely associated with muscle glucolipid metabolites and rumen NH3-N and volatile fatty acid levels. Our findings suggest that, as a functional roughage source, HTR improved to a certain extent the meat quality of steers by altering the rumen microbial composition and affecting the rumen fatty acid composition and muscle glucolipid metabolism.

Seasonal and spatial variation in abundance of the copepod Calanus sinicus: Effects of decreasing dissolved oxygen and small jellyfish bloom in northern Yellow Sea, China, nearshore waters.

A hypoxia event occurred in the nearshore of the northern Yellow Sea in summer 2016, and a bloom of small jellyfish occurred in June of this year. As a key copepod species in the Yellow Sea, Calanus sinicus exhibits early recruitment mainly in this nearshore area. Therefore, this study assessed the effects of these two phenomena on C. sinicus especially on their early recruitment. Sampling in nearshore waters was performed every month from May to December, except for October 2016. The numerical abundance of eggs and nauplii (E + N), copepodites and adults (C + A) of C. sinicus was determined in relation to environmental factors. Results showed that dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations decreased from June on, attaining a minimum in August, and showed a significant positive relationship with C. sinicus E + N abundance. This suggested that decreasing DO had potential negative effects on early recruitment of C. sinicus. The abundance of small jellyfish, dominated by Sugiura chengshanense (Hydromedusa), also showed a significant positive relationship with C. sinicus E + N abundance, indicating a potential predator-prey relationship between them. Spatial relationships were also examined between E + N abundance and DO concentration in July and with small jellyfish abundance in June. Both bottom DO (B-DO) and E + N abundance in inshore waters were significantly lower than those in offshore water in July, indicating a potential negative effect of low B-DO (<6 mg L-1) in nearshore water. Spatial variation of small jellyfish abundance showed no correlation with C. sinicus abundance in June, but the non-overlapping patchy distribution also suggested their potential predator-prey relationship. Together, both the seasonal and spatial results indicated that low DO and a small jellyfish bloom in nearshore waters had detrimental effects on early recruitment of C. sinicus. These negative effects thus have the potential to indirectly impact the trophodynamics of fishery resources in the northern Yellow Sea.

Peptide-Mineral Complexes: Understanding Their Chemical Interactions, Bioavailability, and Potential Application in Mitigating Micronutrient Deficiency.

Iron, zinc, and calcium are essential micronutrients that play vital biological roles to maintain human health. Thus, their deficiencies are a public health concern worldwide. Mitigation of these deficiencies involves micronutrient fortification of staple foods, a strategy that can alter the physical and sensory properties of foods. Peptide-mineral complexes have been identified as promising alternatives for mineral-fortified functional foods or mineral supplements. This review outlines some of the methods used in the determination of the mineral chelating activities of food protein-derived peptides and the approaches for the preparation, purification and identification of mineral-binding peptides. The structure-activity relationship of mineral-binding peptides and the potential use of peptide-mineral complexes as functional food ingredients to mitigate micronutrient deficiency are discussed in relation to their chemical interactions, solubility, gastrointestinal digestion, absorption, and bioavailability. Finally, insights on the current challenges and future research directions in this area are provided.

Effects of Fermented Herbal Tea Residues on the Intestinal Microbiota Characteristics of Holstein Heifers Under Heat Stress.

Herbal tea residue (HTR) is a reusable resource with high nutritional value and bioactive substances content, which can be used as a feed additive. In the present study, HTRs were fermented by lactic acid bacteria, and then fed to a total of 90 Holstein heifers, termed as CN, LC, and HC groups. The supplementation improved physiological indices of respiratory frequency and rectal temperature, increased the concentrations of immunoglobulins and antioxidant capacity-related parameters, and reduced the concentrations of heat stress-related parameters and serum hormones. The heifers' body height increased considerably, while their energy metabolism rates were stimulated in response to fermented HTRs. We also studied the fecal microbial community composition of 8 Holstein heifers in each group, and employed correlation analysis with tested parameters. We found that the bacteria were closely related to characteristics including the energy utilization rate, growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, and fecal SCFA levels of the heifers. Based on our findings, the 5% fermented HTRs replaced corn silage might be advantageous for the heifers' characteristics under heat stress.

Analysis of Antioxidant Activity and Flavonoids Metabolites in Peel and Flesh of Red-Fleshed Apple Varieties.

In this research, we compared the phenotypical characters, total anthocyanins content, total phenols content, and antioxidant activity of red-fleshed apple cultivars 'XJ4', 'QN-5', 'DH' and 'HX1' at three fruit developmental stages. A further flavonoids metabolites study was conducted in 'XJ4' and 'DH'. We found broader variation of total anthocyanins content in the peel of the four cultivars, which might result in larger differences of free radicals scavenging rate. The most significant difference in fruit phenotype, anthocyanins content, and DPPH scavenging rate was observed between 'XJ4' and 'DH' at mature stage. Therefore, the flavonoids metabolites of 'XJ4' and 'DH' at mature stage were compared to unveil the details of anthocyanins compounds. The unique compounds pelargonidin 3-O-ß-d-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-malonylhexoside were detected only in peel and flesh of 'XJ4' but not in 'DH', which might contribute to the purple peel and dark-red flesh color of 'XJ4'. Significantly decreased upstream metabolites in the early biosynthetic genes regulated domain were found only in 'XJ4' peel but not in the flesh. This might explain why the anthocyanins content in 'XJ4' peel was decreased largely at the mature stage. Taken together, our findings will give some insight into the metabolites study in flavonoid biosynthetic pathway of red-fleshed apple.