Critical Role of Mineral Fe(IV) Formation in Low Hydroxyl Radical Yields during Fe(II)-Bearing Clay Mineral Oxygenation.

In subsurface environments, Fe(II)-bearing clay minerals can serve as crucial electron sources for O2 activation, leading to the sequential production of O2•-, H2O2, and •OH. However, the observed •OH yields are notably low, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the production of oxidants from oxygenation of reduced Fe-rich nontronite NAu-2 and Fe-poor montmorillonite SWy-3. Our results indicated that the •OH yields are dependent on mineral Fe(II) species, with edge-surface Fe(II) exhibiting significantly lower •OH yields compared to those of interior Fe(II). Evidence from in situ Raman and Mössbauer spectra and chemical probe experiments substantiated the formation of structural Fe(IV). Modeling results elucidate that the pathways of Fe(IV) and •OH formation respectively consume 85.9-97.0 and 14.1-3.0% of electrons for H2O2 decomposition during oxygenation, with the Fe(II)edge/Fe(II)total ratio varying from 10 to 90%. Consequently, these findings provide novel insights into the low •OH yields of different Fe(II)-bearing clay minerals. Since Fe(IV) can selectively degrade contaminants (e.g., phenol), the generation of mineral Fe(IV) and •OH should be taken into consideration carefully when assessing the natural attenuation of contaminants in redox-fluctuating environments.

Association between prognostic nutritional index and mortality risk in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), reflecting the body's immune-nutritional status, has been established as a correlate of prognosis across various diseases. However, its significance in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between PNI and clinical outcomes in CAP patients. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the PNI in adults with CAP admitted to the ICU. Participants were selected from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database and categorized into quartiles (Q1-Q4) according to their PNI values. We employed Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, multivariate Cox regression, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models to explore the association between PNI and the clinical outcomes of these CAP patients. RESULTS: In this study, we included 1,608 patients with CAP. The observed 30-day and 90-day mortality rates stood at 30.85% and 39.99%, respectively. Patients with higher PNI levels exhibited a reduced risk of both 30-day and 90-day mortality. Following adjustment for confounders, PNI showed a significant negative association with 30-day mortality [HR, 0.93 (0.91-0.94), P < 0.001] and 90-day mortality [HR, 0.94 (0.92-0.95), P < 0.001]. RCS analysis revealed a consistent trend of declining all-cause mortality risk corresponding to increasing PNI values. PNI demonstrated predictive value for 30-day and 90-day mortality in CAP patients, with AUCs of 0.71 and 0.68, respectively. Combining PNI with CURB-65 enhanced the predictive value of CURB-65. CONCLUSION: Our investigation identified a significant negative association between the PNI and the risk of mortality in patients with CAP. Additionally, the PNI demonstrated superior predictive value for mortality risk in CAP patients when compared to the CURB-65 scoring system.

Development and validation of a nomogram for assessing survival in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Early prediction of survival of hospitalized acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) patients is vital. We aimed to establish a nomogram to predict the survival probability of AECOPD patients. METHODS: Retrospectively collected data of 4601 patients hospitalized for AECOPD. These patients were randomly divided into a training and a validation cohort at a 6:4 ratio. In the training cohort, LASSO-Cox regression analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were utilized to identify prognostic factors for in-hospital survival of AECOPD patients. A model was established based on 3 variables and visualized by nomogram. The performance of the model was assesed by AUC, C-index, calibration curve, decision curve analysis in both cohorts. RESULTS: Coexisting arrhythmia, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) usage and lower serum albumin values were found to be significantly associated with lower survival probability of AECOPD patients, and these 3 predictors were further used to establish a prediction nomogram. The C-indexes of the nomogram were 0.816 in the training cohort and 0.814 in the validation cohort. The AUC in the training cohort was 0.825 for 7-day, 0.807 for 14-day and 0.825 for 21-day survival probability, in the validation cohort this were 0.796 for 7-day, 0.831 for 14-day and 0.841 for 21-day. The calibration of the nomogram showed a good goodness-of-fit and decision curve analysis showed the net clinical benefits achievable at different risk thresholds were excellent. CONCLUSION: We established a nomogram based on 3 variables for predicting the survival probability of AECOPD patients. The nomogram showed good performance and was clinically useful.

Leucine protects bovine intestinal epithelial cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis by alleviating oxidative damage.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate whether leucine (Leu) alleviates oxidative injury in bovine intestinal epithelial cells (BIECs) induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: BIECs were treated with H2 O2 (1 mmol L-1 ) and/or Leu (0, 0.9, 1.8 or 3.6 mmol L-1 ) for 2 h. Leu increased cell viability (P < 0.05) and decreased the release of lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05) in BIECs challenged by H2 O2 . Then, the cells were treated with H2 O2 (1 mmol L-1 ) and/or Leu (1.8 mmol L-1 ) for 2 h. Compared with the H2 O2 group, cells treated with Leu and Leu + H2 O2 exhibited increased (P < 0.05) mRNA and protein expression of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). BIECs treatment with Leu significantly reduced (P < 0.05) apoptosis induced by H2 O2 . BIECs were transfected with Nrf2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) for 48 h and/or treated with H2 O2 (1 mmol L-1 ) and/or Leu (1.8 mmol L-1 ) for another 2 h. Transfection with Nrf2 siRNA abrogated the protective effect of Leu against H2 O2 -induced apoptosis and the mRNA and protein expression of SOD2 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that Leu promotes the relative expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD2, CAT and GPx1) and phase II detoxification enzymes (HO-1) by upregulating nuclear Nrf2 and activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway, thus enhancing the antioxidant capacity of cells. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Elevated CO2 and soil mercury stress affect photosynthetic characteristics and mercury accumulation of rice.

This is a novel study about responses of leaf photosynthetic traits and plant mercury (Hg) accumulation of rice grown in Hg polluted soils to elevated CO2 (ECO2). The aim of this study was to provide basic information on the acclimation capacity of photosynthesis and Hg accumulation in rice grown in Hg polluted soil under ECO2 at day, night, and full day. For this purpose, we analyzed leaf photosynthetic traits of rice at flowering and grain filling. In addition, chlorophyll content, soluble sugar and Malondialdehyde (MDA) of rice leaves were measured at flowering. Seed yield, ear number, grain number per ear, 1000-grain weight, total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) contents were determined after harvest. Our results showed that Hg polluted soil and ECO2 had no significant effect on leaf chlorophyll content and leaf mass per area (LMA) in rice. The contents of soluble sugar and MDA in leaves increased significantly under ECO2. Mercury polluted soil treatment significantly reduced the light saturated CO2 assimilation rate (Asat) of rice leaves only at flowering, but not at grain filling. Night ECO2 greatly improved rice leaf water use efficiency (WUE). ECO2 greatly increased seed yield and ear number. In addition, ECO2 did not affect THg accumulation in rice organs, but ECO2 and Hg treatment had a significant interaction on MeHg in seeds, husks and roots.

Classification of tomato seedling chilling injury based on chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and DBO-BiLSTM.

Introduction: Tomatoes are sensitive to low temperatures during their growth process, and low temperatures are one of the main environmental limitations affecting plant growth and development in Northeast China. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging technology is a powerful tool for evaluating the efficiency of plant photosynthesis, which can detect and reflect the effects that plants are subjected to during the low temperature stress stage, including early chilling injury. Methods: This article primarily utilizes the chlorophyll fluorescence image set of tomato seedlings, applying the dung beetle optimization (DBO) algorithm to enhance the deep learning bidirectional long short term memory (BiLSTM) model, thereby improving the accuracy of classification prediction for chilling injury in tomatoes. Firstly, the proportion of tomato chilling injury areas in chlorophyll fluorescence images was calculated using a threshold segmentation algorithm to classify tomato cold damage into four categories. Then, the features of each type of cold damage image were filtered using SRCC to extract the data with the highest correlation with cold damage. These data served as the training and testing sample set for the BiLSTM model. Finally, DBO algorithm was applied to enhance the deep learning BiLSTM model, and the DBO-BiLSTM model was proposed to improve the prediction performance of tomato seedling category labels. Results: The results showed that the DBO-BiLSTM model optimized by DBO achieved an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score with an average of over 95%. Discussion: Compared to the original BiLSTM model, these evaluation parameters improved by 9.09%, 7.02%, 9.16%, and 8.68%, respectively. When compared to the commonly used SVM classification model, the evaluation parameters showed an increase of 6.35%, 7.33%, 6.33%, and 6.5%, respectively. This study was expected to detect early chilling injury through chlorophyll fluorescence imaging, achieve automatic classification and labeling of cold damage data, and lay a research foundation for in-depth research on the cold damage resistance of plants themselves and exploring the application of deep learning classification methods in precision agriculture.

Association between the stress hyperglycemia ratio and mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

The stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) is established as a reliable marker for assessing the severity of stress-induced hyperglycemia. While its effectiveness in managing patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) remains to be fully understood. We aim to explore the relationship between SHR and clinical prognosis in AIS patients and to assess how diabetes status influences this relationship. In this study, we analyzed data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database, selecting patients with AIS who required ICU admission. These patients were categorized into tertiles based on their SHR levels. We applied Cox hazard regression models and used restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves to investigate relationships between outcomes and SHR. The study enrolled a total of 2029 patients. Cox regression demonstrated that a strong correlation was found between increasing SHR levels and higher all-cause mortality. Patients in the higher two tertiles of SHR experienced significantly elevated 30-day and 90-day mortality rates compared to those in the lowest tertile. This pattern remained consistent regardless of diabetes status. Further, RCS analysis confirmed a progressively increasing risk of all-cause mortality with higher SHR levels. The findings indicate that SHR is association with increased 30-day and 90-day mortality among AIS patients, underscoring its potential value in risk stratification. Although the presence of diabetes may weaken this association, significant correlations persist in diabetic patients.

Sodium butyrate administration improves intestinal development of suckling lambs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation on growth performance, intestinal barrier functions, and intestinal bacterial communities in sucking lambs. Forty lambs of 7 d old, with an average body weight (BW) of 4.46 ±â€…0.45 kg, were allocated into the control (CON) or SB group, with each group having five replicate pens (n = 5). Lambs were orally administered SB at 1.8 mL/kg BW in the SB group or the same volume of saline in the CON group. Treatments were administered from 7 to 35 d of age, when one lamb from each replicate was slaughtered to obtain intestinal tissues and contents. The results showed that supplementation with SB tended to increase the BW (P = 0.079) and the starter intake (P = 0.089) of lambs at 35 d of age. The average daily gain of lambs in the SB group was significantly greater than that in the CON group (P < 0.05). The villus height of jejunum in the SB group was markedly higher (P < 0.05) than that in the CON group. In ileum, lambs in the SB group had lower (P < 0.05) crypt depth and greater (P < 0.05) villus-to-crypt ratio than those in the CON group. Compared with the CON group, the mRNA and protein expressions of Claudin-1 and Occludin were increased (P < 0.05) in the SB group. Supplementation with SB decreased the relative abundances of pathogenic bacteria, including Clostridia_UCG-014 (P = 0.094) and Romboutsia (P < 0.05), which were negatively associated with the intestinal barrier function genes (P < 0.05). The relative abundance of Succiniclasticum (P < 0.05) was higher in the SB group, and it was positively correlated with the ratio of villi height to crypt depth in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the function "Metabolism of Cofactors and Vitamins" was increased in the SB group lambs (P < 0.05). In conclusion, SB orally administration during suckling period could improve the small intestine development and growth performance of lambs by inhibiting the harmful bacteria (Clostridia_UCG-014, Romboutsia) colonization, and enhancing intestinal barrier functions.

It is well known that butyrate and its derivatives have various benefits for the rumen development of ruminants, whereas its effects on the small intestine in preweaned lambs have received little attention. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation on growth performance, intestinal barrier functions, and intestinal bacterial communities in sucking lambs. The results indicated that SB dietary treatment has beneficial effects on the small intestine development and growth performance of suckling lambs.

The association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and autoimmune diseases: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Objective: Observational studies have reported that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often accompanied by autoimmune diseases, but the causal relationships between them remain uncertain. In this Mendelian study, we aimed to investigate the potential causal relationship between COPD and four common autoimmune diseases. Methods: We conducted an analysis of summary data on COPD and autoimmune disease using publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data. We initially employed the inverse- variance weighted method as the primary approach to establish the causal impact of COPD on autoimmune diseases in the sample and conducted additional sensitivity analyses to examine the robustness of the results. Subsequently, we performed reverse Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses for the four autoimmune diseases. Finally, the potential for bidirectional causal relationships was assessed. Results: Our MR analysis revealed no significant causal relationship between COPD and any of the studied autoimmune diseases. However, reverse MR results indicated a significant association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and the risk of developing COPD, with respective odds ratios (OR) of 377.313 (95% CI, 6.625-21487.932, P = 0.004) for RA and 11.097 (95% CI, 1.583-77.796, P = 0.015) for OA. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results. Conclusion: Our findings support a potential causal relationship between autoimmune diseases and COPD, highlighting the importance of considering comorbidities in clinical management of COPD.

Aspirin reduces the mortality risk of patients with community-acquired pneumonia: a retrospective propensity-matched analysis of the MIMIC-IV database.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the lung parenchyma in individuals who have not recently been hospitalized. It remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Aspirin is a widely used drug, often administered to CAP patients. However, the benefits of aspirin remain controversial. Objective: We sought to determine whether aspirin treatment has a protective effect on the outcomes of CAP patients. Methods: We selected patients with CAP from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Propensity score matching (PSM) balanced baseline differences. A multivariate Cox regression model assessed the relationship between aspirin treatment and 28-day mortality. Results: A total of 3,595 patients were included, with 2,261 receiving aspirin and 1,334 not. After PSM, 1,219 pairs were matched. The 28-day mortality rate for aspirin users was 20.46%, lower than non-users. Multivariate Cox regression indicated aspirin use was associated with decreased 28-day mortality (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.63-0.88, p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between 325 mg/day and 81 mg/day aspirin treatments in terms of 28-day mortality, hospital mortality, 90-day mortality, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and thrombocytopenia. However, intensive care unit (ICU) stay was longer for the 325 mg/day group compared to the 81 mg/day group (4.22 vs. 3.57 days, p = 0.031). Conclusion: Aspirin is associated with reduced 28-day mortality in CAP patients. However, 325 mg/day aspirin does not provide extra benefits over 81 mg/day and may lead to longer ICU stays.

Prolonged elevated heart rate is association with adverse outcome in severe pulmonary embolism: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a critical condition characterized by the obstruction of pulmonary arteries by thrombi, which significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality globally. Although prolonged elevated heart rate (peHR) is recognized as a risk factor for adverse outcomes in critically ill patients, its specific impact on severe PE has remained unexplored. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. Patients diagnosed with PE were included in the study. peHR was defined as heart rates exceeding 100 beats per minute on at least 11 occasions within any 12-h interval. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the impact of peHR on 30-day and 90-day mortality rates, adjusting for a broad range of demographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: A total of 1248 patients were included in this study, of whom 540 exhibited peHR. These patients experienced significantly longer hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stays, as well as higher mortality rates at both 30 days (25.93 % vs. 14.97 %, P < 0.001) and 90 days (33.89 % vs. 22.74 %, P < 0.001) compared to patients without peHR. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed peHR as an independent predictor of increased mortality at 30 days (HR 1.56, 95 % CI 1.19-2.07; P = 0.0014) and 90 days (HR 1.66, 95 % CI 1.32-2.10; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: peHR significantly worsens outcomes in severe PE patients, underscoring the need for stringent heart rate monitoring and management. These findings advocate for integrating heart rate control within management strategies for severe PE, potentially improving survival outcomes.

Polydopamine-Based Resveratrol-Hyaluronidase Nanomedicine Inhibited Pancreatic Cancer Cell Invasive Phenotype in Hyaluronic Acid Enrichment Tumor Sphere Model.

The dense storm microenvironment formed by an excessively cross-linked extracellular matrix, such as hyaluronic acid and collagens, serves as a major barrier that prevents drugs from reaching the deeper tumor. Current traditional two-dimensional (2D) cultures are not capable of modeling this drug delivery barrier in vitro. Thus, tumor spheroids have become increasingly important in cancer research due to their three-dimensional structure. Currently, various methods have been developed to construct tumor spheroids. However, there are still challenges, such as lengthy construction time, complex composition of added growth factors, and high cultivation costs. To address this technical bottleneck, our study combined the GelMA hydrogel system to develop a rapid and high-yield method for tumor spheroids generation. Additionally, we proposed an evaluation scheme to assess the effects of drugs on tumor spheroids. Building on the hyaluronic acid-rich pathological tumor microenvironment, we constructed a resveratrol-loaded nano-drug delivery system with tumor stroma modulation capability and used a three-dimensional (3D) tumor sphere model to simulate in vivo tumor conditions. This process was utilized to completely evaluate the ability of the nano-drug delivery system to enhance the deep penetration of resveratrol in the tumor microenvironment, providing new insights into future oncology drug screening, efficacy assessment, and drug delivery methods.

Influence of probiotic supplementation on the growth performance, plasma variables, and ruminal bacterial community of growth-retarded lamb.

Introduction: Growth-retarded lambs would reduce the economic incomes of sheep farming. Nutritional interventions are supposed to promote gastrointestinal health and the compensatory growth of growth-retarded lambs. This study evaluated the effects of probiotic supplementation on the growth performance, plasma characteristics and ruminal bacterial community of growth-retarded lambs. Methods: Twenty-four 50-days old male Hu lambs, including 8 healthy lambs (13.2 ± 1.17 kg) and 16 growth-retarded lambs (9.46 ± 0.81 kg), were used in this study. The 8 healthy lambs were fed the basal diet and considered the positive control (GN), and the other 16 growth-retarded lambs were randomly assigned into 2 groups (basal diet without probiotic [negative control, GR] and basal diet supplementation with 1 g/kg concentrate feed probiotic [GRP]), with each group having 4 replicate pens. The feeding trial lasted for 60 days with 7 days for adaptation. Results: The results showed that dietary supplementation with probiotic increased (p < 0.05) the average daily gain and dry matter intake of growth-retarded lambs. For growth-retarded lambs, supplementation with probiotic increased (p < 0.05) the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as the concentrations of growth hormone and immunoglobulin G. Furthermore, the highest (p < 0.05) concentrations of interleukin-6, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha were observed in the GR group. The concentrations of total volatile fatty acids and acetate in growth-retarded lambs were increased by probiotic supplementation (p < 0.05). The relative abundances of Ruminococcus, Succiniclasticum and Acidaminococcus were lower (p < 0.05) in growth-retarded lambs. However, probiotic supplementation increased (p < 0.05) the relative abundances of these three genera. Discussion: These results indicate that dietary supplementation with probiotic are promising strategies for improving the growth performance of growth-retarded lambs by enhancing immunity and altering the ruminal microbiota.

Supramolecular self-assembled AIE molecules are used in the search for target proteins in norcantharidin.

Norcantharidin (NCTD), a demethylated derivative of cantharidin, is an anticancer active component in traditional Chinese medicine. At present, the main methods for finding its target proteins are pharmacological methods and biophysical screening, which cannot achieve the purpose of efficient and accurate screening. Here we established a new analytical method for specific fishing and assisted imaging for norcantharidin target proteins. For the AIE supramolecule probe, the benzophenone azide (BPA) fluorescent nanoparticles with strong AIE properties were encapsulated in biocompatible DSPE-PEG that covalently coupled with NCTD (named BPA@NCTD NPs). The target proteins of NCTD can be captured by BPA@NCTD NPs, and then be detected to investigate the potential signaling pathways. The screened differential proteins were analysed through the protein and signaling pathway database, and multiple signaling pathways were obtained and verified. The mechanism of norcantharidin in inhibiting the migration and invasion of A549 cells through the P53 signaling pathway was confirmed by Western blot experiments. Our research showed that AIE supramolecule probe BPA@NCTD NPs has the dual functions of specific screening of A549 cells target proteins and biological imaging, which not only offers a good anti-fluorescence quenching ability for the dynamic imaging process of NCTD, but also provides a novel and efficient specific method for efficient analysis of target proteins and signal pathways.

A left pulmonary artery sling with left bronchiectasis in an adult patient: A case report and review of literature.

Pulmonary artery sling (PAS) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly, and is usually diagnosed during the infantile or fetal period. Adult presentation of PAS is rare. We report a 55-year-old woman with left pulmonary artery sling and left lung bronchiectasis, performing as persistent shortness of breath, coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed the aberrant left pulmonary artery emerging from the right pulmonary artery and crossing to the left between the trachea and oesophagus. We experienced a rare adult case with LPAS and left bronchiectasis, stressing the importance of the anatomic abnormalities in such cases.

Hepar-on-a-sensor-platform with hybridization chain reaction amplification strategy to intuitively monitor the hepatoxicity of natural compounds.

The irrational use of natural compounds in the treatment of diseases can lead to serious side effects, especially hepatoxicity, and its toxic effects are usually cumulative and imperceptible. Therefore, an accurate sensing platform is urgently needed to monitor the hepatotoxicity of natural compounds. Here, we deposited a thermo-responsive alginate-RGD/Pluronic hydrogel to construct an in vitro three-dimensional(3D) hepar-platform, and a thorough validation was adopted to evaluate the bioprinted hepatic constructs. The engineered hepar-platform was then employed to access its biological response toward Emodin (EM) and Triptolide (TP), two typical hepatotoxic natural compounds. Subsequently, we integrated it with a robust fluorescent sensor based on hybridization chain reaction amplification strategy (HCR) to monitor the early hepatotoxic biomarker - glutathione-S-transferase-alpha (GST-α) secreted by this 3D constructs. Our study was the first attempt to construct an accurate hepar-on-a-sensor platform that could effectively detect GST-α for monitoring the hepatoxic effects of natural compounds. The limit of detection of the platform was 0.3 ng ml-1 and the accuracy of this platform was verified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, the variation of GST-α induced by EM and TP was consistent with hepatotoxicity studies, thus providing an important application value for evaluating the hepatotoxicity of natural compounds. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: 1. We deposited a thermo-responsive alginate-RGD/Pluronic hydrogel to construct an in vitro three-dimensional(3D) hepar-platform, and elucidated the essential reasons why hybrid bioinks more suitable for 3D extrusion from biomaterials itself. Also, a thorough validation associated with a series of important proteins and genes involved in liver cell metabolism was adopted to evaluate the bioprinted hepatic constructs accurately 2. Glutathione-S-transferase-alpha is a soluble trace biomarker for acute hepatotoxic injury, the hepatotoxic effects of natural compounds on the secretion of GST-α has not been reported to date. We integrated our 3D hepar-platform with recognition molecules-aptamers and HCR amplification strategy to monitor the variation of GST-α, aiming at developing a robust and stable fluorescent biosensing platform to monitor the hepatoxicity of natural compounds.

Feasibility of using ammonium iron (II) sulphate to passivate hexavalent chromium in polluted soil.

ABSTRACTThe use of ammonium iron (II) sulphate ((NH4)2Fe(SO4)2) to remediate soil contaminated with Cr (VI) was assessed. (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2 effectively remediated soil contaminated with Cr (VI) and, acted as a fertilizer by supplying nitrogen because it contains ammonium. The effects of the (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2 dose, water content, pH of the soil and the contact time were investigated. The amount of Cr (VI) leached from the most-polluted soil, determined using a leaching toxicity procedure using optimized conditions, was 347.64 mg kg-1 when the soil was untreated and 6.74 mg kg-1 when the soil was treated with (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2. Bio-utilizable Cr contributed 59.44% and 0.16% of the total Cr contents of the untreated and treated soil, respectively. The relatively stable Cr species contributed 24.92% and 98.38% of the total Cr contents of the untreated and treated soil, respectively. The results indicated that adding (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2 markedly decreased the risk of Cr being released from heavily contaminated soil by decreasing the availability of Cr in the soil. Overall, the results indicated that adding (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2 causes some Cr (VI) in contaminated soil to be reduced to Cr (III), and to form a precipitate, which decreases the risk of Cr being released. (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2 can be applied to soil contaminated with Cr (VI) on a large scale because it is cheap and simple to achieve.

A theranostic microneedle array patch for integrated glycemia sensing and self-regulated release of insulin.

Diabetes can cause various complications and affect the normal functioning of the human body. A theranostic and diagnostic platform for real-time glycemia sensing and simultaneous self-regulated release of insulin is desired to improve diabetic patients' life quality. Here, we describe a theranostic microneedle array patch, which enables the achievement of visualization quantification of glycemia and simultaneously self-regulated release of insulin. The microneedle patch (MNDF) was fabricated by crosslinking of 3-aminophenylboronic acid (ABA)-modified sodium alginate and chondroitin sulfate. The hierarchical structure consisted of a tip part containing mineralized insulin particles and glucose oxidase (GOD) for insulin release, and a base surface embodying 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and (horseradish peroxidase) HRP for real-time glycemia sensing. In the presence of glucose, GOD converts glucose into H+ and H2O2, driving gradual dissolution of the calcium layer of insulin particles, resulting in long-acting release of insulin. By the bio-catalytic action of HRP, the generated H2O2 brings about a visible color change allowing the glucose level at the base surface to be read out. We believe that the theranostic microneedle array patch can act as a promising alternative for future clinical applications.

Weaning Age Affects the Development of the Ruminal Bacterial and Archaeal Community in Hu Lambs During Early Life.

Weaning plays an important role in many animal processes, including the development of the rumen microbiota in ruminants. Attaining a better understanding of the development of the rumen microbial community at different weaning stages can aid the identification of the optimal weaning age. We investigated the effects of weaning age on ruminal bacterial and archaeal communities in Hu lambs. Thirty male Hu lambs were randomly assigned to two weaning-age groups: a group weaned at 30 days of age (W30) and a group weaned at 45 days of age (W45), with each group having five replicate pens. On the weaning day (day 30 for W30 and day 45 for W45) and at 5 days postweaning [day 35 for W30 (PW30) and day 50 for W45 (PW45)], one lamb from each replicate was randomly selected and sacrificed. Rumen contents were collected to examine the ruminal microbiota. Compared to W30, PW30 had a decreased relative abundance of Bacteroidetes. At genus level, the extended milk replacer feeding (W45 vs. W30) increased the relative abundance of Ruminococcus while decreased that of Prevotella and Dialister. Compared to W30, PW30 exhibited decreased relative abundances of Prevotella, Dialister and Bacteroides but an increased unclassified Coriobacteriaceae. No significant difference was noted in the detected archaeal taxa among the animals. The function "biosynthesis of secondary metabolites" was less predominant in PW30 than in W30, whereas the opposite held true for "metabolism of cofactors and vitamins." Some bacterial genera were significantly correlated with rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration or other animal measures, including negative correlations between ruminal VFA concentration and unclassified Mogibacteriaceae and unclassified Veillonellaceae; positive correlations of ruminal papillae length with Fibrobacter and unclassified Lachnospiraceae, but negative correlations with Mitsuokella and Succiniclasticum; and negative correlations between plasma D-lactate concentration and Prevotella, unclassified Paraprevotellaceae, and Desulfovibrio. Our results revealed that the ruminal bacterial community underwent larger changes over time in lambs weaned at 30 days of age than in lambs weaned half a month later. Thus, extending milk replacer feeding to 45 days weaning was recommended from the perspective of the rumen microbial community in the Hu lamb industry.

Pulmonary rehabilitation focusing on the regulation of respiratory movement can improve prognosis of severe patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China, it has become a global public health emergency. Besides conventional care, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an equally important treatment for patients with COVID-19 suffering from respiratory, physical and psychological disease. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of PR on the inpatients with severe COVID-19. METHODS: This study was a self-pre- and post-control prospective clinical trial, which totally recruited 31 inpatients confirmed COVID-19 by RT-PCR. They were performed 3-week PR. The demographic data, medical records, symptoms, laboratory findings and chest computed tomographic (CT) scans of patients were collected at baseline. The effect of PR was assessed by questionnaires before PR as well as after 2- and 3-week PR. RESULTS: After 3-week PR and treatment, neutrophil percentage decreased, while lymphocyte percentage and lymphocyte count increased (before vs. 2 weeks after PR respectively: P=0.001; P=0.001; P<0.0001). Besides, CRP and procalcitonin reduced significantly (before vs. after respectively: P<0.0001; P=0.023). Patients' oxygen intake decreased and oxygen saturation increased significantly. Meanwhile, PR relieved the patients' symptoms of cough and dyspnea, improved the patients' self-care ability, physical fitness and mental state significantly. Activities of daily living (ADL) score increased and Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC) decreased after PR. CONCLUSIONS: PR can relieve symptoms, enhance health-related quality of life, improve respiratory muscle function and alleviate disease-related anxiety and depression of severe patients with COVID-19. PR should be provided throughout the diseases management process, regardless of whether the patient is hospitalized or at home.