One-step synthesis of a core-shell structured biochar using algae (Chlorella) powder and ferric sulfate for immobilizing Hg(II)

Mercury (Hg) pollution poses a significant environmental challenge. One promising method for its removal is the sorption of mercuric ions using biochar. FeS-doped biochar (FBC) exhibits effective mercury adsorption, however may release excess iron into the surrounding water. To address this issue, a novel magnetic pyrrhotite/magnetite-doped biochar with a core-shell structure was synthesized for the adsorption of 2-valent mercury (Hg(II)). The proposed synthesis process involved the use of algae powder and ferric sulfate in a one-step method. By varying the ratio of ferric sulfate and alga powder (within the range of 0.18 - 2.5) had a notable impact on the composition of FBC. As the ferric sulfate content increased, the FBC exhibited a higher concentration of oxygen-containing groups. To assess the adsorption capacity, Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were applied to the experimental data. The most effective adsorption was achieved with FBC-4, reaching a maximum capacity (Qm) of 95.51 mg/g. In particular, at low Hg(II) concentrations, FBC-5 demonstrated the ability to reduce Hg(II) concentrations to less than 0.05 mg/L within 30 min. Additionally, the stability of FBC was confirmed within the pH range of 3.8 - 7.2. The study also introduced a model to analyze the adsorption preference for different Hg(II) species. Calomel was identified in the mercury saturated FBC, whereas the core-shell structure exhibited excellent conductivity, which most likely contributed to the minimal release of iron. In summary, this research presents a novel and promising method for synthesizing core-shell structured biochar and provides a novel approach to explore the adsorption contribution of different metal species.

Burden of lung cancer attributed to particulate matter pollution in China: an epidemiological study from 1990 to 2019

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine the disease burden of lung cancer attributable to particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in China from 1990 to 2019.

STUDY DESIGN

Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 were used to estimate the disease burden of tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer attributed to PM2.5 over time in China.

METHODS

Joinpoint regression models were applied to disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to assess the time trends and estimate the impact of PM2.5 on the overall disease burden of lung cancer. Furthermore, age-period-cohort models were conducted to assess the relationships between lung cancer DALYs attributed to PM2.5 exposure and age, calendar period and birth cohort trends in China from 1990 to 2019.

RESULTS

Lung cancer DALYs attributable to household air pollution from solid fuels decreased with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of 2.9 % per 100,000 population, while those attributable to ambient particular matter pollution (APE) increased (AAPC: -4.7 % per 100,000 population) over the past 30 years. The burden of lung cancer in terms of DALYs in males was higher than in females, and it demonstrated an age-dependent increase. The period and cohort effects also had significant impacts on the DALYs rates of lung cancer attributable to APE, indicating an overall increase in lung cancer DALYs for all age groups in each year.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the need for effective strategies to reduce PM2.5 exposure in China, particularly from outdoor sources. Gender differences and age, period and cohort effects observed in the study provide valuable insights into long-term trends of lung cancer burden attributed to PM2.5.

[Pay attention to the infectious complications in the clinical application of biological agents]

Biological agents have been widely used in the treatment of many clinical diseases by targeting specific immune cells or cytokines. In the course of clinical use, biological agents can lead to secondary immune deficiency, which increases the risk of infection. At present, there are no evidence-based guidelines or management opinions on the differences of infections caused by various biological agents, how to identify infectious complications in the course of treatment with different biological agents at an early stage, and how to take effective and targeted prevention. This paper summarizes the infection complications and their characteristics that need to be paid attention to in the clinical introduction of biological agents, aiming to help clinicians make reasonable decisions for infection complications in the process of using biological agents, reduce the incidence of infection, and improve the success rate of diagnosis and treatment.

[Doublecortin-like kinase 1 activates Hippo pathway to promote migration, invasion and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells]

Objective: To explore the mechanism of Doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) in promoting cell migration, invasion and proliferation in pancreatic cancer. Methods: The correlation between DCLK1 and Hippo pathway was analyzed using TCGA and GTEx databases and confirmed by fluorescence staining of pancreatic cancer tissue microarrays. At the cellular level, immunofluorescence staining of cell crawls and western blot assays were performed to clarify whether DCLK1 regulates yes associated protein1 (YAP1), a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway. Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to analyze the expressions of YAP1 binding transcription factor TEA-DNA binding proteins (TEAD) and downstream malignant behavior-promoting molecules CYR61, EDN1, AREG, and CTGF. Transwell test of the DCLK1-overexpressing cells treated with the Hippo pathway inhibitor Verteporfin was used to examine whether the malignant behavior-promoting ability was blocked. Analysis of changes in the proliferation index of experimental cells used real-time label-free cells. Results: TCGA combined with GTEx data analysis showed that the expressions of DCLK1 and YAP1 molecules in pancreatic cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues (P<0.05). Moreover, DCLK1was positively correlated with the expressions of many effectors in the Hippo pathway, including LATS1 (r=0.53, P<0.001), LATS2 (r=0.34, P<0.001), MOB1B (r=0.40, P<0.001). In addition, the tissue microarray of pancreatic cancer patients was stained with multicolor fluorescence, indicated that the high expression of DCLK1 in pancreatic cancer patients was accompanied by the up-regulated expression of YAP1. The expression of DCLK1 in pancreatic cancer cell lines was analyzed by the CCLE database. The results showed that the expression of DCLK1 in AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells was low. Thus, we overexpressed DCLK1 in AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cell lines and found that DCLK1 overexpression in pancreatic cancer cell lines promoted YAP1 expression and accessible to the nucleus. In addition, DCLK1 up-regulated the expression of YAP1 binding transcription factor TEAD and increased the mRNA expression levels of downstream malignant behavior-promoting molecules. Finally, Verteporfin, an inhibitor of the Hippo pathway, could antagonize the cell's malignant behavior-promoting ability mediated by high expression of DCLK1. We found that the number of migrated cells with DCLK1 overexpressing AsPC-1 group was 68.33±7.09, which was significantly higher than 22.00±4.58 of DCLK1 overexpressing cells treated with Verteporfin (P<0.05). Similarly, the migration number of PANC-1 cells overexpressing DCLK1 was 65.66±8.73, which was significantly higher than 37.00±6.00 of the control group and 32.33±9.61 of Hippo pathway inhibitor-treated group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the number of invasive cells in the DCLK1-overexpressed group was significantly higher than that in the DCLK1 wild-type group cells, while the Verteporfin-treated DCLK1-overexpressed cells showed a significant decrease. In addition, we monitored the cell proliferation index using the real-time cellular analysis (RTCA) assay, and the proliferation index of DCLK1-overexpressed AsPC-1 cells was 0.66±0.04, which was significantly higher than 0.38±0.01 of DCLK1 wild-type AsPC-1 cells (P<0.05) as well as 0.05±0.03 of DCLK1-overexpressed AsPC1 cells treated with Verteporfin (P<0.05). PANC-1 cells showed the same pattern, with a proliferation index of 0.77±0.04 for DCLK1-overexpressed PANC-1 cells, significantly higher than DCLK1-overexpressed PANC1 cells after Verteporfin treatment (0.14±0.05, P<0.05). Conclusion: The expression of DCLK1 is remarkably associated with the Hippo pathway, it promotes the migration, invasion, and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells by activating the Hippo pathway.

[Efficacy and safety of daptomycin in the treatment of gram-positive infective endocarditis: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of daptomycin in the treatment of gram-positive infective endocarditis (IE) systematically. Methods: China Biology Medicine Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), Wanfang Data, VIP Database, PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from the time of establishing databases to April 2022 to obtain relevant controlled and uncontrolled studies of daptomycin for gram-positive infective endocarditis, using key search terms ("daptomycin","gram-positive bacterial infections","endocarditis"). We performed literature screening according to inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction, and quality assessment, and performed random-effects meta-analyses for pooled results data using R software. Results: A total of 11 studies (including 13 articles) were included. The findings in the three controlled studies showed that in the treatment of staphylococcus aureus endocarditis, there was no statistically significant differences in in-hospital death risk (RR=0.66, 95%CI: 0.24-1.84, P=0.427) and 6-month death risk (RR=1.27, 95%CI: 0.75-2.14, P=0.374) for daptomycin versus anti-staphylococcal penicillin or vancomycin; in the treatment of enterococcal endocarditis, there was no statistically significant difference in death risk (both P>0.05) for daptomycin versus ampicillin combined with ceftriaxone (RR=0.39, 95%CI: 0.06-2.49) and ampicillin or vancomycin plus or minus gentamicin (RR=0.42, 95%CI: 0.05-3.36); and for daptomycin versus ampicillin or vancomycin combined with an aminoglycoside antibiotic, the differences in in-hospital death risk (RR=0.80, 95%CI: 0.11-5.83) and 6-month death risk (RR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.07-3.21) were not statistically significant(both P>0.05). In a cost-effectiveness study, daptomycin as first-line treatment could save the medical cost of 4 037 pounds per patient compared with vancomycin over a longer period of patient treatment. The results of the meta-analysis of uncontrolled studies showed that the mean clinical success rate of daptomycin for left-side endocarditis was 77% (95%CI: 70% to 83%; I²=28%), for MSSA-infective right-side endocarditis was 87% (95%CI: 73%-95%), and for MRSA-infective right-side endocarditis was 78% (95%CI: 38%-95%; I²=49%); while the mortality rate [mean mortality rate for left-side endocarditis was 13% (95%CI: 11%-17%; I²=0); the mortality rate for right-side endocarditis was reported in only 2 studies, 3% and 27%, respectively] or the rate of daptomycin-related adverse events (4%) was within the acceptable ranges for clinical practice. Conclusions: The death risk in the treatment of infective endocarditis with dattomycin is comparable to that of other antibiotics, and the clinical success rate is higher. Some efficacy may be achieved with daptomycin while other treatments are not effective in treating IE.

Masked Face Recognition with Convolutional Visual Self-Attention Network

With the global outbreak of COVID-19, wearing face masks has been actively introduced as an effective public measure to reduce the risk of virus infection. This measure leads to the failure of face recognition in many cases. Therefore, it is very necessary to improve the recognition performance of masked face recognition (MFR). Inspired by the successful application of self-attention in computer vision, we propose a Convolutional Visual Self-Attention Network (CVSAN), which uses self-attention to augment the convolution operator. Specifically, this is achieved by connecting a convolutional feature map, which enforces local features, to a self-attention feature map that is capable of modeling long-range dependencies. Since there is currently no publicly available large-scale masked face data, we generate a Masked VGGFace2 dataset based on the face detection algorithm to train the CVSAN model. Experiments show that the CVSAN algorithm significantly improves the performance of MFR compared to other algorithms.

The role of booster vaccination and ongoing viral evolution in seasonal circulation of SARS-CoV-2

Periodic resurgences of COVID-19 in the coming years can be expected, while public health interventions may be able to reduce their intensity. We used a transmission model to assess how the use of booster doses and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) amid ongoing pathogen evolution might influence future transmission waves. We find that incidence is likely to increase as NPIs relax, with a second seasonally driven surge expected in autumn 2022. However, booster doses can greatly reduce the intensity of both waves and reduce cumulative deaths by 20% between 7 January 2022 and 7 January 2023. Reintroducing NPIs during the autumn as incidence begins to increase again could also be impactful. Combining boosters and NPIs results in a 30% decrease in cumulative deaths, with potential for greater impacts if variant-adapted boosters are used. Reintroducing these NPIs in autumn 2022 as transmission rates increase provides similar benefits to sustaining NPIs indefinitely (307 000 deaths with indefinite NPIs and boosters compared with 304 000 deaths with transient NPIs and boosters). If novel variants with increased transmissibility or immune escape emerge, deaths will be higher, but vaccination and NPIs are expected to remain effective tools to decrease both cumulative and peak health system burden, providing proportionally similar relative impacts.

727 BOOSTING BONE HEALTH: IMPROVING JUNIOR DOCTORS’ CONFIDENCE IN ASSESSING AND MANAGING FRAGILITY FRACTURES

Introduction

Fragility fractures are a major disease burden in the UK. With an ageing population and number of fragility fractures predicted to double in 50 years, prevention in this high-risk population needs to be addressed. This audit aimed to examine the assessment of fracture risk in patients presenting with fragility fractures and improve awareness amongst trainee doctors through education.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on patients over 65 years admitted with fragility fractures, excluding neck of femur, from January to March 2021 (n = 51). Data was collected on Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) scores, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans, and risk factors including body mass index (BMI), previous fragility fracture, smoking, alcohol intake, and serum calcium and vitamin D. A teaching seminar for junior doctors was delivered to increase confidence in assessing and managing fragility fractures.

Results

The mean age of patients was 79, with most common presentations being proximal humerus, distal femur and ankle fractures. 46% of patients had a previous fragility fracture. Smoking and alcohol history were documented in 72% and 60% of patients respectively, and 29% had BMIs calculated. 68% had calcium and 45% had vitamin D checked. DEXA scans occurred in 12%, all of whom had osteopenia or osteoporosis. Over half of patients were already on bone protection and 28% were subsequently started on bisphosphonates. A teaching session was delivered to junior doctors (n = 10), leading to improved confidence in assessing fracture risk by 30%, and improved confidence in managing fragility fractures by 35%. Knowledge of FRAX score increased from 62% to 100%.

Conclusion

A significant proportion of the over-65 population are likely to present with fragility fractures. Improving awareness and confidence amongst junior doctors can lead to identification of risk factors and help better prevent and manage fragility fractures in this high-risk population.

Blocking the Notch signal transduction pathway promotes tumor growth in breast cancer by promoting the expression of suppressible inflammatory factors

Background

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor among all female tumors. It seriously affects the health and lives of patients, and poses a significant economic burden. The study of the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer occurrence, proliferation and growth and development is of great clinical significance.

Methods

Notch1 knockout mice were obtained by gene targeting. The expression of inflammatory factor arginase-1 in each group of tumors was observed by immunofluorescence staining. Semi-quantitative detection of Notch1, Arginase-1, and proteins belonging to the PI3K-AKT pathway by western blot. The expression level of interleukin-3 (IL-3), and IL-4 in serum was quantified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

In this study, Notch1 knockout in mice promoted the cell proliferation of breast cancer. Further study on molecular mechanisms demonstrated that the increased cell proliferation resulted from the activation of the PI3K-AKT signal transduction pathway. In addition, the expression of the M2-type inflammatory factor arginase-1 significantly increased, which was dependent on the activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway, indicating that Notch1 knockout in mice promoted the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Consistent with this, IL-3 and IL-4 expression also significantly increased in the serum of Notch1 knockout mice.

Conclusions

According to our results, Notch1 knockout in mice significantly promoted the cell proliferation of breast cancer, not only by activating the PI3K-AKT pathway, but also by promoting the polarization of TAMs towards the M2-type phenotype.

Prediction and verification of survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer based on an integrated radiomics nomogram

AIM

To develop and validate a nomogram to predict 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by combining optimised radiomics features, clinicopathological factors, and conventional image features extracted from three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) images.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 172 patients with NSCLC were selected to construct the model, and 74 and 72 patients were selected for internal validation and external testing, respectively. A total of 828 radiomics features were extracted from each patient's 3D CT images. Univariable Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select features and generate a radiomics signature (radscore). The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by calibration curves, clinical practicability, and the c-index. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis was used to compare the overall survival (OS) between the two subgroups.

RESULT

The radiomics features of the NSCLC patients correlated significantly with survival time. The c-indexes of the nomogram in the training cohort, internal validation cohort, and external test cohort were 0.670, 0.658, and 0.660, respectively. The calibration curves showed that the predicted survival time was close to the actual survival time. Decision curve analysis shows that the nomogram could be useful in the clinic. According to KM analysis, the 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rates of the low-risk group were higher than those of the high-risk group.

CONCLUSION

The nomogram, combining the radscore, clinicopathological factors, and conventional CT parameters, can improve the accuracy of survival prediction in patients with NSCLC.

Clinical outcomes of keratinized mucosa augmentation in jaws reconstructed with fibula or iliac bone flaps

This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the treatment outcomes of keratinized mucosa augmentation (KMA) on the buccal and palatal/lingual sides of implants in jaws reconstructed after oncological surgery. Forty-two implants in 12 patients whose jaws had been reconstructed with a fibula or iliac bone flap were included. KMA was performed at 3 months after implant placement; this included an apically displaced partial-thickness flap and a free gingival graft (FGG) around the implants to increase the keratinized mucosa width (KMW). Patients were followed up for at least 6 months post-surgery. KMW, shrinkage, and patient pain and discomfort measured on a visual analogue scale were analysed. A histological analysis was performed of tissue epithelium from two patients. The results showed that KMW was >2 mm on both the buccal and palatal/lingual sides during follow-up. Before surgery, histological analysis showed epithelium with no epithelial spikes; normal keratinized epithelial spikes were observed at 8 weeks after KMA. Greater KMW was observed around implants in reconstructed maxillae than around those in reconstructed mandibles (P < 0.001). Patients felt more pain at the donor site than at the recipient site during the first 3 days post-surgery. KMA with FGG was predictable in reconstructed jaws and may help maintain the long-term stability of implants.

Transcript expression profiling of fibromelanosis-related genes in black-bone chickens

1. The aim of the present study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolic pathways involved in this phenotype. Fibromelanosis is the most striking feature of black-bone chickens, such as the Silkie and Dongxiang indigenous breeds. Due to the accumulation of eumelanin in connective tissues, fibromelanosis manifests as black colouration of the skin, muscles, gut, and periosteum. Studies on fibromelanosis can provide useful information pertaining to human diseases and offer commercial value to the poultry industry. However, the genetic basis of fibromelanosis remains unclear.2. Digital gene expression analysis was performed on black and white skin samples collected from the HW1 black-bone chicken line to detect differences in genome-wide expression patterns. A total of >30 billion bp were sequenced, and 2,707,926,466 bp and 2,948,782,964 bp of clean data obtained for creation of libraries for black and white skin, respectively. In total, 252 DEGs from 15,508 mapped genes were identified with 83 up-regulated in white skin and 169 up-regulated in black skin.3. Gene ontology analysis highlighted that genes from the extracellular region and associated components were abundant among the DEGs. Pathway analysis revealed that many DEGs were linked to amino acid metabolism and the immune system. qRT-PCR validation using 14 genes showed good conformity with the sequence analysis of fibromelanosis-related genes.4. The results showed that L-dopachrometautomerase precursor (DCT), tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT), 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPD) from the tyrosine metabolism pathway, coagulation factor II (F2), fibrinogen beta chain (FGB), plasminogen (PLG) and complement component 7 (C7) from the complement and coagulation cascades were important genes in the fibromelanosis process in black-bone chickens. These candidate genes require further correlation analysis and functional verification.

Plasma miR-146a and miR-365 expression and inflammatory factors in patients with osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression levels of micro-ribonucleic acid (miR)-146a and miR-365 in the plasma of osteoarthritis (OA) patients, to study their expression with the inflammatory factors and the severity of disease in patients and to analyse their diagnostic significance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 42 OA patients diagnosed with OA and treated in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2018 were selected as the subjects, and 28 healthy people were enrolled as controls. The expressions of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-6 in the plasma of OA patients were detected via immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, the knee joint function of OA patients was evaluated by Lysholm score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score. The expression levels of plasma miR-146a and miR-365 in OA patients were measured through RT-PCR. Besides, the significance of the expression levels of miR-146a and miR-365 for the diagnosis of OA was analysed by ROC curves.

RESULTS

As compared with healthy people, OA patients had elevated expression levels of plasma IL-1β and IL-6, decreased Lysholm score, increased WOMAC and VAS scores as well as significantly up-regulated levels of plasma miR-146a and miR-365, which were of important significance for diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The expression levels of plasma miR-146a, miR-365 and inflammatory factors are notably higher, the disease is more severe, and the function of knee joint movement is weaker in OA patients than those in healthy controls. It can be concluded that the levels of both miR-146a and miR-365 can serve as biomarkers of OA diagnosis.

Factors associated with Scrub Typhus infection: A case-control study from Luhe, China

INTRODUCTION

Scrub typhus (ST) is an acute febrile infection and remains a significant health problem globally. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with ST infection in Luhe District, China.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The case-control study was conducted among 116 cases identified through passive surveillance systems over three years.The control subjects were 232 living in the same village for more than six months without any history of ST infection were selected by matching to the age (within 5-years) and identified through active surveillance. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v. 25.0 for Windows (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).

RESULTS

The mean age of confirmed persons was 58.1(SD=10.15) years, while control subjects were 56.14 (11.57).There is no significant difference in gender, age, education, and occupations between case and control. Farmers had the most significant number of cases among occupational groups. The three factors that were significantly associated with an increased odds of having ST infection are bundling or moving waste straw (OR: 1.94, 95%CI; 0.99,381), morning exercise in the park or field (OR: 4.74 95%CI; 1.19, 18.95), and working as labourer in the vegetable field (OR:1.02, 95%CI:1.02,3.19).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested establishing a prevention and control strategy for these groups to lower ST development risk.

[The 485th case: fever of undetermined origin and hypoxemia]

A 49-year-old male was admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital presented with fever for more than half a year. The patient was diagnosed as Sjogren's syndrome at local hospital. After oral prednisone 60 mg per day was given, the fever alleviated, but recurred after prednisone tapered to 40 mg/d. Both blood culture and stool culture were positive for Salmonella enteritidis. Antibiotics including ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cilastatin-imipenem were sequentially administrated for 4 weeks, yet not effective. Although there were not respiratory symptoms or certain abnormalities on high-resolution chest CT, arterial blood gas indicated hypoxemia. Serum lactate dehydrogenase and β2 micro-globulin were elevated, and the lung function test demonstrated significant impairment of diffusion function. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT)scan suggested that high fluorodeoxyglucose uptake was diffusely seen in both lungs. The patient was finally diagnosed as pulmonary intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) by transbronchial lung biopsy. This case aims to emphasize the differentiation diagnoses of pulmonary intravascular lymphoma from common situations.

[Consistency of effective orifice area of prosthetic mitral valve estimated using 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the consistency of effective orifice area (EOA) of prosthetic mitral valve estimated using 2- dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted among 34 patients undergoing mitral valve replacement surgery in Nanjing First Hospital between March and June in 2019. The diameter of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) measured by 2D-TEE was used to calculate the cross sectional area of LVOT (CSALVOT). In 3D-TEE method, LVOT area was measured directly by planimetry on an enface view. The EOAs of the prosthetic mitral valve were calculated for both methods using the continuity equation. Bland-Altman plot consistency test was used to analyze the consistency between the two sets of EOA results, and linear regression analysis was used to analyze their correlation.

OBJECTIVE

The EOA of the prosthetic mitral valve differed significantly between 2D method and 3D method (2.22±0.71 cm² vs 2.35±0.70 cm², P < 0.001) with a mean difference of -0.14±0.20 cm² and 95% coherence boundaries of (-0.53, 0.25 cm²). The regression equation for EOA-3D and EOA-2D is y=0.27 + 0.94x, showing a good correlation between the two methods.

OBJECTIVE

EOA estimation of the prosthetic mitral valve using 2D and 3D TEE has a good consistency, and the results estimated by the 2D method are slightly lower by about 6% than those by the 3D method.

Autoimmune experimental orchitis and chronic glomerulonephritis with end stage renal disease are controlled by Cgnz1 for susceptibility to end organ damage

Cgnz1 on chromosome 1 mapped into a 1.34 Mb region of chromosome 1 in NZM2328 confers the progression of immune complex (IC)-mediated glomerulonephritis (GN) from acute GN (aGN) to chronic GN (cGN) with severe proteinuria and end stage renal disease in female mice. This genetic locus mediates podocyte susceptibility to IC-mediated damage. Taking advantage of the published observation that Cgnz1 is derived from NZW and that NZW is susceptible to orchitis, epididymitis and vasitis while C57L/J is resistant to these diseases, the possibility that this genetic region also confers germ cells susceptible to damage with aspermatogenesis and sterility in an active experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) model was investigated. Male mice from multiple intrachromosome (chromosome 1) recombinant strains were subjected to immunization with a sperm homogenate in CFA with concomitant administration of Bordetella pertussis toxin. There was concordance of the progression from aGN to cGN, severe proteinuria and end stage renal disease with susceptibility of EAO in NZM2328 and its congenic strains with various chromosome 1 genetic intervals introgressed from C57L/J to NZM2328. Both resistant and susceptible strains made comparable anti-testis and anti-sperm Abs. Thus the genetic interval that determines susceptibility to EAO is identical to that of Cgnz1 and mapped to the 1.34 Mb region in chromosone 1. This region likely confers germ cells in the male gonad susceptible to damage by immunologically mediated inflammation. This region has been tentatively renamed Cgnz1/Eaoz1. These observations further emphasize the importance of end organ susceptibility to damage in the pathogenesis of both systemic and organ specific autoimmune diseases.

Structure and thermal properties of beeswax-based oleogels with different types of vegetable oil

Beeswax-based oleogels with different types of vegetable oil, including camellia oil (CO), soybean oil (SO), sunflower oil (SFO), or flaxseed oil (FO), were prepared and their structure and thermal properties were evaluated. The critical concentration of oleogel obtained from each of CO, SO, and SFO at 25 °C was 3% (w/w), and that from FO was 4%. Thermal measurements revealed similar thermodynamic curves for oleogels in different lipid phases. X-Ray diffraction showed orthorhombic perpendicular subcell packing and characteristic peaks of the β’ form. Furthermore, a morphology analysis of the crystals showed that they were needle shaped. Fourier transform-infrared spectra revealed that beeswax-based oleogels were formed via non-covalent bonds and may be stabilized with physical entanglements. The oleogels showed oil type-dependent oxidative abilities, but they were all stable and showed no obvious changes in peroxide value during 90 days of storage at 5 °C.

Magnetic Direct-Write Skyrmion Nanolithography

Magnetic skyrmions are stable spin textures with quasi-particle behavior and attract significant interest in fundamental and applied physics. The metastability of magnetic skyrmions at zero magnetic field is particularly important to enable, for instance, a skyrmion racetrack memory. Here, the results of the nucleation of stable skyrmions and formation of ordered skyrmion lattices by magnetic force microscopy in (Pt/CoFeSiB/W)_n multilayers, exploiting the additive effect of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, are presented. The appropriate conditions under which skyrmion lattices are confined with a dense two-dimensional liquid phase are identified. A crucial parameter to control the skyrmion lattice characteristics and the number of scans resulting in the complete formation of a skyrmion lattice is the distance between two adjacent scanning lines of a magnetic force microscopy probe. The creation of skyrmion patterns with complex geometry is demonstrated, and the physical mechanism of direct magnetic writing of skyrmions is comprehended by micromagnetic simulations. This study shows a potential of a direct-write (maskless) skyrmion (topological) nanolithography with sub-100 nm resolution, where each skyrmion acts as a pixel in the final topological image.

Projected Entangled Pair States: Fundamental Analytical and Numerical Limitations

Matrix product states and projected entangled pair states (PEPS) are powerful analytical and numerical tools to assess quantum many-body systems in one and higher dimensions, respectively. While matrix product states are comprehensively understood, in PEPS fundamental questions, relevant analytically as well as numerically, remain open, such as how to encode symmetries in full generality, or how to stabilize numerical methods using canonical forms. Here, we show that these key problems, as well as a number of related questions, are algorithmically undecidable, that is, they cannot be fully resolved in a systematic way. Our work thereby exposes fundamental limitations to a full and unbiased understanding of quantum many-body systems using PEPS.

Immobilization of Hg(II) on high-salinity Spirulina residue-induced biochar from aqueous solutions: Sorption and transformation mechanisms by the dual-mode isotherms

Removal of Hg(II) by biochar (BC) is a promising remediation technology. The high-salinity Spirulina residue (HSR) is a hazardous waste generated during extracting the pigment phycocyanin under high salinity conditions. Although HSR-derived BC (HSRBC) exhibited the excellent sorption capacity of Hg(II), the involved mechanisms have been rarely studied. In this study, we investigated the specific properties and Hg(II) sorption mechanisms of HSRBCs. Chloride and calcium minerals were formed in HSRBCs. Increments in carbonization temperature (from 350 to 700 °C) or time (from 90 to 540 min) led to the enhancement of aromaticity, porosity, and positive charge, but cracked oxygen-containing groups and C-N bonds. Further increase in carbonization temperature or time decreased the sorption of Hg(II). At environmentally relevant concentration of Hg(II) (2-4 mg/L), the sorption capacity (6.1-12.7 mg/g) obtained in HSRBC350 was comparable to activated carbon. Based on dual-mode isotherm, surface sorption accounted for 75-88% uptake, while precipitation accounted for 12-25% uptake. In addition, the C-O, CO, and CC groups were responsible for the monodentate/bidentate complexation and reduction, while Cl^- triggered Hg₂Cl₂ precipitation. Overall, this study provided a new insight in creating an excellent Hg(II) sorbent from hazardous waste, and revealed the sorption mechanisms for Hg(II) uptake.

A combination of three probiotic strains for treatment of acute diarrhoea in hospitalised children: an open label, randomised controlled trial

Acute diarrhoea continues to be a leading cause of morbidity, hospitalisation, and mortality worldwide, and probiotics have been proposed as a complementary therapy in the treatment of acute diarrhoea. The goal of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of three combined probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, as an adjunct to rehydration therapy in treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in hospitalised children. Eligible diarrheal children were randomised into intervention group (IG, n=96, conventional treatment for diarrhoea in combination with probiotics) and control group (CG, n=98, conventional treatment for diarrhoea without probiotics). The primary assessments of this study were duration of diarrhoea and hospital stay and improvement in diarrhoea symptoms. Significantly more children in the IG showed improvements in diarrhoea (defined as a decrease of stool frequency to no more than four times per day and an improved stool consistency within 24-48 h after the treatment) than those in the CG (96.9 vs 79.6%, P<0.05). Children supplemented with the mixed strains had a 22.5 h shorter (121.4±13.7 h vs 143.9±19.8 h) mean duration of diarrhoea and 1.2 d shorter hospital stays (5.1±1.2 d vs 6.3±1.4 d) than children only receiving the rehydration therapy (P<0.05). The prevalence of constipation of children in the IG (3.1%) was markedly lower (P<0.05) than that of children in the CG (13.3%) after treatment. In conclusion, the mixture of three probiotic strains given to children aged 1-3 years resulted in shorter durations of diarrhoea and hospitalisation and a higher percentage of improved children.

Perioperative intravenous contrast administration and the incidence of acute kidney injury after major gastrointestinal surgery: prospective, multicentre cohort study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the impact of preoperative exposure to intravenous contrast for CT and the risk of developing postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery.

METHODS

This prospective, multicentre cohort study included adults undergoing gastrointestinal resection, stoma reversal or liver resection. Both elective and emergency procedures were included. Preoperative exposure to intravenous contrast was defined as exposure to contrast administered for the purposes of CT up to 7 days before surgery. The primary endpoint was the rate of AKI within 7 days. Propensity score-matched models were adjusted for patient, disease and operative variables. In a sensitivity analysis, a propensity score-matched model explored the association between preoperative exposure to contrast and AKI in the first 48 h after surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 5378 patients were included across 173 centres. Overall, 1249 patients (23·2 per cent) received intravenous contrast. The overall rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery was 13·4 per cent (718 of 5378). In the propensity score-matched model, preoperative exposure to contrast was not associated with AKI within 7 days (odds ratio (OR) 0·95, 95 per cent c.i. 0·73 to 1·21; P = 0·669). The sensitivity analysis showed no association between preoperative contrast administration and AKI within 48 h after operation (OR 1·09, 0·84 to 1·41; P = 0·498).

CONCLUSION

There was no association between preoperative intravenous contrast administered for CT up to 7 days before surgery and postoperative AKI. Risk of contrast-induced nephropathy should not be used as a reason to avoid contrast-enhanced CT.

Multiple-centre clinical evaluation of an ultrafast single-tube assay for SARS-CoV-2 RNA

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the performance of an ultrafast single-tube nucleic acid isothermal amplification detection assay for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA using clinical samples from multiple centres.

METHODS

A reverse transcription recombinase-aided amplification (RT-RAA) assay for SARS-CoV-2 was conducted within 15 minutes at 39°C with portable instruments after addition of extracted RNA. The clinical performance of RT-RAA assay was evaluated using 947 clinical samples from five institutions in four regions of China; approved commercial fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) kits were used for parallel detection. The sensitivity and specificity of RT-RAA were compared and analysed.

RESULTS

The RT-RAA test results of 926 samples were consistent with those of qRT-PCR (330 were positive, 596 negative); 21 results were inconsistent. The sensitivity and specificity of RT-RAA was 97.63% (330/338, 95% confidence interval (CI) 95.21 to 98.90) and 97.87% (596/609, 95% CI 96.28 to 98.81) respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 96.21% (330/343, 95% CI 93.45 to 97.88) and 98.68% (596/604, 95% CI 97.30 to 99.38) respectively. The total coincidence rate was 97.78% (926/947, 95% CI 96.80 to 98.70), and the kappa was 0.952 (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

With comparable sensitivity and specificity to the commercial qRT-PCR kits, RT-RAA assay for SARS-CoV-2 exhibited the distinctive advantages of simplicity and rapidity in terms of operation and turnaround time.

P5392Epicardium derived cells promote sympathetic ganglionic outgrowth towards myocardium in vitro

Background

The autonomic nerve system is essential to maintain homeostasis in the body. In the heart, autonomic innervation is important for adjusting the physiology to the continuously changing demands such as stress responses. After cardiac damage, excessive neurite outgrowth, referred to as autonomic hyperinnervation, can occur which is related to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The cellular basis for this hyperinnervation is as yet unresolved. Here we hypothesize a role for epicardium derived cells (EPDCs) in stimulating sympathetic neurite outgrowth.

Purpose

To investigate the potential role of adult EPDCs in promoting sympathetic ganglionic outgrowth towards adult myocardium.

Method

Fetal murine superior cervical ganglia were dissected and co-cultured with activated adult mesenchymal epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) or/and adult myocardium in a 3D collagen gel culture system. Four experiment groups were included: Group 1: Vehicle cultures (ganglia cultured without EPDC/myocardium) (n=48); Group 2: ganglia co-cultured with EPDCs (n=38); Group 3: ganglia co-cultured with myocardium (n=95); and group 4: ganglia co-cultured with both EPDCs and myocardium (n=96). The occurrence of neurite outgrowth was assessed in each group. The density of neurites that showed directional sprouting (i.e. sprouting towards myocardium) was assessed as well with a semi-automatic quantification method. Finally, sub-analyses were made by taking gender into account.

Results

Cervical ganglia cultured with EPDCs alone (group 2) showed increased neurite outgrowth compared to vehicle cultures (group 1), however the neurites did not show directional sprouting towards EPDCs. When co-cultured with myocardium (group 3), directional neurite outgrowth towards myocardium was observed. Compared to the ganglia-myocardium co-cultures, directional outgrowth was significantly increased in co-cultures combining myocardium and EPDCs (group 4), and the neurite density was also significantly augmented. Comparison between males and female ganglia demonstrated that more neurite outgrowth occurred in female-derived ganglia than in male-derived ganglia under the same co-culture conditions.

Conclusion

Activated adult EPDCs promote sympathetic ganglionic outgrowth in vitro. Sex differences exist in the response of ganglia to EPDCs, and female-derived ganglia appear more sensitive to EPDC-signalling. Results support a role of EPDCs in cardiac autonomic innervation and open avenues for exploring of their role in ventricular hyperinnervation after cardiac damage.

Comparing micropercutaneous nephrolithotomy and retrograde intrarenal surgery in treating 1-2 cm solitary renal stones in pediatric patients younger than 3 years

INTRODUCTION

To compare the effects of micropercutaneous nephrolithotomy (micro-PCNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in treating 1-2 cm solitary renal stones in pediatric patients aged less than 3 years.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on data from 57 children younger than 3 years who received micro-PCNL and RIRS surgery in the authors hospital from October 2016 to August 2018. The patients were divided into group 1, the micro-PCNL group, and group 2, the RIRS group. Peri-operative data including surgical time, number of anesthesia sessions, stone-free rate (SFR), and complications were analyzed.

RESULTS

There were 27 patients in group 1 and 30 patients in group 2, and the patients' mean ages were 19 ± 9.9 months and 21 ± 7.8 months, respectively (P = 0.462). The stone size was 1.6 ± 0.3 cm in group 1 and 1.7 ± 0.2 cm in group 2 (P = 0.217); the mean surgical time was 52 ± 7 min in group 1 and 48 ± 9 min in group 2 (P = 0.163), and the mean lithotripsy time was 21 ± 4 min in group 1 and 23 ± 5 min in group 2 (P = 0.148); and the SFR at 1 month after surgery was 88.9% in group 1 and 86.7% in group 2 (P = 0.799). The number of anesthesia sessions for patients was 1.4 ± 0.5 in group 1 and 2.7 ± 0.5 in group 2 (P < 0.001). The complication rate was 14.8% and 16.7% in group 1 and group 2, respectively (P = 0.714). None of the patients needed conversion to the 12-14 F mini-PCNL.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study showed that the surgical effects and complications from micro-PCNL and RIRS in treating young children with 1-2 cm solitary renal stones were similar. However, micro-PCNL reduced the need to prestent before surgery and allowed lower anesthesia sessions. Therefore, micro-PCNL is an effective alternative method for 1-2 cm solitary renal stones in patients below 3 years of age.

N-doped graphitic biochars from C-phycocyanin extracted Spirulina residue for catalytic persulfate activation toward nonradical disinfection and organic oxidation

Biochars are low-cost and environmental-friendly materials, which are promising in wastewater treatment. In this study, biochars were manufactured from C-phycocyanin extracted (C-CP) Spirulina residue (SDBC) via thermal pyrolysis. Simultaneously, N-doping was also achieved from the protein in the algae for obtaining a high-performance carbocatalyst for peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation. The SDBC yielded large specific surface areas, nitrogen loading, and good conductivity, which demonstrated excellent oxidation efficiencies toward a wide array of aqueous microcontaminants. An in-depth mechanistic study was performed by integrating selective radical scavenging, solvent exchange (H₂O to D₂O), diverse organic probes, and electrochemical measurement, unveiling that SDBC/PDS did not rely on free radicals or singlet oxygen but a nonradical pathway. PDS intimately was bonded with a biochar (SDBC 900-acid, pyrolysis at 900 °C) to form a surface reactive complex that subsequently attacked an organic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) adsorbed on the biochar via an electron-transfer regime. During this process, the SDBC 900-acid played versatile roles in PDS activation, organic accumulation and mediating the electron shuttle from SMX to PDS. This nonradical system can maintain a superior oxidation efficiency in complicated water matrix and long-term stable operation. More importantly, the nonradical species in SDBC 900-acid/PDS system were capable of inactivating the bacteria (Escherichia coli) in wastewater. Therefore, the biochar based nonradical system can provide a mild and high-efficiency strategy for disinfection in waste and drinking water by green carbocatalysis. This study provides not only a value-added biochar catalyst for wastewater purification but also the first insight into the bacteria inactivation via nonradical oxidation.

Multiple abiotic stress, nitrate availability and the growth of wheat

In the field, wheat experiences a combination of physical and nutrient stresses. There has been a tendency to study root impedance and water stress in separation and less is known about how they might interact. In this study, we investigated the effect of root impedance on the growth of three wheat varieties (Cadenza, Xi19 and Battalion) at different levels of nitrate availability, from 0-20 mM nitrate, in sand culture. This model system allows soil strength to be increased while maintaining adequate water availability. In a separate pot experiment, we grew the same wheat varieties in a loamy sand where soil was allowed to dry sufficiently to both reduce water potential and increase root impedance. This pot experiment also had a range of nitrate availabilities 0-20 mM nitrate. Once the seedlings were established we limited water supply to apply a matric potential of approximately -200 kPa to the roots. Soil drying increased the penetrometer resistance from approximately 300 kPa to more than 1 MPa. There were differences between the two experimental systems; growth was smaller in the soil-based experiment compared to the sand culture. However, the effects of the experimental treatment, root impedance or water withholding, relative to the control were comparable. Our data confirmed that leaf elongation in Cadenza (carrying the tall Rht allele) was the most sensitive to root impedance. Leaf stunting occurred irrespective of nitrate availability. Leaf elongation in the Xi19 and Battalion (carrying the semi-dwarf Rht allele) was less sensitive to root impedance and drought than Candenza. We suggest that the critical stress in a pot experiment where the soil was allowed to dry to approximately -200 kPa was root impedance and not water availability.

Making global river ecosystem health assessments objective, quantitative and comparable

Assessing and comparing global river ecosystem health in an objective and quantitative way remains a major challenge. In this study the widely-used semi-quantitative methods Rapid Biological assessment Protocols (RBPs) was used to determine the health of rivers. The findings were then compared to the results derived from our new UAV (Unmanned aerial vehicles) orthophotographic imagery method. This method quantitatively and objectively assesses river ecosystem health. As a comparison, our method was used to quantitatively measure distance and areas of a range of hydrological and biological attributes thus improving the accuracy of distance- and area-related indices, consequently avoiding subjective errors in these estimations that is fraught in methods like the RBPs. To strengthen the objectivity of the assessment the weights of these indices were objectively determined using the entropy weighting method. This new method was then tested using 9551 UAV orthophotographs taken over six field campaigns. It performed satisfactorily, showing that in our study area the health status of mountain rivers was the best with the highest score of 0.94 out of 1.0. Temporally, the health of the river was better in summer (0.65) compared with that in autumn (0.40). Changes in river ecosystem health were driven by variations in biology and water quality. In contrast the outputs of RBPs, especially in relation to distance and area indices, had ~ 20% uncertainty due to visual errors and subjectivity in estimations by observers. The UAV orthophotographic imaging method proposed in this study can improve the ability to compare the health of rivers across different periods and regions throughout the globe.