Bubble Turbulent Gas-Permeable Membrane for Ammonia Recovery from Swine Wastewater: Mass Transfer Enhancement and Antifouling Mechanisms.

Recovering ammonium from swine wastewater employing a gas-permeable membrane (GM) has potential but suffers from the limitations of unattractive mass transfer and poor-tolerance antifouling properties. Turbulence is an effective approach to enhancing the release of volatile ammonia from wastewater while relying on interfacial disturbance to interfere with contaminant adhesion. Herein, we design an innovative gas-permeable membrane coupled with bubble turbulence (BT-GM) that enhances mass transfer while mitigating membrane fouling. Bubbles act as turbulence carriers to accelerate the release and migration of ammonia from the liquid phase, increasing the ammonia concentration gradient at the membrane-liquid interface. In comparison, the ammonium mass transfer rate of the BT-GM process applied to real swine wastewater is 38% higher than that of conventional GM (12 h). Through a computational fluid dynamics simulation, the turbulence kinetic energy of BT-GM system is 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of GM, and the effective mass transfer area is nearly 3 times that of GM. Seven batches of tests confirmed that the BT-GM system exhibits remarkable antifouling ability, broadens its adaptability to complex water quality, and practically promotes the development of sustainable resource recycling.

One-step and label-free ratiometric fluorescence assay for the detection of plasma exosome towards cancer diagnosis.

Exosomes are closely associated with tumor development and are regarded as viable biomarkers for cancer. Here, a ratiometric fluorescence method was proposed for the one-step and label-free detection of plasma exosomes. A bicolor streptavidin magnetic beads were specifically created with an immobilized Cy5-labeled hairpin aptamer for CD63 (Cy5-Apt) on its surface to identify exosome, and a green color SYBR Green I (SGI) embedded in the stem of Cy5-Apt to respond to exosomes. After exosome capture, the Cy5-Apt could undergo a conformational shift and release the encapsulated SGI, allowing exosome measurement based on the fluorescence ratio of Cy5 and SGI. The enrichment, separation and detection of exosomes in proposed method could be completed in one step (30 min), which is a significant improvement over previous method. Furthermore, the use of ratiometric fluorescence and magnetic separation allows for exosome enrichment and interference elimination from complex matrices, improving accuracy and sensitivity. Particularly, the assay could detect exosomes in plasma and has potential to distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy volunteers with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.85. Besides, the study provided an efficient method for analyzing the various divisions of exosomes by merely modifying the aptamer, which holds great promise for point-of-care applications.

Narcolepsy and psychiatric disorders: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Since the introduction of the concept of narcolepsy, there has been a proliferation of discussions about its association with psychiatry. To elucidate the causal role of narcolepsy in the three psychiatric disorders [i.e., schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)], we applied a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study using two stages (discovery stage and validation stage) and data from three different genome-wide association studies of narcolepsy. The estimates from different stages were combined using fixed-effects meta-analysis. Our findings suggest that narcolepsy is associated with an increased risk of SCZ. Conversely, MDD may be causally related to narcolepsy. A causal relationship between narcolepsy and ADHD was excluded.

Long-term trends of nasopharyngeal carcinoma mortality in China from 2006 to 2020 by region and sex: an age-period-cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: China has a high mortality from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The NPC mortality trends in China from 2006 to 2020 were described and analyzed to understand its epidemiological characteristics by region and sex and to explore age, period, and cohort effects. METHODS: This study utilized NPC mortality data from the China Health Statistical Yearbook. A joinpoint regression model was used to fit the standardized NPC mortality and age-specific mortality. The age-period-cohort model was applied to investigate age, period, and cohort effects on NPC mortality risk. RESULTS: The results showed that the NPC mortality rate in China has been declining steadily. From 2006 to 2020, the standardized NPC mortality rate in most age groups showed a significant downward trend. The annual percentage change was smaller in rural areas than in urban areas. The mortality risks of rural males and rural females from 2016 to 2020 were 1.139 times and 1.080 times those from 2011 to 2015, respectively. Both urban males born in 1984-1988 and rural males born in 1979-1983 exhibited an increasing trend in NPC mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed the effectiveness of NPC prevention and treatment strategies in China from 2006 to 2020. However, it underscored the urgent need for targeted interventions in rural areas to further reduce NPC mortality rates.

The association between schizophrenia and white blood cells count: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Positive associations between the risk of schizophrenia and the level of white blood cells (WBC) count have been suggested by observational studies. However, the causality of this association is still unclear. METHODS: We used a group of bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to estimate the causal relationship between schizophrenia and WBC count traits (i.e., WBC count, lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, basophil count, eosinophil count, and monocyte count). The threshold of FDR-adjusted P < 0.05 was considered as showing potential evidence of a causal effect. Instrument variables were included based on the genome-wide significance threshold (P < 5 × 10- 8) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) clumping (r2 < 0.01). In total, 81, 95, 85, 87, 76, and 83 schizophrenia-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used as genetic instruments from Psychiatric Genomics Consortium for six WBC count traits, respectively. And in reverse MR analysis, 458, 206, 408, 468, 473, and 390 variants extracted from six WBC count traits were utilized as genetic instruments, which were obtained from a recent large-scale Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS). RESULTS: Genetically predicted schizophrenia was positively associated with the level of WBC count [odds ratio (OR) 1.017, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.008-1.026; P = 7.53 × 10- 4], basophil count (OR 1.014, 95%CI 1.005-1.022; P = 0.002), eosinophil count (OR 1.021, 95%CI 1.011-1.031; P = 2.77 × 10- 4), monocyte count (OR 1.018, 95%CI 1.009-1.027; P = 4.60 × 10- 4), lymphocyte count (OR 1.021, 95%CI 1.012-1.030; P = 4.51 × 10- 5), and neutrophil count (OR 1.013, 95%CI 1.005-1.022; P = 0.004). WBC count traits are not associated with the risk of schizophrenia in our reverse MR results. CONCLUSION: Schizophrenia is associated with elevated levels of WBC count (i.e., higher WBC count, lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, basophil count, eosinophil count, and monocyte count).

Revealing the metabolic mechanism of dandelion extract against A549 cells using UPLC-QTOF MS.

Dandelion extract exhibits potential anticancer activity and is expected to be a new type of natural anticancer drug. However, the effect mechanism of dandelion extract to lung cancer cells is still unclear. Here, untargeted metabolomics approach based on LC-MS was used to characterize the metabolic responses of A549 cells to dandelion extract exposure and to provide new clues for the antitumor mechanism of dandelion extract from the metabolomics perspective. A total of 16 differentially expressed and time-related metabolites were identified between dandelion extract exposure and control groups. The perturbed metabolic pathways of A549 cells after dandelion extract exposure mainly include the glycerophospholipid metabolism and purine metabolism. These results concluded that dandelion extract may exert anticancer activity by affecting malignant proliferation, disturbing the stability of cell membrane structure, reducing the adhesion of tumor cells to extracellular matrix and fibronectin, and finally inducing tumor cell death.

Application of logistic regression and convolutional neural network in prediction and diagnosis of high-risk populations of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment of lung cancer are the best strategies to improve the 5-year survival rate. Logistic regression analysis can be a helpful tool in the early detection of high-risk groups of lung cancer. Convolutional neural network (CNN) could distinguish benign from malignant pulmonary nodules, which is critical for early precise diagnosis and treatment. Here, we developed a risk assessment model of lung cancer and a high-precision classification diagnostic model using these technologies so as to provide a basis for early screening of lung cancer and for intelligent differential diagnosis. METHODS: A total of 355 lung cancer patients, 444 patients with benign lung disease and 472 healthy people from The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were included in this study. Moreover, the dataset of 607 lung computed tomography images was collected from the above patients. The logistic regression method was employed to screen the high-risk groups of lung cancer, and the CNN model was designed to classify pulmonary nodules into benign or malignant nodules. RESULTS: The area under the curve of the lung cancer risk assessment model in the training set and the testing set were 0.823 and 0.710, respectively. After finely optimizing the settings of the CNN, the area under the curve could reach 0.984. CONCLUSIONS: This performance demonstrated that the lung cancer risk assessment model could be used to screen for high-risk individuals with lung cancer and the CNN framework was suitable for the differential diagnosis of pulmonary nodules.

Cooperation behavior of fore- And hindlimbs during jumping in Rana dybowskii and Xenopus laevis.

Frogs are characterized by their outstanding jumping ability, depending on the rapid extension of hindlimbs to propel their bodies into air. A typical jumping cycle could be broken into four phases: preparation, takeoff, flight, and landing. Considerable research has been performed to discuss the function of hindlimbs of frogs during takeoff phase, whereas the literature of limbs' motion in jumping between different species was limited. To profile the evolution of locomotion in anurans, it is necessary to investigate on the motion of fore- and hindlimbs of frogs within different taxa. In this work, we put forward a detailed description of jumping behavior of two frog species, Rana dybowskii and Xenopus laevis. High-speed cameras were used to explore the movement of different joints in fore- and hindlimbs of these two animals, and kinematic analysis was operated to identify both homologous behaviors and significant differences between them. We found that the Rana dybowskii's fore- and hindlimbs had good cooperation during jumping, while the Xenopus laevis' uncooperative behavior in limbs may give a functional explanation for the deficiency in terrestrial jumping; besides, the R. dybowskii's landing followed the "hands-belly-feet slap" strategy, and Xenopus laevis had clumsy landing with "belly-flops" sequence. The result gained here clarifies the cooperation behavior of anuran limbs and may supply a new insight into our understanding of the anuran's evolution.

A Holistic Review of the State-of-the-Art Microfluidics for Exosome Separation: An Overview of the Current Status, Existing Obstacles, and Future Outlook.

Exosomes, a class of small extracellular vesicles (30-150 nm), are secreted by almost all types of cells into virtually all body fluids. These small vesicles are attracting increasing research attention owing to their potential for disease diagnosis and therapy. However, their inherent heterogeneity and the complexity of bio-fluids pose significant challenges for their isolation. Even the "gold standard," differential centrifugation, suffers from poor yields and is time-consuming. In this context, recent developments in microfluidic technologies have provided an ideal system for exosome extraction and these devices exhibit some fascinating properties such as high speeds, good portability, and low sample volumes. In this review, the focus is on the state-of-the-art microfluidic technologies for exosome isolation and highlight potential directions for future research and development by analyzing the challenges faced by the current strategies.

Comparative research on morphology and mechanical property of integument of Rana dybowskii, Xenopus laevis and Ambystoma mexicanum.

Amphibians' integument is a multifunctional organ offering protection from the exterior surroundings and facilitating the physiological change of gas, water and salts with the environment, which is a natural biomaterial with multifunctional features. Interspecies comparison of biomechanical characters and microstructure possibly related to them were performed on the integument of three species of amphibians, two anurans(Rana dybowskii and Xenopus laevis) and one urodeles(Ambystoma mexicanum) using tensile testing and morphological characterization. It was found that the integument of Rana dybowskii and Xenopus laevis was covered by polygonal epidermal cells, while the trunk surface of Ambystoma mexicanum presented irregular microstructure with the lack of keratinization. The integument of Rana dybowskii and Xenopus laevis exhibited good performance on stiffness and strength, which showed quite high mean elastic modulus, 931MPa and 1048MPa,respectively.

In situ detection of plasma exosomal microRNA for lung cancer diagnosis using duplex-specific nuclease and MoS2 nanosheets.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) encapsulated in tumor-derived exosomes are becoming ideal biomarkers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer. However, the accuracy and sensitivity are often hampered by the extraction process of exosomal miRNA using traditional methods. Herein, this study developed a fluorogenic quantitative detection method for exosomal miRNA using the fluorescence quenching properties of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets and the enzyme-assisted signal amplification properties of duplex-specific nuclease (DSN). First, a fluorescently-labeled nucleic acid probe was used to hybridize the target miRNA to form a DNA/RNA hybrid structure. Under the action of the DSN, the DNA single strand in the DNA/RNA hybrid strand was selectively digested into smaller oligonucleotide fragments. At the same time, the released miRNA target triggers the next reaction cycle, so as to achieve signal amplification. Then, MoS2 was used to selectively quench the fluorescence of the undigested probe leaving the fluorescent signal of the fluorescently-labeled probe fragments. The fluorometric signals for miRNA-21 had a maximum excitation/emission wavelength of 488/518 nm. Most importantly, the biosensor was then applied for the accurate quantitative detection of miRNA-21 in exosome lysates extracted from human plasma and this method was able to successfully distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy people. This biosensor provides a simple, rapid, and a highly specific quantitative method for exosomal miRNA and has promising potential to be used in the early diagnosis of lung cancer.

A novel fluorescent nanoprobe that based on poly(thymine) single strand DNA-templated copper nanocluster for the detection of hydrogen peroxide.

In this paper, a label-free fluorescence nanoprobe is constructed based on poly(thymine) single strand DNA-templated Copper nanocluster (denote as: T-CuNCs) for the detection of hydrogen peroxide. In the assay, the fluorescent T-CuNCs will generate though the reaction of Cu2+, poly(thymine) and sodium ascorbate. However, the hydroxyl radical (.OH) will generated in the presence of H2O2, which is able to induced the oxidative lesions of poly(thymine) single chain DNA and lead to the poly(thymine) being splitted into shorter or single oligonucleotide fragments and lose the ability to template the fluorescent T-CuNCs again. Therefore, H2O2 can be detected by monitoring the fluorescence strength change of T-CuNCs. The experimental results show that the fluorescence intensity change of T-CuNCs has fantastic linearity versus H2O2 concentration in the range of 1-30 µM (R2 = 0.9947) and 30-80 µM (R2 = 0.9972) with the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.5 µM (S/N = 3). More important, the fluorescent nanoprobe was also successfully utilized on the detection of H2O2 in serum samples. Therefore, a label-free, costless and effective fluorescence method has been established for the detection of H2O2, the intrinsic properties of the nanoprobe endow its more potential applications in chemical and biological study.

A Novel Cell-Assisted Enhanced Chemiluminescence Strategy for Rapid and Label-Free Detection of Tumor Cells in Whole Blood.

In this study, an interesting phenomenon was found where cells (including tumor and normal cells) managed to significantly enhance chemiluminescence (CL) signals. The possible reaction mechanism may be that cells can be severely damaged by CL substrates, and the released contents, possibly proteins (such as cytochrome c), can remarkably magnify CL owing to the increased production of singlet oxygen. More importantly, based on the above phenomena, a novel cell-assisted enhanced CL strategy was proposed for the rapid and label-free detection of tumor cells. The complexes of aptamer sgc8c and streptavidin-modified magnetic beads were employed to recognize and isolate target tumor cells from whole blood. The enhanced CL intensity, which was triggered directly by the captured cells, was measured. The proposed strategy exhibited a good detection performance with a linear range from 200 to 10,000 cells/mL. The analysis can be finished in ∼30 min, and the limit of detection was down to 100 cells/mL. The recoveries and relative standard deviations were 97.81-102.71% and 3.46-12.71%, respectively. Moreover, the established method can successfully distinguish the leukemia patients from healthy people. Therefore, it provides a novel, rapid, and simple method for the determination of tumor cells, which can be used in further practice.

Research on the drag reduction mechanism of antlion (Myrmeleon sagax) larvae nonsmooth structural surface.

Antlion (Myrmeleon sagax) larvae live in sandy soil and possess the ability to enter soil quickly. In this article, the hierarchical structure of the nonsmooth surface of antlion larvae was obtained using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Based on the results, a bionic nonsmooth structure model was established to investigate the friction and movement of soil particles above it. Then the relationship between drag reduction characteristics and the antlion larvae's nonsmooth structural surface was discussed, which would be helpful to design soil-engaging components. When the height of each nonsmooth structure is proportional to the square of their interval distance, and is proportional to the velocity of movement, it is shown that a nonsmooth structural surface contributes to improving the bulk coefficient of granular materials, which leads to substantial drag reduction.

Treatment of neonates with meconium aspiration syndrome by proportional assist ventilation and synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation: a comparison study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the relevant clinical parameters of neonates with MAS who are supported by proportion assisted ventilation (PAV) and synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV). METHODS: Forty neonates diagnosed as MAS who required mechanical ventilation were divided randomly into PAV group and SIMV group (N.=20). The respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), arterial-to-alveolar oxygen tension ratio (a/APO2), fraction of inspiration oxygen (FiO2), mean airway pressure (MAP) and tidal volume (VT) were measured before the ventilation, 1,12, 24, 48 hours after the ventilation and before weaning. RESULTS: We observed no significant differences in the mechanical ventilation time, oxygen supply time, hospital stay between PAV and SIMV groups. In addition, we found no significant differences in HR, MABP, a/APO2 and FiO2 at every time point between two groups (P>0.05). However, we observed significant differences in RR, MAP, PIP and VT at every time point between two groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PAV and SIMV might be a useful ventilator mode to support the neonates with MAS who require ventilation. To achieve the same effect, PAV adopts rapid shallow breathing pattern, with smaller tidal volume and lower MAP and PIP.

[Changes of six serum biomarkers of rabbits with experimental osteoarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value and significance of six serum biomarkers to the early diagnosis of osteoarthritis by means of quantitative detection of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13), IL-6, C-terminal telopeptide of collagen type II (CTX2), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels with time going on. METHODS: 40 New Zealand white rabbits were divided into experimental group (n=20) and control group (n=20). Injection of collagenase into articular cavity was performed in the experimental group for modeling. No treatment was done in the control group. Pathological observation, X-ray examination and HE staining of knee joints were conducted to verify the establishment of modeling. IL-1, MMP-13, IL-6, CTX2, COX2 and PGE2 levels were detected every two weeks after modeling in the experimental group, and these biomarkers were also detected in the control group at the same time points. RESULTS: Levels of the six serum biomarkers in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group at each time point after modeling and were the most distinguishing at the 4th week. CONCLUSION: Combined detection of IL-1ß, IL-6, CTX2, COX2 and PGE2 in serum is helpful for early diagnosis of osteoarthritis.

Surgical treatment of primary cardiac tumors in children: Experience of a single institute.

In order to review the surgical experience of a single institute with regard to the treatment of primary cardiac tumors, data was collected on patients with a histopathological diagnosis of a primary cardiac tumor (with the exception of myxoma) in a retrospective analysis of those treated between 2004 and 2013. In total, 11 patients were identified, with a mean age at diagnosis of 23 months and a mean weight of 13 kg. The most frequent cause of referral was a cardiac murmur and the most frequent cardiac tumor was rhabdomyoma (5 cases), followed by fibroma (3 cases), angiofibroma (2 cases) and fibrosarcoma (1 case). Surgical removal of the tumor was performed in all patients due to the respective clinical symptoms. A subtotal resection was performed in a single patient (with angiofibroma invading the aortic root, superior vena cava and sinus node) due to financial constraints. This patient succumbed to tumor invasion 2 years later. Another of the patients (pericardial fibrosarcoma) succumbed 1 year after the total resection, as they were unable to undergo a repeat surgery for the relapsed tumor due to financial inadequacy. The remaining 9 patients have survived in good condition during the 1-6 year follow-up. Surgery is the preferred treatment for patients with symptomatic primary cardiac tumors, and has good early- and long-term outcomes. However, due to the current health care system inadequacies in China, certain parents cannot afford the medical expenses, thus, more comprehensive social security and medical insurance may require consideration.

[A population-based epidemiological survey of neonatal respiratory failure in Huai'an City of Jiangsu Province, in 2010].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of neonatal respiratory failure (NRF) in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, China, in 2010. METHODS: The clinical data of all NRF cases in the hospitals of Huai'an in 2010 were prospectively collected and analyzed using descriptive epidemiological methods. RESULTS: Among 60,986 live births in Huai'an in 2010, there were 556 (0.91%) cases of NRF. The average birth weight of newborns with NRF was 2,433±789 g, with 53.8% determined as low birth weight and 64.1% as preterm. The major causes of NRF were respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, asphyxia, sepsis, and pulmonary hemorrhage. Among the newborns with NRF, 23.7% were accompanied by certain birth defects. Fourteen percent of newborns with NRF received pulmonary surfactant (PS) therapy, and the median time of the first dose of PS was 5 hours (range: 0-51 hours). Nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment, conventional mechanical ventilation, and high-frequency ventilation were used in 67.9%, 33.3%, and 13.7% of patients, respectively. The cure and improvement rate of NRF patients was 73.9% (411/556), and the mortality rate was 22.5% (125/556). The average hospitalization expenses were 9,270 (range: 196-38182) Yuan. CONCLUSIONS: High morbidity, high mortality and high medical costs make NRF a serious challenge in Huai'an. It is essential to improve the quality of perinatal care and develop new techniques and new models in neonatal respiratory therapy in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality of NRF.

Echocardiographic assessment and guidance in minimally invasive surgical device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects.

BACKGROUND: The primary aim of this study was to explore the safety and feasibility of minimally invasive surgical device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects (PMVSDs) in children using echocardiography for preoperative assessment and intraoperative guidance. METHODS: We enrolled 942 children diagnosed with PMVSDs from April 2010 to October 2013. All children underwent full evaluation by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and multiplane transesophageal echocardiography (MTEE) to determine the sizes, types and spatial positions of defects and their proximity to the adjacent tissues. The PMVSDs were surgically occluded using MTEE for guidance. RESULTS: Eight hundred eighty-nine (94.37%) of 942 children underwent successful closure of PMVSDs. Symmetric devices were used in 741 children (including 38 A4B2 occluders) and asymmetric devices were used in the other 148. All patients received follow-ups at regular intervals after successful occlusion. The occluders remained firmly in place. No noticeable residual shunt or valvular regurgitation was discovered, with the exception of one child whose original mild aortic regurgitation progressed to moderate by the 18 month follow-up. Overall there were no significant arrhythmias with the exception of 3 children, all of whom experienced postsurgical acute attacks of Adams-Stokes syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive surgical device closure of PMVSDs is safe and feasible. TTE and MTEE play vital roles in all stages of treatment of PMVSDs.

A minimally invasive technique for occluding large muscular ventricular septal defects in infants.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the feasibility, timing and indications for closure of large muscular ventricular septal defects (VSDs) in infants without use of a cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: A total of 9 infants with large muscular VSDs ranging in size from 7 to 15 mm were treated by minimally invasive closure without cardiopulmonary bypass between April 2010 and February 2013. RESULTS: All surgeries were successful without resulting in uncontrolled systemic infection, a pulmonary hypertensive crisis or a severely low cardiac output, and with an apparently shorter operation time and postoperative tracheal cannula. CONCLUSIONS: VSD closure without cardiopulmonary bypass can improve the efficacy and prognosis of infants with large muscular VSDs and concurrent pulmonary infections or respiratory failure.