[Detection, Generation, and Control of Disinfection By-products of Reclaimed Water].

At the time when water resources are in short supply,wastewater recycling is both an important environmental protection strategy and also a resource strategy. Disinfection is essential to ensure the biological safety of reclaimed wastewater by killing pathogens and preventing the spread of waterborne diseases. However,the disinfection process could inevitably produce toxic disinfection byproducts(DBPs)due to the reaction between the disinfectants and wastewater organic matters. Regarding wastewater DBPs,this study reviewed their identification methods,formation conditions(including precursors,the effect of water quality,disinfectants,and operational parameters on DBPs),and control methods(including source control,process control,and end control). In addition,future research trends of wastewater DBPs were discussed.

Targeted pharmacokinetics and bioinformatics screening strategy reveals JAK2 as the main target for Xin-Ji-Er-Kang in treatment of MIR injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Xin-Ji-Er-Kang (XJEK) is traditional Chinese formula presented excellent protective effects on several heart diseases, but the potential components and targets are still unclear. The aim of this study is to elucidate the effective components of XJEK and reveal its potential mechanism of cardioprotective effect in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR) injury. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Firstly, the key compounds in XJEK, plasma and heart tissue were analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry. Bioinformatics studies were also involved to disclose the potential targets and the binding sites for the key compounds. Secondly, to study the protective effect of XJEK on MIR injury and related mechanism, mice subjected to MIR surgery and gavage administered with XJEK for 6 weeks. Cardiac function parameters and apoptosis level of cardiac tissue were assessed. The potential mechanism was further verified by knock down of target protein in vitro. RESULTS: Pharmacokinetics studies showed that Sophora flavescens alkaloids, primarily composed with matrine, are the key component of XJEK. And, through bioinformatic analysis, we speculated JAK2 could be the potential target for XJEK, and could form stable hydrogen bonds with matrine. Administration of XJEK and matrine significantly improved heart function and reduced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes by increasing the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3. The anti-apoptosis effect of XJEK and matrine was also observed on AC16 cells, and could be reversed by co-treatment with JAK2 inhibitor AG490 or knock-down of JAK2. CONCLUSION: XJEK exerts cardioprotective effect on MIR injury, which may be associated with the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Xin-Ji-Er-Kang protects heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury by rebalancing lipid metabolism.

Background and Purpose: We have previously reported a cardioprotective effect with Xin-Ji-Er-Kang (XJEK) treatment in mice with myocardial infarction (MI)-induced heart failure, but no report about its potential functions in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR) injury. Here we studied the therapeutic effects of XJEK on MIR injury and investigated the mechanisms involved. Experimental Approach: MIR model of Balb/c mice induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation for half an hour, followed by reperfusion, was utilized to study the potential therapeutic effects of XJEK on MIR-induced cardiac injury. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem Orbitrap mass spectrometry platform was used for studying serum lipid metabolic signatures. Key Results: MIR caused cardiac dysfunctions, cardiac injury, myocardial fibrosis, and increased inflammation, and all the observed abnormalities caused by MIR were largely corrected by XJEK treatment. Mechanistically, XJEK exerts its cardioprotective effect in the context of MIR injury by suppressing MIR-induced inflammation and dysregulation of serum lipid metabolism. Conclusion and Implications: We have demonstrated for the first time that XJEK protects heart from MIR injury by restoring dysregulated lipidomics. Our data provide new evidence to support a therapeutic effect for XIEK on MIR-induced cardiac injury, and pave the way for exploring the therapeutic potential of XJEK in large animal study and early clinical trial.

Is Clinical Scenario Simulation Teaching Effective in Cultivating the Competency of Nursing Students to Recognize and Assess the Risk of Pressure Ulcers?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a clinical scenario simulation method among nursing students for assessing the risk of patients developing pressure ulcers compared with the traditional didactic method. METHODS: This experimental study was a controlled trial with single-blind assessments. Nursing students (n = 47) were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. The control group (n = 21) was instructed using traditional didactic methods that only delivered knowledge of pressure ulcers, while the experimental group (n = 26) received a clinical scenario simulation-based method for cultivating the competence to assess the risk of pressure ulcers. Participants underwent pre- and post-intervention based on the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) comprising objective performance criteria. Data were analyzed using a t-test in the SPSS Statistics software program at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed regarding age or the mean scores of the OSCE in pre-intervention between the two groups. Following the intervention, the mean score of the experimental group's performance was higher (29.04 ± 6.00) compared with the control group (12.38 ± 4.15) (P = 0.000). There were statistical differences between the two groups. Nursing students in the clinical scenario simulation group performed significantly better in recognizing and assessing the risk of pressure ulcers. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that a clinical scenario simulation approach is more effective than employing the traditional didactic method for cultivating students' assessment ability regarding pressure ulcers. This student-centered, clinical scenario simulation method can help to effectively develop students' competency in recognizing and assessing the risk of pressure ulcers, thereby providing a solid foundation for their clinical practice towards enhanced patient safety.

Application of petal-shaped ionic liquids modified covalent organic frameworks for one step cleanup and extraction of general anesthetics in human plasma samples.

Here, the novel petal-shaped ionic liquids modified covalent organic frameworks (PS-IL-COFs) particles have been synthesized by using ionic liquids as modifying agent, which could be beneficial to avoid the aggregation of COFs during the preparation and improve its dispersing performance. The novel PS-IL-COFs particles have been used and evaluated in the one step cleanup and extraction (OSCE) procedure for human plasma prior to the analysis of 3 general anesthetics by liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In the OSCE procedure, human plasma samples are directly mixed with extraction solvent and PS-IL-COFs particles, and the extraction and cleanup procedure have been carried out simultaneously. Compared with the Oasis PRiME HLB cartridge method, the OSCE procedure using PS-IL-COFs particles as sorbents is much more effective for the minimization of ion suppression resulted from blood phospholipids. Under optimal conditions, the PS-IL-COFs particles show higher cleanup efficiency of 3 general anesthetics with recoveries in the range of 82.5%-115%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for propofol, ketamine and etomidate are 0.18 µg/L, 0.15 µg/L and 0.016 µg/L, respectively. Validation results on linearity, specificity, precision and trueness, as well as on the application to analysis of general anesthetics in a case of a 54-year-old female suffered gallstone demonstrate the applicability to clinical studies.

Effect of lncRNA HULC knockdown on rat secreting pituitary adenoma GH3 cells.

Pituitary adenoma is one of the most common tumors in the neuroendocrine system. This study investigated the effects of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) highly up-regulated in liver cancer (HULC) on rat secreting pituitary adenoma GH3 cell viability, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and hormone secretion, as well as the underlying potential mechanisms. Cell transfection and qRT-PCR were used to change and measure the expression levels of HULC, miR-130b, and FOXM1. Cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed using trypan blue staining assay, MTT assay, two-chamber transwell assay, Guava Nexin assay, and western blotting. The concentrations of prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) in culture supernatant of GH3 cells were assessed using ELISA. The targeting relationship between miR-130b and FOXM1 was verified using dual luciferase activity. Finally, the expression levels of key factors involved in PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK1/STAT3 pathways were evaluated using western blotting. We found that HULC was highly expressed in GH3 cells. Overexpression of HULC promoted GH3 cell viability, migration, invasion, PRL and GH secretion, as well as activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK1/STAT3 pathways. Knockdown of HULC had opposite effects and induced cell apoptosis. HULC negatively regulated the expression of miR-130b, and miR-130b participated in the effects of HULC on GH3 cells. FOXM1 was a target gene of miR-130b, which was involved in the regulation of GH3 cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, as well as PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK1/STAT3 pathways. In conclusion, HULC tumor-promoting roles in secreting pituitary adenoma might be via down-regulating miR-130b, up-regulating FOXM1, and activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK1/STAT3 pathways.

Effect of lncRNA HULC knockdown on rat secreting pituitary adenoma GH3 cells

Pituitary adenoma is one of the most common tumors in the neuroendocrine system. This study investigated the effects of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) highly up-regulated in liver cancer (HULC) on rat secreting pituitary adenoma GH3 cell viability, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and hormone secretion, as well as the underlying potential mechanisms. Cell transfection and qRT-PCR were used to change and measure the expression levels of HULC, miR-130b, and FOXM1. Cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed using trypan blue staining assay, MTT assay, two-chamber transwell assay, Guava Nexin assay, and western blotting. The concentrations of prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) in culture supernatant of GH3 cells were assessed using ELISA. The targeting relationship between miR-130b and FOXM1 was verified using dual luciferase activity. Finally, the expression levels of key factors involved in PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK1/STAT3 pathways were evaluated using western blotting. We found that HULC was highly expressed in GH3 cells. Overexpression of HULC promoted GH3 cell viability, migration, invasion, PRL and GH secretion, as well as activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK1/STAT3 pathways. Knockdown of HULC had opposite effects and induced cell apoptosis. HULC negatively regulated the expression of miR-130b, and miR-130b participated in the effects of HULC on GH3 cells. FOXM1 was a target gene of miR-130b, which was involved in the regulation of GH3 cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, as well as PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK1/STAT3 pathways. In conclusion, HULC tumor-promoting roles in secreting pituitary adenoma might be via down-regulating miR-130b, up-regulating FOXM1, and activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR and JAK1/STAT3 pathways.

Enhanced cleanup efficiency hydroxy functionalized-magnetic graphene oxide and its comparison with magnetic carboxyl-graphene for PRiME pass-through cleanup of strychnine and brucine in human plasma samples.

An enhanced cleanup efficiency hydroxy functionalized-magnetic graphene oxide (EH-Mag-GO) fully covered porous nano-titania as coating has been designed and synthesized. It has been evaluated in PRiME (process, robustness, improvements, matrix effects, ease of use) pass-through cleanup procedure for human plasma prior to analysis of strychnine and brucine by liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Comparing with the magnetic carboxyl-graphene (Mag-CG), EH-Mag-GO is much more effective for the removal of matrix effect resulted from blood phospholipids. Under optimal conditions, the results show higher cleanup efficiency of EH-Mag-GO with recoveries in the range of 89.4%-118%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for strychnine and brucine are 0.088 µg/L and 0.092 µg/L, respectively. Especially, the EH-Mag-GO is also evaluated for reuse (20 times) without much sacrifice of the cleanup efficiency. Validation results on linearity, specificity, accuracy and precision, as well as on the application to analysis of strychnine and brucine in six cases of suspected semen strychni poisoning demonstrate the applicability to clinical studies.

Catechin protects rat cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-induced injury by regulating microRNA-92a.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a serious condition, caused by acute, persistent ischemia or hypoxia of a coronary artery and responsible for heart failure and sudden death. This study aimed to investigate the effects of catechin, one of the main active components of green tea, on hypoxia-induced MI cell model, as well as the underlying possible mechanism. Methods: Cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and the expression of microRNA-92a (miR-92a) after hypoxia stimulation and/or catechin treatment were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, western blotting, annexin V-FITC/PI staining and qRT-PCR, respectively. miRNA transfection was performed to change the expression of miR-92a. The effects of miR-92a on hypoxia and catechin-treated H9c2 cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated. Finally, western blotting was conducted to measure the expression of core factors in the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. Results: Hypoxia stimulation significantly inhibited H9c2 cell viability and proliferation, induced cell apoptosis and up-regulated miR-92a expression. Catechin markedly protected H9c2 cells from hypoxia-induced viability loss, proliferation inhibition, and apoptosis enhance, as well as miR-92a expression increase. Furthermore, suppression of miR-92a enhanced the protective effects of catechin on hypoxia-induced H9c2 cells. Overexpression of miR-92a had opposite effects. Catechin activated the JNK pathway in H9c2 cells by down-regulating miR-92a. Conclusion: Catechin protected H9c2 cells from hypoxia-induced injury by regulating miR-92a and JNK signaling pathway. Our findings facilitate the understanding of the protective activity of catechin in hypoxia-induced MI cell injury and provide a theoretical basis for further explore treatment of MI by using catechin.

Lentinan up-regulates microRNA-340 to promote apoptosis and autophagy of human osteosarcoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common tumor of bone, and the high incidence and poor prognosis of OS call for novel therapeutic strategies. We aimed to explore the functional role of lentinan (LNT) in human OS MG63 cells as well as the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Cell viability of MG63 cells under LNT stimulation was measured by CCK-8 assay to explore the adequate concentration of LNT. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and expression of microRNA (miR)-340 in MG63 cells after LNT treatments were assayed by BrdU incorporation assay, flow cytometry assay and quantitative reverse transcription PCR, respectively. Expression of proteins associated with cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy were determined by western blot analysis. Subsequently, whether LNT affected MG63 cells through miR-340 as well as the related signaling pathway was explored. RESULTS: Cell viability was reduced by 5-100 mg/mL of LNT. Percentage of BrdU-positive cells was reduced while that of apoptotic cells was enhanced by LNT treatment. LNT decreased cyclin D1 level but increased levels of active caspase-3 and caspase-9. After treatment, LNT enhanced LC3B-II/LC3B-I and Beclin-1 levels but reduced the p62 level. The miR-340 level was up-regulated by LNT, and further experiments showed LNT promoted apoptosis and autophagy through up-regulating miR-340. Moreover, LNT reduced the phosphorylated levels of MAPK and ERK through up-regulating miR-340. CONCLUSION: LNT reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis and autophagy by up-regulating miR-340 in MG63 cells, along with inhibition of the MAPK/ERK pathway.

Application of carbon nanosorbent for PRiME pass-through cleanup of 10 selected local anesthetic drugs in human plasma samples.

A novel PRiME (process, robustness, improvements, matrix effects, ease of use) pass-through cleanup procedure has been developed to improve the existing commercially available designs. Carbon nanosorbents, i.e., magnetic modified carboxyl-graphene (Mag-CG) and magnetic modified carboxyl-carbon nanotubes (Mag-CCNTs), have been synthesised and evaluated in PRiME pass-through cleanup procedure for human plasma prior to analysis of 10 selected local anesthetic drugs by liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The matrix effect, an interesting phenomenon of ion suppression for local anesthetic drugs containing ester group and ion enhancement for other drugs containing acylamino group, has been minimized using carbon nanosorbents PRiME pass-through cleanup procedure. Under the optimal conditions, the obtained results show higher cleanup efficiency of the carbon nanosorbents with recoveries between 70.2% and 126%. Furthermore, the carbon nanosorbents are also evaluated for reuse up to 80-100 times. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for local anesthetic drugs are in the range of 0.024-0.15 µg/L. Validation results on linearity, specificity, accuracy, and precision, as well as the application to the analysis of lidocaine in five patients recruited from the lung cancer demonstrate the applicability to clinical studies.

[Circulating miR-152 helps early prediction of postoperative biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of circulating miR-152 in the early prediction of postoperative biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. METHODS: Sixty-six cases of prostate cancer were included in this study, 35 with and 31 without biochemical recurrence within two years postoperatively, and another 31 healthy individuals were enrolled as normal controls. The relative expression levels of circulating miR-152 in the serum of the subjects were detected by qRT-PCR, its value in the early diagnosis of postoperative biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer was assessed by ROC curve analysis, and the correlation of its expression level with the clinicopathological parameters of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of circulating miR-152 was significantly lower in the serum of the prostate cancer patients than in the normal controls (t = －5.212, P = 0.001), and so was it in the patients with than in those without postoperative biochemical recurrence (t = －5.727, P = 0.001). The ROC curve for the value of miR-152 in the early prediction of postoperative biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer showed the area under the curve (AUC) to be 0.906 (95% CI: 0.809－0.964), with a sensitivity of 91.4% and a specificity of 80.6%. The expression level of miR-152 was correlated with the Gleason score, clinical stage of prostate cancer, biochemical recurrence, and bone metastasis (P <0.05), decreasing with increased Gleason scores and elevated clinical stage of the malignancy. No correlation, however, was found between the miR-152 expression and the patients' age or preoperative PSA level (P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression level of circulating miR-152 is significantly reduced in prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence after prostatectomy and could be a biomarker in the early prediction of postoperative biochemical recurrence of the malignancy.

Fast determination of catecholamines in human plasma using carboxyl-functionalized magnetic-carbon nanotube molecularly imprinted polymer followed by liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry.

A novel, simple and sensitive method based on the use of dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (d-µ-SPE) procedure combined with ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) for the determination of catecholamines, i.e., dopamine (DA), norepinephrine(NE) and epinephrine (E), was developed and validated. The novel catecholamines molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) on the surface of carboxyl-functionalized magnetic-carbon nanotube (CF@m-CNTs-MIP) was synthesized and characterized by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The CF@m-CNTs-MIP was used as the d-µ-SPE sorbent to extract catecholamines from human plasma samples. The obtained results demonstrated the higher extraction capacity of CF@m-CNTs-MIP with recoveries between 87.5-110%. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for NE, E and DA were 76 ng/L, 18 ng/L and 10 ng/L, respectively. Validation results on linearity, specificity, accuracy, precision and stability, as well as on application to the analysis of catecholamines in 120 healthy volunteers demonstrated the applicability to clinical studies.

Identification of suitable reference genes for gene expression studies by qRT-PCR in the blister beetle Mylabris cichorii.

The blister beetle Mylabris cichorii L. (Coleoptera: Meloidae) is a traditional medicinal insect recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. It synthesizes cantharidin, which kills cancer cells efficiently. Only males produce large amounts of cantharidin. Reference genes are required as endogenous controls for the analysis of differential gene expression in M. cichorii. Our study chose 10 genes as candidate reference genes. The stability of expression of these genes was analyzed by quantitative PCR and determined with two algorithms, geNorm and Normfinder. We recommend UBE3A and RPL22e as suitable reference genes in females and UBE3A, TAF5, and RPL22e in males.

Heme oxygenase-1 and gut ischemia/reperfusion injury: A short review.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of the gut is a significant problem in a variety of clinical settings and is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Although the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of gut I/R injury have not been fully elucidated, it is generally believed that oxidative stress with subsequent inflammatory injury plays an important role. Heme oxygenase (HO) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of heme, followed by production of CO, biliverdin, and free iron. The HO system is believed to confer cytoprotection by inhibiting inflammation, oxidation, and apoptosis, and maintaining microcirculation. HO-1, an inducible form of HO, serves a vital metabolic function as the rate-limiting step in the heme degradation pathway, and affords protection in models of intestinal I/R injury. HO-1 system is an important player in intestinal I/R injury condition, and may offer new targets for the management of this condition.