Uranium speciation and distribution on the surface of Shewanella putrefaciens in the presence of inorganic phosphate and zero-valent iron under anaerobic conditions.

Shewanella putrefaciens (S. putrefaciens) is one of the main microorganisms in soil bioreactors, which mainly immobilizes uranium through reduction and mineralization processes. However, the effects of elements such as phosphorus and ZVI, which may be present in the actual environment, on the mineralization and reduction processes are still not clearly understood and the environment is mostly in the absence of oxygen. In this study, we ensure that all experiments are performed in an anaerobic glove box, and we elucidate through a combination of macroscopic experimental findings and microscopic characterization that the presence of inorganic phosphates enhances the mineralization of uranyl ions on the surface of S. putrefaciens, while zero-valent iron (ZVI) facilitates the immobilization of uranium by promoting the reduction of uranium by S. putrefaciens. Interestingly, when inorganic phosphates and ZVI co-exist, both the mineralization and reduction of uranium on the bacterial surface are simultaneously enhanced. However, these two substances exhibit a certain degree of antagonism in terms of uranium immobilization by S. putrefaciens. Furthermore, it is found that the influence of pH on the mineralization and reduction of uranyl ions is far more significant than that of inorganic phosphates and ZVI. This study contributes to a better understanding of the environmental fate of uranium in real-world settings and provides valuable theoretical support for the bioremediation and risk assessment of uranium contamination.

Quality assessment and its influencing factors of lung cancer clinical research registration: a cross-sectional analysis.

Background: A better understanding of the current features of lung cancer clinical research registration is important for improving registration quality and standardizing the registration. This study aimed to assess the registration quality of lung cancer studies on ClinicalTrials.gov and analyze the influencing factors. Methods: Lung cancer clinical researches registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database were searched on 7 July 2021. The characteristics of trials that registered up to 7 July 2021 were assessed. The quality of completed and terminated lung cancer studies from 1 July 2007 to 7 July 2020 was assessed using a modified version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Trial Registration Data Set (TRDS, V.1.3.1). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was also used to analyze the factors influencing study registration quality. An above-average registration quality score represented a high registration quality. Results: A total of 6,448 clinical studies on lung cancer were used to summarise the registration characteristics. Most interventional studies were randomized (41.88%), single group (48.07%), and open-label (82.86%) studies, while most observational studies were cohort studies (59.08%). In total, 2,171 completed and terminated studies were assessed, with an average quality score (out of 54) of 36.76±5.69. None of the assessed studies had a 100% modified TRDS reporting rate, and missing summary results were the main factor affecting the quality scores. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that prospective registrations [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.79-2.65], multi-center studies (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.39-2.16), government-sponsored studies (aOR, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.48-6.42), and published studies (aOR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.15-1.78) were more likely to be high quality research. Conclusions: To improve the quality of registration, awareness of prospective registration should be further improved and government investment should be increased. At the same time, more efficient and extensive data sharing after completion of the studies should be actively promoted.

[A clinical epidemiological investigation of neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome in southwest Hubei, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and outcome of neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in southwest Hubei, China. METHODS: According to the Montreux definition of neonatal ARDS, a retrospective clinical epidemiological investigation was performed on the medical data of neonates with ARDS who were admitted to Department of Neonatology/Pediatrics in 17 level 2 or level 3 hospitals in southwest Hubei from January to December, 2017. RESULTS: A total of 7 150 neonates were admitted to the 17 hospitals in southwest Hubei during 2017 and 66 (0.92%) were diagnosed with ARDS. Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 23 (35%) had mild ARDS, 28 (42%) had moderate ARDS, and 15 (23%) had severe ARDS. The main primary diseases for neonatal ARDS were perinatal asphyxia in 23 neonates (35%), pneumonia in 18 neonates (27%), sepsis in 12 neonates (18%), and meconium aspiration syndrome in 10 neonates (15%). Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 10 neonates (15%) were born to the mothers with an age of ≥35 years, 30 neonates (45%) suffered from intrauterine distress, 32 neonates (49%) had a 1-minute Apgar score of 0 to 7 points, 24 neonates (36%) had abnormal fetal heart monitoring results, and 21 neonates (32%) experienced meconium staining of amniotic fluid. Intraventricular hemorrhage was the most common comorbidity (12 neonates), followed by neonatal shock (9 neonates) and patent ductus arteriosus (8 neonates). All 66 neonates with ARDS were treated with mechanical ventilation in addition to the treatment for primary diseases. Among the 66 neonates with ARDS, 10 died, with a mortality rate of 15% (10/66), and 56 neonates were improved or cured, with a survival rate of 85% (56/66). CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal ARDS in southwest Hubei is mostly mild or moderate. Perinatal asphyxia and infection may be the main causes of neonatal ARDS in this area. Intraventricular hemorrhage is the most common comorbidity. Neonates with ARDS tend to have a high survival rate after multimodality treatment.

[Application of technetium-99m labelled sandostatin Somatostatin receptor imaging in the detection of lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of (99)Tc(m)-sandostatin receptors imaging ((99)Tc(m)-sandostatin) in detection of lung tumors in comparison with fludeoxyglucose F18 dual head coincidence imaging ((18)F-FDG DHC). METHODS: Fifty-six consecutive patients (40 men, 16 women; mean age: 62 years, range 35 - 80 years) with pulmonary neoplasm were referred for evaluation. All underwent sandostatin scintigraphy using hybrid SPECT/CT. (18)F-FDG DHC imaging was also performed in 23 patients using the same camera. The tumor uptake of (99)Tc(m)-sandostatin and (18)F-FDG DHC were measured respectively and expressed as the ratio of T/Nr and T/Nm. Final clinical diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological study. RESULTS: Out of 56 cases, 46 were confirmed to be malignant and 10 benign. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of (99)Tc(m)-sandostatin in diagnosis of lung cancer were 95.7%, 90.0%, 94.6%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPR) was 97.8%, and the negative predictive value (NPR) was 81.8%. In the 23 patients underwent both methods, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of (18)F-FDG DHC were 100%, 60.0%, 82.6%, respectively; the PPR was 76.5%, and the NPR 100%. Out of 13 patients with malignant neoplasms, 6 patients had regional lymph node metastasis, and all of 10 abnormal lymph nodules showed high uptake of FDG, while (99)Tc(m)-sandostatin imaging only 2 regional metastasized lymph nodes in one patient. T/N(r) and T/N(m) were 3.15 +/- 1.30, and 10.61 +/- 4.35 respectively. There was no relationship between sandostatin uptake and glucose metabolism. CONCLUSION: (99)Tc(m)-sandostatin scintigraphy is a promising noninvasive imaging technique for detection of the primary tumor of lung cancer but of limited value in the detection of lymph node metastasis.