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Seawater warming, ocean acidification and chemical pollution are the main threats to coral growth and even survival. The legacy persistent organic contaminants (POCs), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the emerging contaminants, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), dechlorane plus (DPs) and novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) were studied in corals from Luhuitou fringing reef in Sanya Bay and Yongle atoll in Xisha Islands, the South China Sea (SCS). Total average concentrations of ∑ 16 PAHs, ∑ 23 OCPs, ∑ 34 PCBs, ∑ 8 PBDEs, ∑ 2 DPs and ∑ 5 NBFRs in 20 coral species (43 samples) from the SCS were 40.7 ± 34.6, 5.20 ± 5.10, 0.197 ± 0.159, 3.30 ± 3.70, 0.041 ± 0.042 and 36.4 ± 112 ng g -1 dw, respectively. PAHs and NBFRs were the most abundant compounds and they are likely to be dangerous pollutants for future coral growth. Compared to those found in other coral reef regions, these pollutants concentrations in corals were at low to median levels. Except for PBDEs, POCs in massive Porites were significantly higher than those in branch Acropora and Pocillopora (p < 0.01), as large, closely packed corals may be beneficial for retaining more pollutant. The current study contributes valuable data on POCs, particularly for halogenated flame retardants (HFRs, including PBDEs, DPs and NBFRs), in corals from the SCS, and will improve our knowledge of the occurrence and fate of these pollutants in coral reef ecosystems., 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.)

Background: Vicatia thibetica de Boiss is a common Tibetan medicine used for both medicine and food, belonging to the family Apiaceae. This plant has the functions of dispelling wind, removing dampness, dispersing cold, and relieving pain. It has great development potential and application prospects in food development and medicinal value., Methods: The related references on botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, quantitative analysis, and pharmacology of V. thibetica de Boiss had been retrieved from both online and offline databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Elsevier, Willy, SpringLink, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, ACS publications, SciHub, Scopus, and CNKI., Results: V. thibetica de Boiss exerts nourishing, appetizing, and digestive effects according to the theory of Tibetan medicine. Phytochemical reports have revealed that V. thibetica de Boiss contains flavonoids, coumarins, sterols, and organic acids. Meanwhile, the quantitative analysis of the chemical constituents of V. thibetica de Boiss has been done by means of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. It has also been found that V. thibetica de Boiss possesses multiple pharmacological activities, including anti-fatigue, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, and non-toxic activities., Conclusion: This paper has comprehensively summarized botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, quantitative analysis, and pharmacology of V. thibetica de Boiss. It will not only provide an important clue for further studying V. thibetica de Boiss, but also offer an important theoretical basis and valuable reference for in-depth research and exploitation of this plant in the future., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Ionic liquids(ILs) are salts composed entirely of anions and cations in a liquid state at or near room temperature, which have a variety of good physicochemical properties such as low volatility and high stability. This paper mainly reviewed the research overview of ILs in the application of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) volatile oil preparation technology. Firstly, it briefly introduced the application of TCM volatile oil preparation technology and composition classification and physicochemical properties of ILs, and then summarized the application of ILs in the extraction, separation, analysis, and preparation of TCM volatile oil. Finally, the problems and challenges of ILs in the application of TCM volatile oil were explained, and the application of ILs in TCM volatile oil in the future was prospected.

Background: Pyrethrum tatsienense (Bureau & Franch.) Ling ex C. Shih (PTLCS) belongs to the family Compositae, which is a perennial medicinal plant mainly distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of PTLCS. This review offers valuable references and guidance for researching PTLCS in depth., Methods: The related references of PTLCS were retrieved from an online database, such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, SciFinder, PubMed, SpringLink, Elsevier, Willy, CNKI, and so on., Results: PTLCS is widely reported for treating headaches, head injuries, traumatic injuries, anabrosis, impetigo, hepatitis, and other diseases in the medical field. Phytochemical research revealed that this plant contained flavonoid aglycones, flavonoid glycosides, xanthones, triterpenoids, coumarins, polyacetylenes, volatile oils, and other compounds. Meanwhile, PTLCS exhibited extensive pharmacological activities including anti-cardiac ischemia, anti-hypoxia, hepatoprotective, anti- inflammatory and analgesic, and antioxidant activities., Conclusions: PTLCS is widely used as a Tibetan medicine, which has a variety of chemicals with diverse bioactivities. Therefore, further studies are necessary to perform on the PTLCS to assay biological activities, discover their bioactive constituents, and reveal pharmacological mechanisms. This review may supply an important theoretical basis and valuable reference for in-depth research and exploitations of PTLCS., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Highland barley Monascus purpureus Went, a traditional Tibetan medicine with food functions, which is fermented by Monascus purpureus with highland barley as substrate. It possesses various medical functions of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, invigorating spleen and promoting digestion in folk of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. This review provides a comprehensive overview of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of highland barley Monascus purpureus Went., Methods: The references of highland barley Monascus purpureus Went were retrieved from the online database, such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, SciFinder, PubMed, SpringLink, Elsevier, Willy, CNKI, and so on., Results: Phytochemical research revealed that highland barley Monascus purpureus Went contained multiple chemical components, including Monascus pigments, monacolins, lactones, and other compounds. The reported pharmacological activities of highland barley Monascus purpureus Went included hypolipidemic, anti-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatoprotective activities., Conclusion: In a word, botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of highland barley Monascus purpureus Went were reviewed comprehensively in this paper. In the future, highland barley Monascus purpureus Went needs further study, such as paying more attention to quality control and utilization of medicine. Therefore, this review may provide a theoretical basis and valuable data for future studies and exploitations on highland barley Monascus purpureus Went., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Objective: Rheumatoid wrist arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease, resulting in joint deformity and functional impairment. We aimed to compare the wrist synovial ultrasound indices and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in patients with RA before and after treatment, and to explore the correlation between the two., Methods: Forty patients with RA in wrist underwent ultrasound examination to determine wrist synovial thickness, synovial blood flow grade, and synovial artery resistive index (RI) before and after treatment. The serum level of VEGF was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlation between synovial ultrasound indices and serum VEGF level was assessed., Results: Pre-treatment synovial thickness, synovial artery RI, and serum VEGF level were 8.60 ± 2.82 mm, 0.62 ± 0.07, and 419.49 ± 19.27 pg/mL, respectively. The corresponding post-treatment levels were 4.05 ± 1.89 mm, 0.83 ± 0.10, and 199.30 ± 16.18 pg/mL. Pre-treatment distribution of synovial blood flow grades was as follows: grade 0, nil; grade I, 1 case; grade II, 17 cases; grade III, 22 cases. The post-treatment distribution was as follows: grade 0, 6 cases; grade I, 23 cases; grade II, 11 cases; and grade III, nil. There were significant differences between pre- and post-treatment wrist synovial thickness, artery RI, and blood flow grading. Wrist synovial thickness and synovial blood flow grade showed a strong positive correlation with serum VEGF level (P < 0.01). There was strong negative correlation between wrist synovial artery RI and serum VEGF level (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: The strong correlation between wrist synovial ultrasound indicators and serum VEGF may be clinically useful for diagnosis and therapy., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR).)

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a serious problem endangering human health in the world. The pathogenesis of this disease is often accompanied by lipid metabolism disorder and can cause liver lipid accumulation. Highland barley Monascus purpureus Went extract (HBMPWE) can inhibit the liver lipid accumulation caused by a high-fat, high-fructose, high-cholesterol diet. However, it is not clear what changes have taken place in the process of liver lipid metabolism after HBMPWE administration. To fill this knowledge gap and to support the findings published in the companion research article entitled "Highland Barley Monascus purpureus Went Extract Ameliorates High-Fat, High-Fructose, High-Cholesterol Diet Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Regulating Lipid Metabolism in Golden Hamsters" [1], we provided important information related to the liver differential metabolites and identified twenty-one differential metabolites of liver metabolism. In the model group, the levels of lactate, linoleic acid, and malic acid increased significantly. After HBMPWE treatment, the expressions of these metabolites reduced significantly. Therefore, these liver differential metabolites could be used as biological signatures reflecting the severity of NAFLD and HBMPWE treatment outcomes., Competing Interests: All authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Key Message: Anatomical changes in and hormone roles of the exserted stigma were investigated, and localization and functional analysis of SlLst for the exserted stigma were performed using SLAF-BSA-seq, parental resequencing and overexpression of SlLst in tomato. Tomato accession T431 produces stigmas under relatively high temperatures (> 27 °C, the average temperature in Harbin, China, in June-August), so pollen can rarely reach the stigma properly. This allows the percentage of male sterility exceed 95%, making the use of this accession practical for hybrid seed production. To investigate the mechanism underlying the exserted stigma male sterility, the morphological changes of, anatomical changes of, and comparative endogenous hormone (IAA, ABA, GA 3 , ZT, SA) changes in flowers during flower development of tomato accessions DL5 and T431 were measured. The location and function of genes controlling exserted stigma sterility were analyzed using super SLAF-BSA-seq, parental resequencing, comparative genomics and the overexpression of SlLst in tomato. The results showed that an increase in cell number mainly caused stigma exsertion. IAA played a major role, while ABA had an opposite effect on stigma exertion. Moreover, 26 candidate genes related to the exserted stigma were found, located on chromosome 12. The Solyc12g027610.1 (SlLst) gene was identified as the key candidate gene by functional analysis. A subcellular localization assay revealed that SlLst is targeted to the nucleus and cell membrane. Phenotypic analysis of SlLst-overexpressing tomato showed that SlLst plays a crucial role during stigma exsertion.

Breastfeeding is related to maternal health. However, the association of women's breastfeeding duration with cognitive function in their later life is limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to accurately evaluate the association in Chinese postmenopausal women. We analyzed the data from Zhejiang Ageing and Health Cohort Study including 5487 postmenopausal women. Cognitive impairment was assessed via the Mini-Mental State Examination. Data on breastfeeding duration was collected in the reproductive history section within the questionnaire. Generalized additive models (GAMs) and logistic regression models, controlled for an extensive range of potential confounders, were generated to examine the associations. A U-shaped association was identified between breastfeeding duration and cognitive impairment based on GAM. The nadir with lowest odds of cognitive impairment was ascertained by quadratic model as 12 months. The logistic models showed that compared with women breastfeeding 12 months per child, the fully adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 1.50 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.20-1.88), 1.58 (95% CI: 1.29-1.93), 1.33 (95% CI: 1.06-1.68), 2.08 (95% CI: 1.64-2.65) for those averagely breastfeeding <6, 6-<12,>12-18,>18 months, respectively. Furthermore, we did not observe significant effect modification of the association. Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the association.

Background: Polygonum multiflorum is one of the leading causes of herb-induced liver injury in China. HLA-B*35:01 is reported to be a potential biomarker of Polygonum multiflorum -induced liver injury (PM-DILI). However, little is known about the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and PM-DILI., Aim: To identify SNPs that indicate susceptibility to PM-DILI., Methods: We conducted a systematic study enrolling 382 participants from four independent hospitals, including 73 PM-DILI patients, 118 patients with other drug-induced liver injury (other-DILI) and 191 healthy controls. Whole-exome sequencing was performed for 8 PM-DILI patients and 8 healthy controls who were randomly selected from the above subjects. Nineteen SNPs that showed high frequencies in the 8 PM-DILI patients were selected as candidate SNPs and then screened in 65 PM-DILI patients, 118 other-DILI patients and 183 healthy controls using the MassARRAY system. HLA-B high-resolution genotyping was performed for the 73 PM-DILI and 118 other-DILI patients. The Han-MHC database was selected as a population control for HLA-B analysis. P < 6.25 × 10 -3 after Bonferroni correction was considered significant., Results: The frequencies of rs111686806 in the HLA-A gene, rs1055348 in the HLA-B gene, and rs202047044 in the HLA-DRB1 gene were significantly higher in the PM-DILI group than in the control group [27.2% vs 11.6%, P = 1.72 × 10 -5 , odds ratio (OR) = 3.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.21-7.14; 42.5% vs 8.6%, P = 1.72 × 10 -19 , OR = 13.62, 95%CI: 7.16-25.9; 22.9% vs 8.1%, P = 4.64 × 10 -6 , OR = 4.1, 95%CI: 2.25-7.47]. Only rs1055348 showed a significantly higher frequency in the PM-DILI group than in the other-DILI group (42.5% vs 13.6%, P = 1.84 × 10 -10 , OR = 10.06, 95%CI: 5.06-20.0), which suggested that it is a specific risk factor for PM-DILI. rs1055348 may become a tag for HLA-B*35:01 with 100% sensitivity and 97.7% specificity in the PM-DILI group and 100% sensitivity and 98.1% specificity in the other-DILI group. Furthermore, HLA-B*35:01 was confirmed to be associated with PM-DILI with a frequency of 41.1% in the PM-DILI group compared with 11.9% ( P = 4.30 × 10 -11 , OR = 11.11, 95%CI: 5.57-22.19) in the other-DILI group and 2.7% ( P = 6.22 × 10 -166 , OR = 62.62, 95%CI: 35.91-109.20) in the Han-MHC database., Conclusion: rs111686806, rs1055348, and rs202047044 are associated with PM-DILI, of which, rs1055348 is specific to PM-DILI. As a tag for HLA-B*35:01 , rs1055348 may become an alternative predictive biomarker of PM-DILI., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in sediments from the Eastern Indian Ocean were analyzed by GC-MS/MS to explore the status of contamination, distribution and their potential sources and risk. The average (±SD) concentrations of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑ 16 PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑ 10 PBDEs), dechlorane plus (∑ 2 DP), organochlorine pesticides (∑ 22 OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (∑ 31 PCBs) in sediments were 79,900 ± 31,400, 173 ± 62, 42 ± 24, 1051 ± 305 and 147 ± 24 pg g - 1 dw (or 11,200 ± 7200, 28 ± 26, 6 ± 6, 168 ± 121 and 24 ± 17 ng g - 1 organic carbon), respectively. The concentrations of POPs in sediments were generally at low to median levels compared to those recorded in other ocean sediments. Composition analyses suggest that PAHs originate from both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources, while dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) mainly comes from technical-DDT, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) from lindane, and chlordane from fresh inputs. The risk assessments show that the targeted chemicals except for chlordane and naphthalene in sediments do not pose potential biological effects to the organisms in the Eastern Indian Ocean. The present study contributes to the very rare data on PAHs, PBDEs, DP, OCPs and PCBs in the vast deep-ocean and will deepen our knowledge of the fate of POPs in ocean environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Discovery of novel insecticides and targets has received global attention in recent years. Ten genes coding for enzymes involved in the juvenile hormone biosynthetic pathway of Manduca sexta were studied as potential insecticide targets., Results: We determined the expression of genes encoding some critical enzymes in the JH biosynthetic pathway. Farnesol dehydrogenase (FOLD), Juvenile hormone acid O-methyltransferase (JHAMT) and Juvenile hormone epoxidase (CYP15C1) were selected as the candidate targets based on gene expression results. RNAi silencing and enzyme inhibitor tests were performed to validate whether these candidate genes could be the potential insecticide targets. The down-regulation of FOLD, JHAMT and CYP15C1 resulted in a 68%, 82% and 79% reduction in the rates of JH biosynthesis in vitro, respectively. In addition, RNA interference and inhibitor studies of these enzymes following oral administration demonstrated the potential application in pest management, with respect to high mortality and effects on growth., Conclusion: Based on our study, FOLD, JHAMT and CYP15C1 could be potential targets for pest control as a consequence of their important roles in insect development. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.)

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Microbial dysbiosis is involved in the development of colorectal cancer and its most common precancerous lesion, colorectal adenoma. Endoscopic resection is one of the procedures for primary prevention of colorectal cancer, yet little is known about how the endoscopic therapy influences gut microbiota., Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 20 patients who underwent endoscopic resection of colorectal adenoma and analyzed the fecal microbiota before and 3 months after adenoma resection. MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA genes was performed to determine the alterations in microbial diversity and structure. To discriminate the microbiota of the two groups, random forest and receiver operating characteristic analysis were applied, and a genus-based microbiota signature was obtained., Results: Despite few alterations in overall microbial structure after adenoma resection, the abundance of Parabacteroides revealed a significant increase postoperatively (3.8% vs 1.5%, 0.1160), and the microbiota signature of Parabacteroides, Streptococcus, and Ruminococcus showed an optimal discriminating performance of postoperative status with the area under the curve 0.788, P < 0.001., Conclusion: Fecal microbial alterations indicate the moderate influence of adenoma resection on gut microbiota and lay the groundwork for microbial prediction of adenoma recurrence. Larger sample studies are further required to validate the findings., (© 2019 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dechlorane plus (DP) in mangrove sediments and tissues of nine species from three Mangrove Reserves of Hainan Island were studied. The average concentrations of PBDEs and DP in mangrove leaves, branches, roots and fruits were 1048, 498, 546 and 364 pg g -1 dw, and 294, 181, 108 and 165 pg g -1 dw, respectively. The elevated PBDEs and DP concentrations in mangrove leaves may be caused by atmospheric sedimentation. The predominant PBDE congeners in sediments were BDE-209 and those in mangrove tissues were BDE-28. The average f anti (ratio of [anti-DP]/[DP]) of DP in sediments and tissues were 0.47 and 0.32, respectively. Sonneratia hainanensis, a fast growing mangrove plant, has a relatively high tolerance and absorptive capacity to PBDEs and DP in sediments, suggesting that it could be used as an effective plant for phytoremediation. The biota sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) of PBDEs in mangrove branches were positively correlated with log K OW (R 2  = 0.43, p < 0.05). The standing accumulation, annual absorption, annual net retention, annual return, and turnover period of PBDEs and DP in mangrove tissues of the ecosystems were estimated, and the results indicated that mangroves are playing an important role in retaining PBDEs and DP., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Total 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) compounds and 31 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners in mangrove sediments and tissues (leaf, branch, root and fruit) of nine species from three Mangrove Reserves of China were studied. The mean concentrations of total DDTs, HCHs, OCPs and PCBs in sediments were 2.84, 0.06, 3.84 and 0.17 ng g -1 dw, while those in tissues were 1.85, 0.22, 9.43 and 1.61 ng g -1 dw, respectively. The elevated OCPs and PCBs levels in mangrove leaves may be caused by atmospheric sedimentation. The biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) values of both OCPs (mean: 3.4) and PCBs (mean: 9.9) are generally larger than one, implying mangroves' bioaccumulation and their ability to intercept pollutants. The BSAFs of PCBs in mangrove tissues were negatively correlated with the PCB congener's octanol-water partition coefficients (K OW , R = 0.58, n = 31, p < 0.001), suggesting that lower chlorinated CB congeners are more bioaccumulative in mangroves. In order to better understanding the fate of these organochlorine compounds, the cycling (including the standing accumulation, the annual absorption, the annual net retention, the annual return, and the turnover period) of OCPs and PCBs in the Mangrove Reserves were estimated, and the results indicated that mangroves are playing important roles in retaining OCPs and PCBs., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of serum cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentration and integrity for esophageal carcinoma. Methods: Venous blood samples from 68 patients with esophageal cancer, 36 patients with benign esophageal lesions and 45 healthy subjects were collected. Circulating cfDNA was verified through quantitative real-time PCR (Alu-qPCR) using Alu-115 and Alu-247 primers. DNA integrity index was calculated as the ratio of Alu-qPCR results (Alu247/115). Concentrations of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) and squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen (SCC) were detected by chemiluminescence analyzer assay. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test and Spearman correlation test. The Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of each index to esophageal carcinoma. Results: The median absolute serum Alu115 and the Alu247/115 index (1 162.0 ng/ml, 0.57) in esophageal cancer group were significantly higher than those in benign esophageal disease group (496.7 ng/ml, 0.43) and in healthy control group (432.3 ng/ml, 0.42) (all P <0.01, respectively). The Alu115 and Alu247/115 index of serum DNA in benign esophageal disease group were no statistically different from those in the healthy control group (all P >0.05, respectively). The levels of cfDNA and its integrity were not significantly correlated with age, gender, tumor differentiation, or disease stage according to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system in the esophageal cancer group (all P >0.05). The serum Alu247/115 index of Stage Ⅲ patients was higher than that of Stage Ⅰ~Ⅱ patients( P <0.05). The serum Alu247/115 index of Stage Ⅳ was higher than that of Stage Ⅲ( P <0.05). In the esophageal cancer group, both of serum Alu115 and Alu247/115 index had no correlation with CEA or SCC (all P >0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of Alu115 and Alu247/115 index were 0.867 and 0.854, respectively, which were both higher than that of CEA (0.622) and SCC (0.753). The addition of Alu115 or Alu247/115 index to CEA and SCC detection increased the sensitivity of the diagnosis of esophageal cancer by 95.6% and 94.1%, respectively. Conclusions: The detection of serum cfDNA concentration and integrity is helpful to the early diagnosis and monitoring of esophageal cancer. Their diagnostic value of esophageal cancer is better than that of the traditional tumor markers CEA and SCC.

Mangrove wetlands are important coastal ecosystems in tropical and subtropical regions, and mangrove sediments and tissues often are the pollutant sinks due to their high organic matter contents. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the mangrove sediments and tissues of nine species from three typical mangrove wetlands of Hainan Island were studied. The average concentration of PAHs in all mangrove tissues was 403 ng g -1  dw, with PAHs concentrations in leaf, branch, root, and fruit of 566, 335, 314, and 353 ng g -1  dw, respectively. PAHs levels were much higher in leaf than in other mangrove tissues, which may be caused partly by atmospheric deposition of PAHs. The dominant individual PAH compounds in mangrove tissues were phenanthrene (41.3%), fluoranthene (14.7%), and pyrene (11.4%), while in sediments were naphthalene (73.4%), phenanthrene (3.9%), and pyrene (3.6%), respectively. The biota-sediment accumulation factors of PAH congeners in the mangrove wetlands showed different patterns, with the most predominant of phenanthrene. The cycling of PAHs in the mangrove wetlands of Hainan Island also were estimated, and the results showed that the standing accumulation, the annual absorption, the annual net retention, the annual return, and the turnover period in all mangrove tissues of the community were 2228 µg m -2 , 869 µg m -2  a -1 , 206 µg m -2  a -1 , 663 µg m -2  a -1 , and 3.4 a, respectively. These results indicated that mangroves are playing an important role in retaining PAHs.

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of gnome-wide chromosome microarray (CMA) technique in genetic etiological diagnosis of fetal cerebral ventriculomegaly., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in 109 women with singleton pregnancy, who were admitted in Nanfang Hospital with the diagnosis of cerebral ventriculomegaly in the fetuses by ultrasound between January, 2014 and December, 2016. Routine karyotype analysis and chromosome microarray analysis were performed to identify the chromosomal abnormalities in the fetuses., Results: Karyotype analysis detected chromosomal abnormalities at a rate of 12.84% in these fetuses, significantly lower than the rate of 26.60% with CMA technique (P=0.004); the combined detection rate of the two techniques was 28.44%. In 17 cases, karyotype analysis yielded normal results while CMA microarray showed abnormalities with an extra abnormal detection rate of 15.60%. Among the 17 fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities, 6 had micro-deletion, 9 had micro-duplication, 1 had both micro-deletion and micro-duplication, and 1 had heterozygous loss of single parent diploid., Conclusion: CMA technique can be used to detect abnormal chromosomal copy numbers in fetuses with cerebral ventriculomegaly to increase the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities and facilitate prenatal consultation and prognostic evaluation.

Objective: Current non-invasive early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) requires improvement. We aimed to identified a fecal Clostridium symbiosum-based biomarker for early and advanced colorectal cancer detection., Design: In the test stage, the relative abundance of Clostridium symbiosum (C. symbiosum) was measured by qPCR in 781 cases including 242 controls, 212 colorectal adenoma (CRA) patients, 109 early CRC (tumor restricted to the submucosa) patients, 218 advanced CRC patients. The prediction accuracy was compared to Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum), fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) and validated in an independent cohort of 256 subjects. Current status of the trial:ongoing/still enrolling. Primary endpoint:June, 2017 (Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier NCT02845973)., Results: Significant stepwise increase of C. symbiosum abundance was found in CRA, early CRC and advanced CRC (P<0.01). C. symbiosum outperformed all the other markers in early CRC prediction performance. The combination of C. symbiosum and FIT achieved better performance (0.803 for test cohort and 0.707 for validation cohort). For overall discrimination of CRCs, the combination of all above markers achieved the performance of 0.876., Conclusions: Fecal C. symbiosum is a promising biomarker for early and noninvasive detection of colorectal cancer, being more effective than F. nucleatum, FIT and CEA. Combining C. symbiosum and FIT or CEA may improve the diagnosis power., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Adolescence is a unique period in neurodevelopment. Dextromethorphan (DXM)-containing cough syrups are new addictive drugs used by adolescents and young adults. The effects of chronic DXM abuse on neurodevelopment in adolescents and young adults are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in cortical thickness and subcortical gray matter volumes between DXM-dependent adolescents and young adults and healthy controls, and to explore relationships between alternations in cortical thickness/subcortical volume and DXM duration, initial age of DXM use, as well as impulsive behavior in DXM-dependent adolescents and young adults. Thirty-eight DXM-dependent adolescents and young adults and 18 healthy controls underwent magnetic resonance imaging scanning, and cortical thickness across the continuous cortical surface was compared between the groups. Subcortical volumes were compared on a structure-by-structure basis. DXM-dependent adolescents and young adults exhibited significantly increased cortical thickness in the bilateral precuneus (PreC), left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC. L), left inferior parietal lobe (IPL. L), right precentral gyrus (PreCG. R), right lateral occipital cortex (LOC. R), right inferior temporal cortex (ITC. R), right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC. R) and right transverse temporal gyrus (TTG. R) (all p < 0.05, multiple comparison corrected) and increased subcortical volumes of the right thalamus and right pallidum. There was a significant correlation between initial age of DXM use and cortical thickness of the DLPFC. L and PreCG. R. A significant correlation was also found between cortical thickness of the DLPFC. L and impulsive behavior in patients. This was the first study to explore relationships between cortical thickness/subcortical volume and impulsive behavior in adolescents dependent on DXM. These structural changes might explain the neurobiological mechanism of impulsive behavior in adolescent DXM users.

Models of heroin addiction emphasize the role of disrupted frontostriatal circuitry supporting cognitive control processes. However, heroin addiction-related alterations in functional and structural interactions among brain regions, especially between the cerebral hemispheres, are rarely examined directly. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) approaches, which reveal patterns of coherent spontaneous fluctuations in the fMRI signal, offer a means to quantify directly functional interactions between the hemispheres. The corpus callosum (CC), which connects homologous regions of the cortex, is the major conduit for information transfer between the cerebral hemispheres and represents a structural connectivity index between hemispheres. We compared interhemispheric voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and CC volume between 45 heroin dependent-individuals (HDIs) and 35 non-addict individuals. We observed significant reduction of VMHC in a number of regions, particularly the striatum/limbic system regions, and significant decrease in splenium and genu sub-regions of CC in HDI. Importantly, within HDI, VMHC in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) correlated with genu CC volume, VMHC in the putamen, VMHC in the DLPFC and genu CC volume and splenium CC volume were negatively correlated with heroin duration and impulsivity traits. Further analyses demonstrated that impairment of VMHC of bilateral DLPFC partially mediated the association between genu CC volumes decreased and increased impulsivity in HDI. Our results reveal a substantial impairment of interhemispheric coordination in the HDI. Further, interhemispheric connectivity correlated with the duration of heroin abuse and higher impulsivity behavior in HDI. Our findings provide insight into a heroin addicts' related pathophysiology and reinforce an integrative view of the interhemispheric cerebral functional and structural organization., (© 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.)

Objectives: To characterize interhemispheric functional and anatomical connectivity and their relationships with impulsive behaviour in codeine-containing cough syrup (CCS)-dependent male adolescents and young adults., Methods: We compared volumes of corpus callosum (CC) and its five subregion and voxel-mirrored homotopic functional connectivity (VMHC) in 33 CCS-dependent male adolescents and young adults and 38 healthy controls, group-matched for age, education and smoking status. Barratt impulsiveness scale (BIS.11) was used to assess participant impulsive behaviour. Abnormal CC subregions and VMHC revealed by group comparison were extracted and correlated with impulsive behaviour and duration of CCS use., Results: We found selective increased mid-posterior CC volume in CCS-dependent male adolescents and young adults and detected decreased homotopic interhemispheric functional connectivity of medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Moreover, impairment of VMHC was associated with the impulsive behaviour and correlated with the duration of CCS abuse in CCS-dependent male adolescents and young adults., Conclusions: These findings reveal CC abnormalities and disruption of interhemispheric homotopic connectivity in CCS-dependent male adolescents and young adults, which provide a novel insight into the impact of interhemispheric disconnectivity on impulsive behaviour in substance addiction pathophysiology., Key Points: • CCS-dependent individuals (patients) had selective increased volumes of mid-posterior corpus callosum • Patients had attenuated interhemispheric homotopic FC (VMHC) of bilateral orbitofrontal cortex • Impairment of VMHC correlated with impulsive behaviour in patients • Impairment of VMHC correlated with the CCS duration in patients.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) present in water may be bioconcentrated in phytoplankton and further transferred into higher trophic levels. In the present study, seawater, sediment, phytoplankton and macroalgae (Ulva lactuca L.) samples were collected from two estuarine bays in South China and analyzed for 24 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The concentrations of PBDE congeners except BDE-209 were low in both phytoplankton and Ulva. BDE-209 was the predominant congener in phytoplankton and Ulva, accounting for 89.5% and 86.6% of the total average concentrations of PBDEs (48.5 and 4.1ngg -1 dw), respectively. The average concentrations of DDTs, HCHs and 1-chloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDMU) in phytoplankton were 398, 241 and 11.3ngg -1 dw, respectively, while those of DDTs and HCHs in Ulva were 8.4 and 33.1ngg -1 dw. The levels of both PBDEs and OCPs were an order of magnitude higher in phytoplankton than in Ulva, indicating that phytoplankton with larger surface areas have higher uptake efficiency for POPs than Ulva. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of DDT and PBDE in phytoplankton from the two bays were in the range of 10 5 -10 6 , suggesting that bioconcentration may be one of the key sources of POPs and algae can be an important route for POPs to move toward higher trophic levels., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: To identify codeine-containing cough syrups (CCS)-related modulations of intrinsic connectivity network (ICN) and to investigate whether these changes of ICN can be related to duration of CCS use and to impulsivity behavior in CCS-dependent individuals., Materials and Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in 41 CCS-dependent individuals and 34 healthy controls (HC) were scanned at 1.5T and analyzed using independent component analysis (ICA), in combination with a "dual-regression" technique to identify the group differences of three important resting-state networks, the default mode network (DMN), the executive control network (ECN), and the salience network (SN) between the CCS-dependent individuals and HC., Results: Compared with the HC, CCS-dependent individuals had aberrant intrinsic connectivity within the DMN, ECN, and SN (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). Furthermore, a longer duration of CCS use was associated with greater abnormalities in the intrinsic network functional connectivity (FC, P < 0.05, Bonferroni correction). Intrinsic network FC also correlated with higher impulsivity in CCS-dependent individuals (P < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected)., Conclusion: Our findings revealed aberrant DMN, ECN, and SN connectivity patterns in CCS-dependent patients, which may provide new insight into how neuronal communication and information integration are disrupted among DMN, ECN, and SN key structures due to long duration of CCS use., Level of Evidence: 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:177-186., (© 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Background: The antioxidant properties of tea extracts are considered to be effective in protecting against cataracts. However, there is still insufficient epidemiological knowledge about the protective effects of different types of tea on age-related cataracts., Methods: The data was derived from the Zhejiang Major Public Health Surveillance (ZJMPHS) Program on health and related factors in the elderly. The relationships between consumption of different types of tea and risk of age-related cataracts were assessed after adjusting for related covariates., Results: The prevalence of age-related cataracts in this study population was 4.4% (409/9343). After adjustment for potential confounders, tea drinking was associated with reduced risk of age-related cataracts (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47-0.91). Compared to nondrinkers, green tea drinkers had a significantly reduced risk of cataracts (adjusted OR 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40-0.85). Average tea consumption of 14-27 cups (adjusted OR 0.55; 95% CI, 0.33-0.93) and over 28 cups (adjusted OR 0.58; 95% CI, 0.34-0.99) per week had a protective effect against cataracts in comparison to no consumption. In addition, ingesting a moderate concentration of tea significantly decreased the risk of cataract compared to no consumption (adjusted OR 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27-0.71)., Conclusions: Tea ingestion was associated with reduced risk of age-related cataracts. In light of these findings, we suggest that reasonable tea consumption (ie, favoring green tea and consuming an average of over 500 mL per day at moderate concentration) should offer protection against age-related cataracts.

Objective: To explore the pattern of variations in middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA PSV) and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) during early pregnancy, establish their reference ranges and explore their correlation with the crown-rump length (CRL)., Methods: A total of 522 pregnant women with normal findings in antenatal examinations underwent routine color Doppler ultrasound examination to collect the data of MCA PSV, CTR and CRL. The reference ranges of MCA PSV and CTR for different CRL levels were established, and the correlation of MCA PSV and CTR with CRL was analyzed., Results: During the first trimester, MCA PSV and CRL showed a moderate positive correlation with a correlation coefficient of 0.426 (P<0.001), while CTR and CRL showed no significant correlation (0.168, P<0.001). The reference range of MCA PSV was 14.35 (14.08-14.62) cm/s and that of CTR was 0.34 (0.33-0.34) during early pregnancy., Conclusion: Color Doppler ultrasound is a safe and feasible modality to assess fetal MCA PSV and CTR for detecting fetal growth abnormalities in early pregnancy. The established reference ranges of MCA PSV and CTR offer a clinical theoretical basis for detecting α-thalassemia in early pregnancy.

Objective: To investigate alterations of resting brain function in codeine-containing cough syrups (CCS) dependent individuals before and after ultra-rapid opioid detoxification under general anaesthesia (UROD) combined with naltrexone treatment (NMT)., Methods: Fourteen CCS-dependent individuals were scanned using resting-state fMRI. After UROD and 2 weeks of NMT, CCS-dependent individuals were rescanned. Fourteen matched controls were studied at baseline and compared. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) were used to characterize resting-state cerebral function., Results: After UROD and 2 weeks of NMT, CCS-dependent individuals had increased ALFF in the bilateral parahippocampal gyrus and right medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), decreased ALFF in the left post-central gyrus (PoCG), left middle occipital cortex (MOC) and left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and reduced FC between right mOFC and right DLPFC, and between left DLPFC and left inferior parietal lobe relative to pretreatment. Decreased ALFFs in the left PoCG and left MOC were associated with decreased withdrawal syndrome severity in CCS-dependent individuals., Conclusions: We offer the first report describing how regional and integral synchronous neural activity occurs after UROD and short-term NMT, accompanied by decreased withdrawal syndrome severity. These findings contribute to the understanding of complex systems involved in UROD-NMT effects., Key Points: • CCS-dependent individuals had reduced ALFF and increased FC at baseline. • UROD treatment can change the regional and integral brain function of CCS-dependent individuals. • Attenuated ALFFs are correlated with the withdrawal syndrome after treatment.

Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of mercury (Hg) both in the natural marine ecosystem and the mariculture ecosystem were studied at Daya Bay, a subtropical bay in Southern China. Averaged Hg concentrations in sediment, phytoplankton, macrophyte, shrimp, crab, shellfish, planktivorous fish, carnivorous fish, farmed pompano, farmed snapper, compound feed and trash fish were 0.074, 0.054, 0.044, 0.098, 0.116, 0.171, 0.088, 0.121, 0.210, 0.125, 0.038 and 0.106 μg g(-1) dw, respectively. These Hg levels were at the low-middle ends of the global range. Positive correlation between Hg concentrations in farmed fish and fish weights/sizes was observed, whereas no clear correlation between Hg concentrations and lipid contents was found. Hg concentrations followed macrophyte < phytoplankton < sediment < planktivorous fish < shrimp < crab < carnivorous fish < shellfish, and commercial feed < trash fish < farmed fish. Hg was biomagnified along the marine food chain in the ecosystem of Daya Bay. Hg levels in the farmed fish were higher than those in the wild fish primarily because of the higher Hg level in fish feed and the smaller size of marine wild fish.

Background: Intracellular calcium overload is a major contributing factor to diaphragmatic dysfunction triggered by sepsis. In this study, the possible role of dantrolene, a ryanodine receptor inhibitor, in preventing the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in diaphragmatic dysfunction and weakness was explored., Methods: A middle-grade severity sepsis rat model was established for the effects of treatment with dantrolene, on diaphragm harvested 24 h after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and analyzed using functional, histologic, and biomarker assays., Results: It was found that in septic rats, treatment with dantrolene significantly improved the contractility, relaxation, and fatigue index of the diaphragm in a dose-dependent manner. The benefits are associated with improvement in ultrastructural changes of Z band integrity and myofilament arrangements along with increases both in the ratio of slow-twitch type composition. Moreover, dantrolene effectively inhibits the overexpression of high-mobility group box 1 and reduces the calpain-1-caspase-3 proteolytic activity., Conclusions: Dantrolene can effectively attenuate the dysfunction of diaphragm in septic rats; Furthermore, the beneficial effects were associated with downregulation of high-mobility group box 1 and calpain-1-caspase-3 proteolytic activity., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess off-treatment virological relapse rates and to determine the role of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) quantification in predicting virological relapse after stopping entecavir (ETV) treatment in patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB)., Methods: One hundred and twelve CHB patients for whom ETV was stopped in accordance with the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver guidelines stopping rules were enrolled. Patient HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were monitored every 4-12 weeks during ETV treatment and after ETV cessation. Post-treatment virological relapse was defined as a serum HBV DNA level of >10 000 copies/ml after stopping ETV treatment., Results: The virological relapse rate at 52 weeks after stopping ETV was 48.2%. The post-treatment virological relapse rate was significantly higher in patients aged >50 years than in those aged <50 years (p < 0.001), and the virological relapse rate was significantly lower in patients with an HBsAg level <2.0 log10 IU /ml than in those with a level ≥ 2.0 log10 IU /ml at ETV cessation (p = 0.005). An HBsAg level of 2.5 log10 IU/ml at HBeAg seroconversion was the optimal cut-off value for predicting post-treatment virological relapse (p < 0.001). In those aged <50 years and with HBsAg ≤ 2.5 log10 IU/ml at HBeAg seroconversion, the relapse rate was only 5%. In patients with HBsAg ≤ 2.5 log10 IU/ml at HBeAg seroconversion, 52.4% achieved HBsAg levels ≤ 2.0 log10 IU/ml at ETV cessation, while in those with HBsAg >2.5 log10 IU/ml at HBeAg seroconversion, only 4.4% achieved this criterion., Conclusions: HBsAg levels can help guide the timing of cessation of ETV treatment. HBsAg levels of 2.5 log10 IU/ml at HBeAg seroconversion may be a useful marker to predict virological relapse after the cessation of ETV treatment in HBeAg-positive CHB patients., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

There is increasing evidence that cirrhosis may affect functional connectivity among various brain regions in patients prior to onset of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE). However, most investigators have focused mainly on alterations in functional connectivity strengths, and the changes in functional connectivity density (FCD) are largely unknown. Here, we investigated alterations in resting-state FCD in patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) without overt HE. Totally, 31 patients with HBV-RC without overt HE and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional MRI examinations. FCD mapping was employed to compute local and global FCD maps. Then, short-range and long-range FCD values were calculated and voxel-based comparisons were performed between the two groups. The HBV-RC group showed significant decreases in FCD, including decreased short-range FCDs in the bilateral middle cingulum gyrus/precuneus, the bilateral cuneus, and the left lingual gyrus/inferior occipital gyrus and decreased long-range FCD in the bilateral cuneus/precuneus. In addition, the decreased long-range FCD in the bilateral cuneus/precuneus in the HBV-RC group was related to performance on the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) test. These findings suggest aberrant functional connectivity density in cirrhotic patients prior to overt HE onset, which may provide better insight into understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the cirrhotic-related cognitive impairment.

Previous studies have shown that patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) without overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) are associated with a varying degree of cognitive dysfunction. Several resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have been conducted to explore the neural correlates of such cognitive deficits, whereas little effort has been made to investigate the cortical integrity in cirrhotic patients without OHE. Here, using cortical thickness, surface area and local gyrification index (lGI), this study performed a comprehensive analysis on the cortical morphometry of patients with HBV-RC without OHE (HBV-RC-NOHE) vs. matched healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, we found significantly increased cortical thickness in the bilateral lingual and parahippocampal gyrus, right posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, peri-calcarine sulcus and fusiform gyrus in patient with HBV-RC-NOHE, which may closely relate to be the low-grade brain edema. Cortical gyrification analysis showed significantly increased lGI in the left superior and inferior parietal cortex as well as lateral occipital cortex, which was speculated to be associated with disruptions in white matter connectivity and sub-optimal intra-cortical organization. In addition, the mean cortical thickness/lGI of the regions with structural abnormalities was shown to be negatively correlated with psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) of the patients with HBV-RC-NOHE. These morphological changes may serve as potential markers for the preclinical diagnosis and progression of HBV-RC-NOHE.

Background: A synovial sarcoma arising from the kidney is extremely rare. To date, few data are available on their radiological features., Purpose: To identify the computer tomography (CT) imaging findings of primary renal synovial sarcomas (PRSSs)., Material and Methods: Five cases of PRSS confirmed by histopathological and cytogenetic studies were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had undergone unenhanced and multiphase enhanced CT examinations (one patient underwent CT twice). The CT characteristics, including shape, size, margin, attenuation, and enhancement pattern after intravenous contrast medium injection, were analyzed., Results: The study involved two female and three male patients (mean age, 27.4 years; range, 15-43 years). Unenhanced CT showed completely or partly well-defined masses, with heterogeneous (n = 5) or homogeneous (n = 1) patchy low density. On multiphase contrast-enhanced CT, in five of the six CT examinations, the tumors appeared as solid-cystic masses with cyst walls or pseudo-capsules, and demonstrated moderately heterogeneous (n = 5) and/or septate enhancement (n = 2), with a "rapid wash-in and slow wash-out" pattern of enhancement in the solid component. Only one tumor showed a simple cyst appearance and developed an irregular, intratumoral, septate soft density 8 months later. A renal vein and inferior vena cava thrombus was noticed in one patient, while lymphadenopathy was not observed in any patient., Conclusion: PRSS should be included in the differential diagnosis when an adolescent or young adult presents with a renal neoplasm appearing as a solid-cystic mass with well-defined borders, a cystic wall or pseudo-capsule, heterogeneous or septate enhancement, a "rapid wash-in and slow wash-out" pattern of enhancement in the solid component, and no sign of lymphadenopathy., (© The Foundation Acta Radiologica 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.)

Objective: To discuss the role of Litchi chinensis seed saponins on hyperplasia of mammary glands(HMG) and the influence of estrogen signaling pathways in rats., Methods: In addition to eight non-pregnant female SD rats in normal control group, the other 32 pathologic models of HMG rat model were randomly divided into other four groups: model control group, low and high dose groups, which were given experimental drug of Litchi chinensis seed saponins (LSE) 0. 1 g/kg and 0. 2 g/kg, and the positive control group with experimental drug of tamoxifen 4 mg/kg. Then all model rats were orally administrated for four weeks. The diameter and height of nipple were measured, and the content changes of estradiol(E2) and progestrogen(P) in serum were detected with ELISA method. The HMG were detected by the morphology examination. The expression of estrogen receptor(ER) and progesterone receptor(PR) in the mammary glands were investigated by immunohistochemical staining., Results: According to LSE in the low and high dose groups, it was discovered that the nipple diameter and height of HMG rats, the expression of ER and PR in HMG and the content of serum E2 were reduced, the content of serum P were improved, and the hyperplasia of mammary glands was inhibited., Conclusion: LSE can obviously inhibit the rat hyperplasia of mammary gland, and its possible mechanism is related to adjusting the transduction pathway of estrogen signal to lower estrogen levels.

Background and Purpose: Increasing evidence suggests that cirrhosis may affect the connectivity among different brain regions in patients before overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) occurs. However, there has been no study investigating the structural reorganization of these altered connections at the network level. The primary focus of this study was to investigate the abnormal topological organization of the structural network in patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) without OHE using structural MRI., Methods: Using graph theoretical analysis, we compared the global and regional topological properties of gray matter structural networks between 28 patients with HBV-RC without OHE and 30 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls. The structural correlation networks were constructed for the two groups based on measures of gray matter volume., Results: The brain network of the HBV-RC group exhibited a significant decrease in the clustering coefficient and reduced small-worldness at the global level across a range of network densities. Regionally, brain areas with altered nodal degree/betweenness centrality were observed predominantly in association cortices (frontal and temporal regions) (p < 0.05, uncorrected), including a significantly decreased nodal degree in the inferior temporal gyrus (p < 0.001, uncorrected). Furthermore, the HBV-RC group exhibited a loss of association hubs and the emergence of an increased number of non-association hubs compared with the healthy controls., Conclusion: The results of this large-scale gray matter structural network study suggest reduced topological organization efficiency in patients with HBV-RC without OHE. Our findings provide new insight concerning the mechanisms of neurobiological reorganization in the HBV-RC brain from a network perspective.

Background and Purpose: Codeine-containing cough syrups have become one of the most popular drugs of abuse in young people in the world. Chronic codeine-containing cough syrup abuse is related to impairments in a broad range of cognitive functions. However, the potential brain white matter impairment caused by chronic codeine-containing cough syrup abuse has not been reported previously. Our aim was to investigate abnormalities in the microstructure of brain white matter in chronic users of codeine-containing syrups and to determine whether these WM abnormalities are related to the duration of the use these syrups and clinical impulsivity., Materials and Methods: Thirty chronic codeine-containing syrup users and 30 matched controls were evaluated. Diffusion tensor imaging was performed by using a single-shot spin-echo-planar sequence. Whole-brain voxelwise analysis of fractional anisotropy was performed by using tract-based spatial statistics to localize abnormal WM regions. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11 was surveyed to assess participants' impulsivity. Volume-of-interest analysis was used to detect changes of diffusivity indices in regions with fractional anisotropy abnormalities. Abnormal fractional anisotropy was extracted and correlated with clinical impulsivity and the duration of codeine-containing syrup use., Results: Chronic codeine-containing syrup users had significantly lower fractional anisotropy in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus of the bilateral temporo-occipital regions, right frontal region, and the right corona radiata WM than controls. There were significant negative correlations among fractional anisotropy values of the right frontal region of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and the right superior corona radiata WM and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale total scores, and between the right frontal region of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and nonplan impulsivity scores in chronic codeine-containing syrup users. There was also a significant negative correlation between fractional anisotropy values of the right frontal region of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and the duration of codeine-containing syrup use in chronic users., Conclusions: Chronic codeine-containing syrup abuse may be associated with disruptions in brain WM integrity. These WM microstructural deficits may be linked to higher impulsivity in chronic codeine-containing syrup users., (© 2015 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of chronic dexamethasone (Dex) administration on rat diaphragm sensitivity to non-depolarizing muscle relaxants (NDMRs) and muscular nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) expression, which may help direct future administration of NDMRs. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to receive a daily intraperitoneal injection of Dex (600 μg/kg body mass) or an equivalent volume of saline (N = 20 in each group) for 14 days. We evaluated isometric twitch tensions of nerve-hemidiaphragm preparations elicited by indirect supramaximal stimulation at 0.1 Hz. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to determine the mRNA expression of two nAChR subunits (ε-subunit and γ-subunit) in the diaphragm. Dex administration markedly (P < 0.01) increased the 50% twitch depression (IC50) of the three NDMRs. The IC50 ratio, which standardized the magnitudes of the resistance, was the largest for atracurium, with the second largest for vecuronium and the smallest for rocuronium (P < 0.01). The ε- and γ-subunit mRNAs were both upregulated with an increased γ/ε ratio in rats exposed to Dex. The results indicated that chronic Dex administration induces hyposensitivity to NDMRs, the degree of which depends on the kind of neuromuscular blocker, and is associated with increased nAChR expression.

Objective: To prospectively investigate and detect early cerebral regional homogeneity (ReHo) changes in neurologically asymptomatic patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) using in vivo resting-state functional MR imaging (Rs-fMRI)., Methods: We enrolled 20 patients (15 men, 5 women; meanage, 37.1 years; range, 19-49 years) with ESRD and 20 healthy controls (15 men, 5 women; mean age, 38.3 years; range, 28-49 years). The mean duration of hemodialysis for the patient group was 10.7±6.4 monthes. There was no significant sex or age difference between the ESRD and control groups. Rs-fMRI was performed using a gradient-echo echo-planar imaging sequence. ReHo was calculated using software (DPARSF). Voxel-based analysis of the ReHo maps between ESRD and control groups was performed with a two-samples t test. Statistical maps were set at P value less than 0.05 and were corrected for multiple comparisons. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was administered to all participants at imaging., Results: ReHo values were increased in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus and left medial frontal gyrus in the ERSD group compared with controls, but a significantly decreased ReHo value was found in the right middle temporal gyrus. There was no significant correlation between ReHo values and the duration of hemodialysis in the ESRD group. Both the patients and control subjects had normal MMSE scores (≥28)., Conclusions: Our finding revealed that abnormal brain activity was distributed mainly in the memory and cognition related cotices in patients with ESRD. The abnormal spontaneous neuronal activity in those areas provide information on the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in patients with ESRD, and demonstrate that Rs-fMRI with ReHo analysis is a useful non-invasive imaging tool for the detection of early cerebral ReHo changes in hemodialysis patients with ESRD.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of chronic dexamethasone (Dex) administration on rat diaphragm function and sensitivity to rocuronium and muscle‑fiber transformation. Adult male Sprague‑Dawley rats were randomized to receive a daily intraperitoneal injection of Dex to evaluate whether alterations in diaphragm function and susceptibility to rocuronium would be induced. In addition, diaphragm contractile properties, histopathology and isometric twitch tensions of nerve‑hemidiaphragm preparations were evaluated. Dex administration led to impaired diaphragm force generation, increased fatigue resistance and a prolonged half‑relaxation time, as well as time‑to‑peak tension. Dex treatment led to desensitization of the rat diaphragm to rocuronium, as demonstrated by a shift of the rocuronium concentration‑twitch tension curves to the right. Histochemical analysis of adenosine triphosphatase revealed that the distribution and cross‑sectional area of type II fibers were decreased in rats exposed to Dex. The present study indicates that chronic Dex treatment induced alterations in muscle function and that susceptibility to rocuronium is associated with muscle fiber‑type transformation, which may aid in directing future administration of muscle relaxants.

Objective: To characterize the association between clinical symptoms and anatomical and functional cerebral deficits in codeine-containing cough syrups (CCS) users using voxel-based morphometry and resting state functional connectivity analysis., Methods: Participants were 30 CCS users and 30 matched controls. Both groups were scanned using a volumetric three-dimensional fast field echo sequence and a gradient-echo echo-planar imaging sequence. Impulsivity traits of both groups were evaluated with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11 (BIS 11). Voxel-based morphometry was used to characterize gray matter (GM) deficits in CCS users. The clinical significance of regional volume reduction was investigated by evaluating its association with impulsivity in CCS users and with alterations in resting state functional connectivity when brain regions with GM volume reduction were used as seed areas., Results: Significantly decreased GM volume was observed in CCS users in bilateral ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) which was related to greater impulsivity in CCS users. Significantly decreased integration was found in CCS users between the vmPFC and the default mode network. Also, significantly enhanced functional connectivity was found between the vmPFC and the right insula, and the right dorsal lateral PFC. Negative correlation was observed between BIS total scores, scores for attentional impulsivity and vmPFC-inferior parietal lobe connectivity in CCS users., Conclusions: The findings revealed volume loss and aberrant functional organization in vmPFC among CCS users. In addition, the decreased vmPFC GM volume and attenuated functional connectivity of the vmPFC-inferior parietal lobe network were associated with clinical higher impulsivity trait in CCS users., (Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Neurocognitive dysfunction of varying degrees is common in patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) without overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE). However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these dysfunctions are not well understood. We sought to identify changes in the neural activity of patients with HBV-RC without OHE in the resting state by using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method and to determine whether these changes were related to impaired cognition. Resting-state functional MRI data from 30 patients with HBV-RC and 30 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and years of education were compared to determine any differences in the ALFF between the two groups. Cognition was measured with the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES), and the relationship between these scores and ALFF variation was assessed. Compared with controls, patients showed widespread lower standardized ALFF (mALFF) values in visual association areas (bilateral lingual gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, and left inferior temporal gyrus), motor-related areas (bilateral precentral gyrus, paracentral lobule, and right postcentral gyrus), and the default mode network (bilateral cuneus/precuneus and inferior parietal lobule). Higher mALFF values were found in the bilateral orbital gyrus/rectal gyrus. In patients, mALFF values were significantly positive correlated with the PHES in the right middle occipital gyrus and bilateral precentral gyrus. Our findings of resting-state abnormalities in patients with HBV-RC without OHE suggest that neurocognitive dysfunction in patients with HBV-RC without OHE may be caused by abnormal neural activity in multiple brain regions.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of entecavir (ETV) in patients with advanced schistosomiasis and hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection., Methods: Sixty-seven patients with advanced schistosomiasis and HBV co-infection were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly divided into the ETV treatment group (n=35) and the control group (n=32). The patients in the control group adopted routine supportive therapy for 52 weeks, and those in the ETV treatment group received ETV at a dose of 0.5mg once daily on the basis of routine supportive therapy for 52 weeks. Hepatic fibrosis markers (hyaluronic acid, type III procollagen, type IV collagen, laminin, and fibronectin), Ishak fibrosis score, alanine transaminase (ALT), HBV DNA, and Child-Pugh score were compared between the two groups. The intention to treat (ITT) population was used for the analysis. The measurement data and count data were analyzed by t-test and Chi-square test, respectively., Results: After 52 weeks of treatment, the hepatic fibrosis markers (hyaluronic acid, type III procollagen, type IV collagen, laminin, and fibronectin) were significantly improved in the ETV treatment group compared to the control group (all p<0.05). A ≥1-point improvement in the Ishak fibrosis score was found in 25.7% (9/35) of the ETV group, and the mean change from the baseline in the Ishak fibrosis score was a 0.3-point reduction. The control group showed disease progression in the Ishak fibrosis score. More patients in the ETV group than in the control group had undetectable serum HBV DNA levels (82.9% vs. 3.1%, p<0.05) and ALT normalization (68.6% vs. 18.3%, p<0.05). The ETV treatment group demonstrated an improvement in Child-Pugh score at week 52 (-3.7 vs. 0.3, p<0.05). In addition, no obvious adverse reactions were observed during ETV treatment., Conclusion: ETV is safe and effective in patients with advanced schistosomiasis and HBV co-infection., (Copyright © 2013 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore relationship between effect of Lamivudine in the treatment of cirrhotic patients with uncompensated hepatitis B with hepatitis B virus (HBV)genotypes and HBV specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL)., Methods: 80 cases of uncompensated cirrhotic hepatitis B (40 cases with genotype B and 40 with genotype C), HBV DNA positive, HBeAg positive and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 positive,were treated with Lamivudine 100 mg/d, one year later, its effect and relationship with HBV genotypes and HBV specific CTL were observed., Results: HBV DNA turned negative:40 cases with genotype B turned negative (100%). In the 9th and 10th month of treatment, there was one case with genotype C had YMDD variation respectively and Adefovir dipivoxil was used for treatment, of the rest 38 cases, HBV DNA of 26 cases (68.42%) turned negative,HBV DNA negative rate of patients with genotype is lower than that of patients with genotype B, chi2 = 14.91, P < 0.01. HBeAg turned negative: 18 cases with genotype B (45%) turned negative, more than that of patients with genotype C (7 cases, 18.42%), chi2 = 6.32, P < 0.05. Peripheral blood HBV specific CTL level: before treatment, it was (0.33 +/- 0.03)% of patients with genotype B,higher than that of patients with genotype C [(0.11 +/- 0.02)%], t = 8.12, P < 0.001. 1 year after treatment: it was (0.44 +/- 0.04)% of patients with genotype B, higher than that before treatment, t = 4.01, P < 0.001, it was also higher than that of patients with genotype C 1 year after treatment [(0.23 +/- 0.03)%], t = 5.63, P < 0.01, alanine amino-transferase (ALT) returned to normal: 38 cases with genotype B (95%) returned to normal, more than that of patients with genotype C (28 cases, 73.68%), X2 = 6.79, P < 0.01., Conclusion: Effect of Lamivudinein the treatment of cirrhotic patients with uncompensated hepatitis B is better in patients with genotype B than patients with genotype C, its mechanism may be related to lower level of HBV specific CTL in patients with genotype C than patients with genotype B.

Purpose: Chronic exposure to heroin induced cerebral structural abnormalities may underlie heroin-related behaviors. The aim of this study was to: (1) identify cerebral structural abnormalities in heroin-dependent individuals (HDIs) by an automated and unbiased morphometric technique. (2) Define the correlation between these cerebral structural abnormalities and the impulsivity characteristic in HDIs., Methods: 24 HDIs and 24 control subjects were completed with (1) high resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging scanning and analysis of gray matter volume using voxel-based morphometry implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping and (2) a Chinese translation Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 questionnaire survey. Differences in regional gray matter volume were tested using an analysis of covariance model, co-varying for global gray matter and age. Statistical maps were set at p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons. The abnormal brain regions were correlated with the duration of heroin use and impulsivity scores., Results: After adjusting for effects of age and total gray matter volume, cortical gray matter volume in the bilateral medial prefrontal cortex, bilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, and right fusiform cortex were significantly reduced in HDIs. Moreover, the gray matter volume in prefrontal cortex that showed group differences was negatively correlated with the duration of heroin use and negatively correlated with the impulsivity characteristic in HDIs., Conclusion: These findings reveal the prefrontal cortex was impaired in HDIs, meanwhile, indicate the changes in gray matter volume are relating to the duration of heroin use and the impulsivity characteristic of the HDIs., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Many studies have reported that cognitive deficits exist in cirrhotic patients without overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE). However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these deficits are still not fully understood., Aim: To investigate regional activity abnormalities in patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis (HBV-RC) without OHE using resting-state functional MRI (Rs-fMRI), and to examine the relationship between regional activity abnormalities and impaired cognition., Methods: A newly reported regional homogeneity (ReHo) approach was used to compare the local synchronization of Rs-fMRI signals in 32 patients with HBV-RC without OHE and 32 well-matched healthy controls. Cognition was measured in all patients using psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) tests, and the relationship between ReHo variation and PHES was analysed., Results: Relative to healthy controls, the cirrhosis group showed high ReHo in the prefrontal cortex, and widespread low ReHo in visual association areas (left lingual gyrus, middle temporal gyrus and right middle occipital gyrus), motor association areas (bilateral precentral gyrus and paracentral lobule) and the bilateral precuneus. Correlation analysis of the mean ReHo values in different brain areas and PHES in cirrhotic patients revealed a significantly positive correlation in the left lingual gyrus (r = 0.352; P = 0.048), right middle occipital gyrus (r = 0.453; P = 0.009) and bilateral precentral gyrus (left: r = 0.436, P = 0.013; right: r = 0.582, P < 0.001), paracentral lobule (r = 0.485; P = 0.005) and precuneus (r = 0.468; P = 0.007)., Conclusions: Our results provide information on the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cognitive alterations in cirrhotic patients and demonstrate the feasibility of using Rs-fMRI with ReHo analysis as a noninvasive modality with which to detect the progression of cognitive changes in cirrhotic patients., (© 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

This study is to investigate the protection effect of schisandrin B (Sch B) against oxidation stress of HK-2 cells induced by cisplatin and the mechanisms involved. HK-2 cells were cultured and divided into different groups: solvent control group, cisplatin exposure group, positive group, Sch B treatment group. Cell viability and toxicity were evaluated by MTT and LDH assay. GSH level and SOD enzymes activities were also measured. DCFH-DA as fluorescence probe was used to detect ROS level by fluorescence microplate reader. Nrf2 translocation was detected by Western blotting. Real time Q-PCR was used to detect expressions of NQO1, HO-1 and GCLC mRNA level. The results showed that Sch B could significantly inhibit the decline of cell viability induced by cisplatin treatment (P < 0.05) and the protective effect was in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, Sch B treatment significantly inhibited the increase of ROS level induced by cisplatin and reversed the decrease of GSH level (P < 0.05). When Sch B concentration was up to 5 micromol x L(-1), SOD enzyme activities were also enhanced significantly compared with that of the cisplatin group (P < 0.05). It was shown that Sch B could cause nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 in association with downstream activation of Nrf2 mediated oxidative response genes such as GCLC, NQO1 and HO-1. These results suggested Sch B could protect against the oxidative damage of HK-2 cells induced by cisplatin via the activation of Nrf2/ARE signal pathway.

Objective: To optimize the culture media by adding the growth factors required to maintain tenocytes survival and promote their differentiation without fetal bovine serum (FBS) supplementation, in order for the approach to be used for any future tendon tissue engineering., Methods: The human tenocytes were cultured in α-MEM media by adding FBS at various concentrations and supplementing both insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and transforming growth factor β-3 (TGFβ-3). A number of growth factors were selected that could support tenocytes expansion at reduced differentiated state with the minimum FBS. By employing fractional factorial design, different treatment groups went through AlamarBlue(TM) tests to evaluate the cell number growth whilst collagen quantification by real time RT-PCR technique and tenocyte differentiation were also studied., Results: The tenocytes cultured for 14 days with 0% FBS, 50 ng/ml IGF-1 and 10 ng/ml TGFβ-3 maintained survival over 14 days, the Cell count were 6228.68 ± 43.87. They were higher than the other experimental groups, but less than 10% FBS control group (13 576.74 ± 286.75, t = 41.29, P < 0.05). The tenocytes cultured in the treated group also showed enhanced collagen synthesis ((0.322 ± 0.003) ng, t = 4.13 - 5.93, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: These findings have shown for the first time that human tenocytes could be maintained survival for a long period of time in the culture media without FBS, having this approach a suitable one for tendon tissue engineering.