Magnetometry based on the effect of laser-induced plasmas in a sodium-containing environment.

The magneto-optical resonance response of sodium atoms generated by a high-energy solid-state pulse Nd:YAG laser is studied in different external magnetic fields. We investigate the resonance fluorescence signal of sodium atoms in a simulated sea fog environment based on the laser-induced plasma (LIP) effect. By ionizing an NaCl solution spray to generate sodium atoms in an atmospheric environment, we build a Bell-Bloom magneto-optical resonance system under laboratory conditions. With the help of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and extinction spectrum, we obtain sodium atoms with a lifetime of 250 µs. A narrowband tunable continuous wave (CW) 589-nm laser tuned at the D2 line with a modulation frequency around the Larmor frequency is used as the pump beam to polarize sodium atoms in the test magnetic field. We find that the magneto-optical resonance signals vary with different external magnetic fields and the positions of the resonance signal are consistent with the theoretical values. An intrinsic magnetometric sensitivity of 620.4 pT in a 1-Hz bandwidth is achieved.

Surgical treatment of lung metastasis in patients with refractory gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: A retrospective study.

PURPOSE: The lungs are the most common site of metastasis in patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. We investigated surgical management and prognostic factors of patients with refractory gestational trophoblastic neoplasia to assess the value of lung metastasis resection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical data of patients with refractory gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and lung metastasis treated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2005 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Surgical characteristics and survival outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 213 patients with refractory gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and lung metastasis were screened, and 148 patients who underwent unilateral lung resection were analyzed. Patients' median age was 32 years. Lobectomy was performed in 65.5% of patients, while wedge resection was performed in 34.5%. The rate of postoperative complications was 12.2%. The pathological rate was 66.2%. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery showed better surgical characteristics than thoracotomy did. Compared with lobectomy, wedge resection had a shorter operative time, shorter duration of chest tube placement, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and fewer postoperative complications. The median follow-up period was 36 months. During follow-up, 90.5% of patients achieved complete remission. The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 80.4% and 92.6%, respectively. More previous chemotherapy courses and failure to achieve normal ß-human chorionic gonadotropin levels postoperatively were predictors of poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of lung metastasis is valuable and safe for patients with refractory gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. The minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic approach and wedge resection are recommended.

Application of intraoperative nerve monitoring for recurrent laryngeal nerves in minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Mediastinal lymphadenectomy is of great importance during esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is a severe complication caused by lymphadenectomy along the RLN. Intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) can effectively identify the RLN and reduce the incidence of postoperative vocal cord paralysis (VCP). Here, we describe the feasibility and effectiveness of IONM in minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy. METHODS: A total of 150 patients who underwent minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy from 2016 to 2020 were enrolled in this study. We divided the patients into two groups: a neuromonitoring group (IONM, n = 70) and a control group (control, n = 80). Clinical data, surgical variables, and postoperative complications were retrospectively analyzed and compared. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups. Postoperative VCP occurred in six cases (8.6%) in the IONM group, which was lower than that in the control group (21.3%, P = 0.032). Postoperative pulmonary complications were found in five cases (7.1%) and 14 in the control group (18.8%, P = 0.037). The postoperative hospital stay in the IONM group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (8 vs. 12, median, P < 0.001). The number of RLN lymph nodes harvested in the IONM group was higher than that in the control group (13.74 ± 5.77 vs. 11.03 ± 5.78, P = 0.005). The sensitivity and specificity of IONM monitoring VCP were 83.8% and 100%, respectively. A total of 66.7% of patients with a reduction in signal showed transient VCP, whereas 100% with a loss of signal showed permanent VCP. CONCLUSION: IONM is feasible in minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy. It showed advantages for distinguishing RLN and achieving thorough mediastinal lymphadenectomy with less RLN injury. Abnormal IONM signals can provide an accurate prediction of postoperative VCP incidence.

Preoperative Prognostic Nutritional Index is a Significant Predictor of Survival in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients.

Background: Preoperative assessment of patients is meaningful to predict survival in patients with malignant tumors. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is one of the most significant factors related to the prognosis in various types of cancer; however, its role in esophageal cancer is still inconclusive. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic value of PNI in predicting overall survival (OS) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Methods: This retrospective study included 4146 ESCC patients, 3812 who underwent esophagectomy for ESCC. Other 334 had no surgery. The Preoperative PNI was measured before any therapies and calculated as 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (per mm3). We classified the patients into three categories according to the PNI, >50, 45-50, and <45.Results: Our study showed that PNI was associated with age (P<0.0001), gender(P<0.001),tumor length (P<0.0001), T grade (P = 0.001), N staging (P = 0.017),and M staging (P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that PNI was a significant predictor of overall survival Lower PNI vs. Higher PNI group had significantly increased the hazard ratio of ESCC survival (OR = 1.2, 95% CI= 1.05-1.5, p = 0.01). The Kaplan-Meier curve suggested that high PNI group will significantly increase the OS in both surgical and non-surgical group.Conclusion: PNI is a useful predictive factor for long-term survival in ESCC. The survival rate of ESCC can be discriminated between three groups, PNI, >50, 45-50, and <45. The prognostic value of PNI can be applied for both surgical and non-surgical ESCC patients.

MDM2 and its functional polymorphism SNP309 contribute to the development of esophageal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Overexpression of the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) has been explored in many tumors with high proliferation and anti-apoptosis ability. However, the role of MDM2 and its functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2279744 (also known as SNP309) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. METHODS: We performed a genotype study of blood samples in 360 ESCC patients and 360 healthy control individuals to determine the risk of various rs2279744 in ESCC. To further evaluate the role of rs2279744 in regulating MDM2 expression, we performed an allele-specific reporter assay and investigated whether the SNP-containing sequences functioned as an active enhancer. To examine the functional role of MDM2 on esophageal cancer cell lines, we carried out an MTS assay and flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: From the genotyping study, we found that GG genotype of SNP309 significantly increased the risk of ESCC in an additive model [odds ratio (OR) = 2.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.66-3.89, p = 1.50 × 10-5 ) and in a recessive model (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.69-3.51, p = 1.60 × 10-8 ). Furthermore, the G allele was significantly associated with a higher risk of ESCC (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.26-1.92, p = 2.81 × 10-5 ). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the GG genotype had increased the occurrence of ESCC by 2.39-fold (95% CI = 1.48-3.8). Compared to the T allele, the variant G allele had significantly higher luciferase activity on the promoter of MDM2 in both cell lines. By transfecting the gene to ESCC lines, we showed that overexpression of MDM2 significantly promote cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: The MDM2 promoter SNP309 is a risk factor for esophageal cancer. MDM2 promotes the proliferation and anti-apoptosis of ESCC.

Inhibitory neurotransmitter serotonin and excitatory neurotransmitter dopamine both decrease food intake in Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi).

Aminergic neurotransmitters play important roles in the regulation of food intake. However, their effects on feeding in fish have been less explored and still unclear. In the present study, the effects of serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) on food intake were evaluated through intraventricular (ICV) administration in Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi) and the mRNA expression levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti gene-related protein (AgRP), and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) were detected. At 1 h post-injection, 5-HT significantly decreased food intake in a dose-dependent manner. The mRNA expression of NPY and AgRP were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), whereas the mRNA expression of POMC was significantly increased (p < 0.05), suggesting the involvement of NPY, AgRP, and POMC in inhibitory action of 5-HT on food intake in Chinese perch. DA significantly decreased (p < 0.05) food intake and AgRP mRNA expression at 1 h post-injection, indicating the inhibitory effect of DA on food intake might be mediated through AgRP. This might shed new light on the regulation of food intake in Chinese perch.

[Substitution of cordyceps cephalosporium mycelia for cordyceps sinensis in the prescription of Shengjing Capsules: Enhanced effect on spermatogenesis impairment].

OBJECTIVE: To screen out an effective substitute in the prescription of Shengjing Capsules (SJC), observe the effects of the redeveloped New SJC (NSJC) with cordyceps cephalosporium mycelia (CCM) substituted for the ingredient cordyceps sinensis in the treatment of spermatogenesis impairment (SI), and provide some experimental evidence for its application in the treatment of male infertility and sexual dysfunction. METHODS: We equally randomized 192 male mice into 16 groups: normal saline control, SI model, high-, medium- and low-dose fermented cordycepin powder (FCP, 1.60, 0.80 and 0.40 g/kg), high-, medium- and low-dose CCM (1.60, 0.80 and 0.40 g/kg), high-, medium- and low-dose cordyceps mortierella mycelia (CMM, 1.60, 0.80 and 0.40 g/kg), high-, medium- and low-dose fermented cordyceps sinensis (FCS, 1.60, 0.80 and 0.40 g/kg), SJC (0.80 g/kg), and vitamin E (VE, 0.25 g/kg), with the SI model established in all the mice and the normal controls injected intraperitoneally with cyclophosphamide at 60 mg/kg qd for 5 consecutive days. After intragastrical medication with respective drugs, we obtained the body mass index (BMI), sexual organ coefficient, sperm count, sperm motility, and percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm (MAS) of the mice. We also randomly divided 70 male rats into 7 groups of equal number: normal control, SI model, high-, medium- and low-dose NSJC (1.12, 0.56 and 0.28 g/kg), SJC (0.56 g/kg), and VE (0.18 g/kg), the SI model constructed in the latter 6 groups of rats by gavage of adenine at 200 mg/kg qd for 5 consecutive days. After intragastrical medication with respective drugs, we examined the BMI, coefficients of sexual and renal organs, levels of reproductive hormones, testicular morphology, and fertility of the animals. RESULTS: After medication, the mice in different groups showed different degrees of improvement in the cyclophosphamide-induced slow growth, significant increases in the testicular and epididymal coefficients, sperm count, motility and viability (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and a remarkable reduction in the percentage of MAS (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The effect was particularly significant in the CCM group and therefore CCM was chosen as the best substitute ingredient in the redeveloped NSJC. Compared with the rats in other groups, those treated with NSJC exhibited significant increases in the BMI, coefficients of sexual and renal organs and levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), improvement of the pathologically damaged testicular morphology, elevation of the pregnancy rate and litter size, and recovery from adenine-induced SI. CONCLUSIONS: The redeveloped New Shengjing Capsules with cordyceps cephalosporium mycelia substituted for the ingredient cordyceps sinensis can improve fertility and reverse spermatogenesis impairment in male rats. The new prescription may also be applied to the clinical treatment of male infertility and sexual dysfunction.

Mild osmotic stress promotes 4-methoxy indolyl-3-methyl glucosinolate biosynthesis mediated by the MKK9-MPK3/MPK6 cascade in Arabidopsis.

KEY MESSAGE: MKK9-MPK3/MPK6 cascade positively regulates IGSs' biosynthetic genes. Glucosinolates (GSs), secondary metabolites well known for their roles in plant defense, have been implicated to play an important role in plant abiotic stress response; however, the exact role in these processes and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are extensively involved in plant abiotic stress response. In this study, we examined the levels of four indolic glucosinolates (IGSs) in the shoots of Arabidopsis seedlings under mild osmotic stress conditions and found that 4-methoxy indolyl-3-methyl glucosinolate (4MI3G) accumulated and that MPK3 and MPK6 were activated. Loss of MPK3 or MPK6 function led to a reduction in mild osmotic stress-induced 4MI3G. Further analyses revealed that MKK9 acts upstream of MPK3 and MPK6 to promote 4MI3G accumulation. The level of 4MI3G induced by mild osmotic stress was reduced in the mkk9 mutant. Conversely, 4MI3G increased in MKK9 DD , a constitutively activate mutant of MKK9. Gene expression analyses indicated that the activated MKK9-MPK3/MPK6 cascade upregulates the IGS biosynthetic genes. Moreover, the lack of MYB51, the transcription factor controlling biosynthetic genes responsible for synthesizing the IGS core structure, or CYP81F2, the enzyme catalyzing core structure modification to 4MI3G, significantly reduced mild osmotic stress- and MKK9 DD -induced 4MI3G. Thus, our study demonstrates that mild osmotic stress promotes 4MI3G biosynthesis and the accumulation in Arabidopsis through activation of the MKK9-MPK3/MPK6 cascade and provides an MAPK-mediated signaling pathway for the IGS response to abiotic stress in plants.

Bone metastasis of malignant thymomas associated with peripheral T-cell lymphocytosis.

BACKGROUND: Malignant thymomas are rarely associated with bone metastasis and T-cell lymphocytosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital for ptosis. A diagnosis of malignant thymoma was made based on the thymectomy and pathological result. Peripheral T-cell lymphocytosis and bone metastasis were found later. T-cell lymphocytosis was relived after surgical and radiation therapy to the metastasis. CONCLUSION: Peripheral T-cell lymphocytosis is a rare paraneoplastic phenomenon associated with thymomas. This report is the first to describe an invasive thymoma with late bone metastasis accompanied with T-cell lymphocytosis. We should be aware of peripheral T-cell lymphocytosis in thymomas and it may contribute to a better understanding of the complex physiology and pathogenesis of thymoma.

ADRB2 polymorphisms predict the risk of myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease.

Recently, the rs1042713 G > A and rs1042714 C > G polymorphisms in the beta-2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene were shown to be related to atherosclerosis diseases. Therefore, we performed a systemic meta-analysis to determine whether the two functional polymorphisms are related to the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary artery disease (CAD). We identified published studies that are relevant to our topic of interest. Seven case-control studies, with a total of 6,843 subjects, were incorporated into the current meta-analysis. Our analysis showed a higher frequency of rs1042713 G > A variant in patients with MI or CAD compared to healthy controls. A similar result was also obtained with the rs1042714 C > G variant under both the allele and dominant models. Ethnicity-stratified subgroup analysis suggested that the rs1042714 C > G variant correlated with an increased risk of the two diseases in both Asians and Caucasians, while rs1042713 G > A only contributes to the risk of two diseases in Asians. In the disease type-stratified subgroups, the frequencies of both the rs1042713 G > A and rs1042714 C > G variants were higher in the cases than in the controls in both the MI and CAD subgroups. Collectively, our data contribute towards understanding the correlation between the rs1042713 G > A and rs1042714 C > G polymorphisms in ADRB2 and the susceptibility to MI and CAD.

Glutathione-indole-3-acetonitrile is required for camalexin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Camalexin, a major phytoalexin in Arabidopsis thaliana, consists of an indole ring and a thiazole ring. The indole ring is produced from Trp, which is converted to indole-3-acetonitrile (IAN) by CYP79B2/CYP79B3 and CYP71A13. Conversion of Cys(IAN) to dihydrocamalexic acid and subsequently to camalexin is catalyzed by CYP71B15. Recent studies proposed that Cys derivative, not Cys itself, is the precursor of the thiazole ring that conjugates with IAN. The nature of the Cys derivative and how it conjugates to IAN and subsequently forms Cys(IAN) remain obscure. We found that protein accumulation of multiple glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), elevation of GST activity, and consumption of glutathione (GSH) coincided with camalexin production. GSTF6 overexpression increased and GSTF6-knockout reduced camalexin production. Arabidopsis GSTF6 expressed in yeast cells catalyzed GSH(IAN) formation. GSH(IAN), (IAN)CysGly, and γGluCys(IAN) were determined to be intermediates within the camalexin biosynthetic pathway. Inhibitor treatments and mutant analyses revealed the involvement of γ-glutamyl transpeptidases (GGTs) and phytochelatin synthase (PCS) in the catabolism of GSH(IAN). The expression of GSTF6, GGT1, GGT2, and PCS1 was coordinately upregulated during camalexin biosynthesis. These results suggest that GSH is the Cys derivative used during camalexin biosynthesis, that the conjugation of GSH with IAN is catalyzed by GSTF6, and that GGTs and PCS are involved in camalexin biosynthesis.

Emodin enhances cholesterol efflux by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in oxidized low density lipoprotein-loaded THP1 macrophages.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ is a nuclear receptor involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism. In the present study, we sought to investigate the effects of emodin, an anthraquinone derivative isolated from the roots of Rheum palmatum, on PPARγ signalling and cholesterol efflux in macrophage foam cells. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-stimulated THP1 macrophages were incubated with different concentrations of emodin (0-10 µmol/L) for 18 h. Western blot analysis and semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to assess the expression of key genes involved in cholesterol efflux, namely PPARγ, liver X receptor (LXR) α, ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1 and ABCG1. In addition, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I-mediated cholesterol efflux in emodin-treated cells was measured. Expresssion of PPARγ mRNA and protein was increased in emodin-treated cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Emodin treatment also concentration-dependently induced LXRα, ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression. Moreover, emodin promoted apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux from oxLDL-loaded THP1 macrophages, which was significantly abolished by pretreatment with the PPARγ-selective antagonist GW9662 or the specific small interfering RNA for PPARγ. Together, the results demonstrate that emodin promotes cholesterol efflux from THP1 macrophages via activation of the PPARγ signalling pathway and may represent a potential anti-atherosclerotic drug.

Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Obesity: Advances and Prospects.

Obesity is a common metabolic syndrome that causes a significant burden on individuals and society. Conventional therapies include lifestyle interventions, bariatric surgery, and pharmacological therapies, which are not effective and have a high risk of adverse events. Acupuncture is an effective alternative for obesity, it modulates the hypothalamus, sympathetic activity and parasympathetic activity, obesity-related hormones (leptin, ghrelin, insulin, and CCK), the brain-gut axis, inflammatory status, adipose tissue browning, muscle blood flow, hypoxia, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) to influence metabolism, eating behavior, motivation, cognition, and the reward system. However, hypothalamic regulation by acupuncture should be further demonstrated in human studies using novel techniques, such as functional MRI (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET), electroencephalogram (EEG), and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Moreover, a longer follow-up phase of clinical trials is required to detect the long-term effects of acupuncture. Also, future studies should investigate the optimal acupuncture therapeutic option for obesity. This review aims to consolidate the recent improvements in the mechanism of acupuncture for obesity as well as discuss the future research prospects and potential of acupuncture for obesity.

[Population characteristics and impact on heart rate variability, heart rate and blood pressure of passive smoking].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the basic characteristics of passive smoking population, and the impact of passive smoking on heart rate variability, heart rate and blood pressure. METHODS: Eighty-six passive smokers [mean age: (52.4 ± 7.6) years] were recruited from patients and their relatives who visited cardiovascular outpatient department and excluded structural heart disease between June 2010 and June 2012, 80 normal subjects who were not exposed to smoking served as controls. Questionnaire survey, 24 hours ambulatory electrocardiogram examination and blood pressure measurement were performed in all recruited subjects. RESULTS: (1) Non-marriage rate [18.60% (16/86) vs. 3.75% (3/80), P < 0.01] was significantly higher while education level were significantly lower in passive smoking group than in control group. Passive smokers were more likely service industry workers [29.07% (25/86) vs. 15.00% (12/80), P < 0.05] and had longer daily working time [(7.56 ± 1.24) h vs. (6.02 ± 0.96) h, P < 0.01], and were less likely to be professional technology industry employers [20.93% (18/86) vs. 36.25% (29/80), P < 0.05] and managers [13.95% (12/86) vs. 38.75% (31/80), P < 0.01] compared to controls. The main place of passive smoking was workplace (67.44%, 58/86), entertainment venues (63.95%,55/86), restaurants (48.84%, 42/86). (2) Standard of the normal sinus RR intervals (SDNN), the normal consecutive sinus RR interval difference between the root-mean-square (rMSSD) and adjacent the difference between the RR interval>50 ms the number of share the percentage (PNN50) were significantly lower in passive smoking group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). Every 5 min average of the standard deviation of sinus RR cycle (SDNN index) and 24 h every 5 min sinus RR interval mean standard deviation (SDANN) were similar between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). Ultra-low-frequency power (VLF), low frequency power (LF), high frequency power (HF) and LF/HF were significantly lower in passive smoking group than in the control group (all P < 0.01). (3) Heart rate and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher in passive smoking group than in control group (all P < 0.05) while systolic blood pressure was similar between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Marriage status, education level, profession and daily working time are independent determinants for passive smoking. Passive smoking mainly occurred in the workplace, entertainment venues and restaurants. Passive smoking is linked with reduced heart rate variability, increased 24 h average heart rate and diastolic blood pressure.

[Effect of the smoking cessation services in the out-patient department for patients with coronary heart disease].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects and clinical prognosis of out-patient department-based smoking cessation services for coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. METHODS: A total of 140 smoking patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease in our cardiovascular department were randomly divided into the intensive smoking cessation clinic follow-up group (intervention group, patients were informed on the importance and methods to quit smoking at the first visit and reminded for that at months interval for 6 months, n = 70) and the conventional treatment group (control group, n = 70). After 6 months, the smoking status, cardiovascular event rates, drug usage, out-patient medical costs and quality of life were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Age, gender, concomitant diseases, drug usage were similar between the two groups at baseline (all P > 0.05). After 6 months, smoking quit rate [34.2% (24/70) vs. 5.7% (4/70), P < 0.01], drug use rates: lipid-lowering drugs [95.3% (67/70) vs. 80.4% (56/70)], ß blockers [82.4% (57/70) vs. 41.3% (28/70)], and ACEI/ARB [61.4% (43/70) vs. 34.4% (24/70)] were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group, while total cardiovascular event rates [21.4% (15/70) vs. 47.1% (33/70), P < 0.01] and out-patient medical costs (3789.3 RMB vs. 4984.2 RMB, P < 0.01) were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. The quality of life scores derived from MYO health survey questionnaire was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.01). The top three reasons responsible for continuous smoking for all patients failed to quit smoking were: (1) others smoked more than me and still alive and healthy [90.3% (56/62)]; (2) smoking helped me to keep relaxed and reduce trouble in daily work and life [70.9% (44/62)]; (3) smoking was essential while chatting and drinking with friends [66.1% (41/62)]. The overall satisfactory rate to this smoking cessation program was 42.8% and the satisfactory rate was up to 50.0% by patients. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive outpatient smoking cessation follow-up program can significantly improve the smoking cessation rates, the guideline drug use rate and the quality of life while reduce medical costs for coronary heart disease patients.

[Types and risk factors of arrhythmia on young patients with acute coronary syndrome in Henan province].

OBJECTIVE: The types and risk factors of arrhythmia were analyzed on acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients under the age of 44 years who were hospitalized in Henan province between September 2009 to June 2012. METHODS: Medical records of eligible patients were obtained from the information system of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University teleconsultation information center. Middle aged and elderly ACS patients who were hospitalized at the same period served as controls. Data on arrhythmia types, blood pressure, thyroid disease, respiratory sleep apnea syndrome, smoking history, history of alcohol consumption, eating habits, family history of early-onset arrhythmia, laboratory tests were analyzed. RESULTS: (1) Arrhythmia was detected in 110 out of young ACS patients (55%), which was significantly lower than that in the elderly ACS patients (71.05%, P < 0.01). (2) The top three arrhythmias in young ACS patients were: sinus tachycardia (30.50%), the premature ventricular contractions (19.00%), atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation (16.50%). Incidence of sinus tachycardia, atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation were significantly higher while incidence of ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia were significantly lower in young ACS patients than in middle-aged ACS patients (all P < 0.05). The incidence of sinus tachycardia was higher while incidence of ventricular premature accelerated ventricular spontaneous cardiac rhythm, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, non-paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, sinus bradycardia, nodal escape, atrioventricular block were significantly lower in young ACS patients than in elderly ACS patients (all P < 0.05). (3) Body mass index, incidence of smoking, coronary three-vessel disease, drinking, eating salty foods, thyroid dysfunction, sleep apnea were significantly higher in youth ACS patients with arrhythmia than in young ACS patients without arrhythmia (all P < 0. 05). (4) Logistic regression analysis found that number of diseased coronary vessels (OR = 24.293), smoking (OR = 1.112) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.039) were independent risk factor for developing arrhythmia in young ACS patients from Henan province. CONCLUSIONS: The main types of arrhythmia are sinus tachycardia, premature ventricular contractions, atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation and the major risk factors related to the arrhythmia are number of diseased coronary vessels, smoking and alcohol consumption in young ACS patients from Henan province.

A novel hyperbranched polyethyleneimine-graphene composite as shale inhibitor for drilling fluid.

One of the principal conundrums in drilling operations is addressing wellbore instability caused by shale hydration. Therefore, it is crucial to develop high-performance shale inhibitors. In this work, a hyperbranched polyethyleneimine/graphene composite (HPEI-G) was prepared by blending at 60 °C, and it was then used as a shale inhibitor. The inhibition performance of HPEI-G was verified using mud making test, linear swelling test and sedimentation test. The mechanism of HPEI-G was researched and determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size distribution test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The compatibility of HPEI-G with the basic water-based drilling mud (WBM) was also verified. It can be observed from the results of the linear swelling test that 0.5 wt% HPEI-G reduced the swelling rate of montmorillonite (MMT) to 30.36%, and 1 wt% of KCl only decreased the swelling rate of MMT to 43.83%. In addition, HPEI-G is compatible with WBDF. The inhibition mechanism of HPEI-G included chemical adsorption and physical blockage. HPEI-G was adsorbed on the surface and interlayer of MMT by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction, reducing the diffuse electric double layer to inhibit the hydration of MMT. The sheets of graphene in HPEI-G allowed it to stick on the surface of the shale and plug the nanopores of the shale, preventing the access of water. The inhibition effect of HPEI-G over a temperature range from room temperature to 150 °C was considered to be excellent.

Recent advances in the applications of graphene materials for the oil and gas industry.

Graphene is a material formed with carbon atoms connected by sp2 hybridization. It is extremely strong and very ductile, and is superhydrophobic and superlipophilic. It has important application prospects in materials science, micro and nano processing, energy, aerospace and biomedicine. Graphene also has some applications in the petroleum industry. As nanoscale materials, graphene-based materials can plug nano-pores and prevent water intrusion into clay minerals during the drilling process, they are suitable for sliding between layers and can be used as lubricants due to the two-dimensional structure. The adsorption properties of graphene-based materials allow them to improve the treatment rate when treating oily wastewater. This paper compiles recent advances in the application of graphene and its derivatives in oilfield extraction, including improving drilling fluid performance, enhanced oil recovery and oily wastewater treatment. We compare the performance advantages of graphene-based materials over other additives, and summarize the mechanism of action of graphene-based materials. The shortcomings of current research are identified and future research and improvement directions are envisaged.

USP5 knockdown alleviates lung cancer progression via activating PARP1-mediated mTOR signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: With the rapidly increasing morbidity and mortality, lung cancer has been considered one of the serious malignant tumors, affecting millions of patients globally. Currently, the pathogenesis of lung cancer remains unclear, hindering the development of effective treatment. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms of lung cancer and develop an effective therapeutic approach for intervention in preventing lung cancer progress. METHODS: The USP5 levels are detected in lung cancerous and paracancerous tissue by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting methods to explore their roles in lung cancer progression. MTT, colony assay, and transwell chamber approaches are employed to measure cell viability, proliferation, and migration, respectively. Further, flow cytometry experiments are performed to examine the effect of USP5 on lung cancer. Finally, the investigations in vivo are executed using the mice subcutaneous tumor model to identify the effect of USP5 in promoting lung cancer development. RESULTS: Notably, USP5 is highly expressed in lung cancer, USP5 overexpression promoted the proliferation and migration in the lung cancer cell lines, H1299 and A549, while knockdown of USP5 inhibited these via regulating the PARP1-mediated mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, the subcutaneous tumors model was established in C57BL/6 mice, and the volume of subcutaneous tumors was significantly reduced after silencing USP5, while increased after USP5 overexpression and decreased significantly with shRARP1 treatment at the same time. CONCLUSIONS: Together, USP5 could promote the progression of lung cancer cells by mTOR signaling pathway and interacting with PARP1, indicating that USP5 may become a new target for lung cancer treatment.