Inhibition of glutaminolysis alleviates myocardial fibrosis induced by angiotensin II / 生理学报

The present study was aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of glutaminolysis of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) in hypertension-induced myocardial fibrosis. C57BL/6J mice were administered with a chronic infusion of angiotensin II (Ang II, 1.6 mg/kg per d) with a micro-osmotic pump to induce myocardial fibrosis. Masson staining was used to evaluate myocardial fibrosis. The mice were intraperitoneally injected with BPTES (12.5 mg/kg), a glutaminase 1 (GLS1)-specific inhibitor, to inhibit glutaminolysis simultaneously. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect protein expression levels of GLS1, Collagen I and Collagen III in cardiac tissue. Neonatal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat CFs were treated with 4 mmol/L glutamine (Gln) or BPTES (5 μmol/L) with or without Ang II (0.4 μmol/L) stimulation. The CFs were also treated with 2 mmol/L α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) under the stimulation of Ang II and BPTES. Wound healing test and CCK-8 were used to detect CFs migration and proliferation respectively. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expression levels of GLS1, Collagen I and Collagen III. The results showed that blood pressure, heart weight and myocardial fibrosis were increased in Ang II-treated mice, and GLS1 expression in cardiac tissue was also significantly up-regulated. Gln significantly promoted the proliferation, migration, mRNA and protein expression of GLS1, Collagen I and Collagen III in the CFs with or without Ang II stimulation, whereas BPTES significantly decreased the above indices in the CFs. α-KG supplementation reversed the inhibitory effect of BPTES on the CFs under Ang II stimulation. Furthermore, in vivo intraperitoneal injection of BPTES alleviated cardiac fibrosis of Ang II-treated mice. In conclusion, glutaminolysis plays an important role in the process of cardiac fibrosis induced by Ang II. Targeted inhibition of glutaminolysis may be a new strategy for the treatment of myocardial fibrosis.

Status of fungal sepsis among preterm infants in 25 neonatal intensive care units of tertiary hospitals in China / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and the risk factors of fungal sepsis in 25 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) among preterm infants in China, and to provide a basis for preventive strategies of fungal sepsis. Methods: This was a second-analysis of the data from the "reduction of infection in neonatal intensive care units using the evidence-based practice for improving quality" study. The current status of fungal sepsis of the 24 731 preterm infants with the gestational age of <34+0 weeks, who were admitted to 25 participating NICU within 7 days of birth between May 2015 and April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. These preterm infants were divided into the fungal sepsis group and the without fungal sepsis group according to whether they developed fungal sepsis to analyze the incidences and the microbiology of fungal sepsis. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidences of fungal sepsis in preterm infants with different gestational ages and birth weights and in different NICU. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to study the outcomes of preterm infants with fungal sepsis, which were further compared with those of preterm infants without fungal sepsis. The 144 preterm infants in the fungal sepsis group were matched with 288 preterm infants in the non-fungal sepsis group by propensity score-matched method. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of fungal sepsis. Results: In all, 166 (0.7%) of the 24 731 preterm infants developed fungal sepsis, with the gestational age of (29.7±2.0) weeks and the birth weight of (1 300±293) g. The incidence of fungal sepsis increased with decreasing gestational age and birth weight (both P<0.001). The preterm infants with gestational age of <32 weeks accounted for 87.3% (145/166). The incidence of fungal sepsis was 1.0% (117/11 438) in very preterm infants and 2.0% (28/1 401) in extremely preterm infants, and was 1.3% (103/8 060) in very low birth weight infants and 1.7% (21/1 211) in extremely low birth weight infants, respectively. There was no fungal sepsis in 3 NICU, and the incidences in the other 22 NICU ranged from 0.7% (10/1 397) to 2.9% (21/724), with significant statistical difference (P<0.001). The pathogens were mainly Candida (150/166, 90.4%), including 59 cases of Candida albicans and 91 cases of non-Candida albicans, of which Candida parapsilosis was the most common (41 cases). Fungal sepsis was independently associated with increased risk of moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (adjusted OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.04-2.22, P=0.030) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (adjusted OR 2.55, 95%CI 1.12-5.80, P=0.025). Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure (adjusted OR=2.50, 95%CI 1.50-4.17, P<0.001), prolonged use of central line (adjusted OR=1.05, 95%CI 1.03-1.08, P<0.001) and previous total parenteral nutrition (TPN) duration (adjusted OR=1.04, 95%CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001) were all independently associated with increasing risk of fungal sepsis. Conclusions: Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis are the main pathogens of fungal sepsis among preterm infants in Chinese NICU. Preterm infants with fungal sepsis are at increased risk of moderate to severe BPD and severe ROP. Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure, prolonged use of central line and prolonged duration of TPN will increase the risk of fungal sepsis. Ongoing initiatives are needed to reduce fungal sepsis based on these risk factors.

Treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in very preterm infants in China / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To describe the current status and trends in the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) among very preterm infants (VPI) admitted to the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) from 2019 to 2021, and to compare the differences in PDA treatment among these units. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on the CHNN VPI cohort, all of 22 525 VPI (gestational age<32 weeks) admitted to 79 tertiary NICU within 3 days of age from 2019 to 2021 were included. The overall PDA treatment rates were calculated, as well as the rates of infants with different gestational ages (≤26, 27-28, 29-31 weeks), and pharmacological and surgical treatments were described. PDA was defined as those diagnosed by echocardiography during hospitalization. The PDA treatment rate was defined as the number of VPI who had received medication treatment and (or) surgical ligation of PDA divided by the number of all VPI. Logistic regression was used to investigate the changes in PDA treatment rates over the 3 years and the differences between gestational age groups. A multivariate Logistic regression model was constructed to compute the standardized ratio (SR) of PDA treatment across different units, to compare the rates after adjusting for population characteristics. Results: A total of 22 525 VPI were included in the study, with a gestational age of 30.0 (28.6, 31.0) weeks and birth weight of 1 310 (1 100, 1 540) g; 56.0% (12 615) of them were male. PDA was diagnosed by echocardiography in 49.7% (11 186/22 525) of all VPI, and the overall PDA treatment rate was 16.8% (3 795/22 525). Of 3 762 VPI who received medication treatment, the main first-line medication used was ibuprofen (93.4% (3 515/3 762)) and the postnatal day of first medication treatment was 6 (4, 10) days of age; 59.3% (2 231/3 762) of the VPI had been weaned from invasive respiratory support during the first medication treatment, and 82.2% (3 092/3 762) of the infants received only one course of medication treatment. A total of 143 VPI underwent surgery, which was conducted on 32 (22, 46) days of age. Over the 3 years from 2019 to 2021, there was no significant change in the PDA treatment rate in these VPI (P=0.650). The PDA treatment rate decreased with increasing gestational age (P<0.001). The PDA treatment rates for VPI with gestational age ≤26, 27-28, and 29-31 weeks were 39.6% (688/1 737), 25.9% (1 319/5 098), and 11.4% (1 788/15 690), respectively. There were 61 units having a total number of VPI≥100 cases, and their rates of PDA treatment were 0 (0/116)-47.4% (376/793). After adjusting for population characteristics, the range of standardized ratios for PDA treatment in the 61 units was 0 (95%CI 0-0.3) to 3.4 (95%CI 3.1-3.8). Conclusions: From 2019 to 2021, compared to the peers in developed countries, VPI in CHNN NICU had a different PDA treatment rate; specifically, the VPI with small birth gestational age had a lower treatment rate, while the VPI with large birth gestational age had a higher rate. There are significant differences in PDA treatment rates among different units.

[Cumulative effects of K-function in the research of point patterns]. / ç‚¹æ ¼å±€ç ”ç©¶è¿‡ç¨‹ä¸­K-函数的累积效应.

The spatial pattern of plant population is one of primary issues in ecological research. Point pattern analy-sis is considered as an important method to study the spatial pattern of plant population. Ripley's K function has been commonly used for point pattern analysis. However, the cumulative effect of Ripley's K function may lead to specific spatial pattern charcteristics. To explore how the cumulative effect of Ripley's K function affects population pattern, the data of clumped distribution, random distribution and regular distribution of Stipa grandis were simulated by R software. All data generated by R software were analyzed by Ripley's K function and the non-cumulative pairwise correlation function g(r). The results showed that for clumped distribution (or regular distribution), the cumulative effect of Ripley's K function was manifested in two aspects. On the one hand, the scale of clumped distribution (or regular distribution) was increased due to Ripley's K function. On the other hand, Ripley's K function could detect the difference of the distribution of cluster (or negative interaction range) in the sampling space, exhibiting different pattern characteristics. For random distribution, Ripley's K function had no cumulative effect. In conclusion, the combination of Ripley's K function and pairwise correlation function by collecting replicate samples could better reveal the essential characteristics of the pattern in the study of population pattern.

Changes in temperature alter competitive interactions and overall structure of fig wasp communities.

Organisms exist within ecological networks, connected through interactions such as parasitism, predation and mutualism which can modify their abundance and distribution within habitat patches. Differential species responses make it hard to predict the influence of climate change at the community scale. Understanding the interplay between climate and biotic interactions can improve our predictions of how ecosystems will respond to current global warming. We aim to understand how climate affects the multitrophic biotic interactions as well as the community structure using the enclosed communities of wasps associated with figs as study system. To examine the presence and strength of multitrophic species interactions, we first characterized the multitrophic community of fig wasps associated with Ficus racemosa and then applied hierarchical joint species distribution models, fitted to community monitoring data. We further evaluated the effect of climate on individual species trends as well as interspecific interactions. We found that the competitive balance shifted to favour non-pollinating galling wasps and disadvantage the dominant pollinator in suboptimal conditions. Furthermore, suboptimal conditions for galling wasps facilitated the occurrence of their specialized parasitoid, as changes cascaded across trophic levels and led to alternative community structures. Our results highlight the role of how species interactions can be modified across multiple trophic levels in a fig wasp community according to climate.

Diversity begets diversity: Low resource heterogeneity reduces the diversity of nut-nesting ants in rubber plantations.

One of the most general patterns in ecology is the positive relationship between environmental heterogeneity and local diversity. On the one hand, increased resource heterogeneity provides more resources for diverse consumers in the community. On the other hand, increased structural heterogeneity creates variation in the environment's physical structure, thus allowing the coexistence of diverse species with different environmental requirements. Here, we examined the relative importance of resource and structural heterogeneity in determining the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of nut-nesting ants in natural rainforest and rubber plantation. The species richness of nut-nesting ants was 70% higher in rainforest than in rubber plantation. The clustered functional and phylogenetic structure in rubber plantation suggested a strong effect of environmental filtering in shaping ant functional and phylogenetic structure. Nesting heterogeneity (nut diversity) was the major factor explaining variation in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity, suggesting that resource heterogeneity plays a major role in shaping the biodiversity patterns of nut-nesting ants. Overall, these results indicate that decreased resource diversity following the conversion of rainforest to rubber plantation can drive biodiversity loss in nut-nesting ants, through its effect on reducing both ant species, functional, and phylogenetic diversity. The decline in species richness and functional and phylogenetic diversity in the local ant community might have major effects on ecosystem functioning.

The evolution of parasitism from mutualism in wasps pollinating the fig, Ficus microcarpa, in Yunnan Province, China.

Theory identifies factors that can undermine the evolutionary stability of mutualisms. However, theory's relevance to mutualism stability in nature is controversial. Detailed comparative studies of parasitic species that are embedded within otherwise mutualistic taxa (e.g., fig pollinator wasps) can identify factors that potentially promote or undermine mutualism stability. We describe results from behavioral, morphological, phylogenetic, and experimental studies of two functionally distinct, but closely related, Eupristina wasp species associated with the monoecious host fig, Ficus microcarpa, in Yunnan Province, China. One (Eupristina verticillata) is a competent pollinator exhibiting morphologies and behaviors consistent with observed seed production. The other (Eupristina sp.) lacks these traits, and dramatically reduces both female and male reproductive success of its host. Furthermore, observations and experiments indicate that individuals of this parasitic species exhibit greater relative fitness than the pollinators, in both indirect competition (individual wasps in separate fig inflorescences) and direct competition (wasps of both species within the same fig). Moreover, phylogenetic analyses suggest that these two Eupristina species are sister taxa. By the strictest definition, the nonpollinating species represents a "cheater" that has descended from a beneficial pollinating mutualist. In sharp contrast to all 15 existing studies of actively pollinated figs and their wasps, the local F. microcarpa exhibit no evidence for host sanctions that effectively reduce the relative fitness of wasps that do not pollinate. We suggest that the lack of sanctions in the local hosts promotes the loss of specialized morphologies and behaviors crucial for pollination and, thereby, the evolution of cheating.

Climate and land-use interactively shape butterfly diversity in tropical rainforest and savanna ecosystems of southwestern China.

Human-induced habitat conversion and degradation, along with accelerating climatic change, have resulted in considerable global biodiversity loss. Nevertheless, how local ecological assemblages respond to the interplay between climate and land-use change remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of climate and land-use interactions on butterfly diversity in different ecosystems of southwestern China. Specifically, we investigated variation in the alpha and beta diversities of butterflies in different landscapes along human-modified and climate gradients. We found that increasing land-use intensity not only caused a dramatic decrease in butterfly alpha diversity but also significantly simplified butterfly species composition in tropical rainforest and savanna ecosystems. These findings suggest that habitat modification by agricultural activities increases the importance of deterministic processes and leads to biotic homogenization. The land-use intensity model best explained species richness variation in the tropical rainforest, whereas the climate and land-use intensity interaction model best explained species richness variation in the savanna. These results indicate that climate modulates the effects of land-use intensity on butterfly alpha diversity in the savanna ecosystem. We also found that the response of species composition to climate varied between sites: specifically, species composition was strongly correlated with climatic distance in the tropical rainforest but not in the savanna. Taken together, our long-term butterfly monitoring data reveal that interactions between human-modified habitat change and climate change have shaped butterfly diversity in tropical rainforest and savanna. These findings also have important implications for biodiversity conservation under the current era of rapid human-induced habitat loss and climate change.

Clinical features of 3 patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To summarize the clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, and diagnoses basis of adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN).Methods:The clinical data of 3 patients with AMN, admitted to our hospital from November 2016 to April 2019, were retrospectively collected. The clinical manifestations, imaging features, and diagnostic process of these patients were analyzed.Results:Three young male patients had onset with gradual aggravation of unilateral or bilateral lower limb insufficiency. MR imaging showed symmetrical abnormal signals in brainstem in 2 patients, and atrophy of thoracic spinal cord in 1 patient. By target region capture sequencing, mutations in the ABCD1 gene were found in all 3 patients; 2 underwent pedigree validation; the remaining one patient and his mother had failed Sanger sequencing validation due to pseudogene interference, and elevated plasma level of very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) was noted in this patient. Conclusions:AMN usually initiates in the adulthood with spastic paraplegia as onset. Symmetrical lesions in brainstem or atrophy of spinal cord can be manifested on MR imaging; some patients may be accompanied by adrenocortical insufficiency. The definite diagnosis mainly depends on genetic screening and determination of VLCFA level in the blood.

Investigation and risk assessment for water quality hygiene in self-supply well water in four northern provinces of China / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To understand the water quality of self-supply wells in four provinces of northern China (Heilongjiang, Beijing, Inner Mongolia and Tibet), so as to provide a reference for supervision and management of self-supply wells. Methods Water were sampled from 233 self-supply wells in four northern provinces of China according to standard examination methods for drinking water (GB/T 5750-2006). In total, The samples were tested for 27 kinds of water quality parameters involving sensory properties, chemistry, bacteriology and toxicology, and then evaluated. Results The total unqualified rate of water quality in self-supply well water in four northern provinces of China was 52.36%. The water quality varied greatly among provinces. As for Heilongjiang, the main unqualified indicators of self-supply wells water involved turbidity, visible to the naked eye, manganese, arsenic and nitrate. In relation to Beijing, these referred to the nitrate and microorganism. In case of Inner Mongolia province, these included sulfate and fluoride. With reference to Tibet, these were zinc and chloride. Conclusions To ensure the safety of drinking water for residents, the management, disinfection and purifying measures of self-supply wells should be strengthened basing on their regional differences and water quality characteristics.

Safety evaluation of drinking water along the border of Inner Mongolia / 军事医学

Objective To find out about the sanitary conditions of drinking water along the border line of Inner Mongolia via safety evaluation of drinking water along the border line of Inner Mongolia.Methods 108 samples of drinking water along the border line of Inner Mongolia(70 samples of self-supply source water,21 ones of self-supply tap water and 17 ones of municipal tap water)were collected.Hygienic evaluation of sensory indexes, normal chemical indexes, toxicological indexes and microbiology indexes of water quality was performed according to hygienic standards for drinking water(GB 5749—2006).Results 58 samples were qualified with a total qualified rate of 53.7%.The unqualified rate of the total number of coliforms was the highest(20.4%),followed by fluoride(19.4%).As for deep wells, shallow wells and surface water,there was no statistically significant difference.Compared with municipal tap water,the unqualified rate of self-supply water(28.6%)was higher(17.7%).Conclusion The qualified rate along the border line of Inner Mongolia of drinking water is low.Treatment and disinfection facilities for drinking water,detection devices of water quality are needed.The cleaning and disinfection of storage tanks should be performed periodically in oder to prevent waterborne infectious diseases.

An overview of the removal of algal toxins by water treatment process / 军事医学

The environmental and health problems caused by the frequent occurrence of cyanobacteria blooming and its secondary metabolites,algal toxins, have become a hot spot in environmental science research.This article reviews the production and contamination status of algal toxins, and the removal effects of microcystins(MCs), anatoxin-a(ANTX) and other algal toxins by different water treatment processes, including coagulation and sedimentation, ozone oxidation, activated carbon adsorption,membrane treatment, chlorination and UV irradiation.Furthermore, the factors affecting the removal effect are analyzed,and the advantages and limitations of each water treatment process are summarized.Finally, some feasible proposals are presented regarding the future research of removing algal toxins.

[Agricultural climate regionalization of dryland farming for potato in Yinshan based on GIS].

Based on the meteorology dataset of 34 stations over the Yinshan area through the recent 30 years (1982-2010), we investigated the key environmental variables influencing potato yield using the correlation and regression methods. Two environmental variables, including the mean temperature difference, precipitation during the growing season, were selected as the major indexes for determining the suitable area for planting potato. Using the GIS-based small grid calculation model, we interpolated these two major environmental variables and produced the climatic map for potato in Yinshan area. The results showed the high potato yield area located in Qianshan and southern Houshan, and the medium-yield division was mainly concentrated in the central Houshan and north-west Qianshan, the low-yield division was distributed mainly in northern Yinshan. Moreover, this study examined the spatial patterns of potato production, and evaluated the stability of potato yield by combining the relative variability of potato yield. This study could provide valuable references for planting potato in Yinshan area.

[Correlation between pneumonia and meteorological factors in children from Hohhot].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between the morbidity of pneumonia and meteorological factors in children from Huhhot, in order to provide a basis to prevent and decrease the morbidity of childhood pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 5087 hospitalized children with pneumonia from Huhhot between January 2004 and December 2009 were enrolled. The Circular Distribution method was applied to analyze the seasonal characteristics of the morbidity of pneumonia. The Linear Stepwise Regression Analysis was applied to investigate the relationship between the morbidity of childhood pneumonia and meteorological factors. RESULTS: The morbidity of childhood pneumonia displayed an obvious seasonal trend. Childhood pneumonia was common in winter and spring and its peak morbidity was noted in March. The higher morbidity of pneumonia was related to low air temperature, high air pressure, low precipitation, low humidity and high wind velocity. CONCLUSIONS: Meteorological factors affect the morbidity of childhood pneumonia in Hohhot, and should be considered in the prevention of the disease.