Effects of Quercetin on the Intestinal Microflora of Freshwater Dark Sleeper Odontobutis potamophila.

Flavonoids have antimicrobial and anti-oxidation properties. The effects of the flavonoid quercetin on the intestinal microflora of freshwater dark sleeper Odontobutis potamophila were tested for the first time. Odontobutis potamophila juveniles were treated with quercetin for 21 days at one of three concentrations (2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/L) and compared with a control group that was not treated with quercetin. Quercetin improved the stability of the intestinal flora in O. potamophila and the probiotic bacteria Bacillus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. increased in species abundance after the low concentration quercetin treatments. Furthermore, the abundance of pathogenic bacteria Plesiomonas spp., Aeromonas spp., and Shewanella spp. decreased after the fish had been exposed to quercetin. Activity of hepatic antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD), (glutathione S-transferase, GST), (glutathione peroxidase, GSH-Px), and (total antioxidant capacity, T-AOC) increased in the livers of O. potamophila treated with quercetin, thereby increasing their hepatic antioxidant capacity and their ability to scavenge free radicals.

Effect of quercetin on muscle growth and antioxidant status of the dark sleeper Odontobutis potamophila.

Quercetin is a flavanol beneficial in reducing fat, promoting muscle growth, and Anti-oxidation. To study its effects in freshwater fish, the full-length cDNA of the follistatin (FST) and myostatin (MSTN) genes of the dark sleeper Odontobutis potamophila were cloned for the first time. Juvenile individual O. potamophila was exposed to quercetin at one of four concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/L) for 21 days. The expression level of MSTN which inhibits muscle growth in the quercetin solution was lower than in the unexposed control group. The genes that promote muscle growth are in TGF-ß superfamily like FST, TGF-ß1 (transforming growth factor-beta 1), and Myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) like Myf5 (myogenic factor 5), MyoD (myogenic differentiation), MyoG (myogenin), were higher than in the control group. Apolipoprotein and growth hormone receptor transcription levels in the quercetin-treated fish were significantly lower than in the control group. The concentrations of triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the muscle tissue decreased, and the lipid-lowering function of quercetin was also demonstrated at the biochemical level. In this study, we analyzed the mRNA levels of AKT, Keap1 (kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1), Nrf2 (NF-E2-related factor 2) oxidation-related genes in the Nrf2/ARE antioxidant pathway, and Malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) activity and glutathione (GSH) content in the hepatopancreas of O. potamophila after quercetin treatment, the mRNA expression of AKT, Nrf2 and CAT activity and GSH content are higher than in the control group. Quercetin enhances antioxidant properties and positively affects muscle growth. The results showed that quercetin has no significant effects on the growth performance of O. potamophila, but is effective in increasing muscle growth rate and lowering muscle fat content.

Changes in life-history traits, antioxidant defense, energy metabolism and molecular outcomes in the cladoceran Daphnia pulex after exposure to polystyrene microplastics.

Ubiquitous plastic pollution is a threat to the organisms' survival and ecosystem functions, especially in aquatic environments. Although there is increasing concern about the toxicity of microplastics, knowledge about the effects of microplastics of diverse sizes and adverse impacts on freshwater organisms is still limited. In the present study, the alteration in life-history traits, antioxidant defense and energy metabolism of the model freshwater zooplankton Daphnia pulex were assessed after chronic exposure to gradient concentrations (0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/L) of 500-nm polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs). Changes in protein abundance were analyzed using proteomics after exposure to 1 mg/L of PS-MPs for 14 days. The results showed that ingested PS-MPs accumulated in the digestive tract of D. pulex. 2 and 4 mg/L of PS-MPs inhibited the survival function and 4 mg/L of PS-MPs reduced the body length of D. pulex after 14 or 21 days of exposure. The exposure did not decrease the fecundity of D. pulex. After 14 days of exposure, PS-MPs changed the antioxidant capacity in a dose-dependent way and all concentrations of PS-MPs induced lipid oxidative damage. Exposure to 500-nm PS-MPs for 14 days decreased glucose and fructose contents and disturbed the lipid transport and utilization in D. pulex. Meanwhile, PS-MPs activated DNA repair and transcription regulation but inhibited lipid metabolism and response to unfolded or misfolded proteins. These results indicated that chronic exposure to 500-nm PS-MPs negatively affected D. pulex and showed similar toxic mechanisms to smaller nano-sized microplastics. Exposure to 500-nm PS-MPs resulted in restricted resources such as inhibited antioxidant capacity or energy metabolisms and D. pulex showed a potential trade-off among life-history traits to maintain fecundity at the cost of self-maintenance. The present study offers perspectives for understanding the differences in ecological effects caused by microplastics of different sizes.

Effects of Acute Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Channel Catfish Larvae: Insights From Energy Metabolism and Transcriptomic Analysis.

Microplastics (nanoplastics) pollution has been a major ecological issue threatening global aquatic ecosystems. However, knowledge of the adverse effects of nanoplastics and the effects on freshwater ecosystems is still limited. To understand the impacts of nanoplastics on freshwater ecosystems, it is essential to reveal the physiological changes caused by nanoplastics in freshwater organisms, especially at their early life-history stages. In the present study, the larval channel catfish Ietalurus punetaus were exposed to gradient concentrations (0, 5, 10, 25, and 50 mg/L) of 75-nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) for 24 h or 48 h, and changes in contents of energy metabolites, metabolic enzyme activities and transcriptome were assessed. The results showed that glucose and triglyceride contents increased after 24 h of exposure to 10 or 25 mg/L of PS-NPs but decreased with increased concentrations or prolonged exposure duration. Activities of most metabolic enzymes analyzed decreased in the larvae after 48 h of exposure, especially in 25 or 50 mg/L of PS-NPs. These suggested that PS-NPs caused huge energy consumption and disturbed the energy metabolism in larval fish. Transcriptomic analysis showed that 48 h of exposure to 50 mg/L PS-NPs affected the expression of genes involved in protein digestion and induced response of proteasomes or heat shock proteins in the larval I. punetaus. The genes involved in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) pathway and biosynthesis of amino acids were activated after the exposure. PS-NPs also depressed the expression of the genes involved in gonad development or muscle contraction in the larval I. punetaus. Overall, acute exposure to 75-nm PS-NPs disrupted the energy metabolism by consuming the energy reserves, and affected a series of molecular pathways which may further affect the development and survival of fish. This study provided the information about adverse effects of nanoplastics on the fish larvae and revealed the molecular pathways for the potential adverse outcomes.

The effect of a polystyrene nanoplastic on the intestinal microbes and oxidative stress defense of the freshwater crayfish, Procambarus clarkii.

The widespread generation and accumulation of plastic waste has become a globally recognized problem. However, there are limited reports on the adverse effects of nanomaterials on freshwater crustaceans. This study tested the acute effects of different concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/L) after 48 h exposure of 75 nm polystyrene nanoplastic on intestinal microbes, and oxidative stress parameters of freshwater crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed the richness, diversity, and composition of intestinal microbiota in P. clarkii exposed to polystyrene nanoplastic. At the genus level, abundances of Lactobacillus, Faecalibaculum, Niveibacterium, and Candidatus Bacilloplasma were significantly different. The reduced abundance of Lactobacillus could affect the balance of intestinal microbes through quantitative disadvantage, which may lead to reduced immunity of P. clarkii. Streptococcus salivarius, Clostridium butyricum and Lachnospiraceae bacterium10-1 in intestinal tract reached maximum abundance at a polystyrene concentration of 20 mg/L. The increase in the number of some pathogenic bacteria may upset the balance of intestinal microorganisms through the number of dominance, and the decrease in the relative abundance of lactic acid bacteria. Probiotics, such as Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus murinus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus iners AB-1, and Lactobacillus crispatus in the intestinal tract reached the lowest value at a concentration of 10 mg/L. The reduced abundance of Lactobacillus can affect the balance of intestinal microbes through quantitative disadvantage, which may lead to reduced immunity in P. clarkii. At nanoplastic 10 mg/L, the relative abundance of intestinal pathogens increased, while the relative abundance of lactic acid bacteria and other probiotics decreased. With increases in nanoplastic concentrations, the values of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), acid phosphatase (ACP), lysozyme (LZM), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), peroxidase (POD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and protein carbonylation were significantly changed. Our data suggested that Lactobacillus may play an adjunctive role in the treatment of oxidative stress in P. clarkii exposed to 75 nm polystyrene. This study represents an important step towards a better understanding of the toxic effects of nanoplastics on aquatic crustaceans.

Dissecting the chromosome-level genome of the Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea).

The Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) is a valuable commercial and medicinal bivalve, which is widely distributed in East and Southeast Asia. As a natural nutrient source, the clam is rich in protein, amino acids, and microelements. The genome of C. fluminea has not yet been characterized; therefore, genome-assisted breeding and improvements cannot yet be implemented. In this work, we present a de novo chromosome-scale genome assembly of C. fluminea using PacBio and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The assembled genome comprised 4728 contigs, with a contig N50 of 521.06 Kb, and 1,215 scaffolds with a scaffold N50 of 70.62 Mb. More than 1.51 Gb (99.17%) of genomic sequences were anchored to 18 chromosomes, of which 1.40 Gb (92.81%) of genomic sequences were ordered and oriented. The genome contains 38,841 coding genes, 32,591 (83.91%) of which were annotated in at least one functional database. Compared with related species, C. fluminea had 851 expanded gene families and 191 contracted gene families. The phylogenetic tree showed that C. fluminea diverged from Ruditapes philippinarum, ~ 228.89 million years ago (Mya), and the genomes of C. fluminea and R. philippinarum shared 244 syntenic blocks. Additionally, we identified 2 MITF members and 99 NLRP members in C. fluminea genome. The high-quality and chromosomal Asian Clam genome will be a valuable resource for a range of development and breeding studies of C. fluminea in future research.

Use of physiological activities to estimate the population growth of rotifer (Brachionus calyciflorus) under the stress of toxic Microcystis and nitrite.

Microcystis blooms disrupt aquatic systems and adversely affect zooplankton growth. Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas (rotifer) was introduced to different combinations of toxic Microcystis aeruginosa (0, 2 × 105, 2 × 106, and 2 × 107 cells mL-1) and nitrite (0, 2, 4, and 6 mg L-1) to evaluate their physiological activities and population growth under stress. Survival rate (S), population growth rate (r), grazing rate (G), antioxidant response, and metabolic and digestive enzyme activities were determined. Results revealed that G declined with the increasing nitrite doses and grazing time upon exposure to a certain Microcystis concentration. Toxic M. aeruginosa and nitrite inhibited the S, r, glutathione content, total antioxidant capacity level, and activities of alkaline phosphatase, xanthine oxidase, lactate dehydrogenase, and cellulase (p < 0.05) but increased the reactive oxygen species level, malondialdehyde content, and amylase activity (p < 0.05). The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and pepsase were also increased in single low doses of nitrite solutions (p < 0.05). Therefore, the grazing intensity of rotifers affected B. calyciflorus physiological activities, which are useful in the estimation of its population growth in eutrophic water environments.

The complete mitogenome of freshwater gammarid Grandidierella taihuensis (Crustacea: Amphipoda).

The freshwater gammarid Grandidierella taihuensis is an important composition of benthic community. In this study, the complete mitogenome sequences of G. taihuensis are determined using next-generation and PacBio long-read sequencing. The mitogenome of G. taihuensis is 15,099 bp in size, and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a putative control region. Gene arrangement is as same as that of G. rubroantennata. The base composition of the entire mitogenome showed a conspicuous A + T bias of 69.4%. The mitogenome data produced in this study provides a useful resource for future evolutionary and ecological studies.

The Antihypertensive Effects and Potential Molecular Mechanism of Microalgal Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor-Like Peptides: A Mini Review.

Hypertension causes many deaths worldwide and has shown an increasing trend as a severe non-communicable disease. Conventional antihypertensive drugs inevitably cause side effects, and great efforts have been made to exploit healthier and more-available substitutes. Microalgae have shown great potential in this regard and have been applied in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Some compounds in microalgae have been proven to have antihypertensive effects. Among these natural compounds, peptides from microalgae are promising angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors because an increasing number of peptides show hypertensive effects and ACE inhibitory-like activity. In addition to acting as ACE inhibitors for the treatment of hypertension, these peptides have other probiotic properties, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, that are important for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Numerous studies have revealed the important bioactivities of ACE inhibitors and their mechanisms. This review discusses the antihypertensive effects, structure-activity relationships, molecular docking studies, interaction mechanisms, and other probiotic properties of microalgal ACE inhibitory peptides according to the current research related to microalgae as potential antihypertensive drugs. Possible research directions are proposed. This review contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of microalgal antihypertensive peptides.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Callionymus olidus (Perciformes Callionymidae).

In this study, we present the complete mitogenome and a phylogenetic analysis of Callionymus olidus, determined by long PCR and primer walking methods. The complete mitochondrial genome is a circular molecule of 16,491 bp in length and contains the same set of 37 mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA)), and a control region as other bony fishes. The base composition of the entire mitogenome showed a slight excess of AT bias. The entire mitogenome data produced in this study provides the genomic resources available for future evolutionary studies.

Forecast of passenger car market structure and environmental impact analysis in China.

To evaluate the future passenger car market related environmental impact, first, a competitive prediction model was introduced based on Lotka-Volterra model. Further, the limit of passenger car life cycle system is extended to analyze the scale of future energy consumption and pollutant emission. The proportion of new energy passenger cars, average rate of change in the quality of passenger cars, and the share of renewable energy power generation were used as evaluation indicators to conduct scenario simulations for assessing the environmental benefits under the following policy scenarios: lightweight, electrification, and end-use energy cleaning of automobile. The results show that market share of new energy passenger cars will surpass traditional passenger cars around 2040. The energy consumption per unit mileage of the four types of passenger cars throughout the life cycle is 3.88, 3.51, 3.23, and 3.72 MJ/km. Compared with traditional passenger cars, new energy passenger cars will decrease by 17%, but less than expected. The total amount of VOC, CO, and CHG emissions from passenger cars will reach the peak in 2030 and then rapidly decrease. The amount of NOx emission will slowly decrease after reaching a peak of 11.6 ten-kilo-tons around 2040. The total emission of SO2 and PH2.5 will increase as the number of passenger cars increases. However, the growth rate will decrease to 4-6%. Finally, with the continuous advancement of three policies, the energy and emission factor will decrease by 10.0-13.5%. Among these factors, the impact of end-use cleaning energy in the mid-end terminal is the highest due to the sensitivity to fuel cycle. However, traditional single policy may not be effective since they do not consider the structure of vehicle cycle.

Transcriptional response provides insights into the effect of chronic polystyrene nanoplastic exposure on Daphnia pulex.

Nanoplastic pollution is widespread and persistent across global water systems and can cause a negative effect on aquatic organisms, especially the zooplankter which is the keystone of the food chain. The present study uses RNA sequencing to assess the global change in gene expression caused by 21 days of exposure to 75 nm polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics on Daphnia pulex, a model organism for ecotoxicity. With the threshold value at P value < 0.05 and fold change >2, 244 differentially expressed genes were obtained. Combined with real-time PCR validation of several selected genes, our results indicated that a distinct expression profile of key genes, including downregulated trehalose transporter, trehalose 6-phosphate synthase/phosphatase, chitinase and cathepsin-L as well as upregulated doublesex 1 and doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor-like protein, contributed to the toxic effects of chronic nanoplastic exposure on Daphnia, such as slowed growth, subdued reproductive ability and reproductive pattern shifting. Our study also showed that chronic exposure to nanoplastic changed the sex ratio of D. pulex neonates. By integrating the gene expression pattern in an important model organism, this study gained insight into the molecular mechanisms of the toxic effect of chronic PS nanoplastic exposure on D. pulex, which may also extend to other nanoplastics or aquatic animals.

A retrospective analysis of cisplatin/carboplatin plus paclitaxel in advanced or recurrent cervical cancer.

To compare the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TC) and paclitaxel plus cisplatin (TP) in the treatment of advanced or recurrent cervical cancer, this retrospective study included 116 advanced or recurrent cervical cancer cases treated at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital between June 2002 and June 2014. Of these cases, 52 were treated with TC (TC group) and 64 were treated with TP (TP group). We found that the overall survival and response and disease-control rates were not significantly different between the two groups. The TC group had a markedly lower incidence of Grade III-IV gastrointestinal toxicity reactions and a shorter hospitalisation stay than the TP group. The incidences of Grade III-IV bone marrow suppression and renal toxicity were not significantly different between the TP and TC groups. These findings suggest that TC may be a safe and effective alternative to TP for the treatment of advanced or recurrent cervical cancer. Impact Statement What is already known on this subject: Paclitaxel plus cisplatin (TP) is regarded as the standard regimen for cervical cancer, nevertheless, cisplatin is always associated with nephrotoxicity and requires hydration therapy. Carboplatin is a platinum analogue with milder nephrotoxicity than cisplatin. It is reported that carboplatin may be a viable and less toxic alternative to cisplatin in the management of advanced or recurrent cervical cancer, but another study shows that the therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TC) is non-inferior to that of TP. What the results of this study add: This study compared the efficacy and safety of TC and TP, and found that the TC and TP groups had similar overall response and disease-control rates and survival, but the TC group was better tolerated with a markedly lower incidence of Grades III-IV gastrointestinal toxicity reactions and had a shorter hospitalisation stay than the TP group. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: TC may be a safe and effective alternative to TP for the treatment of advanced or recurrent cervical cancer in clinical practice.

Complete mitochondrial genome of freshwater goby Rhinogobius cliffordpopei (Perciformes, Gobiidae): genome characterization and phylogenetic analysis.

Freshwater gobies Rhinogobius cliffordpopei and R. giurinus are invasive species with particular concern because they have become dominant and were fierce competitors in the invaded areas in Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (southwest of China). Information about genetic characteristics of R. giurinus have been published, but there were still no relevant reports about R. cliffordpopei. In present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of R. cliffordpopei was determined, which was 16,511 bp in length with A + T content of 51.1%, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and a control region. The gene composition and the structural arrangement of the R. cliffordpopei complete mtDNA were identical to most of other teleosts. Phylogenetic analyses placed R. cliffordpopei in a well-supported monophyletic cluster with other Rhinogobius fish. But the phylogenetic relationship between genus Rhinogobius and Tridentiger remained to be resolved.

Single-cell whole-genome sequencing identifies human papillomavirus integration in cervical tumour cells prior to and following radiotherapy.

Single-cell sequencing technology is a promising systematic and comprehensive approach to delineate clonal associations between cells. The present study collected 13 and 12 cervical cells from fresh tumour tissue prior to and following radiotherapy, respectively, from a 46-year-old female patient with exogenous-type cervical carcinoma. Next, single-cell whole-genome sequencing analysis was performed on each cell. Examination revealed that normal cells could be clearly distinguished from tumour cells among the 25 cells. Tumour cells prior to and following radiotherapy almost represented two independent clones, with the main subpopulation prior to radiotherapy being killed and the minor subpopulation prior to radiotherapy becoming the main subpopulation following radiotherapy. A human papillomavirus (HPV) integration site was detected in POU class 5 homeobox 1B (POU5F1B) in tumour cells following radiotherapy, which has been reported to be a frequent HPV integration site in cervical carcinoma. These results indicate that tumour cells with HPV integration in POU5F1B survive radiotherapy, and that tumour cells prior to and following radiotherapy exhibit distinct characteristics.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Odontobutis haifengensis (Perciformes, Odontobutiae): A unique rearrangement of tRNAs and additional non-coding regions identified in the genus Odontobutis.

Herein, the complete mitochondrial genome of Odontobutis haifengensis was sequenced for the first time. The O. haifengensis mitogenome was 17,016bp in length and included 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and a control region (CR). The genome organization, base composition, codon usage, and gene rearrangement was similar to other Odontobutis species. Furthermore, a tRNA gene rearrangement within the SLH cluster was found to be identical to other Odontobutis species. Moreover, the gene order and the positions of additional intergenic non-coding regions suggests that the observed unique gene rearrangement resulted from a tandem duplication and random loss of large-scale gene regions. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis showed that Odontobutis species form a monophyletic clade due to the conserved mitochondrial gene rearrangement. This study provides useful information that aids in a better understanding of mitogenomic diversity and evolutionary patterns of Odontobutidae species.

miR-19 promotes osteosarcoma progression by targeting SOCS6.

microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in cancer development and progression. This study investigated the effects of miR-19 in human osteosarcoma (OS) development. Here, we showed that miR-19 was frequently upregulated in OS tissues and cell lines. Moreover the expression of miR-19 was associated with TNM stage, metastasis, size and poor overall survival. Mechanistically, miR-19 dramatically suppressed OS growth in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics analyses predicted that SOCS6 is a potential target gene of miR-19 in OS, which was confirmed by luciferase-reporter assay. We also found that SOCS6 expression was downregulated and negatively correlated with miR-19 expression in OS tissues clinically. Moreover, ectopic SOCS6 could reverse miR-19 induced OS growth. Finally, JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway involves miR-19/SOCS6-mediated OS progression. Together, our data provide important evidence for miR-19 mediated SOCS6 in OS growth and revealed miR-19/SOCS6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway as a potential therapeutic strategy for OS patients.

Does hysteroscopy worsen prognosis in women with type II endometrial carcinoma?

BACKGROUND: Prior studies evaluating the impact of hysteroscopy on outcomes in endometrial cancer have predominantly evaluated type I tumors. We sought to evaluate whether hysteroscopy worsens prognosis in type II endometrial cancer. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of 140 patients from two institutions with type II endometrial cancer was performed. Women who underwent either diagnostic hysteroscopy (HSC) or dilation and curettage (D&C) for cancer diagnosis from June 2001 until June 2010 were included. The clinical and pathologic characteristics, including peritoneal cytology results were reviewed. The primary endpoint was disease-specific survival (DSS). The exposure of interest was hysteroscopy. Survival curves were projected using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: There was no difference in age, histology, stage, depth of myometrial invasion, adnexal involvement, or nodal metastasis between HSC and D&C patients. Positive cytology was found in 16/54 (30%) patients following HSC and in 10/86 (12%) following D&C (p = 0.008). Fourteen patients with stage I and II disease had positive peritoneal cytology, with 11/40 (27.5%) patients in the HSC group and 3/59 (5%) patients in the D&C group(p = 0.002). Median DSS was clinically different for the HSC and D&C groups, but statistical significance was not reached (53 versus 63.5 months, p = 0.34). For stage I and II patients, 18/99 (18%) were dead of EC, with a median DSS of 60 months for HSC and 71 months for D&C (p = 0.82). Overall 46 (33%) patients developed a recurrence, with 18/54 (33%) in the HSC group compared to 28/86 (32%) in the D&C group (p = 0.92). There was no difference in recurrence location between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic hysteroscopy significantly increased the rate of positive peritoneal cytology at the time of surgical staging in this cohort of patients with type II EC. However, we were unable to detect a difference in prognosis as measured by DSS.

The negative conversion of high-risk human papillomavirus and its performance in surveillance of cervical cancer after treatment: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To determine the negative conversion regularity of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and to evaluate the prognostic implications of HR-HPV testing in patients with cervical cancer after treatment. METHODS: A retrospective post-treatment analysis of 173 patients with cervical cancer was performed from January 2011 to December 2012. Patients who had HR-HPV infection before treatment were included. Clinical and pathological characteristics, as well as follow-up information, were reviewed. RESULTS: The negative conversion rate of HR-HPV reached 68.9 % within half a year and increased most rapidly within the first 2 years after treatment. Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that the negative conversion rate of HR-HPV was significantly correlated with clinical stage, treatment regimens, and HR-HPV type (P < 0.05). In our analysis of 173 patients, we found that HR-HPV status was predictive of 3-year survival rate and disease recurrence (P < 0.05). Pelvic recurrence, but not distant metastasis, was influenced by HR-HPV status (P < 0.05). Through 2 × 2 table analysis, we found that HR-HPV was more sensitive (71.43 %) and specific (94.20 %) than cervical cytology (sensitivity 62.86 % and specificity 78.26 %). CONCLUSIONS: The negative conversion rate of HR-HPV increased most rapidly within the first 2 years of cervical cancer surveillance. Persistent HPV infection was associated with a poor prognosis and had an impact on recurrence sites. Further large and multi-center prospective studies should be performed, but these results of this study suggested that HR-HPV monitoring is necessary to be used as a means of cervical cancer surveillance.

[Abundance of Toxic and Non-toxic Microcystis sp. in Lake Hongze and Its Correlation with Environmental Factors].

In the present study, the eutrophic level of 30 water samples collected from Lake hongze in August 2014 were analyzed, and the abundance of toxic and non-toxic Microcystis sp., together with their spatial distribution, was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR techniques. The results showed that the average concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 1.63 and 0.11 mg x L(-1), respectively. The trophic state index ( TSI) ranged from 58.1 to 73.6, and the water quality was in the state of eutrophication based on TSI. Toxic Microcystis was widely distributed in Lake Hongze, and its abundance varied sharply, from 1. 13 x 10(4) to 3.51 x 10(6) copies x mL(-1), and the abundance of total Microcystis ranged from 1.06 x 10(5) to 1.10 x 10(7) copies x m(-1), meanwhile, the proportion of toxic Microcystis in the total Microcystis ranged from 8.5% to 38.5%, with the average value of 23.6%. Correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant positive correlation among total Mirocystis, toxic Microcystis and the toxic proportion (P < 0.01). The abundance of total and toxic Microcystis was significantly positively correlated to chlorophyll a ( Chl-a) concentrations and TSI (P < 0.01), but was negatively correlated to transparency (SD) (P < 0.01). The ratio of toxic Microcystis to total Microcystis was significantly positively correlated to Chl-a, TN, TP and TSI (P < 0.01), but significantly negatively correlated to the ratio of TN to TP and SD (P < 0.01). Therefore, reducing total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations could not only lower the eutrophication level of Lake Hongze, but also inhibit the competition advantage of the toxic Microcystis over non-toxic Microcystis.