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Nanoassemblies based on drug conjugates with high drug loading efficiency and stability have been regarded as promising candidates for the next generation of drug formulations. However, they are mostly amphiphilic. Here, a dual-hydrophobic drug conjugate-based nanoassembly has been created for enhanced synergistic antiproliferation against colorectal cancer cells. Camptothecin (CPT) and doxorubicin (DOX) were chosen as the hydrophobic drugs and covalently linked with a disulfide bond (-ss-). The synthesized CPT-ss-DOX can self-assemble into nanocubes (NCs) in an aqueous solution with the assistance of a small amount of polyethylene glycol (PEG), named PEGylated CPT-ss-DOX NCs. The PEGylated CPT-ss-DOX NCs were approximately 111.8 nm, possessing a crystal structure and a very low critical aggregation concentration (8.36 μg·mL -1 ). The self-assembly mechanism was studied using molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation methods. The NCs demonstrated excellent storage stability and improved water solubility of CPT and DOX. These NCs could be taken up by cancer cells and gradually release the drugs. In addition, they had higher toxicity to cancer cells than a mixture of CPT and DOX, while they displayed reduced toxicity to normal cells. Due to assembly and PEG modification, the NCs improved drug retention time and enhanced accumulation at the tumor site. More importantly, they significantly inhibited colorectal tumor growth (58.37%) in vivo, superior to the CPT+DOX mix (42.63%). Moreover, the NCs reduced the cardiac toxicity of free drugs. Therefore, the prepared PEGylated CPT-ss-DOX NCs hold great potential for clinical transformation and provide a novel method for the self-delivery of hydrophobic molecules in cancer therapy.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Plantaginis Semen (PS) is widely utilized as a common herb in several Asian countries, particularly China, due to its diuretic, anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-hyperglycemic properties. Furthermore, it is acknowledged for its ability to mitigate renal complications associated with metabolic syndrome. Despite its extensive usage, there is limited systematic literature elucidating its therapeutic mechanisms, thus emphasizing the necessity for comprehensive investigations in this field., Aim: This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the therapeutical potential of PS in treating diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms through in vivo and in vitro models., Methods: The main composition of PS were characterized using the UPLC-QTOF-MS method. For the in vivo investigation, a mouse model mediated by streptozocin (STZ) associated with a high-fat diet (HFD) and unilateral renal excision was established. The mice were split into 6 groups (n = 8): control group (CON group), DKD group, low-dose of Plantago asiatica L. seed extract group (PASE-L group, 3 g/kg/d), medium-dose of PASE group (PASE-M, 6 g/kg/d), high-dose of PASE group (PASE-H, 9 g/kg/d), and positive drug group (valsartan, VAS group, 12 mg/kg/d). After 8 weeks of treatment, the damage induced by DKD was evaluated by using relevant parameters of urine and blood. Furthermore, indicators of inflammation and factors associated with the SphK1-S1P signaling pathway were investigated. For the in vitro study, the cell line HBZY-1 was stimulated by high glucose (HG), they were then co-cultured with different concentrations of PASE, and the corresponding associated inflammatory and sphingosine kinase 1/sphingosine-1-phosphate (SphK1-S1P) factors were examined., Results: A total of 59 major components in PS were identified, including flavonoids, iridoids, phenylethanol glycosides, guanidine derivatives, and fatty acids. In the mouse model, PS was found to significantly improve body weight, decrease fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, increased glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance, improved kidney-related markers compared to the DKD group, pathological changes in the kidneys also improved dramatically. These effects showed a dose-dependent relationship, with higher PASE concentrations yielding significantly better outcomes than lower concentrations. However, the effects of the low PASE concentration were not evident for some indicators. In the cellular model, the high dose of PASE suppressed high glucose (HG) stimulated renal mesangial cell proliferation, suppressed inflammatory factors and NF-κB, and decreased the levels of fibrillin-1(FN-1) and collagen IV(ColIV)., Conclusion: Our results indicate that PS exerts favorable therapeutic effects on DKD, with the possible mechanisms including the inhibition of inflammatory pathways, suppression of mRNA levels and protein expressions of SphK1 and S1P, consequently leading to reduced overexpression of FN-1 and ColIV, thereby warranting further exploration., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bisphenols (BPs) and parabens (PBs) are of great concern for environmental pollution and human health because of their endocrine-disrupting effects and potential health hazards. Urinary biomonitoring of BPs and PBs can provide basic data for human internal exposure evaluation, which is a prerequisite for accurately assessing their health risks. In this study, we developed a new pretreatment procedure based on solid supported liquid-liquid extraction (SLE) for the simultaneous separation of ten BPs and five PBs in human urine, followed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis. In the instrumental analysis, the HPLC conditions and MS/MS parameters were comprehensively optimized. Accurate qualitative and quantitative determination of ten BPs and five PBs was achieved by introducing a ternary gradient elution system of water, methanol, and acetonitrile for LC separation. During sample pretreatment, the extraction solvent and elution volume were optimized. Specifically, urine samples were held at room temperature and centrifuged at 3000 r/min for 10 min. The supernatant (2 mL) was then transferred to a glass tube, and the pH was adjusted to 5.0 using HCl (0.5 mL; 0.1 mol/L) and NaAc-HAc buffer (1.5 mL). Thereafter, β -glucuronidase-arylsulfatase (20 μL) and surrogate standard solutions (10 ng; 13 C 12 -BPS, 13 C 12 -BPAF, 13 C 6 -MeP, and 13 C 6 -BuP) were added, and the mixture was incubated in a shaker bath in the dark at 37 ℃ for 16 h. After incubation, the hydrolyzed sample (4 mL) was loaded onto an SLE cartridge and equilibrated for a minimum of 5 min to ensure the solution was completely absorbed by the packing material. Subsequently, the target chemicals were eluted with a mixed ethyl acetate/ n -hexane solution (3∶7, v/v; 15 mL). Separation of the targets was performed on a ZORBAX SB-C18 reversed-phase column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) using an acetonitrile-methanol-water system as the mobile phase. The method was verified by spiking mixed urine samples at three levels (1, 5, and 50 μg/L), with the recoveries ranging from 84.3% to 119.8%. Except for bisphenols (BPS), whose matrix effect was calculated as -21.8%, the matrix effects of other analytes were lower than 20%, indicating low matrix interference. The linear ranges of the analytes varied from 0.1-500 μg/L to 1-500 μg/L, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.995. The method limits of quantification for target chemicals ranged from 0.03 to 0.30 μg/L, and the relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-day experiments were 1.4%-8.4% and 5.7%-14.6%, respectively, suggesting high stability and reproducibility. The method was successfully applied to the determination of ten BPs and five PBs in 10 urine samples from a general population. The concentrations of target chemicals in the human urine samples varied. Methylparaben (MeP), ethylparaben (EtP), propylparaben (PrP), and bisphenol A (BPA) were detected in all samples, with median mass concentrations of 1.10, 0.60, 0.21, and 0.55 μg/L, respectively. The detection rates of the other chemicals were less than 50%, which may be related to the production and use of specific chemicals, their bioavailability, and biological metabolism in humans.

Increasing evidences implicate vital role of neuronal damage in the development of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is the main frame component of neurons and is closely related to axonal radial growth and neuronal structural stability. We hypothesized that NfL as a biomarker of axonal injury may contribute to early diagnosis of HE. This study recruited 101 patients with liver cirrhosis, 10 healthy individuals, and 7 patients with Parkinson's disease. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) was diagnosed using psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score. Serum NfL levels were measured by the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Serum NfL levels in cirrhotic patients with MHE were significantly higher than cirrhotic patients without MHE, and increased accordingly with the aggravation of HE. Serum NfL levels were associated with psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score, Child-Pugh score, model for end-stage liver disease score, and days of hospitalization. Additionally, serum NfL was an independent predictor of MHE (odds ratio of 1.020 (95% CI 1.005-1.034); P = 0.007). The discriminative abilities of serum NfL were high for identifying MHE (AUC of 0.8134 (95% CI 0.7130-0.9219); P ˂ 0.001) and OHE (AUC of 0.8852 (95% CI 0.8117-0.9587); P ˂ 0.001). Elevated serum NfL levels correlated with the presence of MHE and associated with the severity of HE, are expected to be a biomarker in patients with cirrhosis. Our study suggested that neuronal damage may play a critical role in the development of HE., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Ferroptosis has been shown to be involved in carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced acute liver injury (ALI). The mitochondrion-targeted antioxidant MitoQ can eliminate the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS). This study investigated the role of MitoQ in CCl 4 -induced hepatocytic ferroptosis and ALI. MDA and 4HNE were elevated in CCl 4 -induced mice. In vitro, CCl 4 exposure elevated the levels of oxidized lipids in HepG2 cells. Alterations in the mitochondrial ultrastructure of hepatocytes were observed in the livers of CCl 4 -evoked mice. Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) attenuated CCl 4 -induced hepatic lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial ultrastructure alterations and ALI. Mechanistically, acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) was upregulated in CCl 4 -exposed human hepatocytes and mouse livers. The ACSL4 inhibitor rosiglitazone alleviated CCl 4 -induced hepatic lipid peroxidation and ALI. ACSL4 knockdown inhibited oxidized lipids in CCl 4 -exposed human hepatocytes. Moreover, CCl 4 exposure decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and OXPHOS subunit levels and increased the mtROS level in HepG2 cells. Correspondingly, MitoQ pretreatment inhibited the upregulation of ACSL4 in CCl 4 -evoked mouse livers and HepG2 cells. MitoQ attenuated lipid peroxidation in vivo and in vitro after CCl 4 exposure. Finally, MitoQ pretreatment alleviated CCl 4 -induced hepatocytic ferroptosis and ALI. These findings suggest that MitoQ protects against hepatocyte ferroptosis in CCl 4 -induced ALI via the mtROS-ACSL4 pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: This study explored the potentially modifiable factors for depression and major depressive disorder (MDD) from the MR-Base database and further evaluated the associations between drug targets with MDD., Methods: We analyzed two-sample of Mendelian randomization (2SMR) using genetic variant depression ( n = 113,154) and MDD ( n = 208,811) from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Separate calculations were performed with modifiable risk factors from MR-Base for 1,001 genomes. The MR analysis was performed by screening drug targets with MDD in the DrugBank database to explore the therapeutic targets for MDD. Inverse variance weighted (IVW), fixed-effect inverse variance weighted (FE-IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode were used for complementary calculation., Results: The potential causal relationship between modifiable risk factors and depression contained 459 results for depression and 424 for MDD. Also, the associations between drug targets and MDD showed that SLC6A4 , GRIN2A , GRIN2C , SCN10A , and IL1B expression are associated with an increased risk of depression. In contrast, ADRB1 , CHRNA3 , HTR3A , GSTP1 , and GABRG2 genes are candidate protective factors against depression., Conclusion: This study identified the risk factors causally associated with depression and MDD, and estimated 10 drug targets with significant impact on MDD, providing essential information for formulating strategies to prevent and treat depression., (Copyright © 2024 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the effect of a novel transurethral thulium laser vapoenucleation of the prostate with low-power conventional pulse mode (LP-ThuVEP) on sexual function in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)., Methods: 89 BPH patients admitted to Department of Urology, Jintan People's Hospital, Affiliated to Jiangsu University, from January 2022 to June 2023 were selected and randomly divided into the LP-ThuLEP group (45 cases) and the transurethral plasma kinetic resection of the prostate (TUPKRP) group (44 cases). Perioperative indicators were recorded, and the IPSS, Qmax, Qavg, PVR, and QoL of the two groups of patients before surgery and 3 months and 6 months after surgery were comparatively analyzed. The effect of surgery on male sexual function was evaluated through the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) score and the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire-Ejaculatory Dysfunction (MSHQ-EjD) score., Results: Compared with the TUPKRP group, the LP-ThuVEP group had no statistically significant difference in operation time (P>0.05), but there were statistical differences in bladder irrigation time and indwelling urinary catheter time (P<0.05) and significant statistical differences in the decrease in hemoglobin on the day of surgery and the disappearance time of gross hematuria induced by defecation after surgery (P<0.001). The perioperative complications of the two groups were comparable. Among the urinary tract symptom indicators, the LP-ThuVEP group had statistically significant differences in IPSS score, QoL score, and PVR compared with the TUPKRP group 3 months after surgery (P<0.05). In terms of male sexual function, there was a statistical difference in IIEF-5 scores between the two groups at 3 months and 6 months after surgery (P<0.05); Except that there was no statistical difference in the ejaculation-related satisfaction scores between the two groups at 3 months after surgery (P>0.05), there had all significant statistical differences in ejaculation function and satisfaction scores between and within the groups at 3 months and 6 months after surgery (P<0.001)., Conclusion: Compared with TUPKRP, the LP-ThuVEP can also effectively relieve urinary tract obstruction caused by BPH and has the advantages of less damage and faster recovery of erectile function and ejaculatory function of patients.

Objective: The anterior clinoid process (ACP) is surrounded by nerves and vessels that, together, constitute an intricate anatomical structure with variations that challenges the performance of individualized anterior clinoidectomy in treating lesions with different extents of invasion. In the present study, we established a 6-surface system for the ACP based on anatomical landmarks and analyzed its value in guiding ACP drilling and resection of paraclinoid meningiomas., Methods: Using the anatomical characteristics of 10 dry skull specimens, we set 9 anatomical landmarks to delineate the ACP into 6 surfaces. Guided by our 6-surface system and eggshell technique, 5 colored silicone-injected anatomical specimens were dissected via a frontotemporal craniotomy to perform anterior clinoidectomy. Next, 3 typical cases of paraclinoid meningioma were selected to determine the value of using our 6-surface system in tumor resection., Results: Nine points (A-H and T) were proposed to delineate the ACP surface into frontal, temporal, optic nerve, internal carotid artery, cranial nerve III, and optic strut surfaces according to the adjacent tissues. Either intradurally or extradurally, the frontal and temporal surfaces could be identified and drilled into depth, followed by skeletonization of the optic nerve, cranial nerve III, internal carotid artery, and optic strut surfaces. After the residual bone was removed, the ACP was drilled off. In surgery of paraclinoid meningiomas, our 6-surface system provided great benefit in locating the dura, nerves, and vessels, thus, increasing the safety of opening the optic canal and relaxing the oculomotor or optic nerves and allowing for individualized ACP drilling for meningioma removal., Conclusions: Our 6-surface system adds much anatomical information to the classic Dolenc triangle and can help neurosurgeons, especially junior ones, to increase their understanding of the paraclinoid spatial structure and accomplish individualized surgical procedures with high safety and minimal invasiveness., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fertilizer-based biofortification is a strategy for combating worldwide malnutrition of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and selenium (Se). Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of foliar treatments on concentrations of Zn, Fe, Se, N and bioavailability of Zn and Fe in grains of three maize cultivars grown at three locations. We compared the efficacy of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs), Zn complexed chitosan nanoparticles (Zn-CNPs), conventional ZnSO 4 and a cocktail solution (containing Zn, Fe and Se). All treatments were foliar-applied at rate of 452 mg Zn L -1 , plus urea. Applying ten-fold less Zn (at rate of 45.2 mg Zn L -1 ) plus urea in the form of ZnO-NPs, Zn-CNPs, or ZnSO 4 resulted in no increase, or a negligible increase, in grain Zn concentration compared with deionized water. By contrast, among the different Zn sources plus urea applied by foliar sprays, conventional ZnSO 4 was the most efficient in improving grain Zn concentration. Furthermore, foliar application of a cocktail solution effectively improved grain concentrations of Zn, Fe, Se and N simultaneously, without a grain yield trade-off. For example, the average grain concentrations were simultaneously increased from 13.8 to 22.1 mg kg -1 for Zn, from 17.2 to 22.1 mg kg -1 for Fe, from 21.4 to 413.5 ug kg -1 for Se and from 13.8 to 14.7 g kg -1 for N by foliar application of a cocktail solution. Because grain yield was significantly negatively correlated with grain nutrient concentrations, the magnitude of increase in grain concentrations of Zn and Fe was most pronounced in the maize cultivar with the lowest grain yield (Zhengdan958 grown in Linyi). Foliar application of a cocktail solution also significantly decreased the phytic acid (PA) concentration, ratios of PA/Fe and PA/Zn in grains, indicating an increased bioavailability of Fe and Zn for human health. In conclusion, we found that a foliar application of a cocktail solution including Zn, Fe, Se and N was most effective for biofortification, but that the grains with the lowest yield contained the greatest concentration of these elements. This finding highlights the need to breed maize varieties that are capable of achieving both high grain yield and high grain nutritional quality to address food security and human health challenges., 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 Xue, Li, Yan, Miao, Zhang, Huang, Sun, Qi, Ding and Cui.)

Objective: Analyze the application effect of multidimensional nursing intervention in postoperative patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia in urology, and explore targeted nursing measures., Methods: A total of 118 patients who underwent benign prostatic hyperplasia surgery at the Urology Department of Jintan First People's Hospital in Changzhou City from December 2022 to June 2023 were selected and divided into an experimental group of 59 and an intervention group of 59 according to different nursing measures. Collect IPSS, QoL, SDS, and SAS scores from patients to evaluate their quality of life and psychological changes during hospitalization., Results: The postoperative SAS score of the experimental group patients (54.44 ±2.93) was lower than that of the control group (56.05±2.22), and the predischarge SAS score (46.19 ± 5.56) was lower than that of the control group (51.32 ± 1.48), with statistical significance (P<0.05). The SDS preoperative score (61.53 ± 6.40), postoperative score (54.75 ± 5.13),and pre discharge score (46.71 ± 4.32) of the experimental group patients were lower than preoperative score (67.76 ± 3.44), postoperative score (58.34 ± 3.03), and predischarge score (50.59 ± 2.58) of the control group with statistical significance (P<0.05). The preoperative IPSS score of the experimental group patients (27.97 ± 3.82) was lower than that of the control group (25.49 ± 4.00), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after surgery and before discharge. The preoperative QoL score of the experimental group patients (91.90 ± 6.19) was lower than that of the control group (95.17 ± 5.56), and before discharge (105.15 ± 4.66) was higher than that of the control group (101.63 ± 5.66), with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05)., Conclusion: Multidimensional nursing measures for postoperative patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia can improve their quality of life, reduce psychological pressure, and benefit patients significantly, which is worth further promotion.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of combined application of Semen vaccariae seeds auricular acupressure and 5α-reductase inhibitor (finasteride tablets) on postoperative quality of life of patients after transurethral plasmakinetic enucleation of the prostate (PKEP)., Methods: 120 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who were scheduled to undergo PKEP at the Department of Urology, Jintan People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University from January 2020 to December 2022, were randomly divided into 4 groups after voluntarily signing informed consent. Three days before the operation, 30 patients were given oryzanol tablets 5 mg orally once a night (placebo group), 31 patients were given Semen vaccariae seeds auricular acupressure (auricular acupressure group), 29 patients were given finasteride 5 mg orally once a night (finasteride group), and another 30 patients were given auricular acupressure combined with finasteride 5 mg orally once a night (combination therapy group). The above treatment was continued for 6 weeks after PKEP. The general data of the perioperative period and the 6-week postoperative follow-up results of the 4 groups were compared to observe the indicators such as the symptom score of nocturia, the self-rating depression scale, and the quality of life (QoL) after treatment among the groups., Results: All patients who underwent PKEP completed the 6-week postoperative follow-up and no statistical difference in the relevant data of the 4 groups was found before the operation. After 2 and 4 weeks of follow-up, the nocturia symptom scores of the auricular acupressure group and the combination therapy group were better than those of the placebo group and the finasteride group. The depression symptom scores and QoL results showed that the auricular acupressure group, finasteride group, and combination therapy group were superior to the placebo group (P<0.05). After 6 weeks of follow-up, QoL in the combination therapy group was 1.65±0.55, which was significantly different from that in the other three groups (P<0.05)., Conclusion: Combined application of auricular acupressure and 5α-reductase inhibitor can significantly alleviate symptoms such as nocturia and depression and improve the quality of life in BPH patients after PKEP.

Modern people generally suffer from α-linolenic acid (ALA) deficiency, since most staple food oils are low in ALA content. Thus, the enhancement of ALA in staple oil crops is of importance. In this study, the FAD2 and FAD3 coding regions from the ALA-king species Perilla frutescens were fused using a newly designed double linker LP4-2A, driven by a seed-specific promoter P NAP , and engineered into a rapeseed elite cultivar ZS10 with canola quality background. The mean ALA content in the seed oil of P NAP : PfFAD2 - PfFAD3 (N23) T5 lines was 3.34-fold that of the control (32.08 vs 9.59%), with the best line being up to 37.47%. There are no significant side effects of the engineered constructs on the background traits including oil content. In fatty acid biosynthesis pathways, the expression levels of structural genes as well as regulatory genes were significantly upregulated in N23 lines. On the other hand, the expression levels of genes encoding the positive regulators of flavonoid-proanthocyanidin biosynthesis but negative regulators of oil accumulation were significantly downregulated. Surprisingly, the ALA level in PfFAD2 - PfFAD3 transgenic rapeseed lines driven by the constitutive promoter P D35S was not increased or even showed a slight decrease due to the lower level of foreign gene expression and downregulation of the endogenous orthologous genes BnFAD2 and BnFAD3 .

The supramolecular strategy was subjected to the asymmetric hydrogenation of 4-methylumbelliferone by electrochemical reduction in the presence of a chiral macrocyclic multifarane[3,3], which offered a l-7-hydroxy-4-methylchroman-2-one product with a chemical yield of 65% and enantioselectivity up to >99% ee. The high stability of the developed chiral supramolecular electrode guaranteed the recyclability and repeatability in the electrolysis, and therefore, the application was extended to more coumarin derivatives to provide satisfactory chemical yields and enantioselectivities.

Background: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is an early stage in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. Intestinal microbiota is involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy and has become an important therapeutic target. Since there is no unified treatment principle for MHE, this study was conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of different intestinal microecological modulators in the treatment of MHE, and to explore the potential mechanism through intestinal microbiota analysis., Methods: Patients with liver cirrhosis were screened for MHE using psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score test. Patients diagnosed with MHE were enrolled and received probiotics, rifaximin, or lactulose for 4 weeks. Adverse events were recorded. The psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score test was performed after treatment. Samples of blood and stool were collected at entry and 4 weeks. Blood samples were analyzed to assess blood ammonia, liver, kidney, and hemostatic functions. Stool microbiota were sequenced to confirm changes in microbial composition., Results: Of 323 patients with liver cirrhosis, 74 patients were diagnosed with MHE. In all, 54 patients were enrolled and 52 who agree to follow-up were included in analysis. The recovery rates of MHE patients received probiotics, rifaximin, and lactulose were 58.8% (20/34), 45.5% (5/11), and 57.1% (4/7), respectively. Probiotics and rifaximin improved liver function in MHE patients to a certain extent. Taxonomic compositions of gut microbiota in MHE patients were distinct from healthy people before treatment; the differences were significantly reduced after treatment, and the gut microbiota gradually resembled the structure of healthy individuals. We found that the relative abundance of specific taxa associated with anti-inflammatory and good cognitive functions was increased in MHE patients after treatment. Accordingly, metabolic pathways in MHE patients were altered before and after treatment. Downregulated pathways after probiotics treatment included glycometabolism and degradation of aromatic compounds. After lactulose treatment, degradation pathways of arginine and ornithine showed a downward trend., Conclusion: Probiotics, rifaximin, and lactulose are safe and effective in the treatment of MHE, and improve the composition of gut microbiota to some extent., 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 Wang, Ma, Wang, Ma, Xue, Guan and Chen.)

Background: Although the asterion has long been used as a skeletal surface marker of the transverse-sigmoid sinuses junction (TSSJ) point in the retrosigmoid approach, abundant evidence shows that the relationship between asterion and TSSJ point varies greatly. In recent years, new technologies have been developed, such as neuronavigation and three-dimensional volume rendering imaging, that can guide in exposing the TSSJ point individually. However, they are not only expensive but also difficult to apply in emergency surgery., Objective: To introduce a quick, practical, and low-cost new method for locating the TSSJ point precisely., Methods: In this retrospective before-after study, the test group located the TSSJ point with our new method during a 6-month period, while the control group used asterion as a surface landmark to estimate the TSSJ during the preceding 6 months. The primary outcome is the immediate exposure rate of the TSSJ point by the initial burr hole., Results: There were 60 patients in both control and test groups as no significant difference in the general clinical characteristics of both groups were observed. The new three-step method significantly increased the TSSJ exposure rate by initial burr hole compared with the control group (96.67% vs. 53.33%, P = 0.0002). Moreover, the total bone loss and craniotomy duration were significantly reduced by the new method. Incidence of sinus injury (10% vs. 6.6%), post-operation infection (3.33% vs. 3.33%), and CSF leakage (3.33% vs. 0%) were similar., Conclusions: The novel three-step approach accurately locates TSSJ points in retrosigmoid craniotomy, reduces bone defects, saves time, and does not increase the risk of sinus injury, infection, and CSF leakage., Competing Interests: None

Objective: To diagnose a large family of patients with hereditary angioedema, and to study its inheritance pattern and gene locus. Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out from August 2021 to February 2022 in a proband (female, 48 years old) and 12 family members who underwent medical history collection and laboratory examinations in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University. The clinical data of members and non-affected members [including 7 males and 5 females, aged 12-78 (median 24) years old], were drawn a family map while confirming the diagnosis. Whole exome sequencing technology was used to detect the genetic sequence of the proband and to verify its family members to map the genetic pedigree of the mutation. Results: The inheritance pattern of the family was autosomal dominant, and 8 members of the family were diagnosed with hereditary angioedema by laboratory examination, including 7 cases of type I and 1 case of type Ⅱ. Whole exome sequencing analysis was performed on 2 patients with 2 phenotypes, and it was found that they both carried the same pathogenic mutation locus, which was c.890-2A>G. The family members were verified by next-generation sequencing, and it was found that all members of the family who had a history of edema contained this mutation site, while the younger brother of the proband who had no history of edema did not have this mutation. Conclusion: Both type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ phenotypes are present in this hereditary angioedema family, and the mutation of SERPING1 gene c.890-2A>G causes the onset of each patient in this family.

Objective: To design a multidisciplinary enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for glioma patients undergoing elective craniotomy and evaluate its clinical efficacy and safety after implementation in a tertiary neurosurgical center in China., Methods: ERAS protocol for glioma patients was developed and modified based on the best available evidence. Patients undergoing elective craniotomy for treatment of glioma between September 2019 to May 2021 were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial comparing a conventional neurosurgical perioperative care (control group) to an ERAS protocol (ERAS group). The primary outcome was postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes were 30-day readmission rate, postoperative complications, duration of the drainage tube, time to first oral fluid intake, time to ambulation and functional recovery status., Results: A total of 151 patients were enrolled (ERAS group: n = 80; control group: n = 71). Compared with the control group, postoperative LOS was significantly shorter in the ERAS group (median: 5 days vs. 7 days, p<0.0001). No 30-day readmission or reoperation occurred in either group. The time of first oral intake, urinary catheter removal within 24 h and early ambulation on postoperative day (POD) 1 were earlier and shorter in the ERAS group compared with the control group (p<0.001). No statistical difference was observed between the two groups in terms of surgical- and nonsurgical-related complications. Functional recovery in terms of Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scores both at discharge and 30-day follow-up was similar in the two groups. Moreover, no significant difference was found between the two groups in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores., Conclusion: The implementation of the ERAS protocol for glioma patients offers significant benefits over conventional neurosurgical perioperative management, as it is associated with enhancing postoperative recovery, without additional perioperative complications and risks., Clinical Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=42016), identifier ChiCTR1900025108., 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 © 2022 Wang, Xue, Zhao, Guo, Ji, Liu, Wang, Chen, Zhai, Wang, Xue, Gao, Qu and Wang.)

Cell identification and counting in living and coculture systems are crucial in cell interaction studies, but current methods primarily rely on complicated and time-consuming staining techniques. Here, a label-free method to precisely recognize, identify, and instantly count cells in situ in coculture systems via combinational machine learning models s presented. A convolutional neural network (CNN) model is first used to generate virtual images of cell nuclei based on unlabeled phase-contrast images. Coordinates of all the cells are then returned according to the virtual nucleus images using two clustering algorithms. Finally, phase-contrast images of single cells are cropped based on the coordinates and sent into another CNN model for cell-type identification. This combinational approach is highly automatic and efficient, which requires few to no manual annotations of images in the training phase. It shows practical performance in different cell culture conditions including cell ratios, densities, and substrate materials, having great potential in real-time cell tracking and analyzing., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

To improve thermal barrier applications in advanced vehicle engines, a novel Fe-based amorphous composite coating was designed by introducing ceramic oxides and was prepared by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The microstructure and related properties of the as-deposited coating were investigated in detail. The composite coating comprises a well-formed FeCrNbBSi amorphous metallic matrix and dispersed yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) splats. A unique Si-oxide interfacial layer with a thickness of several nanometers and an amorphous structure forms between the metallic matrix and ceramic phase, which is attributed to a combination of multiple effects. The composite coating displays extremely low thermal conductivity from 2.28 W/mK at 100 °C to 3.36 W/mK at 600 °C and can increase the surface temperature of the piston crown by 18.93 °C, which implies a significant means of enhancing the power efficiency. The improved thermal barrier ability of the composite coating is revealed as the crucial effect of the Si-oxide interfacial layer, which induces an increased interfacial thermal resistance. The fracture toughness of the composite coating remains at 3.40 MPa·m 1/2 , comparable to that of the monolithic amorphous coating, 3.74 MPa·m 1/2 , which is closely related to the formation of a Si-oxide layer and its nanoscale thickness. Therefore, the Fe-based amorphous composite coating developed here demonstrates great potential as an innovative metal-based thermal barrier coating for application in vehicle engines and provides specific inspiration for future works exploring the interfacial engineering of coating.

Objective: To illustrate the role of LINC00641 in inducing the malignant progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) through the miRNA-424-5p/PLSCR4 feedback loop., Patients and Methods: LINC00641 levels in paired CRC and non-tumoral tissues were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Its prognostic potential in CRC was assessed by Kaplan-Meier method. Changes in proliferative and migratory abilities of HCT116 and SW620 cells transfected with si-LINC00641 were evaluated by 5-Ethynyl-2'- deoxyuridine (EdU), cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assay. The feedback loop LINC00641/miRNA-424-5p/PLSCR4 was identified through Dual-Luciferase reporter assay and its involvement in CRC progression was finally explored by rescue experiments., Results: LINC00641 was upregulated in CRC tissues, which was an unfavorable factor to the overall survival of CRC. Proliferative and migratory abilities of HCT116 and SW620 cells were inhibited by knockdown of LINC00641. LINC00641 could competitively bind miRNA-424-5p, thereby abolishing its inhibitory effect on PLSCR4 expression. Knockdown of PLSCR4 could inhibit proliferative and migratory abilities of HCT116 and SW620 cells., Conclusions: LINC00641 stimulates proliferative and migratory abilities of CRC through the miRNA-424-5p/PLSCR4 feedback loop.

The substantial capacity gap between available anode and cathode materials for commercial Li-ion batteries (LiBs) remains, as of today, an unsolved problem. Oxygen vacancies (OVs) can promote Li-ion diffusion, reduce the charge transfer resistance, and improve the capacity and rate performance of LiBs. However, OVs can also lead to accelerated degradation of the cathode material structure, and from there, of the battery performance. Understanding the role of OVs for the performance of layered lithium transition metal oxides holds great promise and potential for the development of next generation cathode materials. This review summarises some of the most recent and exciting progress made on the understanding and control of OVs in cathode materials for Li-ion battery, focusing primarily on Li-rich layered oxides. Recent successes and residual unsolved challenges are presented and discussed to stimulate further interest and research in harnessing OVs towards next generation oxide-based cathode materials.

To explore the difference in the emission of air pollutants from coal stoves, five new and common residential coal stoves (square briquette, baffled heat exchange, heating and cooking integrated gasification positive burning, and gasification reverse burning stove) were selected. The emission level of major air pollutants was determined using simulated combustion in the laboratory for quantitatively evaluating the environmental effects of different coal stoves. Moreover, the factors and reasons for the differences were identified, and suggestions for the reduction of emission were proposed. The results showed that: ① the emissions of air pollutants from different coal stoves were significantly different; the heating and cooking integrated stove had the largest emission intensity (2.9 kg ·t -1 ) of air pollutants (SO 2 , NO x , and TSP), which was 1.6 times of the average value, and the square briquette stove had the lowest emission level, which was 65% of the average value. ② The emissions of gaseous pollutants from the coal stoves in different combustion stages also showed evident differences. In the high-fire stage, the NO x emission concentration of the square briquette stove was 0.49 mg ·m -3 , which was 45%-72% lower than that of the other stoves; the SO 2 emission concentration of the gasification reverse burning stove was 1.38 mg ·m -3 , which was 28% lower than that of the other stoves. ③ The application technology and combustion type were the main factors affecting the emission levels of the coal stoves. The stove with square briquette technology and gasification reverse burning technology could have great environmental benefit. However, the cost of the two stoves was 20 and 18 thousand yuan, respectively, which was clearly higher than that of the other types of stoves. ④ Considering the difference in the emission of air pollutants from the different stoves, it was suggested to adopt differentiated economic policy and strict emission and product standards, promoting the use of energy-saving and environment-friendly coal stoves to reduce the emission of air pollutants from coal-fired stoves.

Objective: We aimed at observing the correlation between microRNA-766 expression and the efficacy of platinum-containing chemotherapy in patients with stage IV gastric cancer (GCa)., Patients and Methods: Tissue specimens were obtained from 100 patients with stage IV GCa who received platinum-based chemotherapy, and microRNA-766 expression in these samples was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. Survival analysis was carried out through Kaplan-Meier test. The influencing factors of survival were assessed through COX univariate and multivariate regression., Results: GCa tissues contained significant lower expression of microRNA-766 than adjacent tissues. The degree of tumor differentiation and peritoneal metastasis were confirmed to have great relevance to microRNA-766 level. Patients with high microRNA-766 expression have better chemotherapy efficacy and longer progression-free survival., Conclusions: Our study shows for the first time that the highly expressed microRNA-766 in tumor tissues of patients with stage Ⅳ GCa predicts better platinum-containing chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis.

Generating a biofunctional film that can mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) in an efficient and robust technique that may have great potential for medical devices, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicines. Herein, a facile approach to generate ECM biomimetic films based on the humidity-triggered relaxation of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) nanoparticles is reported. The poly(l-lysine) and hyaluronan are precomplexed and sprayed onto a substrate, which, via a trigger of vaporous water, can be transformed into an even and stable film. The spontaneous polymer chain interfusion (diffusion coefficient ≈1.01 × 10 -9  cm 2  s -1 ) under saturated humidity, allowing for the rapid reorganization (within 30 min) of film morphology and structure is demonstrated. A controllable and scalable way for the loading of diversified bioactive agents, as well as on-demand modulation of stiffness is further presented. Moreover, the high-throughput arrays and programmed patterns can be easily completed, suggesting huge potentials that surpass those of state-of-the-art methods. Combined with high efficiency and flexible functionalization, it is believed that this approach should be beneficial for extending the practical applications of PEC films, such as medical implants, chip detectors, and so on., (© 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Phosphorylcholine (PC) based polymer coatings with excellent biocompatibility have shown successful commercialization in drug-eluting stents. However, poor degradability represents a challenge in the application of biodegradable stents. Herein, a biodegradable phosphorylcholine copolymer is developed based on one-step radical ring-opening polymerization (RROP). This copolymer was synthesized by copolymerization of a PC unit, degradable ester (2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane, MDO) unit and non-degradable butyl methacrylate (BMA) unit, which showed ratio controllability by changing the monomer ratio during polymerization. We demonstrated that the copolymer with the ratio of 34% MDO, 19% MPC and 47% BMA could form a stable coating by ultrasonic spray, and showed good blood compatibility, anti-adhesion properties, biodegradability, and rapamycin eluting capacity. In vivo study revealed its promising application as a biodegradable stent coating. This work provides a facile path to add biodegradability into PC based polymers for further bio-applications.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the association between circ-CSPP1 and the proliferation, invasion, and migration of glioma cancer (GC)., Patients and Methods: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detected circ-CSPP1 expression in GC tissues and cells. Subsequently, siRNA was transfected to suppress circ-CSPP1 expression in vitro. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining assay were performed to examine the proliferation of GC cells. Meanwhile, transwell assay was conducted to determine the invasion and migration of GC cells. Furthermore, Western blot assay was conducted to analyze the protein expressions of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin., Results: Circ-CSPP1 expression was significantly up-regulated both in GC tissues and cells. GC cells with low expression of circ-CSPP1 showed significantly reduced proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities. In addition, up-regulated E-cadherin protein expression, along with down-regulated N-cadherin and Vimentin protein expressions were observed in GC cells with circ-CSPP1 siRNA treatment., Conclusions: Circ-CSPP1 promoted the proliferation, invasion, and migration of GC cells.

Nitrogen (N) supply could improve the grain yield of maize, which is of great importance to provide calories and nutrients in the diets of both humans and animals. Field experiments were conducted in 2009 and 2010 to investigate dynamic zinc (Zn) accumulation and the pre-silking and post-silking Zn uptake and their contributions to grain Zn accumulation of maize with different N supply under field conditions. Results showed that only 1.2% to 39.4% of grain Zn accumulation derived from pre-silking Zn uptake, with Zn remobilization being negatively affected by increasing N supply. However, post-silking Zn uptake (0.8-2.3 mg plant -1 ) and its substantial contribution to grain Zn accumulation (60.6%-98.8%) were progressively enhanced with the increasing N supply. Furthermore, grain Zn concentration was positively associated with grain N concentration (r = 0.752***), post-silking N uptake (r = 0.695***), and post-silking Zn uptake (r = 738***). A significant positive relationship was also found between post-silking uptake of N and Zn ( r = 0.775***). These results suggest that N nutrition is a critical factor for shoot Zn uptake and its allocation to maize grain. Dry weight, and N and Zn concentration of grain and straw were significantly enhanced with the increasing N from "no N" to "optimal N" supply (150 kg N ha -1 in 2009 and 105 kg N ha -1 in 2010), but further increasing N supply (250 kg N ha -1 ) generally resulted in a non-significant increase in both cropping seasons. During the grain development, N supply also generally tended to improve grain N and Zn concentrations, but decrease phosphorus (P) concentration and the molar ratio of P to Zn compared with null N application. These results suggest that grain Zn accumulation mainly originates from post-silking Zn uptake. Applying N at optimal rates ensures better shoot Zn nutrition and contributes to post-silking Zn uptake, maintaining higher grain Zn availability by decreasing the molar ratio of P to Zn, and resulting in benefits to human nutrition., (Copyright © 2019 Xue, Yue, Liu, Zhang, Chen and Zou.)

In the "post-antibiotic era", healthcare-associated infection has become a global problem that threatens public health and causes huge economic losses. The development of antibacterial coatings based on non-antibiotic strategies is particularly important as drug-resistant bacteria continue to evolve. Photodynamic coatings are a high potential method to treat bacteria, however, the aggregation of photosensitizers on the coating affects the photodynamic capacity seriously. Herein, a photodynamic coating is developed based on the host-guest interaction between β-cyclodextrin and the photosensitizer methylene blue (MB). The host-guest interaction avoids aggregation of MB and results in a high singlet oxygen quantum yield. Consequently, efficient photoantibacterial activity towards methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is achieved by the photodynamic coating with very low MB density (0.53 ± 0.06 μg cm-2).

Pathogenesis of pregnancy toxemia (PT) is believed to be associated with the disruption of lipid metabolism. The present study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of lipid metabolism disorder in the livers of ewes with PT. In total, 10 pregnant ewes were fed normally (control group) whereas another 10 were subjected to 70% level feed restriction for 15 days to establish a pathological model of PT. Results showed that, as compared with the controls, the levels of blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and cholesterol were greater (P&lt;0.05) and blood glucose level was lower (P&lt;0.05) in PT ewes. The contents of NEFAs, BHBA, cholesterol and triglyceride were higher (P&lt;0.05) and glycerol content was lower (P&lt;0.05) in hepatic tissues of PT ewes than those of the controls. For ewes with PT, excessive fat vacuoles were observed in liver sections stained with hematoxylin-eosin; furthermore, inner structures of hepatocytes including nuclei, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum were damaged seriously according to the results of transmission electron microscope. Real-time PCR data showed that compared with the controls, the expression of hepatic genes involved in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and triglyceride synthesis (TGS) was enhanced (P&lt;0.05) whereas that related to acetyl-CoA metabolism (ACM) was repressed (P&lt;0.05) in PT ewes. Generally, our results showed that negative energy balance altered the expression of genes involved in FAO, ACM and TGS, further caused lipid metabolism disorder in livers, resulting in PT of ewes. Our findings may provide the molecular basis for novel therapeutic strategies against this systemic metabolic disease in sheep.

Medical coatings cooperated with biomacromolecules can regulate biological events and tissue responses, thus increasing medical implant longevity and providing improved and/or new therapeutic functions. In particular, medical coatings, which can load the correct species and doses of biomacromolecules according to individual diagnoses, will significantly optimize treatment effects and satisfy the rising clinical need of "precision medicine". Herein, we report on a dynamic microporous coating with an ultrafast self-healing property to fulfill the "load-and-play" concept for "precision medicine". A structure-switchable coating based on poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) triblock copolymer network is constructed. The coating can be switched to microporous morphology via a water swelling and freeze-drying process. Then, through a mild thermo-trigger as low as 40 °C, this spongy coating can undergo self-healing to switch back to a pore-free structure within minutes to even 5 s. Based on this dynamic coating, we suggest a simple and versatile method to encapsulate biomacromolecules for surface-mediated delivery. The ultrafast self-healing of the microporous structure enables uniform incorporation of biomacromolecules with an easily achieved high loading of albumin of 16.3 μg/cm 2 within 1 min. More importantly, controllable encapsulation can be realized by simple control of the concentration of the loading solution. We further demonstrate that the encapsulated biomacromolecules retained their bioactivity. This work may benefit clinicians with flexibility to provide personalized medical coatings for individual patients during treatment., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers customization of the microstructures and mechanical properties of fabricated components according to the material selected and process parameters applied. Selective laser melting (SLM) is a commonly-used technique for processing high strength aluminum alloys. The selection of SLM process parameters could control the microstructure of parts and their mechanical properties. However, the process parameters limit and defects obtained inside the as-built parts present obstacles to customized part production. This study investigates the influence of SLM process parameters on the quality of as-built Al6061 and AlSi10Mg parts according to the mutual connection between the microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties. The microstructure of both materials was characterized for different parts processed over a wide range of SLM process parameters. The optimized SLM parameters were investigated to eliminate internal microstructure defects. The behavior of the mechanical properties of parts was presented through regression models generated from the design of experiment (DOE) analysis for the results of hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and yield strength. A comparison between the results obtained and those reported in the literature is presented to illustrate the influence of process parameters, build environment, and powder characteristics on the quality of parts produced. The results obtained from this study could help to customize the part's quality by satisfying their design requirements in addition to reducing as-built defects which, in turn, would reduce the amount of the post-processing needed.

Additive manufacturing (AM) of high-strength Al alloys promises to enhance the performance of critical components related to various aerospace and automotive applications. The key advantage of AM is its ability to generate lightweight, robust, and complex shapes. However, the characteristics of the as-built parts may represent an obstacle to the satisfaction of the parts' quality requirements. The current study investigates the influence of selective laser melting (SLM) process parameters on the quality of parts fabricated from different Al alloys. A design of experiment (DOE) was used to analyze relative density, porosity, surface roughness, and dimensional accuracy according to the interaction effect between the SLM process parameters. The results show a range of energy densities and SLM process parameters for AlSi10Mg and Al6061 alloys needed to achieve "optimum" values for each performance characteristic. A process map was developed for each material by combining the optimized range of SLM process parameters for each characteristic to ensure good quality of the as-built parts. This study is also aimed at reducing the amount of post-processing needed according to the optimal processing window detected.

Soil microbial community structure and functional diversity have great implications for the maintenance of the function and stability of grassland ecosystem. We studied the variation of soil microbial community structure, community diversity of carbon metabolism and their driving factors between the long-term enclosure and the free grazing grasslands in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau by using phospholipid fatty acid and Biolog techniques. The results showed that: 1) there were significant differences in soil microbial community structure and the utilization of carbon source between the long-term enclosed and free grazed grasslands. 2) Long-term enclosure significantly increased the content of total PLFA, bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. 3) Soil carbon metabolic activity, diversity and richness in free-grazing grassland was significantly higher than the enclosed grassland, but evenness showed an opposite pattern. 4) Compared with the free grazed grassland, long-term enclosure significantly increased the utilization of polymers, carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, and amines by soil microorganisms. 5) Results from the redundancy analysis showed that vegetation coverage significantly affected soil microbial community structure and carbon metabolism. The soil microbial content, carbon metabolism diversity and richness in the long-term enclosed grassland were higher than those of the free grazing grassland, indicating that long-term enclosure was more conducive to improve the diversity and carbon metabolism of soil microbial community.

Increasing grain zinc (Zn) concentration of cereals for minimizing Zn malnutrition in two billion people represents an important global humanitarian challenge. Grain Zn in field-grown wheat at the global scale ranges from 20.4 to 30.5 mg kg -1 , showing a solid gap to the biofortification target for human health (40 mg kg -1 ). Through a group of field experiments, we found that the low grain Zn was not closely linked to historical replacements of varieties during the Green Revolution, but greatly aggravated by phosphorus (P) overuse or insufficient nitrogen (N) application. We also conducted a total of 320-pair plots field experiments and found an average increase of 10.5 mg kg -1 by foliar Zn application. We conclude that an integrated strategy, including not only Zn-responsive genotypes, but of a similar importance, Zn application and field N and P management, are required to harvest more grain Zn and meanwhile ensure better yield in wheat-dominant areas.

A 10-week feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary fish meal replacement by yeast hydrolysate (YH) on growth performance, complement system and stress resistance of juvenile Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian) (initial average weight 19.44 ± 0.06 g). In the study, there were five groups: one control group was fed with a basal diet (YH0), and four treatment groups were fed with dietary fish meal replaced by 1% YH (YH1), 3% (YH3), 5% (YH5) and 7% (YH7), respectively. Each group had four replicates. At the end of feeding trial, twelve fish from each group (three fish per replicate) were randomly selected for assessing the growth and immunity. Meanwhile, 20 fish per replicate were injected by Aeromonas hydrophila. The results showed that (1) Replacement levels of YH significantly affected the growth of the fish with the highest values of weight gain (WG) occurred in fish fed YH3 diet. However, no significant difference in feed conversion ratios (FCR) was observed among all groups. (2) Pre-stressed plasma lysozyme activity, total protein and albumin contents and complement component 3 (C3) and complement component 4 (C4) levels of fish fed YH3 diet were significantly higher than those of fish fed YH0 diet. However, post-stressed immune parameters of fish in all groups were significantly lower. (3) There was a trend that the expression levels of the complement-related genes (c1r/s-A, c4-1, c3-H1, c5-1, fb/c2-A, mbl-2 and masp) initially increased and then decreased except mbl-2 and masp, with the maximum values observed in fish fed YH3 diet. Before stress, the expression levels of the inflammation-related genes (alp, il-1β and tnf-α) in the hepatopancreas and spleen of fish fed YH1 diet and YH7 diet were significant higher than that of fish fed YH0 diet. After stress, no significant difference in the expression levels of those genes was observed among all groups. These results indicated that FM replacement by YH could improve growth performance, enhance innate immunity, and activate complement via the alternative complement pathway (ACP) and the classical complement pathway (CCP)., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Particulate matter (PM) is the primary air pollutant in Beijing, and its emission control is an important direction of air pollution prevention and control. Construction dust plays a significant role in the source of airborne particulate matter in Beijing. Due to population growth and economic development, the demand for residential and office space has been increasing which results in a high construction area in Beijing and dust pollution caused by construction activities. However, there are few studies focusing on fugitive dust emissions from construction sites and their contribution to air pollution in Beijing. Under this background, this paper established an estimation model of dust emission from construction sites, and used the localized emission factor to calculate the dust emission from 2000 to 2015 in Beijing, identified the emission characteristics and laws of construction dust emission and quantified the uncertainty range of the emissions. The WRF/CMAQ model system was used to simulate the contribution of dust pollution to quantify its influence on air quality. The results showed that the dust emission from construction sites in Beijing has been increasing, but the construction area is falling in recent years. However, the emission of PM is still high and needs to be paid enough attention. In the spatial distribution, the dust emissions in summer and autumn are larger than those in other seasons. As for spatial distribution, the construction dust is mainly concentrated in the urban function extension area and suburban area, which is related to the extension of population activities and the gradual development of urbanization. The contribution of construction dust to PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentration in the ambient air can reach 31.3 μg·m -3 and 9.6 μg·m -3 , respectively. Through scenarios analysis, for further reduction of the emission from construction sites in 2030, more stricter standard for green construction and powerful supervision are needed.

The violanthin, a specific component, was separated and identified from the stems of Dendrobium officinale by chromatographic technique and spectroscopic method for the first time. The microscopic characteristics of D. officinale powder were examined under a microscopy and described. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) method was used for qualitative analysis of the violanthin from D. officinale stems with a mixture of ethyl acetate, butanone, formic acid and water (4∶3∶1∶1) as the developing solvent on high performance silica gel precoated plate (SGF254) and using aluminium trichloride as a chromagenic agent. The results showed significant characteristics of violanthin from D. officinale stems on TLC, with certain specificity, and could be used to distinguish it from other easily confusing processed medicinal stems of D. devonianum, D. gratiosissimum and D. aphyllum. The content of naringenin, an active ingredient in D. officinale stems was determined by HPLC analysis on a Bischoff Chromatography HIPAK NC-04 ODS AB column (4.4 mm×250 mm, 5 mm) with acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid solution as the mobile phase for gradient elution. The wavelength was set at 226 nm and column temperature was 25 ℃. The HPLC method showed good linearity within the range of 3.90-250.00 g•mL⁻¹ (r = 0.999 9) for naringenin. The average recovery of naringenin was 99.20% with 0.17% of RSD. The mass fraction of 20 batches of D. officinale stems was between 0.190 and 0.498 mg•g⁻¹. The established qualitative and quantitative method was simple and rapid with good repeatability and accuracy, providing experimental basis for improving the quality standard of D. officinale, with a very important significance to ensure its quality and clinical effect., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Severe haze episodes shrouded Beijing and its surrounding regions again during December, 2015, causing major environmental and health problems. Beijing authorities had launched two red alerts for atmospheric heavy pollution in this period, adopted a series of emergency control measures to reduce the emissions from major pollution sources. To better understand the pollution process and emissions variation during these extreme pollution events, we performed a model-assisted analysis of the hourly observation data of PM₂.₅, and meteorological parameters combined with the emissions variation of pollution sources. The synthetic analysis indicated that: (1) Compared with the same period of last year, the emissions of atmospheric pollution sources decreased in December 2015. However, the emission levels of primary pollutants were still rather high, which were the main intrinsic causes for haze episodes, and the unfavorable diffusion conditions represented the important external factor. High source emissions and meteorological factors together led to this heavy air pollution process. (2) Emergency control measures taken by the red alert for heavy air pollution could decrease the pollutants emission by about 36% and the PM₂.₅ concentrations by 11% to 21%. Though the implementation of red alert could not reverse the evolution trend of heavier pollution, it indeed played an active role in mitigation of PM₂.₅ pollution aggravating. (3) Under the heavy pollution weather conditions, air pollutants continued to accumulate in the atmosphere, and the maximum effect by taking emergency measures occurred 48-72 hours after starting the implementation; therefore, the best time for executing emergency measures should be 36-48 hours before the rapid rise of PM₂.₅ concentration, which requires a more powerful demand on the accuracy of air quality forecast.

Background: Cinnamaldehyde (CA) has been widely applied in medicine and food preservation. However, whether and how CA regulates plant physiology is largely unknown. To address these gaps, the present study investigated the beneficial effect of CA on root branching and its possible biochemical mechanism., Results: The lateral root (LR) formation of pepper seedlings could be markedly induced by CA at specific concentrations without any inhibitory effect on primary root (PR) growth. CA could induce the generation of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) by increasing the activity of L-cysteine desulfhydrase in roots. By fluorescently tracking endogenous H2S in situ, it could be clearly observed that H2S accumulated in the outer layer cells of the PR where LRs emerge. Sodium hydrosulfide (H2S donor) treatment induced LR formation, while hypotaurine (H2S scavenger) showed an adverse effect. The addition of hypotaurine mitigated the CA-induced increase in endogenous H2S level, which in turn counteracted the inducible effect of CA on LR formation., Conclusion: CA showed great potential in promoting LR formation, which was mediated by endogenous H2S. These results not only shed new light on the application of CA in agriculture but also extend the knowledge of H2S signaling in the regulation of root branching., (© 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.)

With the economic development and population growth in Beijing, there is a strong need for construction and housing, which leads to the increase of the construction areas. Meanwhile, as a local provided material, the production of concrete has been raised. In the process of concrete production by concrete batching, there are numerous particulates emitted, which have large effect on the atmospheric environment, however, systematic study about the tempo-spatial characteristics of pollutant emission from concrete batching is still rare. In this study, we estimated the emission of particulates from concrete batching from 1991 to 2012 using emission factor method, analyzed the tempo-spatial characteristics of pollutant emission, established the uncertainty range by adopting Monte-Carlo method, and predicted the future emission in 2020 based on the relative environmental and economical policies. The results showed that: (1) the emissions of particulates from concrete batching showed a trend of "first increase and then decrease", reaching the maximum in 2005, and then decreased due to stricter emission standard and enhanced environmental management. (2) according to spatial distribution, the emission of particulates from concrete batch mainly concentrated in the urban area with more human activities, and the area between the fifth ring and the sixth ring contributed the most. (3) through scenarios analysis, for further reducing the emission from concrete batching in 2020, more stricter standard for green production as well as powerful supervision is needed.

In this study, an effective method by the sequential Fenton pretreatment and dilute NaOH extraction (FT-AE) was chosen for pretreating corn stover. Before dilute NaOH (0.75 wt%) extraction at 90 °C for 1h, Fenton reagent (0.95 g/L of FeSO4 and 29.8 g/L of H2O2) was employed to pretreat CS at a solid/liquid ratio of 1/20 (w/w) at 35 °C for 30 min. The changes in the cellulose structural characteristics (porosity, morphology, and crystallinity) of the pretreated solid residue were correlated with the enhancement of enzymatic saccharification. After being enzymatically hydrolyzed for 72 h, the reducing sugars and glucose from the hydrolysis of 60 g/L FT-AE-CS pretreated could be obtained at 40.96 and 23.61 g/L, respectively. Finally, the recovered hydrolyzates containing glucose had no inhibitory effects on the ethanol fermenting microorganism. In conclusion, the sequential Fenton pretreatment and dilute NaOH extraction has high potential application in future., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The evolutionary history of sexual selection in the geologic past is poorly documented based on quantification, largely because of difficulty in sexing fossil specimens. Even such essential ecological parameters as adult sex ratio (ASR) and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) are rarely quantified, despite their implications for sexual selection. To enable their estimation, we propose a method for unbiased sex identification based on sexual shape dimorphism, using size-independent principal components of phenotypic data. We applied the method to test sexual selection in Keichousaurus hui, a Middle Triassic (about 237 Ma) sauropterygian with an unusually large sample size for a fossil reptile. Keichousaurus hui exhibited SSD biased towards males, as in the majority of extant reptiles, to a minor degree (sexual dimorphism index -0.087). The ASR is about 60% females, suggesting higher mortality of males over females. Both values support sexual selection of males in this species. The method may be applied to other fossil species. We also used the Gompertz allometric equation to study the sexual shape dimorphism of K. hui and found that two sexes had largely homogeneous phenotypes at birth except in the humeral width, contrary to previous suggestions derived from the standard allometric equation., (© 2015 The Author(s).)

Haloarchaea is an important group of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-accumulating organisms. However, few promising haloarchaeal species for economical and efficient PHA production have been reported. Here, we first discovered that Halogranum amylolyticum TNN58 could efficiently accumulate poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) with a high 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) fraction using glucose as carbon source. Briefly, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed the presence of a large number of PHA granules in the cells. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) analyses showed that PHAs synthesized from glucose was PHBV. Moreover, the 3HV content reached 20.1 mol%, which is the highest 3HV fraction thus far reported, as for PHBV produced by the wild-type strains grown on unrelated carbon courses. Fermentation experiments suggested that nitrogen-limited MG medium was better than nutrient-rich NOMG and AS168 medium for PHBV production. Additionally, glucose was the most suitable carbon source among the tested carbon sources. Interestingly, PHBV accumulation was almost paralleled by cell growth and glucose consumption. By applying the fed-batch process in fermentor, the PHBV production and cell dry weight were increased by approximately eight and four times, respectively, as compared with those of the batch process in shaking flasks. The classical PHA synthase genes were successfully cloned via consensus-degenerate hybrid oligonucleotide primers (CODEHOPs) and high-efficiency thermal asymmetric interlaced (hiTAIL) PCR methods. This finding suggested that H. amylolyticum shows promising potential in the low-cost biotechnological production of PHBV after further process optimization.

To avoid adding NAD(+) and effectively transform ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate, the mixture of l-glutamine (200mM) and d-xylose (250mM) was added into in n-butyl acetate-water (10:90, v/v) biphasic system instead of NAD(+) for increasing the biocatalytic efficiency. To further improve the synthesis of optically pure ethyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate (>99% ee), β-cyclodextrin was also added into this reaction media, and ethyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate (>99% ee) could be effectively synthesized from 800mM ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate in the yield of 100% by whole-cells of recombinant E. coli CCZU-A13. Finally, the possible mechanism for improving the reductase activity by supplementation of l-glutamine, d-xylose and β-CD was proposed. In conclusion, this strategy has high potential for the effective biosynthesis of ethyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate (>99% ee)., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) such as exhaust particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo-furans ( PCDD/Fs) are emitted by the process of cremation and the burning of oblation. Risks to health posed by emissions of hazardous air pollutants from crematories are emerging concerns. Through field investigation and data collection, we obtained the related activity levels and monitored the concentrations of air pollutants from typical cremators, so as to better understand the current pollutants emission levels for crematory. Using the emission factor method, we calculated the emission inventory of HAPs for crematory of Beijing in 2012 and quantified the range of uncertainty. Using atmospheric diffusion model ADMS, we evaluated the influence of crematories on the surrounding environment, and identified the characteristics of air pollution. The results showed that: for the cremators installed with flue gas purification system, the emission concentration of exhaust PM was rather low, and the CO emission concentration fluctuated greatly. However, relative high emission concentrations of PCDD/Fs were detected mainly due to insufficient combustion. Exhaust PM, CO, SO2, NOx, Hg and PCDD/Fs emitted by crematory of Beijing in 2012 were estimated at about 11. 5 tons, 41.25 tons, 2.34 tons, 7.65 tons, 13.76 kg and 0.88 g, respectively; According to the results of dispersion model simulation, the concentration contributions of exhaust PM, CO, SO2, NOx, Hg, PCDD/Fs from crematories were 0.05947 microg x m(-3), 0.2009 microg x m(-3) and 0.0126 microg x m(-3), 0.03667 microg x m(-3) and 0.06247 microg x m(-3), 0.004213 microg x m(-3), respectively.

The taxonomic position of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacterial strains 263 and 32d isolated from formation water of the Daqing petroleum reservoir (PRC) was determined by polyphasic taxonomy techniques, including analysis of the 16S rRNA and the gyrB genes. The major chemotaxonomic characteristics of both strains, including the IV type cell wall, composition of cell wall fatty acids, mycolic acids, and menaquinones, agreed with those typical of Dietzia strains. The DNA G+C content of strains 263 and 32d were 67.8 and 67.6 mol%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of strain 32d revealed 99.7% similarity to the gene of D. maris, making it possible to identify strain 32d as belonging to this species. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 263 exhibited 99.7 and 99.9% similarity to those of D. natronolimnaea and D. cercidiphylli YIM65002(T), respectively. Analysis of the gyrB genes of the subterranean isolates and of a number of Dietzia type strains confirmed classiffication of strain 32d as a D. maris strain and of strain 263, as a D. natronolimnaea strain. A conclusion was made concerning higher resolving power of phylogenetic analysis of the gyrB gene compared to the 16S rRNA gene analysis in the case of determination of the species position of Dietzia isolates.

Intercropping facilitates the efficient utilization of land, light, water and nutrients. It is, therefore, important to increase the biodiversity of farmland and to develop sustainable ecological agriculture in both theory and practice. Intercropping helps improve the mobilization and uptake of soil iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) and corresponding nutritional status in the plants, thus achieving grain micronutrient biofortification. In this review, phenomena of the improvement of Fe and Zn nutrition in dicotyledonous plants as affected by intercropping with gramineous plants (e.g. maize/peanut intercropping) were summarized. Moreover, the possible mechanisms in relation to interspecific rhizosphere molecular and physiological processes, as well as the changes in interspecific root morphology and distribution and microorganisms in the rhizosphere were elucidated. The accumulation, transfer and distribution of Fe and Zn in the plants in intercropping systems were also reviewed. The possible affecting factors on nutrients of Fe and Zn were analyzed. Based on the present advances in the mobilization and acquisition of soil Fe and Zn, and their accumulation and distribution in plants as well as the related management and environment influence factors, some new research questions were pointed out. Quantitative analysis, dynamic and systemic researches and field studies on Fe and Zn transfer from soil to plant in intercropping systems should be strengthened in the future.

The poor bioavailability and stability of curcumin limit its clinical application. A novel Zn(II)-curcumin complex was synthesized and its effects against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced reproductive damage were compared with curcumin. Oral administration of Zn(II)-curcumin significantly prevented CP-induced elevation of malondialdehyde (MDA) level and reductions in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content in mouse testis. Zn(II)-curcumin significantly ameliorated CP-induced reductions in body and reproductive organs weights. Zn(II)-curcumin dose-dependently ameliorated CP-induced reproductive system impairments, by improving sperm parameters (sperm count, viability, motility) and reducing serum testosterone and histological alterations. Compared to curcumin at the same dose, Zn(II)-curcumin more effectively alleviated CP-induced reproductive injury, leading to a reduced severity of testicular pathologic changes, lower MDA level, elevated SOD activity and GSH content, and increased sperm parameters and serum testosterone. These results suggest Zn(II)-curcumin more effectively protects against CP-induced reproductive damage than curcumin alone due to a synergistic reduction in oxidative stress., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a pretreatment by combining acidified aqueous ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (IL [Bmim]Cl) solution with dilute NaOH extraction was employed to pretreat high crystallinity index (CrI) of corn stover before its enzymatic saccharification. After NaOH extraction, [Bmim]Cl-HCl-water (78.8:1.2:20, w/w/w) media was used for further pretreatment at 130 °C for 30 min. After being enzymatically hydrolyzed for 48 h, corn stover pretreated could be biotransformed into reducing sugars in the yield of 95.1%. Furthermore, SEM, XRD and FTIR analyses of untreated and pretreated corn stovers were examined. It was found that the intact structure was disrupted by combination pretreatment and resulted in a porous and amorphous regenerated cellulosic material that greatly improved enzymatic hydrolysis. Finally, the recovered hydrolyzates obtained from the enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated corn stovers could be fermented into ethanol efficiently. In conclusion, the combination pretreatment shows high potential application in future., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Grassroots healthcare institutions (GHIs) are the smallest administrative levels of medical institutions, where most patients access health services. The latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics of China showed that 96.04 % of 950,297 medical institutions in China were at the grassroots level in 2012, including county-level hospitals, township central hospitals, community health service centers, and rural clinics. In developing countries, these institutions are facing challenges involving a shortage of funds and talent, inconsistent medical standards, inefficient information sharing, and difficulties in management during the adoption of health information technologies (HIT). Because of the necessity and gravity for GHIs, our aim is to provide hospital information services for GHIs using Cloud computing technologies and service modes. In this medical scenario, the computing resources are pooled by means of a Cloud-based Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to serve multiple GHIs, with different hospital information systems dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand. This paper is concerned with establishing a Cloud-based Hospital Information Service Center to provide hospital information software as a service (HI-SaaS) with the aim of providing GHIs with an attractive and high-performance medical information service. Compared with individually establishing all hospital information systems, this approach is more cost-effective and affordable for GHIs and does not compromise HIT performance.