How to handle a missed or delayed dose of lacosamide in pediatric patients with epilepsy? a mode-informed individual dosing.

This study aims to investigate the effects on the pharmacokinetic (PK) of lacosamide (LCM), and to guide the individual dosing regimens for children and ones with poor medication adherence. Population PK research was performed based on 164 plasma samples of 113 pediatric patients aged from 1.75 to 14.42 years old. The PK characteristic of LCM was developed by a one-compartment model with first-order elimination. The typical value of apparent clearance (CL) and apparent volume of distribution (Vd) was 1.91 L·h-1 and 56.53 L respectively. In the final model, the variability of CL was significantly associated with the body surface area (BSA) and elevated uric acid (UA) level. In contrast, the impact of some prevalent anti-seizure medicines, such as valproic acid, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, and perampanel, and gene polymorphisms of Cytochrome P450 (CYP)2C19, ATP-binding cassette (ABC)B1, and ABCC2 had no clinical significance on the PK parameters of LCM. BSA-based dosing regimen of LCM was provided according to Monte Carlo simulation approach; while the dosage should reduce half in patients with an UA level of more than 400 µmol·L-1 comparing with an UA level of 100 µmol·L-1. Individualize remedial doses of about 0.5- to 1.5-fold of regular doses were recommended in six common scenarios of missed or delayed doses, that depended on the delayed time. In current study, the population PK model of LCM in children with epilepsy was developed successfully. The BSA-based dosing regimen and individualized remedial strategy were recommended to guarantee the precise administration of LCM.

Instability in a carbon pool driven by multiple dissolved organic matter sources in a eutrophic lake basin: Potential factors for increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Lakes serve as vital reservoirs of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and play pivotal roles in biogeochemical carbon cycles. However, the sources and compositions of DOM in freshwater lakes and their potential effects on lake sediment carbon pools remain unclear. In this study, seven inflowing rivers in the Lake Taihu basin were selected to explore the potential effects of multi-source DOM inputs on the stability of the lake sediment carbon pool. The results showed the high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in the Lake Taihu basin, accompanied by a high complexity level. Lignins constituted the majority of DOM compounds, surpassing 40% of the total, while the organic carbon content was predominantly composed of humic acids (1.02-3.01 g kg-1). The high amounts of lignin oxidative cleavage led to CHO being the main molecular structure in the DOM of the seven rivers. The carbon constituents within the sediment carbon reservoir exhibited a positive correlation with dissolved CH4 and CO2, with a notable emphasis on humic acid and dissolved CH4 (R2 = 0.86). The elevated concentration of DOM, coupled with its intricate composition, contributed to the increases in dissolved greenhouse gases (GHGs). Experiments showed that the mixing of multi-source DOM can accelerate the organic carbon mineralization processes. The unit carbon emission efficiency was highest in the mixed group, reaching reached 160.9 µmol∙Cg-1, which also exhibited a significantly different carbon pool. The mixed decomposition of DOM from different sources influenced the roles of the lake carbon pool as source and sink, indicating that the multi-source DOM of this lake basin was a potential driving factor for increased carbon emissions. These findings have improved our understanding of the sources and compositions of DOM in lake basins and revealed their impacts on carbon emissions, thereby providing a theoretical basis for improving assessments of lake carbon emissions.

Expression and mechanism of micro-ribonucleic acid-29a in chorionic villi obtained at curettage with recurrent abortion.

Objective: Explored the expression of miR-29a in puerpera with RSA and its influencing mechanism. Method: 52 patients with RSA group were divided into 30 cases representing ≤3 abortions and 22 cases with ≥4 abortions,thirty healthy women who had induced abortion during the same period as the control group. The differences in the expression levels of miR-29a, FKBP52 mRNA, VEGF, MVD, and HIF-lα were compared between the groups by conducting a correlation analysis. Results: The expression levels of miR-29a, VEGF, MVD, and HIF-lα in the chorionic villus were significantly higher among patients in the group with ≥4 abortions than in those in the group with ≤3 abortions (P < 0.05), and the expression levels of FKBP52 mRNA were lower in the former than in the latter (P < 0.05). A Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the expression levels of miR-29a were positively correlated with the levels of VEGF, MVD, and HIF-lα (P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with the expression level of FKBP52 mRNA (P < 0.05). Conclusion: MiR-29a may be involved in the pathogenesis of RSA by inhibiting the protein expressions of FKBP52 and VEGF, promoting the apoptosis of trophoblasts, and impairing neovascularization, resulting in placental vascular dysplasia..

Effects of different growth patterns of Tamarix chinensis on saline-alkali soil: implications for coastal restoration and management.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the wetland restoration, the physicochemical property and microbial community in rhizosphere and bulk soil of the living and death Tamarix chinensis covered soil zones were studied. RESULTS: There were differences between growth conditions in the levels of soil pH, salinity, SOM, and nutrient. The living status of T. chinensis exhibited higher capacity of decreasing saline-alkali soil than the death condition of plants, and the living T. chinensis showed higher uptake of N, P, and K as compared with the death samples. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Chloroflexi were the predominant bacterial communities as revealed via high-throughput sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: It is great potential for using halophytes such as T. chinensis to ecological restore the coastal saline-alkali soil. This study could contribute to a better understanding of halophyte growth during the coastal phytoremediation process, and guide theoretically for management of T. chinensis population.

Identification of Pulmonary Edema in Forensic Autopsy Cases of Sudden Cardiac Death Using Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy: A Pilot Study.

Many studies have proven the usefulness of biofluid-based infrared spectroscopy in the clinical domain for diagnosis and monitoring the progression of diseases. Here we present a state-of-the-art study in the forensic field that employed Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy for postmortem diagnosis of sudden cardiac death (SCD) by in situ biochemical investigation of alveolar edema fluid in lung tissue sections. The results of amide-related spectral absorbance analysis demonstrated that the pulmonary edema fluid of the SCD group was richer in protein components than that of the neurologic catastrophe (NC) and lethal multiple injuries (LMI) groups. The complementary results of unsupervised principle component analysis (PCA) and genetic algorithm-guided partial least-squares discriminant analysis (GA-PLS-DA) further indicated different global spectral band patterns of pulmonary edema fluids between these three groups. Ultimately, a random forest (RF) classification model for postmortem diagnosis of SCD was built and achieved good sensitivity and specificity scores of 97.3% and 95.5%, respectively. Classification predictions of unknown pulmonary edema fluid collected from 16 cases were also performed by the model, resulting in 100% correct discrimination. This pilot study demonstrates that FTIR microspectroscopy in combination with chemometrics has the potential to be an effective aid for postmortem diagnosis of SCD.

Correlation between replicative senescence of endometrial gland epithelial cells in shedding and non-shedding endometria and endometriosis cyst during menstruation.

To investigate correlation between abnormal replicative senescence of endometrial gland epithelial cells (EGECs) in shedding and non-shedding endometria and endometriosis cyst during menstruation. Musashi-1 expression, ß-catenin expression, and EGECs ultrastructure in shedding and non-shedding endometrium when menstruation were observed through real-time PCR and transmission electron microscopy technologies. (1) Musashi-1 and ß-catenin exhibited a high expression in shedding and non-shedding endometria in experimental group, showing a positive correlation between each other; and were significantly higher than that in control group. However; there was no correlation between these two in control group. (2) Transmission electron microscopy results: In experimental group, organelles in EGECs in shedding endometrium obtained were abundant on the first day of menstruation, nuclei were irregular, double nucleoli could be observed, and chromatin was rich. Furthermore, morphology of EGECs in non-shedding endometrium was irregular, organelles were abundant, basement membrane was irregular with abnormal curvature, and a large amount of collagenic fibers were found in intercellular spaces. On the fifth day of menstruation, the cilia and microvilli on secretory cells in endometrium increased and prolongated, and organelles became extremely rich. EGECs have potentials of division, proliferation, invasion and migration; and is associated with formation of endometriosis cysts.

[Analysis for the blood mineral content of children aged 3 to 12 years in 7 cities and 2 towns in China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the status of blood mineral content of children aged 3 to 12 years in Chinese cities and countryside and explore the possible related influencing factors. METHODS: The multistage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select one kindergarten and one primary school in seven cities (Beijing and Guangzhou and so on) and two towns randomly. Firstly, we selected one bottom class, middle class, top class in one kindergarten and one second grade and fifth grade in one primary school randomly. Then all of the healthful students of these classes were investigated and the blood mineral content of calcium, magnesium, lead, iron, copper, and zinc were detected. RESULTS: In the research, 1 842 students were investigated. The means of calcium, magnesium, lead, iron, copper, and zinc were in the standard range. The blood lead content of the boys was higher than that of the girls. The blood mineral content of different ages had statistical significance. The blood calcium and blood copper contents of the preschool children were higher than those of the school children. However, the school children had significantly higher blood lead, iron, and zinc contents in comparison with those of the preschool children. The incidences of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency were 35.5% and 39.6%, respectively. The incidence of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of different ages had statistical significance, and with the age increasing, the incidence showed a decreasing trend. The incidences of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of children whose age was more than or equal to 3 years and less than 4 years were up to 47.1% and 64.6%, respectively. The incidence of iron deficiency of the children in the countryside area was significantly higher than those in the first-tier cities. However, the incidence of zinc deficiency of the children in the countryside area was significantly lower than those in the first-tier cities and second-tier cities. CONCLUSION: The status of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of children aged 3 to 12 years in Chinese cities and countryside were still serious. We should pay more attention to the nutrition interventional research on iron and zinc.

[Analysis on the iron deficiency and the rate of anemia of 3-11 year old children in 7 cities and 2 countryside in China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the status of iron deficiency and the rate of anemia of 3 - 11 year-old children in Chinese cities and countryside and explore the possible related influencing factors. METHODS: The multistage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select one kindergarten and one primary school in seven cities (Beijing, Shenyang, Suzhou, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Lenzhou and Guangzhou) and two countryside randomly in Hebei Province one bottom class, middle class, top class in one kindergarten and one second grade and fifth grade in one primary school were selected randomly. All of the healthful students of these classes were investigated and the element iron and the parameters of red blood cell were detected. RESULTS: 1863 students in 7 cities and 2 countryside were investigated in the research. The incidence of iron deficiency of different ages had statistical significance and with the age increasing, the incidence showed a decreasing trend. The incidences of iron deficiency were 47.1% and 38.2% in 3 -4 year-old children and 4 - 5 year-old children, respectively. The incidence of anemia of different ages had statistical significance. The incidences of anemia of 3 - 4 year-old children and 4 -5 year-old children were significantly higher than those of 5 - 6 year-old children. The incidences of anemia were 4.0% and 7.1% in 3 - 4 year-old children and 4 -5 year-old children, respectively. No statistical significance for different sex of the same age was found for iron deficiency and anemia incidence. The incidence (12%) of anemia of the children in countryside area was significantly higher than those in first-tier cities and second-tier cities. CONCLUSION: The status of iron deficiency and the rate of anemia of 3 - 11 year-old children in Chinese cities and countryside were improved recently, but still serious. It should be paid more attention to the children with lower serum iron content and the children in rural areas.

Experimental and DFT insights into the adsorption mechanism of methylene blue by alkali-modified corn straw biochar.

As an efficient and cost-effective adsorbent, biochar has been widely used in the adsorption and removal of dyes. In this study, a simple NaOH-modified biochar with the pyrolysis temperature of 300 °C (NaCBC300) was synthesized, characterized, and investigated for the adsorption performances and mechanisms of methylene blue (MB). NaCBC300 exhibited excellent MB adsorption performance with maximum removal efficiency and adsorption capacity of 99.98% and 290.71 mg g-1, which were three and four times higher than biochar without modification, respectively. This might be attributed to the increased content of -OH and the formation of irregular flakes after NaOH modification. The Freundlich isotherm suggested multilayer adsorption between NaCBC300 and MB. Spectroscopic characterizations demonstrated that multiple mechanisms including π-π interaction, H-bonding, and pore-filling were involved in the adsorption. According to density functional theory (DFT) calculations, electrostatic interaction between NaCBC300 and MB was verified. The highest possibility of the attraction between NaCBC300 and MB was between -COOH in NaCBC300 and R-N(CH3)2 in MB. This work improved our understanding of the mechanism for MB adsorption by modified biochar and provided practical and theoretical guidance for adsorbent preparation with high adsorption ability for dyes.

Following Through: The Impact of Culinary Medicine on Mediterranean Diet Uptake in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is recommended for all patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) unless there is a specific contraindication. Culinary medicine has emerged as a method for improving dietary education. Patients and caregivers are often invested in making dietary changes to improve disease control. Here, we examine the dietary preferences of a group of young people with IBD and apply culinary medicine techniques with an in-person MD-focused cooking class. METHODS: A survey evaluating dietary attitudes was sent to an IBD email listserv at our tertiary care center (n = 779). A validated questionnaire, the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents was used to assess MD adherence. IBD dietitians customized 2 in-person MD-focused cooking classes, one for children 6 to 12 years of age (arm 1) and one for adolescents 13 to 17 years of age (arm 2). Baseline, 1-month follow-up, and 3-month follow-up surveys were completed. RESULTS: There were 112 survey responses. Participants were 67.0% male with diagnosis of Crohn's disease (50.0%), ulcerative colitis (42.0%), or IBD unclassified (8.0%). Most were managed on advanced therapies (82.0%). Most reported making decisions about diet (82.0%) in order to help with IBD, had met with a dietitian (69.0%), and were interested in learning more about the MD (55.3%). MD scores were primarily in the average (49.5%) and poor (41.1%) diet categories. Only those eating together as a family 3 or more times per week or those who had met with a dietitian scored in the optimal diet category. The median MD score at baseline was 4.5, increasing to 6.0 at 1 month and 7.0 at 3 months postintervention. Almost all (90%) would recommend cooking classes to others. Common barriers to MD uptake included lack of knowledge about which foods to prepare, concern about taste, and time to prepare food. CONCLUSIONS: This study showcases high patient and caregiver interest in dietary management of IBD and demonstrates efficacy of education via application of culinary medicine. Classes were well received by families and MD adherence scores increased postintervention. As patients with IBD and their families are often motivated to incorporate dietary therapy into their care, this work highlights the role of culinary medicine and value of future study.

As the Mediterranean diet is now recommended for all patients with inflammatory bowel disease, we have shown high interest in dietary therapy and applied culinary medicine techniques as a valuable tool for increasing diet uptake in an effort to improve outcomes.

Correlation of DNA fragments with routine semen parameters and lifestyle and their impact on assisted reproductive outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the correlation between sperm DNA integrity and routine semen evaluation parameters in male infertile patients, the influencing factors, and the impact of the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) on embryo quality and clinical outcomes in in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). METHODS: Sperm DFI and semen routine parameters of 6160 infertile men admitted between June 2017 and June 2018 were analyzed. Patients were divided into three groups according to their DFI: low-DFI (DFI<15%), medium-DFI (15%30%). The correlations of DFI with patients' age, sperm concentration, sperm percentage of forward movement and sperm percentage of normal shape were analyzed. The clinical data of 5040 infertile couples who received IVF treatment between June 2016 and 2021 and had embryos transferred in a fresh cycle were reviewed. The fertilization rate, cleavage rate, blastocyst rate, and pregnancy rate in different DFI groups were compared. RESULTS: Semen evaluation parameters (concentration, spermatozoa with progressive motility, and the normal morphology rate), the high-quality embryo rate, blastocyst development rate, and pregnancy rate in the high-DFI group were significantly lower than those in the other two groups. The correlation analysis revealed that sperm DFI was negatively correlated with semen concentration, sperm motility, and normal sperm morphology and positively correlated with the man's age, BMI, and unhealthy habits (smoking and drinking). There was no significant difference in the number of mature eggs and normal fertilization rate among groups. CONCLUSION: A strong correlation exists between sperm DFI and semen evaluation parameters. Smoking, drinking, and other unhealthy habits lead to an increase in DFI, reducing the high-quality embryo rate and blastocyst development rate and affecting pregnancy outcomes.

Untargeted metabolomics analysis reveals the metabolic disturbances and exacerbation of oxidative stress in recurrent spontaneous abortion.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is characterized by the occurrence of two or more consecutive spontaneous abortions, with a rising prevalence among pregnant women and significant implications for their physical and mental well-being. The multifaceted etiology of RSA has posed challenges in unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying that underlie its pathogenesis. Oxidative stress and immune response have been identified as pivotal factors in the development of its condition. METHODS: Eleven serum samples from healthy pregnant women and 17 from RSA were subjected to liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to excavate system-level characterization of the serum metabolome. The measurement of seven oxidative stress products, namely superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malonaldehyde (MDA), glutathione (GPx), glutathione peroxidase (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), heme oxygenase (HO-1), was carried out using ELISA. RESULTS: Through the monitoring of metabolic and lipid alternations during RSA events, we have identified 816 biomarkers that were implicated in various metabolic pathways, including glutathione metabolism, phosphonate and phosphinate metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, lysine degradation and purine metabolism, etc. These pathways have been found to be closely associated with the progression of the disease. Our finding indicated that the levels of MDA and HO-1 were elevated in the RSA group compared to the control group, whereas SOD, CAT and GPx exhibited a contrary pattern. However, no slight difference was observed in GSH and GSSG levels between the RSA group and the control group. CONCLUSION: The manifestation of RSA elicited discernible temporal alternations in the serum metabolome and biochemical markers linked to the metabolic pathways of oxidative stress and immune response. Our investigation furnished a more comprehensive analytical framework encompassing metabolites and enzymes associated with oxidative stress. This inquiry furnished a more nuanced comprehension of the pathogenesis of RSA and established the ground work for prognostication and prophylaxis.

Case report: Novel compound heterozygous variants in the PANK2 gene in a Chinese patient diagnosed with ASD and ADHD.

The PANK2 gene, which encodes mitochondrial pantothenate kinase 2 protein, is the disease-causing gene for pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN). We report a case of atypical PKAN with autism-like symptoms presenting with speech difficulties, psychiatric symptoms, and mild developmental retardation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed the typical "eye-of-the-tiger" sign. Whole-exon sequencing revealed PANK2 p.Ile501Asn/p.Thr498Ser compound heterozygous variants. Our study highlights the phenotypic heterogeneity of PKAN, which can be confused with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and requires careful clinical identification.

Effects of nursing intervention based on a positive motivational model on cardiac function, self-management and quality of life in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of nursing intervention based on a positive motivational model on cardiac function, self-management, and life quality in elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 112 elderly CHD patients were picked as the subjects of this research from August 2021 to August 2022. All patients were randomized to the observation group and regular group by a two-color sampling method, with 56 cases in each group. Subjects in the regular group and observation group received traditional interventions and additional positive motivational model nursing interventions, respectively. The cardiac function [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD)], sports endurance, self-management ability, psychological status [depression self-assessment scale (SDS), anxiety self-assessment scale (SAS)], and life quality before and after the intervention were compared between two groups. The readiness for discharge scores and satisfaction with nursing care were compared between the two groups after the intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, the LVEF levels of the patients in both groups were elevated, and the LVESD and LVEDD levels were sharply decreased (p < 0.05). The improvement in cardiac function indexes was more evident in the observation group than in the regular group (p < 0.001). The readiness for discharge score of patients was markedly higher in the observation group than in the regular group (p < 0.01). After the intervention, the self-management score and sports endurance score of patients in both groups were evidently elevated (p < 0.05), which were much higher in the observation group than in the control (p < 0.001). The nursing satisfaction of patients in the observation group was 92.86%, much higher than 73.21% in the regular group (p < 0.05). The observation group had much lower SDS and SAS scores than the regular group after the intervention (p < 0.001). After the intervention, the observation group had a much higher life quality score than the regular group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The nursing intervention model based on the positive motivation model could significantly improve the cardiac function, discharge readiness, sports endurance, and self-management behavior of elderly patients with CHD, thereby improving their quality of life and achieving higher patient satisfaction.

Long-term in vitro treatment of INS-1 rat pancreatic ß-cells by unsaturated free fatty acids protects cells against gluco- and lipotoxicities via activation of GPR40 receptors.

G-protein coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) is a membrane-bound G-protein-coupled receptor with high binding affinity to medium- and long-chain free fatty acids (FFAs). Acute activation of GPR40 on pancreatic ß-cells causes insulin secretion, whereas prolonged activation may contribute to a deterioration of the effect of saturated FFAs on ß-cells. It has been documented that different types of FFAs produce various effects on insulin secretion; however, little information is available regarding the expression of GPR40 and its function after long-term exposure of ß-cells to unsaturated FFAs. In the present study, GPR40 expression and function were assessed in INS-1 ß-cells after 48 h exposure to different types of unsaturated FFAs. The mRNA and protein expression of GPR40 was increased significantly by long-term exposure of cells to polyunsaturated α-linolenic acid, but not to either oleic acid or linoleic acid. Immunocytochemistry revealed a reduction in the number of insulin-containing granules in cells treated with α-linolenic acid, which was correlated with an increase in cellular expression of GPR40. Basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion were markedly suppressed by 48 h treatment of cells with saturated palmitic acid, but not unsaturated α-linolenic acid. By testing various FFAs, it was found that FFA-induced suppression of basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was attenuated by an increase in the degree of unsaturation of the FFAs and GPR40 expression in response to FFA treatment in INS-1 cells. The results of the present study indicate that long-term in vitro treatment of INS-1 rat pancreatic ß-cells by unsaturated FFAs protects the cells against from gluco- and lipotoxicities and that this coincides with an increase in GPR40 expression.

Experimental Study on the Influence of Different Factors on the Mechanical Properties of a Soil-Rock Mixture Solidified by Micro-Organisms.

In this paper, we focus on the application of mechanical properties in a soil-rock mixture modified by microbial mineralization under the influence of different factors, including pH value, cementing solution concentration, and cementing time. Cementing fluids and samples with different pH values, calcium ion concentrations, and mineralization cementation were prepared. The process of urea hydrolysis MICP under different factors was studied. A solidified soil-rock mixture sample under triaxial compression was measured. Then, combined with scanning test methods, such as SEM and XRD, the influence of different factors on the mechanical strength and failure mode of the soil-rock mixture structure was analyzed from a microscopic point of view. The results show that a low concentration of cementing solution with a high concentration of bacteria liquid generated the highest calcium carbonate content and the strongest cementing ability. When the pH value of the cementation solution is six, the cementation effect between the pores is the best, and the deviatoric stress is stronger. When wet-curing samples, short or long curing time will adversely affect the strength of soil-rock mixture samples, the strongest curing and cementing ability is 5 days. The microscopic results show that the microbial mineralization technology fills the pores between the particles, and the interaction force between particles is enhanced to enhance the strength of the soil-rock mixture.

LncRNA BANCR Promotes Endometrial Stromal Cell Proliferation and Invasion in Endometriosis via the miR-15a-5p/TRIM59 Axis.

Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) emerges as a regulator in various diseases, including endometriosis (EM). This study aims to uncover the role of long non-coding RNA BRAF-activated non-protein coding RNA (lncRNA BANCR)-mediated competing endogenous RNA mechanism in endometrial stromal cell (ESC) proliferation and invasion in EM by regulating miR-15a-5p/TRIM59. ESCs were isolated from eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues, followed by the determination of Cytokeratin 19 and Vimentin expressions in cells. Then, expressions of lncRNA BANCR, microRNA (miR)-15a-5p, and tripartite motif-containing 59 (TRIM59) in tissues and cells were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction or Western blot assay, and cell proliferation and invasion were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 and transwell assays. After that, the subcellular localization of lncRNA BANCR and binding of miR-15a-5p to lncRNA BANCR or TRIM59 were analyzed. LncRNA BANCR was upregulated in ectopic endometrial tissues and ectopic ESCs (Ect-ESCs). Silencing lncRNA BANCR suppressed Ect-ESC proliferation and invasion. LncRNA BANCR inhibited miR-15a-5p to promote TRIM59 expression. miR-15a-5p downregulation or TRIM59 overexpression both reversed the effects of silencing lncRNA BANCR on Ect-ESC proliferation and invasion. In summary, our findings suggested that lncRNA BANCR facilitated Ect-ESC proliferation and invasion by inhibiting miR-15a-5p and promoting TRIM59.

Distinguishing Asphyxia from Sudden Cardiac Death as the Cause of Death from the Lung Tissues of Rats and Humans Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

The ability to determine asphyxia as a cause of death is important in forensic practice and helps us to judge whether a case is criminal. However, in some cases where the deceased has underlying heart disease, death by asphyxia cannot be determined by traditional autopsy and morphological observation under a microscope because there are no specific morphological features for either asphyxia or sudden cardiac death (SCD). Here, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was employed to distinguish asphyxia from SCD. A total of 40 lung tissues (collected at 0 h and 24 h postmortem) from 20 rats (10 died from asphyxia and 10 died from SCD) and 16 human lung tissues from 16 real cases were used for spectral data acquisition. After data preprocessing, 2675 spectra from rat lung tissues and 1526 spectra from human lung tissues were obtained for subsequent analysis. First, we found that there were biochemical differences in the rat lung tissues between the two causes of death by principal component analysis and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), which were related to alterations in lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. In addition, a PLS-DA classification model can be built to distinguish asphyxia from SCD. Second, based on the spectral data obtained from lung tissues allowed to decompose for 24 h, we could still distinguish asphyxia from SCD even when decomposition occurred in animal models. Nine important spectral features that contributed to the discrimination in the animal experiment were selected and further analyzed. Third, 7 of the 9 differential spectral features were also found to be significantly different in human lung tissues from 16 real cases. A support vector machine model was finally built by using the seven variables to distinguish asphyxia from SCD in the human samples. Compared with the linear PLS-DA model, its accuracy was significantly improved to 0.798, and the correct rate of determining the cause of death was 100%. This study shows the application potential of FTIR spectroscopy for exploring the subtle biochemical differences resulting from different death processes and determining the cause of death even after decomposition.

A study on the marine ecological security assessment of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Great Bay Area.

The construction of world-class Bay makes the marine ecology in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Great Bay Area in risk. Based on the DPSIR index framework, Lotka-Volterra symbiosis model is applied to calculate symbiosis degree between coastal socio-economic system and marine ecosystem in 9 coastal cities. It is found that the marine ecological pressure in this area have not been reversed in recent 20 years. Most cities are in the stage that socio-economic development and marine ecological damage coexist. In Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan and Zhongshan, the damaged marine ecology has begun to restrain the further expansion of economy and society. The massive population agglomeration in Hong Kong, Macao and other places has caused serious marine ecological stress. It is urgent to improve the marine ecological security by cultivating ecological industrial system and industrial clusters, establishing a land-sea ecological restoration, promoting joint-protection and co-governance across different administrative regions.

[Identification and analysis of vaginal lactobacilli in patients with bacterial vaginosis patients and healthy women in nationality of Pastoral area].

OBJECTIVE: To identify and analyze the species of vaginal lactobacilli between patients with bacterial vaginosis (BV) and healthy women at childbearing age in Inner Mongolia. METHODS: From Jun. 2008 to Dec. 2008, 203 Mongolian healthy women, 74 Han healthy women and 102 Mongolian patients with BV from 3 pastoral areas were enrolled in this study. Isolation and culture of lactobacilli from vaginal wall were performed by modified culture medium. DNA of lactobacilli were extracted and sequenced. H2O2 were detected by TMB-HRP-MRS. RESULTS: (1) The rate of lactobacilli identification were 76.8% (156/203) in Mongolian healthy women and 21.6% (22/102) in Mongolian patients with BV, which reached statistical difference (P < 0.01). Lactobacilli identification in Han healthy women [82.4% (61/74)] did not show significant difference with that of Mongolian healthy women (P > 0.05). (2) The total of 193 strains and 11 species of Lactobacillus were detected in 203 Mongolian healthy women. Meanwhile, 22 strains and 4 species of Lactobacillus were found in 102 Mongolian BV cases. (3) The rate of H2O2 generating Lactobacilli was 27.3% (6/22) in Mongolian BV patients and 75.7% (56/74) in Mongolian healthy women, which showed statistical difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of Lactobacillus was not related with the race of women in pastoral area in Inner Mongolian. The amount of lactobacilli and H2O2 generating Lactobacilli in the vagina of BV patients was remarkably lower than those of healthy women at childbearing age.