Seasonal patterns, fate and ecological risk assessment of pharmaceutical compounds in a wastewater treatment plant with Bacillus bio-reactor treatment.

Pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) pose a growing concern with potential environmental impacts, commonly introduced into the environment via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The occurrence, removal, and season variations of 60 different classes of PhCs were investigated in the baffled bioreactor (BBR) wastewater treatment process during summer and winter. The concentrations of 60 PhCs were 3400 ± 1600 ng/L in the influent, 2700 ± 930 ng/L in the effluent, and 2400 ± 120 ng/g dw in sludge. Valsartan (Val, 1800 ng/L) was the main contaminant found in the influent, declining to 520 ng/L in the effluent. The grit chamber and BBR tank were substantially conducive to the removal of VAL. Nonetheless, the BBR process showcased variable removal efficiencies across different PhC classes. Sulfadimidine had the highest removal efficiency of 87 ± 17% in the final effluent (water plus solid phase). Contrasting seasonal patterns were observed among PhC classes within BBR process units. The concentrations of many PhCs were higher in summer than in winter, while some macrolide antibiotics exhibited opposing seasonal fluctuations. A thorough mass balance analysis revealed quinolone and sulfonamide antibiotics were primarily eliminated through degradation and transformation in the BBR process. Conversely, 40.2 g/d of macrolide antibiotics was released to the natural aquatic environment via effluent discharge. Gastric acid and anticoagulants, as well as cardiovascular PhCs, primarily experienced removal through sludge adsorption. This study provides valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of PhCs in wastewater treatment, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies to effectively mitigate their release and potential environmental risks.

[Rats hyperuricemia model established by lipid emulsion simulating irregular of diet].

Due to the irregular of diet and overfeeding greasy and surfeit flavor closely associated with hyperuricemia disease, the lipid emulsion containing high cholesterol was used to model. To obtain a more stable and sustained animal model for the efficacy evaluation of traditional Chinese herbs, we observed the influence on the serum uric acid of rat induced by the lipid emulsion compared with high purine diet. 36 SD male rats were randomized to the normal control group, high purine diet group and lipid emulsion group respectively. The general behavior, body weight and daily food intake of rats were observed. The orbital blood was taken to separate into the serum and 24 hours urine was collected. The serum indexes such as UA, BUN, Cr, ALT, AST, TC, TG, LDL-c were determined every 2 weeks, and XOD, ADA enzyme activity were determined at the 4th week. The urine indexes such as UA, Cr and Cua/Ccr were determined at the 4th week. After stopping modeling, the serum UA were determined two weeks and four weeks later respectively. At the 2nd week, the body weight and daily food intake of rats in the lipid emulsion group reduced significantly, and the level of serum UA, BUN, Cr, TC, LDL-c, ATL, AST raised significantly meanwhile TG reduced. At the 4th week, the serum UA in high purine diet group did not raise, and the serum XOD raised obviously while ADA did not; the serum UA in lipid emulsion group was higher significantly, and the serum XOD and ADA raised while Cua/Ccr reduced obviously. At the 6th weeks, the serum UA in both the high purine diet group and lipid emulsion group raised obviously. After stopping modeling, the serum UA in lipid emulsion group still maintained a high level at the 2nd week and back to the normal level at the 4th week. Compared with high purine diet, the hyperuricemia model induced by lipid emulsion forms earlierand more stable. It maybe has great value to study the pharmacodynamics of traditional Chinese medicine treatment to hyperuricemia disease. Its mechanism may be related to increasing XOD and ADA enzyme activity which can promote uric acid synthesis, meanwhile inhibiting of uric acid excretion.

Occurrence, seasonal variations, and fate of household and personal care chemicals in a wastewater treatment plant with Bacillus bioreactor process.

Household and personal care chemicals (HPCCs) constitute a significant component of everyday products, with their global usage on the rise. HPCCs are eventually discharged into municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, the behaviors of HPCCs inside the Bacillus Bioreactor (BBR) process, including their prevalence, fate, and elimination mechanisms, remain underexplored. Addressing this gap, our study delves into samples collected from a BBR process at a significant WWTP in the northeast of China. Our results spotlight the dominance of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LASs) in the influent with concentrations ranging between 238 and 789 µg/L, much higher than the other HPCC concentrations, and remained dominant in the subsequent treatment units. After treatment using the BBR process, the concentrations of HPCCs in the effluent were diminished. Examination of different treatment units underscores the grit chamber removed over 60% of higher-concentration HPCCs, while the performance of the (RBC) tank needs to be improved. Except for the ultraviolet radiation (UV)-filters, seasonal variations exert minimal impact on the concentrations and removal efficiencies of other HPCCs in the BBR process. According to the mass balance analysis, the important mechanisms for HPCC removal were biodegradation and sludge adsorption. Also, the octocrylene (OCT) concerns raised by the environmental risk assessment of the HPCCs residuals in the final effluent, indicate a moderate risk to the surrounding aquatic environment (0.1 < RQ < 1), whereas other HPCCs have a lower risk level (RQ < 0.1). Overall, the research offers new perspectives on the fate and elimination mechanisms of HPCCs throughout the BBR process.

Multimedia distribution, dynamics, and seasonal variation of PAHs in Songhua wetland: Implications for ice-influenced conditions.

The knowledge of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wetlands remains limited. There is a research need for the dynamics between interfaces of multimedia when ice is present in this fragile ecosystem. In this study, sediment, open-water, sub-ice water, and ice samples were collected from the Songhua wetland to study the behaviors of PAHs with and without influences from ice. The concentration of all individual PAHs in sub-ice water (370-1100 ng/L) were higher than the open-water collected from non-ice-covered seasons (50-250 ng/L). Enrichment of PAHs in the ice of wetland was found, particularly for high-molecular-weight PAHs (HMW). This could be attributed to the relatively lower polarity of hydrocarbons compounds, making them more likely to remain in the ice layer during freezing. Source assessments reveal common sources for sub-ice water and ice, which differ from those in the open water in non-ice-covered seasons. This difference is primarily attributed to heating activities in the Harbin during winter. The average percentage contributions were 79% for sub-ice water and 36% for ice related to vehicle exhausts and coal combustion. Additionally, wood burning contributed 25% to sub-ice water and 62% to ice. Sediment in the wetland was found to serve as a final deposit particularly for heavier PAHs, especially those with 6 rings. Sediment also has the potential to act as a source for the secondary emission of low-molecular-weight PAHs (LMW) congeners into the water. PAHs in wetland displayed low ecological risk, while HMW PAHs with relative higher ecological risk is recommended to be further monitored.

Tracing residual patterns and microbial communities of pharmaceuticals and personal care products from 17 urban landfills leachate in China.

Landfill leachate contributes significantly to the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment, and is a crucial source of contamination. To examine the occurrence of PPCPs and microbial communities, this study comprehensively investigated the concentrations of PPCPs and the abundance of microorganisms in the leachate from 17 municipal landfills across China. Generally, Lidocaine, Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate-C11, and Triclocarban, which are closely associated with human activities, exhibited a detection frequency of 100 % in the leachate. Driven by consumer demand, analgesic and antipyretic drugs have emerged as the most prominent PPCPs in leachate (accounting for 39.9 %). Notably, the Ibuprofen peaked at 56.3 µg/L. Regarding spatial distribution, the contamination of PPCPs in leachates from the eastern regions of China was significantly higher than that in other regions, owing to the level of economic development and demographic factors. Furthermore, the 16S rRNA results revealed significant differences in microbial communities among the leachates from different areas. Although the impact of PPCPs on microbial communities may not be as significant as that of environmental factors, most positive correlations between PPCPs and microorganisms indicate their potential role in providing nutrients and creating favorable conditions for microbial growth. Overall, this research offers new perspectives on the residual features of PPCPs and the microbial community structure in leachates from various regions in China.

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in a wastewater treatment plant with Bacillus bio-reactor treatment.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have attracted wide attention due to their environmental impacts and health risks. PPCPs released through wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are estimated to be 80 %. Nevertheless, the occurrence of PPCPs in the WWTPs equipped with Bacillus spec.-based bioreactors (BBR) treatment system remains unclear. In this study, sludge and waste water samples were collected during separate winter and summer sampling campaigns from a typical BBR treatment system. The results indicate that out of 58 target PPCPs, 27 compounds were detected in the waste water (0.06-1900 ng/L), and 23 were found in the sludge (0.6-7755 ng/g dw). Paraxanthine was the chemical of the highest abundance in the influent due to the high consumption of the parent compounds caffeine and theobromine. The profile for PPCPs in the wastewater and sludge exhibited no seasonal variation. Overall, the removal of target PPCPs in summer is more effective than the winter. In the BBR bio-reactor, it was found that selected PPCPs (at ng/L level) can be completely removed. The efficiency for individual PPCP removal was increased from 1.0 % to 50 % in this unit, after target specific adjustments of the process. The effective removal of selected PPCPs by the BBR treatment system is explained by combined sorption and biodegradation processing. The re-occurrence of PPCPs in the wastewater was monitored. Negative removal efficiency was explained by the cleavage of Phase II metabolites after the biotransformation process, and the lack of equilibrium for PPCPs in the sludge of the second clarifier. A compound specific risk quotient (RQ) was calculated and applied for studying the potential environmental risks. Diphenhydramine is found with the highest environmental risk in wastewater, and 15 other PPCPs show negligible risks in sewage sludge.

The effect of energy substrates on PHB accumulation of Acidiphilium cryptum DX1-1.

The effect of glucose and elemental sulfur on the growth and PHB accumulation of Acidiphilium cryptum DX1-1 was investigated. Meanwhile, the differential expressions of 19 genes related with PHB accumulation, sulfur metabolism and carbon fixed in heterotrophy, phytotrophy and mixotrophy were studied by RT-qPCR. The results showed that strain DX1-1 could accumulate PHB with sulfur as the energy substance and atmospheric CO2 as carbon resource. Glucose could improve the growth of strain DX1-1 cultured in medium with sulfur as the energy substance, and almost all the key enzyme-encoding genes related with PHB, sulfur metabolism and carbon fixed were basically up-regulated. PHB polymerase (Arcy_3030), ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (Acry_0825), ribulose-phosphate-epimerase (Acry_0022), and cysteine synthase A (Acry_2560) played important role in PHB accumulation, the modified expression of which could influence the PHB yield. With CO2 as carbon resource, the main initial substance of PHB accumulation for strain DX1-1 was acetyl-CoA, instead of acetate with the glucose as the carbon resource. Because of accumulating PHB by fixed atmospheric CO2 while independent of light, A. cryptum DX1-1 may have specifically potential in production of PHB.

A novel HLA allele, HLA-B*07:248, detected in a Chinese hematopoietic stem cell donor and platelet donor.

HLA-B*07:248 has one nucleotide change from HLA-B*07:18:01 where Tyrosine (Y) is changed to Serine (S).

Physiological evaluation of a new Chlorella sorokiniana isolate for its biomass production and lipid accumulation in photoautotrophic and heterotrophic cultures.

A novel green unicellular microalgal isolate from the freshwater of the Inner Mongolia Province of China and named as CCTCC M209220, grows between pH 6 and 11 and temperatures of 20-35°C with optimal conditions at pH 9 and 30°C. Morphological features and the phylogenetic analysis for the 18S rRNA gene reveal that the isolate is a Chlorella sorokiniana strain. A nitrogen source test reveals that this strain can grow well with nitrate and urea, but not ammonium. The strain can grow heterotrophically with glucose as the carbon source and accumulates lipid content as high as 56% (w/w) dry weight after 7 days in high glucose concentrations compared to 19% lipids achieved in 30 days of photoautotrophic culture. The relative neutral lipid content as a fraction of the total lipid is also much higher in heterotrophic culture as compared to photoautotrophic culture.

Label-free and sensitive microRNA detection method based on the locked nucleic acid assisted fishing amplification strategy.

Herein, a label free and sensitive miRNA detection method with enhanced practical applicability was developed based on the locked nucleic acid (LNA) assisted repeated fishing amplification strategy. The working mechanism of the proposed method is as follows: 1) a DNA probe (i.e, L-DNA) with LNA bases is immobilized onto the surface of a gold foil. The L-DNA hybridizes with the 3' terminus of the first strands of complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) of the target miRNA in the test samples; 2) The protruding 5' terminus of the cDNA serves as a 'fishhook' to repeatedly fish the products of a hybridization chain reaction (HCR) out from a 'reaction tube'; 3) The HCR products can be unloaded from the gold foil into a 'product tube' through temperature-controlled dehybridization; 4) The concentration of the target miRNA is determined based on the fluorescence intensity generated by the addition of SYBR-Green I (SG) into the 'product tube'. The proposed platform was applied to the detection of miRNA-122 in cell lysate samples and obtained quantitative results with accuracy comparable to the quantitative reverse transcription PCR method (qRT-PCR). It is worth pointing out that the proposed platform achieved a limit of detection value of 2.9 fM for miRNA-122 by a simple but effective LNA-assisted repeated fishing amplification strategy instead of complicated enzyme-based amplification techniques. It is reasonable to expect that the proposed method provides a competitive alternative for designing practically applicable, cost-effective and label-free miRNA detection methods.

Involvement of long non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a contributory role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this review, we summarized the current findings of lncRNAs in RA, including cellular function and the potential mechanisms. Serum lncRNA levels are associated with serum proinflammatory cytokines and disease activity. LncRNAs regulate proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), modulate the differentiation of T lymphocytes and macrophages, and affect bone formation-destruction balance of chondrocytes. Besides, lncRNAs are involved in inflammation and cell motivation signaling pathways. In-depth research on lncRNAs may help elucidate the pathogenesis of RA and provides clues for novel treatment targets.

An assumption-free quantitative polymerase chain reaction method with internal standard.

In real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the standard curve between threshold cycle and logarithm of template concentration is currently the gold standard for template quantification. The efficacy of this approach is limited by the necessary assumption that all samples are amplified with the same efficiency. To overcome this limitation, a new method has been proposed in this contribution for quantitative PCR with internal standard. Unlike existing methods based upon analysis of amplification profile position, the new method tries to determine the initial quantity of the target template in a sample from the fluorescence spectrum measured at a certain point during its PCR reaction. There is no unrealistic prerequisite (e.g., constant amplification efficiency) for the successful application of the new method. The performance of the new method was evaluated by the quantification of KRAS gene in HepG2 samples. Quantitative results with recovery rates in the range of 91.2-118% were achieved by the new method. It is reasonable to expect that the new method would have a place in real-time quantitative PCR, thanks to its features of no unrealistic prerequisite, sound theoretical basis, good performance, and implementation simplicity.

[The laboratorial study about relation of balance between trestle and cervical spine of cervical type spondylosis patients].

When 85 cervical type spondylosis patients randomly lay on one's back and on one's right side the 8 different tresles and pillows. We survey indexes of the cervical spine anatomy, for example cervical arcs and angles of cervical spine and level line. We appraise relation of balance between different trestle or pillow and cervical spine. liquid needle-free injection, jet power, stagnation pressure

Effect of early intervention with electroacupuncture on behavior and gut microbiota in mice with post-traumatic stress disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of early intervention with electroacupuncture (EA) on the gut microbiota in a mouse model of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).Methods:Totally 32 C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to the following 4 groups ( n=8 for each group): Control group, EA group, PTSD group and PTSD+ EA group.After 7 days acclimation, mice in the PTSD group and PTSD+ EA group were subjected to modified single prolonged stress (mSPS). Mice in the EA group and PTSD+ EA group received EA (2/15 Hz, 1 mA, dilatational wave, 30 min/d) on "Baihui" for 7 days. Mice in the Control group and PTSD group received false stimulation (stimulated the same acupiont without electricity) for 7 days. Seven days after the last stimulation, elevated plus maze test and fear conditioning test were conducted to observe the effect of EA on PTSD-like behavior of mice. At the same time, feces of the mice were collected for gut microbiota detection by 16S rRNA sequencing.SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical analysis.One-way ANOVA was used for multiple group comparison and Bonferrani test was done for further pairwise comparision. Results:(1) There were statistically differences in the open arm activity time of the elevated plus maze test and the immobility time in contextual and cued fear conditioning test among the four groups ( F=6.93, 5.26, 14.51, all P<0.01). In the elevated plus maze test, mice in PTSD group ((60.17±15.52) s) showed significant less time in the open arms than mice in Control group((96.37±14.62) s) and PTSD+ EA group ((86.89±15.02) s) (both P<0.05). In the fear conditioning test, mice in PTSD group ((121.99±29.67) s, (130.82±29.11) s) showed significant increased immobility time both in contextual and cued fear conditioning tests than mice in Control group((74.50±26.65) s, (39.50±23.52) s) and PTSD+ EA group ((76.77±22.60) s, (102.17±3.39) s)(both P<0.05). (2) There were no significant differences among the four groups in the alpha diversity of gut microbiota ( F=0.79-2.45, all P>0.05). (3)Correlation analysis showed that 13 gut microbiotas were negatively correlated with the immobility time in contextual fear conditioning test, 2 gut microbiotas were positively correlated with it; 7 gut microbiotas were negatively correlated with the immobility time in cued fear conditioning test, 1 gut microbiota was positively correlated with it; 3 gut microbiotas were positively correlated with time spent in open arms of elevated plus maze test. Conclusion:Early intervention with EA can improve anxiety-fear like behaviors and gut microflora disorder in PTSD model mice.

Effects of antibiotic treatment and antibiotics combined with surgery treatment on the prognosis of patients with infective endocarditis / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of antibiotic treatment and antibiotics combined with surgery treatment on the prognosis of patients with infective endocarditis (IE).Methods:The clinical data and prognosis of all patients diagnosed as IE discharged from Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People′s Hospital from June 2011 to May 2021 were collected. There were 240 IE patients, divided into antibiotic treatment group and the antibiotics combined with surgery group according to the treatment methods. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of the IE patients were compared between the two groups, so as to investigate the timing of surgery for IE patients and to analyze the effects of the two treatment methods on the prognosis of IE patients.Statistical analysis methods including Wilcoxon rank sum test, chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were used when appropriate.Results:Of the 240 patients with IE, 63 cases were only treated with antibiotics and 177 cases were treated with antibiotics combined with surgery. After propensity score matching (PSM), one-year mortality rate of the IE patients in the antibiotics combined with surgery group was 11.1%(4/36), which was significantly lower than that in the antibiotic treatment group (33.3%(12/36), χ2=5.14, P=0.023). The median values of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) in the antibiotics combined with surgery group were 59%, 47 mm and 31%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those before surgery (63%, 54 mm and 34%, respectively, Z=6.19, 9.36 and 6.11, respectively, all P<0.001). The most common surgical indication was moderate to severe heart failure, and there was no significant difference between the early operation group and the late operation group (both P>0.050). The one-year cumulative survival rate of antibiotics combined with surgery group was 94.9%, which was significantly higher than that in the antibiotic treatment group (83.2%, χ2=7.38, P=0.007). Heart failure and Pitt bacteremia scores≥4 were the independent risk factors for one-year all-cause death of the IE patients (hazard ratio ( HR)=5.668 and 19.392, respectively, both P<0.050). Hospital days and antibiotics combined with surgery were independent related factors for reducing the risks of one-year all-cause death ( HR=0.931 and 0.299, respectively, both P<0.050). Pitt bacteremia scores≥4 had the greatest impact on one-year prognosis of the IE patients. Conclusions:Surgery could significantly improve cardiac function and one-year prognosis of the IE patients. IE patients with heart failure and Pitt bacteremia score≥4 should be actively treated.

Predictive value of amplitude integrated electroencephalography in neurological prognosis of neonatal bacterial meningitis / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To explore the predictive value of amplitude integrated electroencephalography(aEEG)in the neurological prognosis of children with neonatal bacterial meningitis(NBM).Methods:The clinical data and aEEG results from 148 children diagnosed with NBM who completed aEEG examinations in the Department of Neonatology at Kunming Children′s Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.According to whether aEEG is abnormal, the children were divided into aEEG abnormal group and aEEG non-abnormal group.According to the degree of aEEG abnormality, children with aEEG abnormality were divided into aEEG mild abnormal group and aEEG severe abnormal group.The abnormal rate and abnormal characteristics of aEEG were analyzed; The clinical data of two groups were compared.Results:(1)Among the 148 children with NBM, 49 children had abnormal aEEG, 99 children had no abnormality, and the aEEG abnormal rate was 33.1%.The abnormal aEEG was manifested as delayed sleep-wake cycle maturation in 39 (26.3%) cases, abnormal discharge in eight (5.4%) cases, and abnormal background activity in one (0.6%) case.(2)The proportion of children with convulsive seizures and refractory NBM in aEEG abnormal group were significantly higher than those in aEEG non-abnormal group ( P<0.05). In the routine and biochemical abnormal indexes of cerebrospinal fluid, the proportion of protein >3 g/L, cerebrospinal fluid leukocyte>500×10 6/L, cerebrospinal fluid glucose<1.5 mmol/L, positive cerebrospinal fluid culture, positive blood and cerebrospinal fluid culture, abnormal head MRI in aEEG abnormal group significantly increased ( P<0.05); While there was no significant difference regarding blood routine leukocyte abnormality, CRP increase, and positive blood culture ratio between two groups ( P>0.05). (3) 148 cases of NBM children were followed up to 15 months old, 119 (80.4%) cases completed the follow-up, the loss rate was 19.6%, three cases died, and 11 cases had psychomotor retardation.Compared with the children with abnormal aEEG, the prognosis of children with NBM was significantly different, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient r was 0.315 ( P<0.05). COX regression was used to analyze the predictive value of each index for adverse outcomes. Abnormal aEEG was an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in children with NBM ( OR=7.452, 95% CI 1.605-34.591, P<0.05). Conclusion:The aEEG monitoring of children with NBM, if abnormal, may indicate severe NBM, which is likely to be transformed into refractory NBM or has a poor prognosis.

Underlying renal insufficiency: the pivotal risk factor for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in immunosuppressed patients with non-transplant glomerular disease.

PURPOSES: Data on PCP in patients with glomerular disease are rare. The aim of this study was to assess the predictors of PCP development, the risk factors for mortality and the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) when high-dose trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) was used in patients with non-transplant glomerular disease. METHODS: Forty-seven patients with PCP, as confirmed by positive results for Pneumocystis jirovecii DNA or Pneumocystis jirovecii cysts tested by a methenamine silver stain between January 1, 2003, and December 30, 2012, were retrospectively investigated. The baseline characteristics of glomerular disease, clinical findings of PCP and renal parameters after treatment were collected. Predictors for PCP development and risk factors for mortality were determined using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: All PCP patients exclusively received immunosuppressants. Baseline renal insufficiency [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min·1.73 m2] was present in 87.23 % of patients. The overall mortality rate was 29.79 %. A pulmonary coinfection and the need for mechanical ventilation were independently associated with PCP mortality. A lower eGFR, lower serum albumin level and a higher percentage of global glomerulosclerosis were independent predictors of PCP in patients with IgA nephropathy receiving immunosuppressants. AKI occurred in 60.47 % of patients who received TMP-SMX. After treatment cessation, 93.75 % of surviving patients showed a recovery of renal function to baseline values. CONCLUSIONS: PCP is a fatal complication in patients with glomerular disease, and the use of immunosuppressants may be a basic risk factor for this infection. Underlying renal insufficiency and high renal pathology chronicity are the key risk factors for PCP in IgA nephropathy. TMP-SMX therapy remains an ideal choice because of high treatment response and frequently reversible kidney injury.

Involvement of long non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a contributory role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this review, we summarized the current findings of lncRNAs in RA, including cellular function and the potential mechanisms. Serum lncRNA levels are associated with serum proinflammatory cytokines and disease activity. LncRNAs regulate proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), modulate the differentiation of T lymphocytes and macrophages, and affect bone formation-destruction balance of chondrocytes. Besides, lncRNAs are involved in inflammation and cell motivation signaling pathways. In-depth research on lncRNAs may help elucidate the pathogenesis of RA and provides clues for novel treatment targets.

[TiO2nanotubes functionalized with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 enhance biological activity in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of TiO2nanotube arrays covalently modified by recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein- 2(rhBMP- 2) on the early bioactivity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in vitro and to provide experimental evidence for the biochemical modification of titanium implants. METHODS: In the experiment group, double titanium nanotube arrays were prepared by anodization, and were chemically grafted with rhBMP- 2. Mechanically polished pure titanium was used as blank control group, and titanium dioxide nanotubes was used as negative control A group, and titanium dioxide nanotubes + carbonyldiimidazole as negative control B group. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE- SEM) and X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to detect the morphology and physicochemical properties of the experiment group, blank control group and the negative control group. Cell adhesion on the specimen surface of the experiment group, blank control group and negative control group on the 1st day was tested. Cell proliferation on the 1st, 3rd and 5th day and alkaline phosphatase activity on the 5th, 7th and 11th day was also tested. RESULTS: FE- SEM showed that the surface of titanium nanotubes loaded with rhBMP- 2 possessed visible miliary particulate matter. XPS showed that nitrogen peak in the group of titanium nanotubes loaded with rhBMP-2 was significantly greater that those in the other groups. FE- SEM showed that the cells on the surface of the experimental group on the 1st day spread well, better than those in the control group and negative control group. Cell proliferation activity on the 1st day in different groups was not obvious (P>0.05), the A value of the experimental group on the 3rd and 5th day (3.295 ± 0.153, 3.823 ± 0.059) were significantly higher than those in the control group (2.479 ± 0.064, 3.131 ± 0.096) and negative control A group (2.715 ± 0.075, 3.371 ± 0.047) and negative control B group (2.756 ± 0.132, 3.637 ± 0.047) (P<0.05). Alkaline phosphatase activity on the 5th, 7th and 11th day in the experimental group (0.0477 ± 0.0287, 0.0615 ± 0.0016, 0.0667 ± 0.0018) were better than those in the control group, negative control A group and negative control B group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Titanium nanotube arrays can be loaded with rhBMP-2 by biochemical methods and have good biocompatibility.

Mediating effects of metabolic related indicators on the association between childhood overweight/obesity and left ventricular hypertrophy / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To examine the mediating effects of blood pressure, glucose, lipids, and serum uric acid on the association between childhood overweight/obesity and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and to provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases during childhood.@*Methods@#One public school in Huantai County, Zibo City was selected to conduct the baseline survey from November 2017 to January 2018 using a convenient cluster sampling method. A total of 1 400 children aged 6 to 11 were included in the study. According to the classification criteria based on body mass index (BMI), participants were divided into the non overweight/obese group ( n =787) and the overweight/obese group ( n =613). The mediating effects of metabolic variables on the association between childhood overweight/obesity and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) were analyzed using the "mediation" package in R software.@*Results@#Children who were overweight/obese had higher levels of BMI- Z score (2.0±0.8), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (109.1±8.9 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (65.4±6.8 mmHg), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (4.8±0.5 mmol/L), insulin (INS) (11.3±7.6 μU/mL), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) (0.7±0.2 g/L), lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (2.4±0.7 mmol/L), total cholesterol (TC) (4.2±0.9 mmol/L), triglycerides (TG) (0.9±0.4 mmol/L), and serum uric acid (SUA) (321.2±91.4 μmol/L) compared to those who were non-overweight/obese [the corresponding values were (-0.2±0.7),(104.3±8.8) mmHg, (62.2±6.2) mmHg, (4.7±0.6) mmol/L, (6.1±4.2) μU/mL, (0.6±0.2) g/L, (2.2±0.6) mmol/L, (4.1±0.7) mmol/L, (0.7±0.2) mmol/L, and (278.6±74.7) μmol/L, respectively], whereas the levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were lower in overweight/obese children (1.5±0.3 mmol/L) than in non-overweight/obese children (1.7±0.4 mmol/L). All differences were statistically significant ( t =53.66, 9.88, 9.19, 3.60, 16.32, 7.36, 5.11, 2.55, 11.08, 9.58, -10.31, P <0.05). After adjusting for potential covariates, overweight/obese children had 8.72 times increased risk of developing LVH compared to the non-overweight/obese children ( OR=8.72, 95%CI =5.45-14.66， P <0.01). Mediation analysis showed that INS, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG, ApoB, and SUA partially mediated the association between childhood overweight/obesity and LVH, and among these, INS and TG had relatively strong mediating effects, accounting for 28.05% and 13.71% of the total effects, respectively.@*Conclusions@#INS, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG, ApoB, and SUA are intermediate risk factors on the association between childhood overweight/obesity and LVH. Keeping metabolic indicators (especially INS and TG) at healthy levels is particularly important for reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases in overweight/obese children.