Effects of exogenous calcium and calcium inhibitor on physiological characteristics of winter turnip rape (Brassica rapa) under low temperature stress.

Low temperature is one of the environmental factors that restrict the growth and geographical distribution of Brassica. To investigate the effects of exogenous calcium and calcium inhibitor on the ability of winter turnip rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) to withstand low temperatures (4℃), we used a strong cold-resistant variety Longyou 7 (L7) and a weak cold-resistant variety Longyou 99 (L99) as the materials. The seedlings were treated with CaCl2 (20 mmol·L-1) and calcium inhibitor LaCl3 (10 mmol·L-1) at 0 h (CK), 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after 4℃ treatments. Physiological characteristics, Ca2+ flux and Ca2+ concentration in roots after treatments were analyzed. Results illustrated that under 4℃ treatment, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) increased by both CK and exogenous CaCl2 treatments. Contents of soluble protein (SP) and proline (Pro) increased, while contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased, resulting in reduced membrane lipid peroxidation. But enzyme activity decreased and MDA content increased following treatment with exogenous LaCl3. The rate of Ca2+ flow showed a higher uptake in L7 roots compared with L99. L99 showed Ca2+ efflux with a rate of 30.21 pmol‧cm-2‧s-1, whereas L7 showed short efflux then returned to influx. Calcium ion content in roots decreased in both cultivars after CaCl2 treatment. Results of RNA-seq revealed that genes were differentially expressed in response to low temperatures, hormones, photosystem II, chloroplasts, DNA replication, ribosomal RNA processing, and translation. This study found significant expression genes related to cellular signal transduction (MAPK signaling pathway) and material metabolism (nitrogen metabolism, glycerol ester metabolism).It was also analyzed by WGCNA that two modules had the strongest correlation with physiological indicators. Eight candidate genes were identified among MAPK signaling pathway and the two modules.

The effect of telemedicine on stoma-related complications in adults with enterostomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To assess the effect of telemedicine on stoma-related complications in adults with enterostomy, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of the telemedicine group compared to the usual group. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang and VIP databases from their inception up to October 2023. Two authors independently screened and extracted data from the included and excluded literature according to predetermined criteria. Data collected were subjected to meta-analysis using Review Manager 5.3 software. The final analysis included a total of 22 articles, encompassing 2237 patients (telemedicine group: 1125 patients, usual group: 1112 patients). The meta-analysis results demonstrated that, compared to the usual group, the telemedicine group significantly reduced the overall occurrence of stoma-related complications, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.22 (95% CI = 0.15-0.32, p < 0.00001). Furthermore, it resulted in a decrease in stoma complications (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.15-0.47, p < 0.00001) and peristomal complications (OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.19-0.34, p < 0.00001). Therefore, the existing evidence suggests that the application of telemedicine can reduce the incidence of stoma and peristomal complications, making it a valuable clinical recommendation.

A Renewable Light-Promoted Flexible Li-CO2 Battery with Ultrahigh Energy Efficiency of 97.9.

Directly converting and storing abundant solar energy in next-generation energy storage devices is of central importance to build a sustainable society. Herein, a new prototype of a light-promoted rechargeable and flexible Li-CO2 battery with a TiO2 /carbon cloth (CC) cathode is reported for the direct utilization of solar energy to promote the kinetics of the carbon dioxide reduction reaction and carbon dioxide evolution reaction (CO2 ER). Under illumination, photoelectrons are generated in the conduction band of TiO2 /CC, followed by the enhancing diffusion of electrons and lithium ions during the discharge process. The photoelectrons on the cathode surface can regulate the morphology of the discharge product Li2 CO3 , contributing to boosting the kinetics of the subsequent CO2 ER process. In the reverse charge process, photogenerated holes can favor the decomposition of Li2 CO3 , leading to a negative charge potential of 2.88 V without increased polarization over ≈60 h of cycling. Owing to an ultralow overpotential of 0.06 V between the discharge and charge process, an ultrahigh energy efficiency of 97.9% is attained under illumination. The introduction of a light-promoted flexible Li-CO2 battery can pave the way toward developing the use of solar energy to address the charging overpotential of conventional Li-CO2 batteries.

Detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and rifampicin resistance via a new rapid multienzyme isothermal point mutation assay.

Simple, rapid, and accurate detection of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and drug resistance is critical for improving patient care and decreasing the spread of tuberculosis. To this end, we have developed a new simple and rapid molecular method, which combines multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification and a lateral flow strip, to detect MTBC and simultaneously detect rifampin (RIF) resistance. Our findings showed that it has sufficient sensitivity and specificity for discriminating 118 MTBC strains from 51 non-tuberculosis mycobacteria strains and 11 of the most common respiratory tract bacteria. Further, compared to drug susceptibility testing, the assay has a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 54.1%, 100.0%, and 75.2%, respectively, for detection of RIF resistance. Some of the advantages of this assay are that no special instrumentation is required, a constant low temperature of 39 °C is sufficient for the reaction, the turnaround time is less than 20 min from the start of the reaction to read out and the result can be seen with the naked eye and does not require specialized training. These characteristics of the new assay make it particularly useful for detecting MTBC and RIF resistance in resource-limited settings.

Use of TIME in treating a hard-to-heal localised scleroderma wound.

OBJECTIVE: Localised scleroderma is a rare disease and the wound is difficult to heal because of tissue fibrosis. We present the case of a patient with localised scleroderma treated using the TIME (tissue, infection or inflammation, moisture and edge of wound) clinical decision support tool (CDST) for wound management. This includes: assessment, bringing, control, decision and evaluation (the ABCDE approach). The patient was fully evaluated and multidisciplinary teams were involved in wound treatment. Complications of wound healing were controlled and treated, and the wound was continuously assessed until it healed. CONCLUSION: This method of wound management provides a sound theory for the evaluation and management of hard-to-heal wounds and is worthy of clinical application.

Light/Electricity Energy Conversion and Storage for a Hierarchical Porous In2 S3 @CNT/SS Cathode towards a Flexible Li-CO2 Battery.

A photoinduced flexible Li-CO2 battery with well-designed, hierarchical porous, and free-standing In2 S3 @CNT/SS (ICS) as a bifunctional photoelectrode to accelerate both the CO2 reduction and evolution reactions (CDRR and CDER) is presented. The photoinduced Li-CO2 battery achieved a record-high discharge voltage of 3.14 V, surpassing the thermodynamic limit of 2.80 V, and an ultra-low charge voltage of 3.20 V, achieving a round trip efficiency of 98.1 %, which is the highest value ever reported (<80 %) so far. These excellent properties can be ascribed to the hierarchical porous and free-standing structure of ICS, as well as the key role of photogenerated electrons and holes during discharging and charging processes. A mechanism is proposed for pre-activating CO2 by reducing In3+ to In+ under light illumination. The mechanism of the bifunctional light-assisted process provides insight into photoinduced Li-CO2 batteries and contributes to resolving the major setbacks of the system.

Effects of dexamethasone combined with ambroxol hydrochloride on T-Cell subsets and hearing in patients with secretory otitis media.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of dexamethasone combined with ambroxol hydrochloride on T cell subsets and hearing in patients with secretory otitis media. Eighty-six cases of patients with secretory otitis media admitted to "Gansu Provincal Hospital, Lanzhou, China" from September 2016 to September 2018 were regarded as subjects of the study. The patients were divided in two groups according to the digital table method. Among them, the control group was treated with ambroxol hydrochloride, while the study group was treated with dexamethasone combined with ambroxol hydrochloride. The clinical efficacy, T cytokines before and after treatment, auditory threshold and middle ear resonance frequency were observed and compared between the two groups of the patients. SPSS 18.0 software was used to statistically analyze the data. The therapeutic efficacy of the study group was better than that of the control group and the levels of CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ after treatment of the study group were higher than that of the control group (P<0.05), while the content of CD8+ in the study group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). In addition, the auditory threshold of the study group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05), whereas the middle ear resonance frequency was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The application of dexamethasone combined with ambroxol hydrochloride improved the clinical symptoms and restored hearing in the clinical treatment of patients with secretory otitis media and the therapeutic efficacy was ideal.

Bacillus zanthoxyli sp. nov., a novel nematicidal bacterium isolated from Chinese red pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim) leaves in China.

A novel strain, 1433T, was isolated from leaves of Chinese red pepper (Huajiao, Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim) collected from Gansu province in northwestern China, and was characterised by a polyphasic approach. Cells of strain 1433T were observed to be Gram-stain positive, aerobic, asporogenous, rod shaped, motile and to have peritrichous flagella. The strain was observed to grow at a range of temperatures and pH, 4-45 °C (optimum 28-32 °C) and 6.0-10.0 (optimum pH 6.0-7.0), respectively. Growth was found to occur in the presence of 0-7% (w/v) NaCl [optimum 0-3% (w/v)]. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 41.9 mol% and the cell wall peptidoglycan found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid. The predominant menaquinone was identified as MK-7 and the major polar lipids as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified polar lipid and three unidentified phospholipids. The major cellular fatty acids were identified as iso-C15:0 (31.6%), anteiso-C15:0 (26.9%) and iso-C14:0 (17.1%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 1433T is a member of the genus Bacillus and is closely related to Bacillus aryabhattai DSM 21047T (99.4% sequence similarity) and Bacillus megaterium DSM 32T (99.2%). DNA-DNA relatedness of the novel strain 1433T with B. aryabhattai DSM 21047T and B. megaterium DSM 32T was 33.8 ± 2.8% and 28.9 ± 3.4%, respectively. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence presented, strain 1433T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which we propose the name Bacillus zanthoxyli sp. nov. The type strain is 1433T (= CCTCC AB 2016326T = KCTC33730T).

Gene expression profiles in guided bone regeneration using combinations of different biomaterials: a pilot animal study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the gene expression profile related to guided bone regeneration (GBR) at the early healing stage while using combinations of different biomaterials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cranial defects in 4 New Zealand rabbits were filled with A) biphasic calcium phosphate/experimental pericardium-derived collagen membrane, B) Bio-Oss® /Bio-Gide® , C) biphasic calcium phosphate/strontium hydroxyapatite-containing collagen membrane and D) Bio-Oss® /strontium hydroxyapatite-containing collagen membrane. Seven days after surgery, one animal was subjected to histological observation and histomorphometric analysis, and three animals to real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An RT2 Profiler PCR Array (PANZ-026Z, QIAGEN, QIAGEN Sciences, Germantown, MD, USA) was conducted to observe the gene expression profile of groups A, C and D as compared with the control group B. RESULTS: The analysis showed 9 of the 84 genes on the array to be significantly different in the three experimental groups (six genes in group D, four in group C and one in group A). Group D demonstrated the most changes in gene expression profile at day 7. Genes that were significantly down-regulated (AHSG, EGF) or up-regulated (CDH11, MMP13, GLI1 and MCSF) are responsible for early-stage bone formation, bone remodeling and pre-osteoclast development. The gene expression profile of this group correlated with the histological findings, as this group showed the higher formation of osteoid as compared with the other groups. CONCLUSION: Gene expression patterns at early-stage healing of GBR-treated defects appear to be related to the biomaterial used. The combination of Bio-Oss® and strontium hydroxyapatite-containing collagen membrane showed the most pro-osteogenic gene regulation profile (group D), implying the stimulation of key transcriptional factors, which appeared to translate into the up-regulation of the osteogenic process and earlier bone formation.

Performance analysis of the retractable dome for the Chinese Large Telescope.

In order to quantitatively assess the influence of the retractable dome on the observational performance of the 4-m Chinese Large Telescope (CLT), an integrated analysis method based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and sub-harmonic phase screen is proposed in this paper. The pressure, the temperature, and the speed of air surrounding the retractable dome are attained by CFD simulations, and then the fluctuation of refractive index of air is calculated. Based on sub-harmonic phase screen algorithm, three kinds of performance evaluation parameters are presented: irradiance, phase of the target, and Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM). The wind tunnel tests (WT) with a 1:120 scaled model of the retractable dome for the CLT are conducted to verify the calculated precision of the CFD. The results show that the fluctuation of air refractive index surrounding the CLT is mainly caused by the inhomogeneous distribution of temperature and speed, and with the help of pier's height the impact of inhomogeneous air temperature from the ground layer on the fluctuation of air refractive index can be effectively decreased. Furthermore, the lower of the air speed is, the better performance of the retractable dome will be, and when the speed of air is less than 5m/s, the dome seeing induced by the retractable dome on the observational wave front is less than 0.13 arcsec.

[Treatment of chemotherapy-induced leucopenia in patients with malignant tumor by Chinese herbal medicine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) for chemotherapy-induced leucopenia in patients with malignant tumor. METHODS: Chinese database (CNKI, VIP, CBM, Wanfang Database) and English database (Medline, Cochrane Library) were retrieved with the deadline of September 2013. Participants were cancer patients confirmed by pathology waiting for chemotherapy. We included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) testing chemotherapy plus TCHM vs. chemotherapy plus placebo, chemotherapy alone, conventional treatment, or TCHM plus chemotherapy combined with conventional treatment vs chemotherapy combined with conventional treat ment. The primary outcomes were WBC count, leucopenia incidence, and adverse reactions. Assessments of methodological quality, including randomization, allocation, concealment, blindness, dropping-out, loss of follow-ups were also conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5. 2 Software provided by Cochrane Collaboration. RESULTS: Eighty-seven RCTs (involving 8 468 patients) were included. All these studies were published in Chinese. Of these only two papers were of high quality. Methods of randomization, scheme concealment, blindness, dropping-out, loss of follow-up, samples estimation were not accurately reported in the rest RCTs. The pooled results of WBC count showed that chemotherapy combined with TCHM was generally better than chemotherapy alone [MD =0. 64 x 109/L (0.41, 0.88), P < 0.01]. Auxiliary treatment of Compound Ejiao Syrup, Diyu Shengbai Tablet, Chinese compounds for invigorating Pi and supplementing Shen during the chemotherapeutic course could elevate peripheral blood WBC counts, and decrease the incidence of leucopenia. CONCLUSION: Chinese herbal medicine might have potential effects in preventing the occurrence of leucopenia, which need to be confirmed by launching higher quality clinical trials.

[Research progress on effects of traditional Chinese medicines on proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells].

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are a kind of pluripotent stem cells derived from bone marrows, which can not only support hematopoiesis, but also have capabilities of multidifferentiation, high-proliferation and self-renewing. They have become one of hotspots in stem cell studies. Studies on in vitro intervention with BMSCs with TCMs have made remarkable progress in recent years. According to the findings, some traditional Chinese medicines can promote proliferation of BMSCs, some can inhibit the apoptosis of BMSCs, while others can induce BMSCs to differentiate into multiple cell types, such as osteoblast. Furthermore, some studies also involved relevant action mechanisms. The authors summarized the advance in relevant studies by reference to relevant literatures of this field.

Therapeutic effects of total alkaloids of Fructus Hordei Germinatus in hyperprolactinemis rats.

Fructus Hordei Germinatus is widely used in treating hyperprolactinemia as a kind of Chinese traditional herb in China. However, its active composition of curing hyperprolactinemia remains unclear. This study investigates the activity of total alkaloids of F. H. Germinatus (AFH) in hyperprolactinemia rats. High-dose, middle-dose and low-dose AFH were administered into the stomach of hyperprolactinemia rats for 30 days. It revealed that high-dose AFH had obvious curative effect in treating hyperprolactinemia. It could regulate serum E2, P, PRL, FSH, LH levels to normal, decrease the pituitary prolactin positive cell number, mRNA expression level and inhibit the hyperplasia of mammary gland in hyperprolactinemia model rats effectively. The F. H. Germinatus contained total alkaloids 42. 74±0. 08mg hordenine equivalent (HE)/g the sample using acid dye colorimetry method. F. H. Germinatus should be developed as an anti-hyperprolactinemia product deeply.

Can neurocognition, brain neurotrophic factor, triglyceride, and total cholesterol predict suicidal ideation in first-episode Han Chinese patients with schizophrenia?

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have suggested that the suicide rate of patients with schizophrenia is high. This study investigates factors influencing suicidal ideation in first-episode schizophrenia patients, focusing on cognitive function, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. METHODS: A total of 123 patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 38 healthy controls were included in the study. The patients were divided into suicidal and nonsuicidal ideation groups based on the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, and they were assessed with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognitive function was assessed using the Chinese version of the MATRICS consensus cognitive battery (MCCB) and the serum BDNF, TG, and TC were detected. The main statistical methods include t-test, χ2 test, multivariate logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and the DeLong test. RESULTS: 26.02% of patients exhibited suicidal ideation. Higher PANSS and TC levels were risk factors, while higher MCCB scores and BDNF levels were protective factors. ROC analysis indicated AUCs of 0.630, 0.724, and 0.762 for serum BDNF, PANSS, and MCCB, respectively, with a combined AUC of 0.870. CONCLUSION: Serum BDNF level, PANSS score, and MCCB score can be used as auxiliary predictors of suicidal ideation in schizophrenic patients. Combining these three indicators can effectively predict suicidal ideation in schizophrenic patients.

Inosine pretreatment of pregnant rats ameliorates maternal inflammation-mediated hypomyelination in pups via microglia polarization switch.

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a neurological condition observed in premature infants, characterized by hypomyelination and activation of microglia. Maternal inflammation-induced brain injury in offspring significantly contributes to the development of PVL. Currently, there are no clinical pharmaceutical interventions available for pregnant women to prevent maternal inflammation-mediated brain injury in their offspring. Inosine has been shown to modulate the immune response in diverse stressful circumstances, such as injury, ischemia, and inflammation. The aim of this investigation was to examine the potential prophylactic impact of inosine on offspring PVL induced by maternal inflammation. This was accomplished by administering a 1 mg/ml inosine solution (40 ml daily) to pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats for 16 consecutive days prior to their intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (350 µg/kg, once a day, for two days). The results showed that maternal inosine pretreatment significantly reversed the reduction in MBP and CNPase (myelin-related markers), CC-1 and Olig2 (oligodendrocyte-related markers) in their PVL pups (P7), suggesting that inosine administration during pregnancy could improve hypomyelination and enhance the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in their PVL pups. Furthermore, the protective mechanism of inosine against PVL is closely associated with the activation and polarization of microglia. This is evidenced by a notable reduction in the quantity of IBA 1-positive microglia, a decrease in the level of CD86 (a marker for M1 microglia), an increase in the level of Arg 1 (a marker for M2 microglia), as well as a decrease in the level of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6, and an increase in the level of anti-inflammatory factors IL-4 and IL-10 in the brain of PVL pups following maternal inosine pretreatment. Taken together, inosine pretreatment of pregnant rats can improve hypomyelination in their PVL offspring by triggering the M1/M2 switch of microglia.

A highly reversible force-assisted Li - CO2 battery based on piezoelectric effect of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 nanorods.

The use of light-assisted cathode is regarded as an effective approach to reduce the overpotential of lithium carbon dioxide (Li - CO2) batteries. However, the inefficient electron-hole separation and the complex discharge-charge reactions hamper the efficiency of CO2 photocatalytic reaction in battery. Herein, a highly reversible force-assisted Li - CO2 battery has been established for the first time by employing a Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 nanorods piezoelectric cathode. The high-energy electron and holes generated by the piezoelectric cathode with ultrasonic force can effectively enhance the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CDRR) and carbon dioxide evolution reaction (CDER) kinetics, thereby reducing the overpotentials during the discharge-charge processes. Moreover, the morphology of the discharge product (Li2CO3) can be modified via the dense surface electrons of the piezoelectric cathode, resulting in the promoted decomposition kinetics of Li2CO3 in charging progress. Thus, the force-assisted Li - CO2 battery with the unique piezoelectric cathode can adjust the output and input energy by ultrasonic wave, and provides an ultra-low charging platform of 3.52 V, and exhibits excellent cycle stability (a charging platform of 3.42 V after 100 h cycles). The investigation of the force-assisted process described herein provides significant insights to solve overpotential in the Li - CO2 batteries system.

The potential of carbonic anhydrase enzymes as a novel target for anti-cancer treatment.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a zinc-dependent metal enzyme that maintains the pH and carbon dioxide (CO2) homeostasis in cells by catalyzing the reversible hydration and dehydration of CO2 and bicarbonate (HCO3-). In mammals, there are 16 isozymes of CA existed, namely CAI to CAXIV, but only 15 isozymes are found in humans except CAXV. Human CAs have highly conserved catalytic domains, all of which are distributed in different tissues and play important physiological roles. Changes in their functions may disrupt the typical distribution of CAs throughout human body and therefore CAs can be used as diagnostic biomarkers for many diseases. Furthermore, the expression of CAs is correlated to the progression of numerous tumors, therapeutic sensitivity and patient prognosis. In this review, we discuss thoroughly the structure of CAs, their functional activities in human physiology, dysregulations and diseases related to CAs, and different types of CA inhibitors that can reverse their dysregulation.