A Rechargeable "Rocking Chair" Type Zn-CO2 Battery.

Rising global temperatures and critical energy shortages have spurred researches into CO2 fixation and conversion within the realm of energy storage such as Zn-CO2 batteries. However, traditional Zn-CO2 batteries employ double-compartment electrolytic cells with separate carriers for catholytes and anolytes, diverging from the "rocking chair" battery mechanism. The specific energy of these conventional batteries is constrained by the solubility of discharge reactants/products in the electrolyte. Additionally, H2O molecules tend to trigger parasitic reactions at the electrolyte/electrode interfaces, undermining the long-term stability of Zn anodes. In this report, we introduce an innovative "rocking chair" type Zn-CO2 battery that utilizes a weak-acidic Zn(OTf)2 aqueous electrolyte compatible with both cathode and anode. This design minimizes side reactions on the Zn surface and leverages the high catalytic activity of the cathode material, allowing the battery to achieve a substantial discharge capacity of 6734 mAh g-1 and maintain performance over 65 cycles. Moreover, the successful production of pouch cells demonstrates the practical applicability of Zn-CO2 batteries. Electrode characterizations confirm superior electrochemical reversibility, facilitated by solid discharge products of ZnCO3 and C. This work advances a "rocking chair" Zn-CO2 battery with enhanced specific energy and a reversible pathway, providing a foundation for developing high-performance metal-CO2 batteries.

Wall-following - Phylogenetic context of an enhanced behaviour in stygomorphic Sinocyclocheilus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) cavefishes.

With 75 known species, the freshwater fish genus Sinocyclocheilus is the largest cavefish radiation in the world and shows multiple adaptations for cave-dwelling (stygomorphic adaptations), which include a range of traits such as eye degeneration (normal-eyed, micro-eyed and eyeless), depigmentation of skin, and in some species, the presence of "horns". Their behavioural adaptations to subterranean environments, however, are poorly understood. Wall-following (WF) behaviour, where an organism remains in close contact with the boundary demarcating its habitat when in the dark, is a peculiar behaviour observed in a wide range of animals and is enhanced in cave dwellers. Hence, we hypothesise that wall-following is also present in Sinocyclocheilus, possibly enhanced in eyeless species compared to eye bearing (normal-/micro-eyed species). Using 13 species representative of Sinocyclocheilus radiation and eye morphs, we designed a series of assays, based on pre-existing methods for Astyanax mexicanus behavioural experiments, to examine wall-following behaviour under three conditions. Our results indicate that eyeless species exhibit significantly enhanced intensities of WF compared to normal-eyed species, with micro-eyed forms demonstrating intermediate intensities in the WF distance. Using a mtDNA based dated phylogeny (chronogram with four clades A-D), we traced the degree of WF of these forms to outline common patterns. We show that the intensity of WF behaviour is higher in the subterranean clades compared to clades dominated by normal-eyed free-living species. We also found that eyeless species are highly sensitive to vibrations, whereas normal-eyed species are the least sensitive. Since WF behaviour is presented to some degree in all Sinocyclocheilus species, and given that these fishes evolved in the late Miocene, we identify this behaviour as being ancestral with WF enhancement related to cave occupation. Results from this diversification-scale study of cavefish behaviour suggest that enhanced wall-following behaviour may be a convergent trait across all stygomorphic lineages.

Combined short-term and long-term emission controls improve air quality sustainably in China.

The effectiveness of national policies for air pollution control has been demonstrated, but the relative effectiveness of short-term emission reduction measures in comparison with national policies has not. Here we show that short-term abatement measures during important international events substantially reduced PM2.5 concentrations, but air quality rebounded to pre-event levels after the measures ceased. Long-term adherence to strict emission reduction policies led to successful decreases of 54% in PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing, and 23% in atmospheric nitrogen deposition in China from 2012 to 2020. Incentivized by "blue skies" type campaigns, economic development and reactive nitrogen pollution are quickly decoupled, showing that a combination of inspiring but aggressive short-term measures and effective but durable long-term policies delivers sustainable air quality improvement. However, increased ammonia concentrations, transboundary pollutant flows, and the complexity to achieving reduction targets under climate change scenarios, underscore the need for the synergistic control of multiple pollutants and inter-regional action.

Genetic variation analysis of Guanling cattle based on whole-genome resequencing.

Objective: The objective of this study was to unravel the genetic traits of Guanling cattle, pinpoint genes advantageous for muscle growth, and lay a foundation for the preservation of genetic diversity and further analysis of regulation mechanism of important economic traits in local cattle breed. Methods: In this study, we sequenced the whole genome of 3 Guanling cattle in Guizhou province using the Illumina HiSeq cBo sequencing platform. And, high- multiplex PCR technology was employed to detect high-quality SNP sites of other 55 Guanling cattle. Results: Our study identified 166,411 non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) and 42,423 insertions and deletions (indels). Through SNP annotation, gene function enrichment analysis, and comparing with Simmental, Angus, and Limousin cattle, we identified six genes (LEPR, AKAP9, SIX4, SPIDR, PRG4, FASN) which are potentially influential on meat quality traits, playing crucial roles in muscle growth, fat metabolism, and bodily support. We also examined polymorphisms at seven SNP sites in Guanling cattle and found that all seven were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Conclusion: These findings suggested that these gene sites are stable and widespread in the Guanling cattle population. Our research lays the groundwork for future genetic enhancement and variety identification of Guanling cattle.

The Prevalence of Anemia among Pregnant Women in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to ascertain the prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency (ID), and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among Chinese pregnant women. A total of 722 articles on maternal anemia during pregnancy published between January 2010 and December 2020 were compiled, and a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted on 57 eligible studies including 1,376,204 pregnant women to ascertain the prevalence of anemia and the prevalence in different subgroups. The results showed that the prevalence of anemia, ID, and IDA among pregnant women in China were 30.7% (95% CI: 26.6%, 34.7%), 45.6% (95% CI: 37.0%, 54.2%), and 17.3% (95% CI: 13.9%, 20.7%), respectively. All prevalence increased with the progression of the pregnancy. There were sizable regional variations in the prevalence of anemia, ID, and IDA. Generally, lower prevalence was observed in the economically more advanced eastern region of the country, while the prevalence of ID was higher in the eastern region than that in the western region. The prevalence of anemia and IDA in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas, but ID prevalence was higher in urban areas. In conclusion, the regional differences and urban-rural disparities in the prevalence of anemia indicate the need for more context-specific interventions to prevent and treat anemia. It was found that dietary factors were one of the major causes of anemia, and iron-containing supplements and nutrition counseling could be effective interventions to reduce the prevalence of anemia, ID, and IDA among Chinese pregnant women.

Hepatic artery restriction operation combined with ALPPS (HARO-ALPPS), a novel ALPPS procedure for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with severe fibrosis: Retrospective clinical cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Associating liver partition with portal vein ligation for staged liver resection (ALPPS) has been used in the treatment of patients with advanced or massive liver cancer without sufficient future liver remnant, but concerns remain regarding tumor outcomes and surgical safety. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new procedure, Hepatic artery restriction operation combined with ALPPS (HARO-ALPPS), in the treatment of HCC patients especially with severe fibrosis. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 8 patients who underwent HARO-ALPPS for HCC and compared their outcomes with 64 patients who underwent conventional ALPPS. The primary outcomes assessed were liver regeneration ability (measured by relative and absolute kinetic growth rates), postoperative complications, and mortality. The secondary outcomes included overall survival and disease-free survival. RESULTS: HARO-ALPPS significantly restricted the blood supply of the hepatic artery. One week after surgery, the blood flow of the right hepatic artery dropped to 62.1%. At the same time, HARO-ALPPS shows superior liver regeneration ability, which is particularly prominent in the background of liver fibrosis. No serious complications occurred after HARO-ALPPS. The overall survival rate of HARO-ALPPS was 75%, which was higher than that of ALPPS (64%, P=0.816). CONCLUSION: Compared to conventional ALPPS, HARO-ALPPS exhibits a better liver regeneration ability, and favorable long-term outcomes. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and evaluate the long-term oncologic outcomes of this novel procedure.

Molecular Phylogenetics and the Evolution of Morphological Complexity in Aytoniaceae (Marchantiophyta).

Aytoniaceae are one of the largest families of complex thalloid liverworts (Marchantiopsida), consisting of about 70 species, with most species being distributed in temperate areas. However, the phylogeny and evolution of the morphological character of Aytoniaceae are still poorly understood. Here, we employed two chloroplast loci, specifically, rbcL and trnL-F, along with a 26S nuclear ribosomal sequence to reconstruct the phylogeny and track the morphological evolution of Aytoniaceae. Our results reveal that Aytoniaceae are monophyletic, and five monophyletic clades were recovered (i.e., Asterellopsis-Cryptomitrium, Calasterella, Mannia, Reboulia-Plagiochasma, and Asterella). Asterella was divided into five clades (i.e., Asterella lindenbergiana, subg. Saccatae, subg. Phragmoblepharis, subg. Wallichianae, and subg. Asterella), except for Asterella palmeri, which is the sister of Asterellopsis grollei. Bayesian molecular clock dating indicates that the five primary clades within Aytoniaceae underwent divergence events in the Cretaceous period. Asterellopsis differentiated during the early Upper Cretaceous (c. 84.2 Ma), and Calasterella originated from the late Lower Cretaceous (c. 143.0 Ma). The ancestral Aytoniaceae plant is reconstructed as the absence of a pseudoperianth, lacking equatorial apertures, and having both male and female reproductive organs on the main thallus. At present, Asterellopsis consists of two species known in Asia and America with the new transfer of Asterella palmeri to Asterellopsis. A new subgenus, Asterella subg. Lindenbergianae, is proposed.

Experimental Study of Non-Darcian Flow Characteristics in Low-Permeability Coal Pillar Dams.

The safe operation of underground reservoirs and environmental protection heavily rely on the water flow through coal pillar dams in coal mines. Meanwhile, research on the flow characteristics in coal pillar dams has been limited due to their low hydraulic conductivity. To address this gap, this study assembled a novel seepage experimental device and conducted a series of carefully designed seepage experiments to examine the characteristics of low-permeability in coal pillar dams. The experiments aim to explore the relationship between water flux and hydraulic gradient, considering varying core lengths and immersion times. Flow parameters were determined by fitting observed flux-gradient curves with predictions from both Darcy and non-Darcian laws. Several significant results were obtained. First, a noticeable non-linear relationship between water flux and hydraulic gradient was observed, particularly evident at low flow velocities. Second, the non-Darcy laws effectively interpreted the experimental data, with threshold pressure gradients ranging 13.60 to 58.64 for different core lengths. Third, the study established that water immersion significantly affects the flow characteristics of coal pillar dams, resulting in an increased hydraulic conductivity and flow velocity. These findings carry significant implications for the design of coal pillar dams within underground coal mine reservoirs, providing insights for constructing more stable structures and ensuring environmental protection.

Left Hepatectomy Combined with Right Hepatic Artery Resection and Reconstruction for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatectomy combined with hepatic artery reconstruction in the operation for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (Klatskin tumor) is a challenging procedure. We present a video of left hepatectomy combined with right hepatic artery reconstruction for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. PATIENT AND METHODS: The patient was a 60-year-old male who presented with obstructive jaundice. The imaging examination showed that the confluence of left and right hepatic ducts and the wall of common hepatic duct were thickened, the local lumen was narrowed, the intrahepatic bile duct was dilated, and the right hepatic artery was invaded by tumors nearly 2.3 centimeters. Left hepatectomy with total caudate lobectomy, resection with reconstruction of right hepatic artery, hilar lymphadenectomy, and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy were performed. RESULTS: The operation time was 345 min, and the amount of bleeding was about 400 ml. There was no blood transfusion. The pathology showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, with negative margins of common bile duct and right hepatic duct, and negative results of all lymph nodes. The patient's recovery was uneventful and he was discharged on postoperative day 14. The patient was disease free at 12-month follow-up evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic artery resection and reconstruction procedure is safe and feasible for hilar cholangiocarcinoma in a highly tertiary hepatobiliary center.

Association between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Bone Mineral Density Changes among Pregnant Women: A Prospective Study in China.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine the relationship between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and bone mineral density (BMD) changes among Chinese pregnant women, offering valuable insights for dietary guidance during pregnancy. METHODS: 289 pregnant women were enrolled in this cohort. Serum inflammatory factors and ultrasonic BMD were measured at the first, second, and the third trimesters. DII scores were calculated based on a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and divided into tertiles. We compared the differences in inflammatory factors in serum across the tertiles of DII and changes in BMD at the second and third trimesters across the tertiles. RESULTS: The participants with higher DII scores had higher total energy intakes than those with lower DII scores. The serum level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was significantly different across the tertiles of the DII. Women who had lower DII scores had higher T-scores and Z-scores in the BMD assessment. In the test of trends, after adjusting potential covariates, including educational level, physical activity, body mass index, and calcium, vitamin D, or multivitamin supplements, DII values were determined to be positively related to the maternal BMD lost. CONCLUSIONS: DII was positively associated with serum IL-6. Meanwhile, higher DII scores were associated with more bone mass loss in pregnant women. We recommend adhering to a lower-DII diet to preserve BMD during pregnancy.

Incidental gall bladder cancer in the laparoscopic treatment and magnetic resonance imaging era: A single institution experience.

BACKGROUND: Incidental gall bladder cancer (IGBC) is often discovered unexpectedly in patients after cholecystectomy. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely applied in the pre-operative diagnosis of gall bladder diseases as laparoscopic cholecystectomy developed into the preferred method. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the pre-operative MRI application and laparoscopic management in the IGBCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2011 and January 2020, a total of 7917 patients with gall bladder diseases treated by laparoscopy were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: Amongst 49 patients diagnosed with IGBCs, the incidence of IGBCs in polypoid lesions, biliary pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cholecystocholedocholithiasis and gall bladder stones was 0.42%, 1.19%, 0.62%, 1.20% and 0.49%, respectively. MRI evaluation showed more remarkable pre-operative imaging as compared to ultrasonographic evaluation (40.8 vs. 26.5, P < 0.05). Furthermore, 14 patients were diagnosed with gall bladder cancer through intraoperative histological examination and 11 received laparoscopic extensive resection after cholecystectomy. MRI findings with diffuse thickening of the gall bladder detected IGBCs with 6.1% sensitivity, 96.02 specificity, 0.95% positive predictive values and 99.4% negative predictive values; diffuse thickening of the gall bladder with suspicion of malignancy detected IGBCs with 12.2% sensitivity, 99.1% specificity, 7.6% positive predictive values and 99.5% negative predictive values; focal thickening of the gall bladder detected IGBCs with 16% sensitivity, 99.8% specificity, 32% positive predictive values and 99.5% negative predictive values; moreover, suspicious lesion detected IGBCs with 6.1% sensitivity, 99.6% specificity, 8.8% positive predictive values and 99.4% negative predictive values. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with biliary pancreatitis and cholecystocholedocholithiasis have a higher incidence of IGBC. MRI evaluation could provide more accurate information for the IGBCs, which should be recommended for patients accepting cholecystectomy. MRI findings exhibited an unsatisfactory sensitivity when detecting IGBCs, but they represented high specificity. Pre-operative MRI evaluation and intraoperative histological examination may help some IGBCs to achieve one-stage laparoscopic extensive resection.

Remediation of aniline-contaminated aquifer by combining in-well Rhizobium borbori and circulated groundwater electrolysis.

Aniline has become a common groundwater contaminant due to its wide use as a raw material in agriculture and pharmaceutical products. The current technologies for in situ remediation of aniline in groundwater are limited by the strains deficient in bacterial species, limited oxygen supply, excessive waste gas load and cost. Accordingly, we conducted a laboratory sand tank experiment to remediate groundwater contaminated with aniline by combining circulated groundwater electrolysis and in-well Rhizobium borbori, which was isolated from activated sludge. The results of the experiment indicated that the optimum concentration of aniline for Rhizobium borbori is about 5 mg/L, beyond which the maximum cell density and the highest specific growth rate decreases as the aniline concentration increases. The optimized duration for immobilizing the Rhizobium borbori into the bioreactor is 4-5 days. Though the Rhizobium borbori was strongly inhibited by the high-concentration of aniline, the immobilized bioreactor in the 350 mg/L aniline solution successfully formed biofilm. The aniline volatilization had limited influence on the observation of bioremediation performance, and the combination of circulated groundwater and in-well Rhizobium borbori supplied a steady dose of oxygen to the bioreactor efficiently degrading the entire region between the injection and extraction well. In addition, a numerical model for the sand tank remediation experiment was used to estimate the yield coefficient of oxygen to be 0.484 g/g, which indicates the presence of ammonia nitrogen as by-products; accordingly, a smaller wellbore size as well a higher circulation flow rate and intensity of current are recommended to improve the water quality. Despite the positive outcomes and potential of the newly developed technology to degrade subsurface aniline, parallel experiments should be conducted to estimate the environmental risk of the by-products and explore the controlling mechanisms of each component in this comprehensive system.

Prevalence of and associated factors for sarcopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is associated with poor outcomes in patients with cirrhosis. However, the prevalence of and associated factors for developing sarcopenia in this population remain to be determined. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to summarize the prevalence, characteristics, and associated factors of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: Electronic searches were performed from inception to June 9, 2022 to identify the eligible studies. We meta-analyzed the prevalence of sarcopenia in overall patients with cirrhosis and subgroups. Both crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using the random effects model. RESULTS: A total of 55 studies involving 13,158 patients from 17 countries were included. The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 40.1 % (95 % CI 35.4%-44.9 %) in patients with cirrhosis. The pooled prevalence was higher in males, Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis, decompensated stage, ascites, subjective global assessment class C cirrhosis, and when sarcopenia was defined by L3-SMI (third lumbar-skeletal muscle index) at a higher cutoff. In multivariate analysis, older age (adjusted OR 1.04, 95 % CI 1.00-1.07), male (adjusted OR 4.75, 95 % CI 2.72-8.28), lower body mass index (BMI) (adjusted OR 0.78, 95 % CI 0.73-0.83), alcoholic liver disease (ALD) (adjusted OR 1.43, 95 % CI 1.19-1.72), but not ascites and hepatic encephalopathy, were significantly associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia is a prevalent complication, and older age, male patients, lower BMI, and patients with ALD are associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis.

Comparison of clinical features and outcomes of proliferative, fibrotic, and mixed subtypes of IgG4-related disease: A retrospective cohort study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized immune-mediated disorder that can affect almost any organ in the human body. IgG4-RD can be categorized into proliferative and fibrotic subtypes based on patients' clinicopathological characteristics. This study aimed to compare the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and treatment outcomes of IgG4-RD among different subtypes.@*METHODS@#We prospectively enrolled 622 patients with newly diagnosed IgG4-RD at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from March 2011 to August 2021. The patients were divided into three groups according to their clinicopathological characteristics: proliferative, fibrotic, and mixed subtypes. We compared demographic features, clinical manifestations, organ involvement, laboratory tests, and treatment agents across three subtypes. We then assessed the differences in treatment outcomes among 448 patients receiving glucocorticoids alone or in combination with immunosuppressants. Moreover, risk factors of relapse were revealed by applying the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#We classified the 622 patients into three groups consisting of 470 proliferative patients, 55 fibrotic patients, and 97 mixed patients, respectively. We found that gender distribution, age, disease duration, and frequency of allergy history were significantly different among subgroups. In terms of organ involvement, submandibular and lacrimal glands were frequently involved in the proliferative subtype, while retroperitoneum was the most commonly involved site in both fibrotic subtype and mixed subtype. The comparison of laboratory tests revealed that eosinophils ( P = 0.010), total IgE ( P = 0.006), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( P <0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( P <0.001), complement C4 ( P <0.001), IgG ( P = 0.001), IgG1 (P <0.001), IgG4 (P <0.001), and IgA ( P <0.001), at baseline were significantly different among three subtypes. Compared with proliferative and mixed subtypes, the fibrotic subtype showed the lowest rate of relapse (log-rank P = 0.014).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our study revealed the differences in demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, organ involvement, laboratory tests, treatment agents, and outcomes across proliferative, fibrotic, and mixed subtypes in the retrospective cohort study. Given significant differences in relapse-free survival among the three subtypes, treatment regimens, and follow-up frequency should be considered separately according to different subtypes.

Study on the antitussive and expectorant activities and mechanism of platycodin D based on metabolomics method / 药学学报

In this paper, the antitussive and expectorant activity of platycodin D (PD) were studied by constructing a mouse cough induced by concentrated ammonia water and a mouse trachea phenol red excretion model. The mechanism of antitussive and expectorant effect of PD was studied by metabolomics. The animal experiment was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: JZLLSC-20220739). Then mice were randomly divided into the normal, model, positive drug, PD low-dose, PD medium-dose and PD high-dose group. The antitussive and expectorant effects of PD were evaluated using a cough mouse model induced by concentrated ammonia water and a mouse tracheal phenol red excretion model, respectively. UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS was used to identify the metabolites of mouse lung tissue, and multivariate statistical analysis method of orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was used for metabolites profile analysis. The differential metabolites were screened by variable projected importance value (VIP) and t-test results. Pathways for enrichment of differentiated metabolites were analyzed using the MetaboAnalyst platform. The comparative method was applied to analyze the differences in mechanisms of PD, Deapio-platycodin D (DPD) and total platycosides fraction. The results showed that PD at different concentrations could significantly prolong (P < 0.05) the incubation period of cough mice induced by ammonia water, reduce the coughs frequency, and significantly increase (P < 0.05) the amount of phenol red excretion in phenol red excretion model mice. PD could regulate 6 metabolic pathways of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism to exert antitussive effect. It could also regulate 8 metabolic pathways of linoleic acid metabolism, glyoxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid metabolism, glycerol phospholipid metabolism, citric acid cycle and arachidonic acid metabolism to exert an expectorant effect. However, only linoleic acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism could be regulated by the PD, total platycosides fraction and DPD, which may be ascribed to the structural difference of the platycosides and the interaction between platycosides and the intestinal microbiota. Functional analysis showed that these metabolic pathways are closely related to the regulatory mechanisms of anti-inflammatory response, immune function regulation, neurotransmitter release, cell signal transduction, energy metabolism and cell apoptosis. This study shows that PD possesses good antitussive and expectorant activities. In addition, the mechanism difference of PD, total platycosides fraction and DPD imply that the apiose in PD and the interaction between PD and intestinal microbiota could exert an important effect on the antitussive and expectorant mechanism of the platycosides.

A new suberin from roots of Ephedra sinica Stapf / 药学学报

Six compounds were isolated from the roots of Ephedra sinica Stapf using various chromatographic techniques such as silica gel column chromatography, thin layer chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Their chemical structures were identified by analysis of physicochemical properties and spectral data, and determined as (Z)-docosanylferulate (1), (E)-docosanylferulate (2), bis (2-ethylheptyl) phythalate (3), 2,2′-oxybis (1,4-di-tert-butylbenzene) (4), diisobutyl phthalate (5), bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (6). Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, compounds 2-4 were first isolated from Ephedra. A corticosterone-induced PC-12 cell injury model was used for compound activity screening. The results showed that compounds 1 and 5 significantly improved corticosterone-induced PC-12 cell injury and significantly increased 5-HT7 receptor protein expression in the cells, indicating potential antidepressant activity.

Short-term results of sleeve wrapping technique using remnant aortic wall in modified Bentall procedure / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To evaluate the short-term results of sleeve wrapping technique using remnant aortic wall in modified Bentall procedure. Methods The patients undergoing modified Bentall procedure with the remnant aortic wall as a sleeve to cover the sewing area of composite valved graft and the aortic annulus for proximal hemostasis between March 2021 and March 2022 in Shenzhen Fuwai Hospital were enrolled. Short-term results were assessed by cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic clamping time, mechanical ventilation time, ICU stay, postoperative hospital stay, effusion drainage on the first postoperative day, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), and follow-up results. Results A total of 14 patients were collected, including 12 males and 2 females, with a mean age of 55.33±10.57 years. There was no postoperative or follow-up death. Cardiopulmonary bypass time was 147.90±21.29 min, aortic clamping time was 115.70±15.23 min, mechanical ventilation time was 19.42±8.98 h, ICU stay was 99.08±49.42 h, and postoperative hospital stay was 16.33±2.74 d. Thoracic drainage volume was 333.33±91.98 mL on the first postoperative day. Only 2 patients required blood transfusion (4.5 U and 2 U, respectively). During the follow-up of 6.17±3.69 months, there was no death, no aortic or valve-related complications. There was statistical difference in the LVEDD between preoperation and before discharge after surgery (P＜0.001), and between half a year after surgery and before discharge after surgery (P＜0.001). There was a little decrease of LVEF before discharge after surgery compared with preoperative LVEF, but there was no statistical difference (P=0.219). There was no statistical difference in the LVEF half a year after operation compared with that before operation (P=1.000). Conclusion Sleeve wrapping technique using remnant aortic wall in modified Bentall procedure has good short-term results. This modification may be a simple, effective way in controlling proximal bleeding.