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Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) is associated with high rates of morbidity and malignancy in China and throughout the world. In clinical practice, a combination of ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) measurement is frequently employed for initial screening. However, the accuracy of this approach often falls short of the desired standard. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the enhancement of precision of preliminary detection of PHC by ensemble learning techniques. To achieve this, 712 patients with PHC and 1887 healthy controls were enrolled for the assessment of four ensemble learning methods, namely, Random Forest (RF), LightGBM, Xgboost, and Catboost. A total of eleven characteristics, comprising nine serological indices and two demographic indices, were selected from the participants for use in detecting PHC. The findings identified an optimal feature subset consisting of eight features, namely AFP, albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), platelets (PLT), age, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), hemoglobin (Hb), and body mass index (BMI), that achieved the highest classification accuracy of 96.62%. This emphasizes the importance of the collective use of these features in PHC diagnosis. In conclusion, the results provide evidence that the integration of serological and demographic indices together with ensemble learning models, can contribute to the precision of preliminary diagnosis of PHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are often referred to as the "living skin" of arid regions worldwide. Yet, the combined impact of BSCs on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and enzyme activities remains not fully understood. This study identified, screened and reviewed 71 out of 2856 literature sources to assess the responses of soil C, N, P and enzyme activity to BSCs through a meta-analysis. The results indicated that BSC presence significantly increased soil C, N, P and soil enzyme activity, and this increasing effect was significantly influenced by the types of BSCs. Results from the overall effect showed that soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), total phosphorus (TP), and available phosphorus (AP) increased by 107.88%, 84.52%, 45.43%, 27.46%, and 54.71%, respectively, and four soil enzyme activities (Alkaline Phosphatase, Cellulase, Sucrase, and Urease) increased by 93.65–229.27%. The highest increases in SOC, TN and AN content occurred in the soil covered with lichen crusts and moss crusts, and significant increases in Alkaline Phosphatase and Cellulase were observed in the soil covered with moss crusts and mixed crusts, suggesting that moss crusts can synergistically enhance soil C and N pool and enzyme activity. Additionally, variations in soil C, N, P content, and enzyme activity were observed under different environmental settings, with more pronounced improvements seen in coarse and medium-textured soils compared to fine-textured soils, particularly at a depth of 5 cm from the soil surface. BSCs in desert ecosystems showed more significant increases in SOC, TN, AN, and Alkaline Phosphatase compared to forest and grassland ecosystems. Specifically, BSCs at low altitude (≤500 m) with an annual average rainfall of 0–400 mm and an annual average temperature ≤ 10 °C were the most conducive to improving soil C, N, and P levels. Our results highlight the role of BSCs and their type in increasing soil C, N, P and enzyme activities, with these effects significantly impacted by soil texture, ecosystem type, and climatic conditions. The implications of these findings are crucial for soil enhancement, ecosystem revitalization, windbreak, and sand stabilization efforts in the drylands of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DOP is highly bioavailable in Lake Taihu, China, especially in Meiliang Bay. • DOP utilization is vital in shaping phytoplankton community in P-deficient waters. • High APA expression is not equal to the high capacities of DOP utilization. • Low algal APA implies the restriction of other factors under P-deficient conditions. • APA can be used to optimize the prediction of algal blooms in P-deficient lakes. Dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) could be transformed to dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) under phosphorus (P) deficient conditions by various enzymes, among which alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) is regarded as the most important one. To better understand the different response of phytoplankton to DOP and the role of alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in phytoplankton growth in natural waters, the distribution of P, APA, and phytoplankton density were measured at 12 sites in Lake Taihu, China, in summer, autumn, and winter of 2016. In this study, 34.12% of DOP could be hydrolyzed, indicative of the high bioavailability of DOP in Lake Taihu, especially in Meiliang Bay. More than 70% of enzymatically hydrolyzed DOP came from alkaline phosphatase-hydrolyzed DOP, verifying that APA had a major role in hydrolyzing DOP to fulfill the DIP requirements of phytoplankton, and that phosphomonoesters were the main form of bioavailable DOP in Lake Taihu. Redundancy analysis implied a high capacity of DOP use may be important for species dominance under P-deficient conditions, but high APA expression is not equal to the high capacities of DOP utilization. In this study, phytoplankton density was significantly positive with bulk APA, algal APA and bacteria APA. APA, despite of its complex contributors, is able to increase the amount of bioavailable P for phytoplankton growth. Moreover, algal APA reflects the actual response of phytoplankton to available P under P-deficient conditions. Low algal APA means that other factors limit phytoplankton growth. Increased algal APA means that other limitations get alleviated and algae are in anxious demand for P. Therefore, this paper suggests that monitoring APA can be used as a supplementary indicator to reflect the actual demand for P of algal, thus to optimize the prediction of algal blooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the characteristics of sediments in Huihe wetland, the influence of sediments on nutrient salt in overlying water was analyzed from the point of view of interface release. In this paper, the sediments of Huihe wetland were studied. And the distribution of organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, Olsen-P and inorganic phosphorus fraction of sediments were determined. The relationship between different physical and chemical factors was analyzed. It was concluded that the content of <50 µm particle size was higher in Lake-W (permanent freshwater lake wetland), but when the particle size was >100 µm, the higher one was Marsh-W (grassy marsh wetland). Which meant that Marsh-W had stronger adsorption and fixation potentials. The content of clay and silt particles in River-W (permanent river wetland) was low and the sand content was high. The nutrient content of River-W was lower than that of Lake-W and Marsh-W. The soil organic carbon (SOC):total nitrogen (TN):total phosphorus (TP) for Marsh-W was as 122:7:1, wherein the concentration of organics and nitrogen was higher than the TP concentration. Lake-W was observed to be 30:11:1. It was the lowest ratio as compared with the other wetland types. Phosphatase (alkaline and neutral) activity was associated with the content of various nutrients and reflected the chemical properties of the sediments. Under the conditions of climate change, we advocate further use of alkaline phosphatase activity as novel ecological tool for assessing physico-chemical properties and nutrient release potential of wetland sediments in the field of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is an inherited disease caused by ALPL mutation, resulting in decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and damage to bone and tooth mineralization. The clinical symptoms of adult HPP are variable, making diagnosis challenging. This study aims to clarify the clinical and genetic characteristics of HPP in Chinese adults. There were 19 patients, including 1 with childhood-onset and 18 with adult-onset HPP. The median age was 62 (32–74) years and 16 female patients were involved. Common symptoms included musculoskeletal symptoms (12/19), dental problems (8/19), fractures (7/19), and fatigue (6/19). Nine patients (47.4%) were misdiagnosed with osteoporosis and six received anti-resorptive treatment. The average serum ALP level was 29.1 (14–53) U/L and 94.7% (18/19) of patients had ALP levels below 40 U/L. Genetic analysis found 14 ALPL mutations, including three novel mutations—c.511C>G (p.His171Ala), c.782C>A (p.Pro261Gln), and 1399A>G (p.Met467Val). The symptoms of two patients with compound heterozygous mutations were more severe than those with heterozygous mutations. Our study summarized the clinical characteristics of adult HPP patients in the Chinese population, expanded the spectrum of pathogenic mutations, and deepened clinicians' understanding of this neglected disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it is known that exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs), including trihalomethanes (THMs), impairs liver function, few epidemiological studies have explored this association. Here, we determined the concentrations of four urinary trihalomethanes (chloroform [TCM], and three Br-THMs, bromodichloromethane [BDCM], dibromochloromethane [DBCM], and bromoform [TBM]), and nine serum liver function indicators in 182 adults ≥ 18 years of age, examined at a medical examination center in Wuxi, China, in 2020 and 2021. Generalized linear model analysis revealed positive associations between urinary DBCM and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), total protein (TP), and albumin (ALB). Urinary Br-THMs and total THMs (TTHMs) were positively associated with ALT, AST, TBIL, indirect bilirubin (IBIL), TP, and ALB (all P < 0.05). Urinary THMs were not associated with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) or glutamine transaminase (GGT) (all P > 0.05). Generalized additive model–based penalized regression splines were used to confirm these associations. In conclusion, THM exposure was associated with altered serum biomarkers of liver function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Our study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to predict severe hypocalcemia (SH) before total parathyroidectomy (TPTX) without auto-transplantation in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Methods. A total of 299 consecutive patients who underwent TPTX without transplantation for secondary hyperparathyroidism were selected from the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command between January 2013 and December 2021. Of these, patients who underwent surgery between January 2013 and December 2020 formed the training cohort (n = 208) to develop a nomogram, and those who underwent surgery thereafter formed the validation cohort (n = 91) to validate the performance of this nomogram. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the risk factors associated with SH, and then, a nomogram was constructed. Results. The incidence of postoperative SH was 27.9% and 35.2% in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The preoperative factors associated with SH were younger age, lower serum calcium (Ca) level, higher intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) level, and higher serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level. Incorporating these 4 factors, the nomogram achieved good concordance indexes of 0.866 (95%CI, 0.816–0.916) and 0.867 (95% CI, 0.793–0.941) in predicting SH in the training and validation cohorts, respectively, and had well-fitted calibration curves. The positive predictive values of the nomogram were 64.7% (54.1%–78.4%) and 75.0% (58.6%–88.5%), and negative predictive values of the nomogram were 90.0% (82.9%–93.6%) and 86.4% (73.5%–94.0%) for the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Conclusions. We developed and validated a nomogram for the prediction of SH in patients who underwent TPTX without auto-transplantation for secondary hyperparathyroidism. Our nomogram may facilitate the identification of high-risk SH in patients after TPTX and optimization of preoperative decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the invasive macroalga Chaetomorpha valida exerts significant negative effects on the composition of biotic communities and the balance of the ecological environment. C. valida can respond to changes in inorganic N/P ratios in the environment by regulating the activity of enzymes related to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) metabolism and enhancing its N and P assimilative capacity, which may enable it to outcompete many native species. This study experimentally assessed the response of the activity of enzymes associated with N and P metabolism to different N/P ratios. Significantly higher activities of nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamate synthase and glutamine synthetase were obtained with the treatments with N/P ratios of 0/0, 2.5/1 and 5/1 (P < 0.01). All the P concentrations tested activated the alkaline phosphatase activities of C. valida, particularly in the absence of N and P (P < 0.01). C. valida does not experience severe effects of nutrient limitation leading to growth inhibition. This successful invasion of C. valida proves its strong adaptability to complex environments and indicates its competitive advantage over other native species in the same inorganic N and P environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Phosphorus (P), like nitrogen (N), commonly impacts the structures and functions of terrestrial ecosystems. Global changes (N deposition) and land-use intensification (mowing) may influence the components of P cycling in grassland ecosystems, especially soil organic P mineralization, which provides P for plants and microbes. It remains unclear how soil annual organic P mineralization rate responds to mowing and N addition and its potential mechanisms in the semi-natural grasslands. Methods: We conducted a five-year field experiment that included mowing (mown and unmown) and N additions (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40 g N m−2 yr−1) to explore the responses of and main factors controlling soil organic P mineralization to these treatments in a semi-natural grassland—Songnen Meadow Steppe. Results: We found that N additions enhanced the rate of soil organic P mineralization in semi-natural grassland. The magnitude of positive effects of N additions was larger in mown plots than unmown plots. Compared with no N addition, the rates of soil annual organic P mineralization increased 39.04, 46.88, 90.57, 58.82, and 67.97% under mown as the N input increased, and 23.89, 24.13, 25.46, 33.42 and 34.81% under unmown. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was the main driver which controlled soil annual organic P mineralization rates under N additions in unmown plots, and the plant aboveground biomass, soil microbial community composition, and ALP activities were the main drivers under N additions in mown plots. Our results indicate that mowing modulated the effects of N additions on the annual organic P mineralization rate in soil. Conclusions: The soil annual organic P mineralization rate had stronger dependence on the shifts in plant-soil–microbe variables with N additions in the mown conditions than in the unmown conditions, which highlighted that P cycling may be more susceptible to future environmental changes induced by N deposition under mowing in semi-natural ecosystems. Our study provided the new insight of that plant and soil interactions have an important role in maintaining the supply of P, and they may drive soil organic P mineralization in P-deficient ecosystems as N deposition increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Castration is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in dogs. However, based on increasing evidence, male animals experience significant pain after castration. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), one of the main bioactive components in A. membranaceus bunge, has been widely used as part of Fu‐Zheng therapy to enhance natural defense mechanisms. Introduction: This study was carried out to determine the effects of supplementing different doses of Astragalus polysaccharide (APS; control, 0 mg/kg; APSL, 400 mg/kg; and APSH, 800 mg/kg) for 8 weeks on the haematology and serum chemistry profiles, immune response, and oxidative stress status in weanling beagle dogs. Methods: After adapting to the experimental environment for 1 week, 18 male beagle dogs (Sichuan Institute of Musk Deer Breeding, China; average initial weight, 3.80 ± 0.43 g; age, 3‐month‐old) were randomly allotted to diets supplemented with three doses of APS (Control, 0 mg/kg; low, 400 mg/kg; and high, 800 mg/kg), referred to as control, APSL, and APSH, respectively; six dogs were assigned to each treatment. The dogs were fed the respective diets twice daily at 08:30 and 16:30 h in sufficient quantity to supply the metabolizable energy requirements for 8 weeks. On day 43 (19 weeks old), the dogs were castrated. On days 42 (prior to castration, 19 weeks old), 50 (day 7 after castration, 20 weeks old), and 57 (day 14 after castration, 21 weeks old) to measure the haematology, blood chemistry, immune response, and oxidative stress status parameters. Results: Based on our findings, the APSH diet decreased weight gain and increased the feed to gain ratio in dogs (P < 0.05). At 14 days after castration, the wound was almost closed, slightly swollen, dry, and clean in the groups supplemented with APS. In addition, optimal APS supplementation was found to decrease erythrocyte count (RBC), haematocrit (HCT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), C‐reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 1β (IL‐1β), and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) levels, and cortisol and protein carbonyl (PC) concentrations (P < 0.05). Moreover, the mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and platelet (PLT) levels, interleukin 10 (IL‐10) and glutathione (GSH) content, and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (Se‐GPx) activities were increased in the APS supplemented groups (P < 0.05) Conclusion: This study demonstrated that supplementing weanling beagle dogs with optimum APS could positively affect wound healing by improving their haematological profile (decreased RBC and HCT content, increased MCH and PLT levels), serum biochemical parameters (decreased ALP and ALT content), immune status (decreased CRP, IL‐1β, and TNF‐α levels; increased IL‐10 content), and antioxidant defense (decreased cortisol and PC content; increased GSH content, and SOD1, CAT, and Se‐GPx activities). However, the detailed mechanism whereby APS regulates these changes requires further investigation. In addition, the results of this study suggest that 400 mg/kg diet is the optimum APS dose for beagle dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preoperative prediction of severe cholecystitis (SC), including acute gangrenous cholecystitis (AGC) and acute purulent cholecystitis (APC), as opposed to acute exacerbation of chronic cholecystitis (ACC), is of great significance, as SC is associated with high mortality rate.Methods: In this study, we retrospectively investigated medical records of 114 cholecystitis patients, treated in Shanghai No. 6 People's Hospital from February 2009 to July 2020. Gallbladder wall thickness (GBWT), indexes of blood routine examination, including white blood cell (WBC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), the percentage of neutrophil, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), fibrinogen (FIB), gamma-glutamyl transferase, prothrombin time and total bilirubin were evaluated. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate significant differences between a certain kind of SC and ACC to select a prediction index for each kind of SC. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to identify the prediction effectiveness of these indexes and their optimal cut-off values.Results: Higher WBC and lower ALP were associated with AGC diagnosis (P < 0.05). Higher percentage of neutrophils was indicative of APC and AGC, while higher GBWT was significantly associated with APC diagnosis (P < 0.05) The optimal cut-off values for these indexes were established at 11.1*109/L (OR: 5.333, 95% CI 2.576-10.68, P < 0.0001, sensitivity: 72.73%, specificity: 66.67%), 79.75% (OR: 5.735, 95% CI 2.749-12.05, P < 0.0001, sensitivity: 77.92%, specificity: 61.9%) and 5.5 mm (OR: 22, 95% CI 4.757-83.42, P < 0.0001, sensitivity: 78.57%, specificity: 85.71%), respectively.Conclusion: We established a predictive model for the differentiations of APC and AGC from ACC using clinical indexes, such as GBWT, the percentage of neutrophil and WBC, and determined cut-off values for these indexes based on ROC curves. Index values exceeding these cut-off values will allow to diagnose patients as APC and AGC, as opposed to a diagnosis of ACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pediatric Reference Intervals in China (PRINCE) was initiated to establish the reference intervals (RIs) of Chinese children, as well as to make it possible to compare the variability of biochemical markers among countries internationally. Healthy participants, aged up to 20 years, from 11 provinces across China, were enrolled in PRINCE and according to a standard screening procedure, that included a questionnaire survey, physical examinations and laboratory tests. Fasting venous blood specimens were collected. All serum specimens were analyzed with Cobas C702 in the center laboratory, i.e. clinical laboratory of Beijing Children's Hospital, with certified qualification (ISO15189). The nonparametric method recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, was used to calculate the age- and sex-specified RIs. Among the 15,150 participants enrolled, 12,352 children (6,093 males and 6,259 females) were included to calculate RIs. The RIs for total protein, albumin, globulin, calcium, phosphate, potassium, sodium, chlorine, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptadase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine and urea were established by age- or sex-partitions. Most biochemical markers displayed larger variability and higher dispersion during the periods between 28 days and 1 year old, and included 4–6 age partitions commonly during 1 to <20 years old. In addition, differences of RIs between sexes usually occurs around the initiation of puberty at 12–13 years old. The age- and sex-specified RIs of 14 biochemical markers in PRINCE study can provide a solid reference, which will be transferred into relevant RIs for other clinical laboratory's platforms according to the CLSI guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noncoding RNAs were discovered to control a variety of developmental mechanisms, including osteogenesis. According to emerging evidence, cryptochrome circadian-regulating (CRY) proteins have emerged as essential controllers of osteoblast differentiation. The linked processes, on the other hand, are still unknown. The specific process that underpins osteoblast differentiation and proliferation is yet unknown. This research gives a meta-analysis of CRY2's impact on mouse osteoblast differentiation via the control of the WNT/β–catenin signaling pathways. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR were used to identify Cry2 expression levels, components in the osteoblast-associated signaling pathway, and osteoblast transcription markers. The osteogenic condition was measured utilizing alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alizarin red (AR) staining, whereas cell growth rates were measured using CCK8 assays. An ectopic bone formation experiment was used to determine the osteogenic potential of osteoblasts. Cry2 stimulates the osteogenic development of mouse osteoblasts through canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling, according to the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Identifying the patterns of soil microbial responses to increasing nitrogen (N) availability are important since microbial processes are related to the potential nutrient transformations. The effects of the addition of N to the soil microbial community of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China, are described in this paper. The study was conducted over a two-year period with trials commencing at the beginning of each growing season. Soil enzyme activity, microbial biomass and microbial community level physiological profile (CLPP) were determined at 0–5 cm and 5–10 cm soil depths. Nitrogen was added to the soil at five rates plus a control, i.e. 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 6 and 24 g N m−2 y−1. We hypothesized that soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass N (MBN) would firstly increase and then decrease, and CLPP would be altered with increasing N addition, due to the deleterious effects of higher N addition upon microbial activity. Because of the relatively higher organic matter in the upper depth of soil layers, we further hypothesized that the responses of microbial activities in the 0–5 cm depth would be more marked than at 5–10 cm. In partial support of our hypothesis, soil enzyme activities, microbial biomass and nutrient concentrations responded to N addition with the most significant changes occurring in the 0–5 cm soil depth. Addition of N resulted in an increase in MBN and a decrease in urease activity. Invertase and alkaline phosphatase (AlP) activities increased at low doses of N addition and showed a decrease at higher doses. There was no evidence of change in oxidative enzyme activity at low N treatments but activity decreased at high N additions. However, the CLPP was not affected by N addition. The results of this study suggest that N supplementation in this desert soil may affect C transformation, increase availability of N and P, and immobilize N in the microbial biomass. Responses of the enzyme activity to N supplementation occurred within the context of an apparently stable or unresponsive microbial community structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Saline‐alkali soils are widely distributed in China, affecting plant growth and sustainable development of ecosystems. Few studies have been done on the improvement of saline‐alkali soils by planting Melia azedarach in phytoremediation. This study characterized the effects of planting M. azedarach on chemical properties and microbial communities in saline‐alkali soils [bare (CK), bulk (BS), and rhizosphere soil (RS)]. Compared with the bare soil, planting M. azedarach lowered salt content and concentrations of extractable Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Cl−, but significantly increased organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, soil urease activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere soil. High‐throughput sequencing results indicated that M. azedarach increased the Chao1 index and Shannon index of soil microbial communities. The three dominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes, and the three dominant fungal phyla were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Glomeromycota. Redundancy analysis indicated that total phosphorus concentration and alkaline phosphatase activity significantly influenced bacterial diversity, whereas soil Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations were closely related to the fungal community diversity. In conclusion, planting Melia azedarach improved soil properties, increased the diversity and richness of soil microbial communities, and thus ameliorated the saline‐alkali soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is still lack of data on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following bone trauma. This study aimed to determine the epidemiologic characteristics of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of lower extremities following tibial plateau fractures. Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on patients presenting with tibial plateau fractures between October 2014 and December 2018 was conducted. Duplex ultrasonography (DUS) was routinely used to screen for preoperative DVT of bilateral lower extremities. Data on demographics, comorbidities, injury-related data, and laboratory biomarkers at admission were collected. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the independent risk factors associated with DVT. Results: A total of 1179 patients were included, among whom 192 (16.3%) had a preoperative DVT, with incidence rate of 1.0% for proximal and 15.3% for distal DVT. The average interval between fracture occurrence and diagnosis of DVT was 3.5 days (median, 2 days), ranging from 0 to 19 days. DVT involved the injured extremity in 166 (86.4%) patients, both the injured and uninjured extremities in 14 patients (7.3%) and only the uninjured extremity in 12 patients (6.3%). Six risk factors were identified to be associated with DVT, including gender (male vs female), hypertension, open fracture, alkaline phosphatase > 100 u/L, sodium concentration < 135 mmol/L, and D-dimer > 0.5 mg/L. Conclusion: These epidemiologic data are conducive to the individualized assessment, risk stratification, and development of targeted prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Different growth stages of vegetation are vital factors controlling soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration on the tableland of the Loess Plateau. To ascertain the SOC sequestration process and direction, we studied the changes in SOC fractions and the relationships with enzyme activities in different stages of restoration with different vegetation types. Materials and methods: Soils from different stages of farmland conversion into grassland or forestland were selected, in which the space sequence and sampling time were combined to replace time series. SOC, particulate OC (POC), light fraction OC (LFOC), dissolved OC (DOC), and soil enzyme activities of catalase, urease, alkali-phosphatase, and inverse were measured. The change process of labile organic carbon (LOC) was performed to study the direction of SOC in the succession of different vegetation types. The effect of SOC–soil enzyme activity interactions was evaluated by RDA variance decomposition to illustrate the role of soil enzyme activity in SOC sequestration. Results and discussion: With the extension of the planting time, the SOC fractions and total nitrogen under Hippophae rhamnoides (HR) increased rapidly from 0 to 16 and 16 to 21 years and decreased rapidly from 21 to 30 years, while LOC showed greater variation. LOC under Pinus tabulaeformis (PT) changed more slowly than that under HR. The sensitivity of different LOC to land use varied. From the change rate of soil LOC, we concluded the DOC changed the fastest, followed by the LFOC, the CPOC in POC was the slowest in the extension of vegetation growth time. By RDA variance decomposition, fine POC was mainly affected by urease; coarse POC in POC was mainly affected by alkaline phosphatase, which was promoted by invertase; LFOC was mainly promoted by catalase; DOC was mainly affected by alkaline phosphatase. Therefore, during the progression of SOC change, the initial stage was obviously affected by alkaline phosphatase. Catalase played a leading role during the gradual decrease in SOC activity. When SOC became stable, it was instead mainly affected by urease. Conclusions: Land use changes and different growth stages of vegetation altered the SOC sequestration process and direction. The long-term return of farmland to grassland would greatly promote the concentrations of SOC fractions, and the short-term return of farmland to PT or HR would also encourage an increase in these fractions, while the long-term would have the opposite effect. Therefore, in order to effectively improve SOC concentrations, during vegetation restoration, it should be properly matched in vegetation species and stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of stroke recurrence, disability, and all-cause mortality of patients with minor ischemic stroke (MIS) remains problematic. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors associated with adverse outcomes at 1 year after MIS in the Xi'an region of China.Methods: This prospective cohort study included MIS patients above 18 years old with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≤ 3 who were treated in any of four hospitals in Xi'an region of China between January and December 2015. The 1-year prevalence of stroke recurrence, disability, and all-cause mortality were evaluated, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between the identified risk factors and clinical outcomes.Results: In this study, 131(10.5%, 131/1252) patients were lost to follow-up at 1 year. A total of 1121 patients were included for analysis, the prevalence of stroke recurrence, disability, and all-cause mortality at 1 year after MIS were 3.4% (38/1121), 9.3% (104/1121), and 3.3% (37/1121), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age, current smoking, and pneumonia as independent risk factors for stroke recurrence. Age, pneumonia, and alkaline phosphatase were independent risk factors for all-cause mortality. Independent risk factors for disability were age, pneumonia, NIHSS score on admission, and leukocyte count.Conclusions: The 1-year outcomes of MIS in Xi'an region of China were not optimistic, especially with a high prevalence of disability. The present study indicated that age and pneumonia were the common independent risk factors affecting the 1-year outcomes of MIS in Xi'an region of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At present, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is internationally recognized as a therapeutic drug in clinic. However, about 40% Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) patients are poor responders to UDCA. It has been demonstrated that Transcutaneous Neuromodulation (TN) can be involved in gut motility, metabolism of bile acids, immune inflammation, and autonomic nerve. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of TN combined with UDCA on PBC and related mechanisms. Methods: According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 healthy volunteers and 15 PBC patients were recruited to control group and TN group, respectively. PBC patients were alternately but blindly assigned to group A (TN combined with UDCA) and group B (sham-TN combined with UDCA), and a crossover design was used. The TN treatment was performed via the posterior tibial nerve and acupoint ST36 (Zusanli) 1 h twice/day for 2 weeks. T test and nonparametric test were used to analyze the data. Results: 1. TN combined with UDCA improved the liver function of PBC patients shown by a significant decrease of alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) (P < 0.05). 2. The treatment also decreased serum IL-6 levels (P < 0.05), but not the level of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, IL-1β or IL-10. 3. TN combined with UDCA regulated autonomic function, enhanced vagal activity, and decreased the sympathovagal ratio assessed by the spectral analysis of heart rate variability (P < 0.05). 4. There was no change in 13 bile acids in serum or stool after TN or sham-TN. Conclusions: TN cssombined with UDCA can significantly improve the liver function of PBC patients. It is possibly via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. TN might be a new non-drug therapy for PBC. Further studies are required. Trial registration: The study protocol was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (number ChiCTR1800014633) on 25 January 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an ultra-rare genetic disorder characterized by extraskeletal heterotopic ossification. It is well recognized that FOP can lead to a devastating condition of disability. However, the mortality rate of FOP patients in China and risk factors for mortality are still largely unclear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective research on a cohort of 65 cases of FOP patients in China from 2008 to 2018. We reviewed medical records of these FOP patients to retrieve information such as date of birth/death, gender, clinical features, genotypes and biochemical parameters and analyze the correlation of these parameters with the mortality. Results: 92.3% (60/65 cases) patients were classic FOP patients, 3.1% (2/65 cases) were FOP-plus and 4.6% (3/65 cases) were FOP variants. 9 cases of this cohort were dead during the ten-year period, and the overall mortality rate was 13.8%. c.617G > A mutation was confirmed in all non-survivors. In FOP patients≤18 years at diagnosis, non-survivors demonstrated significantly lower blood osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase levels compared with survivors (P < 0.05), and spearman correlation and logistic regression analysis indicated that serum osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase levels were negatively correlated with the mortality. Furthermore, the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed serum osteocalcin had the largest area under the curve of 0.855 among four biochemical parameters, and serum osteocalcin < 65.9 ng/ml displayed a good capacity to discriminate the non-survivors from survivors in FOP patients aged 18 years and younger at diagnosis. Conclusions: Our findings showed that the mortality rate of FOP was 13.8% in China. Serum OC level was negatively correlated with the mortality in Chinese FOP patients ≤18 years at diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schistosomiasis is a serious worldwide parasitic disease. One of the best ways to control schistosomiasis is to control the population of Oncomelania hupensis snails. We sought to identify a high-efficiency biogenic molluscicide against Oncomelania with low toxicity, to avoid chemical molluscicide contamination and toxicity in aquatic organisms. We extracted quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids (QBAs) from Macleaya cordata fruits. Molluscicidal activity of the QBAs against Oncomelania was determined using bioassay. Our results showed that the extracted QBAs had a strong molluscicidal effect. In treatment of O. hupensis with QBAs for 48 h and 72 h, the lethal concentration (LC50) was 2.89 mg/L and 1.29 mg/L, respectively. The molluscicidal activity of QBAs was close to that of niclosamide (ethanolamine salt), indicating that QBAs have potential development value as novel biogenic molluscicides. We also analyzed physiological toxicity mechanisms by examining the activity of several important detoxification enzymes. We measured the effect of the extracted QBAs on the activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST), carboxylesterase (CarE), acid phosphatase (ACP), and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in the liver of O. hupensis. We found that the effects of QBAs on detoxification metabolism in O. hupensis were time and concentration dependent. The activities of GST, CarE, AKP, and ACP in the liver of snails increased significantly in the early stage of treatment (24 h), but decreased sharply in later stages (120 h), compared with these activities in controls. GST, CarE, AKP, and ACP activity in the liver of snails treated with LC50 QBAs for 120 h decreased by 62.3%, 78.1%, 59.2%, and 68.6%, respectively. Our results indicate that these enzymes were seriously inhibited by the extracted QBAs and the detoxification and metabolic functions of the liver gradually weakened, leading to poisoning, which could be the main cause of death in O. hupensis snails. Quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids (QBAs) have antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities (anticancer, antibiosic, and antiphlogistic functions) and have been explored for use as bioantibiotics in livestock. Macleaya cordata fruits have a high QBA content. We isolated QBAs from M. cordata to evaluate molluscicidal activity against Oncomelania and to analyze the physiological toxicity mechanisms. Our results showed that QBAs had strong molluscicidal activity, similar to that of niclosamide. The activities of several important detoxification enzymes (glutathione S-transferase, carboxylesterase, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase) in the liver of O. hupensis snails were severely inhibited by QBAs. The detoxification and metabolic liver functions gradually weakened via poisoning, which could be the main cause of death in these snails. In China, there are abundant wild plant resources of M. cordata, which is often used in traditional Chinese medicine. QBAs comprising a natural combination of sanguinarine and chelerythrine bisulfate in about a 2:1 ratio had stronger molluscicidal activity than sanguinarine alone. This natural composition could serve as a scientific basis for future development of novel biomolluscicides using these active ingredients and proportions, which could provide an environmentally friendly alternative to the problem of contamination with chemical molluscicides used to combat schistosomiasis in endemic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis has dropped dramatically in China due to an effective integrated control program. However, advanced schistosomiasis is becoming a key challenge on the road to elimination. The aims of this study were to compare the disease condition between advanced cases under the general assistance program (GAP) and free treatment program (FTP) and to determine whether the FTP should be popularized to provide an objective reference for policymakers in China's advanced schistosomiasis control program. One hundred and ninety-four patients with schistosomiasis japonica who were enrolled in the GAP or FTP participated in this study. Little significant difference was observed in the potential confounders, including general characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle, indicating a similar effect on the pathology of liver damage caused by schistosome infection. There was no apparent difference in the incidence of common clinical symptoms. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the ultrasound findings, implying that the GAP and FTP groups shared a similar degree of liver lesion. With the exception of the abnormal rates of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and hyaluronic acid (HA), the other serological indicators were comparable between the groups. Overall, the FTP is not a better option for controlling advanced schistosomiasis in China. It is important to reveal the precise mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of advanced schistosomiasis so that specific approaches to treating and preventing the development of advanced schistosomiasis can be developed and schistosomiasis can be eliminated in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which evaluated serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) cooperating with matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) as an important prognostic predictor for local recurrence and distant metastasis of osteosarcoma. The study included 177 cases from the osteosarcoma patients treated at 1st Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University during 1999-2008. As part of the study, pre-chemotherapy serum ALP (pre-ALP) were studied and correlated with tumor recurrence, lung metastasis and patient survival. The study concluded that pre-ALP was an independent prognostic factor for the survival of osteosarcoma patients in south China, and correlated with MMP-9 expression and lung metastasis.

The re-establishment of natural species-rich heath lands on abandoned farmland is one of the main measures in soil erosion control in the Loess Plateau of China. So, it is important to understand how the vegetation and soil properties develop after land abandonment. The objective of this study was to determine how physico-chemical properties, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities changed for abandoned farmland with an age sequence of 0, 1, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 years in Zhifanggou watershed (8.27 km), Shaanxi Province, NW China. The results of this study indicate that species succession after land abandonment in the Zhifanggou watershed on the Loess Plateau resulted in a significant improvement in soil chemical and microbiological properties. Soil organic C, total N, available N and K, soil microbial biomass C, N and P, as well as alkaline phosphatase, catalase, saccharase, and cellulase activity increased with time since plantation establishment increased. In contrast, soil bulk density, pH, and polyphenol oxidase activity decreased after farmland abandonment. Urease and α-amylase decreased until 15 years at the early phase of species succession, and then increased. However, there was no significant change in total P and available P during the restoration. Results only implied the tendency that the herbage was developing toward shrub. Although secondary succession plays an important role which improved soil properties after farmland abandonment, the values of these parameters were still much lower than native forest in 50 years. Thus, vegetation recovery after farmland abandonment in a semi-arid environment would be slow and the improvement of soil properties in the Loess Plateau is likely to require a considerably long period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia) has been widely planted in the Loess Plateau for soil and water conservation. The effects of black locust on soil properties has significant role in land use and ecosystem management. However, this beneficial effect has been little studied in the Loess Plateau. The soil properties below black locust and native grass growing in Nanxiaohe and Wangdonggou watersheds, located in the loessial gully region of the Loess Plateau, were studied for changes in soil properties after establishment of black locust. The black locust significantly increased soil cation exchange capacity, organic carbon, total nitrogen, nitrate, and carbon:nitrogen and carbon:phosphorus (P) ratios, as well as some enzymes like alkaline phosphatase and invertase in 0–20 cm or 0–80 cm depths of soil compared to the native grassland in Nanxiaohe and Wangdonggou watersheds. However, the effects on ammonium, total P, and extractable P and potassium were not consistent in both watersheds. There were more obvious differences in soil properties between black locust land and grassland for Nanxiaohe watershed than for Wangdonggou watershed, suggesting that the effects of black locust on most soil properties increase with black locust age. The results indicate that black locust has potential to improve soil properties in the loessial gully region of the Loess Plateau and the improvements were greater in long-term than middle-term black locust stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinetics of alkaline phosphatase in sediments of a shallow Chinese freshwater lake (Lake Donghu) were investigated. Spatially, among 20 sites sampled, V max and K m values of alkaline phosphatase in surface sediments were higher in the zone adjacent to sites with the highest chlorophyll a concentrations. Vertically, there was a peak in V max at intermediate sediment depths in addition to the expected maximum at the surface. Some inhibitors, such as CuSO4, ZnSO4 and Na2WO4, showed significantly different effects on kinetics of alkaline phosphatase in interstitial water and sediments. Moreover, alkaline phosphatase in interstitial water and sediments responded to Na2WO4 in different ways in Lake Taihu. These observations imply that the enzyme is immobilized in sediments, which became more stable with accelerated eutrophication, as suggested by highest alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in sediments corresponding with highest water column chlorophyll a concentrations in Lake Donghu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chilo suppressalis is a widespread rice pest that poses a major threat to food security in China. This pest can develop resistance to Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), threatening the sustainable use of insect-resistant transgenic Bt rice. However, the molecular basis for the resistance mechanisms of C. suppressalis to Cry1C toxin remains unknown. This study aimed to identify genes associated with the mechanism of Cry1C resistance in C. suppressalis by comparing the midgut transcriptomic responses of resistant and susceptible C. suppressalis strains to Cry1C toxin and to provide information for insect resistance management. Results: A C. suppressalis midgut transcriptome of 139,206 unigenes was de novo assembled from 373 million Illumina HiSeq and Roche 454 clean reads. Comparative analysis identified 5328 significantly differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) between C. suppressalis Cry1C-resistant and -susceptible strains. DEGs encoding Bt Cry toxin receptors, aminopeptidase-P like protein, the ABC subfamily and alkaline phosphatase were downregulated, suggesting an association with C. suppressalis Cry1C resistance. Additionally, Cry1C resistance in C. suppressalis may be related to changes in the transcription levels of enzymes involved in hydrolysis, digestive, catalytic and detoxification processes. Conclusion: Our study identified genes potentially involved in Cry1C resistance in C. suppressalis by comparative transcriptome analysis. The assembled and annotated transcriptome data provide valuable genomic resources for further study of the molecular mechanisms of C. suppressalis resistance to Cry toxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prognostic role of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) has been found in several kinds of solid malignant tumor, but has never been extensively discussed in pancreatic cancer, especially through the application of dynamic survival model which incorporates the varying nature of ALP measurements.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study which successfully collected 551 histopathologically confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients from a cancer specialized hospital in southwest China. The association between variant ALP which measured during the whole survival period and the overall survival (OS) of PDAC patients was evaluated by using dynamic Anderson-Gill (AG) model. Exhaustive sensitivity analysis was performed by adopting continuous cut-offs of ALP.Results: After adjusted for possible confounding of serum albumin, total bilirubin and leukocyte counts, AG model revealed that, serum ALP during the survival period was nonlinearly associated with the OS of PDAC: for resected patients, compared with those whose ALP results ranged within the first quartile (P75) quartiles were observed 1.14 (95% CI: 0.29-4.56), 3.93 (95% CI: 1.23-12.60), 3.87 (95% CI: 1.32-11.36) folds of death hazard; whereas in un-resected PDAC patients, the hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.15 (95% CI: 0.79-1.68), 1.92 (95% CI: 1.32-2.78), and 1.97 (95% CI: 1.30-2.98), respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that, for both resected and un-resected patients, the results of AG model were robust with regard to various cut-offs of ALP, and an increased ALP was in general associated with significantly increased hazard of death.Conclusion: Serum ALP during the survival period was significantly associated with the OS of PDAC patients, especially for resected early stage PDAC patients. Future studies with expanded sample size and refined prospective design should be implemented to corroborate our major findings. Besides, the underlying mechanism for this possible hazardous role of ALP should also be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]