Changes in source composition of wet nitrate deposition after air pollution control in a typical area of Southeast China.

In recent years, China has adopted numerous policies and regulations to control NOx emissions to further alleviate the adverse impacts of NO3--N deposition. However, the variation in wet NO3--N deposition under such policies is not clear. In this study, the southeastern area, with highly developed industries and traditional agriculture, was selected to explore the variation in NO3--N deposition and its sources changes after such air pollution control through field observation and isotope tracing. Results showed that the annual mean concentrations of NO3--N in precipitation were 0.67 mg L-1 and 0.54 mg L-1 in 2014-2015 and 2021-2022, respectively. The average wet NO3--N depositions in 2014-2015 and 2021-2022 was 7.76 kg N ha-1 yr-1 and 5.03 kg N ha-1 yr-1, respectively, indicating a 35% decrease. The δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3- values were lower in warm seasons and higher in cold seasons, and both showed a lower trend in 2021-2022 compared with 2014-2015. The Bayesian model results showed that the NOx emitted from coal-powered plants contributed 53.6% to wet NO3--N deposition, followed by vehicle exhaust (22.9%), other sources (17.1%), and soil emissions (6.4%) during 2014-2015. However, the contribution of vehicle exhaust (33.3%) overpassed the coal combustion (32.3%) and followed by other sources (25.4%) and soil emissions (9.0%) in 2021-2022. Apart from the control of air pollution, meteorological factors such as temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation are closely related to the changes in atmospheric N transformation and deposition. The results suggest phased achievements in air pollution control and that more attention should be paid to the control of motor vehicle exhaust pollution in the future, at the same time maintaining current actions and supervision of coal-powered plants.

Comprehensive analysis of circular RNA-associated competing endogenous RNA networks and immune infiltration in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNA (circRNA) has been proved to be an important regulator of gastric cancer (GC). However, the role and regulatory mechanism of circrna related competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in GC have not been established. METHODS: CircRNA data and clinical data were obtained from the GEO and TCGA databases. The ceRNA networks were constructed and a function enrichment analysis was completed. Additionally, correlations between hub genes expression, immune cell infiltration, and clinical phenotypes were determined. The differentially expressed circRNAs and their downstream microRNAs (miRNAs) were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the hub genes were validated by western blot analysis. The migration and invasion ability of overexpressed hsa_circ_0002504 was determined by a transwell assay. RESULTS: The ceRNA network contained 2 circRNAs, 3 miRNAs, and 55 messenger RNAs (mRNAs). 323 biological processes terms, 53 cellular components terms, 51 molecular functions terms, and 4 signaling pathways were revealed by the function enrichment analysis. The GSEA analysis revealed that the hub genes were positively correlated with the axon guidance and adhesion molecules pathways. The correlation analysis revealed that overexpressed EPHA4 and KCNA1 indicated poor tissue differentiation and were associated with clinically advanced stages of GC. The in vitro experiments showed that hsa_circ_0002504 was significantly down-regulated in GC cell lines. In addition, the overexpression of hsa_circ_0002504 led to a significant downregulation of hsa-miR-615-5p and hsa-miR-767-5p, as well as an upregulation of EPHA4, KCNA1, and NCAM1. Furthermore, it suppressed the migration and invasion ability of GC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Hsa_circ_0002504 is a potential diagnostic biomarker for GC. High expression of EPHA4 and KCNA1 may indicate poor prognosis.

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-based multimodal radiomics modeling for fibrosis detection in chronic kidney disease.

OBJECTIVES: To predict kidney fibrosis in patients with chronic kidney disease using radiomics of two-dimensional ultrasound (B-mode) and Sound Touch Elastography (STE) images in combination with clinical features. METHODS: The Mindray Resona 7 ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus with SC5-1U convex array probe (bandwidth frequency of 1-5 MHz) was used to perform two-dimensional ultrasound and STE software. The severity of cortical tubulointerstitial fibrosis was divided into three grades: mild interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA), fibrotic area < 25%; moderate IFTA, fibrotic area 26-50%; and severe IFTA, fibrotic area > 50%. After extracting radiomics from B-mode and STE images in these patients, we analyzed two classification schemes: mild versus moderate-to-severe IFTA, and mild-to-moderate versus severe IFTA. A nomogram was constructed based on multiple logistic regression analyses, combining clinical and radiomics. The performance of the nomogram for differentiation was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC), calibration, and decision curves. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients undergoing kidney biopsy were enrolled (mild IFTA: n = 74; moderate IFTA: n = 33; severe IFTA: n = 43) and randomized into training (n = 105) and validation cohorts (n = 45). To differentiate between mild and moderate-to-severe IFTA, a nomogram incorporating STE radiomics, albumin, and estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) rate achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85-0.97) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.77-0.98) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Between mild-to-moderate and severe IFTA, the nomogram incorporating B-mode and STE radiomics features, age, and eGFR achieved an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.89-0.98) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70-0.95) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Finally, we performed a decision curve analysis and found that the nomogram using both radiomics and clinical features exhibited better predictability than any other model (DeLong test, p < 0.05 for the training and validation cohorts). CONCLUSION: A nomogram based on two-dimensional ultrasound and STE radiomics and clinical features served as a non-invasive tool capable of differentiating kidney fibrosis of different severities. KEY POINTS: • Radiomics calculated based on the ultrasound imaging may be used to predict the severities of kidney fibrosis. • Radiomics may be used to identify clinical features associated with the progression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis in patients with CKD. • Non-invasive ultrasound imaging-based radiomics method with accuracy aids in detecting renal fibrosis with different IFTA severities.

Factors Affect the Eradication Rate of Helicobacter pylori by Modified Quadruple Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate related factors affecting the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) by modified quadruple therapy. Methods: Between September 2020 and March 2021, 341 patients who were diagnosed with Hp infection and whose infections were confirmed by gastroscopy, a histological examination, and a C13-UBT without culturing and antimicrobial susceptibility studies received a two-week anti-Hp treatment, a modified quadruple therapy, in our department. The result of C13-UBT was rechecked 4 weeks after the drug withdrawal, and the patients were divided into two groups-a success group and a failure group-according to the final breath result. The general clinical information and related laboratory indexes of each patient were collected, and the factors affecting the eradication rate were analyzed. Results: The total clinical eradication rate was 80.06% (273/341), and the failure rate was 19.94% (68/341), correspondingly. Univariate analysis identified statistically significant differences between the two groups in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, presence of oral diseases, positive cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA), and medical compliance (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the use of a proton pump inhibitor (PPIs) and antibiotics was statistically different (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that vitamin D level (<20 ng/mL) [OR = 98.56, 95% CI (29.01-334.83), P < 0.001] and medical compliance [OR = 148.18, 95% CI (37.64-583.33), P < 0.001] were independent effecting factors for eradication rate. Conclusion: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level lower than 20 ng/mL may affect the success of eradication of Hp and is an independent risk factor for eradication failure.

Molecular Iron Oxide Clusters Boost the Oxygen Reduction Reaction of Platinum Electrocatalysts at Near-Neutral pH.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a key energy conversion process, which is critical for the efficient operation of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Here, we report the significant enhancement of the ORR-performance of commercial platinum-on-carbon electrocatalysts when operated in aqueous electrolyte solutions (pH 5.6), containing the polyoxoanion [Fe28 (µ3 -O)8 (L-(-)-tart)16 (CH3 COO)24 ]20- . Mechanistic studies provide initial insights into the performance-improving role of the iron oxide cluster during ORR. Technological deployment of the system is demonstrated by incorporation into a direct formate microfluidic fuel cell (DFMFC), where major performance increases are observed when compared with reference electrolytes. The study provides the first examples of iron oxide clusters in electrochemical energy conversion and storage.

BuFeiXiaoJiYin ameliorates the NLRP3 inflammation response and gut microbiota in mice with lung cancer companied with Qi-yin deficiency.

INTRODUCTION: NLRP3 inflammasome responses and gut microbiota have been shown an important role in lung cancer, however, the relationship between gut microbiota and NLRP3 inflammasome responses in lung cancer with Qi-yin deficiency remains elusive. METHODS: To investigate the effect of the traditional Chinese medicine BuFeiXiaoJiYin (BFXJY) on NLRP3 inflammasome responses and dysbiosis in lung cancer with Qi-yin deficiency, the female BALB/cA-nu mice were treated with LPS and ATP to induce inflammation, and were intragastrically treated with warm Chinese medicine and smoked with shavings to induce Qi-yin deficiency, as well as were injected with 1 × 107/ml A549 cells to simulate lung cancer. Then the three different doses of BuFeiXiaoJiYin (BFXJY) and positive control (CRID3) were used for intervention in mice for 27 consecutive days. Then, we estimated the protection effect of BFXJY on lung cancer mice with Qi-yin deficiency, through deterring tumor growth, NLRP3 inflammasome, PKC signaling, and homeostasis of gut microbiota. RESULTS: In this study, we found that BFXJY could inhibit the tumor growth in lung cancer with Qi-yin deficiency by reducing the production of IL-1ß and IL-18 and inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which might be associated with the inhibition of PKC signaling. Furthermore, BFXJY could promote microbial diversity and balance the microbial composition changes induced by inflammation and Qi-yin deficiency in lung cancer. CONCLUSION: BuFeiXiaoJiYin ameliorates the NLRP3 inflammation response and gut microbiota in mice with lung cancer companied with Qi-yin deficiency. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the clinical development of therapeutic drugs targeting to treat lung cancer.

The Relationship Between Upper Esophageal Sphincter Pressure and Psychological Status in Patients with Globus Sensation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between changes in esophageal pressure and psychological status in patients with globus sensation. METHODS: A total of 40 patients with globus sensation who attended Wenzhou People's Hospital between August 2020 and February 2021 were divided into two groups based on the results of esophageal manometry: a high-pressure group and a non-high-pressure group. The duration of disease, clinical symptom score, and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) were compared between the two groups to determine the relationship between changes in esophageal pressure and psychological status. RESULTS: All the patients before treatment were divided into a high-pressure group (n = 14) and a non-high-pressure group (n = 26) according to whether the resting pressure of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) was greater than 104 mmHg. The differences between the high-pressure group and non-high-pressure group in duration of disease, clinical symptom score, and SAS were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Anxiety was present in 12 patients in the high-pressure group and two patients in the non-high-pressure group. The difference between the the high-pressure group and non-high-pressure group in the incidence of anxiety was statistically significant (χ2 = 21.04 and P < 0.001). Pearson correlation analysis of the association between esophageal pressure and anxiety resulted in R = 0.74 and P < 0.001. CONCLUSION: Patients with globus sensation who develop anxiety were more likely to have high pressure in the upper esophageal sphincter.

Effects on phenotype and function of mouse CIK cells treated with carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect on the phenotype and function of CIK cells induced from splenic lymphocyte in mice treated with carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes.Methods:CIK cells were treated with carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes at different concentrations.Cell growth status was observed using inverted fluorescence microscopy.The killing effect was de-termined by MTS method.Immunophenotype was analyzed by flow cytometry.Results: With the increase of the effect target ratio,the killer rate of CIK was gradually enhanced and the optimal effect target ratio was 20:1.With the increase of the dose of carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes,the proportion of Treg cells decreased.When CIK cells were treated with 0.5 μg/ml carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes(CNTs),the proportion of CD3+CD4+and CD3+CD8+was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05),and the killing effects of CIK anchieved best results to B16 cells,H22 cells and RM-1cells.Conclusion: The carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes enhanced the ability of CIK cells to kill tumor cells,significantly which provide has potential value in tumor drug development.

Diagnostic values of red cell distribution width, platelet distribution width and neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio for sepsis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of red blood cell distribution width (RDW), platelet distribution width (PDW), the neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio (NLCR), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) for the prediction of sepsis. A total of 120 consecutive patients who underwent blood culture testing were included. The PCT and CRP levels, and RDW, PDW and NLCR percentages were determined and compared between patients with positive blood cultures and those without. The PCT, CRP, RDW, PDW and NLCR values were significantly higher in patients with positive blood culture compared with those without. PCT and NLCR each had a high diagnostic performance for the prediction of sepsis, with an area under the curve (AUC) for sepsis of 0.829 and 0.718, respectively. A combination of RDW, PDW and NLCR also exhibited a good diagnostic performance for sepsis (AUC, 0.704). NLCR is easily obtained by automated hematological analysis. Moreover, NLCR was found to have a high diagnostic efficiency for the prediction of sepsis, with greater sensitivity and accuracy than CRP. In conclusion, PCT exhibited the optimal diagnostic performance among the tested markers. The combination of the three parameters of RDW, PDW and NLCR, demonstrated a high diagnostic performance similar to that of PCT.

Double-center randomized controlled trial on post-stroke shoulder pain treated by electroacupuncture combined with Tuina / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate clinical therapeutic effect of post-stroke shoulder pain treated by acupuncture combined with Tuina.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three hundred cases of post-stroke shoulder pain were randomly divided into an acupuncture and Tuina group and a rehabilitation group by double-center randomized controlled clinical trial method. In acupuncture and Tuina group, normalized electroacupuncture and Tuina therapy were applied, that was electroacupuncture at main points, such as Chize (LU 5), Quze (PC 3), Shaohai (HT 3), Jianyu (LI 15), Jianliao (TE 14) and Jianjing (GB 21),etc., combined with traditional Tuina manipulations; in rehabilitation group, the rehabilitation methods such as the electrostimulation through nervus cutaneus and the squeezing and stabilizing manipulations of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF), etc. were applied. The treatment courses of both groups were 6 weeks. The main therapeutic effect indices were the Assessment Face Scale (AFS) for pain when shoulder was in passive motion and the Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment for upper limbs active function; the secondary indices were the moditied Rankin Scale (mRS) and the clinical incidences of shoulder-hand syndrome of hemiplegia and shoulder joint subluxation of hemiplegia.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 6 weeks treatment and 12 weeks follow-up, AFS score, Fugl-Meyer motor assessment of upper limbs active function and mRS evaluation in acupuncture and Tuina group were more obviously improved than those in rehabilitation group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Although the clinical incidences of shoulder-hand syndrome of hemiplegia and shoulder joint subluxation of hemiplegia in acupuncture and Tuina group was equal to those in rehabilitation group [3.55% (5/141) vs 8.45% (12/142), 1.42% (2/141) vs 5.63% (8/142), both P > 0.05], the data indicated that there was a superiority tendency in acupuncture and Tuina group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combined therapy of electroacupuncture and Tuina is a normative manipulation, and the therapeutic effect is satisfying for post-stroke shoulder pain, superior to that of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment.</p>