Disposal and utilization of dead animals during breeding in livestock and poultry farming by means of synthetic microbiota.

The disposal of animal remains resulting from breeding is a significant challenge that impacts the industry's growth. To address the issues with current treatment methods, such as the large space required for corpse storage, and the high energy consumption of pyrolysis. Three strains with high protease and lipase production and one strain with high keratinase production were screened. The virulence genes were evaluated, the synthesis gene clusters of degrading enzymes were mined, secondary metabolites of each strain were analyzed, and the bacterial community with both growth rate and enzyme production ability was developed. Therefore, a microbial degradation method with mild reaction conditions and rapid liquefaction of animal residues was developed. The liquid degradation of four common farm-raised animal residues (sheep, cattle, chickens, and pigs) was tested under laboratory conditions. The results showed that the liquid degradation of animal residues was achieved within 144 h, transforming the months-long anaerobic process of traditional compost fermentation process into a mere 6 days' anaerobic process. N, P, K plant nutrients accounted for 15% of the total matrix, pH value was 5.5-6.7, heavy metal content was less than 0.2 mg L-1. Designed and improved fermentation equipment, produced a 3 m³ fermentation equipment, used in chicken, pig two types of animal residues pilot test. The emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 in the entire degradation process were 1.6 × 104 ppm, which was 481 times less than that of composting by 7.7 × 106. This study provides a solution for the treatment of dead livestock and poultry, which has promotional and practical value.

PDMS-filled micro-spring Fabry-Perot cavity for temperature sensing.

A highly sensitive fiber-tipped temperature sensor based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-filled spring Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The spring FP cavity is first fabricated on the fiber endface by the two-photon polymerization lithography. After that, PDMS is filled into the cavity to drive the elongation of the flexible spring and thus to functionalize high-performance temperature sensing. Benefiting from the large thermal expansion coefficient of PDMS, the proposed sensor exhibits a maximal temperature sensitivity of 704.3 pm/°C with excellent operating repeatability and stability. Besides, by selecting a proper spring constant k, the FP sensitivity can be precisely adjusted in the range of 100-700 pm/°C. Thanks to the advantages of high fabrication accuracy and designable property, the proposed sensor could promote numerous usages for customizable temperature sensing.

Radiobacillus kanasensis sp. nov., a halotolerant bacterium isolated from woodland soil.

A novel Gram-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile, endospore-forming salt-tolerant bacterium strain (80T), was isolated from woodland soil collected near Kanas lake in the Altay region of Xinjiang, PR China. The strain grew at 15-45 °C, pH6.0-9.0 and with 0-14 % (w/v) NaCl. The complete genome size of the novel strain was 4 031 766 bp including a circle chromosome and a circle plasmid. The genomic DNA G+C content was 38.99 mol %. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and genome showed that strain 80T has the highest similarity to Radiobacillus deserti TKL69T. However, the novel strain showed an average nucleotide identity value of 78.65 % (lower than 95 %) and a digital DNA-DNA hybridization value of 22.30 % with R. deserti TKL69T based on the genome sequences. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17:0 and C16 : 1 ω7c alcohol. The only respiratory quinone was MK-7. The cell wall peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified phospholipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid and two unidentified glycolipids were identified as the major polar lipids. The phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses showed that strain 80T represents a novel species of the genus Radiobacillus and the name Radiobacillus kanasensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 80T (=GDMCC 1.2844T=JCM 35077T).

Treatment persistence of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide and efavirenz + lamivudine + tenofovir disoproxil among HIV-1 patients newly starting treatment in Hunan Province in China.

BACKGROUND: Though bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir (BIC/FTC/TAF) have been regulatory approved and included in the National Reimbursement Drug List in China, due to the affordability concern, generic version of efavirenz + lamivudine + tenofovir (EFV + 3TC + TDF) is still recommended as the first-line therapy in the clinical guideline and widely used in clinical practice. The aim of the study is to assess the persistence with first-line BIC/TAF/TAF and EFV + 3TC + TDF in newly treated HIV-1 patients in the real-world setting in Hunan Province in China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical records of HIV patients initiating first-line antiretroviral therapy in the First Hospital of Changsha in January 1st, 2021-July 31st, 2022 was conducted. Persistence was assessed as the number of days on the therapy from the index until treatment discontinuation or end of data availability. Kaplan-Meier Curves and Cox Proportional Hazard models were used to evaluate the discontinuation rates. Subgroup analysis was performed excluding BIC/FTC/TAF patients with treatment discontinuation due to economic reason, and EFV + 3TC + TDF patients with a viral load > 500,000 copies/mL. RESULTS: A total of 310 eligible patients were included in the study, with 244 and 66 patients in the BIC/FTC/TAF group and EFV + 3TC + TDF group, respectively. Compared with EFV + 3TC + TDF patients, BIC/FTC/TAF patients were older, more living in the capital city currently, and had significantly higher total cholesterol and low-density level (all p < 0.05). No significant difference was shown in the time to discontinuation between BIC/FTC/TAF patients and EFV + 3TC + TDF patients. After excluding BIC/FTC/TAF patients with treatment discontinuation due to economic reason, EFV + 3TC + TDF group were shown to have a significantly higher risk of discontinuation than BIC/FTC/TAF group (hazard ratio [HR] = 11.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-93.2). After further removing the EFV + 3TC + TDF patients with a viral load > 500,000 copies/mL, the analysis showed similar results (HR = 10.1, 95% CI = 1.2-84.1). 79.4% of the EFV + 3TC + TDF patients discontinued treatment due to clinical reasons, while 83.3% of the BIC/FTC/TAF patients discontinued treatment due to economic reasons. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with BIC/FTC/TAF, EFV + TDF + 3TC patients were significantly more likely to discontinue the first-line treatment in Hunan Province in China.

Hardware optical correlation method for dynamic detection of micrometer gaps with sub-nanometer resolution.

Surface plasmon lithography breaks through the diffraction limit with surface plasmon effect and achieves high-resolution imaging below sub-wavelengths. The dynamic detection and control of the working distance between the mask and the substrate is particularly important for the quality of the lithography samples. In this paper, the mask-substrate gap sensing mechanism is analyzed, and a mask-substrate gap absolute distance measurement model is established based on the principle of white light interference. We design a Fizeau interferometer demodulation system based on a hardware optical correlation method, and focus on analyzing the influence of the sub-nanometer surface profile of the optical wedge on the resolution. Finally, we propose a data processing method for extracting the dynamic gap value by SSA (singular spectrum analysis). The experimental results show that the system shows high performance with a gap detection range of 3.0∼6.0 µm, the stability of ±0.12 nm, and the resolution of better than 0.30 nm.

Raman enhancement mechanism and experiments of cavity-enhanced AgNP decorated tapered fiber sensor.

A Raman sensor based on a cavity-enhanced Ag nanoparticle (AgNP) decorated tapered fiber is proposed. Its Raman enhancements are mainly caused by the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of AgNPs decorated on the tapered optical fiber surface and the further reflective laser excitation induced by the capillary-based reflective cavity. We theoretically investigate the backward Stokes power conversion efficiency and cavity enhancement factor of the sensor. The calculated relationship between the cavity enhancement factor ξ and distance L from the tip to reflective rod is also discussed. Subsequently, the proving experiments were carried out for a tapered fiber surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) probe and cavity-enhanced metal decorated tapered fiber Raman sensors. The analytical enhancement factor is 5.51×104 for the tapered fiber SERS probe. Moreover, the predicted curves of the theoretical model are close to the experimental values. This Letter provides a possible way to rigorously quantify the complete coupling efficiency for tapered fiber SERS probes, as well as cavity enhancement factors of cavity-enhanced Raman sensors.

[Clinical practice guideline for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with traditional Chinese medicine (draft version for comments)].

By referring to the standards and procedures of WHQ Handbook for Guideline Development, under the guidance of relevant laws, regulations, and technical documents, in line with the principle of "evidence-based, consensus-based, experience-based", and based on the best available evidences, fully combined with expert experience and patient preferences, we summarized eight clinical questions in this paper: can traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment improve the clinical symptoms and the degree of dyspnea in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) Can TCM treatment reduce the number of exacerbations in patients with stable COPD? Can TCM treatment improve the exercise tolerance of patients with stable COPD? Can TCM treatment improve the quality of life of patients with stable COPD? Can TCM treatment delay the decline of lung function in patients with stable COPD? Can TCM treatment improve anxiety and depression in patients with stable COPD? Does the point application therapy benefit patients with stable COPD? Can non-pharmacological treatment benefit patients with stable COPD? Based on these eight clinical problems, the cha-racteristics of TCM itself, and actual clinical situation, the recommendations of TCM to treat the stable COPD were formed in this guideline, with intention to provide advice and guidance to clinicians in the use of TCM to treat stable COPD, to relieve symptoms, improve exercise tolerance, improve health status, prevent disease progression, prevent and treat exacerbations, and improve clinical efficacy. Due to the influence of the user's region, nationality, race and other factors, the implementation of this guideline should be based on the actual situations.

[Editorial explanation for clinical practice guideline for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with traditional Chinese medicine].

As an important auxiliary document in the process of guideline development, the editorial explanation is the extension and complement to the content of the guideline, a basis for fully understanding the technical content of the guideline, an indispensable document for the guideline's traceability. The project team of this guideline, while formulating the Clinical practice guideline for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with traditional Chinese medicine(draft version for comments), also has written the corresponding editorial explanation. In order to enable the relevant medical workers to more accurately understand and apply the guideline, but also to provide readers with a more in-depth understanding of the reasons and processes for the development of the guideline, the paper will give a detailed introduction to the compilation process about the guideline, includes: work overview(project background, task source, drafting and collaboration unit, project team members and their division of labor), main technical content(the basis and principles of guideline development, technical route), main compilation process(the establishment of project team, the formulation of the guideline plan, the project approval and the registration of research programme, the construction of clinical issues and the selection of outcome indicators, evidence search screening and synthesis, evidence evaluation and grading, the formation of recommendations, the writing of exposure draft, external review and self-assessment, etc), expert consensus implementation requirements and measure suggestions(promotion and implementation measures, and post-effect evaluation), other issues need to be explained and so on.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis on efficacy and safety of Liujunzi Decoction combined with Western medicine for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

To systematically review the efficacy and safety of Liujunzi Decoction combined with Western medicine in the treatment of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD). Three English databases and four Chinese databases were systematically searched from the database establishment to April 1, 2020. We screened randomized controlled trial(RCT) according to the pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, then extracted data. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed with Cochrane bias risk evaluation tool. Data were analyzed by using RevMan 5.3. A total of 401 articles were retrieved and finally 17 RCTs were included in this study, involving 1 447 patients, and the overall quality of the included studies was not high. Meta-analysis showed that, in reducing traditional Chinese medicine symptom score, Liujunzi Decoction combined with conventional Western medicine or Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation was superior to conventional Western medicine or Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation alone. In reducing the grade of modified medical research council(mMRC), Liujunzi Decoction combined with Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation was superior to Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation alone. In reducing COPD assessment test(CAT) score, Liujunzi Decoction combined with conventional Western medicine was superior to conventional Western medicine alone. In delaying the decline of forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV_1) or % in the expected value, Liujunzi Decoction combined with conventional Western medicine or Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation was superior to conventional Western medicine or Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation alone. In delaying the decline of ratio of FEV_1 to forced vital capacity(FEV_1/FVC), Liujunzi Decoction combined with conventional Western medicine was superior to conventional Western medicine alone, but there was no statistical difference between Liujunzi Decoction combined with Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation and Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation alone. In reducing acute exacerbation rate, there was no statistical difference between Liujunzi Decoction combined with Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation and Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation alone. On the other outcome measures of Liujunzi Decoction combined with other Western medicine, Meta-analysis could not be conducted and conclusions due to the inclusion of only one study. In terms of the occurrence of adverse reactions, some studies did not mention, so the safety of Liujunzi Decoction combined with Wes-tern medicine could not be determined in this paper. Due to the limitations of the quality and quantity of inclu-ded studies, the efficacy of Liujunzi Decoction combined with Western medicine for COPD still needs more high-quality studies for confirmation, and its safety needs to be further verified.

[Systematic review and Meta-analysis on efficacy and safety of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

To systematically review the efficacy and safety of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction in the treatment of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) at the stable stage. Three English databases and four Chinese databases were systematically searched from the database establishment to August 1, 2020. Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) were screened according to the pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then the data were extracted. Methodological quality of the included studies was assessed based on Cochrane bias risk tool, and RevMan 5.3 was used for data analysis. A total of 389 articles were retrieved and finally 18 RCTs were included in this study, involving 1 566 patients, and the overall quality of the included studies was not high. Meta-analysis showed that, in terms of improving 6-minute walk distance(6 MWD), and delaying the decline of forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV_1) or its % in the expected value as well as the decline in ratio of FEV_1 to forced vital capacity(FVC), Buzhong Yiqi Decoction alone or in combination with conventional Western medicine was superior to conventional therapy Western medicine alone. Subgroup analysis showed that, in terms of reducing traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores, Buzhong Yiqi Decoction combined with conventional treatment was superior to conventional treatment. In terms of reducing the grade of modified medical research council(mMRC), Buzhong Yiqi Decoction combined with conventional treatment was superior to conventional treatment. In terms of improving 6 MWD, Buzhong Yiqi Decoction combined with conventional treatment or Tiotropium Bromide Powder for Inhalation was superior to conventional treatment alone or Tiotropium Bromide Powder for Inhalation alone. In terms of delaying the decline of FEV_1 or its % in the expected value, Buzhong Yiqi Decoction combined with conventional treatment or Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation or Tiotropium Bromide Powder for Inhalation was superior to conventional treatment or Salmeterol Xinafoate and Fluticasone Propionate Powder for Inhalation or Tiotropium Bromide Powder for Inhalation alone, and Buzhong Yiqi Decoction alone was superior to Theophylline alone. In terms of delaying the decline in FEV_1/FVC, Buzhong Yiqi Decoction combined with conventional treatment was superior to conventional treatment, and Buzhong Yiqi Decoction alone was superior to Theophylline alone. Meta-analysis of other outcome measures was not available and no conclusion can be drawn due to the inclusion of only one study. As some studies did not mention the adverse reactions, no safety comments can be made for Buzhong Yiqi Decoction alone or combined with conventional Western medicine. Due to the limitations of the quality and quantity of included studies, the conclusions of this research should be treated with caution. The efficacy of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction for stable COPD still needs more high-quality studies for confirmation, and its safety needs to be further verified.

[Analysis of acupoint selection of plaster therapy in treatment of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on data mining].

This article analyze acupoint selection and characteristics of plaster therapy for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary di-sease(COPD) by data mining. The CNKI, VIP, CBM, WanFang, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library were retrieved for collecting clinical studies of plaster therapy for stable COPD. After literature screening, a total of 46 systematic reviews were included. Frequency statistics, cluster analysis, and Apriori correlation analysis were used to analyze the pattern and characteristics of plaster therapy for stable COPD. The result showed that the main acupoints for stable COPD were BL13, Dingchuan, CV22, BL23 and BL20. The acupoints used are mainly concentrated on the chest and back. The most frequently used meridian is the bladder meridian. Analysis of the acupoints yielded 27 correlation rules. And cluster analysis grouped the high frequency acupoints into 5 categories. The results of the study showed that the current choice of acupoints is rather concentrated. "Local acupuncture points" and "matching points with front and back" were the main acupoint selection rules. The choice of acupuncture points reflected the traditional Chinese medicine treatment principle of strengthening healthy Qi to eliminate pathogenic factor, treating both manifestation and root cause of disease, and preventing measure taken after the occurrence of disease.

[The construction of urine-derived cell lines from patients with spinal muscular atrophy].

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common neurodegenerative disease in childhood and infancy, clinically characterized by progressive and symmetric muscular weakness and atrophy. Few effective therapies are available now, and SMA is one of the most common genetic causes of infantile mortality. SMA patient-derived cells are beneficial in basic research on this disease, but the most common model cell, fibroblasts can only be obtained through invasive procedures such as muscle or skin biopsy, which are unwelcome to patients and their families. In this study, fresh urine from SMA patients and healthy controls was collected and centrifuged, and the urine sediment was cultured in vitro. The growth characteristics of urine-derived cells were observed, and the survival of motor neuron (SMN) gene, and the amount and localization of SMN protein in different urine cell lines were investigated. In total, 25 urine cell lines from 11 SMA patients and 14 healthy controls were established. These urine-derived cells expand robustly in vitro with stable cell morphological characteristics. The urine cell lines derived from patients carry the SMN1 gene defect and express a low level of SMN protein, while the intracellular localization of SMN protein is normal. Urine-derived cell culture technology is simple, non-invasive and highly reproducible, a way of obtaining and storing rare cell samples from SMA patients with which to study the pathogenesis of SMA.

[Identification and target prediction of conserved microRNAs in Ammopiptanthus mongolicus].

Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, a woody plant growing in the desert, plays a vital role in vegetation maintaining and restoration in the arid region in northwest China. The plant exhibits an extremely high tolerance to abiotic stress such as drought and freezing stresses, and it has been used as an ideal model for abiotic stress tolerance research in trees. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a class of approximately 21nt endogenous non-protein-coding small RNA, which plays an important role in plant growth, development and responses to environmental stresses. By now, a large number of miRNAs have been reported in many plant species, but no studies describing A.mongolicus miRNA were published. In the present study, the types, expression levels, and putative target genes of conserved miRNAs in seedlings of A. mongolicus were analyzed using small RNA deep sequencing technology and bioinformatics methods. Nineteen conserved miRNAs, which belong to 10 miRNA families, were identified, with abundance ranging from 55 to 1920269 reads. Target prediction analysis determined the target genes of 14 conserved miRNAs. The functional classification analysis indicated that the conserved miRNAs participate in the development and environmental response by regulating the biological processes including the transcription regulation, hormone signal transduction, metabolisms and stress resistance.

Washed microbiota transplantation for Clostridioides difficile infection: A national multicenter real-world study.

OBJECTIVES: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been recommended for the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of washed microbiota transplantation (WMT), a new method of FMT, for CDI across various medical settings. METHODS: This multicenter real-world cohort study included CDI patients undergoing WMT. The primary outcome was the clinical cure rate of CDI within 8 weeks after WMT. Secondary outcomes included the CDI recurrence rate and reduction in total abdominal symptom score (TASS) during the follow-up period. Adverse events related to WMT were recorded. RESULTS: Altogether 90.7% (49/54) of CDI patients achieved clinical cure after treated with WMT. The cure rate was 83.3% for cases with severe and complicated CDI (ScCDI) (n = 30) and 100% for non-ScCDI cases (n = 24) (P = 0.059). No difference was observed in the clinical cure rate between patients with first and recurrent CDI (91.9% vs 88.2%, P = 0.645). One week post-WMT, TASS showed a remarkable decrease compared to that at baseline (P < 0.001). Totally, 8.2% (4/49) of patients suffered CDI recurrence during the follow-up period. A WHO performance score of 4, age ≥65 years, higher TASS score, and higher Charlson comorbidity index score were potential risk factors for efficacy (P = 0.018, 0.03, 0.01, 0.034, respectively). Four (3.8%) transient adverse events related to WMT were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the attractive value of WMT for CDI. Early WMT may be recommended for CDI, especially for those in serious condition or with complex comorbidities. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT03895593 (registered on 27 March 2019).

Bending Resistance Covalent Organic Framework Superlattice: "Nano-Hourglass"-Induced Charge Accumulation for Flexible In-Plane Micro-Supercapacitors.

Covalent organic framework (COF) film with highly exposed active sites is considered as the promising flexible self-supported electrode for in-plane micro-supercapacitor (MSC). Superlattice configuration assembled alternately by different nanofilms based on van der Waals force can integrate the advantages of each isolated layer to exhibit unexpected performances as MSC film electrodes, which may be a novel option to ensure energy output. Herein, a mesoporous free-standing A-COF nanofilm (pore size is 3.9 nm, averaged thickness is 4.1 nm) with imine bond linkage and a microporous B-COF nanofilm (pore size is 1.5 nm, averaged thickness is 9.3 nm) with ß-keto-enamine-linkages are prepared, and for the first time, we assembly the two lattice matching films into sandwich-type superlattices via layer-by-layer transfer, in which ABA-COF superlattice stacking into a "nano-hourglass" steric configuration that can accelerate the dynamic charge transportation/accumulation and promote the sufficient redox reactions to energy storage. The fabricated flexible MSC-ABA-COF exhibits the highest intrinsic CV of 927.9 F cm-3 at 10 mV s-1 than reported two-dimensional alloy, graphite-like carbon and undoped COF-based MSC devices so far, and shows a bending-resistant energy density of 63.2 mWh cm-3 even after high-angle and repeat arbitrary bending from 0 to 180°. This work provides a feasible way to meet the demand for future miniaturization and wearable electronics.

First deliveries of felines by transcervical transfer of in vitro-cultured embryos.

Transcervical transplantation of embryos has been wildly used in several species. However, it has not been successful in feline species because of their unique cervix structure combined with poor in vitro culture systems for embryos. In the present study, a simple device to guide the embryo transfer (ET) tube through the cervix and into the uterus was developed. To supply better blastocysts for ET, the in vitro culture system of feline embryos was also optimized. Results showed that 91.67 ± 4.17% of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage in QAU-4 medium compared with 49.17 ± 6.51% in KSOM medium. The total cell number of blastocysts reached 87.1 ± 22.1 in QAU-4 medium compared with 29.8 ± 2.1 in KSOM. Embryoid body formation was also observed in QAU-4 medium. Finally, by the improved technical scheme, CRX (Cone-Rod Homeobox) gene-edited kittens were successfully bred. To date, this is the first report, to our knowledge, of knockout kittens successfully delivered after transcervical ET with a simple transfer tube.

Endovascular Aneurysm Treatment with the Numen Coil Embolization System: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Open-Label Multicenter Noninferiority Trial in China.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the safety and efficacy of the Numen coil compared with the Axium coil in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: Because CATCH (Coil Application Trial in China) is a prospective randomized controlled open-label noninferiority trial conducted in 10 centers across China, patients who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized 1:1 to either a test group (Numen) or a control group (Axium). The primary outcome was based on successful aneurysm occlusion at 6 months follow-up, whereas secondary outcomes included technical success, the recanalization and retreatment rates, and the rate of serious adverse events (SAEs) at 6 months and 12 months follow-up. RESULTS: Between August 2017 and December 2019, 350 patients presenting with 350 aneurysms were enrolled and randomized. Per-protocol analysis showed that the successful aneurysm occlusion rate at 6 months was 91.18% for the test group compared with 91.85% in the control group, with a difference of -0.68% (P = 0.8419), and the overall mortality during the 30-day follow-up period was 1.19% and 1.81% in the test and control group, respectively, showing no significant difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.6837), whereas the SAE incidence during the 12-month follow-up period was 12.50% and 17.47% in the test and control groups, respectively, which was not statistically significant (P = 0.2222). CONCLUSIONS: This trial showed that the Numen coil was noninferior to the Axium coil in terms of intracranial aneurysm embolization and can be considered as a safe and effective coil for treating patients with intracranial aneurysm in clinical practice.

Using rhodamine 123 accumulation in CD8 cells as a surrogate indicator to study the P-glycoprotein modulating effect of cepharanthine hydrochloride in vivo.

The purpose of this study was the use of rhodamine 123 (Rho123) accumulation in peripheral blood CD8(+)cells as a surrogate indicator to evaluate the modulating effect of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitors in the multidrug resistance (MDR) tumor-bearing mouse model. Rho123 was administered to mice, and the fluorescence level in CD8(+) cells was measured. Cepharanthine hydrochloride (CH) and verapamil (VER), two P-gp inhibitors, were administered to mice 1 hour prior to Rho123 administration in vivo or added to peripheral blood 1 hour prior to Rho123 addition ex vivo. The tumor inhibition effect of 5-fluorouracil/adriamycin/cisplatin (FAP) protocol plus CH was also investigated. A concentration- or dose-response relationship was shown between the concentration and dose of CH and Rho123 accumulation or the antitumor activity. In conclusion, the measurement of Rho123 accumulation in CD8(+) cells provides a surrogate assay for the screening of candidate P-gp inhibitors in preclinical trials, and CH is effective in modulating P-gp-mediated MDR in vivo.

A novel bio-electrochemical ascorbic acid sensor modified with Cu4(OH)6SO4 nanorods.

Cu(4)(OH)(6)SO(4) (brochantite) is an undesirable oxidation product of copper-bearing sulfides, and it is seldom considered to be biologically and electrochemically active. In this paper, we report that Cu(4)(OH)(6)SO(4) nanoparticles in fact possess an intrinsic electrocatalytic activity, which is explored as a biosensing material to oxidize L-ascorbic acid (AA). The Cu(4)(OH)(6)SO(4) nanorod modified biosensor exhibits excellent performance for the determination of l-ascorbic acid with a response time of less than 8 s, a linear range between 0.017 and 6 mM, and a sensitivity of 17.53 µA mM(-1). A high selectivity towards the oxidation of AA in the presence of dopamine (DA) and acetyl aminophenol (AP) is also observed at their maximum physiological concentrations. The good analytical performance and long-term stability, low cost and straightforward fabrication method made the Cu(4)(OH)(6)SO(4) nanomaterials promising for the development of effective electrochemical sensors for a wide range of potential applications in medicine, biotechnology and environmental chemistry.

Fluorofenidone attenuates diabetic nephropathy and kidney fibrosis in db/db mice.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Fluorofenidone [1-(3-fluorophenyl)-5-methyl-2-(1H)-pyridone, AKF-PD], a novel pyridone agent, showed potent antifibrotic properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of AKF-PD on diabetic nephropathy and kidney fibrosis, and to obtain an insight into its mechanisms of action. METHODS: We administered AKF-PD to diabetic db/db mice for 12 weeks. Moreover, we performed in vitro cultures using murine mesangial cells exposed to high ambient glucose concentrations. RESULTS: AKF-PD reduced renal hypertrophy, mesangial matrix expansion and albuminuria in the db/db mice. The upregulated expression of α1(I)- and α1(IV)-collagen and fibronectin mRNAs, transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) mRNAs and proteins was inhibited by AKF-PD treatment in the renal cortex of db/db mice. The maximal effective dose of AKF-PD was about 500 mg/kg body weight. AKF-PD inhibited the upregulated expression of α1(I)- and α1(IV)-collagens, TGF-ß1, TIMP-1 and α-SMA induced by high glucose concentrations in cultured mesangial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that AKF-PD diminishes the abnormal accumulation of mesangial matrix through the inhibition of upregulated expression of TGF-ß target genes in kidneys of db/db mice, resulting in attenuation of renal fibrosis and amelioration of renal dysfunction despite persistent hyperglycemia. Therefore, AKF-PD, a potent antifibrotic agent, holds great promise in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.