Factors Associated With Radiological Lung Growth Rate After Lobectomy in Patients With Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: This study is a retrospective study. This study aims to explore the association between lobectomy in lung cancer patients and subsequent compensatory lung growth (CLG), and to identify factors that may be associated with variations in CLG. METHODS: 207 lung cancer patients who underwent lobectomy at Yunnan Cancer Hospital between January 2020 and December 2020. All patients had stage IA primary lung cancer and were performed by the same surgical team. And computed tomography examinations were performed before and 1 y postoperatively. Based on computed tomography images, the volume of each lung lobe was measured using computer software and manual, the radiological lung weight was calculated. And multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the factors related to the increase in postoperative lung weight. RESULTS: One year after lobectomy, the radiological lung weight increased by an average of 112.4 ± 20.8%. Smoking history, number of resected lung segments, preoperative low attenuation volume, intraoperative arterial oxygen partial pressure/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio and postoperative visual analog scale scores at 48 h were significantly associated with postoperative radiological lung weight gain. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that CLG have occurred after lobectomy in adults. In addition, anesthetists should maintain high arterial oxygen partial pressure/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio during one-lung ventilation and improve acute postoperative pain to benefit CLG.

Serological investigation and isolation of Salmonella abortus equi in horses in Xinjiang.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar abortus equi (S. abortus equi) is one of the main pathogens that causes abortion in pregnant horses and donkeys, which was highly infectious and greatly restricts the healthy development of the horse industry. OBJECTIVES: In order to investigate the prevalence and biological characteristics of S. abortus equi in different regions and breeds of horses in Xinjiang. METHODS: This study conducted ELISA detection of S. abortus equi antibodies on serum samples of 971 horses collected from three large-scale horse farms and five free-range horse farms in Yili Prefecture and Bayingol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang from 2020 to 2023. On this basis, bacterial isolation, culture, identification, and drug sensitivity tests were conducted on 42 samples of aborted foal tissues and 23 mare vaginal swabs. RESULTS: The results showed that the positive rate of S. abortus equi antibody was as high as 20.91% in 971 horse serum samples. Among them, the positive rate in the Ili region (29.09%) was significantly higher than that in the Bayingole region (11.24%), and the positive rate in mares (22.45%) was higher than that in stallions (14.05%). In terms of horse breeds, the positive rates of self-propagating thoroughbred horses, half-bred horses, Ili horses and Yanqi horses were 43.22%, 28.81%, 14.72% and 11.24% respectively. In addition, S. abortus equi was more susceptible to juvenile and elderly horses, with positive rates of 70.00%and 41.86%, respectively, both of which were significantly higher than young (10.97%) and adult (19.79%) horses. Further, 9 strains of S. abortus equi were obtained through bacterial isolation, culture and identification, which were resistant to five antibiotics (Clarithromycin, Clindamycin, penicillin, Sulfamethoxazole and Rifampicin), and sensitive to 13 antimicrobial agents (Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin and Gentamicin, et al.). CONCLUSION: There was a high infection rate of S. abortus equi in Ili Prefecture and self-propagating thoroughbred horses, and juvenile or old mares were more susceptible, which will provide scientific basis for the prevention of S. abortus equi infection in different regions and breeds of horses in Xinjiang.

Effects of IFN-γ on the immunological microenvironment and TAM polarity in stage IA non-small cell lung cancer and its mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) on the immune microenvironment and the polarity of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its mechanisms. METHODS: Human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells were treated with a series of IFN-γ concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 ng/mL). Tumor tissues from patients with stage IA NSCLC were cultured using the air-liquid interface culture technique to establish a tumor microenvironment (TME) organ model. The NSCLC model was constructed by subcutaneously embedding small tumor pieces into the back of nonobese diabetic severe combined immune deficiency (NOD SCID) mice. The size and weight of the tumors were recorded, and the tumor volume was calculated. CCK-8 assays were used to investigate cell proliferation, flow cytometry and TUNEL staining were used to evaluate cell apoptosis, colony formation was investigated by cloning experiments, and cell invasion and migration were evaluated by Transwell assays and scratch tests. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, Bcl-2 and C-caspase 3), M2 polarization-related markers (CD163, CD206 and IDO1), and marker proteins of cytotoxic T cells and helper T cells (CD8 and CD4) was detected by Western blot. The expression of Ki-67 and IDO1 was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-13 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA. The expression of CD68 was measured by RT‒qPCR, and the phagocytosis of TAMs was evaluated by a Cell Trace CFSE kit and cell probe staining. RESULTS: The proliferation activity of A549 cells increased with increasing IFN-γ concentration and peaked when the concentration reached 200 ng/mL, and the proliferation activity of A549 cells was suppressed thereafter. After treatment with 200 ng/mL IFN-γ, the apoptosis rate of cells decreased, the number of cell colonies increased, the invasion and migration of cells were promoted, the expression of Bax and C-caspase 3 was downregulated, and the expression of Bcl-2 was upregulated in cells and the TME model. In the TME model, CD163, CD206, IDO1 and Ki-67 were upregulated, CD8 and CD4 were downregulated, apoptosis was reduced, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were decreased, and the levels of IL-10 and IL-13 were increased. IL-4 induced TAMs to express CD163 and CD206, reduced the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, increased the levels of IL-10 and IL-13, and weakened the phagocytic function of TAMs. IFN-γ treatment further enhanced the effect of IL-4 and enhanced the viability of A549 cells. IDO1 decreased the viability of T cells and NK cells, while suppressing the effect of IFN-γ. In mice, compared with NSCLC mice, the tumor volume and weight of the IFN-γ group were increased, the expression of CD163, CD206, IDO1, Ki-67 and Bcl-2 in tumor tissue was upregulated, the expression of Bax and C-caspase 3 was downregulated, and apoptosis was reduced. The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were decreased, and the levels of IL-10 and IL-13 were increased in the serum of mice. CONCLUSION: In stage IA NSCLC, a low concentration of IFN-γ promotes the polarization of TAMs to the M2 phenotype in the TME model by upregulating the expression of IDO1, promoting the viability of cancer cells, inhibiting the viability of T cells and NK cells, and thus establishing an immune microenvironment conducive to tumor progression.

Particulate Standard Establishment for Absolute Quantification of Nanoparticles by LA-ICP-MS.

The development of nanotechnology has transformed many cutting-edge studies related to single-molecule analysis into nanoparticle (NP) detection with a single-NP sensitivity and ultrahigh resolution. While laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been successful in quantifying and tracking NPs, its quantitative calibration remains a major challenge due to the lack of suitable standards and the uncertain matrix effects. Herein, we frame a new approach to prepare quantitative standards via precise synthesis of NPs, nanoscale characterization, on-demand NP distribution, and deep learning-assisted NP counting. Gold NP standards were prepared to cover the mass range from sub-femtogram to picogram levels with sufficient accuracy and precision, thus establishing an unambiguous relationship between the sampled NP number in each ablation and the corresponding mass spectral signal. Our strategy facilitated for the first time the study of the factors affecting particulate sample capture and signal transductions in LA-ICP-MS analysis and culminated in the development of an LA-ICP-MS-based method for absolute NP quantification with single-NP sensitivity and single-cell quantification capability. The achievements would herald the emergence of new frontiers cut across a spectrum of toxicological and diagnostic issues related to NP quantification.

COTE-1 promotes the proliferation and invasion of small cell lung cancer by regulating autophagy activity via the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: COTE-1 has been found to promote the proliferation and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer. However, the mechanism of COTE-1 in SCLC is still unclear. Exploring the role of COTE-1 in SCLC is expected to provide a potential target for the prognosis and treatment of SCLC. METHODS: The expression of COTE-1 and ki-67 was detected by immunohistochemical staining. PCR detected COTE-1 expression level. Cell proliferation activity was detected by CCK8 assay. A wound healing test detected cell migrative ability. Transwell invasion assay detected cell invasive ability. The numbers of autophagosomes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. WB detected the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins and AMPK/mTOR pathway-related proteins. The effect of COTE-1 expression level on the proliferation of SCLC tumor tissues was investigated by establishing a mouse SCLC xenograft tumor model. RESULTS: The expression of COTE-1 in SCLC tissues and cells was higher than that in normal tissues and cells. In SCLC cells with high COTE-1 expression, the expression level of autophagy proteins was notably increased, the number of intracellular autophagosomes increased, and the proliferative activity, migration and invasion abilities were enhanced. COTE-1 promotes autophagy, proliferation, and invasion of SCLC cells under nutrient deprivation by activating the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. Activation of autophagy by COTE-1 promotes the proliferation and development of xenograft tumors in a mouse model of SCLC. CONCLUSION: COTE-1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of small cell lung cancer by mediating autophagy based on the AMPK/mTOR pathway.

New prediction equations for knee isokinetic strength in young and middle-aged non-athletes.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop alternative prediction equations to predict isokinetic muscle strength at 60°/s based on anthropometric characteristics, including body mass, height, age, and sex for young and middle-aged non-athlete populations. METHODS: Three hundred and thirty-two healthy non-athletic participants (174 females, 158 males) between 20 and 59 years underwent a 60°/s isokinetic knee joint concentric contraction test. Forty people were randomly selected for retesting to assess the reliability of the isokinetic instrument. Multivariate linear regression was used to establish extension peak torque (EPT) and flexion peak torque (FPT) prediction equations. Sixty extra participants were used individually to validate the prediction equations, and Bland Altman plots were constructed to assess the agreement of predicted values with actual measurements. RESULTS: The result demonstrated that the instrument we used has excellent reliability. The multivariable linear regression model showed that body mass, age, and sex were significant predictors of PT (EPT: Adjusted R2 = 0.804, p < 0.001; FPT: Adjusted R2 = 0.705, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the equations we established had higher prediction accuracy than those of Gross et al. and Harbo et al. CONCLUSION: The equations developed in this study provided relatively low bias, thus providing a more suitable reference value for the knee isokinetic strength of young and middle-aged non-athletes.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Combined with Histological Techniques for Dynamic Assessment of Cytotoxic Edema after Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

BACKGROUND: Reperfusion therapy after ischemic cerebral stroke may cause cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI), and cerebral edema is an important factor that may aggravate CIRI. Our study aimed to dynamically monitor the development of early cytotoxic edema after CIRI by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to validate it using multiple histological imaging methods. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into sham and CIRI groups. T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-MRI scans were performed in the sham and CIRI groups after reperfusion. Relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC) values were calculated and the midline shift (MLS) was measured. A series of histological detection techniques were performed to observe changes in the cerebral cortex and striatum of CIRI rats. Correlation analysis of rADC values with aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and sodium-potassium-chloride cotransport protein 1 (Na+-K+-2Cl-- cotransporter 1; NKCC1) was performed. RESULTS: rADC values began to increase and reached a relatively low value in the cerebral cortex and striatum at 24 h after reperfusion, and the MLS reached relatively high values at 24 h after reperfusion (all p < 0.05). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining showed that the nerve cells in the cortex and striatum of the sham group were regular in morphology and neatly arranged, and in the CIRI-24 h group were irregular, disorganized, and loosely structured. Using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, the number of TUNEL+ cells in the ischemic cortex and striatum in CIRI-24 h group was shown to increase significantly compared with the sham group (p < 0.05). Transmission electron microscopy showed that the perivascular astrocytic foot processes were swollen in the cortex and striatum of the CIRI-24 h group. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that rADC values were negatively correlated with the number of anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+AQP4+ and GFAP+NKCC1+ cells of the CIRI rats. CONCLUSIONS: MRI combined with histological techniques can dynamically assess cytotoxic edema after CIRI, in a manner that is clear and intuitive for scientific researchers and clinicians, and provides a scientific basis for the application of MRI techniques for monitoring the dynamic progress of CIRI.

Effects of CeO2 Nanoparticles on Nutritional Quality of Two Crop Plants, Corn (Zea mays L.) and Soybean (Glycine max L.).

With the widespread applications of manufactured nanoparticles (NPs), there are increasing concerns about their potential adverse effects on the environment and living systems. Many studies demonstrated that NPs could significantly affect the growth and development of crop plants. However, knowledge regarding the impacts of NPs on crop quality is rather limited. In this study, the effects of CeO2 NPs (25, 75, and 225 mg Ce/kg) and CeCl3 (25 mg Ce/kg) on the nutritional components of soil-cultivated corn and soybean plants were evaluated. Both treatments tended to decrease the dry weight of grain per plant, while only 225 mg/kg CeO2 NPs on soybean and CeCl3 on corn showed statistical significance compared with the respective control. CeO2 NPs at 225 mg/kg significantly decreased the content of starch in the corn kernels by 18.2% but increased total phenols in soybean seeds by 18.4%. Neither CeO2 NPs nor CeCl3 significantly affected the contents of minerals in corn kernels except for Zn. However, in the case of soybean, the two treatments tended to decrease the contents of P, Zn, Mn, and Mo but increase the content of S. Overall, the results suggest that CeO2 NPs and Ce3+ ions showed similar but not identical effects on corn and soybean plants. CeO2 NPs affect the nutritional quality of crop plants in a species-dependent manner.

Clinical analysis of renal cell carcinoma with intestinal metastasis resulting in small bowel and colon fistula.

An enteric fistula is an abnormal connection between the intestine and other organs and is often caused by inflammation or trauma. Diagnosis and treatment involve imaging and endoscopy. Treatment may include medication and surgery. This report presents a rare case of severe enteric fistula caused by colonic metastasis of clear cell renal carcinoma. The objective of this report is to increase surgeons' awareness of atypical manifestations of intestinal metastatic cancer.

Predicting Subtype of Growth Hormone Pituitary Adenoma based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Characteristics.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the value of magnetic resonance (MR) characteristics in differentiating the subtypes of growth hormone pituitary adenomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical and MR imaging data of 70 patients with growth hormone pituitary adenoma confirmed by surgery and pathology were retrospectively analyzed. The tumors were divided into dense granular (DG; 36 cases) and sparse granular subtypes (SG; 34 cases). The tumors' MR features were analyzed, including the mean and maximum diameters, T2 signal intensity, T2 relative signal intensity (rSI), homogeneity, enhancement degree, and invasiveness (Knosp grade). Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to analyze MR characteristics between the 2 groups. The independent predictors and predictive probabilities of tumor subtypes were obtained via a logistic regression model, and the efficacy was compared by receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: The mean and maximum diameters of growth hormone adenoma in DG and SG were 1.77 versus 2.45 and 1.95 versus 3.00 cm (median, P < 0.05), respectively. There was a significant difference between the 2 groups in T2 signal intensity and rSI (P values were 0.02 and 0.001, respectively). Most DG adenomas (86.1%) appeared as hypointense on T2 images, and 38.2% of SG adenomas were hyperintense. There was no significant difference in tumor homogeneity (P = 0.622). A significant difference was found in the Knosp grade between the 2 subtypes (P = 0.004). In addition, the enhancement degree of SG adenomas was significantly higher than that of DG adenomas (P = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that high T2 rSI value and marked contrast enhancement were independent predictors of the 2 subtypes, and the odds ratios were 4.811 and 4.649, respectively. The multivariate logistic model obtained relatively high predicting efficacy, and the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.765, 0.882, and 0.500, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant differences in tumor size, T2 signal intensity, T2 rSI, enhancement degree, and invasiveness between DG and SG adenomas. The logistic model based on the marked contrast enhancement and high T2 rSI value has an important value in predicting the subtype of growth hormone adenoma.

[The TXNIP/Trx-1/GPX4 pathway promotes ferroptosis in hippocampal neurons after hypoxia-ischemia in neonatal rats]. / TXNIP/Trx-1/GPX4é€šè·¯ä¿ƒè¿›æ–°ç”Ÿå¤§é¼ ç¼ºæ°§ç¼ºè¡€åŽæµ·é©¬ç¥žç»å ƒé“æ­»äº¡çš„ä½œç”¨æœºåˆ¶.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the change in ferroptosis in hippocampal neurons after hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in neonatal rats and investigate the related mechanism based on the TXNIP/Trx-1/GPX4 signaling pathway. METHODS: Healthy neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 7 days, were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operation (n=30), hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) (n=30) and siRNA (TXNIP siRNA) (n=12). The classic Rice-Vannucci method was used to establish a neonatal rat model of HIBD. At 6 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days after modeling, Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of GPX4 in the hippocampal tissue at the injured side; at 24 hours after modeling, laser speckle imaging combined with hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to determine whether the model was established successfully; NeuN/GPX4 and GFAP/GPX4 immunofluorescence staining combined with Western blot and other methods was used to measure the protein expression of GPX4 and the signal molecules TXNIP and Trx-1 in the hippocampal tissue at the injured side; the kits for determining the content of serum iron and tissue iron were used to measure the change in iron content; quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of TXNIP, Trx-1, and GPX4. RESULTS: At 6 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days after modeling, the HIBD group had a significantly lower protein expression level of GPX4 than the sham-operation group (P<0.05). At 24 hours after modeling, the HIBD group had a significantly lower cerebral blood flow of the injured side than the sham-operation group (P<0.05), with loose and disordered arrangement and irregular morphology of hippocampal CA1 neurons at the injured side. Compared with the sham-operation group, the HIBD group had a significantly higher number of TXNIP+ cells and significantly lower numbers of Trx-1+ cells and NeuN+GPX4+/NeuN+ cells in the hippocampal CA1 region at the injured side (P<0.05), with almost no GFAP+GPX4+ cells in the hippocampal CA1 region. Compared with the sham-operation group, the HIBD group and the siRNA group had significantly higher levels of serum iron and tissue iron in the hippocampus at the injured side (P<0.05). Compared with the HIBD group, the siRNA group had significantly lower levels of serum iron and tissue iron in the hippocampus at the injured side (P<0.05). The HIBD group and the siRNA group had significantly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of TXNIP than the sham-operation group (P<0.05), and the siRNA group had significantly lower expression levels than the HIBD group (P<0.05). The HIBD group and the siRNA group had significantly lower mRNA and protein expression levels of Trx-1 and GPX4 in the hippocampus at the injured side than the sham-operation group (P<0.05), and the siRNA group had significantly higher expression levels than the HIBD group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HI induces ferroptosis of hippocampal neurons in neonatal rats by activating the TXNIP/Trx-1/GPX4 pathway, thereby resulting in HIBD.

Dissolution and Retention Process of CeO2 Nanoparticles in Soil with Dynamic Redox Conditions.

The time-course association of soil physicochemical properties and fate of CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) is not well understood. This study for the first time investigated the dissolution and retention of CeO2 NPs (<25 nm) during soil short-term (6 h) and long-term (30 d) aging processes with dynamic redox conditions. Under the additional reductant-induced initial reductive condition, theoretically, up to 220‰ of Ce(IV) was temporarily reductively dissolved within 10 min, accompanied by a slow retention process (180 min) of Ce species in soil solutions. Conversely, the dissolution and slow retention of Ce species were not significant in soil solutions without added reductant. X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) shows that most of Ce species were present as Ce(IV) (94.0%-97.8%) in all soils after a long-term aging process. These results indicate that the soil dynamic redox conditions induced by oxidant/reductant intrinsically determined the different time-course dissolution and retention of CeO2 NPs, highlighting the occasional reductive condition in soil solution that may contribute to the migration and diffusion of Ce species. The time-course study should be also adopted to develop a comprehensive understanding of the nano-soil interactions.

Injectable stress relaxation gelatin-based hydrogels with positive surface charge for adsorption of aggrecan and facile cartilage tissue regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Cartilage injury and pathological degeneration are reported in millions of patients globally. Cartilages such as articular hyaline cartilage are characterized by poor self-regeneration ability due to lack of vascular tissue. Current treatment methods adopt foreign cartilage analogue implants or microfracture surgery to accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. These methods are invasive and are associated with the formation of fibrocartilage, which warrants further exploration of new cartilage repair materials. The present study aims to develop an injectable modified gelatin hydrogel. METHOD: The hydrogel effectively adsorbed proteoglycans secreted by chondrocytes adjacent to the cartilage tissue in situ, and rapidly formed suitable chondrocyte survival microenvironment modified by ε-poly-L-lysine (EPL). Besides, dynamic covalent bonds were introduced between glucose and phenylboronic acids (PBA). These bonds formed reversible covalent interactions between the cis-diol groups on polyols and the ionic boronate state of PBA. PBA-modified hydrogel induced significant stress relaxation, which improved chondrocyte viability and cartilage differentiation of stem cells. Further, we explored the ability of these hydrogels to promote chondrocyte viability and cartilage differentiation of stem cells through chemical and mechanical modifications. RESULTS: In vivo and in vitro results demonstrated that the hydrogels exhibited efficient biocompatibility. EPL and PBA modified GelMA hydrogel (Gel-EPL/B) showed stronger activity on chondrocytes compared to the GelMA control group. The Gel-EPL/B group induced the secretion of more extracellular matrix and improved the chondrogenic differentiation potential of stem cells. Finally, thus hydrogel promoted the tissue repair of cartilage defects. CONCLUSION: Modified hydrogel is effective in cartilage tissue repair.

[Effect of different melatonin treatment regimens on white matter damage in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of different melatonin treatment regimens on long-term behavior and white matter damage in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), and to seek an optimal melatonin treatment regimen. METHODS: Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 7 days, were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operation, HIBD, single-dose immediate treatment (SDIT), and 7-day continuous treatment (7DCT), with 8 rats in each group. A neonatal rat model of HIBD was prepared according to the classical Rice-Vannucci method. On day 21 after HIBD, the Morris water maze test was used to evaluate spatial learning and memory abilities. On day 70 after HIBD, immunofluorescence assay was used to measure the expression of neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN) in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampal CA1 region of neonatal rats, and double-label immunofluorescence was used to measure the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofilament 200 (NF200) in the corpus striatum and the corpus callosum. RESULTS: The results of the Morris water maze test showed that the SDIT and 7DCT groups had a significantly shorter mean escape latency than the HIBD group, and the 7DCT group had a significantly shorter mean escape latency than the SDIT group (P < 0.05). The results of immunofluorescence assay for NeuN showed that the SDIT and 7DCT groups had a significantly higher number of NeuN+ cells in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampal CA1 region than the HIBD group, and the 7DCT group had a significantly higher number than the SDIT group (P < 0.05). MBP/NF200 double-label immunofluorescence showed that compared with the HIBD group, the SDIT group and the 7DCT group had significantly higher fluorescence intensities of MBP and NF200 in the corpus striatum, and the 7DCT group had significantly higher fluorescence intensities than the SDIT group (P < 0.05); the 7DCT group had significantly higher fluorescence intensities of MBP and NF200 in the corpus callosum than the SDIT and HIBD groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both SDIT and 7DCT can improve long-term behavior and reduce white matter damage in neonatal rats with HIBD, and 7DCT is more effective than SDIT.

Effects of Ceria Nanoparticles and CeCl3 on Plant Growth, Biological and Physiological Parameters, and Nutritional Value of Soil Grown Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).

The release of metal ions may play an important role in toxicity of metal-based nanoparticles. In this report, a life cycle study is carried out in a greenhouse, to compare the effects of ceria nanoparticles (NPs) and Ce3+ ions at 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg Ce kg-1 on plant growth, biological and physiological parameters, and nutritional value of soil-grown common bean plants. Ceria NPs have a tendency to negatively affect photosynthesis, but the effect is not statistically significant. Ce3+ ionic treatments at 50, 100, and 200 mg Ce kg-1 result in increases of 1.25-, 0.66-, and 1.20-fold in stomatal conductance, respectively, relative to control plants. Both ceria NPs and Ce3+ ions disturb the homeostasis of antioxidant defense system in the plants, but only 200 mg Ce kg-1 ceria NPs significantly induce lipid peroxidation in the roots. Ceria NP treatments tend to reduced fresh weight and to increase mineral contents of the green pods, but have no effect on the organic nutrient contents. On the contrary, Ce3+ ion treatments modify the organic compositions and thus alter the nutritional quality and flavor of the green pods. These results suggest that the two Ce forms may have different mechanisms on common bean plants.

FA-Assistant Iodide Coordination in Organic-Inorganic Wide-Bandgap Perovskite with Mixed Halides.

Mixed-halide wide-bandgap perovskites are key components for the development of high-efficiency tandem structured devices. However, mixed-halide perovskites usually suffer from phase-impurity and high defect density issues, where the causes are still unclear. By using in situ photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, it is found that in methylammonium (MA+ )-based mixed-halide perovskites, MAPb(I0.6 Br0.4 )3 , the halide composition of the spin-coated perovskite films is preferentially dominated by the bromide ions (Br- ). Additional thermal energy is required to initiate the insertion of iodide ions (I- ) to achieve the stoichiometric balance. Notably, by incorporating a small amount of formamidinium ions (FA+ ) in the precursor solution, it can effectively facilitate the I- coordination in the perovskite framework during the spin-coating and improve the composition homogeneity of the initial small particles. The aggregation of these homogenous small particles is found to be essential to achieve uniform and high-crystallinity perovskite film with high Br- content. As a result, high-quality MA0.9 FA0.1 Pb(I0.6 Br0.4 )3 perovskite film with a bandgap (Eg ) of 1.81 eV is achieved, along with an encouraging power-conversion-efficiency of 17.1% and open-circuit voltage (Voc ) of 1.21 V. This work also demonstrates the in situ PL can provide a direct observation of the dynamic of ion coordination during the perovskite crystallization.

Toxicity of Two Different Size Ceria Nanoparticles to Mice After Repeated Intranasal Instillation.

Ceria nanoparticles (nanoceria) have been used as a fuel-borne catalyst, and are emitted in the particulate phase in the diesel exhaust. To evaluate the potential health risks of airborne nanoceria, the pulmonary and systemic consequences of nanoceria to ICR mice were studied under repeated transnasal instillation. Two different size nanoceria (7-nm and 25-nm) were chose, representing the nanoceria mostly used as fuel additives and the combustion products of the very nanoceria, respectively. As the first target organ of nanoceria, the lungs suffered serious damages manifested in the results of their biochemical and pathological examinations. The results demonstrated the penetration of nanoceria through air-blood barrier after the lung burden. Nanoceria were further transferred to the secondary target organs, mainly the liver and spleen. Nanoceria could also arrive at the central neural system via olfactory nerve pathway. The systemic accumulation of nanoceria finally triggered lipid peroxidation in multiple organs. Generally, the smaller nanoceria induced more severe pulmonary damage but similar systemic toxicity when compared with the larger one. These findings imply that using nanoceria as diesel fuel catalyst may cause health concerns. Additional studies are warranted to investigate the pulmonary and systemic health consequences of nanoceria additive to diesel fuel.

Synthesis, Photothermal Effect and Cytotoxicity of Fe3O4@Au Nanocomposites.

It is currently a very active research area to develop multifunctional nanocomposites (NCs) which integrate the novel properties from various nanomaterials for multimodal imaging and simultaneous therapy. These theranostic nanoplatforms can provide complementary information from each imaging modality for accurate diagnosis and, at the same time, afford an imaging-guided focused tumor therapy. Among them, core/shell Fe3O4@Au NCs have attracted wide attention due to their unique advantages in magnetic targeting, multimodal imaging and photothermal therapy. This study developed a layer-by-layer assembling approach to synthesize Fe3O4@Au NCs with high photothermal conversion efficiency. The as-synthesized NCs showed significant photothermal ablation capability to HeLa cells in vitro under near infrared laser irradiation. To ensure the safety for medical applications, the bio-effects of Fe3O4@Au NCs on RAW264.7 cells were carefully assessed, in terms of cell viability, oxidative stress and apoptosis. We have demonstrated that Fe3O4@Au NCs had good biocompatibility in RAW264.7 cells and no significant cytotoxicity was found. Therefore, the Fe3O4@Au NCs synthesized in this study have great potential as an ideal candidate for CT/MR imaging and photothermal therapy.

Trophic Transfer and Transformation of CeO2 Nanoparticles along a Terrestrial Food Chain: Influence of Exposure Routes.

The trophic transfer and transformation of CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) through a simulated terrestrial food chain were investigated using a radiotracer technique and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). Radioactive 141CeO2 NPs were applied to head lettuce ( Lactuca sativa), treated via root exposure in its potting soil (5.5 or 11 mg/plant) for 30 days or foliar exposure (7.2 mg/plant, with half of the leaves treated and the other half not) for 7 days. Subsequently, two groups of land snails ( Achatina fulica) were exposed to 141Ce via either a direct (i.e., feeding on the lettuce leaves with 141Ce-contaminated surfaces) or an indirect/trophic (i.e., feeding on the lettuce leaves with systemically distributed 141Ce) route. To evaluate the influence of exposure routes, the Ce contents of the lettuce, snail tissues, and feces were determined by radioactivity measurements. The results show that both assimilation efficiencies (AEs) and food ingestion rates of Ce are greater for the trophic (indirect) exposure. The low AEs indicate that the CeO2 NPs ingested by snails were mostly excreted subsequently, and those that remained in the body were mainly concentrated in the digestive gland. XANES analysis shows that >85% of Ce was reduced to Ce(III) in the digestive gland under direct exposure, whereas Ce in the rest of the food chain (including feces) was largely in its original oxidized (IV) state. This study suggests that CeO2 NPs present in the environment may be taken up by producers and transferred to consumers along food chains and trophic transfer may affect food safety.

Problems and resolutions in dealing with waste disposable paper cups.

In recent years, the problem caused by waste disposable paper cups (WDPCs) has became a topic of great concern to scientists, and commercial companies have also begun to take an interest in developing processes for tackling the issue. In this review, the inherent problems and social barriers during the recycling of WDPCs are described. This review presents the major conclusions of previously published works focused on the utilisation of WDPCs for material and energy purposes. The commercial utilisation of WDPCs is also described. Some suggestions for better recycling of WDPCs are given in the final part of this work.