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The goal of this study was to measure perioperative changes in endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) complicated by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), with the goal of better monitoring these children and evaluating their prognosis. For this study, we enrolled 48 normal control cases, 48 preoperative CHD cases including 16 without PAH, 16 with mild PAH, and 16 with moderate-to-severe PAH. We additionally enrolled a cohort of 32 other children with PAH-CHD that had undergone CHD correction prior to transfer to an intensive care unit (ICU). These children were further subdivided based on whether or not PAH was still present after operation (n = 16 per group). Spectrophotometry was used to assess endogenous H2S and NO levels at 24 and 48 h postoperatively in each group. Correlations between postoperative endogenous H2S and NO levels at these two time points, as well as duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, duration of hospitalization, and vasoactive drug score values at 24 and 48 h postoperation were assessed. Endogenous H2S and NO values differed significantly between the control and preoperative CHD groups (P < 0.05). These values also differed significantly among the three different preoperative CHD subgroups and were negatively correlated with pulmonary arterial pressure (P < 0.05). Spearman rank correlation analyses indicated that endogenous H2S levels at 24 and 48 h postoperation were negatively correlated with the duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, and maximum vasoactive drug score values at both 24 and 48 h postoperation. We similarly identified a negative correlation between NO concentrations at 24 and 48 h postoperation and maximum vasoactive drug score at these same time points (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Endogenous H2S and NO levels are closely associated with CHD-PAH incidence, and there is a correlation between endogenous H2S levels and the postoperative prognosis of CHD in children. Higher H2S concentrations seem to correspond to better patient prognosis, and as such these values can be used as a prognostic index at an early time point. These values can additionally guide treatment efforts and improve outcomes among children with CHD-PAH. What is Known: • Hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide are both vasodilating factors. • Hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide can regulate pulmonary vascular remodeling, which is closely related to the occurrence and prognosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension. What is New: • This study was designed to explore the relationship between short-term prognostic indexes and hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide levels, in an effort to provide a frame of reference for the postoperative monitoring and treatment of children with congenital heart disease complicated by pulmonary arterial hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (Fe0)-based materials have been demonstrated to be a effective method for the U(VI) removal. However, limited research has been conducted on the long-term immobilization efficiency and mechanism of Fe0-based materials for U(VI), which are essential for achieving safe handling and disposal of U(VI) on a large scale. In this study, the prepared carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and sulfurization dual stabilized Fe0 (CMC-Fe0/FeS) exhibited excellent long-term immobilization performances for U(VI) under both anoxic and oxic conditions, with the immobilization efficiencies were respectively reached over 98.0 % and 94.8 % after 180 days of aging. Most importantly, different from the immobilization mechanisms of the fresh CMC-Fe0/FeS for U(VI) (the adsorption effect of –COOH and –OH groups, coordination effect with sulfur species, as well as reduction effect of Fe0), the re-mobilized U(VI) were finally re-immobilized by the formed FeOOH and Fe 3 O 4 on the aged CMC-Fe0/FeS. Under anoxic conditions, more Fe 3 O 4 was produced, which may be the main reason for the long-term immobilization U(VI). Under oxic conditions, the production of Fe 3 O 4 and FeOOH were relatively high, which both played significant roles in re-immobilizing U(VI) through surface complexation, reduction and incorporation effects. Long-term immobilization of U(VI) was achieved by CMC-Fe0/FeS and its removal and long-term immobilization mechanisms were further revealed. [Display omitted] • CMC-Fe0/FeS showed excellent long-term stability under oxic and anoxic conditions. • After 180 days of oxic or anoxic aging, the immobilization efficiencies exceed 94.8 %. • After aging for 180 days, the iron leaching rates were less than 2.5 ‱. • The formation of Fe 3 O 4 and FeOOH during aging were account for the long stability. • More FeOOH taken part in the long-term immobilization of U(VI) under oxic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) is a relatively rare malignant small round cell tumor, and the occurrence of cervical PNET during pregnancy is extremely rare.Case Presentation: A case of pregnancy complicated by PNET at our hospital was reported. A 19-year-old pregnant woman presented to the hospital due to multiple instances of vaginal bleeding during the first and second trimesters. She was initially considered for threatened abortion but was ultimately diagnosed with cervical PNET. No standard treatment plan has been developed for pregnant women with this tumor. After completing the necessary examinations, doctors cooperated with the patient and her family to develop a surgical treatment plan. The patient recovered well after surgery, but she refused radiotherapy and chemotherapy. After nearly 3 years of follow-up visits, the patient is alive with no signs of recurrence.Conclusions: PNET during pregnancy is a rare but complex condition. It is necessary to devise an individualized treatment plan according to gestational age. Timely surgical treatment can significantly prolong the survival time of patients but may also lead to fetal loss and the inability to carry a pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnCl2-modified activated carbon supported nanoscale zero-valent iron material (nZVI/BC600) was synthesized by green carbothermal reduction and liquid phase reduction to explore the removal efficiency of U(VI) under different conditions. The results showed that under the optimal conditions (C0 = 10 mg/L, C/Fe = 5:1, pH = 5.5, t = 30 min), the removal rate of U(VI) by nZVI/BC600 was 99.68%, which was 9.18% higher than that of ZnCl2-modified activated carbon and conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. SEM and XPS analysis showed that nZVI was uniformly distributed on activated carbon, and U(VI) was reduced to U(IV) or U(V). The removal mechanism of U(VI) by nZVI/BC600 is chemical adsorption, redox and co-precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited knowledge is available on regional distribution of antituberculosis (TB) drug resistance and on province-specific time-trends in TB drug susceptibility in China. To obtain the latest information about the dynamics of drug-resistant TB in Gansu province, we conducted a retrospective study and analyzed data on drug resistance among new TB cases diagnosed between June 2010 and May 2014 in Gansu, China. The data were collected from the only TB surveillance and treatment hospital in Gansu and, therefore, represented the epidemiology of TB in the province. The drug resistance was defined based on diagnostic drug susceptibility testing. Overall, 17.3% of TB new cases diagnosed during 2010 to 2014 in Gansu presented resistance to at least one anti-TB drug. And a total of 2.9% of new TB cases have multidrug resistance. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB in Gansu was found to resurge after 2013 (2.0%) after a steady decline between 2010 and 2012 (from 7.1% to 1.2%). The drug resistance patterns of TB and their revolution trends in Gansu differed from other regions of China. We report the first epidemiological description of drug-resistant TB in Gansu, which is distinct when compared to other regions. Our data demonstrate that the distribution of drug-resistant TB varies to a great extent among different geographic regions. And the results of our study greatly suggest that the implementation of individualized TB management and regimen policy based on the regional epidemiology of TB drug susceptibility is highly required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided versus anatomic landmark–guided corticosteroid injection for the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome. Design: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, CBM, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched from inception to August 15, 2021, for randomized controlled trials comparing ultrasound-guided versus anatomic landmark–guided injections of corticosteroids for the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome. Results: Twelve randomized controlled trials with 891 patients were included in this study; 454 patients received ultrasound-guided injections and 437 received anatomic landmark–guided injections. Pooled results showed that ultrasound-guided injection was more beneficial for pain relief (10 trials; mean difference = −0.58; 95% confidence interval = −1.05 to −0.10; P = 0.017) and functional improvement (11 trials; standard mean difference = −0.84; 95% confidence interval = −1.41 to −0.27; P = 0.004). There was no significant difference in shoulder range of motion. In the subgroup analysis, there was a significant difference in pain relief and functional improvement at 6–8 wks and with methylprednisolone. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided injection of corticosteroids is potentially superior to anatomic landmark–guided injection in improving the clinical symptoms of subacromial impingement syndrome; however, these findings should be interpreted with some caution as the quality of evidence was rated as moderate to very low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence is limited regarding the time intervals between human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration and oocyte retrieval in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles, and it is difficult to determine proper schedules to optimise outcomes for patients undergoing oocyte retrieval on the same day. We aimed to identify correlations between factors pertaining to treatment outcomes and time intervals to facilitate working schedules of ART centres. Our study included 2509 patients who underwent ICSI cycles. Based on different time intervals between hCG administration and oocyte retrieval, all cycles were divided into four groups: group 1 (34.00-35.99 hours), group 2 (36.00-36.99 hours), group 3 (37.00-37.99 hours) and group 4 (38.00-39.32 hours). Female age, basal FSH level, Gn starting stimulation dosage and total Gn dosage of group 1 were significantly higher than those of other groups. E2 level on hCG day and number of follicles aspirated were significantly higher in group 4 than in the other groups. Number of oocytes retrieved, oocyte retrieval rate, cleavage rate and number of usable embryos were positively correlated with the time interval, even after adjusting for female age, basal FSH level, E2 on hCG day and number of follicles aspirated. A fixed hCG administration time matching arranged oocyte retrieval is good enough for most patients to achieve maximal treatment outcomes. For patients with lower treatment expectations (expected no. of oocyte retrieval ≤3), moderately delayed oocyte retrieval would be more appropriate.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? The time interval between hCG administration and OPU during COH is essential for ART treatment outcomes, but different intervals were reported in previous studies.What the results of this study add? Fixed hCG administration time matching arranged OPU is good enough for most patients to achieve maximal outcomes. For patients with lower treatment expectations (expected no. of oocyte retrieval ≤3), moderately delayed oocyte retrieval would be required.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? We studied whether the oocytes and pregnancy outcomes changed along with extended time intervals, and there is no need to adhere to an exact interval for every patient. Therefore, it would help clinicians develop more reasonable time schedules for fertility centres and patients undergoing oocyte recovery on the same day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of aloe polysaccharide on immune responses of chickens immunized with Bordetella avium (B. avium) vaccine. SPF chickens were randomly divided into 6 groups and vaccinated against B. avium vaccine which respectively contained aloe polysaccharide of three different dosages, propolis and pine pollen polysaccharide. The data showed that aloe polysaccharide significantly enhanced serum and bile antibody level, blood lymphocyte ratio and splenic T lymphocyte proliferation rate in groups I, IV and V. 40mg/ml of aloe polysaccharide made the vaccine most effective and 20mg/ml of propolis or 20mg/ml of pine pollen polysaccharide achieved the same effect. These results suggested that aloe polysaccharide could significantly enhance immune effect of B. avium inactivated vaccine and had important implications for the further use of aloe polysaccharide as a new type of plant-derived immunopotentiator. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Varied doses of Taishan Pinus massoniana pollen polysaccharide (TPPPS) and Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) extracted by hot water extraction and ethanol precipiration method were added to the vaccine in order to prepare polysaccharide-rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) tissue inactivated vaccine. The purpose was to study effects of TPPPS on immune response of RHD tissue inactivated vaccine and on production performance of Rex rabbits. Results showed that each index in groups I, II, III and IV was higher than that in group V, especially groups I, II and IV, the difference between which and group V was much more significant (P <0.05); each index in group I was extremely higher than that in group V (P <0.01); each index in group I was significantly higher than that in groups II, III (P <0.05), and generally no significant difference was observed between groups II and III. The overall level in group IV was slightly lower than that in group I. Each index in the polysaccharide groups reached its peak value later than that in the non-polysaccharide groups did. Results suggested that any dose of TPPPS can enhance immunologic function and production performance of rabbits, and the amount of 400mg per rabbit has the most obvious efficacy. Furthermore, it can extend the immune peak period of RHD tissue inactivated vaccine and the growing peak period of Rex rabbits. TPPPS has generally higher efficiency than APS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]