The global pattern of epiphytic liverwort disparity: insights from Frullania.

The geographical and ecological patterns of morphological disparity are crucial to understand how species are assembled within communities in the context of the evolutionary history, morphological evolution and ecological interactions. However, with limited exceptions, rather few studies have been conducted on the global pattern of disparity, particularly in early land plants. Here we explored the spatial accumulation of disparity in a morphologically variable and species rich liverwort genus Frullania in order to test the hypothesis of latitude disparity gradient. We compiled a morphological data set consisting of eight continuous traits for 244 currently accepted species, and scored the species distribution into 19 floristic regions worldwide. By reconstructing the morphospace of all defined regions and comparisons, we identified a general Gondwana-Laurasia pattern of disparity in Frullania. This likely results from an increase of ecological opportunities and / or relaxed constraints towards low latitudes. The lowest disparity occurred in arid tropical regions, largely due to a high extinction rate as a consequence of paleoaridification. There was weak correlation between species diversity and disparity at different spatial scales. Furthermore, long-distance dispersal may have partially shaped the present-day distribution of Frullania disparity, given its frequency and the great contribution of widely distributed species to local morphospace. This study not only highlighted the crucial roles of paleoenvironmental changes, ecological opportunities, and efficient dispersal on the global pattern of plant disparity, but also implied its dependence on the ecological and physiological function of traits.

Efficient removal of phosphorus and nitrogen from aquatic environment using sepiolite-MgO nanocomposites: preparation, characterization, removal performance, and mechanism.

Excessive phosphorus will lead to eutrophication in aquatic environment; the efficient removal of phosphorus is crucial for wastewater engineering and surface water management. This study aimed to fabricate a nanorod-like sepiolite-supported MgO (S-MgO) nanocomposite with high specific surface area for efficient phosphate removal using a facile microwave-assisted method and calcining processes. The impact of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial phosphate concentrations, Ca2+ addition, and N/P ratio on the phosphate removal was extensively examined by the batch experiments. The findings demonstrated that the S-MgO nanocomposite exhibited effective removal performance for low-level phosphate (0 ~ 2.0 mM) within the pH range of 3.0 ~ 10.0. Additionally, the nanocomposite can synchronously remove phosphate and ammonium in high-level nutrient conditions (> 2.0 mM), with the maximum removal capacities of 188.49 mg P/g and 89.78 mg N/g. Quantitative and qualitative analyses confirmed the successful harvesting of struvite in effluent with high-phosphate concentrations, with the mechanisms involved attributed to a synergistic combination of sorption and struvite crystallization. Due to its proficient phosphate removal efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and substantial removal capacity, the developed S-MgO nanocomposite exhibits promising potential for application in phosphorus removal from aquatic environments.

Assisted reproductive technology and physical activity among Chinese pregnant women at high risk for gestational diabetes mellitus in early pregnancy: A cross-sectional study.

Currently, the number of pregnant women at high risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and using assisted reproductive technology (ART) is increasing. The present study aims to explore the relationship between ART and physical activity in Chinese pregnant women at high risk for GDM in early pregnancy. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a regional teaching hospital in Guangzhou, China, between July 2022 and March 2023. Three hundred fifty-five pregnant women at high risk for GDM in early pregnancy completed the Chinese version of the Pregnant Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ), the Pregnancy Physical Activity Knowledge Scale, the Pregnancy Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Scale, the Pregnancy Physical Activity Social Support Scale, and a sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics data sheet. Compared to women who conceived naturally, women who used ART were more likely to be 35 years or older, unemployed, primigravidae, and to have intentionally planned their pregnancies. Women who used ART had significantly lower levels of physical activity and self-efficacy compared to their counterparts who conceived naturally. Over half (55.6%) of women who used ART reported being physically inactive, and those with lower self-efficacy, as well as the unemployed, were significantly more likely to be inactive. Physical inactivity is a critical clinical issue among women who use ART, especially in the context of GDM risk. Future research should develop and test physical activity programs, including enhancing physical activity self-efficacy for women who use ART. Patient or public contribution: In this study, survey questionnaires were completed by participants among Chinese pregnant women at high risk for GDM in early pregnancy.

Antimicrobial resistance crisis: could artificial intelligence be the solution?

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a priority list of the most threatening pathogens against which novel antibiotics need to be developed. The discovery and introduction of novel antibiotics are time-consuming and expensive. According to WHO's report of antibacterial agents in clinical development, only 18 novel antibiotics have been approved since 2014. Therefore, novel antibiotics are critically needed. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been rapidly applied to drug development since its recent technical breakthrough and has dramatically improved the efficiency of the discovery of novel antibiotics. Here, we first summarized recently marketed novel antibiotics, and antibiotic candidates in clinical development. In addition, we systematically reviewed the involvement of AI in antibacterial drug development and utilization, including small molecules, antimicrobial peptides, phage therapy, essential oils, as well as resistance mechanism prediction, and antibiotic stewardship.

[Analysis of Formation Processes and Sources of PM2.5 Ammonium During Winter and Summer in Suburban Area of the Yangtze River Delta].

As the main pollutants of secondary inorganic aerosols(SIAs) in fine particulate matter(PM2.5), aerosol ammonium(p-NH4+) plays a significant role in the formation of haze. However, the contribution ratio of each potential source of atmospheric NHx(p-NH4+ and NH3) still remains controversial. In this study, 3 h high-frequency PM2.5 samples were collected in Dongshan, Suzhou during winter and summer in 2015, respectively. Meanwhile, we determined concentrations and δ15N isotope ratios of total nitrogen(TN) and p-NH4+ and quantitatively analyzed formation processes and sources of p-NH4+ based on the Bayesian mixing model(SIAR). SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ were the main water-soluble ions(WSIs) both in winter and summer, accounting for more than 70% in general. The concentration change trends of PM2.5, TN, and p-NH4+ were consistent, and the concentrations in winter were 2-3 times those in summer. The δ15N-NH4+ value was in direct proportion to the p-NH4+ concentration both in winter and summer. However, δ15N-NH4+ values in winter(-1.7‰±4.3‰) were lower than those in summer(7.8‰±5.9‰). This indicated that the differences in δ15N-NH4+ were caused by different contribution rates of each potential source within each season, whereas it was mainly led by nitrogen isotope fractionation during ammonium-ammonia gas particle distribution in different seasons. The SIAR model calculated that non-agricultural sources were the dominant source of p-NH4+ in Dongshan, with the contribution rate of 59% in winter and 69% in summer, which indicated that NH3 emitted by fossil fuel combustion more easily formed particle aerosol ammonium than that volatilized from agricultural sources.

Serum Zonula Occludens-1 and Claudin-5 Levels in Patients with Insomnia Disorder: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: This research aimed to investigate serum Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Claudin-5 (CLDN5) levels to show whether or not their eventual changes in patients with insomnia disorder could have etiopathogenetic importance. There was no research investigating serum ZO-1 and CLDN5 concentrations in insomnia disorder. Patients and Methods: This study included 60 insomnia disorder patients and 45 normal controls. None of the patients received drugs for insomnia. The patients completed Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Polysomnography (PSG) to score the insomnia disorder symptoms. Venous blood samples were collected, and serum ZO-1 and claudin-5 levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Serum ZO-1 level was significantly higher without a significant difference between age, sex, and body mass index, whereas the difference in serum claudin-5 level between the two groups was not statistically significant. In addition, ZO-1 levels were positively correlated with ISI and PSQI and negatively with N1 and N1_perc. We also demonstrated a positive correlation between the levels of CLDN5 and HAMA, and a negative correlation with total sleep time (TST), N1 and N1_perc. Conclusion: Our findings suggest an association between these intestinal and brain endothelial permeability markers and insomnia disorders. However, these remain modest and preliminary and need more extensive studies, including long-term follow-up populations and involving gut microbes, to further validate and explore the mechanisms involved.

SPI1-Mediated Upregulation of the CST1 Gene as an Independent Poor Prognostic Factor Accelerates Metastasis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) by Interacting with MMP2.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a highly lethal tumor type, but studies on the ESCC tumor microenvironment are limited. We found that cystatin SN (CST1) plays an important role in the ESCC tumor microenvironment. CST1 has been reported to act as an oncogene in multiple human cancers, but its clinical significance and underlying mechanism in ESCC remain elusive. METHODS: We performed ESCC gene expression profiling with data from RNA-sequencing and public databases and found CST1 upregulation in ESCC. Then, we assessed CST1 expression in ESCC by RT‒qPCR and Western blot analysis. In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to estimate the expression of CST1 in ESCC tissue and serum. Moreover, further functional experiments were conducted to verify that the gain and loss of CST1 in ESCC cell lines significantly influenced the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC. Mass spectrometry, coimmunoprecipitation, and gelatin zymography experiments were used to validate the interaction between CST1 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and the mechanism of CST1 influence on metastasis in ESCC. RESULTS: Here, we found that CST1 expression was significantly elevated in ESCC tissues and serum. Moreover, compared with patients with low CST1 expression, patients with high CST1 expression had a worse prognosis. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were significantly unfavorable in the high CST1 expression subgroup. Likewise, the CST1 level was significantly increased in ESCC serum compared with healthy control serum, indicating that CST1 may be a potential serum biomarker for diagnosis, with an area under the curve (AUC) = 0.9702 and p < 0.0001 by receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. Furthermore, upregulated CST1 can promote the motility and metastatic capacity of ESCC in vitro and in vivo by influencing epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and interacting with MMP2 in the tumor microenvironment (TME). CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the results of this study indicated that high CST1 expression mediated by SPI1 in ESCC may serve as a potentially prognostic and diagnostic predictor and as an oncogene to promote motility and metastatic capacity of ESCC by influencing EMT and interacting with MMP2 in the TME.

The growth inhibitory effects and non-targeted metabolomic profiling of Microcystis aeruginosa treated by Scenedesmus sp.

The health of the aquatic ecosystem has recently been severely affected by cyanobacterial blooms brought on by eutrophication. Therefore, it is critical to develop efficient and secure methods to control dangerous cyanobacteria, such as Microcystis aeruginosa. In this research, we tested the inhibition of M. aeruginosa growth by a Scenedesmus sp. strain isolated from a culture pond. Scenedesmus sp. culture filtrate that had been lyophilized was added to M. aeruginosa, and cultivation for seven days, the cell density, chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration, maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were measured. Moreover, non-targeted metabolomics was carried out to provide light on the inhibitory mechanism in order to better understand the metabolic response. According to the results, M. aeruginosa is effectively inhibited by the lyophilized Scenedesmus sp. culture filtrate at a rate of 51.2%. Additionally, the lyophilized Scenedesmus sp. clearly inhibit the photosystem and damages the antioxidant defense system of M. aeruginosa cells, resulting in oxidative damage, which worsens membrane lipid peroxidation, according to changes in Chl-a, Fv/Fm, SOD, CAT enzyme activities and MDA, GSH. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the secondary metabolites of Scenedesmus sp. significantly interfere with the metabolism of M. aeruginosa involved in amino acid synthesis, membrane creation and oxidative stress, which is coherent with the morphology and physiology outcomes. These results demonstrate that the secondary metabolites of Scenedesmus sp. exert algal inhibition effect by breaked the membrane structure, destroyed the photosynthetic system of microalgae, inhibited amino acid synthesis, reduced antioxidant capacity, and eventually caused algal cell lysis and death. Our research provides a reliable basis for the biological control of cyanobacterial blooms on the one hand, and on other hand supply application of non-targeted metabolome on the study of microalgae allelochemicals.

Comparative Analysis of Volatile Flavor Compounds in Strongly Flavored Baijiu under Two Different Pit Cap Sealing Processes.

The solid-state fermentation process of strongly flavored Baijiu is complicated by the co-fermentation of many different microorganisms in the fermentation pools. The traditional fermentation pools of strong flavor Baijiu are sealed with mud, and this sealed-pit mud is not easy to maintain; therefore, the pit cap is prone to cracks and to caving in. The destruction of the sealed-pit mud may lead to instability in the composition and an abundance of microorganisms in the fermentation process that results in fluctuations of product quality. Thus, the production method of replacing the mud cap with a new steel cap is gradually attracting the attention of scientific and technical workers in the industry. However, so far, there have been relatively few reports on the use of steel lids for sealing pits for fermentation and brewing. In this study, the volatile flavor components of 270 Baijiu samples from mud-sealing and steel-sealing pits of a Chinese Baijiu distillery were studied qualitatively and quantitatively using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Abbreviated as GC-MS). Our statistical methods included Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (Abbreviated as HCA), Principal Component Analysis (Abbreviated as PCA), and Discriminant Analysis (Abbreviated as DA). A statistical analysis was carried out on the yield of strongly flavored Baijiu, and we made a comprehensive evaluation of the Baijiu produced under the two pit-sealing modes with regard to flavor and economic efficiency. The yield of strong flavored Baijiu was 6.7% higher with steel-sealing pits compared with mud-sealing pits. Cluster analysis categorized the strongly flavored Baijiu samples into two categories initially: (1) samples produced using mud-sealing pits and (2) samples using steel-sealing pits. Our analysis also indicated that the 28 compounds used for quantification were selected correctly. Surprising to the experimental staff, the overall score for the steel-sealing pits was greater than that of the mud-sealing pits based on PCA. Using DA, the prediction results were 100% accurate. In summary, through a comparative analysis of the flavor and yield, which are the two main factors that affect the quality of Baijiu in a distillery, and systematic combination at both experimental and theoretical levels, the differences between the Baijiu production by steel-sealing and the traditional mud-sealing were clear. Regardless of the impact of age, the detectable flavor components of Baijiu from the mud-steeling pits were very consistent with those of the steel-sealing pits in terms of richness or concentration. However, steel-sealing pits were significantly superior to mud-sealing pits with respect to output, consistency in quality, and cost (human and economic) savings.

[The Role and Mechanism of MiR-451 in Multidrug Resistance of Leukemia Cell Line K562/A02].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the differential expressions of miR-451, ABCB1 and ABCC2 in drug-sensitive leukemia cell line K562 and drug-resistant cell line K562/A02, and explore the regulatory relationship between miR-451 and the expressions of ABCB1 and ABCC2 , and the mechanism of miR-451 involved in drug resistance in leukemia. METHODS: CCK-8 assay was used to detect the drug resistance of K562/A02 and K562 cells. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to verify the differential expressions of miR-451 in K562 and K562/A02 cells. MiR-451 mimic and negative control (miR-NC), miR-451 inhibitor and negative control (miR-inNC) were transfected into K562 and K562/A02 cells respectively, then qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression levels of mRNA and protein of ABCB1 and ABCC2 in K562 and K562/A02 cells and the transfected groups. RESULTS: The drug resistance of K562/A02 cells to adriamycin was 177 times higher than that of its parent cell line K562. Compared with K562 cells, the expression of miR-451 in K562/A02 cells was significantly higher (P <0.001), and the mRNA and protein expression levels of ABCB1 and ABCC2 in K562/A02 cells were significantly higher than those in K562 cells (P <0.001). After transfected with miR-451 inhibitor, the expression of miR-451 was significantly down-regulated in K562/A02 cells (P <0.001), the sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs was significantly enhanced (P <0.05), and the mRNA and protein expressions of ABCB1 and ABCC2 were significantly decreased (P <0.01). After transfected with miR-451 mimic, the expression of miR-451 was significantly upregulated in K562 cells (P <0.001), and the mRNA and protein expressions of ABCB1 and ABCC2 were significantly increased (P <0.01). CONCLUSION: There are significant differences in the expressions of miR-451, ABCB1 and ABCC2 between the drug-sensitive leukemia cell line K562 and drug-resistant cell line K562/A02, which suggests that miR-451 may affect the drug resistance of leukemia cells by regulating the expression of ABCB1 and ABCC2.

Degradation behavior, cytotoxicity, hemolysis of partially unzipped carbon nanotubes/zinc composites as potential biodegradable bone implants.

Zn with a suitable degradation rate is considered to be a promising candidate biodegradable implant materials. To enhance the mechanical properties of pure Zn and broaden its application in the field of short-term orthopedic surgery, a series of new Zn matrix composites with a high strength are developed by the addition of partially unzipped carbon nanotubes (PUCNTs), and the degradation behavior, cytotoxicity and hemolysis of new PUCNTs/Zn composites are investigated in this paper. The results show that the degradation rate of the PUCNTs/Zn composites with 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 wt.% PUCNTs can meet the standard of clinical biomedical orthopedic implant materials. During cytotoxicity test, the density of living cells rapidly increases with increasing PUCNTs content, and the cell viability of MG-63 cells in the extract with different concentrations is higher than 90%, illustrating an excellent cytocompatibility. For the hematotoxicity assay, the hemolysis percentage of all PUCNTs/Zn composites samples is below the safety threshold of 5.0% for clinical application, exhibiting a good blood compatibility.

Effects of contrasting tillage managements on the vertical distribution of plant- and microbial-derived carbon in rice paddy.

Soil microbial necromass is considered a persistent component of soil organic carbon (SOC), constituting the final product of the microbial carbon pump (MCP). However, the mechanisms involved in the effects of tillage and rice residue managements on the vertical distribution of microbial necromass and plant residues in rice paddy soils remain unclear, limiting knowledge of SOC sequestration mechanisms. Therefore, we estimated microbial- and plant-derived C by biomarker amino sugars (AS) and lignin phenols (VSC) at the 0-30 cm soil depth, as well as their relationships with SOC contents and mineralization in a rice paddy soil under contrasting tillage practices, namely no-tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT), and conventional tillage (CT). The results showed that the SOC contents in the rice paddy soil were positively correlated with soil AS and VSC contents. The NT resulted in significantly higher (P < 0.05) AS (expressed as per kilogram soil) at the 0-10 cm and 10-30 cm soil depths by 45-48 % than RT and CT. However, microbial-derived C contents and SOC mineralization were not significantly changed by NT. In contrast, the plant-derived C contents in the total SOC decreased significantly under the NT scenario, suggesting the consumption of plant-derived C even with more rice residue inputs (at the 0-10 cm soil depth). In summary, 5-year short-term NT management with more rice residue mulch on the soil surface in rice paddy maintained a low plant-derived C content (at a sampling date before rice transplanting), suggesting a different mode of C sequestration, except for the protection of plant-derived C under anaerobic conditions.

Increasing Nonfossil Fuel Contributions to Atmospheric Nitrate in Urban China from Observation to Prediction.

China's nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions have undergone significant changes over the past few decades. However, nonfossil fuel NOx emissions are not yet well constrained in urban environments, resulting in a substantial underestimation of their importance relative to the known fossil fuel NOx emissions. We developed an approach using machine learning that is accurate enough to generate a long time series of the nitrogen isotopic composition (δ15N) of atmospheric nitrate using high-level accuracies of air pollutants and meteorology data. Air temperature was found to be the critical driver of the variation of nitrate δ15N at daily resolution based on this approach, while significant reductions of aerosol and its precursor emissions played a key role in the change of nitrate δ15N on the yearly scale. Predictions from this model found a significant decrease in nitrate δ15N in Chinese megacities (Beijing and Guangzhou as representative cities in the north and south, respectively) since 2013, implying an enhanced contribution of nonfossil fuel NOx emissions to nitrate aerosols (up to 22%-26% in 2021 from 18%-22% in 2013 quantified by an isotope mixing model), as confirmed by the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with online chemistry (WRF-Chem) simulation. Meanwhile, the declining contribution in coal combustion (34%-39% in 2013 to 31%-34% in 2021) and increasing contribution of natural gas combustion (11%-14% in 2013 to 14%-17% in 2021) demonstrated the transformation of China's energy structure from coal to natural gas. This approach provides missing records for exploring long-term variability in the nitrogen isotope system and may contribute to the study of the global reactive nitrogen biogeochemical cycle.

Comparative Study on Chemical Constituents of Ginseng Flowers with Four Consecutive Cultivation Age.

The harvest period of cultivated ginseng is generally 4-6 years. Ginseng flowers (GFs), the nonmedicinal parts, are usually removed every autumn, in which components are generally believed to stay unchanged with the increasing cultivation age. Recently, few documents were reported on the variation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other components about ginseng flowers. This study had an insight into the variation of the chemical constituents with the cultivation ages through the comparison of the volatile organic compounds, gross ginsenosides, crude polysaccharide, and gross proteins of ginseng flowers from 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old (GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6) which were conducted by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-QQQ/MS) and spectroscopic analysis combined with multivariate statistical analysis, including one-way ANOVA analysis and T test. The results indicated that the crude polysaccharide contents raised significantly depending on cultivation age except 6-yr-old, whereas the gross ginsenosides and the gross protein content were indistinctive. According to the peak intensity of determined VOCs, the contents of most differential compounds arranged in an order from high to low are GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6, such as the compounds 2-15, 17-19, 22, and 25-26, therefore, they can be inferred that they are important markers to identify the age of GFs. 461 common differential compounds were gained and 26 common volatile organic compounds were identified with RSI >800 and RI and RIx no more than 30, including alcohols (such as 11, 12, and 15), sesquiterpenes (such as 2, 3, and 4), esters (such as 1 and 26), naphthalene and naphthol (such as 7 and 20), which had potential effects on curing Alzheimer's disease, inflammatory diseases, and prostate cancer based on network pharmacology analysis. This paper firstly revealed the variation rules of constitutions of GFs, which may provide a reference for the harvest and making rational application.

Impairment of GABA inhibition in insomnia disorders: Evidence from the peripheral blood system.

Aim: To explore the change characteristics and related factors of various indexes of GABAergic system in peripheral blood of patients with insomnia disorder. Methods: In this study, a total of 30 patients who met the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder and 30 normal controls were included. All subjects had a structured clinical interview with the Brief International Neuropsychiatric Disorder Interview, and PSQI was used to evaluate the sleep status of the subjects. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and RT-PCR was used to detect GABAA receptor α1 and α2 subunit mRNA. All data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 23.0. Results: Compared with the normal control group, the mRNA levels of GABAA receptor α1 and α2 subunits in the insomnia disorder group were significantly lower, but there was no significant difference in the serum GABA levels between the two groups. And in the insomnia disorder group, there was no significant correlation between the GABA levels and the mRNA expression levels of α1 and α2 subunits of GABAA receptors. Although no significant correlation was found between PSQI and serum levels of these two subunit mRNAs, its component factors sleep quality and sleep time were negatively correlated with GABAA receptor α1 subunit mRNA levels, and daytime function was inversely correlated with GABAA receptor α2 subunit mRNA levels. Conclusion: The inhibitory function of serum GABA in patients with insomnia may be impaired, and the decreased expression levels of GABAA receptor α1 and α2 subunit mRNA may become a reliable indicator of insomnia disorder.

Treatment of bipolar clavicle injury with internal plating: a case series and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar clavicle injury is a rare injury involving any combination of dislocation and/or fracture at both ends of the clavicle. Most reports of bipolar clavicle injury have been based on a single case, and treatment of this injury remains controversial. The present study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of surgical management with internal plating for bipolar clavicle injuries. METHODS: We performed internal plating to treat seven consecutive bipolar clavicle injuries with different injury patterns from May 2013 to June 2021. A clavicle hook plate was used for five sternoclavicular joint injuries (including a revision surgery) and three acromioclavicular joint dislocations, a T plate was used for one sternoclavicular joint injury, and an anatomic plate was used for one distal clavicle fracture. At follow-up, radiographs were assessed for bone alignment, joint congruity, fracture union or malunion, and implant failure or migration. Clinical evaluation included determination of the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score; Constant-Murley score; visual analog scale (VAS) score; and complications. RESULTS: The patients were regularly followed up after the operation, and functional parameters were assessed over time. At a mean follow-up of 28.1 ± 22.0 months, each fracture had solid bone union, and each dislocation showed no sign of recurrent instability. The mean shoulder forward flexion was 159.3° ± 7.9°, and the mean DASH score was 8.8 ± 5.1. The mean Constant-Murley score was 88.9 ± 7.9, with six cases assessed as excellent and one case assessed as good. The mean VAS score was 1.0 ± 1.5, and the mean patient satisfaction score was 9.3 ± 0.8. No complications occurred, and each patient was able to resume their preinjury daily activity and was highly satisfied with their treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, internal plating for bipolar clavicle injury allowed early mobilization and resulted in good joint function. We recommend fixation of the more severely affected side first because the other side may be passively reduced and acquire stability once the more severely affected side has been fixed. Internal fixation of the other end may therefore be unnecessary unless residual instability exists.

Ginsenoside Re Attenuates Cisplatin-Induced Intestinal Toxicity via Suppressing GSK-3ß-Dependent Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway In Vivo and In Vitro.

Previous reports have confirmed that crude saponins (ginsenosides) in Panax ginseng have a preventive effect on chemotherapy-induced intestinal injury. However, the protective effects and possible mechanisms of ginsenoside Re (G-Re, a maker saponin in ginseng) against chemotherapy-induced intestinal damage have not been thoroughly studied. In this work, a series of experiments in vivo and in vitro on the intestinal toxicity caused by cisplatin have been designed to verify the improvement effect of G-Re, focusing on the levels of Wnt3a and [Formula: see text]-catenin. Mice were intragastric with G-Re for 10 days, and intestinal injury was induced by intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Histopathology, gastrointestinal digestive enzyme activities, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative status were evaluated to investigate the protective effect. Furthermore, in IEC-6 cells, G-Re statistically reverses cisplatin-induced oxidative damage and cytotoxicity. The TUNEL and Hoechst 33258 staining demonstrated that G-Re possesses protective effects in cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Additionally, pretreatment with G-Re significantly alleviated the apoptosis via inhibition of over-expressions of B-associated X (Bax), as well as the caspase family members, such as caspase 3 and 9, respectively, in vivo and in vitro. Notably, western blotting results showed that G-Re treatment decreased Wnt3a, Glycogen synthase kinase [Formula: see text] (GSK-[Formula: see text]), and [Formula: see text]-catenin expression, suggesting that nuclear accumulation of [Formula: see text]-catenin was attenuated, thereby inhibiting the activation of GSK-[Formula: see text]-dependent Wnt/[Formula: see text]-catenin signaling, which was consistent with our expected results. Therefore, the above evidence suggested that G-Re may be a candidate drug for the treatment of intestinal injury.

Seasonal variations of low molecular alkyl amines in PM2.5 in a North China Plain industrial city: Importance of secondary formation and combustion emissions.

Atmospheric amines have unique acid-neutralizing capacity and play an important role in atmospheric chemical reactions. An integrated observation of PM2.5 samples (from Dec 2015 to Nov 15, 2016) was conducted in a typical industrial city (Xuzhou), China. Concentrations of total measured amines (∑amines, including methylamine (MA), ethylamine (EA), dimethylamine (DMA), propanamine (PA) and trimethylamine (TMA) + diethylamine (DEA)) were 172.0 ± 98.2 ng m-3, accounting 1.5 ± 0.6 ‰ of PM2.5 mass. ∑amines were higher in winter (249.0 ± 112.3 ng m-3) and spring (192.4 ± 75.9 ng m-3) than in summer (114.7 ± 33.3 ng m-3) and autumn (103.7 ± 34.3 ng m-3). Concentrations of MA and EA (the dominant amines) were highest in winter, while DMA, PA and TMA + DEA showed opposite seasonality. EA/MA ratios ranged from 0.04 to 8.7 with a median value of 0.3, and the averaged EA/MA ratio was 2.0 in winter, indicating large contribution of EA. Environmental factors including temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and atmospheric oxidizing capacity (O3 and Ox represented) were found to influence concentrations of amines in PM2.5. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model identified secondary products (41.6 %), combustion emissions (39.8 %), soil and waste incineration emissions (13.2 %) and biological emissions and aging products (5.4 %) as the 4 sources of amines in PM2.5. MA was mainly secondary products (82.5 %) and had high contribution of local secondary formation, while EA was mainly derived from combustion emissions (83.7 %) and influenced by regional transportation. In winter, combustion emissions (including coal combustion, biomass burning and traffic emissions, contributed 57.7 %) surpassed secondary products (31.6 %) as the predominant sources of amines, especially under the influence of regional transportation (75.7 %).

Novel long noncoding RNA LINC02820 augments TNF signaling pathway to remodel cytoskeleton and potentiate metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. However, there are no targets to treat ESCC because the molecular mechanism behind the cancer is still unclear. Here, we found a novel long noncoding RNA LINC02820 was upregulated in ESCC and associated with the ESCC clinicopathological stage. Through a series of functional experiments, we observed that LINC02820 only promoted the migration and invasion capabilities of ESCC cell lines. Mechanically, we found that LINC02820 may affect the cytoskeletal remodeling, interact with splice factor 3B subunit 3 (SF3B3), and cooperate with TNFα to amplify the NF-κB signaling pathway, which can lead to ESCC metastasis. Overall, our findings revealed that LINC02820 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.

Democratising science in deliberative systems: Mobilising lay expertise against industry waste dumping in Taiwan.

Research on the science-policy interaction that happens in deliberative systems is limited. Drawing on concepts of democratisation of science and deliberation, this study used the case of dumping industrial waste on farmland in Taiwan to explore how local activists and non-governmental organisations contribute to knowledge production, democratising science and the epistemic-ethical-democratic functions for deliberative systems. The research methods used are documentary analysis and in-depth interviews. Local activists problematise official knowledge claims and its validation, deploy situated experiential expertise and engage directly in their own knowledge practices. Local activists and civic organisations play versatile roles in connecting the related networked institutions and intertwined spheres of deliberative systems. Civic activism engages in democratising science and participates in shaping policymaking, leading to the amendment of the Waste Disposal Act.