[Effects of Application of Different Organic Materials on Phosphorus Accumulation and Transformation in Vegetable Fields]

Presently, the improvement of soil organic matter is the basis to ensure food security, but the accumulation and transformation characteristics of soil phosphorus (P) as affected by organic matter remain unclear. The accumulation, transformation, and migration characteristics of soil P in different soil layers of vegetable fields were researched under the application of organic materials. Six treatments were set up in the experiment:control (no fertilization), traditional fertilizer application by farmers, biochar, chicken manure, food waste, and straw application. Available phosphorus (Olsen-P), water-soluble phosphorus (CaCl2-P) content, soil phosphorus forms, soil organic matter (SOM), and pH were determined during the pepper harvest period. In the 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm soil layers, the available phosphorus content of traditional fertilization of farmers was higher, and the available phosphorus content of the four organic materials was in the order of straw > biochar > chicken manure > food waste. Compared to that with food waste, the straw and biochar treatments increased soil available phosphorus by 59.6%-67.3% and 29.1%-36.9%, respectively. The straw treatment could easily enhance the soil labile P pool, and soil labile P in the 0-5 cm soil layer increased by 47.3% and 35.1% compared with that under the chicken manure and food waste treatments, respectively. With the increase in soil depth, the proportion of available phosphorus in the chicken manure treatment decreased the least, and available phosphorus of the 20-30 cm soil layer accounted for 55.9% of the topsoil layer but only accounted for 16.0%-34.0% under treatment with the other three materials. Compared with that under the traditional fertilization of farmers, the pH significantly increased by 0.18-0.36 units after the application of organic fertilizer, and the pH of the chicken manure and food waste treatments was significantly higher than that of biochar and straw (P < 0.05). SOM content under the biochar treatment significantly increased by 7.7%-17.6% compared to that under the other three organic materials. Among the four organic materials, the straw treatment boosted the labile P pool the most, which was conducive to the rapid increase in plant-available P. Phosphorus was most likely to migrate downward under the chicken manure treatment. In the field management based on soil fertility enhancement, the application of biochar could not only improve soil pH and SOM but also avoid excessive accumulation of phosphorus in the surface layer, which decreases environmental risks.

Shengjiang Xiexin Decoction ameliorates antibiotic-associated diarrhea by altering the gut microbiota and intestinal metabolic homeostasis

BACKGROUND

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) has had a significant increase in the last years, with limited available effective therapies. Shengjiang Xiexin Decoction (SXD), a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula for treating diarrhea, is a promising alternative for reducing the incidence of AAD.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of SXD on AAD and to investigate its potential therapeutic mechanism by integrated analysis of the gut microbiome and intestinal metabolic profile.

METHODS

16S rRNA sequencing analysis of the gut microbiota and untargeted-metabolomics analysis of feces were performed. The mechanism was further explored by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).

RESULTS

SXD could effectively ameliorate AAD symptoms and restore intestinal barrier function. In addition, SXD could significantly improve the diversity of the gut microbiota and accelerate the recovery of the gut microbiota. At the genus level, SXD significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides spp (p < 0.01) and decreased the relative abundance of Escherichia_Shigela spp (p < 0.001). Untargeted metabolomics showed that SXD significantly improved gut microbiota and host metabolic function, particularly bile acid metabolism and amino acid metabolism.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that SXD could extensively modulate the gut microbiota and intestinal metabolic homeostasis to treat AAD.

[Carbon Dioxide Mitigation Co-effect Analysis of Structural Adjustment Measures in the "2+26" Cities in the Jing-Jin-Ji Region and Its Surroundings]

The Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense Battle states that structural adjustments of industrial, energy, transportation, and land use are important to significantly reduce CO₂ and air pollutant emissions. This co-effect is evident but has not been quantified at the city-cluster level. This study developed an emission inventory for the "2+26" cities of the Jing-Jin-Ji region and its surroundings and quantitatively analyzed the impacts of measures in the Three-Year Action Plan for Winning the Blue Sky Defense Battle on the emissions of CO₂ and major air pollutants using Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies in the "2+26" cities model (GAINS-JJJ). The results showed that in the "2+26" cities, the emission reductions in CO₂, primary PM_2.5, SO₂, NO_x, and NH₃ under policy scenario 2020 were 29.1 Mt (equivalent to 2% of the emissions in 2017), 203.8 (21%), 281.8 (27%), 485.5 (17%), and 34.3 kt (3%), respectively, relative to 2017. In terms of the cities or sectors, the higher the pollutant emissions, the higher the reduction achieved. The CO₂ mitigation co-effect results showed that industrial adjustment measures, such as eliminating backward production capacity, upgrades on industrial boilers, and phasing out small and polluting factories, contributed the most to the co-effect of CO₂ emission reduction, whereas NO_x presented the highest co-effects, with CO₂ among the different air pollutants.

[Investigation on prevention and treatment status of VTE in pregnant women of general hospitals and specialized hospitals in China]

Objective: To investigate the prevention and treatment status of venous thromboembolism (VTE) of pregnant women in general hospitals and specialized hospitals in China. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey about VTE prevention and treatment in 112 hospitals across China from January 1st to December 31st, 2019, including general information, resource accessibility, hospital system and strategy. According to the characteristics, the hospitals were divided into general hospital group (70 hospitals) and specialized hospital group (42 hospitals). The basic information, VTE diagnosis and treatment resources, prevention systems and the preference of the VTE risk assessment form of the two groups were compared. Logistic regression was used to analyze the proportion of VTE incidence and related factors in the two groups of hospitals. Results: (1) The median annual delivery volume of the general hospital group was significantly lower than that of the specialized hospital group (3 428 vs 9 969 cases, P<0.01), the diagnostic accessibility of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) was significantly higher than that of the specialized hospital [92.9% (65/70) vs 59.5% (25/42), P<0.01], and the proportion of obstetric VTE risk assessment was significantly higher than that of the specialized hospital group [85.7% (60/70) vs 66.7% (28/42), P=0.017]. (2) Among the 88 hospitals using the VTE risk assessment sheet, the utilization rate of the evaluation sheet recommended by the obstetric VTE guideline in specialized hospitals (78.6%, 22/28) was higher than that of general hospitals (48.3%, 29/60), and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.007). (3) The proportion of VTE incidence in general hospital group was 0.126% (360/286 517), and the proportion of VTE incidence in specialized hospital group was 0.032% (154/484 111). Logistic regression analysis showed that the OR value of the specialized hospital group was 0.253 (95%CI: 0.209-0.305) and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01) compared with the general hospital group. After adjusting the hospital level, B-ultrasonography and CTPA accessibility, whether to establish a risk assessment and obstetric VTE system, the proportion of VTE incidence in specialized hospitals was still lower than that in general hospitals (OR=0.307, 95%CI: 0.251-0.376, P<0.01). Conclusions: General hospitals have higher access to resources for diagnosing VTE than specialized hospitals, and the VTE evaluation system is better implemented. The utilization rate of the obstetric VTE guidelines in specialized hospitals is higher than that of general hospitals.

[Application of nuclear magnetic dispersion weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient in the identification of benign]

Objective:To determine the diagnostic role of diffusionweighted imaging(DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient（ADC） under different b values in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules by using postoperative histopathological results were taken as the reference standard. Method: From January 2017 to June 2018, 64 patients with thyroid nodules diagnosed by ultrasound in the head and neck surgery of Shanxi Cancer Hospital were collected, and a total of 80 nodules were collected. The Philips 3.0T superconducting magnetic resonance imaging system was used for T1 weighting, T2 weighting, and DWI horizontal axis scanning imaging. The b values were 300, 500, 800 and 1 000 s/mm², respectively. Taking postoperative histopathological results as the reference standard, the ADC values of thyroid nodules of all subjects were calculated and compared, and the working characteristics(ROC) curves of all subjects with b values were drawn, the area under the curve was calculated, and the threshold value of differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules was obtained. Result:A total of 80 nodules, 33 malignant and 43 benign were excluded, including 1 diffuse b-cell non-hodgkin's lymphoma, 2 parathyroid cysts, and 1 pure cystic patient. A total of 76 nodules were included. When b values were 300, 500, 800 and 1 000 s/mm², the average ADC values of malignant nodules were(1.498±0.210) ×10⁻³mm²/s, (1.311±0.190) ×10⁻³mm²/s, (1.134±0.170) ×10⁻³mm²/s, (0.972±0150) ×10⁻³mm²/s. The mean ADC values of benign nodules were(2.207±0.390) ×10⁻³mm²/s, (1.928±0.430) ×10⁻³mm²/s, (1.702±0.410) ×10⁻³mm²/s,(1.557±0.420) ×10⁻³mm²/s. At the same b value, the average ADC value of malignant nodules was lower than that of benign nodules, and the difference was statistically significant(t values were 9.279,7.641,7.301,7.569, P values were 0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000). The average ADC values of the benign and malignant nodules decreased with the increase of b value, and the difference was statistically significant(the F values of the benign and malignant groups were 210.091 and 353.822, respectively，P values are 0.000, 0.000). Under different b values, the area(AUC) of ROC curve is 0.927,0.884,0.878,0.901,and 95%CI are 0.862-0.993,0.804-0.956,0.794-0.962 and 0.829-0.972, respectively. When b value is 300 s/mm², AUC is the largest, indicating that it is the best indicator to distinguish benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The diagnostic threshold of benign and malignant nodules is 1.802×10⁻³mm²/s. Specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 95.00%,86.11%,90.79%,93.94% and 88.37%, respectively. Conclusion: DWI is a noninvasive diagnostic tool used to identify benign and malignant thyroid nodules. It can help to make a definite diagnosis before surgery and reduce the unnecessary burden of surgery.

Role of electronic structure in the martensitic phase transition of Ni2Mn(1+x)Sn(1-x) studied by hard-X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Ab initio calculation

We have revealed the underlying mechanism of the martensitic phase transition (MPT) in a new class of ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, Ni2Mn1+xSn1-x, by the combination of bulk-sensitive hard-x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and a first-principles density-functional calculation. The Ni 3d e{g} state in the cubic phase systematically shifts towards the Fermi energy with an increase in the number of Mn atoms substituted in the Sn sites. An abrupt decrease of the intensity of the Ni 3d e{g} states upon MPT for x=0.36-0.42 has been observed in the vicinity of the Fermi level. The energy shift of the Ni 3d minority-spin e{g} state in the cubic phase originates from hybridization with the antiferromagnetically coupled Mn in the Sn site. Below the MPT temperature, the Ni 3d state splits into two levels located below and above the Fermi energy in order to achieve an energetically stable state.

On-line lung volume measurement during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation

OBJECTIVE: A bag-in-box system using a closed-circuit helium-dilution technique was used to determine the functional residual capacity during conventional mechanical ventilation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the bag-in-box system could be used to measure mean lung volume without interrupting high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. DESIGN: Laboratory study. SETTING: Hospital intensive care medical research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Six mechanical lung models and ten New Zealand adult rabbits. INTERVENTIONS: The bag-in-box system was introduced into the respiratory circuit during the study. The rabbits were randomly divided into a healthy group and an acute lung injury group. Acute lung injury was induced by intravenously infusing oleic acid during conventional mechanical ventilation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In a lung model study, a series of rebreathing processes were performed. By measuring the helium concentration in each process, the rebreathing time needed for equilibration was found to be about 50 secs. We compared the measured volume with a known lung volume to test the method's accuracy. The volumes differed by -0.5% to 4.4%. Measured and known volumes of different size lung models correlated well (p <.001). Equilibration of helium in the system occurred after 40-50 secs of rebreathing in healthy rabbits and 30-40 secs of rebreathing in rabbits with acute lung injury. Of 45 mean lung volume determinations in ten rabbits, the coefficient of variation ranged from 0.5% to 6.5%. When mean airway pressure changed, the mean lung volume alteration was detected by the method, but it was inconsistent in each mean airway pressure variation. CONCLUSION: A bag-in-box apparatus using a helium-dilution technique could be evaluated as a method to measure gas-containing lung volumes ranging from 10 to 60 mL in patients receiving high-frequency oscillatory ventilation.