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Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a key factor affecting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Preoperative imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis of HCC, treatment planning and treatment evaluation, but it is still difficult to detect MVI directly. Whether the appearance of the tumor margin and the capsule on radiological images can predict MVI is still controversial. The aim of this study is to explore the correlation of the presence of MVI with the smoothness of the tumor margin and the integrity of the capsule in HCC. The PubMed, Embase, Medline, SCI and Cochrane Library databases up to January 2020. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis and meta-regression, and the influence of threshold effects was also analyzed. Eleven studies with 1618 patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that there was a significant relationship between MVI and nonsmooth tumor margin (DOR = 4.62 [2.73, 7.81]) and between MVI and incomplete tumor capsule (DOR = 2.25 [1.22, 4.15]); the sensitivity and specificity of these two parameters were 0.757 [0.602, 0.865], 0.597 [0.450, 0.728] and 0.646 [0.455, 0.800], 0.552 [0.419, 0.678], respectively. We drew the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and the area under curve (AUC) of the nonsmooth tumor margin variable for predicting MVI was 0.72 [0.69, 0.77], and the AUC of the incomplete tumor capsule variable for predicting MVI was 0.62 [0.58, 0.66]. Nonsmooth tumor margins and incomplete tumor capsules observed by imaging are important for the preoperative prediction of MVI in HCC. • MVI is an important predictor of early postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. • Non-smooth tumor margin and incomplete tumor capsule in radiology to help predict MVI in HCC preoperatively • Reference for the development of diagnostic criteria for MVI [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global pandemic. The ability to predict cardiac injury and analyze lymphocyte immunity and inflammation of cardiac damage in patients with COVID-19 is limited. We aimed to determine the risk factors and predictive markers of cardiac injury in these patients. Data from 124 consecutive hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 were collected. We compared the proportion of cardiovascular disease history in moderate, severe, and critical cases. We obtained high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTn I) results from 68 patients. Patients were divided into two groups based on positive hs-cTn I result: those with cardiac injury (n = 19) and those without cardiac injury (n = 49). Compared with the group with moderate disease, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and smoking were more common in severe and critical cases. Diabetes mellitus was most common in the critical group. Age older than 65 years, presence of chronic kidney disease, and lower blood lymphocyte percentage were independent risk factors of cardiac injury. The total T- and B-lymphocyte counts and CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts were significantly lower in those with cardiac injury. A minimal lymphocyte percentage < 7.8% may predict cardiac injury. The interleukin (IL) 6 level in plasma was elevated in the group with cardiac injury. The lymphocyte percentage in blood may become a predictive marker of cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients. The total T and B cells and CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts decreased and the IL-6 level increased in COVID-19 patients with cardiac injury. • Lymphocyte percentage may become a predictive marker for cardiac injury. • Total T and B cells and CD4+ and CD8+ cells decreased in the cardiac injury group. • Interleukin 6 levels increased in patients with cardiac injury. • Cardiac injury is related to lymphocyte immunity dysfunction and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary route of drug delivery has drawn significant attention due to the limitations associated with conventional routes and available treatment options. Drugs administered through pulmonary route has been an important research area that focuses on to developing effective therapeutic interventions for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, lung cancer etc. The intravenous route has been a natural route of delivery of proteins and peptides but associated with several issues including high cost, needle-phobia, pain, sterility issues etc. These issues might be addressed by the pulmonary administration of macromolecules to achieving an effective delivery and efficacious therapeutic impact. Efforts have been made to develop novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) such as nanoparticles, microparticles, liposomes and their engineered versions, polymerosomes, micelles etc to achieving targeted and sustained delivery of drug(s) through pulmonary route. Further, novel approaches such as polymer-drug conjugates, mucoadhesive particles and mucus penetrating particles have attracted significant attention due to their unique features for an effective delivery of drugs. Also, use of semi flourinated alkanes is in use for improvising the pulmonary delivery of lipophilic drugs. Present review focuses on to unravel the mechanism of pulmonary absorption of drugs for major pulmonary diseases. It summarizes the development of interventional approaches using various particulate and vesicular drug delivery systems. In essence, the orchestrated attempt presents an inflammatory narrative on the advancements in the field of pulmonary drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgound: Gout is an inflammatory arthritis characterized by abrupt self-limiting attacks of inflammation caused by precipitation of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in the joint. Both anti-hyperuricemia and anti-inflammation could be gout therapeutic strategies, whereas ideal drugs for gout treatment are deficient.Purpose: 4-(2-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-((4-chlorophenyl)amino)ethyl)benzene-1, 3-diol (CBED) was obtained from a cluster of deoxybenzoins derivatives synthesized by our research group with potent anti-hyperuricemic and anti-inflammatory activities, which was expected to be a dual inhibitor of xanthine oxidase (XOD) and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3). This study aimed to investigate effects of CBED on XOD and NLRP3 in vitro, as well as the possible mechanisms by which CBED improved gout in vivo.Methods: After molecular docking detection, inhibitory effects of CBED on XOD and NLRP3 were evaluated in vitro. Subsequently, hyperuricemia and acute gouty arthritis animal models were established by potassium oxonate or MSU, respectively. After CBED treatment, serum uric acid levels, synovial interleukin (IL)-1β concentrations, hepatic XOD activities, as well as synovial morphological changes were examined. More importantly, synovial expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome components including NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and caspase-1 in rats were analyzed by immunofluorescence and western blot.Results: In vitro, CBED obviously inhibited XOD activity with an IC50 value of 3.87 µM, moreover, it effectively inhibited MSU-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and IL-1β over-production in THP-1 cells. In addition, CBED dose-dependently decreased serum uric acid levels suppressed hepatic XOD activities in oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice. On the other hand, CBED significantly improved MSU-induced ankle swelling and histopathological damage with elevated IL-1β. In addition, NLRP3 inflammasome activation could be blocked by CBED treatment in rats with acute gouty arthritis. Notbly, CBED exhibited no effects on all these indicators in normal animals, predicting its safety.Conclusions: CBED might serve as a dual XOD and NLRP3 inhibitor for treatment of gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast economic development of southwest China has resulted in significant increases in the concentrations of reactive nitrogen (Nr) in the atmosphere. In this study, an urban (Chengdu, CD), suburban (Shifang, SF) and agriculture (Yanting, YT) – dominated location in the Sichuan Province, southwest China, were selected to investigate the atmospheric composition of Nr, their concentrations and deposition rates. We measured Nr concentrations in precipitation (NH 4 + , NO 3 − and organic N (DON)), the gas phase (NH 3 and NO 2 ), and the aerosol particles (PM 2.5 ), and calculated their fluxes over a two year period (2014–2016). Total annual N deposition rates were 49.2, 44.7 and 19.8 kg N ha −1 yr −1 at CD, SF and YT, respectively. Ammonia concentrations were larger at the urban and suburban sites than the agricultural site (12.2, 14.9, and 4.9 μg N m −3 at CD, SF and YT, respectively). This is consistent with the multitude of larger sources of NH 3 , including city garbage, livestock and traffic, in the urban and suburban areas. Monthly NO 2 concentrations were lower in warmer compared to the colder months, but seasonal differences were insignificant. Daily PM 2.5 concentrations ranged from 7.7 to 236.0, 5.0–210.4 and 4.2–128.4 μg m −3 at CD, SF and YT, respectively, and showed significant correlations with fine particulate NH 4 + and NO 3 − concentrations. Ratios of reduced to oxidized N were in the range of 1.6–2.7. This implies that the control of reduced Nr especially in urban environments is needed to improve local air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercropping has long been an important agroforestry technique that has been applied worldwide. While intercropping increases soil carbon and nitrogen, an elucidation of its effects on the activities of soil enzymes and product quantity and quality remains elusive. Here we examined the effects of the intercropping of chestnut trees ( Castanea mollissima Blume) in tea ( Camellia sinensis L.) plantations on the seasonal dynamics of soil nutrients, soil enzyme activities, and tea quantity and quality in a temperate region in China. We collected soil samples from 0 to 20 cm (topsoil) and 20–40 cm (subsoil) depths in May, July, September, and November 2011, and examined the tea quantity and quality from bud samples collected in late April to early May 2011. We found that the effects of intercropping on soil nutrients and enzyme activities were strongly dependent on the sampling date. Soil pH and organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content, as well as soil enzyme activities (catalase, urease, dehydrogenase, invertase, and polyphenol oxidase) increased on average with intercropping; however, the effects were more pronounced in the spring and early summer than late summer and fall for most nutrient and enzyme activities. Intercropping also increased the tea length and weight and tea quality by reducing the amino acid and catechin content, while increasing theanine and caffeine. Our analysis suggests that chestnut tree shading, enhanced soil nutrient availability, and the augmented activity of soil enzymes, facilitated the increase of tea quantity and the improvement of tea quality. Our results indicate that intercropping chestnut trees in tea plantations as a diversity treatment improves resource availability, ecosystem function, and product quantity and quality in the agroforestry ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is regarded as one of the nitrogen deposition hotspots in the world. Measurements to-date have focused mainly on the North China Plain, ignoring the fact that atmospheric chemical and physical properties vary across the country and that there may be other hotspots regions that should be investigated. For this reason we have conducted a six year study, measuring the bulk deposition of reduced (NH 4 -N), oxidized (NO 3 -N), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) at three contrasting sites in the Sichuan province, southwest China. The study sites were a high altitude forest in the Gongga Mountains (GG), an agriculture dominated region in Yanting (YT) and an urban site in the mega city Chengdu (CD). The annual average bulk deposition fluxes of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were 7.4, 23.1 and 36.6 kg N ha −1 yr −1 at GG, YT and CD sites, respectively, during the study period 2008 to 2013. The contributions of NH 4 -N, NO 3 -N and DON to the TDN were in the range of 48.4–57.8%, 28.8–43.7%, and 8.0–15.6%, respectively. DON bulk deposition was mainly dominated by agricultural activities. TDN bulk deposition fluxes showed increasing trends at the agricultural and urban sites from 2008 to 2013, but there was little change at the remote forest (GG) site. While reduced N dominated bulk N deposition at all the three sites, its contribution showed a decreasing trend, suggesting a gradual increase in the importance of oxidized N. These results reveal the value of long term monitoring in detecting changes in the atmospheric chemical composition of this rapidly changing region, and their inclusion in the policy debate regarding which sources should be controlled in order to reduce the long term impacts of N deposition, especially for southwest China, where there are few measurements of N deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]