First report of prevalence and assemblage analysis of Giardia duodenalis in pigs from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China.

Giardia duodenalis is a common intestinal protozoan that can cause diarrhea and intestinal disease in animals and in humans. However, the prevalence and assemblages of G. duodenalis in pigs from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have not been reported. In this study, a total of 724 fecal samples (201 from nursery pigs, 183 from piglets, 175 from breeding pigs, and 165 from fattening pigs) were obtained in four areas of the region (Nanning, Yulin, Hezhou, and Guigang). The gene of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) of G. duodenalis was amplified by nested PCR. The results show that the prevalence of G. duodenalis in pigs was 3.59% (26/724), of which 14 samples belonged to assemblage A (53.85%) and 12 samples belonged to assemblage E (46.15%). The infection rates of G. duodenalis in Hezhou, Yulin, Nanning, and Guigang were 0%, 0.7%, 10.8% and 1.1%, respectively (χ2 = 45.616, p < 0.01); whereas 5.1% of breeding pigs, 6.0% of piglets, 2.4% of fattening pigs, and 1.0% of nursery pigs were infected with G. duodenalis (χ2 = 8.874, p < 0.05). The SSU rRNA-positive samples were amplified by PCR based on the ß-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and triphosphate isomerase (tpi) genes. Ten, eight and seven positive samples were detected, respectively. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the three genetic loci sequences, a multilocus genotyping A1 was found. The findings of this study provide basic data for the development of prevention and control of G. duodenalis infections in pigs and humans in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Title: Premier rapport sur la prévalence et l'analyse des assemblages de Giardia duodenalis chez les porcs de la région autonome Zhuang du Guangxi, dans le sud de la Chine. Abstract: Giardia duodenalis est un protozoaire intestinal commun qui peut provoquer des diarrhées et des maladies intestinales chez les animaux et les humains. Cependant, la prévalence et les assemblages de G. duodenalis chez les porcs de la région autonome Zhuang du Guangxi n'ont pas été rapportés. Dans cette étude, un total de 724 échantillons fécaux (201 provenant de jeunes porcelets, 183 de porcelets, 175 de porcs reproducteurs et 165 de porcs à l'engrais) ont été obtenus dans quatre zones de la région (Nanning, Yulin, Hezhou et Guigang). Le gène de la petite sous-unité de l'ARN ribosomal (ARNr SSU) de G. duodenalis a été amplifié par PCR nichée. Les résultats ont montré que la prévalence de G. duodenalis chez les porcs était de 3,59 % (26/724), dont 14 échantillons appartenaient à l'assemblages A (53,85 %) et 12 échantillons à l'assemblage E (46,15 %). Les taux d'infection par G. duodenalis à Hezhou, Yulin, Nanning et Guigang étaient respectivement de 0, 0,7 %, 10,8 % et 1,1 % (χ2 = 45,616, p < 0,01), alors que 5,1 % des porcs reproducteurs, 6,0 % des porcelets, 2,4 % de porcs à l'engrais et 1,0 % des jeunes porcelets étaient infectés par G. duodenalis (χ2 = 8,874, p < 0,05). Les échantillons positifs pour l'ARNr SSU ont été amplifiés par PCR basée sur les gènes de la ß-giardine (bg), de la glutamate déshydrogénase (gdh) et de la triphosphate isomérase (tpi), et dix, huit et sept échantillons positifs ont été détectés, respectivement. Sur la base de l'analyse phylogénétique des trois séquences de loci génétiques, un génotypage multilocus A1 a été trouvé. Les résultats de cette étude fournissent des données de base pour le développement de la prévention et du contrôle des infections à G. duodenalis chez les porcs et les humains dans la région autonome Zhuang du Guangxi.

Anesthesia with ciprofol in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Ciprofol is a novel agent for intravenous general anesthesia. In February 2022, it was approved by the National Medical Products Administration for general anesthesia induction and maintenance. It has the advantages of fast onset, fast elimination, stable circulation, and few adverse reactions. However, the efficacy and safety of ciprofol in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass have not been reported. Here we describe a case where ciprofol was successfully used for anesthesia in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. CASE SUMMARY: A 72-year-old man (height 176 cm; weight 70 kg) was diagnosed with coronary atherosclerotic cardiomyopathy requiring coronary artery bypass grafting and left ventricular aneurysmectomy. Ciprofol was administered for induction (0.4 mg/kg) and maintenance (0.6-1.0 mg/kg/h) of general anesthesia. During the entire operation, the bispectral index, hemodynamics, and blood oxygen saturation were maintained at normal levels. The patient recovered well after surgery, with no serious adverse events related to ciprofol. CONCLUSION: Ciprofol is safe and effective for anesthesia in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS-DERIVED PLASMA EXOSOMAL HMGB1 CONTRIBUTES TO ALVEOLAR EPITHELIAL CELL NECROPTOSIS VIA mtDNA/CGAS/STING PATHWAY.

ABSTRACT: Our previous study confirmed that cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) leads to acute lung injury (ALI) via inducing high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release. Recent research showed that HMGB1 promotes pulmonary injury mainly via exosomes transport. Currently, alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) necroptosis has been demonstrated to be involved in ALI. However, it is unknown whether exosomal inflammatory cytokine HMGB1 promotes ALI by inducing AEC necroptosis, and its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, a prospective cohort study was carried out, in which plasma samples from 21 CPB patients were isolated at four specific time points: pre-CPB, 2, 12, and 24 h after initiation of CPB. Plasma exosomes were extracted via ultra-high-speed centrifugation and cocultured with AEC cell line-A549 cells at increasing concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 µg/mL. Then, HMGB1 antagonist-Box A and mtDNA deficiency ethidium bromide (EtBr) were applied to explore the underlying role of exosomal HMGB1 and cytoplasm mitochondrial DNA in AEC. Western blot analysis showed that plasma exosomal HMGB1 expression gradually increased and peaked at 24 h after CPB. Twenty-four-hour treatment of CPB-derived exosomes at 150 µg/mL for 24 h could induce necroptosis by promoting mitochondrial fission and further elevating cytoplasm mtDNA levels in A549 cells, which was successfully blocked by Box A or EtBr. Most importantly, EtBr significantly inhibited cytoplasm mtDNA downstream guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signal pathway. Collectively, these data demonstrate that CPB-derived plasma exosomal HMGB1 contributes to AEC necroptosis through the mtDNA/cGAS/STING pathway.

MitoQ alleviates LPS-mediated acute lung injury through regulating Nrf2/Drp1 pathway.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been known to cause alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) apoptosis and barrier breakdown that characterize acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome. We aimed to investigate whether mitoquinone (MitoQ), a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, could alleviate LPS-induced AEC damage in ALI and its underlying mechanisms. In vitro studies in AEC A549 cell line, we noted that LPS could induce dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial fission, AEC apoptosis and barrier breakdown, which could be reversed with MitoQ and mitochondrial division inhibitor 1 treatment. Moreover, the protective role of MitoQ was attenuated with Drp1 overexpression. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) downregulation could block the effect of MitoQ by decreasing the expression of Nrf2 target genes in LPS-treated AEC, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). Nrf2 gene knockdown in LPS-treated A549 cells prevented the protective effect of MitoQ from decreasing Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission, AEC apoptosis and barrier breakdown. The lung protective effect of MitoQ by regulating the Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission, AEC apoptosis and barrier breakdown was further confirmed in vivo with LPS-induced ALI mouse model. Additionally, the protective effect of MitoQ was inhibited by Nrf2 inhibitor ML385. We therefore conclude that MitoQ exerts ALI-protective effects by preventing Nrf2/Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission, AEC apoptosis as well as barrier breakdown.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0007364 increases cervical cancer progression through activating methionine adenosyltransferase II alpha (MAT2A) expression by restraining microRNA-101-5p.

Emerging evidence suggested that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in cervical cancer (CC) progression. However, the roles and molecular mechanisms of hsa_circ_0007364 in the tumorigenesis of CC remain unclear. In the present study, we used bioinformatics analysis and a series of experimental analysis to characterize a novel circRNA, hsa_circ_0007364 was up-regulated and associated with advanced clinical features in CC patients. Hsa_circ_0007364 inhibition notably suppressed the proliferation and invasion abilities of CC cells in vitro and reduced tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, hsa_circ_0007364 was uncovered to sponge miR-101-5p. Additionally, methionine adenosyltransferase II alpha (MAT2A) was verified as a target gene of miR-101-5p, and its downregulation reversed the inhibitory effects of hsa_circ_0007364 knockdown on CC progression. Therefore, we suggested that hsa_circ_0007364 might serve as an oncogenic circRNA in CC progression by regulating the miR-101-5p/MAT2A axis, which provides a potential therapeutic target to the treatment. Research highlights hsa_circ_0007364 was upregulated in CC hsa_circ_0007364 promoted CC cell progression hsa_circ_0007364/miR-101-5p/MAT2A axis in CC.

Photo-assisted SCR removal of NO by upconversion CeO2/Pr3+/attapulgite nanocatalyst.

The emission of nitrogen oxides has caused severe harm to the ecosystem; thus, the development of low-cost and high-efficiency denitrification catalysts and new methods are of great significance. In this work, a co-precipitation method was employed to prepare Pr-doped CeO2/attapulgite (CeO2/Pr3+/ATP) nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminance spectroscopy (PL), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were utilized to characterize the products. Results showed that the CeO2/Pr3+ nanoparticles were uniformly coated on the surface of ATP and demonstrated outstanding upconversion effect which converted the visible light to ultraviolet light. The upconversion luminescence of CeO2/Pr3+/ATP was strongest when the molar doping amount of Pr was 1 mol%, and the photo-SCR denitrification achieved the highest of 90% conversion and 95% selectivity when the loading amount of CeO2/Pr3+ was 40 wt%. The ATP and CeO2/Pr3+ constructed an indirect Z-type heterojunction structure mediated by oxygen vacancy which benefited the separation of charge carriers and enhanced the reduction-oxidation potentials, both are responsible for the remarkable denitrification performance.

Loss of miR-1258 contributes to carcinogenesis and progression of liver cancer through targeting CDC28 protein kinase regulatory subunit 1B.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. The number of deaths is proportional to the global incidence, which highlights the aggressive tumor biology and lack of effective therapies. Dysregulation of microRNAs has been implicated in carcinogenesis and progression of liver cancer. Here, we identified that miR-1258 was significantly downregulated in HCC and associated with poor patients' survival. Overexpression of miR-1258 significantly inhibits liver cancer cell growth, proliferation and tumorigenicity through increasing cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and promotes cell apoptosis. Interestingly, stable overexpression of miR-1258 suppresses cell migration, stemness and increases sensitivity of HCC cells to chemotherapy drug like doxorubicin. The CDC28 protein kinase regulatory subunit 1B (CKS1B) was identified as a functional downstream target of miR-1258. Re-expression of CKS1B overcomes miR-1258 induced apoptosis and increases stemness of HCC cells, suggesting that loss of miR-1258 contributes to carcinogenesis and progression of liver cancer through targeting CKS1B . Therefore, loss of miR-1258 may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and blocking miR-1258-CKS1B axis is a potential therapeutic strategy in HCC.

[A prevalence investigation of blindness and vision impairment in 2009 in older adults of Dachang Blocks of Baoshan District, Shanghai, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of blindness and low vision and the leading causes of blindness in residents aged≥60 years in Dachang Blocks of Baoshan District, Shanghai, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out by Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention & Treatment Center and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Baoshan District of Shanghai from October to December in 2009. Randomly cluster sampling was used to identify the adults aged≥60 years who had lived in Dachang Blocks of Baoshan District, Shanghai for more than 10 years. Presenting visual acuity (PVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) based on autorefraction and subjective refraction were measured separately in each eye. External eye, anterior segment and ocular fundus were examined by the ophthalmologist using slit lamp-microscopes direct ophthalmoscopy and non-mydriatic digital camera. And the leading causes of visual impairment were assured. The Chi square test was used between the groups of rate comparison. RESULTS: Of 5199 enumerated subjects≥60 years of age, 87.42% (4545/5199) were examined. All subjects were urban population who were originally changed from the rural population in nearly 10 years. In this population, with best-corrected visual acuity, 30 persons were diagnosed as blindness, 145 persons were diagnosed as low vision. The prevalence of blindness and low vision were 0.67%, 3.19%, respectively. Low vision was associated with female gender. It was statistically significant difference (χ2=4.88, P<0.05). The leading causes of blindness were cataract, macular degeneration, ocular absence or atrophy, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy or corneal diseases. With presenting visual acuity, 39 persons were diagnosed as blindness, 401 persons were diagnosed as low vision. The prevalence of blindness and low vision were 0.86%, 8.82%, respectively. Blindness and low vision were associated with older age. The prevalence of blindness and low vision increased rapidly in aged 75 years or older people. The leading causes of blindness were cataract, uncorrected refractive error, macular degeneration, ocular absence or atrophy, glaucoma. Low vision was associated with female gender. It had statistically significant difference (χ2=13.345, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In rapidly urbanized and aging community of Shanghai, cataract, uncorrected refractive error, macular degeneration were the leading causes of blindness with presenting visual acuity. The prevalence of low vision in females was higher than that of males which had statistically significant difference. These kinds of residents needed more targeted eye health education and services.

Combined photoacoustic and ultrasound biomicroscopy.

We report on the development of an imaging system capable of combined ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging based on a fast-scanning single-element 25-MHz ultrasound transducer and a unique light-delivery system. The system is capable of 20 ultrasound frames per second and slower photoacoustic frame rates limited by laser pulse-repetition rates. Laser and ultrasound pulses are interlaced for co-registration of photoacoustic and ultrasound images. In vivo imaging of a human finger permits ultrasonic visualization of vessel structures and speckle changes indicative of blood flow, while overlaid photoacoustic images highlight some small vessels that are not clear from the ultrasound scan. Photoacoustic images provide optical absorption contrast co-registered in the structural and blood-flow context of ultrasound with high-spatial resolution and may prove important for clinical diagnostics and basic science of the microvasculature.

Effect of organic modifiers on the structure of nickel nanoparticles and catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol.

Spherical nickel nanoparticles with different sizes and different structures were prepared starting from nickel oxalate and using hydrazine hydrate as a reductant in the presence of citric acid, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, Tween 40, and d-sorbitol as organic modifiers. The size and structure of the resultant nickel nanoparticles were affected by using different organic modifiers. All of the nickel nanoparticles showed higher catalytic activity and selectivity than the conventional raney Ni catalyst in the hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol. Although the catalytic activities of the resultant nickel nanoparticles generally increased with decreasing particle size, the structure of nickel nanoparticles also had an important impact on the catalytic activity.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture on obesity induced by antipsychotics].

OBJECTIVE: To find out an effective therapy for obesity induced by antipsychotic agents. METHODS: One hundred and one cases of obesity who were being treated with antipsychotic agents were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group. The observation group were treated with electroacupuncture at Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36), Fenglong (ST 40), Shangjuxu (ST 37) and Xiajuxu (ST 39), once a day for 8 weeks; and no treatment was given to the control group. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) was used for assessment of therapeutic effect and the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) for adverse effects. RESULTS: The clinically effective rate of the observation group (54.9%) was superior to the control group (10.0%) with a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). The BPRS score-reducing rate was 24.92% and 28.62% in the both groups respectively, and with no adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture has a good therapeutic effect on obesity induced by antipsychotic agents, and it improves the patient's compliance with no adverse effect.