A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase I clinical trial of rotavirus inactivated vaccine (Vero cell) in a healthy adult population aged 18-49 years to assess safety and preliminary observation of immunogenicity.

We conducted a phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including healthy adults in Sui County, Henan Province, China. Ninety-six adults were randomly assigned to one of three groups (high-dose, medium-dose, and low-dose) at a 3:1 ratio to receive one vaccine dose or placebo. Adverse events up to 28 days after each dose and serious adverse events up to 6 months after all doses were reported. Geometric mean titers and seroconversion rates were measured for anti-rotavirus neutralizing antibodies using microneutralization tests. The rates of total adverse events in the placebo group, low-dose group, medium-dose group, and high-dose group were 29.17 % (12.62 %-51.09 %), 12.50 % (2.66 %-32.36 %), 50.00 % (29.12 %-70.88 %), and 41.67 % (22.11 %-63.36 %), respectively, with no significant difference in the experimental groups compared with the placebo group. The results of the neutralizing antibody assay showed that in the adult group, the neutralizing antibody geometric mean titer at 28 days after full immunization in the low-dose group was 583.01 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 447.12-760.20), that in the medium-dose group was 899.34 (95 % CI: 601.73-1344.14), and that in the high-dose group was 1055.24 (95 % CI: 876.28-1270.75). The GMT of serum-specific IgG at 28 days after full immunization in the low-dose group was 3444.26 (95 % CI: 2292.35-5175.02), that in the medium-dose group was 6888.55 (95 % CI: 4426.67-10719.6), and that in the high-dose group was 7511.99 (95 % CI: 3988.27-14149.0). The GMT of serum-specific IgA at 28 days after full immunization in the low-dose group was 2332.14 (95 % CI: 1538.82-3534.45), that in the medium-dose group was 4800.98 (95 % CI: 2986.64-7717.50), and that in the high-dose group was 3204.30 (95 % CI: 2175.66-4719.27). In terms of safety, adverse events were mainly Grades 1 and 2, indicating that the safety of the vaccine is within the acceptable range in the healthy adult population. Considering the GMT and positive transfer rate of neutralizing antibodies for the main immunogenicity endpoints in the experimental groups, it was initially observed that the high-dose group had higher levels of neutralizing antibodies than the medium- and low-dose groups in adults aged 18-49 years. This novel inactivated rotavirus vaccine was generally well-tolerated in adults, and the vaccine was immunogenic in adults (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04626856).

Mechanisms of norcantharidin against renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis (RTIF) is a common feature and inevitable consequence of all progressive chronic kidney diseases, leading to end-stage renal failure regardless of the initial cause. Although research over the past few decades has greatly improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of RTIF, until now there has been no specific treatment available that can halt the progression of RTIF. Norcantharidin (NCTD) is a demethylated analogue of cantharidin, a natural compound isolated from 1500 species of medicinal insect, the blister beetle (Mylabris phalerata Pallas), traditionally used for medicinal purposes. Many studies have found that NCTD can attenuate RTIF and has the potential to be an anti-RTIF drug. This article reviews the recent progress of NCTD in the treatment of RTIF, with emphasis on the pharmacological mechanism of NCTD against RTIF.

A low-frequency normal conducting cavity with higher-order mode damping for fourth-generation synchrotron radiation sources.

The utilization of a low-frequency (<200 MHz) RF system in storage facilitates the attainment of ultra-low emittances in synchrotron light sources through on-axis injection. This paper focuses on the development of a low-frequency normal conducting (NC) cavity with higher-order mode (HOM) damping for fourth-generation synchrotron light sources. We propose a novel approach to achieve efficient HOM damping in a NC cavity by optimizing the lowest frequency HOM and implementing a beam-line absorber. Notably, unlike conventional NC cavities, the presence of a large beam tube for the beam-line absorber does not compromise the accelerating performance in a coaxial resonant cavity, enabling effective HOM damping while maintaining a high shunt impedance. Through simulations, the prototype design of a 166.6 MHz HOM-damped cavity demonstrates a fundamental mode impedance of ∼8 MΩ, with longitudinal and transverse HOM impedances below 2.0 and 50 kΩ/m, respectively.

Management of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations involves additional factors aside from the diameter of feeding arteries: a 3-year case-case retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are rare but cause various manifestations. Although the diameter of feeding arteries has been linked to treatment decisions, relationships among the characteristics of PAVMs, clinical symptoms, and treatment effect remain unclear. The present study was performed to investigate how collective characteristics of PAVMs relate to clinical symptoms and to provide proper treatment recommendations for patients with PAVMs. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 838,447 patients' radiographic data and medical records from January 2018 to December 2020. Patients were included if a PAVM was radiographically detected for the first time in our hospital. Ordered multivariable logistic regression and hierarchical multiple regression were performed to analyse the relationships between characteristics of PAVMs and various clinical symptoms. We investigated the management of PAVMs in four tertiary university hospitals. RESULTS: Detection rate of PAVMs was 0.025% (207/838,447), and 37.6% of patients (78/207) also had hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia. Eight patients were diagnosed with bilateral diffuse PAVMs. Two hundred thirty-six lesions were detected in 199 patients, and the mean diameter of the feeding artery was 4.13 ± 1.92 mm. Most PAVMs were the simple type and located in the peripheral pulmonary area. In total, 34.3% of patients (71/207) were symptom-free; remaining patients showed various manifestations, and respiratory symptoms were most common (dyspnoea on exertion, 47.8%). The diameter of the feeding artery and the type and the number of PAVMs were correlated with hypoxaemia (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.037, respectively). The collective characteristics of PAVMs were not related to the severity of central nervous system symptoms (largest diameter of feeding artery, P = 0.8; largest diameter of sac, P = 0.42; number of PAVMs, P = 0.35; type of PAVMs, P = 0.99). Various symptoms were greatly relieved after treatment. The hospital investigation showed that management of PAVMs was not generally appreciated in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed a low detection rate of PAVMs and a low degree of association with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia in the general population. Considering the connection between collective characteristics of PAVMs and various clinical symptoms, clinicians should consider the type and number of PAVMs, the largest diameter of the feeding artery, and clinical symptoms when managing patients with PAVMs.

The diagnostic value of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy combined with rapid on-site evaluation in diffuse lung diseases: a prospective and self-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) is varied. Early diagnosis and a specific pathological type could significantly improve the prognosis. Mostly, it is difficult to make the etiology diagnosis of ILD through traditional biopsy methods. It will be of great significance to explore an effective biopsy method. METHODS: The prospective study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic value of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBCB) combined with rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), compared with conventional transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB), in a large sample of ILD patients. All patients enrolled will undergo both TBLB and TBCB procedures. The study will observe the differences in the diagnostic efficiency of pathological typing and incidence of operation-related complications between TBCB and TBLB. Besides, it will analyze the relationship between the time of biopsy and the incidence of complications, the relationship between freezing time, size of specimen, and complications. And it will evaluate the consistency of pathological, clinical, and radiology. DISCUSSION: It may be the first time that ROSE technique will be used in the diagnosis of ILD. The results of this study will clarify the value of TBCB in the diagnosis of ILD and confirm its safety and effectiveness, which is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of diagnosis in ILD patients. TRAIL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry website ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=57834 ) (Registration number: ChiCTR2000035492).

Chest high-resolution computed tomography can make higher accurate stages for thoracic sarcoidosis than X-ray.

BACKGROUND: To explore if chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) can make higher accurate stages for thoracic sarcoidosis stage than X-ray (CRX) only. METHODS: Clinical data from medical records of consecutive patients with a confirmed diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 1 2012 to December 31 2016 and consecutive patients treated at the Sarcoidosis Center of University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Ohio, USA from January 1 2010 to December 31 2015 were reviewed. The clinical records of 227 patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis (140 Chinese and 87 American) were reviewed. Their sarcoidosis stage was determined by three thoracic radiologists based on CXR and HRCT presentations, respectively. The stage determined from CXR was compared with that determined from HRCT. RESULTS: Overall, 50.2% patients showed discordant sarcoidosis stage between CXR and HRCT (52.9% in Chinese and 44.8% in American, respectively). The primary reason for inconsistent stage between CXR and HRCT was failure to detect mediastinal lymph node enlargement in the shadow of the heart in CXR (22.1%) and small nodules because of the limited resolution of CXR (56.6%). Stage determined from HRCT negatively correlated with carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) significantly (P < .01) but stage determined from CXR did not. Pleural involvement was detected by HRCT in 58 (25.6%) patients but only in 17 patients (7.5%) by CXR. Patients with pleural involvement had significantly lower forced vital capacity and DLCO than patients without it (both P < .05). CONCLUSION: Revised staging criteria based on HRCT presentations included 5 stages with subtypes in the presence of pleural involvement were proposed. Thoracic sarcoidosis can be staged more accurately based on chest HRCT presentations than based on CXR presentations. Pleural involvement can be detected more accurately by HRCT.

Clinical outcomes of vinorelbine loading CalliSpheres beads in the treatment of previously treated advanced lung cancer with progressive refractory obstructive atelectasis.

Background: Drug-eluting beads bronchial arterial chemoembolization (DEB-BACE) has been used in the treatment of locally advanced lung cancer and has the potential to improve outcomes and reduce recurrence. However, DEB-BACE shows a poor therapeutic effect in advanced lung cancer after failure of multiple therapies. This study assessed the effect of DEB-BACE in the treatment of progressive lung cancer with refractory obstructive atelectasis. Methods: Progressive advanced lung cancer patients with refractory obstructive atelectasis were voluntarily enrolled in this study after failure of multiple conventional therapies. Baseline information, DEB-BACE treatment process, and changes in clinical symptoms were recorded. The primary endpoints were the objective response rate (ORR) and improvement rate of dyspnea. The secondary endpoints were time-to-progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and rate of pulmonary re-expansion. Treatment-related adverse events and serious adverse events were analyzed to assess the safety of DEB-BACE. The Cox regression model was performed to analyze the possible factors impacting prognosis of DEB-BACE. Results: DEB-BACE was successfully performed with CalliSpheres beads loaded with vinorelbine in the 20 enrolled patients. ORR and disease control rate were 80% and 85%, respectively, at the first follow-up (43.4 ± 15.26 days). The improvement rate of dyspnea was 85% and 80% at 1 week and 1 month (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001), respectively. TTP was 41.25 ± 14.43 days and 89.55 ± 61.7 days before and after DEB-BACE, respectively; DEB-BACE delayed the progression of advanced lung cancer (p < 0.0001). OS was 238.03 ± 33.74 days (95% confidence interval: 171.9-304.16). The rate of pulmonary re-expansion was 80% at the first follow-up. The reasons for poor prognosis were tumor necrosis, longer disease duration, and pulmonary atelectasis duration (p = 0.012, p = 0.038, p = 0.029). Massive hemoptysis was observed in two cases, and one patient died of asphyxia caused by hemoptysis. Moderate hemoptysis occurred in one case. All three adverse events were considered as the result of the tumor cavity after DEB-BACE. Conclusion: DEB-BACE loaded with vinorelbine is a feasible option for progressive advanced lung cancer with obstructive atelectasis after failure of other treatments.

Correlations between hippocampal functional connectivity, structural changes, and clinical data in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a case-control study using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging.

Multiple sclerosis is associated with structural and functional brain alterations leading to cognitive impairments across multiple domains including attention, memory, and the speed of information processing. The hippocampus, which is a brain important structure involved in memory, undergoes microstructural changes in the early stage of multiple sclerosis. In this study, we analyzed hippocampal function and structure in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and explored correlations between the functional connectivity of the hippocampus to the whole brain, changes in local brain function and microstructure, and cognitive function at rest. We retrospectively analyzed data from 20 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients admitted to the Department of Neurology at the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, China, from April 2015 to November 2019. Sixteen healthy volunteers were recruited as the healthy control group. All participants were evaluated using a scale of extended disability status and the Montreal cognitive assessment within 1 week before and after head diffusion tensor imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Compared with the healthy control group, the patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis had lower Montreal cognitive assessment scores and regions of simultaneously enhanced and attenuated whole-brain functional connectivity and local functional connectivity in the bilateral hippocampus. Hippocampal diffusion tensor imaging data showed that, compared with the healthy control group, patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis had lower hippocampal fractional anisotropy values and higher mean diffusivity values, suggesting abnormal hippocampal structure. The left hippocampus whole-brain functional connectivity was negatively correlated with the Montreal cognitive assessment score (r = -0.698, P = 0.025), and whole-brain functional connectivity of the right hippocampus was negatively correlated with extended disability status scale score (r = -0.649, P = 0.042). The mean diffusivity value of the left hippocampus was negatively correlated with the Montreal cognitive assessment score (r = -0.729, P = 0.017) and positively correlated with the extended disability status scale score (r = 0.653, P = 0.041). The right hippocampal mean diffusivity value was positively correlated with the extended disability status scale score (r = 0.684, P = 0.029). These data suggest that the functional connectivity and presence of structural abnormalities in the hippocampus in patients with relapse-remission multiple sclerosis are correlated with the degree of cognitive function and extent of disability. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, China (approval No. 201702202) on February 22, 2017.

Protumor Effects of Histone H3-H4 Chaperone Antisilencing Feature 1B Gene on Lung Adenocarcinoma: In Silico and In Vitro Analyses.

BACKGROUND: ASF1B is a member of the histone H3-H4 chaperone antisilencing feature 1 (ASF1). ASF1B reportedly acts as an oncogene in several cancers including, breast cancer and cervical cancer. To date, the role of ASF1B in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is not elucidated. METHODS: The TCGA database, containing data for 33 cancer types, was used to explore the dysregulation and prognostic value of the ASF1B gene in pan-cancer data. R software packages and public databases/webservers were applied for bioinformatics and statistical analyses. Using in vitro models, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence were utilized to investigate if BCAR1 interacted with ASF1B in LUAD. Further, transfection experiments were performed to validate the expression pattern of ASF1B in LUAD and examine its regulating role in tumor-associated processes including tumor cell proliferation and migration. RESULTS: ASF1B was found to be significantly elevated in LUAD and the majority of cancer types, except PCPG (pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma). The overexpression of ASF1B was associated with worse prognostic outcomes in most cancer types including LUAD. ASF1B was associated with lymph node metastasis, and in vitro, it promoted the proliferation and migration of LUAD cells. ASF1B knockdown suppressed LUAD cell proliferation and migration and also diminished the expression of cell cycle, metastasis, and EMT signaling-associated proteins. BCAR1 was found positively correlated and interacting with ASF1B, and BCAR1 overexpression reversed the effects of ASF1B knockdown in LUAD cells. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that ASF1B plays a significant role in the tumor progression of LUAD and BCAR1 mediates the tumor-promotive effects of ASF1B, acting as an intermediate protein. Therefore, the ASF1B/BCAR1 axis might be regarded as a putative therapeutic target for LUAD.

Common trunk of the right accessory renal artery and right inferior phrenic artery originating from the thoracic artery: An unreported variation.

Accessory renal arteries (ARAs) are common and usually originate from the abdominal aorta and the renal artery. Inferior phrenic arteries (IPAs) can also arise from the abdominal aorta or its branches. In this paper, we present the first case of a common trunk of the right ARA and right IPA arising from the thoracic artery at the level of T10, which was discovered by multidetector-row computed tomography in pretherapeutic evaluation and clearly confirmed by selective angiography. It is important to recognize this anatomical variation when performing cardiovascular and interventional radiological procedures.

Predictors of Mortality in Progressive Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases.

Background: Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) share similar progression phenotype but with different pathophysiological mechanism. The purpose of this study was to assess clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with PF-ILD in a single-center cohort. Methods: Patients with PF-ILD treated in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from Jan. 2013 to Dec. 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes were collected for survival analysis to identifying clinical predictors of mortality. Results: Among 608 patients with ILD, 132 patients met the diagnostic criteria for PF-ILD. In this single-center cohort, there were 51 (38.6%) cases with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) and 45 (34.1%) with unclassifiable ILDs. During follow-up, 83 patients (62.9%) either died (N = 79, 59.8%) or underwent lung transplantations (N = 4, 3.0%) with a median duration follow-up time of 53.7 months. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that the 1, 3 and 5-years survival of PF-ILD were 90.9, 58.8 and 48.1%, respectively. In addition, the prognosis of patients with PF-ILD was similar to those with IPF, while it was worse than non-PF-ILD ones. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scores (HR 1.684, 95% CI 1.017-2.788, p = 0.043) and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) > 36.5 mmHg (HR 3.619, 95%CI 1.170-11.194, p = 0.026) were independent risk factors for the mortality of PF-ILD. Conclusion: Extent of fibrotic changes on HRCT and pulmonary hypertension were predictors of mortality in patients with PF-ILD.

Massive haemorrhagic complications of ruptured pulmonary arteriovenous malformations: outcomes from a 12 years' retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The life-threatening haemorrhagic complications of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are extremely rare, and only described in isolated cases. This study was designed to comprehensively investigate management of ruptured PAVMs. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed clinical and imaging data of ruptured PAVMs to summarize incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes following embolisation between January 2008 and January 2021. RESULTS: Eighteen of 406 (4.4%) patients with PAVMs developed haemorrhagic complications. Twelve of 18 patients were clinically diagnosed with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Haemorrhagic complications occurred with no clear trigger in all cases. Eight of 18 patients (44.4%) were initially misdiagnosed or had undergone early ineffective treatment. 28 lesions were detected, with 89.3% of them located in peripheral lung. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed indirect signs to indicate ruptured PAVMs in all cases. Lower haemoglobin concentrations were associated with the diameter of afferent arteries in the ruptured lesions. Successful embolotherapy was achieved in all cases. After embolotherapy, arterial oxygen saturation improved and bleeding was controlled (P < 0.05). The mean follow-up time was 3.2 ± 2.5 years (range, 7 months to 10 years). CONCLUSIONS: Life threatening haemorrhagic complications of PAVMs are rare, they usually occur without a trigger and can be easily misdiagnosed. HHT and larger size of afferent arteries are major risk factors of these complications. CTA is a useful tool for diagnosis and therapeutic guidance for ruptured PAVMs. Embolotherapy is an effective therapy for this life-threatening complication.

Low dose contrast media in step-and-shoot coronary angiography with third-generation dual-source computed tomography: feasibility of using 30 mL of contrast media in patients with body surface area <1.7 m2.

BACKGROUND: Reducing contrast media volume in coronary computed tomography angiography minimizes the risk of adverse events but may compromise diagnostic image quality. We aimed to evaluate coronary computed tomography angiography's diagnostic image quality while using 30 mL of contrast media in patients with a body surface area <1.7 m2. METHODS: This prospective study included patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography from May 2018 to June 2019. The patients were divided into a low-dose group, who received 30 mL of contrast media, and a routine-dose group, who received contrast media based on body weight. Patient characteristics, coronary computed tomography angiography results, and quantitative and qualitative image results were assessed and compared. RESULTS: In total, 103 patients with a body surface area <1.7 m2 were 53 in the low-dose group and 50 in the routine-dose group. Sex, age, body surface area, body weight, and heart rate were similar between the groups (P>0.05). A contrast media volume of 30±0 mL was used for the low-dose group, and 41.62±4.59 mL was used for the routine-dose group. The low-dose group's computed tomography values were significantly different from those of the routine-dose group (P<0.05). The radiologists demonstrated agreement regarding diagnostic image quality and accuracy (kappa =0.91 and 0.85, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Using 30 mL of contrast media for coronary computed tomography angiography in patients with a body surface area <1.7 m2 provided a suitable diagnostic image quality for coronary artery disease diagnosis. Although radiation doses were similar between the groups, the decreased contrast media volume was likely beneficial for the patients.

[Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Carbon Loss in Purple Soil Sloping Fields with Different Fertilization Treatments].

The characteristics of dissolved organic carbon loss with different fertilization treatments were examined to derive the best nutrient management method for sloping farmland in the Three Gorges Reservoir area where maintaining the soil carbon balance and reducing environmental pollution caused by carbon loss is crucial. Experimental runoff plots were set up at the Experimental Station for Soil and Water Conservation and Environmental Research in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Chinese Academy of Sciences, involving the following five treatments:No fertilization (CK), conventional fertilization (conventional), optimum fertilization (optimum), biochar combined with 85% optimum fertilizer (biochar), and straw combined with 85% optimum fertilizer (straw). The effects of the five treatments on runoff flux, sediment yield, and soil organic carbon flux were monitored and evaluated. Results show that:①Subsurface flow accounted for 52.84%-92.23% of the runoff (both surface and subsurface flow) and the loss flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the subsurface accounted for 43.64%-87.35% of the total loss flux. Thus, in this sloping farmland, subsurface flow was the main pathway of runoff and dominated dissolved organic carbon transport. ②Compared with the optimum treatment, straw treatment reduced the surface runoff flux, sediment yield, surface loss flux of DOC, and loss flux of organic carbon in the sediment by 30.39%, 39.41%, 28.71%, and 23.97%, respectively, but increased the subsurface runoff flux and loss flux of DOC. Compared with the optimum treatment, the biochar treatment significantly increased the surface and subsurface runoff flux, sediment yield, loss flux of DOC in the surface and subsurface, and the loss flux of organic carbon in the sediment. ③The loss flux of DOC accounted for 99.31%-99.94% of the loss flux of soil organic carbon, and DOC was the major species of organic carbon in the organic carbon loss in this type of sloping farmland. The loss flux of DOC under the different fertilization treatments was ranked biochar > optimum > straw > conventional > CK. ④Compared to the optimum treatment, the straw treatment and biochar treatment increased the soil organic carbon (SOC) content by 95.79% and 32.16%, respectively. Based on these results, straw combined with 85% of optimum fertilizer is the best nutrient management method for this sloping farmland as it can reduce surface runoff flux, sediment yield, and the loss flux of soil organic carbon while increasing the soil organic carbon content.

[Effect of Biochar and Chemical Fertilizer Mixture on Ammonia Volatilization and Phosphorus Fixation].

In order to explore biochar fertilizer addition, two types of industrial wastes (YM) and lees (JZ) and agricultural waste corn stover (JG) were used as the raw materials to make biochar, and the biochar was modified to make smoke-modified biochar (M-YM). The culture test method was used to study the law of ammonia volatilization and phosphorus fixation over a certain period of time with the different fertilizer ratios of the four biochars. We aimed to provide a scientific basis for the agricultural utilization of biochar. The results show that:① The cumulative volatilization and volatilization rate of ammonia of the four kinds of biochar with different fertilizer ratios were as follows:A1 > A2 > A3 (A1:2.25 g urea; A2:2.25g urea +2.25 g chlorination potassium; A3:2.25 g urea +2.25 g potassium dihydrogen phosphate). The addition of potassium chloride and potassium dihydrogen phosphate in urea reduced ammonia volatilization, and the cumulative ammonia volatilization and volatilization rate of different biochars under all chemical fertilizer ratios was JZ > M-YM > YM > JG; ② The amount of phosphorus by biochars fixation under the B1, B2, and B3 treatments (B1:0.4 g potassium dihydrogen phosphate; B2:0.4 g potassium dihydrogen phosphate +0.3 g urea; B3:0.4 g potassium dihydrogen phosphate +0.3 g potassium chloride) all increased and then decreased. Then, the fixation amount of phosphorus not significantly changed in period from 30th to 60th day. Among four biochar, the fixation rate of phosphorus was the highest under the B1 treatment.With the ratios of B1, B2, and B3 fertilizers, the order of the fixation rate of the four biochars to phosphorus was:M-YM > YM > JG > JZ. Therefore, in order to reduce the volatilization of ammonia in nitrogen fertilizers in agricultural fertilization, potassium chloride and potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be added to urea. At the same time, in the fixation of phosphorus, increasing the particle size of biochar may weaken the phosphorous fixation ability.

Association of Midkine and Pleiotrophin Gene Polymorphisms With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Susceptibility in Chinese Han Population.

In a previous study, we have reported an increased plasma midkine (MK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) concentrations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the increase in MK and PTN associated with inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-17 level and some clinical manifestations, suggesting the underlying association of MK and PTN with SLE. This study was conducted to investigate the association between common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MK and PTN gene and SLE susceptibility. A total of 989 subjects (496 SLE patients and 493 healthy controls) were included and genotyped for three MK SNPs and seven PTN SNPs in using improved multiple ligase detection reaction (iMLDR). Results have demonstrated no significant differences for genotype and allele frequencies in all 10 SNPs between SLE patients and healthy controls. Case-only analysis in SLE revealed that, in MK gene, the genotype frequency of AA/AG (rs35324223) was significantly lower in patients with photosensitivity than those without; the allele frequency of A/G (rs20542) was significantly higher in patients without serositis. In PTN gene, the A/G allele frequency (rs322236), C/T allele frequency, and TT/CT genotype frequency (rs6970141) showed significantly increased results in patients with immunological disorder compared to those without. Furthermore, no significant differences in plasma MK and PTN concentrations with its SNPs genotypes were found. MK and PTN SNPs showed no associations with SLE genetic susceptibility, but it may be associated with the course of this disease; further studies are needed to focus on the mechanism of MK and PTN genes in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Expression of several long noncoding RNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

PURPOSE: Accumulating evidence has linked long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. This study aimed to detect the expression levels of five lncRNAs (lnc0640, lnc3643, lnc5150, lnc7514 and lncagf) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as well as their correlation with clinical and laboratory features. MATERIALS/METHODS: We recruited 76 patients with SLE and 71 normal controls into the present study, and obtained PBMCs from the blood samples of all study subjects. Expression levels of lncRNAs were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and their associations with clinical and laboratory characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: Lnc5150 expression levels were statistically significantly decreased (Z=-6.016, P < 0.001) compared with normal controls. Lnc3643 levels were also statistically significantly decreased in SLE patients with proteinuria compared with those without (Z=-2.934, P = 0.003), and the lnc7514 levels were statistically significantly lower in anti-dsDNA(+) patients compared with anti-dsDNA(-) patients. The expression levels of lnc3643 were correlated with C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), lnc7514 was correlated with disease activity and ESR (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The aberrant lncRNA expression levels and their associations with laboratory features in SLE suggest their important role in SLE pathogenesis.