Exploration of spatial heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment in nasopharyngeal carcinoma via transcriptional digital spatial profiling.

The heterogeneity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) leads to mixed clinical outcomes. We collected 92 regions of interest from 41 biopsies of patients with untreated NPC and obtained their transcripts using GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiling (DSP) technology. Spatial heterogeneity was determined by measuring the expression of marker genes in tumor cell-enriched (PanCK-expressing), immune cell-enriched (CD45-expressing), and normal epithelial (Endo) regions. We screened 16 prognostic markers in tumor cell-enriched regions and 4 prognostic markers in immune cell-enriched regions. The levels of CD8+ T follicular helper T cells, activated NK cells, and M0 macrophage contents were higher in tumor cell-enriched regions than in immune cell-enriched regions. Conversely, plasma cell and M2 macrophage levels were lower. The follicular helper T cells in tumor cell-enriched regions were negatively correlated with resting NK cells and positively correlated with activated NK cells. In immune cell-enriched regions, this relationship was reversed. We also explored the heterogeneity of HLA gene families, immune checkpoints, and metabolism-related genes in the three regions. In tumor cell-enriched regions, we obtained 19 prognosis-related metabolism genes via univariate cox analysis. We used multiplex immunofluorescence to verify the elevated expression of SLC8A1 and MDH1 in immune cell-enriched regions and tumor cell-enriched regions, respectively, both of which were associated with prognosis of NPC. In conclusion, we explored the spatial heterogeneity of the NPC tumor environment and found specific diagnostic and prognostic markers that can be used to differentiate tumor cell-enriched regions from immune cell-enriched regions in NPC.

Donor programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 is required for organ transplant tolerance in major histocompatibility complex-mismatched mixed chimeras although programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 and major histocompatibility complex class II are not required for inducing chimerism.

Induction of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched mixed chimerism is a promising approach for organ transplantation tolerance; however, human leukocyte antigen-mismatched stable mixed chimerism has not been achieved in the clinic. Tolerogenic dendritic cell (DC) expression of MHC class II (MHC II) and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) is important for immune tolerance, but whether donor-MHC II or PD-L1 is required for the induction of stable MHC-mismatched mixed chimerism and transplant tolerance is unclear. Here, we show that a clinically applicable radiation-free regimen can establish stable MHC-mismatched mixed chimerism and organ transplant tolerance in murine models. Induction of MHC-mismatched mixed chimerism does not require donor cell expression of MHC II or PD-L1, but donor-type organ transplant tolerance in the mixed chimeras (MC) requires the donor hematopoietic cells and the organ transplants to express PD-L1. The PD-L1 expressed by donor hematopoietic cells and the programmed cell death 1 expressed by host cells augment host-type donor-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cell anergy/exhaustion and differentiation into peripheral regulatory T (pTreg) cells in association with the organ transplant tolerance in the MC. Conversely, host-type Treg cells augment the expansion of donor-type tolerogenic CD8+ DCs that express PD-L1. These results indicate that PD-L1 expressed by donor-type tolerogenic DCs and expansion of host-type pTreg cells in MHC-mismatched MCs play critical roles in mediating organ transplant tolerance.

Long-lifetime water-washable ceramic catalyst filter for air purification.

Particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are recognised as hazardous air pollutants threatening human health. Disposable filters are generally used for air purification despite frequent replacement and waste generation problems. However, the development of a novel regenerable and robust filter for long-term use is a huge challenge. Here, we report on a new class of facile water-washing regenerable ceramic catalyst filters (CCFs), developed to simultaneously remove PM (>95%) and VOCs (>82%) in single-pass and maximized space efficiency by coating the inner and outer filter channels with an inorganic membrane and a Cu2O/TiO2 photocatalyst, respectively. The CCFs reveal four-fold increase in the maximum dust loading capacity (approximately 20 g/L) in relation to conventional filters (5 g/L), and can be reused after ten regeneration capability with simple water washing retaining initial PM and VOC removal performances. Thus, the CCFs can be well-suited for indoor and outdoor air purification for 20 years, which shows a huge increase in lifetime compared to the 6-month lifespan of conventional filters. Finally, we believe that the development and implementation of CCFs for air purification can open new avenues for sustainable technology through renewability and zero-waste generation.

Nitrogen-metabolising microorganism analysis in rapid sand filters from drinking water treatment plant.

Sand filters (SFs) are common treatment processes for nitrogen pollutant removal in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). However, the mechanisms on the nitrogen-cycling role of SFs are still unclear. In this study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to characterise the diversity and composition of the bacterial community in SFs from DWTPs. Additionally, metagenomics approach was used to determine the functional microorganisms involved in nitrogen cycle in SFs. Our results showed that Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae and Chloroflexi dominated in SFs. Subsequently, 85 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were retrieved from metagenome datasets of selected SFs involving nitrification, assimilatory nitrogen reduction, denitrification and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) processes. Read mapping to reference genomes of Nitrospira and the phylogenetic tree of the ammonia monooxygenase subunit A gene, amoA, suggested that Nitrospira is abundantly found in SFs. Furthermore, according to their genetic content, a nitrogen metabolic model in SFs was proposed using representative MAGs and pure culture isolate. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed that ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), and complete ammonia oxidisers (comammox) were ubiquitous in the SFs, with the abundance of comammox being higher than that of AOA and AOB. Moreover, we identified a bacterial strain with a high NO3-N removal rate as Pseudomonas sp. DW-5, which could be applied in the bioremediation of micro-polluted drinking water sources. Our study provides insights into functional nitrogen-metabolising microbes in SFs of DWTPs.

Oolong Tea Consumption and the Risk of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Propensity Score-Based Analysis in Southeast China.

Oolong tea is one of the world's most popular non-alcoholic beverages, particularly in coastal Southeast China. Hitherto, epidemiological studies on the association between oolong tea consumption and the risk of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are very limited. This study aimed to evaluate the potential effect of oolong tea consumption on OSCC risk in Southeast China. From January 2010 to October 2020, face-to-face interviews were conducted for 744 newly diagnosed OSCC patients and 1,029 healthy controls to collect information on demographics, oolong tea consumption behaviors, and other lifestyle factors. Propensity score matching (PSM), inverse probability of treatment weight (IPTW), and stabilized inverse probability of treatment weight (SIPTW) were utilized to minimize confounding effects. Multivariate, conditional, and weighted logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations of oolong tea consumption behaviors with OSCC risk. Participants who drank oolong tea showed a lower risk of OSCC when compared to their non-drink counterparts [PSM population, OR (95%CI): 0.69 (0.49-0.97); SIPTW population, OR (95%CI): 0.74 (0.58-0.94)]. Moreover, the reduced risk was found to be significantly associated with certain tea-drinking habits (consumed amount over 500 mL per day, a duration of <20 years, age at initiation older than 30 years, and warm and moderately concentrated tea). Similar results were yielded in the sensitivity analyses (Multivariate adjustment and the IPTW analysis). Furthermore, subgroup analysis revealed that the negative association of oolong tea drinking with OSCC risk was more evident among those with poor oral hygiene. This study provides supportive evidence that oolong tea consumption may have a potentially beneficial effect in preventing OSCC, especially for those with poor oral hygiene.

Synchronous Engineering for Biomimetic Murray Porous Membranes Using Isocyanate.

Highly permselective and durable membranes are desirable for massive separation applications. However, currently most membranes prepared using nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) suffer from low permeability and a high fouling tendency due to the great challenges in a rational design and also practical approach for membrane optimization. Inspired by the natural Murray network from vascular plants, we developed a hierarchical membrane via a straightforward yet robust strategy, using isocyanate as a multifunctional additive. Thanks to the integrated functions of a phase separation regulator, blowing agent, cross-linker, and functionalization anchor of isocyanate, our strategy is featured as a perfect combination of a phase separation and chemical reaction, and it enables synchronous engineering of the membrane hierarchy on porosity and components. The representative membrane exhibits superior water permeance (334 L/m2·h·bar), protein retention (>98%), and antifouling ability (flux recover ratio ∼ 98%). This work highlights a versatile path for pursuing a highly enhanced performance of NIPS-made membranes, from the fancy perspective of Murray bionics.

One-Step Water-Induced Phase Separation Simultaneously Triggering Polymer Solidification and Polyelectrolyte Complexation for Porous Ultrafiltration Membranes.

Functional additives have been widely utilized for the membrane structure modulation and performance improvement during the nonsolvent-induced phase separation process, but the resulted membranes easily suffer from additives' inhomogeneous dispersity and compatibility with the polymer matrix. Herein, a facile and robust strategy, i.e., one-step water-induced phase separation, was proposed for the preparation of polyelectrolytes-contained composite membranes. Polyanion (dopamine modified polyacrylic acid) and polycation (quaternized chitosan paired with bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonyl)imide) were first premixed in dimethyl sulfoxide and used as polyelectrolyte additives in a polysulfone (PSF) solution, and then a uniform PSF-based casting solution was readily obtained. During the solvent-water exchange process, polymer solidification and polyelectrolyte complexation were simultaneously triggered, in situ generating a polyelectrolyte complex fixed within the membrane matrix. Ultrafiltration membranes with hierarchical structures were notably tailored through altering the concentration, molecular weight, and type of polyelectrolytes. The obtained membrane exhibited a water flux of 672 L·m-2·h-1, three times over the raw PSF membrane, while almost maintaining high bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection. This work paves a straightforward and convenient path for the preparation of composite membranes with tunable architecture and properties.

Prostate Cancer Characteristics and Outcomes after Prostatectomy in Asian-American Men.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men, with striking differences between ethnic groups. Given the potential for lifestyle or genetic variations between subsets of Asian-American men to impact prostate cancer behavior, we sought to define the outcomes after radical prostatectomy among various Asian groups treated at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. METHODS: The City of Hope IRB-approved prostatectomy database was searched from 2003 to 2015 to identify Asian-American men. Clinical and pathologic features were collected and analyzed for association with biochemical recurrence-free survival and overall survival (OS). Categorical data were evaluated using χ2and Fisher's exact tests. Survival curves were compared between groups using log-rank testing. RESULTS: Three hundred and eighty-three Asian-American men were included in the dataset. While Asian men as a group had lower BMI than African-American and white men in the database, there was a wide range between ethnic sub-groups. Chinese men more commonly presented with D'Amico low risk disease features (P= .04) compared to other Asian men. Pacific Islander men had the lowest rate of ≥T3 stage and the highest biochemical recurrence-free survival. OS for Chinese men was better than for all Asian patients combined (P= .046). After controlling for D'Amico risk and in multivariate analysis, Chinese men still had improved OS than other Asian men after prostatectomy (P= .03). CONCLUSIONS: Asian-American men have differing prostate cancer characteristics. Future efforts to delineate and impact upon prostate cancer outcomes should categorize Asian men by subgroup in order to better elucidate biology, lifestyle factors and/or treatment preferences that may contribute to observed differences.

Sequential Extraction, Characterization, and Analysis of Pumpkin Polysaccharides for Their Hypoglycemic Activities and Effects on Gut Microbiota in Mice.

This study aimed to extract polysaccharides from pumpkin, characterize the structures of four of them, and evaluate their in vitro antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. Additionally, an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was established and used to determine their hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in vivo, and the underlying mechanisms related to the regulation of gut microbiota. Water-extracted crude pumpkin polysaccharides (W-CPPs), water extraction and alcohol precipitation crude pumpkin polysaccharides (WA-CPPs), deproteinized pumpkin polysaccharides (DPPs), and refined pumpkin polysaccharides (RPPs) were sequentially extracted and purified from pumpkin powder by hot water extraction, water extraction, and alcohol precipitation, deproteinization and DEAE-52 cellulose gel column, respectively. The extraction and purification methods had significant influence on the extraction yield, physicochemical properties, and in vitro antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. W-CCP and RPPs had a significant positive free radical-scavenging capacities and inhibitory activities on α-glucosidase and α-amylase. RPP-3 not only inhibited the uptake of glucose in Caco-2 monolayer but also promoted the excretion of glucose, while RPP-2 had no inhibitory effect. Animal experiment results showed that W-CPP treatment significantly improved the T2DM symptoms in mice, which included lowering of fasting blood glucose (FBG), reducing insulin resistance (IR), and lowering of blood lipid levels. It increased the diversity of intestinal flora and reduced the harmful flora of model mice, which included Clostridium, Thermoanaerobe, Symbiotic bacteria, Deinococcus, Vibrio haematococcus, Proteus gamma, and Corio. At the family level, W-CPP (1,200 mg/kg) treatment significantly reduced the abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae, and the Akkermanaceae of Verrucobacterium became a biomarker. Pumpkin polysaccharides reshaped the intestinal flora by reducing Erysipelotrichaceae and increasing Akkermansia abundance, thereby improving blood glucose and lipid metabolism in the T2DM mice. Our results suggest that W-CCP and RPP-3 possess strong antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities, and are potential candidates for food additives or natural medicines.

Nitric Oxide Synthase Type 1 Methylation Is Associated With White Matter Microstructure in the Corpus Callosum and Greater Panic Disorder Severity Among Panic Disorder Patients.

Objectives: Methylation of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1/nNOS) gene has recently been identified as a promising biomarker of psychiatric disorders. NOS1 plays an essential role in neurite outgrowth and may thus affect the microstructure development of white matter (WM) in the corpus callosum (CC), which is known to be altered in panic disorder (PD). We examined the relationship between NOS1 methylation, WM tracts in the CC, and symptoms based on this finding. Methods: Thirty-two patients with PD and 22 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited after age, gender, and the education level were matched. The cell type used was whole-blood DNA, and DNA methylation of NOS1 was measured at 20 CpG sites in the promoter region. Although 25 patients with PD were assessed with the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans were only collected from 16 participants with PD. Results: We observed that the PD group showed lower methylation than did the HCs group and positive correlations between the symptom severity of PD and methylation at CpG4 and CpG9. In addition, CpG9 methylation was significantly correlated with the fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values of the CC and its major components (the genu and the splenium) in the PD group. Furthermore, path analyses showed that CpG9 methylation offers a mediating effect for the association between the MD values of the genu of the CC and PD symptom severity (95% CI = -1.731 to -0.034). Conclusions: The results suggest that CpG9 methylation leads to atypical development of the genu of the CC, resulting in higher PD symptom severity, adding support for the methylation of NOS1 as a future prognostic indicator of PD.

Multirole Regulations of Interfacial Polymerization Using Poly(acrylic acid) for Nanofiltration Membrane Development.

Effective control of monomer diffusion and reaction rate is the key to achieving a controlled interfacial polymerization (IP) and a high-performance nanofiltration (NF) membrane. Herein, an integration of multirole regulations was synchronously realized using poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as an active additive in a piperazine (PIP) aqueous phase. Thanks to synergistic interactions, including hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, and covalent bonding between PAA and PIP molecules, together with the increased viscosity of the solution, PIP diffusion was rationally controlled. Moreover, interfacial polycondensation was also restrained via the modestly reduced pH of the aqueous solution. These contribute to the formation of a thinner, looser, more hydrophilic, and higher negatively charged PAA-decorated polyamide selective layer with a unique nanostrand-nodule morphology. The harvested NF-PAA/PIP membrane showed an ∼70% rise in water permeability (up to 23.5 L·m-2·h-1·bar-1) while retaining high Na2SO4 and dye rejections. Furthermore, the optimized NF-PAA/PIP membrane presented a superior fouling resistance capability for typical pollutants, as well as long-term stability during successive filtration. Thus, this work offers a straightforward and impactful approach to regulating IP and promoting NF membrane properties.

Highly efficient removal of Sb(V) from water by franklinite-containing nano-FeZn composites.

The existence of toxic and carcinogenic pentavalent antimony in water is a great safety problem. In order to remove antimony(V) from water, the purpose of this study was to prepare a novel graphene nano iron zinc (rGO/NZV-FeZn) photocatalyst via hydrothermal method followed by ultrasonication. Herein, weakly magnetic nano-Fe-Zn materials (NZV-FeZn, GACSP/NZV-FeZn, and rGO/NZV-FeZn) capable of rapid and efficient Sb(V) adsorption from water were prepared and characterised. In particular, rGO/NZV-FeZn was shown to comprise franklinite, Fe0, and graphite. Adsorption data were fitted by a quasi-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir model, revealing that among these materials, NZV-FeZn exhibited the best Sb removal performance (543.9 mgSb gNZV-FeZn-1, R2 = 0.951). In a practical decontamination test, Sb removal efficiency of 99.38% was obtained for a reaction column filled with 3.5 g of rGO/NZV-FeZn. Column regenerability was tested at an initial concentration of 0.8111 mgSb L-1, and the treated water obtained after five consecutive runs complied with the GB5749-2006 requirement for Sb. rGO/NZV-FeZn was suggested to remove Sb(V) through adsorption-photocatalytic reduction and flocculation sedimentation mechanisms and, in view of its high cost performance, stability, and upscalable synthesis, was concluded to hold great promise for source water and wastewater treatment.

[Effects of Water Supply Quality and Social Activity on the Microbial Community in Baiyangdian Wetland].

To clarify the impact of water quality and social activity in the Baiyangdian wetland on the biological community, the change characteristics of bacterial, fungal, and archaeal communities in different areas of the Dian District were studied. Samples were collected at the entrance of Fuhe District (NBB), tourist areas with frequent human social activities (NBD), residential breeding areas (NBX), and village sparse areas (NBN). The physical and chemical characteristics and biological communities of the samples were evaluated. The results of the study show that the COD concentration of organic pollutants in the NBB was 12.35 mg·L-1, and the total nitrogen concentration was 10.12 mg·L-1, that the concentration was highest. Moreover, the water quality in NBD and NBX was better than that of NBB. The NBN area exhibited the best water quality, with COD and total nitrogen concentration values of 6.9 mg·L-1 and 1.82 mg·L-1, respectively. Many types of NBB bacteria were recorded, with a diversity index of 5.86, and NBN diversity index exceeding 4.78. The dominant bacterial flora in all samples was the Proteobacteria, which accounts for 68.8% of the total bacterial communities in NBN samples. The diversity index of fungi in NBB was only 2.14. There were many types of fungi in NBN, with a diversity index of 3.23. Chytridiomycota was found in the NBD and NBN, accounting for 5.4% and 9.8% of the total number of fungi, respectively. The Chytridiomycota was main decomposer of hard to degrade organic carbon. The diversity of archaea of NBN was the lowest among all the samples. Crenarchaeota was the dominant phylum, which accounts for 39.0%, 51.9%, 47.3%, and 30.1% of NBB, NBD, NBX, and NBN samples, respectively. The number of Halobacterota was lower than Crenarchaeota. The main factor of eutrophication and microbial community changes in Baiyangdian wetland was the results of the combined action of external and internal pollution. Both external and internal pollution increased the organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus content in the water, and the microbial community structure has changed significantly. The contents of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus in water were increased and the microbial community structures were changed significantly by the increase of both external and internal pollution.

Genomic Analysis and Stability Evaluation of the Phenol-Degrading Bacterium Acinetobacter sp. DW-1 During Water Treatment.

Phenol is a toxic organic molecule that is widely detected in the natural environment, even in drinking water sources. Biological methods were considered to be a good tool for phenol removal, especially microbial immobilized technology. However, research on the "seed" bacteria along with microbial community analysis in oligotrophic environment such as drinking water system has not been addressed. In this study, Acinetobacter sp. DW-1 with high phenol degradation ability had been isolated from a drinking water biofilter was used as seeded bacteria to treat phenol micro-polluted drinking water source. Meanwhile, the whole genome of strain DW-1 was sequenced using nanopore technology. The genomic analysis suggests that Acinetobacter sp. DW-1 could utilize phenol via the ß-ketoadipate pathway, including the catechol and protocatechuate branches. Subsequently, a bio-enhanced polyhedral hollow polypropylene sphere (BEPHPS) filter was constructed to investigate the stability of the seeded bacteria during the water treatment process. The denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profile and the quantification of phenol hydroxylase gene results indicate that when the BEPHPS filter was operated for 56 days, Acinetobacter sp. was still a persistent and competitive bacterium in the treatment group. In addition, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing results indicate that Acinetobacter sp., as well as Pseudomonas sp., Nitrospira sp., Rubrivivax sp. were the predominant bacteria in the treatment group, which were different from that in the CK group. This study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms of phenol degradation by Acinetobacter sp. DW-1 at the gene level, and provides new insights into the stability of seeded bacteria and its effects on microbial ecology during drinking water treatment.

Prostate cancer in young men represents a distinct clinical phenotype: gene expression signature to predict early metastases.

AIM: Several genomic signatures are available to predict Prostate Cancer (CaP) outcomes based on gene expression in prostate tissue. However, no signature was tailored to predict aggressive CaP in younger men. We attempted to develop a gene signature to predict the development of metastatic CaP in young men. METHODS: We measured genome-wide gene expression for 119 tumor and matched benign tissues from prostatectomies of men diagnosed at ≤ 50 years and > 70 years and identified age-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for tissue type and Gleason score. Age-related DEGs were selected using the improved Prediction Analysis of Microarray method (iPAM) to construct and validate a classifier to predict metastasis using gene expression data from 1,232 prostatectomies. Accuracy in predicting early metastasis was quantified by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and abundance of immune cells in the tissue microenvironment was estimated using gene expression data. RESULTS: Thirty-six age-related DEGs were selected for the iPAM classifier. The AUC of five-year survival ROC for the iPAM classifier was 0.87 (95%CI: 0.78-0.94) in young (≤ 55 years), 0.82 (95%CI: 0.76-0.88) in middle-aged (56-70 years), and 0.69 (95%CI: 0.55-0.69) in old (> 70 years) patients. Metastasis-associated immune responses in the tumor microenvironment were more pronounced in young and middle-aged patients than in old ones, potentially explaining the difference in accuracy of prediction among the groups. CONCLUSION: We developed a genomic classifier with high precision to predict early metastasis for younger CaP patients and identified age-related differences in immune response to metastasis development.

[Efficacy of percutaneous vagal stimulation in the treatment of chronic tinnitus].

Objective:The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation（taVNS） in the treatment of chronic tinnitus. Methods:taVNS was used to treat chronic decompensated tinnitus, 10 days as a course of treatment. Record and analyze the improvement of the patient's subjective symptoms during treatment. The THI, PSQI and DASS-21 scores were performed at 10 days, 3 months and 6 months after treatment. The improvement of tinnitus in taVNS group and control group at the above recorded time points was compared, and the THI score of taVNS group was compared before and after treatment. Results:① During the taVNS treatment, 93.65% of the patients achieved improvement in subjective symptoms, and 28.6% of the patients voluntarily accepted the second course of taVNS treatment; ② The sleep improvement was optimal when the treatment was 10 days, and some patients had poor sleep status after 3 or 6 months; ③ The anxiety of taVNS group was improved during and after treatment, and the best effect time was 3 months and 6 months after treatment; ④ There was no significant difference in THI score between the two groups, but there was significant improvement in taVNS group at 3 months and 6 months after treatment. Conclusion:taVNS treatment can significantly improve the sleep disorder, anxiety disorder and tinnitus disturbance of tinnitus patients, and the curative effect is good after 3 months and 6 months of prevention.

Prevalence, Virulence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Molecular Characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates From Drinking Water in China.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen and remains a major threat to the microbial safety of drinking water. There is a lack of comprehensive data on P. aeruginosa contamination in drinking water in China. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, genetic diversity, virulence genes, and antimicrobial resistance of P. aeruginosa isolated from mineral water and spring water in China. From January 2013 to January 2014, 314 drinking water samples were collected from 23 cities in China. Of the collected samples, 77 (24.5%) were contaminated with P. aeruginosa, and these comprised 34 raw water (30.4%), 39 activated carbon-filtered water (30.6%), and four final water product (3.9%). A total of 132 P. aeruginosa isolates were obtained, and all of them showed the presence of virulence genes, with the detection rates of ExoU, ExoS, phzM, toxA, and lasB genes being 7.6, 86.3, 95.5, 89.4, and 100%, respectively. All isolates were sensitive to the 14 antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, polymyxin B, imipenem, meropenem, aztreonam, ceftazidime, cefepime, and piperacillin/tazobactam) tested. The 132 isolates were categorized into 42 sequence types according to multilocus sequence typing, and ST235 accounted for 8.3% (11) of the total isolates. Thus, this study provides comprehensive data on the prevalence and characteristics of P. aeruginosa in drinking water in China and can aid in developing preventive measures against contamination during the drinking water treatment process.

Association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and depression disorder: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study will systematically synthesize the evidence on the potential association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and depression disorder (DD). METHODS: We will search the following electronic bibliographic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, the Chinese Bio Medical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the China Science and Technology Journal database (VIP) and Wanfang Data. In addition, ongoing trials will be retrieved from the WHO ICTRP Search Portal, the Chinese Clinical Trial Register and The Clinical Trials Register. Articles related to gastroesophageal reflux disease and depression will be searched. And language and time will be unlimited. RESULTS: The study will afford additional insight into the investigation the association between GERD and DD. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study will provide helpful evidence to explore the association between GERD and DD. REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202090026.

Mussel-Inspired Approach to Constructing Dual Network Coated Layered Clay for Enhanced Barrier and Antibacterial Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Nanocomposites.

Inspired by complexation and mussel adhesion of catechol groups in tannic acid (TA), organophilic layered double hydroxides (LDHs@TA-Ti) were synthesized by forming a one-pot assembled TA-titanium (Ti) dual network coating on the surface of layered clay for the first time. LDHs@TA-Ti/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposites were prepared by the solution casting method. The results show that TA-Ti(IV) and TiO2 coordination compounds are simultaneously formed due to hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride and complexation of TA in aqueous solution. Upon TA-Ti coatings onto the surface of LDHs, the antibacterial rate of LDHs@TA-Ti is up to 99.98%. Corresponding LDHs@TA-Ti/PVA nanocomposites also show outstanding antibacterial properties. Compared with pure PVA, LDHs@TA-Ti/PVA nanocomposites show a 40.9% increase in tensile strength, a 17.5% increase in elongation at break, a 35.9% decrease in oxygen permeability and a 26.0% decrease in water vapor permeability when adding 1 wt % LDHs@TA-Ti. UV transmittance (at 300 nm) of LDHs@TA-Ti/PVA nanocomposites decrease by 99.4% when the content of LDHs@TA-Ti reaches 3 wt %. These results indicate that PVA matrix incorporated with LDHs@TA-Ti could be used as a potential active packaging material to extend the shelf life of food products.