A Rapid and Accurate UHPLC Method for Determination of Monosaccharides in Polysaccharides of Different Sources of Radix Astragali and Its Immune Activity Analysis.

With the escalating demand for Astragalus polysaccharides products developed from Radix Astragali (RA), the necessity for quality control of polysaccharides in RA has become increasingly urgent. In this study, a specific method for the simultaneous determination of seven monosaccharides in polysaccharides extracted from Radix Astragali (RA) has been developed and validated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography equipped with an ultraviolet detector (UHPLC-UV) for the first time. The 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) derivatizations were separated on a C18 column (Waters ACQUITYTM, Milfor, MA, USA, 1.8 µm, 2.1 × 100 mm) using gradient elution with a binary system of 5 mm ammonium formate (0.1% formic acid)-acetonitrile for 24 min. Additionally, seven monosaccharides showed good linear relationships (R2, 0.9971-0.9995), adequate precision (RSD < 4.21%), and high recoveries (RSD < 4.70%). The established method was used to analyze 109 batches of RA. Results showed that the Astragalus polysaccharides (APSs) mainly consist of mannose (Man), rhamnose (Rha), glucose (Glu), galactose (Gal), arabinose (Ara), xylose (Xyl); and fucose (Fuc); however, their composition was different among RA samples from different growth patterns, species, growth years, and origins, and the growth mode of RA and the age of wild-simulated RA can be accurately distinguished by principal component analysis (PCA). In addition, the immunological activity of APSs were also evaluated jointly by measurement of the NO release with RAW264.7, with the results showing that APSs have a promoting effect on the release of NO and exhibit a significant correlation with Man, Glu, Xyl, and Fuc contents. Accordingly, the new established monosaccharides analytical method and APS-immune activity determination in this study can provide a reference for quality evaluation and the establishment of quality standards for RA.

Comorbidities among adult patients with psoriasis in Tianjin: a cross-sectional analysis of the Health Database study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the prevalence of comorbidities in adult patients with psoriasis and compare them with those in control subjects without psoriasis in Tianjin, China. DESIGN: The study is a cross-sectionalanalysis. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were established by identifying all patients (age ≥18 years) who visited hospitals and clinics in Tianjin between 1 January 2016 and 31 October 2019. SETTING: The study group consisted of 20 678 adult patients with psoriasis, and a comparison group was created after 1:1 propensity score matching. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the risk of 22 comorbidities for these two groups. RESULTS: Patients with psoriasis had a significantly higher prevalence of 11 comorbidities and a lower prevalence of 2 comorbidities within 12 months of follow-up. Our results also showed that the proportion of psoriatic arthritis might account for approximately 2% of all patients with psoriasis. This psoriatic arthritis group had a higher average age and CCI (Charlson Comorbidity Index) index score (2.27 >1.62, p <0.001) than the non-arthritis group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that psoriasis in Tianjin is associated with various comorbidities. It also emphasises the importance of clinical treatment in improving therapeutic effects and reducing the burden of psoriasis in China.

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria improve the antioxidant enzyme activity of Potamogeton crispus L. and enhance the remediation effect on Cd-contaminated sediment.

Phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) assisted phytoremediation of cadmium (Cd) pollution is an effective method, but the mechanism of PSB-enhanced in-situ remediation of Cd contaminated sediment by submerged plants is still rare. In this study, PSB (Leclercia adecarboxylata L1-5) was inoculated in the rhizosphere of Potamogeton crispus L. (P. crispus) to explore the effect of PSB on phytoremediation. The results showed that the inoculation of PSB effectively improved the Cd extraction by P. crispus under different Cd pollution and the Cd content in the aboveground and underground parts of P. crispus all increased. The µ-XRF images showed that most of the Cd was enriched in the roots of P. crispus. PSB especially showed positive effects on root development and chlorophyll synthesis. The root length of P. crispus increased by 51.7 %, 80.5 % and 74.2 % under different Cd pollution, and the Ca/Cb increased by 38.9 %, 15.2 % and 8.6 %, respectively. Furthermore, PSB enhanced the tolerance of P. crispus to Cd. The contents of soluble protein, MDA and H2O2 in 5 mg·kg-1 and 7 mg·kg-1 Cd content groups were decreased and the activities of antioxidant enzymes were increased after adding PSB. The results showed that the application of PSB was beneficial to the in-situ remediation of submerged plants.

Greenhouse gas emissions of sewage sludge land application in urban green space: A field experiment in a Bermuda grassland.

Sewage sludge land application is recognized as a strategy for recycling resource and replenishing soil nutrients. However, the subsequent greenhouse gas emissions following this practice are not yet fully understood, and the lack of quantitative research and field experiments monitoring these emissions hampers the establishment of reliable emission factors. This study investigated the greenhouse gas emission characteristics of sewage sludge land application through a field experiment that monitoring soil greenhouse gas fluxes. Seven nitrogen input treatments were implemented in a typical Bermuda grassland in China, with D and C representing the amendment of digested and composted sludge, respectively, at the nitrogen input rate of 0, 100, 200, and 300 kg N ha-1. Soil CH4, CO2, and N2O fluxes were measured throughout the entire experimental period, and soil samples from different treatments at various growth stages were analyzed. The results revealed that sewage sludge land application significantly increased soil N2O and CO2 emissions while slightly reducing soil CH4 uptake. The increased CO2 emissions were biogenic and carbon-neutral, mainly due to enhanced plant root respiration. The N2O emissions were the primary greenhouse gas emissions of sewage sludge land application, which were mainly concentrated in two 50-day periods following base and topdressing fertilization, respectively. N2O emissions following base fertilization by rotary tillage were substantially lower than those following topdressing fertilization. A logarithmic response relationship between N input rates and increased soil N2O emissions was observed, suggesting lower N2O emissions from sewage sludge land application compared to conventional N fertilizers at the same N input level. Future field experiments and meta-analysis are necessary to develop reliable greenhouse gas emission factors for sewage sludge land application.

Enhancing Fenton-like reaction through a multifunctional molybdenum disulfide film coating on nano zero valent iron surface (MoS2@nZVI): Collaboration of radical and non-radical pathways.

In this study, we synthesized nano zero-valent iron incorporated with a multifunctional molybdenum disulfide film (MoS2@nZVI). The material exhibited a 100.00 % removal efficiency for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and achieved a kobs of 0.4485 min-1 within 10 min. The excellent degradation performance can be attributed to the incorporation of the MoS2 film, which facilitated Fe2+ regeneration. Simultaneously, the MoS2 film assisted in proton accumulation and electron transfer, thereby amplifying the efficiency of SMX degradation across a wide pH range. Comprehensive experimental examinations and characterizations confirmed the selectivity and stability of the MoS2@nZVI catalysts, encompassing both degradation efficiency and structural stability. Interestingly, the MoS2@nZVI/PMS system for SMX degradation significantly involved a non-radical mechanism (1O2), along with radicals (SO4·-, ·OH, and O2·-). The direct oxidation of PMS by Fe2+ not only facilitated the generation of ·OH and SO4·- but also actively engaged in a reaction with O2, leading to the production of O2·-. The primary pathway for 1O2 production was established through the interplay between Mo6+ and O2·-, in conjunction with the direct electron transfer (DET) mechanism between PMS and SMX. The contributions of these active species to SMX degradation occurred in the following precedence: SO4·- > 1O2 > ·OH > O2·-. Notably, the primary pathways for radicals and non-radicals were studied during separate reaction periods. This investigation proposed a promising approach for mitigating pharmaceutical pollutants using a transition metal sulfide-modified nZVI catalyst.

Evaporation Dynamics of Macro- and Nanodroplets on Heated Hydrophilic Rough Substrates: The Effect of Roughness and Scale.

Droplet evaporation on rough substrates plays an essential role in cooling and micro/nanoparticle assembly. Currently, there are numerous macroscopic experiments and theoretical models to investigate the droplet evaporation behavior on rough substrates. However, due to the complexity of this phenomenon, understanding its mechanisms solely through macroscale studies is difficult. To this end, molecular dynamics simulations of the models with distinct roughness factors are performed, and the obtained results are compared with those of relevant experiments of droplet evaporation on three hydrophilic substrates with different roughness average of 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 µm, respectively. In this way, we assess the evaporation on these rough systems and the effect of scale on macro- and nanodroplets, which allows us to explore deeper the mechanism of droplet evaporation on rough hydrophilic substrates. In particular, we find that in the case of macroscale droplets, the evaporation mode remains the same with increasing roughness, pointing to a combined mixed and constant-contact-radius (CCR) mode. In the case of nanoscale droplets, the evaporation model is the constant-contact-angle mode when the roughness factor r = 1, while the mixed and CCR modes are found for r = 1.5 and 2, respectively. The scale effect has significant influence on the evaporation pattern of droplets on rough hydrophilic substrates. Moreover, it is also found that increasing the roughness of substrates expands the substrate-droplet contact area on both the macro- and nanoscale, which in turn enhances the heat transfer from the substrate toward the droplet. We anticipate that this first systematic analysis of scale effects provides further insights into the evaporation dynamics of droplets on rough hydrophilic substrates and has significant implications for the advancement of nanotechnology.

Distribution and genetic characterization of fluoroquinolone resistance gene qnr among Salmonella strains from chicken in China.

The prevalence and dissemination of the plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance gene qnr in Salmonella are considered serious public health concerns worldwide. So far, no comprehensive large-scale studies have focused on the prevalence and genetic characteristics of the qnr gene in Salmonella isolated from chickens. Herein, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns, and molecular characteristics of chicken-originated qnr-positive Salmonella strains from chicken farms, slaughterhouses, and markets in 12 provinces of China in 2020-2021. The overall prevalence of the qnr gene was 21.13% (56/265), with the highest prevalence in markets (36.11%, 26/72), followed in farms (17.95%, 21/117), and slaughterhouses (10.53%, 9/76). Only the qnrS and qnrB genes were detected, and the prevalence rate of the qnrS gene (19.25%, 51/265) was higher than that of the qnrB gene (1.89%, 5/265). Whole genome sequencing identified 37 distinct AMR genes and 15 plasmid replicons, and the most frequent mutation in quinolone resistance determining regions was parC (T57S; 91.49%, 43/47). Meanwhile, four different qnrS and two qnrB genetic environments were discovered among 47 qnr-positive Salmonella strains. In total, 21.28% (10/47) of the strains were capable of conjugative transfer, and all were qnrS1-positive strains, with the majority of transferable plasmids being IncHI2 types (n = 4). Overall, the prevalence of qnr-positive Salmonella strains from chickens in China and their carriage of multiple resistance and virulence genes and transferable plasmids is a major concern, which calls for continuous surveillance of qnr-positive Salmonella and the development of measures to control its prevalence and transmission.IMPORTANCESalmonella is a common foodborne pathogen responsible for 155,000 deaths annually worldwide. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are used as first-line drugs for the treatment of Salmonella infections in several countries and regions. However, the emergence and increasing prevalence of the FQ-resistant gene qnr in Salmonella isolated from chickens have been widely reported. Gaining insight into the genetic mechanisms of AMR genes in chicken could lead to the development of preventive measures to control and reduce the risk of drug resistance. In this study, we identified qnr-positive Salmonellae isolated from chickens in different regions of China and their AMR patterns and genome-wide characteristics, providing a theoretical basis for further control of their prevalence and transmission.

Dendritic-like MXene quantum dots@CuNi as an efficient peroxidase candidate for colorimetric determination of glyphosate.

Oxidized MXene quantum dots@CuNi bimetal (MQDs@CuNi) were firstly prepared through a simple hydrothermal method. Compared to the controlled samples, MQDs@CuNi1:1 showed the highest peroxidase-like activity. The catalytic mechanism of MQDs@CuNi1:1 was investigated using a steady-state fluorescence analysis, which showed that MQDs@CuNi1:1 efficiently decomposes H2O2 and produces highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH). Furthermore, theoretical calculations showed that the remarkable catalytic activity of MQDs@CuNi1:1 originates from the interaction between CuNi bimetal and MQDs to promote the activation and decomposition of H2O2, making it easier to combine with the hydrogen at the end of 3,3',5,5'-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). Accordingly, a sensitive colorimetric sensor is proposed to detect glyphosate (Glyp), displaying a low detection limit of 1.13 µM. The work will provide a new way for the development of high-performance nanozyme and demonstrate potential applicability for the determination of pesticide residues in environment.

Land use, stratified wastewater and sediment, and microplastic attribute factors jointly influence the microplastic prevalence and bacterial colonization patterns in sewer habitats.

The capacity of microplastics to harbor and propagate bacteria has been the focus of attention over the last decade. Such microplastic-supported bacterial colonization behavior in the municipal sewer system could be a critical ecological link influencing the biogeochemical activities and risks in receiving waters in urban areas, given the alarming microplastic loads discharged there. This study conducted a large-scale survey covering a wide range of residential and industrial catchments in Shanghai, China. We aimed to assess the microplastic prevalence and bacterial colonization patterns in different sewer habitats and to explore the role of land use, stratified wastewater and sediment, and microplastic attributes in shaping the patterns. We found that the sewer system formed a temporal but pronounced microplastic pool, with land use playing a significant role in the variability of microplastic prevalence. Industrial sewers contained a high abundance of microplastics with large particle sizes, diverse polymer compositions, and shapes. However, while there was a spatial discrepancy between urban and suburban areas in the abundance of microplastics in residential sewers, their predominant polymer and shape types were simple, i.e., polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and fibers. Sewer habitat characteristics, particularly the stratified wastewater and sediment determined microbial colonization patterns. The latter acted as a long-term sink for microplastics and supported the high growth of colonizers. In contrast, the wastewater plastisphere presented novel niches, hosting communities with a marked proportion of unique bacterial genera after colonization. Besides, statistics showed a highly positive and dense co-occurrence network of the plastisphere communities, especially those from the industrial sewer sediment, with enhanced metabolic activity, cellular processes and systems, and increased human pathogenic potential. Findings indicated a coarse and uncertain effect of the selective pressure of microplastic attributes on plastisphere community structure differentiation.

Pd1Cu Single-Atom Alloys for High-Current-Density and Durable NO-to-NH3 Electroreduction.

Electrochemical reduction of NO to NH3 (NORR) offers a prospective method for efficient NH3 electrosynthesis. Herein, we first design single-atom Pd-alloyed Cu (Pd1Cu) as an efficient and robust NORR catalyst at industrial-level current densities (>0.2 A cm-2). Operando spectroscopic characterizations and theoretical computations unveil that Pd1 strongly electronically couples its adjacent two Cu atoms (Pd1Cu2) to enhance the NO activation while promoting the NO-to-NH3 protonation energetics and suppressing the competitive hydrogen evolution. Consequently, the flow cell assembled with Pd1Cu exhibits an unprecedented NH3 yield rate of 1341.3 µmol h-1 cm-2 and NH3-Faradaic efficiency of 85.5% at an industrial-level current density of 210.3 mA cm-2, together with an excellent long-term durability for 200 h of electrolysis, representing one of the highest NORR performances on record.

Tuning microscopic structure of La-MOFs via ligand engineering effect towards enhancing phosphate adsorption.

The selection of different organic ligands when synthesizing metal organic framework (MOFs) can change their effects on the adsorption performance. Here, four La-MOFs adsorbents (La-SA, La-FA, La-TA and La-OA) with different organic ligands and structures were synthesized by solvothermal method for phosphate adsorption, and the relationship between their adsorption properties and structures was established. Among four La-MOFs, their phosphate adsorption capacities and adsorption rates followed La-SA > La-FA > La-TA > La-OA. The results indicated that average pore diameter played a key role in phosphate adsorption and there was a positive correlation between average pore diameter and adsorption capacity (R2 = 0.86). Coexisting ion experiments showed that phosphate adsorptions on three La-MOFs (La-SA, La-FA and La-TA) were inhibited in the presence of CO32- and HCO3-. The inhibition of CO32- was the most pronounced and the results of redundancy analysis pointed out that it was mainly due to the change of pH value. In contrast, La-OA showed enhanced phosphate adsorption in the presence of CO32- and HCO3-, and the combination of pH experiments showed that phosphate adsorption by La-OA was increased under alkaline conditions. Further combined with FT-IR, XRD, high resolution energy spectra of XPS (La 3d, P 2p and O 1s) and XANES, the adsorption mechanisms were derived electrostatic attraction, chemical precipitation and inner sphere complexation, and the last two were identified as the main mechanisms. Moreover, it can be identified from XPS 2p that the phosphate adsorption on La-FA and La-OA were mainly in the LaPO4 state, while La-SA and La-TA mainly existed in the form of LaPO4·xH2O crystals and inner sphere complexes. From the perspective of material morphology, this work provides a thought for the rational design of MOFs with adjustable properties for phosphate adsorption.

Design and synthesis of novel 3-amino-5-phenylpyrazole derivatives as tubulin polymerization inhibitors targeting the colchicine-binding site.

As the basic unit of microtubules, tubulin is one of the most important targets in the study of anticarcinogens. A novel series of 3-amino-5-phenylpyrazole derivatives were designed and synthesized, and evaluates for their biological activities. Among them, a majority of compounds exerted excellent inhibitory activities against five cancer cell lines in vitro. Especially, compound 5b showed a strong antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cells, with IC50 value of 38.37 nM. Further research indicated that compound 5b can inhibit the polymerization of tubulin targeting the tubulin colchicine-binding sites. Furthermore, 5b could arrest MCF-7 cells at the G2/M phase and induce MCF-7 cells apoptotic in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manners, and regulate the level of related proteins expression. Besides, compound 5b could inhibit the cancer cell migration and angiogenesis. In addition, 5b could inhibit tumor growth in MCF-7 xenograft model without obvious toxicity. All these results indicating that 5b could be a promising antitumor agent targeting tubulin colchicine-binding site and it was worth further study.

High-throughput absolute quantification sequencing reveals the adaptive succession and assembly pattern of plastisphere communities in municipal sewer systems: Influence of environmental factors and microplastic polymer types.

Municipal sewer systems have received increasing attention due to the magnitude of the microplastic stock and its potential ecological impacts. However, as a critical aspect of the adverse impacts, little is known about the plastisphere that forms in these engineered environments. Using high-throughput absolute quantification sequencing, we conducted a systemic study combining field survey and laboratory batch test to explain the general plastisphere pattern and the role of environmental and polymeric factors in driving plastisphere succession and assembly there. We demonstrated the capacity of microplastics to support high levels of microbial colonization, increasing by 8.7-56.0 and 1.26-5.62 times at field and laboratory scales, respectively, despite the less diverse communities hosted in the resulting plastisphere. Sediment communities exhibited higher diversity but greater loss of specific operational taxonomic units in their plastisphere than in the wastewater. The former plastisphere had primarily an enhanced methanogenesis-oriented metabolic network linked to hydrolysis fermentation, hydrogen-producing acetogenesis, and denitrification, while the latter had a pronounced niche partitioning and competitive interaction network. Exogenous substrate flux and composition were key in stimulating plastisphere community growth and succession. Furthermore, the high nitrogen baseline facilitated alternative niche formation for plastisphere nitrifiers and denitrifiers, and the plastisphere pathogens associated with denitrification and plastic biodegradation functions increased significantly. The aerobic state also promoted a 1.71 times higher colonizer load and a denser interaction pattern than the anaerobic state. Selective filtering by polymers was evident: polyethylene supported higher plastisphere diversity than polypropylene. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms driving colonizer loads and the adaptive succession and assembly of the plastisphere in such a typically hydrodynamic and highly contaminated environment. The results help to fill the knowledge gap in understanding the potential role of microplastics in shaping the microecology of sewers and increasing health risks and substrate loss during sewer transfer.

Promoting Nitrite-to-Ammonia Electroreduction over Amorphous CoS2 Nanorods.

Electrocatalytic nitrite reduction to ammonia (NO2RR) emerges as a promising route to simultaneously attain harmful NO2- removal and green NH3 synthesis. In this study, amorphous CoS2 nanorods (a-CoS2) are first demonstrated as an effective NO2RR catalyst, which exhibits the maximum FENH3 of 88.7% and NH3 yield rate of 438.1 µmol h-1 cm-2 at -0.6 V vs RHE. Detailed experimental and computational investigations reveal that the high NO2RR performance of a-CoS2 originates from the amorphization-induced S vacancies to facilitate NO2- activation and hydrogenation, boost the electron transport kinetics, and inhibit the competitive hydrogen evolution.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of harmine derivatives as topoisomerase I inhibitors for cancer treatment.

A series of ß-carboline derivatives were designed and synthesized by introducing the chalcone moiety into the harmine. The synthesized derivatives were evaluated their anti-proliferative activities against six human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HepG2, HT29, A549, and PC-3) and one normal cell line (L02). Among them, compound G11 exhibited the potent anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 cell line, with an IC50 value of 0.34 µM. Further biological studies revealed that compound G11 inhibited colony formation of MCF-7 cells, suppressed MCF-7 cell migration by downregulating migration-associated protein MMP-2. In addition, it could induce apoptosis of MCF-7 cells by downregulating Bcl-2 and upregulating Cleaved-PARP, Bax, and phosphorylated Bim proteins. Furthermore, compound G11 can act as a Topo I inhibitor, affecting DNA synthesis and transcription, thereby inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. Moreover, compound G11 inhibited tumor growth in 4T1 syngeneic transplant mice with an inhibition rate of 43.19 % at a dose of 10 mg/kg, and 63.87 % at 20 mg/kg, without causing significant toxicity to the mice or their organs, achieving the goal of reduced toxicity and increased efficacy. All these results indicate of G11 has enormous potential as an anti-tumor agent and merits further investigation.

No Critical Ultrasound, No Life: The Value of Point-of Care Critical Ultrasound in the Rescue of Critically Ill Infants.

Point-of-care critical ultrasound (POC-CUS) screening plays an increasingly important role in the treatment of critically ill infants. Without POC-CUS, the lives of many infants would not be saved in time and correctly. A premature infant with systemic multiple organ system dysfunction caused by fungal sepsis was treated and nursed under the guidance of POC-CUS monitoring, and the infant was ultimately cured. This premature infant had systemic multiple organ system dysfunction and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) caused by fungal sepsis. In the hypercoagulable state of early-stage DIC, cardiac thrombosis could be found using ultrasound screening. For this case, right renal artery thrombosis was found via renal artery Doppler ultrasound examination. Due to the severity of this disease, ultrasound-guided peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertion and ultrasound checks of the PICC tip's position were performed, which ensured the success of this one-time catheterization and shortened the catheterization time. Lung ultrasound is used for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pulmonary diseases, and to guide the application of mechanical ventilation. Because the abdominal circumference of the patient's markedly enlarged abdominal circumference, bloody stool, and absence of bowel sounds, abdominal ultrasonography was performed, which revealed a markedly enlarged liver, significant peritoneal effusion, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Guided by POC-CUS monitoring, we had the opportunity to implement timely and effective treatment that ultimately saved this critically ill patient's life. The successful treatment of this newborn infant fully reflects the importance of carrying out POC-CUS screening.

Single-atom Cu anchored on Mo2C boosts nitrite electroreduction to ammonia.

We design single-atom Cu anchored on Mo2C (Cu1/Mo2C) as an effective electrocatalyst towards electrochemical nitrite reduction to ammonia (NO2RR), exhibiting an NH3-faradaic efficiency of 91.5% with a corresponding NH3 yield rate of 472.9 µmol h-1 cm-2 at -0.6 V vs. RHE. Theoretical computations unravel that single-atomic Cu couples with the surface Mo atom of Mo2C to enable the construction of Cu-Mo dual-active centers, which can synergistically activate NO2- and minimize the NO2--to-NH3 reaction energy barrier, whilst suppressing the competing hydrogen evolution reaction.

Adjuvant treatment with shenfu injection improve quality of life in chronic heart failure patients: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Shenfu Injection (SFI) derived from Shenfu decoction, has been widely used for treating heart failure in China. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of SFI as an adjuvant therapy on quality of life in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in CKNI, VIP, Wanfang, Sinomed, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase database until March 16, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of SFI plus conventional therapy versus conventional therapy alone for treating CHF were included. Outcome measures were quality of life defineded by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire (MLHFQ), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), 6-min walking distance, and blood brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)/N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) level. Results: Thirteen RCTs enrolling 1042 CHF patients were included. SFI plus conventional therapy significantly reduced the total MLHFQ score (mean difference [MD] -8.69 points; 95% confidence intervals [CI] -13.46 to -3.91) compared with the conventional therapy alone. Moreover, adjuvant treatment with SFI significantly improved the 6-min walking distance (MD 65.42 m; 95% CI 44.23 to 86.62), LVEF (MD 3.89; 95% CI 1.03 to 6.75), and blood level of BNP/NT-proBNP (SMD -1.73; 95% CI -2.43 to -1.03). Conclusions: Adjuvant treatment with SFI can achieve additional benefits in improving quality of life and exercise tolerance in patients with CHF. These beneficial effects of SFI may correlate with its improving cardiac function. However, our findings should be interpreted with presence of significant heterogeneity and suboptimal quality of the analyzed trials.

Roles of microglia in adult hippocampal neurogenesis in depression and their therapeutics.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis generates functional neurons from neural progenitor cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) to complement and repair neurons and neural circuits, thus benefiting the treatment of depression. Increasing evidence has shown that aberrant microglial activity can disrupt the appropriate formation and development of functional properties of neurogenesis, which will play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of depression. However, the mechanisms of the crosstalk between microglia and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in depression are not yet fully understood. Therefore, in this review, we first introduce recent discoveries regarding the roles of microglia and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in the etiology of depression. Then, we systematically discuss the possible mechanisms of how microglia regulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis in depression according to recent studies, which involve toll-like receptors, microglial polarization, fractalkine-C-X3-C motif chemokine receptor 1, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, cytokines, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and the microbiota-gut-brain axis, etc. In addition, we summarize the promising drugs that could improve the adult hippocampal neurogenesis by regulating the microglia. These findings will help us understand the complicated pathological mechanisms of depression and shed light on the development of new treatment strategies for this disease.

Dynamic characteristics of net anthropogenic phosphorus input to the upper Yangtze River Basin from 1989 to 2019: Focus on the phosphate ore rich area in China.

Phosphorus (P), a non-renewable essential resource, faces heavy exploitation and contributes to eutrophication in aquatic environments. Assessing P input is vital for a healthier P cycle in the Upper Yangtze River (UYR), a phosphate ore rich basin, where P mining and P chemical enterprises have prominent pollution problems. This study modified the net anthropogenic phosphorus input (NAPI) model to include ore mining P input (Pore). We analyzed the evolutionary characteristics of P input in five sub-basins of UYR from 1989 to 2019 using prefecture-level data, and assessed the uncertainty of the data. NAPI in all sub-basins exhibited an upward and then downward trend during 1989-2019, with the inflection point occurring in 2015 or 2016, showing a net increase of about 1.1 times (568-1162 kg P km-2 yr-1) in the whole UYR basin. Among the components of NAPI, P fertilizer inputs (Pfer) and food/non-food and feed P inputs (Pf/nf&feed) contributed comparably, though the growth rate of Pfer was most notable basin-wide. Pore proportion increased significantly (about 3-fold), with a peak of 20%, especially in Wujiang sub-basin. The multi-year (1989-2019) average NAPI in UYR rose sequentially from west to east, with hotspot areas mainly concentrated in the Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration and cities of Hubei province. The regional P input closely related to the population density and the level of agricultural development, certainly the phosphate mining was also unignorable. This study emphasizes that based on current status of NAPI development in UYR, targeted management for different regions should focus on improving agricultural P use efficiency and rational exploitation of P mineral resources.