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Purpose: Previous studies showed that long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) was associated with cardiovascular events. However, the impact of short-term PPI exposure on intensive care unit (ICU) patients with myocardial infarction (MI) remains largely unknown. This study aims to determine the precise correlation between short-term PPI usage during hospitalization and prognostic outcomes of ICU-admitted MI patients using Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database (MIMIC-IV)., Methods: Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to adjust confounding factors. The primary study outcome was rehospitalization with mortality and length of stay as secondary outcomes. Binary logistic, multivariable Cox, and linear regression analyses were employed to estimate the impact of short-term PPI exposure on ICU-admitted MI patients., Results: A total of 7249 patients were included, involving 3628 PPI users and 3621 non-PPI users. After PSM, 2687 pairs of patients were matched. The results demonstrated a significant association between PPI exposure and increased risk of rehospitalization for MI in both univariate and multivariate [odds ratio (OR) = 1.157, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.020-1.313] analyses through logistic regression after PSM. Furthermore, this risk was also observed in patients using PPIs > 7 days, despite decreased risk of all-cause mortality among these patients. It was also found that pantoprazole increased the risk of rehospitalization, whereas omeprazole did not., Conclusion: Short-term PPI usage during hospitalization was still associated with higher risk of rehospitalization for MI in ICU-admitted MI patients. Furthermore, omeprazole might be superior to pantoprazole regarding the risk of rehospitalization in ICU-admitted MI patients., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In addition to controlling gene expression, mediating DNA folding into chromatin, and responding to immunological stimuli, histones are also thought to have antimicrobial effects. This study identified the molecular characteristics of core Histone MacroH2A2 (TOMacroH2A2) and Histone H2B 1/2 (TOH2B) from Trachinotus ovatus, and the antimicrobial potential of their derived peptides (To.mh2a and To. h2b). The open reading frames (ORFs) of TOMacroH2A2 and TOH2B from T. ovatus were 1010 bp and 375 bp, encoding polypeptides of 369 and 124 amino acids, respectively. The TOMacroH2A2 included an H2A domain and an A1pp domain, while TOH2B included an H2B domain. The amino acid sequences of TOMacroH2A2 and TOH2B demonstrated high homology with other teleost's sequences of histone macroh2a2 and histone h2b, with homologies exceeding 90 %. Expression analysis showed high expression of TOMacroH2A2 in brain, stomach, heart, and skin tissues and TOH2B in gill, brain, and skin tissues. In addition, the histone-derived peptides To. mh2a and To. h2b, synthesized based on two histone sequences from T. ovatus, exhibited typical physical characteristics of antimicrobial peptides, including positive charges, amphipathicity, hydrophobicity, and rich α-helix structure. Crucially, the vitro antibacterial results demonstrated that To. mh2a and To. h2b can inhibit the growth of various aquatic pathogens including Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Escherichia coli to varying degrees. Specifically, To. mh2a and To. h2b were capable of disrupting the cell surface structures of S. aureus and penetrating the cell membrane, leading to the leakage of cellular contents, thereby exerting their antibacterial effects. Furthermore, gel electrophoresis migration assays showed that To. mh2a and To. h2b participated in antimicrobial activity by binding to bacterial genomic DNA and reducing the migration rate of gDNA in a dose-dependent manner. The minimum effective concentration for binding to DNA was approximately 50 μM. In conclusion, our study suggested that To. mh2a and To. h2b can act as antimicrobial peptides, providing a potential strategy for controlling bacterial diseases in T. ovatus., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth) is an important medicinal and aromatic plant widely cultivated in China, India, and other Southeast Asian countries. It is renowned for its diverse applications in traditional medicine and its detoxification, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacological properties (Wu et al. 2016; Fang et al. 2022). In May 2023, a severe leaf spot disease was observed on Pogostemon cablin plants grown in most plantations in Yulin, Guangxi, China (22°26'N; 109°83'E), with over 50% incidence rate. Symptoms began as small, circular, brown spots on leaves, enlarging with yellow halos. Lesions expanded into irregular shapes with necrotic centers. Advanced stages showed extensive yellowing, browning, and leaf senescence. A total of 20 symptomatic plants were sampled from 5 different locations within the detected area, with 4 plants sampled per location. To isolate the pathogen, 20 affected leaves were collected from these plants and preliminarily washed with sterile distilled water (SDW). Five small tissue pieces (5×5 mm) were excised from the lesion edge of each leaf, surface-disinfected with 75% ethanol and 1% NaClO, rinsed thrice with SDW, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28 °C in darkness for 7 days. Out of these, 18 plants (90%) yield fungal isolate with recurrent and similar morphological characteristics. Four representative isolates (X5-1-1, X5-1-3, X5-1-5, and X5-1-7) were selected for further analysis. On PDA, colonies were initially white, gradually turning black on the surface, with light yellow on the reverse side of the plate. Conidia were brown to black, globose, rough-walled, and 2.6 to 5.2 µm in diameter. Conidial heads were brown-black, and conidiophores were smooth and hyaline. Morphological characteristics matched those of Aspergillus sp. (Guo et al. 2017). For molecular identification, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the β-tubulin (TUB) gene of all four isolates were sequenced (Lim et al. 2019). All four isolates (X5-1-1, X5-1-3, X5-1-5, and X5-1-7) showed consistent morphological characteristics and 100% identical ITS and TUB sequences. Representative sequences from isolate X5-1-5 were submitted to GenBank (ITS: PP789632; TUB: PP798205). The obtained ITS and TUB sequences showed 99% similarity to Aspergillus tubingensis (ITS: OP737633; TUB: MG991377). Based on morphological and molecular analyses, the fungus was identified as A. tubingensis (Palmer et al. 2019). For pathogenicity tests, a spore suspension (1 × 10^6 conidia/mL) was prepared from 7-day-old cultures of A. tubingensis grown on PDA. The suspension was sprayed onto leaves of 10 healthy Pogostemon cablin plants until runoff. Control plants were sprayed with SDW. All plants were kept in a controlled greenhouse (12/12h light/dark, 25 ± 2 °C, 90% humidity). After 7 d, symptoms identical to those observed in the field developed on all pathogen inoculated plants, while control plants remained asymptomatic. The fungus was successfully re-isolated from infected leaves in three successive trials, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Notably, A. tubingensis has previously been reported causing field diseases on strawberry in California, Jatropha curcas and Helleborus species in China (Palmer et al. 2019; Guo et al. 2017, Liaquat et al. 2019), and vine canker on table grape in Italy (Vitale et al. 2012). To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. tubingensis causing leaf spot on Pogostemon cablin in China. This finding provides a foundation for further investigate into the biology, epidemiology, and management of this disease.

Minimally invasive thoracic surgery has advanced the treatment of lung cancer since its introduction in the 1990s. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) offer the advantage of smaller incisions without compromising patient outcomes. These techniques have been shown to be safe and effective in standard pulmonary resections (lobectomy and sub-lobar resection) and in complex pulmonary resections (sleeve resection and pneumonectomy). Furthermore, several studies show these techniques enhance patient outcomes from early recovery to improved quality of life (QoL) and excellent oncologic results. The rise of RATS has yielded further operative benefits compared to thoracoscopic surgery. The wristed instruments, neutralization of tremor, dexterity, and magnification allow for more precise and delicate dissection of tissues and vessels. This review summarizes of the advancements in minimally invasive thoracic surgery and the positive impact on patient outcomes.

Previous studies found that histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) had blood pressure lowering and cardioprotective effects, but the impact of H2RAs on the survival outcomes of critically ill patients with essential hypertension is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of H2RAs exposure with all-cause mortality in patients with essential hypertension based on Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. A total of 17,739 patients were included, involving 8482 H2RAs users and 9257 non-H2RAs users. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to improve balance between 2 groups that were exposed to H2RAs or not. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare the cumulative survival rates and multivariable Cox regression models were performed to evaluate the association between H2RAs exposure and all-cause mortality. After 1:1 PSM, 4416 pairs of patients were enrolled. The results revealed potentially significant association between H2RAs exposure and decreased 30-day, 90-day, and 1-year mortalities in multivariate analyses (HR = 0.783, 95% CI: 0.696-0.882 for 30-day; HR = 0.860, 95% CI: 0.778-0.950 for 90-day; and HR = 0.883, 95% CI: 0.811-0.961 for 1-year mortality, respectively). Covariate effect analyses showed that the use of H2RAs was more beneficial in essential hypertension patients with age ≥ 60, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 , coronary arteriosclerosis, stroke, and acute kidney failure, respectively. In conclusion, H2RAs exposure was related to lower mortalities in critically ill patients with essential hypertension, which provided novel potential strategy for the use of H2RAs in essential hypertension patients., (© 2024, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.)

Millettia speciosa Champ, renowned for its diverse applications in traditional medicine, is extensively cultivated in the Guangxi region of China, spanning roughly 5,973 hectares. In July 2021, a plantation in Yulin, Guangxi, China (22°64'N; 110°29'E), exhibited severe leaf spot disease on M. speciosa. Notably, a 46,690 square meters area had over 40% leaf spot incidence. Initially, symptoms appeared as small, circular, pale-yellow lesions on the leaves, then turned into irregular, dark brown spots with yellow halos, leading to the wilt and defoliation of leaves. To identify the responsible pathogen, a total of five symptomatic leaves were collected and sterilized systematically. Small tissue segments (5×5 mm) from lesion peripheries were aseptically excised, then surface sterilized with 75% ethanol for 10 s, and 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) for 3 min. Following this, the sterilized tissues were triple-rinsed with sterile water and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28 °C in the dark for 7 d. A total of seven isolates were obtained through single-spore isolation, and one representative isolate, N2-3, was selected for further analysis. After 7 d of incubation, colonies displayed flat, white, and extensively branched aerial hyphae. Over time, the reverse side of the colony changed from white to yellowish-white. The pycnidia were black with conidial droplets ranging from cream to pale yellow exuding from their ostioles. The α-conidia were one-celled, hyaline, ovoid to cylindrical, typically with one or two droplets, 2.6 to 5.9 ×1.4 to 3.9 μm (n=50). These morphological traits align with those of the genus Diaporthe, as reported by Li et al. (2022) and Crous et al. (2015). To identify the species, isolate N2-3 underwent sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin (BT), and translation elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1-α) sections (Huang et al. 2021). Obtained sequences of ITS, BT and EF1-α (Genebank accessions nos. OR600532, OR662169 and OR662168) displayed a 99% similarity to Diaporthe tulliensis (Genebank accessions nos. OP219651, ON932382, OL412437, respectively). Based on the concatenated ITS, BT and EF1-α, a neighbor-joining phylogenetic analyses using MEGA7.0 clustered with D. tulliensis. Therefore, the fungus was identified as D. tulliensis (teleomorph name) based on morphological and molecular features. A pathogenicity test was conducted on 1-year-old M. speciosa seedlings by gently abrading healthy leaves with sterilized toothpicks to create superficial wounds. Wounded leaves were then inoculated with 5 mm diameter mycelial plugs, while control seedlings received PDA plugs. Three leaves per plant and five plants per treatment were selected for assessment. All seedlings were kept in a controlled greenhouse (12/12h light/dark, 25 ± 2 °C, 90% humidity). After 7 d, the inoculated leaves showed symptoms like those in the field, while control plants remained healthy. The fungus was consistently reisolated from the infected leaves, satisfying Koch's postulates. Notably, D. tulliensis has caused Boston ivy leaf spot, bodhi tree leaf spot, cacao pod rot, and jasmine stem canker (Huang et al. 2021; Li et al. 2022; Serrato-Diaz et al. 2022; Hsu et al. 2023). This discovery is significant as it marks the first report of Diaporthe tulliensis causing leaf spot on Millettia speciossa in China, which has direct implications for the development of diagnostic tools and research into potential disease management strategies.

Background: Changes in epithelial cell shape reflects optimal cell packing and the minimization of surface free energy, but also cell-cell interactions, cell proliferation, and cytoskeletal rearrangements., Results: Here, we studied the structure of the rat pleura in the first 15 days after birth. After pleural isolation and image segmentation, the analysis demonstrated a progression of epithelial order from postnatal day 1 (P1) to P15. The cells with the largest surface area and greatest shape variability were observed at P1. In contrast, the cells with the smallest surface area and most shape consistency were observed at P15. A comparison of polygonal cell geometries demonstrated progressive optimization with an increase in the number of hexagons (six-sided) as well as five-sided and seven-sided polygons. Analysis of the epithelial organization with Voronoi tessellations and graphlet motif frequencies demonstrated a developmental path strikingly distinct from mathematical and natural reference paths. Graph Theory analysis of cell connectivity demonstrated a progressive decrease in network heterogeneity and clustering coefficient from P1 to P15., Conclusions: We conclude that the rat pleura undergoes a striking change in pleural structure from P1 to P15. Further, a geometric and network-based approach can provide a quantitative characterization of these developmental changes., (© 2024 American Association for Anatomy.)

Galectins (Gals) are a type of S-type lectin that are widespread and evolutionarily conserved among metazoans, and can act as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). In this study, 10 Gals ( ToGals ) were identified in the Golden pompano ( Trachinotus ovatus ), and their conserved domains, motifs, and collinearity relationships were analyzed. The expression of ToGals was regulated following infection to Cryptocaryon irritans and Streptococcus agalactiae , indicating that ToGals participate in immune responses against microbial pathogens. Further analysis was conducted on one important member, Galectin-3, subcellular localization showing that ToGal-3like protein is expressed both in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Recombinant protein obtained through prokaryotic expression showed that rToGal-3like can agglutinate red blood cells of rabbit, carp and golden pompano and also agglutinate and kill Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Vibrio vulnificus, S. agalactiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Aeromonas hydrophila . This study lays the foundation for further research on the immune roles of Gals in teleosts., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Pan, Liang, Zhu, Guo, Liu, Zhang, Xian, Zhu and Zhang.)

Nanhaia speciosa, commonly known as Niudali, is a medicinal woody vine belonging to the Leguminosae family. Valued for its culinary and medicinal properties, it is extensively cultivated, covering approximately 5,973 hm2 in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. The edible tubers of this plant are reported to possess antibacterial and antioxidant effects (Luo et al., 2023; Shu et al., 2020). In July 2021, a Niudali plantation in Yulin, Guangxi, China (22°64'N; 110°29'E) exhibited leaf spot symptoms, with an incidence rate exceeding 40% across a 46,690 m2 area. Initially, small circular, pale yellow spots appeared on the leaves, which subsequently evolved into dark brown lesions surrounded by yellow halos, ultimately leading to foliage wilting. Leaves exhibiting typical symptoms were collected for pathogen investigation. The leaves were thoroughly washed with sterile water and small tissue fragments (5×5 mm) were excised from the lesion periphery. These fragments were surface-sterilized with 75% ethanol and 1% NaClO, rinsed three times with sterile water, and subsequently cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28 °C in darkness for 7 days. Through single-spore isolation, seven isolates with similar morphological traits were obtained. After 7 days of incubation on PDA at 28 °C in dark, the colonies exhibited a white to grey coloration on the upper surface with abundant aerial hyphae, while the underside appeared dark black. The conidia, cylindrical or obclavate in shape, were straight, pale brown, and measured 30.1-128.9 μm × 4.8-15.0 μm (n=50). The morphological characteristics matched those of Corynespora sp.(Wang et al. 2021). For molecular identification, the isolate N5-2 underwent DNA sequence analysis using genomic DNA and primers ITS1/ITS4 and EF1-688F/EF1-1251R. The sequences (ITS: OP550425; TEF1-α: OQ117118) were deposited in GenBank, exhibiting 98% identity to C. cassiicola (OP981637) for TEF1-α and 99% homology to C. cassiicola (OP957070) for ITS. Based on the concatenated ITS and TEF1-α, a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses using MEGA7.0 clustered the isolate with C. cassiicola. Consequently, the fungus was identified as C. cassiicola based on its morphological and molecular features. In the pathogenicity test on 1-year-old Nanhaia speciosa seedlings, leaves were gently scratched and inoculated with mycelial plugs (5 mm). Control seedlings received PDA plugs. Five leaves per plant and five plants per treatment were selected for assessment. All seedling were maintained in a greenhouse (12/12h light/dark cycle, 25 ± 2°C, 90% humidity). After a 7-day incubation period, all leaves subjected to fungal inoculation exhibited symptoms consistent with those observed in the field, while control plants remained symptom-free. The fungus was successfully reisolated from the infected leaves in three successive trials, fulfilling Koch's postulates. While C. cassiicola is well-documented for inducing leaf spots on various plant species, including Jasminum nudiflorum, Strobilanthes cusia, Acanthus ilicifolius, Syringa species (Hu et al., 2023; Liu et al., 2023; Xie et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2021), this study represents the first report of C. cassiicola causing leaf spots on Nanhaia speciosa in China. The identification of this pathogen in Nanhaia speciosa has significant implications for future epidemiological investigations and serves as a valuable reference for controlling leaf spot disease in Nanhaia speciosa.

Cell shapes in tissues are affected by the biophysical interaction between cells. Tissue forces can influence specific cell features such as cell geometry and cell surface area. Here, we examined the 2-dimensional shape, size, and perimeter of pleural epithelial cells at various lung volumes. We demonstrated a 1.53-fold increase in 2-dimensional cell surface area and a 1.43-fold increase in cell perimeter at total lung capacity compared to residual lung volume. Consistent with previous results, close inspection of the pleura demonstrated wavy folds between pleural epithelial cells at all lung volumes. To investigate a potential explanation for the wavy folds, we developed a physical simulacrum suggested by D'Arcy Thompson in On Growth and Form. The simulacrum suggested that the wavy folds were the result of redundant cell membranes unable to contract. To test this hypothesis, we developed a numerical simulation to evaluate the impact of an increase in 2-dimensional cell surface area and cell perimeter on the shape of the cell-cell interface. Our simulation demonstrated that an increase in cell perimeter, rather than an increase in 2-dimensional cell surface area, had the most direct impact on the presence of wavy folds. We conclude that wavy folds between pleural epithelial cells reflects buckling forces arising from the excess cell perimeter necessary to accommodate visceral organ expansion., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Liver cancer is a heterogeneous disease characterized by poor responses to standard therapies and therefore unfavourable clinical outcomes. Understanding the characteristics of liver cancer and developing novel therapeutic strategies are imperative. Ferroptosis, a type of programmed cell death induced by lipid peroxidation, has emerged as a potential target for treatment. Naringenin, a natural compound that modulates lipid metabolism by targeting AMPK, shows promise in enhancing the efficacy of ferroptosis inducers. In this study, we utilized liver cancer cell lines and xenograft mice to explore the synergistic effects of naringenin in combination with ferroptosis inducers, examining both phenotypic outcomes and molecular mechanisms. Our study results indicate that the use of naringenin at non-toxic doses to hepatocytes can significantly enhance the anticancer effects of ferroptosis inducers (erastin, RSL3, and sorafenib). The combination index method confirmed a synergistic effect between naringenin and ferroptosis inducers. In comparison to naringenin or ferroptosis inducers alone, the combined therapy caused more robust lipid peroxidation and hence more severe ferroptotic damage to cancer cells. The inhibition of aerobic glycolysis mediated by the AMPK-PGC1α signalling axis is the key to naringenin's effect on reducing ferroptosis resistance in liver cancer, and the synergistic cytotoxic effect of naringenin and ferroptosis inducers on cancer cells was reversed after pretreatment with an AMPK inhibitor or a PGC1α inhibitor. Taken together, these findings suggest that naringenin could boost cancer cell sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers, which has potential clinical translational value., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (Fascin) is highly expressed in a variety of cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), working as an important oncogenic protein and promoting the migration and invasion of cancer cells by bundling F-actin to facilitate the formation of filopodia and invadopodia. However, it is not clear how exactly the function of Fascin is regulated by acetylation in cancer cells. Here, in ESCC cells, the histone acetyltransferase KAT8 catalyzed Fascin lysine 41 (K41) acetylation, to inhibit Fascin-mediated F-actin bundling and the formation of filopodia and invadopodia. Furthermore, NAD-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin (SIRT) 7-mediated deacetylation of Fascin-K41 enhances the formation of filopodia and invadopodia, which promotes the migration and invasion of ESCC cells. Clinically, the analysis of cancer and adjacent tissue samples from patients with ESCC showed that Fascin-K41 acetylation was lower in the cancer tissue of patients with lymph node metastasis than in that of patients without lymph node metastasis, and low levels of Fascin-K41 acetylation were associated with a poorer prognosis in patients with ESCC. Importantly, K41 acetylation significantly blocked NP-G2-044, one of the Fascin inhibitors currently being clinically evaluated, suggesting that NP-G2-044 may be more suitable for patients with low levels of Fascin-K41 acetylation, but not suitable for patients with high levels of Fascin-K41 acetylation. © 2024 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (© 2024 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Tracheobronchoplasty (TBP) is a definitive anatomic intervention for patients with severe symptomatic expiratory central airway collapse. Although stent evaluations have been described for surgical workup, current literature does not address if improvement during stent evaluation is sustained after TBP. We compared health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional status responses after airway stenting to those post-TBP., Methods: A retrospective review was performed in patients with severe expiratory central airway collapse who underwent stent evaluation followed by TBP from January 2004 to December 2019. Baseline, poststent, 3- and 12-month postoperative HRQOL scores, and functional status were analyzed with statistical tests as appropriate., Results: One hundred twenty patients underwent a stent evaluation and TBP. Baseline and stent evaluation measurements were compared with statistically and clinically significant differences in the Cough Quality-of-life Questionnaire (CQLQ) (55 vs. 68, P <0.01), Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) 0 to 2 (90% vs. 47%, P <0.01), 6-minute walk test (6MWT) (1301 ft vs. 1138 ft, P <0.01). Improvements in the HRQOL and functional status were maintained from stent evaluation to 3 months postoperatively [CQLQ 55 vs. 54, P =0.63; mMRC 0 to 2 (87% vs. 84%), P =0.39; 6MWT 1350 ft vs. 1314 ft, P =0.33], and 12 months postoperatively [CQLQ 54 vs. 54, P =0.91; mMRC 0 to 2 (95% vs. 86%), P =0.74; 6MWT 1409 ft vs. 1328 ft, P =0.13]. The magnitude of change between the data was not significantly different between the stent evaluation, 3-, and 12 months postoperative. Predicted forced expiratory volume in 1-second measurements at baseline, after stent placement, 3 months, and 12 months post-TBP were 74%, 79%, 73%, and 73%, respectively, and not clinically significant., Conclusions: Improvement after stent evaluation and the magnitude of improvement may be predictive of postoperative outcomes up to 1 year after surgery., Competing Interests: Disclosure: There is no conflict of interest or other disclosures., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study presents a genome-wide identification of NOD-like receptors (NLRs) in the golden pompano, key to its innate immunity. We identified 30 ToNLRs, analyzing their chromosomal positions, characteristics, evolutionary relationships, evidence of positive selection, and synteny with the yellowtail kingfish. Our findings categorize these NLRs into three main subgroups: NLRA, NLRC, and the distinct ToNLRX1. Post-exposure to Streptococcus agalactiae, most ToNLRs increased expression in the spleen, whereas NLRC3like13, NLRC3like16, and NLRC3like19 so in the kidneys. Upon Cryptocaryon irritans exposure, we categorized our groups based on the site of infection into the control group (BFS), the trophont-attached skin (TAS), and the nearby region skin (NRS). ToAPAF1 and ToNOD1 expressions rose in the NRS, in contrast to decreased expressions of ToNLRC5, ToNWD1 and ToCIITA. Other ToNLRs showed variable expressions in the TAS. Overall, this research lays the groundwork for further exploration of innate immunity in the golden pompano., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Targeted drug delivery to visceral organs offers the possibility of not only limiting the required dose, but also minimizing drug toxicity; however, there is no reliable method for delivering drugs to the surface of visceral organs. Here, we used six color tracers and the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model to investigate the use of the heteropolysaccharide pectin to facilitate tracer diffusion across the glycocalyceal charge barrier. The color tracers included brilliant blue, Congo red, crystal violet, indocyanine green, methylene blue, and methyl green. The direct application of the tracers to the CAM surface or embedding tracers into linear-chain nanocellulose fiber films resulted in no significant diffusion into the CAM. In contrast, when the tracers were actively loaded into branched-chain pectin films, there was significant detectable diffusion of the tracers into the CAM. The facilitated diffusion was observed in the three cationic tracers but was limited in the three anionic tracers. Diffusion appeared to be dependent on ionic charge, but independent of tracer size or molecular mass. We conclude that dye-loaded pectin films facilitated the diffusion of color tracers across the glycocalyceal charge barrier and may provide a therapeutic path for drug delivery to the surface of visceral organs.

Background: Our previous study reported that histamine H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) exposure was associated with decreased mortality in critically ill patients with heart failure (HF) through the same pharmacological mechanism as β-blockers. However, population-based clinical study directly comparing the efficacy of H2RAs and β-blockers on mortality of HF patients are still lacking. This study aims to compare the association difference of H2RAs and β-blockers on mortality in critically ill patients with HF using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database (MIMIC-III). Methods: Study population was divided into 4 groups: β-blockers + H2RAs group, β-blockers group, H2RAs group, and Non-β-blockers + Non-H2RAs group. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox regression models were employed to evaluate the differences of all-cause mortalities among the 4 groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to increase comparability of four groups. Results: A total of 5593 patients were included. After PSM, multivariate analyses showed that patients in H2RAs group had close all-cause mortality with patients in β-blockers group. Furthermore, 30-day, 1-year, 5-year and 10-year all-mortality of patients in β-blockers + H2RAs group were significantly lower than those of patients in β-blockers group, respectively (HR: 0.64, 95%CI: 0.50-0.82 for 30-day; HR: 0.80, 95%CI: 0.69-0.93 for 1-year mortality; HR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.74-0.93 for 5-year mortality; and HR: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.76-0.94 for 10-year mortality, respectively). Conclusion: H2RAs exposure exhibited comparable all-cause mortality-decreasing effect as β-blockers; and, furthermore, H2RAs and β-blockers had additive or synergistic interactions to improve survival in critically ill patients with HF., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhang, Cai, Wang, Xu, Yin, Huang, Guo, Jiang, Pan, Li and He.)

In recent years, biotechnology has had a significant impact on the aquaculture industry, particularly in the field of breeding. Molecular selection breeding has emerged as a novel approach to breeding. Reducing the cost of genetic information for individuals with desirable traits after breeding has become an important research direction. Cryopreservation technology allows bypassing time and space constraints in genetic breeding, simplifying broodstock management. This study presents a detailed cryopreservation method for black seabream sperm, evaluating extender type, glucose concentration, cryoprotectant type and concentration, sperm-dilution ratio, and cooling protocols. Sperm motility parameters were analyzed using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) before and after two days of freezing. This involved using an RS solution with a glucose concentration of 15 g/L and adding a 5% final concentration of EG as the sperm cryoprotectant. After mixing the sperm and solution at a ratio of 1:2, we subjected it to 5 min fumigation at 5 cm above the liquid nitrogen surface before plunging it into the nitrogen. Sperm motility reached 85.46 ± 7.32% after two days. Various enzymatic activities showed changes over 20 days post-cryopreservation. This improved cryopreservation protocol for black seabream sperm is beneficial for genetic breeding and reproduction and provides reference for studying the cryodamage mechanisms of black seabream sperm., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Light intensity, wavelength, and photoperiod have a combined effect on chicken incubation. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of 12-h light, 12-h dark (12L:12D) photoperiod of white light (380-780 nm, WL), blue light (455/447.5-462.5 nm, BL), and green light (525/515-535 nm, GL) in chicken perceived light intensity during layer incubation on hatching performance, embryo development, eye structure, and melatonin concentration. Three batches of eggs from Jinghong No. 1 layer breeder were used in this experiment. Light stimulation had no effect on hatchability, and no consistent effect on embryo weight and newly hatched chick weight. However, the average hatching time of white light group and green light group was 7.3 h and 5.5 h later than that of the control group. Therefore, the holding period of chicks was significantly shortened (P = 0.001) in these 2 light groups. Light stimulation had a significant effect on the thickness of retinal layers (P < 0.05), retinal layers of white light group was thicker than that of the other 3 groups. Melatonin levels of chicks hatched in the green light and blue light were significantly higher than that of chicks hatched in the white light and darkness (P < 0.05). It indicated that the monochrome green and blue light promoted the expression of melatonin in chicken embryos. No significant diurnal rhythms were found at the level of plasma melatonin in 4 groups on d 21 using cosine analysis. It was concluded that green light has a positive effect on embryo development and melatonin secretion, while white light probably has positive effect on eye development. Furthermore, both green and white light stimulation resulted in late hatch for layer egg incubation. The obtained results are important in determining the light protocol for chicken incubation., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Golden pompano, Trachinotus ovatus , as a highly nutritious commercially valuable marine fish, has become one of the preferred species for many fish farmers due to its rapid growth, wide adaptability, and ease of feeding and management. However, with the expansion of aquaculture scale, bacterial and parasitic diseases have also become major threats to the golden pompano industry. This study, based on comparative genomics, shows the possibility of preferential evolution of freshwater fish over marine fish by analyzing the phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of 14 marine fish and freshwater fish. Furthermore, we identified antimicrobial peptide genes from 14 species at the genomic level and found that the number of putative antimicrobial peptides may be related to species evolution. Subsequently, we classified the 341 identified AMPs from golden pompano into 38 categories based on the classification provided by the APD3. Among them, TCP represented the highest proportion, accounting for 23.2% of the total, followed by scolopendin, lectin, chemokine, BPTI, and histone-derived peptides. At the same time, the distribution of AMPs in chromosomes varied with type, and covariance analysis showed the frequency of its repeat events. Enrichment analysis and PPI indicated that AMP was mainly concentrated in pathways associated with disease immunity. In addition, our transcriptomic data measured the expression of putative AMPs of golden pompano in 12 normal tissues, as well as in the liver, spleen, and kidney infected with Streptococcus agalactiae and skin infected with Cryptocaryon irritans . As the infection with S. agalactiae and C. irritans progressed, we observed tissue specificity in the number and types of responsive AMPs. Positive selection of AMP genes may participate in the immune response through the MAPK signaling pathway. The genome-wide identification of antimicrobial peptides in the golden pompano provided a complete database of potential AMPs that can contribute to further understanding the immune mechanisms in pathogens. AMPs were expected to replace traditional antibiotics and be developed into targeted drugs against specific bacterial and parasitic pathogens for more precise and effective treatment to improve aquaculture production.

Star anise (Illicium verum) is an important economic and medical plant widely cultivated in Guangxi province, China. Its fruit can be used as spice and medicine (Wang et al. 2011). In recent years, anthracnose led to a serious decline in the production of star anise in Guangxi. In 2021, a survey conducted in CenwangLaoshan Reserve of Guangxi (24°21'N; 106°27'E) showed that the 2500 ha planting area had disease incidence greater than 80%. The leaf symptoms initially appeared as small spots, then expanded to round spots, finally becoming withered with grayish-white centers, surrounded by dark brown margins. Sometimes, small black acervuli were observed in the later stage. To explore the pathogen, infected leaves were collected and cut into small pieces (about 5 mm2) from the edge of the lesion, disinfected with 75% ethanol for 10 s, 1% NaClO for 1 min, washed with sterilized water and incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates at 28 °C in the dark. Ten single-spore isolates were obtained from the cultures. After 7 days on PDA at 28 °C, the colonies of 7 isolates were white with abundant aerial hyphae, gray-black with white-gray margins, and the other 3 isolates were light gray on the upper surface, and pink or orange on the underside. Representative isolates BS3-4 and BS3-1 were selected from 3 isolates and 7 isolates, respectively. Conidia of BS3-4 and BS3-1 were both hyaline, cylindrical, aseptate, smooth, apex obtuse, base truncate, and no significant differences (P > 0.05) in size between BS3-1 (13.22 to 5.38 × 3.89 to 1.99 μm) (n = 50) and BS3-4 (12.04 to 4.34 × 3.48 to 1.64 μm) (n = 50). These morphological characteristics were consistent with the Colletotrichum ssp. (Damm et al. 2012). The species identification of BS3-4 and BS3-1 was performed based on DNA sequence analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted as a template. Partial sequences of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), actin gene (ACT), β-tubulin2 (TUB2) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were amplified and sequenced (Weir et al. 2012). The sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS:OQ062642-43; ACT:OQ067614-15; GAPDH:OQ067616-17;TUB2：OQ067618-19). Based on the concatenated sequences of the 4 genes (ITS-ACT- GAPDH -TUB2) of BS3-4 and BS3-1 as well as sequences of other Colletotrichum spp. obtained from GenBank, the Maximum likelihood (ML) tree which produced with IQ-TREE (Minh et al. 2020) revealed that the isolate BS3-1 was Colletotrichum horii, and BS3-4 was Colletotrichum fioriniae. Pathogenicity was confirmed on healthy leaves of 1-year-old star anise seedlings (cultivar Dahong), and the leaves were wounded by sterilized toothpicks, and were inoculated with 10 µl of conidial suspensions of BS3-1 and BS3-4 (106 conidia/ml). Control seedlings were inoculated with sterilized distilled water. Five leaves per plant and 3 plants per treatment were selected. All inoculated seedlings were maintained in the greenhouse (12/12h light/dark, 25 ± 2℃, 90% relative humidity). Wound sites inoculated with BS3-1 and BS3-4 both turned greenish-brown after 2 days and then turned light brown with water-soaked spots. Black (BS3-1) or orange (BS3-4) dots of acervuli developed after 6 days. The lesion diameter of BS3-1 (14.4 mm) was larger than that of BS3-4 (8.1 mm). No symptoms were observed on controls. BS3-1 and BS3-4 were re-isolated from inoculated leaves, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Anthracnose of star anise caused by C.horii has been reported in China (Liao et al. 2017). However, to our knowledge, this is the first report of C.fioriniae infecting star anise in China. Accurate pathogen identification in this study could provide a reference for the control of anthracnose on star anise.

The MMPs are endogenous proteolytic enzymes that require zinc and calcium as cofactors. MMP9 is one of the most complex matrix metalloproteinases in the gelatinase family and has many biological functions. In mammals, mmp9 is thought to be closely associated with cancer. However, studies in fish have rarely been reported. In this study, to understand the expression pattern of the ToMMP9 gene and its association with the resistance of Trachinotus ovatus to Cryptocaryon irritans , the sequence of the MMP9 gene was obtained from the genome database. The expression profiles were measured by qRT-PCR, the SNPs were screened by direct sequencing, and genotyping was performed. The ToMMP9 gene contained a 2058 bp ORF encoding a putative amino acid sequence of 685 residues. The homology of the ToMMP9 in teleosts was more than 85%, and the genome structure of ToMMP9 was conserved in chordates. The ToMMP9 gene was expressed in different tissues of healthy individuals and was highly expressed in the fin, the gill, the liver and the skin tissues. The ToMMP9 expression in the skin of the infected site and its adjacent sites increased significantly after C. irritans infection. Two SNPs were identified in the ToMMP9 gene, and the SNP (+400A/G) located in the first intron was found to be significantly associated with the susceptibility/resistance to C. irritans . These findings suggest that ToMMP9 may play an important role in the immune response of T. ovatus against C. irritans .

The purpose of this study was to predict the carcass characteristics of broilers using support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural network (ANN) model methods. Data were obtained from 176 yellow feather broilers aged 100-day-old (90 males and 86 females). The input variables were live body measurements, including external measurements and B-ultrasound measurements. The predictors of the model were the weight of abdominal fat and breast muscle in male and female broilers, respectively. After descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, the datasets were randomly divided into train set and test set according to the ratio of 7:3 to establish the model. The results of this study demonstrated that it is feasible to use machine learning methods to predict carcass characteristics of broilers based on live body measurements. Compared with the ANN method, the SVR method achieved better prediction results, for predicting breast muscle (male: R 2  = 0.950; female: R 2  = 0.955) and abdominal fat (male: R 2  = 0.802; female: R 2  = 0.944) in the test set. Consequently, the SVR method can be considered to predict breast muscle and abdominal fat of broiler chickens, except for abdominal fat in male broilers. However, further revaluation of the SVR method is suggested., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Due to the lack of effective drug treatment, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is prone to recurrence and metastasis after an operation. As a glycolytic inhibitor, 3-bromopyruvic acid (3-BrPA) can inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of TNBC cells. However, whether it has similar effects in animal models remains unclear., Objective: To observe the effect of 3-BrPA on the growth and glucose metabolism of human TNBC transplanted tumors in nude mice and to investigate the mechanism., Methods: We constructed subcutaneous xenografts of human TNBC in nude mice and treated them with low, medium and high concentrations of 3-BrPA. After 15 days, nude mice were sacrificed to detect hexokinase (HK) activity and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in tumor tissues. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect the damage of transplanted tumors and liver and kidney in nude mice, which 3-BrPA caused. The expression of c-Myc in tumor tissues was detected by Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to detect the apoptosis of tumor tissues. Besides, the expressions of Cytc, Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspase-9 were detected by Western blotting., Results: Compared with the control group, intraperitoneal injection of 3-BrPA inhibited the growth of human TNBC transplant tumors, decreased HK activity and ATP production in tumor tissues, disrupted the tissue structure of transplant tumors, and did not significantly damage liver and kidney tissues. IHC staining and Western blotting showed that 3-BrPA could decrease the expression of c-Myc and Bcl-2, increase the expression of Cyt -c, Bax and Caspase-9 expression and promote apoptosis in tumor tissues., Conclusion: The above data indicate that 3-BrPA inhibits the growth of human TNBC transplanted tumors and promotes their apoptosis. Its anti-cancer mechanism might reduce HK activity by down-regulating c-Myc expression, eventually leading to decreased glycolytic pathway energy production and promoting apoptosis of transplanted tumors., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic performance of the Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Report and Data System (LI-RADS) v2016 and v2017 in identifying the origin of tumor in vein (TIV)., Methods: From April 2014 to December 2018, focal liver lesions (FLLs) accompanied by TIV formation in patients at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were enrolled. Histologic evaluation or composite imaging reference standard were served as the reference standard. Each case was categorized according to the CEUS LI-RADS v2016 and v2017, respectively. Diagnostic performance of CEUS LI-RADS v2016 and v2017 in identifying the originated tumor of TIV was validated via sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value., Results: A total of 273 FLLs with TIV were analyzed finally, including 266 HCCs and 7 non-HCCs. In v2016, when adopting all TIV as LR-5V, the accuracy and PPV in identifying the originated tumor were both 97.4%. In v2017, when assigning TIV according to contiguous FLLs CEUS LI-RADS category, the accuracy and PPV were 61.9% and 99.4% in subclass of LR-5 as the diagnostic criteria of HCC, and 64.1% and 99.4% in subclass of LR-4/5 as the criteria of HCC diagnosis. There were significant differences in diagnostic accuracy between CEUS LI-RADS v2016 and v2017 in identifying the originated tumor of TIV (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: CEUS LI-RADS v2016 could be better than v2017 in identifying the originated tumor of TIV., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Using chicken feathers as bait, Acremoniumglobosisporum sp. nov. and Acremoniumcurvum sp. nov. were collected from the soil of Yuncheng East Garden Wildlife Zoo and Zhengzhou Zoo in China. They were identified by combining the morphological characteristics and the two-locus DNA sequence (LSU and ITS) analyses. In the phylogenetic tree, both new species clustered into separate subclades, respectively. They were different from their allied species in their morphology. The description, illustrations, and phylogenetic tree of the two new species were provided., (Xin Li, Zhi-Yuan Zhang, Yu-Lian Ren, Wan-Hao Chen, Jian-Dong Liang, Ji-Mei Pan, Jian-Zhong Huang, Zong-Qi Liang, Yan-Feng Han.)

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes chytridiomycosis, mainly infects Anura and Caudata but is poorly known in Gymnophiona. We conducted a survey of Bd in the Yunnan caecilian (Ichthyophis bannanicus) and found that 6 of 71 samples (8.4%) tested positive for Bd. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of Bd in wild I. bannanicus., (© Wildlife Disease Association 2022.)

Purpose: Using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to evaluate the diagnostic performance of liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) version 2017 and to explore potential ways to improve the efficacy., Methods: A total of 315 nodules were classified as LR-1 to LR-5, LR-M, and LR-TIV. New criteria were applied by adjusting the early washout onset (< 45 s) and the time of marked washout (within 3 min). Two subgroups of the LR-M nodules were recategorized as LR-5, respectively. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by calculating the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV)., Results: By adjusting early washout onset to < 45 s, the LR-5 as a standard for diagnosing HCC had an improved sensitivity (74.1% vs. 56.1%, P < 0.001) without significant change in PPV (93.3% vs. 96.1%, P = 0.267), but the specificity was decreased (48.3% vs. 78.5%, P = 0.018). The LR-M as a standard for the diagnosis of non-HCC malignancies had an increase in specificity (89.2% vs. 66.2%, P < 0.001) but a decrease in sensitivity (31.5% vs. 68.4%, P = 0.023). After reclassification according to the time of marked washout, the sensitivity of the LR-5 increased (80% vs. 56.1%, P < 0.001) without a change in PPV (94.9% vs. 96.1%, P = 0.626) and specificity (80% vs. 78.5%, P = 0.879). For reclassified LR-M nodules, the specificity increased (87.5% versus 66.2%, P < 0.001) with a non-significant decrease in sensitivity (47.3% vs. 68.4%, P = 0.189)., Conclusions: The CEUS LI-RADS showed good confidence in diagnosing HCC while tended to misdiagnose HCC as non-HCC malignancies. Adjusting the marked washout time within 3 min would reduce the possibility of this misdiagnosis., (© 2021. Italian Society of Medical Radiology.)

The solidification of pure aluminum has been studied by a large-scale molecular dynamic simulation. The potential energy, position D , height H , and width W of the first peak and valley of PDF curves, and the local structures were investigated. It was found that the FCC-crystallization ability of pure Al is so strong that still local crystal regions exist in the amorphized solid. As the temperature decreases, besides the counter-intuitive increase in D p ( D of the first peak), H p increases monotonically; W p , D v , and H v decrease monotonically; only W v first decreases and then increases. They all change critically when phase transition happens. After the nucleation, orientation-disordered HCP-regions, as the grain boundaries or defects of FCC crystals, rapidly transform into FCC structures, and then the surviving HCP-regions regularize into few parallel layers or orientation-disordered HCP-regions. If parallel layers result in dislocation pinning, structural evolution terminates; otherwise, it continues. These findings will have a positive impact on the development of the solidification and nucleation theory., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

There are around 300 million adolescent pregnancies worldwide, accounting for 11% of all births worldwide. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that many adverse perinatal outcomes are associated with adolescent pregnancies. However, how and why these abnormalities occur remain to be defined. In this study, pregnancy at different stages was compared between 25- and 30- day-old and mature female mice. We found that the litter size of adolescent pregnancy is significantly decreased from F1 to F3 generations compared to mature pregnancy. On days 8 and 12 of pregnancy, multiple abnormalities in decidual and placental development appear in F3 adolescent pregnancy. On days 5 and 8, uterine endoplasmic reticulum stress is dysregulated in F3 adolescent pregnancy. Embryo implantation and decidualization are also compromised in adolescent pregnancy. Many genes are abnormally expressed in adolescent estrous uteri. The abnormal endocrine environment and abnormal implantation from uterine immaturity may result in multiple pregnancy failures in adolescent pregnancy. The aim of this study is to shed light on human adolescent pregnancy.

Objectives: To validate the efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (CEUS LI-RADS) and its major features in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of different sizes in high-risk patients., Methods: Between January 2014 and December 2015, a total of 545 untreated liver nodules were included. These liver nodules were divided into two groups (<20 mm and ≥20 mm). Each nodule was classified based on CEUS LI-RADS. The diagnostic performance comparison was assessed by the chi-square test, with pathology results as the golden criterion., Results: The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) of CEUS LR-5 criteria in <20 mm group vs ≥20 mm group in diagnosing HCC were 60.5% vs 59.8%, 55.6% vs 57.6%, 85.7% vs 88.6 and 95.2% vs 98.5%, respectively, without significant difference (all p > 0.05). The accuracy, sensitivity and PPV of LR5/M for malignancy in <20 mm group were lower than in ≥20 mm group, with values of 79.1% vs 95.0%, 84.2% vs 95.7 and 91.4% vs 99.2%, respectively ( p < 0.05)., Conclusions: The CEUS LI-RADS has a comparable performance for diagnosing HCC between lesions ≥ 20 mm and <20 mm. For diagnosing malignancy including HCC, it has a higher efficacy for lesions ≥ 20 mm than < 20 mm., Advances in Knowledge: 1.For diagnosing HCC, CEUS LI-RADS has comparable performances between lesions ≥ 20 mm and <20 mm.2. For diagnosing malignancy including HCC, CEUS LI-RADS has a higher efficacy for lesions ≥ 20 mm than <20 mm.

High level of uric acid (UA) is the major origin of gout, and is highly associated with various pregnant complications, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. However, UA's level and role in the very early stage of pregnancy has not been uncovered. This study aims to investigate the relevance of serum UA and decidualization, an essential process for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in women and mice during the early stage of pregnancy. In this study, we first proved that expression level of UA synthase xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) is highly increased along with decidualization of endometrial stromal cells in both in vitro and in vivo models. Furthermore, serum and endometrial levels of UA are higher in mice with decidualized uterin horn and in vitro decidualized stromal cells. The existence of monosodium urate (MSU) crystal was also confirmed by immunostaining. Next, the roles of MSU on decidualization were explored by both in vitro and in vivo models. Our data shows MSU crystal but not UA enhances the decidualization response of endometrial stromal cells, via the upregulation of inflammatory genes such Ptgs2 and Il11 . inhibiting of Cox-2 activity abolishes MSU crystal induced higher expression of decidualization marker Prl8a2 . At last, in women, we observed enriched expression of XDH in decidua compare to non-decidualized endometrium, the serum level of UA is significantly increased in women in very early stage of pregnancy, and drop down after elective abortion. In summary, we observed an increased serum UA level in the early stage of women's pregnancy, and proved that the increased level of UA results from the expressed XDH in decidualizing endometrium of both human and mouse, leading to the formation of MSU crystal. MSU crystal can enhance the decidualization response via inflammatory pathways. Our study has uncovered the association between UA, MSU, and decidualization during the early stage of pregnancy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Zhu, Wu, Chen, Kang, Pan, Liu, Li, Yan, Liu, Huang, Yang and Su.)

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of pathological factors, such as fibrosis stage and histological grade, on the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) v2017 category of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in patients with high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Materials and Methods: Between June 2015 and December 2016, 441 consecutive patients at high risk of HCC with 460 pathologically proven HCCs were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent a CEUS examination. The major features (arterial phase hyperenhancement, late and mild washout) were assessed, and LI-RADS categories were assigned according to CEUS LI-RADS v2017. CEUS LI-RADS categories and major features were compared in different histological grades and fibrosis stages., Results: The CEUS LR-5 category was more frequently assigned in the low-grade group (151/280) than in the high-grade group (66/159) (p = 0.013), whereas the LR-TIV category was more frequently assigned in the high-grade group (36/159) than in the low-grade group (40/280) (p = 0.035). CEUS LI-RADS category was not significantly different among different fibrosis stages (p ≥ 0.05). Arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE) and the hepatic fibrosis stage showed a significant correlation in HCCs ≥ 2 cm and the low-grade group (p = 0.027 and p = 0.003, respectively). No major features of CEUS LI-RADS showed statistically significant differences between the low- and high-grade groups (p ≥ 0.05)., Conclusion: Hepatic fibrosis stage can influence APHE but showed no impact on the CEUS LI-RADS classification, whereas the histological grade of HCC influenced the LR-5 and LR-TIV categories., Key Points: • Histological grade influenced CEUS LR-5 and LR-TIV category (p = 0.013 and p = 0.035 respectively). Low-grade HCCs occurred more frequently in LR-5 category whereas high-grade HCCs occurred more frequently in LR-TIV category. • Fibrosis stage shows significant influence on APHE on HCCs of the size ≥ 2 cm and low-grade group (p = 0.027 and p = 0.003, respectively). • Hepatic fibrosis stage and HCC histological grade exhibited limited impact on CEUS LI-RADS. CEUS LI-RADS may be feasible for diagnosing HCC in patients regardless of histological grade and fibrosis stage., (© 2021. European Society of Radiology.)

A couple of new cycloheximide epimers, 13(α)-acetoxy-anhydroisoheximide ( 1 ) and 13(β)-acetoxy-anhydroisoheximide ( 2 ), together with six known compounds (3 - 8), were obtained from the cultures of Streptomyces sp. YG7. The structures were elucidated based on a comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis including 1D and 2D NMR, as well as HRESIMS, and by comparison with the literature. The X-ray crystal analysis of 1 further confirmed the structure. All the compounds were tested for antifungal activity. Compounds 1, 2 and 5-8 showed moderate Canidia albicans inhibitory activity, while 5 and 6 presented moderate Pyricularia oryzae inhibitory activity. [Formula: see text].

Background: Large cohort studies provide conflicting evidence regarding the prognostic value of early repolarization pattern (ERP) in the general population, complicated by the complex or heterogeneous definitions of ERP applied in different studies., Hypothesis: We hypothesized that ERP was associated with increased cardiovascular risk with the definition of ERP recommended by the expert consensus statements., Methods: A total of 13673 middle-aged subjects from the prospective, population-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study were included in this analysis. Cox models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) adjusted for possible confounding factors. ERP was defined as ST-segment elevation ≥0.1mV at the end of the QRS or J wave on the QRS downstroke in two or more contiguous leads., Results: Compared with those without ERP, subjects with ERP had a significantly increased risk of developing sudden cardiac death (SCD) (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.08-2.04) and death from coronary heart disease (CHD) (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.10-1.92) after a median follow-up of 20.1 years. ERP was significantly predictive of SCD in females, whites, younger people, and subjects with relatively low cardiovascular risk. ERP with ST-segment elevation appeared to indicate poor cardiovascular outcomes. ERP was associated with an absolute risk increase of 93.3 additional SCDs per 100 000 person-years., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ERP was an independent predictor of SCD and CHD death in the middle-aged biracial population., (© 2020 The Authors. Clinical Cardiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Embryo implantation involves a sterile inflammatory reaction that is required for the invasion of the blastocyst into the decidua. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) released from stressed or injured cells acts as an important signaling molecule to regulate many key physiological events, including sterile inflammation. We found that the amount of ATP in the uterine luminal fluid of mice increased during the peri-implantation period, and this depended on the presence of an embryo. We further showed that the release of ATP from receptive epithelial cells was likely stimulated by lactate released from the blastocyst through connexin hemichannels. The ATP receptor P2y2 was present on uterine epithelial cells during the preimplantation period and increased in the stromal cells during the time at which decidualization began. Pharmacological inhibition of P2y2 compromised decidualization and implantation. ATP-P2y2 signaling stimulated the phosphorylation of Stat3 in uterine luminal epithelial cells and the expression of early growth response 1 ( Egr1 ) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 ( Ptgs2, also known as Cox-2 ), all of which are required for decidualization and/or implantation, in stromal cells. Short exposure to high concentrations of ATP promoted decidualization of primary stromal cells, but longer exposures or lower ATP concentrations did not. The expression of genes encoding ATP-degrading ectonucleotidases increased in the decidua during the peri-implantation period, suggesting that they may limit the duration of the ATP signal. Together, our results indicate that the blastocyst-induced release of ATP from uterine epithelial cells during the peri-implantation period may be important for the initiation of stromal cell decidualization., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

G-C₃N₄ has a bright application prospect as an electrode material of supercapacitors, which makes it a concern. In order to increase the specific capacitance of g-C₃N₄, we consider to combine it with a metal oxide with high theoretical specific capacitance and utilize the synergistic effect. As a common metal oxide, CuO has the characteristics of high theoretical capacitance, high chemical stability, simple preparation and environmental friendliness. A composite containing CuO nanobelts and graphitic C₃N₄ (g-C₃N₄) was successfully synthesized by a chemical precipitation method. Various testing methods were used to explore its composition, microstructure and electrochemical properties to discuss whether CuO is suitable for improving the electrochemical properties of g-C₃N₄.

This study investigated the correlation of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Apolipoprotein M (ApoM) with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and effects of the interactions of this gene and obesity. The effects of SNP and obesity interaction on T2DM was examined by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) combined with the logistic regression model. T2DM patient-control haplotype was analyzed in silico using the haplotype analysis algorithm SHEsis. The rs805296-C allele or 724-del allele indicted high risk of T2DM. The incidence of T2DM in individuals with rs805296-C allele polymorphism (TC + CC) was higher than those without (TT), adjusted OR (95%CI) = 1.29 (1.10-1.66) (p < 0.001). Moreover, the individuals with 724-delallele have a higher risk of T2DM compared to those with 724-ins variants, adjusted OR (95%CI) = 1.66 (1.40-2.06), p < 0.001. GMDR analysis suggested that the interaction model composed of the two factors, rs805296 and obesity, was the best model with statistical significance (P value from sign test [P sign ]=0.0107). The T2DM risk in obese individuals having TC or CC genotype was higher than non-obese individuals with TT genotype (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.58-3.53). Haplotype analysis suggests that rs805297-C and rs9404941-C alleles haplotype indicate high risk of T2DM, OR (95%CI) = 1.62 (1.29-2.16), p < 0.001. Our results suggested that rs805296 and 724-del minor allele of ApoM gene, interaction of rs805296 and obesity, rs805297-C and rs9404941-C alleles haplotype were indicators of high T2DM risk.

Objective: Embryo implantation needs a reciprocal interaction between competent embryo and receptive endometrium. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) produced by stressed or injured cells acts as an important signalling molecule. This study aims to investigate whether adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plays an important role in the dialogue of human blastocyst-endometrium., Materials and Methods: The concentration of lactate was analysed in culture medium from human embryos collected from in vitro fertilization patients. Extracellular ATP was measured by ATP Bioluminescent Assay Kit. Ishikawa cells and T-HESCs were treated with ATP, ATP receptor antagonist, ATP hydrolysis enzyme or inhibitors of ATP metabolic enzymes. The levels of gene expression were evaluated by real-time PCR and immunoassay., Results: We showed that injured human endometrial epithelial cells could rapidly release ATP into the extracellular environment as an important signalling molecule. In addition, blastocyst-derived lactate induces the release of non-lytic ATP from human endometrial receptive epithelial cells via connexins. Extracellular ATP stimulates the secretion of IL8 from epithelial cells to promote the process of in vitro decidualization. Extracellular ATP could also directly promote the decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells via P2Y-purinoceptors. More importantly, the supernatants of injured epithelial cells clearly induce the decidualization of stromal cells in time-dependent manner., Conclusion: Our results suggest that ATP should play an important role in human blastocyst-endometrium dialogue for the initiation of decidualization., (© 2019 The Authors. Cell Proliferation Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: This study aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of the immune microenvironment in patients with combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-ICC)., Patients and Methods: The density of tumor-infiltrating CD3 + , CD8 + , CD163 + , and Foxp3 + immune cells, as well as Programmed cell death 1, Programmed cell death-ligand 1, and Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4, was measured in the peritumor liver, tumor invasive margin, and intratumor subregions of 56 cHCC-ICC by immunohistochemistry. The immune index was established to stratify patients. Prognostic significance of immune cell subsets and immune indices was evaluated., Results: The distribution of immune cells was highly heterogeneous among different subregions of cHCC-ICC. As compared with the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) component, the lower density of CD8 + T cells and higher intensity of Foxp3 + Tregs and immune checkpoints in the intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) component may indicate a stronger immune evasive ability of ICC. Based on clustering classification or a combination of random forest and lasso-cox, two models of immune indices were established and both were identified as independent prognostic factors for cHCC-ICC patients. The selected immune variables in the immune prognostic models derived from both HCC and ICC subregions, indicating that the prognosis of cHCC-ICC patients was a complex interaction of both components., Conclusions: The immune contexture was heterogeneous among different subregions of cHCC-ICC patients and contributed differently to patient prognosis. Immune score based on the densities of immune cells might serve as a promising prognostic predictor for cHCC-ICC patients., (© 2020 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics.)

Objective: To investigate the differences of clinicopathological features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis between patients with extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGIST) and duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (DGIST). Methods: A retrospective case - control study was performed. Case inclusion criteria: (1) tumor confirmed by histology and pathology; (2) primary tumor locating in the extra - gastrointestinal tract or duodenum; (3) without other synchronous tumors; (4) complete clinical and pathological data. Clinical data of 20 EGIST patients and 32 DGIST patients from March 2011 to September 2016 at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The observational parameters included clinicopathological characteristics, treatment and prognosis conditions. Continuous data of abnormal distribution were expressed as median (range) and compared using the Mann-Whitney U -test. Survival curves were drawn by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the Log-rank test. Results: Of the 20 EGIST patients, 8 were males and 12 were females with age of 61.0 (30.0 to 86.0) years and of the 32 DGIST patients, 12 were males and 20 were females with age of 55.5 (27.0 to 70.0) years. Compared with DGIST patients, EGIST patients were older ( U =188.000, P =0.012], had larger tumor size [10.0 (3.0 to 29.0) cm vs. 4.0 (1.5 to 10.0) cm, U =98.500, P <0.001] and higher ratio of high risk classification [85.0% (17/20) vs. 12.5% (4/32), χ(2)=26.870, P <0.001]. Among the 20 EGIST patients, 5 were diagnosed with distal metastasis and received imatinib (400 mg/d), and the other 15 patients underwent radical resection who were included in survival analysis. All the 32 DGIST patients underwent radical resection. The median follow-up of whole group was 43 (14 to 76) months. The 3-year recurrence/metastasis-free survival rate of 15 cases undergoing radical resection in the EGIST group was 85.6%, which was lower than that of the DGIST group (88.6%), and the difference was not statistically significant ( P =0.745). There was no significant difference in the 3-year overall survival rate between the EGIST group (92.9%) and the DGIST group (100%) ( P =0.271). Conclusions: As compared to DGIST, EGIST mostly occurs in those with older age, larger tumor size and higher risk grade. The prognosis of EGIST patients after radical resection is similar to that of DGIST patients.

The hypofunction of osteoblasts induced by glucocorticoids (GCs) has been identified as a major contributing factor for GC-induced osteoporosis (GIO). However, the biological mechanism underlying the effect of GC in osteoblasts are not fully elucidated. Recent studies implicated an important role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt) signaling pathway in the regulation of bone growth. We propose that the PI3K/Akt signaling may be implicated in the process of GC-induced osteogenic inhibition in osteoblasts. In this study, primary osteoblasts were used in vitro and in rats in vivo to evaluate the biological significance of the PI3K/Akt pathway in GC-induced bone loss. In vivo , dexamethasone (Dex)-treated rats had low bone mineral density and decreased expression levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN), and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) in bone tissue. In vitro study shows that Dex over the dose of 10 -8  M remarkably inhibited cellular osteogenesis, as represented by decreased cell viability, lessened ALP activity, and suppressed osteogenic protein expressions including ALP and OCN. Meanwhile, a dramatic downregulation in the PI3K/Akt pathway phosphorylation was also observed in Dex-treated osteoblasts. These changes were marked rescued by treatment with a PI3K agonist 740Y-P. Moreover, downregulation of ALP and OCN expressions by LY294002 can mimic the suppressive effects of Dex. These data together reveal that the suppressed PI3K/Akt pathway is involved in the regulatory action of Dex on osteogenesis.

Particulate fluxes of trace elements (Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Co) in the polynya area of Prydz Bay were measured using time series sediment trap lasting from December 16th 2010 to December 16th 2011. The comparison of annual fluxes from different regions, the seasonality and sources of trace element, and their association with organic matters were investigated. The fluxes of Cu, Zn and Cd in the polynya area of Prydz Bay are dominated by marine biogenic sources. Their similar seasonality with the export of biological materials (biogenic silica, organic carbon, and calcite carbonate) is strongly related to the ice coverage and biological production. Mineral debris derived from Antarctic continent is suggested to account for the particulate fluxes of Al, Fe, Mn, Pb and Co in the polynya. Their seasonal variations are most likely controlled by ice melting and freezing process. Furthermore, their fluxes are also influenced by scavenging onto biogenic material for Pb and uptake by phytoplankton for Co. The excess fluxes of Cu, Zn and Cd have good relationship with organic carbon export. The coupling patterns are mainly regulated by source composition of trace elements and non-lithogenic input from atmospheric deposition or upwelling, and partly influenced by biological uptake process., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A previous study demonstrated that birds that are exposed to light at night develop advanced reproductive systems. However, spectrum might also affect the photoperiodic response of birds. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of spectral composition on the growth and reproductive physiology of female breeders, using pure light-emitting diode spectra. A total of 1,000 newly hatched female avian breeders (Gallus gallus) were equally allocated to white-, red-, yellow-, green- and blue-light treated groups. We found that blue-light treated birds had a greater and faster weight gain than did red- and yellow-light treated birds (P = 0.02 and 0.05). The red light expedited the sexual maturation of the chicks, whose age at sexual maturity was 7 and 14 days earlier than that of the green- and blue-light treated birds, respectively. The accumulative egg production of the red-light treated birds was 9 and 8 eggs more than that of the blue- and green-light treated birds. The peak lay rate of the red-light treated groups was significantly greater than the blue-light treated birds (P = 0.028). In conclusion, exposure to short-wavelength light appears to promote growth of female breeder birds, whereas exposure to long-wavelength light appears to accelerate reproductive performance.

Malignant gliomas are a common type of primary tumor of the central nervous system. In spite of current intensive therapy, the prognosis of patients with malignant glioma remains poor, hence the development of novel therapeutic modalities is necessary. Cell apoptosis is a frequent target in the development of anti‑cancer drugs. Fatsioside A, a novel baccharane‑type triterpenoid glycoside, is extracted from the fruits of Fatsia japonica. Previous studies have shown that Fatsioside A induces growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in C6 rat glioma cells and U251 human glioma cells. However, to the best of our knowledge, no detailed studies have reported its effect on U87MG glioma cells and its exact mechanisms remain unknown. In the current study, the growth inhibitory effect of Fatsioside A on U87MG cells was evaluated and the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored. Through the use of flow cytometry and a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, it was determined that Fatsioside A markedly inhibits the growth of U87MG cells. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that Fatsioside A induces growth inhibition of U87MG cells via the induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which was supported by the upregulation of ER stress markers, including elevated levels of phosphorylation of PERK and eIF2α, the increased expression levels of CHOP and the accelerated cleavage of caspase‑4. The downregulation of CHOP via CHOP‑specific siRNA reduced the growth‑inhibitive effect of Fatsioside A on U87MG cells, further confirming the role of the ER stress response in mediating Fatsioside A‑induced growth inhibition. In conclusion, Fatsioside A inhibits glioma cell growth via the induction of ER stress‑mediated apoptosis. This may provide a molecular basis for the development of Fatsioside A into a drug candidate for the treatment of malignant glioma.

This study aimed to establish response curves between broiler chicken growth parameters and artificial light periods, as opposed to optimizing a lighting regimen for broiler production. Medium-growing broiler chickens were illuminated for periods of 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, or 24 h each day. The BW of the broilers were significantly influenced by light periods ( < 0.05). Moreover, BW responded to light periods in a linear fashion, suggesting that long light periods result in greater BW. In addition, a linear relationship was found between feed intake and light periods. However, the relationship between shank length and light period was quadratic. When the light period was too short (12 h) or too long (24 h), the light stimulus did not enhance shank growth in the broiler chickens ( < 0.05). In addition, a quadratic relationship between the quantity of abdominal adipose tissue and light period suggested that the quantity of abdominal adipose decreases when the period of the light stimulus was too short or too long ( < 0.05). Moreover, a broken-stick analysis suggested that the triiodothyronine (T3) concentration in the blood was minimally affected beyond 18 h ( = 0.267), although a quadratic relationship was found between the period (from 18 to 24 h) and T3 concentrations in the blood. The response curves established in the present study will be valuable for designing future lighting regimes for medium-growing broiler strains.

Objective: Waist circumference, as a brief indicator of visceral obesity, is associated with multi-metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. The present study was aimed to find out the relationship between waist circumference and carotid intima media thickness (C-IMT), as well as the best waist circumference cutoff for identifying C-IMT elevation in Chinese male patients with newly-diagnosed diabetes., Methods: Five hundred and seventy-eight patients from Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism in Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University were enrolled. Both physical examination (for measurement of waist circumference) and carotid ultrasonography (for measurement of C-IMT) were performed., Results: After grouping according to the quartiles of C-IMT, the waist circumference increased across all its quartiles. The waist circumference in 3rd and 4th quartiles (90.7±9.8 cm and 90.8±9.6 cm) was significant higher than in 1st and 2nd quartiles (P<0.05). When subjects were divided into 4 groups according to waist circumference, the C-IMT of subjects with waist circumference 90-95 cm was significant higher than that of subjects with waist circumference 85-90 cm and less than 85 cm respectively (P<0.05). Both spearman and partial correlation analysis showed that C-IMT was positively correlated with waist circumference (P<0.01). C-IMT was found significantly elevated with the increase of waist circumference. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that waist circumference was one of the independent risk factors of C-IMT. After an average of 2.23±0.85 years follow up, there was a significant elevation of C-IMT in the group with baseline waist circumference over 90 cm P<0.05), while no significant difference was detected in the group with baseline waist circumference less than 90 cm (P=0.27). Logistic regression showed that baseline waist circumference over 90 cm was associated with a relative risk to C-IMT elevation of 1.132 (95% CI 1.043-1.431, P<0.05)., Conclusion: Among newly-diagnosed diabetic male patients, waist circumference over 90 cm not only reflects sub-clinical atherosclerosis in early stage, but also predicts the progression of atherosclerosis., (Copyright © 2014 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Star-shaped porphyrin-cored poly(L-lactide)-b-poly(lactobionamidoethyl methacrylate) block copolymers (SPPLA-b-PLAMA) were synthesized via RAFT of unprotected Lactobionamidoethyl methacrylate (LAMA) in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) solution at 70 °C. The structure of this as-synthesized SPPLA-b-PLAMA block copolymer was thoroughly studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and Fourier transforms infrared. Moreover, under the irradiation, such SPPLA-b-PGAMA copolymer exhibits efficient singlet oxygen generation (0.17) and indicates high fluorescence quantum yields (0.20). Notably, with UV-vis investigation, SPPLA-b-PLAMA showed a very specific recognition with RCA120 lectin. This will not only provide potentially prophyrin-cored star-shaped SPPLA-b-PLAMA block copolymers for targeted photodynamic therapy, but also improve the physical, biodegradation, biocompatibility properties of PLA-based biomaterials.

Silica/cell composites were prepared for the adsorption of lead ions, Pb(II), from aqueous solution in a batch system. The silica/cell composites possessed micropores, high surface area, and abundant functional groups. Adsorption performance was investigated by analyzing the effects of such factors as the initial pH, contact time with different initial concentration, and initial Pb(II) concentration at different temperature. The kinetic data were fitted to pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models. The results were better fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Intraparticle diffusion increased with an increase of initial concentration and the sorption process was controlled by film diffusion. The Langmuir isotherm model was fitted to the experimental data significantly better than Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacity was 97.10 mg g(-1), according to the Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamics parameters confirmed the spontaneous, endothermic, and entropy-gained nature within the studied temperature range (from 298 to 318 K). The composites could be effectively desorbed by the 2.0 mol L(-1) HNO3 solution and would be a potential adsorbent.