Open-Nanogap-Induced Strong Electromagnetic Enhancement in Au/AgAu Monolayer as a Stable and Uniform SERS Substrate for Ultrasensitive Detection.

Nanogap-based plasmonic metal nanocrystals have been applied in surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection, while the closed and insufficient electromagnetic fields as well as the nonreproducible Raman signal of the substrate greatly restrict the actual application. Herein, a highly uniform Au/AgAu monolayer with abundant nanogaps and huge electromagnetic enhancement is prepared, which shows ultrasensitive and reproducible SERS detection. Au/AgAu with an inner nanogap is first prepared based on Au nanotriangles, and the nanogap is opened from the three tips via a subsequent etching process. The open-gap Au/AgAu displays much higher SERS efficiency than Au and Au/AgAu with an inner nanogap on detecting crystal violet due to the open-gap induced electromagnetic enhancement and improved molecular absorption. Furthermore, the open-gap Au/AgAu monolayer is prepared via interfacial self-assembly, which shows further improved SERS due to the dense and strong hotspots in the nanocavities induced by the electromagnetic coupling between adjacent open gaps. The monolayer possesses excellent signal stability, uniformity, and reproducibility. The analytic enhancement factor and relative standard deviation reach to 2.12 × 108 and 4.65% on detecting crystal violet, respectively. Moreover, the monolayer achieves efficient detection of thiram in apple juice, biphenyl-4-thiol, 4-mercaptobenzoic, melamine, and a mixed solution of four different molecules, showing great promise in practical detection.

Analysis of gut microbiota of ladybug beetle (Harmonia axyridis) after feeding on different artificial diets.

BACKGROUND: Harmonia axyridis is an effective natural enemy insect to a variety of phloem-sucking pests and Lepidopteran larvae, such as aphids, scabies, and phylloxera, while its industrial production is limited due to unmature artificial diet. Insect intestinal microbiota affect host development and reproduction. The aim of this study is to understand intestinal microbiota composition of H. axyridis and screen effective probiotics on artificial diet. Considering the role of the components and composition of the diet on the structure and composition of the intestinal microbiome, four kinds of diets were set up: (1) aphid; (2) basic diet; (3) basic diet + glucose; (4) basic diet + trehalose. The gut microbiota of H. axyridis was detected after feeding on different diets. RESULTS: Results showed that the gut microbiota between artificial diet group and aphid groups were far apart, while the basic and glucose groups were clearly clustered. Besides, the glucose group and trehalose group had one unique phylum, Cryptophyta and Candidatus Saccharibacteria, respectively. The highest abundance of Proteobacteria was found in the aphid diet. The highest abundance of Firmicutes was found in the basic diet. However, the addition of glucose or trehalose alleviated the change. In addition, the relative abundance of Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Enterobacteriaceae_unclassified, Enterobacteriales_unclassified and Serratia in the aphid group was higher than other groups. Moreover, the function of gut genes in each group also showed clear differences. CONCLUSION: These results have offered a strong link between artificial diets and gut microbes, and also have provided a theoretical basis for the screening of synergistic probiotics in artificial diet.

The role of lncRNA NEAT1 in human cancer chemoresistance.

Chemotherapy is currently one of the most effective methods in clinical cancer treatment. However, chemotherapy resistance is an important reason for poor chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis, which has become an urgent problem to be solved in the field of cancer chemotherapy. Therefore, it is very important to deeply study and analyze the mechanism of cancer chemotherapy resistance and its regulatory factors. Long non-coding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (LncRNA NEAT1) has been shown to be closely associated with chemotherapy resistance in cancer. NEAT1 induces cancer cell resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs by regulating cell apoptosis, cell cycle, drug transport and metabolism, DNA damage repair, EMT, autophagy, cancer stem cell characteristics, and metabolic reprogramming. This indicates that NEAT1 may be an important target to overcome chemotherapy resistance and is expected to be a potential biomarker to predict the effect of chemotherapy. This article summarizes the expression characteristics and clinical characteristics of NEAT1 in different cancers, and deeply discusses the regulatory role of NEAT1 in cancer chemotherapy resistance and related molecular mechanisms, aiming to clarify NEAT1 as a new target to overcome cancer chemotherapy resistance and the feasibility of chemotherapy sensitizers, with a view to providing a potential therapeutic direction for overcoming the dilemma of cancer resistance in the future.

Scalp cooling therapy for chemotherapy-induced hair loss in patients with breast or gynecological cancers-an Asian tertiary institution experience.

PURPOSE: Scalp cooling therapy (SCT) improves chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA), but there are few published data about its efficacy in an Asian-predominant population. We report our tertiary institution experience of SCT in patients with breast or gynaecological cancers undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: The Paxman scalp cooling system was employed for eligible women with breast or gynaecological cancers receiving anthracycline or taxane-based chemotherapy. Only patients with Grade (G) 0-1 alopecia by common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) version 4.0 were eligible initially, but patients with G2 alopecia were later included in the study. SCT was performed at each chemotherapy cycle, commencing 30 min prior to and continuing up to 90 min after completion of the drug infusion. Patients were assessed at the start and end of each session for hair preservation (defined as G0-2 alopecia) and comfort level of SCT (rated on a 5-point visual scale). The primary end point was success of hair preservation or hair regrowth after completion of all cycles of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Eighty-three patients were enrolled over a period of 18 months from December 2017 to October 2019, with a total of 510 scalp cooling cycles performed. 94.0% (n = 78) of patients reported a comfort score of 3 and above, indicating that the procedure was comfortable, upon a 5-point visual scale. Patients receiving weekly paclitaxel had highest success in hair preservation at 76.7% (23/30 patients), with a lower rate of hair preservation observed for the 3 weekly paclitaxel regimen (50%, 2/4 patients). In contrast, only 1 patient (5.3%, 1/19 patients) who underwent chemotherapy with anthracycline and cyclophosphamide achieved hair preservation. CONCLUSION: SCT is well tolerated in an Asian-predominant population. Among women with breast or gynaecological cancers receiving taxane and/or anthracycline based chemotherapy, those who underwent SCT were about 50% more likely to achieve hair preservation or hair regrowth, as compared to historical controls.

The role of lncRNA HCG18 in human diseases.

A substantial number of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as potent regulators of human disease. Human leukocyte antigen complex group 18 (HCG18) is a new type of lncRNA that has recently been proven to play an important role in the occurrence and development of various diseases. Studies have found that abnormal expression of HCG18 is closely related to the clinicopathological characteristics of many diseases. More importantly, HCG18 was also found to promote disease progression by affecting a series of cell biological processes. This article mainly discusses the expression characteristics, clinical characteristics, biological effects and related regulatory mechanisms of HCG18 in different human diseases, providing a scientific theoretical basis for its early clinical application.

The Cd resistant mechanism of Proteus mirabilis Ch8 through immobilizing and detoxifying.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is a serious global environmental problem, which requires a global concern and practical solutions. Microbial remediation has received widespread attention owing to advantages, such as environmental friendliness and soil amelioration. However, Cd toxicity also severely deteriorates the remediation performance of functional microorganisms. Analyzing the mechanism of bacterial resistance to Cd stress will be beneficial for the application of Cd remediation. In this study, the bacteria strain, up to 1400 mg/L Cd resistance, was employed and identified as Proteus mirabilis Ch8 (Ch8) through whole genome sequence analyses. The results indicated that the multiple pathways of immobilizing and detoxifying Cd maintained the growth of Ch8 under Cd stress, which also possessed high Cd extracellular adsorption. Firstly, the changes in surface morphology and functional groups of Ch8 cells were observed under different Cd conditions through SEM-EDS and FTIR analyses. Under 100 mg/L Cd, Ch8 cells exhibited aggregation and less flagella; the Cd biosorption of Ch8 was predominately by secreting exopolysaccharides (EPS) and no significant change of functional groups. Under 500 mg/L Cd, Ch8 were present irregular polymers on the cell surface, some cells with wrapping around; the Cd biosorption capacity exhibited outstanding effects (38.80 mg/g), which was mainly immobilizing Cd by secreting and interacting with EPS. Then, Ch8 also significantly enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activity and the antioxidant substance content under different Cd conditions. The activities of SOD and CAT, GSH content of Ch8 under 500 mg/L Cd were significantly increased by 245.47%, 179.52%, and 241.81%, compared to normal condition. Additionally, Ch8 significantly induced the expression of Acr A and Tol C (the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) efflux pump), and some antioxidant genes (SodB, SodC, and Tpx) to reduce Cd damage. In particular, the markedly higher expression levels of SodB under Cd stress. The mechanism of Ch8 lays a foundation for its application in solving soil remediation.

A study to untangle the puzzle of urinary incontinence and frailty co-occurrence among older adults: The roles of depression and activity engagement.

AIMS: To explore the co-occurrence of urinary incontinence and frailty by testing the roles of depression and activity engagement guided by the mechanisms of common cause and interaction pathways. DESIGN: A secondary analysis of a 1-year three-wave panel data collected from older nursing home residents in China. METHODS: Changes in depression and activity engagement were regressed on urinary incontinence and frailty incidence underpinned by the common cause mechanism of chronic conditions co-occurrence, and these changes were also taken as mediators linking from frailty to urinary incontinence incidence supported by the interaction pathways' mechanism. RESULTS: A total of 348 older adults were included in this study, and 55.7% were women. The co-occurrence of urinary incontinence and frailty was found in 16.7% of the participants at baseline. Older adults with sole frailty at baseline had almost twice the rate of incident urinary incontinence (32.7%) compared with those without (16.7%) over a 1-year period. The subsample analyses showed that changes in depression and activity engagement failed to significantly predict the incidence of urinary incontinence and frailty. The mediating roles of these changes linking frailty to urinary incontinence incidence were also not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The co-occurrence of urinary incontinence and frailty is prevalent in older nursing home residents. Older adults with frailty at baseline are more likely to develop urinary incontinence a year later. The common cause and interaction pathways mechanisms for the co-occurrence of urinary incontinence and frailty were not verified with changes in depression and activity engagement. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: The phenomenon of urinary incontinence and frailty co-occurrence should be given extreme emphasis. Although statistically significant findings on the roles of depression and activity engagement were not inferred, this study provides multiple possibilities for future studies to test and depict a clear picture of this co-occurrence. IMPACT: What problem did the study address? This study was designed to test the roles of depression and activity engagement in predicting the incidence of urinary incontinence and frailty, and the mediating roles in linking frailty to urinary incontinence incidence. What were the main findings? Despite the methodological pitfalls in literature have been addressed, neither depression nor activity engagement would significantly predict the incidence of urinary incontinence and frailty in older adults. Their mediating roles in linking frailty to urinary incontinence incidence were also not significant. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? Our findings add important pieces of evidence to promote researchers' understanding and provide an important basis for untangling the puzzle of urinary incontinence and frailty co-occurrence. REPORTING METHOD: The report of this study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Environmental high temperature affects pre-implantation embryo development by impairing the DNA repair ability.

Environmental high temperature poses a significant threat to human health, however, limited information is available for understanding the relationship between the hot weather and infertility. This study aims to assess the adverse effect of the hot weather to early embryonic cells. Our results indicated that environmental high temperature exposure could cause the decline of early embryo quality and implantation ability. In detail, it led to early embryonic development retardation, embryo degeneration rate increased, the rate of blastocyst and hatching decreased, and reduced the number of implants. And the finding also the impairment of environmental high temperature on early embryonic cells may be due to oxidative damage of DNA caused by ROS, while BER repair ability is decreased, failing to repair oxidative damage of DNA in time, resulting in a large number of early embryonic apoptosis. The work underscored that pregnant women should stay away from high-temperature environments.

Laccase immobilization and its degradation of emerging pollutants: A comprehensive review.

The chronic lack of effective disposal of pollutants has resulted in the detection of a wide variety of EPs in the environment, with concentrations high enough to affect ecological health. Laccase, as a versatile oxidase capable of catalyzing a wide range of substrates and without producing toxic by-products, is a potential candidate for the biodegradation of pollutants. Immobilization can provide favorable protection for free laccase, improve the stability of laccase in complex environments, and greatly enhance the reusability of laccase, which is significant in reducing the cost of industrial applications. This study introduces the properties of laccase and subsequently elaborate on the different support materials for laccase immobilization. The research advances in the degradation of EDs, PPCPs, and PAHs by immobilized laccase are then reviewed. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of laccase immobilization, as well as the advantages of various support materials, facilitating the development of more economical and efficient immobilization systems that can be put into practice to achieve the green degradation of EPs.

Classification accuracy of machine learning algorithms for Chinese local cattle breeds using genomic markers.

Accurate breed classification is required for the conservation and utilization of farm animal genetic resources. Traditional classification methods mainly rely on phenotypic characterization. However, it is difficult to distinguish between the highly similar breeds due to the challenges in qualifying the phenotypic character. Machine learning algorithms show unique advantages in breed classification using genomic information. To evaluate the classification methods for Chinese cattle breeds, this study utilized genomic SNP data from 213 individuals across seven Chinese local breeds and compared the classification accuracies of three feature selection methods (FST value sorting and screening, mRMR, and Relief-F) and three machine learning algorithms (Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Naive Bayes). Results showed that: 1) using the FST method to screen more than 1500 SNPs, or using the mRMR algorithm to screen more than 1000 SNPs, the SVM classification algorithm can achieve more than 99.47% classification accuracy; 2) the most effective algorithm was SVM, followed by NB, while the best SNP selection method was FST and mRMR, followed by Relief-F; 3) species misclassification often occurs between breeds with high similarity. This study demonstrates that machine learning classification models combined with genomic data are effective methods for the classification of local cattle breeds, providing a technical basis for the rapid and accurate classification of cattle breeds in China.

[Magnetic stimulation combined with moxibustion improves mild to moderate overactive bladder and sexual function in women].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of magnetic stimulation combined with moxibustion on mild to moderate overactive bladder (OAB) and sexual function in women. METHODS: We enrolled 80 female patients with mild to moderate OAB in this study and equally randomized them into a control and an experimental group, the former treated by magnetic stimulation and the latter by magnetic stimulation combined with moxibustion, both for 8 weeks. We obtained from the patients their OAB syndrome scores (OABSS), 72-hour urination diary (72-h UD) scores, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire － Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB) scores and female sexual function indexes (FSFI), and compared them between the two groups before and after intervention. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients completed the study, 37 in the control and 40 in the experimental group. There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline data between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the baseline, the experimental group showed significant improvement after treatment in the OABSS (7.54±1.12 vs 4.46±0.96), 72-h urine volume (ï¼»126.40±46.04ï¼½ vs ï¼»216.63±38.26ï¼½ ml), urination frequency (15.55±3.21 vs 8.03±1.40), ICIQ-OAB score (10.25±1.15 vs 6.32±1.07) and FSFI (20.00±12.40 vs 33.30±21.00) (all P < 0.05), even more significantly than in the control group (OABSS: 4.46±0.96 vs 5.59±0.90; 72-h urine volume: ï¼»216.63±38.26ï¼½ vs ï¼»173.41±15.55ï¼½ ml; urination frequency: 8.03±1.40 vs 9.90±1.49; ICIQ-OAB score: 6.32±1.07 vs 7.89±0.77; FSFI: 33.30±21.00 vs 30.40±10.40) (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Magnetic stimulation combined with moxibustion can improve the symptoms of mild to moderate overactive bladder and improve sexual function in females.

Carbon ions trigger DNA damage response to overcome radioresistance by regulating ß-catenin signaling in quiescent HeLa cells.

Quiescent cancer cells are major impediments to effective radiotherapy (RT) and exhibit limited sensitivity to traditional photon therapy. Herein, the functional role and underlying mechanism of carbon ions in overcoming the radioresistance of quiescent cervical cancer HeLa cells were determined. Briefly, serum withdrawal was used to induce synchronized quiescence in HeLa cells. Quiescent HeLa cells displayed strong radioresistance and DNA repair potential. After irradiation with carbon ions, the DNA damage repair pathway may markedly rely on error-prone nonhomologous end-joining in proliferating cells, whereas the high-precision homologous recombination pathway is more relevant in quiescent cells. This phenomenon could be explained by the ionizing radiation (IR)-induced cell cycle re-entry of quiescent cancer cells. There are three strategies for eradicating quiescent cancer cells using high-linear energy transfer (LET) carbon ions: direct cell death through complex DNA damage; apoptosis via an enhanced mitochondria-mediated intrinsic pathway; forced re-entry of quiescent cancer cells into the cell cycle, thereby improving their susceptibility to IR. Silencing ß-catenin signaling is essential for maintaining the dormant state in quiescent cells. Herein, carbon ions activated the ß-catenin pathway in quiescent cells, and inhibition of this pathway improved the resistance of quiescent HeLa cells to carbon ions by alleviating DNA damage, improving DNA damage repair, maintaining quiescent depth, and inhibiting apoptosis. Collectively, carbon ions conquer the radioresistance of quiescent HeLa cells by activating ß-catenin signaling, which provides a theoretical basis for improved therapeutic effects in patients with middle-advanced-stage cervical cancer with radioresistance.

Subtyping at-risk adolescents for predicting response toward insomnia prevention program.

BACKGROUND: Previous study has shown that a brief cognitive-behavioral prevention insomnia program could reduce 71% risk of developing insomnia among at-risk adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the differential response to insomnia prevention in subgroups of at-risk adolescents. METHODS: Adolescents with a family history of insomnia and subthreshold insomnia symptoms were randomly assigned to a 4-week insomnia prevention program or nonactive control group. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 1 week, and 6- and 12-month after the intervention. Baseline sleep, daytime, and mood profiles were used to determine different subgroups by using latent class analysis (LCA). Analyses were conducted based on the intention-to-treat approach. RESULTS: LCA identified three subgroups: (a) insomnia symptoms only, (b) insomnia symptoms with daytime sleepiness and mild anxiety, and (c) insomnia symptoms with daytime sleepiness, mild anxiety, and depression. The incidence rate of insomnia disorder over the 12-month follow-up was significantly reduced for adolescents receiving intervention in subgroup 3 compared with the controls (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13-0.99; p = .049) and marginally for subgroup 2 (HR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.02-1.08; p = .059). In addition, adolescents who received intervention in subgroups 2 and 3 had a reduced risk of excessive daytime sleepiness (subgroup 2: adjusted OR [AdjOR] = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23-0.87; subgroup 3: AdjOR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.13-0.76) and possible anxiety (subgroup 2: AdjOR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27-0.82; subgroup 3: AdjOR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14-0.78) compared with the controls over the 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents at risk for insomnia can be classified into different subgroups according to their psychological profiles, which were associated with differential responses to the insomnia prevention program. These findings indicate the need for further phenotyping and subgrouping at-risk adolescents to develop personalized insomnia prevention.

Noncovalent composites of meso-substituted A2B2-porphyrins and carbon nanotubes for enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen reduction.

Exploring highly active oxygen reduction electrocatalysts with low precious metals content is imperative but remains a considerable challenge. Herein, a series of heterobimetallic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) electrocatalysts based on metal complexes are presented. These electrocatalysts feature diverse transition metals (M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) 5,15-bromophenyl-10, 20-methoxyphenyl porphyrin (MBMP) and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium (0) (Pd[P(Ph3)4]) anchored non-covalently on its surface. The resulting NiBMP-based MWCNTs with Pd[P(Ph3)4] (PdNiN4/MWCNTs) display outstanding electrocatalytic oxygen reduction activity (onset potential, 0.941 V; half wave potential, 0.830 V) and robust long-term durability in alkaline electrolyte. While in neutral condition, the MnBMP-based MWCNTs with Pd[P(Ph3)4] (PdMnN4/MWCNTs) are the most active heterobimetallic ORR catalyst and produce ultra-low concentration hydrogen peroxide (H2O2yield, 1.2%-1.3%). Synergistically tuning the ORR electrocatalytic activity and electron transfer pathway is achieved by the formation of NiBMP/MnBMP-Pd[P(Ph3)4] active sites. This work indicates such metalloporphyrin-Pd[P(Ph3)4] active sites on MWCNTs have significantly positive influence on electrocatalytic ORR systems and provides facile and mild strategy for designing highly efficient ORR electrocatalysts with ultra-low loading precious metal.

Optimized electromagnetic enhancement and charge transfer in MXene/Au/Cu2O hybrids for achieving efficient SERS.

The rational optimization of the electromagnetic field enhancement and charge transfer in a Raman substrate is vital for achieving efficient surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Herein, a ternary plasmonic substrate, whose structure-adjustable Au nanotriangle/Cu2O hybrids are combined with two-dimensional Ti3C2Tx MXene ultrathin nanosheets, is prepared and used for efficient SERS detection of molecules. By controlling the growth of Cu2O on Au nanotriangles, Au/Cu2O hybrids with three tips exposed are prepared, which show much better SERS performance than bare Au and core-shell Au@Cu2O in detecting methylene blue (MB) under excitation at 785 nm due to the optimized electromagnetic field enhancement and charge transfer. Furthermore, the Au/Cu2O hybrids are transferred to the plasmonic Ti3C2Tx nanosheet, generating a further enhanced electromagnetic field around their interfaces. As a result, the MXene/Au/Cu2O hybrids present further improved SERS activity, and their analytical enhancement factor reaches 2.4 × 109 and the detection limit is as low as 10-12 M. The enhancement mechanism can be ascribed to the improved electric field enhancement around the Au tips and the interface between MXene and Au/Cu2O. Meanwhile, the multiple charge-transfer processes between Au, Cu2O, MXene, and MB also play an important role in improving the SERS signal.

The diuretic effect of adding aminophylline or theophylline to furosemide in pediatric populations: a systematic review.

The diuretic effect of the combined furosemide and aminophylline/theophylline among pediatric patients remains unclear. The primary aim of this systematic review was to examine the clinical diuretic effects (urine output and fluid balance) of co-administration of furosemide and aminophylline/theophylline as compared to furosemide alone in pediatric population. Ovid MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and EMBASE were searched from its inception until March 2022 for observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the administration of furosemide versus furosemide and aminophylline/theophylline in pediatric population. Case reports, case series, commentaries, letters to editors, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were excluded. Five articles with a total sample population of 187 patients were included in this systematic review. As compared to the furosemide alone, our pooled data demonstrated that co-administration of furosemide and aminophylline/theophylline was associated with higher urine output (mean difference: 2.91 [90% CI 1.54 to 4.27], p < 0.0001, I2 = 90%) and a more negative fluid balance (mean difference - 28.27 [95% CI: - 46.21 to - 10.33], p = 0.002, I2 = 56%) than those who received furosemide alone. CONCLUSION: This is the first paper summarizing the evidence of combined use of furosemide with aminophylline/theophylline in pediatric population. Our systematic review demonstrated that the co-administration of furosemide and aminophylline/theophylline could potentially yield better diuretic effects of urine output and negative fluid balance than furosemide alone in pediatric patients with fluid overload. Given the substantial degree of heterogeneity and low level of evidence, future adequately powered trials are warranted to provide evidence regarding the combined use of aminophylline/theophylline and furosemide as diuretic in the pediatric population. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Fluid overload is associated with poor prognosis for children in the intensive care unit. • The ineffective result of furosemide alone, even at high dose, as diuretic agent for children with diuretic resistant fluid overload in the intensive care unit. WHAT IS NEW: • This is the first systematic review that compares furosemide alone and co-administration of furosemide and aminophylline/theophylline. • This paper showed potential benefit of co-administration of furosemide and aminophylline/theophylline promoting urine output and negative fluid balance compared to furosemide alone.

Association of carbohydrate intake from different sources with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among chronic kidney disease populations: assessment of 1999-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participation.

This study analysed the data from the NHANES (1999-2018) to examine how different sources of carbohydrate intake affected the all-cause and cardiovascular mortality of 11,302 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The data were adjusted for other factors using various methods. The results showed that CKD patients (stages 1-2 and 3-5) who consumed more carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and less carbohydrates from fruit juice or sauces had lower mortality rates. Replacing fat intake with carbohydrates from whole grains (HR = 0.86[0.78-0.95]), fruits (raw) (HR = 0.79[0.70-0.88]) and non-starchy vegetables (HR = 0.82[0.70-0.96]), but not protein intake, was linked to lower all-cause mortality. The fibre content in carbohydrates might partly account for the benefits of selected carbohydrate intake. This study provided practical recommendations for optimising the carbohydrate sources in CKD patients.

Regulation of Vicia faba L. Response and Its Effect on Megoura crassicauda Reproduction under Zinc Stress.

The heavy metal zinc (Zn) is known to be transmitted in the food chain; however, the effect of Zn stress on beans and herbivorous insects is largely unclear. This study aimed to investigate the resistance of broad bean plants to Zn stress and the consequent changes in their physiological and biochemical metabolism by simulating heavy metal pollution in soil. Simultaneously, the effects of aphid progeny treated with different Zn concentrations on the expression of carbohydrate and related genes were analyzed. The results showed that Zn had no effect on the germination rate of broad beans, but other effects mainly manifested as follows. (1) Chlorophyll content decreased. (2) The total soluble sugar and Zn content in stems and leaves increased with increasing Zn content. (3) The proline content first increased and then decreased with increasing Zn content. (4) The height of the seedlings indicates that low concentrations promote growth and high concentrations inhibit growth. In addition, only the first-generation fecundity decreased significantly when aphids fed on heavy metal broad beans. Continuous high Zn levels increase the trehalose content of aphid F1 and F2, while F3 decreases. These results can not only provide a theoretical basis for exploring the impact of soil heavy metal pollution on ecosystems but also preliminarily evaluate the possibility of broad beans as a means of pollution remediation.

[Research progress on anti-inflammatory effects of plant-derived cannabinoid type 2 receptor modulators].

Excessive and persistent inflammatory responses are a potential pathological condition that can lead to diseases of various systems, including nervous, respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and endocrine systems. Cannabinoid type 2 receptor(CB2R) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor family and is widely distributed in immune cells, peripheral tissues, and the central nervous system. It plays a role in inflammatory responses under various pathological conditions. The down-regulation of CB2R activity is an important marker of inflammation and and CB2R modulators have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. This study explored the relationship between CB2R and inflammatory responses, delved into its regulatory mechanisms in inflammatory diseases, and summarized the research progress on CB2R modulators from plants other than cannabis, including plant extracts and monomeric compounds, in exerting anti-inflammatory effects. The aim is to provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Comparative of Forensic DNA Identification Using Cell Lysis Method and Magnetic Beads Method.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of cell lysis method and magnetic beads method in forensic DNA identification and to explore these two methods in forensic DNA identification. METHODS: The genome DNA of THP-1 cells in different quantities was extracted by the cell lysis method and magnetic beads method, and the DNA content was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. The cell lysis method and magnetic beads method were used to type the STR of human blood with different dilution ratios. RESULTS: When the numbers of THP-1 cell were 100, 400 and 800, the DNA content extracted by cell lysis method were (1.219±0.334), (5.081±0.335), (9.332±0.318) ng, respectively; and the DNA content extracted by magnetic beads method were (1.020±0.281), (3.634±0.482), (7.896±0.759) ng, respectively. When the numbers of THP-1 cells were 400 and 800, the DNA content extracted by the cell lysis method was higher than that by the magnetic beads method. The sensitivity of cell lysis method and magnetic beads method was similar in STR typing of human blood at different dilution ratios. Complete STR typing could be obtained at 100, 300 and 500-fold dilutions of blood samples, but could not be detected at 700-fold dilution. STR typing of undiluted human blood could not be detected by cell lysis method. CONCLUSIONS: The cell lysis method is easy to operate and can retain template DNA to the maximum extend. It is expected to be suitable for trace blood evidence tests.