Pyrolysis temperature affects the inhibitory mechanism of biochars on the mobility of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in saturated porous media.

The migration of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) in porous media is an important pathway for ARGs to spread to the subsoil and aquifer. Biochar (BC) has been widely used to reduce the mobility of soil contaminants, however, its effect on the mobility of eARGs in porous media and the mechanisms are largely unknown. Herein, the effects of BCs synthesized from wheat straw and corn straw at two pyrolysis temperatures (300 °C and 700 °C) on the transport of plasmids-carried eARGs in sand column were investigated. The BC amendments all significantly decreased the mobility of eARGs in the porous medium, but the mechanism varied with pyrolysis temperature. The higher temperature BCs had a stronger irreversible adsorption of plasmids and greatly enhanced the attachment and straining effects on plasmids during transport, thus more effectively inhibited the mobility of eARGs. The lower temperature BCs had weaker adsorption, attachment, and straining effects on plasmids, but induced generation of hydroxyl radicals in the porous medium and thereby fragmented the plasmids and hindered the amplification of eARGs. These findings are of fundamental significance for the potential application of BC in controlling the vertical spread of eARGs in soil and vadose zones.

Application of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles in controlling antibiotic resistance gene transport and interception in porous media.

Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) with a large specific surface area are expected to bind with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), thereby controlling ARGs' contamination by reducing their concentration and mobilization. Here, adsorption experiments were carried out and it was found that α-Fe2O3 NPs could chemically bind with ARGs (tetM-carrying plasmids) in water with an adsorption rate of 0.04 min-1 and an adsorption capacity of 7.88 g/kg. Mixing α-Fe2O3 NPs into quartz sand column markedly increased the interceptive removal of ARGs from inflow water. The interception rate of 1.0 µg/mL ARGs in ultrapure water (25 mL, 5 pore volumes) through the sand column (plexiglass, length 8 cm, internal diameter 1.4 cm) with 1 g/kg α-Fe2O3 NPs was 1.73 times of that through the pure sand column; the interception rate overall increased with increasing addition of α-Fe2O3 NPs, reaching 68.8% with 20 g/kg α-Fe2O3 NPs. Coexisting Na+ (20 mM), Ca2+ (20 mM), and acidic condition (pH 4.0) could further increase the interception rate of ARGs by 1 g/kg α-Fe2O3 NPs from 21.1% to 86.2%, 90.7%, and 96.2%, respectively. The presence of PO43- and humic acid at environmentally relevant concentrations would not significantly affect the interception of ARGs. In the treatment groups with PO43- and humic acid, the removal rate decreased by only 1.8% and 0.1%, respectively. In addition, the interceptive removal of ARGs by α-Fe2O3 NPs-incorporated sand column was even better in actual surface water samples (87.2%) than that in the ultrapure water (21.1%). The findings provide a promising approach to treat ARGs-polluted water.

Efficacy and safety of desmopressin in women with nocturia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of desmopressin treatment in women with nocturia. METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE, ISI web of knowledge, and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register of Controlled Trials were searched from their inception date till April, 2019. The meta-analysis was performed by Revman 5.3. This review also stratified each outcome by dose (< 25 µg, 25 µg versus > 25 µg) to explore the differences in the dose response for orally disintegrating tablet (ODT). RESULTS: Seven publications with seven trials were included in this review. The methodological quality of these trials was fair, and four studies had low risk of bias. The number of nocturnal voids per night was significantly decreased by desmopressin when compared to the control [6 trials, Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) = 0.41, P < 0.00001], and the difference between < 25, 25 and > 25 µg dose ODT groups was also significant (P = 0.03). The duration of first sleep period was significantly increased by desmopressin [4 trials, WMD = 66.64, P < 0.00001], and the difference between these three doses ODT was not significant (P = 0.15). Overall, the risk ratios (RR) for 33% responder rate showed significance when compared with desmopressin to controls [3 trials, RR = 1.30, P = 0.0003]. The number of total adverse events was similar in both desmopressin and control groups [5 trials, RR = 0.95, P = 0.59], otherwise, showed no significant difference between different ODT dose groups (P = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS: Desmopressin had certain efficacy and adequate safety in women with nocturia. The exploration of appropriate dose for female patients, and other influential factors, such as age should be conducted and considered in future.

[Expression and significance of BNIP3 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of proapoptosis protein BNIP3 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and its clinical significance. METHODS: The RCC tumor tissue samples from 30 pathologically diagnosed ccRCC and their adjacent pericarcinous tissues were adopted to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of BNIP3, von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha and vascular enothelial growth factor (VEGF) by real-time quantitative PCR (real-time PCR) and Western blot. The correlations of these genes expressions with clinicopathologic features were analyzed. RESULTS: The expression levels of BNIP3 and VHL were lower in ccRCC tissues than those in pericarcinous tissues (P < 0.05), but the mRNA expression levels of HiF-1alpha and VEGF were higher in ccRCC tissues than those in pericarcinous tissues (P < 0.05). The lower level expression of BNIP3 in ccRCC was not related with any clinicopathologic features. No significant correlation was observed between the BNIP3 mRNA and protein level with the expressions of VHL, HIF-1alpha and VEGF. CONCLUSION: In ccRCC, the expression of BNIP3 is decreased, which not correlated with the expression levels of VHL, HIF-1alpha and VEGF.

Is it necessary to insert nasogastric tube routinely after radical cystectomy with urinary diversion? A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the necessity of using nasogastric tube (NGT) for patients undergoing radical cystectomy with urinary diversion. METHODS: Literature was searched from PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. We identified randomized controlled trials, Cohort study, and Case-control analysis that compared the individuals with or without nasogastric tube after radical cystectomy with urinary diversion. We performed the meta-analysis to evaluate the role of nasogastric tube in decompression after radical cystectomy with urinary diversion. RESULT: Two randomized controlled trial and four Cohort studies (780 patients) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There was significant difference between the time (days) commencement of a liquid diet and the development of bowel sounds in patients without nasogastric tube than those with NGT (nasogastric tube) [P < 0.0001, standard mean difference (SMD) = -0.35, 95% CI -0.52 to -0.18; P < 0.00001, SMD = -0.43, 95% CI -0.60 to 0.26, respectively]. Additionally, there was no significant differences in pulmonary complications and wound complication [P = 0.25, odds ratio (OR) = 0.60 95% CI 0.25 to 1.43; P = 0.66 OR = 1.16 95% CI 0.60 to 2.25, respectively]. But the differences were significant in the paralytic ileus or bowel obstruction (P = 0.010, OR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.88) after surgery. Furthermore, the difference of the duration of hospital stay (days) between the NGT group and Without NGT group (P = 0.0005, SMD = -0.30, 95% CI -0.47 to -0.13). CONCLUSION: It cannot shorten the time of gastrointestinal function recovery or reduce the incidence of complications after radical cystectomy by using the nasogastric tube routinely. Routinely use of nasogastric tube after radical cystectomy with urinary diversion was not recommended.