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Abstract Background Premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) is a key cause of preterm birth and represents a major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Natural products N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (GalNAc), which are basic building blocks of important polysaccharides in biological cells or tissues, such as chitin, glycoproteins, and glycolipids, may improve possible effects of wound healing. Methods An in vitro inflammation and oxidative stress model was constructed using tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) action on WISH cells. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) were primarily cultured by digestion to construct a wound model. The effects of GalNAc on anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress, migration and proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), glycosaminoglycan (GAG)/hyaluronic acid (HA) production, and protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in hAECs and WISH cells were analyzed using the DCFH-DA fluorescent probe, ELISA, CCK-8, scratch, transwell migration, and western blot to determine the mechanism by which GalNAc promotes amniotic wound healing. Results GalNAc decreased IL-6 expression in TNF-α-stimulated WISH cells and ROS expression in LPS-stimulated WISH cells (P 0.05). GalNAc upregulated the expression of sGAG in WISH cells (P 0.05). Conclusions GalNAc might be a potential target for the prevention and treatment of PROM through the galectin pathway, including (i) inflammation; (ii) epithelial-mesenchymal transition; (iii) proliferation and migration; and (iv) regression, remodeling, and healing.

In China, premature rupture of membranes (PROM) counts as a major pregnancy complication in China and usually results into adverse pregnancy outcomes. We analysed the vagina microbiome composition using 16S rDNA V3–V4 amplicon sequencing technology, in this prospective study of 441 women in their third trimester of pregnancy. We first divided all subjects into PROM and HC (healthy control) groups, in order to investigate the correlation of vagina microbiome composition and the development of PROM. We found that seven pathogens were higher in the PROM group as compared to the HC group with statistical significance. We also split all subjects into three groups based on Lactobacillus abundance-dominant (Lactobacillus > 90%), intermediate (Lactobacillus 30–90%) and depleted (Lactobacillus < 30%) groups, and explored nine pathogenic genera that were higher in the depleted group than the intermediate and dominant groups having statistical significance. Finally, using integrated analysis and logistics regression modelling, we discovered that Lactobacillus (coeff = −0.09, p = 0.04) was linked to the decreased risk of PROM, while Gardnerella (coeff = 0.04, p = 0.02), Prevotella (coeff = 0.11, p = 0.02), Megasphaera (coeff = 0.04, p = 0.01), Ureaplasma (coeff = 0.004, p = 0.01) and Dialister (coeff = 0.001, p = 0.04) were associated with the increased risk of PROM. Further study on how these pathogens interact with vaginal microbiota and the host would result in a better understanding of PROM development.

Understanding the impact of biological activities on the soil phosphorus (P) distribution under long-term fertilizer application can facilitate better soil P fertility management. Therefore, the primary objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of long-term (since 1981) fertilizer application on the soil P fractions and microbial community and to evaluate correlations between the microbial community structure and P distribution. The following treatments were implemented in a long-term field trial: no fertilization (CK), inorganic N and K (NK), inorganic P and K (PK), inorganic N, P and K (NPK) and manure+NPK (MNPK) fertilization. The study showed that the soil pH, soil organic carbon and total and available N and P concentrations were considerably higher in the MNPK treatment than in the CK treatment. The soil microbial biomass C, N and P concentrations were also significantly higher in the MNPK treatment than in the CK treatment. Among fertilization treatments, the β-1,4-glucosidase, α-1,4-glucosidase, urease, acid phosphatase and phosphodiesterase activities were the highest in the MNPK treatment. Compared to inorganic fertilization, the MNPK treatment increased the labile soil P fractions and decreased the residual soil P concentration. Continuous fertilization significantly affected the soil microbial composition. The total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) concentrations in the NK, PK, NPK and MNPK treatments were 23.3, 43.1, 48.7 and 87.7% higher, respectively, than in the CK treatment. A significant correlation was observed between the microbial community and soil P fractions. Moreover, the aggregated boosted tree (ABT) model showed that among the various soil biochemical properties, the total PLFA concentration was the factor that most influenced the active P pool, accounting for 35.4% of the relative influence of all soil biochemical properties examined. These findings reveal that combined manure and inorganic fertilizer application is a better approach than applying inorganic fertilizer alone for sustaining long-term P fertility by mediating soil biological activity.

Soil productivity (SP) without external fertilization influence is an important indicator for the capacity of a soil to support crop yield. However, there have been difficulties in estimating values of SPs for soils after various long-term field treatments because the treatment without external fertilization is used but is depleted in soil nutrients, leading to erroneous estimation. The objectives of this study were to estimate the change of SP across different cropping seasons using pot experiments, and to evaluate the steady SP value (which is defined by the basal contribution of soil itself to crop yield) after various long-term fertilization treatments in soils at different geographical locations. The pot experiments were conducted in Jinxian of Jiangxi Province with paddy soil, Zhengzhou of Henan Province with fluvo-aquic soil, and Gongzhuling of Jilin Province with black soils, China. Soils were collected after long-term field fertilization treatments of no fertilizer (control; CK-F), chemical fertilizer (NPK-F), and combined chemical fertilizer with manure (NPKM-F). The soils received either no fertilizer (F0) or chemical fertilizer (F1) for 3–6 cropping seasons in pots, which include CK-P (control; no fertilizer from long-term field experiments for pot experiments), NPK-P (chemical fertilizer from long-term field experiments for pot experiments), and NPKM-P (combined chemical and organic fertilizers from long-term field experiments for pot experiments). The yield data were used to calculate SP values. The initial SP values were high, but decreased rapidly until a relatively steady SP was achieved at or after about three cropping seasons for paddy and fluvo-aquic soils. The steady SP values in the third cropping season from CK-P, NPK-P, and NPKM-P treatments were 37.7, 44.1, and 50.0% in the paddy soil, 34.2, 38.1, and 50.0% in the fluvo-aquic soil, with the highest value observed in the NPKM-P treatment for all soils. However, further research is required in the black soils to incorporate more than three cropping seasons. The partial least squares path mode (PLS-PM) showed that total N (nitrogen) and C/N ratio (the ratio of soil organic carbon and total N) had positive effects on the steady SP for all three soils. These findings confirm the significance of the incorporation of manure for attaining high soil productivity. Regulation of the soil C/N ratio was the other main factor for steady SP through fertilization management.

There is limited information on carbon sequestration efficiency (CSE) of soil aggregates in upland and paddy soils under long-term fertilization regimes. In a red soil region of southern China, an upland soil experiment started in 1986 and a paddy soil experiment commenced in 1981. These experiments were conducted using different fertilization treatments. After 30 years, soil organic carbon (SOC) content and stock of different aggregate components were analyzed. The results showed that the SOC contents and stocks in upland soil were lower than in paddy soil. In both upland and paddy soils, the SOC contents and stocks of all aggregate components in NPKM (combined treatment with chemical nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) fertilizers and manure) were the highest among all treatments. Compared with CK (no fertilizer), SOC content of all aggregate components in NPKM was increased by 13.21−63.11% and 19.13−73.33% in upland and paddy soils, respectively. Meanwhile, the change rates in SOC stock of all aggregate components in upland soil were lower than in paddy soil, although the change rate of SOC stock of all aggregate components in NPKM was higher than in other treatments. Furthermore, a linear equation could fit the relationships between carbon (C) input and change rate of SOC stock (P

With the advance of digital pathology, image analysis has begun to show its advantages in information analysis of hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images. Generally, histological features in hematoxylin and eosin images are measured to evaluate tumor grade and prognosis for breast cancer. This review summarized recent works in image analysis of hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images for breast cancer prognosis. First, prognostic factors for breast cancer based on hematoxylin and eosin histopathology images were summarized. Then, usual procedures of image analysis for breast cancer prognosis were systematically reviewed, including image acquisition, image preprocessing, image detection and segmentation, and feature extraction. Finally, the prognostic value of image features and image feature–based prognostic models was evaluated. Moreover, we discussed the issues of current analysis, and some directions for future research.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the main carbon reservoirs in the terrestrial ecosystem. It is important to study SOC dynamics and effects of organic carbon amendments in paddy fields because of their vest expansion in south China. A study was carried out to evaluate the relationship between the SOC content and organic carbon input under various organic amendments at a long-term fertilization experiment that was established on a red soil under a double rice cropping system in 1981. The treatments included non-fertilization (CK), nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilization in early rice only (NPK), green manure (Astragalus sinicus L.) in early rice only (OM1), high rate of green manure in early rice only (OM2), combined green manure in early rice and farmyard manure in late rice (OM3), combined green manure in early rice, farmyard manure in late rice and rice straw mulching in winter (OM4), combined green manure in early rice and rice straw mulching in winter (OM5). Our data showed that the SOC content was the highest under OM3 and OM4, followed by OM1, OM2 and OM5, then NPK fertilization, and the lowest under non-fertilization. However, our analyses in SOC stock indicated a significant difference between OM3 (33.9 t ha−1) and OM4 (31.8 t ha−1), but no difference between NPK fertilization (27 t ha−1) and non-fertilization (28.1 t ha−1). There was a significant linear increase in SOC over time for all treatments, and the slop of linear equation was greater in organic manure treatments (0.276–0.344 g kg−1 yr−1) than in chemical fertilizer (0.216 g kg−1 yr−1) and no fertilizer (0.127 g kg−1 yr−1).

In the centrosymmetric title compound, [Co(C7H4NO4)2(C12H9N5)2(H2O)2]·2H2O, the CoII atom, located on an inversion center, is coordinated by two N atoms [Co—N = 2.155 (3) Å] and four O atoms [Co—O = 2.099 (2)–2.117 (3) Å] in a distorted octahedral geometry. Intermolecular N—H...O, O—H...N and O—H...O hydrogen bonds link the components into a three-dimensional supramolecular framework.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, [Mg(CHN4)2(H2O)4], the MgII atom is six-coordinated by two N atoms from two tetrazolide anions and four O atoms from four coordinated water molecules in a slightly distorted octahedral geometry. The Mg atom is located on centres of inversion whereas the tetrazolide anion and the water molecules occupy general positions. The crystal packing is stabilized by intermolecular O—H...N hydrogen bonding between the tetrazolide anions and the coordinated water molecules.

In the title dinuclear CdII complex, [Cd2(C2N4O2)2(C10H8N2)2(H2O)2], each Cd atom is in a slightly distorted octahedral coordination by two N atoms and one O atom of two 1H-tetrazole-5-carboxylate (TZC) ligands, two N atoms of a 2,2′-bipyridyl ligand and one water O atom. The TZC ligand acts in a tridentate N,O-chelating N-bridging mode to two symmetry-equivalent CdII atoms. The complex reveals molecular Ci symmetry. Extensive O—H...O hydrogen bonding plays an important role in the crystal packing.

In the title compound, [Ni(C12H8N5)2(H2O)4]·2H2O, the NiII atom is coordinated by the two N atoms [Ni—N = 2.094 (3) Å] and four O atoms [Ni—O = 2.063 (3)–2.083 (2) Å] in a distorted octahedral geometry. The molecule is centrosymmetric and the NiII atom is located on an inversion center. Intermolecular O—H...N and O—H...O hydrogen bonds link the complex into a three-dimensional supramolecular framework.

In the title compound, [Cd(C12H8N5)2(H2O)4]·2H2O, the CdII atom is located on an inversion center and is coordinated by the two N atoms [Cd—N = 2.278 (2) Å] and four O atoms [Cd—O = 2.304 (2)–2.322 (2) Å] in a distorted octahedral geometry. Intermolecular O—H...O and O—H...N hydrogen bonds link the complex into a three-dimensional supramolecular framework.

The growth of ratoon rice (Oryza sativa L.) is affected by growth of main rice, so it could be evaluated by determining growing condition of main rice. Objective of the study was to find regression model for predicting ratoon rice growth rhythm through establishing the quantitative relationship between growth rhythm in ratoon rice and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) after heading of main rice. NDVI at key growth stages of main rice was measured using active spectrometry for 12 varieties in 2008 and for 23 varieties in 2009, and compared the physiological indexes of main and ratoon rice. There was an exponential correlation (P < 0.05) between the NDVI after heading of the main rice and biomass, N concentration of green leaves and stems or leaf area index (LAI) after heading of the ratoon rice for all the 12 varieties in 2008. The regression models from the rice variety experiment in 2008 were used to calculate predicted values with NDVI after heading of main rice in 2009. The results showed that the predicted values of biomass, N uptake, and LAI in ratoon rice were significantly different to measured values. However, there were exponential and significantly positive correlation (p < 0.05) between biomass and N uptake and LAI in ratoon rice and NDVI after heading of main rice in 2009. Therefore, it suggested that regression models were not perfect, and need to be improved adding more parameters about spectral characteristic of main and ratoon rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrosomia is one of the most common perinatal complications of pregnancy and has life-long health implications for the infant. microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to regulate placental development, yet the role of miRNAs in macrosomia remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the role of miR-17-92 cluster in macrosomia. The expression levels of five miRNAs in miR-17-92 cluster were significantly elevated in placentas of macrosomia, which may due to the up-regulation of miRNA-processing enzyme Drosha and Dicer. Cell cycle pathway was identified to be the most relevant pathways regulated by miR-17-92 cluster miRNAs. Importantly, miR-17-92 cluster increased proliferation, attenuated cell apoptosis and accelerated cells entering S phase by targeting SMAD4 and RB1 in HTR8/SVneo cells. Furthermore, we found that expression of miR-17-92 cluster in serum had a high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for macrosomia (AUC: 80.53%; sensitivity: 82.61%; specificity: 69.57%). Our results suggested that miR-17-92 cluster contribute to macrosomia development by targeting regulators of cell cycle pathway. Our findings not only provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanisms of macrosomia, but also the clinical value of miR-17-92 cluster as a predictive biomarker for macrosomia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury, a heavy metal, can seriously harm human bodies and the environment due to its characteristics of high toxicity, biological enrichment, and long-range migration. The non-ferrous metal smelting industry is one of the main sources of atmospheric mercury pollution in China. Therefore, controlling atmospheric mercury emissions from non-ferrous smelting plants is very important. The wet cleaning process has been widely applied in the purification of smelting flue gas because of its advantages such as a high removal efficiency, stable operation, and low cost. During the wet purification process, thiourea is usually added because it can reduce the oxidation potential of mercury and react with mercury to form stable coordination ions, resulting in the high-efficiency removal of mercury from high-sulfur smelting flue gas. However, mercury recovery from scrubbing solutions containing mercury and thiourea obtained from the wet cleaning process is difficult. In this study, a novel technology to recover mercury from the thiourea mercury solution via electrodeposition was proposed and investigated. The linear potential scanning method was applied to obtain the reduction potential of mercury. It was determined that the optimal potential of the mercury electrodeposition process should be controlled between −0.55 V and −0.45 V because the presence of ferric ions, copper ions, and sulfite ions did not seriously affect the electrodeposition of mercury. Controlled potential electrolysis was employed to efficiently recover mercury from thiourea mercury solution, and the effects of key parameters, including electrolyte type and concentration, electrolyte temperature, stirring rate, and electrolytic time, on the mercury recovery efficiency were explored. The optimal process conditions are as follows: a cathode material of copper sheet, electrolyte of 0.24 mol·L−1 Na2SO4, electrolyte temperature of 30–40 ℃, stirring speed of 100–300 r·min−1, \begin{document}$ {\rm{SO}}^{2-}_{3} $\end{document} concentration of 8 mmol·L−1, and electrolytic time of 5 h. Under the optimal process conditions, the mercury recovery efficiency mercury is over 98%. The electrolytic products on the cathode are elemental mercury, and the corresponding purity is over 99%.